Getting Started as an Information Broker

The next morning, when Yuto walked into the classroom, he saw Kushida standing by the window talking to Matsushita.

She wore her usual perfect smile, her tone warm and friendly. But when she turned and saw Yuto, that smile changed ever so subtly. It did not fade—it simply became more natural.

"Good morning, Lin," she said.

"Morning." Yuto answered and walked toward his seat.

He knew he was the only one who could notice that change in her smile. To everyone else, Kushida was still Kushida, the sociable queen who was warm and friendly to everyone. But Yuto knew that she did not have to put on such an act when she looked at him. The difference was subtle, but it was enough for him.

Yuto sat down and opened his textbook, though his mind was on the night before. The alliance had gone more smoothly than he had expected, and Kushida's decisiveness had surprised him somewhat. After her secret had been exposed, she had not panicked. Instead, she had quickly assessed the situation and seized the initiative by having him leave a fingerprint. It was a clever move, and it showed that she was not the sort to sit around and wait for death. Working with her, he did not have to worry about her holding him back.

When the bell rang after fourth period, Yuto received a message from Kushida.

"Free during lunch? Meet at the usual place?"

He replied with a single word: "Okay."

The usual place was the cake shop. When Yuto arrived, Kushida was already seated in a corner. There was a cup of milk tea in front of her, and she waved when she saw him enter.

Yuto bought a cup of water and sat across from her.

"Is it convenient to talk here?" Kushida asked.

"There's no one around right now. Miki is in the back preparing ingredients," Yuto said. "What is it?"

Kushida leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I thought about the plan you mentioned last night. I think it can work. But there's one problem. If we contact people from the other classes using our own identities, anyone who investigates afterward will trace it right back to us."

"So what do you think we should do?"

"Buy an anonymous account," Kushida said. "There's an anonymous messaging platform in this school. Students can buy one-time-use accounts from the convenience store terminals. They don't require real-name registration, and each one costs twenty thousand points. If we use one to send messages, they won't be able to trace it to us."

Yuto looked at her without answering immediately. Her suggestion was more or less what he had been thinking. He had planned to bring it up himself, but Kushida had thought of it first. That showed she was giving this serious thought rather than merely going along with him.

"That works," he said. "It's even more thorough than what I had in mind. Real-name registration leaves records, but a disposable anonymous account can't be traced to its source. You've helped a lot."

A hint of satisfaction flashed across Kushida's face at his words.

"Have you thought about who to contact?" he asked.

"I have." Kushida set down her cup. "Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A, Honami Ichinose from Class B, and Kakeru Ryuuen from Class C. Those three are the real leaders of their respective classes. We should send the information directly to them, skip the middlemen, and avoid having the message get distorted along the way."

"Do you know them?"

"Arisu Sakayanagi is famous in our year. She leads Class A. She is not in very good health, but she has a sharp mind. I have never spoken to her directly, but I know of her. I have heard of Honami Ichinose too. She is Class B's class president, well-liked, and gentle by nature. As for Kakeru Ryuuen, he is the boss of Class C. I hear he is not easy to deal with. But I can contact them directly through the anonymous account. I don't need to know them personally."

Yuto nodded. Contacting each class's leader directly would be more efficient than going through intermediaries, and it would reduce the risk of exposure. Arisu Sakayanagi was Class A's true power, Honami Ichinose had absolute influence in Class B, and Kakeru Ryuuen was Class C's core figure. Once the three received the message, they could make their own decisions without needing someone else to relay it.

"The approach works. Contact the leaders directly and skip the middlemen," he said. "But we can't contact only one person."

"Why not?"

"If we want to sell information, we need to create competition," Yuto said. "If we contact only one person, they may try to force the price down. But if we contact people from all three classes at once and let them know the information is not exclusive to them, they'll become more anxious. When people get anxious, they are more willing to pay. And if all three classes ask for a price, we can choose the one with the highest offer."

Kushida's eyes lit up. "You mean make them compete against one another?"

"Exactly. But we won't tell them who the other buyers are," Yuto said. "They only need to know that we have accurate information about class points and the relationship between them and personal points, and that only we currently know it. Once the first month ends and the point changes become a fact, they'll know I was telling the truth. By then, even if we do not try to sell it, they'll come looking for us themselves."

"What if someone asks how we know?"

