Hidden Transaction

"Regarding Tetsuya Hamaguchi?" Ayanokoji sat down and ordered a black coffee.

"Yes." Ichinose gripped her cup tightly. "After the tug-of-war at the Sports Festival, Hamaguchi-kun took a leave of absence. He's locked himself in his room and won't see anyone. I finally managed to reach him yesterday, and he said... people from Class A are still threatening him."

"What is the nature of the threat?"

"They have obtained his younger brother's medical records." Ichinose's voice trembled slightly. "His brother has a congenital heart condition and underwent a major surgery last year. The medical expenses were astronomical, and the Hamaguchi family is heavily in debt because of it. Class A told him that if he doesn't continue to 'cooperate,' they will 'appropriately disclose' this information and imply that the source of the surgery funds is suspicious."

This was a truly dirty tactic. Using a family member's privacy and suffering to threaten a student.

"Does Arisu Sakayanagi know about this?" Ayanokoji asked.

"I'm not sure." Ichinose shook her head. "But Hamaguchi said the person who has always been in contact with him is Masayoshi Hashimoto. And Hashimoto... he explicitly stated, 'This is a strategy within the scope permitted by Classmate Sakayanagi.'"

Within the scope of permission. In other words, Sakayanagi had at least tacitly approved of this behavior.

"What is the current attitude within Class B?"

Ichinose gave a bitter smile. "It's split. Some students believe Hamaguchi was coerced and that we should protect him. Others feel he betrayed the class, and even if he was threatened, he shouldn't have intentionally thrown the match. A small minority... have even started to question our alliance with Class D."

She looked up, meeting Ayanokoji's gaze directly. "That is why I asked to meet you today. Ayanokoji-kun, can the alliance between Class D and Class B continue?"

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Because Class A has already proven they can use these methods to divide us," Ichinose said. "It's Hamaguchi today, but it could be someone else in our class tomorrow. Everyone has weaknesses, and everyone has people or things they care about. If Class A uses this method to pick us off one by one..."

"Then we must make it impossible for them to pick us off," Ayanokoji said calmly.

Ichinose was stunned.

"Ichinose-san, why do you think Class A chose to target Hamaguchi?" Ayanokoji asked. "Because he has an obvious weakness—his sick brother. But more importantly, they chose to apply pressure in the public setting of the Sports Festival through the subtle method of a 'mistake'."

He paused. "They are testing the waters. Testing Class B's bottom line, testing the resilience of our alliance, and testing the school's reaction. If they were truly without restraint, they could have used much more direct methods."

"You mean..."

"This incident is both a threat and intelligence gathering," Ayanokoji said. "They are observing: How will Class B handle an internal crisis? How will Class D react? How much pressure can the trust within our alliance withstand? These observations will become the basis for their future strategies."

Ichinose's brow slowly smoothed out. "So, the way we respond now will determine the intensity and direction of their next attack."

"Exactly," Ayanokoji nodded. "If you cut ties with Class D now, or impose harsh punishment on Hamaguchi, you are essentially telling Class A: 'This method is effective, please continue.'"

"Then what should we do?"

"First, protect Hamaguchi," Ayanokoji said. "Arrange for reliable companions to stay with him in shifts to ensure he no longer has contact with anyone from Class A. Second, unify the narrative within the class: Hamaguchi made an accidental mistake during the competition, and there was no intentional throwing of the match. Finally, and most importantly—"

He looked at Ichinose. "We need to strike back."

"Strike back?"

"Class A is using family as a threat; that is their bottom line," Ayanokoji's voice was cold. "But everyone has a bottom line. Arisu Sakayanagi, Kohei Katsuragi, Masayoshi Hashimoto... they have things they care about, too. What we must do is find those things and make them understand: if the rules of the game are broken to this extent, no one will be a winner."

Ichinose remained silent for a long time.

Eventually, she took a deep breath, her eyes regaining their resolve. "I understand. Thank you, Ayanokoji-kun. The alliance between Class B and Class D... will continue. And it will be stronger than before."

"Good," Ayanokoji said. "Also, regarding the leak of Hamaguchi's brother's medical records, I suggest you report it to the school."

"Report it?"

"An anonymous report," Ayanokoji said. "State that a student is suspected of obtaining private information through improper channels. You don't need to name names, but you must make the school aware of the situation. This will at least provide some leverage against Class A."

Ichinose took careful note. "I will."

The coffee arrived. Both took a sip, and the atmosphere lightened slightly.

"By the way," Ichinose suddenly remembered something. "Have you heard any news about the upcoming special exam?"

"Sakayanagi mentioned a 'VIP Exam'."

"I heard that too," Ichinose lowered her voice. "But I heard from a senior that the format of this exam might be different from previous years. It is rumored that the Student Council and the school are discussing the introduction of a 'cross-grade cooperation' mechanism."

Cross-grade cooperation. This meant first-years might be teamed up to compete against second-years, or even third-years.

If true, the situation would become significantly more complex.

"Is the source reliable?"

"It's Asahina-senpai from Class B of the second year. She is a very kind person; I don't think she would lie to me," Ichinose said. "She also said that several classes in the second year have already started making private connections."

That was new information. If the exam truly involved cross-grade cooperation, the infighting within the first year might be amplified to the level of the entire school.

"We need more information," Ayanokoji said. "If possible, arrange to talk to that senior in detail."

"I will arrange it."

As the conversation neared its end, Ayanokoji's phone vibrated.

It was a message from Yosuke Hirata:

"Emergency. Kushida-san posted a strange message in the class group and then suddenly left the group. Karuizawa-san says she has packed her bags and seems to be moving out of the dormitory."

Ayanokoji's pupils contracted.

So soon?

He looked at Ichinose. "I'm sorry, there's an urgent matter in Class D. I have to go."

"Do you need any help?"

"Not for the time being." Ayanokoji stood up. "But remember what we just discussed. Protect Hamaguchi and keep our stories consistent. Contact me if anything happens."

He walked briskly out of the cafe.

The afternoon sun was blinding, and students could be seen strolling leisurely all over campus. Yet, Ayanokoji knew that beneath the facade of peace, the first reef had already surfaced.

Kushida Kikyo was finally about to make her move.

And he had to stop her before she caused irreparable damage.

[Side Quest Updated: Hidden Transaction progress 35%]

[New Quest Triggered: Internal Purge]

[Quest Description: Kushida Kikyo's defection has begun. Determine her objective and prevent her from causing substantial harm to Class D.]

[Quest Rewards: Class Cohesion +20, unlock special ability "Crisis Prediction" (Beginner)]

[Failure Penalty: Collapse of trust within Class D, Class Points -300, potential expulsion of key characters Kei Karuizawa/Airi Sakura]

The system's warning glowed a glaring red.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka crossed the campus, his pace quickening as he headed toward the Class D dormitory.