Lunch ended in a strangely subdued silence.
Akiyama Shin and Horikita Suzune left the cafeteria, each lost in their own thoughts.
Their next stop was the department store in Keyaki Mall.
On the surface, they were there to buy the necessities, but they had entirely different reasons for coming.
For Akiyama Shin, it was just a chance to restock his everyday supplies. For Horikita Suzune, it felt more like a test—a way to verify the frightening suspicion about Personal Points and competition that had occurred to her in the cafeteria.
Once they entered the supermarket, Horikita Suzune didn't immediately look for a possible free-assistance section.
Instead, she deliberately slowed her pace and focused more closely on Akiyama Shin as he walked ahead.
In her mind, Akiyama Shin's actions might themselves contain information that needed to be deciphered.
She watched as he pushed a shopping cart and moved purposefully between the shelves.
When he picked up everyday items like shampoo, body wash, and toothpaste, he glanced at the price tags and invariably chose affordable brands that offered good value.
It was just like how he'd picked an inexpensive set meal in the cafeteria.
His movements were practiced and unhesitating.
He clearly wasn't putting on an act. It seemed more like a shopping habit formed over a long time.
But to Horikita Suzune, who had already begun to acknowledge Akiyama Shin's abilities, those actions carried a deeper meaning. She mused to herself.
"He has nearly 2.8 million points... yet he's still this frugal..."
"It can't just be a personal habit... It's more like a warning!"
"He's reminding me through his actions! Reminding me that Personal Points are extremely important! Until we understand the situation... we need to hold on to as many as possible! We can't spend them carelessly!"
She wasn't the type to spend extravagantly in the first place, but Akiyama Shin's silent reminder still stirred an indescribable warmth deep within her.
Or perhaps—
It was the subtle satisfaction of being taken into consideration by someone strong.
"My brother... has never hinted at things like this to me..."
She couldn't help thinking of her brother, the towering figure she could only look up to: Horikita Manabu, the current Student Council president.
In her brother's eyes, she always seemed to be someone who needed to be pushed and tested.
Every setback was treated as necessary training. She had always wanted to prove herself and earn her brother's approval.
Yet the road to catching up with him always felt long and arduous.
Then she looked at Akiyama Shin beside her.
His manner was cold, and his methods subtle, yet he seemed to be genuinely guiding her to discover things and grow.
The contrast left her confused, but somehow, she even felt a little happy.
If Akiyama Shin had known what Horikita Suzune was thinking at that moment, he probably would have thought this woman was remarkably good at convincing herself.
He chose affordable goods purely out of personal habit and practicality. He thought they worked well enough and saw no reason to waste points.
As for reminding her? He didn't have the time or inclination.
Still, he didn't care how Horikita Suzune interpreted his actions, as long as the outcome matched his expectations.
Before long, Horikita Suzune's attention was drawn to an inconspicuous corner of the supermarket.
It held basic bars of soap, the cheapest toothpaste, rough toilet paper, and other items. A sign beside them read: Basic Necessities.
Free to take. Student ID registration required.
She'd found it!
Horikita Suzune's heart sank, yet at the same time she felt relieved that her suspicions had been right.
The free counter in the cafeteria and the free necessities in the supermarket both pointed to the same cruel truth.
Personal Points were definitely not fixed payments!
And they were very likely tied to class evaluations!
Losing the competition meant losing access to a comfortable life. Students would have to get by on these bare essentials instead.
"I... hadn't realized any of this before..."
A powerful sense of self-reproach welled up in her. Compared to Akiyama Shin's almost terrifying insight, her own confidence had seemed utterly ridiculous.
She put aside the last traces of her disdain and now saw Akiyama Shin as a teammate whose abilities far exceeded her expectations, someone worth watching closely and working with cautiously.
As they browsed and shopped, Horikita Suzune also noticed that there were numerous surveillance cameras not only in the school buildings but throughout the shopping center as well. They covered nearly every aisle and shelf. She made a note of it, but didn't think deeply about the reasoning behind the school's surveillance.
After finishing their shopping, the two paid and left the supermarket.
Horikita Suzune was weighing how to bring up what she'd just discovered and discuss it with Akiyama Shin in more depth when he suddenly stopped. His sharp gaze fixed on a girl not far away.
She was tall, with flowing purple hair that reached her waist. Her delicate features carried an air of detachment and a hint of barely concealed rebelliousness.
Without hesitation, Akiyama Shin immediately walked toward her. Horikita Suzune didn't understand what was going on, but hurried after him.
"Wait a moment."
Akiyama Shin spoke from behind the girl, his voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable force.
The girl, Kamuro Masumi, turned at the sound. The first time she saw Akiyama Shin, a flicker of admiration for his looks did pass through her purple eyes, but it was outweighed by her annoyance at being interrupted and her confusion.
