Strengthening Class C (Continued)
"Are you kidding me? A student from Class D is going to help me, the leader of Class C? Aren't you afraid of people finding out? No wonder you asked me to meet you alone on the rooftop."
Tanaka Yukishin remained unperturbed by his mockery, maintaining her faint smile.
He shifted his body slightly, a movement that made him appear even more composed.
"But Class C was already the worst class, and after I provided assistance to Classes A and B, Class C's disadvantage became even greater."
Ryuen Kakeru's smile vanished instantly, and his eyes turned cold.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice low.
"Just say what you have to say. Don't try these preemptive tactics; they won't work."
Tanaka Yukishin shrugged, her tone relaxed.
"What I said is true, and you probably already know that." He paused, his gaze sharpening as he looked at him. "Do you dare say your goal is to get Class C promoted to Class A?"
Ryuen Kakeru's expression froze, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes.
He didn't answer immediately, but just stared at him coldly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the railing, making a soft sound.
Seeing this, Tanaka Yukishin chuckled and continued:
"Class A consists of good and obedient students, united Ichinose Honami."
Class B is composed of top students, with two factions: Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi Kohei.
Class D is a bunch of problem children, a makeshift team.
He paused deliberately at the end, looking at Ryuen Kakeru with a mocking gaze, "And the rest of Class C, the delinquents, you'll be the dictator."
Ryuen Kakeru's face darkened completely.
He sat up abruptly, his school uniform jacket fluttering in the wind.
He took a step closer, and the distance between them suddenly shortened until they could smell each other's scents—the faint citrus fragrance of Tanaka Yukishin and the minty tobacco smell of Ryuen Kakeru mingled together.
Are you provoking me?
His voice was icy.
Tanaka Yukishin showed no fear whatsoever; instead, she took another half step forward to meet Ryuen Kakeru's gaze.
This distance exceeded normal social distancing; he could clearly see Ryuen Kakeru's pupils contract.
"Academic ability isn't everything, but it's an important component. Even in Special Exam, what does Class C have besides being physically strong? Not to mention, even if they're physically strong, they might not be able to beat other classes."
Ryuen Kakeru sneered, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
He suddenly felt cold, and reached out to grab Tanaka Yukishin's collar.
"Yeah?"
"While Class C may be at the bottom in other aspects, Class C is undoubtedly number one when it comes to fighting."
His tone was full of confidence.
He then leaned close to Tanaka Yukishin's ear and whispered something.
"You can fight, but can your friends or lovers? I won't offend you to death, but I can at least hold the people you care about hostage and keep you still, right? In the three classes A, B, and D, how many people would need me to go to such lengths?"
After listening, Tanaka Yukishin sighed softly and shook her head.
A hint of pity flickered in his eyes.
"Ryuen Kakeru, you still don't understand."
"Violence may intimidate temporarily, but it won't take you far. Class C needs more than just fists."
Ryuen Kakeru clenched his fist even tighter, and the veins on the back of his hand were clearly visible.
He stared intently at Tanaka Yukishin, as if trying to see right through him.
The two remained locked in this stalemate for over ten seconds, the air seeming to freeze.
Suddenly, Ryuen Kakeru released his grip and burst into laughter.
His smile held a hint of ferocity and madness.
"Interesting. Then tell me, what kind of help can you offer me?"
Tanaka Yukishin straightened her disheveled collar and took her phone out of her pocket.
His finger swiped rapidly across the screen.
"When the school revoked my Part-time Job Permit, they gave me several Part-time Job Permit with a three-year term as compensation."
"I'll give you enough for five people."
He looked up at Ryuen Kakeru, his eyes filled with anticipation, "Use it well, it will become a very useful weapon."
Ryuen Kakeru raised an eyebrow and took out his phone.
After exchanging contact information, Tanaka Yukishin quickly completed the transfer.
The whole process took only a dozen seconds, but it felt like an important transaction had been completed.
"Well then, good luck."
Tanaka Yukishin put away her phone and turned to walk towards the stairwell.
His back was straight, his steps steady, without the slightest hesitation.
Albert didn't emerge from the shadows until his figure had completely disappeared into the stairwell's shadow.
He nodded to Ryuen Kakeru, his eyes behind his sunglasses resolute.
Ryuen Kakeru finally Matsushita, and the feigned expression on his face faded away like the tide.
He looked down at the notification on his phone screen that "Part-time Job Permit for five people have been received," and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
He couldn't be bothered to think about why Tanaka Yukishin was helping him; he only cared about how much benefit he gained from his pretense.
