Kikyō felt Houtarou was trying to deceive her.
"If Kushida won't do it, then I will." Suzune suddenly spoke up, "But I want to raise the commission to 15%."
Kikyō: "..."
In Suzune's usual arrangements with Houtarou, she received 10% while Kikyō only got 5%. Was this girl now trying to claim her share as well?
"I need to think about it." Kikyō quickly said.
She had managed to accumulate a decent sum of points, having collected all outstanding debts from her classmates. Her total now barely exceeded one million points.
Though she had started at the school at the same time as Houtarou, Kikyō had used her friendship with Suzune to check her student ID. Hadn't Suzune already amassed over 5 million points?
The main reason for this disparity was that Houtarou sometimes excluded her from money-making opportunities. She worried that refusing now might mean being left out of future deals.
After this consideration, Kikyō decided to agree.
"Then follow my plan." Houtarou said, "Since I'm not in the same group or class as you all, there are some things I can't do directly."
Is that so?
Or perhaps your so-called solution might damage your reputation, and you'd rather keep your hands clean?
This realization quickly dawned on Kikyō.
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Afternoon. After second period.
Class C had just finished their history lesson with their homeroom teacher Sae. According to the teacher's announcement, everyone was to gather in the gymnasium after classes for the sports festival organization meeting.
It was happening just as expected.
The sports festival was imminent, and with it would come that dreaded bottom 10 punishment: minus 10 points in all subjects on the next written exam.
Most of Class C's students turned to Kikyō.
"It's all good." She reassured them with an OK sign.
During lunch break, she had discussed matters with Yōsuke.
Everyone had worked hard to reach Class C, and with so many students anxious about the bottom 10 punishment, coordinating a response to the sports festival would be challenging.
She knew she needed to put their minds at ease.
She had confided in Yōsuke about collecting points to secure peace of mind, effectively drawing him into the scheme.
Yōsuke was the class's quintessential nice guy, while Kikyō served as their little angel, mediating conflicts between classmates.
Yet her initial assessment of him suggested hidden depths.
After all, no one is purely good or evil. Yōsuke's agreeable nature surely masked some untold history.
So under his guidance, A total of 30 students hoped to avoid being in the bottom 10, and if there was a way to prevent it, they were willing to spend around 100,000 points. After all, they had just received 250,000 points, and today they got another 40,000+. So everyone was quite well-off.
Although Yōsuke said points could be exchanged for money, students who were already struggling with written exams faced a greater risk — if they received penalties on future tests, they could face expulsion and lose everything.
Given this reality, these students were willing to sacrifice some of their recently acquired points for security. Thirty students ultimately agreed to this arrangement.
"..." Kikyō fell silent as she calculated the numbers.
She began to understand why Suzune preferred to accumulate points independently.
Despite their advancement to Class C and being just 240 points away from Class B, they seemed unable to break free from their constraints.
If they used points to avoid this exam's consequences, what would happen when the next exam came, and the one after that? The class simply didn't have enough points to sustain this strategy.
Still, one thing troubled Kikyō: her role was limited to organizing students and collecting money, after which everything would be handed over to Suzune.
What kind of plan could it be that she wasn't allowed to know?
⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟
When the second afternoon period ended, the bell rang.
Though not the official sports festival opening ceremony, this was still a significant gathering — all school teachers and students were to assemble in the gymnasium.
The gymnasium was spacious, with lines marked on the ground for each grade and class. Second and third-year students filed in gradually.
Houtarou and the others had been here during enrollment, but the arrangement was different now. Instead of gender-separated lines, Class A was divided between the Sakayanagi faction and the Katsuragi faction.
Curiously, Arisu surrendered her position at the front of her faction to stand beside Houtarou.
Just as he prepared to speak, the seniors on the platform began their address.
"I am Fujimaki from third-year Class A, serving as the general director for this sports festival." Announced a tall, thin student wearing glasses from the platform.
Rather than leading, Manabu stood to the side, yielding the space to Fujimaki.
