Lunch break. The Advanced Nurturing High School cafeteria was packed, filled with the aroma of curry and the bustling noise of students.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was staring at the cheapest set menu on the meal ticket vending machine, debating whether to save his points or treat himself a little after yesterday's exhausting group study session.
"Ayanokouji-kun."
The voice came from behind. Flat, cold, and entirely devoid of pleasantries.
Ayanokouji turned around. Horikita Suzune stood there, holding a tray with two portions of the Special Gourmet Set—today's most expensive meal, priced at 2,500 points.
"Horikita," Ayanokouji greeted curtly. "It's rare for you not to bring your own bento."
"I'm in the mood for a change of pace," Suzune replied. She pushed one of the trays toward Ayanokouji. "This is for you."
Ayanokouji stared at the luxurious meal—wagyu beef steak, truffle mushroom cream soup, and a fresh salad. Then, he looked into Suzune's eyes.
"I don't recall today being my birthday," Ayanokouji said. "And I certainly don't remember ever lending you money."
"Just consider it a token of my gratitude," Suzune said, though her tone didn't sound thankful in the slightest. "For your participation in the study group."
"I just sat there quietly," Ayanokouji countered. "But if you insist..."
He took the tray. His instincts screamed that this was a trap. In this world, there was no such thing as a free lunch—especially not from Horikita Suzune. However, the aroma of the wagyu beef was too tempting for his teenage stomach to resist.
They sat down at a somewhat secluded corner table.
"So," Ayanokouji said, slicing his meat. "What's the catch? You want me to tutor Sudou?"
"No," Suzune replied, setting down her fork. "Koroizumi is already handling Sudou with that bizarre basketball method of his. My task for you is simpler, but it requires social skills that are a bit... specific."
"Specific?"
"I need you to accompany Kushida-san to buy last year's midterm exam papers from an upperclassman," Suzune stated, getting straight to the point.
Ayanokouji stopped chewing. "Buying exam papers? That sounds like cheating."
"It's negotiation," Suzune corrected. "Koroizumi calls it 'Creating Value from Relationships'. Besides, the school has never explicitly prohibited the use of past years' study materials. It's a loophole."
"Why does it have to be me? Why not Koroizumi himself?"
"Koroizumi is too conspicuous after last month's extortion incident with the seniors. His face is already marked by the upper echelons," Suzune explained. "And I... well, I am not particularly good at making small talk with strangers. Kushida-san is the key, but she needs a male chaperone for safety, and... as a neutral witness."
"And I'm the designated choice because I don't stand out," Ayanokouji concluded.
"Exactly. You're like air. No one will suspect a thing from you," Suzune praised in a remarkably insulting manner.
Ayanokouji sighed, then popped a large piece of meat into his mouth. It tasted incredible.
"Alright. Since the meat is this good, I'll accept your offer."
After lunch, Ayanokouji met up with Kushida Kikyo near the vending machines on the second floor of the school building.
The girl smiled brightly when she saw him. "Yahoo, Ayanokouji-kun! Did Horikita-san already tell you?"
"Yeah," Ayanokouji replied. "We're going hunting for exam papers."
"Hehe, you make it sound so scary," Kushida chuckled—a laugh that would sound completely natural to an ordinary person's ears.
However, Ayanokouji could see right through it. There was a hint of tension at the corners of her eyes.
Ever since Seiji Koroizumi arrived at this school, Kushida had changed. On the surface, she was still the friendly class idol. But there was a newfound aura of "efficiency" about her. She no longer wasted time on unnecessary interactions.
"Koroizumi was the one who put you up to this, right?" Ayanokouji asked suddenly as they headed back toward the cafeteria area (to stake out their target).
Kushida shot him a fleeting glance. Her smile didn't fade, but her gaze sharpened.
"Horikita-san was the one who asked me," Kushida corrected sweetly. "Koroizumi-kun merely offered the suggestion."
