《After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back》


 Chapter 1 The Mind-Reading Boy Meets After a Long Time

    Winter in Tokyo brought snow and cold winds together.


    A male student stepped out of the train station onto the snow-covered ground, wearing a thick school uniform overcoat, carrying a guitar case and a shoulder bag, his face slightly red from the cold and expressionless.


    "Hey, isn''t Yui-chan going to strike up a conversation?"


    "Eh~ Why don''t you go."


    Two high school girls huddled together, secretly observing Kagura Hikaru walking ahead, whispering from time to time, their eyes glued to the boy''s profile, which made them forget to watch their step, leading to a slippery fall.


    Attracted by the girls'' screams, Kagura Hikaru turned his head to look back, saw that both were unharmed, and then continued walking towards the school without further concern.


    Kagura Hikaru, 16 years old, a first-year high school student, a crosser.


    He had no lover, no friends, no club, and no hobbies.


    His specialty was mind reading.


    "Good morning!"


    In front of the school gate, members of the Discipline Committee stood with their hands behind their backs, loudly greeting the arriving students.


    As Kagura Hikaru passed by, he noticed the Vice Chairman of the Discipline Committee, who resembled a gori, staring at him.


    So, he casually tossed a Mind Reading Technique his way.


    [This guy, called Kagura, right? Damn, don''t let me catch you breaking the rules!]


    He had somehow attracted attention for no reason... Well, it wasmon with a face like his.


    Kagura Hikaru shifted his gaze away.


    [You have gained by looking into the mind: Sword Dao +1]


    [Sword Dao lv4 (12/100)]


    This was his Golden Finger, which could be used not only to read minds but also to acquire the skills possessed by others. The longer he read, the more proficiency in the skill he gained.


    Once the proficiency reached 100 points, the skill level would increase, with a limit of lv5.


    The appearance of this Golden Finger meant that Kagura Hikaru''s future was destined to be an all-capable superhuman.


    However, he was even restraining himself from using his abilities now.


    When he was younger and unwise, he read everyone''s minds indiscriminately, greedily absorbing skills, but he did not realize the consequences of prying into people''s minds.


    Everyone has a dark side, which they usually keep hidden, but it was fully exposed in front of Kagura Hikaru.


    Because of this Golden Finger, he had lost many opportunities to make friends and had hurt many people, causing his personality to gradually be twisted and indifferent, disregarding human warmth.


    Now, he was no longer pursuing such things.


    Neither abilities nor friendships.


    "What should we do this weekend?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Karaoke, maybe?"


    "Oh~! Yui has a boyfriend now, huh."


    "Shush!"


    "Hahaha, it''s not like it''s something shameful."


    As he entered the noisy ssroom 1-A, Kagura Hikaru tried to keep a low profile as he sat at his own seat, ced down his shoulder bag and guitar case, and began to study his books.


    They weren''t profound books like "Nuson" or "Snow Country," just ordinary light novels.


    Reading soul-crushing books at a young age wasn''t suitable; content that could rx the brain and make oneugh was more fitting for high school students.


    Though Kagura Hikaru hadn''tughed for almost half a year now.


    Perhaps, he should consider seeing a psychologist?


    While his eyes were on the book, Kagura Hikaru''s mind wandered, suddenly feeling a stabbing pain behind his head, his hair standing on end as if a fierce beast was targeting him.


    He gradually became aware that the noisy voices around him had lowered by at least three times.


    Slowly turning his head, he saw a high school girl, colder than himself, almost like an iceberg radiating chill, holding a folder and staring at him with her refined and dignified face.


    "ssmate Kagura, why didn''t you report yesterday?"


    "...I have said before, I won''t join any clubs, including the Discipline Committee."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, a first-year student, the current President of the Discipline Committee at Yuqiu Private High School.


    Excellent in both academics and martial arts, from a wealthy family, greatly vited the rules with her idol-level beauty, gaining her a huge poprity.


    Since she joined the Discipline Committee, she swiftly leveraged her influence, leading her subordinates around to enforce discipline, feared by everyone, and even attempted to modify the school rules, practically turning the school into a military academy.


    Incredibly, even as the Discipline Committee reached further and gained more power, even nearing a rivalry with the Student Council, they faced little criticism.


    This experience had fed Ayakoji Chiyoko''s arrogance. Even though she was expressionless, the dangerous sharpness of her aura, like a samurai sword, was palpable.


    She was a true lioness, and Kagura Hikaru even doubted she considered any other students human. Her expression was chilling.


    And now, the lion had set its sights on him.


    .....So?


    They gazed at each other with indifferent eyes.


    "Instead of convincing me, why not find someone else?"


    "No need, I want you."


    "You''re too domineering."


    "That is exactly one of the qualities needed by the Discipline Committee member."


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko faced each other expressionlessly, seemingly determined to drag it out until the bell for ss rang.


    The Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee wasn''t in the same ss as him, and she would have to return once the teacher arrived no matter how reluctant she was.


    A few minutester, the bell rang.


    "I wille back." Ayakoji Chiyoko nced at him and walked straight out of the ssroom.


    Kagura Hikaru silently cast a mind-reading technique at her retreating figure.


    [...]


    [You have gained through peeping into the heart: Kado +1]


    [Kado lv3 (8/100)]


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression remained calm, the expected result indeed; the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee surprisingly had a simple mind.


    Or should it be said, what you see is what you get?


    Truly troublesome.


    He could still clearly recall, a few months ago just after the Student Council elections had ended, how Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was originally unconnected to him, suddenly stopped him in the corridor¡ª


    "I heard you have a grudge against her."


    "Who?"


    "Kiryu Hina, the new Student Council President."


    "Oh."


    "Join forces with me, and we can bring her down together."


    "I refuse."


    To others, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s actions might have seemed like persistent infatuation, but only Kagura Hikaru knew that she wasn''t interested in him at all; what she coveted was the dirt Kagura Hikaru held on the Student Council President.


    However, she was destined to be disappointed because it wasn''t something that could be leaked.


    After Ayakoji Chiyoko had left, the oppressive atmosphere finally dissipated from the ssroom, and the volume of everyone''s voices increased.


    Some stealthily cast admiring nces at Kagura Hikaru, yet no one approached him to speak.


    If Ayakoji Chiyoko was a true lion, then Kagura Hikaru was an immovable rock, impervious to whatever was said or done.


    It was impossible to befriend such a person; he had refused everyone.


    Kagura Hikaru seemedpletely oblivious to the gazes around him, he put away his light novel and opened the textbook for the first lesson.


    The teacher arrived, and the ss began.


    At 3:30 in the afternoon, school was dismissed.


    If there was one thing Kagura Hikaru appreciated about schools in the Ind Nation, it was that they dismissed particrly early.


    Most schools ended between four and five o''clock, but Yuqiu High School valued club activities and, being a private school with lenient rules, drastically set dismissal time at three in the afternoon. Probably many students chose this school just for this reason.


    Oddly enough, even in such a lenient educational environment, Yuqiu High School''s university admission rate still ranked among the top five in the city.


    After most of his ssmates had left, Kagura Hikaru finally packed up and stood up.


    As he descended the stairs, he was still thinking about the part-time job he was heading to next.


    But suddenly, unexpectedly, without any psychological preparation,


    In the stairwell, he saw someone who should not have been there.


    ck hair and ck pupils, neatly cut long ck hair, an elf-like beautiful face, slender legs d in white thigh-high stockings, a figure both dainty and wless.


    Perhaps the legendary Yamato Nadeshiko was modeled after her¡ªseeing her, one couldn''t help but think this.


    A first-year student representative, the current Student Council President of Yuqiu High School, Kiryu Hina.


    She was talking to two male students, expressions of respect and adoration on their faces.


    Seeing this, Kagura Hikaru''s feet halted on the stairs, unmoving, like a penguin lost in a snowstorm.


    Shortly after, those two students left, and Kiryu Hina looked up, her right hand gently sweeping her hair behind her ear, revealing a smile and softly saying,


    "Long time no see, Mister Hikaru."

 Chapter 2 Remember, This is What You Owe Me

    Kagura Hikaru silently stared at her, his footsteps inexplicably heavy as he slowly descended the stairs.


    "You refuse to tell me anything, unlike before."


    The voice of Kiryu Hina was like a lover''s whisper in his ear, teasing out the softest part of Kagura Hikaru''s heart, "To you, am I just a woman of the past now?"


    "...Don''t be like this."


    "Hehe, just kidding."


    Kiryu Hina, without ncing elsewhere, wore a wless smile, "Have you told ssmate Ayakoji about our past rtionship?"


    "No."


    Kagura Hikaru lowered his head.


    "Eh~" Kiryu Hinaughed, "You could have told her, after all, it''s all in the past."


    "..."


    "Oh my, perhaps you are considering my feelings? How tender, I''m truly touched."


    "....I still need to hurry...."


    "Eh, is that so, then I''ll keep it short."


    While smiling and nodding to students passing by nearby, Kiryu Hina spoke without turning back, "Next time Chiyoko Ayakoji approaches you, just tell her, whether it''s about our past rtionship or what happened afterward."


    Kagura Hikaru shuddered, shocked, he raised his head, "Why? You aren''t....."


    "Only by sharing secrets can we form a united front. Mister Hikaru, go and befriend Chiyoko Ayakoji."


    Kiryu Hina continued with a smile, but the darkness behind that smile was unbearable, "Gain her trust, attract her, make her fall just like I did in the past. You''ve always been good at this, right?"


    Gloomy fog, quicksand, whirlpools at sea, death.


    None of these instilled more fear in him than these words; it was as though his heart was being gripped by a giant hand.


    Suffocating, gasping for breath.


    Kagura Hikaru strained his neck, unable to utter a word, silently clenched his fists.


    Without receiving an answer, Kiryu Hina slowly turned her head forty degrees, her empty eyes looking sideways at him, word by word she said, "You will help me, won''t you?"


    He opened his mouth nkly, as cold, dry air rushed into his throat.


    "President~! I''ve been looking for you for a long time, you are here."


    A sunny sports club female student suddenly ran up from below, curiously nced at Kagura Hikaru, then affectionately grabbed Kiryu Hina''s hand.


    The darkness in Kiryu Hina''s eyes disappeared in an instant, revealing a gentle smile.


    "What''s up?"


    "Hehe, it''s about our club''s budget...."


    "Really can''t do anything with you, let''s go talk slowly at the Student Council."


    "Okay!"


    Kiryu Hina was led away by the girl''s hand.


    As they passed Kagura Hikaru, Kiryu Hina slightly tilted her head and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Remember, you owe me this."


    Kagura Hikaru silently watched her disappear around the corner.


    Painful memories tumbled through his mind.


    For a moment, he wanted to peer into Kiryu Hina''s heart, but he withdrew his hand in time.


    If what he saw was something even more despairing, he might never have the courage to face her again.


    Thus, Kagura Hikaru could only let his heart fall continuously, falling, finally plummeting into the sea called ''regret''.


    That sea must be ice blue, for it was that cold.


    After a long time, he turned to go downstairs.


    "Uka~"


    "Fight! Fight!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sport club athletes running past chanted their slogan, their sweat glistening in the sunlight.


    Youthful individuals gather together during adolescence to waste their prime years, or to waste them in not so wasteful ways, which to adults evidentlycks efficiency.


    But when they step into society and look back suddenly, if they could say "I lived my youth to the fullest," then those were indeed the best times.


    Seeing dazzling things only intensified the dark clouds in Kagura Hikaru''s heart.


    There was a time when he was just like them...


    Unfortunately, that time is now in the past.


    All of this is your fault, you caused it, Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru was tormenting himself, and just like that, he walked out of the school.


    ............


    Not joining any clubs and leaving school immediately after sses, that was Kagura Hikaru, the so-called "go-home club" member.


    Someone might ask, since Kagura Hikaru was part of the go-home club, why did he carry a guitar to school?


    Simply because he needed it immediately after leaving school.


    Tokyo is scattered with hundreds of live houses, small torge, venues for indoor concerts with audiences ranging from thirty to three hundred, depending on the size and poprity of the live house.


    The one Kagura Hikaru arrived at was underground, medium-sized, and moderately popr. Even though it was already time for the live show to start, there was a trio band performing energetically on stage, yet the audience was sparse, probably only about forty people, which was on the lower side.


    But he was not shaken and nodded to the staff before entering the backstage preparation room.


    Several bands were already waiting in the dressing room to perform.


    The live house shows were performed by multiple bands in turn, each taking the stage in order and performing their set. How many audience members they attracted depended solely on their skills.


    Many active professional bands also began from live houses; one could say this underground world is where many musicians from the Ind Nation start their careers.


    Many bands hoped to catch the eye of a music agent who might happen toe by and sign them as musicians.


    Upon entering, Kagura Hikaru could already sense the oppressive atmosphere.


    He looked around, found his target, and approached a band of four girls dressed like spicy girls.


    They all seemed to be high school students, barely concealing their nervousness, but their faces brightened when they saw Kagura Hikaru arrive.


    "Mr. Kagura, please take care of us today!"


    "Yes, please take care of us."


    Kagura Hikaru, not one for many words, sat next to them and took out ake blue Fender electric guitar to tune.


    The calm aura he emanated subtly influenced the spicy girls; they no longer trembled and instead huddled together whispering about Kagura Hikaru''s handsomeness and aloofness.


    "No wonder he''s the mercenary guitarist introduced by the manager, so cool!"


    "Hehe, Karen you better be careful not to get too distracted by the handsome guy and forget to sing."


    "Stop teasing me."


    The band''s neers joked and yed with each other, easing their internal pressure. Today was their first live stage performance, and to avoid a flop, they had spent money to hire a "mercenary," though they still wondered if it was worth it.


    Thest time they rehearsed, the other party hadn''t shown up, and they were going on stage without having yed together even once, which felt almost like a death sentence.


    When it came down to it, having many doubts was useless.


    "Red Pepper Band, get ready to go on stage," a staff member in ck clothing entered to remind them.


    The spicy girls picked up their instruments and effect processors, cheered each other on, bowed to the band that had just finished performing, and then rushed onto the stage to set up their equipment.


    Kagura Hikaru lingered at the back, skillfully and calmly putting on a ck mask, and straightened his cor¡ªhe had changed his top on the way there and didn''t look like a student at all.


    When he went on stage, he noticed the audience had somehow increased; seeing him appear even elicited a low murmur from below the stage, clearly from regrs who knew him.


    A brief test of the equipment ended, and the drummer lifted his drumsticks to signal the control booth staff that they were ready to begin.


    Everything was set.


    As the drummer struck the first drumbeat, the stage lights lit up, and the lead singer Karen identally hit her teeth against the microphone upon opening her mouth, quickly grabbing the stand to correct it. When she finally started to sing, her voice was husky with nerves.


    The bassist and drummer were immediately affected by the mishap, missing the rhythm, which in turn disrupted the guitarist''s ying.


    The band members looked desperate.


    Their first live show was heading towards a dismal end.

 Chapter 3 The So-Called Guitar Hero

    Indeed, as a neer,ck of experience would lead toplications.


    When the lead singer''s voice cracked, Kagura Hikaru knew he had to y the role of the savior today.


    Silently, he turned the volume knob up about 25% and then forcefully strummed the strings!


    "Bang¡ª¡ª"


    The distorted noise exploded within the cramped space of the livehouse, violently grabbing everyone''s attention.


    Kagura Hikaru abandoned his teammates'' poor performance and yed an overwhelmingly loud, passionately charged, high-speed guitar solo.


    In an instant, he became the center of the stage.


    Everyone gaped at him, including the band members, who didn''t even realize they had unconsciously stopped ying.


    Innovative melodies, borate plucking, rapid strumming, and emotive ying all showcased a master-level live performance.


    ¡ª¡ª[Guitar lv4 (98/100)]


    As Kagura Hikaru''s highest level skill to date, he was absolutely clear-cut in this area.


    His nearly maximum-level guitar skills were sufficient to ce him among the world''s top guitarists, and such a master performing in a small livehouse was an undeniably electrifying scene.


    As the solo neared its end, Kagura Hikaru spontaneously twisted the melody back to the beginning of the Red Pepper Band''s cover song they were set to perform tonight.


    The girls quickly caught on, following suit; their private practice turned into muscle memory on stage, seamlessly merging into the performance.


    This time, there was absolutely no room for error!


    Lead singer Ai Cheng Hua Lian began with a determined look, "Lost and bewildered, we walk ~"


    The audience, previously overwhelmed by Kagura Hikaru''s performance, finally got a break to breathe and erupted with intense cheers, startling the girls on stage.


    But they did not stop their movements; they exchanged nces that shared a sigh of relief, and yed even harder.


    By the end of the song, the girls were drenched in sweat.


    "Thank you, everyone!"


    The four band members bowed to the audience, then cheerfully ran off the stage.


    Upon entering the dressing room and seeing Kagura Hikaru already packing up to leave, they hurriedly called out to him.


    "Mr. Kagura, thank you so much for today!"


    The girls bowed deeply at 90 degrees to Kagura Hikaru, inadvertently revealing a glimpse of their youthful cleavage from their cors.


    He shifted his gaze away and slung his guitar case over his shoulder, "If you want to hire me again, have the owner of this venue contact me, that''s all."


    "Ah, wait a moment!"


    The lead singer, called ''Karen'', shouted, "Mr. Kagura, won''t you join us for a celebration dinner? It''s our treat!"


    The others chimed in.


    Not to mention he was a handsome man standing in front of them, even if he were a greasy old man, his lifesaving efforts today meant that Kagura Hikaru''s dinner was on them!


    Before the live began, they had their doubts about whether hiring Kagura Hikaru was worth the money, but now, they harbored no such thoughts.


    If today Kagura Hikaru wanted to dine at a western restaurant, the high school girls would scrape together their money, gritting their teeth if they had to.


    Yet, Kagura Hikaru, expressionless, shook his head, "I have other ces to be, maybe next time."


    With that, he no longer paid attention to the girls'' reactions, briskly walked away, as if they were gues.


    His figure quickly disappeared from view, leaving only the slowly closing door behind.


    "He''s so coldhearted...." the bassist muttered.


    "Don''t say that, Mr. Kagura has other work, it can''t be helped."


    "Woo woo woo, I thought we could finally have a meal with a handsome guy, it''s all ruined now."


    "We''ll meet him another day!"


    Lead singer Ai Cheng Hua Lian wiped her face with the back of her hand, smearing part of her sweat-soaked makeup, revealing her clean and fresh face underneath, and said with a smile.


    "You''re right. As long as the Red Pepper Band is active, we will have another chance to work together!"


    "Enough talk, let''s take off this makeup and go eat."


    "I''m starving~"


    "You little glutton, let''s go!"


    ...........


    At a little past six in the evening, after running five lives, Kagura Hikaru returned home, having finished all his work for the day.


    "I''m home."


    "Wee back. How did the live go today?"


    A mature woman greeted him at the entrance, reaching out to take his guitar case.


    He instinctively dodged it.


    The woman showed an embarrassed smile and withdrew her hand, "Your dad is back already, we''ll be eating soon."


    "Hmm... Thank you, Auntie."


    Kagura Hikaru responded and went upstairs to enter his room.


    He dropped his guitar and backpack, and copsed on his bed, curling up in the darkness by himself.


    A few years ago, Kagura Hikaru''s family was just a typical family of three, living a in but happy life.


    Until the emergence of the mind-reading ability, he had glimpsed the lies behind theughter.


    In front of him, his affectionate parents each had their own affair partners in secret, the seemingly perfect happy family was, in fact, already shattered.


    At that time, he had not exposed them; he chose to endure, butter, the parents discovered the truth themselves.


    Then what followed naturally was divorce and remarriage.


    Kagura Hikaru was granted custody to his father, and the woman who had just greeted him at the entrance was his father''s affair partner during his marriage, now his official wife.


    A woman who was not his biological mother was iming to be his mother in their home.


    How was he supposed to face her?


    This year''s winter was colder than before, and even within the closed room, he could feel the cold drafts hitting him, making him curl up even tighter.


    It wasn''t until the stepmother came upstairs to knock on his door that he got up to eat dinner.


    The next morning, Kagura Hikaru left the train station as usual and walked toward school.


    The snow had stopped today.


    But after the snow melted, the weather grew colder, as if it would freeze the marrow in the bones.


    Even the high school girls, who usually braved the cold with bare legs, wore warm stockings today.


    On such a cold day, the members of the Disciplinary Committee were as dedicated as ever, standing in front of the school gate with their hands behind their backs, inspecting each student''s appearance and greeting them loudly.


    The Gori Vice President, whom he had seen the day before, was also there, but today his attention was entirely focused on the legitimate President, Chiyoko Ayakoji, beside him.


    "President Chiyoko, you should go back to the ssroom and rest, it''s too cold out here, we can handle it," the bulky Vice President bent down obsequiously, with a fawning expression toward the shorter woman, a sight that was undeniablyical.


    "As President of the Disciplinary Committee, it is my duty to take on more responsibilities. There''s no reason for me to stay back and enjoy myself."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji stood upright, facing the cold wind without flinching; her unwavering stance inspired the other Discipline Committee members.


    "If I hear such words from you again, step down from your position as Vice President."


    "Yes! I''m very sorry!!!"


    What energy in the early morning.


    Kagura Hikaru lowered his eyelids and walked through the school gate.


    Then he was caught by Chiyoko Ayakoji with a cold face.


    "As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, why are youte!"


    "I am not a Disciplinary Committee member," Kagura Hikaru protested expressionlessly.


    "Even if you aren''t now, you will be sooner orter; go and think it over."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji looked at him intently, with her slightly uplifted eyes giving her gaze an imposing authority.


    He was merely a tool used by her to hinder her opponents; Kagura Hikaru was well aware of this fact.


    But for the esteemed President of the Discipline Committee to persistently pester a high school boy in front of her members was still difficult toprehend.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji was not supposed to be a personcking in self-respect.


    Kagura Hikaru frowned, "..... What is your obsession with President Kiriyu that makes you willing to go to such lengths?"


    "That is my own matter. You should be thinking about when you will join the Disciplinary Committee," Chiyoko Ayakoji said with a cold expression, unmoved.


    That was fine; Kagura Hikaru hadn''t intended to get a direct answer from her anyway.


    There''s a theory called ''the White Bear Effect,'' stemming from an experiment by Daniel Wegner, a social psychologist from Harvard University. He asked participants to try not to imagine a white bear; as a result, the thought rebounded strongly, and quickly, a white bear formed in people''s minds.


    Simrly, the harder Chiyoko Ayakoji tried to conceal her true motives, the more likely Kagura Hikaru was to pry into them.


    It was only after Hina Kiryu approached him the day before that Kagura Hikaru truly became curious about their affair.


    He had not engaged in exploring other people''s secrets for a long time, but he was clearly still proficient as ever.


    Almost simultaneously with Chiyoko Ayakoji''s speech, he initiated mind-reading.


    [If I could just obtain the man Kagura Hikaru, it''s like holding leverage over you.]


    [Hina Kiryu, the grudge of you and dad snatching him away from me, this time, I must...]


    [You have gained from peering into the heart: Tea Ceremony +2]


    [Tea Ceremony lv4 (50/100)]


    That man? Who was that man, and what was his rtionship to Ayakoji''s father?


    And leverage, why did Chiyoko Ayakoji think she was leverage over Hina?


    Could it be that she already knew about his rtionship with Hina.....


    If that was the case, he couldn''t wait for her to lose patience and use the matter as ckmail; it was better toe clean earlier, perhaps leveraging this bit of information for some favor.


    Facing the displeased scrutiny of the several Discipline Committee members, Kagura Hikaru pondered as he walked toward the school building, blending into the crowd.


    Just before he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked back at Chiyoko Ayakoji standing upright at the school gate.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although a woman, her posture was strangely reminiscent of an ancient samurai, an amalgamation of nobility and a warrior''s poise, quite charismatic.


    Looking at her, Kagura Hikaru''s mind pictured Hina Kiryu''s face.


    [Gain her trust, attract her, let her fall, just as the old me would have done. You''re quite skilled at that, aren''t you?]


    To make him do this kind of thing, Hina, what is your purpose?


    Bing like this, and the me who would obey you,


    how was he to face that.....

 Chapter 4 Kagura Hikaru has always been good at such things

    Noon, the bell rang for the end of ss.


    Like beasts receiving the signal to be released from their cages, the stifling air in the ssroom swept away.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hey, hey, wanna go to the club room for practice?"


    "What about lunch, should we get some bread?"


    "I want pineapple buns!"


    "Eat in the club room? We''ll get scolded by the seniors, let''s go to the rooftop instead."


    "Eh~ There are too many people there, it''s better to eat in the ssroom."


    "I''ll go move the tables!"


    The youths in their adolescence happily discussed their ns for the lunch break. Some pushed tables together to sit around with friends and eat, others left the ssroom to buy lunch, and some continued to stare at the ckboard taking notes¡ªeveryone had something different to do.


    If a student didn''t live particrly close to home, they generally wouldn''t leave school during the lunch break.


    Most people chose to have their lunch on campus, then either headed to their club activities or caught some sleep on their desks¡ªthis was not umon.


    This habit was why many families prepared lunch boxes for their children.


    Those too busy to cook simply gave their kids money to buy bread or something to fill their stomachs¡ªit was amon practice.


    The school didn''t have a cafeteria, but it had a small shop simr to a kiosk that only opened during the lunch break. It sold items like milk, fruits, and bread at reasonable prices. There would always be a long queue at lunchtime, and getting the tastier options wasn''t always easy.


    But Kagura Hikaru had never been there, as his stepmother prepared boxed lunches for him, one for him and one for his father, without fail every day.


    Carrying the lunchbox, he left the ssroom through the back door and headed to the courtyard outside the teaching building.


    Yuqiu High School had excellent greenery, the courtyard was groomed like a small park. On good weather days, students would spread out a pic nket on thewn to sit and chat while eating, as if on an actual pic.


    Kagura Hikaru deftly found a secluded spot, a bench under a maple tree, back facing the courtyard''s walkway. It was unobtrusive and allowed him to enjoy his lunch in a quiet environment¡ªit was his most satisfying secret ce.


    Because of the season, the maple tree near the bench wasn''t very lush, appearing quite bare, bute autumn, it would grow golden-yellow leaves again.


    The scenery then would be extremely beautiful.


    He brushed off a few dry leaves from the bench, sat down, opened up the lunchbox on his thighs, and took out prepared chopsticks to pick up a piece of tamagoyaki and put it into his mouth.


    Even though it had cooled, it was still delicious.


    "Eating alone in such a ce, you haven''t been bullied, have you?"


    A cool voice came through, followed by footsteps.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, as always with a cold look on her face, strode up beside Kagura Hikaru and stood, arms folded, looking down at him, "Do you mind if I sit down."


    It should have been a question, but she said it with the tone of a statement.


    It was difficult to refuse.


    "...Please do."


    Kagura Hikaru shifted a bit to make space as she sat down, leaving an empty seat between them.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s sitting posture wasn''tdylike, with her right leg propped up over her left, leaning back, and her crossed fists resting on her thigh.


    This made her lose some of the student air and added a touch of theposure of a mature adult. She looked like someone who often frequented brand shops.


    After meeting Kiryu Hina yesterday, Kagura Hikaru had done everything he could to look into Ayakoji Chiyoko''s background.


    He''d thought it would take a few days, but it went surprisingly smoothly because Ayakoji Chiyoko herself was quite well-known.


    She was the only daughter of a famous actor from the Ind Nation, had debuted as a child star in TV dramas, and it was said that her ancestors were of Chinese ethnicity, with a family fortune of nearly ten billion yen.


    No wonder she had such an air of aloofness.


    She was the epitome of a rich youngdy.


    At the mention of this term, the vivid image of another person involuntary surfaced in Kagura Hikaru''s mind. He quickly cast that inauspicious thought aside.


    Thinking of that person at this time wasn''t a good sign.


    "You haven''t answered my question. Have you been bullied?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko asked with an icy tone.


    Kagura Hikaru snapped back to reality and slowly shook his head, "No."


    "Is that so."


    Upon receiving the answer, Ayakoji Chiyoko no longer spoke, staring into the distance, perhaps thinking about something.


    Kagura Hikaru noticed her mood was off and subconsciously sent out a mind-read.


    [If he hasn''t been bullied, that''s good. The feelings of a bullying victim are best left unexperienced by ordinary people.]


    [Through mind-reading, you have gained: Brazilian jiu-jitsu +1]


    [Brazilian jiu-jitsu lv3 (5/100)]


    This kind of statement, it''s as if she excluded herself from the category of ''ordinary people.''


    Kagura Hikaru''s eyes flickered slightly.


    Could it be, had Ayakoji Chiyoko experienced bullying?


    Impossible. With her personality and family background, who would dare to touch her...


    Thinking it over and getting no answer, she simply focused on eating.


    The two of them sat on opposite sides of the bench, silent, with only the sound of chopsticks moving.


    The food in the lunchbox slowly diminished.


    After Kagura Hikaru finished thest bite of rice and closed his lunchbox, Ayakoji Chiyoko finally spoke, "I''ve already filled out your club application for you."


    "I''ll say it again, I''m not going to join the Disciplinary Committee."


    "You still haven''t figured it out after all this time?"


    Kagura Hikaru frowned, "You''re really troubling me, can you stop."


    "I see... I understand."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave him a nce, a look of disappointment in her eyes, and stood up, "This is thest time I''ll recruit you. After this, I won''t bother you again, but the door to the Disciplinary Committee is always open for you. That''s that."


    "Wait."


    Just as she was about to step away, Kagura Hikaru suddenly called out to her.


    A slight smile yed on the face of Ayakoji Chiyoko as she turned back around, "Changed your mind?"


    "No, my position on the club remains unchanged," Kagura Hikaru said expressionlessly, but just as Ayakoji Chiyoko looked puzzled, his next words immediately perked her up.


    "What you really want is President Kiryu''s private information, right? I can tell you that."


    "Oh?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes narrowed, fox-like, as she sat back down, "What kind of change in your feelings made you change your mind?"


    She wasn''t a fool. Previously, Kagura Hikaru had been so resolute in his refusal; suddenly he had a change of heart, something was off.


    "Did Kiryu Hina say something to you?"


    The words that she blurted out almost caused Kagura Hikaru to change his expression.


    This woman... such sharp intuition.


    A feeling of wariness bubbled up within him, but he kept hisposure, not even shifting his eyes.


    "There''s nothing left for her and me to talk about," he said.


    "I see, it seems there''s a story between you two," said Ayakoji with a half-smile, an expression that suggested she''d sensed something.


    But regardless of what she knew, this was what Kagura Hikaru wanted her to see.


    "That doesn''t matter," Kagura Hikaru deliberately lightened the conversation, changing the subject, "I can tell you some things you want to know, but there are conditions."


    "Speak," she said.


    "I want to know what exactly happened between you and President Kiryu."


    This caught her off guard, and Ayakoji Chiyoko frowned.


    "Why, it doesn''t concern you."


    "Simply out of curiosity."


    Who would believe such an excuse?


    But since he was finally opening up, she couldn''t very well upset him again.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko frowned, looking distressed. After pondering for a while, she finally nodded, "Fine, I can tell you, as long as you keep it a secret."


    "Then, it''s a deal," Kagura Hikaru nodded silently. The fish was hooked.


    Sharing gossip, secrets, in fact, is an efficient form of social intercourse.


    It is human nature to exchange information; bring any two people together, and even if they are unrted strangers, given enough time, they''ll begin tomunicate. If they don''t speak the samenguage, they''ll use bodynguage to express their feelings.


    Strangers exchange superficial information, such as the weather, age, or upation.


    Friends will exchange more in-depth information, such as career, health issues, or family conflicts.


    But only the most inner circle of one''s socialwork gets ess to an individual''s ''secrets''.


    The unspeakable, the embarrassing, the angering, or the potentially damaging revtions are what constitute secrets.


    Kagura Hikaru used Kiryu Hina''s past as a bargaining chip to get Ayakoji Chiyoko to reveal her own secret, effectively ying the role of an ''insider'' for a brief moment.


    The sharing of secrets could create a sense of identification in Ayakoji Chiyoko towards him, increasing the extent of her concern for him.


    The fewer people who knew the secret, the more special he became.


    Kagura Hikaru''s disy of poor rtions with Kiryu Hina, along with his willingness to share information, allowed him to get closer to her heart, fostering a natural idea that ''He and I are aplices; I can trust him.''


    This was the first step to friendship¡ª mutual understanding.


    If Kagura Hikaru was a fisherman angling for a catch, then Ayakoji Chiyoko, the fish, had unwittingly bitten both the bait and the hook.


    This was what Kiryu Hina had said about Kagura Hikaru; what he excelled at:


    Deceiving someone''s feelings.

 Chapter 6 The Darkness of Yuqiu High School

    "Hina...?"


    Kagura Hikaru unintentionally called out her name.


    It was only when he saw Kiryu Hina''s expression cool down that he snapped out of it, straightening up and correcting himself, "Sorry, President Kiriyu."


    Silence fell behind him.


    The air remained mute for a good ten seconds before a voice carrying a feignedugh broke it, "ssmate Kagura really, suddenly calling someone by their name, you''re not trying to make me blush on purpose, are you? So naughty."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru was certain, there was a hidden message in her words.


    Unlike Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expressionless aloofness, Kiryu Hina, though often smiling, was even more frightening¡ªher thoughtspletely inscrutable.


    "Ah, you''re not mentally cursing me, are you?"


    Kiryu Hina popped her head over Kagura Hikaru''s left shoulder, her innocent and cute profile appearing before him, eyes fixed straight on him.


    At a loss for how to handle such proximity, Kagura Hikaru could only look away, "Why are you here... Did you hear everything?"


    "You mean your whispering with President Ayakoji?" Kiryu Hina straightened up, tapping her lips with her index finger, "Hmm, how should I put this, did I hear, or did I not? Oh dear, such a tough choice."


    "..."


    "Don''t stay quiet, well, alright, I''ll be honest¡ªI didn''t hear. But I can guess, you just made a deal, right?"


    "..."


    "Ah, that reaction, I guessed right."


    Kiryu Hina chuckled and poked Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder with her finger, forcefully enough to make him wince.


    "So, how''s it going?"


    "...Ayakoji Chiyoko is already aware of our situation, and a bit of your information has leaked. As an exchange, she revealed her reasons for being hostile towards you."


    "Hmm~"


    Kagura Hikaru ryed the conversation he had with Ayakoji Chiyoko faithfully.


    Of course, he omitted the content about mind-reading.


    This sort of espionage,cking any spirit of confidentiality, caused him some difort, but it wasn''t of any importance.


    After listening to Kagura Hikaru''s report, Kiryu Hina continued to smile nonchntly, "Interesting, so you think she''s jealous that I stole her stepmother, and that''s why she''s targeting me?"


    "It appears so, for now."


    "Liar, you know that''s not the whole reason, right?"


    Kiryu Hina ran her hand through Kagura Hikaru''s hair as if he were a pet, her gesture suggesting his thoughts werepletely transparent to her.


    Kagura Hikaru remained still, allowing her to do as she wished, "The real reason, she won''t tell me. We''re not that close."


    "Then just get closer to her, that could serve as your motivation to approach her, right? Teehee."


    Vague insinuations that she knew something yet would definitely not speak of it.


    President Kiryu.


    To call it a mere caprice seemed too shallow, yet to say it was profound surely mixed with caprice.


    Even though he couldn''t see her expression now, it must be one of disdain, as if looking at a chess piece.


    Feeling toyed with, Kagura Hikaru tentativelyunched a small counter, "What about you, then? Your purpose for having me approach Ayakoji Chiyoko¡ªwhat is it? Could it be you also fancy your stepmother and want topete with Ayakoji Chiyoko for her?"


    "How funny, Ayakoji Chiyoko is such a childish spirit, surely you don''t think I am too?" Kiryu Hina let out a cute, pleasantugh, "It''s not an Oedipusplex, who would fancy an old woman? That''s just my father''s taste."


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself that this was indeed the case.


    Even if he understood Ayakoji Chiyoko''s reasons, Hina''s conflict with the former might not stem from the same source.


    No wonder he had always felt a sense of unease.


    In his memory, Kiryu Hina was not someone interested in such childish power struggles.


    If it had been her in the past, she might have patiently talked to Ayakoji Chiyoko to inquire about the issue and would have made amends if possible.


    As for now, she would probably see the other party as an enemy from the get-go and seek to destroy Ayakoji Chiyoko''s foothold, forcing her to lose her position as the President of the Disciplinary Committee, thuspletely removing her ability to threaten herself.


    Yet, Kiryu Hina had chosen to have him approach Ayakoji Chiyoko, a move of extremely low efficiency.


    "What exactly is your purpose?" Kagura Hikaru could not help but question for the second time, "Or do you simply find pleasure in toying with me and Ayakoji Chiyoko?"


    As long as he couldn''t figure out what Kiryu Hina was thinking, he would not have peace of mind.


    He always felt that her thoughts couldn''t be that simple.


    The deeper he sank, the more he wondered what kind of ending was waiting for him¡­


    "My purpose, you really want to know? Ehh~ what to do~~~" Kiryu Hina teased with a smile, creating an atmosphere as though she might agree at any moment, deliberately waited two to three seconds, then said, "But I really can''t tell you! Sorry~ For now, you just need to focus on how to get along with her, that''s all you need to know. It''s really for your own good."


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but turn his head to look at her, only to see a mask called ''smile.''


    Her face was one of soulless deceit, like that of a high-end android, using programmed settings to lift her lips at a standard angle, creating a warm voice with a fixed frequency.


    The her from before, she used to be so beautiful when she smiled, and never spoke with that kind of tone.


    What turned you into this?


    Right, what else could it be.


    Kagura Hikaru painfully closed his eyes and turned his head away, unable to bear the sight.


    "I understand, I will continue to close the distance with Ayakoji Chiyoko, until you tell me your real n."


    "Haha, that''s a good boy."


    Kiryu Hina, standing behind him, ruffled Kagura Hikaru''s hair as if petting a dog.


    Suddenly, his scalp tightened fiercely.


    Hina pulled his hair upward, forcing Kagura Hikaru''s chin to lift involuntarily, the rough strength causing his scalp to ache.


    The voice mixed withughter turned cold abruptly.


    "But remember, never betray me. I''ll be watching you closely."


    "..."


    "Ah, sorry sorry~ I didn''t mean to make the atmosphere such tense."


    Kiryu Hina''s tone returned to one of mirth, released her grip, and patted Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder in constion, "It''s just that you have a history, so I have to be careful, don''t want to be betrayed by you again, right?"


    "..."


    "Hey! Silent again, you really have be less fun," Kiryu Hina pouted, hands on her hips, "Anyway, back to business. I need you to gain Ayakoji Chiyoko''s trust as quickly as possible, be her friend, and for that, we need to put on a little performance."


    Kagura Hikaru steadied his emotions and tilted his head slightly, "What do I need to do?"


    "Do this¡ª"


    Kiryu Hina leisurely took out a bottle of drink from behind her back, opened it, and poured it over Kagura Hikaru''s head, bottle pointed downwards.


    It flowed down his hair to his neck, his shoulders.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 7 Eyewitness Scene

    The wet, viscous liquid slid through his hair, across his cheeks, and over his neck, the cool touch invigorating his spirit.


    Kagura Hikaru instinctively touched the dampness on his face, held it to his nose, and smelled a sweetness.


    It was yogurt.


    Not orange juice, not c, but yogurt.


    The sweetness of yogurt in drinks isparatively stronger, with a color that is more prominent and easily noticed.


    Being seen by others would surely be very conspicuous.


    "A scene of rupture could deepen Ayakoji Chiyoko''s impression of a hostile rtionship with us. Having amon enemy can bridge distance more easily than having amon friend,"


    "This is what I specifically went to the vending machine to buy, it cost me 500 yen~"


    There wasn''t a trace of emotion in Kiryu Hina''s smile, "Don''t let me down, okay?"


    Don''t let me down... huh.


    That is to say, he hadn''t considered my feelings from the start.


    Kagura Hikaru''s eyes dimmed for a moment as he silently stood up and left.


    Next, in full view of everyone, he would parade the traces of ''bullying'' on himself for all the ssmates to see, and ultimately, the incident would reach Ayakoji Chiyoko''s ears.


    ''Bullying'' that took ce during the lunch break¡ªshe would surely know what this implies.


    Kagura Hikaru already knew how to use this to his advantage.


    Undoubtedly, Kiryu Hina harbored the same thought.


    Kiryu Hina watched with a smile as Kagura Hikaru walked away, then turned and departed in another direction.


    This should have been a n without any solid proof, taking ce in darkness behind the scenes.


    The only unexpected factor was the appearance of an eyewitness at the scene, who went unnoticed by everyone.


    In a corner, a beautiful girl in a volleyball uniform happened to pass by carrying a box of sweat towels and saw the entire ordeal.


    The Student Council President pouring milk on a male student''s head and the bullied party leaving without a word.


    She couldn''t help but stop in her tracks, furrowing her brows tightly.


    "That person... Mr. Kagura?"


    ............


    Having left the courtyard, Kagura Hikaru, with strange looks from passing students, went to wash his face in the men''s restroom, wiped his hair with paper towels, then headed straight home early.


    The next day at school, rumors were spread everywhere about the Student Council President bullying a student.


    "President Kiriyu? Impossible... She''s such a kind person."


    "So that''s her true character, disgusting!"


    "Who is the student that got bullied? It must be a misunderstanding, right?"


    "I don''t believe President Kiriyu is that kind of person!"


    "...."


    Walking from the ssroom corridor, such voices were incessant.


    Everyone looked serious as if the matter truly concerned them.


    The spread of the incident was unnaturally fast.


    It was unclear whether Kiryu Hina was spreading it herself, or if Ayakoji Chiyoko''s side was helping it along, or perhaps there were actions from both sides.


    In any case, the atmosphere at school had turned into what both parties had expected.


    As a result, Kiryu Hina''s reputation was bound to be damaged, but with no evidence, it would most likely end up unresolved.


    This didn''t mean Kiryu Hina didn''t care about her reputation, it simply signified that what she was plotting was far more significant than her own fame.


    As for whether Ayakoji Chiyoko would take this opportunity to act, that was certain, but Kagura Hikaru thought there was no need to worry, since Hina must have had a contingency n.


    More pressing than this was that he was about to face a test himself.


    When Kagura Hikaru opened the ssroom door, he distinctly felt the ssroom''s noise level drop by two notches.


    Boys and girls alike cast their nces his way, whispering in volumes they thought he couldn''t hear but that were perfectly clear.


    "Hey, do you think the reason Kagura ssmate left early yesterday was because..."


    "It can''t be mistaken, I heard that a senior from the second year saw him with the Student Council President."


    "Ah, how could this happen? Kagura doesn''t seem like a bad person, does it mean that President Kiriyu really is..."


    "You can''t judge a book by its cover, who knows what their rtionship is."


    "Shh, keep it down!"


    "..."


    In the epicenter of the minormotion, Kagura Hikaru hung her backpack on the side of her desk without expression, set down her guitar case, and, as always, took out a light novel to immerse herself in her own world.


    ng!


    Suddenly, the ssroom''s back door was forcefully swung open, and a graceful figure strode in, followed by several high school students wearing red ''Disciplinary'' armbands.


    The neer, amidst the astonished gazes of the students, came to the side of Kagura Hikaru''s desk and tapped on it, "First-year student Kagura Hikaru, we are from the Disciplinary Committee. There''s something we''d like to understand, pleasee with us."


    Kagura Hikaru lifted her head and, as expected, saw Ayakoji Chiyoko with an emotionless face, nked by several Discipline Committee members.


    It seemed that she had visited today in her capacity as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.


    He nodded, closed his book, stood up, and followed Ayakoji Chiyoko out of the ssroom.


    Whispers from behind instantly grew louder.


    They left the main teaching building and headed toward the old schoolhouse on the campus.


    This ce was specially designated by the school for student group activities, and most rooms were under the jurisdiction of student clubs.


    The third floor here had been upied by the Disciplinary Committee, where Ayakoji Chiyoko had established an office.


    An interesting bit of trivia: before Ayakoji Chiyoko enrolled, Haneoka Private High School actually didn''t have a ''Discipline Committee''¡ªmaintaining discipline was by default the responsibility of the Student Council members.


    This was actually a tiring job, not a cushy one.


    If someone volunteered to take over this duty, the Student Council was naturally happy to see it happen, since nobody liked getting up early to stand in the cold at the school gate every day.


    Where there''s a will, there''s a way, and thus the Disciplinary Committee was established with great fanfare by Ayakoji Chiyoko, and the Discipline Committee members running around wearing red armbands became a new sight on campus.


    Probably because the Disciplinary Committee had never existed since the school was founded, neither the school authorities nor the Student Council had a firm grasp on the specifics of its jurisdiction, allowing Ayakoji Chiyoko to exploit the loophole and expand quickly.


    Today, the membership of the Disciplinary Committee alone had reached sixty, with a fifty-fifty ratio of males to females, including students from all grade levels.


    The majority joined because of Chiyoko''s personal charm. The abundantly ethical Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee charmed both men and women alike.


    The Disciplinary Committee, which had started in a single old ssroom, quickly became overcrowded. So they simply took over the entire floor of old ssrooms, and even cleared out thergest one to use as a regr practice space, primarily focused on Grappling Technique and Sword Dao.


    Discipline Committee members who could manage the students'' behavior had to be stronger than the average student; that was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s consistent stance.


    Today, the Disciplinary Committee existed as a club with a campus influence that could rival that of the Student Council, and most students didn''t dare cross them. Even teachers took them seriously.


    Because as a quasi-violent authority, the image of the Discipline Committee members was anything but mild-mannered.


    When Kagura Hikaru stepped onto the hallway where the Disciplinary Committee was located, he nearly jumped at the sight of a bunch of fierce-looking Discipline Committee members rushing by, some even carrying bamboo swords as their hastened to their destination.


    It was almost time for morning sses, they were probably off to ss... right?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hey, Ishida, Murakami! Drag this guy in!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Shouts came from behind, and three more Discipline Committee members rushed past, energetically greeting the very spirited Ayakoji Chiyoko with a "Good morning, President!"


    Silently, Kagura Hikaru witnessed the three Discipline Committee members dragging a golden-haired unfortunate delinquent upstairs. The guy, who was as pale as a ghost, was listlessly dragged into a ssroom with closed curtains. As the door shut behind them, the pleas for mercy and screams from within could no longer be heard.


    ...This was definitely a den of evil.


    Kagura Hikaru looked towards Ayakoji Chiyoko''s retreating figure with a strange gleam in his eyes.


    To keep such arge group of dangerous elements on campus, she couldn''t possibly be nning a coup by force, could she?!


    Inparison, Hina''s bookish Student Council... indeed seemed far too weak.


    "This is the ce, go in."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stopped and pointed to a ssroom ahead.


    Immediately, a Discipline Committee member pushed Kagura Hikaru through the door.


    He was initially annoyed by their rough manners until he saw Ayakoji Chiyoko wave her hand, prompting several people to briskly arrange tables and chairs, quickly wipe them down with cloths, and even considerately ce a small vase with flowers on the side for decoration. Then, all his emotions dissipated.


    Quarreling with bootlickers was as meaningless as giving your ex-girlfriend a cucumber.


    The two sat opposite each other, separated by a desk, looking into each other''s eyes.


    "You guys, get out."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said, tilting her head to the side.


    The generic-faced Discipline Committee members standing to the side obeyed without hesitation, leaving the ssroom in an orderly fashion and even thoughtfully closing the door behind them.


    Soon, only Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru remained in the Disciplinary Committee''s office.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko crossed her legs, folded her arms across her chest, and propped up her enormous breasts, "Tell me, what exactly is going on between you and Kiryu Hina."

 Chapter 8 2nd year Class C, Ai Cheng Hua Lian!

    "Spill it, when did Kiryu Hina bully you?"


    "She didn''t bully anyone," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "If I say she did it, then she did," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a cold smile, tilting her chin up. "This is a golden opportunity, you understand, right?"


    He certainly understood.


    If he now imed that the rumors of Kiryu Hina''s bullying were true, then Ayakoji Chiyoko could immediately solidify it as a fact with her authority as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.


    With Kagura Hikaru''s testimony as a victim, Hina would undoubtedly be ousted from the position of Student Council President and have a stain on her record.


    Campus bullying wasmon in the Ind Nation, but it had not yet reached the point of numbness, and most people were extremely resentful of it.


    If the bullying by Kiryu Hina became an established fact, she would face widespread condemnation, and might even be bullied by others in return.


    The prerequisite was that Kagura Hikaru would stand on the opposing side.


    "President Kiryu did not engage in any bullying, those outside are purely rumors," Kagura Hikaru maintained his stance resolutely, utterly unwilling to give ground.


    That stern expression reminded one of rock.


    The reluctance of the witness made Ayakoji Chiyoko feel helplessly frustrated, and she clucked her tongue softly.


    Honestly, she had anticipated this oue; it was clear that Kagura Hikaru would not agree to a n that would cause significant harm to Kiryu Hina. She hadid out her boundaries with him just yesterday.


    He clearly still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend.


    Now, the only person who couldplicate matters for Kiryu Hina on this issue was Kagura Hikaru, the party involved and the sole witness, so she had to try.


    No one had witnessed Kiryu Hina''s bullying firsthand; without eyewitness testimony, rumors would ultimately remain just rumors.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No choice but to let her off the hook like this...


    However, it couldn''t be said there were no gains.


    The underlying implications of this matter were indeed worth pondering. When Ayakoji Chiyoko had just left yesterday at noon, Kagura Hikaru was still unscathed, yet shortly after her departure, he was seen walking into the restroom covered in yogurt.


    Was that a coincidence?


    Nobody would believe that.


    What really happened, Ayakoji Chiyoko did not want to expend brain cells on that, she could just ask the person involved directly.


    "Yesterday, Kiryu Hina found you after I did, didn''t she?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked, arms crossed.


    Kagura Hikaru hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    "Did she know we had met?"


    "She warned me not to contact you."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko understood.


    That so-called sign of bullying was probably the result of the warning.


    No, in her view, it seemed more like a threat than a warning.


    [Interesting, did that woman ever lose herposure like this in the past?]


    [Just a private meeting and she''s this sensitive, it''s either jealousy or fear. So, Kagura Hikaru is really important to her? Indeed, I didn''t choose the wrong person!]


    [Now, how should I use him next...]


    [You have gained insight into the mind: Piano +3]


    [Piano lv4 (59/100)]


    Ayakoji Chiyoko found Kiryu Hina''s stress reaction quite interesting.


    Compared with Kagura Hikaru, who clearly harbored no thoughts for him and appearedpletely ruthless.


    From this perspective, Kagura Hikaru and she were indeed on opposing sides.


    If they were friends, Kiryu Hina would definitely not let her suffer embarrassment; that was the kind of person she was. Witnessing her losing control was a rare experience.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mood was quite good as she slightly curled up the corners of her mouth.


    "After school today,e to the Disciplinary Committee room, I have something to tell you."


    "Can''t it be now?"


    "ss is about to start, we don''t have enough time, and I''ll be leading a patrol during the lunch break, so I won''t be avable," Ayakoji Chiyoko said.


    Kagura Hikaru frowned slightly, "I have ns after school."


    "What ns? I cane with you," Ayakoji Chiyoko interrupted, saying so unapologetically.


    "It could be alright...."


    Kagura Hikaru pretended to be somewhat troubled, but his heart was very calm, as if anticipating the other''s response.


    Luring Ayakoji Chiyoko out of the school, away from herfort zone, and using the time spent alone together to further close the distance between them was Kagura Hikaru''s n.


    Simple, unsophisticated, but effective.


    He mentioned the address of a livehouse and arranged a meeting time with her.


    Although the purpose was to deceive Ayakoji Chiyoko into a date, he indeed had a live performance to attend that day.


    As a model student in the eyes of parents and a top caste in the eyes of ssmates, Ayakoji Chiyoko obviously was not aware of what a so-called ''livehouse'' was, had never been to such a ce, and did not care.


    She even thought that avoiding her ssmates'' eyes and meeting Kagura Hikaru outside the school was a good strategy, to prevent Kiryu Hina from being overly sensitive and causing a secondary bullying incident that might hurt her informants.


    The two reached a consensus, agreed to meet at the store''s entrance when the time came, and then left separately.


    They were both first-year students and actually had ssrooms on the same floor, so they should have gone back together, but Ayakoji Chiyoko was stopped midway by a Discipline Committee member who seemed to have something to say.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t think much of it and went back first.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched his figure disappear at the stairwell, then turned to her subordinate and spoke in an indifferent tone, "What is it?"


    "President, our team members in the second grade heard some news that you might be interested in."


    "Stop beating around the bush, get to the point!"


    "Yes!" The Discipline Committee member immediately stood straight, his face showing a look of reverence, "A second-grade girl imed she witnessed the scene of the Student Council President''s bullying, but the authenticity of the message is not confirmed!"


    "Oh....?"


    Upon hearing this, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes lit up like she had spotted prey, causing the Discipline Committee member beside her to tremble.


    But he seemed to somewhat enjoy it.


    "Name, ss."


    "Second-year C ss, Ai Cheng Hua Lian! President!"


    "I understand, you''ve worked hard, well done."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko casually patted the shoulder of the Discipline Committee member, who was so moved that he trembled all over, nearly wetting himself.


    "No, where, it is my honor...."


    However, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s attention was no longer on him as she strode toward the stairwell, intending to immediately go to the second grade''s floor to have a good talk with Student Ai Cheng.


    She had thought that without Kagura Hikaru as an eyewitness, dealing with Kiryu Hina would be impossible, but unexpectedly, another potential witness had emerged.


    She needed to protect her before the cunning Student Council discovered her.


    In time, Ai Cheng Hua Lian would be the secret weapon of the Disciplinary Committee to defeat the Student Council!


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko walked, the smile on her face gradually widened.


    But just then, the ss bell ringing interrupted her thoughts.


    ...Almost forgot about the morning ss, looks like I can only go during the break.


    That''s fine, it won''t make much difference; she''s not going anywhere.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko calmed down and headed downstairs to the ssroom.

 Chapter 9 The Person Ran Away

    Ding ding ding ding...


    After the first period ended, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s figure appeared on the second-year''s floor.


    ording to what that Discipline Committee member had said earlier, a second-year student named ''Ai Cheng Hua Lian'' had witnessed the Student Council President bullying Kagura Hikaru. In other words, she could verify the authenticity of the bullying incident.


    This would be a powerful strike that the Disciplinary Committee could wield against Kiryu Hina!


    Even if Kagura Hikaru, as the party involved, wouldn''t admit to it, as long as they say she was threatened by Kiryu Hina, others would agree.


    Hmph, you''ve made a miscalction, Kiryu Hina.


    Although I don''t know how you managed to control Kagura Hikaru and ensure his silence, now that there''s a second witness, don''t me me for not showing any mercy!


    Soon, Ayakoji Chiyoko arrived at ss 2-C''s ssroom.


    She casually stopped a girl who had just walked out: "I''m looking for Ai Cheng Hua Lian, where is she?"


    "Who are you... you, you, President Ayakoji?!"


    The girl initially didn''t think much of it, but her expression changed immediately after seeing the visitor''s face clearly.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, within just half a year and relying on the reputation she had built up through the Disciplinary Committee, had be notorious across the school, and those who had personally experienced her dealings with them held her in awe.


    After all, the person before them was known for beating the Kendo Club captain with a bamboo sword as punishment for leading others to smoke, subduing five people in the Judo Club with her bare hands, including the captain, and sending them all to the Disciplinary Committee for rectification on the grounds of distributing pirated discs¡ªan ultimate tough one.


    Not only was her physical strength off the charts, but it was said her academic and political capabilities could rival those of the Student Council President Kiryu Hina, and she had evene close to surpassing thetter to be the Student Council President at one point.


    No matter how one considered it, she was not someone a mere ordinary second-year student could afford to provoke.


    "Ye-yes, I''m sorry, President Ayakoji! I didn''t realize it was you just now..." The second-year girl whom Ayakoji Chiyoko had stopped quickly cowered and apologized in a low voice.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko emotionless: "I''m looking for Ai Cheng Hua Lian; are you from ss C? Call her out for me."


    "Ai, Ai Cheng? She seems to have left, I haven''t seen her now..."


    "Hmm?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze sharpened, and the girl''s legs immediately grew weak from fear.


    "Tha-that''s right, Ruzaki! Ruzaki is friends with Ai Cheng, she must know where she went!"


    "Call her out. And be quick about it," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with folded arms.


    I thought she would be right there, and she wouldn''t run away, but she actually did, tch.


    Sensing her displeasure, the girl said nothing and immediately turned around to go back, and after a while, she pushed out a small-framed girl who appeared as jittery as a rabbit.


    "Um..." The rabbit-like girl bowed deeply to Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Hello, my name is Ruzaki Mami."


    "Spare me the pleasantries," Ayakoji Chiyoko spoke briskly, "tell me, where did Ai Cheng Hua Lian go."


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze darkened, and the dense atmosphere around her exploded, releasing a captain-level spiritual pressure on the spot.


    The two young girls, terrified, let out a "Yikes!" and huddled together, trembling as they looked at her.


    "I see... then I''ll just wait for her here. That shouldn''t disturb you all, should it?" said Ayakoji Chiyoko softly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The subdued tone was akin to a luby from hell, of course, the kind that lulls one to eternal rest.


    "Yes, of course you can!"


    "It won''t be a disturbance, how could it be a disturbance!"


    "When Student Ai Chenges back, we will immediately inform you!!"


    The two girls nodded with a vigor that made one suspect their heads might snap off, even conjuring afterimages with their movements.


    Meanwhile, they were internally sobbing with tearful eyes and praying, "Hua Lian-chan/Ai Cheng Student, pleasee back soon!!"


    Seeing them so frightened, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s anger somewhat subsided. She turned her head to rest her hand on the windowsill, gazing out at the scenery.


    No matter what, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was bound to return before ss started, and there would naturally be a chance to speak to her, unless she nned to skip ss.


    In just ten short minutes between sses, she didn''t believe any mishap could happen!


    .........


    Meanwhile, in ss 1-A.


    A girl named Ai Cheng Hua Lian tread hesitantly in the lower-grade corridor.


    Should she really go? Would she be a bother to someone?


    What if she upset Mr. Kagura...


    She was the kind of girl whose heart couldn''t hide a thing, her thoughts clearly reflected on her face.


    Her hesitant look made you want to step forward and help her.


    Just as the freshman boys in the hallway could no longer resist the temptation of a cute and pretty girl in need of help, Ai Cheng Hua Lian suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes brightened, and she then elerated and quickly walked away.


    Her smooth, shoulder-length hair bobbed up and down, and her tight, fair thighs swung under the skirt, exuding youthful vitality.


    The male high school students looked toward the end of the direction she was heading and saw the back of a handsome boy.


    The eager expressions on their faces suddenly drooped.


    What, so she was going to find their grade''s ''Rock-Solid Prince''. Girls who are after that kind of guy, they don''t stand a chance at all.


    The subject of their grumbling, Kagura Hikaru, was currently nning to step outside to avoid the buzzing atmosphere in the ssroom,pletely unaware that someone was looking for him.


    "Mr., Mr. Kagura!"


    Feeling a slight tugging at his clothes from behind, Kagura Hikaru turned around sharply, finding an unfamiliar girl.


    "You are?"


    "Ah, I''m sorry..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian shrank her neck, bing even more timid.


    Kagura Hikaru turned around, looking at her with curiosity.


    She seemed somewhat familiar.


    "Have we met before?"


    "Yes!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian lifted her head, looking at him happily, "I''m the lead singer of the Red Pepper Band, Ai Cheng Hua Lian! Do you remember me, Mr. Kagura?"


    "Red Pepper Band..."


    Kagura Hikaru shed through memories of a live performance from the day before yesterday with a rookie band whose members all wore heavy tanned-girl makeup,paring them to the fair-skinned beauty before him.


    He had a faint impression, she was the skinniest one in the band, right?


    "Ah!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian scratched her head embarrassedly, "It''s true, our makeup was too thick before. Mr. Kagura, you couldn''t recognize me, hehe."


    "I didn''t expect you to be a student at Yuqiu High School too."


    "Yes, ss 2-C, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, reporting to you!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said with a cheerful smile, giving a somewhat awkward military salute.


    She was certainly cute enough.


    "Hello, Senior Ai Cheng," Kagura Hikaru nodded in response.


    "Eh? Eh, no! You don''t have to call me senior, Mr. Kagura!"


    "I''m a freshman, of course I should refer to a sophomore as senior."


    "That''s not right, Mr. Kagura is someone I respect... If it''s okay with you, please call me Ai Cheng! And, and of course, calling me Hua Lian is not out of the question..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was a step too slow to realize what she had said, her face turned red as she looked down and fidgeted with her fingers, the little person in her heart covering its face and rolling around frantically, screaming bold.


    When boys and girls of the same age call each other by their first names, what it implies goes without saying.


    If Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s friend got called by his first name by a boy, she would definitely think the two of them had a close rtionship!


    As expected, Kagura Hikaru did not take the bait, calmly changing the subject, "So, Senior Ai Cheng, did youe to see me today for a live performance opportunity?"


    "No, although we did indeed think about hiring Mr. Kagura again, today is not about that..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked around, then tugging on Kagura Hikaru''s sleeve, she pulled him to the window and whispered, "I''m sorry, Mr. Kagura, but I saw it."


    "Saw what?"


    "Yesterday at noon, you and President Kiriyu..."

 Chapter 10 Our Secret Between Us!

    "Alright, don''t say any more."


    The moment the other party uttered the words ''yesterday noon,'' Kagura Hikaru had already understood what she wanted to say, and just how thorny the issue was.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian had witnessed the scene where Hina was ''bullying'' him.


    In other words, she was the third witness apart from the two of them involved!


    This information absolutely could not reach Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "Senior, besides me, have you told anyone else about this?"


    Kagura Hikaru stared intently at her.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian shrank her neck, guiltily shifting her gaze: "I, I only told one of my friends...."


    "Senior... a secret is only a secret when kept by one person."


    Kagura Hikaru''s gaze carried reproach and a touch of helplessness.


    "I''m sorry! Did I cause trouble for Mr. Kagura?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s face turned pale as she repeatedly bowed in apology.


    "...Things aren''t as you saw them, there''s a lot of hidden info here." Kagura Hikaru rubbed his temples with a headache.


    "Did I really trouble you that much, I''m terribly sorry! I''ll try my best to rify it!!"


    "Rumors have already started, it''s not something you can stop on your own."


    "This, I..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, at a loss, lowered her head: "I''m sorry, Mr. Kagura. I originally wanted to discuss it with you first, but I couldn''t help myself and mentioned it to a friend, which led to this situation... I''m really very sorry."


    It seemed she thought all the school rumors were her fault for talking too much.


    But Kagura Hikaru knew it wasn''t so; behind it all were the shadows of Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "What''s done is done, it''s meaningless to pursue whose fault it is."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her earnestly: "Senior Ai Cheng, can you promise me something?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian nodded eagerly: "Yes, please tell me!"


    "If someone asks you about this matterter on, make sure you don''t admit you were a witness, especially to Ayakoji Chiyoko."


    "Eh? President Ayakoji? Is she investigating this matter?"


    "That''s right, and I don''t want her to know the truth, do you understand?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked at Kagura Hikaru with a deeply puzzled gaze, not understanding why he, the victim of bullying, would want to protect the Student Council President like this.


    It seemed just as he said, there was much more hidden in this affair.


    "The break between sses is about to end; you should head back now," said Kagura Hikaru. "Also, pleasee to the Student Council room during lunch break. I''ll be waiting for you there."


    "Eh?"


    The Student Council, that was President Kiriyu''s territory...


    "I, I understand..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian replied cautiously.


    "Then it''s settled."


    Kagura Hikaru nodded and turned towards the ssroom.


    As he walked, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, slowly typing an email address he knew by heart, and sent a message.


    [This is Kagura Hikaru. Someone witnessed yesterday''s noon incident, second-year Ai Cheng Hua Lian. I''ll bring her to the Student Council during lunch break. You should talk to her personally, I can''t exin it all by myself.]


    After sitting in his seat, the bell for the start of ss rang a little whileter, and he received a reply.


    [Understood.]


    [Also, reciting your ex-girlfriend''s email address is really gross, ssmate Kagura.]


    Kagura Hikaru read the message and immediately deleted the conversation, put away his phone, and took out the textbook for the next ss as he prepared for the lesson.


    Elsewhere,


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was hurrying back to ss 2-C.


    She could already hear the bell halfway there and had to hurry or else she would beter than the teacher to the ssroom.


    However, just as she was about to reach the ssroom door, she suddenly noticed a person who should not have been there, standing in the corridor, gazing out the window as if waiting for someone.


    Because the bell had rung, most students had already gone into their ssrooms, leaving her still and conspicuous, and it highlighted her remarkably untouchable air even more.


    It was a beautiful girl, tall and dignified, looking like a frigid Princess from the Snow Country¡ªso beautiful and cold that she made others feel inferior.


    Seeming to notice the gaze upon her, the Princess turned around, her eyes instantly locking onto Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    Then, she strode over.


    "You''re Ai Cheng Hua Lian?"


    ".....Yes, that''s my name."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was feeling panicked.


    If this were an anime, she would be sweating buckets by now.


    Just minutes ago, she had been warned by Kagura Hikaru, and now she was already facing the person in question!


    Was sheying a trap for herself?


    So indeed, it was about the incident from yesterday....


    "You know who I am, don''t you?" Ayakoji Chiyoko said.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian hesitantly nodded.


    "I am here because of the case where the Student Council President is suspected of bullying a student. I heard you witnessed the scene?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko adopted the demeanor of a police officer dealing with a witness, her expression serious, stern, meticulous¡ªit was only missing a notebook for her to take notes.


    Overwhelmed by her imposing manner, Ai Cheng Hua Lian felt even guiltier, her voice getting softer and softer, "I''m sorry, about that... I lied. I didn''t see the Student Council President bullying anyone!"


    Remembering Kagura Hikaru''s request, she finally mustered the courage and sincerely bowed to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had not expected to hear this, was stunned on the spot.


    ".....Why would you tell such a lie?"


    "I believed the rumors outside and bragged to a friend, never thinking it would inadvertently spread.... I''m truly sorry, President Ayakoji!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian bowed her head the entire time like a child who had done something wrong.


    Even the head of the academic affairs department, seeing a female student admit her mistake with such sincerity, couldn''t help but show leniency.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko was different.


    The killing intent emanating from her had filled the entire hallway; teachers just stepping out of the office would retreat silently upon seeing her.


    She suspected someone had gotten to her first, and that person might be Kiryu Hina.


    "Did you really not see anything, or did someone tell you to say so?"


    Under the intense focus of the killing intent, Ai Cheng Hua Lian trembled, tears in the corners of her eyes, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko remained unmoved, staring at her sharply, as if she might swallow her whole the next moment.


    The heavy atmosphere continued, the air growing thinner, making it hard to breathe.


    Just when Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought she wouldn''t hold up and was about to spill the truth, Ayakoji Chiyoko looked away and walked past her without a word.


    After a stunned two or three seconds, Ai Cheng Hua Lian dared to look back and confirm that Ayakoji Chiyoko was out of sight; she exhaled with relief and almost copsed to the ground, her legs giving way.


    Surviving the ordeal, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was so moved she was close to tears.


    Thank goodness.


    Mr. Kagura, I didn''t let you down, I sessfully kept our secret!


    The office door opened again, and a male teacher holding textbooks coughed twice, "ssmate Ai Cheng, the bell has already rung, why are you still in the hallway? Get back to the ssroom."


    "Teacher, were you scared by the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee just now, too scared toe out?"


    "Stop talking nonsense, how could a teacher be afraid of a student, now get going!"


    "Aye, aye~"


    Amidst the teacher''s embarrassed urging, Ai Cheng Hua Lian giggled and sprinted into the ssroom.


    In the stairwell.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked downstairs, frowning as she recalled Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s words.


    She said she lied, but was that really true? Perhaps the lie itself was the real lie?


    She had a feeling there was more to dig into with that girl.....


    But regardless, the witness n had fallen through.


    If she were a bit more unscrupulous, maybe she could have found someone to bear false witness. Who can say exactly how many witnesses were there at the scene? A little maniption could have easily tangled Kiryu Hina in a mess.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t want to, nor was she willing to stoop that low.


    What she wanted was to defeat her opponent fair and square, to get satisfaction only when her adversary silently conceded defeat from the bottom of their heart.


    It seemed that she would have to save that moment forter.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko shook her head and disappeared around the corner in the stairwell.

 Chapter 11 Is This What You Call Cold Violence?

    Lunch break.


    Kagura Hikaru left the ssroom without even having time to eat his lunch, heading directly to the Student Council.


    The Student Council office was located on the top floor of the main academic building, not in the old school building crowded with clubs, which truly highlighted its extraordinary status.


    The power of the Student Council at Ind Nation High School was substantial.


    They were in charge of organizing events, purchasing equipment, reviewing and distributing club funds, crafting promotional slogans, receiving external guests, and exchanging learning experiences with other schools, among other responsibilities.


    Whether for the purpose of honing skills, enhancing a social resume, or the superficial desire to be respected and admired, joining the Student Council was the quickest path.


    The most challenging position was undoubtedly that of the Student Council President.


    The one who stood out among more than seven hundred students was the current Student Council President, Kiryu Hina, who had catapulted to leadership as a first-year student in the elections.


    In the elections that concluded two months ago, she had repeatedly defeated all the senior students, including the previous president, capturing the hearts of the entire student body with her beauty and public speaking skills.


    Even Kagura Hikaru, who knew her well, had to admit that she was a formidable woman.


    Which first-year student at any school would run for Student Council President, and actually seed?


    Her methods had undoubtedly improved significantly since their dating days.


    By the way, Ayakoji Chiyoko had also participated in the Student Council election and only managed to ce third in the voting results.


    Before he knew it, he had arrived at the Student Council''s door.


    Kagura Hikaru was just about to knock when the figure of Kiryu Hina appeared from the other end of the corridor.


    Like the rain in spring, her steps were quiet, making no sound whatsoever.


    Her ck, smooth hair hung over her shoulders, gently swaying as she walked. Her blouse tucked into her skirt, highlighting her slender waist. Her skirt, following the school rules, covered her knees by ten centimeters, and beneath the hem, white tights clung to her delicate legs, amazingly cute.


    "Ah, ssmate Kagura, you''ve arrived a bit too hurriedly, even knocking now wouldn''t get you any attention,


    Today, Kiryu Hina''s words carried a subtle sting.


    Is she upset about something with Ai Cheng Hua Lian? Kagura Hikaru wondered.


    "Don''t stand there like a fool. Come in and sit down."


    Kiryu Hina walked past Kagura Hikaru, leaving behind a faint fragrance, took out her keys, and opened therge door of the Student Council office.


    The office of the Student Council wasn''t too big, with a row of bookshelves against the left wall filled with folders and document holders. On the right side, there was a long table with six chairs, and near the edge, a standing whiteboard was ced.


    In the corner, there were some decorations and personal items, such as a cactus, an electric kettle, and teacups.


    This was Kagura Hikaru''s first visit to the Student Council''s office, and he couldn''t help but take a few extra nces around.


    Kiryu Hina told him to sit wherever he liked. She then took the electric kettle out, and soon came back, plugged it in, and started heating water.


    After that, no one spoke again, and the silence was profound.


    Kiryu Hina sat at the main seat at the inner end of the long table, holding a copy of Yasunari Kawabata''s "The Dancing Girl of Izu," immersed in her reading with a tranquil expression, as if she was the only person in the office.


    This, perhaps, could be called passive-aggressive?


    Feeling resigned internally, Kagura Hikaru also took out his phone to pass the time, guessing that the room would regain its voice only upon Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s arrival.


    However, he didn''t notice that, after his gaze shifted to his phone screen, a pair of eyes lifted from the pages of the book and stared directly at him.


    About half a minuteter, the sound of a rotating doorknob clicking could be heard, and the office door was pushed open.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina both looked up, only to find that the visitor was not the second-year girl they had anticipated but a delicate-looking male student with sses.


    As the visitor entered and noticed Kagura Hikaru sitting at the far end of the long table, his expression faltered, then turned to Kiryu Hina.


    "President, this is..."


    "A ssmate Kagura seeking help. We''re waiting for someone else," replied Kiryu Hina, her face suddenly adorned with a wless, courteous smile as she kindly introduced to Kagura Hikaru, "This is the Vice President of the Student Council, Senior Ando Naoto, a third-year student."


    "Hello," nodded Kagura Hikaru.


    He knew the other party;st year''s Student Council President, and also the runner-up in this year''s election, who was defeated by Kiryu Hina.


    It was unexpected that he would be willing to serve under a first-year president as the Vice President. Truly surprising.


    Ando Naoto showed a friendly smile and patted Kagura Hikaru on the shoulder: "Hello, ssmate Kagura. Wee to the Student Council. Do you need any help?"


    "Senior Ando."


    "Yes."


    Upon being called by Kiryu Hina, Ando Naoto looked up immediately.


    "The water''s ready over there, can you help me pour a cup of tea for the guest?"


    "Of course, no problem."


    The vice president efficiently went to prepare the teacups and tea leaves.


    When he had washed the cups and poured the tea, and was about to serve it, he suddenly realized that there had been no sound from the table while he was busy.


    Upon closer inspection, although Kiryu Hina was still smiling, her brightness seemed a few shades dimmer than usual.


    And that handsome junior, although he was looking at his cellphone, was clearly not focusing.


    Ando Naoto sharply sensed the unusual atmosphere in the air.


    Could there be something between ssmate Kagura and President Kiryu...


    His smile stiffened for a moment; then he came over and ced the pen-holder-shaped teacup beside Kagura Hikaru.


    "ssmate, here''s your tea."


    "Thank you."


    Kagura Hikaru took the teacup, but frowned as the outer wall scalded him, and pushed the cup slightly away.


    Turning his head, he saw Ando Naoto sitting beside Kiryu Hina on the right, dividing the remaining two cups of tea with her, then naturally began talking about work.


    The smiles of Ando Naoto and the forced smile on Kiryu Hina''s face, at least superficially, seemed quite harmonious.


    Knock knock knock.


    At this moment, a knock came from outside the door.


    "Come in."


    "Excuse me...."


    A girl timidly pushed the door open¡ªit was Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    The moment she entered, she first looked at Kiryu Hina with a fearful and hesitant gaze, then turned toward Kagura Hikaru, and slightly rxed.


    Seeing this subtle change clearly, the fake smile on Kiryu Hina''s face grew a bit wider.


    "Ai Cheng student, right? ssmate Kagura has already told me about the matter. Please have a seat."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian cautiously nodded, pulled out the chair next to Kagura Hikaru, and sat down beside him.


    Then she squeezed her legs together, bowed her head, and ced her hands on her thighs¡ªa perfect portrayal of social anxiety.


    Seeing her so nervous, Vice President Ando Naoto stood up and said, "Let me get you a cup of tea."


    "No need, Senior Ando," Kiryu Hina said with a smile, "Could you and ssmate Kagura step out for a moment? I''d like to speak with Ai Cheng student privately."


    At these words, all three present were stunned.


    Regardless of Kagura Hikaru and Ando Naoto, Ai Cheng Hua Lian simply wanted to flee right then.


    Frankly, if not for Kagura Hikaru''s endorsement, she wouldn''t have wanted to interact with Kiryu Hina, especially after witnessing her violence towards Kagura Hikaru.


    In Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes, the Student Council President could now be associated with phrases like "smiling tiger" and "twisted psyche."


    In such circumstances, her sudden request for a private meeting?


    ...Would she be bullied just like Mr. Kagura...?


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s fear was evident on her face, even the uninformed Ando Naoto felt something was amiss.


    "President, what is this...?"


    "There are some things you boys shouldn''t hear, senior," Kiryu Hina said gently, with emphasis in her tone.


    Could it be a discussion about love? Concerning ssmate Kagura, is she asking me to leave because I''m watching him?


    Smart senior student Ando Naoto''s brain quickly jumped to conclusions, nodding in understanding as he walked to the door, also patting Kagura Hikaru on the shoulder, signaling him toe along.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kagura Hikaru narrowed his eyes and also pushed himself up from his seat.


    "Mr. Kagura...!"


    Seeing the person beside her leaving, Ai Cheng Hua Lian quickly grabbed his sleeve, pleading with a distressed expression.


    "It''s okay, she won''t do anything to you," Kagura Hikaru whispered.


