While making contact with Amasawa along the way, I headed toward the karaoke room where the meeting with Class 1-D would take place.

Horikita, Sudo and Chiaki had already gathered.

"Sorry, I am late. I got held up by a junior."

Not long after we regrouped, Hōsen and Nanase arrived.

Right on time.

Unlike Ryūen, he seems to be the type who keeps time.

"...So, do you intend to cooperate?"

"If you hand over some points, I might consider teaming up with you."

"If you intend to refuse, say it more simply. You have wasted our time, goodbye."

"Please wait, Horikita-senpai. Hōsen-kun as well. Partnering with Horikita-senpai’s class should be the most reliable option."

Horikita, who had no obligation to entertain Hōsen’s provocation, immediately tried to leave.

She was not being emotional, she had simply judged it a waste of time.

However, Nanase stopped her.

Sakayanagi’s class is trying to recruit academically strong first-years using points.

At this rate, they will likely take first place in this exam.

Ryūen’s class is also engaging in a money game, following Sakayanagi.

However, their main goal seems to be placing pressure on Sakayanagi’s class.

They have not secured as many partners yet.

Ichinose’s class is holding exchange events with first-years, gathering those lacking academic confidence regardless of class.

They seem to prioritize avoiding expulsions.

Their class has a high academic average so expulsions are unlikely.

Nanase said partnering with us is the safest choice but Ichinose’s class is also a viable option.

There is no need for them to force a partnership with us.

"Fine, I will overlook your attitude, Horikita. After all, you just do not know."

"Do not know? What are you talking about?"

"Your class is in an unprecedented crisis."

"...I do not understand. If you think a bluff like that will give you an advantage, you are naive. It seems I overestimated you."

Horikita tries to leave.

Finding Hōsen’s vague claims not worth listening to, she signals Sudo, Chiaki and me to stand up.

"You sure about that? At this rate Ayanokōji is getting expelled."

"...That is not something I can ignore."

Chiaki stopped.

"What do you mean? In this exam, if we score below 500, second-years are expelled. But Kiyotaka-kun has an A+ in academics. All his partner candidates are at least A. There is no risk of expulsion."

"Who said it would be from this exam? Ayanokōji’s danger is not limited to this one."

"...I do not understand."

"Let us go, Matsushita. It is just nonsense. There is no way Ayanokōji would be expelled."

"He might not be that easy to expel. But you are already in a situation where that possibility is increasing. Without even realizing it."

Hōsen smiles fearlessly.

Nanase beside him shows no hesitation either, just a strong gaze fixed on me.

"...What exactly do you know?"

"If you team up with us and pay points, I will tell you."

Hōsen continues to demand points.

But there is no reason to pay.

"Horikita. I have no intention of being expelled so easily. We do not need to buy information."

"...You are right. Hōsen-kun, we will not pay a single point."

Hōsen scratches his ear and thinks.

Then clicks his tongue.

"So it will not be that easy. Fine, I will tell you anyway. After hearing it, you will want to pay."

He gives up selling the information directly but not the idea of getting points.

Grinning, he begins.

"You second-years think this partner written exam is your first special exam of the year, right?"

"...Are you saying that is not the case? That first-years already have another exam?"

"Yeah. But only a small group. Reward is 20 million private points."

"Twenty…"

Sudo lets out a voice unintentionally.

20 million points is enough to cancel expulsion or transfer classes.

He cannot hide his shock.

"...What is the exam?"

"Heh. Seems you really pissed off the school, Ayanokōji. The exam is ‘Expel Ayanokōji Kiyotaka’."

The room falls silent.

Horikita, Sudo and Chiaki struggle to process it.

Then—

Bang.

"That is impossible!"

Chiaki slams the table and stands.

"This is absurd! Kiyotaka-kun did nothing wrong and there is no reason to place a bounty on him!"

"Even if he did nothing wrong, there is a reason. I have heard the rumors. Your class went from 0 points to 900 in one year and reached Class A. Or rather… Ayanokōji made it happen."

Chiaki falls silent.

Hōsen continues, emboldened.

"He was too strong. The school wants competition but there has to be balance. Someone who breaks that balance is a problem."

That is Hōsen’s assumption.

The real reason is tied to my background.

Still, it is not an unreasonable conclusion.

