It truly was a straightforward "business war."
There was no need to rack your brain searching for special roles or to scheme against other classes. All you had to do was wait for traitors from other classes to reveal themselves.
Leaving the Student Council room, Honami Ichinose looked at the transfers on her phone—one for 500,000 private points and another for 800,000—and sighed with emotion.
Not long after she stepped out of the Student Council, Ichinose was approached by a student from Class B and one from Class D respectively.
Both students approached Ichinose with similar yet distinct goals. The Class B student tried hard to curry favor, hoping to ride Ren Katsuragi's coattails. Ichinose accepted the sweet gestures but politely rejected any ulterior motives.
The one from Class D was easy to deal with. That student simply wanted private points—points that would allow him to live a comfortable life from now on.
Once they reached an agreement, the student brought the special role information he received from the S System directly to Ichinose for face-to-face verification.
Ichinose exchanged the 100 Class Points from the "Prey" role in this special exam for 800,000 private points. No matter how you looked at it, neither side lost out.
The value of the same 100 Class Points differed vastly between Class D and Class A.
There was another reason Ichinose could trade with peace of mind: her "background."
Aside from someone like Kakeru Ryuuen, who thrived on danger, ordinary students wouldn't dare deceive Ichinose in such matters. After all, Ren stood behind her.
Ren was both a shining symbol of prestige and a formidable deterrent.
Ichinose now understood the true value of influence.
With nothing left to do at the Student Council and today being a rest day, Ichinose decided to go home and spend more time with Ren. Their time together at school was limited, so she wanted to cherish every moment.
---
At this moment, all the pressure of the special exam fell on Ryuuen.
Looking at the message on his phone, Ryuuen rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
What is going on?
In just one day, Class A had defeated two classes so easily?
The dream of seizing a huge number of class points through this special exam was shattered. Ryuuen began to think about how to break the deadlock.
The "Werewolf" was a very strong identity; it could kill one person a day. This special exam lasted for a week.
This meant Ryuuen could eliminate seven people from Class A. Even without considering the other two classes, the odds were already quite high.
But Class A's special role had been confirmed as "Hunter." Eliminating a Hunter wouldn't yield extra class points; winning in the end would only grant 150 Class Points.
For Ryuuen, who had always aimed to gather 800 million private points to help his class ascend, those 150 Class Points were nowhere near enough.
It was too little—just a drop in the bucket.
Moreover, even if he earned those 150 Class Points, Ryuuen couldn't be sure he'd get to keep them this time.
"As expected, trading for private points is more cost-effective…"
Ryuuen tapped his fingers on the desk, producing a rhythmic clacking sound.
The real challenge now was figuring out how to negotiate fairly with Ichinose, how to get her to agree, and how to make sure he didn't get the short end of the stick.
Thinking about it gave Ryuuen a headache.
He had just betrayed her, and now he had to shamelessly go and ask for her cooperation…
Wasn't he just asking for trouble?
But for Class C's sake, he had to do it.
Ryuuen steeled himself.
---
Outside the villa.
Ren had found a small stove somewhere and moved it to the pavilion to start a fire.
On the grill above the stove sat a purple clay teapot and a variety of fresh fruits—yuzu, pears, apples, and more. For a splash of color, Ren had even sliced a few lemons and added them to the grill.
These fruits, usually cold to eat, became warm and juicy from the charcoal fire, filling the air with a sweet aroma.
Pairs of hands reached out to warm themselves around the small stove. This kind of warmth, different from a kotatsu at home, was something the girls especially enjoyed.
The yuzu, after being roasted over charcoal for a long time, sizzled as their juices seeped out, their natural citrus aroma filling the air.
"Ren, I want to eat that!"
Nestled in Ren's arms, Airi Sakura pointed to a yuzu on the stove, her eyes sparkling.
It was obvious Sakura had never tried roasted fruit like this before.
Ren picked up the tongs beside the stove and placed a yuzu on the porcelain plates for Chie Hoshinomiya and Kikyou Kushida, then finally served Sakura.
"Careful, it's hot."
After reminding the girls, Ren used chopsticks to pick up a piece of yuzu and gently fed it to Sakura.
The heat made the yuzu's tartness more delicate, and the peel turned thin and crispy from the roasting.
Sakura took a bite and felt as if she were eating a citrus gummy; her mouth filled with the fresh, tart flavor of yuzu.
Outside the pavilion, snowflakes drifted down. Inside, everyone gathered around the fire, enjoying the warm fruit. The atmosphere was incredibly cozy.
"It's so delicious. Ren! You eat too."
Sakura took the chopsticks from Ren, picked up a small piece of yuzu, and fed it to him.
Chie-nee, what do you think?
Seeing Sakura and Ren interact so intimately, Kushida couldn't help but feel a bit jealous and shot Hoshinomiya a frantic look.
Picking up the purple clay teapot from the stove, Hoshinomiya poured tea into her cup.
The tea washed away the sweetness in her mouth as Hoshinomiya returned Kushida's look.
What do I think? I'm just watching.
If Kushida could sense it, Hoshinomiya certainly could too. Last night had belonged to the two of them; now it was Sakura's turn to enjoy.
Tug... tug...
Mochi gently bit at Ren's pant leg, wanting him to pick her up and warm her by the fire, too.
Unlike Koharu, Mochi was very sensitive to the cold.
Mochi, who didn't want to go out at all in the dead of winter, had been sleeping happily in her cat bed, only to be dragged out by Koharu.
After lying in Koharu's arms for a while, Mochi noticed there was food by Ren and happily ran over to him.
A pair of hands picked Mochi up from behind. Ichinose naturally sat down beside Ren.
Ichinose, who had been by Ren's side since childhood, was no stranger to this scene.
After placing Mochi on her lap, Ichinose used the tongs to flip the sweet potatoes on the stove, then picked up a roasted Autumn Moon Pear.
The pear's skin had been softened by the charcoal fire. With a gentle stroke of a small spoon, Ichinose sliced open the roasted pear. After serving a piece of pear to everyone, she began to enjoy her own portion.
The roasted Autumn Moon Pear smelled like a sweet potato, its caramelized surface giving off a rich aroma, while the inside was surprisingly juicy and sweet.
Ichinose narrowed her eyes in bliss, scooped out another spoonful, and held it to Ren's lips, gazing at him tenderly.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home, Honami."
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