The Landlord's Foolish Son

"Let's exchange contact information. I'll also add you and Yamamura to the group chat. If you need anything, Kijima, you can come to me anytime. I'd be happy to help~"

After they exchanged contact information and added Kijima Tsukur to the class group chat, Hashimoto Masayoshi got up and left. People like him were usually the ones who organized group chats.

"Kijima Tsukur."

At that moment, Morishita Ai spoke up from beside him. "Exchange contact information with me too."

"No problem."

After Morishita Ai left,

Kamuro Masumi glanced at Kijima Tsukur, who had returned to his seat.

She couldn't help feeling disdainful.

No matter what kind of exam it was, you should rely on yourself. Why rely on this weirdo?

Kijima Tsukur sat back down and rubbed his chin.

The fact that Hashimoto Masayoshi could make these deductions based on the information available showed that he had some ability. But his reasoning was actually quite shallow.

The mere fact that someone would be expelled wasn't enough to support those conclusions.

It could be one student against another, one class against another, an individual against the school, a class against the school, or even a competition with another school. Any of those were possible.

Maybe all of them, even?

Thinking that the school itself was your enemy and that you could pass the exam as long as you dealt with whatever tests the school prepared was a very typical student way of thinking.

That much was clear.

Hashimoto Masayoshi, who made scheming his guiding principle in life, had the flaw of being stubborn and self-righteous!

Deep down, Hashimoto Masayoshi didn't trust anyone!

If he wanted to make good use of someone like that, he'd have to discipline him properly.

He had to leave Hashimoto Masayoshi with an unforgettable impression. Otherwise, someone like him could betray him at any moment.

"Kijima."

Just then, Sakayanagi Arisu's voice came from behind him, tinged with amusement.

"Exchange contact information with me too."

"..."

Looking at Sakayanagi Arisu's friend request on his phone, Kijima Tsukur guessed she'd added him through the group chat. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

"By the way, what did you mean by that earlier? Shouldn't you explain yourself, Kijima?"

"..."

Kijima Tsukur turned to look at Sakayanagi Arisu's faintly playful smile and said calmly,

"Given your personality, I imagine you're asking about what I said—that you weren't even as good as Sakayanagi. There's no need to ask. I meant exactly what I said."

"..."

Sakayanagi Arisu's lips curled upward. She tilted her head slightly and smiled.

"Looks like you really do look down on me. Still, I'll ask: why do you look down on me so much? Is it because of my physical condition? My legs do cause me some difficulties, but I don't believe that determines a person's abilities."

"Don't worry. I don't discriminate against anyone over that. This is about a difference in actual ability."

"Should I take that as confidence?"

"Exactly."

With that, Kijima Tsukur turned around and ignored her.

He'd met plenty of people like Sakayanagi Arisu. Verbal sparring was pointless. He had to give her a good spanking and break her spirit.

Otherwise,

a thrill-seeker like Sakayanagi Arisu

would just indulge her whims and toy with people without restraint.

He's got some nerve...

Watching Kijima Tsukur turn away, Sakayanagi Arisu smiled, amused.

He's asking for it!

Kijima Tsukur's behavior had unmistakably told her: You're not even qualified to fight me. He was practically asking for it.

She had already begun planning how to toy with the boy sitting in front of her.

First, she'd let Kijima Tsukur gain a slight advantage, then utterly crush him and turn everyone against him. Finally, she'd toy with the person he cared about most right in front of him.

That girl called Yamamura Miki would be perfect!

The school year had only just begun, and the two weren't close yet. But as time passed, people's relationships would grow closer.

Once Kijima Tsukur couldn't bear to let go of her, Sakayanagi would bring Yamamura Miki under her wing.

She couldn't wait to see the look of unwillingness on Kijima Tsukur's face as he was forced to submit at her feet.

At the thought,

a cold glint flashed in Sakayanagi Arisu's beautiful eyes, and she felt a thrill of excitement.

It was the first time anyone had dared to look down on her like this.

The Landlord's Foolish Son

The morning classes ended in a relaxed atmosphere.

The students of Class A left the classroom in groups. Even though they understood how important points were, there was no need to deprive themselves of food. They could just live normally.

