The Ninth Chapter: With Morishita and Ryuen

He'd practically pulled off the impossible, securing five million points from Ichinose of Class B and Koenji of Class D.

The airdropped supplies from Class A had finally arrived.

Sakayanagi of Class A was the only one who understood why Kujo needed to save up points. She didn't wait for him to come to her; instead, she sent someone to find him.

It happened to be at noon on the very day he received the five million points.

A girl from Class A appeared before Kujo once again and said:

"I think we've met before in the library."

Kujo nodded. He naturally remembered her.

She was still the woman who called people by their full names and whose words he couldn't understand at all: Morishita.

After greeting Kujo, Morishita complained, "She only sent me because I accidentally spoke to you last time."

Kujo replied, "Yamamura is better at gathering information, Hashimoto is better at negotiation, Kamuro is more loyal, and Kito has to stay by her side to keep watch. Sakayanagi doesn't choose people based on fate, but on ability. She sent you because you can hold a conversation without being easily read, and you have your own unique way of testing people."

Morishita narrowed her eyes and nodded, acknowledging Kujo's judgment.

"Exactly. The way you put it, I really do sound pretty impressive. Still, I'm not quite on the same level as that big shot in Class C."

The "big shot" she meant was, of course, Kujo.

After saying that, Morishita made a tiny finger-heart.

Kujo didn't understand what she meant, but she made no effort to hide her thoughts. She continued, "I'm sure you'll end up in Class A. So I'm already your moneybag."

Kujo knew she was referring to what she'd said in the library last time.

She'd said that if Kujo was just a little short on points needed to transfer to Class A, she would support him with everything she had.

As things stood, had that not been merely Sakayanagi's idea or a test from Morishita, but something she genuinely meant?

Kujo didn't care. After all, he had no desire to move up to Class A.

But Morishita's next words gave him an entirely new impression of her:

"It's only natural for a moneybag to worry about her master, right? After all, as the first person to support you, I should get the highest position later, shouldn't I?"

Without a doubt, she was testing him again. Anyone who took her seriously would have to be crazy. Still, Kujo stared at her in dismay and told her that if she couldn't talk normally, she could just say less. She didn't have to force herself.

Morishita, however, seemed utterly unaware of how she came across. She went on to say something even more outrageous:

"I'm really curious about everything you want to do. So as long as you don't get expelled and you keep being this interesting, I wouldn't mind giving up on Sakayanagi Arisu and becoming your dog."

Japanese culture and Kujo's understanding of it didn't quite match.

Maybe dogs were considered cute?

Just like being a housekeeper was considered noble?

Kujo was used to it by now.

Not really.

Kujo couldn't take it anymore.

Although he'd always wanted to shed his reputation for being calculating, he could only steer the conversation back to the point at hand.

"What did Sakayanagi send you here for?"

Morishita took out her phone and showed Kujo the points on it. "This is the dowry our princess gave you."

Kujo made a chopping motion toward Morishita's head. He was only pretending, but she'd already crouched down and covered her head.

Morishita got serious.

"This is our Class A's sincerity. We've got the general idea. You want to use points to increase the extra rewards for this exam. The exam isn't that difficult, and we think it's better to let the other classes earn Class Points so they can prepare for a possible inter-grade battle later."

Kujo watched Morishita speak rapidly and convey her thoughts normally, then sighed.

Couldn't she have done that from the start?

After taking her phone, Kujo asked for her student number and password, then transferred the points to himself without a hint of courtesy, using an anonymous request.

Only after he was done did Kujo toss the phone back to Morishita.

Morishita caught it. Seeing that he'd left her quite a few points, she looked puzzled.

"You could've transferred them all, you know?"

Kujo clicked his tongue, then told Morishita, "Keep the rest for yourself."

Morishita paused. Looking at Kujo's impatient expression, she couldn't help bursting into laughter.

Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.

Kujo simply watched her, wearing the look of someone worried about a lunatic.

The whole conversation had taken place on the first floor of the dormitory. After all the commotion, the students nearby were staring at the strange Morishita.

She laughed for a long time before finally stopping.

Morishita wiped the corners of her eyes and said to Kujo, "We'll be waiting for you in Class A."

"By the way, are you guys in Class A all right for the midterm exams? Do you have a plan?"

