Class A's First Seven Star Gathering

"Arisu, look... we're quite close now, how about lending me some points? I'll definitely pay you back later." Yagami Shizuka's tone turned humble at this moment.

He pleaded, "Don't be in such a rush to refuse. I have an urgent need for these points; it concerns the special exam during summer break and subsequent special exams. It should be important to you as well, so I hope you can help me."

Sakayanagi Arisu pondered for a moment. She didn't believe Yagami Shizuka was the type to indulge in extravagance; otherwise, he wouldn't be so concerned about a few thousand points.

If it were only seventy or eighty thousand points, she would be more than happy to help him with such a small favor.

"Speak, how many points do you need?" She stood tall, chest out, and acted with grace.

"Not much, just 500,000."

"500,000?" Sakayanagi Arisu immediately narrowed her eyes. "You gave me 50,000, and now you're asking me for 500,000? So, this was your purpose for approaching me, wasn't it?"

"No, Arisu, this is a loan. I guarantee I'll pay you back. We can write an IOU and have a teacher act as a guarantor.

It's not that I can't borrow 500,000 elsewhere, but I believe this is a matter that should be discussed with you first before making a decision. Otherwise, if I simply joined the student council, getting 500,000 would be an easy task," Yagami Shizuka explained.

"Impossible, unless you tell me your true purpose." Sakayanagi Arisu felt her resolve waver slightly. She suspected that Yagami Shizuka might have been scammed or coerced over the past two days.

Even in a school filled with surveillance, such things were common.

"My purpose..." Yagami Shizuka looked at Sakayanagi Arisu, hesitating to speak. "One of my purposes is to help you attain the healthy body of an ordinary person."

Losing a special exam was one thing, but now that there was a possibility of restoring Sakayanagi Arisu's health, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent. Only she knew how many medications she had taken and how many doctors she had consulted.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be cured, but that it was impossible to treat.

"I don't believe you."

"Even if you don't believe me, I need 500,000 points right now. Just lend them to me, and I'll pay you back later."

"The most I can scrape together for you right now is 350,000 points," Sakayanagi Arisu finally relented.

There was no helping it; her only direct subordinate right now was Kamuro Masumi, and Hashimoto Masayoshi might not even be willing to lend any.

She had recently met Kito Hayato, but she wasn't sure if he would cooperate.

Then there was Yamamura Miki.

Based on her observations, Yamamura Miki had a personality that was easy to control. If she could also secure her share, that would make 400,000.

Adding in Yagami Shizuka's own points, it would be just about enough.

Yagami Shizuka sat down and thought carefully for a while, then said, "I already have a plan, but I need your cooperation. I will raise the money directly within the class, and besides that, I can help you quickly take full control of the class."

"How do you intend to do that?" She still harbored doubts about Yagami Shizuka's capabilities, feeling as though she could never quite see through him.

"You'll know when the time comes." He turned the topic, saying, "How about we go grab a coffee together at noon?"

"Sure!" A sweet smile appeared on Sakayanagi Arisu's pretty face. She thought to herself that this blockhead Yagami Shizuka had finally wised up; it wasn't easy.

What Sakayanagi Arisu didn't know was that Yagami Shizuka subsequently contacted Hashimoto Masayoshi, Katsuragi Kohei, Shiraishi Asuka, and Nishikawa Ryoko.

The others agreed as soon as he asked, but for Morishita Ai, it took a lot of convincing.

Yagami Shizuka: Ai, want to hear about a big deal?

Morishita Ai: What kind of big deal! You didn't include me last time.

Yagami Shizuka: I'm planning something huge this time. I want to unite the whole class, and I'm short a few helpers.

Morishita Ai: Don't you already have Sakayanagi?

Yagami Shizuka: Ah! This time, I really can't do it without you. I trust you, and if you don't come, it'll be hard for me to find a talent like you—gifted, self-taught, and skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Morishita Ai: Why does it feel like you're insulting me? How come I didn't know I was that amazing?

Yagami Shizuka: Yes or no?

Morishita Ai: Where?

Yagami Shizuka: After lunch, at the most popular cafe near the school building—Palette.

After lunch, the girls all arrived at the cafe thinking they were on a date with Yagami Shizuka, only to be stunned upon arrival.

"I say, Shizuka-kun, you didn't mention you had invited others." The first to protest was Shiraishi Asuka.

Even if she didn't care too much about whether she could date Yagami Shizuka, she still felt annoyed by the misunderstanding.

"Exactly." Nishikawa Ryoko was also displeased. Knowing that Shiraishi Asuka had also been invited, she had thought Yagami Shizuka was juggling three girls, but it seemed there were more.

Compared to them, Sakayanagi Arisu was so angry her face turned red. I haven't even said anything yet, what are you all fussing about?

"So lively, are we holding a meeting?" Hashimoto Masayoshi didn't have any other thoughts. Being able to enter the inner circle of the class was a good start to his new school life.

Yagami Shizuka stood up and invited them to sit down: "Everyone, please take a seat. Since everyone is here, I will explain the reason for this gathering."

After they were all seated, Yagami Shizuka continued: "I believe everyone is aware by now that the information I provided earlier was not false; as long as one looks among the upperclassmen, there are traces to follow.

I've gathered everyone for a small meeting. I have named this gathering our class's first Seven Star Gathering."

The name sounded good, but they didn't know the specific meaning. The only ones who understood part of it were Sakayanagi Arisu and Morishita Ai.

"What exactly does the Seven Star Gathering mean?" Nishikawa Ryoko asked, not understanding its significance.

"The Seven Star Gathering refers to the king of chess endgame puzzles in the world of xiangqi, the number one ranked endgame on the leaderboard. It goes by many names, such as Seven Stars Arching the Dipper, Seven Stars Celebrating Together, and Seven Stars Shining Bright." Yagami Shizuka felt it was necessary to explain it clearly to them.

He detailed the principles of the endgame one by one, "In this endgame, both the black and red sides have seven pieces each, making it extremely complex and volatile. Both sides require the seven stars to work in perfect harmony to break the formation, and the sheer number of variations is evenly matched, putting the strength of both players to a rigorous test."

Even for the most elite xiangqi masters, when facing another top-tier opponent, whether playing as black or red, a single careless move could lead to total defeat.

The meaning of these seven stars is to gather capable individuals, cooperate fully, and then set the strategy.

Once the Seven Star formation is established, it is very difficult to break unless one encounters another chess master who also possesses seven stars.

The group listened, half-understanding, which essentially meant that everyone present was considered a master.

As soon as Sakayanagi Arisu heard this, she wanted to lash out, "Katsuragi and Hashimoto are one thing, but why are they here?"

Yagami Shizuka leaned into Sakayanagi Arisu's ear and whispered, "I will give you a satisfactory answer once the meeting ends. For now, will you listen to me?"

The flush on Sakayanagi Arisu's face slowly cooled, and she nodded in agreement.

"Then I will continue. I won't hide anything from everyone; it was I who asked you all to come here, it has nothing to do with Arisu. First of all..."

Yagami Shizuka looked at Katsuragi Kohei, "I have no interest in the position of class leader; I simply want to contribute to the class. For the sake of the class, Katsuragi, can you put other matters aside for now?"

"Right now, for the benefit of the class, we should be united. I don't want us to suffer from internal friction before we have even begun to fight against the other classes."