Foiling Hosen's Plan

As the afternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, Ayanokoji and Ichinose stirred awake. The quietude in Ayanokoji's room created a hazy cocoon of warmth, compelling them to linger for a moment longer before rising.

"Well, I guess we skipped school," Ichinose noted with a soft laugh as she stretched.

"Looks like it," Ayanokoji replied, adjusting his gaze to the clock. "We better get dressed."

They quickly got ready, sharing few words as Ichinose quietly slipped out. Ayanokoji watched her leave, then turned his attention to tidying up his room, meticulously erasing any traces of the past night. After an hour, the room was spotless, with every detail back in place. He picked up his phone to check for messages and raised an eyebrow at several unread messages from Horikita.

Curiously, he opened the first message.

Horikita: 'I need to talk to you about something important. Meet me at Keyaki Mall when you're free.'

Ayanokoji was calm as he already had a faint inkling of what she might want to discuss. Most likely, it would involve strategizing their class's next steps for the upcoming exam now that all the students with low academic scores in Class C had secured partners. With no immediate threat of expulsion looming, Horikita was probably focused on ensuring they scored high in this special exam, ideally securing the 50 class points for the top spot.

He quickly got ready and left his room, heading toward Keyaki Mall to meet her. When he arrived, he found her waiting near the escalator.

"Horikita," he greeted, strolling up with his usual calm demeanor.

"Ayanokoji, thanks for coming," Horikita responded, giving him a slight nod. "I wanted to discuss our class strategy now that the major risks have been taken care of."

"By which you mean pairing the lower academic students with capable partners?"

She nodded. "Exactly. But now we need to focus on the remaining pairings. If we can secure strong partners for the rest of the class, we can aim for first place in the exam. Specifically, I think we need to target first-year students with a C or C+ academic evaluation. It should be doable."

Ayanokoji paused, considering her approach. "It won't be as easy as you think. Those students are already being targeted by Ryuen and Sakayanagi, who are both offering high points to entice them. First-year students with that level of evaluation are in limited supply."

Horikita frowned, clearly frustrated by this obstacle. She stayed silent for a moment, mulling over the challenge before nodding decisively. "If that's the case, we'll have to adapt our plan. Instead of just focusing on one or two classes, we should aim for a few students from each first-year class. That way, even if we don't get everyone we target, we'll still have enough to give our class a decent chance at the top score."

Ayanokoji gave her a thoughtful look but didn't respond right away. It wasn't a bad idea, but with Ryuen and Sakayanagi in the mix, things were bound to get complicated. "We'll also need to consider Class 1-D," he pointed out. "If we're serious about forming partnerships with first-year students, Hosen's cooperation is essential. Without his agreement, no one from Class 1-D will pair with us."

Horikita's brow furrowed, but she nodded in agreement. "I see your point. Then let's go meet him."

---

An hour later, Ayanokoji, Horikita, and Sudou arrived at a karaoke room, where Horikita had arranged a meeting with Hosen. Nanase and Hosen arrived shortly after, each exuding an air of wariness.

Horikita began directly. "Hosen, we're here to propose a partnership between our classes. There will come a time when you'll need to rely on others for support. If we work together now, we can benefit both of our classes in this special exam."

Hosen's response was a low, mocking chuckle. "Working with you? Sure, as long as you're willing to cough up the points. Your offer isn't nearly enough."

His gaze shifted between them, calculating. "One million points as collateral. That's what I'll need. Pay up if you're serious."

Horikita clenched her jaw. "That's unreasonable, Hosen."

Without warning, Hosen's hand shot out, grabbing Horikita by her collar. Sudou started forward, fists clenched, but Horikita raised a hand to stop him. After a tense moment, Hosen released her, chuckling darkly, and picked up a glass of water, splashing it across Horikita's face with a smirk.

Sudou bristled, prepared to lunge, but Horikita shook her head, signaling him to stay put. She kept her composure, unflinching even as the water dripped down her face.

"You're not going to get anywhere with these tactics," Horikita said coolly.

Hosen shrugged, unfazed. "Then it seems this negotiation is over."

As they turned to leave, Hosen's voice trailed after them, taunting, "Maybe I'll reconsider for two million points. After all, I'd be doing Class D a big favor."

Horikita's face hardened. "We're not agreeing to that."

Hosen's expression darkened. He raised a fist in a mock threat, but Horikita refused to be intimidated. They continued walking, unfazed by his display.

Once they were outside, Hosen spoke again, his tone more serious this time. "Alright. If you're interested in an actual partnership, let's talk somewhere else, without an audience."

After a brief exchange of wary glances, they followed him to a secluded area behind the first-years' dormitory. There, Hosen leaned against the wall and demanded, "Three million points. That's my final offer."

Horikita crossed her arms. "It's too much, and you know it. We're not paying that."

Without another word, Hosen lunged at her, his fist aimed directly at her face. Before he could connect, Sudou pulled her back, taking the punch squarely in her stead. He staggered but quickly regained his footing, fury igniting in his eyes as he charged at Hosen.

The fight that ensued was brutal and relentless. Hosen lifted Sudou by the collar, his mocking laughter echoing as Sudou struggled against his grip. With a fierce knee strike, Sudou broke free, landing a solid blow against Hosen. The exchange grew more intense as Hosen retaliated, his fists connecting with Sudou's face.

"Enough!" Horikita shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears. Hosen was relentless, delivering blow after blow until Sudou finally dropped to his knees.

Hosen turned his attention back to Horikita, who met his gaze with unwavering determination. But before she could react, he closed the distance, gripping her wrist tightly and slamming her onto the ground.

"This is your last chance," he sneered, raising his demand to five million points. "Pay up, or there will be consequences."

Horikita looked at Ayanokoji. "Call the teachers."

Hosen laughed, pulling out a knife from his pocket. "Think again. If you call them, I'll be expelled—but so will you for the role your friend played here."

Ayanokoji's mind raced as he assessed Hosen's true intentions. Before anyone could intervene, Hosen advanced on him, knife in hand, but to everyone's shock, Nanase stepped between them.

"Hosen, stop this!" she demanded, arms spread wide in a futile attempt to halt him. "This isn't how things are supposed to go."

Hosen ignored her, sweeping her aside with one swift motion. He charged toward Ayanokoji, but Ayanokoji didn't dodge. Instead, he lunged forward, grasping Hosen's knife hand and redirecting the blade.

Hosen's eyes widened as the blade cut into Ayanokoji's palm. His voice shook with genuine surprise. "Why would you—"

Ayanokoji remained calm as he tightened his grip on Hosen's hand. "Your plan was to cause enough of a commotion to frame me for something worse. But I've been keeping an eye on you—and this knife in particular. You're the only one who bought this model from the mall."

Hosen's face paled as the realization set in. "What are you going to do now?"

Ayanokoji released him, calmly wiping the blood from his hand. "Accept two conditions, and this all stays between us. First, a cooperative partnership as equals. Second, you partner with me for the upcoming special exam."

Hosen scoffed, but he recognized the resolve in Ayanokoji's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he finally relented. "Fine. But don't think this is over."

As Hosen stalked off, Horikita and Sudou watched, still reeling from the encounter. Ayanokoji met their questioning gazes, his expression cool and unreadable.

~~

A/N: Check out my new original novel Harem Master: Seduction System. If you like harem stories with a Harem God System, you will love it. Check it out. Please also give your PS to that novel.