    He then gently freed his sleeve from Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s grasp and left the office.


    "No eavesdropping, okay~?" Kiryu Hina''s voice floated through the nearly closed door gap.


    Ando Naoto and Kagura Hikaru both thought the remark was directed at the other, exchanged a look, and in tacit agreement moved away from the door to speak elsewhere.

 Chapter 12 The Secret Among the Three of Us!

    Click.


    The door closed behind her like the dropping de of a guillotine, severing Ai Cheng Hua Lian''sst sliver of safety.


    The air in the Student Council room was deadly quiet.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian entwined her fingers under the table, her head down as she watched Kiryu Hina''s movements at the other end of the long table out of the corner of her eye.


    But the other party was just propping up her chin, staring at her with a cat-ying-with-a-mouse look in her eyes.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes darted around, not daring to look in that direction, while all sorts of schemes popped into her mind.


    Ever since she had witnessed Kiryu Hina''s bullying scene, Ai Cheng Hua Lian had be disillusioned with her.


    If one were to reconsider everything in the past with the premise that the Student Council President had an ulterior motive, it all started to feel tainted and quite terrifying.


    The fear of President Kiriyu was a different kind from that of President Ayakoji.


    The fear of the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee was like facing a fierce beast, someone who was severe with people and seemed like they could snap at any moment.


    Student Council President''s was the kind of fear one experiences in the face of the unknown, warm like spring on the outside but with their true nature hidden in the shadows.


    Up until yesterday, she could still talk to Kiryu Hina about club expenses in a coquettish tone.


    Now, she wouldn''t dare to do it again if you killed her!


    This bad woman would act all proper in front of others, yet she bullied Mr. Kagura, who had been kind to her, behind his back.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who was soft on the outside but tough on the inside, couldn''t just stand by and do nothing.


    If the Student Council President was nning to use her authority to threaten her into silence, then Ai Cheng Hua Lian would neverpromise. She''d pretend to agree for now and as soon as she left the Student Council, she''d immediately go to the Disciplinary Committee to report her!


    Yes, that was the n.


    "You''re thinking of reporting me to the Disciplinary Committee, aren''t you?" Kiryu Hina suddenly spoke."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian jumped up in shock.


    "Mind-reading technique?!"


    "Ahahaha, silly, how can there be such a thing as mind-reading techniques in this world?" Kiryu Hina chuckled with her hand covering her mouth, "You are so easy to read, everything you think is written all over your face."


    "...Is it that obvious?"


    "Mhm."


    "Hmph..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian sat back down, cing her hands on the table, and met Kiryu Hina''s gaze fiercely like a tiny animal, "Even if you guess it, what can you do? I won''t be stopped by you¡ªI''m in the sports department, I can run faster than you!"


    "Is that the important part¡­" Kiryu Hina held back herughter with her hand covering her mouth, "Well well, don''t worry, no one is trying to catch you. Also, could you not think so badly of me? We were just chatting together a few days ago."


    "Back then I didn''t know you were that kind of person, President Kiriyu!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian clenched her fists, her head slightly lowered, "I saw it all, you pouring milk over Mr. Kagura''s head... Although I don''t know why Mr. Kagura is protecting you, that''s bullying, right? Bullying is wrong!"


    "Hmhm... So that''s how you see it," Kiryu Hina said with a nomittal expression, smirking with one hand propping up her chin.


    Her indifferent demeanorpletely infuriated Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    "I had so much trust in you as our president... Why would you do such a thing? If there''s a legitimate reason, just tell me!"


    "You can still trust me now," Kiryu Hina pouted cutely, "It''s all Mister Hikaru''s fault, he made me do it."


    "Eh? Mister... Hikaru?"


    "Oh, that''s Kagura Hikaru. I call him that in private; I''ve been calling him that for several years now."


    ...What?... What''s going on?


    The overload of information in an instant made Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s head spin.


    "Wait, are you saying that you and Mr. Kagura knew each other from before and had a good rtionship?"


    Kiryu Hina propped her cheeks with both hands, making a reminiscent face, "Well, we used to be pretty close, but now it''s just average. Which couple is still on good terms after breaking up in this world?"


    "Couple?!?!?!?!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian ssmates'' brain had already exploded, and her eyes turned into mosquito coil eyes.


    What what what is happening?!?


    Couple? Mr. Kagura, and the Student Council President?!?


    It must be a joke, right, it''s got to be a joke!!


    "Yeah, we got together in middle school and broke up after graduating." Kiryu Hina confirmed, shattering Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s mind with a decisive blow, "I didn''t expect to end up in the same high school, fate really likes to y tricks on people, huh~"


    "No no no no, wait a second!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian waved her hands in panic, "President, are you serious? Mr. Kagura is your ex-boyfriend? And the acting you mentioned before is..."


    "Of course it''s true, I wouldn''t joke about my own reputation." Kiryu Hina seemed embarrassed as she twirled a strand of hair with her finger, making circles, "The acting bit is also true. When he asked me like that, I could onlyply."


    "So your purpose in doing this is..."


    "Topletely sever ties, to prove to Ayakoji Chiyoko that our rtionship is bad, that we''re no longer a couple, and that there''s no chance of getting back together."


    "Eh?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian clearly hadn''t expected that the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee would be involved, "Sorry President, I don''t understand."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It''s a simple matter. Ayakoji Chiyoko and I aren''t on good terms, she thinks that Mister Hikaru, who is rted to me, is on good terms with me, but Mister Hikaru wants to be on good terms with Ayakoji Chiyoko, so we had to pretend to be on bad terms¡ª"


    Kiryu Hina tilted her head adorably, "Do you understand now?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian felt dizzy, "I kind of get it, but also don''t fully understand... In the end, why does Mr. Kagura want to be on good terms with the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee?"


    "Because Mister Hikaru is pursuing her."


    "You, you..."


    With too many shocks received today, way beyond her limit, Ai Cheng Hua Lian no longer knew how to react.


    However, what President Kiryu had said could indeed exin the series of events that had urred since the bullying incident.


    Mr. Kagura wanted to protect President Kiryu because they were on the same side, and they couldn''t let an eyewitness send their act to the Discipline Committee to turn a staged act into reality, otherwise the Student Council President would be left with an indelible blemish.


    And President Ayakoji, keen to find a witness because her rtionship with the Student Council President was very bad, would probably take the opportunity to attack relentlessly, so the evidence couldn''t be given to her.


    Afterward, if things went smoothly, Mr. Kagura would be able to sessfully disassociate himself from President Kiryu.


    Everything made sense, but there was an inexplicable sense of disharmony, as if she had overlooked a crucial point.....


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked dumbfounded, feeling that something was not quite right, but seeing Kiryu Hina''s smiling face, she still believed this exnation.


    Someone who looks as lovely as this, smiles so gently, how could they deceive her?


    Kiryu Hina said, "Right now, Mister Hikaru is using this incident to get close to Ayakoji Chiyoko, and he is working very hard. If you can help him when he needs it, try to lend a hand."


    "President, why are you being so good to your ex-boyfriend?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian asked the final question, "You said it yourself earlier, right, your rtionship isn''t that close anymore, yet you''d rather sully your own name to help him pursue President Ayakoji, why is that....."


    "Because he asked me to."


    Kiryu Hina smiled like a saint, with a halo of light behind her, "You see, I''m not really good at refusing others."


    "President, you''re such a good person....."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes sparkled with admiration.


    "Ahaha, I often hear that, the more peoplepliment me, the harder it is to say no, it''s really a predicament."


    "That''s not true! People like the President who give of themselves should be praised more!"


    "If you keep praising me, I''m going to get carried away." Kiryu Hina said, "Oh, and the content of our conversation here, don''t let others know, okay? It would cause a lot of trouble."


    As she spoke, she propped her hands under her chin and yfully winked her left eye at Ai Cheng Hua Lian, "This is our secret, right?"


    "Yes! It''s a secret between the three of us!"

 Chapter 13 Something funny occurred to me

    After several twists and turns by Kiryu Hina, the intense atmosphere lightened with gossip flying left and right.


    What started as eating in prison had upgraded to a tea party among besties.


    Kiryu Hina even physically closed the distance, suggesting to Ai Cheng Karen to change seats and sit next to her on the left, to which thetter did not even think of refusing.


    ".....Speaking of which, you weren''t like this before, were you, President?" Ai Cheng Karen chuckled as she sipped tea from Kagura Hikaru''s cup and took a bite of the senbei that Kiryu Hina fed her, "Hmm... You''ve suddenly be so much more lively, it''s a bit surprising."


    "Ah, you mean the whole Asase Yamato Nadeshiko thing? That was just to fool outsiders. Now that you know my secret, Karen-chan, you''re one of us~"


    "Karen-chan?"


    "Don''t like it? How about just Karen? Ai Cheng Tan? Madam Ai Cheng? Lord Ai Cheng?"


    "That''s going overboard! Karen-chan is fine, my friends usually call me that....."


    "Then it''s settled, Karen-chan! You can call me Hina too."


    "Got it, Hina!" Ai Cheng Karen said with a goofy smile.


    "Hmm, I''m so d you coulde. Actually, I''ve been holding onto this secret for so long, with no one to share it with!"


    Kiryu Hina, with tearful eyes, sped the hands of her new friend, seekingfort: "My dear sister, can you understand? Thinking I would never see my ex again after graduation, and then he suddenly shows up at the same high school, I almost thought he was a stalker!"


    "Pfft, Mr. Kagura a stalker? He seems more like the one who would be stalked."


    "That''s what I''m saying, look at how he is, an ascetic herbivore man, serves him right to be eating grass!"


    "Hina... That pun is brilliant!"


    "Right? But once we leave this room, I won''t acknowledge it!"


    "Heehee, President is so funny, I used to think you were so scary, now I''m relieved."


    "Really? Just a misunderstanding then~"


    The Student Council office was full ofughter.


    Outside, however, the atmosphere was far from harmonious.


    Approaching the hallway window, Kagura Hikaru opened it.


    The weather was cold, but as long as one dressed warmly, a gust of cold wind on the face was merely ''a bit refreshing.''


    It was like drinking cold beverages in winter, or eating hot pot in summer ¨C a kind of rebellion.


    Next to him, Ando Naoto clearly did not have the same sturdy build as Kagura Hikaru; he started shivering as soon as the cold wind hit him and promptly closed the window opened by Kagura Hikaru.


    "ssmate Kagura, you should take care of your health. It''s easy to catch a cold in this season from the wind."


    Kagura Hikaru nced at him, did not argue, and just calmly acknowledged.


    Afterward, the air fell into a prolonged silence.


    The two of them didn''t have any topics inmon. No, to be exact, they weren''t familiar at all, having known each other for less than ten minutes.


    In such a situation, it was Ando Naoto, the older of the two, who took the initiative to break the silence with conversation.


    "ssmate Kagura, do you know the Student Council President?"


    "....." Kagura Hikaru gave him a strange look, "She is the Student Council President, she has given speeches in the hall; is it strange that I know her?"


    "That''s not what I mean." Ando Naoto chuckled, "You and President Kiriyu have known each other from long before, right?"


    So he had been seen through.


    To continue ying dumb at this point would risk insulting his intelligence. Kagura Hikaru shook his head and began to make up a half-truth, half-lie: "The President and I went to the same middle school, met a few times, and that''s about the extent of our acquaintance."


    "Oh....."


    Ando Naoto didn''t show whether he believed it or not, merely nodding with an indifferent expression.


    "But how did you figure it out, Senior Ando?"


    "Because President Kiriyu''s attitude towards you is quite special. I''ve been working with her for a few months now, and I can see these things," Ando Naoto said with a smile, "If you weren''t an acquaintance, she wouldn''t have been so cold. To be honest, I''ve never seen her show anything other than a ''smile'' to other students.


    Just on that point, President Kiriyu never disappoints; she''s the most perfect superhuman I''ve ever seen."


    Superhuman, an entity that appears human yet surpasses ordinary people.


    Kagura Hikaru and the vice president held different opinions.


    In his view, Kiryu Hina was not only imperfection but also bing increasingly vulnerable.


    Bubbles shimmering with rainbow hues are beautiful but are ultimately bound to burst one day.


    No one can remain perfect, not even a superhuman has no weaknesses.


    Should he be Kiryu Hina''s ''Wall Breaker''?


    But what right did he now have to interfere in her life again?


    Seeing Kagura Hikaru not joining the conversation, but instead getting lost in thought, Ando Naoto''s eyes flickered, and he mused to himself with a chuckle, "Honestly, I''m a bit surprised. I didn''t expect President Kiriyu to show such an attitude towards a ssmate. It''s like unlocking a new side of her, at least in my mind, haha."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru looked up at him briefly, expressionless, his heart sinking.


    With such equivocalnguage, he provoked him for no reason.


    In other words, that''s what it meant.


    "So you just said it outright, I can tell, your rtionship is definitely not ordinary."


    "You are wrong, our rtionship is bad."


    Ando Naoto, you are like the past me¡ª


    "Eh, is that so?" Ando Naoto exaggeratedly sighed with relief, "I thought you two were in some kind of ambiguous rtionship. It''s good to know you''re not; it''s great that you''re not an enemy."


    ¡ªwas a moth that plunged into the me that is Kiryu Hina.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed.


    He was already out of the game.


    Hecked the ability to express his feelings to Kiryu Hina, and he had no right to obstruct her happiness.


    Yet for some reason, this restlessness inside him, he just couldn''t shake it off.


    Knowing it was all in the past, he still couldn''t let go or severed ties. In the end, that was the kind of man he was.


    Click.


    At that moment, the door of the Student Council office suddenly opened.


    Karen Ai Cheng came out with a smile on her face, but when she turned her head and saw Kagura Hikaru after closing the door, her expression turned awkward, and she turned around and quickly walked away with her head down.


    This reaction was unexpected for Kagura Hikaru.


    What did Hina tell her?


    "Your friend is leaving, aren''t you going to follow?" Ando Naoto reminded.


    Kagura Hikaru nced at him and hurried after her.


    Watching him walk away until his figure disappeared into the stairwell, Ando Naoto was about to return to the office.


    Unexpectedly, Kagura Hikaru suddenly turned back around, looking serious, walked up to Ando Naoto, and said earnestly, "I like her too, so yes, we are enemies indeed."


    Ando Naoto was stunned for a while, then smiled in understanding, "I get it now, then let''spete. Let''s see who can win her heart first."


    "If that''s thepetition, then you have already lost."


    "Hey, what do you mean by that....."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kagura Hikaru left after speaking, without paying attention to Ando Naoto''s confusion.


    Could he really say that President Kiriyu and he were in a romantic rtionship? Of course not, the President had clearly stated that she had no history of romance; how could such a perfect person tell a lie.


    Ando Naoto stood in ce, pondering for a long time without figuring it out, finally pressing the question to the back of his mind, turning his hand to the doorknob, but then he suddenly remembered something.


    The rumors that had been circting around the school about President Kiriyutely, that person who was being bullied, theirst name seemed to be ''Kagura''.


    No wonder the surname ''Kagura'' sounded so familiar.


    Ando Naoto pushed the door and walked into the office, only to see Kiryu Hina ying with a teacup expressionlessly, her gaze pondering something.


    She sat there like a plum blossom growing on a snowy mountain, beautiful, still, and admiring herself in solitude.


    But the moment she saw someone, that aura of aloofness melted away like ice and snow, and Kiryu Hina effortlessly switched to the perfect image of an honor student, revealing a gentle smile, "The secretaries are really slow, aren''t they? We have a meeting at noon, and if they don''te soon, it will be toote."


    Ando Naoto, utterly unaware of anything amiss, took out his phone, "I''ll hurry them up right now."


    "Yes, please do."


    Kiryu Hina calmly opened "The Dancing Girl of Izu." Her favorite chapter in there was ''Asayun,'' which described the ever-changing secret admirations of a schoolgirl with intricate detail and realism. She greatly admired Kawabata Yasunari''s ability to convey the emotions of a female high school student.


    Whether it was the protagonist in the short story or the real Karen Ai Cheng, they were strikingly simr, both using other feelings to cover their true inner thoughts, stubbornly reluctant to reveal their true intentions.


    However, even worse than the story''s protagonist was Karen Ai Cheng''s terrible lying skills.


    When she talked about her rtionship with Kagura Hikaru, that second year''s expression was almostical enough to enjoy as a light snack with tea.


    That expression was one of envy and jealousy.


    There was no mistake; that girl was like her past self¡ªa moth that plunged toward the me that was Kagura Hikaru.


    But unlike her, Karen Ai Cheng was timid, only seemingly strong on the outside, but frail both inside and out,cking the courage to move forward in the face of difficulties.


    The more she knew, the more she stagnated; if she continued to be delusional, her wounds would only deepen.


    Kiryu Hina was already looking forward to seeing what she would be after thinking she knew everything and being betrayed yet again.


    She did not intend to create another version of herself; however, if it was for entertainment, it might be worth watching.


    "Hmm."


    Kiryu Hina suddenly let out a light chuckle.


    "What is it, President?" Ando Naoto asked, surprised as he looked up.


    "Nothing, just thought of something funny."

 Chapter 14 A Date with Ayakoji Chiyoko

    Kagura Hikaru quickly caught up with Ai Cheng Hua Lian in the stairwell, and the two descended side by side, each immersed in their own thoughts.


    For a moment, the stairwell seemed to have turned into a secret chamber.


    Outside the chamber, the sounds of students ying around could be heard.


    Inside, only the echo of their footsteps resonated.


    In a shoujo manga, this would be the benefit time the author gifts to the male and female protagonists after their crisis drama, wouldn''t it?


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought so.


    Her steps gradually slowed until she stopped on the stairs.


    "Mr. Kagura." Ai Cheng Hua Lian muttered, her expression somewhat downcast, even carrying a hint of questioning, "So you and President Hina used to date?"


    Kagura Hikaru froze.


    A momentary shake almost caused him to miss a step.


    With his hand on the stair railing, Kagura Hikaru felt his heartbeat elerating.


    Did she notice it herself?


    Or did Hina tell her?


    "I really am an idiot, thinking something serious happened, but I almost messed up your ns." Ai Cheng Hua Lian feigned ease with a silly smile, her hand supporting the back of her head, "Sorry, ha."


    "..... No, it''s nothing....."


    "Oh my, to think that even our Student Council President has been won over by you."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian cheered up and started walking again, speaking as she walked: "And now your target is President Ayakoji, Mr. Kagura, you sure set your sights high, both targets are quite challenging, huh!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    Did Hina tell her everything about Chiyoko as well, what exactly is she nning.....


    Kagura Hikaru remained silent, adopting an attitude of tacit agreement.


    "I''ll cheer for you, Mr. Kagura!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian eximed, patting her chest, "If you need any advice or strategies, juste to me! Don''t be fooled by my appearance, I was actually called a ''Love Advisor'' in junior high."


    "Can you be an advisor without having been in love?"


    To lighten the mood, Kagura Hikaru made a joke without a trace of expression on his face.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was taken aback, stepping back, "Ah? Mr. Kagura, how did you know I''ve never been in a rtionship??"


    "I know now." Kagura Hikaru gave her a sidelong nce.


    "Uh... It''s not that I... Ei, I want a boyfriend too..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian mumbled something to herself in the back.


    "By the way." Suddenly, Ai Cheng Hua Lian raised her head, "Mr. Kagura, do you want to go to the live house with me after school today? The other members of our band want to see you again."


    "Sorry, I have an appointment after school," said Kagura Hikaru.


    "Oh, is that so... By the way, I ran into President Ayakoji this morning, and she asked me about the bullying situation. I didn''t confess."


    "Is that so, thanks."


    "Not at all, I already know President Kiryu isn''t a bad person, I won''t let her face nder."


    The two chatted sporadically, quickly reaching the second-year floor, where they parted ways.


    However, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian did not notice that, as they waved goodbye to each other by the corridor windows, a gaze was fixed on them from a higher position.


    On a higher floor by the window, a tall figure stood motionless, looking down through the ss.


    Her head was adorned with a smooth single ponytail that reached her waist, and she wore a red ''Discipline'' armband on her right arm, her presence sharp and her face expressionless like eternal ice.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched intently as her informer, Kagura Hikaru, waved goodbye to Ai Cheng Hua Lian, the second-year student whom she had visited not long ago.


    Her eyes narrowed involuntarily.


    Have these two ever had any interaction until now?


    Suddenly, she recalled a sentence Ai Cheng Hua Lian had said to her.


    ["I took the rumors outside seriously and boasted to a friend about witnessing the incident, not realizing it would carelessly spread.... I''m truly sorry, President Ayakoji!"]


    ''I took the rumors outside seriously.''


    This sentence could be understood to mean that Ai Cheng Hua Lian believed the bullying incident was real, so she could fabricate a lie about being a witness without any reservations.


    But there might be another interpretation as well.


    When ''I'' say I took the rumors outside seriously, it could also mean that ''I'' already knew the rumors outside were fake, ''I'' knew the truth.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko narrowed her eyes, filled with suspicion.


    But what was the truth? The traces of bullying on Kagura Hikaru were real, so if it was an act, what would be Kiryu Hina''s reason to go along with it, and what would their motive be for doing this?


    It was not clear, perhaps she was overthinking it.


    "President, regarding the patrol after school, should we include those two new members who joined this week? If so, I can take them to familiarize themselves with the route," the Gori Vice President of the Discipline Committee approached from behind, wearing a sycophantic expression, but his coarse face, resembling that of a flying brute, made such an expression seem only more bizarre.


    "Hmm, let them join," Ayakoji Chiyoko said indifferently, "I''ll be leaving school early today, the patrol is under your care."


    "Eh? Does the President have something at home?"


    the Gori Vice President asked in surprise.


    It was quite rare for Ayakoji Chiyoko to leave school directly after sses. Usually, she would either patrol the school or practice Sword Dao in the club''s practice room.


    Driven by curiosity, the Vice President even blurted out the question involuntarily.


    He had already prepared himself for his question to be ignored, but unexpectedly, Ayakoji Chiyoko revealed an intriguing smile and said:


    "I have an appointment today."


    "An, an appointment?! Could it be with a man..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression grew cold again: "You ask too many questions, is it because you''re not training enough?"


    "Yes!! I''ll go do two hundred push-ups right now!!!"


    "Five hundred, get lost."


    .............


    At four-thirty in the afternoon, Tokyo''s Shibuya District.


    Kagura Hikaru arrived at the livehouse door dressed in ck casual clothes, frowning as he looked around.


    He didn''t see Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Was shete?


    The livehouse was located underground in a pedestrian street in Shibuya, in a good location surrounded by a busy shopping area with a high flow of people, where trendy and fashionable stores could be seen everywhere.


    With a guitar bag on his back and hands in his pockets, Kagura Hikaru stood at the entrance, his demeanor and attirepletely that of a young artist.


    With his good looks naturally attracting a lot of attention, even two bold female college students ran over to ask him for his contact information.


    Kagura Hikaru tactfully told them he was underage, which only excited them more...


    At that moment, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw Ayakoji Chiyokoing out of an elegant little coffee shop diagonally across, approaching leisurely, even carrying a school shoulder bag, wearing Yuqiu High School''s long-sleeved uniform.


    She totally ignored the two female college students'' hostile nces and said to Kagura Hikaru, "I''ve arrived, where to now?"


    "This way, follow me."


    Kagura Hikaru led her down a staircase, which led to the entrance of the livehouse.


    The female college students watched them in astonishment. Seeing the two enter the livehouse, a ce that required tickets, they hesitated for a moment before deciding not to follow.


    The appearance of that livehouse was probably one of the reasons they stayed away.


    A sign with a ck background and white letters, adorned with purple patterns and a swallowtail guitar inserted into a skull, boldly wrote the word ''Makyo'' in nted letters across the middle.


    Noises and screams could faintly be heard behind the basement door.


    At first nce, it was a particrly hardcore ce, where the average person wouldn''t even think of trying to enter.


    However, Ayakoji Chiyoko was clearly not an average person, and as Kagura Hikaru held the door open for her, she walked in unflinchingly, leading the way.

 Chapter 15 Heat Field

    The lighting inside was very dim, making it nearly impossible to make out people''s faces.


    The roars and noise that had been faintly heard outside the door were traced back to a visual kei band performing on stage. Each member had long hair, wore mboyant outfits, and had their faces painted white, ying their instruments with excessive force and exaggeration.


    The roaring came from the lead singer in the center of the stage, who was using a unique vocal technique to produce a sound like that of a devil from hell.


    The dim, asionally flickering lights also created a dark and terrifying atmosphere.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t see what was so interesting about such a mboyant and crazy performance, yet, upon closer inspection, there were unexpectedly many spectators in the venue¡ªat least over a hundred people, packed tightly together, wildly headbanging and screaming to the rhythm of the music to the extent one might wonder if they would break their necks.


    This was clearly not a ce for ordinary high school students.


    "Here''s your drink!"


    Kagura Hikaru came over with a Coke and handed it to the mesmerized Ayakoji Chiyoko, having to shout in her ear to be heard over the music.


    She quickly snapped back to reality, shook her head, and quickly typed on her phone before turning it around for Kagura Hikaru to see.


    It read ¡ª "I''m not thirsty. You drink the Coke."


    Understanding this was a makeshift way tomunicate amid the noise, Kagura Hikaru also took out his phone, typed a message, and showed it to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kagura Hikaru: "The ticket here is actually a drink voucher. Just think of it asing with the purchase."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Okay, how much?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "Five thousand yen."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko took out the money and paid Kagura Hikaru in cash. Then she felt entitled to drink her beverage as she scanned her surroundings, roughly understanding the kind of ce this was.


    ¡ªThe band was still performing on stage, visible to anyone not blind.


    So the so-called live house was simply a venue for indoor concerts.


    It was just noisy.


    After watching for a while, she felt Kagura Hikaru tap her shoulder. Ayakoji Chiyoko turned her head, and he pointed to his phone screen.


    Kagura Hikaru: "I''m going on stage soon. Find a ce to stay put."


    Going on stage?


    So the supposed after-school activity was a live show; no wonder he had brought his guitar.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was somewhat interested.


    She hadn''t known Kagura Hikaru had such a talent.


    She watched him move through the crowd and leave. Turning, Ayakoji Chiyoko found a rtively less crowded corner, leaned against the wall, bit her straw, and selectively tuned out the noise from the stage while patiently waiting.


    Her arrival drew some attention.


    Here, a beautiful girl in a school uniform undoubtedly stood out because whether true students or adults, few wore school uniforms to a live house unless it was a costume.


    In such a ce, everyone wanted to appear a bit more mature.


    Kagura Hikaru could have warned her but chose not to.


    This was the unease he intended to create for Ayakoji Chiyoko; in such an unstable environment, he was the only familiar element, leveraging a psychological illusion simr to the ''suspension bridge effect'' to quickly close the distance.


    In the case of Ayakoji Chiyoko, whose emotional barriers were as strong as city walls, establishing a friendship in a short time could only rely on such sneaky tactics, although the chances of them working were extremely low.


    But trying didn''t cost anything.


    And sure enough, Ayakoji Chiyoko had long been used to being stared at wherever she went and didn''t mind at all, even casually checking her phone amidst the sting music,pletely ignoring the performance onstage.


    The band on stage concluded their performance by shing rock hand signs, sticking their tongues out at the audience, and spitting fake blood.


    Fortunately, they didn''t spit on the floor, otherwise the staff here would definitely teach them a lesson.


    Not long after they left the stage, another band came on to take their ce, setting up their equipment and tuning their instruments with the help of the staff.


    This interval served as an intermission, during which the audience took the opportunity to rx and began chatting andughing with theirpanions.


    It was then that Ayakoji Chiyoko lifted her head. She immediately recognized the man on stage with theke-blue electric guitar, tuning his pedals while wearing a mask, as Kagura Hikaru.


    With his ck mask on, only his eyes were visible, hidden under slightly long bangs, which significantly reduced his presence.


    However, the calm aura he emitted was not something easily imitated.


    Standing silently adjusting the equipment on stage, appearing focused yet indifferent, he was strikingly simr to Ayakoji Chiyoko who had been ignoring everyone else while ying with her phone just moments before.


    Soon, the other members of the band gradually joined him on stage.


    They were dressed simrly to Kagura Hikaru, all in dark ndmine-style" outfits, though not as hardcore as the previous band.


    About five minutester, after all the equipment and tuning had been tested, the performance officially began.


    Thest to take the stage, the band''s lead singer, a man in his twenties, stepped forward to adjust the microphone and spoke softly, "Please enjoy our original song ''one fourth''."


    After briefly announcing the song title, a restless melody immediately followed, with thundering drum beats raining down on the audience''s faces. The rapid strumming that instantly urred made hairs stand on end and hearts beat faster,pelling the audience to nod and tap their feet involuntarily to the rhythm.


    Then, the lead singer began to sing.


    White backlight instantly illuminated all the members, with the music behind them suddenly turning up the volume, fiercely and unexpectedly intense, like a train racing ahead, plunging into the climactic section of the tune right after the intro.


    "Oh oh oh oh!!!"


    The audience''s suppressed excitement also erupted, transforming into gasps and screams.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This was also the reason this band didn''t waste time chatting before starting their set,monly known as "warming up the crowd."


    Ensuring that the atmosphere heats up within one song is not an easy task and seriously tests the lead singer''s stage presence and the quality of the song.


    Although Ayakoji Chiyoko was an amateur from her perspective, it was clear that the band on stage was very impressive, far superior to the visual kei band that had performed earlier.


    The intense yet organized ying, beautiful melodies and lyrics, the lead singer''s unique and clean high notes, and the seamless cooperation of the five-member band kept lifting the atmosphere to the ceiling without any sign of dropping.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko even thought they possessed professional-level skills.


    Indeed, shecked professional musical taste, but being able to give that impression was enough to attest to the high level of the band.


    And for Kagura Hikaru, a high school student, to blend in without falling behind¡ªno, to say he was almost the second lead of the band besides the lead singer!


    There were two guitarists on stage, but the mostplex guitar parts were all performed by Kagura Hikaru.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko knew that in rock music there are ''rhythm guitar'' and ''lead guitar'' sounds, thetter being more difficult andplex, so it is typically yed by the band''s best guitarist.


    Kagura Hikaru must have been the lead guitarist.


    In other words, he was considered the best guitarist in the band.


    If this band possessed professional-level skills, then Kagura Hikaru''s skills were probably not far off either.


    Heh, such a strong ability to y, yet he had never been heard to join any music clubs. Was it because he didn''t want to y with those kids, or did he simply prefer the outside atmosphere?


    Experiencing a different side of Kagura Hikaru on stage, Ayakoji Chiyoko found herself increasingly intrigued by him, with a slight change in the color of her gaze.


    The band''s vibrant performance enthralled the audience.


    In the deafening metal music, Ayakoji Chiyoko incidentally caught some interesting noise from two spectators.

 Chapter 16 Use Psychology on Her!

    "Speaking of which, did this band change their guitarist? This isn''t the same person as before, right?"


    "Yeah, I think not, but he ys really well!"


    "Right!"


    Those two audience members whispered loudly by each other''s ears, oblivious that their conversation had already reached the ears of the beautiful girl next to them.


    After a song ended, the audience erupted in excited cheers and apuse.


    "Hello everyone, we are the ''Corpse Band''!" the lead singer yelled with a smile, and the audience responded with cheers.


    The name ''Corpse'' in Japanese actually means a dead body, and using such a name for a band can only be described as very rock and roll.


    Contrary to the grim band name, the lead singer was very humorous, throwing several self-deprecating jokes to the crowd. Each time, the band members would chime in to tease him, making the audience burst intoughter and admire their great rapport.


    However, Chiyoko could see clearly that the lead singer had no interaction with Kagura Hikaru, their exchanges limited to nces.


    Their rtionship didn''t seem bad, but they seemed distant, like friends who had just met by chance, clearly a temperature differencepared to other band members.


    He introduced Kagura Hikarust.


    "Thisst guitarist is our special guest today¡ªMr. Kagura! He was roped in as a substitute for the poor fool who got food poisoning, so let''s give him a round of apuse!"


    The lead singer spoke with a stifledugh, making the audience less serious, with pping, cheering, and whistling all around.


    Kagura Hikaru, holding his guitar, calmly bowed slightly to the audience, neither aloof nor warm, resembling a statue.


    Chiyoko was sure that even if his mask were pulled down now, there would still be an expressionless face beneath it, his indifferent demeanor seemingly unshakable by anything.


    In the art of maintaining a poker face, Kagura Hikaru was evidently a match for Chiyoko, perhaps even surpassing her.


    After a shortedic interlude, the band quickly moved into their second song, maintaining the high standard of the first.


    After the performance ended, they waved and exited the stage amidst apuse.


    About three minutester, Chiyoko saw Kagura Hikaru walking towards her, guitar case on his back, removing his mask.


    "Have you been waiting long?"


    "Not really."


    The third band was now setting up on the stage,paratively quietpared to during performances, making it possible to speak without leaning too close to each other.


    "Congrattions, the show went really well." Chiyoko looked at him and said, her eyes showing a bit more equal respect than before, "Being a hired guitarist, is this why you refused to join the Disciplinary Committee, are you making money with this?"


    "Well, you could say that."


    Kagura Hikaru''s tone was ambiguous, as if confirming yet not quite.


    Looking at him, he seemed to be wrestling with himself, whether to admit this was a side job.


    In truth, he didn''t particrly enjoy being on stage; he just liked ying the guitar, and taking it as a part-time job just happened naturally.


    "Does doing this pay well?" Chiyoko asked again.


    "Are you very curious?"


    Kagura Hikaru nced at her, the Chiyoko now more talkative than the one inside the school.


    So, did the ''Suspension Bridge Effect'' work after all?


    In a strange, unsettling environment, Chiyoko''s only familiar person was Kagura Hikaru, naturally leading to dependency, thus increasing her fondness for him.


    No matter how difficult Chiyoko might be, as long as she was human, she could never escape psychology.


    "Asking about someone''s ie is quite rude, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee." he nced at Chiyoko, but eventually told her, "It''s about a bit over 20,000 yen per show."


    Reliable frence guitarists weren''t many to begin with, and the better the skills, the higher the price, which made Kagura Hikaru a real bargain, so even a high school band like Red Pepper Band could afford to hire him.


    But with the likes of Kagura Hikaru, who had great skills but chose not to join a band or dive deep into music, roaming around, it was less about making money and more about experiencing life.


    If money had genuinely been the goal, he could have easily signed with a musicpany and debuted. With Kagura Hikaru''s looks and skill level, it would be hard not to be famous.


    In the end, owning an almost omnipotent "Golden Finger," most things he wanted to do were bound to seed, and money was rather secondary.


    At this stage, he hadn''t truly decided on his future yet.


    Having too many choices actually made it difficult to choose, a luxury problem that was now Kagura Hikaru''s.


    "Twenty thousand a gig, isn''t that a lot?"


    On hearing this, Ayakoji Chiyoko gave a smile that wasn''t quite a smile, her eyes seeming to say how thick his face was, "You''re just a high school student, right?"


    Twenty thousand a gig, even if it were two gigs a day.


    At that rate, it''d be forty thousand a day, one hundred and twenty thousand a month; he could buy a new car after just two months.


    Even in the high-priced Ind Nation, a monthly sry of a million yen certainly wasn''t low, far exceeding the national average monthly sry, and probably on par with some bigpany executives.


    At least Ayakoji Chiyoko acknowledged that finding an equivalent paying job in a short period, without relying on her family''s connections, would indeed take a lot of effort.


    "Not really," Chiyoko replied.


    Kagura Hikaru calmly looked back at her, "At least, I think it''s probably nothingpared to what the President gets for pocket money."


    "That''s not money I earned myself, nothing to be proud of."


    "..."


    So she really does have that much.


    "You''re done working for now, right?"


    "Yeah."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko threw her empty c cup into the trashcan, "Then let''s go, it''s too noisy here; not a ce to talk."


    Today Ayakoji Chiyoko had met him outside school, not to enjoy a concert by Kagura Hikaru.


    She obviously had something to say.


    And it was a topic not suitable for discussing at school.


    Kagura Hikaru followed Ayakoji Chiyoko out of the livehouse, and at the entrance they ran into members of Corpse Band who had just yed with him; they were also leaving.


    They originally wanted to invite Kagura Hikaru for a meal or something, but seeing the stunningly beautiful and even more intimidating Ayakoji Chiyoko by his side, they suddenly found themselves speechless.


    "Uh, looks like you and your girlfriend are busy with something else then, so we''ll be heading off first, hope to coborate again soon."


    The lead singer of Corpse Band sheepishly said goodbye, leading his teammates and their equipment away, leaving Kagura Hikaru disheveled in the wind.


    ''Your girlfriend''? What''s with saying such things?


    I might be fine, but you could really get killed for that.


    Kagura Hikaru slowly turned his head and as expected, saw Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face, cold as the Arctic Ocean, her eyes dark, seemingly contemting some terrifying murder plot.


    "..."


    "..."


    "They have a solo concert the day after tomorrow, let him be happy for a few days, kill himter."


    "?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 17 Battle Against the Ex-Front

    Ayakoji Chiyoko nced at him sideways, then turned and walked away, "I didn''t expect someone like you to joke."


    "A person without a sense of humor can''t live long, he will be killed by his own boredom," Kagura Hikaru stepped and followed.


    "Philosophy, huh? I don''t like it."


    "Why?"


    "I think it''s a study with no practical use."


    "Science belongs to the universe, religion to the deities, only philosophy is truly the power of man."


    "Only those with weak hearts need such a thing."


    "That''s quite arrogant."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko admitted to herself that she had misjudged Kagura Hikaru.


    This person wasn''t just a rock, on the contrary, there was also a fierce side to his heart, otherwise, he wouldn''t be ying metal music.


    And he had guts, daring to talk back to her face-to-face.


    "...Let''s end the small talk here," Ayakoji Chiyoko''s voice turned colder by several degrees, "The reason I sought you out today is for one thing, I want you to take charge of the public opinion campaign against Kiryu Hina."


    "You mean the campus rumors?"


    "Not just that."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned to look at him.


    "The News Department at school is controlled by the Student Council, and I am forming a club that can counter it, tentatively named ''Society Discussion Meeting.'' This club will publish a school newspaper like the News Department, and when the timees, it willpete with the News Department to shake Kiryu Hina''s prestige."


    "You want me to take charge of this ''Society Discussion Meeting''?"


    "That''s right. This department will pass the review and be established tomorrow. Afterwards, submit an application to join. Officially, you''ll be a member, but if you have any ideas, speak to the club president; she will listen to you. Your main task is to provide Kiryu Hina''s private interpersonal rtionships and her past deeds.


    The Society Discussion Meeting will use these as material to fabricate rumors and taint her."


    Whether to call it openness or arrogance, these words that seemed like they might only be spoken by a viin came out of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mouth with no sense of dissonance at all.


    However, to have him take charge of a club right off the bat like that, it seemed that Kiryu Hina''s previous drastic measures to distance herself from him had an effect, and Ayakoji Chiyoko started treating him like a subordinate.


    Unfortunately for her, he had no intention to agree, for the same reasons he had refused to join the Disciplinary Committee.


    Being Ayakoji Chiyoko''s subordinate might seem to bring them closer, but in Kagura Hikaru''s view, it actually put more distance between them because their rtionship changed from equals to superiors and subordinates.


    He couldn''t ept terms where the costs and benefits were not equitably distributed.


    Let alone the fact that he was expected to participate personally in ckening Kiryu Hina''s name.


    Therefore, Kagura Hikaru decisively shook his head and said, "Sorry, such actions of plotting against others behind their backs are against my principles."


    The subtext, of course, was a refusal.


    Regardless of how tactfully it was put, a refusal was still a refusal. Ayakoji Chiyoko might have anticipated this oue, as she did not seem overly surprised, but her mood could not possibly brighten.


    Her expression darkened, she said coldly, "If you can''t create value for me, then what use are you?"


    "That''s quite harsh."


    Even when attacked so directly, Kagura Hikaru didn''t seem to get angry, instead he considerately reminded her, "I understand Kiryu Hina more than you do, if she lets such rumors spread within the school, she must have countermeasures in ce. Be careful not to y with fire and get burned."


    Let alone the fact that she was the one who had initiated the campus rumors in the first ce, so it wasn''t the impulsive act Ayakoji Chiyoko thought it was.


    However, Ayakoji Chiyoko clearly wasn''t someone easily swayed, her expression unshaken, with no ns to change her mind.


    "You have your moral standards; I have my methods of doing things. Don''t try to lecture me."


    Then she abruptly brought up a second matter, "Ai Cheng Hua Lian, do you know this person well?"


    Huh?


    Kagura Hikaru was taken aback, not expecting to hear that name at this moment.


    Was he suspected because he had hit a wall with Ai Cheng Hua Lian and they thought he was the informant who had silenced her?


    Even though that was indeed the case.


    So, should he deny it?... No, it felt like a trap...


    If handled poorly, the trust that had been built couldpletely copse.


    When uncertain, Kagura Hikaru habitually chose to read minds.


    [I saw you walking together with my own eyes, don''t lie to me, or our cooperation is over.]


    [A person who can betray me at any time is too dangerous.]


    [You have gained from mind-reading: Acting +2]


    [Acting lv4 (78/100)]


    So, she had seen us, huh...


    She hoped she hadn''t discovered that they had gone to the Student Council together, otherwise the privatemunication with Kiryu Hina would be exposed.


    "Acquainted."


    Kagura Hikaru faced forward calmly, nodding slightly, "She came to look for me during the break after the first ss today."


    "What did you two talk about," Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze sharpened.


    During the break after the first ss, she went to look for Ai Cheng Hua Lian in the second year ssroom but didn''t find her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It seemed that it was during that time some slip-up urred.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t avoid the question and frankly admitted: "She is the second eyewitness besides myself, she came to seek my opinion, and I asked her to help keep it a secret."


    Even Ayakoji Chiyoko hadn''t expected him to be so honest, to admit it outright.


    Was it trust... huh, what an ironic situation.


    "Indeed, she did not admit it," Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mood soured, staring intently at Kagura Hikaru like a she-wolf, "There probably aren''t many who can keep a secret for you, are you friends?"


    "Not really."


    "Then is she belongs to Kiryu Hina?"


    "No."


    "Good."


    The rage in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes subsided slightly, "Let''s leave it at that, but there won''t be a next time."


    "If the same situation arises next time, I would do the same," Kagura Hikaru cut her off.


    The atmosphere became tense once again.


    Both stopped in unison, standing at the center of the bustling street, locking eyes with each other.


    Both were expressionless, their eyes filled with coldness and resolve, neither backing down half a step.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko let out a coldugh: "Ex-boyfriend, realize your ce."


    "Wasn''t it you who came to me first," Kagura Hikaru said coldly.


    "Heh, so I should amodate you?"


    "There''s no amodating anybody, our rtionship is purely based on mutual use."


    Hearing this wolf-and-tiger talk, passersby thought ''what the hell'', are the young people of this new generation all so sophisticated?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko,pletely unaware that they were being seen as a couple in the middle of a Shura Field, furrowed her brows deeply, "Mutual use, what do you want to gain from me?"


    If it was about use, there must be a price to pay.


    Last time, Ayakoji Chiyoko had traded the grudge between herself and Kiryu Hina for information, it seemed Kagura Hikaru was notpletely satisfied.


    Indeed, such a small offer wouldn''t even satisfy a mouse.


    If it was to crush that person and obtain the truth she sought, paying a little price was eptable.


    "Do you want money? Or do you want me to use the power of the Disciplinary Committee to benefit you," Ayakoji Chiyoko spat sharply.


    If Kagura Hikaru really proposed such terms, she would probably ept them too, as she wasn''t exactly a paragon of virtue.


    But for some reason, Ayakoji Chiyoko did not want to hear such an answer from Kagura Hikaru.


    Was she harboring some kind of expectation for him?


    Ridiculous.


    "A mere student''s authority and possessions hold no attraction for me."


    Before Ayakoji Chiyoko had time to analyze her own feelings, Kagura Hikaru spoke out, "I know you''re not just after revenge on Kiryu Hina, there must be deeper reasons."


    "...Oh?"


    "I can help you achieve your goals, in return, you''ll need to agree to a condition of mine."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was surprised by his insight.


    She found that this man always managed to do things beyond her expectations.


    Truly... it''s bing more and more interesting.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko showed interest: "What do you want?"


    She had thought that she could guess his condition, probably something like helping him reunite with Kiryu Hina.


    However, she could never have expected that Kagura Hikaru would say something like this¡ª


    "What I want is simple," his gaze flickered, "in the next Student Council election, ensure that Kiryu Hina loses!"

 Chapter 18 Mr. Kagura, What a Coincidence!

    Ding-ling~


    "Wee to Kafka Cafe. What would you like to order?"


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko walked into a vintage and elegantly decorated cafe and sat facing each other at a small table for two by the window.


    "A cup of Blue Mountain Coffee."


    "Maruyama Coffee."


    Waitress: "Would you like some dessert with that?"


    "No, thank you."


    Waitress: "Alright, please wait a moment~"


    Kagura Hikaru stared out the window for a few seconds, then turned to Ayakoji Chiyoko, "I saw youing out of a coffee shop earlier, and you had a c at the live house. Can you still drink more?"


    "No problem," said Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kagura Hikaru nodded.


    Once again, the air was filled with silence.


    Five minutes passed, and the waitress came with a tray, cing two cups of coffee and milk in front of them, with sugar cubes at the center of the table.


    Waitress: "Enjoy~"


    Even among those who love coffee, everyone''s preferences are different.


    Some people like it with milk, some enjoy it ck, and some like it with just sugar, no milk.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t drink coffee often, but he had his own routine.


    He preferred it sweet, with a smooth, tea-like texture, so he would pour in the entire small cup of prepared milk right away, add two sugar cubes, and slowly stir. The spoon would clink crisply against the cup.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, on the other hand, preferred the opposite¡ªshe wouldn''t add anything, savoring the pure taste of the coffee.


    It must be very bitter, but her expression didn''t show it at all. She was obviously well ustomed to this way of drinking it.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but admire her silently.


    "Why?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko put down her coffee cup and suddenly asked.


    "What are you referring to?"


    "What you said earlier, about making Kiryu Hina lose the election. Was that true?"


    "It was true."


    Kagura Hikaru stopped stirring, tapped the side of his cup, set the spoon aside on the saucer, and took a sip.


    It was a bit too sweet.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko tapped her fingers on the table: "The reason?"


    "Noment."


    Kagura Hikaru avoided Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze, not intending to exin his reasons.


    He didn''t mind being seen as the viin.


    After all, regardless of whether Ayakoji Chiyoko agreed or not, he was going to do it anyway.


    This was a decision made after leaving the Student Council at noon.


    Ever since Kiryu Hina became the Student Council President and put on a perfect mask, Kagura Hikaru increasingly felt the distance between her and his memories of the past.


    It was the same person, yet not quite.


    Rather than calling it ''growth'', it was more like a disguise, concealment.


    The current Kiryu Hina was like ying a role only she knew, with her own script in this world, being a perfect individual, a perfect honors student, a perfect Student Council President.


    She appeared strong but, in reality, she was like a castle made of sand, likely to copse at any moment.


    Intuition and knowledge told Kagura Hikaru that if Kiryu Hina continued living behind a mask, one day she would lose her sense of self and be lost in the lies.


    In the worst-case scenario, she could be emotionally numb, unable to properly recognize her feelings, lose empathy for others, and her sense of self would gradually fade away, as would her social nature, potentially developing into more severe mental disorders.


    This wasn''t just rmist talk; It could be reality.


    Every person in this world has some degree of mental illness, and the more experiences they have, the more pronounced it is.


    With the Skill "Psychological Counseling lv3 (27/100)," Kagura Hikaru had seen some unsettling possibilities in Kiryu Hina.


    If things continued this way, maybe...


    He was the least qualified person to interfere; he was well aware of that fact.


    But it was much better than standing idly by.


    He didn''t care about the means, even if everyone saw him as the viin, and even if he truly was doing wicked things,pared to the goal he wanted to achieve, such a price was eptable.


    As for ensuring the correctness of his actions... The numerous skills he acquired through his mysterious mind-reading ability allowed Kagura Hikaru to examine problems from various professional angles. He was the least worried about this aspect.


    The position of Student Council President was probably one of the masks binding her.


    By breaking this outermost mask and shattering her perfection, Kiryu Hina would be forced to face her true self.


    As long as there were people who cared about her, she would eventually find her way back on her own.


    That was all he could do.


    Watching Kagura Hikaru''s stern face, Ayakoji Chiyoko slowly curled the corners of her mouth.


    It was as if she could see a splendid drama unfold through Kagura Hikaru''s eyes, and she lifted her coffee cup with pleasure, "You know what you''re saying, right? To me, the purpose of your actions seems utterly contradictory."


    She had specifically silenced Ai Cheng Hua Lian to protect Kiryu Hina from attacks, even if it meant shing with herself.


    But now, he had spoken words with a clear intent to harm Kiryu Hina.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko found Kagura Hikaru, this man, increasingly elusive.


    She thought she had understood his remaining affection for Kiryu Hina, yet he consistently acted beyond her expectations.


    Undoubtedly, he had his secrets, his considerations, his ns.


    They might intersect on some matter, but in the end, they might still find themselves on opposite sides.


    What''s more, Ayakoji Chiyoko could not guarantee that she would be able to defeat him in the future.


    The "Rock-Solid Prince" of the first years... indeed, there were only mistaken names, not mistaken nicknames.


    This was someone without weaknesses, as solid as a rock.


    ...No, there should still be a weakness.


    Thedy by the names of Kiryu and Hina.


    However, her intuition told her that the existence of a weakness only made the rock harder, more formidable.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She couldn''t control such a person.


    But this was also good¡ªit made him a worthy ally.


    Click.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko set her coffee cup back on the saucer, making a light noise.


    After mutual honesty, Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru could already be consideredrades on the ''front against Kiryu Hina''.


    Even though neither of them had uttered it, they both regarded each other as allies of sorts.


    Despite each harboring their own ulterior motives and mysterious goals, as long as they shared the same target, there was room for cooperation.


    After finishing the coffee and paying the bill, which was, of course, split between them.


    When they stepped out of the caf¨¦, dusk had set in, and the sky was a beautiful shade of red and orange.


    They walked toward the train station, nning to take the train home.


    The Ind Nation''s utilization rate of rail transit was astonishing; since extensivelyying tracks in thest century, it remains one of Tokyoites'' most frequently used modes of transport to this day.


    Whether for students or srymenmuting, or going out for travel, Inders prefer taking the train.


    The sight of trains packed with passengers like sardines during peak hours even became a representative image of the Ind Nation.


    Normally, Kagura Hikaru had little chance to experience this, as their school had early arrivals andte dismissals, missing the peak times for both journeys.


    But at this time, it was smack in the middle of the peak period for sardine-packed trains.


    Just the thought of that crowded scene and the air filled with various odors... he really felt the urge to call a taxi service, if only the price wasn''t so high.


    Just as Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru were about to use their IC cards to enter the station, the former''s phone rang. She took it out, nced at it, and her face immediately darkened.


    "Kagura Hikaru, go ahead on your own, someone''sing to pick me up."


    "Oh."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t say much, swiped his IC card at the gate, but it didn''t open, with the screen showing insufficient bnce.


    He went over to the recharge machine to add five thousand yen to his IC card.


    When he returned to the gate, he found that Ayakoji Chiyoko had already moved to stand under amppost at the corner, conversing with a man seated in a ck Mercedes.


    It seemed her ride had arrived.


    The man must have been over thirty, wearing a mask, somewhat familiar-looking, smiling with his eyes as he chatted with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Thetter appeared disgusted, yet she didn''t distance herself.


    From their interaction, the man didn''t seem to be a driver from the Ayakoji family, nor could he easily be imagined as Ayakoji Chiyoko''s boyfriend, considering the age difference and theirck of intimate behavior.


    Familiar-looking, and yet close to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kagura Hikaru almost immediately thought of one person.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s father, the well-known actor¡ªRyoma Ayakoji!


    This man truly was a celebrity; Kagura Hikaru could see advertisements featuring him on the streets nearly every day. Seeing him in person all of a suddencked a sense of reality.


    He had no intention of greeting him, and after watching Ayakoji Chiyoko get in the car, he turned and entered the station.


    Checking the time for the next train''s arrival, it looked like he had a few minutes to wait, so he decided to stand by the tform to wait.


    Because it was peak hour, the tform was crowded, mostly with students and office workers¡ªschool uniforms and suits filled his view.


    The thought of having topete with so many people to squeeze through those few small train doors made Kagura Hikaru''s heart sink.


    He hated such crowded situations, especially when forced toe into bodily contact with others.


    Just as he began to hesitate, wondering whether to go out and wander around to pass the time, someone suddenly tapped him on the back.


    Kagura Hikaru turned around to see a smiling face known as Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    "Mr. Kagura, what a coincidence!"

 Chapter 19 Kabedon Inside the Tram

    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, a sophomore at the same school, was secretly the lead singer of a girls'' band.


    If ced in a galgame, she would probably be the childhood friend type of character that yers could woo.


    She wasn''t like Kiryu Hina or Ayakoji Chiyoko, who were dazzlingly distinctive and stood out from the rest.


    But if one took the time to observe carefully, they could discover the attractive qualities hidden within her.


    "Mr. Kagura, you are getting home sote. Where have you been?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian asked curiously with a smile.


    "I had a performance today."


    "Eh~ Where, where?"


    "It was at a livehouse called ''Makyo''."


    "Ah, I know that ce!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian eximed with surprise, covering her mouth slightly, "But I heard that the bands performing there are really scary, and everyone is afraid to go there... "


    "All the bands are made up of very gentle people," Kagura Hikaru defended them.


    "Is that so... It''s true, there are fewer bad people who seriously y in bands. Whenever they have time, they''re practicing."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian nodded convincingly.


    "I get it now - band people are stay-at-homes!"


    ...How did shee to that conclusion?


    "Oh, just look." Seeing the puzzled expression on Kagura Hikaru''s face, Ai Cheng Hua Lian exined exuberantly, "These days, the music scene is sopetitive that musicians need to practice a lot at home to improve and be recognized, right?"


    "Yeah."


    "And even when they''re rehearsing with the band, they''re holed up in a closed practice room, right?"


    "Yeah."


    "See, that''s being a stay-at-home!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian excitedly pped her hands together as if imitating the ''apple~pencil~'' uncle in the yellow shirt, then spread them apart, smiling at him.


    "Staying at home to practice, and even going out is just to practice; so, the conclusion is simple - band people are indoor types who stay at home!"


    "...You actually make some sense."


    Kagura Hikaru pondered seriously, and it was almost terrifying to think further.


    Indeed, thinking about it, the people he knew who were seriously into the bands were hardly ever seen wasting time. They practiced so much daily that it was intimidating, making Kagura Hikaru, who relied on the system to get better, ashamed.


    Those real practice demons were often taciturn. When with talkative people, they would only give a sheepish smile, never initiating conversation.


    Even a significant number of them were so into anime that they spent their free time studying Touhou music arrangements, tricking band members into listening to anime songs.


    ...This definitely describes a nerd!


    Kagura Hikaru looked at Ai Cheng Hua Lian in astonishment.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Could she truly be a genius?


    "Hehe."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian arrogantly tilted her chin up, and her white neck was as beautiful as that of a swan.


    Talking with the girls around her, she unconsciously waited until the subway train arrived.


    The train screeched to a halt, and the station attendant blocked the exit to make the crowd step back.


    However, as soon as the doors opened, people who needed to exit immediately started heading out, and those entering did the same; shouting was useless, for who could guarantee they''d be able to get on the train on time?


    The massive flow of people inside and outside the train converged, exchanging ces painfully and slowly.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian were caught in the mix, seemingly afraid of being separated by the crowd, with Ai Cheng Hua Lian gripping his shoulder bag strap for dear life.


    In the nick of time before the doors closed, they managed to squeeze into the train, standing in a shaken state next to the door.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian cautiously checked her hair and clothes to ensure they weren''t caught by the doors, while Kagura Hikaru used his profile to watch the movement of the crowd at the back, feeling the intense pressure on his back. Without a sound, he ced a hand on the door, struggling to maintain a small space.


    "Eh?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, totally unprepared, looked up to see Kagura Hikaru''s face less than a foot away, his right hand reaching over her shoulder to the train door behind her.


    Is this what they call a "wall m"?!?!


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s heart pounded furiously, her ears beginning to heat up and turn red.


    She subconsciously swung her shoulder bag in front of her chest to serve as a cushion in case Kagura Hikaru leaned forward.


    "The space is really tight, bear with it for a while," noticing her difort, Kagura Hikaru tilted his head andforted her.


    "...Okay."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian replied softly, her cheeks beginning to turn red as well.


    The air grew heavier.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian each looked in different directions, lost in their own thoughts.


    The train moved on the rails at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, the scenery outside slowly moving backwards.


    Whenever certain tracks were passed, the carriage would sway slightly, causing passengers inside to sway left and right. identally bumping heads or stepping on someone''s foot wasmon, and apologies could be heard from corners of the carriage now and then.


    Once it quieted down, many things became unavoidable.


    The humid and hot air in the carriage, the smell of smoke, alcohol, even body odor, as well as the arms and thighs of strangers pressed against one.


    It was truly an ufortable space, Kagura Hikaru had decided he would avoid riding the train at this time at all costs in the future, it was like paying to be insulted.


    He looked at Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who was looking down, and couldn''t help but ask, "Senior, do you usually take the train home at this time?"


    "Eh?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked up in surprise and responded, "Not every day. After the school club activities are over, I have band practice and then head home. Usually, it''s muchter and not so crowded."


    "That''s good." Kagura Hikaru whispered to her, "In such chaotic carriages, there might be perverts on the prowl, you''re a girl, Senior, you must be careful."


    "Ah... uh... "


    Probably not expecting Kagura Hikaru to bring up the topic of perverts, Ai Cheng Hua Lian nodded somewhat foolishly.


    Then, a beat toote, she realized he was showing concern for her, and blushing, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Kagura, I''ll be careful from now on."


    "Yes, if someone could apany you like today... uh..."


    "? Mr. Kagura?"


    "...Never mind."


    Kagura Hikaru felt the odd sensation of hands kneading his waist and hips.


    Just as he was cautioning others to be wary of perverts, he found himself a victim.


    He turned his head slightly and discovered that the person pressed against his back was a petite young girl, dressed in a sailor uniform, looking to be about middle school age, with her hands mischievously moving on him.


    ...So bold at such a young age to make a move on an older man, truly audacious.


    He frowned, nning to resist, but Ai Cheng Hua Lian seemed to notice his difort and acted first.


    She almost embraced Kagura Hikaru as she leaned over to look behind him, immediately spotting the misbehaving middle school girl behind him and ring daggers at her.


    Feeling the gaze, the middle school girl withdrew her hands like she had touched an electric fence, turned sideways, and dared not move again.


    Kagura Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief, looked down at Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s hair whorl, and said, "Thank you, Senior."


    "No, it''s nothing..."


    Feeling Kagura Hikaru''s breath on her hair, Ai Cheng Hua Lian suddenly realized she was leaning too close, almost lying on him.


    The masculine scenting from him, like a fresh lemon-scented shower gel, was warm.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian resisted the urge to scream, blushing as she backed away and quietly chatted with Kagura Hikaru to divert her attention.


    Apart from casually asking about the brand of shower gel he used at home, everything else was within the bounds of propriety.


    Kagura Hikaru answered honestly.


    Ironically, the shower gel at his home was endorsed by Ryoma Ayakoji, Chiyoko Ayakoji''s father, with his half-body portrait printed on the casing, and every night the family had to bare themselves and meet his gaze.


    Usually, it didn''t matter, but today it felt like he had encountered the man himself...


    Next time he would advise his aunt to buy a different brand.

 Chapter 20 Always, Always Watching You

    After about twenty minutes of torment, he finally reached the station near Kagura Hikaru''s house and told Ai Cheng Hua Lian in advance, "I''m getting off here, take care of yourself."


    "Wait, Mr. Kagura.....I''m getting off at this stop too."


    "Really?" Kagura Hikaru was somewhat surprised, "Alright then, I''ll lead the way out."


    Just like when they boarded, Kagura Hikaru led the way, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian clung desperately to the straps of his backpack, struggling through the crowd, feeling like a tube of toothpaste being squeezed out.


    Once they reached a more open space, they both took deep breaths of fresh air as if on cue.


    The train had really been suffocating.


    Seeing each other make the same gesture, they couldn''t help but exchange nces.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian suddenly broke into a smile, and Kagura Hikaru''s expression softened a bit.


    He still couldn''t bring himself to smile, although he tried hard¡ªsurely this was some kind of psychological barrier?


    "So, Mr. Kagura, about where do you live? If it''s on the way, we could walk together for a bit," Ai Cheng Hua Lian suggested at that moment.


    "I live in... (omitting)"


    "Oh, my house is nearby too!"


    They shared their approximate addresses and were surprised to find that they lived quite close to each other, within walking distance.


    It was odd that despite living so close and taking the same train to school, they had never encountered each other on their way to school.


    "Could there be such a coincidence?" Kagura Hikaru expressed his doubt.


    "Yeah, it really is a coincidence~"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, smiling brightly.


    This was a lie.


    Quantum theory tells all humanity that the world is a world of random numbers; coincidences can happen, but they can''t happen every day.


    In fact, Ai Cheng Hua Lian had been watching him for a long time.


    Every day, she could see Kagura Hikaru on this train.


    He liked to sit in a corner and read on the train; if it was too crowded he preferred standing, holding onto the handrail, always giving up his seat to the elderly and pregnant women, neverte¡ªshe knew all his habits.


    But Ai Cheng Hua Lian just watched, never approaching.


    Someone as insignificant as she, once touched by sunlight, would probably quickly turn to dust, and no one would sympathize with her.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Those who dream of achieving ideals like Icarus will eventually end up like the mythological figure¡ªwings melted, plummeting into the sea from the high skies.


    So, she wouldn''t approach; it was enough to watch from a distance.


    As for why Kagura Hikaru hadn''t recognized her, he probably saw her as just one of the other female high school students on the same train, which is why he hadn''t noticed her.


    After all, she didn''t possess the beauty of President Kiriyu or President Ayakoji, nor did she have any noticeable feminine allure, so it was normal for her to be treated this way.


    She had always believed that there would never be a day when her life would intersect with his.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, firm in this belief, was however fooled by fate.


    The Red Pepper Band, formed outside of school, decided for the first time to perform on stage at a livehouse and urgently needed a person to stabilize the morale.


    Therefore, the livehouse manager rmended to them a most excellent hire guitar yer, the price very tempting.


    The four members of the Red Pepper Band each chipped in a little money, enough to cover the hiring fee.


    When the guitar yer arrived, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, pushed to the forefront by her team members, momentarily doubted her own eyes.


    Because the person, looked exactly like Kagura Hikaru!


    Of course, at that time, she was too shocked to think clearly¡ªthat was Kagura Hikaru, the guitar yer they hired to anchor the show.


    That moment was the first time Ai Cheng Hua Lian believed there was such a thing as ''fate'' in this world.


    The once untouchable sun had approached her on its own.


    Afterwards, thanks to Kagura Hikaru''s help, the performance sessfully concluded, andter on campus, she learned more about Kagura Hikaru from the Student Council President.


    Now, riding the same train and walking home on the same route, they were talking as normally as friends do.


    It was too dazzling; she felt she might turn to ash at any moment.


    Is this life really okay, something she could ept with peace of mind?


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was infatuated with such times, yet she was terrified.


    Were her wings really well secured?


    Would they, while she was immersed in happiness, unaware, suddenly fall apart, causing her to crash utterly?


    "Hey Mr. Kagura, look, someone is selling candy floss over there!"


    Excited, Ai Cheng Hua Lian tugged on Kagura Hikaru''s sleeve, pulling him along.


    A minuteter, each of them was holding a stick of candy floss, nibbling as they walked.


    It had been years since they had eaten this stuff.


    Kagura Hikaru thought.


    Ever since they had grown out of childhood, everyone seemed consciously to shun childish things, but once they went to university, their interests would suddenly surge back, bing passionate once more.


    Then, after a while, as they entered society and careers kept them busy, they stopped caring. Once their work stabilized or they grew weary in body and mind, they would begin to indulge again.


    He called this the "Childlike Reincarnation Rule."


    "Senior Ai Cheng."


    "Hmm?"


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly wanted to ask her, "How old do you think you''ll be when youpletely lose interest in candy floss?"


    "Eh~? What a strange question."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian stuck out her pink tongue to catch some candy floss that had stuck to the corner of her mouth, prompting Kagura Hikaru to pull a small pack of tissues from his pocket and hand her one.


    "Here."


    "Ah, thank you," Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s cheeks flushed momentarily as she took the tissue and wiped the corner of her mouth, then held it in her palm, and naturallyined, "It''s my first time seeing someone carry around tissues like that. Shouldn''t it usually be a handkerchief?"


    "I don''t have the habit of carrying a handkerchief," Kagura Hikaru shook his head, "And besides, don''t you think guys who carry handkerchiefs seem a bit effeminate?"


    "Ah... is that so?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian tilted her head, then shook it, "No, no, the conversation''s gotten a bit too serious! What did Mr. Kagura ask me again?"


    "How old you would be to lose all interest in candy floss."


    "Right, that! Hmm... I think I''ll always be interested no matter my age! Even if I''m an old granny with no teeth, candy floss is still something you can eat, right?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian happily took a big bite of the pink candy floss, mumbling as she chewed, "But... if it''s... high blood sugar... that''d be troublesome... hehe."


    "Is that so?" Kagura Hikaru pondered and nodded.


    It seemed that his ''Childlike Reincarnation Rule'' couldn''t go on indefinitely.


    "Mmm, mmm, candy floss is so yummy~!"


    "Remember to brush your teeth when you get back," Kagura Hikaru nced at her sideways.


    "Mr. Kagura!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian stamped her foot in embarrassment, "Don''t just say things like that. It makes girls flustered!"


    "But you responded just fine, didn''t you?"


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her calmly.


    His emotionless pupils were like ck holes, deep and bottomless.


    "Mr. Kagura, you''re so cunning..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I won''t tell you!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian swiftly walked a few steps ahead, joyfully running toward the next snack stall.


    Despite being the top elite of the Haneoka Volleyball Club, why was she spending all day eating?


    Even if seeking an excuse to cover up her shyness, it shouldn''t always revolve around food, right? People would think she''s a glutton!


    "Look at this, Mr. Kagura, there are grilled fish over here, it smells so good!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian found another excuse to look back, calling his name as Kagura Hikaru, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, walked over leisurely, the massive pink candy floss in his hand stark against his calm demeanor.


    The contrast made it hard not to chuckle.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian silently curled up a smile.


    Mr. Kagura, you really are cunning, indulging a girl''s whims like this, willingly at her beck and call.


    This kind of amodating gentleness, for Icarus, was no different from the sun.


    That''s why I like Mr. Kagura so much.


    ''How old will you be topletely lose interest in candy floss?'' That''s what you asked, right? Actually, I''ve already found the answer.


    No matter how many years pass, I will always, always, keep liking Kagura Hikaru.

 Chapter 21 Justice did not occur on the way to school

    After parting ways with Ai Cheng Hua Lian at the intersection, Kagura Hikaru walked home, dealing with the grilled fish and cotton candy in his hands.


    Before he reached home, he had sessfully finished them off.


    Kagura Hikaru''s father was quite strict. Had he found out that his son had eaten snacks before dinner, a lecture would have been guaranteed.


    Yet, he still miscalcted. Since there were no trash cans along the way, he was left with a small packaging bag and a wooden stick in his hand. As soon as he arrived home, he was exposed and ended up getting scolded.


    After dinner, in his room.


    Kagura Hikaru turned on the deskmp,y in bed, and stared at his phone screen, which disyed the text message interface, and even the email had to be entered manually.


    He had informed Kiryu Hina about the Society Discussion Meeting and warned her to be wary of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s retaliation.


    The Society Discussion Meeting, formed tobat the News Department, was not a bad idea if the timing hadn''t been off.


    After all, controlling public opinion was critical when it came to disrupting future student elections.


    But stirring trouble when Kiryu Hina was already prepared was not a wise move.


    After sending the message, he saw no reply from Kiryu Hina for a long time.


    Kagura Hikaru had to put down his phone and do his own thing.


    ........


    The next morning, the rm rang.


    A pair of tired eyes slowly opened, with dark circles faintly visible under them.


    Struggling to turn off the rm, Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes closed again.


    After what seemed like five minutes under the mental urging of ''must get up for school,'' she slowly turned over the nkets. Startled by the temperature difference outside the cocoon of her bed, she almost shrank back in.


    Her pale little feet quickly slipped into the warm plush slippers, and she got up, yawning profusely. While descending the stairs, her head still felt heavy, and she almost missed a step.


    Because she had run into Kagura Hikaru yesterday and chatted for a long time, she was so excited that she couldn''t sleep and kept tossing and turning in bed, which resulted in her current state.


    Perhaps it was karma that just as Ai Cheng Hua Lian made it downstairs, her mother, who was tidying up the dishes in the dining room, scolded, "What are you dallying for, do you even know what time it is? Hurry or you''ll miss the train!"


    "What?!"


    This snapped her fully awake. She nced at the clock, felt panic surge through her, and rushed into the bathroom to use the toilet and brush her teeth in two minutes, not even bothering to wash her face, grabbed her backpack, and dashed out the door.


    Seeing her rush, Ai Cheng''s mother couldn''t help but shout, "Aren''t you going to eat?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian turned back, quickly grabbed a piece of bread and a box of milk, and stuffed them into her backpack.


    "I''ll eat on the way!"


    "Watch the road carefully!"


    "I know~!"


    Checking both sides of the road, Ai Cheng Hua Lian started running.


    The teachers who initiated girls''ics once said, a female lead running to school with a piece of bread in her mouth and bumping into a boy at the corner, then identally getting her panties seen, is justice!


    The teachers who initiated BLics once said, a male lead running to school with a piece of bread in his mouth and bumping into a boy at the corner, then identally kissing mouth to mouth, is justice!


    The teachers who initiated actionics once said, a male lead running to school with a piece of bread in his mouth and bumping into his archrival at the corner, then identally starting a fierce battle leading to the destruction of a city block, is justice!


    None of these scenarios happened to Ai Cheng Hua Lian. She just ran to the station quite ordinarily and caught the train just before the doors closed.


    "Well, that was close...!"


    She panted heavily, holding onto the handrail.


    Already dealing with low blood pressure in the morning, and not having eaten, even as the ace of the Haneoka Volleyball Club, her body struggled with the intense physical activity.


    It was still earlypared to the peak hours. Although the carriage wasn''t empty, it wasn''t as crowded as yesterday, and if one looked carefully, one might even find a few seats.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian scanned around, looking for a spot and searching for that boy''s silhouette.


    There!


    At the end of the carriage, sitting in a corner, was indeed Kagura Hikaru, his head slightly bowed, holding and reading a book.


    From this distance, the title was not visible, only the ck cover was.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian didn''t go up to greet him but found a standing spot from which she could clearly see Kagura Hikaru and decided to stay put.


    Staring at a beautiful boy every morning, on reflection, was really kind of a perverted hobby, almost like a nymphomaniac.


    Although it was a sinful thing, she couldn''t stop herself¡ªperhaps this was what they called an addiction.


    She took out a carton of milk from her backpack, tore open the straw, and stuck it in.


    She had just taken a sip when she looked up and realized she had lost sight of the beautiful young boy, Kagura Hikaru was no longer at that seat!


    "Senior Ai Cheng, good morning."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A calm voice came from behind her, prompting Ai Cheng Hua Lian to stiffly turn around.


    It wasn''t an illusion, Kagura Hikaru was indeed standing behind her.


    "You, you''re greeting me...?"


    "Is there a second Senior Ai Cheng in this car?"


    "No... um... good morning, Mr. Kagura."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian took a big gulp of milk and then, as expected, choked, covering her mouth as she coughed.


    She had assumed that Kagura Hikaru would ignore her as usual, why did he have to... today of all days?


    Is it my fault, was it my fault for not holding back and hitting on him yesterday?!


    Wait? Wait, did I really do something wrong? My favorite idol is treating me differently!


    Win, win, win!


    Wuhu~!!


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s heart leaped with joy, she took another fierce gulp of milk, and then choked again.


    "Cough, cough, cough..."


    "Are you okay?"


    "Cough, cough...No, no problem..."


    They chatted intermittently, mostly about trivial topics,rgely initiated by Ai Cheng Hua Lian with Kagura Hikaru responding.


    Although thetter spoke less, he always reciprocated, ensuring the conversation flowed without making the speaker feel awkward.


    In consideration of each other''s feelings, he even refrained from lifting his book again.


    In the past, Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought Kagura Hikaru was a cold person who was hard to approach, but now she realized that was not the case.


    He just seemed distant on the surface, but was inherently kind-hearted.


    Once regarded as a friend, he would reveal a tender and amodating side.


    Exactly the type Ai Cheng Hua Lian adored.


    ...please stop increasing my fondness for you, what am I going to do if I can''t hold back and confess to you?!


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was internally panicking.


    Before they knew it, the train had passed several stops and it was time to get off.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian moved towards the door in advance, and after the train stopped, they disembarked with the crowd, still walking side by side.


    But as they neared the school, Ai Cheng Hua Lian deliberately created distance between them.


    "I''m sorry Mr. Kagura, it''s better if we stay apart for now. If President Ayakoji misunderstands our rtionship, it would trouble you too..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian apologetically scratched her face.


    In reality, Kagura Hikaru didn''t care about these things, but he also knew that when a girl is considering his feelings, it''s best not to ignore her intentions.


    "Mr. Kagura, I support you and President Ayakoji! Go for it!"


    "Oh..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian winked and then dashed ahead to greet her ssmates, entering the school in groups.


    Kagura Hikaru, slightly confused, watched her back, deliberately slowing down to cross the school gate after everyone else.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s worries were justified, today was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s turn to lead the gate duty, a group of Discipline Committee members enthusiastically greeted the students.


    As he passed the school gate, Kagura Hikaru could distinctly feel Ayakoji Chiyoko''s sharp gaze on him, he pretended not to notice and turned his head, blending into the crowd.


    On the right side of the courtyard in front of the teaching building, several ckboards were set up, featuring posters for club recruitment, one particrlyrge poster caught Kagura Hikaru''s attention.


    [Focus on current hot topics, asionally delve into gossip, convey thetest fashion news!]


    [A society and newspaper serving only students.]


    [The Society Discussion Meeting is eagerly recruiting members, we wee you to join ~~!]


    [Location: old schoolhouse second floor, ssroom on the far right of the corridor]


    [PS: Our daily newspaper is set to be released soon, stay tuned!]

 Chapter 22 Start of the War

    ```


    The recruitment poster before her eyes was not only the size of three A4 papers put together, but also every aspect of it¡ªthe background image, the fonts, and theyout¡ªwas exceptionally pleasing to the eye, far exceeding what one would expect from a student effort. It was ced in the most conspicuous location.


    Almost every student who passed by couldn''t help but be drawn to it, and Kagura Hikaru had already seen two or three students stopping in front of the poster to discuss it.


    It seemed that Ayakoji Chiyoko''s ''News Department'' wouldn''t becking members.


    The orthodox News Department of Yuqiu High School was heavily tinged with an official vibe, with a school newspaper issued weekly mostly about studies, politics, university selection, school interaction¡ªold and stodgy and clearly at odds with the interests of contemporary youth.


    No wonder those newspapers, even when distributed freely, attracted no takers.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s Society Discussion Meeting, by contrast, was clearly taking a different route, one that the gossip tabloids, desperate for traffic, would use every tool at their disposal to follow.


    This was indeed a more realistic choice and one likely to quickly attract attention and gain influence.


    Yet,st night, he had already informed Hina about the existence and true intentions of the Society Discussion Meeting. It probably wouldn''t be long before it caused trouble for the Student Council and then get shut down.


    Kagura Hikaru was ultimately a person from Kiryu Hina''s camp. Even if she had be an ally of Ayakoji Chiyoko, at this point in time, she wouldn''t stand by her side, both emotionally and logically.


    Then, three days passed.


    The Society Discussion Meeting posters had be even more prevalent within the school, and the first edition of their news daily had been printed¡ª50 copies that were snapped up by mid-morning. Word was they were already rushing to print more.


