In fact, after the information is refreshed, they always want to attack me!

(This guy... he's about my size...) Cold sweat beaded on Yamauchi's forehead. (Why is he so strong?!)

With an indifferent expression, Shimizu Akira increased the pressure on his hand, causing Yamauchi Haruki to grimace in pain and writhe and struggle uncontrollably.

"Ouch—it hurts! Let go!"

The scream instantly attracted the attention of the surrounding students.

Not only did Karuizawa Megumi and Kushida Kikyo from Class D, along with other female classmates, cast surprised glances at them, but students from Class B and Class C also turned their heads to look.

Akira Shimizu glanced around and noticed that more and more eyes were focusing on him, so he released his grip.

He said coldly in a voice only the two of them could hear, "When it comes to strength, you don't seem like a man at all!" His icy tone suddenly turned cold, "If there's a next time, I'll make sure you can't hold chopsticks in this hand for three months."

Yamauchi rubbed his reddened wrist and shivered involuntarily when he met those cold eyes.

Ike Kanji, who was standing to the side, then realized what was happening and quickly stepped between the two with an embarrassed smile to smooth things over.

"Hey you two, fighting on the first day of school is really bad! Getting punished and affecting your graduation would be terrible!"

After all, it was their first meeting, and the three of them didn't have much of a relationship.

Ike Kanji's advice was more of a formality than a genuine desire to stand up for Yamauchi Haruki.

Takeru Sudo looked surprised and began to scrutinize Akira Shimizu again.

What he cared more about was the skill his opponent had just displayed—the swift turning motion and the strength with which he could subdue Yamauchi Haruki with one hand.

"You're right, Ike-san, Sudo-san, I'll be going now."

Shimizu Akira didn't pay much attention to him. He had already said what he needed to say, and turned around and left the scene.

Not far away, Kikyo Kushida walked over with light steps, tilting her head slightly.

"What's wrong with everyone? Why are they suddenly arguing?" She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her expression showing concern.

Haruki Yamauchi, as if finally regaining his senses, complained angrily, "...Tsk...I just said a few words to Suzune Horikita, and she's like a completely different person! It's so inexplicable!" He waved his arms exaggeratedly, "Could it be that they're already hooking up?"

"Yamachi! Enough already!" Ike Kanji frowned and interrupted him. "They're just ordinary classmates exchanging a few words. They're deskmates, after all, and they didn't do anything out of line. Stop being such a jerk, okay?"

"You attacked because of Horikita Suzune...?" A barely perceptible glint flashed in Kikyo Kushida's eyes, but she quickly regained her gentle smile. "Alright, alright! I believe Shimizu-kun didn't mean it. After all, he's a kind person who gave up his seat for the old lady! What our class needs most right now is unity. Yamauchi-kun, could you please let this go for my sake?"

"...Alright! Since it was Kushida-kun who spoke up..." Haruki Yamauchi pretended to rub his reddened palms and said in a magnanimous manner.

He was secretly delighted, thinking this was a good opportunity to get closer to the girl he liked.

Just as he was about to invite Kushida to go to karaoke, he saw her suddenly turn around and walk to the other students.

Yamauchi's outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air.

......

The four girls were whispering to each other in a small group not far away.

"Hmph! Serves him right!" Shinohara Satsuki crossed her arms. "I should have taken the opportunity to teach him a lesson!"

Matsushita Chiaki's eyes lit up. "Who cares about that disgusting Yamauchi! That guy's head is full of lewd thoughts! Did you guys see that? Shimizu-kun's move just now—it was absolutely awesome!"

Mori Nene coughed lightly. "Who just said Hirata-kun was the most handsome guy in the whole school? You change your mind faster than flipping through a book."

"Ugh! Hirata-kun is handsome, of course... but Shimizu-kun was even more handsome just now!" Matsushita Chiaki suddenly lowered her voice and leaned closer to her friends mysteriously, "Dating someone like that would be so reassuring! I'd never have to worry about being bullied again!"

Hearing this, Karuizawa Kei, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised her head, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

"...Not being bullied?"

Chapter 10: 010 The bet with Sakayanagi Arisu, the stakes are 10 points.

Shimizu Akira slowly closed his five fingers. When he had just grasped the other's wrist, he had only used 30% of his strength.

