Selling Information

After Chihaya Rei returned to the classroom, he saw Horikita Suzune at her desk, studying the new textbook.

As expected of someone who'd said she studied sixteen hours a day.

But if he told her that Ichinose Honami from Class B had taken half a year off before her entrance exams, yet still scored highest on the entrance exam for Advanced Nurturing High School, he wondered what she'd think.

"Horikita, Kushida Kikyo said she wants your contact information."

Chihaya Rei approached her.

Horikita Suzune turned around, a question mark popping into her mind.

After two conversations with Chihaya Rei, though she'd come off worse both times, Horikita Suzune thought he was someone she could talk to.

"I already turned her down this morning."

"So she asked me to help."

"So you agreed?"

Chihaya Rei nodded slightly, but didn't mention his deal with Kushida.

Horikita Suzune understood the situation. She raised her chin slightly and folded her arms.

"Then she really did make the wrong choice."

Because Chihaya Rei didn't have her contact information either.

And after learning that Chihaya Rei would give her contact information to Kushida Kikyo, she was even less likely to share it with him.

Chihaya Rei had naturally seen what Horikita Suzune was thinking. He spoke casually.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Horikita. You've shown me that frustrated look more than once."

"How about this? If I can tell you something valuable, you give me your Line ID."

Horikita Suzune fell silent for a moment, tempted by the offer.

She'd noticed plenty of strange things about this school, and Chihaya Rei knew more than she did.

But he wasn't willing to tell her anything easily. This was her chance.

"Fine. Go ahead."

Horikita Suzune nodded, then added seriously, "On the condition that I decide the information you give me is valuable."

"After school today, the school will hold a club fair in the General Gymnasium."

Chihaya Rei said.

Horikita Suzune frowned slightly.

She didn't know how Chihaya Rei had found out in advance, but she didn't think the information was very useful.

"Even if what you said is true, the school will surely announce it before classes end. So I'll find out sooner or later. Besides, I have no intention of joining a club."

Horikita Suzune replied with confidence.

This time, she felt she'd finally evened the score.

Before, she'd kept getting caught up in his rhythm without realizing it. Yesterday, Chihaya Rei had even mocked her for only thinking about herself, and she'd forgotten to retort.

Chihaya Rei's smile didn't change.

"What if I told you that the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, will be there to recruit students for the Student Council?"

He emphasized the name Horikita Manabu.

Horikita Suzune's eyes narrowed slightly. Her relaxed expression stiffened at once.

Chihaya Rei noticed and spoke calmly.

"That seems to be enough."

So Horikita Suzune accepted the bet and took out her phone.

She felt a little awkward when she realized Chihaya Rei had only taken a picture of her contact information and wasn't trying to add her.

She sighed silently to herself.

She'd meant to get some information out of Chihaya Rei, but all she'd learned was this one thing.

Still, for her, Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President, was her older brother. Since he'd be there, she'd have to go see him...

Chihaya Rei then sent Horikita Suzune's Line ID to Kushida Kikyo.

As for whether Horikita Suzune would accept Kushida's friend request, Chihaya Rei had no idea.

In any case, the deal between them was done.

But Chihaya Rei figured that if Horikita Suzune didn't want to be constantly pestered by Kushida Kikyo, she could accept her request and then block her.

As for the club fair after school, he had no intention of wasting time on club activities, so he wouldn't go.

Chihaya Rei then spent the next two days slacking off.

It wasn't until Thursday at noon, when he found somewhere deserted, that he finally set out to sell information.

He figured that after a few days, Katsuragi and Ichinose should have established themselves in their classes and gradually become their leaders.

Ryuen might still need a little more time.

But that didn't matter. All he needed was for them to gather enough points and hand them over to him.

Chihaya Rei planned to sell them, for 800,000 points, the rules the school wouldn't announce until a month later, along with the conduct test for the first month.

He'd already put the information into a document.

If he managed to sell it three times, he'd make 2.4 million points.

As he stared intently at the contact information for the three of them on his phone, a glint flashed in Chihaya Rei's eyes.

As the saying went, pick on the weakest first.

He'd start with you, Ichinose Honami.

For some reason, the infectious "Mambo, mambo" tune suddenly rang in his head.

Chihaya Rei quickly shook his head, clearing the noise away.

Then he sent Ichinose Honami a friend request from an anonymous account, adding the note, "You wouldn't want your classmates to be expelled, would you?"

Ichinose accepted the friend request almost instantly.

[Ichinose Honami: Hello, classmate. What exactly did you mean by what you just said?]

