COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 26: Chabashira-sensei, you can bribe me!

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Chabashira Sae said, "I will prepare the junior high school graduation exams. Tomorrow, Rin, you will come over and finish those exams."

"Ah..."

"What?" Chabashira Sae glanced at Rin Matsuoka, who had an unhappy expression on his face.

"No, Chabashira-sensei, we can't contact the outside world, but how can you get the junior high school graduation exam papers?" Rin asked.

"While this school cannot contact the outside world, the cell phones of the board members and homeroom teachers have permission to do so. So, Rin, you don't need to worry. I can get the junior high school graduation papers."

"I see." Rin smiled as he looked at the cell phone in Chabashira Sae's pocket.

Perhaps sensing something strange about Rin's smile, Chabashira Sae asked, "Rin, what are you laughing at?"

"I'm not laughing at anything."

Rin was not only smiling; he was also thinking. He was considering how to gain access to a phone that could contact the outside world, like the one Chabashira Sae possessed.

With his intermediate hacking skills, Rin should be able to figure out a way to contact the outside world after tinkering with a phone that had such privileges.

But what would Rin gain by finding a way to contact the outside world?

Although Rin technically had parents—two sets, in fact—he had long since severed ties with both.

So, with Rin's family situation being what it was, who would he contact if he managed to gain that capability?

As the saying goes, "Prepare for a rainy day." A man once said that having more cards to play is always better. Even a chess player knows that, if possible, it's best to have as many hidden moves as possible.

Even if this ability to contact the outside world didn't seem useful right now, it didn't mean it wouldn't become useful later.

Perhaps, in the future, this hidden option might come in handy.

"Back to the matter at hand. I've already contacted someone I know to obtain the junior high school graduation exam papers. Tomorrow at noon, Rin, come to the teacher's office after lunch," Chabashira Sae said to Rin.

"But I refuse."

"Why do you refuse?"

"Chabashira-sensei, please tell me first, why should I have to take this?"

"Because the teacher asked you to."

"Why do I have to take it just because the teacher tells me to?"

"..."

Chabashira Sae looked at Rin silently.

What this guy was saying made sense... in a ridiculous way.

Isn't it normal for teachers to ask students to take tests?

Chabashira Sae stared at Rin with wide eyes, making him feel pressured. Rin now felt like he was facing an adult version of Horikita Suzune...

Rin blinked and realized that now was the perfect time to complete the task assigned by the narrator.

So, Rin said in a tactful tone, "Chabashira-sensei, you said that personal points can buy anything, so you could use personal points to bribe me into doing the test papers you prepared."

Chabashira Sae's eyes suddenly became dull as she stared at Rin. She was stunned and looked at him with disbelief.

What is this student talking about?!

He actually wanted her to bribe him with her personal points?!

It had never happened before that a teacher would use personal points to bribe a student. At least, Chabashira Sae had never encountered this situation in all her years as a teacher!

In fact, not just Chabashira Sae—even other teachers had never encountered such a bizarre situation...

After being momentarily shocked, Chabashira Sae, the cold and beautiful class teacher, gave Rin Matsuoka a half-smile. "Matsuoka, are you trying to make a deal with me?"

"No way, Chabashira-sensei. Think of it as motivation—the kind that will push me to actually fill out the test paper!" Rin responded seriously, not intimidated by her expression.

Ordinary students would simply follow the instructions given by their teachers without daring to defy or make demands, but Rin Matsuoka was different.

Because Rin hadn't been raised with proper care by his family as a child, he developed the habit of negotiating and making deals with others.

Moreover, the reason Rin had made it this far wasn't just due to the help of the narration system; it was also thanks to his active approach in proposing his own terms.

Looking at the handsome boy standing before her, Chabashira Sae felt both frustrated and satisfied.

To Chabashira Sae, the more difficult and assertive Rin was, the smarter he seemed. He knew how to think for himself and how to seek advantages, which made her happy.

Chabashira Sae knew that students with such personalities were more likely to secure a strong foothold in this school, where strength and cunning were paramount.

Most students who blindly followed orders and lacked their own ideas would rarely achieve anything outstanding.

"So, Chabashira-sensei, how many points do you think it would take to 'motivate' me?" Rin asked with a smile.

Chabashira Sae's lips curled into a cold smile as she responded slowly, "Matsuoka, how many points do you think you're worth?"

In reality, Chabashira Sae didn't need to trade personal points with Rin Matsuoka, as there would be an exam in a month and a half. By then, she could naturally assess Rin's academic ability based on his exam results.

This was the truth, but…

Chabashira Sae wanted to know Rin's academic ability right now!

She was in a hurry.

Chabashira Sae was particularly concerned about Rin, who had the sharpness to detect anomalies like the "100,000 personal points" situation.

If she could figure out Rin's academic level in the next two days, then she needed to do it within those two days, not delaying until the third!

If Rin did well on the test, she could relax.

If Rin's results were poor, at least she'd know where he stood, and her concerns could finally be put to rest.

"Chabashira-sensei, I want this much," Rin said with a smile, holding up his palm toward Chabashira Sae.

Chabashira glanced at Rin's open hand and, with a hint of satisfaction, said, "Fifty thousand, huh?"

Although 50,000 personal points were a lot, they weren't overwhelming.

"No, it's five hundred thousand," Rin quickly corrected.

Even though the task assigned by the narration system only required 300,000 personal points, Rin himself needed 200,000. But personal points were equivalent to money—who would complain about having too much? Especially someone like Rin, who had developed an obsession with money due to his childhood experiences.

Chabashira Sae's expression darkened, and she slowly replied, "I must have misheard. Matsuoka, could you repeat that?"

Rin knew that asking for 500,000 personal points was a stretch, so he adjusted his tone to one of negotiation. "Alright… how about 300,000 personal points?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened to the other two hundred thousand?"

Chabashira Sae continued to stare at Rin with a steely gaze.

"One hundred thousand?" Rin's tone suddenly became firm, and he declared decisively, "At least 100,000—no less! I've already cut it by 400,000!"