The evening sky above Koudo Ikusei was a reddish-orange hue, as if burning slowly. The sea breeze blew in carrying the scent of salt, sweeping across the faces of four Class 1-D students walking toward the commercial area.
Seiji Koroizumi walked casually, both hands in his pockets, humming softly. Beside him, Horikita Suzune stared at her phone screen with the intensity of a stockbroker monitoring a volatile market. Behind them, Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei walked side-by-side, occasionally commenting on the fashion of other students passing by.
"You're too tense, Horikita," Seiji commented without turning his head. "Shopping for daily necessities should be a relaxing domestic activity."
"There is nothing relaxing about crisis management," Suzune replied flatly. "If my prediction is correct—and it usually is—we must secure logistical stocks before price inflation or mass bankruptcy occurs next month."
They entered the school convenience store. The place was crowded and noisy. Students intoxicated by the instant wealth of 100,000 points filled the aisles, their baskets overflowing with expensive snacks, game consoles, and entertainment magazines.
Seiji's small group moved against the current of consumerism. Suzune led them to the basic necessities aisle, meticulously comparing the prices of detergents and toothbrushes.
However, Suzune's steps halted at the very far corner of the store. A dusty shelf hidden behind stacks of promotional cardboard boxes.
There lay unbranded items: Loaves of bread that looked hard, plain bottles of mineral water, and bars of soap that smelled like mothballs.
The price tags were eye-catching: 0 Points (Free). Limit: 3 items per student per day.
"Free?" Kei muttered, her face wrinkling in disgust as she picked up a pack of rough toilet paper from the shelf. "The quality is trash. Who would want to use this when we have 100,000 points?"
"The existence of these items is precisely the answer to the school's riddle," Suzune said, her voice cold and sharp. She picked up a loaf of the free bread, squeezing it slightly. Hard.
"This is a safety net," Suzune continued. "This school won't let its students starve to death, but they don't guarantee comfort. If the school provides this, it means they anticipate there will be students who fall into poverty, right down to zero."
"Poverty logistics," Seiji added with a thin smile. "Very efficient. They give you a taste of paradise with 100,000 points, but prepare hell in the corner of the store. This confirms that our points are not eternal."
Kushida stared at the shelf with a calculating gaze. "So, next month... is there a possibility we'll have to eat this rock-hard bread?"
"If we aren't careful," Seiji replied. "Let's pay. We have preparations to make before the storm hits."
They left the convenience store with shopping bags filled with sensible basic necessities. However, the peace of the afternoon was soon shattered.
Near the vending machines outside the store, a loud shout rang out.
"Dammit! Watch where you're going!"
Seiji and the others turned around. There, Sudou Ken stood with a face flushed red, his chest heaving with suppressed anger. At his feet, a puddle of brown coffee stained his beloved basketball shoes.
Facing him stood three senior students. Their ties were blue—Year 2. They didn't look sorry; on the contrary, they smirked with thick arrogance.
"Huh? You're the one walking without eyes, Kohai," said one of the seniors with a buzz cut. "Big body but empty brain. Typical Class D."
"What did you say?!" Sudou took a step forward, his hands clenched tight, veins bulging in his neck. "You guys bumped into me on purpose!"
"Wow, calm down a little," the second senior, who was thin, laughed mockingly. "That temper of yours. Truly Class D trash. Just got in and already acting tough. You guys know nothing about this place."
"You'll see real hell soon enough," chimed in the third senior.
The situation was heating up. Sudou was at boiling point. One more step, and he would throw a punch.
Seiji narrowed his eyes. Classic provocation.
"Kushida," Seiji whispered, his voice low and barely audible amidst the noise.
"Ready," Kushida answered instantly. She understood without needing a long explanation. With practiced, hidden hand movements, she took out her phone. Her camera lens peeked out from behind a shopping bag, recording the incident. Silent mode. Her face remained calm, but her eyes were focused on capturing every detail.
"Karuizawa," Seiji called again. "Tame him."
