Kakegurui: Ten Consecutive Guaranteed Hits

Volume 1 Chapter 41: The Hidden Resistance Organization of the School

During the lunch break, Kiyohei had intended to find Mary to have lunch together, but she was nowhere to be found. He searched both the classroom and the gambling area, but neither Mary nor Tsuzura could be located. Kiyohei had no choice but to go to the cafeteria alone.

However, he wasn't entirely alone for lunch. Sitting across from him was Kurume.

"Cheer up, why so glum?" Kurume wrapped the end of a chicken leg with a tissue and teasingly held it near Kiyohei's mouth. She playfully said, "With a beauty like me sitting across from you, shouldn't you be happy?"

"Enjoy your meal," Kiyohei rolled his eyes and lightly used his chopsticks to unwrap her wrist, "I'd be happier if you didn't make me pay for your meal."

Originally, Kurume was eating alone at the restaurant too. When she saw Kiyohei approaching, her eyes lit up. She brought her tray over and even added more dishes to it without his consent. It was evident that she intended to freeload off his meal.

Kurume shrugged off his comment and took a bite of the chicken leg. Munching on it, she muttered, "Don't be so stingy. Aren't you financially supporting me? And now you're bothered by spending a little money?"

Who was supporting her? Kiyohei could barely hold back his laughter. He hadn't realized that she was so thick-skinned. She had tried to cheat him and failed, and yet she had the audacity to act as if it was only natural for her to latch onto him.

"I'm not financially supporting you. I simply hired you to work for me. I believe you're not the type to collect a salary without doing any work, are you?" Kiyohei retorted with a quip.

"Don't worry, I'm not a wage thief. Actually, I have explosive news on hand right now." Kurume mysteriously said, "Did you know? There's a resistance organization within the school."

Kiyohei raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by Kurume's revelation. "A resistance organization? In times of peace like these, where would terrorists come from? You're not just making this up to fool me, are you?"

"This organization isn't rebelling against the country; it's rebelling against the oppressive rule of the Hyakkaou Private Academy Student Council. The organization's full name is 'Association for a Better Blossoming,' abbreviated as 'Full-Bloom.' Their goal is to overthrow the tyranny of the Student Council President and establish a new school where everyone is equal."

"That sounds pretty positive. Tell me more." Kiyohei's curiosity was piqued.

"Most members of this organization are students burdened by heavy financial obligations who haven't been able to pay their 'contributions.' They're tired of the pressure and wish to break free from this oppression, which is why they've spontaneously formed this resistance organization. It's been established in secret for two months now. But if I hadn't become one of them, I wouldn't have known about its existence."

Where there's oppression, there's resistance. Kiyohei, as a newly-enrolled student, had his qualms about the Student Council President's cattle system. The people reduced to cattle certainly had their complaints, and they would definitely want to abolish this system.

Resistance was a good thing—it proved that not everyone supported the Student Council.

"Do you want to join this organization?" Asked Kiyohei.

"How likely is that? I'm not a fool. How could I join an organization that's destined to fail?" Kurume waved her hand dismissively, "The Student Council President is quite formidable. These insignificant individuals in the organization, combined, probably don't possess as much wealth as a single member of the Student Council. They can't possibly overturn the school's rule. I didn't pay them any attention when they invited me."

"Then why bring it up now?"

"Because I heard a secret. This organization, the Full-Bloom, is actually linked to an important member of the Student Council."

An insider at the Student Council?

Kiyohei immediately thought of Oda Nobunaga's story. The theme of the weaker overthrowing the stronger was quite traditional in Japan. Every ruler was susceptible to being backstabbed by their subordinates.

Was there discontent within the Student Council against the President's oppressive rule? Intriguing—internal strife among the ruling class.

"It's precisely because I heard this rumor that I found the Full-Bloom intriguing," Kurume said, smiling mischievously as she extended her hand towards Kiyohei. "My news is quite explosive, isn't it? It's worth a reward, right?"

The information was indeed important, and Kiyohei did not intend to deceive her. He took out 100,000 yen from his wallet and handed it to her. "It's indeed valuable. If you have more information like this, feel free to come to me."

"Just giving me money for a bit of information, you're quite generous, boss..." Kurume seemed surprised.

Truth be told, she hadn't expected Kiyohei to actually give her money. In her view, although the news was interesting, it probably held little value for a regular student like him. Yet, he was paying her for this information.

Wait a minute... Could it be that Kiyohei liked her? Was he afraid she wouldn't accept it and deliberately used buying information as a way to make her accept the money?

Really, if he liked her, he should just say so instead of beating around the bush.

Kurume's smile grew even more pronounced, while Kiyohei was a bit puzzled by her sudden change in attitude.

Lunch had been eaten, the meal had been paid for, the information had been compensated, so why wasn't she leaving?

Kiyohei genuinely believed the information was valuable, but he hadn't considered that Kurume might misunderstand.

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Kiyohei asked, growing a bit impatient with her lingering presence.

"No rush, no rush... By the way, do you have time in the afternoon? I'll show you around the school," Kurume said, resting her chin in her hands, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "There are many interesting places in this school beyond just gambling. Consider me your guide."

"Why are you suddenly so enthusiastic?" Kiyohei felt somewhat uncomfortable with her abrupt change in demeanor.

Kurume playfully winked at Kiyohei and grinned, "After sharing such valuable information with just a bit of cash, I felt a bit guilty not providing you with some special service."

Kurume wasn't from a wealthy family. For her, 100,000 yen was a considerable sum. After all, for a red and white shrine maiden like her, that amount could buy any service from her.

"Didn't you feel guilty when you extorted money from me earlier?"

Kiyohei rolled his eyes. Still, he didn't reject Kurume's proposal. He didn't know much about the school, and having a guide would indeed be convenient. Especially if that guide happened to be a good-looking girl showing off her legs—there was really no reason to refuse.

And so, they came to an agreement.

Attendance wasn't strictly enforced at this school, so Kiyohei easily skipped his afternoon classes and spent the time wandering around the campus with Kurume.

As mentioned before, the Hyakkaou Private Academy was like a self-contained community with various facilities for the students.

What surprised Kiyohei was that most of the basic facilities were open and free for students to use. The movie theater, golf course, bowling alley, gym, swimming pool... These places required no additional payments or membership cards. Just present your student ID, and you could use them for free.

In cafes and dessert shops, food prices also ranged from high-end treats to more affordable options, catering to both wealthy and less affluent students.

This was truly fantastic. Living in this school, even students with limited funds could enjoy a better lifestyle than middle-class families in the United States.