    Not only did they feature topics of interest to girls, like zodiac divination, fashion trends, celebrity gossip, TV dramas, and addresses of boutique stores, but also topics appealing to boys, such as the situation of wars, game information and strategies from major global manufacturers.


    It even touched lightly on otaku culture, dedicating a section to discuss several hit animations of the season and predicting which original series would be a dark horse.


    It was as if all the topics that currently interested young people were gathered together¡ªnot being popr would''ve been strange.


    The Society Discussion Meeting was bustling with activity.


    And the Student Council... made no move at all, as ifpletely unaware of what was going on, letting their expansion go unchecked.


    This was entirely beyond Kagura Hikaru''s expectations. He didn''t understand why Kiryu Hina was doing nothing. Could it be that she didn''t receive his text message that night?


    Could it be that Hina was deliberately ignoring the information to cooperate with him, to prevent this spy from being exposed?


    No, that couldn''t be the case. Even if he hadn''t said anything, with Hina''s own intelligence, she should have been aware of the potential danger, yet up to this point, the Society Discussion Meeting hadn''t encountered any hindrance.


    This was indeed a bizarre urrence.


    After much thought, Kagura Hikaru decided to let it be. Hina was no fool; if the situation continued to develop, it was probably within her ns.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    So he decided not to add to the chaos, and to just be an observer.


    Several more days passed.


    The Society Discussion Meeting''s daily paper was now in such demand that Kagura Hikaru saw students holding the newspaper every day, gathering in groups to chuckle and chatter.


    Girls discussed the cake shop featured in the paper, excitedly waiting to visit after school.


    Boys debated in the sports section about which high school teams would make it to Koshien this year.


    The daily paper from the Society Discussion Meeting spread through the school like a virus.


    In the face of the enemy''s rapid offensive, both the Student Council and the News Department remained inactive, contentedly sitting back and waiting, as if for the right moment.


    Today was the turning point.


    Kagura Hikaru spread out the daily newspaper he had borrowed from a female ssmate. At the bottom section, the Society Discussion Meeting touched on campus news for the first time, discussing the recent rumor that had been circting about Student Council President Kiryu Hina bullying a student.


    ```


    [.....For this reason, our magazine took the initiative to interview Miss Ayakoji Chiyoko, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.]


    [Reporter: "President Ayakoji, what is your view on this matter?"]


    [Ayakoji Chiyoko: "If this is true, then the Disciplinary Committee will not tolerate it, even if she is the Student Council President."]


    [Reporter: "But so far, there has been no evidence found for this matter, could it really just be a rumor?"]


    [Ayakoji Chiyoko: "As long as there is this possibility, we cannot ignore it. If anyone has relevant information, pleasee forward to the Disciplinary Committee, and we will fully protect your rights and demands."]


    Kagura Hikaru believed there was no need to read the rest after seeing this part.


    He closed the daily paper, returned it to his ssmate, and knew in his heart that Ayakoji Chiyoko had already started to act.


    With several days of fermenting, the Society Discussion Meeting daily paper had already attained enough influence and trust among the students, which is why they chose this moment to touch upon the topic of campus gossip.


    Regarding the previous rumors about Kiryu Hina bullying a student, actually, few people are discussing it now, after all, no evidence has been found and no one hase forward to report, naturally it would blow over, with most just murmuring about it in their hearts.


    However, today''s Society Discussion Meeting daily paper directly published this matter as news, an act akin to throwing a torch into the woods. A forest fire seems unavoidable.


    As for the extent of the fire, that depends on the response of the Student Council next.


    A rumor that was about to fade away; why did it turn into a ''forest fire''? The answer is quite simple.


    It''s not that it would turn into a forest fire, but rather that Ayakoji Chiyoko believed it should be a forest fire, a spark to start a war.


    The truth no longer matters, what''s important is the stance of the Disciplinary Committee, and that of the Society Discussion Meeting.


    Having control of the narrative and means of public opinion implies that such things¡ªsmearing others¡ªbe exceedingly easy.


    Kagura Hikaru''s worries eventually became reality.


    The following day, the content on the Society Discussion Meeting daily paper was about interviewing a sophomore girl who ''allegedly witnessed the Student Council President bullying at the scene''].


    [Reporter: "Student Ai Cheng, I heard you witnessed the Student Council President pouring milk on a freshman''s head, is this true?"]


    [Student Ai Cheng: "False, it''s false! I never said such a thing!"]


    [Reporter: "Are you sure? Are you not speaking the truth because you fear the authority of the Student Council President?"]


    [Student Ai Cheng: ".....No such thing!"]


    [Reporter: "Then may I ask if you are acquainted with that freshman?"]


    [Student Ai Cheng: "I don''t know, I don''t recognize.....no, I don''t understand what you''re saying!"]


    [Our reporter noticed that during the interview, the interviewee''s gaze flickered and seemingly deliberately avoided certain key questions. There might be more to the story here.]


    [For further details, please wait for follow-up reports.]


    It''s over.


    Kagura Hikaru felt a sinking feeling in his heart.


    It looked like Ayakoji Chiyoko had no intention of concocting false testimony, but merely casting doubts on this suspicious atmosphere was enough to drag down Kiryu Hina''s credibility.


    Isn''t the Student Council going to do anything yet?


    During the lunch break, when he saw several unfamiliar students blocking his path at the ssroom door under the pretense of conducting a Society Discussion Meeting interview, Kagura Hikaru realized he could not remain untouched by this matter.

 Chapter 23 Did You Really Betray Us, Mr. Kagura!

    "Hello, I would like to interview..."


    "I refuse."


    "But..."


    "I refuse."


    Facing the aggressive Society Discussion Meeting, Chiyoko Ayakoji wasted no time mourning her social demise and immediately rushed to the battlefield ¡ª the "No interviews" free pass!


    Kagura Hikaru definitely didn''t want to make the same mistake as Ai Cheng Hua Lian of talking too much and getting it wrong, and decided he wouldn''t give them any material to work with.


    "If there''s nothing else, I''m leaving."


    "We..."


    With a demeanor that showed he wasn''t listening, Kagura Hikaru coldly pushed past those so-called reporters and quickly left the ssroom.


    "President, this..."


    "What are you waiting for, chase him!"


    The members of the Society Discussion Meeting hurriedly followed him but soon lost sight of him in the corridor downstairs.


    The members split up to search but regrouped shortly after without any sess.


    One member asked confusingly, "President, Kagura Hikaru isn''t cooperating, what do we do?"


    The girl, referred to as the president and a senior, was biting her nails as she muttered darkly, "He won''t say anything... Fine, there are ways to write about non-cooperation too."


    She revealed a confident smile.


    Did they really think they couldn''t fabricate news just because he didn''t say anything? Naive.


    Journalists are not so easily defeated!


    The next day, in the Society Discussion Meeting Daily:


    [Reporter A: "Today our target is Kagura, a first-year student. Reliable sources indicate that he is very likely the bullying victim of Kiryu, the Student Council President."]


    [Reporter B: "I heard he''s quite a handsome guy."]


    [During lunch break, our reporters rushed to Kagura''s ss with a sincere desire to interview him but faced a firm refusal. His attitude was very strong, showing a great aversion to being interviewed. He even ran away in the midst of speaking, disappearing after rushing down the stairs.]


    [Afterward, we learned from his ssmates that on the day the bullying incident urred, Kagura left early after lunch break for unknown reasons.]


    [Other multiple witnesses imed they saw a male student resembling Kagura covered in yogurt on his head and body, entering the restroom to wash his hair, possibly a victim of bullying.]


    [This inevitably leads our reporters to suspect.]


    [After three days of following the story, we can briefly disengage the entire process.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [About seven days ago, Kiryu, the Student Council President, was suspected of bullying a fellow student.]


    [On the day of the incident, Kagura, a first-year student, left early during lunch break, with yogurt poured all over him.]


    [ssmate Ai Cheng, a sophomore, vigorously denied the rumors, but his expression flickered, suggesting something hidden.]


    [The suspected bullying victim, first-year student Kagura, refused interviews and even fled the scene.]


    [The truth bes increasingly elusive, but our reporters will continue to provide follow-up coverage.]


    This isn''t ''elusive''; it''s clearly insinuating!


    When this issue of the Society Discussion Meeting Daily came out, it immediately caused a huge uproar, much more severe than when it was merely rumored.


    Bullying, bullying, bullying!


    This is a sensitive topic that should not be mentioned in schools, yet it keeps getting linked with the outwardly perfect image of the Student Council President.


    The corruption of a clean politician, the criminal tax evasion by a charity star, and the moral monk''s affair¡ªjust like how good people do dirty deeds behind closed doors, the contrast between hypocrisy and the dark truth is the topic that the public is most enthusiastic about.


    Therefore, Hina Kiryu was once again thrust into the crucible of public scrutiny.


    "No matter what you do, it seems it''s wrong."


    Back in the usual Kafka Cafe, Kagura Hikaru sipped his coffee, "The Society Discussion Meeting group are indeed very skilled."


    Sitting across from him, Ai Cheng Hua Lian fiercely stirred her coffee cup, "That reporter from the Society Discussion Meeting, constantly making up stuff about me, taking things out of context¡ªit''s infuriating!"


    The two being seen together outside school, having what seemed like a date in a cafe, of course, was due to only one reason¡ª


    Society Discussion Meeting daily.


    The recent edition of the Society Discussion Meeting daily on the ''Student Council President bullying incident'' not only put Kiryu Hina through the wringer but also left Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru, the two rted parties, with no peace.


    Since the interview report was published, they had been looked at with unusual eyes by their ssmates every day.


    Although the newspaper used pseudonyms like ''the second-year student Ai Cheng'' and ''the first-year student Kagura'', it had narrowed it down to the grade level, which was almost the same as naming them!


    Kagura Hikaru even received pity snacks from the girls in his ss, a testament to how severe the incident was.


    These peoplepletely regarded him as a victim.


    And Ayakoji Chiyoko was automatically recognized as ''a poor and frail high school girl threatened by the Student Council President'', being advised daily by those around her to make an official report to the Disciplinary Committee to clear the air.


    To outsiders, the current situation seemed extremely bizarre.


    The school generally believed the bullying rumors were highly credible.


    And the public opinion led by the Society Discussion Meeting was indeed correct; the bullying incident had indeed urred. Kagura Hikaru was sshed with yogurt, and Ayakoji Chiyoko was personally persuaded by the Student Council President to refrain from reporting it.


    However, whether it was Kagura Hikaru or Ayakoji Chiyoko, both knew the ''true story'' behind it all, so they did not feel like victims at all, but rather, they considered Kiryu Hina to be the most persecuted party.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s anger towards the Society Discussion Meeting could clearly be seen spilling over from her face.


    Now, the Society Discussion Meeting, or rather, President Ayakoji, nned to bring down the prestige of Kiryu Hina to themon dust, their schemes making a loud tter, even counting them into the equation and turning it into a part of the public opinion battle.


    If things continued this way, Kiryu Hina might truly...


    Kagura Hikaru: "This ce''s coffee really has a pure taste."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Mr. Kagura, could you please be a little nervous!"


    Looking at someone whose eyes revealed no understanding, she lowered her head in defeat, "Can we only obediently wait for this to pass."


    "Perhaps."


    "Hmm, but if so, President Hina is really pitiful....."


    Click.


    Kagura Hikaru put down his coffee cup.


    "Just by our words, it''s indeed impossible to turn public opinion. But if this road is blocked, another might open; perhaps there''s another way."


    "Mr. Kagura~~"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes lit up with hope.


    Indeed, although she felt powerless, Kagura Hikaru''s intelligence was evident, and once he took action, he might definitely turn the tide!


    "Mr. Kagura said that the Society Discussion Meeting is controlled by President Ayakoji behind the scenes, right?" Ayakoji Chiyoko adorably clenched her fists, "I will also help, we must stop her evil n, Mr. Kagura!"


    Ring~


    "Wee to Kafka Cafe, what would you like to order?"


    "A cup of Maruyama Coffee."


    A somewhat familiar voice came from behind.


    Then the sound of footsteps approached.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face showed a horrified expression, she froze for a second, her neck creaked stiffly, and then, she watched as President Ayakoji walked past her, pulled out a chair, and sat next to Kagura Hikaru.


    With an air of ease, she crossed her legs and folded her arms across her chest, like a queen descending into themon area, the kind that would torment themoners.


    Even in a school uniform, that cruel nobility could still be felt through her gaze, movements, and tone, shing with the surrounding environment.


    "I thought I just heard something about an ''evil n''."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sat upright, sweating profusely, obediently still: "You must have heard wrong."


    "Is that so..." President Ayakoji appeared indifferent, "So, what exactly did you call me here to talk about?"


    Creak, creak, Ayakoji Chiyoko moved her neck, looking nkly towards Kagura Hikaru.


    Then she saw her supposedrade in arms, who put his elbows on the table, folded his arms, and turned to President Ayakoji to speak:


    "Let''s take down Kiryu Hina together, I look forward to working with you."


    Is this your way of fighting evil, Mr. Kagura?!?!!

 Chapter 24 Add a Line

    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was shocked and bewildered. Originally, she thought it was ludicrous enough that Kagura Hikaru dumped milk on her head just to hit on girls.


    What was even more outrageous was that this guy seemed to be nning to burn bridges after crossing them, aiming at his ex just to curry favor with President Ayakoji.


    Mr. Kagura, you''re actually this kind of person!


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was heartbroken.


    [Hint: Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s favorability has decreased ¨‹]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "You...," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, giving Kagura Hikaru a sidelong nce with a hint of resignation, "After all that grand-sounding talk before, now you suddenly change your tune. Do you think I''ll believe you? You must be nning to infiltrate the Society Discussion Meeting and cause trouble."


    Kagura Hikaru clicked his tongue, expressionless: "Tch, not fooled, huh."


    "..."


    "Eh? Is that so?!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian eximed in surprise.


    [Hint: Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s favorability has increased ¡ø]


    Perhaps because she was at a loss for words, Ayakoji Chiyoko let out an overt sigh, then stood up with a cold expression: "Calling me here just for this, utterly boring."


    "Hey, you''re leaving before your coffee even arrives?"


    "Drink it yourselves; I''ll pay for the coffee."


    Seeing that she really intended to leave, Kagura Hikaru could only try to keep her there: "Wait a moment, I have something else to say."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave him a nce and sat down again with her arms folded, her face, already icy, now disyed an added touch of impatience.


    If one could see an emotional value, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s patience had decreased by at least fifty percentage points since she entered the door.


    Sensing the murderous aura drifting about, Ai Cheng Hua Lian sat up straight, trembling, and stared down at her coffee cup as if there was a Smurf dancing inside.


    She truly admired Kagura Hikaru, who was actually able to speak calmly in such an atmosphere.


    "President Ayakoji, you must see the situation isn''t right," Kagura Hikaru said slowly, picking up his coffee cup, his eyelids lowered, "Your Society Discussion Meeting is beating Kiryu Hina ck and blue, yet she is unwilling even to fight back. This is not a good sign."


    "Hmph, maybe she''s just scared," Ayakoji Chiyoko sneered coldly.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed: "If you really think so, then I have nothing else to say."


    Of course, that wasn''t the case. Ayakoji Chiyoko knew better than anyone else how troublesome Kiryu Hina was.


    That person couldn''t possibly passively take a beating and not fight back in the end. She wasn''t a punching bag¡ªno, even a punching bag would hurt if you hit it. She would be betterpared to cotton.


    It wasn''t just her; any person with a normal IQ could feel the atmosphere tense up like a storm was about to break.


    There was undoubtedly a pitfall ahead waiting for Ayakoji Chiyoko to jump in.


    The problem was, she had no idea when this pit would appear, how wide it would be, or how deep.


    Walking a night path, fully aware of the traps ahead, was precisely the situation Ayakoji Chiyoko faced now.


    It seemed she hade far, yet peril lurked at every step.


    "What are your thoughts," Ayakoji Chiyoko fixed her gaze on Kagura Hikaru.


    But he just shook his head: "I''d advise you to stop now, it might not be toote."


    "The moment I made my move on that guy, retaliation was already en route. She''s that kind of woman," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a coldugh.


    Kagura Hikaru fell silent for a moment, feeling she had a point. So, he raised his cup symbolically.


    "Alright then, here''s to you getting what you deserve."


    "You... You have been getting more and more presumptuous with your words recently," she said.


    "If you dislike it, I can be more respectful, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee," he replied.


    "Tch."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian carefully looked up, nced around from side to side, and suddenly felt that Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru really looked like a married couple.


    Both liked to keep a straight face, expressionlessly dropping some frightening statements.


    Watching this pair of ''happy foes,'' Ai Cheng Hana felt that she shouldn''t be here, but rather under the table.


    "Ahaha... well then, I''ve got something else to attend to, so I''ll be heading out first, see you tomorrow..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian said with an awkwardugh as she put down the money for her coffee and then stood up with her backpack slung over her shoulder.


    "See you tomorrow." Kagura Hikaru didn''t stop her, just watched her leave the Kafka Cafe.


    It wasn''t until Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s figure waspletely out of sight that Ayakoji Chiyoko spoke up: "What exactly was that girl here for?"


    "She was the one who asked to meet me to discuss the Society Discussion Meeting, since we''re both ''victims,''" Kagura Hikaru sipped his coffee, "and also, don''t call her a little girl, she''s at least a senior in the second grade."


    "Is that so? I had almost forgotten."


    "The strategy for the Society Discussion Meeting has already troubled her, can you not disturb her anymore? She''s just an ordinary student."


    "She only got involved in this mess because she brought it upon herself. She saw something she shouldn''t have and then couldn''t keep her mouth shut," Ayakoji Chiyoko remained unmoved.


    "Protecting students is supposed to be the job of the Discipline Committee members," Kagura Hikaru''s gaze toward her was inexplicable, "as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, is it really okay for you to turn a blind eye like this?"


    "I''ve told you before, you have your moral principles, and I have my way of doing things."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had thought she could be more self-righteous, since defeating Kiryu Hina was the main reason she established the Disciplinary Committee, not for any so-called discipline.


    But looking into Kagura Hikaru''s eyes, she inexplicably felt a twinge of guilt.


    That fleeting sense of weakness was swiftly quashed by Ayakoji Chiyoko, her heart returning to its icy resolve.


    "There''s no room for discussion anymore?" Kagura Hikaru let out a sigh.


    "If you''re willing to join the Society Discussion Meeting sincerely, it wouldn''t hurt to lessen her presence," she stated.


    "That''s probably going to be difficult."


    "Is that so, it seems it''s true what you''ve said about not being friends," Ayakoji Chiyoko revealed a mocking smile that was barely there as she swallowed thest of her coffee with a clink against the saucer.


    "I''ll leave the money here, I''m off," Ayakoji Chiyoko said as she stood up, "next time you contact me, I hope you can bring me some useful information, not like the time-waster we had today."


    "Even if I had the news, it''d be impossible to contact you immediately," Hikaru replied.


    Upon hearing this, Ayakoji Chiyoko hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone: "Let''s add each other on LINE."


    "..."


    A minuteter, Ayakoji Chiyoko left the Kafka Cafe.


    Kagura Hikaru remained seated, fiddling with his phone.


    Securing Ayakoji Chiyoko''s contact information could be considered a task well exceeded.


    The coffee in front of him had been finished, but Kagura Hikaru didn''t stand up to leave; he sat there looking bored to death, as though he was waiting for someone.


    About half an hourter, a girl in a school uniform with long, straight ck hair pushed open the door of the cafe.


    "Wee to the Kafka Cafe, what would you like to order?"


    "A cappino, thank you."


    The girl, with a smile on her face, came to the table and sat down opposite Kagura Hikaru, tucking her long hair behind her ear with her left hand.


    Pure, delicate¡ªthese words were insufficient to describe her beauty.


    Her name was Kiryu Hina.

 Chapter 25 Ominous Premonition

    ```


    ck strands of hair, silky as satin, draped over one shoulder, and her fair little face bore a look of pure innocence. With just a slight curve of her lips, she could soften hearts. Herrge, clear eyes, transparent as a secretke hidden deep in the mountains, exuded a mysterious allure that invited spection.


    Everyone in the world has different aesthetic preferences; some like round faces, others prefer oval faces, some like a bit of plumpness, others favor thinness.


    Kagura Hikaru''s sense of beauty was simr to that of themon East Asian, and from his perspective, Kiryu Hina''s appearance could be described as the closest to ''perfect'' that he had ever seen, in both reality and cyberspace.


    Even though he knew that a truly perfect person did not exist in this world.


    Based on Kagura Hikaru''s past understanding of Kiryu Hina, she was far from perfect, simply a little girl haunted by mundane troubles, and her personality used to be more aggressive than it was now.


    However, now, each time he saw her, she seemed to be distancing herself further from humanity, radiating an endless brilliance to the outside world.


    Ever since she had entered, whether it was the customers or the waitstaff in the cafe, everyone couldn''t help but fixate on her, to the extent that someone, mesmerized, even poured coffee onto theirp and yelped in pain from the scalding.


    This kind of scene, which one would normally only see inicalics, was actually ying out in real life, leaving one at a loss for words.


    Despite Ayakoji Chiyoko''s looks being no less attractive, they didn''t elicit such an exaggerated reaction; this must be a difference in temperament.


    It wasn''t hard to imagine the extent of the students'' fervor for her, seeing her every day.


    "President Kiryu, good afternoon."


    "Good afternoon, ssmate Kagura."


    After exchanging greetings, they simply stared at each other in silence.


    One wore an expressionless face, while the other wore a smile.


    They seemed quite estranged.


    "You know," Kiryu Hina said, smiling as she broke the silence, "you''ve met here before, right? Where did Ayakoji Chiyoko sit?"


    Kagura Hikaru said nothing, but gestured to the seat beside him with his hand.


    "Hmph... it seems there really has been some progress in your rtionship with her, which is a good thing," Kiryu Hina''s eyes twinkled with an inscrutable light.


    "By the way, the seat you''re sitting in now used to belong to Senior Ai Cheng."


    "Senior Ai Cheng? Oh, that second-year student." Although Kiryu Hina was smiling, her smile seemed somehow colder, "You had a date and brought a third wheel, how generous of Ayakoji Chiyoko."


    "It was just a meet-up to chat, and it was Senior Ai Cheng who arrived first."


    "..."


    "I don''t wish to delve into the issue of your lifestyle any further; rather than that¡ª" her smile hadpletely lost any trace of sunlight, turning as cold as a fox mask: "Has Ayakoji Chiyoko asked you to join the Society Discussion Meeting yet?"


    A day earlier, Kiryu Hina had met privately with Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru thought she wanted him to put a stop to the rumors being spread by the Society Discussion Meeting, but Kiryu Hina clearly had bigger ns than he had imagined.


    "You''re to join the Society Discussion Meeting, do your utmost to help Ayakoji Chiyoko attack me. Whether it''s spreading rumors, smearing my name, or personal attacks, anything goes. If you can pressure me to step down from the Student Council, I''d be even happier~"


    Seeing the sincere, benevolent, fake smile on her face, Kagura Hikaru could guess at Kiryu Hina''s follow-up n.


    Daring to say such things, she most likely had a contingency in ce for reversing public opinion.


    And it was something that, once revealed, could turn the entire situation on its head.


    The more intensely the Society Discussion Meeting targeted her, the greater the students'' outrage upon realizing they had been fooled would be. Kiryu Hina could harness this volcanic fury to retaliate and annihte the Society Discussion Meeting in one fell swoop.


    ```


    If it were revealed that Ayakoji Chiyoko was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, she wouldn''t even be able to hold onto her position as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.


    As the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, leading the charge in breaking the rules, neither the students nor the school authorities could ignore such behavior.


    Viting thew while knowing it is far worse than simple dereliction of duty.


    Therefore, Kagura Hikaru, who had no intention of joining the Society Discussion Meeting and bing the victim of self-inflicted damage from public opinion, merely went through the motions with Ayakoji Chiyoko, getting her to reject him on her own ord.


    At the same time, he prevented her from continuing to set the pace and provoke the Student Council by making her aware of the risks involved.


    This way, it would be easier to exin things to Hina, and when the tide of public opinion turned, the Society Discussion Meeting wouldn''t be dealt too severe a blow.


    So rather than saying he hadpleted Kiryu Hina''s request today, it would be more urate to say he had skated by on the task.


    Those who frequently y RPG games should understand, right? While ying, you suddenly receive a lengthy and bothersome side quest, which unfortunately is a prerequisite for the main quest. You can''t advance the main story without it, and you have no choice but to reluctantly take on the quest while holding your nose.


    And Kagura Hikaru''s approach was to ''skip ss'' and bypass the side quest using a clever workaround.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and the Society Discussion Meeting both needed to be protected by any means. They couldn''t be allowed to fall to ruin; otherwise, the school would truly be subject to Kiryu Hina''s dictatorship, and naturally, the position of the Student Council President would remain unshaken.


    So, in response to Kiryu Hina''s probe, Kagura Hikaru lied with an expressionless face, "She refused. She must have noticed something amiss. She''s very concerned about your actions."


    "Oh? Her senses are quite sharp, aren''t they?" Kiryu Hina feigned distress as she frowned, "I thought with her character, even if she realized something was off, she''d still keep pressing forward."


    Even knowing it to be false, that smile and frown could easily sway one''s emotions.


    If she were an actress, she''d probably have won numerous awards by now.


    "Nevermind, it doesn''t matter," Kiryu Hina said with a smile, "Even without this step, I can still send her to hell."


    Kagura Hikaru smiled bitterly in his heart.


    He was mistaken in his thinking; to speak of ''sending someone to hell'' so lightly, she truly was more suited to being a banker than an actress.


    He just didn''t know if he could sessfully y the part of ''Hanzawa Naoki.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What do you n to do next?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    "Eh~~ Are you asking for my thoughts again? Howzy. Can''t you show a bit of initiative?"


    Kiryu Hina let out a helplessugh, her voice tender and unsettling, as though talking about a troublesome child, "Alright, alright. Given the circumstances, it''s no wonder you''re at a loss. Let me give you a little insight, but don''t let it slip out, okay~"


    As she spoke, she pulled out her phone.


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly had a very bad premonition.


    And then that premonition came true.


    "If there''s anything else you want to ask me about, you can''t refuse... Then, the deal is set... President Kiriyu likes painting and romance fiction, her idol is Kawabata Yasunari, her weakness is..."


    From the other''s phone came his own voice and that of Ayakoji Chiyoko, recorded during the lunch break when they confirmed their cooperation.


    So that''s how it was, no wonder Hina appeared right after Ayakoji Chiyoko had left ¨C she had been eavesdropping the whole time and even recorded their conversation!


    The moment he realized this, Kagura Hikaru understood everything.


    He sighed.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, now I''m going to have to go down with you.

 Chapter 26 Even the Best Coffee Turns Bitter When Im with You

    All the mysteries had been undoubtedly exposed in front of Kagura Hikaru.


    Or rather, they were deliberately exposed for him to see.


    Why had Hina deliberately created bullying rumors, why had she allowed the Society Discussion Meeting to manipte public opinion without fighting back, and why she showed no fear up until now?


    The moment Hina obtained the recording, she had predicted everything that would happen afterwards.


    She intentionally used rumors to make Ayakoji Chiyoko realize the importance of public opinion, thereby facilitating the birth of the Society Discussion Meeting and ultimately bing the victim.


    When Ayakoji Chiyoko was gearing up for a real fight, she didn''t realize that the other side had, from the beginning, held the nuclear button that could reverse everything.


    She bided her time, plotted slowly, and struck a fatal blow at the end, using Ayakoji Chiyoko''s pride to walk her into the trap.


    Allowing herself to approach the target using the identity of an ex-boyfriend was a strategy to rx them.


    Even the only potential variable, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, had been turned into one of her own.


    Looking back now, all her actions were indeed foreshadowing, a terrifying plot.


    "Just the recording might still be insufficient evidence, don''t you think, huh?"


    Kiryu Hina blinked her left eye, pulled up a photo from her phone''s gallery¡ªa photo of Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko sitting on a bench talking, clearly taken surreptitiously.


    "But with this, there''ll be no problem, rest assured~"


    Can''t be reassured at all...


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but retort in his mind.


    If Hina released this recording and photo, in the blink of an eye, he and Ayakoji Chiyoko would be like rats crossing the street, and the Society Discussion Meeting would also be aplices.


    Everything was doomed.


    "Are you really okay with doing this?"


    "Ah, are you worried about your own safety? Sorry, the n is this, and it''s toote to change it~~"


    Kiryu Hina said with a smile, "Did you really expect me to continue to be bullied and not fight back? Now, the looks I get from the girls in ss are a bit off, I suspect if the Society Discussion Meeting continues to spread that fake news, I''ll be bullied."


    "I wouldn''t want to see that happen."


    "Ah don''t, don''t suddenly act all caring, it''s creepy, stay away from me."


    Though she spoke chilling words, Kiryu Hina''s face cracked a smile and leaned back a bit, as if physically expressing her disdain for him.


    Even though Kagura Hikaru could now remain unaffected by her performance, he couldn''t help feeling a bit sad inside.


    Looking at them now, they were like sworn enemies.


    "...Anything else, or shall I go now?"


    "Is it work again?"


    "Yes."


    At that moment, the waiter brought Kiryu Hina''s cappino.


    The two of them instinctively paused their conversation.


    Kiryu Hina thanked the waiter, then lifted the coffee cup and took a sip, her expression one of surprise.


    "This ce''s coffee isn''t bad."


    "Yes."


    "Really, you''re as clueless as before." Kiryu Hina nced at Kagura Hikaru, "When a girl says that, you should reply that the evening atmosphere is even better and smoothly set up a second date."


    "Would youe if I invited you?"


    "No way," Kiryu Hinaughed, taking another sip, "Even the tastiest coffee goes sour when I''m with you."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru picked up his briefcase and stood up, "I''m leaving."


    "Take care~" Kiryu Hina tucked her phone back into her bag without looking up and said, "You''ll see that evidence on the News Department''s campus forum tomorrow, okay?"


    "If it''s already decided, stop asking me."


    "Oh, are you annoyed?"


    Raising her head, Kiryu Hina chuckled, "Come on, don''t be so tense, I''m doing this for you. Look, even after all this time you haven''t broken through Ayakoji Chiyoko''s defenses. If nothing major brings you two together, you might not see any progress for another year."


    Why was she so concerned about his rtionship with Ayakoji Chiyoko? Did it rte to her true intention?


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression turned puzzled as he asked the question that had been there from the beginning, "What exactly do you want my rtionship with Ayakoji Chiyoko to be? Friends? Lovers?"


    "Hmm... a rtionship where you can visit her home, perhaps?" Kiryu Hina said with augh, her tone seemingly meaningful.


    Upon hearing this, Kagura Hikaru nodded thoughtfully.


    So, Hina''s target wasn''t Ayakoji Chiyoko herself but something in the Ayakoji family home...


    Indeed, given their rtionship, it was unlikely that Hina would be invited into the Ayakoji family home, unless it was him, then there might be a slight possibility.


    From another perspective, if Ayakoji Chiyoko had other peers she could consider friends, Hina wouldn''t havee to him for trouble.


    Poor fellow, though he wasn''t one to speak of others either.


    "I''ll find an opportunity," he said.


    "Yes, if you truly manage it, I''ll tell you what I need then," she replied.


    At that moment, Kiryu Hina''s smile suddenly turnedplex, even evasive, as she averted her gaze and said with a fleeting tone, "Don''t worry, it''s nothing conspicuous, nor of much value. You just need to visit once, and you''ll likely get your hands on it."


    ".....I understand," he responded.


    Kagura Hikaru frowned, looked at her twice, but eventually decided against using his mind-reading and left the cafe.


    Since their breakup, he had never used mind-reading on Kiryu Hina, just as a normal person wouldn''t reach into a bag full of venomous snakes.


    Kagura Hikaru feared the girl smiling and talking to him, and her truth.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Exiting Kafka Cafe, Kagura Hikaru stood at the door, took out his phone, and almost instinctively wanted to contact Ayakoji Chiyoko to inform her about the recording and photos.


    But he quickly stopped, as he realized he couldn''t exin the source of the information.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko still thought that he had fallen out with Kiryu Hina and that their rtionship was extremely poor... which was indeed true in reality.


    From Ayakoji Chiyoko''s perspective, there was no way Kagura Hikaru could know such secrets from Kiryu Hina now.


    Therefore, he could not only not reveal it, but he also had to help Hina keep it a secret.


    Otherwise, he was likely to lose the trust of both of them at the same time.


    Perhaps this was so-called ''the fate of a double agent,'' caught in the middle, unable to move forward or back.


    Kagura Hikaru put away his phone and walked away.


    They say life is built upon one lie after another.


    Telling oneself that the next business venture will seed after a failure, telling a young child at a deceased husband''s funeral that "daddy has gone to a faraway ce," reassuring frontline soldiers of abundant logistics to maintain morale when resources are depleted in the rear.


    Now, Kagura Hikaru was doing the same.


    As Kiryu Hina''s spy, he had to help the former achieve her goals; it was a debt he owed.


    As an ally and traitor to Ayakoji Chiyoko, he had to fulfill themission while also pursuing his own goals, which momentarily involved cooperating with the victim, effectively betraying Hina as well.


    So, who exactly was Kagura Hikaru working for? Himself? Kiryu Hina? Ayakoji Chiyoko?


    One lie after another, like a snowstorm, filled his life.


    Without lies, the world could not function.


    But was the reality obtained through lies truly stable?


    ..............


    The next morning, Kagura Hikaru met Ai Cheng Hua Lian on the tram.


    Ever since the day he learned they rode the same tram to school, they often walked together.


    If it had been a normal day, Ai Cheng Hua Lian would havee over smiling, but today, for some reason, herplexion seemed vague and she spoke less.


    "What''s wrong?" Seeing her distracted, Kagura Hikaru closed his book and asked.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian sat next to him, handbag on herp, looking straight ahead as if afraid to meet his eyes.


    "Well, this morning, a ssmate sent me a lot of messages, asking me to look at a post on the school forum..."


    Forum, post.


    These two keywords instantly triggered memories of his meeting with Hina from the day before, and, already knowing the cause, Kagura Hikaru nodded, looking forward: "I already know about that."


    "I see....."


    "Stay away from me for the next few days. This is an issue between us and the Student Council President, and you shouldn''t get involved."


    "Eh? I¡ª"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the tram''s braking noise.


    The tram stopped at the tform and opened its doors.


    "That''s it, goodbye," said Kagura Hikaru, not looking at her again as he got off.


    "Wait, just a minute!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian hurriedly lifted her handbag and squeezed off the tram, but she was a step toote and was blocked by others alighting.


    When she got out, Kagura Hikaru''s figure was nowhere to be seen.


    She drooped her shoulders dejectedly.


    "Taking everything upon yourself is wrong, Mr. Kagura..."

 Chapter 27 The Pope of Ugao High

    "Hey, is that the guy?"


    "Yeah, that''s the one who''s always with President Ayakoji..."


    "So it''s that jerk who''s framing President Kiryu, what a lowlife! I''m going to go give him a piece of my mind!"


    "Idiot, have you forgotten that he''s a friend of President Ayakoji? Be careful not to get on the wrong side of the Disciplinary Committee!"


    "But..."


    Walking to school, Kagura Hikaru was already surrounded by all sorts of gazes.


    ssmates were pointing and talking about him, and those who didn''t know what was going on got a quick lesson from their friends and soon joined the indignation.


    Justice shines bright and karma circles back; this must be the fruit of his wrongdoing.


    This time, the intensity of public opinion was much worse than when Kiryu Hina was used of bullying, and it involved innocent people.


    The Discipline Committee members, who would usually greet him loudly at the school gates, were nowhere to be seen today, reced by an embarrassed physical education teacher standing there awkwardly.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s prestige had taken a hit, and the Disciplinary Committee she represented couldn''t escape unscathed.


    If they couldn''t quell the students'' anger, the Disciplinary Committee''s power was unlikely to return to what it had been before.


    When Kagura Hikaru got to the shoe lockers to switch into his indoor shoes, he opened his locker only to find no shoes inside, but a bunch of rusty thumbtacks, along with several threatening letters.


    [I will never forgive you!!]


    [Die die die die]


    [I will kill you]


    High school students, theirnguage was so simplistically cute.


    He tossed the letters and thumbtacks together into a trash can and found his indoor shoes in it too, but they had been cut up so badly with scissors that he had no intention of taking them back.


    With just his socks on, he found a teacher and got a pair of spare indoor shoes to wear, then tread carefully back to ss.


    Fortunately, his desk was still in the ssroom, not thrown out, and nobody had doodled on it. At most, the atmosphere in the ssroom was a bit colder, which didn''t affect him much.


    Before the teacher arrived, he took out his phone to check the school forum.


    The Yuqiu High School internal forum is operated by the News Department. Usually, it features news articles, study materials for reference, rmended reading lists and the like¡ªit''s considered a rather serious forum, not frequented by many people.


    But today, when Kagura Hikaru logged on, the number of posts had exploded to over a thousand. He clicked on the top post pinned by the administrators and saw that it was the stuff Hina had shown him the day before.


    Recordings, photographs, everything included.


    Kagura Hikaru patiently listened to the recording and discovered it had been edited; the part where he and Ayakoji Chiyoko were bargaining, as well as thetter''s grievances with Kiryu Hina, were missing.


    However, the remaining part, the conspiratorial part, clearly proved there was collusion between Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Above the recording was a low-resolution photo.


    The photo, taken from behind and somewhat blurry, showed their profiles clearly enough, and whether it was the lighting or edited, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko looked very sinister with their cold expressions.


    Besides that, an anonymous poster imed that the recently popr Society Discussion Meeting was being controlled behind the scenes by Ayakoji Chiyoko to smear the Student Council President.


    Although there was no evidence presented regarding this, with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s credibility in decline, the audience would believe any conspiracy theory.


    As expected, thements below were full of anger, with scornful and vulgar words about the Society Discussion Meeting and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kagura Hikaru himself was rarely mentioned; probably because he wasn''t very famous.


    But his locker had already been vandalized, indicating the situation was hardly optimistic. Kiryu Hina''s supporters had set their sights on him, so it was best not to harbor any false hopes.


    That''s also why Kagura Hikaru had kept his distance from Ai Cheng Hua Lian these past few days; no one knew what those high school students, thinking they knew the truth and fired up with zeal, might do.


    He had even prepared himself for the possibility of a violent incident.


    As for Ayakoji Chiyoko, with the backing of the Disciplinary Committee and her usual authority, her situation was probably much better than his, but she definitely wasn''t under any less pressure.


    Under current circumstances, unless Ayakoji Chiyoko had some kind of trump card to turn the tables in a hopeless situation, she would have no choice but to bite the bullet and admit defeat.


    The evidence provided by Hina was too clear and impactful; a significant counterattack was virtually impossible, as she had no such leverage over others.


    sses started, and sses ended.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    During lunch break, Kagura Hikaru was stopped by a Discipline Committee member wearing a red armband, who said Ayakoji Chiyoko was waiting for him at the Disciplinary Committee.


    Going downstairs, nning to bypass the courtyard to the old school building, he was surprised to run into Kiryu Hina at the bottom of the stairs.


    She was followed by members of the Student Council, apparently on an inspection tour, with a string of students surrounding her, looking as if they were walking on a pilgrimage with the Pope¡ªsome excited, some infatuated, a never-ending stream ofughter and chatter.


    Kagura Hikaru watched this bizarre scene from a distance.


    The winter sun was always wee, bright and warm, making one drowsy, wishing to curl up like a cat on a sunny patch of floor for a nap.


    But Kagura Hikaru was not in a bright mood standing in the sunlight.


    Especially upon realizing that the Student Council and others were headed for the old school building where the clubs were clustered.


    He certainly didn''t think Hina''s ''club inspections'' at this time were a coincidence; they were clearly targeting the Discipline Committee on the third floor.


    Their purpose, perhaps, was to show off their power.


    After all, the Society Discussion Meeting had recently been smeared so badly by Ayakoji Chiyoko, and today''s Kiryu Hina appeared to have a look of triumph about her.


    Of course, looking at her smiling face, one could never tell she was feeling proud; all outsiders could see was an extremely amiable gentleness and purity that instinctively drew them to her side.


    The Student Council members were the most seriously affected, with most of their gaze fixed on Kiryu Hina, and the remainder of their attention on the students crowding around, ready to intervene at any moment, ying the role of gant protectors.


    The crowd surged into the old school building, and Kagura Hikaru discreetly followed them, watching the Student Council members visit each club''s room on the first floor, and then inconspicuously avoiding the crowd to go upstairs.


    Right now, to Hina''s followers, he was like a stinking rat in the gutter¡ªit was better not to meet face to face.


    The entire third floor of the old school building was the territory of the Discipline Committee.


    There was always a tense atmosphere in the air.


    Asking a passing Discipline Committee member, Kagura Hikaru found out which old ssroom Ayakoji Chiyoko was in and headed there.


    Even though she definitely didn''t know he''d met with Kiryu Hina yesterday and learned about the post''s content in advance, approaching her now made him feel quite conflicted.


    He really didn''t know what Ayakoji Chiyoko would look like now. Would she be thunderously angry? That didn''t seem like her style.


    Most likely, she was plotting her next move for revenge.


    When he opened the door to the old ssroom, there were surprisingly many people inside, including Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She looked no different than the day before, as calm as ever, her expressionless face concealing pride, arms crossed, legs crossed, sitting there. When Kagura Hikaru entered, she just lifted her eyes to nod, then turned her head to continue speaking to the Discipline Committee members around her:


    "...In the next three days, patrol frequency will be reduced to once a day, to be carried out at four in the afternoon. The morning routine duties at the school gate are to be handed over to Teacher Yamazaki. If you encounter insults while performing your duties, you may detain one or two representatives to the Discipline Committee for the usual processing. Understood?"


    "Understood!!"


    Like well-trained soldiers, the Discipline Committee members stood at attention with their hands behind their backs and responded in unison.


    "President, should we investigate who posted that article?" Gori Vice President asked from the side.


    "No need, I have a rough idea of who it was," Ayakoji Chiyoko sneered, then waved her hand, "If there''s no problem, then everyone go back to work. Dismissed."


    "Yes!!"


    The Discipline Committee members in the room straightened their backs, acknowledged in unison, and left one by one through the main door.


    As they passed by him, apart from the Gori Vice President whose expression was stern, the other Discipline Committee members didn''t cast a single doubtful or wavering nce at him as they left, as if everything was normal.


    How Ayakoji Chiyoko had managed to train such unswervingly loyal subordinates was a mystery.


    As thest Discipline Committee member left the ssroom and closed the door, only Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko remained in the room.


    Kagura Hikaru moved a chair expertly, sitting directly opposite her.


    He had barely sat down when he heard her speak, "This round we lost. Kiryu Hina yed a card we couldn''t refute."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression andplexion were cold, but her eyes revealed a hint of unwillingness.


    The scene that Kiryu Hina orchestrated destroyed all of her subsequent ns.


    She knew the opponent would counterattack, but she did not expect it to be so swift and deadly, not only dismantling her offensive but also using her own tactics against her, effectively branding Ayakoji Chiyoko''s reputation as a ''Petty woman who throws dirt behind others.''


    A tarnished reputation meant the loss of her voice, turning all the preparedness and countermeasures she had taken from ''bullets'' to ''fireworks,'' incapable of threatening Kiryu Hina.


    Instead, it was she who was in big trouble.


    "Is the Society Discussion Meeting going to be shut down?" asked Kagura Hikaru.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko thought for a moment and decisively shook her head, "It will never happen. Even the defeated have their honor. I will ensure its continuation, to stand against the Student Council."


    "What about the Discipline Committee?"


    "It won''t be affected either," said Ayakoji Chiyoko calmly. "As long as I step down, that will suffice."

 Chapter 28 Facing the Line

    "Resign...?" Kagura Hikaru was a secondte in reacting before he eximed in surprise, "You mean the Disciplinary Committee? You''re quitting?!"


    Three consecutive interrogative sentences represented the shock in Kagura Hikaru''s heart.


    The Disciplinary Committee was, after all, established by Ayakoji Chiyoko herself; one could say she and themittee were inseparable, fused into a single entity.


    Before today, even if someone had told him this, Kagura Hikaru would never have believed that Ayakoji Chiyoko would willingly leave the Disciplinary Committee.


    The surreal event unfolding before him was proof of how significant the troubles Ayakoji Chiyoko was currently facing must be.


    "It''s necessary, otherwise, as long as I remain in this position for even a day, the Disciplinary Committee will be unable to rebuild its credibility," said Ayakoji Chiyoko in a self-deprecating tone, "That must be that person''s aim, to force me to step down, to undermine my influence. It''s both a covert and overt strategy, and I must admit, it''s been executed beautifully."


    "..."


    Even when discussing her own failure, Ayakoji Chiyoko remained remarkablyposed, and Kagura Hikaru greatly admired her serene demeanor.


    Not everyone can let go so decisively when they are in a high position.


    But she had to do it.


    Because quite clearly, resigning from the Disciplinary Committee was the invisible bargaining chip Kiryu Hina hadid out for Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Resign and I''ll let you off¡ªKagura Hikaru could almost hear Hina saying it.


    In his eyes, both Ayakoji Chiyoko and Hina had yed out all their cards, and the oue had been determined. Continuing the relentless pursuit would benefit no one.


    Those who have studied modern history know that victors of a war should not corner the defeated country. The right approach is to negotiate peace, sign treaties to restrict their development, and gradually erode their power.


    Though Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina had never sat at the negotiation table, thetter''s actions had already to some extent demonstrated her intent, which was for Ayakoji Chiyoko to step down.


    By crossing the line and doing what a Discipline Committee member must never do¡ªto take the initiative in falsely using a student¡ªAyakoji Chiyoko could no longer possibly continue her activities within the school under the identity of a Discipline Committee member.


    Otherwise, the term ''Discipline Committee'' would be a joke among Yuqiu High School students.


    If she did not wish to destroy the entirety of the Disciplinary Committee, then Ayakoji Chiyoko''s only option was clear¡ªresignation and withdrawal!


    "Indeed, it is a pernicious and incisive scheme," said Kagura Hikaru.


    "Yes, as an enemy, she is the type I despise," Chiyoko said, her eyes slightly downcast, "Given the situation, I have no choice but to let her have her way."


    "Even if you lose the Disciplinary Committee, you still have Club Redemption Department. The fight isn''tpletely over yet,"


    Seeing as they were temporary allies, Kagura Hikaru offered a measure of constion.


    But this only elicited a strange look from Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Lose? You seem to have misunderstood something. I won''t lose the Disciplinary Committee, nor have I ever intended to give it up."


    "Huh?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Quitting doesn''t mean I can''t influence the club. It''s just a shift from being an overt leader to one behind the scenes. Nothing will change."


    "...I see."


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly understood.


    It was a rogue move, but perfectly natural.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was giving up the title of Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee to preserve themittee''s existence, satisfying the entire student body without losing the actual power. Even the Student Council probably couldn''t point out much; overreacting might make them seem like they were making a mountain out of a molehill.


    It seems he was mistaken¡ªbetween Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, the oue of their struggle was far from over.


    While they were talking, the ssroom door was knocked on, a female Discipline Committee member pushed the door open and walked briskly in, whispering something into Ayakoji Chiyoko''s ear.


    ".....I understand," Ayakoji Chiyoko nodded. "Block the irrelevant people; let no one in except for her."


    "Yes, President."


    As the Discipline Committee member left, Kagura Hikaru asked, "Is it someone from the Student Counciling over?"


    "That''s right, maybe here to humiliate me," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a sneer. "Every time I''m about to respect her, that woman starts to show off her belly''s worth, getting carried away with herself."


    After a little while, the ssroom door was knocked on again.


    A Discipline Committee member opened the door and then stepped aside, letting Kiryu Hina walk in with a smile gracing her face.


    "Oh~ you''re here too, ssmate Kagura Hikaru. What a coincidence," Kiryu Hina said with her standard charming expression, widening her eyes in a mock surprise and covering her mouth, "Wait a minute, I remember you haven''t joined the Disciplinary Committee. Could it be that you and Ayakoji, are you that sort of rtionship?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    ".....Having not seen you for a few days, your verbal skills have improved again."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up with a forced smile and walked up to Kiryu Hina, her aura fierce as a tiger.


    "Not at all,pared to President Ayakoji, I still need more practice," Kiryu Hina dropped her hand and, maintaining herposure, bowed slightly in greeting. Her smile was reminiscent of a shrine maiden or a devotee¡ªpure, devoted, and impable.


    "Did you know? I attended middle school in the Capital City. Your current expression is exactly the same as the Kyoto People I''ve seen before."


    "Ah, is that apliment? I''m truly grateful."


    The two women faced each other, smiles on their faces, but their eyes told different stories. The atmosphere was tense and frozen.


    In ces outside of Capital City, the term ''Kyoto People'' is used derogatorily.


    Arrogant, vain, sarcastic, and prejudiced¡ªthese are the stereotypes of the Kyoto People.


    To say someone is like a person from Kyoto is essentially this implication.


    The meeting between Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina was like a collision of stars. Kagura could almost feel their almost overt anger and contempt; a burst seemed imminent.


    It was a veritable Shura Field.


    Aside from them, only Kagura Hikaru remained in the ssroom. By rights, he should have intervened as a peacemaker. But his lips stayed still, and he watched the standoff between the two women with serenity.


    This was his first time witnessing Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina sh face to face, and he found the experience rather novel.


    Previously, their confrontations had been remote, indirect conflicts. It was the first face-to-face encounter Kagura had witnessed between the two.


    Kagura Hikaru had always wanted to know what feelings Kiryu Hina truly harbored towards Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Was it genuine hatred?


    For Ayakoji Chiyoko, perhaps it was; after all, the other party not only took away a stepmother she was close to but also deliberately concealed some information, truly despicable behavior.


    But for Hina, Kagura had the notion that she might not be motivated by the same feelings when tormenting Ayakoji Chiyoko, that there could be another reason behind it.


    However, as Kagura''s gaze settled on Hina''s face, all he could see was the same wless mask as before, revealing no genuine emotions.


    It was either that his Cold Reading Technique wascking, or Hina''s disguise was too perfect.


    Kagura had thought he could just be an unconcerned spectator, but it turned out that Kiryu Hina''s melon was not so easy to enjoy; she directed the first me at Kagura the moment she opened her mouth.


    "Mister Hikaru, even if you feel lonely after we''ve parted ways, you shouldn''t choose such a woman," Kiryu Hina said, turning to Kagura Hikaru with a coquettish smile. With her tender right hand raised subtly pointing at Ayakoji Chiyoko, she added, "This type, you know, is what they call a Domestic Abuser Woman, a Control Freak, certainly a miserablepany in married life."


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."

 Chapter 29 Is this the Shura Field? Exciting

    ''Domestic Abuser Woman,'' ''Control Freak,'' Ayakoji Chiyoko turned pale with anger. Her face darkened as she hugged her chest and sarcastically said, "Mister Hikaru? That''s quite an intimate way to address someone. I didn''t realize you two were this close behind the scenes... The Student Council President having a secret romance, hiding from all the teachers and students¡ªthat is a major issue."


    "Oh my, that''s no problem at all, because we had already broken up after I started high school."


    "Oh, so it was a middle school romance? That''s pretty mature of you. I wonder how everyone would react if this news were to be made public."


    "There won''t be any reaction, and unlike President Ayakoji, I normally engage in charitable deeds. The neighbors all think highly of me; why would they nder me?"


    Kiryu Hina smiled happily.


    Meanwhile, Ayakoji Chiyoko kept a cold face, her eyes brimming with murderous intent, and it seemed as if sparks could be seen where their gazes met.


    Is this what they call a Shura Field? Exciting.


    Kagura Hikaru was inwardly enjoying the spectacle.


    It didn''t matter how fiercely these two fought, as long as they didn''t resort to physical violence and the focus wasn''t on him.


    He had thought that was the case, but unexpectedly, Kiryu Hina suddenly turned her guns back around, her expression stern as she shot back, "Kagura Hikaru, I''m warning you formally not to hang around this person anymore."


    Upon hearing this, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes lit up, as if she''d caught hold of some leverage, and eagerly said, "Trying to win back your ex-boyfriend? Toote, Kagura Hikaru is already mine now!"


    "Oh?" Kiryu Hina raised an eyebrow, "As far as I know, you have never sessfully convinced him to join the Disciplinary Committee."


    "Unlike someone, I deeply respect individual rights and freedoms."


    Between the lines, she emphasized that Kagura Hikaru had allied with her by his own free will, also subtly mocking Kiryu Hina''s earlier warning as if saying she''s ''not a wise leader.''


    Kagura Hikaru remained silent, seemingly conceding.


    But in reality, he internally sighed. Hina''s acting was too good. It was as if there had never been any contact between the two of them; Ayakoji Chiyoko waspletely outyed by her.


    No, it might be said that in the face of Hina, Ayakoji Chiyoko simply couldn''t keep herposure.


    Her tone and her expressions were more agitated than usual.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In Ayakoji Chiyoko''s heart, Hina might be an unprecedented rival.


    "Is that so..." Kiryu Hina''s expression did not drop. She regained her smile, even more beautifully and dangerously, "You would definitely regret it when you find out the true nature of this guy."


    "You don''t need to worry about that," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a coldugh, "I will make him y his role."


    "Hmm, you still don''t understand what I''m saying. No matter, you will find out eventually," Kiryu Hina murmured mysteriously, hinting at something.


    Kagura Hikaru was speechless.


    What a wicked taste.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko hesitated, nced his way twice, then turned back, "A crude strategy of alienation, do you think I would fall for it?"


    "True or false, time will prove it."


    "Ridiculous," Ayakoji Chiyoko said icily, "Kiryu Hina, no matter what you are nning, you will never achieve your wish. And I will definitely reach my goal, whatever it takes!"


    "Oh dear, that''s quite the spirit. If your performance were half as good as your talk, maybe I would actually be scared?"


    Kiryu Hina covered her mouth as sheughed, her eyes squinting, beneath herposed smile was deeply hidden malice.


    At this point, Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko had thoroughly torn off their masks of pretense.


    Both wanted something from the other, yet neither wanted to bow down to the other.


    This was probably a woman''s pride.


    The atmosphere was silent and tense, interwoven with disgust and hostility, like fire and water.


    The prolonged confrontation gradually made Ayakoji Chiyoko intolerant. She broke the silence, "Enough! If you came here just to say this, then stop wasting time and please leave."


    But Kiryu Hina just showed a deeper smile, she stroked her hair and slowly said, "The Student Council is conducting a sudden inspection of clubs. Could President Ayakoji cooperate with us in our efforts?"


    "A sudden inspection?" Ayakoji Chiyoko said warily, "There''s nothing indecent here, look if you want to. But I hope the Student Council President is mindful of the time and does not disrupt the work of the Discipline Committee."


    "Ah, of course, I will follow the rules," she said.


    Kiryu Hina suddenly actingpliant made one uneasy.


    Hearing her say this, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt her hair stand on end. Her mind rapidly went through recent decisions and cases handled by the Discipline Committee, secretly pondering if she had unknowingly fallen into another trap.


    But this time, Kiryu Hina seemed to be truly following procedures. She had the Discipline Committee present some documents, then symbolically inspected all the offices of the Discipline Committee before bidding farewell and leaving.


    Until the end, Ayakoji Chiyoko did not understand what her purpose was¡ªwas it simply to unt her power?


    Only the observing Kagura Hikaru might have guessed a bit of it.


    This was most likely another of Hina''s psychological tactics.


    Seeing Ayakoji Chiyoko furrowing her brows and pondering on the spot only confirmed his guess.


    A simple visit had made her tense, and clearly, after a major reversal, Ayakoji Chiyoko had developed a psychological shadow about Hina, not daring to ignore any of her actions.


    By now, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mind was likely fully focused on uncovering the real intent behind Hina''s visit to the Discipline Committee.


    While it might not have a significant impact, on the other hand, Hina had not paid a high price either, as she mentioned, it was just an ordinary club inspection.


    The underlying motives remained unknown for the moment.


    But one could guess that for Ayakoji Chiyoko, it definitely wasn''t anything good.


    It is worth mentioning that during the inspection, there were several ''unintentional'' moments of eye contact between Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina.


    Although not explicitly stated, Kagura Hikaru felt that she was urging him.


    Now, with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s n failing, resulting in faces being mocked and experiencing disappointment and setbacks, Ayakoji Chiyoko would likely value him, a ''tool'', more than before, making it an ideal opportunity for them to deepen their connection.


    Having amon enemy often unifies people more easily than having amon goal.


    If he didn''t seize every opportunity, given Ayakoji Chiyoko''s aloof nature, it was hard to know when she would invite someone into her home of her own ord.


    Thus, getting the signal, Kagura Hikaru, after Kiryu Hina had left, started to casually mention to Ayakoji Chiyoko about the tacks and threatening letters he had found in his locker that morning.

 Chapter 30 Mr. Kagura, Dont Underestimate Me Too Much

    Bullying is precisely the kind of thing that most stirs thepassionate heart of a Discipline Committee member and it''s also the way Kagura Hikaru emphasizes his own stance.


    Especially after Hina just made some thought-provoking remarks a moment ago.


    Look, I already paid a price for you, we''re clearly on the same side, so how about a bit more trust?


    Although Ayakoji Chiyoko now regards him as an ally, she has not yet reached the point of considering him one of her own, she even brought up the Society Discussion Meeting only after it was established; before that, Kagura Hikaru hadn''t heard a whisper about it.


    His mention of this matter was intended merely to ''demonstrate loyalty'', and not really with the expectation that Ayakoji Chiyoko would render him justice.


    But unexpectedly, just as he brought it up, Ayakoji Chiyoko waved her hand and said, "I already know about that matter."


    After finishing her words, she opened the door and said something to the Discipline Committee member outside.


    A whileter, several Discipline Committee members dragged in three male students with bruised faces, forcing them to kneel before Kagura Hikaru with rough movements.


    "I''m sorry, I won''t dare to do it again!"


    "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault, I''m sorry!"


    "Please, let me go!"


    The three male students cried and sobbed, kneeling on the ground and bowing repeatedly.


    Kagura Hikaru was astonished, "What is this about...?"


    "These guys are the ones who yed that prank in your locker this morning." Ayakoji Chiyoko crossed her arms and looked disdainfully at the three, "Each one of them is a ''loyal fan'' of Kiryu Hina, how ridiculous."


    Just as he thought, once the post was made, Hina''s supporters came knocking on his door.


    But Kagura Hikaru was also well aware that the Disciplinary Committee wasn''t usually so efficient, solving morning''s incidents by noon; it was obviously Ayakoji Chiyoko showing him special care.


    "...Thank you."


    "Don''t mention it for such a trifle." Ayakoji Chiyoko appeared unconcerned.


    If he didn''t consider what she had done, Kagura Hikaru might actually have been touched.


    "Um... can we let them go now?"


    He said helplessly.


    "Are you thinking of making an example out of them?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kagura Hikaru approvingly and praised, "Great minds think alike." and then ordered her subordinates to release them.


    Watching the three male students scrambling out of the ssroom, tripping over themselves in their rush to get away, Kagura Hikaru shook his head, not bothering to argue.


    "If anyone else gives you trouble, let me know anytime, or tell any Discipline Committee member, we''ll take care of it for you," Ayakoji Chiyoko instructed, "Until those guys give up, the Disciplinary Committee will be your solid backing."


    Finally, Kagura Hikaru could understand why Ayakoji Chiyoko had such a strong control over the Disciplinary Committee.


    He realized she possessed a special kind of personal charisma, like a mafia princess from aic or novel, with power and capability, a chivalrous character, and even an attractive appearance.


    No wonder so many people were willing to follow her, Ayakoji Chiyoko was undoubtedly the leader many dreamed of.


    This ''big sister'' was someone he could count on, someone who would really step up when needed.


    Turns out, the reason Ayakoji Chiyoko called Kagura Hikaru over was just for this matter.


    After she finished giving him a few words of instruction, Kagura Hikaru left the Disciplinary Committee.


    He went downstairs, exited the old school building.


    Walking on the courtyard corridor, some students recognized him, whispering behind his back, but Kagura Hikaru was indifferent.


    He deeply understood that there were many things in this world that he could not control, such as the Earth''s rotation, such as the thoughts of others.


    Learning to ignore the prejudices of others is something one muste to understand from birth.


    But if one could really manage topletely ignore them, then they wouldn''t seem human anymore, they would be like a machine or a rock.


    Kagura Hikaru was neither a machine nor a rock, so he couldn''t do it.


    To put it inly, he was a little upset.


    As the whispers behind his back grew louder, Kagura Hikaru''s footsteps also became somewhat heavier.


    He didn''t think his heart was fragile, but no one could be happy when betrayed by an ally, causing trouble in their life.


    Was this retribution?


    Punishment for what he had done to Hina before and for what he was nning to do in the future.


    Passing by a maple tree, a beam of sunlight shot through the gaps in the leaves, dazzling Kagura Hikaru, who in a daze seemed to see a girl running toward him from the light.


    Kagura Hikaru looked on nkly as she ran closer.


    "Ah, Mr. Kagura! I finally found you!"


    "...Senior Ai Cheng?"


    Kagura Hikaru was surprised to see Ai Cheng Hua Lian in front of him, catching her breath with hands on knees, "How did you know I was here?"


    "Just, just now I ran into President Hina over there, she told me," Ai Cheng Hua Lian took a breath and lifted her head with a bright smile.


    "Mr. Kagura, have you had lunch yet, would you like to join me?"


    "I remember telling you this morning to stay away from me for the next few days."


    "I know, but I won''t listen!"


    "...?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian straightened up, staring into Kagura Hikaru''s eyes: "Mr. Kagura, are we friends?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kagura Hikaru hesitated for a moment: "Probably, yeah."


    "Then, is it right for a friend to abandon another in their time of need, in the name of self-preservation?!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said indignantly, "Mr. Kagura, don''t underestimate me!"


    Kagura Hikaru was rendered speechless, at a loss for words.


    Could it be that he was being cared for?


    "I''m sorry, Senior, I overlooked your feelings."


    "Eh? No, you''re overreacting..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian blushed at thement, nervously running her fingers through her hair along her cheek, "Also, could you not call me ''Senior''? It sounds too distant."


    "Not even ''Senior'' is okay?"


    "Not okay!"


    "I see, Ai Cheng. You can also call me Kagura."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian giggled, "Then, let''s have lunch together, Kagura!"


    "Alright." Kagura Hikaru nodded.


    He went back to the ssroom to grab his lunchbox, while Ai Cheng Hua Lian bought two sandwiches from the snack shop. About fifteen minutester, the two met up again in the courtyard, sitting quietly under the maple tree on a bench to eat.


    "Kagura, here''s some hot soup." Ai Cheng Hua Lian opened her thermos, pouring out the warm, fragrant miso soup into the lid and handed it to Kagura Hikaru with both hands.


    "Thank you." Without refusing, Kagura Hikaru took the soup and drank it in one go, then started on the white rice in his lunchbox while the taste lingered.


    Looking down at the cup she got back, Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes locked onto the spot where Kagura Hikaru''s lips had touched, her mind racing through a brainstorm about the nature of the universe and the philosophy of life.


    After much internal struggle, she finally turned the cup to the opposite side, took a sip of soup, and tears of either relief or regret flowed down her face.


    The chance for an indirect kiss had been wasted just like that...


    Little did she know, Kagura Hikaru was secretly observing her under the guise of eating.


    Meals eaten alone tastepletely different from those shared with another person.


    Is this what it feels like to have friends?


    Funnily enough, before entering school he had nned his high school life as follows: be a ghost-like student unnoticed by others, study quietly, graduate quietly, hoping not even a single person would talk to him until the graduation ceremony.


    The ideal quiet life he envisioned was now going in apletely different direction.


    But the way it is now... seems pretty good, actually.

 Chapter 31 I Hate You Intuitive Brats the Most

    What happened next was as expected.


    The ''anonymous'' expos¨¦ on the News Department forum instantly shifted the public pressure onto Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru, painting them as the viins and Kiryu Hina as the victim, naturally making the so-called bullying rumors unbelievable to anyone.


    The Society Discussion Meeting''s credibility plummeted, but that did not prevent everyone from reading its daily newspaper. After all, aside from the distorted school news, there were still many trendy topics worth reading about.


    It was like when pork with swine fever appeared in the market; it wouldn''t be possible to ban everyone from buying beef.


    Some sticklers believed that reading the Society Discussion Meeting''s daily release was equivalent to supporting Ayakoji Chiyoko, so they resolutely boycotted it and even persuaded those around them not to read it.


    But the vast majority of students simply didn''t care about these stance issues; they were more interested in having fun.


    At the same time, the News Department quietly began its campaign to promote its own online forum.


    Using the gossip news about Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina as a stepping stone, theyunched manymunity events, continually posting interesting new threads, with some people writing stories and even creating sections reminiscent of confession walls, attracting arge number of Uka High students.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had been busy investigating the previous ''surprise inspection'' by Kiryu Hina and was brooding over it without paying any attention to these developments. By the time she realized it, the News Department forum had already be the second center of opinion within the school.


    Kagura Hikaru was surprised by Hina''s ruthlessness when he found out about this.


    No wonder she released the most crucial expos¨¦ on the school forum; it was all part of this scheme.


    Attacking the Society Discussion Meeting and Ayakoji Chiyoko, suppressing rumors, and revitalizing the News Department''s influence in public opinion¡ªit was killing three birds with one stone.


    Clearly, she had premeditated all of it.


    With this, the Society Discussion Meeting could no longer hold ground in Yuqiu High School''s public opinion battlefield. In ces like online forums, the efficiency of setting the tone far exceeds that of newspapers.


    In her irritation, Ayakoji Chiyoko ordered the Society Discussion Meeting to continuepeting with the News Department for readers, but the issue was they focused on the daily paper and forums respectively, and simply couldn''t sh head-on.


    The Society Discussion Meeting tried to set up its own forum, but it went unnoticed, and even after a week the visit count hadn''t broken a hundred.


    The Society Discussion Meeting failed to achieve its initial target and instead, the News Department managed to make a fortune out of someone else''s misfortune, gaining influenceparable to the Society Discussion Meeting, and dering aplete defeat in the battle for public opinion.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s personal authority suffered a severe blow.


    Although she was prepared, no one could produce direct evidence to prove her involvement in the actions against Kiryu Hina, and she hadn''t actively ndered thetter even in interviews for her own daily news.


    But public opinion is such a thing; it can sentence someone to death without evidence.


    If it incites widespread resentment, one can be guilty even without guilt.


    In order not to affect the Disciplinary Committee, Ayakoji Chiyoko announced her resignation the day after the post appeared, ostensibly stepping down from the Disciplinary Committee, with the former vice-chair taking over as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, but in reality, she shifted to controlling things behind the scenes, and from top to bottom, the Disciplinary Committee was still her people.


    But from the perspective of ordinary students, Ayakoji Chiyoko had suffered a crushing defeat this time.


    Her attempt to smear the Student Council President was unsessful, and instead, she was ''expelled'' by the Discipline Committee, stripped of her rank, it was a total loss.


    Out of respect for the attitude of the Discipline Committee, nobody dared to ridicule her openly, but behind closed doors, Chiyoko didn''t know how many cold stares she received.


    It was said that a few hot-headed youths who had previous grudges with the Discipline Committee blocked Ayakoji Chiyoko''s ssroom door to give her trouble; she beat them single-handedly, and then dragged their ''corpses'' herself to surrender to the Discipline Committee.


    Whether those spiritedds were okay or not, nobody knew, but when Ayakoji Chiyoko walked out of the Discipline Committee, not even the wrinkles on her clothes had changed.


    Having had a rough time herself, Kagura Hikaru''s situation was naturally worse.


    For a whole week, every day, his locker was crammed with stuff.


    Of course, they weren''t pink love letters, but rather razor des, threatening letters, insect carcasses, weird photos, and the like.


    His indoor shoes would disappear daily only to show up torn and tattered in the trash can, forcing Kagura to take his shoes home.


    On his way to and from school, he''d be picked on¡ªnothing would happen on campus though, as there were always some Discipline Committee members watching over him. If someone caused trouble, within three seconds, a student wearing a red armband would show up for ''justice execution,'' which was tant protection.


    But no one could really say they were in the wrong, as preventing disputes within the school was indeed the job of the Discipline Committee members.


    Those annoyed with Kagura thought that once off school grounds, where the Discipline Committee couldn''t intervene, they could teach him a lesson, only to learn what is meant by ''being skilled in many things.''


    Over the years, the Golden Finger had copied many martial arts skills for him, which normally weren''t of much use, but came in especially handy at times like this.


    Strangely, even though Kagura encountered malice everywhere in the school, such things never happened in his own ssroom, where, despite some awkwardness, everyone still interacted with him as before.


    This silent support touched him deeply.


    Kagura had always been the least talkative and most aloof in his ss, yet somehow he had been epted into the group, which was both surprising and moving.


    After about a week like this, the bullying began to subside.


    There were factors causing the enthusiasm of the bullies to decline, as well as reasons rted to Kagura Hikaru being too impable, giving them no opportunity to start any trouble; in any case, life had returned to the usual school days.


    During these days, Ayakoji Chiyoko, who hadn''t been in touch for a while, sought him out again.


    Lunchtime, on a bench in the corner of the courtyard.


    It was the same ce where they had first talked about coborating.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru sat on either side of the bench, each eating their own bento.


    "The next n against the Student Council is in preparation," Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly said out of the blue, "For myself, I''m very keen to discuss the topic of Kiryu Hina''s love life. Do you have anything to add?"


    Kagura Hikaru put down his chopsticks, frowning deeply, "I''ve said long ago that I don''t want to talk more about this matter."


    "Is that so? That''s really a pity."


    Perhaps because she was bothered by this for a while, Ayakoji Chiyoko started asking around again about the love history between Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, especially about the reasons behind their breakup.


    Seemingly out of a woman''s intuition, Ayakoji Chiyoko believed there should be big news buried within this matter.


    ¡ªThat''s why he disliked these sharp-witted brats.


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression darkened for a moment.


    Once close enough to be considered a model couple, now estranged, Kagura Hikaru was hated by Kiryu Hina,beled a traitor, and of course, there were convoluted and difficult internal details involved.


    It was Kagura Hikaru''s deepest secret, one he didn''t wish to share with anyone, let alone have it exposed as a piece of dark news.


    To ensure that Ayakoji Chiyoko wouldn''t continue to delve into the matter, he even resorted to using mind-reading.


    [Looking at it this way, there''s definitely something hidden.]


    [But continuing to pressure him might drive him away... Let it be, let''s see how it goes.]


    [You gained through the vision of the mind: guitar +2]


    [Guitar lv5 (not upgradable)]


    [Congrattions on obtaining your first maximum level skill, your Mind Reading Technique has been enhanced]


    Hmm?


    Kagura Hikaru, who had let his guard down upon realizing that Ayakoji Chiyoko had no intention of probing further, was startled once again.


    He was aware that his guitar skill was about to reach maximum level since it was already sufficient for his needs, so he hadn''t deliberately sought to increase experience points.


    Unexpectedly, a maximum level skill could upgrade mind-reading abilities.


    He wondered what the effects of the enhancement were.


    Out of curiosity, Kagura Hikaru used mind-reading again on Ayakoji Chiyoko sitting next to him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Today''s bento has foie gras again; I''ve said several times not to put such expensive ingredients, that disobedient French chef, I''ll fire him sooner orter!]


    [You gained through the vision of the mind: Tea Ceremony +1]


    [Tea Ceremony lv4 (51/100)]


    In the sunlight, Ayakoji Chiyoko elegantly picked up a piece of foie gras and put it into her mouth, calm andposed without showing any expression,pletely unaware that her thoughts were now crystal clear to the person beside her.


    However, unlike before, this time, Kagura Hikaru not only read her thoughts but also saw an image of a white-haired old man in a chef''s uniform sh by¡ªa blurry image seemingly extracted from Ayakoji Chiyoko''s memory.


    So that''s it, this new ability allowed him to see the images the other person was thinking about during mind-reading.


    Now, his mind-reading wasn''t limited to text; it could even disy images, which was a major leap forward like evolving from a feature phone to a smartphone.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but wonder, with more maximum level skills, what would his mind-reading ability eventually be?


    Well, there would always be a chance to find out in the future.


    Kagura Hikaru ate a meatball, chewing while pondering these thoughts.


    So, that day, he and Ayakoji Chiyoko simply had lunch together and then went their separate ways.


    Neither of them realized that such behavior could easily lead to misunderstandings.

 Chapter 32 My Bestie Has Been Acting Strange Lately

    Around five in the afternoon.


    In a small livehouse somewhere in Tokyo, an underground concert was taking ce.


    On the small stage, four students dressed as spicy girls were performing their band''s original new song¡ª"Red Love".


    It was none other than the Red Pepper Band led by Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    This was already their fifth time on stage, and Rinran had the air of an experienced performer, while the atmosphere among the audience was quite lively. After the song ended, they received rounds of apuse.


    "Thank you, thank you, everyone~~"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian bounced around the stage, waving her hands to bid farewell to the audience, and walked down with the rest of the band members.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Once back in the dressing room, she immediately grabbed a bottle of mineral water and started gulping it down, her throat bobbing.


    "Phew¡ª!"


    Having drained half the bottle of mineral water, sheughed and said to the band members around her, "The live performance was great today!"


    The bassist echoed, "Yeah, better than thest time."


    The guitarist: "The audience was really enthusiastic!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian: "Exactly~!"


    Everyone chatted animatedly, but Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes kept darting towards the quiet drummer in the corner, Ruzaki Mami, looking at her phone with her head down.


    She was the only member of the Red Pepper Band who attended the same ss and school as Ai Cheng Hua Lian, and they had been good friends even before forming the band.


    Buttely, she seemed off,cking vigor, as if she were worrying about something.


    The problem seemed to be growing worse with time. At today''s live performance, although no one in the band had mentioned it, they could all tell that Ruzaki Mami''s drumming was slightly off-beat andcked strength.


    Could she have caught a cold?


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian wondered.


    She couldn''t stop thinking about it.


    While everyone went to the restroom to remove their makeup, Ai Cheng Hua Lian quietly approached her and asked in a low voice, "Zhen Chun, are you not feeling well? Why have you been zoning out all day?"


    "Eh?" Ruzaki Mami was startled for a few seconds, "I''m sorry, did I cause trouble for everyone?"


    "Not at all, no one is thinking that!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said with caution, "It''s just that I feel like you''ve been somewhat listlesstely... you know."


    "Oh....."


    Ruzaki Mami lowered her head like a little rabbit and fell silent.


    After waiting a long time without a response, Ai Cheng Hua Lian felt uneasy.


    Is that it, just "oh...."?


    Even though she knew her best friend was like this, the silence was frustrating.


    In the end, when the band members said goodbye at the livehouse entrance, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was unable to get anything more out of her, but she could tell that something was definitely weighing on her friend''s mind.


    Watching the receding figure of Ruzaki Mami, she clenched her teeth and decided to tail her! Ah, no, to track her!


    Based on her experience with shoujo manga, when a male protagonist encounters a female character who has worries but doesn''t talk about them, tracking her would greatly increase the chance of discovering her secret!


    In the end, Ai Cheng Hua Lian followed her best friend to a small park sandwiched between residential houses, hiding behind a bush and watching her sit on the swing lost in thought.


    Besides confirming that Ruzaki Mami was indeed somewhat depressed, she didn''t find out anything else.


    Instead, she ended up with sore legs from squatting.


    Manga is all lies, after all.


    Meanwhile.


    Kagura Hikaru, with a guitar case on his back and a school bag in hand, was walking home against the sunset.


    Work had caused him to run a bitte that day, and if he took the train now, he would hit the rush hour and end up squished like a sardine, just like the previous time.


    He had decided that he didn''t want to experience that again at all costs, so he chose to walk home today.


    ```


    It was only a few miles away, and if he paced himself properly, he wouldn''t even break a sweat by the time he reached his front door.


    As he walked, he passed a small park and Kagura Hikaru suddenly stopped short.


    He saw a familiar-looking girl hiding behind a bush, her butt sticking out as if she were spying on something, her silhouette sneaky and untrustworthy.


    A middle-aged woman passing by gave her a strange look and whispered to herself.


    After thinking it over, he decided not to ignore her and calmly approached, asking, "What are you doing?"


    "Eek!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian jumped in surprise, her head whipping around, "Kagura? Why are you here..."


    "On my way home." Kagura Hikaru said matter-of-factly, and then looked toward the girl sitting alone on the worn-out swing in the park, "Do you know her?"


