Houtarou Oreki Classroom of the Elite

Later that evening, Kakeru scouted locations in the school without security cameras.

He disliked Houtarou but recognized him as a Class A student. Opposing him meant making an enemy of Class A — and Class C had nothing to show for itself. If they carelessly lost their few remaining Class Points, his classmates would turn against him.

What's more, intelligence confirmed that Class A not only possessed extremely high Class Points but also had two students on the Student Council. This year's Class A seemed almost supernatural, as if they were playing with cheat codes enabled.

Yet the greater the challenge, the more it intrigued Kakeru. An ordinary school would have bored him, but this — this stirred something within him.

Still in a foul mood, he...

"Let me go! Ryūen, you bastard, fight me one-on-one if you've got the guts!" A red-haired student with a buzzcut struggled against Daichi and another Class C student, Kyōgo Komiya.

The captive was Ken Sudō, a Class D student. His athletic talent had earned him a regular position on the basketball team within his first month — while Kakeru's own classmates, Daichi and Kyōgo, remained benchwarmers. Their jealousy was obvious.

Kakeru understood their feelings perfectly.

But then—

"Ryūen, you son of a—" Ken shouted, "Fight me one-on-one if you dare!"

"One-on-one? Are you an idiot?" Kakeru had his thugs maintain their grip while he extended his finger.

He moved his finger toward Ken's right eye, deliberately slow enough for Ken to track its approach.

"Ryūen, you bastard—" His shouts grew more frantic.

As the finger neared his right eye—

"Mmph—" Ken squeezed his eyes shut.

Kakeru's finger merely tapped his forehead.

"What a coward—" He sneered.

He relished tormenting these weaklings. All bark, no bite — perfect outlets for his frustration.

"Oh my, it seems one of my classmates is being bullied." A new voice interrupted.

Kakeru's brows furrowed as he turned toward the speaker. A man approached from that direction.

The newcomer was impossible to miss. Tall, with golden hair and fire-red eyes, his physique went beyond merely muscular — he had the sculpted build of a professional bodybuilder, like something you'd see at an upscale gym.

Every inch of him radiated self-admiration.

"Kōenji, I don't need your help!" However, Ken, who had just shown cowardice, suddenly shouted out, directly revealing the identity of this newly appeared blonde.

He was a Class D student, Rokusuke Kōenji.

"Albert!" Kakeru called to a classmate who had become his bodyguard through intimidation.

Albert stood an imposing two meters tall, radiating might.

The newcomer Rokusuke, though shorter at 180 centimeters, exuded an explosive power that suggested fighting prowess.

Kakeru sized him up instantly.

"Oh? Want to fight me?"

"Indeed." Rokusuke said, "I came here to fight."

With those words—

Bang!

Kakeru watched in disbelief as Albert went flying.

Despite his size, Albert wasn't just muscle — he was trained in martial arts.

Yet he hadn't lasted a single round.

Kakeru had broken him through relentless harassment until he submitted to his leadership. But now...

"You seem quite weak." Rokusuke said.

"Damn! Everyone attack!" Kakeru, shocked by Albert's instant defeat, ordered Daichi and Kyōgo to surround their opponent.

If he lost at violence — his specialty — what would become of his authority?

"Stop!"

A girl rushed between the two sides.

"Stop, Ryūen, no fighting!" She was striking, with long orange hair, delicate features, and deep, clear eyes.

As Class C's representative, Kakeru was ambitious and well-informed about the school's rules and its players.

He recognized her as Honami Ichinose, Class B's representative. She had a reputation for strong moral principles and leadership.

She wasn't alone — a girl with short moss-green hair accompanied her. They must have stumbled upon the confrontation while passing by.

"..."

How had so many people found this supposedly camera-free spot?

"Get lost, Ichinose, this is none of your business!" Kakeru snapped.

His harsh tone made Honami's moss-green-haired companion flinch.

"If you insist on fighting, I'll have to report this to the teachers." Honami stood her ground.

"Hehe..." Kakeru nearly laughed, "Reporting to teachers — what are you, an elementary school student?!"

"Ah... I fell down—" Rokusuke suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"What the hell, I didn't even touch you!" Kakeru fumed.

Something was off about this guy's behavior — he seemed to be deliberately provoking Kakeru before acting helpless.

