COTE: Bag And Love System

　-It's okay, Ibuki-san.

　　 Shiina looked at the complicated expression on the short-haired girl's face and knew what she was struggling with, so she comforted her in a gentle tone, "Now your classmates are on your side, as well as Albert and I. We will all support you together."

　　 "Really?"

　　 "No matter what Ryuuen-san does, please let's face it together. After all, I was the one who recommended Ibuki-san to be the class leader. I believe you can protect everyone."

　　 "Okay, then let's wait for that guy to come back."

　　 The short-haired girl strengthened her resolve in her heart. She wasn't fighting alone and had classmates by her side.

　　 Then Ibuki slowly walked up to the podium, ready to begin explaining the hidden rules she had purchased for everyone.

　　 A storm of surprise gradually swept over everyone in Class C.

　　-----

　　After exiting Class C's classroom, Hashima Hikaru and Ichinose Honami were standing in front of a vending machine. He was buying drinks while the girl was chatting in Class B's group chat on her phone.

　　 Everyone now knows that the last recycling point has been successfully completed and they are excitedly discussing where they will hold the awards party.

　　 Seeing the bright smile on Ichinose's face beside him, Hashima Hikaru felt a little satisfied. After all, this plan was not easy to implement. Problems kept arising, then being resolved, then arising again.

　　 They overcame all the obstacles in the process and managed to recover the three million private points, taking a small step towards the set 20 million. Now everyone can relax for a while.

　　 How is the discussion going?

　　 With a soft smile on her face, Hashima Hikaru approached Ichinose Honami and asked about everyone's situation.

　　 "Well, we're still discussing where to hold it. We've already thought of several options, but we haven't reached a consensus yet." Sensing the boy's masculine scent as he approached, the pink-haired girl blushed on her cute face, but she had no intention of keeping her distance. Instead, she leaned on Hashima Hikaru's shoulder and asked, "Does Hashima-san have any ideas?"

　　 "Me?"

The Hashima Hikaru touched his hair. He didn't really care where the dinner was held, as the important thing was eating.

　　 At that moment, two figures suddenly appeared in front of them.

　　 "Hashima-san, Ichinose-san, good afternoon."

　　 "?"

　　 The two looked up at the same time and found that it was Kōhei Katsuragi, whom they had met once at the beginning of the school year, and his follower Yahiko Totsuka.

　　 "What are you doing?"

　　 The boy looked a little confused, he hadn't checked on Class A in a long time and had no idea what their current situation was.

　　 "Can you spare a little of your time for Hashima-san and Ichinose-san? I have something I want to discuss with you."

　　 "...."

　　Looking at the bald man and the henchman behind him who suddenly appeared in front of them, the boy and Ichinose Honami beside him were slightly surprised.

　　 When he sold the rules on the first day of school, Hikaru Hashima still remembers Class A's overall performance. Their overall quality and thinking angles were very sharp, and Katsuragi and Sakayanagi, who were fighting for control of the class, were their leaders. Both of them were opponents that Class B must defeat.

　　 What exactly does Katsuragi want to do by suddenly appearing here at this time?

　　 Hashima Hikaru's expression became much more serious and he asked Katsuragi Kohei, "Katsuragi-san, if you have something to talk to us about, could you please tell us first?"

　　 —Let's go somewhere else. "This isn't the place to talk." Katsuragi shook his head and motioned for me to follow.

　　 The young man looked around. It was the hallway that extended from the teaching building to the dormitory. There were probably quite a few students nearby, so it wasn't a suitable place to talk about things.

　　 "Well, where are we going?"

　　 Hashima Hikaru looked at Ichinose Honami who was beside him. Although the girl was a little confused, she knew that Katsuragi was the leader of Class A and that this conversation might be related to the class competition.

　　 "Let's go to the cafe," Katsuragi nodded and said, "I'll treat you. After all, we were the ones who took the initiative to invite you."

　　 "Sure, I have no objection."

　　 Hashima Hikaru raised the corner of his mouth and said to Katsuragi in a joking tone, "Are you planning to bribe us? If so, my fee won't be cheap."

　　 "Don't worry, Hashima-san, I will never underestimate your abilities. If I want to bribe you, I'm afraid we can't afford the price for now."

　　 Katsuragi's expression was solemn, indicating that he would never think that.

　　 His serious attitude made Hashima Hikaru, who was originally planning to make fun of him, freeze, and the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.

　　 No, is this guy's character that serious?

　　 Ichinose Honami, who was there, saw the dazed expression on the boy's face and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

　　 "Hahaha, this is the first time I've seen this kind of expression on Hashima-san's face."

　　 "..."

　　-Forget it, I'd better keep quiet.

　　 With a frown on his face, Hashima Hikaru didn't want to continue talking, and he, Ichinose Honami, and Katsuragi Kōhei entered a cafe where students often went to consume.

　　 The atmosphere here is pleasant, and the distance between the tables is enough to talk about important things.

