Cooperation with Ryuen Kakeru

The study session lasted until 18:00, exactly an hour and a half.

Hirata Yousuke cleared his throat to announce the official end of the study session, adding that anyone who wished to continue consolidating their knowledge could gather here during the daily club activity period.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sudo Ken let out a long sigh of relief: "Who knew English could be this interesting! It's a pity I have club practice to get to; I already had to specifically ask for leave today."

As soon as he said this, someone immediately retorted: "It's not that English is interesting, it's that the method Hoshida-kun taught is just too practical!"

Hoshida No merely nodded faintly in acknowledgment, then turned to look at Sudo, offering a suggestion: "You could come to the study session every other day; that way, you'll manage to balance work and rest perfectly."

It was past seven in the evening when Hoshida No returned to the dormitory. However, just as he reached his room door, he caught sight of a tall, dark-skinned figure standing there.

It was none other than Yamada Albert from the Class 1-C Martial Arts Club.

Hoshida No had crossed paths with him at the Martial Arts Club a few times before. He had been quite shocked when he first saw him, never expecting there to be an international student at this school.

He took the initiative to strike up a conversation: "Yamada-kun, are you looking for me?"

Yamada Albert nodded, speaking in slightly broken Japanese: "Ryuen Kakeru... wants to talk to you."

"Ryuen Kakeru?"

Upon hearing this, Hoshida No paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.

The next second, as if he had suddenly thought of something, he raised an eyebrow and said: "He wouldn't be looking to get that 1.2 million points back from me, would he?"

Yamada didn't respond, merely casting him a look before his sturdy frame shifted to the side, signaling for Hoshida No to follow him.

The two walked all the way to the door of a private room. As soon as Hoshida No stepped inside, Yamada silently retreated, standing guard outside the door.

There were four people sitting in the private room.

Ryuen Kakeru sat in the innermost seat of honor, one hand carelessly draped around the long-haired girl beside him; Ishizaki Daichi stood silently behind him;

In the corner to the side, a girl with short blue hair leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes and brows radiating a hostility that warned others to keep their distance, as if she would resort to violence at the slightest provocation.

Seeing Hoshida No walk in, Ryuen Kakeru slowly released the girl he was holding and lifted his chin, signaling for her to leave.

He then crossed his legs and tapped his fingertips rhythmically against the tabletop, the sound particularly jarring in the silent room.

"Hoshida No, long time no see." His voice carried his usual mockery, yet his eyes locked onto the other boy like a viper's. "You certainly seem to be resting easy with those 1.2 million points."

Hoshida No pulled the door shut behind him, his face devoid of extra expression, his tone as flat as if he were discussing the weather: "Resting easy? Ryuen-kun, that's a boring thing to say. The points were 'tuition' you offered up yourself; I merely accepted them."

"Tuition?" Ryuen Kakeru let out a low laugh, as if he had heard a joke.

Ishizaki immediately tensed up behind him, and the blue-haired girl in the corner narrowed her eyes slightly; the scent of gunpowder in the air grew suddenly intense. "You were the one who sold the intelligence to that cripple in Class A, weren't you?"

"Cripple?" Hoshida No walked over to the chair opposite him and sat down, his back straight, his expression unchanged. "Are you referring to Classmate Sakayanagi?"

Ryuen Kakeru's smile vanished abruptly, his finger-tapping ceased, and his gaze turned sharp as a blade. "What do you think? Don't think I don't know what you're planning. Giving me incomplete information on the rules, only to turn around and sell my bottom line to that woman—"

He picked up the glass of juice on the table and took a large gulp. The cold liquid slid down his throat, but it failed to extinguish the hostility in his eyes. "You don't actually think she can hold me back, do you?"

Hoshida No had indeed intended to use Sakayanagi Arisu to restrain Ryuen Kakeru's movements, though he hadn't expected the other party to come knocking so soon.

He remained composed, his tone devoid of ripples: "What has she done to you?"

"Hmph." Ryuen Kakeru sneered, a mocking curve touching his lips. "What can a cripple do? Nothing more than the same low-life tricks you use—secretly filming and spreading rumors."

"Oh." Hoshida No nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

No wonder Ryuen Kakeru had seemed to vanish off the face of the earth this past month; it seemed he had been pouring all his energy into consolidating his class.

Now that he was appearing here so brazenly, it was clear that Class C had become his personal fiefdom.

"So, you didn't bring me here today just to vent your grievances, did you?" Hoshida No leaned back in his chair, hands crossed over his knees, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance. "If that's the case, I can only express my deepest sympathies."

Ryuen Kakeru's gaze remained pinned to Hoshida No's face. Watching the other boy's unflappable demeanor, the fire in his chest surged a few times, but he ultimately suppressed it.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, his eyes darkening and his tone becoming more serious: "I didn't come here today for such trivial matters."

A meaningful smile slowly spread across his lips as he said, word by word: "I'm here to cooperate with you—how about it?"

Hoshida No's eyes flickered, clearly intrigued. He leaned forward, his tone probing: "What kind of cooperation?"

Ryuen Kakeru stared into his eyes, his fingers tapping the table again, the rhythm slower than before but carrying an undeniable sense of pressure: "A temporary alliance to take down that woman first."

As soon as these words were spoken, even the blue-haired girl in the corner widened her eyes slightly, and Ishizaki's mouth fell open in astonishment.

Hoshida No merely raised an eyebrow, not responding immediately.

"Sakayanagi Arisu is a woman with great ambition," Ryuen Kakeru said slowly. "She wants the pinnacle of this entire school. You and I are both thorns in her side; rather than being picked off one by one, it's better to join forces and pull out this most annoying thorn first."

"Join forces?" Hoshida No repeated the term, as if savoring its meaning. "Since when did Ryuen-kun become so 'concerned with the big picture'? I haven't forgotten that not long ago, you were planning to trample everyone under your feet."

"Times change." Ryuen Kakeru scoffed. "I hate being watched, especially by that woman who thinks so highly of herself. As for what happens after we join forces..." His eyes turned suddenly vicious. "Whoever gets the last laugh will be a matter of their own ability."

Hoshida No remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the tense Ishizaki and the blue-haired girl before finally returning to Ryuen Kakeru.

He picked up the water glass on the table, took a light sip, and spoke in a calm, waveless tone: "Why should I trust you? Besides, I'm quite happy with my dealings with Classmate Sakayanagi."

"Because she wants to turn you into her subordinate." Ryuen Kakeru resumed his mocking smile. "I've heard she's very fond of collecting subordinates to do her dirty work. Not long ago, she even told me that there was someone in Class D named Hoshida No whom she was quite keen on, and she wanted to offer 500,000 personal points to cooperate with me."

"And you agreed?" Hoshida No asked, curious. "500,000 points is no small sum."

Ryuen Kakeru snorted. "Given what she did to me, do you think I would agree?"

It was clear that Ryuen Kakeru had been caught in a trap by Sakayanagi; perhaps the 500,000 points she held had come from Ryuen Kakeru himself.

A curve appeared at the corner of Hoshida No's mouth: "Fine. But it can only happen during the next special exam."

Seeing that the other party had agreed, Ryuen Kakeru raised his water glass: "As long as you don't pull any tricks, then here's to a pleasant cooperation!"

Hoshida No picked up his glass and clinked it lightly against the other's: "Naturally, I won't."