    "Yes, her name is Ruzaki Mami, she''s a ssmate of mine," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said sheepishly, "Uh, she''s also in the same band as me, she''s the drummer."


    Kagura Hikaru observed the girl in the park, her demeanor clearly showing that she must be facing some kind of problem.


    "Is she in trouble?"


    "I don''t know, she won''t tell me anything..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian shook her head.


    "Well, if she doesn''t want to talk about it, that''s the end of it. Pressing the issue will only make her more resistant."


    "That''s not eptable!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said firmly, "Zhen Chun is my friend, her worries are my worries! How can I just ignore her?"


    Perhaps Ai Cheng Hua Lian spoke too loudly, because Ruzaki Mami in the park looked up in their direction and locked eyes with Kagura Hikaru.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, crouching behind the bush, hadn''t been noticed for the moment, but she read something in Kagura Hikaru''s gaze and nervously asked, "Did she see you?"


    "Yes, I''m leaving."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t even lower his head, turned, and walked in the direction he had originally intended to go.


    This matter really had nothing to do with him. If he left now, at least Ai Cheng Hua Lian wouldn''t be exposed, she could continue her stalker game, and he could go home to eat dinner on time.


    A win-win situation.


    "Wait wait wait!" However, just as Kagura Hikaru took a step, Ai Cheng Hua Lian caught the hem of his pants with her hand, "Mr. Kagura!"


    "Let go, you''ll draw attention to us."


    "Please,e with me to ask Zhen Chun what happened! She might tell us something if you''re there."


    "Don''t be naive. Would you open up to a stranger?"


    "How can we know without trying..."


    Just then, they saw a petite figure rush out of the park entrance and head off into the distance without looking back, her backpack and the hem of her skirt swinging from side to side.


    It was Ruzaki Mami.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, dumbfounded, watched her and stood up to shout, "Zhen Chun, wait for me!"


    But it was toote to catch up; the other girl had already vanished around the corner of the street.


    In the moment she turned, they did indeed see, flitting from the corner of Ruzaki Mami''s eye, a shimmering tear.


    There''s an ancient saying that tears are a pure substance, especially the tears of a beautiful girl, which can cleanse the soul.


    But the tears shed by the beautiful girl Ruzaki Mami cast a shadow over the hearts of those who saw them.


    The air was silent for a few seconds.


    "Talk to your friend about it tomorrow," Kagura Hikaru sighed softly, tugging on his guitar bag strap, "I''m going home now, see you tomorrow."


    "Oh, yeah..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian watched Kagura Hikaru walk away, holding her head with both hands, her fingers tangling in her hair out of frustration.


    .........


    The next day, Kagura Hikaru eyed Ai Cheng Hua Lian as she appeared at the ssroom door, feeling an ominous premonition.


    "Please!"


    Outside the ssroom, in the corridor, Ai Cheng Hua Lian bowed deeply with hands sped above her head, "Help me, Mr. Kagura!"


    ```

 Chapter 33 I originally thought you were a good citizen, but I didnt expect you to be so malicious.

    "Help me, Mr. Kagura!"


    "...What happened?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked up, "Actually, ever since I arrived at school today, Zhen Chun has been avoiding me, and I just can''t catch her..."


    "Aren''t you part of the sports club?" Kagura Hikaru asked with a strange expression.


    "Yes, but Zhen Chun is also in the Track and Field Club!"


    "..."


    Is this band really a serious one? The average physical fitness here seems to surpass that of idol trainees by two and a half years.


    "Anyway!" Ai Cheng Huan Lian stared into Kagura Hikaru''s eyes and said loudly, "Zhen Chun has never avoided me like this before, something must have happened, and we need to help her!"


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her helplessly, "Okay, okay, I''ll help."


    "Really? That''s great!" Ai Cheng Huan Lian said excitedly, "Then during lunch break, I''ll follow her as much as possible and report her location to you using my phone!"


    "Alright, let''s add each other on Line," Kagura Hikaru took out his phone.


    Done!


    Ai Cheng Huan Lian clenched her fist in secret, single-push contact method acquired~!


    Sorry Zhen Chun, as your best friend, you''ll surely understand my actions!


    Jokes aside, the worry is real.


    Ruzaki Mami, her shy best friend, had avoided and hid, resistingmunication not for the first time. But to rather hide and cry without telling her anything was definitely not normal, considering they were close friends who shared everything.


    Unless, it was a problem too severe to even tell the family.


    This was exactly what Ai Cheng Huan Lian feared.


    Zhen Chun, with her vulnerable appearance, especially having recently gotten a secret boyfriend¡ªwho she didn''t even disclose¡ªcould be in trouble if that boyfriend made some unreasonable demands...


    Right, she''d definitely take care of him, absolutely, definitely starting with the least necessary ''extra wheel''.


    After adding each other on Line, Ai Cheng Huan Lian and Kagura Hikaru went back to their respective sses.


    Lunch break.


    When the bell rang and the teacher walked out of the ssroom, Kagura Hikaru also stood up with his phone, receiving a text from Ai Cheng Huan Lian while descending the stairs.


    Ai Cheng: [I''m in the courtyard! Tracking in progress~~]


    Ai Cheng: [Leave by the main gate and turn left!]


    Kagura: [Understood.]


    He chased out of the academic building, turning haphazardly following Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s directions. About ten minutester, he met up with her near the school''s garbage burning area.


    The school had a dedicated incinerator for burning trash, though only paper waste was supposed to be burnt. However, it was rumored some female students threw in their sanitary pads.


    In the afternoon, the duty students woulde here to dispose of the trash and burn it collectively; usually, no one came by because of the strong smell, naturally deterring anyone from approaching. Moreover, this was one of the most secluded spots in the school.


    Anyone here at this time likely had a special purpose.


    "Why would Zhen Chune to such a ce..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian peeped around the corner of a wall, looking inside.


    "Ai Cheng."


    Kagura Hikaru approached from behind.


    "Ah, Kagura, you''re here too," Ai Cheng Hua Lian cautiously pointed ahead, "She''s over there."


    Kagura Hikaru nced and saw the girl named Ruzaki Mami standing in front of the incinerator, looking uneasy as if waiting for someone.


    Suddenly, his eyes darted to the side, and he grabbed Ai Cheng Huan Lian''s arm, "Ai Cheng, let''s hide first."


    "Eh?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Shush, this way."


    He pulled Ai Cheng Huan Lian behind a maple tree and hid her. Before she could ask what was happening, he saw three male studentsing from the direction they hade, and they met up with Ruzaki Mami.


    They chatted for a while, and then Ruzaki Mami took something out of her pocket and handed it to the three boys who tucked away the item and walked offughing.


    As the trio turned around, Kagura Hikaru saw what they had pocketed.


    It was money.


    Ai Cheng Huan Lian had sharp eyes and apparently saw it too; her expression soured in an instant.


    "Those guys, are they threatening Zhen Chun?!"


    She was about to rush out but was held back by Kagura Hikaru, "Wait, let''s understand the situation before acting."


    "But!"


    "I''ve memorized the faces of those three students, we can find them anytime. Before that, let''s hear your friend''s exnation," Kagura Hikaru said calmly, "If she''s been ckmailed, running out now won''t change anything, and might even worsen the situation."


    "...I understand," Ai Cheng Huan Lian rxed, though her face still showed her indignation.


    Meanwhile.


    Ruzaki Mami watched as the three boys walked away, dejectedly dropping her shoulders and head.


    Her pocket money had been taken away again today.


    Although she still had some savings, they couldn''t withstand such endless demands.


    Why had things turned out this way...


    The moment she thought about it, Ruzaki couldn''t help but well up with tears of injustice.


    She wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and walked toward the academic building.


    But just as she rounded the corner, she was stopped by a boy and a girl.


    "Mami!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian called out.


    "Why, why, why is Karen-chan here...?!"


    Ruzaki Mami, in a panic, instinctively wanted to run, but she turned to find that she was at a garbage-burning site, a dead end.


    "This time there are two of us, Mami, you can''t think about running away again."


    "Karen-chan..."


    "We saw everything, you gave those people money!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian hurriedly grabbed Ruzaki''s hands, "What exactly happened? Are they threatening you?"


    "This..." Ruzaki hesitated.


    "We''re friends, Mami, why do you have to keep things from me?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said earnestly, "Mr. Kagura is also a trustworthy person, you''ve met him, right? He helped us a lot during the live event. I can guarantee he won''t spill the beans."


    "No, I can''t!" Ruzaki Mami shook her head with her eyes closed, "I''m sorry, Karen-chan, this is the one thing I really can''t tell..."


    "Mami!"


    "Then there''s no other way." Kagura Hikaru suddenly spoke up, picking up his phone, "Then I have no choice but to report to the Disciplinary Committee that a student is suspected of engaging in money transactions. I think given their style, they definitely won''t let it go."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami were suddenly shocked by his statement.


    They gave him a look that said ''I thought you were a good person, but you turned out to be so malicious.''


    "Wait!" Ruzaki Mami rushed to grab Kagura''s phone and, evading her, he looked over with a face about to cry, "Please, don''t do this, I can''t tell anyone about this..."


    "Why, what''s the reason?" Kagura asked emotionlessly, "What trouble will it cause if the Disciplinary Committee finds out?"


    "Because..."


    Ruzaki Mami hesitated on the spot, holding her head and turning around in circles, it took her a while before she said, "I got it, I''ll tell you... but it has to be a secret! Absolutely!"


    But Kagura Hikaru said, "I will judge based on the circumstances."


    "Wait, Kagura!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian gave him meaningful nces.


    She was just about to speak out, why create additional obstacles!


    "Ruzaki, if the trouble you''re facing goes beyond what we three can handle, then seeking outside help might also be an option."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at Ruzaki Mami, his expression calm, "If you think it can also go on like this, then I will also respect your decision."


    "I..."


    Clearly, Ruzaki Mami did not think ''it can go on like this''. Rather, she very much hoped that someone could break this vicious cycle and rescue her.


    But it wasn''t just about her, Ruzaki Mami wasn''t sure if it was the right choice.


    The anguish and the oue of that anguish¡ª


    At 12:30 PM, under the maple tree in the courtyard of Uka High School, on a long bench.


    Kagura Hikaru, Ruzaki Mami, Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    The three of them sat down in this order.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ruzaki Mami had their lunch boxes on theirps, only Ai Cheng Hua Lian nibbled on a chocte bread.


    "Hmm... why do both of you have lunch boxes... mmm... sneaky!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian whined.


    "Wake up an hour early and you can make it yourself." Kagura Hikaru picked up a piece of octopus sausage, speaking indifferently.


    "Wake up an hour earlier? How can I manage that!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian held her head, "Our school already starts early. If I also had to wake up an hour earlier... 5:30 AM, no, at least 5:00 AM I''d have to get up! Ahhh!!"


    "That, that..." Ruzaki Mami shrank her neck, speaking cautiously, "If Karen-chan doesn''t mind, I could make it for you, a lunch box."


    "Really? That''s great, Mami!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian hugged her friend happily, "But, it will be tough on you, Mami, forget it, I''ll just eat bread."


    "You don''t need to be so polite."


    "But, I don''t want my beloved Mami to be troubled."


    "Karen-chan..."


    "Mami..."


    The two girls faced each other, their faces drew closer and their hands sped together, fingers intertwined, their gaze almost tangible.


    "Ahem."


    Kagura Hikaru mercilessly interrupted this blossoming scene, putting down his chopsticks: "It''s about time to get to the main point, Miss Ruzaki."

 Chapter 34 Secret Romance

    Under the maple tree in the courtyard, the rxed atmosphere of the lunch break vanished instantly.


    A serious conversation was underway.


    "Ruzaki Mami, it''s about time you told us the truth," Kagura Hikaru said calmly as he packed up his lunchbox and chopsticks. "Even if we want to help you, we at least need to know where to start."


    "I, I understand..."


    Ruzaki Mami also put down her chopsticks, "But, you must keep it a secret."


    "I''ve said before, I can''t guarantee that," Kagura Hikaru replied.


    "If you can''t keep it a secret, then I won''t tell you!" Ruzaki Mami mustered her courage and met his gaze.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian nced at the two of them, hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "Mami, just tell us what happened. If it really is something that can''t be leaked, we''ll help cover it up."


    "...All right, since Karen-chan says so..."


    Ruzaki Mami pouted, "Karen-chan, you should remember, right? I told you before that I got a boyfriend."


    "Yes, of course, but you never wanted to tell me who he was," Ai Cheng Hua Lian nodded and then realized something, "Wait, are those hoodlums pestering you because of him? Damn it, so he really is a jerk!"


    "Not at all!!" Ruzaki Mami shouted, one-third louder than before, then her spirit shrank back, and she sulkily lowered her head to y with her fingers, "That, that person has a bit of a sensitive identity, he shouldn''t have gotten involved in a romantic rtionship with me... and then, those people just happened to see us."


    "So they ckmailed you?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian furrowed her brows.


    "...Yeah." Ruzaki Mami nodded uneasily.


    "Mami, you''re too careless."


    "This..."


    "And so what if they saw you? Why would you be ckmailed over something like this?"


    "Because her boyfriend is a teacher at the school," Kagura Hikaru suddenly interjected with a startling revtion.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian sharply turned to look at him, then at her best friend. Seeing her gaping at Kagura Hikaru as if she''d seen a ghost confirmed that he had guessed correctly.


    Ruzaki Mami visibly faltered, at a loss, "How, how, how did you know?!"


    "Simple deduction," Kagura Hikaru said calmly, "It''s not unusual for high school girls to fall for older men. Plus, you mentioned the man''s identity was sensitive, shouldn''t have been involved in a romantic rtionship with you, seen by fellow students - it''s easy to guess it''s a teacher."


    "How could this happen¡­" a whimpering Ruzaki Mami buried her face in her hands, herplexion flushed.


    It was indeed a simple deduction, not even requiring mind-reading.


    High school girls in the bloom of youth typically have only a few types of things on their minds.


    "Your insistence on keeping it a secret must be because you don''t want that teacher to be fired," Kagura Hikaru surmised, "Although in my view, a man who preys on the underage ismitting a crime and should be reported without hesitation."


    Seeing Ruzaki Mami''s dramatically changed expression, he sighed again, "But I''ll turn a blind eye just this once."


    "Thank you... no, thank you very much, Mr. Kagura!" Ruzaki Mami''s eyes brightened as she spoke sincerely.


    "Hehe, who would have thought, Mami, you''d quietly be dating a teacher."


    Making a deliberate attempt to ease the tension, Ai Cheng Hua Lian teased her with a giggling elbow nudge, "Is it Teacher Yamazaki, the P.E. teacher? Or Teacher Sato, who teaches nationalnguage? Hmm, knowing Mami''s taste, it must be¡­"


    "Karen-chan!"


    "Hahaha~"


    However, this was indeed aplex case.


    Kagura Hikaru watched the two girls joking around, his gaze slightly downcast in thought.


    ckmailed by fellow students over a teacher-student romance, afraid to seek help from others for fear of her boyfriend losing his job if exposed ¨C he understood the logic thatpelled Ruzaki Mami''s heart, he could understand her choice.


    If they chose not to pursue the teacher''s actions, in in terms, all they needed to do was to deal with those hoodlums ¨C teach them a lesson they would not forget, ensuring they would not dare toy a hand on Ruzaki Mami again. If they persisted, the matter could be escted to get them expelled.


    But the real trouble may still lie ahead.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed inwardly and asked Ruzaki Mami, "Those people, they have evidence, don''t they? Is it photos or something else?"


    ```


    If there were no evidence, she could simply say they were ndering her and deny everything.


    But since it had escted to extortion, the other party must have had direct evidence of Ruzaki Mami''s romantic rtionship with the teacher.


    "Yeah," Ruzaki Mami turned away, nodding her head and stuttering, "They sneakily took photos of me and the teacher in the ssroom, inside... "


    Ai Cheng Karen cocked her head, "Inside?"


    "...kissing."


    "You actually did such a thing at school?!"


    "...Yeah..." Ruzaki Mami covered her face with her hands, the skin that showed was as red as an apple.


    Ai Cheng Karen opened her mouth wide: "Mami... you''re unexpectedly bold."


    "..."


    "A photo, huh..." Kagura Hikaru''s eyes flickered, "It was taken with a cellphone, right?"


    Ruzaki Mami nodded: "Yes."


    "This is a bit troublesome, if it were just about getting their cellphones, that would be simple, but the key is we don''t know how many copies they''ve made."


    Digital photos are just a bunch of data after all; they can be copied endlessly, and if they''ve made backups and hidden them away,pletely deleting them is almost impossible.


    Hearing Kagura Hikaru say this, Ruzaki Mami immediately turned pale, and Ai Cheng Karen also scratched her head, looking troubled.


    "I''ll figure something out for this, let''s catch those people first," said Kagura Hikaru.


    "Really? Kagura, do you have a method?" Ai Cheng Karen asked curiously.


    Kagura Hikaru nodded.


    As long as no one has amnesia, it''s very difficult to hide anything from him, as he does, after all, have the cheating supernatural power of mind-reading.


    How many backups there are and where each one is ced¡ªwith mind-reading, he could interrogate it out.


    Secrets have no meaning in front of him.


    If the detectives knew about his ability, they might be bitterly envious.


    "Then I''m relying on you, Mr. Kagura!" Ruzaki Mami stood up, bowing deeply at ny degrees to Kagura Hikaru.


    "Thanks for your trouble, Kagura." Ai Cheng Karen also pleaded, blinking cutely, "I''ll give you a reward afterward."


    "I''ll pay the money!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ruzaki Mami raised her right hand high, her face expressing ''finally into my familiar territory''.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Karen looked at her, exchanged a nce, and then sighed in unison.


    It''s because of that naive face that she was ckmailed in the first ce.


    "Forget about the money," Kagura Hikaru shook his head, "I''m helping you because you are Ai Cheng''s friend. If you want to thank someone, thank Ai Cheng."


    "Huh?"


    Ruzaki Mami covered her mouth in surprise, turned to look at Ai Cheng Karen, her gazeplicated, and whispered softly, "Karen-chan, could it be that you and Mr. Kagura... "


    "Wha-what are you talking about!" Ai Cheng Karen hurriedly covered her best friend''s mouth, blushing and saying hastily, "We''re just ordinary friends, just ordinary friends! And besides, Kagura already has someone he likes..."


    Seeing a flicker of sadness cross Ai Cheng Karen''s face, Ruzaki Mami immediately sensed something, pursed her lips, and dared not speak anymore.


    Karen-chan...


    The atmosphere became very weird after that; after finishing lunch, Ruzaki Mami and Ai Cheng Karen hurriedly left.


    Kagura Hikaru remained on the courtyard bench, watching them walk away, then took out his cellphone, opened LINE, and found the contact named ''Ayakoji Chiyoko''.


    Kagura: [I have a favor to ask of you.]


    Ayakoji: [Speak.]


    ```

 Chapter 35 Ayakoji Chiyokos Dangerous Switch

    Old school building, Disciplinary Committee office.


    Kagura Hikaru sat at the desk flipping through a photo album with a thick ck cover, next to which rested an empty lunchbox.


    At Yuqiu High School, portrait photos were taken for all students upon admission, entered into the system, andpiled into a photo album of student profiles for each year, bing part of the school''s history.


    Copies of these albums were kept in the Student Council room and the school library''s storage. What Kagura Hikaru was looking at was one such set, taken from this year''s freshmen to seniors, three volumes of Yuqiu High School student albums, which he had obtained through the help of the Discipline Committee member from the library storage.


    As for what he was doing, it was needless to say, he was clearly searching for the three male students who had extorted Ruzaki Mami.


    As long as they were students at Yuqiu High School, they would definitely be found in the album.


    Kagura Hikaru checked each page carefully, not missing a single photo of any male student.


    Although a bit troublesome, this approach was more efficient than wandering around the school looking for people.


    This was the advantage of seeking help from the Disciplinary Committee.


    "Did you find them?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had appeared behind him at some point, bringing over a chair to sit down with her back to the table, her right leg draped over her left, and one arm curved on the table, adopting a rxed posture, she turned her head to gaze at Kagura Hikaru beside her.


    Kagura Hikaru closed the album, "Yes, I found them."


    "So?" Ayakoji Chiyoko watched him with eyes like a cat''s.


    Those eyes seemed to say, "Don''t make too much noiseter when I''m choking you if you don''t tell me now."


    "Sorry, this time it''s a personal matter." Kagura Hikaru stacked the three albums neatly, pushed back his chair, and stood up, "Thank you for your assistance, President Ayakoji."


    "Sure, no big deal."


    Kagura Hikaru had expected her to press on and had already thought about what to say next. But Ayakoji Chiyoko did not do so; instead, she waved her hand casually, "Come to me whenever you need something."


    "...Thank you."


    Having said that, Kagura Hikaru left the Disciplinary Committee''s office.


    He didn''t expect Ayakoji Chiyoko to be so easy to talk to, which was beyond his expectations, but perhaps not so surprising.


    Not long after Kiryu Hina had made a stance on his behalf, Kagura Hikaru had been automatically ssified as an ally by the Disciplinary Committee, in the eyes of Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    As arade, looking up some information was a small matter which she naturally had no reason to refuse.


    The longer he knew her, the less he felt that Ayakoji Chiyoko was apathetic. To outsiders, she may appear that way, but to her own people, she proved to be empathetic and understanding¡ªof course, only to those she found useful.


    The initial impression of her as an ice queen had been blown away; now, in Kagura Hikaru''s mind, she was like a gang leader with a tattooed arm, leading a gang.


    A bit fierce, prone to stabbing people, but seemingly harmless once you learned what she liked.


    ¡ªThe above is Kagura Hikaru''s delusional arrogance.


    After he had left, Ayakoji Chiyoko gestured for a Disciplinary Committee member toe over.


    "President, what can I do for you?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko spoke with a tilt of her head, "Follow Kagura Hikaru and find out what he''s doing. Report back to me."


    "Yes, President."


    Dismissing her subordinate, Ayakoji Chiyoko casually picked up her phone to check the recent status of the Society Discussion Meeting and the News Department. Her beautiful thumb glided over the smooth and cold ss screen. She propped her cheek in her hand and squinted her eyes, pondering something.


    That look became increasingly simr to that of a Demon Fox wearing human skin¡ªchilling and insidious.


    The fact that Kagura Hikaru had something he wished to hide from her made her quite displeased.


    Despite the calm fa?ade, deep down she had already stripped Kagura Hikaru naked, tied up his hands and feet, stuffed an apple in his mouth, and was roasting him over a fire, like a suckling pig.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had always disliked it when those around her kept secrets from her, especially the closer they were.


    Call her paranoid or neurotic, but once she smelled a rat, she would stop at nothing to probe until she got to the bottom of it, somewhat like an obsessivepulsive disorder.


    This peculiar thirst for knowledge was what led her to her current aplishments and breadth of knowledge, but the downside was that she struggled to make friends.


    Everyone has one or two secrets absolutely meant to be kept from others, and most people tacitly agree not to probe too deeply, but Ayakoji Chiyoko would try every means to dig them all out.


    Even after uncovering secrets, she wouldn''t make them public or anything; she simply believed that knowing them made her feel more secure.


    However, for those on the receiving end of her excavation, it was exceedingly fucked up.


    The current Kagura Hikaru had unintentionally triggered someone''s danger switch and was soon to be the unfortunate victim...


    Blissfully unaware of what was about to befall him and mistakenly thinking Ayakoji Chiyoko was an easy-going boss, Kagura Hikaru headed straight for the third-grade ssroom after school at 3:30 PM.


    Takayama Kenta, third-grade ss A; Tachibana Kanichi, third-grade ss C; Koyama Rikiya, third-grade ss C¡ªthe threesome involved in extorting Ruzaki Mami were these three individuals.


    He didn''t know in whose hands the photo was, but no matter, with "mind-reading," it would be an open book.


    Sometimes even Kagura Hikaru felt like a monster hidden among the crowd, arbitrarily peering into people''s hearts and picking his prey.


    Fortunately, he had enough self-control to use this power for good.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When he arrived at the floor where the third-grade ssrooms were located, Kagura Hikaru already had a n in mind.


    He would pretend to be Ruzaki Mami''s cousin, entrusted by her to negotiate with the extortionist trio; they, relying on their greater numbers and feeling fearless, would unquestionably agree and lead him to a secluded ce.


    At that point, they would no longer have the freedom to act wild.


    Kagura Hikaru would use both force and mind-reading to make them reveal the hiding ces of the photo evidence and delete them one by one, then through abination of beating and psychological torment, provide a forceful deterrence to make them think twice beforeing into contact with Ruzaki Mami again.


    This was not the form ofw enforcement society advocated, but he was convinced that some bastards just can''t understand reason until they have felt pain.


    Kagura Hikaru had thought through his n meticulously, but before he could initiate the first step, something went wrong.


    He hadn''t arrivedte since the third-grade ssrooms were located right above the first grade, and he sessfully intercepted the targets before they left school.


    Yet, when their eyes met, the expected exchange of "What are you looking at?" "What''s it to you?" did not happen.


    Instead, it was: "Shit, it''s that guy!" "Run!"


    Seeing Kagura Hikaru, the three third-grade delinquents¡ªTakayama Kenta, Tachibana Kanichi, and Koyama Rikiya¡ªshowed expressions of shock and without a word, pushed through the crowd and fled.


    Watching their figures about to disappear, Kagura Hikaru could only momentarily set aside the questions in his mind and chase after them.


    He didn''t even have time to use mind-reading at this moment because his ability had a weakness: it was difficult to focus in noisy crowds, let alone when the targets were far away.


    With stairwells located on both sides of the ssroom corridors, this meant that one could also descend from the other side.


    Kagura Hikaru subconsciously felt that they might slip away.


    As he was chasing after them, thinking hurriedly, just as he rushed past one student, another male student stepped in front of him, and Kagura Hikaru, caught unaware, collided with him.


    Both took a step back and halted in their tracks.


    The male student he bumped into raised his head; it was Ando Naoto, the vice president of the Student Council, whom he had seen before. Ando looked at him in surprise and said, "You are, ssmate Kagura? Why are you in the third-grade corridor?"


    However, Kagura did not respond to him and instead looked over his shoulder towards the distance.


    The three target individuals had by now rushed down the stairs without looking back, vanishingpletely.

 Chapter 36 Parting on Bad Terms

    Did you lose them?


    Kagura Hikaru thought it was a pity.


    But no matter, if not today, there''s always tomorrow; they will eventually have to go to school, otherwise, they couldn''t continue to contact Ruzaki Mami and ckmail her.


    As for any possible contacts outside school, Kagura Hikaru had decided to ask Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami to go home together after returning, until they thoroughly resolved this ckmail case.


    Compared to this, the reaction of those three thugs upon seeing him was indeed worth pondering.


    Why did they run upon seeing him?


    Kagura Hikaru was quite sure he had never interacted with them before; they shouldn''t recognize him, and even if they did, there was no reason for such a big reaction.


    Could it be that his objective was exposed in advance?


    If so, who told them...


    "I''m talking to you, can you not pretend you didn''t hear me, ssmate Kagura?"


    Ando Naoto frowned and woke Kagura Hikaru, who seemed lost in thought. He believed the other was avoiding the conversation and his tone grew more severe, "About you and the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee falsely using the Student Council President, what''s your exnation? And the rumors that the President bullied you, you guys spread those too, right!"


    ? It''s been such a long time, why is someone still bringing this up?


    Kagura Hikaru was stunned, inexplicably at his wit''s end.


    Though upon reflection, this had only happened just over a week ago, for him, it already felt like a distant memory.


    Like an old photograph tucked between the pages of a book, he couldn''t recall where he put it momentarily.


    "The Student Council was busy dealing with affairs when the rumors emerged, so they didn''te to find you immediately. But since we met today, you have to give me an exnation."


    Ando Naoto earnestly asked, "We all know that Ayakoji Chiyoko is targeting the President, why did you be her aplice? You clearly told me before that you liked¡ª"


    "Senior Ando."


    Before he could finish saying that name, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but interrupt.


    Why must he discuss these emotional entanglements with this person in front of him? They weren''t even friends, let alone this person being qualified as a rival.


    Irritation welled up inside.


    "I''m sorry, but right now I have other important matters to deal with. Please pretend you didn''t see me today."


    "Wait!"


    Seeing Kagura Hikaru finish speaking and about to leave, Ando Naoto instinctively reached out to stop him, but he easily dodged it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Kagura Hikaru looked back at him, "If you really want to know the reason, why not go ask President Kiriyu himself?"


    "Are you saying there''s something undisclosed here?"


    "Who knows? After all, it''s all in the past now."


    Having said that, Kagura Hikaru left Ando Naoto standing there to ponder alone and walked away from the third-grade corridor.


    As he walked downstairs, he realized there was an issue with his attitude.


    As an outsider, Ando Naoto''s reaction was nothing but normal, simr to those ssmates whose opinions were influenced by the rumors.


    But why was he blind to their reactions, yet unable to stay calm in front of Ando Naoto?


    ...Could he be jealous? Jealous of someone who could stay by her side, yet allowed to know nothing.


    Kagura Hikaru walked out silently from the school building, out of the school gates.


    It was only when he encountered Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami at the gate that he came back to his senses.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Mr. Kagura!"


    The two girls hurried up to him, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian asked, "How did it go? What''s the situation?"


    "It failed," Kagura Hikaru said calmly, "They recognized me and ran away."


    "Ah? How could that be..."


    "Yeah, why indeed."


    His eyes, thoughtful, slowly shifted to the puzzled Ruzaki Mami.


    Ruzaki Mami blinked like a rabbit, and oddly asked, "Mr. Kagura?"


    "Ruzaki, I must ask you a question, please answer me truthfully."


    "Alright!"


    Perhaps it was because his tone was too earnest that Ruzaki Mami couldn''t help but stand straight.


    Kagura Hikaru asked, "Regarding my involvement in solving the extortion issue, who else have you told, besides Ai Cheng?"


    "Eh?" Ruzaki Mami was momentarily stunned. "Aside from Karen-chan, I''ve only told my boyfriend; no one else knows."


    He fell silent for a moment, then turned away.


    "Ai Cheng, how about you?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian immediately shook her head: "I haven''t told anyone."


    "Good." Kagura Hikaru''s eyes shifted back to Ruzaki Mami, his expression serious, "Now, tell me your boyfriend''s identity."


    "...You mean to say he leaked it?" Ruzaki Mami was frozen for three seconds before catching on, her head snapped up emotionally, her eyes reddened, her voice slightly raised, "No, he couldn''t possibly betray us; there is absolutely no reason for him to do so! This is a matter that concerns his career; he wouldn''t create trouble on purpose, he''s too busy helping!"


    Discussing this loudly at the school entrance clearly wasn''t a good idea, as many people''s gaze was drawn by Ruzaki Mami''s voice.


    They had no choice but to move to a more secluded area in the school''s courtyard.


    Perhaps by coincidence, this was the exact spot where Ai Cheng Hua Lian had seen Kagura Hikaru being ''bullied''.


    The three exchanged looks in silence, a subtle tension hanging in the air.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami were no fools; they could certainly pick up the ''subtext'' in Kagura Hikaru''s words.


    He was suspecting that Ruzaki Mami''s boyfriend intentionally leaked information, leading to today''s failed encounter with the extortionists.


    Yet Ruzaki Mami''s reasoning was quite valid; her boyfriend had no reason to impede Kagura Hikaru.


    The whole matter suddenly became even more confusing.


    In such a short time, how did those three extortionists learn of Kagura Hikaru''s involvement?


    The idea that this was a simple case had already been dismissed by Kagura Hikaru, his intuition telling him that there was an enemy within them.


    "Which teacher is it?" Kagura Hikaru bluntly inquired.


    At this point, it was no longer a situation Ruzaki Mami could whimsically keep confidential.


    Clearly resistant, Ruzaki Mami was beating around the bush, attempting to gloss over the matter, but this time Ai Cheng Hua Lian did not take her side and immediately disclosed the suspect.


    "It must be Teacher Sato, the one who teaches the nationalnguage. I''ve seen him talking to Mami alone several times, and he''s also handsome¡ªthe type of teacher Mami would like in the school," she said.


    "Karen-chan...?"


    "Sorry, Mami. I trust you, but I cannot trust your boyfriend," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, her face a mix of apology and difficulty.


    Her thoughts aligned with Kagura Hikaru''s, harboring doubts about the teacher who was close to her best friend.


    Given the already low level of trust, they were even less likely to keep secrets for him.


    However, to Ruzaki Mami, the girlfriend, the situation did not appear the same. To a girl with budding feelings, the person she loved was always innocent and untainted.


    "This doesn''t make any sense, you have to believe him¡­" Ruzaki Mami pleaded.


    "ssmate Ruzaki, I can assure you, I won''t judge him with malice in mind," Kagura Hikaru stood up, "but at this point, we must seek help from the Disciplinary Committee."


    "If this ends up involving Teacher Sato¡ª"


    "If it turns out he''s not involved, I will plead with President Ayakoji to turn a blind eye," he said.


    "But, but will President Ayakoji really listen to you? I heard she''s quite ruthless."


    "She will."


    Kagura Hikaru''s firm stance made Ruzaki Mami''s face go slightly pale as she lowered her head, "I understand¡­"


    She was naturally passive, too scared even to resist when extorted. Even if Kagura Hikaru didn''t exin any further, and took a firmer stance, she would ultimately ept it.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian hugged her, offeringfort and support.


    "If there''s any development in the future, apart from the three of us, please don''t tell anyone else, even your boyfriend. Can you promise me that?" Kagura Hikaru said to Ruzaki Mami.


    After receiving a positive response, he stood up and left.


    This could be considered an unhappy departure, since before leaving, Kagura Hikaru saw discontent and disagreement on Ruzaki Mami''s face.


    Apparently, it''s hard to persuade a teenage girl with reason.


    After today, they might never again hear that crisp ''Mr. Kagura'' from her.


    Kagura Hikaru walked on without caring about these matters.

 Chapter 37 The Friend Plan

    Kagura Hikaru could understand people''s hearts, yet he wasn''t good at handling interpersonal rtionships¡ªas one could see from his interactions with Kiryu Hina.


    But the good news was that he was sufficiently introverted and knew how to enjoy solitude; even without friends, even if no one spoke to him, he still managed to live contentedly.


    This was also why, although he could have deceived Ruzaki Mami and secretly handled the matter, he chose to remain ''honest,'' the core reason being that he wasn''t afraid of being disliked.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Indeed, he hade to solve a problem, not to make enemies.


    So his promise to Ruzaki Mami was genuine; Kagura Hikaru would ensure that when the truth came out, the innocent wouldn''t get hurt.


    Ironically, this ''Teacher Sato,'' despite being the central figure in the entire ckmail incident, had yet to be seen.


    Previously, he hadn''t cared, but now he couldn''t help but want to know more about him.


    Kagura Hikaru thanked the member who had shown him the way and opened the door of the Disciplinary Committee office without surprise to see Ayakoji Chiyoko flipping through documents.


    He knew Ayakoji Chiyoko wouldn''t return home that early; after school, she would handle official duties at the Disciplinary Committee until the patrols were finished to ensure nothing went wrong at school in the absence of an authority.


    Being diligent and conscientious was one of the reasons she was respected.


    Upon hearing the ssroom door open, Ayakoji Chiyoko looked up and, slightly surprised, raised her eyebrows, "Is there something?"


    "Yes."


    Kagura Hikaru sat opposite her and got straight to the point, "At noon, I came here to check on student records, remember?"


    "Of course." Ayakoji Chiyoko set down the file in her hands and met Kagura''s gaze, "Before, you said it was a personal matter and asked me not to intervene."


    "Sorry, I was arrogant before. Now, there''s been a mishap, and before it gets worse, I need the help of the Disciplinary Committee."


    "Oh? Let''s hear it."


    Kagura Hikaruid out the entire issue: the ckmail Ruzaki Mami faced, the involvednguage teacher, and the ckmailers he saw choosing to flee.


    "Those three people hold apromising photo of Ruzaki Mami and are using it to extort money," Kagura Hikaru said, "There might be copies of the photo."


    "Photos, huh..." Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze grew colder, then she nodded, "I will make those people spill everything they know."


    "It would be good if the money taken from Ruzaki Mami could also be returned."


    "I''ll do my best."


    "Thank you for that."


    Given Ayakoji Chiyoko''s character, even Kagura Hikaru couldn''t predict how she would react to knowing a teacher was crossing the line within the school.


    But fortunately, after he suggested keeping things confidential, Ayakoji Chiyoko agreed.


    It wasn''t that Kagura Hikaru had no opinion about the one who targeted the underage, but it was a matter of priorities and considering Ruzaki Mami''s feelings.


    After all, the main reason Ruzaki Mami was ckmailed was fear of her boyfriend''s expulsion; it was best not to put the cart before the horse.


    "Thatnguage teacher, Teacher Sato." Ayakoji Chiyoko sped her hands on the table, thoughtful, "I have some impression of him, a young teacher who''s fairly popr among the female students."


    "Is there a problem with him?"


    "No, on the contrary, he has an excellent reputation. Handsome, gentle and patient, high-quality teaching, and has solved a few problems for students in his ss. From what he''s shown, he doesn''t seem like someone who wouldmit evil."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up, pulled out a rather thick file from a file cab beside her, and handed it to Kagura Hikaru.


    Thetter opened it to find that it indeed registered all the school teachers'' details, even those who had left.


    The first teacher on the first page, named ''Sato Seiji,'' was a handsome, bespectacled man, fitting the current trendy intellectual male image.


    It noted that he had joined as a newnguage teacherst year, recing a retired staff member, and he was presently responsible for teaching second-year students.


    Kagura Hikaru firmly memorized this person.


    He must be Ruzaki Mami''s boyfriend, and he too had suffered from extortion because of him.


    Ruzaki Mami had said that she only told her boyfriend about seeking help.


    Therefore, aside from random factors, looking from the existing clues, the person who leaked Kagura Hikaru''s information to the third-year students allowing them to sessfully escape, was very likely this Teacher Sato.


    If this spection were true, one could imagine, he definitely participated in extorting his own girlfriend, thus is also one of the criminals.


    "Public opinion can''t represent everything, right?" Kagura Hikaru raised his head and said.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled, a cold smile, her mood had been bad since she heard about the extortion in the school.


    "If public opinion could represent a person''s true quality, then the President of America would be both senile and a master strategist, both a warmonger and a savior of the world¡ªothers'' opinions are just that, others'' opinions, they represent nothing.


    Including Ruzaki Mami, the Sato Seiji she sees, and the one we see are definitely not the same person."


    "But whether Teacher Sato is innocent or a perpetrator in this extortion case hasn''t been concluded yet, has it?"


    "That''s what we need to confirm next."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko called the Discipline Committee member, instructing him to investigate the second-year nationalnguage teacher.


    "Yes, President."


    The Discipline Committee member promptly left.


    After the person left, Kagura Hikaru tried to tease, "You''re not the president anymore."


    "Mouths are on their own bodies; I can''t control them," Ayakoji Chiyoko hummed, saying this.


    But by her appearance, she didn''t seem displeased.


    "So now there are two presidents in the Discipline Committee?"


    "That''s only in the clubroom. Outside, they won''t talk too much."


    Being able to chat leisurely like this was also proof of the improvement in their rtionship.


    Kagura Hikaru came to find the Discipline Committee this time not just for efficiency''s sake, but also to deepen his connection with Ayakoji Chiyoko, which was also part of the reason.


    He hadn''t forgotten the task entrusted to him by Hina.


    Task content: Befriend Ayakoji Chiyoko, then go to her house and retrieve something.


    Anyone who had ever interacted with Ayakoji Chiyoko would be deeply impressed by her aloofness; it was hard to imagine who could be her friend, let alone enter her house.


    Kagura Hikaru was aware of the difficulty of this task, yet he was undaunted.


    Even the hardest iceberg would eventually melt if one was willing to spend time chipping away at it.


    Indeed, Kagura Hikaru''s ''friendship n'' had been underway for two years.


    To conquer Ayakoji Chiyoko, the alpine flower upon this iceberg, it wouldn''t be enough without this level of effort.


    He believed that before graduation, he would definitely have a chance to fulfill Hina''s purpose.


    However, this time, increasing Ayakoji Chiyoko''s affinity was just incidental, helping Ruzaki Mami solve her problem was the most urgent.


    Lunch break was almost over without him realizing; Kagura Hikaru bid farewell to Ayakoji Chiyoko and rushed back to the ssroom.


    Before he left, Ayakoji Chiyoko told him that they would carry out the extortionist''s arrest after school the next day if Kagura Hikaru was interested, he coulde to watch.


    Having the entire Disciplinary Committee as a backup was indeed reassuring; with their capabilities, this matter should be resolved quickly.


    The next day, Kagura Hikaru was informed that the third-year students involved in the extortion were already under surveince.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko contacted him, and they arranged to act after school.

 Chapter 38 Teacher Sato

    When Kagura Hikaru informed Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami about the "Criminal Roundup Operation", both women simultaneously requested to apany him.


    He naturally agreed.


    Since it was a roundup, having one or two more people wouldn''t change anything, he simply instructed them not to show themselves before the sess of the n, to prevent the target from noticing.


    Previously, when Kagura Hikaru and those three ckmailers first met, he was recognized, so he couldn''t guarantee that the appearance of the two women wouldn''t make them overthink.


    But there are always unexpected events, and at noon, Ruzaki Mami suddenly reported that the ckmailers had contacted her again demanding money.


    After discussing with Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kagura Hikaru decided to change the n temporarily, using Ruzaki Mami as bait to proceed with the arrest earlier than nned.


    At 12:50 PM, Ruzaki Mami waited at the secluded garbage incineration nt and met the target three men.


    "Hey,dy, hand over the money, and then you can leave!" said the leader in a harsh tone.


    Ruzaki Mami showed a fearful expression and, as usual, took out the prepared banknotes and handed them over to them.


    Just as they were taking the money, several burly men suddenly rushed out from behind nearby obstacles, effectively blocking the path.


    The ckmailing trio, seeing Ayakoji Chiyoko walk out from behind and Ruzaki Mami, who took the opportunity to run into the crowd of Discipline Committee members, suddenly changed their expression.


    "You little brat! You actually snitched to the Disciplinary Committee!!"


    "We''re in trouble, big brother, this is a dead end."


    "Let''s see if we can fight our way out!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko coldly said, "Takayama Kenta, Tachibana Kanichi, Koyama Rikiya, I advise you not to get any funny ideas. Return the photos and the money you took from Ruzaki Mami, and I might consider being lenient."


    "Ptui!" Takayama Kenta spat, ring fiercely at Ruzaki Mami hiding among the crowd, "Even if we get caught today, that photo will be released, you just wait!"


    "Oh? So you have aplices." Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze flickered.


    Since all three involved in the ckmail were here, and they believed there was still a chance for retaliation despite knowing they would be restrained, there must be an aplice helping from the outside.


    Takayama Kenta, realizing he had misspoken, stammered in his retort: "I, I mean, we set up a timed send! If it''s not canceled within 24 hours, that photo will be posted online for everyone to see!"


    "It''s toote to fix this now."


    Kagura Hikaru, also among the Discipline Committee members, spoke up.


    [Damn, nowhere to run now....]


    [You''ve gained through mind-reading: Motorcycling +1]


    [Motorcycling lv4 (3/100)]


    Suddenly cornered by the Discipline Committee members, Takayama Kenta and the others were tense, their minds exceptionally active.


    Kagura Hikaru took the opportunity to read their minds, confirming the location of the photo backup, as well as the identity of that aplice.


    The rest was to find the evidence.....


    "What are you all doing here?"


    Suddenly, a voice came from the rear.


    Everyone turned to look and saw a man in a suit and sses, a teacher, standing there with a surprised expression.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko involuntarily widened their eyes, while Ruzaki Mami, standing next to Ai Cheng Hua Lian, eximed in surprise, "Teacher Sato, what are you doing here?!"


    "That''s my line, Student Ruzaki...."


    Thenguage teacher named Sato Seiji looked puzzled as he surveyed them: "With so many of you gathered at the garbage nt, you wouldn''t be fighting, would you?"


    "We....." Ayakoji Chiyoko began, then, sensing something, abruptly turned to look back, his eyes wide with anger.


    Just then, Takayama Kenta and the other two, previously trapped in the dead-end, were climbing the incinerator, attempting to scale the back wall of the garbage nt.


    "Hey, what are you doing, get down!!" bellowed the vice-president, a giant of a man, charging forward with the force of a wall-breaking momentum.


    Unfortunately, it was a step toote, and thest person also scaled the wall and disappeared from view.


    Kagura Hikaru made a great effort to read their direction with his ability, vaguely saw an unclear image, and after a moment''s thought, turned to ask, "Where does the area behind the wall lead?"


    "It should be outside the school." Ayakoji Chiyoko directed the other Discipline Committee members to follow and said with an ugly expression.


    The school''s garbage nt was built in the most secluded spot, which is also the edge of the school.


    From this point, one would naturally end up outside the school.


    Knowing it was beyond retrieval, Kagura Hikaru turned around and walked back.


    "Where are you going?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked, tilting her head.


    "I''m going to investigate something on my own. Let me know if there''s any progress on your end."


    With that, Kagura Hikaru left alone.


    Before leaving, he nced at Teacher Sato, who looked puzzled as he tried to understand the situation from Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami, perplexed by the current state of affairs with even a hint of guilt for having done something wrong.


    Reality is not a detective novel; there aren''t that many twists and mysteries.


    In a situation where the truth was already confirmed, the only thing left to do was evidence, evidence, evidence.


    In a modern legal society, you couldn''t use anyone without evidence.


    This evidence could now only be obtained from those escapee seniors, but first, they needed to be found.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t look back; he quickly returned to the ssroom and took out paper and pencil, precisely sketching the image he had seen through mind-reading onto the draft paper¡ªit was a building, an old factory.


    Ignoring his ssmates'' astonishment, Kagura Hikaru grabbed his backpack and guitar and left school early that day.


    Meanwhile, the Japanesenguage teacher, Sato Seiji, also learned the full story from Ruzaki Mami.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At this point, there seemed no need for secrecy anymore.


    "Why didn''t you tell me about the photos?" Sato Seiji whispered, "I understand as a student you can''t handle this situation, but why not even give me a chance to help? Don''t you trust me?"


    "Of course not!" said Ruzaki Mami guiltily, "I just didn''t want to worry you, Teacher Sato....."


    "You..... eh."


    Sato Seiji shook his head and turned to Ai Cheng Hua Lian with a rueful smile, "I''m sorry, Student Ai Cheng, for making you see such a spectacle."


    "No, it''s okay, I understand." Ai Cheng Hua Lian waved her hand, her expression unsure.


    Seeing Ayakoji Chiyoko approaching them, Sato Seiji also turned to her and apologized, "I''m sorry, my timing was not good when I arrived, perhaps I intruded."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko did not respond, her gaze deep as she stared at him.


    Standing where Sato Seiji had been, one could clearly see the process of those three students escaping, yet he never spoke up to alert anyone.


    Was this because his attention wasn''t on them at the time, or was it because.....


    Tsk, dealing with students might have been manageable, but targeting a teacher became immediately problematic.


    The Disciplinary Committee was ultimately just an organization that limited students; it had no authority over adults.


    Now, all they could hope for was that the Discipline Committee member who had just chased after them would catch someone and extract some information from their mouths.


    Unfortunately, thisst wish too was unfulfilled, as the returning Discipline Committee members shook their heads at Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "Is that so....."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko nodded pensively, her gaze following Teacher Sato, who was walking away with Ruzaki Mami, and said to her subordinates, "Check into Sato Seiji''s background, but keep it subtle."


    "Understood, President."


    In the end, Ayakoji Chiyoko still suspected Sato Seiji had issues.


    Even though he appeared oblivious, and even took the initiative to apologize and thank her and Ai Cheng Hua Lian for not spreading the secret rtionship between the two, something felt off.


    As the daughter of an actress, Ayakoji Chiyoko noticed some deliberate traces, which made her more cautious.


    And Ai Cheng Hua Lian obviously didn''t understand anything and began to waver uncertainly.


    The timing of Sato Seiji''s arrival was too coincidental to be mere chance, but his excuses left no loopholes for her to grasp.


    Yet as he was about to take Ruzaki Mami away, she still insisted on following them, determined not to leave after school.


    If Sato Seiji really was problematic, allowing her friend to be alone with him could be dangerous.


    Lately, those senior delinquents had stoppeding to school.


    The Discipline Committee followed up at their registered home addresses and found their families, who informed them they couldn''t find their children, saying they had called on the day they ran away to say they were going to stay at a friend''s house for a few days, and then they never saw them again nor disclosed where this so-called friend lived.


    Just when the Discipline Committee members were at a loss, Ruzaki Mami received another ckmail message.

 Chapter 39 Today Is the Day to Wash Away the Disgrace!

    ```


    [Prepare four million yen in cash within a week! Mail it to Wada Coarse Snack Shop in Hirao Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture! Otherwise, we will send out the photos to your family, friends, ssmates, and you will lose all your dignity. Your Teacher Sato will also be dismissed from his job!]


    After school at 3:30 pm, when Ruzaki Mami showed the text message she had received to Ayakoji Chiyoko, this is what it said.


    Hirao Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture is a rural area far from Tokyo; presumably, it must be the hometown of one of the three extortionists.


    "Four million yen is not a small amount," Ayakoji Chiyoko said as she handed back Ruzaki Mami''s phone, suggesting, "If you are willing to report this to the police, they will take care of it."


    "I... I won''t report it to the police," Ruzaki Mami said, maturing a bit after several days of anxious toil, but still not daring to look Ayakoji Chiyoko in the eye, she looked down slightly, "I don''t want Teacher Sato to be fired!"


    "So you''re saying you''ll pay the money?"


    "..."


    "Good, it seems you haven''t been blinded by love."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clenched her fists on the table, and said with the calm tone of a doctor, "Extortion is never-ending. Once youpromise, they will bleed you dry for the rest of your life. It''s four million now, but tomorrow it might be five, six million. Do you really want to use your parents'' hard-earned money to clean up after your boyfriend?"


    Ruzaki Mami, unable to argue, pressed her head even lower in embarrassment, ashamed of herself for having considered doing just that for a moment.


    Love cannot be measured in terms of money.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But that''s just a tale for children; modern high school students are more realistic than ever and fully aware of the value of money.


    That''s four million yen we''re talking about. You could buy a nice car, travel to several countries, or with the right moves even get Teacher Sato a job that''s no worse than teaching. Why should you give that money to extortionists?


    As for that photo... Ruzaki Mami was still troubled by it, profoundly conflicted, yet not knowing what to do.


    If it were really exposed, it might be a mere embarrassment and scolding for her, but Sato would genuinely lose his job and might never be able to work in the educational field again.


    Thinking of this, Ruzaki Mami couldn''t help feeling sad, and she resolved that if she indeed caused Teacher Sato to lose his job, she would have to help him find a new one.


    For example, bing a manager at her father''s hotel.


    And then, naturally, bing her husband... Hehe, hehehe, heheheheheh.


    "Ah, lost in her own little world again," Ai Cheng Hua Lian, sitting beside her, sighed as she saw Ruzaki Mami blushing and daydreaming with a silly smile still on her lips.


    This silly girl.


    She turned her head to Ayakoji Chiyoko, "President Ayakoji, do you know where Mr. Kagura has beentely? He won''t tell me when I ask, and it''s quite concerning."


    As Ruzaki Mami had recently been in close contact with the Disciplinary Committee, her rtionship with Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ayakoji Chiyoko had improved a bit. Although she was still fearful, at least she no longer felt weak at the knees at the sight of Ayakoji''s stern face.


    Upon closer interaction, Ai Cheng Hua Lian realized that the Disciplinary Committee Chairman, who was rumored to be arrogantly cannibalistic, wasn''t as dismissive as she imagined.


    She may be cool, but that''s just because she''s too serious.


    Continuing their acquaintance, they might even be something like friends.


    At this thought, Ai Cheng Hua Lian felt aplicated mix of emotions.


    Ever since she learned from the Student Council President that Kagura Hikaru had a crush on Ayakoji Chiyoko, she had always felt inferior around her, guilty for no reason, and worried that something might be noticed.


    This frustration had nowhere to go, and made her feel like beating up a certain male high school student who, after being all over the ce and disappearing for three days, still managed to be the center of people''s talks.


    For the past three days, he had been missing after school, iming to be busy with something when contacted online and acting all mysterious.


    However, Ai Cheng Hua Lian guessed that he was probably investigating the whereabouts of the extortionists alone, and she couldn''t help worrying about his safety.


    ```


    After all, Kagura Hikaru did not seem to have the physique of someone who was good at fighting, delicate and fragile as he appeared; if he were to be attacked, he was likely to be covered in wounds.


    After asking Ayakoji Chiyoko, thetter also shook her head to indicate that she did not know.


    Their exchanges had been brief, with Chiyoko practically conveying new intelligence unterally these days, while there was no informationing back from Hikaru.


    Although they had not coordinated in advance, they tacitly chose different directions for their investigation and advanced separately.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had chosen the lead of Sato Seiji and had uncovered quite a few things; she was just waiting for the evidence to fall into ce.


    As for the line Hikaru had chosen, the missing extortionist, the progress was unknown.


    Securing direct evidence would likely depend on his performance.


    If it was toote, in a week''s time, that photograph would spread, causing irreversible damage to Ruzaki Mami.


    After discussing the matter, Ai Cheng Karen and Ruzaki Mami were ready to leave.


    It was then that Ayakoji Chiyoko''s phone rang.


    She nced at the caller ID and immediately answered the call; the voice of Kagura Hikaru came from the other end, "I''ve found them, but there are quite a few people."


    The smile at the corners of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mouth faded, and her gaze sharpened; she looked like a lion intently eyeing its prey from afar, her iron-cold blood heating up with that non-human sensation returning to her.


    Sensing a shift in the atmosphere, Ai Cheng Karen and Ruzaki Mami stopped, pricking up their ears to eavesdrop.


    "Give me the location, can you provide a detailed address?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko pulled over an inconsequential document, flipped it over, and began writing down an address while listening.


    "Hmm... Hmm... Wait for me half an hour; don''t do anything rash before I get there."


    After saying that, she hung up the phone and stood up, only to meet two pairs of curious cat eyes staring at her.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko shook her head, "You cannot be involved; it could be dangerous."


    "Can''t we just watch from a distance?"


    "We''ll stay far away!"


    "No."


    Leaving no room for negotiation, Ayakoji Chiyoko had someone forcefully escort the two women away and then called the vice president, naming ten people to return to the club room and gather.


    Five minutester.


    In the ce where Sword Dao training was usually held, all ten Discipline Committee members stood.


    They were the strongest fighters within the Disciplinary Committee, ensuring the capture operation was foolproof.


    "The third-year extortionist who slipped away from us has been found," Chiyoko dered.


    As these words were spoken, the breathing of the Discipline Committee members in the old ssroom grew heavier, and their eyes changed.


    The fact that they had let the criminal escape due to carelessness a few days ago was regarded as a humiliation by the entire Disciplinary Committee.


    It seemed that the day to redeem themselves hade!


    "We''re going to settle this right now," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, hands behind her back and expressionless, "Take off your armbands and follow me!"

 Chapter 40 Breaking into the Scene

    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked out of the ssroom, followed by ten imposing burly men and strong women, like dark clouds pressing down, their ''Discipline'' red armbands uniformly torn off and ced on the table at the door.


    Discipline Committee members are not allowed to participate in off-campus disputes, which is a vition of school rules.


    But by taking off their armbands, they temporarily became free agents.


    To avoid drawing attention, Ayakoji Chiyoko had her subordinates disperse and leave the school in several groups, quickly heading to the scene.


    Half an hourter, near an abandoned factory.


    This ce is on the edge of Tokyo, once a well-known industrial development zone, but now it is deste, dpidated, and impoverished, seemingly stuck in the era when thest century''s bubble burst.


    Those who remain here are all from the lower strata of society, or those who have fallen into the valley waiting for a resurgence.


    Kagura Hikaru stood at the entrance of a small, old-fashioned grocery store, a cigarette-shaped mint candy hanging from his lips, listlessly as if waiting for someone.


    Suddenly, he seemed to hear a noise and turned his head toward the street corner.


    At the corner, the figure of a tall woman appeared, followed by one burly man and door-kicking strong women after another, striding forward with a formidable presence and disheveled, heavy footsteps.


    A dense group of people, all dressed in the same ck uniforms, followed behind Ayakoji Chiyoko, approaching with an aggressive air, anyone unaware might think they were Yakuza about to contest turf.


    Kagura Hikaru watched this group of menacing looking Discipline Committee members approaching, thinking to himself what high school drama are you all acting out here, he nodded as a greeting and was about to speak, but then saw Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression change, she swiftly snatched the ''cigarette'' from his mouth.


    "Smoking vites the Discipline Code, write me a reflection for tomorrow."


    Kagura Hikaru, speechless, ".....this is candy, give it back."


    "?"


    Picking up the ''cigarette'' and smelling it, Ayakoji Chiyoko then confirmed it wasn''t the real thing.


    Unembarrassed, she tossed the candy cigarette back to him and looked towards the distant abandoned factory, casually starting a conversation.


    "So that''s where they''re hiding?"


    "Hmm."


    "How did you find them?"


    Tokyo is a vast metropolis, home to over ten million people, a true melting pot, yet remarkably, Kagura Hikaru had found the target in just three days.


    Kagura Hikaru chewed the candy cigarette in his mouth, briefly lost in memories.


    On the first day the ckmailers disappeared, Kagura Hikaru took a sketch of the factory from his memory and attempted to match it online without sess, then went around asking the locals in Tokyo.


    But he soon realized it was too slow until he passed by a private detective agency and had an epiphany about the right approach, hiring several detectives to distribute several copies of the factory image, along with sketches of the three ckmailers'' faces, and asking them to help look for the people.


    The private detective industry in the Ind Nation has a history and is still not prohibited to this day.


    Although they don''t have the credentials to participate in criminal cases like someics about grim reapers, and most of their jobs are minuscule, such as catching adulterers or following celebrities, these tasks are unmanageable without connections and familiarity with the local area; it was much easier than if Kagura Hikaru had done it alone, costing only some money.


    By the third day, Kagura Hikaru got the specific location from one of the detectives, found the abandoned factory he had seen in his mind-reading, quickly paid, scoped out the site briefly, and then called Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "There are only three of them inside, along with two motorcycles; I saw no weapons."


    During his survey, he saw instant noodle tubs all over the floor, as well as sleeping bags and fire barrels.


    These people nned to hide here until they got the money.


    A bunch of idiots.


    Indeed, one had to be stupid to get involved in extortion.


    The group quickly reached the vicinity of the abandoned factory and split into two to block both the front and rear entrances. At Ayakoji Chiyoko''smand, they collectively stormed in.


    "Bang!"


    A loud noise as the factory door was kicked open. A band of burly men rushed forward, pinning down three extortionists, who were obliviously eating instant noodles, onto the floor. They skillfully tied their thumbs together with cable ties.


    There was no thrill; the target was captured smoothly.


    Until the end, Takayama Kenta and the others were bewildered, evidently clueless about how the Discipline Committee members had found them.


    Soon, someone collected their mobile phones and handed them to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She opened the mobile gallery, which was filled with all sorts of obscene images. The photos of Ruzaki Mami and Sato Seiji were mixed in among them.


    In the photos, they were embracing and kissing in an empty ssroom. The photos were taken from outside, somewhat blurry, but the identities of the two individuals were clearly discernible.


    Then she opened the call log.


    In Takayama Kenta''s phone, she indeed found the number of a certain Chinesenguage teacher. Both the frequency and duration of the calls were abnormal.


    The evidence had been collected.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled satisfactorily. Her smile was beautiful but somehow cruel.


    Sato Seiji, as expected, this man was also a criminal.


    Deceiving an innocent girl, engaging in extortion, his crimes were unforgivable.


    He was about to meet a painful end at the hands of Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Just as they were victorious and about to escort the captives back to school, the sound of motorcycles approaching from afar suddenly filled the air.


    In a moment, more than ten modified cruiser motorcycles charged through the main gate into the factory.


    They were a group dressed in special attack uniforms, better known as a biker gang.


    The so-called biker gang, in fact a derogatory term for a motorcycle club, often involved in reckless riding and vandalism.


    Takayama Kenta, previously subdued by the burly men, suddenly cried out in surprise and delight upon seeing them, "Big brother, save me!"


    With these words, everyone immediately realized they were in big trouble.


    The leader of the Sha Ma Te biker gang, with long hair, got off his bike and pointed fiercely at them, shouting, "Who the hell are you guys, daring to mess with my brother? Don''t you believe I can kill you!"


    The other gang members also dismounted and stood behind Sha Ma Te to back him up, shaking their heads and cursing.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sneered coldly and gestured with her fingers. The Discipline Committee members immediately lined up behind her, their presence menacing and silent, their gaze fixed on the neers, showing no fear.


    The leader of the Sha Ma Te biker gang hesitated for a moment upon seeing this but nced at his cousin bound and lying on the ground, gritted his teeth, and abruptly waved his hand, "Attack!"


    Over a dozen gang members charged at them.


    The Discipline Committee members immediately assigned two to protect Ayakoji Chiyoko at the back, while the others rushed forward to intercept the gang mid-way.


    A fierce brawl broke out.

 Chapter 41 Over-Shoulder Throw

    Discipline Committee members hadn''t expected that, the very group who usually upheld the school discipline, would actively break the rules today and engage in a brawl outside school grounds.


    Fortunately, the fight broke out unexpectedly and the opposing side hadn''t prepared any weapons, but the bad news was that neither had Kagura Hikaru and his team, leaving everyone with no choice but to go fist to fist in a physical collision match.


    Within just a scant ten seconds or so, the situation began to tilt in favor of the Discipline Committee members.


    Unlike the biker gang which relied solely on brute force, the grappling techniques that the Discipline Committee members practiced regrly in their club room came into y, coupled with their coordinated teamwork, they took down several people upon making contact.


    By the time Ayakoji Chiyoko joined the fray, the scales of victory tippedpletely one-sided.


    Thebat prowess of the other Discipline Committee members was already high from a high schooler''s standpoint, but Ayakoji Chiyoko was still above them all. Despite her physique being weaker than that of men''s, she could easily knock down an adult with a blow, incapacitating them from getting up for quite a while.


    Her movements were extremely fast, and she clearly knew the weak points of the human body, targeting the opponents'' vulnerabilities with every strike, and she took down several people within five to six seconds.


    Soon, the biker gang members were lying on the ground, while not a single Discipline Committee member had been lost, signaling their defeat as inevitable.


    It seems there''s no need for me to act now.


    That''s what Kagura Hikaru thought.


    Suddenly, his eyes narrowed; the Sha Ma Te biker gang leader, somehow unnoticed, had crept up behind Ayakoji Chiyoko. Something in his right hand, which he had pulled from his pocket, glinted with a sh of cold light.


    Kagura Hikaru was rmed and immediately rushed forward.


    "Motherfucker, take this¡ª"


    The Sha Ma Te biker gang member suddenly pulled out a switchde and stabbed it down toward Ayakoji Chiyoko''s shoulder.


    He had already figured out that Ayakoji Chiyoko was the leader of these people and nned to injure her first, then use her as a hostage to force the group to retreat.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned her head at the noise, her face showing surprise, but it was already toote to react.


    However, as the switchde came down, an iron hand unexpectedly appeared from the side, fiercely grabbing the wrist of the Sha Ma Te biker gang member holding the knife, followed by a punch to his ribs.


    Taking advantage of his loosened grip from the pain, Kagura Hikaru snatched away the switchde, and thennded another punch that knocked the Sha Ma Te biker gang member''s jaw askew. The man''s body shuddered, and he copsed into unconsciousness.


    Kagura Hikaru closed the switchde and put it away, then turned to look back at an astonished Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Hearing the whoosh of air, he turned his head and saw another biker gang member charging toward him with excellent form, so going with his momentum, Hikaru sidestepped, grabbed the assant''s hand, shouldered him, and executed a leg sweep¡ªa perfect Judo throw heard with a thud as the unfortunate thug was mmed heavily onto the ground, instantly rendered incapacitated.


    Seeing this, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s surprise deepened on her face, "That was a beautiful throw."


    "Thank you,"


    Kagura Hikaru remained unfazed, merely nodding, then reached out to assist a nearby Discipline Committee member in taking down another person.


    Since he had already intervened, he might as well help to the end; standing by idly didn''t seem right.


    He didn''t realize that Ayakoji Chiyoko was still discreetly observing him, surprised by hisbat skills.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko hadn''t expected much of Kagura Hikaru''s fighting ability because his build didn''t resemble that of someone who exercised regrly. But maybe she had indeed judged the book by its cover; he had remained unengaged until now, but his involvement let her see how superficial her understanding of him had been.


    That swift response, the grasp of timing, and the ease with which he handled himself during the encounter, were all qualities apparent in someone who had seen many battles.


    His fluid movements even reminded Ayakoji Chiyoko of her Judo master, an old fellow who had been immersed in martial arts for fifty years.


    To tell the truth, she had never been sopletely mistaken about someone.


    This intense feeling of misjudgment caused a strange current of warmth to surge through Ayakoji Chiyoko''s heart.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had a peculiar fascination with probing into others'' inner selves.


    She needed to unearth the things and emotions that others kept hidden, to satisfy her curiosity.


    Previously, Kagura Hikaru used personal matters as an excuse not to tell Ayakoji Chiyoko what she was doing, which had piqued her ''keen interest''. To her disappointment, he had voluntarily revealed the secret that afternoon, and it turned out to be nothing special.


    But this time, this time was different, she had found a ''secret'' even more significant than thest one!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s heart raced, her blood boiling with uncontroble excitement.


    A smile spread across her face unwittingly, terrifying the gang member she was beating to the core.


    This woman, was she actually beating someone up while smiling? Was she some kind of sadist?!


    It took just over ten minutes for the Discipline Committee member to sessfully knock down all the gang members, with only minor injuries to their side, all of them light wounds.


    The Gori Vice President, having learned from others that Ayakoji Chiyoko had nearly been stabbed, was beside himself with rage. Since it wasn''t right to take it out on the unconscious, he directed his fury towards Takayama Kenta and the two others who had been pinned down.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Their thumbs were tied behind their backs, but their feet were not, which originally gave them a chance to escape amidst the chaos. However, Kagura Hikaru had been watching them the whole time. When Kagura Hikaru went in for the rescue, the three thought their opportunity hade, but other Discipline Committee members spotted themotion and came over to guard.


    Seeing that all the gang members had been defeated, their spirits sank, lying face up like useless fish on the beach, having lost all desire to flee.


    They thought the situation couldn''t get any worse, but reality proved them too naive.


    As soon as Takayama Kenta heard footsteps and opened his eyes, he saw a man as huge as a gori, mming his fist, as big as a sandpot, towards his face.


    "Wait¡ª¡ª"


    Takayama Kenta''s eyes widened in an attempt to say something, but the fist had already smashed into his nose, instantly dazing him.


    "That''s for trying to escape! That''s for extorting! That''s for calling yourself big brother! That''s for backstabbing the President!"


    "I... I didn''t backstab our President..." Takayama Kenta managed to say, nose bleeding.


    Another punch hit his eye socket.


    "Contrarian jerk, always contradicting, now contradict this!"


    "You... you..."


    Takayama Kenta''s breath caught in his throat, and he fainted on the spot.


    But to Tachibana Kanichi and Koyama Rikiya watching alongside, it was clear he was knocked out by the beating!


    Seeing the Gori''s eyes turn their way, they were struck with terror and shouted with all their strength, "Don''t hit me! I''ll confess!"


    "Yes, yes, we have something very important to tell!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked over and looked down at them, her face expressionless as she said, "What you want to talk about is Sato Seiji, isn''t it."


    "Uh...."


    Tachibana Kanichi and Koyama Rikiya exchanged an awkward look.


    It seemed she had guessed right.


    "Vice President, take these three away for interrogation back at the headquarters."


    "Yes!"


    The Gori Vice President went behind the two, and like picking up chicks, lifted them with one hand each.


    The passed out Takayama Kenta was handed over to other Discipline Committee members for escort and surveince.


    As for those gang members lying on the ground, groaning... let them stay a little longer; young people need their sleep.

 Chapter 42 The Disillusionment of Love

    Half an hourter, everyone triumphantly returned.


    On the way back, they had gone to great lengths to hide signs of binding. They''d nearly been questioned by the police, but thankfully, with arge group, they formed a wall that hid everything from view.


    When they reached the school, they unexpectedly encountered Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami at the bottom of the old school building, who still hadn''t left.


    "What are you doing here?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    "We were waiting for you guys toe back."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian and the two of them hurried over when they saw the third-year students who had ckmailed Ruzaki Mami being escorted by the Disciplinary Committee members into the old school building, and their faces lit up with joy.


    "You really caught them, that''s great!"


    "The interrogation is about to begin." Ayakoji Chiyoko walked over, giving Ruzaki Mami a deep look, ".... You two shoulde along as well, there are some things you''re better off hearing."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami exchanged puzzled nces, not understanding why.


    Kagura Hikaru knew what she was referring to and fell silent.


    For Ruzaki Mami, the truth that was about to be revealed might be too cruel.


    But to turn away from reality is the real tragedy.


    People are bound to face tragedies, sooner orter.


    It''s just that Ruzaki Mami''s love had shattered a little earlier than others.


    The group returned to the third floor of the old school building, the Disciplinary Committee''s room.


    The three ckmailers were locked in a ssroom previously used for detaining students who had broken the rules, their hands and feet bound to chairs with zip ties, merged with the chairs as if they were one, able to maintain only a seated position, instilling in them an intense feeling of confinement.


    Takayama Kenta had alsoe to his senses from his fainted state by now and looked fearfully at the Gori Vice President, who was staring intently at them, before turning his gaze to Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kagura Hikaru, and the others.


    "Whatever the President asks you, you answer. Spit out everything you know! If you don''t talk, we''ll beat it out of you! Lying, withholding, we beat you all the same!!"


    The Gori Vice President suddenly roared without warning, his voice echoing through the old ssroom, buzzing in everyone''s heads.


    The three of them hurriedly nodded, fearful of getting hit again for being slow.


    Just imagine, a hulking man as big and strong as Zhang Fei staring you down in a room, who wouldn''t be intimidated?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "How did Sato Seiji coborate with you?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked them.


    This question made Ruzaki Mami''s eyes widen suddenly.


    Just as she was about to say something, Kagura Hikaru put a hand on her shoulder, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian also grabbed her hand.


    Ruzaki Mami looked at her dear friend with a confused expression: "Karen-chan?"


    "I''m sorry, Zhen Chun, I''ve been hiding it from you...." Ai Cheng Hua Lian said with a look of guilt.


    In fact, she had learned of Teacher Sato''s suspicions from Ayakoji Chiyoko a few days ago and had prepared herself for the possibility that he was one of the ckmailers. But back then, without evidence to expose him, she hadn''t told Zhen Chun.


    Firstly, she was afraid Zhen Chun wouldn''t believe it, which could damage their friendship. Secondly, she was concerned that it might alert Sato Seiji, allowing him to escape or do something even more dangerous.


    Ruzaki Mami looked into Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes, where she saw not a trace of mischief, only remorse.


    The looks from others were also full of sympathy, some even avoiding eye contact with her.


    This shook her firm stance, and she turned to Takayama Kenta and the others with hope that they would rify things, to clear her boyfriend of suspicion.


    Regrettably, she would be disappointed.


    How could those who had already been terrified by the fearless Discipline Committee members dare to lie in their territory?


    "I, I''ll talk!" Takayama Kenta gritted his teeth and said, "About a month ago, Teacher Sato approached us, wanting to hire us to take photos of him and his girlfriend, to use them to ckmail his girlfriend for money. He said his girlfriend was rich, and we''d split the money we got from her. We agreed."


    Ruzaki Mami''s legs gave way, and she clung to Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s waist for support, "This isn''t true, it''s not like that, Teacher Sato he....."


    Ruzaki Mami, this is reality," Ayakoji Chiyoko said without turning her head back, "You can only choose to ept it."


    Ruzaki Mami began to tremble even more violently, her hands gripping Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s waist painfully as tears streamed down onto the floor.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian hugged her best friend, warming her with her body temperature to offer constion.


    Kagura Hikaru silently watched this scene.


    When hope is shattered, this is the expression people have.


    He had seen that expression three times before.


    The first was when his father learned of his mother''s betrayal, a pain and rage that burst forth in silence, sending shivers down one''s spine.


    The second time was with Kiryu Hina, who learned that he had done something as a boyfriend that one should never do, at the worst possible time, in the worst possible ce¡ªthe kind of scar that would never be forgotten, engraved deep into the marrow, the moment true love was crushed.


    The third time was now, urring to Ruzaki Mami, stirring the worst of his memories.


    Indeed, Kagura Hikaru, like his father, his mother, and Sato Seiji, had also experienced betrayal and concealment.


    His life ovepped with theirs in parts, a most heinous twist of fate.


    "When I saw Sato Seiji at the scene of the arrest of Takayama Kenta and the others, I knew he was likely involved in this extortion case, so I had my men look into his background."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, as if she were exining to Ruzaki Mami, folded her arms and talked unhurriedly about the Disciplinary Committee''s findings from their investigation into Sato Seiji in recent days.


    The realityid bare was startling.


    "Sato Seiji, 26 years old, from Osaka, came to Tokyo''s Haneoka Private High School two years ago, where he was popr and highly regarded by students.


    But who would have known that behind the scenes, he was actually a regr client haunting Kabukicho, and six months ago, he got hooked on gambling, losing his entire fortune at an underground casino, eventually owing the local gang a high-interest loan of 1.7 million yen."


    Ruzaki Mami dropped her head even lower.


    The time she had confirmed her rtionship with Sato Seiji was half a year ago.


    His purpose had always been money.


    "Recently, the debt-collectors have been knocking on his door every day, but even after draining his finances, Sato Seiji could only pay the interest. Probably feeling that this would never end, he started to entertain crooked thoughts and conspired with Takayama Kenta and the other two to extort Ruzaki Mami.


    After the matter came to light, he changed ns, hoping to pull off a big heist in one go, to clear his debts once and for all and make a small fortune on the side. Unfortunately, that idea haspletely failed."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Takayama Kenta, whose expression was nonchnt, "I''m very curious to know, if Ruzaki Mami had ultimately refused to pay, what would you have done?"


    Takayama Kenta clicked his tongue but, upon seeing the Gori Vice President ring fiercely at him, he shivered and confessed sheepishly with a shamefaced grin, "If we couldn''t get the money in the end, we nned to kidnap her and demand a ransom from her family."


    The room fell into silence.


    Nobody expected that a small school extortion would nearly escte into a kidnapping case.


    Gambling and high-interest loans indeed wreak serious harm...


    Ayakoji Chiyoko pulled out a voice recorder, gave them a deep look, and said, "We''ve recorded your words, extortion and attempted kidnapping, enough to teach you a lesson when it gets to the police."


    Upon hearing this, Takayama Kenta and the others immediately showed rm, but unable to resist, they could only slump weakly into their chairs.


    "The evidence of their crimes conspiring with Sato Seiji can be found in this mobile phone."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko crouched down and showed Ruzaki Mami, who was sitting on the ground with her head lowered like a duck, the photo stealthily taken on Takayama Kenta''s phone and the multiple calls with Sato Seiji, "I hope you can go to the police and let them receive the punishment they deserve."


    Ruzaki Mami stared at the phone, in pain and disbelief.


    She had never doubted her lover, yet he had betrayed her so thoroughly.


    After a long silence, she slowly reached out her hand, took the phone, and dialed the police.

 Chapter 43 Joining the Disciplinary Committee

    At this point, it seemed Ruzaki Mami''smission had still ended in failure.


    The surreptitiously taken photo had now be crucial criminal evidence, and even though Kagura Hikaru knew that Takayama Kenta and the others still had backups of the photos, they were irretrievable.


    Or rather, there was no need to retrieve them anymore.


    Because Ruzaki Mami hadpletely lost the reason to continue protecting Sato Seiji and was utterly disappointed in him.


    The morning after Takayama Kenta and the others were caught, as Sato Seiji came to work, he was arrested by the police on the spot in his office.


    It was said that he put up a fierce resistance during the arrest, attempting to jump from a window to escape, but in the end, he only managed to break his leg and changed nothing else.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko stood side by side on the floor of the first-year ssroom, watching as Sato Seiji was escorted away by two police officers with his hands secured, and ced into the police car at the school gate.


