Counseling room.
Akira looked at Chabashira's slightly heaving shoulders and suddenly realized he might have misunderstood his homeroom teacher.
He looked down at his phone—only three minutes and thirty seconds had passed since he sent the distress message, "Hoshinomiya-sensei is targeting Class D."
And the Chabashira standing in front of him now had slightly disheveled hair, the collar of her uniform was skewed from running intensely, and she was still breathing heavily.
Leaving aside previous matters, at least this time, Chabashira was quite protective of the class and student interests. "Chabashira-sensei, thank you for coming to our rescue in time."
This sentence was like a sudden magic spell, making Chabashira stop abruptly.
Since she chose to act as a homeroom teacher in a "hands-off" manner, it had been too long since she had heard such thanks.
'No... it should be said that it was already good if students didn't give her the cold shoulder.'
Chabashira coughed lightly, quickly regaining her composure.
"Shimizu-kun, I need to ask you—" Her voice held a hint of hesitation. "I just heard Hoshinomiya say you sought out a second-year upperclassman, and with your personality, it's unlikely you'd do something useless. Not just about class assignments and points, but... do you already know other information that the school authorities deliberately concealed?"
Akira admitted it without thinking. "...Yes."
Since the other party had already said so much, there was no need for him to deliberately lie.
"Shimizu-kun, you should be the first person in Class D to discover those hidden rules. So..." She straightened her expression. "I'm considering appointing you as the class president. What are your thoughts?"
"With all due respect, I refuse." Akira's answer was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Chabashira raised an eyebrow slightly. "Reason?"
"Because—" His voice was very calm. "I don't want to be a scapegoat."
In the first month of school, Class D's class points ended in a disastrous "zero"—the gap with other classes was like a chasm.
Akira secretly calculated that if he took on the hot potato of class president, he would probably be dragged to death by these unsupportive classmates.
"So... that's why you chose to conceal the information from the entire class?" Chabashira looked at him thoughtfully.
Suddenly, she changed the subject. "What if... I force you to lead Class D, using expulsion as a condition?"
"..." Akira's gaze sharply swept over the homeroom teacher. "This probably doesn't conform to this school's rules, does it? After all, the principal's goal is to cultivate students with 'talent.'"
Saying that, he subtly pushed Horikita half a step forward. "Moreover, this is Student Council President Horikita Manabu's younger sister. Do I need to contact the Student Council President right now to report your... somewhat foolish threat?"
These days, he had also heard rumors about the Student Council. The Student Council President's power was even greater than that of teachers.
Horikita paused slightly at the words, then gave Akira a cold glare—this guy dared to use her as a shield without permission.
But she still raised her chin and spoke indifferently. "...Chabashira-sensei, with your qualifications, you shouldn't make such a foolish decision."
"Student Council President... is he your brother?" Chabashira's gaze shifted between the two, then she suddenly realized. "I see... The surname Horikita is indeed uncommon."
"...I didn't really intend to threaten you." Her tone softened a bit.
Actually, such a thought had indeed crossed her mind—but on second thought, in this era, a high school student transferring schools was not a catastrophe at all.
What's more...
She subtly observed Akira's reaction.
This was merely a carefully designed test, like a chemistry teacher using reagents to test a student's on-the-spot adaptability.
The result was that his reaction was pretty much as she expected.
Chabashira tapped her fingertips lightly on the desk. "What if I said... I want to buy class information from you for 1 million points, on the condition that you share this information with your classmates—how does that sound?"
Akira paused.
The proposal itself was shocking enough, but what surprised him even more was the person who made it.
This homeroom teacher, who had always been hands-off, would actually take the initiative to intervene in the inter-class information war? This was completely different from her usual "laissez-faire" image.
"Sensei, are you... suddenly interested in class competition?" Akira narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're actually willing to spend 1 million points?"
"Don't look at me like that." Chabashira replied coldly. "Like you, I don't intend to be a sucker."
She said, pulling a document from her bag, her slender finger tapping lightly on the paper. "Since it's strategic information for the entire class, I'll hold a class meeting tomorrow. Each person will pay 25,000 points, and of course, I'll pay your 25,000 points out of my own pocket. The condition is simple—" Chabashira paused. "You just need to 'accidentally' reveal the news to Kushida Kikyo or Hirata Yosuke, or even tell it yourself! I only allow one of you three to reveal this information."
"How about it?" Chabashira leaned forward slightly, her fingertips gently tapping the desk. "You get your deserved reward, the entire class pays the price they should, and you don't even need to appear in person."
A faint smile played on her lips. "From any angle, this is a fair trade, isn't it? If you agree on the spot, I'll immediately transfer 1 million points from my account to you."
Akira's gaze lingered on his phone for a long time, the string of numbers glowing coldly on the screen—a full 1 million points, obtained so easily.
He gently stroked his chin, repeatedly calculating the gains and losses of this transaction in his mind.
Information worth ten thousand points, which instantly multiplied by 100 times, was a sure-fire profit no matter how you looked at it.
He had been worried that the people in Class D wouldn't dutifully hand over their points, but he didn't expect Chabashira to pay the full amount directly.
That is to say, she intended to personally act as the "bad guy" to collect an "information fee" of 25,000 points from each student in the class.
'By the way, can teachers openly collect class fees? What if other students report her?'
"...Deal." He finally nodded. "It is indeed a fair and reasonable transaction."
Chabashira chuckled, neatly putting the document into the drawer. "A wise choice. Well then, I look forward to your good news."
After the two completed the transaction, Chabashira suddenly turned her head, as if only then noticing Horikita.
"Almost forgot..." She tapped her fingertips lightly on the desk, turning to Horikita, who had been standing silently at the side. "Tell me, what do you want to ask?"