Houtarou Oreki Classroom of the Elite

In the stairwell on the first floor of the school building, Suzune dropped her perfect-girl facade, slumping onto the second step. She held her head in both hands, looking utterly defeated.

Houtarou appeared beside her, holding her phone.

Suzune had gone to refuse Sae confidently, but was caught off guard when Sae revealed she knew about Suzune's connection to the Student Council President.

Her weakness exposed, she felt powerless. However, she had one saving grace — she'd recorded their conversation on her phone.

| Choose. Help me, or cause trouble for your brother. |

The voice was dignified and unfamiliar — Sae, Class D's homeroom teacher.

According to Manabu's information, she was a tough and capable person. She'd immediately recognized the connection between Suzune and Manabu.

It wasn't difficult to figure out — they shared the same surname and had similar features.

Yet most people wouldn't think to connect the Student Council President, the school's top student, with a sister in Class D.

However, something about this teacher Sae and the girl before him caught Houtarou's attention as his gaze fell on the dejected Suzune.

He found it remarkable.

Sae and Suzune shared similarities — without intervention, Suzune might well become someone like Sae.

A curious thought, wasn't it?

Sae's voice continued playing.

| My request is simple: lead Class D to promote to Class B once. Do this, and these points cards are yours. They contain my accumulated salary points from the past three years. I've loaded every payment onto them, totaling 5 million points. |

| And Horikita, I know you're collecting points. The school monitors students' points accounts closely — they noticed when yours exceeded a million. You're already in Class D, so leading the class upward will earn you both class evaluation points and this 5-million-point bonus. It's a good deal. |

| Take action in this upcoming exam! |

Beep!

The recording ended.

So this explained Suzune's state — Sae had found her weakness, and she'd accepted the request?

"And you got the points card from Chabashira-sensei too?" Houtarou returned the phone to her.

"Yes." Suzune pulled out a black card the size of a room key from her defeated posture. It bore a fixed QR code.

Houtarou recognized this type of card — it could store Points for loading and withdrawal in increments. The school permitted these cards as a way to keep Points untraceable.

This school isn't focused solely on developing morally upright students. It also provides platforms and opportunities for less conventional methods.

Sae had clearly planned this, seeking out Suzune and preparing the Points card in advance.

No wonder an inexperienced student like Suzune couldn't resist.

"What should I do now?" Suzune looked up, her usual composure crumbling. Her once-dignified eyes had lost their spark.

She appeared fragile.

Houtarou had seen her like this before — that night when her brother, the Student Council President, ordered her to withdraw from school.

For Suzune, having her homeroom teacher discover the connection between herself in Class D and her exemplary brother felt unbearable. She was likely terrified of bringing shame to him.

She had been diligently following Houtarou's guidance, earning Points along the way. There had been hope for her future.

But this blow had shattered her resolve.

"It's not as bad as you think." Houtarou reassured her, "Your homeroom teacher just wants you to help Class D advance to Class B. And..."

He held up the Points card.

"She's offered 5 million points — that shows she's serious."

As a Class A student, Houtarou knew that even if Class D rose to Class B, they'd likely fall back down. It wasn't a real threat.

In fact, if they did manage to rise and caught the attention of the bored Arisu, it might work in his favor.

"But something feels wrong." He said.

"Wrong?"

Houtarou nodded.

"Based on what your brother told me and my own sources, your homeroom teacher has strong convictions. It's odd that she'd use points as motivation — it doesn't fit her character. She's usually the type to use any means necessary." He explained, "Plus, I'm certain her real goal is Class A, not Class B. So why set such a modest target?"

"Is it because I'm not capable enough?" Suzune asked, "That's true — I could never compete with you. You're in Class A."

Though depressing, these words showed her acceptance of reality.

"And Chabashira-sensei probably realizes this, which is why she didn't aim for Class A. But now—"

Perhaps encouraged by Houtarou's comfort, Suzune retrieved the Points card.

"Would you help me, Oreki? Since it's 5 million points, I could split it with you fifty-fifty."

"..."

The points card held 5 million Points — splitting it would give him 2.5 million. This offer revealed Suzune's lack of confidence in leading the class herself.

She hoped he would participate and guide them, though whether this was troublesome depended on perspective.