    From this moment on, the incident waspletely concluded.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned her head, "I owe you a favor."


    Kagura Hikaru knew she was referring to the incident the day before when he took a stab for her.


    If Kagura Hikaru hadn''t reacted then, Ayakoji Chiyoko might have been injured.


    "No need."


    "One must repay a kindness; that''s a principle of the Ayakoji family." Ayakoji Chiyoko gave him a deep look and turned to leave.


    However, before expressing her gratitude, she needed to know what else Kagura Hikaru was still hiding from her.


    After understanding everything about Kagura Hikaru, they would embark on a new rtionship.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked away slowly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Despite being adept at mind-reading, at this moment, Kagura Hikaru waspletely oblivious to the emotional turbulence inside her; unaware, he returned to his ssroom following Ayakoji Chiyoko''s departure.


    On the day Sato Seiji was taken away, his crimes were publicly disclosed by the Society Discussion Meeting Daily News.


    Ruzaki Mami herself came forward to testify, not only admitting her past rtionship with the teacher but also revealing the entire process of her boyfriend impersonating a victim to extort money from her.


    This was not on the same level as the previous cases involving ''Student Council President bullying a student'' and ''Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee neglecting duty,'' causing a huge stir not just within the campus but also in society, making headline news in the region the following day.


    Eventually, Sato Seiji faced a substantial extortion charge, massive social pressure, was expelled from the school, and permanently barred from employment. It was heard that Ruzaki Mami''s family even nned to take him to court, effectively ruining his life.


    Takayama Kenta and the other three participants were also expelled from the school due to suspected involvement in extortion crimes, which was a cause for celebration.


    Several dayster, as the incident cooled down, Ruzaki Mami, having some free time, invited Kagura Hikaru to meet her alone in the school courtyard to express her thanks formally.


    "I really can''t thank you enough this time, Mr. Kagura. Without your help, I have no idea how this matter would have ended," Ruzaki Mami bowed deeply at 90 degrees to Kagura Hikaru, presenting a high-end packaged gift box with both hands, "This is a token of my father''s gratitude; please do ept it."


    Kagura Hikaru took the gift box, which had the gleaming English brand name ''Vacheron Constantin'' inscribed on it.


    He was silent for a second, then handed the gift box back: "It''s too valuable, I can''t ept it."


    "ording to my father, the value you have saved is far greater than the watch inside," Ruzaki Mami said with a smile, "And besides, we have so many of these things at home we have no ce to keep them anymore, just consider it a favor."


    Kagura Hikaru was silent even longer.


    At that moment, he even felt a bit sorry for Sato Seiji.


    The box in his hand and its contents were worth more than the high-interest loans he owed.


    It could only be said that when some people are unlucky, they''re truly unlucky.


    But ultimately, Kagura Hikaru still did not ept it and left on his own.


    Grasping the gift box, Ruzaki Mami watched Kagura Hikaru''s retreating figure from a distance, until he vanished from sight. She then suddenly snapped back to reality, touching her slightly warm face.


    "Really, Mr. Kagura, if you won''t ept a thank-you gift, then I''ll have to use something even more precious to thank you..."


    Ruzaki Mami murmured softly.


    "Zhen Chun~~" Ai Cheng Hua Lian ran over from a distance and arrived beside her close friend. She nced at the gift box in her hands and asked curiously, "He didn''t ept it?"


    "Mm."


    "Speaking of which, what''s actually inside? Is it expensive?"


    "...Not really." Ruzaki Mami said with smiley eyes, handing the thing to Ai Cheng Hua Lian, "Karen-chan, why don''t you ept it? I''ll just tell my dad that I''ve already given the thank-you gift."


    "Eh~~ Isn''t that a problem?"


    "It''s fine, it won''t blow our cover."


    Ruzaki Mami seemed to hold some kind of expectation in her eyes.


    In the end, Ai Cheng Hua Lian couldn''t resist her best friend''s encouragement and opened the gift box. Inside was a mechanical watch with a silver body and a blue face, intricately assembled and modest in design.


    She took the watch off and examined it curiously for a few moments, then she picked up Ruzaki Mami''s left hand and put it on her wrist, sizing it up from different angles.


    "Hmm... it seems a bit too mature, probably more suitable for a boy," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said yfully, sticking out her tongue, "It doesn''t suit you, Mami."


    "Karen-chan?"


    "Hehe, you don''t think I''d be fooled that easily, do you? If Kagura is too scared to ept it, it must be expensive. How could I possibly take it?"


    Ruzaki Mami feigned shock as she looked at her, "Karen-chan has suddenly be so smart!"


    "When have I ever been dumb?!"


    "Eh? During exams?"


    "Ugh! I can''t argue with that..."


    Meanwhile, Kagura Hikaru, having said goodbye to Ruzaki Mami, hade to the Disciplinary Committee.


    "Instructor."


    "Hmm."


    "Instructor."


    "Good afternoon."


    Walking along the corridor on the third floor of the old school building, every time he passed a Discipline Committee member, Kagura Hikaru would nod and respond.


    He didn''t know how Ayakoji Chiyoko managed all the time, but he found his neck getting sore.


    The cause could be traced back to his agreeing to join the Disciplinary Committee at the insistence of Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    In a recent crackdown operation, Kagura Hikaru''sbat skills caught the eye of Ayakoji Chiyoko, who then invited him to be an instructor, training the Disciplinary Committee members in hand-to-handbat.


    To tempt him, Ayakoji Chiyoko even made an exception allowing Kagura Hikaru to skip the Disciplinary Committee''s club activities and onlye for guidance three times a week.


    But Kagura didn''t care about any of that, really. He''d agreed because Ayakoji Chiyoko had done them a huge favor, using the power of sixty Disciplinary Committee members to help out, nearly getting injured in the process. It was both emotionally and rationally hard to refuse.


    So now, Kagura Hikaru was also a member of the Disciplinary Committee, though more like an auxiliary member whom nobody could really manage.


    At first, he thought that being part of the Disciplinary Committee and bing subordinate to Ayakoji Chiyoko would hinder the development of their personal rtionship, which is why no matter how she persuaded, he wouldn''t agree.


    But now, as the only member of the club besides the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee to have special privileges, not one of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s subordinates, and gaining opportunities to get close to her, things were different.


    This move was a win-win situation, repaying the favor while significantly advancing his n to be friends.


    However, Kagura Hikaru had never expected that to establish his authority, Ayakoji Chiyoko would specially organize a ''Martial Arts Tournament'', allowing all members of the Disciplinary Committee to fight him in session.


    ...It''s not that he wanted toin, but wasn''t Ayakoji Chiyoko being a little too confident in him?


    Although, as it turned out, Kagura Hikaru indeed disyed overwhelming strength against everyone. Even the Gori Vice President, with his exaggerated physique, lost at his feet, with Kagura single-handedly overpowering fifty-nine members of the Disciplinary Committee.


    The defeated Gori Vice President even offered to give up his position as the vice president, but Kagura refused.


    This wasn''t some primitive tribe where the rule of might was everything.


    Perhaps feeling the Disciplinary Committee had lost face, Ayakoji Chiyoko personally stepped forward to challenge him in Sword Dao.


    She was indeed very strong, possibly at a lv3 level in Sword Dao.


    That might sound average, but lv3 denotes professional level skills, and it''s quite impressive for someone her age. Kagura admitted to himself that without his ''Golden Finger'', he wouldn''t have been able to achieve this.


    But there were no ''buts'' - his Sword Dao was at a lv4 level, so the oue was a given, with him as the winner.


    Afterward, Ayakoji Chiyoko announced that Kagura Hikaru would be the instructor for the Disciplinary Committee, guiding the members in their daily training. Initially, he was only meant to teach hand-to-handbat, but now Sword Dao was added to his responsibilities as well.


    "Excuse me."


    Kagura Hikaru pushed open the door to the training room.


    Both the Discipline Committee members and Ayakoji Chiyoko were already dressed in Kendo Uniforms, waiting for Kagura Hikaru.


    "You''rete."


    "Sorry."


    Kagura Hikaru removed his indoor shoes at the entrance, stepped onto the tatami mats, and with the help of two Disciplinary Committee members, he quickly donned a Kendo Uniform and protective gear, then picked up a Bamboo Sword and walked to the center of the room, expertly assuming the mid-level ready stance.


    "President Ayakoji, please teach me."

 Chapter 44 The Tsukinomori that Leads to the Truth

    What did Kagura Hikaru mean to Ayakoji Chiyoko?


    A tool? An ally? A fellow victim of sympathy?


    In the past, Ayakoji Chiyoko could have easily provided an answer, but after that person took a knife for her, the question suddenly became blurred.


    Previously, when Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kagura Hikaru, she saw the value behind him, his identity as Kiryu Hina''s ex-boyfriend.


    However, recently, she had seen more of Kagura Hikaru himself.


    She suddenly discovered that the other had many shining points.


    First was his appearance; unexpectedly, a mere tool had outstanding looks, something she had never paid attention to before.


    Then there were his academic achievements; because of the uing final exams, the school held a preliminary test, and Kagura Hikaru came first in the grade, knocking the perennial top ranker Kiryu Hina off her throne, much to her delight.


    Moreover, he had recently be a trainer in the Disciplinary Committee and had earned everyone''s respect. His prowess in martial skills had also been certified.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko btedly realized that this person could indeed be considered talented both in letters and in arms.


    It was just a pity that he was a ssmate and not an iing freshman; otherwise, making him the sessor and entrusting the Disciplinary Committee to Kagura Hikaru after graduation was a possibility worth considering.


    A dangerous person like him, everything about him must be known to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    All shadows must be illuminated, all mysteries must be unraveled; to stand by Ayakoji Chiyoko''s side, this was a necessary condition.


    As of now, Kagura Hikaru did not bring her a sense of security.


    He had many secrets, such as his past with Kiryu Hina.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko did not believe in the so-called ''ipatibility'' excuse. What they experienced must have been a story that was far more rugged than that.


    They say women are like cats, and being a cat, how could one stop in front of a puzzle?


    There was another reason that convinced her to start an investigation.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina''s past may be thetter''s weak spot.


    This secret could destroy a person and even more ¡ª wreak severe consequences. Perhaps it is because he is well aware of this that Kagura Hikaru has remained tight-lipped about it.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had no interest in destroying Kagura Hikaru, but she was very interested in destroying Kiryu Hina.


    Hence, she came here today ¡ª to Tsukinomori Private Girls'' School.


    Standing at the gate of the girls'' school, Ayakoji Chiyoko stood straight like a green pine, one hand clutching a shoulder bag, her eyes gazing at the distant twilight, lost in thought.


    The female students passing by cast curious nces at her, all of which were ignored.


    Tsukinomori, that so-called prestigious high school, every student who came and went was from a rich or noble family; it was said that even their greetings started with a genteel ''how do you do''.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko would have also attended this school, but she transferred to Uka following her stepmother''s rmendation.


    The management of Tsukinomori was much stricter than that of Uka, especially towards outsiders; even a female student wearing the uniform of another school who stood at the gate for too long would receive wary looks.


    But perhaps it was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s aura of being not easily provoked, or maybe it was her identity as a well-known actress''s daughter being recognized, that the teachers and guards at the gate did not approach her.


    However, this atmosphere of mutual non-interference was soon broken when a short-haired female student walked out of the school, heading straight towards Ayakoji Chiyoko with a clear aim.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The students passing by addressed her as ''Student Council President,'' to which the short-haired female student politely responded.


    It was only when she reached next to Ayakoji Chiyoko that she stopped, smiled, and said, "Long time no see, Chiyoko, hope I didn''t keep you waiting."


    "It was just a waste of my fifteen minutes," Ayakoji Chiyoko turned around, her face expressionless, showing no sign of happiness or anger.


    The short-haired female student was not at all frightened; instead, she covered her mouth and chuckled, "You''re so fierce."


    "Cut the small talk, where''s the person I''m looking for? Take me to them now."


    "Hey, really, you''ve be so unlovable since you''ve grown up." The short-haired female student gestured for Ayakoji Chiyoko to follow and muttered, "You used to be so easy to bully when you were younger."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face darkened.


    Sensing killing intent from behind, the short-haired female student quickly changed the subject: "Right, right, you were always looking for that boy who helped you, weren''t you? Have you found him?"


    "...No."


    "Is that so... sorry, I can''t help with that either." The short-haired female student scratched her head, "Not long after we graduated, the elementary school closed. It would be difficult to look for old records now."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko calmly said, "I have a lead now."


    "Really?"


    "There''s someone who knows, and she happens to be at the same school as me." An annoying figure shed through Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mind, "I''ll find a way to pry open her mouth."


    "Don''t gomitting any crimes~"


    She had been searching for so many years without giving up; she truly was persistent.


    Thinking this, the short-haired girl then blurted out with abandon, "Speaking of which, I heard that Hina is at the same high school as you, right? Are you two still as close as you were in elementary school?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko took a deep breath.


    "Are you trying to step on every singlendmine today to feel satisfied?"


    "Huh?"


    "Shut up, and lead the way!"


    "Okay, okay, I won''t talk anymore, what''s with the anger."


    As they spoke, they had unconsciously arrived in front of the Moon Forest Student Council room. The short-haired girl opened the door, and inside sat a female student.


    "Bang bang ka-bang~~ Thanks for waiting, this is Ayakoji Chiyoko, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee at Uka High School, who said she wanted to meet you."


    The girl was very ordinary in every aspect, and she hesitantly stood up to nod at Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    The three sat down around the table.


    The short-haired girl sat with the other girl, while Ayakoji Chiyoko sat across from them.


    "Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, are you familiar with these two?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked as soon as she sat down.


    The girl hesitated, then nodded: "They were quite famous in middle school."


    "This kid used to be ssmates with Hina," interjected the short-haired girl.


    "Then I''ll get straight to the point," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with an inquisitive look. "Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, what happened when they broke up? Or rather, what was the reason for their breakup?"


    "...Eh?"


    The girl was bbergasted.


    Initially, when the Student Council President called her in to talk about some middle school matters, she thought it was because the President''s junior wanted to attend that school and wanted a reference. She didn''t expect the real question to be a million times more outrageous than she imagined.


    How could she possibly know why another couple broke up!


    The girl, looking wronged, honestly said, "I''m sorry, I don''t know."


    "Is that so..." Ayakoji Chiyoko appeared slightly disappointed, then continued to probe, "Can you think of any leads, anything that could possibly be rted?"


    "Uh..."


    The girl was about to say no, but then suddenly remembered something, and, after musing over it, she provided Ayakoji Chiyoko with a very significant piece of information.


    "At that time, ssmate Kagura and ssmate Kiriyu both joined the Drama Club. There was a girl named ''Kohinata Suse'' who was very close with them. But right before graduation, ssmate Kiriyu left the club, and so did ssmate Kagura, and after that, I never saw the three of them together again.


    There were rumors that they had a falling out over something."


    It was quitemon for graduating students to stop participating in club activities because they needed to prepare for exams, but if nothing had happened, no one would quit a club right before graduation, giving the impression they couldn''t wait to escape.


    This was the first abnormal point.


    The second was the stranger named Kohinata Suse.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes slowly brightened.


    Her intuition told her, this was it!


    "This Kohinata Suse, what kind of person is she? Tell me in detail."


    "I don''t know much..." said the girl in a faint voice, "She was a ssmate of Kagura, joined the Drama Club in the first year, andter became the club president. Everyone said she was pretty, had a good personality, and her family was very rich, with luxury cars to take her to and from school.


    But I hardly ever heard any bad talk about her, and there was a time when everyone wanted to elect her as the Student Council President, which she declined."


    "Anything else?"


    "...I''m sorry, that''s all I know," the girl said apologetically. "For more details, you can ask President Asahi, she was a friend of Kohinata."


    "Who is that? Where is she?" Ayakoji Chiyoko turned to the short-haired girl.


    Thetter smiled and said, "She also attended the same middle school as Hina, was in the same club, and I originally nned to tell you about herter."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up: "Take me to her now."


    "You''ve already met her."


    "...?"


    The short-haired girl looked at her, suddenlyughed with a snort, leaned her elbow on the table, winked with one eye, and made a gun gesture with her hand at Ayakoji Chiyoko: "I say, do you need a reminder of my name? Sakata Asahi, the current President of the Moon Forest Student Council, and the President Asahi you''re talking about is none other than me."

 Chapter 45 Kohinata Motoyo

    Ayakoji Chiyoko took a full three seconds to react.


    "You''re messing with me."


    "It was you who forgot my name first, okay? I even wanted toin. Do you even consider me a friend?" Sakata Asahi retorted mercilessly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We''re not friends, just acquaintances."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko huffed and sat down.


    The girl next to her said carefully, "President Asahi, I''ll be leaving now."


    "Ah, sure, thank you for this time."


    "Not at all."


    After seeing the girl off, Sakata Asahi then asked, "Why are you investigating Hina and the others?"


    "It''s just a precaution."


    "Ah, I see, I see, it''s that obsessivepulsive disorder of yours to get to the bottom of things, right?"


    "Rather than that, you''ve never mentioned to me that you, Kiryu Hina, and Kagura Hikaru were middle school ssmates." Ayakoji Chiyoko crossed her arms and inspected her with searching gaze, as if suspecting something.


    Sakata Asahi snorted, "I indeed didn''t say, but you never asked."


    "...Alright, I believe you."


    "What''s with that? I kindly brought you into the school and this is the attitude you show."


    "Stop bbering, tell me, who exactly is Kohinata Motoyo, and what is her rtionship with Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina."


    "Motoyo, huh..." Sakata Asahi supported her chin with her hand, her eyes gazing up at the ceiling as if lost in thought, "Beautiful, quiet, gentle, diligent and studious, knowledgeable and reasonable, from a well-off family, served as the president of the Drama Club, the idol in the eyes of the girls, and the moonlight in the boys'' eyes.


    Apart from not being good at sports, she was probably the perfect girl, just like the legendary Yamato Nadeshiko."


    The perfect girl?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko fell into contemtion.


    When this person was previously mentioned, she had already felt something, but now the d¨¦j¨¤ vu was bing stronger as the impression deepened.


    Gentle, knowledgeable and reasonable, Yamato Nadeshiko, the perfect idol...


    Wasn''t this exactly Kiryu Hina in the eyes of Uka students?


    "Motoyo herself said that her best friends during middle school were me, Hina, and Kagura Hikaru. But since I had joined the Student Council and was quite busy, it was mostly just the three of them."


    Sakata Asahi spoke, "Even after Hina and Kagura Hikaru became a couple, the three of them still hung out together often. Probably because of this, that rtionship eventually turned into a tragedy..."


    "Tragedy?" Ayakoji Chiyoko frowned sharply.


    "I don''t really know the details, Motoyo and Hina wouldn''t tell me."


    Sakata Asahiy back in her chair, hands behind her head.


    "But there''s one thing, I''ve never told anyone. One day, when I went to the cram school, I saw Motoyo dating Kagura Hikaru on the street, arm in arm, even though he was already Hina''s boyfriend.


    I really didn''t expect him with such a personality to be two-timing, and the other girl was Motoyo. It scared me so much that for a long time I couldn''t face them nor dare to tell Hina."


    "..."


    "After that, I began to really dislike Kagura Hikaru and never spoke to him again. Motoyo is definitely not the kind of girl who would interfere in someone else''s rtionship. She''s very traditional, a truly good woman. It must have been Kagura Hikaru who did something to make her like this!


    This is not me talking nonsense; even if it is said to everyone who knows Motoyo, they would surely agree!"


    When she became emotional, Sakata Asahi couldn''t help but pound her thigh and let out a deep sigh.


    "Not long after that, I heard that Kagura Hikaru and Hina broke up, and they both left the Drama Club. Hina must have discovered something, and their rtionship turned sour.


    After graduation, Motoyo went to study abroad in Europe, probably determined to get away from that jerk."


    Having heard so much, Ayakoji Chiyoko now had sufficient information to piece together the truth.


    She concluded: Kagura Hikaru cheated with Kohinata Motoyo, and Kiryu Hina was cuckolded.


    All the clues were pointing to this fact, almost causing her tough out loud, taking pleasure in the misfortune of her nemesis.


    But for some reason, there was also a fire of anger burning within her.


    This feeling of anger didn''te out of nowhere but spread rapidly through her body with Sakata Asahi''s narration.


    She was surprised to find herself angry. Was she upset to realize Kagura Hikaru was not the person she had imagined, feeling deceived?


    No, she would not have any emotion for someone unconnected and irrelevant to her heart.


    If that''s the case, what is this feeling all about?


    Ridiculous, ridiculous.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, you actually considered him a friend!


    "Uh, Chiyoko, what''s wrong? You look very pale," Sakata Asahi cautiously said.


    "...I''m fine." Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up, "I''m going back first."


    "Eh? Is that all right?"


    "Yes, thank you for today."


    After saying farewell to Sakata Asahi, Ayakoji Chiyoko left Tsukinomori Girls'' School.


    On her way, she passed by a river. The surface was calm, but not very clear¡ªit seemed as if sludge was stirring beneath.


    She paused for a moment, picked up a stone from the ground, and threw it with force, causing ripples to spread across the river''s surface.


    Everyone is born alone, and apart from oneself, there is nothing in this world that can be trusted.


    She realized this once again.


    Kagura Hikaru, you bastard.


    .........


    In the 1700-year history of the Ind Nation, there is an inconspicuous story that urs in modern times.


    It is the story of an actor''s daughter.


    From birth, she was burdened with high expectations.


    Everyone was waiting for her to replicate her father''s sess, and her father thought the same.


    She received an elite education and debuted as a child star at a young age, leaving her mark in movies, TV dramas,mercials, album MVs, and more.


    The girl did not neglect her studies; no matter how much she worked, she would still asionally attend school.


    The school was called ''Yosho'', a primary school that wasn''t the best, but it was the only one that allowed students to skip school.


    Her time there wasn''t very pleasant.


    Due to her long absences from school, she was ostracized by well-established groups and, because of her high-profile work, bullied by those who were bored.


    Even after the girl gave up acting, the behavior continued unabated and even worsened.


    It was during this time that another girl appeared.


    Her name was Kiryu Hina, the only child in the ss willing to be her friend, and she became the girl''s light.


    Ever since she appeared, those who bullied the girl never did so again.


    But they didn''t disappear; they simply switched targets, causing a boy in the same ss to stay in the hospital for two years.


    It wasn''t until graduation that the girl learned the boy who was pushed down the stairs had done so trying to help her, to confront the bullies.


    Perhaps it wasn''t Kiryu Hina who truly saved her; it should have been him.


    The girl regretted forgetting the boy''s name, and with that feeling, she went to study in Capital City.


    But she never forgot him, not for a moment. He taught her something important¡ªthat is, the courage to face malice alone.


    He protected the girl all by himself from the shadows, his justice and courage deeply moved and influenced her.


    She, too, wanted to gain that power, to be strong like that.


    Thus, the girl became the unyielding Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee at Yuqiu High School.


    Through this journey, she encountered her former light, faced betrayal, had important people taken from her, and failed to recover a forgotten name.


    To oppose her, the girl made acquaintances, allies, and subordinates.


    But friends, she did not need.


    Because humans are creatures that betray on their own, that disappoint on their own. Once given the opportunity, they begin to hurt others.


    Like Kiryu Hina, and like Kagura Hikaru.


    Today''s experiences only reinforced her belief.


    Everyone is born alone, and apart from oneself, there is nothing in this world that can be trusted.


    She, Ayakoji Chiyoko, doesn''t need friends.

 Chapter 46 The Friends Plan, Grand Finale!

    Ayakoji Chiyoko returned to Yuqiu High School as if nothing had happened.


    She still had unfinished business here, having sneaked out under the guise of running a personal errand.


    Even if she outright announced her visit to Tsukinomori Girls'' School, no one would have thought much of it.


    ...No, that idea was probably wrong.


    Even if everyone else hadn''t noticed, Kiryu Hina would definitely have realized something.


    After all,pared to Ayakoji Chiyoko, Sakata Asahi, and Kiryu Hina had a better rtionship and had known each other longer.


    If Sakata Asahi had known that Ayakoji Chiyoko''s visit was with the intention ofying a trap for her friend, she likely wouldn''t have helped her.


    Originally, Ayakoji Chiyoko had thought that even if Kiryu Hinater found out from others about her visit to Tsukinomori and inquired about her past, she would have already fulfilled her purpose.


    But her initial thought was mistaken.


    She indeed had obtained a critical secret.


    However, this secret could only destroy Kagura Hikaru, not Kiryu Hina. Once exposed, thetter would receive far more sympathy and support than malice, and it would fail as a bargaining condition.


    However, it wasn''t entirely in vain.


    At least she discovered the true face of Kagura Hikaru, quelling her dangerous impulse to make friends.


    From now on, Ayakoji Chiyoko would continue to trust him, but only as a tool.


    In the beginning, she once spected that Kagura Hikaru was a spy sent by Kiryu Hina.


    But now she was utterly convinced that it was impossible for Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina to be in collusion, the only thing she waspletely certain about.


    Arriving at the Disciplinary Committee, voices shouting and the shing of bamboo swords repeatedly echoed from the old ssroom used as a training field.


    Today happened to be the day Kagura Hikaru was ''on duty''.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t want to see that man''s face for the time being.


    Unfortunately, just as she was passing by the doorway, a male student dressed in a Kendo uniform happened to push the door open and step out from the ssroom.


    It was Kagura Hikaru.


    "President Ayakoji," Kagura Hikaru greeted her as usual.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave him a deep look and simply nodded, passing by without a word.


    It was that very look that made Kagura Hikaru feel something was off, and he subconsciously let out a mind-reading attempt.


    [Looking at this seemingly innocent face, who would imagine this is a treacherous man who has cheated.]


    [Better not mess around on my turf, or else...]


    [You have gained through peering into the mind: Sword Dao +2]


    [Sword Dao lv4 (14/100)]


    What is this...?


    Kagura Hikaru stood frozen on the spot for a moment, his thoughts inplete disarray.


    Apanying the mind-reading, an image of a short-haired girl shed by.


    Kagura Hikaru recognized her, Sakata Asahi, his ssmate from junior high, also¡­ a friend of Kohinata Motoyo.


    Mere mention of that name cast a gloom over Kagura Hikaru''s heart, as if a pair of icy hands covered his eyes.


    Kohinata Motoyo, Kohinata Motoyo.


    Bangs showing under her long hair, slightly curled ends, gentle eyes, skin white as jade, fingers like scallions, skilled in singing and dancing, perfectly pure.


    The best friend, the best club president, the ideal idol, dazzlingly kind, beautiful, natural, selfless, quiet, cheerful, virtuous, wless, upright, noble, pure, intelligent, kind¡ª


    Kagura Hikaru once thought she would remain untainted by human vices, eternally wless, a perfectly refined human.


    He felt honored to be friends with such a perfect person.


    But since that day, when Motoyo confessed to him like any ordinary girl, their friendship shattered, morphing into something even more twisted.


    Who could have imagined, a person like that would, for her selfish desires, ruthlessly ruin the youth of two people without a second thought.


    Beautiful memories were poisoned, festering into nothing but pain and scars scattered on the ground.


    Now, the very existence of that name, everything about it, was merely meant to punish him, to demonstrate how ignorant and foolish Kagura Hikaru had been in the past.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...Wait."


    He suppressed his dizziness and confusion, turning to call out to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She stopped in her tracks and turned around, her gaze cold, "Is there something?"


    Kagura Hikaru hesitated for a moment, "You went to see Sakata Asahi, right?"


    Sakata Asahi was a friend of Suse and also a friend of Hina.


    Kagura Hikaru had never thought that Ayakoji Chiyoko would approach her.


    Although it was also the most painful memory for Hina, something that absolutely must not be leaked, why!


    His racing heartbeat pounded like muffled thunder in his eardrums, sadness and anger mixed together.


    "...Did she tell you?" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression changed for a moment, but then remembering Sakata Asahi''s dislike for him, she denied it herself, "No, was it that girl you met only once? I didn''t expect she would contact you on her own."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t know what she was talking about, but it must have been a misunderstanding.


    Indeed, at the time of graduation, he hadpletely severed ties with his middle school social circle, making a clean break with his former self.


    Neither past ssmates nor friends would be able to reach him again.


    "Things are not as you think." Kagura Hikaru tried to argue calmly.


    "So are you trying to say that you haven''t cheated?"


    "..."


    "That leaves nothing to be said."


    The light in Kagura Hikaru''s eyes dimmed.


    This matter was not so simple; the truth was different from what outsiders thought.


    But, is the truth really important?


    Could he simply say "I was threatened" and shirk the responsibility as if nothing had happened?


    Besides, the real reality was so vile; how could it be let out into the world?


    He did not know.


    Who exactly was at fault¡ªhimself, Suse, Hina...he could no longer tell.


    Secrets hidden within secrets, his choice was to forget, to take them to the grave after his death. He believed Suse would do the same.


    Whether it was Hina, Ayakoji Chiyoko, or anyone else, he wouldn''t tell.


    "Kagura Hikaru, don''t worry that this will affect our cooperation, nothing will change, everything will proceed as usual."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes held an unmistakable disappointment, "You helped me once before with the ckmail case, and in exchange, I promise that this matter will not leak from me."


    Everything will remain the same.


    Although she said so.


    But Kagura Hikaru understood that he probably had already lost the possibility of bing friends with her.


    The tone of disappointment said it all.


    He could understand Ayakoji Chiyoko''s feelings; because when he learned about his own mother''s affair, he also felt a simr betrayal and anger.


    His mother was a gentle, cheerful, and aplished woman, just the mention of her involvement with the word infidelity felt jarringly out of ce, and no one would believe it if it were spoken aloud.


    But she did it anyway; such is the fickleness of human nature.


    The intense disconnection he experienced at that time, even today, five yearster, still haunted Kagura Hikaru.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko probably felt the same.


    In front of her, Kagura Hikaru, the seemingly harmless ally, had such a dirty side behind his back, and if she didn''t still need him to confront Kiryu Hina, Ayakoji Chiyoko would definitely break off their friendship.


    Given her character that despised evil, she would undoubtedly do so.


    After all, she was also a woman.


    The attitude of all women in this world towards infidelity was uniform.


    "That''s it, you can go now," said Ayakoji Chiyoko before she left.


    Until the very end, Kagura Hikaru didn''t know what to say, he could only watch her walk away.


    Perhaps, from the very beginning when he chose to hide the issue from Ayakoji Chiyoko, the oue of the story had already been destined.

 Chapter 47 National Collegiate Sword Dao Conference, Come Over and Help Out

    After that, Ayakoji Chiyoko hadpletely severed private contact with Kagura Hikaru, bing merely a coborator.


    On usual days, Ayakoji Chiyoko acted as if she did not know him, cold and distant, and when she had to interact with him for official matters, she spoke sparingly and left as soon as it was over.


    "I probably failed."


    On a bench in a secluded corner of the courtyard, Kagura Hikaru said this to Kiryu Hina, sitting at the other end.


    He confessed the recent events and the rtionship with Ayakoji Chiyoko that had hit rock bottom.


    Since Ayakoji Chiyoko had learned about that incident, Kagura Hikaru hadpletely lost the right to freelymunicate with her.


    She didn''t avoid him, but her attitude towards him was just like that towards a stranger, with interactions only for official matters, making the situation where they casually chatted privately almost impossible to happen again.


    Therefore, Kagura Hikaru concluded that his friendship n had probablypletely copsed.


    At least, he could not think of any way to salvage it.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was the most stubborn and sensitive person he had ever met, having walls around her heart as firm as iron, which would close immediately and be welded shut if she sensed even a slight oddity.


    After hearing everything, Kiryu Hina appeared very rxed instead, stretching her fingers and satisfactorily observing her newly painted pink nail polish, shezily said, "I told you from the start to tell Ayakoji Chiyoko about our affair and what happened afterwards. You didn''t listen to me, and this is the consequence."


    "..."


    Kiryu Hina''s thoughts had always been unpredictable, and Kagura Hikaru didn''t even know if this oue was within her expectations as well.


    "You messed up someone else''s n and you''re not even apologizing? That''s really too much."


    "I''m sorry."


    "Itcks sincerity, say it again." Kiryu Hina toyed with her fingers, her head still lowered.


    "...I am truly very sorry, President Kiryu, I messed up your n."


    "That''s more like it."


    She stood up, hands behind her back, and left just like that, leaving behind an ambiguous remark: "It''s too early to give up, the opportunity is there, you just can''t see it; go back and wait."


    "...Hina."


    Suddenly, Kagura Hikaru said.


    Kiryu Hina''s forward steps halted, she lowered her head, and fell into a long silence: "Don''t call me like that."


    "Hina, there is one thing I need to confirm with you." Find your next read on empire


    "I told you not to call me like that!!"


    A loud shout.


    The student council president who turned her head, had lost her usual smile, bing as fearsome as a demon.


    In her fury, Kagura Hikaru found a trace of her reality.


    She finally took off her mask.


    Kagura Hikaru looked into her eyes, and repeated once more: "Hina, there is one thing I need to confirm with you."


    "..."


    "After everything is over, we''re square, you and I needn''t see each other again, nor speak, right?"


    "Ha...?" Kiryu Hina''s eyes twitched, she let out a darkugh, "You think you can settle your debt by doing this, how funny."


    "Yes, I owe you a great debt," Kagura Hikaru said, "so before we part ways after graduation, I hope to do something for you in the end."


    "You....."


    "Hina, no, President Kiryu."


    Kagura Hikaru rose from the bench, standing in front of Kiryu Hina, "I''m very sorry for the past, and after I do this, you won''t see me anymore."


    He walked past Kiryu Hina, leaving just like that.


    She was left alone in silence.


    After a long while, Kiryu Hina suddenly burst up, kicked the bench heavily, stood panting heavily, and clenched her fists tightly.


    "It''s the same again, you''re trying to run away from me, what a joke... this secret, I''ll devour you for a lifetime!"


    ........


    Afterwards, Kagura Hikaru had a period of very tranquil time.


    He was simultaneously abandoned by those two women, and they no longer interfered with him.


    Neither the Ayakoji conquest n nor the student council president elimination n was mentioned to him ever again.


    This feeling of being forgotten by both parties felt unexpectedly... quite nice?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But such days did notst long.


    By the time the whole affair was over, when he had left from beside Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko, perhaps these moments would be routine.


    But at least for now, Kagura Hikaru still could not afford such leisure.


    On a typical afternoon, Kagura Hikaru suddenly received a notification from the Disciplinary Committee''s LINE group, specifically asking him to gather at the Disciplinary Committee after school.


    After school, Kagura Hikaru arrived on time at the Disciplinary Committee.


    Entering Ayakoji Chiyoko''s private office, Kagura Hikaru found that there were also two others waiting inside, one was the Gori Vice President and the other, a t-headed burly man.


    "Coach."


    "Coach."


    Both men nodded and greeted Kagura Hikaru at the same time.


    Since Kagura Hikaru had started his position within the Disciplinary Committee, though he hadn''t deliberately sought it, his prestige had rapidly increased within the organization.


    Now, he was not only an insider in the Disciplinary Committee but had be a teacher to everyone here, and they all regarded him with respect.


    Kagura Hikaru nodded in response and, taking the opportunity before Ayakoji Chiyoko arrived, sat down to casually ask them, "Do you know what this is about?"


    The t-headed man did not know, but the Gori Vice President had guessed something.


    "The Nationwide High School Kendo Tournament ising up, that must be what this is about."


    Nationwide High School Kendo Tournament?


    Kagura Hikaru pondered, vaguely retrieving some traces from his fragmented memory.


    That must be the Kendopetition co-hosted by various regional high schools, selecting a representative from each region topete, with eliminatory rounds determining the winners.


    It was not a particrly nichepetition, with annual broadcasts of the events.


    But the problem was...


    "The Kendo Tournament, what does it have to do with the Disciplinary Committee, isn''t it supposed to be the Kendo Club participating?" Kagura Hikaru said, perplexed.


    "It''s precisely because we can''t rely on the people from the Kendo Club that we are needed."


    Ayakoji suddenly pushed the door open.


    "President, hello!" both the t-headed man and the Gori Vice President stood up and eximed at the same time.


    "Sit."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko pressed her hand down and walked behind the desk to sit, cing her fists on the table.


    "This year, the members of the Kendo Club are not up to par, so they formally requested that three members from the Disciplinary Committee and two from the Kendo Club fight together in the national tournament," she exined.


    Upon hearing this, Kagura Hikaru nced at the two next to him.


    One, two, plus him makes three.


    "Miyamoto Shi, Vice President Wada, and I will represent the Disciplinary Committee," Ayakoji Chiyoko looked towards Kagura Hikaru. "Kagura Hikaru, I want you toe along as the club manager."


    Okay, so he was just there to run errands.


    The so-called club manager was officially the logistics leader but, less tteringly, was just a menial worker serving drinks and performing chores, usually held by the least skilled at club activities.


    This felt somewhat insulting; even the t-headed Miyamoto Shi and the Gori Vice President widened their eyes.


    Everyone knew that Kagura Hikaru was the best at Kendo in the Disciplinary Committee.


    The legend of his one against sixty battle was still fresh in everyone''s memory¡ªit was really only a matter of days ago. Who could forget it?


    Subsequently, he assumed the role of a coach, instructing all the Disciplinary Committee members in hand-to-handbat and Kendo, far surpassing others in both knowledge and skill, earning everyone''s respect.


    Yet, Ayakoji Chiyoko did not let himpete but instead assigned Kagura Hikaru to y nanny; this...


    Miyamoto Shi and the Gori Vice President remained silent.


    Lately, everyone had more or less noticed something.


    The vibes between President Ayakoji and Kagura Hikaru were off.


    Although the rtionship between the two had never been very close, they used to at least make small talk, but now, even when staying in the same room, their eyes wouldn''t meet.


    Especially Ayakoji Chiyoko, it was as if she couldn''t see Kagura Hikaru at all, always looking in other directions when mentioning his name.


    Had the two of them had a fight?


    Disrespectful thoughts surfaced in the minds of Miyamoto Shi and the Gori Vice President.

 Chapter 48 Departing for the Capital City

    Had these two people quarreled?


    Miyamoto Shi and the Gori Vice President had some disrespectful thoughts spring up in their minds.


    The reason they were disrespectful was that both understood well that President Ayakoji was not one to quarrel with anyone except when facing the Student Council President. Other than that, she always maintained a calm and unflustered demeanor towards everything around her.


    All members of the Disciplinary Committee had not seen President Ayakoji lose her temper throughout the entire year.


    They felt that the only way to anger the President would be if someone she truly cared about provoked her.


    In Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes, people like them were probably just pawns or stepping stones.


    Yet she possessed such charm that everyone was willingly at her disposal.


    Seeing that the atmosphere in the room had solidified for some reason, Kagura Hikaru broke the awkward silence, asking, "How many days will the nationalpetitionst, and where is it being held?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, as if she had thought it through in advance, fluently rattled off, "The nationalpetition will be held in the Capital City. It starts in five days andsts for three days and two nights. Those attending, remember to bring your luggage. At 6 AM on Thursday, everyone is to wear school uniforms and gather at the Shinkansen Shinjuku Station.


    The school will reimburse the train tickets and lodging fees, so you just need to bring yourself and your luggage."


    In addition, members of the Kendo Club will be joining us, so mind your manners."


    "Yes!" Miyamoto Shi and the Gori Vice President responded in unison.


    Afterward, Ayakoji Chiyoko turned to Kagura Hikaru: "What about you? Have you decided whether toe or not?" Experience tales at empire


    Though he couldn''tpete, it was still a free trip to the Capital City, and he would be close to Ayakoji Chiyoko for three days.


    Kagura Hikaru thought there might be a chance to mend his rtionship with her and promptly agreed without hesitation.


    Perhaps this was the opportunity that Hina was talking about.


    Thus, Ayakoji Chiyoko immediately decided that for this national high school Kendopetition, the Disciplinary Committee wouldpete: Miyamoto Shi, Wada Gori, and the no-longer-affiliated Ayakoji Chiyoko as an ''external aide'', with another person, Kagura Hikaru, apanying as the club manager.


    Once the news was released, the Disciplinary Committee received a lot of supportive encouragement from the students, many of whom said they would attend the event.


    And also expressed their concern and sympathy to the Kendo Club.


    It was unprecedented that threepetition spots in the Kendo tournament had been taken by other clubs, leaving the official Kendo Club with merely two sad spots.


    The head of the Kendo Club was almost in tears; he too wanted to keep the positions within his own club, but who would dare say no to Ayakoji Chiyoko unless they were tired of living?


    Upon learning that Kagura Hikaru was also going to participate in the national Kendopetition, Ai Cheng Hua Lian cheered on Kagura on the way home from school: "Go, Kagura! Show President Ayakoji your manly spirit. With your skills, you are sure to win her favor!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...But I''m just going to be doing misceneous jobs," Kagura Hikaru said helplessly.


    What is the manly spirit of a helper, does it mean the act of handing out water is very masculine?


    "Then be more diligent at work, let President Ayakoji take a fresh look at you."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian said earnestly, "President Ayakoji surely likes diligent and aspiring men, take my word for it!"


    She wasn''t wrong, provided he got the chance to show it.


    Kagura Hikaru could only smile wryly to himself.


    Oh well, might as well make the best of a bad situation.


    Five dayster.


    At 5:30 in the morning, at the Shinkansen Station.


    Kagura Hikaru was thest one to arrive.


    It wasn''t that he waste; he had arrived half an hour early to ensure he was on time, but the others were just too early.


    The station at 5:30 AM was quite empty, adding to the sense of destion.


    So when Kagura Hikaru arrived, he quickly spotted Ayakoji Chiyoko and the others, and headed over with his luggage.


    Apart from a few members of the Discipline Committee, there were four unfamiliar people present.


    They were two boys, one tall and one short, a muscr adult male, and a small girl wearing sses.


    They were likely the members of the Kendo Club going topete, and the older one must be the advisor teacher of the Kendo Club.


    Such trips forpetitions would definitely have a teacher apanying them, as the school wouldn''t dare let a group of high schoolers go to the Capital City for three days without supervision, in case something happened midway and the school had to take responsibility.


    After introducing themselves, Kagura Hikaru learned that the short-statured boy was the club manager of the Kendo Club, with thest name ''Uchida''. Surprisingly, he was also a senior in the third grade, although Kagura Hikaru had initially thought he was in the same grade.


    And the mentioned teacher was indeed the advisor of the Kendo Club and also taught physical education. Everyone was asked to call him Teacher Yamazaki.


    Minister Uchida and the other boy were thepeting participants for the Kendo Club, while the small girl with sses, like Kagura Hikaru, was the club manager for this trip, responsible for logistical work.


    She was very petite, with fluffy, long, curly hair tied into a ponytail, had a slightly chubby and cute face,rge sses resting on her nose, and when she smiled, her eyes squinted, giving off a very special charm.


    "Hello, my name is Hosaka Yui!" the little girl said sweetly, "Please take care of me, Mr. Kagura."


    "Please take care of me."


    Moved by a feeling of fellowship due to traveling together, the two of them ended up chatting.


    "Mr. Kagura, what grade are you in?"


    "First grade."


    "Oh, then I''m your senior, I''m in the second grade, hehe."


    "Senior Hosaka."


    "Mm~~ Mr. Kagura, you''re so handsome, do you already have a girlfriend?"


    "No."


    "Really?"


    "Senior Hosaka, actually this is my first time being a club manager. Could I ask for some advice?"


    "Of course~ Let your senior teach you!"


    Hosaka Yui actively exined, and Kagura Hikaru earnestly sought advice, maintaining a harmonious atmosphere.


    They talked until six, when it was time to board.


    Everyone immediately handed over their tickets and boarded the Shinkansen train headed to the Capital City.


    Originally, Miyamoto Shi and Kagura Hikaru were supposed to sit together, but Hosaka Yui specifically switched ces with him, opting to sit in a double seat next to Kagura Hikaru.


    She imed she wanted to learn more about managing a club from him, but since she kept staring at his face, Kagura Hikaru found it hard to believe her reason.


    The res from behind grew sharper, as if trying to see through him from a distance.


    The two boys from the Kendo Club had been in this state ever since Hosaka Yui started talking to him.


    While it was understandable that the Kendo Club, as a sports club, had few female members and everyone was fiercely protective over them, it didn''t have to be like this.


    He wasn''t the one initiating!


    Kagura Hikaru felt somewhat exhausted addressing Hosaka Yui''s increasing number of personal questions and the physical distance that kept getting closer.


    The male members of the Kendo Club had their eyes turning red.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko nced in that direction from time to time, chose to ignore it, and closed her eyes to rest.


    About two hourster, the group arrived at the Capital City.

 Chapter 49 Ryusongan

    Indeed, as a millennium-old capital, once they got off the train, Kagura Hikaru and the others could feel the difference between the Capital City and Tokyo.


    Explore more stories at empire


    For example, Tokyo has lots of colorful and dense advertisements that can be quite annoying after a while.


    But the Capital City is different; it seems that their local government had passed aw to reduce the posting of advertisements.


    Those huge advertisements that you often see above the office buildings in Tokyo arepletely absent in the Capital City.


    Moreover, they do not use neon lights, and the shop signs by the door are styled like those from the early twentieth century - simple and substantial.


    After leaving the station, Kagura Hikaru and hispanions took a bus to the vicinity of the pre-arranged inn and walked to their destination.


    The inn was a traditional Japanese-style house called ''Ryusongan,'' not ideally located since it was quite far from the city center, but this made reservations easier to secure.


    Every year, a continuous stream of domestic and international tourists visit Capital City, and if it weren''t the off-season for tourism, even the more distant, modest inns would be hard to book.


    Walking on a cobblestone path through the main gate of the inn, to the right, they saw a small courtyard and a fish pond, but no fish could be seen - probably hiding because of the cold weather.


    Pulling open the sliding side door to enter the inn, a woman dressed in a dark blue kimono was already waiting for them, bowing deeply, "Wee to Ryusongan."


    "Wee!"


    A little girl in simple work clothes next to her also bowed deeply, her manners impable; she seemed to be the woman''s daughter.


    Advisor Teacher Yamazaki followed the innkeeper to the counter to pay and collect the room keys.


    Speaking of which, it seems that traditional inns in the Ind Nation are managed by women, and there''s a special term for them - Warrior Matriarch.


    Apparently, the kimono-d woman must be the Warrior Matriarch of this inn.


    Havingpleted the check-in procedures, the innkeeper''s daughter eagerly ran over to help with the luggage, and Kagura Hikaru and Hosaka Yui stepped forward to assist, carrying everyone''s luggage into the second-floor rooms.


    The guest rooms inside the inn were also in traditional Japanese style, with tatami floor mats, a low table and cushions in the center, and a small balcony facing the sun.


    No electrical appliances could be seen in the room, not even a television, but there were sockets, so charging should be ensured.


    The little girl pointed cutely towards a big wardrobe in the corner and said, "Inside is the bedding, there are four sets, please feel free to use them."


    She suggested that if Kagura Hikaru and the others needed, they could now take out the bedding toy it out, but everyone said they didn''t need to.


    After the girl left, Teacher Yamazaki handed a key to Ayakoji Chiyoko, "This is the key to the girls'' room, keep it safe and don''t lose it."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ayakogi Chiyoko took the key carefully, turned to the boys and said, "Sort out your luggage, take a rest, and meet downstairs in fifteen minutes."


    After that, she dragged her suitcase to the adjacent girls'' room, and Hosaka Yui also said goodbye and followed her.


    As soon as the two girls in the group left, the atmosphere in the room inexplicably became more rxed.


    Five boys and one teacher looked at each other, contemting who should be the first to speak to bridge the distance between them.


    That''s when Kagura Hikaru said, "Speaking of which, there are only four sets of bedding in the wardrobe, but there are six of us, what should we do?"


    Upon hearing this, the boys started to think...


    After a while, Kagura Hikaru came back from the girls'' room next door, carrying two sets of bedding.


    "Sorry, Kagura, for making you do this," Teacher Yamazaki said apologetically.


    Everyone recognized the problem, yet no one had the courage to knock on the girls'' door and ask for help.


    If it were only Hosaka Yui, it would have been fine, but the formidable Ayakoji Chiyoko, known to stop babies from crying, was also inside.


    Whether it was members of the Kendo Club or the Disciplinary Committee, facing her made everyone nervous.


    Even the advisor, Teacher Yamazaki, hesitated for a moment before Kagura Hikaru took the initiative to solve the issue.


    "Not at all, this is what I should do," the club manager Kagura Hikaru said.


    After this small episode, the atmosphere among the boys finally eased.


    The boys from the Kendo Club, who had been ring at Kagura Hikaru for two hours on the train, also started talking to him.


    It was just that during the conversation,ments like "If you darey a hand on Yui-chan, I''ll kill you," "Kill you!" were thrown in, making it hard for him to rx.


    After packing up their luggage, using the restroom, and charging their phones, the fifteen minutes of rest had barely passed before they went downstairs to meet up with the two girls.


    Unexpectedly, Hosaka Yui was a bitte. Upon asking, they learnt that she had gone to familiarize herself with the hotel''syout, so she could respond immediately in case of any emergencies.


    Kagura Hikaru acknowledged that he had learned something new, realizing that a club manager had to be so meticulous. Byparison, he thought his work was done after just finding a nket, but that clearly wasn''t enough.


    After everyone gathered, they rode off to their next destination.


    In theory, there was still a day before thepetition, and the national championship would not officially start until tomorrow. They should have taken the time to enjoy Capital City.


    Perhaps other schools'' teams might do so, considering it''s a rare opportunity for a trip funded by public money, so it made no sense to miss out.


    But with Ayakoji Chiyoko on the team, it was impossible to allow the participating members to show any formx behavior.


    So, after dropping their luggage at the hotel, the second ce they went to was the Kendo dojo!


    Sword Dao, as one of the Ind Nation''s mainstream sports, naturally has many dojos dedicated to its teaching.


    However, in recent years, as the era of fast-paced entertainment has risen, many Kendo dojos have begun to struggle to attract students, gradually bing more deste.


    The dojo Kagura Hikaru and the others were about to visit was one such dojo on the brink of bankruptcy.


    The old dojo master had passed away due to illness, and his children were not interested in taking over, nning to sell the dojo for a good price.


    If this was some other web novel, at this point, there would appear a granddaughter of the old dojo master who didn''t want the dojo to close. Her character would be a pony-tailed Kendo girl; a male protagonist who happened to visit would hear about the situation and decide to help the girl restore the dojo''s fame.


    The only path before them would be to win first ce at the national high school Kendo championship...


    None of this happened, they were simply there to rent the space.


    The children of the dojo master nned to offer a venue rental service before selling the dojo, to earn as much as they could.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko managed to rent the entire dojo for ten hours at a very reasonable price. Now, the space and the equipment in the dojo temporarily belonged to them.


    By the way, this expense was not paid out of pocket but was included in thepetition budget.


    Kagura Hikaru roughly understood why so many of them only got two rooms at the hotel¡ªthe money had all been spent here...


    Everyone changed into the Kendo uniforms provided by the dojo, picked up bamboo swords, and began their routine training before thepetition.

 Chapter 50 The Path of Service of Kagura Hikaru

    "Uchida, straighten up your waist a bit more!"


    "Miyamoto, raise your sword higher, strike with force."


    "Look at President Ayakoji, how standard his posture is. Just continue like that."


    Teacher Yamazaki, who was coaching, was instructing everyone to practice swings with a heavier wooden sword.


    The so-called swings refer to swinging the sword in empty air from top to bottom. While exerting force, one must keep the upper body still. It is the most basic exercise method aimed at increasing strength.


    If one were to swing a bamboo sword in empty air, it wouldn''t be very effective; however, using a heavier wooden sword for the swings would be quite painful.


    Imagine holding a barbell with both hands, lifting it upwards repeatedly, forcefully swinging it downwards, all while maintaining a standard posture each time.


    Among all the members, the tall male from the Kendo Club showed the worst performance; his movements deformed slightly after a short while, requiring frequent corrections by Teacher Yamazaki.


    The ranking from weakest to strongest in terms ofposure was as follows: Miyamoto Shi from the Disciplinary Committee, Minister Uchida from the Kendo Club, and the Gori Vice President.


    Among them, the best performer was undoubtedly Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    As the only female participant present, her movements were the most standard among everyone, and with each sword swing, one could vaguely see the beautiful muscle lines on her arms.


    She must have practiced a lot privately to control her body with such precision.


    Indeed, if one were to appraise her, Kagura Hikaru thought it was more appropriate to describe her ability as precision rather than strength.


    With each swing, her sword tip always stopped at the same position, neither veering upwards by half an inch nor downwards by half an inch, and it didn''t even wobble. It was as steady as if it had hit an air cushion.


    This wasn''t something just anyone could achieve, at least no one else there had that level of skill.


    In actualbat, it meant she could manage to stop her sword one centimeter above the opponent''s head each time without touching them, a degree of power control that was astonishing.


    Common feints and fake movements in sword Daopetitions required this ability to create opportunities and quickly execute a second strike targeting the opponent''s weaknesses, often determining the victor in an instant.


    As the club manager, Kagura Hikaru and Hosaka Yui weren''t participating in thepetition and thus didn''t need to train. They sat cross-legged at the edge of the arena in their school uniforms, watching everyone else train.


    The tall male from the Kendo Club, due to his increasingly unstable posture, was ordered by Teacher Yamazaki to rest for two minutes before continuing.


    He was the first among the fivepetitors to be ''sent off the field,'' his face full of frustration.


    "Here, a towel." Hosaka Yui said with a smile, handing him a towel to wipe his sweat.


    Kagura Hikaru also offered him a sports drink.


    Compared to mineral water, sports drinks are better at replenishing sugars and electrolytes, making them more suitable for those in training.


    This was something he and Hosaka Yui bought from the convenience store during everyone''s training¡ªa whole box. Although it was pricey, thinking about the reimbursement, they thought it was fine and bought generously.


    As others took turns resting, Kagura Hikaru methodically handed out water and towels. After learning that lunch would be served at the dojo, he immediately went out to order the meals, allowing everyone to enjoy hot, delicious food during the lunch period.


    Naturally, the meal didn''t include anything too oily or spicy that might affect their condition for the next day''spetition.


    Kagura Hikaru specially used his mind-reading ability to find out what the team members wanted to eat most at the moment, then searched online for the best-rated restaurants, personally went to scout and buy from these shops, and quickly returned before lunchtime.


    While everyone was eating, he cleaned up everyone''s sweaty Kendo uniforms, brought a new set, and organized the training equipment scattered around the floor.


    Only after doing all this did he start on his own meal. He exemplified a spirit of service with the team at the center, cing himselfst.


    The day wasn''t even half over, yet Kagura Hikaru had already performed his tasks wlessly, covering all bases and satisfying everyone.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hosaka Yui could hardly be of any more help, and she couldn''t help but show a face that appeared to say ''the disciple starves the master,'' jokingly saying, "Kagura junior, you''ve started to catch on, huh?"


    In secret, Ayakoji Chiyoko silently observed Kagura Hikaru, making noment about his work, neither dissatisfied nor disappointed.


    However, in the afternoon, she took the initiative to call Kagura Hikaru to join the training.


    "He is a club manager, right? How can this be suitable?" Teacher Yamazaki questioned.


    The cause was Ayakoji Chiyoko proposing a training method unheard of before: allowing club manager Kagura Hikaru to feint for them, only defending without counterattacking, to train the yers'' offensive capabilities.


    Not to mention what level Kagura Hikaru''s Sword Dao skills were, the idea of having one person serve as a punching bag for five was bizarre and outrageous in itself.


    Even if Teacher Yamazaki himself went up, he would be overwhelmed, wouldn''t he?


    Could this be a new form of bullying?


    Teacher Yamazaki couldn''t help but regard Ayakoji Chiyoko with a skeptical look.


    But by then, Kagura Hikaru had already changed into his Kendo uniform and protective gear, taking the bamboo sword handed to him by Miyamoto Shi: "I am ready. Please start."


    Whatever Ayakoji Chiyoko wanted to do, he would apany her to keep her happy since a club manager''s job was to take care of the team and keep everyone happy.


    But to the eyes of Teacher Yamazaki and the members of the Kendo Club, he was clearly showing off.


    "This, isn''t quite appropriate, is it?" Minister Uchida of the Kendo Club said tactfully, "Can this really be effective for training?"


    Another taller male member of the Kendo Club shook his head outright: "Quickly take off the protective gear, stop joking."


    Seeing Kagura Hikaru surrounded, Hosaka Yui also ran over, suggesting in a low voice as if speaking to a child, "Mr. Kagura, you don''t have to agree to everything. Come down, you''ll get hurt."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched with a cold eye, while the Gori Vice President and Miyamoto Shi could not restrain themselves, and loudly interjected:


    "You guys, stop underestimating Instructor Kagura!"


    "Yeah, he is the strongest person here in Sword Dao. Even all of us together might not manage to beat him!"


    "Instructor, you say something too."


    One after the other, these two defended Kagura Hikaru, prompting surprised and questioning looks from some who were unaware of the truth.


    "What?" Hosaka Yui was utterly baffled.


    Minister Uchida remembered something, eximing in shock: "The other day, I heard that your Disciplinary Committee got a very impressive instructor. Is it him??"


    "Yes," Miyamoto Shi said proudly, as if he were talking about himself, "The instructor defeated everyone in our Disciplinary Committee to secure this position."


    "Including your President too?"


    "Yes!"


    Teacher Yamazaki looked at the fully equipped Kagura Hikaru, then at Ayakoji Chiyoko, with a strange expression: "If he''s that strong, why isn''t he on the list ofpetitors?"


    "Let''s start the training, teacher."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko did not seem interested in discussing the topic further, simply picking up a bamboo sword, looking towards Kagura Hikaru.


    After waiting two seconds, she suddenly charged forward, swinging her bamboo sword like a whip.

 Chapter 51 The Overly Strong Punching Bag

    "Ah!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s sudden movement caught everyone off guard, and Hosaka Yui instinctively yelled out, quickly retreating to dodge.


    Smack!


    But someone in the venue had reacted, it was the attacked Kagura Hikaru himself, who intercepted the sword horizontally over his shoulder, tilting the de to let it slide off to the side with the momentum, easily neutralizing the attack.


    Teacher Yamazaki''s eyes lit up.


    His Sword Dao level wasn''t bad either, holding a fourth dan rank, otherwise, he wouldn''t be qualified to be the advisor for the Kendo Club.


    From just these few movements, Teacher Yamazaki could tell that Kagura Hikaru was no ordinary individual; his posture was crisp and sinct without any superfluous actions, simple and unadorned, seeking speed within stability¡ªthis was the embodiment of simplicity and efficiency.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko shook her sword''s tip, moved a few steps to the side, and with a strange cry, she suddenly dashed forward and swung her sword down in a chop.


    This in Sword Dao is called ''Spirit Focus,'' exhaling from the diaphragm, expelling old air from the lungs, then taking a deep breath to fill the lungs with oxygen, enabling the next strike to be with full power.


    When people toss some heavy object, like athletes in a shot put event, they often also yell out instinctively at the moment of release; this is actually ''Spirit Focus.''


    Indeed, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s strike was fierce, causing Kagura Hikaru to instinctively lift his Bamboo Sword horizontally across to try and block, to prevent her from hitting the scoring point on his faceguard, as that would be considered a loss in Sword Dao.


    But the next instant, Kagura Hikaru realized something was wrong. This move was indeed good for defending against top-to-bottom attacks, but it exposed his right hand to the opponent; it was a trap.


    Sure enough, the moment Ayakoji Chiyoko''s Bamboo Sword struck Kagura Hikaru''s, she immediately withdrew it, taking less than 0.2 seconds to perform a nimble second sh, a Cassock sh aiming for Kagura Hikaru''s right wrist.


    This series of feigned actions and feints was dazzling, and the speed was so fast that even the spectators outside the field were slightly dyed in realizing what happened.


    But even before that, Kagura Hikaru had made a move, quickly realigning his de while pushing down with both hands and stepping back, causing Ayakoji Chiyoko''s attack to hit the guard of his Bamboo Sword. He skillfully parried her de and regained his Lingering Spirit.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, following her momentum, passed by him, and both turned around to face each other again.


    Teacher Yamazaki couldn''t help but shout, "Good!"


    This exchange might seem ordinary, but only insiders could see how high Kagura Hikaru''s skill was; it was like a master fighting an apprentice,pletely foreseeing Ayakoji Chiyoko''s movements and strike zones, and responding like flowing water.


    If it had been a regr match, by now they would have seen Kagura Hikaruunch a series of fierce attacks after sessfully defending, with the thrown-off Ayakoji Chiyoko likely unable to handle it.


    By this point, they had realized that Kagura Hikaru''s Sword Dao level might not only be on par with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s but could even surpass hers.


    The members of the Kendo Club widened their eyes, looking towards Miyamoto Shi and the Gori Vice President.


    It turned out their words were true; Kagura Hikaru''s skill was indeed this strong.


    But since this was the case, why was he the club manager? Was this some new wave monk sweeping the floor?


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were at a standoff for five minutes, and thetter finally scored a point after relentless attacks.


    "Switch," Teacher Yamazaki said after determining the winner, "Uchida, it''s your turn."


    "Yes!"


    After watching for so long, everyone was already itching to try.


    As soon as Teacher Yamazaki called his name, Minister Uchida from the Kendo Club immediately stood up, passing by Chiyoko Ayakoji as she made her way off the field, and with a distance in between, he bowed to Hikaru Kagura. Then, he carefully approached, picking up his bamboo sword from his waist.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji on the sidelines received a towel from Yui Hosaka, wiping sweat while watching the stage. She observed Hikaru Kagura''s movements from a third-person perspective, imagining how she would defend if she were in his ce, using this observation to learn byparison.


    Throughout the afternoon, Hikaru Kagura was treated like a punching bag by all the contestants, unable to counter and only able to block, continuously enduring a relentless group attack.


    However, since this punching bag was overwhelmingly strong, by the end, no one except Chiyoko Ayakoji could break through Hikaru Kagura''s defense circle, leaving everyone else feeling frustrated.


    These were the people who were going topete in the national tournament, yet they were frequently defeated by a club manager on their team¡ªwhat was that all about?


    In this way, under Hikaru Kagura''s guidance, everyone grew and their skills visibly improved. Coach Yamazaki was very pleased and promised that if anyone reached the top eight in the nationalpetition, he would treat everyone to barbecue.


    This promise fired everyone up, and they trained until dusk before stopping and returning to the hotel to rest.


    They had apetition early the next morning, and instead of going out, everyone took a bath and went straight to sleep.


    At five in the morning the next day, Hikaru Kagura was awoken on time by his phone rm.


    Quickly, he turned off the rm, nced around the room¡ªthe others were still sleeping.


    He quietly got out of bed, washed up, ordered breakfast for everyone at the hotel kitchen, and then went to wake everyone up.


    The boys collectively overslept, reluctantly getting up, whereas the girls got up early. When Hikaru Kagura knocked on their door, only Chiyoko Ayakoji, fully dressed, came to open the door. She mentioned that Yui Hosaka had gotten up even earlier, not knowing where she had gone.


    By the time Hikaru Kagura returned to the first floor, he saw Yui Hosaka''s figure below, talking andughing with the innkeeper''s young daughter.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After everyone had washed up, breakfast was ready.


    They gathered around a table with a heater, eating while watching Coach Yamazaki study this year''s strongpetitors on his phone.


    They had apetition today, but everyone felt quite rxed.


    Perhaps it was because they were thoroughly trained by Hikaru Kagura the day before; now they felt a sense of superiority when thinking about theirpetitors.


    Kidding¡ªhaving sparred with a real Sword Dao expert, why should they fear these high school weaklings?


    Hikaru Kagura''s presence was like a stabilizing anchor, leaving them free from nervousness and filled only with strongbat desires, eager to test the skills they had learned from him the day before.


    Compared to the advisor Coach Yamazaki, Hikaru Kagura was a better teacher because everyone just needed to imitate him. After each match, he would proactively point out the opponent''s shorings, which greatly enhanced their practicalbat awareness.


    Of course, it was only awareness and overall perception that had changed. As for sword techniques, it was impossible to make significant progress in such a short time, as if it weren''t a martial arts novel where one learns a martial art, defeats their sworn enemy, and instantly bes powerful.


    But even this was a rare and invaluable opportunity.


    Brute strength could be trained, techniques could be honed slowly, but practicalbat awareness was the hardest to develop.


    You could say, as a punching bag, someone was just too strong, and had be a training tool.


    At seven in the morning, after breakfast and a short rest, everyone changed into school uniforms and rushed to the national high school Kendopetition held at an indoor sports arena in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto Prefecture.

 Chapter 52 The Three Elites of Keihanshin

    The group arrived at the venue for thepetition by car.


    Even before the start of thepetition, spectators had already begun to enter the gymnasium or were standing outside,ughing and talking with friends while holding drinks.


    There were also quite a few high school students wearing their school uniforms, most likely locals from the Capital City,ing to support the representative teams from their region.


    The venue was only sorge; obviously, only one high school from each region would be selected to send representatives topete.


    And Tokyo City''s representative was Kagura Hikaru''s Haneoka Private High School. As a school that encouraged club activities, the strength of Ugao High''s Kendo Club was already quite formidable, yet the Disciplinary Committee was even stronger, restricting them to only two participants.


    Entering thepetition site, people bustled about, and the flooring had been transformed into a suitableyout for Sword Daopetitions, with shiny wooden floors marked off into sections that would soon be used for matches, while staff in suits moved about on them.


    In the corners, cameras could be seen, set up for television broadcasts once the matches began, a tradition from previous years that garnered reasonably high viewership ratings among sports channels.


    High school Kendo, lively and full of youthful energy, in a sense, captured more attention than adult matches, for the brilliance they disyed was momentary. In a few years, as adults, they would lose the light of this moment.


    Among all the high schools, the teams from Keihanshin were undoubtedly the center of attention.


    Keihanshin referred to the three major cities: Capital City, Osaka, and Kobe.


    Overall, the level of Sword Dao in Tokyo was quite good, but whenpared to the region with the strongest Sword Dao skills in the country, that was surely Keihanshin.


    Close to each other, known as one of the Ind Nation''s three major metropolitan areas, they frequently exchanged kendo techniques and consistently ranked at the top nationwide. In past high school Kendopetitions, these three were dominant, their strength overwhelming and their teams seen as the target for all.


    Kagura Hikaru and the others wove their way around the edges of the court, looking for their school''s spot.


    The gymnasium was somewhat crowded, and inevitable oversights urred. Like a little seal being jostled around, Hosaka Yui inadvertently bumped into several opposing yersing from the other direction, who then cast sidelong nces at her.


    "Watch where you''re walking, kid."


    "Middle schoolers shouldn''t be at ces like this."


    They were neatly dressed in Kendo Uniforms and spoke with a Capital City ent, clearly locals.


    "You''re the middle schooler. Are you blind?" Hosaka Yui couldn''t help but re back, her face red, whether from being pushed or being angry.


    The leader, a man with short eyebrows and squinted eyes, had long hair and hadn''t intended to interact with them, but hearing this, he turned his head and looked them over, paying special attention to Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, whose good looks clearly stood out. A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his eyes:


    "Oh my, visiting young masters and mistresses from out of town are so tender. Look at them, like they''re here for sightseeing. Capital City is beautiful, isn''t it? Shall I rmend a few scenic spots to you?"


    The nearby Capital City folks quietly snickered, covering their mouths and looking at others sideways, reveling in amusement.


    The faces of Ayakoji Chiyoko and the others from Tokyo darkened.


    There''s a saying that Capital City people are petty and snide, and it seems it''s not just a rumor.


    "You lot... Keep a clean mouth!" the Gori Vice President stepped forward, tall and fierce, like a wrathful deity.


    The Capital City folks were nonchnt:


    "Our mouths are quite clean, thank you."


    "But you, with all those sharp teeth, have you cleaned them well?"


    "Oh dear, such a hefty build, must be perfect for physicalbor."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed lightly, shaking her head and said without expression to those around her, "I went to middle school in the Capital City years ago. The reason I came back to Tokyo is this: people here talk tough, but they''re not so tough elsewhere."


    The remark, with a hint of a risqu¨¦ joke, left everyone with their mouths agape.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, telling a suggestive joke!


    As expected of someone who had spent three years in the Capital City, Ayakoji Chiyoko managed to irritate the locals with just one sentence, their smiling faces bing somewhat strained.


    "Hahaha, thisdy nailed it, right on the money! People from the Capital City, well, they''re nothing but a bunch of soft-shelled shrimps who bully the weak but fear the strong."


    Suddenly, a loud voice rang out as a tall and robust young man with cropped hair, dressed in ck, approached, casting a mocking nce at the people from the Capital City. Heughed and grabbed the Gori Vice President''s arm, giving it a couple of squeezes: "Brother''s been training well, huh? Must be hitting the gym regrly."


    The Gori Vice President was caught off guard by the squeezing, and at this point, the squint-eyed leader from the Capital City spoke up, addressing the young man in ck: "Are you Kuroiwa from Osaka? I''ve heard a bit about your level."


    The young man in ck feigned thoughtfulness: "Hmm... sorry, who are you again?"


    The squint-eyed man replied: "Kusatsu Ikuta. Make sure you remember that."


    "Alright, I''m Kuroiwa Ryuuichi!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped in like a knight leaning on a sword, an aura about her thatmanded respect, "And you might as well remember my name too. This time, the Tokyo District team is here to win."


    "Winning? Can Tokyo really achieve that?" Kusatsu Ikuta chuckled, "Well, I wouldn''t want to be used of being all talk. See you on the field."


    "Oh! See you on the field!"


    Kuroiwa Ryuuichi also grinned, flexing his muscr arm as he waved it, watching as the other group left with their team.


    He then turned towards Ayakoji Chiyoko, admiration in his eyes: "What a spirited young woman, like an unsheathed de. In my opinion, you are the strongest person in the Tokyo team."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I''d like to say so, but unfortunately, I''m not," she replied.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi realized Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t seem keen on chatting and promptly shifted his focus to the Gori Vice President, pulling him aside to start discussing ''muscles over wine''.


    Meanwhile, Ayakoji Chiyoko nced at Kagura Hikaru, who was blending into the crowd, somewhat displeased with his zen-like calm, "Why don''t you say anything? Do you think it doesn''t matter that we''re being looked down upon?"


    "Me?" Kagura Hikaru seemed surprised, "Sorry, was I supposed to speak just now?"


    He wasn''t a yer, just a club manager.


    What business did a mere helper have butting in during the trash-talking phase?


    This sense of ''diligently sticking to his role'' conveyed a severe sense of dissonance to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Even she had to admit, Kagura Hikaru was a talented individual, one of the best among his peers.


    But the problem was, why didn''t this guy have any pride?


    At the age of just sixteen, he possessed professional-level guitar skills, professional-level Sword Dao skills, and even his academic performance was top-notch.


    Yet, there was not the slightest hint of the arrogance typical of a genius about him.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had deliberately included Kagura Hikaru in the team with the title of club manager, partly to see his reaction and judge his true character.


    The result was that he epted the role without hesitation; in fact, he seemed to do a better job than the official manager Hosaka Yui, never onceining andpleting his tasks with straightforward honesty.


    If he were in a workce setting, he would certainly be the kind of employee who didn''t talk back to his boss, the type that was easy to manage and obedient.


    Could such a person, who takes life as ites and seeks stability, really be someone to engage in infidelity?


    Or was he just ying the loyal dog to win her favor? But what for?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched him, pondering in silence.


    Just keep observing for now.

 Chapter 53 Ugao High in Tokyo no longer deserves respect!

    The yer Ryo Kuroiwa from Osaka had a brief chat about fitness with the Gori Vice President before he excused himself and returned to his team.


    Watching his retreating figure, Teacher Yamazaki said to everyone, "Currently, among the high school students in Osaka, it''s likely Ryo Kuroiwa who has the strongest Sword Dao. Be careful when you face him; he''s a formidable opponent."


    "What about that sneaky squinty-eyed guy?" the Gori Vice President immediately asked, shing his fist with his palm.


    "Don''t underestimate him," said Minister Uchida from the Kendo Club, his expression serious. "Kusatsu Ikuta is also a favorite to win this year''s championship, and he wasst year''s winner."


    "Him? He won before?"


    "The Capital City schools strong in Sword Dao are numerous. Kusatsu Ikuta emerged from among them. It''s best to not really think of him as just a smooth talker."


    "But he''s definitely not as good as President Ayakoji and Instructor Kagura!" Miyamoto Shi said confidently.


    The Gori Vice President regretfully expressed, "I think so too. The President and the Instructor could definitely beat him, it''s just unfortunate that the Instructor can''tpete."


    "Hmm... that''s also true," Miyamoto Shi said ambiguously.


    "It has been a long time since the Tokyo District advanced into the top eight at the national tournament,"mented Teacher Yamazaki who had led the Kendo Club to the national tournament in the previous years. "This generation of yours holds the most promise. Give it your best!"


    "For the barbecue!"


    The boys cheered and rallied.


    After a while, Kagura Hikaru and the others finally found the ce arranged for them by the organizers and settled down. They immediately began to undress and change into their Kendo Uniforms.


    As the weather was cold, everyone just took off their coats and was able to change directly, saving the trouble of going to the changing room.


    As club managers, Kagura Hikaru and Hosaka Yui took the opportunity to get the protective gear and Bamboo Swords from the organizers.


    Everyone tried them out to get a feel and stretched a bit, then sat down in their spots waiting for thepetition to start.


    Soon it was 8 AM, and the venue personnel had cleared the area, leaving a spacious field.


    The spectator stands quickly filled up, upying two-thirds of the seats¡ªabout three hundred people¡ªwhich was a highly impressive turnout.


    The majority of the audience consisted of students from various high schools, with many from the Capital City, holding support signs and banners.


    Today should be a school day on Friday; I wonder how they managed to get the time off. Perhaps the schools had given a break to facilitate the students attending thepetition.


    If that''s the case, that''s really enviable.


    Thepetition is about to begin.


    The organizers handed out the first batch of match schedules.


    Thepetition used an elimination system, where each participant randomly battled against students from other schools. The winner would move to the next round, and so forth.


    Since it was a random draw, the further one advanced, the more likely one would face a teammate, which was an unavoidable situation.


    After Hosaka Yui brought the list over, it quickly passed through everyone''s hands. Everyone, apart from Ayakoji Chiyoko and Miyamoto Shi, showed a shocked expression.


    The list eventually reached Kagura Hikaru, who scanned down until he saw their school''s name.


    Members from Tokyo District Haneoka Private High School participating ¡ª Ayakoji Chiyoko, Wada Ritarou, Uchida Hajime, Ooi Shuuyitsu, Kagura Hikaru.


    ...Kagura Hikaru?


    Why was his name on there?


    He looked up sharply at Ayakoji Chiyoko, who seemed to have anticipated this, and calmly said, "Kagura Hikaru, do not dishonor Ugao''s name. Fight with all your might to win the championship, understand?"


    Kagura Hikaru finally understood that he had been tricked by her.


    From the very beginning, Ayakoji Chiyoko had ced herself on the contestant list, but she deceived him into doing the club manager''s tasks.


    "Miyamoto, is this good enough for you?"


    Kagura Hikaru looked at Miyamoto Shi withplex emotions.


    The one who had been reced on the list was Miyamoto Shi.


    He had probably known about this before they set off, and had mentally prepared himself early. He met Kagura Hikaru''s gaze without any resentment, instead, he proudly smiled, "Instructor Kagura, let everyone know how formidable you are and fiercely p those people from the Capital City in the face!"


    After speaking, he handed over the kendo uniform he had received but never worn to Kagura Hikaru, the cloth identifying thepetitor''s role ringly inscribed with the word ''Kagura.''


    Kagura Hikaru nodded and solemnly epted it, "Thank you, I won''t let you down."


    "Now I feel relieved, hahaha." Miyamoto Shi scratched his head andughed.


    Upon closer inspection, one could still see a touch of regret deep within his eyes.


    As a lover of Sword Dao, he naturally wanted topete and measure himself against the best in the world.


    "Miyamoto Shi, you have great potential." Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes suddenly nced over as she spoke, "Consider this year as an observational learning experience, train well when you get back, and next year, I will secure a spot for you topete."


    Miyamoto Shi''s face instantly brightened, "Yes! Thank you, President!"


    By then, Kagura Hikaru had already changed into his kendo uniform with the help of Hosaka Yui.


