"Are you sure I stole something?" Kamuro Masumi put on a tough front, but nervously watched his reaction.
"Kamuro, please don't doubt me. I can see what happened back then in your eyes." Suzuki Toru lowered his voice, as if revealing a secret. "You were very skillful. You avoided the cameras and the shop assistants' eyes, then casually slipped the item into your bag. I'm not mistaken, am I?"
His voice was like a demon's whisper. Kamuro Masumi's whole body stiffened, and she didn't know how to react.
Suzuki Toru glanced at her. What a big reaction.
It was nothing more than a standard bluff, just like a classic horoscope. You deliberately said something vague, and people would unconsciously make it fit them.
So Kamuro Masumi was now unconsciously falling for his words and filling in the blanks herself.
"So what if I did? Whether you want to tell someone or do something else, go ahead. I don't care about something this trivial." Kamuro Masumi's tone turned stiff. She tried hard to recall the scene of each theft, but she still couldn't picture Suzuki Toru there.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Just who was this guy?
"In that case, why don't you let me take a look underneath?"
Hearing the noise, Sakayanagi Arisu glanced back. Kamuro Masumi's pretty face was frosty, and she glared resentfully at Suzuki Toru, who remained calm.
Sakayanagi Arisu blinked. What were those two up to now?
Chapter 26: Let's Talk for a Bit
"Let go of me, Suzuki." Kamuro Masumi threatened him with her eyes.
"Sure, but you have to promise not to kick me. You have to step on me while wearing your stockings." Suzuki Toru looked at the wish hovering over her. It was only to be stepped on by her dainty feet, not to be kicked by her.
"That's disgusting. Who would indulge such a lewd request?" Kamuro Masumi's face was cold, but with Suzuki Toru still holding her little foot, the situation somehow felt a little humiliating.
When she'd heard Suzuki Toru's request, she hadn't even thought about it and had simply kicked at him.
She hadn't expected him to dodge as if he'd seen it coming, then grab her ankle in return. Their movements had been so perfectly in sync, as though they'd practiced them countless times. She'd practically delivered herself to him like an NPC.
"I'm honored." Suzuki Toru let go of her foot. Maybe it was just her build, but her calves felt slender yet strong. Her stockings felt like mutton-fat jade, warm and soft to the touch.
"Do you get kicked a lot?" Kamuro Masumi eyed Suzuki Toru suspiciously. Why else would he be so good at dodging?
"No. You're the first."
"Could you stop saying such disgusting things?"
"Want to change the subject?"
"Sure!"
"Why do you shoplift?"
Kamuro Masumi's impatient expression froze. Then she gave him a mocking look. "Don't tell me you're going to threaten me too?"
"I was going to report you to the shop and the school when I caught you shoplifting." Suzuki Toru revealed what he'd been thinking earlier. After all, there was a similar wish hovering over her.
"If that's the case, why haven't you reported me?" Kamuro Masumi asked coldly.
"For the sake of future benefits. It's too risky. You might start to hate me, and our relationship could fall apart, so I won't report you." Suzuki Toru patiently explained.
"By 'benefits,' you mean indulging your perverted fantasies?" Kamuro Masumi's gaze turned even more hostile.
"There won't be that many." Suzuki Toru crossed out several lines in his notebook.
Kamuro Masumi snorted. She didn't want to talk to him anymore and even shifted farther away in disdain.
Lunchtime.
Kamuro Masumi followed Sakayanagi Arisu out of the classroom. Quite a few other students were leaving as well.
Of course, some students remained in the classroom. They seemed to have bought their boxed lunches in advance.
Suzuki Toru went to the cafeteria alone. A crowd had already gathered there, including plenty of second- and third-year students.
Someone ordered the vegetable set meal with a troubled expression. It was the only meal the cafeteria provided for free.
Suzuki Toru had tried it once. His verdict was that it was decent as an occasional diet meal, but if he had to eat it every day, he'd definitely throw up.
The students who ordered the vegetable set meal were mostly upperclassmen. Anyone with even a few points to spare wouldn't choose it.
However, Suzuki Toru realized that none of the first-years seemed to have noticed this.
Should he call it tragic?
"Suzuki, do you have a moment?" A familiar male voice suddenly came from behind him.
He turned around and saw Katsuragi Kohei and Totsuka Yahiko standing nearby. The latter openly looked him up and down, his eyes full of suspicion.
"I do. What is it, Katsuragi?" Suzuki Toru ordered the daily special at the counter. He wasn't picky about food.
"Let's sit down and talk for a bit." Katsuragi Kohei also stepped up to the counter to order.
Suzuki Toru didn't refuse. He soon carried his tray over, and the two of them found a place to sit.
Not long after they sat down, Katsuragi Kohei got straight to the point. "The Student Council President turned me down. He said it wasn't the right time for me to join the Student Council."
Though he wasn't surprised in the least, Suzuki Toru still put on a look of astonishment.
"Surely he had no reason to turn you down?"
Katsuragi Kohei fell silent. He couldn't figure out the reason either.
"He must have been blind to turn you down, Katsuragi!" Totsuka Yahiko complained indignantly.
