《Classroom of the Elite: The Eroge》


 Chapter 1 Act 1: Scene 1

    ?Zzz.....


    ....


    ...


    ...Zzzzz....


    .....


    .....


    ...Beep!


    Thanks to his senses that could detect even the slightest hint of sound while asleep, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka immediately sat up from his bed and looked around to see where that beeping came from. It couldn''t havee from an rm clock, he didn''t set one before going to bed. It couldn''t have been the doorbell, that would be ridiculous.


    A crazy idea popped up in his mind, which involved that man sending armed troops to the ce where he was temporarily staying at in an attempt to bring him back. Something like that can be expected from his father because it was just like him to go to drastic measures when it involved him.


    Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case either.


    [Congrattions, you have be ''the Protagonist''! Raise gs, form rtionships, and build your very own harem of beautiful heroines to love! Enjoy!]


    Kiyotaka blinked in confusion, before staring at the floating pink screen with white text that was floating before his face.


    Today was supposedly his first day in high school and he had been preparing for it ever since a week ago. He made sure that nothing would prevent him from going to Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School and starting a new life, not even some lousy sickness.


    After checking his body temperature to see if he was sick (he wasn''t), Kiyotaka concluded that there was no reason for him to be having hallucinations this early in the morning. However, even after blinking and rubbing his eyes several times, it didn''t disappear.


    Deciding he would think about this when he gets out of bed properly, Kiyotaka moved to the edge but was surprised when the pink screen moved with him, staying at a fixed distance in front of his face that he could still read the text no matter which direction he looked.


    He thought of a way to make this strange image disappear because it would definitely be a distraction and after a bit of thinking, he reached out with his hand towards the screen and touched it. The screen then made a beeping sound that one would normally hear in video games before it finally disappeared, confusing him to no end.


    "...what was that?" he mumbled to no one in particr, before the sound of the door opening got his attention.


    "Kiyotaka-senpai? Breakfast is ready downstairs. You don''t want to bete for your first day in high school!"


    Nanase Tsubasa, a 15-year old blonde girl who was a close friend of the people whom he was staying with, entered his room with a bright smile on her face.


    Kiyotaka almost forgot that this girl was here. She had stayed over for the night (sleepovers were a regr urrence in this household) under the excuse of it being thest time she would see him before he leaves to attend high school. While he didn''t really care about her reasons, he found it interesting that she can sleep here without any repercussions. Are sleepovers just that normal?


    Anyway, the young man couldn''t even respond to her words properly when the world around him suddenly stopped.


    As in, literally stopped.


    The strange ''beeping'' sound filled his ears again and everything around him lost color and froze, as if someone had frozen time itself. Tsubasa stayed where she was,pletely frozen, and even the digital clock near his bed had stopped.


    It wasn''t this that got him to widen his eyes in shock, though.


    What took that achievement were the three new ''screens'' that suddenly showed before him, in the same color scheme as the one earlier, neatly ced one over the other.


    A. [I heard you, and I''m going. Now get out. I have to change clothes.]


    B. [Nanase, you don''t just barge into someone else''s room without knocking. Would you mind it if I did the same?]


    C. [You know, I never realized how cute and adorable you are, Tsubasa-chan. Why don''t you join me in bed for a few more minutes before we go down?]


    "What''s going on here..." Kiyotaka stated while staring at the three screens, especially thest one.


    Thanks to his past, Kiyotaka couldn''t show any kind of emotion on his face even though he was capable of feeling them, but this was the closest he hade to breaking that.


    Kiyotaka had seen his fair share of shocking things, like people being killed and burned to oblivion but if he had to be honest, none of those couldpare to this.


    The sudden stop of time itself was already enough to break his usual apathetic expression, but it was the three ''choices'' before him (especially thest one) that got his jaw to slightly drop out of disbelief. If that wasn''t enough, he could also see Nanase''s ''Breakfast is ready downstairs. You don''t want to bete for your first day in high school!'' on top of them in a separate screen.


    Despite his true nature and what he was really like under that mask of indifference that he normally had, Kiyotaka was still a teenager and thus, shared a simr interest to things that other teens liked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It didn''t help that for the past month that he had been living here, Eiichiro Matsuo, the son of the butler who helped him escape from that ce, introduced him to the world of video games when they met. After only a week, Kiyotaka was able to build his ownputer and even program it to give him regr updates about that man and the White Room.


    Even though he has never had a keen interest in games like this (he preferred strategy and FPS games where he can truly be in his element), he still knew what this whole scenario was like.


    Namely, Visual Novels. They were a type of game wherein the yer would have to assume the role of the protagonist and make his own choices that will affect the game in many ways. In the novels that were also considered ''dating simtors'', the yer may choose between different ''routes'', or girls whom he would end up with when the game is finished.


    In his case, though, Kiyotaka had never yed any cute/romantic ones, because there wasn''t anything like that in this household. Eiichiro liked the ''explicit'' genre of visual novels more, which were the eroges. He even had a collection of them which Kiyotaka decided to ignore the first time he saw it. How would his father react to that when he sees it...


    Regardless, he had yed a few eroges in the past month and it only left him curious and interested on how games like those were made, despite the mature content that were included in them.


    The words from the first screen earlier then came back to his mind, making him shake his head.


    "This is ridiculous. I must be dreaming. Eiichiro''s games have simply got into my head."


    No. Kiyotaka refused to believe that he was experiencing the life of a dating sim protagonist. It sounded like ame plot for a cheap manga and this was no doubt just a weird dream. Maybe seeing that eroge collection of Eiichiro got to his brain.....


    It also sounded like some god up there took pity on him for essentially missing out on his entire childhood and made things this way to make it up to him.


    Deciding that this was only a dream without a doubt, Kiyotaka threw himself back to his bed, ignoring the choices and closing his eyes.


    An undetermined amount of timeter (because his clock was still frozen) and things remained the same. Kiyotaka tried a number of things in an attempt to wake himself up from this ''dream''. From punching himself in the face (which hurt a lot) and trying to step past the frozen and colorless form of Tsubasa (which magically teleported him back to his bed, Kiyotaka starteding to the realization that maybe this wasn''t a dream....


    ....which was insane. Thanks to Eiichiro''s influence and his own curiosity, Kiyotaka had read his fair share of stories and manga where something simr to this happened..... as in, the protagonists'' life turning into a video game, but he never asked for this to happen to him!


    Plus, did it really have to be a dating sim? Couldn''t it have been an RPG or even being sent to another world where he can have a new life? That would have been better!


    Finallying to the realization that he was basically ''trapped'' here until he does something, Kiyotaka sighed and walked over towards Tsubasa, standing just before her before looking at the three choices he had.


    Obviously, the option that caught his attention was the first one. It was simple, direct, and can get rid of Tsubasa in a snap. However, he quickly had second thoughts about it. He had no idea how his answer would affect Tsubasa and from his experience in ying these games, choosing the wrong option would lead to something bad. As much as he wanted Tsubasa to leave, he didn''t want to be rude to the girl who was only trying to tell him that food was on the table.


    The second choice was also usible, but Kiyotaka could tell that it contained a passive-aggressive tone from the words alone. Plus, it also had an inappropriatement about going into a girl''s room that wasn''t needed at all. Again, he didn''t want to be rude to Nanase who has done nothing wrong as far as he was concerned.


    And so, by process of elimination, Kiyotaka''s eyes fell on thest option, the one that would have been discarded first out of logic if he was in a normal conversation.


    Unfortunately, this was anything but normal. It was also remotely obvious that it was the ''right'' option, considering his current predicament. As much as he wanted to deny it, he was now curious about what would happen if he chooses this option.


    With his mind made up, Kiyotaka sighed to himself and pushed ''Option C''.


    Almost immediately, the young man had the weirdest feeling ovee him, feeling as if the world became ''blurred'' until he found himself back on his bed, in the exact same position he had been when the ''choices'' first appeared.


    The sensation caused him to feel dizzy and unable to notice that the world around him was regaining its color and going back to the way it was. Kiyotaka then felt his mouth and body were moving by a will not his own, as if some kind of greater power had suddenly overriden his own mind.


    If Kiyotaka had to be honest, he was getting nervous about this. He was trained to fight against human threats, not divine ones. Divine because what he''s going through at the moment can''t be the work of a normal human at all.


    "You know, I never realized how cute you are, Tsubasa-chan," Kiyotaka spoke with a smile that took the blonde girlpletely off guard, because she had never seen him make any kind of emotion before. "Why don''t you join me in bed for a few more minutes before going down?"


    Silence was what followed even after the shocked Kiyotaka regained control over his body. He was already thinking of what to say as an apology, when he saw Tsubasa blushing furiously as she took a few steps back, unable to look at him in the eyes.


    "U-Uhm..... I-I-I-I''ll leave you alone for now, Senpai.... D-Don''t forget toe down for breakfast alright....?!" The poor Tsubasa squeaked in embarrassment before running away, leaving the dumbfounded Kiyotaka behind.


    He didn''t even have time to open his mouth and voice his shock at how this thing worked as well as the fact that he actually smiled, because several ''Notifications suddenly popped before him with some weird chiming that came from who-knows-were.


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked the achievent: ''Smooth Like Butter''! You gained +1 in Charm!]


    [Tsubasa Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Nanase Tsubasa!]


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom [Your current status with Tsubasa has changed to ''Loyal Follower''!]


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked the achievement: ''The First of Many''! You gain +1 in Aura!]


    "I can''t believe it. This may actually be real," mumbled Kiyotaka, who was slowly getting over his shock and was now growing curious about this strange ''power'' instead.


    This was apletely different experiencepared to ying video games, and he now wanted to know more about how this worked.

 Chapter 2 Act 1: Scene 2

    ?Breakfast had been quite a slightly awkward affair, mainly between him and Tsubasa. Eiichiro was as loud and boisterous as ever while Matsuo himself was offering Kiyotaka some advice before he leaves for schoolter on, but the young man wasn''t listening at all.


    It wasn''t Kiyotaka''s fault that he couldn''t concentrate on what was happening. It''s because of the ''screen'' that appeared over Tsubasa''s head that he couldn''t ignore no matter how much he tried to think about something else.


    [Nanase Tsubasa: ''Friendly Kouhai'']


    [Rtionship Status: Loyal Follower]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Tsubasa is a dear friend of Eiichiro who met you a month ago when his father brought you here. During all the times she has visited, she always looks forward to being around you because of how much of a mystery you are. She constantly wonders why you never show any kind of emotion, but chooses not to ask anything because she thinks it is something you don''t want to share. She looks up to you as her ''senpai'' and highly values your opinion. She aims to go to Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School like you in a year''s time]


    Kiyotaka was trying hard not to stare at the screen that showed Tsubasa''s information, but all it did was confirm to him that this was something he''d have to get used to. On the bright side, it did give him more insight on what the girl thought about him and he was slightly surprised at what he just found out.


    More importantly, he was curious on how exactly this ''power'' worked. Was it just about raising gs with ''heroines'' and making a harem of his own? He remembered those as the exact words that were shown at the screen that he saw when he woke up.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Was that it then? Was he simply supposed to gain the affection of the girls hees across with? Tsubasa was already one of them and from the looks of it, she wasn''t going to be the only one.


    To what end, though? How many girls would it take before this dating simtor bes satisfied? Based on what he knew about games like this, the normal number of girls that a yer can choose from would be five, but there''s no telling if the same applies to this ''power'' he now possessed.


    Of course, like every other person out there, Kiyotaka desired to experience what was it like to love a person and if he was capable of doing so. Because of that, he wasn''t going to be pissed at this turn of events and if anything, this might help him.


    But can he really live with this predicament? He also wanted to enjoy the other aspects of his freedom like choosing where to go, what to do, and what to eat. With his life being akin to a protagonist of a dating simtor, he didn''t feel as free anymore.


    It''s like someone from above was telling him to use this to his advantage and do with it as he wished, but could he really do this? He knew nothing about falling in love and rtionships and he waspletely sure that video games aren''t the same as real life.


    "Senpai, give me your te and utensils, I''ll wash them for you. You need to prepare to go to school, remember?" spoke Tsubasa with a calm voice, bringing Kiyotaka out of his musings and making him realize that she had finally put the awkwardness from his earlier teasing/joke behind her.


    "Sorry, what were you saying?"


    Tsubasa simply smiled. "Your te, Senpai. I''m going to wash the dishes."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kiyotaka noticed that she was holding 3 sets of tes and utensils in her arms, which meant that Eiichiro and Matsuo were already done. Has he been deep in his thoughts for that long?


    Before he could say anything however, the world around him screeched to a halt as three separate screens appeared before him.


    A. [Sure. Here you go. You should head home soon too. Your parents might be getting worried.]


    B. [I''ll handle it. Think of it as an apology for... the joke I said earlier....]


    C. [No, let your senpai take care of this. Anything for my cute and adorable kouhai!]


    Kiyotaka rolled his eyes as everything around him lost color, before doing a quick scan of the three new options provided for him. It didn''t even take him a few seconds to choose the third option, barely thinking about what the other two could do.


    Even though he was ready this time, the feeling of some higher power taking over his mind and actions still felt weird and disturbing.


    As the world returned to normal, Kiyotaka felt himself standing up while grabbing his own te before taking the rest from Tsubasa in one smooth move.


    "No thank you, Tsubasa. Let your senpai take care of this," the ''overridden'' young man dered with the same smile he used earlier, making the girl flinch in surprise. "Anything for my cute and adorable kouhai!"


    The effect was instantaneous, and Kiyotaka found himself regaining control over his body in time to see Tsubasa''s face turning red from the atomic blush that appeared on her cheeks.


    "I-I think you''re being very weird today, Senpai.....!" Tsubasa shook her head in an effort to rid herself of the embarrassment she was feeling, before running away from the scene to save herself.


    [Your sudden change in personality overwhelmed a Heroine! You gained +2 in Charm!]


    [You gained 15 Affection Points with Nanase Tsubasa!]


    "That went just about as I expected," Kiyotaka sighed while dismissing the new notifications that appeared.


    It''s going to take him some time to get used to this....

 Chapter 3 Act 1: Scene 3

    ?After going through the dishes, Kiyotaka went back to his room and prepared his new school uniform, before heading to the bathroom.


    As he lowered himself inside the bathtub, Kiyotaka thought about this strange power that he now possessed and what it was capable of doing.


    "Somehow, this thing is strong enough to make someone like me show emotions, especially a smile. I wonder what else this thing can do....."


    Even though he wasn''t in control of himself when he chose from the three options earlier, he still felt himself smiling and acting like a normal person around Tsubasa, which was quite the experience, if he had to be honest.


    Kiyotaka also wondered if he could be capable of smilingpletely on his own, without the intervention of this strange power. Thest time he smiled was before he was sent to that ce, and it had been many years since that happened.


    "Time to put my knowledge about games to the test, I suppose," Kiyotaka leaned back, staring up at the ceiling as he thought deeply about figuring how this dating simtor worked. "Hm, I know that in every game, there''s some kind of tutorial that helps a yer in how to y the whole thing. Should the yer require another tip or hint, he could always open the menu-"


    With another musical chime that his ears picked up, a new ''screen'' materialized before him that was different from the ''choices'' earlier. It was also further proof that this wasn''t a dream by all means, but reality.


    "Voice activation, huh? That''s pretty convenient," Kiyotaka washed his face before analyzing the pink-colored ''Menu'' before him and what it had to offer.


    [Dating Stats]


    [Heroines'' Status]


    [Titles]


    [Skills]


    [Gallery] (Locked)


    [Achievements]


    "So, it''s pretty much the same as a normal visual novel, but with an emphasis on romance," he concluded.


    Your life turning into a video game was likely a dream that many people shared, and even Kiyotaka thought about it once or twice after being introduced to them.


    Having this happening to him was pure irony. He, who wished to know how to fall in love and have a girlfriend someday, was now bestowed with a strange gift that can help him aplish that.


    However, this was never what he wanted.


    He could have been an RPG character who had limitless potential and can train to be the strongest there is but no, he was still a normal person who had this strange ability to stop time itself for the sole purpose of choosing from a list of options.


    "If it was up to me, I''d rather be reincarnated in another world where I''m inplete control of my life. This whole thing makes me feel like my freedom has just been taken away from me..... again."


    Okay, perhaps he was being too pessimistic about this. Maybe there was something within this dating simtor mechanic that would be useful to him in the long run, so he turned back to the Menu and began to explore it for an ability or skill that can be beneficial for him.


    Unfortunately, he was wrong.


    [Dating Stats]


    Charm: 13


    Wisdom: 20


    Aura: ?


    These ''stats'' werepletely useless, at least for him. ''Charm'' stood for his natural ability to make other people find him approachable/attractive/likable. He was actually surprised that it was more than a ''1'', as he waspletely sure that his expressionless look was something that can chase other people away. ''Wisdom'' didn''t pertain to his actual intelligence or experience in life, but for his capacity to know what others liked/didn''t like about him. The other stat was ''Aura'', which apaprently stood for his natural ability to draw other people to himself. The question mark could either mean that it was something that couldn''t be measured or he just can''t ess it yet.


    ''Heroines'' Status'' was likely going to show him the same screen that he saw above Tsubasa''s head before, so he ignored it. The next one, though...


    [Titles]


    [The Protagonist]: You''re the MC! The mostplicated and downright impossible things are going toe your way! (Grants mental immunity to any kind of illusion or trick that is designated to throw you off guard)


    What a letdown. This title meant nothing in his eyes. Well, at least he was reassured that he can never be manipted by someone else, even though he himself would never let that happen. Time to move to the next sub-menu, which looks more interesting than ''Titles''.....


    [Skills]


    [Eroge Protagonist]: Your life can be yed like a Dating Sim.


    [Eyes of the Main Character]: Grants you the ability to discern between ''Filler Characters'' and ''Potential Heroines''.


    [To Protect Her Smile]: ? (Skill Locked)


    Nope. These skills were a disappointment as well, especially thatst one which was apparently locked, so he couldn''t see what it was about. Eh, it''ll probably be ame one thanks to that ridiculous name. The first one couldn''t even be considered a ''skill'' in his eyes, it''s more of a status. The second one was pointless as well, because it was only a reminder that Tsubasa won''t be the only girl who will be considered a ''heroine''.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Finally, Kiyotaka turned his attention to thest sub-menu, ''Achievements''. However, it wasn''t any helpful either, because it worked the same as in many games. About 99% of the achievements were hidden but showed the conditions on how to get them, while the two that were already unlocked didn''t even show any rewards that he got from them. Who knows? There might not even be any rewards for these achievements, which would be disappointing.


    [Achievements]


    [First of Many]: Unlock a Heroine Route.


    [Smooth Like Butter]: Choose the Best Option during your first interaction with a Heroine.


    .....yep, there''s nothing here that''s helpful as well. The hidden achievements only served to disappoint him even further, actually. One of them even had the condition of ''unlocking more than 8 routes'', which was a ridiculous thing to think about.


    All in all, it felt like someone above tried to put together aplicated system for a dating simtor in real life and just pped it on him for no reason. If it was a god who did this, then Kiyotaka expected better. It may seem interesting at first nce but after taking a look at what this ''power'' had to offer, it wasn''t anything special.


    And while he was a perfectly straight and healthy teenager, Kiyotaka didn''t feel like taking advantage of this dating simtor to get a girlfriend (it was already doing it regardless). If anything, this system was taking advantage of him because he was forced to make the appropriate choice that one would make in a dating sim, even though it made him ufortable.


    "Assuming this thing will continue to work even while I''m in school, then I should just prepare for the worst," Kiyotaka sighed.


    Since this dating sim mechanic was apparently powerful enough to force him to smile and show emotions to other people even if he didn''t want to, there''s bound to be someplicated situations which he would have to deal with in the aftermath. That''s what the ''Protagonist'' title was for, after all.


    Hey, at least this will surely make that man lose his mind if he ever finds out about this, so..... constion prize....?


    ~XoX~


    After taking a bath, Kiyotaka proceeded to dress himself in his school uniform before preparing his belongings. The thought of this dating sim power that he now possessed being a possible headache in the future still lingered in his mind, but he wasn''t going to let that deter him from enjoying his new life in high school.


    Once he was done with everything, the young man stood by the front door, where he was about to say farewell to the three people in the household.


    "I suppose this is goodbye," he said, shifting his gaze towards the man who helped make this possible. If there was anyone whom he felt grateful towards, it was Matsuo for helping him escape his life in the White Room and gave him the freedom to do what he wanted. "Thank you for what you''ve done for me, Matsuo."


    Matsuo offered him a smile, before shaking his head slowly. "I don''t believe this is goodbye, Kiyotaka-sama. After three years, we will meet each other again and by then, I hope you have lived your life to the fullest. Be what you want to be."


    Kiyotaka nodded in acknowledgement as he turned to the next person, who gave him a big grin before throwing his hand for a handshake.


    "We''ll meet again, Kiyotaka, I''m sure of it! Hell, I''m thinking of going to the same school as you when I''m done with my current school!"


    The young man nodded in response as he epted the gesture, shaking Eiichiro''s hand. "It would be nice to have a familiar face around, so why not?"


    Kiyotaka then turned to thest person, who looked so nervous that she had no idea what to say.


    "Senpai....." Tsubasa mumbled, as she struggled toe up with the proper words to tell him. She had not went home yet apparently, citing that she wanted to say goodbye to him before that. "Please wait for me! I''ll be sure to follow you in that school when I''m done with middle school!"


    Kiyotaka waited for a few moments, expecting the world to freeze once again and show him three choices to choose from, but nothing happened. It made him confused, because this was a clear opportunity to have him choose from different options on what would be his response. It also made him more curious about how this strange anomaly truly worked.


    "No choices this time? Strange. Does it expect me to say the right thing? Or is it letting me say what I want?" Kiyotaka thought, before quickly thinking of what to tell the girl as a response, since nothing was happening anyway. She was waiting for him to say something, after all. "I''ll wait when that happens then, Nanase."


    The blonde girl stared up at him for a brief moment, and it was unclear what she was thinking right now.


    "Senpai!"


    Tsubasa then rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Kiyotaka in a big hug. She buried her head into his chest, while Kiyotaka only stared at the girl hugging him in surprise as two new ''notifications'' appeared in front of him, ignoring the amused smiles from Matsuo and his son.


    [You gained 30 Affection Points with Nanase Tsubasa!]


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked the achievement: ''We Will Meet Again''! You gain +1 in Charm!]


    "''30 Affection Points''.... seriously? I didn''t even do or say anything that can gain her affection." Kiyotaka was dumbfounded above everything else, wondering how a boring and direct response actually caused that big of an increase in Affection Points with this girl. As far as he was concerned, nothing should have happened. But here he was, getting hugged by a girl and being aware of what she felt towards him.


    Maybe it''s because he still had a lot to learn about romance, as well as the mind of a girl.


    He was too caught off guard to respond to Nanase''s sudden hug that she already let go when he was about to take her arms off of him. She then stepped back, as she gave him a big smile that somehow caused the young man''s heart to beat faster than before. Kiyotaka felt it and was left wondering if it was because of this strange power that''s been bugging him since this morning.


    "Good luck, Senpai! Do your best!"


    Instead of saying anything else, Kiyotaka simply nodded and walked out of the house before one of those three figure out that something was wrong with him.


    Despite what just happened with Tsubasa, the brown-haired teen put the issue at the back of his mind for now, and instead chose to think about his new high school while he stood at the sidewalk. A bus soon stopped in front of him, and Kiyotaka was in deep thought while he stepped inside, then took a seat at the nearest empty spot he could find.


    "My new life begins now.... and with ites this ''dating sim'' power that I have. I have no idea what''s in store for me in this school but with this ''power'' I have, I''m sure it''ll be filled with headaches. Still, it''s bound to be interesting and I feel strangely excited for what the ce is all about."


    Somewhere out there, a few beings of higher power were having fits ofughter at the impending chaos that will happen soon enough.

 Chapter 4 Act 1: Scene 4

    ?In order to take his mind off of his newfound ''power'' for a while, Kiyotaka opted to take a nap inside the bus on the way to his new school. However, he also knew that this was only going to prolong the inevitable because there would be nothing that can stop this dating simtor from going nuts once he arrives at the campus.


    Surely, there would be a lot of beautiful girls at school whom the dating sim can consider a ''Potential Heroine'', and Kiyotaka was already dreading that possibility.


    The young man himself was a calm and rational person but since this situation involved something that waspletely out of his control and had no chance of manipting to his advantage, it was starting to get to him.


    Perhaps the feeling of being helpless and defeated can be considered a constion prize?


    Anyway, he wanted to enjoy his high school life, damn it! He didn''t want to be a ''protagonist'' or whatever status this stupid mechanic treated him as! Kiyotaka was also sure that there''s a ''potential heroine'' somewhere inside this bus, which made him decide to take a nap instead.


    Unfortunately for him, his nap wouldn''tst long with the voices that he would hear afterwards.


    "Excuse me, shouldn''t you offer up your seat?"


    "What are you talking about,dy? Why should I offer up my seat when it''s clear that I am the one using it?"


    Kiyotaka tried to ignore the two voices, but also felt interested in seeing what was going on. But it also means opening his eyes and possibly causing his ''power'' to activate again. He was even in a public ce where he can be seen, and that scenario is bound to create some problems for him...


    Oh, screw it. He''ll just take a little peek at what''s happening and that''ll be it. Nothing more.


    Opening his eyes, Kiyotaka then took a nce at the ongoingmotion that was happening behind him.


    There was an officedy who appeared to be scolding a young man with slicked back blonde hair, sitting in an arrogant manner with his arms folded and his leg crossed over the other. The blonde man was wearing the same uniform as him, so he must be heading to the same school.


    The officedy was standing next to an old woman. Now that he got a better look at things, it seems like the young man was being scolded for sitting on a priority seat.


    "You''re sitting on a priority seat, which naturally means you have to give it to the elderly. You seem like a high school student, yet you don''t know such a thing?


    "That guy feels like he''s too prideful to even think of giving up his seat," Kiyotaka was tempted to go back to his nap now that he knew what was happening, but he ultimately decided to watch for a bit just to see where this goes.


    "I don''t understand. Priority seats are just priority seats, nothing more. I am under no obligation to move and because I am the one sitting here, I will choose whether to move or not. Am I supposed to give this up simply because I''m young? Ha! What nonsense," the blonde manughed.


    "W-What kind of attitude is that towards your superiors...?!"


    The blonde man smirked. "Superiors? While it is true that you and that old woman have lived longer than me, you are in no way superior to me. In fact, you don''t even know who I am, do you?"


    "Y-You''re just a high school student! Honestly, just listen to what the adults say!"


    "Dearie, it''s nothing big, really..." the old woman spoke in an attempt to defuse the situation, but it was no use. The officedy became angrier with every argument that was thrown towards her, while the young man continued to act arrogant without a care in the world. By now, the argument had gotten the attention of almost everyone in the bus, but it seemed like nobody wanted to intervene.


    That is, until a girl with short beige hair, crimson eyes, and a well-endowed figure walked up to the middle of the vehicle with a pleading look on her face. Almost immediately, Kiyotaka tore his gaze away from the scene before a pink screen with white text could show up.


    "I''m not looking to activate a dating simtor right now, of all times..." he shook his head while inwardly cursing whoever it is that gave him this power. Oh, who was he kidding? He would surely meet this girl again because she was wearing the girls'' uniform of the same high school that he''s going to.


    "Excuse me? Is there anyone here who would be willing to give up their seat? Please?"


    Kiyotaka then heard the girl''s cute voice, and he could already tell that she easily got everyone''s attention just from her appeal and kind nature alone. Well, maybe except the person who was seated to his left.


    Beside him was a girl with long ck hair and red eyes reading a book entitled ''Crime and Punishment''. In short, she was a beautiful young woman. Kiyotaka was interested in her choice of reading (because of what it was about), but he was also curious about whether she was too busy reading to notice the issue that was happening around her or she didn''t care at all.


    While he was looking at her, the brown-haired teen failed to realize what he was doing and it was toote for him to do so when a familiar pink screen appeared above the girl''s head.


    [Horikita Suzune: ''Icy Loner'']


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® [Rtionship Status: ?]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Suzune is the younger sister of the current Student Council President of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, a talented young man named Manabu whom she looks up to very much and desires to be like him one day. She chose to go to the same school as him for the sole reason of following in his footsteps, as well as to make him acknowledge her. Unlike her brother though, he is very isted and refuses to make friends of any sort, believing that she is above everyone else and doesn''t need social connections to achieve her goal.]


    "I got distracted. How embarrassing," the young man thought to himself in disappointment. This dating simtor power was clearly going to be annoying to deal with. "Well, I suppose this means that this girl, Horikita Suzune, is a Heroine like Nanase."


    Can''t there be some sort of warning when a girl hees across with is a Heroine? That''s one of his skills, right? Or is the ''Heroine Summary'' the extent of that skill? If it appears, then a girl is a ''Heroine'' and if not, she is a ''Filler Character''. What a disappointing skill.


    On the brighter side of things, the ''Heroine Summary'' gave him valuable information about the girl, including who she is and what she''s like.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So this girl looks up to her older brother... he''s someone to keep an eye on, if that''s the case. I''m surprised that a girl like her is considered a Heroine. With that kind of attitude, we might not get along. In fact, I can tell that it would offend her if she ever finds out that there''s someone better than her."


    He was referring to himself but of course, he wouldn''t do something stupid like showing the girl his true abilities within. That''s a one-way ticket to getting attention and he didn''t want that, considering what he''s already dealing with at the moment.


    While Kiyotaka was unaware of it, Horikita had noticed that he was staring at her, prompting her to give him an icy re that looked like it could freezeva itself. When he did realize it, he was toote. The girl looked pissed with him, and he knew why.


    "You know, it is rude to stare."


    As he thought of something to say as a response, Kiyotaka felt the world around him freeze and everything lost its color. The three choices appeared before him and for the first time, he actually felt grateful that his power intervened and saved him from a difficult situation. Kiyotaka truly had no idea what to say as an excuse to the girl and to make matters worse, he knew to himself that he was staring at her.


    A. [You''re right. I apologize for staring and I won''t do it again.]


    B. [That''s an interesting book you have.... you must be a really smart person to be analyzing a book that ys with your rationality and morals.]


    C. [I mean, can you me me? You''re too beautiful for me to ignore.]


    *WARNING: Choosing the Wrong Choice will forever block this Heroine''s Route.


    Kiyotaka blinked. He thought about what surprised him more, the fact that there was actually a way for him to avoid romancing random girls whom he encounters or that the ''system was actually telling him how.


    Well, since this was a chance to lessen the headaches that he would get from dealing with more than one girl, then he would take it!


    "Based on how Nanase had reacted to the choices that I made earlier, the third option will surely affect Horikita in the same way. I''m staying away from that, which leaves me with the first two choices," he mused, turning his attention to the options that were left. "The first one sounds like something I would say, but it would be a waste to end a conversation between us. A perfectly normal conversation, without any danger of gaining those ''Affection Points'' with her, that is. The second one looks better... and I can even talk to her with it."


    Feeling confident about his choice, Kiyotaka pushed ''Option B'' as the world around him went back to normal. He then felt his actions being taken over again, keeping him from saying anything although he could still think freely.


    "I don''t think I''ll ever get used to that," Kiyotaka thought, before turning his attention towards Suzune. "That''s an interesting book you have... you must be a really smart person to be analyzing a book that ys with your rationality and morals."


    After listening to his words, the re on Horikita''s face slowly softened until itpletely disappeared. It was then reced with a look of wonder, as she wasn''t expecting him to say those words. In particr, what got her attention was how he thought of her as smart just because she was reading a specific book.


    "I-Is that so?" she replied, before realizing her little blunder by stuttering slightly in her words. She quickly recovered by clearing her throat and straightening her posture. "Well, I wouldn''t say that about myself. I simply like reading novels such as these. They are more interesting than anything that was published recently.


    [You gained 1 Affection Point with Horikita Suzune!]


    [Suzune Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Horikita Suzune!]


    [Your current status with Suzune has changed to ''Strange Friends''!]


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Quelling a Maiden''s Anger''! You gained +1 in Charm]


    Wha¡ª


    "Wait... that was the right choice...?" a dumbfounded Kiyotaka thought to himself as he stared at the four new notifications that popped up in front of him. "I thought for sure that I made the wrong choice. How was the second option the right one?"


    It appears that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka still had a lot to learn about interacting with other people properly, even with a ''dating sim'' superpower backing him up.


    If there was a wall nearby, the young man felt like punching it and leaving a big dent in the process.


    Unaware of what he was going through in his mind, Suzune decided to ask him something to sate her curiosity.


    "Am I correct to assume that you''ve read this novel before?" she asked. It was actually surprising for her to meet another person who knew his fair share of books and novels, but she wasn''t going toin because the same can''t be said for every other teenager these days.


    Horikita''s question was enough to snap him out of his thoughts, as Kiyotaka sighed to himself in defeat. There''s no use getting hung up over the issue now. He would just have to ept and live with the fact that this girl, Horikita Suzune, was one of his ''Heroines'' now. At least, ording to this weird ''superpower'' that he possessed.


    Curse his weakness in social interactions!


    "Yes, I''ve read it before. It was actually one of the learning materials in..." he replied, before stopping midway through his words. There''s no way he can tell her that he had read ''Crime and Punishment'' in that ce, so Kiyotaka quickly thought of a good excuse. "...the school I''ve attended before."


    The girl looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Your former school had this novel as a part of the curriculum?"


    "That''s because the school I used to attend only epted those who excel greatlypared to other students."


    God, he hoped he was making sense. If he felt thankful for his ''superpower'' earlier, he was now cursing it once again. Thanks to the fact that this girl was a ''Heroine'', he was now having a hard time trying to keep this conversation afloat.

 Chapter 5 Act 1: Scene 5

    ?"So you''re a student with outstanding capabilities, then..." Suzune nodded slowly, as if she was trying to digest this information for now.


    "That''s right. Does that make you ufortable?" Knowing that this girl thought of herself as someone who is superior over others, Kiyotaka wouldn''t be surprised if she stops talking to him, challenges him to a contest of some sort, or insults him for even insinuating that he''s on equal footing with her.


    She shook her head. "No. As a matter of fact, I would like to know the name of the school that you attended."


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Kiyotaka was surprised with her reaction because it wasn''t what he expected from her, but quickly recovered from it so he could state his answer. "I apologize, but I cannot disclose the name."


    "Why not? If it only epts those who are superior above other people, then surely it must be popr all over the country," asked Suzune, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.


    "That''s not it," he began to exin. "Let''s just say the school wishes to remain anonymous in the eyes of the world because in all my years there, I was confused why the school isn''t involved in the top schools of the country. Even I had no exact idea how I got enrolled in it. If I had to make a guess, the chairman or the director of the school contacts the parents of the potential students and in turn, they inform their children about being enrolled into the school."


    Well, technically, he wasn''t lying. His father was the creator of the White Room (who was also the one to put him there as one of its subjects) and the ce was like a school, as fucked up as it was. It was a ce that was designed to ''produce the future leaders of society'', but Kiyotaka knew that was only a cover for what its true purpose was.


    "Interesting..." The ck-haired girl stared at him for a few moments, before turning her attention back to the book that she was reading. "I''ll take your word for it, then."


    "Really? You don''t think I''m lying?"


    A small smirk graced Suzune''s lips. "Oh, I definitely think you are."


    Kiyotaka stared at her in return, as he could tell that she had more to say.


    "However, it''s not like I have any evidence to prove that you are. The only way to know for sure is to see if you can back up your ims," she smirked. "You say that your former school only epts students who have outstanding potential and capabilities? Let''s put that to the test, since it''s clear that we are both going to the same school."


    "Are you talking about apetition between us?"


    "Exactly. Perhaps with you around, things might be more interesting for me."


    Just from the smirk on her face, it was clear that she was feeling amused with this interaction between the two of them, confusing the young man to no end. The way she was acting now waspletely different from what was shown on her ''Heroine Summary''. Was it all natural? Or was the system making things easy for him by lending a hand in winning her over?


    [You gained 2 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    [You''re doing well in talking to a Heroine on your own! You gained +1 in Wisdom!]


    Kiyotaka dismissed the two notifications while resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Well, he hade this far, maybe he could push things even further with her. It doesn''t seem like she was angry or displeased with him in any way...


    "I''m Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, by the way."


    Suzune turned to him, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "Why are you telling me your name?"


    "Is it notmon courtesy to introduce yourself when you''re talking to another person?" he said. It was almost funny that Horikita was asking him for a reason why he was telling her his name. This girl might be even more clueless in social interactions than him. "For the sake of making things easier, why don''t we tell each other our names in case we meet again? You want apetition between us as well, right? How can that even happen if we don''t know who the other person is?"


    "Very well," she conceded. "My name is Horikita Suzune."


    "It''s nice to meet you, Horikita."


    "So much for holding back so that I don''t draw attention to myself," the young man thought to himself, while feeling disappointed that he basically ruined any hope he had left of having a peaceful high school life. "Suppose I do hold back, Horikita will eitherugh at me for trying to make up a story that held no truth within or she''ll feel insulted that I tried to make a fool out of her. Hm, in the case that she does figure out that I held back, she''ll be angry as well because I wasn''t showcasing my capabilities..."


    Kiyotaka sighed. Somehow, he didn''t feel that there would be anything exciting that might happen anymore, because this dating simtor was slowly draining the excitement out of him instead.


    ~XoX~


    The bus ride itself took about twenty minutes before it arrived at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. Surprisingly, the little dispute over the priority seat didn''tst long, because the old woman involved simply insisted that she can still stand on her own. However, she did praise the beige-haired girl for trying to be a helpful person towards her, something that made the younger girl smile like an angel.


    After getting off the bus, Kiyotaka and Suzune agreed to walk together through the campus until the time when they would have to separate in order to head to their respective sses.


    It confused Kiyotaka to no end. As time passed, it seemed more and more likely that the system itself was influencing Suzune to act like this, because she was actingpletely differentpared to what her ''summary'' said about her. But who knows? She might just be showing signs of changes and she''s not aware of it or something...


    As they entered the campus, the two of them were amazed at what they were seeing. Despite it being known as a ''school'', the whole ce itself might as well be considered a small town due to how big and wide it is.


    "People weren''t kidding when they said that this school has everything," Kiyotaka muttered to himself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It does have the reputation of being the most prestigious school in the country. To be anything less than amazing would be a dent to that,"


    After admiring the school for a minute, the two continued on their way. However, Suzune wouldn''t be able to take more than five steps further when she saw a familiar person walking across the courtyard, which made her freeze in ce. Kiyotaka noticed how hispanion stopped moving right away and looked like she had seen a ghost, making him turn his attention to what she was looking at.


    "So that''s her brother..." Kiyotaka thought as he got a good look at the man whom Suzune looked up to. He was a well-built man of average height, bore short gray hair, violet eyes, and a pair of square-rimmed sses. "He has a serious aura to him, just like his sister when I first met her earlier, but he''s different. While his sister feels like someone who''s been alone for a long time, he on the other hand, is the opposite. It wouldn''t be surprising, since he happens to be the Student Council President."


    Horikita Manabu seemed to have noticed that someone was staring at him, so he quickly threw a re at whoever it was to make them stop. Even from a considerable distance, he immediately recognized the unmistakable form of his younger sister looking at him in shock, which was understandable. It had been two years since theyst saw each other, after all.


    But instead of acknowledging her presence, he simply narrowed his eyes and continued walking with the purple-haired girl who was beside him.


    Suzune knew right away that she just got ignored by her brother even though they had been separated for a few years. All she could do right now was look down, feeling disappointed and dejected that she wasn''t worthy of being acknowledged even after she followed in his footsteps..


    "Nii-sama..."


    Kiyotaka stared at her for a few moments, letting the girl have a moment to let out what she felt before speaking up. "Horikita, I don''t mean to pry into your personal business, but do you perhaps know who that person was?"


    "Y-Yes..." she mumbled, looking up at him with a defeated look on her face. It was aplete paradigm shift from her earlier demeanor and it intrigued Kiyotaka to no end. Did she really look up to him that much? "He''s... my older brother."


    "You seem strangely ufortable talking about him. Are you two perhaps on bad terms with each other?" he asked.


    "That''s..." For a moment, Suzune felt like denying what he said but stopped herself, because even she knew that it would be ridiculous to say something that is so far from the truth. "I suppose so..."


    The only thing that Kiyotaka could do was listen to what she had to say, wanting to get a better picture of the siblings'' rtionship.


    [A Special Event Has Been Triggered!]


    "What the¡ª"


    The young man didn''t even have time to analyze the new notification before the sound of a piano being yed rang in his ears as if it was an rm.


    Almost immediately, Kiyotaka turned his head in several directions, and his eyes widened upon realizing that they weren''t at the entrance anymore.


    They were in apletely different ce; the park, to be exact, but they were still within the campus premises.


    There were wooden and marble benches all around, trees scattered across the area, a few nearby food stalls, a little spot where birds have gathered, and a student who was ying a piano in the middle of it all.


    The young man couldn''t help but be shocked at this turn of events.


    "Is there something wrong, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Suzune, who noticed that herpanion was growing restless for some reason. Earlier, he just seemed so calm and now it looked like he was panicking.


    In return, Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow at her in confusion.


    What the hell? Didn''t she even notice that they were now at the park instead of the entrance to the campus? How could Horikita not even see that they have suddenly changed¡ª


    Wait a second... was this dating simtor pushing him to cheer up Suzune in some way? Before they were teleported to another ce, the girl was feeling depressed after getting ignored by her brother... was that what the notification a while ago meant?! Did the system transport them here for that reason alone?!


    He didn''t even notice that the notification from before had vanished.


    No way. There''s no way this was on purpose. This had to be a trick. It had to be... but then again, the damn system was bizarre and powerful enough to literally teleport both him and Horikita from the entrance to the park within the campus. For a regr person, it would scare the shit out of them but for Kiyotaka, he felt lost instead.


    For what seemed like the first time, Kiyotaka didn''t know what to do. He could choose to ignore this and simply go to ss instead but his gut was telling him that doing so would be a very bad idea. He could also choose to give in and do this ''special event'' that the system referred to, even though he didn''t know what to do.


    In the end, though, Kiyotaka sighed and groaned to himself. He had no experience in cheering up another person, much less a girl, and yet this dating simtor was pushing him to do so.


    Seriously, the only possible benefit this ''superpower'' gave him was the fact that it can make him feel defeat, something that he has never been able to experience ever since he was raised at that ce. At least, that''s what he thought.


    Anyway, he hoped that he wouldn''t make a fool of himself with this.

 Chapter 6 Act 1: Scene 6

    ?"Do you want to talk about it over a little walk?" he asked, still feeling hesitant about this.


    Suzune stared at him dumbfoundedly as she took in his words. "But ss is starting in a few minutes-"


    "We won''t be long," Kiyotaka assured her.


    "I... well, all right..."


    The young man was surprised at how she agreed to his proposal easily but simply chalked it up to his weird ''power'' doing its magic again.


    The pair began to take a walk through the park, as the two of them continued to admire the school for what it had to offer to its students. However, Kiyotaka knew that he had to cheer the girl up in some way, so he had to be the one to initiate the conversation between them.


    "So what''s the deal between you and your brother? It looked like he was angry with you about something," he asked.


    "You could say that," replied Suzune. "I look up to him, but I can''t say the same for how he sees me."


    "Why is that?" Kiyotaka pressed on, even though he already had an idea about the answer.


    The girl took a deep breath, remembering her past with her older brother. "Nii-sama wasn''t always like that. As children, we were inseparable, as close as siblings can get. And then one day, he changed. He stopped spending time with me and he was like apletely different person from before."


    "Different how?"


    "Every time I would ask if he could help me in my own studies, he would brush me off and say that I can do it on my own. Whenever I asked him what he was doing or how he was doing, Nii-sama just ignored me. Does that make it clear?"


    "Yeah, I think I get it now," he nodded. "How did you react to his sudden change? Were you hurt by it?"


    "No. I realized that change was inevitable, so I epted what he had be. Instead, I aimed to prove myself to him so that the next time we see each other, he would see me as an equal."


    "I''m guessing that''s the time when he left for this school."


    A hint of a smile appeared on her face. "Yes. I wanted to follow in his footsteps because he is an amazing person, and I wanted to be like him."


    "I think I remember a term for this..." Kiyotaka thought to himself, noticing the smile that she had upon thinking about her brother. "Eiichiro told me about it... brocon, was it? Is Horikita like that?"


    If Horikita was indeed a brocon then by god, why is she even considered a ''Heroine''?


    "But, if you saw what happened earlier, then you know what he thinks of me. Even after I worked hard to get to this school, to be like him, he still doesn''t think I''m worthy of being acknowledged."


    "That''s because your brother doesn''t seem like he''s pushing away everyone around him," the brown-haired teen thought to himself while listening to her. "He wouldn''t be the Student Council President if he preferred to be alone."


    As they walked through the area, Kiyotaka noticed that one of the nearby food stalls was selling ice cream. As a subject of the White Room ever since he was a kid, the young man never had the luxury of trying out food that was universally loved, the most prominent of them being ice cream.


    Almost immediately, his attention was drawn to the stall and he began to head there.


    "W-Wait, where are you going?" Suzune asked, quickly following after him as soon as she noticed that he was going somewhere else.


    "Excuse me, how much is an ice cream cone?" he asked the man who was behind the counter.


    The manughed earnestly. "Haha, you don''t need to pay any points, young man! You happen to be our 100th customer, so you can have all the ice cream that you want for free!"


    "Points?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.


    The clerk looked surprised at hearing that question. "Wait, you don''t know?"


    Kiyotaka noticed Suzune''s presence beside him, the girl sending him a little frown for what he did. "We''re new students. We just arrived today," he told the clerk, while hoping that his eagerness to taste ice cream didn''t ruin everything for him just now.


    "Ah, never mind then!" The manughed again, before giving Kiyotaka a copy of the menu. "Anyway, what vor would you like? You can order as much as you want for yourself and your girlfriend there!"


    "She''s not my girlfriend," he quickly denied that notion, while Horikita was surprised by it and even blushed as a result.


    "Haha, just messing around! So what vor will it be?"


    Kiyotaka turned to hispanion first and showed her the menu, who seemed unsure about this whole thing at first. The young man didn''t say anything but continued to stare at her, making Suzune sigh in defeat. She took a quick look at the avable vors before uttering her response.


    "Uhm... chocte, I guess?"


    Kiyotaka nodded at her choice before giving his own answer. "I''ll have two vani ice cream cones."


    "Hehe,ing up! You teenagers just stay right there."


    As the clerk tended to their orders, Suzune looked at him curiously.


    "Two ice cream cones?" she asked, a tinge of amusement in her voice. "Did you not eat breakfast on your way here?"


    The young man scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed regarding this little fact about himself. "I... have never tasted ice cream before and I have always wanted to try it."


    "Seriously?" Instead of feeling amused, she felt surprised instead. Was he being serious about not being able to eat ice cream until now? "You''ve never had ice cream before?"


    Kiyotaka shrugged. Even while staying with Matsuo, he was never able to eat ice cream because, well, he couldn''t really go outside and buy a cone. "As embarrassing as it is, yes."


    Suzune stared at him for a brief moment, as though she was thinking about something deeply. She then shook her head, making Kiyotaka wonder what she had in mind. "I don''t think there''s anything embarrassing about that. We all have things that we want to experience."


    "Then how about you?" he asked her in return. "Is there something that you want to try eating for the first time?"


    "I..." Suzune was surprised at his sudden question, though it did make her think about what kind of food she wanted to try that she hasn''t eaten yet. "...I suppose I would like to try out taiyaki if I ever have the chance. I always wondered what it would taste like, although I know it has many vors as well..."


    "Then how about we get some? There''s a stall that sells taiyaki over there," Kiyotaka suggested, pointing to the taiyaki stall that was next to the popcorn store.


    The girl blushed at the thought. "Oh, uh... no, thank you. I don''t feel like spending money this early."


    Kiyotaka almost felt amused at the sight of Suzune being theplete opposite of what he expected her to be. He truly had no idea if the system was making her act this way, but it honestly intrigued him. Perhaps he could still push this further, since it doesn''t seem like she''s angry with all of this.


    "I''ll pay for it then. We''ll go there after we get our ice cream."


    After getting their orders from the ice cream stall, Kiyotaka led the way to their next destination.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Strangely enough, when they went to that particr stall in order to buy a bag of taiyaki, they also happened to be the 100th customer and thus, were allowed to order what they wanted for free. It left Kiyotaka confused, but he was able to get Suzune what she wanted. Now she had a bag of taiyaki of different vors in her free hand.


    The two stopped at a bench and sat there as they ate their respective food. They finished their ice cream first, since it will melt if they don''t eat it as soon as possible. Somehow, Kiyotaka managed to finish his two cones before they could melt and enjoyed it immensely. He might even end up developing a sweet tooth for ice cream after this.


    In Horikita''s case, after eating her ice cream, she wasted no time eating her taiyaki and was immediately smitten by the vor. "This is delicious..." she mumbled to herself, a smile of satisfaction gracing her lips.


    While Horikita was busy enjoying her taiyaki, herpanion was in deep thought, wondering about a certain peculiar issue that involved them.


    "That was weird... first, we got teleported to the park out of nowhere and then we happened to be the 100th customer for the two food stalls that we went to? That can''t be a coincidence..." Kiyotaka said in his thoughts, sending a nce at the stores that they just went to. It was too strange for him to believe that he and Suzune were the 100th customer for both stores. In fact, he was sure that if he checked out the popcorn stall, then he would also be the 100th customer, allowing him to buy anything for free. "There has to be something going on behind all this... but what could it be? Is it because of this dating simtor again?"


    "Ayanokouji-kun..." Hearing Suzune''s voice quickly brought him out of his thoughts, making him turn towards her. The girl looked flustered and nervous to the point that she was clutching the paper bag in her hands tightly, having trouble figuring out what to say. "You didn''t have to do this, you know?"


    The brown-haired teen thought about what he should tell her, before deciding to simply say what he had in mind right now. "Horikita, I don''t know if my words can make everything better, but you can be assured that you have one friend that believes you can do it."


    "Friend...?" she breathed out, almost as if that was the first time she''s heard that term.


    Kiyotaka shrugged in an almost joking manner. "Who else?"


    "Yes..." Suzune only found herself nodding in agreement which deep down, surprised even herself. "I guess... we''re friends..."


    [You gained 5 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    As he dismissed the new notification, Kiyotaka decided that this should be enough to cheer the girl up. It seemed like Horikita hadpletely forgotten about why she was feeling dejected and sad earlier. Right now, they should head to their respective ssrooms and ept whichever punishment their teachers would give them for beingte on their first day.


    And he was even thinking of not standing out while he was here... what a waste. It''s all because of this crazy superpower that he had, which he never asked for in the first ce!


    "I think we''ve spent enough time here. We should get to ss," Kiyotaka stood up from the bench.


    "You''re right. It''s a good thing that we still have some time to get there," Suzune agreed, finishing thest of her taiyaki just in time.


    "What?" Kiyotaka looked at her in confusion, wondering if she was joking before he decided to check the time at the street clock that stood nearby.


    The young man couldn''t stop his mouth from hanging slightly because of what he saw.


    Suzune was right. There''s still about ten minutes left before their first period starts, which was absolutely shocking. They had spent more than an hour in this ce, so Kiyotaka waspletely sure that they must have missed their first ss, if anything! The clock couldn''t have been broken either, because it was functioning properly for everyone to see. Somehow, Suzune was right!


    "Ayanokouji-kun," the girl called out to herpanion after throwing the paper bag she had into the nearby trash bin.


    Despite his shock at the fact that they still had time to get to ss which also meant that they wouldn''t get punished, Kiyotaka still turned to face the ck-haired girl.


    "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Thank you for listening," she thanked him, a genuine smile appearing on her face.


    As the girl smiled, a strange sound filled Kiyotaka''s ears, which was something he had never heard before. There weren''t any photographers around him, yet he heard the sound of a camera snapping a photo followed by a musical chime simr to the one that he''s been hearing from the dating simtor itself.


    The world around him then froze as a new screen popped up before his eyes. It contained the ''image'' of Suzune smiling at him just a while ago, almost as though he had captured the moment just by blinking. It was then followed by several notifications that, upon reading them, only served to boggle his mind even more.


    [Special Event ''A Walk in the Park'' has been cleared! You gained 10 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    [You cheered up a Heroine! You gained +1 in Wisdom!]


    [CG Gallery has been Unlocked! ''Suzune''s First Friend'' was added to the gallery!]


    What...


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Reminiscing Memories''! You gained +3 in Wisdom!]


    [Congrattions! You havepleted the ''Tutorial''! You gained +10 in all stats!]


    ...the...


    [Congrattions! The description for the Skill ''To Protect Her Smile'' has been Unlocked!]


    [To Protect Her Smile]: Warps reality itself in your favor whenever it''s truly needed to make one of your Heroines happy. As long as it''s to see them smile, problems will be dealt with so easily that you can just sit back, rx, and enjoy the sight of your Heroines being happy. (Cannot be activated willingly, only triggers when your Heroine''s sake demands it)


    ...hell?!


    Kiyotaka didn''t even feel like dismissing the notifications himself, so they naturally disappeared on their own as the world returned to normal. The young man just felt too overwhelmed right now, which was saying something considering who and what he really is.


    Suzune noticed the weird look on his face right away. "Ayanokouji-kun, is everything alright?"


    "Uh... yeah, everything''s... fine," he quickly spoke while doing his best to retain the calm look on his face, which was taking a toll on him."Let''s go."


    "If you say so..."


    And the two continued on their way to the school building. After what just happened, Suzune felt reinvigorated and even a little motivated about their first day in school. However, the same couldn''t be said for the boy who was walking with her.


    While Kiyotaka lookedpletely calm on the outside, it was different on the inside.


    If there was ever a time where the ''Masterpiece'' felt disbelief, then this would be it. Within the young man''s mind, a mixture of astonishment, hysteria, and chaos were upying his mind as everything he learned from the past minute began to fully sink in.


    First, his ''power'' was a thousand times more powerful than what he had thought. Forget about stopping time, it actually caused him and Suzune to go and have a rxing walk in the park within the campus and made sure that they STILL arrived on time for their sses to start. Nobody else seemed to notice what happened as well. Oh god, now that he thought about it deeply, what just happened between them was totally a date! Of course it would be!


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Second, the ''skill'' that he unlocked just now mentioned ''warping reality''. Now that he was aware of how powerful this ''dating simtor'' was, he shouldn''t be surprised if one day, an amusement park suddenly appears in the middle of campus just for the sake of making a potential '' heroine'' happy. Hey, it even manipted those store clerks to have them sell their products for free!


    Third, he wasn''t sure of it before, but now he was. Suzune''s drastic change in attitude was definitely from the influence of the system and the more she spends time around him, the more she''s going to fall in love with him! He didn''t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing but nheless, he managed to do the impossible and befriend Suzune, someone who was very adamant on being alone based on her ''summary''.


    "I wonder if I should just be grateful that this doesn''t seem like it will get me harmed in any way," the young man thought, as he began to think twice about insulting this ''anomaly'' that he possessed, now being aware of how powerful it could be.


    Things will never be the same again for him, huh?

 Chapter 7 Act 2: Scene 1

    ?The two teenagers continued to walk together towards the school building in search of their ssrooms. Suzune seemed to be in a better mood than before because of their impromptu ''date'' earlier, while Kiyotaka was still trying to digest everything he learned from his ridiculous ''power''.


    Like anyone could stay calm after finding out that your apparent ''superpower'' was actually a reality-bending cheat code that only seeks the happiness of a girl.


    ording to what they had agreed upon, the two teens would separate and find their respective ssrooms on their own inside the building but to the surprise of both students, there was no need for them to go their own ways.


    There was no need to do so, because they ended up in the same room after five minutes of walking through the school building.


    "Who would have thought that we''d be ssmates, Ayanokouji-kun?" Suzune remarked, staring at the ssroom for a moment before turning to herpanion.


    "I didn''t know you''d be a student of ss-D as well," Kiyotaka replied. "But I suppose this makes things easier, since we already know each other."


    Suzune slowly nodded in agreement. "It does feel reassuring that I am already acquainted with one of my ssmates."


    With that, they walked inside and searched for a ce to sit. They immediately noticed that the desks were decorated with nametes of the person who was assigned to sit there, so they simply searched for their names among the various seats.


    It led them to the back of the ssroom, where they were apparently neighbors. Kiyotaka''s desk was the one closest to the window, while Suzune was assigned to the one on his right.


    "It appears that we''re going to be neighbors," said Kiyotaka.


    The girl only nodded as they took their seats and observed their ssmates from where they were. Their ssroom was already filled with a lot of people, and Kiyotaka took notice of what most of them were like.


    Most of them were pretty normal for a bunch of teenagers; the girls were mingling with each other, while some were minding their own business. A few of the boys were the same. The rest of them... well, let''s just say that they will likely kill themselves out of jealousy if they ever find out that Kiyotaka''s life was basically a dating simtor now. It''s what most boys of his age can only dream of experiencing.


    "Ayanokouji-kun," Suzune called out to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Once again... thank you for listening. I have never told anyone about my brother before, let alone myself."


    [You gained 1 Affection Point with Horikita Suzune!]


    "Your gratitude isn''t necessary. You looked like you needed someone to talk to, and I did. Quite frankly, I''m more surprised that you opened up to me that easily. You don''t exactly strike me as a person who wants to have friends," he replied, dismissing the notification he received.


    A small blush dusted the girl''s cheeks. "You''re not actually wrong about that..."


    The young man still felt a bit overwhelmed and conflicted about all this but so far, this weird ''power'' he possessed did nothing but work things out in his favor. It could even stop time indefinitely until he chooses from three ''choices'' presented to him. Then there''s also the ''skill'' that apparently ''bends reality'' itself just to make a heroine happy, which was still a scary thing to think about.


    So far, the only disadvantage to this that he could think of was that the system had a mind of its own, therefore he couldn''t control it to his whim. It also means that he has no idea how many ''heroines'' it will take before the system is satisfied.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Who knows? Maybe it will never be satisfied.


    In other words, he was doomed to have a harem.


    "I guess the advantages of this dating sim system outweigh the disadvantages," he said to himself. "Still, it''s gonna take some time to get used to this."


    "Hey! I saw you on the bus earlier!"


    Upon hearing that voice that came from someone nearby, Kiyotaka was once again pulled out of his thoughts and turned to the person who spoke. Blinking in surprise, he saw the beige-haired girl from the bus earlier approaching him with that angelic smile on her face.


    "What makes you think that?" he asked, feigning ignorance.


    She giggled. "I remember your face. You were sitting near the front, if I''m not mistaken. Oh, and I noticed that you were wearing the same uniform as the other boys who were with us on the bus. Who would have thought that we''d be ssmates?"


    Just as Kiyotaka was about to respond to her, the feeling of the world around him being frozen in ce hit once again, as his three choices appeared before him.


    A. [Yes, I can see that. Now, can you leave me alone?]


    B. [I didn''t. I only met you just now, you know?]


    C. [I''m honored to be ssmates with such a cute girl like you.]


    Almost immediately, the young man''s eyes darted towards Option C, but he didn''t do anything yet. Now, he may not be the brightest tool in the shed when it came to social interactions but this time, he was 100% sure that the third option was the correct choice.


    The first one was clearly a rude response, while the second one was being sarcastic. That left the third choice as the only viable one.


    Now, Kiyotaka knew that he could always choose the worst option out of the three but after realizing what this ''dating simtor'' was capable of, the young man was caught between a rock and a hard ce.


    If stopping time wasn''t scary enough, then warping reality is.


    "I hope I don''t regret this," he told himself before pushing Option C, as time began to move again.


    "I''m honored to be ssmates with such a cute girl like you," he spoke, the familiar outside force taking over his actions and causing him to sh a little smile. "Let''s work together as much as we can."


    The girl blinked a few times, before a blush covered her cheeks out of embarrassment. She took a few steps back as if she was shocked, while Kiyotaka only stared at her as several pink screens showed up in front of him.


    [Kikyo Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Kushida Kikyo!]


    [You gained 15 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    [Your current status with Kikyo has changed to ''A Rocky Rtionship''!]


    Okay, those weren''t so bad. He had been through this scenario twice before already. At least this time, he wasn''t unlocking another broken ''skill'' that would be considered OP in a gamer''s standards-


    [Congrattions! The Skill ''Smile of the Ladykiller'' has been Created!]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [Smile of the Ladykiller] (Passive Skill): Your smile has proven to be a serious deal with your Heroines that it will hit them right in the kokoro and alwaysnd a critical hit. The fact that you don''t show emotions much adds more to how powerful it is.


    [Your smile is so powerful that it became a skill of its own! You gained +3 in Aura!]


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''First Skill''! You gained +2 in Charm!]


    -never mind.


    "Oh, you''ve got to be kidding me," Kiyotaka thought, deadpanning at the ''skill'' that he just ''created''. Somehow, that sounded even worse than ''unlocked''.


    Well, sure, why not? Since he already possessed a skill that can alter reality in the blink of an eye, why not add another potentially dangerous skill that would only create more problems for him and make his life more stressful?


    Yes, that''s exactly what he needed right now.


    Okay, so he had a skill that involved his smile now. Great. Surely, the system would love to abuse that and have him smile at every girl around here and make them a heroine too, just to make things even worse.


    Wait, was that why he gained more points with Nanase and this girl, Kushida? All because he smiled at them?


    How convenient... not.


    What a stupid skill to have, really. So what if he doesn''t show emotions most of the time? Was that really a good excuse to give him an ability that''s directly linked to him smiling?


    [You have gained 5 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    Kiyotaka was too preupied with the whole thing to even notice the new notification he received, to the point that it disappeared on its own without his acknowledgement.


    Unbeknownst to him, Suzune had caught a glimpse of his smile but managed to turn away in time before she could be noticed. It didn''t stop her from blushing though, and she felt incredibly flustered from what she saw.


    "Did he just... smile...?" she thought. "Ayanokouji-kun... looks handsome that way... wait no, what am I saying?! I shouldn''t be thinking like this! I just met him today...!"


    Poor Suzune would be distracted by her own conflicting thoughts from now on.


    While the young man was having an internal dilemma regarding broken skills and their convenience, the same was happening to Kikyo, although for apletely different reason.


    "What''s wrong with me? I''m already used to boys saying things like that about me but when I hear it from him..." the girl said to herself, shifting her gaze away from him so she could calm herself. "Wait! It''s his smile! His smile is too contagious...!"


    After arguing with himself in his mind about this being the worst superpower that a person could have and being wise about his words regarding the system (since it had a mind of its own), Kiyotaka simply sighed and epted it in the end.


    Snapping back to reality, he noticed that Kikyo looked embarrassed for some reason and was looking elsewhere. Probably a side effect of the new skill that he had.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, making her jump in surprise.


    "Y-Yeah, I''m fine. Don''t worry about me!"


    As he stared at her, a familiar pink screen appeared on top of her head and Kiyotaka quickly read it. Out of the many advantages that this ''dating simtor'' power gave him, this was the most useful.


    [Kushida Kikyo: ''Two-Faced Angel'']


    [Rtionship Status: A Rocky Rtionship]


    [Affection Points: 15/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Kikyo is a beautiful girl who hailed from the same middle school as Suzune. Kikyo harbors extreme hatred for thetter because Suzune possibly knows about her and what she has done to her ss years ago. She is a talented individual and revels in being praised by people around her. She normally acts like an angel to other people when in reality, she has everyone around her eating out the palm of her hand. She also loves it when people share their deepest secrets with her, believing that it makes her above everyone else because of what she knows.]


    "This is... useful information," the young man thought to himself while reading through the girl''s ''summary''.


    From what he could gather, she went to the same school as Suzune and seems to hate the ck-haired girl because of the things she knows. It made him wonder what exactly did Kikyo do in the past, but that''s a question forter.


    "She must be faking that smile then," he mentally noted. "Thanks for that information, she almost got me there. But I''m still mad at you for what happened earlier."


    If he could, Kiyotaka wouldugh at himself right now. Yeah, what was he doing, talking to a ghost? Well, more like a program/game with artificial intelligence, but still...


    Anyway, this girl obviously had a screw loose in her head, so why is the system even considering her a ''heroine''? As far as he was concerned, it would be for the best if he gets away from Kushida as far as possible.


    Wait a second, the ''Heroine Summary'' only showed up after he chose from the three choices that showed up earlier! It only showed up after he had ''unlocked'' her route. That wasn''t the case for Suzune, because her ''summary'' was shown before he was given the ''choices''!


    Kiyotaka was starting to think that the higher being that bestowed this ''power'' upon him wanted to see him suffer from trying to deal with his current situation. If that were true, then all he could say is that it''s working.


    ...it''s working really well.


    By the way, the offer of this whole thing being a dream is still open! If someone could wake him up if that was the case, then Kiyotaka would feel really grateful to whoever does so.


    "I''m Ayanokouji Kiyotaka," he spoke in an attempt to spark a conversation. "What do they call you?"


    His voice was enough to snap the girl out of her embarrassed state. She quickly came up with a response of her own before he noticed her dilemma.


    "Kushida Kikyo. It''s nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    "Likewise..." he told her in return, although it was clear that he felt the opposite.

 Chapter 8 Act 2: Scene 2

    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® ?While the two introduced themselves to the other, the school bell rang. At the same time, a brown-haired woman wearing formal attire had entered the ssroom with a very serious look on her face.


    She didn''t bother looking at the students who were still fooling around and talking with their other ssmates, but her presence was enough to send them in a panic. They quickly raced back to their seats as the woman stood in front.


    "Good morning, students. My name is Chabashira Sae, and I''m the homeroom teacher for ss D," she introduced herself with a little bow. "I teach Japanese History. In this school, we don''t change ssrooms for each grade so we will be seeing each other a lot for the next three years. In that time, I hope to get to know all of you."


    Kiyotaka listened to her words carefully. "So these people will be my permanent ssmates, then. At least I''ve made one friend already, even if she''s supposed to be a heroine. Making more than that... is going to be harder than it looks."


    "Before we continue, I will distribute these student handbooks with more information about this school and its rules. Please read them carefully."


    After saying those words, Chabashira then left a set of small books for the students on the front row, who all passed it to the person behind them and so on. After everyone had received their own copy, they read through some of it until their teacher began to speak again.


    "Now, I will hand out your student ID cards. With these, you''ll be able to ess the facilities in the campus. You''ll also be able to utilize the usage of ''points''. Using points, you can purchase goods from a store, buy clothes and other things at the mall, eat at a restaurant, and so on. In this school, anything can be purchased using points."


    As she exined how the ID cards worked (much to the amazement of the students), the woman walked around the room and personally distributed them to their respective owners. Once Kiyotaka had received his, he picked it up and observed it closely.


    "So this is what that ice cream vendor meant by ''points''..." he thought, remembering what the store clerk said earlier when he attempted to buy ice cream. "If we weren''t given special privileges of having our food for free earlier, then we would have had no way of paying. The system must have altered reality in my favor so that we could buy food for free, because I refuse to believe that it was only a coincidence that we were the 100th customers of both stores. Now that I know what this dating simtor can do, it''s not hard to imagine that it manipted things to my advantage."


    In hindsight, this was a very useful ability to have but then again, the system had a mind of its own and it obviously won''t work just because he wanted it to.


    "Points are automatically distributed into your ount on the first day of every month. You should all have received 100,000 points already. Keep in mind that 1 point is equivalent to 1 yen, and be careful about the amount of points you spend. That is all," she finished exining.


    And with that, the ssroom bursted into cheers, not even caring that their teacher was still there and could reprimand them for being noisy.


    "We can buy anything with points?! Oh, I can''t wait to get started!


    "Me too! I wonder if I can buy myself a girlfriend as well..."


    "Keep your fantasies to yourself, pervert!"


    "Uh, mental note to stay away from that guy..."


    "100,000 points every month? Sounds like a good deal to me!"


    "Now, now, everyone, let''s not get too hasty. We should wait for Chabashira-sensei to finish speaking first. I think she has more to say."


    While everyone else was delighted at the concept of points as a currency, a certain individual kept quiet with his


    "100,000 points as a monthly allowance, huh? Not a bad deal at all. It just feels weird that"


    [Chabashira Sae: ''Dead-serious Teacher'']


    [Rtionship Status: ?]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Sae is your beautiful homeroom teacher who will be watching over you and your ss for the next three years. She is a very serious woman who has no time for personal rtionships and is only focused on her job. However, this is only a mask to hide her vulnerable side because of her one weakness, which is her wish and desperation to reach ss-A. In the past, there was an incident involving her and her ex-boyfriend that ended up in her ss losing their biggest chance to be the new ss-A. She now works as a teacher with the desire of aplishing what she failed to do as a student, but she has apleteck of faith in her current ss, believing that all of them are nothing more than defects.]


    While there were a number of things that shocked him upon seeing the woman''s ''summary'', most notably the fact that a fully-grown adult was considered a ''heroine'' and will be a part of his romantic ''conquests'' in the future (Really? The system was just having fun making his school life more chaotic than before now), Kiyotaka''s attention was drawn to one particr line that involved the school itself.


    "Her wish is to reach ss-A? Is there a hierarchy between sses?" he thought, slowly taking in this new information that was proving to be vital in knowing more about this school. "If that''s the case and we''re considered as ss-D, it also means that we''re at the bottom whenpared to the other sses of our grade."


    While Kiyotaka was working to figure out what Chabashira''s ''summary'' was about, the teacher herself smirked at her students'' excitement upon finding out what they could do with the points that they were given.


    Oh, these sweet summer children... they were all the same.


    "Shocked by the amount of points you''re given? The school evaluates its students based on their attributes, and the amount of points you''ve received reflects your worth here. All of you have passed the entrance exams out of thousands of applicants, which already speaks of your potential. I may have advised you to spend your points wisely, but it''s still up to you on how to use them," she exined further. Now then, the table is open for questions that you wish to ask me. I''ll answer them as long as they are within the rules."


    Only a single arm rose in the air after Sae asked if they had questions.


    "Yes, Hirata?" she said, giving the floor to a handsome young man with blonde hair and brown eyes, who seemed to have gotten the attention of a lot of his female ssmates right away.


    "Sensei, is it possible for us to give our points to someone? In the case that one of us identally spends too much of his/her points that they are low on funds, there has to be a way to help them," he asked out of concern, which only served to win over the girls even more.


    "That ikemen bastard..." A few of the less-than-average males thought to themselves out of jealousy.


    Sae nodded. "Yes, you can do that if you wish. There is an application avable that can help transfer points to other students whenever you want. You will learn more about that in the entrance ceremonyter on."


    A girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail then spoke up, "Wait, what if the person that we''re doing it with is only scamming us? He might end up taking more points than what the initial agreement was!"


    Her statement was quick to invoke a sense of fear and panic among the ss, her ssmates unwilling to let their points be taken from them.


    Sae nodded and even shed a little smirk. "Good question, Karuizawa. To prevent yourself from being scammed during a negotiation regarding points, you may create a written contract with the signature of both parties that are involved. That way, the negotiation will be seen as official and whoever doesn''t follow it will be punished. A third party can also act as a witness to make it more legitimate."


    That was enough to calm the growing panic among several members of the ss. In the end, everything that Chabashira exined to them was easy to understand and there seems to be nothingplicated about this ''point system''.


    After all, it''s simple. They receive a monthly allowance of 100,000 points, and it''s up to them on how they spend it! Nothing more than that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Are those all your questions?" she asked, waiting for a good ten seconds if someone was going to ask something. When nobody did, Sae only nodded in acknowledgement. "Very well. I suppose I can now end homeroom. Don''t forget to attend the entrance ceremony in an hour''s time. All of you are required to be there. I''ll see you all tomorrow for our first lesson."


    As Chabashira left the ssroom, Kiyotaka was in deep thought. "I wonder why she didn''t tell us about the possible ss hierarchy around here. If she wanted to reach ss-A through us, then she would ask for our cooperation, but she did nothing. It''s either because she truly has no hope in a ss full of ''defects'', or it''s that she can''t, because she''s not allowed to."


    "Everyone, may I please gain your attention?"


    The blonde-haired boy, Hirata, stood up the moment their teacher left and faced his ssmates with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Since we still have an hour before the entrance ceremony, I think now would be a perfect time for us to introduce ourselves to each other instead of doing other things. Since we will be ssmates for the next few years, it''s best if we get to know one another right away."


    Kiyotaka rested his elbows on his desk and breathed into his hands. "Introducing ourselves... I suppose that''s a normal urrence within a ssroom, but can I even do that without screwing up? The system helped me with Horikita and Kushida, but I doubt that the same will happen for the whole ss."


    "Since this is my idea, I''ll introduce myself first," the handsome-looking boy continued. "My name is Hirata Yosuke. Feel free to call me by my first name if you want. I like to y sports, especially ser. I look forward to working with all of you."


    His introduction only seemed to make him even more likable and popr with a lot of his female ssmates. Hirata seemed to be the type of person who you could depend on, and he would dly devote his time to helping someone if they needed it.


    After Hirata, the rest of the ss followed and one by one, they began to introduce themselves.


    "Hi! My name is Karuizawa Kei! I like going to the mall with friends and hanging out with them. Nice to meet''cha!"


    "Hi, everyone! I''m Kushida Kikyo. I''d love to get to know all of you right away!"


    "Sato Maya. I like fashion and going to the mall. Nice to meet you all!"


    Kiyotaka observed the three girls closely as they spoke. He had a feeling that they will end up being heroines because it''s a normal trope in dating simtors to include girls who are socialites. Well, Kushida is already a heroine (even though she was faking that kindness) and while he couldn''t say the same for the other two, time can only tell.


    God, he could only hope that not every girl in his ss will be a ''heroine''...


    "Yo. Name''s Yamauchi Haruki. I was a star athlete in my old school and if you want, I can even teach you some pointers in studying!"


    "Ladies, my name is Ike Kanji. If you ever want to go on a date, I''m avable anytime!"


    "A perfect existence such as myself has no need to introduce himself but since I am bored at the moment, I suppose I''ll humor you. I am Koenji Rokusuke, the sole heir to the Koenji Conglomerate!"


    While a majority of the ss were keen on introducing themselves and putting up a good image to their ssmates, there were also some who had no intention of introducing themselves for some reason.


    "Tch. We''re not children anymore to be doing this, so leave me out of this," said a red-haired boy who had the first buttons of his uniform undone and his tie loosened like a typical delinquent.


    "Okay... if that''s what you wish," Hirata sweat-dropped. "Let''s continue with the next one, then."


    "Uhm... I''m S-Sakura A-Airi. It''s... n-nice to meet you all..."


    "The system is definitely going to include her," Kiyotaka sighed. "Dating simtors are also fond of including at least one shy girl in the various routes that they offer."


    Well, at least he can see this oneing ahead of time.


    The ss introductions went smoothly until thest row, when it was finally Horikita''s turn. Being aware of her attitude and demeanor, Kiyotaka expected the girl to act arrogant and say that introducing herself is a waste of time but to his surprise, Horikita stood up and faced everyone else with a neutral expression.


    Wait, was she actually going to do it?


    "Horikita."


    ...and she sat back down afterwards. Never mind.


    Regardless, she introduced herself to everyone, at the very least. Kiyotaka assumed that due to their earlier interactions, the girl was in a good mood and had no intention of being stingy just for the sake of it. Hm, if this continues, she might even be friendlier to the rest of the ss eventually.


    "T-Thank you for introducing yourself, Horikita-san..." said Hirata,pletely unaware that even if she only said her family name, Suzune was already making a big leap in terms of opening up to other people.


    "Guess it''s finally my turn," Kiyotaka said in his thoughts as he stood up from his seat and looked at his ssmates. "I''m Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I''m not good at making friends, but I still hope to get along with everyone. I like reading books and practicing tea ceremony."


    And with that, he sat back down. The young man wanted to say that he wasn''t particrly good at anything, but he could already tell that if he did that, then Horikita wouldn''t be pleased. She''d likely snap at him for lying about what he can do, or she''ll be angry with him for leading her on the whole time. As a matter of fact, she would probably react like this...


    "You are unbelievable! How could you lie to me?! I thought we were friends, Ayanokouji-kun?!" cried Suzune, who felt heartbroken that her first ''friend'' was lying to her the whole time.


    "Great. Now I''m getting this urge not to let that happen," he said to himself. The worst part was that a day hadn''t even passed, yet he was already tired of dealing with this. "I''ll get used to this... I hope."


    "Thank you for that introduction, Ayanokouji-kun," Hirata smiled before turning to the rest of the ss. "Now that we are more acquainted with each other, all we can do now is wait for the entrance ceremony."


    Hirata sat back down after those words, which prompted everyone to return to what they were doing before Chabashira entered the room.


    "That went well... somehow. I was actually expecting the worst," Kiyotaka thought. He was honestly expecting to choose from the three choices and let the system itself handle it, but it''s a good thing that it didn''t happen. That would have been a pain to deal with, especially if he had to say something embarrassing in front of everyone.


    Now all that was left to do today was attend the entrance ceremony. Surely, it won''t be as stressful as the events that have happened thus far, right?

 Chapter 9 Act 2: Scene 3

    ?After the entrance ceremony ended (which was mainly the chairman and the principal exining a brief history of the school as well as the basic rules and regtions), Kiyotaka decided to head back to the dorms for an early rest, because he desperately needed one after everything that''s happened today. Thankfully, he didn''t get any notifications nor a ''heroine summary'', which must be the system letting him rest for a while until it decides to make him suffer again...


    However, he knew that he still needed to eat something for dinnerter on, so Kiyotaka decided to take a detour at the convenience store to buy some instant ramen. Just something quick and easy to prepare for dinner, so that he can have an early sleep as well. He could always handle this tomorrow or some other day.


    After picking out three packets of instant ramen, Kiyotaka headed to the counter, where he ced his basket of goods at the same time as someone else. He turned to look at the person who was beside him, who just happened to be his ck-haired neighbor as well as his second ''heroine''.


    "Horikita."


    "Ayanokouji-kun."


    He looked at the basket she carried with her, and noticed it was filled with a bottle of shampoo, conditioner, face wash, powder, and pretty much everything else that a teenage girl needed in her everyday life.


    "Are you picking out essentials?" he asked, taking notice of the items that she picked out.


    "That''s right. I wanted to do this right away so I wouldn''t have anything to worry about until a few weeks at least," she answered, before looking at the items he was going to purchase in return. "What about you? Are you doing the same?"


    Kiyotaka sighed. "I''d love to do the same but unfortunately, I am in need of an early rest today. Perhaps I''ll do this tomorrow instead."


    "After what he did tofort me after seeing Nii-sama earlier... I can understand why he feels tired now," Suzune thought to herself, feeling guilty for her friend''s current condition. She berated herself for still feeling emotionally weak around her brother until now because if she wasn''t, then there would have been no need for Kiyotaka to do what he did for her. "I should return the favor to make it up to him. Spending a few points to buy him something shouldn''t hurt."


    Making up her mind, Suzune turned to her seatmate and took a deep breath.


    "Ayanokouji-kun, would you like to-"


    "Hold that thought. Something''s happening outside," he interrupted her before she couldplete her sentence. Although Suzune felt annoyed that he just told her to shut up out of nowhere, she looked at the store''s front door, where they could see one of their ssmates arguing with three other people.


    Sudo Ken, who was the red-haired boy with a short temper that refused to introduce himself earlier in ss, found himself in an unfavorable situation at the moment.


    He found himself face-to-face against three upperssmen, who all bore smug looks on their faces as if they had found a new source of entertainment and Sudo didn''t like that one bit.


    "If you three don''t stop messing around with me, then I''ll personally make sure you learn not to mess with me!" he warned the three other students, who allughed at his attempt to look and sound intimidating.


    "Oooh, we''re totally scared! Oh, hold me, guys!"


    "You''re gonna teach us a lesson? You and what army, dude?"


    "Maybe you should just listen to us. This ain''t your spot, it''s ours. Now go home to your dorm before we do something that we''ll regret."


    The red-haired teen clenched his fists. Who the hell did these guys think they were? Just because they''ve been here for a year longer than him, they think they can im ownership of a ce that didn''t even belong to them in the first ce? It was just ridiculous.


    "I can stand wherever I want, you punks! Come on, bring it!"


    "You asked for it!" the one in the middle grinned as they cracked their knuckles.


    "Senpai, would you mind exining what is going on here?"


    Unfortunately, they wouldn''t be able to do anything else as a voice cut through the tension between them like it was a knife.


    Ayanokouji Kiyotaka walked out of the convenience store with a calm look on his face, before staring at both Sudo and the three other students.


    Remembering Kiyotaka''s face from earlier, Sudo quickly tried to tell him to get out of here since this didn''t involve him. "Oi, stay out of this-"


    "May I ask what''s your problem with my ssmate, senpai?" Kiyotaka interrupted him, as he turned towards the upperssmen for an answer.


    "Well, this punk was standing at our spot so we told him to piss off," one of them scoffed.


    "Yeah, no one hangs out here other than us!"


    "But the guy wasn''t listening!


    Unsurprisingly, Sudo quickly let his anger get the better of him after hearing their excuses.


    "Bastards. Do you think I''ll lie down and kneel to you just because you''re a bunch of second-years?"


    Kiyotaka stepped forward and threw his left arm out, stopping Sudo from advancing any further. Because of this, the red-haired teen shifted his anger towards him, but Kiyotaka remained calm and continued to stare at the three students who were being a bother.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Is that so? I suppose I''ll take this up with one of the teachers, then. This school doesn''t take bullying very lightly, if I recall. You three are clearly bullying my ssmate, and I can''t let that happen any further."


    "Hah! Good luck trying to convince them when you don''t even have any proof!"


    "Oh, I can convince them easily."


    Much to Sudo''s surprise and to the horror of the three bullies, Ayanokouji-kun pulled out his phone from his pocket and yed a recording, which was the conversation that just transpired between the two parties, particrly how the three were trying to provoke his ssmate into fighting them.


    "Damn it..."


    "We''re so dead..."


    "You better delete that right now, or we''ll-"


    "If you don''t want me to release this recording, I suggest staying away from my ssmate and the rest of us, senpai. If you even try to do this again, I will send this recording to the teachers. Since you are upperssmen, you must know what happens to those students who get caught bullying other students, right?" Kiyotaka warned them, ignoring their empty threats because they had no way out now.


    His threat was enough to strike fear into those three students, so much it made them run away without looking back.


    With the three gone, Sudo turned his attention towards Kiyotaka. A mixture of embarrassment and anger was on his face, most likely from having to be saved by his ssmate from something bad as well as the fact that Kiyotaka intervened in something that didn''t even involve him.


    "Oi, what the hell was that about?! I could have handled that on my own!"


    Kiyotaka gave him an unamused look. "You were clearly giving in to what they wanted."


    "What?!"


    "If I didn''t step in, you would have been in a fight with them and in the case that a teacher sees you, you would have been punished. Surely, you don''t want to experience your first day in this school with a punishment, right?"


    "I would have told them that those three jackasses started it!"


    "Any teacher wouldn''t believe your words that easily. They would need concrete proof of what really happened, and that''s exactly what I did," he exined calmly. "Now I have leverage against them if they try something again."


    Sudo tried to say something to defend himself, but couldn''t find the right words to do so. Deep down, he knew that Kiyotaka was right. He was almost baited into giving those upperssmen what they wanted, and he had no one to me for it but himself.


    "Y-You''re right..." he sighed in defeat, directing his anger towards himself instead. "I''m a dumbass. I should have been smarter about the whole thing."


    "I don''t think you are. You just have to control your temper and learn not to give in to your anger easily. Earlier during ss, you were just being asked to introduce yourself. You could have refused politely. There was no need to lose your cool in front of your ssmates. They''ll have a poor opinion of you if you keep on doing that."


    "I guess I have to work on my attitude, then..." Sudo smiled nervously while scratching the back of his head. "You''re Ayanokouji, right?"


    Kiyotaka nodded. "That''s right. And you are...?"


    "Sudo Ken," the red-haired teen then threw out his hand for a handshake."Thanks for the assist with those guys."


    "No problem," Kiyotaka epted the gesture and the two shook hands for a few seconds. "Are you heading back to the dorms?"


    Sudo shook his head slowly. "Nah. I think I''ll walk around a bit before calling it a day. Don''t worry, I''ll stay out of trouble this time. See ya tomorrow, Ayanokouji."


    As Sudo left, Suzune walked up towards Kiyotaka and handed him his stic bag that had the goods he purchased from the store. Before he went off to help Sudo, Kiyotaka told the girl to hold his purchases for a while after paying for them at the counter. Suzune only agreed and after paying for the items she picked, she watched the whole interaction from nearby while concealing her presence from them.


    "That was an ingenious way of handling those three students," she remarked,plimenting the way Kiyotaka dealt with those upperssmen without instigating a fight. "I''m impressed."


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® "You tter me. I simply utilized the rules of this school and used it against them," he waved off words, although it was nice to hear them from a person like Horikita. "We better get a move on."


    And the two began to walk. Things were quiet between them at first, but Suzune was feeling tempted to continue what she was about to say earlier, before getting interrupted.


    Right now was her chance. They could still take a detour before reaching the dorms, and she would treat him to a quick snack to repay him for what he did. Kiyotaka liked ice cream, right? She could buy him a cone or two and then they can continue on their way. All she had to do was ask him...


    "Ayanokouji-kun, do you want to¡ª"


    "Hiya, Ayanokouji-kun~!"

 Chapter 10 Act 2: Scene 4

    ?Suzune clenched her fist in frustration upon hearing someone interrupt her. This was the second time she got interrupted before she could even ask him! Was the universe ying with her or something?!


    It wasn''t Kiyotaka who interrupted her this time, though.


    Both teenagers turned their heads to the source of that voice, as they saw a familiar face approach them, a girl with short beige hair and crimson eyes who happened to be their ssmate.


    "What are you doing here, Kushida?" asked Kiyotaka, raising an eyebrow curiously.


    Kikyo pped her hands together and smiled cutely. "I wanted to head back to the dorms with you. You''re going there, right?"


    "I am. Is that all?"


    "Oh, I have another reason!" she walked closer towards him as her smile widened. "Since you said that you''re not good at making friends, then I''ll be your friend!"


    "You didn''t have to say it out loud like that... although I wonder if she''s being genuine. She can fake her emotions easily, so I shouldn''t be surprised if she''s just making this up. But then again, she''s supposedly one of my ''Heroines'', and I can''t deny that she''s cute..." Kiyotaka had a mental war in his mind between being cautious and epting for a few moments, before letting out a sigh."You cane along with us, I guess..."


    Kiyotaka failed to notice the frown that Suzune was sending him after uttering his answer, because he was more focused on the notification that appeared in front of him.


    [You gained 5 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    "I''ve been gaining ''Affection Points'' faster with her than with Horikita..." he thought. "I believe Nanase is still higher than her, but I suppose that''s because we''ve already known each other even before I got this weird power, while I''ve only met Kushida today."


    "Really?!" Kikyo smiled brightly, which only made her even cuter than before. "Come on, let''s go! We can talk about a lot of things on the way there." She then grabbed Kiyotaka''s wrist and was about to pull him along with her, when Suzune''s voice immediately stopped her in her tracks.


    "Kushida-san, would you please calm down? I was having a perfectly normal conversation with Ayanokouji-kun before you happened to interrupt us."


    "What are you talking about? We weren''t¡ª" the young man tried to speak, but was quickly silenced by the scowl that Suzune sent him. "What is she angry about?" he asked himself in confusion.


    Kikyo turned to Suzune and bore a confused look. "But Horikita-san, I was just trying to be a good friend to Ayanokouji-kun. There''s nothing wrong with that, right? I''m sorry if I interrupted you two, but we could talk about it together on the way to the dorms!"


    Suzune would never say these next words in front of other people but right now, she was too frustrated to even care. "As far as I''m concerned, he only allowed you to apany us on the way to the dorms. I don''t think he said anything about epting you as a friend."


    Ouch.


    Even Kiyotaka winced as Suzune said those words. He even felt bad for Kikyo, despite knowing what she was like under that mask she was putting up.


    "E-Eh? W-Why are you speaking for Ayanokouji-kun as if you know what he''s thinking? Are you perhaps his girlfriend or something, Horikita-san?" Kikyo replied, the smile on her face straining a little as the girl struggled to keep her inner emotions in check. "That bitch! How dare she say that to me?! I''ll show her!"


    "I am not," she said firmly. "I am only basing my words on what I see and hear, and I don''t believe he acknowledged you as his friend."


    "Oh, and are you saying that you can make Ayanokouji-kun''s decisions for him?" Kikyo giggled.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Kiyotaka was beginning to sweat out of nervousness from what he was witnessing between the two. "This is bad... Kushida supposedly hates Horikita for knowing something about her, and she''s using this argument to ry what she really feels. On the other hand, I think Horikita''s getting jealous because Kushida just showed up out of nowhere. She''s jealous, right? She wouldn''t say those things if she wasn''t."


    Okay, he obviously has to stop these two from arguing any further, but how exactly? Okay, he could stop Sudo from being an idiot and picking a fight with other students, but this waspletely different. He couldn''t take advantage of anything here and to make matters worse, these two were both ''heroines''. One wrong word and he could screw things up.


    Darn it, what was he supposed to do?!


    [TOKI WO TOMARE!]


    "What the hell...?"


    Fortunately for him, the young man was saved from having to think about what to say to them because the ''time freeze'' mechanic of the system kicked in, and the world around the young man lost its color. The


    A. [Would you both keep it down? Otherwise, I''ll just walk on my own and leave the both of you here.]


    B. [Why don''t we all just get along and walk together to the dorms? We all have the same destination, anyway.]


    C. [Girls, please, please. There''s no need to fight over me because I belong to everyone. You are even free to share me if you are willing to.]


    "I don''t know what that earlier notification was about but anyway, how nice of the system to lend me a hand for this problem," Kiyotaka thought, feeling confused with that ''toki wo tomare'' notification before shrugging it off and focusing on his choices. Must be a reference or it''s just the system messing with him again.


    Alright, the first choice was obviously out of the question because it was in rude and would likely end up doing more harm than good. The second choice was a usible one to calm the two girls down, but Kiyotaka had a feeling that even if he says it, the two won''t stop and will continue to argue... which leaves the third option... again.


    "Why can''t there be four options instead...? One that doesn''t involve an embarrassing answer, preferably..." he sighed and covered his face with his hand. "I''m going to regret this, but if it means getting to the dorms as soon as possible so I could sleep already, then whatever."


    With a clear frown on his face, the young man picked Option C as the world returned to normal, especially the two girls.


    "Horikita-san, if you have a problem with me, then you could just say it. How will we resolve this if you don''t tell me what''s wrong?" Kikyo asked, continuing to put up a fake smile that was about to shatter at any second.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I have no problem with you. All I''m saying is that you should be mindful of your limits and to be careful not to overstop your boundaries. Ayanokouji-kun said that you cane with us, that doesn''t give you the power to drag him wherever you wish," Suzune shot back while hiding the real reason why she was pissed.


    The sound of Kiyotaka clearing his throat made both girls stop in their seemingly endless argument as they turned to him.


    "Girls, please, please. There''s no need to fight over me because I belong to everyone. You are even free to share me if you are willing to," he spoke while shing them an alluring smirk.


    It proved to be very effective in shutting them up, as well as making their faces turn red in the process.


    [You gained 5 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    [You gained 2 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    [You silenced two arguing Heroines by smooth-talking them! You gained +1 in Charm!]


    "I expected that to happen," Kiyotaka shook his head and sighed. "But it still makes me wonder why I''ve been gaining ''Affection Points'' with Kushida so quickly. Does she actually like me or something?"


    The two continued to stare at him dumbfoundedly even after Kiyotaka regained control of his body, to the point that he was starting to think that he actually made the wrong choice instead.


    "Uh... I was just kidding?" he tried to say in an attempt to fix things before it''s toote.


    ...and it was.


    ~XoX~


    "Will it still be freedom if I kill myself? Seriously," the young man deadpanned in his mind, the apathetic look on his face gone and reced by an annoyed expression instead.


    Never in his life had he felt this frustrated and angry before, and he hated that man above everything else. In fact, if there was a gun somewhere around here, he was tempted to put a bullet in his own head if it meant putting a stop to this mess.


    The reason why Kiyotaka was feeling angry was the two girls who were holding each of his arms like it belonged to them. No, no, it''s not because of the girls themselves. It''s because the stupid superpower he had led them to be like this.


    On the brighter side of things, it did manage to quell the girls'' anger and got them to stop arguing, only at the cost of them grabbing his arm like they were his girlfriends...


    As they walked, Kushida began asking Ayanokouji a multitude of questions, ranging from ''which school did youe from'' to more personal ones like ''do you have any siblings''. The young man answered her questions to the best that he could, but left some as vague because there are things about him that she must not know about.


    Even though she was annoyed by Kushida''s loud voice taking over the whole time, Horikita still listened with great interest to the questions that he answered, as it was also a way for her to get to know him better.


    As they neared the dorm buildings, Kikyo let out an audible sigh. "I wonder why we can''t be neighbors in dorm rooms... that way, we''d see each other more often and we can even walk to ss together!"


    Kiyotaka only shook his head. "Kushida, that should be obvious. I''m a guy, and you''re a girl. We aren''t supposed to live in the same dorm building."


    "I know... but, it''s not like other boys will think of going into a girl''s dorm room, right? Plus, I''m sure there will be cameras that can record what happens in the hallways. Boys wouldn''t even think of sneaking into a girl''s room because it would be bad if they get caught!" Kikyo argued, which surprised even herself.


    "I don''t know why, but I want to be closer to Ayanokouji-kun..." the girl thought as she realized something. "Wait, if I can get him on my side, then I can expel Horikita for good! It''s totally obvious that she likes him, which is mind-blowing to think about, but it will only make expelling her more satisfying! I can only imagine the look on her face when she sees that Ayanokouji helped in her expulsion!"


    The more Kikyo thought about it, the more she liked it.


    "Kushida-san, can you please give it a rest? Ayanokouji-kun said it himself. Boys and girls aren''t allowed to live in the same building. Perhaps there are dormitories that offer a co-ed arrangement for its inhabitants, but our school does no such thing."


    Kikyo resisted the urge to growl at her in anger. "Fine..." she sighed as she thought of a way to get closer to the young man with her.


    Kiyotaka sighed in relief.


    Finally, some peace and quiet. They were getting close to the dorms as well. Just a bit more, and he''ll be able to take a rest from this day that served to tire him out to the absolute limit!


    [''To Protect Her Smile'' has been Activated!]


    ...what?


    For a moment, Kiyotaka''s apathetic expression fell apartpletely and was reced with a look of shock.


