[What's going on? Where did things go wrong?]
Sakayanagi Arisu's brow twitched slightly.
According to the original plan, she would have Yamauchi Haruki manipulate the votes within Class B, then deliberately leak information to ruin Yamauchi's reputation in the class, allowing her to expel him openly and justly.
But she never expected things to escalate so quickly.
Someone had discovered her plan ahead of time.
She glanced at Yamauchi Haruki. While Yamauchi was indeed an unreliable person, this matter was directly tied to whether he would be expelled. He shouldn't have leaked the information.
However, Sakayanagi Arisu would never have guessed that it was actually Yamauchi Haruki who had spilled the beans—
Of course, it wasn't his intention. It was Saiki who had used his psychic abilities to make it happen.
"Who found out first?"
Sakayanagi Arisu frowned and immediately asked.
"It was..."
Yamauchi Haruki hesitated for a moment as he spoke.
[I absolutely can't let Sakayanagi know that I was the one who leaked it... If she finds out, her impression of me will probably worsen...]
After thinking for a moment, Yamauchi Haruki continued:
"It was Saiki. I don't know how he found out..."
"Saiki?"
Sakayanagi Arisu fell into deep thought. She couldn't understand how Saiki had figured it out.
Recalling the events that had transpired earlier, Sakayanagi Arisu felt that many things were strange.
According to the original plan, Sakayanagi Arisu would guide Yamauchi Haruki to approach Kushida Kikyo, using Kushida's connections to put Saiki in a precarious position.
But she hadn't expected Kushida Kikyo, the social butterfly, to turn against Yamauchi Haruki. This didn't make sense.
Could it be... that Saiki had seen through everything beforehand? Had he done something to Kushida Kikyo in advance?
At this moment, various possibilities flashed through Sakayanagi Arisu's mind.
"Um... Sakayanagi, about the praise votes... Are you sure Class A will vote for me?"
Yamauchi Haruki asked with a mix of confusion and worry.
His plan to smear Saiki had clearly failed, and now many students in the class would likely vote against him. His only hope was to rely on Class A's praise votes to "survive."
[This guy can't seriously think he's of any value to me, can he? But to be honest, from the very beginning, the person I wanted to expel was you, Yamauchi. Saiki's actions just sped up the process. Still, to prevent any mishaps, I'll keep him calm for now.]
"Of course! I said I would protect you, Yamauchi-kun, and I will keep my word!"
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled at Yamauchi Haruki.
"If you don't trust me, then we don't need to meet like this anymore..."
"I trust you! I trust you!"
Yamauchi Haruki nodded vigorously, quickly speaking up to avoid angering Sakayanagi Arisu.
"I'll figure out what to do next. You can go now."
"Yes, yes!"
Yamauchi Haruki nodded vigorously again, a smile spreading across his face before he left.
That night, Saiki had returned to his dorm and was preparing to rest.
"Judging by Tsukishiro's reaction, it seems like that guy did something."
"At least Tsukishiro doesn't seem to be planning anything against me anymore."
"Today was really long... It felt like several chapters' worth of events."
Just as Saiki was muttering to himself, there was a knock at the door.
'Yare yare... At this hour...'
Saiki sighed. He already knew that Ibuki Mio and Shiina Hiyori were at the door, but he opened it anyway.
[I have another excuse to see Saiki-kun!]
Shiina Hiyori's face was filled with joy as she smiled at Saiki. She had come with Ibuki Mio, both to help Ryuen Kakeru and to find an excuse to see Saiki.
For some reason, she really wanted to see Saiki.
Meanwhile, Ibuki Mio was in a completely different state.
[Ugh, I have to see this guy again... Damn it... I can't stand it... I can't forget what happened that night.]
Ibuki Mio glared at Saiki, clearly filled with frustration—and a hint of fear.
The only person who had ever made Ryuen Kakeru admit defeat was Saiki.
[Are we really going to ask this guy to save Ryuen...?]
'Yare yare, is this about Ryuen being at risk of expulsion due to this special exam?'
Saiki guessed the reason for their visit but still asked, "What do you need from me?"
"I wanted to talk to you about the exam."
Shiina Hiyori asked with a smile, "Is it okay if we come in?"
"Sure."
Saiki nodded and let them in, even pouring them some juice—a courtesy he hadn't extended to Kamuro Masumi earlier.
"Go ahead."
Saiki sat down and gestured for them to speak.
"Well, Saiki-kun, you've had some unpleasant interactions with Ryuen-kun before, right? But Ryuen-kun is crucial to our Class D. Without him, our class would likely fall behind the others..."
Shiina Hiyori sat on Saiki's bed and spoke very seriously.
'Yare yare... That guy Ryuen caused me some trouble before... but I guess we're even now.'
Saiki thought to himself.
The first time he formally met Ryuen Kakeru, he accidentally turned him to stone and even kicked his head like a ball.
Later, during their conflict, to prevent Ryuen from causing him more trouble in the future, Saiki implanted some terrifying memories into Ryuen's mind...
However, the memories he implanted might have been a bit too terrifying.
Now, Ryuen Kakeru was losing weight, unable to sleep well. Every time he dreamed, he would see Saiki's face and wake up in a panic, unable to get a good night's sleep.
