Money for Money

"You're... the girl I ran into in the hallway last time?!" Hasebe quickly searched her memory and soon spoke up.

"What does she want with Satsu? Is she here for the same reason as that girl from Class B?" (Haruka Hasebe)

"If she wants the same thing Asako does, I'd be over the moon. But she came to see me about something more important." (Kato Satsu)

Ichinose glanced at Hasebe and nodded politely. "That's right! I'm Ichinose. Ichinose Honami."

Clearly, Ichinose was only replying to Hasebe out of politeness and had no intention of making small talk. After introducing herself, she immediately turned to Satsu.

"Kato, I'd like to speak with you alone." Her expression was solemn, and her tone carried a hint of resolute desperation.

Satsu turned to Hasebe. "Sorry, I might have to step away for a while."

From Ichinose's expression, Hasebe could tell this was serious. She nodded slightly. "It's fine. Take care of what you need to."

Once Satsu agreed, Ichinose didn't say another word. She didn't even wait for him to catch up, quickly turning and leading the way.

Is she scared?

Satsu noticed Ichinose's state of mind. She was walking quickly, seemingly going out of her way to keep a safe distance from him.

Seeing her reaction, Satsu couldn't help connecting it to what she'd witnessed last time.

Ichinose was clearly badly frightened. Satsu knew why, so he didn't force himself to catch up. That would only aggravate her already tense nerves. He simply followed behind her in silence.

Wait, what's she holding in her pocket?

Noticing Ichinose's movements, Satsu focused even harder on reading her thoughts. Before long, he got a terrifying answer.

A knife!

There was a folding fruit knife in Ichinose's pocket. It was only a small knife, but it would be more than enough to use as a weapon.

No way!

Satsu was ninety percent sure Ichinose wouldn't do something like that. She was the sort of person who felt so guilty about stealing something that she shut herself away. Could she really hurt someone?

Besides, she had no real motive!

Even if she wanted to protect her classmate, there was no need to go that far. Could anyone really be that kind?

You never know!

Satsu's heart sank. After all, she acted like the world was ending just because she stole a hair clip.

Though that was because the rumors had spread. For a middle schooler, that kind of pressure really was more than she could handle.

He didn't think it was possible, but Satsu's actions said otherwise. He quietly slowed his pace, putting a little more distance between himself and Ichinose.

Please, protect me, God! Don't let him pounce on me! (Ichinose Honami)

As she prayed, Ichinose tightened her grip on the knife.

Self-defense!

Hearing Ichinose's thoughts, Satsu let out a long breath.

If it's for self-defense, then go back to your room! You scared me half to death!

They turned a corner, and a conspicuous security camera came into view above them.

Ichinose turned around. "Let's talk here. Don't come too close."

Satsu glanced at the camera and, as Ichinose had asked, kept nearly five meters between them. "Why does it feel like I'm the one who wanted to talk to you? Should I go first?"

"What exactly do you want with Asako?" Ichinose spoke first, getting straight to the point.

"Nothing in particular. I just want to be friends."

"Friends? No one would want to be friends with a lunatic like you. Who knows when you might suddenly snap and attack Asako!"

"Are you discriminating against people with mental health problems?"

Satsu didn't deny that he had mental health problems. Instead, he asked a leading question, trying to use the accusation to deflate Ichinose's anger.

He continued, "You know this school assigns students to classes based on their level. Maybe I ended up in Class D because of my mental health."

"But the school accepted me. That's a fact. In other words, the school decided I could live a normal life, so I can make friends like anyone else."

"The school was clearly wrong!" Ichinose said emphatically.

"A time bomb like you should be expelled and sent for proper treatment!"

"People with serious mental illnesses should be treated in isolation. Otherwise, what are psychiatric hospitals for? You'd clearly be better off in a place like that."

Seeing that Ichinose was completely unaffected by his words, Satsu gave up on trying to lead her and decided to hit her with the harsh truth.

"Whether I drop out isn't up to you. And what happens between Asako and me isn't up to you, either."

"What are you going to do? Tell Asako about that incident? Do you think anyone will believe you? So far, I've acted just like a normal person."

"That video you took, the one you could use as evidence, was already confiscated by the school, wasn't it? Otherwise, you wouldn't be wasting your time talking to me here."

Knowing Satsu was right, Ichinose was at a loss for words. Her tone softened noticeably. "Then let's make a deal!"

"What would it take for you to leave Asako alone and never associate with the students in Class B again?"

At that, Satsu was delighted. He'd planned to bring the negotiation to a stalemate and then offer this deal to Ichinose himself.

"One million points!"

Satsu answered at once. Seeing Ichinose's expression, he added, "At this school, points can buy you anything."

"I know you can afford it. You're the Class B bank."

How does he know? (Ichinose Honami)

Satsu ignored Ichinose's confusion and shock and continued, "At the start of the school year, the school gave everyone a hundred thousand points. That's four million for an entire class."

"As Class B, you shouldn't be as reckless with money as Class D. And last month, your class didn't lose any Class Points, so you received a deposit of personal points."

"That means you've got at least two million points on hand right now. Asking for one million isn't unreasonable."

"That's impossible!"

Ichinose refused outright. "If I give you a million, how am I supposed to explain it to my classmates? Everyone entrusted their points to me because they trust me!"

Satsu wasn't surprised by her answer. He spoke slowly. "That's why I've already worked out what you can do."

"I'll exchange real money for the points. It'll be a huge sum. You can choose to drop out and leave your classmates behind, then use the money to give your family a better life."

"Your family is struggling financially, isn't it? Your mother is already in poor health, yet she has to work several jobs to support you and your younger sister."

Ichinose's pupils contracted. "What?!"

"You came to this school because it guarantees university admission and could give you a way forward after graduation, didn't you? I'm offering you that way forward now."

"Of course, it's fine if you don't want to drop out. I'll return the million points in a month."

"I'm not taking all your points. The ones you have left will be enough to get you through the month."

When he finished, Satsu slowly raised the index finger of his left hand.

"I'll offer you one hundred million yen!"