An Alliance with Wu Qiao

Ichinose Honami did not pick up her chopsticks. She took a deep breath, hands tightly clasped on the table, and finally could not help but voice the question that had been stuck in her throat like a fishbone.

"Wu-kun," her voice was strained as she looked directly at Wu Qiao, "about that recording... is the deal you made with Hoshinomiya-sensei really okay? If Class D's class points truly hit zero, everyone will struggle to even afford food next month. The people in Class D will have a miserable time."

Hearing this, Wu Qiao swallowed the last bite of his food and pulled out a napkin to wipe his mouth in a leisurely manner. He leaned back in his chair, his face wearing an indifferent expression, as if Ichinose's concerns were nothing more than a passing drizzle.

"Ichinose, you think too highly of my capabilities and give those people in Class D too much credit for self-awareness." Wu Qiao gently swirled the ice water in his hand, his tone so flat it was nearly cold. "Actually, I don't have to do anything at all. I don't even need to deliberately lead them on; they will exhaust their points by their own merit."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Ayanokoji Kiyoha, who was focused on studying the texture of her strawberry cake, before looking back at Ichinose. "Playing on phones in class, being late, leaving early, and even getting into fights like Sudo does... every one of these behaviors is burning through class points like crazy. Class D is a collection of what the school considers 'defective products'; a lack of discipline and self-awareness is their norm."

"For the first month, I only intended to be a bystander." Wu Qiao shrugged, a faint, mocking curve touching his lips. "They planted these seeds themselves, so naturally, they have to swallow the fruit. I'm merely going with the flow and collecting a bit of a service fee from Hoshinomiya-sensei for my trouble."

Ichinose Honami opened her mouth to retort, but realized that although Wu Qiao's words were cold, they hit the nail on the head regarding the current state of Class D. She had expected Wu Qiao to use some kind of scheme to frame Class D, but she hadn't expected him to simply choose to stand by and watch.

"But..." Ichinose still felt uneasy. "Can you really just do nothing while watching everyone fall into such a predicament?"

"Of course I can." Wu Qiao interrupted her, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "In this school where ability is everything, no one offers charity without a reason. If they want to change their fate, they have to take action themselves, rather than waiting for some savior to descend from the heavens."

At this point, he suddenly changed the subject, his expression becoming somewhat playful. "Actually, Ichinose, since you're so worried about Class D, why don't you just rush over and save them? With your personality and ability, perhaps a little reminder to Class D would change the outcome."

Ichinose Honami froze. She had certainly considered doing so, but Wu Qiao's words, combined with the cruel reality revealed by that recording, made her hesitate to help for the first time. What if her intervention only treated the symptoms but not the root cause, or worse, alerted the enemy and led to even more terrifying consequences?

Watching Ichinose struggle with her thoughts, Wu Qiao smiled without pressing further. He pushed a piece of exquisite cake toward her. "Don't think about it so much. Try this first; sweets are the best medicine for healing a troubled mind."

Ichinose looked at the tempting cake in front of her, then at Wu Qiao's seemingly harmless smiling face, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She suddenly realized that the boy before her was far more complex than she had imagined.

He was neither a pure villain nor the good person she had envisioned, but an observer who drifted outside the rules, calm to the point of being cold.

"...Thank you." Ichinose finally took the cake and took a small bite. The sweet, cloying taste melted on her tongue, yet it did nothing to alleviate the heaviness in her heart.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha, sitting to the side, had not offered a single opinion from start to finish. She simply finished all the food on her plate, then looked up, fixing Wu Qiao with those bottomless eyes.

There was no emotional fluctuation in that gaze, yet it made Wu Qiao's heart skip a beat. This girl seemed to have seen through every one of his performances.

Wu Qiao's bottomless appetite was an eye-opener for Ichinose Honami. Although she had heard that some boys had astonishing appetites, seeing Wu Qiao eat the equivalent of two days' worth of her own food in under an hour without changing his expression was truly absurd.

As the meal ended, Wu Qiao patted his stomach in satisfaction, while Ayanokoji Kiyoha continued to sip her drink in a leisurely manner. This girl from Class D seemed to maintain a vigorous curiosity about all kinds of food; even though she was full, she was still using a small spoon to taste the jam bit by bit.

Ichinose Honami was holding her warm water, lost in thought about their previous conversation, when Wu Qiao suddenly turned to her, extended his right hand, and wore a lazy smile. "Ichinose, let's cooperate. I will try my best to help your class in future special exams."

Ichinose Honami was stunned, then wore a puzzled expression. "Is that really okay? Wu-kun, you should know the school rules very well; only by graduating from Class A can one enjoy true privileges..."

"I only said I would help you during special exams; I haven't made any guarantees about anything else." Wu Qiao interrupted her with a smile, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

Ichinose Honami was even more confused. Besides special exams, was there anything else that could be linked to class points or graduation? In her understanding of the school's assessment system, could there be hidden rules that Wu Qiao knew about that she didn't?

Watching Ichinose's furrowed brows as she struggled to think, Wu Qiao didn't keep her in suspense, simply shrugging with a laugh. "In any case, just give me your answer: do you want this ally or not? Opportunity knocks but once."

Ichinose Honami looked at the hand extended toward her, a battle raging in her heart. Reason told her that forming an alliance with a dangerous individual who could drive Class D's points to zero and was being courted by Hoshinomiya-sensei was no different than asking a tiger for its skin.

But emotionally, she felt that since Wu Qiao had taken the initiative to offer an olive branch, it might be the best opportunity for her to prevent the birth of that future "Tyrant."

"...Fine, I agree." Ichinose Honami took a deep breath, finally reaching out to gently grasp Wu Qiao's hand. "But on the condition that your actions do not violate my principles."

"Deal." Wu Qiao shook her hand and then let go, his smile growing even brighter. "Believe me, Ichinose, this will be the most correct decision you make in this school."

Beside them, Ayanokoji Kiyoha silently set down her empty drink cup, her gaze lingering for a moment on their joined and then separated hands, before she picked up the menu again, as if she had developed a new interest in the remaining food.