"I'm sorry, I really don't have any points left."
Kikyō Kushida declined yet another classmate asking to borrow points, her already stiff smile becoming even more rigid.
She thought that after she used the 300,000 points borrowed from Ren Katsuragi to "pay the debt" for Ken Sudō, everyone in the class would understand her current predicament.
But the essence of humanity is greed.
Everyone saw that Kikyō Kushida had recently lent points to Kei Karuizawa and then produced another 300,000 points yesterday.
So, everyone directed all their hopes toward the girl.
Kind people are always manipulated by the majority, and Kikyō Kushida, who was only pretending to be kind, was no exception.
"Kushida, what does it matter? Katsuragi has lent you so many points; it won't hurt to borrow a bit more, will it?"
"Yeah, we really can't afford to eat. Please, Kushida."
At this moment, dignity was the cheapest thing.
Especially when the beggars gathered, encouraging each other, making them look so righteous.
Having witnessed Ren Katsuragi's wealth, they were already eager to become parasites clinging to that large, wealthy tree.
I'm not Ren Katsuragi's friend? That's fine; a classmate is, isn't she?
Kikyō Kushida, who excelled at socializing and navigating all kinds of people, was well aware of what these people were thinking. She scoffed at them internally.
If anyone in the class wanted to climb Ren Katsuragi's large tree, it was undoubtedly her.
The 300,000 points borrowed from Ren Katsuragi was no small sum, and she had agreed with Ren Katsuragi that it was a loan.
A loan! That meant it had to be repaid.
To maintain her persona, Kikyō Kushida had to find a way to earn points and slowly pay back the debt.
Otherwise, if the fact that she borrowed points and didn't repay them were to spread, the good reputation she had painstakingly built would collapse instantly.
But how to earn points? This was Kikyō Kushida's dilemma.
Not only did she have to repay the debt, but she also had to prevent these bloodsuckers in the class from trying to suck her blood further.
Thinking this over, Kikyō Kushida felt like she was about to become emotional.
"I'm sorry, I really don't have any points to lend…"
A classmate walked up to Kikyō Kushida. Kikyō Kushida instinctively smiled and began to say the line she had repeated countless times, but she stopped before finishing.
Because the person standing in front of her was…
Suzune Horikita!
"Kushida, have you agreed to be friends with me?" Seeing that the person was Suzune Horikita, Kikyō Kushida's smile became genuine.
Kikyō Kushida, who was determined to make friends with every student in the school, had been constantly rebuffed by Rokusuke Kōenji and Suzune Horikita.
Now that Suzune Horikita was actively seeking her out, it was impossible not to be surprised, even if…
"Kushida, you have Katsuragi's contact information, don't you? Give it to me."
Suzune Horikita, unwilling to discuss friendship with Kikyō Kushida, stated her purpose directly.
Last night, after Ren Katsuragi left, the three of them also left subsequently.
Suzune Horikita, whose mind was fully focused on her brother, noticed that Manabu Horikita's departing figure was somewhat… hunched?
She was no longer a child; she wanted to take on the pressure from Ren Katsuragi for her brother.
And so, she turned her attention to Kikyō Kushida.
Among the current Class D students, besides Rokusuke Kōenji, Kikyō Kushida was the only one who had Ren Katsuragi's contact information.
Despite her strong dislike for Kikyō Kushida, she chose to seek her out.
Brother, watch me. I am growing!
Damn you, you cheap bitch. Is that the way you ask for a favor? Die, die, die!!!
Kikyō Kushida, furious inside, spoke differently: "Katsuragi, you say... no problem, I'll ask him for you."
Du… du du du…
The call was quickly answered. Ren Katsuragi's voice came through: "Kushida, are you going to repay the points, or are you going to borrow more points?"
Ren Katsuragi opened with words that immediately placed Kikyō Kushida in a dilemma.
Repay the debt or take out another loan.
"Well... Katsuragi, please allow me to repay the points later…"
"The reason I called is that Suzune Horikita said she needs to see you about something, but she doesn't have your contact information, so…"
Kikyō Kushida first made her tone as soft as possible, trying to evoke Ren Katsuragi's protective instincts so she could postpone the repayment time.
She thought perhaps he would soften and directly tell her not to repay, especially since it wasn't a large sum.
Then, she stated her purpose for calling, shifting the focus away from the points by mentioning Suzune Horikita.
"Horikita? Give the phone to her." Understanding why Kikyō Kushida called him, Ren Katsuragi replied.
There,
Seeing that Ren Katsuragi no longer mentioned the points, Kikyō Kushida quickly handed the phone to Suzune Horikita.
Her dislike for Suzune Horikita intensified.
If she hadn't made this call, Ren Katsuragi wouldn't have mentioned the points at all, and Kikyō Kushida's repayment time would have been indefinitely postponed.
But now…
"Katsuragi?" Suzune Horikita's cool voice came through the phone she took from Kikyō Kushida.
"It's me, Horikita. We truly have a connection." Stroking Mochi in his lap, Ren Katsuragi looked out the window.
What a constant stream of surprises.
"What will it take for you to let go of my brother?" Suzune Horikita went straight to the point, as always.
For Suzune Horikita, the longer the delay, the more dangerous Manabu Horikita's position became.
"Horikita, do you really want to discuss this in the classroom?"
"Stars Cafe. You know where that is, right?"
Ren Katsuragi was slightly disappointed with Suzune Horikita's current state.
The more urgent the matter, the less you should panic, especially when you are asking for a favor...
Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, your judgment seems a little poor.
"Understood. I'll head there now."
Memorizing the cafe name, Suzune Horikita returned the phone to Kikyō Kushida and hurriedly left the classroom.
"Um... Katsuragi?" Suppressing her dissatisfaction with Suzune Horikita's attitude, Kikyō Kushida took the phone but did not hang up immediately.
Ren Katsuragi was her creditor; Kikyō Kushida was genuinely afraid he would demand immediate repayment if she didn't play her part.
"Does Kushida want to come too?" Ren Katsuragi asked, feigning confusion and avoiding the topic of points.
"No, no, no. I don't need to, thank you, Katsuragi."
Kikyō Kushida shook her head repeatedly, as if it were a rattle.
Are you kidding? Ren Katsuragi was the last person she wanted to face now. This was the natural suppression of a creditor over a debtor.
----
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