Classroom of the Elite: I Can Issue Master's Tasks

"To put it simply, we need to look as much like a real couple as possible."

"I-is that so... I don't have any experience with this, but I'll do my best."

Ichinose Honami's face had already turned red.

She might never have been in a relationship, but she had seen couples before.

Back in middle school, she had seen classmates acting lovey-dovey, so of course she knew what couples did.

But things had come to this. All she could do was trust Nangong Cheng's character and pray he wouldn't go too far.

The two of them plotted out loud as if no one else were there.

The two second-year students beside them were nearly scared to tears.

What rotten luck.

They had only run their mouths for a moment. Who could have guessed it would backfire like this?

Fortunately, someone had finally arrived to clean up their mess.

"Miss Ichinose? I didn't expect to run into you here again. What a wonderful coincidence."

The guy was back.jpg

Nangong Cheng looked disgusted again.

Beside him, Ichinose Honami suddenly seemed to understand why Nangong Cheng had asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend. She gave the newcomer a polite but awkward smile.

"Um... I don't think we've met before... So how do you know me?"

Miyabi Nagumo glanced at the two idiots who couldn't keep their mouths shut. A flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes.

They were worse than useless.

"Well, I heard a first-year had applied to join the Student Council but President Horikita turned her down. I was curious, so I asked about it and saw your application, Miss Ichinose."

"But President Horikita simply has high standards for first-years. Personally, I think you already meet the requirements."

Miyabi Nagumo privately marveled that this year's intake had such a remarkable girl. A hint of suggestion crept into his voice.

"So if you're still interested in joining the Student Council, I have the authority as vice president to approve your application."

Ichinose Honami gave an awkward smile.

Her first impression of Miyabi Nagumo wasn't good.

Being overly familiar was one thing, but why approach her with an attitude that said, "I've had my eye on you for ages, and now I'm giving you a chance to get close to me"?

"Sorry..."

"You're Vice President Nagumo, right? Honami is my girlfriend, so quit showing off your feathers and start worrying about yourself."

Nangong Cheng couldn't take it anymore. He cut off Ichinose Honami's reply rather brusquely.

A classic case of asking someone to do him a favor.

But had Nagumo shown Cheng any courtesy?

He and Ichinose Honami were standing right next to each other. Was Nagumo really blind to that, or was he trying to put Cheng in his place?

In that case, Cheng had no reason to be polite.

Nangong Cheng slipped an arm around the girl's slender waist and pulled her against him.

He held out his other hand—

"I, Nangong Cheng of Class 1-D, hereby report Miyabi Nagumo by name for deliberately instructing second-year students to reveal the school's secrets to Ken Sudō of Class 1-D."

"This act not only disregards a strict rule upheld by our school for decades, but is so serious and so damaging that it strikes at the very foundations of the school."

"I ask the school to investigate thoroughly!"

Please keep reading!

Teacher, did I come at a bad time?

Nangong Cheng spoke loudly.

Loudly enough for every student in the cafeteria to notice the commotion.

The smile froze on Miyabi Nagumo's face. He could even feel sweat forming on his back.

Seriously, man?!

What had he ever done to deserve this?

Did Cheng have to hate him that much?

"Junior Nangong, I've heard a lot about you."

"But you can't just say things like that without evidence, can you?"

Miyabi Nagumo fixed his gaze squarely on Nangong Cheng.

Of course he had heard about the major incident among the first-years. He also knew about Nangong Cheng, the first-year who had set a record at Advanced Nurturing.

Was that impressive? It certainly was.

Cheng was the first person in the school's history to do it, after all.

But unfortunately for him, this was Advanced Nurturing. Miyabi Nagumo could only say that this first-year still had a lot to learn.

Back in his own first year, Nagumo had expelled his share of arrogant, self-important "geniuses." What made a student who had enrolled only days ago think he could outplay someone who had already spent a year here?

"Evidence? Isn't this video enough?"

"Vice President Nagumo, don't tell me someone above you ordered you to do it?"

Nangong Cheng smiled and piled on another accusation.

Nagumo liked putting on an act?

Let's see him keep it up now.

Miyabi Nagumo's smile stiffened again.

He had underestimated Nangong Cheng after all.

Once he had learned that Nangong Cheng sold information and then made it public, he should never have underestimated the man's nerve or shamelessness.

But that wasn't even the most infuriating part.

For once, he had met a girl as exceptional as Ichinose, only to find that Nangong Cheng had already beaten him to her?

