After morning classes ended, Natsuki Subaru went to the cafeteria for lunch as usual.
He didn't tone it down at all because of Haruki Yamauchi's outburst that morning—such a thing didn't exist. Natsuki Subaru ordered a luxurious set meal just like always.
At the same time, because of Natsuki Subaru's seemingly mild but actually firm attitude, showing he fundamentally didn't care about certain things, he ended up even more isolated. His isolation was even more severe than Suzune Horikita's.
Suzune Horikita at least had a normal amount of personal points in her pocket.
She didn't have any conspicuous spending, but after Haruki Yamauchi's fuss, Natsuki Subaru's behavior was basically out in the open. Everyone now knew he had a massive amount of personal points from an unknown source.
While they were scrimping and saving every day on the unpalatable mountain vegetable set meal, he was maintaining an extremely high level of consumption.
Envy, jealousy, hate—all three elements were fully present.
But none of that mattered.
In the afternoon, Hiyori Shiina messaged Natsuki Subaru saying she had something come up and couldn't go to The Library today, so Natsuki Subaru decided to wander around the school a bit.
To confirm his targets for gathering intelligence next.
"Ah la ah la."
"Greetings, Natsuki-kun."
Before Natsuki Subaru could think further, Arisu Sakayanagi arrived with Masumi Kamuro, tray in hand, and sat elegantly across from him. Masumi Kamuro silently took a seat beside her.
Her expression carried the usual hint of reluctance and unhappiness.
"I heard about what happened this morning, Natsuki-kun~"
"I really didn't expect that before anything even started, the students of Year 1, Class D were already getting restless."
Arisu Sakayanagi's voice carried her usual chanting rhythm.
Even in the most ordinary greeting, there was a sense of looking down from above, scrutinizing.
"This morning's incident?"
Natsuki Subaru glanced up at Arisu Sakayanagi, continuing to cut his steak unhurriedly with a smile.
"Sakayanagi-san, your information network is pretty fast."
"After all, I'm really looking forward to it."
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's words, Arisu Sakayanagi covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"I'm really looking forward to the day I can play chess with you, Natsuki-kun. But to play chess, you need a board and pieces, right?"
Looking at Natsuki Subaru, who didn't pause for even a moment because of her words, Arisu Sakayanagi smiled lightly and elegantly rested her fingertip on her chin.
"Now, the board and pieces are in place, Natsuki-kun."
In Year 1, Class D, Arisu Sakayanagi always had her informants.
Whether there was something or not, Arisu Sakayanagi would chat occasionally, gathering side information about events in Year 1, Class D to learn their news.
And the conflict between Natsuki Subaru and Haruki Yamauchi that morning was naturally prime gossip material.
Arisu Sakayanagi didn't even need to guide them; her informants eagerly shared it as gossip, leading to this scene where Arisu Sakayanagi brought Masumi Kamuro to chat idly with Natsuki Subaru.
"..."
Natsuki Subaru continued eating his steak, ignoring Arisu Sakayanagi's soliloquy.
Sometimes, even Natsuki Subaru found Arisu Sakayanagi a bit exasperating. She dragged out simple actions into step one, step two, step three.
And even after splitting it into steps, every time there was a tiny bit of progress, she came rushing over excitedly to chat.
Sharing how ingenious her schemes were.
"Natsuki-kun seems to find my words a bit boring."
"Well then, let's change the topic, Natsuki-kun~"
Natsuki Subaru's silent eating didn't dampen Arisu Sakayanagi's desire to talk; if anything, it fueled her even more.
"I heard from a good friend of mine."
"Year 1, Class D's midterm exam scores this time might be a bit dubious."
Arisu Sakayanagi looked at Natsuki Subaru with a beaming smile.
"Quite a few pitiful classmates might end up dropping out because they fail the midterm~"
"Natsuki-kun, I almost feel sympathy for your class. Your class points are already at zero, and now you have to face the psychological pressure of potential dropouts. It's really heartbreaking."