　　 The four of them sat down and took their seats. The choice of seats was simple. Katsuragi and his follower Totsuka Yahiko sat next to each other, while Hashima Hikaru sat on the other side with Ichinose Honami.

　　 "Let me get straight to the point. I'm actually here to seek an alliance with Class B," Katsuragi said solemnly to Hashima and Ichinose in front of him.

"Alliance?"

　　 The boy was a little surprised by this suggestion, so he looked at Ichinose beside him and said, "Ichinose-san, what do you think?"

　　 "Hmm… I'd like to hear what Katsuragi-san thinks first." Hearing the other party's intentions, Ichinose's expression also became serious. If they wanted to form an alliance, there would be too many implications, and they had to figure out what the other party wanted to do.

　　 "Actually, it's still related to our Class A's current situation."

　　 After hearing what Ichinose said, Katsuragi slowly explained, "After you sold the school rules, Sakayanagi and I still couldn't decide the winner, so we came to a compromise."

　　 "That's taking turns being the leader of Class A, and each person will lead the class until the end of each special exam." Katsuragi's tone was calm. This was a plan they had come up with that both parties could agree on.

　　 "Can you tell me something like this? This should be an important piece of information within the class."

　　 "Since it's an alliance, of course we have to show a certain degree of sincerity, otherwise it won't be possible to advance, right?"

　　 Katsuragi answered Hashima Hikaru's question and continued, "I'll be the class leader in the first round, so I came to find you."

　　 "Our classes A and B are currently the best in the first grade. We have strengths that classes C and D don't have. That's our advantage."

　　 Hikaru Hashima stroked the edge of the coffee cup that had just been brought to him and said in a low voice, "But no matter what, we're still opponents, aren't we? After all, there can only be one winner in the end."

　　 "That's true, but three years is a long enough time for us to make a lot of arrangements in advance."

　　 "If we form an alliance, Class A and Class B can join forces in the special exam and leave the two classes behind us far behind, so they can't threaten our position at all." Katsuragi's tone was very calm. "After achieving this goal, our two classes will decide the winner. What do you think, Hashima-san?"

　　 "Mmm…"

　　After hearing the other party's advice, Hashima Hikaru felt like laughing.

　　 I've always been the one to make promises to others, when will it be your turn to do the same?

　　 Although Class A has strong overall qualities and can form an alliance to leave Class C and Class D behind, this bald man currently can't fully represent Class A's views, and Hashima Hikaru doesn't trust him either. Everyone has just met each other, and in this highly competitive school, sometimes even classmates can't be trusted, let alone people from other classes.

　　 Moreover, forming an alliance is in itself problematic, especially since the exam hasn't started yet and no one is clear about the rules. Binding them directly will affect subsequent agreements.

Furthermore, the boy now has access to many intelligence channels and resources that other classes don't have. Unless there's a particularly urgent situation, there's no need to form an alliance with others.

　　 Then Hashima Hikaru looked Katsuragi in the eye and casually asked, "Before we make a decision, I'd like to ask: does Sakayanagi-san agree to this alliance proposal?"

　　 "This..."

　　Katsuragi Kōhei showed a hint of hesitation, but he still nodded and said, "I've already informed Sakayanagi-san about this alliance plan, and she didn't raise any objections."

　　 "Oh."

　　 Hashima Hikaru laughed softly. It seemed that this firm-minded Katsuragi-san was not only good at making promises, but also at cracking jokes.

　　 "I see. I more or less understand it now," Hashima Hikaru had no intention of stating her idea on his face. Instead, she looked at Ichinose Honami beside her and said, "Ichinose-san, as the leader of our Class B, what do you think of Katsuragi-san's suggestion to form an alliance?"

　　 "Me?"

　　 The girl had been analyzing the pros and cons of this alliance plan. After all, in the process of collecting points, only Class A had the easiest time, and they managed to get everyone to agree with just a few words.

　　 Both Class C and Class D have been through a lot of trouble, and Ichinose Honami has seen everyone's performance. If they could form an alliance with the best Class A, it would be an option worth considering.

　　 But when he saw the look in Hashima Hikaru's eyes, he immediately realized what the boy meant and quickly said to Katsuragi, "Regarding the proposal to form an alliance, I can't directly answer Katsuragi-san now, because I still need to ask the opinions of other students in our class. After all, this matter is too important."

　　 "Okay, I'll wait until you've discussed it." Katsuragi accepted this and took out his cell phone.

　　 "Let's exchange contact information, Hashima-san."

　　 "...Power."

　　 Hashima Hikaru nodded. He had received many mobile phone numbers over the past two days and none of them were easy to handle.

　　 After the two of them exchanged contact information, Katsuragi and Totsuka quickly left.

　　 "Hashima-san, what were you thinking about just now?"

　　 Ichinose waited until they were far away before asking a question.

　　 After spending some time together, the girl was able to roughly judge the meaning in Hashima Hikaru's eyes, so she was able to quickly change the subject at that moment.

