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Kushida was determined to win the class representative position.
She'd already meticulously calculated every step of this election.
The boys' teasing was entirely within her expectations—or rather, it was the result of her careful guidance.
If a boy won, Kushida would go on a date with him.
If a girl won, Kushida would pay eighty thousand private points as a thank-you gift.
However, Kushida was just saying it.
Those boys who lusted after her disgusted her. How could she genuinely date them?
But similarly, eighty thousand points wasn't a sum to be easily given away.
Ultimately, this competition was just a big promise to motivate the students.
She wouldn't give anything up.
But there couldn't be any loopholes either. After all, the other students weren't fools.
Almost instantly, she thought of the best solution—find a suitable collaborator.
Preferably a boy. When other boys saw them interacting intimately, they'd work even harder for her next time.
An ideal candidate immediately came to mind—Akira.
The reasons were more than sufficient.
First, he was good-looking enough.
His tall stature and handsome appearance perfectly matched her aesthetic.
Although Kushida outwardly treated everyone gently, deep down, her standards for the opposite sex weren't low at all.
Second, he was easy to get along with.
Last time by the pool, his natural compliments made her feel unusually pleased.
After all, she was constantly careful to cater to others every day, so it was rare to speak without having to think so much.
Third, he was simple and easy to control.
He was a good-natured person with a pure heart, perfectly suited to be her collaborator.
Of course, there was the most important point—she could use this opportunity to extract information about Horikita from Akira.
"Um... actually, this is a little selfish of me." Kushida lowered her head slightly, a shy blush rising on her cheeks, her long eyelashes fluttering gently. "I hope Shimizu-kun can keep this a secret for me, okay? Because... in my heart, I'd rather see Shimizu-kun win."
She lifted her watery eyes, revealing a sweet smile with a hint of timidity.
Perfect!
'I've got this in the bag,' she thought triumphantly.
This was her specialty—first creating intimacy by sharing a secret, then using phrases like "hoping the other person wins" to bridge the distance.
As the class beauty, who wouldn't be soft-hearted and agree to such a confidential whisper, coupled with a vulnerable posture?
However, his reaction was completely unexpected.
Akira merely stroked his chin thoughtfully, pointing out incisively, "...This should mean it's rigged, right?"
"Cough... It's, it's not rigged!" Kushida hastily waved her hands, her voice unconsciously rising a few octaves, then immediately returning to a pitiful tone. "I just... I'm a little afraid of the gazes those boys give me..."
"But on Monday at the swimming pool," Akira calmly interrupted her, "I didn't see you show such concerns."
This sharp retort immediately left Kushida speechless, all her carefully crafted lines stuck in her throat.
Kushida's smile froze for a second, but quickly returned to her innocent expression.
She tilted her head slightly and said in a slightly aggrieved tone, "Shimizu-kun, really... I'm clearly thinking of you. Why do you always think of me as a bad person?"
She subtly tightened her fingers clasped behind her back, her nails almost digging into the flesh of her palm.
'This Shimizu Akira, why did he suddenly become so difficult to deal with?'
'He clearly said things at the swimming pool that made me happy and humored me.'
'Why did he suddenly change?'
'I hate it!'
"...Kushida-san." Akira suddenly spread his hands. "Let's not beat around the bush. You want to rig it for me? Fine, but it's eighty thousand points, flat rate."
"..."
Kushida bowed her head deeply, the corner of her mouth twitching violently in the shadow of her bangs.
'This bastard!'
'He's actually asking me for points?'
'Even those words by the pool that made me happy... could they have just been a setup for this scene now?'
'Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen to look for him today!'
This thought inexplicably fueled her anger even further.
"Shimizu-kun..." She suddenly broke into a sweet smile, but her tone carried a subtle sting. "Suddenly asking for points like this doesn't seem to fit your character."
Akira shrugged indifferently. "I've always been like this—an exchange of equals, a fair trade."
He then showed a puzzled expression. "Rather, Kushida-san... what kind of person do you think I am?"
Without waiting for her answer, Akira turned around decisively. "Anyway, since you want my help, you have to give something in return. Otherwise, forget it."
Watching his retreating back, Kushida couldn't suppress the inexplicable agitation in her heart—a mix of annoyance at her plan being disrupted, and a faint, indescribable... sense of loss?
'How could I let him leave like this!'
If the person who saw through her plan just walked away, and he revealed the truth about the fixed outcome, the people in the class would surely look at her with contempt. At that point, her meticulously cultivated perfect image in Class D would completely crumble.
She glanced at the scattered customers in the café, forcing herself to maintain a sweet smile.
In such a public place, she could neither get angry nor resort to more drastic measures.
"...Shimizu-kun," she quickly caught up with the boy who'd reached the door, her voice soft enough for only the two of them to hear. "As long as you promise to keep the secret and become my assistant..." Her slender eyelashes fluttered gently. "Eighty thousand points, or a date with me..."
"Okay, then eighty thousand points it is."
His unhesitating reply made her breath catch.
Akira didn't even turn around, merely shaking his phone, the transfer interface clearly displayed on the screen.
'This bastard... all he thinks about are points!'
Kushida was utterly gloomy at this moment.
'Even if he agreed to this, it's just a verbal agreement! I don't believe he'll keep his word at all. What if he intentionally or unintentionally reveals it to other students afterward?'
'Ultimately... I don't trust him at all! I don't trust anyone! I only believe in their dark pasts!'
'But I don't know his dark past, so I can't control him at all!'
Kushida's nails almost pierced her palm, a dangerous thought flashing through her mind.
'If he doesn't have a dark past, can't I just create one myself?'
But then she secretly shook her head. 'No, not yet...'
'After all, this is just a small election trick. Is it worth going to that extent? It would be my first time doing something like that!'