"So... I thought of a way to let all of Year 1, Class D pass without any effort, a surefire method for everyone to pass. How about I give it to Year 1, Class D?"
"What do you say, Natsuki-kun?"
At the end, Arisu Sakayanagi let out another light chuckle.
Although her informants had described the morning's events from a third-party perspective, Arisu Sakayanagi could easily infer that Natsuki Subaru disliked Haruki Yamauchi.
Perhaps, he would even anticipate Haruki Yamauchi failing the midterm and dropping out.
Whatever Natsuki Subaru wanted, Arisu Sakayanagi wouldn't allow. Whatever Natsuki Subaru didn't want, Arisu Sakayanagi would pursue.
Since there was some unpleasantness between Natsuki Subaru and Haruki Yamauchi.
And Haruki Yamauchi's grades were abysmal, with a high chance of failing the midterm, Arisu Sakayanagi would make all of Year 1, Class D pass in this midterm exam.
That would certainly be very interesting.
Arisu Sakayanagi looked at Natsuki Subaru expectantly, hoping to see some other emotion on him.
"Let all of Year 1, Class D pass without effort?"
"Is this your new chess game, Sakayanagi-san?"
Natsuki Subaru looked at Arisu Sakayanagi with interest.
"Ah la ah la~ A new chess game?"
"I suppose so. After all, it's a brand-new event~"
Arisu Sakayanagi smiled back at Natsuki Subaru.
"Does that mean Natsuki-kun wants to play chess with me?"
"That would truly be something to look forward to."
"A little bit."
Natsuki Subaru made a tiny pinching gesture with his fingertips toward Arisu Sakayanagi.
Arisu Sakayanagi kept yapping about chess games and playing chess, but Natsuki Subaru felt nothing, had no ideas about it. He didn't resist the chess game she spoke of, but he had no motivation or competitive drive either.
Pure emptiness.
Only when Natsuki Subaru needed something would he not mind playing a so-called game with her.
Since he'd decided to go after personal points, he wouldn't waste the 770,000 personal points on Arisu Sakayanagi. Natsuki Subaru now needed the personal points from Arisu Sakayanagi.
"I'm interested in the 770,000 personal points you have, Sakayanagi-san."
"How about a 'betting game' with my 900,000 personal points as the stake?"
As Natsuki Subaru's words fell, the smile vanished from Arisu Sakayanagi's face.
Looking at the smile on Natsuki Subaru's face that seemed perfectly normal, Arisu Sakayanagi felt a twinge of shock and doubt in her heart.
'770,000?'
The bet, the betting game—none of that mattered.
What truly mattered was the precise number: 770,000.
The balance on Arisu Sakayanagi's student terminal right now was exactly 770,000.
Although it wasn't a round 770,000, even so, it was shocking enough. Natsuki Subaru hadn't said 500,000 or 600,000, or even 700,000 or 800,000.
Exactly 770,000—Arisu Sakayanagi couldn't help but overthink it.
More importantly, these 770,000 personal points had just been updated yesterday. Before that, she only had around 600,000-something.
Subconsciously, Arisu Sakayanagi glanced at Masumi Kamuro, who was silently eating beside her.
Personal point balances were private, and this was a number just updated yesterday. Aside from Masumi Kamuro, who was always by her side, Arisu Sakayanagi hadn't told anyone else.
'Not Kamuro.'
Seeing the astonishment on Masumi Kamuro's face, Arisu Sakayanagi ruled out the possibility of betrayal in her mind.
Had Masumi Kamuro leaked it unconsciously?
Unlikely.
Masumi Kamuro was very reliable in her work.
If she weren't, Arisu Sakayanagi wouldn't keep her by her side.
Since that was the case, things had just gotten even more interesting.
"Neither 700,000 nor 800,000, but exactly 770,000."
"Natsuki-kun, your intelligence similarly leaves me stunned."
The shock on Arisu Sakayanagi's face quickly vanished. As if to recover from that momentary lapse, Arisu Sakayanagi put on an even more profound smile than usual.
