Evening, Student Council Room.
Horikita Manabu was browsing through the files of the first-year students spread across his desk, his expression solemn.
The setting sun fell across his profile. The strong, handsome lines of his face had the purple-haired girl beside him completely entranced.
Manabu looked so handsome!
Tachibana Akane swooned inwardly, her gaze fixed on him.
Even if you're a block of wood in real life, surely you can't help falling for me in my imagination?
As she thought this, she barely managed to keep a little drool from slipping out.
Horikita Manabu had no idea what he'd been through in the girl's fantasies that day. He was simply going about his student council duties in silence.
His eyes quickly scanned a thick stack of new student files.
Before long, one face stopped him from turning the page. His expression froze for a second before his gaze settled on the overall ability assessment in the information section:
Intelligence: C-. Judgment: C-. Physical ability: C-. Teamwork: D. Academic ability: E...
Heh.
Horikita Manabu narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners lifting as if he'd spotted something interesting.
"Akane, who gave us the information about the kidnapping at Warehouse No. 4 that day?"
Tachibana Akane snapped back to attention and slowly pointed a slender finger at the photo in the file.
"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."
Late at night, Ayanokoji felt parched. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to head downstairs for something cold.
He put on his jacket, took his phone, and strolled downstairs to his beloved vending machine, where he picked out a drink that big-boy Hirata had highly recommended.
The first sip went straight from his throat to his bowels.
This stuff definitely had a laxative effect.
Ayanokoji gave it his verdict in his mind.
Thinking back to the exam that morning, it could hardly even be called an exam.
Almost no one in the class had thought the questions through. He was the only one who'd gone through the motions, pretending to struggle.
Of course, he couldn't blame them. If you had the cheat sheet in hand, why bother trying to get a perfect score on the level? You could just charge straight through.
Though some people couldn't even manage that.
Ayanokoji's expression stiffened slightly, then he downed the rest of his drink.
He turned to head back. But as soon as he took a step, he noticed a figure flash past by the river.
?
Kushida Kikyo?
Out counting the stars this late at night?
A little excited and curious, Ayanokoji followed her...
By the chilly river, a purple-haired man watched the girl in front of him with an amused smile.
"Well, Kushida, nicely done. That first bit of information you gave me was really valuable. I'm tempted to reward you myself~"
"So I can take it that we've established a partnership, right?"
Kushida ignored the man's teasing and got straight to the point.
"Exactly. You've shown me you're sincere."
"But... I still need to think over what you asked for~" The man put on a shameless air.
"You..." Kushida furrowed her brow, her gentle gaze turning fierce. "What else do I have to do before you'll agree to work with me?"
The man's smile grew wider, his expression suggesting that everything was going according to plan.
"For the next Special Exam, give me all the information you have on your class and the other classes. Then I'll agree."
The man spoke with undisguised greed.
"..."
"Deal."
Kushida thought it over for a moment, then answered decisively, as if she had no choice but to do it.
Her response piqued the man's curiosity. "Oh? You're willing to betray your class just to get her expelled. Sounds like there's a pretty deep misunderstanding between you two."
"Why not tell me about it? I could give my future partner some advice."
Kushida didn't want to waste any more time talking to him. Every word out of this man's mouth was clearly meant to serve some purpose. If she kept talking, he might sniff out some leverage or a secret. Then, instead of working together, she'd probably end up working for him unconditionally.
So she left him with a reminder to honor their agreement and turned to go.
But just as she turned around, a shout from Ryuen made her look back.
"Who's there? Get out here!"
Ryuen shouted a threat toward the nearby bushes.
A few seconds later, a boy wearing the same uniform walked out, managing a strained smile.
"Well, fancy running into you, Ryuen. Out for a walk too?"
"Oh, Kushida from Class D is here too. Having a late-night chat, are we?"
Hashimoto Masayoshi of Class A scratched his head with one hand and kept the other in his pocket, looking sheepish.
"Do you think I'm going to believe that, Hashimoto Masayoshi?"
"Shouldn't you be at your princess's side, serving as her watchdog? Why are you wandering around? What, didn't you finish pissing earlier?"
Ryuen's earlier frivolous expression vanished, a hint of seriousness showing in his eyes.
"Hey, hey, don't be so harsh. I really did just happen to be passing by. Actually... I was just coming to buy a drink!"
Hashimoto said with a grin, pointing at the vending machine beneath the dormitory ahead.
"Take your other hand out of your pocket and show me your palm. Then I'll believe you."
"Heh, why don't you believe me?" Hashimoto pulled his hand from his pocket and turned both of his empty pockets inside out. Then he gave a helpless smile, as if he'd been wrongly accused.
Seeing this, Ryuen stopped giving him a hard time and merely warned him, "Don't hide behind people and eavesdrop on their conversations again. Next time, I won't just ask you to prove yourself."
Hashimoto smiled awkwardly.
"I'll mend my ways, Lord Ryuen."
Ryuen didn't want to look at that sycophantic face any longer. He called Yamada and Ishizaki over and turned to leave.
Kushida breathed a sigh of relief when Ryuen let the matter drop. If they'd recorded her, she'd have been done for.
Not only would she be caught conspiring with another class, but also plotting to split her own class. If the news got out, no matter how silver-tongued she was, there'd be no way to explain it away. Everything she'd worked for would turn to ashes.
At last, she gave Hashimoto a look that marked him as an enemy, then left as well.
Hashimoto was left alone by the river. Only then did he drop his act.
After making sure no one was around, he walked straight over to the bush where he'd been hiding, a smug smile on his face.
But less than a second later, his smile vanished again.
He kept diving in and out of the bushes, searching for something he couldn't find. He scurried about like a little dog sniffing around for a place to pee.
Several more minutes passed. When his search came up empty, an anxious look finally appeared on his face.
Damn it! Where's my phone?
After midnight.
Boys' Dormitory Room 306.
As he lay in bed, Ayanokoji still felt a little thrilled thinking about what had happened earlier.
When Ryuen shouted toward the bushes where he was hiding, Ayanokoji felt his heart race for the first time in his life.
It was incredible!
Luckily, he'd held it together. A few seconds later, a young man with poor nerve had emerged from the bush right in front of him. If the guy hadn't come out on his own, Ayanokoji wouldn't even have known there was someone in front of him.
And he'd also happened to "find" a phone nearby. It was even recording. What luck!
He'd only gone downstairs to buy a drink because he was thirsty, and ended up watching a good show and making off with a phone?
What incredible luck!
Ayanokoji felt a little giddy for a moment, then slowly smoothed out his smile. A trace of coldness crept into his eyes.
So, what should he do with this recording?
Before you continue