In the dorm room, the air seemed to have frozen solid.
Kushida Kikyo was the first to break the silence. She looked at Akiyama Shin with some concern.
"Shin-kun..."
"Now we've really become everyone's target..."
"The Chairman..."
"He's pushed you into the spotlight."
Horikita Suzune also frowned deeply, her cool voice carrying a trace of gravity.
"It was unexpected, but understandable upon reflection."
"The school needed to define the nature of this incident, and it also needed someone primarily responsible. Your performance, Akiyama, clearly exceeded their expectations for handling this quietly."
She paused and looked at Akiyama Shin.
"So..."
"What do you intend to do?"
Akiyama Shin leaned back in his chair. There was little panic on his face; instead, he had the calmness of someone whose fighting spirit had been stirred.
"What do I intend to do?"
He paused.
"Since I can't avoid it, I'll face it head-on."
"A tree that rises above the forest will be battered by the wind?"
"That depends on what kind of wind it is—and what kind of tree I am."
His gaze swept over the two girls.
"Our greatest advantage right now is the unprecedented amount of points in our hands."
"They are our capital and our protection, but at the same time, they are also the source of others' greed."
Horikita Suzune immediately understood what he meant. Without nearly any hesitation, she began operating her Terminal.
"This sum of points has limited use in my hands. Only by putting them in your hands, Akiyama, can we maximize their value."
As she completed the transaction, Akiyama Shin's Terminal immediately chimed.
[Ding! Horikita Suzune has transferred 51,000,000 Personal Points to you.]
Right afterward, Kushida Kikyo bit her lip and made up her mind.
"Me too!"
"Shin-kun, I'll give you my points as