You could say Ryuen Kakeru had developed PTSD from Saiki.
As Saiki was thinking, Shiina Hiyori continued:
"Of course, I understand that if Ryuen-kun is protected, our Class D might become a threat to you again. However, we can also help keep the other classes in check, giving you the opportunity to continue improving. Plus, we can offer you a considerable amount of personal points."
Shiina Hiyori glanced at Ibuki Mio. The points she mentioned were the ones Ryuen Kakeru possessed.
According to Shiina Hiyori's plan, she intended to use some of these points to trade with Saiki in exchange for Class B's praise votes.
If they could secure some praise votes from Class B, Ryuen Kakeru should be able to safely pass this exam.
[Damn it... To think we have to ask the enemy for help...]
Ibuki Mio was extremely frustrated but had no way to oppose this.
Because this might be the only way to save Ryuen Kakeru.
While Saiki considered himself even with Ryuen Kakeru—
He had no intention of getting involved in this matter.
"Sorry, I don't..."
But just as Saiki was about to refuse, there was another knock at the door.
This made Ibuki Mio instantly alert, and she looked at Saiki.
"Who could be visiting at this hour?"
"I'm not sure."
Saiki shook his head.
In truth, he already knew the identity of the third visitor.
Ichinose Honami.
Even through the door, Saiki could hear Ichinose Honami's thoughts.
[If it's Saiki... maybe he can help...]
[I don't want any students in my class to be expelled... I must gather twenty million points... I'm only short about four million now.]
[If all else fails, I'll have to agree to Nagumo-senpai's condition...]
'Nagumo's condition?'
Saiki suddenly remembered hearing something from Nagumo Miyabi the day before.
Nagumo Miyabi's desire to control Ichinose Honami hadn't faded. He planned to use this opportunity to completely turn Ichinose Honami into his pet.
Nagumo Miyabi was one of the people Saiki disliked the most at school, as his actions had caused Saiki a lot of trouble.
Moreover, Saiki had a decent relationship with Ichinose Honami, so of course, he couldn't let Nagumo Miyabi's plan succeed.
Hearing the thoughts outside the door, Saiki had an idea. The door opened, and Ichinose Honami stood before him.
"Saiki, sorry to bother you so late... Huh? Ibuki-kun? Hiyori?"
Seeing two girls in Saiki's room, Ichinose Honami looked puzzled.
"Ichinose, what do you need?"
Saiki asked immediately.
"I... I..."
Ichinose Honami hesitated, as there were students from another class present. But after thinking for a moment, she explained why she had come.
"Your Class C is in such a state, yet you're still playing the good Samaritan?"
Ibuki Mio shook her head, unable to understand Ichinose Honami's mindset.
Meanwhile, Shiina Hiyori seemed to have an idea and quickly said, "Then, Honami, our two classes might be able to make a deal."
"What?"
Ichinose Honami's eyes showed a hint of confusion.
"We can provide the personal points you need—and in return, you can give Ryuen your praise votes."
Shiina Hiyori explained the terms of the deal while also outlining Class D's current situation.
'Yare yare, this kills two birds with one stone.'
Saiki listened quietly and nodded.
Everything was going as he had expected.
Ichinose Honami needed personal points, and Shiina Hiyori needed votes. The two classes had complementary needs—perfect for a trade.
Saiki had guessed that Shiina Hiyori would realize this, saving him a lot of trouble.
It would also prevent Nagumo Miyabi's perverse plan from succeeding.
[Our two classes can help each other.]
Shiina Hiyori thought to herself,
[Saiki-kun arranged for me and Honami to meet... Did he already predict that both of us would come to him today? As expected of Saiki-kun. No wonder he defeated Ryuen.]
'No, that part was a complete coincidence.'
Saiki replied in his mind.
"Okay, I agree."
After hearing Shiina Hiyori's proposal, Ichinose Honami nodded vigorously.
This was an opportunity she absolutely couldn't miss.
"I've made my decision. If Ibuki-kun and Hiyori are willing, let's work together!"
"Are you sure about this?"
Ibuki Mio frowned, still skeptical.
"Yes, I've already confirmed both of your intentions."
"You're such a fool, Ichinose."
"Huh?"
"Even after all the rumors about you, you still saved up those points with your classmates, only to give them all away now."
Ibuki Mio couldn't understand Class C's overly kind behavior.
"We can always save up points again. It might take another year, but we could gather nearly twenty million points again. Besides, I don't think you're in a position to criticize me, Ibuki-kun. Aren't you also transferring five million points to save Ryuen-kun?"
"I can't argue with that."
Ibuki Mio shook her head.
"Then, can you transfer the points to us as soon as possible?"
Ichinose Honami asked immediately.
She naturally wanted to resolve this issue quickly to avoid any complications.
"Sure."
Ibuki Mio glanced at Shiina Hiyori, then nodded seriously and stood up.
"Wait here. I'll be back soon."
With that, Ibuki Mio left Saiki's room and returned fifteen minutes later.
The moment she returned, she took out her phone and showed it to Ichinose Honami.
The screen displayed over five million personal points.
"Then, let's begin the transaction."