Classroom of the Elite: Surviving with the Intel System — Chapter 56

Chapter 56: A Deal with the Student Council President

A sudden vibration from his phone broke the ambient chatter of the classroom. Akira glanced at the screen, finding himself pulled into a newly minted chat group.

A quick scroll through the member list revealed a gathering of Kushida Kikyo’s most vocal supporters. Among them were girls who usually orbited her, like Inogashira Kokoro, alongside the usual male regulars such as Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji. Even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had been dragged into the digital roster.

What caught his attention, however, was a specific absence. Wang Mei-Yui was nowhere to be found. In his memory, Inogashira and Wang were practically inseparable, and Kushida frequently went out of her way to maintain a harmonious trio with them. The subtle, shifting politics of teenage girls were always more complex than they appeared on the surface.

A pair of messages from Kushida popped up on the screen.

“Thank you so much for all your help today, everyone~”

“By the way, I’m planning to go to karaoke after school today. If you’re free, let’s all go and have some fun!”

Across the room, her clear, cheerful voice echoed the text.

“Everyone has to come!” She smiled radiantly, waving at a cluster of boys near the window.

‘Our Class D is visibly evolving, slowly fracturing into its own little factions.’ Akira thought, silently rolling his eyes. With the class currently split between two distinct leaders, the formation of exclusive cliques was an inevitable outcome.

The group chat instantly exploded with activity. Ike was already typing in all caps about how badly he wanted to sing, while Yamauchi shamelessly egged Kushida on to perform the latest trendy love songs.

Akira’s thumbs hovered over the keyboard, drafting a quick refusal. Before he could hit send, the faint, sweet scent of jasmine drifted past his shoulder.

He turned his head. Kushida had silently materialized right behind his chair.

“Shimizu-kun, you should come too. It’s always more lively with more people.” She tilted her head, offering a picture-perfect smile.

“Sorry, I have plans tonight.” Akira shook his head, shutting down the screen.

He simply did not have the time to waste in a karaoke booth. The representatives from Class B and Class C still had not finalized their arrangements with him, and securing those large-scale transactions was his actual priority.

“…Is that so?” Kushida’s flawless smile froze for a fraction of a second, the warmth draining from her eyes before snapping back into place. “That’s too bad.”

Akira was not making up excuses to brush her off. He genuinely had business elsewhere. He was heading straight for the Student Council.

The idea had taken root after a cryptic piece of advice from Sato, the Boxing Club President. The third-year senior from Class A had casually suggested he visit the Student Council more often. Coming from someone in Sato’s position, those words carried hidden weight, serving as a subtle reminder that the true power dynamics of the school lay far beyond the classroom walls.

Walking down the quiet corridor, Akira considered the unique authority vested in the Student Council of the Advanced Nurturing High School. Unlike standard high schools where the council merely organized festivals, the governing student body here wielded absolute, tangible power. They handled major disputes, enforced discipline, and in many cases, held more operational authority than the homeroom teachers themselves. If a violent brawl broke out, the teachers could only stand by and offer a few words of defense; the final judgment belonged entirely to the students in charge.

His brief encounter with Horikita Manabu the previous night had left a distinct impression. The elder Horikita was rigid, calculating, and uncompromising. Convincing a man like that to agree to an unorthodox proposal would require a flawless argument.

As he approached the Student Council office, he noticed a small line of students waiting outside. Right in front of him stood a girl with dark blue hair. The sheer hostility radiating from her posture reminded Akira of a drawn blade, sharp and completely unapproachable. Before he could analyze the situation further, the line shifted, and it was her turn to enter.

Standing near the heavy wooden door, Akira caught fragments of a heated argument bleeding through the gap.

“Act of violence!”

“Does it only count if it’s caught on camera?”

“Many people are already injured!”

“You’re not doing anything about this? Is this even a normal school?”

A few minutes later, the door was violently shoved open. The blue-haired girl marched out, her expression dark and stormy. She slammed the door shut with a deafening crack, the impact rattling the glass of the nearby bulletin board.

A calm, commanding male voice drifted from inside the room, entirely unbothered by the outburst.

Akira pulled his gaze away from the retreating girl, adjusted his collar, and pushed the door open.

The interior of the Student Council room was expansive and carefully organized. Several officers worked quietly at their respective desks, the only sound being the scratching of pens and the shuffling of paper. At the head of the room, seated behind a massive desk, was the man with silver-rimmed glasses.

Horikita Manabu.

Akira scanned the room briefly, noting the absence of the rumored blond Vice President, Nagumo.

‘It seems he isn’t here today.’

“Please close the door.”

A cool, feminine voice drew his attention. Standing beside the President’s desk was a girl with purple hair tied into a neat, fluffy bun. She watched him with a detached, professional gaze.

“Alright.”

Akira pushed the door shut, the heavy lock clicking softly into place. He recognized her immediately from the school’s internal registry. This was the Student Council Secretary, Tachibana Akane.

“Hello.” Tachibana closed the document folder in her hands. “May I ask what brings you to the Student Council today?”

“I need the Student Council to act as a third-party guarantor to ensure the safe execution of transactions between myself and students from other classes.” Akira looked past her, aiming his words directly at Manabu. His tone was crisp, devoid of any hesitation.

The sheer audacity of the request caught Tachibana off guard. Her eyes widened slightly. “A… guarantor?”

Manabu did not react to the absurdity of the demand. He maintained his absolute composure, adjusting his glasses. “Let us discuss this in more detail in the consultation room, Shimizu-kun.”

The President stood up and walked toward an adjoining private room.

Tachibana paused, her professional mask slipping for a moment. She turned back to look at Akira.

“Shimizu-kun… Do you and the President know each other from before?”

Akira caught the subtle probing in her tone. He met her gaze evenly. “You could say that. His younger sister, Horikita Suzune, is my deskmate. We met briefly because of that.”

“So that’s it…” Tachibana murmured, her voice dropping to a whisper as she processed the information. “The President actually has a younger sister…”

A second later, she cleared her throat, instantly restoring her indifferent facade. “Sorry for taking up your time. Please follow me.”

Akira stepped into the consultation room and took the seat directly opposite Manabu. The heavy door closed behind them, sealing off the ambient noise of the main office. A heavy silence settled over the space, measured only by the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock.

“I am very curious.” Manabu finally broke the quiet, his dark eyes locking onto Akira. “Why did you bring this to the Student Council?”

Akira met his stare without blinking. “I plan to sell information and equipment rental rights to the other classes. Because the total transaction amount will be massive, I need an absolute guarantee that the contracts between both parties are fulfilled. Simply put, I need a guarantor possessing enough authority that no one would ever dare to default.”

“So, you plan to make a deal with Ryuuen Kakeru from Class 1-C.” Manabu’s gaze sharpened, his tone shifting from an inquiry to a statement of fact. “But you are worried about him defaulting, resorting to violence, and refusing to pay the points. That is why you came to us.”

“Strictly speaking, I am only worried about him refusing to pay the points.” Akira leaned back slightly. “As for the violence… I personally do not care about that. President, can you accept my request? After all, in this school, Private Points should be able to buy everything.”

“They can.” Manabu tapped his index finger against the polished surface of the table. “The Student Council can help conceal your identity and provide you with standardized contracts backed by our performance guarantees. However, to ensure the legitimacy of these transactions, the condition is that five percent of your total proceeds will be deducted as Private Points. This portion will be submitted directly to the School Administration, functioning similarly to a social tax.”

Akira did not need to think it over. He nodded immediately. “Acceptable.”