"Hey, Class A's class leader, please don't just sit—"
Chihiro Shiranami's words cut off halfway, as though something had suddenly stopped them in their throat.
Before she could finish saying "at our table," a playful figure slipped nimbly around Mazumi Mami and plopped down in the empty seat beside her without the slightest hesitation.
It was Chisato Nishikigi.
As soon as she sat down, she reached out a slender, fair finger and gently scratched under Chihiro Shiranami's chin, as if teasing a small animal.
The touch was gentle, with a playful hint of mischief, as though she were soothing a flustered kitten.
"W-what are you doing~?!"
Caught off guard by the sudden show of affection, Chihiro Shiranami's fair cheeks turned bright red in an instant. Even her voice went high—the protest and dismissal she'd meant to voice became a flustered, indignant cry.
"Haha, it's nothing."
Chisato Nishikigi smiled, her eyes curving with mirth. Her tone was as casual as if she were teasing a cute little animal. "I just found a cat guarding her food, so I thought I'd calm her down a little. Don't be so tense. We're not going to eat your little Honami."
"I-I'm not a cat!"
Chihiro Shiranami protested indignantly, trying to put on a stern face. But her chin was a little itchy from the scratching, and she was desperately trying not to look like she enjoyed it. That only made her seem more flustered.
"Come on, kitty. What would you like to eat? Big sis will buy it for you~"
Chisato Nishikigi continued in the coaxing tone one might use with a child, her smile growing brighter.
"I told you, I'm not a cat!"
Chihiro Shiranami raised her voice, but it already carried a hint of helpless surrender.
Her attention had been completely derailed by Chisato Nishikigi. Her eyes, which had been fixed on Mazumi Mami and poised to ward off any unwelcome visitors on Honami Ichinose's behalf, were now focused entirely on the mischievous girl beside her, caught between laughter and exasperation.
While Chihiro Shiranami was occupied with Chisato Nishikigi, Mazumi Mami calmly took the seat across from Honami Ichinose.
Watching the scene, Honami Ichinose couldn't help smiling. "Miss Chisato really is lively."
"That's just who she is, and it's one of the things I like most about her."
Mazumi Mami nodded, his tone naturally affectionate.
He set down his tray and looked calmly at the pink-haired girl across from him. "Come to think of it, this is our first proper meeting, isn't it, Ichinose? But you know my name, and even the names of my maids. I guess we're pretty famous around school?"
"I'd say you're 'quite renowned,'" Honami Ichinose replied with an easy smile. "You're not only Class A's class leader, but also the heir to Mizuki Heavy Industries. That's a pretty dazzling status—hard to miss."
"And Chisato, Takina, and Walnut are all very cute girls who draw attention wherever they go. Besides, they often show up around Class B's area, so we've gotten used to seeing them."
She tilted her head slightly, as if remembering something. "Speaking of which, where are Takina and Walnut? Aren't they eating with you?"
"They're still in line."
Mazumi Mami tilted his head toward the cafeteria counter. "We don't come here often, so they're still trying to decide what to eat. There's a lot more variety here than at the shop, and now they can't make up their minds."
"True. Choosing what to eat is important."
Honami Ichinose nodded in agreement. "Sometimes I take a long time to decide, too."
"Right? In that case—"
Mazumi Mami picked up the thread of conversation and leaned forward slightly, his gaze turning serious. "Let's talk about the question of what to eat."
He paused, his tone growing meaningful. "After all, this school isn't simple. If you're not careful, you might go from 'I can have whatever I want' to 'I can only have whatever's available.'"
Honami Ichinose's bright amethyst eyes briefly stilled.
The spoon in her hand stopped in midair. The curry's aroma still rose from her tray, but she seemed to have lost her appetite.
She looked up at the boy across from her. "...What do you mean?"
"Simply put—"
Mazumi Mami spoke unhurriedly, tapping the tabletop lightly with a finger. "I have some information for you—information about the hidden rules of this school."
He met Honami Ichinose's gaze directly. His tone remained gentle, but there was a weight to his words that couldn't be ignored. "If you don't know this rule, then next month, Class B might not receive any points."
"...What?"
A crack appeared in Honami Ichinose's expression.
"But this information won't come for free."
Mazumi Mami continued calmly, as if discussing the nice weather. "You'll have to pay for it with points."
Honami Ichinose frowned. "You said we might not receive any points? How is that possible? The school said it would give us one hundred thousand points every month to cover our living expenses—"
"Yes, the school did say it would give us one hundred thousand points every month. But—"
Mazumi Mami picked up where she'd left off, his gaze sharpening slightly. "You've never heard it say that those one hundred thousand points would be given 'unconditionally,' have you?"
Honami Ichinose parted her lips slightly, but didn't immediately argue.
