Leaving the student council office, Sendoh and Sakayanagi were from different classes. Both had achieved their goals, so they should have parted ways.
That's how it should have been.
"Miyama-kun, do you know who those two people at the door were?" asked Sakayanagi, holding her cane.
"The blonde man was from Class A second year, the vice president of the student council, Nagumo Miyabi. The girl, if you listened carefully at the opening ceremony, is the student council secretary, Akane Tachibana, a classmate of President Horikita in Class A third year."
"Nagumo-senpai is a difficult person. We asked students to find information from the second-year students, but even when the price went up to 500,000 points, they wouldn't leak anything."
"The school forbids talking, and Nagumo-senpai also forbids it," said Sakayanagi, smiling as she looked at Sendoh.
Sendoh remained silent, staying calm.
'Sakayanagi-san is not an ordinary person,' thought Sendoh.
Initially, Sendoh thought Sakayanagi had printed the name list just to prepare for class confrontations.
But now, he had hit a wall.
Sendoh pretended to know the inside story.
'Does Sakayanagi-san think I obtained information about the school's nature through illegal means?' thought Sendoh.
He wasn't wrong.
The way Ryuuen obtained information did violate the rules, using violence.
But Sendoh didn't do that. It was Ryuuen who used violence. Sendoh just "passed by" and "heard."
"The school and Nagumo-senpai forbid talking," said Sendoh, giving an evasive answer. "So, in the eyes of the second-year students, does Nagumo-senpai have great influence?"
"Nagumo-senpai's Class A in the second year wasn't the original Class A, but rose from Class B."
"Meaning, the weaker side succeeded in toppling the stronger one."
"It's natural for someone successful like that to have abilities in their class."
"To maintain their victory, Nagumo-senpai might be using his authority as vice president of the student council to increase his influence," said Sakayanagi.
Sendoh remained silent.
'She understands everything,' thought Sendoh. 'Not just class confrontations, but also the status of second-year seniors.'
Sendoh suspected that Class A already knew about the behavioral norm test in the first month.
If true, Class A wouldn't lose many points.
The opponent of Class C would be stronger than the previous year.
Terrifying.
Sakayanagi's plan to obtain information might involve using points.
Her classmates offered 500,000 points, but the second-year students refused.
The key phrase: "raise the price."
'If the price were higher, could a deal be reached?' thought Sendoh.
The student council president said Sakayanagi had asked teachers about points in class. The teachers replied that with enough points, you could buy anything.
If Class A paid dearly, they could get the essence of the school. The school would agree.
But there was a problem.
"Sakayanagi-san, is it true what the student council president said, that you asked teachers about using points to buy information in class yesterday?" asked Sendoh.
"Oh, that's right," said Sakayanagi. "This school is interesting. If you have enough points, you can buy anything."
"Even though the teachers refused to answer, I sought out second-year students, then third-year students. It's exciting to be able to obtain information."
Sakayanagi had prepared two scenarios. If the teachers provided information, good. If the teachers compromised, it made sense.
If that failed, she would buy from seniors.
This action was done in front of cameras, so it was legitimate.
Since the third-year seniors sold the information, Sakayanagi reported it and obtained it officially.
Sakayanagi quickly positioned herself as a useful tool in Class A.
Everything was connected, one action achieving multiple goals.
'When Nagumo-senpai was in Class B, the Class A they faced probably wasn't this strong,' thought Sendoh.
'The Class B of the second year back then couldn't have surpassed a Class A this strong.'
"What's wrong, Miyama-kun?" asked Sakayanagi, seeing Sendoh silent.
"You suddenly stopped talking."
"It's nothing," Sendoh shook his head.
After meeting the boss of Class A, Sendoh decided to study hard when he got home.
...
"Miyama-kun also worked hard yesterday," said Shiina, greeting Sendoh in class the next morning.
Sendoh looked at Shiina's beautiful face and her smooth, straight hair.
'Shiina-san is still pleasing to the eye,' thought Sendoh.
All complicated emotions subsided.
"I made a little effort yesterday," said Sendoh, taking out his math book, opening to page 77, and putting it on the desk.
[You look scared.]
The narrator appeared in Sendoh's mind.
On the third day of school, Sendoh was already used to the narrator.
The statement wasn't clear, but Sendoh knew what it meant.
"Because she's scary, right?" Sendoh wrote in a blank notebook.
The narrator appeared in his mind but couldn't hear his inner voice or mental responses. However, it could hear or see if Sendoh spoke or wrote.
This was their way of communication.
The narrator began to speak.
[She's like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Small, but aggressive.]
[She likes to hold grudges, but doesn't retaliate immediately, letting them accumulate.]
[When angry, she's terrifying. She forces poor students to study hard, to do what they're not good at. The worse you are, the more she makes you do.]
[Little devil!]
'Aren't you more afraid than I am?' thought Sendoh.
Sendoh wanted to write a response, but there was a commotion at the classroom door.
"Someone from the student council is here."
"Looks like they're looking for someone."
"What? Good news. Is Ryuuen finally caught... Uh, I didn't say anything."
The student in the front row wanted to report Ryuuen, but seeing Ryuuen's gaze, immediately shrank back.
On the third day of school, Ryuuen's violent actions to gather students hadn't stopped.
This morning, Ryuuen's face was full of gauze. Probably from a fight yesterday.
Tough work.
Although Ryuuen told that student to be quiet, his expression was serious.
'Too many cameras at school,' thought Ryuuen. 'We avoid cameras when fighting, but if there are too many, it's hard to say what gets reported.'
'Did someone report it?' thought Ryuuen.
"Is Miyama Sendoh from Class C first year here?" asked the student council member at the door.
The surrounding students looked on curiously.
Some didn't know who Sendoh was; those who did threw inquisitive glances.
"Is that Tachibana-senpai?" thought Sendoh.
Sendoh recognized the student council member: purple hair, cute.
The secretary who accompanied the student council president, named Akane Tachibana, according to Sakayanagi.
"It seems correct," said Tachibana, approaching. "Your report about the electronics store employee on the shopping street who was secretly recording has been confirmed. That employee has been fired."
"I've given my answer on this matter."
The surrounding students understood.
So it was Sendoh who reported it.
'Is that employee the same as the one from the first store?' thought some students. 'That employee was indeed scary, making people uncomfortable.'
The topic shifted to the store employee.
At that moment, a cheerful senior with handsome looks and short blonde hair appeared at the door of Class A first year.