"I see," Ayanokouji replied, choosing not to pry further.
Inwardly, Kushida was on high alert. This guy... he's perceptive. Seiji already warned me about him. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka isn't an ordinary student. He's a sleeping monster.
"So, what's the plan?" Ayanokouji asked, changing the subject.
"We look for an upperclassman who looks like they... need points," Kushida said. She hid behind a pillar, peeking out at the cafeteria tables that were beginning to clear out.
"An upperclassman who needs points?"
"Yeah. An upperclassman eating the 'Free Vegetable Set.' That's a telltale sign they're out of points. People strapped for cash are usually easier to negotiate with," Kushida explained. It was a strategy Seiji had taught her. "Koroizumi-kun told me, 'Look for the starving, and offer them bread.'"
Ayanokouji nodded. Logical enough.
Their eyes swept across the cafeteria. And there, sitting alone at a slightly messy table, was a male upperclassman gloomily eating the free vegetable set.
"Target acquired," Kushida whispered. "Ayanokouji-kun, let's move. I'll do the talking; you just back me up."
They approached the senior's table. The upperclassman looked up, his eyes wary as he saw two first-years approaching.
"Excuse me, Senpai," Kushida greeted with her dazzling, angelic smile. Her voice was soft, respectful, and carried a hint of flirtation—a lethal combination for a lonely male student. "Do you mind if we take a seat for a moment? We have an important question for you."
The senior—who, as it turned out, was from the point-deprived Class 3-D—stammered. "Eh? W-what is it? I don't have any money if you're trying to extort me."
"Oh, no, no!" Kushida waved her hands in feigned panic. "Quite the opposite, actually. We want to offer you a highly profitable business deal, Senpai."
"A business deal?" The senior set down his chopsticks. "Who are you two?"
"I'm Kushida Kikyo from Class 1-C. And this is Ayanokouji-kun."
Kushida took the seat across from him, leaning in slightly.
"Senpai, we've heard that the midterm exams at this school are incredibly difficult. We were wondering... do you happen to still have the exam papers from when you were a first-year?"
The senior's expression shifted, morphing from confusion to realization. "Ah... so you guys are looking to buy the old papers?"
"Exactly," Kushida beamed. "And we are more than willing to pay."
The senior gave a sly smirk. He spotted a golden opportunity. "Old papers, huh... I've got them. But they won't come cheap, you know."
"How much?" Ayanokouji asked flatly.
The senior looked at Kushida, sizing them up. "30,000 points. For the complete package. All subjects included."
Kushida put on an incredibly convincing, mournful expression. "Thirty thousand... that's so expensive, Senpai. We just managed to move up to Class C, so we have a lot of expenses to cover..."
"That's a fixed price," the upperclassman said stubbornly. "If you don't want 'em, go find someone else."
Kushida lowered her head, looking utterly dejected. Then, she shot Ayanokouji a subtle, meaningful look.
Ayanokouji understood his cue.
"Senpai," Ayanokouji began, his voice completely deadpan. "That free vegetable set... it's pretty bland, isn't it?"
The senior frowned. "Huh? What does that have to do with anything?"
"30,000 points is certainly a lot," Ayanokouji continued. "But if you don't sell them to us right now, those papers are just going to sit in your room collecting dust as trash. Earning you zero points."
Ayanokouji pointed at the senior's plate.
"10,000 points. Transferred right now. That's more than enough to eat well for a solid week. Steak, ramen, pudding... much better than eating this grass."
The senior gulped. Visions of delicious food tantalized his empty, growling stomach.
Kushida immediately seized the opening. She gently placed a hand on his arm—a perfectly calculated physical touch.
"Please, Senpai," Kushida pleaded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "10,000 points. We promise we won't tell a soul. Can't you just think of it as doing a favor for your cute underclassman?"
The one-two punch of Ayanokouji's brutal logic (targeting his stomach) and Kushida's charm offensive (targeting his male ego) completely shattered the senior's defenses in a matter of seconds.
