Chapter 89: My Name Is Sakayanagi Arisu. Please Take Care of Me!
Katsuragi Kohei wanted to join the student council for two reasons.
One, he wanted to train himself through student council work. Two, he wanted to strengthen his authority in Class A and make more students obey his management.
A person's reputation and prestige would affect their control over a class.
Yuto was a good example.
He had only challenged the clubs across the school. He had not deliberately fought for control of Class D, yet the students naturally saw him as their backbone, ruler, and leader because of his reputation.
"What will you do if the student council rejects your application?" Yuto asked.
Katsuragi glanced at Yuto.
If Katsuragi did not know this guy had beaten seniors from the boxing club and sanda club before, he might have wanted to punch him for those words.
What did he mean, "if the student council rejects your application"?
He made it sound like Katsuragi could not join the student council!
"I have not considered what I will do if I fail. More precisely, I do not think I will fail," Katsuragi said confidently.
"I investigated the other students applying for the student council. Aside from Ichinose Honami from Class B, who has some competitive strength, none of the others are as outstanding as I am."
"On top of that, after investigating past years, I found that the student council admits two to three first-year students every year. Therefore, I will absolutely not be rejected."
Katsuragi's meaning was clear.
First, he believed someone as outstanding as himself would definitely join the student council.
Second, there were not many excellent students applying. Only he and Class B's Ichinose Honami counted as outstanding.
When answering Yuto, Katsuragi's expression was serious and solemn. He did not seem to be deliberately showing off his excellence or ability.
Yuto felt this guy had a pretty good personality.
If he could become a subordinate, that would be even better.
"Katsuragi, you're very capable. You've organized Class A neatly and built high prestige within the class," Yuto praised.
That much was obvious from how the Class A students relaxed the moment Katsuragi stood up.
"You flatter me. I only gave a few reminders. It was mainly because everyone consciously followed the rules."
Katsuragi added, "And it was also thanks to your reminder from a month ago, Shimizu-kun."
"My reminder?" Yuto raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Katsuragi nodded. "I heard that a month ago, you reminded all of Class D that the school might not deposit one hundred thousand points every month."
"You also guessed that points were related to how students followed discipline."
"Because of that, everyone in our class became even more conscious about following the rules."
"..."
Hearing this, Yuto looked helpless.
Whether it was Class B or Class A, both had benefited from the warning he had once given to Class D.
Only Class D itself had completely ignored his reminder!
"My, my. Good afternoon, you two."
At that moment, a clear, pleasant girl's voice came from the side.
Yuto turned to look, while Katsuragi's expression sank slightly.
Because the owner of that voice was Sakayanagi Arisu.
She was the girl who had been fighting Katsuragi Kohei for control over Class A.
When Yuto looked over, he saw a silver-haired girl as delicate as a doll.
Her small and slender figure was dressed in the school uniform, and her pure white stockings were worn on her legs. A sliver of fair, delicate skin was visible between the hem of her skirt and the stockings.
Yuto stared in astonishment at the silver-haired girl in the beret. "It's you."
"Hello, Shimizu-kun. We meet again." Sakayanagi Arisu leaned on her cane and gave Yuto a beautiful, dreamlike smile.
"Shimizu-kun, you know Sakayanagi?" Katsuragi asked.
"We've met once. I don't really know her," Yuto answered casually while studying Arisu.
Yuto could see traces of Chairman Sakayanagi in this girl.
So she was probably Chairman Sakayanagi's daughter, right?
"Yes. I did not introduce myself last time, did I?"
Sakayanagi smiled gracefully. With a noble air, she parted her lips and said, "My name is Sakayanagi Arisu, a student of first-year Class A. Shimizu-kun, please take care of me."
"I'm Shimizu Yuto from first-year Class D. Please take care of me too."
"I am slightly curious about what you two were discussing." Arisu's gaze shifted to the silent Katsuragi, and she said with interest, "Were you perhaps making a wager?"
"No. Shimizu-kun was only asking about my application to the student council," Katsuragi answered.
Not far away, Hashimoto Masayoshi nodded toward Arisu, indicating that the two had indeed been talking about that.
Yuto said helplessly, "Why would you think of a wager, Sakayanagi-san?"
"Because everyone in this school knows Shimizu-kun loves making wagers with others. Am I wrong?" Arisu replied with a light laugh.
Katsuragi silently nodded in his heart.
When Yuto had called him out of Class A earlier, he had also thought Yuto wanted to make a wager with him.
"I do like wagers, but I'm not interested in anything below two hundred thousand points."
Yuto looked at Katsuragi. "How many points do you have?"
"...Less than two hundred thousand."
Arisu showed a pleased smile and said, "Shimizu-kun, even if Katsuragi-kun had more than two hundred thousand points, he would never wager them with you."
"After all, he has a conservative and steady personality. He won't accept risky wagers or risky decisions."
Arisu continued, "I, however, am different."
She took her student ID out of her pocket. The lit-up screen displayed her personal points.
1,345,960.
Sakayanagi Arisu had 1.34 million points.
In the eyes of first-year students, that should have been an enormous sum.
But in Yuto's eyes, it was not that much.
After all, Yuto's current personal points totaled 17,401,605.
"Sakayanagi-san, where did you get so many points?" Yuto asked, showing a surprised expression.
"Same as you. I earned them through wagers. If everyone in the chess club had more points, I probably would have even more," Arisu answered with a smile.
Yuto suddenly realized something, then did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"So you were the one who won away the chess club members' points. I thought they were just saying they had no points because they didn't dare wager with me."
Over the past few days, when Yuto had gone to the club building to challenge people, he had also visited the chess club again.
He wanted to see whether Honda Bin, the president who only cared about chess, had points to wager with him again.
However, Honda still had very few points.
