The Joint Study Group finally came to an end in an unusually somber atmosphere.
The students from Class B and Class D quietly packed away their notebooks and textbooks. The scrape of chairs rang out especially clearly in the quiet room. They left in small groups, most looking tired and talking about dinner plans as their steps drifted toward the cafeteria. After all, once a long study session was over, a hot meal was the most comforting reward.
Akiyama Shin didn't follow the crowd. He leaned against a bookshelf, his gaze sweeping over the students before settling on two of them.
One was Horikita Suzune, who was just getting ready to leave. She packed her bag briskly, her back as straight as ever, her demeanor cold and unapproachable.
The other was Kushida Kikyo, chatting and laughing with Wang Meiyu and several other girls, her eyes crinkled with a smile.
Her sweet laughter carried even from a few steps away. She looked nothing like she had during the tense study session.
Only after most of the others had left did Akiyama Shin speak, his voice perfectly calm.
"Horikita, Kushida, wait a moment."
After a pause, he added,
"There's something we need to discuss."
Both girls stopped what they were doing.
A flicker of understanding passed over Horikita Suzune's face. She looked up at Akiyama Shin, already guessing that he was about to lay out their next move. After spending so much time together, she had grown used to his decisive manner. It was less a discussion than an announcement, and her role was to carry it out.
But there was also a hint of confusion in her expression.
She studied Akiyama Shin's face for a moment, then glanced instinctively at Kushida Kikyo beside her. Her brows drew together almost imperceptibly. Why had he called Kushida, too?
As far as she knew, although Kushida was the social hub of the class, she had never been involved in Akiyama Shin's deeper plans. Inviting her this time seemed unnecessary.
Compared with Horikita's straightforward puzzlement, Kushida Kikyo's thoughts were more nimble.
At the sound of Akiyama Shin's voice, her smile faltered slightly as countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
Is Shin-kun planning to work with both me and Horikita-san this time?
Ever since Akiyama Shin had helped ease her hostility toward Horikita Suzune, she had even begun to feel a strange sort of... camaraderie with her. She certainly didn't think Akiyama Shin would reveal their relationship now. So the only possibility was that he had recognized Horikita's potential and planned to involve her more deeply in his plans.
Once she had figured that out, her sweet smile returned. She answered lightly,
"Of course, Akiyama-kun."
Akiyama Shin nodded toward Hirata Yosuke, Yukimura Teruhiko, Wang Meiyu, and the others nearby. The meaning was clear: he wanted them to leave first.
Curiosity showed on Hirata's face as his gaze passed over the three of them, but he was tactful enough not to ask. He only smiled warmly,
then nodded to Akiyama Shin and left the library with Yukimura, Wang Meiyu, and the others.
Only after the three of them were alone in the library did the quiet settle in, deep enough for them to hear the wind rustling the leaves outside.
Akiyama Shin finally spoke. His tone remained calm, but there was an unmistakable certainty in it.
"The next part of the plan requires an important person's cooperation. Finding him and securing his agreement is essential if the whole plan is going to work."
"Who?"
Horikita Suzune asked directly, without wasting words. Her gaze was searching.
Akiyama Shin gave a name, clear and concise.
"Koenji Rokusuke."
"Koenji-kun?"
Kushida Kikyo blinked, surprise in her eyes. She instinctively lowered her voice.
"But he..."
"He almost never takes part in class activities."
The image of that eccentric figure came to Kushida Kikyo's mind at once. Koenji Rokusuke always acted as though he were above everyone else, utterly self-centered.
He didn't just skip group study sessions; he might not even show up for important class meetings. How could someone like that possibly agree to help with someone else's plan?
Horikita Suzune frowned too, her tone plainly confused.
"That oddball...? Why approach him now...? Knowing what he's like, I don't think he'll cooperate with any plan..."
Horikita Suzune didn't approve of Koenji's way of doing things, but she had to admit that he was exceptionally capable. He simply used those abilities for his own benefit, and the idea of cooperation seemed completely foreign to him.
"His abilities are indispensable at certain key stages of the plan."
Akiyama Shin kept it brief, offering no further explanation.
"Only with his agreement can my plan move forward smoothly. Once we've spoken with Teacher Chabashira and confirmed the details, you'll understand."
Horikita Suzune's expression turned serious at once.
She had doubts about Koenji's willingness to cooperate, but she trusted Akiyama Shin's judgment completely.
If Akiyama Shin said so, then Koenji's role really must be irreplaceable. She nodded slightly.
"I understand."
Kushida Kikyo quickly put aside her surprise and resumed her usual enthusiasm. She nodded firmly.
"Yeah! If I can help, I'll do my best to persuade Koenji-kun!"
Akiyama Shin said no more. He took out his Terminal and opened the Class D group chat. Among all the simple profile pictures, Koenji's distinctive avatar stood out. It was a selfie of himself, taken at an unusual angle with dramatic lighting that had an artistic flair and a vanity no one else could imitate.
