A Pleasant Cooperation

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the frosted glass screen of the private booth, casting hazy shadows across the tabletop.

The air was thick with the scent of lunch, but the two groups seated on either side of the table clearly had their attention fixed on something other than the food before them.

Honami Ichinose sat directly across from Mazumi Mami, her hands clasped on the table, her posture upright and her gaze earnest.

Behind her, Chihiro Shiranami, Ryuji Kanzaki, Yume Kobashi, and Asako Amikura were either seated or standing by her side; though they remained silent, their eyes were filled with scrutiny and vigilance.

On Mazumi Mami's side, Chisato Nishikigi, Runa Inoue, and Walnut stood in a formation that appeared casual yet concealed a defensive posture, creating an invisible protective circle.

As the gazes of the two groups met, a subtle tension began to spread through the air.

"It seems—"

Mazumi Mami was the first to break the silence, his tone light and casual, as if he were merely engaging in everyday small talk. "Ichinose-san, have you agreed to our asking price?"

"That's right."

Honami Ichinose nodded, her voice clear and firm. "After a full class discussion and vote, Class B has decided to agree to pay the one million points. However—"

She emphasized her tone slightly. "You must ensure that the information you provide is authentic, without the slightest bit of falsehood or concealment."

"That goes without saying."

Mazumi Mami replied without hesitation, his tone candid. "I value integrity in my business. False information might deceive someone for a moment, but it could never deceive them for a lifetime. I have no intention of ruining my reputation for a mere handful of points."

He paused, leaning forward slightly, his eyes carrying a hint of depth. "However, before we officially begin the transaction, I want to tell you one thing—you may not have discovered yet that the group chat app we are currently using is custom-made by the school; it is not merely a simple chat tool."

He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket, opened his personal information page, turned the screen toward Honami Ichinose, and tapped a line of inconspicuous fine print at the very bottom of the page.

"At the very bottom of the personal information page, there is an option called 'Contract.' Through this function, we can communicate directly with the school's management system, the 'S System'."

"The S System will automatically generate a legally binding electronic contract based on the transaction details provided by both parties, and the system itself will certify and archive it."

"Once the contract is certified, neither party can go back on their word—any attempt by either side to breach the contract will result in sanctions from the school system. Although the school hasn't explicitly stated the specific penalties, I suspect they are not things you would want to experience."

He retracted his phone and looked at Honami Ichinose with a calm gaze. "Therefore, you don't need to worry about me providing false information—once the contract is generated and passed, I am obligated to provide true and valid information according to our agreement, otherwise, I am the one who will be punished."

"Likewise, don't think about trying to cheat or cut corners—once the contract is passed, that one million points must be obediently transferred to my account."

Upon hearing this, Honami Ichinose was slightly taken aback.

She lowered her head, picked up her phone, and followed Mazumi Mami's instructions to open the settings menu of the group chat app. At the very bottom of the personal information page, she indeed found a line of tiny, almost imperceptible text—Contract System.

She tapped the option, and a concise interface popped up on the screen, with an "Initiate Contract" button at the top and a "My Contract Records" section at the bottom, which currently displayed "No records."

She raised her head, her gaze toward Mazumi Mami carrying a layer of complex meaning. "...Just how much do you know about this school?"

"That depends on what you want to know."

Mazumi Mami smiled slightly, his expression filled with composure and confidence. "As long as you provide enough points, I can help collect and provide any kind of information—that is my business policy."

"You really are a dangerous person."

Honami Ichinose said, her tone carrying a mix of sentiment and vigilance.

"Not at all."

Mazumi Mami waved his hand modestly. "I am simply fulfilling my duties to secure benefits for myself and my class. After all—that is the responsibility a leader should fulfill, isn't it?"

He glanced pointedly at Honami Ichinose. "As a leader, if you cannot secure advantages and resources for your class, how can you win the trust and support of your classmates?"

"But this 1 million points is being collected by you personally, isn't it?"

Honami Ichinose was not entirely swayed by his words, her gaze remaining clear and sharp. "I feel that a truly qualified leader should not hoard exclusive information and then line their own pockets by selling it. This approach seems somewhat contradictory to the 'securing benefits for the class' you mentioned."

"That is where you are mistaken."

Mazumi Mami retorted calmly. "The information was collected by me and my maids using our own time and energy; how I dispose of this information is my freedom."

"I did not force anyone to buy it, nor did I damage the rightful interests of other students in Class A. On the contrary, by selling this information, I have gained strategic breathing room for Class A; one cannot say this is not a move made with the class in mind."

He paused slightly, his tone becoming more meaningful. "Moreover—no matter how excellent a leader is, they are first and foremost an ordinary person. As a human, one will have hidden secrets; as a human, one will have their own selfish motives."

"I think, Ichinose Honami-san—you might as well have a little bit of selfishness of your own. After all, a leader doesn't need to be a flawless saint, but someone who can provide clear direction and practical returns to their followers."

As his words fell, Honami Ichinose's pupils contracted slightly, as if this statement had touched a chord deep within her heart.

But Chihiro Shiranami, standing beside her, did not remain silent. She suddenly stepped forward half a pace and glared at Mazumi Mami with wide eyes. "Hey! What do you mean by that? Are you trying to say that everything about Honami-chan is a facade? Are you trying to say she's acting?!"

Her voice carried a hint of anger, as if someone had touched her most sensitive nerve.