    Donning the kendo uniform and hakama, the deliberately constrained sharpness finally revealed a corner.


    d in the kendo uniform, he had a special aura, as if he was the protagonist in a sword-fighting film, who appeared casual and rxed yet was deadly with a sword, dazzlingly handsome.


    Hispanion, Hosaka Yui, nearly glued her eyes to his face, unabashedly pulling out her phone and the continuous clicking of photos ensued, making her seem not just like the club manager, but also a part-time journalist.


    Only Ayakoji Chiyoko sensed the subtle sense of danger hidden beneath Kagura Hikaru''sposed face, her expression growing even more serious.


    Being proud of her Sword Dao skills, yet having never won against him in their spars, she wanted to forget her role as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and challenge Kagura Hikaru straightforwardly as a pure contender this time.


    Kagura Hikaru was sitting cross-legged on the ground, cing a bamboo sword across hisp as he closed his eyes to meditate, engaging in sword meditation.


    This was akin to a form of meditation; mystically speaking, it was about deepening his connection with the sword, achieving unity of man and sword.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Simply put, he was concentrating his mind.


    Switching from the club manager to apetitor, Kagura Hikaru was preparing himself mentally, gathering his fighting spirit and ferocity, determined to exert his full power and not disgrace Miyamoto Shi and Ugao High.


    As a whistle blew, the referee announced the official start of the match, andpetitors from all sides began to enter the arena.


    The first to enter the ring from the Ugao team was Ayakoji Chiyoko, and her opponent was a male student from Hokkaido.


    The opponent stood at the edge of the other end of the field, facing Ayakoji Chiyoko from a distance, nonchntly lifted his chin, and despite the faceguard, one could almost see the disdain behind it.


    He did not have a good impression of Ayakoji Chiyoko and unterally believed that this beautiful woman was a publicity tool brought in by Haneoka Private High School, a mere vase holding a sword, likely to be eliminated after one round.


    The National High School Kendo Competition did not distinguish between genders, but since its inception, no woman had ever ced, as Sword Dao was ultimately a man''s realm.


    When a woman appeared in thepetition, what it signified was self-evident.


    To market the school''s image by sacrificing a contest spot, Tokyo''s Ugao High no longer deserved respect!

 Chapter 54 Throat Stab

    ```


    "Hey, look over there, from the Tokyo District."


    "Such a beautiful person, is she a model?"


    "She''s apetitor. Didn''t you see her wearing protective gear?"


    "What''s her name?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s appearance sparked a small wave of heated discussion.


    As an idol beauty, she was dressed in a Kendo uniform + a full set of protective gear, standing at the sidelines, a scene no less impactful than Hashimoto Kanna''s ssic ''millennial beauty'' candid shot.


    With bright eyes and white teeth, her beauty could shame the moon and flowers, yet her martial virtue was abundant.


    The broadcast director quickly noticed that the audience''s gaze was gradually gathering in one direction and immediately had the broadcast camera turn to capture Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face.


    Now, the entire nation could see the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee''s valiant appearance.


    For a moment, the viewership skyrocketed, and even after Ayakoji Chiyoko had put on her faceguard, covering her face, there was no sign of it decreasing.


    Everyone was excited about a match involving such a beautiful girl.


    It was not hard to imagine that, once the match ended, photographs of Ayakoji Chiyoko from all angles would rapidly spread across the inte.


    In a way, the Hokkaido yer''s wish had indeede true, because after Ayakoji Chiyoko''s appearance on camera, many people began to look up her region and school.


    Although it was unintentional, the reputation of Haneoka Private High School did get promoted, with its poprity going up, up.


    The outside chatter didn''t affect the ongoing match.


    The two referees waved their red and white gs to signal, and both yers fastened their bamboo swords at their waists and entered the arena with almost the same tempo, stopping at the line. They raised their bamboo swords to the middle position, then slowly squatted down.


    This posture is called ''Sonkyo,'' a preparatory form before the match.


    Only when the referee gave a vocal signal did they both leap up, closing the distance slightly, bamboo sword tips crossing against each other, moving lightly, watching their opponent.


    A tense atmosphere was spreading.


    Suddenly, the yer from Hokkaido made a move, lunging forward in a big step, aiming for Ayakoji Chiyoko''s head.


    "Men!!"


    In Sword Dao rules, there are four valid scoring areas: head, hands, waist, throat. When striking a scoring area, one must shout the corresponding target and maintain ''Lingering Spirit''¡ªstaying alert after making the stroke¡ªto sessfully score.


    The yer from Hokkaido already looked down on his opponent, thinking he had seen Ayakoji Chiyoko''s weakness, and attempted to take her head with one risk-filled blow.


    However, the moment he struck, Ayakoji Chiyoko also shouted "Men!" and used her bamboo sword to swiftly parry his de. She then delivered a second strike to his head, smoothly passing by him while maintaining the raised de, took a few small leaps due to inertia, then turned around.


    The two referees raised the white gs, indicating that Ayakoji Chiyoko had sessfully scored.


    In Kendo matches, the yers have red and white ribbons hanging behind them, and the referees raise the g of the color that corresponds to the scoring yer.


    "Good!!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Seeing Ayakoji Chiyoko score, Kagura Hikaru and the others immediately apuded in approval, and the audience in the stands followed suit a beatter.


    The Hokkaido yer lost a point and swung his bamboo sword in frustration.


    The match was a three-point system, where the first to score two points would win. This meant he was now on the edge of the cliff, about to be eliminated.


    He had underestimated this woman.


    ```


    The Hokkaidopetitor shed their contempt, leveled their mentality, and stood earnestly once again at the starting line, holding their sword in wait.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko did the same.


    The next second, the match resumed.


    "Ha!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko struck first, with a cry like a howling monkey and a stamping of foot, intimidating the Hokkaidopetitor into retreating half a step.


    This retreat evoked a sense of shame within them, as if to demonstrate bravery, they stepped forward again, raising their bamboo sword in an offensive upper-level starting pose.


    But they didn''t realize that this was exactly what Ayakoji Chiyoko was waiting for.


    The opponent waspletely oblivious to the fact that while Ayakoji Chiyoko had been stomping to intimidate, she had quietly moved forward a distance, and then suddenly took advantage of the opponent''s inattention to fiercely thrust forward in a single motion, striking like a venomous snake, and her thrust hit the opponent''s throat.


    "Throat!!"


    Scoring a hit, she swiftly retracted her bamboo sword and retreated, assuming Lingering Spirit stance with fluid grace, still having reserves of strength.


    Both referees simultaneously raised the white gs.


    The score was valid, Ayakoji Chiyoko won.


    "Ohhh!"


    The audience in the stands and those watching on screens let out exmations of amazement.


    The broadcasting cameras had long been focused here; they hadn''t expected Ayakoji Chiyoko to finish the match so swiftly, and the sports journalists at the sidelines couldn''t help feeling thrilled.


    A beauty with skillful moves¡ªwasn''t this live news material?


    They had already decided, the highlight of the first day of the high school Sword Dao tournament would be on the theme of ''The once-in-a-millennium Kendo beauty,'' paired with the photo of the femalepetitor, the viewer ratings were sure to skyrocket.


    Meanwhile, the otherpetitors watching from the sidelines measured the situation more seriously, with their attention on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s technique.


    "That first kick, was it to confuse the opponent, to create an opportunity to get close?" Kagura Hikaru from the Kyoto Ward team, squinted and stroked his chin with a smile full of interest.


    Whether it was on-the-spot strategy or reaction speed, both were clearly beyond those of an ordinarypetitor.


    This woman, she''s got talent.


    Tokyo District team.


    "President Ayakoji is so amazing," said Hosaka Yui, sitting beside Kagura Hikaru, watching Ayakoji Chiyoko approaching them after removing her faceguard, and spoke enviously, "Even though I also practice Sword Dao, I can''t do it like she does."


    "As long as you persevere and practice, anyone can be stronger," Kagura Hikaru stated calmly.


    "Eh, Mr. Kagura, are youforting me? I didn''t expect you to care about me that much," Hosaka Yui joked, her voice tinged withughter, but her eyes were not smiling, seeming more like a cover for her inner inferiority.


    "...Do you know, Mr. Kagura. When I first joined the Kendo Club, my goal was the national tournament," Hosaka Yui''s smile slowly faded, "But I can''t do it. Truly, I can''t. Whether it''s height, technique, or physical fitness, I fall far short, not as good as the males in the club. With no other choice, I became the club manager, attending the matches in that capacity, as if fulfilling a dream."


    Kendo is a man''s domain, with no ce for women¡ªthis notion indeed broadly circted within the circle.


    Women in high-grade Kendo were exceedingly rare, far fewer than men.


    While there might be more females studying Kendo in high schools, due to the innate physical differences, the true masters were still mostly men.


    "But seeing President Ayakoji, I think my way of thinking was wrong," Hosaka Yui said with a somber expression, "It''s not because I''m a woman that I can''t do it, but because of my own issues. I''m too weak, and that''s why I can''t carve out a ce for myself in the Kendo Club."


    "Hmm, you''re right," Kagura Hikaru said, looking forward without shifting his gaze, and nodded in response.

 Chapter 55 Overwhelming Victory

    Hosaka Yui looked at him sharply, her eyes widened in disbelief, and the corners of her mouth drooped, "Kagura junior, are you straight? When a girl shows her weaknesses in front of a guy, she is looking forfort, not for you to insult her!"


    "But you are indeed weak. Not physically, but emotionally," Kagura Hikaru said, "Everyone feels weak at times, but how you face your own vulnerability is the fundamental reason that creates differences between people."


    Unmoved by what he said, Hosaka Yui curled her lips and retorted, "You''re probably trying to encourage me to keep going, right? But if you know you can''t do it and still try, isn''t that a waste of time?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I won''t deny that possibility, maybe at the end, it all turns out to be in vain."


    Kagura Hikaru nodded to Ayakoji Chiyoko as she came back, handed her a bottle of sports drink, then turned to look at Hosaka Yui, "But if you do nothing, that possibility will copse to zero."


    "That''s sophistry...."


    Muttering under her breath, Hosaka Yui looked down with aplicated expression.


    How nice it is to be troubled by youth.


    Watching her, Kagura Hikaru felt somewhat emotional.


    Compared to them, Kagura Hikaru was just a person who had lost his dreams, a grey dot amidst the vibrant colors of energetic students.


    Living without ideals, without goals, he spent his days dwelling on the past.


    Living like a dried-up old man.


    At the age of barely over ten, he was already full of scars and had lost the motivation to move forward.


    He always looked with envy at those who could still worry about their futures.


    "Kagura, it''s almost your turn."


    Teacher Yamazaki tapped Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder from behind.


    He nodded, picked up his head cloth to wrap it around his head, put on his faceguard, donned his hand protection, grabbed his bamboo sword, and walked toward his match area.


    "Mr. Kagura, good luck!" Hosaka Yui called out from behind.


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head and nodded slightly.


    He might no longer have a dream, but perhaps, he could still provide a bit of courage for someone lost to take a step forward.


    Maybe that''s why he was here.


    In his match area, thepetitors were still fighting, but the time was nearly over, he just had to wait a bit longer.


    At that moment, Kagura Hikaru''s opponent approached, it turned out to be someone from the Kyoto Ward team they had encountered earlier.


    The man passed by and nced at Kagura Hikaru, scoffing intentionally, "Look at how serious you are, must be your first time, huh? Want me to go easy on you?"


    "..." Kagura Hikaru looked at him without saying a word.


    "What''s up? Cat got your tongue? Looking all dumbfounded."


    "I''m just thinking, if you loseter and run into me again, will you feel embarrassed."


    "Ah? Me lose?" The Kyoto Competitorughed, showing his teeth, "You sure have guts to think that, who do you think I am?"


    "Oh."


    Kagura Hikaru ended the conversation with one word, not only because he felt talking to this man was a waste of time, but also because the match on the field had just ended, and it was their turn topete.


    The Kyoto Competitor shut his mouth, walked to the other side of the field, and stood in silence.


    During a Sword Dao match, apart from the Spirit Focus, one is not allowed to speak, otherwise it''s not just disrespectful to the opponent and the spectators, but the referee also has the right to deduct points for it as a foul.


    Kagura Hikaru thought that the provocation he had just experienced might be one of the opponent''s tactics, to distract him and affect his performance in the match.


    After all, once the match started, there could be no talking.


    Whether or not this was correct didn''t really matter, since Kagura Hikaru hadn''t been affected anyway.


    This level of malice was something he could scarcely be bothered to respond to unless he didn''t want to be seen as weak and ipetent.


    Arguing and bickering must be one of the most meaningless things in the world.


    Kagura Hikaru''s heart was calm, as if standing at the center of a mirror-likeke, his serene demeanor continuously drawing the attention of those around him.


    What he didn''t know was that before the match began, before Kagura Hikaru had put on his faceguard, the broadcast cameras had already been fixed on him.


    The cameras had originally intended to follow Ayakoji Chiyoko back and capture her drinking water and talking with teammates, but they hadn''t expected a handsome young man on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s level toe into the frame, boosting the viewership by several percentage points in an instant.


    People were surprised to find that this youth with a tranquil air was actually on the same team as Ayakoji Chiyoko, both from Tokyo Uka High School.


    Does Tokyo especially produce beautiful women and handsome men, or is it just this school?


    Uka High inadvertently received attention once again, with just the faces of Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko likely to raise the school''s application rate next year.


    The match began, and the two referees waved their gs to signal the start. Kagura Hikaru and the Kyoto Competitor, with bamboo swords tied to their waists, slowly entered the arena,ing to a halt at the starting line where they crouched down, sword tips facing each other.


    The next moment, both rose to their feet simultaneously.


    "Yaah!!" The Kyoto Competitor started with a roar to intimidate, violently swinging down his bamboo sword.


    However, Kagura Hikaru remained unmoved, as if on a different frequency, leisurely maintaining distance and footwork, holding a middle guard stance.


    The Kyoto Competitor''s several probing attacks all failed to make an impression, and several times when he wanted to truly strike, he seemed to lose his nerve, hesitating uncertainly.


    Facing Kagura Hikaru on the field ofpetition, he felt an immense pressure.


    The opponent did not use deception or probing approaches, merely waiting in silence, like an insurmountable mountain standing in front, with intuition telling him that even if he attacked, he would notnd a hit¡ªthere seemed to be no openings.


    In Sword Dao, there are four taboos: Surprise (panic), Fear (terror), Doubt, and Confusion.


    When these four emotions emerge in the opponent''s heart, that''s the best opportunity to strike.


    "Men!"


    Without any warning, Kagura Hikaru struck rapidly, hitting the top of the Kyoto Competitor''s head, moving past him with quick and steady steps, maintaining a Lingering Spirit posture.


    Thetter was stunned, taking a moment too long to realize what happened, and then quickly turning to look at the referees, only to find they had already raised the red g.


    The red g signified Kagura Hikaru¡ªhe had scored.


    The Kyoto Competitor hit his right hand in frustration, dissatisfied with his ownpse in concentration that had allowed the opponent to exploit an opening.


    The two returned to the line behind the starting point, swords facing each other, the Kyoto Competitor''s gaze fixed firmly on his opponent.


    The referee shouted to signal the start.


    This time, Kagura Hikaruunched the first attack, tapping the opponent''s sword and aiming for the wrist of his right hand with a second strike.


    The Kyoto Competitor narrowly sidestepped, maintaining movement, as the two circled with broken steps and swords engaged. Suddenly, both made their moves simultaneously.


    The Kyoto Competitor thought Kagura Hikaru was going to strike the faceguard again, and he shared the same intention¡ªto take advantage of the opponent''s attack with a faster strike to the faceguard.


    "Kote!"


    But he had misjudged. As soon as he raised his sword, Kagura Hikaru''s bamboo sword struck his nk, with Kagura swiftly bowing and slipping by, turning around to maintain Lingering Spirit.


    The referees quickly raised the red g.


    The score was valid, Kagura Hikaru won 2:0.


    The normally indomitable team from the Capital City suffered a sound defeat!


    The Kyoto Competitor dumbfoundedly lowered his bamboo sword, recalling Kagura Hikaru''s words before the match, asking whether it would be embarrassing to meet again after losing on the field.


    ...Damn it, isn''t that obvious!


    Eventually, without saying a word, he maintained a bowing position and left the arena, faceguard still on, and slunk away dejectedly.

 Chapter 56 Agreement

    Kagura Hikaru''s current Sword Dao level was lv4, which roughly equated to the seventh dan. In the professional Kenshi realm outside, this level was already considered top tier.


    It was easy to imagine what kind of ughter he would perform among high school students.


    Perhaps because of this, the process appeared too steady and simple, nothing as spectacr as Ayakoji Chiyoko''s matches; aside from the Kyoto Competitors he directly faced, basically no one could see Kagura Hikaru''s true skill level.


    When he took off his faceguard and returned to his team, the teammates took his effortless victory over the strong yer from Kyoto as expected.


    They were all well aware that Kagura Hikaru''s abilities were absolutely extraordinary, and they felt it was a disgrace to him to even participate in such apetition.


    Teacher Yamazaki had even privately suggested that he consider a professional career, but Kagura Hikaru had refused.


    His Sword Dao skills came from his mind-reading ability, and he was not truly passionate about the sport itself.


    Returning to his team, Kagura Hikaru sat down in his original spot.


    "Mr. Kagura is really strong, effortlessly defeating yers from powerful Kyoto schools like that. There seems to be no suspense in this year''s National Championship."


    Hosaka Yui looked at him admiringly and patted the protector around his waist. "I''ll entrust my dreams to you, you must win!"


    However, Kagura Hikaru nced at her, "Dreams should be pursued on your own, a dream achieved by someone else is ultimately someone else''s and has nothing to do with you."


    The club manager was stunned for a few seconds, "...Mr. Kagura, you can be very hurtful sometimes....."


    "I''m just speaking the truth."


    Hosaka Yui looked conflicted and shook her head, "Mr. Kagura, my dream is topete in the National Championship. And I''m already a second-year student, soon to be a third-year, with only one year left. How can I possibly achieve it?"


    "So, are you going to give up?" Kagura Hikaru asked in response.


    "Hmm....."


    Hosaka Yui pondered for a while then suddenly pped her hands, "How about this, Mr. Kagura, let''s make a promise."


    She smiled mischievously, "If you win at this National Championship, I will continue practicing Sword Dao. If you don''t, then I''ll give it up."


    "Isn''t that condition a bit too lenient?"


    "Eh~ Mr. Kagura, you''re so confident. You already think you''ve won, huh? I was just being polite when I said there was no suspense at the National Championship."


    "I understand," Kagura Hikaru nodded, "Then it''s a deal."


    "Yes, it''s a deal!"


    As she said this, Hosaka Yui''s smile took on a strange tinge, but Kagura Hikaru didn''t see it, having already turned his head back to watch the matches.


    The first day of the National High School Sword Dao Championship continued until nearly noon before finally finishing, eliminating half of thepetitors in the hall.


    Stepping out of the venue filled with a solemn atmosphere and into the sunlight, Kagura Hikaru and the others felt a warmth in their hearts.


    In the first round of the eliminations, all fivepetitors from the Tokyo District had remarkably not lost a single match, including Kagura Hikaru, who had faced off against the formidable Keihanshin-Kobe teams and caused them a severe defeat, allowing all members to advance smoothly.


    With such good news, their spirits were naturally uplifted.


    Especially right after exiting the venue, Kagura Hikaru and others were immediately surrounded by several TV and magazine reporters vying for interviews, while the neighbouring Kyoto team was ignored as they passed by, only able to stare resentfully at the scene, which was the most satisfying part.


    The Gori Vice President and Miyamoto Shi sneered at the Kyoto team with a sense of petty triumph until they could no longer see them, then looked at Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru who were being interviewed live on television.


    Reporter: "yer Kagura, yer Ayakoji, congrattions on advancing to the second round of the National Championship, it was an incredible match!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Thank you."


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Reporter: "May I ask how you both feel at this moment?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "I will keep pushing hard."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Hmm."


    Reporter: "Ah.....Okay. I would also like to ask, what is the rtionship like between the two of you outside of thepetitions?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "Neither good nor bad."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "..."


    Reporter: "Okay, thank you both~"


    After dealing with the reporters who had swooped in, Kagura Hikaru and the others finally got to ride back to the hotel to rest.


    Teacher Yamazaki drove a rented Toyota minivan, weaving through the streets of Capital City with a car full of students.


    Winter was about to end, the weather was gradually warming up, and flowers and trees started to revive sessively, a hint of spring could be smelled through the ss.


    When they had just left the meeting venue, everyone hadn''t felt tired, but the moment they sat on the leather seats in the car, sleepiness struck instantly, and they began yawning one after another, as if there was some kind of hypnotic gas in the car.


    Upon reaching the hotel, everyone, struggling to keep their energy up, finished their lunch and immediately went back to their rooms to fall asleep.


    Only Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko remained awake, sitting silently in the tea room, drinking tea and looking at each other without a word.


    "I have something to ask you," Kagura Hikaru suddenly said.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko leisurely took a sip of water, "What is it?"


    "Why did you make such arrangements behind my back?"


    He was referring to how Ayakoji Chiyoko had deceived him into participating in thepetition by pretending to be the club manager.


    "You surely weren''t just trying to y a prank on me."


    "I did deceive you, but not for such a trivial reason."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko calmly fiddled with the teacup in her hand, "If I had asked you normally, whether you wanted topete or not, you most likely would have refused, so I decided to act first and reportter."


    "How would you know without asking?" Kagura Hikaru expressed his iprehension.


    "Kagura Hikaru, don''t you realize, how much you avoid interacting with others?" Ayakoji Chiyoko nced at him, "Among the people who came to Capital City with us, have you initiated more than ten sentences of conversation with them outside of official business?"


    "It''s not really like that..."


    "You know what you are like; don''t make me, an outsider, remind you."


    "...You might be mistaken."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Oh?"


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head, "If it were someone else, I definitely wouldn''t have agreed, but the current me is seeking an opportunity to reconcile with you, so if you had asked, I would havee no matter what."


    "..."


    The air grew silent for a few minutes.


    It seemed to freeze, thick and icy cold.


    After a long time, just when Kagura Hikaru thought she wouldn''t talk to him anymore, Ayakoji Chiyoko spoke.


    "Kagura Hikaru, another reason I forced you into the nationalpetition was to directly settle our scores," she said.


    "Your Sword Dao is not sharp, but very steady, and I am exactly the opposite, sharp yet immature, we may be natural rivals."


    "...If that''s what you wish."


    Kagura Hikaru knew that the conflict they were discussing wasn''t actually about Sword Dao; they didn''t really care about that at all.


    The real issue between them was Kagura Hikaru''s inconsistency in his persona and his deliberately concealed dark history.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was a person whocked a sense of security, he had noticed this the first time they met.


    She was exceedingly cautious around everyone, like someone carrying a treasure through a slum, always on guard against being secretly harmed.


    It was unclear where she had learned such a suspicious, hyper-sensitive nature akin to that of a monarch.


    The thing such a person could least tolerate was deception and concealment by those around her, and Kagura Hikaru had stepped right into this minefield.


    In the end, the so-called showdown was really just her looking for a chance to vent her frustration.


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself.


    "I won''t hold back," Kagura Hikaru said.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled, the first since she arrived in Capital City, though it disappeared quickly, "That''s exactly what I want."


    Thus, within one day, Kagura Hikaru had mademitments with two different girls.


    If one ignored the details, it would really give the impression that he was very popr.


    Butter events proved that both persons with whom he had mademitments today had their own cunning ns and ulterior motives.


    At this moment, Kagura Hikaru remained oblivious to this.

 Chapter 57 The Defeat of the Kyoto People

    The Sword Dao tournament arrived at its third day in the blink of an eye.


    In the fierce battles that ensued, only Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko from the Tokyo District''s Uka High School team remained, with the rest of the yers already eliminated.


    Except for the tall male students from the Kendo Club who were defeated by yers from other districts, everyone else, including Kendo Club President Uchida and the Gori Vice President, lost to teams from the Keihanshin area.


    Facing three high-caliber schools, there was little room for maneuver for both of them.


    However, looking at the remaining Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, their strength was such that it could be described as a brutal domination of thepetition. The Keihanshin team''s yers only saw fear in their eyes when they encountered them and were swiftly defeated.


    Finally, on the third day, the semifinals arrived.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko entered the final four, with the other two opponents being Kusatsu Ikuta from Capital City and Ryo Kuroiwa from Osaka.


    After many years, yers from Tokyo High School had once again stepped into the finals circle of the national tournament, filling every Tokyoite who paid attention to Sword Dao with pride. The goodwill towards Kagura Hikaru and his partner surged to new levels!


    Simply put, they became stars.


    Especially Ayakoji Chiyoko, she was the female swordsman who had advanced the furthest in the history of the National High School Sword Dao Tournament. Even if she were to lose now, she had already made history.


    However, many Sword Dao experts felt that she definitely had the strength to win the championship, a dark horse even stronger than the two seeded yers, Kusatsu Ikuta and Ryo Kuroiwa.


    Exceptional Sword Dao skills,bined with looks that could match a top idol, had made her face wildly popr on short video websites without her knowledge.


    The impact was that the poprity of Sword Dao as a sport rose across the Ind Nation, the national tournament''s viewership climbed, and the number of spectators at the event increased.


    The stands, which could originally only be filled to one-third capacity, were now packed to the brim.


    Of course, it also helped that it was the weekend and students were off and coulde to show their support.


    Kagura Hikaru and his peers even spotted Uka High School uniforms in the crowd, but there were too few of them, and their voices were drowned out by other spectators.


    But just knowing that students had traveled all the way from Tokyo to support them was satisfaction enough.


    Compared to the first two days, the venue for thest day''spetition seemed much more sparse, reduced from four segments to just two. The final four yers left standing would decide the victor in front of hundreds of live spectators.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko knelt on the ground, methodically donning her protective gear, waiting for the match to start.


    She had already been informed that her next opponent would be Kusatsu Ikuta from the Capital City team, that short-browed and squint-eyed man who liked to speak in riddles.


    Even though Ayakoji Chiyoko had no intention of wavering no matter the opponent, since she had the good fortune to match against someone with past grievances, she certainly couldn''t waste the opportunity.


    Treating him like a hotel waiter taking care of all his needs was the appropriate attitude to deal with this kind of filth.


    She put on her faceguard and tied the straps, listening to Teacher Yamazaki beside her pointing out Kusatsu Ikuta''s weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Soon, the referee raised the g signaling the yers to enter the arena.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and the seated Kusatsu Ikuta across from her stood up at the same time.


    Both donned full protective gear, their faces and figures obscured, eschewing any male or female distinction, looking like animated versions of the Eighteen Arhats or martial arts training dummies.


    "Ooohhh!!!"


    A roar of cheers erupted from the stands, with Capital City students shouting Kusatsu Ikuta''s name, apanied by the sound of drums and trumpets.


    The Capital City students brought musical instruments to bolster Kusatsu Ikuta''s morale.


    This way of creating a home-field advantage was effective.


    The shouts and music reached Ayakoji Chiyoko''s ears, irritating her and putting her at a moral disadvantage.


    She really wanted to shout out a Spirit Focus to expel this stifling feeling, but she couldn''t do that before the match started, which made Ayakoji Chiyoko feel suppressed.


    At that moment, however, came the support of her teammates from behind.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Gori Vice President: "President, go for it!!!"


    Miyamoto Shi: "President! Show him what you''re made of!"


    Hosaka Yui: "You can do it!"


    Teacher Yamazaki: "You''ve got this!"


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t make a sound, just picked up his faceguard from afar and waved it, indicating that the contest between them was not yet decided.


    Having someone support you can instill courage out of nowhere, as long as you know this fact.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko let out a gentle breath, her heart already tranquil.


    She looked at Kusatsu Ikuta, who stood across the field, with the sound of drums and cheers slowly fading in her ears. The referee signalled with a g, and bothpetitors, each with a bamboo sword at their waist, slowly walked to the center of the arena. They silently drew their bamboo swords, crouched behind the stop line, and pointed their sword tips at their opponent.


    The next moment, both stood up simultaneously, their sword tips quivering sharply as they probed their opponent.


    After a standoff of three seconds, Kusatsu Ikuta suddenly lunged in for an attack, striking Ayakoji Chiyoko''s bamboo sword first, then aiming for the point on her head¡ªnaturally, she blocked it.


    Their handguards shed, bamboo sword against bamboo sword, and they grappled tightly against each other, slowly sidestepping. After several seconds of not finding an opening, they both rxed their strength and slowly retreated, restoring a safe distance and assuming a middle-guard posture.


    A heavy atmosphere enveloped the entire venue.


    "Yahhh!"


    "Hah!"


    With a shout of Spirit Focus, Kusatsu Ikuta and Ayakoji Chiyoko both issued a challenge, like two wild beasts on the in intimidating each other. It might have seemedical, but face-to-face, one could easily be distracted and lose focus, resulting in a fatal strike through an exposed weakness.


    Unable to find a breakthrough in his opponent, Kusatsu Ikuta began to grow impatient, making several feint attacks along with stomping and swinging moves to divert attention, all of which Ayakoji Chiyoko ignored.


    It was clear she wanted to strike back, with her sword-hand frequently tensing, but in the end she held back for victory, silently building momentum.


    With little time left in the match, Kusatsu Ikuta thought of dragging it into a tie, where each yer would take a point and then decide the oue in the next round¡ªa not too disagreeable oue.


    However, it was this passive approach to the match that caused him to lose focus, leading to a moment''s dy in his movements.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t miss this fleeting opportunity and decisively struck out; a single sword blow skewed Kusatsu Ikuta''s bamboo sword, and in 0.2 seconds, her strikended on her opponent''s right wrist.


    "Hand!!"


    Afterpleting the strike, she immediately raised her sword and leaped back to a safe distance several meters away before lowering her hand and ncing at the referee.


    The referee raised the g of the color Ayakoji Chiyoko hoped to see¡ªit was the white g she represented.


    1:0 lead.


    The venue erupted with thunderous apuse, releasing the tension of the decisive moment just passed.


    Thepetitors returned to their positions behind the stop line.


    Under his faceguard, Kusatsu Ikuta wore an expression of frustration, knowing his opponent''s reaction speed surpassed his own.


    In thatst exchange, his mind had reacted, but it was toote to transmit to his hand, and his bamboo sword had already been knocked askew, leaving him defenseless.


    In both hand speed and strength, Ayakoji Chiyoko was the strongest he had encountered among his peers¡ªa true monster.


    Kusatsu Ikuta and Ayakoji Chiyoko stood once again behind the stop line, paused for a second, and the match resumed.


    In the second round, Ayakoji Chiyoko altered her previous style, making aggressive moves in quick session, swinging her sword forcefully with both hands, shouting Spirit Focus, and stomping her feet.


    Kusatsu Ikuta felt threatened by every small sound, startled each time.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko knew what to do now.


    Sheunched fierce attacks, shing head-on with her opponent continuously, not aiming to strike but looking to break his resolve.


    Under a barrage of assaults, Kusatsu Ikuta began to show signs of fatigue, while Ayakoji Chiyoko remained as vigorous as ever, showing no signs of energy depletion.


    In another sh, Kusatsu Ikuta''s bamboo sword was pressed down by Ayakoji Chiyoko''s. Seizing the moment, she executed a Rolling Sword Technique, the de spiraling around her opponent''s sword, flicking it so that Kusatsu Ikuta''s bamboo sword flew from his grasp, soared into the air and, after a second,nded with a p.


    "Ohh!!"


    A wave of gasps surged from the audience.


    Such scenes weren''t unheard of in Sword Daopetitions, but were extremely rare.


    After all, gripping the bamboo sword firmly is the first lesson in learning Sword Dao; it is fundamental, and having one''s weapon knocked out in a match is an embarrassing affair.


    Kusatsu Ikuta stared at his fallen bamboo sword, frozen in his grip stance for two seconds before realizing the situation, then dejectedly walked over to retrieve his sword, his will to fight already gone.


    When the match resumed, in less than ten seconds, Kusatsu Ikuta was hit cleanly on the waist by a sword strike from Ayakoji Chiyoko, ending hispetition for the national championship. Last year''s champion was defeated in the hands of a female swordsman, stopping short of the semifinals.

 Chapter 58 Noodles!

    After Ayakoji Chiyoko won, the whole arena burst into warm apuse.


    It wasn''t for any other reason than she had once again advanced the ranking record of female swordsmen at the unrestricted national tournament.


    Now, Ayakoji Chiyoko could proudly im herself to be the strongest female high school swordsman in the whole Ind Nation.


    If she also won her next match, she would be able to remove the word ''female'' and be the strongest high school swordsman in the whole Ind Nation.


    But a huge mountain still stood before this honor.


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko removed her faceguard and wiped the sweat as she walked back to her own team, she saw Kagura Hikaru putting on his protective gear, his movements meticulous and his expression as calm as still water.


    Just after Ayakoji Chiyoko''s match had ended, it was soon his turn.


    Yet from him, you couldn''t sense any tension, as if he were going to eat instead ofpeting.


    What Ayakoji Chiyoko disliked the most about him but also envied was this exact trait, a mind as clear as a polished mirror and stable as a boulder.


    This wasn''t something that just anyone could achieve.


    Having prepared, Kagura Hikaru received blessings from his teammates and walked onto the field.


    His opponent in the semi-finals was the contestant from Osaka¡ªRyo Kuroiwa.


    From what Teacher Yamazaki said, he was reputed to be the strongest among his peers in Osaka. This statement, viewing the current situation, needed quotes, but it was sufficient to signify that the opponent was no less than Kusatsu Ikuta.


    Although for Kagura Hikaru, it didn''t matter whether it was Kuroiwa Ikuta or Kusatsu Ryo.


    Thepetitors entered the arena, wearing their Bamboo Swords at their hips, approached the stop line, drew their swords, crouched, and looked at each other.


    Ryo Kuroiwa''s gaze was fiery, while Kagura Hikaru seemed emotionless.


    Without amand, both stood up.


    The match began, and Ryo Kuroiwa yelled like a monkey, stepping forward and raising his Bamboo Sword to strike down.


    His style was simple and rough, using force to suppress others. Kagura Hikaru, being weaker in brute strength, chose to retreat, using his Bamboo Sword to disrupt his opponent''s attacking rhythm.


    Slowly maintaining distance to probe, upon understanding Ryo Kuroiwa''s movements, Kagura Hikaru suddenly moved quickly to the side to strike at the waist.


    He missed... no, he hit, just a bit.


    One of the two referees raised the red g representing Kagura Hikaru, indicating he saw a score, while the other did not, causing the match to be temporarily halted for video review.


    The match had hardly begun and was unexpectedly paused after less than ten seconds, causing a stir in the spectator stands.


    While Kagura Hikaru intended to stand there and rest, Ryo Kuroiwa brazenly walked across the field towards him,ughing and saying, "What''s this? Is fighting with me that boring for you?"


    Not just Kagura Hikaru, but even the nearby spectators were shocked by his behavior.


    In Sword Daopetitions, talking betweenpetitors is not allowed. Once the match begins, this rule takes effect, and if caught by the referee, a half-point deduction urs; a repeated offense results in one point lost.


    "No worries, no worries, the match is paused; they won''t care about us," Ryo Kuroiwa said, guessing what Kagura Hikaru was thinking and waving his hand dismissively.


    Kagura Hikaru looked towards the referees and saw they were focused on the video review, indeed not caring about this side of the arena.


    He shook his head and responded, "I don''t find it boring."


    "Liar, you weren''t really trying just now, were you?" Ryo Kuroiwa pointed at his waist where he had just been hit. "They say in Lingering Spirit you should use seventy percent force and keep thirty percent, but you only used sixty percent."


    "...Leaving that aside, how could you tell how much strength I was using?"


    Ryo Kuroiwa casually rested the Bamboo Sword on his shoulder, "My eyes are good, that''s all I can say. Haven''t you heard that saying? In a swordsman''s duel, you can understand the other''s thoughts and feelings through shing des."


    "That''s from movies."


    "No, this is real, and I indeed felt, you didn''t enjoy the match fully."


    "Isn''t that a good thing for you, if your opponent isn''t giving it their all?"


    "On the contrary, I came here from Osaka, not to fight in such a match!" Kuroiwa Ryuuichi sighed, even somewhat disappointed.


    Kagura Hikaru saw that the referee had made a decision, signaling that the score was valid and the match was about to resume, then turned to Kuroiwa Ryuuichi: ".....Did you know? Before the match started, I didn''t even know I wouldpete; I was tricked intoing here."


    "Hmm?"


    "So, I might as well say I fell for your trick this time."


    "Do you mean...? Ha ha, you''re going to give it your all now, right!"


    The man from Osaka grinned crookedly, patting Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder vigorously, "That''s it, that''s it! Don''t hold back, defeat me thoroughly!"


    Kagura Hikaru helplessly said, "If you keep this up, you won''t need me to lose; the referee will penalize you."


    The referee, having just finished discussing, turned around only to see the Osaka contestant forcefully patting the Tokyo contestant and immediately red furiously, shouted angrily, and walked over.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Kuroiwa Ryuuichi quickly let go, dancing around as he was chased back to his side by the referee, while the audience, not understanding the context, was amused by the act.


    Eventually, he received a penalty, a half-point deduction as a lesson.


    The opposing team''s coach from Osaka wiped his face in frustration.


    The match resumed.


    At the starting confrontation, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi moved cautiously, his sword ready to spring into action.


    Kagura Hikaru moved even less, coordinating with Kuroiwa Ryuuichi''s slight movements, maintaining an intermediate ready stance with a subtle up and down sway that made it difficult to predict his attack pattern.


    Kagura Hikaru belonged to the universally acknowledged type of all-rounded swordsman, meaning he had no particr weaknesses. If a weakness had to be mentioned, it would be his physical conditioning, as he could not perform miracles with strength like Kuroiwa Ryuuichi could, but even so, he was stronger than the average person.


    An imprable rock, that was the impression he left on Kuroiwa Ryuuichi at that moment.


    This, in turn, excited thetter.


    Yes, this was the right feeling.


    Although Kagura Hikaru''s presence had been formidable in the previous round, it somehow felt nd and uninspiring.


    But now, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi felt the opponent''s gaze locked onto his entire body, as if any slight movement might create an opening, tension magnifying to the utmost, involuntarily tensing the muscles in his back.


    Wow, this oppressive feeling, just like that of his seventh-dan Sword Dao master.


    This monster is actually the same age as him??


    Kuroiwa Ryuuichi thought incredulously, all the while not letting his guard down and maintaining full readiness.


    They confronted each other for a full minute.


    Neither side made a move, just shifting their feet, not even feinting an attack.


    Kagura Hikaru naturally excelled at defensive counterattacks, which really meant he preferred to strike second.


    But Kuroiwa Ryuuichi, who had previouslyunched several aggressive offenses, now restrained himself to the extent he wouldn''t even attack, indicative of the formidable atmosphere.


    After concentrating for too long, Kuroiwa Ryuuichi''s eyes were sore from staring, and he inadvertently blinked.


    When he opened his eyes, the figure before him had disappeared, and the sensation on his head and the sound by his ear seemed to be transmitted a beat slow.


    "Men!!"

 Chapter 59 The Final Battle, King vs King

    The apuse from the audience had slowly ceased.


    Kagura Hikaru sat among the Tokyo District team, hands sped behind his head, he unfastened his straps and removed his faceguard and headband.


    Some sweat stains dampened his forehead and temples, making his hair stick to his skin.


    The semifinals and finals were separate, and now they had half an hour to rest.


    "To effortlessly win 2-0 against Ryo Kuroiwa, your skill truly is exceptional."


    Sitting behind him, Teacher Yamazaki spoke with emotion, patting his back, "Only you and Chiyoko left in the finals, no matter what, the championship has already fallen into the hands of Yuqiu High School. Well done, both of you!"


    After speaking, he let out an evilugh that only viins would emit.


    As the team coach, he too would receive praise from the leadership when his students seeded, and his year-end bonus would significantly rise, rise a lot indeed!


    Gahahaha....


    Kagura Hikaru''s body shook with each pat from Teacher Yamazaki''srge hand. Reluctantly, he looked back at him, wondering if he had been bought by Chiyoko Ayakoji to injure him internally before the finals.


    ncing to the side, Chiyoko Ayakoji satposed to his left, separated by several people.


    Like a samurai about to enter a duel, she ced her Bamboo Sword on her thighs in a meditative posture, eyes closed, utterly detached from herself and the surroundings.


    It was obvious she was taking the uing finals very seriously.


    Compared to her, Kagura Hikaru was not obsessed with winning or losing.


    Whether he lost to Chiyoko Ayakoji or won, it probably wouldn''t change anything.


    Initially, that''s what he thought.


    But during his confrontation with Ryo Kuroiwa, he realized something¡ªthat hecked respect for those who were trying hard.


    Without the "mind-reading Golden Finger," he''d just be an ordinary person with likely no chance to stand on such a stage.


    Yet, he happened to possess this cheat, acquiring top-notch Sword Dao skills andbat experience without even touching a sword.


    This unfair gap had inadvertently fueled his arrogance, sometimes causing him to view others from a condescending perspective.


    Kagura Hikaru was grateful to Ryo Kuroiwa for helping him see his true self.


    He decided not to treat the uing match as a mere duty towards Chiyoko Ayakoji, but to earnestly connect with her through the sword, conveying his true emotions through the de''s edge, as Ryo Kuroiwa had said.


    Crossing his legs, Kagura Hikaru mimicked Chiyoko Ayakoji by cing the Bamboo Sword on his thighs, closing his eyes in meditation, quickly entering the zone, maintaining inner peace amidst the noisy venue.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What he didn''t know was that while he was deep in meditation, Chiyoko Ayakoji on the other side had opened her eyes, nced at him, pursed her lips slightly in approval, yet didn''t want to show it openly, and continued to meditate.


    Half an hourter, the finals began.


    "Mr. Kagura, good luck," Hosaka Yui came over to encourage him specifically, her eyes sparkling.


    Kagura Hikaru remembered their agreement and nodded.


    He and Chiyoko Ayakoji donned their faceguards, picked up their Bamboo Swords, and entered the arena.


    "Finally, I see a decent attitude from you," Chiyoko Ayakoji said as they walked towards the arena.


    "I said I would not hold back."


    "I''m looking forward to it."


    Her tone suppressed excitement, showing she had been eagerly awaiting this match for a long time.


    In the Discipline Committee, Kagura Hikaru had never gone all out against her, although Chiyoko Ayakoji had never won, she was sure of this.


    This guycked enthusiasm for this kind of thing, always treating their contests cavalierly.


    This time, on the national championship stage, in front of cameras and hundreds of spectators, Kagura Hikaru was still behaving with the same leisurely attitude that was frustrating yet irresistible.


    Because he was indeed powerful, a strong person had a surplus ofposure, and what could you use him of?


    Until just recently, in Kagura Hikaru''s match against Ryo Kuroiwa, no one knew what thetter had said to him, but during the second set Kagura Hikaru was noticeably more serious and finished the match with a breathtakingly swift Bamboo Sword strike.


    The Kagura Hikaru that Chiyoko Ayakoji wanted was in that state!


    Her Sword Dao had hit a bottleneck, and having such a formidable peer around, it would be a waste not to have a proper fight.


    Plus, she had to settle her emotional scores with him as well.


    Upon reaching the venue, Chiyoko Ayakoji and Kagura Hikaru stood on opposite ends of the field, gazing at each other from afar.


    The final match, just between the two of them, an internal duel at Yuqiu High School.


    That Tokyo people had monopolized the top two spots was unexpected, and students from the Keihanshin area outside the arena looked visibly disconcerted.


    Following the referee''s signal, Chiyoko Ayakoji and Kagura Hikaru approached each other slowly while maintaining eye contact and drew their swords as they squatted down at the stop line, vignt of each other.


    The next moment, both rose and swung their swords simultaneously.


    p!


    Their Bamboo Swords met forcefully mid-air, their strength seemingly matched, as neither of their sword''s paths was deflected.


    After a testing strike, both stepped back, circling sideways, looking for an opening in their opponent.


    Suddenly, Kagura Hikaru attacked twice in quick session, hitting Chiyoko Ayakoji''s left hand guard on the first strike and aiming for her right thigh on the second, which she evaded.


    This strike did not score, because the force of the hit was incorrect.


    Sword Dao is not a sport where scoring is merely about hitting; to score a point, one must meet standards of spirit, force, and lingering spirit.


    To put it inly, one must strike beautifully and finish cleanly.


    They continued to circle, facing off for over thirty seconds, during which various intimidating and disruptive actions urred. Finally, Chiyoko Ayakoji made her move.


    After two feint attacks, she thrust her sword straight at Kagura Hikaru''s head on her third strike. Believing it to be a real attack, he quickly defended, only to be duped as the real target was his waist!


    Kagura Hikaru made a split-second decision, holding the sword''s hilt with one hand while pressing on the de with the other, using both hands to parry the hit to the side, then releasing his left hand, his right hand whipping the sword out in a ssic fencing move, lunging rapidly forward.


    "Throat!"


    The strike hit Chiyoko Ayakoji''s unprotected throat with such force that she staggered back two steps, covering the guarded area of her throat, even dropping her sword.


    The referee raised the red g representing Kagura Hikaru, awarding a point, 1:0.


    The audience gasped, apuse breaking out btedly.


    Sword Dao allows the use of any sword technique style, but applying techniques from Western fencing foil inpetitions is very umon.


    One reason is that holding a sword with one hand usuallycks sufficient power, and hitting may not necessarily score a point.


    Yet, Kagura Hikaru''s strike was not only executed beautifully but also didn''t seem like ast-minute resort; the power was strong enough to make someone step back, perhaps he had even practiced one-handed sword techniques privately.


    Onlookers, enthusiasts of Sword Dao, marveled at his skill, puzzled by Mr. Kagura''s mind, so quick in reaction, he might have been a famous swordsman in ancient times.


    Having scored a point, Kagura Hikaru did not appear excited; he calmly returned to the line, facing Chiyoko Ayakoji again, sword in hand.

 Chapter 60 The result is predictable

    ```


    Tricky.


    This was the most immediate impression Ayakoji Chiyoko had of Kagura Hikaru.


    It was one thing for him to have good skills, but his y was also stable.


    She was forced to use that rather troublesome method and had barely managed to push out a w, only for her opponent to crush through and steal a point with hand speed.


    In a word, it could only be described as outrageous.


    It was like when you''re ying a game and you''ve just used up yourst Blood Bottle to get the boss down to low health, ready for the kill, only to find out the opponent has a hidden second phase that instantly defeats you, and you have to start over.


    If Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t have a strong heart, her mentality would have exploded the instant she was countered.


    The second set began.


    Having lost a point not only did not make Ayakoji Chiyoko more cautious, she even became bolder in her approach, often trying oundish tactics, even using unusual techniques such as releasing one hand or frequently lifting her Bamboo Sword.


    The goal was still the same, to force Kagura Hikaru to expose his own weaknesses.


    However, Kagura Hikaru seemed to have seen through her npletely, remaining indifferent to every move Ayakoji Chiyoko made, maintaining a calm and steady defensive stance, as unmovable as a mountain.


    He made no unnecessary moves, and his movements were minimal, even graceful, in stark contrast to the frenzy of Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Just in terms of style, they were like the difference between a spear and a shield.


    No wonder Ayakoji Chiyoko said they were natural rivals.


    Even the audience started to feel that it was only right for these two to meet on this stage; anything less would have been a pity.


    The decisive moment came unexpectedly.


    It was another feint from Ayakoji Chiyoko that failed as she retreated, thinking she could, like before, regroup and attack again, but Kagura Hikaru suddenly lunged.


    "Throat!"


    The blunt Bamboo Sword at that moment was like Zhao Yun''s Bright Silver Spear at Changban Slope, with a sh of cold light reaching first, followed by the sword thrusting out like a dragon, striking its target.


    It smacked right into Ayakoji Chiyoko''s chin.


    Although the momentum and force were enough, this was not a scoring point, and it shouldn''t have been a simple mistake of hitting the wrong spot for Kagura Hikaru.


    What happened was Ayakoji Chiyoko reacted at thest moment, slightly bowed her head, and narrowly used the Faceguard to block the sword that Kagura Hikaru aimed at her throat.


    She stepped back half a step to create some distance while still unsettled, sizing up Kagura Hikaru as he calmly regrouped.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly realized one of his characteristics, which was his fondness for thrusting.


    In thepetition so far, he had scored with Throat Stabs far more often than the otherpetitors, including her.


    A Throat Stab was indeed a difficult point to score, and the number of times sessful should have been low, yet Kagura Hikaru peculiarly increased its usage rate.


    Aside from practicality, the only other exnation was personal preference.


    The method to counter a Throat Stab was simple: guard the middle line strictly, and concentrate so as not to be taken by surprise.


    For Ayakoji Chiyoko, this was not difficult.


    In addition, knowing this information also gave her another strategic consideration, which was to deliberately expose a w that made it easy for a Throat Stab, to draw Kagura Hikaru into attacking, thus creating an opportunity for a counter.


    It was a risky n, but Ayakoji Chiyoko was undaunted and decisively implemented it.


    This was partly due to the pressure Kagura Hikaru put on her, and also because the time for the second set was about to end; continuing like this would result in bothpetitors scoring one point, dering Kagura Hikaru the 2:1 winner, which would not be to her advantage.


    Her goal was to win, not to just score one point against Kagura Hikaru, a rather modest wish.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru cautiously measured the distance between them, focusing on each other''s entire body.


    The sword''s edge, footwork, hand gestures, and the movement of the waist and elbows all had to be taken into consideration.


    The details of body movement can predict an opponent''s next move in advance, a Skill every high-level Sword Daopetitor must master.


    Bothpetitors on the field were experts in their craft, naturally not showing any ws, with all their offensives hidden behind calmness, hinting at an atmosphere before a storm.


    But gradually, Kagura Hikaru noticed that Ayakoji Chiyoko''s strength seemed to be rxing, and her sword lifting didn''t have the same precision as in the beginning.


    Perhaps it was because she had exerted herself too much earlier, depleting too much energy.


    Engaging in intense exercise while wearing armor is far more strenuous than one might imagine, and it doesn''t take long to work up a sweat.


    ```


    Moreover, Ayakoji Chiyoko was a woman, inherently at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength.


    Even so, Kagura Hikaru never let his guard down, maintaining a defensive posture on the premise that his opponent was intentionally revealing weaknesses, waiting for Ayakoji Chiyoko to attack.


    As time dragged on, a whistle suddenly blew, and the referee dered that time was up, instructing thepetitors to return to the start line and rmence.


    The duration of a Sword Dao match was five minutes. If a winner couldn''t be decided, a three-minute extension would be added. If it was still a tie after that, each yer would receive one point.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko entered the three-minute tiebreaker.


    At this moment, both harbored a desire to attack.


    Neither Kagura Hikaru nor Ayakoji Chiyoko wished to end this match by stalling; such an oue would be too uninteresting for them.


    Thus, when the match resumed, they both disyed an exceptional offensive eagerness, constantly making probing moves, with the intensity of their psychological battle reaching its zenith during those three minutes, satisfying the connoisseurs in the audience.


    Including the Keihanshin team, who had already been eliminated and were now watching from the sidelines, as well aspetitors from other schools, all watched their exchange intensely, as if they were viewing a real wartime documentary¡ªso engrossed they didn''t notice their palms sweating, their eyes firmly fixed on the twopetitors on the field.


    Yuqiu High School''s Hosaka Yui and others dared not even breathe too heavily, waiting silently yet excitedly for the oue of the match.


    Finally, amidst the fierce exchange of swords, Ayakoji Chiyoko found herself at a disadvantage, her move to guard was a step too slow, her center wide open, revealing a straight path before Kagura Hikaru.


    It was the perfect opportunity for a Throat Stab, he instinctively felt.


    And then, he struck.


    Hidden beneath the faceguard, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes shed cunningly for just a moment.


    He had finally taken the bait!


    She had strained to craft the illusion of being out of breath, all for this moment¡ªto lead Kagura Hikaru into believing she had a vulnerability in her center line so that he would strike directly at it.


    She was already prepared; as soon as Kagura Hikaru made his move, she would shift to attack below, aiming for his torso, almost certain to hit. Because when executing a Throat Stab, the tip of the sword would definitely be raised, making it difficult to defend against an attack from below.


    This was the only chance Ayakoji Chiyoko could find.


    In her eyes, the world seemed to slow down.


    She saw Kagura Hikaru lift his sword and thrust it forward, his body maintaining the ready-to-defend posture, but there was an inevitable small opening.


    Now was the moment!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s body leaned to the left, her waist lowered, as she swung her sword fiercely.


    "Torso!!"


    "Face!"


    Thwack, thwack.


    Two sounds of bamboo swords hitting their targets echoed simultaneously on the field.


    Hit!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko thought excitedly.


    However, that emotionsted less than a second before confusion took over.


    Why did Kagura Hikaru yell "Face!" instead of "Throat!" just now?


    Due to her extreme focus, she was slow to register the sensation of being struck on the head from the brief moment they passed each other.


    Kagura Hikaru''s attack wasn''t at the throat, but at the top of her head?!


    In the event that bothpetitors hit scoring points simultaneously during the match, neither would be effective!


    She turned in surprise, only to see Kagura Hikaru swooping in again, his bamboo sword whistling through the air as it bypassed Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hastily raised sword.


    "Throat!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sessful in his strike, Kagura Hikaru retreated two steps, maintaining Lingering Spirit.


    The match was decided.


    Two referees raised red gs.


    Kagura Hikaru versus Ayakoji Chiyoko, 2:0, Kagura Hikaru won.

 Chapter 61 I Will Help You

    "Roarrrrrrr!!"


    As the oue of the match became clear, Yuqiu High School''s Teacher Yamazaki and the three members of the Kendo Club all stood up together, raising their hands and cheering loudly.


    Meanwhile, the Gori Vice President from the Disciplinary Committee and a sheepish Miyamoto Shi remained seated, seemingly wanting to p but not quite daring to do so.


    On the court, Ayakoji Chiyoko stood in ce for several seconds, pondering, before she shook her head in eptance and bowed to Kagura Hikaru as they returned to the starting line.


    Thunderous apuse erupted from the stands.


    After leaving the arena, when the two encountered each other again, Ayakoji Chiyoko removed her faceguard and hand protector, reaching out proactively to shake Kagura Hikaru''s hand.


    "That was a good match, I really enjoyed it."


    "Thank you."


    Kagura Hikaru also removed his hand protector to shake hands with her.


    The barriers between them seemed to fade away as well, in the exhaustion that followed the end of the match.


    "Did you figure out I was bluffing with the Throat Stab in advance?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked as they released hands.


    After taking off his faceguard and headband, Kagura Hikaru ran a hand through his damp hair and nodded gently, "You had some small tells, plus your acting wasn''t very good."


    This exnation made Ayakoji Chiyokough.


    iming that someone who had systematically studied acting, been a child star, and had an actor for a father wasn''t very good at acting was quite blunt indeed.


    However, unexpectedly, she didn''t feel anger or any other emotion, but calmly epted it.


    "Okay, I will work hard to improve," she said.


    "Mm."


    Their short conversation ended, and both Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were engulfed by their teammates who rushed up to celebrate excitedly.


    "Hahaha, well done! Such good kids, well done!" Teacher Yamazaki was jubnt,ughing heartily and vigorously patting Kagura Hikaru on the shoulder, "Our Uka High finally won a big tournament, and we even took the top two spots! Those Keihanshin guys must not be able tough now, haha..."


    Ryo Kuroiwa, who was about toe over to congratte, became visibly embarrassed as his own coach dragged him away with a dark face.


    "Congrattions, that was an amazing performance!" Minister Uchida from the Kendo Club approached Kagura Hikaru with unmistakable admiration and envy on his face.


    He was only good enough to make it to the top sixteen, but his insight was adequate to understand about seventy to eighty percent of the match''s level between Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, yet even just that much made him feel awe-struck.


    These two were living in entirely different worlds from their peers.


    So much so that he could not even feel jealousy, only aspiration.


    Once their conversation was over, Yui Hosaka also approached, pretending toment, "I can''t believe it actually happened. Now I have nowhere to turn, it''s all your fault, Mr. Kagura."


    "Will I see you in thepetition teams next year?" asked Kagura Hikaru.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Who knows if you don''t try?" said Yui Hosaka with a smile, her hands sped behind her back.


    "Then I wish you sess."


    "Thank you." Yui Hosaka suddenly became shy, fidgeting as she said, "Wait, when we get back to school, I have something important to tell you. Don''t you run off, Mr. Kagura."


    "Why can''t you tell me now?"


    "Oh, you''ll find out then. Don''t be so impatient."


    She ran off with her face flushed.


    Witnessing this scene, the burly members of the Kendo Club who had just been chatting merrily nced towards Kagura Hikaru with a profound look, as if they were trying to see through him.


    Kagura Hikaru: "??"


    He had a feeling that she did not mean that in the way they were thinking.


    Thepetition ended, awards were given, interviews conducted, and it wasn''t until noon that Kagura Hikaru and his team were finally able to leave the venue.


    The first thing upon stepping out was to head straight to the barbecue restaurant.


    Teacher Yamazaki had promised before that if they made it into the top eight, he would treat them to barbecue.


    Now that Kagura Hikaru and the others had not only made it into the top eight but also exceeded expectations by winning the championship and sweeping the first two ces, there was even less reason not to treat them.


    A five thousand yen barbecue buffet per person, they ate from twelve at noon until three in the afternoon beforeing out, filled with a sense of satisfaction.


    The n was originally to return to the hotel since they had to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo at six in the evening, and ounting for the round trip, there wasn''t much time to spare.


    But Hosaka Yui suddenly proposed that it would be a shame to leave Capital City in such a hurry without properly exploring, considering they had made the rare trip.


    Since the others agreed, and unable to withstand the students'' persistent wheedling on top of the good mood from the sessfulpetition, Teacher Yamazaki relented, cancelled the six o''clock tickets, and switched to nine o''clock instead, and also contacted all the students'' families, promising to take responsibility for sending each of them home after returning to Tokyo.


    As Hosaka Yui and the others licked their matcha ice cream, they watched Teacher Yamazaki make phone calls until he gave a thumbs up to everyone after hanging up, and they all suddenly burst intoughter like chickens that had just been stolen.


    Having gotten permission from their parents, the night''s stay in Capital City was confirmed.


    A trip on the public dime, Wuhu~~


    The first stop, soaking in a hot spring!


    Things did not start off well, as there were simply too many people soaking in hot springs in winter, and reservations were necessary at any hot spring inn.


    Though they weren''t able to soak in the hot springs, they had an unexpected find; near the hot spring inn, they discovered a street specializing in Japanese confections, selling Capital City''s specialty sweets.


    They tasted along the way, as if they were on a group winter tour, all smiles and in high spirits.


    Making achievements on a business trip meant being able to splurge just like that.


    As the ancient capital and a tourist destination of the Ind Nation, Capital City retained many traditional style architectures, and asionally walking through certain streets, one could feel as if they had stepped back into the Edo Period.


    Although the temperature had be milder, it was still winter, yet asionally one could see youngdies walking on the streets in kimonos and yukatas.


    Most of these were tourists; the locals of the Ind Nation rarely dressed like this because wearing a kimono is truly troublesome, reserved for cosy or certain professions, and people wouldn''t wear it casually out on the streets.


    As for what these certain professions are, don''t overthink it, they are actually referring to Kabuki.


    When ites to Ind Nation culture, many people might conjure the image of a woman with her hair up, wearing a kimono and wooden clogs, and a heavily made-up, whitened face with an exposed nape, moving gracefully.


    This is the ssic image of Kabuki.


    Kabuki is not a prostitute; more urately, it is simr to the courtesans of ancient Huaxia, selling the art without selling the body, a tradition that has continued to this day without interruption.


    It gradually got dark.


    When Kagura Hikaru and the group eventually strolled near Gion, they saw five Kabuki, with small, delicate steps, walking elegantly on the cobblestone path, attracting eyes with their charisma and attire, with curious tourists, both from the Ind Nation and foreigners, following them around.


    Hosaka Yui was among the curious, almost choking on her barbecued meat at the sight of the Kabuki. She quickly swallowed, grabbed her phone, and rushed to snap pictures and tweet away.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t appreciate that sort of makeup, but the silhouette of the Kabuki was still very beautiful, especially at night on an illuminated street, which gave a sense of an intersection between the past and the present.


    "Did you know?" said Kagura Hikaru, holding a candied apple, "Most of the Kabuki nowadays aren''t even from Capital City, but they speak with an ent more standard than the locals."


    "The world is moving towards more diversity; such things will be moremon," Ayakoji Chiyoko nced at him and continued, "But I believe some things will not change with time... No, I''m overthinking it."


    At night, Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed to be affected by the atmosphere and spoke with the sentimental touch of an ordinary woman.


    This was an opportunity that Kagura Hikaru couldn''t pass up.


    [How could there be anything unchanging in this world, just look at the Ind Nation fifty years ago,pared to now, it''s like apletely different country.]


    [Honor, faith, spine, the things that shouldn''t change, yet we''vepletely discarded them.]


    [You have gained through peeking into the heart: Speech +2]


    [Speech lv3 (29/100)]


    "There are no constants in this world, I agree," said Kagura Hikaru, looking up at the full moon, "Under the power of time, even celestial bodies change and perish, let alone the tiny civilization on a single."


    "...That''s also true."


    "However, although we cannot pursue infinity, we can chase after finitude. Creating infinite value within a finite life, that''s the meaning of existence," Kagura Hikaru turned to look at her, "Sesses from action, failure from inaction. If you want to change something, I suggest you start preparing now. I can help."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was stunned for the first time, feeling that Kagura Hikaru''s gaze had the power to see through her inner thoughts.


    Averting his gaze, she didn''t know how to react and just huffed, walking ahead. She pretended to watch the Kabuki with the others while eating her candied apple.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 62 A Single Man and a Single Woman Check into a Hotel Late at Night

    They played wildly until 7:30 pm before everyone realized the time and hurried back to the hostel to retrieve their luggage.Due to the haste, many were careless, leaving behind phone chargers, playing cards, headphones, and other trifling items that could occasionally be found around the room¡ªit was a complete mess.


    Yui Hosaka and Kagura Hikaru had to remind them frequently until they quickly gathered their belongings and left.


    After checking out and returning the rented car, they rushed to catch the train at Shinkansen Station.


    This frantic rush to catch the train also carried a travel vibe¡ªfar from being tense, everyone found it quite amusing.


    Only Chiyoko Ayakoji and Kagura Hikaru, the two seriously deadpan ones, were speechless because they had repeatedly reminded everyone to watch the time earlier, to no avail.


    As a result, everyone was now dragging their suitcases and sprinting to catch the train after getting off the bus at a nearby station.


    "This is pretty good too, Mr. Kagura. Consider it a workout," Yui Hosaka said with a laugh while jogging.


    Kagura Hikaru rolled his eyes.


    Speaking of a workout, the days of intensive training and competition had been workout enough.


    They had walked around for several hours in the afternoon and evening; fortunately, everyone was from sports clubs and physically fit. Ordinary students would''ve been exhausted halfway through.


    They barely made it to Kyoto Station. Looking at the time, it was 8:45 pm¡ªthey had just managed to catch the train.


    While Teacher Yamazaki went to get the tickets, everyone took out their cell phones to message their families that they were departing.


    Kagura Hikaru also intended to check if there were any messages from home but found his pocket empty upon reaching inside.


    "Hmm?"


    He quickly checked his other pocket and not finding it there either, he had no choice but to search through his luggage bag.


    Yui Hosaka noticed Kagura Hikaru''s odd behavior and asked, "What''s wrong, Mr. Kagura?"


    Everyone looked over.


    After a few seconds of silence, Kagura Hikaru reluctantly admitted, "I''ve lost my phone."


    "What?"


    Everyone was surprised.


    "Could it have fallen out along the way?"


    "It might also have been stolen on the bus, I''ve heard that Kyoto has many pickpockets due to the high number of tourists."


    "What''s going on? What are you all talking about?" Teacher Yamazaki, holding the tickets and jogging over, joined the perplexed and boisterous discussion upon hearing them.


    Hearing that Kagura Hikaru''s phone was missing, he frowned in distress, "What should we do now? The train is about to leave, and we won''t make it if we go back to look for it now...."


    Kagura Hikaru frowned as well.


    He could afford the cost of a new phone, but what bothered him more was having to deal with getting a new SIM card.


    By now, he was inclined to just head home, as the phone could have been lost anywhere, and looking for it now would be too inefficient and would hold everyone up.


    But then, Yui Hosaka suggested, "Could it be possible that you left it at the hostel? Maybe we should call and ask?"


    Her suggestion reminded them, and Teacher Yamazaki immediately dialed the hostel''s contact number.


    A while later, the matriarch who had attended to them answered the phone.


    When asked if there were any phones left behind, she said, "Yes, actually we were just about to contact the guests. After you checked out, we found two unclaimed cell phones at the hostel."


    "Two?"


    The call was on speakerphone, and everyone could hear it.


    At that, everyone exchanged glances.


    The only one who hadn''t taken out a phone was Chiyoko Ayakoji, right?


    Chiyoko Ayakoji reached into her pocket.


    Indeed, it was not there.


    Seeing her expression, Teacher Yamazaki quickly understood and promptly told the warrior matriarch on the phone, "I''m very sorry; those two phones must belong to our group. Could you please hold on to them for us for now?"


    "Of course, awaiting your retrieval at any time."


    "Thank you very much."


    Teacher Yamazaki hung up the phone, hesitating before asking Kagura Hikaru and Chiyoko Ayakoji, "What do you two plan to do?"


    There was no way they could leave the phones behind; a single phone was much more valuable than the train ticket.


    But the train was about to leave, and Teacher Yamazaki couldn''t possibly delay everyone''s schedule for just the two of them, as it would be difficult to explain to the students'' parents.


    As for letting the others take the train back to Tokyo by themselves while he followed Kagura Hikaru and the others back to the hotel, that was even less likely.


    Teacher Yamazaki''s expression was torn.


    Kagura Hikaru understood tacitly, "You all go ahead, President Ayakoji and I will retrieve the phones, and we''ll change our tickets to tomorrow."


    "You mean you guys are staying in the Capital City another night?" Teacher Yamazaki raised an eyebrow.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t trust them; among the students, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were the least of his worries, capable of independent action without needing an adult present.


    It was already 8:50 p.m., and the station''s loudspeaker began announcing boarding calls.


    Scratching his head apologetically, Teacher Yamazaki said, "Then Kagura Hikaru, Ayakoji Chiyoko, you both head back to the hotel and stay another night, take the tickets to change them yourselves. By the way, do you have money for the hotel, or do you need me to lend you some?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko took the tickets and said, "We still have enough for one night''s lodging, do not worry."


    Kagura Hikaru nodded too. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When traveling far from home, how could they not bring money?


    Seeing that time was running short, Teacher Yamazaki called everyone to get on the train.


    Hosaka Yui and the others waved goodbye to Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, dragging their luggage onto the train.


    As Kagura Hikaru and the other watched the train doors close and the train slowly accelerate along the tracks toward the distance, they turned to change their tickets for the next morning and left the station together.


    Standing at the entrance of the station, a cold wind swept over them.


    A strange feeling surged through their minds.


    Suddenly, Kagura Hikaru realized that tonight he would be spending the night with Ayakoji Chiyoko alone, a man and a woman together in a strange city.


    This person was not only his classmate but had also been giving him the cold shoulder recently.


    He had never expected that such a coincidence would lead to this situation.


    It was almost as though someone had arranged it.


    He hesitated, looking over at Ayakoji Chiyoko next to him, only to find her spacing out too, staring blankly at the traffic in the middle of the road with a cold expression, unaware of what she was thinking.


    "... let''s head back," Kagura Hikaru said.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko nodded, clutching her luggage and quickly walking toward the direction of the bus station.


    Kagura Hikaru followed her.


    For some reason, he felt she might be slightly angry.


    Was it embarrassing to be left behind by everyone?


    In this tense atmosphere, Kagura Hikaru chose not to strike up a conversation and simply enjoyed the Capital City''s night scenery as they returned to Ryusongan.


    Ryusongan was located in the suburbs, where one could hardly see anyone around at night, making it eerily quiet.


    Fortunately, the lights within the inn were still on, their warm glow like the flame of a candle on a winter''s night, drawing Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko towards it.


    "Welcome, guests," the Warrior Matriarch greeted them at the entrance as before, dressed in a dark blue kimono.


    "Here are your phones, please take good care of them." The innkeeper stood behind the counter, handing over two mobile phones with both hands.


    They were reportedly found in the room and on the teahouse table.


    After retrieving their phones, they heard the innkeeper ask, "It''s already quite late outside; would you like to stay another night?"


    "Yes, we plan to stay one more night," Kagura Hikaru nodded and said, opening his wallet, "Please book us two rooms...."


    He suddenly paused mid-sentence.


    The amount of cash in the wallet was not right.


    Had there been a theft?


    This amount was not enough to afford even one room. Out of necessity, Kagura Hikaru turned to Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Sorry, it seems I don''t have enough money; could you...?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave him a glance, pulling out her wallet and opening it too, then pausing just like Kagura Hikaru had, she extracted all her cash, "My money is gone, this is all I have now."


    Something felt off to Kagura Hikaru as he combined all his cash with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s and asked the innkeeper, "Excuse me, is this enough for two rooms?"


    The innkeeper quickly counted the bills, smiled, and looked up, "Sorry, guests, but the money here is just enough for one room."


    The two fell into a deathly silence.

 Chapter 63 Account Opener, Go to Sleep!

    ```Kagura Hikaru sat in the room.


    The rooms at Ryusongan had something like a small balcony separated from the interior, with a small table and chairs where one could sit and enjoy the moon while drinking.


    Of course, Kagura Hikaru was still underage, so there was no alcohol for him to drink.


    The moon tonight was like a jade disc, casting a gentle glow, very beautiful.


    Kagura Hikaru had been watching it for quite a while, forgetting the time, until the sound of the door opening startled him.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked in; she had just taken a bath and had changed from her school uniform into a gray nightgown.


    It was the rare sight of her out of uniform.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko not in a school uniform was a novel sight to the extreme, like seeing a spider in jeans, which made Kagura Hikaru unable to stop staring at her.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave him a cold glance, "What are you looking at?"


    Kagura Hikaru unconsciously averted his gaze.


    "Nothing."


    "..."


    She rolled her eyes slightly and walked to the bed, tucking herself into the covers without regard for anyone else.


    "I''m going to sleep, turn off the lights," Ayakoji Chiyoko said.


    Kagura Hikaru walked over and turned off the ceiling light, instantly plunging the room into darkness, with only the moonlight streaming in from outside.


    His bed was placed by the window on that side.


    And Ayakoji Chiyoko slept on the other side of the room, close to the door.


    Kagura Hikaru slowly crawled into his covers, and they lay back to back with the person sharing his room.


    The room was utterly silent.


    Why had it come to this?


    Kagura Hikaru asked himself again.


    For the first time, he had a funded trip he liked, and he had won a major competition; the two joys overlapped, bringing even more and more happiness.


    He should have been experiencing what was like a dream come true, yet, why had it come to this?


    Normally, they each should have had their own room.


    But today seemed particularly unlucky, not to mention leaving his phone at the hotel and missing the train, when it came time to pay for the room, he discovered that the money in his wallet had been taken by someone.


    And it wasn''t just one person; both of them had their money stolen.


    The thief at least had some conscience, not taking everything at once but leaving a bit for each of them.


    The money from the two of them put together was just enough to afford one room.


    Kagura Hikaru even thought about saying that they could find a cheaper inn outside where they would probably be able to afford separate rooms.


    But to his surprise, Ayakoji Chiyoko agreed to share a room with him, although she looked unhappy when she nodded.


    He couldn''t understand what she was thinking.


    Their relationship had eased somewhat during this trip to Capital City, but it hadn''t reached the level where they could sleep together.


    Plus, Kagura Hikaru always felt like she knew something.


    The inexplicable loss of the phone at the hotel, missing the train, the stolen wallet¡ªall carried a sense of coincidence that was too much to bear.


    He didn''t think it was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s doing, so who was it then?


    Kagura Hikaru stared blankly at the moon outside the window, and even when he closed his eyes, he was too alert, his brain excessively active, unable to stop thinking.


    ...Yep, he couldn''t sleep at all.


    It was his first time sharing a room and sleeping with a girl of his age, who could remain calm in such a situation?


    And this person was Ayakoji Chiyoko, which was even more terrifying.


    Who knew if she would get more and more furious under the covers, get up in the middle of the night, and do something to him.


    Just thinking about it made him unable to sleep.


    It seemed like every time he closed his eyes, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face would appear before him, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes, clenching his throat fiercely.


    ```


    In a sense, Ayakoji Chiyoko was more terrifying than any ghost.


    "Are you asleep?"


    A sudden question came from beside her.


    Kagura Hikaru''s body jolted as she slowly turned around and found that Ayakoji Chiyoko, unbeknownst to her, was facing this way, staring intently, with a sliver of shadow from the blanket revealing a large, deformed shape being squashed.


    "Is something the matter...."


    "Well, I can''t seem to sleep," said Ayakoji Chiyoko calmly, "So, why not take this opportunity to talk about our future."


    "..."


    "What do you want to do for a career in the future?"


    Oh, it''s about career choices, what a relief.


    "I don''t know yet, what about you?"


    "I have some ideas, but they''re not quite specific," Ayakoji Chiyoko said expressionlessly, "So I''d like you to help me eliminate the wrong answers. I''ll avoid anything you choose."


    "..."


    Slightly annoyed, Kagura Hikaru blurted out without much thought, "Becoming a politician in the future wouldn''t be bad."


    "That won''t work, politics is within my range of consideration."


    "...What does that have to do with me."


    "I see, first, I''ll spread negative news about you in society to thoroughly destroy the credibility of the identity of Kagura Hikaru, ensuring you have absolutely no connection with politics."


    "Please don''t."


    The night spurred on their conversation.


    Starting to consider future prospects in the first year of high school did seem somewhat premature, but for capable individuals, the earlier, the better.


    But the common problem among prodigies was having too many paths to choose from, making it difficult to decide.


    Like Kagura Hikaru, for example.


    He could become a musician, a scientist, a businessman, a teacher¡ªthere were countless paths unfolding before him, like the countless stars in the sky.


    He knew well that as long as he retained the knowledge given by the Golden Finger, he had the ability to tread all these paths.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko could empathize with this.


    After all, she too was favored by the gods of talent, having achieved success in various fields at a very young age and possessing leadership skills Kagura Hikaru could only dream of, making her a hopeful emblem of the future.


    Struggling to sleep at night, Kagura Hikaru found himself chatting idly with her, using the conversation to stoke his own sleepiness.


    As a result, the more Kagura Hikaru talked, the sleepier he became, while Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed as lively as ever.


    Just as he thought his companion was particularly chatty that night and braced himself for an all-night exchange, he was caught off guard when she said abruptly: "You really are trying to please me. Why? It''s not just about becoming friends again, is it?"


    Kagura Hikaru was taken aback.


    It was as if his neck were clamped, and what drowsiness he had swept away in an instant.


    He immediately realized that his momentary hesitation would indirectly confirm her suspicion.


    And sure enough, seeing Kagura Hikaru at a loss for words, Ayakoji Chiyoko abruptly changed her demeanor, her expression turning cold and hard, seemingly lowering the temperature in the room a few degrees.


    The supposed career discussion was nothing but pure acting; in truth, the answers didn''t matter. The aim was to probe Kagura Hikaru''s attitude towards her. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Through their idle conversation, Ayakoji Chiyoko confirmed indeed that Kagura Hikaru was deliberately accommodating her, with topics that were always catered to her, cautious as if she might pounce and hit him at any moment.


    How could that be possible, she wasn''t some kind of brute!


    Dismissing that outrageous reason, Ayakoji Chiyoko found no substantial meaning in this behavior, leading her to a simple conclusion¡ª


    Kagura Hikaru liked her.


    This wasn''t some rare occurrence; Ayakoji Chiyoko, having received more confessions than most from an early age, felt she did have the charm to attract men.


    However, her response to such notions had always been the same.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said unceremoniously, "I''m sorry, but I have no interest in dating anyone, not now or in the future. If you harbor any illusions about me, please stop now. It''s just not possible between us."


    "...Huh?"

 Chapter 64 Older Sisters Authority

    Meanwhile, just down below with only a wall separating them.The landlady, dressed in a kimono, was instructing her eleven-year-old daughter, "Xiao You, go turn off the corridor lights on the first and second floors. I''ll clean up the kitchen. Try to be quiet, don''t disturb the guests."