"We say we have an internal source," Yuto said. "There's no need to explain further. The more vague we are, the more believable it becomes. They'll fill in a reasonable explanation themselves. People have vivid imaginations. The less information you give them, the more they think. If you say nothing, they'll assume you have powerful backing. If you say too much, they can find holes in it."

Kushida considered it for a while, then nodded.

"What about the price? How much are you planning to sell it for?"

"Five hundred thousand."

Kushida froze. "Five hundred thousand? Isn't that too expensive? We only get one hundred thousand personal points per month."

"It is," Yuto said. "That's why they can bargain. They can haggle it down to four hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, even two hundred thousand. No matter what price we finally settle on, we profit. But if someone really accepts five hundred thousand, then it means the information is even more valuable than I thought. Think about it. If they learn in advance how the points system works, they can make more favorable decisions during the first month. Five hundred thousand for an informational advantage is not a loss for people in Class A or Class B. Especially Class A. They currently have more than nine hundred class points. If they can maintain that, every student will receive far more than one hundred thousand points every month. Points are the one thing they have no shortage of."

Kushida listened carefully, thought visible in her eyes.

"And what if someone accepts five hundred thousand?"

"Then that would be even better," Yuto said.

Kushida smiled. It was not her standard smile, but one tinged with admiration.

"I'll handle the account," Kushida said. "I'll buy it after school today. You write the message, and I'll send it."

"Okay."

"And how will we split it?"

"Once the deal is done, you get thirty percent and I get seventy."

Kushida thought it over and nodded. "Fair."

She did not haggle. Yuto looked at her and could sense that she had changed somewhat from before yesterday. But the change was not complete relaxation. It was more like tentative trust. She was willing to trust him for now, but she was still leaving herself room to observe him. That was just right. If she had trusted him too quickly, she would not have been Kushida. She had spent so long navigating school while remaining wary of everyone. There was no way she would completely lower her guard after a single alliance.

Yuto calculated silently. If they really sold it for five hundred thousand, his share would be three hundred and fifty thousand. Combined with the points he had saved from working at the cake shop, he would have a considerable sum on hand. Three hundred and fifty thousand points could do many things at this school: buy information, place bets on special exams, or directly exchange them for daily necessities and food. If he handled it properly, the money could generate even more money. Of course, that depended on the deal succeeding and on them leaving behind no evidence.

"There's one more thing," Yuto said.

"What is it?"

"You don't need to act so hard around me. You're already doing well enough."

Kushida looked at him for several seconds, then lowered her head. "I understand."

The two went over the details. Yuto took out a napkin and wrote a draft message on it. The content was concise: he had insider information about the points system, interested parties could make contact, and the price was negotiable. It revealed no specific details and did not identify the sender. Kushida read through it and changed a few words. Her revisions were mainly to the tone, making the message sound more natural and less like a scam text. She was indeed better at that than he was. After all, she dealt with different people every day and knew what sort of tone people would find easiest to accept.

Before leaving, Kushida folded the napkin and placed it in her pocket. She looked back at him.

"I'll take care of it after school."

"Okay."

After classes ended that afternoon, Kushida did not leave with Matsushita and the others as usual. She said she needed to buy something from the convenience store and left the classroom alone. When she exited the school building, she glanced back to make sure no one was following her before quickening her pace.

As she walked, she was actually a little nervous. Twenty thousand points was no small amount. If the plan went wrong, she would not only lose the points but might expose herself as well. But when she thought of Yuto's perpetually unhurried expression, she felt that things would probably be fine. He looked lazy and laid-back, but he was methodical in everything he did. Besides, he had leverage over her too. He would not gamble with his own safety. They were tied to the same rope now. If one of them got into trouble, the other would not be able to escape either.

The school convenience store was on the first floor of the academic building. It had several self-service terminals where anonymous messaging accounts could be purchased.

When Kushida entered the store, several students were still shopping. She wandered between the shelves first, pretending to choose snacks. Only after those students had checked out and left did she approach the terminal. Standing in front of the machine, she looked behind her to make sure no one was there before she began.

She took a deep breath and tapped the screen several times.

Purchase anonymous messaging account.

A prompt appeared on the screen: Purchasing this account will deduct 20,000 points. Confirm?

She pressed the confirmation button.

The machine made a soft sound, and a receipt emerged from the slot below. A string of account details and a password were printed on it, with no other information.

Kushida folded the receipt and put it in her pocket. Then she bought a bottle of water, paid for it, and walked out of the convenience store.

