[Hirata]: The speech is over... but...
[Tsukishima]: Hirata, don't worry about Takara Temple. He's the son of a wealthy family, so there's nothing you can do about him. You can leave Horikita and Ayanokouji alone for now, too.
[Tsukishima]: Next comes the Class Points. Go find Ichinose in Class B and propose that you work together. They'll provide the points, and we'll provide the manpower to deal with Class C. You can hold a meeting and discuss it with everyone, using representatives if you want.
[Tsukishima]: Choose representatives for each group. For example, Karuizawa Kei can represent the Gyaru group, and Teruhiko Yukimura can represent the study group.
[Tsukishima]: Make sure there are either five or seven representatives. It has to be an odd number, so the decision can go through whether everyone agrees or not.
[Tsukishima]: Send me their names once you've chosen them, and I'll take a look. It's not that I don't trust you. You're just too soft-hearted. I don't know why you're so fixated on class unity, but with your personality, the class will never unite.
[Tsukishima]: That's the gist of it. All right, that should be enough to get things in the class running smoothly.
[Tsukishima]: Oh, and choose the representatives before dealing with the points. The first thing they discuss after being selected should be how to ease the class's point shortage. Then propose working with Class B. The order matters. If Class B won't cooperate, come to me. In any case, the first agenda item has to pass without a hitch and be resolved perfectly.
[Hirata]: Tsukishima... I understand. I'll do as you say.
[Tsukishima]: All right, I've got things to do. Whether or not Class B agrees to work with us, we're going after Class C next. And from now on, don't message me unless it's important, and don't ask me what to do. If those idiots in our class and Class C weren't messing with me, I wouldn't bother with any of this.
Hirata looked at the messages on his phone, then slipped it into his pocket.
He didn't really care whether he was a puppet, as long as the class could get along. He was willing to do anything.
But Tsukishima didn't even seem interested in making him a puppet. Still, if there was a problem, he had to ask.
Is he training me? Or testing me?
Hirata shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside.
The class mattered most right now, not his pride.
"Done talking about class matters?"
The Boss Lady watched Tsukishima put down his phone with a smile.
Tsukishima smiled back. "This school's a mess. There's always some ridiculous problem."
He picked up his phone again and messaged Yamada.
[Tsukishima]: The Boss Lady has some questions she asked me to put to you.
[Yamada]: What questions? If they're something I can solve, I'll definitely take care of them.
[Tsukishima]: What the Dessert Shop stands to gain, how we'll work together, hygiene in the shop, hygiene of the manga, manga copyright, and possible friction between customers drawn in by the manga and your regular customers.
[Yamada]: ...There could be that many issues?
[Tsukishima]: I don't know either. I work here, so I can recommend manga to customers one table at a time. But you can't do that, so these problems will come up.
[Tsukishima]: You should put together a proposal or something. This is a partnership between our Manga Club and the Sweet Talk Dessert Shop, so we should make it official.
[Yamada]: Got it. The other club members and I will work on it. Tsukishima, make sure you serve the Boss Lady well!
[Tsukishima]: ???
He let out a long breath and smiled. "Let's get started on today's lesson, Boss Lady. I can hardly wait. Oh, I asked the Manga Club president to put together a proposal. We can decide what to do after we've read it."
The Boss Lady laughed. "Tsukishima, you really do keep everything so well organized."
Over in Class D, Hirata began the election of group representatives.
Kiyotaka Ayanokouji watched the class grow animated, then glanced at Horikita, who was gathering her things and preparing to leave. "Um... aren't we staying to see how it goes? I doubt Hirata came up with a plan like this on his own."
Horikita continued packing. "They're just a flock of weak sheep."
But you're no wolf either...
"And he's nothing but a puppet they pushed forward. Hmph. He said he wasn't interested in the class, but now he wants to rule it."
Horikita left. Ayanokouji stayed where he was, watching her go. A puppet... Horikita really has no self-awareness.
Still, Yuto Tsukishima... who exactly are you?
An ordinary student couldn't do something like that.
In Class C, Ryuen Kakeru listened to his underlings' report and burst out laughing. "An election... Hahaha... This is hilarious! They've only got a handful of people, and they're already playing at elections. Class D really is a bunch of defective products!"
"Go check out that shop! Bring a few people, but don't make a scene. Feel him out first and see what he's really like."
At seven that evening,
Tsukishima carried a tray between the tables, moving with practiced ease.
The wind chime rang softly as four figures walked in.
Ryuen Kakeru surveyed the shop, his gaze settling on Tsukishima as he smirked.
"Well, if it isn't the guy from Class D who's been making a name for himself. Don't you have over a million points? Why are you working here?"
Ishizaki and Ibuki stood to either side behind him, with Albert behind them.
It looked as if they were about to pile one man on top of another.
Tsukishima wore a customer-service smile and launched into his scripted greeting. "Welcome to the Sweet Talk Dessert Shop. What can I get for you?"
Ryuen put his hands in his pockets and leaned in toward Tsukishima. Tsukishima frowned and took a step back, only for Albert to grab him by the shoulder from behind.
Just as Albert's hand was about to touch Tsukishima's shoulder, Tsukishima suddenly grabbed Albert's middle finger and twisted hard. Using the pain in his finger to force him down, he then stuffed the crepe in his hand into Albert's open mouth.
"Please do not touch our staff, you major commodity from the era of triangular trade. For professional reasons, our staff must maintain personal cleanliness."
Albert tried to struggle back to his feet, but like a man whose balls had been grabbed, he couldn't withstand the pain of having his finger held. With a crepe stuffed in his mouth, all he could do was mumble.
Ryuen's expression darkened at once. His eyes widened, and he hunched forward, raising an arm high to strike—but a hand caught him.
Ryuen looked back and saw Student Council President Horikita Manabu and Vice President Miyabi Nagumo.
"What does President Horikita think he's doing? Protecting a defective from Class D?"
Horikita Manabu didn't answer. He simply looked at Tsukishima.
Nagumo raised an eyebrow at Tsukishima. "What a waste of a crepe."
Tsukishima wore the same robotic smile and pressed down on Albert's finger again.
"Mmngh!!!"
"Ryuen, you blocked all my exits, and your inappropriate physical behavior caused me to misjudge the situation and launch a defensive attack in response to the perceived threat."
"That counts as self-defense."
Daichi Ishizaki was furious, but he couldn't start a fight in front of the student council president. All he could do was protest loudly. "We just wanted to talk to you!"
Tsukishima nodded, still wearing his robotic smile. "Sure. Then I could spend 500,000 points to hire some second-year Class D students to follow the members of Class C around and talk to them one by one, twenty-four hours a day. Don't worry, I wouldn't let them lay a hand on anyone. How does that sound?"
"Or maybe I could spend a million points to buy everyone in Class C, including your homeroom teacher, a seventy-two-hour group conversation service. Ryuen, you'd agree it's a good plan, wouldn't you? After all, we'd only be surrounding you in a bathroom and talking to you for seventy-two hours."
Ryuen stared at Tsukishima for several seconds, then suddenly sneered.
"Fine. You win."
"But we'll see about that, Yuto Tsukishima."
He turned to leave. Ishizaki and Ibuki hurried after him, helping Albert along.
Before you continue