He seemed to have appointed himself Katsuragi Kohei's right-hand man. It was hard to believe he'd once claimed to be his middle school class president.
"Suzuki, I want to know what the Student Council President said to you," Katsuragi Kohei asked.
The class's situation was unfavorable to him right now. If everyone also found out that he'd lost out on a Student Council position, the Sakayanagi Faction would surely gain an overwhelming advantage.
Without any changes, Katsuragi Kohei estimated that he could only hold on for another semester or so.
The idea of letting Sakayanagi Arisu take control of Class A made Katsuragi Kohei hesitate, to be honest.
"The Student Council President didn't say much to me. We just talked for a bit, and then he told me I'd passed," Suzuki Toru replied.
"Seriously? Even Katsuragi couldn't pass the interview. How did you manage to pass?" Totsuka Yahiko's suspicion grew.
When he'd heard Katsuragi Kohei mention that Suzuki Toru had passed the Student Council interview while Katsuragi Kohei hadn't, he'd nearly thought he'd heard it backward.
"Why shouldn't I have passed?" Suzuki Toru retorted.
"Give me a break. You don't exactly stand out at anything, and Katsuragi's obviously more capable than you, right?" Totsuka Yahiko immediately grew heated. "I don't understand the Student Council's judgment at all. Katsuragi deserves a spot more than you do!"
"Yahiko, watch your words!" Katsuragi Kohei frowned. If Totsuka Yahiko hadn't insisted on coming along, he wouldn't have brought him here.
"I just think it's unfair. If you can't join the Student Council, the Sakayanagi Faction might get even more arrogant," Totsuka Yahiko hurriedly explained.
"That's why I'm working on it." Katsuragi Kohei gave Totsuka Yahiko a stern look, then urged him to apologize to Suzuki Toru.
Though reluctant, Totsuka Yahiko obediently apologized.
Suzuki Toru calmly accepted his apology.
"Sorry, Suzuki. We didn't mean to offend you, but..." Katsuragi Kohei hesitated for a moment. "You should know our class's situation too. Joining the Student Council would benefit the class, so I hope you'll help everyone out a little in the future."
"I've thought about that too, but to be honest, I don't really understand what the Student Council does yet, so I don't know how I could help." Suzuki Toru sighed.
"That's all right. I'm just glad you're willing to help." Katsuragi Kohei smiled.
In most cases, the Student Council was in charge of the students' internal affairs, and it also approved and distributed club budgets. It had considerable authority.
Even if he wasn't on the Student Council, having someone from Class A on it would be nearly as good.
After saying this, Katsuragi Kohei seemed to have nothing else to discuss.
"I understand how you feel, but I also agree with Totsuka." Suzuki Toru suddenly said, "You're more suited to joining the Student Council than I am, Katsuragi."
Katsuragi Kohei couldn't help but freeze at that. Thinking Suzuki Toru was putting himself down, he reassured him, "You're actually quite capable. Don't worry too much."
"No, that's not what I mean. Do you want to join the Student Council, Katsuragi?"
At this point, seeing the calm look in Suzuki Toru's eyes, Katsuragi Kohei let go of his earlier expression and seriously considered what he meant.
Chapter 27: Horikita Suzune
"I can get you into the Student Council. Just say the word, and you won't even have to interview. You can join me next month."
Faced with a statement that sounded like blatant favoritism, Katsuragi Kohei fell into an unusually long silence.
"Are you making that up?" Totsuka Yahiko didn't believe Suzuki Toru's nonsense. "Even if you're friends with the Student Council President, that's going too far!"
"There's only one spot. It's my privilege. You can doubt me all you want, but I'm not giving it to you," Suzuki Toru replied.
In an instant, the veins bulged on Totsuka Yahiko's fist. This guy was seriously getting on his nerves.
"Say that again?"
"Yahiko!" Katsuragi Kohei stopped Totsuka Yahiko, then turned to Suzuki Toru and said gravely, "What would I have to give you in exchange?"
This wasn't the sort of thing he could lie about. If Katsuragi Kohei wanted to, he could ask Horikita Manabu to confirm it at any time.
As for how Suzuki Toru could guarantee this, Katsuragi Kohei couldn't imagine. He sensed there was something behind it, but couldn't quite figure it out.
After all, no one would expect a first-year to spend a million Private Points to buy a spot on the Student Council.
The question now was why Suzuki Toru wanted to give him that spot. What was his goal?
"The deal is simple. I'll get you into the Student Council, and in return, you'll fulfill three requests of mine." Suzuki Toru added, "They won't be too difficult. I'll take your abilities and capabilities into consideration."
Katsuragi Kohei pondered. "What exactly are the requests?"
"For now, I've only decided on the first one. I haven't figured out the other two yet," Suzuki Toru said. "I'll let you know ahead of time when I want you to start."
Katsuragi Kohei hesitated. It was hard to make up his mind about a deal he couldn't gauge.
"Isn't Suzuki going to ask Katsuragi to do something weird?" Totsuka Yahiko stared at Suzuki Toru with a hostile expression.
Who would want to do something weird with a bald guy?
Before you continue