Over the next few days, the developments in Ken Sudō's suspension for hitting someone seemed to unfold much as Rinya remembered.
After Ayanokoji and Horikita Suzune got involved, the three students from Class C who had filed the complaint suddenly announced they were withdrawing it unconditionally.
Though many people didn't understand why, the outcome was good, at least.
The one unexpected variable Rinya hadn't anticipated was Sakura Airi. According to information from Kushida, at the Student Council hearing, the usually timid and cowardly Sakura Airi had shown remarkable courage during the confrontation. She had even directly challenged the Class C students who filed the complaint several times.
The look of disgust and hatred she gave any man was so intense that she didn't even spare Ayanokoji, who had brought her there, a friendly glance.
"Could someone have done something to her?"
Rinya had immediately asked.
Fortunately, he learned that Sakura had only acted so strangely because Kushida had deliberately distracted Ayanokoji, causing him to nearly arrive too late when he went to save her.
"Ha, she might have hidden potential." Rinya's eyes flickered.
After school, since he had narrowly escaped trouble yet again, Ken Sudō had planned to treat the Rinya brothers to a drink no matter what.
But when he reached the door, he froze. Whether by coincidence or not, he happened to see Kushida Kikyo, the class's "little angel," blushing as she staggered out of Rinya's room.
Ken Sudō's eyes widened in disbelief, and he hurried inside to ask Rinya what had happened.
When asked, Rinya explained that she had only wanted to invite him to a group meal, adding that they should have received the same invitation on their phones.
But Ken Sudō, whose hormones were in full swing, didn't see it that way. Perhaps because he had recently fallen for Horikita Suzune, the usually burly boy surprisingly wore an expression that said, "I get it."
Rinya simply smiled at the sight.
"Ding!"
A message alert sounded. Rinya instinctively picked up his phone, and when he saw yet another invitation to meet from the Student Council President, he smiled.
Ever since the hearing, he had received one such message every day. And because it had been sent under the school's name, he couldn't even block them.
"Ugh, what a pain. Looks like I'll have to meet him."
As for Ken Sudō standing before him, Rinya wanted a suitable excuse to get rid of him. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he simply pointed out who Ken Sudō had a crush on, then listed all the qualities in a boy that Horikita Suzune might dislike.
With his head full of thoughts about girls, Ken Sudō realized that he had every single one of those flaws. He immediately lost all interest in drinking, thanked Rinya, and hurried off.
Rinya gave a casual wave as he watched Ken Sudō leave. The faint smile on his face gradually darkened. "Heh. This works out perfectly. If I can win Horikita Suzune over, I'll have no shortage of pawns with a kamikaze spirit."
After saying goodbye to Ken Sudō, Rinya headed to the agreed-upon location, a secluded alley, where Horikita Manabu had been waiting for some time.
"It wasn't easy getting you to meet me, Rinya." Horikita Manabu's eyes flickered.
At first, when he received Rinya's reply, he had assumed it would be another refusal. He hadn't expected Rinya to agree this time, and couldn't help feeling a little surprised.
"Heh, is that so? You're strangely patient with me, President Horikita. Could you tell me what this is about? If you only want to chat, I'm afraid that would be a pain." Rinya spoke calmly, but an unmistakable note of impatience crept into his casual tone.
"Haha, you really are something."
Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses, paused, then continued. "Since we're both intelligent people, there's no need for pleasantries. I'm here to make a deal with you—a deal where you can only come out ahead. Interested?"
"Oh? That sounds interesting. But first, I'd like to know why you came to me. We're not exactly close."
Horikita Manabu answered frankly. "To be honest, I looked into your records. A lot of information has been deliberately concealed for reasons I don't understand, but your entrance exam scores—sixty in every subject—are proof enough that you're clever. More clever than 99 percent of the people at this school."
"Heh, I don't quite understand. Is getting sixty really that impressive?"
Horikita Manabu explained with confidence, "The score itself isn't impressive. But it's different if you did it on purpose."
"I took a close look at your answers. The tricks are too obvious. For example, you got one question right when only three percent of the class did, but got another wrong when 97 percent of the class got it right. There are plenty more examples like that. Do you think an ordinary person could pull that off?"
"I see. So that's how I got found out this time, too. Looks like I'll have to change things up after midterms."
"Again?" Horikita Manabu sounded slightly surprised, but didn't ask anything more.
"Fine. What's the deal?" Rinya's eyes flickered faintly. Having seen how the story unfolded, he naturally understood that Horikita Manabu was likely offering him the position he had planned to give Ayanokoji.
Vice president, huh? Heh. The boy laughed scornfully to himself. Unless he had another reason, he wouldn't give this kind of deal a second thought.
Of course, Horikita Manabu had no idea what he was thinking. He went straight to the point. "It's simple. You join the Student Council, and I can immediately promote you to the coveted position of vice president. Your Class D will also receive the Student Council's protection. All you have to do is carry out the usual tasks assigned by the Student Council."
"How does that sound? You can't lose on this deal. Besides, you're a clever person, so you know how much the Student Council can make things easier for you. Think it over before you answer..."
"No need to think it over. I refuse," Rinya cut in before Horikita Manabu could finish.
"..." Horikita Manabu clearly hadn't expected him to refuse so quickly. After a brief silence, he asked, "Why? Please tell me the reason."
"What a pain." Rinya put his hands in his pockets and turned his head away, speaking flatly.
"..." Horikita Manabu fell silent again. The speech he'd carefully prepared to persuade Rinya felt as though it had hit a wall.
Seeing the other man's bitter expression, as if he wanted to speak but couldn't, Rinya let out a sly chuckle. "Heh. Looks like you really do want me to join, Horikita-senpai. How about we make a deal, then? If you agree, I'll put up with the hassle and join the Student Council—and I won't leave before graduation."
"What kind of... deal?" Horikita Manabu took a few steps back. In the darkness, he looked at Rinya's dark red eyes, which gleamed like a beast's. For some reason, he felt as though Rinya were watching him the way a predator watched its prey.
"It's simple. Just tell your younger sister, Horikita Suzune, to obey my instructions for the next three years of high school. I'm sure she wouldn't refuse if you asked her, right?"
Seeing the surprise and confusion on Horikita Manabu's face, Rinya continued, "And don't worry. I won't hurt her in the slightest, and I can guarantee she'll graduate as a member of Class A. Surely you..."
Before he could finish, Horikita Manabu firmly refused. "I don't know how you found out she's my sister, but I'm sorry. I refuse."
Faced with a familiar scene—the same undeniably profitable deal, rejected in the same way—Rinya looked at Horikita Manabu with an amused smile. Horikita Manabu looked back at him, and in the end, they both smiled.
"That's interesting. So, by tradition, should I ask why? Haha."
"I can only tell you that even if you weren't talking about my useless little sister, but someone else, I would still refuse without hesitation. My bottom line is that I won't involve uninvolved people in anything I do."
"Heh, I was only joking. Don't worry about it." Rinya narrowed his eyes. He really hadn't expected Horikita Manabu to think that way.
Knowing there was no chance the deal would work, Rinya didn't waste any more time. He pulled on his black hooded coat and strode away without even saying goodbye.
After all, he had something very important to do later. He couldn't afford to miss it.
Once Rinya had gone, leaving him no time to even consider the offer, Horikita Manabu clenched his fist. But after thinking it over, all he could do was shake his head silently and sigh.
Before you continue