Want a ride? Bro can give you a lift.

August, the sun was scorching.

A hazy heat enveloped the earth, rising in waves of sweltering steam.

Heat surged, and the entire Advanced Nurturing high school seemed to distort under the roasting sun.

Air mixed with the scent of grass and soil blew from afar, brushing against the expressionless face of Ayanokoji, lifting his bangs slightly on both sides to reveal a sharp, somewhat heroic forehead.

At this moment, he was standing on the rooftop of the school building, staring blankly at the bustling students on the campus path, waiting for the arrival of Chabashira, who had invited him here.

Before long, the sound of leather shoes approached. Ayanokoji turned his head slowly, fixing his indifferent gaze on the female teacher walking toward him.

"Ayanokoji, a man contacted the school a few days ago, demanding that a certain student from Class D be expelled."

Chabashira Sae spoke slowly, her tone flat.

"Oh? That's truly bizarre."

"However, the school wouldn't expel a student without a valid reason, would it?"

"Of course. As long as they are in this school, they are entitled to the protection of the school rules. But..." Chabashira Sae slowly lit a cigarette, "that is provided they haven't committed any acts that violate those rules."

"What counts as an act that violates the rules?"

Ayanokoji closed his eyes slightly; his intuition told him that the "rules" Chabashira spoke of were not the official school regulations.

"Heh," Chabashira Sae let out a cold laugh and spoke slowly, "there is no clear definition."

"Sometimes, cheating on an exam counts; sometimes, fighting counts..." She paused, took a drag from her half-finished cigarette, and continued, "Sometimes, passive behavior like refusing to participate in class competition also counts."

Hearing this, Ayanokoji frowned slightly.

As expected, this lousy teacher had long since realized that he had no intention of rising to Class A.

Although the successful resolution of the two previous incidents was largely due to his behind-the-scenes maneuvering, he had ultimately done it for his own interests, not putting the class first.

While both sides had benefited in the end, there was no guarantee he wouldn't abandon or even harm the class for other interests in the future.

After all, this school had a special system: a student who saved up 20 million points could apply to transfer to any class they desired.

Moreover, not only could one transfer voluntarily, but others could also provide the same amount of personal points to "recruit" him.

Twenty million was not impossible for Ayanokoji, especially with the possibility of class fundraising...

Considering this, it wasn't hard for Ayanokoji to understand Chabashira Sae's current actions.

She wanted to tie him to Class D permanently, or, squeeze him dry before he left!

Vicious, truly greedy and vicious!

"Are you threatening me?"

After a moment of hesitation, Ayanokoji spoke calmly, his eyes appearing even colder.

"That depends on you."

Chabashira Sae blew a smoke ring, flicked her hand to drop the cigarette butt onto the ground, and stepped on it, saying: "If you fully assist Class D in rising to Class A from now on, I will do my best to protect you. Otherwise," a sharp glint flashed in the corner of her eyes.

"You will be expelled."

Ayanokoji looked indifferently at the cigarette butt under her foot and spoke slowly:

"Do you even count as a teacher?"

"Heh, consider your choice. I want to see you show your true colors in the upcoming special exam. Otherwise," she turned around, walking away step by step with her back to Ayanokoji, "after the summer vacation, there will no longer be a student named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."

As her voice faded, Ayanokoji stared at her retreating figure for a long time, until she completely disappeared from his sight.

He took two steps forward, bent down to pick up the cigarette butt, and fell into deep thought.

In other words, the pressure his bastard father put on the school was to have him expelled after the summer vacation?

Heh, it seems his reach isn't that long after all. Otherwise, why bother with this compromise? He could have just had him expelled directly.

Furthermore, judging by Chabashira's words, the school didn't seem to intend to accept his "proposal," so he had turned to making an issue of his behavior or forcing his expulsion through other means. In other words... he had hit a wall?

At the thought of this, the corners of Ayanokoji's mouth couldn't help but rise.

To think that the arrogant bastard father who forcibly manipulated his life would have a day where he hit a wall. It was truly...

