Even though it was a naive thought, Kikyo Kushida had considered whether she should try to get along with everyone. No matter who she met, everyone would smile at her, confide their troubles, ask her for help, or want her to do something.
That feeling of being the center of attention was, without a doubt, a necessity in Kikyo Kushida life. However, in this school, she saw someone she really didn't want to see.
"Hey, Mitoma-kun, were you and Horikita classmates before?"
Kikyo Kushida didn't want to keep making small talk with him. Her previous judgment of him was completely off—this guy wasn't some cold fish at all, he was clearly a predator.
"Not really. If anything, I have more in common with her brother," Kaoru Mitoma replied, not feeling like he was lying. After all, he was about to join the student council, so he'd definitely be talking to Horikita-senpai more. Kikyo Kushida's eyes sparkled, though it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
"Actually, I want to be friends with Horikita too. If you know her, could I ask you to help me out a little?"
"I asked Ayanokouji before to help me call Horikita out, but as soon as she saw it was me, she turned around and left right away."
Kushida Kikyo put on a pitiful expression, biting her lip slightly, her brows raised as she looked up at Kaoru Mitoma. The look of anticipation in her eyes made it impossible to refuse her.
"I'd like to help, but I don't have her contact info right now, and we're not even in the same class," Kaoru Mitoma said regretfully.
"Eh, but Mitoma-kun, don't you know Horikita?"
Kushida Kikyo smiled, blinking her eyes. Kaoru Mitoma thought for a moment.
"You could try calling her out and say that a friend of her brother wants to talk to her. If it goes well, I should be able to make her understand that you want to be friends with her."
"Sorry to trouble you, Mitoma-kun."
"Well, Kushida-san is really cute, so of course anyone would want to help,"
Kaoru Mitoma said with a smile.
"You're really good at complimenting girls. But I'm surprised Horikita actually has a brother," Kushida Kikyo probed.
"Is her brother at this school too?"
"The current student council president, Horikita Manabu, is her older brother."
Kaoru Mitoma casually dispelled the last bit of doubt in Kushida Kikyo mind.
"Eh!?"
A few girls let out that classic JK squeal, probably never expecting that the reclusive Horikita Suzune would be connected to the student council president.
"Ahaha, so that's how it is. Thanks for telling me so much."
Kushida Kikyo instinctively brushed her hair back, her face full of smiles. But the smile looked a bit forced. Her reaction was interesting, like she was caught between surprise and suspicion, with a hint of unwillingness and irritation. Kaoru Mitoma gaze shifted to the bags in their hands.
"You girls are heading back to the dorms, right?"
As he spoke, Kaoru Mitoma reached out his hand.
"I'm heading back too. If you don't mind, I can help you carry some of that."
"Th-that would be too much trouble for you."
The girl with twin tails quickly waved her hands, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Sorry, I can be a bit clueless sometimes. I just want to get along with people as quickly as possible. Did I come on too strong?"
Kaoru Mitoma snapped back to himself, showing a hint of apology. As expected, a handsome face was pretty lethal, and with that so-called 'yasashii' attitude, the girls exchanged glances, then quickly looked away.
"I-I'm not…!"
the twin-tailed girl mumbled quietly. Kushida Kikyo face darkened. As expected, this guy was just another flirty type, shamelessly trying to hit on her friend right in front of her.
"Mitomakun is really gentle with girls, huh. Oh well, guess I'll leave this to you." Kushida Kikyo took the lead and handed the bag to Kaoru Mitoma.
"I get it, you just want to get along with everyone." It felt a bit light—clothes, maybe?
Kaoru Mitoma glanced at the label. Looked like something high-end, probably worth ten or twenty thousand private points. Don't these D Class people know how to save their points?
Even though it was just a quick, subtle look, Kushida Kikyo still noticed exactly where his eyes had landed. This guy really is a flirt, even trying to sneak a peek at girls' clothes. Is he after her now, too?
But when she thought of Horikita Suzune, Kushida Kikyo hesitated for a moment. Maybe this isn't so bad after all.
...