In Houtarou's view, elevating Class D in the short term was simple. With their Class Points at zero, they had nothing to lose and could employ any strategy.

As long as they didn't drop below zero, he already had several plans in mind.

"I want 80 percent." Houtarou said.

"That's too much!" Suzune protested, her spirit returning.

In their previous dealings, she'd only taken 10% of the rewards, but those were his plans — she had merely followed along.

This time, since Sae had given her the 5 million Points reward directly, she felt entitled to negotiate the split.

"Do you think leading your classmates will be easy?" Houtarou asked, "Remember how they lost 1,000 points in one month after learning the exam rules?"

"..."

This was exactly why Suzune felt conflicted — she had no influence over her classmates. They simply wouldn't listen to her.

"..."

Meanwhile, Houtarou had his own agenda: using this exam to extract 4 million Points from the second years to complete his 20 million system Task.

But now, with this Points card right here, he could complete the task immediately!

He took back Sae's Points card from Suzune.

"These cards circulate among upper-year students in the shopping district." He said, "You can use them to hide your points. Think about it — what would happen if your classmates discovered you had such a fortune?"

What indeed? Was he suggesting she should be wary of her classmates?

Of course. Their Class Points sat at zero, while her personal 1.3 million Points was an enormous sum. If discovered, her classmates would likely pressure her for loans. Refusing would only invite their scorn.

Suzune wondered how she'd ended up in this class at all.

Meanwhile, Houtarou began scanning the card.

『 Beep! 』

『 QR code points card detected, balance: 100,000 Pts. 』

『 Would you like to withdraw? Please enter withdrawal amount. 』

"What?" He froze for a moment, 'Is the system malfunctioning?'

Suzune stood beside him, also seeing the notification. She was standing close — less than 10 centimeters away. A subtle, ethereal fragrance surrounded her. It wasn't perfume; she wore no makeup or cosmetics. She was naturally beautiful enough without them.

From this proximity, he could see her black stockings, long legs elegantly wrapped in silk.

There was no denying that Suzune was the school beauty.

"Scan it with your phone." Houtarou said, handing her the points card instead of continuing to scan it himself.

Without questioning him, Suzune opened the scanner function on her student ID.

『 Beep! 』

『 QR code points card detected, balance: 100,000 Pts. 』

『 Would you like to withdraw? Please enter withdrawal amount. 』

"What?" Now it was her turn to freeze.

"Looks like we weren't wrong." Houtarou said, "If it's not our problem, then Chabashira only loaded 100,000 points onto it."

"How is that possible?" Suzune asked, bewildered, "Wasn't it supposed to be 5 million? Could it be some kind of down payment?"

"Horikita." Houtarou looked at her, "If you had accepted Chabashira's task, when would you have scanned this card?"

"Probably after the class showed improvement. I'd delay it as long as possible, maybe until after gathering 15 million points. Chabashira-sensei mentioned that the school monitors students' points, so scanning a teacher's card would draw attention. Even for a task, teacher-to-student point transfers are specially monitored. I wouldn't want to cause that kind of trouble, so I'd wait to scan it."

She answered honestly, though unsure why he asked.

Houtarou nodded slightly. Now he understood what had been bothering him.

According to Manabu's information, Sae was ruthless, and her ability to elevate Class D proved her capability. The System had revealed she might use her savings to buy people's cooperation — she would use any means necessary.

So why would she both lower the task's difficulty and offer Points upfront?

The truth was clear: she had given Suzune only a 100,000-Point card. In their conversation, she had deliberately warned the girl not to scan it immediately. As long as she didn't scan it, she wouldn't discover it held only 100,000 points instead of the promised 5 million.

This meant Suzune might complete the task before discovering the deception.

In other words, this teacher was exploiting the school beauty, using a mere 100,000 Points to test how far the Student Council President's sister could push Class D.

Therefore, the task's real goal was having Suzune elevate Class D to Class B, not Class A. Even if it failed, the stakes were minimal — just 100,000 Points.

"Your homeroom teacher is truly inhuman." Houtarou said, "This card only has 100,000 points, and she deliberately mentioned the school's monitoring system to keep you from checking. As long as your brother hasn't graduated, you wouldn't dare scan it. She's exploiting you."

"How could this happen? How can she even call herself a teacher!" Suzune, who had been quite docile until now, burst out.

