"Hah! Hey now... so you're saying this Ayanokōji guy might be such a dangerous existence that the school itself wants him expelled... and they're trying to use us to make it happen?"

Hōsen-kun's guess is a little off the mark, but at least he seems to understand that Kiyotaka-senpai isn't just an ordinary student.

...Good! If that's the case, then Hōsen-kun and Nanase-chan shouldn't recklessly try to approach Kiyotaka-senpai...

"Tch! Sounds good to me! I'd love to meet him once and see for myself what kind of monster this Ayanokōji guy really is!"

"Huh? Wait... Hōsen-kun?"

...Huh? Things are starting to take a strange turn...

"W-what!? Hōsen-kun!? Even after hearing Ichika-chan's explanation, you're still planning to participate in the special exam?"

"Did you really think hearing that would make me afraid of Ayanokōji? Fine by me! I'll gladly play along with the school's scheme!"

I messed up!!!

My warning ended up provoking the fighting spirit swirling inside him instead...

Ah well...

Whatever happens to Hōsen-kun from here on isn't my problem, but now it's guaranteed that Kiyotaka-senpai will have to deal with extra trouble.

"...So that's how it is. Amasawa, follow Nanase's explanation."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it... but what's the benefit for me? You're not expecting me to do this for free, right?"

Let me guess...

Just like in the original world, he'll offer half of the 20 million points—10 million points.

...That's what I thought, but Hōsen-kun's answer went far beyond my expectations.

"Hmph. Maybe there's no benefit for you... but there is a downside."

"Oh really~? A downside for me? What exactly would that be?"

"Amasawa... you and Nanase are close, right?"

"So what~? That's irrelevant right now, isn't it?"

"Heh... it's very relevant. If you refuse this deal... I might just harm Nanase."

"...What?"

Wait...

What did this man just say?

'If I refuse, he might harm Nanase-chan?'

Even I might not be in a position to judge others, but that statement sounds completely insane.

Nanase-chan also lowered her head with an uncomfortable expression.

"Hmm~ I didn't quite catch that~. Hōsen-kun? Could you say it again?"

"Huh!? I'll say it as many times as you want! If you refuse this deal, I'll hurt Nanase—"

"Ah!? I'll kill you, you damn gorilla!!!"

I released the killing intent characteristic of White Room students and pressured Hōsen-kun.

He looked like he merely fell silent, but I didn't miss the brief moment when he flinched.

"Eek!"

Meanwhile Nanase-chan collapsed to the floor and trembled in fear.

Honestly, I do feel a bit bad for her.

Neither Hōsen-kun nor Nanase-chan probably expected such filthy insults to come out of my mouth.

'I see... so this is the emotion Takuya carried all along in the original world... hatred.'

While living through school life in the original world, I thought I had already learned the full range of emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness and even love.

But I never expected to awaken to something beyond anger… the emotion called hatred.

"Oh? So you can make that kind of face too? That expression suits you better."

"Shut up, Hōsen... don't say another word."

Right now...

Nanase-chan has apparently become that important to me.

"Well... jokes aside. I'll give you half the reward—10 million points. How about that?"

"...Sigh. Then you should've said that from the start. I'll accept—but if you lay a hand on Nanase-chan, I absolutely won't forgive you."

"...You hear that, Nanase? Good for you—Amasawa really cares about you. Anyway, we're done here. I'm heading out."

After saying that, Hōsen-kun left the room, leaving Nanase-chan behind as she still looked down.

"Um... Nanase-chan, are you okay?"

"Ah... Amasawa-san..."

Right now, what I need to do is calm Nanase-chan down.

"I'm really sorry for scaring you! I just couldn't forgive Hōsen-kun when I thought he might hurt the first friend I made in high school!"

"No... Amasawa-san, you did nothing wrong. Please don't worry about it. But... I was surprised. We've only known each other for a few days, yet you care about me that much..."

This is a problem.

There's no way I can tell her that I already know her circumstances from knowledge of the original world.

'What should I say... how do I explain this to Nanase-chan?'

While I desperately tried to come up with a good excuse—

"Amasawa-san... you remind me of Eiichirō-kun from back then..."

"Hm? Nanase-chan, what's wrong?"

"Ah! It's nothing! More importantly, Amasawa-san... may I ask you for one favor?"

"Huh? What is it?"

Nanase-chan suddenly grabbed my hands tightly.

"Until now I wasn't completely sure... but from now on, will you truly be my friend? Um... Ichika-san?"

The answer to that question...

Ichika-chan already decided long ago.

"Of course! Let's be friends, Tsubasa-chan!"

"Yes! Please take care of me!"

Nanase-chan returned my answer with a huge smile—a smile she had only ever shown to Kiyotaka-senpai in the original world.

And just like that...

Nanase-chan—no, Tsubasa-chan—and I finally became true friends.

* * *

Later that day after school...

"Excuse me~! Acting Chairman!"

"Oh? Amasawa-san."

I, Ichika-chan, was facing Acting Chairman Tsukishiro inside the chairman's office.

"Since it's just the two of us here... let's speak frankly, okay?"

"Yes, that's fine."

Then let's get straight to the point.

"I'll say it bluntly. You're trying to use this special exam to expel Ayanokōji Kiyotaka by the second semester... but that's impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"The other members besides Takuya and I are poorly chosen. Ishigami-kun takes a neutral stance regarding the White Room issue. Utomiya-kun depends on Tsubaki-chan from his class. And Hōsen-kun's plan was so sloppy it almost made me laugh."

"I see... but what about Nanase Tsubasa?"

Even then, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro asked calmly without changing his expression.

Maybe he's confident in the enforcer he prepared.

"Hmm. You mean the girl whose ex-boyfriend you indirectly drove to death and then redirected that hatred toward Ayanokōji Kiyotaka? Eventually Tsubasa-chan will realize her own mistake."

"I see... so you knew even that much. It seems the nickname 'Arrogant White Room Student' isn't just for show."

"That doesn't matter. Let me say this clearly."

As I approached Acting Chairman Tsukishiro—

"If the day ever comes when Ayanokōji Kiyotaka is expelled... the one who pulls the trigger will be me. No one else."

After whispering that, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro looked at me as if he had found something interesting.

"So? What exactly are you trying to say?"

"You still don't understand? As fellow White Room students, I'll be the one to expel Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. So any unnecessary interference from you is not needed."

"I'm afraid that won't do. I have my orders from Ayanokōji-sensei. I'm not foolish enough to sit back and do nothing."

Judging by this...

It seems impossible to stop him from setting something up against Kiyotaka-senpai during the uninhabited island exam.

"One last question for you."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Do you truly believe Ayanokōji Kiyotaka should be expelled?"

My unexpected question caused a brief silence in the chairman's office.

Yet his expression didn't change.

No wonder he was entrusted with the position of acting chairman by Ayanokōji-sensei.

But only for a moment.

"Yes. I am someone who follows Ayanokōji-sensei."

"I see..."

Kiyotaka-senpai once said something like this in the original world.

'Wasn't Tsukishiro never truly trying to expel me?'

Even if that were true...

There's no way he could say that in front of me—a White Room student.

"Is that all you wanted to discuss, Amasawa-san?"

"Yes. Thank you for taking the time to meet me."

"No, thank you... I gained quite a lot from this conversation."

"Then excuse me."

And with that, I left the chairman's office.

Oh, and by the way—

With the remaining time after that, just like I promised Tsubasa-chan… the two of us enjoyed karaoke together!