Dinnerti. Inside Palette Cafe, the aroma of coffee and the sweetness of toasted bread filled the air. Soft yellow light spilled from the chandeliers, casting warm pools of light onto the tabletops.
After sending Cha-Cha on her way, Fuyuji swiftly switched his target to her nesis—Horikita Suzune.
His piece of intel on Class D's midterm exam scope was still unused. He needed to find a way to sell it to Horikita, otherwise it would just rot in his hands.
But Horikita was nothing like Cha-Cha. She was cold as ice. Every ti he chatted her up, the replies he got were just a few words.
I'm reading.
I'm studying.
I'm cooking.
Nothing else.
At one point, it made Fuyuji wonder if Horikita was so kind of ultimate lifeform, utterly devoid of entertainnt, wholly focused on self-improvent.
If he hadn't held her fatal weak point, he really might not have been able to handle her.
Before long, Horikita appeared at the cafe entrance.
The wine-red school uniform fitted her neatly, the collar fastened ticulously. Her asymtrical hairstyle swayed with the clicking rhythm of her footsteps, making her already cold face appear even more unapproachable.
Her fox-like eyes swept the entire cafe. Once she confird her target, she walked straight towards Fuyuji and sat down opposite him. Both hands rested folded on her lap. Her back was ramrod straight. She got straight to the point.
"What do you want?"
Fuyuji casually pushed the nu over to her. The hard cover scraped lightly against the table. "Don't be in such a rush. Let's chat while we eat. My stomach's still empty."
"Just say it directly. I'm not in the habit of owing people things." Horikita refused coldly.
Fuyuji gazed out the window at the pitch-black night sky and said blankly, "Who was it last ti who said they owed money?"
"You—!"
Horikita gritted her teeth. Her fists unconsciously clenched. Her gaze, brimming with murderous intent, scraped towards Fuyuji. In the end, she had no choice but to order a curry.
Once the dishes were all served, Fuyuji officially began the day's topic.
"Last ti I saw you at the library. You were tutoring those failing students in your class?"
The motion of Horikita scooping her curry halted. Her spoon hung suspended in midair, curry dripping back onto the plate. Her eyelids lowered. "That was . But there won't be a next ti."
"Won't reconsider?"
"Their expulsion would actually be a good thing for Class D."
"No plans to give them a hand?" Fuyuji confird once more, his voice carrying a faint, almost imperceptible hint of persuasion.
"It's not necessary." Horikita's attitude was very firm.
Fuyuji let out a long sigh and leaned back against the sofa, a touch of disappointnt in his voice.
"I have here a piece of intel regarding your class's midterm exam this ti. At the very least, it could save your class a week of exam prep ti. I was originally planning to sell it to you cheap. Since you don't want it, then forget it..."
In just a few short seconds, Fuyuji witnessed the entire spectrum of Horikita's expression: from cold, to hesitant, to furious.
It could practically rival Cha-Cha's art of face-changing.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you? And," Horikita glared viciously at Fuyuji and squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth, "why do you have intel on our class's midterm exam?"
"You don't need to worry about that. In any case, it can definitely save your class a week's worth of ti." Fuyuji effortlessly ignored her bone-chilling glare and leisurely speared a piece of fried chicken into his mouth.
"How do I know if this intel is true or false?"
"The school has a type of contract guaranteed by the school itself that can ensure both parties fulfill the agreent. But, we're already this familiar. If, when the ti cos, you feel this intel isn't worth 200,000, you can just not pay then."
"Are you really that kind-hearted?" Horikita shot Fuyuji a suspicious glance.
"After all, I did make 500,000 off your brother. One has to have a conscience when doing business. If you don't want it, then forget it." Fuyuji raised a hand and touched his own chest, speaking as if with deep emotion.
"You really are..."
Horikita wondered if she had been too harsh on this recently acquainted classmate.
"Wait a mont. I'll go figure out how to gather the 200,000. I'll give you word tonight."
"OK."
Unlike the back-and-forth tug-of-war with Cha-Cha, Horikita spoke directly and bluntly. The two quickly concluded this transaction.
Four hours later, when Fuyuji returned to his room and was just about to go to sleep, Horikita's ssage ca late.
[Horikita Suzune: Um...]
This familiar, twisted feeling... No way...
Fuyuji bounced up from his bed, scratched his ssy hair, the corner of his mouth twitching wildly. He covered his forehead in agony.