With his hands in his pockets, Kijima Tsukur walked up to Yamamura Miki.

"What are you having for lunch? Your own lunch or the cafeteria?"

"The cafeteria..."

"Then let's go."

"Mm..."

Yamamura Miki murmured in response and timidly followed Kijima Tsukur out of the classroom. He really had gotten used to ordering her around.

The two went to the cafeteria,

joining the crowd in line at the vending machines.

"How do you use this?"

Kijima Tsukur finally glanced at Yamamura Miki behind him.

He'd only ever used vending machines for drinks, so he wasn't familiar with these ones that sold meals.

It didn't look difficult,

but there was an expert right behind him, and he might as well make use of her.

"Huh?"

Yamamura Miki was genuinely stunned.

Could there really be someone in this day and age who didn't know how to use a vending machine?

After a moment's hesitation, she explained softly,

"You buy a meal ticket from the vending machine, then give it to the lady at the corresponding counter."

"Is that so?"

Kijima Tsukur looked over the vending machine.

There were three different meal sets, A, B, and C, plus the free D-grade mountain vegetable set, as well as individual items like pork cutlets, chicken cutlets, tempura, and udon.

Just like he'd seen yesterday,

the school offered a surprising amount of free food.

And quite a few people in the cafeteria looked crestfallen. There were clearly plenty of students without points. If it were just a matter of ordinary living expenses, they wouldn't all look like this.

If they understood the importance of points,

most people would have started budgeting them sensibly.

Even if they didn't have many points, they'd probably try to spread them evenly over the days ahead, rather than looking so desperate.

If they simply lacked self-control and couldn't rein in their desire to spend, they should look more frustrated than this.

That meant the points had some other use!

Were they being used as weapons, or had the school taken them back through some kind of scheme?

He still didn't have enough information.

He could ask some upperclassmen and probably find out a thing or two, but it would definitely cost points, so it wasn't worth it.

If he wanted to ask around, he'd need to find a way that didn't cost points.

After all,

as Hashimoto Masayoshi and the others had said—

aside from Kijima Tsukur, if the students of Class A behaved normally, they were the model of excellence and could face any exam with ease!

That wasn't stupidity or arrogance!

It was the powerful confidence that came from studying diligently for decades without fail. People who had never let themselves down could face any challenge with composure!

"Then I'll have a B set and a bottle of cold cola. I'm counting on you."

Kijima Tsukur lifted a hand, then disappeared from the line. He turned and found an empty table for four. The people around him instinctively moved aside.

There was no special reason. Kijima Tsukur's gaze was simply too sharp, as though he could pounce on someone at any moment, so the people nearby naturally chose to keep their distance.

Mm... Why am I the one doing this again...?

Yamamura Miki murmured in response. He even expected her to bring the food over.

He was just too mean.

She turned back in silence, pressed the buttons for two B sets and two drinks, handed the meal tickets to the woman serving food, then carefully carried the two trays away from the counter.

Soon,

she spotted Kijima Tsukur in the middle of the cafeteria.

After all,

Kijima Tsukur was far too conspicuous.

He was already very handsome and taller than most boys. What stood out most was his unique aura, which left an empty space around him.

Yamamura Miki walked up to Kijima Tsukur, carefully slid one of the meal sets in front of him, then sat down.

He didn't even say thank you...

Seeing Kijima Tsukur immediately start eating, Yamamura Miki silently complained to herself and lifted a small clump of rice to her mouth. She couldn't help thinking about what had happened that morning.

If Kijima Tsukur really was a scumbag who liked to toy with women, then for her own safety, she really needed to consider whether she should leave.

"Um..."

Yamamura Miki couldn't help wondering. She cautiously ventured, "Kijima... Was what you said this morning true?"

"Which part?"

"Um... I mean..."

Yamamura Miki rubbed her thighs together, her face turning red as she grew bashful.

"About girls..."

"You mean when I said I liked to toy with women? It's true. I really do like to toy with women, especially beautiful ones."

Kijima Tsukur ate casually, speaking in a calm, unconcerned tone. "But I won't force anyone. I only toy with women who willingly let me."

"Uh..."