Ichinose's Twin Peaks

If you were talking about joining the Student Council while Horikita Manabu was still its president,

no one would be safer than her.

Horikita Suzune.

Horikita Manabu wouldn't let Miyabi Nagumo lay a finger on her.

That made Horikita Suzune the perfect candidate to receive the bonus for taking a position on the Student Council.

After all, Student Council members received an extra 100,000 Private Points every month.

But convincing Horikita Manabu—that was the problem.

Back on track, Kanzaki didn't press for details after hearing U Amakusa's answer. It was obvious U Amakusa didn't want to say.

So he continued the conversation.

"We understand the point deductions. What about gaining points? How can we increase our Class Points?"

Ichinose looked at U Amakusa expectantly.

Hoshinomiya merely smiled to herself. She knew that the school only awarded points through midterms, finals, and Special Exams.

U Amakusa shook his head. "My guess is that the school will hold some special exams where the four classes compete for Class Points.

"But unfortunately, I don't know when these Special Exams will begin or what they'll involve."

With Hoshinomiya there, U Amakusa naturally couldn't tell them everything.

Just when Ichinose and Kanzaki's hopes seemed about to be dashed, U Amakusa gave them something to hold on to.

"Still, after observing the upperclassmen for half a month, I've concluded that midterms and finals are likely to award Class Points."

But that was as good as saying nothing. As he'd said earlier, Class A was better than Class B.

In other words, B Class had no advantage in an academic exam like that.

Strangely, though, neither Ichinose nor Kanzaki seemed worried.

Ichinose spoke calmly. "U Amakusa, since you brought it up, that means you've already thought of a solution."

Instead, U Amakusa grew serious. "I have, but I believe I told you to think for yourselves. If I can help you rise to Class A, I can also make you fall."

Kanzaki lowered the hand propping up his chin and held it out toward U Amakusa.

"Join B Class, U Amakusa. I think paying 20 million Private Points for you would be well worth it."

U Amakusa replied casually, "And how would you scrape together 20 million Private Points? Are you planning to use my old method? Does Hoshinomiya-sensei have that many points?"

Hoshinomiya folded her arms and swayed as she said, "If I tighten my belt, I can manage~"

"Ha. I don't believe you."

Hoshinomiya gritted her teeth. "You're nothing like Honami-chan said, little U Amakusa. You're not cute at all!"

U Amakusa shrugged. "I'm a guy. Why should I be cute? If anything, Hoshinomiya-sensei, you're cute~"

Wait, was something wrong here?

"Oh my~ If you praise your teacher like that, little U Amakusa, aren't you afraid your little girlfriend will get jealous? Come to think of it, is your little girlfriend Kamuro from your class, or the girl who was with Honami-chan that day?"

She'd added "little" at first, and now she'd dropped "classmate" altogether. She really was quick to act like they were old friends.

At Hoshinomiya's question, U Amakusa chuckled. He thought it was completely pointless.

"What if I said it was both, Hoshinomiya-sensei?"

Ichinose looked a little surprised and let out a soft "Eh?"

Kanzaki, who still had his hand out, awkwardly withdrew it and cleared his throat a few times.

Had the conversation gone off track?

Hoshinomiya put on a shocked expression and covered her wide-open mouth with one hand. "Little U Amakusa just said something shameless without even blinking~ Are you trying to build yourself a harem~?"

Hoshinomiya hurried behind Ichinose and cupped her generously endowed chest.

"So, little U Amakusa, what do you think of our Honami-chan? She's cute, right~?"

"H-Hoshinomiya-sensei! Please don't do that!" Ichinose shyly pushed Hoshinomiya's hands away.

"And U Amakusa! You shouldn't want to do that harem thing!"

"I'm not hiding anything. I'm being completely open about it. What's wrong with that?" U Amakusa said indifferently.

Ichinose answered without hesitation. "Of course it's wrong! You'd be two-timing!"

U Amakusa waved a hand. "Ichinose, how is that two-timing? I just want to give every girl I like a home."

"You like two people?"

"Is that wrong?"

"..."

Ichinose sighed and said helplessly, "All right. I understand that you won't change your mind, U Amakusa. I just hope you won't hurt Sakura too much when the time comes."

"Mm." U Amakusa nodded in agreement. He would have done that even if Ichinose hadn't said anything.

"Um..."

Everyone's attention turned to Kanzaki. He cleared his throat a few times, then continued.

"Can we get back to the important stuff?"

"We've already finished talking about that, haven't we?" U Amakusa said, looking as if he couldn't understand the question.

Kanzaki: ...

Kanzaki said, "Wait, I have a question. Is the school really okay with Hoshinomiya-sensei giving us 10 million Private Points?"

Ichinose also returned to the main topic.

"That's true. If the school allows homeroom teachers to help their classes, then it wouldn't be a battle between students anymore. It would be a battle between homeroom teachers."

Hoshinomiya looked unconcerned. She simply snuck up behind Ichinose and attacked her twin peaks.

Ichinose said nothing, her ears turning red as she did her best to fend off Hoshinomiya's advances.

U Amakusa quietly looked away, though he stole a few glances now and then.

"Ahem. Well, rules are rules, but people are people. From what I've learned in the Student Council, homeroom teachers really can't help their classes—or, to be precise, they can't help them proactively."

Kanzaki asked, "They can't help proactively?"

Ichinose quickly pushed Hoshinomiya away and composed herself before voicing her rough guess.

"It's probably like the school's hidden rules. Hoshinomiya-sensei can't tell us about them on her own, but we can pay her for the hidden rules."

U Amakusa shook his head. "No, that wouldn't count as helping. It's simple, really. The school doesn't allow teachers to offer help proactively. That means you just need to give them a reason for helping your class."

Ichinose and Kanzaki asked in confusion, "A reason?"

U Amakusa made a fist and gestured for Kanzaki to do the same.

"You know how to play rock-paper-scissors, right? I'll throw rock, and you throw scissors."

Rock, paper, scissors.

Kanzaki didn't understand, but he did as instructed. As a result, U Amakusa won the game with a rather lackluster rock.

"See? I won." U Amakusa lowered his fist, looking as if he'd finished explaining.

Kanzaki said thoughtfully, "You mean we can use rock-paper-scissors as the reason?"

Ichinose pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"What U Amakusa means is that the reason the school requires for a teacher to help is just a formality.

"No matter how ridiculous the reason is, it only needs to exist. Even a reason like losing 10 million Private Points in rock-paper-scissors would work."

Clap, clap, clap—

U Amakusa applauded Ichinose. "Exactly right, Ichinose."