The answer might have been simple.
Suzuki Toru might have bragged to Horikita Manabu about his million Private Points. Or perhaps he had told him what happened back then.
"Heh, so even Horikita-senpai can misjudge people." Miyabi Nagumo chuckled. "I'll be the one to expose this scam. It's time to make that guy face reality."
"You're planning to turn the tables on him?" Tonegawa Sosuke knew how this class leader thought.
"Why not?"
Nagumo's gaze fell on a particular clause in the contract, and he smiled with a hint of amusement. "He seems to have forgotten that while he was digging a pit for someone else, he dug one for himself too."
The part about having to pay three times the equivalent amount in compensation for breaching the contract had caught his attention.
Tonegawa seemed to want to say something, but Mizowaki Suito put it more tactfully. "We'd be better off not getting involved ourselves. We don't know how the school will respond yet."
"Don't worry. I just want to have a little fun with him, and shatter Horikita-senpai's illusions about him while I'm at it." Nagumo's voice was cold. He hadn't forgotten that Suzuki Toru had extorted a million Private Points from him.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Seeing this, Mizowaki had no choice but to swallow his words. He might have been Nagumo's adviser, but there was no talking Nagumo out of what he wanted to do.
"I won't use the class's share. It's only four million Private Points." Nagumo paused, a glint in his eyes. "In exchange, I want Suzuki to be my dog!"
Then, under the watchful eyes of his two confidants, he rose gracefully and headed toward the Student Council room.
However, Nagumo seemed to have overlooked one thing.
If Suzuki Toru had intended to set a trap, he wouldn't have let Nagumo see the contract in the first place.
An hour later, Nagumo realized that this new student had been coming after him all along.
Make Those Coins Explode!
When Nagumo pushed open the Student Council room door, he found Suzuki Toru and Horikita Manabu already there. He couldn't help flashing a bright smile.
"I was going to look for Horikita-senpai, but I didn't expect you to be here too, Suzuki. Saves me the trouble."
Horikita watched him sit on the sofa usually reserved for guests and cross his legs rather cockily. His eyes instinctively flicked toward Suzuki Toru.
"Suzuki's getting familiar with the work. What do you need?"
Nagumo glanced at Suzuki. The guy was holding some club documents, presumably reviewing applications for club activities.
"I heard Horikita-senpai has been selling badges lately, worth four million Private Points. Could I take a look too?"
"Sorry, but this isn't something I can just show to anyone," Horikita said, refusing him. "If that's all you came for, then please leave."
Nagumo snorted at that. He was also somewhat disappointed in Horikita and, for once, felt a spark of anger.
The opponent he had taken such a liking to had been deceived by a first-year.
But it didn't matter. He was about to expose Suzuki Toru's scam and show Horikita just how abysmal his judgment was!
"Do you turn away all your guests?" Nagumo said coolly. "Someone in my class is very interested in your deal. We'll be in Class A for the next two years, if nothing unexpected happens, and our Private Points will only keep piling up. We might as well exchange some for cash ahead of time."
Anyone who wasn't deaf could tell he was blatantly lying.
Still, any deal with the second-years would inevitably have to go through Nagumo, since he was their leader.
Once everyone saw that even the leader was willing to make a deal, they'd have even fewer reservations.
For that reason, Suzuki Toru couldn't refuse him, or people would find it strange.
But he couldn't answer Nagumo right away either, or that would seem strange too.
"We can do that, but our deal is entirely voluntary. If anything happens, each of us will bear responsibility," Suzuki Toru said after a pause. "Even if it means getting expelled."
Nagumo smiled knowingly. "Honestly, Suzuki, you're pretty bold."
"Honestly, senpai, I don't want to make this deal with you." Suzuki's gaze was serious.
The corner of Nagumo's mouth curled upward despite himself. As far as he was concerned, Suzuki Toru had figured out what he was thinking and was trying to avoid facing reality.
"But you have no choice. You know perfectly well what will happen if you refuse me."
Just as Suzuki Toru had threatened him back then, now it was Nagumo's turn to threaten Suzuki mercilessly.
If Nagumo spread the word, the whole school would know that Suzuki Toru was a fraud.
Suzuki Toru couldn't afford that.
Heh. Nagumo felt he had Suzuki right where he wanted him—a guy who'd tried to pull a fast one with the contract.
"Private Point transfers take up to twelve hours," Suzuki Toru said, apparently still struggling in vain.
Nagumo answered without a hint of concern. "I can transfer them anytime. You don't need to worry about that. In fact, you know exactly how much money I have."
