You wouldn't want Class B to have an accident, would you?

"Hey, Class A representative, please don't just sit—"

Chihiro Shirahami's words cut off abruptly, as if something had lodged in her throat.

Before she could finish the second half of her sentence—"at our table"—a playful figure darted nimbly around Mazumi Mami's side and plopped down into the empty seat beside her without a hint of hesitation.

It was Chisato Nishikigi.

The moment she sat down, she reached out with slender, fair fingers and gently tickled Chihiro's chin, as if teasing a small animal.

The movement was soft and laced with a mischievous, playful air, as if she were soothing a bristling kitten.

"Y-you, what are you doing?!"

Caught off guard by the sudden intimacy, Chihiro's fair cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and her voice even cracked—the protest and dismissal she had intended to deliver transformed into a startled cry of embarrassment and panic.

"Haha, it's nothing."

Chisato's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, her tone as lighthearted as if she were playing with a cute pet. "I just spotted a cat guarding its food and wanted to calm her down. Don't be so tense; we aren't going to eat your little Honami."

"I-I am not a cat!"

Chihiro retorted indignantly, trying to harden her expression, but since her chin was being tickled, she had to fight to keep from looking comfortable, which only made her appear more flustered.

"Come on, little kitty, what do you want to eat? Big sister can buy it for you~"

Chisato continued in that coaxing, child-like tone, her smile growing even brighter.

"I told you, I'm not a cat!"

Chihiro couldn't help but raise her voice, though a note of helpless compromise had already crept into it.

Her attention was completely derailed by Chisato; those eyes that had been fixed on Mazumi Mami, ready to block any uninvited guests from reaching Honami Ichinose, were now filled with nothing but exasperation at the troublemaker beside her.

Taking advantage of the moment she was entangled with Chisato, Mazumi Mami calmly took a seat directly across from Honami Ichinose.

Watching the scene, Honami couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Chisato-san is certainly lively."

"That's her personality, and it's one of the things I like most about her."

Mazumi nodded, his tone carrying a natural, underlying indulgence.

He set his tray down, his gaze resting calmly on the face of the pink-haired girl opposite him. "Come to think of it, this should be our first formal meeting, Ichinose-san. But you not only know my name, you even know the names of my maids—it seems we're quite famous at school?"

"I should say 'infamous' instead."

Honami replied with a smile, her tone frank. "Mazumi-kun is not only the Class A representative but also the heir to Mizuki Heavy Industries—that status is simply too dazzling to ignore."

"And as for Chisato, Takina, and Walnut, they are all very lovely girls who draw eyes wherever they go. Not to mention, they often appear near our Class B area, so after seeing them around, they've become familiar faces."

She tilted her head slightly, as if remembering something. "Speaking of which, where are Takina and Walnut? Didn't they come to eat with you?"

"They're in line behind us."

Mazumi tilted his head toward the cafeteria serving windows. "We don't come here to eat often, so they're still struggling to decide what to get. There are far more options here than at the convenience store, and it's triggered their indecision."

"Indeed, deciding what to eat is a very important matter."

Honami nodded in agreement. "I sometimes agonize over what to choose for a long time, too."

"Is that so? Then perfect—"

Mazumi followed the lead, leaning forward slightly, his gaze turning serious. "Let's discuss the issue of 'eating'."

He paused, his tone becoming meaningful. "After all, this school is not simple. If you aren't careful, you might find that 'having whatever you want to eat' turns into 'having to eat whatever is available'."

Honami's bright, amethyst-like eyes froze for a fraction of a second.

The spoon in her hand hovered in mid-air; the aroma of curry was still rising, but she seemed to have lost her appetite.

She looked up, meeting the boy's gaze earnestly. "...What do you mean by that?"

"Simply put—"

Mazumi said unhurriedly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "I have a piece of intelligence for you—intelligence regarding the hidden rules of this school."

His eyes locked directly onto Honami's, his tone still gentle but carrying a weight that could not be ignored. "If you don't know this rule, then by next month—Class B might not have any points coming in."

"...What?"

A crack appeared in Honami's expression.

"However, this information is not free."

Mazumi continued, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the pleasant weather. "It requires points to pay for it."

Honami frowned. "You said 'no points coming in'? How is that possible? The school clearly stated that they would issue us one hundred thousand points every month as living expenses—"

"Yes, the school did say they would issue one hundred thousand points every month. But—"

Mazumi took over the conversation, his gaze sharpening. "You never heard that these one hundred thousand points were issued 'unconditionally', did you?"

Honami opened her mouth slightly, but did not immediately retort.

Mazumi continued: "The waters here run deep. I believe you must have sensed something was wrong, too. The investment the school has made in us and the current returns are completely disproportionate."