There is never just one way to solve a problem.

If we were to divide it theoretically, it would simply be two paths: force and strategy.

In this society that prides itself on civilization, people always advocate winning through intelligence.

But sometimes, force is indeed the most straightforward solution—especially when your opponent simply doesn't understand reason.

Akira Shimizu has never been one to follow the rules, so this time he simply resolved the trouble by force.

"Solving problems with violence? That's truly a barbaric approach."

A familiar voice came from behind, and the crisp sound of a cane tapping the ground grew louder as it approached.

Sakayanagi Arisu had appeared beside him at some point, a faint, teasing smile playing on her lips.

"Sakayanagi-san, are you spying on me again?" Shimizu Akira glanced at her sideways. "Looks like you're more serious than I thought. If I were dating you, you'd probably install listening software on my phone, right? Typical 'feminist' behavior."

The word "female" caused Sakayanagi Arisu's expression to freeze, a rare occurrence.

She had indeed been secretly watching this boy since the entrance ceremony—especially after witnessing his subtle tug-of-war with a classmate.

"Tell me your name." She suddenly looked him straight in the eye, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Shimizu Akira." Shimizu Akira replied casually, "I have other things to do. Sorry, I don't have time to chat with you."

Although the other party had silver hair that he quite admired, he was in no mood to deal with such a troublesome person at the moment.

"Let's make a bet," Sakayanagi Arisu said, tapping her cane lightly on the ground. "Let's see when the god of gambling, Muro Masumi, will make her move."

Just as Shimizu Akira was about to refuse, she suddenly raised five slender fingers.

"Fifty thousand points as the wager." The silver-haired girl's lips curled into a confident smile. "Interested now?"

"I see." Shimizu Akira looked at her with a half-smile. "Now you understand why I refused."

"Of course." Sakayanagi Arisu nodded slightly. "You have absolutely no interest in anything without personal gain, right?"

She had been thinking about this question throughout the admission ceremony.

It wasn't until a few minutes ago that I realized I had made a silly mistake—the bet was completely unappealing to the other party.

So she decisively used half of her current points. 50,000 points was only 50,000 yen, which was just pocket money for the young lady of the Sakayanagi family. Moreover, in this special school, she was confident that with her intelligence, earning back those points would be a piece of cake.

Akira Shimizu tapped his arm lightly with his fingertips, lost in thought.

Earning 50,000 points on the first day of school seems pretty good?

"Is it not enough?" When Sakayanagi Arisu saw that he didn't answer for a long time, she lightly stomped her cane on the ground.

"What about the rules?" Akira Shimizu finally asked.

"It's very simple." A sly smile played on her lips. "We each predict when Kamuro Masumi will make her move. Whoever accurately predicts that she will strike within one minute and speaks it out first wins. The prediction must be made at least 20 seconds in advance; predicting at the exact moment she is about to strike is prohibited."

Her cane traced an elegant arc in the air. "If the prediction fails, next time we must wait for the other party to speak first before we can continue."

Akira Shimizu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "You really treat other people's theft as entertainment, huh?"

Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled softly. "Isn't this even more interesting? Turning mundane daily life into a chessboard for strategic maneuvering." She tilted her head. "What's wrong, Shimizu-san? Has your sense of justice suddenly kicked in?"

Just as Akira Shimizu was about to speak, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

He took out his phone, and the screen displayed the name of his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.

"Wait a moment." He gestured for a pause to Arisu Sakayanagi. "I need to reply to a message."

The silver-haired girl gracefully twirled her cane, gesturing as if to say "please go ahead."

Chabashira Sae: Where are you now? Come to the office when you have time.

Akira Shimizu tapped rapidly on the screen with his fingertips:

Akira Shimizu: Something urgent? Could it be that the reward for "that matter" has arrived?

The other party replied almost instantly:

Chashu Sae: You're quite clever. We'll discuss the details when we meet.

Akira Shimizu glanced at Arisu Sakayanagi, who was patiently waiting beside him, and continued replying:

Akira Shimizu: I'm too busy right now. By the way, can you really buy anything with the points at school?

Chabashira Sae: As long as it doesn't violate school rules. What, is there something you particularly want to buy?