    "What the¡ª" Kiyotaka''s eyes went wide as he read the notification, because he knew what this skill was capable of doing and it wasn''t good. "How the hell did it activate? These girls couldn''t have been feeling sad."


    The sound of a nearby megaphone pole turning on caught the three students'' attention, making them stop in their tracks so they could listen to what was about to be announced.


    "Attention, all students. Please check your phones for a very important message. I repeat, all students, please check your phones for a very important message."

 Chapter 11 Act 2: Scene 5

    ?While they were confused, Suzune and Kikyo did as they were told and turned on their phones. Meanwhile, Kiyotaka was already thinking of a hundred possible scenarios in which this could go, because this was definitely linked to that broken skill he possessed.


    "I wonder what it''s about," Suzunemented.


    The three had received a video message sent to them by the school admin, which they yed at the same time.


    The video had opened with the school chairman standing in the middle of his office with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Forgive me for this sudden interruption, dear students, but I forgot to mention this during the entrance ceremony earlier. This is very important, especially for this year''s freshmen, so listen carefully. For the first time in the history of our school, the administration has decided to implement a co-ed dormitory arrangement for the students!"


    Suzune''s eyes widened in shock at the sudden announcement, as she wondered how exactly did the chairman forget such an important matter at the entrance ceremony. Kikyo was on the same boat, before a smile took over her features as she realized that she could now put her n in motion. Kind of out of nowhere, but hey, it works in her favor.


    Kiyotaka felt a mixture of both amazement and distress; amazement because he was seeing this particr skill manipting reality itself like it was nothing, and distress because he knew that the reason this was happening is because one of ''heroines'' was feeling sad, which was likely Kikyo. She was talking about being dorm neighbors earlier, after all!


    "For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it simply means that both boys and girls will live in the same dorm building from now on. That being said, we expect all of you to follow basic rules even with this arrangement. That means that everyone will respect each other''s boundaries, no matter what, for there will be severe punishment for those who choose to test our patience," the chairman warned, which was scarier than intended because of the eerie smile on his face.


    "Well, would you look at that? Looks like it is possible for us to be neighbors, Ayanokouji-kun!"mented Kushida while sending a subtle smirk at the person whom she hated. Oh, she was now hoping that they would really end up as neighbors now, just so she could see the look on Horikita''s face when she sees it.


    "Indeed..." muttered Horikita.


    "The system''s going to make it so that the two of us are neighbors, isn''t it?" the young man asked in his mind, looking at Kikyo. He could already see it happening from a mile away. "The skill''s description says that it will manipte reality for the sake of a heroine''s happiness and if it will make Kushida happy, then the system will make us neighbors."


    Seriously, he just wanted to rest! Why can''t the system stop giving him headaches at every turn?! The worst part about this is that it was only his first day with this power, and there''s THREE years of him being in this school. He had already ''unlocked'' two heroine routes and if Chabashira herself wasn''t enough of a warning that Horikita and Kushida won''t be the only ones he''ll be romancing, then his other ssmates are the solid proof.


    He could already tell that the system was just waiting for the right time to p him in the face with another ''(INSERT NAME) Route has been Unlocked!'' notification.


    And then there''s also Nanase back home with Matsuo... who was nning to go here in a year''s time... and she also happened to be a heroine as well.


    "However, I regret to inform you that this change will only apply for this year''s freshmen, so the second-years and third-years will have to stick to the same arrangement until they graduate. From this year going forward, a co-ed dormitory will be the living arrangements for our students, That is all. I thank you for taking the time to listen."


    As the video message ended, the young man with a ''dating simtor'' power fell to his knees, which is something that you would never see Ayanokouji Kiyotaka do in a lifetime, especially the words that woulde out of his mouth next.


    "I give up," Kiyotaka mumbled quietly, surrendering to his fate.


    As both Suzune and Kikyo knelt down to his level with worried looks on their faces, Kiyotaka bore an expression that showed he was dead inside. Even if he was a highly dangerous and capable individual who survived the horrors of the White Room, there''s only so much that a teenager like him can handle. Plus, he wasn''t exactly facing off against a person or someone whom he can defeat with wit alone.


    Perhaps he should just stop being annoyed and instead, embrace this messed-up superpower for what it is. Maybe the system might be merciful towards him if he does that...


    Still, how embarrassing for the so-called ''masterpiece''. If his father could see him now, then he would be the one tomit suicide instead.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ~XoX~


    "Woooow... I still can''t believe it! We''re actually neighbors, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    A big smile could be seen on Kikyo''s face as she skipped through the hallway of the 4th floor, marveling at how clean and beautiful the ce looked. Behind her were Kiyotaka and Suzune, who weren''t affected much by the sudden change in living arrangements for the students, although the girl did feel a bit embarrassed about where exactly her dorm room was located.


    In Kiyotaka''s case, he wasn''t surprised which unit he ended up in.


    Upon reaching the dorm buildings and getting their keys from the registrar at the lobby, the three students realized that they would be living next to each other by simply looking at their room keys. By that, it''s actually Kiyotaka''s unit being in the middle of the two girls'' dorm rooms.


    Yep, he was officially living between two girls who were about to strangle each other earlier. If that''s not a recipe for disaster, then he didn''t know what is.


    As the three reached their individual dorm units, Kushida walked up towards the young man with a cute smile on her face. "Come on, Ayanokouji-kun, aren''t you excited about being neighbors with me?" she asked.


    "Kushida-san, would you please stop bothering him already? Ayanokouji-kun has had a long day, and the reason why he wanted to head to the dorms early is because he wants to rest," Suzune said firmly, scolding the girl for continuing to act bubbly and energetic around Kiyotaka. Can''t she see that he was looking tired?


    "Thanks for that," he thanked Suzune for speaking up on his behalf, before turning to their otherpanion who looked troubled because she did something wrong. "Kushida, I don''t mean any offense, but I just want to go inside my room and rest for maybe a few hours. I feel exhausted from everything that happened today."


    "O-Oh, it''s fine..." she replied, before looking apologetic. She didn''t mean to put on an annoying act, she was only trying to be a good friend. "I''m sorry if it seems like I''m annoying you, Ayanokouji-kun..."


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® "You''re not annoying me, so don''t worry about it," he waved off her apology. It''s not Kushida''s fault that he felt exhausted, anyway. "Besides, you yourself said it earlier. Now that we are neighbors, we can walk to school together, right?"


    Kiyotaka had no idea if he was saying the right thing, but based on the responses that he gave to this girl thus far, she can be easily swayed by kind words and ording to her summary, she loves getting praised by other people as well.


    [You gained 2 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    "Yeah! That''ll be really fun! I''ll wait for you tomorrow then!" Kikyo pped her hands together and chuckled, before opening the door to her unit. She secretly sent a smug look towards Suzune. "This is going well... oh, I can''t wait to see the look on her face when she realizes it!"


    With Kikyo gone, the brown-haired teen towards his otherpanion, who was already


    "See you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun." Suzune''s words were quick and direct, as she opened the door to her unit and walked inside. She closed the door afterwards, but not before seeing Kiyotaka sending her a nod of acknowledgement. Now that she was alone, her mind was taking a different direction after listening to her two ssmates. "I will make sure to wake up early tomorrow like them."


    With Suzune gone as well, this left Kiyotaka as the only one left in the hallway. He quickly brought out his own key and unlocked the door to his unit. "Finally... I can lie down in bed and sleep for the rest of the day," he said in his mind, as an overwhelming wave of relief filled his entire being.


    "Who would have thought that this would be the ce where we''ll finally meet?" a female voice spoke from behind him, making him stop.


    "...or not."

 Chapter 12 Act 2: Scene 6

    ?Instead of feeling annoyed, Kiyotaka only sighed and decided to deal with this as fast as possible. It''s just one more girl, right? He just has to smooth-talk her, ''unlock'' her route and make her a heroine, then end the conversation as soon as he can. And then he can FINALLY get some rest.


    "Who are you?" he asked, pocketing his key but not turning around to face this stranger... yet.


    "Fufu, I''m not surprised that you don''t know me, but it''s been 8 years since the day I''veid my eyes on you for the first time and I must say, seeing you in person is nothing like seeing you through ss."


    "What are you talking about?" he asked in slight suspicion before turning around.


    Standing outside of the room that was opposite to his was a small, petite girl with lc-colored hair and violet eyes. She was wearing the standard female school uniform, along with a ck beret and white stockings with garterbelts. She also had a cane in her hand. Despite her small stature, there was something about her presence that made her stand outpared to other students, including Suzune and Kikyo.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, also known as the ''Masterpiece''," the girl smirked as she did a curtsy. "I''m Sakayanagi Arisu. You could say that I''m a big fan of yours~"


    Almost immediately, Kiyotaka''s eyes flew in all directions, checking to see if they were alone out here in the hallway. Once he was sure that there was nobody around except for them, he turned his attention back to the girl and walked closer towards her.


    "If you know who I am, then you know that you should be careful of what you''re saying," he also took notice of her family name that he heard before. "Are you somehow rted to the chairman?"


    "Oh, you don''t have to worry about that. Believe it or not, the cameras along this hallway don''t work. I checked them myself earlier," she continued to smirk. "And you are correct about that assumption. He''s my father."


    Before he could say anything else, a familiar screen appeared on top of her head that Kiyotaka quickly read in order to gain more information regarding this girl.


    [Sakayanagi Arisu: ''Obsessed Little Girl'']


    [Rtionship Status: Childhood Friends]


    [Affection Points: 70/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Arisu is a petite girl with a certain condition that requires her to use a cane in order to walk around. She knows you ever since you were a child, although you''ve technically never met. She has simply seen and heard of you before because she has visited the White Room before with her father. While she is impressed with what you have aplished in the White Room, she also refuses to believe that a ''fake genius'' like you can win against a ''natural genius'' like her. Regardless, she has been looking forward to meeting you so much that she has ''relieved'' herself lots of times just by thinking about you.]


    "Do you doubt my words? It''s alright if you don''t believe me, Ayanokouji-kun," she continued, but Kiyotaka was no longer paying attention to her. Rather, his gaze was fixated on her ''Heroine Summary'' instead.


    "Huh... I wonder what ''relieved'' means but more importantly, why is the system showing her summary as if her ''route'' was already unlocked?" the young man thought. He waspletely sure that he hadn''t met this girl before, therefore he should have chosen between three choices to ''unlock'' her route, just like how he had done for Nanase, Horikita, and Kushida.


    But her summary said otherwise, and the ''Rtionship Status'' between them was even ''Childhood Friends'', even though this was the first time they met. And what the hell was with those ''Affection Points''? It''s almost about to reach 100 despite this being their first interaction!


    But most of all, why didn''t the system tell him about this? Is it still trying to make him suffer? Heh, he wouldn''t be surprised at all if that''s the case¡ª


    "Wait a second..." he said in his thoughts, remembering something that happened earlier today.


    Earlier, while he was still in Matsuo''s home and exploring the ''Menu'' of his weird power, there was a sub-menu that wasbeled [Heroines'' Status]. He didn''t feel the need to check it because he was sure Tsubasa was the only heroine whom he had met that time. It never urred to him that there was already someone else included in it... but he should check just to be sure.


    "Menu," he whispered, summoning the dating simtor''s menu as the world around him stopped all of a sudden.


    Oh, would you look at that? It seems that when he opens the menu, the world around him freezes simr to whenever the ''three choices'' appear before him. At least this saves him from having to exin himself if Sakayanagi asks him what he''s doing.


    Kiyotaka didn''t waste time and quickly chose the second sub-menu, and he was surprised to see what was shown there.


    [Heroines'' Status]


    [Sakayanagi Arisu ?]


    [Nanase Tsubasa ?]


    [Horikita Suzune ?]


    [Kushida Kikyo ?]


    Okay, this could only mean that Arisu''s information was already here, even before he ''unlocked'' Tsubasa''s route, which means that this mistake was on him. He could have known about Arisu way earlier, but he wasn''t able to because he didn''t check this sub-menu out while he was still at Matsuo''s home.


    This also meant that Arisu wasn''t kidding when she said that she was a ''big fan'' of him, but was that really a good enough reason for her ''Affection Points'' to be close to 100 already? As of now, she had overtaken Tsubasa''s lead by arge margin that Kiyotaka was actually curious about what would happen if she reached 100.


    It also meant that she was really a person from his childhood, despite not meeting her up close, which would exin why she is already considered a heroine in the eyes of this dating sim system.


    "Interesting..." he thought, feeling intrigued regarding this girl but his interest can wait for now. He still felt mentally tired from everything that''s happened today. "So is there any reason why you wanted to talk? I kind of want to go inside my dorm room right now and get an early rest."


    "Of course you do, and I apologize for keeping you from doing so. However, you might want to take notice of the fact that I live inside the room that is opposite yours."


    He actually noticed that the moment he realized that this girl was also a heroine. It actually makes sense for the system to have her live here, because she was one of his heroines! Horikita and Kushida were his next-door neighbors, while Sakayanagi lived in the unit in front of his.


    "And I''m supposed to care about that because...?" he said, ying along with her words.


    She shed a smug look. "Because I want you to know this, Ayanokouji-kun. You may think that there is no instance in which you can lose, but I will be the one to prove you wrong."


    "Is that so?" he asked, seemingly disinterested in the conversation but was actually listening closely.


    "A false genius cannot win against a natural genius. The White Room creates artificial geniuses, doesn''t it?" she exined with a fond smile on her face. "And you''re considered it''s masterpiece. You represent my biggest obstacle, and I will take great pleasure in defeating you, Ayanokouji-kun.Nobody else other than me deserves the right to bury the ''Masterpiece'' of the White Room."


    Kiyotaka listened to her exnation closely and tried to, but couldn''t understand the girl. Her words were a clear contradiction against the summary that the system had for her. The system couldn''t be lying, unless it was nning to drive him insane.


    "Hmm, I don''t get it... she says she wants to take me down, and yet she is the one with the highest amount of ''Affection Points'' among the heroines I have."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Truly, a maiden''s heart is hard to figure out.


    [A Special Event Has Been Triggered!]


    "You''re saying that you want to beat me and prove you are superior and yet, you refer to yourself as a fan of mine. What is it really, Sakayanagi?" asked Kiyotaka out of confusion.


    Her smile widened. "Fufufu, I wasn''t lying, Ayanokouji-kun. While I do admire and feel impressed with your aplishments in the White Room, I will still aim to defeat you and prove that a natural genius is superior to even the ''Masterpiece'' himself."


    In a move that surprised even himself, the edge of Kiyotaka''s lips curled up slightly and formed a little smirk, something that he supposedly couldn''t do without the system taking control of his body. Arisu noticed the change in his expression, yet she only tilted her head in slight confusion.


    "Really? Then what if I do this?" he asked in an amused tone, moving even closer towards her.


    The smug expression on Arisu''s face fell apart quickly as she moved away from the young man, at least until her back met the door to her room seconds after.


    Kiyotaka stopped about an inch away from her and leaned down so they could look at each other directly. He even mmed his arm against the door behind her, pulling off a kabe-don that startled the lc-haired girl and even caused her cheeks to turn red.


    "Hoh? Is that a blush I see, Sakayanagi?" asked Kiyotaka, his smirk growing wider at the sight of the girl like this.


    "W-What are you trying to do?" she stuttered, as she hasn''t experienced something like this before. Even though she had a disability that made her physically frail, no one had dared to cross her in any way due to her status as well as the fact that she can make anyone feel intimidated and fearful of her thanks to her intelligence.


    Unfortunately, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka wasn''t one of those people.


    "I''m trying to see how much of a ''fan'' you are," he chuckled in amusement. "And it seems that you really are one if I can get a reaction like this from you."


    The girl was forced to turn her head away. She hated feeling helpless, but there''s no way she could win against him like this. "P-Please keep your distance from me, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "And if I don''t? What exactly are you going to do?" Kiyotaka smirked at her. "As you said, the cameras here aren''t working, no one''s going to see this. Will you push me away? I want to see you try."


    "I-I''ll scream for help," she shot back. Sakayanagi knew that she was losing this battle and she hated it, especially now when she could feel her heart beating faster than before.


    "Can you even do that? Will you even do that?" he challenged her, making her frown at him. Despite her earlier threat, Kiyotaka wasn''t even taking her seriously and it was annoying her. The girl almost looked like a poor cat who had her favorite ball of yarn taken from her. "Something tells me that you''re only lying to yourself, Sakayanagi."


    She tried to sh a smirk of her own in an attempt to fight back against him, but was obviously failing due to the fact that her body began to tremble. "How would you know? It''s not like you can read minds, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "I can''t," he lifted her chin with a finger, forcing her to look up at him as her eyes widened. "But I can read your bodynguage, Sakayanagi. I actually think that you''re even liking this."


    All Arisu could do was stare at him,pletely helpless to do anything else. Their faces were so close to each other that Kiyotaka could lean in and kiss her if he wanted to. Even if she didn''t want to, the girl couldn''t actually do anything to stop him.


    And so, surrendering to logic and Kiyotaka himself, Arisu simply closed her eyes and waited for something to happen, but nothing did. When she opened her eyes though, she quickly noticed that he leaned close to her ear instead.


    "You have no chance of beating me, Sakayanagi. Especially not when you act like this around me," he whispered into her ear, which managed to send a chill down her spine. "Still, I might enjoy yourpany. While we have never met each other like this in the past, I feel that you and I have a certain connection that can''t be imitated by anyone else."


    And with that, he moved away from the girl and got a good look at her blushing face as he heard the snapping of a camera followed by the familiar musical chime that the system had.


    The ''image'' of Sakayanagi''s look of shame appeared before him as a notification showed up under it.


    [''Superior into Inferior'' was added to the gallery!]


    Kiyotaka ignored both screens in favor of Arisu herself blushing in front of him like an embarrassed schoolgirl. Her smug demeanor was nowhere to be found and while the young man was tempted to y around with her for a bit longer, he still wanted to rest his body so he should end this now.


    "Have a good night Arisu," he sent her one final smirk before he turned around and walked back to his unit. As he heard the sound of a door mming shut behind him, several notifications then appeared in front of Kiyotaka.


    [Special Event ''An Interesting Reunion'' has been cleared! You gained 25 Affection Points with Sakayanagi Arisu!]


    [You were able to make a girlpletely speechless all on your own! You gained +5 in Charm!]


    [You knew just what would make your Heroine flustered and capitalized on it! You gained +3 in Wisdom!]


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''And The Rest is Silence''! You gained +10 in Aura!]


    Too tired to dismiss them himself, the young man ignored thempletely, walked into his dorm room and let himself copse on the bed.


    A massive wave of relief overtook himpletely as he felt thefort of a nice soft bed after all the craziness that he went through today. However, this didn''t stop him from thinking about what just happened a while ago, particrly when he did something that he has never done before.


    "I actually smiled... or rather, I smirked. Completely different from a smile, but it''s as good as one considering who I am," he thought, remembering the feeling of moving his lips willingly in order to throw Sakayanagi off her game. "And I wasn''t even being mind-controlled by some god. That was really me


    Thest several times that he smiled in front of other people was because his mind and actions were overridden by some kind of external force. It may actually be the system itself that was forcing him to smile but this time, he did it on his own and was even into it as if he was ying a role.


    "Maybe this system is actually trying to help me in some way, even though it''s been cruel to me thus far. Those ''dating stats''... maybe they''re not just for show. Perhaps they really do help me exactly as they were intended to be. My ability to make people think of me as attractive, my ability to figure out what they want from me, and my ability to draw them towards me. The higher they are, the more I''ll be able to do this on my own... without the help of choosing from three options."


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Perhaps the system was making him suffer problem after problem in order to prepare for situations like this. Because this time, he didn''t have to choose between three choices on what he could possibly say to Arisu and handled her on his own. He even underwent a sudden shift in personality when he smooth-talked her, yet he was in full control of his actions.


    Perhaps in the future, when those ''dating stats'' that he possessed have reached a high amount, he''ll be able to show emotions and even act like an average everyday person... although there''s no telling the amount of ''heroines'' that he would have if it everes to that.


    "I had no idea that I could do something like that..." he muttered as he rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling. "That actually felt entertaining, for once. Getting used to this ''power'' might not be as hard as I thought it would be, but I suppose we''ll see."


    Maybe there was hope for his life in this school to be more exciting, after all.

 Chapter 13 Act 3: Scene 1

    ?Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had never been more d about being able to sleep in peace, without anything bothering him. The first time he felt this way was when he escaped from the White Room and slept on a normal bed for the first time in many years, with nothing but peace as the only emotion he felt while he slept. It was almost the same case yesterday, but with arguably a more stressful environment and circumstances...


    "After everything that''s happened yesterday, I almost hoped to die in my sleep just to put an end to this living hell that I''m in. Wait, that''s an exaggeration. I wouldn''tpare this to my life in that ce, because the one pulling the strings behind it all is someone whom I detest with every fiber of my being. At the very least, this weird superpower isn''t really doing anything to put me in direct danger."


    The young man had just finished checking if he had forgotten anything to bring with him and was about to leave, only for him to feel that he wasn''t ready to go yet. It''s like there was something pulling him back in this ce and it was tempting to give in... very tempting.


    "I feel tempted to just stay in this ce and nevere out again... but that''s going to bring me some intense consequences," Kiyotaka thought, having learned his lesson from yesterday''s events.


    Plus, he waspletely sure that if he doesn''t show up to ss, some people are going to be upset and will likely cause that insanely broken skill he had to activate again just to keep them from being sad. While that skill wasn''t going to harm him in any way, it does have the tendency to drive him closer and closer to insanity with how absurd it was.


    Kiyotaka shook his head. He should really get used to it and by that, it meant treating this superpower and everything it can do as something normal. It''s bing more and more obvious that it won''t be going anytime soon, and he wasn''t dreaming either.


    The young man opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, where he saw Kikyo standing outside of her room with a big smile on her face. Her smile only grew wider when she saw him.


    "Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" she greeted eagerly.


    "Good morning, Kushida."


    Right, Kikyo wanted to go to ss together, which was pretty much the reason why the system made them neighbors, even though they could do that without living next to each other. So, instead of doing it for the girl''s happiness, it felt like the system did it for the sake of making his high school life moreplicated. It just needed a good excuse to activate the skill...


    [Kushida Kikyo: ''Happy Scheming Neighbor'']


    [Rtionship Status: A Rocky Rtionship]


    [Affection Points: 27/100]


    "Well, at least she isn''t sad anymore," Kiyotaka allowed himself a sigh of relief before taking notice of the strange word that''s next to her name, which seemed to portray the current mood of a particr heroine. "Scheming? Hm, must be about Horikita then. I should really find out what exactly Kushida did in her old school, since her ''summary'' made a big deal about it and it''s the reason why she hates Horikita. However, that''s something I can''t ask her, otherwise I risk pissing her off and something bad happening... maybe I can ask Horikita? They dide from the same school..."


    Kikyo walked up towards him, her bag firmly in her grasp, before she sent him a look of excitement. "Are you ready to go to school together?"


    Kiyotaka gave her a nod and prepared to leave for the elevator, when the two heard someone speaking from behind them with a cold tone, almost to the point that it felt like the temperature around them dropped several degrees.


    "You''re unbelievable. Heading to ss and you''re not even going to wait for your neighbor? I thought we were friends?"


    The brown-haired teen turned around to see Suzune stepping out of her room with an icy re on her face, feeling displeased that they were going to leave without her.


    Kiyotaka could only wonder what she''s getting angry about. Was Suzune expecting them to wait for her or something?


    "In my defense, I didn''t know you wanted to go to ss together. Ande to think of it, why didn''t you tell me if you wanted to?"


    "We are ssmates, are we not?" she asked rhetorically. "Since we are ssmates and our dorm rooms are also next to each other, it''s only natural for us to head to the school building together."


    "I don''t think that makes sense, but okay," he thought, staring nkly at the girl who walked up to them like nothing was wrong. "If that''s what you want, then just walk with us. We haven''t even left yet."


    "That''s exactly what I will do," she folded her arms and let out a ''Hmph!'', showing that she was still displeased about being nearly forgotten if she didn''t make her presence known.


    Kiyotaka sighed. Not even a few hours into this day, and the system was already creating problems for him.


    Meanwhile, the other girl who was with them was simply smiling at the scene like nothing was wrong. Her thoughts, however, were apletely different story. "That bitch... she was definitely waiting for us to leave so she could ruin things!" Kikyo snarled in her mind.


    Once again, girls are trulyplicated creatures.


    ~XoX~


    "You''ll get used to this," Kiyotaka said to himself over and over, while trying to ignore the two girls who were holding on to his wrists the same way as they did yesterday. Suzune was looking on ahead with her usual cold expression, but he noticed her sending looks of suspicion towards Kikyo. On the other hand, Kikyo put on the angelic smile that other people around her loved seeing, though Kiyotaka could tell that it was only a mask.


    Well, at least they weren''t hugging his arm and clinging on to him like a pair of lovestruck teenagers, although that may be reality soon.


    Still, this was still a big problem for him, because of his ssmates who might see his current predicament and start asking questions as a result. Or worse, they assume right away and think he''s two-timing Suzune and Kikyo, which would make things even more awkward than before. One thing''s for sure though, his ssmates will have a bad opinion if they ever see him with these two girls in such a position, and would ruin his reputation with them for the foreseeable future...


    Fortunately for the young man, everybody else was too preupied with what they were doing to notice Kiyotaka, Suzune, and Kikyo stepping inside the ssroom. It was also a good thing that they got here thirty minutes before homeroom starts, so there were only about seven people inside the room at the moment.


    Taking this as an opportunity to save the three of them from any misunderstandings, Kiyotaka gently shook off their hold on his arms and quietly walked towards his seat without gaining anyone''s attention.


    Kiyotaka enjoyed what free time he had from here going forward by taking a nap on his desk afterwards, because about ten minutester, his ssmates began to flood the room in droves. Good thing his two heroines weren''t making a scene. Suzune was quietly reading a book in her seat, while Kikyo was talking with their ssmates like the socialite she was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Right away, the topic of many conversations within the ssroom was the sudden change brought about by the chairman of the school yesterday.


    "Yep, I expected this to happen. Best to stay quiet," Kiyotaka thought as he kept his head down, but continued to listen on. He hoped that his two heroines wouldn''t mention anything about his situation, of course. While there was no need to worry about Suzune because she doesn''t even talk to anyone, Kikyo was a different story.


    "Yamauchi, did you be neighbors with some beautiful girls?!" asked Ike out of excitement.


    As expected, some of the boys (mainly Ike and Yamauchi) were ecstatic to talk about the new co-ed dorm arrangements, with a few of them looking really pleased about living next to someone of the opposite sex.


    They had thought that they would spend three years doing nothing but chasing girls from afar, but now they had a big headstart and were eager to take advantage of it.


    "Nah..." Yamauchi sighed, before letting out a loud groan of frustration. "I got thrown into a sausage party instead, because all the people on my floor are guys!"


    "Yikes... that sucks."


    "I know, right?! Here I thought the girls can live with us now... why the hell would the chairman make the dorm buildings co-ed for the students if they''re not gonna give me some hot neighbors?! I bet some bastard is enjoying having girls by himself because they live next to him!"


    Kiyotaka felt tempted tough at his misfortune, but kept quiet. It seems that while the system helps him out in various unpredictable ways, the same doesn''t happen for other guys.


    Ike shrugged. "Oh well, at least I''m not as unfortunate as you."


    "What?! Are you saying that you''re neighbors with a girl?!" Yamauchi asked, as he and the other boys involved in the conversation were caught off guard


    "Yeah, but... the girl could''ve been better," Ike sighed, feeling that this wasn''t going as well as he had hoped despite getting the very thing that he wanted.


    Yamauchi began shedding anime-like tears out of jealousy. "You lucky bastard! At least be grateful that you''re neighbors with a girl! Unless you''re faking it..."


    Kiyotaka wanted to feel bad for them, but only shook his head. He could only imagine their reactions when they find out that he''s neighbors with three girls, and one of them isn''t even part of their ss...e to think of it, which ss did Arisu belong to exactly?


    "Ugh, why did I have to be neighbors with that pervert...?"


    From the other side of the room, a certain blue-haired girl with pink eyes groaned in frustration as sheined about her current predicament to her friends. Kiyotaka noticed that Kushida was with them,


    "Wait, who are you neighbors with, Shinohara-san?" asked Sato.


    "That desperate pervert from yesterday! I thought he was stalking me when I saw him on the 6th floor where my room is supposed to be, but it turns out that he was actually my neighbor!"


    Kiyotaka heard her easily because Shinohara wasn''t exactly being quiet. "Ah, so she''s the unfortunate girl who ended up as Ike''s neighbor. Poor girl."


    He could only pity her. It was the system that altered the original living arrangements for the students and turned it into a co-ed dorm for everyone (only the freshmen, though) instead. If it was up to him, then there would be no need to change things and simply have them as they were.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t in control of a broken skill that can alter reality.


    "I hate this! Guys aren''t supposed to live in the same ce as girls! Now I have to keep watch 24/7 just to make sure I''m safe from perverts!" ranted Karuizawa, mming her fist on her desk out of frustration.


    "Are you also neighbors with a boy, Karuizawa-san?"


    Kei calmed down immediately, as she thought back to when she got to her dormst night. When she got there, she didn''t see any boy around.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Okay, there might be one who lived there with them and for all she knew, she was neighbors with one but there''s no way she''s going to check the rooms there one by one if that was the case. For now though, she could consider herself safe from any guy who''s thinking of being a pervert...


    "Hmm, not sure. I didn''t see any guy around the 4th floor when I got back to my dormst night."


    "The 4th floor? That''s where I live too!" Kushida smiled. "It''s too bad we didn''t see each other then..."


    "4th floor? She lives on the same floor as mine¡ª" Kiyotaka thought, before a wave of realization hit him. "Oh, I see now. The system ced her there because she must be a ''heroine'' as well. Hm, if that''s the case, then it shouldn''t be a stretch to say that the whole 4th floor must be inhabited by girls whom the system sees as heroines..."


    Honestly, it makes sense. He was already neighbors with Horikita and Kushida, while Sakayanagi''s room was opposite his. With Karuizawa''s room located at the 4th floor like them, it''s pretty obvious.


    With this dating simtor system being crazy as it is, it would definitely do something like putting his heroines all on the same floor as him. Now that he thought about it, that would actually be the most usible move for the system.


    Why would it waste the chance to have his heroines live near to him?

 Chapter 14 Act 3: Scene 2

    ?"Best to stay quiet for now, at least until I ''unlock'' her route or the system itself does something," he told himself. "This does confirm my suspicion yesterday, though. If Karuizawa''s considered a heroine, then Sato will definitely be one as well."


    "I don''t see where''s the problem," spoke a girl with reddish-brown hair, whose name was Onodera Kayano. While the topic of the conversation was their frustration with the newly-implemented rule, she didn''t look bothered by it. "So what if we''re neighbors with the boys?"


    "Onodera-san, don''t tell me you''re fine with this whole thing?!" shouted Kei, horrified at the fact that one of their female ssmates could say such a thing.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom "Yeah, I''m pretty fine with it!" the girl shrugged. "If it wasn''t for this new dorm system, then I would have never known that we have a ssmate who''s also into sports like Hirata-kun!"


    "Really? Who?" asked Maya.


    "Sudo-kun!" Kayano eximed. "The dude''s actually a basketball yer in his old school and he never even said it."


    "Sudo? She''s neighbors with him?" Kiyotaka thought, a bit surprised that she wasn''t referring to him. "This is a surprise, but not an unwee one. As a matter of fact, it makes me relieved that not all of my female ssmates will be ''heroines''."


    Oh, if only he knew that it would be worse than that...


    "But isn''t swimming more of your thing, Onodera-san?"


    Kayano grinned. "Oh, it is. Doesn''t mean I can''t y some hoops, though!"


    "Seriously? That guy? He was so rude yesterday," Satsuki huffed, ncing at Sudo who was sitting in thest row, leaning back against his chair with his arms behind his head. "We were only introducing ourselves to everyone, and he just blew it off like it didn''t matter."


    Kayano dismissed her im with a wave. "Ah, that was just him being shy. When we were talking yesterday, he was really into it. Especially when we were talking about basketball! I mean, it''s only natural to be shy about saying your name in front of many people, right?"


    "Is she dense or is she an airhead...?" was the collective thought of her friends except for Kikyo.


    "I think you''re right, Onodera-san. Not everyone can talk to other people without any problems," the beige-haired girl agreed.


    "You''re joking," Kei deadpanned as she was thinking the opposite, which was an opinion shared by both Sato and Shinohara.


    "Am not. Just look!" Onodera looked offended that the other girls didn''t believe her, and suddenly felt the desire to prove them wrong. She looked towards the red-haired boy at the back and waved her arm to get his attention. "Oi, Sudo-kun! Wanna go to the club fair together?"


    That''s right, it was announced through the school inte earlier that the club fair for freshmen was taking ce in the afternoon. Though it wasn''t mandatory for students to attend, a lot of them were interested in checking it out to see if there was a club that they could join. Two of them were Onodera and Sudo, who wanted to join the Swimming and Basketball Club, respectively.


    "Oh, uh... sure. Let''s do that," he replied in a calm tone, which waspletely unlike how he was yesterday. It should also be noted that he didn''t look at Onodera as he spoke and had his gaze elsewhere.


    Regardless, the girl took it as a confirmation that she was right. "Heh. See?" she turned to her friends with a smug look.


    "Okay, you made your point. It''s just that he was being rude to everyone when we only wanted to know his name," said Shinohara.


    "Hahaha, don''t worry. He''ll open up eventually and you''ll see how much of a cool guy he is to be around with."


    At that exact moment, the school bell rang and almost immediately, everyone raced back to their seats before they could get scolded. They were considerably faster than yesterday and rightfully so, because Chabashira-sensei arrived just after thest student reached his seat.


    "Took you all about a few seconds faster than yesterday to fix yourselves," she spoke after a few seconds. "You still have to improve further on that, though."


    Kiyotaka noticed that almost the whole ss collectively let out sighs of relief after those words. It was clear that Chabashira had left a mark in them yesterday, and that she wasn''t someone to be ignored, especially by students who have a knack for trouble.


    The woman stared at her ss and noticed the tense atmosphere between the students, though it wasn''t really because of her. She knew what it was about, and she could understand why. "Alright, I can tell that some of you have questions regarding the chairman''s sudden announcement yesterday, so just get it out of the way."


    The students of ss-D were surprised at her sudden words, as they didn''t expect Chabashira to bring that issue up. Their teacher seemed too serious to actually bother with it, but now was their chance to satisfy their curiosity regarding this matter.


    Karuizawa decided to take advantage of this chance in order to speak her mind. "Sensei, why did the chairman make us live in the same building with the boys?! We werepletely fine with how things originally were!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sae expected a question like that and simply sighed. "I wish I can give you an answer, Karuizawa, but not even the teachers knew what was going on yesterday. We werepletely unaware of such a change and thus, reacted in the same way as you students when we heard the announcement."


    "You weren''t informed of the sudden change, Chabashira-sensei?" asked Hirata. He in particr, didn''t really have any problem with the new living arrangements for the students, but he was concerned for the girls and understood why the majority of them didn''t like it.


    "Nope. The chairman didn''t even tell the teachers that we''d be living amongst the students as well," Sae shook her head, before letting out a sigh. "Well, whatever. It''s not a big deal. It''s just the living arrangements for everyone, it''s not the end of the world."


    Kiyotaka stared at the woman for a brief moment. "It affected the teachers as well? I thought this new dorm arrangement applied to the freshmen, but I suppose the skill included the teachers anyway. Since Chabashira-sensei is also going to be a ''heroine'' sometime soon because she has the same screen as Horikita and the other two girls, the system made her live near my own room just like Karuizawa."


    "But Chabashira-sensei, a lot of the boys are obviously happy about this because this is their chance to spy on us or something! Some of them might even try sneaking into our rooms!" Satsuki spoke up, supporting Karuizawa''s ims.


    "That won''t happen as long as you are careful, Shinohara-san. And think about it deeply for a minute. Do you really think that your male ssmates," she threw a re at the boys, causing some of them to flinch visibly, "would risk their cement in this school and act like teenagers who are incapable of keeping themselves under control? One offense in the eyes of the student council, and a student already has a high chance of being expelled."


    That threat was enough to send shivers down a lot of spines, especially the boys who were talking about the new dorm system and were happy about it. On the other hand, her words served to calm most of the girls who were ufortable with the new arrangement and reassure them that nothing bad was going to happen to them. Not only were they protected from potential harassment, but the dorms were also equipped with video cameras for added security.


    In the end, there was truly nothing to worry about. It should honestly be the least of everyone''s worries. It''s not like the boys and girls were roommates, right?


    "Sensei, you said that you live among the students now? W-Where exactly do you live?" asked Yamauchi in an attempt to ease the tension in the room.


    "I don''t believe that''s an appropriate question to ask your teacher, Yamauchi," Chabashira shot him a cold re, making him shrink in his seat. "But to satisfy your curiosity, I was assigned to the 4th floor of the 1st dorm building."


    That immediately drew reactions from a lot of girls; particrly Karuizawa, Sato, Matsushita, Hasebe, and Kushida.


    "Wait, that''s where my room is!"


    "Same here."


    "My dorm room''s there too."


    "Ditto."


    "Hehe, my room''s also there..."


    What followed was loud groans of despair from some of the boys in ss, most notably Yamauchi and Ike, all because the hottest girls in the ssroom were gathered on one floor along with their teacher while they were on a different one.


    "So, aside from Kushida, those five girls are also living on the 4th floor with me..." Kiyotaka concluded in his thoughts, while letting out a massive sigh of relief that the system didn''t dump every girl in his ss on the same floor. It meant that not everyone was going to be a ''heroine'', even though he was already dreading that possibility because of how it could be true.


    Suzune remained quiet, but that was fine since he was aware of her already. On the other hand, even though she didn''t speak as well, Kiyotaka could tell that the same went for Sakura Airi.


    The long, red-haired girl who wore sses was clearly residing on the same floor as him too. It was quite evident from how she froze in ce for a few seconds, before looking away with a blush. Maybe she wanted to say something but was simply too shy to blurt out a single word.


    "Including Horikita and Kushida, that''s eight from our ss but at least it''s not all of them. Sakayanagi is another one, but she''s not my ssmate... and there''s still the fact that our own teacher is a heroine as well," he then shook his head and sighed. "That''s ten already, and I can tell that it won''t be the final number."


    "Chabashira-sensei, where''s your room exactly?" asked Ike.


    "The one next to the elevator," she deadpanned. "Now shut up, all of you. We''re not here to chat about our lives outside of the ssroom. We''re here to learn. Now, is there anything else you want to ask that has nothing to do with your personal lives? If nothing, then I suppose we can end homeroom early and you can wait for your next ss."


    "I knew it. The system just wouldn''t pass up on the chance to have me live on the same floor as them." He was willing to ept his fate and embrace the fact that he was now neighbors with his heroines thanks to the system''s broken skill, but this was definitely taking it too far. Well, it''s not like he could do anything about it. "Well, at least Kushida knows not to mention me living on the same floor as them. She was talking with Karuizawa and a few other girls earlier, but didn''t say anything about me."


    He couldn''t reallyin about this now, since he saw thising. And hey, it was way better than ''unlocking'' all of these girls'' routes all at the same time. If that had happened, then he might have knocked himself out just so he could catch a break from everything that''s happened until now.


    "The club fair is happeningter on... that should at least take my mind off the system for a while at least, assuming it doesn''t do anything to create more problems for me, that is."

 Chapter 15 Act 3: Scene 3

    ?After sses ended that afternoon, there was another announcement over the inte that reminded students of the club fair at the gymnasium for the first-year students. Most of the ss were interested in going there, and they went in groups. Kiyotaka was as well, but he didn''t really want to go there alone.


    "Horikita, are you going to the club fair?" he asked his seatmate.


    "No, why?" she asked him in return, about to leave the ssroom before Kiyotaka had spoken.


    "I''m nning to check it out to see if there are any interesting clubs around here and if there are, I might join one. But I''d like to have apanion at least... that way, it wouldn''t be boring."


    Well actually, that was one of two reasons. The other was that he would have someone to talk to instead of identally looking at a potential ''heroine'' and activating her route. Yes, it''s true that he was epting his fate, but it''s not like he can''t be careful, right? Otherwise he might as well activate every heroine route that the system wanted for him...


    "I have no intention of going to that fair, Ayanokouji-kun," she replied coolly before walking away.


    Truth be told, the main reason why she didn''t want to go there was because she would most likely see her older brother again during the fair. Even though it would be nice to see him, Suzune felt that she wasn''t ready for a proper reunion just yet.


    He shrugged. It was worth a shot at least. "Well, I''m not forcing you toe with me. I suppose I''ll just ask Kushida, but she seems too busy with her friends and they have already left."


    That made Suzune stop for a brief moment.


    "Kushida-san won''t be around, which means no one will be able to interrupt me this time," the girl thought to herself. "I can finally repay him for helping me yesterday by buying him ice cream. I can do it once we''re done with the club fair, before we go back to the dorms."


    Almost immediately, Suzune turned back to face him. "Never mind. I''ll go with you," she said as if nothing happened.


    "That was quick," he mentally noted.


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® [Your heroine is taking advantage of a chance to be alone with you! You gained +1 in Aura!]


    [You have gained 2 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    "...okay?" he raised an eyebrow at the sudden notifications. "Does this mean she''s beginning to like me? Hmm... unlikely. She hasn''t even reached a high number yet, which reminds me... Sakayanagi is close to getting 100 in those ''Affection Points''... I wonder what would happen once it reaches 100... do they fall in love with me? Will I feel the same as them? Or will something happen because of the system?"


    Kiyotaka shook his head. He could think about these thingster.


    "Then let''s go," he told her while grabbing his own bag.


    And with that, the two left the ssroom and headed for the gymnasium, where it was already flooded by many freshmen students.


    Many clubs have put up stalls of their own all over the ce while the members of each one were doing their best to gain the attention of the students passing by. Several of their ssmates were present, with Sudo hanging by the Basketball Club, Onodera at the Swimming Club, and Hirata at the Ser Club.


    "I wonder if I should join a club as well..."


    While Kiyotaka was having a look around and thinking about whether he should join a club or not, Suzune followed him closely and kept her gaze fixed on him.


    "This is my chance. Kushida-san doesn''t seem to be around here, she won''t interrupt me this time," the girl thought to herself, a sense of determination filling her up. Being interrupted during her attempt to return Kiyotaka''s act of kindness with her own only made Suzune driven to aplish what she wanted to do because she owed him.


    Unknown to her, Kiyotaka had noticed a familiar screen appear by the nearby club booth and quickly began to read it.


    [Matsushita Chiaki: ''Mysterious Weird ssmate'']


    [Rtionship Status: ?]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Chiaki is the only daughter to wealthy parents and is a very capable student in her own right. However, she chooses to hide her true abilities from everyone as she prefers not to be in the limelight. At first nce, she found you interesting and believes that there is more to you than meets the eye. She was nning to watch you from afar and see for herself just what is interesting about you, but you managed to catch her presence before she could do so.]


    "Matsushita? She was following me?" he thought, ignoring the first part of her ''heroine summary'' in favor of thest section. It made him curious why his ssmate was spying on him. He looked at the Tennis Club booth, but the girl was nowhere to be found even though her ''heroine screen'' was there. "She must be hiding behind that stall, but why exactly is she following me?"


    Meanwhile, her mind all made up, Suzune turned towards herpanion who suddenly stopped walking out of nowhere.


    "Ayanokouji-kun," she called out to him. "Do you want to¡ª"


    "What exactly are you doing there?" Kiyotaka spoke, unknowingly interrupting Suzune from what she was about to say. "Don''t you think it''s rude to spy on your fellow ssmates?"


    "Who is he talking to...?" Horikita herself frowned in confusion as she turned to where he was looking.


    Behind the nearby booth of the Tennis Club, a girl with long brown hair and blue eyes stepped out into the open and smiled at them.


    "Fancy meeting you here, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "Is there any reason why you would spy on me, Matsushita?" he asked bluntly, causing Suzune to look at him and Chiaki in confusion.


    "Spying on him? What is going on?" the girl thought as she observed the two closely, ignoring her growing frustration for now.


    "That''s a bit of a stretch, don''t you think? I wasn''t spying on you. I only saw you and Horikita-saning here and I was actually about to say hi when you called me out," she chuckled nervously. "How did you know I was here, by the way?"


    He didn''t believe her one bit. She was definitely spying on him, even her ''summary'' said so.


    "A stalker, huh... I think I''ve seen this before in a few of Eiichiro''s games," he thought deeply as he tried to remember what this situation was called. "What was it called again? Ya-something... Yandere? I think it had a ''dere'' at the end of the word... is that it, then? She''s a yandere? No, it couldn''t be. I doubt Matsushita is the type of person to kill someone else because of her feelings."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Before he could think about it even further, the world around him froze and the three choices appeared in front of him.


    A. [You''re fortunate that I didn''t take a picture of you. Just like how boys can be easily med by girls for being perverts, I can point you out for being a stalker. Now leave me alone.]


    B. [It''s surprising to meet you here as well. Matsushita, was it? I''m still trying to memorize everyone''s names.]


    C. [You know, if you really wanted to follow me around, you should have said so. I''ll show you what exactly is interesting about me, Chiaki.]


    "At this point, I''m just going to assume that the first option is the rude response, the second is the most normal one, and the third is in flirting," he concluded.


    It''s always been the same order of choices ever since yesterday, and he doubted that it would change anytime soon.


    Almost immediately, Kiyotaka''s eyes flew towards Option C. While the first choice was appropriate and would warn the girl not to do it again, it could also scare her and he would rather not find out what it would be like if the system said it for him. On the other hand, the third choice will aplish the same but instead of scaring her, it would embarrass her because of the hidden innuendo between the words.


    And so, he pushed Option C as the world returned to normal.


    Kiyotaka smirked, which caught Chiaki off guard and caused her to blink in confusion. From the moment sheid eyes on him, it seemed like the apathetic expression on his face would never change. It didn''t help that her first impression of him was a weird boy who genuinely wanted to make some friends because he was alone.


    "You know, if you really wanted to follow me around, you should have said so. I''ll show what exactly is interesting about me, Chiaki."


    Kiyotaka spoke in a seductive voice and as an exmation point, he loosened his tie and walked closer towards Chiaki almost alluringly. His words and actions immediately brought out a reaction from the brown-haired girl; her eyes went wide in shock, a deep blush on her face out of embarrassment, and her head turned away to hide her shame.


    [Chiaki Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Matsushita Chiaki!]


    [You gained 20 Affection Points with Matsushita Chiaki!]


    [Your current status with Chiaki has changed to ''I''ve Got A Stalker''!]


    "I-I''m sorry, I... I didn''t mean to make it seem like I was following you around..." was all that she could say at the moment, too overwhelmed toe up with anything else.


    The moment Kiyotaka felt he could control his body again, he shook his head and fixed his tie as if nothing happened. "Don''t worry. I was only messing with you," he told her.


    "Uhm... sure..." she mumbled, now feeling utter confusion because the young man had switched to his usual bored expression once more. It made her think if this whole ''apathetic'' demeanor he had was only an act that he puts up so that he wouldn''t attract attention, because there is no way for him to fake his earlier words. Unless he was somehow a very good actor who can look uncaring as much as he wants, then his current demeanor was only a sham.


    He was definitely talking to her with the intention of flirting, and she knew it. This only made him more interesting in her eyes, and she could now tell that there''s more to him than what he shows everyone.


    "Just don''t make a habit of following people, Matsushita. Some don''t appreciate being watched by others," he warned her.


    Chiaki, deciding to y along, only nodded her head but kept herself from facing him. She still felt embarrassed from being dirty-talked by Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, of all people.


    Feeling amused at the sight of the girlpletely silenced by his actions, Kiyotaka turned back towards hispanion, only to be met by the sight of Suzune sending him a cold re. If he was any ordinary person, then he might have felt a drop in the temperature of the air around him.


    "Uh, is there any reason why you look angry?" he asked her.


    Suzune red at him for a few more seconds, before turning away with her arms folded. "Nothing," she huffed.


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Jealousy Sucks''! You gained +3 in Wisdom!]


    "Oh, she''s jealous... although, I don''t see how this can be considered an ''achievement'', because it only means that I''m doing things wrong," he thought, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "This system is so confusing. I might not be able to figure this out after all."


    Before he could think about it any further, a girl with purple hair tied into twin buns stood at the stage overseeing everything, before speaking through a microphone.


    "Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. My name is Tachibana Akane, the student council secretary and the organizer of this event. For the students who came today, we appreciate your willingness to spare a bit of time for this event."


    Her voice caught the students'' attention right away and caused them to gather at the bottom of the stage while apuding for the girl. Kiyotaka immediately recognized who she was.


    "That''s the girl who was with Horikita''s brother yesterday. I wonder if the system is also gonna see her as a heroine..."


    "And now, without any further ado, a representative will give a speech about their respective clubs and what they are all about."


    A young man with short gray hair and violet eyes wearing sses then stepped up and took Tachibana''s ce, a person whom Kiyotaka and Suzune knew well.


    Horikita Manabu didn''t speak for a while and only chose to stare at the crowd of students that gathered below the stage. Some began tough at him and even threw some insults here and there, thinking that he had forgotten what to say, but Manabu remained calm in spite of it all and remained that way until theughter died down eventually.


    "My name is Horikita Manabu. I am the Student Council President," he finally spoke after a full minute of staying quiet.


    Kiyotaka quickly turned towards Suzune and noticed that the cold expression on her face had disappeared, and was reced by a look of insecurity.


    "Horikita? Is that person rted to you, Horikita-san?" asked Chiaki, noticing the simr family names of her ssmate and the man on stage.


    Suzune looked at Chiaki for a moment, as if she was thinking twice about telling her ssmate. In the end, she decided that it wouldn''t really be a bad thing if she did, since it wouldn''t hurt anyone.


    "Yes. He''s my older brother."

 Chapter 16 Act 3: Scene 4

    ?"I see..."


    "The student council is always looking for potential recruits among the freshmen students in order to rece the graduating ones. If you wish to join the student council, then you must swear to join only our organization for your own sake. We do not ept students who are already involved in other clubs."


    "Why don''t you join the student council, Horikita? That way, you can talk to your brother like what you wanted."


    The younger sister of Manabu actually thought about that possible scenario for a brief moment, before shaking her head.


    "I don''t think it''s the right time for us to meet again. Not this soon. Not until I prove myself in his eyes," she stated.


    "She really looks up to him if she can say something like that," Kiyotaka thought. "Hm, I wonder if the system can help her grow out of that superiorityplex that she has... or can it only help in romantic situations?"


    "Furthermore, we in the student council will not appoint anyone who possesses a naive mindset, for it will sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student council''s right and responsibility to enforce and amend the rules. We dly wee whoever it is that understands this.


    Manabu''s speech ended afterwards, drawing apuse from the crowd. He then left the stage, as the next club representative took his ce and exined their own set of qualifications for potential members, followed by the next one, then the next one, and so on.


    After every club was done, Tachibana took over the stage again and smiled at everyone.


    "Thank you all foring. The club fair has ended. We will now open the reception area to anyone who wishes to sign up for a club. Registration period will be until the end of April, so if any student wishes to join at ater date, please bring your application form directly to the club you wish to join."


    As the crowd began to disperse, Kiyotaka turned towards Suzune. "Let''s go," he told her, earning a nod from the girl.


    The two started walking out of the gym, making Chiaki look at them in confusion.


    "Wait, you two aren''t going to join a club?" she asked as she quickly caught up to them.


    Kiyotaka stopped walking and shook his head. "I wanted to check out the clubs here if there''s anything interesting among them, but nothing really caught my eye. What about you?"


    "Well, you actually have the same reason as me," she replied.


    "Seems it''s more like the other way around," he thought.


    Suzune folded her arms and sent an impassive look at their otherpanion. It''s like she was telling Chiaki to ''get lost and leave them alone'' but fortunately, the other girl was unaware of it.


    "Both of us have nothing left to do here, so we''ll be heading back to our dorms, Matsushita-san."


    After hearing those words, Chiaki stood beside them and smiled. "Then let me join you two. I was nning on going back to my room, anyway."


    Kiyotaka shrugged as he didn''t really care either way. If she goes with them, then there will surely be more instances for the system to raise her ''Affection Points'' and there''s really nothing he can do about that. If not, then he would live to see another day without interacting with Matsushita, although that still left Horikita whom he was neighbors with.


    Meanwhile, Suzune looked displeased that the other girl with them was tagging along with them. Kikyo was already one issue, and now Chiaki as well? To make matters worse, she was living on the same floor as them since she was listening earlier. She knew that a lot of their ssmates were residing on the same floor as Kiyotaka and her.


    To top it all off, she still didn''t get to ask Kiyotaka if he would like some ice cream! At this point, she may as well drag his ass to the ice cream shop, buy him a cone or two, and be done with it.


    "That does sound more appealing..." she thought, finding herself bing pleased with the idea.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® The three students walked together from there, but didn''t get far when a new voice stopped them in their tracks.


    "Hi there!" a cute and bubbly, yet mature voice said. "Are you Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"


    Kiyotaka turned around to see a young woman with chocte-brown hair and purple eyes grinning at him. She had a distinct sunflower pin and two regr hairpins on the right side of her hair and she wore a peach-colored sweater on top of her school uniform.


    "That''s me," he tilted his head in slight confusion. How did this girl know who he was? Better y along for now so he could know more. "Can I help you with something?"


    "Wow, I guess Nagumo wasn''t kidding... you really do look like you''re done with life..." It was after those words that the brte realized what she was saying in front of the guy and his two friends. "Oh, sorry about that. I didn''t mean to offend you or anything. Anyway, I''m your senpai from ss B. Name''s Asahina Nazuna!"


    As she threw her arm out for a handshake, Kiyotaka saw a pink screen appear on top of her head that contained a section that was bing familiar to him by now.


    [Asahina Nazuna: ''Sunny Bright Senpai'']<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [Rtionship Status: ?]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Nazuna is your senior by one year in this school, and a student of ss B. She is very attached to an amulet that she owns, believing it to be a harbinger of good luck and romance, and that it can bring people together in a fated encounter. While she is close to Nagumo Miyabi because she is a part of his social circle, she isn''t fond of his attitude and hates it when people refer to her as his girlfriend. She heard about you from Nagumo himself, who also happens to be the current Student Council Vice President.]


    "So the system includes seniors as well, huh? Somehow, I saw thating and I''m not surprised," he remarked. Well, it makes sense too. If the system was going to add a teacher of all people, then why not his senior as well? With that, he turned his attention to the one part in her ''summary'' that seemed suspicious. "Nagumo Miyabi... how does he know me? Is it only because he''s the vice president of the student council?"


    He epted the handshake, but his next words showed how skeptical he was of all this. "It''s nice to meet you, senpai, but I have to wonder how exactly you know me."


    "Oh, one of my ssmates told me about you! Apparently, your name came up while he was doing his duties in the student council, and I was really surprised that the ''Ayanokouji'' he was talking about was actually a first-year student!"


    "My name came up? How could that have happened?" he asked himself in surprise. "I suppose it wouldn''t be surprising for the student council to check on their students, but I''ve only been here for a day. Did I do something to gain their attention?"


    Since this was a question that he wouldn''t be able to figure out on his own, Kiyotaka decided to ask the girl something else. "How did you know what I looked like then?"


    "That''s because my ssmate sent a picture when he was talking about you," she sighed while massaging her forehead with her fingers as if she was in distress. "Sorry if that sounded weird, it''s just that he''s the vice president of the student council and¡ª"


    "It''s fine," he cut her off, although his thoughts were a different story. "So I did do something to gain their attention, but what exactly? Was it from when I helped Sudo yesterday? Those guys were second-year students, and they could have reported me to Nagumo-senpai after I dealt with them..."


    "Asahina, what are you doing here? Our ssmates have been looking for you."


    A new voice had entered the scene and this time, it was from another man. The four then turned their attention to the one who spoke, and they saw a tall man with light blonde hair and blue eyes walking towards them with a look of concern on his face.


    "Ah, nothing to worry about, Nagumo. I was just saying ''hi'' to the guy you were talking about in the group chatst night."


    "Really?" The young man named Nagumo Miyabi asked out of interest, as he looked at the only other male among the little group. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Oh, so it really is you. It''s an honor to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun. My name is Nagumo Miyabi, Vice President of the student council."


    He looked at Nagumo curiously. Time to ask some questions. "How do you know me, senpai?"


    The blonde man chuckled, though Kiyotaka could tell that there was something underlying beneath that smile he had. "If you''re wondering, you didn''t do anything wrong. Horikita-senpai simply mentioned you several times in the student council room yesterday, and I couldn''t help but be curious. He rarely talks about someone specific, let alone a freshman."


    "Is that so? I hope that it''s because I made a good impression on him," replied the first-year as he observed Nagumo closely.


    "I don''t have a clear idea why, because he only talked about it with Tachibana-senpai. I only happened to overhear the conversation," Nagumo looked at Kiyotaka''spanions after his exnation, and he was surprised to see a ck-haired girl who looked familiar in his eyes. "Wait a minute, are you Horikita-senpai''s little sister?"


    "What does it matter to you? And how do you know who I am?" she asked while throwing him a look of suspicion.


    "That''s because he showed us what you look like a few times before," he smiled. "Horikita-senpai also talked about you, you know? I don''t know what was on his mind, but it seems like he wants to meet you soon, most likely when the time is right."


    "He does...?"


    Suzune''s look softened almost instantly after hearing that about her brother. Strangely, she wasn''t excited about it or anything, but was simply confused and surprised that it was her brother who wanted to talk to her, not the other way around. Was it true, though? Did her brother really want to talk to her?


    That was when Kiyotaka realized it.


    "I see now. Horikita''s brother must have seen the two of us yesterday," he said in his thoughts, thinking back to when the two of them saw her brother at the campus entrance. "When he saw his sister, he only made it seem like he didn''t care at all, but he was actually watching us both the entire time. Since I didn''t feel anyone watching yesterday, he must have been watching through the school cameras. But then again, he might have watched us up close and I didn''t notice because the system prevented me..."


    Kiyotaka didn''t know how to feel about this. On one hand, this wasn''t really a big issue because the student council keeps track of all its students here, so it''s not like his secrets will be spilled out into the world. On the other, it meant that he would eventually have to confront Horikita Manabu, whether he''s the one to do it or the other. Since Manabu must have been watching him and Suzune yesterday, there''s no doubt that he would be involved if those two siblings eventually have a discussion.


    Oh, well. He can continue to think about this another day. Right now, a well-deserved date with Bed-chan was very tempting because he was still trying to get used to his new life with a dating simtor power. He could only hope that that broken skill doesn''t get activated on the way back to the dorms, though... or the possibility of a ''special event'' happening.


    "If that''s all, then I believe we should get going now. It was nice to meet you, senpais." Kiyotaka said as he turned around and began to walk away, with Suzune and Chiaki following after him after a brief moment of being surprised.


    Miyabi was caught off guard, as he didn''t expect Kiyotaka to leave just like that. "You''re not going to stay for a bit and join a club? You could join the student council, if you want. I can even arrange a meeting with Horikita-senpai for you."


    The brown-haired teen didn''t even need to turn around to utter his response. "No thank you, Nagumo-senpai. I wasn''t nning on joining any club, anyway."

 Chapter 17 Act 3: Scene 5

    ?As the three left, both second-year students were left in their ces just staring at their retreating figures. Nazuna was the first one to speak after a while, as she had a lot of questions regarding that young whom she was talking to a while ago.


    "Hey, Nagumo. You said that Horikita-senpai was talking about Ayanokouji-kun yesterday, right? Why so?" she asked.


    Miyabi shrugged in an amused manner. "How should I know? Even if I''m the vice president, it''s not like Horikita-senpai shares his secrets with me."


    "Hoooohhh..." the girl stared at him in wonder for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "In that case, I guess I''ll watch out for him then. If the student council president has his eyes on a freshman, of all people, then he must be someone interesting."


    The blonde chuckled as well. "I''m surprised. You rarely pay attention to one person, a first-year student no less. Is it too early to assume that you have a crush on him, Asahina?"


    "Hah! Are you kidding? Or did the years of being adies'' man finally get to your head? I just want to see what Ayanokouji-kun is all about up close. Plus, he''s younger than me. I don''t really think we''d be a good match."


    While Nazuna listed down the possible reasons why she shouldn''t be a couple with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the smile on Miyabi''s face finally fell apart and was reced with a look of contempt as he turned back to the first-year students who were walking away.


    "I don''t get it. I don''t think there''s anything special about him, yet Horikita-senpai said that he''s someone to watch closely," Nagumo thought to himself as a smirk now took over his features. "The only special things I''m seeing are those two beautiful girls with him. One of them was Horikita-senpai''s sister, and the other... I don''t know what her name is, but who cares? I''ll simply take a look at the records and see who she is."


    Nagumo smiled to himself. It looks like the new batch of students this year was a full package.


    Meanwhile, with the three ss-D students, they were on their way back to the dorms when Chiaki broke the silence between them. She had kept quiet the whole time while they were speaking with their two upperssmen earlier but now that they were away from them, she saw it as an opportunity to speak.


    "It''s only your second day here, and you already got the attention of the student council president? It looks like you''re going to leave your mark on this school, Ayanokouji-kun," shemented.


    "I don''t believe it''s anything big. It''s normal for the student council to keep an eye on the students, especially if those students exhibit any kind of strange behavior," he told her in an attempt to make her drop the issue.


    Great. Even though the system wasn''t doing anything at the moment, its actions were starting to bear consequences, starting with this. Some power this was, helping him to romance ''heroines'' and leaving him to deal with the repercussions. Why can''t it help him in situations like this too?


    Chiaki put a finger on her cheek in a thinking pose. "But Nagumo-senpai didn''t even know why the president was keeping an eye on you. He only talked about it with Tachibana-senpai. Don''t you think that''s strange?"


    He shook his head. "I don''t think I''m the right person to give an answer to that, Matsushita."


    "So, you didn''t really do anything?"


    Suzune folded her arms and sighed, before frowning at theirpanion. "Matsushita-san, could you please stop with the questions? Even Ayanokouji-kun himself doesn''t have the answers to your questions, because he really hasn''t done anything that could warrant the attention of my brother. As a matter of fact, I don''t even understand why you are asking him if he did anything. Is there a reason why you seem eager to know?"


    The girl could tell that if Kikyo was here, she would do the same thing.


    "Thank you, Horikita," Kiyotaka thought. Truth be told, he was actually wondering why Matsushita was bothering him about this issue and was about to ask her, but Horikita solved that problem for him. He may have wanted to know about her intentions as well as why she was interested in him, but oh well. There''s always a next time.


    "Okay, okay, I get it..." Chiaki smiled nervously from Suzune''s cold stare, so she quickly decided to drop the issue. At the very least, her suspicion about Kiyotaka being more than what he seems to be was on point. "So, you''re heading back to the dorms for real? You don''t have anything else to do today?"


    "No," he said tly. Just the thought of doing something else other than being with Bed-chan would make him lose his mind... so he was really hoping that the system would let him be for now. "I would like to rest early."


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Chiaki then walked ahead of her two ssmates, before turning to face them with a sweet smile.


    "Well, we better hurry then. Wouldn''t want you to copse out here in the open, would we?" she teased.


    Famousst words.


    ~XoX~


    "Uh... may I ask why are you still here, Ayanokouji-kun? Shouldn''t you be heading to your dorm room since you''re tired?"


    Chiaki could only stare in disbelief at Kiyotaka, who stopped before a door that was only a few meters away from hers, with Suzune at the one that was beside his. After they reached the dorms, she was surprised that he still came with them to the 4th floor, but simply assumed that he was being a gentleman and wanted to make sure that they got to their rooms.


    However, that doesn''t seem to be the case here.


    "I''m already here. My dorm room is this one," he said, sending her a bored look.


    "W-Wait, you live here?" she stuttered, obviously caught off guard by this sudden knowledge.


    He wasn''t surprised that Chiaki''s dorm room was beside Kushida''s, so she was still near his own unit by only a few steps. The young man was about to answer, only for the world to freeze as three new choices showed up in front of him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A. [Yeah, why? Is there a problem with me living here?]


    B. [Believe me, I''m just as surprised as you, Matsushita. If you''re wondering, I never asked to be put here. I''m not in charge of the students'' arrangements in this school.]


    C. [That''s right, and if you think you can follow me around without noticing, then you haven''t seen what I can do, Chiaki. Actually, you can follow me again anytime. I''ll show you what you''re in for if you do.]


    Kiyotaka ignored the first two choices in favor of the third one, choosing it in an instant. It was amusing to see her speechless reaction earlier after he exposed her for following him, and it should be equally amusing to see how she would react to this one as well. It might even get her to leave him alone after this.


    As the world around him returned to normal, he sent her a smirk that was simr to the one he showed earlier. He even winked at her for good measure.


    "That''s right, and if you think you can follow me around without noticing, then you haven''t seen what I can do, Chiaki. Actually, you can follow me again anytime. I''ll show you what you''re in for if you do."


    The brte couldn''t say anything as a response. The only thing she was capable of doing was look at him in shock and embarrassment, her mouth hanging open and her cheeks turning red.


    [You gained 5 Affection Points with Matsushita Chiaki!]


    Kiyotaka stared at the new notification after regaining control of himself. "I still wonder what would happen once the number of Affection Points reach 100... I hate to admit it, but I''m curious to see what it will be. Surely, it wouldn''t be something bad since the system only wants the heroines to be happy."


    "Ayanokouji-kun."


    While Chiaki was left in a speechless state, Kiyotaka was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Suzune tapping him on the back, making him turn towards her.


    "Tomorrow. We''ll walk to ss together. Don''t forget it," she told him in a firm tone that left no room for disagreements.


    All he could do was nod. She only wanted to go to school together, no big deal. Still, she should''ve told him this yesterday instead of getting angry earlier this morning. "Sure... if that''s what you want."


    "Good. Enjoy the rest of your day," she nodded in satisfaction, before disappearing into her room.


    With that, Kiyotaka decided to retreat into his fortress of solitude as well, before another stressful situation finds him again because of the system. He turned towards his other ssmate, who was still in a state of embarrassment from everything that just transpired.


    "I''ll see you tomorrow, Matsushita."


    "W-Wait, I¡ª" she snapped out of her shock right away and tried to stop him, but Kiyotaka had already headed inside his unit and closed the door, leaving her in the hallway alone.


    Chiaki stood there for a few moments before going inside her dorm room as well, then throwing herself into her bed. She buried her still-red face into her pillow as she racked her brain for answers.


    "It doesn''t make any sense... I''m so confused..."


    How exactly can Ayanokouji switch from his apathetic expression into a seductive look without any effort? It''s like one was only an act, while the other was his real personality, but there''s no way of knowing for sure. What if both personalities were an act? What if they were a part of his overall personality? It was just an endless pit of questions for this issue.


    To make things worse, his sexy personality caught her off guard both times and left her in a flustered state. She couldn''t stop herself from blushing despite being a normally calm andposed person most of the time.


    And then... there''s also the fact that she lives one dorm away from Kiyotaka. Earlier during ss, their ssmates were talking about the new dorm arrangements for the first-year students and a lot of the girls stated that they were residing at the 4th floor, including herself. Heck, even Chabashira-sensei lived here!


    It never urred to her that Kiyotaka''s dorm unit was also here, but that''s because he didn''t say anything in ss earlier.


    "Why didn''t he say anything earlier, then...?" she asked herself. "Oh, probably to avoid trouble with the rest of our ssmates. The girls would have crucified him for sure, while the boys would gang up on him out of jealousy..."


    Yeah, if he said anything during homeroom today, then all of the girls would no doubt be mad that a boy lived on the same floor as them. Horikita must have known about his situation earlier then; Suzune had no reaction to Kiyotaka being her neighbor ever since they arrived at the dorms. Kushida might be aware as well, since she arrived in ss with both Ayanokouji and Horikita earlier,


    "This is moreplicated than I thought... I thought this would be a simple issue that wouldn''t take a day to figure out..."


    At first, she only wanted to know more about him because he had gotten the attention of both Horikita and Kushida, which was an interesting sight. Yesterday, she noticed right away that Horikita Suzune wasn''t the kind of person who would be friends with anyone, while Kushida Kikyo was the type of girl who would rather make friends than get a boy''s attention, even though she has already won over the hearts of many of their male ssmates.


    If that wasn''t enough, then the fact that the three of them entered the ssroom together earlier as if they were a three-way couple was what sealed it. Then there''s also Horikita apanying Ayanokouji to the club fair... it''s like she was alreadyfortable with him despite being distant to her other ssmates.


    Anyway, what started as a curious desire to know more about a person now evolved into an aching need for answers, because this was just too much.


    She''ll figure out the mystery behind Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, no matter what!

 Chapter 18 Act 4: Scene 1

    ?"Can you just tell me where you''re taking me?" Kiyotaka asked the person who was with him today, Suzune, as she dragged him by the arm through the campus grounds to who-knows-where.


    Last night, Suzune told him through a text that he should get ready for school earlier than usual, because she had something important to talk to him about. He was curious what it was about, but didn''t ask her regarding it because it might annoy her. He would simply find out the next day.


    Kiyotaka wasn''t prepared for Suzune to grab his arm and drag him to the elevator, before they left the dorm building as if nothing else mattered. He couldn''t even tell her that they should be waiting for Kikyo, because the girl looked like she wasn''t even paying attention to him. It''s like her mind was focused on something else entirely...


    "No. You''ll know when we get there," she said in a firm tone, making it known that her stance won''t change.


    Even after a week, Suzune still hasn''t been able to buy him ice cream like she promised herself. She tried multiple times to ask him but somehow, she was always interrupted by something or someone. Last Wednesday, after they got back to the dorms where no one could possibly interrupt them, Kiyotaka excused himself and went back to his room because of a sudden stomachache. She didn''t bother waiting for him to finish and simply went back to her room, epting defeat.


    There was also this past Friday, when she tried to ask him to go with her to the mall first, before buying him some ice creamter. However, that n also went up in smoke when they encountered Matsushita there and asked what they were doing at the mall, before asking if she coulde with them. Since she couldn''t reveal the truth to their ssmate, Suzune had no choice but to lie and say that she only wanted to check out what the ce had to offer.


    Suzune groaned.


    Seriously, how difficult could asking Kiyotaka out for some ice cream be?


    And so, today, Horikita Suzune decided that enough was enough and decided to simply drag her ssmate all the way to the ice cream stall where they went during their first day. The same idea she had during the club fairst week.


    "That doesn''t seem fair," he argued.


    "Life itself isn''t fair."


    Kiyotaka sighed in defeat. It''s clear that she wasn''t going to budge. All he could do right now is ept his fate and hope that this doesn''t lead to anything bad.


    "Okay, point taken. Could you at least stop dragging me by the arm? It hurts," he asked.


    "We''re nearly there, Ayanokouji-kun. Bear with it."


    "Some heroine you are. This isn''t how you should treat your significant other," he rolled his eyes quietly before deciding to bring up an important matter. "Did we really have to leave Kushida behind for this? We could have let here along since we go to school together everyday, anyway."


    The girl shook her head. "No. Kushida-san cannot be involved. This is between the two of us."


    "Whatever you say. If she bes upset because we left her behind, then you should be the one to exin why," he told her. For once, he wasn''t going to do anything about this if it got out of hand. He didn''t even do anything that would make this his fault, and even the system knows it. "Although it likely wouldn''t do anything since Kushida hates you..."


    "I will," said Horikita, although it can be seen that she didn''t really care about Kushida and what she would feel about being left out.


    As he got dragged by the clearly-frustrated Suzune to who-knows-where, Kiyotaka safely retreated into his thoughts.


    It has been a week since he began to live with this weird superpower and so far, things were going well. At least as well as one would expect from a reality-bending power like his.


    Thankfully, no ''special events'' have taken ce within that span of time and the system''s broken skill hasn''t been activated since the new dorm arrangements.


    He took a nce at Suzune, especially her ''heroine screen'' that disyed her current status. He didn''t know why she was frustrated, but it''s the reason why she''s like this right now... he wondered what the ''determined'' was for.


    [Horikita Suzune: ''Frustrated Yet Determined Friend'']


    [Rtionship Status: Strange Friends]


    [Affection Points: 48/100]


    Anyway, yeah, there was an increase in Suzune''s Affection Points throughout the week, but not as big as Kikyo''s. He still couldn''t exin it, but it''s strange how it''s faster to gain Affection Points with her than Suzune.


    Hmm, maybe it''s because Kikyo was just hungry for affection while Suzune wasn''t? He had no idea if that was a good thing, though. That girl was still crazy and he still had no idea why she''s angry at Suzune but since she''s a heroine, there might not be any need to worry.


    Oh, who was he kidding? The system will definitely force him into a situation where he would have to work out apromise between Suzune and Kikyo, because it''s obvious that they''ll be at each other''s throats soon. Not just because of him, but because of the apparent history between them.


    But, on a more positive note, Kiyotaka realized a handful of things about the system that would be very helpful from now on. The first was that the broken skill he dreaded would only activate if one of his heroines became sad and was in need of a smile. He understood it after reading through it again, and he realized that it wasn''t the system itself that was screwing him over.


    Because of that, he realized that in order to prevent it from happening, all he needed to do was keep his heroines happy... which would be very tiring to do, but worth it.


    Secondly, he realized that while the ''heroine summary'' screen shows up every time he looks at a potential heroine, the three choices don''t exactly follow the same routine. He realized this after having a perfectly normal conversation with Sato, whom he noticed was a soon-to-be heroine since she lived on the same floor as him (and all the girls who resided there were more or less his heroines).


    The entire time that they talked, the usual choices didn''t appear once and by the end of it, Kiyotaka had let out a massive sigh of relief.


    This could only mean one thing, and that is the system isn''t letting him ''unlock'' every heroine''s route all at once, which is a good thing. He honestly thought that this dating simtor system wouldn''t have a problem with dumping every heroine onto him and letting him handle it, but it looks like he was wrong.


    It''s like the dating simtor games that he had yed from Eiichiro''s collection. Every heroine route in those games weren''t unlocked right away, and there was a specific requirement for each one. He wondered if the same applied for this dating system.


    It actually happened with Chabashira-sensei and Asahina-senpai already. He saw their ''summaries'' when he looked at them and that''s it. While he did talk with Nazuna, the choices never appeared.


    Maybe the one who granted him this weird power had a heart, after all.


    Lastly, after thinking about it for days, Kiyotaka finally realized the true benefit behind this dating simtor. It was so obvious that he couldn''t believe he didn''t notice it at the beginning, but that''s because he was in despair over it at first.


    It was to make him feel love.


    Throughout the week, he noticed that he was bingfortable with Suzune and Kikyo to the point that it almost didn''t bother him anymore that they walk to school altogether in the morning as if they were a couple. The only thing is that they should learn how to keep up appearances, because they acted as if the three of them being seen altogether wouldn''t result in furtherplications.


    He had raised his ''Affection Points'' with them a lot of times each time they talked, though Kiyotaka didn''t really care about it anymore. As long as it means preventing the system''s broken skill from triggering and giving him a massive headache, then he could deal with it.


    Plus, those ''Affection Points'' was actually a good thing, because he realized that the system was helping him achieve one of the biggest things he had wanted to achieve ever since he escaped that ce, and that is to piss the ever-loving shit off his father.


    What other way of doing so other than the ''Masterpiece'' bing a normal person?


    While the White Room did give him abilities and intellect the likes that no one has ever seen before, he would never forgive that man for what he''s done which is taking the chance of a normal life away from him.


    Who knows? Maybe the system would help him enough to the point that he would be able to show emotions willingly and without a problem? But that would be getting ahead of himself. He still had no control over the system and he doubted that he would.


    "Here we are," spoke Suzune, snapping herpanion out of his thoughts.


    "Huh?" the young man muttered as he took a quick look at where they were. One look at the ice cream stall, popcorn stand, and the taiyaki stall was all he needed to realize where they were. "This is the same ce where we wentst week... why are we here?"


    Suzune let go of the boy''s arm before scanning her surroundings for any possible interruptions to what she was about to do. God, if there was something that might interrupt her, then she might actually lose it.


    "Nothing out of the ordinary... I''m also sure neither Kushida-san nor Matsushita-san know where we are."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Once she was satisfied andpletely sure that the coast was clear, she turned back towards Kiyotaka.


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® "I wanted to ask you something, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "Which is?" he raised an eyebrow at her slightly. "This better be important..."


    She cleared her throat. "Would you mind if I buy you ice cream? I wanted to repay you for helping mest week, and I recall that you really liked ice cream."


    "That''s it?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.


    Suzune nodded.


    He sighed. He should have seen thising. Well, maybe not the part about buying him ice cream, but the fact that Horikita brought him all the way here for such a simple reason.


    "If you wanted to invite me for some ice cream, then couldn''t you have said it over the text you sentst night? Did you really have to drag me all the way here?"


    Speaking of which, they had exchanged contact information in the past week, so the two could talk whenever they want, even if they''re not together. Kiyotaka did the same for Kikyo, which made the girl jump around in joy afterwards. For obvious reasons, the two girls immediately rejected the idea of exchanging contact info. Well, it was more on Suzune''s side while Kikyo ''respected'' her wishes, although it''s pretty obvious that she would rather lock herself in her room for a week than get the ck-haired girl''s number.


    "No. It wouldn''t be the same if it''s one of those."


    "Why is that?"


    She red at him, switching into her ''ice mode''. "Enough questions. Do you want ice cream or not?" she asked.


    "I do," he replied without hesitation. Free food was still free food, and this was ice cream they''re talking about. He''d be a fool to turn this offer down.


    "Then wait here."


    With that, Suzune took off for the ice cream stall to buy one for the two of them. She felt like she could use one to calm her nerves.


    Deep down, the girl was ovee with relief and joy that she finally got to ask him the question that''s been bothering sincest week. This time, there were no interruptions and Kiyotaka gave her an answer.


    Meanwhile, the young man only stood there and stared at the girl, wondering what the hell was this all about.


    After getting ice cream for two people, Suzune returned and handed over a vani cone to her ssmate, who muttered a quick thanks before epting it.


    The two sat down at a nearby bench as they ate their snacks. There was still an hour before their ss starts, so they were free to take their time out here.


    Kiyotaka decided to break the silence between them by speaking out his mind at the moment. "Horikita, you didn''t have to do this, you know."


    Suzune dropped her re and adopted a more thoughtful look, remembering how much she was struggling to ask him a simple question throughout the past week. It waspletely stressful and distracted her during ss several times, to the point that she felt she had to put the issue to rest.


    The girl looked down as she ate her ice cream quietly. "You don''t understand. I have wanted to ask you about this ever sincest week but for some reason, I kept on getting interrupted by things that were out of my control."


    "I''m sorry that happened to you."


    "It''s not your fault. I''m just relieved that I''ve finally gotten this off my chest. It would leave me angry and frustrated to owe someone a debt after he helped me with my own problems... especially because I''m supposed to be his friend."


    Kiyotaka waved off her concerns. "It was nothing. You were going through something and like any decent person out there, I asked what''s wrong."


    "Don''t talk about it like it''s nothing significant," she retorted. "I''ve never talked about my brother to other people before, let alone how I see myselfpared to him. I don''t know how to exin it, but it feels better to tell someone else about it. And if I had to be honest, not many people would listen if I told them about my problems."


    "So you decided to buy me ice cream as thanks," he concluded.


    Suzune nodded quietly.


    Kiyotaka stared at her afterwards. The system may be the reason why, but it''s almost amazing to see how much this girl had changed in the span of a week. When they met, he immediately thought that they wouldn''t get along because of her personality.


    He wasn''t prepared to see how wrong he was. And now, the same girl whom the system described as someone with a superiorityplex who could never have a friend to save her life, had bought him ice cream as a sign of gratitude for what he had done for her.


    He had no idea what it''s like to fall in love but with this dating sim power, there may really be hope for him to learn.


    "Then thank you for being thoughtful," he bowed slightly in gratitude before reaching out to pat her head kindly, shocking the girl with his gesture. Kiyotaka''s hand somehow felt incredibly warm andforting as Suzune felt her face heating up.


    [Your Heroine is bing morefortable around you! You gained +3 in Charm!]


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    [Congrattions! The Skill ''Headpats are the Best'' has been Created!]


    [Headpats are the Best] (Passive Skill): Grants you and your heroine a soothing feeling when you pat one of your Heroines'' heads. Every headpat you give will be filled with love and affection that can only be seen in anime and manga.


    Kiyotaka stared nkly at the new notifications that popped up in front of him.


    "Maybe I should have thought twice about doing that. For some reason, it just felt like the right thing to do... but now, I have another skill which is just about as useful as that smile one," he thought to himself.


    He quickly removed his hand from her head, which snapped the girl out of her temporary trance and made her turn towards him.


    "Sorry about that," he said, looking away to prevent this situation from bing any more awkward than it already is.


    Simrly, the girl also looked away, though out of embarrassment. "N-No, I... I didn''t hate it..."


    Hearing the girl''s words made Kiyotaka consider doing it again, but threw that idea out of the window immediately. "Am I actually blushing?" he asked himself, feeling a weird heat in his face that he could only attribute to embarrassment.


    Yep. Definitely a superpower that can piss his father off if he sees it.


    "We should finish up here and head to ss. You still have to exin to Kushida why we left her behind," he coughed.


    "R-Right," muttered Suzune as she shook her head in an attempt to calm herself.


    Romance sure isplicated.

 Chapter 19 Act 4: Scene 2

    ?After finishing their ice cream, the two ss-D students headed straight to the school building, and to their ssroom. But to their surprise, someone was waiting for them outside. When she noticed their arrival, Kikyo bore a sad look on her face. However, even from a distance, Kiyotaka could notice the brief look of anger on her face before it quickly morphed back into a sad expression.


    "Where were you two, Ayanokouji-kun? I was really lonely, because you two left without me..." she asked them as they stopped right in front of her.


    One look at Kikyo''s current ''status'' was enough to convince the young man that Suzune''s decision to leave without telling her was wrong, even if she did it for a good reason.


    [Kushida Kikyo: ''Sad and Angry Friend'']


    [Rtionship Status: A Rocky Rtionship]


    [Affection Points: 61/100]


    Kiyotaka took a quick nce at Suzune to remind her of what she has to do. Fortunately, the ck-haired girl noticed it and cleared her throat before speaking.


    "I must apologize, Kushida-san. I wanted Ayanokouji-kun to apany me for something important and it would be wrong to have someone else there with us. I asked him to wake up earlier than usual so that we could leave for our destination and make it to ss on time," she said in an almost-robotic voice.


    "At least she''s honest," the young man thought, a bit unsure about that tone she used.


    "O-Oh, is that so? It''s just that... when we were about to go to school together, you wanted to go with us, Horikita-san... and after that, we always waited for you..." she mumbled, although her thoughts were different from what she''s showing them. "You no-good bitch! You''re really trying to be a thorn in my ns, aren''t you?! Oh, just wait... once I get Ayanokouji-kun on my sidepletely, you''re out of here!"


    Suzune sighed. "Again, it would have defeated the purpose of why I wanted him to apany me if you were there, Kushida-san. All I can do is apologize for my actions and reassure you that it will not happen again."


    "That''s not really a good way of exining things, Horikita..." Kiyotaka deadpanned.


    "It would have been fun to hang out with you both, though..." Kikyo smiled sadly, as she let out a little sniffle.


    Kiyotaka''s eyes widened in panic the moment he heard that. If she bes sad, then his broken skill will activate once again and who knows what it will do? With its power to alter reality itself, then he wouldn''t be surprised if it teleports him and these two girls to an amusement park in order to make them both happy.


    Not wanting to stick around and find out if that would be the case, he quickly thought of a solution. After remembering a certain action he did earlier, Kiyotaka was hit with an idea. He could only hope that this would work. Never mind how embarrassing it is.


    "Don''t worry, Kushida," he quickly said, which gained him her attention. "If you want, we can also hang out together as well, just the two of us."


    Kikyo blinked a few times, as if she was trying to process what he just said. "What...?"


    Kiyotaka grimaced. It''s times like this that the system taking over his actions would be the better option, but he was on his own with this. Hopefully, his charm was already high enough so that he wouldn''t sound like an idiot with his next words.


    "Like me and Horikita, we can also hang out together, just the two of us. That is, if you want to. I won''t force you if you don''t want it," he then reached out with his arm and patted Kikyo''s head the same way he did for Suzune.


    "W-What is this? It feels so good..." Kikyo''s eyes widened as she felt him touch her head, but rxed right away and even surrendered to the warmth andfort that it gave her. For a moment, she didn''t seem like a person with mental issues but rather, a normal one. "It feels good when he touches my hair like that...! I don''t know why, but I want him to do it more!"


    [You have gained 15 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    Taking that as a confirmation that he averted the potential crisis, Kiyotaka stopped patting her head. In response, Kikyo actually let out a little whine because he stopped, having liked the feeling of his hand going through her hair. The girl quickly realized what came out of her mouth and blushed, before covering it up with her usual smile.


    "Okay! I''ll hold you to that, Ayanokouji-kun!" she smiled brightly.


    Kiyotaka nodded. It seems that every interaction he has with Kikyo will result in gaining Affection Points with her. At this rate, she''ll be the first to reach a hundred Affection Points among his heroines, and who knows what will happen when that timees?


    Meanwhile, a certain ck-haired girl watched the interaction between them with a certain glint in her eye, one that was saying she didn''t like what she just saw.


    "It feels wrong to see Ayanokouji-kun doing that to another girl..." she thought to herself, frowning at the scene before her. She then redirected her gaze solely towards Kushida. "He did it to me first, only I should be the one receiving those pats."


    "Thank you, Kushida. We''ll be going inside now, if you don''t mind."


    Realizing that the two were still outside of the ssroom, Kikyo chuckled nervously before stepping aside to let them enter. "O-Oh, right! Come inside!" she told them.


    Kiyotaka let Suzune enter the ssroom first and remained where he was until he saw her taking her seat at her desk. There was no way he''d go inside with her, lest he risk one of their ssmates seeing them together and start asking questions.


    He finally went inside a few momentster and headed for his seat. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to him, so he was able to get to his desk without any troubles.


    The young man let out a sigh of relief as he leaned back against his chair. "Finally here... but the problem now is that there''s still about half an hour before ss starts. I could take a nap until the bell rings but unfortunately, I don''t really feel sleepy. I had a cup of coffee earlier because Horikita wanted me to wake up early... what to do..."


    While Kiyotaka was thinking of what he could do to pass the time, two particr boys on the other side of the room wereughing together in glee and excitement.


    "Oh, boy. I was so excited for today that I barely got any sleep! I sure hope I don''t fall asleepter, hehehe!" Ikeughed.


    Yamauchi grinned. "Yeah, this school is just the best, isn''t it? First, there''s the monthly allowance of points and now we get to have swimming sses with the girls! It''s like I''m in heaven!"


    Kiyotaka blinked as he heard what they were discussing. That''s right, they''ll have a swimming ss today (it must have slipped his mind because of earlier events), which makes sense for Yamauchi and Ike to be more excited than usual since those two are perverts. They''re usuallyzy and unmotivated during lessons, so it was a bit weird to see them looking forward to their sses.


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Swimming sses were generally rare in high schools, despite the high demand for it. Not every school in the country had ess to a swimming pool within their premises. With its reputation, it''s not surprising for this school to have a swimming pool for teachers to conduct swimming sses in.


    Plus, there''s the girls themselves. Horikita, Kushida, Matsushita, and all of the other girls in the ss were gonna be showing a lot of skinter on. It''s expected behavior for the boys to be excited, including Kiyotaka himself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Horikita, Kushida, and Matsushita in swimsuits..." the young man thought to himself as his imagination began to go ces, before quickly shaking it off. What was he doing? He''s not supposed to think like this! Or is the system doing it for him? He wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case.


    He turned his attention towards the two perverts instead. He could go over to where they were and ask what they were doing, instead of keeping these thoughts to himself. It''s not like he had anything else to do, right? At least this way, he wouldn''t be as embarrassed because there''s two other guys who are into this subject more than him.


    Sighing to himself, Kiyotaka walked over towards the two boys, but they were too engaged in their discussion to hear him. "What are you two talking about?" he asked.


    The two jumped in surprise when they heard someone cutting into their conversation, as though they were caught red-handed. They slowly turned their heads to face him, looking nervous.


    "A-Ayanokouji! W-W-What do you want?" asked Yamauchi.


    "What were you two talking about?" he repeated.


    "W-We''re not talking about anything!"


    "You two look more excited than usual, and you''re not normally the type to get excited over ss," he pointed out. Before either of them could even think of making up an excuse, he quickly spoke again. "Is it about swimming ss today?"


    The two boys nched, knowing that they had no way out of this one.


    "W-Why should we tell you that? You just might snitch on us!" Yamauchi eximed, practically admitting that Kiyotaka was right by getting defensive all of a sudden.


    Kiyotaka shrugged. "If you''re not going to tell me, then that''s fine. I''m just curious, that''s all."


    "Well, I suppose we could tell ya. It''s not like hiding it is gonna do any good at this point," Ike sighed, causing his friend to look at him in shock.


    "Wait, seriously? Why should we trust him? He''s close to the girls, isn''t he? He''ll just snitch on us!"


    "I''m not close to any girl."


    "Oh yeah? Then how do you exin Horikita? She''s always with you when you get to ss! Did you think we wouldn''t notice?!" Yamauchi used him.


    "I almost thought that they had figured me out, but it looks like we''re still safe," Kiyotaka said in his thoughts. He was worried that they would start bombarding him with questions about "He only mentioned Horikita, but not Kushida. I can still turn this around."


    He calmly rejected the usation by waving his hand. "You always see Horikita and I together because we are seatmates, as you can see." To prove his point, he pointed towards his desk near the window, where Suzune was calmly reading through a book next to it.


    Yamauchi didn''t look convinced. "Yeah, so?! That doesn''t prove anything!"


    "Calm down, Yamauchi. There''s nothing wrong with rying our n to a fellow curious mind! If Ayanokouji decides to join us, then that''s even better, right? Another pair of hands to help us if we need it!" Ike ced a hand on his shoulder to calm him down, before exining the benefits if they do include Kiyotaka in their little escapade.


    Yamauchi''s mood changed instantly, going from skeptical to eager within a fraction of a second. "Ah, I getcha! Let''s go for it, then!"


    "Join them? What exactly are they nning?" the young man thought to himself. For sure, it would be something perverted because it''s Yamauchi and Ike. It''s all they talk about ever since sses began, girls and their fantasies.


    "Come closer, Ayanokouji. We can''t risk anyone else knowing about our n!" Ike whispered loud enough that only Kiyotaka could hear him.


    Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow, but followed what Ike said anyway and walked closer to the two boys. He had a feeling that this would be a big issue considering that they didn''t want anyone else hearing what they had in mind...


    "Professor''s gonna be helping us record the chest sizes of the girls. He''ll pretend to be sick and watch everything from the sidelines, while recording the sizes of the girls'' boobs!"


    Kiyotaka could only stare nkly at them. The worst part was that both boys looked so sure and confident about themselves that they didn''t think something would go wrong. There was one part of their ''n'' that did catch his attention, though. "Professor?" he asked, wondering who that could be.


    "That would be me," spoke a new voice.


    The young man turned slightly to see another boy approaching them who was of average height with spiky ck hair and green eyes. He was also a bit chubby in terms of body shape and wore a pair of sses like any average otaku.


    "Ah, so it''s you. Sotomura, was it?" asked Kiyotaka, trying to remember his ssmate''s name during the ss introductions.


    "That''s me," the teen known as ''Professor'' chuckled, before turning to the two boys who were part of the ''n''. "I believe there will be a few miscalctions like the number of girls participating in swimming ss, but that''s only a slight mishap. I''m quite certain that there will still be participants who''ll give me plenty of data to work with."


    "Awesome!"


    "Oh man, I can''t wait!"


    "I get why they''re excited but I really don''t see why they''re acting like this," Kiyotaka thought, observing the two boys'' behavior closely. "Have they beenpletely alone for their whole lives that this is the first time they''re seeing girls in swimsuits? Hmm... who knows? I''m not an expert in these things, even though I have a dating simtor superpower that''s helping me win girls over."


    "Who do you think has the biggest boobs in our ss?" asked Ike, a trail of blooding out of his nose as his imagination began to run wild.


    "Hah, I don''t know about you, but my money is on Sakura! Damn it, I wish she could have been my neighbor instead of that damn Koenji..."


    Kiyotaka felt tempted tough at the mere fact that Yamauchi was neighbors with Koenji, of all people, while he was the one who lived close to Sakura. He just didn''t know what unit she belonged to on the 4th floor, but he had a feeling that he would know very soon.


    "Really? I''m putting my bet on Kushida-chan!" Ike then turned towards Kiyotaka with an eager grin. "Wanna join us, Ayanokouji? We''ll have a bigger chance of sess that way!"

 Chapter 20 Act 4: Scene 3

    ?The young man put his arms up and backed away. "I''ll pass. I don''t want to be hated by the girls and ruin my image in their eyes."


    "Come on, this could be your only chance of knowing some juicy facts about the girls! With the four of us working together, we can get that information for ourselves!"


    "Count me out of it. But don''t worry, I won''t get in your way. I''ll also stay quiet and I won''t tell anyone about what you''re nning. If this fails, though, it will be all on you. It''s not my problem," he exined before walking away, heading back to his desk. At the very least, he killed some time by talking to them, even if the topic wasn''t something that he wasfortable with.


    "Oh,e on!"


    "Suit yourself. I guess we''ll have all the juicy data to ourselves then!"


    While Ike was distraught over the loss of a potentialrade who could help them out with the n, Yamauchi didn''t really care about it and only thought about getting to keep the girls'' information to themselves.


    As more students arrived at the ssroom, Yamauchi and Ike tried to recruit more boys to their cause and even talked about it like it was some kind of super secret mission. They tried to ask Sudo, but he only ignored them. Some boys like Miyamoto and Hondou were the opposite though, as they too wanted to know more about the girls'' measurements, especially those who were the most attractive in their ss. Some of them even made bets on who had the biggest pair.


    They couldn''t wait for early morning sses to end, because the fun would only begin after lunch.


    ~XoX~


    After the morning sses ended, lunchtime came. Kiyotaka tried to sit alone for a little rest from everything that happened earlier, but that didn''tst long when Suzune and Kikyo showed up at his table with their own trays of food. Before he could say anything, both girls took their seats like it was nothing and began to eat, making him sigh in defeat and roll with it.


    He waspletely lucky that every single one of his ssmates were too busy talking to each other at their own tables to notice his current dilemma. If only the system can make it so that anything he does with his heroines ispletely invisible to everyone else, but his superpower is more of the type to put him inplicated situations and he has to be the one to figure out how to deal with it.