　　 "Katsuragi-san's purpose in seeking an alliance with us is definitely not that simple," Hashima Hikaru rubbed his eyebrows and said to Ichinose, "According to him, Class A is currently implementing a rotating class leader system, with Katsuragi and Sakayanagi taking turns with the special exam as the deadline."

　　 "This is because neither of them can fully control the class right now, so they came up with this plan. Class A itself has a tendency to split up, and once this plan is put forward, it will make the future fight more intense."

　　 "Hashima-san, are you saying that everyone will correct their mistakes?" Ichinose had already reacted, her expression a little serious.

"Yes. For example, when Katsuragi-san is the leader, all of his actions in front of the class will be seen by all of the students in Class A. Once Katsuragi performs poorly or fails, people from the Sakayanagi faction will look for opportunities to attack him, and they may even steal people from the Katsuragi faction."

　　 "This is a foreseeable situation, so it's possible that he had other ideas when he came to us to form an alliance."

　　 Hashima Hikaru took a sip of the still-warm coffee, a thoughtful glint in her eyes.

　　 "So, what do you think Katsuragi-san's purpose is in coming to see us, Hashima-san?" Ichinose Honami seemed to understand something, her delicate eyebrows were furrowed, and she looked a little nervous.

　　 "I can only think of two possibilities," Hashima Hikaru placed his hands on the table and told the girl his thoughts, "First, Sakayanagi is putting a lot of pressure on Katsuragi currently. He is the first person to be the leader under this rotation rule, so he must achieve certain accomplishments, otherwise he will reduce the trust of his faction members."

　　 "Second, he must have had reservations about what he just said. Whether it's about forming an alliance or helping each other, he told us about Class A's current situation right away, which shows that he's very sincere." The boy spoke at a slow pace, thinking as he spoke.

　　 "But judging from Sakayanagi-san's attitude when I asked her just now, there must be a lot of tricks here that we don't know about," Hashima Hikaru smiled and asked Ichinose, "If Sakayanagi-san agreed, then why didn't she come? Even if it's physically inconvenient, it's totally fine to send a proxy."

　　"We saw them fight over power in class when we went to sell the rules together on the first day of school. This is the most amazing part."

　　"So, does Hashima-san want to reject their alliance?"

　　"Not necessarily." The boy shook his head and looked into Ichinose's eyes. "As for alliances, if you find reliable people, the benefits will definitely outweigh the disadvantages."

　　"But for our Class B, there's no need to rush into forming an alliance with other classes. We can rise by relying on everyone's joint efforts."

　　"Then what should we do with Katsuragi-san's suggestion?"

　　"Haha, that depends on what Class A is thinking, such as Sakayanagi's attitude." Hashima Hikaru touched his chin. As the leader of another faction, Sakayanagi also has a lot to say in Class A. Only by understanding her attitude can we make a better decision.

　　 "Does Hashima-san have a new plan?" Ichinose asked with a happy expression.

　　 "No, it's your turn now, Ichinose-san," Hashima Hikaru said in a low voice, looking at the pink-haired girl in front of him. "Have you forgotten our previous agreement, Ichinose-san? Now that the point collection plan has been finalized, isn't it your turn to contribute to the class?"

　　 The girl was startled upon hearing that, then her cute face blushed and her eyes became as charming as water.

She recalled how she had made a fool of herself in front of Hashima Hikaru. On that occasion, they had reached an important agreement regarding the future of the class and the testing of her own abilities.

　　 After that incident, Ichinose felt increasingly worried about the boy's presence. Unconsciously, every move of his could trigger changes in her emotions.

　　 "I see."

　　 Ichinose Honoki nodded heavily and said, "Then let me go find Sakayanagi-san and find out her attitude."

　　 Looking at the positive girl, Hashima Hikaru felt somewhat satisfied, but couldn't help but ask, "Does Ichinose-san know any classmates from Class A?"

　　 "Well, not yet, but I remember that Ando seems to have a friend in Class A. I can go ask her."

　　 Ichinose lowered her head and thought for a moment. She had been executing the plan with Hashima Hikaru these past few days and had no time to socialize. On the contrary, Ando Sayo, who hosted a dinner party on the first day of school, had a very satisfying time. She made friends with many classmates in almost every class and is currently known as the socialite of Class B.

　　"It's okay. If you meet someone, it will be easier to find Sakayanagi in Class A," Hashima Hikaru thought for a moment and solemnly ordered, "Remember one thing. If Sakayanagi asks about our class, don't tell her anything, not even the school reward last time."

　　"I know," Ichinose felt warm in her heart after hearing the boy's advice. "Don't worry, Hashima-san, I'll take care of this matter. I won't let you down."

　　"Umm."

　　 Hashima Hikaru nodded. He had understood Ichinose's feelings very clearly last time, so he had to let the girl stand out and show herself to dispel his doubts about his own abilities.