Seeing the fusion on Hikaru's face, Kushida began to expin.

  "I actually still really want to bee friends with Horikita-san, so I pn to keep trying to get closer to her."

  Kushida stared into his eyes, speaking slowly: "But since Hikaru-kun is already somewhat familiar with Horikita-san, could I ask you to wait for me a little?"

  "Wait for you?"

  Hikaru mulled it over in his mind and immediately uood her iion.

  Is she askio stop iing with Suzune?

  "Yes. My dream is to bee friends with everyone, and right now my target is Horikita-san," Kushida said, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance as she leaned against his shoulder. "I don't want to be left out by the two of you, so I want to catch up with

  Hikaru-kun."

  " Hikaru-kun promise me that? Once I've successfully bee friends with Horikita-san, I'll help you get closer to her too. That way, we all bee friends."

  This was Kushida's way of testing the waters and leveraging a possible trade.

  "Heh, so if I don't agree, does that mean Kushida-san won't ahe question I just asked?"

  Hikaru's lips curled into a faint smile as he quickly grasped her tactic. She was trying to use her css's information to tempt him into agreeing to stay away from Suzune.

  So, to her, Suzune is more important than css petition?

  "Hikaru-kun, you're so mean. I didn't say that. I'm just asking for your help."

  Realizing that he had seen through her, Kushida pyfully spped his arm, though her eyes remained cold and locked onto his, trying to gauge his rea.

  "Sure, I agree to wait for Kushida-san."

  Hikaru nodded, tinuing, "Holy, I haven't ied with Horikita-san that much. She's always been wary of others approag her. She'll audy-reted questions, sure, but she woertain small talk."

  "So if Kushida-san wants to get closer to her, I'll cheer you on from the sidelines."

  "Thank you, Hikaru-kun. I'll work hard to bee friends with Horikita-san."

  Seeing that he had agreed, Kushida gave a determined nod.

  Then, just as she reparing to suggest a tract to solidify his promise, Hikaru spoke up.

  "Actually, I have an idea..."

  "If it's just a verbal promise, that might not be enough to reassure Kushida-san."

  When Hikaru saw the eager glint in her eyes, he immediately guessed that she nning to impose some kind of binding agreement on him—just like when she'd made him leave a fingerprint as a promise of silehat night.

  But he had no iion of letting her trol the situation. If he hi knowing too much, she'd be forced to accept his terms instead.

  "How about we draw up a tract to guarahat after you share the information with me, I'll stiy promise and stop approag Horikita-san?"

  "Then, if we really do bee friends with Horikita-san iure, we even tell her about this iing little deal."

  He spoke as though it were a casual suggestion, while carefully Kushida's rea out of the er of his eye.

  The implication was crystal clear: since Kushida was so fixated on keeping him away from Suzuhere must be a deep, unresolved e betweewo.

  She wao prevent him from learning anything from Suzune—probably to protect a secret she couldn't afford to have exposed.

  If she insisted on a traow, she'd essentially be firming her fear of that secret.

  Well, Kushida-san, do you dare t it up now?

  Upon hearing his words, Kushida's heart skipped a beat. She realized she'd miscalcuted. If she demanded a tract, how would she justify her sudden caution after supposedly wanting to be friends with Suzune?

  If Hikaru began to suspect that there was something deeper between her and Suzuhe euation would spiral out of her trol.

  She couldn't take that risk.

  After a brief internal debate, Kushida pstered on a gentle smile and responded, "That won't be necessary. I trust Hikaru-kun's word. I just want you to wait for me, that's all. I'll do my best to bee friends with Horikita-san."

  "Alright, we'll do it your way, Kushida-san."

  Seeing her back down, Hikaru couldn't help but smile inwardly. This was the power of an information advantage. Kushida was so obsessed with trolling the retionship between him and Suzuhat she couldn't afford to make a wrong move.

  "Now then, Kushida-san tell me about your css's strategy for the midterm exams? These study group sessions are starting to me out, so if there's a way to make it easier, I'd really appreciate it."

