As if...
To Kijima Tsukur, everything happening before him was nothing more than leaves drifting down in the wind—not worth mentioning.
That was right.
In that moment, Ryuen had already observed everyone.
Ryuen had initially figured that Kijima Tsukur was either slower to react than everyone else or a blank-faced idiot.
But what he hadn't expected was—
Kijima Tsukur had not only noticed what he was trying to do, he had even guessed his motive!
Though he still didn't know what made this school different, he, Ryuen, had been the boss of his middle school campus!
And now,
he naturally intended to dominate this school, too!
He would never allow someone like Kijima Tsukur to stand in his way!
Information Revealed, Everyone Stunned
"What?"
Kaneda and the others in the distance were dumbfounded, too.
Had Ryuen Kakeru really considered all that in that brief moment?
Katsuragi and Ichinose frowned slightly as well. This Ryuen didn't seem as hot-tempered as he made himself out to be.
Meanwhile,
"Heh..."
Ryuen finally answered the question from before, glanced at Ichinose and the others, and scoffed:
"I'm not interested in these little lambs, but..."
As he spoke, Ryuen put his hands in his pockets, leaned down toward Kijima Tsukur, and met his gaze with eyes like a venomous snake.
And yet,
Kijima Tsukur still seemed to be looking at a patch of empty air. His eyes didn't even focus.
The corners of Ryuen's mouth lifted slightly.
"I've decided. I'm the one who's going to tear you apart!"
"Suit yourself."
Kijima Tsukur leaned back in his chair and paid the man before him no more attention. His expression calm, he got down to business:
"I called you here for just six things."
"First, I want to share some information about this school."
"To begin with, there are Class Points and personal points, at a ratio of one to one hundred. Class Points determine class rankings."
"Next, only those who graduate from Class A have the freedom to choose their careers."
"Also, the school will hold Special Exams at irregular intervals. Some exams may result in students being expelled."
"Finally, twenty million personal points can cancel an expulsion penalty once or buy the chance to transfer classes."
It was over...
Hashimoto Masayoshi and the others felt bitter about it.
Only now did they believe that Kijima Tsukur had really shared all this information without holding anything back. It was already too late to regret it.
But, thinking it over,
they hadn't had any way to stop him in the first place. There was no point in regretting it.
Ichinose Honami, Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata Sou, Hirata Yosuke, Kikyo Kushida, Karuizawa Kei, Ryuen Kakeru, Kaneda Satoru, Albert.
At that moment,
everyone present was completely bewildered.
Whether it was the cheerful, gentle, kind Ichinose or the despicable, violent Ryuen Kakeru, they were all staring at the man seated before them in shock.
However,
before they could make sense of it,
they saw Kijima Tsukur raise a second finger.
"Second, according to our Class A's deductions, we're currently taking a Special Exam. The exam is likely related to things like classroom discipline and behavioral habits, and it may affect next month's Class Points and personal points."
"Third, my goal is for everyone in the first year to have the chance to choose their careers freely and make their wishes come true. Some people may be expelled along the way, but everyone who remains will definitely get that chance!"
"Fourth, from this moment on, I will rule the entire first year."
"Fifth, tell everyone in your respective classes that, from now on, they should save their personal points as much as possible, apart from necessary living expenses and a certain amount for entertainment!"
"Sixth, everyone here will exchange contact information."
Silence.
Everyone present fell silent.
In the long silence, each of them tried to sort through the information they had just received. It was simply too hard to believe.
They couldn't make heads or tails of whether the information was true or false.
Only after several minutes—
"You haven't told us everything you know, have you?"
Ryuen's already-narrow eyes narrowed even further.
That was his first thought.
After all, several pieces of information from Kijima Tsukur seemed completely contradictory...
For example, only graduates of Class A could choose their careers freely, yet his goal was for everyone to graduate from Class A.
Even if they took into account the option of transferring classes for twenty million personal points—
There were three classes!
They would need at least 2.4 billion personal points!
If it were only eight hundred million points, there might still be the slightest chance. But 2.4 billion personal points was absolutely impossible.
So,
Ryuen didn't believe him at all.
Unless Kijima Tsukur was hiding other information that made it possible for the entire year to graduate from Class A.
"That's everything I know."
The truth was even less likely to be believed, but Kijima Tsukur didn't care. "Perhaps you know a little more than I do now?"
"Wait."
Ichinose had gathered her thoughts, too, and asked in confusion:
"Kijima, are you certain that only graduates of Class A get the chance to make their wishes come true?"
"Yes."
"Leaving everything else aside, is your goal to give everyone the chance to choose their careers freely?"
"Yes!"
"This..."
Ichinose Honami exchanged glances with Kanzaki Ryuji and the others.
They had initially thought Kijima Tsukur had lost his mind. Now it seemed he really did believe that?
Ichinose Honami hesitated, then reminded him:
"Um... Kijima, based on what you just said, do you know how many personal points it would take for three classes to graduate from Class A?"
"2.4 billion."
Kijima Tsukur explained calmly, "I know what you want to say. You don't need to ask. I made this decision after understanding everything."
"But..."
Hirata and the others exchanged worried glances. "Kijima, what do we need to offer in return?"
"Nothing."
"Hm?"
"Didn't you hear me? You don't need to pay anything."
Kijima Tsukur casually played with a Rubik's cube. "All you need to do now is get your classmates to save their points and exchange contact information!"
"..."
At his words,
Ichinose, Hirata, and even the deeply suspicious Ryuen were genuinely shaken.
He didn't want personal points!
He didn't want anything in return!
Could the information be false?
At most, the information would make them behave better. It could only help them, not hurt them. There was no reason to give them false information.
There was absolutely nothing to gain...
Was he really trying to get everyone to graduate from Class A and save their points? It was hard to believe—and simply impossible to believe.
From the moment the school stipulated that only Class A graduates received special privileges,
the four classes could only be enemies!
Even if a few people could transfer classes using personal points, there would only be a small number of them. The relationships between the classes definitely couldn't change!
"Huh?"
After a while, Ryuen thought of one possibility. Narrowing his eyes, he scoffed and sneered:
"You're trying to pose as some great philanthropist to rule the entire first year, then use the opportunity to pull ahead of the other classes, aren't you?"
"..."
At his words,
Ichinose Honami exchanged glances with Hirata Yosuke and the others.
Although it wasn't right to assume the worst of someone—and especially not after receiving so much information from Kijima Tsukur for free—
but...
When you've ruled out every impossible explanation, then whatever remains, however unbelievable, must be the truth!
Ryuen's theory was the only possibility.
Kijima Tsukur wanted to win everyone's trust and seize the leading position in the first year, then suddenly betray them during a Special Exam and secure victory once and for all!
Ichinose, Hirata, and the others said nothing. It was clear that even the two of them, despite being good people, had accepted Ryuen's theory.
Katsuragi and Hashimoto Masayoshi exchanged glances.
They couldn't help feeling helpless.
That was just how things were. It wasn't easy to be a good person, and they had even let the other classes in on so much information for nothing.
If they hadn't shared this information,
they might have gained a huge lead over the other classes from the very start.
Now... it was anyone's guess...
Before you continue