Horikita suddenly extended her slender hand, trembling slightly in mid-air.
Akira stared at this suddenly appearing hand, stunned for a moment before realizing—was she trying to shake hands?
'Suddenly this... Is she apologizing for last night?'
Since the girl had taken the initiative to extend her hand, there was no reason for him to refuse.
As he gently grasped it, he noticed that the girl's fingertips were cold, and her palm was a full size smaller than his.
His palm easily enveloped her four fingers.
"Horikita-san, there's no need for this. I've long since forgotten about last night." Akira said, gently shaking her small hand.
"...Who's apologizing to you!" Horikita abruptly pulled her hand back, glaring at him with reddened ear tips. "I'm just inviting you to be my only assistant! A handshake is our way of making a contract. Do you accept?"
She'd completely underestimated how readily Akira would grasp her hand.
Normally, a boy faced with such sudden physical contact should at least hesitate.
'As expected of a boy in his prime... He won't miss any opportunity for close contact with any girl, huh.'
This realization inexplicably annoyed her.
What bothered her even more was why he mistakenly thought she was apologizing?
"...Assist you with what?" Akira slowly withdrew his hand.
He vaguely sensed trouble brewing and only hoped his premonition was wrong.
"Come with me," Horikita looked him directly in the eyes and said, enunciating each word, "and lead Class D to Class A."
Since her elder brother had Tachibana Akane by his side, she had no reason to continue fighting alone.
Looking around the entire classroom, the only person who met her standards in both ability and character was Akira.
—Moreover, her elder brother had personally told her to learn the ways of the world from this person.
So, this invitation was simply perfect.
"I refuse."
Akira interrupted her decisively, not even waiting for Horikita to finish speaking.
Seeing her face instantly darken, he sighed and explained. "How many times have I said it? I'm not interested in doing such thankless work. Class A holds no appeal for me."
His goal was clear: to graduate successfully from this school.
Which class he graduated from was irrelevant.
'As long as I have enough points...'
He just wanted to enjoy these three years of school life peacefully.
Why bother with the fleeting honor of a class?
"...What a pragmatic way of thinking," Horikita said involuntarily.
Akira gave her a meaningful look. "You're no different from me, are you? Don't tell me you genuinely want to benefit the entire class by moving to Class A, and not to prove something to your brother?"
This left Horikita speechless.
She'd always prided herself on her sharp tongue, but in front of this person, she was like a rookie soldier on her first battlefield, incredibly naive.
Every word he spoke was like a precise surgical knife, hitting directly at the vital points.
"But then again—" Akira suddenly changed the subject, a slight curve forming on his lips. "As I said before, from now on, any transaction with you... I can make an exception and give you a twenty percent discount."
He truly admired Horikita—both her stubborn personality and her delicate features.
But admiration was one thing...
Business was business.
Not a single point due could be reduced. At most, he'd offer a discount out of friendship.
This was Akira's consistent way of dealing with the world.
"...You really have nothing but transactions on your mind!" Horikita's fingertips trembled with anger, and she instinctively clenched her fists.
She clenched her small hands, not expecting his refusal to be so resolute.
But when her peripheral vision caught sight of Akira's muscular arm, she forcibly suppressed the urge to act.
'I can't beat him. Fighting would only bring trouble...'
In the end, she could only turn her head away with a cold expression, squeezing out a cold snort through gritted teeth.
She couldn't win with words, and she had no chance in a fight.
Facing such an Akira, she once again experienced the frustration of helplessness.
'Transaction? What do I have to trade with him?'
Horikita gritted her teeth inwardly.
With less than thirty thousand points left in her account, they'd soon be handed over as class funds—and ultimately flow into Akira's pocket!
Although she'd never thought of avoiding the payment.
After all, twenty-five thousand points per person for such crucial information was indeed a considerable discount.
"...Friday at 5:30 PM," she emphasized coldly. "If you're late, the tutoring is off!"
"Understood, I'll be on time," Akira nodded in agreement.
He was worried about his Japanese Language grades, so since someone offered help, there was no reason to refuse.
"Ah..."
At that moment, an almost inaudible sigh suddenly came from beside him.
Akira looked over and saw Sakura holding a notebook, her eyes flickering as she secretly glanced at him, then quickly lowered her head.
"What's wrong, Sakura-san?" he asked casually.
"N-nothing!" Sakura hastily shook her head, her chin almost touching her chest, her ears turning red at a visible rate.
'She's peeking at me again...'
Akira subtly averted his gaze.
He wasn't one to flatter himself, but his deskmate's frequent glances recently were too obvious.
—That timid gaze, like a startled small animal, wanting to get close yet ready to flee at any moment.
Especially when she peeked at him once or twice almost every class, it was hard not to notice.
Akira's gaze fell on the notebook Sakura was clutching tightly. With his keen perception, he naturally guessed a few things.
"Are you... planning for me to see the notebook on your chest?" he asked tentatively.
"Y-yes!" Sakura trembled as if her thoughts had been exposed, then nodded vigorously and handed over the notebook.
Opening the cover, Akira couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
From the very first lesson of the semester, all the key points of Japanese Language were neatly listed within.
The notes were indeed detailed, but it felt like the other party had merely copied what was on the blackboard.
'Could it be that she's not very good at studying...?! This content isn't really suitable for me.'
Compared to such notes, he needed the targeted tutoring that Horikita offered.
However, he wasn't so insensitive as to point out her efforts directly.
"This is a great help, I'll definitely refer to it," he closed the notebook and nodded politely.
He accepted this gesture, and the favor of helping her out last time was now even.
Indeed, after Akira took the notebook, her expression visibly relaxed.