Ayanokoji Kiyoha's Change

Inside the infirmary, the afternoon sunlight was softened by the curtains. Kushida Kikyo stood before the hospital bed, her signature perfect smile plastered on her face as she reported the results to Wu Qiao, who was leaning against the headboard.

"Wu-kun, it's all taken care of." Kushida Kikyo clasped her hands behind her back, her tone light. "Hirata-kun and I worked together, using the pressure of public opinion to successfully extract 800,000 private points from Class A as compensation for you. They were surprisingly quick to agree, just to smooth things over and keep the situation from escalating."

Wu Qiao, who had been feigning sleep, finally opened his eyes upon hearing the figure. He leaned back against the bed; despite the numerous bandages wrapped around his body, his spirits seemed quite high. He nodded, a satisfied smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Not bad. I wasn't expecting much, but this number is decent. It seems the elites of Class A are quite willing to pay up."

Karuizawa Kei, standing to the side, looked at the layers of bandages on Wu Qiao and turned pale. She couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Are you really okay? Wu-kun, you're hurt so badly... it looks so painful."

Wu Qiao turned his head to look at Karuizawa Kei's worried and fearful expression, then gave a slight nod. "It's true, it's a bit more serious than I anticipated. That guy didn't know how to pull his punches. But it's no big deal. The injuries are on me, not you, so what are you afraid of?"

He paused, softening his tone with a hint of reassurance. "Alright, Kei, it's not like I could have let you do this. You just need to be responsible for bringing people at the critical moment; leave the rest to me. These minor injuries are a small price to pay to make Class A bleed. It's a good deal."

Kushida Kikyo watched their interaction, a flicker of complex emotion passing through her eyes, though she quickly returned to her gentle and considerate persona. "Wu-kun, you really are something, thinking about points even when you're hurt like this. Hirata-kun also asked me to pass on his regards and told you to rest well."

"Thank Hirata for me; this time, it was all thanks to his help." Wu Qiao waved a hand, then, as if remembering something, looked at Kushida Kikyo. "By the way, Kushida, did Class A say anything?"

"They weren't happy about it, of course, but the evidence was conclusive. With the security footage and the witnesses Ichinose-san found, they had no way to deny it." Kushida Kikyo shrugged. "Kito Hayato probably isn't having an easy time in his class right now, after all, he was the one who personally pushed you."

Wu Qiao chuckled, a flash of coldness in his eyes. "He deserves it. Who told him to fall for the trap?"

Karuizawa Kei listened to the two of them discuss these schemes and power plays. Although she still felt a bit afraid, seeing Wu Qiao's nonchalant demeanor helped her tense nerves relax slightly. She knew that the seemingly ordinary boy before her was far more dangerous than she had imagined.

"Alright, you two head back now. I want to sleep a bit more." Wu Qiao yawned and lay back down on his pillow. "We'll deal with the rest after I'm discharged."

Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei exchanged a glance, nodded, and turned to leave the infirmary.

Not long after, the door to the room was pushed open gently, and Ayanokoji Kiyoha walked in, carrying a container of still-steaming skewers.

She pulled up a chair to the bedside and opened the takeout box; the rich aroma of cumin and meat instantly dispelled the cold scent of disinfectant in the room.

"Just picked these up. Eat them while they're hot." Ayanokoji Kiyoha handed him a skewer, her expression as calm as if she were just here to chat with a friend.

Wu Qiao accepted it without hesitation. Despite the bandages, it didn't dampen his appetite in the slightest. The two ate the skewers in silence until the food in the paper bag was gone. Only then did Ayanokoji Kiyoha pull out a tissue to wipe her hands, breaking the silence.

"Why did you do it?" She raised her eyes, her gaze fixed directly on Wu Qiao. "I don't believe you did all this just for 800,000 points, even at the cost of getting yourself into such a sorry state."

