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At noon in the cafeteria, the first-year students were generally quiet, as if even eating delicious food couldn't lift their spirits.
The only exception was Yukio's class. Just as they had always laughed and joked in the past, they still did so now, because they believed in Yukio—he would surely see them safely through this special exam.
And just at this moment, Ichinose approached, carrying her food tray, and came over to the table where Yukio and Shiina were sitting.
"Yukio-kun, may I sit here?"
Shiina glanced at Yukio, then at Ichinose across the table, but said nothing. Ibuki, however, tugged lightly at Shiina's sleeve, as if trying to signal something.
Shiina gave no real reaction, only a calm look that told Ibuki to wait and settle down.
Yukio didn't notice this little exchange and invited Ichinose to sit. Maybe it was because she'd given him true-love chocolate on Valentine's Day, maybe it was because borrowing money felt too embarrassing—but once Ichinose sat down, she didn't dare look him in the eye.
She only kept her head lowered, nothing like the usually sunny and cheerful Ichinose.
Ishizaki, being Yukio's lackey and sitting at the same table, naturally blurted out,
"Ichinose, I already heard from your classmates—you're here to borrow private points from Yukio-aniki, right?"
"..."
The once-lively table immediately went quiet at his words.
Yukio shot Ishizaki an annoyed look. Ichinose looked embarrassed, Shiina looked helpless, as if she was already used to Ishizaki's blockheaded ways, while Ibuki just wanted to laugh.
Everyone probably thought the same thing. Can't you be more considerate of Ichinose's feelings? Who says something like that so bluntly?
The thing Ishizaki feared most was the sudden silence—it made it seem like he had said something terribly wrong. He shrank his neck nervously, gave a sheepish glance at Yukio, and stammered,
"A-Aniki, I, I just…"
"Hahaha, Aniki, you all want something to drink, right? Eating like this is pretty dry, isn't it? Drinks would be perfect, I'll go buy them, I'll go buy them!"
After spending so much time around Yukio and Ryuen, Ishizaki had at least learned that sticking around might get him in trouble. He hastily made up an excuse and bolted away.
"Sorry you had to see that," Yukio said, unable to do anything else. He certainly couldn't drag Ishizaki back, so all he could do now was smooth things over with some empty words.
"It's fine, really." Ichinose didn't seem to mind much. "Ishizaki-kun is always like that, we all know he doesn't mean any harm. Besides, I really did come to ask Yukio-kun… to borrow some private points."
Since she'd said that much, she didn't hide it anymore. Relations between their classes were generally good, and in the face of Ishizaki already blurting it out, it would've been improper to keep concealing it.
So Ichinose frankly set her chopsticks down and got to the point.
"This morning I asked a few senior girls I'm close with, but unfortunately, the upperclassmen are also preparing large amounts of private points for the special exam at the end of the third semester. After thinking it over, I had no choice but to shamelessly come to you, Yukio-kun, to borrow some points."
"To keep even one classmate from being expelled, our class has already pooled together more than eighteen million points. We're short by just under two million. I was wondering if Yukio-kun could…"
"Next—next month. As soon as our class's private points are credited, we'll pay Yukio-kun back."
As she said this, Ichinose trailed off. This wasn't like her usual self at all. Even if she had to borrow money, she usually wouldn't have been this hesitant and awkward.
The key was that just recently, on Valentine's Day, she had given Yukio true-love chocolate. He had even promised to give her his reply on White Day, March 14.
Yet now, on only March 2, here she was, asking him for money. This made her feel especially conflicted inside.
It almost felt like she had given him chocolate just to get at his private points—and that made Ichinose feel awful.
In her heart, she believed Yukio wouldn't think that way. She trusted his insight and trusted him as a person. But even if he didn't suspect her, she herself felt guilty.
It was like a girl giving chocolate to a boy on Valentine's Day, only to get a sudden call from her grandfather in the mountains the very next day, saying he needed her help to sell a batch of tea leaves—and it just so happened the boy could help.
Even if the chocolate truly had come first, and the grandfather's tea matter came later, even if the girl's original feelings had been genuine, who wouldn't feel conflicted in that situation?
But for the sake of protecting her classmates, no matter how bad she felt, Ichinose forced herself to face it and explained her reasons.
Yukio had already known Ichinose's plan, so he wasn't surprised. He only looked at her kindly and shook his head in refusal.
"It's not that we don't have the points, Ichinose. It's that we can't lend them to you."
"Is that so?" Ichinose wasn't spoiled or entitled. She wouldn't get angry just because Yukio refused her. Lending money was a kindness, not an obligation.
But the thought of not being able to make up the deficit, and of her classmates being expelled, darkened her expression immediately. What should she do?
Maybe it really would come to that—maybe she would have to make everyone vote her out. If she sacrificed herself, her whole class could stay. That was the bleak but most practical solution Ichinose could think of.
But if that happened, she wouldn't live to see White Day. She wouldn't get Yukio-kun's reply.
What a regret. How unwilling she felt. Maybe she could wait until Yukio-kun graduated, then ask him for that reply?
That was Ichinose—always putting her classmates above herself.
Across the table, Yukio's cheek twitched. He couldn't read her exact thoughts, but the sorrow and resolve on her face told him enough.
This won't do. On White Day, I'll have to correct that mindset of hers properly. But for now…
"Lending points isn't possible. But…"
Those words rekindled Ichinose's hope. Her eyes, like a small fawn in the forest seeking help, fixed on him.
"If you're willing to sign a contract, notarized by the school," Yukio continued,
"and promise to transfer every bit of gain from this exam to me unconditionally, then I can guarantee your class will get through this voting exam without losing anyone."
"!"
Ichinose's face lit up again, no longer bleak. It was as if after darkness, there was suddenly light—hope blooming after despair.
Sure enough, nothing could stump him!
She couldn't even put her feelings into words: joy, trust, relief, dependence—all the positive emotions piled together, filling her heart.
"R-Really?" Ichinose blurted, then immediately realized how wrong that sounded. She flailed her hands, flustered.
"N-No, it's not that I doubt you, Yukio-kun! Of course you can do it. It's just… isn't this too unfair to you?"
"After all, in this exam, aside from the non-tradable protection point, there's no real reward. Even if our whole class agrees, it doesn't seem like you'll gain anything, Yukio-kun."
Shiina raised an eyebrow at that. So, Ichinose's actually worrying about Yukio?
Ibuki, watching from the side with her chin in her palm, was skeptical. She still didn't believe anyone could be that pure. Could Ichinose really be that selfless, thinking about Yukio's benefit?
But Yukio believed her. He nodded lightly.
"Then keep this to yourself, Ichinose. The truth is… protection points can already be transferred and traded."
Though she didn't know why he treated protection points so seriously, Ichinose nodded solemnly. She promised she would keep it secret, and that she would have her classmates sign the agreement one by one as soon as she returned…
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