Seeing that the other person's account was anonymous, Ichinose tactfully didn't ask who they were. She was more concerned about the important question.

[Anonymous 114514: I mean exactly what I said, Ichinose. This school eliminates students through various exams.]

Chihaya Rei had also given her a hint with those words.

"Various exams"—Ichinose would surely ask him to elaborate.

[Ichinose Honami: Um, what kind of exams are they? Could you tell me?]

[Ichinose Honami: I can pay points for the information.]

Ichinose Honami had already guessed what he wanted.

Chihaya Rei's lips curved up slightly.

He knew Ichinose Honami had taken the bait—or rather, talking to someone clever was always a pleasure.

[Anonymous 114514: 800,000 points. I'll tell you everything I know about the school rules and the exam that's currently underway.]

[Anonymous 114514: My price isn't high. If you don't believe me, ask your homeroom teacher how many points she'd charge you for the same information.]

[Ichinose Honami: Okay, I understand. Please wait a moment.]

Chihaya Rei had already asked Chabashira. Buying the information from a homeroom teacher would cost 2 million points.

As it turned out, Ichinose Honami didn't disappoint him.

After taking some time to confirm it with Hoshinomiya Chie, she decided to spend 800,000 points on the information.

The students in Class B also supported her decision.

So Chihaya Rei sent Ichinose the document he'd prepared in advance.

Of course, the electronic transaction contract also barred Class B from reselling the information.

Chihaya Rei chose Katsuragi as his next trading partner.

Why not go after the Phantom God of Civil War?

The Phantom God of Civil War would come to him on his own.

Katsuragi had also vaguely sensed that there was a rivalry between the classes.

At first, he hadn't wanted to spend so many points on the information.

Katsuragi believed his class could simply wait and see. In other words, they only needed to fulfill their duties as students that month and wait for more information to be revealed.

But then Chihaya Rei showed him a screenshot of his deal with Ichinose Honami.

Even the conservative Katsuragi Kohei had to reconsider carefully.

What if his cautious approach meant he didn't buy Chihaya Rei's information, while the other classes were all persuaded to do so? If Class A then fell behind the others, it would be a grave mistake on his part.

In the end, he agreed and successfully convinced the class to pool their points for the purchase.

[Ryuen Kakeru: Hah! You think I have to buy your information?]

Chihaya Rei spoke with Ryuen last.

The guy came in with a tough attitude.

Looks like leaving him for last was the right call.

Chihaya Rei responded just as bluntly.

[Anonymous 114514: Of course. Otherwise, Dragon Boy, you wouldn't have accepted my friend request.]

[Ryuen Kakeru: Shut up. Don't let me hear you call me that disgusting name again.]

[Anonymous 114514: If you don't want me to call you Dragon Boy, should I call you Shoko?]

While Ryuen was silent,

Chihaya Rei worried he might drive Ryuen away, so he started using both threats and persuasion.

See? It was all because the tyrant had so many nicknames.

[Anonymous 114514: I know you plan to have your classmates test the school rules, but you'll regret it if you do.]

[Anonymous 114514: Or have you still not taken control of your class, Ryuen? You're taking forever to decide over a mere 800,000 points. The leaders of Classes A and B were much more decisive.]

[Anonymous 114514: Looks like I overestimated you. You're nothing but a brute, and you're still no match for them.]

Chihaya Rei had his reasons for saying this.

In truth, Ryuen Kakeru hadn't fully taken control of his class yet.

This was mainly because Class C had a Black student named Yamada Albert.

He was exceptionally tall and muscular, and Ryuen Kakeru couldn't beat him. Every time Ryuen challenged him head-on, Albert quickly threw him to the ground.

So Ryuen could only resort to underhanded, shady tactics to wear Albert down.

It was said that Ryuen finally subdued him by ambushing him while he was in the bathroom.

At that very moment,

Ryuen Kakeru was in a corner of the school, reading each of Chihaya Rei's messages and growing more irritated by the second. He wanted to smash his phone.

This bastard hiding behind an anonymous account seemed to see right through everything he did.

Not only did he know Ryuen used violence to control his class, he'd even guessed that Ryuen planned to have his classmates test the school rules.

Then he deliberately pointed out that the other two classes had already bought the information, forcing him to decide.

In the end, Ryuen Kakeru gave in.

[Ryuen Kakeru: Bastard. You'd better hope I never find out who you are after taking so many of my points.]

Seeing Ryuen Kakeru still making such a brazen threat,

Chihaya Rei's lips curled up, and he replied at once.

[Anonymous 114514: Save your insults for the internet. If you ever meet me in person, I'll beat you until you're on your knees!]