Kazuma Sakagami stood at the podium and cleared his throat. "Everyone, next Friday will be this semester's first exam. Any student who fails to meet the passing mark will face expulsion, so take it seriously."
From his seat, Ryuen sent Kaneda a message.
"Arrange a study group. Have the students with better grades help the weaker ones. I want to see progress in your revision every day."
As for why he had not put Hiyori in charge of organizing it, Ryuen had noticed that she had looked pale these past few days.
If she had merely been in a bad mood, he had plenty of ways to make the girl smile. But there was little he could do about physical pain. Other than telling her to drink more hot water, he was out of options. Ryuen had never set foot in a kitchen, much less made ginger brown-sugar tea for a girlfriend like other guys might. The only thing he could do was bother Hiyori less for the time being.
Girls on their periods could be excessively sensitive. To Hiyori, Ryuen's behavior looked like deliberate distancing, and it left a sour ache in her chest. Yet her pride would not allow her to ask why, while Ryuen was hardly the sort to explain himself unprompted.
As Ryuen fiddled with his student ID, he unexpectedly received a message from Manabu Horikita.
"Come to the student council office after school. —Manabu Horikita, Student Council President"
How presumptuous. He had even deliberately included his title, clearly hinting that Ryuen had better not stand him up. Ryuen was not surprised that Manabu had found his contact information, but he could not figure out why a third-year student wanted to see him. Had his purchase of points from Kosei Mizuno been exposed?
After thinking it over, Ryuen decided to visit the student council alone. Manabu was the student council president, after all. If Ryuen failed to show up and Manabu decided to make things difficult for him later, that would be troublesome. Ryuen did not think Manabu was the kind of person to do that, but there was no harm in being cautious.
Dusk settled in. Since Manabu had only said "after school" without giving a specific time, Ryuen deliberately waited until late before heading to the student council office. If Manabu had already left, Ryuen would have a perfectly valid excuse—and might even turn the tables on him.
Unfortunately, when he knocked and entered the student council office, Manabu Horikita was still seated in the student council president's chair.
"You waited that long without leaving? You've got some patience, President."
There was no one else in the room, so Ryuen casually dropped onto the sofa and crossed one leg over the other.
"Heh. Your little sidekick isn't here. I guess this is about Suzune."
Manabu rapped his knuckles twice against the desk. "Tachibana is not my sidekick. She is the student council secretary."
"Same difference. Get to the point. I don't have time for small talk."
With the president's little sidekick absent, Ryuen could not even get a cup of tea here.
"Are you close to Suzune?"
"Shouldn't you have investigated that already? Asking me now is redundant."
"I only know what is visible on the surface. I cannot know what happens in private, nor what either of you truly thinks."
"You aren't even denying that you investigated me, Horikita. Do you think I'll tell you?"
"One hundred thousand private points should be enough to buy some information from you."
"Oh? The president is generous. Why not ask Suzune directly? Ah, right. I remember now. You and your little sister don't get along."
That seemed to strike a nerve. Manabu's gaze sharpened considerably.
"Don't look at me like that. It was easy enough to deduce that you two are siblings. It was just as easy to figure out that your relationship is strained."
It was the truth. Manabu had never gone out of his way to conceal his relationship with Suzune, so anyone could discover it easily enough.
"What do you want to know, President?"
Ryuen had come all this way. It would be a waste not to make a little extra money. If Manabu wanted to buy information, Ryuen would sell it to him. Even if he made everything up, Manabu would not go ask Suzune to verify it. The initiative was Ryuen's—and he was even considering raising the price.
"Do you like Suzune?"
"Sure. I like all beautiful girls."
"Does Suzune like you?"
"Of course. I'm this handsome. No girl could possibly dislike me."
Manabu frowned. Ryuen's words were half-truths at best. Manabu had never demanded honesty, and even if he had, Ryuen would not necessarily have told the truth. Still, Ryuen's answers held value for him.
"Enough probing questions, Manabu." Ryuen was thirsty and wanted to end this conversation quickly.
Calling an upperclassman by his given name was rude, especially when that upperclassman was the student council president. But Manabu did not get angry. He still wore that stiff expression. Though the Manabu Horikita from the original story was aloof and difficult to approach, he was actually an upright, warmhearted man with a strong sense of responsibility.
Probably a bit of a tsundere sister-con, too.
"One million private points. Stay away from my sister."
Manabu tapped the desk again, then rose and took a seat opposite Ryuen.
"The president really is generous. Don't tell me you've been embezzling funds. Sadly, while I do love money, I don't need that much."
Ryuen immediately walked behind Manabu and placed his left hand on the older boy's right shoulder.
"I'll offer ten million. Hand Akane Tachibana over to me."
Ryuen's grip tightened, wrinkling Manabu's shoulder beneath his fingers.
Manabu did not sit there helplessly. He countered the hold and seized Ryuen's hand, staring directly into his eyes.
"Tachibana is not a commodity. And you don't have ten million."
Now Ryuen could be certain that his purchase of points had not been discovered. Even if negotiations with Manabu broke down, he had obtained valuable information. He had not lost anything.
"Brother-in-law, aren't you meddling a little too much?"
Ryuen shook free of Manabu's grasp and returned to his seat.
The term "brother-in-law" clearly infuriated Manabu. This obsessive sister-con would be a million percent unwilling to see Ryuen end up with Suzune.
"No deal?"
As the ruler of the third years, Manabu had plenty of ways to discipline a troublesome first-year like Ryuen. But he had no desire to retaliate against someone for personal reasons. He had even intended to transfer the points to Ryuen from his own private account.
"There is a deal."
Ryuen suddenly smiled, as if he had not been bristling with hostility just moments ago. Even Manabu found the shift unsettling, unable to help wondering whether Ryuen had always been this slippery.
"State your terms."
Since there was room to negotiate, Manabu naturally wanted to continue. But if Ryuen's demands crossed his bottom line, the negotiation would still collapse.
"My condition is simple. A week from now, the first years will have an exam. By the school's usual practice, the questions are more or less the same every year. I want this year's exam rewritten. The questions must be completely different from those used in previous years."
Manabu hesitated. Ryuen was not asking for the exam answers. Considering that Ryuen had previously demanded points from Class D, it did not take much thought to understand what he was planning. This was something Manabu could arrange.
"Suzune does need to go through certain experiences in order to grow. I can agree to your condition. I also hope you will keep your word."
Manabu seemed to relax slightly.
"Naturally. Merchants value integrity above all else."
Ryuen smiled, though another thought ran through his mind.
If I don't go provoke Horikita, then it won't count as breaking the agreement if Horikita comes to provoke me.
As he was leaving, Ryuen kindly reminded Manabu, "Brother-in-law, don't forget to transfer the one million one hundred thousand private points."
With a dark expression, Manabu opened his student ID. Spending one hundred thousand private points just to listen to Ryuen narcissistically praise himself was something Manabu decided to take to his grave.
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