After lunch, the three of them left the cafeteria together. On the tree-lined path leading to the main building, Wu Qiao made an excuse to go on ahead, leaving Ichinose Honami and Ayanokoji Kiyoha walking side by side behind him.
Watching Wu Qiao's figure recede into the distance, the smile on Ichinose Honami's face gradually faded, and her brows furrowed slightly without her realizing it. The more she thought about it, the more something felt off. It was as though an invisible hand had gently squeezed her heart.
Wu Qiao knew the core rules about Personal Points and Class Points. She could still force an explanation for that by telling herself, "He must be exceptionally capable, or perhaps he has access to some unknown source of information."
However, the two "chance encounters" that had happened today were both times she had used the Simulator's foresight to get to him first. Yet at this moment, Ichinose felt as if she had been the one to walk straight into a trap he had carefully laid.
What had happened in the cafeteria just now felt especially wrong. Wu Qiao had seemed to "pass the responsibility" to her, asking her to look after Ayanokoji, but on closer inspection, wasn't that a clever test and a calculated move?
Something's not right... Ichinose murmured to herself, unconsciously rubbing the hem of her skirt with her fingertips.
According to the original records in her Life Simulator, Ayanokoji Kiyoha was supposed to be the one who came up with plans and manipulated everything from behind the scenes. Wu Qiao, at most, was only the one who carried them out.
But everything she had seen today suggested that Wu Qiao, who seemed so laid-back and only wanted to eat a hamburger steak in the cafeteria, was the one truly calling the shots.
An absurd yet plausible theory gradually took shape in her mind. Could it be that Ayanokoji Kiyoha was only a front? Was Wu Qiao deliberately putting her forward as a shield so he wouldn't seem like an all-around genius?
Ichinose Honami felt deeply troubled. Later in the simulation, Wu Qiao had shown a terrifying side as a "Tyrant," but in the early days of campus life, he had seemed quite simple, even a little bookish.
And according to the clues from the simulation, Wu Qiao never backed down when someone needed to step up.
Thinking about it that way, perhaps his seemingly casual refusal in the cafeteria just now wasn't because he wanted to slack off. Instead, he had used an extremely smooth approach to tie her, a key figure in Class B, to Class D's "mastermind," bringing Class B closer to Class D—or, rather, to Wu Qiao himself—without anyone noticing.
It seemed she would have to take another look at Wu Qiao, the student from Class D.
Ichinose Honami took a deep breath and glanced at Ayanokoji Kiyoha beside her. She still wore the same blank expression, as if she didn't care about anything around her. The ominous feeling in Ichinose's heart only grew stronger.
This seemingly simple opening appeared to be hurtling in a completely unpredictable direction.
Wu Qiao quickened his pace, leaving the route he had been walking with Ichinose Honami and Ayanokoji Kiyoha. He wasn't simply trying to shake off those two headaches; he really did have something important to do.
Advanced Nurturing High School was far more complicated than it seemed. According to the absurd direction of the original story, Class D's Class Points would be wiped out next month because of various violations, setting a shameful record for the school.
Wu Qiao had no intention of starving alongside Class D. He planned to use this decisive information advantage to strike a deal with Hoshinomiya Chie, the "frenemy" whose relationship with Chabashira Sae was complicated.
He would use Class D's upcoming defeat as leverage to get a hefty sum of Personal Points.
He had even hidden a voice recorder in his sleeve ahead of time, making sure he was fully prepared.
However, on the way to the teachers' office, a beautiful figure with a blonde ponytail suddenly appeared from around the corner, blocking his path with perfect precision.
Wu Qiao stopped, staring at the girl before him. She was breathing a little heavily, but had a firm grip on his hand, keeping him from going any farther. He looked utterly baffled.
Karuizawa Kei? Wasn't this Class D gal supposed to be busy making alliances with the girls in class, or racking her brains for a shield like Hirata Yosuke? How did she have time to ambush him halfway there?
Before Wu Qiao could figure things out, Karuizawa Kei suddenly looked up. Her eyes, usually tinged with frivolity and arrogance, now held a chilling coldness.
"Wu Qiao," she said in a low voice, each word icy. "You're planning to sell out Class D, aren't you?"
Wu Qiao froze for a moment. His mind raced, but he put on a bewildered expression. "I don't know what you're talking about, Karuizawa."
"Don't play dumb!" Karuizawa Kei fumed, staring straight into his eyes. "You want Class D's Class Points wiped out so you can demand a huge sum of Personal Points from Hoshinomiya Chie, right?"
Wu Qiao's heart gave a sudden jolt. How was that possible? He had only thought it through by himself. He hadn't even written up a draft. How could Karuizawa Kei know?
Ever since getting that strange Daily Intelligence System, Karuizawa Kei had been able to refresh it every morning and receive secret information about those around her. Today's entry had stated plainly: [At 12:30, Wu Qiao plans to take advantage of Class D's Class Points being wiped out next month and extort Personal Points from Hoshinomiya Chie.]
To get a foothold at this school, Karuizawa Kei had come here early and waited. She knew her own situation all too well, so she had to be faster and more ruthless than everyone else.
Someone like Wu Qiao, who clearly had leverage in his hands, was best caught early and turned into her own pawn.
Seeing the girl's confident expression, Wu Qiao spread his hands innocently. "Karuizawa, have you been reading too many novels? What are you talking about?"
"I know you know a lot, and I know you look down on everyone in Class D." Karuizawa Kei took a step closer, nearly pressing against Wu Qiao. Her voice carried a note of both threat and persuasion. "Help me, and help yourself. Otherwise, I'll tell Chabashira-sensei and our classmates about the scheme you just came up with."
Wu Qiao looked at her putting on a bold front and sighed inwardly. It seemed he couldn't keep playing dumb. How did this girl know so much?
The plot had gone off the rails pretty badly. But then again, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had even turned into a girl as Ayanokoji Kiyoha. In this world, what was impossible?
Now that one corner of his hand had been exposed, there was no point in holding back.
In the blink of an eye, Wu Qiao's expression darkened. He took a sudden step forward, and his lazy air instantly became oppressive.
Before Karuizawa Kei could react, he grabbed her wrist and slammed her against the cold wall.
"You!" Karuizawa Kei cried out in shock and instinctively tried to struggle, but she was no match for Wu Qiao's strength.
Wu Qiao pressed in close and braced one hand against the wall beside Karuizawa Kei's ear, trapping her completely in the narrow space between him and the wall. He leaned toward her ear, his warm breath brushing her sensitive neck, while his other hand slowly moved down and finally stopped precisely over her abdomen, beneath her left breast.
Through the thin fabric of her uniform, Wu Qiao lightly tapped that spot with his finger. His voice was low and dangerous. "Here, right?"
Karuizawa Kei's pupils contracted sharply, and it felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen.
"Guess how much I know." Wu Qiao's voice was like a demon's whisper, full of suffocating control. "You dare threaten me with that little bit of information you have? Do you even know how much dirt I have on you? Or on the others in our class?"
Karuizawa Kei's expression turned utterly rigid. Wu Qiao hadn't touched the ugly scar itself, but the terror of being seen through made her strong facade crumble in an instant.
It was the nightmare left behind by the bullying she had suffered in middle school, the one thing she had desperately tried to hide—an absolute taboo. Yet this seemingly ordinary boy had pointed it out with ease.
In that instant, the hunter became prey. Karuizawa Kei's lips trembled slightly. The coldness in her eyes gave way to overwhelming fear. She bit her lower lip hard and couldn't say a word.