A brand new day. Kaoru Mitoma arrived at Class A classroom. It had been a week since the start of school, and everyone was pretty much used to life here by now.
"Mitoma-kun, have you made any progress these past few days?"
Sakayanagi Arisu greeted him proactively.
'Accidentally gained a million—can I even mention that?'
Kaoru Mitoma glanced at her cane. If he just snatched that cane away, he could probably fulfill two or three wishes at once. The thought was really tempting.
"I've done some prep work. I'll be joining the student council soon."
"Hehehe, I'll be looking forward to it." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled. "But it seems I can't afford to fall behind either."
Kaoru Mitoma eyed her suspiciously, but she suddenly turned her face away and locked eyes with Hashimoto Masayoshi on the other side.
He nodded, as if he understood. "Um, can everyone quiet down for a moment?" Hashimoto Masayoshi stood up.
"Sakayanagi has something important to tell us. Can we have a few minutes, please?"
After he spoke, the classroom, which had been a bit noisy, quieted down quite a bit. Most of the students turned their attention toward him. Hashimoto Masayoshi was well-liked, so when he spoke up, it worked. At the very least, it was more effective than Sakayanagi Arisu, a middle schooler, shouting to get attention.
"What's going on? What's she going to say?"
"Ahaha, is she about to confess to someone or something?"
"Hey, are you into lolis or what?"
There was a bit of a stir, and even Katsuragi Kohei couldn't help but look over at Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Sakayanagi, what exactly is this important thing you want to say?"
Facing Katsuragi Kohei question, Sakayanagi Arisu calmly lifted her gaze, meeting the eyes of everyone in Class A, and then she smiled slightly.
"Of course, it's about the true nature of this school—the truth that's been hidden from all of us since the very beginning."
So, it's finally time to make a move?
After watching for a while, did she get disappointed?
No, maybe she just got bored. Kaoru Mitoma quietly took out his notebook. It was already filled with notes, but he decided to jot down a few more things. On the other side, Katsuragi Kohei had already guessed what Sakayanagi Arisu was about to say.
"How much have you found out?"
"Hehe, of course, I know everything. I'll tell you every last detail." The more Sakayanagi Arisu smiled, the more uneasy Katsuragi Kohei felt. He couldn't shake the feeling that she'd come fully prepared.
"First off, let me ask—how many personal points do you all have left?"
Although no one really knew what Sakayanagi Arisu was getting at, quite a few people answered her. Some said seventy thousand, others said ninety thousand, but basically no one had spent more than half their points. Most students had only used up ten or twenty thousand.
"Just as I expected. I thought there'd be some idiot who blew through all their points at once."
A flash of disappointment crossed Sakayanagi Arisu eyes, though it was hard to tell what exactly she was disappointed about.
"Hey, stop dragging this out! If you've got something to say, spit it out already!"
Totsuka Yahiko complained impatiently.
"Heh, no need to rush. There's still a little time before class starts, and I promise you'll find this well worth it."
Sakayanagi Arisu said lazily.
"After all, next month you might not get the same amount of personal points."
As soon as she finished, a wave of shock rippled through the classroom.
"Are you serious?!"
"Wait, what does that even mean?"
"Why won't we get the same amount of personal points next month?"
Her words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up waves of shock. Everyone stared in disbelief, unable to process what they'd just heard.
"Sakayanagi, are you sure your information is reliable?"
Kohei Katsuragi asked in a low voice.
"It's absolutely true. I spent a bit of time getting the upperclassmen to admit it. If you don't believe me, you can go ask them yourselves,"
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled slightly.
"Just take a look at their point records for this month, and everything will be clear."
On the day of enrollment, she'd used her chess skills to post a bounty on the school forum, making use of betting agreements to farm a bunch of newbies. People who didn't pay attention to the school forum probably had no idea what she'd been up to.
"Next month, our personal points will be credited based on our class points, at a ratio of one to one hundred. Our class points for this month are one thousand, so we received one hundred thousand personal points."
"At the same time, our class ranking will change according to the number of class points we have. The highest is Class A, the lowest is Class D. In the school's eyes, the best students are in Class A, and the worst are in Class D."
