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ArabicClassroom of the Elite: Surviving with the Intel System — Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Karuizawa Kei’s Refusal and Her Offering to Akira
Ryuuen Kakeru exuded the unique ruthlessness of a hardened societal outcast, completely shattering any illusion that he was just an ordinary high school student. The recent farce in the cafeteria served as the perfect proof.
Although Akira could not hear the specific dialogue from his vantage point, the rough action of grabbing a senior’s collar and the undisguised curses were exactly the behaviors of a street hooligan. The whole scene felt like a carefully designed double act—one playing the bad cop, the other the good cop. He speculated that Ryuuen might have been trying to extract key information from upperclassmen in other classes, but judging by the senior’s embarrassed, hasty departure, the attempt had clearly been rebuffed.
“It’s time to make a move…” Akira murmured to himself.
He decided to sell the S-System information to the students of Class C. But to remain cautious and keep himself hidden in the shadows, he decided to test the waters with a dummy account first.
The most urgent task at hand was acquiring Ryuuen’s contact information. Fortunately, he had met Ichinose Honami on the second day of school, a girl whose interpersonal skills were practically maxed out.
Akira’s fingers tapped lightly on his phone screen, sending a carefully designed friend request using the disguised account name “Tsuki Ao.”
The other party accepted the friend request almost instantly. That was just how Ichinose operated.
Tsuki Ao: I am a student from another class. I want to buy some information from you.
Ichinose Honami: Eh? Who are you, student? But I might not have any valuable information… You can just ask what you want to know, okay?
Akira let out a quiet chuckle. Ichinose was as gentle and accommodating as ever. He deliberately paused for a few seconds, letting the silence stretch before continuing to type.
Tsuki Ao: I need Ryuuen Kakeru’s contact information from Class C. Can you help me get an introduction?
Ichinose Honami: Ryuuen-kun… Although I don’t have his direct contact information, I know students from Class C! Please wait a moment~
Less than five minutes later, a contact recommendation popped onto his screen. The sheer efficiency was somewhat surprising, even to Akira.
Ichinose Honami: This is Ryuuen-kun! But… student, what do you need him for?
Tsuki Ao: Thank you. I’ve transferred 2,000 Private Points to you as a thank you.
Ichinose Honami: Ah! You don’t have to be so polite! It’s just a small favor…
Akira ignored her polite refusal and threw out the real bait.
Tsuki Ao: By the way! Ichinose-san, are you interested in the truth about the S-System and class divisions? You must have noticed by now that the School Administration is deliberately hiding something, right?
Ichinose Honami:…What do you mean? What are you trying to say, student?
Tsuki Ao: I have complete information that can change your class’s situation. The price is 1 million Private Points.
After sending that final message, Akira casually tossed his phone onto his desk, not caring in the least about the girl’s panicked reaction on the other end. He casually added Ryuuen as a friend and forwarded the entire conversation log he just had with Ichinose.
The chat interface fell into a brief silence. The two messages sat there like stones sinking into the dark sea. But Akira was not in a hurry. He was always at his best during this kind of waiting game.
Just as he was about to step away, the screen suddenly lit up repeatedly. Messages from his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, popped up one after another, piling up on the lock screen.
Chabashira Sae: As per your suggestion, I’ve already called those two to the office at noon.
Chabashira Sae: The class fee collection is also proceeding as planned. The two people will decide this month’s class president based on the number of class fees collected.
Akira raised an eyebrow slightly, his fingertip hovering above the glass for a moment. The plan he had casually mentioned last night—he hadn’t expected this homeroom teacher to execute it so carefully, let alone report back to him as if she were a subordinate. He thought for a moment and typed two lines into the dialogue box.
Shimizu Akira: Chabashira-sensei, please handle it according to your own judgment.
Shimizu Akira: There’s no need to specifically inform me about these daily affairs.
‘After all, you’re the homeroom teacher, aren’t you? I’m just a student.’
After sending the dismissal, Akira immediately put his phone on silent mode and placed it face down on the desk.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang through the school, Kushida Kikyo gracefully hopped onto the podium at the front of the room. She clasped her hands together and flashed her signature, saccharine-sweet smile.
“Everyone~” Her voice was clear, bright, and incredibly pleasant. “Let’s consider this class fund collection as a small show of support for me and Hirata-kun! Of course—” She winked playfully at the crowd. “It’s perfectly fine if you don’t vote for me, as long as everyone can happily participate!”
A few good-natured jeers and cheers came from the boys at the back of the classroom, prompting Kushida to bow slightly in appreciation.
At the same time, Hirata Yosuke was leaning casually by the door. When Kushida finished speaking, he naturally picked up the thread.
“As Kushida-san said, this is just a normal class activity.” Hirata smiled and spread his hands in an open, placating gesture. “No matter who you support, please do so according to your own thoughts. After all, no matter who becomes the class president this month…” He paused, letting his earnest gaze sweep over the room. “What we hope for most is for Class D to become a comfortable collective for everyone.”
The air in the classroom seemed to shift, divided into two distinct currents. After a whole night of careful consideration, coupled with the influence of Hirata and Kushida—the two core social figures of the class—their highly persuasive explanation from yesterday had taken root.
The vast majority of students had already accepted the proposal to collect class funds. After all, it was only a quarter of their initial Private Points allowance, and it was framed as a one-time collection rather than a monthly tax.
Most students pulled out their phones, tapping their fingers against their screens. Transfer notification chimes rang out one after another. Twenty-five thousand points was not a small sum for an average student, but at this moment, it acted as an invisible toll, a price willingly paid to secure a safe place within the collective herd.
Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji were currently gathered around Kushida, their faces plastered with fawning, eager smiles as they dutifully handed over their points. Akira watched them from his seat, musing that the only reason those two idiots had so vehemently opposed the idea yesterday was simply because they disliked Hirata out of sheer jealousy.
However, not everyone bought into the peaceful illusion.
Kouenji Rokusuke hummed an unknown, eccentric tune, elegantly twirling a keychain with his slender fingers. He sauntered out of the classroom without a second glance, acting as if this entire meeting was beneath his notice.
“…” Sudo Ken scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he followed behind Kouenji, leaving the room without looking back.
The same complete disregard applied to Karuizawa Kei’s gyaru clique.
Karuizawa was enthusiastically discussing tonight’s karaoke plans with Matsushita Chiaki, Mori Nene, and the others. She occasionally burst into peals of bright laughter, clearly not taking the class fund collection seriously at all.
Just as Akira watched her thoughtfully, Karuizawa suddenly noticed his heavy gaze pinning her down.
Her slender fingers trembled slightly. She grabbed her phone in a sudden panic, breaking away from her friends’ conversation to quickly type on her screen.
Akira’s phone immediately chimed with a silent visual notification. He looked down and saw two messages pop up consecutively.
Karuizawa Kei: I will absolutely not compromise on the class funds! Shimizu-kun, don’t overthink it!
Immediately followed by another message that came rushing in, betraying her anxiety.
Karuizawa Kei:…I will transfer your points on time! You can completely rest assured about that!
Between the lines, there was a frantic, desperate attempt to cover her tracks. The exclamation mark at the end was used with particular force, as if the blonde girl was trying to project her defensive resolve straight through the digital screen.