So satisfying!

As for Chabashira's threat, Ayanokoji simply treated it as wind passing by his ears. Currently, his own interests were directly linked to the class's interests, so he would still do some things to help the class, more or less.

Chabashira wanted more? Wanted to squeeze out his value before any unexpected situation arose?

Well, that can't be helped. You overestimated me. This is all the ability I have; take it or leave it.

However, one thing did bother him: at the end of the summer, there would be another special exam?

Damn it, they were even stripping away his vacation...

As expected of Advanced Nurturing, truly inhumane.

Lost in thought, Ayanokoji arrived downstairs, threw the cigarette butt into the trash can, and couldn't help but complain to himself again: could Chabashira even be considered a teacher?

Zero class, bah!

Spitting toward the trash can, he darkened his face and headed toward the dormitory.

What a waste of another precious day of summer vacation.

Under the shade of a nearby tree, Ichinose witnessed the scene that had just unfolded, a look of bewilderment on her face.

...A delinquent?

So... Ayanokoji was actually this kind of person? Did that mean she didn't understand him at all?

In an instant, she began to deeply doubt her own emotional intelligence and social skills...

Meanwhile, whispers echoed through the Class A classroom.

Several key members of the "Sakayanagi Faction," led by Sakayanagi, were conducting their weekly routine of intelligence gathering.

"Everyone, how are the investigations going?"

Sakayanagi parted her thin lips, her voice elegant and refined.

"Basically nothing out of the ordinary. Ryuen and Katsuragi haven't had any private contact lately," Hashimoto said with a smile, his expression a mix of admiration and indulgence.

"I haven't found anything unusual either, but..." Kamuro Masumi paused mid-sentence, leaving the others hanging.

"But?"

Sakayanagi asked in a soft voice.

"But I don't understand why we have to monitor that poker-faced guy. Shouldn't we be targeting Horikita or that Koenji person instead?"

Kamuro said with a serious expression, her furrowed brows adding to her stern demeanor.

"Uh... he is our greatest threat, you know."

Sakayanagi hesitated for a moment before speaking, then flashed an elegant smile.

Hashimoto, standing to the side, looked confused, but upon hearing the words "greatest threat," he couldn't help but knit his brows, his face showing surprise.

He hadn't expected anyone in this school to receive such a high evaluation from Sakayanagi.

Just as he was about to speak, Kamuro cut him off.

"How is that possible? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"Based on my observations over the last two weeks, he is as ordinary as they come. Besides, weren't those two incidents in Class D that nearly led to expulsions both resolved by Horikita Suzune? Why focus our attention on a nobody like him?"

As Kamuro spoke, her tone carried a hint of complaint, as if she were accusing Sakayanagi of making her do useless work.

She could understand Ichinose, but she truly couldn't agree with monitoring a boy who seemed like a background character.

It wasn't that she doubted Sakayanagi; as long as Sakayanagi could give her a clear and logical reason, she would still carry out her orders without hesitation.

After Kamuro finished, Sakayanagi pondered for a moment, but she didn't take her eyes off her, her smile remaining calm and composed.

She smiled slightly and said:

"Masumi, you said you've been observing him for two weeks, right?"

"I, however, have been observing him for nearly ten years~"

Time flew by, and soon, the summer vacation reached its end.

In the girls' dormitory, Horikita packed some essential sunscreen and a set of sportswear into her bag, then put on sneakers suitable for walking in the wild and stepped out the door, her gaze fixed on the blue sky ahead.

A gentle summer breeze carried the white clouds, drifting across the endless sky like white ships sailing on the sea.

And today, she would also set off to board the school's private luxury cruise ship—Speranza.

Is it named Hope? Is this a simple vacation trip, or is it another surprise exam orchestrated by fate...

She whispered to herself, and before she knew it, the elevator arrived at her floor.

The elevator doors slowly opened, and a face that didn't bring her much joy appeared before her.

Ayanokoji: "Are you getting on?"