As for the chess club members, they either said they had no points to wager against Yuto or simply did not dare wager against him.
So the chess club members had not been lying.
Their points had all been won by the little girl in front of Yuto.
Still smiling, Arisu asked, "Shimizu-kun, are my points enough for one wager with you?"
"A wager of 1.3 million points, and the event is chess?"
"That's right." Arisu nodded.
Yuto showed a refreshing smile. "Then it's settled. But lunch break is about to end, so we'll begin after school this afternoon."
"Very well."
Standing nearby, Katsuragi had clearly heard the wager between Yuto and Arisu.
His expression became slightly serious.
If Sakayanagi Arisu defeated Shimizu Yuto, her reputation in Class A would soar, and she would gain tremendous prestige.
After all, Shimizu Yuto had not lost a single time until now.
If Arisu lost, the Class A students would think it was normal.
After all, her opponent was Shimizu Yuto, the one who had never lost.
So even if Arisu lost, she would only lose 1.34 million points. Her prestige in Class A would not suffer much damage.
Thinking about this, Katsuragi also felt the urge to wager against Yuto.
He also wanted to increase his prestige by defeating Yuto.
However, after careful thought, Katsuragi gave up.
On one hand, he did not have two hundred thousand points, and Yuto would not accept such a small wager.
On the other hand, wagering against Yuto was far too risky. It did not match Katsuragi's conservative and steady personality.
After Yuto and Arisu agreed on the wager, Arisu thoughtfully arranged the location in the Class A classroom.
The time would be after school today.
Yuto had no objection to Arisu's arrangement.
However, Katsuragi felt uneasy. He sensed that Arisu had some kind of scheme in choosing Class A's classroom as the venue.
But the wager would take place after school, so Katsuragi could not find a reason to object and stop her from using the classroom.
After that, Yuto said goodbye to Arisu and Katsuragi, then started returning to the Class D classroom.
In truth, Yuto's conversation with Katsuragi could already be considered over.
After all, this man had great confidence in his own excellence and believed he could definitely join the student council.
Then...
Yuto would wait until Katsuragi's application was rejected by the student council and find another chance to talk with him.
By then, Yuto should already be the student council vice president.
Using the authority of the vice president, Yuto would bring in Katsuragi Kohei and Ichinose Honami, whose applications had been rejected.
That way, they would be marked as his people and become members of the Shimizu Yuto faction within the student council.
"What a pain. If possible, I really don't want to join the student council."
Yuto muttered while returning to the Class D classroom.
Then he took out his school phone and called a certain old man who liked taking back moves in chess.
"Oh? This is surprising. Shimizu, you actually contacted me first. Are you planning to come play chess with me after school?"
Hearing Chairman Sakayanagi's teasing words, Yuto said in annoyance, "I don't have that idea."
"I just wanted to ask whether you know a silver-haired girl named Sakayanagi Arisu. Does she have some kind of relationship with you?"
Chairman Sakayanagi immediately became nervous.
"Arisu is my daughter. Shimizu, why are you asking that question? Did the two of you clash?"
"As expected of a father. You really understand your daughter," Yuto praised.
So Sakayanagi Arisu really was Chairman Sakayanagi's daughter.
His guess had been right.
The moment Chairman Sakayanagi heard that Yuto and Arisu had clashed, his head began to hurt.
"Shimizu, tell me what happened between you two."
"It's nothing major."
Yuto casually told him about the wager he had just made with Arisu.
Chairman Sakayanagi relaxed.
Because his daughter had invited Yuto to wager through normal means, rather than threatening or forcing him through abnormal methods.
Chairman Sakayanagi understood Arisu very well, and he also understood Yuto.
Arisu had a unique obsession with so-called geniuses. She wanted to gain satisfaction by crushing geniuses.
Even if she had to use dishonorable methods, she would force that genius to compete with her.
As for Yuto, although he seemed gentle and easygoing, arrogance ran through his bones. What he hated most was being threatened.
As far as Chairman Sakayanagi knew, the delinquents who had once threatened Yuto had all been sent to prison in one move, as if instantly defeated.
They had not even had a chance to resist.
So Chairman Sakayanagi had truly been worried that Arisu might have used dishonorable threats to challenge Yuto, the famous "all-around genius."
But if it was only a normal point wager, then Chairman Sakayanagi felt much more at ease.
Yuto knew his limits.
"So you called me only to confirm my relationship with Arisu?" Chairman Sakayanagi asked.
"And to ask about your daughter's chess ability. It never hurts to be prepared," Yuto answered with a smile.
"Hey, hey. You want me to leak information about my daughter to her opponent? Aren't you asking too much?" Chairman Sakayanagi said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"After I finish wagering with her, I'll come to the chairman's office and play chess with you. How does that sound?"
"Deal!"
Chairman Sakayanagi very decisively sold out his own daughter, Sakayanagi Arisu.
Sitting on his sofa, Chairman Sakayanagi said with a proud tone, "Shimizu, Arisu is especially good at chess. Her chess ability is far above mine, so just wait to lose."
"Is that so?"
Yuto raised his eyebrow slightly.
He did not doubt that Chairman Sakayanagi was bragging about his daughter.
Because Yuto had indeed sensed extraordinary confidence from Arisu's petite body.
Sakayanagi Arisu was clearly a small, delicate girl, yet she had a confidence like a tyrannosaurus. She truly could not be underestimated.
And from the fact that Arisu could compete with Katsuragi Kohei for Class A's authority, it was obvious she was no ordinary person.
After all, compared to Arisu, who was physically frail and used a cane, the tall, calm Katsuragi would seem far more convincing.
Yet the frail Arisu had still gathered part of Class A around her, formed the Sakayanagi faction, and stood against Katsuragi's faction as an equal.
She could not be underestimated.
…
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