She had been tricked? Sae had played her like this?

"—" Houtarou paid no attention to the emotionally distraught girl.

He was thinking. Something still didn't add up.

Suzune had clear deficiencies and insufficient ability — something Sae could easily see. So why entrust such a task to her?

"Have you revealed your connection with me to her?" He looked at her.

"No." Suzune answered honestly, "I haven't contacted you in class. You're always the one sending messages to find me, and then I go. Could there be something wrong with our call records or phone messages?"

"Wait a moment." Houtarou asked her to stay quiet, then composed a message to Manabu.

Ring Ring!

The phone vibrated.

[What happened?]

Manabu immediately called.

[I don't think teachers can get that level of authority. The school generally only monitors students' private accounts, not other phone content. After all, this is a school, and they have their own rules to follow.]

[If they monitored everything, once reported, the school would have no defense.]

He concluded.

"So you're saying that even with points, they can't access others' phone information or records?" Houtarou asked.

[That's right.]

Manabu gave a definitive answer.

"Then that's all I needed." Having gotten the free consultation, he ended the call.

Then he looked at Suzune.

If she hadn't exposed his relationship with her, then Sae's attempt to motivate Suzune seemed odd. After all, her abilities were insufficient.

But this also meant... Sae had found someone more suitable to lead the class. That person had refused, so she wanted Suzune to improve the class first.

And if the class was elevated to Class B, maybe that person would agree. While Class D was a garbage dump, it also contained people with notable talents, like Rokusuke Kōenji, whose observational skills and perceptiveness were considerable.

Houtarou knew this from his casual interactions with upper-class students.

This Rokusuke was the sole heir to the Kōenji Financial Group. Before entering school, they had seen its company profile, which contained information about this student.

In other words. Rokusuke came from a high background, and people from such prominent families often receive elite education from a young age.

Therefore, he possessed considerable strength.

Though the reason for his placement in Class D remained unclear, he had the ability to elevate the class. His earlier refusal to pay for information stemmed from his belief that Class D was beyond salvation.

While getting him to lead the class seemed impossible now, if Class D showed some improvement, he might reconsider.

Of course, Sae's target might not be Rokusuke, but rather another capable yet problematic student she had discovered. Either way, this suggested Class D harbored hidden talent.

As a Class A student, this wasn't good news — it represented an unpredictable variable.

〖 Beep! 〗

At this moment, Houtarou heard the familiar system prompt.

〖 Congratulations, host has triggered a Hidden Side Task! 〗

〖 Side Task: Teacher, Please, Be Professional! 〗

〖 Task Requirement: Destroy Sae Chabashira's ambitions! 〗

〖 Task Duration: Three Weeks 〗

〖 Task Reward: Teleportation Ability Enhancement (removes the restriction of only being able to teleport to places you've been, can now teleport to specific coordinates or locations seen in photos.) 〗

〖 Task Punishment: None! 〗

Hmm. This time the System aligned with his thoughts.

Because there was only one thing he wanted to do.

"Are you still going to do Chabashira-sensei's task?" Houtarou looked at the upset girl beside him.

"Of course not!" Suzune replied immediately.

After all, she was the sister of an excellent brother, and although she had been placed in Class D, she hadn't accepted being worthless.

Though Houtarou was manipulating her, that didn't mean a negligent homeroom teacher could enslave her with mere 100,000 Points. If her brother discovered this situation, it would be mortifying.

Still... Sae knew her identity. Would this cause trouble for her accomplished brother?

Suzune felt anxious and useless.

The points in her student ID came partly from Houtarou and partly from the living expenses her brother sent after learning she was in Class D. She had already burdened him so much.

Now she would cause him more trouble — even though he was a third-year student facing his own class competition.

According to the data she saw when following Houtarou to the third-year bulletin board yesterday, her brother's class had lost Points in last month's special exam.

So Suzune didn't want to trouble her brother further.

"Don't worry about your brother." Houtarou said, as if reading her thoughts, "Since Chabashira is using your sibling relationship with Manabu to threaten you, that's a card she won't play too quickly."

"Then what should we do?" She looked at him.

"Simple." Houtarou gazed into the distance, his dark green pupils completely calm, "Just make her understand that Class D cannot rise."

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