At this point, Suzuki had no reason left to object to Nagumo.
He could only fall silent.
Nagumo looked at Horikita, who was frowning deeply, as if he'd realized something too.
"Horikita-senpai, do you think I should make a deal with him?"
Horikita's expression was grave. He spoke in a low voice. "If Suzuki doesn't want to, the deal can't go through."
Even now, he was still protecting that first-year. Nagumo was deeply displeased.
"Suzuki, give me an answer. Are we doing this or not?"
Nagumo's gaze was hostile, as if to say, I'm getting what I want today. Don't tell me you think you can get out of this!
Under his pressure, Suzuki looked hesitant and let out a deep sigh. "If you insist, senpai, I don't mind making another deal. I just hope you won't go back on it afterward."
Nagumo scoffed. "I hope you won't welch on me."
Then Suzuki Toru took out the contract.
"Sign this one with the Student Council President first, then I'll sign this one with you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Nagumo reached out and pressed down on one of the contracts, looking at Suzuki Toru with a knowing smile.
"Not so fast. I think we can make a few more changes to the contract."
At those words, Suzuki Toru's expression changed, growing more and more troubled.
Then Suzuki gritted his teeth and asked, full of resignation, "What do you want to change, senpai?"
Nagumo savored his wonderful expression, then spoke slowly. "Naturally, I want to change the second clause. Whenever Party B requires it, Party A must pay cash at a time specified by Party B. What do you think, Suzuki?"
Just as he'd expected, Suzuki Toru's expression turned utterly stiff.
"Senpai, can't you take it easy?"
His pleading tone only made Nagumo's smile widen.
"Heh, don't worry about being unable to do it. As your senpai, I should understand the difficulties my juniors face." Nagumo smiled. "The school should be able to handle the cash transfer for you if you pay a few Private Points. I can even cover the cost for you. Go ahead and thank me."
Although the school forbade students from contacting the outside world, it turned a blind eye to students using Private Points to buy certain privileges.
Paying a few Private Points to have the school arrange a transfer shouldn't be too difficult.
After all, without rules, how could there be privileges that went beyond the rules?
The very purpose of such privileges was to serve those like them, who had abilities beyond the ordinary.
The only real risk was the deal itself.
But as long as no one complained to the school, it would most likely turn a blind eye.
Otherwise, the school would have stepped in long ago to stop Koenji Rokusuke from secretly contacting upperclassmen.
Most importantly, Nagumo was now certain that Suzuki Toru couldn't afford to pay. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tried to pull a fast one with the contract.
That was precisely the weakness Nagumo intended to exploit.
"Suzuki, you don't want everyone to find out what you've done, do you?"
He'd tricked an upperclassman into signing a flawed contract. If Suzuki Toru didn't want his reputation ruined, he'd have no choice but to swallow it.
Sure enough, Suzuki Toru let out a deep sigh.
"Go ahead and change it, senpai."
A smile appeared on Nagumo's face. Soon, he'd have Suzuki obediently acting like a dog.
With that thought, he drafted a new contract, changed the original second clause, and signed his name without hesitation.
Seeing this, Suzuki Toru could only sign his name with a look of sorrow.
"Heh, you know how to behave." After signing the contract with Horikita, Nagumo turned lazily toward Suzuki Toru. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. But from now on, you'll serve me until you die."
"Serve you until I die?" Suzuki Toru blinked.
Nagumo furrowed his brow and said coldly, "If you can't pay, that counts as a breach of contract, and I'm entitled to claim compensation from you. I don't want Yen, just ten million Private Points. If you can't do that, you'll have to be my dog."
Suzuki Toru looked rather bemused. This guy was good at playing games with the contract too.
The contract called for compensation of equivalent value, and Nagumo had used the official exchange rate to turn the original two million Yen into ten million Private Points.
It was a clever scheme, though it was a pity.
"Senpai, I never said I couldn't pay," Suzuki Toru said quietly. "If you can help me, I can pay right now."
Nagumo felt a flicker of unease.
"If you're worried, senpai, I can call a friend over to witness it."
Half an hour later, Nagumo stared silently at Koenji Rokusuke, who had appeared before him.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a cold sweat breaking out.
Today, His Hands Trembled
In fact, if Nagumo had just stayed calm for a moment, he would soon have realized he'd fallen into Suzuki Toru's trap.
Unfortunately, Suzuki Toru knew exactly what arrogant people like Nagumo were thinking.
Before you continue