"Was there something you needed?"
"Can't I bother you even when there's nothing going on?"
Seeing the number 40 floating above the other person's head, Toru Hasegawa felt nothing.
If you thought she was acting tsundere, you'd be completely wrong. She simply saw him as a useful errand boy.
Toru Hasegawa knew that all too well.
"I'm joking." Seeing Toru Hasegawa's expressionless face, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't look the least bit embarrassed. She simply said, "I'd like you to help me gather information on the other classes, with Class D as the main focus, of course."
"Is it because of Ayanokoji?"
"Yes. I do like dealing with clever people."
Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled.
Although Ayanokoji was an opponent she wanted all to herself, if someone else had already discovered him, she might as well make good use of that.
Toru Hasegawa sighed helplessly. If he could help it, he didn't want to keep being her lackey...
Wait, hold on! He didn't have to be her lackey in the first place!
Yesterday, it had been for the personal points... Though, at the very start, it had only been a meal... Never mind. Let's say it was for the personal points. And this morning, he'd helped because he'd taken pity on her limited mobility.
In other words, he could simply refuse the job.
With that in mind, Toru Hasegawa decisively said:
"Sorry, I'm actually pretty busy."
"Are you planning to join a club?"
"A club?"
Toru Hasegawa was puzzled. Could they join clubs already?
Come to think of it, the upperclassman had said yesterday that it was today...
"Looks like you didn't hear the announcement. There'll be one over the radio at noon. The school is holding a club orientation in the First Gymnasium at five this afternoon." Sakayanagi Arisu explained patiently.
"Oh, I see. I was in the bathroom at the time, so I missed it."
Toru Hasegawa scratched his head. Without Sakayanagi Arisu's reminder, he really might have missed it.
"So, are you going to join a club?"
Sakayanagi Arisu naturally steered the conversation onward, without showing the slightest embarrassment.
"Let me think... If there's a Gaming Club, I think I'll apply."
"Maybe there will be." Sakayanagi Arisu sat calmly in Toru Hasegawa's seat. "But even if you do join a club, that doesn't mean you won't have time to help me."
"Didn't you know? Boys are creatures who like playing games. I'm planning to buy a computer today and spend most of my free time on it from now on."
Toru Hasegawa had found a suitable excuse.
After the brief life he'd lived in his previous world, he'd already figured things out.
Rather than agonizing over whether to study or have fun, he'd rather throw himself into whichever one he was doing.
When it was time to study, he'd study seriously. When it was time to game, he'd game seriously, without thinking about studying while he played.
That was the wisdom he'd gleaned about life!
So, strictly speaking, it wasn't really an excuse.
"..."
Sakayanagi Arisu was at a loss for words. Judging by his expression and eyes, she could tell Toru Hasegawa had meant every word.
But a clever, useful errand boy who... had absolutely no interest in her was a rare find.
With that in mind, Sakayanagi Arisu smiled again, but Toru Hasegawa couldn't bring himself to smile.
Because just then, the number above her head had risen from 40 to 45.
The more he turned her down, the more her affection for him went up?
No! Not this!
Sakayanagi Arisu had already decided to use her ultimate weapon. So he wouldn't respond to a gentle approach and preferred a hard one, huh?
"Hasegawa, you wouldn't want your class to lose the competition because of you, would you?"
Hearing those words, Toru Hasegawa's mouth twitched violently.
Wasn't this a bit...
No matter how you looked at it, it was weird for a girl to say something like that to a boy!
And she was actually using the class's interests to pressure him. Damn it!
Did he look like the kind of person who'd submit to the class's interests?
Sorry, but that was exactly the kind of person he was.
Toru Hasegawa was already ready to surrender at lightning speed, but he still wanted to make one last attempt.
"Actually, I have someone who'd be a better fit for you."
Taking a deep breath, Toru Hasegawa spoke in a low voice.
He would cling to this last lifeline!
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes lit up. She was very interested in the "better fit" Toru Hasegawa had mentioned.
"Take a look at this and you'll understand."
Toru Hasegawa took out his phone, opened the photo gallery, and showed Sakayanagi Arisu the only picture there.
"This is..."
Seeing that the silver-haired girl's attention had been completely drawn to the photo, Toru Hasegawa breathed a sigh of relief.
Better a friend than me. Kamuro Masumi, rest in peace!
"I happened to discover this when I went to buy lunch at noon. If you make good use of this photo, you should be able to get her to do all sorts of things, right? Getting her to investigate Class D definitely won't be a problem."
"But be a little nice to her, okay? I think she's the type who isn't very good at communicating with people. It'd be nice if she could improve while she's with you."
Was he supposed to spend all his time with Sakayanagi Arisu?
Toru Hasegawa couldn't handle that. Men and women were different, after all, and there were plenty of things he shouldn't get involved in.
Besides, she looked like she'd be incredibly difficult to win over. This wasn't some adult comic where a girl in love would just fall for someone else at the drop of a hat.
And Kamuro Masumi had been the one to tease him in the first place. If she hadn't done that, he wouldn't have caught the attention of Sakayanagi Arisu, that love-struck girl with a hole where her feelings should be!
So this was his own little revenge~
Even though he'd told himself all that, Toru Hasegawa still knew there was nothing righteous about what he'd done.
If he got the chance, he'd make it up to her.
"Isn't this great? Now you can focus entirely on gathering information about Class D. As for Kamuro, she can handle Class B and Class C."
"...Are you a demon?"
Sakayanagi Arisu's words made Toru Hasegawa raise his voice without thinking, immediately drawing the attention of those around them.
"I'm discussing class matters with Hasegawa. He's a very suitable candidate."
Sakayanagi Arisu needed only one sentence to make them all cheer.
"Just what you'd expect from Sakayanagi!"
"Her Highness truly has an eye for talent!"
He'd just ignore the strange choice of words in one of those comments for now. Toru Hasegawa pressed his somewhat dry lips together.
"Do you really have to do this?"
"I'm becoming more and more interested in what you have to offer."
Indeed, seeing the number above her head rise from 45 to 50, Toru Hasegawa realized she was serious.
However...
"I recorded our entire conversation just now."
Toru Hasegawa had already taken his phone back and showed Sakayanagi Arisu the recording screen. The number displayed on it proved what he'd said.
"If you don't want your classmates to find out you're this kind of person, then please leave me alone."
"Heh..." Sakayanagi Arisu saw that Toru Hasegawa's phone was recording, but wasn't surprised at all. "Do you need me to remind you? You just sold out your own classmate~"
"For someone like you, who uses the class's interests to pressure people, I'm prepared to go down with you."
That was what Toru Hasegawa said.
Before you continue