"Don't worry. We asked Mashima-sensei and some upperclassmen to help us study."

"What are the upperclassmen doing here?"

"The three of your classes are working together, so of course the upperclassmen couldn't sit still. They came to help our Class A. That's why they say our princess is a genius."

"Doesn't it make you cringe to call her that?"

"Me?"

"Yeah..."

Unlike Classes B and D, Ryuen of Class C was just like Sakayanagi of Class A.

He was also keeping an eye on Kujo constantly, and he also knew Kujo might be up to something in this exam.

However, Ryuen's attitude was the complete opposite of Sakayanagi's.

"So after scamming 7.5 million points from people outside your class, you're even scamming your own classmates? You really are Class C's savior."

Ryuen looked at Kujo and sneered.

Kujo had used ten thousand points to invite Ryuen to the rooftop where they'd met before.

This time, Ryuen hadn't brought anyone. He'd come alone.

Ryuen wasn't the same as he'd been back then.

What had changed? Maybe he was more single-minded about his goals?

Either way, he'd improved quite a bit.

As the first person Kujo had crossed paths with at Advanced Nurturing High School, Ryuen still had the will to fight even now. He truly lived up to his reputation in the original story as someone who just wouldn't stay down.

Ryuen undoubtedly had formidable mental strength and the drive to match.

In the first month, he'd seen through Koenji's method of getting points from upperclassmen and had used the same strategy to earn points himself.

Even so, getting 2.5 million points from Class C required mobilizing the entire class.

That was why Kujo hadn't hesitated to spend another ten thousand points to invite Ryuen and tell him what he had in mind.

But Ryuen seemed to have lost all desire to talk. He took off his uniform jacket and tossed the iron bar he'd prepared earlier to Kujo's feet.

"Didn't you say there's nothing two men can't settle with a fight?"

Kujo stepped on one end of the iron bar and gave it a push. It spun once before flying into his hand.

"Don't blame me if you get hurt."

Ryuen's adrenaline surged to its limit as he shouted, "If I get hurt, you'll be expelled!"

Kujo was, of course, well aware of that.

But he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back.

Ten minutes later.

Ryuen was lying facedown on the ground.

"So you were planning to disarm me from the start, huh?"

Looking at the iron bar that had been broken into three pieces nearby, Ryuen lay on the ground and cursed under his breath.

Kujo couldn't hear him.

Ryuen was exhausted, his voice was too quiet, and the wind was too strong.

Kujo sat on the edge of the rooftop, beyond the railing. A slight movement could send him plummeting.

Normally, he'd have lost points for such a dangerous stunt during a conduct inspection, but he didn't care.

Having reached his goal of collecting ten million points, Kujo sent Ichinose a text message.

He wanted to ask how the study group was going.

So much had happened in just over a month.

Seeing Ryuen get up in the distance, Kujo called out to him, "The next exams won't be this easy. I expect the make-believe games will be over by then. Are you sure you don't need my help?"

There was no way the upcoming Uninhabited Island Exam and VIP Exam on the cruise ship would be as easy to get through as these two exams.

Everyone kept saying they'd all graduate together.

But when it came time to make a choice,

no one would be naive enough to trust anyone else.

If Ryuen wanted to pick an opponent among the current first-years, he was doomed to lose.

Ryuen certainly had a strong will and no scruples about his methods.

But against Class D led by Hirata, Horikita, and Kushida; Class B led by Ichinose, who'd set aside her romantic feelings; and the fully realized Class A led by Sakayanagi, someone like Ryuen, who relied on fear and violence, would struggle to gain an advantage.

Ryuen stood up and said to Kujo, "Answer one question for me, you punk."

"Go ahead."

"You're done pretending, huh? At the start of the school year, you looked like a total space cadet."

Hmm? Wasn't he still like that now?

Kujo was disappointed in his acting skills, so he sighed and started his usual lecture.

"I just want to see you kids give it everything you've got and have no regrets."

Ryuen mocked him for being such a good person.

"One of these days, I'm going to get you expelled."

Kujo smiled.

"Yeah, you might actually be able to. Let me give you a suggestion: if you carry around a knife with my fingerprints on it and stab yourself, or if you get some people to beat me up after we graduate, I'd probably lose to you."

But if it was just an exam at this school,

there was no chance.