17 Chapter 17: A Small Road’s Designs To Rescue a Healthy Wisteria

[A/N: Second Favour Revised: ONLY Sudou 1 point below pass + 200,000/extra mark + do not mention the involvement of Yukio in the price change.]

Horikita yelped at the revelation, causing the two engaged in a conversation to turn towards the sound.

Knowing it was hopeless to keep herself hidden, she stepped into their view, to an amused look from Sae and a disinterested gaze from Ayanokouji who promptly turned back to look at Sae.

"Sensei, isn't that too cruel?"

"Exactly! 200,000 for a single point? Is that non-negotiable sensei?"

Horikita asked, hoping that everything could be resolved without an expulsion taking place.

"Kuku, you truly are an interesting pair of students. I can only sell the point for that amount today, and despite your best efforts, the two of you alone will come up short to make such a payment."

Sae indulgently explained, leaving several hints in what she said, but ensuring the second favour requested of her was also met. Was it her problem if they picked up on the clues?

"But…"

Horikita began but she couldn't think of a reasonable retort to give. Ayanokouji just remained silent as he pondered over the words the older woman said. It seemed everything she said had a hidden meaning, and she was just waiting for it to be deciphered.

"You also see it now, Horikita? Ayanokouji's skill?"

Despite the sombre circumstances, Sae engaged in a conversation with Horikita about Ayanokouji's abilities, and the difference between this year's class D and the previous years.

"Sensei, how much would you sell a point for in next semester's midterm exam?"

"100,000 PPs."

Sae replied instantly and shamelessly, as Horikita tried to comprehend the profoundness of the question.

"I see. Can you give us until the end of homeroom to send Sudou to you?"

Sae, despite her impassive expression and following words, had a delighted glint in her eyes. Even though she had said this year's class D was different, to have someone expelled in the first pseudo-challenge presented to them would not be a good reflection of her belief.

'Though, if I think about it, it could be a good way to lower the other teachers' impression of this year's class, especially since I've got several aces up my sleeve. Whatever… I'll let the students deal with this situation however they can.'

"While it will be cutting it close with the required procedures, I can allow you a maximum of twenty minutes."

"Thank you."

Replied Ayanokouji, with an equally impassive tone and not displaying his feelings on the acceptance.

"Well, I look forward to what you two will come up with. As your homeroom teacher, I'll make sure to watch attentively to future events."

Leaving that obscure farewell, Sae walked away, and Horikita looked toward Ayanokouji, wondering why he asked for more time.

"Why did she sell us a point for double the price in this exam, Ayanokouji-Kun?"

Disregarding her question, the boy was thinking of his findings. He couldn't help but recall a conversation he had had with a boy from his class about Horikita contributing her findings to the class and wondered if that was all for this particular moment.

'Were you the cause of the point price hike… Yukio Kobayashi? What an interesting individual.'

Ayanokouji, behind his expressionless face and the false narrative within his head, would make countless inferences and observations of the things around him.

"Horikita, ignore the price hike. We don't have the time to consider it now. You will have to ask the class to contribute an amount towards the 200,000."

Horikita, being as smart as she was, quickly comprehended his idea, but couldn't help but feel chagrined by Ayanokouji's conclusion disregarding her opinion on the matter.

"And why should I do it? You're hiding your skill behind lower test scores and even Kushida. It's unpleasant."

Ayanokouji looked at her with emotionless eyes.

"You have asked me to help you reach class A, not to reach class A of my own. Sensei hasn't told us if there are further class point losses or debts incurred due to expulsion, so I think you should go back to class quickly."

Horikita just looked at him for a moment, before elbowing him in the side. His confusing behaviour, the credit he'd handed over to Kushida, and finally all but forcing her to implore the class for points annoyed her and she had to take it out on him the only way she could.

"Hey, the hell was that for?!"

"I just felt like it."

Horikita then walked away, while Ayanokouji watched her back and considered her growth, before following her back to class.

— — —

"Sudou, how many points do you have left?"

"Huh? What? Why?"

Yukio watched as Horikita became exasperated at his incessant questioning. The duo of Ayanokouji and Horikita came back to a class that was murmuring amongst themselves.

Many of the students were cheerful about their grades but suppressed it due to the unfortunate circumstance of their classmates, resulting in quiet murmurs.

When the girl with midnight black hair, and sharp eyes came back, she walked directly to the podium and asked the question to Sudou.

Composing herself once again, she explained her motives.

"The reason I left the class just now was to meet up with sensei so I could stop your expulsion. For that, we will need 200,000 private points."

"200,000?!"

Sudou, and the rest of the class that was listening in, were shocked at the exorbitant figure that Horikita composedly layout.

