The dispute

The midterm exam results were announced the day after the exams, and naturally, no one in Class A was expelled.

While eating lunch, Lezheng received the transfer of the remaining payment from Class D. It seemed Class D had made it through the midterms safely too.

"Lezheng, thank you for helping us this time." Hirata sat down beside Lezheng with his lunch.

"Everyone passed, right?" Lezheng glanced at Hirata.

"Yes. Only Sudo came close to failing."

"Those are your classmates over there, right?" Lezheng pointed to a table on the left.

"Y-yes." Hirata looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Are they here to observe me?"

"Sorry. They're just curious about who helped us."

"Everyone in your class must be running low on private points now."

"Yes. After these exams, everyone in our class can only afford the free mountain vegetable set meal." Hirata wore a wry smile.

Lezheng nodded without saying anything and lowered his head to continue eating his lunch.

After Lezheng left, the Class D students gathered around Hirata, chattering away.

A white-haired girl sat by the cafeteria entrance, seemingly waiting for someone.

"Lezheng, would you care to take a walk with me?" Sakayanagi was as poised and gracious as ever.

"Just the two of us?" Lezheng saw no followers around her.

"Do you want anyone else to discover that matter?"

"Do you need to hold on to my arm?"

Sakayanagi shook her head and walked out of the cafeteria with her cane.

"I underestimated you in these exams. You discovered the midterm exam papers and sold them. You must have the most private points of any first-year now."

"I think the person with the most private points would be Ryuen Kakeru of Class C." Lezheng adjusted his pace to stay beside Sakayanagi.

"Him? Just a barbarian." Sakayanagi thought little of him.

"In that case, you must have quite a lot of private points too."

"Are you mocking me by saying I'm the same as Ryuen Kakeru?"

"Your followers must have offered you some of their private points too."

The two exchanged a glance and laughed.

"It seems I should consider you an opponent now." Sakayanagi looked away.

"Should I thank you, then?"

"You do have a little cleverness, but you're still not good enough to be my opponent."

"Is that so? That's fine too."

"..." Lezheng's answer left Sakayanagi unable to say what she had prepared.

"Then let's compete in the special exam after the next one."

"It seems there's more to your background than meets the eye." Lezheng stared at Sakayanagi in considerable surprise.

Lezheng had only heard a few snippets about the next special exam in the Student Council, yet Sakayanagi could set their contest for the one after that.

"So, I hope you can defeat Katsuragi in the next special exam." Sakayanagi admired the sights along the path.

"In that case, it sounds like you don't intend to participate in the next special exam. For health reasons?"

Sakayanagi did not respond. She merely walked forward in silence, the smile disappearing from her face.

Sakayanagi had never participated in any athletic activities, and she needed a cane to walk. From this, Lezheng could be certain that she had some kind of illness, and he could deduce that the next special exam would definitely involve sports.

"Sorry."

"It's just a little regrettable, that's all."

The two continued walking in silence.

After the lunch break came another PE class, during which the teacher taught the students swimming techniques.

Lezheng was coaching Satonaka and the others in the pool.

"Lezheng." Secretary Tachibana had appeared beside the pool at some point.

"Tachibana? Is President Horikita looking for me?" Lezheng replied.

"Yes. You're about to receive your first assignment. Come with me."

After changing, Lezheng followed Secretary Tachibana to the Student Council Activity Room, where President Horikita was leafing through some documents.

"Take a look at this." Horikita Manabu handed the documents straight to Lezheng.

The documents concerned a dispute between students from Class D and Class C.

"You'll join me at the hearing for this dispute." Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses.

"When?"

"Give me your contact details. I'll notify you." Horikita Manabu took out his phone.

Lezheng noticed that Secretary Tachibana seemed unhappy as he exchanged contact details with Horikita Manabu.

"Remember to contact me outside of work too, President," Lezheng deliberately added.

"..." Horikita Manabu gave Lezheng a slightly puzzled look and nodded.

Secretary Tachibana, however, was staring sharply at Lezheng, which gave him some information.

Lezheng left the room and checked the time; PE was almost over, so he went straight back to the classroom to wait for Mashima's homeroom session.

During homeroom, Mashima offered Class A's students some perfunctory praise and announced each class's class points following the midterms.

Class A: 1,020

Class B: 740

Class C: 570

Class D: 87

Every class except Class D had gained 100 class points.

Lezheng looked at Class D's and Class C's points, wondering whether they would decrease after this student dispute. His own private points, however, would increase by another hundred thousand.

The next day, everyone at school knew that Sudo Jian of Class D had taken on three people alone without suffering any injuries. Most students were not particularly surprised, however, since Sudo Jian had a very poor reputation at school. Trouble-making and violence were terms used to describe him.

Horikita Manabu had also just notified him by phone that the hearing would take place next Tuesday.

Lezheng replied, "If Horikita Suzune represents Class D, will you favor her, President?"

Horikita Manabu's reply consisted of just four words: "I will act impartially."

Lezheng intended to see what methods Ryuen Kakeru would use to win this case, while also observing the abilities of Class D's leader.

The temperature in May was already nearing thirty degrees, and the swimming facility was gradually attracting more visitors, especially on weekends.

Today was the day Lezheng's group had agreed to visit the swimming facility together. Since food was not allowed inside, Lezheng stood outside eating the ice cream in his hand.

"Hello, Lezheng," Kushida greeted him sweetly.

"Hello, Kushida," Lezheng replied politely.

"By the way, Lezheng, have you been to the special classroom building in the past few days?"

"No. Is this about Sudo?"

"Yes. Everyone in our class is helping him look for eyewitnesses now."

"Keep at it. You'll find one."

After finishing his conversation with Kushida, Lezheng entered the swimming facility, changed, and found Sawada and the others already practicing.

The sights inside the swimming facility were refreshing, and the air brimmed with youthful hormones.

Lezheng and the other seven split into two teams of four by showing the backs or palms of their hands, then played water volleyball. The losing team would treat the winners to ice cream.

Lezheng discovered that Kojima seemed to be an expert volleyball player, with highly professional serving form and ball handling.

"Kojima, I never knew you were so good at volleyball." Sawada licked her ice cream.

"I've loved volleyball since I was little, and I've kept at it ever since." Kojima was also very happy to have won the match.

"It's already so hot, and it isn't even June yet." Murashita fanned himself with his hand.

"It's much more comfortable in the pool." Satonaka agreed.

The group leisurely returned to their dorm rooms.