He tapped the screen and sent a friend request.
Horikita and Kushida were both taken aback when the request was accepted almost the instant he sent it.
"Huh? That was fast!"
Kushida Kikyo couldn't help exclaiming softly, her eyes wide with disbelief.
In her experience, Koenji was always aloof and hard to approach. Accepting a friend request so quickly didn't fit his image at all.
Horikita Suzune raised her brows too, surprise flashing in her eyes. Clearly, she hadn't expected this either.
A look of understanding passed through Akiyama Shin's eyes. Just as he'd predicted, Koenji might seem like a loner, but he was perceptive enough not to pass up anything that could prove interesting. Without hesitation, Akiyama Shin tapped the voice-call button.
Koenji answered just as quickly.
Before Akiyama Shin could speak, a magnetic male voice came through the receiver. His tone was distinctively languid, yet radiated the confidence that seemed ingrained in him, as though everything was under his control.
"Oh my~ What a rare visitor, Akiyama-boy... You went out of your way to contact me. What is it?"
"Are you going to ask me why I skipped that boring group study session today?"
"Or perhaps... you've already seen how fragile Class D really is and want to seek my cooperation?"
Akiyama Shin's eyes shifted slightly as he thought,
As expected, he's no ordinary person.
Koenji Rokusuke wasn't just physically exceptional. His sharp mind and powers of observation were far beyond the norm, too.
From nothing more than an unexpected friend request and voice call, he had quickly deduced two possible reasons. That insight was not to be underestimated.
Akiyama Shin was confident that his own planning and insight surpassed Koenji's, but Koenji had already given him plenty of reason to take him seriously.
At Koenji's words, Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo both furrowed their brows slightly.
His comment about seeing the fragility of Class D sounded unpleasantly insulting to the whole class.
But they knew this wasn't the time to argue over it. They pressed their lips together and didn't interrupt.
Akiyama Shin ignored the remark and went straight to the point, his voice level.
"Where are you?"
"Heh-heh~"
Koenji chuckled, sounding amused. He seemed to appreciate Akiyama Shin's directness.
"I'm on the third floor of Keyaki Mall, in the gym, sculpting this divinely gifted, perfect body with sweat. What, Akiyama-boy, can't wait to meet me?"
"Wait there."
Akiyama Shin spoke two words, then hung up before Koenji could reply. It was quick and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Meanwhile,
in the gym on the third floor of Keyaki Mall,
Koenji Rokusuke looked at the call screen after it had gone dark. Rather than getting angry, he curled his lips with interest, picked up the towel resting nearby, and tossed it over his shoulder as he mused aloud,
"What a distinctive boy~"
He tapped the screen a few times and quickly sent Akiyama Shin the gym's exact location, along with a message:
"Try not to get lost, Red-Eyed Boy."
Akiyama Shin received the location and glanced down at the screen. After confirming the address, he looked up at the two girls beside him.
"Let's go to the gym."
The three of them immediately set off toward Keyaki Mall.
The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, pleasant against their faces. More students were out on the road now.
Most had finished their club activities or self-study and were headed to the dorms, cafeteria, or shopping mall. The lively chatter helped dispel the gloom.
Kushida Kikyo couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. She slowed her pace, moved closer to Akiyama Shin, and asked in a low voice,
"Akiyama-kun..."
"Is this plan... really that important?"
She couldn't figure out what kind of plan would make Akiyama Shin take it so seriously that he was personally going to persuade the inscrutable, stubborn Koenji Rokusuke.
Akiyama Shin glanced at her, then at Horikita Suzune beside them. Horikita hadn't said anything, but her questioning gaze made it clear that she shared Kushida's doubts.
Kushida was someone he trusted.
Horikita was someone whose potential he recognized, a student willing to follow his lead and learn from him.
After a moment's thought, Akiyama Shin decided to reveal some key information. It would reassure them and help them understand how important this was.
He stopped and turned to face them. His voice wasn't loud, but his words rang clearly in their ears, like a sudden clap of thunder, crashing through both girls' minds.
"If the plan goes smoothly, we can conservatively expect to make a net profit of at least ten million Personal Points."
"Ten million?!"
Kushida Kikyo clapped a hand over her mouth, barely stifling the cry that rose to her lips. Her beautiful eyes widened.
Her face was full of disbelief, and her voice trembled slightly.
Horikita Suzune's pupils contracted. She drew in a sharp breath, looking at Akiyama Shin in shock and disbelief.
Ten million Personal Points!
It was an astronomical sum!
Only then did they fully understand why Akiyama Shin took this matter so seriously, even going so far as to persuade the most difficult person to deal with, Koenji Rokusuke, in person.
The prospect of such enormous returns quickened all three of their steps.
The oppressive mood was instantly replaced by an indescribable mix of anticipation and urgency. They hurried toward Keyaki Mall.
The financial crisis in campus points was about to begin!!!
Before you continue