Ishikura: I Just Wanted to Beat Him Once. What Did I Do Wrong?! (Continued)

"Who sent you? Horikita? Or Nagumo?"

Now that the other party had pointed out the key point, Ishikura didn't hold back anymore, but he still wasn't sure who had sent Shuichi Kanda.

Nagumo? Or Horikita?

That shouldn't be the case.

If Horikita had seen through the plan, he should have already taken action. However, according to the report from the Class B students in Horikita's group today, Horikita Manabu has not taken any action.

Could it be Nagumo?

That's not right either. If it were Nagumo, the other party would have come looking for them directly.

Could it be?

"That's right, I came to find Senior Ishikura myself, and I didn't tell anyone about Ishikura's conspiracy with President Nagumo."

"What do you mean? You're not saying you guessed it yourself, are you??" Ishikura's eyes widened.

"It may seem unbelievable to Ishikura- senpai, but it's the truth," Shuichi Kanda said calmly. "Do you need me to explain my reasoning process?"

Shuichi Kanda glanced at Ishikura and nodded. "I'm all ears."

So Shuichi Kanda started to suspect something when he made a bet with Horikita in Nagumo, and continued until he calculated that the 20 million points were in Ishikura.

"So, you have no evidence and it's all just guessing?"

Ishikura was somewhat sullen. He was a seasoned third-year student, yet this first-year student had managed to trick him out of the truth so easily.

"That's right. From your perspective, if Nagumo hadn't provided 20 million Private Points as a guarantee beforehand, you would never have agreed to this plan. At least I don't think Igari- senpai is the kind of person who would be willing to sacrifice herself for the class."

Moreover, even disregarding the 300 Class Points for helping classmates, just the withdrawal of one student would deduct 100 Class Points. The difference between Class 3-B and Class 3-A in the third year is only 312 points. At this time, losing 100 points and a class member for no reason would definitely be a major blow to Class B.

Therefore, Nagumo must have given you those 20 million points beforehand."

"Then why do you feel the points are on me?"

Hearing Ishikura's words, Shuichi Kanda smiled and said, "I was just afraid you wouldn't be curious."

"It's simple. If I were Nagumo, I wouldn't give the points to Igari. What if she broke the contract and used those 20 million points to transfer classes? That would be a huge loss."

Even with a contract, as long as it's not so harsh as to lead to expulsion, I think Igari will definitely choose to give it her all. After all, even the harshest contract will expire as long as you get through the last two months."

In fact, even if Nagumo and Class 3-B signed a contract, it would be impossible for them to write down the entire detailed plan.

Since signing a contract inevitably involves the school, the written record becomes evidence.

Something like conspiring to get Akane Tachibana expelled from school must be done without leaving the slightest trace. Even if everyone with eyes can see it, the school will have to admit it even if they can't find any evidence.

So even if Nagumo signed a contract with Ishikura or Igari, it would probably only be a very vague concept, such as that these points must be used to help classmates in this exam.

Furthermore, if Ishikura and his group renege on the plan, then those points must be returned to Nagumo.

This way, Ishikura and Igari could rest easy, and Nagumo could also relax. Even if the plan failed, it wouldn't matter, since he hadn't suffered any losses anyway.

"So these points must be in the hands of someone who can't abandon their teammates in Class B, and who is also trusted by Igari- senpai."

After thinking it over, only Ishikura fits this description."

Looking at Shuichi Kanda, who was speaking eloquently, Ishikura's expression was complicated. In just one day, he was able to grasp so many key points. If this guy hadn't overheard his conversation with Nagumo, he would be a true genius.

Class C? I remember they were promoted from Class D.

Is Class D this year really that good? Were they really not assigned to the wrong classes?

"You're right, everything is as you guessed. Nagumo communicated with us beforehand, deliberately isolating Akane Tachibana in a group during the group formation, and even planned to make that group's score fall below the average, so that when the person in charge, Igari, was expelled, Akane Tachibana would be dragged down with him."

This was their entire plan, almost exactly as Shuichi Kanda had guessed.

What's the point of doing this?

Shuichi Kanda's sudden question startled Ishikura.

What's the point?

After a long pause, Ishikura sighed, "I just want to beat Horikita once. I haven't beaten him once in a formal exam in the past three years."

"But I think the difference between Class A and Class B is very small."