"They cannot openly expel someone who did nothing wrong so they use first-years to force it. Did you not think this exam was too unfavorable to second-years?"

"That is…"

"And this was directly ordered by the chairman. It bypassed even our homeroom teacher. Your teacher might not even know."

"I can confirm that. Chairman Tsukishiro was present when we were instructed to expel Ayanokōji-senpai."

Horikita, Sudo and Chiaki are shaken.

I, however, have a question.

"So you considered expelling me for the reward?"

"Of course. If you were weak, it would be easy. But after meeting you, I realized cheap tricks would not work. So I decided it is better to sell the information and get hired."

"Hired?"

"Yeah. First-years can monitor first-years better. We will protect you. For 1 million per month."

I see.

When they judged success unlikely, they switched to earning through protection and interference.

Preventing other classes from gaining an advantage and securing points themselves.

Hōsen is not just brute force.

He can think.

"...We do not know if this is true so we cannot pay."

"You sure? If not, I will take this to other second-year classes. Plenty would want you gone. You are in their way to Class A. If you think you can protect him while being targeted by both years, go ahead."

"Other second-years would not believe such nonsense. It goes against school policy and there is no proof."

"Belief does not matter. Every class wants him gone. They will welcome it. We will get hired and expel him, earning 20 million plus more."

Hōsen grins.

Normally Chiaki or Horikita could handle this but his cards are strong.

I step in.

"Sorry but I will not hire you."

The three look worried.

But there is no issue.

First-years were already targets.

Second-years are competitors.

That does not change.

"Confident you will not be expelled? That is arrogance."

"I agree. From what I have seen, first-years are all troublesome. Even combined with second-years, they are not a threat?"

"Hōsen. You said you could earn 20 million and more by working with others. Then why not do that from the start?"

Hōsen falls silent.

"There are several reasons. First, this exam is likely meant to remain secret. You said only a small group knows. If it spreads, it’ll reach second and third-years. Then we would protest and the school could not deny it."

If few know, the school can deny everything.

Especially with Tsukishiro as chairman.

That is why it is limited.

"Leaking it likely has penalties. You cannot approach many classes. The easiest target is us, the actual target, to pressure us into a deal."

It is too early to judge which classes are easy to negotiate with.

So they targeted us directly.

"Also, you judged expelling me would be difficult. Failing could expose the exam. So gaining trust and cooperation is easier."

Just by monitoring first-years, they earn.

"And the biggest reason is gaining access to me. After gaining benefits, they could betray me and claim the reward."

Sudo widens his eyes.

Horikita lowers her gaze.

"Of course, contracts could reduce that but not eliminate it. They could cooperate with other classes, share information and split rewards."

They could betray without us knowing.

"If they cannot find an opening, they just keep taking payment."

Even after paying others, they profit overall.

"...You saw through everything… who are you?"

"Just a normal high school student."

Everyone looks at me coldly.

"...That was bad."

Even Sudo says so.

"Matsushita-san, please work on your boyfriend’s humor."

"Do not ask that of me. It is not my job and he needs at least one flaw."

"You all say whatever you want…"

Fortunately, the atmosphere loosens.

Nanase seizes the moment.

"Hōsen-kun. Ayanokōji-senpai is not easy to handle. We should prioritize clearing this exam."

"Tch. Fine. If you want bodyguards, call me. I will do it depending on the points. For now, partnering is enough."

"Thank you for the proposal and information. In return, we will share information about a recurring exam. Chiaki, send Nanase the overview of the Paper Shuffle later. Horikita, prepare the contract."

"Got it."

"Understood."

I ended up intervening after all.

It was to protect Chiaki so it could not be helped.

Horikita and Nanase begin selecting students using OAA.

Meanwhile, Hōsen keeps staring at me.

"...Anything else?"

"I will tell you this. My strength is not here, it is here. I want to fight you someday, Ayanokōji-senpai. Not for 20 million."

Hōsen clenches his fist.

So he is a fighter.

Just by looking, he is physically strong.

…Troublesome.

He has set his sights on me.

* * *

[AN: After rereading parts of the original and the second-year manga, I have started to like Hōsen.

• In the manga he is a well-built handsome guy
• He keeps time properly
• He rules his class through fear but does not extort points
• Yet he would stab his own leg with a knife to gain points
• He supports Ichinose Honami

Maybe Hōsen is actually a decent guy?]