Student Council Invitation (4)

"Hehe, then I shall let Classmate Sakayanagi off for the time being."

"Now, let's get down to business. Do you know who I was referring to earlier, Kitahara Seiichi?"

Kitahara gave a slight shake of his head. Tsk, who wouldn't know it's Ayanokoji, the one you've been obsessing over?

"I played a game against him eight years ago, but unfortunately, I lost. Ever since then, I have been determined to bury him—this fake genius."

"You don't mean to say that the person you intend to bury is currently in my class, do you?" Kitahara feigned an analytical tone.

"Indeed, though he seems to lack any motivation at the moment," Sakayanagi Arisu agreed.

"You aren't talking about that guy Ayanokoji, are you?" Kitahara said, holding the answer.

"I didn't expect Classmate Kitahara to have already figured it out. Yes, he is the one I intend to bury."

"So, you mean you want me to help you? Though, you don't seem like the type to ask for such things."

"Hehe, I naturally hope that my duel with him remains free of any interference, and I intend to settle the score through a class competition."

"But setting aside that guy Ayanokoji for a moment, even you, Sakayanagi, haven't truly secured leadership over your class yet."

"It seems Classmate Kitahara is quite well-informed about our class situation. However, while that Katsuragi fellow has some ability, he is ultimately no match for me. I shall let him lead for a while longer," Sakayanagi said with effortless ease.

"I didn't expect you to be so confident, Sakayanagi. Although I haven't met him, I have a general idea of his personality. If he were at any other high school, he would surely achieve great things, but here..."

"If I were to rate Katsuragi as a B, then in my heart, Classmate Kitahara is an A."

"Then I thank Classmate Sakayanagi for the high praise," Kitahara replied modestly.

"However, based on my observations, that guy Ayanokoji has no desire to lead the class. He only wishes to enjoy his high school life in peace."

"Hehe, then that will depend on your capabilities, Classmate Kitahara."

"Very well, that is all I had to discuss. We can leave the rest for another time."

"I still believe that you are capable of it, Classmate Kitahara," Sakayanagi said, wearing a triumphant smile once more.

"By the way, that guy Ayanokoji is already on the verge of pushing forward a 'puppet.' He likely intends to remain hidden behind the scenes," Kitahara said, revealing everything he knew about the current situation.

"Is that so? It must be Classmate Horikita, who is always by his side."

"Yes, that certainly seems to be the case for now."

"..."

"Then thank you for your company today, Classmate Kitahara. I had a wonderful time," Sakayanagi said, suddenly looking out at the scenery beyond the window.

Kitahara followed her gaze and noticed that the sky was already growing dim.

"I didn't expect time to pass so quickly; it's already evening. I shall take my leave, Classmate Sakayanagi." Although he said he was leaving, Kitahara did not move, instead continuing to watch her.

Noticing his gaze, Sakayanagi chuckled softly, "There is no need to trouble yourself with seeing me back today, Classmate Kitahara."

"Heh, who said I wanted to see you back?"

As Kitahara walked back to his dormitory, he suddenly realized he had forgotten something.

Damn it, I didn't discuss the upcoming exam with her. Oh well, I'll talk to her about it tomorrow.

However, Sakayanagi's words reminded me of something. If she can have a secret place of her own, why can't I? I'm just a bit worried about how many points it will cost to secure the rights.

After all, I still have the task of collecting 20 million points. Today's match served as a reminder that although there is still some time left for the task, the sooner I complete it, the more advantageous it will be for me.

Sigh, I also have the task of joining the Student Council. If that's the case, can I get a free ride?

Is there any way to obtain a space for free?

"Right, I can apply to start a club! The school doesn't have an Esports Club yet. Not only that, but I could also pocket the activity funding and the space provided by the school."

"I could even use that to invite others to join and complete the tasks issued by the system."

"Hehe, so the most urgent priority now is how to join the Student Council. If I go and apply directly, I feel like I might lose face, especially since I already warned Ichinose not to join the Student Council."

"It seems I'll have to make a move during this midterm exam. Only then will I have a suitable excuse to approach the Student Council for a discussion."

Once Kitahara returned to his room, he quickly picked up the internal phone and said, "Please connect me to Class 1-A, Sakayanagi Arisu. This is Kitahara Seiichi from Class 1-D; I have something to discuss with her."

"Oh, is Classmate Kitahara so reluctant to part with me? You couldn't even wait until you got back to your room to call me," Sakayanagi Arisu's slightly teasing voice came through the phone.

I take back my previous assessment of her; she really is a trashy loli.

"Ahem, I walked away too quickly earlier and forgot to discuss one thing with you."

"What could possibly be important enough for you to call me personally, Classmate Kitahara?"

"It's about the upcoming midterm exam. I need to pull some strings, and I need your help."

"Oh?" Sakayanagi sounded intrigued.

"Sakayanagi, are you aware that there are 'archaeological papers' for this exam?"

"Oh? Such things actually exist? It seems this is a shortcut provided by the school for the lower-ranked classes. However, their existence shouldn't have any impact on us in the upper-ranked classes."

"Besides, something like this should only exist this one time. The school wouldn't allow us to face every exam like this."

"Yes, exactly. So if we want to take advantage of this opportunity, we only have one shot. It won't be this easy to act again, as this is essentially a flaw in the school's system."

"It seems you've already figured out what to do, Classmate Kitahara. It looks like I'm going to earn a massive amount of points from this as well."

"Before that, I'd like to ask, how is your academic ability, Sakayanagi?"

"Hehe, Classmate Kitahara doesn't need to worry about that. Because of my health, I haven't been able to go out, so I finished learning all the high school curriculum while at home."

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Classmate Sakayanagi. I hope you can draft a new test paper."

"I see, so that's what Classmate Kitahara is planning." Sakayanagi quickly grasped what Kitahara was thinking.

"Exactly, because that's the only way to maximize our gains."

"But if we do that, I'm afraid there will be many dropouts among the lower classes. With the current point totals, it's impossible to save them all. I doubt the school authorities would be happy to see such a situation."

"Hehe, that's where your control over the difficulty of the test comes in, Classmate Sakayanagi. Only then can we ensure the school authorities accept our proposal to the greatest extent."

"That's enough for now. Let's discuss the specifics at the cafe tomorrow."

Just as Kitahara was about to hang up, Sakayanagi asked, "Is Classmate Kitahara in such a rush to collect points because you want to save up for a class transfer?"

"Who knows?" Kitahara countered using her own words.

"Hehe, but won't our meeting at the cafe tomorrow make others think we're dating? After all, you were called out of your class today, and the school forum is already buzzing with what happened."

"Hahaha."

Before Kitahara could reply, Sakayanagi Arisu had already hung up the phone.

Argh, I got outplayed again. Don't let me find out who posted this on the web.

After putting down the phone and washing up, Kitahara collapsed onto his bed, exhausted, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, in a dormitory on the other side of campus, someone was still wide awake because of this incident.