I'll Make a Peace Sign

"Just looking for something to do." Horikita Suzune didn't want to talk about it. She'd lost her temper for a moment, fallen into her enemy's trap, and then been forced to lift her skirt. It was too embarrassing.

"I see. I can help, but I can't guarantee anyone will show up, okay?" Kushida Kikyo smiled sheepishly.

"That's fine. As long as you can get Sudo and the others here now, I'll persuade them myself." Horikita Suzune knew full well that she had no ability to rally anyone, so this was her only option.

Kushida Kikyo nodded, then lowered her head to work on her phone. Before long, Kanji Ike and the others appeared at the café entrance.

"Sorry for calling you out so suddenly, but Horikita has something to say to you."

"W-What is it!?"

For some reason, Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki's expressions changed. Only Ken Sudō sounded a little annoyed. "What the hell? I'm busy playing basketball right now. I don't have time to listen to this woman's nonsense."

He'd thought Horikita Suzune would be just as hostile toward him as she'd been last time. Instead, she said something that left him stunned.

"Playing basketball doesn't actually conflict with attending remedial lessons. If you fail and get expelled, your dream of a professional basketball career will be shattered." Horikita Suzune stared at him intently. "Sudo, you don't want to lose the chance to play basketball, do you?"

Ken Sudō froze for a moment.

Horikita Suzune continued, addressing Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki as well. "Although I can't stand people like you, even useless trash has a purpose it can serve."

"Hey, hey, who are you calling trash?" Kanji Ike glared at her through gritted teeth.

"Heh. If you're not trash about to get expelled, then prove it to me." Horikita Suzune took out a notebook she'd prepared in advance. "After the last remedial session, I finally understood your level. To put it simply, you have absolutely no foundation. You're no better than elementary school students."

Though she said that, she handed the notebook to Ken Sudō, who was closest to her.

"What's this...?" Ken Sudō opened it and couldn't help looking surprised.

"I've organized all the key points. You just need to review them."

Ignoring their astonished looks, Horikita Suzune continued, "Also, to work around your so-called club schedules, we should hold discussions during breaks between classes every day and review what we've learned right away. That'll be more effective than spending an hour or two on remedial lessons after school."

"B-But I can't understand anything in class," Kanji Ike stammered.

"You don't need to worry. You just have to listen carefully. I'll organize the key points and teach you the right way to study," Horikita Suzune said calmly.

By now, her unwavering determination was obvious. She seemed set on teaching them, no matter what, over the next few days.

Perhaps sensing how serious she was, Ken Sudō softened a little.

"Studying's too boring. Honestly, I have no interest in it at all."

"Good. Keep studying without stopping, and hold on to that attitude."

Ken Sudō stared at her, confused by what she meant.

"If you can't even stick with this, are you going to give up whenever you run into trouble in a professional basketball game?" Horikita Suzune looked as though she were thinking things through for him. "Besides, where else can you pursue your dream of playing professional basketball, if not here? If I remember correctly, many basketball players make their debut in high school. You have to compete in the national tournament to attract the attention of a team."

After that, Ken Sudō fell silent for a long time. Then he asked her, "Why go this far?"

Horikita Suzune didn't hide anything. She simply said, "I want Private Points. The fee for remedial lessons is twenty thousand Private Points per person."

"Ha, you're charging us too?!" Kanji Ike nearly jumped.

"Then we might as well go to Hirata's remedial sessions!" Yamauchi Haruki snapped. How could he possibly have the money to pay this woman?

"Forget it. Once they hear there are Private Points to be earned, I'm sure the whole class will be more enthusiastic than usual. No one else is willing to teach you like I am," Horikita Suzune retorted coldly.

There were only two paths before them now: get expelled or accept her remedial lessons.

"You really are crazy," Ken Sudō said, his expression complicated. He understood what she was doing.

"You can pay the twenty thousand Private Points before next term. I won't force you to pay now," Horikita Suzune said. "I think it's a fair deal. Spend twenty thousand Private Points to escape expulsion and keep enjoying your high school life."

"What if we can't afford to pay by then?"

"Then I'll take the loss."

Of course. By next term, she'd already be someone else's Star Rage, so it didn't matter whether they paid her or not.

Horikita Suzune was now willing to resort to anything to escape her own Star Rage Crisis.

"Okay, okay, we agree!" Yamauchi Haruki and Kanji Ike's eyes lit up.

Horikita Suzune looked at Ken Sudō. He turned his face away, pretending not to care.

"I'll reluctantly agree, you woman."

At the side, a shadow crossed Kushida Kikyo's eyes. Just how had Suzuki Toru managed to mold this girl into someone like this?

She suddenly found herself curious about Suzuki Toru.

Chapter 73: I'll Make a Peace Sign

Although Horikita Suzune's actions involved a degree of coercion, and that left a bad taste in their mouths, it was hard to refuse her determination and sincerity.

As soon as Ken Sudō and the others agreed, she set about planning their daily study schedules.