His absence from the lead position caused a stir below.
The first-years, in particular, stared at the Student Council members on the platform with disbelief.
Only a few Student Council members stood on the platform. Manabu commanded an imposing presence even in silence, king-like in his bearing. Beside him was Vice President Ikuto from second-year Class B, though few knew him. The former Vice President and current Treasurer Miyabi, frustrated at having to appear on stage unnecessarily, had returned to lead his class line.
The secretary position was unique, represented by both former secretary Akane Tachibana and new secretary Kōhei Katsuragi.
This arrangement sparked envy among students, as Kōhei had achieved this position while still a first-year.
Standing next to Manabu, Kōhei's rough features betrayed an unusual nervousness, a rare crack in his typically composed demeanor.
"Katsuragi-kun…"
While first-years recognized him, the upper classes regarded him with mixed expressions — envy, confusion, and jealousy mingled in their gazes.
Though Manabu rarely smiled, everyone acknowledged his excellence as president. His appointments were always exceptional, like choosing Ikuto as vice president despite his class dropping from A to B. Manabu recognized that Ikuto's capabilities remained outstanding regardless of his class ranking.
Being selected for the Student Council meant receiving Manabu's personal acknowledgment of excellence.
"How did Katsuragi from Class A get in as a first-year?"
"Is joining the Student Council really that simple?"
These whispers circulated among Class B and D first-years, especially in Class B, where Honami's recent Student Council application had been rejected.
Manabu had explained that she needed more experience and could try again in her second year — though he would have graduated by then.
The message was clear: first-years weren't typically considered ready.
This made Kōhei's position all the more remarkable.
"It seems Oreki-kun provided Katsuragi-kun with a nice plaything." Arisu remarked beside Houtarou.
Houtarou: "..."
There was an edge to her words this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Fujimaki continued his address.
"Let me offer some advice to the first-years. While some might consider this redundant, the sports festival carries great importance. The experience you gain here will prove valuable in future challenges. Many upcoming exams may appear game-like at first glance, but each represents a crucial battle for your continued enrollment at this school."
The young man was attempting to share wisdom, but his words were as vague as those of a noncommittal homeroom teacher.
"Among all grade-level events, only the final 1200-meter relay race involves the entire school. All other events are single grade-level competitions. Each grade should now gather and freely discuss strategies."
Though his speech lacked substance, such formalities were necessary for organizational purposes.
Houtarou suspected that Manabu had chosen Fujimaki, a Class A student who wasn't even on the Student Council, precisely because someone needed to deliver these ceremonial remarks.
"Hey—"
A hand shot up from the crowd.
While others whispered among themselves, one student made himself conspicuous. Houtarou's gaze immediately found him.
It was Kakeru, his fire-red hair casually parted down the middle.
"Does this mean we won't lose points for not following discipline today?" He asked brazenly.
From his tone alone, Houtarou could tell Kakeru was scheming something — likely planning to use the sports festival to close the gap with Class C, if not fully recover their former position.
After all, while the current point values seemed trivial to Houtarou, Arisu, and Kōhei, they meant everything to Kakeru.
His class, now Class D, had the fortune of being on the Red team. This guaranteed them an easy +100 Class Points if Red team won.
The same-grade competition point distribution was clear: First place +100 Class Points, Second place +0, Third place -50 Class Points, Fourth place -100 Class Points.
The values weren't high, but if they could secure first place, his class would gain +200 points. If Honami and Suzune's classes lost the Red vs. White competition, they'd receive -100 Class Points. Then, if either Class B or C fell to fourth place, his class would be in an excellent position.
Seeing Kakeru so fired up made Houtarou finally see the sports festival's true potential.
Now he was excited too.
Arranging for Suzune and Kikyō to collect 4 million points from Class C was merely an appetizer. Class C remained vulnerable — they could be pressured at any time.
For Houtarou, Kakeru's decision to make a move was the perfect moment to step in.
Because he could seize all of Kakeru's Points in one swift strike.
⍟⍟⍟
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