Kei nodded. She put down her groceries and stepped forward. The sound of her heels hitting the asphalt had an authoritative rhythm.
Just as Sudou pulled his hand back to punch, Kei grabbed the muscular young man's arm.
"Stop it, idiot!" Kei snapped.
Sudou was startled and turned around. "Karuizawa?! Let go! They insulted me!"
"And what are you going to do? Hit him? Then get expelled on the second day?" Kei stared sharply into Sudou's eyes, not flinching in the slightest even though Sudou was physically much larger. "Don't be a monkey dancing to their drum. Put your hand down. You look pathetic."
Kei's harsh words worked more effectively than gentle persuasion. Sudou's ego was pricked, but his rationality returned. He lowered his hand roughly, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Seeing Sudou back down, the seniors laughed even harder.
"Oho, had to be saved by his girlfriend? How sweet," mocked the buzz-cut senior. "Hey, Missy, instead of hanging with this loser, better play with us. We're Class C, far better than Class D trash."
"Class 2-C," corrected a cold voice.
Horikita Suzune stepped forward, standing beside Sudou and Kei. Her posture was erect, her eyes staring at the three seniors with a naturally condescending gaze.
"Provoking underclassmen, insulting class status, and disorderly conduct in a public place," Suzune listed their offenses like reading a grocery list. "How pathetic. Is this the quality of upperclassmen at Koudo Ikusei?"
The senior's face turned sour. "Watch your mouth, bitch. Who do you think you are? You don't know who controls our year?"
"Oh?" Seiji finally joined the circle, offering a friendly smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Who exactly? The principal?"
"Nagumo Miyabi," the senior answered with a proud tone, as if speaking the name of a god. "The current Vice President of the Student Council, and the person controlling all of Year 2. If you mess with us, you're dealing with Nagumo. He doesn't like noisy trash."
Suzune paused for a moment. Nagumo Miyabi. A new name. A potential enemy.
"So, you are merely pawns of someone named Nagumo?" Suzune asked sharply. "Pathetic. You don't even have your own autonomy."
"You—!"
The senior stepped forward, about to grab Suzune by the collar.
But Seiji stepped in, placing himself between the senior and Suzune. His movements were casual, but for some reason, the senior felt like he had hit an invisible wall.
"Wait a moment, Senpai," Seiji said gently. "Before you touch her, it would be wise for you to know who you are about to touch."
"I don't care who—"
"Her name is Horikita Suzune," Seiji cut in. He emphasized the surname with a specific intonation.
Silence.
The three seniors froze. Their eyes widened, pupils shrinking. Faces that were red with anger now paled drastically.
"Ho... Horikita?" the thin senior stammered. He looked at Suzune, then at the vague shadow of someone they feared greatly. "You mean... she's the sister of..."
"The Student Council President. Horikita Manabu," Seiji finished with a wide grin. "See the look in her eyes? See her standing posture? Doesn't it remind you of the 'Demon' leading this school?"
The seniors took a step back. The collective trauma regarding Manabu's absolute power was so strong that just hearing his name made their knees weak. And when they looked at Suzune again, they didn't see a pretty first-year girl; they saw the shadow of Manabu looking at them with disgust.
"Shit..." hissed the buzz-cut senior. "We picked a fight with Manabu's sister..."
"No wonder her aura is terrifying," whispered another.
Seeing their fear, Seiji knew the moment had arrived.
"Now then," Seiji clapped his hands once, his voice shifting into a business tone that was cheerful yet deadly. "Let's discuss compensation."
"Compensation?" the senior asked, confused and afraid.
"You just committed serious violations," Seiji explained, holding up three fingers. "One, intimidation. Two, attempted violence. And three... the worst one, leakage of confidential information."
"W-what do you mean?"
"You said 'you will see real hell'," Seiji said, his eyes glinting. "That implicitly leaks the secret of the S-Point system—that our points will decrease or become zero and our lives will be miserable. The school is very strict about this information in the first month, isn't it? If the school finds out you leaked spoilers for this exam..."
