Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, Class 1-D.
After the quiz, Class 1-D was swept up in a wave of expulsions. The Black Room Trio's defective nature had already been clear from their zero-point papers in the first month, but teaching them linear equations in one variable gave Horikita Suzune an even bigger headache.
After several study sessions had ended in failure, Horikita Suzune no longer had the energy even to sigh.
"Try looking for past exam papers."
Ayanokoji Kiyoko leaned against Horikita Suzune's desk, watching her expressionlessly.
"Huh? Why are you helping me? You're obviously on Amasawa's side."
See? The moment someone spoke to her, Horikita Suzune had enough energy to sigh again. But she did think the suggestion was workable.
The code was just kicking in.
Ayanokoji Kiyoko remained expressionless. A few days earlier, Chabashira Sae had dragged her up to the roof and threatened to use her authority as homeroom teacher to expel her unless she helped Class 1-D rise to Class A.
She'd gone to ask Amasawa Reigetsu what to do, only for him to pull her into a game and say that was the answer. She didn't understand, but it had been pretty fun. So, after reviewing the incident, she'd concluded that "helping Class 1-D rise to Class A will let me write Little Problem Frenzy with my master."
Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to herself.
The process was all wrong, but the result was right.
So, what exactly was Amasawa Reigetsu's answer?
Amasawa Reigetsu: Do it!
However, while Horikita Suzune was sighing, Kushida Kikyo overheard their conversation. And so, she ended up on a "date" with Amasawa Reigetsu at a café.
Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, café.
Hearing Kushida Kikyo's request, Amasawa Reigetsu didn't agree right away.
He leaned back in his chair, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingers. Without looking at Kushida Kikyo, he curled his lips into a knowing smile, wearing the smug expression of someone who'd gotten what he wanted.
"Kushida, with your connections, you should be better suited than I am to get hold of past exam papers—and have an easier time doing it, too, right?"
Another layer of Kushida Kikyo's disguise crumbled. If she could help it, she wouldn't have wanted to go this far...
But as everyone's little angel, little Kikyo had no choice~ Ehehe.
After a brief silence, Kushida Kikyo lowered her head, her normally straight back slumping slightly.
When she looked up again, her big eyes, usually full of smiles, brimmed with injured tears. Her voice grew as faint as a mosquito's, trembling with a hint of a sob.
"Reigetsu... Actually, I don't have many points left. I lent all the points I'd saved to my classmates to help them... Now I can't afford to offer the upperclassmen enough in exchange for the past exam papers."
"If you can help me get the papers, I'll do anything... I wouldn't even mind paying with my body //"
She bit her lower lip and clenched her hands tightly around her skirt beneath the table, as if she'd made some tremendous decision. Slowly, she stood, walked around the table to Amasawa Reigetsu, then leaned down and breathed softly beside his ear. Her voice carried the desperate resolve of someone with nowhere left to turn—as though Kushida Kikyo really were a good girl.
Amasawa Reigetsu understood. Kushida Kikyo's repertoire consisted of exactly three tricks:
Friend Game, physical contact, and using her looks.
The thorns hidden behind those three tricks were probably enough to get someone expelled.
To be fair, Kushida Kikyo's standing in Amasawa Reigetsu's eyes was now actually higher than Horikita Suzune's.
Amasawa Reigetsu hooked an arm around the back of Kushida Kikyo's neck, drawing their faces closer and closer until they were pressed together. Then he breathed hotly against her ear.
"Then I'll gladly accept, little Kikyo~"
After parting ways with Kushida Kikyo at the café, Amasawa Reigetsu had barely stepped outside when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out without much interest. A message from the current Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, was displayed on the screen:
"As agreed, report to the Student Council Office at five this afternoon."
Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, Student Council Office.
The atmosphere in the Student Council Office was somewhat delicate. Miyabi Nagumo wore a bright smile as he introduced the student council members present to Ichinose Honami, one by one, and explained their daily duties.
"Honami, everyone can see how capable and popular you are. The process is a bit cumbersome, as the rules require, but I'll use my authority to make an exception and appoint you as the Student Council secretary."
That afternoon, the day Ichinose Honami submitted her application to join the Student Council, Miyabi Nagumo had privately tried to tempt her with those very terms.
After taking some time to consider it, Ichinose Honami decided to test the proactive vice president. And so, here they were in the Student Council Office. Miyabi Nagumo was enjoying himself, too. After all, getting in Horikita Manabu's face and watching him look constipated but unable to lash out—
It was just too hilarious!!!
Horikita Manabu expressionlessly flipped through the documents in his hands, as though he hadn't heard Miyabi Nagumo's provocation.
The two had been engaged in a constant struggle for power within the Student Council. The first-year candidates would be the ones to break the deadlock—
On the day of the club fair, Horikita Manabu had explained the requirements for joining the Student Council. Unfortunately, Amasawa had already finished his game of chess with Sakayanagi and left in high spirits. For a while, this had made Horikita Manabu think that there were hardly any players among this year's first-years. The leaders from Classes A and B who had applied, Katsuragi Kohei and Ichinose Honami, weren't yet strong enough to compete with Miyabi Nagumo on equal footing—
A three-way balance of power was what Horikita Manabu most wanted to see, and Amasawa Reigetsu's appearance had made things much easier for him.
Just as Miyabi Nagumo was about to keep pressing the matter and further test Horikita Manabu's limits, someone knocked right on time on the office's heavy door. It was promptly opened from the outside.
Tokyo time: 15:00
"Excuse me."
Amasawa Reigetsu walked in with steady steps, calmly sweeping his gaze over the people in the room before settling on the figure behind the desk.
Horikita Manabu had been radiating a cold, oppressive presence, but the moment Amasawa Reigetsu entered the room, the corners of his tightly pressed lips lifted into the faintest smile—one that nevertheless brimmed with victory. He set down the documents and raised his head, breaking the stalemate with an unmistakable tone of authority:
"Amasawa, fill out this form."