500,000?
Damn, that's a huge ask.
You're the one taking advantage of me while I'm down.
Ayanokoji grumbled inwardly. The PTSD from being broke in his past life came rushing back.
"200,000. Two months."
"Ayanokoji, do you think I'm an idiot?"
"500,000. I don't have the authority to offer you any other options."
Chabashira said this with complete confidence.
Applying to let a student who'd cheated stay in school was already pushing the limits of her authority.
She was just an ordinary homeroom teacher, not even a school administrator. She had little influence over the decisions made by the school's higher-ups, and only a few basic rights as a teacher.
"..." Ayanokoji thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. 500,000 it is."
Then he headed downstairs, looking a little troubled.
Watching his swaggering back, Chabashira Sae wore the tender smile of a proud mother.
At least in the opening stages, Class D hadn't fallen too far behind the other classes this year.
What she didn't know was that this year, Class D hadn't just drawn a god card. They'd also drawn a psycho card.
The Class Points for all four classes this month were prominently displayed on the bulletin board in the school building.
Class A: 1,015 points
Class B: 712 points
Class C: 580 points
Class D: 325 points
Class A, led by Sakayanagi and Katsuragi, was far ahead. Class B was hot on its heels, Class C was close behind, and Class D had a bright future ahead!
In front of the bulletin board, a blond man with the physique of a bodybuilder narcissistically fixed his hair, an elegant smile playing on his lips.
He glanced at the figures, closed his eyes as if deep in thought, then sighed with heartfelt emotion.
"Ah, how beautiful I am~"
"..."
What a weirdo.
The black-haired girl with twin tails standing nearby couldn't help cursing him inwardly.
"Hey, hey, beautiful young lady. You'd better not make your eyes so obviously give away that you're cursing me~"
Koenji said with a hint of amusement, continuing to fuss with his golden hair as it gleamed in the sunlight.
=_=
Himeno Yuki was speechless. This wasn't the first time someone had told her that she was cursing them with her eyes.
But this time, she really was.
I am, I am!
If you're not a weirdo, I'll eat my hat!
Who admires himself in front of a bulletin board? What a weirdo!
Of course, the more furiously Himeno cursed him in her head, the more reserved she acted on the outside. She was a people pleaser by nature.
"Sorry, I didn't mean what you said I did." She sounded a little guilty, wearing an awkward smile.
"Then I'll take your word for it. But I don't dislike naughty young ladies, either~"
Koenji spoke in a deep, resonant voice. Then, with a confident smile and his eyes narrowed, he turned and walked away.
"Weirdo!"
This time, Himeno Yuki couldn't hold back.
Who was the person behind those anonymous text-message attacks?
In the cafeteria.
As Ayanokoji dug into his bowl of chicken cutlet rice, he pondered the question.
Before long, he had an idea. A haughty face flashed through his mind.
Someone who knew Class D had past exam papers, was in direct competition with Class D, and loved sticking his nose into things.
That's right. I'm talking about you, Ryuen Shoko!
Give her an inch and she'll take a mile. Just thinking of Ryuen's smug face made Ayanokoji's fists itch again.
?
Wait, why had he said "again"?
But he knew Ryuen wasn't impulsive. She wouldn't have done this just to get rid of a student from Class D, and she certainly wouldn't have picked Ike, who was hardly a threat.
He guessed Ryuen was just testing the school's rules, trying to see how an expulsion would affect a class. She'd been trying things like this ever since the start of the school year, pushing the rules to their limits.
In short, she was using Class D as a guinea pig. After all, it looked like the weakest of the four classes, so why not pick on them?
Everyone wanted to shear the fattest sheep and squeeze the softest persimmon.
After letting his thoughts wander for a while, Ayanokoji's eyebrows suddenly twitched. He paused with his food halfway to his mouth, remembering something urgent.
...500,000...
Chabashira had told him to hand it over to her by noon tomorrow.
That damn teacher...
He knew Chabashira wasn't after his money; it was simply a rule the school had in place.
But for some reason, he still wanted to curse her in his head.
There was no time to waste. He immediately called Horikita Suzune.
"Horikita, lend me some money."
Beep, beep, beep...
A moment later, he heard the call disconnect.
Did she have to be so brutally honest?
He called again.
"Horikita... I need..."
Beep, beep, beep, beep...
...For crying out loud!
On the other end of the call, Horikita Suzune looked utterly cold.
She'd already sworn to herself that if the man named Ayanokoji kept assigning her tasks as he pleased, just like before, without explaining anything else, she wouldn't obey him so readily.
You're the one who keeps being evasive. Don't blame me.
But when she thought of the scene in class that morning, she felt disappointed and frustrated by her own helplessness.
Meanwhile, after Horikita rejected him twice, Ayanokoji felt a little frustrated too. He'd just carefully gone over his social circle, and it was pitifully small...
And aside from Horikita, most of the people in Class D were barely keeping their own heads above water.
They relied on the few Private Points they got each month to get by. Who had anything left over to help someone else?
Ayanokoji himself had 80,000 Private Points, but he was still nowhere near 500,000...
Then, after a moment's thought, a name flashed through his mind. His usually indifferent expression grew a little more serious.
That evening, in the Student Council Room.
Horikita Manabu sat like an interviewer, his chin resting on one hand, back straight and eyes sharp as he watched the doorway.
He seemed to be waiting for someone.
The girl behind him wore a smile, her gentle gaze tinged with anticipation.
Before long, an unremarkable figure appeared in front of her.
"Welcome to the Student Council, underclassman~"
Seeing her long-unseen junior made the girl's mood brighten. Her voice rose with excitement.
Noticing that the secretary behind him had suddenly become unusually enthusiastic, Horikita Manabu gave her a sidelong glance, silently reminding her to maintain her composure as a senior.
But teenage girls were experts at reading too much into things.
She immediately imagined a scene in which the cool Student Council President was jealous of a new student because of her.
The more she thought about it, the wider her smile grew. A hint of saliva glistened at the corner of her mouth.
Horikita Manabu had no time to deal with her. The secretary was already a lost cause; as president, he had to keep things under control.
He narrowed his eyes and looked solemnly at the boy before him.
"Ayanokoji, what brings you to the Student Council this late?"
"If you've changed your mind, fill out the membership application over there."
At that, Ayanokoji sighed almost imperceptibly, furrowed his brow slightly, and looked at Horikita Manabu with sincere eyes.
"..."
"Lend me some money."
Before you continue