Before agreeing to the bet, Shimizu Akira had indeed been engaged in a long phone conversation.
Looking back now, that must have been when he was discussing this plan with Chabashira-sensei.
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly grasped the perfection of this setup:
The teacher, as an adult, legally purchased the beer.
Ownership was then indirectly transferred through Shimizu Akira.
This created an impeccable legal loophole—whether the act constituted theft depended entirely on subjective determination of ownership.
"Truly... a flawless, unbeatable strategy." Her voice trembled with frustration, yet also held undeniable admiration.
What was most impressive wasn't the plan itself, but the fact that Shimizu Akira had already laid this trap before even accepting her challenge.
The moment she proposed the bet, he had already prepared a guaranteed victory.
The plan was so perfect it made her feel inferior:
Her pride would never allow her to ask a teacher for help.
She had been too focused on outsmarting Shimizu Akira to question the foundational rules.
"I concede." Sakayanagi Arisu lifted her head, forcing a smile. "Let's exchange contacts. The 100,000 points... I'll transfer them now."
"Sure." Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had expected her to demand more details, but upon reflection—with Sakayanagi's intellect, she had likely pieced everything together already.
After exchanging contact info, the points were transferred instantly.
"Making 80,000 points net profit on the first day of school... not bad." A satisfied smirk tugged at his lips.
After deducting 10,000 points for Chabashira-sensei's "errand fee" and the beer, this was indeed a substantial gain.
More importantly, he had made the proud silver-haired girl taste defeat.
Though... would she hold a grudge over this?
As he pondered, he met Sakayanagi Arisu's complicated gaze—a mix of confusion, frustration, and something indescribable.
"I truly don't understand." Her voice was uncharacteristically unsteady. "With your intellect... how could you be placed in Class D?"
"Didn't do well in the interview." He brushed it off casually, naturally omitting the absurd truth about being a transmigrator.
"...Just how badly did you perform?! To end up in Class D?! Wait—could it be the interviewer took a dislike to you and scored you unfairly?! In any case... I'll investigate this properly." Her tone turned icy momentarily before reverting to her usual elegant smile: "Shimizu-kun, next time... I won't lose."
"Anytime." Shimizu Akira shrugged lightly. "Just bring an interesting game and enough points." He had no objections to free sponsorships.
However, her mention of "investigating" caught his attention.
Why did she suddenly sound like school administration?
Did Class A have special privileges?
Was this seemingly frail young lady actually the chairman's treasured granddaughter or something?
If so... had he offended the school's upper echelons on the very first day?
Meanwhile, Kamuro Masumi blended into the crowd of students, feigning calm.
The canned beer in her bag felt strangely heavy, as if it might tear through the fabric and expose her at any moment.
(Did someone... see me just now?)
She glanced sideways, scanning the figures moving between shelves—no one stopped, no one stared.
(...Just my imagination?)
Exhaling softly, she quickened her pace the moment she stepped through the automatic doors.
The summer breeze filled her lungs, slightly easing the tension in her chest.
The cold touch of the beer can against her fingers made her lips curl unconsciously, a peculiar thrill bubbling up inside.
(Success again!)
She cheered silently, a strange sweetness on her tongue.
This wasn't her first time—since that stifling afternoon in middle school, when she first slipped an eraser into her uniform pocket, the heart-pounding exhilaration had been etched into her memory.
But as she took her first step—
"Kamuro-san, wait a moment."
A male voice called from behind.
Her spine stiffened instantly; her blood seemed to freeze in place.
(...Did they find out?!)
Turning slowly, she saw an unfamiliar male student.
"In your bag... is there something that doesn't belong to you?"
His gaze rested lightly on her shoulder bag.
Kamuro Masumi's throat tightened, but her expression remained cold. "...What are you talking about? I don't understand."
The boy took a step forward. "Your technique was clean—probably not your first time, right? But why beer? Do you like drinking?"
(...This guy! He even knows what I stole?!)
Her pupils contracted sharply; her heart lurched.
—This was the first time in her life she had been caught red-handed.
"Here... report me if you want!" She yanked the beer can from her bag and thrust it at him defiantly.
The boy blinked, then looked utterly baffled. "...Wait, why hand over the evidence? This is the most straightforward surrender I've ever seen."
"Enough!" She turned away, her ears burning with humiliation. "You saw everything anyway, didn't you?!"
"Are you really from Class A?" He suddenly gave her a weird look. "This reaction... you might as well be in my class."
Kamuro Masumi's temple throbbed.
(How does he know my class?! Even my name?!)
What infuriated her more was his expression—that mix of disbelief and mild disdain, as if criticizing her poor crisis management.
"What do you want?! If you're not reporting me, I'll call the school myself!" Her voice rose slightly; the beer can warped slightly under her grip.
"I never intended to report you. In fact, I came to give you your cut of the profits." He chuckled, then unzipped his bag—
Clatter! Clatter!
Over a dozen beer cans tumbled out.
"Thanks to you, I made a tidy sum—100,000 points, to be exact." He shrugged. "I don't drink, so... here, take them. You seem to like beer."
"...Hah?!" Kamuro Masumi stared at the pile of beer, her brain short-circuiting.
(Not reporting me... giving me beer... profits?! What did I even do?! Who the hell lost 100,000 points to this guy?!)
As he turned to leave, he suddenly paused and waved—
"Let me give you some free advice."
"First, those beers were already bought by me, so it was never theft to begin with."
"Second, points can buy anything in this school—you could've just purchased the right to steal this time."
"Third, you could've bribed witnesses or bought the security footage. Point is... there are countless ways to avoid leaving evidence. Don't let others grab your weak points."
Kamuro Masumi stood frozen, the beer can in her hand creaking faintly from her grip.
(These loopholes... why is he telling me this?)
(Not only not reporting me... giving me beer... even teaching me how to avoid consequences... Is he... actually nice?!)
Watching his retreating figure, a ridiculous thought suddenly flashed through her mind—
"Wait... could he be...?"