"That's because our three classes sometimes team up against Class A, which allows us to close the gap with them. But every time I go head-to-head with Horikita, I always lose miserably," Ishikura said candidly.

"That guy, Horikita's greatest strength is... no, I should say he's perfect in every way. No matter which angle I attack from, he can perfectly defend and counterattack. To be honest, I can hardly believe I've managed to hold out for these three years."

Looking at Ishikura, Shuichi Kanda suddenly felt it was a real shame that this guy was in Class B.

He also felt that rather than the students in Class A who were carried to success receiving the school's reward, the outstanding students from other classes who had led their classes through three years of hard work should be the ones to receive that reward.

Take Ishikura for example, is he weak?

Not at all. Even in Class 3-A, she would definitely rank among the top students. It's just a pity that she was assigned to Class B.

You can only say he was unlucky, or that he did something wrong in the past.

"Just one win? Has Ishikura- senpai already given up on his dream of competing for Class A? There are still two months until graduation." Shuichi Kanda eyebrow.

"I'll certainly work hard on the exam, but shouldn't you tell me why you came to see me?"

"This guy really doesn't listen to a drop of water," Shuichi Kanda muttered to himself.

Although he understood Nagumo's methods, he did not understand Ishikura's methods.

If the exchange plan is implemented according to Nagumo's idea, then Ishikura will pay 300 Class Points and 20 million Private Points at the end of the exam to help Igari.

Horikita Manabu will most likely do the same.

As a result, Class 3-A and Class B each lost 400 Class Points, while Nagumo offset this loss with the 20 million Private Points he had and Horikita Manabu's Private Points, thus watching a good show unfold.

It also dealt a blow to Horikita Manabu; if this situation were to occur, Horikita Manabu would have already lost, and Nagumo would be the ultimate winner.

Horikita Manabu loses or not has nothing to do with Shuichi Kanda, but he just doesn't want Nagumo to win, which is why he came to find Ishikura.

"I have a question. If the plan goes smoothly, will Senior Ishikura use his points to help Igari?"

"Of course, having come this far, we will not abandon any of our comrades," Ishikura replied without hesitation, his expression exceptionally firm.

"Even if you can get promoted to Class A because of this, is that the same? If Ishikura- senpai gives up the rescue, but Horikita Manabu chooses to rescue, then the gap between your two classes will basically be wiped out."

If Class B performs even better in this exam, they'll have a good chance of being promoted to Class A. Even though Igari- senpai will hate you to the core, you'll become a hero to most people. Even so, Ishikura- senpai still wouldn't want to give up Igari- senpai?

Shuichi Kanda stepped forward, his words gentle and persuasive.

I thought these words would move Ishikura, or at least make Ishikura waver, but it seems that wasn't the case.

Shuichi Kanda miscalculated; he underestimated this senior from Class B who had persevered through three years of repeated defeats.

"Hmph! Indeed, if we abandon Igari, we might be able to overtake Class A, and even use up Horikita's 20 million Private Points. But you have to understand, there are still two months until graduation!"

"Even if we give up Igari, we'll only be able to stand on the same starting line as Horikita. But as I just said, my abilities are inferior to Horikita's. This isn't about boosting others' morale while diminishing our own; it's just an objective fact."

"If we sacrificed Igari this time for victory, who will we sacrifice next time? If the students in the class have this kind of thinking, what good is it if we become Class A this time? We'll still lose the last two exams!"

Ishikura spoke with absolute certainty and without the slightest hesitation, and he had also considered the consequences of his actions very clearly.

Why wasn't this guy assigned to Class A back then? Was it because he didn't perform well when he entered the school?

Shuichi Kanda's expression was strange.

Is there anything else you'd like to ask?

"No, I admire Ishikura- senpai's vision and decisiveness. What I said just now was truly rude." Shuichi Kanda said, bowing slightly in apology.

Seeing Shuichi Kanda's expression, Ishikura nodded slightly. To be honest, he was a little angry when he heard Shuichi Kanda's words earlier.

"But, is it really that Ishikura- senpai that determined to beat Horikita Manabu just once? He's even willing to cooperate with Nagumo."

"This has nothing to do with you, right? If you want to tell Horikita, go ahead." Ishikura's expression remained cautious; he still didn't understand what Shuichi Kanda was trying to do.

"If I only wanted to thwart Nagumo's plan, I would have turned around and left to find Horikita-senpai long ago," Shuichi Kanda said nonchalantly.

"Then what else do you want to do?"