"H-Horikita-San, there's no way I can pay 200,000. I only have 20,000 points left."

Sudou replied uncharacteristically, lacking the usual confidence in his speech which oozed dubiousness.

At that moment, Hirata decided to step in because it was clear that Horikita would not propose something ludicrous with a plan.

"Horikita-San, how will the private points prevent Sudou's expulsion!"

"Sensei said it would cost 200,000 points to purchase a mark in Sudou's English exam."

"You can buy a mark?!"

The revelations that came one after the other had the students extremely excited and on their toes. The clamour was only stopped when Kushida spoke out and grabbed everyone's attention.

"Everyone! Let's listen to what Horikita-San has to say. This could be the only way to save Sudou-Kun."

Yukio could tell Kushida was amused at the behaviour of her hated enemy, and very curious about what selfless actions she would take next for an individual she abandoned only several weeks ago.

"As I said, sensei would sell a mark for 200,000. If we take into account Sudou's current balance that would leave 180,000 points to make up. That would be a contribution of a little over 4500 points from each of us."

"What? No! I'm not paying with my private points!"

The first voice of dissent at the proposal was Karuizawa, which was quickly followed by her group of friends.

Chiaki looked at Yukio, but he just shook his head. Sudou's rescue was an inevitable conclusion to this discussion so acting against it would not be the wisest of decisions.

The young adult was even surprised to see Ike and Yamauchi arguing against contributing points to Sudou's cause. The pair sported guilty expressions and didn't look back at the redheads seething expression.

'That is one… awkward conversation I would not want to be a part of. How scummy.'

"Everyone! Please listen to me for a second."

Hirata raised his voice, and his endless charisma worked like a charm in calming down the rowdy atmosphere.

"I know you don't want to give up your points, but this is our classmate we've been together with for two months. We can't just abandon him now."

The desperate boy looked toward Horikita for help.

"There's one thing I didn't mention because I keep being interrupted. Sensei did not say if there would be any class point reductions due to expulsion. We could fall into debt at this rate. And I'll be the first to pledge my private points towards this issue."

Horikita's selfless promise won an enchanted look from Sudou for the second time that day.

"Me too! We have to work together on this!"

Kushida seconded, which gained the support of a large portion of the class.

Despite that, Karuizawa's group which did not want to sacrifice their points, and individuals such as Yukimura who thought it best to remove dead-weight early on even if they incurred losses, still disagreed with the move towards helping Sudou.

'Haa… Hirata you dimwit. Have you forgotten what we discussed the other day?'

"Sudou does make for a pretty good sportsman, huh."

Yukio thought aloud while rubbing his chin as though lost in his thoughts. Hirata, however, had an epiphany and remembered what they discussed recently.

"There's another important thing I have to mention everyone. It came to my notice that anyone who makes it into the school team early in the first year will earn a lot of class points for their class. Sudou, do you think you're good enough to do so?"

The news Hirata brought was like the lighthouse to a ship lost at sea since no one knew how to increase the class points yet. The class turned towards Sudou who confidently spoke up.

"Easy. The coach was talking to me about it the other day. I didn't realise it was a big thing though."

Individuals like Yukimura who finally saw the benefit in keeping Sudou began to calm down, and the voices of dissent lost most of their momentum.

Even with Karuizawa's hollering against contributing, it would be too embarrassing to be the only one not contributing to the cause, and she might risk her position as the leader of the class D girls, so she quickly acquiesced and transferred over the required points to Horikita.

In another bout of selflessness, when a few of the class didn't even have the required points to donate, Horikita contributed some more points, earning the respect of a lot more students in the class.

Yukio watched as she quickly left the classroom, accompanied by Hirata, upon request by his 'girlfriend' so she didn't run off with their money, and thought to himself of the entertaining play he'd just watched.

'In the light novel Kinugasa-Dono, the author of the masterpiece that was the Classroom Of The Elite, decided to have Ayanokouji settle this quietly, keeping the class in the dark, and building hype within his audience for Ayanokouji's abilities. But in real life, no one is 'reading' this lifetime, so it's a better idea to have the class contribute towards the fund.'

Yukio thought of how comical it would be if his story was written in a novel, but put the silly thought to the back of his mind, unaware that he was a bit too close to breaking through the fourth wall.

'I mean, I know Ayanokouji's abilities, so there's no need to have him lose precious points early on. I'm excited to see what havoc that guy will cause with more points. Hm… though he'll need to be blackmailed by Sae first, won't he? Well, I guess that'll happen sooner or later anyway.'

Pondering over the difference between his new life and the light novel, Yukio was blissfully unaware of the gazes he'd attracted from several students in his class.