    Honestly, it''s only a matter of time before someone takes notice of him growing closer to some of the girls in ss. It''s also only a matter of time before everyone in ss bes aware that he lives on a floor where the residents are mostly girls (with one adult).


    As the afternoon bell rang, it was finally time for their swimming ss. A lot of the boys were very eager to get to the swimming pool right away, and they took off like a bunch of rockets upon leaving the ssroom, despite the teacher''s words to form straight lines and head there in an organized formation.


    Most of the boys changed considerably fast in the locker room at the pool area, before they headed to the 50-meter swimming pool. Some were in awe of the pool and the area itself, including Kiyotaka, Yosuke and Ken, but the others didn''t really care about that and waited for something else...


    "Where are the girls? They should be here by now!" Ikeined.


    "Yeah, it shouldn''t be hard to change into their swimsuits, right?" Yamauchi agreed.


    "Well, I mean, they''re girls... they''re normally really slow when changing clothes, right?"


    "Yeah, you''re right! Let''s wait for a bit more!"


    The boys who were part of Yamauchi and Ike''s ''n'' gathered at the edge of the pool and they waited for the girls to arrive, which took about five minutes.


    "They''re here! They''re finally here! Let''s go- wait, what the hell?!" Ike''s face went from excited to dumbfounded in a matter of seconds, as he stared at the girls in confusion.


    Then, much to Ike and some of the boys''plete disappointment, only about a quarter of the girls in their ss decided to participate when they finally came out of the locker room in their school swimsuits. The rest were either nowhere to be found, or they''re just too shy toe out in a swimsuit.


    "You gotta be kidding me... where are the tits?! Don''t tell me this is all that we waited for!"


    Kiyotaka approached Ike and tapped him on the shoulder, gaining thetter''s attention. "If you''re looking for our other ssmates, they''re over there."


    He pointed to the bleachers, where the rest of the girls were sitting along with Sotomura who was pretending to write down notes. Hasebe was one of the girls who decided not to participate, which struck a massive blow towards the boys who were in on the n. She was actually one of the top bets on who had the biggest chest among the girls, but now they had no way of knowing the truth.


    Despite this, the two perverts didn''t look discouraged, at least that''s what they were trying to show.


    "N-No big deal! We''ll just be satisfied with whoever''s swimming with us! Right, Ike?"


    "A-Ah, yeah, yeah! We''ll make do with the girls who are here! At least there''s still some girls who want to swim!"


    Kiyotaka sighed at their behavior. "They''re not going to stop, are they? Well, it''s their problem. If they get beaten up by the girls, it''s on them."


    "You two are unbelievable. Don''t you realize that your antics caused those girls over there to be scared of joining today''s ss?" Sudo walked closer to the two perverts and sent them a disapproving look. "Seriously, keep your mouths shut next time."


    His words didn''t sit well with the two almost immediately.


    "Shut up! You could never understand how we feel, Sudo!" Yamauchi retorted.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yeah! Don''t think we haven''t noticed you making goo-goo eyes with Onodera-chan! That''s why you didn''t want to join us, right? So you can score some points with her!" added Ike.


    Something snapped inside of Ken the moment he heard Ike mention a particr person. "The hell did you just say to me...?" he growled, cracking his knuckles as he advanced towards them like a bear that came out of its cage.


    The rest of the boys who were involved in the ''n'' had already moved away from the scene, having sensed the impending danger from a mile away. It was only at this moment that Ike and Yamauchi realized what they did waspletely wrong. Poking a bear is always a bad idea, after all.


    "Uh... I think we pissed him off," Yamauchi mumbled, his face turning white in fear instantly.


    "RUN FOR IT!" Ike screamed, as he and his friend ran away with Sudo hot on their trail.


    "Get back here, you idiots! I''ll teach you not to mess with me!"


    "Screw you! Don''t chase us just because you''re embarrassed about your girlfriend!"


    "Stop pissing him off, Yamauchi!"


    "You started it!"


    "He''s gaining on us!"


    "Run faster!"


    As Kiyotaka watched the two idiots being chased around the area by an angry Ken, he heard someone''s voice call out to him from behind.


    "Ayanokouji-kun! Are you excited for today''s ss?"


    The young man turned around to see Kushida approaching him with Horikita beside her. Like with the rest of the girls, they were d in school swimsuits. Like a perfectly normal teenager, Kiyotaka''s gaze went not to their faces, but to their bodies.


    Kikyo''s voluptuous figure was on full disy for other people to see, since she was only wearing a swimsuit. She was already beautiful while wearing her school uniform, but this only highlighted her looks even more. If she didn''t have that hidden side to her underneath that fake mask she puts up, then she would be the perfect girlfriend for anyone.


    Suzune isn''t one to be ignored, though. She''s a definite contender when ites to who is the most beautiful in the ss when only considering looks. Almost every part of her body was perfect, like it can bepared to a goddess. She must be blessed with good genes, for sure... Kiyotaka could stare at that body of hers all day, and he wouldn''t get tired of it.


    Kiyotaka''s reaction to seeing his two heroines was his mouth hanging open, and his eyes looking like they were hypnotized by some unknown force. For the next few moments, he stared at them without blinking, almost as if he was frozen in ce.


    "Ayanokouji-kun? Are you okay?" asked Kikyo out of concern, with Suzune raising an eyebrow at the expression on his face.


    "I''m okay..." he mumbled as he continued to stare at them.


    "Oh? It appears that Ayanokouji-kun is speechless from the sight of girls wearing their swimsuits. Is this the first time you''ve seen such a thing?" said the unmistakable voice of Chiaki.


    The brown-haired teen joined the two girls and giggled at the sight of Kiyotaka''s dumbfounded expression. As soon as she was within range of his eyesight, the young man looked at her as well.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® If Kikyo was voluptuous and Suzune looked divine, then Chiaki radiated elegance. Even though she was only a teenager, one can easily mistake her for a young maiden. Never mind her swimsuit, her body figure alone speaks for itself. She wasn''t too skinny, nor was she fat. The smile on her face as well as her eyes only added to her appeal, giving her a mature vibe.


    "You three are beautiful..." he whispered to himself, although it didn''t escape the girls'' hearing.


    The effect of his words was instantaneous.


    "W-What...?" Suzune muttered, her eyes growing wide out of shock as her face began to heat up. Kikyo and Chiaki werepletely silent, but they bore the same expression that Suzune had; their faces red, and their eyes wide.


    [You have gained 2 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    [You have gained 5 Affection Points with Matsushita Chiaki!]


    [Youplimented your Heroines on their bodies! You gained +5 in Charm!]

 Chapter 21 Act 4: Scene 4

    ?The several notifications that Kiyotaka received was enough to snap him out of his trance, but that didn''t make him forget what he just said. His eyes widened when he realized it, and he quickly turned to his stunned heroines so he could exin himself.


    "Uh... sorry about that," he quickly spoke, before raising his arms as though he was surrendering. "I didn''t mean it in a depraved way, if that''s what you''re thinking."


    Kiyotaka cursed himself in his thoughts. This must be the work of the system, there''s no doubt about it! He would never say something like that in front of other people, much less three girls who are only wearing swimsuits! The worst part was that he wasn''t even being controlled, which is what the system does whenever he chooses from the three options. He said it because it was what''s on his mind!


    On the bright side, as much as it embarrassed him, this does confirm his hypothesis about the system helping him be a normal person again... though he didn''t expect it to ''help'' in this way... influencing him in some way to say things like this. But maybe it''s okay? After all, these three are his heroines, so... it''s fine to say something like what he did, right...?


    The girls remainedpletely silent for the next few seconds, making the young man fear for the worst. If any of them get angry, the broken skill might activate and he didn''t want that to happen. Maybe being away from them for a bit would do some good and let both parties take a deep breath to calm themselves.


    "I''m going to talk with Sudo," he told them as he turned around and walked away, his eyes roaming around quickly in search of his red-haired friend.


    He saw Sudo near the far end of the pool, where he was standing over the beaten-up forms of Yamauchi and Ike. He quickly headed towards where Sudo was while keeping himself from taking a nce at his heroines who were behind him.


    "Tch. That''s what you get for messing with me," he scoffed, looking down at the two idiots who bore Xs for their eyes, and had big lumps on their heads. It was clear that Ken didn''t let them off the hook easily.


    "Sudo."


    Hearing his name being called, the red-haired teen turned to whoever just spoke. The scowl on his face disappeared right away and was reced with a grin when he saw who it was.


    After Kiyotaka had saved him from those ss-C students at the convenience storest week, the two talked a lot more and eventually became friends. Kiyotaka found him easy to get along with once you get past his tough exterior, while Ken saw his act of helping him as something that couldn''t be repaid with simple words.


    "Yo, Ayanokouji. What''s up?"


    Kiyotaka opened his mouth to say something, but thought twice about it. There''s no way he could tell his friend about his little problem with Suzune, Kikyo, and Chiaki.


    "I shouldn''t tell him anything about those three..." he thought to himself. "He wouldn''t understand. At best, he wouldugh and identally reveal it to someone else. I can see him apologizing and telling me that he doesn''t know what to give me as an answer, though."


    Deciding that it would be for the best to keep the issue to himself, Kiyotaka decided to ask about something else. Something that can spark a conversation between them, at least. "What happened to those two?" he asked, pointing to the two perverts who were still out of it.


    "Ah, these two were running their mouths, so I decided to teach them a little lesson."


    "I doubt that these two will learn from this."


    Sudo grinned. "Same, but that just means I''ll have to beat it harder into their skulls next time."


    "Please don''t make a habit out of it. You might get in trouble, and there''s a chance that I might not be there to save you from being stupid," Kiyotaka sighed, shaking his head.


    "I know, I know..." Sudoughed heartily. "So is there something else you need?"


    Kiyotaka was about to bring up the topic of swimming and their ss today, only for the two to hear someone else''s voice cutting into their little discussion.


    "Sudo-kun! You never told me you work out! Man, look at you... I''m jealous!" eximed Onodera Kayano as she walked closer towards the red-haired basketball yer, marveling at his toned physique.


    Ken''s entire demeanor changed immediately upon seeing the girl, going from confident to uneasy. "That''s not exactly something that I tell anyone I meet, Onodera..." he muttered, scratching the back of his head.


    Kayanoughed, before she began pulling on his arm. "Well, too bad because now I know! Come on, you gotta share your workout routine with me! Maybe we can even do it together when you have time."


    Completely out of options at the moment, Sudo turned to his friend with a pleading look. "Help me," he mouthed, which Kiyotaka understood right away.


    However, instead of helping his friend like what he wanted, Kiyotaka had something else in mind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m going to the restroom for a bit. See you in a bit, Sudo," he turned around and began to head for the restroom, "I''m not getting involved in that, Sudo. I already have enough on my hands with three, and more toe..."


    He took a little nce behind him, where he saw Sudo throwing an angry look in his direction, and he simply responded with a thumbs-up before continuing on his way.


    "At first, I thought I would have to keep a close eye on Sudo because he seems to be a rebellious person, but it looks like Onodera can keep him under control. If this keeps up, he''ll eventually get to experience what I feel when I''m around those three heroines and perhaps, maybe I''ll even tell him about what I''m going through."


    Yes, Kiyotaka was d that Ken was going through the same thing as him, having his own issues regarding girls. Because so far, among the boys, Ken was the only one whom he can call a friend. Yosuke was naturally with everyone, but he wouldn''t say that they were friends yet. Plus, he might have a lot of fangirls among their female ssmates, but he wasn''t really having any problem of any sort with them. Kiyotaka needed someone who shared his pain.


    Apart from those two, there really isn''t anyone else. There''s no way he''s going to befriend Koenji, as well as the boys who cared more about being a pervert. The only other guys whom he didn''t really see any problem with were Miyake and Yukimura, but he didn''t think they would be of much help...


    Whatever. He could think about this some other time. Right now, he needs to get his mind off of his little mishap with his three heroines earlier, and then apologize to themter on. Surely by that time, they''d have calmed down as well and they''ll be able to talk normally again.


    As he got to the restroom right next to the pool area, he opened the door with the intention of heading to the sink so he could wash his face, but he wouldn''t even be able to get there because of what he''s seeing in front of him.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me... this is the men''s restroom," he thought, his mouth hanging open inplete disbelief.


    A girl with long, red hair was bending over in front of him, having just finished taking off her redcy bra, giving the young man a full view of her naked breasts. Her sses were resting on the nearby sink. She only had her panties on as a result, just as she looked up at the person who suddenly entered the restroom.


    Sakura Airi''s face turned red immediately, even reaching the point that steam beganing out of her head. On the other hand, Kiyotaka only stared at her, especially those two big masses of flesh on her chest that were each capped with beautiful pink nipples.


    [''Airi''s Bountiful Airis'' was added to the gallery!]


    He didn''t even pay attention to the sound of the system''s camera snapping a photo, nor the image of Airi''s nearly-naked body appearing as a notification, because he was too focused on the fact that he was seeing a girl''s naked body for the first time... well, nearly-naked body, at least.


    Of course, being a perfectly normal teenager, he couldn''t help but stare at the girl, particrly her massive chest that was being burned into his mind. In the same way, Airi reacted to Kiyotaka''s presence simr to how every girl would react whenever a boy peeks on her.


    "K-K-K-K-KYAAAAAAAAA...!"


    Kiyotaka made no move to dodge the iing uniform that headed for his head, which hit him directly on the face. Even though he couldn''t see anything, he heard the sound of footsteps leaving the restroom in a hurry.


    Once he was sure that he was all alone inside, Kiyotaka slowly removed the uniform from his face and looked behind him. It didn''t seem like anyone heard the girl''s scream a while ago, so no one should being here.


    "Right after I got myself in an awkward situation with Horikita, Kushida, and Matsushita... the system decides to throw this at me," he thought as he folded the girl''s clothes neatly before heading to the sink, ignoring the new notifications that popped up at the same time.


    [Airi Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Sakura Airi!]


    [Your current status with Airi has changed to ''An idental Misunderstanding''!]


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Taste of What''s To Come''! You gained +5 in Aura!]


    Kiyotaka raised his fist, ready to punch the mirror in front of him and shatter it out of frustration, before taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. Letting his arm fall beside him, he leaned forward against the sink and looked down.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom He should have seen something like thising, but it''s impossible. He was wrong about this whole thing in the first ce, especially at what he initially thought this was. God, he should have gotten the hint when he was left speechless at seeing his three heroines in their swimsuits earlier!


    Because it was at this moment that Kiyotaka remembered... his ''superpower'' wasn''t a normal dating simtor at all.


    It was an eroge.

 Chapter 22 Act 4: Scene 5

    ?Kiyotaka returned to the swimming pool just as their teacher finally arrived. Miyajima-sensei had short hair, a bit bulky in physique, and looked like he was in histe 30s. He quickly gathered everyone who was participating at the end of the swimming pool, separating the boys from the girls.


    "It makes me sad that not everyone will be participating today, but there''s still a lot of you here! Now tell me, is there anyone here who doesn''t know the basics of swimming?"


    Miyajima-sensei waited a few seconds, but nobody raised their hands.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom The teacher smiled. "All of you know how, that''s good! However, my role here is to teach you anyway, but we''ll work that outter. I''ll let you do some warm-ups and practice with your swimming. You''ll be having a race against each other fifteen minutes from now. That way, we''ll know which of you needs more help above everyone else."


    Kiyotaka chose to do his warm-ups with Sudo, who looked pissed at him for some reason, as shown by the angry looks he''s been sending here and there. The young man could already guess why, but he felt like asking anyway just for the fun of it.


    "If I did something wrong in your eyes, then say it already."


    Sudo grumbled. "Did you really have to leave me behind earlier?"


    Knowing that he was referring to his little conversation with Kayano, Kiyotaka only shrugged. "I didn''t want to interrupt your conversation with Onodera. Would you like it if someone interrupted you while you''re talking with someone else?"


    That made the angry expression on Ken''s face disappear right away. "N-No, but-"


    "Then I did nothing wrong, and you''re only embarrassed about talking to a girl. Were Yamauchi and Ike perhaps right about something going on between you and Onodera?"


    "Argh! You heard that?" the red-haired teen groaned as his face turned into the same color of his hair.


    "It''s hard not to listen when those two were practically screaming about it," Kiyotaka pointed out.


    "Damn it..."


    If he could, then Kiyotaka would have smirked as this was the perfect time for it. Having this little banter with his friend was a nice break after what he went through with Suzune, Chiaki, and Kikyo, and then followed immediately by that little incident at the restroom.


    "So, is there something going on between you and Onodera?" he asked again.


    In typical tsundere fashion, Sudo scoffed and looked away, though his face never lost its red hue. "No. Don''t be an idiot. There''s nothing happening between me and her."


    "If you say so," Kiyotaka shrugged, not believing him one bit.


    While Ken was grumbling about two perverts being unable to keep their mouths shut, Kiyotaka snuck a nce towards the girls, looking for a certain redhead in particr. Airi was performing her warmups with Karuizawa''s group, but it was clear that she wasn''t feeling herself. Her head was low, hiding her face from everyone else, and she had her hands close to her chest, as though she was bracing herself for another incident involving her clothes...


    "At least she''s not embarrassed enough to the point that she doesn''t want to participate anymore," he thought to himself, trying to find some kind of light in this situation. No, he absolutely wasn''t referring to what he saw in the restroom earlier. He was actually d that he didn''t scare her off or anything, and it''s even more of a good thing that she hasn''t told anyone about it, at least that''s what he thought.


    When he looked at Airi, she met his gaze for a brief moment before turning her gaze away, a deep red blush taking over her features. Even though she was the one who walked into the wrong restroom, he couldn''t really me her for acting like this. It''s not everyday that a guy identally walks into a girl while she''s in the middle of changing her clothes.


    Speaking of which, he had left her uniform at the restroom. There''s no way he was giving that to her in the middle of ss where everyone can see him. To ensure that nobody would think of going inside and by extension, see a girl''s uniform by the sink and do whatever they want with it, he put up an ''out of order'' sign on the door. Hopefully, no janitor gets there before their swimming ss ends.


    Also, now might be a really good time to apologize to his three heroines, all of whom he had inadvertently embarrassed earlier when he made thatment about them while they were wearing their swimsuits. He really didn''t need both that issue along with his current predicament with Airi bothering him from all sides, so it''s better if he apologizes now, and deal with their anger afterwards should they be mad at him.


    "I''ll be right back. I need to talk to someone," Kiyotaka told his friend as he looked at Suzune, who was doing her stretches on her own without anyone else. She would be the easiest to talk to because of that and at the same time, she would be the hardest to reason with because of her personality. In fact, he wouldn''t be surprised if she ps him the moment he shows his face to her again.


    But... he''s been through worse in the White Room. And that broken skill hasn''t been activated yet, so he''s still in the clear, right?


    "Heh. Is that ''someone'' Horikita? Is there something going on between you two?" Sudo asked, taking this as a chance for some payback by teasing Kiyotaka about the girl that he normally hangs out with.


    Kiyotaka ignored him and started walking towards Suzune, who immediately noticed his presence once he was nearby. She frowned at him for a few moments, before raising an eyebrow curiously.


    "Where have you been? You said that you were only going to talk to Sudo-kun, but I didn''t see you with him earlier."


    Kiyotaka was a bit surprised that she asked him about that instead of getting angry about his earlier words, but chose to answer her nheless. "I went to the restroom for a bit. When I came back, Miyajima-sensei was already here."


    "I see..." she nodded in acknowledgement, before continuing with her stretches like it was nothing, which surprised the young man even further. She wasn''t going toin, or be mad, or even p him for that pervertedment earlier


    Seeing that she wasn''t going to bring up the matter, Kiyotaka decided that he would do it himself. Oh, he could only imagine how she would react...


    "Uh, about what I said earlier..." he spoke, making Suzune turn her head to look at him. "I apologize for it. It wasn''t my intention to make you mad. It waspletely uncalled for, and I regret saying it."


    "...why would I be mad?" she asked, looking at him as he had grown a second head.


    "Because it''s an inappropriatement that I made?" he answered as though it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Don''t girls get angry when boys say things like that to them?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, Suzune didn''t look affected by it. If anything, she felt more offended that Kiyotaka thought she would be offended by a harmlesspliment. "I know you didn''t mean it in a perverted way. I''m not mad. Do you honestly think I''m that shallow?" she frowned at him.


    "That''s not what I''m saying at all. I was only worried about my words having a different impact towards you."


    "There is no need for you to worry, unless you actually meant it in a perverted way," her frown turned into a smirk. "Wouldn''t that be a sight to see? I thought you would be different, but it turns out you''re nothing differentpared to those two boys who would rather use their lower regions to think instead of their brains."


    "Oi, oi, don''tpare me to those two..." he deadpanned. "What about Kushida and Matsushita then?


    "I can''t speak for the two of them, but I don''t believe they''re angry with you, either. After you left earlier, they left as well. Of course, you can talk to them and find out for yourself. Now," she folded her arms and went back to looking serious. "Is there anything else you wish to talk about, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    "I could just talk to themter. Our fifteen minutes are almost up, anyway. I don''t have any reason to doubt Horikita as well, so... if what she says is true, then I really have nothing to worry about," he thought, before shaking his head. "Not really. Thanks for not being angry with me, Horikita."


    Unsure if what he had in mind was the right thing, Kiyotaka still felt the need to do it. He reached out with his hand and patted the girl on the head a few times, making her freeze and blush in embarrassment. Deep down, though, the girl felt happy that she was experiencing the soothing feeling of his touch once more.


    [You have gained 5 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    "Er... yes..." she mumbled, terribly flustered but too weak to do anything to stop him. And honestly, Suzune didn''t feel like she wanted him to stop.


    Unfortunately, Kiyotaka did stop patting her head a few momentster, not wanting to let anyone else see him do such a thing. This made Suzune let out a displeased grunt, which the young man didn''t notice, thankfully. The girl herself was surprised at what she was feeling right now, as well as her reaction to him suddenly stopping in his actions.


    "W-Why did I want him to keep on patting my head...?" she asked herself. "What is going on with me? Am I sick? Or is this all natural?"


    At that same moment, their teacher blew his whistle, signaling everyone to gather around him so he could exin what would happen.


    The boys and the girls will have their own races; two for the girls, and four for the boys. They will be ranked ording to the time that it takes them to finish swimming through the whole 50-meter pool. Since the number of female participants were cut down in today''s ss, there wouldn''t be many swimmers to keep track of and they can finish their races without any problems.


    In the boys'' case, the first three races would be a preliminary round of sorts, with the two top swimmers from each racepeting in the final round. There, they will finally be ranked on who is the fastest. Either way, the final eight male participants along with the four top cers among the girls will be exempted from the supplementary lessons and will instead help teach their ssmates the proper form and how to swim more effectively. Miyajima-sensei even sweetened the deal, saying that the top three winners from the boys and girls will receive some points from him as a reward.


    "Good luck," Kiyotaka told Suzune while walking past her, as he and the rest of the boys moved towards another side of the pool to give the girls some space.


    In response, the ck-haired girl blushed, but nodded regardless. She didn''t know why, but she felt strangely motivated to win this race!


    The first race between the girls then began. Suzune and Kikyo were both part of it, with the former ending up as the winner with 28.22 seconds. Kushida came in second, ending up with a time of 30.12 seconds. The difference in speed was clear and bright as day.


    Most of the boys cheered for Kikyo, their eyes glued towards her wet body that was only hiding behind a swimsuit. However, instead of responding to their praises like she usually does, she turned her attention towards one particr person and bounced over to where he was.


    "How did I do, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked, smiling brightly at him.


    Kiyotaka didn''t answer her right away, because he had to take a quick look at the people around them. He didn''t expect the girl to do this in front of their other ssmates, but maybe she just did it at the spur of the moment. However, that didn''t help his case one bit, because a lot of their ssmates (the boys, mostly) had just turned their attention towards him, mainly because Kikyo was talking to him.


    "I-I never knew Kushida-chan was close with Ayanokouji..."


    "Maybe they''re just friends?"


    "Are you kidding me?! He already has Horikita, now he''s going to take away Kushida too?!"


    "Kushida-chan is mine! I won''t let Ayanokouji have her! You hear me, Ayanokouji?!"


    Thankfully, it was only those boys who were watching him, which included Minami, Hondo, Yamauchi, and Ike. Everyone else had their attention elsewhere but still, did it really have to be a couple of guys who can''t keep their mouths shut? At this rate, the day won''t end without them blurting out to the whole ss that he had a little talk with Kushida. If only the system had a skill that can mute people entirely and prevent their voices from being heard.


    Kiyotaka rolled his eyes. It''s not like this was never going to happen. There will always be the inevitable scenario where everyone else finds out what''s going with him. Well, at the very least, they don''t know that he lives on the same floor as Kikyo, right? That would garner a worse reaction.


    He turned back towards Kikyo and gave her a nod. "You did great, Kushida. Second ce is no easy feat."


    [You have gained 1 Affection Point with Kushida Kikyo!]


    The smile on the girl''s face widened, to the point that she could kill a person with sheer cuteness. Even Kiyotaka couldn''t stop himself from feeling a little heat in his cheeks when he saw her smile, and he knew it.


    "Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun! Good luck on your race, by the way! I hope you win!" she cheered him on, before heading back to her friends.


    "Why does she have to be a horrible person under that mask? Anyone would be lucky to have her as a girlfriend, but she''s not what she seems," the young man said to himself in disappointment as he stared at the girl. "I hope the system can do something about it. Surely it doesn''t expect me to handle a crazy girl who''s hellbent on expelling one of her ssmates just because she''s from her old school."

 Chapter 23 Act 4: Scene 6

    ?The second girls'' race was the next one that took ce. Kayano won the race by andslide, finishing with a record time of 26.34 seconds. Interestingly, Airi was part of this race but barely lost to Satsuki, finishing with 36.32 seconds and 36.25 seconds respectively. As a result, Airi ended up gettingst ce, much to the redhead''splete disappointment.


    Kiyotaka observed her closely. "So she''s not good at swimming... I suppose that can also apply to any other physical activity that you give her. She looked like she was struggling the entire time, even."


    The brown-haired teen wondered if he should do something about her. She''s one of his heroines, right? What''s the harm in helping her out? It would be a waste if Airi is this horrible in physical activities, especially in the possible case of their ss fighting against other sses in some kind ofpetition.


    While Kiyotaka thought of a way to help the girl (after he talks to her regarding the incident earlier), Miyajima-sensei smiled at the whole ss and pointed to the overall winners.


    "And there you have it for the girls'' races! Our top three swimmers are none other than Onodera, Horikita, and Kushida. Great job, you three! Keep up the good work, and I hope you can help your ssmates be better swimmers."


    Onodera and Kushida smiled and showed their eagerness by shouting their response, while Horikita was the opposite, only nodding her head in acknowledgement.


    The boys'' race was what followed. Ayanokouji and Koenji were part of the first one, as they both joined their fellowpetitors at the starting line. Kiyotaka could see Kikyo and Chiaki cheering for him quietly. Hell, even Suzune was sending him a nod as if she was telling him to do his best.


    For a moment, he thought about winning this race for the sake of making them happy, but he quickly threw that idea out of the window.


    Kiyotaka shook his head. "I''m already dealing with four girls right now, I''m not about to draw even more attention to myself by going all out and causing my ssmates to acknowledge my existence. That would also ignite questions in the girls'' minds, and that''s thest thing that I want to happen."


    On the other hand, Koenji was brimming with confidence and the desire to prove he was perfect. Nothing else was on his mind right now except victory... and maybe girls who are charmed by his presence.


    Wearing a red speedopared to the rest of the boys who were wearing trunks, a lot of the girls felt ufortable looking at him. It was mainly due to the bulge he had down there which barely left enough to be imagined because of the speedo he was wearing. Regardless, the young man himself had a better build than anyone else in the ss, even more than Sudo.


    Crossing his arms, he smirked and closed his eyes. "Hmph! Thispetition is pointless, because it is already written that I will be the victor in the end. But if you insist, then I will show everyone that I am nothing but the perfect existence!"


    The first race of the boys then began with the next whistle. Koenji finished in first ce with a record time of 23.54 seconds, the fastest time today. Ayanokouji took the second ce spot, ending up with 28.15 seconds which was a time that he was satisfied with. He would advance to the next round at least, and that''s what mattered.


    "Not even enough to make me exert more effort," Koenjiughed while getting out of the pool. Many of his ssmates stared at him in wonder and amazement, because even they had to admit that his speed was remarkable and can bepared to an Olympic athlete.


    As he climbed out of the pool and walked to the side in order to dry himself, Kiyotaka was then approached by two of his heroines, which were the two girls he had yet to apologize to.


    "You still did great, Ayanokouji-kun! Don''t be discouraged by this!"


    "Yeah, at least you made it to the second round, right? You can still turn this around."


    Hm. If only they knew that he was holding back willingly.


    He then cleared his throat. "By the way... uh, I''m sorry for... thatment I made earlier about you two and Horikita. I wasn''t trying to be a pervert or anything, but I understand if you think that way."


    Both girls looked surprised by his sudden apology and didn''t respond for a few seconds before Kikyo began to giggle in amusement.


    "You don''t need to worry, Ayanokouji-kun. We know you didn''t mean it like that!"


    Knowing that there was a chance these girls weren''t really angry with him like what Suzune told him, it didn''t surprise him much. That being said, he was curious why they weren''t.


    "Really?"


    "Well, it''s not like you''re friends with our two resident perverts, are you?" Chiaki asked rhetorically while shaking her head in amusement. "It was a simplepliment, there''s no need to get mad at you for that."


    Huh. It looks like Horikita was right. There really was no need for him to worry. Maybe it''s because they like him enough to ept apliment, or just the fact that they''re his heroines makes it fine.


    "I see."


    Kikyo smiled at him again. "Good luck in the final race, Ayanokouji-kun."


    With that, the two girls left him alone to his thoughts. They were clearly rooting for him to win, which was honestly ttering even though he could just tell them that he was only average when it came to physical activities like this.


    "Should I go faster so I don''t disappoint them?" he asked himself, before shaking his head. "No, no. Doing that will only make things worse. They don''t have to know. I''d prefer it if things remain this way for as long as I can help it."


    The second race was a one-sided affair in every aspect, simply because Hirata waspeting in it. His fangirls were loudly cheering for him and the young man himself was well-built too, being a ser yer and one who''s into sports. With that, he easily beat every otherpetitor and got a time of 26.87 seconds.


    The third race between the boys was dominated by Sudo, who finished with 24.19 seconds, the second-fastest time for everyone involved. Yamauchi and Ike, who were part of the race as well, wanted to humiliate him by beating his time as payback for earlier, but couldn''t do anything against Sudo''s record.


    Therefore, all they could do was sulk in a corner while Ken was quickly approached by an excited Kayano.


    "Ne, ne, you should join me in the Swimming Club, Sudo-kun! Everyone will wee you with open arms!" the girl told him with an eager grin on her face.


    Sudo stared at her for a moment, before he shook his head sadly. "I can''t. I''m already with the Basketball Club. Sorry."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The girl blinked owlishly. "Wait, didn''t you know? You can join up to three clubs if you want!"


    "Wait, really?" he asked, caught off guard by that revtion. In truth, he was so focused on joining the Basketball Club that he didn''t even know the option for students to join up to three clubs.


    Kayano nodded. "Yep! That means you can be in the Swimming Club and the Basketball Club! Come on, what do you say?!"


    The surprise on his face morphed into doubt. In the hypothetical scenario that he does join both clubs, what would it mean for him? "I don''t know... even if I join, can I handle doing both at once?"


    "I''ll talk to our captain about it! You won''t have to show up everyday, only when we absolutely need you to. I know how much you love basketball, so I''m not going to stop you from doing what you want!"


    Ken blushed at her deration and looked like he was seriously considering it for a moment, only to be hit by another wave of doubt. Fortunately for the red-haired teen, he had the best wingman by his side supporting him.


    "You should take the opportunity, Sudo. In the chance that your basketball career might not go as well as you hoped, you at least have swimming as an alternative choice."


    Both Ken and Kayano turned their heads to the one who spoke, only to see Kiyotaka walking towards his friend, giving him a pat on the back before walking away like a pedestrian passing by.


    Ken was immediately tempted to fire back against Kiyotaka for that jab about him failing as a basketball yer, but thought about what he said instead.


    Finally, he let out a deep sigh and scratched the back of his head, unable to look at the girl in front of him directly out of embarrassment.


    "I''ll think about it, I guess..."


    "Really?!" The smile on Onodera''s face widened even more, making Sudo blush even harder in response. "Yatta!"


    "He''spletely whipped for her. The system actually made the right decision in making her Sudo''s neighbor. I can''t imagine what he''d be like if Onodera''s not around to keep him calm," Kiyotakamented, watching their interaction from afar. "It also feels nice to see someone else struggling with this, and not just me."


    Kiyotaka couldn''t help but think about how things would be like if he was in the same situation. If only the system limited him to having only one ''heroine'' among many, then it would have been infinitely better. Choosing one can''t be as bad as dealing with many, right?


    But no, he was cursed to have multiple lovers whom he would have to satisfy whenever they needed it. It was quite ironic, the masterpiece who can turn any situation around to his favor can''t do anything against divine intervention itself.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® After letting his students take a break for a few minutes, Miyajima-sensei blew his whistle, calling the final sixpetitors from the boys to gather at the starting line. They were Koenji, Sudo, Hirata, Ayanokouji, Miyake, and Minami.


    Koenji never lost his smirk, still oozing with confidence until now. "Hmph! As I said, thispetition is pointless. It has been written that I will be the one to win it all, because I am a perfect existence."


    Sudo red at him, annoyed at the blonde''s arrogance. "Say that again for when I beat you, Koenji."


    Kiyotaka took another nce at the girls who were standing at the side of the pool. Kikyo and Chiaki were cheering for him again, while Suzune was just staring at him with a serious look. Maybe she also wants him to win this or something? Who knows.


    For a moment, only a moment though, he also saw Airi turn to him a few seconds before looking away. Well, at least he can be assured that she didn''t outright hate him or worse.


    With the final whistle of the day, the fourth race between the boys started. It was over almost as quick as it began, with Koenji surpassing his previous record and getting 22.92 seconds this time. Sudo also beat his previous time, achieving 23.75 seconds. Hirata ended up at 3rd ce, Ayanokouji at 4th, Miyake at 5th, and Minami at 6th.


    "And we have our winners! Koenji is your first ce from the boys, followed by Sudo, and then Hirata! These three along with the three winners from the girls will be receiving some points from me as a prize for winning, but that doesn''t detract one bit from everyone''s efforts today! Again, all of the top cers are safe from the supplementary lessons, but they will help in teaching everyone else instead," Miyajima-sensei announced, pointing to the final 6petitors as they stood at the edge of the pool after everyone was done.


    With that, the races were over. Koenji went back to admiring himself with his beloved mirror, Hirata was flooded by praises from his fangirls, Sudo was hounded by an eager Onodera who kept him from going anywhere, and the two other boys headed for the locker room to dry themselves.


    Meanwhile, Ayanokouji was simply taking a rest at the bleachers. He was then approached by two particr girls, one of whom looked worried while the other had an impassive expression on her face.


    "Are you okay, Ayanokouji-kun? Even though you lost, it''s okay. You can just do better next time!" Kikyo tried to cheer him up, thinking that Kiyotaka felt sad from failing to win thepetition.


    "I''m fine, Kushida. It doesn''t really bother me," he waved off her concern nonchntly. "Actually, I could have won it if I wanted to, but I just didn''t want the extra attention that it would have gotten me. That being said, the extra points from Miyajima-sensei would have been a nice prize..."


    "Well, it should bother you. The time it took you toplete both races was 28 seconds, the same as mine. You barely beat my record by a few milliseconds," Suzune smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "If you don''t improve yourself, then I might just rob you of your victory in the future."


    "I''ll keep that in mind," he muttered, remembering just now that this girl wanted topete with him at any chance they got. This was more of his fault though, a clear sign of how much he screwed up his first interaction with her. Thanks to that, Suzune now thinks of him as a worthy adversary., which means he would have to take her seriously... a little bit, at least. Just to give her what she wants.


    "What are you talking about, Horikita-san?" asked Kikyo, raising an eyebrow curiously.


    "Nothing that concerns you," replied Suzune, not even batting an eye towards the beige-haired girl.


    "She just keeps on provoking Kushida without noticing it, huh?" he sighed to himself. "I really hope there''s some way that I can deal with her mental issues, because this girl can''t be right in the head. I still wonder what caused her to be like this, though. And I also wonder why her parents have no idea that their daughter''s like this."


    More importantly, Kiyotaka also wondered if the system would do something about the problem with these two girls. They didn''t like each other forpletely different reasons, which was honestly moreplicated than hating the other for the same reason.


    He could already see that they aren''t going to get along anytime soon, but surely the system won''t allow that, right?

 Chapter 24 Act 4: Scene 7

    ?Sakura Airi sighed to herself.


    She was never a talented person and she knew it. She was hopeless when it came to interacting with other people and she knew it. It''s the reason why she has always kept to herself and never went out of her way to make friends or socialize with others. Airi knew that she never fit in with any social group because of her defects, and simply epted things as they are.


    She wasn''t supposed to participate today as well. She didn''t want to at first, but eventually gave in because swimming was too much of a fun activity for her to pass up on. She didn''t expect Miyajima-sensei to hold a race that included everyone, though... but it was toote for her to back out at that point.


    Airi decided to see how she measuredpared to her ssmates. Just like what she expected, she was at the bottom when the race ended, though it didn''t make it any less painful. It didn''t matter that she was only a few milliseconds short of beating the next slowest swimmer, she still lost.


    In the end, the only person she could me was herself. She wasn''t talented in anything. She sucked at physical activities and she sucked in academics. The only thing she had was her interest in photography and maybe a bit of singing, but those things weren''t going to help her graduate from high school.


    She shook her head to get her mind back on track. She wasn''t going to sulk now, of all times. She needed to go somewhere in order to get something that belonged to her.


    Walking towards the restroom where her earlier ''encounter'' with Ayanokouji took ce, she could only hope that her uniform was still there. Yes, the same uniform that she threw at him when he caught her changing clothes... and even had a peek at her... assets.


    Airi wanted to bury her head in the ground like an ostrich to escape this embarrassment. Ugh, what the hell was she thinking?! She shouldn''t have thrown her uniform at him, because now she had to go back in order to get it. She could have used something else to throw at him, like the towel she had at the time, or she could have sprayed water from the sink at him.


    Airi immediately realized what she was thinking and shook her head furiously to get rid of it.


    "Wait, no, that would mean that I wanted to hurt him! I-It''s not like that at all! I''m just saying that there could have been a better way to resolve what happened...!"


    The girl med herself above everything else. After the embarrassment she felt from being caught in the middle of changing her clothes died down, Airi realized that she was in the wrong restroom the whole time. She didn''t want to change into her swimsuit at the locker room with the other girls of the ss, and simply went to the restroom where she could do it alone.


    She should have looked at the sign of the restroom that she walked into.


    Maybe she should go apologize to him... but that would mean that she would need to walk up to him and talk! The idea alone made the girl nervous about doing it, but if it means making up for her mistake, then it''s a sacrifice she would have to make.


    As she reached the men''s restroom where she went earlier, she noticed the ''out of order'' sign hanging at the doorknob, making her pale in fear.


    What if someone else was already inside?! What if they saw her uniform?! What if it''s already gone?! What if she came here for nothing?!


    "The restroom isn''t out of order," said a voice from behind her, making the girl jump in surprise at someone''s presence behind her, before freezing in ce out of fear.


    Airi wanted to turn around to see who it was, but she was too nervous! What if it was a teacher? Or worse, what if it was a student?! He''d think that she was weird for trying to go into the men''s restroom!


    The girl didn''t move for a few seconds, too afraid of what''s going to happen next until she heard the voice again.


    "You don''t have to be so nervous. It''s me," the voice spoke again and this time, Airi realized that he was trying to calm her down instead. Well, at least he wasn''t there to make fun of her or anything.


    Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned around to see who it was, only to be met with someone whom she had already encountered before.


    "A-A-A-Ayanakouji-kun...?" she stuttered, her face bing redder. This was the same person who walked in on her earlier, the same person who saw her... ugh, it''s too embarrassing to think about. "W-W-What is he doing here? O-Oh dear, he is still in his swimming clothes! W-W-Wait, I''m the same...! I''m still in my swimsuit!"


    Unaware of the girl having a crisis inside of her mind, Kiyotaka observed Airi for a moment with his usual impassive look, until he saw the ''heroine screen'' appear on top of her head.


    [Sakura Airi: ''Embarrassed Shy ssmate'']


    [Rtionship Status: An idental Misunderstanding]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Airi is a very shy and nervous girl who always gets nervous whenever she interacts with other people. However, she possesses an exceptional ability of reading other people, especially their true intentions behind their eyes. She loves to take pictures, sometimes of herself which started her career of being a gravure idol online. She uses the name ''Shizuku'' and wears fake sses to hide her identity from her inte followers. She feels very embarrassed about you seeing her in the midst of changing clothes, but knows that it was her fault in the first ce.]


    "A girl who''s actually worse at social interactions than me... who would have known?" Kiyotakamented. "She''s not good at physical activities, does that apply to academics too? Either way, she''s someone who desperately needs help, but too much of a nervous wreck to actually ask."


    He turned his attention back to the girl herself, who looked like she was about to faint at any moment.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I assume you''re here to get your uniform?" he asked her bluntly.


    Unable to trust her mouth to say something, Airi simply nodded her head furiously as her answer. This was the same person who walked in on her, but why did he seem so calm?


    "Then move aside," he told her. "It''s in there. I kept it safe when you left and ced that sign there to keep other students out."


    Panicking, the girl quickly moved to the side, allowing Kiyotaka to remove the ''out of order'' sign from the door before opening it. He led Airi inside the restroom, before pointing to the girls'' uniform that was folded neatly by the sink.


    Almost immediately, Airi rushed to the sink and grabbed her clothes. She was about to change into her uniform, only for the realization that she wasn''t alone kicked in.


    Kiyotaka was still inside with her, and he was just behind her. He was only wearing a pair of trunks, while she was about to change clothes. It felt like the exact same scenario that they were in earlier... she could just run out and leave him here, but Airi quickly threw that out of her mind.


    What''s important was that Ayanokouji helped her out even though she was the one who made a mistake. She had to thank him for this.


    "T-T-Thank you for... k-keeping my clothes s-s-safe... Ayanokouji-kun..." she stuttered, keeping her back turned towards him.


    Kiyotaka only stared at her for a few moments before she froze, as the three choices appeared in front of him. "The system actually had perfect timing this time," he remarked. At least he would be saved from the agony of figuring out what to say to a girl like Airi. With how socially awkward the two of them are, he may end up doing more harm than good.


    A. [Next time, don''t make the mistake of walking into the men''s restroom, will you? This was all on you.]


    B. [I''m sorry if you thought that I was peeking on you. That was never my intention. I only came to the restroom to wash my face. It never urred to me that you were here too.]


    C. [I enjoyed the view, by the way. You just might have the biggest pair that I have ever seen, Airi-chan... and yours are the only I''ve seen so far~]


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® "Not going to choose Option C this time. If I said that, Sakura would likely never talk to me again," he sighed. The first choice was also out of the question. The girl''s feeling embarrassed as hell already, it would only make her feel worse than she already is. And yeah, she did change her clothes in the men''s restroom, but there has to be a reason for that, right?


    And with that, Option B was the best choice to go with this time.


    "I''m sorry if you thought that I was peeking on you. That was never my intention. I only came to the restroom to wash my face. It never urred to me that you were here too," he said in a sad tone while putting on a sad look. It immediately got the girl to turn towards him so she could reassure him that he did nothing wrong.


    "N-No...! No... it... it wasn''t your fault at all... it''s mine..." she admitted, her facepletely red out of embarrassment. "I didn''t want to change clothes with the others in the girls'' locker room, so... I chose to do it in the restroom instead. B-But... I never really noticed that I was in the wrong restroom the whole time..."


    "She was too shy to change clothes with her ssmates, huh? Now that I know what she''s like, that''s not surprising to think about at all," he thought, observing the girl''s flustered look closely. "Like with Kushida, I hope there''s some way to deal with this w of hers, maybe even help her improve her abilities."


    He may have epted and surrendered to his fate of being the ''protagonist'' of the system, but it would leave a sour taste in his mouth if his supposed ''heroines'' are ipetent and unable to stand on their own. Horikita and Kushida have a major w each, but those were attitude problems. Airi, on the other hand, was not only a nervous wreck around other people, her abilities are significantly worse than the other females of their ssroom.


    Well, he could think about this some other time. He still had to respond to Sakura''s words.


    He waved her apology off. "It''s fine. Just make sure you wander into the correct restroom next time. I''d say you''re lucky that it was me who walked into you instead of someone like Yamauchi, not that I''m saying you''re lucky that I walked into you, of course."


    Argh, what the hell was he saying? He''s basically telling her that she should be thankful that he got an eyeful of her breasts earlier! He actually wouldn''t even be surprised nor me her if Airi decides to never talk to him again after this. So much for being a heroine, huh? The system should have helped him that time!


    He was very lucky that Airi didn''t outright run away this time, though. While her face became redder to the point that it matched her hair and after remembering that Ayanokouji did, in fact, walk in on her and saw her assets, she understood that the situation could have been worse. She was already lucky that the young man with her was thoughtful enough to leave her uniform here and even made sure that nobody else would go inside this room until she retrieved it.


    "Yes, I... I understand..." she replied while bowing slightly, the lens of her sses bing foggy due to the steam that came out of her head. "Uhm... t-thank you again... Ayanokouji-kun..."


    [You have gained 40 Affection Points with Sakura Airi!]


    "That''s a lot of points for the first time that we''ve talked," he thought, a bit surprised at the amount of points that he received from this. It was way more than anything he had gained with his other heroines thus far. "I thought it''d be way harder to gain Affection Points with her because of what happened earlier too..."


    In any case, Kiyotaka was d that he had resolved this issue right away. He initially thought it would be hard considering how he and Airi met, but it''s a good thing that the system helped him in the nick of time. A good way of making it up to him too, because the young man waspletely sure that the earlier fiasco with Airi was simply a product of the system making moreplicated situations for him to deal with.


    And secretly, Kiyotaka feared that this wouldn''t be the only time something like this happens.

 Chapter 25 Act 5: Scene 1

    ?After all their sses for the day had ended, Kiyotaka was fully prepared to head back to the dorms and get some rest. With how his life had changed from possessing a crazy superpower, the young man started treating sleep and proper rest as a bigger necessity than what they already are. It was the only way he could escape his current reality, even for only a few hours. And besides, he could already tell that there will be a scarcity of sleep hours for him in the future...


    However, he wouldn''t get to have his due date with Bed-chan just yet.


    After they got back to the ssroom for their final period, Kikyo had asked him to meet her at the cafe below the school building as she needed to talk to him. When he asked what it would be about, the girl only said that it''s something important.


    And so, here he was, waiting at the cafe for his beige-haired ssmate to arrive. He deduced that she would bete for a bit, so he went on and ordered a couple of drinks for the two of them. Having an ice-cold coffee should help soothe his nerves after the craziness he went through today.


    Kushida finally arrived about two minutester. She had a worried look on her face as she approached the table where he was. "Sorry I''mte, Ayanokouji-kun. I had to say goodbye to my friends first. Did I make you wait too long?" she asked, feeling nervous that she made the young man wait despite being the one to invite him.


    "Not really. I just got here about ten minutes ago," he shrugged before pointing to the frappino that stood at the opposite side of the table. "I bought you a frappino while waiting for you."


    The nervous look on her face then gave way to a big smile that only made her look cuter than before. "Wow... thank you so much, Ayanokouji-kun! I really appreciate it!" she said happily, taking her seat before digging in.


    [You have gained 1 Affection Point with Kushida Kikyo!]


    "Only one? Surely something like this would have gotten at least five or ten Affection Points from her," he thought, raising an eyebrow at the notification before he shook his head. Best to focus on what''s important right now. "So why did you want to talk to me?? Just to be clear, this isn''t your attempt in asking me out on a date, right?"


    "N-No, not really..." Kikyo blushed at his question because it waspletely out of nowhere, before she cleared her throat. "I need your help with something, Ayanokouji-kun."


    He raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"


    "I''ve noticed ever since the first day of school that Horikita-san doesn''t have many friends except for you, and now I know why she''s always angry and cold towards everyone else. It''s because she''s lonely and she needs someone to be her friend!"


    "Yep, she summed her up pretty well," he thought to himself. "And what does this have to do with me?"


    "Please help me be friends with her, Ayanokouji-kun!" she eximed, sending the young man a pleading look. "I didn''t realize it before and I just left her alone because she doesn''t want to be bothered, but now I realized that I can''t leave her on her own!"


    "Why do you want to be friends with her?"


    "Because I want to be friends with everyone! I was willing to respect Horikita-san''s decision at first, but now I know that I have to get through to her!"


    "You mean you want to get close to her in order to catch her off guard," he said in his thoughts. "I''m not sure that I''m the best person to help you with that. As I have said before, I don''t really have many friends, and the way I speak doesn''t help, either."


    "But you''re the only one who can help me, Ayanokouji-kun. You''re friends with Horikita-san, right? If anyone can help me, then it''s you."


    "Well, we are friends, but I''m not sure if the same thing will happen to you. I honestly have no idea how I even managed to befriend her in the first ce. Maybe it was luck on my part," he shrugged.


    Well, he was definitely lucky that he had a broken superpower that can make any girl fall for him if it wanted to.


    "That''s fine! I''ll be the one to talk to her, Ayanokouji-kun. You don''t exactly have to do anything, I just... I want to know what you did to gain Horikita-san''s trust. A lot of our ssmates think she''s unapproachable because of what she''s like, but if you can be friends, then I can as well!" she said with a voice filled with determination.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The young man stared at her for a moment.


    So, Kushida wants information from him. Once he gives her what she wants, she''ll try it out on her own and work to befriend Horikita, which has a big chance of failing because of her personality. He honestly attributed his sess to the system because he could tell that without it, Horikita wouldn''t have epted his friendship. He doubted that Kushida will seed on this because they''re like pr opposites in personality (Kikyo''s mask, at least).


    He''ll give her credit, though. Befriending Suzune only to stab her in the back eventually is a solid n on its own, he just didn''t believe that Kikyo could pull it off. And there''s Suzune herself as well. That girl may be a bit dense to the things that happen around her, but she can definitely sense trouble when it happens.


    "Alright, I''ll help you," he conceded. Kiyotaka had no reason not to help her and he didn''t really believe that Kikyo could expel Suzune. The system wouldn''t allow such a thing to happen in the first ce. The best thing he can do is simply see where this will go.


    "You will?!" she gasped.


    He nodded.


    Kikyo smiled brightly once more, which was actually enough to spark a blush on his cheeks. "Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun! I promise to repay you in the future! You won''t regret this at all!"


    [You have gained 1 Affection Point with Kushida Kikyo!]


    He raised an eyebrow at the new notification, finding itpletely peculiar. Before, the Affection Points he would gain from interacting with Kushida would be somewhere between 5 and 10. Sometimes, even higher than that. But for some reason, there was a decrease in it and he found it strange.


    "Strange... the same thing also happened a while ago, even during swimming ss," he thought, frowning in confusion. "Does this mean the system is preventing me from maxing out the ''Affection Points'' with her? Or perhaps Kushida herself is the one preventing it?"


    "When do you think you could help me with Horikita-san?" the girl asked as she sipped on her frappino, which snapped the young man out of his thoughts.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom "Why not tomorrow? Let''s get this over with as soon as possible," he suggested. "I suppose I can tell you what I know about Horikita today, but I have to warn you. I may be friends with her, but I don''t know everything about her. It''s been only a week since we met each other and Horikita isn''t the type of person to tell stories of herself to other people. She isn''t much of a talker, either."


    Kiyotaka decided to humor this girl in what she wants. He wasn''t going to mention Suzune''s brother, of course. That''s a one-way ticket to destroying their rtionship and possibly causing the full might of the eroge system to rain down on him for making his heroine sad. He''ll only tell her what his perception of Suzune is, and what he personally thought of her. He had no idea if it would help her in being friends with Suzune, but that''s not his problem.


    "That''s fine with me! Let''s do this!" Kikyo nodded eagerly.


    "There is no need to wait. Let''s discuss this right now."


    Caught off guard by the sudden voice nearby, the two teenagers turned their heads to see who was eavesdropping on them, only for both to be surprised when they saw the unmistakable figure of Horikita Suzune standing next to the table, her usual stone-faced look on full disy.


    Kikyo was more surprised than Kiyotaka. Yes, she wanted to talk to Suzune, but not this soon! She wanted to know more about her first, so that she coulde up with a n in order to gain Suzune''s trust herself. Once she does that, she''ll then pretend to be Suzune''s friend in order to gain more information about her and so she could work in the shadows for her n to expel the ck-haired girl from this school.


    She was unprepared for this. If this had taken ce some other time, maybe she could have found an excuse to leave. But, she had no way out of this one, especially when Suzune directed her gaze towards her.


    "You want to talk, Kushida-san? Let''s talk."

 Chapter 26 Act 5: Scene 2

    ?Kiyotaka stared at the two girls alternately, while thinking of what he should do at the moment. Currently, he was caught in the middle of two girls who didn''t like each other for different reasons, and he couldn''t think of anything he could do that would work out for both sides.


    Kikyo hated Suzune because of the possibility that she knew about her past, while Suzune disliked Kikyo for another reason entirely. He was unsure what it was, but it''s probably because she didn''t like the other''s lively and energetic personality. Either way, these two can''t see eye-to-eye and to make matters worse, the system saw them both as his heroines.


    This clearly spelled ''bad news'' in all capital letters.


    Suzune stared at Kikyo for a moment before turning towards Kiyotaka, pointing to the empty chair beside him. "Do you two mind if I sit here?" she asked.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® The young man only shrugged, while Kikyo shook her head and smiled. "N-Not at all, Horikita-san!"


    As Suzune sat on the chair beside him, Kiyotaka figured that he should keep his mouth shut starting now. With these two together, one could say that it''s a straight-up recipe for disaster. The system wasn''t even doing anything right now, meaning he waspletely on his own. Maybe it''s for the best if he leaves too, but he should ask them before he does such a thing.


    "How long have you been listening?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl beside him.


    "Ever since Kushida-san asked you for help," she replied.


    "Then she knows that Kushida wants to be friends with her. If she''s not outright rejecting it now, then Horikita''s open to talking about it, at least... will she agree to it, though?" Kiyotaka thought, trying to get a read on the girl based on her demeanor at the moment. "I see. Should I leave then?"


    Suzune shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. "No, your presence won''t be a bother."


    Kiyotaka then took notice of the fact that he and Kikyo had drinks of their own, while their otherpanion had nothing. Not wanting to make her feel that she was being left out, he decided to offer the same to her. "Want me to buy you something to drink?"


    She shook her head again, keeping her gaze locked towards Kikyo, as if she was trapping the girl in ce. "There is no need. I don''t feel hungry, but thank you for the offer."


    Kiyotaka nodded, choosing to back out of this conversation now. Will these two be friends or not? He honestly had no idea. The only thing he could do right now is watch and hope that this won''t end badly. Whatever happens from here on out, it''ll be up to these two...


    "Now then, Kushida-san. Why should I even hear you out? Is there a good reason why?"


    Kikyo didn''t say anything for a while. She only stared at Suzune as if she was contemting something but behind that mask she had, Kikyo was fuming. This wasn''t how she wanted things to go! She wanted Kiyotaka to help her befriend Horikita since those two were obviously friends, but now that n is up in smokes with the girl''s unexpected arrival while she was still talking to him. Now she''s left with no other choice but to talk to Horikita herself, without even a moment of preparation to figure out her next move.


    She wanted to curse Horikita in her mind for ruining her ns without even knowing it, but shook that thought off. This was just an unforeseen circumstance that she was unprepared for, something that she should have prepared for ever since she came up with this n. Kikyo only med herself for not thinking about this possibility and preparing for it ahead of time.


    "That''s because..." she finally spoke after a minute of staying silent, shing her usual smile and showing no hint of her annoyance. "That''s because I want to be friends with you, Horikita-san."


    Suzune remained impassive. "Why?"


    "Because I want to be friends with everyone in the ss! I want to get to know them and I want to make new memories with them, which includes you, Horikita-san!"


    "Unfortunately, that''s not a good enough reason, Kushida-san. I do not know if Ayanokouji-kun has told you already, but if he hasn''t, then you must know that I did not want to befriend anyone in the past. While I am now friends with him, that does not mean that I will be someone like you who befriends everyone shees across with."


    That made Kikyo halt. If that was truly the case, then her chances of aplishing her n had just diminished greatly. She started to wonder even more about what Kiyotaka did to gain her trust because as far as she knew, Suzune would never befriend another person because of her personality.


    Yes, that sounded a bit hypocritical on her part because she nned to gain Suzune''s trust by befriending her, but Kiyotaka had done it almost effortlessly. The guy doesn''t even show emotions most of the time, yet he managed to get through that cold shell of hers.


    And now, while Kikyo wanted the same, Horikita didn''t seem like she was willing to hear her out.


    However, she wasn''t going to give up. There has to be a way that she can convince Horikita to give her what she wants!


    "I want to be friends with you because you need it, Horikita-san! Ever since I first saw you in this school, I knew that you need friends of your own because you''re always so lonely..." she eximed, before putting on a sad look. "Ayanokouji-kun is your friend, right? Why can''t I be your friend too? What exactly did he do to make you trust him?"


    Now that made Suzune freeze for a moment, as her impassive look fell. It was then reced by a look of realization, as the girl remembered that she and Kiyotaka only became friends when heforted her after seeing her brother again. From there, she trusted him enough to tell him about her older brother, something that she would never tell to a stranger whom she had only been with for about an hour.


    But Kiyotaka wasn''t a stranger at that point, and she would never forget what he did for her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Despite that, it was quite clear that she couldn''t expect the same from Kikyo. It wouldn''t be fair to her as well.


    "If you don''t want to tell me, that''s okay. I''m fine with waiting for the time that you can trust me enough with something like that. If it means being your friend, then I can wait, Horikita-san!" she continued, even bowing her head to show her ''sincerity''.


    Suzune stared at the girl opposite to her, this time with less intensity than before. In truth, she didn''t care about Kikyo at first and actually disliked her, especially when she was trying to ask Kiyotaka out for some ice cream.


    However, now that she was done with that, there was no reason for her to think badly of the beige-haired girl. She could still reject Kikyo''s offer of friendship but again, it puts Kiyotaka into perspective with how she thought of him as a friend now.


    "Very well. I ept," Suzune sighed in defeat.


    Kikyo opened her eyes as she looked at Suzune curiously. She definitely heard her say something, but she didn''t exactly hear what it was.


    "What?"


    The ck-haired girl massaged her forehead as a sudden wave of stress hit her. "You want to be friends, correct? I suppose we can work this out."


    Kikyo gasped inplete surprise. Even Kiyotaka was taken aback. He didn''t expect Suzune to actually ept. Knowing her personality, he expected her to decline the offer of friendship because she didn''t want to have friends (he was an exception), in a polite manner at least.


    Was the system really influencing her to change, or was it just a coincidence?


    "Really?!"


    Suzune sighed again. "Don''t make me repeat myself."


    "Yatta!" Kikyo smiled brightly, though there was a hint of smugness behind that mask she was putting up. "Thank you so much, Horikita-san! I promise you that I''ll be the bestest friend you''ve ever had!"


    "Sure you will," the young man who was with them thought sarcastically. "I feel bad for Horikita. She''s just being manipted into being her friend but then again, I don''t believe Kushida can actually expel her. If anything, this might actually make them genuine friends in the future. If the system can make Horikita, of all people, ept me as a friend then anything is possible."


    These two being friends, when Kushida wants to expel her while Horikita doesn''t really care about her... what a sight that would be.


    "I have an idea! Let''s get each other''s contact info, Horikita-san. We haven''t done this yet, right? Let''s do this as a token of remembrance!" Kikyo giggled, as she opened her phone, before handing it over to her newfound ''friend''.


    Suzune stared at the phone before her while raising an eyebrow. "Is that really necessary? We live almost next to each other, with Ayanokouji-kun''s dorm unit the only thing keeping us from being neighbors."


    "Of course it is! We won''t always be in the same ce at the same time, and the same goes for Ayanokouji-kun. This way, we can talk to each other whenever we want! You already have his contact info, right? Why not me too?"


    Suzune shifted her gaze alternately between Kikyo''s phone and the girl herself several times, before sighing in defeat. For some reason, she was being hit with a headache at the moment and it was making this harder than what it''s supposed to be.


    "Very well."


    Kikyo cheered again as Suzune brought out her own phone and exchanged devices with her new friend, the two typing down their contact information.


    "I wonder if I''m doing the right thing..." The raven-haired girl thought to herself, feeling that there''s something off about all this.


    Meanwhile, the brown-haired ''masterpiece'' watched the interaction with curious eyes. Nothing bad has happened so far and for the most part, these two girls were being civil with each other. Their conversation actually went well despite his worries that it''ll be a disaster.


    Well, it''s either that or Kushida was just good at hiding her mask from other people.


    In any case, Kiyotaka had no idea if this was a good move on Kikyo''s part but one thing''s for sure, these two are still going to be at odds with each other, just for a different reason...


    Him.

 Chapter 27 Act 5: Scene 3

    ?Three weeks passed since school started, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was as vignt as ever, as though he was expecting the worst to happen at any time, in any ce. He was already prepared for something to happen, even though everything around him was peaceful. They were going through a usual ss, his ssmates were being their usual friends, and nothing.


    What''s the reason behind his behavior?


    It''s because the system has been quiettely.


    Too quiet, even.


    For several weeks now, his crazy superpower hasn''t done anything that would make any regr person bang their head against a wall until they pass out or die. And if he learned anything in that ce, it''s that the worst is always yet toe during a time of peace. He could tell that the system was nning something behind his back... and Kiyotaka knew that he should be prepared for such an instance when it happens.


    There''s a bit of good news about all this, though.


    He hasn''t ''unlocked'' any new heroine route ever since Airi, but the reason behind that was because he didn''t interact with any other girls throughout the weeks. Aside from the usual interactions he has with Horikita, Kushida, and sometimes Matsushita, nothing else happened other than raising his Affection Points with them as well as his ''dating stats''.


    He was also able to enjoy a lot of nights because nothing bothered him in his sleep and rxing by himself always feltfortable.


    If Bed-chan was a heroine, he would spend the most time with her. At least she givesfort and not stress.


    Oh, and speaking of which, his neighbor across the hallway hasn''t shown her face to him at all within the past several weeks. Not once did they see each other when it''s time to go to school or when it''s time to go home. He never saw her during the weekends, either.


    It made him wonder if his way of teasing Sakayanagi was too much to the point that she can no longer be around him, but that would be ridiculous. If that really happened, then the system would have said something or it would have activated the reality-altering skill to make things right.


    Still, it would be nice to know what that girl has been up to for the past weeks. She knew about him and the White Room, after all. While he didn''t think that she would rat him out, some kind of update on Arisu would be nice.


    Too bad the system doesn''t give him the luxury of knowing. The ''heroine summary'' could be the perfect way of knowing what they''re up to, but it doesn''t work that way.


    "Ayanokouji-kun," a familiar voice called out, snapping him out of his thoughts.


    The young man turned to the person who spoke and raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it, Kushida?" he asked.


    Kikyo stood in front of his desk with a big smile on her face, obviously in a good mood today. She always is, especially when she''s around him because of a certain reason.


    "Me and a few of my friends are nning to go to the mall after ss. Do... Do you want toe with us? I already asked Horikita-san, but she didn''t want to..." she asked, smiling nervously.


    Kiyotaka thought about it for a moment. Hm, if he went with them, he would have to make Bed-chan wait for him a lot longer. But that would be bad, because sleep was an important thing to him now and-


    Ah, what the hell? It''s been weeks since thest time he felt mentally drained. A little trip to the mall wouldn''t hurt... unless the system does something, of course. Plus, it''s been a very long while since he''s gone out and explored more of this school.


    "Sure, why not?" he told her. Kiyotaka had no idea who she was talking about when she mentioned her ''friends'', but that''s only a minor issue in his eyes.


    It can''t be worse than walking in on one of your heroines while they''re changing clothes, right? At this point, he''d rather take ''unlocking'' another heroine''s route instead.


    "Okay! I''ll tell everyone else that you''reing with us!" Kikyo nodded excitedly.


    Kiyotaka stared at her as she walked away, particrly at the pink screen floating atop her head that bore strange information.


    [Kushida Kikyo: ''Happy Energetic Friend'']


    [Rtionship Status: A Rocky Rtionship]


    [Affection Points: 99/100]


    It''s hard to believe, but it''s been that way for almost three weeks now. Ever since their first swimming ss, the Affection Points he''s been getting with her have decreased significantly and remained that way for some reason.


    Itpletely confused him, because at her previous pace, Kushida would have reached a hundred ''Affection Points'' even before Sakayanagi. And then, all of a sudden, her pace slowed and now that it''s at the 99 mark, it refused to go one step further.


    This situation only caused him to grow even more curious. What exactly will happen when he maxes out the AP (Affection Point) meter? Will it give him a reward? Does he get an achievement? Will he finally be able to see the ''Aura'' dating stat? Hell, maybe it might even have him lose his virginity to a particr heroine since sex scenes normally happen in an eroge!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    All of these were questions that he wanted answers to, and the wait was killing him. Kiyotaka considered himself a patient person but since this eroge system has done nothing other than be straightforward with what it''s about, as well as the fact that it had a mind of its own then he had a right to feel frustrated.


    Kiyotaka also wondered why it wouldn''t go up any further, which must be a reason that has something to do with Kikyo herself. It''s unlikely for the system to be behind it, because isn''t it supposed to be helping him?


    He didn''t really understand how, but Kiyotaka was about 100% sure that Kikyo herself was keeping him from maxing out her ''Affection Points''.


    "Menu," he whispered to himself.


    As the world around him froze, Kiyotaka chose the [Dating Stats] sub-menu and observed his progress in the eyes of the system.


    [Dating Stats]


    Charm: 97


    Wisdom: 118


    Aura: ?


    He wanted tough. The fact that one of these ''dating stats'' actually got to 100 before ''Affection Points'' was almost hard to believe, especially with how fast he''s been gaining those with Kikyo. Even Arisu was near the hundred mark but because he hasn''t seen her since the first day of school, it hasn''t gone up in any way.


    The world returned to normal as soon as he closed the menu. From there, Kiyotaka spent thest remaining minutes of their free time thinking of how to deal with this dilemma.


    "I don''t think the same will happen to Horikita, Matsushita, and Sakura. However, I don''t get that many ''Affection Points'' with Horikita. The other two give more, but I interact with them even less than Horikita and Kushida. That being said, I could approach them on my own but it''s risky. Matsushita''s with her friends most of the time, while Sakura is out of the question. What to do..."


    Kiyotaka could have continued thinking of a solution but unfortunately, he wouldn''t get the chance to because Chabashira-sensei walked inside the room with her usual serious look, shutting everyone up immediately with her presence. She was carrying a stack of papers with her, and some of the students wondered what it was.


    "Everyone, prepare your pens. We''ll be having a test today."


    Various reactions erupted from the ss right away, and almost all of them weren''t positive.


    "A test?! Sae-chan-sensei, you can''t be serious!"


    "Aw, how am I supposed to answer this? I wasn''t listening!"


    "This is bad... how do I get through this?!"


    "Calm down, all of you. This exam won''t be counted in your academic report. No punishment wille to you if you fail this. However, should I catch any of you cheating, then you will be expelled from this school, effective immediately."


    That exnation calmed most of them... somehow. It still didn''t stop them from bing nervous when Chabashira-sensei handed out the papers to the students in the front row, who passed it to the next, and so on until it reached thest row.


    As soon as the test began, Kiyotaka wasted no time scanning the test questions. It involved all five main subjects with only a few questions that were equivalent to five points each.


    "These questions aren''t even that hard... I fail to see why they''re struggling," the young man thought as he looked at most of the questions. However, upon reaching the final three questions, Kiyotaka blinked in surprise at the problems. The sheerplexity of the questions were honestly more suited for a college student more than a high school student. "Ah. I see now... though, it does make me wonder why would the school give its students this type of test? They couldn''t have been joking around when they made these..."


    "No way... these questions are just so hard..."


    "How the hell do you answer these things?"


    While some of the students expressed their nervousness upon seeing the questions, there were also those who remained perfectly calm and looked like they could ace this ''test'' without breaking a sweat. Horikita, Koenji, and Hirata were a few of them. Of course, being who he is, Kiyotaka could answer thosest three questions if he wanted to, but his usual mindset was different.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "I guess I''ll do the same as I did on the entrance exam, but I''m sure that Horikita will treat this as anotherpetition between us, even though this isn''t going to affect our grades. I also don''t want to attract attention by getting a perfect score, though... fine, I''ll put in a bit of effort just so I don''t disappoint Horikita."


    In about fifteen minutes, Kiyotaka was already done with the test and chose to take a nap until the end of their session. Chabashira-sensei monitored everyone closely by walking around, keeping a watchful eye on her students and to those who would dare to cheat.

 Chapter 28 Act 5: Scene 4

    ?During lunchter on, Kiyotaka enjoyed a quiet lunch with Suzune while they talked about the test that Sae gave them earlier. Kikyo wasn''t with them today, as she had chosen to sit with her other friends instead.


    Suzune asked her seatmate if he had any difficulty in answering the test, to which Kiyotaka replied by saying he was confused in some parts but managed to pull through in the end. When the girl asked him why he slept after he was done, he only replied by saying he wanted to get some rest while he had the chance.


    When he left to buy some bottled coffee from the vending machine, the young man then found himself being surrounded by Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi. While Sudo didn''t seem like he was going to say anything, the other two were sending him angry looks for some reason.


    "Can I help you three with anything?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at them curiously.


    Ike was the first to speak as he pointed towards Kiyotaka usingly. "Alright, spill the beans, Ayanokouji! Tell us already!"


    "Tell you what?"


    "You''re going out with Horikita, aren''t you?" Ike asked angrily.


    Of course, Kiyotaka''s reaction was to shake his head. "No, I''m not. Where did you even get such a thing?"


    Yamauchi was the next to speak, standing beside his friend with the same angry look on his face. "Don''t lie! Even Sudo says that something''s going on between the two of you! You were even having lunch with her earlier!"


    So, they finally noticed that he was eating lunch with a girl all this time. Wow. It only took them about a whole month to figure it out.


    It did beg the question of how they finally noticed him, though. The reason why he had been safe from everyone''s eyes so far was that nobody paid attention to him but now, it seems like that''s over... but again, how did they notice him?


    Kiyotaka nced at the red-haired teen, who was hiding a smile to himself while watching this unfold. It was very subtle, but Kiyotaka caught it just in time, and it was enough to tell him that Ken told them this on purpose.


    "Sudo, I''m shocked. I tried to help you with Onodera, and this is how you repay me? You''re going down," he thought to himself.


    Oh, he was going to make Sudo pay. But first, he needed to deal with these two idiots.


    "I have nothing else to say to you other than what you''re insinuating is only a product of your imagination. Nothing''s going on between me and Horikita. We had lunch together because it''s convenient to sit with people you know."


    Yamauchi didn''t look convinced. "Really? But you''re with each other all the time! Don''t think we weren''t seeing you staring at each other like an old married couple! Urgh, I''m so jealous!"


    "That''s because we''re seatmates. Do you expect me not to talk to her simply because she''s a girl?" he retorted. "And look at Horikita. Do you think she''s the dating type? Let''s assume that I did ask her out on a date or something. I''m absolutely certain that she wouldn''t even give me the time of day."


    Well actually, if he did ask out Suzune for a date, the system would likely manipte things to go his way. However, these three guys didn''t know that.


    Ike shrugged. "I don''t know. We never really talk to her. If Kushida-chan hadn''t brought it up while we were talking to her, we probably wouldn''t even know her name."


    "Yeah, she disappears into the background, like a shadow."


    "Are they joking? They literally interrogated me all because Kushida said her name?" Kiyotaka deadpanned. "You don''t even know her name prior to this? That''s harsh."


    "A-Anyway, if you''re not involved with Horikita, then you must have something with Kushida! Admit it already!" Ike used, now switching his focus from Suzune to Kikyo.


    Kiyotaka wondered what Ike''s problem was. First, it was Suzune. Now he was bringing up Kikyo. Kiyotaka wasn''t really worried about being caught now that he knows it''s only these two guys who are being loud about it. He thought of denying the ims like always, but he thought about something different this time.


    "So what if I did? Why does it matter to you?"


    Both Ike and Yamauchi gasped.


    "You bastard! You already got Horikita''s attention, now you''re gonna take away Kushida-chan too?! You''re just as bad as Hirata who''s got a harem of beautiful girls!"


    "Calm down, Ike. I never said Kushida and I were together. I was only being hypothetical," he said in an attempt to defuse the situation. Are these two really that desperate over girls that they''ll get jealous of who gets attention from them?


    "You should be! I like Kushida-chan, and I''m nning to ask her out when the timees!


    "Come on, Ike. Do you really think you''re the fitting one for Kushida-chan? I mean, look at me. I''m the type of guy that Kushida-chan would be into," Yamauchi bragged, flexing his bicep before kissing it.


    "You moron! Like hell you can date Kushida-chan with me around! She won''t even bat an eye towards you because of those fantasies you have about her!"


    "Oh, look who''s talking! You fantasize about Kushida-chan too, Ike!"


    Kiyotaka could only stare at them nkly. First, they were using him of being close to two girls and now they were butting heads over one of them.


    Sudo let out a deep sigh at their behavior. "You two never learn, do you?"


    Both perverts turned to him with angry looks.


    "You''re no better, Sudo!"


    "Yeah, you''re just bragging about what you have with Onodera at this point!"


    "Again with this?" the red-haired teen groaned. He wasn''t even angry, just tired at this point. It was likely that he was receiving these usations on a regr basis. "I told you before, me and Onodera are just friends!"


    Kiyotaka saw this as his chance for some sweet revenge, so he was quick to capitalize on it.


    "Actually, Sudo... these two make a good point. You and Onodera have been getting closer and closer to each other. Are we seeing you developing a crush on her?" he asked innocently.


    "You too, Ayanokouji?" he looked at his friend with a gobsmacked expression, feeling shocked that he would even think of such a thing. "Seriously, why does everyone keep saying that? Nothing''s going on between us, I swear!"


    "You say nothing is going on between you two, but let''s take a look at what happened these past few weeks," Kiyotaka started to exin. "During our first swimming ss, Onodera asked if you could join her in the Swimming Club. A few dayster, you told her that you signed up for it and got epted. From there, you two always leave the ssroom together when a school day ends. While I can understand you two are dorm neighbors, it''s likely because you go to your club together, or she apanies you to watch you y basketball. I think I''ve also seen you two racing each other at the swimming pool area while I was passing by that ce, and you two were having fun. Oh, and do I have to mention that you look particrly happier when you''re around herpared to your usual demeanor?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sudo looked like a deer in headlights after everything that Kiyotaka said, while the duo of perverts simply looked on with great surprise.


    "If nothing else, then all that I just said is only proof that you treat Onodera differentlypared to our other ssmates. I''m not going to assume anything, but all the signs are pointing to you being happier when you''re around Onodera. Now, I''m not an expert in this field, so you can deny my im... but do you have a crush on Onodera, Sudo?"


    The red-haired teen did his best to keep himself from blushing, but failed horribly. If anything, he felt like a criminal being caught in the act because it was all true. He couldn''t deny it, because he was never good at being convincing.


    Sudo gritted his teeth and looked away, too embarrassed to meet his ssmates'' gaze.


    "Alright, alright! You bastards win..." he scoffed. "I guess I like her... maybe."


    "Maybe?" Kiyotaka pressed on.


    "Alright, a lot! I like her a lot. Happy now?" the red-haired teen growled.


    Kiyotaka wanted to smirk to show his amusement but unfortunately, he couldn''t. He still treated this as sweet revenge for him, though. If Ken was going to sell him out to the two perverts regarding Horikita or Kushida, then he''ll pay him back tenfold.


    "Why, yes. Yes, I am."


    "If you like her that much, then shouldn''t you tell her?" asked Ike, showing genuine concern for Sudo this time.


    Sudo looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "Are you kidding me? There''s no way I could tell her that!"


    Ike shook his head. "That''s not the right thing to do, man. If you like a girl, then you should confess to her! You won''t end up together if you don''t."


    "You idiot, I''m already friends with her. Close friends, even. I don''t want to ruin what we have by running my mouth," he then looked at Ike suspiciously. "And why are you suddenly being supportive? Shouldn''t you be yelling at me for ''taking away'' one of the girls in our ss?"


    "Hey dude, if you like her that much, then go for her. I might want a girlfriend, but I ain''t gonna steal someone who''s already taken. That''s a vition of the bro code," Ike shrugged.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom Both Ken and Kiyotaka were caught off guard. That was... surprisingly mature for Ike. Most of the time, he loved hanging out with Yamauchi as the perverted duo of the ss. They never knew he could be like this.


    Maybe there was hope for the guy, in spite of it all.


    On the other hand, Yamauchi only grinned mischievously. "Well, if you won''t confess to her, then I will. Onodera-chan''s pretty cute too, you know?"


    Sudo didn''t hesitate to grab him by the cor before lifting him up slightly. "Touch her and you''re a dead man," he threatened with a dangerous look in his eyes.


    "O-Okay, man! I-I-It was just a joke..."


    "I''m not going to tell you to do anything, but Onodera won''t wait for you forever, Sudo. Since you''re pretty close to each other already, I''m sure she would hear you out," Kiyotaka suggested.


    Sudo let go of Yamauchi before turning back to his friend with a frustrated look. "But what if she doesn''t like me that way? It would just make things awkward between us. Especially now that we''re in the same club and we go there once every few days."


    "With how close the two of you seem to be, I don''t think Onodera would reject so easily. She''d give you a chance first. Who knows? Maybe Onodera actually likes you back," Kiyotaka added, facing the vending machine and ordering a bottle of iced coffee after paying the points needed.


    There''s no other reason why the system would make those two neighbors. It wouldn''t have done it if they weren''t going to be together, and Kiyotaka knew it from experience.


    "Oh, can you get me some soda, Ayanokouji? I''m feeling thirsty," asked Yamauchi, recovering from Sudo''s threat rather quickly.


    "Buy it yourself, then."


    Yamauchiughed nervously. "Can''t. I''ve already used up most of my points. I only have 2,000 points left...e on, I''ll pay you back when we get our allowance next month."


    "I''m not even going to question how he almost spent the entirety of 100,000 points in the span of three weeks," he said in his mind. "I don''t care. There''s some bottled water avable, though. It''s actually free."


    Yamauchi rolled his eyes. "Fine, cheapskate. Give me the water. At least it''s better than the vegetable set..."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Oh, you didn''t know? The cafeteria actually offers some free food on the menu. But it''s full of vegetables and there''s no way I''m ordering that."


    Sudo blinked a few times, before he then remembered something important. "Now that you mention it, I''ve been seeing some upperssmen having only vegetables as their lunch these past few weeks. I thought they were just vegans or something..."


    "I don''t think it''s because they''re like that. It''s most likely because they can''t order anything else," Kiyotaka concluded. If those upperssmen simply had no points or they were trying to save some, then it''s understandable why they would choose to order the free meal.


    "What, so these students lost all of their points so they have to resort to the free cafeteria food? Ha! Sucks to be them!"


    ...and Ike was back to being Ike. Not surprising.


    "You never know, it might happen to you too. With how you two keep on spending your points, you might just find yourselves ordering vegetables in the future."


    "In your dreams, Sudo! I have about 7,000 points left, and it''s almost the end of the month! We''ll be getting our 100,000 point allowance soon."


    "Yeah," Yamauchi agreed. "Why can''t next monthe any faster too? I still have so many things I want to buy!"


    As the two talked about the many things that they thought of purchasing in the future, Kiyotaka left them and went back to his table quietly, while being in deep thought.


    "So, the school gives out free food in the case that students don''t have any more points to spend. I wonder if that''s intentional because if it is, then there must be more things that the school gives for free."

 Chapter 29 Act 5: Scene 5

    ?After ss was over, Kiyotaka went to Keyaki Mall just like Kikyo told him to and waited by the entrance. He was honestly looking forward to this, because all he had been doing for the past weeks was talking to one or two of three people, which included Kikyo herself.


    It would be nice to hang around with some of his other ssmates... as long as the system doesn''t n on doing anything crazy. He could handle ''unlocking'' a new route, but nothing more than that.


    Kiyotaka took a sip from the iced matcha tea that he bought from the cafe, when he saw the duo of Ike and Yamauchi approaching in the distance.


    "Yo, Ayanokouji! What''cha doing here?"


    The young man thought about it for a moment. Should he tell them the real reason why he was here? They''ll surely react in a negative manner if they find out that Kushida invited him here... should he lie and tell them that he was just here to chill and stand around?


    Eh. It''s not like they can threaten him or anything.


    "Kushida invited me here to hang out with a bunch of her friends," he answered honestly. "And before you even ask, she asked me because we are friends."


    Ike narrowed his eyes the moment Kiyotaka mentioned Kushida, but was immediately silenced when he exined his situation further. "Hmm... I''ve got my eye on you, though..." he muttered.


    Oh, if Ike only knew just who he was talking to.


    "We were actually invited here by Kushida-chan too!" Yamauchi said eagerly. "This just means that she likes me! I mean, she wouldn''t invite me if she didn''t, right?"


    Ike then turned his attention to Yamauchi. "In your dreams, Yamauchi! She obviously invited us because she was interested in me. You''re just included because we''re together most of the time."


    Kiyotaka had no idea why, but he suddenly felt like punching these two in the face as they argued about why Kikyo invited them. He had never felt like this earlier when they did the same, but now he was and it was bothering him.


    "If you two don''t mind me asking, what exactly do you two find attractive in her?" asked Kiyotaka.


    The two suddenly stopped in their arguing, as they looked back at their ssmate in confusion.


    "Eh? What''s not there to like? She''s cute, she has a nice chest, and she''s really nice!"


    "Yeah! She''d be the perfect girlfriend for anyone! Especially for me."


    "For you? You mean me!"


    Just when it looked like they were about to start another argument regarding who was the better fit for Kikyo, the very girl who was the subject of the conversation had finally arrived.


    "Sorry we''rete, but thanks for waiting!"


    "Oh, no worries, Kushida-chan! We were only just- hey, why is that guy here?!"


    To theplete shock of the two boys, the beige-haired girl brought Hirata with her. There were three other girls with them, Matsushita, Mori, and Karuizawa. Kiyotaka was surprised to see Matsushita with them, but then he felt a bit of relief that he wouldn''t be aplete stranger here. He figured that Kushida would be busy being friendly towards everyone, which would leave him in an awkward position of being the odd one out. Therefore, it''s a good thing that Matsushita was here with them.


    "I just happened to see Hirata-kun along the way, and I thought of inviting him! Will that be a problem?" said Kikyo, smiling brightly at the two boys.


    Ike stared at her for a few moments, before he approached Kiyotaka and led him away from the scene as if he was a coach that was telling his men about an important y.


    "Hey! Do you have something that can make Hirata go away?!" he whispered.


    "I see no reason to get rid of him," Kiyotaka replied, taking Ike''s arm off his shoulder.


    "Can''t you see it? That bastard willpletely overshadow us! Don''t you know that he has an army of fangirls praising him all the time? If he''s here, then he''ll hog all of the girls'' attention and leave nothing for us!"


    Kiyotaka rolled his eyes. "I still don''t see the problem."


    Ike red at him. "You traitor! You''re on Hirata''s side, aren''t you?"


    "I can''t even understand where you got that idea from."


    "Yamauchi, help me out here! How do we get rid of Hirata?"


    "Don''t ask me! I''m not good with this sort of thing."


    "Just give me an idea, man!"


    Yamauchi thought about it for a moment while scratching his head. "...maybe we could lead him somewhere where he can get lost?"


    "That''s a good one, but we could easily get caught if we do that!"


    "If my presence is a bother, then maybe I should just go on ahead?" asked Hirata, overhearing the conversation between the three.


    Realizing that they were caught red-handed, the two quickly put on innocent looks and faced everyone else.


    "W-We don''t really mind at all...! Right, Yamauchi?!"


    "Yeah, yeah! L-Let''s just get a move on! The more, the merrier, right?


    Kiyotaka only sighed at their behavior. Moments ago, they had no problem talking about how they would get rid of Yosuke. Now they''re pretending that they have no ulterior motive, most likely so that Kikyo wouldn''t be upset with them and lose their chance at being with her.


    Well, not like they had a chance in the first ce, anyway.


    "The hell were you three whispering about, anyway?" asked Karuizawa, narrowing her eyes at the three boys.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Don''t lump me in with these two," said Kiyotaka as he felt offended that the girl would even associate him with Ike and Yamauchi.


    Being the genuinely nice guy that he is, Hirata didn''t hesitate to get between Karuizawa and the other boys. "Okay, okay, let''s all calm down. We''re here to spend time together as ssmates and get to know more about each other. Kushida-san, where are we heading to?" he spoke before looking at Kushida, who organized this whole get-together in the first ce.


    "R-Right!" she shook her head and put on her usual smile. "Let''s go inside the mall, first. Let''s decide where to go next from there."


    Everyone nodded in response, as they walked into the mall. Kiyotaka opted to be behind everyone else so he could be at peace. Sure, he wanted to hang out with his ssmates, but he also wasn''t going to ce himself in the center of attention.


    Chiaki slowly broke away from the others and deliberately slowed her pace, allowing her to walk alongside Kiyotaka. "So, Kushida-san invited you too, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked in amusement.


    The young man looked at her in confusion. "I thought that would be obvious."


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® She shrugged. "I just didn''t expect to see you here. You normally head back to your dorm room immediately after ss because you want to rest as soon as possible. I don''t think I''ve ever seen you go somewhere else first, other than the club fair."


    "That may be, but I don''t want to spend three years in this school as a shut-in."


    "You want to talk for a bit then? It''s been a while since west talked and you always stick with either Horikita-san or Kushida-san. I''m getting kind of jealous," she said half-jokingly.


    "Aren''t we talking now?" he retorted in a sarcastic manner.


    While the two teens were left in their own world, the rest of the group had their attention directed towards Ike, who approached Hirata with a look of suspicion on his face. "I''m going to be straightforward with you, Hirata. Are you going out with Karuizawa?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "Uhm... no. But where did you hear such a thing?" Yosuke asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.


    "That''s not important. Are you going out with Karuizawa or not?!" Ike pressed on, even raising his voice slightly.


    All Hirata could do was smile gently and shake his head. "We aren''t."


    "Oi, stop bothering him already, will you?" said Kei, sending an annoyed look at the two that immediately caused them to back off. "We''re not dating at all."


    This time, after hearing Kei''s statement, Ike had no choice but to take it as the truth.


    "Seriously? But the rumors were pointing to you two being a couple!" Yamauchi eximed, which caught everyone in the group off guard, especially Kiyotaka.


    The young man looked at Karuizawa in slight interest. "Did the system make a mistake?" he thought, although he didn''t look convinced. His eroge superpower had the freaking ability to alter reality itself. Moreover, it had a mind of its own, so it couldn''t have made the mistake of having her live on the fourth floor if it wasn''t going to make her a heroine.


    "Is it true, Karuizawa-san?" asked Kikyo, genuinely curious about this matter.


    "Hell no!" Kei folded her arms across her chest and took in a deep breath to calm herself. "No offense to Hirata-kun. He''s a nice guy, but I don''t really want to be with anyone right now. Especially because of this annoying dorm arrangement."


    Hirata only shed a smile, not even offended by that remark. "Ipletely understand why you feel that way, Karuizawa-san."


    "Karuizawa-san, it''s been three weeks since that happened. Don''t you think it''s time to move on?" asked Mori out of concern.


    The blonde gyaru had never really moved on from the chairman''s announcement several weeks ago and hated how the girls and boys can now be neighbors instead of living onpletely separate floors. She was still angry until now to the point that it was getting ridiculous, because almost all of the girls pretty much epted how things work now. Even Shinohara, who was as vocal as Karuizawa about her annoyance regarding the co-ed dorm arrangements, has been quiettely.


    "Hell no! I can''t trust almost any other boy in our ss! They might have hidden intentions behind their eyes, especially these two!" replied Kei.


    "W-Well, what about you, Kushida-san? Do you have a boyfriend?" asked Ike in an attempt to steer the conversation somewhere else.


    Kikyo blinked a few times in surprise. "Oh, uh... no. But it would be nice to have one, though!" she giggled.


    And then, upon hearing those words, Ike and Yamauchi felt like they died and went to heaven out of joy. The two had massive grins on their faces, their growing happiness on full disy for everyone to see. Although they would never even get a chance at being with her, just hearing Kushida say that she didn''t have a boyfriend was enough to make them cry tears of joy.


    "Oh, no... I think I''m crying..."


    "It''s okay, Yamauchi! Let it out! Let it all out! We both have a chance, so let''s make the most of it!"


    The rest of the group watched them with varied reactions. Hirata and Kushida chuckled nervously, Matsushita and Mori stared at them weirdly, while Karuizawa looked away in disgust.


    "Ugh, there they go..."


    Kiyotaka shook his head in slight disappointment. These two find out that the girl was avable, and they immediately treat it as if Jesus himself descended down from Heaven. Oh well, maybe it might amuse him to see their reactions when they find out that Kikyo will have a boyfriend in the future, and it won''t be them.


    After letting the two perverts have their moment of bliss, they continued on their way. Their first stop in their little journey to the mall was, of course, the clothing store. The girls wouldn''t pass up the opportunity for new apparel, obviously.


    Kiyotaka opted to stay outside while waiting for them to finish, while the other boys went with the girls to help them carry their bags once they were done. Of course, Yosuke apanied them with the genuine desire to help while Ike and Yamauchi treated it as a way to score points with the girls.


    The young man passed the time by observing the mall from where he was and listing down the most interesting ces in his mind, until he noticed one of hispanions was heading out of the store.


    To his surprise, it was Kei who was done with shopping first. She only carried a small bag with her as she walked out of the store and headed to where he was. That was when Kiyotaka noticed the familiar ''heroine screen'' above her head, and he was a bit surprised with what he saw.


    [Karuizawa Kei: ''Frustrated but Vignt ssmate'']


    [Rtionship Status: ?]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Kei is a typical gyaru that loves fashion and hanging out with friends, but her past is aplicated one. She has a long history of being bullied in her old school. She has been beaten, pushed around, had her hair pulled, experienced her shoes being filled with different things, and more. In this new school, she wants someone who can pretend to be her boyfriend so that that person can protect her from being bullied this time around. However, because of the change in living arrangements for the freshmen, she doesn''t want to talk to any boy yet.]

 Chapter 30 Act 5: Scene 6

    ?"She''s been bullied for that long? She does a good job of hiding it, so I''llmend her for that. I wouldn''t have known if it wasn''t for the system, but I''m sure I could put it together if I saw the slightest hint of it," he thought. "She''s looking for a fake boyfriend, but wasn''t able to put her n into motion because of the chairman''s announcement. And from the things that she experienced in her old school, I don''t me her for being wary of guys... she must be thinking that someone with the same intentions might be lurking around the corner."


    Kiyotaka wondered who she was going to ask if she had the chance. His first thought was Hirata, and it makes sense why. ording to Yamauchi, there were rumors about Karuizawa and Hirata being a couple and even if he was wrong, he must have gotten the idea from someone. It could be that Karuizawa was nning on asking Hirata to be her pretend-boyfriend, but didn''t get the chance to because of the change in living arrangements, which took over her state of mind. To add to that, she didn''t seem like she disliked Hirata at all and even defended him from Ike''s usations earlier.


    "How would she fall in love with me, then? If she doesn''t want to talk to any guy right now, then we wouldn''t even be able to have a conservation. Although, the system can just make it happen if it wanted to..."


    "Is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me?" asked the girl whom he was thinking about, as she sent a scowl at him.


    Kiyotaka snapped out of his thoughts and quickly realized that Kei was right in front of him. Fortunately, he already had a reasonable answer in his mind. "No, there isn''t. And I wasn''t staring at you," he lied.


    "Yes, you are. And don''t even try denying it, Ayanokouji. I saw you staring! Are you some kind of pervert?!" she used, pointing her finger towards him.


    Before he could continue on with his lie, Kei froze in ce as the world lost its color. Kiyotaka already knew where this was heading, so he quickly read through the avable choices as soon as they showed up. The correct answer will most likely be Option C, anyway, since it had a guaranteed rise in Affection Points most of the time...


    A. [We have a very different perception of what is staring, Karuizawa-san. I only merely looked at you.]


    B. [Sorry. I just thought you were cute, is all...]


    C. [Do you want to hang out at that cafe while we''re waiting for the others? I''ll treat you to some coffee if you want.]


    *WARNING: Choosing the Wrong Choice will forever block this Heroine''s Route.


    "That''s the same warning that showed up when I first met Horikita at the bus," the young man muttered, realizing that this wasn''t the usual set of choices that he had gotten used to by now.


    Okay, it was time to make a decision. And it looks like he would have to think about this deeply, because this was different from Tsubasa, Kikyo, and Chiaki''s ''routes''.


    For the first time, the first option wasn''t an aggressive one and he was tempted to pick it at first, but the warning below the choices kept him from pushing through with it. While it wouldn''t be offensive in any way, it would most likely close off her ''heroine route'' because it''s a simple and logical response. The second was a response that would make him act embarrassed because of her appearance, which could potentially be the right choice. Thest option was a clear attempt to ask Karuizawa out on an impromptu date, which would more than likely earn him a t-out ''no'' from the girl or worse, cause her to p him across the face for flirting with her out of nowhere.


    Kiyotaka shrugged and picked the option that he feltfortable with. "Option B it is, then."


    As the world returned to normal, Kiyotaka began scratching the back of his head as his cheeks started to turn red in embarrassment. This reaction caused Kei, who was still scowling at him, to raise an eyebrow in confusion.


    "Sorry. I just thought you were cute, is all..." he mumbled softly to himself, but it was still enough for Kei to hear.


    Upon realizing what he said, her eyes slowly widened.


    [Kei Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Karuizawa Kei!]


    [Your current status with Kei has changed to ''Out of Darkness''!]


    [You have gained 15 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    The girl couldn''t say anything for the next seconds that followed,pletely silenced by what he heard. It was something that she didn''t expect, and it caused her face to turn red like him, even though she was internally trying to prevent herself from doing so.