This left Kushida Kikyo feeling vaguely uneasy and threatened, so she immediately volunteered to join Horikita Suzune's remedial sessions.

Horikita Suzune welcomed her without hesitation.

Not only Kushida Kikyo, but Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was also forcibly roped into her remedial sessions.

By afternoon, the group had gathered at the library.

Even when she saw Suzuki Toru in the same spot as yesterday, she wasn't afraid. If she hesitated any longer, she'd probably end up as his plaything.

She planned to defeat him and rise to Class A with her head held high.

Unlike last time, even if they made the stupidest faces imaginable, Horikita Suzune would patiently guide them.

The change made them extremely uncomfortable, even though Horikita Suzune still slipped in a sarcastic remark now and then.

The remedial session lasted about an hour and a half. Then Horikita Suzune announced that it was over without taking up too much of their time.

Ken Sudō breathed a sigh of relief. At this pace, he could still catch the end of practice. Worst-case scenario, he could train until six or seven in the evening.

Aside from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, no one seemed to notice that Horikita Suzune kept glancing toward Suzuki Toru and Class C.

Was she planning to expand her business to the other classes?

That woman was far too persistent, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought to himself.

In truth, Horikita Suzune was even more desperate than Ayanokoji Kiyotaka imagined.

Morning.

When the doorbell rang, Suzuki Toru couldn't help feeling puzzled. No one should be looking for him at this hour.

As soon as he opened the door, a cool, lovely face came into view.

"You said things outside the list could count too, right?"

Horikita Suzune stood before him. The soft morning sunlight filtered through her hair, revealing a gleaming, jade-like earlobe. Beneath her long lashes, her eyes were bright and clear. Her skin was like fresh snow in the warm sunlight, pristine as a painting. Her slender figure had a delicate waist you could almost encircle with one hand. Her skirt didn't reach her knees, and her straight legs were still clad in knee-high black stockings, leaving the pale skin of her thighs on full display.

Just standing at the dorm entrance, she gave off the impression of a first love, like the girl next door you'd grown up with.

Well, especially since she was holding a lunchbox.

"Wasn't the list enough to satisfy you?" Suzuki Toru realized what she was planning, and a smile tugged at his lips.

What did he mean, satisfy her? Wasn't this just his lowbrow sense of humor?

Horikita Suzune kept a stern expression and said coldly, "Most of the things on your list are vulgar. Aside from revealing what a pervert you are, they're completely pointless."

"But you can't do anything for me besides offer your body, can you, Suzune?" Suzuki Toru said in a low voice.

"No. You just haven't noticed what else I can do." Horikita Suzune held the lunchbox out to him. "How many Private Points would making you a lunchbox be worth?"

Suzuki Toru took it and opened it. The selection of dishes was quite generous.

"You still have Private Points to buy ingredients?"

"The supermarket has free ingredients. Making an extra portion doesn't matter."

"As the Student Council president's younger sister, don't you think it's inappropriate to make lunch for a man?"

"Heh. You don't need to try to get to me. I don't care about something this trivial."

Suzuki Toru looked over the icy girl with amusement. The shape of her chest traced the contours of her maturing body. There were few signs of childishness left, and she could easily attract plenty of attention.

"One hundred Private Points."

Horikita Suzune froze, then glared at him in disbelief, irritated. "Even the cheapest lunch set at the convenience store costs five hundred Private Points!"

"I know. But you used free ingredients, so you didn't have to spend anything extra. This is probably all you're worth." Suzuki Toru smiled.

Horikita Suzune felt aggrieved. Was this guy incapable of doing anything but bullying her?

"Don't look at me like that, Suzune." Suzuki Toru sighed. "You could be free of your debt in no time if you followed the list. Why are you doing all this?"

"Disgusting," Horikita Suzune said coldly.

Suzuki Toru nodded. He never denied what people said about him, just as he hadn't denied Higuchi Madoka's words back then.

They could curse him or hate him all they wanted. He'd keep helping them fulfill their wishes all the same.

"Do you want to join my remedial sessions?" Horikita Suzune asked suddenly.

Suzuki Toru was a little surprised. He tested the waters. "You want someone from Class A like me to join your remedial sessions?"

"Weren't you tutoring a girl in the library?" Horikita Suzune said. "If you think it's too much trouble, you can leave her to me."

Wait, judging by her expression, was she serious?

"Although Student Council work is a hassle, I still have time to tutor Kamuro."

"I see..."

Horikita Suzune didn't press the matter. Then she gripped her skirt tightly with both hands and looked at him expressionlessly.

"Do you still want to see underneath?"

Beneath the girl's skirt were her pale, delicate thighs, soft as flower petals. The top of her stockings seemed to squeeze a ring of flesh, making them look springy and tempting.

Watching a girl voluntarily lift her skirt at the dorm entrance was quite an exciting game.

"No." Suzuki Toru calmly refused her. "You only do the things on the list once, and you're wearing Safety Shorts today, aren't you?"