But before her words had even landed, a figure drifted to her side like a light breeze.

"Oh my, Chihiro-chan—interrupting when class representatives are talking isn't a very good habit, you know."

Chisato Nishikigi smiled as she reached out with both hands, gently pressing down on Chihiro Shiranami's shoulders as if catching a kitten, then suddenly extended her fingers to nimbly tickle her waist and chin.

"Wuya—! You, what are you doing—don't touch me—hahaha—stop it—!"

Chihiro Shiranami's anger and momentum were completely dismantled in that instant. She struggled under Chisato Nishikigi's "assault," but could not escape those nimble fingers no matter what she did.

She tried to resist, only to find she couldn't even grab a corner of the other girl's clothes, and could only twist her body helplessly, letting out intermittent laughter and protests in her frustration and urgency.

"Dam—mit—hahahaha—Honami-chan—save—hahaha—me—"

Honami Ichinose watched Chihiro Shiranami, who had been tickled to the point of tears and was nearly collapsing into Chisato Nishikigi's arms, shook her head helplessly, withdrew her gaze, and looked back at Mazumi Mami.

"...Let's draw up the contract now," she said.

"Fine."

Mazumi Mami nodded and picked up his phone, opening the Contract System interface. "Let's begin, then."

The two of them filled in the terms of the transaction within the Contract System—

"Party A: Mazumi Mami. Shall provide authentic intelligence regarding the Advanced Nurturing High School special exams and rules related to Class Points. Should the information prove false, I am willing to accept the corresponding penalties stipulated by the school system."

"Party B: Honami Ichinose (representing Class B). Shall pay one million Personal Points to Party A. Should the full amount not be paid on time, I am willing to accept the corresponding penalties stipulated by the school system."

After carefully confirming the terms, they both pressed the "Confirm Offer" and "Confirm Acceptance" buttons simultaneously.

A few seconds later, a green notification popped up on the screen—

[Contract established. Both parties have been verified via the S System. This contract is irrevocable.]

Seeing the notification, Honami Ichinose let out a soft breath and began operating her phone. She pulled up the transfer interface for one million points, entered Mazumi Mami's student ID, and glanced at the massive figure. A flicker of pain crossed her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and pressed the confirm button firmly.

[Transfer complete. One million points have been transferred to Party A's account.]

Mazumi Mami opened his personal information interface. In the Personal Points column, the original 95,000 points had increased by a million—the figure now displayed was 1,095,000.

One million and ninety-five thousand points.

"I have indeed received them."

Mazumi Mami put his phone away and gave Honami Ichinose a satisfied smile. "Pleasure doing business with you. If you need any other intelligence in the future, feel free to come to me—considering this is our first collaboration, I can offer you a discount on the next transaction."

"I, for one, hope the number of transactions between us is as few as possible."

Honami Ichinose gave a wry smile. "Our Class B can't handle your kind of exorbitant demands."

"I'll try my best."

Mazumi Mami shrugged, his tone carrying a hint of half-genuine, half-feigned helplessness. "But honestly—once there's a first, there's a second. Compared to trading with other classes, I prefer partners like you who have plenty of points and pay promptly. Besides—"

A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. "You wouldn't want me taking this intelligence to other classes, would you? If Class C or Class D were to get their hands on information detrimental to you, your situation would become even more dangerous."

Upon hearing this, Honami Ichinose's gaze faltered for a brief moment.

"...So, you really are a terrifying person."

She said in a low voice, "I truly hope you won't come to us for 'cooperation' in this manner again."

"Rest assured, I will not sell today's intelligence to any other class—after all, we in Class A also need to ensure our own positional advantage."

Mazumi Mami nodded. "But as for other types of intelligence, that's hard to say. After all—competition is the theme of this school, isn't it?"

"I still hope that we can all coexist peacefully between classes."

Honami Ichinose said earnestly.

"A fine sentiment, and one I agree with."

Mazumi Mami smiled slightly. "Peaceful coexistence is, of course, the ideal state."

"Then perhaps—"

Honami Ichinose's eyes flickered slightly. "We could engage in a deeper level of cooperation? Not just based on simple point transactions, but on a more equal footing."

Mazumi Mami heard this and glanced at her. A moment later, he stood up from his seat. "We'll see. If the opportunity arises, we can discuss it further."

He straightened his collar, his gaze drifting almost imperceptibly toward Chihiro Shiranami, who had finally escaped the clutches of Chisato Nishikigi and was currently glaring at him with puffed-up cheeks.

"But for today—we shall take our leave. After all, if we stay any longer, the look from that student over there might just swallow me whole."

"Hmph! You know it!"

Chihiro Shiranami let out a fierce huff, but her voice was slightly raspy from the previous ordeal, making the threat sound far from intimidating.

Mazumi Mami chuckled softly and turned to walk toward the door of the private room.

Chisato Nishikigi followed by his side. Before stepping out, she didn't forget to turn back, stick her tongue out at Chihiro Shiranami, wave, and mouth the word "Bye-bye," which only made Chihiro Shiranami grit her teeth in frustration.

Runa Inoue and Walnut followed behind Mazumi Mami, their steps steady and their expressions calm.

The four of them soon vanished from the doorway, leaving the group from Class B behind.

In the quiet room, Honami Ichinose looked down at the "Contract Fulfilled" notification on her phone screen. She remained silent for a long time before gently gripping the device.

She lifted her head and looked in the direction Mazumi Mami had left, her expression complex.