    "I..." Kei withdrew her finger and stood beside him so they could wait for their ssmates to be done shopping. If she continued to point at him any longer, then it would have been awkward. "Sorry for... assuming..."


    "It''s alright. I''m aware that staring is rude, so I''m at fault as well," he apologized, before turning his attention to the bag that she held in her free hand. He was honestly curious about why she only had one. As far as his knowledge goes regarding girls, they are normally dedicated to fashion, and Karuizawa fitted that description perfectly. He expected her to take longer shopping for clothes. "How much did you pay for those?"


    "Uh, just... 10,000 points, I think? It''s just a couple of shirts and some pants," she said, still affected by his earlier response that the girl couldn''t help but answer his question. It was nothing serious, anyway.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Really?" he raised an eyebrow in genuine interest. "I mean no offense with this, but I had thought that girls normally spend a lot more time picking out clothes, so I expected you''d be in there for a lot longer."


    Kei sighed, before shrugging. "I could have, but I didn''t want to carry too much stuff."


    "Then why not let someone else carry what you bought? You could have asked Hirata, either one of the perverts, or even me."


    "Please," she groaned, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Some of the earlier fire in her eyes was already back at the mention of the two idiots. "I don''t trust any of the guys in the ssroom. Ever since this stupid co-ed dorm arrangements began, I was scared. Sure, there''s several girls in our ss who live on the 4th floor like me, even Chabashira-sensei... but what if there''s a guy who lives there?"


    "I live there..." he deadpanned in his mind.


    Kiyotaka could only imagine how this girl would react when she eventually finds out that he also lived on the same floor as her. Kei''s reaction obviously wouldn''t be anything scary, but he could tell that she would be very vocal about it.


    "Chabashira-sensei and the chairman himself already mentioned that there''d be harsh punishment for boys who even think of barging into a girls'' room," he told her in response to her question, even though it was rhetorical.


    Kei crossed her arms and looked away stubbornly. "That''s not enough to calm my nerves. It just isn''t..."


    "I guess it''s because of her history of being bullied. She doesn''t feel safe around other guys whom she doesn''t know," he concluded in his thoughts. "Fair enough. But don''t you think that you''re being harsh to our ss? Some of the boys won''t even think of disrespecting the girls, like Hirata."


    "Like I said, Hirata-kun''s a nice guy, but I can''t really trust any of the boys-" she immediately cut herself off upon realizing what she had been doing this whole time. She looked at the young man in shock as her face quickly turned red. "Hang on, why am I saying these things to you again? Stop talking to me already, you pervert!"


    "Okay, okay..." he raised his arms in surrender, as Kiyotaka felt a bit amused at the sudden realization that the girl went through. All this time, she had no idea she was talking to a boy in a civil manner, despite her ims of not trusting any of her male ssmates at the moment.


    Sure, it was likely because of the system doing its thing, but it was still quite amusing to see the quick change in Karuizawa''s expression.


    "We''re back!" a familiar voice said from the clothing store, gaining the two teens'' attention. "Sorry to keep you two waiting."


    Kikyo stood at the entrance while waving her arm at them. Her two shopping bags that contained the clothes she purchased were being carried by Ike and Yamauchi, who were pretty content with being used as bag holders. Mori was with Hirata, who was carrying her shopping bag, while Matsushita was on her own.


    "Oh? Did something happen between you two? You''re standing pretty close to each other there..." Chiaki pointed out, noticing the closeness between Kiyotaka and Kei. Curiously, she felt a twinge of jealousy as well but ignored the feeling.


    "H-Hell no! We were just waiting for all of you, that''s all!" The blonde girl instantly denied the im, but her face only grew hotter as a result. "What the hell took you all so long, anyway?!"


    "What the hell..."


    "Are you kidding me?! First, Horikita, then Kushida-chan, and now, Karuizawa too?! You''re just as bad as Hirata, Ayanokouji!"


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Yamauchi and Ike were the next to speak, immediately expressing their frustration towards Ayanokouji. They even wanted to cry at this unfairness. While they were stuck with Kushida and the other two girls in the clothing store, Kiyotaka was out here making moves on yet another one of their ssmates! And to make matters worse, it was also the one who was saying that she didn''t like any of the boys!


    It should have been them, damn it! It wasn''t fair!


    "I told you, nothing happened! Stop assuming things already!" Kei continued to deny the usations by everyone else, while Kiyotaka remained quiet and stayed out of it, not wanting to anger the girl any further. The fact that they were able to have a normal conversation earlier (before Kei realized it) was already enough proof that she''ll lose her current distrust for boys eventually.


    Although, it seems that he would have to take another detour before going home, because there''s no way he can let Karuizawa know that he lives on the same floor as her... at least not now.


    "A detour to an ice cream shop should be good, then."

 Chapter 31 Act 6: Scene 1

    ?The first month of school passed by like it was the wind, and the students of ss D were as lively as ever. How could they not be? Today was the day where they will get their monthly allowance of 100,000 points and go back to how they were enjoying their lives when they started going to this school.


    "They sure are excited today," Kiyotakamented from where he was as he chose to observe his ssmates. There was never a quiet day in this ssroom because of things like these.


    "Why wouldn''t they be? It''s the first day of the month. The school will be sending 100,000 points to our ounts, and that''s something that a lot of them were waiting for," said Suzune, who was also observing the ss like him, which was a bit strange.


    Normally, she would read a book instead and choose not to concern herself with ss matters.


    Kiyotaka turned to her. "That''s the strange part, though. When I checked my point bnce this morning, I didn''t receive a hundred thousand points. I remember it was only about 9,000 points that got sent to me."


    Like his ssmates, Kiyotaka also looked forward to receiving 100,000 points from the school, just not to the extent as them. However, when he woke up, there wasn''t any. The only amount he received was 9,700 points, which was strange.


    "So you noticed it too?" Suzune looked at him in return as their gazes locked. "I think I actually received the same amount as you."


    "If that''s the case, then the same must go for all of our other ssmates. They either didn''t notice or they thought that they would receive the rest today," Kiyotaka concluded. "What do you think about this situation?"


    "I''m not sure..." the girl muttered as she was in deep thought. "But I have a feeling that we won''t be receiving any more points today."


    "Is that so?" he asked, the curiosity present in his voice. "Assuming Horikita is right and that we won''t be getting any more points from the school, then it would make sense why the cafeteria offers free food for the students. It''s for those who no longer have any points left in their student ounts. But why would the school give us less than 100,000?"


    It didn''t take long before the morning bell rang, signaling the start of their ss. Everyone immediately went back to their seats after hearing it and not long after, Chabashira-sensei walked inside the ssroom. She looked more stern than usual and it was starting to scare some of the students.


    "Hey, uh, sensei? Did your menopause start or something?" Ike joked in an attempt to brighten up the situation, but all it did was cause a big wave of nervousness to wash over his ssmates. There''s no doubt that he only made the situation worse by saying such a thing to their teacher, of all people.


    "Before we start our homeroom, does anyone have any questions they want to ask? If so, now is the time to ask them." Thankfully, it didn''t seem like Chabashira was affected by that remark from Ike. She still looked serious, though, and right after she invited her students to bring up any questions that they might have, several of them raised their hands.


    "Uh, sensei? I checked my point bnce this morning... but I only got about 10,000 points, I think? Are we going to get the rest of our 100,000 pointster today?"


    "Yeah, the same happened for me, actually. Is something wrong with the app, Sae-chan-sensei?"


    "I already exined this before, didn''t I? Points are distributed on the first day of every month. Points have already been given to the students for this month hours earlier. And I can assure you, there is nothing wrong with the student ID application."


    "Eh? But only 10,000 points got deposited to my ount..."


    Hondou and Yamauchi looked at each other, as they wondered what was going on. Ike was the same,pletely different from his boisterous self a while ago. Everyone else only looked on, torn between feeling confused and nervous about this.


    "Are you idiots really that dumb?" she red harder at her students, even causing some of them to shrink in their seats.


    "D-Dumb? How?" Hondou repeated her words stupidly.


    "All right then, I''ll exin it once again. In a way that your small brains can understand," she sighed.


    Taken aback by her words, Hondou couldn''t do anything but sit down and remain silent.


    "Points were deposited to each and every student ount in this school. There is no chance that we have forgotten anyone in this ss. To think otherwise is an insult not only to me, but to the whole school as well."


    "We heard you, Sae-chan-sensei, but... we still didn''t get our 100,000 points?" Yamauchi asked, beginning to look irritated.


    Meanwhile, Kiyotaka was in deep thought. If their teacher was telling the truth, and she probably is, then Suzune was right. They already received their allotted points for this month, and they wouldn''t be getting any more. This creates another question, though.


    Why did they only get a fraction of the 100,000 points that they received during their first day here?


    "Hahaha! I see now. That''s how it works, eh, sensei? I have figured it out," Koenji''s voice boomed across the room, gaining everyone''s attention easily.


    "Huh?"


    Koenji leaned back against his seat, as he rest his feet on top of his desk. "It''s simple. Our supposed points for this month have indeed been given to us. However, it is not the amount that you expected. We have only received a total of 9,700 points, a fraction of the supposed 100,000."


    "Wait, what are you talking about? Sae-chan-sensei said that we''d get 100,000 points every month¡ª"


    "I don''t recall ever hearing such a thing," Koenji smirked. "Or were you simply not listening during our first day here?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The hell did you just say?!"


    Chabashira quickly intervened before an argument could take ce. "While he has an attitude problem, Koenji is not wrong. It''s utterly disappointing that almost no one noticed the hint I gave you. How deplorable."


    And with that, the ssroom descended into chaos over the issue of points.


    "Sensei, may I ask a question? I''m afraid I still don''t understand," Hirata raised his hand. Even now, when the ss was about to fall apart, the young man took initiative for the sake of his ssmates. "Can you please tell us why we only received a fraction of the 100,000 points? We won''t understand otherwise."


    The rest of the ss nodded, agreeing with him.


    "A total of 62 absences andte arrivals. 287 incidences of talking or using a cell phone in ss. Those are quite some numbers over one month. In this school, your ss''s results are reflected in the points that you receive. As a result, you nearly wasted all of the 100,000 points that you should have received. Be grateful that you even received a few points at all."


    Chabashira-sensei mmed her palms down on her desk and red at everyone there


    "Nearly wasted, huh? I guess all we really got was 9.7% of the 100,000 points that were supposed to be deposited to our ounts," Kiyotaka thought as he analyzed the situation in his mind. "Since she''s keeping track of the offenses that wemit instead of ignoring them, this also means doing inappropriate things inside of the ssroom and students'' behavior are factors in determining whether we''ll keep our points or lose them."


    "I should have exined this all to you on the day of the entrance ceremony. You were this close to being evaluated as nothing more than fodder," she exined further, emphasizing her point with her fingers.


    "Chabashira-sensei, I do not recall hearing you exin that to us before¡ª"


    "What is this? Are you saying you are incapable of understanding unless it''s exined to you detail by detail?" The woman cut him off.


    Yosuke''s calm look started to fail him as frustration began leaking out. "There was never any exnation about reducing our points. If those were exined beforehand, I''m sure we would have avoidedmitting any offenses that would result in losing our points."


    "Is that your argument, Hirata? Tell me, then. Were you not taught in elementary school or junior high about the consequences of beingte or talking in ss? I''m sure that in all of your years in going to school, you learned about the basic things to do and not to do while inside a ssroom. And now you''re saying that you didn''t understand because I didn''t exin it to you? I''m afraid your argument is wed, Hirata."


    Yosuke couldn''t say anything this time, because he knew that he was caught in a tight spot. On one hand, he knew that it was to be expected for a student to behave properly and at the same time, he didn''t want to let his friends down.


    "If you had simply acted like proper and behaved students, then your points would have never dropped. As I said, consider yourselves lucky that you even received some."


    Still, no one dared to speak out against her, especially after that perfectly sound argument. Everyone was aware of what bad behavior is and what it could bring. Most of them simply didn''t know how much of a big deal it would be.


    "Did you honestly think you''d receive 100,000 points every month with no strings attached? At the most prestigious high school in the country? This ce is dedicated to training gifted people, not for children who cannot even rely on their ownmon sense."


    "She makes a good point. There''s no way that the government could give 100,000 yen to every student in this school on a monthly basis, since Chabashira-sensei said that 1 point is equal to 1 yen. That''s not even counting the upperssmen..."


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® Kiyotaka could have figured this out a lot sooner, but he didn''t bother putting the extra effort in doing so. Plus, he couldn''t exactly put his information-gathering skills to the test when he was already preupied with another problem the whole time.


    Even though Hirata looked agitated himself, he still maintained his calm demeanor. "Well then, could you at least exin to us how points can be added or deducted, sensei?"


    "I cannot tell you. The teachers are not allowed to disclose how we evaluate the students. It''s like with any other organization. When you enter apany, it''s thepany''s choice whether or not to tell you how it evaluates its employees. That being said, I''m not cruel, and I''m not giving you the cold shoulder. As a matter of fact, you''re all so pathetic that I''ll give you a piece of advice."


    "You''re already being cruel, sensei..." was the collective thought in most of the students'' minds.


    "Let''s imagine that you stop beingte to ss and being absentpletely. Even though no points will be deducted from you this month, that doesn''t mean you will receive any higher than 9,700 either. But if you fail to behave yourselves, you might just end up getting no points at all."


    Instead of something that would give them hope in this predicament they have found themselves in, Sae''s words bore the opposite effect on her students. Those who thought they could improve their situation by fixing their bad behavior had their hopes dashed right away.


    At that moment, the bell rang.


    "Looks like we spent too much time yammering. I hope you understood the gist of it, because now we''re switching to our main topic for the day." As she said those words, she then brought out a white rolled-up poster and attached it to the ckboard so that everyone could see its contents.


    ss A - 890


    ss B - 650


    ss C - 490


    ss D - 97

 Chapter 32 Act 6: Scene 2

    ?Most of the students stared nkly at the poster, confused at what all those numbers meant. However, there were those who were able to understand it right away, and one of them was Horikita.


    "Are those... the results of each ss?" she muttered, taking a tentative guess on what the poster was about.


    Kiyotaka took this as a chance to speak out his thoughts. "97... that has to be connected to the number of points we received this morning, don''t you think?" he asked the girl.


    She frowned in confusion. "Connected? You mean that those numbers represent how many points a student receives?"


    "I see no other exnation," Kiyotaka shrugged, before nudging his head to the direction of the poster. "If 97 means 9,700 points, then it means that the other sses received more points than us. ss C got 49,000, ss B got 65,000, while ss A received 89,000."


    "I see..." she mumbled, looking strangely nervous all of a sudden. She was likely caught off guard with how big the gap was between their ss and the other ones.


    "You''ve all been doing whatever you pleased this past month. The school and most importantly, I, have no intention of preventing you from doing what you want. How you choose to spend your points is entirely up to you. Your actions, however, will affect the points you receive."


    "This isn''t fair, sensei! We can''t enjoy our student lives like this!" Yamauchi wailed. He had already used up thest of his points fromst month and all that he had left was the amount that he received this morning.


    Sae felt tempted to roll her eyes out of pure annoyance. "Look here, idiots. Every other ss got points. The amount of points we gave youst month should be plenty for you to live on."


    "But... how do the other sses still have points left? That''s what those numbers mean, right?"


    "I already told you, there''s nothing unfair about it. All of the sses were evaluated in the same way. They just didn''t lose as many points as you. It''s that simple."


    "But why is there a big difference in our point values?" asked Hirata, noticing that the gap between their ss and the others in terms of points was weirdlyrge.


    "Do you understand now? Do you see why you were ced in ss D?" the woman snorted.


    "The reason we were ced in ss D? Isn''t it because we were epted in this school?"


    A lot of the students exchanged confused nces.


    "Wrong. In this school, students are sorted by their level of excellence. The superior students are ced in ss A, the least capable in ss D. It''s the same system that major cram schools use. Simply put, ss D is akin to a group of failures. You are the worst of the worst. You''re defective. This is only the result of it," Chabashira exined.


    Despite the looks of disbelief on most of the students'' faces, Kiyotaka maintained his apathetic look and simply listened on. He had nothing to worry about, because he still had points and he couldn''t care less about his cement in a ss. However, he did notice that his seatmate was caught off guard with this new knowledge.


    Well, it did make sense for the school to put all of the superior students in a single ss, while dumping failures with other failures. Putting rotten fruit with good ones will only cause the good to get spoiled.


    And for someone like Horikita Suzune, she would be displeased with this arrangement.


    "She''s not gonna be pleased with this..."


    "Like I said, be grateful that you received a few points this month. However, I won''t even be surprised if you receive no points next time. As I''ve noticed, a lot of you have no regard whatsoever for decency and how to act like a proper student, after all."


    "Does this mean that if we reach zero points, we''ll stay like that until school is done?"


    "Yes, you will remain at zero points until you graduate. But don''t worry, you will still have a room in the dorms and free meals. You won''t be kicked to the curb and left to die."


    Although some students knew it was possible to live with only their bare necessities, the rest were not pleased with it. After all, they had been living a life of luxury in the past month, buying whatever they wished with no strings attached. To suddenly restrain themselves after all of that would be difficult.


    "This means the other sses will make fun of us, right?" asked Sudo, as he could already see them getting mocked by other students for being considered failures.


    "Worried about your dignity, Sudo? Well, you can always work to make your ss into the best one."


    "What?"


    "Your ss''s points aren''t just linked to the amount of money you receive each month. They also indicate your ss rank."


    "That means if our points be higher than 490, then our ss will be known as the new ss C. Should we attain a higher number of points than ss B, then we''ll take their spot and they''ll be demoted. The same goes for ss A if we overtake them," Kiyotaka thought. "Sounds easy enough to understand, but it really feels like apany performance review."


    "Now then, I have one more bit of bad news to share with you all."


    Sae then attached another sheet of paper to the board, which was a list that contained everyone''s names. A number stood next to each name and almost immediately, the students of ss D knew what it meant.


    "Based on these scores, I can see that we''ve got a few idiots in this ss," she took a quick nce at the scores before turning back to her students. "These are the results of the test that you took about a week ago. I''m actually shocked by these results. Just what in the world did you all study when you were in junior high?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    There were only a few people who got a high score, while almost everyone got a score below 60. There were also some unfortunate people who got a score below 30.


    Sae''s next tone was dripping with sarcasm. "I''m d this wasn''t included in your grades. If it was, then seven of you would have had to drop out."


    "D-Drop out? W-W-What do you mean, sensei...?"


    "Oh, did I not exin this to you? If you fail a midterm or final exam in this school, then you have to drop out. If we had applied that rule to this test, anyone who scored below 32 points would be booted from this school. You dodged a big bullet there."


    "W-Woah, what?!" shouted Ike and some of the other failures.


    There was a red line drawn on the paper, separating the seven people in question from the rest of the ss. Sudo was among those seven people and he was just one point above Yamauchi, who had the lowest score overall.


    "Hey, don''t joke around, Sae-chan-sensei! This isn''t funny!"


    Chabashira-sensei shook her head. "I would never joke about this. These are the school rules. You should prepare for the worst."


    "She is right. There appears to be a lot of idiots here," Koenji remarked while polishing his nails. Despite the fact that they were being reprimanded for their attitude and shorings, the guy showed no sign of weakness and remained confident as he always was.


    "The hell are you saying, Koenji? You''re the same as us!"


    "You must be blind, boy. Don''t equate a perfect existence like me to someone like you."


    "Wait, Koenji is... what?"


    Koenji''s name was nowhere near the bottom. Instead, his name was at the top, showing that he had scored 90 points. He was tied for the top spot with a student named Yukimura Teruhiko, shocking almost everyone in the room. It only meant that he was able to solve one of theplex math problems at the end of the test.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Oh, and one more thing. This school boasts a high rate of advancement into elite education and workforce cement. This is a well-known fact that I''m sure a lot of you know by now. It''s also likely that most of you have already chosen a college or a future workce."


    A number of students donned serious looks. It was true, they already had a n for how they want to handle their future after their time in this school, which would be a huge boost in their resume when the timees. It was said that graduating from this school can make getting into a prestigious university or being epted into a fitting job much easier. Those were only two of the benefits of being epted into ANHS.


    "However, nothinges easy in this world. Some of you idiots would have to be naive to think that you could easily get into the college or workce of your choice if you can''t even act like proper students."


    "Does this mean that if we want to get into thepany or college of our choice, then we must, at the very least, surpass ss C?" asked Hirata.


    "Nope. To make your dreams of a bright futuree true, your only option is to overtake ss A and graduate with flying colors. The school guarantees nothing for any other students."


    "Th-That''s absurd! We didn''t know anything about this!" Yukimura protested, standing up from his seat as he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "How disappointing. Something like this is to be expected from a school such as this," Koenji chuckled.


    Yukimura turned his attention towards him. "Don''t you feel satisfied being in ss D, Koenji?"


    The blonde man raised an eyebrow. "Dissatisfied? Why would I feel that way?"


    "Because the school is saying we''re so low that we''re basically delinquents and failures in the eyes of everyone else. There''s no guarantee whatsoever that we''ll be epted into a college or get a job!"


    "Bah. What nonsense. It is a stupid statement that I will not even bother to start an argument," he continued to polish his nails as if nothing else mattered. "The school simply hasn''t seen my potential yet. I pride myself on being the perfect existence. I value, respect, and regard myself more highly than anyone. So, the school cing me in ss D means nothing. For instance, let''s say that I dropped out of school. I would be perfectly fine. After all, I am absolutely certain that this school woulde crying to take me back."


    His words quickly caused some of his ssmates to feel insulted. However, none of them said anything because it''s clear that what he''s saying may have some merit to them. He may be narcissistic, but he could back up his words without a problem. They were already treated to a first-row viewing of his physical abilities a number of times by now, and his test results on the ckboard spoke for itself.


    Koenji folded his arms and smirked. "Besides, I don''t care in the slightest if the school assists me in attaining higher education or not. It has already been decided that I will lead the Koenji conglomerate group. Whether I''m in ss D or ss A is a trivial matter."


    "I can understand why he would think that way. His future is already decided whether the school deems him a failure or not. Plus, it''s true that if you ignore the school''s ssification of students, then it''s not really a big deal. The only thing you''d be worried about is the number of points that you receive every month. 9,700 points isn''t much, but it''s better than having nothing," Kiyotaka thought.


    "It looks like your bubbles have burst. If you had simply understood the harsh reality of your situation from the start, then this homeroom period might have meant something."


    Several of her students had their heads down, as they tried to process all of this. This wasn''t how they were expecting this day to go, with their teacher crushing their hopes of having an enjoyable life in this school. Some of them were even close to crying.


    "Now, your midterm exams are in three weeks. Think things over, and be careful not to drop out. Remember that you still have points that were delivered to you. You can find a way to avoid getting red marks on your red cards. After all, you''re in a prestigious school that expects great things from you."


    With that, Chabashira gathered her stuff and exited the room, even closing the door with force. She left the poster of the different sses and their points behind, probably so that her students could reflect on their behavior and performance.

 Chapter 33 Act 6: Scene 3

    ?"If we don''t get any more points, what am I gonna do...?"


    "I can''t live with just 9,000 points..."


    "Does this mean we can''t get into college now? Why the hell did we even go to this school? Does Sae-chan-sensei hate us or something?"


    During the break, the ssroom erupted into chaos. It''s like their teacher''s words was a bomb that exploded, and this was the oue. Most of the boys and girls were in despair from this turn of events, some were calmly assessing the situation, and then there was Koenji who didn''t care at all.


    "Forget about the points. What about this ss? Why was I put into ss D?!" Yukimura cried, obviously upset about his cement in a ss whose students were considered ''failures''.


    "Everyone, I know that you are all confused, but we all need to calm down. Causing a ruckus won''t help anyone," Hirata, sensing that the ss was about to delve deeper into chaos, stood up and attempted to act as the voice of reason.


    "How are we supposed to calm down? Sensei just called us a bunch of failures! Aren''t you even frustrated with all of this?!" Yukimura continued to rant, giving in to his emotions and letting his anger take over.


    "Even if I was, it''s better for us to work together in order to turn things around."


    "Turn things around? I don''t even agree with how we were sorted in the first ce!"


    Hirata nodded his head in sympathy. "I understand. However, whining about our situation won''t help us right now."


    That was something that Yukimura didn''t take kindly. Marching over towards Hirata, he grabbed the blonde teen by the cor forcefully. "What did you say?" he growled.


    "Please calm down, you two. I''m sure that Chabashira-sensei talked to us harshly so we''d do a lot better next time," spoke Kushida, walking towards the two and gently prying them away from each other. Yukimura didn''t resist at all, and simply listened to the girl who continued to speak. "Besides, it''s only been one month since we started here. There''s still plenty of time for us to get our points up, but we can''t do it when we''re all divided like this. Come on, everyone."


    "I-I mean... I certainly wouldn''t say you''re wrong, but..."


    Yukimura''s anger vanished in an instant. With that, the girl shifted her attention towards everyone else and shed a sincere smile. "It''s better for us to band together. There''s no need for us to fight against each other. That would only make things worse, don''t you think?"


    "I''m sorry. I lost my cool," Yukimura apologized.


    Hirata waved the apology off. "It''s all right, Yukimura-kun. I should have chosen my words a little more carefully, so we are both at fault."


    While Kikyo brought everyone together effortlessly as if she was a goddess of sorts, Kiyotaka took a picture of the poster in front and observed it closely. Suzune noticed his action and immediately grew curious.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Figuring out how points are calcted," he replied, not taking his eyes off his phone.


    "Didn''t sensei already exin how? Points are immediately deducted when a student arriveste, does something else in the middle of a discussion, and other acts that are not befitting of the proper student."


    "Yes, Chabashira-sensei did exin how points are deducted. However, she didn''t exin anything about how they can be increased," he pointed out. "Of course, it''s possible that our points may never increase again, but from sensei''s words earlier, it''s possible for us to overtake ss A. We simply need to find out how a ss can increase its points."


    "Wouldn''t it be difficult to figure those details out at this stage? Furthermore, I don''t believe you can resolve this by simply investigating. You''d have to get everyone to listen to you as well."


    As Suzune said those words, Kiyotaka noticed something different from her. Normally, the girl was cool andposed, but now it felt like those aspects of her were gone. He also noticed that she sounded rather impatient now. Was it because of their current dilemma as a ss?


    "Are you also nning to get into a college after graduating from this school?" he asked, turning his head to face her.


    "Why do you ask?"


    "Well, when we learned about the differences between ss A and D, I noticed that you looked shocked. Were you hoping to receive 100,000 points like everyone else?"


    "I wasn''t, but it was certainly a surprise to find out that points are a reflection of our performances," she admitted. "Regardless, not having points won''t hinder our lives here. We have free options whenever we need it, right?"


    He nodded in agreement. Ever since he heard from Yamauchi that the cafeteria offered free food, he began to take notice of some students who ordered the free meal instead of a normal one. "That''s true. Though, this is a tragic fate for those who spent all of their points this past month."


    Suzune sped her hands together and let out a sigh. "While unfortunate, they''ve simply reaped what they''ve sown. And like what Chabashira-sensei said, we still managed to retain at least 97 points after the first month. If anything, they should feel lucky that we didn''t end up with 0, or we would have not received any points in our bnce."


    "That''s also true, which is why we have a chance to turn things around. We simply have to find out how a ss can increase its points. Getting everyone to listen should be easy with people like Hirata and Kushida leading the charge," he replied calmly.


    "If you say so," she sighed, not even sounding convinced by his words.


    "Attention, everyone. Before ss begins, I want you to listen seriously for a moment."


    The ssroom was still in an uproar until now, but Hirata quickly imed everyone''s attention when he stood at the teacher''s podium. His presence was enough to calm his ssmates, though it didn''t make their situation better.


    "While we won''t be receiving 100,000 points this month, all hope is not lost yet. We still have the 9,700 points that were sent to us, but we can''t afford to take this lightly anymore. Now that we are aware that our points can be deducted, we have to tread lightly and be careful about what we do in this school. I''m sure nobody wants our points to go any lower than they already are right now, right?"


    "Yes, Hirata-kun is absolutely right!" one of the female students shouted, her worries immediately remedied by Hirata''s mere presence.


    Hirata gave a kind nod in response, before continuing. "Therefore, we must work to increase our points next month. In order to do that, we all need to cooperate with each other. So please, take care not to bete to ss or to talk during a lecture. Using cell phones during ss is prohibited too, of course."


    "Huh? Since when do you get to tell us what to do?" Ike asked, displeased with the fact that a pretty boy like Hirata was ordering them around like he was the ss leader.


    "Do you have a better idea, idiot?" Sudo spoke up from behind him.


    "You don''t get to talk like that, Sudo! You were next to the lowest score in the exam!"


    "So? It just means I''ll have to do better next time," he shrugged, surprising a lot of the boys in the room. Normally, that would have caused him to lose his cool and prepare for a fight, but Ken remained where he was. "All of us were caught off guard with the thing about points and the exams. None of us could have seen iting."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Even Ike was surprised, but he hid it behind a smug grin. "Hah! I wouldn''t even be surprised if you fail the next exam and cause yourself to get expelled, Sudo!"


    Sudo didn''t even look annoyed one bit. Instead, he felt amused.


    "Really? Want to bet on that?"


    "Sure thing! If I get a higher score in the next exam, then you have to walk around this room on all fours, barking like a dog!"


    "Deal," he agreed in a nonchnt voice, shocking almost everyone in the ss at how easily he agreed to such a ridiculous demand. Still, he didn''t seem bothered. "But if I get a higher score, then you have to burn all of the doujinshi and porn magazines that you have in your room."


    Ike''s face turnedically white.


    "What the¡ª? How the hell did you know about those?!" he demanded, before realizing that everyone was now staring at him because of what was just revealed. He quickly shrunk from everyone''s gazes. "I-I mean... sure, bring it on! I''ll whoop your ass in the next exam, Sudo! You''ll be crawling around here like a dog, I''ll make sure of it!"


    Onodera didn''t hesitate to stand up from her seat and run towards her friend, sending him a look of worry. "Sudo-kun, what are you doing?" she asked.


    "Don''t worry about it," he reassured her, which didn''t really ease Kayano''s worries one bit.


    "Interesting..." Kiyotaka thought, feeling surprised at this turn of events as well. "I''m tempted to lend Sudo a helping hand in this, but I suppose I''ll just watch and see this unfold. He looks like he already has the situation under control."


    "Right..." Hirata sweat-dropped at what just happened, before shifting his focus back to the task at hand. "Well, I hope everyone understands what we must do from now on. Chabashira-sensei may have been harsh in her words earlier but like what Kushida-san said, she likely acted that way to make us do better next time."


    After finishing his little speech, Hirata then stepped down from the podium. Strangely enough, he didn''t go back to his seat and instead, walked towards Ayanokouji''s desk.


    "Horikita-san, Ayanokouji-kun, do you have a moment? I want to speak with you about how we can increase our points. Is it fine with you?" he asked.


    "Why us?" asked Kiyotaka in return, feeling curious why Yosuke turned to them of all people.


    "I want to hear everyone''s opinions. However, I feel that if I ask for everyone to state what they think, more than half of the ss probably won''t take it seriously."


    "I''m sorry, can you ask someone else? I''m not good at discussing things with others," said Suzune.


    "I am not forcing you to speak up, Horikita-san. If you could think of something that can help, then it would be good. A simple suggestion would be good enough."


    "I''m sorry, but I have no interest in something meaningless."


    "This is the first challenge that we''ll be facing together as a united ss D. We have to¡ª"


    Suzune looked at him coldly. "I refuse. I will not participate."


    From her words alone, Yosuke understood that the girl wasn''t going to change her stance. "I... I see. I''m sorry if I bothered you. If you change your mind, you are wee to join us."


    Feeling dejected, he turned his attention towards Kiyotaka this time.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    Kiyotaka wanted to join so that he can get some possible ideas on how their points can be increased, but he was curious about Suzune. What exactly was her problem? He noticed that she was acting strange ever since their teacher left, as if she had be more distrustful of other people than before. It''s probably for the best if he deals with this right now, otherwise it mighte back to bite him in the ass in the future.


    "I''ll pass... although I might change my mind."


    "I see. If you do change your mind, then please let me know." Yosuke seemed to understand his stance, since Kiyotaka didn''t reject him strongly like Suzune.


    As their blonde ssmate left them, Kiyotaka didn''t waste time and turned to look at Suzune. "Mind exining what that was about?" he asked whilst raising an eyebrow.


    "I already said it. I''m not good at discussing things with others," she repeated.


    "You don''t seem to have any problem discussing things with me," he rebuked.


    The girl sighed. "You are different, moron."


    "Oh, I see. I''m different because you like me," he teased.


    Suzune blushed for a brief moment at that im, before she sent him a scowl. "I''ll stab you with this pen if you don''t stop," she threatened, raising her pen for emphasis.


    "Stopping now," Kiyotaka conceded. He definitely didn''t want to see this girl get angry, because the system might do something to fuck him over if he does.


    Suzune kept on ring at him regardless, checking to see if he was really going to stop. When he didn''t say anything else, she took a deep breath to calm herself. "It would have been pointless to discuss things with Hirata-kun. If our situation could be easily solved by talking, then it would be fine. However, if an unintelligent student who has no idea how to deal with the issue at hand tries to lead the discussion, then the group will simply fall apart. I doubt that Hirata-kun actually knows how to increase our points."


    "You have a good point," he nodded in agreement. It was clear that Hirata had no idea how to actually help their ss, and is simply doing this in order to prevent the whole dynamic from falling apart. That''s why he was asking for others'' input on how they could increase their points.


    "Besides, I can''t meekly ept my current situation. You shouldn''t, either."


    He looked at her in confusion. "Can''t ept? What do you mean?"


    Suzune didn''t answer his question. She only stared at the poster that Chabashira-sensei left for them.

 Chapter 34 Act 6: Scene 4

    ?After their sses had ended, Hirata stood in front and prepared the ckboard for a big discussion regarding their ss. Because of his powerful charisma, almost everyone in the ss had shown, with the exception of Koenji and Horikita. Koenji didn''t really care about the whole issue, while Horikita left early because she had something important to attend to, ording to her at least.


    If Kiyotaka had to take a guess, she was most likely on her way to the teacher''s office for a talk with Chabashira-sensei. He could still remember her shocked look upon finding out that the different sses also indicated an hierarchy of sorts and knowing that girl''s personality, she wasn''t pleased about being ced in a ss of failures. Unlike Yukimura though, she was calm andposed about it instead of throwing a tantrum in the ssroom, but now she was likely going to get answers from Chabashira-sensei herself.


    "Ayanokouji!"


    Kiyotaka''s attention was drawn to Yamauchi, who suddenly appeared in front of his desk with a look of despair on his face.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked, tilting his head slightly in confusion.


    "Hey, can you buy this from me for 20,000 points? I need more points!" he cried, holding up a handheld gaming console that he apparently bought immediately after receiving his 100,000 points on the first day of school. Now that Chabashira-sensei dropped a massive bomb on them about their points, Yamauchi found himself in desperate need of more.


    Kiyotaka gave him a nk stare. "If I buy it, then who am I supposed to y with?"


    "How the hell should I know? Come on, it''s a good console! It''s a limited-edition one, so it''s a good deal."


    "Not my problem," Kiyotaka said tly. He didn''t even want the thing. Also, why was Yamauchi turning to him for help in the first ce? They weren''t even friends, as far as he was concerned...


    "Come on, Ayanokouji! You''re my only hope!" Yamauchi continued to wail.


    Kiyotaka continued to stare at him with an impassive look, despite the teary-eyed look on his ssmate''s face. Fortunately, he quickly realized that Kiyotaka wasn''t convinced one bit, so Yamauchi immediately switched to another target.


    "Professor! Your buddy needs a favor from you! Buy this game system for 22,000 points!"


    "So, not only did he switch his attention to Sotomura, but he also increased the price," the young man thought to himself, unsure if he should feel disappointed or annoyed.


    "Things are really tough for our ssmates who used up their points..." Kikyo spoke as she approached Kiyotaka''s desk.


    "Like what Chabashira-sensei said, it''s not like we didn''t receive anything this month. They''ll just have to live with 9,700 points and what''s left of their initial money," he sighed.


    The girl nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that''s true. Still, I wish I could help them."


    He had no idea if she was faking or being genuine with that statement. Like everyone else, Kushida was shocked upon finding out that there''s more to the points that they receive than meets the eye. "But what about you? Do you have enough points? Girls need a lot of things to live with, if I''m not mistaken."


    "I''m okay. For now, anyway. I think I''ve used up half of my points. I kinda lost control this past month and overspent a bit, hehe..." she confessed while twiddling her fingers in embarrassment. "But it''s nothing to worry about! I''ll hold myself back this time. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    He shrugged. Money wasn''t a problem for him. He was more concerned with finding out how their points could be increased so countermeasures can be prepared ahead of time. "I''ll be fine. I didn''t even spend a lot of points, since I didn''t need to buy anything. In fact, I''m more worried about you. It''s got to be hard not to spend money when you''re so popr."


    "Hehe... I guess..."


    "Hey, uh, Ayanokouji? Do you have a minute?"


    Both of them turned their heads to see Kei walking up to Kiyotaka''s desk, looking strangely nervous from the way she was rubbing her arm and her gaze directed elsewhere.


    "Do you need something, Karuizawa?" asked Kiyotaka.


    "Uh, I... kinda spent a lot of points this past month... I think I only have 20,000 left, actually. If you don''t mind, uh... can I have some points from you? Just 2,000 points would be enough!" she asked, feeling both embarrassed and nervous that she was asking him to lend her some points.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This surprised the young man. This was the first time they''ve talked in a long while and while the system wasn''t saying anything about a heroine losing interest in him or outright hating him, it was still surprising to see Karuizawa approaching him for a reason like this. "Why me? Why not your friends?" he asked curiously.


    "I already asked them and they lent me some... but I don''t think it''s enough yet, and... I kinda overheard what you and Kushida-san were talking about just now so I know that you still have a lot... n-not that I was listening on purpose, obviously!" she exined. "And, well... you''re the only guy I talk to around here..."


    That was an exaggeration. Thest time they talked was during the little trip that Kushida organized a week ago. That mattered little to her, though. When they were alone together that time, Kiyotaka wasn''t really badpany and he never once acted like a desperate pervert who''s out to get her.


    As far as she was concerned, she could approach him without fear. That and there was no way in hell she would talk to another boy around here for points... maybe except for Yosuke. Actually, she could also approach himter on and ask for some points too.


    "Uhm... if you need points, Karuizawa-san, then I''d be happy to¡ª"


    "No, no, I can''t borrow some from you. I know you already spent a lot, Kushida-san. I''m asking Ayanokouji," she said, cutting off Kikyo before she could finish her sentence. "So? Is it fine with you? If you don''t want to, it''s fine."


    Kei felt a little nervous about his answer since she knew that they weren''t even friends or even close for her to ask him for some points, but little did she know that the decision was already made.


    "Sure, why not? Only 2,000 right?" Kiyotaka asked. He didn''t have a shortage of points, so why wouldn''t he help her out? Plus, even if he didn''t want to, it''s not like he could say no and make her sad, which was a huge red g in his book.


    Kei stared at him in shock for a few moments, showing that she really wasn''t expecting him to give her points just because she asked. Besides, he didn''t owe her anything. However, her doubts were proven wrong and right away, a big smile took over her features.


    "Thank you! Really, thanks for this, Ayanokouji-kun!" she shed him a genuine smile, before pulling out a little piece of paper that had a cell phone number written on it. "Here''s my number, by the way. You can send the points to meter. Thanks again!"


    She left the sheet of paper on his desk before walking away, in pursuit of a new person whom she can ask for points. However, she was clearly in a much better mood than before, all traces of nervousness gone in her features.


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    "Karuizawa looked kind of cute when she smiled like that..." Kiyotaka thought as he stared at the blonde girl for a bit, before pocketing the sheet of paper that she left for him. He''ll send her the points she neededter on, maybe when he gets back to his dorm. "I guess this means I''m good in her eyes?"


    "That was amazing, Ayanokouji-kun! I honestly thought you were going to ignore Karuizawa-san because it''s not your problem. It''s what you did for Yamauchi-kun earlier," Kikyo cheered on while pping her hands in apuse.


    "You have a point. It''s probably her fault that she spent almost all of her points as well. But unlike Yamauchi, she wasn''t persuading me to give her points. She would have understood if I turned her down. I think that''s enough reason for me to help her," he told her. There was also another reason that involved keeping her happy since she''s one of his heroines, but there''s no need for Kushida to know about that.


    "Wow, Ayanokouji-kun... I never knew you could be so kind!" she smiled brightly.


    "Are you saying I''m not kind?"


    "That''s not what I''m saying!" Kushida shook her head, looking appalled at that usation. "It''s just... I don''t think you''re close with Karuizawa-san or even proper friends with her since you don''t really talk to each other... but you still helped her."


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom "Because she would have been sad if I didn''t," he thought to himself.


    The loudspeaker from outside the room then came alive, and the voice that spoke issued an announcement that could be heard from inside.


    "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from first year, ss D. Pleasee see Chabashira-sensei in the faculty office."


    Kikyo turned to him in surprise. "Looks like Chabashira-sensei wants to see you."


    "It appears so," the young man said, maintaining his usual expression for everyone to see even though deep down, he felt confused. "I''ll see youter then."

 Chapter 35 Act 6: Scene 5

    ?As Kiyotaka left the ssroom and set off for the teacher''s office, all while ignoring the stares from his other ssmates along the way, he was in deep thought.


    Why would Chabashira-sensei call for a meeting with him? He couldn''t have done anything wrong that could get him in trouble, right? In fact, he could count the number of his ssmates who have actuallymitted an offense that would be worthy of a one-on-one meeting with their teacher.


    "Could this be about the little incident that happened between Sakura and I?" he asked himself, remembering the escapade he had with one of his heroines a few weeks ago, where he walked in on her while she was changing clothes. "Hm, I don''t think so. While she was extremely embarrassed about that incident, I doubt Sakura could tell someone else about it. She doesn''t even talk to anyone in the ssroom, so it''s unlikely that she went to Chabashira-sensei right away."


    Well, the only way to find out would be to go see his homeroom teacher. Whatever this meeting would be about though, Kiyotaka was almost certain that the cause of it was a simple misunderstanding. As far as he was concerned, he had done nothing wrong and he had been keeping a low profile ever since school began... well, trying to, at least.


    It didn''t take him long to find the faculty office. But just as his hand was about to touch the doorknob, he immediately noticed that someone else was about to do the same, causing him to pull his hand away.


    "Oh, I apologize! Are you going inside too?"


    He then turned his head to see one of the most beautiful girls whom he hadid eyes on. Sure, Horikita, Kushida, and Matsushita were very beautiful themselves, but this girl was almost on another level. Her strawberry-blonde hair that reached her back was already one thing, and then there were her eyes. They were of the color blue and Kiyotaka couldn''t help but be drawn into them as the girl locked gazes with him. To add to that, she also had a well-endowed figure like Sakura, to the point that the young man had to keep himself from looking down at her chest.


    "Yeah, I was. You?" Kiyotaka coughed, as he steered his thoughts away from ogling this girl and her body. "I wonder if the system made her into a heroine as well?"


    She smiled. "Yep. I''m looking for our ss adviser, Hoshinomiya-sensei. She was supposed to arrive at our ssroom about an hour ago, but she didn''t show herself. So, I came to check if she''s here. What about you?"


    "I was called here for a meeting with Chabashira-sensei," he revealed, finding no reason to hide that fact from her.


    "Oh, so that was you?" she asked, realizing that this was the same person whose name she heard over the school inte earlier. "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, right?"


    Kiyotaka nodded.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun! My name is Ichinose Honami, from ss B."


    She threw out her hand for a handshake, which he epted without hesitation. As he did so, several notifications popped up and the young man quickly read through them all.


    [Honami Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Ichinose Honami!]


    [Your current status with Honami has changed to ''Fellow Leaders''!]


    [You have gained 1 Affection Point with Ichinose Honami!]


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Harem Creator''! You gained +5 in Charm!]


    "Seriously? All I did was shake her hand..." he raised an eyebrow, taken aback at how easy that was before letting out a sigh at thest one. "...and I''m not surprised that there''s an ''achievement'' like that. If the system''s not making my life moreplicated than before, then it''s mocking me about my situation."


    He shook his head to shift his attention back to reality, as he gave her a nod out of acknowledgement. "I''m delighted to meet a beautiful girl like you."


    Honami blinked a few times, before she blushed, having been caught off guard by thatpliment.


    [You have gained 5 Affection Points with Ichinose Honami!]


    Kiyotaka quickly realized what he just said. "Wait, did I really say that? That wasn''t what I had in mind. Oh, don''t tell me this is gonna be a regr urrence from now on..."


    It was already obvious that the system was making him say these things, even though he didn''t choose between the three choices that it normally gives him when talking to a heroine. Even now when he is finally getting used to the madness that this eroge superpower can bring to a normal person, it''s still finding a new way to annoy him.


    Before he could apologize to the girl about what he said, he noticed that her ''heroine screen'' had finally appeared atop her head. Obviously, he couldn''t help but read it and see what information it could give him.


    [Ichinose Honami: ''Bright and Friendly Schoolmate'']


    [Rtionship Status: Fellow Leaders]


    [Affection Points: 6/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Honami is an extremely beautiful girl who is currently considered to be one of the most attractive students in this school. She has a buxom figure; beautiful hair, big boobs, godlike hips, sexy thighs, pretty much everything you could ever want in a girl. Despite her bubbly and friendly personality, she had a troubled past that nearly destroyed her life. When her mother was hospitalized, it left her younger sister without a present on her birthday. She stole an expensive hair clip to make her sister happy, but it was soon returned when her mother found out and she was left in a depressed state for months causing her to waste the remaining time of her 3rd year in middle school.]


    Okay... he didn''t need to see that first part because he could already see those traits from her, but theter part of her ''summary'' was what definitely caught his attention.


    "Like Karuizawa, she''s doing a good job of hiding her past by putting up a bright and friendly face. She''s not like Kushida, though... Ichinose seems like she genuinely wants to get along with everyone," he concluded. "There''s a few vague parts of her ''summary'' that still need some details, but this already gives me enough information about her.


    "Honami-chan? What are you doing here?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A young woman of average height with light brown hair and purple eyes stepped out of the teacher''s office, a confused look on her face.


    Honami quickly snapped out of her flustered state and turned her attention to the woman. "Hoshinomiya-sensei, why didn''t you arrive for homeroom earlier? We''ve been waiting an hour for you, but you never showed yourself."


    "Eh?" she tilted her head in confusion, before it all came crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. "O-Oh, silly me! I must have forgotten. Must be because of the alcohol fromst night... I''m sorry, Honami-chan! Please forgive me!" she wailed, shedding anime tears as Honami tried to calm her down.


    "What an ipetent teacher," Kiyotakamented in his thoughts. He had never tasted alcohol before, but he waspletely sure that it''s a bad idea to get drunk when a person has a job the next morning... especially for a teacher in the most prestigious high school in the country.


    The woman quickly recovered from her crying fit and noticed Kiyotaka''s presence afterwards, causing her to raise an eyebrow curiously. "Oh, and who''s this? I don''t believe you''re part of my ss... are you?"


    "I''m not," he replied. "I was asked by Chabashira-sensei to go here."


    "Oh, Sae-chan? That''s strange... she never asks for students to go here..." she mumbled, before eagerly walking up to the young man. "Ne, ne, why did she tell you toe here? Huh? Why?"


    "I have no clue."


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Ehhh? But that''s not right! There has to be a reason why she called you here! Hmm, what''s your name?""


    "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."


    "Ayanokouji-kun, eh? I''m Hoshinomiya Chie, the teacher in charge of ss B. Sae-chan and I have been friends since high school!" she smiled, before leaning closer to him. "You must be pretty popr in her ss, huh?"


    While the young man maintained his calmness despite the woman''s zealous attitude, Kiyotaka began to wonder if she was really a teacher. She was acting more like a student with the tendency to question everything rather than a person with a job to lecture her ss.


    "Hoshinomiya-sensei, I think you should leave Ayanokouji-kun¡ª"


    Chie ignored her. "Hey, hey, do you have a girlfriend?"


    "I don''t," he shook his head, but his mind had another answer. "Technically, I''ll soon have eight girlfriends thanks to this eroge system. I wonder how that will fare..."


    "Hmm... if you were in my ss, then I''d have you all to myself. Ayanokouji-kun is pretty hot, if I may say so~" Chie shed him a seductive look, which caught Honami off guard and made her take a step back, while Kiyotaka remained as calm as ever.


    Before she could do anything else though, a stern voice stopped the woman in her tracks.


    "What are you doing, Hoshinomiya?"


    Chabashira-sensei stepped out of the office in time to see what was happening between her fellow teacher and her student. Without hesitation, she smacked Hoshinomiya on the head with her clipboard, making the woman back away while holding her skull in great pain.


    "Ow! What was that for?" she cried.


    "For attempting to assault one of my students."


    Chie pouted. "Aw, I was just asking him some questions while he waited for you, Sae-chan."


    "It didn''t seem like you were," Sae folded her arms, unamused with her fellow teacher''s antics. "Ichinose, was it? Please take her away."


    Honami quickly shook her head to snap herself back to reality, as she nodded and grabbed her teacher by the hand, before pulling her away from there.


    "Eh?! Noooo! I still have some questions I want to ask Ayanokouji-kun...!" The woman cried helplessly as she tried, and failed, to free herself from Ichinose''s grip.


    Kiyotaka watched quietly as Hoshinomiya-sensei got dragged away. "I have no idea if Hoshinomiya-sensei is going to be a heroine as well, but considering how Chabashira-sensei is a potential one, I shouldn''t be surprised. I wonder how I should deal with her if that ever happens," he said in his thoughts, already thinking of a n if it ever happens that Chie would be one of his heroines.


    "Sorry about her," Chabashira spoke, gaining the young man''s attention. "Let''s go inside and we can discuss what I called you here for."


    Sae opened the office and allowed her student to step inside first, before closing the door. She then gestured for him to sit down on one of the couches, where three cups of tea were waiting at the small table at the center. Kiyotaka noticed the extra teacup right away, making him think that there''s someone else who''ll be joining them.


    "Am I in trouble?" he asked as he sat down. "I don''t think I''ve done anything wrong, sensei."


    "No, you haven''t done anything wrong. At least in the eyes of the school," Sae answered him as she took her seat as well.


    Before he could think about what she meant, the door then opened, causing the teacher and student to turn their heads and see who had arrived.

 Chapter 36 Act 6: Scene 6

    ?Horikita Suzune walked in with her usual cool expression and immediately, she saw Chabashira-sensei sitting at one of the couches there, drinking tea. That was when she noticed that there was someone else with her, and it was a person whom she was overly familiar with.


    "Ayanokouji-kun? Why are you here?" she frowned in confusion at seeing him here in the teacher''s office, before shaking her head. It doesn''t matter if he was here. "Never mind. Sensei, I need to speak with you urgently."


    "Then take a seat beside Ayanokouji. It''s a good thing that I prepared three cups of tea beforehand," she told the girl, who did as she was told and sat right beside her ssmate. "So, what did you want to talk to me about, Horikita?"


    "I was right... Horikita was nning to talk to Chabashira-sensei," Kiyotaka thought to himself, taking a hidden nce at his ssmate. "But why now? Why not earlier right after she left the ssroom? Unless..."


    "I will be frank. Why was I sorted into ss D?" asked Suzune, taking a sip of her tea to calm herself.


    "That''s quite frank."


    Suzune frowned. "Today, you told us that the school sorted superior students into ss A. You said that ss D was filled with the leftovers, the delinquents and failures."


    "That''s true. Based on your question, you must consider yourself to be a superior person."


    Kiyotaka kept his attention towards Suzune, wondering how she would react to this. If her personality was to be taken into ount, then she would no doubt refuse to take this lying down. He really lucked out by bing friends with her before all of this.


    "I solved nearly every problem on the entrance examination. I made no substantial mistakes during my interview, either. I can understand if I wasn''t put in ss A but at the very least, I shouldn''t have been sorted into ss D."


    "You solved nearly all of the problems on the entrance examination, eh? Normally I couldn''t show the examination results to individual students, but I''ll make an exception in this case. I just so happen to have your answer sheet here," Chabashira said, removing Horikita''s answer sheet from her clipboard before showing it to her.


    Suzune''s eyes widened slightly in realization. "You''re prepared for this. It''s almost as if you knew I''de here to protest."


    "I''m an instructor. I understand the mind of a student, at least to some degree, Horikita Suzune. Just as you said, you did well on the entrance examination. You had the third-highest test score among the first-year students and were close to the highest and second-highest-scoring students. You did exceedingly well in the written test. And you are also right on your second point. We found no particr problems in your interview. On the contrary, we evaluated you quite highly."


    "Then why?"


    "Before I answer that, why are you dissatisfied with ss D?"


    "Who could be happy with an incorrect evaluation? On top of that, you said that the ss rankings greatly impact our future prospects. Of course I''m dissatisfied."


    "Incorrect evaluation, you say? Then perhaps your self-evaluation is far too high." Saeughed. "I acknowledge that your academic ability is excellent. You''re certainly very smart as well. However, who exactly decided that smart people are categorically superior? We never said that."


    Kiyotaka was starting to put the pieces together in his mind after those words, while Suzune was struggling to understand everything.


    "But... that''s justmon sense."


    "Common sense? Didn''tmon sense create our current, wed society? Before, Japan relied solely on test scores to separate the superior and inferior. As a result, the ipetents at the top tried desperately to kick down the truly superior students. In the end, we settled on a system of hereditary session."


    "...which also means that the school didn''t sort students based on academic ability alone," the young man concluded in his thoughts.


    "You''re a capable student, Horikita. I don''t deny that. However, this school''s goal is to produce superior people. If you believe academics alone ce you into a higher ss, then you are mistaken. That was the very first thing we exined to you. Besides, think rationally. Would we have admitted someone like Yamauchi if we decided superiority based solely on academic merit?"


    "Tch..." Suzune gritted her teeth. It was clear that she was slowly losing her patience.


    "Furthermore, you may be too hasty in proiming that no one would be happy to be incorrectly evaluated. Take ss A, for instance. They are under incredible pressure from the school, and are also the target of extreme envy from the lower sses. Competing every day with that kind of pressure bearing down upon you is far more difficult than you might imagine. There are some students who are happy to be incorrectly evaluated at a lower level."


    "You must be joking. I can''t understand how a person would think like that," Suzune retorted, folding her arms across her chest.


    "Is that so? I think that ss D boasts some of those people. Strange students who would be happy to remain where they are until they graduate."


    "I almost felt like she was talking to me right there," Kiyotaka thought.


    "You still haven''t given me an exnation, sensei. Was I honestly sorted into ss D? Did anything go wrong with the grading? Please double-check," the ck-haired student said, still believing that there was some kind of mistake with her cement in ss D.


    "I''m sorry, but you weren''t sorted by mistake. You are definitely in ss D. You are at that level."


    Disappointment shed in the girl''s eyes. "Is that so? Then I will ask the school again, at another time."


    "Horikita''s not going to give up. She merely determined that Chabashira-sensei is the wrong person to ask," the young man shook his head in slight disappointment.


    In all honesty, he shouldn''t be surprised that Horikita was like this since her ''heroine summary'' already told him everything he needed to know. It''s just that he had gotten used to a more open side of Horikita in the past weeks that seeing her like this made her seem like apletely different person when she''s around him.


    "You''ll get the same answer from anyone in a higher position. Besides, there''s no need to be disappointed. As I told you this morning, it''s possible for one ss to overtake another. You could reach ss A and overtake the other sses before you graduate."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I can''t imagine that it will be easy, though. Forget overtaking ss A; how in the world could we even gain points if we have immature misfits in our ss? I can''t see how it''s possible," Suzune argued. She wasn''t wrong, the difference in points between ss D and the other sses was overwhelming and to make matters worse, unity was a major issue within them that can''t be remedied through nice words andforting gestures.


    Sae shrugged. "I don''t know. You alone get to decide how you head down that path. At any rate, Horikita, do you need to be in ss A for any special reason?"


    That was a question that the girl couldn''t answer right away, mainly because she didn''t know what to say. "Well... I suppose that''s enough for now," she finally spoke after thinking hard about what she should answer. "But know that I''m not yet convinced that I was sorted correctly."


    "Understood. I will keep that in mind. Now then, Ayanokouji, I''ll exin why I called you here." Chabashira-sensei dismissed the girl''s concerns and shifted her attention to the young man who had been listening silently until now.


    "Well then, if you''ll excuse me..." Horikita muttered as she prepared to leave. She was actually nning to talk to him about all this, but she could just wait until their teacher was done with him.


    "Wait, Horikita. It would be in your best interest to stay and listen. It may provide you with a hint on how to reach ss A."


    Suzune looked at her friend for a moment, as though she was considering Sae''s words, before she sat back down. "Please keep it brief," she said.


    Chabashira-sensei chuckled as she nced over her clipboard, before turning back towards the young man in front of her. "You''re an interesting student, Ayanokouji."


    "I don''t think I am," he humbly denied.


    p¦Ánd¦Á,no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Well, when I read over the entrance exam''s results, your scores piqued my interest. I was honestly shocked," she removed another answer sheet from her clipboard and showed it to her two students, one that Kiyotaka was familiar with. "Fifty points in Japanese. Fifty points in mathematics. Fifty points in English. Fifty points in social studies. Fifty points in science. In the recent short test, you scored seventy points. A slight improvement, but not enough. Do you know what this means?"


    A stunned Horikita looked over the test paper and then shifted her focus to her friend. "This is a rather frightening coincidence," she mumbled.


    Chabashira smirked. "Oh? You believe that getting 50s in every subject was a coincidence? He did it intentionally."


    "It''s a coincidence. There''s no evidence that it isn''t. Besides, what would I gain by manipting my scores in the first ce? If I was intelligent enough to achieve high marks, I would''ve tried to get perfect scores."


    Chabashira sighed in exasperation.


    "Listen. Only 3 percent of students solved the fifth math problem sessfully. You solved it perfectly, and even used aplex form to do so. However, the tenth problem on the test had apletion rate of 76 percent. Did you make a mistake on it? Or did you do it on purpose?"


    Kiyotaka shrugged. "It was a coincidence. Perhaps I simply did not know the answer to the question, sensei."


    "For crying out loud! I respect your frank attitude, but it''ll cause problems for you in the future, Ayanokouji!" the woman said.


    "I''ll simply deal with them when theye."


    Sae let out a deep sigh. "Why do you pretend not to know?"


    "Like I said, it was a coincidence. It''s not like I''m hiding that I''m a genius or anything." Kiyotaka wanted to groan. Even he knew that that attempt in lying was horrible.


    "I wonder. He may be even more intelligent than you, Horikita."


    Instead of reacting in a negative manner to such a im, Suzune simply stared at Kiyotaka in wonder. She was thinking of the possibility that everything their teacher was saying about her ssmate was true, but a lot of things won''t make sense if that was truly the case.


    "I don''t like studying, and I don''t n to try hard. That''s why I got those scores," the young man said in ast effort to exin how he got a 50 in every test.


    "A student who chose this school wouldn''t say something like that. However, some students may have different reasons for getting in. You, for example, and Kouenji as well. I think you''re fine with being in either D or A."


    "What makes you think that, sensei?" Horikita asked.


    Chabashira-sensei smirked. "You want me to exin it to you in detail, Horikita?"


    "Yes."


    "As much as I would like to, I''m afraid I don''t have any more time. It''s almost time for the faculty meeting, so I have to leave. Don''t worry, Horikita. You can talk to him yourself if you want answers. Now, I''m going to close the door, so please get out."


    The two quickly left the office, but they didn''t go anywhere yet. They simply stood outside the office, not knowing what to do.


    "Want to head back to the ssroom?" Kiyotaka asked, taking a nce at the girl.


    Suzune didn''t respond at all and simply kept her head down, as if she was thinking deeply about something. Seeing her in this state, the young man chose to walk away. It''s probably even for the best that they stay away from each other until tomorrow...


    "Wait." Horikita called out, stopping him before he could even move. "Was your score...really just a coincidence?" she asked.

 Chapter 37 Act 6: Scene 7

    ?Kiyotaka was about to utter the same response that he said to their teacher, but thought twice about it. Suzune knew that he wasn''t like their other ssmates, at least when ites to abilities. She likely sees him as either a rival or an equal. She knew that because he implied it when he told her that his ''school'' made him study a full-blown novel as part of the ''curriculum''. Yeah, it''s true that she didn''t believe it at first but after everything that she has seen from him up until this point, she now had no reason not to believe his words back then.


    "I don''t know if I should be d or annoyed that I basically told Horikita about what I''m capable of doing," Kiyotaka said in his mind as he sighed heavily. On one hand, he could feel d that he won''t have to hide what he can do from her while on the other, this was only going to make things even moreplicated because not only would he have to deal with his eroge superpower, he would also have to show more of what he can do...


    "Do you want to know the honest answer?" he asked.


    Suzune walked towards him so that they were standing side-by-side. "Of course."


    "Then it wasn''t. I intended to get a score of 50 in every exam," he admitted.


    The girl had already suspected it ever since Chabashira-sensei pointed it out as a possibility, so Suzune wasn''t that shocked to know this. She was curious about another thing, though.


    "Why? Wouldn''t it have been better to do your best in the entrance exams?"


    Kiyotaka shrugged. "Simple. I didn''t want to attract attention, and I wanted to have a normal high school life. If I had gotten a higher score, there''s no doubt that it would have brought me unnecessary attention."


    "Then what''s the point of solving theplex problems and making a mistake on the easy ones?" Suzune pointed out his hypocrisy. "That alone got you attention from Chabashira-sensei."


    "I just wanted to test myself. It didn''t ur to me that she would confront you and I about it and reveal what I did."


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® She thought about his answer for a moment before putting it all together, everything that he and their teacher said. "Does this mean you''re not interested in reaching ss A?" she asked, remembering how Chabashira pointed out that Ayanokouji didn''t really care about which ss he ended up in.


    He raised an eyebrow at her. "You have an extraordinary fixation on ss A for some reason."


    "Should I not? I''m simply striving to improve my future prospects."


    "I didn''t say that. You should. It''s perfectly natural. But now that we know we''re at the bottom of the school hierarchy around here, you''ll have a hard time getting there."


    "It doesn''t matter," she shook her head stubbornly. "I will reach ss A. But first, I wish to find out this school''s true motives. Why was I put into ss D? Chabashira-sensei said that I had been deemed a ss D student, but why exactly? When I discover the answer, I''ll aim for A. No, I will definitely make it to A."


    The young man saw this as an opportunity to show Horikita her biggest w. If she wanted to reach ss A, then she needed to be aware of this as soon as possible. The longer she stays ignorant of what''s wrong with herself, the longer it will take for her to change. The worst case scenario would be that she never realizes it, and will result in her undoing.


    He couldn''t let that happen.


    "Since you wanted me to be honest, I''ll continue to be honest with you, Horikita."


    Kiyotaka stood in front of her and stared directly into her eyes.


    "You''re deemed as a ss D student because of your attitude," he said firmly. "There are honestly times where I feel d and lucky that I managed to befriend you on our first day here. Because I can tell that you would have been different if I didn''t. Very different."


    Suzune stared at him in confusion. "Different?"


    "Don''t you realize it? If we had never been friends, then you would have been someone who has no regard for the people whom she thinks are below her. I''m honestly d that I prevented that from happening, because I can already see that you''re starting to change. Against my expectations, you actually befriended Kushida, someone whom you disliked at first."


    "I don''t understand..." she muttered, wondering what he was trying to achieve with this.


    "Then I''ll ask you this and I want you to be honest. If you had never found out that I came from a prestigious school before this, would our rtionship stay the same as it is right now? If you had never found out from Chabashira-sensei that I intended to score a 50 in all of my entrance examinations, would you still be here, listening to me?" he asked. "Sure, you only referred to me as a friend after we saw your older brother but at that point, you didn''t see me as a person who''s inferior to you. Instead, you saw me as someone equal."


    Her eyes slowly widening in realization, Suzune looked down and thought about everything he said just now. Her attitude, what she could have been if they had never been ''friends'', what could have happened if she didn''t have a favorable opinion about him from the start, and how she saw him nowpared to their other ssmates.


    Kiyotaka felt a sense of satisfaction when he noticed that his words were getting through to her, so he decided to press on. "Plus, think about it. Do you really think that you alone can get our ss to overtake the other sses? I don''t really care what ss we end up as but I''m asking you, as a friend, can you do it all by yourself?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With that, Kiyotaka stopped and waited for Suzune''s response, which took about a minute. The whole time, the girl kept her head low and she waspletely quiet. When she finally spoke though, she didn''t sound like the usual cool and calm girl that everyone was used to. Instead, her tone carried defeat and humility, now that she realized what her w was.


    "No. You''re right... I cannot solve this problem on my own. We won''t even make it to the starting line without everyone''s cooperation."


    "Then you''ll just have to get them to cooperate, which shouldn''t be hard when you have people like Hirata and Kushida who have a powerful presence in the ssroom. Teach them how to behave so our points won''t go down. But even with that, we''ll still be stuck with 97 points because we have no idea how they can be increased."


    That was still a big problem that they both had no way of dealing with. All they know is that their points can be deducted frommitting various offenses inside the ssroom. They had no idea how it could be increased, despite their teacher telling them that it''s possible.


    "It sounds like we''ve got a huge problem on our hands," the girlmented.


    He nodded. "And under that problem, we have three major issues. Tardiness and doing something else during ss are the first two. Third, making sure no one fails the midterm exam."


    "I believe the first two issues are manageable, but the midterm exams are a different matter entirely."


    The short test that they had takenst had contained a few difficult questions, but it had been pretty easy overall. Still, even at that level, some students had failed. They were very lucky that it wasn''t an official test, otherwise they would have been expelled from the school.


    "I need your help, Ayanokouji-kun."


    Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow at her statement, which was something that camepletely out of nowhere.


    "Help? Is that so?"


    "You''re right that I can''t get to ss A all on my own. I need everyone to cooperate and do their part. That includes you. So, if it''s not too much of a bother, can you help me?"


    "I''ll do what I can as a member of the ss," Kiyotaka shrugged. He had no problem helping out the ss as a normal student, of course.


    "That''s not what I meant," she shook her head. "I''m asking you to help me lead. You said that I saw you not as someone inferior but rather, an equal. I agree with you. That''s why I want you to help me. I... cannot do this alone."


    He stared at her, his expression unchanging. "You shouldn''t put your faith in me."


    "I am not. I''m putting my trust in you," she corrected him. "I''m trusting you as a friend that you will do your part in making our ss better. If you don''t wish to attract attention, then it''s fine. You won''t have to tell everyone that you''re more than a simple student, as long as you do what you have to do as a part of the ss."


    Obviously, there was a big part of him that wanted to t-out reject her plea because like what he had feared, it wouldpletely destroy whatever hope he had left of having a peaceful high school life. Living with an eroge superpower wasn''t this bad, since the system always causes things to end in his favor.


    The most stressful thing about it would be its broken skill that can alter reality itself, but it still didn''tpare toing out of the shadows and stepping up to lead a ssroom. Sure, Horikita assured him that he wouldn''t have to show what he''s capable of to everyone, but leading a ss? It honestly sounded worse than dealing with an eroge system that annoys and overwhelms him in a multitude of ways.


    Regardless, despite a big part of him wanting to say no, all he could do was sigh in defeat, before nodding slowly in agreement.


    "All right."


    The reaction from the girl came in an instant. Wide eyes and her mouth hanging open, almost as if she couldn''t believe it.


    To show that he waspletely serious about this, Kiyotaka even offered her his hand, which the gobsmacked Suzune immediately took after realizing what his answer was.


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    After dismissing that particr notification, Kiyotaka suddenly felt drained of his remaining energy for the day, as he wanted nothing more than to lock himself in his room and bury himself within the confines of his bed right now.


    "Rest in peace, my chance at a peaceful life..." he thought, shaking hands with Suzune and affirming their little partnership.

 Chapter 38 Act 7: Scene 1

    ?The week flew by and before they knew it, everything was almost back to the way it was. Why ''almost''? It''s because after the big revtion dropped on them by their homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei, a lot of changes happened within ss D.


    Everyone started listening more attentively during discussions. There were times when one or two people would do the opposite and attempt to fall asleep or do something else, but they would get scolded or smacked in the head right away.


    Of course, the sole exception to this was Koenji. The man was capable of doing whatever the fuck he wants whenever he wants, and none of them would be able to scold or even speak out against him. That being said, he did seem to understand that in order for their ss to not go any lower than they already are, he acted like an attentive student... somehow. Regardless, it was enough to calm his ssmates'' nerves and assure them that he knew how to hold himself back..


    While the ss was managing to prevent a further decrease in their points, they still had no idea how they could increase their points as a ss. After Chabashira-sensei told them about the issue regarding the school and its ss hierarchy and chewed them out for being failures, she went back to normal and acted as if nothing happened. Every time someone would ask her how they could increase their points, their teacher would only apologize and say that the answer can''t be disclosed to students.


    Regardless, they were making good progress for a ss that almost drowned in chaos a few days ago. That day, almost everyone got humbled by Chabashira-sensei and made them realize that this wasn''t anything like your typical high school. It made them realize that their life here won''t be one that''s filled with luxury.


    Despite their efforts in bing a better ss so far though, there is one remaining dilemma that they would still have to deal with when it arrives.


    As lunch break began, Hirata quickly stood up and faced his ssmates.


    "Chabashira-sensei mentioned that the midterm exams areing up soon. Remember that if you fail an exam, you''ll be expelled. I don''t want that scenario toe to fruition, so I think it would be a good idea to form study groups in order to prepare for it."


    Everyone had their attention directed towards him as they listened to his n of action.


    "Neglecting your studies will get you a failing grade and be expelled. I''m sure none of you want that to happen, right? Furthermore, studying won''t just prevent expulsion; I have a feeling that it may also help us earn points. If we receive high marks in our midterms, our ss''s assessment should also improve. I''ve asked some of the students who scored high on the test to help in tutoring those who need it. So, I would like the people who are experiencing difficulties in any of our subjects to approach me or any of the tutors. Everyone is wee to, of course."


    The blonde teen walked up to the ckboard and wrote the names of the tutors for everyone to see. Yukimura, Horikita, Wang, Kushida, and Hirata himself were the designated people who would be helping their ssmates.


    Hirata asked the other four earlier this morning if they would be willing to help out their ssmates who are in need of guidance when it came to their different subjects. He was honestly surprised that Horikita actually epted the task of being a tutor, because she tantly refused to help out in the ss discussion that happened a few days ago.


    He wondered if something happened to her that caused her to change her stance about the ss because ording to her, helping out would have been ''a waste of time''.


    Well, never mind. Hirata wasn''t going to waste time thinking about it. He wouldn''tin about this turn of events either. After all, the more students who are willing to cooperate, the higher their chances of pulling this off without problems.


    If only Koenji was the same...


    "Starting today at five o''clock, myself and the other tutors will study for two hours a day either here, in the library, or whichever ce your group decides. Those of you''d like to join us, please approach one of the tutors. Of course, if you need to leave in the middle of the session, you can. That''s all I have to say."


    Immediately after he''d finished speaking, several of the failing students got up and went to their preferred tutors. Ike and Yamauchi approached Kushida, no doubt taking the opportunity to be with the cutest girl in the ss under the guise of studying. Time can only tell if they were going to take studying seriously. Onodera and Sudo went to Horikita together, most likely with the intention of studying together under thetter''s guidance.


    With that, the study groups began to form by themselves. Hirata was approached by many of the females, some of the males went to Yukimura, while there was a mix of boys and girls that went with Wang, who was doing her best to adapt to this new environment.


    Kiyotaka quietly watched the whole event unfold from his seat. He was surprised that the ss was already somehow organized despite the bomb that was dropped on them by Chabashira-sensei several days ago, or maybe he just underestimated Hirata''s ability to unite the ss? Either way, with him around, it would be easier to get everyone under control.


    He also felt d that he wouldn''t have to tutor anyone. That would be tiring and would take an even bigger toll on him along with his eroge superpower. After he agreed to help Suzune with her goal of reaching ss A, he expected that she would want him to help out their ssmates who are in need of special lessons. But when Yosuke talked to her earlier about being one of their ss''s tutors, she never mentioned him. It looks like she was keeping her word about him not needing to be in the limelight.


    He could just join Suzune or Kikyo''s study group and lend a hand to either of them instead. Of course, being a tutor would be tiring, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t help out here and there when someone is having trouble with their studies.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á n?¦Ía| §ãom [A Special Event Has Been Triggered!]


    "What the..." Kiyotaka''s eyes widened slightly as he stared at the notification that just appeared, as a sense of fear started building up inside him.


    ...did he just jinx himself?


    Well, of course he would. What better time for the system to screw him over, right? Just as he was thinking about how he could fulfill his end of the deal, his bullshit superpoweres in to ruin everything. Of course the system would do something like this. What better time to make his life harder, right?


    "Ayanokouji-kun, may I have a word with you?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The young man was quickly brought out of his thoughts when he saw Hirata standing in front of his desk, looking like he wanted to ask something.


    "What is it?" he asked, still managing to sound perfectly calm even though he was already tempted to bang his head against the wall or his desk for being an idiot. He should have seen thising but once again, he was caught off guard despite being more alert of the system for the past weeks.


    "I''m sorry if I''m dropping this on you right now, but would it be fine with you if you be one of our ss''s tutors?" asked Yosuke.


    Kiyotaka wasn''t surprised. He just had to jinx himself, huh?


    He was tempted to ask if there was a shortage of tutors in their ss, but decided not to waste his breath in doing so. The most likely answer would be ''yes'', simply because the system wanted it that way. It could even bring about something as drastic as being the tutor of all his heroines in this ss if it wanted to.


    At this point, being more alert and attentive won''t even help him. The system can activate whenever it wanted to just to make his life more of a mess, even if he kept his ''heroines'' happy.


    Kiyotaka sighed. Obviously, there''s no way he could get out of this one, lest he risk challenging the ability of an ability that had a mind of its own and could bend reality to its whim if it wanted to.


    "Who exactly do I have to tutor?"


    "Karuizawa-san and Sakura-san," Hirata revealed, which were two names that didn''t surprise the ''Masterpiece'' one bit. "Again, I apologize if this is sudden, but it''s something that I have noticed for some time now. I simply haven''t said a word about it because I knew it would bother you. If you don''t want to help tutoring our ssmates, then it''s fine."


    "What did you notice?" asked Kiyotaka, raising an eyebrow curiously.


    "Karuizawa-san seems to trust you despite her ims about being unable to trust any of the boys. I don''t think she has a problem with me either. I thought of helping her study by myself so that you wouldn''t have to go through this, but I figured that she''d be fine with you instead. Of course, it would have been easier to let Horikita-san help her, but I don''t think they''ll get along well, and that would only lead to a bigger problem. Kushida-san was also a possible option, but I can tell that she already has her hands full, and the same goes for Wang-san.


    "I see..." the young man muttered. Hirata''s words made sense, even though there''s no doubt that his eroge superpower is the one behind it all. Putting Karuizawa in the same group as Horikita would be another recipe for disaster. While she wasn''t as cold as before, Karuizawa wasn''t anything like Kushida (in terms of being a calm person), and he doubted that they would get along right away. If Kushida herself and Wang were already handling many of their ssmates, then it''s for the best not to make things harder by adding Karuizawa to either of their respective groups.


    Hirata... wasn''t even an option. The system is definitely pushing for him to be their tutor, nobody else.


    "In Sakura-san''s case, she is actually one of the seven people who failed the short test that Chabashira-sensei gave usst week. She is someone who is in desperate need of help when ites to studies, but approaching her is a hard task because she is shy and seems to get nervous around other people. However, I believe I''ve seen you two speaking with each other several times, and Sakura-san doesn''t seem to have a problem being around you. Out of everyone here, I believe you''re the only one who can help her, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "He must be talking about the fact that we greet each other in the morning when either one of us arrives at the ssroom," he thought. Or at least, Kiyotaka hoped that Yosuke was talking about that. Surely he wasn''t referring to the time when they spoke to each other at the boys'' restroom after the ''incident''... right?


    Anyways, Sakura waspletely different from Karuizawa. She wouldn''t even be able to attend a tutoring session because of her shyness. It''d be a waste of time to try and get her to join one of the assigned tutors and at the same time, if she''s left to her own in studying, then there''s a big chance of her failing and causing her to be expelled.


    Kiyotaka doubted that she would actually be expelled. The system would most likely alter reality in order to save her from expulsion and in the process, make her fall for him even more. Even so, the young man would rather have that not happen, if only to prevent the system from driving him insane.


    "What do you say, then? Is it okay for you to be their tutor? You won''t have to teach anyone else if you wish, Ayanokouji-kun. The rest of us will be able to handle everyone else who wishes to exert their efforts in studying," asked Hirata.


    "Leave it to me."


    Hirata blinked a few times in surprise. Like with Horikita, a part of him had expected that Ayanokouji would decline the plea because it would be a hassle. From what he knew of his ssmate thus far, Ayanokouji seemed like the type of person who would rather avoid doing work because it''s a tiring task. Either way, he wasn''t going toin about this turn of events as well.


    "Thank you for considering it, Ayanokouji-kun. I''m sure our efforts will be rewarded in the future. Now, I will inform Karuizawa-san about this. Maybe you can be the one to tell Sakura-san instead of me?"


    Kiyotaka nodded. That seemed to be the best option they had of informing Airi. "Tell her we''ll do it at the library. At least it''ll be peaceful there," he told his ssmate.


    Yosuke nodded in return and smiled at him gratefully. "Once again, thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."


    As his ssmate walked away to tend to the girls who wished to have him as their tutor, Kiyotaka buried his head into his arms on the desk, hiding his face from everyone else. If he had to be honest, he was still contemting the suicide route, but thought better of it. He had alreadye this far while living with an ability from a divine being, why not see where this will take him?


    Still, for the ''Masterpiece'' of the White Room who had aplished many extraordinary and terrifying feats, Kiyotaka had no idea what to do in his current situation... for now, at least.

 Chapter 39 Act 7: Scene 2

    ?Kiyotaka was joined by Suzune and Kikyo for lunch, but unlike the usual days where they would eat in peace, the two girls both had something important to talk to him about.


    He could only take a good guess on why they would want to talk to him... which would be a problem if his suspicion was correct.


    "Ayanokouji-kun, I may require your assistanceter on while I teach some of our ssmates. You are acquainted with Sudo-kun, right? It might be beneficial for him to have at least one familiar face around while he is studying," asked Suzune.


    Kikyo shed a nervous smile as she listened to her friend''s question. "Uhm... I think I might also need Ayanokouji-kun to help me, hehe."


    "Then why did you agree to help that many people in the first ce, Kushida-san? You should have agreed to tutor a maximum of five people, not nine. What were you thinking?" Suzune asked, unable to understand why Kikyo would choose to do something ridiculous.


    She was aware of how many of their ssmates approached Kikyo earlier with pleas about joining her study group, and all she could do was stay silent and ask her about it the next time they talked. Tutoring a few people was already a daunting task, especially when it involved those who failed the mock test, but nine people?


    Kikyo might as well volunteer to teach the whole ss instead.


    "I didn''t want to turn down anyone who asked. And I really want to do my best to make sure everyone passes!" Kikyo defended herself.


    Kiyotaka watched the two interact with each other like normal friends. Ever since Suzune epted Kikyo''s offer of friendship, they actually acted decently around each other despite their opposite personalities. For a moment, it seemed like they really were friends, only for him to remind himself that one of them hates the other for a pretty pathetic reason.


    He wondered if telling Suzune the truth about Kikyo would make things better.


    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1--§ão§® Suzune sighed in exasperation. "Good grief... you could have asked them to approach another one of the tutors. There are five of us, aren''t there?"


    "But¡ª"


    "Save it, you two. Hirata already asked me to tutor two people, so I won''t be able to help either of you with whoever you''re supposed to teach," he told them, which got their attention almost instantly.


    The ck-haired girl was surprised for a moment, before regaining herposed look. Hirata must have noticed that he had a higher score than most of their ssmates in the mock test, so he decided to make Ayanokouji a tutor as well. Meanwhile, Kushida was surprised and was immediately curious about the students whom he will teach.


    "Really? Who?" she asked.


    "Not important. What about you two? Who are you handling?" Kiyotaka chose not to mention Airi or Kei to them, lest he risk the possibility of either of them being jealous or mad about the situation. Or worse, the both of them react negatively and make it an even bigger problem.


    Thankfully, neither of the two seemed like they were going to insist that he tell them.


    Suzune cleared her throat. "As I said, Sudo-kun is one of them, which was why I wanted you to help me. Onodera-san was with him when he asked for my tutge. Apparently, he would rather study with her around instead of the two of them being in separate groups, so it may not be too hard to get him to listen."


    "If that''s the case, then you didn''t really need me in the first ce," he pointed out. For someone who''s really smart, Horikita was as clueless as him in social interactions, maybe even worse. "As long as Onodera is with him, he''ll be obedient and won''t cause any trouble."


    Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Is that so?"


    "Wait, does Sudo-kun like Onodera-san?" asked Kikyo.


    "I''m surprised you didn''t know that already," he replied. Kiyotaka was pretty sure that a lot of the boys know that Ken had the hots for Kayano, and it boggled him that none of the girls have caught on to the guy''s obvious crush yet. "Is there anyone else in your group, Horikita?"


    "There were only about four people who approached me. Aside from the two that I have mentioned, there''s also Nishimura-san and Minami-san."


    Kiyotaka gave her a nod of acknowledgement, before turning to their otherpanion. "What about you, Kushida?"


    "Oh, well... I think there''s Hondou-kun, Yamauchi-kun, Ike-kun, Shinohara-san, Sato-san, Okitani-kun, Azuma-san, Maezono-san, and Ishikura-san."


    He stared at her nkly. "Horikita was right. You''re taking in more than what you can handle," he spoke.


    Kikyo pouted at him, which was a sight that Kiyotaka found to be really cute.


    "There''s nothing wrong with your intentions. I''m just saying that it''s not a good idea to take in a lot of our ssmates and expect yourself to be able to teach all of them. Even you should be aware of that. You couldn''t have asked some of them to go to Horikita instead?"


    "I didn''t want to burden her with the people who asked me for help," she admitted, hanging her head low out of shame.


    "Horikita, will it be fine with you if some of our ssmates from Kushida''s group transfer to yours?" he asked, turning his attention back towards Suzune.


    "I have no problem with that, as long as they know how to listen and to do as they are told."


    "This might be a bad idea," Kiyotaka said in his mind, before going for it anyway. "Then talk with Kushida about who you''ll be taking out of the students she''ll be handlingter on."


    "Very well," the ck-haired girl shrugged. "Kushida-san, we''ll discuss thister. But now I want to make this clear. I trust that you''ll be able to help our ssmates to the best of your abilities, especially those who had a failing score in the mock test. Failing the midterm exams is not an option for any of us."


    Kikyo nodded happily. "I understand, Horikita-san. Thank you for taking some of our ssmates under your wing. You know, I''m honestly surprised that you''re helping the ss by tutoring our ssmates. I thought you wouldn''t really care, because... well, because you don''t talk to anyone else other than me and Ayanokouji-kun. I mean no offense, though!"


    "I understand why you would think like that," she closed her eyes and folded her arms. "However, like everyone else, I am dissatisfied with our current predicament. I don''t want us to stay as ss D until we graduate, so I am doing my part in making our ss better."


    "Yeah! Let''s work together, Horikita-san!"


    Kiyotaka continued to stare at their interaction, both curious and interested to see where this would lead to. "If Kushida wasn''t currently after her throat, then I''d say that they''re doing well as friends so far... at least, that''s what I think."


    The three students continued on with their lunch afterwards, before heading back to the ssroom once they were done. After their sses ended several hourster, many of the students of ss D left the room in various groups, each one led by the assigned tutors.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kiyotaka stayed behind, but he wasn''t alone. His red-haired ssmate who wore a pair of sses was also left in the ssroom with him, though it seemed like she wasn''t aware of his presence at all. She only remained in her seat, looking down on the floor, not caring that everyone else was gone.


    With his bag slung on his shoulder, Kiyotaka walked towards the girl.


    "Sakura," he called out to her.


    His voice alone snapped the girl out of her trance, and it made her turn to him with a look of rm on her face.


    "Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes...?!"


    Seeing her flustered expression, Kiyotaka suppressed the urge to sigh. Hopefully, her shy nature won''t hinder her ability to learn, or this will be a hard task to aplish. Then again, he was already dealing with a crazy superpower and this was nothingpared to that.


    "Let''s go. Karuizawa''s already heading to the library and I can tell that if we make her wait long, she''ll go nuts."


    "Ah¡ª o-o-okay..."


    Nodding her head in agreement, Airi grabbed her bag and followed Kiyotaka out of the ssroom.


    As they headed to the library, Airi was in deep thought. She was aware of the study groups that were created earlier and while she would like nothing more than to join her ssmates in studying to improve her grades, she also knew that her personality was a big obstacle for her to ovee.


    Airi waspletely sure that if she tried to join a study group, she would only drag her ssmates down because she was nothing more than deadweight, someone who was only capable of failing.


    When Kiyotaka told her that he was assigned to be the one who''ll help her study earlier, Airi felt relieved... somewhat. At the very least, he was someone whom she had spoken to before... just in different circumstances.


    Point is, she was already someone she''s familiar with, at least in her eyes. Airi hoped that this would go well... because she didn''t want to let her ssmates down.


    "Are you nervous?"


    The girl was snapped out of her thoughts by Kiyotaka''s voice, as she noticed that he was expecting an answer from her.


    "I-I am, but... I also know that I have to pass the uing exams," she answered honestly, turning her head away. "So... that''s why I can''t fail. I don''t want to."


    "That''s good. In that case, I hope you''re prepared to work with Karuizawa."


    "U-Uhm... w-would she be okay with me?" she asked shyly.


    That question made the young man stop and think for a moment. Would Karuizawa be fine studying with a girl like Sakura? Or would she feel annoyed by her because of Sakura''s personality?


    "Hmm..." he muttered. "I don''t think she''d have any problems with you. If anything, I can only see herining that we took some time getting to the library and made her wait. Other than that, I don''t believe she''ll mind that you''ll be studying with her."


    Airi blinked a few times in surprise. She was obviously prepared for him to say yes, and his response caught her off guard. "R-Really? She won''t mind that I''m... like this?"


    "I may not know her well, but I''m sure that she''s not going to judge you for that. If anything, she''d understand why you''re like that and even befriend you."


    "I-I see..."


    The two continued on their way in peace, though it was a bit hard for Airi because she still felt nervous about this whole thing. What if she doesn''t absorb everything that Kiyotaka teaches her? What if she fails to understand all of it? What if Karuizawa didn''t like her after all and refused to study with her? What if Karuizawa walks out on her and Kiyotaka?


    All she could do was hope for the opposite.


    As they reached the entrance to the library, they saw a familiar blonde-haired girl standing by the entrance while using her phone. There''s no telling how long she has been standing there, but it''s clear that she won''t be pleased that they got here just now.


    The girl seemed to notice their iing presence and caused her to look up from her phone. Kei quickly realized that these were the two people whom she was supposed to meet in this ce.


    "What the hell took you two so long?" sheined.


    "Give her a break. Sakura is a very shy individual, and it took a lot more effort than you think just to get her toe," he replied calmly.


    Kei stared at him briefly. Her initial reaction to the idea of studying with everyone wasn''t really pleasant, thinking that it would be a waste of time and not worth doing, since she wasn''t even close to failing the test that Chabashira-sensei gave them. She did change her mind though, after Yosuke spoke about increasing their ss''s points by getting high marks on their midterm exams.


    In the end, she was convinced, though it brought about the question of whose study group she would join. Kei considered Kikyo''s group at first, only for Yosuke to approach her out of nowhere and inform her that she would be put in Kiyotaka''s group instead.


    Kei wanted to ask him why she was assigned under Kiyotaka''s tutge, when he said that everyone was free to join whomever they wanted and that he wasn''t even one of the tutors that Yosuke mentioned earlier. However, she eventually epted it since it wasn''t really important.


    Moreover, she didn''t think Kiyotaka was a bad person at all. At first, she thought of him otherwise, that he was a pervert who thought of the new dorm arrangements as a way to get close to the girls and follow them around for a quick peek. How could she not? It was the perfect opportunity for the boys to do so, now that some of them were neighbors with the girls.


    But after that conversation they had at Keyaki Mall, her perception of him began to change. Not once did he act like a pervert, and the only thing he did was talk to her like a normal person.


    It reached the point where she asked him if she could borrow some pointsst week, after Chabashira-sensei revealed that they weren''t going to receive their 100,000 point allowance this month. She expected him to refuse since they weren''t close friends or anything, and she would understand why. However, he defied her expectations once again and gave her the points she needed, whichpletely changed his image in her eyes.


    By now, she was pretty fine with him and had noints about Kiyotaka being her tutor until the midterms. She could only hope that this would be effective, though.

 Chapter 40 Act 7: Scene 3

    ?"Hmph. You''re lucky that I trust you," Kei huffed. "So how are we gonna do this?"


    Instead of uttering a response, Kiyotaka simply walked inside, with the two girls following him.


    They weren''t the only ones from their ss who were at the library. Yukimura, Horikita, and Kushida''s study groups were also there, all sitting at different tables while studying in their own way.


    Kiyotaka led his two ssmates to a smaller table and ced his bag on top of it. Kei and Airi followed suit, before they sat down and waited for what theirpanion would do.


    "Why don''t you two get acquainted with each other while I prepare everything we need? I just need to pick out a few reference books for you to read. Fortunately, there''s only two of you, so I won''t take long."


    Airi quickly froze at the thought of being left alone with Kei, while the blonde girl just shrugged. She had nothing else to do here other than read some books and answer questions, so she might as well talk to the other person who''ll be studying with her.


    As Kiyotaka walked away to get some books, Kei shifted her attention to the other girl that was with them. She immediately took notice of how the red-haired girl was nervous, most likely because of her presence.


    "She''s shy, huh?" Kei decided to take a careful approach with this, knowing what could happen if she talks in her usual demeanor. "So... you''re Sakura, right?"


    Airi was surprised that Kei knew who she was. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes..."


    The blonde offered her a kind smile. "Well, in case you didn''t know, my name''s Karuizawa Kei. You can use my first name to make things easier. Nice to meetcha!"


    "I-I-I couldn''t!" Airi squeaked, waving her hands before her while shaking her head.


    "Okay, chill out. It doesn''t really matter which of the two you use. It''s just a name, no big deal," she pointed out. "Who do you sit next to again?"


    "I sit... next to Sudo-kun..."


    "Oh," Karuizawa blinked. That meant Sakura sat at the veryst row of the ssroom. "Ah, I''m sorry for not remembering. I typically remember the names of the rest of the girls, but I don''t really remember you. I just heard of you from Hirata-kun... wait, don''t take that the wrong way! I''m not saying you''re not worth remembering at all! It''s just that you''re like a ghost that I can''t tell if you''re there or not. No offense."


    "Shhhhh!" a student from a nearby table spoke up, prompting Kei to cover her mouth, realizing just now that she had raised her voice.


    Sakura still looked nervous, but managed to get something out of her mouth. "I-It''s alright, Karuizawa-san. I understand why you feel that way. I... p-prefer things to be like that, actually. I d-don''t want... to b-be deadweight in other people''s eyes."


    "Hold on, you shouldn''t talk about yourself that way! Why are you thinking like that?" she whispered this time, not wanting to attract any more attention from the people around them.


    "Well... b-because... I get r-really n-nervous and scared when I-I''m with o-other people..." the redhead admitted, averting her gaze to the side in embarrassment.


    Kei raised an eyebrow at her. "You say that, but you''re acting pretty fine while you''re around me."


    "That''s because... w-we''ll be seeing each other more often, w-won''t we?" asked Airi, taking a quick nce at her ssmate. "I need to... get used to this..."


    "That''s not a good enough reason," Kei shook her head in disappointment. "Okay, I see where this is going, so I''ll be honest with you. I don''t like how you''re all stuttering and nervous like a cartoon character. You should be more confident in yourself and I think you can do it, so I''ll help you."


    "W-W-What...?"


    "You didn''t get it? I''ll help you get over this stuttering problem you have."


    Airi blinked a few times, as if she was having a hard time processing what she just heard. When she finally understood what Kei had just said, her eyes widened as her face turned red


    "E-Ehhh?! Y-Y-You don''t have to do that for me, Karuizawa-san!"


    Kei only smirked. "Well, I want to. Plus, I think that stuttering is gonna be annoying every time I talk to you. You should learn how to be more confident in yourself, otherwise you''re gonna have a hard time surviving here for three years."


    "I-I-I..." Airi stuttered, unsure of what to say to her in return.


    "You two are getting along. That''s good," Kiyotaka''s voice cut through their conversation, causing the two girls to turn towards him. The young man had returned to their table with several books, one for each of their subjects. "However, your little conversation has to be cut off for now. It''s time to get to work. We''ll only be here for three hours, so let''s make every second count."


    Kei simply huffed in response, while Airi took a deep breath to calm herself.


    It was going to be a long three hours, it seems.


    ~XoX~


    If someone had told him before that he would somewhat enjoy being a tutor, then Kiyotaka would say that person is crazy to even think so. However, after a few days of spending time at the library after ss, Kiyotaka could honestly admit that this wasn''t as bad as he thought it would be.


    Don''t get him wrong, the whole arrangement still meant a deduction in his precious rest hours but at the very least, it was being put to good use. Helping two of his ssmates was a good enough reason to stick around for a bit, even if they were his ''heroines''.


    Speaking of which, if he had to give his opinion on the two students he had been teaching for several days now, it''s that they were both suffering from different strengths, and weaknesses.


    It was now Friday, and the two had just finished a little mock test that Kiyotaka prepared for themst night. It was a very simple and short test that they finished in thirty minutes, after which theirpanion began to check their work.


    Once he was done checking both of their answers, Kiyotaka looked up to face the two girls, having different expressions on their features. Kei tried to look serious but underneath it was a doubtful expression while Airi''s nervousness could be seen right from the get-go.


    "You two are making progress, especially you, Karuizawa. However, I do see that your weak point is Science. The technical terms, in particr."


    "Don''t remind me," she huffed, looking away. She didn''t really understand why there were things like ''scientific names'' when science itself was alreadyplicated enough. Not to mention, the harder terms that were quite a step-up from elementary science...


    "Sakura, in your case, you''re still struggling with almost everything. Your biggest problem would be Mathematics, though. You can point out the numbers that were given, but be lost in the forms when you apply them."