The entire process had taken less than three minutes. Yet when she stepped outside, her heart was beating much faster than usual. She instinctively touched her pocket to make sure the receipt was still there.

After returning to the dorm, she took out the receipt and logged into the school's anonymous messaging platform. The platform was simple to use. She only had to enter the account details and password; there was no need to link any personal information. Sent messages would display only a randomly generated ID, making the sender's true identity impossible to trace. She checked the platform's security notice again and began only after confirming there were no loopholes.

She sat at her desk, the light from her phone screen reflecting against her face. After logging in successfully, she began composing the message according to Yuto's draft.

"Hello. I have undisclosed information regarding this school's points system, including the true relationship between class points and personal points. If you are interested in purchasing it, you may contact me through this account. Price negotiable."

She copied the message three times and addressed them to three different recipients: Arisu Sakayanagi of Class A, Honami Ichinose of Class B, and Kakeru Ryuuen of Class C. The message was the same for each of them, but she imagined how each person would react upon receiving it. Sakayanagi would probably be interested. She was sensitive to information and would not overlook any insider knowledge regarding points. Ichinose might question whether the message was genuine first, but she would usually want to understand the matter before making a decision. Ryuuen was harder to predict. He was naturally suspicious and might first try to probe the seller's identity.

Before sending them, her finger paused over the screen.

Once she sent these, it would truly begin. Her relationship with Yuto would no longer be that of ordinary classmates. They would become genuine accomplices. If anything went wrong, neither of them could get away. She remembered what Yuto had told her in the alley last night: that he did not need to threaten her. At the time, she had not entirely believed him, thinking he was merely saying something nice. But now, she believed him a little more. If he had been the kind of person who used leverage to threaten others, he could have made her do many things already instead of discussing cooperation with her as an equal.

She did not hesitate for long before pressing send.

All three messages went out at once. She set down her phone and leaned back in her chair. This was the first time she had done something like this—contacting students from other classes under an anonymous identity and selling information the school had not publicly disclosed. If she was discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable. But the anonymous account would not expose her identity, and the message contained no traceable clues. She had checked repeatedly. The platform did not record IP addresses or require phone number verification. It was entirely disposable.

She turned off her phone, lay down on her bed, and stared at the ceiling.

All that remained was to wait.

She turned over and thought of something. When had she started being willing to trust someone she had known for less than ten days? When she had made him leave a fingerprint in the alley last night, she had not thought much about it. It had been more of an instinctive act of self-protection. But today, at the cake shop, she had genuinely felt that this plan could work. Perhaps it was because Yuto felt different from everyone else. He did not act overly enthusiastic around her, nor did he deliberately try to please her. He simply spoke plainly about what needed to be said. That sense of authenticity was rare in her surroundings. Everyone was acting, herself included, but Yuto seemed not to care much about what others thought of him. That indifference somehow made him easier to trust.

A few minutes later, she picked up her phone again and sent Yuto a message. "They've been sent. Now we wait for replies. Honestly, I'm a little nervous, but I feel more at ease after sending them."

After sending it, she set her phone aside and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Yuto was working his part-time job at the cake shop.

When he arrived after school, Miki was organizing the counter. She said business had been slow that afternoon and told him to bake the cake layers they would need for the next day. Yuto tied on his apron and began measuring ingredients, beating eggs, and sifting flour. He was already very practiced at the entire sequence. During a break in his work, he glanced at his phone and saw Kushida's message. He replied, "Okay. Don't overthink it. Just wait for the replies. You did well."

Then he put his phone back into his pocket and continued working.

The cake shop was quiet, filled only with the hum of the oven and the low whir of the mixer. Yuto worked while thinking things over. If this deal succeeded, he would have his first bit of startup capital. Three hundred and fifty thousand points was neither a huge amount nor a trivial one, but it would be enough at this stage. He could use it to make preparations for certain future events. But if the deal fell through, they would only lose twenty thousand points. It would hurt, but it would not cripple him. The risk was within acceptable limits.

Miki came out from the back and asked how the cake layers were doing. He told her they were already in the oven and would be ready in another twenty minutes. Miki nodded, saying the shop's matcha cake rolls had been selling well lately, and asked if he was interested in trying another new product. Yuto said he would think about it and give her a proposal before the weekend.

After his shift ended, Yuto cleaned up his tools and took off his apron. By the time he left the cake shop, it was already dark. He walked back toward the dorm along the shopping street, where there were not many people around. He took out his phone for another look, but Kushida had not sent any new messages. He was not in a hurry. He put his phone away and quickened his pace.

