For a Beautiful Next Month

Inside the karaoke box, Takahashi took the drink handed to him by the blue-haired girl and said thanks.

"If you want to make a deal, you should start by giving your name."

"Haha, my apologies. I'm Takahashi Shinma, a student in Class D. Ryuuen—no, I should call you the leader of Class C, right? I think this deal of mine will be one you're happy to take."

Ryuuen glanced at the drink in his own hand and said, "Let's hear it."

"I'm sure you've noticed some things about this school by now. They gave us a hundred thousand points in the first month, there are free items at the convenience store, and free fruit and veggie sets in the cafeteria."

Seeing a hint of seriousness creep into Ryuuen's eyes as he stared back, Takahashi knew the deal was already half won.

"So what do you want to trade?"

"Straight to the point, I like it. Give me five hundred thousand points, and the next time you make a move on Class D, I'll look the other way once."

Before Ryuuen could answer, the blue-haired girl beside him snapped at Takahashi, "Five hundred thousand? Are you insane? That's five people's points for a whole month."

"Hey hey hey, five hundred thousand is cheap, you know. If you can crush Class D in one go, that's a great deal, isn't it? One less pursuer nipping at your heels."

"Ibuki."

At Ryuuen's command, the blue-haired girl shot him a glare but fell silent.

"I'll agree to this deal, but five hundred thousand is too much. I'll give you one hundred thousand."

"Five hundred thousand."

"Two hundred thousand."

"Five hundred thousand, Ryuuen. You need to understand, my one-time non-interference will be valid for the next three years. That's worth more than five hundred thousand."

"Three hundred thousand. That's my final offer."

"Three hundred fifty thousand. That's my final offer too."

"Deal."

Looking at the over three hundred thousand points in his phone, Takahashi downed the rest of his drink in one gulp, stood up with a smile, and said, "Pleasure doing business. And thanks for the treat."

After Takahashi walked out the door, Ibuki, still at Ryuuen's side, finally couldn't hold back. "Are you out of your mind? That was three hundred fifty thousand points. For him to just not interfere once?"

"You don't get it. I always thought Class D was full of trash, but it turns out there are smart people after all. Three hundred fifty thousand points—if used well, crushing Class D in one go is well worth it."

Back in the classroom, Ike and the other two gathered around.

"Takahashi, I set up a guys' group chat for the class. Everyone except that Koenji has joined. I'll add you."

"Sure."

As Takahashi accepted Ike's invitation into the guys' group, Yamauchi glanced around, then called Ayanokouji over and lowered his voice. "I've got something to announce. I'm only telling you guys."

"What is it? So mysterious."

"Yesterday, Sakura confessed to me."

Looking at Yamauchi's face, Takahashi fell silent.

"What? Seriously?" Ike Kanji's voice was anxious. After all, on the first day of school, he'd declared his goal was to be the first to get a girlfriend.

"For real. But a girl who looks as plain as her? I'm definitely turning her down."

"Why would you turn her down? Even if she's not cute, you could still give dating a try."

"Heh, I'm an ace pitcher. Unless it's someone on Kushida or Hasebe's level, I'm not interested."

Takahashi glanced at the empty seat to his right and felt a wave of helplessness. If Sakura were actually here, would you still dare say that?

"Alright, enough about that." As if afraid he'd slip up if he kept talking, Yamauchi changed the subject. "Swimming class is coming up. You guys ready?"

"Of course. I'm an athlete." Sudo Ken flexed his muscles as he answered.

"That's not what I mean. You don't get it, but Ike should." Yamauchi flashed a lecherous grin.

Ike immediately returned the same sleazy smile. "How could swimming class not involve swimsuits? That means we get to check out the hot girls' figures!"

Feeling a few eyes on him, Takahashi quickly said, "Ahem, class is about to start. I think I'll hit the restroom first. Ayanokouji, you coming?"