A Strange Request

"Wait! If that's the case, why did you buy the exam questions? Why did you even bring up the idea of buying points? Those aren't things ordinary students would do, are they?"

"Because..."

"Because someone already paid you, right? I'm not wrong, am I, Shinjo?"

Shinjo nodded, confirming Ayanokoji's guess.

"You!"

Suzune Horikita was somewhat shaken.

In her eyes, Shinjo was an exceptionally clever person, and his kind of intelligence was something she couldn't learn from books. It was exactly the kind of strength she needed now!

Even though he'd refused to join her Ascension Plan, she'd thought that he was someone who cared about his friends, someone who would step forward and turn the tide when the class needed him. That had made the disappointment of his refusal disappear entirely.

Someone like him had earned her brother's recognition. No, she should say that only someone like him was worthy of her brother's recognition. That was why her brother had told her she still had a long way to go.

(Manabu Horikita: That wasn't what I meant.)

But it wasn't until today that she realized just how badly she'd been mistaken.

What drove Katsuya Shinjo forward wasn't friendship, but... profit.

"You're not telling me you can't accept that? I'm part of Class D, after all. At the very least, I can guarantee that I won't take any jobs to frame Class D, and I'll never betray the class."

"Horikita just thinks the contrast between before and now is a bit much..."

"Can't be helped. I'm just that kind of self-interested person... Besides, people like me ought to be a dime a dozen at this school, right? People like Kushida or Hirata are the rare ones."

Ayanokoji nodded. (Since the timeline had changed somewhat, he hadn't seen Kushida's dark side here. He'd only sensed that she might be two-faced, but he had no proof.)

Speaking of self-interested people, Horikita was one herself.

Every man for himself.

Fortunately, since Horikita and Shinjo weren't all that close to begin with, it only took her a little while to return to normal.

"Then, Shinjo, can I assume that if I want you to help Sudo, I'll have to offer you some kind of benefit?"

"Heh, I'm glad you got into the swing of things so quickly. As it happens, I have an option to offer you."

"First, if you only want me to pitch in and help Sudo, you don't need to place a request. Like I said, I'll do my part for the class. But if you want me to help get Sudo off the hook, that's undoubtedly much harder, so you'll need to place a request."

Horikita nodded. She finally understood the difference between the Odd Jobs Agency and Shinjo.

The Odd Jobs Agency was the complete version of Shinjo. It could accomplish more, but it cost a lot.

Shinjo himself was like a defective version. He could do less, but he was free.

"I understand... Then, if I hire you here to help get Sudo off the hook, can you really do it?"

"Hahaha! The first rule of the Odd Jobs Agency is: don't take jobs you can't handle. So any request I accept is within my capabilities. But since this one's pretty difficult, the fee won't be cheap!"

"Then I understand. Ayanokoji, let's go."

Horikita called out to Ayanokoji. Before leaving, she left Shinjo with one final remark:

"I hope I won't have to ask you for help."

Who wanted to pay unless they were desperate? She might not have Shinjo, but at least she still had Ayanokoji!

There was still some time before next Tuesday. If she could resolve things before then, she wouldn't have to go begging the Odd Jobs Agency.

"Then I wish you the best of luck."

Two days later, the Odd Jobs Agency received a very strange request.

"Hey, Katsuya! Take a look at this letter. The sender didn't write down their class, or even their name!"

Shinjo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, pursed his lips.

"Then don't bother with it. It's probably just some prank letter."

"But if that's the case, why is the request written so strangely? It says there's a strange clerk at the Digital Specialty Store who keeps giving girls a really creepy look, and asks us to investigate."

Shinjo slowly opened his eyes. Wouldn't a matter like this usually be referred to the Student Council? Even if Manabu Horikita couldn't be bothered to handle it, he should've sent them a necessary request.

And the sender didn't seem to want anyone to know who they were.

They were probably a student... Otherwise, there'd be no need to be so roundabout. And they were most likely a girl.

"No contact information, no name or class, just a request to investigate. In the end, where are we supposed to collect the fee?"

"B-but if there really is a clerk like that, it'd be really bad for all the girls at the school, wouldn't it?"

Karuizawa looked a little frightened.

"That may be true, but it's really boring to do things that don't benefit us. How about I call Manabu Horikita and have him send someone to deal with it?"

Without another word, Shinjo reported the strange request to Manabu Horikita. But the diligent Student Council President immediately designated it a necessary request and ordered the Odd Jobs Agency to uncover the truth within a day.

"Hey! He's totally passing the buck, isn't he?!"

A necessary request couldn't be refused. And since it was the first request of the week, they didn't even have to pay a fee.

"This might actually be a good thing. We could be getting rid of a menace to the school!"

Karuizawa pumped her little fist. After the painful things she'd been through in the past, she wished there were always heroes of justice around.

"But I'm still not very motivated."

"Then... how about I treat you to some pudding?"

Shinjo slowly sat up from the beanbag chair. As he picked up his jacket, he protested indignantly:

"Karuizawa, do you think I'm that easy to bribe?"

"Hard to say... The way you are, if I promised to buy you a Branch Cake, you'd probably even be willing to change someone's foot bath water, wouldn't you?"

"I would never compromise my principles for a measly Branch Cake!"

[Then why don't you just refuse already!!]

Before they knew it, Shinjo had reached the door.

"Um, we have a deal?"

"Huh? You really are going to change my foot bath water?!"

Karuizawa turned red as usual. She knew she blushed easily around him, but she couldn't help testing his reaction.

But what was this supposed to mean?

Does he like me? Does he like my feet? Compared to Branch Cake, I don't stand a chance at all!!!

"Don't mess around. I meant the pudding."

[If you want me to change your foot bath water, it'll take at least two Branch Cakes... Wait! I'm the dignified underground Odd Jobs Agency! But... if it's Branch Cake...]

As he thought, Shinjo stole a glance at Karuizawa's feet...

But in a split second, she tucked them under the table.

"Hey! You were just staring, weren't you?!"

"Huh? That's strange..."

"Playing dumb won't work!!!"