After returning to the dorm, Yuto washed up, lay on his bed, and checked his phone again. Kushida's message was still the only one there. After thinking about it, he did not press her for more. She had already handled her part, and all that remained was to wait for a reply. Pressuring her now would accomplish nothing and would only make it seem as though he did not trust her. He placed his phone on the bedside table and closed his eyes. He went over their conversation from that day. Kushida's proposal had been even more comprehensive than his own, and her analysis of the leaders from each class was valuable as well. Arisu Sakayanagi, Honami Ichinose, Kakeru Ryuuen—he knew all three of their personalities, and he had an idea of how to deal with them next. But that was for later. First, they had to make this deal happen.

The next morning, when Yuto woke up, he saw Kushida's message from the previous night saying that she had sent them and was waiting for replies. He replied with an okay, then washed up, changed clothes, and went to class.

He was somewhat distracted during the morning lessons. They had already invested twenty thousand points. If no one responded, the money would have been wasted. He would have to work at the cake shop for seven or eight days to earn it back. What a pain, he grumbled inwardly, but there was no better option. Selling information was the fastest way he could think of to make money. As long as they closed one deal, everything afterward would become much easier. With startup capital, he could consider more possibilities, such as betting on special exams or profiting from buying low and selling high. He did not have many points on hand right now. The cake shop paid twelve hundred a day, and he had only saved a little over ten thousand points so far. His daily expenses were low, but it was nowhere near enough if he wanted to do anything at the school.

He glanced at Kushida, who sat diagonally in front of him. She was listening to the lesson attentively, without the slightest sign of anything unusual. She truly was skilled at hiding her emotions. Even while waiting anxiously for replies, she could act as though nothing was happening.

During lunch break, the messages finally came.

"There are replies."

Yuto put down the book in his hands and walked out of the classroom. Kushida was waiting for him at the end of the hallway, holding her phone. There was a hint of excitement in her expression that she could not hide.

"Who replied?" Yuto asked.

"All three did," Kushida said in a low voice. "Sakayanagi from Class A said she wanted to know more. Ichinose from Class B asked about the price. Ryuuen from Class C asked whether this was a joke."

"Those are normal reactions," Yuto said. "What did you say?"

"I said the information is real, the price is five hundred thousand, and it is negotiable. I didn't say too much. I was afraid I might give something away."

"You did the right thing. Keep it brief. Make them ask us questions instead of volunteering too much information."

"Sakayanagi then said the price was too high and asked whether it could be cheaper," Kushida said. "Ichinose said she needed to think about it. Ryuuen hasn't responded after that."

"Then there's potential," Yuto said. "Sakayanagi being willing to bargain means she is interested. Ichinose saying she needs to consider it means it matters to her too. If they had no interest at all, they would not have replied. As for Class C, asking whether it is a joke means they did not simply ignore us. There is still a chance. If they were completely uninterested, they would not respond at all."

"So what do we do next?"

"Don't rush," Yuto said. "Let them think about it first. Wait two days. If they still do not come to us on their own, send another message saying we are also talking with other buyers. Create a sense of urgency, and they will become more anxious. But don't push them too hard. If we pressure them too much, they will think we are desperate to sell and start doubting the information's value."

Kushida smiled. "You're forcing them to make a decision."

"That's business," Yuto said. "Whoever gets anxious first loses. They're still watching for now. Once the first month's points are issued and they realize I was telling the truth, it will no longer be a question of five hundred thousand points. It won't be about whether they want to buy. It will be about whether we want to sell."

Kushida looked at him with a contemplative expression in her eyes.

"Lin."

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever thought that, if you wanted to, you could earn a lot of points at this school through this?"

"We'll talk about that later," Yuto said. "First, let's do this deal properly. You can't get fat with one bite. We'll take it one step at a time. Once we earn our first pot of gold, we can consider what comes next. There's no use thinking too far ahead now. First, we need to make sure we handle what's in front of us."

Kushida nodded and said nothing more.

The two stood at the end of the hallway for a while. Several passing students glanced at them, but did not pay much attention. It was not strange for Kushida to be talking with anyone. She was the kind of person who could chat with everybody.

"I'll head back to class first," Kushida said.

"Okay."

Kushida turned and walked back toward the classroom. Yuto remained where he was, watching her back disappear through the doorway.