Long, Straight Black Hair Won't Do

The gap in Class Points between Class 1-B and Class 1-A was less than a hundred points.

As the leader of Class A, Katsuragi surely wouldn't sit back and watch his class drop to Class B.

"Is this the good thing you were talking about, Aoyama?"

Katsuragi's expression darkened even further as he glared at Aoyama, growing irritated.

He couldn't just leave Hashimoto to fend for himself. It was like he was being forced into a corner.

"What does it matter? Sure, Hashimoto's a blond, but he's a useful blond."

"Remember the entrance interviews? The interviewers rated the students, scoring them from A to E."

"Hashimoto got a B in both academics and physical fitness, and his other scores were good too. His overall rating would put him in the top ten of the entire year."

Like a merchant boasting about his wares, Aoyama praised Hashimoto to the skies.

He even threw some information in Katsuragi's face that he otherwise couldn't have gotten his hands on.

"The Student Council can see those?" Katsuragi was curious about his own evaluation, but he also had doubts about what Aoyama had said.

If they could see those ratings, then the talented students in Classes B, C, and D would have nowhere to hide from Aoyama.

That was way too unfair.

"The Student Council President can. After all, he has to select talent."

So he's saying I'm not talented?

Hearing Aoyama's words reminded Katsuragi of the fact that the Student Council had rejected him.

Just as Aoyama had said, aside from Shiina and Kamuro, who'd joined the Student Council because of him, he was the only first-year student who had earned Horikita President's approval.

In other words, Aoyama might be even more capable than he'd thought.

For a moment, Katsuragi even considered stepping down and yielding his position to someone more deserving.

But then he thought of Aoyama's willfulness and abandoned the idea.

"How about one hundred and fifty thousand?" Katsuragi tried to bargain.

Aoyama only smiled and shook his head at the offer, making it clear that there was no room for negotiation.

In the end, Katsuragi could only agree to Aoyama's terms with a dark expression.

"Get Sakayanagi to meet me on the roof of the Special Building. Now."

After everything had been settled, Katsuragi left in a foul mood. Aoyama stopped Hashimoto, who was trying to slip away while he had the chance.

He'd already clipped Sakayanagi's wings, but he didn't mind teasing her a little more. The two of them had already drawn swords against each other, after all.

"I don't think Sakayanagi will show up. The roof of the Special Building has no cameras. Anyone can see something's off."

"Just tell her I caught you there, and that I'll only let you go if your master comes to claim you." Aoyama walked up to Hashimoto and patted him on the shoulder. "When Sakayanagi arrives, kick away her cane and record it."

"Your reward will be a way to transfer to Class A without needing Twenty Million Personal Points."

Before Hashimoto could grimace and refuse, Aoyama dangled a tempting offer that he couldn't turn down.

"It won't be harder than getting Twenty Million Personal Points, will it?"

"It's not that hard. It's much easier than getting Twenty Million Personal Points."

After Nagumo became Student Council President, he'd added a Class Transfer Ticket to the prizes for the Sports Festival.

Thinking that a scholar's actions couldn't be called stealing, Aoyama planned to do the same once he took office.

"I'm in."

After a long silence, Hashimoto nodded firmly.

With the air of a warrior heading off on a mission from which he'd never return, he strode out of the convenience store.

"What do you think his reaction would be if I told him Sakayanagi was the Chairman's daughter after he kicked away her cane?"

Once only he and Kamuro were left in the room, Aoyama grinned mischievously and told her about Sakayanagi's identity.

Sakayanagi Arisu was Chairman Sakayanagi's only beloved daughter.

"Are you getting a little carried away, you bastard?" Kamuro scolded him with a stern expression, worry creeping into her heart.

If Chairman Sakayanagi took offense at his daughter being bullied by someone younger than her, Aoyama, as the mastermind, would be in for a rough time.

"Don't worry. With Sakayanagi Arisu's pride, the moment she asks Chairman Sakayanagi for help, she'll have admitted defeat."

"She won't go running to her parents unless she has no other choice."

"Besides, even if she did, I doubt Chairman Sakayanagi would interfere too much. It wouldn't look good for him to bully someone younger, and he has a fairly gentle disposition."

Noticing Kamuro's concern, Aoyama cheerfully explained things to her.

After all, he was currently the most talked-about person among the first-years. Everyone was watching him.

As long as he didn't do anything too serious to Sakayanagi Arisu, Chairman Sakayanagi wouldn't get involved.

After kicking away Sakayanagi Arisu's cane, he had no plans to go after her again for the time being.

"Are you worried about me, Kamuro?" Aoyama sidled up to her with a playful grin.

"How could I be? I'm worried about getting dragged down with you."

"Tsundere isn't in fashion anymore."

"Don't flatter yourself, you bastard."

Kamuro suddenly stood up from her chair, pinched the soft flesh at Aoyama's waist with a cold expression, then hurried out of the room.

"Ow, that hurts—"

Aoyama rubbed the spot on his waist and chuckled as he spoke to the empty air.

He took down the "One-Day Store Manager" banner and watched the footage he'd just recorded again.

He replayed the part where Kamuro dealt with Hashimoto with an utterly disgusted look on her face several times.

More than Hashimoto's reaction when he learned that the owner of the cane he'd kicked away was the Chairman's daughter, Aoyama looked forward to Kamuro's reaction when she heard his new ringtone.

