Tsukishima chatted with Kushida for a couple of minutes, then checked the time: 8:15 p.m.
He took out his drawing board, clipped a sheet of paper to it, and began practicing his drawing with a pencil.
He planned to tweak Kushida's facial features and figure, turning her into a succubus. Once he'd colored it in, he could hang it in his room as a poster.
The dorm room fell quiet, with only the soft scratch of his pencil remaining.
After leaving Tsukishima's dorm, Hirata returned to his own room.
"Well? Did he agree?"
Hope flickered in Yamauchi Haruki's sickly pale face.
Hirata shook his head, then forced a smile. "Tsukishima didn't agree, but don't worry. I asked him about the part-time job. It pays 800 points an hour, and you get a free dinner."
"It just needs special permission from the Chairman..."
Before he could finish, Kanji Ike grimaced. "Seriously? Only 800 points? That's not even enough for a bowl of beef rice. Besides, he's got over a million points. What's the harm in lending us some?"
"Maybe he even got some of the points we paid for the information!"
Yamauchi sighed. "Man, I'd be happy if he lent me even 10,000. His classmates can barely afford food, but he gets to eat like a king every day. It's depressing."
Sudo sat on his bed and snorted. "That guy doesn't give a damn about any of us! Forget lending points—last time, he wouldn't even help us study! Then he blamed us for getting things wrong!"
Hirata hurried to soothe them. "We only heard rumors that Tsukishima has that many points. I think he's probably spent them all. Otherwise, why would he need a part-time job?"
Ike twisted his mouth and muttered, "Maybe he's doing it on purpose so nobody asks him for points..."
Hirata immediately cut him off. "All right, that's enough! It's getting late. We should get some sleep. I'll go ask the Chairman tomorrow and get this straightened out!"
The three of them left.
Hirata sighed. The smile faded from his face as he collapsed onto his bed, exhausted, and thought about what he would say when he spoke to the Chairman tomorrow.
Tsukishima placed the finished line art on his desk, took a photo, and sent it to Kushida.
[Tsukishima]: [Little-Demon Kushida.JPG] What do you think? How many points do you reckon Yamauchi would pay for this?
[Kushida]: [Cat-Rolling-Its-Eyes.JPG] You really are a pervert. But Yamauchi's out of points. He's been eating the Mountain Vegetable Set Meal for days, and his face is turning green.
[Tsukishima]: What a shame. I was thinking of squeezing him for a bit.
[Kushida]: [Sneer] You should worry about yourself. Someone in Class C is spreading rumors that you've got over a million points. Guess what that good guy Hirata Superman will do?
[Kushida]: Yamauchi already contacted me. He said they're going to corner you tomorrow and make you contribute your points to the class. What are you going to do? Want me to help? All you have to do is lick my toes.
[Tsukishima]: [Rolls Eyes] Save your toes for Yamauchi. They're trying to guilt-trip me? Do I even have a conscience?
[Kushida]: Are you sure? They'll ostracize and bully you. It'll be awful.
[Tsukishima]: Heh. So, are they ostracizing me, or am I ostracizing them? That's hilarious.
Buzz~
[Ichinose]: Tsukishima-kun, please be careful these days.
[Tsukishima]: I know. Those animals in Class C are blaring the news about my points and the information I bought through a megaphone. The eccentrics in my class are planning to guilt-trip me. I bet someone in Class C came up with the idea, too.
[Ichinose]: Huh? You already know? That's good, then. Do you have a plan?
[Tsukishima]: Not really. Guilt-tripping is a pain. The morality part is secondary; the real problem is when they gang up on you and pile on the pressure. If you refuse, it turns into kicking chairs and causing all sorts of trouble.
[Tsukishima]: You can say they're breaking the School Rules, but they haven't actually done anything, and the teachers don't want to get involved. You can say they're not breaking the rules, but they're still disgusting.
[Ichinose]: So what should you do?
[Tsukishima]: The easiest way is to pin one of them down and beat him until he's crippled. The rest won't dare run their mouths after that. It'd feel great, but the consequences would be pretty serious.
[Tsukishima]: The more complicated way is to split them into groups and deal with them one at a time, but that's not ideal either. I'd still have to hand over some points to sweeten the deal. What a hassle.
[Tsukishima]: Or I could spend money and stoop low. For example, pay Class 2-D 500,000 points to harass them for five straight months—bumping shoulders as they walk by, deliberately provoking them until someone loses their temper and gets expelled.
[Tsukishima]: Or I could use interrogation techniques. Put a book against their chests and beat the crap out of them. No external injuries, so no one would notice.
[Ichinose]: ...That doesn't seem right. It's not like there's some huge conflict between you.
[Tsukishima]: The main thing is, you can't give in on stuff like this. Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile. It's a pain.
[Ichinose]: Is there anything I can do to help?
[Tsukishima]: You really are an Archangel. But no, I've got my own way of dealing with it.
The next day, Tsukishima walked into the classroom as usual and took his seat. He could feel some of his classmates' gazes sticking to him.
The bell rang for lunch.
Tsukishima had just stood up, planning to head to the cafeteria,
when Sudo and the others blocked his desk.
Sudo stepped forward, trying to intimidate Tsukishima with his bulk. "You—"
But Tsukishima cut him off. "Starting with 'you bastard,' huh? That's so like you. All right, drop the pointless act. Who's using you as their pawn this time, you moron?"
"You—"
"If you've got something to say, just say it. Don't keep going 'you bastard' this and 'you bastard' that. Your IQ's lower than a gorilla's, so you should stop trying to use words like that."
Sudo exploded with rage. He clenched his fist and was about to swing, but Yamauchi and Ike grabbed him from behind.
Yamauchi had no choice but to step in himself and state their demand. "Tsukishima, you bastard, give back all the points from buying that information! Give back the points that belong to Class D!"
Ike chimed in. "Yeah! You're a member of Class D, but you won't contribute to the class and you're holding on to Class D's points? Do you even care about this class?!"
The students around them stopped what they were doing.
Some took out their phones to record, while others whispered among themselves.
"Sudo's going to hit him?"
"Tsukishima's way too full of himself..."
"But speaking of which, does he really have that many points?"
"Maybe he does. He's never eaten the Mountain Vegetable Set Meal!"
"But isn't he working a part-time job? If he really has that many points, why would he work?"
Hirata stepped forward, his face dark, the veins in his neck bulging. "That's enough!"
Yamauchi suddenly shouted, "Someone saw him go to the Student Council with Ichinose from Class B! He went there to sign a contract with her! You say he doesn't have that many points? Are you afraid to take out your phone and let us see?"
Ike chimed in as well. "Yeah! Take out your phone and show me! Let us see your points!"
Hirata took a deep breath, tamping down his anger. He forced his way between them and faced Yamauchi and the others. "I said that's enough!"
The classroom fell silent.
Before you continue