Kushida's Terms

At seven in the evening, the small flower bed behind the dormitory was much quieter than it was during the day.

The streetlights were not particularly bright.

They were just bright enough to make out people's expressions.

But not so bright that they could expose all the thoughts left unsaid.

By the time Gu Heng arrived, Kushida was already there.

She leaned against the low railing, looking down at her phone.

When she heard his footsteps, she looked up and smiled first.

"You're punctual."

"So are you."

Kushida put away her phone, her eyes curving slightly.

"I thought you'd bring someone else with you."

She spoke softly. "Like Hirata-kun or Horikita-san."

"If I brought them, you wouldn't tell the truth."

"Wow."

She blinked. "Your prejudice against me is getting worse and worse."

"It's not prejudice."

Gu Heng stood across from her. "It's experience."

The smile on Kushida's face paused for less than half a second.

Then she picked it back up as naturally as ever.

"So you really are curious about what terms I'll name?"

"Why else would I have come?"

"True."

Her voice was very soft.

But Gu Heng still saw the familiar figures above her head flicker faintly beneath the streetlight.

Testing 88

Anticipation 62

Eliminate Threat 84

Gu Heng glanced at them without saying anything.

"Then I'll fulfill my end first."

Kushida said, "The first person to spread the words 'Sudo might receive a major demerit' at noon today was a girl in Yamauchi's circle."

"Name."

"Manabe Shiho."

Gu Heng's gaze shifted slightly.

The trail suddenly made sense.

"Who's behind her?" Gu Heng asked.

"I can't be sure of that yet." Kushida smiled. "But she's been meeting frequently with several girls from Class C lately, and she's mentioned more than once that the people in Ryuuen's class are really good at having fun."

That was enough.

This was no longer ordinary gossip.

Someone was using girls' chatter to push "Sudo is in trouble" toward "Sudo is already beyond saving."

"Now it's your turn to name your terms," Gu Heng said.

Kushida did not answer immediately.

She stared at Gu Heng for two seconds first.

As if confirming whether he would play dumb at the last moment, or downplay the deal they had agreed on.

Only then did she slowly speak.

"It's simple."

She said, "If you come to me for information again, don't treat me as nothing but a tool and throw me away once you're done."

Gu Heng did not rush to answer.

"Be specific," he said.

"To be specific," Kushida stepped half a pace forward, her voice still soft, "when you know something, at least let me know where I stand."

"Like today."

"You clearly pushed me in to scout things out, but you never told me who you were really trying to test."

Gu Heng understood.

What she wanted was not a piece of information.

It was a position.

She did not want to be just a messenger.

She wanted to know whether, in Gu Heng's game, she was bait or a blade.

"You want to know whether you're bait or a blade?" Gu Heng asked.

Kushida's smile paused slightly.

"Something like that."

"Then I'll tell you now."

Gu Heng looked at her. "You're both."

This time, Kushida truly fell silent for two seconds.

Even her smile did not return right away.

Gu Heng continued.

"You can carry information where it needs to go, so you're a blade."

"But I also wanted to see which side would react first because of the half-truth you carried out."

"So you're bait too."

Kushida let out a quiet breath.

"You really don't bother pretending at all."

"You wouldn't believe me if I did."

"And you're not afraid I'll get angry?"

"I am."

Gu Heng nodded. "But I'm more afraid that you'll think I'm going to sweet-talk you into continuing to work for me."

When he said that, the smile on Kushida's face slowed by half a beat.

For the first time, the way she looked at Gu Heng became genuinely more serious.

"So that's your answer?" she asked.

"No."

Gu Heng said, "That's the first part."

"There's a second part?"

"There is."

Gu Heng looked at her. "If you probe a lead for me in the future, I won't send you out blindly without knowing the direction."

"In other words, I won't use you and then discard you."

Kushida's eyes flickered slightly.

That was what she had been waiting for.

Not trust.

But at least an acknowledgment that she had a place.

"That sounds pretty good."

