Is there really such a teacher?

One week later.

Walking on the path back to the dormitory, An Xiao looked back once more and said with a helpless sigh.

"Hey, hey, you've been tailing me for several days now, haven't you? I could just call the police at this point."

"Can you just say what you need to say directly?"

"Is it... Masumi Kamuro, the student who usually stands by Arisu Sakayanagi's side?"

Yet, even after An Xiao finished speaking, there was still no movement behind him.

An Xiao wasn't in a hurry; he just stood there and waited silently.

After a long while, a girl with purple hair and an expressionless face emerged from behind a trash can in a corner by the road. The three hairpins clipped to her bangs swayed slightly with her movement.

"How did you spot me?" Masumi Kamuro asked blandly, her face devoid of any emotion.

"I wouldn't exactly call it 'spotting'..." An Xiao pressed his temples, but still explained to her.

"I noticed you at the library."

"Do you realize you've held your book upside down several times?"

"Besides, you keep changing your seat every few minutes, over and over again."

"That might be fine elsewhere, but in a library... honestly, it's quite obvious."

An Xiao shrugged and couldn't help but quip: "It's like a husky wandering into a pack of wolves."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite annoying when you talk?" Masumi Kamuro's composure faltered slightly. She took a deep breath before saying, "It's not me who wants to see you; it's Sakayanagi who wants to find you."

"She has some things she wants to discuss with you."

"If you agree, meet her on the rooftop tomorrow at 12:00 PM."

After saying this, Masumi Kamuro left without looking back, leaving An Xiao in silence.

So... what was the reason for her tailing me?

Was it really necessary to stalk me for several days just for this one thing?

And... I don't think I have any history with her, so why is she looking for me?

At noon the next day, despite still having many questions, An Xiao showed up.

"So, what is it? Don't tell me you're looking to collect points."

As soon as An Xiao stepped onto the rooftop, he saw Arisu Sakayanagi standing there quietly, leaning on her cane. However, Masumi Kamuro, who was usually by her side, was nowhere to be seen.

"Of course not." Arisu Sakayanagi lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and curtsied. Noticing An Xiao's gaze scanning the area, she smiled and said:

"Are you looking for Masumi, An Xiao? It's a pity, but only I am here."

"It seems I've disappointed you. After all, a petite figure like mine is far less attractive than Masumi. Would you like me to call her up here now?"

"That is absolutely unnecessary!"

How long has it been? How can this person hold a grudge like this?

"Why did you ask to see me? What is it you want?"

"I see..." Arisu Sakayanagi nodded. "I asked to see you this time because I wanted to ask if you have any interest in becoming my 'pet'."

"..."

"Did I hear that wrong? Did you just say something about a pet, something quite outrageous?" An Xiao pinched his earlobe, asking with uncertainty.

"You heard correctly." Arisu Sakayanagi rested both hands on the cane in front of her and said with interest, "By the way, the Masumi you saw earlier is also my pet."

No, do you all really play games this twisted? Or am I just getting old and can't keep up with the times?

"Oh, and by the way, the monthly pet allowance is 100,000 points. If you do well, there will be more."

"Compu—" An Xiao instinctively wanted to shout, but he held it back. "We were raised under compulsory education; how could we ever agree to something like this!"

"Is that so?" Sakayanagi shrugged, unbothered.

"I just thought you and Masumi got along well, so I wanted to take you in as well."

"After all, it gets lonely if a pet is the only one of its kind."

Does she expect a thank you for that?

An Xiao grumbled internally, but his feet began to shuffle backward.

"Ara, is An Xiao thinking of leaving? That's not impossible, but if I have to look for you again, I might have to change my approach."

"For example... confessing my love to you in the cafeteria or something similar."

"Cough, cough. It's just a bit windy on the rooftop, so my feet moved back on their own." An Xiao coughed a few times, looking at the door within arm's reach with a sense of bitterness.

"Hehe, as expected, An Xiao is a very smart child."

Arisu Sakayanagi covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"As a smart person, are you interested in making a deal with me?"

"...You just said you wanted to keep me as a pet a moment ago."

"There is no contradiction between the two, is there?"

Realizing exactly what this girl (?) in front of him was after and knowing he couldn't escape, An Xiao stepped forward, stood before Arisu Sakayanagi, and said irritably.

"Speak up, what exactly do you want to do?"

"I simply want to make this school a bit more interesting," Arisu Sakayanagi said with a smile. "Are you interested in targeting Class D?"

?????

Why is everyone so obsessed with targeting Class D? Shouldn't the ones being targeted be the ones at the top, like Class A?

What is the point of staring at the underdogs all day long?

However, remembering what Hoshinomiya had said earlier, An Xiao decided to listen patiently.

"You should have known about the changes to the exam scope by now, right?"

"Yeah." An Xiao nodded. He had known about this since last week, but Arisu Sakayanagi's next words made him pause.

"But the people in Class D still don't know."

"Didn't their homeroom teacher tell them?"

"No, though it seems to have been intentional."

Is there really a teacher who would help other classes sabotage their own students like that!?

But then again, the homeroom teacher of Class D... that would be the Chabashira Sae I saw earlier, right?

"Since you put it that way, Class D doesn't seem to have any need to be targeted, and what is the point of you doing this?"

"Who knows? It's just an added insurance policy," Arisu Sakayanagi said, her gaze shifting beyond the railing as a smile gradually curled at the corners of her lips.

"Besides, don't you think it would be interesting?"

"If Class D's class points were truly reduced to zero, our grade would end up with a very interesting class."

"A 'reckless' zero-point class."

"Don't you think that would be very interesting?"

Arisu Sakayanagi turned her head back, her silver hair fluttering in the wind, and looked at An Xiao with a full, smiling face.