"Hey, Professor... I paid a full 80,000 points for this limited-edition game console."
"Now you can take it home for just 20,000 points. Aren't you tempted?"
Before Suzuki Tsubame had even entered the classroom, he heard Yamauchi peddling his game console.
Professor's real name was Sotomura Hideo. Though he was rather overweight and not particularly good at studying or sports,
he was extremely proficient with computers.
Back in middle school, he had already displayed exceptional talent in computers and other technology-related fields, winning quite a few awards.
"Sorry, Yamaguchi. I'm almost out of points myself, so ask someone else."
Professor politely turned him down.
What normal person... would spend 20,000 points on a lousy game console at a time like this?
Even after being rejected, Yamaguchi refused to give up and set his sights on Ayanokoji, who entered the classroom alongside Suzuki Tsubame.
"Kiyotaka, come take a look at this game console. It's an official limited edition, and it cost me a full 80,000 points last month."
Yamaguchi leaned close to Ayanokoji and held out the console for him to see.
"What do you think? Give me 40,000 points, and I'll reluctantly let you have it."
At those words, Ayanokoji's dead fish eyes were filled with speechlessness.
He had asked Professor for 20,000, but it became 40,000 for him. Did Yamaguchi take him for a sucker?
"Sorry, Yamaguchi. I don't have many points left either."
Ayanokoji shook his head at Yamaguchi and refused the deal.
Never mind whether he would even have any use for a game console if he bought one,
his name might be Kiyotaka, but he wasn't deaf.
Yet Yamaguchi still refused to give up. Pressing his palms together, he shamelessly pleaded,
"Please... 20,000 points is enough. Don't tell me you don't even have 20,000 points?"
Heartless as ever, Ayanokoji naturally wasn't moved by Yamaguchi's plea.
Class D had been plunged into a points crisis since the first day of the month.
There were quite a few people like Yamaguchi, who couldn't stand the cafeteria meal plans and chose to sell off their belongings.
Of course... even more people planned to borrow points from others. After all, the borrower was the boss, and whether the points would ever be repaid was another matter entirely.
Karuizawa had originally been one of them as well.
Thanks to Suzuki Tsubame's favor, Karuizawa had been doing remarkably well lately, constantly finding support to lean on and flattering people at every turn.
She looked every bit like the girl in charge of Class D.
Come to think of it... if Suzuki Tsubame gave points to Kushida, would that help her complete her task at all?
After all, Kushida's task and Karuizawa's task were completely different.
What Karuizawa wanted was protection, not merely points and empty flattery.
Kushida, on the other hand, wanted praise, which she could obtain just as she was doing now.
What a pity... Kushida seemed convinced that Suzuki Tsubame wouldn't do anything to her.
She didn't take him seriously at all now.
If she got the chance, she would absolutely send Suzuki Tsubame away without hesitation.
Near noon, at a corner of the School Building.
Ichinose's pretty face was slightly flushed as she explained the situation to Suzuki Tsubame.
Just as he had expected, the girl had been troubled by Shiranami Chihiro's feelings for her.
"Sorry for the trouble, Suzuki..."
Suzuki Tsubame patted his chest and assured her,
"When I handle something, you can rest easy."
Suzuki Tsubame had already worked out the script. All that remained was for the protagonist to appear.
They had barely spoken for long
before the other person involved arrived at the scene.
"Honami!... Y-you, why are you here?"
The voice shifted from initial delight to startled suspicion.
The newcomer was a petite girl with short hair, dressed in a school uniform, with a little white flower tied to the ends of her hair on the right.
She had a delicate figure and an adorable face.
If Sakayanagi looked like a middle school student, then this girl looked practically like an elementary schooler.
The two had met once before.
Therefore, Suzuki Tsubame wasn't surprised that she recognized him.
Stopping Ichinose from explaining, Suzuki Tsubame shouted fiercely,
"Hey! Are you the one who's been pestering Ichinose?"
Shiranami Chihiro stood some distance away.
Looking as though she faced a great enemy, the timid girl had indeed been frightened by Suzuki Tsubame.
She didn't even dare come closer, merely looking toward Ichinose as if asking for help.
When she got no answer from Ichinose's gaze, she could only cautiously ask,
"Ho... Honami, who exactly is this person?"
Throughout it all, she barely dared meet Suzuki Tsubame's eyes.
Shiranami wasn't familiar with Suzuki Tsubame. She only knew that he had reached some kind of deal with Ichinose.
What sort of person Suzuki Tsubame was, and what relationship he had with Ichinose—Shiranami knew nothing about either.
Ichinose opened her mouth to answer, but Suzuki Tsubame raised a hand to stop her.
From Shiranami's perspective, it looked as though Ichinose was being threatened by Suzuki Tsubame.
"Y-you, let go of Honami!"
Though she was terrified, Shiranami still charged forward without hesitation for Ichinose's sake.
Using both hands, she tried to pry away the arm blocking Ichinose.
However, with a tiny frame like hers, even two more hands would have been useless.
With a light flick of his arm, Suzuki Tsubame sent her stumbling and nearly falling to the ground.
Then Suzuki Tsubame draped his left arm over Ichinose's shoulders, his face twisted into a sinister, scheming expression.
Looking down at her, he said,
"Hehehe... you don't know what Ichinose did back in middle school, do you?"
"W-what?"
Suzuki Tsubame's words made no sense to Shiranami Chihiro. Of course she didn't know what had happened to Ichinose in middle school.
She turned her gaze toward Ichinose.
Yet Ichinose completely ignored Shiranami's worried look. Suzuki Tsubame's words had struck a nerve in her too.
Her face went deathly pale, and she fell into a numb, vacant state.
It was the first time Shiranami Chihiro had ever seen Ichinose make such an expression.
"You don't know, do you? Ichinose was a thief in middle school."
Suzuki Tsubame continued provoking her.
Since you don't want Shiranami to suffer the pain of heartbreak, Ichinose, then you can suffer instead.
Someone had to be miserable, right?
Hehehehe...
"H-how could that be..."
Shiranami Chihiro's face was full of disbelief.
In her eyes, Ichinose was the most perfect person in the world, without a single flaw.
Beautiful, gentle, strong, brave... every kind of compliment seemed tailor-made for her.
"Honami... is what he said true?"
Even though Ichinose's expression had already explained everything, Shiranami Chihiro still couldn't believe it.
Before you continue