"One thing to keep in mind only students who graduate from Class A will get the school's promise, meaning guaranteed advancement and job placement. If you're not in Class A, you can't get those benefits."
"From now on, we'll be competing with the other three classes. Whether it's to secure our spot in Class A or to earn the personal points we need for daily life, class points are crucial."
"I hope everyone understands this. That's all."
After saying all that, Sakayanagi Arisu sat quietly in her seat, her face expressionless. This was just the beginning for her. The classroom fell into silence. It lasted for a long time until finally, someone broke it.
"Hahaha, but we started out as Class A, right? That means the school already recognizes our abilities, because Class A is for the best students!"
Totsuka Yahiko laughed excitedly. It seemed like some others shared the same thought, and their expressions relaxed a little. However, Katsuragi Kohei spoke up with a serious look on his face.
"From what I know, the other classes have the same number of class points as us. Each class has one thousand points."
"The school must have made a mistake, right?" Totsuka Yahiko complained.
"If we're Class A, shouldn't there be a gap? Isn't everyone ranked the same right now?"
"I've already checked. The second and third years have bulletin boards that show the rankings of all four classes, but we first years don't have that yet," Hashimoto Masayoshi suddenly said.
"That means the school sees us all as starting from the same line. As for why we were put in Class A, I think the school has its own reasons."
"Huh? Then what's the point of splitting us into classes?"
Totsuka Yahiko was actually the quickest in the class to accept this truth.
"Being in Class A means we're the best students, right? I really don't get why the school is doing this."
Maybe she couldn't stand it anymore, Sakayanagi Arisu sighed. "Is it possible the school thinks that even if everyone starts with a thousand class points, the rankings will be obvious by next month?"
"They're going to deduct class points?" Katsuragi Kohei was the first to catch on.
"Not only will they deduct points, but they'll even expel students."
Hashimoto Masayoshi said, sounding a bit emotional.
"I heard that over a dozen second-year students have already dropped out. When the Princess asked me to look into it, even I was shocked."
He deliberately mentioned his connection with Sakayanagi Arisu, and that special way of addressing her was basically a clear sign that he'd chosen to side with another rising leader. Katsuragi Kohei understood, his brows furrowing tightly. When did they start working together?
But when they heard about expulsions, a lot of students couldn't help but look uneasy.
"Only Class A gets to choose their university or job freely. That's already unfair enough, and now they're expelling students too?"
"Hashimoto, what do we have to do to avoid getting expelled?"
"I'm starting to regret coming to this school."
Hashimoto Masayoshi blinked, then gave a breezy smile.
"I don't really know either. Sakayanagi just told me to do this."
So, everyone's attention shifted back to Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Don't worry. I believe the school wouldn't expel anyone for no reason. There must be some circumstances that forced those students to leave,"
Sakayanagi Arisu said, a faint smile playing at her lips.
"Looking at the second years, most of the dropouts were from Class C and D. Class A only lost one."
Seeing this, the students of Class A felt a lot more at ease.
"Whether it's about class points or expelling a student, the school probably has a set process for it. If we want to avoid the worst-case scenario, we should figure that out first."
Before anyone realized it, Sakayanagi Arisu had already taken the lead and started thinking on everyone's behalf.
"If we don't take the initiative, things could get really troublesome."
"You guys don't want to just blindly accept whatever the school decides, do you?"
Some people were tempted, but even more realized the value Sakayanagi Arisu was showing at this moment.
"So what do you want to do?"
"Of course, we need to gather more information." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled.
"If possible, I'd like someone to join a club and get in touch with the upperclassmen."
"Also, participating in club activities will earn you point rewards. Outstanding members can receive corresponding personal points."
"Huh? No class points?"
Yahiko Tozuka looked confused.
"Personal points are pretty much only good for buying stuff, right? They're not that useful otherwise."
Arisu Sakayanagi turned to look at Kaoru Mitoma, her smile sly like a fox.
"I'd like to hear what Mitoma-kun thinks about this."
Kaoru Mitoma, who had just been enjoying the show, suddenly felt like a teacher had called on him in class. He couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
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