    "I''m sorry..." she bowed her head in shame. "I just get so confused with all these numbers... I have no idea what to do when I see a lot of them..."


    Kiyotaka only nodded. "That''s understandable. But I''ll do my best to help you get through this. You can still improve if you put your mind into it."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With that, he returned their test papers.


    "I''ve corrected every wrong answer you made in your test and wrote an exnation why. Review those carefully and think back on what you answered."


    "You''re acting like you''re going somewhere. Are we done?" asked Kei, raising an eyebrow at him.


    He stood up and gathered the books that he borrowed from the library. "Not yet. We''re simply finished with what these books have to offer. I''ll pick out some new ones and we''ll go through a little bit of them before I end it for today."


    The blonde girl was surprised. "Wait, really? We''re just reaching two hours, and you normally do this for three."


    "That''s true, but it''s the end of the week, is it not? I don''t want to be too hard on the two of you, so I''ll let you have an early rest today as well as the weekend to take it easy. Plus, I feel tired as well. I''d like to rest a lot earlier today because being a tutor isn''t an easy job."


    Airi nodded, understanding why Kiyotaka would feel tired. Of course, teaching someone like her would take its toll on him. On the other hand, Kei smirked. She obviously had something else in mind about all this.


    "If you ask me, you have it easierpared to Kushida-san and the other tutors. They have to teach four or five people while you only have to deal with us," she teased.


    "Trust me, I know that. But Hirata was the one who wanted me to do this," he answered calmly. "In any case, I trust that you two won''t forget about everything you learned this week. It would disappoint me if my efforts were put to waste."


    The two nodded, knowing that this was for their sake as well. Especially Airi, who was one of the seven people that failed in thest test. She knew that nothing was going to save her in the next one aside from her own abilities. She was struggling to learn, yes, but she''s also pushing herself to be better.


    "Looks like we''re in agreement. I''ll be back in a bit."


    After picking up the books, he walked away to return them to their appropriate shelves. His destination didn''t take him far from their table.


    Kiyotaka took a nce at his two heroines who were engaged in another conversation about who knows-what. He was at a safe distance and far from being noticed, so Kei can''t possibly use him for something inappropriate now.


    "I never thought those two would be friends, but it''s not like there''s something wrong with that," he thought as he returned a Math book to its original shelf. "Having someone like Karuizawa on her side would build her confidence, because I''m not the right person to help her with that."


    He also felt thankful that nothing drastic happened while he was with them for the whole week. Aside from a few increase in Affection Points for both girls and a budding friendship beginning to form between them, there was nothing else that caught his attention.


    But since he had no notification of a ''special event'' beingpleted until now, something might happen down the line while he''s acting as their tutor.


    After returning the books they used, Kiyotaka was about to search for new ones when he heard a familiar voice nearby.


    "That''s it! I can''t take it anymore!"


    "What do you mean, Ike-kun?"


    Kiyotaka couldn''t recognize the first voice, but he definitely knew who the second one was.


    "That''s definitely Kushida... is she having trouble with the boys in her group?"


    He knew that Ike and Yamauchi were part of Kushida''s group and from what he''s seen of them, it wouldn''t be surprising if they stir up trouble while they were studying together. In fact, it was quite obvious that those two only joined so they could have a chance at being closer to Kushida.


    "If she''s only hiding behind a mask, then I wonder what she truly feels about two boys constantly chasing after her like a pack of dogs in heat," Kiyotaka thought.


    He put that idea at the back of his mind for now. It would be an interesting question to ask her if she ever drops the facade.


    His curiosity getting the better of him, Kiyotaka walked towards the table where the students under Kikyo''s group had gathered. Of course, he stayed behind the cover of the library shelves as he didn''t want them to see him.


    Yamauchi and Ike had stood up from the table while grabbing their bags, surprising Kushida, Shinohara, Sato, Ishikura, and Maezono who were all in the midst of studying.


    "You''ll have to forgive me, Kushida-chan. But I just can''t do this anymore..." Ike spoke, shaking his head while openly crying, feeling as if he was betraying the feelings of his one true love.


    "Yeah... this just isn''t worth it. I feel my brain''s about to explode any moment..." Yamauchi sighed while massaging his temples.


    "But we need to do this! Both of you failed thest test that Chabashira-sensei gave us, right? We need to study so you can pass our midterm tests," Kikyo argued in an attempt to convince their minds.


    Ike suddenly recovered from his crying fit, as though he wasn''t shedding tears in the first ce. "Eh, not a problem. I can just cram all of this in my head the day before the midterms. It''ll be fine, Kushida-chan!"


    Yamauchi shed a smug look. "You haven''t seen what I can really do, Kushida-chan! I was only holding back in that test. Truth is, I could have gotten a perfect score in it if I really wanted to! I just chose not to because it would have been a waste of effort, since it wasn''t even recorded."


    The other girls at the table looked at them in disgust. They''re the ones who are quitting on studying together, yet they''re still trying to make moves on Kikyo? These two have to be desperate by now.


    Shinohara merely rolled her eyes. She wasn''t fond of studying herself, but she knew what was at stake. Right now, she was in need of something to drink, and wasn''t in the mood for this.


    "Get your asses back in your seats, would you? We have to do this, whether you like it or not."


    "Maybe for you, Ugly-hara. But I have other important things to do than staying here," Ike mocked.


    A tick mark appeared on the blute''s head. She was about to stand up to teach Ike a lesson, but was held back by Sato, Ishikura, and Maezono. "You damn pervert..." she growled.


    Kikyo still tried to look positive despite what''s happening. "Come on, you guys... let''s just go back to studying. We need to pass the midterms so we can get back the points we lost this month! Don''t you want to get 100,000 points again?"


    "See you tomorrow, Kushida-chan. You can still call me if you feel like hanging out, though!"


    Ignoring the girl''s plea like it was nothing, the two boys walked away from the table and didn''t look back, leaving their female ssmates in shock. They were the ones who willingly joined the study group... and yet they were also the ones who gave up in the midst of it all.


    Kiyotaka could only stare at what happened with a nk face.

 Chapter 41 Act 7: Scene 4

    ?"Those two... they actually cared more about beingzy than their attraction towards Kushida? Pitiful. They must be thinking that they wasted the whole week studying with her then. And to make things worse, they''re actually thinking that Kushida might have a thing for them, as well as feeling assured that they''ll pass the midterm exams without studying in advance."


    Words could not express the disappointment that Kiyotaka had for the two idiots. They''re definitely going to be expelled at this rate. If that happens, he wouldn''t even pity them. They bring it upon themselves if they''re met with expulsion.


    He shifted his attention towards Kikyo next, where his eyes widened ever so slightly upon seeing the sad look on her face.


    Almost immediately, after two of their ssmates left the table, the beige-haired girl slumped in her seat and bore a defeated expression. Kikyo felt she failed as a tutor for her ssmates. As a result, her friends quickly went tofort her and reassure her that it wasn''t her fault, which seemed to be ineffective in cheering her up.


    Kiyotaka watched the girl as one single thought was made clear in his mind.


    Those two... made her sad.


    Yamauchi and Ike... made Kikyo sad.


    They... made her sad.


    [''To Protect Her Smile'' has been Activated!]


    Kiyotaka slowly turned around and turned his attention to the idiots who were heading to the library''s entrance.


    If one could see the look in his eyes right now, that person wouldn''t be able to give ament about it, because he still looked as calm as ever. His face was the same as it always was but still, it felt like something was different.


    Before he could even tell what was happening, Kiyotaka felt his legs moving on their own as he followed after the two boys like a man possessed.


    Meanwhile, the two werepletely unbothered at the moment, as they were finally d that they were free from studying. Truth be told, they never really nned to stick around for a few days. They simply thought that by joining and being with Kushida for a while might be an effective way to get her to like them, which obviously didn''t work.


    "Hey Ike, you wanna drop by the cafe for a bit and grab something to drink? I''m starving!" asked Yamauchi.


    Ike shook his head and stretched his limbs for a bit. Sitting for hours wasn''t a good thing for a teenager like him. "You can go on ahead. I don''t wanna spend the remaining points that I have. I just want to go home and rest."


    "Where do you two think you''re going?"


    The two boys were immediately halted in their tracks by someone else''s voice. That particr voice sounded cold and unforgiving for some reason, so much to the point that it sent chills down their spines. Both turned around slowly, fearing whatever was behind them, only to see that it was just one of their ssmates standing there.


    "A-Ayanokouji?" said Ike.


    "The hell was that for? You scared the crap out of me!" Yamauchiined. "What are you doing here anyway?"


    "I should be asking you that. From what I recall, you two are supposed to be part of Kushida''s study group. I remember the two of you approaching herst Monday. Where is she then?" he answered, sending them a cold stare that they couldn''t notice at first.


    "She''s with the others, still reading whatever they''re reading."


    "Then why are you here while they''re studying? Shouldn''t you be with Kushida and the rest of your group?"


    Ike shook his head and groaned. "Studying for this long just isn''t my style, man. As simple as that."


    "I see. Then I''ll ask again," Kiyotaka took a deep breath and stared at them again. "Where do you two think you''re going?"


    Yamauchi immediately felt annoyed. He didn''t want to argue about this when it was never their intention to study in the first ce. "Tch. Why the hell do you care? It''s none of your business, any¡ª"


    He was suddenly cut off from his words when Kiyotaka advanced towards them with an even colder stare than before, which was enough to keep their mouths shut.


    If looks could kill, then the two would literally be six feet below the ground right now. They felt as if they were talking to the very embodiment of death itself.


    "Let''s have a little talk, shall we?"


    Before they knew it, they were being dragged by their cors by Kiyotaka, forced to follow him lest they risk being choked to death.


    The two wanted to scream for help, but couldn''t do it because of their position. They tried to remove his grip from their clothes, but couldn''t beat him in strength.


    After dragging the two idiots to an isted part of the library, all while being unnoticed by the students that roamed around, Kiyotaka threw them towards an empty bookshelf. Before they could even regain their breathing, he grabbed them by their cors and brought them close to his face.


    "You two are going back there right now. You''re going to get on your knees and apologize to Kushida. Then you''re going to study like the rest of our ssmates to the best that you can, without any sort ofint. You''re going to do this until our midterm exams, and you''re never going toin again. You are going to do your best for the ss. Are we clear?"


    Despite that, Yamauchi still tried to put on a brave face.


    "Who the hell are you to tell us what to¡ª"


    He was cut off again when he brought them closer to his face, and it felt as if Ayanokouji was staring into their very souls. Fear quickly took over, especially because of the cold tone that he used afterwards.


    "Are. We. Clear?"


    Both Ike and Yamauchi could do nothing but whimper as a reply.


    While he continued to threaten the two for their misbehavior, Kiyotaka was unable to detect the presence of someone who was watching him from a distance. This person had been watching ever since the young man cornered the two perverts and left them with no ce to go.


    ~XoX~<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Contrary to what she is on the inside, Kikyo did want to help her ss if she had to be honest. Like all of her ssmates, she was also caught off guard when their homeroom teacher exined why they didn''t receive 100,000 points for this month and was surprised that they were at the bottom of the barrel among all of the sses. They were considered failures and nothing more.


    While she was only showing a fake personality most of the time, it didn''t mean that she wanted her ss to fail and never get back up from the hole they''ve dug themselves in. As a matter of fact, it only seemed that way because Horikita Suzune was also in this school and apparently, her ssmate as well. It''s because of it that she was fixated on expelling her...


    Anyway, since she wanted to help her ss, Kikyo had no qualms about Yosuke asking her to step up as a tutor for her ssmates. She had no experience in teaching other people, but it shouldn''t be hard, right? It''s just about rying what she knows to her ssmates and making them understand the things they don''t. The whole thing might even be fun.


    However, things would have been better if the two idiots in ss weren''t in her study group (Curse Horikita for not taking them in her group instead!). From the start, when she was approached by Yamauchi and Ike, she already knew that they were only after her and didn''t have the intention of studying. Honestly, Kikyo was surprised that theysted for the whole week before finally giving up and showing their true colors.


    But still, they''ve ruined everything. They''ll surely fail their midterm exams at this rate and get expelled afterwards. Now, while she didn''t really care about them, Kikyo also knew that it might affect their ss''s morale if two of them were given the boot.


    Therefore, as much as she didn''t like it, the best course of action would be to help them study too and help them pass the uing tests... but now, there''s no hope of that happening anymore.


    "Hey, Kushida-san," said Satsuki, bringing her out of her thoughts. "You don''t have to worry about those two, all right? Let them fail their exams if they want to. It''d actually be a miracle if they get expelled for failing."


    Kikyo sighed. She wished she could agree just so she can be rid of them already. "But it''s not supposed to be like that. We''re all supposed to pass so our points can¡ª"


    "We''re sorry, Kushida-chan!" spoke two familiar voices.


    The remaining students at the table quickly turned their heads to whoever just spoke, and they were surprised that the two boys who had just walked out on them earlier were back. Not only that, but they were also kneeling on the ground in a dogeza position in front of Kikyo herself.


    "We''re sorry, Kushida-chan! We didn''t mean to make you feel sad! Please forgive¡ª"


    Satsuki quickly recovered from her surprise and frowned at them. "Oi, keep it down. We''re still in the library, idiots."


    "Ike-kun? Yamauchi-kun? I thought you two didn''t want to study anymore?" asked Kikyo, genuinely surprised to see them again after only a few minutes. After they left earlier, she waspletely sure that they wouldn''t return... and yet here they were.


    "We''re sorry about walking out on you! We promise not to do it again! Please take us back!" wailed Ike.


    "Yeah! We promise that we''ll study as hard as we can from now on! So please forgive us!" cried Yamauchi.


    Their pleas did nothing to ease the girl''s confusion. "Huh?"


    "Woah, woah, slow down. What exactly made you two change your minds?" asked Maya, who was curious on what could have caused the two toe back.


    "I just had a little talk with them," said a new voice, getting the girls'' attention easily. And with that, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stepped out into the open for them to see, as he stood behind the two kneeling boys.


    Kikyo''s eyes widened as soon as he came into view. "Ayanokouji-kun?"


    "H-How did you convince them?" asked Maezono.


    "The system''s broken skill made me act before they could get away," the young man said in his mind. "I saw them leaving and asked why. When I learned the reason why they left your table, I convinced them that studying is for everyone''s sake. Nothing more than that, really. I''m d they weren''t being stubborn about it, though."


    He sent a hidden nce at the boys below him and while they were unaware of it, both Ike and Yamauchi could feel the eyes of someone with murderous intentions directed towards them.


    Kikyo snapped out of her trance not long after, and she turned her attention towards Kiyotaka.


    "Thank you for convincing them toe back, Ayanokouji-kun. I really appreciate it!" she spoke, shing him the biggest smile that she has shown today.


    Kiyotaka shrugged. "It was no problem."


    [You gained 20 Affection Points¡ª ERROR! ERROR! ACTION INVALID! AFFECTION POINTS NOT DISTRIBUTED!]


    "What the hell..." Kiyotaka thought in confusion as he stared at the notification that just appeared before him. The moment it was gone, he quickly whispered, "Menu," making the world around him stop and lose all color. He quickly picked [Heroines'' Status] from the various sub-menus that popped up and tapped on Kikyo''s section.


    [Kushida Kikyo: ''Thankful and Happy Friend'']


    [Rtionship Status: A Rocky Rtionship]


    [Affection Points: 99/100]


    [Heroine Summary: (View?)]


    "It remained the same." The young man frowned in confusion as he stared at the girl''s ''summary''. He waspletely sure that that would have been enough to increase Kikyo''s Affection Points and max out her ''route'', but it seems like it wasn''t. "Even that skill wasn''t enough to raise ''Affection Points'' with her, despite having the ability to alter reality... I suppose that confirms it. Kushida herself is preventing her Affection Points from increasing... but why?"


    With this, he wondered what exactly it would take for her to stop so that her route can be maxed out, and so that he could get some answers. At this rate, he was already wondering what would happen once her Affection Points reach 100, because if the girl herself was preventing it from increasing, it must be something that''s valuable and not so easily imed.


    "Her virginity, perhaps...?" Kiyotaka thought, before quickly getting rid of that thought.


    Well, it did make sense, honestly. After all, this superpower that he had wasn''t a regr dating simtor, but rather an eroge. It wouldn''t be surprising if the reward for maxing out a heroine''s route was a ''sex scene'' between him and that particr heroine. That''s how a lot of eroges y out and considering the fact that he had many heroines, one ''scene'' wouldn''t be thest...


    But sadly, he won''t get an answer until he raises a few more Affection Points from either Suzune, Kikyo, or Arisu. Those three were the closest to maxing out their respective routes, and it''s only a matter of time before one of them does.


    "I''m not hoping for anything, but the reward for this better be worth it," he muttered.

 Chapter 42 Act 8: Scene 1

    ?Another week had passed, and time was ticking.


    The midterm exams were next week, so studying became more of a priority for the students of ss D, especially with their future points at stake. They didn''t want their points to be any lower than they already were, rather they wanted to increase what they already had.


    In order to do that, they needed to be better than how they werest month. They were already lucky that they didn''t outright lose all of their points so this time, things were going to be different.


    They needed to do two things in order to increase their points this time. The first is to fix their own behavior, which has been going well so far. The other one is passing their midterms and making sure that none of them fail, which is a harder task than one might think.


    Despite the efforts of the students who volunteered to teach their ssmates, there''s no telling if all of them are capable of passing their exams, particrly the seven people who failed the previous mock test.


    But, it''s not like anyone was sure of what could happen. Who knows? By some miracle, they might be able to pass their midterms, all of them. If that''s the case, then no one will be in any danger of being expelled.


    After their sses had ended, Ayanokouji and Sakura were heading to the library for yet another tutoring session, which more or less became a regr urrence for the two of them. The past two weeks were but a blur now, but it didn''t take away how they spent the weekdays at the library, studying and learning together.


    Especially for Sakura, who thought that she could spend three years in this school staying as someone in the shadows who couldn''t even hold a proper conversation with another person.


    While they were walking, Kiyotaka then felt his phone vibrate all of a sudden, prompting him to check the message he had received.


    He hummed for a few seconds, before returning his phone to his pocket. "Looks like Karuizawa''s gonna bete for a bit."


    "Eh?" asked Airi, as she turned to him in confusion. This was something that truly surprised her, because Kei was always with them during this time of the day and she had gotten used to the blonde girl''spany. "W-Why?"


    Kiyotaka shrugged. "She''s going to eat with her friends, apparently. But she promises that she won''t take long, so it''s fine."


    Airi blinked. If there''s one good thing about Kiyotaka being a tutor, it''s the fact that he was incredibly patient and wasn''t strict with his methods.


    "Oh... w-what do we do while we wait for Karuizawa-san, then?"


    "When we get there, find an empty table for us to upy. I''ll be returning these books first, then I''ll find you. From this point onward, we''re no longer taking information from books. We''re going to see and work on how much you actually remembered from the topics I''ve taught you."


    In his hand was a stic bag filled with the books they had used for the past few days. He borrowed them for Airi and Kei to use and study whenever they had free time.


    "O-Okay."


    Although she was nervous, Airi knew that this was inevitable. She knew that she won''t be able to rely on books for so long, because her performance will depend on how much she knew by heart. That''s why she has been putting a lot of effort into her studying ever since Kiyotaka began tutoring her and Kei.


    Upon reaching the library, both students were surprised to see that the ce looked rtively empty,pared to how it wasst week. It didn''t even seem like their ssmates were there, not that it mattered. As a matter of fact, the quiet atmosphere was a nice change of pace.


    "I''ll find you once I''m done returning these," he told Airi, who gave him a nod before walking off.


    With that, Kiyotaka went to the counter so he could show the books he had borrowed and ensure that he missed nothing. Afterwards, he went to the reference section and returned each book he had to the same ce where he found it.


    "Now to find Sakura," he thought to himself as soon as he was finished. "I hope Karuizawa''s done eating and is on her way here. It''d be a shame for her to be left behind."


    While on his way to find his red-haired ssmate, Kiyotaka noticed a female student struggling to grab a book on a high shelf in the mystery section. The book was barely within reach, which could be the reason why the girl wasn''t using a chair to make things easier.


    Deciding that there wouldn''t be any harm in helping another student in getting a book from a shelf, Kiyotaka went towards the girl and grabbed the book for her.


    "Here you go," he said, handing it towards her.


    The girl looked surprised for a moment, before shing him a thankful smile. "Ah... thank you for your help."


    He was about to utter a "you''re wee" as a sign of courtesy and then leave to continue looking for Airi, only to notice the book that she now had in her hand.


    "Do you like her work? Bront??" asked Kiyotaka, realizing that the girl was trying to reach for a novel entitled ''Wuthering Heights'', which was one of the greatest novels of the Englishnguage.


    "I don''t really like or dislike the book. It was in the wrong section, so I thought I should return it to its proper ce," she replied.


    "I see."


    Kiyotaka was ready to end the conversation right there, only for the familiar pink screen to appear above her head, which was enough to tell him that this wasn''t any random encounter with a female student in the middle of the day.


    [Hiyori Shiina: ''Curious Schoolmate'']


    [Rtionship Status: ?]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Hiyori is a student of ss C who doesn''t interact with a lot of people, but remains as a popr figure in the ssroom for her intelligence and innocent nature. She dislikes violence and doesn''t support the current method of how her ss works. She prefers it when everyone gets along instead. She is very fond of reading books and is now interested in you, because you seem to be a bookworm like her as well. She doesn''t have anyone in her ss whom she can talk to about books, and now she is hoping that you would be one. MUST NOT BE LEWDED... FOR NOW.]


    "ss C... this is the first time I''ve met someone from that ss," he thought, taking a moment to consider this newfound information, before shifting his attention to the rest of her ''summary''. "So... she''s happy that I''m interested in books like her, because she doesn''t have anyone else in her ss to talk to about them. Interesting... must not be lewded? What does that mean? Hm, I could have sworn I heard that word before... Eiichiro mentioned it once..."


    Deciding to think about thatter, he looked at the girl in front of him and observed her closely. At first nce, she appeared to be someone with an innocent nature and looked harmless enough to the point that she wouldn''t even harm a fly. She was also quite attractive and cute as well, two traits that reminded him of Nanase, now that he thought about it.


    "She doesn''t like how her ss works, and she dislikes violence..." he continued to observe her ''summary'', now paying attention to the information regarding her ss. "Does that mean that her ss works around violence?"


    "Uhm... may I know your name?" the girl asked, tilting her head curiously.


    He was quickly brought back to reality by her soft and gentle voice. "It''s Ayanokouji Kiyotaka," he replied.


    "Which ss are you from...?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "ss D."


    "Ohhh..." she muttered, before shing him a smile that could make even the mightiest of gods bow down to her simply for how innocent and cute she was. "My name is Shiina Hiyori, from ss C."


    Kiyotaka nodded, but didn''t say anything else for now, opting to wait for something peculiar to happen first.


    And he was right.


    The world around him turned ck and white, and the three usual choices appeared before him. At this point, this was basically second nature to him now, with how many times this has happened in the span of a month and a half.


    A. [It''s nice to meet you, Shiina-san. I hope we can get along.]


    B. [My pleasure. I''ve always had a soft spot for girls in distress, if I had to be honest.]


    C. [You''re really cute, Hiyori. I''d like to take you out sometime, if you don''t mind~]


    Kiyotaka observed each choice closely. The obvious answer to this would be the third option, simply because almost every heroine hees across likes it when he flirts with them... with a few exceptions like Suzune, Airi, and Kei. He has been careful with the choices he makes around those three, but everyone else was different.


    The second option would be another good answer, because it''s more of a harmlesspliment like it always was. The first option was, of course, the neutral answer and had no romantic intention behind the words.


    However, this time was different. Kiyotaka couldn''t exin it, but he feels that it would be a huge mistake if he does pick the third choice. In fact, he was also feeling the same way towards the second option. It''s like... if he went ahead and chose either of those two, something catastrophic might happen that''s caused by the system itself...


    Was this feeling caused by his ''dating stats'' or something? Did it give him the gift of premonition? Or was it simply a hunch that he had?


    Kiyotaka sighed.


    There''s just no way for him to understand the system and what it''s capable of, is there?


    "I hope this isn''t the wrong choice, then..." he thought, shifting his attention to Option A. He had left that choice alone ever since he realized that all it gave him were rude responses to his heroines.


    And so, for the first time in his new life with this eroge superpower, he chose the first option.


    "It''s nice to meet you, Shiina-san. I hope we can get along," he told the girl as the world returned to normal.


    Instead of saying something as a response, Hiyori simply shed him another gentle smile, one that prompted three new notifications to appear.


    [Hiyori Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Shiina Hiyori!]


    [Your current status with Hiyori has changed to ''Book Buddies''!]


    [You have gained 5 Affection Points with Shiina Hiyori!]


    "Even though I picked the option that sounds friendly rather than romantic... I still get Affection Points?" the young man asked himself in surprise, although that feeling didn''tst long. It''s absolutely normal for the system to work like this, despite not making any sense in almost anything that it does. It''s to be expected from a superpower like this.


    "By the way, how do you know Bront??" she asked.


    Kiyotaka turned his attention to the girl herself once more. "I''ve already read her novel, as well as her sisters'' works."


    "That''s amazing. I have never met someone who''s also into books before," Hiyori breathed out. Her eyes started to sparkle in amazement.


    "''Also''? Do you like to read, Shiina-san?" he asked, feigning innocence regarding what he knew about her.


    "I do," she nodded. "I was nning on rereading ''Farewell, My Lovely'', but I wasn''t able to find a copy today."


    "Do you need some help finding one? I can spare some time." Kiyotaka figured that it wouldn''t take a while to find one book, especially when he knew what she was referring to, so it wouldn''t hurt if he helped her out. That''s what the system would want, right?


    She shook her head. "It''s all right. I''ve already read it. Besides, I was fortunate enough to find another good book while I searched for it. The school library is quiterge. If I tried to search everything on its shelves for one book, I''d probably get distracted easily by other books."


    "You''re probably right," he agreed, before deciding to end their conversation right here. He still had to find Sakura and he had nothing else to do here. Plus, Karuizawa might have arrived already and was now only waiting for him to show up. "I''ll be seeing you around then, Shiina-san."


    "Wait a moment. Are you looking for a book to read, Ayanokouji-kun?" Hiyori asked, stopping him in his tracks.


    Kiyotaka mentally noted to avoid mentioning either Kei or Airi to her. "Not really. I just saw you struggling to get that book, so I decided to lend you a hand. But it would be a good way to release some pent-up stress if I had one," he replied.


    He wasn''t lying, by the way. Oh, how he would love to read a couple of books during his free time in order to clear his mind and to act as a way to distract him from his troubles. Unfortunately, his current circumstances didn''t allow him the luxury of having a rxing hobby such as reading books.


    There''s no such thing as ''free time'' for him by now.


    After taking a moment to mourn about what could have been, Kiyotaka then noticed that Hiyori was already scanning the mystery section while pulling out several books from the shelves. "What are you doing?" he asked.


    "Have you already read Dorothy L. Sayers?" she asked.


    "I''ve read Christie, but not Sayers. Sorry."


    "In that case, I would most definitely rmend ''Whose Body?'' That''s the first book in the series featuring Lord Peter. Once you read that book, you''ll inevitably want to read the rest." After getting six books from the shelves, Hiyori then handed them over to her newfound friend.


    Kiyotaka could only stare at her as well as the books in her hands, puzzled at her behavior. She waspletely different from all the other ''heroines'' he had encountered so far. From her ''summary'' alone, it was stated that she''s somewhat like Suzune in terms of social interactions but she''s not, in any way, an icy kuudere like thetter. Her behavior was more simr to Kikyo, but without a mask to hide her true intentions.


    This girl with an innocent nature... simply had a passion for reading books. That''s it.

 Chapter 43 Act 8: Scene 2

    ?"I''m sorry, I was rambling. Am I bothering you?" asked Hiyori, adopting a worried look when she noticed that he couldn''t say anything in return.


    "No. I was just a little surprised. I''m not really here to read books, but I might as well borrow these so I can read them when I have time," he shrugged, taking the books from her. "If I have time, that is."


    [You have gained 3 Affection Points with Shiina Hiyori!]


    "That makes me d," Hiyori looked extraordinarily happy. She smiled so widely that her eyes scrunched up, and to the point that it got Kiyotaka to feel a sudden tightness in his chest for a moment. "You''re not here to read, right? Would you like to walk with me to the dorms, then?"


    Kiyotaka blinked in surprise. "Huh?"


    That was even more puzzling than a simple book rmendation. Walking with a girl was a big red g, especially for someone whom he just met. To make things worse, she likely lives on the 4th floor of the first dorm building, because she''s one of his heroines as well...


    "No one in ss C likes reading, so I don''t really have anyone to talk to," she added, noticing that the young man was left speechless after her question.


    "That''s not my concern. I''m sure you''re aware of the ss standings by now, so wouldn''t it be bad if we were seen together? Especially if people find out I''m in ss D," he exined. "All the more reason to be wary, since it seems like her ss is being led through violence. I don''t want to gain attention from other sses this early, although talking to Shiina about books would be a nice break from all of this."


    "Please don''t worry about that. I''m not really interested in the sses and their points, and I''ve never been interested in conflict, either. Do you find talking to me a problem because of this?" Hiyori asked.


    Kiyotaka shook his head. "No, no. I have no issue with you, personally."


    The worried look on her face disappeared and was reced with a smile. "I''m d. I wouldn''t want our sses to sh over something so trivial. I''d prefer we all get along," she said.


    "I''m d you think that way."


    Hiyori nodded. "So, would it be fine with you? Walking with me to the dorms? I''d like to talk to you more about the works you''ve already read, Ayanokouji-kun."


    The young man was about to politely decline the offer [even though it would be a good way to take a break from all the craziness in his life at the moment] because of his responsibility as a tutor for two of his ssmates, when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him, most likely in an attempt to get his attention.


    "Ahem."


    Kiyotaka turned around to see Kei standing there, with her arms crossed while sending him a frown. It was clear that she felt displeased about something, though Kiyotaka had no idea what it could be. And when exactly did she get here? From her text earlier, it honestly seemed that she wasn''t even halfway to being done eating with her friends.


    "What are you doing here, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "Why aren''t you with Sakura-san?"


    "When did you arrive?" he asked in return.


    She smiled eerily. "Just now actually, and look at what I find. Aren''t you supposed to be teaching us, Mr. Tutor? Why aren''t you with Sakura-san?" Kei said in a voice that was full of sarcasm.


    "Why do I feel like I did something wrong here?" he said in his thoughts, confused at her behavior. Kei has never acted like this before, so it was just strange that her personality took a sudden 180. "I was on my way to Sakura but I saw that she needed help with something, so I took a little detour."


    As he gestured towards Hiyori, the girl herself blinked a few times in realization after unintentionally listening to the conversation between the two ssmates.


    "Oh, are you supposed to tutor your ssmates, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    "Yes. I was just about to decline your offer when Karuizawa suddenly appeared, Shiina-san," he exined. Kiyotaka decided that it would be for the best if he doesn''t mention anything about Hiyori asking him to walk with her to the dorms in front of Kei, because she already looked like she''s about to blow a fuse...


    Like an innocent angel, Hiyori bowed her head in apology. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to take you away from your responsibilities."


    "It''s fine. You didn''t know."


    "Well, it seems that you''re already done helping her with whatever she needs help with," the blonde gyaru smiled sweetly as she grabbed the boy''s arm before pulling him away from there. "Let''s go, then."


    Kiyotaka let himself be pulled away by his blonde heroine, but still turned his head to look at Hiyori for the briefest of moments. "See you around, Shiina-san."


    Hiyori smiled and waved her arm in farewell, which was a sight that made the teen''s heart skip a beat unknowingly.


    It was an image that Kiyotaka wouldn''t be able to get out of his mind even if he tried to.


    As they searched for the table where Airi was, Kei took a hidden nce at Kiyotaka, who had his usual indifferent expression. She wondered who that was, the girl he was talking to earlier. Kei waspletely sure that she wasn''t a ssmate of theirs, because she had never seen her before. Shiina, her name was? She must be from another ss then... but why would Kiyotaka talk to someone from another ss?


    "So who was that girl?" she asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Shiina Hiyori from ss C."


    "What the¡ª" Kei looked surprised for a moment, before she gave him an using stare. "Why the hell were you talking to her then?"


    He gave her a curious look. "Does it really bother you that I helped her out instead of being with Sakura?"


    "No! I meant, why were you talking to the enemy?"


    Kiyotaka tilted his head in confusion. "Enemy?"


    "She''s from another ss, isn''t she? That makes her an enemy."


    He felt appalled by that usation from Karuizawa. "It''s true that she''s from another ss, but I wouldn''t say she''s an ''enemy'', Karuizawa. If you took a good look at her earlier, you''d know why. Shiina-san doesn''t even look like someone who''d hurt a fly."


    "That doesn''t change the fact that you were talking to someone from another ss," she scowled, looking pissed for some reason.


    "Wait, is she jealous?" Kiyotaka asked in his thoughts. "If it makes you feel better, it was just a chance encounter. I helped her get a book from a tall shelf and we had a little discussion about books."


    Having gotten through the same situation before, Kiyotaka knew how to resolve this. He reached out with his hand and patted the girl''s head, causing her eyes to widen in surprise and making her stop in her tracks.


    Kei couldn''t say or think of anything else at the moment. All that her mind could focus on was Kiyotaka''s hand that rested on top of her head.


    Obviously, the first reaction that erupted her mind was to p his hand away and yell at him forying a hand on her, and then use him of being a pervert.


    However, theplete opposite happened.


    Karuizawa did nothing to remove his hand from her head. All she could do was remain in her ce, look up at him in shock, and feel her heart beating faster inside her chest. Within a few seconds, the girl found herself enjoying his action to the point that her face turned red out of embarrassment.


    In the end, all that came out of her mouth were three simple words.


    "It better be..." she pouted, looking away to hide her face from him.


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    [You made a Tsundere jealous! You gained +2 in Charm!]


    "These headpats are a really big help..." he let out a sigh of relief before removing his hand. He could now admit that it was a useful ''skill''. The only useful one he had so far. "...and that pout of hers is kind of cute."


    While he was deep in his thoughts, Kiyotaka missed the little whine of disappointment from the girl, which was most likely because he stopped patting her head.


    "d to see you''ve calmed down. Let''s continue looking for Sakura," he told the girl before continuing on his way.


    Grumbling to herself about certain guys being able to giveforting headpats, Kei followed after him.


    It didn''t take them long to find their ssmate, who ended up at the second level of the library. As they headed to where Airi was, Kei shifted her attention to the books that Kiyotaka held.


    "And what are those for? More books for us to study?" she asked whilst folding her arms across her chest.


    "Actually, no. Shiina-san rmended these to me earlier, so I''m nning to read them in my spare time... if I have any, that is."


    "Is that so..."


    Kei had calmed down considerably by now, but her anger was quickly resurfacing after finding out that the books he had were basically from that girl earlier. Fortunately, she did nothing more than pout at him this time, which was certainly better than Keishing out at him for simply talking to a girl from another ss.


    "Maybe I shouldn''t have said that," Kiyotaka thought to himself regardless, realizing that he may have just said the wrong thing.


    He definitely shouldn''t have.

 Chapter 44 Act 8: Scene 3

    ?"I hope everyone is doing a great job with their studies, because our midterm exams are taking ce next week. We must all do our best in order to pass our tests for our ss to rise again."


    After their sses for the day ended and theirst teacher had left, Hirata went in front and wasted no time in giving his ssmates some words of encouragement. He had to make sure that everyone was still giving their all in their studying, because he didn''t want any of them to fail and be expelled.


    In response, almost everyone in the ss nodded in determination. They weren''t going to lose more of their points this time.


    With that, he bowed his head and went back to his seat, as everyone prepared to leave.


    Kiyotaka turned his attention towards Kei and Airi, both of whom met his gaze and nodded.


    Satisfied with their response, he prepared to leave as well. He had told the two girls that they wouldn''t be having a study session today, and instead gave another small test for them to answer. The next day would be another study session at the library and the day after that, it would be another short test.


    It would continue until the end of the week to make sure that Kei and Airi wouldn''t forget everything that they have learned from him.


    Plus, with this strategy, he''d be able to get more hours of rest. Thest few weeks were hectic, with most of his time spent figuring out how to teach them properly and making hand-written tests for the two. There were a lot of times where he felt the urge to sleep in ss but kept himself from doing so because of the consequences if he did.


    In fact, he was already nning on sleeping very early tonight, because it was surely going to be another busy day tomorrow.


    "Ayanokouji-kun."


    ...and of course, he wouldn''t be able to get what he wanted. There was bound to be some way that the system would screw with him, and this was it... in the form of Suzune approaching him with a serious look on her face.


    He sighed to himself, knowing that it was too good to be true. "What is it?" he asked the girl.


    "Walk with me."


    That was all she said before leaving without turning back, as if she was expecting him to follow her.


    "Was that a question or is she demanding me to apany her?" Kiyotaka asked in his thoughts.


    He honestly had no idea what she meant but nheless, he picked up his bag and followed after her. He didn''t want to risk her getting angry at him or worse.


    The two teens walked together silently until they were out of the school building. Kiyotaka treated the silence as part of something that Suzune might be nning in her mind, because things were starting to get too quiet. No, she''s definitely nning something but there''s no telling what it could be.


    He decided to give it a shot in order to satisfy his inner curiosity.


    "So what''s on your mind? You wouldn''t ask me to walk with you if you weren''t nning anything," he asked her.


    Suzune shook her head. "How rude. Can''t I ask you to walk with me without having an ulterior motive?"


    "I didn''t say that. I simply got the feeling that you have something in mind because you demanded me to apany you out of nowhere."


    "You make a sound argument, but no. I simply want to talk."


    "Talk about what?"


    "You are currently tutoring Sakura-san and Karuizawa-san, correct?"


    Kiyotaka nodded.


    "How are they faring so far?"


    The young man hummed softly. That''s what this is about then. Horikita wanted an update on the girls'' progress.


    She knew that he was tutoring Sakura and Karuizawa, but didn''t bother him about it until now. Suzune left him alone and focused on the students that she was supposed to teach, most likely because she trusted him enough on how to handle two of their ssmates.


    However, now that there was only a week left before the exams, she needed to know if they made progress. In order for them to advance to ss A, all of them have to be better in their academics.


    "Sakura struggled at first, especially in Mathematics, but she''s slowly making progress in the three mock tests I have given them. Karuizawa''s not really in danger of anything, but I believe that she has the potential to be better. All she needs is a little more effort in her studies. Although, in the end, only their performance during the actual tests will tell if they have really improved."


    "That is good to hear."


    "How are things on your side?" he asked her in return.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "To my surprise, Sudo-kun has made significant progress in the span of two weeks. I have noticed that he does work better when Onodera-san is with him. When he experiences difficulty in understanding what I teach, Onodera-san exins it to him in a simple manner, before asking me to borate again. Of course, Onodera-san herself gets confused at times as well and whenever it happens, they resolve it by bouncing ideas off of each other."


    Kiyotaka wasn''t surprised that Ken would improve. It was almost like Kayano''s mere presence became somewhat of a miracle in his student life. The two have be inseparable since the first day of sses that it wouldn''t be a stretch to say they were a couple, but they weren''t... yet.


    "What about the others?"


    "Azuma-san, Nishimura-san, and Minami-san are fine. Okitani-kun is the only one struggling with his studies, but I assume that it''s because he easily gets distracted by... inappropriate videos."


    ...okay, he didn''t need to know that and Suzune definitely didn''t have to say it. It''s like she forced herself to... for some reason. Whatever Okitani decides to do in his free time is up to him but then again, he was doing it while they were studying... so it wasn''t exactly ''free time''.


    Although, that did bring up one particr question.


    Did she mean that Okitani was watching those ''videos'' while he was studying with girls around him? And to make things crazier, there was no other boy around him.


    What a mad. To think that only Suzune noticed him.


    Kiyotaka quickly noticed that she didn''t say anything else after thatst statement. When he turned his head to look at her, Suzune was blushing while also trying her hardest to keep her stone-faced look.


    "Wow. Looks like you''re bing more popr with our ssmates," he coughed, steering their conversation elsewhere.


    "Shut up," she snapped. "As I was saying, Okitani-kun is the only one who struggles in his performance. However, one good lecture about doing something else when we''re supposed to be studying was all it took for him to stop."


    "Good thing you stopped him, then. It would have been a lot more disastrous if the other girls in your group saw him instead," Kiyotaka remarked.


    She red at him. "Don''t misunderstand. The kind of attitude that he exhibited was disgusting and I would have stopped tutoring him if it weren''t for our current circumstances."


    From her cold tone, it''s clear that she wasn''t ying around. "Fair enough. I hope he doesn''t do it again, for his own sake."


    Suzune massaged her forehead to try and alleviate herself of the sudden wave of stress that hit her. "It would have been more manageable if you were there. You could keep an eye on Okitani-kun and make sure that he''s focusing on his studies instead of senseless debauchery."


    Kiyotaka didn''t say anything in return, but he internally agreed with her. "Trust me, things would have been easier if that''s what happened instead."


    The two continued on in silence until they reached the campus library. Upon getting there, Suzune faced him while bowing her head slightly.


    "Thank you for apanying me. It''s been a while since we have spoke to one another, Ayanokouji-kun. I mostly me our current circumstances for that but nheless, it feels enlightening to speak with you again."


    Kiyotaka understood why she felt this way, but he wasn''t any less surprised at the fact that Suzune practically admitted that she missed talking to him. At first, he thought it was because of the system and her Affection Points, but then he remembered that he and Kushida were the only friends she had.


    Basically, Suzune had no one else to talk to.


    "I feel the same way," Kiyotaka nodded in agreement. He would be lying if he said that he didn''t.


    "Perhaps this is what it feels like to have a friend..." The girl muttered, allowing a small smile to appear on her face. "I''ll see you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "Same to you."


    As he watched Suzune enter the library, he turned around and headed the other way, in the direction of the student dorms.


    Kiyotaka began to walk faster. Perhaps now, he would be able to get that early rest he wanted. It was still early in the afternoon, so he had plenty of time to sleep and rx without anything else bothering him.


    [A Special Event has been Triggered!]


    ...never mind.


    "Another? Am I not going through one already?" he palmed his face while trying his best to calm his growing frustration at the new notification that popped up in front of him.


    That''s right, the ''special event'' that was triggered several weeks ago still wasn''t done. He waspletely sure that it was about tutoring Karuizawa and Sakura, so it would likely go on until the end of the week or right after their midterm exams.


    And now, a new ''special event'' was now happening

 Chapter 45 Act 8: Scene 4

    ?"Whatever. Let''s just get this over with. The sooner I''m done with this, the sooner I can get to my room and retire for the day," he shook his head and dismissed the notification, before observing his surroundings.


    Well? Where was this ''special event''? There''s no ''heroine'' here with him at the moment, so the system will definitely do something about that.


    After about a minute of waiting for something to happen, Kiyotaka continued on his way to the dorms. If that new ''special event'' wasn''t going to happen right where he was, then it would take ce on his way to his room or when he gets there.


    Nheless, he was quite certain that something would happen.


    "Ahhh, you fucking perverts!"


    The young man immediately heard a loud, annoyed voice in the distance. Just from the tone, he could tell that it came from a girl, but who exactly? One of his heroines, maybe? Or could it be someone new?


    "I want to strangle them every time they get close to me... I want to kick their faces over and over until they bleed and shut up!"


    Kiyotaka quickly followed the source of the voice, having a feeling that this wouldn''t be any ordinary encounter between a boy and a girl. It didn''t take long for him to trace and find the source of the voice; a female student not so far from him, kicking the metal railing in front of her as hard as she could.


    "Why the hell did I have to get stuck with those two idiots? Horikita should have taken them with her but noooo, she didn''t want to handle it! She couldn''t deal with them!"


    It was none other than Kushida, who now bore a venomous look on her face as opposed to the usual smile she had all the time. Her voice had also changed. Gone was her cute and gentle voice and was now reced by a deeper and sharper one.


    "Is she not going to study with her group today?" Kiyotaka asked himself, temporarily ignoring the fact that she was having a little tantrum at the moment.


    He decided to get a closer look and hid himself behind the trees nearby. The girl was facing away from him, so there was no danger of being detected by her... as long as he doesn''t make any noise, that is.


    "She''s seriously annoying! God, how irritating. To think I even befriended that bitch... I can''t wait for her to get expelled!"


    Although he was aware of Kikyo''s true nature from the start, it was still different from seeing it in person. Kiyotaka didn''t know how to feel about seeing the girl act like this, when she was theplete opposite before.


    "Ugh, I hate her. Who does she think she''s fooling? She hasn''t changed at all. She''s still an arrogant bitch who only cares about what she wants!"


    "Wait... she doesn''t hate Horikita for possibly knowing about her past and instead, Kushida hates her for acting the way she is?" Kiyotaka thought.


    That in itself was strange. What does she hate about Suzune exactly? Her attitude? The ck-haired girl normally kept to herself instead of interacting with other people. Her arrogance? She''s currently learning to change herself. Or perhaps it''s because of how Suzune didn''t want anything to do with her at first?


    This whole issue is just in confusing.


    "Hmm, there''s no one else around... most likely the work of the system," he noted while looking around for students who were in the area.


    Strangely, even though sses just ended and the sun was still high in the sky, there weren''t any other students roaming around the area. Even in the distance, Kiyotaka couldn''t see any students approaching so Kikyo was in the clear.


    Yep, this is definitely the work of his ''superpower''. It either made the girl invisible to other people except for him, or it was preventing other students from venturing into this area.


    "''Get to ss A'', my ass... you only care about yourself! You''re annoying! You must think you''re so good, huh?! I can''t wait to get Ayanokouji-kun to work against you. I can''t wait to see the look on your face when you find out that he''s the reason why you''ll be kicked out of here!"


    "Is that what she wants to happen?" he thought, raising an eyebrow in slight interest.


    Apparently, Kikyo wants to get him to expel Suzune... somehow. She hated the other girl to the point that she wanted nothing more than to see her face expulsion... for some reason.


    He could already tell from this that Kikyo is the type of girl to act before she thinks. She obviously didn''t think of the possible consequences of ranting and letting her frustrations out in a ce like this.


    She was only lucky that the system protected her from being seen by other people.


    Plus, how exactly would she be able to convince him? Throwing herself at him? Acting all cutesy so that he would take her side? Framing him for doing something so bad that Suzune would hate him? Or perhaps keeping Suzune from seeing him altogether?


    Kiyotaka shrugged helplessly. Even with the ''heroine summary'' that the system provided for him, it wasn''t enough to make him understand how this girl''s mind worked.


    There was already a voice in his head that was telling him to get out of there before Kushida sees him... and who knows how she would react if she did?


    However, an odd question arose as well. One that concerned the girl and the notification that appeared before him earlier.


    "Am I supposed to catch her in the act now? That must be what this ''special event'' is all about."


    Well, what else could be the reason why he was seeing this? It couldn''t have been for the sole reason of getting him to see Kushida''s other side. This was the perfect opportunity for him to catch her in the act, and see where that leads to. He also had a feeling that if he didn''t do this, his broken superpower would go ahead and make him trip or make a noise of some kind anyway, just to get Kushida''s attention.


    "I hope I''m making the right decision here..." he sighed in defeat.


    Whatever happens from here, he would leave it to the system. For all the headaches and stress he gets from it, his weird power hasn''t led him to danger yet.


    He stepped out of the trees and walked closer towards her, making careful not to make any noise for now.


    "Kushida?" he spoke just as he was behind her, doing his best to sound confused.


    Kikyo suddenly froze in her ce as she heard someone else''s voice from behind her. What''s worse is that the voice sounded familiar to her and when she turned around to see who it was, her eyes widened in rm.


    After a brief silence, she then spoke in a cold voice. "What... what are you doing here?" she red at him.


    Kiyotaka couldn''t deny that it felt different hearing her speak to him in apletely different demeanor. If it weren''t for the system considering Kikyo as a ''heroine'', he would think that she never cared about him at all.


    "I... got a little lost. Sorry. If you want me to leave, I can go now."


    Kikyo red harder at him, clearly seeing through the obvious lie. Her eyes were different than before; what was once a cute and gentle look was now a cold and murderous expression and it was directed towards him.


    "How much did you hear?" she demanded.


    "Would you believe me if I said I didn''t hear anything at all?" he replied, still insisting that he was innocent even though it was a fruitless attempt in doing so.


    Silence followed afterwards. The girl continued to re at him, while he could only turn his head away. Kiyotaka honestly didn''t know what to say to her that wouldn''t make her mad in any way.


    Once again, it would have been easier if the system helped him out here by giving him the three usual choices for him to choose from.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Then, out of nowhere, Kikyo began tough.


    She just...ughed.


    "...Haha... hahahahaha... hahahahahahaha...!"


    "This is creeping me out..." the young man thought to himself as he watched herugh for some reason, which was also different to how she usually does it while around other people.


    The girl dropped her re and put on a sarcastic look. "You''re really lucky that I like you, Ayanokouji-kun. If it was any other person who''s in your position right now, I would have used them of raping me," she smirked.


    He didn''t show it, but he was surprised at the sudden 180 in her demeanor. "Was that supposed to make me feel better? And why do I feel like I dodged a massive bullet there?" he asked himself.


    Kushida stoppedughing a few momentster, "So what are you going to do now? You''re gonna tell everyone that I''m a two-faced bitch who''s only pretending to be nice in order to gain everyone''s trust? You better do it now, because I don''t feel like I can stop you anyway."


    "Seriously? She''s just going to let me leave like that?"


    Despite the surprise he felt at the moment, he noticed that underneath her sarcastic words, Kikyo felt afraid that he would actually tell someone else about this. Kiyotaka wasn''t sure if she was serious when she said that he can run away now, but he wasn''t going to do such a thing.


    [''To Protect Her Smile'' has been Activated!]


    "I won''t," he told her, making the girl look at him in shock.


    He had no reason to tell anyone about Kikyo''s ''other side'', even though she basically admitted that she would have used him of a crime if he was someone else. Because of the high number of Affection Points she had, the system must have influenced her not to do anything bad to him.


    Furthermore, he had known about her fake mask ever since he met her and still, he never told anyone else about it.


    "W-What?" she asked in a dumbfounded voice, before Kushida red at him again. She felt that he refused because he had some sense of pity for her, which the girl saw as an insult. "What the hell are you talking about? I told you, you can walk away right now and tell everyone that I''m not who they think I am! I won''t stop you!"


    Kiyotaka shook his head, now assured that nothing unfortunate will happen to him.


    "I have no idea why you''re like this, nor do I know why you hate Horikita even though you''re friends, but I''m not going to tell anyone about this."


    Her angry look fell apart as soon as it appeared.


    "If anything, I''d like to hear your side of the story first. Why are you like this? Why did you befriend Horikita if you actually hate her? What caused you to be this way? Are we even friends? Or do you hate me too?"


    After hearing those words from his mouth, Kikyo''s mouth was left hanging open out of shock. She seemed unresponsive for a few moments before lowering her head, hiding her face from him. Kiyotaka wondered what she must be thinking right now, and he could only hope that he was saying the right thing.


    "You really are an interesting person, Ayanokouji-kun."


    The girl raised her head and smiled at him. No, this wasn''t one of the fake smiles that she always does whenever she''s around everyone else. Just from a single nce, one could see that this particr smile was genuine. Despite the dangerous look in her eyes, it didn''t take away anything from the way her lips formed a curve that conveyed her joy.


    In fact, her actual smile waspletely different from her fake one to the point that Kiyotaka was left staring at her in wonder and amazement. It almost felt like he was seeing something that was meant for his eyes only.


    [''Kikyo''s Real Smile'' was added to the gallery!]


    The sound of a camera snapping a photo was able to snap the young man out of his little trance, as he looked at the newest notification he received, as well as the ''image'' of Kikyo smiling at him.


    Well, at least now... he can see that ''image'' whenever he wants to.


    "I won''t tell you today. Though... maybe when we''re alone, I will."


    "That''s fine with me."


    He could understand why. The girl probably needed time to sort this whole thing out. Plus, she already got caught in the act while she was out here...


    Another brief silence followed, because Kushida was trying to figure out what to say next. Ayanokouji now knew about her secret, and he promised not to tell anyone about it... so what happens now?


    "Are..." she frowned, before looking up at the young man. Kiyotaka noticed the conflicted expression on her face that was mixed with eyes of nervousness. "Are you really not going to tell anyone about this? This is yourst chance, Ayanokouji-kun. If you walk or run away now, I won''t stop you."


    "Friends don''t sell each other out, Kushida. What you are right now doesn''t change the fact that you''re one of my friends. And to be honest, I kind of prefer seeing you like this. No lies, just the real you."


    Kikyo''s eyes widened again, and this time a blush took over her cheeks as well. She was clearly affected by hisst statement that it made her turn away in order to hide her face from him.


    "S-Stop saying things like that!" she snapped.


    [Special Event ''What''s Hidden Underneath'' has been cleared! You gained 31 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    [Rtionship Status ''A Rocky Rtionship'' has been maxed! Rtionship Status with Kushida Kikyo has been upgraded to ''Lovey-Dovey Psycho''!]


    [Congrattions! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Level Up''! You gained +5 in all stats!]


    "So that''s what happens when I max out a girl''s ''route''..." Kiyotaka quickly read through all of the notifications that popped up and observed each one closely.


    If he had to be honest, he felt a little disappointed afterwards. For all the bullshit that he had gone through up until now, a change in their ''rtionship status'' was all that he received as a reward?


    How underwhelming.


    "Want to head to the dorms together, Ayanokouji-kun? I don''t really have anything else to do today," the girl asked, snapping him out of his thoughts again. She had switched into her ''angel'' persona, donning the fake smile that he was so used to seeing at this point.


    Kiyotaka nodded. "Lead the way."


    But, if nothing else, then the fact that Kikyo wasn''t angry with him despite knowing her secret was the reward. The system might have influenced her mind, but it still made him relieved that she didn''t react in a violent way or anything.


    It also felt like they had be closer than before, now that one was aware of the other''s true nature.

 Chapter 46 Act 8: Scene 5

    ?"I should have bought something from the convenience store before going home earlier."


    With a tired look on his face, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka walked through the grounds in search of the nearest store, as he felt his stomach grumbling in hunger.


    After the little encounter he had with Kikyo earlier this afternoon, the two headed to the dorms together. Surprisingly, nothing else happened on the way there and like what he had wished for, Kiyotaka was able to get an early rest despite the slight detour he had to take, and ended up sleeping for several hours undisturbed.


    However, it also caused him to wake up at about 8:42 in the evening with a hungry stomach, causing him to search for something to eat for his dinner.


    The poor guy only groaned to himself when he saw that he didn''t have any ingredients left, and his stock of instant ramen and microwavable bentos had all been consumed already. In other words, he would have to go out and buy something to eat.


    Luckily for him, he didn''t wake up in the middle of the night, so the convenience stores should still be open. It didn''t make his situation less of a hassle, though. It was still annoying to have to leave the dorms when the sun was already gone.


    Heh, if only the system could somehow bend reality to his favor again by teleporting him to the nearest store and letting him buy what he wanted for free. Unfortunately, it only activates whenever one of his heroines needs it, and nobody was with him right now.


    "I should buy some more ingredients in a few days. Just enough until the end of the month when the school distributes our points. Also have to remember to keep track of the food that I have everyday... before going to sleep, preferably," the young man thought.


    As much as possible, he didn''t want to do this again.


    Kiyotaka reached the convenience store a few minutester. After buying a couple of ready-to-eat meals, a few packets of instant ramen that would be enough for the next few days, and a can of soda, he immediately headed back to the dorms.


    However, before he could reach the entrance to the building, he saw two people who were standing there. He couldn''t recognize the tall one because he was facing the lights from the building, but he got a good look at the other person, and he was surprised to see that it was none other than his ck-haired ssmate who also happened to be his neighbor.


    "Horikita? What is she doing here?" he thought, raising an eyebrow in confusion at what he was seeing. "And who is she talking to?"


    Deciding to take a closer look but not wanting to attract attention, Kiyotaka quickly slipped through the nearest trees and hid himself from sight. Before he could fully pay attention to Suzune and the person whom she was speaking to, a pink screen appeared before him.


    [A Special Event has been Triggered!]


    As soon as he saw the notification, Kiyotaka crushed the can in his hand before punching the tree next to him. His punch was strong enough to the point that the impact caused a little crater afterwards. He was just lucky that it wasn''t heard by the two people not far from him.


    Just when he had thought that his suffering was done for the day, this happened.


    "This day just keeps on getting better..." he said in his mind sarcastically, as he threw his soda can to the nearest trash can before turning back to the scene with a sigh. "I wonder what''s the ''special event'' now... probably has something to do with Horikita since she''s here."


    "Suzune. I didn''t think you''d follow me this far," the mysterious person said.


    "I''m far different from the useless girl you once knew, Nii-sama. I came here to catch up to you."


    Horikita Manabu stared at his sister coldly. "Catch up to me, hmm?"


    Kiyotaka shifted his attention to the other person, now that he knew who it was. "So that''s her brother... I couldn''t recognize him at first because it''s too bright from here, but now it makes sense why Horikita would be here... however, what about him? Why is Horikita-senpai here exactly?"


    "I heard you were ced in ss D. How can you possibly ''catch up'' to me, when nothing has changed in thest three years. You''ve always been fixated on following me, and as a result you don''t notice your own ws. Choosing toe to this school was a mistake."


    Those words had a clear effect on Suzune by breaking down her outer defenses, but she tried to stayposed. "Y-You''re wrong about that. I''ll show you. I swear that I''ll reach ss A, then¡ª"


    "It''s pointless. You will never reach ss A. As a matter of fact, your ss will fall apart soon enough. Things at this school aren''t as simple as you think."


    "No. I will definitely, definitely reach¡ª"


    "And I told you, it''s pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister."


    Manabu stepped closer to her with no hint of emotion on his face. It''s like he was staring at something that he treated as nothing more than an inconvenience. He grabbed his younger sister by the wrist, the girl offering no resistance whatsoever, before pushing her against the wall.


    [''To Protect Her Smile'' has been Activated!]


    The young man didn''t pay attention to the new notification that just appeared, because his sole attention was directed towards Horikita Manabu and the fact that he cornered his younger sister as if she was an animal to be put in a cage.


    Kiyotaka was ready toe out of his hiding ce and save Suzune from whatever was about to happen, but he resisted the urge for now just to see where this would lead.


    "No matter how I try to avoid you, you always follow me around like a sick pup. However, the fact remains that you''re my little sister. If people around here learned the truth about you, I would be humiliated. Leave this school immediately."


    "I-I can''t do that... I''ll definitely reach ss A. I''ll show you!" the girl stubbornly replied.


    "How incredibly stupid. Do you want to relive the pain of the past?"


    "Nii-san..." was all that the girl could say at the moment.


    "You possess neither the abilities nor the qualities needed to reach ss A. Get that through your head. But I suppose I''ll just have to beat it into you."


    Manabu moved forward, as if about to act. The situation had changed so fast that Kiyotaka knew he had to be quick. He dropped the bag of food in his hand, leapt out of his hiding space, and immediately went after her brother.


    Within seconds he was already there, grabbing the older student''s arm, which he was about to use to hit his own sister.


    "What the...?" He stared at his arm and slowly turned to the brown-haired teen with a sharp gleam in his eye.


    "A-Ayanokouji-kun?!" Suzune cried out in surprise, as she wasn''t expecting to see her ssmate here.


    "You were about to throw your sister to the ground, weren''t you? You do realize the floor here is concrete, right? It may not be my business to pry, but I can''t stand around and watch you abuse my ssmate," he said coldly. Even Kiyotaka himself was surprised at the tone he used while talking to the older student.


    "Eavesdropping is not a quality that a student of this school should possess," Manabu retorted.


    "Fine. Then let go."


    "That''s my line."


    The two red at each other inplete silence.


    "Stop it, Ayanokouji-kun..." said Suzune, her voice strained. The girl had never sounded so defeated before, and it was something that Kiyotaka wasn''t used to.


    The young man stared at her for a moment, before releasing her brother just like what she wanted. In an instant, Manabu tried to backhand him in the face, which he barely managed to avoid. Manabu followed it up with a sharp kick, which he quickly evaded as well.


    "So close."


    Manabu looked slightly confused, before he extended his right arm, and opened his hand. Kiyotaka pped it away and went for a punch of his own, which Manabu blocked. He then retaliated with another punch, which Kiyotaka blocked as well and from there, they traded move after move which resulted in a stalemate every time.


    p was met with p, punch with punch, knee with knee, and kick with kick. Manabu was surprised to the point that he thought he was fighting aplete copy of himself, but didn''t lower his defenses one bit.


    Suzune only looked on with wide eyes as Kiyotaka and her brother matched each other blow for blow, with neither one gaining an edge. It was the first time that she had seen someone who was on the level of her older brother, and who would have thought that it would be her own neighbor?


    After catching a punch from the other at the same time, the two men stared at each other dangerously for a few moments, before finally separating.


    "You are immensely skilled. I did not expect you to fight well. Have you been taught?" asked Manabu.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Who knows?" replied Kiyotaka.


    "You''re in ss D too, if I''m not mistaken. What a unique boy, Suzune." Manabu turned to his sister with a look of interest. "Is he your friend? I''m honestly surprised."


    "He is..." Suzune turned away, a clear blush on her face. She was embarrassed about admitting such a thing in front of her brother.


    If the older boy was surprised, then he certainly didn''t show it on his face. "Hoh... this is truly surprising. Perhaps you might have some hope after all. However, the road to ss A is a difficult one. You must rely on everything that you have in order to seed."


    "I know that..."


    "And you, Ayanokouji-kun..." Manabu shifted his attention towards the younger student and walked towards him. Kiyotaka braced himself for a possible attack from him but all Manabu did was ce a hand on his shoulder and gave a small nod. "I approve."


    Kiyotaka tilted his head. "...huh?"


    Without saying anything more, the student council president walked past him and disappeared into the night, leaving Kiyotaka utterly confused on what he meant by thosest words he told him.


    "What did he say to you?" asked Suzune.


    "I have no idea," he replied, deciding not to tell her about it. Besides, he wasn''t lying about having no idea what the older Horikita just said to him.


    With Horikita Manabu gone, the night was silent once more. The ck-haired girl leaned against the wall, her head hanging low. Kiyotaka was about to invite her to walk back with him to their dorms, but Suzune spoke first.


    "Did you hear everything? Or was it just a coincidence that you were here?"


    "Uh, it was half coincidence, I''d say. I saw you when I bought some food from the convenience store. I just happened to walk into what was happening between you two. I really didn''t mean to meddle in your business, but I couldn''t let him hurt you."


    Suzune lowered her head again, as if she was thinking deeply about something. If one would look at her up close, they would see a small blush that dusted her cheeks out of embarrassment.


    After getting his bag of food from his hiding spot earlier, Kiyotaka approached the girl again. "Your older brother is really strong. He doesn''tck ferocity."


    "He''s ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in aikido," she told him.


    Kiyotaka was impressed by those two feats. "He was really strong, then. No wonder he was able to fight with such high intensity and a fast pace."


    "You also practice martial arts, don''t you, Ayanokouji-kun? You must hold the same rank as Nii-sama."


    Remembering that Suzune was there to watch him fight an experienced martial artist like Manabu, Kiyotaka realized that he would have to exin himself to her. Unfortunately, he was tired and not in the mood for such a thing.


    "Maybe I do," he shrugged.


    The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you keeping something hidden from me again? Just like the truth about your test scores?"


    "Hey, if anything, your brother''s hiding something from you," he said, shifting the topic of the conversation to her brother.


    She narrowed her eyes even more. "What are you saying?"


    "Remember the club fair? Nagumo-senpai said that he knew you because you''re Horikita-senpai''s little sister. However, he also said that he knew me even though we have never met before. How can that be possible? It''s because your brother mentioned who I am to the student council."


    "What are you getting at?"


    "Your brother was aware of me from the start. He knew who I was, yet he acted like this was the first time he had seen me," he revealed.


    Suzune''s eyes widened slightly. "But why would he do that?


    "That''s not what''s important. If you also remember, Nagumo-senpai also mentioned that your brother wanted to talk to you someday in the future. But I''m suppose you were too distracted by actually seeing him tonight that you forgot,"


    "Get to the point already," she snapped. Suzune was getting more impatient by the moment.


    "From what Nagumo-senpai said, I believe it''s quite obvious that this is what your brother meant when he said that he wanted to speak with you. However, it just wasn''t in the way that you may be hoping for. It''s about something else."


    "Something else? He said that I wasn''t capable of making it into ss A, and I will prove him wrong. It was quite clear what Nii-sama wanted to do," she argued.


    "It''s not just that. I believe this whole thing was a test."


    "A test? What do you mean?"


    "That''s not something for me to figure out," he shook his head. This whole issue was for Suzune to deal with, and he was just here to lend her a hand... just like what the system would want. "And I''m not even sure if I''m right. For now, you should simply focus on what your brother wanted.


    "O-Of course..." she replied, putting on a more determined look. Despite her brother''s attempt in talking down to her, she wasn''t going to let it hinder her. "I will reach ss A, one way or another."


    "I don''t know if you caught on to what he said, but his demeanor changed after he saw me. Before I showed up, he didn''t believe that you have what it takes to be in ss A. After I did, he changed his mind," he exined. "Your brother believes in you now, and you cannot let him down."


    "But I cannot do it alone," she shook her head slowly, before looking up at her ssmate. The girl had learned from her mistake and she won''t do it again. "You will help me... right, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    "Of course." A small smile appeared on his face as he offered her his hand. "We''re like partners at this point."


    Suzune returned his smile with one of her own and epted the handshake. "That doesn''t sound bad."


    As the two shook hands, two new notifications appeared in front of Kiyotaka, two of which that he was expecting to appear ever since earlier.


    [Special Event ''Finding Her Resolve'' has been cleared! You gained 41 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    [Rtionship Status ''Strange Friends'' has been maxed! Rtionship Status with Horikita Suzune has been upgraded to ''Partners-in-Crime''!]


    The young man sighed to himself.


    On one hand, this ''special event'' only seeded in making him even more tired than before, so much that he could feel his eyes about to drop. He might not have had to tutor Karuizawa and Sakura today, but his two encounters with Kushida and Horikita made him more tired than a study session at the library.


    On the other hand, Kiyotaka wondered how his rtionship with this girl will change from now on. He could already tell that Kikyo won''t be the same around him now that he had seen what she''s like under her mask, but Suzune was different. She had no mask to put up and her usual personality was cold andposed, even though she treats him differently than other people.


    As tiring as it would be, it''s interesting how she would act around him now that their rtionship had changed and they had grown even closer than before.


    In the not-so-far distance, Horikita Manabu watched the interaction between Kiyotaka and his sister while holding a camera in his hand, secretly recording the whole scene with a proud look on his face.


    Ever since he had seen the two walking together during the first day of sses, he had kept a close eye on them and witnessed how his sister slowly became a morepetent student and person while she was with Kiyotaka.


    Manabu had never been more proud of his sister before, and it was all thanks to a certain ssmate of hers. And now, after meeting Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in person, he had never been more sure of a suitable lover for his little sister in the future.


    "Well done, Suzune. I''m proud of you for choosing the most appropriate boy to be your future husband.," he thought, thinking of how his sister looks at Kiyotaka as if he was some kind of savior in her life. "You better not let go of him, especially when you have a lot of rivals, even if you may not know it yet."


    Let it be known that Horikita Manabu is the captain of the ''Suzune Route''.

 Chapter 47 Act 9: Scene 1

    ?"As a reminder to all of you, your midterm exams start in five days. I do hope that you have all learned your lesson about taking exams seriously. The mock exam that I gave youst month may have not been recorded, but it does show that almost all of you are ipetent when ites to your academics."


    Chabashira-sensei stood in front of her ss with her usual expression, exhibiting an aura of seriousness that basically told everyone there that she wasn''t ying around.


    The students of ss D couldn''t do anything but listen to her attentively. Not even the ss clowns in Ike and Yamauchi seemed like they were nning to mess around.


    "Remember, if you fail even one of your exams, you are expelled immediately. There are no make-up exams in this school, and pleading to your teachers for a second chance does not work. You''d do well to remember that."


    If her intention was to intimidate her students, then she seeded. The students who were aware of their own weaknesses in academics felt nervous, because they were reminded once again that one failed subject meant expulsion. Even those who were taking their studies seriously felt the jitters, because this was indeed no ordinary school.


    One failed test is all it takes for them to possibly end up on the next bus trip home.


    "That is all for today''s homeroom. Good luck in your next ss."


    After bowing her head, the brown-haired teacher left the room. Once she was gone, many students let out a collective sigh of relief that nothing bad happened. While the woman was as serious as she always was, all she did was make a statement.


    Chabashira-sensei ended their homeroom early, so they still had a bit of time to themselves before their next ss. Already, most of the students brought out either their books or notes and began to study some more.


    Even Sudo brought out a stack of papers which was a reviewer of sorts, before walking towards Onodera''s desk so they could study together.


    There were also students who were either too busy with something else, or they weren''t doing anything at all. It''s either they were already confident of their abilities to pass the exams, or they werepletely hopeless.


    Two of these students included a certain duo who were humbled about a week ago by a certain ''Masterpiece''.


    "Maaaaaan, I''m gonna die... I need a break from all this studying!"


    "Same... if only I had a girlfriend who''d put my head on herp and give me lots offort..."


    Ike and Yamauchi had all but copsed on top of their desks, with defeated looks on their faces. They looked tired beyond belief, even though the day had only just begun.


    "Would you two take this seriously? It''s not like you''ve been studying as hard as everyone else. But look at them, they don''t even look tired."


    Shinohara approached the two with an annoyed look on her face. As much as she hated it, she was stuck with them for several weeks because they were in the same study group. Oh, and she was neighbors with one of the idiots too.


    "Listen, ugly. I don''t normally study, so I''m not like everyone else here who''s a freak of nature." Even though half of his face was practically stuck to his desk, Ike still managed to re at the girl. "Seriously, how are they not tired after all of that?"


    In their defense, they were like this because they had been studying... out of fear of a certain person, of course. It''s not like they would actually study on their own.


    It didn''t excuse their behavior, though. Nearly all of their ssmates have been studying for weeks in preparation for their exams, and none of them looked like they were about to copse out of exhaustion.


    "You''re hopeless," Shinohara spoke as she pulled out a hanky and wiped the drool that was trailing out of Ike''s mouth, something that surprised the boy greatly. It''s like this was something that she was so used to seeing by now, and simply wanted to get it over with.


    "I didn''t ask you to do that, ugly!"


    Despite his clear dislike for the blue-haired girl, Satsuki was and still is a young woman who waspletely single. It also looked like there wasn''t anyone else in their ss who had the hots for her. Because of this, Kanji suddenly sprung up in his seat, straightening his position so that it seemed like he was never tired in the first ce. A blush began to form on his face out of embarrassment.


    "No, but it''s not like you will! If you make Kushida-san sad again while we''re studying, then I''ll make sure to hit you where the sun doesn''t shine!"


    The girl scowled at him and went back to her seat as if nothing happened, with Ike staring at her dumbfoundedly the entire time.


    "Tch... who the hell does she think she is?" he scoffed as he tried to hide the rising color in his cheeks. Unfortunately, embarrassment was easily winning over his attempt in denying what he really felt. "Ugh, why did she have to be my neighbor? I''d take anyone else over her!"


    Yamauchi sat up as well, miraculously recovering from exhaustion as if he was an anime character. "Hey, at least you''re lucky that you''re neighbors with a girl. I''m so jealous, honestly."


    "If you were in my position, you wouldn''t say that. She''s a pain in the ass to deal with... even in studying," grumbled Ike.


    Yamauchi then remembered that they had yet another study sessionter in the afternoon, which just made things worse. Fortunately, a bright idea then popped up into his Yama-brain, something that he was certain would work.


    "Then why don''t we just pretend we''re sick today? Kushida-chan''s gonna understand if we''re feeling weak, right?"


    Ike''s eyes widened at his friend''s suggestion as he thought about that n of action. He was immediately enamored with that idea upon realizing that it could give them a chance to rest their minds and bodies for whatever time they had left for the day.


    "Yamauchi, you''re a genius! I''m sure Kushida-chan will be fine if we''re gone for a day or two! There''s still time before the exams, right?"


    "Yeah! Let''s talk to herter!"


    As the two agreed to set their n in motionter on, they suddenly felt a chill run down their spines, as if someone was sending out killing intent towards them in the distance.


    They slowly turned their heads to the direction of where they felt it, and they could only gulp nervously at seeing Ayanokouji staring at them. He may look like he didn''t care on the outside, but they could tell that there was growing anger in his eyes, causing the two friends to instantly regret what they just did.


    It''s as if his gaze alone was telling them, "Try it. I dare you."


    "Uh, on second thought... bad idea! Let''s not do that!"


    "Y-Y-Yeah, we can still study! A good lunch is all we need to feel better, nothing more!"


    Yamauchi and Ike sputtered nervously, and the two heaved a sigh of relief as the death re sent towards them disappeared. They remainedpletely quiet from there, as they feared that something bad would happen again if they continued...


    Meanwhile, from where he was sitting, Kiyotaka shook his head in slight disappointment. He had thought that the two idiots would have learned their lesson afterst week, but it seems that old habits die hard.


    "Ayanokouji-kun," he heard a voice call out to him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What?"


    The young man turned his head to look at Suzune, who rested her elbows on top of her desk and sped her hands together, before breathing into them.


    "Do you believe all of us can pass the midterm exams? I want you to consider everyone in this ss in your answer."


    He raised an eyebrow at the weird question, but quickly thought of an answer right away.


    "I believe so," he answered honestly. "They know the consequences of failing now, and a lot of them have been humbled after losing almost all of the points that we were supposed to receive this month. I''m certain that all of them wouldn''t want to know what it feels like to receive no points at all in the next month."


    "Do you think that they have the mental capability to pass their exams, though?"


    Ah, so that''s what this was about. She was worried about everyone''s performance at the uing midterm exams. It was quite a surprising sight to see her being worried, though. With how calm andposed she is most of the time, one would never be able to tell that she felt worried.


    "I understand your worry, but you should have faith in your ssmates, Horikita. The human mind has almost no limitations when one exerts a lot of effort in a particr goal. You also underestimate Hirata''s skill in uniting the ss. Ever since he took over and asked everyone to cooperate in studying, all of them agreed to participate."


    "I am not underestimating Hirata-kun," she shook her head. "It''s as you said before that. I am indeed a little worried that some of our ssmates won''t be able to pass our exams, despite all of their efforts put into studying. After all, it''s entirely possible for a student to fail their exams even if they have studied hard."


    "Your worries will only make everything worse, you know. I think everyone''s doing their best to make sure they don''t fail, even those two perverts."


    Suzune turned to him with a frown. "And how do you expect to remedy my worries when it''s possible for it to happen? By praying and hoping for a miracle?"


    Kiyotaka was about to answer her, only for a new voice to cut into their conversation.


    "Ayanokouji-kun!"


    The two turned their heads to see Kikyo skipping over towards them with a big smile on her face. She looked considerably happier than before for some reason, and Kiyotaka knew why...


    "Do you want to eat lunch together?" she asked him.


    "Is that really a question you should be asking?" he asked her in return. They already eat together for lunch on a regr basis. Inviting each other for lunch was ridiculous at this point.


    "N-No, I didn''t mean that," Kikyo chuckled in embarrassment. "I meant... do you want to eat lunch with me? Alone, that is."


    He raised an eyebrow curiously. Perhaps she wanted to talk about what happened yesterday, but it could also be about something else. "Is there any reason why we shouldn''t include Horikita? Do you need to talk to me about something?"


    "I''m sure Horikita-san is going to be busy with something, so I figured I should ask you before you think of eating alone or anything."


    "She''s right, Ayanokouji-kun. You two can have lunch without me," the ck-haired girl agreed. "I will be busy during lunch, anyway."


    Kiyotaka turned towards Suzune. "Busy with what?"


    "Tutoring our ssmates who are part of my study group. I''ve told them that we''ll be having an impromptu sessionter on during lunch to maximize our time. Our exams are next week, so they have to exert more effort in their studies."


    "I wonder how you convinced them, Horikita-san. You basically told them to give up their lunchtime in favor of studying," Kikyo sweat-dropped.


    "I simply told them that they can eat while we are studying, provided that they stay focused on the topics that we will go over."


    "Good luck with that, I suppose..." Kiyotaka muttered, a bit worried for the girl about how that might go downter on. She might snap at one of their ssmates for prioritizing their lunch over studies, which would then lead to a major problem and so on.


    "Thank you," said Suzune, as she released a sigh of relief. "While I am confident in my abilities, I feel that it would be a challenge to teach our ssmates during our lunch break."


    Both Kiyotaka and Kikyo were taken aback at her demeanor. Was Suzune actually doubting herself? The girl who saw herself as someone superior over everyone?


    "That''s a big change from the Horikita that I met at the bus," the young man thought to himself in awe. This also meant that she wouldn''t scold anyone about eating food instead of reading their notes. "Are you saying that you can''t do it?"


    "That''s not what I mean. I do understand that our lunch break is intended for eating lunch, and it may hinder our ssmates'' focus. It may also cause them toin about our arrangement and lead to conflict, which is something that I wish to avoid as much as possible."


    Kiyotaka nodded in understanding. He could definitely understand why she felt that way. If it was up to him, he wouldn''t tell Kei or Airi that they will be utilizing their lunch break for studying.


    But s, it was Suzune''s group and he wasn''t in charge of them and so far, she was doing a good job of being a tutor towards them. That in itself was surprising, because Ken was a part of her group but then again, it''s due to Kayano''s presence that he''s being an obedient student who''s willing to give his all in his studies.


    "Horikita-san, nothing bad is going to happen if you just talk to our ssmates," Kikyo spoke up. "I know you don''t really like being friends with everyone, and you don''t have to be. Having a normal talk with our ssmates is all that you need to do."


    Suzune stared at her for a brief moment, before thinking about what her friend just said. There was certainly some merit in her words. It''s true that she wasn''t fond of the idea of being friends with every single one of her ssmates, but it wasn''t really a requirement in talking to them.


    Furthermore, it''s not like she had trouble speaking with other people. She only chooses not to if it''s not required of her to do so. She could definitely talk to the students that she''s currently helping if something bad happens.


    "Perhaps... perhaps you''re right, Kushida-san. I''ll be sure to follow your words should something happenter on. Thank you."


    Suzune bowed her head slightly in thanks, while Kikyo returned it with a bright smile.


    "You''re wee, Horikita-san! That''s what friends are for, right?"


    Kiyotaka just stared at Kikyo after she said those words, wondering if she really meant it or she was just putting up an act. After all, it was not a secret to him anymore that the beige-haired girl bore an intense hatred for Suzune, although he had no idea why.


    But maybe... he''ll be able to find outter on.

 Chapter 48 Act 9: Scene 2

    ?Kiyotaka knew that he shouldn''t be surprised by now since he saw thising but still, it felt a bit weird that Kikyo asked if they could lunch together with no one else around. It felt even weirder now that it actually happened.


    They were currently at one of the tables, going through their respective food with no one else around. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to them because everyone else seemed too busy with their food or studying for the uing midterms. It''s strange, though... nobody seems to notice it when he''s eating with girls... probably the work of the system.


    And as far as he knew, Kikyo liked sitting with other people, most likely to spread her influence by putting on her best ''angel'' act and making everyone believe in her kindness. But here she was, willingly spending lunch with him alone.


    "There''s gotta be a catch to this," Kiyotaka thought, before turning his attention to hispanion. "I''m surprised. Don''t you hate Horikita? You seemed happy when you helped her out earlier."


    "Don''t tell me you were fooled by that," she snapped, dropping her mask as an annoyed expression took over her features. "Ugh, as if I would be happy helping out that bitch. I just wanted her to leave already."


    The young man was a bit surprised at her answer, but quickly understood why she said those words. Since he was now aware of who she was under her fake mask, Kushida must have realized that there''s no reason for her to continue with the act in front of him. Still, it was bold of her to just switch into her real self while they were here in a public ce... did she not care about being caught by other people?


    "It''s not like you could have made her leave as well. We''re seatmates, remember?" He pointed out the w in her argument.


    Kikyo rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, can we just move on from that bitch already? I didn''t invite you to eat lunch with me just to talk about her the entire time."


    "Okay, okay..." Finally, he would get some answers. Whatever this was about, it''s surely connected to events of the previous day. Who knows? Kikyo might tell him the reason why she hated Suzune, even though he already knew due to the system. "Why did you want to eat with me then?"


    "Do you like Horikita, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    "I thought we weren''t going to talk about her?" he deadpanned, giving the girl a nk stare as though he was expecting this to be a joke question. However, Kikyo only stared right back at him and patiently waited for an answer from his mouth.


    Kiyotaka sighed to himself. The moment Kikyo asked him if he liked Suzune, he already had a feeling on where this conversation would lead to, and it wasn''t a good one. From how their ''rtionship status'' changed after he maxed out her route yesterday, it was quite clear that she had fallen for him even more now.


    It''s just how dating simtors worked.


    And now, Kushida asking him this question only means that she had taken notice of his rtionship with Horikita and didn''t like it. It''s likely that she''ll want him to choose between the two of them on who he likes more, and he could only hope that it doesn''t reach that point because he doesn''t know what to answer her, unless the system provides him with the three choices to choose from.


    He needed to be careful from here on out. One wrong answer could likely end up spelling trouble in all capital letters for him...


    "Of course I do. She''s my friend, so that automatically means I like her," Kiyotaka nodded.


    Kikyo giggled at his response before shaking her head in amusement. "Come on, Ayanokouji-kun. You know that''s not what I mean."


    "I''m afraid I have no idea what you''re talking about, Kushida," he replied, feigning ignorance.


    "Do you really think you''re fooling anyone, Ayanokouji-kun?" she smirked. "I''m not like Horikita, you know. I''ve seen the signs that you keep on showing, and you''re not subtle at all with them."


    "Enlighten me?" the young man asked, continuing to y dumb.


    Kikyo felt a little annoyed that he was insisting on acting dense, but she couldn''t exactly get him to talk. Plus, she didn''t want to make a scene in the cafeteria. However, she quickly figured that it would be more amusing to see Kiyotaka''s reaction to being caught red-handed. His expression may not change, but it''ll still be funny when he no longer has any excuse to give. And so, she continued on.


    "For one, she''s the person who you''re with literally all the time. I don''t think I''ve seen a day where you two aren''t together."


    "Isn''t it natural for friends to spend time with each other?"


    "Aren''t we friends too? Is Matsushita-san not your friend? Karuizawa-san? Sakura-san?"


    "Why are you bringing them up?"


    "I''m just pointing out how you treat Horikita-san better than the rest of us," she shrugged. "From what I''ve seen, she gets special treatmentpared to me or any other girl. It honestly makes me mad."


    Kiyotaka knew that he was on thin ice now, after Kikyo practically admitted that she''s jealous of Suzune. "borate how exactly I treat her better."


    She gave him a deadpan look. "Ayanokouji-kun, don''t tell me that you''re really dense? You literally do everything that she asks you to do and she treats you better than how she treats other people. I''ve also seen you tease her from time to time."


    Hearing all these things from a third party caused the ''Masterpiece'' to think about this more deeply. His mind went back to all the times that he and Suzune were together, as he wondered if he really does follow her every order. Obviously he didn''t, but there were also times where he simply gave in to what she wanted. It was already a given that she treated him differentlypared to other people, but he wasn''t aware of his own actions towards her.


    Does he really treat Suzune better than all the other heroines he has met so far?


    "From the moment I saw the both of you for the first time, I was surprised that you seemed close because I have never seen Horikita being friendly to other people."


    "Those are good points, but I fail to see how¡ª"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Do you want me to remind you of what you said to us during our first swimming ss? I remembered that you wereplimenting our¡ª"


    "Okay, stop. You don''t need to bring that up," he cut her off. Kiyotaka didn''t want to relive that embarrassing memory and wished he could forget it. Of course, that was only directed towards the moment when heplimented them. Deep down, as much as he wanted to hide it, he didn''t want to forget the sight of those girls wearing the school swimsuits...


    Kikyo gave him a smug smile, knowing that she had won.


    "I thought you''re supposed to help me in situations like this, so why aren''t you helping me?" Kiyotakained about the system in his mind, as he sighed in defeat. He had run out of excuses, so it''s not like he could deny the girl''s ims any further.


    So much for having a broken superpower, when it can''t even help him handle a girl.


    "I suppose I am interested in her, but so what? I''m not really nning on asking her out, and Horikita doesn''t even look like she''s interested in romantic rtionships. She''s more fixated on her goal to reach ss A."


    "There we go," Kikyo smiled in satisfaction. She rested her elbows on the table and cupped her cheeks with both hands in a cute pose. "At the very least, Ayanokouji-kun knows that Horikita-san isn''t interested in things like those... because all she cares about is herself."


    He raised an eyebrow in confusion. Up until now, Kushida wanted to make him admit that he liked Horikita, only to insult her after all of that by saying she was self-centered? What exactly was she nning?


    "What point are you trying to make here, anyway?" he asked.


    "Because, Ayanokouji-kun..." the girl smiled eerily. "I want you to choose."


    "Choose?"


    "Between me and Horikita. Who do you like more?"


    Well, it looked like his suspicion was right. Kushida does want him to choose between Horikita and her. A ssic scenario that one could find in any anime or dating simtor out there.


    Yep, gotta be careful of what he says. This girl is like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any second, especially if he says the wrong thing and end up making her mad.


    Kiyotaka groaned internally. What a shame that things had to turn out this way.


    "I''m sorry, but if you''re expecting an answer from me, then you aren''t going to get any."


    "Is that so? Is it because you don''t like me?" asked Kikyo, her smile bing strained.


    He quickly made up an answer before the girl could blow up in rage. "Don''t assume things. If I didn''t like you, then I wouldn''t have gone as far as to help you befriend Horikita, even though you hate her for some reason."


    "Then why can''t you¡ª"


    "I simply can''t choose, so please stop asking me to, Kushida."


    "What do you even like about that bitch, anyway? You said it yourself, she''s not interested in things like romance," she scoffed.


    "Tell that to the system. I''m sure it''ll get her to care somehow," he said in his mind. "I believe I''ve already revealed enough of my secrets to you, Kushida. You haven''t even told me why you hate Horikita, you know."


    "Tch," she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "What''s wrong with my question? I was just asking what you liked about Horikita. It wasn''t anything serious. All she''s got is that brain of hers and being good at a lot of things. She doesn''t care about other people and she thinks that she''s the best. That''s what pisses me off about her. Of course, you wouldn''t know about that since she treats you differently..."


    "I know that she''s like that," he told her, surprising the girl. "She didn''t treat me ''differently'' from the start, you know. We didn''t start off as friends right off the bat."


    It''s true, though. Horikita was rather cold to him at first, and only lightened up when he made the right choice on what to say to her during their first interaction. From there, he had no idea how he did it, but he continued their conversation and even managed to gain her interest. However, it wasn''t until that impromptu not-a-date he had with the girl that she truly started treating him differently.


    "Then why can''t you choose me? I''m way¡ª" Kikyo gritted her teeth in frustration, before a sudden idea struck her mind. "Don''t tell me... you actually have your eyes set on someone else this whole time? Which one is it? Sakura? Karuizawa? Matsushita?"


    "None of them," he deadpanned, wondering where she even got that idea.


    "Is it someone outside of this school then?"


    He sighed and shook his head. Kushida was just making things up at this point. "I don''t know any other female outside of this school other than Nanase."


    It was right after he said those words that Ayanokouji realized he just made a terrible mistake and quickly thought of something to follow up his words. However, he was toote as the name had already registered inside Kushida''s mind.


    "Who is this ''Nanase''?" she asked him, a dark look looming over her face.

 Chapter 49 Act 9: Scene 3

    ?Kiyotaka hoped that his next words could calm her down. "Oh, she''s a friend who regrlyes over to my house."


    "Shees over to your house?" she red even harder at him. Unfortunately, it appears that what he said didn''t seem to help her calm down at all. If anything, it only made her angrier. "It sounds like you''re close with this girl..."


    "Where''s the system when you need it?" he rolled his eyes internally.


    Despite his ''sess'' with his heroines, he was still a socially awkward teenager who had little to no experience with conversations like this. If only his superpower provided him with the three choices at a time like this, the situation wouldn''t spiral out of control and Kushida wouldn''t blow up...


    "She doesn''te over because of me. It''s because her best friend lives in the same house," he sighed.


    Kikyo continued to narrow her eyes at him, having a feeling in her gut that there''s something that Kiyotaka was hiding from her. She felt that there was more to this ''Nanase'' girl than what he''s saying.


    "Tell me more about this ''Nanase''," she demanded, wanting to know about this new ''rival'' as much as she could.


    The first thought Kiyotaka had was to refuse her but thought better of it. If he bes defensive, then the girl''s response would definitely be unpleasant, and who knows how the system would take it?


    "She''s a year younger than me, and she''s best friends with the son of the man who took me in."


    "And what do you think of her?"


    "She''s not badpany, that''s for sure. The questions she''d ask at every turn can be too much because she gets curious easily, but it didn''t really bother me. She also helps out with household chores even though she doesn''t live there. And even though I''ve only known her for about a month, I already see her as someone that I have to look after."


    After giving her his answer, Kiyotaka noticed that Kikyo was staring at him in surprise, as realization slowly struck him.


    "That wasn''t what I had in mind. Why did I say those words?" Kiyotaka asked himself in confusion.


    For some reason, he felt that it wasn''t the system dictating his actions this time. It''s more like he himself had those thoughts in mind the whole time, and he intended to say those words the moment Kikyo asked him that question about Tsubasa.


    "Do I really feel that way towards her?" he mused.


    Huh. Who knew that his own thought process could interest him like this? Although it may be likely that the system caused him to be this way and it''s not really a conscious change.


    In other words, Kiyotaka is indeed going insane... kidding.


    [You have gained 20 Affection Points with Nanase Tsubasa!]


    [You raised Affection Points despite being far away from a designated heroine! You gained +2 in Aura!]


    His eyes widened for a quick second after seeing that notification, before putting on his usual expression once again. It didn''t stop him from feeling surprised, though, because this was something that never happened before.


    "Seriously? Even though we''re far apart?" he asked himself as he stared at the notification regarding Nanase.


    You know what, he really shouldn''t be surprised by the system at this point. Of course it would be capable of increasing Affection Points with his heroines even if they''re not nearby. The moment he talked about Nanase, it was already guaranteed that...


    ~XoX~


    "Achoo!" Tsubasa sneezed while she was heading to her ssroom. "Was someone talking about me?"


    The girl shrugged and continued on walking, as she thought of her senpai whom she had to bid farewell to about two months ago. It definitely felt different whenever she went to Eiichiro''s house nowadays because he wasn''t there anymore, but it''s nothing she couldn''t handle.


    It was only a temporary goodbye, anyway. It''s not like she won''t see him again, because she''ll be going to the same high school as him after she''s done with middle school.


    And then, all of a sudden, a smile made its way to her face as she felt a wave of immense joy filling her up.


    Tsubasa wondered why she couldn''t stop smiling right now, when she was only thinking about Kiyotaka who must be busy at this very moment.


    "Senpai..." she mumbled to herself.


    Yeah, she definitely felt happy and oddly jealous as well for some reason.


    Of course, since she had no idea what jealousy felt like, Tsubasa didn''t notice it. All that mattered to the young girl was the growing joy inside of her.


    ~XoX~


    "You seem to think of her as someone more than a friend..." Kikyo grumbled, realizing that there might be someone who''s a bigger threat to her than Suzune herself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well, of course I do. She''s my kouhai. Naturally, I have to look after her because it''s my duty as her senpai," he said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, only for him to realize what he did. "I did it again... where did thate from? Am I doing that unconsciously?"


    Just as Kikyo was about to ask him another question, the voices of some other students from a nearby table caught their attention because it looked like it involved their ss...


    "Hey, could you guys be ss D students, by chance?"


    A group of boys gathered around the table where Horikita and her study group were seated. Almost immediately, Sudo didn''t like their presence but hid his growing anger behind a simple frown.


    "So what? Do you have a problem with that?"


    "No, no, there''s no problem. I''m Yamawaki, from ss C. Nice to meet you," The student named Yamawaki chuckled. "I have to say, I''m d that they separate the sses in this school by ability. That way I don''t have to study with losers like you."


    "The hell you say?" Sudo''s anger red. He was just about to stand up only for Onodera to grab him by his shoulder and keep him in his seat.


    "Don''t get mad. I only told the truth. I wonder... if we happened to fight, how many points would you lose? Oh wait, you guys have so little points left, don''t you? In that case, you''d be left with nothing."


    The red-haired teen red at him for a moment, before clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Tch. You''re not worth it."


    While Onodera smiled proudly at his moment of maturity, his other ssmates were surprised that he didn''tsh out in anger which would have been his expected reaction. However, this was good because if he picked a fight with these students, then there would surely be consequences.


    "Really? Sounds to me that you''re just scared," Yamawaki taunted.


    It wasn''t Sudo who spoke next, but rather Horikita.


    "You''re right. We don''t know how many points we''ll lose if that happens. Sudo-kun may even be expelled as a worst-case scenario. I don''t particrly mind that you''re bad-mouthing us, but you''re in ss C, correct? I don''t think there''s something that you should be bragging about," she said.


    Yamawaki continued to sh a mocking smile. "There were just errors of calction in cing ss C and A. But you guys in D are on apletely different level."


    "That''s quite an inconsistent standard of measurement. The way I see it, everyone outside of ss A is lumped together, including you."


    Yamawaki stoppedughing and now red at Horikita.


    "You know, for a defective student, you''re pretty sassy, aren''t you? Did you think you could say whatever you like just because you have a cute face?"


    Suzune took a sip from her cup of tea. "Thank you for your desperate and irrelevant statement. I was never concerned about my appearance much, but after being praised by you, I must say I feel rather ufortable."


    "Tch!" Yamawaki wasted no time and stomped over towards their table. Sudo was ready to stand up and defend his ssmates should something happen, but Yamawaki''s ssmates quickly pulled him back before something could happen.


    "Hey, you''re letting them get to you. If we''re the ones who start fighting, then word will get around and we''ll be the ones in trouble."


    Yamawaki contemted his actions for a moment, before he stopped in what he was about to do. Instead, he went back to mocking the students of ss D.


    "You do know that you''ll be expelled if you fail the next test, right? I''m looking forward to seeing how many of you get kicked out," he grinned smugly.


