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ArabicClassroom of the Elite: Surviving with the Intel System — Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Betting with Arisu Sakayanagi for 100,000 Points
Shimizu Akira slowly curled his fingers, feeling the residual tension bleed from his knuckles. When he had seized that student’s wrist moments ago, he had deliberately held back, exerting thirty percent of his actual grip strength at most.
There was always more than one method to dismantle an obstacle. If divided theoretically, conflict resolution split into two distinct paths: force and strategy. In a modern society that prided itself on the illusion of civilization, people constantly elevated those who claimed victory through sheer intellect. Yet, reality was rarely so pristine. Sometimes, raw, unadulterated force remained the most direct and efficient tool at one’s disposal, especially when dealing with opponents entirely deaf to reason.
Akira had never been one to bind himself to conventional rules. If a problem required a heavy hand, he simply applied it to clear the trouble away.
“Resorting to violence to solve your disputes? That truly is a barbarian’s approach.”
A familiar, melodic voice drifted from the corridor behind him. The crisp, rhythmic tapping of a wooden cane against the floorboards accompanied the words, drawing steadily closer. Arisu Sakayanagi stood a few paces away, a faint, mocking smile gracing her delicate features.
“Sakayanagi, are you spying on me again?” Akira cast a sideways glance over his shoulder. “You are far more heavy-handed than I gave you credit for. If we were actually dating, you strike me as the type to install tracking spyware on my phone. Classic obsessive girlfriend behavior.”
The casual accusation caused Arisu’s ever-present smile to stiffen, a rare crack in her composed facade. She had, in fact, been quietly observing him ever since the entrance ceremony, her curiosity deeply piqued after witnessing his subtle, calculated tug-of-war with the boys in his class.
“Tell me your name.” She stepped forward, her lilac eyes locking directly onto his with an intensity that refused any denial.
“Shimizu Akira,” he answered, his tone completely flat. “I have places to be. Apologies, but I lack the free time to play tug-of-war with you.”
Although he possessed a certain aesthetic appreciation for her striking silver hair, he was in no mood to entertain someone who practically radiated trouble right now.
“Make a bet with me.” The tip of Arisu’s cane struck the floor with a sharp clack. “Let us wager on the exact moment Masumi Kamuro decides to make her move.”
Akira turned away, fully intending to decline, when she suddenly raised her free hand, extending five slender fingers.
“Fifty thousand Private Points as the stake.” The silver-haired girl’s lips curved into a triumphant arc. “Does that capture your interest?”
“I see.” Akira paused, looking back at her with a dry, half-smile. “You finally figured out why I kept walking.”
“Naturally,” Arisu replied, offering a slight nod. “You possess absolutely zero interest in any endeavor that yields no tangible profit, correct?”
She had been pondering his dismissive attitude since the ceremony. It was only minutes ago that she realized her fundamental error. A game without stakes held no appeal to a pragmatist. Thus, she decisively offered up half of her current monthly allowance. Fifty thousand Points equated to fifty thousand yen, a sum that amounted to mere pocket change for the heiress of the Sakayanagi family. also, within the confines of this isolated academy, she possessed absolute confidence that her intellect could easily earn back such a trivial amount.
Akira tapped a finger against his forearm, weighing the proposal. Walking away with fifty thousand Points on the very first day of school sounded like a highly efficient use of his time.
“Is the amount insufficient?” Arisu asked, tapping her cane lightly against the floor when his silence stretched a second too long.
“What are the rules?” Akira finally asked, shifting his stance.
A cunning smile blossomed on her face. “It is quite simple. We shall each predict the exact timing of Kamuro’s theft. Whoever accurately predicts that she will act within a one-minute window, and voices it first, claims the victory. The prediction must be declared at least twenty seconds in advance. Calling it out at the exact moment she reaches for the item is strictly forbidden.”
She traced an elegant, sweeping arc in the air with her cane. “If your prediction fails, you forfeit your turn and must wait for the other party to make a guess before you can speak again.”
Akira raised an eyebrow at the elaborate setup. “You really treat another person’s descent into petty theft as a prime-time entertainment program, don’t you?”
Arisu let out a soft, airy laugh. “Does that not make it infinitely more amusing? We are simply elevating a mundane, boring daily routine into a chessboard. What is the matter, Shimizu-kun? Did your dormant sense of justice suddenly flare up?”
Akira opened his mouth to reply, but the sudden vibration of the smartphone in his pocket cut him off. He pulled the device free. The screen illuminated, displaying a new message from his homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira.
