Sakura of Class F

"I don't think you need to apologize. In fact, I rather agree with your choice not to testify."

Aoyama let out a sigh as she interrupted Sakura, whose body was trembling with uncertainty.

Sudo Ken, the student at the center of the Class D fight, had a short temper, cut in line, and littered carelessly. He was also one of the culprits behind Class D having only 250 Class Points left in May.

If he were a Class D student, he wouldn't feel the slightest guilt watching Sudo suffer.

"But I think... classmates should help each other. If I speak up as a witness, I'll definitely attract attention. I... I hate that."

"As Student Council Vice President, I can tell you clearly that a witness's testimony doesn't count for much when they're in the same class."

As Sudo's classmate, Sakura's interests were tied to those of her class, especially given Kouiku's policies.

Without surveillance footage proving Sakura was at the scene at that time, her testimony would be completely useless.

"But I think I'll regret it later if I stay silent." Holding the warm paper cup in both hands, Sakura lowered her head even further.

"Then is it okay if I tell Ichinose and the others that you were a witness?"

"I-it's okay."

After hesitating for more than ten seconds, Sakura gave a small nod.

Then she immediately asked to leave.

"Do you think I'm ugly, Sakura?" Aoyama asked, answering a different question.

He didn't get many chances to find an excuse to spend time with Sakura, and he didn't want to waste this one.

"Ah... um... I'm not used to making eye contact with people. I'm sorry."

"But you can't keep doing that. I think you know it's rude, though I don't mind." Aoyama paused. "Given Suzune's personality, she might treat you as a pawn to sacrifice when necessary."

"A pawn to sacrifice??" Ripples spread across the surface of the cup of flower tea.

"It means a candidate for expulsion. I think you know about Special Exams. Sometimes, the losing class can choose who gets expelled."

In exams like the Classroom Vote Exam, Unanimous Special Exam, and Offensive and Defensive Quadrilateral Exam, the class itself could decide who would be expelled.

Aoyama hadn't lied to Sakura. If they judged purely rationally, she was the easiest student for Class D to sacrifice.

The Three Idiots often angered people, but they had plenty of friends who would protect them.

Aoyama stood up and walked over to Sakura. "So you have to change. And I—really want to help you."

"Aoyama... wants to help me?"

"Right. All you need to do is pay me 20,000 Personal Points a month. This month's already underway, so I can give you a twenty-percent discount. Buy now and you'll be getting a bargain. You won't find this offer anywhere else."

With a gentle smile, Aoyama placed one hand on the back of Sakura's chair and the other on the table in front of her.

"Bearing the title of Student Council Vice President, I can't stand by and watch a classmate get expelled."

Less than half an hour later, Sakura Airi's seat was taken by Ichinose Honami, the leader of Class B.

Horikita Suzune, the leader of Class D, had come with her.

"That's more or less how things stand. Class D probably won't lose any Class Points, while things will stay as they are for Class B." Aoyama began brewing tea again.

After Sakura had paid him in a daze, he'd decided to help her out, since she didn't want to draw attention to herself by revealing that she was a gravure model. He prided himself on providing excellent after-sales service.

He had just told the two girls about the witness's promise to testify and how much her testimony could help.

"But there's no avoiding Sudo's suspension. He did hit someone, after all."

"I can't accept that." Horikita Suzune's expression was stern.

It was obvious Class C had set them up. If Class C got away without consequences while Class D was punished, then it would be clear that Class D had lost its first clash with Class C.

"If you can't accept that, there are only two ways to resolve this. First, find clear evidence that Ryuen deliberately framed you. Second, have the Class C students withdraw their complaint."

Aoyama looked at Ichinose, who was thinking things over. "As for the fight between Kanzaki and Ryuen, based on the evidence we have, I'd probably split the punishment sixty-forty. Kanzaki did well to insist that he and Ryuen fought each other."

"If Ichinose can find evidence supporting the claim that Ryuen framed him on purpose, I can change the punishment to an even split."

"This afternoon, I'll have Kamuro Secretary notify Classes B and C that they'll have seven days to search for evidence."

For the sake of 100,000 Personal Points, Aoyama had put on a little demonstration for the two girls: money made things easy.

As long as he couldn't be caught helping them, he was willing to do it—and would.

"Um... how should I put this? Thank you, Aoyama." Ichinose seemed at a loss, and her smile was a little strained.

"We're on the same side. No need to be so polite. Remember to come to me again next time."

Aoyama patted Ichinose on the shoulder, then left the room to Ichinose and Horikita so they could discuss things.

He'd forgotten his coat, so he had to return to the dorm to pick up his suit jacket before heading to class.

Kouiku had an incredibly frustrating rule: to enter the school, you had to wear the damn suit jacket, summer or winter.

The school's central air conditioning covered the buildings thoroughly, but there was no air conditioning on the way to school or between buildings.

Couldn't he buy the right to go without the uniform?

With his uniform jacket in hand, Aoyama headed to school and suddenly had an idea.

Changing the school rules would be difficult, but he could probably afford to buy the right not to wear his uniform jacket.

Chapter 39: Sakura's F-Rank

"Buying the right not to wear your uniform? No student's ever thought of that before."

