Hundred Thousand Points

Chasuke's body paused slightly. His trademark gentle smile remained on his face, but his eyes were like bottomless pools, impossible to read.

"Although I said points can buy anything, some things aren't so easy to obtain."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka looked at Chasuke expressionlessly, his gaze steady and calm.

"Then, how much would two points cost?"

"Hahaha, you're the first student to ask me that. It's my first time selling grades too.

"In an ordinary school, doing something like this would be quite dangerous. How about this? One point... one hundred thousand points. If you can come up with two hundred thousand, I'll sell you those grades.

"Surely no student would spend all their points in the first month of school, right?"

An undisguised sneer appeared in Chasuke's eyes, but Ayanokoji still wore that dead-fish-eyed expression.

"Teacher Chasuke, I'd like to ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"As Class D's homeroom teacher, are you willing to help Class D?"

"Only a class that demonstrates enough potential is worth my help."

"Then please sell us the two points at the lowest possible price."

"Oh? Your reason?"

"Sudo is worth that price. He may have failed many subjects, but his athletic ability is outstanding and more than makes up for his other problems. At the very least, judging from his potential, he shouldn't be the one expelled."

Chasuke could not deny those words, because they were true. No matter how well she hid it, Ayanokoji had still noticed that Chasuke cared about Sudo's athletic ability.

After hearing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's words, Chabashira Sae silently praised his observation and negotiation skills, though she remained calm on the surface.

"Ayanokoji, you certainly know how to talk. I'll lower the price for you. Considering how scarce and important grades are, one point will cost fifty thousand points. Grade registration ends at six tomorrow evening. If you can gather one hundred thousand by then, I'll sell you the grades."

Chasuke revealed a meaningful smile.

"If you can't even come up with one hundred thousand points, then there's no need to help you at all."

Ayanokoji stared at Chasuke with dead-fish eyes. Chasuke knew about the contract. She had personally seen the contract between him, Suzune, and Sakamoto. To stop Kushida from targeting Horikita and resolve the accident that had happened in the school building, they had signed a non-aggression pact, while Sakamoto had taken fifty thousand points from each of them as an intermediary fee.

That meant Ayanokoji had less than fifty thousand points on him, even including the reward from the swimming competition. He was nowhere near the one hundred thousand points Chasuke demanded.

"Count me in!"

Horikita's voice came from the rooftop entrance behind Ayanokoji.

"Can the two of you come up with one hundred thousand points?" Chasuke looked at Horikita.

Ayanokoji also looked at Horikita. Both waited, expecting the other to answer.

"Not yet!"

Horikita answered stubbornly.

"But before tomorrow, we'll come up with enough points."

Ayanokoji and Horikita had only forty thousand points combined, leaving them sixty thousand short of one hundred thousand.

Yet Horikita carried herself as though she had a million points.

Chasuke did not care about Horikita's attitude, and her tone remained ordinary.

"In that case, as Class D's teacher, I look forward to your success."

Chasuke left the rooftop.

"Let's go back."

"Mm."

"Have you already figured out how to solve the points problem?"

"Not yet."

"Hm?"

Perhaps noticing Ayanokoji's disappointment, Horikita viciously drove her elbow into him before quickening her pace. He clutched his side and chased after her.

The motion-activated lights in the corridor came on one after another with their footsteps, like a hungry snake.

But they abruptly fell into darkness at the corner. Sakamoto Junichi strolled out from the shadows, with Hashimoto behind him, snapping photos with his camera.

"It seems you've run into some trouble. Do you need my help?"

Sakamoto casually raised the student card in his hand, but the platinum pocket-watch chain on his chest drew even more of their attention. It swayed slightly with his soft laugh, reflecting an unpleasantly cold gleam.

Horikita's pupils contracted in the darkness. She instinctively took half a step back, her heel striking the tile with a crisp sound.

Though she had not had much contact with this person, Horikita felt uncomfortable around him. Her voice was icy.

"Sorry, no need. If there's nothing else, please don't disturb us."

Horikita bluntly ordered him to leave.

But Sakamoto seemed completely unconcerned as he lifted the pocket watch hanging from his chest.

The reflection of its moving hands drifted across Horikita's pupils.

"Don't be so nervous. I was only joking." Sakamoto's gaze shifted to Ayanokoji.

"Ayanokoji, you should understand that in this school, some deals are worth more than points."

Sakamoto's right hand remained tucked inside his suit pocket, where faint sounds of metal clinking could be heard.

"We don't need to borrow from you." Ayanokoji stepped forward, standing in front of Horikita. "Teacher Chabashira has already given us enough time."

Sakamoto suddenly laughed and pulled something from his pocket—a simple pure silver coin.

"What a shame."

He flicked the coin into the air. Its metallic surface reflected Hashimoto's smiling face. "I'm also looking forward to seeing how you solve this problem."

When the coin fell back into his palm, Sakamoto turned and left. Hashimoto put away his camera, but before leaving, he deliberately glanced at Horikita. "You two really look like a married couple. Ah—sorry, that joke went too far."

Horikita's icy stare made Hashimoto leave awkwardly.

As the sound of their footsteps gradually faded, Horikita's breathing finally steadied, though her fingers were still trembling slightly. It was unclear what exactly had angered her.

"That guy is strange," she said quietly.

"Mm."

Hearing that, Horikita gave Ayanokoji a strange look.

"Ayanokoji, he came specifically to find you. You—"

"It's nothing."

"It's nothing?!

"Then what was the point of going to find them?

"Hashimoto did not understand why they had deliberately waited in an empty classroom for so long just to meet the two people from Class D. They might as well have watched that icy beauty who had come down before them.

"Shh—"

Sakamoto raised one finger.

"It would be a shame not to see something this interesting for myself. Understand?"

"Oh, okay."

Hashimoto nodded, half-understanding.

"Most of Class D has nearly squandered all their points. Those two usually don't even interact with other people, so it's impossible for them to borrow enough points from their classmates. Then guess who they'll go to borrow those forty thousand points from?"

"Uh, no idea."

Hashimoto decisively stopped thinking.

That instead made Sakamoto laugh.

"There haven't been any changes in Class D's recent point transfers, right? Especially in the accounts of Hirata Yosuke and Karuizawa Kei."

"Yeah, we can basically confirm that they don't have many points left either."