Their faces turned as white as paper. In this school, leaking exam materials or the system was a sin that could lead to instant expulsion.
"W-we didn't mean to..."
"Relax," Seiji draped his arm around the buzz-cut senior's shoulder familiarly. "We aren't evil. We won't report to the school... if there is an appropriate hush money fee."
"You... you're blackmailing us?!"
"Just business negotiation," Seiji corrected. "Kushida, you have the recording?"
"Of course," Kushida appeared from behind waving her phone, smiling sweetly but with eyes as cold as ice. "The audio is crystal clear. Especially the part where you mentioned Nagumo-senpai's name. I'm sure Nagumo-senpai wouldn't be happy to have his name dragged through the mud by clumsy pawns like you."
That was checkmate.
Reported to the school meant expulsion. Reported to Nagumo meant the end of their social lives.
"How much?" the senior asked resignedly, his shoulders slumping.
"200,000 points per person," Seiji said quickly. "Total 600,000 points. A cheap price for your future, isn't it?"
"200,000?! That's insane! That's two months' allowance!"
"Ah, don't lie," Seiji pressed the senior's shoulder a little harder, hitting a nerve point that made the senior wince. "For pawns working directly under Nagumo, surely you're paid extra, right? I'm sure you have savings."
The three seniors looked at each other in despair. This devil's analysis was spot on. Nagumo did indeed provide point incentives for his followers.
With trembling hands, they took out their respective phones.
"Transfer to this ID," Seiji showed his phone screen.
One by one, notifications came in. Transfer received: 200,000 Points.Transfer received: 200,000 Points.Transfer received: 200,000 Points.
Seiji's total balance skyrocketed.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Seiji said, releasing his embrace. "Now, leave before I change my mind and raise the price."
The three seniors ran off in a panic, not daring to look back. They looked as if they had just escaped a tiger's den.
Sudou, Kei, and Suzune stared at Seiji with a mix of awe and horror.
"You... you just extorted upperclassmen?" Sudou asked in disbelief. "Crazy. You're actually crazy."
"That's called 'alternative dispute resolution', Sudou," Seiji said casually.
He typed quickly on his phone.
"Now, distribution," Seiji muttered.
Ping. Suzune's phone beeped. Ping. Kei's phone beeped. Ping. Kushida's phone beeped.
They checked their screens. Each had just received a transfer of 166,000 points from Koroizumi Seiji.
"Total 600,000," Seiji explained. "I took 100,000 as a consultation and risk management fee. The remaining 500,000 I divided equally among the three of you—the three heroines who handled the situation."
"Wait," Sudou protested. "I don't get any?!"
"You get a free lesson," Seiji said firmly. "And I just saved you from suspension. Consider that your payment. Besides, you're the one who spilled the coffee."
Sudou pouted, but didn't argue. He knew he was in the wrong.
Suzune stared at the number on her screen. "Koroizumi-kun, this is dirty money."
"It's a fine for their stupidity," Seiji corrected. "Keep it. Put it in the class savings or use it for emergency needs. With Nagumo controlling Year 2, we need every coin to survive."
Kei grinned widely, her mood improving drastically. "Well, money is money. Thanks, Koroizumi-kun! You're reliable after all."
Kushida giggled. "The way you blackmailed them... it was so natural. Were you ever a yakuza?"
"Just a teacher who cares about his students' welfare," Seiji answered ambiguously.
Suzune turned off her phone screen. Her face turned serious again.
"Nagumo Miyabi," she murmured. "He's Nii-san's enemy. And now, he controls the entire year above us."
"The enemy of my enemy isn't necessarily my friend," Seiji said. "But this information is valuable. Your brother might be a solitary dictator, but Nagumo sounds like a politician building an army."
Seiji gazed up at the towering school building.
"Our path climbing to Class A just got a lot steeper," Seiji said, though the smirk on his face showed he was enjoying the challenge. "But at least we have extra capital now."
The five of them continued their walk back. The sun had set completely, and the streetlights began to flicker on, illuminating the path for the "defective" class that had just shown its first fangs.
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