This display of weakness had to be an act. And if he was acting, and Honami's appearance wasn't coincidental...

Click Click—

Sure enough, Kakeru heard the sound before seeing the flash.

A beautiful girl with straight black hair stood nearby, camera in hand. She had captured everything — them surrounding Rokusuke, his dramatic fall, and Honami intervening.

The scene perfectly depicted them committing a vicious group assault.

Damn it. Kakeru realized he'd walked right into a trap. As for who set it—

He scanned the area, searching.

"So where's that Oreki guy now—" He demanded.

"Oreki? You mean Houtarou Oreki from Class A?" Honami replied, "He reported the fighting and went to get the Student Council."

So that explained Honami's presence — she'd met Houtarou, who led her here.

But he himself had gone for the Student Council.

The Student Council?

Most people would either avoid a fight or try to stop it themselves. Why would Houtarou escalate this to the Student Council?

Wait a minute.

"There are security cameras here too."

"But fighting will still cost you."

"If you lose points fighting and provoke Class A's wrath now... You might survive this exam, but what about the next? Class C isn't far from hitting zero Points."

"So tell me, Class C's tyrant. How many points have you collected now? I'm curious."

"So cautious you won't even reveal your points? I can show you the points on my student ID."

"Then let's say it's 1 million. I'll take those 1 million points."

At this moment, Kakeru's mind flashed back to his conversation with Houtarou.

Damn!

He finally realized — he had been led on and tricked!

Just then, three students approached.

One was a serious-looking man wearing glasses whom others addressed as "President". Another was a girl with her hair in a bun. Both had appeared on stage during the freshman entrance ceremony.

They were the Student Council President and Secretary Tachibana.

"..."

The Student Council had arrived.

And leading them was a handsome boy with green eyes — Houtarou.

"President, I'm reporting a fight between Class D and Class C first-years. Here are the photos, and Ichinose-san is a witness." Houtarou stated.

Suzune had already handed over the photos.

Meanwhile, Rokusuke remained sprawled on the ground, making the scene look exactly like a fight.

From any angle, it was... indefensible.

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Half an hour later, Kakeru paid 800,000 Points.

To avoid deducting Class Points, he accepted the Student Council's mediation at this cost.

The Student Council took only 50,000 Points — Kakeru had to handle the rest.

They also put him and the others on record for fighting. Another incident would result in severe punishment.

In effect, Kakeru could no longer use violence on campus. If reported with evidence, it would directly impact the class. His violent tendencies were effectively sealed.

His hard-earned 800,000 Points were distributed: 50,000 to the Student Council, 50,000 to Ken who was bullied, 200,000 to Rokusuke who "fell down", and 500,000 to Houtarou.

⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟

"Why did Houtarou Oreki get paid? He wasn't even hit!" Komiyama asked, bewildered.

To protect their Class Points, Kakeru had paid with his Private Points.

But how had Houtarou secured 500,000 for himself?

"I'm curious too." Daichi said.

His tone was lighter, having been involved in Houtarou's store venture before. Though Kakeru had shut it down, Daichi still believed in Houtarou's vision and insight.

If they hadn't yielded to their class bully, the store might have flourished.

But Kakeru explained, "That Oreki was after my points from the start. Remember when we were reported for fighting? He asked about my points then. Now I've handed over 800,000. I thought I wouldn't fall for his sweet talk or give him any attention. But in the end, he forced me to hand them over as punishment."

He clenched his fist.

"Houtarou Oreki, I won't forget this grudge!"

Eh? Was that really what happened?

Daichi was shocked. This was insane — was Houtarou truly that formidable?

He was a Class A student. How could Class C ever hope to defeat someone this formidable?

After this incident, many Class C students became noticeably withdrawn around Houtarou. Some would frantically declare they had no Points whenever they saw him approaching.

Strange as it was, that's a tale for another time.

⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟

As Houtarou emerged from the Student Council room and prepared to leave, a voice called out to him.

"Did you use me, Oreki-kun?" The voice was pleasant, though tinged with hurt.

It was their first real conversation — Honami Ichinose, the justice-driven Class B representative.

She had come to realize she might have been merely a pawn in his scheme.

⍟⍟⍟

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