“Hold that thought,” he said, raising a hand to pause Arisu. “I need to answer this.”
The silver-haired girl gracefully twirled her cane, offering a polite, mocking gesture for him to proceed.
Chabashira Sae: Where are you right now? Do you have time to stop by the staff office?
Akira’s thumbs moved rapidly across the glass screen.
Shimizu Akira: Is it urgent? Don’t tell me the reward for ‘that matter’ has already been processed.
The reply arrived almost instantly, proving the teacher was waiting on his word.
Chabashira Sae: You are entirely too sharp. We will discuss the finer details when we meet face-to-face.
Akira cast a brief glance at Arisu, who waited with the serene patience of a predator, before returning his attention to the screen.
Shimizu Akira: I am tied up at the moment. Out of curiosity, can Private Points truly buy anything within this school?
Chabashira Sae: As long as the request does not directly violate the academy’s foundational rules, yes. Why? Is there a specific item you are looking to acquire?
Shimizu Akira: Excellent. How about this arrangement: I will pay you ten thousand Points if you run a small errand for me, Sensei.
A heavy silence stretched over the digital connection. Several seconds ticked by before the screen lit up once more.
Chabashira Sae: Interesting. Tell me exactly what it is you want to buy first.
A few minutes later.
Akira and Arisu moved with practiced discretion through the aisles of the campus convenience store, eventually taking up a concealed position behind a familiar corner shelf. The ambient hum of the refrigeration units masked their presence.
Before long, Masumi Kamuro wandered into the aisle. She lingered near the stationery, pretending to inspect a stack of blank notebooks, but her feet unconsciously carried her drifting toward the section displaying adult alcoholic beverages.
“Her target is the alcohol,” Akira murmured, keeping his voice strictly below a whisper. “Makes sense. Minors cannot purchase that at the register.”
“Which is precisely why she is forced to steal it,” Arisu whispered back. She reached into her blazer pocket and produced a beautifully wrapped piece of premium candy. “Would you care for a taste, Shimizu-kun? I brought this from my family estate. The flavor is quite exquisite.”
Her pale, slender fingers nimbly stripped away the foil wrapper, offering the exposed sweet to him.
Akira narrowed his eyes, studying the offering. “Sakayanagi, are you seriously trying to plug my mouth with sugar just so you can secure the first prediction?”
“Oh my, you wound me,” the silver-haired girl replied, adopting a theatrically hurt expression. Yet, the sharp, competitive gleam dancing in her lilac eyes completely betrayed her innocent act.
‘…I will play along with your little game,’ Akira thought. He leaned down, accepted the candy directly into his mouth, but smoothly snatched the discarded foil wrapper from the floor before standing back up.
“Do not litter.”
Arisu leaned on her cane, her expression shifting to one of utter indifference. “What does it matter? Someone will always come along to sweep it up. Otherwise, why would this establishment bother hiring such a vast flock of clerks?”
Akira stared at her in silence. Her deep contempt for the ordinary working class was etched deeply into her very bones, a natural byproduct of her upbringing that she lacked the energy to even conceal. Still, as the rich sweetness dissolved on his tongue, he had to admit her taste in confections was flawless.
‘I am going to make her pay dearly for that arrogance later,’ he mused, a cold sense of amusement settling in his chest.
“Shimizu-kun,” Arisu suddenly whispered, leaning slightly closer. “I am willing to pay an additional fifty thousand Points right now to purchase priority speaking rights. Only I will be allowed to make the first prediction. Do we have a deal?”
The rubber tip of her cane tapped the floorboards. Her eyes burned with an absolute, unshakeable determination to win.
Akira nearly choked on the dissolving candy. “You are willing to commodify even the rules of the game? Dropping a total of one hundred thousand Points on a whim… are you not afraid of losing everything you own?”
She tilted her head, a dangerously smug smile curving her lips. “After all, within the walls of this academy, Points can buy absolutely ‘anything’.”
Arisu let out another airy chuckle, adjusting her grip on her cane. “If I somehow manage to lose under these conditions, I suppose I will just have to survive on the cafeteria’s free mountain vegetable meal for the rest of the month.”
Her tone made it clear she considered the very concept of defeat a hilarious impossibility.
Akira did not laugh. He simply looked down at the haughty heiress with a gaze bordering on deep pity.
‘What a tragic child…’he muttered inwardly.’This endlessly proud young lady remains completely oblivious to the fact that she is about to hand over her entire net worth on the very first day of school.’