    "Got it, Mom."


    The little girl watched her mother walk into the kitchen, then her eyes darted around, and she sneakily approached the reception desk, found the guest registration book in the cabinet below, photographed the two names written together at the bottom with her cellphone, quickly returned the book, and opened Line.


    Xiao You: [Older sister, I''ve got it!]


    Xiao You: [Picture.jpg]


    Xingxing: [Got it!]


    Xingxing: [Well done, Xiao You. With this, they can ask for a leave from school tomorrow.]


    Xiao You: [I didn''t expect your friend to miss the train, it''s great that they can get the leave.]


    Xingxing: [Yep, thanks for helping out~]


    Xingxing: [By the way, don''t tell them about this yet. I want to make them panic a bit, hehe, you know?]


    Xiao You: [You''re so mean, older sister, even worse than the boys in my class.]


    Xiao You: [Even if you didn''t tell me, I wouldn''t dare mention it, Mom would definitely scold me.]


    Xingxing: [Haha, I''ll explain it to your mom when the time comes.]


    Xingxing: [That''s all for now, Xiao You. It''s quite late, go to sleep, my friends are calling me too.]


    Xiao You: [Okay, good night, older sister.]


    The innkeeper''s daughter blissfully closed her phone.


    The naive girl thought she was helping the guests, little did she know, energetic high school boys and girls staying together late at night could stir up a lot of trouble if exposed.


    On the Shinkansen, Hosaka Yui smiled slightly as she looked at the photo on the screen and held down the button to save it.


    She then scrolled her contacts to find a number labeled ''Kiryu Hina'' and dialed it, her expression turning incredibly devoted and obsessed.


    "Older sister, I''ve completed the task you assigned; I''ll send the details over by email shortly¡­ Yes, yes, just as you instructed."


    She hung up the phone.


    Hosaka Yui put away her phone, adjusted her hair in the mirror, and flashed a natural smile at her reflection before stepping out of the train''s restroom.


    "I''m back, everyone~ Did anyone peek at my cards?"


    "We''ve been waiting for you, it''s your turn."


    "Hehe, what to do... these cards it is, a straight flush!"


    "???"


    ................


    Let me explain the current situation.


    Kagura Hikaru confessed to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    In her own unsolicited imagination.


    She felt so righteous that Kagura Hikaru hesitated for a moment, questioning whether he really harbored romantic feelings for her.


    After self-reflection, he confirmed he still didn''t have feelings for her.


    Frankly speaking, Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t his type, too authoritative, too cold, and being the target of the assignment, how could he foster such feelings?


    The air in the room grew awkward.


    Kagura Hikaru contemplated how to refute her without hurting her pride, but she spoke again, "You''re trying to deny it, right? It''s futile."


    "..."


    Alright, alright, you have Mind Reading Technique too, huh.


    Sleepiness once again crept in, making Kagura Hikaru''s mind sluggish, like a quagmire, from which a dubious bubble slowly surfaced.


    It''s said that women have always been vulnerable to romance, yet he had never used a flirtatious approach on Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    On one hand, this involved moral issues and Kagura Hikaru had always been careful to avoid such an atmosphere when interacting with her.


    On the other hand, he also thought that Ayakoji Chiyoko, being a straightforward woman, wouldn''t fall for it. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he realized that now was an excellent opportunity.


    If he just let things take their course, he could make Ayakoji Chiyoko think that he was secretly in love with her, thus causing her to pay special attention to him.


    This tactic was effective for both men and women. Once someone confesses, whether successful or not, for a while thereafter, the other person''s attention will surely be drawn to them; whatever you say or do will seem meaningful to them, even if you''re just passing by.


    If this remedy was used on Ayakoji Chiyoko, the consequences were hard to predict. The relationship might improve, or it might get worse.


    ...No, no matter how bad it got, it seemed it couldn''t be worse than it was now.


    Never think that because Ayakoji Chiyoko started talking to Kagura Hikaru, she had already forgotten about the past.


    That was absolutely impossible.


    Kagura Hikaru knew very well that there was now a thick barrier between him and Ayakoji Chiyoko, a barrier made of alloy that couldn''t be smashed with stones or chopped through with an axe.


    This wall was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s emotional defenses.


    If he couldn''t break it down, he would never reach her heart and could never become someone who could bring himself into her home as a guest.


    Since the friendship route was already blocked, perhaps it was time to try another path.


    A surge of intense drowsiness hit him, causing his eyelids to start fighting, and his mind also began to slow down.


    Burrowed in a warm blanket during winter, this sensation was irresistible.


    So, thinking only of getting to sleep quickly, Kagura Hikaru half-heartedly accepted a method he would never have tried when awake.


    "Whatever you like," he said.


    He turned away from Ayakoji Chiyoko, as if he had accepted her argument by default.


    This act made Ayakoji Chiyoko sneer softly to herself, thinking Kagura Hikaru was just an ordinary man. She too turned over and fell into a deep sleep.


    For some reason, she slept a bit later than usual that night.


    The next morning.


    The sun shone through the window from the small balcony, hitting Kagura Hikaru''s face, feeling somewhat warm.


    He realized that he had woken up and slowly opened his eyes, yawned, and propped himself up with his hands.


    As he glanced up, he saw a long-haired schoolgirl sitting in front of a mirror brushing her hair and momentarily froze.


    Half a beat late, he remembered what had happened the previous night.


    He had actually spent the night with Ayakoji Chiyoko. Who would believe it if he told them?


    No, actually speaking out would be a real issue.


    Kagura Hikaru chuckled at his nonsensical thoughts, shook his head, threw back the blanket, and started putting on his clothes.


    As he was getting dressed and ready to go out and wash up, Ayakoji Chiyoko turned around holding her phone with her eyebrows tightly furrowed.


    "Look at this," she said.


    She handed him the phone.


    Kagura Hikaru, not understanding, took it and glanced at the screen. It appeared to be a forum from Uka''s News Department.


    [Shocking! Former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Ayakoji Chiyoko, spends a spring night in Capital City with a male classmate in the same grade, sleeping in the same room!]


    Below was a photo of a lodging record signed by Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru, along with an increasing number of comments.


    His hand froze.


    He slowly looked up, his gaze becoming serious as he looked at Ayakoji Chiyoko, "What is this about..."


    "I''m not sure, the fact that we were staying together was supposed to be known only by the people at this hotel," she replied.


    As she finished speaking, her expression changed and she got up and pushed the door open, apparently having thought of something.

 Chapter 65 Oh no, now theyre really a couple

    Ayakoji Chiyoko briskly descended the stairs and found the landlady on the first floor."Ah, you''re up early," the landlady, who was arranging a vase of flowers, turned her head and said with some surprise.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had no interest in such cheap pleasantries and eyed her with suspicion, stepping forward to ask, "Last night or this morning, did anyone come to look at the room records?"


    "Are you referring to the ledger, guest? I always put it away after closing; I wouldn''t show it to others."


    "Really?"


    "Of course, we would never expose our guests'' privacy."


    The landlady''s words didn''t seem false, so Ayakoji Chiyoko could only frown and turn to leave.


    After she left, the landlady''s little daughter came out from behind the curtain, carrying sake and small cups.


    "Mom, did a guest come to see you?"


    "It was just a trifle, don''t mind it, go ahead."


    "Uh, which room was I supposed to take this sake to again?"


    "Look at your memory, Room 102, go quickly, don''t keep the guests waiting."


    "Okay~"


    The little girl passed by the stairs, casting a curious glance at Ayakoji Chiyoko as she ascended, then hurried on.


    At that moment, Ayakoji Chiyoko was still absorbed in her own thoughts, completely unaware of what was happening behind her.


    The record of her and Kagura Hikaru''s room had been posted on the school forum, an indisputable fact; the record had only just been made last night, so it could only have been leaked by someone at Ryusongan.


    In fact, even if they found the person responsible, it wouldn''t matter; the incident had already happened, and finding the truth wouldn''t solve the problem. Ayakoji Chiyoko was only instinctively seeking to get to the bottom of it.


    Back in her room, Kagura Hikaru was earnestly looking at her phone.


    Leaning over, she saw that he was observing the photo posted on the thread.


    Seeing her return, Kagura Hikaru pointed to the screen and said, "This photo seems to have been taken at night or in the wee hours, shot on the counter, with the reflection of the orange light from the entrance. If it were day, it should be brighter. Also, the angle of the photo is a bit skewed, it even captures the names of other guests. I guess that the photographer must be quite short and, since they had access to the lodging records, they must be with Ryusongan."


    At this point, the identity of the ''culprit'' was quite apparent.


    Short in stature, someone who could access lodging records, at Ryusongan, there was only one person.


    The two fell silent.


    The landlady''s daughter hadn''t interacted much with them and had no reason to harm them, let alone inexplicably connect with Yuqiu High School''s forum.


    It seemed someone shamelessly took advantage of her innocence.


    This person, who could access Ryusongan and had the opportunity to steal the phone, causing them to be stranded in the Capital City, was among them all the time.


    Among the teams who came to the Capital City, Teacher Yamazaki, Minister Uchida, the boys from the Kendo Club, Hosaka Yui, Miyamoto Shi, the Gorilla Vice President¡ªthe real culprit was hidden among these six people.


    "Let''s put this aside for now," Ayakoji Chiyoko retracted her phone from his hand, glanced at the mocking and insulting comments in the thread, and emotionlessly turned it off, "Pack up, we''re heading back to Tokyo right now."


    Half an hour later, they left Ryusongan and took the bullet train home.


    Although Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko sat together on the return journey, neither were in the mood for conversation.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was preoccupied with her phone, bombarded with a flood of unread messages, which were likely reports about the incident.


    Kagura Hikaru was recalling the content of their conversation from the previous night.


    The more he remembered, the more he was scared by his own boldness, thankful that at the time, Ayakoji Chiyoko hadn''t punched him to death.


    But he would have preferred to be killed with a punch rather than have to remember it as a social death later.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t understand what had gotten into him, daring to flirt with Ayakoji Chiyoko! It must have been because he was too sleepy and not thinking clearly.


    Well, now that the scandal had broken out, they had truly become a couple, in rumor at least.


    Kagura Hikaru was worried sick.


    The schemer who devised this lowly trick was obvious without even having to think.


    The two-hour train ride passed in the blink of an eye.


    After getting off the train, they went home to drop off their luggage, then met up at the station and headed to school. By this time, it was already after 10 a.m.


    Upon reaching the entrance, they were received by a Discipline Committee member, the Gorilla Vice President.


    "President, Teacher," he said, trailing beside Ayakoji Chiyoko and speaking with a tense expression, "We''ve already questioned the News Department member who posted the expos¨¦. He claims that the picture was sent to him from an unknown email account at 11 p.m. last night. He didn''t see it until he woke up this morning, and when he tried to reply to confirm, he found that the email account had been deactivated."


    "Stop the investigation, there''s no need to waste effort. If they''ve gone to these lengths, they don''t want to be tracked down," Ayakoji Chiyoko declared.


    "But President..."


    "I understand, don''t worry about us."


    The figures of Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru crossing the courtyard were clearly visible to the students above, with many curious onlookers casting their gaze upon them.


    They seemed to be the center of attention, like monkeys in a zoo, as people pointed, talked, and laughed.


    "This matter won''t have any substantial impact, for now," Ayakoji Chiyoko said coldly, glancing at the onlookers above as if locking eyes with each of them and scoffing, "That woman, she couldn''t possibly believe such a prank could hurt me."


    "That woman?" The Gorilla Vice President was momentarily perplexed but, seeing no intention of explanation from Ayakoji Chiyoko, quickly followed up, "Also, President, this morning, two anonymous envelopes were delivered to the Discipline Committee."


    He pulled out white envelopes from his pocket, on which ''Kagura Hikaru'' and ''Ayakoji Chiyoko'' were printed in typed letters, but there were no sender''s names.


    They each took the envelope with their name and opened it to find a stack of banknotes.


    A careful count would reveal that the amount of money was exactly the same as the sum stolen from their wallets the night before.


    Without a doubt, this was from the perpetrator.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko crumpled the envelope in her hand, making a crackling sound, and flung it into the arms of the Gorilla Vice President, "Use this money for the society''s funds, and don''t let me see it again."


    Intimidated by that murderous expression, the Gorilla Vice President instantly stood up straight, "Yes, President!"


    "Calm down," Kagura Hikaru said quietly, slipping the envelope into his pocket.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s piercing gaze shifted toward him, her look one of discontent as she watched his movements, "You know this is a provocation."


    "Yes, but my money is innocent," Kagura Hikaru retorted, staring back.


    How could students who had never worked understand the hardships of labor!


    She was at a loss for words and turned her head away in annoyance.


    Ever since they spent the night together, their relationship seemed to gradually revert back to how it used to be.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko thought she would resist this change, but in reality, she didn''t at all, feeling nothing more than helplessness.


    Could it be that she was actually a very magnanimous person?


    Or was it just that she felt this way towards Kagura Hikaru?


    Instead of going to the classrooms, the two headed directly to the old school building to the Discipline Committee office.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t seem very anxious, casually pouring himself a cup of oolong tea. Experience more on empire


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko had said, this incident was at best a well-planned prank.


    Leaving aside the fact that the school wouldn''t expel them over something like this, even if the students mocked them for a few days, it could hardly be called a loss.


    At most, it was a blow to their faces, probably just to this extent.


    But for someone with an excess of pride like Ayakoji Chiyoko, it seemed to be a provocation ample enough. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sat in the office, calmly instructing the Gorilla Vice President to conduct emergency public relations, to suppress public opinion, and to lower the incident''s profile. The specific action was similar to suppressing hot searches on microblogs, asking the Society Discussion Meeting to divert the students'' attention with bigger news.


    Beyond that, she didn''t seem to expend any effort in tracking down the person who leaked the information.


    But Kagura Hikaru wasn''t surprised.


    He trusted Ayakoji Chiyoko''s intellect; if he could think of something, then she surely could as well.


    The suspect had actually been determined long ago.


    A while later, the bell signaling the end of class rang, ushering in the lunch break.


    Kagura Hikaru left his luggage behind and stepped out for a while, texting Kiryu Hina and heading straight for the Student Council.

 Chapter 66 Kagura Hikarus Arrogance

    As the noon class bell rang, a throng of students spilled out of the classrooms, and the environment suddenly became noisy.There was roughhousing, laughter, and the sounds of youthful vitality all around.


    Into this vibrant space, however, Kagura Hikaru''s arrival infused an entirely different flavor.


    "Hey, hey, isn''t that person..."


    "Oh! The one who spent last night in a hotel room with the ex-Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee!"


    "It was the ex-Chairman, right?"


    "Are they dating?"


    "I thought they went to the Capital City for a competition, but it turned out they went to live a couple''s life; is this using public funds for a romp?"


    Everyone excitedly discussed the former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee''s romance, and some remembered these two were the masterminds who persecuted the Student Council President, cursing them for colluding disgracefully.


    With a public couple emerging within the school, especially those who had been the subject of hot gossip before, naturally, they became the center of attention.


    Even if not meant maliciously, it was clear that such behavior would only invite trouble.


    Kagura Hikaru, with an expressionless face, walked through the crowd of onlookers.


    He ascended to the top floor and knocked on the Student Council office door.


    It was Kiryu Hina who opened the door.


    She welcomed Kagura Hikaru with a radiant smile, gesturing for him to come in, and they sat down face to face.


    "Would you like some tea, or is water fine?"


    "No need," said Kagura Hikaru, looking at her, "That photo, it was you who had someone take it, wasn''t it."


    "Which photo?"


    "Don''t play dumb."


    "Haha, sorry, I''ve been so busy with work that I couldn''t remember for a moment." Kiryu Hina playfully winked at Kagura Hikaru, her two index fingers poking in the air, "But you understand, right? I was creating an opportunity for you and Ayakoji Chiyoko to get closer. In fact, you two did end up getting closer, sleeping together, whoosh whoosh~~"


    "...I cannot deny that your actions did indeed reduce some of the distance between Ayakoji Chiyoko and me, allowing the plan to continue," said Kagura Hikaru, his face clouded with solemnity. "However, could you please not use this kind of method to force her and me together again? It makes me feel very uncomfortable."


    "Eh~~ Sleeping with such a beautiful girl and you''re still not satisfied, what a difficult guest you are."


    "I don''t want my relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko to turn into that kind!"


    "But if he''s a boyfriend, a lifelong partner, isn''t there even more reason to enter her home?" Kiryu Hina said with an innocent smile.


    Kagura Hikaru stood up abruptly, his gaze at her rarely showing a hint of anger.


    Kiryu Hina''s expression suddenly turned cold as well, like a piece of clear ice, her gaze piercing through the center, revealing no emotions.


    In an emotionless tone, she said, "Finish this before graduation, then break up with her. Is that so difficult for you?"


    "To trample on someone''s sincere feelings, you should know best how outrageous that is."


    "Haha, surely you haven''t forgotten what you''ve done in the past? Don''t play the innocent with me here."


    "...Anyway, I will not agree to it."


    "That''s not up to you."


    The two glared at each other, neither willing to budge an inch.


    The tension only broke when the sound of someone turning the doorknob came from the entrance.


    Ando Naoto entered with a file in hand, and upon lifting his gaze, he saw the familiar Kagura Hikaru facing off against his own Student Council President, the remnant tension in the air was palpable.


    He stared blankly at them, "Classmate Kagura, President, what''s this about...?"


    Kiryu Hina turned her head toward him, a forced smile naturally surfacing on her face: "Senior Ando."


    "Yes, President," he replied.


    "Could I ask you to check the materials we''ll need for the meeting later and meanwhile, call the secretary and the others? I''ll be there shortly."


    The underlying message couldn''t be clearer.


    Ando Naoto glanced at Kagura Hikaru, then at his own Student Council President, pursed his lips, and left without a word, closing the door behind him.


    The room returned to silence.


    After several seconds of silence, Kiryu Hina spoke, "I understand your resolve now. From now on, unless something unexpected happens, I won''t interfere. Is that sufficient?"


    Kagura Hikaru was skeptical.


    Whether in the past or present, Kiryu Hina was a control freak; saying she wouldn''t interfere might just mean she planned to hide her methods more secretly next time so that he wouldn''t discover them.


    Yet, he seemed to lack the position and the power to intervene.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed, "Excuse me, President Kiryu, I''ll be taking my leave now."


    "Won''t you stay for a cup of tea?"


    "No, thank you. You seem like you have work to attend to."


    "Hehe, you''re being quite the stranger..."


    As Kagura Hikaru closed the door and left, Kiryu Hina''s smile remained unchanged. She slowly caressed the teacup in her hands, feeling the warmth spreading from its walls.


    "You don''t want your relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko to evolve into that kind of situation... huh?"


    She lifted her hand, her warm fingers tracing her lips, a smile suddenly turning utterly captivating, entrancing.


    Like a bloodthirsty vampire with blood trailing from the corner of her mouth.


    "Oh Kagura Hikaru, Kagura Hikaru, this is precisely where your arrogance lies."


    .............


    Kagura Hikaru descended the stairs with a grave expression on his face.


    Meddling in a girl''s heart and being friends with her are entirely different things.


    Not to mention the difficulty, he didn''t want to incur another debt on top of what he already owed to Hina.


    After all, he would eventually leave Ayakoji Chiyoko once his goal was achieved.


    If they were just friends, then perhaps when the truth was finally revealed, the damage to her would be lesser.


    Kagura Hikaru did not want to see that moment come, the future where he would have to hurt Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    But he also knew that it was an inevitability.


    "Kagura!"


    Suddenly, someone called his name, jolting Kagura Hikaru from his thoughts.


    He looked up to find that the person calling him was Teacher Yamazaki, whom he had traveled to the Capital City with, and behind him was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kagura Hikaru had a rough idea of what this was about and approached them: "Teacher Yamazaki."


    "Kagura, look at the mess you''ve guys made..." Teacher Yamazaki, rubbing his temples with a headache, gestured and said, "Good that you''re here too, come on, let''s go to the office."


    The two followed the teacher into the faculty office.


    Teacher Yamazaki sat at his workstation, massaging his temples. "Explain to me, what exactly did you two do in the Capital City!"


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko exchanged glances.


    "The accommodation record was falsified, someone is framing us," Ayakoji Chiyoko was the first to speak, "We didn''t sleep in the same room that night."


    Teacher Yamazaki looked at her skeptically, "You do know that I can call Ryusongan to confirm, right?"


    "Please, go ahead and ask."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face showed no fear.


    Such a rinran expression, showing no sign of lying, Kagura Hikaru inwardly admired.


    He did not understand why Ayakoji Chiyoko insisted on describing the situation as a frame-up, but that did not stop him from cooperating.


    When Teacher Yamazaki''s eyes turned to him, Kagura Hikaru also spoke earnestly, "Teacher Yamazaki, we''re not in that kind of relationship, please don''t misunderstand us."


    Teacher Yamazaki frowned in conflict. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The accommodation record, which had been exposed on the school forum, had caused him quite a bit of trouble.


    After all, it was his idea to let Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko stay overnight in the Capital City.


    Yuqiu High School''s rules were relatively lax in that regard, but they took a definite negative stance on in-school romance.


    If it was a private relationship not made public, that could be overlooked.


    But if it was revealed so openly, it was not easy to deal with.


    The headmaster in charge of school discipline had already issued an ultimatum to Teacher Yamazaki, ordering him to punish the students, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, strictly.


    But if it was all a frame-up, then it was a different matter.


    Your journey continues at empire


    Teacher Yamazaki reflected carefully on how the two had interacted during their time in the Capital City.


    The conclusion was that, rather than closeness, their interaction could even be considered distant.


    Especially Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was colder towards Kagura Hikaru than others and maintained a noticeable distance, making it clear that the two were unlikely to be in a romantic relationship.


    So, were they telling the truth?


    In the end, Teacher Yamazaki chose to trust his students.


    "Alright, I''ll look into this matter. As for the person who exposed this, do you have any leads?"


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko exchanged glances again, both remaining silent, but they had roughly guessed who it might be.


    After leaving the faculty office, the two walked together towards the direction of the Kendo Club.


    The Kendo Club was probably the only club within the school with a space larger than the Disciplinary Committee, as they had their own dojo capable of accommodating thirty people practicing simultaneously.


    In the high school kendo competitions, representing the Tokyo District was Yuqiu High School, which spoke volumes of the kendo club''s strength.


    For this reason, the school had specially designated an area on campus to construct an independent dojo for the Yuqiu High School Kendo Club as their clubhouse.


    When Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko arrived, the dojo was buzzing with activity, with the sound of bamboo swords striking and the cries of spirit focus resounding continuously.


    Minister Uchida greeted them warmly, "Classmate Kagura, President Ayakoji, what can I do for you?"


    "We''re here to look for Hosaka Yui," Ayakoji Chiyoko said seriously, "Is she here?"

 Chapter 67 Problem-Solving Section

    "Yui-chan?" Minister Uchida was taken aback and nodded, "Yes, she''s here.""Could you ask her to come out, please," Kagura Hikaru requested politely.


    Minister Uchida couldn''t figure out what they wanted with their club manager, but he still went back to call Hosaka Yui over. Find your next read at empire


    After a day''s absence, the little girl with fluffy curly hair, like that of a squirrel, remained as approachable as ever, with her deeply engaging smile. She ambled over leisurely and lifted her glasses slightly, "What can I do for you two?"


    But now, neither Kagura Hikaru nor Ayakoji Chiyoko could view her with the same eyes as before.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at her intently, "Hosaka Yui, come with me; let''s have a talk."


    Hosaka Yui replied with a surprised smile, "Sure."


    They walked out of the Kendo Club, neither of them wanting to talk, just walking in silence, the atmosphere heavy.


    This was probably because all three of them knew what was going to happen next.


    They made their way to a secluded spot in the school courtyard.


    Kagura Hikaru looked up at the maple tree in front of them; the previously slightly desolate branches were now beginning to sprout new green shoots.


    A sense of spring''s arrival welled up inside him.


    When it comes to the onset of spring, the first thing to come to mind wasn''t enjoying flowers or rain, but holidays.


    In Island Nation schools, there are three long breaks a year: spring, summer, and winter. Since spring was on its way, it naturally meant that holidays were approaching.


    People tend to deal with all the troubling matters at hand before a holiday, so they can rest easy during the break.


    Naturally, the current trouble was no different.


    They sat down on a bench under the tree.


    "Spill the beans," Ayakoji Chiyoko said bluntly, as soon as she sat down.


    Hosaka Yui laughed in confusion, "Sorry, what are you talking about?"


    "That photo of the lodging record, you tricked the daughter of the Ryusongan Warrior Matriarch to take it. The person who anonymously sent the photo to the News Department staff''s email was also you," Ayakoji Chiyoko''s tone was decisive as she stared intently at the other, like a beast eyeing its prey, "Hosaka Yui, you''re the mastermind behind this."


    "I''m sorry, I really don''t know what you''re talking about," Hosaka Yui replied.


    Under such intense scrutiny, Hosaka Yui didn''t change her expression, but instead deepened her smile.


    Her words clashed with her expression, creating an unmistakable sense of hypocrisy without the need for further elaboration.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t need her admission, and scoffed, "I know, you''re also Kiryu Hina''s dog, and I imagine wearing a collar around your neck feels quite comfortable."


    Kagura Hikaru subconsciously touched his neck.


    Not good, he had unwittingly taken it personally.


    "What does the Student Council President have to do with this? I don''t understand," Hosaka Yui continued to feign ignorance with a smile, impervious to persuasion, as if she was certain nobody could touch her.


    "You''ve exposed too many flaws," Kagura Hikaru said, "At the inn, you were very close to that little girl, presumably winning her favor then manipulating her. Also, the money in our wallets and our cell phones were stolen by you, weren''t they? The items were still there when we went shopping yesterday afternoon, but after returning to the inn to pick up luggage, they were gone.


    In the rush of the moment, someone must have taken the opportunity to steal our phones and put them in the inn, and took some money out of our wallets.


    The only ones who could''ve done all of this are the people from the Capital City team, and you, Hosaka Yui, are the prime suspect," Kagura Hikaru postulated.


    "Hmm... but really, I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    Hosaka Yui continued her poor acting with a smile, adamantly refusing to confess.


    Her demeanor was strikingly similar to that of Kiryu Hina.


    She seemed to be on guard for the possibility of being recorded, and even though everyone present was clear that everything was related to her, she maintained a stance of denial.


    "At the station, we all thought the mobile phone was lost on the road, until you reminded us that it might have been left at the hotel."


    "That was just something I thought of on the spur of the moment. Is there something wrong with giving a reminder?"


    It seemed she was determined to deny everything to the bitter end.


    Unfortunately, there was not much they could do about her since they lacked evidence.


    Kagura Hikaru stared deeply at her, "Hosaka Yui, when you and I made that promise, to participate in the national competition next year, was it also a disguise?"


    "You''re too cute, Mr. Kagura." Hosaka Yui tilted her head, smiling as she said, "That kind of talk is obviously just to tease you, don''t take it seriously."


    "What exactly is true about you, and what is false?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You seem to have misunderstood me, Mr. Kagura. I''m a girl who is consistent inside and out~"


    "..."


    "Don''t be angry, Kagura. She''s just a blind fool who doesn''t know disaster is looming," Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly said.


    Her words drew the attention of both parties to her.


    She leisurely took out a mobile phone from the inner pocket of her jacket, screen facing outward, and showed Hosaka Yui something.


    Due to the angle, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t make anything out from the reflection on the phone''s screen, but Hosaka Yui, who saw the display, had a drastic change in complexion and stood up abruptly.


    "You, why do you have that....."


    "I got it from your ex-boyfriend," Ayakoji Chiyoko said calmly, "As soon as he heard it was to be used against you, he gave it to me for free."


    Hosaka Yui''s expression fluctuated, her eyes filled with defeat, and she slowly sat down, remaining silent.


    This prompted Kagura Hikaru to look curiously at Ayakoji Chiyoko, hoping she would explain.


    "In fact, even before we left for Capital City, I knew she was from Kiryu Hina," said Ayakoji Chiyoko, surprising everyone with her revelation. "Or rather, it was because of her presence that I insisted the Kendo Club give up some competition slots to the Disciplinary Committee, with the goal of creating an opportunity for Kiryu Hina to actively utilize Hosaka Yui."


    "You did all that just to take part in the national competition?" Kagura Hikaru said in disbelief.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko lifted the corner of her mouth slightly, "What else could it be? Do you think having one or two more trophies from a Sword Dao competition has any practical use for the Disciplinary Committee?"


    Honors that the Kendo Club fought hard for seemed to her as worthless as toilet paper.


    No wonder the Disciplinary Committee suddenly got involved in the sword-fighting competition. Participating was just a front, the real goal was to remove Hosaka Yui, the hidden pawn.


    "If she didn''t take initiative against me, it would be difficult to link her to Kiryu Hina, even with leverage in my hands. But now, with us being ''falsely accused'', the opportunity has presented itself."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze was deep as she looked at the pale-faced Hosaka Yui and threatened in a villainous tone, "I want you to publically admit that all your actions were instructed by Kiryu Hina, and to hand over all your call records with her!"


    It was for this reason she had endured humiliation, followed the intentions of a manipulator behind the scenes, and stayed with Kagura Hikaru in Capital City, sharing a room, and smoothly allowed herself to be framed.


    Otherwise, with her capabilities, finding a better solution at that time would have been a piece of cake.


    All of this was just to make Kiryu Hina face the consequences of her own actions!


    "I....."


    Hosaka Yui''s face went through a myriad of changes, clearly distressed.


    "Before you answer, you''d better weigh the consequences. If you don''t do as I say, the contents of my phone will appear in every line group of this school now, causing your reputation to be utterly ruined."


    "..."

 Chapter 68 Past and Conclusion

    Before Hosaka Yui made a decision, let''s talk about her past.It''s about how she became connected with Kiryu Hina and how she was saved.


    Baba activities, commonly known as the "round corner."


    A type of social interaction prevalent in the Island Nation between female students and older men.


    Sadly and regrettably, Hosaka Yui had once fallen into this situation.


    In the past, due to her broken family, she turned to extremes, made an online boyfriend who half-tricked and half-forced her into using this method to make money.


    Her boyfriend was scum.


    Hosaka Yui knew this well but couldn''t resist his violence.


    Until Kiryu Hina appeared, like an angel, and redeemed her.


    She not only successfully broke up with her boyfriend but also completely escaped from that filthy trade and finally was able to live upright and normal in the sunshine.


    Afterward, Hosaka Yui became a loyal supporter of Kiryu Hina, keeping in touch from time to time.


    For her, Hosaka Yui could do anything, not to mention just figuring out a way to get a couple to sleep together.


    She accomplished that task. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But trouble followed closely behind.


    The man and woman she dealt with, one of them was Uka''s former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, who still had a significant influence within the school.


    She showed Hosaka Yui some videos taken by her ex-boyfriend, recorded to sell for money.


    She absolutely couldn''t let them leak, or she would lose a place to belong.


    Hosaka Yui clearly recognized this.


    But the price was betraying the most respected person.


    Her choice was...


    "I... refuse!"


    Hosaka Yui''s face darkened with displeasure, but still, clenching her teeth and fists, she firmly voiced her inner answer.


    She would rather get hurt herself than trouble the person who had once saved her.


    She believed it was the right thing to do.


    "Oh? More courageous than I thought."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face gradually turned cold, perhaps she had not predicted this outcome, "Your loyalty is utterly useless, Kiryu Hina considers you as just a pawn to be discarded anytime, can''t you even see that?"


    "....."


    But Hosaka Yui just silently did not respond and remained unmoved.


    The air became tense.


    "Let''s each take a step back,"


    The standoff was broken by Kagura Hikaru speaking out: "Hosaka Yui, if you don''t want your dirt spread out, then go to the Society Discussion Meeting and admit to your own wrongdoings voluntarily, but you don''t need to mention anything about Kiryu Hina. President Ayakoji, what do you think?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko closed her eyes: ".....I can agree to this condition."


    "Hosaka Yui, your decision?"


    ".....Okay, I will go."


    "That settles it."


    Kagura Hikaru concluded with this statement.


    Later, Ayakoji Chiyoko added some details, making Hosaka Yui publicly admit that the post and the housing records were falsified by her, thus ending the series of pranks with an accusation of libel.


    She had no other choice but to agree.


    With this, the matter was truly resolved, and Ayakoji Chiyoko released some of the pent-up frustration in her heart.


    Although this time she failed to implicate Kiryu Hina and strip off her pristine disguise, it did expose Hosaka Yui as a hidden pawn, tarnishing her reputation to the point that Kiryu Hina would find her too tainted to use again.


    Both sides barely reached a draw.


    The three parted ways in the courtyard.


    On the way back to the room, Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t help but snort and express, "Men really are unreliable, both the matter about Hosaka Yui and previously Ruzaki Mami."


    If it weren''t for Hosaka Yui''s ex-boyfriend handing over leverage for free, it wouldn''t have been easy for Ayakoji Chiyoko to find anything else to hold her down.


    She appreciated this fact on one hand and despised the guy who easily betrayed his ex-girlfriend on the other.


    Kagura Hikaru discontentedly said, "What''s unreliable is human nature, not men."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced at him and scoffed, "There''s a typical example right here¡ªyou, a scumbag."


    "...I am aware of that."


    "Since you know that, what gives you the courage to pursue me? Do you know how unpopular people like you are among girls?"


    "..."


    "Let me make it clear, I''m not one of those little girls who only look at faces." Ayakoji Chiyoko flicked her hair and strode away, "Allowing you to be my companion is already a tremendous favor."


    [If you perform well, ignoring that dark past isn''t out of the question, after all, it''s that dead woman who was hurt, not me.]


    [It''s just that his having thoughts about me is somewhat...]


    [You have gained through mind-reading: Judo +2]


    [Judo lv4 (80/100)]


    The imagery for mind-reading is a hotel room under the moonlight.


    A change in mindset likely started from there.


    "Is that so..."


    Kagura Hikaru smiled silently.


    The gap between him and Ayakoji Chiyoko was gradually narrowing, much more than before their trip to the Capital City.


    It seemed there was hope to continue the plan.


    ...


    A discussion to follow.


    Or rather, this outcome.


    The Society Discussion Meeting reported Hosaka Yui''s confession; she admitted that the accommodation record was false information she fabricated on her own.


    Due to the severity, the school ordered her to reflect at home for three days of suspension.


    Three days later, Hosaka Yui returned to school and left the Kendo Club.


    Then, she joined the Student Council.


    It seemed that Kiryu Hina was not the type to disdain touching a tainted blade; she gladly accepted the stranded Hosaka Yui, using her own strength to provide her a haven and took on all the external skepticism.


    When Kagura Hikaru and Hosaka Yui met again on the campus, the latter even thanked him with a smile: "If it weren''t for this, perhaps I wouldn''t have the chance to get closer to President Kiryu. I should actually thank you all."


    Saying so, she happily chased after the figure of Kiryu Hina with files in her arms.


    Now, she was the accountant of the Student Council.


    Hosaka Yui found a better refuge, and Kiryu Hina gained even more loyalty.


    Kagura Hikaru also took this opportunity to ease his relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Only the final Ayakoji Chiyoko, it seemed she maneuvered a lot but didn''t reap any visible benefits.


    Losers look like winners, and winners look like losers.


    This made Kagura Hikaru once again feel as if everything was within Hina''s control ¡ª a d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    All events were moving in a direction favorable to her.


    If this was mere coincidental luck, frightening.


    If this was the result of precise calculation, frightening.


    Summary: What a terrifying woman.


    She was just like the mastermind behind the scenes in stories.


    As a result, in this story, Kagura Hikaru once again played a role who was manipulated from start to finish. Discover more stories at empire


    Was he really that foolish?


    No, it was because he never tried to actively understand external matters.


    Every time, he simply stood in place looking up at the sky, waiting for man-made disasters to fall upon him, solve them, and then look up at the sky again, waiting.


    Perhaps neither Hina nor Ayakoji Chiyoko discussed their plans with him because they saw through the passive mentality deep within Kagura Hikaru.


    After all, when will such days end?


    He often thought of this lately.

 Chapter 69 Another Graduation Ceremony

    At the end of March, on the Spring Equinox.The weather began to warm up, and the wind that blew over one''s head no longer felt bone-chillingly cold.


    Those thick school blazers, no one wore them anymore.


    In the courtyard of the school, the maple trees sprouted new golden leaves, which were particularly conspicuous when viewed from inside during a light rain.


    Kagura Hikaru leaned his face on one hand, gazing out the window.


    The teacher on the podium was making his final farewell, as today was the last time he would serve as the homeroom teacher for Class A Year 1¡ªit was said he would be transferring to another school to teach.


    "After you move up to the second year, you will no longer be freshmen, remember to be more lenient with your juniors," the teacher said.


    The students in the classroom responded with laughter, some sentimental girls bowed their heads and sobbed, while their friends reached out to comfort them.


    Kagura Hikaru was oblivious to all of this.


    He looked at the seniors below the window, wearing flower pins on their chests, holding cylinders containing diplomas and certificates, bidding each other farewell, and gradually leaving through the school gate under the rain.


    They held colorful umbrellas, forming a string, and viewed through the rain-drenched glass, they resembled flowing lights.


    Kagura Hikaru was mesmerized.


    The bell for the end of classes rang.


    "School is over," the teacher on the podium said with a resigned smile, "Goodbye, students."


    Seeing the teacher about to leave, the students quickly surrounded him, bidding him a sorrowful farewell.


    The class monitor handed the teacher a square cardboard, on which all the students from Class A Year 1 had written their blessings for the teacher.


    The words, drawn in various ink colors, were very small yet still appeared crowded. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru had also written "Wishing your family wellness" on it as thanks for the teacher''s care over the year.


    While his classmates were talking to the teacher, he didn''t join them and instead picked up his shoulder bag to leave the classroom.


    Today, he hadn''t brought his guitar.


    On rainy days, he would not bring his guitar out.


    Because of this, his shoulders felt unexpectedly light.


    Kagura Hikaru silently listened to the pattering rain outside the window as he walked downstairs slowly.


    Unbeknownst to him, a year had passed by.


    After today, the first-year student Kagura Hikaru would no longer exist; his past self had been left in the first year classroom.


    Perhaps years later, when he revisited this place, he might still see himself clad in a school uniform, sitting by the windowsill of the first-year classroom, resting his cheek on his hand, gazing outside.


    At that time, would he miss this period?


    In front of the first-floor shoe cabinet, he changed out of his indoor shoes, opened a black umbrella, and walked into the rain.


    The overcast sky made all the lights brighten up everywhere.


    It rained on the day of the graduation festival; Kagura Hikaru thought it was an ill-fated day.


    As he walked along the path in the courtyard, there came a chorus of student voices from ahead.


    Saying things like "Say yes to him" and "Be together."


    Someone was making a confession.


    Kagura Hikaru was not surprised.


    On this day of graduation, for the seniors and the students remaining, it was their only chance to be together.


    If they didn''t want to leave their youth with regrets, this was their last opportunity.


    Kagura Hikaru had intended to ignore it and just walk away.


    But when he glimpsed Ando Naoto, surrounded by a crowd in the middle, and Kiryu Hina with him, he found himself unable to move his feet no matter what.


    Ando Naoto held a bouquet of roses in both hands, a classmate was holding an umbrella for him, and his face was full of tender affection.


    He earnestly said to the girl standing in front of him, "President Kiryu, I know I may not be worthy of you now, but when it comes to these feelings, I believe I won''t lose to anyone¡ªplease go out with me."


    He extended the rose in his hand.


    The red petals, irrigated by raindrops, became even more vivid.


    The handsome vice president handed the flower to the pure and beautiful Student Council President.


    This ideal and aesthetically pleasing scene elicited even louder cheers from the onlookers.


    Naturally, the rowdy noises grew louder as well.


    "President...."


    Shading President Kiryu Hina with an umbrella was Hosaka Yui, currently the Student Council''s treasurer. She looked worriedly at the smiling President and then glared fiercely at the graduated Ando Naoto.


    She didn''t care about any seniority; all she cared about was that this man was causing President Kiryu Hina to lose face in front of everyone.


    To her, the confession seemed nothing more than a farce.


    How could Kiryu Hina possibly fall in love with someone?


    That was an impossibility in her eyes.


    "All right, Yui," Kiryu Hina comforted her by taking her hand and smiling, then turned around with her hands clutching her tote bag in front of her, facing Ando Naoto.


    Her posture was dignified and sharp, like that of a noble.


    "Senior Ando, if possible, I would have preferred you to say these words to me in private. This took me by surprise. Or did you do it on purpose?"


    Ando Naoto could only give a bitter smile.


    He knew, of course, that Kiryu Hina didn''t like to be confessed to in such public settings. Having been the vice president by her side for a year, he understood this much.


    But the key issue was that throughout the day, he had been mentally dragged into conversations by familiar classmates, unable to get away.


    The few times he did find a moment to look for Kiryu Hina, she was nowhere to be found.


    That made him suspect that she was deliberately avoiding him.


    Fianlly, at the time of dismissal, he managed to corner President Kiryu Hina who was about to leave, in the courtyard.


    This was his last chance.


    After graduation, Ando Naoto would find it hard to return here, so even though he knew the chances of success were slim, he had to try. Find your next read at empire


    He looked up resolutely and gazed directly into Kiryu Hina''s eyes: "President, please give me an answer."


    The face of Kiryu Hina displayed a calm, mask-like smile as she was about to speak, but her poise faltered slightly as she glimpsed a familiar figure in the crowd.


    Her smile unconsciously widened as she reached out to take the rose.


    The onlooking students gasped in surprise; Hosaka Yui''s eyes widened, and Ando Naoto was visibly delighted.


    Could it be that she was going to accept?


    However, just ten centimeters from the rose, Kiryu Hina''s fingers stopped in midair.


    The delicate, fair knuckles became translucent in the rainfall, radiating a jade-like soft glow.


    But when Ando Naoto blinked, he realized it was just an illusion he had conjured.


    Kiryu Hina slowly lowered her hand.


    "I''m sorry, Senior Ando, I can''t accept your request," she said, "you can find someone better than me."


    "...there''s no one better, absolutely."


    Ando Naoto''s face turned pale, and he no longer had the courage to continue speaking.


    He gripped the rose tightly in his hand, turned around, and pushed through the crowd to leave.


    Seeing the male protagonist''s confession fail, the crowd also let out sighs of pity and gradually dispersed.


    Kiryu Hina shifted her gaze back to where she had seen Kagura Hikaru, only to find that his place had been taken by other unfamiliar students.


    She smiled helplessly, took the umbrella from Hosaka Yui, who was holding it for her, and waited for her to open her own before walking leisurely out of the school gate.


    How long until they meet again?


    Ha, she truly looked forward to it.

 Chapter 70 Spring Break, Spring Outing, Forest Classes

    Today was the day on the weather forecast with a 100% chance of sunshine¡ªsunny and with a pleasant climate.Even the dead would want to come alive for a walk.


    At six in the morning, Kagura Hikaru, dressed in a school uniform and carrying a luggage bag, walked into the school.


    In the open space under the teaching building, there were already 119 students gathered. Including Kagura Hikaru, that made 120.


    This was the original first-year group, the total number of students in the grade.


    "Kagura."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko happened to pass by, nodding at him.


    By her side was Miyamoto Shi, who had previously gone to the Capital City with her, as well as other first-year students of the Disciplinary Committee, all carrying their luggage.


    "Good morning."


    Kagura Hikaru responded and joined her group as invited.


    "Teacher, let''s stick together as a team next," Miyamoto Shi said with a smile, welcoming him.


    Nodding, Kagura Hikaru''s eyes were inadvertently drawn to another place.


    There was also a group of students gathered there, with Kiryu Hina at the center.


    She had come as well.


    Since it was during the spring break, why were there so many original first-year students gathered at the school? To explain this, we must start with the benefits provided by Yuqiu High School.


    As a private high school, Yuqiu''s tuition fees are consistently at a higher level.


    However, in return, students receive a high-quality teaching model, an environment that values their interests, and free welfare activities.


    For instance: spring trips, graduation trips, etc.


    Though called free, these costs are actually included in the high tuition fees.


    The spring trip refers to an outdoor trip organized during the spring break, lasting two days and one night, and requiring lodging; each year the destination switches randomly between a forest and a seaside map.


    This year, Kagura Hikaru and his peers drew the forest-themed trip, also known as the ''forest course''.


    The content included outdoor picnics, camping, and a courage test, with the destination being Sendai.


    Although the spring trip was a voluntary activity, considering that it was free and that there was only one chance to go during the three years of high school, practically all the original first-year students came.


    In previous years, there were always a few who couldn''t make it due to various reasons¡ªsickness, social anxiety, family trips, dropping out or transferring schools, disappearing, homicides, suicides, etc.


    But this year, coincidentally, all 120 students showed up.


    "It''s really nice that everyone is here," Teacher Yamazaki stated, hands on hips.


    Miyamoto Shi approached, "Teacher! It''s you leading the team today."


    "Miyamoto, Kagura, both of you are here," Teacher Yamazaki said cheerfully. "I can''t manage over a hundred students by myself. The other teachers are here too, along with the school physician. If you feel something''s wrong with your health, go see him."


    Teacher Yamazaki pointed at a middle-aged man in the corner.


    In many fictional works, the resident school physician in the Island Nation''s high schools is usually a well-dressed, long-haired older sister in a white coat, with a probability of 80% wearing black stockings and 15% bare-legged.


    However, reality was skeletal¡ªYuqiu High School''s school physician was just an ordinary middle-aged man with a Mediterranean look, wrinkled, nothing tempting about him.


    Miyamoto Shi muttered these kinds of comments to Kagura Hikaru.


    He had the appearance of a sunny sportsman, but his core seemed somewhat sulky.


    The time was almost up, and three ten-meter-long buses appeared at the school gate; the teachers called the students to board the buses in succession.


    Which bus to board was up to them; they didn''t force the students into designated groups.


    Most students, however, instinctively sought out friends and familiar classmates to group up with, but Kagura Hikaru naturally followed Ayakoji Chiyoko and the others, sitting with people from the Disciplinary Committee.


    It''s not that he didn''t like being with classmates from his original class; rather, he felt somewhat closer to the Disciplinary Committee, as he could be considered a member of this group.


    On the bus, Kagura Hikaru sat by the window towards the front, with Miyamoto Shi sitting next to him, and Ayakoji Chiyoko in front of them.


    She occupied two seats by herself.


    Even though everyone boarding the bus could see the seat next to her was empty, no one dared to sit there, as if that seat didn''t exist and just passed by it from their vision.


    Since the three buses were more than sufficient to carry over a hundred people, there were plenty of seats to choose from¡ªwhy bother sitting with a tiger.


    She looked like she had been isolated by those unaware of her experiences, yet she herself didn''t mind at all and simply closed her eyes to rest.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t see Hina; she must have boarded another bus, thankfully.


    If she and Ayakoji Chiyoko had been on the same bus, there likely would have been trouble.


    After everyone had boarded, the bus hissed to life and rumbled toward Sendai City.


    Their journey would take at least five hours to complete.


    During this period, everyone had their own way of passing the time.


    Kagura Hikaru chose to chat with Miyamoto Shi and read a book.


    In the seats in front, Ayakoji Chiyoko had been sleeping for the first two hours, woke up to visit the restroom, and then surprisingly pulled out a handheld console to play Mario from her bag.


    So Ayakoji Chiyoko also played games, and her aloof image in Kagura Hikaru''s mind was increasingly crumbling. Discover more stories at empire


    After approximately five hours of driving with one stop for refueling,


    they finally neared their destination, a camping site on a mountain outside Sendai City around eleven in the morning.


    In a small town at the foot of the mountain close to the campsite, the bus halted at the station there, not going further; the rest of the way needed to be covered on foot. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The teachers didn''t have the students start moving right away but first called roll to ensure everyone was present, then allowed a half-hour rest. They could wander near the bus station but were not permitted to go far.


    Kagura Hikaru left the group, intending to walk around and stretch his legs, feeling stiff from sitting too long.


    The sun was out today, and its warmth was comforting; a beautiful blue sky could be seen overhead when he looked up.


    Possibly because it was close to the mountains and forests, the air in the rural town was much fresher than in Tokyo.


    Kagura Hikaru stood by the roadside, comfortably basking in the sunlight.


    Suddenly, a shouting voice was heard.


    He looked up to find a frail old man approaching from behind, waving his arms and shouting loudly, clearly in a disturbed mental state.


    "I''d advise you to stay away," he said.


    Kiryu Hina appeared next to Kagura Hikaru at some point, holding a bottle of peach juice, likely bought from a nearby convenience store.


    She was dressed in her school uniform and white tights, standing there radiantly youthful.


    She always looked so beautiful, no matter when.


    Kagura Hikaru heeded the advice and stepped back to let the old man pass, Kiryu Hina did the same.


    But just as the old man passed by them, he suddenly turned his head sharply and glared at them with bloodshot, bulging eyes, his mouth frothing, a very eerie sight.


    Kagura Hikaru wondered what was happening when the man suddenly grabbed his wrist. His speed was so quick it was hard to imagine it belonged to an elderly person; Kagura Hikaru couldn''t even react in time.


    "The mountain! Do not go up the mountain! If you meet a little girl in red, you''ll get lost, don''t run! Run! Do not help her! Ha ha ha ha, do not, do not help....."


    The old man muttered incessantly, his grip growing stronger.


    Kagura Hikaru frowned, a flicker of unease stirring within him as he tried to break free. That''s when a middle-aged woman came running up, apologizing while pulling the crazed old man away.


    "I''m so sorry, my father''s been unwell lately, often uttering nonsensical things. Please don''t mind him." The woman apologized with a helpless expression, suggesting this was not the first time.


    "What happened?" Kiryu Hina asked softly, standing by. "I heard him keep talking about going up the mountain and a little lost girl."


    She probably just asked out of routine concern, to keep up appearances, but she quickly regretted asking.


    "Ah... actually, a few days ago, my father went to pick wild vegetables on the mountain, and he got lost in there for two days, only recently rescued. Though he''s physically fine, he''s been delirious since coming down." The woman shared with visible concern.


    "It''s true! Really!!"


    Triggered by some keyword, the old man started shouting maniacally again, then suddenly stopped moving, drooling as he stared upwards, "The girl in red, the girl in red, do not go, do not go....."


    Kagura Hikaru was silent for a while, appearing to realize something, and pointed toward a clearly visible mountain peak in the distance.


    "The mountain your father got lost on, is it that one?"


    "Yes." The woman nodded.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina exchanged looks.


    Because that mountain appeared to be very close to their intended camping site.

 Chapter 71 The Red Dress

    The middle-aged woman helped her father leave.Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina watched their figures disappear into the distance.


    They naturally wouldn''t take an old man''s ramblings seriously.


    But just to be safe, Kagura Hikaru still kept his guard up.


    He hadn''t expected that a simple outing would lead to such an incident, which cast a slight shadow over his heart.


    Turning his head towards Kiryu Hina, he realized she had already left, stepping away quickly.


    That girl, she must have been scared.


    As her ex-boyfriend, Kagura Hikaru knew all too well about Hina''s fear of ghosts; a person who couldn''t even watch horror movies would naturally seek the safety of a crowd upon hearing such dubious tales.


    Upon reflection, it seemed she really hadn''t changed.


    Kagura Hikaru followed her to where their classmates were gathered at the bus station.


    As they neared the entrance, he saw a middle-aged woman handing out missing child flyers to the passing Ugao High students, her expression earnest.


    He took one, which had a picture of a little girl in a deep red dress and her basic information.


    The little girl''s name was ''Komori Ai,'' ten years old, a local elementary school student.


    The middle-aged woman explained that five years ago, her daughter disappeared near a camping site in the mountains, and to this day, her life or death remains unknown, not even her remains have been found.


    Therefore, whenever there were visitors going up the mountains to camp, she would hand out the missing child flyers.


    "If you find any clue, please provide it to me, I implore you!"


    The middle-aged woman bowed deeply to them, disregarding her own status as an adult.


    Five full years had passed, yet she still hadn''t given up hope.


    It was truly a touching display of a mother''s love.


    Kagura Hikaru looked down at the flyer in his hand, his gaze lingering on the little girl named Komori Ai''s image.


    The girl was quite cute, with smooth long black hair that would not look out of place on an Island Nation doll, the kind someone might impulsively want to kidnap and sell upon seeing her on the street.


    But why wear red?


    That color could cause all sorts of unnecessary associations.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed internally.


    It was just a coincidence; he wasn''t one to scare himself.


    Ghosts and such were nothing but figments of human imagination.


    Kiryu Hina comforted herself with the same thought as she held a missing child flyer, forcing a smile.


    Half an hour passed, and the teachers gathered the students again, took another roll call to make sure no one was missing, and then they all set off towards the camping site en masse.


    The campsite was located on a grassy plain upstream, with an open view that allowed them to see the small town below, and about three hundred meters behind it was a lush green forest.


    The school had reserved the mountain campsite exclusively; it was empty for now and available for use until the next day.


    Upon seeing the camping site, the energetic high school students immediately whooped and ran into the outdoors, chasing the wind and butterflies with wild abandon as Teacher Yamazaki shouted and chased after them.


    Students of that age truly had the spirits of dogs.


    After finally gathering everyone, Teacher Yamazaki and the other teachers started instructing the students on how to set up their tents.


    At the same time, the students'' tools were distributed, which were the tents and sleeping bags previously placed at the campsite.


    The items were all rented, and any damages would have to be compensated for¡ªTeacher Yamazaki reminded them of this.


    After the briefing, everyone formed groups of three and began to set up their tents in the chosen spots.


    They would probably stick with these groupings for sleeping at night as well.


    Kagura Hikaru, Miyamoto Shi, and the Gorilla Vice President formed a team and quickly set up their tent, storing their sleeping bags and luggage inside.


    The latter two had no related experience and were completely slacking off; the tent was pretty much set up by Kagura Hikaru alone.


    Teacher Yamazaki came over with hands clasped behind his back to check and nodded repeatedly after confirming everything was perfect, then told Kagura Hikaru to go and teach other people how to set up tents.


    It''s primarily about teaching, Kagura Hikaru didn''t need to do it himself.


    The forest course was meant to teach students outdoor survival skills, and although this concept was considered outdated, it was always good for them to learn more. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they ever needed to set up a tent in the future, they would remember how their teacher had taught them now.


    Half an hour later, everyone had pretty much got the hang of it, and the teachers in charge of starting the fire and cooking had also made progress, successfully getting the fire going.


    The teachers called over a few students who were good at cooking class to help, and they made a large pot of curry rice.


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    When the curry rice was almost ready, everyone, attracted by the smell, conscientiously lined up with a pair of chopsticks and a ceramic bowl each.


    As the bowls and chopsticks were items brought from home, it wasn''t too much of a burden to bring one set per person.


    One bowl of curry rice per person, plus some soup or a drink, and that was lunch taken care of.


    After finishing their meals, everyone went to the campsite''s sink to wash their dishes. Upon returning, Kagura Hikaru, who had planned to play cards with Miyamoto Shi and the others, was unexpectedly stopped by Kiryu Hina.


    "Hey high school student over there, you seem to have some free time, can you come over and help?" she asked with a smile.


    It was a rare occurrence to be approached by Kiryu Hina twice in one day.


    Thinking this, Kagura Hikaru followed her.


    Upon arrival, he realized the help team was rather large.


    Apart from Teacher Yamazaki and Ayakojo Chiyoko, whom he recognized, the rest were strangers, but they seemed to be acquaintances of Kiryu Hina; they kept glancing at her and striking up conversations from time to time.


    "Alright, quiet down and listen to me!" Teacher Yamazaki clapped his hands and called out, before pointing towards a distant mountain peak, "Tomorrow, we''re going to have a picnic there. But we need to scout the trail in advance. Let''s go check it out together."


    It was uncertain whether it was a coincidence or fate.


    The mountain Teacher Yamazaki pointed to was the same one where they had encountered the deranged old man who was lost in town.


    He looked at Kiryu Hina, who probably also heard about going there for the first time, her expression slightly stiff.


    "Everyone got that." Kiryu Hina''s smile was as perfect as ever, but to Kagura Hikaru, it seemed a bit forced, "If anyone doesn''t want to go, speak up now."


    No one agreed, and they all expressed their desire to go.


    Thus, a team of about sixteen people set out towards the mountain.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko naturally fell to the back of the group.


    The two of them, along with most of the people present, didn''t know each other very well and were clearly feeling somewhat isolated.


    Apart from Teacher Yamazaki, everyone seemed more drawn to Kiryu Hina at the front, and no one talked to them.


    After all, they had just been accused of framing Kiryu Hina by exploiting the Society Discussion Meeting; no wonder they weren''t popular.


    "Why are you here?" Kagura asked.


    "That guy called me over," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, tilting her chin up slightly.


    The ''that guy'' she referred to was undoubtedly Kiryu Hina.


    "You actually listened to her?"


    "I just wanted to figure out what she was up to," Ayakoji Chiyoko pulled at the corner of her mouth, "But now it seems that she has bitten off more than she can chew."


    This mountain was of moderate height, with man-made trails for climbing. With a bit of effort, they could reach the summit in an hour.


    But that was for people like Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    As for someone like Kiryu Hina, who had been pampered all her life, never exercised, and was delicate and frail...


    Clearly, Ayakoji Chiyoko was also one of those aware of Kiryu Hina''s weaknesses.


    Kiryu Hina, walking in front, followed the pace of the group at an unhurried speed, casually handling their conversations.


    Although she hid it well, anyone paying attention could notice her breathing faster than the others.


    By the time they reached the peak, she would likely be sweating profusely.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko chatted leisurely with Kagura Hikaru, preparing to watch the spectacle unfold.

 Chapter 72 Stunning Scenery Ahead

    Kagura Hikaru checked his phone and only then realized that the mountain had a name, Tanigawa-dake.The name was quite elegant, unfortunate that it was not fully developed.


    There were only very rough stone steps on the mountain, built who knows how many years ago, with no safety railings. The hiking trail was not particularly safe, and Teacher Yamazaki repeatedly reminded everyone to be careful not to fall off; a slip could lead to trouble.


    The terrain outside the stone stairs was rather steep, with many trees and loose stones. One misstep could result in a fall, likely causing injury in the blink of an eye.


    "And, you might step on a snake," Teacher Yamazaki added mischievously.


    Hearing there were snakes, the students immediately scanned the ground and their surroundings in fear, dreading that a snake might suddenly jump out and bite them.


    After over an hour, they finally reached the peak, which was a relatively spacious flat area.


    It was originally designed as a viewpoint. In the corner, one could still see a restroom for tourists, but it was now abandoned and overgrown with weeds.


    But none of this detracted from the scenery beyond the mountain.


    The sky was clear and the sun hung high; below was an unending range of mountains, and in the distance, one could vaguely see a modern town.


    Looking behind, one could see a deep valley, covered by vast expanses of forest, with occasional flocks of birds flying by.


    The harder the mountain was to climb, the more breathtaking the view from the top. This saying was indeed true.


    "Wow! It''s so beautiful!"


    "You can really see the town from here. It would probably look even better at night."


    "I think it''s good during the day; at night, everything is just too dark to see."


    The students who had reached the mountain top were excitedly chatting among themselves.


    Teacher Yamazaki stood in front of the fence at the edge, constantly adjusting his angle, frantically taking photos of the clear sky and the mountains.


    For a moment, no one noticed Perfect Student Council President Kiryu Hina, who had somehow ended up at the back of the group, utterly unable to enjoy the view, drenched in sweat.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had been waiting for this moment for an hour and quickly walked up to start teasing.


    "Look at you, Missy, panting so loudly. Isn''t that a bit unbecoming?"


    "Heh... hehe..."


    With her bangs stuck to her forehead due to sweat and sweat dripping continuously down her cheeks, Kiryu Hina could only bend over, supporting her knees as she gasped for breath, too exhausted to retort, merely glaring at Ayakoji Chiyoko with a cold laugh.


    Unfortunately, her weak appearance had none of her usual intimidating power, making the scorn on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face even more pronounced.


    Kagura Hikaru silently watched this pair of natural enemies who loved to hurt each other.


    It would be nice if things were always this peaceful.


    Bantering and teasing each other like regular high school girls.


    Instead of dragging an unfortunate outsider into their power games at school.


    Especially when he himself was that unfortunate outsider!


    Finally, a few students realized that Kiryu Hina had not kept up and came over to her.


    "President, are you feeling unwell?"


    "Would you like to drink some water?"


    Then, something astonishing happened.


    Right under the eyes of Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kiryu Hina suddenly straightened up with a perfectly natural movement, as if her previous exhaustion were all an act, and switched to a poised demeanor, smiling in response:


    "Thank you, you''re so kind. Then, I''ll have a bit, shall I?"


    "Here, President, please have some!"


    Kiryu Hina took the unopened bottle of mineral water handed to her by a female student, unscrewed it elegantly, and took a few sips, the movement graceful. In the sunlight, her face seemed to shimmer, stunning the girl who had offered her the water.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were also stunned; it was their first time seeing Kiryu Hina pull off such an exaggerated change of face.


    But why wouldn''t she disguise herself in front of these two?


    Was it not worth the effort, or did she feel that she could show her true self in front of them?


    Regardless of the reason, it upset Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She made a disgusted face, turned her head away distantly, and went to quietly enjoy the greenery of the valley.


    However, Kagura Hikaru looked serious.


    The Kiryu Hina he saw was different from others.


    Her mental issues seemed more severe than before.


    The idea that she must maintain perfection under others'' scrutiny had embedded itself in Kiryu Hina''s subconscious; even if she was unwell, there was no pause for thought, and she would react instinctively, a clear sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder.


    Facing this condition, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t be optimistic.


    The only good news was that in front of him and Ayakoji Chiyoko, she still took off some of the facade.


    The reason, probably because they were among the few who understood her true nature, Kiryu Hina figured a disguise wouldn''t work, so her attitude relaxed.


    But once outsiders appeared, she would switch back to the perfect Student Council President.


    It was as if... she was deliberately playing someone else.


    Out of place, Kagura Hikaru''s thoughts drifted back to another girl, that perfect, pure person.


    Since their reunion in Uka, with every meeting, the d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling about Kiryu Hina grew stronger.


    She was becoming more and more like Kohinata Motoyo.


    Maybe it was the psychological shadow from a past relationship, or maybe it stemmed from some competitive feeling.


    Exactly what it was, even Kagura couldn''t figure out.


    Teacher Yamazaki''s reconnaissance of the summit ended. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The conclusion was that the space at the summit was a bit too small to accommodate a picnic for all the students together.


    Although splitting into groups could solve this, it wasn''t any big issue.


    After scouting, it was supposed to be time to descend and join up with the other students.


    However, Teacher Yamazaki said there was a small waterfall at the base of Mount Tanigawa-dake since they had come all the way up, he wanted to check it out and perhaps bring other students along tomorrow.


    Everyone had rested at the summit for a while and regained some strength, and driven by curiosity naturally agreed.


    Kiryu Hina, the athletic novice, still had weak legs after such a long rest.


    She too expressed a desire to go along with everyone, but Teacher Yamazaki, as a physical education teacher, could clearly see she was overexerting herself, quickly had her rest back at the camp, and entrusted Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko to take her down the mountain.


    Teacher Yamazaki was tall and robust, but being an adult, it was easy to see everyone''s exclusions towards these two.


    Not knowing why, but with the students feeling awkward, watching them made the leading teacher feel uneasy; perhaps it was still better to let them leave first.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko understood Teacher Yamazaki''s kindness, agreed promptly, and took Kiryu Hina down the mountain.


    During the ascent, the rough, steep, uneven stone stairs had already been rather tormenting, and during the descent, they had to be even more careful not to fall.


    Especially Kiryu Hina, whose legs were trembling slightly from exhaustion, yet stubbornly refused any support and cautiously moved forward on her own.


    "How long has it been since you last exercised? Did you skip gym class every time?"


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    Ayakoji Chiyoko found her condition utterly unbelievable.


    Suddenly, she thought that conquering by force seemed much simpler than using wits. However, staring at her pretty face, she just smirked and gave up.


    Disregarding such despicable hoodlum tactics, the reason not to hurt her stepmother was enough for Chiyoko not to lay a hand on Kiryu Hina.

 Chapter 73 Venomous Snake

    "Exercise? Not necessary at all..." Kiryu Hina forced a smile, "Success in modern society relies on the brain, not like the Stone Age. What''s the benefit of running a bit faster than others, anyway?""When the day comes that a big earthquake hits Tokyo, you''ll know what good running fast does," Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at her with disdain.


    "Hmph, that kind of low-probability event... Besides, it''s correct to stay in open areas during an earthquake."


    "And how many extra minutes will it take you to get to an open area compared to others?"


    "Oh my, doesn''t President Ayakoji know that in emergency situations adrenaline is released? When I start moving quickly, you''ll be startled," she said.


    "Tsk."


    Kiryu Hina, exhausted and consequently very non-confrontational, even seemed unconvincing in her verbal sparring, allowing Ayakoji Chiyoko to take the upper hand, smugly looking down on her with her eyes.


    Kiryu Hina was so annoyed she could grind her teeth, but she had to divide her attention and watch her step to avoid stumbling and giving the others even more reason to laugh at her.


    "Really don''t need us to assist you?" Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help asking as he watched her.


    She turned her head away, "No need, I''m not a child, I can walk on my own."


    "It''s going to take you a very long time to get to the camp like this."


    "Mind your own business."


    Kiryu Hina''s tone was a bit rough, causing the atmosphere to cool down again.


    "Watch your attitude, we''re helping you down the mountain out of kindness," Ayakoji Chiyoko''s tone also turned cold.


    "That''s just Teacher Yamazaki imposing his goodwill, I didn''t ask for your help," Kiryu Hina said with an expressionless face, her features stiff, "People in the world call that meddling."


    "Heh, showing your true colors now, aren''t you? Only during performances do nasty people like you manage to trick others into liking them," retorted Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "Annoying."


    Perhaps provoked by Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kiryu Hina deliberately quickened her pace to pass them and sped down the mountain.


    For a while, the three of them had nothing to say, focusing only on hurrying along in silence, each consumed with their own thoughts.


    Accidents tend to strike when one''s attention is distracted like this.


    The stone steps beneath Kiryu Hina''s feet suddenly cracked and loosened without warning, the step she took went askew, she lost her balance, and without a sound fell off the edge of the stone stairs.


    "Hey!" Ayakoji Chiyoko cried out instinctively.


    Kagura Hikaru reacted even faster, without hesitation he dashed forward, sliding down the slope after her, both disappearing into the dense forest one after the other.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko hurried to where they had fallen and looked down.


    The slope here was steep and high, and with the view obstructed by leaves, she couldn''t see a thing.


    She didn''t rush down but took out her phone to check if she could communicate with Kagura Hikaru using Line.


    Only then did she regret not having exchanged phone numbers with him in advance; calling would have been much more convenient.


    But she quickly realized that this worry was unnecessary because her phone showed no signal; there was no reception on the mountain at all.


    Thus, Ayakoji Chiyoko had to resort to the most primitive method.


    "Kagura Hikaru, Kiryu! Can you two hear me?"


    She shouted down the slope.


    After a few seconds, a response came from below.


    "We can hear you, we''re okay!"


    It was Kagura Hikaru''s voice.


    "Are you injured, can you come up?" Ayakoji Chiyoko continued to inquire.


    Kagura Hikaru replied, "We aren''t injured, but we can''t climb up!"


    "Stay where you are, don''t move! I''ll go get Teacher Yamazaki!"


    After the exchange, Ayakoji Chiyoko quickly made her way back to find Teacher Yamazaki and the others.


    In such an emergency, she was still able to prioritize what was most important.


    At the bottom of the slope, Kagura Hikaru leaned against a tree and looked up, glimpsing the steepness of the slope through gaps in the leaves.


    They were at least ten meters below the hiking trail.


    They were lucky, with tree branches breaking their fall and the slope providing friction; neither of them was hurt, save for some scrapes on their clothes and hands.


    Listening to the departing footsteps of Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kagura Hikaru turned his head to Kiryu Hina, who was sitting under a tree.


    Her hair was disheveled, her clothes a mess and smeared with mud, and her stockings were torn at the side¡ªa level of disarray unprecedented for her.


    "Are you okay? Does anywhere hurt?" asked Kagura Hikaru.


    Kiryu Hina shook her head without a word.


    Seeing she didn''t want to talk, Kagura Hikaru didn''t press her any further. "Don''t worry, help will be here soon. With a rope, we can easily climb up this height, and they have the necessary equipment at the camp."


    "... Snake."


    "What?"


    "There, a snake."


    Kiryu Hina carefully stood up, pointing ahead.


    Kagura Hikaru immediately scanned the direction she indicated and quickly spotted a roughly one-meter-long snake with a brownish back and chain-like patterns, raising its head among the leaves and hissing as if agitated by their presence. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He recognized it as a mamushi, with a triangular head¡ªa clear sign of venom.


    Teacher Yamazaki''s warning had come true.


    This type of snake was highly venomous and could be lethal. It wasn''t common in the Island Nation, and it was a surprise to encounter one here.


    And at the worst possible time!


    Kagura Hikaru kept his eyes fixed on the snake and slowly stepped beside Kiryu Hina, whispering, "Follow me, slowly back away, and don''t be too quick."


    Kiryu Hina nodded beside him.


    The two cautiously moved backward. Experience tales at empire


    When they had backed up about three meters and felt it was safe to leave, Kiryu Hina''s step backward accidentally snapped a twig with an unexpected crackle.


    The snake lunged toward them.


    "Run!"


    Kagura Hikaru grabbed Kiryu Hina and they started running in large strides.


    Zigzagging was harder for the snake to follow.


    Snakes are not as fast as humans on the ground, even with the advantage of the terrain''s many obstacles in the woods; with Kagura Hikaru''s agile dodges, they soon lost the snake.


    However, it strangely didn''t give up chasing them, prompting Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina to keep running without stopping.


    After half an hour of running, when Kagura Hikaru couldn''t tell one place from another, they finally no longer saw the snake.


    As soon as he let go, Kiryu Hina bent over to catch her breath.


    Having already been through an hour of climbing without having recovered, and now chased by a snake, once she relaxed, her legs were so sore that she could hardly walk.


    Kagura Hikaru picked up a long branch from the ground to use as protection against snakes, carefully wary of the piles of leaves around while observing the surrounding environment.


    The snake had chased them a long way before it gave up, and by now, not only had they strayed from their initial position, but they were also completely lost.


    Kagura Hikaru was already unfamiliar with this forest, and to make matters worse, there was no signal on the mountain, so they couldn''t even call for rescue or use navigation.


    Tanigawa-dake is not an isolated mountain but part of a range of mountains connected together. If not careful, one could end up lost on another mountain, further and further away.


    The only good news was that it was still daytime; they could discern the cardinal directions, and Kagura Hikaru roughly remembered which way the campsite was.


    If they could find the right bearing, they might be able to get back to the camp.


    But would it really be that easy?

 Chapter 74 The Little Girl in the Deep Mountains

    Kagura Hikaru calmly assessed the situation.Having dodged that poisonous snake earlier, they had taken so many turns in the mountains that they had completely forgotten the path they had come. Moreover, with the possibility that the snake might still be on the original path, going back was not an option; they could only press on into the darkness.


    Fortunately, with his outdoor survival skills at Lv3, equivalent to that of a standard army scout, he should be able to walk out successfully.


    Even in the worst-case scenario, if they couldn''t find a way out and died trying, they could still survive on materials gathered from the mountain and wait for a rescue team to arrive.


    It would just cause a lot of trouble for Teacher Yamazaki and the others.


    "What should we do next?" Kiryu Hina asked, holding her hands and gently rubbing them together, her expression complex.


    "Let''s try to find the path first, preferably the stone steps we took when we climbed the mountain," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "What if we can''t find it?"


    "We''ll keep looking for it while walking downhill. We''ll most likely find it, but just in case, I''ll try to find some edible things along the way."


    "Okay, I''ll follow your lead."


    After a series of unexpected events, trapped in the silent and deserted depths of the mountains, she had only one person to rely on.


    Even as stubborn as Kiryu Hina was, she had to admit that she needed to cooperate with Kagura Hikaru if they were going to get off this mountain.


    In the days of their once close relationship, Kiryu Hina had long understood that Kagura Hikaru was a person who could be called all-round capable, with a great deal of miscellaneous knowledge, and she trusted that his wild survival skills were among them.


    In this respect, Kiryu Hina herself had limited knowledge and no physical advantage, so she could only do her best not to hold him back.


    The two rested for a while to recover their strength, then set out once again.


    The terrain of the mountain was rugged, and it was very dangerous to walk straight downhill, so they had to take detours according to the situation.


    Kagura Hikaru used a compass app on his phone to determine the direction, remembering the location of the camping site and planning their route.


    In theory, they should be able to find some water sources on the mountain.


    After all, Teacher Yamazaki had mentioned a small waterfall at the foot of the mountain, which indicated the presence of running water on the mountain.


    Generally speaking, when lost in the wilderness, following water sources is always the right move.


    It''s convenient for water access and for rescue personnel to locate you. Experience more content on empire


    Before they knew it, two hours had passed.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina had not only failed to find a way down the mountain but had also failed to secure the most critical water source.


    The entire mountain seemed like a labyrinth; though they weren''t stuck in the same place despite walking for so long, the two of them did have the feeling that they weren''t actually making their way downhill at all.


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t sure why he was feeling that way; he was definitely walking in the direction of the campsite, and even if he hadn''t seen it by now, at the very least, they should have gotten down the mountain.


    However, the reality was that they were still at the foot of the mountain; looking down, they couldn''t see the bottom at all, and there were no signs of human traces.


    It was as if some invisible force was confusing his perception, leaving no hope in sight.


    But Kagura Hikaru firmly believed it was just an illusion and told Kiryu Hina not to worry.


    In an unknown environment, negative emotions are the greatest enemy.


    Even if he himself found it strange, he would not let it show and make his companion fall into confusion and lose her calm, which would greatly reduce their chances of survival.


    On the climb up, the mountain''s valleys and orchids had been a delight for him and his teacher and classmates.


    However, now facing the same scenery, Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina saw it entirely differently.


    Utter silence.


    Not even the calls of birds or animals could be heard, just the sound of footsteps on the leaves, brushing through the underbrush, and each other''s breathing.


    Loneliness, coupled with worry and fear for the future, seemed like a pair of black hands slowly enveloping their hearts.


    Another two hours passed.


    The sun was gradually setting, and dusk was approaching, with mist mysteriously spreading over the mountain, further obstructing their vision.


    Even Kagura Hikaru had to admit they were completely lost.


    Not only could they not find their way back, but it was also doubtful whether they were even walking in the right direction.


    Several hours of walking in the mountains had completely drained Kiryu Hina''s energy, and their stomachs were shriveled with hunger.


    Kagura Hikaru found an open spot with a clear view, and sat down on a rock with Kiryu Hina to eat.


    The food was wild fruit he had picked along the way, looking like miniature red tomatoes, confirmed to be edible and without side effects.


    But the taste definitely couldn''t compare to modern cultivated fruits.


    Kiryu Hina bit into one, her brow furrowing immediately, the fruit was much bitterer than she had imagined.


    Still, she clenched her teeth and swallowed it, not wanting to show weakness in front of Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru cleaned the dust off the wild fruit with a paper towel he''d brought, and ate one without changing his expression.


    In truth, he also felt the bitterness was explosive, but he just didn''t want to show it.


    To a third party, the two of them now seemed to be in a contest, waiting to see who would break first.


    It could be seen as finding amusement amidst hardship.


    While eating the fruit, Kiryu Hina massaged her calf, feeling her muscles had become as hard as rock, and she worried about whether she could still walk after this. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noticing her actions, Kagura Hikaru spoke, "Let''s set up camp here. I''ll go find some materials to set up a roof and a bed soon. You should prepare to spend the night here."


    Kiryu Hina''s gaze carried a trace of worry, "Is there anything I can do to help?"


    "No need, this isn''t a big deal."


    As Kagura Hikaru said this, both knew that building a shelter in the wilderness was no small feat, a task that could take one or two hours for one person, just gathering the materials would be exhausting.


    It was purely because Kiryu Hina''s physical strength was too weak and she couldn''t help, so he was giving her a way out.


    Kiryu Hina fell silent.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had mocked her physical fitness earlier, which she didn''t mind, but now, she truly regretted neglecting exercise.


    Ultimately, she had become a burden.


