Kaoru Mitoma glanced at Masumi Kamuro lying on his bed—it didn't seem like Sakayanagi had sent her here.
"Are you bored?"
"Extremely. This summer break, aside from being ordered around by Sakayanagi, I've got nothing to do." Kamuro let out a cold laugh.
"That girl can't even function without me now. Soon, she'll need my help just to use the bathroom."
Kaoru Mitoma fell into thought.
Truthfully, he'd never considered how Sakayanagi managed daily life.
With her leg disability, she couldn't walk without a cane—clearly, her life wasn't easy.
For instance, as Kamuro mentioned, using the bathroom was a challenge, and so was bathing.
If she slipped and fell, wouldn't Sakayanagi be unable to get up?
"I feel like you're thinking something disgusting," Kamuro suddenly remarked.
"Not at all. I was just thinking Sakayanagi's condition must be troublesome." Kaoru Mitoma reviewed his current rewards—none could cure her ailment.
He'd need to draw one specifically suited for Sakayanagi.
"It's probably incurable. If it weren't, she wouldn't be carrying that cane every day." Kamuro pondered.
"But who knows? Maybe future medical advancements will fix it."
"That sounds optimistic, but considering this country's so-called 'talents' include you, I'd say the odds aren't great."
ANHS is a specially supported high school endorsed by the authorities, designed to cultivate talents deemed beneficial to society—and these talents are none other than the students of Class A.
Kamuro quickly grasped the implication.
As a member of Class A, she was naturally one of those talents the authorities had high hopes for.
"What a shame, letting in a useless person like me. If not for someone's help, this waste might have been expelled already," Kamuro mused with mock self-reflection.
"And just thinking that it's not just me—a good-for-nothing—but also a lecherous creep who managed to slip in... I'm truly losing faith in this country."
"Careful, or that lecherous creep might come after you," Kaoru Mitoma chuckled.
Kamuro ignored him, turning on her side.
The scent of him surrounded her—his pillow, blanket, and sheets all carried a faint, distinctly masculine musk.
It wasn't unpleasant at all.
But with someone watching, she resisted burying her face in them.
Still, it was strange.
Her earlier irritation was slowly fading, replaced by something else entirely.
It was like breaking open a jar of honey.
A small taste would feel too bland, but drinking a little more would be unbearably sweet.
What confused her even more was—what exactly was she even thinking about?
Suddenly, she sat up, her face slightly flushed.
To mask her embarrassment, she pretended the room was too warm, fanning herself with her hand.
Buzz—
Kaoru glanced at his phone—clearly, someone had messaged him.
When he saw the sender, a smile tugged at his lips.
"Kamuro, want to come out with me tonight?"
"Hah? Why would I go anywhere with you?" Kamuro retorted, mildly annoyed.
"You've got nothing better to do anyway. Might as well meet someone with me," Kaoru added.
"And if they happen to be armed, you can take the hit for me, right?"
"Hey, hey, what am I, some kind of superhero?" Kamuro's expression darkened.
"Why drag me into a fight? If you're scared of getting beaten up, just pick a place with surveillance cameras!"
Kaoru sighed. "I'm afraid my request might be... too much for them to handle."
At that, Kamuro fell silent.
*****
Around 11 p.m., the dormitory grounds were shrouded in darkness, with only the dim glow of streetlights flickering faintly.
The distant chirping of crickets echoed sporadically.
At this hour, not just the students—even the dorm supervisors were likely asleep.
"Who exactly are you meeting that you had to drag me out so late? So suspicious," Kamuro grumbled, trailing behind Kaoru.
"A guest who's been running late for a long time," Kaoru replied, scanning the area.
It was the agreed-upon spot—no surveillance cameras, and with a clear line of sight to spot anyone approaching.
Kamuro peered around too, but the darkness made it impossible to see anyone.
"Hey, it's past the meeting time, right? Was this just a prank?"
