Shinomiya's Scheme

The day after the study group fell apart.

Shinomiya approached Ayanokoji and slapped a hand onto his shoulder.

"Ayanokoji, can I talk to you?"

Ayanokoji slightly turned his head to look at Shinomiya's smiling face.

"Ah, sure."

Shinomiya dragged Ayanokoji to the rooftop and locked the door.

This really was a great place to talk—beautiful scenery, an open view, and a door that could be locked.

Ayanokoji looked at Shinomiya locking the door, somewhat puzzled.

"Ayanokoji, I mainly wanted to ask you for a favor this time."

"Ah...? A favor?"

"Right. I want you to guide Horikita into doing something."

Ayanokoji decisively refused.

"Shinomiya, Horikita and I are just desk mates."

Ayanokoji headed straight for the exit.

"The White Room..."

Ayanokoji stopped in his tracks. "Where did you hear about that?"

Shinomiya no longer felt like pretending to be a good classmate with Ayanokoji. His tone turned cold, and his expression darkened.

"Ayanokoji, you want a peaceful life, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have hidden your abilities."

"How do you know?"

The corner of Shinomiya's mouth twitched. The guy had scored exactly fifty points in every subject on every quiz. Who wouldn't notice?

The school was closed off, but it still had limited contact with the outside world.

With a little investigation by people outside, Shinomiya had discovered that Ayanokoji had such a huge secret behind him.

"Your disguise is far too clumsy. Just tell me whether you'll help or not.

If you don't, I'll find someone to tell the White Room you're here."

"Go on, then!"

Seeing that Ayanokoji had agreed, Shinomiya pulled him over and began explaining his plan in detail.

Blah blah blah...

What followed was Ayanokoji guiding Horikita into helping Shinomiya, making Horikita defend him.

Meanwhile, when Shinomiya told Kushida how to deal with Horikita, he would express sympathy for her and observe Kushida's reaction.

Kushida's reaction was what Shinomiya and Ayanokoji would be focusing on over the next few days.

After that embrace, Shinomiya once again felt that there was a possibility of being together with Kushida.

So Shinomiya wanted to weigh his place in Kushida's heart and change her, even if only a little.

He couldn't indulge her like he had in middle school, only for her to leave him in the end.

Kushida's personality was complicated, and that had been what first attracted Shinomiya to her.

But if he indulged her, then whenever Kushida faced a choice, she would choose to avoid him because of her personality.

So Shinomiya wanted Kushida to choose again—to choose him!

This choice would come entirely from her own heart, without pressure from any real-world factors.

Shinomiya had already lowered the difficulty as much as possible. He hoped Kushida could make a sacrifice for him.

And Horikita was the other protagonist Shinomiya had chosen. Kushida disliked her, but she also envied her somewhat.

Because Horikita was independent and didn't need to cater to others, the exact opposite of Kushida.

That was why Kushida liked asking others whether they liked girls like Horikita.

And in Kushida's eyes, Horikita was a potential threat.

Therefore, Shinomiya wanted Kushida to keep Horikita for his sake!

Of course, Shinomiya knew Horikita knew nothing about what had happened in middle school, but Kushida was unwilling to take even the slightest risk.

Could Kushida compromise for him?

Would this time be different?

Time returned to the present.

"Ayanokoji, finish these last two days, and I'll give you another hundred thousand points."

"After that, you need to guide Horikita into devising a way to make the three Class C students withdraw their accusations, so she can become my 'benefactor.'"

"Also, Horikita wasn't in great condition today. She didn't even finish the argument I had you teach her.

Luckily, the final result was decent."

"Once they withdraw their accusations, arrange for Horikita to meet me that night. Kushida and I have something to discuss with him."

After laying out all his plans, Shinomiya looked at Ayanokoji and waited for his response.

Ayanokoji merely nodded and replied.

"Mm, got it."

Shinomiya was out of options too.

"You really can't squeeze a word out of yourself, can you?"

"Message me once you've dealt with those three from Class C."

With that, Shinomiya left.

When he returned to the dorm, he saw Kushida already sitting by the bed.

Shinomiya had told the dorm manager that he had lost his room key, then gotten a second one for Kushida.

"Shinomiya, what do we do in two days? Can we win?" Kushida asked worriedly.

Shinomiya set down his shoulder bag and poured himself a glass of water.

"I don't know. It's fifty-fifty right now. The worst outcome is that both sides get punished."

"Ah...? What happens if we get punished?"

Shinomiya took a sip of water and sat down in his chair.

"Then all four of us get expelled."

Kushida punched Shinomiya, nearly making him choke.

"Why aren't you worried at all?! Did you really hit them?"

"I did," Shinomiya instantly answered.

"You really did hit them! Then aren't you dead if they find out?!"

"That's true." Shinomiya nodded solemnly.

"You're still joking around!" Kushida exploded. "You don't even care about yourself! I'm done with you!"

Kushida felt terribly wronged. She had been running around doing everything she could, yet Shinomiya didn't seem to care at all.

"What, you can't bear to lose me?"

Shinomiya moved his chair closer, closing the distance between them.

"...Of course not. You still owe me. Don't even think about running until you've paid me back!"

"Then I definitely can't run. It's part of the contract."

Seeing that Kushida was still somewhat uneasy, Shinomiya comforted her.

"Besides, isn't Horikita still here? Ayanokoji just told me they've figured out a way."

Hearing that only made Kushida more depressed. In Shinomiya's eyes, there was only that bitch.

Seeing Kushida fall silent in frustration, Shinomiya stopped fanning the flames.

He needed to learn how to control the heat, or it would blow up.

After that, Shinomiya seriously comforted Kushida and reassured her.

After seeing Kushida back to her dorm.

Shinomiya began sorting through his plan.

Once he confirmed there were no problems, Shinomiya peacefully settled down to read a novel.

As for Ryuuen, he was nothing. Why would Lord Shinomiya waste his energy on him?

Over on Ayanokoji's side.

He was discussing how to win this trial with Horikita.

"Ayanokoji, do you have a way to prove Shinomiya's innocence?"

Ayanokoji had long known the truth from Shinomiya. Shinomiya really had hit them.

But he still answered as Shinomiya had asked.

"I think we just need to make this incident disappear."

"What do you mean?"

Ayanokoji explained to Horikita how they could make Class C withdraw its complaint.

The general method was to buy two fake cameras and place them at the scene, then use Kushida's influence to arrange a meeting with the three Class C students.

They would tell them that the school had known about that night all along, and that this was a test for them. If Class D chose to check the surveillance footage, then they would also be expelled for giving false testimony and disrupting school order.

The best outcome for everyone was for Class C to withdraw its complaint.

"Wait, what do you mean, we'd all be expelled?" Horikita asked, confused.

Ayanokoji explained that Shinomiya really had hit them that night, but it hadn't been that serious.

Because admitting it would put him at a disadvantage, Shinomiya hadn't acknowledged it.

After learning that, Horikita pursed her lips, gaining a new understanding of Shinomiya's cunning.

That guy Shinomiya really was no good!

The plan went very smoothly. The next day, Ayanokoji asked Kushida for help, and she readily agreed, immediately arranging a meeting with the three of them.

Then came Ayanokoji and Horikita's coordinated performance, which scared the three so badly that they went straight to the student council to withdraw their complaint.

Shinomiya was a little unhappy, though.

He still had to reimburse the points Ayanokoji had spent buying the fake surveillance cameras!

That night, the curtain was about to rise!