Akira Shimizu: Yes, how about this? I'll offer 10,000 points, and the teacher can run an errand for me, okay?

There was a pause of a few seconds on the other end of the phone, and then a message came through:

Chashiba Sae: Interesting. Tell me first, what exactly do you want to buy?

...

A few minutes later.

The two arrived at the convenience store in tacit agreement and hid behind that familiar corner shelf once again.

Sure enough, Masumi Kamuro appeared in the shelf area not long after.

She first pretended to select a few diaries, then unconsciously moved towards the adult alcohol section.

"The target is alcohol," Shimizu Akira said in a low voice. "Indeed, minors can't buy this."

"That's why we have to steal it." Sakayanagi Arisu chimed in softly, then suddenly pulled a beautifully wrapped candy from her pocket. "Hey, Shimizu-san, want to try some? I brought it from home, it tastes really good."

Her slender fingers deftly unwrapped the candy and handed it to him.

Shimizu Akira narrowed his eyes: "This Sakayanagi-san, are you trying to shut me up with candy so you can blurt out your prediction first?"

"Oh dear, you really hurt my feelings." The silver-haired girl looked hurt, but the smile in her eyes betrayed her.

"...Let's just assume you're telling the truth." Shimizu Akira finally took the candy, put it in his mouth, and then picked up the candy wrapper from the ground as he bent down.

Don't litter.

Sakayanagi Arisu nonchalantly twirled her cane: "What does it matter?... Someone will always come and clean it up. Otherwise, what's the point of hiring these convenience store clerks!"

Akira Shimizu gave her a deep look.

Sakayanagi Arisu's contempt for ordinary people was almost ingrained in her bones, and she didn't even bother to hide it.

However, the candy in her mouth was indeed sweet, so it seems that this young lady is quite honest when it comes to her taste in snacks.

—I'll make her pay for her arrogance later, hehehe.

"Shimizu-kun," Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly lowered her voice, "I'll offer another 50,000 points to buy the right to speak first this time. I have to speak first, how about that?"

With a light tap of her cane on the ground, the silver-haired girl's eyes gleamed with an air of unwavering determination.

Akira Shimizu nearly choked on the candy: "You can even trade this? And it costs 50,000 points! Aren't you afraid of losing everything?"

She tilted her head, a smug smile on her face. "After all, in this school, points can buy 'anything.'"

Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled and twirled her cane. "If I can lose like this, I might as well live on free meals this month."

When Sakayanagi said this, it sounded more like a joke.

But Akira Shimizu didn't laugh at all; he just looked at her with an almost pitying gaze.

(What a poor child!)

He meditated in his heart.

(This proud young lady probably doesn't know that she'll have to give away all her belongings on the first day of school.)

Chapter 11: 011 Today's Victory and Defeat: Akira Shimizu's Triumph

Akira Shimizu lowered his head slightly, preparing to take out his phone from his pocket to check the time.

"It's 10:14:23 now," Arisu Sakayanagi suddenly said with a smile.

The sudden time announcement startled Shimizu Akira for a moment, and for a fleeting moment he felt as if he were being served by a beautiful girl alarm clock.

He glanced at his phone screen instinctively—10:14, exactly as predicted.

"You don't even believe me about this? How suspicious of you." Sakayanagi Arisu's silver-white hair swayed gently as she shook her head. "But when you were talking to that black-haired girl, you were so much more enthusiastic."

"You even saw this?" Shimizu Akira was startled upon hearing this and reflexively took half a step back to create distance between himself and the other person.

Sakayanagi Arisu was taken aback.

Is it really necessary to be so disgusted?!

She gritted her teeth inwardly—in terms of looks and temperament, she was clearly no less than that girl.

"My hair is silver-white!" she said defiantly, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. "Isn't that the most coveted hair color for Asians? Doesn't it attract you at all? Why do you always avoid me?"

From the moment they first met, she couldn't understand why this boy always acted as if he had encountered some kind of monster whenever he saw her, wishing he could run away immediately.

"The hair color is really beautiful, and I really want to touch it," Shimizu Akira frankly admitted, then changed the subject, "but I'm more worried that one day you might secretly record me, or that I might inexplicably become a pawn in your plan and end up in a lot of trouble."