  With their "verbal agreement" now in pce, Hikaru shifted the versation back to his inal question.

  "Of course! It's not plicated, actually. But before I expi me ask—has Hashima-kun had any iions with uppercssmen?"

  Kushida was still mentally rec from her retreat, but she'd decided to be straightforward about this piece of information. After all, she'd already made a trade and might as well get some goodwill out of it.

  "Uppercssmen?"

  "Why would that be important for the midterm?"

  "Because this school's exam papers actually get reused." Kushida's eyes gleamed as she gave a knowing smile. "Our css figured it out and firmed that the test questio across years."

  "Wait, seriously?"

  Hikaru was genuinely surprised. He'd assumed that a school like this—with its emphasis on cultivatie students—would at least make an effort to create est questions each year.

  But on sed thought, it made sehe school had the S-System, which overrode all other rules. Perhaps reusing exam papers was just another way to test whether students had the wit to uhat fad exploit it.

  A hidde of information-gathering ability?

  As Hashima Hikaru sidered this, Kushida tilted her head and asked, "So, Hikaru-kun guess what we did with that knowledge?"

  "You went to buy test papers from the uppercssmen, right?"

  He immediately saw the most logiext step. If the questions were recycled, the easiest way to get the answers was to pay a senior student who had already taken the exam.

  The S-System made it clear: anything could be bought if you had enough points.

  Not just the question formats—possibly even the exaswers.

  "Exactly. Hashima-kun really is smart."

  Kushida gave a small nod. sidering his position as A-Css's core figure, she wasn't surprised he'd figured it out so quickly.

  After mentally filing away this newfound information, Hikaru turo her with a sincere expression. "That's a huge piece of intel. I really should thank Kushida-san for sharing it with me."

  "No need. Just remember to stick to your promise." Kushida gave a demure shake of her head. "After all, friendship is what matters most to me."

  Still pying that act, huh?

  Hikaru had no iion of truly keeping his promise. He'd only agreed not to initiate tact with Suzune. If she reached out to him first, that wouldn't t as breaking their agreement.

  He'd already decided to let things py out naturally. After all, Kushida's stock value had dropped to 40 points. One or two more strategic moves, and it'd likely hit the baseline of 10 points.

  If he pyed his cards right, the big move might seal the deal.

  "I uand. I'll keep my promise," said with a ving nod.

  "Good. I'm gd we had this talk. It's always nice chatting with Hashima-kun."

  With that, Kushida stood up, gave him a lingering look, and walked toward the door.

  "Likewise."

  The liar and the maniputor—once again, their verbal sparring matded in a draw.

  After seeing her off, Hashima Hikaru took a moment to review their iion. He hadn't revealed anything he shouldn't have, and Kushida remained oblivious to how thhly he'd seen through her.

  He didn't mind Kushida's personality. She was troublesome, sure, but also surprisingly easy to manipute once he uood her triggers.

  Plus, with this newfouion, he'd discovered another way to use her.

  She could serve as his source of intel for Css C.

  Sure, Sakura was also from Css C, but she was too timid and uninvolved to provide meaningful information. Kushida, oher hand, was Css C's darling—a tral figure with access to all kinds of pns and discussions.

  That made her far more valuable.

  And besides, the fact that Css C had figured out the exam pattern suggested something much rger. The school's css pts weren't as simplistic as they seemed.

  "Buyi papers from seniors, huh? That's... uedly clever."

  Hikaru leaned ba his chair and exhaled thoughtfully.

  Css B was breathing down their necks, their css points just a few dozen behind. If he could use this information to secure higher test scores, the gap would widen siderably.

  "Yeah...this school's rules are fasating."

  He chuckled to himself, then stood up to grab his swimsuit from the wardrobe.

  His nightly swim was calling. Maintaining physical fitness was essential, especially when maneuvering through such a cutthroat enviro.

  ~~~

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