"Betting your 900,000 personal points against my 770,000 personal points."
"Natsuki-kun, you're awfully confident."
At the end, Arisu Sakayanagi's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing what she thought was a very dangerous aura, and said, "Since Natsuki-kun wants to give me personal points, I'm of course delighted."
"I wonder, Natsuki-kun, what game do you want to bet on?"
"Didn't Sakayanagi-san just tell me?"
Natsuki Subaru looked at Arisu Sakayanagi, who was forcing her composure, and smiled faintly.
"Sakayanagi-san can easily help all members of Year 1, Class D pass without studying hard."
"Not a single dropout."
"Let's bet on that. Sakayanagi-san's goal is no dropouts from Year 1, Class D in May's midterm exam, while mine is for there to be dropouts."
Even if this meant Arisu Sakayanagi's 770,000 personal points couldn't be used until after the midterm exam, Natsuki Subaru didn't mind.
In this academy, those with personal points weren't just students.
Next, Natsuki Subaru just needed to carefully select targets, and he'd have plenty of personal points to gain.
Whether through legitimate trades or less legitimate means.
"Ah la ah la."
"Natsuki-kun, you're really scary."
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's words, Arisu Sakayanagi chuckled thoughtfully.
"Yamauchi-kun is so pitiful. Just because of a few words, you're going to get him expelled."
"Looks like this morning really made you angry, Natsuki-kun~"
Arisu Sakayanagi didn't know exactly which Year 1, Class D student Natsuki Subaru wanted to expel.
But that didn't stop her from guessing Haruki Yamauchi to probe his reaction.
Currently, the one with a clear direct conflict with Natsuki Subaru was Haruki Yamauchi.
So, Arisu Sakayanagi directly guessed that the target was Haruki Yamauchi, who had just clashed with him that morning.
"Sakayanagi-san."
"Expelling someone probably isn't that easy, right?"
Natsuki Subaru didn't deny Arisu Sakayanagi's guess.
He wasn't angry—not really. From start to finish, Haruki Yamauchi didn't even qualify to make him open his eyes fully. The reason he wanted Haruki Yamauchi out early wasn't for any other cause.
Simply because Haruki Yamauchi was too noisy.
Like a fly buzzing around annoyingly. No one holds a grudge against a fly; at most, they're irritated by the buzzing.
So, swatting or killing the fly casually is natural.
Moreover, Natsuki Subaru believed that after this, with Haruki Yamauchi as an example, things around him would quiet down a lot.
A perfect case of killing multiple birds with one stone—maybe even three.
Gaining more points, getting rid of the annoying fly, and silencing potential future flies.
For that, Natsuki Subaru didn't mind putting in a little effort.
Back before becoming the Purge King, to make the world's top fighter Halibel swear loyalty, he'd gone through who knows how much trouble. Now, Natsuki Subaru felt it worthwhile to make a bit of effort to make his surroundings a little quieter.
"Normally, expelling someone is indeed very difficult."
"Well, since Natsuki-kun has decided, I accept this 'betting game.'"
Seeing Natsuki Subaru not answer directly, Arisu Sakayanagi didn't press and continued smiling.
"Then, after lunch, could I trouble Natsuki-kun to come with me to the teacher's office to sign a betting agreement?"
"To prevent dropouts from Year 1, Class D, I'll have to work hard from now on too."
With that, Arisu Sakayanagi glanced at the nearly finished luxurious set meal in front of Natsuki Subaru.
Arisu Sakayanagi was very much looking forward to it: once most of Natsuki Subaru's personal points were lost to her, what expression he'd make when he had to eat a lower-tier meal, or even several tiers lower.
Even just imagining Natsuki Subaru, poor from betting against her, eating the mountain vegetable set meal—even that excited her a bit.
Making that face she'd been anticipating show the emotion she wanted would be extraordinarily satisfying.
"Is that so?"
"Then, do your best, Sakayanagi-san."
Natsuki Subaru smiled mildly.
___
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