"A-alright, fine," the senior surrendered, his face flushing red. "10,000 points. But transfer it right now."
"Thank you so much, Senpai! You're a lifesaver!" Kushida cheered brightly.
The transaction was completed swiftly via their phones.
"I'll email the files to you," the senior said, tapping away at his screen. "Give it a second... Alright, sent."
Kushida's phone buzzed. She immediately checked the incoming files.
[1st Year Midterm Exam Papers - Last Year] [1st Year Diagnostic Exam Papers - Last Year]
Kushida's eyes widened the moment she opened the second file.
"Ayanokouji-kun," Kushida whispered, angling her screen toward him. "Look at this."
Ayanokouji took a look. Last year's diagnostic exam paper. The questions... were entirely identical to the ones they had taken just last week. Word for word. Number for number.
"So it's true," Ayanokouji murmured. "This school actually recycles its exam questions."
"If that's the case, then this midterm paper..." Kushida stared at the first file, her eyes sparkling. "...is the master key to saving our class."
The senior had already wandered off with a blissful look on his face, no doubt fantasizing about his luxurious dinner. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he had just handed over an academic nuclear weapon at a steep discount.
The two of them headed back to class. Kushida clutched her phone to her chest as if it were a precious newborn.
"We did it!" Kushida beamed, slipping right back into her usual cheery persona. "Great job, Ayanokouji-kun. Your little food bait was super effective back there. Where did you learn a trick like that?"
"Just simple observation," Ayanokouji replied curtly. "Horikita used food to bait me earlier, too."
Kushida giggled. "Oh, that Horikita-san. She sure knows a man's weakness."
As they reached a deserted hallway, Kushida stopped in her tracks. She stared at Ayanokouji with an unreadable expression—a potent mix of intense curiosity and guarded wariness.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun," she called out, her tone dropping a fraction lower than her usual pitch.
"Yeah?"
"You're... actually really smart, aren't you?"
It was a piercing question.
Ayanokouji put on his standard, clueless expression. "What do you mean? My test scores were all right on the 50-point average."
"Exactly," Kushida smirked, letting a tiny sliver of her true nature bleed through. "Scoring exactly 50 points across every single subject is... statistically speaking, much harder than scoring a perfect 100. You would have to know all the right answers to intentionally get them wrong with that kind of precision."
Ayanokouji didn't even blink. She's sharp. Or perhaps, Koroizumi told her something.
"It was just a coincidence," Ayanokouji deflected.
"A coincidence, huh..." Kushida shrugged, seamlessly slipping back into her angelic persona. "Well, whatever. As long as you're on our side, I don't really care. Come on, let's send these to Horikita-san and Koroizumi-kun. They're going to be thrilled."
Kushida forwarded the files to the class leaders' group chat (Suzune, Seiji, and Hirata).
Ding.
A split second later, a reply from Seiji popped up.
[Seiji]: Excellent work, Agent K & Agent A. Operation successful. Nurufufufu... Now, it's time for me to prep these 'ingredients' so they can be properly digested by the meatheads in my group.
Kushida cracked a smile at the message.
"He's always one step ahead," Kushida murmured.
"Who is?" Ayanokouji asked.
"Oh, no one," Kushida winked playfully. "Let's head back. I'm getting hungry again."
Ayanokouji stared at Kushida's retreating back.
Kushida Kikyo. Horikita Suzune. Koroizumi Seiji. The three pillars holding this class together. And among them, Koroizumi was the central axis.
Ayanokouji shoved his hands into his pockets. He felt slightly... intrigued. This school might actually turn out to be an interesting place to spend his three years of "freedom."
"A good meal, followed by saving the class," Ayanokouji murmured to himself. "A productive day."
He started walking, catching up to Kushida, fully prepared to face the impending academic storm with the stolen weapon securely stowed in their digital pockets.
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