"The influence this guy wields is far more terrifying than any of you realize. Need I remind you, Katsuragi, that you're one of his people too?"
Ryuuen deliberately stirred the tension in Class 1-A. "Sakayanagi, who does that ring on your finger belong to? On the surface, you two seem opposed, but perhaps this is all part of his grand design. What a frightening man."
"What are you implying?!"
Totsuka Yahiko glared at Ryuuen with fury.
"Heh. Figure it out yourself, idiot."
Though he hadn't gained any advantage this time, Ryuuen was satisfied.
The awkward atmosphere he left behind would now be Kaoru's problem.
With that, Ryuuen turned and walked away, thoroughly pleased.
Observing their reactions—especially the boys'—Kaoru fell into brief contemplation.
"Actually…"
Before he could finish, Sakayanagi suddenly covered her ring with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble for Mitoma-kun. Right now, my only goal is to lead everyone through all the exams successfully."
Kaoru fell silent.
Women were natural-born actors.
With effortless grace, she redirected the malice aimed at him while instantly dispelling any implications about the ring.
Katsuragi was his pawn, making him the shadowy mastermind, while Sakayanagi positioned herself as the noble leader who only wanted to "guide everyone to victory."
Of course, she could have polished her image even further—but she was too greedy.
She wanted to keep the status of being his fiancée too.
Gritting his teeth, Kaoru found himself wishing he could ask Ichinose for help.
Maybe she could teach this scheming little devil a lesson or two?
On the way back that night, strange rumors began spreading among the first-years.
Some said a certain someone kept multiple lovers.
Others claimed he was planning to abandon his official girlfriend.
There were whispers about him secretly manipulating Class A's leader, bullying a sickly girl, threatening Ichinose Honami, or being an incorrigible playboy—echoing the malicious speculation he'd faced in the entertainment industry years ago.
....
Class Points:
Class A: 2056
Class B: 1112
Class C: 494
Class D: 191
After the training camp exams, every first-year class saw significant growth.
Class 1-A surpassed 2000 points, while Class 1-B, after eight months, finally climbed back above 1000.
Not only did they earn Class Points, but the top three students also received substantial Personal Points as rewards.
Katsuragi had already been awarded 1.08 million Personal Points by the school.
After deducting the negative points from Kaoru and others, the remaining sum would be distributed equally among the class.
Truthfully, Class 1-A wasn't lacking in points.
Rumor had it that Morishita Ai alone had accumulated over 20 million Personal Points.
Thus, Kaoru also received his share.
After two semesters of spending, his Personal Points were nearly depleted. Ryuuen's taunts had only exposed his bluff.
But he wasn't worried. Calmly, he activated the Wish Machine for a draw.
Through Kushida Kikyo, Karuizawa Kei, Ichinose Honami, and Horikita Suzune, he had already fulfilled quite a few embarrassing wishes.
Even after accounting for the promises made to the Wish Machine, Kaoru still had enough for a 10x draw.
[Congratulations on obtaining the reward—[Fate Coin]!]
[[Fate Coin]: When used, there is a 50% chance to either restore health or worsen illness/injury. Please use with caution.]
...
[Congratulations on obtaining the reward—[Repair Dock]!]
[[Repair Dock]: A specialized, all-weather repair dock built for shipgirls. Injured shipgirls can recover by entering the dock. Non-shipgirls should use with caution.]
...
[Congratulations on obtaining the reward—[Choir]!]
[[Choir]: Can summon a choir team. Under solemn prayers, all units within 100 meters will recover a certain amount of HP and gain a morale boost.]
...
[Congratulations on obtaining the reward—[Blood Replacement]!]
[[Blood Replacement]: Can be used on any target. Swaps injuries between a wounded target and a healthy one, healing the wounded target.]
[Energy Tonic], [Peach], [Tissue], [Wisdom Fruit]…
Looking at this assortment of random items, Kaoru fell silent for a moment before asking the Wish Machine if the reward matching criteria could be more precise.
["You might as well rob me at knifepoint. Even capitalists wouldn't sell you a guaranteed winning lottery ticket."]
Kaoru felt it was the Wish Machine's fault.
Wouldn't it be better to replace the lottery system with an exchange? If all rewards were clearly priced, he could just buy what he needed outright.
["I may usually be dumb, but I'm not stupid. Did you think I wouldn't jack up the prices?"]