"Just the one hundred thousand points issued at enrollment, plus the operating costs of all the hardware facilities and supporting services—if they gave that away for free every month, the school's finances would have collapsed long ago. It clearly defies common sense."

Honami fell silent for a moment.

The sights and sounds of the week since school began flashed rapidly through her mind—those seemingly sweet "free" perks, the service resources that appeared inexhaustible, and those number plates hanging by the doors of the upperclassmen's classrooms that she had glanced at in passing but never paid much mind to...

Yet, she remained unwilling to let it go.

"...Perhaps this is a government benefit?"

She spoke tentatively, her tone carrying a hint of self-persuasion. "After all, this is a school run directly by the government, isn't it? Maybe this is just the generous treatment provided by the state to cultivate future talent—"

"If you're willing to think that way, that's perfectly fine, of course."

Mazumi Mami did not refute her, instead nodding with a smile. "As long as you firmly believe that Class B won't run into any problems, that's all that matters."

His smile was gentle and sincere. "There definitely won't be any issues—after all, Class B is so united, and your classmates trust you so much; there's absolutely no way anything will go wrong."

On the surface, this sounded like a well-meaning affirmation.

But at this moment, Honami Ichinose clearly felt a subtle warning and pressure coiling around her like silk threads.

Because he had said "as long as you believe"—not "that is the reality."

Because he had said "there definitely won't be any issues"—not "nothing will happen."

Her silence stretched on.

Beside the table, Chihiro Shiranami was still being pestered by Chisato Nishikigi, leaving her no time to pay attention to the conversation here.

That little face, usually full of vigilance, had been completely broken by Chisato Nishikigi's finger-poking and teasing, leaving only a face full of blushes and helplessness.

Honami Ichinose took a deep breath, set down her spoon, and looked at Mazumi Mami with a serious gaze. "...How many points do you want?"

Mazumi Mami smiled slightly and held up his index finger.

"One thousand points?"

Honami Ichinose's expression relaxed slightly. "If it's just that amount, I can transfer it to you right now—"

"No, no, no."

Mazumi Mami shook his head gently, his smile unchanging. "One million Class Points."

Honami Ichinose's pupils constricted sharply.

"--One million?!"

Her voice rose several octaves, and had she not quickly covered her mouth, she likely would have startled half the cafeteria.

She stared at the boy across from her, who was smiling with such airy indifference, her amethyst-like eyes wide with disbelief, wondering if she had misheard.

"You're asking for the moon! How could I possibly have that many points!"

"True, you don't have that many points on your own."

Mazumi Mami explained unhurriedly. "But don't the forty people in your class have that much when pooled together?"

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, yet carrying a composed sense of oppression. "Each person only needs to contribute half of their points—fifty thousand—and forty people would make two million. I only want one million, which is equivalent to each person paying twenty-five thousand. That's not even half of the total points; surely that's a merciful price, isn't it?"

"This isn't mercy—this is robbery!"

Honami Ichinose bit her lip, her voice tinged with rare agitation.

"Well, congratulations on getting it right—this is indeed robbery."

Mazumi Mami nodded candidly, his smile devoid of any shame. "Because this information is worth that price."

Honami Ichinose's chest rose and fell, her breathing faster than before.

She stared fixedly into Mazumi Mami's eyes, trying to find even a trace of guilt or hesitation in those deep orbs—

But there was nothing.

He spoke as if he were stating a matter of course.

"How do I know you aren't lying to me?"

Honami Ichinose's voice sank. "Why should I believe what you say?"

"That is only natural—you certainly don't have to believe me completely right now."

Mazumi Mami shrugged, his tone so relaxed it was as if he were the one who didn't need to prove himself after being questioned. "So, I can give you a small 'hint' first."

He said slowly, "You can pay attention to the abnormally high number of 'free' supply distribution points around the school. And, on the upperclassmen's floors, the number plate hanging by every classroom door—that is each class's 'Class Points'."

"I believe that as long as you go see for yourself and learn a little about it, you will understand that what I said is not baseless. When that time comes..."

He smiled slightly. "You will agree to my terms."

He picked up his spoon, scooped a portion of the food from his tray, and ate it with composure, as if the explosive conversation just now had been nothing more than a casual chat.

"For now, enjoy your lunch, Honami Ichinose."

He said in a gentle tone, "Your curry is getting cold."

Honami Ichinose's gaze returned to the tray in front of her.

The dish of curry rice still had golden sauce emitting a faint heat; the potatoes and carrots were stewed to a soft, perfect consistency, and the aroma remained enticing.

But at this moment, she felt as if her taste buds had lost all sensation.

The steaming chunks of curry and the brightly colored side dishes had lost all their appeal in her eyes.

Her thoughts were completely filled with Mazumi Mami's words, churning incessantly, unable to find peace.