"What is it?"
Her voice was rather cold.
Akiyama Shin didn't beat around the bush. Looking her in the eyes, he got straight to the point.
"You stole something, didn't you?"
The air seemed to freeze for an instant.
Horikita Suzune stared at Akiyama Shin in shock, then at the purple-haired girl, trying to spot some clue in their expressions. She hadn't noticed anything unusual about Kamuro Masumi at all.
Kamuro Masumi's expression stiffened, and her pupils contracted. But she quickly returned to her earlier nonchalant look, even adding a hint of mockery.
"Huh? What are you babbling about? I don't even know you."
Akiyama Shin wasn't surprised by her denial. His tone remained calm as he explained.
"If you were an upperclassman who understood the rules, even if you were short on points, you wouldn't risk stealing when there's no need. There are free necessities, after all."
"The fact that you'd do something like this means you're almost certainly a first-year with a hundred thousand points."
He paused, his gaze seemingly able to see right through her.
"If you have a hundred thousand points and still choose to steal, the more likely explanation is your personality. You think it's thrilling, don't you?"
Kamuro Masumi's expression changed slightly, but she remained defiant.
"Ridiculous! Even if you're right, where's your proof? You're making baseless accusations!"
"Proof?"
The corner of Akiyama Shin's mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible, nearly cold smile.
"I don't need to provide any. The surveillance cameras all over this school are proof enough. There are practically no blind spots in the supermarket, and you still went through with it. You must have had one of two things in mind: either you enjoy the thrill of committing a crime under surveillance, or you're betting on the odds—that no one will notice the loss of some small item, and that no one would be bored enough to check the footage."
His tone suddenly turned cold.
"But if I report you right now and ask the school to check the footage, what do you think will happen? At best, they'll deduct a large number of your Personal Points. At worst, you might be expelled. Though I don't know whether you care about that."
Kamuro Masumi's breathing grew noticeably faster. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but more than that, she looked angry and stubborn at having been exposed.
She pressed her lips together and didn't immediately argue back.
Just then, Akiyama Shin did something—and made a proposal—that left even Horikita Suzune, standing beside him, utterly dumbfounded.
He leaned slightly toward Kamuro Masumi, closing the distance between them. His dark red eyes locked onto hers as he spoke in a clear voice with a strangely alluring quality.
"So, be my woman."
!!!
Kamuro Masumi was completely stunned, her face full of incredulity, as if she were wondering whether there was something wrong with him.
Horikita Suzune was so shocked she couldn't speak. She had no idea how Akiyama Shin's train of thought had taken such a sudden leap.
He'd just accused her of stealing...
And the next second, he was... confessing?!
Akiyama Shin knew his words could be taken in more than one way, but that was exactly the effect he wanted.
He wanted her to understand clearly that he didn't play by the rules and that he was intensely focused on his goals.
Seeing their stunned expressions, he calmly added an explanation.
"Of course, you can take it to mean that I'm inviting you to be my spy in another class and pass along any information you consider valuable."
Kamuro Masumi finally recovered from her shock. A disdainful sneer spread across her face, with a hint of reckless defiance.
"Hah! So what if I did steal something? I don't care about getting expelled! Why should I be your spy?"
"If you want to report me, go ahead!"
"You don't care about getting expelled?"
Akiyama Shin repeated her words, but instead, a smile appeared on his face.
"What about the thrill? I doubt you want to spend your whole life living an ordinary, humdrum existence..."
"If you stay by my side, you can experience things far more thrilling and challenging than petty little acts of theft... What do you think? This deal sounds a lot more interesting than getting expelled, doesn't it?"
Kamuro Masumi stopped just as she was about to turn away.
More... thrilling things?
His words struck at the deepest desire in her heart. She was sick of ordinary life and longed to break the rules, to feel her heart race.
Stealing was only a crude way of indulging that desire. This powerful, eccentric boy seemed like he could bring her into a much broader game.
She struggled fiercely with herself, her gaze lingering on Akiyama Shin's calm yet confident face.
At last, she took a deep breath. Her tone still carried a hint of defiance, but her stance had softened.
"That sounds kind of interesting. But I won't agree just like that. I need to see what you're like. If what you do doesn't seem worth it to me, I can quit at any time."
That was basically a roundabout agreement to cooperate for the time being.
"Fine."
Akiyama Shin nodded readily.
"I look forward to seeing what you can do."
Horikita Suzune watched the underground deal take shape in the blink of an eye and stood there in a daze, overwhelmed by information.
Akiyama Shin's whole sequence of moves—from identifying the theft with pinpoint accuracy, to applying pressure, to making an outrageous offer, and finally persuading a girl who looked like a handful—had once again changed her view of his abilities and methods. This person... was... incredibly dangerous!
But also... incredibly impressive!
Before you continue