    Suzune looked as disinterested as ever. "Unfortunately for you, no one from ss D will be expelled. Before you worry about us, though, perhaps you should worry about your own ss. You are clearly wasting your time here."


    "Hahaha! Us, fail? Don''t joke around," one of the other ss C students joined in on the fun.


    "We''re not studying just to avoid failing. We''re studying so we can improve our test scores. Don''t lump us together with failures like you," Yamawaki added.


    "Says the guy who''d rather run his mouth than open a book," Ken snickered.


    Yamawaki grimaced, as he didn''t take kindly to that insult. "Why don''t you put your money where your mouth is? I bet you can''t even get a passing grade in the exams! Let''s have a bet with our points, unless you''re too scared about getting a failing grade!"


    The red-haired student from ss D only rolled his eyes and went back to eating his lunch. Now he understood why Kayano stopped him from picking a fight with these guys. "You''re pathetic."


    Not only Yamawaki, but the rest of his ssmates from ss C all felt insulted from that and in that moment, they momentarily forgot all about keeping theirposure so that they don''t cause trouble and draw attention towards them. In that moment, all that mattered to them was making the red-haired punk from ss D pay for what he said and remind him that he was the defect around here...


    "Okay, that''s enough. Stop right there!"


    ...until the voice of a female student shouted at them, stopping Yamawaki and his ssmates in their tracks.

 Chapter 50 Act 9: Scene 4

    ?"What? This doesn''t involve you. Stay out of it," he said, turning to face the girl who just showed up.


    Ichinose Honami tilted her head curiously. "Doesn''t involve me? Me and my ssmates were having lunch at the next table and you were being loud, so it does involve me. And now I see that you have something else in mind. If you want to get violent, might I suggest that you do so outside?"


    In response to the blonde beauty''s not-so-subtle threat, Yamawaki and his ssmates took a few steps back.


    "Besides, aren''t you provoking him into fighting you? If this continues, I''d have to report it to the school. Do you want that?"


    "S-Sorry. We don''t want that, Ichinose," Yamawaki said as his ssmates all nodded furiously.


    Suzune and her group stared at Honami, all all having varied reactions to the girl''s sudden appearance. While a lot of them knew who she was (even though not personally), Suzune herself didn''t know who the girl was and wondered if she was here for another reason other than to make these nuisances go away.


    "Come on, let''s go. It''s not a good idea to be here with Ichinose around."


    "Yeah."


    With thosest words, Yamawaki and his group walked away, leaving Honami with the rest of the ss D students.


    "Thanks for getting rid of them, Ichinose-san!" said Nishimura. "They were getting really annoying!"


    Honami turned to her and smiled warmly. "It''s not a problem! I was getting annoyed by how loud they were too."


    "Sent them running with their tails behind them too, Ichinose-san!" Onodera added while pumping her fist in the air.


    Sudo turned to her in surprise. He didn''t know who this new girl was and he had never seen her in their ssroom before, so she must be from another ss. He didn''t think Onodera would know about her, though.


    "You know her?"


    "I''m surprised you don''t!" Kayano sent him a dumbfounded look, surprised that her friend didn''t know who the blonde girl was. "Ichinose-san is one of the most popr students in our year. Almost everyone in our ss knows her."


    Ken raised an eyebrow, feeling skeptical. "Really? This is literally the first time I''ve heard of her, though."


    "That''s because basketball is the only thing on your mind 24/7. Seriously, if I wasn''t here, then I don''t know how you could handle studying with everyone," Kayano snickered.


    The red-haired teen frowned. "Oi. Basketball''s not the only thing on my mind, you know."


    "Oh, I''m sorry. Basketball and swimming," she winked.


    "Very funny..." Ken rolled his eyes, but there was also a hint of a smile on his face.


    While everyone else in her study group greeted the blonde girl who came unexpectedly and helped them to get rid of the ss C students who tried to antagonize them, Suzune only stared at her. It''s as if she was trying to get a first impression on the girl based on appearance alone.


    "Your name is Ichinose?" Suzune finally spoke after closely observing the blonde student.


    Honami turned her attention towards the ck-haired girl and smiled. "That''s me!"


    "What ss are you from?"


    "Oh, I''m from ss B."


    "ss B? Interesting," Suzune was surprised that a student from ss B would go as far as to help their ss with a few idiots, although she did say that she felt annoyed by them as well.


    The leader of ss B then donned a look of realization, as she looked at the whole group with wide eyes. "Wait, you guys are all in ss D, right?"


    "We are. Why do you ask?"


    "Then that means you''re ssmates with Ayanokouji-kun!"


    Suzune raised an eyebrow curiously. As far as she knew, Kiyotaka wasn''t the type of person to go out and befriend other people, especially someone from another ss. And yet, this Ichinose Honami seems to know him. Was he actually forming connections with other people now?


    "How do you know Ayanokouji-kun?"


    "We met a few weeks ago," she casually revealed before walking past them in search of Kiyotaka. It didn''t take her long to see him at another table nearby and as soon as she did, Honami waved her arm in greeting. "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. It''s been a while."


    "Indeed it has," he responded with a nod as Honami walked over to where he was.


    On the outside, he looked perfectly calm. On the inside, Kiyotaka was just about ready to leave and hide himself in his room for the rest of the day.


    As if things weren''t bad enough.


    He was already dealing with Kushida and her jealousy towards a certain ck-haired ssmate of theirs, and now herees another problem in the form of Ichinose. No, he didn''t have a problem with the girl herself. It''s because her presence will inevitably lead to more problems, because Kushida will no doubt be jealous of her too.


    Honami took a step closer towards him. "Have you studied for the midterm exams? They''re happening next week and I''m a bit nervous about them, honestly..."


    "I''m actually helping two of my ssmates with their studying. So you could say we''re studying together."


    "Oh, you''re acting as a tutor to them?"


    He nodded, earning another smile from Honami.


    "That''s amazing. You must be really good at academics, then!" she praised him, causing Kiyotaka to feel a bit awkward.


    "Not really. I don''t even know if my teaching methods are effective," he averted his gaze to the side while rubbing the back of his neck.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You''re being too hard on yourself. I''m sure that whoever you''re teaching, they''re learning lots of things from you!"


    And then, out of nowhere, a smirk formed on his face as he shifted his gaze back to the blonde beauty. "Well, maybe if you keep on encouraging me like this, I could seed."


    "You don''t need me to seed, silly. Just be confident in yourself," she reassured him. "And even if I did try to encourage you, it''ll only be during lunch breaks or whenever we meet since we''re not ssmates."


    His smirk widened. "Then maybe you cane to my room sometime. You can ''encourage'' me as much as you want when we''re alone."


    The girl''s eyes widened, and a blush started forming on her face. At first nce, it may seem that Ichinose Honami was someone who''s oblivious to romance, but that was far from the truth. Honami was well aware of things like romance and love, it''s just that she hasn''t experienced it before.


    And from her own understanding of ''love'', what Kiyotaka did just now was a clear attempt at flirting.


    "W-What...?"


    It was only after Honami said that in a flustered tone that Kiyotaka realized what he said. What he had done a while ago when he talked about Nanase, he did it yet again.


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Ichinose Honami!]


    "I did it again. I''m definitely doing it unconsciously," he sighed in exasperation.


    If only there was a nearby wall he could bang his head into repeatedly. Never mind if he dies as a result. As a matter of fact, he was very tempted to stand up from the table and do it himself.


    Then again, even if he dies from killing himself, the system might alter reality to make it seem that it never happened, or it just revives him. Either way, he had a good feeling that even death won''t save him from this whole game that''s surely nothing more than entertainment for whatever deity up there that gave him this broken superpower.


    Turning his attention back to Ichinose, he quickly noticed that she was left with a flustered look, prompting him to speak up before things spiral out of control even further. "I''m only joking," he quickly said before things could turn south.


    Those words were enough to calm her down at least, but it didn''t make her forget what he said before that, so her face retained its red hue for now.


    "S-Sure..." the girl muttered while looking away. She took a few deep breaths afterwards in an effort to calm her heart that began pounding madly in her chest. "Calm down, calm down, it was only a joke..."


    "Uhm, excuse me. You''re kind of interrupting us?"


    A sweet voice then caught Ichinose''s attention, making her turn towards the other person who was sitting with Ayanokouji at the same table.


    "Oh! I didn''t know you were having a talk. My apologies," she said in an rmed tone, before turning towards Kiyotaka with a forced smile on her face. "I-I''ll see you next time then, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    With that, the blonde beauty walked away and hurried back to her table with her fellow ss B students, leaving Ayanokouji and Kushida all alone again. The young man was quick to send a knowing look at his ssmate, because it was clear that she did that on purpose.


    Speaking of which, Kushida had a cute smile on her face but on the inside, she was fuming. She had no problems with Ichinose before, but this girl was definitely on her shit-list now. How dare she walk up to their table and interrupt her little lunch date with Ayanokouji-kun?! And to make matters worse, Ichinose ignored her presence at first and didn''t notice her until she said something!


    And now there was a big chance of her bing yet another rival... this makes things even harder than before. Suzune was already a big threat because she was closer to Kiyotaka than her, and if Honami gets added to the mix... oh, boy.


    She could only hope that the same doesn''t happen for Matsushita, Karuizawa, and Sakura. As far as she was concerned, those three were only on friendly terms with Ayanokouji. None of them showed any signs of romantic affection... Matsushita liked to tease and have a goodugh, Karuizawa stated many times that she had no intention of being in a rtionship, and Sakura was simply too shy to even think of romance.


    "You did not have to do that, you know?" said Kiyotaka, snapping the girl out of her thoughts.


    Kikyo threw him an annoyed look. "If I didn''t, she wouldn''t have left."


    "That was still rude of you."


    "Would you have preferred it if I told her to get lost and never show her face again?" she asked, switching to her mask for a brief moment.


    Kiyotaka couldn''t answer for a few seconds, as he contemted that possible scenario in his mind. In the end, he couldn''t help but sigh. That would have indeed yielded the worse oue and to be fair, Honami didn''t notice Kikyo even from the start.


    He shrugged. "Fair enough. Is that all you wanted to talk about?"


    Kikyo smirked. "Oh, we''re not done yet, Ayanokouji-kun. Did you forget already? We were talking about that ''Nanase'' girl when we were suddenly interrupted by those ss C idiots. Now that they''re gone, I want to talk more about her."


    "I''ve already told you everything. There''s really nothing more about her other than she''s best friends with the boy who I lived with. She visited him whenever she had time, not me."


    "Really? But from the answer you gave me earlier about what you think of her, there''s definitely something more to your rtionship. I remember how you said that you already see her as someone you have to protect. It sounds... romantic, if you ask me," she egged on while secretly enjoying how he was denying her ims.


    Kiyotaka shook his head stubbornly. "Forget what I said. I simply got carried away when I thought about her. Perhaps it''s just because I haven''t seen her in months."


    "Ah, but doesn''t that prove that she''s more to you than just a kouhai?" Kikyo giggled.


    The young man sighed as another wave of stress hit him.


    She''s not going to stop, is she?


    And to think that this won''t be thest of the stress for today, because he will be having another study session at the libraryter on with Karuizawa and Sakura. On the bright side, it''ll only be for two hours, so he could get an early rest today... as long as the system doesn''t decide to fuck him over, that is.


    Anyway, the midterm exams were next week, and time was running out.


    Kiyotaka wasn''t worried about it, of course. He could get a perfect score if he wanted to, no matter what the questions on the tests were. Instead, his full concern was directed to Kei and Airi.


    Yes, they have shown improvement over the past weeks, but all of their studying won''t matter anymore when the exams begin. It''ll all depend on how much they learned and retained in their minds after weeks of reading books and understanding lessons. Kei had a good chance of doing well, but he couldn''t say the same for Airi. Then again, there''s a chance that she might defy expectations and achieve good results in her exams.


    As long as they get a passing mark in all their subjects, then it would be worth it. He hoped that it wouldn''t have toe to failing even one, as it meant expulsion. The worst part was that it would happen to one of his heroines...


    Oh, well. Guess he''ll find out in a few days.

 Chapter 51 Act 10: Scene 1

    ?"Well... here we are. The day of the midterms."


    Ayanokouji Kiyotaka took a deep breath as he walked out of his dorm room and closed the door. It was Monday, the start of a new week, and also the day for ss D to have a chance at getting back the points they''ve lost, and to prove that they weren''t the defective ss as a lot of people have thought.


    He looked at the two doors on either side of his unit and heaved a huge sigh of relief. Kikyo and Suzune wouldn''t be walking with him today, as both girls went to school early to meet their respective study groups for ast-minute review, so they had already left.


    As a result, he was left all alone for now, not that it was a big thing.


    As much as he had gotten used to those girls being with him when it''s time to go to school, he liked the peace and quiet more when he''s alone. Especially when he rarely had free time these days, as he spent most of it either by studying with Airi and Kei, or getting caught in one of the system''s crazy situations.


    "I better get going before my daily dose of insanity happens," the young man said in his thoughts. Suzune and Kikyo may not be here, but it doesn''t mean that the system would leave him alone just like that.


    However, just as he was about to head to the elevator, a new voice suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    "A-A-Ayanokouji-kun?!"


    A deadpan expression formed on his face almost immediately.


    "It was fun while itsted."


    He could still make a break for it and run to the elevator but it was still early in the morning, and Kiyotaka didn''t want to waste too much energy. Plus, he was going to take a nap once he''s done with the exams. Spending energy unnecessarily will only keep him awake.


    Kiyotaka turned around to see one of the people whom he had been tutoring for the past weeks,


    Already, a wave of stress hit him. What a way to start off his day, huh? What better way to start the day than toe face-to-face with the girl who hated the idea of being neighbors or living on the same floor with boys?


    Knowing this, there''s a big chance of this girl running away once she learns that he lived on this floor, or she thinks of him as a pervert and never talks to him again as a result. Either way, it''s clear that the system put him in this situation to deal with her and expected that he would be able to handle it all on his own.


    Yes, he was the ''Masterpiece'' of the White Room, but he wasn''t the masterpiece of love gurus!


    "Karuizawa," he acknowledged with a nod, not even showing any kind of reaction to the girl''s presence.


    On the other hand, the blonde girl waspletely thrown off-guard upon seeing him here.


    A while ago, Kei had stepped out of her dorm with a confident aura all over her. Today was the day of the midterm exams, and she didn''t want to show any sign of weakness.


    She had been studying for weeks just for this. Yeah, she had never cared for studying before and would rather hang out with friends and have a good time, but this school didn''t allow her that privilege. She needed to study not just to pass her exams, but also to reim the points they''ve lost.


    Karuizawa had not felt this confident in herself before. Well, maybe because she was never assisted by someone else in her studies until Ayanokouji came into the picture. Not only was he good in, he was apparently a decent teacher as well, capable of exining lessons easily enough for her and Sakura to understand.


    The girl felt confident to the point that she felt that she could get a high score on all of her tests, and she was ready to face the day head-on with a smile...


    That is, until she saw Kiyotaka himself in the hallway, about to head to the elevator. Even though his back was turned, she immediately recognized his brown hair and knew it was him.


    "W-What are you doing here...?!" she asked as her face began to turn red.


    Kiyotaka stared at her for a moment, thinking of what to say, only to realize that there''s nothing to think about. Kei saw him while he was still here, and he had a good feeling that if he starts making excuses of any sort, the girl will only get mad at him.


    Better take advantage of her shocked state now before her emotions take over.


    "I suppose I can''t hide it any longer," he shrugged helplessly before gesturing to his door. "I live here, Karuizawa. This is my dorm unit."


    "You... live here?" she said in a dumbfounded tone while her eyes widened in disbelief. "W-Why didn''t you tell me then?"


    The way she asked those questions made it seem like it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    They had been studying together for weeks now, and not once did Kiyotaka say anything about where his unit was located. They were friends, so it''s only natural for him to reveal where he lived, right?


    Hmm, was this the reason why he never walked with her to the dorms after their sessions in the library, even though she was the one who asked him about it every time? During those days, Kiyotaka would either say that he''s busy or he''s going somewhere and wouldn''t be able to retire to his dorm room just yet.


    "Because you would have been mad?" he answered rhetorically. "Or have you forgotten how you hated this whole dorm arrangement ever since it began?"


    Kei blinked a few times out of confusion. She would have been mad? Why would she be mad? There''s nothing wrong with revealing where he lived¡ª ohhhh... that''s what he was trying to say.


    Realization only struck her just now, and Kei''s eyes widened upon remembering her past words regarding the dorms and the chairman''s announcement a month ago.


    "If you''re angry about this, then get it over with. Just keep it in mind that I wasn''t the one who wanted to live here."


    The young man then waited for a response from her. He expected her to be a little mad at least, giving him a warning about being a pervert, and then letting it go. The worst-case scenario would be receiving a p from her and then getting angry to the point that she didn''t want to see him again. He hoped that it wouldn''te to that point, as it would only lead to more problems for him.


    However, despite his expectations, the response she gave him was surprising.


    "Uh... I''m not mad," she confessed whilst looking conflicted about something.


    "Is that so?" he raised an eyebrow curiously. This was an interesting development, and Kiyotaka wanted to know what led to this change. "What happened to your dislike for boys because they might act on their perverted desires?"


    "W-Well, you already proved that you''re different, alright?! What, you want me to look at you the same way I see a lot of our idiot and perverted ssmates?" she snapped, cing her hands on her hips and then sending him a little frown.


    He shook his head. "That would be an unpleasant oue, seeing as how I''m supposed to be tutoring you and Sakura. Such a situation would make it hard to speak with you, so no."


    "Good. Besides, you''re not really a pervert like the two idiots... or are you?" she sent him a look of suspicion this time, as if she was trying to find out if Kiyotaka had hidden intentions in mind.


    Kiyotaka shrugged. "Whatever I say wouldn''t matter because there''s no guarantee you''d believe me anyway. The only one who can answer your question is yourself, Karuizawa."


    Her look of suspicion disappeared in an instant. "Huh?"


    "Ask yourself. Do you think I''m a pervert like some of our ssmates?"


    That was a question that the girl couldn''t answer for a good while, because she thought deeply about what to say. She was also in deep thought, unable to get his question out of her mind after he said it.


    Did she think of him as a pervert? Or better yet, what does she think of him? Obviously, they''ve been on good terms ever since the talk that they had at Keyaki Mall, even though it ended with her being angry with him for the simple reason of talking to her. Sure, she felt grateful towards him when he lent her some points and for helping her study in preparation for the midterms, but were they even friends? Or were they simply acquaintances? There was never really abel for their rtionship, now that she thought about it...<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kei felt utterly confused by his question and didn''t know how to answer it, causing her to let out a scream of frustration while shaking her head furiously, unaware of the redness that began spreading across her face.


    "Aaaggghhh, we''re just wasting time! Let''s get to ss already!" the girl cried as she walked towards him.


    "Sure, why not?" he replied.


    Actually, this was even better. He doesn''t want to stand around here until ss starts of course, especially on the day of the midterm exams. He had no idea what made Karuizawa scream out of nowhere, but it''s clear that his question before that made her think deeply.


    As the two prepared to leave and head for the elevator together, they were stopped in their tracks by a new voice, one that they recognized right away for the shy and meek tone that it had.


    "A-Ayanokouji-kun...?"


    Both students turned around, and were met by the sight of Sakura Airi standing not too far away from them, with a red face that could rival the color of her hair and shaking nervously to the point it looked like she was about to faint at any second.


    Kiyotaka wasn''t surprised anymore by this turn of events and simply sighed to himself. After Kei saw him exiting his room, he was already certain that his morning won''t be over without the daily dose of craziness that the system provided him. The only thing he could do now was ept his situation and deal with it ordingly, to the best that he can.


    "S-Sakura-san?"


    "Good morning, Sakura."


    In contrast to the tone of surprise that Karuizawa used, the young man waspletely monotone in his delivery, as if he was saying, "I''m tired of this shit."


    "Y-Y-You also live here...?" the girl stuttered.


    "That''s correct."


    "O-O-O-Oh, i-i-i-is that s-s-so? U-Uhm... I-I-I-I d-d-didn''t know t-that..."


    "Of course you didn''t know. It''s not like I''ve been telling everyone about it. What about you? You also live here, yet you never said anything when our ssmates spoke up about who lived on this floor," he pointed out, making the redhead widen her eyes in rm.


    Karuizawa was ready to scold Ayanokouji for unnecessarily pushing her friend into a corner she had no way out of, only to realize that he actually made a good point. When she and some of the girlsined about the new co-ed arrangements for the student dorms, they also found out which of them lived on the 4th floor but Sakura never said anything.


    This was also the first time that she saw her friend on this floor, which was why she was surprised at seeing Sakura here.


    "I-I-I w-wanted to say something too... but... i-it was just so e-embarrassing..." said Airi, turning away as she was too embarrassed to even look at Kiyotaka.


    Kei shrugged, unsurprised that that was the reason why she didn''t say anything. Plus, knowing what Airi is like, it would actually be more surprising if she even raised her hand that time.


    "That''spletely understandable. Horikita didn''t say anything as well," Kiyotaka exined. "Furthermore, could you imagine how the rest of the boys would react if they found out that I live on a floor filled with girls?"


    The first thought that immediately came to the girls'' minds was that a lot of the boys would be jealous of him, particrly Yamauchi and Ike. Those two have always been desperate perverts and it''s quite obvious how they would react in that possible scenario.


    They might even go as far as to ''persuade'' Ayanokouji to take pictures of the girls for ''research'', something that would have been disastrous if it happened...


    "The only ones who know of my situation are Kushida and Horikita, since we were walking to the dorms together when the announcement was made," he added.


    Both Kei and Airi were taken aback at that revtion. It looks like they weren''t the first to know about Kiyotaka''s living arrangements, and they were even more shocked that neither one of those girls mentioned anything about it or had a reaction of some kind.


    "Wait, those two already know?! And they don''t have a problem with it?" the blonde girl said in pure disbelief.


    "If anything, I''m the one who''s not fine with living on a floor that''s only inhabited by girls," he shrugged.


    Oh, he could still remember that day... the day when his superpower first altered reality when it fulfilled Kushida''s desire to be neighbors with him. Seeing first-hand what the system could do honestly scared him and while he was slowly getting used to the ridiculousness, it was still mind-boggling that the idea of breaking the natural flow of things was something he could do or rather, what his superpower could do.


    "Let''s go already. I''m sure neither of you two wouldn''t want to bete today, would you?" he asked.


    The two girls snapped out of their little trance and nodded, before following him to the elevator. Thankfully, nobody else was around to see them, so they were able to get inside without any more interruptions.


    While they were inside the elevator, a sudden thought struck Kei and it was something that worried her. Kiyotaka was one thing, but what if there was another guy who lived on the 4th floor? Or worse, what if it was someone with malicious intentions?


    "Wait... is there another guy living here? Other than you?" she asked in a worried tone.


    "As far as I know, no one else."


    Kei blinked a few times, before she looked at him with a dumbfounded look. "Wait, you''re telling me that you''re the only boy who lives here?"


    Strangely, Kiyotaka looked unaffected by that fact, as though he was used to it at this point. "That''s exactly what I''m telling you."


    "Huh..." she breathed out. While she still disliked the idea of the co-ed dorm arrangements, Kei wasn''t as hostile to it as she was back then, now that she was reassured that no one with malicious intentions lived on the same floor as her. "This might not be as bad as I thought... if Ayanokouji-kun''s the only guy who lives here."


    "If you''re still worried about my presence, I understand. However, I can assure you that I have no ulterior motives in mind. I''m not nning to peek on anyone around here, nor am I thinking of perverted thoughts," he told them while letting out a sigh of indignation. "Seriously, I''d rather sleep than do something else."


    "Uh... I... I don''t believe Ayanokouji-kun is like that..." Airi spoke, shaking her head in disagreement which got Kiyotaka''s attention.


    On the surface, it may not sound like a big dealing from Airi but because of the... ''incident'' that happened between them a month ago, it was definitely one. Thankfully, neither of them brought up that issue again and moved on from it, but it still meant a lot that the girl didn''t think of him as a pervert after that. It was only an ident, after all, and no one was truly at fault... although Airi should really be careful about where she''s going in the future.


    "I-I may not be that close to you, but..." Kei spoke up this time, causing the young man to turn towards her. "...so far, you''ve shown no sign that I shouldn''t trust you, so... I''ll believe you."


    "I''m d that the two of you trust me," he nodded in satisfaction. Kiyotaka was fortunate that these two weren''t hard to convince. He had thought at first that they would be the harder ones to convince that he had no ill intentions in mind. "In return, can I trust you both that you won''t tell anyone about me living on this floor? If someone finds out on their own, I''ll deal with them myself but as much as possible, don''t say a word to anyone."


    Airi didn''t say anything, but she nodded her head to show that she understood. Plus, it wasn''t like she interacted with other people much, so she had no one to tell.


    "Sounds fair," Kei shrugged. There''s no way she would tell their ssmates that a boy lived on the same floor as her, though it would be nice to inform some girls about it, particrly those who lived there as well like Maya and Chiaki.


    Kiyotaka felt relieved now that this issue had been resolved rather easily.


    Still, it was only the start of the day, and the system already decided to throw him in the middle of a sticky situation in the form of Karuizawa and Sakura finding out that he lived on the 4th floor. From this, it was already obvious that this day won''t end without his sanity being put to the test yet again.


    That''s why it''s a good thing that he would be able to take a little nap after the exams.

 Chapter 52 Act 10: Scene 2

    ?Suzune chose to go school earlier than usual for somest-minute studying with her group, as well as to ensure that they wouldn''t be helpless when the exams begin. For that, she didn''t walk with Kiyotaka all the way to their ssroom as she always did, but that''s fine. It was only one day and it''s not like she needed to walk with him as if it was a requirement.


    In Kikyo''s case, as much as she wanted to continue plotting on how she would expel Suzune, she could always think about it some other time. Right now, that bitch was still useful and plotting against her would be a dumb move. Kikyo may not look like it, but she wanted to help her ss too, even if it meant working with the two perverts whom she hated with every fiber of her being... which is why she also orchestrated ast-minute study session like Suzune. And for that, she chose not to walk with Kiyotaka to school because she had to get there earlier than usual.


    However, both girls were unprepared for what they would see once Kiyotaka arrived.


    They were on opposite sides of the room, surrounded by the students whom they were tutoring. Nobody else was there yet, because there was still about an hour left before their first period. The two were in the middle of exining something to their ssmates when they heard three voices from the door.


    "For the final time, I can handle myself, okay?! What do you think I studied for?"


    "It was only a question out of concern."


    "You''ve asked me that three times in the past five minutes!"


    "Never hurts to be sure."


    "Uhm... I-I think you should stop shouting K-Karuizawa-san. We''re finally here..."


    "Tell that to this guy here, Sakura-san. He''s worrying over nothing."


    "I-I-I don''t think Ayanokouji-kun is wrong... h-he''s only worried that something might go wrong."


    "Oh, you too? Look, I agree that nothing''s wrong about being worried, but you''re being paranoid instead. I can handle this. What, don''t you have even the slightest bit of faith in me?"


    "That''s not what I''m trying to show."


    Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had arrived at the ssroom, and he wasn''t alone. The two girls whom he was supposedly tutoring were with him, and they were all talking with each other while ignoring everyone else inside the room, as if they were left in their own world.


    The sight of the three students arriving together didn''t exactly sit well with two girls in particr.


    The students in her group all had their attention directed towards the three neers, so they weren''t able to notice the look that Suzune had. She was frowning and a little pout had formed on her face, expressing her growing displeasure and annoyance at seeing Kiyotaka with two other girls.


    "This is uneptable," she thought to herself. She was almost tempted to march over to where he was, drag Kiyotaka back with her and keep him by her side until ss starts, but she kept herself where she was. There''s no need to act brashly out of nowhere.


    But still, it felt wrong to see Sakura and Karuizawa in a position that belonged to her! It''s always her who walked with him in the morning! It''s been that way for the better part of two months now!


    Meanwhile, Kikyo looked like she was about to explode at any moment, not even caring if her ssmates saw her dropping her mask. Fortunately for her, no one could see her look of rage because they too were staring at Kiyotaka, Kei, and Airi.


    "I shouldn''t have gone to school early!" Kikyo shouted in her mind. She was gripping her pen tightly to the point that it could break into two at any second. Also, it appeared that she was wrong. Those two were interested in Kiyotaka too! She should have expected it since he had been spending time with them for a few weeks now.


    Ugh, the love rivals just keep on increasing. First, it was Horikita, then it was followed by Ichinose, and now Karuizawa and Sakura! Who''s next?! Matsushita? Shinohara? Sato? Every girl in ss?!


    Kikyo scoffed. She had no idea how at the moment, but she''ll get his full attention again... even if she had to run over every single one of these girls to do it.


    It wasn''t just the girls, by the way. Two boys in particr were shaking in their seats out of rage and jealousy at seeing Kiyotaka with. It''s almost like those two were his backup n in case Horikita and Kushida weren''t there.


    "Ayanokouji, you lucky bastard! Not just Horikita and Kushida-chan, but you''re also going to im those two for yourself?! You''re an enemy of all men!" cried Yamauchi as he started crying, because he could never have what Ayanokouji had.


    "At least save some for us, damn it!" Ike added, only to shout in pain when someone smacked him on the back of his head.


    "Don''t make them ufortable, idiot!" Shinohara scolded him.


    Forgetting his jealousy towards Ayanokouji for now, Ike gave the blue-haired girl a deep scowl. He had been putting up with this woman for long enough, and he was tired of being her punching bag!


    "Stop telling me what to do, ugly!"


    "I''ll stop when you learn somemon sense!"


    "You could never understand how I feel!"


    The two neighbors were unaware of how they were moving closer to one another because they were too preupied with insulting the other with various names. Their banter had even caught the attention of some of their ssmates, who all sweat-dropped as they were quite used to seeing such a thing at this point.


    "Dumbass!"


    "Witch!"


    "Pervert!"


    "Hag!"


    It was only after those twost insults that they finally realized how close they were to each other''s faces, making them widen their eyes and blush at the same time. They stared at each other for a few moments, as if they were hypnotized by what they''re seeing. Both teens snapped out of their trance quickly and separated from each other with burning red faces and their hearts beating faster than usual.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As a result, Ike waspletely silent and couldn''t continue his little crusade against Ayanokouji, which left Yamauchi as the only one whoined about the ''enemy of all men''.


    Unfortunately for him, Kiyotaka wasn''t even paying attention to anything that came out of his mouth. The young man knew that giving Yamauchi attention would only make things worse because it would prove his words to be true. So, by doing the opposite and ignoring the pervert, it would show that all he''s saying is simply propaganda to make him look bad.


    However, unlike him who can keep a straight face even in the direst of situations, both Airi and Kei were immediately affected by those remarks and blushed in embarrassment. Thankfully, the girls in Kushida''s group have quickly dealt with Yamauchi by hitting him in the head with their notebooks repeatedly, shutting him up for good.


    Despite that, the pervert''s words had already taken effect. Kiyotaka decided to calm the two girls down before something bad could happen, like forgetting everything they''ve learned for the past weeks. Also, it''s best to do it now when there aren''t that many students in the ssroom yet.


    [''To Protect Her Smile'' has been Activated!]


    He faced them both with a serious look that meant all-business. "Do you feel nervous about the exams today?" he asked.


    The young man easily got their attention, though they still felt embarrassed because of Yamauchi''s remarks. The embarrassment went double for Airi, because... well, because Kiyotaka had already imed something of hers... the im to be the first one to see her bare chest, that is.


    "A-A-A-A little b-bit..." the redhead stuttered while turning away.


    Kei was able to regain her bearings better than Airi, even though she was unable to get rid of the blush on her face. She wondered if Kiyotaka was even affected by Yamauchi''s words, but the fact that he''s not talking about it only shows that he truly doesn''t have those kinds of thoughts in mind.


    "N-Not really. I think I have a good chance of getting a really good score in everything," she said with a confident smile.


    "You two will do great," he reassured them. "Don''t overthink it when you get stuck on a question. If you do, you''ll only end up forgetting what might be the correct answer. Stay calm and think about it carefully before you answer."


    "Easy enough to do," Kei smirked and gave him a thumbs-up in response..


    "I-I understand," Airi was able to give him a nod in spite of her flustered state at the moment.


    "Good luck."


    With that, the three students went to their respective desks. As soon as he sat down, Kiyotaka wasted no time and quickly buried his head into his arms for a little nap, knowing that he only had about half an hour of peace before the midterm examination began.


    By the time the first bell rang, every student in ss D was already there, waiting for Chabashira-sensei to arrive. Some continued to do somest-minute reviewing, some felt incredibly nervous about the exam, while some were talking amongst each other as though they had nothing to worry about... oh, and there was also Koenji who was as confident and nonchnt as ever.


    Once Chabashira entered the room, everyone stopped talking immediately and straightened themselves in their seats. They didn''t want to anger their teacher right off the bat, especially now when it''s so early in the morning and on the day of the midterms, no less.


    "Good morning, everyone," the woman spoke as she took notice of the students who were present. "I see that nobody''s absent today, huh? Good. At least you''re taking this seriously."


    "Of course we would take this seriously, Chabashira-sensei. Our life in this school is on the line, and everyone has been working hard in order to study everything that''s included in the exams," Hirata spoke up, earning a nod from almost everyone in the room.


    "Your optimism ismendable, but it''s your abilities that will truly tell if you''re worthy of remaining in this school," Chabashira smirked. "Now, your midterms will be the foundation of your academics. Your finals will take ce in July. I implore everyone to do their best in order to pass because the school will be rewarding you with a nice vacation in the summer break if you do."


    "A vacation?"


    The idea of a vacation during their summer break immediately caught every student''s attention, but they didn''t react to it yet. They might only be hearing things and their teacher would definitely be mad if they assume things.


    "On a beautiful ind in the middle of the sea. The school will cover the expenses, of course, but as I said, you must first pass your final exams before you can even think of going there."


    And with that confirmation, excitement began to fill everyone as they felt motivated to do even better. How could they not feel motivated? They were just promised a vacation if they passed their finals. While the girls simply thought about a fun vacation on an ind, the boys were a little different.


    It wasn''t a surprise that a lot of the boys'' minds instantly went to thoughts of their female ssmates in their swimsuits. They may have been denied that chance during their swimming sses, but an ind vacation waspletely different! No one in their right mind would wear the school uniform during an ind trip. They''ll surely get to see babes in bikinis for the entirety of their vacation!


    Even Kiyotaka wasn''t safe from those thoughts despite his attempts to block it out. His mind fed him images of possibly seeing Suzune, Kikyo, Chiaki, Kei, and Airi in their swimsuits and who knows? He might even get to see Honami, Arisu, and Hiyori as well. And as much as he wanted to bury his head into the ground like an ostrich in order to forget these thoughts, the young man didn''t exactly dislike the idea of seeing his heroines in bikinis.


    Yep, this eroge system was changing him...


    "Let''s do our best, everyone!" Ike shouted at his ssmates as he threw his fist into the air.


    "YEAH!"


    Led by Ike''s enthusiasm, albeit misguided, it seemed as if the ss morale had a drastic increase in a matter of moments. If they weren''t motivated to do their best in the exams before, then they were definitely going to aim for a high score in all of their subjects now.


    After telling her ss to be quiet. Sae distributed the test papers for the first subject, which was Social Studies. As soon as they received their papers, each student went right to work with newfound resolve.


    Kiyotaka scanned the exam paper after receiving his, and didn''t really see anything that was remotely challenging in it. In fact, he could answer the test in less than ten minutes, give or take. The only concern he had with it is the issue of how many points he should aim for.


    "Time to finish these in record time so I can sleep," he thought. "A high score but lower than a perfect one should be good. Horikita mightin that I''m holding back in that instance, but I''ll tell her that it''s at least better than a failing grade."


    And so, after he was done with the exam, Kiyotaka was able to take a nap just like he wanted to. He did the same the next ones, ignoring the weird looks he was getting from his ssmates because of how fast he had been answering each test. Some of them were even wondering if he was actually taking it seriously, but no one blurted out a word about his strange attitude.

 Chapter 53 Act 10: Scene 3

    ?After finishing the first three exams, the students were allowed to take a thirty-minute break, causing a lot of them to let out deep breaths that they have been holding in out of nervousness. While it was true that they were motivated to get high grades in their academic performance, it didn''t stop them from feeling doubtful of their abilities and if they were really capable of doing such a thing.


    "Nothing''s gonna stop me from going on that dream vacation. I swear I''ll pass my exams, no matter what!" Kanji said to no one in particr, as he attempted to motivate himself with the prize of being able to go on a luxury vacation with girls who are going to be wearing bathing suits instead of their usual uniforms.


    "Because you can''t wait to see girls in their swimsuits," Satsuki spoke from behind him, causing the boy to jump in surprise as he turned around to see his blue-haired archenemy who also happened to be his neighbor.


    "Shut up already!" he snapped at her, which only made the girlugh at his misfortune. "I can do what I want during that vacation and you can''t stop me, Ugly!"


    "Well, I can guarantee you that none of the girls are gonna be ogling someone like you."


    "Why are you even here? Go back to your friends already!"


    "Because it feels nice to crush your dreams," she winked and stuck out her tongue at him in a mocking manner. "Oh, and before you even think about the vacation, you should think about passing this exam first."


    Ike could only growl as Shinohara walked away smugly, feeling angry at that ugly witch who seemed to love raining on his parade any chance she could get, and at himself for thinking that she looked cute when she shed him that mocking expression.


    Urgh, why did his weakness have to be girls too...?


    "I feel like I can get a perfect score in all of my exams at this point! Just watch!" Yamauchi bragged to the rest of the boys, who all shared the same sentiment.


    "What about you, Sudo? Did you have trouble? You remember the bet we made, right?" Ike turned his attention to his red-haired ssmate this time, in a desperate attempt to get Shinohara out of his mind. "If I get the higher score, you have to walk around this room like a dog and bark like one!"


    "Heh," Ken smirked. He looked confident and showed no sign of nervousness throughout the three exams that they''ve taken so far, only looking lost a few times when he got stuck on a few questions. "Instead of being arrogant, I''d be worried if I were you. Better yet, read those magazines of yours while you still can since you''re gonna have to burn them soon."


    "Hah? I''m not worried at all. I''m going to pass so I can go on that vacation and see the girls in swimsuits! And I''m going to beat you in these exams!" Kanji shouted. Oh, he was going to beat Sudo, he''ll make sure of it!


    The red-haired teen shrugged. "Whatever you say..."


    Meanwhile, Kiyotaka decided to check on the two girls whom he had tutored for the past weeks. Kei was sitting in front of Airi''s desk and the two seemed like they were engaged in an interesting conversation, since the redhead was willingly talking to the other without looking nervous or shy.


    Speaking of which, it was quite an interesting development between these two. Even though they were very different from one another, Karuizawa still befriended Sakura regardless and it was because of this that their study sessions weren''t as much of a hassle as he had thought. Whenever Sakura would get stuck on a topic, he would help her and if Karuizawa understood it as well, she would lend a hand too.


    Being different from each otherpletely, yet bing friends in spite of it... sounds like something that Horikita and Kushida could learn from these two.


    "Woah, you''re already awake from your little nap?" asked Kei as she saw him approaching them.


    Kiyotaka nodded. "How are you two holding up?"


    Kei shrugged, leaning back against her chair. She didn''t look bothered by the exams at all, despite feeling a little nervous earlier when it started. "I''m doing fine. I thought the exams would be harder, but the questions were pretty easy to handle."


    He turned his attention towards Airi next. "What about you, Sakura?"


    "I... h-had some trouble remembering a few lessons at first... but I made sure to answer all of the questions," she spoke, reverting back to her shy demeanor. "Although... I-I-I don''t know if it''ll be enough for me to pass the exams..."


    "The more you think like that, the more it will bother you on the remaining exams."


    Airi nodded furiously. "I know... b-but... I can''t shake off the feeling that I made a lot of mistakes..."


    How could she not feel worried? Up until now, she had always received low grades in school and the mere fact that she even got to high school was a miracle. Airi doubted that a few weeks of studying can suddenly change years of getting the same oue in her exams.


    Kei turned to her friend and ced a hand on her shoulder in an attempt tofort her. "He''s right, Sakura-san. The more you worry, the more it will take control of you. Come on, we worked hard for several weeks just to prepare for this day. Let''s not waste all those hours we spent reading at the library and listening to this guy rambling!"


    Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow at the little insult that was directed towards him. "Did she really have to say that about me?" he sighed.


    The red-haired girl thought about her friend''s words for a few moments, taking every word that she said deeply and telling it to herself over and over. It''s not like Karuizawa was wrong. Things might not change that quickly, but it was still her decision to study with her friend and Kiyotaka. She chose to study at the library, in hopes of doing better in her grades and so that she doesn''t be the deadweight in their ss.


    It didn''t take long before a look of realization took over her face.


    "Y-Yes... you''re right, Karuizawa-san...!"


    Kei gave her a big grin and patted her on the back. "That''s the spirit!"


    Kiyotaka blinked a few times. Well, that was one way to lift Airi''s spirits up. It''s not what he had expected, but it looked like some words of encouragement from Kei was all that she needed to stop worrying about her possible results.


    Not long after, their thirty-minute break had ended and the new exam papers were distributed. Again, Kiyotaka was quick to answer everything on the paper before going for another nap. He did this again for theirst exam and before they knew it, thest bell had rung which signified the end of their exams.


    As the students in the first row collected the papers, Sae shed a smirk at everyone. She had been watching her students ever since they began and she noticed that they were all more serious than usual. "You all seem confident about your answers. I hope you can carry that confidence with you when the resultse out. Dismissed."


    After she walked out, the students of ss D wasted no time and began to celebrate the end of their midterm examination.


    "Hell yeah! We''re finally done!"


    "Why don''t we go shopping afterwards?"


    "I''ll pass. We''re still running low on points, remember?"


    "Oh, right. Well, this sucks! We should be celebrating now that we''re done!"


    "Then why don''t we move the celebrations when we actually pass the exams? It''ll just be a waste if we celebrate this early and it turns out that we failed."


    "Don''t say that! Now I''m getting worried!"


    "Who cares? We can still celebrate a little bit!"


    "Yeah, we can still eat somewhere that''s not expensive."


    From there, a lot of the students began inviting their respective tutors for some food as thanks. Hirata, Wang, and Yukimura epted since they were feeling hungry themselves. Horikita and Kushida were asked out as well by the people whom they''ve helped, but both declined the offer. It''s obvious why Horikita declined, but it was a bit strange for Kushida since she always hangs out with everyone...


    In Kiyotaka''s case, there''s nothing more appealing to him right now than to go home to his dorm and be with Bed-chan, but seeing his ssmates'' interactions was making him think otherwise.


    He turned his attention towards Kei and Airi, who were already packing up and getting ready to leave. It''s clear that they won''t be inviting him to eat with them somewhere and while he had no problem with that, it felt wrong that they were just going to leave without doing anything else.


    In contrast to everyone else who wanted to treat their tutors as a sign of thanks, Kiyotaka felt that it should be him who invites them. It makes sense, because those two have been working really hard for the past weeks and they actually put up with him, despite his own thoughts about being a bad teacher to the both of them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He had no idea if the system was making him think like this, but it honestly mattered little at this point. Plus, they could consider this an apology for making them ufortable earlier this morning, since he did give them quite a shock when they found out that he lived on the same floor as them.


    Despite a feeling in his gut that he would somehow regret this decisionter on, Kiyotaka grabbed his bag and approached the two girls.


    "Sakura. Karuizawa. Do you two want to go out for some ice cream?"


    Both girls were caught off guard when Kiyotaka approached them out of nowhere, and they were even more surprised when he asked them if they wanted to eat ice cream with him in a nonchnt manner.


    "I-Ice cream?" asked Airi, wondering if she heard him right.


    "I heard there was a new ice cream parlor that opened at the mallst weekend and I thought of checking it out eventually. I have nothing else to do so I thought of heading there, but I figured that I should invite you both as well."


    Kei stared at him in surprise "U-Uh... thanks for the offer, Ayanokouji-kun, but no. I''d rather not spend any more points until we get our allowance..."


    "You won''t have to spend points. It''ll be my treat," he shook his head. "Consider it as your reward for doing your best in the midterms."


    The girl widened her eyes. She definitely wasn''t expecting this to happen. "W-Well, if you''re going to be the one who pays for the food, then I''d be an idiot not to go!" Kei quickly hid her surprise behind a wall of happiness, before she sent him a little frown. "You better not be joking, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "I''m not," he told her.


    "I-I-I can spare some points too...!" cried the redhead, which immediately earned Kiyotaka''s attention. "I-I don''t really spend much points, and... i-i-it wouldn''t be right if only Ayanokouji-kun pays for us..."


    "You don''t need to, Sakura. As I said, consider it a reward for your hard work." He shook his head and chuckled, which was a move that shocked both girls, as they had never heard him chuckle before, let alone change his expression. "Although with that answer, I guess you want ice cream too, Sakura?"


    "I-I do... but... we don''t even know if we passed... so w-w-wouldn''t it be a waste to celebrate now?" she asked.


    "That doesn''t matter. What matters is that you did your best and that is all the reason I need." Both girls blushed as Kiyotaka shed a little smile at them, almost to the point that they looked hypnotized by it. "Plus, I have a good feeling about your results."


    [You have gained 5 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    [You have gained 5 Affection Points with Sakura Airi!]


    "So, any other questions you want to ask? Or if you have something important to do, I won''t force you toe with me."


    The two couldn''t get anything out of their mouths at the moment, so they could only shake their heads dumbly.


    "Then let''s go."


    Before he could lead the way out of the ssroom though, a cold yet familiar voice kept him where he was.


    "Hold it right there."


    Kiyotaka didn''t even need to turn around to know who just spoke, because he waspletely sure that it was his ck-haired neighbor who was behind him. Therefore, he wasn''t surprised to see Suzune but it was a bit weird to see Kikyo standing beside her. She should have left by now to hang out with her friends, right?


    "Am I hearing this right?" Suzune gave him a cold re, one that would have made him kneel and beg for forgiveness if he was an ordinary person. "You''re inviting Karuizawa-san and Sakura-san to eat ice cream, but not us? I never knew that friends treat each other like this."


    The young man could only stare nkly at her. That''s what she''s angry about? Just because he didn''t invite her? He didn''t want to say anything, but Kiyotaka was certain that it was a shallow reason to be mad at him. It''s almost like she was only using it as an excuse to be angry, even. And if Suzune wanted toe along, she could have just said so!


    "You''re not being a good friend, Ayanokouji-kun!" Kikyo frowned at him before puffing her cheeks in a cute pout. However, that was only what her mask looked like to him. Underneath it, she was just about ready to grab him by the shirt and shake him over and over for not thinking of her when he invited Kei and Airi to eat ice cream with him. "Why didn''t you ask me if I wanted toe along?"


    Oh, so Kikyo was jealous. Even though she was saying something different, he could already tell that her words only masked what she really felt inside. Well, hopefully, he could resolve this before things get worse, otherwise there will be bloodshed...


    "Why am I suddenly the bad guy in this situation?" he sighed to himself. "How was I supposed to know that you wanted toe? I thought you would be busy with your other friends, Kushida. And I was pretty sure that you were heading back to the dorms, Horikita."


    "Irrelevant. You are supposed to ask me regardless of whatever answer I might give you," she stubbornly replied.


    "Okay?" He was confused at where this sudden entitlement came from, but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, their ''rtionship status'' changed a week ago so they weren''t just simple friends now. At the very least, she''s not as unpredictable and unstable as Kikyo...


    "I wasn''t going to hang out with any of them because I''m feeling tired after all those exams. I wouldn''t mind going out to buy ice cream, though!" the beige-haired girl chuckled nervously.


    Yep. He could definitely sense the malice even from a mile away, and Kikyo was actually doing a horrible job of keeping it hidden. She was just lucky that Suzune had her attention directed to him, while Kei and Airi were too clueless to notice the time bomb that is Kushida Kikyo.


    Kiyotaka sighed in defeat. He could already feel the migrainesing. "Okay, you two can tag along. But I''m not paying for either of you. I only have enough to buy something for myself, Sakura, and Karuizawa."


    In truth, he still had a sizable amount of points in his ount, but he didn''t want to take any chances. There''s a big chance that if he didn''t say he wouldn''t pay for them, then Kikyo and Suzune would surely demand him to give them the same treatment as Kei and Airi... and such an event would have spelled disaster for his expenses.


    Suzune nodded. "That will not be a problem. I can pay for myself. Now let us be off."


    And with that, the girl led the way and left the room, leaving herpanions confused. Did she even know where she was going? Where was the shop located? How to get there?


    All of a sudden, Kikyo moved from her ce and quickly caught up to Suzune, standing right in front of her which blocked the other girl''s path and kept her from going anywhere else.


    "Uh, Horikita-san? Do you even know where the ice cream parlor is?" she asked.


    Suzune only had a calm look on her face as she gave her response. "I simply passed by it while I was heading to ss earlier this morning, as I needed to buy a few things from the department store. If I''m correct, the one that Ayanokouji-kun is talking about is on the second floor of the mall, right outside the massage parlor."


    ...that was a lie.


    She saw an advertisement for the shop while talking to the members of her study group through their group chat a few days ago. And since she knew that Kiyotaka had a strange fondness for ice cream, she looked for it during the weekend and marked the ce''s location in her memory.


    "Oh, it''s that one! I can''t believe it''s finally up... I thought it wouldn''t open for at least one more week!" Kikyo eximed as she realized what shop Kiyotaka was referring to. She passed by it once or twice while hanging out with her other ssmates at the mall. "Is that the one you were talking about, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    All he could do was nod in response, feeling surprised himself that Suzune actually knew the ice cream parlor that he had in mind, when it only opened recently. Was it really by chance that she walked past the ce?


    Ah, whatever. It doesn''t matter. At least Horikita knew where to go, otherwise she would have looked stupid for leading the way.


    "We better get going," he told the two other girls behind him, who have been quiet this whole time.


    Both Kei and Airi nodded, before they followed him out of the ssroom. It didn''t take them long to catch up to Suzune and Kikyo and as the group of five students walked through the hallway, Kiyotaka let out a sigh of indignation. He was just fortunate that the hallway waspletely empty, so there was no one around to see him falling victim to yet another one of the system''s schemes to make his life an oveplicated rollercoaster.


    "I''m going to regret this, aren''t I?" he asked himself, wondering how exactly did it all go wrong for him....

 Chapter 54 Act 10: Scene 4

    ?"I regret this... so much."


    Ayanokouji Kiyotaka only had a nk look on his face as he and his female ssmates walked through the mall in search of the brand-new ice cream parlor that opened recently. See, his face wouldn''t give off the impression that he''s done with life if it wasn''t for Suzune and Kikyo.


    What were those doing?


    Well, both girls were holding on to each of his wrists. Now, while this was a pretty normal urrence for him since they do this every time they head to school in the morning, he tolerated it because it was early in the day and there weren''t many people around yet during this time.


    Right now, though?


    They were literally in a public ce where people could see them, and it''s during the time of the day where it was filled with many people. In conclusion, these two girls were unknowingly causing a scene, but he doubted that they even cared in the slightest.


    Honestly, the only saving grace was that their arms weren''t linked with his as if he was in a rtionship with the two of them, which would make things infinitely worse. Thest thing he wanted was for someone to spread a rumor around the school about him being a shameless yboy who''s out to seduce every girl around here.


    Of course, this was only a mere scratch on the surface, though... because it wasn''t just the three of them. There were two other girls who were following closely behind them and through the corner of his eye, he was able to get a good look at their expressions.


    Airi was the same as always, too shy to even think of doing anything else. Although every few seconds, she would nce at his hand for some reason, and then look away with a blush on her face. On the other hand, Kei''s eyes darted solely towards Suzune''s hand that was holding on to his wrist.


    He couldn''t tell what was on her mind right now, but it''s clear that it wasn''t filled with happy thoughts.


    "Karuizawa-san," said Horikita, speaking for the first time since the group left their ssroom. "Would you mind enlightening me a bit? How did you find the examination? Was it easy? Challenging?"


    "Why do you want to find out?" asked Karuizawa as she tried, but failed to hide the growing jealousy in her tone. It didn''t help that she was sending a little re at how Horikita and Kushida were grabbing his arms as if it didn''t mean anything.


    "Karuizawa''s not bothering to hide how jealous she is, huh?" Kiyotaka thought as he easily noticed the passive-aggressive tone that she used.


    On the other hand, Suzune was oblivious to the strange edge in her tone. "As a tutor like Ayanokouji-kun, I wish to know if you were able to handle the exams with any sort of difficulty."


    "It was fine, I guess. I didn''t really have a hard time," she replied, still keeping her attention towards the other girl''s hand and where it was ced.


    Suzune nodded in acknowledgement. "What about you, Sakura-san?" she asked, turning her attention to the redhead who jumped in surprise at being called.


    "Uhm... u-uh... i-i-it was... uhm... i-i-it was o-okay, I... I guess..."


    Kiyotaka was surprised that Airi answered right away, even though she was stuttering the whole time. He initially thought that he would have to make the save for her and answer Suzune''s question in her stead, but it looked like there was no need for him to do so.


    "I see. Thank you for your answer," Suzune gave a satisfied nod despite Airi''s near-incoherent words.


    Okay, it seems like nothing bad is going to happen on Suzune''s end, so Kiyotaka shifted his attention to the other girl.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What met him was the sight of Kikyo giving him an eerie smile, one that looked cute and innocent on the outside, but actually tranted to anger and annoyance on the inside. It''s no question that this girl could explode at any moment due to jealousy. He was only lucky that they were in a public ce so Kikyo can''t reveal herself.


    "These four girls being in the same ce with me at the same time is definitely bad news..." he said to himself. "Best to get this over with as soon as possible. Buy ice cream, give it to the two girls behind me, then leave the ce and head back to the dorms."


    As soon as they reached the ice cream shop, he separated from the two girls who were grabbing on to him before asking Kei and Airi what vor they would like. The blonde gyaru chose rocky road as her vor, while the redhead opted for the green tea option. With that, he stood at the back of the line at the counter and waited for his turn, with Suzune and Kikyo right behind him.


    After buying three cups of the frozen treat, Kiyotaka chose to wait for his two other ssmates to be done iming their orders before walking out. He had chosen the mint chocte chip option for himself, Kikyo chose the butterscotch vor, while Suzune went with cookies and cream.


    Kei and Airi waved to them. She and her red-haired friend were standing just outside of the spa/massage parlor, seemingly observing what was going on inside. The trio of students walked towards them as Kiyotaka called out their names.


    "Here you go," he handed Karuizawa her cup of ice cream from the stic bag that he was carrying.


    "Thanks. I really appreciate this," the blonde shed him a cute smile but before she touched the cup, she raised an eyebrow at him. "It''s your treat, just to be sure?"


    "I already paid for it," he assured her. With that, Kei smiled at him again before taking the cup and digging in. He then turned towards Airi next, "This is a reward for your efforts, Sakura. Keep it up."


    The girl kept her head low in order to hide her flustered look, but nodded nheless. Upon taking her cup of ice cream, Airi felt the need to verbally thank Kiyotaka for doing something like this, even though she personally felt that she didn''t deserve it. However, she couldn''t get herself to open her mouth and say something, and she hated herself for it.


    With his little quest done, Kiyotaka was able to heave a sigh of relief as he began to eat his own share. That didn''t take longer than what he feared, and now the only thing left for him to do was to get home to his room and retire for the day. He was also very fortunate that nothing bad happened that involved his heroines, even though he could literally feel the jealousy that emanated from Kikyo and Kei...


    "Let''s head back already. There''s nothing else for us to do here," he told his female ssmates who all nodded in agreement. "Okay, that''s done. Now to get home to¡ª"


    "Fufufu, I never thought it would take this long for us to meet again... even though we only live across one another~"


    It was only through sheer force of will that Kiyotaka didn''t throw his ice cream to the floor out of frustration. Well, that and he didn''t want to waste a perfectly good ice cream cup that he bought with his own points.


    "...if I run away now, I can make it to my dorm and lock the door until the next day arrives..." he thought to himself as he felt the growing desire to make a run for it, but his legs refused to move.


    He and his heroines turned around to see who it was, and Kiyotaka wasn''t surprised to find a certain lc-haired student grabbing a walking stick standing in front of them.


    Sakayanagi Arisu had her usual smug expression as she focused her gaze solely towards the ''Masterpiece''.


    "It''s nice to meet you again, Ayanokouji-kun. You know, after our first meeting, I was afraid that we would never get to meet again."


    His ssmates looked at both him and this new girl repeatedly, taking in the fact that they knew each other. No, it''s not even that... it felt like this girl knew him on a deeper level, and it was something that bothered Horikita, Kushida, and Karuizawa.


    Just who was this anyway?

 Chapter 55 Act 10: Scene 5

    ?"I''m not the one who disappeared for weeks," he retorted in his mind. Kiyotaka wondered what happened to this girl that caused her to disappear off the face of the Earth for about two months, but she may have just been avoiding him. After all, he did kind of humiliate her when they first met, but now it seems like she''s fine. "Likewise, Sakayanagi."


    "Ayanokouji-kun, do you know her?" Not wasting time, Suzune asked the biggest question that was haunting her, Kikyo, and Kei''s minds.


    "You could say that."


    The ck-haired girl sent him a scowl for thatpletely vague answer that he gave, but he wasn''t even paying attention to her. Because of that, she didn''t try to get his attention any further and simply went for the other person in their little group who might have an idea on who the other student was.


    "Kushida-san, who is this?" Suzune asked her friend who was also staring at the neer.


    Kikyo showed no expression on the outside, but she definitely felt suspicious and distrustful of this girl. She may actually be a bigger threat than anyone in their ss, including Suzune herself. "She''s Sakayanagi Arisu, the rumored leader of ss A," she said.


    "ss A''s leader? And Ayanokouji-kun knows her?" Suzune was surprised at this new knowledge. Perhaps Kiyotaka was learning more on how to be sociable around other people if he knew the leader of another ss. "You sound like you already know her, yet you did not tell me?"


    Kikyo shook her head. "I''ve only heard of her thanks to some students talking about ss A. I''ve never met her personally until now."


    The girl took a little nce at Sakayanagi in an attempt to gain an impression of her. At first nce, Sakayanagi was someone who radiated superiority, someone like her butpletely different. While she demonstrates her talent at almost any subject with ease, Sakayanagi felt like someone who mostly relies on their mind in order to be cunning and to n several steps ahead, kind of like a professional chess yer.


    "You said that she is the rumored leader of her ss? What does that mean? You are not sure that she is?"


    "It''s confusing. From what I''ve heard, there are some ss A students who treat her as their leader. There are also some who believe that the right person for that position is a guy named ''Katsuragi''. That''s all I know, Horikita-san."


    "A battle for power within their ss? Interesting."


    Back with Kiyotaka and his ''childhood friend'', the young man decided to get this over with as soon as possible. While he didn''t feelpletely drained yet, he will definitely feel that way soon enough now that Arisu was here. He was sure that the ss A student wasn''t here to make amends or anything and to make matters worse, his four other heroines were still here and he was certain that they wouldn''t be going anywhere...


    "What are you doing here?" he asked in his usual apathetic tone.


    "Hm, what a rude question out of nowhere. I simply thought of buying something to eat and I saw this ce. The midterm exams have just ended too, have they not? What better way to celebrate an aplishment?" she smirked.


    "Then why aren''t you inside the shop yet?"


    "Can''t I say hello to an old friend first?"


    "You already did," he said tly.


    Arisu giggled. "Hoh? What''s with this change of attitude, Ayanokouji-kun? This wasn''t how you acted towards me when we met. What happened to that tone you used on me when we met during our first day here?"


    Oh, how he was so tempted to use that same tone on Arisu right now to silence her, but he couldn''t do anything right now with the other girls around... which means that Arisu was saying these things because she knew that he won''t be able to do anything to stop her, lest he risk the others seeing him act like a yboy that''s out to seduce everyone around him.


    Truth be told, he could just do it regardless of the consequences, but he didn''t feel like dealing with four other girls who were all interested in him. He needed thefort of his home and Bed-chan more than ever.


    "Ayanokouji-kun, what the hell is she talking about?"


    Oh, dear... the questions have begun and the first of many came from Karuizawa. What''s worse is that the others turned their attention to him and expected an answer as well. If he doesn''t give the blonde girl what she wants, it''ll only trigger a chain reaction from the others and they''ll start demanding him for one!


    "I have no idea," he replied, pretending to look dumb.


    "Oh, I wasn''t aware that you were apanied by your ssmates. My apologies for not noticing," said Arisu, looking away from Kiyotaka for the first time and shifting her attention to his ssmates instead.


    Kei didn''t take kindly to what she said, thinking of it as an insult that meant she and her ssmates weren''t even worth looking at.. "The hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in growing anger.


    Arisu remained calm, her smug look not wavering. "I mean nothing by it. I simply had my attention on Ayanokouji-kun the entire time that I wasn''t able to notice any of you."


    Kei continued to narrow her eyes, but backed down for now. She turned towards her friend instead who had remained quiet up until now, as she had no idea what to do at the moment. Her ice cream had already meltedpletely, because she hasn''t touched it ever since Arisu made her presence known.


    "Sakura-san," the blonde called out, snapping her out of her little trance. "You''re good at reading people, right? What do you think about her? I honestly don''t trust her..."


    Doing what was asked of her, Airi observed the ss A student closely, taking note of the girl''s demeanor and aura. "U-Uhm... I don''t know what she''s nning, but... she''s not here just to talk to Ayanokouji-kun... I think..." she muttered.


    "Then that means she''s here to show off..."


    "I-I don''t know... it could be for another reason too..."


    While Kei and Airi were in a conversation of their own regarding the lc-haired girl from ss A, Suzune decided to satisfy her own curiosity regarding the ''rumored leader'' of the top ss in their year. Whether or not Arisu would answer her questions was a different story, though.


    "How do you know Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked.


    Arisu decided to humor her for a bit. "Hmm, I suppose you could say we are... connected, in a way."


    "What do you mean by that?" asked Kikyo, tilting her head in confusion.


    "That is all that I will be telling you," the lc-haired girl chuckled. "If you wish to know more, you will have to ask him instead of me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Why?" Suzune frowned slightly. Now she was certain that there''s something going on between Kiyotaka and this girl, although she had no clue what as of now. "Are you hiding something from us, Sakayanagi-san?"


    "Maybe I am, maybe I''m not. Before you ask him, however, do bear in mind that Ayanokouji-kun doesn''t like being asked personal questions such as this. Expect to be turned down if you try to ask him."


    Suzune wasn''t surprised that Kiyotaka was like that. At first, he didn''t want to admit that he scored 50s in his entrance exams, but eventually told her the truth. Now that she thought about it, he had every right to refuse to answer any of her questions, but he still did. She could try and ask him about Sakayanagi Arisu, but the girl had a feeling that he would t-out refuse to tell her anything.


    "If that''s the case, then why not just tell us? Or is your rtionship with him something that cannot be disclosed?" she continued.


    "Where''s the fun in simply giving you the answer?" Arisu smirked. "You don''t have to worry, though. It''s not like we''re making some kind of impossible deal behind your backs. We''re not nning anything that''s going to shock you in the future."


    Suzune raised an eyebrow at her. "You do realize that your words are only making you more suspicious in our eyes, correct?"


    Arisu chuckled in amusement. "Then, by all means, ask Ayanokouji-kun what you wish to know."


    Growing tired and annoyed of this new girl, Kikyo decided to just go on ahead and ask Kiyotaka what''s the deal with this girl who didn''t even look like she was a high school student. Seriously, give this girl a little push, and then she wouldn''t be able to get up because of how fragile she looked.


    "Ayanokou¡ª" Kikyo immediately cut herself short when she noticed that the man in question wasn''t even with them. "Wait, where did he go?"


    Right away, the focus of the whole conversation switched from finding out more about this mysterious girl to Kiyotaka suddenly vanishing from sight. All of them turned their heads in every direction in search of a young man with brown and wearing the school uniform, but Kiyotaka was nowhere to be found.


    How the hell did he even do that without any of them noticing? It was like he disappeared along with the wind, kind of simr to a ninja or something...


    "What a jerk. He really left us behind without even saying anything," Kei pouted. Now she''s having thoughts of punching him on the shoulder the next time she sees him... yeah, that sounds like a fitting payback for ditching them while they were still here.


    "I-I-I''m sure h-he has a good exnation why he left so suddenly..." Airi chuckled nervously, although she too felt saddened that Kiyotaka left them without a care in the world.


    "Oh, my... how interesting~" Arisu chuckled, looking unbothered by his sudden disappearance and actually felt amused more than anything else. "He left without even saying goodbye... well, since he is gone, there is no reason for me to continue this conversation. Until the next time we meet, ss D."


    After giving them a nonchnt wave, Sakayanagi turned around and was ready to head into the ice cream shop, before being stopped in her tracks before she could leave.


    "Wait," Suzune called out. "Before you leave, I want to ask you something."


    The lc-haired girl shook her head and continued on her way regardless. "As I have said, I have no intention of giving you the answer you seek, Horikita Suzune-san."


    "You said that Ayanokouji-kun had a change of attitudepared to when you first met, which happened to be on the first day of school. What did you mean by that? Was he acting different that time?"


    Arisu immediately realized that it was apletely different question from what she asked him earlier and after hearing everything that came out of Suzune''s head, it made the girl remember what happened during that night. She only brought it up earlier, albeit in a subtle manner, in order to catch Kiyotaka off guard. But now... it was alling back to her.


    Yes, not even the smartest mind in ss A could deny that Ayanokouji Kiyotakapletely broke through her facade and made her feel weak. She would have submitted to him if he made any further move on her but for some reason, he didn''t and left her alone afterwards. That didn''t mean that the damage hadn''t been done, though.


    In fact, his words haunted her for several days to the point that her father, the chairman himself, had to check on her because his daughter didn''t attend her sses for three days straight. Apparently, Arisu locked herself in her room that night and barely came out. Due to her absences, ss A ended up losing more points than what they''re originally supposed to end up with.


    It was also because of her steamy encounter with the ''Masterpiece'' that she avoided any possible contact she might have with Kiyotaka for two months, as it would have been hard and awkward for her to be near him... not after the myriad of feelings that he caused her to experience when he cornered against the wall.


    Even now, when it has already been two months since that encounter, Arisu still felt a little nervous about facing him and to make things worse, she had to recall that embarrassing memory of her being cornered against a wall. Thankfully, she was able to pull through and didn''t embarrass herself in any way.


    Arisu thought about how to answer Horikita. Of course, she could just refuse to answer again, but that would most likely end up in her defeat. If these girls fail to ask her, then they will ask Ayanokouji instead and there''s a big chance that he will tell the story to them in a way that will humiliate her for sure! There''s no doubt that he will do such a thing to get back at her for today...


    The girl quickly thought of something that''s vague and will end up in her favor. "Hmm... let''s just say that I wasn''t able to get any sleep the whole night after we met," she smirked and looked back for a moment to face the ss D girls.


    As Sakayanagi began to walk away, Horikita and the rest of the girls could only stare at her retreating figure with confusion evident on their faces.


    "That makes absolutely no sense," Keimented, making no move to hide her confusion. "She didn''t get any sleep after meeting him? What, she couldn''t get him out of her mind that day?"


    Airi nodded in agreement, feeling confused too.


    Kikyo was in the same boat. The first thought that came to her mind was that Sakayanagi is also interested in Kiyotaka as well, but it wouldn''t make sense. From the start, she could tell that the rtionship between them was more of a rivalry than romance. The other thing that caught her attention was that Sakayanagi said that his attitude had changed from the first time they met... but what kind of ''change'' was it?


    Because of this, she turned her attention to the person who might have a clue on what Arisu just told them.


    "I wonder what she meant by that... do you have any idea, Horikita-san?"


    "Not at all..."


    Suzune drew a nk as she thought of possible answers, but they did get a response from her at least... even though it was something that they didn''t understand. Of course, they could ask Kiyotaka what his ''friend'' from ss A about what she meant, but Suzune felt pissed with him at the moment.


    Oh, he''s definitely getting a smack from her for leaving them out of nowhere, and she could tell that she''s not the only one who''s angry with him.


    One thing was for sure, though.


    The next time that she meets Sakayanagi Arisu, it would be on opposite sides of a battlefield.

 Chapter 56 Act 11: Scene 1

    ?Three days after the day of their midterm examination, the results were already out. In any other normal school, it would have taken a week at the very least for all the students'' exam papers to be checked.


    But ANHS was anything but a normal school.


    To say that they were nervous would be an understatement.


    It was funny; yesterday they were filled with confidence that they will be able to pass their midterms with no problem, especially after hearing that they will be rewarded with a nice vacation if they pass their finals.


    But now that they were about to find out how they did in their exams, they had no idea what to do. A lot of them were already anticipating a low score in all of their tests to the point that they almost didn''t want to see their results.


    However, they couldn''t exactly do anything the moment they heard the bell ring.


    "Quiet down, everyone. We are starting homeroom right now," Chabashira-sensei spoke as she walked inside the ssroom with her usual aura of seriousness.


    Her face conveyed no emotion, which only made those who were nervous even more skeptical of their possible results. They couldn''t tell if the woman was pleased or angry with them.


    "Chabashira-sensei, we were told that the results of the midterms would be out today. Will you show them to us?" Hirata asked the biggest question that was on everyone''s minds at the moment.


    "About that," the woman stood behind the podium as anticipation and nervousness began to fill the students. "I''m supposed to show it to you in the afternoon, but I figured that doing it right now would lessen the burden on you for the whole day. Would you like to see your results now?"


    A smirk had formed on their teacher''s face, which only added to the growing anxiety that they were already feeling.


    Despite that, a lot of them also wanted their teacher to juste clean and announce the results to get it over with. After all, the more they wait around, the more they''ll feel nervous about their grades.


    "Yes, sensei," most of the students chorused.


    The smirk on Sae''s face widened even more upon hearing their answers. With that, she took out a rolled-up poster and pasted it on the ckboard, but no one could see what it said because she was blocking it.


    However, when she faced her ss again, the expression on her face had changed. She was now smiling, looking genuinely happy which shocked a lot of her students. They had never seen her smile before, because smug and angry expressions were all that Chabashira-sensei gave them for the past two months.


    "Your efforts weren''t put to waste. Perhaps it''s indeed too early to say that you''re nothing but defectives. I acknowledge your efforts on a sessful midterm examination, ss D."


    Sae moved to the side, allowing her students to see the poster. Everyone''s names were listed there, along with the scores they''ve gotten from each subject.


    "Wow..."


    "Some of us scored so high!"


    "I actually did better than I expected!"


    Three students had gotten a score of 100 in all subjects, which were Koenji, Yukimura, and Horikita. The next set of students with the highest scores were Wang, Hirata, and Kushida who did not get a score that was below 90.


    The rest of the ss got various scores that ranged from 70-100 in each area, which was a clear disy of how much they studied for the exams. In fact, the student who had the lowest scores was Yamauchi but even so, his lowest subject was still 7 points above the passing grade so there was no need to worry.


    In Kiyotaka''s case, the young man scored 85 in all five subjects, which was something that he was satisfied with. It wasn''t too high for his ssmates to notice, and not too low for Suzune to be displeased with him.


    In the case of the girls whom he had helped for the past weeks, both Airi and Kei couldn''t believe what they were seeing when they noticed the score that they received. In all five subjects, they did not get a score that was below 70.


    For Karuizawa, she was happy that the time she dedicated to studying wasn''t wasted. She was also d that her confident demeanor during the exams didn''t end up being baseless words. She knew to herself that she worked hard despite not being one to take her studies seriously and for that, her efforts were rewarded.


    In Sakura''s case, she was already in tears, because in all her years of going to school, she had never gotten such results. Sure, her scores weren''t really impressive whenpared to Kei, Kiyotaka''s, or the students who got a perfect score in every exam, but just from the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes, it was already a victory that she never thought was possible.


    Chabashira-sensei simply stood back with her arms folded, letting everyone enjoy the oue of their exams. She didn''t bother scolding some of her students who stood up from their seats and cheered for their aplishment, choosing to let them enjoy this victory for now.


    While Airi was staring at her own scores with a dumbfounded look, Kei stood up from her seat and rushed over towards her friend''s desk. She then slung her arm over Airi''s neck, snapping the redhead out of her trance as Kei grinned at her.


    "We did it, Sakura-san! This calls for a celebration!"


    "Y-Y-Yes...! I... I can''t believe it..." mumbled Airi.


    Kei looked at her with a confused stare. "Eh? What''s with that tone? You should be happy right now, you know?"


    Airi quickly shook her head. "N-No, I''m... I am happy, it''s just... I-I''m shocked that... I actually got a score like that..."


    "Oh yeah, you said that you''ve never really been good at academics... my bad," the blonde chuckled nervously in realization before smiling again. "But hey, this means that I was right! There was no need to worry at all because we studied! No way we were going to fail with everything we did."


    Even Airi wasn''t able to stop herself from beaming in happiness. Her worries have now beenid to rest, even though Kei was right and that there wasn''t any reason for her to be worried in the first ce.


    "I-I suppose so..."


    "You two look like you''re enjoying your results."


    The two girls turned around to see Kiyotaka walking towards them, his hands in his pockets and his usual apathetic expression on disy.


    "Of course we are! What did you expect?" she shed him a smirk at first, before it turned into a frown. "I told you that you didn''t have to worry! But you just kept on insisting that I might not be able to handle myself!"


    "K-Karuizawa-san, I think Ayanokouji-kun was only worried," Airi said in an attempt to calm her friend.


    "Well, it didn''t feel like it!" the blonde huffed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kiyotaka was prepared to apologize for his mistake the other day, only for the world around him to stop. Three new choices appeared before him and the young man could only shake his head in exasperation. The system sure knows when to intervene, huh?


    A. [At least you two didn''t fail. Otherwise, all my hard work would have been for nothing.]


    B. [You two did very well. Even though you''ve struggled many times while studying, you managed to pass. I''m proud of you both.]


    C. [How about a reward? I think I deserve one from the two of you for helping you pass~]


    His attention was quickly drawn towards the second option and nothing else. There''s no merit to be gained from choosing the first one, and there''s no way he was going for the third choice right when he''s in the middle of the ssroom, surrounded by lots of people. It''s a one-way ticket to trouble and he wanted to avoid that as much as he could.


    "Here we go again..."


    And so with that, he pushed Option B while sighing in defeat.


    As the world returned to normal, he gave the two girls a warm smile. "You two did very well. Even though you''ve struggled many times while studying, you managed to pass. I''m proud of you both. It may only be the midterm exams, but you deserve to celebrate this victory."


    Both girls blushed upon seeing him smile, which was just as effective as hisugh. Poor Airi had to turn her head away to hide her beet red face from him and while Kei took it in stride, it didn''t stop her face from reddening not only because of his smile, but also because of his words.


    "W-Well... we couldn''t have done it without you," Kei muttered as she tried to keep a strong facade and face him, but was failing horribly.


    Kiyotaka waved his hand in denial. "That''s not true. I merely gave you a push in the right direction. It was you who decided to work hard and study for the exams. Your achievement was all on your own."


    Kei blushed harder after those words, and she tried to calm herself down by chuckling in amusement. "Y-Yeah, but... you''re literally the one who taught us, you know? As much as I want to say that I did it on my own, you helped me and Sakura-san."


    "True. But I believe that even without me, both of you are capable of improving yourselves. You just needed a little bit of encouragement and proof that you can do it."


    Neither girl said anything afterwards, too flustered and overwhelmed to get anything out of their systems. Despite this, they didn''t feel any less thankful for Kiyotaka as if it wasn''t for him, they wouldn''t be in this position. If it wasn''t for his willingness to teach them despite being asked to be a tutor at thest moment, then they wouldn''t be able to get through their exams without feeling like a nervous wreck.


    [Special Event ''Their Hidden Potential'' has been cleared! You gained +10 in Aura!]


    [You have gained 20 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    [You have gained 20 Affection Points with Sakura Airi!]


    [You have attained the required number of Special Events to unlock a Bonus Scene!]


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked Bonus Scene #1!]


    "Oh. I forgot that this whole thing was a ''special event''..." the young man thought as he read through the notifications he received. He had forgotten that he triggered a ''special event'' weeks ago, which was something that he has notpleted ever since because there was no notification saying that he did. He once thought that the system might have forgotten about itpletely.


    But now, it looks like he can safely say ''mission aplished'' and it even resulted in a good increase with the girls'' Affection Points. It also showed that these ''special events'' don''t happen in one sitting all the time. It could happen in the background too until the requirements forpleting it are met.


    However... thatst notification was something that he didn''t expect.


    "Bonus scene? What does that mean?" the young man thought while raising an eyebrow.


    The first thing that he thought of was that it would be another ''special event'' but considering how it got ''unlocked'', it''s surely something bigger. From what he knew about dating simtors and eroges, this could also be another term for ''extras'' or bonus content from a game. It might not be anything huge, just something that would enhance the ''experience''.


    Kiyotaka wanted to think more about this, but he wasn''t really in the mood at the moment. They had just finished their midterm exams and were allowed a moment of victory to celebrate their aplishment. Even he didn''t want to ruin this by focusing on the system instead.


    Besides, he could just get back on thister. It didn''t seem like something that he should be worried about, anyway.


    "Although, I hope you understand that this is only the beginning. We still have our final exams to worry about, so our work isn''t done yet," he added.


    That snapped the two girls out of their little trance and it quickly made them realize he was right. This was only the beginning, as they now had their finals to worry about. Luckily, it would be happening two months from now, so they had plenty of time to prepare for it.


    Kei grinned. "Oh, you don''t have to worry then. The final exams aren''t happening anytime soon. We have lots of time to prepare for that, don''t we?"


    "W-Will you tutor us again, Ayanokouji-kun...?" asked Airi, speaking for the first time since he praised them for their efforts.


    "If you still want me to help you out with studying, then why not?" Kiyotaka shrugged. He was pretty sure that the system would make it so that he would remain as their tutor even if he declines. Why not just agree to it now instead of putting his sanity to the test again? "It''s at least better than having to deal with more than two."


    The happy look on Kei''s face turned into a frown in a matter of seconds. "That better not be an insult, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "Trust me, it''s not," he defended himself.


    All of a sudden, Chabashira-sensei pped her hands, gaining everyone''s attention and momentarily halting their celebrations.


    "I suppose that''s it for the results. Take your seats and try not to make too much noise until your next teacher arrives. Just because you have produced great results doesn''t mean you are not being monitored, and you still have your finals to worry about," Chabashira-sensei reminded them before walking out. "Goodbye."


    However, before she could truly leave the ssroom, she stopped for a brief moment and seemed to be contemting something. She stood there for a while and everyone was starting to get confused. Wasn''t she about to leave?


    Her students watched her closely, wondering if she had forgotten to do something or if there was another announcement that she''s going to make.


    "Ayanokouji," she suddenly blurted out while turning her head to look at the brown-haired teen who was just about to head back to his desk. In return, after hearing his name being mentioned, he turned and met his teacher''s gaze with his own. "Meet me at the rooftop after you''re done celebrating your aplishment. There is something we need to discuss."


    And with that, the woman finally left the room, leaving everyone confused at what their teacher had in mind for a moment there. They turned their attention to the one person inside the ssroom who might have an idea on what Chabashira''s intentions were.

 Chapter 57 Act 11: Scene 2

    ?"Oi, Ayanokouji. Did you do something to piss her off or something?" asked Sudo while raising an eyebrow at his friend.


    "I have no idea," he shrugged, ignoring everyone''s stares around him. In his mind, though, he already had an idea why their homeroom teacher wants to meet with him. "This must be regarding my exam scores. That was the reason why she wanted to talk to mest time."


    Thest time that he had a talk with Sae was after the revtion of their ss being the deast among the four sses in their year. It was when she pointed out how he intentionally scored 50 in his entrance exams in front of Suzune and while he tried to deny it at first, he eventually admitted the truth to his ssmate. Their teacher must have noticed the improvement in his grades now and wished to confront him about it.


    "Well, guess I better head up now and get this over with right away," he mentally sighed before turning to look at Kei and Airi. "Guess I''ll see you twoter."


    Both girls nodded, and Kiyotaka turned around to spare a little nce at Suzune, who also gave him a little nod. She was probably aware of why Chabashira-sensei wanted to talk to him, since she was there thest time their teacher did so... and she also noticed the scores that Kiyotaka got in all of his exams.


    As the brown-haired teen left the ssroom, various conversations immediately sparked among the students regarding the reason why Chabashira wished to talk to Ayanokouji. Most of them involved typical reasons that concerned a student''s performance, but there was one particr ''reason'' that came from someone who was jealous of the attention that Ayanokouji received from those of the opposite sex.


    "Lucky bastard... why the hell does he get some private time with Sae-chan-sensei?!"ined Yamauchi, banging his head against his own desk over and over.


    "I wouldn''t call that being lucky, Yamauchi..." Ike muttered, having doubts about the so-called ''private time with Sae-chan-sensei'' being a good one.


    Meanwhile, Kikyo quickly made her way over towards Suzune with the intention of asking about Kiyotaka. She had no idea why their homeroom teacher wished to talk to him, but Suzune might. As much as she hated to admit it, he was close to her and if there''s anyone who has an idea about what''s the deal between the young man and Chabashira, it would be her.


    "Horikita-san, do you have any idea why Chabashira-sensei wants to talk to Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked curiously.


    Suzune thought for a moment if she should tell Kikyo what she knew, but decided against it.


    It had been clear that Kiyotaka didn''t want to tell anyone that he held back in the entrance examination and denied every usation thrown towards, but he told her for some reason. Suzune was still learning when it came to things like this, but she waspletely sure that this was something that she shouldn''t tell anyone else, because it would break his trust in her.


    She shook her head. "I apologize, Kushida-san. I don''t have any idea, either."


    Kushida didn''t even need a lie detector to tell that Horikita was lying. However, as much as she wanted to call her out for it, she couldn''t do it while they were here in the ssroom with everyone else.


    "I see... thank you for answering anyway, Horikita-san," she struggled to get the words out instead of outright cursing the girl.


    Suzune thought of retracting her words because Kikyo was her friend and she was only curious, but shook the urge off. If Kikyo wanted to know about Kiyotaka and Chabashira-sensei, then she could ask him herself.


    ~XoX~


    It didn''t even take more than five minutes for Kiyotaka to reach the rooftop and upon getting there, Sae was standing near the fences while smoking a cigarette. Even though she couldn''t see him, the woman knew that the person who had arrived was her student.


    "So, why did you call me up here, sensei?" Kiyotaka asked as he approached her, wanting to get this over with right away.


    "You''re not half-bad as a tutor for your own ssmates, Ayanokouji-kun," she chuckled, choosing not to turn around as she spoke.


    Kiyotaka tilted his head slightly in confusion. Out of all the possible reasons why his teacher wanted to talk to him here, it''s the fact that he was a tutor to two of his ssmates? No, there''s definitely more to this. Perhaps Chabashira-sensei was simply lightening up the atmosphere between them for now, before moving to the serious part.


    "I''ve heard it from Hirata, and I''ve seen you in the library as well a few times. Before this day, Sakura was one of the people who failed thest exam. Her grades, as you must have known by now, are unsatisfactory. In Karuizawa''s case, her grades are barely average and aren''t impressivepared to some of your other ssmates..."


    The young man had no idea where this conversation was heading, but he had a feeling that it would end up being about his grades somehow. Chabashira-sensei mentioned both Karuizawa and Sakura, particrly their performance in academics... truly interesting...


    "...and yet, both of them have pulled off ster results in their midterm examinations. And the reason for that is standing right behind me," Sae finally turned around after those words. The woman had a proud smirk on her face, which was something that Kiyotaka wasn''t used to seeing. "Why don''t you consider working as a teacher here after graduation, Ayanokouji-kun? Whatever teaching methods you used worked very well."


    "I appreciate the kind words, sensei... but I''m pretty certain that my role as a tutor isn''t the reason why you wanted me to meet you here," he retorted.


    Honestly, Kiyotaka neither had the time nor patience to y around. He wanted to be done with this as soon as possible so he could return to his ss and take a nap until their next teacher arrives. The more time he wastes up here, the shorter of a nap he''ll have when hees back.


    See folded her arms across her chest. "As expected, you''re right. However, I wanted tomend you because it truly is an amazing feat. It''s not everyday that you can teach two students and have them improve massively in terms of academics."


    "Something tells me that you don''tpliment your students like this very often," hemented. Truth be told, he expected this woman to either talk about his grades or get angry with him for holding back. Praising him for something just seems... out of character for her, but it may be rted to what she had in mind right now.


    "Consider yourself lucky then," she shrugged, not even denying his im. "When I was checking your exam... I had thought that you were still holding back despite that conversation we had at the teacher''s lounge weeks ago. Now imagine my surprise when I realized that you scored an 85 in all subjects instead."


    Kiyotaka didn''t say anything and only listened. He was right then. This whole meeting was going to be about his grades and it will probably end in another attempt by his teacher to convince him not to hold back anymore. He waspletely sure that this is what''s going to happen and it made him want to turn around and head back to the ssroom, but he remained where he was. He''ll give Sae the benefit of the doubt and listen for now, despite being sure of what her intentions were.


    "That''s 35 points higher than the scores on your entrance exam, and 15 more than the mock exam. It''s not too much of an improvement, but it''s something. Have you finally decided to stop cing limits on yourself?"


    Instead of denying her im likest time, he simply shrugged. He saw no need to hide it any longer, especially since doing so would only result in yet another argument between them and he had no time for that.


    Kiyotaka wasn''t going to give her a concrete answer, though. "Who knows?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I see," Sae smirked, taking a drag of her cigarette. "Then I suppose you were convinced by someone to not hold back. Horikita, most likely. I did see the two of you continuing your conversation outside of the lounge after I told you to leave."


    "Did you call me here just to talk about this?" he asked, looking bored and unamused with this whole conversation so far that he wanted to end it now.


    "That is correct."


    "Then what is it that you want from me, Chabashira-sensei?"


    [A Special Event has been Triggered!]


    His growing impatience was quickly reced with surprise and wonder as he stared at the newest notification that he just received. He had just finished the most recent ''special event'' earlier that was rted to Airi and Kei, and now there''s another? What a way to start his day indeed.


    "Now? Of all times?" he rolled his eyes internally. "Wonder what''s it about this time?"


    Actually, you know what? He didn''t even need to think about it. It was clear as day that this new ''special event'' involved his homeroom teacher, which would most likely end up in him ''unlocking'' her route and officially making her one of his heroines.


    Oh, joy...


    "Ayanokouji. Are you really not interested in reaching ss A?" asked Chabashira, frowning for the first time ever since their conversation began.


    Kiyotaka remained as uninterested as ever. "Is there a reason that I should be?"


    "Is that something that you should be asking at this point?" The woman shook her head in disappointment. This definitely wasn''t how she wanted things to go. "I already told your ss before, didn''t I? Graduating from ss A guarantees your future. The same can''t be said for graduating as one of the other sses, especially ss D."


    "And I already said that I''ll deal with that matter when it arrives, sensei."


    "Don''t tell me that you really do n on staying as ss D for the rest of your time here... I thought you were supposed to be helping Horikita in bringing your ss to the top."


    Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow at that. The only way she could have known about that was if she had been spying on him and Horikita, which likely happened after she summoned them to the teacher''s lounge, which means that Sae was still there despite her words about a faculty meeting...


    He sighed. Seriously, how far was this woman willing to go just to convince him to stop holding back? And why the hell did she even care if he held himself back?


    "I am helping her. However, that doesn''t mean that I''m interested in reaching ss A myself, sensei."


    "And why is that?"


    "I prefer having a peaceful life for my three years in this ce."


    The young man knew that statement couldn''t be any more wrong, as his high school life wasn''t even remotely close to being ''peaceful'' at the moment. However, it was the only excuse he had. He can''t exactly say that he doesn''t want to be ss A because it would bring him attention, since it''s not like he''d be the only one gaining poprity if it happened.


    "That is rather naive of you, Ayanokouji. What makes you think that you can even achieve such a thing after what I told you and your ssmates?" she argued. "Whether you like it or not, you are nowpeting with other sses. Your so-called ''peaceful life'' is nothing but a mere fantasy at this point."


    Kiyotaka knew that she was right, but he wasn''t going to admit defeat, especially not to her. Fortunately, he still had something up his sleeve and he had a feeling that this would be an effective counterattack.


    "I see that you''re like Horikita, sensei. Both of you are strangely fixated on reaching ss A. I canpletely understand Horikita''s case, since she indeed wants to secure her future. What about you, sensei? You''re not a student like us, are you? Your future looks like it''s already guaranteed since you teach at a school like this, so what''s with this strange obsession?"


    The frown on her face deepened. "That is none of your business, Ayanokouji. I am speaking as your instructor and as your homeroom teacher. And as your homeroom teacher, I am showing you that graduating from ss A has guaranteed merits. Merits that you wouldn''t find if you finish high school as one of the lower sses."


    "Let me guess. You were in ss D when you were a student here like us," he guessed, which managed to crack Chabashira''s stone-cold facade and caused her eyes to widen for a moment. "You wanted to graduate as a ss A student, but you never did. That''s why you''re talking to me about this."


    Sae couldn''t maintain her frown for very long afterwards, and that was when Kiyotaka knew that he was right. All of a sudden, things started to make sense in his mind regarding his teacher and her behavior.


    "And now you want me to aim for ss A because you believe that I can help our ss immensely and so that you could finally achieve what you''ve set out to do for years. In your eyes, if the ss that you''re teaching manages to be the new ss A, it would give you the closure that you''ve wanted for so long."


    When they first met her, she was all-business and kept a serious look on most of the time. It became worse after the first month had passed, when she expressed her disappointment and anger at the whole ss for being failures. However, now that they''ve proven themselves as capable students to her, she lessened her hostility towards them and even looked proud after showing them their results earlier.


    One thing was consistent, though.


    After their first month here, Sae tried to show that he was holding himself back all this time and wanted him to stop by pointing out the strange results of his entrance exams. She even tried to prove it in front of Suzune to try and force him into a corner. Right now, she just tried to do the same and insisted that the reason for it was to ''guarantee his future''.


    It all made sense.

 Chapter 58 Act 11: Scene 3

    ?"I might consider listening to you if you tell me the truth, sensei..." he added, noticing that his words hadpletely silenced the woman and rendered her unable to say anything.


    And then, Chabashira sighed in defeat.


    "What is there to tell when you''ve already said everything? I shouldn''t even be surprised..." she finally spoke after about a minute of silence. Her serious expression shatteredpletely, and was reced with a look of mncholy. "You''re right. I was a student of ss D when I was a student here. We actually had a chance at achieving what nobody else has done before in this school: bing the new ss A despite being known as the defective ss."


    "What happened?" he asked, wondering how that all fell apart. It must be the main reason for her obsession with reaching ss A, and why she can''t move on from it despite the years that have passed.


    "You don''t need to know why. All that matters is that I wasn''t able to achieve that goal. But now, I have my chance at finally putting my insecurities to rest... through you. I believe you can do what I wasn''t able to do, Ayanokouji."


    Her demeanor hadpletely changed by now; instead of the usual dead-serious expression that one would normally see from her, Sae looked... defeated, in a way. It''s like she had been stripped of all her strengths as a teacher and all that was left was a woman with weaknesses.


    "I feel like you overestimate my abilities, sensei. Just because I held back in my exams doesn''t mean that I can lead the ss in overtaking everyone else,"


    Of course, if he put his mind into it and with some effort on his side, Kiyotaka could lead his ss andpete with the other sses. However, just the idea of taking charge already left a bad taste in his mind as it meant attention, and he already had enough of that at the moment from a bunch of girls.


    Leading a ss and overtaking all the other sses... just wasn''t worth it.


    "That''s why I will let you choose," she revealed, making Kiyotaka tilt his head in confusion. "Initially, I was nning to ckmail you into thinking that holding back will get you expelled and that I have the power to do so, but you saw right through me before I could get the chance. Trying to ckmail you now would only be a waste of time when I can simply ask you for help."


    As the woman let a self-deprecating chuckle at her own blunder, Kiyotaka stared at her nkly.


    "It would have ended badly for you as well," he said in his mind. Kiyotaka felt tempted to leave when Sae basically admitted that she wished to manipte him and never interact with this woman again, but kept himself where he was. At least, he was able to stop her before she could do something foolish and stupid. "What''s in it for me?"


    "If you hear me out and ept my proposal, then you will gain my full support. Whatever it is that you feel would be beneficial to the ss, I will support you."


    "A mutual agreement between a teacher and their student... something like this wouldn''t be allowed in this school," he pointed out.


    A smirk formed on her face. "That''s right. It isn''t. But why do you think I wanted to talk to you up here?"


    Oh, so that''s why she wanted to talk here on the rooftop. In the case that he does end up making an agreement with her, they wouldn''t be seen on camera. Yes, it was technically breaking the rules, but no one was currently around to catch them in the act. A smart move on her part.


    "However, if you say no, then I will not bother you regarding this ever again. You''ll go back to your ssroom and forget that this conversation ever happened," Sae reverted back to her self-deprecating tone and chuckled to herself. "Perhaps I deserve it for trying to manipte someone like you into doing what I want."


    Instead of making this woman pay for thinking of manipting him, Kiyotaka decided to stay where he was and think about this a lot more. At the very least, she admitted her mistake and came clean with what she wanted.


    But before Kiyotaka could truly think of what to say, the world stopped and three floating pink screens appeared before him.


    A. [No thank you, Sensei. I''m already dealing with a lot of things and I have no time for your request. Even if my chances at a peaceful life are gone, I don''t want to be bothered anymore.]


    B. [I still wonder why you want me of all people to lead us to ss A, Sensei. However, you can be assured that I won''t let you down.]


    C. [How about a new deal, Sensei? If I can make our ss the new ss A before the end of the school year, then you be mine.]


    "How... convenient," he mumbled.


    ...well, this at least saves him the trouble. He won''t have to think of what to say anymore, just the answer that he had to her question and the system would handle everything else.


    With that, Kiyotaka weighed the options he had right now.


    The first option was definitely appealing to him, and it would have been the one he''d choose in a heartbeat, but he looked at the other ones for now. It''s not just because it would be sweet revenge for him, but also because he was dealing with a lot of things. There are currently 8 girls who are also his heroines and five of them are his ssmates. On top of that, he was also a tutor of them and there''s his already-scarce sleep hours...


    It kind of ticked him off that the system was self-aware of all the bullshit that it was making him go through, though.


    The second one didn''t catch his interest at all. It was simply him epting Chabashira-sensei''s request without some kind of special condition on his part. In other words, he would be admitting defeat and rescind to his fate of being the woman''s errand-boy.


