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Miyuki Shirogane, 17 years old, a regular high schooler who knows that hard work can make up for what he lacks. That's why he studies for 12 hours a day.
Now, the narration system sees him as a genius.
And based on Shirogane's guesses, this narration system probably came from the future—meaning the information it gives is likely true.
In other words, what it says is probably right.
So, does that mean Shirogane has potential that goes beyond a normal genius?
"I think you've got the wrong idea."
Shirogane quickly scribbled in his notebook. "I'm not a genius. I'm just someone who works really hard to catch up to normal people, hoping that maybe I can stand out a little among them, so I won't be left behind."
"Everything I've done comes from effort, not talent." he wrote, pen flying across the page.
[You're being too modest.]
[I actually understand better than anyone—Shirogane-kun, you really do have talent…]
Just as the narration seemed ready to say more, Sakayanagi suddenly spoke up.
"Shirogane-kun, I want to hire you. I have someone I need to defeat."
"I've confirmed there's a boss in Class D. But as you know, I'm not in great shape physically. So forget issuing a challenge—even my presence lacks strength from the start."
Oh.
The narration wasn't wrong—Sakayanagi really did want to take down the boss of Class D.
And Shirogane knew she was usually full of pride.
She didn't even bother bullying someone like Katsuragi.
But she also had a weakness—her frail body.
"Switching classes costs 20 million points. And for you, I imagine that's not something you can easily manage," Sakayanagi continued.
"Why do you say that?"
Shirogane didn't answer her question directly.
"I'll admit, your class did well last month. You even managed to build strong unity."
"But that unity didn't come from you. I had someone look into your class."
"Most of your classmates have poor reputations, so the only way to pull them together is likely through shady methods—like violence," Sakayanagi said.
Even though her voice was sweet and gentle, the picture she painted was so sharp and accurate it was like she had been there herself. She saw straight through what Ryuen's class was really about.
Yes, the exam results looked good. But weren't all the weak points already exposed?
"Twenty million points is no small amount, but it can be earned as a class. If there are 40 students, and each one gives 20 to 30 thousand points per month, that's 900,000. You wouldn't even need three years—maybe just two to save up enough."
"But that's something Ryuen could pull off—not you, Shirogane."
"You're not the kind of person who could charge your classmates protection money." Sakayanagi said, her eyes calm and shining.
The light in her eyes was so bright, it was hard to look at her directly.
And Shirogane couldn't argue with what she said.
Letting Ryuen use force to bring the class together had already been the last resort. When faced with that situation, it was the fastest way to get through the first month's behavior rules exam.
It was just a quick fix. That didn't mean Shirogane agreed with the method. So what about Sakayanagi's offer—20 million points to do work for her?
"If your health isn't good, why not ask Kamuro to help you instead?" Shirogane asked.
Shirogane didn't believe he could become what the narrator—or what Sakayanagi—expected: someone who could just beat a super-genius trained for this kind of thing.
That kind of challenge wasn't just hard. It was hell-level difficulty.
Sakayanagi herself was a genius. If it was a battle between two geniuses, maybe that'd make more sense.
So since Sakayanagi had health problems, she wanted to find someone to act on her behalf.
"Kamuro won't work," Sakayanagi Arisu said right away. "She listens well, and even if she's not happy about it, she always completes the tasks I give her perfectly. But sadly, she doesn't meet my standards. Or to put it bluntly, she has nothing to do with being a genius."
"..." The girl with long purple hair.
??
Kamuro had just come back from the student council and was passing by, looking for Sakayanagi, when she heard this.
She had thought Sakayanagi was about to give her another task, but instead, she caught her talking behind her back.
What do you mean "she doesn't meet my standards"? Genius? Yeah, right.
She had never heard of a so-called genius who needed 10 hours of sleep a night like a baby.
Feeling annoyed, Kamuro walked off.
Shirogane and Sakayanagi stayed where they were.
"I'm pretty average, so I probably don't meet your standards either," Shirogane said.
"Don't worry. I'll only give you points once you've helped me achieve my goal," Sakayanagi replied calmly.
So basically, if he didn't finish the job, he wouldn't get paid. She'd get it done for free.
"..." Shirogane.
He suddenly felt like even just eating a meal at Sakayanagi's house would be exhausting.
"You don't have to answer right away. The person I want to go against is in D-Class, and I'm pretty sure they'll make a move in the upcoming special exam."
"So all you need to do is make sure D-Class doesn't climb up."
"And that also lines up with your own class's best interests, doesn't it?" Sakayanagi Arisu added.