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

Sakayanagi Arisu was genuinely taken aback.

Of course she knew Ichinose Honami had joined the Student Council. She even knew Ichinose had met Nangong Cheng the day before joining.

But she had no idea Nangong Cheng would use a Student Council seat for something like this.

How should she put it...

He really was a man who made her endlessly curious.

"Nangong, you really can't judge a book by its cover."

"But don't worry. I won't look at you differently because of this. I know some people develop feelings like that because of their family circumstances."

"And if one mom isn't enough for you, I suppose I could reluctantly be your mom in spirit too."

No...

That wasn't what he was worried about at all, okay?

And could she wipe that foxlike expression off her face while saying it? Anyone could see she was up to no good.

Advanced Nurturing might not have electric fences to keep students from skipping school, but that didn't mean he couldn't get shocked.

Nangong Cheng grumbled inwardly, then spread his hands with a calm expression. "It's fine. I don't care what other people think of me."

"Besides, one Ichinose Mom is enough for me. And Sakayanagi, you don't exactly look like a woman who could be my mother."

You're too old. Go home.jpg

Beside them, Kamuro Masumi listened to the conversation among these three extraordinary specimens, and her world-weary expression was starting to crack.

Both her eyelids were twitching.

"Can we eat now?"

"Oh, right. We should eat. We're here to discuss business today."

Nangong Cheng punched his palm, deliberately using Kamuro Masumi's interruption to change the subject.

The four of them sat down around the dining table.

Nangong Cheng got straight to the point.

"Well, we've chatted enough. Sakayanagi, what is Class A prepared to offer in exchange for the Student Council seat I have?"

Sakayanagi Arisu sat gracefully in her chair.

Hearing Nangong Cheng's strictly businesslike tone, she smiled. "Why don't you reconsider my offer from earlier, Nangong?"

"I don't really know how to be a good mom, but I'm sure I could learn. As it happens, I'm quite confident in my ability to study."

In truth, it still bothered her a little.

Why could Ichinose Honami do it, but not her?

Just because Ichinose was bigger?

Sakayanagi Arisu felt she had shrewdly grasped Nangong Cheng's true intentions.

If that was really it, she was a little angry.

"No need to think about it."

Nangong Cheng shook his head.

Did she think she could get something from him for free?

Not a chance.

He was going to turn the tables on her.

"Because I haven't sensed that all-embracing maternal warmth in you, Sakayanagi. And given that you can't even go out without someone accompanying you, I'd say Kamuro here is better qualified to be my mother."

Daily Task issued: Nangong Cheng has repeatedly rejected and questioned your potential, but girls similar to you have already been regarded by countless people as moms in spirit. Starting tomorrow, watch The Light Detective Pretty Girl in its entirety again and again. Study Moriya Ruruka and prove through your actions that you, too, can be a woman he would call his mother.

Task reward: 100 Points for each full viewing of the series per day.

Penalty for failure: Play Moriya Ruruka and call Nangong Cheng "Daddy" one hundred times.

Volume One: 45, Sakayanagi Arisu Watches the Feeding Play

Kamuro Masumi had been happily digging into her food when she realized Nangong Cheng had dragged her into the crossfire.

Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu's quietly piercing gaze and smile that didn't reach her eyes, Kamuro felt she needed to save herself.

"...Do we have some kind of grudge?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. If I offended you, I apologize."

Nangong Cheng looked quite sincere as he apologized to Kamuro Masumi.

But had he done it on purpose?

Only Nangong Cheng knew that.

Still, his apology seemed sincere enough that the straightforward Kamuro Masumi merely hesitated, as though she wanted to say something. Then she went back to eating.

"I should apologize to Kamuro too. Nangong talks to me like that all the time. He's just... rather direct."

Ichinose Honami naturally served Nangong Cheng a few dishes as she joined the conversation.

She looked at Sakayanagi Arisu. Their eyes met, and sparks seemed to fly between them.

"So, Sakayanagi, let's stop making each other guess. Just tell us what Class A plans to offer for this Student Council seat."

"Hehe..."

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled.

Her gaze moved between Nangong Cheng and Ichinose Honami, as though she hoped to spot something beneath the surface.

"If we were paying in Private Points, Class A could simply wait until next month and buy a seat from the Student Council ourselves. There would be no need for this extra step."

