Classroom of the Elite: Surviving with the Intel System — Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Fair DealYou're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

Karuizawa Kei unconsciously held her breath.

This was the first time in her entire life she had confessed to a boy. The moment those embarrassing, desperate words tumbled past her lips, a burning heat surged to her earlobes, painting them a vivid red.

Although she flaunted the flawless, trendy appearance of a seasoned gyaru—strutting around the classroom with an air of untouchable confidence—the reality was far more pathetic. She hadn’t so much as held a boy’s hand. This clumsy, trembling confession was her absolute first, forced out by scraping together every last ounce of her courage.

Of course, it wasn’t born out of any genuine romantic affection. She knew better than anyone that she was merely seeking a powerful sanctuary. A shield. As long as she could secure Shimizu Akira’s protection, those relentless bullies, that suffocating harm, would never be able to reach her again. She had to survive in this cutthroat high school, no matter the cost.

‘Will he agree?’

Kei bit her lower lip uneasily, her eyes darting away. She knew she wasn’t bad-looking. Her makeup was perfect, her style impeccable. It was just… her figure.

While she certainly wasn’t flat, comparing herself to the overly developed girls in Class D was a quick ticket to despair. She lacked the impressive, mature curves of Hasebe Haruka. She didn’t have the voluptuous, eye-catching figure of Sakura Airi. She couldn’t even compare to the slender but perfectly proportioned elegance of that aloof Horikita Suzune.

This deep-seated feeling of physical inferiority acted like tiny, poisoned thorns, pricking at her heart in the suffocating silence that followed her confession.

“Honestly, regardless of your original intention, being confessed to like this by you does make me a little happy,” Akira said candidly, breaking the silence after a slight, calculated pause.

As a healthy, red-blooded male, being propositioned by a beautiful girl like Karuizawa Kei—someone who stood out in almost every social aspect—it would be a sheer lie to say his ego wasn’t at least somewhat stroked.

He looked at her, his gaze piercing right through her trendy facade. “But if we’re going to be a couple, there are certain expectations. Are you prepared for what couples actually do?”

Only then did it hit her. She hadn’t considered the physical reality of this transaction at all. But on second thought, wasn’t it perfectly normal for couples to engage in such things? Kissing, touching, maybe even…

“For now… I don’t want that yet…” Kei lowered her head, her voice shrinking down to the faint, trembling buzz of a mosquito.

“So,” Akira said, his voice smooth and devoid of any real disappointment. He narrowed his eyes slightly, dissecting her motives. “What do you actually need more: a protector, or a boyfriend?”

“Protection,” she blurted out, the raw truth escaping her lips almost without thinking.

“Then why are you so obsessed with being in a relationship?” Akira frowned, genuinely puzzled by her convoluted approach.

“Because…” Kei twisted her fingers together, her manicured nails digging into her skin. “Only then will other people be wary. Isn’t it only natural for a boyfriend to protect his girlfriend? It’s the perfect excuse.”

“…Are your grades usually not very good?” Akira suddenly sighed, lifting a hand to rub his temples in deep frustration. The leap in logic was astounding.

“W-what do you mean by that?!” Kei bristled instantly, looking exactly like a startled cat with its fur standing on end. “My grades are at least average! Besides…” Her voice suddenly dropped, losing its defensive edge. “This can also… avoid harassment from other boys. If I’m taken, they’ll back off.”and support the real translator.Read at elysianreads.com This is a stolen translation. You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

Akira looked at the trembling girl in front of him thoughtfully. He didn’t need a fake girlfriend complicating his daily life, but he could see the sheer desperation radiating from her.

“How about joining a sports club as a manager?” he suggested calmly. “That way, you’d be under the umbrella of the upperclassmen. No one would dare to bully you.”

“Do you think I haven’t tried looking into that?” Kei wrinkled her nose in overt disgust. “Those upperclassmen in the sports clubs look at people as if they want to swallow them whole. It’s just trading one pack of wolves for another…”

“Then come be a manager for the Boxing Club. I’ll tell the captain to give you special attention,” Akira stated with absolute certainty. “I can look after you when I’m there. I’ll also protect you in class—after all, you’d be our club’s official mascot of sorts. This way, anyone trying to mess with you will have to worry about the Boxing Club’s reputation, and more, they’ll have to answer to me. No one will dare to touch you.”

“This…” Kei’s eyes gradually brightened, the heavy shadow of anxiety lifting from her features.

She bit her lip and thought for a moment, her mind racing. She quickly realized that this plan was indeed perfectly feasible. It allowed her to secure substantial, physical protection without having to force herself into a fake romantic relationship or surrender her body.

“Then… thank you, Shimizu-kun!” Kei bowed solemnly, a wave of genuine gratitude washing over her.

“No need for thanks,” Akira waved his hand dismissively, his expression turning strictly business. “Just pay me in Private Points.”

“Eh?!” Kei jerked her head up, her eyes widening in utter disbelief. The romanticized illusion shattered instantly.

“What?” Akira looked confused instead, tilting his head. “You didn’t actually think I’d be your personal bodyguard for free, did you?” His tone was entirely matter-of-fact, devoid of any sympathy. “This is a fair transaction. Besides—if you don’t pay anything, you wouldn’t feel secure anyway, right? What if one day I just decide to stand by and watch you get cornered? Wouldn’t you be stunned? A transaction guarantees my involvement.”

Kei opened her mouth, only to find she had absolutely no words to retort.

This man’s razor-sharp way of thinking always managed to pinpoint her most deeply hidden psychological concerns. He was right. For someone like Karuizawa Kei, who fundamentally lacked any sense of security and trusted no one, being able to explicitly exchange Private Points for a guaranteed service actually made her feel deeply relieved. A contract was safer than goodwill.

“A month… is eighty thousand Points okay?” After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously suggested a number, watching his face for a reaction.

After a quick mental calculation, she knew this was roughly eighty percent of her monthly income from the school. A steep price, but worth her safety.

“Deal,” Akira nodded readily. He then held up his index finger, his gaze turning cold and authoritative to emphasize his next point. “But I’m stating this in advance—I will only intervene if you are bullied without cause. If you provoke others yourself, or try to use my name to throw your weight around and act like a tyrant, I won’t be responsible for cleaning up your mess.”

To be honest, eighty thousand Private Points wasn’t a massive fortune, but it wasn’t a paltry sum either. If Kei managed to get into serious trouble with the upperclassmen, the price he might have to pay in effort and school politics could be far more than this.

But judging by the girl’s uneasy, desperate appearance, this was likely the absolute limit of what she could offer. It was a fair deal.You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.