"Junior Nangong, I admit these two second-years violated school rules. But what gives you the right to say I told them to do it?"

"If you can't produce evidence of that, I'll report you for maliciously slandering the Student Council vice president."

Nangong Cheng raised an eyebrow.

He wasn't surprised by Miyabi Nagumo's response. Anyone who could dominate the entire second year had to have some skill.

Unfortunately, that pressure didn't work on him.

Nagumo could have paid to make the problem go away. But if he insisted on throwing his weight around first, Cheng could only return the favor.

"What an intimidating official you are, Vice President Nagumo."

"You want evidence? Then I'll give you evidence!"

Nangong Cheng raised his phone.

Once again, he spoke at the top of his lungs so everyone in the cafeteria could hear.

"On the first day of school, I didn't just discover the school's secrets. I also discovered secrets about your second year, Vice President Nagumo."

"Vice President Nagumo, would you dare show everyone your current Private Points balance and monthly transfer records? Then we could all see that our esteemed vice president has no intention of serving us ordinary students. Instead, he wants to use his position to squeeze us like cash machines."

"Would that be enough to prove that the two second-years behind you broke the rules because you threatened and instructed them to?"

Miyabi Nagumo broke into a cold sweat again.

Since he was likely to become the next Student Council president, he had indeed considered making the lower-ranked classes pay him points. He would then set up a special system of entry fees that gave them some hope, while using orders to make the classes "coexist peacefully."

But he hadn't put any of that into practice yet!

At most, he had collected a token amount of "class dues" from his own class. He hadn't extended his reach across the entire second year.

So even if he got his classmates to speak up for him, he couldn't completely wash away the stain Nangong Cheng had just put on his reputation.

And how the hell did a first-year who had only enrolled days ago know secrets that only Nagumo himself knew?

Was there a damn mole in his class?

Miyabi Nagumo finally stopped smiling.

Seeing Miyabi Nagumo at a loss for words, Nangong Cheng had no intention of letting up. He pressed harder.

"Why have you gone quiet, Vice President Nagumo?"

"Don't feel like talking?"

"Or did my evidence scare you?"

Miyabi Nagumo's face darkened.

He realized Nangong Cheng was targeting him on purpose and didn't care whether Nagumo retaliated later.

Newcomers these days were arrogant. They got a little success and stopped respecting their seniors.

"Fine. You got me."

"Name your terms."

"But you have to delete the video completely and make an audio recording promising never to use this against me again."

In the end, Miyabi Nagumo chose to pay to make the problem go away.

He thought the school might not pursue the matter now that all the first-years knew the secret, but he didn't want to gamble on it.

He also understood that Nangong Cheng had probably wanted his points from the start. The exaggerated accusations were likely payback for what Nagumo had said to Ichinose Honami when he arrived.

Damn, what a petty bastard!

He would remember this.

His money wouldn't be so easy to take. Once he had investigated Cheng properly, he would settle the score.

Cheng had better not let Nagumo catch him bluffing.

"See? You could've said that earlier and saved us all the trouble."

Nangong Cheng copied Miyabi Nagumo's infuriating smile and held out his hand.

"5 Million. Money for the video, right here and now."

"Oh, and Vice President Nagumo, please stop bothering my girlfriend. You give off the air of a sleazy blond guy from an adult comic."

"I'm a die-hard believer in pure love, and men with blond hair who look like they'd steal someone else's girlfriend are the ones I hate most."

Even after Miyabi Nagumo backed down, Nangong Cheng kept twisting the knife.

He tightened the arm around Ichinose Honami's waist and drew her against him so they faced each other. Then he lightly brushed his lips against her forehead.

Good grief, whose kettle just started boiling?

"And now I know you have plenty of money. If I catch you making another mistake, it won't be today's price."

"..."

Miyabi Nagumo said nothing. He just transferred the points.

"Stop wasting time. Delete the video and make the recording."

This time, he had been mocked, lost a large sum of money, and discovered that the girl he wanted to pursue was already taken.

Miyabi Nagumo had to admit Nangong Cheng had gotten under his skin.

But at this point, all he could do was go back and take out his anger on the two idiots responsible.

"You're awfully impatient."

Nangong Cheng said it, but he didn't dawdle. He kept his word and completed the deal with Miyabi Nagumo.

After watching the defeated blond leave with his companions, Nangong Cheng looked down at Ichinose Honami in his arms.