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

What he hated was how blatantly targeted its punishments were. It had the robotic air of something terrified that people might not realize Nangong Cheng was the mastermind.

He could only hope that as his ability continued to level up, he would gain permission to adjust the punishments, or even remove them altogether.

After all, not earning Points for failing to complete a task was already a punishment in itself.

Once he had built up their affection, he might not even need punishments to push them into doing tasks.

"Shiina, do you come to the Library every day after school?"

The first time was awkward; the second was familiar.

Horikita Suzune took action as soon as she received the task.

That might also have had something to do with how she had barely received any tasks she found truly objectionable—aside from what had happened on the first day of school.

"Yes," Shiina Hiyori replied as she turned a page. "I think I've seen you come to the Library occasionally, Horikita."

"Yes. I believe reading is an effective way to broaden my knowledge, so I set myself a weekly reading target."

"That does sound like you."

Shiina Hiyori tucked her hair behind her ear, her gentle voice soothing to listen to.

Horikita Suzune hummed in acknowledgment and continued, "So if you come to the Library every day, Shiina, I thought perhaps we could keep each other company."

"I've also written some notes and reflections on the books I've read. I could share them with you."

Even though their classes stood on opposing sides, Horikita Suzune did not dislike Shiina Hiyori.

Her personality naturally inclined her toward interacting with capable, like-minded people. And if Shiina Hiyori had drawn Nangong Cheng's particular attention, enough for him to go out of his way to introduce them, that meant she was no ordinary person.

So, if she could learn from Nangong Cheng and ask him for advice, there was no reason she couldn't do the same with Shiina Hiyori.

"Sure. Let's add each other first."

"All right. I'll scan your code."

Nangong Cheng watched it all unfold, then quietly left the Library.

Once he was outside the Library,

he took out his phone, tapped Sakayanagi Arisu's profile picture, and sent two messages.

[Want it?]

[Chat history of my deal with Horikita Manabu.jpg]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Time, address, terms—send them.]

She really did get straight to the point.

Nangong Cheng typed his reply.

[Six tonight, dorm room xxx. We'll discuss the terms in person.]

There was no need to keep a death grip on the Student Council spot.

After all, according to Advanced Nurturing's tradition, each Student Council President was generally appointed by their predecessor.

As long as Horikita Suzune could get her act together and earn Horikita Manabu's approval, he would surely be willing to choose her as his successor, awkward sister-complex sufferer that he was.

Even taking a step back, all that really mattered was keeping that blond bastard Miyabi Nagumo from succeeding him as Student Council President.

Nangong Cheng tapped Ichinose Honami's profile picture again and began typing with both hands.

[Mom, make some extra food tonight.]

[We're having guests.]

Five thirty.

Nangong Cheng arrived early at Ichinose Honami's dorm room. As he helped with the preparations, he continued using his barrage of compliments to make the girl blush and her heart race.

"Are you settling into the Student Council?"

"Yes. President Horikita assigned Secretary Akane Tachibana to help me get familiar with the Student Council's work. She said the president intends to train me as the next secretary... and it's all thanks to you, Nangong."

Nangong Cheng nodded.

His future brother-in-law really was a reliable wingman.

Of course, he couldn't entirely rule out the possibility that Horikita Manabu wanted to set him up with Ichinose Honami so he wouldn't go messing with Horikita Suzune.

People like him were the shrewdest of all.

He wanted three years of babysitting Horikita Suzune in exchange for just two Student Council spots. Good thing Nangong Cheng had a system.

"We were just getting what we each needed."

"Even if I hadn't given you the Student Council spot, you could have bought one yourself once Class B received its points next month."

Ichinose Honami neither agreed nor disagreed.

But getting into the Student Council really had been a huge favor from Nangong Cheng, and her mother had taught her never to forget what others had done for her.

"Even if I could buy a Student Council spot next month, President Horikita would never have personally assigned Tachibana to guide me."

"That's undoubtedly because you were the one who gave me this spot."

At that point, a slightly aggrieved look suddenly crossed her face. "I thought you were keeping the other spot for yourself, Nangong. I didn't expect..."

She hadn't expected Nangong Cheng to really do what he had said before and try to profit from both Class A and Class B.

Still, that wasn't actually so bad.

Graduating from Class A was no longer her only way forward. The reason she was still willing to consider it was, naturally, for the sake of her classmates.

But after their recent interactions, Ichinose Honami had realized how difficult it was to guess Nangong Cheng's thoughts, let alone influence them. All she could do was try her best.