"But I do need to use the Student Council seat Nangong has right now, so—"

Sakayanagi Arisu abruptly paused.

Kamuro Masumi stopped eating, took out her phone, and signaled to Nangong Cheng with her eyes.

"Scan the code. I'll transfer it."

So they'd prepared for this already?

Nangong Cheng had thought Sakayanagi Arisu might have another clever little scheme in mind, but keeping things simple was fine too.

"Okay. I'll give the Student Council president a heads-up. Pick someone to report there tomorrow."

Nangong Cheng glanced at the transfer record for two million Points. He was rather curious how Class A had scraped the money together. They couldn't have gone these past few days without spending a cent, could they?

Did she shake down her old man for the money?

Forget it, forget it.

If something like that could stump Sakayanagi Arisu, she wouldn't be Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Let's eat before the food gets cold." Seeing the deal was done, Ichinose Honami quietly added a few more dishes to Nangong Cheng's plate.

Nangong Cheng had drained Class A's funds, which was undoubtedly great news for Class B. As a member of Class B, she was naturally happy about it.

Besides, Nangong Cheng was her "dear son." As his mom, she naturally had to reward him properly.

"Yeah, let's eat. Our Ichinose Mom is a fantastic cook. I guarantee you'll go home stuffed."

Nangong Cheng glanced at Ichinose Honami's overly radiant smile. I haven't forgotten how you tried to embarrass me earlier.

Ichinose Mom, do you think the food's going to fly into my mouth on its own?

Task issued: A mature mom has long since learned to feed her child herself. Get Nangong Cheng to accept food from you in front of Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi. Any method is allowed.

Task reward: 500–2,000 Points depending on how you feed him and how satisfied Nangong Cheng is.

Penalty for failure: Become Nangong Cheng's dinner.

"Nan—"

Ichinose Honami was just about to respond when the panel that suddenly appeared before her made her freeze.

Feed him? In front of Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi? Any method is allowed?

Compared with having Nangong Cheng follow her around calling her Mom, feeding him was actually easy to accept.

The real difficulty was doing it in front of Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi.

And the fact that this reward was a range rather than a fixed amount made it easy to see that future tasks would mostly test her sense of shame and her limits.

How many Points she earned would depend entirely on how much embarrassment she could endure and how far she was willing to push those limits.

As for that penalty...

The thought had barely crossed Ichinose Honami's mind when a startlingly clear image appeared in her head.

Wait, by "dinner," you mean...

Ichinose Honami turned bright red.

Such an obvious reaction naturally caught Sakayanagi Arisu's attention. She had been watching all along.

"Ichinose, what's wrong?"

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Ichinose Honami snapped back to her senses.

She swept a hand through her hair to hide her embarrassment, then smiled. "Sorry, my period suddenly started... I'll be right back."

That was, of course, only an excuse.

Ichinose Honami spent a few minutes pretending to use the restroom before returning.

When she sat down again, she saw Nangong Cheng playing on his phone. The food in front of him was practically untouched.

"Nangong, is the food not to your liking?"

"Ah... no. I just have a bigger appetite than most people, so I thought I'd wait until you've all eaten your fill before I start."

Ichinose Honami's eyes lit up.

"That won't do. By the time the rest of us finish, the food will be cold. It won't taste nearly as good."

"Here, have my bowl of rice. I'm not sure whether you'd mind that I've already eaten from it, though."

Even as she said it, she picked up the bowl and held it ready to feed him.

Nangong Cheng had no reason to refuse.

"If you don't mind, Ichinose Mom, then I certainly don't."

"But what are you...?"

Ichinose Honami found that easy to explain.

"Shouldn't a mom feed her baby?"

"If you feel embarrassed, I can just—"

Before she could finish, Nangong Cheng raised a hand and cut off her little attempt to coax him into it.

"No, this is fine."

"Okay, then. Open wide~~~~"

And so a slightly bizarre scene unfolded.

On one side of the table, Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi ate normally. On the other, Ichinose Honami fed Nangong Cheng one bite at a time.

Sakayanagi Arisu glanced instinctively toward Kamuro Masumi and found Kamuro looking back at her.

They saw the same indescribable emotion in each other's eyes.

But there was no mistaking the feeling—

They had become part of these two's role-play.

"Nangong, Ichinose, have you forgotten we're still here?"

"Ah! Sorry... But you and Kamuro can just ignore us, Sakayanagi. Right, Nangong?"