    It could also be said that it''s the most ''normal'' response out of the three choices, but also the one that he wouldn''t choose no matter what.


    And, like most times, that left the final possible choice.


    To put it simply, the third option was adding a condition of his own to his teacher''s little proposal, which was something that favored him. She won''t just support him in his quest to reach ss A, as the stakes became higher this time. If he''s able to do it before the school year ends, then Sae would be his... most likely as a romantic partner.


    "It''s either the first or the third one," he said to himself.


    Hmm, it was pretty inevitable that he would eventually ''unlock'' Chabashira''s route (since he had already seen her ''summary'' during their first day here), and this was a one-way ticket to doing it. Why not just do it now and get this over with? Just to save him from the agony of dealing with this on another day?


    Kiyotaka wasn''t particrly bothered by the fact that this woman was considerably older than him. In fact, it actually amused him that he had gained Sae''s interest by simply holding back. It amused him even more that the ''condition'' he would give her is basically the reverse of what''s happening at the moment. Instead of Sae manipting him through ckmail, he would have her dancing in the palm of his hand using her dream as bait.


    This system was truly something else.


    ...oh, and he also wouldn''t mind having a woman like Chabashira Sae on his side... in every possible way, that is. This woman was beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful than anyone else in ss. She was also mature and was serious most of the time. Through this deal, she''ll follow his orders without question and being a teacher, it also gives her certain perks that students don''t have. That will definitely be useful to him in the future and he''d be a fool to let that opportunity slip through his fingers.


    The fact that she''s a teacher also made her someone ''off-limits'' in the eyes of normal students and in turn, it made the option more appealing than the first one to him.


    With all these in mind, Kiyotaka eagerly chose the third option.


    "How about a new deal, Sensei? If I can make our ss the new ss A before the end of the school year, then you be mine," he asked the woman with a smirk as the world went back to normal.


    At first, Sae thought that she was only hearing things. But then she quickly realized that there was nothing inherently bad about her hearing and it was working fine, so... what did Ayanokouji say?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Something about her being his...?


    ...no, that can''t be. The boy was just joking, obviously. He must have learned how to do that from his ssmates, that''s all. But just to be sure...


    "I''m sorry, can you repeat that?"


    Kiyotaka''s smirk turned into a grin.


    "If I can lead our ss to be the new ss A before the end of the school year, then you be mine, sensei."


    Oh god, he was actually serious.


    Sae didn''t know if she should feel nervous, disgusted, scared, or a mixture of all three. To add to that, this boy was grinning, something that she had never seen him do before and it was getting under her skin easily, which she hated.


    "W-What the hell are you talking about?" she tried to sound serious, but failed.


    "Isn''t it obvious already? Or do you want me to exin it to you slowly?"


    He took a step towards her, and Sae moved back out of instinct. Kiyotaka continued his advance with the woman stepping back every time he did so, but was soon stopped when the metal fence of the rooftop met her back.


    Her eyes widened in both fear and anger that she had been cornered with no possible way out. The fact that he was way taller than her only made it worse in her case.


    She could try to push him away and make a run for it, but that would defeat the original purpose of why she was here. She also needed his response to her question and despite Kiyotaka''s... questionable actions, he was about to give his answer to her.


    In other words, she was trapped.


    And so, as much as she hated it, Sae stayed where she was. That didn''t stop her from ring daggers at the young man, though.


    "If I give you what you want before the school year ends, then you''ll be mine, sensei. How is that hard to understand?" asked Kiyotaka, grabbing the fence on either side of her head which made his teacher feel like an animal stuck in a cage.


    Despite her growing anxiety for what might happen, Sae put on her usual stone-faced expression and stared back at him with as much intensity as she could muster.


    "Did you hit your head somewhere, Ayanokouji?" she mocked. "It must be the reason why you''re blurting out nonsense out of nowhere."


    He leaned even closer to her face, making the woman gasp. "Sensei, is it really that hard to understand what I want? You want me to fulfill your dream, and I want something in return, which happens to be you."


    "Damn it! What the hell is this kid?! How can he talk like that?!" she ranted in her mind, while being unable to stop the blush that was forming on her cheeks.


    She had no idea how Kiyotaka could be this smooth and suave in his tone and the worst part is that it was working on her!


    "I''ll say it again," he leaned close to her ear this time, so much that his breath sent chills down her spine. "I. Want. You."


    The red hue on her face became worse, but the woman was then allowed to breathe normally when he moved away from her ear.


    "Y-You must be just as much of a horndog as some of your perverted ssmates, huh? I thought you were different from them, Ayanokouji. It turns out... you''re just like them," she said defiantly.


    "Can you really me me, sensei? When the prize is too good to ignore?" he chuckled. "I wonder why you don''t have a boyfriend yet. Has your luck ran out?"


    "I simply have no time for things like that," she shot back, feeling insulted at that jab towards her.


    "Hmm, it doesn''t feel like it. I think it''s simply because you haven''t found the right person yet. I mean, look at you."


    His hand left the metal fence and Kiyotaka began to point out every single one of his teacher''s good points.


    "Your hair looks gorgeous," his hand touched her hair. "You have a beautiful face," his hand trailed her cheek down to her jaw. "A nice chest, these sexy hips, and those delicious thighs..." he didn''t touch any of those areas lest he risk getting kicked where it hurts the most, though he did stare openly at them. "...the guy who marries you will surely be the luckiest person in the world."


    Sae''s face was no different than a boiling tomato at this point after everypliment he gave her. The worst part is that it didn''t feel like he was lying, and all that he said was genuine.


    It took about a minute for the woman to calm down in order for her to say anything in return.


    "You''re insane. Student-teacher rtionships are obviously not allowed, Ayanokouji. If you''re caught being in a rtionship with one, then the punishment you''ll receive can be as severe as an immediate expulsion," she tried to send him a re, but Kiyotaka couldn''t really take her seriously because of the embarrassed look on her face. "I''m sure you know that, or has your libido blinded you to the point that you have no idea what is right or wrong anymore?"


    Kiyotakaughed as he lifted her chin up so that she was facing him, and he took great amusement in seeing his normally-serious teacher be reduced to a blushing schoolgirl.


    "I know that they''re not allowed, sensei, but we won''t get in trouble if we''re not caught, right? That''s what you implied earlier when you told me that you''d support me if I agreed to your proposal. Besides, if you hated this, you would have pushed me away by now and threatened me or something."


    "Damn him! Damn this little shit and his smooth-talk!" she shouted in her mind. Sae hated the fact that he was right, and she hated herself even more for not doing anything to defend herself against his offensive assault.


    "It''s how things work around here, is it not? I can give you what you want, but I don''t feel like having your support only. It''s honestly not worth the effort," he exined. "But having you, as a whole? That''s something to think about."


    "He''s actually being serious about this..." she thought, feeling her heart beating faster inside her chest.


    It was already clear a while ago that Ayanokouji wasn''t kidding when he stated his demands, but it was only now that Chabashira realized it.


    He wanted her in exchange.

 Chapter 59 Act 11: Scene 4

    ?"Well? How about it, sensei? If you say no, then we can forget this conversation ever happened. I''ll go back to the ssroom and continue to live my high school life. But what about you? Can you move on from that dream of yours?"


    Sae was stuck at a crossroads after that question. Obviously, there''s nothing she would want more than to put her past failures to rest and work with Kiyotaka, but his damn condition was something she wasn''t fine with.


    "Okay, think. You''ve been through worse, Sae. You can handle a kid and his perverted mind," she said to herself in hopes of calming down.


    Hmm... Ayanokouji said that he would help her and lead the ss himself, but he wasn''t satisfied with only her support. He wanted her, in a literal sense. It''s scary that the young man knew what he wanted and how he waspletely serious about it.


    Well, it''s not like she would give herself up to him if he was sessful. After all, he only said that if he manages to do it before the end of their first year, then he would get to have her.


    He didn''t say anything about aplishing it after.


    A smile slowly formed on her face as Sae realized the loophole within his words.


    She''ll still be able to get what she wants and as long as Kiyotaka doesn''t do it in record time, her chastity would be safe. Besides, there''s no way he could actually make the defective ss into the top one in the span of a year. And he''s just one guy. As much as she believed in his abilities, she couldn''t see any possibility of Kiyotaka pulling off the impossible within the ten remaining months.


    In her case, it took three years for her former ss to even get a chance at beating ss A, and that''s why it hurt so much when they blew it.


    Bing ss A in a year... was simply impossible.


    "Fine," she scoffed. "If... If you manage to get our ss to be the new ss A before the end of the school year, I''ll... I''ll be y-yours."


    Damn, it''s already humiliating and degrading by simply saying it! To think that this boy punched through her defenses and made her feel this way... this was definitely something she won''t be able to forget for a long time.


    "It''s just until the year ends, just until the year ends..." Sae took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She can get through this, she has dealt with bigger problems in the past. A boy being controlled by his libido is nothing.


    Kiyotaka only smirked, thoroughly pleased with the oue of this situation. It couldn''t have gone any better than this.


    "I knew you''d make the right decision, sensei."


    [Special Event ''The Teacheryer'' has been cleared! You gained 10 Affection Points with Chabashira Sae!]


    [Sae Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Chabashira Sae!]


    [Your current status with Sae has changed to ''Never Too Old for Love''!]


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked the Achievement: ''Older than You''! You gained +5 in Charm!]


    Kiyotaka ignored the barrage of notifications he had received and brought out his phone, before showing it to his teacher.


    Apparently, he had recorded the whole conversation about their ''deal'' on his phone and only stopped it just now. The look of horror on Chabashira-sensei''s face afterwards was priceless and it made himugh.


    "Everything that you said has been recorded, sensei. Just to make sure nothing goes wrong," he said, which was also a warning to his own teacher about any possible intentions of selling him under the bus.


    "Why do I feel like you''ve been preparing for this moment for a long time?" she asked after calming down from that shock he gave her with the recording. "Don''t tell me you were nning to ask me that question from the start?"


    "Who knows? I''ll let you think about it, Sae-chan-sensei~" he shrugged, even using the nickname that the perverts use for her.


    "You little shit..." A tick mark appeared on her head as Kiyotaka continued with his assault. This boy was really getting on her nerves!


    "You might want to think twice about the insults, sensei. After all, I''m all you have left when ites to your dream."


    "Just like that? You''re going to stop holding back now, just to get... j-just to make me yours?"


    Sae felt extremely ufortable with getting that out of her mouth. It still left a sour taste in her mouth that she was at the mercy of a boy, her student no less.


    "I think of myself as a man of my word, sensei. You can be assured that I''ll get to work as soon as I have to."


    With that, he finally removed his hands from the fence behind her and moved away, allowing the woman to breathe freely again.


    Sae felt relieved that he finally left her alone, yet there was also a tiny part of her that felt mildly disappointed that he didn''t do anything further. She was too frustrated with Kiyotaka to notice it, though.


    "You sound confident... are you sure you can do this?" she grumbled while trying to regain her bearings.


    "As I said earlier, sensei... the prize is too good to ignore," he teased, making her face turn red again. "And what happened to your faith in me? Earlier, you were preaching about me being your only hope of putting your insecurities to rest. Did I overwhelm you?"


    "Don''t push your luck, Ayanokouji. You''re not going to get me that easily. ording to your terms, you only have until the end of the school year to reach ss A. That''s 10 months left for you to work with," she shot back with a smirk of her own.


    Oh, if only she knew...


    "We shall see, sensei. We shall see," he chuckled.


    ~XoX~


    After their sses were done for the day, Kiyotaka made a slight detour to Keyaki Mall, particrly the new ice cream shop that he and his heroines tried out the other day.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "To think that I have to get used to something like that in the future..." he thought.


    The young man grimaced as he remembered what happened during that. What was supposed to be a little detour with Karuizawa and Sakura ended up being a trip with Kushida and Horikita tagging along. It was definitely a drag that he had to be with four girls at the time, but it wasn''t anything he couldn''t handle.


    It did serve as a little reminder that he would be dealing with more than just those four girls, though. Plus, he had three more heroines in Matsushita, Ichinose, and Shiina...


    And then, Sakayanagi had to show up.


    That was when things started to take a turn, especially when the lc-haired girl began mentioning their first meeting, which she definitely did on purpose in order to get the attention of the other girls.


    Unwilling to deal with the impending disaster that would have happened, he quickly snuck away while his ssmates weren''t looking, which was something that hispanions didn''t appreciate...


    And it ended up in him getting smacked in the head by both Horikita and Karuizawa the moment they saw him in the ssroom the next day.


    "As much as possible, I don''t want to go through that again," he thought as he ordered a vani sugarcone. In the end, only one person was to me for his sudden departure that time. "The next time I see Sakayanagi, she''ll be begging me on her knees to stop."


    It was obvious that the girl only pulled off that stunt to get back at him for what he did to her. How else can he respond to that other than doing the same thing?


    Today was a pretty eventful day, if he had to give his opinion. First, the results of their midterms were announced and he was pleased to see Kei and Airi passing with flying colors. Those two deserved it after studying hard for several weeks. Afterwards, his teacher made him follow her to the rooftop where she tried, and failed, to get him to do what she wanted.


    How?


    With the help of his eroge superpower, of course.


    Despite the crazy yet enticing encounter with his homeroom teacher, he had no regrets about his actions at the time. As a matter of fact, he actually enjoyed making the woman into a blushing mess who couldn''t fight back against him.


    Chabashira-sensei tried to manipte him into working for her, and that''s something that did not sit well with him.


    Besides, it''s what his broken superpower would have wanted. Ever since the first day of school, he had known that Sae was going to be one of his heroines.


    Still, as much as he hated it, he now had to work in order.


    It''s not all bad, though... considering the prize he would get when (not if, when) he leads their ss in overtaking all the other ones to be the new ss A. Plus, this would also be another way of getting revenge on Sakayanagi, since she''s a student of the current ss A.


    "I guess I now have a reason to take a more active role in the ss," he mentally shrugged. "Horikita will no doubt be happy about this."


    Speaking of Horikita, the girl had asked him for details on what happened between him and Chabashira-sensei as soon as he returned from the rooftop earlier, but he didn''t say anything specific. All he told her is that their teacher talked to him about his grades, leaving the girl confused and wishing for more answers, but their next teacher had already arrived by that time.


    As he left the shop with the ice cream that he bought, the young man was about to head home to his dorm unit when he felt his phone vibrating.


    Bringing it out of his pocket, Kiyotaka saw that it was a message from Kikyo.


    Kushida: Come to my dorm room. We''re going to celebrate today''s aplishment, Ayanokouji-kun. ;)


    She wants him to go to her dorm unit and celebrate today''s aplishment? The girl was most likely referring to their midterms. But what the hell is with that wink at the end? Was it to send a secret message to him or something?


    "Hmm... it probably means she''s nning something during this celebration she''s inviting me to," he said in his thoughts as he tried to think of a possible answer to his question. "Come to think of it, am I the only one that she invited or are there gonna be other people there?"


    That wink she sent with that message gave off a mischievous vibe more than anything, so this ''invitation'' likely involved only him and nobody else... which means that he will be alone with the girl in her own unit.


    ...oh god, is this it?


    Will this be the moment for him to lose his virginity? This must be what she meant with that message, right?!


    Nah, it can''t be. There''s absolutely no chance. Perhaps she was just being vague about the details, or she''s only messing with him. After all, Kikyo was still a little pissed from the stunt he pulled off at the ice cream parlor a few days ago.


    Either way, he should go and head to Kikyo''s dorm unit. Whatever this is about has his attention now and besides, if he didn''t show up, he was certain that he would have to deal with an angry Kikyo afterwards, and he was in no mood for that.


    After reaching the dorms, he stood outside of Kikyo''s unit and knocked on the door a few times.


    It didn''t even take a few seconds for someone to open the door for him, and the one who greeted him was the person who sent him the earlier message.


    "Oh, Ayanokouji-kun! You''re finally here," Kikyo smiled and stepped out of her dorm so she could greet him properly.


    Kiyotaka gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "So what''s the message about? What did you mean by ''celebrating our aplishment''?" he asked.


    "Hmm... what do you think~?"


    Kikyo shed him a smirk and leaned closer to him, their bodies nearly touching as a result. She didn''t stop there and gave him a half-lidded look, before altering her smile into a seductive one.


    Kiyotaka kept a calm look on the outside, but he waspletely surprised and taken aback on the inside.


    Was he wrong then? Was Kushida really nning to do the other thing?! Should he just let her? Roll along with it? How would his other heroines react? There were so many questions going through his mind at the moment that he couldn''t do anything in response to her actions.

 Chapter 60 Act 11: Scene 5

    ?Fortunately, he would be saved by another voiceing from inside her dorm unit.


    "Kushida-san, is that Ayanokouji-kun?" asked a voice that Ayanokouji could tell belonged to Horikita.


    "A-Ah, yeah it is! He just got here!" replied Kikyo, separating herself from the young man almost immediately out of panic. As much as she wanted to boast her superiority over Suzune by being close to Kiyotaka, the bitch wasn''t the only one inside her unit. "Damn bitch just had to ruin things when I was already making progress, huh? She''s lucky I even thought of inviting her..."


    "Then why don''t you let him in?"


    Kikyo rolled her eyes hard in annoyance as she opened the door and gestured for Kiyotaka to go in. The young man chose not toment on her behavior and simply went inside like what she wanted.


    He blinked in surprise upon seeing several of his ssmates there, including Suzune, Kei, and Ken. Most of them were gathered at the center of the room and when they noticed his arrival, they immediately reacted.


    "Yo, Ayanokouji!" greeted Ken.


    "Wee to the party, Ayanokouji-kun!" Kayano cheered with her arm slung over her teammate''s shoulder.


    "Hey," Maya waved her hand with a smile.


    "Tch. Why the hell is he here? He''s gonna steal the girls from us again!" Yamauchi grumbled in annoyance, obviously not pleased with Ayanokouji''s appearance. They were having such a good time by themselves, they didn''t need this lucky bastard to rain on their parade!


    "Oi, be quiet. Kushida-chan is just there, you know?" said Ike out of worry, a bit nervous about being heard by the girl who invited them. She might even kick them out of their dorm room if they mess up!


    Yamauchi began to wail. "I don''t care! It''s just unfair that Ayanokouji gets to have the girls to himself while we''re here suffering!"


    "I know, Yamauchi! I know!" cried Ike, joining his friend in shedding anime-like tears out of jealousy. "Almost all of the most beautiful girls in the ss live on this floor too... oh, if only I could live here..."


    "Would you quit it already? At least be grateful that you were even invited by Kushida-san."


    Kiyotaka weakly waved at Ken and Kayano, before turning his attention to Suzune. The girl was sitting on the bed, quietly reading a book and ignoring everything else around her in typical Suzune fashion.


    He quickly approached her for some context on what was happening. "What the hell is going on?" he asked,


    Suzune let out a sigh. "To put it simply, Kushida-san wanted to host a little celebration with her friends for passing the midterm exams. She talked about it earlier on the phone and asked me if I coulde over to her dorm room to be present for it."


    "I''m surprised that you actually epted the invitation. Staying in your dorm room and being away from everyone else seems more of a Horikita move to me," hemented, taken aback at how this girl agreed to do something that he couldn''t really see her doing. Well, it was getting her to change for the better, at least... so he wasn''t really going toin about it.


    "Because Kushida-san is my friend, and I would be a fool to decline such a thing when she went through the trouble of nning a celebration... something that you are incapable of understanding for some reason."


    Kiyotaka raised his hands in surrender the moment Suzune red coldly at him. It looks like she still hasn''t moved on from what happened a few days ago. No, it wasn''t because he left them out of nowhere, it''s because he didn''t invite her to go to the new ice cream shop with him.


    He could only hope that the girl doesn''t hold a grudge against him for what happened, because he was sure that he didn''t want to see her get angry. "I''m sorry about that, okay? Inviting you and Kushida just wasn''t on my mind at the time, that''s it."


    "Hmph," she huffed before shifting her attention back to her book.


    Kiyotaka sighed. He had no idea what to do to get this girl to forgive him. He could invite her to eat ice cream with him alone as an apology, but he had a feeling that it would only make things worse. He could also try to approach her about ss-rted affairs to show that he was now willing to work with her in order to get to ss A, but that would have to wait when they''repletely alone.


    He was just thankful that the system wasn''t punishing him or anything for making one of his heroines angry.


    For now, he should leave her alone.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kikyo beckoning for him to join her at the balcony. Since he had nothing else to do, he followed after her. Perhaps talking to the person who arranged this little ''party'' would be interesting, because he was bing more tempted by the moment to just head back to his dorm room for an early rest.


    "I''m surprised you were fine with those two guys being in your room," he told her as soon as he stepped out onto the balcony.


    "You wish," she groaned while closing the patio door so that no one would hear them. "You don''t know how much I want to kick them out right now and make sure that they won''t be able to attend sses tomorrow."


    "Then why don''t you? Not that I''m saying you should," he asked.


    "Because they were nning to use your room as the ce where we''ll be doing this," she scowled at him, as Kiyotaka blinked a few times in surprise. "I suggested that they should use my room instead because I know how they''ll react if those two perverts find out that you live on the same floor as me. They were even nning to surprise you outside of your room."


    Yeah... that would have been disastrous. He could only imagine the reactions that the perverts would have if they found out that he lived on this floor. The worst possible scenario would be that they spread the news to their ss and in turn, the whole school will find out eventually.


    Although, why the hell would they want to hold a party in his room of all ces? Couldn''t they have suggested their own dorm units? The minds of those two idiots were things that he would never be able toprehend.


    In the end, all he could do was bow his head in apology.


    "Sorry about this."


    "You owe me for this, Ayanokouji-kun~" she said in a sweet voice, which only hid her growing annoyance and frustration regarding this whole situation.


    "You don''t have to tell me twice," he sighed, before noticing that Kikyo was approaching him the same way as she did earlier when he got here. The same seductive look was present on her face, and that wasn''t a good sign. Kiyotaka quickly nced to the side and fortunately for him, none of their other ssmates had noticed them. "What are you doing?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ayanokouji-kun, do you know that Horikita-san likes you?" she asked.


    He shrugged. "Well, of course she does. If she didn''t, she wouldn''t have been friends with me."


    "Still trying to act like you''re dense..." she shook her head and sighed. "Well, it doesn''t matter. You won''t be acting dense for very long, anyway."


    "What are you talking about?"


    All of a sudden, Kikyo grabbed his uniform tightly and pulled him down so that they were eye-level. He was caught off guard by the sudden action and kept his guard up for whatever she might be nning to do, but all the girl did was send him a smile. It wasn''t a fake one born from the mask she puts up, but rather a genuine one.


    "I really like you, Ayanokouji-kun. You''re not like other boys in this school. Even after finding out what I really am under this mask I put up, you never treated me differently. Do you know you''re the first one to do that for me?"


    "I didn''t," he answered calmly despite his current predicament.


    Kushida let out a sigh of bliss as she recalled the first time sheid eyes on him. "Ever since we met, I''ve had my eye on you, you know? We''re friends, but you''re so mysterious and there''s a lot of things I don''t know about you... though that just made me want to learn about you even more. You''re just so... endearing in my eyes, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "If this is your attempt in confessing your feelings, Kushida, then I can say that it''s not the right way," the young man pointed out, referring to how this girl was grabbing his uniform in an almost-threatening way.


    He could understand her words and feelings but seriously, what kind of girl confesses her feelings while grabbing the cor of the boy she likes as if she''s choking him?


    "Oops, sorry about that. It''s just that I really wanted you to know what I think about you," Kikyo giggled as she let go of him.


    Kiyotaka shook his head while fixing his uniform. Between her and Suzune, Kikyo was harder to handle for obvious reasons. "Then I want you to know that I can''t answer your feelings right now."


    It''s not that he wanted to reject this girl, really. Ignoring the issue with her fake personality, Kikyo would be a good choice as a girlfriend for any lucky guy out there. The girl was cute, pretty, good in academics, a socialite, and she can be friends with almost anyone.


    However, Kikyo wasn''t the only girl who had eyes on him. At the moment, there are eight girls who are also his heroines and to choose one of them could have devastating effects on the other girls, and he didn''t want to invoke the wrath of his superpower should that happen. Plus, the system was clearly setting him up for the harem ending, which means that choosing one is already out of the window since day one.


    Kikyo rolled her eyes in amusement, not even surprised with her answer. "I expected as much. You still can''t choose between me and Horikita."


    He was already panicking on the inside as he listened to her. "Please don''t be the wrong answer, please don''t be the wrong answer..." he said in his mind, hoping that what he said wouldn''t have the opposite effect of what he hoped.


    Luckily, Kikyo didn''t explode in anger or anything. She only giggled in response to his response while shaking her head. It wasn''t enough to calm him down, though.


    "Well... that just means that I''ll have to work hard in order to get your attention, Ayanokouji-kun. I''ll prove to you that there''s no need to choose between us, because I''m the only choice you have."


    "I can tell that this won''t be good," he said to himself. He won''t regret rejecting Kikyo for now, though. He didn''t need to be an expert in love to know that it would have been the worst oue not only for him, but for his heroines too.


    "You can be guaranteed that I won''t hold back, Ayanokouji-kun," Kushida looked out into the open, taking in the breeze. The sun was starting to go down and in an hour or two, the moon would take over. "I''ll make you mine, no matter what."


    "Is that all you wanted to talk to me about? I''d like to head back to my room and rest," he asked, wondering if this ''deration of love'' was the only reason why Kikyo invited him to this little party at her dorm unit.


    Kikyo shrugged. "Well, you could leave if you want, but we just ordered two pizzas and a bucket of fries over the phone earlier. Sudo-kun brought threerge bottles of soda with him when he got here. If you stick around for a few more minutes, you can eat with us."


    That put a halt in his desire to go home.


    Hmm... well, free food was definitely something he wouldn''t object to... even if he was starting to feel tired.


    "All right, I''ll stick around for a bit."


    As he went inside, Kiyotaka chose to sit beside Kei, who was busy using her phone. However, she quickly noticed his presence and smiled upon seeing him. It honestly amazed him how her perception of him changed from being someone she couldn''t trust into a good friend but then again, it''s just the nature of his eroge superpower. The same basically happened for Suzune as well.


    "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "Hey," he greeted in return. Unsurprisingly, a certain redhead was nowhere to be found despite the blonde girl''s presence. "I see that Sakura''s not with you."


    "Well, you know how she is, don''t you? I would have been more surprised if she actually epted and celebrated with us," she joked.


    Another thing that surprised him about Kei was her rtionship with Airi. The two were like night and day in terms of how different they were, but they became friends nheless. Even though he could attribute that to Kei''s insistence to be friends with the shy girl, it can be said without question that Airi was also doing her best to change herself.


    He nodded in agreement. "That''s true. That would be a more surprising oue, but it would be good for her, nheless."


    "Yeah, I really hope she can change eventually..." she mumbled, the smile on her face disappearing in favor of a gloomy one for some reason.


    He immediately noticed the change in her expression. "Are you okay?" he asked out of concern, wondering what could have made her sad out of nowhere.


    Kei''s eyes widened in rm, realizing that she had been caught in the act.. "Y-Yes, of course I''m fine...! It''s just... I''m... I have a lot on my mind right now," she quickly covered it up with a nervous chuckle before shing a weak grin.


    Kiyotaka didn''t believe that excuse one bit, but he decided to leave it alone for now. Trying to get this girl to talk would be a challenge with how stubborn she could be.

 Chapter 61 Act 11: Scene 6

    ?It didn''t take long for the food to arrive and once it did, the ''celebration'' began. The ss D students shared the two pizzas and soda amongst each other and celebrated today''s aplishment, while also reminding each other of the uing finals. They may have survived their midterms, but their final exams were a different story. That didn''t mean they couldn''t celebrate, though, because their victory today was still a victory!


    Of course, Suzune didn''t join them for that, simply choosing to eat her share on her own despite Kikyo''s attempts to get her to join them. Kiyotaka only shook his head in amusement at that interaction. Even after all the changes she exhibited in the past two months, old habits still die hard for Horikita Suzune.


    After a while, right when Kiyotaka was feeling tempted to head home to his dorm room, the young man felt someone tapping him on the shoulder, making him turn around to see Kei looking at him with a conflicted expression on her face. Looks like he was right in thinking that she wasn''t feeling well, and now she was going to tell him about it.


    "Can I talk to you? It''s important," she asked.


    "What''s the problem?" Kiyotaka sounded so concerned for her that it surprised even himself.


    "No, not here..." Kei shook her head as she nced at everyone else, before turning back to him. "Can we go to your room?"


    Kiyotaka thought about it for a moment, wondering if there would be any risks in doing such a thing, before he shrugged mentally. It''s not like the others would know that he and Kei would be having a private conversation, unless they leave together in front of everyone''s eyes.


    In response to her question, he brought out his phone and typed in a quick message before sending it to the blonde girl. Kei felt her phone vibrate and immediately read the text he sent.


    Ayanokouji: I''ll head out first, then you follow. If we leave together, it''ll raise some questions. I''ll leave the door unlocked for you.


    Kei turned to him and nodded in agreement. He must have thought that whispering things to each other, no matter how quiet they are, they would be caught in the act and their ssmates would start questioning them.


    Kiyotaka then stood up, gaining everyone''s attention. "Thanks for the food, everyone. But I want to head back to my dorm. It''s been a long day for me, and I''d like to get an early rest."


    "Come on, stay for a while longer, Ayanokouji!" Sudo insisted, and Ayanokouji only shook his head at that. "Ugh, where do you live, anyway?"


    "I''m not obligated to answer that," he told his friend as he headed for the door. Before leaving though, he turned his head to nce at everyone inside. "See you tomorrow, everyone."


    "See you, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    Kikyo waved her arm in farewell, with Maya, Kayano, and Satsuki doing the same. Suzune still looked like she was angry at him, but sent him a weak wave nheless. The only ones who didn''t react were Ike and Yamauchi, who looked happy more than anything now that he was leaving.


    After closing the door behind him, he quickly went inside his dorm unit before anyone else could see him and left the ce unlocked so that Karuizawa could get in without a problem.


    He dumped himself on his bed after kicking his shoes off, before waiting for Kei to arrive. Luckily, it didn''t take the girl more than five minutes to step inside his room. Any longer than ten minutes, and he would have been asleep.


    "Thanks for letting me in here, Ayanokouji-kun," Kei smiled as she opened the door and went inside.


    "No problem," he replied while sitting up from his bed. "Make sure you lock that, by the way."


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked the Achievement: ''My ce is Free Tonight''! You gained +5 in Aura!]


    Kiyotaka blinked a few times at seeing that system notification which came out of nowhere. He was first confused on what it was about when nothing has happened with any of his heroines yet, until he got a good look


    "''My ce is Free Tonight''? What does that mean?" he asked in his thoughts, feelingpletely stumped at first with a totalck of possible answers, until he looked at Kei who had taken off her shoes and turned to him afterwards.


    "Can I sit there?" she pointed to the spot beside him on his bed, to which he nodded.


    Now that he thought about it, Kei is literally the first girl to step inside his room. Within the two months that he spent here in this school, even after weeks of spending time with Suzune and Kikyo, none of them have gone inside of his room. As a matter of fact, Kikyo''s unit was the first dorm he had been to that''s not his own.


    It feels weird that there''s an ''achievement'' for this scenario but then again, there''s nothing ''normal'' about his broken superpower in the first ce. He shouldn''t be surprised that there''s an achievement for the first time that a girl steps inside of his dorm room.


    "What did you tell everyone else when you left?" he asked the girl as she sat beside him.


    "I just told them I was feeling sleepy and I wanted to go home early to sleep. Luckily, they didn''t ask any suspicious questions like if I was going to meet with you or something," the girl sighed, feeling relieved that everyone else didn''t ask those kinds of questions.


    "Basically the same excuse as mine," hemented in his thoughts, feeling a bit amused at her decision. Karuizawa must not have thought of a good reason to tell them, so she did the same thing as him. "So what''s the problem? It must be pretty serious if you wanted to talk in private."


    "It''s... uh... it''s... kind of embarrassing to say..." Kei muttered, looking so ashamed that she had to look away, even though she was pretty determined to talk to him a while ago.


    "Well, if you don''t say anything, then I guess we''re going to be like this the whole night," he joked. Kiyotaka had no problem helping her out with whatever problem she had, but Kei needed to say something first before anything else.


    [A Special Event has been Triggered!]


    His eyes widened slightly upon seeing the new notification from the system, before resisting the urge to groan. It just couldn''t resist, huh? Of course the system would do this right when he''spletely alone with Karuizawa.


    "What the hell is this ''special event'' going to be about this¡ª"


    "...would you be my boyfriend...?!"


    That snapped him out of his thoughts.


    Kiyotaka looked at hispanion, whose cheeks were bright red in embarrassment as she struggled to keep her gaze locked towards him. The girl definitely said something, but his attention was drawn to the notification just now and because of that, he couldn''t catch on to what came out of her mouth.


    "Come again?"


    Kei blushed even more at realizing that he didn''t hear her, so she had to say that embarrassing question again! She felt the urge to snap at him for failing to listen to her, but thought against it. She was trying to seek his help, and yelling at Kiyotaka won''t do her any favors.


    And so, despite the great embarrassment that she felt upon asking it the first time, Kei spoke again.


    "W-Would you please b-be my boyfriend, Ayanokouji-kun...?"


    Kiyotaka could only stare at her with his mouth hanging open.


    What the hell was going on today? Seriously, was it his lucky day or something? It was crazy enough that Kushida confessed to him earlier, and now Karuizawa too? And that''s not even counting the encounter he had with Chabashira-sensei at the rooftop¡ª


    "W-Wait, before you think of anything else, I don''t mean that literally...!" she added, which snapped the young man out of his thoughts again. Compared to her usual fiery and tsundere demeanor, it was weird yet interesting to see Kei in a state like this. "Uh... what I mean is... will you be fine if you... p-pretend to be my boyfriend for a while?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kiyotaka took a moment to absorb her words and let them register in his mind. "You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?" he asked,pletely stumped at the nature of her words.


    The girl nodded weakly, feeling the heat in her cheeks continue to rise as she tried her best to keep her gaze towards him.


    ...okay, so he was wrong. This wasn''t a confession at all, but he was left confused at what Kei''s intentions were. If she''s not confessing, then what is she trying to aplish? To have him as a fake boyfriend? For what, though? What does she need a fake boyfriend for? To show off to the girls that she had a boyfriend, albeit a fake one?


    Ugh, if only the system could give him a clue or some context in such situations...


    "Wait a second... " he thought as he had a moment of realization.


    When he first saw Kei''s ''heroine summary'' about a month ago, it stated how the girl had been bullied ruthlessly in her old school and what she was nning to do here in this new school.


    She had intended to look for someone who could protect her as a fake boyfriend, only to hold back on that n when the dorm arrangements were changed. From there, she didn''t do anything more to advance on that n because she grew distrustful of the boys and didn''t wish to talk to any of them. That changedpletely when he and Kei talked for the first time at Keyaki Mall and from there, their rtionship only became better to the point that she didn''t be angry when she found out that he lived on the same floor as her, despite her opinion about the dorm arrangement months ago.


    "She''s trying to get me to be her fake boyfriend," he concluded in his thoughts while rolling his eyes. "Of course she would. I''m the only guy she talks to, anyway. I''m also the only guy she trusts, so it shouldn''t be a surprise that she''d ask me that question."


    Kiyotaka wanted to m his head against the wall. He felt angry and frustrated with himself for not realizing it sooner, to the point that he actually thought that Kei was actually confessing to him for real!


    Instead, the young man sighed mentally.


    Well, as much as he wanted to help this girl, he can''t really ept anything without learning the truth from Kei herself. Sure, he may know about her past thanks to the system, but that was from his point of view. In the blonde''s eyes, he had no idea about what happened to her in her old school. If he agrees to her ludicrous request without context, it would only end badly for them both.


    "Why?" he asked her.


    "L-Look, just give me an answer, okay? Will you or won''t you?" she pleaded, looking more embarrassed by the moment.


    "Well, that''s not fair. You invite me for a talk in my own room, and you''re not going to say anything? How am I supposed to help you when I have no idea what''s going on?" he argued, wanting the girl to be honest with what she wanted from him.


    "I...I''d rather not say..." Instead of embarrassment, she now looked gloomy. The same expression she had for a moment in Kikyo''s room was back.


    "I won''t force you to tell me anything. But if you want me to even hear you out, I need to know the reason why you''re asking me to do such a thing for you."


    Kei became quiet after that, and Kiyotaka only stared at her. The girl seemed like she was contemting what to do and he simply waited for what she would say. If she tells him the truth regarding this whole thing, then good. If not, then that would be a shame, even though he already knew why she was doing this.


    "You''re my friend, right? You''re someone I can trust... right, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked, her voice going from flustered to nervous in an instant.


    "Do you even have to ask?" he asked rhetorically.


    The girl let out a massive sigh of relief at his reassuring words. "All right, I''ll tell you... but... you have to promise not to tell anyone. Please," she pleaded.


    He nodded. "I promise."


    ...and tell him, she did.


    Everything that he already knew about her past, Kei exined it to him with more detail. He already felt bad for the girl when he saw her ''summary'', but now he felt a bigger need to protect her after she told him her first-hand experiences at being bullied. Several times during her re-telling of her life in her old school, Kiyotaka felt murderous intentions that he had not felt in a long time, and it was directed to the people who pushed her around and targeted her.


    It was probably because of the system. No doubt that it was influencing him and caused him to feel bloodlust towards Kei''s bullies, not that he minded it. As a matter of fact, he was tempted to ask the girl for the names of the people who bullied her and pay them a visit, but thought better of it. As much as he would like to do that, it required a lot of effort and he already had his hands full with a lot of things.


    It even reached the point where a few tears began to leak out of her eyes, causing him to offer her a clean handkerchief, which she epted gratefully. Kiyotaka told her afterwards that if she didn''t feelfortable telling his story to him, she could stop but to his surprise, Kei insisted that she''ll tell him everything.


    After saying everything that she had to say about her life in her past school, Kei remained quiet and only used the hanky that Kiyotaka gave to her in order to wipe away her tears.


    "So let me get this straight... you were bullied in school your whole life..."


    She nodded.


    "And on the first day of school, you were nning to ask a boy from our ss if he could pretend to be your boyfriend..."


    She nodded again.


    "But then, the chairman announced the new dorm arrangements, so you backed out on that n for a while out of fear..."


    Kei nodded yet again.


    "But then, we became friends and you started to trust me... you even saw me teaching Yamauchi and Ike a lesson at the library," he finished his own little summary of everything she said, while also feeling surprised that Kei witnessed that particr moment.


    How did he not detect her presence that time...? Hmm, probably because he was too focused on teaching those two idiots a lesson they would never forget.


    "That''s why I asked you... because you looked like someone who could protect me if something bad happens..." she said quietly, remembering that particr moment at the library. She didn''t mean to spy on him, but it''s what solidified her decision to ask him if he could pretend to be her boyfriend.


    "I see," he muttered.


    "Well, now you know," Kei brought her legs up to her chest and hugged them together, as she rested her head on top of her knees. A few more tears escaped her eyes, which she wiped away. "Now you know why I''m asking you for help. Because I don''t want to get bullied again. I don''t want it to happen again. I just want... I just want to have a normal life here... is it too much to ask for?"


    Kiyotaka stared at her for a moment, as he tried to figure out what to say. Should he reassure her that everything will be fine? Hold her hand? Give her a hug? Tell her that he''ll be there for her? He still sucked when it came to this subject, damn it!


    Before he could do anything though, three pink screens appeared in front of him as the world frozepletely.


    A. [Why didn''t you fight back? Or better yet, why didn''t you report the people who did those things to you?]


    B. [I''m sorry to hear that. If you ever need someone to lean on, I''m here.]


    C. [...I know what it feels like.]

 Chapter 62 Act 11: Scene 7

    ?After feeling relieved at the system''s timely intervention, Kiyotaka quickly observed his possible choices. The first two options werepletely normal responses, so Kiyotaka ignored them right away. What caught his attention was the third option which, for the first time ever since he''s lived with this eroge power, wasn''t a perverted choice.


    He tried to think of what the third option meant, but all he could think of is that he would show empathy towards her by sharing his own experiences that were simr to hers. It was the only fitting context that he could think of, because it was about rting what she went through to what he experienced...


    ...which also means that he would be telling this girl about his own past.


    "No way."


    ...that would be his response if this was any other time. If they weren''t in his room right now and Kei wasn''t feeling depressed, Kiyotaka would have t-out rejected this option and go for either of the first two instead. It''s not out of anger or anything, though. He simply didn''t want to disclose any information about his past to anyone, not even his heroines.


    Right now, though? There''s no doubt that this was the right choice to make.


    [''To Protect Her Smile'' has been Activated!]


    Yep. Curse this broken superpower for influencing him enough to make him willing to go through such lengths to keep his heroines happy.


    And so, despite having this feeling in his gut that''s telling him that this woulde to bite him in the ass eventually, he pushed Option C.


    "...I know what it feels like," he said as the world around him started to move again.


    "What...?" Kei sniffled, as she turned her head to look at him.


    "I know what it feels like to get pushed around and be unable to do anything. That feeling of helplessness... when you think that the whole world is against you? I know how it feels. Like you, I also want a normal high school life that''s free from those feelings."


    Kei blinked a few times as his words started to click in her mind. He... understood her? Kiyotaka knew how she felt?


    "You do...?"


    "It wasn''t anyone from my school who did it to me, though. Someone else made me feel that way."


    "W-Who?" she asked, now filled with curiosity regarding her friend.


    Kiyotaka took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was going to say.


    There''s no going back now.


    "My father," he revealed.


    The girl needed a few moments to let his words sink into her mind, and all that she could feel was confusion afterwards.


    "Your... father?"


    "Well, I wouldn''t really call him that since he never acted like one. It was just to tell you who he was," he shrugged.


    Kei raised an eyebrow. If she was curious before, she was filled with a ton of questions now. How could Kiyotaka''s own father be the cause of his suffering?


    "What exactly did he do to you?"


    "I can''t really describe it, but let''s just say that I wasn''t raised like other kids. While others normally have a good childhood, ying with others, making friends, and being taken care of by their parents, I didn''t get any of that. I had to survive on my own."


    Thosest words rang in her ears like they were the tolling bells of a church. Kei couldn''t believe what she was hearing. She thought she had it bad in her old school? Well, Kiyotaka went through worse and it affected her more than she thought.


    "But... no one deserves that! How could your father do something like that to you?" she eximed, before a sudden idea struck her mind. "W-Wait, is this... is this the reason why you always look like that?"


    "Perhaps... but I don''t really remember when exactly. All I know is that I''ve been like this for as long as I can remember," he told her honestly. "I should be thankful for this superpower, though. If I didn''t have this, I might have never felt what it''s like to smile andugh again..."


    For all the trouble and stress that the system had given him, one thing that he would never be pissed about is the fact that his strange power helped him get in touch with his emotions again to the point that he could show it on his face through his expressions.


    "But why would he do that to his own son...?" Kei asked after getting over her shock at hisst answer.


    He shook his head in amusement. That man seeing him as a son? He''d rather seduce every single one of his heroines than believe that bullshit.


    "I don''t believe he ever saw me as a son. In his eyes, I''m only a means to an end."


    "What do you mean?"


    "That''s something I can''t tell you," he shook his head. He had already revealed enough of his past to her, there was no need to go further. The White Room was a subject that he would never bring up to anyone who waspletely innocent to its horrors. "Maybe someday in the future, I will... but not now."


    Kei frowned and pouted at him upon hearing that. She still had a lot of questions about him, and he''s going to leave her hanging like this?


    "Now you''re the one who''s being unfair. Come on, I told you about myself. Why can''t you do the same?"


    Kiyotaka sent her a serious look. "It''s not just that. It''s moreplicated than you think, and it''s better if you just leave it alone."


    "Fine," she relented after a few moments. As much as she wanted to argue that she wanted to know more about him, it was Kiyotaka''s choice if he wished to tell her or not. "I still want to hear the end of this story, though. Someday when you''re not so secretive."


    "Regarding your original question..." he said, shifting the conversation elsewhere. "I apologize, but I can''t give you a rtionship that''s fake. That wouldn''t be fair to you. Everything that you wanted to avoid in your old school? It would onlye back if I pretend to be in a rtionship with you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kei sighed. She wasn''t even surprised at his answer. "Yeah, I expected as much."


    "Really? You expected it yet you went on ahead and asked me anyway," he raised an eyebrow at her out of interest.


    "Well, I still wanted to give it a try! I had no idea what would be your answer, and if there was the slightest chance that you''d say yes, there was still a chance."


    "Why me, though? You could have approached anyone else about this who would agree to be a fake boyfriend in a heartbeat."


    "You were the only one I had in mind," she muttered, her cheeks turning red again for the first time in minutes. "I don''t have any other guy friends in the ssroom, and it''s not like I''m popr outside of the ss. You''re right, though. I could have asked someone like Hirata-kun and he might have agreed, but I trust you more."


    "I see..."


    The two sat there in silence afterwards, with neither one of them knowing what to say next.


    What now? Kiyotaka had given his answer to her original question, so does that mean that they were done? Should she leave now? Should she just stand up and say goodbye? This turned out to be a pretty eventful and emotional conversation between them, but was this now the point where they would have to bid farewell to each other?


    "I guess that''s something we both have inmon, huh?" asked Kei, feeling a bit ufortable with the silent atmosphere between them, yet there was something in her mind that was telling her not to leave yet.


    "I suppose," he replied while rubbing the back of his head, sharing the same ufortable feeling as her. Damn his socially awkward nature for not knowing what to do now.


    "Do you... do you want to hug?"


    Upon hearing that question, Kiyotaka quickly turned around to face her, and he wasn''t surprised to see the girl blushing furiously. Did she just say what he thought she said?


    "...do I want to hug?" he repeated her question, as if he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "Yeah, a hug. What, you''ve never gotten a hug before?" she smirked despite the burning feeling in her cheeks.


    He actually thought about that question for a good moment. "I... don''t believe so," he told her honestly, unable to recall a moment where he had been hugged by someone.


    Remembering what he said about his father just a while ago, Kei immediately regretted her words. "O-Oh. I''m... sorry, I didn''t know."


    "It''s fine."


    The girl cleared her throat. "W-Well, do you want to hug, then? Friends do it all the time and it feels really good to do it," she asked, changing her position so that she was kneeling on the bed while facing him.


    He blinked in surprise. He had expected something like this from either Suzune or Kikyo, but not Kei. Although, he shouldn''t really be taken aback by this. After that deep and heartfelt conversation that they had about their somewhat simr pasts, it totally makes sense why Kei would do this.


    "Are you sure? I thought you hated boys."


    "Ohe on, are you still worried about that? I already told you that you''re different from any other guy out there! Why do you think I asked you to be my fake boyfriend?!" she snapped at him, before raising her arms and spreading them wide, an invitation for him to do the same. "A-And, I thought... I thought that since we kinda went through something simr when we were younger... it would feel better than any normal hug..."


    "If it''s fine with you, then I wouldn''t mind."


    He assumed the same position as her, kneeling on his bed and facing the girl with his arms spread apart. The two stared at each other for a few moments, before Kei surprised him by lunging first, wrapping her arms around his back. Kiyotaka stared at her for a moment before doing the same, as he felt her hugging him tighter.


    Kiyotaka''s eyes widened slightly at her action. He didn''t dislike it, though. As a matter of fact, he waspelled to do the same and after he did, the young man felt a sense offort filling his entire body, as though it was telling him that everything''s going to be alright.


    It was apletely foreign feeling to him, and yet he didn''t mind it. In fact, he wanted more of it and let himself surrender to the sensation.


    "This feels... nice," hemented while letting his head rest on her shoulder.


    "It does, doesn''t it?" A sigh of contentment escaped the girl''s mouth as she leaned her head against him. Kei smiled to herself as a few more tears escaped her eyes but this time, she didn''t feel like wiping them away. "It''s funny, I wanted to talk to you because I wanted you to pretend to be my boyfriend... but maybe a hug from a friend is all I needed."


    Kiyotaka found himself agreeing with that statement wholeheartedly.


    "Perhaps."


    [Special Event ''Kei''s Salvation'' has been cleared! You gained 50 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    [Rtionship Status ''Out of Darkness'' has been maxed! Rtionship Status with Karuizawa Kei has been upgraded to ''Best Friends''!]


    [Congrattions! The Skill ''Hug Monster'' has been Created!]


    [Hug Monster] (Passive Skill): Grants your heroine a warm sense offort when you wrap your arms around them and makes them feel safe from everything else. The hugs you give are extremely addicting and will result in you being glomped by your heroines at the most unexpected of times.


    Kiyotaka stared at the notifications that showed up and quickly read through their contents. Normally, he would have felt annoyed or frustrated with this scenario but to his own surprise, he found himself reacting by shaking his head in amusement, as if he waspletely used to this already and didn''t feel like the system was destroying his sanity.


    "What even is my life at this point...?" he asked himself before turning his attention back to the girl who was hugging him and the warmth he felt from it.


    In the midst of his chaotic life in this school, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka found a few minutes of peace in this hug that he shared with Karuizawa Kei.


    And it was something that he would cherish for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 63 Act 12: Scene 1

    ?Everything was returning back to normal for the students of ss D. After their midterms were over, everyone celebrated getting a passing grade in all of their subjects, which also meant that none of them got expelled.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that they were back to their old ways of being the ss of defectives. Hirata, Horikita, and the rest of the student tutors reminded everyone that they aren''t safe yet, because they are surely being monitored until now. Plus, they were still waiting for their allowance for the next month, and none of them wanted their already-low points to get worse.


    But for now, they deserved to enjoy the rest of the week and treat it as a moment of rest after weeks of preparing and studying for the midterms. It was now Friday, and everyone was ready for the weekend to arrive... at least the ones who arrived at the ssroom early. There''s still about half an hour before their first period begins.


    Surprisingly, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka didn''t feel like he was deprived of sleep hours like he always does. Why? Because he had two rxing slumbers in the past days to the point that he feltpletely rejuvenated today. He didn''t even feel like taking his usual nap before Chabashira-sensei arrived.


    How was this possible?


    Ever since their midterm results were released two days ago, the system had been quiet again and it didn''t activate out of nowhere in that span of time. Actually, it didn''t activate at all, even when he interacted with the heroines who were also his ssmates. It allowed him two days worth of early and uninterrupted slumbers, which were probably the best he''s had ever since the school year began.


    Just like before though, he didn''t trust the sudden halt in the system. Sure, it''s only been two days since itst activated but considering the fact that he now had a total of 10 heroines, Kiyotaka wasn''t taking any chances.


    For now, he was spending his time searching up ''eroge visual novel walkthroughs'' online and watching how each game was yed, particrly the choices that had to be made simr to how he does it whenever his own superpower provides him with the three choices.


    Hey, he may have some knowledge about the genre itself, but he still had a lot to learn... who knows? Maybe learning from these games would help him adapt to his situation, especially now when he could tell that the system was nning to do something big... it just was, and he could feel it. That''s how these things normally work.


    Meanwhile, the person beside him was reading a book in peace, ignoring how two of her female ssmates were having an engaging conversation right in front of her desk. It was interesting yet bizarre to see Horikita Suzune not minding such a scenario happen right in front of her, perhaps she was already used to it?


    "Ne, ne, Horikita-san. Have you ever taken a bath in an onsen before?" came Kushida''s voice, snapping the ck-haired girl out of her own little world and making her look up to face her friend.


    Kushida and Matsushita both had curious looks on their faces, as they waited patiently for a response from her. Somehow, Horikita was able to understand what their question was about and didn''t have to ask the two to repeat what they said.


    "An onsen?" Suzune blinked as she thought about that particr question for a few moments. She then tried to remember an instance where she went to a hot springs spot in the past. "I believe I have, when I was younger and with my family. However, I don''t remember much from it. Why do you ask?"


    Kikyo shed an eager smile. "Me and Matsushita-san were thinking... what if our school had a bathhouse which also had an onsen? If there was, then I''d go there at the end of every week to rx, especially when it''s a busy one. I don''t know what it feels like to take a bath there since I''ve never been to one, but I think it''ll be really fun!"


    "That doesn''t sound bad, as long as an hour or two in the water doesn''t cost too much," Chiaki nodded in agreement. She and her family had been to many private bathhouses at this point, yet she never grew tired of the feeling of cleaning herself while being submerged in steaming water.


    "Well, I think I''ve read that an hour is equal to 500 yen, which also means that it would cost 500 points if we want to go to one... assuming the school builds a bathhouse, of course!"


    "That''s not a bad deal. I don''t spend that much points, anyway." Chiaki smiled. Spending 500 points every week in exchange for a rxing time in an onsen was worth it, and it''s not like they''d run out of points to spend since they had a monthly allowance. "I might even go for two hours if I''m feeling really tired."


    "Two hours sounds even more fun!" Kikyo agreed, before turning towards their other ssmate. "What about you, Horikita-san?"


    Suzune raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. She listened to the two and answered Kikyo''s question, yes, but she didn''t expect to be a part of their conversation.


    "Pardon?"


    "Would you spend 500 points for an hour in the onsen?"


    Suzune stared at her for a moment before shaking her head. "A pointless question. I don''t believe it''s possible for this school to have one."


    "Oh,e on! Just imagine that we have a bathhouse within the school premises. Wouldn''t it be fun to go there and rx?"


    "There would be no point in imagining it if there''s no chance of it happening in the first ce."


    "Why wouldn''t it be possible, Horikita-san?" asked Chiaki, wondering if there''s a specific reason why their ssmate didn''t want to answer a question that was purely hypothetical.


    "Bathhouses might be found in public, but they are nothing more than ces for people to rest and stay clean. Our school might house other ces of interest like the mall, but I don''t believe it would have a site such as a bathhouse."


    "But why?" asked Kikyo.


    "Is it not obvious? Bathhouses require people to shed clothing in order to use them, and I doubt that the school would let its students do such a thing in a public ce. Furthermore, they are more popr with tourists and there are none around here, only students and instructors."


    "But bathhouses are also popr with regr citizens, Horikita-san. There isn''t a weekend where bathhouses aren''t filled with people because they want to rx after a long week of working or studying."


    "That is also true," Suzune conceded. "Of course, I could be wrong and that the higher-ups of the school could be nning to establish one. But as far as we know, there''s no such ce."


    "Seeing Horikita being like this towards other people is still something I have to get used to," Kiyotaka said in his thoughts. He had been paying attention to them ever since Kikyo and Chiaki included the ck-haired girl in their conversation and was interested in how it would y out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    Hearing his name being called snapped the young man out of his thoughts and brought him back to reality, as he noticed that all three girls have now turned their attention towards him.


    "Huh?"


    "How would you feel if our school built a public bath that we could visit whenever we want?" asked Kikyo.


    "Why are you asking me?" he asked in return, wondering how the hell did he get roped into this conversation.


    "Because I want to hear your opinion...?" she chuckled nervously. "Come on, just imagine it!"


    Kiyotaka rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about the scenario that she painted in his mind. "Hmm... I''ve never been to a public bath before, but I would like to try it. It should be a pleasing experience," he answered honestly.


    The concept of a public bath that is open for everyone was something that interested him, but he never put much thought about it before.


    Right now, though? After Kikyo told him to imagine it for himself?


    Now he hoped to be able to try going to one, whether it be inside of the campus or outside. A rxing bath in a steamy onsen? Just the sound of it was tempting enough and it would be a good way to alleviate himself from the stress and headaches that he experiences on a regr basis.


    "I''m sure it would be, especially if you clean yourself in a mixed bath with girls around~" Chiaki teased.


    He raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean by that, Matsushita?"


    Before he could get any kind of response from her, however, a new voice entered the scene and left the three other girls with looks of shock on their faces when the neer wrapped her arms around Kiyotaka''s neck and hugged him from behind.


    "Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    Karuizawa Kei had slid into the scene with a big grin and tightened her hug around the young man''s neck. When he tried to look back, he was only met with a smile that''s so cute, there''s no way he could be mad at her for surprising him with such a bold move.


    And with this, Kiyotaka finally came to the conclusion that Kei... is a hugger.


    Which meant that she likes to hug.


    Yesterday, she hugged him after seeing him when they were coincidentally about to leave their floor together, and she did it before Suzune and Kikyo came out of their dorm rooms. She hugged him again before leaving their ssroom for lunch break, where they were, somehow, unseen by their other ssmates. Nobody saw Kei hugging him for a few moments before separating from him happily, and he couldn''t even respond.


    The girl hugged him yet again in the evening, when he was about to leave for the convenience store to buy a few milk cartons. She caught him off guard that time and was almost tackled to the ground as a result. When he asked what her problem was and if she wanted something from him, Kei only winked and giggled before going back to her room.


    It was so bizarre.


    Honestly, it''s either that or it''s the system''s influence again since he did ''unlock'' a new skill after sharing a moment with Kei a few nights ago... and it involved hugging. A lot of hugging. Like, Kei didn''t seem afraid of being caught hugging him by other people at all. They were only fortunate that they were never seen by other people in the past few days


    And now, thatck of fear led to them being caught in the act... which must be another one of the system''s schemes because why else would she hug him in front of other people? Knowing the blonde girl, she wouldn''t even attempt to do such a thing because she gets flustered easily and reacts rather strongly after getting embarrassed... but she hasn''t acted that way even until now.


    "Cat got your tongue? When someone greets you with a ''good morning'', you''re supposed to do the same!" she smirked, before bopping his nose in a scolding manner.


    "Good morning," he said in a deadpan tone.


    Although she felt a bit disappointed with his bored response, Kei felt satisfied that he said something in return and let go of him afterwards.


    "Good enough."


    "Why did you hug me out of nowhere?" he asked. He wanted to ask her why she kept on doing the same thing in the past few days, but there''s no way he would say that out loud in front of the three other girls with them.


    "I just felt like it," she shrugged.


    Kiyotaka resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Like with Suzune and Kikyo, he was not angry at her. He''s not stupid to shift the me on Kei because he knew that it''s because of the system''s influence that she is acting this way.

 Chapter 64 Act 12: Scene 2

    ?"Of course you did."


    He turned his attention to the three other girls who were with them, and he wasn''t surprised to see them with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. He could already tell that they had a myriad of questions forming in their minds just from seeing Karuizawa act around him in a way that wasn''t like how she usually was.


    Kiyotaka decided to end this before it even began. The more he dodges the topic or refuses to answer the questions that they may have, then it would only make them even more curious than before.


    "All right, get it over with. I know you three have something to say," he told them.


    The three remained silent for a few moments, as they had no idea what to say. They nced at each other several times, as if they were trying to figure out who was going to speak first.


    In the end, Suzune was the first to open her mouth to say something.


    "I know that you and Karuizawa-san have spent a lot of time together in the past weeks because you were tutoring her, but it also feels like the two of you have be closer for some reason, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "You think so?" he asked, neither confirming nor denying her suspicion.


    "Well, that''s what happens when you''re friends, Horikita-san!" Kikyo exined in an attempt to quell her growing anger and jealousy.


    She was caught off guard when Karuizawa suddenly came out of nowhere. After her initial shock died down, anger quickly took over her and for a moment, she wanted nothing more than to push the blonde girl away and take her ce.


    Regardless, Kikyo was shocked at seeing Kei hugging the young man. She didn''t think that Kei would be that bold... the blonde bitch did something that she hasn''t done yet! Kikyo knew that she''ll have to step up her game even more, but it didn''t stop her from sending a death re at Kei for a brief moment.


    "Hugging is something that friends also do?" asked Suzune with a look of interest.


    Kei and Chiaki stared at her nkly, wondering if she was serious or she was simply joking around despite being who she is. Even Kikyo couldn''t help but throw her an ''are you serious'' look, ignoring her blonde target for a moment. Of course, she knew that Suzune had little to no knowledge about social interactions, but it was still a disappointing sight to see.


    Kiyotaka only sighed. If there was someone who''s worse than him in things like this, then it''s definitely this girl. It''s almost like she was a baby who''s stepping out of her crib for the first time.


    "Of course it is! You should try it too, Horikita-san, because I still think you''re cold sometimes. Hugs are really warm, you know?" Kikyo told the ck-haired girl, before turning towards the young man with a curious expression. "Ayanokouji-kun, can I hug you too? Karuizawa-san looked like she enjoyed doing it..."


    Kiyotaka thought about saying ''no'' at first to save himself from an even deeper grave that he was already heading to, only to remind himself that this girl might go ballistic if she doesn''t get what she wants... or she goes ahead and hugs him anyway.


    Well, he could at least do this as quickly as possible. That way, nobody else would see him sharing a moment with the most popr girl in ss and further ruin his day. Urgh, and it was supposed to be a Friday, the gateway to the weekend! What a way to start it off, right?


    "Do what you want," he sighed in defeat and stood up, making it easier for the girl to do what she wants to do, and to also ensure that the hug won''tst for more than a few seconds.


    "Hehe...!"


    With an eager smile on her face, Kikyo lunged and wrapped her arms around him, before burying her face into his chest. From the look of contentment on her face, it was clear that Kikyo was in heaven at the moment. For what seemed like the first time, it was a moment of peace for the girl who had nothing but fake kindness and near-uncontroble anger in her mind most of the time.


    Kei and Chiaki looked on with subtle, but jealous looks on their faces. At that moment, they wanted to be in Kikyo''s ce... Chiaki, mostly. While Matsushita Chiaki didn''t think of herself as someone who could get jealous, it did feel wrong to see her ssmates do these things with Kiyotaka while she couldn''t do anything.


    Meanwhile, Suzune felt a little jealous as well, but that feeling was overshadowed by her curiosity towards the act of hugging itself.


    It surprised Kiyotaka when Kikyo let go of him only a few secondster. He honestly thought he would have to separate himself from her just to make her stop. However, contrary to what he thought, the beige-haired girl didn''t separate herself from him. She merely looked up at him with a pout.


    "Mou, when you''re being hugged by someone, you''re supposed to hug them back, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    "Should have known she would say that," he thought. Instead ofining though, he gave in to Kikyo''s demand and ced his hands on her shoulders. It was obvious that what he did wasn''t even remotely close to being called a ''hug'' but nheless, it was enough to satisfy the girl.


    While her face was hidden from the three other girls behind her, Kikyo took this moment to smile triumphantly. This was all that she needed to do. Prove that whatever these skanks could do to get Ayanokouji''s attention, she could do better. In time, he''ll realize that she''s right and he''ll finally be hers.


    Heh. A hug was nothing to her and besides, this really did feel nice and she wouldn''t mind hugging him even more after this...


    After a few seconds of ''hugging'' the girl, Kiyotaka removed his hands from her shoulders and looked down. "Okay, you can let me go now."


    "Hmm..." Kikyo looked up at him and thought about it for a moment, before sticking out her tongue yfully. "No, I don''t want to!"


    Kiyotaka already had a feeling that this would happen, and knew that he would have to get her off him on his own. But before he could think of doing anything, Kikyo began to hug him tighter. Her hold on him became stronger with every second that it reached the point where he was having a slight difficulty in breathing properly.


    While Kei and Chiaki still looked jealous of the beige-haired girl, Suzune was able to notice the growing distress in his eyes and immediately acted.


    Surprisingly, she didn''te over and separated the two in one swift motion like what most people would assume. Instead, she only sent a serious look towards Kushida and began to speak.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Kushida-san, let go of him already."


    "I don''t want to," she refused.


    "Kushida-san, if you keep on hugging him like that, you won''t like what''s going to happen."


    "Oh, you''d like me to do that, won''t you? So you can have Ayanokouji-kun to yourself," the girl said in her mind with venom in her every word.


    Horikita wanted her to let go of Ayanokouji? Well, Kushida wasn''t going to pass up on the opportunity to unt her superiority over that bitch. This was a rare moment, and she was going to take advantage of it!


    "And? What are you going to do about it, Horikita-san?" Kikyo smiled innocently, which was actually hiding malice underneath.


    She hugged Kiyotaka tighter, clearly having no intention of letting him go. It''s almost as if she was daring Horikita to do something to make her let go of him.


    The two girls stared at each other for a few moments, having no clue what the other was thinking despite making their intentions clear. Kikyo expected her ''friend'' to do something, but Suzune remained firmly in her ce and just stared on.


    "Nothing. Just look at him. Ayanokouji-kun looks like he''s struggling to breathe," she answered calmly, beckoning her friend to see what she was doing to the young man.


    Kikyo blinked a few times, before she looked at Kiyotaka himself.


    His face was beginning to turn purple from the hug that Kushida was giving him, even though the expression on his face hasn''t changed at all.


    Her eyes widened out of panic and quickly let him go out of panic. "Oh my gosh! I''m so sorry, Ayanokouji-kun! I didn''t mean to hug you so tightly!" she apologized.


    Kiyotaka took a step back and coughed a few times to regte his breathing.


    "I''m fine," he insisted. "Still getting used to this..."


    Truth be told, he could have pushed her off him or even break free of her hold, but Kiyotaka simply let the girl do what she wanted... even if it involved being hugged tightly to the point that he was losing air.


    He was fairly impressed with Kikyo''s strength, though. The things that rage and anger could do to a person...


    "So what were you guys talking about?" asked Kei, wanting to shift the topic elsewhere. Seeing Kikyo hug the young man whom she had just embraced earlier felt weird, and she didn''t want to think about it anymore. "I think you were talking about a bathhouse before I interrupted all of a sudden. Sorry about that, by the way."


    "Oh, we were talking about a bathhouse within the school and if we''d go there," Kikyo answered.


    "Wait, there''s a bathhouse here?! How did I know about this just now? Actually, never mind, just tell me where!" the blonde eximed, forgetting that she was even feeling jealous in the first ce.


    "No, no! I worded it wrong. I meant, we were talking about the possibility of a bathhouse opening within the school premises," Kikyo rified.


    "Jeez, way to make me hope for nothing," Kei said tly. All her hopes were dashed away so quickly. "Okay, so there''s no bathhouse around here... why talk about it in the first ce?"


    It was Chiaki who then spoke up. "It was Kushida-san who brought it up, actually. Since she''s one of the tutors who volunteered to help our ssmates, she felt really tired from all the studying and teaching she did and imagined if there was a bathhouse inside the campus. One with an onsen, so she could have a long soak and rx after everything that happened these past week."


    "Well, that and the fact that I''ve never tried out any public baths before, hehe..." Kushida added.


    Kei nodded a few times in agreement as she listened to them. "That''s actually a good idea, and I''d love to join you for that. Too bad there are no public baths around here even if you check out the whole campus."


    "That''s true. As much as we want to go on a little trip to a bathhouse, there''s no such thing within the premises," Chiaki nodded as well. "But I have a feeling that that might change, though."


    "What do you mean, Matsushita-san?" asked Horikita, who had remained quiet up until now. She saw no point in joining the conversation since it involved something purely hypothetical, until she heard Matsushita''sst statement.


    The brte hummed to herself. "Hmm, call it a matter of instinct, I suppose. It''s just a sudden feeling that I''ve got."


    From the sidelines, Kiyotaka watched the four girls continue to talk about bathhouses and hot springs. It was quite interesting how it started from a little talk between Chiaki and Kikyo, who eventually involved Suzune and Kei into their conversation.


    These four... they weren''t friends. Except for Kikyo and Suzune (a questionable rtionship, honestly), these four girls were only ssmates, to say the least. At most, they would be acquaintances. And yet, here they were talking like they were already familiar with one another.


    "I wonder where all this talk of bathhouses and onsens came from... feels too out of nowhere."


    He just hoped that the system had nothing to do with this sudden development...

 Chapter 65 Act 12: Scene 3

    ?Before, it used to be only him, Horikita, and Kushida who walked to the dorms together when going to school and back home after sses were over. Ever since the midterms were over though, Karuizawa seemingly added herself to the mix. This was the second day that she walked together with them on the way to the dorm buildings, and it''s obvious that this won''t be thest time.


    Well, it''s not like they made some kind of rule wherein it would only be the three of them who''ll be doing this routine on a regr basis. If Karuizawa wanted to go to ss and head back to her dorm unit with them, then she could.


    At the moment, Kei and Kikyo were talking to each other about today''s events. It''s funny, the two girls acted like they were never angry with each other and the events from earlier in the morning never happened. Meanwhile Suzune was silent like always, since nobody was speaking to her and she''s not the type to involve herself in a conversation unless it''s important.


    All three girls walked ahead of him and for a moment, Kiyotaka thought that he would be able to end the day without any kind of insane shenanigan happening to him. For a moment, he thought that he would be able to get an early rest today and sleep for ten or maybe twelve hours straight...


    ...but he was wrong.


    "Kushida-san! Karuizawa-san! Horikita-san!"


    A voice that belonged to one of their ssmates suddenly got their attention, and caused them to turn around to see Matsushita running towards them. The girl who was normally calm and collected had a look of disbelief etched across her face, which was enough of a sign to tell them that whatever Matsushita wanted to say, it was something important.


    "What is it, Matsushita-san?" asked Kikyo as the brte approached them.


    "You may not believe me, but..." she took a moment to rpose herself, having run all this way just to catch up to them.


    Her reason for doing so was worth it, though, because the next words that woulde out of her mouth will be something that''ll shake the others to their very core.


    "...the school just opened a bathhouse for the students and staff!"


    Almost immediately, Kei and Kikyo''s jaws dropped inplete shock. Even Suzune couldn''t help but widen her eyes slightly at what she heard.


    "What...?" the ck-haired girl muttered.


    "Wait, seriously?!" Both Kei and Kikyo shouted at the same time.


    Kiyotaka kept silent, but he was just as shocked as hispanions, before his surprise quickly turned to dread. Whatever hope he had left of ending this day on a peaceful note was already gone, because he waspletely sure that the system had everything to do with what Chiaki just said.


    Why wouldn''t it be involved? These girls were talking about bathhouses earlier and now, magically, one just appears inside of the campus as if it was a building that just finished its construction.


    "Yep," Chiaki nodded. "It''s located near the gymnasium, actually. I just happened toe across it when I was searching for the nearest restroom."


    "B-But we were just talking about that earlier...!" Kei eximed. Even she knew that it was too much of a coincidence for a public bath to open right after the conversation they had at the ssroom this morning.


    The universe couldn''t have been listening to them... or could it?


    "I know, right? I felt the same way as you when I saw it a few minutes ago, Karuizawa-san."


    "Hold on a moment. If what you said is true, then why isn''t there any announcement about such a ce? Something that concerns both the teachers and students should have been announced by now," Suzune exined in a calmer tone. She was caught off guard by their ssmate''s sudden announcement as well, but was able to regain herposure quicker than Kikyo and Kei.


    Chiaki shrugged. She expected that Suzune wouldn''t be convinced that easily. "I have no idea but if you don''t believe me, you cane and see for yourself. Words are simply words until there is evidence to show, after all.""


    "Sure, count me in. I have nothing else to do for the rest of the day, anyway."


    Of course, Karuizawa wanted to see this bathhouse for herself. She didn''t really doubt Matsushita since her ssmate had nothing to gain from lying, and the brown-haired girl''s expression a while ago said everything. Plus, if it was real and that a bathhouse really opened inside their campus, then she''ll make sure to go there as much as she wants!


    "Come on, Horikita-san! I don''t think you believe Matsushita-san, so don''t you think you should see it for yourself? What''s the harm in going to the gymnasium where it''s supposed to be?" Kikyo told her friend in an attempt to convince the other girl about checking said location out.


    "Very well," Suzune answered after a few moments of thinking. "I have to warn you, Matsushita-san. I do not like having my time wasted. If this is building up to be a joke on your part, you won''t like the oue."


    Despite the little threat that Suzune sent towards her, Chiaki didn''t look phased and only chuckled in response. "I wouldn''t do such a thing, Horikita-san. You can be assured that I''m not lying at all."


    "We''ll see about that."


    As the girls discussed what to do with this newfound information that they acquired from Chiaki, the young man who was with them was already taking a few steps back in an effort to get away from the scene.


    "I have a bad feeling about this..." Kiyotaka didn''t like where this was going and decided to leave before his day could be ruined. "I''m just gonna go straight back to my dorm and ignore whatever this is. Hopefully, I can make it before I trigger a ''special event'' or something."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While the girls were busy talking, the brown-haired teen turned around and prepared to leave like a ninja fading with the wind, only for him to be stopped by Karuizawa''s voice.


    "Oi," Kei called out, noticing that their otherpanion was about to leave just in the nick of time. She made sure her voice could be noticed by the three other girls with her so they could see him for themselves. "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Kiyotaka knew that he could just take this opportunity to run away, but he also knew that doing so would result in the girls giving him a worse punishment than thest time he left them out of nowhere. And, well, he also knew that what he''s doing was wrong in their eyes and it made him look like a jerk... but he had a good reason for it!


    "Going back to the dorms?" he replied.


    Hey, at least he was being honest about it.


    Kei gave him a t stare. "Seriously? You''re going home already? Even after finding out that a bathhouse just opened in the school, you''re just going to ignore it?"


    "No thanks. You four carry on without me," he told her as he tried to continue walking away, only to be halted by two pink screens appearing in front of him.


    [A Special Event Has Been Triggered!]


    [Now ying Bonus Scene#1!]


    The abrupt appearance of those two notifications caught him off guard, especially that second one. He was already used to seeing the first notification by now, but that second one...


    "What the hell...?" he mumbled, before remembering a certain notification that he received the other day, about a bonus scene for helping Karuizawa and Sakura pass their midterm exams.


    "Oh no, you don''t! You''reing with us, baka! I''m not letting you ditch us again."


    As he was brought back to reality by Kei''s voice, the young man noticed that she had grabbed onto his arm, hugging it between her chest which prevented him from getting away lest he risk hurting her.


    "Let go of me, Karuizawa."


    The blonde girl frowned at him, before she turned towards their other ssmates.


    "Help me, you three! He''s leaving again!" she called out and tightened her hold on Kiyotaka''s arm to prevent him from leaving.


    Both Chiaki and Kikyo stared at them, taking in what they were seeing for a moment before they moved.


    Kikyo hugged his other arm while Chiaki went behind him and grabbed his uniform. Kiyotaka sweat-dropped at his current situation, but also felt a hint of embarrassment. He was still a healthy teenage boy, after all, and being glomped on all sides by a bunch of girls was doing... things to him.


    "Are they really that desperate to keep me from leaving?" he asked himself. Despite these girls surrounding him on all sides, he could easily break out of the hold and escape, but didn''t do anything for now.


    "Horikita-san,e on! Ayanokouji-kun will leave us again if we don''t bring him with us!" Kikyo called out to the ck-haired girl who was standing nearby.


    Suzune only stared at what was happening before her, as if she was thinking about what to do.


    Kiyotaka remained calm. There''s no need to panic. After all, Suzune would just tell them to stop and leave him alone. Out of all his ''heroines'', she was the one who looked out for him the most, at least from his point of view.


    "Horikita wouldn''t join them at all. She''s always been there for me, making sure I''m not ufortable from anything that Kushida does. She''ll tell them to stop¡ª"


    He stopped his train of thought when Suzune ran towards him and grabbed him by his tie.


    ...she didn''t stop the three girls.


    "You''re not going anywhere this time," she said coldly, as the three other girls cheered.


    Kiyotaka wanted to think that Suzune betrayed him and sold him to the other girls but in the end, all he could do was sigh in defeat and let himself get dragged away by his ssmates.


    "I shouldn''t be surprised... of course something like this would happen if I try to fight back against what the system wants," he thought.


    And with that, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka received a reminder of what could happen if he tried to go against his broken superpower.

 Chapter 66 Act 12: Scene 4

    ?Following Chiaki''s directions, the group reached the gymnasium in no time and just like what the girl said, a public bathhouse was located about thirty yards away. Kiyotaka didn''t try to escape anymore and simply epted his fate, and he was only d that they didn''te across any other student along the way.


    As they arrived at their destination, the reactions were instantaneous.


    "I can''t believe it..."


    "Woah... it''s actually real!"


    "This is so amazing! Now I can finally take a bath in an onsen!"


    All three girls reacted with varying degrees of shock upon seeing the establishment, while Chiaki watched with an amused smile. Even Kiyotaka was taken aback for a moment, before reminding himself that this was a product of how broken his ''superpower'' was.


    From the traditional look alone, it was obviously a bathhouse. It even had a sign outside that said ''Now open for students and teachers!'', which indicated that it only started recently. However, the most surprising thing about the ce is that there was absolutely no one else around... even though there should be.


    It was Kikyo who snapped out of her state of disbelief first. "Come on, let''s go in!" she eximed with a tone full of eagerness.


    Unsurprisingly, Suzune shook her head. "I''m not here to take a bath. I only wished to see if Matsushita-san was telling the truth and I have my answer. I have nothing else to do here."


    "Come on, Horikita-san. There''s no other student around right now, and I honestly think that we''re the first ones to find out about this ce. Why don''t we take advantage of the situation and try out the onsen inside?" Chiaki suggested. "I mean, would you like to take a bath here when there are many students around instead?"


    Just as she turned around and prepared to leave, Suzune listened to Chiaki''s words and thought about it for a moment.


    "I suppose you do make a good point..." she muttered, seeing no harm in trying out the onsen in this ce while there wasn''t anyone else around other than them. It would definitely be more peaceful to be around people whom she was already acquainted with. "Though it does bring up the question of why this wasn''t announced to the students. Something like this concerns us and at the very least, someone should have told us about it."


    Chiaki shrugged, having no answer herself. "Who knows? I just saw this ce on my own, no one really told me anything."


    "Wow... I guess Hoshinomiya-sensei wasn''t kidding. There really is a public bath here!" a new voice spoke up, quickly catching everyone''s attention and making them turn towards the person that just arrived.


    "Ichinose-san? You''re here too?" said Kikyo, surprised upon seeing the strawberry-blonde student of ss B walking towards them.


    "Oh, it''s nice to see you all again!" Honami waved her arm in greeting and smiled. "And yeah, I just found out about this ce from Hoshinomiya-sensei, actually. I''m nning to tell my ssmates after I''m done here. What about you guys?"


    "Matsushita-san just told us about this ce earlier. We were really surprised when we found out about it, so we decided to check it out," exined Kikyo. "I still can''t believe the school built this for the students!"


    While Kikyo spoke with the beautiful strawberry-blonde girl from ss B, Kei approached Chiaki with a look of confusion on her face.


    "Uh, who is she?" she asked, pointing to the girl who showed up out of nowhere.


    "I''m surprised you don''t know who she is, Karuizawa-san. Ichinose-san is one of the most popr girls in our year like Kushida-san."


    "Well, it''s not like I''ve spent my time going out and being with other people for the past weeks," Kei retorted. It''s not her fault that she didn''t know. She couldn''t exactly bnce studying with going out and meeting new people. "Her name is Ichinose?"


    "Yes. She''s Ichinose Honami from ss B. She also talks to some of our ssmates whenever they see her at the cafeteria. Are you sure you''ve never even seen her yet?"


    "Positive," Kei nodded. She mostly spent her lunch break sitting with her friends and sometimes, Kiyotaka and Airi. However, there has never been an instance where she has seen Ichinose yet. "ss B, huh..."


    "I honestly didn''t believe Hoshinomiya-sensei at first, so I decided to go to the gymnasium where it''s located. I''m d I did!" Honami added, before she noticed a familiar face who was with the girls of ss D.


    Behind Kikyo and Suzune, was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.


    Just the sight of him was enough to make Honami blush slightly, as she averted her gaze and looked elsewhere.


    She could still remember that day... when he tried to flirt with her. That was flirting, right? She may not have experienced romance before, but she knew what he meant with those words... and honestly, he was thest person she expected to do such a thing.


    Ayanokouji may have tried to pass it off as a joke, but she doubted it. He looked and sounded serious about what he said, which was why it was even more embarrassing! She couldn''t stop thinking about it for the rest of that day and only forgot about it when she went to sleep. And now, after seeing him again, it was alling back to her!


    Still, she couldn''t just ignore his presence. It wasn''t in her nature to not care about someone. Even a simple greeting would be fine at this point.


    Honami waved her arm weakly and shed a small smile. "H-Hi, Ayanokouji-kun."


    Kiyotaka returned the gesture with a nod. "Hello, Ichinose."


    "Not on my watch..." Kikyo was quick to notice the little interaction between the two and immediately thought of something to intervene.


    At the moment though, she can''t exactly tell the ss B student to get lost and leave them alone, so the only thing she could do was direct their attention towards her.


    "Since you''re here, does this mean you''re going to take a bath as well, Ichinose-san? We were thinking of checking in and having a soak for an hour or two."


    The strawberry-blonde girl felt grateful for Kushida with that question. She had no idea what to do next after seeing Ayanokouji here... it''s like her brain shut down all of a sudden just fromying her eyes on him!


    "That''s what I wanted to do, actually. I''ve gone to an onsen only once before, so having one inside the school premises is like a dreame true," Honami said, directing her attention towards Kikyo. "Although... I don''t know what to do about my clothes. I want to take a bath here, but I don''t have any spare clothes with me..."


    That quickly diminished Kei and Kikyo''s hopes of having a rxing soak in the steamy water. They didn''t think about having spare clothes to use, they only thought of taking a bath in the onsen and nothing more.


    Of course, they could still go to the dorms and grab some clothes but if they do, then this ce might be flooded with students when theye back.


    But before they could give up hopepletely, a new voice cut through their conversation yet again. This time, the voice came from inside of the bathhouse itself.


    "If you''re worried about not having anything to wear once you''re done, then there is no need to worry. This ce offers spare uniforms for students who want to check in and use their water for a quick or long soak."


    Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher of ss D, walked out of the building with her arms folded across her chest. Her usual serious expression was on full disy, even though they weren''t in the ssroom anymore.


    "Chabashira-sensei!" all the other girls chorused,pletely surprised to see the woman here.


    "First Ichinose, now Chabashira-sensei? I''m starting to think that this ''special event'' is going to involve all of my ''heroines'' so far..." Kiyotaka thought as he was surprised to find Sae here, of all ces.


    Hmm... it can''t be a coincidence that both Ichinose and Chabashira were here, right?


    First, it was the talk about bathhouses between the girls earlier in the morning. And then, out of nowhere, the school suddenly has one. Next, there were the two notifications from earlier which he still couldn''t figure out until now. And now, after checking out the ce for themselves, two more of his heroines have shown up. At this point, Kiyotaka had a feeling that this wouldn''t be the end of it.


    The fact that these events are ying out too perfectly was making him nervous.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, it''s me. There''s no need to announce my name so loud," Sae told them firmly.


    "What are you doing here, sensei?" asked Kei, which was the question on everyone''s minds right now.


    "Checking out what this ce had to offer," the woman replied with a shrug. "Like I said, this ce has spare uniforms for students to use if they don''t have anything to change into. They also provide clothes for teachers who are in the same boat. Of course, you''ll have to return the clothes they lent you the next time you go here."


    "Does that mean you''re going to try the onsen there, Chabashira-sensei?" asked Kikyo.


    "Of course. It would be a waste to go all this way and do nothing here. The price for an hour in the bath is only 500 points, which isn''t a big deal unless you n on staying for longer than that. Now, I suppose you''re also here for the same reason as me. I assume all of you still have points in your funds?"


    All of the girls nodded in response, while Kiyotaka just stood in his ce and didn''t do anything.


    Nheless, Chabashira gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Let''s register altogether, then. Things will be easier that way."


    "W-Wait, even... even Ayanokouji-kun...?" Honami asked, addressing the elephant in the room.


    Sae raised an eyebrow at her. "Well yeah, that''s why he''s here, isn''t he? Does his presence bother you?"


    "N-No, not really, uhm..." Honami stuttered, having trouble with finding the right words to say. She didn''t like feeling this way, because it was so unlike her! What''s worse is that the same guy that was making her feel like this was here with her.


    It was just too embarrassing!


    "I get it. It''s because he''s a boy, right?" the older woman asked, which only served to make the girl''s face redder. "Well, we can''t do anything about that. The ce only offers a mixed bath, so we''ll have to go inside altogether. Besides, he''s not going to do anything inappropriate with any of us... right?"


    The brown-haired teacher made sure to emphasize that one word as if it was a warning.


    Kiyotaka was about to open his mouth to say that he wasn''t here to take a bath, but gave up on that thought. If he continues to resist, it will only make things harder for him because the system will still get what it wants in the end whether he likes it or not.


    What a great superpower to have...


    "Of course not," he replied.


    "That''s the biggest load of bullshit I''ve heard from you so far," Sae thought to herself, remembering what happened between them at the rooftop a few days ago before snapping out of it. The more she thinks about it, the more it''ll bother her. "See? If it still bothers you, then we can just ask him to upy a different area. Will that be fine with you, Ayanokouji?"


    "I have no problem with that."


    With a red face, Honami turned towards the young man and bowed her head. "T-Thank you..."


    [You have gained 1 Affection Point with Ichinose Honami!]


    "Is there anyone else here who''s ufortable with Ayanokouji being with us?" Chabashira asked, turning her attention to the rest of the girls.


    It surprised Kiyotaka that none of the other girls seemed to have any intention of raising their hands, which meant that they were all fine with being in the same ce as them, with nothing but a towel covering their bodies.


    Out of nowhere, Suzune''s hand shot up, but it wasn''t because of what Sae asked them.


    "I have a different question. Why weren''t we informed that the school now has a bathhouse, Chabashira-sensei? Something like this should have been said in an announcement or in a poster as an advertisement, because this affects both students and teachers alike."


    "That''s because there was no announcement made over the inte, nor were there any posters about this ce," Sae exined. "If there were, I think you can imagine for yourselves how flooded this ce would be if everyone in this school heard it. Personally, it was a good move. Let the students and teachers find this ce all on their own."


    "Yeah, this bathhouse being announced all over the school would have been worse..." Kei muttered, and the rest of the girls could only nod in agreement.


    Suzune thought about it for a bit, before she found herself agreeing as well. If such a thing happened, then she wouldn''t even dare to go near this ce or think of bathing here... at least until it''s not fully upied.


    "Then how did you know about this ce so quickly, sensei?" Chiaki asked.


    "Believe it or not, I was on my way home to my unit since I finished early when I saw this ce and decided to check it out. After talking to the owner about the ce, I went out and saw the... six of you," she said, paying special attention to the brown-haired teen who was doing his best to keep a low presence.


    She had no idea why that smug brat was here (Sae didn''t believe that he was here just to take a bath), but she wasn''t going to let him ruin her chance at having a rxing time!


    Teachers need to relieve themselves of stress too, after all.


    "What''s it like inside, sensei?" Kikyo asked in an eager tone.


    "Other than the spare clothes that they lend to students and teachers, it has an upside and a downside. The downside is, as I said, it only has a mixed bath. There''s no specific area for men and women. They''ll have to take a bath together. The upside? The ce is huge and has a lot of stuff to impress. It''s huge enough to house your entire ss if you decide to take a bath altogether... which is something that the perverts among you would say once they find out about this ce," she snickered. After finishing her little exnation, she then noticed that her students (except for Horikita and Ayanokouji) were staring at her in clear surprise. "What are you all staring at?"


    "S-Sensei, you just made a joke..." Honami muttered.


    Sae stared at them tly. "I did, so what?"


    "It''s just... you never make jokes... you''re always serious most of the time..." Kei added.


    "I know how to crack a joke sometimes, you brats. Stop making a big deal out of it," the older woman snapped.


    Seriously, these kids could give her an easy headache whenever they wished and she hated it...


    Kiyotaka watched the interaction between his ssmates and their teacher inplete silence, hoping to get ignored until the end of this ''special event'' which still confused him to no end.


    However, his hopes of that happening were utterly destroyed when a familiar voice rang in his ears.


    "What is this? Ayanokouji-kun is also here? Oh my, this has truly be such a fruitful day~"


    He didn''t even need to turn around to know who it was.


    "Of course. Now I understand," the young man thought as he finally put the pieces together. Kiyotaka wanted to punch himself for taking this long to realize it. "This ''special event'' is all about taking a bath with all my heroines, isn''t it?"


    Yet another ssic scenario from eroges and dating simtors alike... and now it was happening to him.


    Yay.

 Chapter 67 Act 12: Scene 5

    ?Meanwhile, the female students all turned around to the direction of the voice, and they saw three more girls approaching them. One of them was Sakayanagi Arisu, and walking beside her were Shiina Hiyori and Sakura Airi.


    It was a sight that surprised almost all of the ss D students who were there, simply because one of their ssmates was with someone from another ss.


    "Sakayanagi-san..." Horikita muttered upon seeing the rumored leader of ss A.


    Kei couldn''t stop her eyes from widening as she saw her friend walking side-by-side with the ss A student whom they only met earlier this week. It wasn''t because Airi was with Arisu, though.


    "Sakura-san? You''re gonna take a bath here as well?" she asked, feeling more surprised at the possibility of the redhead having even a quick rinse at a public bath.


    To be fair, it was surprising because Airi is thest person whom you''d expect to do such a thing.


    "U-Uhm..." the shy redhead tried to answer despite the heavy blush on her face. It was a miracle that she hasn''t fainted from sheer embarrassment, especially with Kiyotaka around. "I-I-I guess..."


    "Why are you with her?" Kei continued to ask, now wanting to find out why her friend was with that smug girl who looked more like a loli now that she thought about it.


    "T-That''s... I-I''m not..."


    At this point, Kiyotaka had turned around and wasn''t surprised to see Arisu there. He also wasn''t surprised to see Airi and Hiyori with her, though it did make him curious on how the lc-haired girl got the two to walk with her, especially his red-haired ssmate.


    "Shiina, are you here for the same reason as them?" he asked the silver-haired girl.


    "Yes! It''s nice to see you again, Ayanokouji-kun," Hiyori smiled warmly. She was happy to see her friend again more than anything else.


    "It should be illegal to be that innocent and cute..."


    Oh, how he wanted to give her the same response right now... unfortunately, he wasn''t in the mood to do so. His mood was ruined by the system and now he was in dire need of a steamy bath in the onsen more than ever.


    Suzune turned towards him with an eyebrow raised. This was yet another student whom Kiyotaka seems to be acquainted with, even though she wasn''t part of their ss. It made her wonder if he was actually bad in social interactions, because he seemed to be doing fine in that aspect.


    "You know her, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked.


    "Not on a personal level. I just saw her at the library one day and helped her get a book from a shelf."


    "You forgot to mention that you were supposed to be tutoring us that time," Kei pointed out with a pout, still feeling a little angry with him for that.


    Kiyotaka ignored her.


    Honestly, there are other things she could be mad about, yet Kei chooses the moment when he had an innocent interaction with someone from another ss...


    "Who is she?" Suzune continued.


    Hearing the conversation between them, Hiyori decided that now would be a good time to tell everyone her name since it was obvious that they were all going to the same ce for the same reason.


    "My name is Shiina Hiyori from ss C. It''s nice to meet all of you," the girl bowed her head and smiled as she introduced herself.


    While the other girls performedmon courtesy and introduced themselves in return, Kiyotaka turned his attention to the lc-haired girl.


    "Why are they with you, Sakayanagi?" he asked.


    "I simply found them heading to the same destination a few minutes ago. Then I suggested that we could head to the public bath together. I first came across this one," she gestured towards Airi, "oh, she was hard to convince at first. She was really shy and kept on stuttering like a malfunctioning robot."


    Airi''s face turned redder than her own hair at this point, yet she couldn''t really deny anything that came out of Arisu''s mouth because one, it was true and two, she was too shy to say something.


    "...but in the end, she agreed to apany me. Shiina-san, on the other hand, was an easier case. One question was all it took for her to agree to walk with me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Sakura," he shifted his attention to his ssmate. "How did you find out about this ce?"


    The girl blushed deeper upon being put on the spotlight, but she quickly took a deep breath in order to calm herself. Believe it or not, Kiyotaka was someone whom she was always with in the past weeks, so she already got used to his presence at this point.


    It was still a work in progress, but she was close to being able to speak without any difficulty... around Kiyotaka, at least.


    "I-I came across S-Sakayanagi-san while I was on my way back to the dorms. S-She recognized me from ourst meeting then told me about t-this ce. She then asked if... if I wanted to go here b-because... I looked like I needed it..."


    Kiyotaka gave a satisfied nod. "What about you, Shiina?"


    "I just came from the library earlier when I saw Sakayanagi-san and Sakura-san together. She asked me if I wanted to see a bathhouse inside the school premises. I''ve never been to one before and I''ve only read about them," Hiyori exined with a smile that radiated wonder and excitement. "I was curious about the whole thing, so I decided to go with them."


    So, it appears that Sakayanagi and Shiina knew each other before this. This is definitely something to take note of.


    "And you? How did you know about this ce?" he asked the other girl who was with them.


    Arisu only smirked. "Ayanokouji-kun, have you forgotten who you''re talking to?"


    Kiyotaka immediately regretted asking that question. Right, her father is the chairman of this school. A dumb question on his part.


    "I''m surprised Hoshinomiya-sensei isn''t with you, Chabashira-sensei," Honami spoke as she realized something interesting. "When she heard the news of a bathhouse being opened near the gymnasium from someone on the phone, she wanted to leave the teacher''s lounge right away and even tried to push all her remaining work to me just to go here."


    Chabashira''s eyes widened for a moment, before a look of disappointment appeared across her face. It was totally like Hoshinomiya to act like that and she wasn''t surprised to hear her fellow teacher do such a thing.


    "That idiot... of course she would do something like that," she groaned and palmed her face afterwards. "And what happened?"


    "Mashima-sensei was there and told her to finish checking her set of test papers first and told me to carry on. Since I had nothing left to do, I decided to head to the bathhouse that Hoshinomiya-sensei was talking about."


    "A good choice, Ichinose," Sae nodded in approval. Oh, and she''s definitely going to give Chie a proper scolding for attempting to ditch her work when they meet at school again tomorrow.


    Arisu then rolled her eyes and spoke again, which quickly gained everyone''s attention.


    "We are only wasting time. The more time we spend out here, the more chances of other students seeing us and getting curious. Let us go inside already," the girl then headed to the entrance but before she could step inside, Arisu turned her head to look at her childhood friend. "I hope you don''t think of leaving, Ayanokouji-kun. I honestly think this will be more interesting with you around."


    Afterwards, the lc-haired girl went inside. It was enough to remind everyone else that they have yet to actually go inside the building and see what it''s like. Before the eager girls like Kei and Kikyo could rush inside though, their teacher stopped them for a moment.


    "All right, before we go in..." Chabashira shifted into ''teacher mode'' and turned her attention to the two neers. It was fairly obvious that Sakayanagi had no qualms about Ayanokouji''s presence, which only left her two otherpanions. "Shiina, Sakura. Are you two fine with Ayanokouji being here? The only thing that this ce offers is a mixed bath, which means that you''ll be washing yourself in the same ce as him."