After all, during his time ruling Class C, he knew better than anyone what kind of "useless" people he was leading.
Class A is united, Class B is elite, and Class D is full of problem children, but each has their own unique abilities.
His Class C, however, had nothing but violence and "obedience" (?).
That's why he needs to be ruthless.
The arrival of the Part-time Job Permit gave him new possibilities for his plans, which were originally limited by a shortage of manpower.
"Part-time Job Permit for five people..." he murmured to himself, his fingers lightly tapping the phone screen. "Use it well..." Sunlight shone on his profile, outlining a sharp line. "It's indeed a very powerful weapon."
As for the points that come with the job?
Those are all trivial matters.
Ryuen Kakeru took a cigarette out of his pocket, but instead of lighting it immediately, he held it to his nose and sniffed it. The aroma of the tobacco made his mind clearer.
His original plan was simple.
The first objective was to prevent Ken Sudō from becoming a regular member of the Basketball Club.
The second objective is to force Ken Sudō to suspend or withdraw from school.
Phase 1: Exploit Ken Sudō's volatile temper to orchestrate a conflict.
No conclusive evidence is required, or rather, no conclusive evidence can be provided.
If Ken Sudō were to physically injure Ishizaki and the others, that would be enough to bring punishment upon him.
However, in his estimation, without concrete evidence, simply injuring a classmate would most likely result in a suspension from school.
As for the timing, he was unsure.
Once a disciplinary action is taken, the punishment for a subsequent offense will be different.
Phase Two: During the sensitive period following Ken Sudō's demerit, Ishizaki Daichi and others were allowed to continue provoking him, inducing him to take action again.
This time, what awaits him is not just a suspension of studies, but outright expulsion.
The problem lies with those who implement it.
His dominance over Class C is a Schrödinger's cat scenario.
It can be powerful, or it can be fragile.
Although the students in Class C obeyed him, not all of them were willing to "sacrifice" for him.
Allowing uncontrollable people to do it may backfire.
Sending a trusted confidant to do it would come at too high a price—after all, Ken Sudō isn't worth sacrificing his core team.
Now, Part-time Job Permit perfectly solve this problem.
Ryuen Kakeru finally lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and watched the smoke twist and rise in the scorching air.
His thinking was more meticulous than smoke.
The Part-time Job Permit opened up so many possibilities for him.
1. Driven by profit
Disobedient students are made to carry out the plan, Part-time Job Permit are used as compensation during their leave of absence.
The wages go entirely to the other party, which serves both to appease them and to maintain control.
He had even already thought of someone— Yamamoto, who always complained about not having enough pocket money, was perfect.
2. Intelligence Gathering
They sent people to infiltrate various part-time job venues under the guise of seeking employment to gather intelligence.
Convenience stores, coffee shops, libraries—these are the places where you're most likely to hear gossip.
3. Trap Placement
Creating "accidents" in workplaces without surveillance.
Drugging, framing, or even fabricating conflict scenes to make surveillance footage disappear prematurely.
There are as many methods as you want.
The "temporary worker" might add something to the coffee or "accidentally" slip some contraband into the target's locker.
Most importantly, all of this is within the bounds of the rules.
"Oh"
Ryuen Kakeru exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes cold yet excited.
For him, the Part-time Job Permit was not simply a tool for making money, but a lever that could shift the balance of the entire grade.
Ken Sudō was just the beginning.
What he really cared about was how to use this "weapon" to help Class C —the worst class—carve out its own space for survival in this brutal competition.
Ryuen Kakeru walked to the edge of the rooftop and braced his hands on the rusty railing.
The noise coming from the distant playground reminded him of more possibilities.
By using a part-time job to get close to school staff, one might be able to make long-term plans.
After all, with more than 400 students in the whole school, it is impossible for every staff member to remember the faces of all students.
Moreover, he could have his incompetent subordinates disguise the workers.
For example, a girl can do her makeup on a boy.
However, this means that his target is still just a mere Ken Sudō.
Isn't that a bit wasteful?
He didn't think he could keep the existence of the Part-time Job Permit a secret forever.
Good steel should be used on the blade.
Furthermore, as Tanaka Yukishin just mentioned, he also helped both classes A and B.
So, could they have other special weapons?
There definitely is!
But it's probably not as useful as Part-time Job Permit, since Class C was the worst of the four classes before Tanaka Yukishin helped them.
Okay, let's keep this a secret for now.