In? Lend me 50.

500,000?

What a damn daylight robbery.

You're the one taking advantage of a crisis.

Ayanokoji complained inwardly, the PTSD from being broke in his past life instantly surging to the surface.

"200,000, for two months."

"Ayanokoji, do you take me for a fool?"

"500,000, I don't have the authority to offer you any other options."

Chabashira said with a look of certainty.

Applying for a stay of expulsion for a student who cheated was already pushing the boundaries of her authority.

She was merely an ordinary homeroom teacher, not even considered part of the school's leadership; it was fundamentally difficult for her to sway the decisions of the higher-ups, as she only possessed a few basic faculty rights.

"..." Ayanokoji pondered for a second, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, 500,000 it is."

With that, he headed downstairs with a trace of distress on his face.

Behind him, Chabashira Sae watched his grand, spendthrift back, revealing a smile like a doting mother.

At the very least, in terms of the opening, this year's Class D hadn't fallen too far behind the other classes.

However, what she didn't know was that this year's Class D hadn't just drawn a god-tier card, but also a lunatic card.

On the school building's bulletin board, the class points for the four classes this month were clearly displayed.

Class A: 1015 points

Class B: 712 points

Class C: 580 points

Class D: 325 points

The Class A led by Sakayanagi and Katsuragi was far in the lead, Class B was close behind, Class C was in hot pursuit, and Class D had a promising future!

In front of the bulletin board, a blonde man with the physique of a bodybuilder was narcissistically grooming his hair, an elegant smile playing on his lips.

He glanced at the information above, closed his eyes for a moment as if deep in thought, and then said with great emotion:

"Ah, I am truly beautiful~"

"..."

What a lunatic.

The black-haired girl with twin tails standing nearby couldn't help but curse in her heart.

"Yo, yo, my beautiful young lady, it's best not to let your eyes be so obvious when you're cursing someone~"

Koenji said with a playful touch, continuing to fuss over his golden hair that shimmered in the sun.

=_=

Himeno Yuki was speechless; this wasn't the first time someone had told her she was cursing with her eyes.

But this time, she really was cursing.

I'm cursing you, so what!

If you aren't a lunatic, I'll eat my hat!

Who admires their own reflection in front of a bulletin board? A lunatic!

Of course, the more fiercely Himeno Yuki cursed in her heart, the more restrained she appeared on the surface; she was, after all, a people-pleaser by nature.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way," she said, feeling a bit guilty, a stiff smile on her face.

"Then I shall tentatively believe that to be the case, though I don't dislike naughty young ladies either~"

Koenji spoke in a deep, textured voice, then confidently closed his eyes with a grin and walked away.

"Lunatic!"

This time, Himeno Yuki couldn't hold it back.

Who could that number be that sent the anonymous text message bombardment?

In the cafeteria.

Ayanokoji shoveled the chicken cutlet rice into his mouth while deep in thought.

Before long, he had a lead, and an arrogant face flashed into his mind.

Someone who knew Class D possessed the exam questions from previous years, had a direct competitive relationship with Class D, and was particularly fond of stirring up trouble.

That's right, I'm talking about you, Ryuen Shoko!

Give them an inch and they'll take a mile; the mere thought of Ryuen's trashy face made Ayanokoji's fists itch again.

?

Strange, why did he think the word "again"?

However, he also knew that Ryuen was no brute. Doing this wasn't just about wanting to reduce Class D's headcount, and he certainly wouldn't have chosen Ike, who was essentially a non-combatant.

He guessed that Ryuen was simply testing the school's rules to see what impact a dropout would have on a class. After all, he had been experimenting with such things since the start of the term, constantly pushing the boundaries of the rules.

To put it bluntly, he was using Class D as a lab rat. Since they appeared to be the weakest of the four classes, who else would he bully if not them?

After all, everyone wants to shear the thickest wool and pick the softest persimmon.

After his thoughts wandered for a moment, Ayanokoji's handsome brows suddenly twitched in the next second. The food stopped halfway to his mouth as he recalled an imminent matter.

...500,000...

Chabashira had demanded he transfer it to her by noon tomorrow.

This trashy teacher...

He naturally knew that this wasn't Chabashira coveting his money, but rather a rule inherent to the school.

Yet, for some reason, he just wanted to curse her out in his heart.

Without further ado, he decisively dialed Horikita Suzune's number.

"Horikita, lend me some money."

Beep, beep, beep, beep...

A moment later, the sound of the line being disconnected came from the other end.

Did she really have to be that cold-blooded?

He dialed again.

"Horikita... I need..."

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep...

...What a piece of work!

On the other end of the line, Horikita Suzune wore a cold expression.

She had long since sworn to herself that if that man named Ayanokoji continued to assign her tasks on his own whim without explaining anything else, she wouldn't comply so easily.

Who told you to always be so vague? Don't blame me.

But as soon as she thought about the scene in the classroom that morning, she felt a sense of loss and frustration at her own helplessness.

Meanwhile, after being rejected by Horikita repeatedly, Ayanokoji felt a bit frustrated himself. He had just carefully combed through his social circle, and it was pitifully desolate...

As for the rest of Class D, aside from Horikita, most of them were like clay bodhisattvas crossing a river—barely able to save themselves.

They relied on that meager amount of private points to live each month; who had the spare capacity to look after others?

Ayanokoji himself had 80,000 private points on hand, but that was still a long way from the number 500,000...

Suddenly, after a moment of contemplation, a name flashed through his mind, and his indifferent expression added a touch of seriousness.

Evening, Student Council Room.

Horikita Manabu sat with his chin resting on his hand like an interviewer, his back straight, his gaze sharp as he looked toward the door.

It was as if he were waiting for someone to arrive.

The girl behind him wore a smile, her gentle gaze mixed with a hint of anticipation.

Before long, an unremarkable figure appeared before her.

"Welcome to the Student Council~ underclassman."

Seeing the long-awaited underclassman, the girl's mood suddenly brightened, and her tone rose in excitement.

Noticing that the secretary behind him was inexplicably high-spirited, Horikita Manabu silently shot her a glance, intending for her to maintain the composure of a senior.

However, a girl in her adolescence is best at jumping to conclusions and letting her imagination run wild.

In her mind, she immediately conjured up a plot where the cold Student Council President was jealous because of a new student.

The more she thought about it, the more obvious the upward curve of her lips became, and a trace of drool hung faintly at the corner of her mouth.

Horikita Manabu couldn't be bothered to deal with her; the secretary was already a lost cause, so as the president, he had to keep the situation under control.

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the boy before him with a solemn expression.

"Ayanokoji, what are you doing coming to the Student Council this late?"

"If you've made up your mind, fill out the membership application form over there."

Upon hearing this, Ayanokoji sighed imperceptibly, furrowed his brows slightly, and looked at Horikita Manabu with sincere eyes:

"..."

"Lend me some money."