    "I don''t mind," Hiyori shook her head while never losing her smile. "Ayanokouji-kun is my friend. There''s nothing wrong with friends bathing together."


    Everyone else sweat-dropped at the answer that she gave, even Kiyotaka himself. On the other hand, Sae wondered just how innocent was this girl to not think of anything inappropriate after the obvious implication.


    "Oh you poor, innocent soul..." she said in her thoughts, before turning to the other girl with her. "What about you, Sakura?"


    Airi froze for a brief moment, before snapping out of her stupor so she could give her response.


    "I-I... I''m... fine with it..."


    Sae gave a satisfied nod. "Since nobody seems to have a problem with a boy taking a bath with us, let''s head in."


    And with that, the entire group finally went inside the building.

 Chapter 68 Act 12: Scene 6

    ?They first went to the receptionist counter, with each of them writing their names in the logbook. The owner that stood there was a man named Tomose, who gave them a rundown of how his business worked.


    Despite being worried about having no spare clothes to use after they were done, the man reassured them that they offered spare uniforms and clothes for students and teachers who wanted to check in for an hour-long soak in the bath or more.


    Next, much to the disbelief of all the girls, they didn''t need to pay any points at all. Why? It turns out that they were the first customers of the bathhouse and because of that, they were allowed to stay for as long as they wanted for free until the day was over.


    Kiyotaka knew that the system was fully responsible for this strange coincidence once again, but didn''t choose toment about it even in his mind. What mattered is that he would get to have a rxing time in this ce despite the situation he found himself in with his heroines... at least, that''s what he hoped to happen.


    They all agreed to stay for three hours, with only two reasons why. One was to get the full experience of the steamy onsen and to enjoy this for all it was worth and the other, well, it was mostly Suzune''s reason. The girl wasn''t nning to make this a regr thing like her ssmates, so it''s better to make this count. Plus, she wouldn''t have to pay any points in this instance!


    Afterwards, they headed to the locker rooms which, ironically, had a designated area for men and women. Kiyotaka separated from the girls momentarily to give them their moment of privacy, because... well, there wouldn''t be any between themter on.


    After shedding their clothes and wrapping a towel around their bodies, they left the locker rooms. Kei, Honami, Airi, and even Sae were a bit flustered to see Kiyotaka with only a towel to cover his lower regions and they were even more embarrassed that they were the same, except that their whole bodies were covered.


    On the other hand, Suzune, Kikyo, Arisu, Chiaki, and Hiyori weren''t really bothered. One of them was too innocent to think of anything inappropriate, three were more focused on the ce itself and what it was like, while thest one actually wanted this.


    Now left in only towels covering their bodies, the group walked to the actual bath, and they were all amazed at what they found.


    The ce almost looked like an outdoor hot spring, which might have been the intention when it was made. The floor was made of hundreds of small rocks, the water waspletely clear, and the steam from the onsen could be visibly seen.


    There were two pools there; one was the onsen, and the other seemed to be the normal one. There were also little chairs scattered around with wet towels beside them, most likely for washing oneself. Lastly, there was a designated shower area with chairs and proper hygiene materials at the far end of the area.


    Chabashira-sensei wasn''t kidding when she said that the ce wasrge... because a whole ss could probably fit in here and have a rxing time just like what she said.


    The students could only stare in awe at everything around. It was something that would never be found inside a school campus for a handful of reasons, and yet this ce existed.


    "Wow..." Hiyori''s mouth slowly fell open, looking stupefied at everything around her.


    "This school really has everything, huh...?" Kei said in amazement.


    "My first time in a bathhouse... and it''s this ce. I love it!" Kikyo eximed.


    "It seems that my words alone cannot bring justice to what this ce is," Sae whistled.


    "T-This ce... is so beautiful..." Airi breathed out.


    "I can''t wait to get in there!" Honami grinned.


    "I don''t think this is as good as the other onsens I have been to, but it fits the school," Suzune remarked but felt impressed nheless.


    Kiyotaka was on the same boat as everyone else. For his first time going to a public bath, he was impressed with what he''s going. This ce may be a product of the system, but it was still very much real and it''s not like they were dreaming this whole ce up.


    "So this is what''s inside a bathhouse, huh...?" he thought to himself. "I''m really torn on whether to stay mad at the system for making me go through this or be grateful that I am."


    His feelings towards his eroge superpower can be reallyplicated sometimes... and it honestly depended on what it was doing and who it was affecting.


    In Arisu''s case, she wasn''t really too keen on admiring what''s in front of her and wanted to get down to business right away.


    "What a bother. We have been standing here long enough, and I want to rest my legs already," Arisu sat down on the edge of the onsen and turned her head, sending a sultry look at the young man who was with them. "Ayanokouji-kun, would you mind washing my back?"


    Thatst question from her snapped everyone out of their moment of peace as they turned their attention to the lc-haired girl who did not even care about the implications of what she just said.


    "W-What...?!"


    "Washing... Sakayanagi-san''s... back..."


    "That''s... I can''t believe Sakayanagi-san would say that..."


    "S-She can''t be serious, right...?"


    Kikyo, Chiaki, Honami, and Kei had varying reactions to what they just heard but one thing was for sure. They did not expect the leader of ss A to ask for such a thing and didn''t know if she was being serious. On the other hand, Suzune, Hiyori, Airi, and Sae only watched with looks of surprise but paid full attention to what''s happening nheless.


    Kiyotaka only gave her a nk stare, seemingly having no reaction to her request.


    "What makes you think I''ll even do such a thing?"


    Arisu only smirked. "Do you really expect me to be able to wash my own back, Ayanokouji-kun?"


    "You could ask literally anyone else here other than me," he deadpanned.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That may be true, but I don''t feelfortable with any of them touching me. I prefer someone who I am already acquainted with," she argued. "Besides, aren''t we in a mixed bath already? It''s not like we have to be in separate areas. Why not take advantage of the situation and make the most of it?"


    The young man stared at the girl before him for a few seconds, contemting what he should do. It''s obvious to him that Sakayanagi was baiting to do what she wants but honestly, he didn''t really see any problem with washing her back... except for the possible reactions from the rest of the females who were also there, and the close proximity of being near a girl who''s practically naked.


    Furthermore, this was surely part of the ''special event'' that was still happening until now. If he refuses to do this now, the system would likely just manipte things in order for him to do otherwise.


    "Are you sure? You''re not worried about me possibly touching any inappropriate ces?" he conceded defeat to his fate. "Hm. Who knows? It might be enjoyable to wash a girl''s back..."


    "I trust that you won''t do such a thing, not that I mind you doing it in the first ce," Arisu answered like it was nothing, as she straightened her posture and waited in anticipation.


    Everyone else''s jaws had all but hit the floor at this point. They couldn''t believe what they were hearing from Sakayanagi, as well as the fact that the girl waspletely aware of what she was asking. She didn''t even sound like she was joking.


    They turned towards Ayanokouji, who was still thinking of what to say. Of course, they had no idea what he had in mind because his facial expression didn''t give away any hints at all, and it made a lot of them feel nervous about what he would say.


    "...fine."


    "WHAAAAAATTTTT?!" shouted Kei, Kikyo, Honami, Airi, and Sae. They were unable to keep their thoughts to themselves at this point. Suzune, Hiyori, and Chiaki remained quiet, but they were just as shell-shocked as the others were.


    Arisu smiled, feeling pleased with herself. "I knew I could depend on you, Ayanokouji-kun."


    Kiyotaka merely sighed and started walking towards the lc-haired student, which shocked everyone else even more because they didn''t expect him to actually do it.


    "Ayanokouji-kun, you can''t be serious!" Kei said in an rmed tone.


    "The sooner I can get this done, the sooner I can clean myself. This shouldn''t take that long," he replied in a calm voice, which only served to make the girl panic even more.


    Sakayanagi''s request wasn''t really thatplicated. She only wanted him to wash her back, right? So, that''s what he''ll do. He won''t do anything else despite being given permission to do so by the girl herself, because that would only lead to an even deeper grave for him by the end of this.


    "No way... he''s really going to do it..." Honami mumbled to herself.


    "I-I can''t let this go any further!" Sae dered after finally finding her voice. She made sure to sound as serious as possible instead of being flustered, but it was easier said than done. "As your teacher, I forbid you from doing what you''re nning to do!"


    The young man only stared at her with an unimpressed look. "Why is that, sensei?"


    Chabashira folded her arms and put on her usual stone-cold look. "Because you''re about toy your hands on another student with malicious intentions in mind. I cannot let you do such a thing, Ayanokouji."


    Kiyotaka was about to answer her, but Arisu was faster toe up with a response. She wasn''t going to let anyone ruin this moment, even a teacher like Sae.


    "Chabashira-sensei, as far as I am concerned, your authority is only limited inside a ssroom. Out here, your upation means nothing. If I want Ayanokouji-kun to wash my back, then he can. He has my full permission and in doing so, he is not ''assaulting'' me in any way. Your argument waspletely wed in the first ce."


    "I..." the woman tried to say, but fell apartpletely. She couldn''t do anything against that argument from Sakayanagi, because she knew it was true. Plus, her attempt to stop Ayanokouji was out of desperation more than anything so she didn''t think it through.


    It was a total defeat for her, and it was even more embarrassing that it was against a student... just like what happened at the rooftop a few days ago with a certain brown-haired teen.


    "Are you done talking?" asked Kiyotaka as he knelt down behind her and grabbed the wet towel that was nearby.


    "I am," Arisu nodded as she removed the towel that was wrapped around her body, exposing her bare back to him but keeping her front covered. "I apologize for the unwanted intrusion, by the way."


    Kiyotaka blushed at seeing a girl''s back for the first time, but quickly shook it off. It was just her back, nothing more. It''s not like he was seeing her whole body.


    He brought up the towel and just when he was about to press it on her skin...


    "WAIT A MOMENT!"


    Arisu did her best to suppress the urge to lose herposure and shout at the girl who just spoke, but it was very tempting to. She only calmed down when Kiyotaka whispered a quick, "Wait a moment," to her before he turned to face the one who interrupted them.


    "Is there something else you want to say, Kushida?"


    Kikyo clenched her fists tightly, both in an effort to stay calm despite her rising jealousy at what she was seeing and to brace herself for what she''s about to say next. "A-After Sakayanagi-san... please wash my back next!" she eximed, making everyone turn their attention towards her this time.


    Kiyotaka wasn''t surprised with what she asked of him and in fact, it made him realize something.


    "I think I can see where this is going," he said to himself before nodding in response. "I don''t have a problem with that."


    "T-Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun!" she beamed despite the deep red hue on her face.


    "Is there anyone else who wants to employ me in washing their backs?" he asked the rest of theirpanions, as he too felt heat rising to his cheeks.

 Chapter 69 Act 12: Scene 7

    ?The remaining girls blushed deeply upon hearing his question, but none of them outright rejected it and used him of a pervert like what a typical person would expect. In fact, they actually thought about it and the more they did, the more it felt appealing to them. Sakayanagi looked calm about the whole thing despite her... questionable intentions and Kushida wanted to experience it too.


    "Count me in," Chiaki spoke, getting over her shock as it got reced with great interest. "I want to feel what it''s like~"


    Suzune was the next to speak. She wouldn''t do this if it was any other person. Kiyotaka was her friend and if she can''t trust him, then she can''t trust anyone. "I... trust you as well, Ayanokouji-kun, so... i-if it''s fine with you..." she tried to be firm about her words, but ended up stuttering in embarrassment.


    "I... suppose I could give it a shot..." Kei rubbed her arm nervously and looked away with a blush.


    In Airi''s case, it was taking every bit of her willpower and courage to stay where she was instead of running away in embarrassment. Still, she couldn''t deny that she felt interested as well and it''s not like this was the first time that she would expose herself to the young man who was with them.


    "U-Uhm... i-i-if you don''t mind, then... I don''t m-mind as well, A-A-Ayanokouji-kun..."


    "I''m curious about what it''s like," Hiyori nodded as well. Earlier, she felt embarrassed and confused with Arisu''s behavior towards Kiyotaka but it was quickly reced by curiosity, especially with regards to being washed by another person. And now she wanted to experience it too.


    Honami was simr to Airi, but she was moreposed. Honestly, she was more embarrassed about being d in only a towel in front of Kiyotaka than the question of whether she would like to wash her back or not.


    "I... I don''t mind..." she muttered, having no qualms about the arrangement. Who knows? This might help her be less embarrassed around his presence... as long as he doesn''t do anything that makes her embarrassed, that is.


    Sae looked at her students in shock, before all pairs of eyes turned towards her. Even though she hated it, the woman knew that she was now left in a lose-lose situation. If she rejects his offer, she would look weak in front of her own students and might even get teased by Chie if she ever finds out about this. If she epts, then Ayanokouji would get his hands on her ahead of the deal that they made... even if it was only to wash her back and nothing more.


    "Tch... fine. But don''t think that I''mpletely on board with this, Ayanokouji!" she snapped, making it clear that she didn''t want this and was simply left with no choice.


    "Then please line up," the young man, ignoring Sae''s reason because it was just her trying to salvage whatever dignity she had left. "I don''t care which order, just be ready once I''m done with Sakayanagi."


    "Ayanokouji-kun... I''m waiting for you to do something," Arisu said in a sweet but sinister voice, having grown impatient by now.


    Kiyotaka rolled his eyes and squeezed the towel in his hand. "Yeah, yeah..."


    It was truly a test worthy of the ''Masterpiece'', because he would have to go through helping nine of his heroines get cleaned up, facing things like embarrassment, shame, and awkwardness along the way.


    An hour and a halfter, Kiyotaka was finally done washing everyone''s backs, and now he was staring at his ''work'' with his usual nk face. However, he didn''t feel apathetic nor numb to the scene before him. Instead, the young man felt a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief filing him up to the core at seeing what he caused.


    The girls were all lying around him with their towels still covering their fronts, caught in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness as they panted heavily. Their bodies were twitching as if someone subjected them to some kind of electric shock that rendered them nearly immobile. Another thing that they all shared was their equally red faces, from either the rising steam or pure shame.


    "H-How... How is he so good at this...?"


    "He just washed my back... he didn''t touch me anywhere else... but it feels like this..."


    "As... expected... of you... Ayanokouji-kun..."


    "I feel... I feel so good everywhere... I... want more of it..."


    "Haaaa... haaaa... Aya...nokouji...kun... you..."


    "Damn... you... why are you so... so good...?"


    "Why... does it feel so... good...? He didn''t even... touch me anywhere... improper..."


    "I never knew... being washed... feels really good... I like it..."


    "Y-You... You''re not going to... win me over... so easily... Ayanokouji..."


    [Bonus Scene #1 has been cleared! You gained +30 in all stats! You have also gained a new Skill forpleting the Bonus Scene!]


    [Cleanliness Needs Handiness] (Passive Skill): Grants you with a ''magical touch'' when you wash any part of your heroines'' bodies. Every stroke you do to clean their skin grants them overwhelming happiness and pleasure that''s equal to what is normally felt in the bedroom.


    [You have gained 15 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]


    [You have gained 20 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    [You have gained 25 Affection Points with Sakayanagi Arisu!]


    [Rtionship Status ''Childhood Friends'' has been maxed! Rtionship Status with Sakayanagi Arisu has been upgraded to ''Tied by Fate''!]


    [You have gained 15 Affection Points with Matsushita Chiaki!]


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Sakura Airi!]


    [You have gained 20 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    [You have gained 30 Affection Points with Ichinose Honami!]


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Shiina Hiyori!]


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Chabashira Sae!]


    "I''m gonna go wash myself now," announced the ''Masterpiece'' of the White Room with a deadpan tone, while trying to ignore how he had gained the power to leave the girls in this state just by simply washing their backs. He didn''t even put much effort in doing so, just enough to ssify as ''washing'' so he could get out of his situation as soon as possible.


    And yet, this happened.


    This eroge system could honestly make the entire female poption of Japan fall for him if it wanted to, and Kiyotaka could only be grateful that it wasn''t that cruel to him.


    The young man stood up and prepared to go to the other side of the onsen where it waspletely left alone, only to be stopped when someone grabbed onto his foot, causing him to look down and see who it was.


    "Is there anything that you still need from me, Matsushita?" he raised an eyebrow at Chiaki who was struggling to lift her head from the ground in order to look up at him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I can''t wait anymore, Ayanokouji-kun..." the brte groaned as she lifted herself off the ground, not even caring that her towel fell and left herpletely naked in front of the young man.


    Kiyotaka could only watch with an eyebrow raised as Chiaki pulled herself up to his level, before wrapping her arms around his neck and joining her lips with his in a deep kiss.


    As his eyes widened in disbelief at her sudden action, Kiyotaka then felt the familiar sound of a camera snapping a photo before several new notifications popped up in front of him.


    [''Chiaki in the Bath'' was added to the gallery!]


    [You have gained 25 Affection Points with Matsushita Chiaki!]


    [Rtionship Status ''I''ve Got a Stalker'' has been maxed! Rtionship Status with Matsushita Chiaki has been upgraded to ''Obsessed with You''!]


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked the Achievement: ''The First Kiss Lasts Forever''! You gained +5 in Charm!]


    The kiss itselfsted for a minute, and it was mostly Chiaki moving her lips for about half of it before Kiyotaka finally decided to return the gesture by moving his own. A part of him wanted to hug this girl close or even grab her hips (there was even a very small part of him that wanted to grab her ass instead) but the stronger part of his mind was telling him that Chiaki wasn''t wearing anything so it wouldn''t be right to do so.


    With that, he prevented himself from doing anything else and only focused on the kiss until Chiaki finally pulled away with apletely red face and her breathing ragged.


    "That was my first kiss, Ayanokouji-kun~" she gave him a sensual smile and giggled a bit at seeing the expression on his face. "I hope you know how much girls treasure their first kiss, especially when it''s with the boy that they like."


    Even though her legs were failing her, Chiaki then moved away from him and managed to make her way to the normal pool before submerging herself in it, not even minding the fact that she was now stark naked because her towel fell earlier.


    Kiyotaka could only stare at the girl absent-mindedly, at least until his attention went to a certain jealous girl who was ready to go on a rampage from what she just witnessed.


    "How was it, Ayanokouji-kun? You must have really enjoyed that first kiss..." said Kikyo in an emotionless voice, as no traces of her usual bright and happy nature were left. She didn''t care about hiding her real self anymore at this point.


    Kiyotaka then noticed that a lot of the girls had already recovered from their euphoric states and bore witness to Chiaki kissing him. Suzune and Kei both frowned at him, while Sae and Honami were surprised. The only ones who were still out ofmission were Hiyori and Airi, which was probably for the best.


    "In case you missed it, I did not do anything. She was the one who made the move and I just stood where I am," he defended himself while clearing his throat. He then switched back to his usual deadpan look. "If you want to be honest, then yes. I enjoyed it. It was my first kiss and I''m happy to get it from a beautiful girl.


    "Oh, stop it, Ayanokouji-kun! You are going to make me fall for you even more!" Chiaki squealed like a schoolgirl in love, pping both of her cheeks as she shook her head furiously.


    "Well, at least you''re honest about it..." Suzune said, as she wondered why it bothered her to see Matsushita kissing the young man. She was almost tempted to go over to Kiyotaka and kiss him herself, but she quickly shook off the idea. "Did it have to be really long, though? Are kisses supposed to take more than a minute?"


    "I have no idea myself but does it matter? Matsushita did what she wanted to do and I didn''t mind it," he shrugged.


    "It must have been a pretty good kiss..." Kei grumbled, not even bothering to hide her jealousy.


    "You''re right, Ayanokouji-kun. It doesn''t matter how long a kiss takes."


    Before he could realize what was happening, Sakayanagi grabbed him by the shoulder and made him turn towards her. She then grabbed his head and pulled him towards her as their lips met, surprising him for the second time in a row.


    [You have gained 30 Affection Points with Sakayanagi Arisu!]


    Unlike Chiaki, whose kiss was passionate and somewhat innocent, Arisu could be likened to that of a hungry animal. She didn''t waste time and pushed her tongue into his mouth and began to explore it. She continued to do this for a few moments, savoring every part of the boy''s mouth and even tasting his tongue with her own.


    Kiyotaka, refusing to be defeated by this girl who had annoyed him on several asions by now, pushed back with his tongue and took the fight into her mouth. The tables were immediately turned as Arisu, who was being aggressive a while ago, could only submit to Kiyotaka''s superior strength. Unlike Chiaki, he hugged her close, pressing their bodies together with only a towel separating their skin.


    He didn''t stop there, though. His hands went to her sides and gave them a squeeze, making Arisu jump in surprise and leaving her at hisplete mercy. He kept both of his hands there and continued the kiss-turned-makeout session for half a minute before finally stopping.


    The moment Arisu separated from him, Kiyotaka could only stare at the girl in wonder as a thousand questions crossed his mind at the moment, and most of them involved the lc-haired student and her true intentions.


    Just like that, his second-ever kiss was taken by this girl who was secretly pining for him ever since the day they met.


    Even though she was almost out of breath, Arisu sent him a wink before she was grabbed by Kei and Kikyo and pulled her towards them like an angry mob of rioters who had a bone to pick with their enemy.


    While Arisu and Chiaki were questioned endlessly by the rest of the girls about kissing the brown-haired teen who was with them, Kiyotaka took it as an opportunity to slip away and sneak to the other side of the area, where he quietly took a shower on his own without being noticed.


    "I thought I would hate how this day ends, but honestly? I''m confused and shocked more than anything else."


    He took a few deep breaths to calm his heart that was beating fast from all the events that happened in such a short time. It was a good thing that the water from the shower was just as warm as the one in the onsen, and it helped him rx even further.


    Right as he was about to wash his own body, he then noticed something different in hisher regions down there...


    "Great. Just great..."


    Kiyotaka groaned to himself as he noticed the tent that formed underneath the towel he wore around his lower body. He was only lucky that no one saw it, otherwise he would either be teased, the girls would use him of being a pervert, or something worse.


    Well, in the end, absolutely no one could me him for having a boner. Beingpletely alone in a bath with nine women who had nothing but towels on would definitely do things to you. That''s not even taking into ount what he did while he was here, which involved washing their backs and sharing kisses with Chiaki and Arisu, both of which were very different experiences.


    Also, he could only hope that he gets through this situation with his sanity intact. Matsushita and Sakayanagi have gone ahead and kissed him in front of everyone else, who''s to say that Kushida won''t do the same? Karuizawa? Horikita? Hell, maybe even Chabashira-sensei or Ichinose!


    "I have to put up with this for the rest of my life now, huh..." he thought while trying his best to calm his bulge down there before the girls notice his missing presence and see him.


    His only chance of getting out of here without anything else happening is to stay calm and put his foot down. It might cause the system to act and have it happen otherwise, but it was worth a shot.


    "This is crazy, but I suppose it could have been crazier."


    He''s right about one thing, though.


    It''s about to get crazier.


    [END OF VOLUME 1]

 Chapter 70 Act 13: Scene 1

    ?


    "I know they''re probably just happy to see their friends again and hang out, but it feels like a lot of them actually want to go to school even though they don''t like studying."


    Kiyotaka hummed to himself. As he watched his ssmates'' interactions with each, he was also in deep thought.


    From what he knew, most teenagers his age didn''t really like studying and were only in school to hang out with other people and be popr. It was a trait that''s prominent in many of his ssmates which he noticed from the start, although there were people like Yukimura, Hirata, and Horikita who treated the school as an actual school and not as a glorified social club.


    "I suppose I could say that they''re like this because it''s Friday already... but I don''t think it''s just that."


    It was indeed a rare sight for ss D to be enjoying a school day, but it makes sense when it was already Friday and another weekend was drawing near. However, it''s not just that.


    About two weeks after their midterms, the students were now just waiting for the month to end.


    It is currently the 29th of May, and the next week would mean three things. One would be the start of a new month. Second, it also means that they would be able to receive their monthly point allowance. Third, it also means that their final examination was drawing nearer, which honestly made some of them nervous because their midterm examination felt like it happened only yesterday, and now they were about to take another set of tests in a few weeks time.


    They did have some motivation, though. A luxury vacation at an ind was waiting for them if they pass their final exams! Just the thought of it was enough to motivate those who weren''t fond of studying to ensure that they would get a passing grade at least.


    Everyone else''s efforts on keeping themselves behaved and dedicated to that goal eased the burden for one Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Between bncing his own efforts in contributing to the ss, keeping track of everyone else, handling a bunch of girls who were his heroines, and the scarcity of his precious sleep hours, things were... manageable, so far.


    After the skirmish at the recently-opened bathhouse with his heroines, the system was apparently nice enough to give him a two-week vacation from the craziness that he had been enduring for some time now. In other words, there were no ''special events'' or ''bonus scenes'' or anything else of the sort that happened for two weeks.


    How nice of his superpower to be thoughtful.


    "Anyone up for a trip to the onsenter, anyone?"


    "Oooohhh, that sounds tempting! It''s Friday, after all!"


    Speaking of which, the bathhouse immediately became an instant attraction for the students of the school. The day after he and his heroines enjoyed a bath that he wouldn''t be able to forget anytime soon, the ce grabbed the attention of some students from ss B who, in turn, spread the word to the whole school.


    And from there, the ce was always seen being visited by students and teachers alike.


    At the very least, Kiyotaka was able to feel what it''s like to go to a public bath, as he had no ns of going there again, at least until there''s an instance where he can take a bath in peace without being a victim of the system''s crazy schemes.


    "Maybe we can try the normal pool this week instead of the onsen? What do you say?"


    "Ehhh? You guys go there on Friday? Why not do it over the weekend when there''s really nothing to do?"


    "Because it feels so much more rxing when you take a bath right after sses!"


    Kiyotaka listened to that particr conversation quietly, and was immediately reminded of what happened when he went to that ce.


    "I would have enjoyed it even more if we took a bath and nothing more," he sighed to himself.


    After thinking about it for some time now, Kiyotaka realized that he, in fact, did not hate having to take a bath with his heroines. The idea itself was pleasing and it was a way for him to get rid of stress. However, washing their backs wasn''t part of that and it only made things awkward between him and some girls, most notably Ichinose and Sakura.


    Ever since that day, the two couldn''t keep themselves together in front of him to the point that they can''t even conduct a proper conversation with him.


    Kiyotaka couldn''t me them, though. He basically made them experience pure sexual bliss by simply washing their backs with a wet towel. As a matter of fact, it was surprising that most of his ''heroines'' didn''t see it as a big deal... except for Chiaki and Arisu, of course.


    Those two ended up bing more obsessed with him that it''s only thanks to his White Room training that he could handle them. One became a sly fox who looked like she could pounce on him at any moment, while the other couldn''t help but breathe heavily whenever she was around him like an animal in heat.


    Anyways... back with Sakura and Ichinose.


    He hoped that this phase wouldn''tst long, especially since Sakura needed him to help her out with the uing final exams. Ichinose, he had no problem giving her all the time she needs to get over how she acts around him. She was in another ss, after all.


    She''ll get over it... at least he hoped so. The system was on his side when it came to making his heroines happy, right?


    "Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    "It''s good to see you again, Ayanokouji-kun!"


    The young man could only sigh as he was pulled out of his thoughts by two familiar voices.


    Karuizawa and Kushida waltzed into the ssroom while waving at him, ignoring how their ssmates were all staring at them before directing their gazes to the subject of the girls'' attention.


    "They really don''t care about everyone else, do they?" he asked himself with a deadpan tone.


    Ever since that day at the bathhouse, things have never been the same for those two girls as well. They used to walk with him to school everyday, as if he had a harem following around (even though he technically has one already) but now,


    The only one who still apanied him when heading to ss was Suzune, not that he had any problem with it. In fact, it provided him with a brief period of peace and furthermore, talking with Suzune was akin to a break from the stuff that happens between him and his other heroines.


    What bothered him was that the two girls used it as an excuse to hug him every morning.


    Yes, to hug him every morning.


    "Good morning," he returned their greeting in his usual tone as the girls rushed over towards him.


    Kiyotaka was sure that he heard someone from their ssmates scream as if there was a ghost the moment Kei wrapped her arms around his neck from behind in a hug.


    "Don''t you ever get tired of saying that in the same voice every time?" she chuckled while burying her face into his neck. It was clear that she was enjoying this despite the attention that she was receiving from everyone.


    Kiyotaka sighed. He didn''t bother to stop her because one, it was toote and two, definitely a bad move on his part if he tries to go against the system.


    "I''ll stop doing it when you stop hugging me in the morning," he said tly.


    "You never had a problem with me hugging you before, so what''s this about?" Kei asked as she released him and took a step back.


    Every time they did this in the past, he was very lucky that no one saw them in the act, which was no doubt the work of the system. However, today must be the day where his superpower thought it would be the perfect time to screw him over by letting their ssmates get a front-row view of it. The worst part is that everyone is here, and the two girls were actually thest ones to arrive.


    He shook his head. "It''s not the hugging that I dislike. You two keep on doing this in ss even though we''re surrounded by our ssmates. We only got lucky before but now, it''s over. They can see what you''re doing."


    This time, it was Kushida who spoke.


    "Does it really matter, Ayanokouji-kun? I can do what I want and it''s not like anyone can stop me from hugging you, hehe~"


    This time, almost the whole ss screamed as they watched Kikyo hug him from the side, as she buried the side of her face into his arm.


    "I''m surprised that you, of all people would say that," the young man thought while trying. his best not to admit to himself that being hugged like this by his two heroines felt pleasing.


    A certain ck-haired girl watched the interaction with a weird look on her face. She was used to this by now but like Kiyotaka, they could have chosen to do this when they''re not in front of everyone else.


    "Must you two keep on doing that?" Suzune sighed. "All of our ssmates are staring at the both of you, if you''re not aware of it by now.


    Kei turned towards her. "Horikita-san, if you just let go of your cold facade for a moment and try doing the same, you''d understand why it feels good to hug Ayanokouji-kun."


    "Karuizawa-san, if Horikita-san doesn''t want to do the same then just let her be. Even though we already told her that she should try hugging as well..." Kikyo sighed, but her thoughts were a different story. She wanted tough but had to resist the urge to do so. "Heh. Horikita has always been too stuck-up to even consider hugging someone else. I mean, she literally asked us if friends also hug! How pathetic is that?!"


    "Both of them do look like they''re enjoying it..." Suzune thought as she observed the three students. Contrary to what Kikyo thought, the girl did think about hugging Kiyotaka too since friends do it as well, but couldn''t bring herself to do it, mostly because of their current location. "I refuse to do such a thing here, of all ces. Perhaps... when we are alone, then I could do it."


    Meanwhile, the rest of the ss had finally snapped out of their trance. Aside from Koenji who was too busy cleaning his nails, they were all in disbelief upon seeing both Karuizawa and Kushida acting all lovey-dovey around Ayanokouji, who was the farthest thing from being popr with girls.


    Well, maybe he does hang out with them regrly along with Horikita and they knew it, but they never thought he would be close enough to these girls that they would hug him out of the blue.


    The fact that he didn''t look anything special only made it worse.


    "Kushida-san seems like she''s growing closer to Ayanokouji-kun as ofte, don''t you think?"


    "I noticed that too..."


    "I never thought Karuizawa-san would be close to him as well... doesn''t she hate boys?"


    "Yeah, that''s what I know about her. She even said it herself after our first day here."


    "Wasn''t she studying with Ayanokouji-kun for the midterms? I think I remember seeing them both at the library once."


    "Yeah, they were with our other ssmate who has red hair!"


    "Her name is Sakura. At least get that right..."


    "Seriously, what the hell does that guy have that I don''t? I''m better than him in every way, so why can''t Kushida-chan hang out with me instead?"


    "I don''t know, because you''re a disgusting pervert?"


    "Ike''s one as well! And it''s not like I''m assaulting anyone..."


    Kiyotaka listened to everything that came out of ssmates'' mouths and if he could, he''dugh at them. If only they knew that he never wanted this to happen in the first ce...


    "Ayanokouji-kun, do you mind if I ask a question?" said Hirata, who took initiative by asking the person who had the answers.


    "What is it?" the young man replied as Kikyo finally let go of him while giggling.


    "I think I speak for everyone else here when I say that you seem pretty close with Horikita-san. However, it''s not just her. You also seem to have a close rtionship with Kushida-san. And like what I implied when I asked you to be one of the ss tutors, both Karuizawa-san and Sakura-san are alsofortable being around you."


    Kiyotaka did his best not to roll his eyes, even though everything that Yosuke said was true. "What point are you trying to make here?"


    "I''m not trying to assume anything, but are you possibly dating one of them?"


    Several people across the room immediately turned to Kiyotaka for an answer, feeling both anticipation and nervousness for what he was about to say. Will he say yes or no, that was the question in their minds at the moment.


    "You think I''m dating one of them, simply because I''m close to these girls?" he questioned. "Am I not allowed to be friends with them?"


    "I do apologize if I''m making you ufortable with my question, Ayanokouji-kun." Hirata smiled nervously, wondering if he might be stepping on andmine with his sudden question. "A lot of us are simply curious because it''s what we have noticed."


    "Does this mean you actually know that I''ve been going through this for weeks and you only said something now?" Kiyotaka asked in his mind.


    "Hirata-kun, it seems that you might have been influenced by everyone else in what they think," Suzune spoke up on behalf of Kiyotaka. She noticed how he was being overwhelmed with these senseless questions and decided enough was enough. "You are assuming things. None of us are dating Ayanokouji-kun."


    "I don''t think so, Horikita-san."


    All pairs of eyes immediately turned towards Kikyo, who had a thoughtful expression on her face as if she was considering something.


    Suzune raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean by that, Kushida-san?"


    Kikyo merely smiled and turned towards Kiyotaka, who stared at her curiously, wondering what the girl had in mind.


    "He''s worth more than a stupid mask," she thought as she approached the young man.


    His eyes widened slightly when Kikyo grabbed his head and pulled him towards her, their lips touching each other in a kiss. Kiyotaka was too overwhelmed with her bold move to notice the looks of disbelief that were etched on everyone''s faces at what they''re seeing.

 Chapter 71 Act 13: Scene 2

    <h4>Chapter 71 Act 13: Scene 2</h4>


    "NO! WAY!"


    "Oh my..."


    "You''ve gotta be kidding me..."


    "He actually got Kushida-san to fall for him?"


    "I mean, he does spend a lot of time with her and Horikita-san."


    "It still feels surprising that Kushida-san likes him! I always felt like she''s the type of girl who only wants to be friends and nothing more."


    Kikyo took initiative in their kiss despite being inexperienced, moving her lips around like she was supposed to. She even moaned in his mouth, a clear sign that she was enjoying it. Compared to Chiaki''s passionate kiss and Arisu''s hungry liplock, Kikyo was more possessive, like she was a cat that was marking its territory.


    Kiyotaka didn''t do anything to stop her but he made no effort to return the kiss either, because he didn''t want their ssmates to have a front-row viewing of a possible makeout session. He would, however, admit to himself that being kissed by Kikyo wasn''t bad and it was enjoyable... just like Chiaki and Arisu.


    Kikyo continued the kiss for about twenty seconds before finally pulling away. For a brief moment, she dropped her mask in order to give Kiyotaka a sultry wink, something that made him blush momentarily before shaking it off.


    [You have gained 20 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]


    And with that, Kikyo stepped back and faced everyone else, her usual smile present on her face but not saying anything more.


    "Does this mean you are dating Ayanokouji-kun, Kushida-san?" asked Yosuke as everyone in the room looked towards the beige-haired girl for a confirmation of sorts.


    "Hmmmm~ who knows?" she said innocently, taking a step back and putting on a thoughtful look which didn''t do anything to calm anyone down.


    "EEEHHHHHH?!" was the collective reply from their ssmates. That wasn''t a confirmation but it sure as hell wasn''t denial, either.


    Suzune watched the interaction that happened with eyes of interest and a bit of longing. It bothered her to see Matsushita and Sakayanagi kissing Kiyotaka a few weeks ago at the bathhouse and she knew it, but she didn''t exactly know why. And now it felt the same with Kikyo, but on a different scale because she was her friend and Kiyotaka was... someone important to her.


    "Do I... want to do the same thing as Kushida-san? And everyone else?" the girl thought to herself with a conflicted expression.


    On the other side of things, everyone else had varying reactions to what just transpired. Most of the girls were already gossiping about the possible rtionship between Kushida and Ayanokouji, particrly how it could have blossomed. The rest of them were too taken aback to say anything but they were of one thing: there''s more to this issue than meets the eye.


    The boys were a different story, with some of them kneeling over in despair at seeing Kushida kissing another man and the rest. However, there were also a few of them who had different reactions from everyone else.


    Koenji only threw a little nce at what was happening, yet it was enough to make him smirk in amusement. Sudo grinned; the red-haired teen was surprised like everyone else, but now he could have an edge over Ayanokouji by teasing him about this. It did make him wonder what Ayanokouji''s rtionship with Horikita was, though... because it seemed like those two were closer than Kushida.


    Yamauchi had the most prominent reaction, as he felt his soul shattering into a million pieces from seeing Ayanokouji scoring big with a cutie like Kushida.


    It was supposed to be him! He should be the one who''s kissing Kushida-chan, not that bastard Ayanokouji!


    "Ike! You''re not gonna react to this? He just kissed Kushida-chan!" he barked at his partner-in-degeneracy as anger slowly began to grow within him.


    To Yamauchi''s surprise, Ike only let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. It''s as if all the life had been sucked out of him.


    "I''m not really surprised. Even someone like me could see how Kushida-chan was close to him. That just confirmed it."


    Yamauchi looked horrified. He felt like he had lost a valuable ally. "What, so you''re just going to give up like that?! We can still get Kushida-chan back if we try!"


    "Dude, I know the moment I lose. I''m not gonna chase an impossible dream," Ike shook his head and tore his gaze away from Kushida. He may be giving up on the girl, but it hurts him to even look at her right now.


    "Oi, dumbass."


    The boy quickly turned to the side, where he saw Sudo standing there with a menacing look on his face.


    Ike was already shaking in fear of what Sudo could be thinking at the moment. "W-What do you want?" he stuttered.


    "Don''t think I haven''t forgotten that bet we made after our first month here," Ken grinned madly.


    "NO, I WAS HOPING YOU FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" Ike shouted, horrified.


    He thought he lucked out when their midterm results were announced. Ike immediately saw that Sudo got a higher overall score than him and feared that the red-haired athlete would bring up the bet they had weeks before but to his surprise, his ssmate never said anything. It''s like Sudo was too focused on his massive improvement to even remember the wager they had, and Ike felt grateful for it.


    Until now, of course.


    Ken smirked. "I never forgot about it. I just wanted to make it seem like I did to give you false hope."


    "C-Come on, Sudo-kun..." Ike said nervously, raising his hands in defeat. "We''re friends, aren''t we? Let''s just call the bet off and move on from it!"


    "You better send me a photo of those burning magazines, or you won''t like what''s going to happen."


    Ike immediately assumed a dogeza position on the floor and started begging for forgiveness. "Have mercy on me, Sudo-sama! Don''t make me do it!" he cried.


    Ken only let out augh before returning to his seat, ignoring the wailing boy who was pleading for mercy.


    "Seems like you got what you deserved, huh?" Shinoharamented with a smirk of her own, feeling great satisfaction at seeing her neighbor experience some well-deserved karma for his stupidity.


    She''ll make sure to watch him burn those porn magazines that he had just for the fun of it.


    While everyone else was more or less losing their minds from seeing the cutest girl in ss give the resident loner a full-on kiss on the lips, Kiyotaka shifted his attention to the girl who just made things even moreplicated for him.


    "Why did you do that?" he deadpanned.


    "I just wanted to," she smiled innocently.


    "You gave them the wrong idea."


    Kikyo smirked at him. "Maybe it wouldn''t be wrong if we went out for real."


    Kiyotaka tried to say something in return, but stopped himself. She definitely had a good point about a kiss not pointing to the wrong sign if they were just dating. However, again, he had to consider all of his other heroines too and not just Kikyo. She may not like it, but it''s what he has to do.


    "Hold it right there," a voice said from behind them, causing the two to turn their heads towards the girl who spoke.


    Matsushita Chiaki stood there with a nk look on her face, as everyone else turned their attention to her this time. No one could tell what she had in mind but it was different for Kikyo and Kiyotaka. They could already tell that the brte had something mischievous up her sleeve.


    A smirk then took over her features. "Maybe I have to remind you who Ayanokouji-kun''s first kiss was, Kushida-san~"


    Clenching her fists, Kikyo felt the sudden desire to bash this girl''s face with a rock, as their ssmates began whispering about what Chiaki just revealed.


    Like with Kushida, the young man did nothing to stop Matsushita from approaching him while she kept her eyes on him the whole time. By now, he had learned to simply let things run their natural course instead of trying to stop it.


    As a wise tortoise once said, "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it."


    He wasn''t surprised when the girl leaned down and kissed him on the lips as well, but it did not mean that he didn''t like it. Kissing Chiaki again felt just as good as the first time.


    [You have gained 10 Affection Points with Matsushita Chiaki!]


    The girl ended the kiss after a few seconds of enjoying it. Kiyotaka didn''t bother scolding her or anything, because Kikyo already caused everything to fall apart. Chiaki did end up making it worse though, and it was evident from the new reactions on everyone''s faces.


    Oh, he could already tell that the whole school will know about this. He''ll have to start preparing for that oue starting now.


    "E-Even... Matsushita-san..."


    "T-Two... he''s got two girls falling for him..."


    "How... How does that guy do it...?"


    Unfortunately for them, their jaws would reach past the floor and likely end up going underground when Karuizawa suddenly spoke.


    "Oh no, you don''t!" she cried.


    The girl had been watching ever since Kushida kissed him and seeing that made her jealous. It became worse when Matsushita went ahead and kissed Ayanokouji for the second time, which was when she realized that she did not want to be left behind anymore.


    Consequences be damned! She may not be sessful in making Kiyotaka her fake boyfriend, but being her real one? That''s one thing that she won''t let anyone else have, not Kushida, Matsushita, or Sakayanagi, or any other girl.


    "I''m not being left out this time!"


    With that deration, Kei rushed towards Kiyotaka and closed the distance between their lips. For a few moments, she stayed like that because Kei had no idea what to do and only moved when Kiyotaka did it first. He brushed his lips against hers, taking initiative and prompting Kei to do the same. After a few seconds of teaching the blonde girl how to properly ''kiss'', she started doing it on her own.


    The brown-haired teen was actually surprised that she gave him her first kiss, not that he did not see iting, but it was just unlike her to do such a bold thing in front of the whole ss. Then again, it may likely be the system''s influence again.


    A few more seconds passed, and Kei finally separated from him. "Y-You... You better take responsibility, alright...?!" she pouted while blushing, trying to hide her embarrassment from kissing him in front of other people as well as to mask how she felt about the kiss they shared... which was heavenly.


    [You have gained 25 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]


    "I guess..." he muttered, knowing that the girl will only get angrier if he doesn''t say anything. "Will the headaches today ever end...?"


    Kikyo red at Kei, while Chiaki merely smirked. This was the second time she had kissed Kiyotaka, so she knew damn well that she was in the lead ahead of everyone else. In Suzune''s case, she turned her head away from the scene with a conflicted look on her face, but it''s clear that she was thinking deeply about something.


    For everyone else, it took them about ten seconds to finally snap out of their trance and react properly to what happened.


    "K-K-Karuizawa-san..." Airi mumbled, feeling both shocked and sad that not only her friend, but three other girls all had their eyes on Kiyotaka.


    "He''s got three girls after him..." said Hasebe, feeling half-interested and half-hesitant about knowing more regarding Ayanokouji and how this all came to be.


    "I want to be like him for real!" Okitani grinned, feeling envious of Kiyotaka''s insane luck with the opposite sex but also felt motivated to be the same as him.


    "He legit has a harem! I knew he was the protagonist from the start!" said Sotomura, pushing up his sses as light shone on them as if he was an anime genius.


    Amongst all of them, Yamauchi once again had the most noticeable reaction, standing up from his seat and stomping over towards Kiyotaka''s desk.


    "That''s it! I want answers!" he shouted, pointing at Kiyotaka in an using manner. "Since when were you that close with the girls, Ayanokouji?! I''ve seen you talk with them but I''ve never seen you do anything! What the hell''s your secret, you bastard?! How do you keep on attracting these beautiful girls?!"


    "Yamauchi-kun?"


    "Yes, Kushida-chan?!" Yamauchi quickly turned towards the girl, dropping his angerpletely just from Kikyo paying attention to him. "Have you finally realized how I''m better than him? Don''t worry, don''t worry, I''ll forgive you. I''m not someone who''ll get angry at a girl for making a little mistake, hehe..."


    The boy waited for Kikyo to apologize for choosing Kiyotaka, who waspletelymepared to his totally awesome self, but never received anything. All he got was a cold aura from the girl that was anything but friendly.


    "If you talk like that to Ayanokouji-kun ever again, I won''t hesitate to cut them off," she then made scissor gestures with her fingers all while retaining the smile on her face.


    Almost immediately, Yamauchi retreated back to his seat like a coward while covering his crotch out of shame and fear, especially fear. He felt like his pride as both a student and a man had been shatteredpletely.


    Nobody felt bad for Yamauchi Haruki... at all.

 Chapter 72 Act 13: Scene 3

    <h4>Chapter 72 Act 13: Scene 3</h4>


    "Hmph! You truly interest me, Ayanokouji-boy! For that, I shall give you this."


    Koenji''s booming voice caught everyone''s attention as he pulled out a small card from his pocket, before throwing it towards Kiyotaka''s desk.


    The young man picked up the card and saw that it had a picture of Koenji with his usual smile (which he ignored) along with a phone number. It was most likely the man''s number, but why would Koenji give it to¡ª


    "Call that number whenever you need help dealing with women," the blonde man folded his arms andughed. "You look like you''re about to lose your mind with how many of them flock around you."


    With that, everyone''s attention shifted from the resident loner to the resident narcissist, as the boys began to ask him what he meant by those words.


    Kiyotaka breathed a sigh of relief now that the attention was on Koenji and not him, as he observed the card that was given to him.


    To his own surprise, Kiyotaka considered calling the number on the card, which was obviously Koenji''s. Of course, he would do it some other time when he''s alone because attention''s thest thing he wanted to have right now.


    "I''ll keep the thought in mind. Koenji''s not the type to mess around and as far as everyone is concerned, he hasn''t really ''helped'' anyone else in the ss. He just does whatever he wants to do, but no one can deny that he brings results."


    Who knows? Maybe Koenji might be able to help him with his problem.


    Not that he expected the man to help him deal with the system but if it meant being able to handle ten girls who had the hots for him and counting, then he would ept the help without hesitation.


    This does bring up one particr question, though...


    What exactly does Koenji know about dealing with girls who all have their attention directed towards you?


    ~XoX~


    After the first bell rang and Chabashira-sensei arrived, the chaos that had ensued earlier began to subside. After all, none of them wanted to create a scene with their teacher around.


    Homeroom then began but the damage has already been done, and Kiyotaka was sure that he would feel the consequences of Kikyo, Chiaki, and Kei''s actions soon enough.


    "...a new month is starting next week, and I can only assume that all of you are eager to receive your points. I am not allowed to say anything but if I had to give my opinion, you have a good chance of getting an increase in your ss points, which also means an increase¡ª"


    Chabashira-sensei suddenly stopped in her little speech when he saw someone knocking at the door. The woman widened her eyes upon seeing the school chairman right outside the room, with a young girl standing right behind him.


    She looked at her ss and spoke, "I''ll be right back, everyone. Remain in your seats," before heading out to speak with the chairman.


    Everyone else turned to the door as well as a result, and they were quickly hit with a wave of nervousness upon realizing who it was.


    The chairman of the school was right outside their ssroom, talking with their homeroom teacher. Most of them were already worried, thinking that the chairman was here to give them a p on the wrist for their attitude and such.


    On the other hand, people like Kiyotaka and Suzune were simply curious. What was the chairman doing here? Is it because they are truly in trouble for something they did? Was it just an important thing between him and their teacher? Or perhaps an announcement of sorts that concerned the students?


    After about a minute of waiting, Sae walked back inside and stood at the podium before clearing her throat.


    "Attention, everyone," she told her ss. "Today, it appears that a guest will be staying in your ssroom for the rest of the day. She may not be your ssmate, but I expect all of you to treat her as if she was one."


    A guest? Now this was something that none of them sawing.


    The first thing that crossed most of their minds is that it would be a higher-up of the school, but it wouldn''t make sense because Chabashira-sensei told them to treat this ''guest'' as if he/she was their ssmate.


    Perhaps it would be someone younger then... maybe a student from another ss who''s ''visiting'' them? But is that even allowed, when the school was really strict about students'' attendance?


    Either way, homeroom just became more interesting for the students of ss D now.


    "I wonder who it could be," Kiyotaka thought to himself, forgetting about his iing dilemma regarding his heroines for now in favor of seeing who this ''guest'' was.


    Sae turned to the door, where the chairman stood. "You cane in now."


    A young girl wearing an orange blouse with a blue ribbon, a short-length sailor skirt, and ck thigh-high stockings then walked inside the room, immediately getting the attention of everyone there due to her overall appeal.


    She had straight scarlet hair that was tied into twin tails andced with red ribbons, and gradient dark-red eyes. It felt as if she could charm almost anyone with her gaze alone and if not, she could entrance them with her body because of how attractive she was.


    The girl stood in front of them and smiled, before doing a curtsy.


    "Nice to meet you all. My name is Amasawa Ichika. Pleased to be your acquaintance~"


    Her voice and eyes were enough to send a lot of males in a frenzy, as they were instantly drawn to the girl''s appeal. Considering how down bad some of the boys are, it can be said that they were seduced by Amasawa''s voice alone.


    "She''s so cute and hot! I wonder how¡ª OW!"


    "Be quiet, idiot! Chabashira-sensei is just there, you know?"


    "I was justplimenting her!"


    "You were thinking of something else, I can tell!"


    "She''s not our ssmate? What''s she doing here, then?"


    "Maybe she''s supposed to be our kouhai, but she lives here in the school as a rtive of one of the teachers or something..."


    "That makes sense... but Wang-san over there is almost the same height as her."


    "Apologize right now!"


    "What did I say?!"


    Kiyotaka remained quiet in his seat, but kept his attention glued towards the scarlet-haired girl who introduced herself. Despite her young appearance, he could tell that there''s more to her than what she''s letting on.


    "I don''t believe that this is only a coincidence," he said in his mind. "The chairman of the school wouldn''t do this for some random person. This Amasawa Ichika has to be someone of importance for the chairman himself to apany her and have her introduced as a guest."


    His questions would immediately be answered when a pink screen appeared above the girl, which was a familiar sight for him at this point.


    "Hm. I''m not surprised that this girl is a heroine, but this does bring up more questions. Like, for instance, how could some girl be recognized as a heroine? Unless I''m right and there''s more to Amasawa than what she''s letting on."


    Despite being seated at the back of the ssroom, the young man was able to read the information that''s presented in the ''summary'' for this Amasawa Ichika.


    [Amasawa Ichika: ''Excited Kouhai'']


    [Rtionship Status: ?]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Ichika is a student of the White Room, raised as a part of the 5th Generation. She is maniptive, cunning, and has a streak for teasing people she finds interesting. She possesses extraordinary abilities, the best of her current generation, but is inferior to you as a whole. She was sent to this school by your father to ''keep an eye on you'' as well as to report your progress to him. In truth though, she has wanted to meet you for so long after reading your file in the White Room and currently looks up to you not just as a senpai but as a god of some sort.]


    After reading through the girl''s summary, Kiyotaka felt genuine surprise at learning that Amasawa was someone who came from the White Room, and that she was sent to this school by his father.


    If he had to be honest, it left him dumbfounded.


    "This is an extremely foolish move on his part. Sending this girl here will only make me aware of what he''s going to do to bring me back on his side. What the hell is he nning?"


    For what seemed like the first time, Kiyotaka felt lost and he didn''t know what to do.


    Even though that man was barely present in his life, Kiyotaka knew that he would want nothing more than for him to return to the White Room. Heck, after Matsuo helped him escape, there were already search parties with the sole mission of bringing him back but they were unsessful, of course.


    Even now, Kiyotaka waspletely sure that his father was doing everything to bring him back on his side. How else would that man know that he went to school here?


    And yet, all that his father sent to go after him in this school... was a girl. A girl who admires him, is a heroine chosen by the system, and is only given the task of ''watching over him''... instead of someone who was dedicated to the mission of bringing him back.


    He may hate that man more than anyone else, but Kiyotaka knew that his father can''t be this dumb... even though the thought of it was pretty funny.


    His eyes widened slightly as he had a moment of realization. "Wait... is the system behind this situation? Did it cause things to turn out this way?"


    Ichika only smiled at everyone as her eyes roamed around the room, as if she was looking for someone. It was only when her gazended upon a certain brown-haired teen that her smile becamepletely different.


    Instead of smiling out of politeness, it turned into one that showed eagerness and excitement.


    "Seeeeennpaaiiii~!"

 Chapter 73 Act 13: Scene 4

    <h4>Chapter 73 Act 13: Scene 4</h4>


    Check this out, you won''t regret it:


    https://.reddit/r/ssroomOfTheElite/s/CANxiCDJu4


    .


    .


    .


    The girl took off like a rocket towards the young man who was sitting at the back in peace. She was so fast that almost no one saw her move.


    Only Kiyotaka could keep track of her and just from her eyes, he knew that she was heading towards him. However, he didn''t do anything in response and simply stayed in his seat, as he was greeted by a flying Ichika who jumped towards him with open arms.


    "This is gonna hurt," was his only thought before the collision.


    Everyone''s eyes widened and let out a gasp as the scarlet-haired girl jumped over the desk and tackled their ssmate with all her weight, causing Kiyotaka to fall off his chair and hit the floor, with Ichika right on top of him.


    "Ayanokouji-kun!" Kei and Kikyo both cried out at the same time, worried that he hit his head or something.


    Fortunately for them, Kiyotaka wasn''t really harmed, though the impact did hurt a bit since he hit his head.


    "Ow."


    After taking a moment to let the pain subside, he raised his head to look at the girl who tackled him to the ground like a professional football yer. If it was any ordinary person, he would have stood his ground and remained unmoved, yet this girl managed to get him to fall over. Well, that''s to be expected from someone who''s also from the White Room.


    "I''m so happy that I finally met you, senpai. I''ve been wanting to meet you for so long~" Ichika cooed, nuzzling into his chest like a cat that got separated from its owner.


    As she said those words, three new notifications appeared above him which was a sight that he waspletely used to by now.


    [You gained 90 Affection Points with Amasawa Ichika!]


    [Ichika Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Amasawa Ichika!]


    [Your current status with Ichika has changed to ''A God and his Servant''!]


    Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow at thatst one, ignoring that he almost maxed out her current affection level in one sitting. "Does she really see me like that? I wonder what it means exactly..."


    The first thing that came to his mind is that this girl looks up to him so much to the point that he''s some kind of god in her eyes and she wants to serve him... or it could be about some kind of weird religion where he''s a prophesied savior of some sort... or it could just be that this girl was submissive towards him.


    "I suppose this is something to think aboutter," he shook his head to get rid of his current thoughts. There were far more pressing matters than thinking about what a certain ''rtionship status'' meant.


    "That''s gotta hurt..."


    "Think he''s okay?"


    "I think so... I wonder why she did that to Ayanokouji-kun all of a sudden."


    "You think she knows him?"


    Meanwhile, everyone else winced from how their ''guest'' suddenly tackled their ssmate out of nowhere and for no reason. As soon as Kiyotaka recovered though, some of the boys quickly got jealous from the attention that he was receiving from the girl whom they justid their eyes on.


    "Oh,e on. He already has three of our girls after him, and now Amasawa too?!"


    "I''m jealous. I want to get tackled like that by a beautiful girl too!"


    "This is so unfair! How can that bastard have such a smokin'' sexy kouhai all to himself?!"


    "Who knows? It seems like Amasawa knows him, though."


    "Because he''s the protagonist, that''s why."


    Kiyotaka''s heroines remained quiet, yet different thoughts were lingering in their mind regarding this ''guest'' who showed up outside of their ssroom out of nowhere, and was now lying on top of the young man as if it was her territory.


    "This isn''t the ''Nanase'' that he was talking about... this is someone else who also knows him," Kikyo narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth in anger. The annoyances just keep on increasing, huh?


    "This girl... Ayanokouji-kun knows her, I can tell. Why else would Amasawa-san tackle him to the floor? And why do I feel like keeping Ayanokouji-kun away from her?" Suzune thought to herself, subconsciously frowning at the scene that''s happening before her while being unaware of the growing jealousy inside her.


    Kei narrowed her eyes at Ichika. She already had to deal with Kikyo and Chiaki earlier, and now there''s this girl. "This girl is trouble, I can tell."


    Unlike the others, Airi had no malicious intentions in her thoughts. She was simply curious about this girl who seems to know Kiyotaka. "I wonder who she is..." she thought in confusion.


    In Chiaki''s case, she had a stoic look on her face, but she was already thinking of ways to show Amasawa Ichika that she has to get in line, because the younger girl was clearly in her spot.


    Knowing that the longer they stay in their current position, the worse things will turn out for them.


    "Would you mind getting off of me now? You''re making things moreplicated for us both," he told the girl who was seemingly enjoying the position that she was currently in.


    Ichika only smirked. "But I love it when I''m close to you like this, senpai. Don''t you like it too~?"


    Not having time for the girl''s teasing, he gently pushed Ichika off of him, allowing Kiyotaka to sit up properly. It also allowed him to see the frowns that were present on Suzune, Kikyo, and Kei''s faces. They weren''t just directed towards their ''guest'', but towards him as well.


    "Why are you all giving me those looks? I''m the victim here," he said to himself.


    After returning his chair to its proper ce, Kiyotaka was about to sit down and ignore the presence of the scarlet-haired girl who was standing next to his desk whilst giggling to herself, only for his attention to be drawn towards the chairman walking inside the room instead.


    "Ayanokouji-kun," the man spoke, gaining his attention immediately. "I assume you would like to know the reason why this girl knows you?"


    There''s no doubt about it. Chairman Sakayanagi knows that Amasawa is a student of the White Room. No wonder he apanied the girl to his ssroom.


    Kiyotaka already had a feeling that that would be the case, since Arisu did mention that she and her father visited the White Room in the past. Perhaps listening to the chairman would give him some more context on what''s happening, because all that he was sure of at the moment is that the system is responsible for this and somehow caused Ichika to be here despite not being a student of the school.


    With that, he responded to the chairman''s question with a nod.


    "Then please, if you would follow me to my office, I''ll exin to you what you want to know." The man then turned to the homeroom teacher of ss D. "Is that fine with you, Chabashira-sensei?"


    "Yes it is, sir." Chabashira nodded as well, while her mind went to different ces with this new development. "Good. Take that little shit off my ss for now so I don''t have to see his face until homeroom ends."


    "Thank you," Chairman Sakayanagi bowed in thanks to the woman, before turning his attention back to the young man. "Please follow me, Ayanokouji-kun. You too, Amasawa-san."


    Before Kiyotaka could follow the chairman out of the ssroom, he first turned towards the scarlet-haired girl who was just beside him.


    "After you, senpai~" she smiled.


    Sighing, Kiyotaka bowed his head and excused himself from the ss, with Ichika following after him happily.


    Everyone else watched him leave and had no idea about what to feel about it. A lot of them were confused andpletely lost on what just happened that they wanted answers, while there were also those who were more curious about Amasawa and who she is exactly.


    In Suzune, Kei, Kikyo, Chiaki, and Airi''s case, all of them couldn''t help but feel that Amasawa''s presence will change a lot of things, especially since she seems to know about Kiyotaka.


    Could it be that she''s a friend of his outside of the school? A childhood friend of his? Someone who has a crush on him? A family member?


    It was a question that they had no answer to... for now, at least.

 Chapter 74 Act 13: Scene 5

    <h4>Chapter 74 Act 13: Scene 5</h4>


    As soon as he entered the chairman''s office, Kiyotaka sat at one of the couches and watched his scarlet-hairedpanion follow him inside. He expected Ichika to sit beside him but to his surprise, she plopped down on hisp like it was the most obvious seat for her.


    "Why are you sitting there?" he asked in his normal deadpan tone, genuinely confused why she would sit on hisp instead of the couch.


    Ichika turned her head slightly to give him a cute smile. "Is it not the duty of a senpai to be taking care of their kouhais? Plus, I just chose the mostfortable seat inside this room, senpai."


    "She''spletely different from Nanase... and I don''t know if that''s a good thing," he thought, staring at the girl for a moment. "Whatever you say."


    Kiyotaka was trying to get a good read on this girl and her intentions regarding him, even though he already read her ''summary''. However, despite looking into her eyes and even observing her bodynguage, this girl truly was like how her ''summary'' described her to be.


    This girl, who happens to be a student of the White Room, who also happens to be the best of her generation, who also happens to be someone that his father sent to this school...


    ...simply admired him.


    Kiyotaka wondered just how far this ''admiration'' she has for him will go, but ced the question in the back of his mind for now. He could figure that outter but for now, this sudden meeting with the chairman is a more important matter.


    Speaking of which, the older man had just stepped inside the office and closed the door, before sitting on the couch opposite to the two teenagers.


    "Do not worry, I will not take much of your time," he smiled, ignoring how Amasawa was sitting in a rather unorthodox way. "Now, Ayanokouji-kun, I assume you already know who I am?"


    "You''re the chairman of the school. You''re also Sakayanagi''s father," Kiyotaka exined what he knew about him like it wasmon knowledge.


    "Oh, you already know Arisu?" Sakayanagi asked, earning a nod from the young man. "That''s good, this makes things easier."


    Kiyotaka wondered what this meeting would be about; he could only guess that it''s to discuss Ichika and the circumstances that led to her appearance here, but this could also be about the White Room itself and what Sakayanagi''s father knew about it.


    "This may sound surprising to you, Ayanokouji-kun, but I knew your father."


    Kiyotaka blinked in surprise.


    Okay, that was something he didn''t expect. While he knew that Arisu and her father had visited the White Room before thanks to her ''summary'', he had no idea that the man was acquainted with his own.


    "I also know where youe from and what you''ve been through up until now. I have to say, you have my deepest sympathies. Growing up in the White Room is something I would not wish on anyone. I don''t know any details about how you escaped, but the act itself is nothing short of a miracle."


    Kiyotaka gave a nod of acknowledgement. "How did youe in contact with that man?"


    "That is a funny question with quite an interesting answer, Kiyotaka-kun. You see, I haven''t been in contact with Ayanokouji-sensei for a long time now. But you can say that we are simply after the same goal, and that is to create a society that''s filled with people who can shape the foundation of the world with their own abilities."


    "That man is taking apletely different approach when ites to a goal like that," Kiyotaka thought.


    "It has been years since thest time your father and I spoke to one another. However, when he called a few days ago and said that he knew you were attending school here, I couldn''t hide the truth from him."


    "Did he want me back?" the young man asked.


    "Naturally, yes. However, I refused him strongly because one, I did not want you to go back to that ce. Two, you are now a student of this school and you cannot be pulled out simply because someone said so. Three, Arisu would be sad if you left. She has wanted to meet you for so long, after all."


    Those first two reasons were things that he could expect, but Kiyotaka didn''t count for the third one at all. Did Sakayanagi-sensei really have to mention his daughter? And was he actually serious about it?


    Regardless, Kiyotaka felt the need to thank the older man for his actions even though it was unnecessary.


    "Thank you for intervening, Sakayanagi-sensei, but you didn''t have to. That man has lots of connections and he could certainly do something against you for aiding me. This is my problem and I''ll deal with it on my own."


    "Think nothing of it, Ayanokouji-kun. While your father is indeed powerful, I do not fear him," the chairman stated firmly. "Letting you attend this school might not make up for what you missed in your childhood, but as long as I am here, you can be guaranteed that I will keep you safe."


    Kiyotaka nodded gratefully, before shifting his attention to the girl who was sitting happily on hisp. It was time to get some more answers regarding Amasawa.


    "So what does this talk have to do with this girl?"


    "You have not realized it already?" asked Sakayanagi-sensei. "Amasawa-san here is also a student of the White Room."


    He already knew that Ichika was a White Room student from reading the information that was provided to him by her ''heroine summary'', but the chairman didn''t know that. As a result, Kiyotaka pretended to look surprised as Ichika started to giggle at the expression on his face.


    "If that''s true, then is she here to bring me back?"


    The older man poured himself a cup of tea and chuckled. "I''ll let Amasawa-san exin her side of the story."


    With that, Kiyotaka turned his full attention to the scarlet-haired girl, who finally began to speak.


    "Well... it wasn''t in my mission to bring you back, senpai. I was only told to keep an eye on you and tell your father about your progress in this school. To be honest, I''m perfectly fine with what I was told to do," the girl revealed.


    There it is. Her answer was just the same as what her ''summary'' said, and it confused him even more now that he heard it from the girl herself. It seems like it really is the truth.


    "Are you serious?" he asked.


    Ichika chuckled and shook her head. "I have no reason to lie, senpai."


    "That confirms it. This whole scenario is happening because of the system''s intervention," he thought. "I don''t know how, but it must have influenced that man to do this."


    Well, he wasn''t wrong for thinking like that. The system alters reality on a regr basis, so influencing one man even from afar shouldn''t be too much. And there''s just no way that man would be foolish enough to willingly send a valuable asset to the White Room just to ''check on him''.


    His father couldn''t be that idiotic, could he?


    "Is that all?" he asked the girl. "He didn''t say anything to anyone else about me? Someone he gave another mission to? Or are you the only one he sent to this ce?"


    "If I knew, then I''d already given you the answer you wanted, senpai."


    ...well, he had no reason to doubt her. From her ''summary'' alone, Amasawa isn''t trying to lead him to his doom. Plus, the system has never lied to him before and was painfully blunt with its intentions.


    "All right," he nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you for being honest, Amasawa."


    "Senpai, if you really want to thank me, then you can pat my head~?"


    Kiyotaka thought of ignoring her, but decided not to do it because it might make her sad. He then shrugged mentally, deciding to give in and do what the girl wanted.


    He raised his hand and patted her head slowly as if to say, "Good job." Ichika responded by immediately surrendering to how good it felt and then smiling in happiness at receiving a headpat from the young man.


    [You have gained 20 Affection Points with Amasawa Ichika!]


    [Rtionship Status ''A God and his Servant'' has been maxed! Rtionship Status with Amasawa Ichika has been upgraded to ''My Sexy Kouhai''!]


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked the Achievement: ''Gotta Go Fast''! You gained +10 in Charm!]


    The three notifications that appeared afterwards caused his eyes to widen in surprise, especially since it involved something that should happen in a matter of weeks, not in the span of a day.


    "That''s... one hell of a headstart..."


    If Kushida was vulnerable to his advances, then Amasawa must bepletely weak to it.


    He almost maxed out the girl''s first affection level by simply sitting and allowing himself to get tackled to the ground by Amasawa. And now, just from receiving a headpat from him, his ''rtionship status'' with her leveled up? And it all happened within the day.


    ...does she really think that highly of him? Is that why he gained a ton of Affection Points with her so easily?


    Deciding to ponder about that questionter, Kiyotaka turned his attention back to the chairman.


    "How did Amasawa get here, Sakayanagi-sensei?"


    The chairman took a sip of his tea. "Ah, yes. After I declined your father''s demand, he instead offered apromise wherein he would send one of his assets to keep an eye on you and your progress in this school. After all, he still wants to test you and see how you fare against other talented people since you are supposed to be his ''Masterpiece''."


    "Really?" asked Kiyotaka. "That''s his reason for sending Amasawa here? Definitely influenced by the system."


    "When I told Ayanokouji-sensei that you were in the lowest ss, he was actually pleased. He then told me that he will personally take his chosen asset to the school and a few days ago, he arrived here with Amasawa-san and ryed her supposed mission to me. She was really eager to meet you, by the way."


    "I figured..." he muttered, earning a cute giggle from Ichika.


    Eager to meet him as in ''tackling him to the ground like a cat who was separated from its owner'' eager? Yeah, he could definitely see how excited she was.


    "So what now? If Amasawa''s here to ''keep an eye on me'', as she said... then that means she''ll be staying in this school from this point onward."

 Chapter 75 Act 13: Scene 6

    <h4>Chapter 75 Act 13: Scene 6</h4>


    "You''re right, Ayanokouji-kun. Amasawa-san will be staying in this school from now on, but since she is a year younger than you and the ss arrangements have already been decided, she cannot join your ss. Because of that, she will live with you instead and will be treated as a guest to the school."


    Kiyotaka''s mind backtracked for a few seconds, particrly at some certain words that the chairman said. "Wait, what do you mean ''live with you''? Are you saying that she''ll live in my unit?"


    "What do you think it means?"


    The young man stared at him for a few moments, as though he was waiting for Sakayanagi-sensei to say that he was only kidding, but nothing happened.


    It was all the confirmation he needed to realize that he was being serious.


    "I get to live with senpai?!" Ichika asked, sounding ecstatic. "Sounds fun, let''s do it~!"


    "Not gonna bother arguing against this because this has the system written all over it," the young man sighed to himself. "However, that doesn''t mean I can''t ask for the reason why this is happening."


    The system really nned for this to happen, huh? Not only did it influence that man to send Amasawa here but it also caused things to happen as they did. The girl hugging him in front of everyone and the chairman''s decision to assign her to his dorm unit were a result of the system''s intervention.


    "Why have her live with me? Surely there are still unused dorm units around that she can use, right?" he asked.


    "You are correct. However, your father wished for Amasawa-san to be able to keep you in her sights as much as possible, and this was my only solution to that because being your ssmate is out of the question."


    "That makes almost no sense at all..." heined in his thoughts, before sighing in defeat. There''s no other oue for him even if he tried. "Alright, I''ll let her live with me. But I want something from you in return, Sakayanagi-sensei."


    The older man shed a gentle smile. "As long as it''s within my power, I''ll see if I can grant it."


    Kiyotaka smiled to himself. The request that he had in mind will surely make things easier not just for him, but also for the girl who was now his roommate.


    ~XoX~


    Ike Kanji didn''t think that this would be how he ends his month.


    Don''t get him wrong, he was really happy and proud of himself for passing the midterm exams. He was even motivated to put in the same effort for their finals because of the vacation that they were promised, but it onlysted until he saw Sudo''s test scores.


    A month ago, he and Ken made a bet regarding how they would fare in the midterm examination. It was because of a petty argument that the bet was created and looking back at it, Ike felt even more of an idiot for being so eager to push through with the wager.


    The winner would simply be determined by who has the higher score between them and, to hisplete surprise, Sudo ended up with a higher overall score than him. But to an even bigger shock, it seemed like the guy forgot all about the bet because he was too busy celebrating his aplishment.


    At first, Ike thought that he was free from the punishment that Sudo had for him, which relieved him greatly. After all, his collection of naughty stuff was important to him and he didn''t want to burn any of it! It would destroy him to say goodbye to his treasures!


    But he was wrong.


    Apparently, Sudo only made it seem like he had forgotten about the bet and reminded him of it today... right after he watched Kushida-chan kissing Ayanokouji (which also hurt a lot).


    Despite his pathetic attempt in apologizing and his pleas to simply forget about the wager, Sudo insisted that he honor his side of the bet otherwise he''ll face the consequences. It''s not like he could deny it, though. No matter how someone looked at it, it was his loss and Ike had no one to me but himself.


    It was he who came up with the idea of setting up the stakes for that bet he and Sudo made. It was he who agreed to his ssmate''s terms. And it was he who failed to gather a higher score in his midterms.


    So, as he stood next to a barbecue grill (that Sudo let him borrow as added insult to injury), he ced another set of his beloved magazines as well as some of the doujinshis that he bought and stoked the fire underneath the metal bars.


    "I thought it would be harder than this, honestly..." the boy said in his mind. He had been standing out here for an hour now, behind the dorm building where he could burn some of his stuff without being caught or anything.


    What he ced on the grill just now was thest batch of magazines and doujins that he had. Within the past hour, all that he had been doing was dumping the materials that he supposedly treasured into the fire that he made.


    Kanji had nothing more and yet, despite all this, he didn''t feel anything about it.


    Honestly, he expected himself to kneel over and be overly dramatic about burning his magazines and doujins, but he didn''t do anything like that. All that he had been doing for the past hour was standing nearby, watching his belongings burn.


    It''s not as if he didn''t care about these things, though. They still belonged to him and he paid a good amount of points for those doujins but in spite of that, the only thing he did was watch in silence.


    "Here I thought you''d be crying your eyes out while burning these, but you''re just standing there and doing nothing," a familiar voice spoke up, getting his attention right away. "I guess those things were just trash, and you chose to let them pile up in your room without ever thinking of throwing them away."


    He turned around to see Satsuki walking towards him with a smug look on her face. The girl was thoroughly pleased with recent events, especially because she wanted Kanji to lose his wager with Sudo.


    Of course, she wouldn''t miss an opportunity tough at the pervert''s misfortune.


    "They''re not just porn magazines, you know?" he sighed. Ike didn''t really like bantering with Shinohara right now, and for good reason. "Believe it or not, there''s a reason why I have these things."


    "Oh? Do tell. I''d love to hear it," she said in a sarcastic tone.


    He stared at her for a brief moment, wondering if it would be a good thing to tell her something so personal but eventually shrugged to himself. Maybe once he does, she''ll stop with the insults and bantering... for the rest of the day, at least.


    "In my old school, I had apletely different life. The me that you keep seeing everyday? I wasn''t like that back then. If anything, I was more like Yukimura or the Professor in how I acted," Ike exined.


    Satsuki smirked, obviously unconvinced. "So you''re a nerd back then. Am I supposed to feel bad for you now?"


    "I don''t need your pity," he red at her, surprising the girl at how angry he looked.


    It wasn''t anything like how he would get angry at Ayanokouji or Sudo... it waspletely different and it felt like he was really giving in to his emotions.


    It wasn''t anything like how he would get angry at Ayanokouji or Sudo... it waspletely different and it felt like he was really giving in to his emotions.


    "I hated how I was back then. I hated how I was ignored like I was the gue. I hated how I got pushed around if I did something to get someone''s attention. If I had to be honest, I''m treated better here than my old school."


    Shinohara snapped out of her trance after taking a moment to rpose herself. Never before had she seen him like that and it caught her off guard.


    "Okay, so what does this have to do with those stupid magazines?"


    Kanji took a deep breath, which was sessful in calming himself down. "Some guys from another ss saw me having lunch on my own one day, and they felt bad for me, I guess. They called me to their table and we hit it off from there. Those guys were huge perverts and I know that I''m gonna sound really hypocritical here, but they were down bad. If you think I''m bad, then they''re worse."


    "If you''re the one saying that those idiots are worse than you, then it must be serious. What exactly did they do?" the girl asked, now looking more interested in knowing more.


    "Hmm... I remember there was a little hole in the wall of the girls'' changing room at the gym in our school, and they always used it to peek at our ssmates or any other girl who changed clothes there."


    "And you never took a peek at your female ssmates through that hole?"


    "I only did it once but after that, I didn''t do it anymore."


    Sheughed. "Really? I find that hard to believe."


    "You''re the one asking questions," Ike shrugged. "After I had my turn getting a peek at the girls, we were caught in the act by some of their friends and chased us all down. I managed to slip away but my friends? They weren''t so lucky. I watched them get beaten up and because of that, I never wanted to peek at girls again because the same could happen to me."


    Satsuki wanted to catch him in the act and use him of peeking again right after that incident, but stopped herself when she thought about it more deeply.


    Of course, she knew that this idiot was a pervert from the start. Kanji made that perfectly clear during his introduction but apart from that, all he did was ogle the girls at every opportunity he could get, as well as making pervertedments about their bodies.


    She couldn''t think of an instance where he did something as bad as watching the girls change clothes... or even getting close to them in order to cop a feel or something. At most, all he did was ''admire'' her ssmates from afar and say a lot of disgusting stuff regarding their bodies.


    Maybe... there was some merit in what this idiot was telling her, after all.


    "Was that all that they did?" she asked, wanting to know more.


    "Well... I guess there''s also the regr hangouts that we''ve had. They''d invite me to one of their houses, and we''d talk about the things we like about girls. We also read a lot of magazines and doujins from their collections. Those dudes were hoarders, I tell you..."


    The blue-haired girl remained quiet after that. Of course, Ike could be lying about all of this just to save himself, but it didn''t feel like that at all.


    It''s crazy, but... it felt like everything he said just now was the truth.


    "Hmph. Don''t think that just because you were influenced by idiots, you''re absolved of your wrongdoings. You''re still a pervert in my eyes," Shinohara folded her arms and pouted.


    "Why, yes I am. I''m a pervert and I''m proud of it," Ike did the same as her and smirked, showing no regrets for his actions. "It''s not like those guys forced me to join them. I may have wanted to have friends but in the end, I chose to hang out with them. And just to tell you, ugly? I don''t regret it. At all."


    "I still don''t get how your ''friends'' have anything to do with those things you''re burning right now," she pointed out, ignoring the jab he sent towards her as she was already used to it by now.


    Ike blink a few times in realization. "Oh, right. Well, these porn magazines weren''t really mine. All of these belonged to them. They just gave these things to me as some kind of souvenir for hanging out with them, I suppose."


    "You brought those with you when you came here?" she asked,pletely surprised at the fact that his collection of magazines weren''t bought around here. She was even more surprised to learn that those things didn''t belong to him. "How did those things even go unnoticed by the teachers? Surely they must have checked our belongings when we came here!"


    The boy shrugged. "I have no idea."


    "Okay, so you''re telling me... that you didn''t buy these things here? Other people gave them to you?" she asked, looking at him for confirmation.


    "I bought the doujinshis here but other than that, pretty much. What a waste of points, though... I enjoyed reading them, but now I have to burn them."


    "Huh... what do you know? Maybe he''s not as bad as I thought he was."


    If Satsuki had to be honest, she wasn''t really expecting the idiot to honor the bet and would back out because he valued these things too much. However, she was clearly wrong in that aspect because here he was, honoring his side of the wager and wasn''t evenining about it.


    "So the reason why you have these things..." she paused for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say. "...is it because they remind you of how you used to have friends that stick by your side?"


    "Well, I''m not going to deny that reading these magazines is fun. It''s always a good feeling to appreciate a girl''s body, but I guess that''s also part of the reason."


    "Then why didn''t you tell Sudo-kun that? Maybe he would have understood your situation and you wouldn''t have to go through this."


    "It wouldn''t matter. I still lost, so I have to do this," he shrugged again. "Besides, it''s not like those boys I mentioned remember me. They probably moved on with their lives. They''re just like my old ssmates, they never really cared but still... they were people that I called ''friends''. That''s not gonna change anytime soon."


    Much to her own surprise, Satsuki began to feel bad for him. Kanji may have started that wager with their ssmate for the wrong reasons but despite being on the losing end, here he was, honoring the terms of their bet and not even caring that he spent points in buying some of this stuff.


    He was right... what a waste of points if he was going to get rid of them, anyway.


    The atmosphere between them became quiet for the next few minutes. The only sound that could be heard were the scorching mes from the barbecue grill. While Kanji turned his attention back to his books that continued to burn in the fire, Satsuki seemed like she was contemting something in her mind.


    After thest stack of magazines and doujins were reduced to nothing but ash, Shinohara finally spoke again.


    "Hey, uh... do you want to go get something to eat?" she asked, a hint of a blush dusting her cheeks.


    Ike turned to her, looking surprised at the girl''s question. "I''d rather wait until the month ends before spending any more points. I''m kinda drained right now on points..." he chuckled nervously.


    "You don''t have to. I''ll pay for us both."


    Now he was really surprised. For as long as he knew this girl, she would never ask him to eat with her or anything simr, let alone pay for the two of them. As a matter of fact, it was already shocking that they weren''t having one of their usual banters right now.


    For a betterparison, they were like oil and water despite being ssmates and neighbors at the same time.


    And yet... Shinohara asked him if he wanted to join her for a meal.


    "This isn''t you trying to ask me out on a date, is it?" he asked jokingly, an amused grin forming on his face.


    "Haha. In your dreams, pervert," she rolled her eyes in amusement, before chuckling to herself. "So what do you say?"


    Kanji shrugged. "I''d be an even bigger idiot to decline an offer from a cute girl, so sure. I guess I can leave this grill out here for now and let the fire die out first."


    "Cute? I thought I looked ugly in your eyes?" she asked as they began to walk off.


    "Ah, that was just me messing around with you since we argue a lot. If I had to be honest, you''re pretty cute yourself, Shinohara-san."


    Satsuki immediately stopped in her tracks as she heard thatst statement from him.


    "D-Did he just...?" she thought to herself, shifting her gaze to the ground which hid her face from sight. Her cheeks slowly began turning red as a sign of her growing embarrassment.


    Ike quickly noticed how hispanion stopped walking all of a sudden. She was looking at the ground, so he couldn''t see her face at the moment.


    "Shinohara-san? Are you okay?" he asked out of concern.


    "S-Shut up and just follow me...!" she snapped at him with a red face, before resuming her walking. Satsuki tried ignoring a strange feeling that was building up in her chest, but it continued to bother her regardless. "This is nothing... I just feel embarrassed about treating a guy to some food. Yeah, that''s it...!"


    The boy only looked at her in confusion for a few moments, before shrugging and then following after her.


    Who knows? Shinohara might just be going through her period right now, that''s why she snapped at him.

 Chapter 76 Act 13: Scene 7

    <h4>Chapter 76 Act 13: Scene 7</h4>


    "Aren''t you excited, senpai? We''re going to be living in the same room together~"


    "I''m just d you didn''t say anything regarding that in front of our ssmates earlier."


    At the same time, walking through the hallway of the 4th floor of the first dorm building, were Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and his newly-established roommate.


    After their discussion with Chairman Sakayanagi was over earlier in the morning, the two returned to ss D''s ssroom. Upon getting there, Kiyotaka noticed that homeroom had already ended and Chabashira-sensei had already left.


    Because their teacher was already gone, both Kiyotaka and Ichika were bombarded by questions from their ssmates. The boys confronted Kiyotaka about his possible rtionship with Amasawa who was supposed to be a ''guest'', while the girls questioned Ichika regarding her rtionship with Ayanokouji and how she knew him.


    Kiyotaka simply ignored the boys who kept on asking him, while Ichika entertained the girls by answering their questions with even more questions. Fortunately for them, it wouldn''tst long because Majima-sensei would arrive after a few minutes in order to start their second period.


    Where did Ichika sit for the remainder of the day?


    Since she was considered a guest to the school and the rest of the teachers were made aware of her presence by Chabashira-sensei, Ichika sat at a lone chair near the door, giving her a good view of the whole ss as they went through the day.


    After all their sses ended, Kiyotaka didn''t want to take any chances and quickly left the ssroom with Ichika following after him. He knew that if they stayed, they would be questioned endlessly once again.


    And now, they were on their way to his dorm unit. Wait, scratch that. Their dorm unit. They were going to be living together from now on, after all.


    "You don''t have to worry about me saying anything, senpai. I wouldn''t throw you to the wolves like that," she chuckled. "But you''re pretty lucky, you know? You get to live with such a cute girl like me."


    "I can''t even imagine why..." he replied dryly as his thought went elsewhere. "It''s strange, though... the only ones who didn''t approach Amasawa earlier were Horikita, Kushida, Matsushita, Karuizawa, and Sakura. Even when sses ended, none of them approached her, or even me."


    It wasn''t a coincidence that the only people who didn''t question Ichika were also his heroines.


    At best, they were only jealous of Ichika because of what she did in front of everyone earlier. At worst, they could be nning something big and might confront Amasawater on, which he hoped wasn''t the case. Kushida was bad enough, he didn''t want three other heroines to give in to jealousy in a bad way.


    At the very least, he can be assured that Sakura isn''t the type of person to act like that. Bless her soul.


    After opening the door to his unit, Amasawa didn''t waste any time and rushed inside, before quickly making herselffortable on his bed.


    "That''s about what I expected from her," Kiyotaka sighed internally as he went inside and closed the door. He then sat down on the chair by his desk, allowing himself a moment of rest because he knew that the day wasn''t for him just yet.


    He now had to figure out how to deal with his current situation, which was Amasawa being his permanent roommate from now on.


    If Kiyotaka had to be honest, having a roommate didn''t really sound bad... it might even be an interesting scenario. However, Amasawa was... something else.


    If only she was more like Nanase, who was sweet, caring, kind, and didn''t bother him much unless she had something to ask...


    "I''ll end up missing her presence at this rate," he sighed to himself.


    "Ne, senpai~" Ichika''s voice filled his ears. "Can you give me a kiss? I''ve always wanted to receive a kiss from the famed ''Masterpiece'' of the White Room."


    Kiyotaka shot her a nk stare.


    Seriously, is this girl obsessed with him that much? And does she even know the things she''s asking him to do? Earlier, she tackled him to the ground with a hug like it was nothing and now she wants him to kiss her?


    It''s like he''s dealing with an Arisu who can walk and seemingly has no sense of shame.


    Kiyotaka could only hope that he can get used to this... the system would help him, right?


    Especially against a fellow White Room student... right?


    "If that''s your way of flirting with me, then I have to say that it''s a horrible way of doing so, Amasawa."


    "Ohe on... I just want to know what it feels like to kiss you, senpai," Ichika then pouted and her eyes turned downcast. "Am I not pretty enough for you?"


    He winced for a moment at seeing her sad look, fearing that it might cause the system to do something. Thankfully, nothing happened and he was able to quickly formte a response.


    "If you want me to do that, you''re going to have to earn it first."


    The sad look on Ichika''s face instantly disappeared, and was reced with a smirk. "Is that what you told Karuizawa-senpai and those other girls in your ss whom you also kissed?"


    Kiyotaka blinked a few times, surprised that she knew about what happened with him and his other heroines earlier.


    "You know what? I''m not even gonna ask how she knew about that," he shook his head and sighed. For sure, it''s the work of his superpower and nothing more. "In case you missed it, they''re the ones who kissed me. Not the other way around."


    "Then would it be fine if I''m the one who kissed you, senpai?" Ichika looked at him with a sultry smile gracing her lips.


    "I''ll push you away before that happens."


    "That''s not fair, senpai. You didn''t push away those other girls in your ss when they did it."


    Figuring that answering her yet again will only lead to a never-ending banter between them, Kiyotaka chose to ignore her for now and focus on what''s important, that being the matter of Ichika''s presence in his dorm unit from now on.


    The first issue that he had in mind... is the issue of where Ichika would sleep.


    Obviously, the first that came to his mind is to buy a futon for the girl to sleep in. Yes, a ce for Ichika to sleep in. There''s no way he would let her sleep on his bed while he spends nights on a futon. This was still his room and it was his bed.


    But the big problem with that... is the possibility of Ichika sneaking into his mattress regardless.


    Even though it hasn''t happened yet, he could already tell that this girl could think about doing such a thing just to mess with him or tease him in any way. If it''s not one of those reasons, then she would do so just to sleep next to him.


    And in that instance, buying a futon would be pointless in the long run because the younger girl wouldn''t even be interested in using it.


    "I have one question for you, Amasawa. If I buy you a spare futon, will you use it as something to sleep in or will you sneak in my bed instead? Answer that honestly."


    Ichika blinked a few times in surprise, before she smirked.


    "Oh dear, oh dear... you''re using me of possibly sleeping in your bed already, senpai? That''s cruel of you..."


    "Answer the question already."


    "Hmm... nope. A futon''s no fun. I''d rather sleep next to you, senpai~" she giggled. "Don''t you think that would be better than sleeping separately?"


    "If it was Nanase, she wouldn''t even think of being in the same bed as me," Kiyotaka sighed mentally. "I thought so."


    Okay, buying a futon is definitely out of the question and now, the only option left is what his kouhai wants in the first ce.


    "All right, I''ll allow you to sleep in my bed," he relented while folding his arms across his chest. "But you have to follow these rules."


    Ichika straightened her posture, as she began to listen like an obedient student.


    "First off, don''t even think of going to sleep without having any clothes on."


    Ichika gasped softly.


    "How impure of you, senpai. Are you perhaps saying that I''m going to sleep right beside you while being naked?" she asked inplete shock, as her face turned red from the thought of sleeping in her birthday suit next to Kiyotaka.


    Truth be told, it wasn''t in her mind to do something like that but now that her senpai suggested it, Ichika felt that the idea had merit...


    ''I''m not taking any chances," the young man argued.


    He was just being careful, that''s all. Amasawa was already proving herself to be way bolder than Sakayanagi in her advances and honestly, he wouldn''t be surprised if this girl asks if she could join him in the shower in the future.


    "You know, senpai... the fact that you think I''ll be lying on your bed next to you with no clothes on... it makes you sound like a pervert!" she giggled, recovering from her embarrassment as she threw him a seductive look. "Do I turn you on like that~?"


    Kiyotaka merely rolled his eyes. He had no idea if he made things worse by even suggesting the idea, but he made his intentions clear.


    "I assume you already understand my point, so moving on..." He then walked to the nearby drawer and opened the thirdpartment. "Second rule, you''ll be changing the bedsheets every week. I used to change it every two weeks, but now it''s more appropriate that it gets changed on a weekly basis. Understand?"


    Ichika nodded with a smile.


    "And third, which is the most important rule, please don''t do anything weird while we''re in the same bed. Because of certain circumstances, I rarely get enough hours of sleep everyday and when I do lie down to rest, I don''t want anything disturbing me. Is that clear enough for you, Amasawa?"


    "No disturbing senpai at all. Got it~"


    Kiyotaka doubted that the girl truly understood hisst point because it didn''t feel like she was taking him seriously, but he''ll see if she didter on tonight. For now, though, he was satisfied at the girl''s obedience and willingness to listen.


    "I''m d we see eye to eye on that," he gave a satisfied nod and sighed. "Now, is there anything you want to eat for dinner?"


    Ichika smiled.


    "I''ll be happy with whatever you make, senpai."


    ~XoX~


    Kiyotaka prepared a simple dinner consisting of udon and onigiri for him and hispanion. He had to admit, having someone to eat dinner with him was a better experience than being alone, though it would have been better without the constant teasing from Ichika.


    After finishing dinner, Kiyotaka went straight to the bathroom for a shower since he still wanted an early rest today, especially after everything that he went through.


    Looks like the month won''t pass without the system messing with him one more time for good measure, huh?


    After a nice and refreshing shower, Kiyotaka brushed his teeth and immediately threw himself on his bed. He positioned himself right next to the wall, leaving some space for Ichika since they were going to be upying the same bed.


    Considering everything that happened today, the young man was d that it was only 8:03 in the evening. He still had time for a rxing sleep for 10 hours or more with nothing to bother him, unless hispanion decides to be one.


    "You''re already giving me space, senpai? How kind of you~" Ichika''s voice rang in his ears once again, as he turned to face his smirking kouhai, who had just finished taking a shower and brushing his teeth like him. "I also appreciate you lending me one of your shirts... hmm, I think I want to keep this for myself!"


    There she stood, right next to the bed while wearing one of his shirts which was way too big for her that it reached her thighs. Her hair was also let down, which gave her apletely different look than her twin-tailed appearance.


    Kiyotaka only sighed. He was d that he asked the chairman earlier to let Ichika have the benefit of being given the same 100,000 point allowance like for every other student here. If he didn''t, then he would have been forced to ask someone like Wang to lend Ichika some clothes.


    For now, he decided to lend the girl one of his shirts... but that also led to another problem, in the form of what Ichika wore down there.


    The girl only wore her panties and nothing more, which actually amused her. For Kiyotaka, it was a good thing that his shirt acted as a dress for her because of its size. That way, he wouldn''t have to see her underwear... unless this girl decides to mess with him by letting him have a peek, of course.


    "Don''t even think about it," he warned her. "Tomorrow, we''re going to the mall to buy you some clothes with the points you were given. You''re only borrowing my shirt, remember that."


    Ichika''s eyes brightened in happiness. "A shopping date with senpai? I can''t wait!"


    Kiyotaka wasn''t surprised that she interpreted his words in that way, so he just sighed in exasperation. "Just remember what we talked about earlier..."


    "Don''t worry, don''t worry. I remember the three rules you told me, senpai. But look at me right now," Ichika smiled seductively as she struck a sexy pose in front of him. "Don''t I look good~?"


    Instead of replying to her question, Kiyotaka only turned around, facing the wall instead, which earned a giggle from the scarlet-haired girl.


    "Good night, senpai~"


    As he felt Ichika lying down beside him, Kiyotaka retreated into his thoughts.


    "This has got to be the most bizarre day that I''ve ever had..." he said to himself. "Even more than the bathhouse that appeared out of nowhere a few weeks ago, and that was already quite a handful to deal with."


    The only saving grace he had was that it was a weekend tomorrow, so there was no need for him to wake up early. He could sleep in if he wanted to but then again, he wasn''t the only one who''s living in this unit anymore. He would have to wake up before his roommate in order to prepare breakfast for the two of them...


    Either way, he had two days to himself and he wasn''t going to waste any of it.


    However, all of that won''t do anything against the shitstorm that would be waiting for him when he goes back to school next week.


    Sure, it''ll be the start of the month next week with their monthly points being deposited to their ounts but it wasn''t just that.


    Kiyotaka didn''t need someone to tell him that kissing three of his ssmates woulde back to bite him in the ass, because he already knew that it would. There''s also the fact that he has an unknown rtionship with the ''guest'' who arrived in their ssroom earlier in the morning, which will surely cause a lot of students to find out about Ichika.


    As a matter of fact, he waspletely sure that by now, his name was starting to be a hot topic among the 1st year students. Knowing his ssmates and how much a lot of them were into gossip, there''s no doubt that news of today will quickly spread around the school.


    Heh... he could already see the news reaching ss A and Sakayanagi''s possible reaction to it... she''ll probably try to kiss him again to get even with Chiaki. With ss B, it would likely end up in Ichinose avoiding him even more out of embarrassment, which he hoped would not happen. In ss C with Shiina... who knows? The girl was too innocent for her own good, so she might not have a big reactionpared to his other heroines.


    Oh, and speaking of which...


    "Amasawa," he called out to the person behind him. "Are you asleep yet?"


    Ichika chuckled softly. "I''m still here, senpai. Why? Do you want to do dirty things with me~?"


    "Would you mind doing something for me?" he asked, ignoring herst question.


    "Hmm... as long as I can ask for something from you in return, senpai, then sure~"


    "I want you to check on ss C and keep an eye out for them."


    "ss C? Is there someone who caught your attention from that ss, senpai?"


    "Not really someone. More like the ss itself as a whole because of what I''ve learned about it," he replied, remembering a certain excerpt from Hiyori''s ''summary'' that he kept in mind up until now...


    ...about her ss being seemingly led through violence.


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