Ichinose Honami didn't pick up her chopsticks. She took a deep breath, clasped her hands tightly on the table, and finally couldn't hold back the question that had been eating at her.
"Wu-kun," she said, her voice tight as she looked straight at Wu Qiao. "About that recording... Was the deal you made with Hoshinomiya-sensei really okay? If Class D's Class Points really hit zero, everyone will have trouble even affording food next month. They'll have a terrible time."
After hearing her out, Wu Qiao swallowed his last bite, pulled out a napkin, and leisurely wiped his mouth. He leaned back in his chair, looking unconcerned, as if Ichinose's worry amounted to no more than a passing shower.
"Ichinose, you think I'm too much of a miracle worker, and you give those people in Class D too much credit for their self-awareness." Wu Qiao gently swirled the ice water in his glass, his tone so calm it was almost cold. "I don't actually have to do anything. I don't even need to deliberately lead them astray. They'll use their own actions to burn through their points."
He tilted his head slightly, glancing at Ayanokoji Kiyoha, who was absorbed in studying the texture of her strawberry cake, then looked back at Ichinose. "Using their phones in class, coming late or leaving early, even picking fights at the drop of a hat like Sudo... Every one of those things drains Class Points like crazy. Class D is made up of the defective products in the school's eyes. A lack of discipline and self-control is the norm for them."
"For the first month, I only planned to sit back and watch." Wu Qiao shrugged, a faintly mocking smile curling his lips. "They sowed those seeds themselves, so naturally they have to reap what they've sown. I'm merely going with the flow and collecting the fee I'm owed from Hoshinomiya-sensei."
Ichinose Honami opened her mouth to argue, but realized that although Wu Qiao's words were cold, they hit the nail on the head about Class D's situation. She had assumed he would use some scheme to sabotage Class D, but he had merely chosen to stand by and do nothing.
"But..." Ichinose still felt uneasy. "Can you really do nothing while watching everyone fall into trouble?"
"Of course." Wu Qiao cut her off, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "In a school where strength comes first, nobody gives away sympathy for no reason. If they want to change their fate, they have to take action themselves instead of waiting for some savior to come down from the sky."
Then he suddenly changed the subject, his gaze turning playful. "But what about you, Ichinose? If you're so worried about Class D, why don't you rush over and save them right now? With your personality and abilities, a little warning might be enough to change their fate."
Ichinose Honami froze. Of course she had considered doing that, but Wu Qiao's words, along with the cruel reality revealed by the recording, had made her hesitate about helping others for the first time. What if her involvement only treated the symptoms, not the cause—or even tipped off the wrong people and brought about something far worse?
Seeing Ichinose caught in a dilemma, Wu Qiao smiled and didn't press her further. He pushed a beautifully made slice of cake in front of her. "Don't overthink it. Try this first. Sweets are a great cure for a bad mood."
Ichinose looked at the tempting cake, then at Wu Qiao's seemingly harmless smile, her feelings a tangled mess. She suddenly realized that the boy in front of her was far more complicated than the one she had seen in her simulations.
He was neither pure evil nor the good person she had imagined, but an observer outside the rules, calm to the point of coldness.
"...Thank you." Ichinose finally accepted the cake and took a small bite. Its cloying sweetness melted on her tongue, but did nothing to lighten the weight in her heart.
Ayanokoji Kiyoha, sitting beside them, hadn't said a word the entire time. She simply finished all the food on her plate, then looked up at Wu Qiao with those fathomless eyes.
There was no emotion in her gaze, yet it stirred something in Wu Qiao. This girl seemed to have seen through every bit of his act.
Wu Qiao's seemingly bottomless appetite left Ichinose Honami wide-eyed. She had heard that some boys could eat astonishing amounts, but watching Wu Qiao calmly consume nearly two days' worth of her food in just one hour was truly ridiculous.
When they finished eating, Wu Qiao patted his stomach with satisfaction, while Ayanokoji Kiyoha was still leisurely sipping her drink. The Class D girl seemed endlessly curious about all kinds of food. Even though she was full, she was still using a little spoon to sample the jam bit by bit.
Holding a cup of warm water, Ichinose Honami was lost in thought about their earlier conversation when Wu Qiao suddenly turned toward her and held out his right hand, a lazy smile on his face. "Ichinose, let's work together. I'll do my best to help your class in future Special Exams."
Ichinose Honami jolted, then looked puzzled. "Is that really okay? Wu-kun, you should know the school's rules very well. Only the students who graduate from Class A get to enjoy the real privileges..."
"I only said I'd help you during Special Exams. I haven't made any promises about anything else." Wu Qiao interrupted her with a smile, a sly glint flashing in his eyes.
Ichinose Honami was even more confused. What else besides Special Exams could be connected to Class Points or graduation? As far as she knew, Special Exams were the only part of the school's evaluation system. Did Wu Qiao know about some hidden rules she didn't?
Seeing Ichinose frown as she tried to work it out, Wu Qiao didn't keep her guessing. He simply shrugged and smiled. "Anyway, just give me a straight answer. Do you want me as an ally or not? This opportunity won't come again."
Ichinose Honami looked at the hand he held out, torn between two choices. Reason told her that allying herself with a dangerous person who could bring Class D's points down to zero and had even been courted by Hoshinomiya-sensei was like making a deal with the devil.
But on an emotional level, she felt that since Wu Qiao had offered an olive branch, this might be her best chance to prevent the birth of the future "Tyrant."
"...All right, I accept." Ichinose Honami took a deep breath, then reached out and gently clasped Wu Qiao's hand. "But only if your actions don't go against my principles."
"Deal." Wu Qiao gave her hand a brief shake, then let go, his smile growing brighter. "Trust me, Ichinose. This will be the best decision you make at this school."
Ayanokoji Kiyoha silently set down her empty glass. Her gaze lingered for a moment on their hands as they clasped and parted, then she picked up the menu again, as if she had found something else she wanted to try.