Damn.
Kaoru realized he couldn't manipulate this thing.
["If you want to cure that girl, why not flip the coin?"]
A 50% chance—was he really supposed to gamble Sakayanagi Arisu's life on it?
Kaoru proceeded to draw the remaining rewards.
Aside from something called [Bloodstained Holy Grail], everything else was unremarkable junk.
[[Bloodstained Holy Grail]: Stained with strange blood. It is said that after performing seven miracles upon it, the Holy Grail will reveal its true form, capable of unleashing a single divine act.]
If it was divine power, curing a heart condition should be effortless.
But what exactly constituted a "miracle"?
Before Kaoru could ponder further, the person in question arrived beside him.
Someone tactfully stood up and vacated the seat, leaving the two of them alone.
"After deducting the penalties for last and second-to-last place, Mitoma-kun earned 296 points this time. That's quite impressive, especially under the watchful eyes of Nagumo and Ryuen."
In the evening light, aboard the steadily moving bus, the petite girl sat beside him.
Her reflection in the window shimmered like fireflies as she smiled. Kaoru took a deep breath—she smelled sweet too.
"You flatter me. Truthfully, Horikita-senpai gave me a hand."
Kaoru knew that in this cooperative game, teammates were the most crucial factor.
If Horikita Manabu hadn't chosen Katsuragi's group, today's outcome would have been different.
"But convincing them to trust you—that's a skill in itself."
Sakayanagi noticed something and curved her lips into a smile. "Mitoma-kun, turn this way. Look at me properly."
Kaoru met her gaze and also caught the hostile glares from the surrounding boys.
Indeed, after learning that Kaoru not only had Ichinose Honami—a sweet and gentle girlfriend—but was also Sakayanagi Arisu's fiancé, these boys had completely lost it.
At this moment, even Kamuro Masumi was sitting up straight, afraid that the murderous aura might somehow be directed at her.
"How could you be in fourth place?"
Kaoru couldn't help but suspect that Sakayanagi Arisu was playing him—the girls under her guidance seemed to be acting entirely on their own.
"I misjudged the upperclassmen's situation, but I made quite a few friends."
Sakayanagi didn't dwell on the topic. "Should we skip this special exam?"
"No, let's leave it as is. Either you surpass me, or you lose to me—there are only two possible outcomes."
Kaoru chuckled. "You wouldn't acknowledge a draw anyway, right?"
"There won't be a draw. I already have a sixty percent chance of winning."
Sakayanagi exuded confidence, subtly straightening her posture.
Though the small, unconscious movement wasn't meant to emphasize anything, Kaoru couldn't help but glance.
Since ancient times, humanity has always been a believer in the supremacy of boobs—religious faiths and artistic creations centered around them are far from rare.
In fact, compared to apples, watermelons are clearly more thirst-quenching.
Kaoru was human, and he too had an instinctive appreciation for such attributes.
But he wasn't blindly devoted to any particular doctrine—whether generous or modest, he held no prejudice.
Though it might have been his imagination, he had once caught a faint milky scent from Sakayanagi, noticeably richer than what he'd noticed from Ichinose Honami and the others.
Perhaps it was a sign her body was still developing.
But Kaoru didn't think Sakayanagi was lacking in any way compared to them.
"That look… Are you thinking something rude again?"
Sakayanagi seemed to notice his distraction. "Are you planning to do something indecent to me on the bus?"
"A hundred times worse than you imagine."
Kaoru averted his gaze.
He must have eaten something bad recently—how else could their ample charms feel so gentle?
Sakayanagi blinked.
Most girls would have been embarrassed, but not her.
Instead, she asked, "Worse than last time?"
"Worse."
Kaoru noticed her extending a small hand toward him. "What are you doing?"
"Give me your room key."
She stated it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Kaoru was speechless. "If I give it to you, how am I supposed to get back in?"
"You can get another one from the administrator. He won't refuse you."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled faintly, "Am I inferior to them that I don't even have this right?"
Kaoru wasn't unwilling to give it to her, but he was mainly worried she might barge in anytime.
After hesitating for a while, he finally handed her the key.
"Fufufu, I'll come find you for chess anytime."
Sakayanagi Arisu contentedly pocketed the key.
It seemed she was still brooding over her previous defeat.
But wasn't she afraid it might turn into an R-18 chess mode?