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After school, Chabashira-sensei suddenly appeared in the first-year Class D classroom and called Sudo out alone.
The two didn't deliberately lower their voices when talking, so Akira clearly heard the conversation. It was probably about the trouble Sudo had caused a few days ago, which still hadn't been completely resolved.
Perhaps because it was Monday, there weren't many people at the student council entrance.
Since he'd made an appointment in advance, Akira pushed the door open and walked straight in.
This time, however, he didn't see Nagumo or that bright, sunflower-like upperclassman.
After he sat down in the discussion room, Tachibana-senpai kindly poured him a cup of black tea.
Akira got straight to the point and asked, "Student Council President, why is the point distribution delayed this time? Is it related to Sudo from our class? And has it implicated several other classes?"
Generally, minor disputes could be easily handled by the student council—deducting private points as necessary, or class points as necessary. Only matters that the student council found difficult to resolve quickly would result in Class D's class points having to be deducted by the student council before being issued.
Since Chabashira-sensei even mentioned that this matter affected the point distribution for all first-years, it might indicate that more than one class was involved. His suspicion of Sudo from Class D was precisely because he'd just been called out by the homeroom teacher alone.
Horikita Manabu nodded, his tone calm. "You guessed correctly, it is indeed an incident caused by Sudo. Since you're a student of Class D, I see no need to hide it—this matter also involves Class C."
The student council president roughly explained the situation to him: Sudo from first-year Class D had assaulted Komiya, Kondo, and Ishizaki from first-year Class C, and had been unilaterally reported by the opposing party.
Now, the student council had given Sudo nine days, from today until next Tuesday, to prove his innocence. If he failed, Sudo would be suspended until summer vacation, and Class D would also have a significant amount of class points deducted.
"Prove his innocence? The student council won't intervene at all?"
"Hmm... At most, we'll notify the homeroom teachers of each class to assist in finding witnesses. Other aspects will be entirely left to the students to handle themselves. This is also an important part of testing students' ability to solve problems independently. Points will be distributed by next Tuesday at the latest."
"I see."
Akira nodded.
It seemed the point delay wouldn't exceed nine days at most.
"Shimizu, what do you think of this incident?" Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses and asked.
"I think Class C is mostly trying to frame him." Akira replied. "After all, they tried to frame Class B last month. Given Ryuuen's personality, doing something like this is not surprising."
He paused, then continued to analyze. "Last month's midterm exams just ended, and the school hasn't arranged any important exams this month. For them, it's undoubtedly the best time to act. Of course, Sudo also has some issues! After all, it takes two to tango in such matters."
"So, there are no surveillance cameras at the scene of the fight? Otherwise, the school should be able to quickly find out who started it, and there'd be no need to give Sudo nine days, right?"
"That's right." Horikita Manabu couldn't help but nod. "The conflict occurred near the special teaching building, where there coincidentally are no surveillance cameras, so it's impossible to verify what happened."
Akira specifically noted this crucial information—there were no surveillance cameras at the special teaching building.
He had a feeling that this piece of information would prove very useful in some way.
Once they finished discussing official business, there were no more unnecessary words between them.
After all, neither of them was given to idle chatter. Their conversations were always about important matters.
At this moment, Tachibana knocked on the door and entered, refilling their tea.
"How is Horikita-san doing lately?" She turned to Akira, glanced at Horikita Manabu, and then asked, "Speaking of which, Shimizu-kun, how did you two meet?"
Horikita Manabu raised an eyebrow slightly, but his expression remained unperturbed as he picked up the hot tea Tachibana had just poured and took a sip.
Akira naturally saw that he was actually very concerned about his younger sister, so he thought for a moment and replied, "She's doing very well recently. She even ranked in the top three of her class in this midterm exam. Hmm, Horikita and I first met on the bus to school. In class, we're even deskmates, and she's been helping me with my studies lately."
"She's only good at studying. Even now, including class time, she studies for a full sixteen hours every day." Horikita Manabu interjected, his tone cold.
"What? Sixteen hours a day?! Student Council President, are you sure?!" Akira was stunned, his face filled with disbelief.
Studying sixteen hours a day?!
Akira's first reaction wasn't to marvel at how diligent Horikita was—but to wonder if it was even necessary?
Spending so much time on studying? What was this person thinking?
Horikita Manabu added another sentence, with a hint of an almost imperceptible meaning in his tone. "Among this year's new students, she's not even first in her year. The first place is still Ichinose from first-year Class B. This is the good work Suzune has done."
"Uh... pfft~" Akira couldn't help but laugh when he heard that.
He really couldn't hold it in.
Studying for a full sixteen hours every day, yet still not as good as Ichinose from the next class?
If he remembered correctly, Ichinose had many friends and spent at least two to three hours a day just maintaining her social relationships. Her study time was certainly far less than sixteen hours.
Horikita Manabu looked at Akira, who'd burst out laughing, but had no intention of refuting him.
His own disappointing younger sister was indeed this unpromising.
Whenever he thought of this, he couldn't help but get a headache.
In a way, this had been something bothering him for a long time.
He really didn't know what she was studying every day.
"But speaking of which, I think this matter probably has something to do with you too, Student Council President." Akira said after some thought. "Horikita clearly uses you as a template, acting like you. Did you also study that diligently at some point?"
Horikita Manabu paused slightly, then replied after a moment's thought. "During the summer vacation of my third year of junior high, to get into this school, I indeed studied for at least 16 hours every day."
"That's it!" Akira suddenly realized. "Horikita probably saw you studying so diligently and unconsciously started to imitate you. Later, when you entered this high school, she lost her ready-made reference, and her behavior unconsciously gravitated toward how you were in junior high."