[Fuyuji Mikage: Please, do NOT tell your class can't even co up with 200,000?!]
The blank chat interface stretched on for several minutes, yet it felt like several centuries. Even through the screen, Fuyuji could feel Horikita's frustration and helplessness.
Who knows what ntal journey she underwent? The other side finally squeezed out a line.
[Horikita Suzune: In any case, I will pay you back.]
Didn't you just say earlier you don't like owing people things?
[Fuyuji Mikage: That's not the issue. I'm just curious. Didn't you go ask Kushida-san for help?]
[Horikita Suzune: I don't want to discuss this.]
Such a cold tone...
Combined with Horikita's personality, Fuyuji felt he'd already guessed the truth of the matter.
[Fuyuji Mikage: Um... don't tell you just went straight to the class group chat, without clearly explaining the pros and cons beforehand, and directly demanded 200,000 points from them?]
Another long silence from the other side.
[Horikita Suzune: Isn't this kind of thing sothing people would weigh the pros and cons of on their own, as long as they know how to think?]
"..."
This alone I can confirm: your placent in Class D was absolutely not a mistake.
[Fuyuji Mikage: Forget it, forget it. How many points do you have right now?]
[Horikita Suzune: 74392 pr]
Even down to the exact digits. You're making feel kinda bad here.
[Fuyuji Mikage: Transfer 50,000. The intel is very simple. The exam scope set for your class's midterm is wrong. It's different from the three classes A, B, and C. I've had this confird by soone.]
A short while later, a notification of 50,000 points deposited arrived.
[Horikita Suzune: I'll find a way to pay back the remaining points. I need to confirm this intel with the horoom teacher. Goodbye.]
[Fuyuji Mikage: Goodbye.]
Fuyuji stretched lazily and loosened up his limbs. Just as he was about to proceed with his next action, the screen lit up again.
[Horikita Suzune: Um...]
[Horikita Suzune: Thank you.]
[Fuyuji Mikage: No need to be so polite. We're already that familiar. It's only right for friends to help each other out.]
A smile curved at the corner of Fuyuji's lips.
No need to thank ... really...
It's actually fine if you don't pay back, you know...
Horikita-san... did you never wonder? There are so many people in Class D who could sell intel. Why did I, out of everyone, single out you—cold personality, difficult to communicate with?
Because my target was never you in the first place!
Ha ha ha!
Fuyuji revealed the full grin of a successfully executed sche. With seamless smoothness, he switched the chat page to Horikita Manabu, flung the screenshots of the previous chat at him, and began lecturing the man.
[Fuyuji Mikage: Just how exactly did you raise your little sister to turn out like this?!]
A mont later, Manabu's ssage ca through.
[Horikita Manabu: I will pay this back for her.]
Those few, sparse words betrayed the thick exhaustion in Manabu's heart, as if he were utterly at his wit's end with this hopelessly dense little sister.
[Horikita Manabu: This is indeed my responsibility.]
Fuyuji attempted to stir the feelings of guilt in Manabu's heart.
[Fuyuji Mikage: How can the personalities of you two siblings be so vastly different? Who exactly did she learn it from?]
[Horikita Manabu: It's my fault. She was always chasing after my footsteps. I got careless for just a mont, and she veered off in the wrong direction.]
Fuyuji began to pressure him.
[Fuyuji Mikage: So you never tried to pull her back onto the right path? You just let her run wild on the wrong road, while you yourself ran off to Advanced Nurturing High School to live it up, free and easy?]
[Horikita Manabu: That's correct... I only thought that if she stayed away from , she might change back on her own. I never imagined she'd stray further and further down the wrong path. It is indeed my fault.]
[Ding! 500,000 Points Deposited!]
[Horikita Manabu: Do not tell her about this.]
[Fuyuji Mikage: No problem. After all, you're a regular custor. Whatever you say, goes! Profiteer rubbing hands.jpg]
Plan successful!
Fuyuji put down his phone, fully satisfied.
As expected, compared to Horikita Girl, whose class points were zero and who wouldn't be worth much even if you sold her, it was this Horikita bro, the Student Council President, who had the real oil and water.
Do your best, Horikita. Keep up the good work. Strive to help squeeze every last drop out of that old man, your brother.
Of course, the most important thing was...
"Ahaha, Morishita, Yamamura, our food expenses for the next year are all covered now!"
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