The Shakedown

On the way back to the dorms, Manabu Horikita wore a grave expression. He just couldn't understand how things had ended up like this.

How had his innocent, sweet, clever, quick-witted, adorable, and utterly charming little sister turned out like this?!

And what was that nonsense about doing it all to catch up to him? What a load of crap!

"Horikita-senpai, I know you might be under a lot of pressure normally, but even so, using violence against your juniors is wrong, isn't it?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice tinged with mockery came from behind Manabu.

He spun around and saw Shinjo pointing his phone at him.

Click! (Shutter sound)

"Shinjo. When did you show up?"

"Who knows? Maybe just now, or maybe I was here from the start..."

After just 0.05 seconds of thought, Manabu reached a conclusion: Shinjo definitely had evidence that could be used against him.

In other words, he'd have to sign an unfair deal to settle this.

"Looks like your Class D is full of hidden talents. Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Shinjo snapped his fingers.

"It's easy talking to a smart guy. Pretty much everything I want is on the list. All you have to do is agree to my demands and use your position as Student Council President to give my Odd Jobs Agency a little publicity... Then I can pretend I'm dreaming right now."

Manabu took the sheet of paper Shinjo kept adding to. When he saw the dense list of household appliances and furnishings, even his normally unchanging poker face twitched.

Although the school gave its clubs astronomical sums in funding every year, the Odd Jobs Agency was a bizarre club that hadn't even been established yet, and might even disrupt the school's order.

"These things don't seem to have anything to do with your Odd Jobs Agency. Even as Student Council President, I can't possibly—"

"Do they really have nothing to do with it? Anyone who comes to the Odd Jobs Agency for help might have psychological issues, like anxiety or stress. All the equipment I want is for the clients. Once they're relaxed, I can do a better job running the club."

At that point, Katsuya Shinjo deliberately changed his tone of voice.

"Now, you are the Student Council President, after all. The school strictly prohibits violence, but I'm sure you can find a way around the punishment for it, can't you?"

Manabu calmly adjusted his glasses. It was true. Setting aside all the influence he'd accumulated over the years, the Student Council had the power to intervene in school rules. There was no way he'd be expelled for hitting someone.

"You're not afraid... But what about your little sister?"

"Heh. If your little sister found out that her big brother was going to get skinned alive by the school for hitting her, wouldn't she immediately beg me to let her trade her life for yours?"

"She'd say she deliberately ran into your fist, so getting hit was entirely her own fault, and she'd ask to be expelled herself to protect you..."

By the time Shinjo said this, Manabu understood exactly what he was plotting!

Shinjo was threatening him with his idiot sister, and there was nothing he could do about it!

Suzune Horikita could choose to drop out, because that was her right. But she couldn't drop out this way. Otherwise, what kind of face could he show her as her older brother?

And the worst part was, he cared about his little sister, but he couldn't let her see that he cared!

It had become a deadlock.

Then Shinjo poured another bucket of oil on the fire, putting on a pitiful voice as he said:

"Waaah, big brother... Suzune... This is as far as I can go for you... It's all my fault for holding you back..."

Before he could finish, Manabu's iron fist shot toward Shinjo's face, stopping motionless about half a centimeter away.

Shinjo stared straight at him. If Manabu was the sort of person who lost his temper so easily, that would mean the Student Council President was nothing special.

But clearly, although Manabu was angry, he was still clear-headed. He'd only made that move to test Shinjo.

"I can accept your terms, and I'll do everything I can to secure funding for your club activities. But I have one condition... If you don't accept it, then do whatever you want."

"Let's hear it."

Shinjo was here to shake him down, not to make an enemy of Manabu.

He knew when to quit while he was ahead.

"I'll use my position as Student Council President to promote your Odd Jobs Agency. In return, you must complete one request for me every week, no strings attached."

"If it doesn't go against my work principles, no problem."

Shinjo was being quite accommodating, considering the other man had already promised so much.

"Principles?"

Manabu couldn't imagine that a despicable man like Shinjo had any principles. But maybe it was precisely because he was that kind of person that he could set up an Odd Jobs Agency that danced along the edge of the rules.

Shinjo held up four fingers.

"There are four kinds of requests I won't take."

"First, I won't do the impossible. Second, I won't take requests from people I dislike. Third, I won't do anything that violates the most basic moral standards of humanity. Fourth... I won't do anything I don't want to do."

"You have to do them!!"

Manabu's tone instantly turned stern. He could just about accept the first three conditions, but wasn't that fourth one just messing with him?

Then, even with all his experience, he couldn't help taking several deep breaths before he managed to calm down.

"I can agree to the first three. But you have to complete my requests. Otherwise, I'll consider you unable to properly run your club, and freeze your funding."

"Then... all right, all right... Honestly, what am I going to do with you? I'll make an exception for you."

As if! I'm the one making an exception for you!!! If you hadn't threatened me with Suzune, why would I ever agree to these ridiculous terms?

"You slick-tongued bastard. Don't let me down when the time comes."

"Heh, no need to worry about that. Huh? This is strange. What did I come out for tonight? Oh... I think I came to buy a drink. Well, Horikita-senpai, fancy running into you here."

Manabu stared coldly at the shameless Shinjo pretending to be clueless. He had to admit, it was a good thing the troublesome vice president wasn't this guy.

An opponent even more formidable than a true villain or a hypocrite... A shameless, cunning man with no allegiance to anyone!