Sakayanagi Arisu: I Like You

With just a single sentence, Makoto Nishikado could make Kushida Kikyo follow his orders.

"Kikyo-chan, you wouldn't want this recording to get out, would you?"

Kushida Kikyo looked up in a rage, only to lock eyes with Makoto Nishikado's smiling gaze.

Reflected there was her current disheveled state; her cheeks were flushed red with anger, and even her hairstyle was a mess.

"What do you want me to do?"

Kushida Kikyo still possessed enough reason to know what she had to do.

At this moment, she didn't even have the power to drag them down with her.

"Join Horikita Suzune's camp and help her take control of Class D."

"Before we deal with Class A and Class C, our two classes must cooperate."

Makoto Nishikado shook the digital recorder in his hand as he gave his answer.

He wasn't some kind of devil; the demands he proposed were perfectly reasonable.

"Hmph, it seems the two of you aren't as close as you thought, already thinking about future confrontations?"

Kushida Kikyo sneered.

Neither Makoto Nishikado nor Horikita Suzune reacted to her impotent rage.

As a leader of a team, one should understand the principle that "there are no permanent allies, only eternal interests."

Kushida Kikyo surely understood this herself; she was simply losing her mind and desperately needed to vent her emotions.

"I agree to this. I'm leaving now. Don't you dare come up with a second condition, or I'll expose everything to everyone!"

Kushida Kikyo turned and stormed off in a huff.

"Is this really enough? I get the feeling she isn't doing this willingly; something might go wrong."

Watching Kushida Kikyo's retreating figure, Horikita Suzune's intuition told her that this matter was far from over.

Kushida Kikyo wasn't exactly an honest person, and she might just betray them at a critical moment.

The consequences of social ruin were devastating, but having experienced it once already, perhaps she wasn't as afraid anymore.

If that were the case, her betrayal would simply shift from the open to the shadows.

"Don't worry, leave the follow-up to me. I'll keep you informed on the process of taming her so you have a reference."

"Once she is truly tamed, I might need your help with a few things."

Makoto Nishikado whispered his request.

He needed Horikita Suzune to make some sacrifices.

"Will that be useful? If it is, I don't mind."

Horikita Suzune was indifferent.

As long as she could obtain Kushida Kikyo as a useful pawn—no, a partner—she was willing to pay the corresponding price.

"In that case, it's a deal."

Makoto Nishikado waved goodbye to Horikita Suzune and left with Yuki Himeno, his thoughts drifting toward Karuizawa Kei.

Because of the commotion he had caused in Class D, Karuizawa Kei had provided a massive amount of emotion points.

Makoto Nishikado was no fool; he was a clever man who possessed all the intelligence.

After a moment of thought, he knew exactly what Karuizawa Kei was thinking.

Perhaps he could strike a deal with her.

If he could get the three girls of Class D, along with the people surrounding them, to form a group, it would be enough to fracture Class D.

"Will you make a move?"

Thinking of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's robotic face, Makoto Nishikado felt a spark of excitement.

In truth, given his personality from two lifetimes, he would have preferred a guaranteed win.

Actively setting traps to deal with a bug like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was not a wise move.

But with his cheat, Makoto Nishikado had unconsciously changed his attitude.

Now, he was actually looking forward to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka making a move as soon as possible.

"Himeno, there's nothing left to do here. You should go join the study session too."

"Understood, boss. Don't you need to attend the study session?"

"Who do you think I am? There's no need for that."

"That may be true, but everyone occasionally hopes you'll join in on group activities."

"Is that a message Ichinose asked you to pass on? Fine, I'll show some mercy and join you all today."

By the time the day's study session ended and Makoto Nishikado returned to his dorm, it was already night.

He had just finished his shower when he received a message.

[Kamuro Masumi: Are you free this weekend? Sakayanagi has something to discuss with you.]

[Makoto Nishikado: Yes, yes, I have plenty of time for a date with the phantom thief.]

[Kamuro Masumi: You haven't even changed how you address me, and you're already thinking about a date!]

[Makoto Nishikado: How could you? My love is lost forever, and all I see is ruin!]

[Makoto Nishikado: What time? Where?]

[Kamuro Masumi: ...Come to the Go club room this weekend.]

[Makoto Nishikado: Is she looking to get crushed?]

"Good grief, someone is peeping at the screen!"

Makoto Nishikado saw in the system notifications that both Kamuro Masumi and Sakayanagi Arisu had provided him with emotional points.

This Sakayanagi Arisu is quite the schemer.

[Kamuro Masumi: You really have the nerve to say that!]

[Makoto Nishikado: Shouldn't the evil little mage be better at chess? I can challenge her to that instead.]

[Kamuro Masumi: Who is the evil little mage?]

[Makoto Nishikado: It's the little princess, of course. Her signature line is, "I am a devil! No laughing!"]

[Kamuro Masumi: Believe me, one day you're going to get beaten up!]

Makoto Nishikado could see that this wave had provided him with over a hundred thousand emotional points from Sakayanagi Arisu.

[Makoto Nishikado: Kito Hayato and Hashimoto Masayoshi combined couldn't beat me, so the little princess is still a bit short of the mark.]

[Kamuro Masumi: You know about them too?]

[Makoto Nishikado: If I can take on ten at once, how will the little princess respond?]

[Kamuro Masumi: Sakayanagi says she'll send me to fight you when the time comes.]

[Makoto Nishikado: That naturally evil little brat Sakayanagi, she actually has a move like that up her sleeve!]

[Makoto Nishikado: Well, there's no helping it. I'm no Sett; I can't hit a woman. When the time comes, go easy on me, and don't you dare touch my handsome face.]

[Kamuro Masumi: Come to think of it, why do you two have to use me as a middleman to chat?]

[Makoto Nishikado: That's just the little princess's personality. If I gave you my contact info instead of hers, she'd definitely take it as a provocation.]

[Makoto Nishikado: So, she wants to beat me first before she demands my contact information.]

[Kamuro Masumi: ...You guessed right again. Sakayanagi says that since it's rare to meet someone who understands her so well, she likes you.]

[Makoto Nishikado: I like her too. Tell her she wasn't wrong—I am indeed provoking her.]

[Kamuro Masumi: Have you two ever considered just getting married?]

[Makoto Nishikado: I'd be happy to, but unfortunately, given my level of Go, it's unlikely she'll ever beat me, so I can't be her dog.]

[Kamuro Masumi: You're something else. Sakayanagi says if you win against her, my date with you still stands.]

[Makoto Nishikado: Hold on, sister, she loses, so why are you the one enjoying the perks?]

[Kamuro Masumi: You call this a perk? Sakayanagi says if you win, she'll go on a date with you too.]

[Makoto Nishikado: Tell her I'm going to beat her ten times in a row!]

No sooner had Makoto Nishikado finished his conversation with the mistress and her servant than he received a new notification.

"Am I that popular today? It's the curse of being too handsome, after all."

Makoto Nishikado opened the new message; this time, it was from Kushida Kikyo.

Looking out at the night sky, Makoto Nishikado couldn't help but sigh.

"Kikyo-chan really can't wait, can she?"