Mazumi Mami continued, "There's a lot more to it than that. I'm sure you've noticed that something doesn't add up, too. What the school has invested in us and what it's currently getting in return are completely out of proportion."
"Just the one hundred thousand points we got when we enrolled, plus the cost of operating all the facilities and services—if the school gave us all that for free every month, its finances would have collapsed long ago. It clearly doesn't make sense."
Honami Ichinose fell silent for a moment.
Her mind raced through everything she'd seen during the week or so since school began—the seemingly sweet "free" benefits, the seemingly inexhaustible services, and the number plaques hanging beside the upperclassmen's classrooms that she'd once glimpsed without paying much attention...
But she still wasn't ready to give in.
"...Maybe it's a government benefit?"
She ventured, the words sounding like she was trying to convince herself. "After all, this is a school run directly by the government, isn't it? Maybe the country is offering us generous benefits to nurture future talent—"
"If that's what you want to believe, that's fine."
Mazumi Mami didn't argue. He simply nodded with a smile. "As long as you're convinced nothing will go wrong for Class B."
His smile was gentle and sincere. "There definitely won't be any problems, right? Class B is so united, and your classmates trust you so much. There's no way anything could go wrong."
On the surface, it sounded like a kindhearted agreement.
But Honami Ichinose could clearly sense the subtle warning and pressure woven into his words, winding around her like a thread.
Because he'd said, "As long as you're convinced"—not, "That's how things really are."
Because he'd said, "There's no way anything could go wrong"—not, "Nothing will happen."
She remained silent for even longer.
Beside them, Chihiro Shiranami was still being pestered by Chisato Nishikigi and had no time to pay attention to their conversation.
Her usually wary little face had been completely undone by Chisato Nishikigi's teasing fingers and playful remarks. All that remained was a deep blush and helpless exasperation.
Honami Ichinose took a deep breath, set down her spoon, and looked seriously at Mazumi Mami. "...How many points do you want?"
Mazumi Mami smiled slightly and raised one finger.
"One thousand?"
Honami Ichinose's expression relaxed a little. "If that's all, I can transfer it to you right now—"
"No, no."
Mazumi Mami shook his head lightly, his smile unchanged. "One million points."
Honami Ichinose's pupils contracted sharply.
"—One million?!"
Her voice shot up several pitches. If she hadn't quickly covered her mouth, half the cafeteria would probably have heard her.
She stared at the boy across from her, who looked as calm as ever, unable to believe her ears.
"You're asking for an outrageous amount! How could I possibly have that many points?"
"That's right. You don't have that many points by yourself."
Mazumi Mami explained without a hint of panic. "But couldn't all forty people in your class pool their points together?"
He leaned forward slightly. His voice dropped, but there was a calm pressure behind it. "Each person only needs to put in half their points—fifty thousand—and forty people would have two million. I only want one million, which works out to just twenty-five thousand per person. It's not even half of your total points. That's already a pretty generous price, isn't it?"
"That's not generous—that's robbery!"
Honami Ichinose bit her lip, her voice carrying an unusual note of agitation.
"Well, congratulations—you're right. It is robbery."
Mazumi Mami nodded frankly, his smile entirely unashamed. "Because this information is worth the price."
Honami Ichinose's chest rose and fell slightly, and her breathing had grown quicker than before.
She stared into Mazumi Mami's eyes, trying to find even the faintest trace of guilt or hesitation in their depths—
But there was nothing.
He seemed to be stating something perfectly obvious.
"How do I know you aren't lying to me?"
Honami Ichinose's voice grew serious. "Why should I believe you?"
"That's only natural. You have no reason to believe me completely right now."
Mazumi Mami shrugged, his tone so casual that he might have been the one being doubted without any need to prove himself. "So I can give you a little 'hint' first."
He went on, "You can take a look at all the places where the school hands out an abnormal amount of 'free' supplies. And on the upperclassmen's floors, there's a number plaque outside every classroom—that's each class's Class Points."
"I'm sure that if you go and see for yourself, and look into it a little, you'll realize I'm not making this up. Then..."
He smiled faintly. "You'll agree to my terms."
He picked up his spoon, scooped up a bite from his tray, and ate leisurely, as if their explosive conversation had been nothing more than light chitchat.
"For now, just enjoy your lunch, Honami Ichinose."
His tone was gentle. "Your curry's getting cold."
Honami Ichinose's gaze returned to the tray in front of her.
The golden curry sauce still gave off a faint wisp of steam. The potatoes and carrots had been cooked until tender, and the aroma remained appetizing.
But at that moment, she felt as if her taste buds had gone numb.
The steaming chunks of curry and the colorful vegetables had all lost their appeal.
Mazumi Mami's words filled her thoughts, churning restlessly without a chance to settle.