"Is Mommy Ichinose jealous?"

"I would've liked to meet in my own dorm room too, but since our guest is a girl, I took the liberty of giving her your room number."

Nangong Cheng was still playing dumb.

After all, Class A had more hidden little lambs ripe for fleecing than any of the other first-year classes. There was no way he would waste such infinitely renewable resources.

"You really are a tease, Nangong. Whenever we get to a topic you don't want to discuss, you start calling me Mom to distract me."

Ichinose Honami gave an adorable roll of her eyes.

She wasn't actually some naive, innocent airhead. Their recent interactions had already taught her that Nangong Cheng would say whatever popped into his head.

When he was serious, he really was serious.

But when he wasn't, he was utterly shameless.

Fortunately, she had developed a certain resistance to Nangong Cheng's habit of calling her Mom now and then. She had even figured out how to counter that teasing behavior.

"As your mother, I can't feel even the slightest respect for 'Mom' in anything you say or do, Nangong."

"In that case, you wouldn't want everyone to know you chase after me calling me Mom in private, would you?"

Volume One: 44, Go Home, You're Too Old.jpg

"Ding-dong—"

Ichinose Honami had barely finished speaking when the doorbell suddenly rang in the entryway.

Nangong Cheng immediately made a quick getaway to answer the door.

As for Ichinose Honami's rather Japanese-sounding threat, he naturally didn't take it very seriously.

What a joke.

You needed a thick skin to get through life.

"Click—"

The person who had rung the doorbell wasn't actually Sakayanagi Arisu, but she was the one standing in front.

Maa-chan, come on, say something.

Nangong Cheng glanced at Kamuro Masumi, who stood behind Sakayanagi Arisu as still as a meditating monk, and silently sighed.

"Classmate Sakayanagi, and our other classmate whose name I don't know yet..."

"Please come in."

"Sorry for the intrusion~"

Sakayanagi Arisu entered the room with a smile.

Kamuro Masumi followed at a leisurely pace.

"Nangong, is Classmate Sakayanagi here?"

Wearing an apron, Ichinose Honami emerged from the kitchen carrying food. Her words and manner gave her quite the air of the lady of the house.

Nangong Cheng nodded and looked at Kamuro Masumi.

"And another classmate I've met before, but whose name I still don't know..."

"Kamuro Masumi."

Kamuro Masumi finally spoke this time.

Judging by her expression alone, though, she seemed annoyed or angry at Nangong Cheng for repeatedly hinting that she should introduce herself.

"Ichinose, you and Nangong seem quite close. You're already eating together in the same room."

Sakayanagi Arisu opened with a probing remark.

She had already obtained Nangong Cheng's admission records from her father, the Chairman of the Board. Judging solely by their contents, Nangong Cheng was an ordinary person.

But what about reality?

Could an ordinary person uncover the truth Advanced Nurturing had hidden for so many years in a single day?

"Do we? Honestly, I never imagined at first that Nangong and I would become so close. I suppose fate really does work in mysterious ways."

Ichinose Honami set the food on the table.

Then she tilted her head reflectively, rested her index finger against her lips, and let out a little sigh of wonder. She even finished with a slightly bashful smile.

Watching all this, Nangong Cheng silently marveled that women really were born actresses. That little performance had been far too smooth.

"Fate?"

"I never expected you to believe in something so vague and intangible, Ichinose."

Sakayanagi Arisu was observing her as well.

Although she couldn't guess exactly what Ichinose Honami was trying to do, this apparent display of staking her claim had stirred her competitive spirit.

Even if she scoffed at the notion of Fated Partners, if the tasks really did revolve around Nangong Cheng, she could also claim that she shared a special connection with him.

"Why shouldn't I believe in it? It doesn't seem like a choice that costs me anything."

"Just like people who pray to gods and Buddha in real life, it's really only about finding peace of mind."

Ichinose Honami made another trip between the kitchen and the living room.

Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu's noncommittal attitude, she seemed to offer her own thoughts in earnest.

"Then Nangong must have done something quite remarkable to make you put so much faith in this connection, Ichinose."

"Mm~ You're right about that~"

Ichinose Honami gave a playful wink.

Nangong Cheng's heart gave a sudden thump.

Could she be about to...

"Classmate Sakayanagi, you already know I joined the Student Council, right? Nangong helped me with that~"

"But that's not what I really wanted to talk about. It's that, in exchange for helping me, Nangong actually asked me to be his mom."

As Ichinose Honami spoke, she slyly tossed Nangong Cheng another wink.