In the teachers' office, Mashima Tomoya scratched his head in confusion as he faced Aoyama Shiki, who had come to buy the right to go without his uniform.

He had worked at the school for six years and had never heard of anyone trying that.

"I'll discuss it with the person who can make that decision. But even if it's possible, it'll cost a lot of Personal Points."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Mashima-sensei."

After making it clear that he was interested, Aoyama left the teachers' office.

Nothing unexpected happened. Everything went smoothly.

The leisurely school day passed quickly, and Mashima-sensei still hadn't given him an answer by the time Aoyama left school.

After finishing his Student Council duties, Aoyama didn't go to the sports field to work out today.

He went to the gym near the dormitory and, being loaded, booked a private room for a month.

Perhaps because it catered to students, the price wasn't too high.

Well, not bad.

Aoyama checked out the equipment in the room. Naturally, there was a treadmill.

There was also a lat pulldown machine, a stair climber, an exercise bike, and some dumbbells. The place was quite well equipped.

"I'm here... Aoyama."

Wearing an ordinary school tracksuit, unfashionable pigtails, and red-framed glasses, Sakura Airi entered the room and stood timidly by the door.

"Take off your jacket, tie your hair up or put it in a ponytail, and take off your glasses." Aoyama continued his warm-up at an unhurried pace. "I know those are just plain frames with no prescription."

"We're already at the gym, so I think you know what we're about to do. You don't need to wear all that extra stuff."

Traditional Chinese medicine held that essence, energy, and spirit were one. Getting stronger could boost a person's confidence.

From a Western medical perspective, exercise could stimulate the release of endorphins and help ease anxiety and depression.

In short, moderate exercise was always a good thing.

"...Okay, I understand."

After taking her time, Sakura went to stand in front of the full-length mirror and began removing her disguise.

Although she already knew that Aoyama had discovered her real appearance while checking the surveillance footage that morning, this was the first time she had shown her true face to someone in person since starting at the school.

"You look much better like this. You look more lively, too."

Her fiery red hair fell in a ponytail past her waist, and nothing covered her beautiful ice-blue eyes. Her features were as lovely as a flower. Only now did Sakura look like a gravure model.

"Let's start with some warm-up exercises. Just follow my lead."

Standing with her feet shoulder-width apart and her knees slightly bent, Aoyama raised both arms out to his sides into a T.

After Sakura followed along with an expression that suggested she was struggling to keep herself from running away, he began calling out, "One, two, one, two," guiding her through some chest stretches.

"Head up, chest out. Do it properly. This is the first stage, so I won't make you look me in the eye." Aoyama closed his eyes.

Whenever Sakura glanced up and met his gaze, her movements became awkward and her head drooped.

It was normal to feel uncomfortable when someone watched you, but being so uncomfortable that you were afraid of them could be considered an illness.

"Are you looking at me?"

"Yes, I am, Aoyama... I'm sorry."

Sakura stared intently at Aoyama's face with his eyes closed, answering quickly in case he opened them.

His handsome face looked almost sculpted. She thought Aoyama Shiki, the top-ranked handsome guy among the first-years, deserved the title.

Anyway, why was she even here?

Aoyama seemed kind, and he was good-looking, but her heart couldn't take it.

Talking to boys was just too difficult.

Had she taken some kind of love potion that morning? She felt like she'd hired Aoyama to improve her abilities and keep her from being expelled without even thinking it through.

Could she still change her mind?

"All right, on to the next warm-up exercise."

"Yes, I'll follow along."

As soon as Aoyama spoke, Sakura snapped out of her regret.

Before long, the sound of her slightly labored breathing began to fill the room.

After just ten minutes of warm-ups, Sakura was already about to give out, while Aoyama remained unfazed.

"You're just starting out, so today we'll stick to light jogging. Rest when you're tired. Don't push yourself."

After showing Sakura how to use the treadmill, Aoyama went over to the stair climber.

Since he was using the thing for the first time, he chose the medium-speed setting.

The result of his test was that it was far more strenuous than he'd expected.

Sakura had only just sat down on the bench to rest when Aoyama sat beside her, drenched in sweat.

"I'll just call you Sakura, and you can call me Aoyama. I'll help you get used to being around me and gradually improve your ability to interact with other people."

"When you can chat with me without feeling nervous, I'll introduce you to some other students who are easygoing."

Aoyama lifted the hem of his shirt and wiped his face.

"Once your communication skills are good enough, I'll rate you as an average student in the class. Then no one will see you as a candidate for expulsion."

"I'm sorry, I... I might... not be able to meet your expectations anytime soon."

Although Sakura knew that she needed to improve her communication skills as quickly as possible, she wasn't confident she could meet Aoyama's expectations. She couldn't imagine succeeding in such a short time.

Almost every second, she wanted to escape the room and crawl back into her bed.

"It's fine if you can't do it."

It didn't matter if she couldn't? That was pretty nice, wasn't it?

Hearing the gentle tone in Aoyama's voice, Sakura felt relieved, but also a little sad.

Did he never expect anything from me in the first place?

That made sense. She was so useless, after all. The manga story about a prince saving a gloomy girl could never happen to her.

"Even if you can't do it, we'll stick to the plan. I'll drag you off to meet new friends and practice communicating. If you try to avoid me, I'll come to your class and grab you."