Priority Cutting Rights

But how could he possibly intimidate Katsuya, who had seen his fair share of storms?

He picked at his ear and waved a hand dismissively:

"Don't be impulsive, I'm not playing games with you. It's just that your phrasing was incorrect. It shouldn't be that I'm buying your items, but rather that you are commissioning me to buy them."

"Is there even a difference?!!"

Katsuya chuckled, pulled out a blank commission form from the side, and began to write:

"Of course there is. The difference lies in the fact that since you are asking me to do this, you need to pay the Odd Jobs Agency a certain commission fee."

Hayato Kojima froze, unsure of what language the other was speaking; every word was clear, yet he couldn't grasp the meaning when strung together.

"I have to pay you money?!!!"

Katsuya pushed the freshly written commission form directly toward him:

"Well, this is actually quite a good deal, isn't it? After all, for a low-difficulty commission, the fee is on the lower end—the 5,000 tier. When you calculate it, you aren't losing anything at all. On the contrary, you're getting our lifetime priority queue access for free."

"Heh, heh, heh... trying to pull a fast one on me, are you?!!"

Hayato Kojima was clearly so angry he laughed.

"Then tell me, what use is this 'priority queue access'?"

Katsuya Shinjo spread his hands and pointed to the tall stack of commission forms on his right, though most of them were blank underneath.

"This is it. Our work is actually very busy, so if you didn't have this priority access, if you wanted to commission me to buy your items, I'm afraid you'd have to wait at least seven business days. But now, I can process your commission immediately."

??????

"Are you saying I should thank you?"

"You're welcome."

Hayato Kojima felt insulted, but what other choice did he have?

That person, the Emperor of the second year, had told him to agree to this transaction. If he went back to report that the mission had failed or that he had been played, the retribution he would face was something he could never endure.

Therefore, he was forced to sign his name with gritted teeth:

"Underclassman... we shall meet again..."

"Of course, after all, we are now partners with a deep friendship~"

To demonstrate his smiling service, Katsuya personally escorted Hayato Kojima out of the Odd Jobs Agency office.

Looking at the file bag on the table, he opened it unhurriedly, but as the questions on the test paper came into his view, his brows gradually furrowed.

"Heh... heh... this is truly interesting... tell me, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Afterward, Katsuya picked up his phone and called Kei.

"Hello, Katsuya, is something the matter?"

"It's like this, Kei, can you come over to the Odd Jobs Agency? I have something very important to tell you. Yes, right now."

On the other end of the line, Kei immediately became shy, as her brain was filled with the phrase 'something very important.'

So, what level of importance could be called 'very important'?

Today wasn't her birthday, nor was it Katsuya's, and he had asked only her to come over, sounding quite urgent as well.

Then... it must be!

It can only be!

It absolutely is!

Is he going to confess to me?!!

Thinking of this, she momentarily forgot that Katsuya seemed to be in a hurry, and she actually started thinking about which outfit to wear and how to best dress herself.

However, standing in front of the mirror, she ultimately shook her head; no matter what she wore, it felt like something was missing. Since that was the case, she might as well stick to her usual school uniform.

Just like that, two hours later, a meticulously dressed (exactly the same as her usual self) Kei stood before Katsuya.

"Great, Kei, you're finally here!"

Although he didn't really have anything to do, it seemed that waiting for someone in a blank space made that time feel exceptionally long.

"Y-yeah. So, what... what did you want to say? Actually, I feel like we're moving a bit fast, but that doesn't mean I dislike you or anything. It's just... I haven't fully... but if you insist, it's not like I can't... after all, I also like... huh?"

While Kei was talking to herself, Katsuya took the exam answers from the copier, placed them in a file bag, and handed them to her.

"These are the midterm exam answers. You can take them back to review the questions on them so that everything will be foolproof. Then, distribute them to everyone in class tomorrow. Remember to do it in your own name. Wait... maybe give it to them in a couple of days instead. Eh? Did you say something just now?"

"I... the answers? I... what was I going to say?"

Katsuya tilted his head, carefully looking Kei up and down; she looked exactly the same as usual, but her face had been flushed red ever since she walked through the door.

He wondered if it was because the weather was too hot.

"Are you not feeling well?"

[This... this bastard!!!]

The blush that had originally formed from shyness and bashfulness gradually transformed into a heated red caused by anger.

However, thinking about it carefully, it seemed like everything was just her own wishful thinking.

But this wasn't entirely her fault!

Talking about something important, and it was just the answers to the midterm exam—how was that important?!

"It's nothing, I get it. Is there anything else?"

Karuizawa's tone sounded very stiff, but Shinjo couldn't really say anything; after all, nobody likes being called in to work overtime on a weekend.

"No... it's just that I have a necessary errand to run in a bit, otherwise I would have brought it to you. I'm really sorry for making you come all this way..."

"I'm not blaming you, I just... forget it, it's fine."

Seeing that Shinjo seemed to have misunderstood her without realizing it, Karuizawa thought about explaining, but didn't know where to start.

"Um, is that errand very troublesome?"

"Not troublesome, just time-consuming. It's about entering some data, so it'll take about three or four hours."

"Oh, then I'm leaving."

"Yeah."

Karuizawa, who had walked to the door, suddenly had an idea, but she didn't know if she should speak up. Originally, she had always felt that Shinjo had feelings for her, but he had been neglecting her a bit lately. If everything was just her own wishful thinking...

Just as she was hesitating, Shinjo unexpectedly made a move:

"You look a bit cuter than usual today, though I don't know if it's just my imagination."

[You! Why are you suddenly saying things like that!!! But... it's really impressive that he noticed. I did dress up properly; not only did I get a new manicure, but my skirt hem is also a bit higher than usual!]

[And... since that's the case...]

"Hey... Katsuya. Are you, by any chance, free tonight?"

"No... unless Miss Karuizawa is willing to treat me to dinner."

Kei was no longer the person she used to be. After all, they had been together for so long, and she had long since anticipated his habit of suddenly taking a sharp turn in the middle of a sentence!

"Then, it's a deal~"

"I was worried you wouldn't want to spend the money. I'm afraid a spendthrift brat like you doesn't have many coins left in her pocket, right?"

"Who's a brat?!! Besides, I have enough to treat you to a meal. It's a deal then, remember to come pick me up tonight!"

"Understood."