It was like an NPC in a game. You give her instructions, and she'll execute them without question, regardless of whether the instructions are appropriate.
It was unavoidable for the student council president to study for 16 hours a day in his third year of junior high to prepare for the entrance exams. There was nothing wrong with that.
But by her first year of high school, Horikita still clinging to this study method was a clear problem.
A development system (nurturing type) is like that. They just need to obediently follow instructions. But the person giving the instructions has many more things to consider.
After complaining about Horikita to the student council president, Akira turned and left the student council.
However, as he reached the corner of the hallway, he unexpectedly ran into Ichinose.
From her appearance, she clearly also intended to come to the student council.
"Good afternoon, Shimizu-kun!" Ichinose stopped in her tracks and greeted him with a natural smile.
"Good afternoon, Ichinose-san." Akira also politely nodded in response.
Upon seeing Ichinose, he subconsciously thought of the benefits Hoshinomiya had promised her last month for joining Class B.
"Um... Shimizu-kun, may I ask you a question?" Ichinose's tone carried obvious hesitation.
"Yes, go ahead and ask." Akira replied. After all, she was the angelic Ichinose, and he'd asked her last month to investigate those who bought laptops for Class B.
It was just one question. There was nothing inconvenient about it.
A conjecture inexplicably popped into his mind: Was she perhaps asking if he really intended to join Class B, and then subtly refusing? After all, given Ichinose's personality, it was highly unlikely she'd agree to buy people with 20 million points.
"Are you... a member of the boxing club?" Ichinose's voice was a little cautious.
"...Yes." Akira was somewhat surprised. He didn't expect her to ask that.
"Really? Really? I see!" Ichinose seemed to instantly breathe a sigh of relief, then as if she remembered something, her eyes lit up. "In that case, you must've specifically confronted those people from Class C last month for Class B, right, Shimizu-kun?"
"Not specifically, but I was indeed there." Akira nodded.
"Shimizu-kun, thank you so much this time!" Ichinose's tone was full of sincere gratitude. "If I hadn't accidentally heard about this from an upperclassman, I probably would still be in the dark!"
"This is already the second time you've secretly done things for Class B since the incident in the first month. So, Class B as a whole really owes you two favors." Saying that, Ichinose bowed solemnly to him again.
Akira secretly grumbled to himself that it was still Hoshinomiya's blunder, attributing the credit to him.
"Well, don't thank me." Akira waved his hand, explaining. "Actually, the second matter was something the boxing club president asked me to do. I didn't know beforehand that the person I was helping was you."
"Even so," Ichinose's tone became even more earnest, "doesn't it show your kindness even more, Shimizu-kun?"
However, Ichinose quickly noticed a slight discomfort in Akira's expression, and guessed that he was probably a bit embarrassed by the praise. She couldn't help but chuckle softly and asked, "Are you also here at the student council about the delayed point distribution, Shimizu-kun?"
"Yes, that is indeed why I'm here." Akira nodded. "I've already asked. The points will be distributed by next Tuesday at the latest."
"Is that so? I see." Ichinose thought to herself that he'd once again saved her from a troublesome matter.
This was not the first time Akira had helped her. Whether openly or secretly, he'd done many things for her and Class B.
The two had nothing more to say for a while, and Akira turned and left after speaking.
Ichinose no longer had a reason to go to the student council, so she unconsciously watched his retreating figure until it turned the corner and completely disappeared.
'Perhaps having Shimizu Akira join Class B would be a very good decision.'
This thought popped into her mind without warning.
'No! No! How can I be so selfish? I haven't discussed this with my classmates yet!'
She immediately realized this idea was inappropriate.
Just as she'd thought at noon, this matter had to be discussed with her classmates.
Moreover, this was not something that could be achieved overnight. It would require a long time—by her estimation, Class B would need at least ten months or more to accumulate 20 million points.
He'd done so much for Class B and for her behind the scenes, yet she couldn't even directly promise him anything.
Coupled with the boxing club incident, she felt that she'd unconsciously incurred a few more debts to him.
As she was deep in thought, her phone vibrated again. It was another message from the upperclassman from that morning:
{I asked for you! His full name is Shimizu Akira. Let me tell you, Shimizu-kun contributed a lot to the confrontation with first-year Class C last time!}
{Oh dear, no kidding, it really almost came to blows with those people from Class C! Thankfully, Shimizu-kun stepped forward.}
{His character is really good, he's a great match for you.}
{At least go on one date, try going out and see how it goes!}
Ichinose looked at the screen and thought for a very, very long time this time.
Then she slowly began to type her reply: {I understand, senpai, please arrange a time.}
The upperclassman replied instantly: {Let me tell you...}
{Eh?! You really agreed?! I begged you so much last month, and you didn't budge! What happened?!}
Ichinose suddenly felt a bit awkward.
If it were anyone else, she would never have agreed to a date so easily—but it was Shimizu Akira, and her impression of him was already very good.
Perhaps it was also a way to repay a favor.
Just to compensate him for what he'd done for Class B, it was just one date. She could manage that.
{By the way, Shimizu-kun is expected to have an exhibition match at school next week!}
{My boyfriend and I met because of a boxing match.}
{A boxing match like that will definitely attract a lot of spectators. Shimizu-kun's popularity might skyrocket, and he'll also catch the attention of other classes.}
{If you're interested, I can save you a few tickets.}
'He's going to have a boxing match soon?'
Ichinose's heart skipped a beat.
Speaking of which, Shimizu Akira's physique was indeed quite good.
On the first day of school, she already knew he'd almost gotten into a conflict with Yamauchi from the same class—of course, that incident was entirely Yamauchi's fault from beginning to end. Shimizu Akira had done nothing wrong.
But... could he really win? Who would his opponent be?