Just as she was about to gloat, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows nearby.
"I apologize for calling you out at such a late hour, Mitoma." The figure stepped forward into the moonlight, revealing his face.
"I deeply regret the delay on my part."
Kiriyama Ikuyo - the leader of Class 2-B and one of the student council members.
Kamuro Masumi initially startled at the unexpected presence of a man standing in the shadows, instinctively glancing at Kaoru Mitoma.
Finding his expression completely unperturbed, she gradually regained her composure.
Almost immediately, curiosity about their meeting began growing within her.
"No need to apologize. I'm in no hurry." Kaoru smiled. "After this period of observation, you must have reached some conclusions?"
"Before that, may I ask about this girl's presence?"
"She's Kamuro-san from my class."
Kiriyama Ikuyo remained silent for a moment, choosing not to question Kamuro Masumi's trustworthiness.
Instead, he stated, "Horikita-senpai has already informed me about the special exam results. Your year's Class A is truly extraordinary."
Kaoru showed no surprise.
After returning, he had briefed Horikita Manabu about the exam situation.
Even if he didn't, given Horikita's methods, the information would have been obtained regardless.
Kiriyama took the initiative, "Mitoma, after Horikita-senpai steps down, I hope to collaborate with you."
"I believe student council transitions typically involve elections?" Kaoru inquired.
Kiriyama nodded, then responded helplessly, "With multiple vice presidents in place, an election should indeed be held. But given our current capabilities, we can't possibly prevent Nagumo from becoming president."
Kamuro Masumi was thoroughly confused—why had the conversation suddenly shifted to student council succession?
"Has the entire second year already fallen under his influence?"
"The second years... have mostly become Nagumo's allies, though many harbor resentment." Kiriyama sighed.
"But they've given up resisting, willingly submitting to Nagumo's commands."
After a moment's contemplation, Kaoru spoke, "Because he possesses vast amounts of Personal Points, enabling some students from lower classes to advance to Class A?"
Even first-years had heard rumors about Nagumo Miyabi—he made no effort to conceal his ambitions, openly declaring his intent to push reforms that would give more students opportunities to reach Class A.
Kiriyama explained, "Initially, Nagumo didn't have many Personal Points. It was around the start of the second semester when he began employing various methods to pressure other classes—even convincing his opponents to sign contracts—that he amassed his current wealth."
"What kind of contracts?" This was the first Kaoru had heard of this.
Kiriyama gave a bitter smile, "You've heard how second years under Nagumo's control collectively divided exam rewards, right?"
Examining the rankings across second-year classes did reveal such patterns, and Kaoru nodded in acknowledgment.
"At first, Classes D and C couldn't endure Nagumo's tactics and surrendered. Nagumo then had most of their students sign contracts." Kiriyama continued, "These contracts outlined how exam rewards would be distributed—Nagumo promised them a portion of the rewards in exchange for monthly contributions of Personal Points."
Hearing this, even someone as dense as Kamuro could understand.
Even if it was just a small portion, the combined amount from both classes was nothing to scoff at.
"How much do they have to hand over?"
"30%." Kiriyama Ikuyo noticed the surprised expression on Kaoru Mitoma's face and added.
"This ratio may not seem like much, but sometimes classes inevitably have to expend large amounts of Personal Points."
"Expulsion?" Kaoru Mitoma keenly picked up on this point.
Kiriyama Ikuyo was momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected Kaoru Mitoma to react faster and more sensitively than anticipated.
"It is indeed about expulsions, but how did you know?"
"Because there have been very few expulsions among third-years and our first-year class hasn't had any dropouts yet." Kaoru Mitoma pondered for a moment.
"If expulsions could only happen during midterms and finals, that would be too simplistic."
Of course, he hadn't mentioned another reason yet.
Since the school claimed that Personal Points could buy anything within the institution, they should also be able to purchase exemption from expulsion penalties.
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