"So, what's your plan? Don't tell me it's just another 'play it by ear' situation."
Nao glanced at the surveillance footage on her laptop, pulled out a box of chocolate sticks from her pocket, took one at random, and popped it into her mouth.
"There's a mock exam at this school today..."
"And?"
"We'll see if he continues to abuse his ability. If he doesn't, we can skip the unnecessary steps and bring him straight to Hoshino Umi."
Nao didn't say what would happen if he did abuse it, but from Hakuto's perspective, the consequences probably wouldn't be pleasant.
Sure enough, just as Nao had predicted, Otosaka Yuu used his power to cheat during the test.
"Yoshi! Nailed it!"
"Looks like yesterday wasn't enough to scare him straight."
"No, maybe he just doesn't want to lose everything he has now."
"That's true..."
As someone who had also been ranked number one in his grade, Hakuto understood the benefits that came with it.
Not to mention, this school was on par with Hoshino Umi Academy.
After watching for a bit, Nao closed the laptop.
"Time to initiate the plan."
"So what exactly is the plan?"
...
Hakuto now stood at the entrance of the student council office in this school. He had finally figured out what Nao's plan was.
"So in the end, I'm the one doing all the work again, huh?!"
Just as Hakuto was grumbling, a male student wearing the uniform of Hinomori High School walked up to him.
"Excuse me, are you Shiratori Hakuto?"
"I am."
"Ah, great! I'm the student council president of this school. I've heard a lot about you."
Hakuto nodded nonchalantly. He knew the student council president wasn't just being polite.
After all, back in junior high, Hakuto had nearly scored a perfect mark on the graduation exam.
Honestly, if it weren't for certain obligations weighing him down, he might not have even chosen to go to Toyosaki Academy.
Nao's plan was simple: use Hakuto's status as Toyosaki's top student to negotiate with the student council president.
From there, he would use that as an excuse to approach Otosaka Yuu and move on to the next step.
When Hakuto first heard the plan, he nearly spat out his drink.
"Swapping school identities really works that easily? What, do schools just trade students like collectible cards?"
"Aside from a select few, hardly anyone knows about the exchange program."
"To other schools, you're still a student of Toyosaki."
"You just made me think of a phrase..."
"What phrase?"
"I am the double agent between Toyosaki and Hoshino Umi! Codename—Pangolin!"
Just thinking about Nao's smug face annoyed Hakuto.
He had originally refused to take on this mission.
But Nao offered him too much. Way too much.
And just like that, everything went according to plan. Hakuto successfully established contact with the student council president.
"Hakuto, what brings you to our school? I heard Toyosaki Academy is preparing for a major exam, isn't it?"
Nao's words echoed in Hakuto's mind.
"Major exam? Even if they were holding a mass matchmaking event, it still wouldn't concern me."
Although he didn't actually think that way, Hakuto was quite good at keeping up appearances.
"Our homeroom teacher told me to go out and visit other schools, to experience different academic environments."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: ??!
"I see, it's always good to go out and explore."
"By the way, I heard that your school's top student, like me, is leading by an overwhelming margin. Would you mind introducing me?"
"Oh, you mean Otosaka Yuu? Sure, I'll call him over right now."
Perfect, everything was going according to plan. Hakuto could now take his payment with a clear conscience.
Hakuto originally thought the student council president would just make an announcement over the PA system, but to his surprise, the president went to find Otosaka Yuu in person.
It seemed that in their eyes, Otosaka Yuu's position as the top student was quite important.
Watching the student council president walk away, Hakuto sat quietly in his seat... or at least, that's what he was supposed to do.
Instead, he got up and opened the door to let another student council president inside.
"He's actually going to get him in person?"
Nao stood at the doorway, murmuring as she watched the student council president from Hinomori Academy disappear from sight.
"Yeah, that guy sure has some influence."
"It's fine, nothing to worry about."
Nao waved her hand dismissively, then stepped into the office and quickly found a place to hide.
About ten minutes later, the student council president returned with Otosaka Yuu.
The moment Otosaka Yuu saw Hakuto, all the blood drained from his face, and he instinctively took two steps back.
"Why is it you?!"
"Long time no see."
"What do you mean 'long time no see'?! We just met yesterday!"
The student council president didn't pick up on the tension in their conversation. He assumed they were old acquaintances.
"Oh, so you two already know each other? No wonder Hakuto specifically asked me to bring you here, Otosaka Yuu."
Otosaka Yuu shivered slightly at Hakuto's cheerful smile.
"Even though you two know each other, let me formally introduce you anyway."
"This is Hakuto, the top student at ToyosakiAcademy. And this is Otosaka Yuu, the top student at our school."
"Top student? Him?"
Otosaka Yuu looked as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. He knew Shiratori Hakuto was from Toyosaki Academy—after all, the uniform made it pretty obvious.
But he had no idea that Hakuto was also the top student in his grade.
Then, in the next second, Otosaka Yuu suddenly remembered that Hakuto, like himself, had a special ability. That explained a lot.
Hakuto casually walked up to Otosaka Yuu, draped an arm over his shoulder, and acted as if they were lifelong friends.
"Looks like you didn't take my words seriously yesterday, Otosaka Yuu."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to ask you about some math problems."
As he spoke, Hakuto pulled out a test paper from behind his back and placed it on the desk in the middle of the office.
Otosaka Yuu: ??!
To be honest, when Otosaka Yuu first saw the paper, he was already feeling a bit lost. But when he saw the title—"National Mathematics Competition"—his mind went completely blank.
"A national math competition?!"
"That's right. This is from the last competition. I was hoping to discuss it with you, Otosaka Yuu."
At that moment, Otosaka Yuu felt as if Hakuto was a demon, one that had latched onto him and refused to let go.
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute]
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