"Before we get to that, was Ishikura- senpai's only goal in this exam to beat Horikita Manabu once?"

"That's right, that's the purpose of my exam, and that's why I agreed to Nagumo's operation."

Ishikura was also quite decisive; since the other party already knew her plans, there was no point in hiding them.

To be honest, he was quite curious to see what this junior was up to. Was it not just about thwarting Nagumo's plan? What else did he intend to do?

After three years of fighting, he occasionally found it quite amusing to watch the battles between others.

"If that's all there is to it, I can help you, Senior Ishikura. I'm not interested in the outcome of your third-year competition, nor do I care about the result. What I want is for Nagumo to lose everything, at least to make sure he can't take back the Twenty Million Personal Points he gave up."

Shuichi Kanda stated his price and his requirements, clearly revealing his desire to cooperate.

Why should I believe you will help me? And why should I believe you are capable of helping me?

Upon hearing this, Shuichi Kanda's face broke into a confident smile, "I, Shuichi Kanda, keep my word. If you don't believe me, you can ask any first-year student. As for my abilities, if Ishikura- senpai doesn't know about them, you can also inquire about them."

How do you plan to help me?

"There's no rush. Senior Ishikura can ask the first-year students about my reputation before making a decision."

Ishikura was already interested, so Shuichi Kanda's plan was half successful.

"There are still about two hours until lights out at 10 p. m., which should be enough time for Senior Ishikura to gather some information about me. If Ishikura is willing to cooperate, then let's meet in the rooftop corridor at midnight tonight."

The top floor houses the classrooms, but no students live there, so even if they want to talk, they won't be disturbed.

The reason we're not saying this now is to allow Ishikura to think it through. Otherwise, even if she agrees on a whim now, she might change her mind later.

As for why it's midnight, it's because students are usually asleep by then, so if you're careful, you won't be noticed even if you go out.

Moreover, it's more convenient to go out from the lower bunk, and it's also less likely to be discovered.

"I'll look into it."

After saying this, Ishikura quickly left. He had been there for a while and didn't want to arouse suspicion because of this conversation.

As for gathering information, his group also included first-year students, and students from all classes were in that group, so he wasn't worried about not being able to find out anything about Shuichi Kanda.

After Ishikura left, Shuichi Kanda went to the outdoor cafeteria alone. This was where breakfast was prepared. Shuichi Kanda and his group were helping to process the ingredients, which were then sealed with plastic wrap.

Moreover, it's winter now, so there's no need for a refrigerator to ensure the food won't spoil.

"I'm planning to try making breakfast for tomorrow morning. Would anyone like to try it?"

Shuichi Kanda asked this question while rolling up his sleeves.

The result was a unanimous shake of the head.

Well, these guys just ate an hour ago, so it's normal that they can't eat now.

This is exactly the result that Shuichi Kanda wanted.

So Shuichi Kanda only prepared a single serving of three dishes and a soup, then took out Gourmet Tablecloth and placed the set meal on it in a grand manner.

Anyway, the Gourmet Tablecloth just looks like an ordinary tablecloth; most people wouldn't even notice its effect.

After the tablecloth read the data, Shuichi Kanda began to eat.

Hmm, not bad.

By the time Shuichi Kanda finished eating, everyone else had already prepared the ingredients and gone home.

Looking at the piles of irregularly shaped ingredients, Shuichi Kanda shook his head. If he were to actually cook with these ingredients, he would have to process them a second time.

Around 11 p. m., Shuichi Kanda up, pulled off the covers, sat up in bed, put on his slippers, picked up the flashlights provided for everyone in the room, and swaggered out of the room.

You're late.

Shuichi Kanda reached the top floor, a familiar voice came from behind him—it was Ishikura, whom he had seen earlier.

"I'm sorry, I didn't bring a watch or anything to tell time, so I can only rely on my sense of time."

Of course, that's pure nonsense; Shuichi Kanda deliberately arrived late.

"But since Senior Ishikura is here, he must have decided to cooperate with me."

"I want to hear your plan first."

The third-year students didn't know much about Shuichi Kanda's actions because they hadn't had any contact with him before, but when they asked the first-year students about Shuichi Kanda, they were almost shocked.

What does it mean to accumulate tens of millions of points in just one semester? Not even Horikita Nagumo could do that, let alone him.

Based on this alone, he felt that Shuichi Kanda must be a very capable person.