Wu Qiao swallowed the last bite of meat and tossed the bamboo stick into the trash can, humming softly. "Ichinose knew about the existence of class points as soon as school started, and that clever Sakayanagi Arisu must have figured out some of the rules long ago. Now that I've hit Class A so hard, their class points must have taken a significant hit. This way, the gap between Class A and Class B will tighten significantly, perhaps even leveling out."

He paused, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. "When the points of two classes are infinitely close, Class A will pour most of their energy into guarding against Class B to maintain their top spot. As for our Class D? Our class points will reset next month, and the gap between us and them will be massive by then. If they want to target us, they'll have to carefully weigh the costs and benefits first."

At this point, Wu Qiao turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Ayanokoji Kiyoha. "Besides, this can be considered finding a shield for you. In the future, if Sakayanagi bothers you again or challenges you to something boring, just tell her—defeat Wu Qiao first. With me as a target to draw the fire, you'll be able to have some peace."

Ayanokoji Kiyoha listened silently, her eyes flickering slightly. She hadn't expected Wu Qiao's calculations to extend to the strategic level of the classes, or that he would go so far as to make himself a target just to create a more stable environment for her.

After a long while, she sighed softly, her tone tinged with helplessness and curiosity. "Wu-kun, I still don't understand. Why go to such lengths? Is it really worth taking such a big risk for a reason like this?"

Wu Qiao was stunned for a moment, then spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his tone as light as if he were commenting on the taste of the skewers. "Because I promised you that I'd let you have a good school life. If it weren't for this damn meritocratic school, I wouldn't have had to resort to so many troublesome methods."

Ayanokoji Kiyoha froze slightly. Looking at the injured boy before her, the solid ice in her heart seemed to have been gently struck by a warm emotion. She lowered her eyes to hide the look in them and whispered, "...Idiot."

"Huh? Who are you calling an idiot?"

"It's nothing." Ayanokoji Kiyoha stood up and tidied up the empty takeout box. "Rest well. I'll keep an eye on the rest for you."

Ayanokoji Kiyoha gently closed the infirmary door, shutting the boy who was covered in bandages yet still smiling so recklessly behind it. The corridor was quiet, with only her somewhat monotonous footsteps echoing.

She slowed her pace, but the boy's matter-of-fact expression couldn't help but surface in her mind—"Because I promised you that I'd let you have a good school life."

What an absurd reason.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha's gaze fell on her folded hands, but her thoughts drifted back to the cold, pale, and temperatureless "White Room."

There, everyone she encountered, every word spoken, and even every glance was the product of precise calculation.

The strong devour the weak; survival of the fittest was the only truth. Her father had polished her into the perfect tool, but he had never taught her what a promise was, nor had he ever taught her that someone would be willing to get themselves covered in wounds for something so ethereal.

The boy named Wu Qiao was simply a walking paradox.

He did as he pleased, acted eccentrically, and never played by the rules. He seemed to always drift outside the system, yet he could always use the rules with precision to deliver a fatal blow to his opponents.

He appeared casual and lazy, but in reality, he was calculating every step. That composure, as if he had already foreseen everything, even made her, a masterpiece of the "White Room," feel a sense of inexplicable pressure.

What she found most incredible was that this boy, full of secrets, seemed to know her inside and out.

He didn't need to speak, didn't need to explain, and didn't even need to make a facial expression; he could accurately guess her thoughts and detect the true emotions she had buried deep beneath her calm mask. The boy was like an audience member who had already read the script, and she, the actress, seemed to have nowhere to hide in front of him.

However...

Ayanokoji Kiyoha stopped and tilted her head slightly, looking through the corridor window toward the infirmary.

She knew nothing about him.

Where did he come from? What kind of true personality was hidden beneath that face that always wore a cynical smile? What did he care about? And what was he afraid of?

A feeling she had never experienced before, called longing, sprouted silently like a tiny seed in the heart that had long been accustomed to being frozen.

"Wu Qiao..."

She whispered the name, her eyes losing some of their usual indifference and gaining a hint of curiosity and softness she hadn't even noticed herself.

Perhaps it was time to find out what kind of person this idiot, who dared to drag the entire Class A into the mud for the sake of a promise, really was.