Once all of Class B had gathered, there was still some time before the first lesson of the day. Wasting no time, Hikaru called over Ichinose, along with the core members who had first joined his plan—Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata So, and a few other girls. The group formed a circle, their expressions serious.
They had all heard about Class C's situation and understood that Hikaru was now going to adjust their strategy.
"You've all heard Beppu-kun's report, right?" Hikaru twirled his pen between his fingers before writing one word in his notebook—violence.
"Yeah, I've also picked up some more information." Kanzaki spoke up, his tone laced with disdain. "That guy, Ryuen, apparently resorted to violence against his classmates on the very first day."
"Tch, how did someone like that even get admitted into this school?"
Ando frowned, clearly disgusted by the idea of using brute force. The other girls murmured in agreement.
"Regardless, what we know for sure is that this Ryuen guy isn't someone who plays by the rules." Hikaru's pen paused mid-air, his sharp gaze sweeping across the group. "If he's willing to use violence to consolidate power, then it means he's capable of a lot more than we expect."
Violence wasn't exactly uncommon in a school setting. In fact, the structured environment of a school sometimes became the perfect breeding ground for such behavior. Teenagers were prone to hot-blooded impulses, and when emotions ran high, anything was possible.
"I had the same thought when I first heard about this," Ichinose murmured, resting her chin on her hand, concern flickering in her blue eyes. "If we go through with selling Class C the rules, things might escalate in an even worse direction."
"That's exactly right."
From what they had gathered, Ryuen had already chosen to use the most straightforward method—violence—to take control of his class. If he got his hands on the hidden school rules, it was hard to predict what he might do next.
The rule set that Class B had purchased for two million Private Points contained far more details than what was in the student handbook. It covered contract enforcement methods, class point deductions, and various loopholes—things that could be abused if given to the wrong person.
"I feel the same way," Shibata added, rubbing his head in thought. "If Ryuen learns about the deep-level rules, he's definitely going to use his methods to force weaker students into becoming his lackeys."
"That's just straight-up bullying! How disgusting."
The girls immediately voiced their agreement, but after some deliberation, everyone turned their attention to Hikaru.
"Hikaru-kun, what should we do? Should we still go through with selling the rules?"
Meeting their expectant gazes, Hikaru rubbed his chin before drawing a square around the word violence in his notebook.
"This is…"
As his seatmate, Ichinose could see his notes clearly. She leaned in curiously. "Hikaru-kun, do you have a plan?"
"A rough idea, but I need to confirm a few things first."
Hikaru raised his head and called out, "Beppu-kun, come over for a moment."
The rest of Class B had already noticed that Hikaru was gathering key members for another strategy session. Though they pretended to go about their own tasks, their ears were undoubtedly tuned in.
"Coming!"
Beppu hurried over, and Shibata slid his chair aside to make room for him.
"Beppu-kun, you said earlier that Ryuen hasn't fully taken control of Class C yet, right?"
"That's right. According to Oda-kun, while Ryuen has been using violence to force people into voting for him, he's not invincible—there are still some people resisting him."
"Oh?"
Everyone immediately perked up at this revelation, even the girls who had previously expressed their distaste for violence.
"Tell us more."
Hikaru gestured for Beppu to continue. There might be a crucial opportunity hidden in this information.
"Oda-kun mentioned that when Ryuen tried to strong-arm the class into voting for him, several students actually stood up against him."
"Most of them lost, but two students still haven't submitted to him."
Beppu had spent his time in the volleyball club yesterday getting closer to Oda Takumi from Class C. Through casual conversation during practice, he had managed to extract some useful details.
"One of them is a girl named Ibuki, and the other is someone called Albert."
"Albert? That's an unusual name."
Beppu nodded, trying to recall more details. "Oda-kun mentioned that Albert is a mix."
"A foreigner?"
Shibata looked particularly interested. "Where's he from? Britain? France?"
"Not sure, but he has black hair and dark skin."
"Also, he's really strong—stronger than Ryuen. That's why Ryuen hasn't been able to beat him yet."
This revelation immediately got everyone's gears turning. If Ryuen hadn't completely taken control of Class C yet, there was still an opportunity for them to act.
"Albert's a guy, but what about Ibuki?" Ichinose asked.
"No, Oda-kun said she's a girl. She seems to be good at fighting, too."
"I see."
Hikaru's eyes gleamed with understanding. His mind rapidly connected the dots, and his lips curled into a smile.
"This might be our way in."
"Do you have a plan, Hikaru-kun?"
"Yeah. I've thought of something interesting, but we'll need someone from Class C to cooperate." Hikaru glanced at the classroom's surveillance camera near the ceiling. A solid plan was already forming in his mind.
"You all remember the student handbook's rules on violence, right?"
Kanzaki, catching on, immediately reviewed the school rules in his mind. "Are you thinking of reporting Ryuen to the Student Council?"
"Exactly. But before we do that, we need concrete evidence—undeniable proof."
The handbook stated that any incidents of violence could be reported to the Student Council for review. Depending on the severity, punishments ranged from warnings to suspension.
And in the case of violent behavior, the minimum penalty was a two-week suspension.
That time gap would be more than enough for Hikaru to move in and collect Class C's Private Points.
More importantly, by the time Ryuen returned to Class C after his suspension, his classmates—who would have already learned about the hidden rules—would no longer be easy to control. He hadn't fully subdued them yet, which meant there was still resistance.
Unifying Class C against a common enemy was the smarter move.
"I plan to recruit a traitor from Class C to record Ryuen's violent actions. Once we secure that evidence, we'll submit it to the Student Council. If everything goes smoothly, Ryuen will be suspended."
Hikaru turned to Beppu and smiled.
"You mentioned there's a girl in Class C who hasn't submitted to Ryuen yet, right?"
"Yeah…?"
"Sounds like the perfect candidate, doesn't it?"