It'd be a waste not to turn Kamuro's loving declaration just now into a ringtone.

"Today is a good day."

Humming the classic song, Aoyama left the convenience store with a spring in his step.

Of the two million Kamuro had given him today, over 1.8 million had been lent to him temporarily.

Hashimoto had paid back 2.35 million. Adding Katsuragi's one hundred thousand and subtracting the two hundred thousand he owed Kamuro, he had a little over 2.2 million left.

He'd gained another 450,000 in dirty money, bringing his current balance to 1.2 million.

Just like that, he'd scraped together enough for another ten-pull.

"You seem happy." On the way to buy groceries, Horikita Suzune noticed Aoyama striding along with a spring in his step.

"Going grocery shopping? Count me in. Let's make dinner extra special tonight."

When he noticed Horikita Suzune holding an eco-friendly shopping bag, Aoyama quickly figured out where she was headed.

He decided to treat himself properly and splurge.

Not just good food, but expensive, high-quality food.

"What are you so happy about?"

Horikita Suzune studied the profile of the boy beside her.

She hadn't seen Aoyama this happy in a long time. His smile was as innocent as a child who'd just received a present.

Chapter 56: Long, Straight Black Hair Won't Do

Splurging, then feasting, then plunging from the heights of joy into misery.

Aoyama's mood that evening was like a ride on a drop tower.

"What's wrong? Why do you look like you've been dumped?" Horikita Suzune asked, studying at her desk.

She kept an eye on Aoyama as he sat staring blankly at the dining table, and clearly noticed the change in his expression.

First he'd been happy, then excited, and finally he looked utterly bereaved.

"I need comforting, Suzune."

With no will to live, Aoyama fell backward and lay flat on the floor.

Since System-kun was invisible to everyone else, he couldn't resist and did a ten-pull in Horikita's room.

Thinking that his luck couldn't possibly be bad with a beautiful girl beside him, he launched the ten-pull.

Nine whites and one purple.

It was the kind of result that made Aoyama curse. He even suspected that the gold item from his first ten-pull had been guaranteed.

How could anyone be this unlucky? He'd sung that "good day" song way too soon.

"You don't look like you did anything. You were just staring into space." Horikita Suzune walked over and looked down at Aoyama.

"It only looked like I was staring into space, but my soul had traveled through time and fought a fierce battle against an invisible, terrifying enemy. I spent a million lives, only to end up with the most despairing result."

After glancing at the absolutely magnificent view, Aoyama rolled over and lay face-down on the floor.

"Please help this battle-scarred hero, who fought to save the world, with a massage, Warrior Suzune."

"If a warrior has fallen so low that he needs me to do this, then the world might as well be destroyed."

Horikita Suzune gently tucked her long hair behind her ear, then slowly knelt beside Aoyama and began massaging his shoulders.

Her movements were surprisingly professional.

"You've improved a lot, Suzune." Aoyama closed his eyes in comfort.

After all his "guidance," Horikita Suzune had gotten much better at giving massages.

Aoyama, who'd been there from the beginning, could say with confidence that she'd gone from awkward to skilled.

"Do you know when the next Special Exam will be?"

If you wanted to go fishing, you needed bait. Horikita Suzune wasn't at all reluctant to roll up her sleeves and do the work, so naturally Aoyama had to offer her something in return.

"You mean I have a way to find out?"

Since Aoyama was always lecturing her and speaking in riddles, Horikita Suzune had learned to read between the lines.

If he was asking her that, it meant there was a chance she could find out.

"Here's a hint: Midterm Exam."

"So that means the second-years would know? They took it too?" Horikita Suzune guessed. "Wouldn't that make things too simple if the second-years have already taken it?"

The hint that it would be like the Midterm Exam the second-years had taken in their first year couldn't be any more obvious.

"How long do you think this school has been around? The Special Exams change from year to year, but many of them are just different versions of the same thing."

"The location and procedure might be the same, but there are always some differences in the rules."

Aoyama sat up, shifted position, and, under Horikita's puzzled gaze, rested his head on her superbly wonderful thighs.

He'd suffered through a terrible pull. He needed to ease his misery with a super-beautiful girl's lap pillow.

"Right after summer break begins, there'll be a seven-day Uninhabited Island Special Exam." Aoyama felt Horikita's body tremble. He wanted to see her expression, but the angle made it impossible.

A little disappointed, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the softness of the girl's thighs.

"This is practically a first-year tradition. It tests the students' endurance, the leader's ability to manage resources, and the leader's ability to resolve conflicts."

"The school gives you limited resources when you start the Uninhabited Island exam, and the more you have left over, the greater your reward."

"If the whole class can go seven days without eating or drinking, that'll give you a huge advantage from the start."

Surviving seven days on an uninhabited island in the scorching summer heat would be easier if they used more resources.

Students with foresight would naturally want to save as much as possible, but with forty people in a class, there would always be some who wanted to enjoy themselves first and worry about the rest later.

"It's hot? Then use resources to buy a fan."

"The food's bad? Then use resources to buy something else."

"If they go seven days without food or water, they'll die, won't they?" Horikita tried her best to keep her voice calm.

She'd had quite a bit of physical contact with Aoyama, but this was the first time she'd ever given him a lap pillow.