"Starting today, Kiyotaka, I am giving you back your freedom. In exchange, you must ensure Akasaka Ryunosuke is immediately expelled from school to prove your worth."
The call was disconnected.
In the end, Ayanokouji still agreed because he had no other choice.
Even though the probability of his father keeping a promise of freedom was incredibly low, Ayanokouji was willing to gamble. His desire for freedom outweighed everything else.
He knew all too well how difficult it would be to face Ryunosuke.
The opponent possessed 200 million private points. This meant that if Ayanokouji wanted the man expelled, he would have to get him kicked out more than ten times!
However, that was completely unrealistic.
If he succeeded once, it would be difficult to succeed a second time because the opponent would surely be on guard, and the level of difficulty would increase drastically. Continuing like that, if he succeeded a second time, what about the third, fourth, and fifth?
Ayanokouji had already tasted just how vigilant Ryunosuke could be. He wasn't sure his friend would give him an opening, so the only chance of winning was to strike from a different angle.
As he walked down the hallway, Ayanokouji thought deeply. This time he was truly serious, more so than ever before. Because this concerned his freedom.
Actually, he understood perfectly well that his unreliable father would likely not keep the promise. However, even if there was only a 1% chance, he still wanted to try because he yearned for freedom so intensely.
Ayanokouji looked at his classmates outside the window, who were like free birds, able to do whatever they wanted. That was what he craved—something that everyone else had, yet he did not.
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On the other side, Atsuomi was exactly as his son thought.
From the beginning, he had no intention of keeping the promise. Whether Ayanokouji succeeded or failed, both outcomes were beneficial to him.
If Ayanokouji failed, he would surely become Ryunosuke's enemy. In that case, he would no longer be able to survive at the school because Ryunosuke would not let him go. Combined with the massive amount of private points in Ryunosuke's hands, expelling someone from school was an incredibly easy task.
Imagine if it were you. Would you allow such a significant threat to remain by your side?
Even if Ayanokouji were expelled, it was already part of Atsuomi's plan. That way, he could bring his son back to the White Room.
So, whether he succeeded or failed, Atsuomi still won. If successful, he could prove to Hanma Yujiro that there was also great talent within the White Room. If he failed, Ayanokouji would return to his embrace.
Atsuomi leaned back in his expensive sofa chair, closing his eyes to rest. He knew very well that his son could not possibly defy him.
In order to control those who left the White Room, Atsuomi had brainwashed them since childhood or planted deep suggestions so they could not violate his orders.
Even for Ayanokouji, who had already run away, he would subconsciously still obey his father's instructions rather than learn to resist. Because deep in his heart, the suggestion was already planted; he knew better than anyone that even if he enjoyed three years at this school, once he left, he still could not escape his father's grasp.
Atsuomi smiled.
"Kiyotaka, you cannot possibly run from the palm of my hand. Just consider those three years at school as your vacation. Once you leave, you still have to inherit the family business. That is an unchangeable fact."
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On the other hand, Ayanokouji had found a lunch break to approach the Nakano quintuplets, who were chatting in class. Since the hospital where Ryunosuke was being treated belonged to their father, Maruo, seeking information from them was the only way.
"Um... I am a friend of Akasaka Ryunosuke, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. May I know when Akasaka will return?"
Nino, who was chatting with her other sisters, looked at him with annoyance. "Who are you? Showing up out of nowhere with a flat face like that."
Ayanokouji remained expressionless, repeating his words. "I am Akasaka's friend. When is he coming back?"
Hearing that the other party was Ryunosuke's friend, Nino's temper cooled slightly. Crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest, she answered patiently.
"In about ten days, that's what Father told me. Ryunosuke's condition will improve in ten days. As for exactly when he'll return to school, I don't know."
"Thank you." Ayanokouji didn't waste words on small talk. After getting the information he wanted, he immediately left without looking back.
Nino stared at his back for a moment and thought to herself: (Truly a strange guy...) then she continued chatting with her sisters.
"I heard a new type of cheesecake was just released. How about we go try it after school?"
Yotsuba raised her hand enthusiastically. "Count me in! I want to try it too!"
Itsuki was already starting to drool from hunger. Meanwhile, Miku looked a bit worried. "Will Akasaka-kun be alright?"
Ichika waved her hand with a sweet smile. "Don't worry. Don't you know Father's medical skills? As long as someone is still breathing, Father can snatch them from the hands of the Grim Reaper, even if the Reaper offers him a gift."
"A gift from the Grim Reaper? That's a bit much," Miku replied with a sigh, though her heart felt much more at ease.
Nino and Yotsuba themselves weren't too worried because Father had already said Ryunosuke would be back in ten days.
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In another corner of the classroom, Megumi watched Ayanokouji walk out with a melancholy gaze. She did not understand what the young man was planning.
(Why did he suddenly ask about the time of Ryunosuke-kun's return?)
Megumi instinctively felt that something was not right.
Meanwhile, Ayanokouji, who had already left the classroom, muttered to himself.
"Ten days, huh?"
If he wanted to find the best time to have Ryunosuke expelled, then these ten days were the opportunity. During these ten days, Ryunosuke was not at school, which made Ayanokouji's steps easier. For if the man were at school, the level of difficulty would be no joke; sooner or later, he would surely be found out.
Ryunosuke's absence from school was the perfect time to act. Ayanokouji already knew Ryunosuke needed at least ten days to return, so he prepared to move. This was a rare chance that might not come twice.
However, making an opponent be expelled eleven times was completely unrealistic. If he didn't drain the 200 million private points in Ryunosuke's hands, it would be impossible to have him expelled. This was truly a headache-inducing problem.
Ayanokouji thought hard about how to spend those 200 million points all at once for the sake of ousting Ryunosuke. He glanced toward the classroom, toward the girls who were Ryunosuke's lovers, and he seemed to get an idea.
(If I make all of them threatened with expulsion, will Akasaka use his points to protect them? In that case, all of his points will be drained.)
(But the risk is too high. And success isn't guaranteed.)
Ayanokouji had to try that potential method. He went to the faculty room to see Sae and ask.
"If I want to change a subject into a lesson of my choice, how many points must be spent?"
In this school, points could buy everything, and Ayanokouji always followed those rules. Sae felt it was strange to be asked that, but she still answered honestly.
"No less than 500,000 private points."
"I see..." After getting the answer, Ayanokouji asked for even more detail. "If I want all second-year students to take a designated lesson, roughly how many points would be needed?"
Sae's brow furrowed, but she still answered. "Just multiply it by four. 2 million private points."