The First Trade

"The hidden deduction rules for points," Hoshida No said.

Ayanokoji pondered beside him. "On a small scale, the question is whether Personal Points get deducted and how. On a larger scale, it concerns the rules governing the school's entire points system."

Chazhu Zuo Zhi didn't answer immediately. Instead, she called someone to ask about the matter. The person on the other end was silent for half a minute before finally replying, "All right."

Only then did Chazhu Zuo Zhi answer. Her voice was lower than usual. "You certainly chose the trickiest question. This is worth far more than 500,000 points."

She took an unmarked sticky note from her drawer, quickly wrote down a few lines, and slid it in front of Hoshida No:

"First, the point deduction threshold for anonymous reports across classes: if two or more students from other classes report someone for disrupting collective order, and the claim is verified, the class loses 10 points.

"Second, cumulative deductions for hidden behavior: being late, chatting during class, or neglecting details of one's cleaning duties may seem trivial. No points are deducted for a single occurrence, but if the monthly total exceeds 50 incidents, 30% of the month's base points will be deducted immediately. If there is fighting, malicious rumor-spreading, or similar behavior, the class loses 50 points, in addition to the risk of expulsion for those involved."

"Third, deductions linked to assessments: the school holds a Special Exam every month. If more than a third of a class fails to meet the requirements, not only are their Personal Points reduced to zero, but the class also loses an additional 20 points."

Chazhu Zuo Zhi took back the note, her expression serious. She didn't explain what Class Points were or what a Special Exam entailed.

After getting the information, Hoshida No left with Ayanokoji. Instead of returning straight to Class D, they went to a karaoke place and rented a private room.

Colorful lights flashed inside, dyeing the two sofas in bright hues. A fruit platter sat on the square black table.

Noticing Ayanokoji's hesitant look, Hoshida No idly swiped a finger across his phone screen and said lightly, "I can't be the only one paying the 500,000 points."

The instant he finished speaking, understanding flickered in Ayanokoji's eyes.

He asked nothing more. He walked to the far corner of the room and sat down, his back against the wall and his fingers resting casually on his knee, like a statue cut off from its surroundings.

Hoshida No looked away, opened his friends list, and found Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei. He sent them the same message:

"Come to Keyaki Mall, the private room at xxx Karaoke. I have something class-related to discuss with you, and I want to make a deal." After sending it, he paused, then added, "Don't bring anyone else."

As the door opened, the colorful lights happened to sweep across the entrance.

Karuizawa Kei came in first. The moment she saw Hoshida No, a smile spread across her face. She sat down on the sofa beside him without hesitation, their shoulders nearly touching as she affectionately hooked her arm through his.

Her voice was tinged with playful curiosity. "Brother No, what kind of deal did you suddenly call me here for?"

Ichinose Honami came in right behind her and gently shut the door, shutting out the noise from outside.

Her gaze first fell on Hoshida No and Karuizawa Kei, then shifted to Ayanokoji in the corner. Looking curious, she turned to Hoshida No. "Brother No, who is he?"

Only then did Karuizawa Kei glance toward the corner. When she saw the unfamiliar brown-haired boy, she quickly let go of Hoshida No's arm and instinctively shifted aside, putting a little distance between them. Her face inexplicably grew warm.

"He's my classmate, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka." Hoshida No's tone was plain, with no further explanation. He then nodded toward Ayanokoji in the corner. "These two are from Class B—my younger sister and my friend, Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami."

After they introduced themselves, no one made small talk. Hoshida No went straight to the point. "I've learned the hidden rules of this school. They concern the monthly deductions from Personal Points. I want to make a deal with your class." His words were concise and his purpose clear.

Seeing how serious Hoshida No looked, the two girls understood the matter was important.

Karuizawa Kei spoke first, looking confused. "There are hidden rules at school? How come I've never heard about them? Hoshinomiya-sensei never told us."

Hoshida No didn't explain much.

"Hidden rules aren't openly stated. They're meant to test the students, so naturally the teachers don't get involved. Take the bus seat incident at the start of the school year, for example."

The two girls looked puzzled, unsure why he'd brought that up.

Hoshida No explained, "Ayanokoji and the others were on a different bus from ours, but they had a similar incident. A uniformed staff member got on along with an elderly person."

Karuizawa Kei nodded and asked, "Then... what was that test supposed to measure?"

Hoshida No gave his opinion. "Maybe the students' character or powers of observation." In the end, he shook his head to show he wasn't sure.

Ichinose interrupted them, steering the conversation back on track.

Since the matter might affect everyone in her class and their Personal Points, her expression turned conflicted. "Brother No, I trust your abilities, but what evidence do you have?"

Hoshida No nodded and replied calmly, "The school seems generous when it gives out 100,000 points every month, but those points are quietly taken back through 'hidden deductions.'"

"Huh?" Karuizawa Kei cried in surprise. "So the Personal Points the school gives us aren't actually 100,000 every month?"

Hoshida No nodded and added, "You've both seen the free meals and items at the school cafeteria and shops, haven't you?"

The two girls nodded. Ichinose suddenly understood. "I've seen lots of upperclassmen eating the free meals. At first, I thought they'd run out of points. So the school doesn't actually give us that many points each month."

She tapped the table lightly with her fingertips. Her tone remained gentle, though it had grown more cautious. "Brother No, I understand the value of information, and I trust you wouldn't cheat Kei or me, but Class B needs clear terms for the deal."

She added, "How many points do you want? And how much information can you give us?"

Karuizawa Kei leaned a little closer to Hoshida No, her tone slightly dependent. "Exactly, Brother No. You can't expect our class to pay without knowing what it's for. At least let us know if it'll be worth the price."

Hoshida No looked at the two of them, then glanced at Ayanokoji, who remained silent in the corner. After a moment, he said, "One million Personal Points in exchange for all three hidden deduction rules."

"One million?" Karuizawa Kei's voice rose in surprise. "Isn't that too much? It's only been a little while since school started, and we've got just 2.5 million points total. To hand over that much all at once—"

"It's not much," Hoshida No cut in, his tone firm. "If the million points are split across the class, each person only pays 40,000. And the information could help ensure you get back the points you would otherwise lose each month. School has only just started, so the class hasn't lost many points yet."

Ichinose quickly did the math. "If we start with 100,000 points each month and lose less than 40,000 without knowing the rules, our class would be losing out. If we lose more than 40,000, then this information will definitely be useful."

In the end, they agreed that Ichinose would talk it over with her classmates. If they approved, she'd get back to him that evening.

To persuade Class B to buy the information,

Hoshida No offered a theory of his own. "Every class probably starts with the same number of Class Points, and those Class Points may determine the ranking between classes."

Karuizawa Kei wanted to keep chatting, but Ichinose pulled her aside and whispered something in her ear.

Then Hoshida No saw Karuizawa Kei nod, her face red.

The two girls got up to leave. Before going, Karuizawa Kei glanced back at Hoshida No. "Brother No, remember to buy me milk tea next time!"

After the door closed, Ayanokoji finally spoke in an unhurried voice. "One million points, 500,000 profit after expenses. You certainly know how to do business."

Hoshida No picked up a piece of fruit from the table and tossed it to Ayanokoji. "We'll split that 500,000 down the middle."