Seeing the bald man and his follower suddenly appear, Hashima Hikaru and Ichinose Honami were both surprised.
On the first day of school, when they went to sell the rules, Class A's overall performance had left a deep impression on Hashima Hikaru. Their comprehensive abilities and sharp insights were remarkable, with Katsuragi and Sakayanagi leading the class. These two were Class B's main opponents.
Now, with Katsuragi suddenly appearing, what could he want?
Hashima Hikaru 's expression turned serious. He asked Katsuragi Kо̄hei, "What's the matter, Katsuragi-kun? Can you tell us what you want to discuss?"
"Let's find a quieter place. This isn't the right spot to talk." Katsuragi shook his head, gesturing for them to follow.
The boy glanced around. They were in the walkway between the teaching building and the dorms, with many students nearby. It was indeed unsuitable for a conversation.
"Alright, where should we go?"
Hashima Hikaru looked at Ichinose Honami. Though she was puzzled, she knew Katsuragi was a key figure in Class A, and this discussion might be related to class competition.
"Let's go to the café. I'll treat you," Katsuragi said, nodding. "Since we invited you, it's only fair."
"Sure, I have no objections."
Hashima Hikaru 's lips curved into a smile as he jokingly said to Katsuragi, "You're not trying to bribe us, are you? If that's the case, my price isn't cheap."
"Rest assured, Hashima-kun. I won't underestimate your abilities. If I were trying to bribe you, I'm afraid we couldn't afford it."
Katsuragi's expression was serious, leaving no room for doubt.
His earnestness caught Hashima Hikaru off guard, and the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.
Hey, is this guy always so serious?
Ichinose Honami, seeing the boy's stunned expression, couldn't help but giggle.
"Haha, I've never seen Hashima-kun make that face before."
"..."
"Never mind, I'll keep quiet."
The flustered Hashima Hikaru decided to stop talking and followed Ichinose Honami into the café frequented by students.
The atmosphere here was pleasant, with tables spaced far apart, ideal for discussing important matters.
The four took their seats and ordered drinks. The seating arrangement was simple: Katsuragi and his follower, Todoka Mitsuhiko, sat together, while Hashima Hikaru and Ichinose Honami sat opposite them.
"I'll get straight to the point. I'm here to propose an alliance with Class B," Katsuragi said seriously to Hashima Hikaru and Ichinose .
"Alliance?"
The boy was surprised by the proposal and looked at Ichinose , asking, "What do you think, Ichinose -san?"
"Hmm... I'd like to hear Katsuragi-kun's thoughts first." Hearing the proposal, Ichinose 's expression turned serious. An alliance involved too much, and they needed to understand Katsuragi's intentions.
"It's related to the current situation in our Class A."
After hearing Ichinose 's response, Katsuragi explained, "After you finished selling the rules, Sakayanagi and I still hadn't decided on a class leader. So, we came up with a compromise."
"We'd take turns leading the class, with each special exam as the term. This way, both sides could accept the arrangement." Katsuragi's tone was calm; this was the best solution they could think of.
"Are you allowed to tell us this? Isn't this internal class information?"
"Since we're proposing an alliance, we must show sincerity. Otherwise, how can we move forward?"
Katsuragi responded to Hashima Hikaru 's question and continued, "The first term will be led by me, which is why I'm here today."
"Classes A and B are currently the top classes in the first year, with strengths that Classes C and D lack. This is our advantage."
Hashima Hikaru traced the rim of his coffee cup, saying softly, "But no matter what, we're still competitors, aren't we? In the end, there can only be one winner."
"Indeed, but three years is a long time, and we can make many arrangements in advance,"
"If we form an alliance, Classes A and B can cooperate during special exams, leaving Classes C and D far behind. Once we achieve this goal, we can then compete to determine the winner. What do you think, Hashima-kun?"
"Hmm..."
After hearing Katsuragi's proposal, Hashima Hikaru felt amused.
It's always me offering others pie-in-the-sky promises. When did it become your turn to play this game?
Even if Class A had strong overall abilities, forming an alliance would indeed help them leave Classes C and D behind. But Katsuragi currently couldn't fully represent Class A's interests, and Hashima Hikaru didn't trust him. They had just met, and in this fiercely competitive school, even classmates couldn't always be trusted, let alone students from other classes.
Moreover, alliances were complicated, and with special exams yet to begin, the rules were unclear. Binding themselves together now might affect future plans.
Additionally, Hashima Hikaru had access to information and resources that other classes lacked. Without an urgent need, there was no reason to ally with others.
So, Hashima Hikaru looked into Katsuragi's eyes and casually asked, "Before making a decision, I'd like to ask, does Sakayanagi-san agree to this alliance proposal?"
"Well..."
Katsuragi's expression faltered, but he still nodded and said, "I've informed Sakayanagi-san about the alliance plan, and she didn't object."
"Hmph."
Hashima Hikaru snorted softly. So, this serious Katsuragi not only offers pie-in-the-sky promises but also plays tricks.
"I see. Then I understand," Hashima Hikaru had no intention of exposing Katsuragi's thoughts and turned to Ichinose Honami, saying, "Ichinose -san, as the leader of Class B, what do you think of Katsuragi-kun's alliance proposal?"
"Me?"
Ichinose had been analyzing the pros and cons of the alliance. After all, during the point recovery process, only Class A had been the easiest to deal with. They had agreed after just a few words.
Classes C and D had required much more effort, and Ichinose had seen everything. If they could ally with the strongest Class A, it might be a viable option.
But when she met Hashima Hikaru 's gaze, she immediately understood his intentions and quickly said to Katsuragi, "Regarding the alliance proposal, I can't give a direct answer now, Katsuragi-kun. I still need to discuss it with the other classmates. After all, this matter is too important."
"Of course, I'll wait for your discussion." Katsuragi accepted this response and took out his phone.
"Let's exchange contact information, Hashima-kun."
"...Alright."
Hashima Hikaru nodded. These past two days, he had added quite a few phone numbers, and none of them were easy to deal with.
After the two exchanged contact information, Katsuragi and Todoka soon left.
"Hashima-kun, what were you thinking just now?"
After they left, Ichinose asked Hashima Hikaru .
Having spent time together, she could roughly judge his intentions from his expressions, which was why she had quickly shifted the topic earlier.
"Katsuragi's proposal to ally with us is definitely not that simple," Hashima Hikaru rubbed his brow, explaining to Ichinose Honami, "According to his explanation, Class A is currently implementing a rotating class leader system, with Katsuragi and Sakayanagi taking turns based on special exams."
"This is because neither of them can fully control the class, so they came up with this plan. Class A itself has a tendency to split, and this approach will make future conflicts even more intense."
"Do you mean they might turn against each other?" Ichinose 's expression turned serious.
"Exactly. For example, when Katsuragi is the leader, all his actions will be watched by the entire class. If he performs poorly or makes mistakes, Sakayanagi's faction will seize the opportunity to attack, possibly even poaching Katsuragi's supporters."
"This is an inevitable situation, so his proposal to ally with us might have other motives."
Hashima Hikaru took a sip of the still warm coffee, his eyes thoughtful.