She said softly, "Then I'll give you something in return."

"What?"

"Manabe didn't suddenly decide to talk about Sudo at noon today."

Kushida said, "Someone deliberately mentioned to her first, 'Something really big might happen to Class D this time.'"

Gu Heng's eyes darkened.

"Who said it?"

"A boy."

Kushida looked at him. "But he wasn't from Class C."

This lead had taken another turn beyond what Gu Heng had expected.

And it was even more troublesome.

It meant Class C was not the only one pushing this.

Someone in the grade had already begun to meddle by riding this wave.

"What's his name?" Gu Heng asked.

This time, Kushida did not answer right away.

Instead, she smiled.

"I'm not trading that name today."

"Why?"

"Because what you gave me just now wasn't enough for me to reveal my last card."

She looked at Gu Heng, her voice so soft it seemed as though the wind could scatter it. "And I also want to see whether you'll give me a little more for one name."

Now that was more like her.

Gu Heng did not press her.

"What else do you want?" he asked.

"I won't say for now."

Kushida raised a hand and lightly tapped her chin with her fingertips. "The next time you really need me, I'll name my terms then."

"You're not afraid I'll just go around you?"

"You can try."

Her eyes curved. "But if I'm not mistaken, Gu Heng-kun will soon discover that a lot of information between this class and the other classes doesn't grow on its own through rules and logic."

"It comes from personal connections, social circles, and appearances."

"And for the time being, you're still not as good as I am at those things."

That was true.

Gu Heng did not argue.

"Fine."

Gu Heng nodded. "Then I'll leave you with something too."

"What?"

"The next time you name your terms, you'd better not involve Horikita."

For the first time, the smile on Kushida's face truly faded a little.

"Why bring her up all of a sudden?"

"Because what you just said about not wanting to be just a tool sounded very sincere."

Gu Heng looked at her. "But if what you want next is something between Horikita and me, then this deal won't be an upgrade."

"It'll be a falling-out."

The night wind blew past them.

The shadows of the trees beneath the streetlights swayed slightly.

Kushida looked at him without speaking immediately.

The figures above her head jumped twice.

Testing 91

Wariness 79

Then the topmost one slowly brightened, becoming clearer.

Eliminate Threat 89

Gu Heng saw it.

But he acted as though he had not.

"You really are annoying."

Kushida finally spoke with a smile.

"A lot of people say that."

"And yet you're strangely good at making people reluctant to fall out with you right away."

"Then that's good."

Gu Heng said, "At least I'm still at the table."

Kushida let out a low laugh.

"See? You're calculating again."

"Aren't you?"

The two locked eyes for half a second.

Neither moved forward.

And neither backed down.

"Let's leave it at that for today."

Kushida took a step back and pulled out her phone again. "You can investigate the Manabe Shiho lead yourself first. As for that boy's name..."

She paused, her smile turning sweet again.

"Next time we meet, we'll decide whether it's worth telling you."

Gu Heng nodded.

"Fine."

"You're not angry?"

"No."

Gu Heng turned and headed toward the dormitory building. "Because you've already given me enough tonight."

Kushida watched his retreating back, her gaze lingering slightly.

A few seconds later, she suddenly called out:

"Gu Heng."

"Yeah?"

"You'd better not trust Ayanokoji too much."

Gu Heng's steps paused for a moment.

But he did not turn around.

"Is that a bonus?"

"Call it goodwill."

"Then I believe it even less."

Kushida gave a soft laugh behind him.

"I knew you'd say that."

Gu Heng did not respond again.

By the time he walked back to the dormitory, he had already gone over everything from tonight once more.

Manabe Shiho.

A girl's lead.

And another boy whose name had not been given.

As well as the next cut.

Sudo's matter had only just passed its first round.

And the school had already brought down a new sieve.

When Gu Heng pushed open the dorm room door, only one more practical question remained in his mind.

This time, it wasn't just one Sudo he had to save.

It was Class D's entire score line.