    Each of them holding a wild fruit, they looked in different directions, eating and zoning out.


    After a while, Kiryu Hina suddenly said, "Thank you."


    "Hmm?"


    "Back when I fell down the mountain, you jumped down after me."


    If it wasn''t for Kagura Hikaru, she alone couldn''t have handled that venomous snake.


    Maybe by now, she would have been bitten.


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head, "I didn''t think that much."


    "Is that so....."


    Kiryu Hina lowered her gaze, looking in another direction, her fingers touching the rough surface of the stone, the wound on her palm from sliding down the slope still smarting.


    Only someone in distress knows how touching it is when someone else throws themselves into danger to save you in your hardest moment.


    If the roles were reversed, Kiryu Hina didn''t believe she could do the same.


    Even though I treated you like that, why are you still...


    In silence, the tense and rejecting atmosphere that had always existed between the two seemed to momentarily turn into something softer.


    It was an indescribable feeling.


    However, at that moment, something disrupted them.


    The sound came from ahead, like a large animal moving, the cracking noises of leaves and branches being crushed intermittently reaching them.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina both stood up at once, staring in that direction, their faces taut.


    Among the shadows of the trees and the hazy mist, they could vaguely make out a spot of red.


    Then, a person emerged.


    About 1.4 meters tall, a pretty little girl dressed in a red dress.


    Upon seeing them, she exclaimed with surprise, "Ah, I''ve finally found people! Hello, my name is Komori Ai. Do you know how to get back to town? I''m lost."

 Chapter 75 The Devils Hour

    Around five o''clock in the afternoon, during the time before dusk, the people of the Island Nation call it ''The Bewitching Hour.''They firmly believe it is a cursed time when malevolent spirits and ghosts appear, and those walking alone on the road can become so beguiled they lose their souls.


    It was during this time that a girl, claiming to be Komori Ai, appeared.


    The moment she emerged from the woods, Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina felt the hairs on their bodies stand on end.


    Too similar.


    Whether it was her red dress or her face... she looked exactly like the missing elementary school student from the missing person''s notice!


    The feeling of horror peaked when she said her name was also Komori Ai.


    Could someone who had disappeared on the mountain five years ago really appear here?


    Had they inadvertently traveled through time,


    or was this person before them not human at all...


    Kiryu Hina slowly moved closer to Kagura Hikaru, hiding behind him, while Kagura Hikaru also surreptitiously tightened his grip on the thick branch he was using as a walking stick.


    Before the climb, they had encountered a crazed old man who also mentioned a lost girl in red.


    According to the old man''s daughter, he had disappeared on Tanigawa Peak Mountain for two whole days before the rescue team found him, but by the time he returned, he had gone mad.


    Both Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina had the same suspicion in their minds.


    Perhaps the old man had gone mad because he had encountered the Komori Ai before them. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, this was based on the premise that Komori Ai was a supernatural being like a monster or a ghost.


    Other than the appearance of the Golden Finger, Kagura Hikaru had never seen any other supernatural phenomena in his life, so it wasn''t right to irrationally refuse help to a lost person just because she looked too much like someone who disappeared five years ago¡ªit was inhumane.


    But, what if this was real and helping her ended up harming both him and Kiryu Hina?


    He didn''t know; it was an unsolvable problem.


    Regardless, he decided to try mind-reading first.


    "Wow, I''m so lucky to have found people, now I can finally go back!"


    "Whimper, I''m so hungry..."


    "You have gained through peering into the heart: Origami +2"


    "Origami lv4 (77/100)"


    The vision that came with the mind-reading was the memory of this girl wandering alone through the forest.


    The content was surprisingly normal.


    Maybe she just looked a lot like the missing little girl?


    But, could there really be such a coincidence?


    Kagura Hikaru remained on alert.


    This cannot go on; he decided to take the initiative to approach.


    "Hello, my name is Kagura Hikaru, and I''m here camping nearby."


    "Camping?" Komori Ai tilted her head adorably, then, as if she remembered something, clapped her hands, "Oh~ right, there is a campsite nearby."


    "We came with our teacher and classmates; it''s a spring field trip organized by the school," Kiryu Hina added at just the right moment. "Actually, we are also lost."


    "Eh!? Is that so? Then doesn''t that mean we''re all trapped here..."


    Komori Ai seemed very disheartened, hanging her head.


    Kagura Hikaru observed her and handed over some wild fruit he had: "Are you hungry? I have some wild berries here that I picked on the way, they are all edible."


    "Ah, can I really have some?"


    "Please eat, we''ve all had some already."


    "Thank you! Then I''ll not hold back!"


    Komori Ai seemed really hungry, her saliva almost drooling at the mention of berries, and promptly popped a berry into her mouth.


    And then, she seemed to enjoy it greatly.


    A sense of apprehension rose in both Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina.


    He had intentionally offered her the wild fruit to see Komori Ai''s reaction, but she actually ate it for sure; yet, they knew how bitter that fruit was, and Komori Ai showed no reaction, eating them one after another like snacks.


    Was she simply having a problem with her taste, or was it that...


    Feeling uneasy, Kagura Hikaru read her mind once more.


    "Wow, I''m so lucky to have found people, now I can finally go back!"


    "Whimper, I''m so hungry..."


    "You have gained through peering into the heart: Origami +2"


    "Origami lv4 (79/100)"


    Hmm?


    Why is the mind-reading content exactly the same?


    Kagura Hikaru''s gaze changed subtly, and he read her mind again.


    [Wow, I''m so lucky to run into someone here, finally I can go back!]


    [Ugh, I''m so hungry...]


    [You have gained through mind-reading: Origami +2]


    [Origami lv4 (81/100)]


    What''s going on here?!


    Kagura Hikaru was somewhat creeped out for a moment.


    He had never seen someone with such a high repetition rate in mind-reading content.


    Twice could be a coincidence, but three times definitely was not.


    This little girl was definitely suspicious.


    Kagura Hikaru kept a poker face while urgently pondering his next move and covertly signaled Kiryu Hina with his eyes.


    She understood tacitly, asking Komori Ai to sit with them on a rock, carefully sandwiching her between them, one on each side.


    They decided to hold off on taking action, waiting to see what would happen next.


    After all, if Komori Ai was truly a ghost, they would not be able to escape anyway, but if she was alive, even with malicious intent, Kagura Hikaru was unlikely to miss at close range.


    Keeping their cool in such a creepy situation, lost deep in the woods, was quite rare for both of them.


    Especially Kiryu Hina, who was clearly afraid of such things, but had managed to suppress her fear, actively cooperating with Kagura Hikaru.


    Using her gender as an advantage, she found out through conversation that Komori Ai was a junior high school student at a local school, lived nearby, often played in the mountains, and ended up getting lost after a mishap.


    A middle school student? So she was not a primary school student.


    This was different from the missing little girl in the search notice.


    But then Kagura and the others thought about it.


    A primary school student from five years ago was indeed a middle school student now...


    They continued to chat and probe.


    In the conversation, when she heard that the two were high school students from Tokyo, the girl happily swung her legs and said, "I plan to apply to a high school in Tokyo too!"


    "Is that so, I wish you success," Kiryu Hina replied, putting on her perfect mask for strangers, her smile dignified and her composure graceful and beautiful.


    Komori Ai, like the other students from Haneoka Private High School, was charmed and kept sweetly calling her ''older sister,'' even boasting about applying to their school, Haneoka Private High School, next year.


    Kiryu Hina could only secretly sweat and respond, "Ugao High''s admission exams for this year are over, but there are many other great high schools in Tokyo you can apply to. If you don''t mind, I can give you some suggestions."


    Although she said that, Komori Ai seemed to have her mind set, smiling without saying a word, her lightless eyes fixedly gazing at her.


    Kiryu Hina almost couldn''t maintain her smile.


    The moment this girl appeared, she was shrouded in an eerie and mysterious aura that kept them on edge and cautious.


    Kagura Hikaru keenly sensed that she was the same type as Hina when she''s behind her mask¡ªseemingly friendly on the surface, but with unknowable thoughts hidden beneath, a person completely covered in lies.


    Their faces were smiling, but their eyes betrayed no mirth.


    Kagura Hikaru launched the fourth mind-reading attempt on Komori Ai.


    [Wow, I''m so lucky to run into someone here, finally I can go back!]


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    [Ugh, I''m so hungry...]


    [You have gained through mind-reading: Origami +2]


    [Origami lv4 (83/100)]


    The same content again, even the gained skill oddly overlapped.


    What could be the reason for this?


    Surely his ability hadn''t malfunctioned.


    Just as Kagura Hikaru was thinking this, the memory image obtained through the mind-reading this time showed some unusual content.


    A flash of abyss-like darkness passed.


    A blood-soaked sailor outfit, a devilish smiling face, a fruit knife stabbing downward, a corpse bloated and covered with maggots after death, intestines drenched in fresh blood¡ªthese grotesque images flickered one after another.


    His pupils slowly constricted, struck by an incredible sense of disbelief.


    The upgraded mind-reading ability allowed Kagura Hikaru to see the current thoughts of the person being read and the images synced with these thoughts, which could be the person''s memories or imagination.


    But they could not possibly be entirely unrelated to the content of the mind-reading!


    If all this was truly flowing in Komori Ai''s innermost thoughts and memories, then even if she was alive, she was far from normal.


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly realized that those repetitive contents he had been seeing might be a defensive tactic against mind-reading.


    If one preconceived the thoughts and kept repeating them, even mind-reading would only reveal the same content again and again.


    This was determined by the mechanism of the mind-reading ability; even Kagura Hikaru couldn''t bypass it.


    However, this required Komori Ai to know that someone present had the mind-reading ability.


    Was she coming for him?!


    That smiling face speaking to Kiryu Hina was cute and pretty, but now Kagura Hikaru couldn''t feel the slightest bit of ease¡ªonly bewilderment and horror.


    The Bewitching Hour, aptly named.

 Chapter 76 I Have Watched Saw, Im All Too Familiar with This!

    Whether Komori Ai was human or ghost might no longer matter.In his fourth mind-reading session, what he saw was reason enough for Kagura Hikaru to stay away from her.


    He needed to find a way to reasonably distract Komori Ai and escape with Kiryu Hina.


    It was difficult to explain this to the latter, and he couldn''t just say he became suspicious of her through mind-reading; he had to make it seem natural.


    "It''s getting late; we need to gather some longer branches and leaves to set up a temporary camp here," Kagura Hikaru said to Komori Ai, moderating his tone as if considering her age. "Can you also collect some leaves for a layer of thatch? Could I count on you for that?"


    Komori Ai tilted her head in puzzlement. "Aren''t we going directly down the mountain?"


    "Of course, we would like to, but we can''t find the way," Kagura shook his head. "Besides, it''s going to get dark soon. If we haven''t found the way by then and the camp isn''t set up, we''ll be in trouble. It gets very cold in the mountains at night."


    His words sounded logical, but in truth, Kagura Hikaru just wanted an excuse to leave Komori Ai behind.


    But whether she saw through his plan, or she was just too engrossed in playing her role, Komori Ai hesitated for a few seconds before suddenly grabbing Kiryu Hina''s hand, "Older sister, can... can I go with you? I''m scared to be alone."


    Kiryu Hina was taken aback for a moment, exchanging glances with Kagura Hikaru.


    Should they confront her here...


    In the end, Kagura Hikaru didn''t do that and simply nodded expressionlessly. "That might be better, to avoid getting separated again."


    Thus, the three of them left together, leaving marks on tree barks along the way with stones so as not to get lost again.


    They adopted a ''single-file'' formation of front, middle, and rear, with Kagura Hikaru leading the way, using a thick branch to clear the leaves off the path to check for hidden snakes.


    Komori Ai walked in the middle, and Kiryu Hina followed at the rear, keeping an eye on her.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina had known each other for many years, often understanding each other''s intentions through a single glance without direct communication.


    When they decided to stick together, Kagura Hikaru had already hinted at the problem with Komori Ai, warning her not to fully expose her back to her.


    Who knew when, while they were not paying attention, a knife could suddenly strike from behind.


    Kagura Hikaru was in a state of high tension.


    With the sun about to set, a mysterious person with unknown motives and unclear identity had appeared beside him and Kiryu Hina. It was even uncertain whether she was human.


    Come nightfall, could he really sleep peacefully next to such a person?


    His worries persisted until they found a mountain trail.


    "Eh?"


    Kiryu Hina and Kagura Hikaru both exclaimed in shock.


    Komori Ai, on the other hand, cheered without hesitation, "Wuhu~ It''s the trail; we''ve found the way!"


    She climbed up a small slope onto the trail, jumping and waving excitedly, her laughter beckoning to them. "Brother, sister, come up quickly; let''s hurry down the mountain while it''s still light!"


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina were stunned, their hands, which had been collecting branches, dropping them all over the place.


    How could this be? They had searched for the way for over four hours, and yet, within less than fifteen minutes of meeting Komori Ai, the path was clear.


    More notably, they had been so guarded against her, bracing for her to suddenly unleash a night of hunting.


    And now, you are telling me we don''t need to wander anymore? That we can descend the mountain??


    Kagura Hikaru climbed up the slope, looking up and down doubtfully.


    It was indeed the trail they''d taken up the mountain, positioned about a third of the way up the height of the mountain.


    He reached down to pull Kiryu Hina up beside him.


    The two of them watched, somewhat dazed, as Komori Ai ran down the mountain happily, as if this ''ghost'' was merrier than either of them.


    It was truly bizarre.


    Could it be one of those routines where they''re given hope only to be plunged into despair later?


    "I''m telling you, I''ve seen ''Saw,'' okay? I know the drill!"


    After about fifteen minutes, the two had returned to the camp, receiving their teachers'' and classmates'' comfort.


    "How did you get lost? Didn''t we tell you to stay put?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "We ran into a poisonous snake."


    Kiryu Hina: "Yeah."


    "Ah? Are you alright?"


    "It appears we weren''t bitten."


    "People should be able to run faster than snakes, right?"


    "No wonder we didn''t find you there; we''ve been searching the mountain for hours without a peep from you guys. The teacher even called the rescue team."


    The classmates were all talking at once.


    Not far away, Teacher Yamazaki could be seen apologizing profusely to the rescue personnel dressed in orange uniforms.


    "Speaking of which, who is this child?" someone noticed Komori Ai, who had followed Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina and was curiously looking around. They asked, "Did she lead you out?"


    "Sort of..." Kiryu Hina smiled, but her feelings were complicated.


    Kagura Hikaru shared the same sentiment. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only now had they realized that they really had been rescued.


    But why, though?


    Finding the path suddenly might have been a coincidence, which they didn''t mention.


    But what they couldn''t understand was why everyone had no reaction to Komori Ai.


    Everyone clearly had met that middle-aged woman distributing missing child posters at the station and seen the flyers. Komori Ai looked so much like the missing elementary school student on the flyers, why did no one bring it up?


    When the students learned that the rescue of the two was related to Komori Ai, they immediately crowded around and soon started chatting with her.


    "What''s your little sister''s name?" a female student asked.


    "Komori Ai!" Komori Ai answered.


    "So cute, how old are you, what grade are you in?"


    "Fifteen, in the third year of junior high! I''m going to study in Tokyo next year, aiming for Haneoka Private High School!"


    "You''re aiming for Haneoka? What a coincidence, we''re from Yuqiu High School!"


    Komori Ai demonstrated an extraordinary ability to socialize, quickly befriending the older students and even becoming slightly more popular than Kiryu Hina. Everyone was revolving around her, which made Kagura Hikaru and the others feel uneasy.


    The little girl was quite cute and sweet-talking, but that alone shouldn''t have made everyone like her.


    Even some students who were usually introverted seemed unnaturally excited chatting with her.


    Beginning to feel afraid, they quietly slipped away from the crowd and returned to Kagura Hikaru''s tent, where they took out the missing child poster from the backpack to compare.


    To their shock, they realized that the similarity they had originally thought existed between the girl in the photo and Komori Ai was not real.


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    Upon closer inspection, the eyes didn''t match, the nose didn''t match, there were even differences in body shape... other than the name, they were clearly two different people!


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina felt a chill from head to toe, the hair on their necks standing on end.


    They were confident in their memory and did not think they would mistake a face they had just seen a few hours ago, and moreover, it was unlikely that both would have the same misapprehension simultaneously!


    "What''s going on, who exactly is she..." Kagura Hikaru clutched the missing child poster, crumpling it with tense fingers.


    The initial worry was right, there was definitely something wrong with Komori Ai.


    What''s more concerning is that they had unwittingly brought her to the campsite!

 Chapter 77 Really? I Dont Believe It

    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina came out of the tent with a dazed expression.Find exclusive stories on empire


    They were still unable to accept reality.


    Both of them experienced hallucinations? Or were they hypnotized unintentionally?


    It was completely incomprehensible.


    "...Why do you look like this? Just came out of the mountain and haven''t recovered yet?" Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly appeared, walking over strangely to look at them.


    Rather than asking about their mental state, she seemed more concerned about why Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, who were enemies, had come out of the same tent together.


    When did their relationship get so good?


    As soon as Kiryu Hina saw her expression, she instantly understood something, her expression turning into a subtly sarcastic half-smile, "Sorry, this is our matter, it''s better if outsiders don''t interfere."


    Although she was right, what happened between them indeed wasn''t convenient to be shared with others.


    One wouldn''t believe it unless they experienced it themselves.


    But somehow when the truth came out of Kiryu Hina''s mouth, it just didn''t feel right.


    Kagura Hikaru silently watched as Ayakoji Chiyoko slowly clenched her fists; they had only exchanged a few words and they were already arguing again. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I never expected the Student Council President to be such a broad-minded person, to reconcile with an ex-boyfriend who had cheated. I misjudged you, I''m really sorry about that."


    "Oh dear, I clearly remember someone shamelessly saying that Classmate Kagura was their man. So, is this jealousy, are you jealous?"


    "Not at all, if you want him, feel free to take him. I won''t stop you, I might just laugh about it behind your back and spread it around the school a bit, and that will be that."


    "I didn''t expect President Ayakoji to be smitten too, look at that face of yours, really cute. If you need love advice, you''re always welcome to come to the Student Council."


    "Hahaha, President Kiryu really tends to forget. Have you forgotten? There was a supporter of yours who confessed to me, you were there at the time, and I clearly replied that I had no intention of dating anyone, yet he persistently troubled me for a while, really troublesome, wouldn''t you say, Student Council President."


    "Oh, not dating anyone, really? I don''t believe it."


    "Whether you believe or not is none of my business."


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Women arguing, truly scary.


    He thought this as he ate a chocolate bar.


    The snack wasn''t his own; it was given to him by other students out of sympathy, along with some candy, chips, and drinks.


    After wandering around the mountain for several hours, he was indeed hungry, and the few wild fruits he picked up on the way just weren''t enough to fill his stomach.


    While they were arguing, the sound of snacking continued beside them, leaving Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko gradually losing interest, both staring at him.


    Kagura Hikaru shared his snacks.


    Then there were three people eating.


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko was opening a chip bag, Kagura Hikaru and she roughly talked about the strange experiences they had encountered.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was initially skeptical, but seeing Kiryu Hina silently drinking her beverage without any objection, she then realized the seriousness of the situation.


    "Are you telling the truth?"


    She gazed into the distance, where she could see Komori Ai and a group of high school students playing dodgeball, their laughter and cheer filling the air.


    However, knowing the truth, this warm scene only sent chills down her spine.


    "Imagine, if that guy named Komori Ai had manipulated the students around her to like her, then perhaps you were also influenced by the same measures," Ayakoji Chiyoko calmly suggested after settling down, "she might be an extremely skilled hypnotist."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko still insisted on understanding the situation scientifically.


    She believed in the experiences of Kagura Hikaru and another person, but at the same time, she also thought that things like magic and sorcery didn''t exist in this world.


    Until solid evidence was found proving Komori Ai to be a ghost, a monster, or a supernatural power user, she would remain skeptical.


    "Hypnosis, huh." Kiryu Hina also fell into thought, "I''ve heard that the most accomplished hypnotists can induce hypnosis just with body language, but Komori Ai is still so young, where could she have learned such a technique?"


    "Can''t it just be innate talent?" Ayakoji Chiyoko habitually countered.


    "You might as well say she''s an old witch disguised as a young girl," Kiryu Hina scoffed, "a fifteen-year-old hypnosis genius, why come to such a rural place to play with us? Do you think that''s likely?"


    Kagura Hikaru remained silent.


    Speaking of possibilities, there was one¡ªit was him.


    He had information he couldn''t share with others, which was that Komori Ai might have discovered the secret of his mind-reading ability.


    If this idea held, then perhaps she had come specifically for him.


    Moreover, as someone who truly possessed supernatural powers, he couldn''t deny the possibility that there were other unknown entities in the world.


    The longer he watched, the more unusual a scent Kagura Hikaru could detect coming from her.


    It was a temperament unlike that of ordinary people.


    Wilful, careless, self-indulgent, an emptiness hidden beneath a sunny smile¡ªalien, was the only way to describe it.


    Ultimately, Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko still thought that the likelihood of hypnosis was too small.


    Anyone familiar with hypnosis should know that people who can be hypnotized instantly almost don''t exist, most people need a lot of time for complete hypnosis, and the environment and methods are crucial and indispensable.


    If one had to induce complete hypnosis on two strangers in good condition at the moment of meeting, that was nearly impossible.


    Unless she could manipulate every plant and tree in that deep mountain during the four hours they were lost, constantly applying psychological suggestions until they fell into the anticipated trap.


    That also was impossible, as Komori Ai was not a Mountain God.


    There was still another issue, since she had already successfully influenced Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, why didn''t she further deepen it and make them like the other students?


    It was either that she herself couldn''t do it, or she was just playful, wanting to see their terrified reactions.


    The truth was unknown.


    As evening fell, a campfire was set up at the campground, along with a barbecue party.


    Although Komori Ai was supposed to go home, she was now joyfully mingling with the students of Ugao High, enjoying the barbecue.


    Kiryu Hina had intended to persuade her to leave on the pretext that ''her family would be worried'', but unexpectedly, Komori Ai countered with ''I''m an orphan'', sinking her completely while also igniting the sympathy of the teachers and students around, who warmly invited her to join Ugao High''s campfire dinner.


    That was okay, it was just a meal after all.


    However, when some female students, looking at Komori Ai with a face full of pity for small animals, wanted to keep her at the campsite to stay overnight, Kagura Hikaru and the others were somewhat unable to keep calm.

 Chapter 78 Midnight Terror

    "Xiao Ai, which older sister are you going to sleep with tonight?""Mmm, I''m fine with anyone!"


    "Aww, how adorable. Come sleep in our tent tonight!"


    "How can that be, Xiao Ai, come with your older sister."


    "We came first!"


    "No, Xiao Ai is ours!"


    Ever since Komori Ai agreed to stay overnight, the schoolgirls surrounding her maintained this status quo for over ten minutes.


    It seemed that being popular wasn''t all good.


    Kagura Hikaru ate his meal while sizing up Komori Ai, who sat not far across from him, holding skewers of grilled meat with both hands.


    At that moment, she looked like a typical little girl.


    Lively, cute, always smiling, with a bit of mischievousness.


    She was the type that both adults and peers would adore.


    If he hadn''t glimpsed a corner of her mysterious core, perhaps Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t have taken special notice of her.


    Suddenly, the figure of Komori Ai disappeared from his view, leaving only a few girls continuing their quarrel, with someone else holding the skewer of meat she had been eating halfway.


    Where did she go?


    "Are you looking for me?"


    Komori Ai''s head suddenly peeked out from over his right shoulder.


    Enchanting laughter echoed in his ears.


    Her tiny body gently pressed against his back, its touch soft and pliable, as if boneless, and strikingly cold.


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly realized that Komori Ai''s body temperature seemed abnormally low, the coldness seeping through the clothes as if it could frost him over.


    Her lovely, flawless face with a smile drew near, her empty, lifeless eyes staring at him.


    She tilted her head, and her smooth, black hair cascaded down, covering her mouth, and draped over Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder, lightly brushing past.


    A snake.


    For some reason, this image sprung up in his mind.


    "[I am Komori Ai, everyone''s nice, so happy.]"


    "[I am Komori Ai, everyone''s nice, so happy.]"


    "[I am Komori Ai, everyone''s nice, so happy.]"


    "[You have gained through mind-reading: Origami +3]"


    "[Origami lv4 (86/100)]" S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mind-reading content was different, yet similarly repetitive.


    Along with different content, he saw the same bizarre imagery as before.


    Komori Ai, even smaller than before, dressed in a black mourning dress.


    A naked male lying on a long table, split open from chest to stomach, exposing his ribs, heart, and intestines.


    A beam of white light.


    Several adults dressed in black suits, faces obscured, kneeling in a Japanese-style room towards a certain direction.


    What was this, after all, what on earth had he been forced to see....


    What exactly was Komori Ai?


    Kagura Hikaru clenched the barbecue skewer in his hand tighter, ready to defend himself.


    This was the first time he had encountered such a strange, inscrutable character.


    He could not sense any humanity from her; when the outer mask was peeled away, all that remained was an unfathomable void.


    As if she could sense the surprise and suspicion leaking from his heart, Komori Ai''s smile widened, her hollow eyes drew even closer, nearly touching Kagura Hikaru''s face.


    "As expected, you''re different from the others, you can see me, how interesting~"


    "What are you talking about, I don''t understand,"


    Kagura Hikaru feigned ignorance, his internal alarms sounding at their highest level.


    What did she mean by "you can see me"?


    Wasn''t he supposed to see her?


    "Hehehehe, so cute, I like you~"


    Komori Ai laughed crisply, drawing even closer, her soft cheek gently scraping against Kagura Hikaru''s face.


    But there was nothing charming about it; instead, it gave Kagura Hikaru a disconcerting feeling of being treated as a pet, as an object.


    Logically, someone should have noticed this side, with Komori Ai being so close, almost clinging to him.


    However, everyone around them seemed to pretend this place didn''t exist, their gazes conspicuously avoiding this spot.


    Including Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was sitting next to him, and Kiryu Hina, who was sitting opposite him, and the other Discipline Committee members nearby as well.


    They all turned a blind eye.


    At Kagura Hikaru''s feet lay an island of isolation.


    He could feel Komori Ai''s hands climbing up his back slowly, like a cold stream gradually engulfing him.


    Her hands crept forward, reaching for his neck...


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t stand it any longer, abruptly turned around, grabbed Komori Ai by the shoulders, and pushed her away.


    Before he could speak, Komori Ai smiled and backed away from him, cheerfully skipping off on her own to tease other girls and scrounge for food and drinks.


    Under the glow of the campfire, the red of her dress seemed to darken.


    What a whimsical person.


    Feeling the lingering chill on his back, Kagura Hikaru''s gaze grew stern.


    Komori Ai, what exactly was her purpose?


    In the end, he didn''t find another opportunity to interact with her before the party ended and everyone went to sleep in their tents.


    Late at night, the lights of the campsite were extinguished one by one.


    Everyone fell asleep successively. Explore more at empire


    Kagura Hikaru could hear teachers patrolling outside, their steps rustling on the grass.


    He laid down his final card, securing a crushing victory over the Gorilla Vice President and Miyamoto Shi, eliciting a chorus of groans.


    The Gorilla Vice President said admiringly, "Kagura, you''re too strong at playing cards, you haven''t lost a single time!"


    Miyamoto Shi covered his head, disgruntled, "Damn it! Let''s play again, another round. I can definitely win this time!"


    "Miyamoto, you''d best never touch gambling in the future," Kagura Hikaru said dryly as he gathered the cards and tossed them to Miyamoto Shi, "Let''s go to sleep as well. I don''t want to be reminded by the teachers."


    "I agree," yawned the Gorilla Vice President, "Discipline Committee members have to maintain discipline both inside and outside the school."


    "That''s all well and good... but don''t you guys want to play another round?"


    "No way," they replied in unison.


    "Tch~~"


    Kagura Hikaru turned off the tent''s light and crawled into his cozy sleeping bag.


    Outside the campsite, faint sounds of insects could be heard intermittently.


    Gradually, a light rain began to fall, its drops pattering against the tent fabric, producing a thudding noise.


    Many people in the world use the sound of rain as a lullaby, even playing it to help themselves fall asleep.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t agree more.


    He liked the rain, whether walking under an umbrella on a rainy day or watching the rain from indoors.


    Listening to the rain while sleeping in a tent like this was a unique experience.


    Lulled by the light rain, he drifted off into a dreamy slumber.


    In his dream, he felt a gaze upon him.


    He climbed over high mountains in search of the source of the gaze, only to discover on the other side a planet-sized, golden serpentine eye staring intently at him.


    After what felt like ages, Kagura Hikaru woke up groggily.


    He opened his eyes to find it was still night; the rain seemed to have stopped, and there was no sound of raindrops hitting the tent fabric.


    He rubbed his eyes and was about to reach for his phone.


    But then he saw something unexpected that made him freeze, his heart nearly stopping.


    There was a shadow of a person outside the tent.


    Long hair, petite, dressed in a dress that faintly shone a blood-like red.


    That thing stood there silently, utterly still.


    He had no idea how long it had been watching from there.


    Kagura Hikaru took a deep breath and yanked open the tent zipper.


    But when he lifted the flap, he found no one outside, just the indistinct moonlight and the smell of the earthy grass, washed clean by the rain.


    A chill ran through him.


    And until morning, Kagura Hikaru did not fall asleep again.

 Chapter 79 Spring Memories

    It was just past six in the morning when Kagura Hikaru, sporting dark circles, emerged from his tent to wash up.At the wash basin, he ran into Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had woken up even earlier than he had.


    She was brushing her teeth, a towel draped around her neck, her mouth full of foam.


    Maybe because she had just gotten up, her school uniform looked a bit disheveled, loose and giving off a lived-in feel.


    Hearing the footsteps, she turned around, glanced at Kagura Hikaru askance, and lowered her head to spit out the toothpaste foam and rinse her mouth.


    "Didn''t you sleep well last night?" she asked.


    "How did you know?"


    "The dark circles, pretty obvious."


    Kagura Hikaru, holding a plastic cup, turned on the tap, squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush, and said, "Something happened last night...never mind, I''d rather not talk about it."


    "What, you think I''m unreliable, can''t keep a secret?" Ayakoji Chiyoko frowned, visibly displeased.


    "It''s not for that reason."


    Even if he told her, it would be pointless, only increasing panic, plus there was the risk of being thought to have delusions.


    Actually, Kagura Hikaru wasn''t sure that the figure he had seen was Komori Ai.


    Because that shadow, clearly shorter than Komori Ai, looked like a grade schooler.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko was persistent, insisting he tell her, and Kagura Hikaru, unable to withstand her continuous questioning, had to tell her.


    The response was flat.


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    "So, you met a ghost last night, what''s so hard to say about that?"


    "Wow."


    If I were a video store owner, I definitely wouldn''t sell you horror movies.


    "Of course, I don''t believe it. That must have been some other shadow that you mistook."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko rolled her eyes contemptuously, "Also, why do you start your story assuming I know who Komori Ai is? Who is she, your friend?"


    "..."


    In that moment, Kagura Hikaru froze for three seconds, standing still.


    He didn''t even notice when his toothpaste fell from his brush, just kept staring at her.


    "....What did you say?"


    "Is she a girl by that name? I don''t recall. Is she from our school?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked while wiping her face with a towel.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t take in a word.


    This was no joke; he could tell.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, forgotten Komori Ai?


    "You don''t know Komori Ai?"


    "Should I know her?"


    "I just mentioned her to you yesterday."


    "Did that happen?" Ayakoji Chiyoko appeared puzzled.


    Even if Ayakoji Chiyoko was usually scatterbrained, she shouldn''t have forgotten that distinctive name in just a day.


    Kagura Hikaru pressed further: "Do you still remember when I and President Kiriyu got lost on the mountain yesterday?"


    "Why wouldn''t I?" Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at him oddly, "You both disappeared for four hours on the mountain, then walked out on your own, and I even ridiculed him harshly."


    "How many people came down the mountain?"


    "Only you and Kiryu Hina, who else?"


    Kagura Hikaru slowly stuffed his toothbrush, devoid of toothpaste, into his mouth, his cold, wet hand against his cheek.


    Her memory was indeed faulty.


    Had Komori Ai done it?


    But why was his memory not erased, why was he special?


    After washing up, Kagura Hikaru encountered other students, asked about the name Komori Ai, and indeed, not one of them remembered.


    The few girls who had slept in the same tent as Komori Ai the previous night were no exception.


    Upon seeing Kiryu Hina, her attitude became somewhat distant.


    Without Komori Ai''s presence, it meant that after returning to the camp, there would no longer be any reason for her to continue interacting with Kagura Hikaru.


    It was only because of the eerie presence of Komori Ai following them back to the camp that Kiryu Hina had temporarily acted together with Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Their issues hadn''t been resolved yet, so don''t expect her to become friends again just because Kagura Hikaru had saved her the day before.


    The legend of a hero saving a damsel, implying she must marry him, is just a legend.


    However, Kagura Hikaru could indeed feel that after this getting lost incident, Kiryu Hina''s attitude toward him had changed.


    There was no longer that constant, targeted discomfort.


    Although still not friendly, it at least returned to the realm of normal communication.


    This probably could also be considered a blessing in disguise in some sense.


    Komori Ai had silently left, as if she had never appeared, literally.


    The people at the campsite were still the same, without much change.


    In the end, Komori Ai, who they had thought would bring danger, didn''t harm anyone.


    Moreover, she had even helped Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina by guiding them to find the way down the mountain.


    She might really have been a Mountain God.


    It''s just that her attitude was a bit creepy.


    Because Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina had gotten lost on the mountain the day before, Teacher Yamazaki''s original plan for a picnic had to be abandoned.


    Even he wouldn''t dare take the risk of dragging students up the mountain at such a time.


    So, the morning activities were changed to flying kites, playing Frisbee, and dodgeball.


    Those who wanted to play did, while others formed small groups on their own to play video games and cards.


    Honestly, it was quite boring.


    At noon, after eating a meal of chestnut fried rice, their allotted time at the campsite ended.


    The students from Uka quickly packed up their belongings under the teachers'' prodding.


    After handing over to the campsite manager, the teachers led over a hundred students back to the bus station in town.


    Just like when they departed, everyone boarded the buses in three groups.


    Kagura Hikaru sat by the window, resting his cheek on his hand and boredly watching outside.


    He was still preoccupied with the matter of Komori Ai.


    Yet until now, he hadn''t figured out her real identity or purpose, and could not even confirm whether she was dead or alive, human or ghost.


    So much so that he began to doubt whether what he had experienced was real or just his imagination.


    A person whom everyone else forgot, but only he remembered.


    Telling anyone would only lead to the conclusion that he was wrong, suffering from delusions. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But if that were true, why did it feel so real?


    That bone-deep chill seemed to still cling to his back as if it had never left.


    The bus started, gradually moving away from the station and the town amid the sound of the engine.


    As the vehicle turned a corner, Kagura Hikaru, through the window, saw a familiar face waving a red shadow far away.


    It was Komori Ai.


    She truly did exist.


    Kagura Hikaru watched her waving arms disappear from sight, somehow feeling that they would meet again in the future.


    This was an odd experience that he couldn''t share with others.


    Whoever it was would probably not believe it.


    After returning to Tokyo, this encounter would gradually be sealed in a corner of Kagura Hikaru''s memory, becoming a unique remembrance of this spring.


    Occasionally recalling it could even be described as pleasant, novel, and interesting.


    For the ordinary living plain lives, a ghost story experienced firsthand without harm would be considered a memory worth recollecting; it wasn''t strange.


    The fear, thrill, and uncertainty he felt at that time had vanished over time.


    At least, until it was dug up again.

 Chapter 80 Dont do that!

    "Cutting through the clouds, sparkling, sparkling~ as my heart fills up, it overflows. Gradually, my cheeks, sparkling, sparkling~ grow hot, hot and wet..."A livehouse somewhere in Tokyo Shinjuku.


    The spotlight overhead cast down, outlining the singer in white light.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian held the microphone, performing on stage.


    Her singing voice was clear and ethereal, quite distinctive, and what was more rare was that she knew how to immerse herself, embedding emotions in her song, making the tune extremely infectious.


    The audience stood packed below the stage, quietly waving pink light sticks.


    More than a quarter of them were there for the Red Pepper Band.


    It had been over three months since their first performance, and the members of the Red Pepper Band had completely meshed together; backed by their already decent skills, they had quickly risen to fame in the underground band circle.


    Female bands tended to attract attention, and even more so if they sounded good.


    But the real reason for the full house was the guitarist on stage, playing the lead guitar while wearing a black mask¡ªthe hired guitarist, Kagura Hikaru.


    As a rare underground music scene bigshot, he always drew a crowd, and those in the know would find out in advance where he was performing that day and make sure to be there on time.


    Even passers-by who stumbled upon him, if they had been coming to the livehouse for over half a year, could recognize his lake blue Fender guitar at a glance.


    "Thank you, thank you everyone~! See you next time!"


    At the end of the song, Ai Cheng Hua Lian and all the band members bowed and waved to the audience, then quickly jogged off stage.


    "Ah, I sweated a lot!"


    "My clothes are all wet."


    "Pfft, I can''t see your bra strap, did you not wear one?"


    "I''m wearing two layers of clothes, even if it''s wet, it wouldn''t soak through to my underwear!"


    The band members chatted about girl things, completely oblivious to Kagura Hikaru, the boy standing next to them.


    He picked up a water bottle from the table and drank from it, pretending not to hear.


    "Here, have something to eat, Mr. Kagura." Ruzaki Mami handed him a chocolate bar tenderly, her eyes glued on him, "Thanks to Mr. Kagura, the live performance went really smoothly today, thank you for coming."


    "It was nothing, you all performed well," Kagura Hikaru replied without any false modesty, taking the chocolate.


    The Red Pepper Band had a busy schedule of performances today, and he had been hired as the temp lead guitarist, playing continuously for half an hour, so his body was indeed a bit low on energy.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, fanning the sweat off with her hand while pulling at her collar to cool down, leaned in and asked, "Kagura, do you want to go to the victory feast later?"


    "Karen-chan, that''s not proper! It''s rude," Ruzaki Mami, who had been smiling gently, suddenly glared, slapped away the hand pulling at her collar, and then took out her own handkerchief to wipe Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s sweat.


    "Thank you, Mami, suki~smooch~~"


    "Don''t do that, everyone is watching," Ruzaki Mami said, shyly bowing her head and stepping back from Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s playful attack.


    "Eh~ what does it matter if they look...." Ai Cheng Hua Lian joked with her best friend for a moment, then looked back at Kagura Hikaru, "Kagura, about the victory feast, do you want to come?"


    "No, I think I''ll go home to rest."


    "Oh, so you mean you''re free later?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, scratching her neck awkwardly, "There''s something I would like to ask for your help with, if that''s okay....."


    "What do you need help with."


    "Uh, actually, I want to start learning electric guitar, but I haven''t bought one yet, so I thought I''d ask you, Kagura, to come with me to the music store and help me decide..."


    This topic came up quite suddenly, and Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but look over in surprise, "You want to play guitar? Is it a personal interest or does the band need it."


    "It''s for the band." the female guitarist of the Red Pepper Band interjected, "We want to enrich our band''s style. Currently, the sound is still too thin. Having another guitarist would really help."


    "But good guitarists are hard to find, and you never know if they''re reliable." said the female bassist, chiming in, "So, Karen decided she would teach herself guitar. After all, many band leaders play while they sing, and she thinks it''s cool and a good way to attract guys."


    "Hey!" Ai Cheng Karen stomped her foot, both embarrassed and angry.


    "And, it also means having more in common with Mr. Kagura," the female bassist teased her with an elbow nudge, whispering into Ai Cheng Karen''s ear with a chuckle, "Right, little wolf cub?"


    Ai Cheng Karen didn''t argue back and just blushed stammeringly.


    It''s just mixing a bit of personal interest with business, right?


    She wasn''t asking for much; going out alone together was already enough to make her happy.


    Since it was about choosing a guitar, Kagura Hikaru felt he indeed had some authority on the matter, but he had a question before that, "If it''s about choosing a guitar, wouldn''t it be more convenient to leave it to your band''s guitarist?"


    Unexpectedly, the female guitarist of the Red Pepper Band quickly turned her face away, "I can''t, I work three jobs a day; I don''t have time to accompany her."


    Working three jobs a day and still having time for a band; are you also a master of time management?


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t sure if she was really busy or just making excuses, but after thinking it over and realizing he didn''t really have any pressing matters, he nodded in agreement, "Alright, then. No celebration dinner, I''ll take Ai Cheng to browse the music store."


    "Really? Thank you~!" Ai Cheng Karen beamed with joy.


    Ruzaki Mami puffed out her cheeks jealously, "I want to go too!"


    "Hmm?"


    "When you guys go to pick a guitar, I want to come along too¡ªmmph¡ªmmph!"


    The female bassist covered Ruzaki Mami''s mouth with her hand, and the female guitarist pinned her from the other side.


    "We know you don''t want to be away from Karen, worried she''ll fall for some guy."


    "But trust me, if Mr. Kagura takes the initiative, she''d be very happy."


    "Getting in the way of your friend''s romance is a serious crime, you know." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You don''t want to see Karen go all three years of high school without finding a boyfriend, right?"


    They whispered in Ruzaki Mami''s ear from both sides, almost breaking her down completely.


    Ruzaki Mami was on the verge of tears.


    Please no, Karen-chan with Mr. Kagura... I don''t want that kind of thing to happen!!


    "Mami must be tired; we''ll take her to eat and head off first!"


    "Feel free, feel free."


    Working together, the bassist and the guitarist easily lifted the petite and light Ruzaki Mami and started walking out, her flailing arms and kicking legs futile against their efforts.


    Kagura Hikaru watched them leave in a rush, with Ai Cheng Karen''s head sinking to her chest behind him.


    This bunch... their intentions are too obvious!


    "Ahaha... my friends like to joke, don''t take them too seriously..."


    Ai Cheng Karen smiled awkwardly, her toes twisting frantically as if she could dig out a three-bedroom apartment with an extra large bathroom in this livehouse.


    "...No worries, let''s go."


    "Yeah!" Your adventure continues at empire

 Chapter 81 Brother, You Smell So Good

    Shimokitazawa.Find your next read at empire


    This is Tokyo''s "City of Music," where the number of live houses significantly surpasses those in other districts, and many famous music groups have emerged from here.


    It has even served as the main stage for that phenomenal band anime, "Solitary Rock."


    Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Karen were very familiar with this area.


    As band members and hired guitar players, they had performed here quite often.


    Karen''s bandmates also frequented this area to buy guitar strings and picks, and sometimes she would join them, so she was not unfamiliar with this place either.


    On the way, they started chatting about what had happened during their spring outing.


    "So, you really got lost with President Hina in the mountains for four hours?"


    "Yes."


    "Wow, that must have been tough."


    "It was okay," Kagura asked, "How did you find out about this? Did someone tell you?"


    "There''s no need for someone to tell me, the school forum was abuzz with it. Posts like ''Student Council President Goes Missing During Spring Outing'' and ''President Kiryu''s Four-Hour Extreme Self-Rescue'' were everywhere. There were also students live-posting updates during the outing, and on that day alone the replies broke ten thousand."


    "Oh....."


    It was only then that Kagura realized so many people had been concerned about them without their knowledge that day.


    But it seemed like everyone''s focus was on Hina; nobody mentioned him.


    That made sense, the difference in popularity was too great.


    "I breathed a sigh of relief when I found out you guys had made it out safely," Karen said with a lingering fear, "Maybe it was due to the blessing from the shrine, but it''s really great that you both returned safely."


    "Shrine?"


    "Yeah, when I found out you two were missing, I was rehearsing outside with Zhen Chun and the others, so I dragged them all to the shrine to pray."


    "Right!" Karen remembered something and took out a red ''safety in coming and going'' omamori from her bag, handing it to him, "Here, this is an amulet I bought at the shrine that day."


    "?"


    "Don''t be shy, it was bought specifically for you, take it!"


    Karen smiled genuinely, "The one for President Hina I''ll give to her when school reopens."


    "...Thank you, I''ll treasure it."


    "Hehe~"


    Kagura placed the omamori in the inner pocket of his jacket, closest to his chest.


    Was this the warmth of friendship? It felt nice.


    Before long, they could see the guitar shop.


    "What''s your budget?" Kagura asked.


    He was referring to the money Karen had for buying a guitar.


    A decent electric guitar usually started at sixty thousand yen, and you couldn''t guarantee quality below that.


    Luckily, Karen told him her budget was seventy thousand, which was slightly higher than the minimum.


    That made things easier.


    Together, they entered a guitar shop.


    Guitars of various brands, colors, and shapes hung on the wall, dazzling to behold.


    If you were fooled by the way they were displayed, like wholesale toys, into thinking they were all cheap, you''d be sorely mistaken.


    Upon a closer look at the price tags, one could see each guitar was priced over one hundred thousand yen, with a few even breaking two hundred thousand yen scattered around.


    This nearly stunned Karen dizzy. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Kagura, isn''t this place a bit too expensive..."


    "It''s okay, there are cheaper ones inside."


    A few steps further and the price of the guitars became significantly cheaper, affordable for students, with a wide variety as well.


    Karen was dazzled by the choices: "This one looks nice, this one''s good too, oh and this color matches clothes well..."


    "Rather than the color, isn''t the sound more important?" Kagura''s hands were in his pockets, "What does your band require from the guitar''s tone? Cooler or warmer?"


    "Cool? Warm?" Karen replied confusedly, "What are you talking about, temperature?"


    "...You really are in a band, right?"


    "Eh?"


    "Never mind." Seeing her bewildered face, Kagura was too embarrassed to continue teasing her, "I''ll pick out a few for you, and you can buy the one you like."


    After some deliberation, they selected a single coil Squier Tele in metallic red, priced slightly above sixty thousand yen, with strings, a gig bag, picks included, and a one-year warranty.


    The remaining money was just enough to add a small guitar amp to their purchase.


    Kagura also bought her a copy of "Hell Guitar" as a beginner''s tutorial book.


    As Karen slung the guitar bag over her shoulder after paying, she expressed her feelings:


    "So heavy...!"


    "Get used to it, your model is already quite light."


    "There are heavier ones?!"


    "Heh, come on, try mine."


    "Wait, Kagura, two guitars won''t do... Ah!"


    Stepping out of the guitar shop, Karen Ai Cheng awkwardly adjusted the guitar bag''s strap and mustered the courage to ask the person beside her, "Kagura, could you teach me how to play the guitar when you''re free?"


    "Doesn''t your band already have a guitarist?"


    "That''s true... but, you''re better!"


    That was hard to argue with.


    After thinking it over, Kagura Hikaru realized that during spring break there was no school, and he didn''t have to go to his live part-time job if he didn''t want to, so he indeed had plenty of free time.


    "Alright, I can do that."


    "Really? That''s great!"


    Karen Ai Cheng lightly jumped, her skirt cheerfully swaying, "Then let''s set your house as our practice spot!"


    "Okay."


    She had mentioned it casually and didn''t expect Kagura Hikaru to actually agree, causing Karen''s spirits to soar.


    The thought of being able to see her crush at home made her legs feel light, and she had the urge to roll on the ground.


    But the next second, she understood what a blunt and straightforward guy was.


    "Teaching one person is the same as teaching two, so let''s just call your guitarist over too," Kagura Hikaru said seriously, nodding, "I think your band''s level can still improve a bit."


    "..."


    Damn it, I chose my crush, and I have to see this through even if it breaks my teeth!


    Karen verbally agreed, her heart weeping, as she tearfully contacted the guitar player teammate.


    The next morning.


    Kagura Hikaru, carrying his guitar bag, arrived at the Ai Cheng Family''s doorstep.


    As mentioned before, the Ai Cheng Family''s house was actually quite close to his own, just a few streets away, a mere fifteen-minute walk.


    But it was only yesterday that he got the exact address of the Ai Cheng family.


    The Ai Cheng household was clearly an average family home, a typical two-story residence with a small garage, and the family name ''Ai Cheng'' written on the doorplate.


    The exterior was very clean, giving off a cozy and warm feel.


    It was evident that it got cleaned regularly.


    After ringing the doorbell, the door was opened by a woman wearing a purple knit sweater, a mature figure with long hair.


    "May I ask who you are looking for?"


    "Hello, I am Student Ai Cheng''s friend, we made plans for today."


    "Oh~ please come in, come in."


    The woman smiled warmly, took his shoes, and led Kagura Hikaru to the second floor, in front of Karen Ai Cheng''s room.


    "Karen, your friend is here."


    Instantly, there were thudding footsteps from inside the room.


    Karen Ai Cheng opened the door.


    She was wearing a light pink sweater and seemed to have applied some natural makeup, and her little bare feet in socks kept curling her toes.


    She awkwardly ran her fingers through her hair, looked down with blushing cheeks, and said, "Come in, Kagura."


    The purple-clad woman behind Kagura Hikaru squinted her eyes and chuckled to herself, the laugh lines around her eyes becoming prominent. Karen noticed and shot her a silent glare before quickly pulling Kagura Hikaru into the room.


    The room was tidy and spotless; even the trash bin seemed to be free from rubbish.


    And, as expected of a girl''s bedroom, there was a very fragrant scent.


    Kagura Hikaru placed down his guitar bag and sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, "When shall we start?"


    "We''ll start when Nana gets here; she should be arriving soon," said Karen, also kneeling across from him.


    There was silence in the room for a moment.


    What should be said at a time like this...


    Both of them thought at the same time.


    Knock knock knock.


    At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and the purple-clad woman came in saying, "I''ve brought some drinks for you."


    She put two glasses of orange juice on the desk. Kagura and the others thought she would leave, but instead, she turned around, sat down comfortably, and started chatting with Kagura Hikaru, "What''s your name, student? How old are you? Do you have a girlfriend? Would you like to stay for lunch?"


    "Mom!" Karen Ai Cheng''s eyes widened.

 Chapter 82 The Malice of the World

    Ai Cheng Karen finally managed to shoo away her gossip-loving mother.Kagura Hikaru fell silent for a moment, "....Your mom takes really good care of herself."


    He had honestly thought she was Ai Cheng Karen''s older sister or something of the sort.


    Ai Cheng Karen forced a couple of awkward laughs, "Yeah, I guess so." Continue reading on empire


    "....Let''s get the guitar out," said Kagura Hikaru. "Let''s practice a bit before your friend comes over. Did you practice with the textbook last night?"


    "Yes, I did! I just got to climbing grids."


    "? Climbing what grids?"


    "Ah? Don''t I have to practice that?"


    "It''s a skill that''s completely useless, better to start practicing chords."


    And so, they started practicing chord shapes.


    Chords, simply put, are combinations of multiple strings being pressed at the same time, a technique that is often used during play; it''s an inescapable part of practice for beginners.


    Starting from the simplest C chord, Ai Cheng Karen quickly got stuck on the F chord, notorious as the nightmare of beginners.


    This chord required the use of all fingers, with the index finger spanning the fretboard pressing down on three strings simultaneously, without touching any other strings, otherwise, it wouldn''t sound right¡ªit was the most difficult among all chords.


    Ai Cheng Karen struggled with this chord for over half an hour, her hand nearly cramping, and didn''t manage to play it even once.


    However, Kagura Hikaru saw she had long fingers and good flexibility, and he figured she would succeed with a bit more practice.


    To his surprise, Ai Cheng Karen''s guitar talent seemed to be not too shabby.


    Looking at it this way, it didn''t seem impossible to train her to be stage-ready before the end of spring break.


    After all, what the Red Pepper Band was missing was a rhythm guitarist, and the scores for rhythm guitar were generally not very difficult.


    Kagura Hikaru took a sip of orange juice. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Speaking of which, where''s your friend? Why hasn''t she arrived yet?" he asked.


    "Uh, she should be here soon..." said Ai Cheng Karen with a slightly guilty tone.


    She couldn''t possibly admit that she had told her friend a meetup time half an hour later than planned.


    When the guitarist named Hoshimi Nana finally arrived, Kagura Hikaru''s teaching roster increased by one more.


    Both of them were very serious about learning.


    Afterward, he spent the entire spring break as a free guitar teacher and even supervised one of their band''s original songs.


    The vacation passed in a blur.


    ............


    The cherry trees in front of the school blossomed.


    White petals tinged with pale pink fell with the wind, spun, and landed on the heads of Yuqiu High School students entering the campus.


    Kagura Hikaru picked a petal from his hair, rubbing it gently between his fingers.


    Today was the day spring break ended, the day Ugao High started the new term, and the day they moved up to the second year.


    Moving up to the second year wasn''t just a step closer to graduation; it also meant facing new classes and classmates.


    For the sake of fairness, high schools in the Island Nation scatter and reassign students every year, and it had become a routine.


    The classmates one grew familiar with in the past might only be together for one year in the same class.


    With luck, possibly longer.


    On the day school resumed, the class assignment results would be posted on the announcement board outside the teaching building.


    Early in the morning, the spot was already crowded with people.


    Luckily, Kagura Hikaru had good eyesight, and he could see the words even from the back of the crowd.


    His name, Kagura Hikaru, wasn''t very eye-catching, and he spent half a minute finding it on the list.


    Alongside his name, he saw those of Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina.


    The three of them, appearing together on the class list for second-year class A.


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    He felt a kind of malice from the world.


    ```plaintext


    It looks like this year is going to be quite lively.


    Walking towards the sophomore hall, the first room to the left after coming out of the stairwell is Class 2-A.


    A new class, everyone is eager to recognize old friends or make new ones to avoid awkwardness, creating a bustling atmosphere.


    In the class, there are two people who stand out enormously, overshadowing all the others.


    These are undoubtedly Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina.


    Kagura Hikaru spotted them as soon as he entered, seated by the window, front and back rows, very close to each other, yet each leaning forward or back in their seats, chatting with the people around them separately.


    Even those talking with them didn''t make eye contact with the person opposite, ignoring each other completely.


    It''s as if there''s a clear dividing line between the two groups, keeping them apart.


    Just like two factions of the mafia meeting up in a restaurant.


    The atmosphere was so hostile, Kagura really wanted to keep his distance, but Ayakoji Chiyoko wouldn''t let him off the hook. Catching a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, she called out, "Kagura Hikaru, come sit here."


    She indicated the seat beside her.


    Did she want Kagura to sit next to her?


    Kiryu Hina also turned her gaze, with a half-smile.


    It seemed there was no escape.


    Kagura approached expressionlessly, placed his schoolbag on the desk, and looked at Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina.


    "What a coincidence," he said.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave a short laugh, "Isn''t it?"


    Kiryu Hina smiled subtly in this direction, and the two women made brief eye contact.


    A storm was brewing in their gazes.


    Both were top castes in this school, not the usual popular crowd, but went even further as they were ''Power Holders'' who could easily sway Ugao High''s students.


    The new year meant the Student Council President elections were on the horizon.


    And there would be a fierce battle between the two of them.


    Even now, that atmosphere was already faintly present.


    Class 2-A, centered around them, was divided into three parts.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s supporters, Kiryu Hina''s supporters, and a small neutral faction.


    At the moment, Kiryu Hina''s popularity was clearly dominant.


    For Ayakoji Chiyoko to turn the tides, her only method was to attract the remaining neutrals.


    Not just those in the class but throughout the whole school, and even to snatch votes from other election candidates.


    Whoever got the highest number of votes would win the final victory in the war.


    Yes, Kagura was willing to describe it as a ''war''.


    The disastrous state of last year''s Student Council elections was still vividly in mind, he didn''t think this year would be any better; in fact, it was sure to escalate.


    After all, the situation had become even more complicated.


    And this year, he would join in, too.


    Kagura looked towards Kiryu Hina, who was facing away from him, her long hair and slender back all he could see.


    She probably didn''t know yet that Kagura would stand truly by Ayakoji Chiyoko''s side in this election.


    It couldn''t be helped.


    This was the one thing Kagura had to accomplish, no matter what.


    The first, and most crucial, step to curing Kiryu Hina.


    An act of betrayal in the name of goodwill, if seen from an outsider''s perspective, even Kagura himself would call it hypocrisy.


    But even if others branded him selfish, self-righteous, self-centered, and even if Hina could not understand and distanced herself from him, he wouldn''t give up.


    A perfect Student Council President should not exist.


    He wanted that sincere, sharp-tongued, aloof Kiryu Hina to come back.


    ```

 Chapter 83 Digging Up Scandals, Slinging Mud

    The start of school was shocking, not just because Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina had been placed in the same class.There was another noteworthy event, which was Ayakoji Chiyoko resuming her public defamation campaign against the latter.


    She retook the stage, using the Society Discussion Meeting as a platform to accuse Kiryu Hina of a previous act of retaliation against her.


    [Ayakoji Chiyoko: "This whole affair was meticulously planned by Kiryu Hina."]


    [Reporter: "Do you mean this was the Student Council President''s retaliation against you?"]


    [Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Exactly."]


    [Reporter: "Do you have any concrete evidence?"]


    [Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Not yet, she''s hidden it perfectly."]


    [Ayakoji Chiyoko: "However, her attempt to cover up for Hosaka Yui and keep her in a key position in the Student Council is evidence enough of their behind-the-scenes connection."]


    [Reporter: "Why is that?"]


    [Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Do you really think someone would bring a stranger who has just been embroiled in a scandal under their command?"]


    In the Student Council office, Hosaka Yui, looking worried, closed the Club Redemption Department''s daily paper. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No need to read further, as it was probably just a list of charges anyway.


    She turned to Kiryu Hina, puzzled: "President, wasn''t this matter already resolved? Why is Ayakoji Chiyoko still not letting it go?"


    At that moment, as there were only the two of them in the Student Council, they could speak freely.


    As Kiryu Hina sipped her tea and flipped through some documents, seemingly disinterested in the matter, she calmly smiled and said, "Ayakoji Chiyoko is a very determined person who will try over and over again to achieve a target she can''t initially bring down. It''s best not to give her any opportunities, otherwise, things like this will keep happening."


    "Sorry, President, this is all because of me..."


    "Ah, don''t misunderstand, I''m not blaming you. Having you help in the Student Council is something I could only wish for."


    "Thank you, President." Encouraged, Hosaka Yui revitalized, "Then, President, I''ll call Ryusongan right away to have them send over the real accommodation records, so Ayakoji Chiyoko''s accusations can be self-defeating!"


    Although previously, due to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s threats, Hosaka Yui had been forced to take on the burden of ''fabricating evidence''.


    But fundamentally, those accommodation records were real.


    They had already reached an agreement, but since Ayakoji Chiyoko initiated the breach, Hosaka Yui couldn''t be blamed for being merciless.


    "Although I think it''s futile to ask," Kiryu Hina said with a half-smile, "but being cautious doesn''t hurt."


    Discover hidden tales at empire


    Hosaka Yui, who was dialing on her phone, didn''t understand her meaning, and just as she was about to ask, the call connected.


    "Hello, this is Ryusongan."


    A child''s voice came through the speaker.


    It was the daughter of the owner, Xiao You.


    Recognizing the caller eased Hosaka Yui''s mood: "Yu-chan, do you remember me? It''s Yui."


    "I remember."


    Perhaps it was an illusion, but upon hearing her voice, Xiao You''s tone seemed to grow colder.


    Hosaka Yui paused, then continued, "Yu-chan, I''d like to borrow the accommodation records again. Could you send me another copy of the part I had you photograph last time, preferably a photocopy or a digital file?"


    "...You, are you trying to use me to frame someone again?!" Xiao You suddenly shouted angrily, "Last time I was unaware and was deceived by you, this time I won''t be fooled! Goodbye, or rather, never see you again! Don''t call here anymore!"


    With that, the other side forcefully hung up the phone.


    Beep, beep, beep...


    Hosaka Yui''s eyes twitched, and she slowly retracted her smile, putting down her phone.


    "Seems like it didn''t go well?" Kiryu Hina said without raising her head.


    "President, do you know what''s going on here?"


    "I told you, Ayakoji Chiyoko is a tough opponent."


    She put down the file, stood up to pour herself a cup of tea, leaned against the desk, clasping her hands, her fingers tapping slightly as though reminiscing, and lightly chuckled, "She would not leave such an obvious handle for herself. I suppose even if you go to the scene now and check Ryusongan''s accommodation records, you''ll only find a record that is drastically different from before."


    "You mean Ryusongan''s people have been bought off by her?"


    "You mean Ryusongan''s people have been bought off by you?"


    In different places, the same conversations were taking place.


    Old school building third floor, Disciplinary Committee.


    Kagura Hikaru holding a cup of oolong tea, asked this.


    Pleased with his surprise, Ayakoji Chiyoko curled the corner of her mouth, "You think I was just idling at home during spring break."


    Turns out, after the spring trip, she went to Capital City again, approached Ryusongan, and coerced the landlady into altering the records under the threat of trouble caused by a leak of the accommodation records, instructing her never to disclose it to anyone inquiring afterward.


    The landlady''s daughter was also present and after learning the whole story, her face darkened completely.


    One imagines if Hosaka Yui dared to contact her again, she would surely be sent packing back to her grandmother''s house.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s goal was to use Hosaka Yui to undermine Kiryu Hina''s credibility.


    She knew that this affair would not bring a major impact on the Student Council.


    But she just needed the students of Uka to have a slight doubt about the Student Council President, and that would be enough.


    A dike collapses because of an ant hole.


    Even the smallest of droplets, in great numbers, can drown a person alive.


    The development of the affair was as Ayakoji Chiyoko had anticipated.


    Since Kiryu Hina merely denied the accusations publicly without providing sufficient evidence, students began questioning her integrity.


    Even the old rumors of bullying were brought up again, with claims that Kagura Hikaru teamed up with Ayakoji Chiyoko because he was bullied by Kiryu Hina, who went unpunished.


    As the centerpiece, Hosaka Yui didn''t escape either; when she represented the Student Council to distribute this term''s funds to other clubs, she was mocked, called the President''s assassin, a loyal dog, and the like.


    It was only because of her good temperament that she didn''t retaliate, or things could have turned even worse.


    Rumors were rife throughout the school for a time.


    The more violently Kiryu Hina retaliated in this situation, the more it proved her involvement in the scheme against Ayakoji Chiyoko, so she couldn''t act but had to adopt a stance of obliviousness and swallow this bitter pill.


    If she had given up on Hosaka Yui from the beginning and hadn''t included her in the Student Council, none of this would have happened.


    But if she had really abandoned her, perhaps other mishaps would have occurred.


    Right or wrong, good or bad, who can really tell?


    Anyway, this time Ayakoji Chiyoko really hit a sore spot of Kiryu Hina.


    The Disciplinary Committee began to exert itself, actively fostering distrust towards Kiryu Hina and the Student Council within the school.


    Digging up scandals, slander, the same old tricks.


    In order to reduce Kiryu Hina''s reelection success rate, they utterly disregarded their image.


    Some might wonder if Ayakoji Chiyoko had no other methods, but this is the approach of modern society.


    To grasp the dirty secrets of the opponent, dismantle the trust she struggled to build, and let her destroy herself in public view.


    This game, essentially, is a struggle of trust, to gain the students'' trust or to tarnish the image of other candidates, both are tactics.


    In the house of cards where overt violence is not allowed, this will be the continuing norm between Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina.


    The Student Council elections have not started, but they have already begun.

 Chapter 84 The Enemy

    Two months after school began.Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina had several clashes that involved the whole school, their opposition was laid bare for all to see, and even the freshmen who had just enrolled were aware of it.


    The clever ones had already guessed that their fights were in preparation for this year''s Student Council election.


    Of course, their relationship was genuinely bad.


    If making a wish upon a shooting star really worked, then at the moment a meteor streaked across the sky, they would surely each make a wish to inconvenience the other¡ªin the eyes of the students at Uka, this was the type of relationship Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina had.


    It was at such a time that the annual sports festival at Haneoka Private High School was about to begin.


    Student Council meeting room.


    Representatives from the four major power departments among the students of Uka gathered together¡ª


    The Student Council, which coordinated everything, was at the pinnacle of power among all students.


    The Disciplinary Committee, responsible for school discipline, inspections, and the confiscation of contraband, was ostensibly under the Student Council but had decided to go its own way since its establishment.


    The Sports Committee, in charge of managing the athletic departments and organizing the sports festival.


    The Culture Committee, responsible for overseeing the literary and arts departments, and in charge of the News Department and publicity work.


    These four student departments formed the Executive Committee, which could be said to involve every aspect of all activities at Uka High School, both internal and external.


    Cultural festivals, sports festivals, graduation ceremonies, school opening ceremonies, field trips¡ª their presence was felt in all these events.


    This time they had gathered for none other than the Uka sports festival that was to take place a week later.


    It was the first major event at Ugao since school had started in spring, and everything had to go off without a hitch.


    In the meeting room, all members of the Student Council were present.


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    Kiryu Hina and Hosaka Yui sat in the main seats, flanked by the new vice president and secretary.


    Kagura Hikaru and the Gorilla Vice President sat on the other side of the long table farthest away from the Student Council, representing the Disciplinary Committee at the meeting.


    Putting the Gorilla Vice President aside, Kagura Hikaru was actually there in place of Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had officially left the Disciplinary Committee.


    With him present, they could to some extent prevent Kiryu Hina from setting traps for the Disciplinary Committee¡ªthis was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s view.


    After all, Kagura Hikaru was considered to be one of the people who knew the opponent best.


    But, Kagura Hikaru thought she was probably overthinking it.


    Given Hina''s intellect, if she were to set a trap and let them notice, it would have to be intentional.


    "... This year''s sports festival must be no less exciting than previous years, showing off our style and youth, and boosting the students'' enthusiasm," Kiryu Hina said with a smile, speaking some standard phrases, "Especially the safety of the athletes, which is of the utmost priority, Sports Committee, this is your responsibility."


    "Yes, we will make sure it''s done properly."


    A short-haired girl with an athletic appearance responded.


    She was Saijo Mari, the President of the Sports Committee, a senior student.


    It was said that during Ando Naoto''s term in the Student Council, she served as secretary and later withdrew voluntarily when Kiryu Hina came to power, choosing instead to work in the Sports Committee, and this year she became its president.


    Kiryu Hina smiled and glanced at Saijo Mari, nodding her head and turning her attention to the Disciplinary Committee, "The Discipline Committee members are responsible for security outside the venue, and I have always trusted you with this task."


    "... Yes." The Gorilla Vice President responded in a deep voice.


    Kagura Hikaru met her eyes, but quickly looked away.


    "Culture Committee, your promotional work also needs to be well-executed, the posters for the sports festival, updating the school''s official website, and posting slogans around the school. It''s the same as in previous years, everyone understands, right?"


    "Leave it to us, President!"


    "Good, it looks like nobody needs a reminder from me, so let''s move on to the next agenda item."


    Kiryu Hina turned to the next page of the document on the table, and the representatives present followed suit, "Regarding the equipment needed for the sports festival, it will be procured separately by each department, and the funds will be distributed by the Student Council after the meeting."


    The sports festival was not as simple as organizing students to run; a lot of items would be consumed in the process.


    Such as flags, class uniforms, food and beverages, and so forth, every year the school would allocate a certain amount of funds for the Student Council to purchase on their own.


    Sometimes the quantity was too much and too complicated for the Student Council to manage alone, so they would allocate the task to other departments to help with procurement.


    This year, the budget was slightly increased because many sports clubs reported that the school''s current sports equipment was too old and needed to be entirely replaced.


    The Student Council approved this proposal.


    The procurement of new equipment was entrusted to the Sports Committee, after all, they are the ones who know these equipment best and can communicate with all the sports clubs.


    Compared to other departments, the Disciplinary Committee should be the most relaxed.


    Apart from providing security at the sports festival and guiding visitors, there were no other primary duties, so other departments said they would request help from them, and they were also assigned the most procurement tasks.


    This even included handling the old sports equipment that was about to be phased out by the sports clubs, a task that sounded very troublesome.


    Shouldn''t this be the responsibility of the Sports Committee?


    But in reality, it was the Disciplinary Committee that proactively took on the duty.


    The Gorilla Vice President was only too happy to oblige.


    The Student Council elections were set to begin in just over a month, just after the summer holiday at the start of the second semester.


    Before that, any work that could expand the Disciplinary Committee''s influence and reputation would not be overlooked.


    Perhaps there would be grateful members of the sports clubs who, to show their appreciation for the Discipline Committee members, would cast a vote for Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    This kind of thing is called "currying favor."


    After the meeting, Hosaka Yui, who served as the accountant for the Student Council, divided the procurement funds into several portions and handed them over to the other departments.


    Kagura Hikaru received a yellow envelope full of banknotes from her; by its weight, it seemed to contain around two hundred thousand yen.


    To be given this much budget meant they had to procure items worth this amount of money, which was no easy task.


    Luckily, he didn''t have to deal with it; it would be handed over to other Disciplinary Committee members to handle later.


    Unlike other high school students who might get slightly excited upon handling such a large sum, Kagura Hikaru was unconcerned, casually holding the envelope along with other documents in his hand.


    "Hey, be careful not to lose it," Hosaka Yui scolded him indifferently, her glare piercing from behind her large glasses.


    "No worries, if it gets lost, he can just reimburse it," Kiryu Hina said while organizing files, laughing, "Yui, don''t be deceived by his looks; this guy is actually rich."


    "Psh, he''s just living off his parents," Yui retorted.


    "99% of high school students live off their parents, including us, Yui. We have no right to laugh at anyone else," Hina replied.


    Kiryu Hina tapped Hosaka Yui''s head lightly with her folder.


    "Besides, you''re mocking the 1% that''s not part of the 99% of high school students, and that''s not funny at all."


    "Is that so?" Yui covered her fluffy hair.


    "What''s all this about?" Kagura Hikaru looked at them strangely. "Did you put on a comedy sketch just to flatter me?"


    His relationship with Kiryu Hina may have warmed due to the incident where they got lost on the school trip, but not to the point where she would speak for him without reason.


    By this time, representatives from other departments had almost all left. The Gorilla Vice President had also been intending to leave, but seeing Kagura Hikaru seemingly caught up by the Student Council President, he waited at the door and looked over with an inquiring gaze.


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head at him and looked toward Kiryu Hina as she approached.


    "Kagura Hikaru, there''s something you need to know," she said.


    "?"


    "How much do you know about Saijo Mari?"


    "Sports Committee President, popular among the sports clubs...?"


    "So, essentially, you know nothing, right?"


    "Yeah, pretty much."


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t argue.


    "Well, then, this is something you should be aware of," said Hina.


    Saijo Mari is my enemy." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 85 Kiryu Hina is a Jerk Woman

    "Enemy?"Kagura Hikaru found it strange.


    Because Kiryu Hina rarely used such a word.


    Or rather, she never used such a word to describe others.


    Even when facing Ayakoji Chiyoko, a nemesis with a deep-seated grudge, and not just heavy sins, she would at most call her "a stubborn opponent."


    This stemmed from an innate arrogance, the biggest difference between Kiryu Hina and everyone else.


    It wasn''t about looks, grades, or abilities.


    It was about looking down on people, on society.


    Her perspective had always been superior to others.


    The reason you couldn''t see it now was that she had decided to wear a mask, existing as the perfect Student Council President.


    In Kagura Hikaru''s memory, in the memory of the students who had attended Bunkyo Public Middle School, Kiryu Hina was a gloomy, arrogant, and impolite person, like a rain woman.


    A rain woman, wherever she went, it rained; an unwelcome woman. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kiryu Hina was once like that.


    Yet, even that former self would not use the word "enemy."


    Perhaps the reason was her fondness for the history of war.


    Studying war had made her realize that the word "enemy" should not be used lightly.


    Only those who must be put to death, who had to be killed no matter what, who you had to fight against selflessly, without regard to oneself¡ªsuch people could be called enemies.


    Saijo Mari was her enemy.


    Kiryu Hina indeed had said that.


    "To say ''enemy'' might be an exaggeration," Kiryu Hina said with a smile, "because I don''t consider her an enemy. It''s her unilateral view of me as an enemy, so I have no choice but to see her as one too. That''s how the chain of hatred starts."


    "So, why?"


    "Why does she consider me an enemy?"


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    "No, why are you telling me this?"


    "Ah~ Ah~ so cold, it seems Classmate Kagura Hikaru is such a cold person, not caring about me at all. Could it be that with President Ayakoji as your new sweetheart, you have grown tired of me?"


    She started acting again.


    The normally pristine image contrasted hugely at this moment, like a proper and serious girl suddenly turning into a punk girl sticking out her tongue and swearing at people.


    Even if it was acting, it was enough to make one''s glasses shatter.


    She transcended the concept of gap moe, reaching a level of ''gap terror,'' a contrast so extreme it was terrifying.


    Such a troublesome coquettish character doesn''t suit you at all!


    Look at Hosaka Yui behind her; she was so shocked that she dropped her glasses.


    "It''s not that I don''t care, but worrying is useless, or rather, there''s simply no need,"


    Kagura Hikaru held his arms, along with files and funds in his embrace, "A Sports Committee President with no impressionable attributes is hardly a troublesome guy for you."


    He didn''t believe Saijo Mari could be more challenging than Ayakoji Chiyoko, and Kiryu Hina could easily suppress the latter, so there was no reason for her to be timid around other students.


    "Classmate Kagura, have you heard this Chinese proverb¡ª ''An upright official finds it hard to settle domestic disputes''?"


    "Yes, I have. It refers to even a fair official having trouble discerning the truths of domestic arguments."


    "Now, please replace ''upright official'' in the proverb with me, and ''domestic disputes'' with Saijo Mari and Ando Naoto."


    "Wait, why does the name Ando Naoto appear here?"


    "Don''t be in a rush, Classmate Kagura, This is what I''m about to explain."


    What Kiryu Hina was about to say, simply put, was this ¡ª


    Before the spring break at the graduation festival, she had rejected Ando Naoto''s confession, and as a result, she became enemies with Saijo Mari.


    The reason it turned out this way also stemmed from a simple fact.


    Saijo Mari was secretly in love with Ando Naoto.


    And it was a deep affection, the kind that involved an intense, unrequited love.


    Indeed, after Kiryu Hina took office, she immediately left that term''s Student Council, and the reason had become quite clear.


    Because she had been keeping an eye on Ando Naoto, she saw through to whom his feelings were directed. Not wanting to witness this scene up close, Saijo Mari decisively chose to leave.


    No, it should be called resolute.


    If she had continued to stay in the Student Council, she could have at least spent that year still interacting with Ando Naoto.


    An ordinary girl would have done just that.


    But she didn''t. Resolutely, decisively, she left.


    "Moreover, she didn''t contact Ando Naoto at all that year, completely cutting him off." Kiryu Hina crossed her arms in front of her chest, smiling, "Don''t you think that''s quite terrifying in a girl."


    If you''re talking about terrifying, you''re the terrifying one.


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself.


    However, he could understand why she would say that.


    Rather than terrifying, it was Saijo Mari''s self-control that was astonishing.


    But if that''s the case, and they had completely cut off their relationship, why would Saijo Mari still....


    It seemed the answer was also quite clear.


    She still harbored feelings for Ando Naoto.


    "When I rejected the former Vice President''s confession, you were there too, weren''t you?" Kiryu Hina said with a laugh, "It was a public event; many people were watching, but I made Ando Naoto lose face there. If you were the object of his secret affection, what would you think?"


    "Kiryu Hina is a despicable woman."


    "Hahaha, that comment wasn''t heartfelt, was it?"


    "Of course not." Kagura Hikaru said without a hint of guilt on his face.


    "Well, never mind." Kiryu Hina shrugged, "Anyway, that''s what happened. In front of others, we might still pretend to act officially, but privately, she has more than once shown her true face to me."


    "So, back to the initial question, why are you telling me this?"


    "That''s even simpler."


    If it''s so simple, then you should have explained it clearly in the beginning.


    This retort, Kagura Hikaru was unable to voice in time.


    When he saw a mysterious smile appearing on Kiryu Hina''s face, he decided not to say it.


    Whenever she smiled like that, someone was definitely going to have a bad time.


    "Saijo Mari, she is undoubtedly my enemy. But for you and Ayakoji Chiyoko, she is also related, as you both are also rivals. Hence, on this matter, we can find common ground."


    "Rivals, what do you mean?"


    "Saijo Mari, she''s also going to run for the Student Council President, and moreover, she''s a formidable candidate."


    She didn''t give Kagura Hikaru much time to think, patting Hosaka Yui''s shoulder as a reminder, stepping out of the meeting room door.


    "Inform Ayakoji Chiyoko about this. Is it better to continue opposing me and benefit a third party, or to kick the obstacle out of the way first¡ªshe knows how to choose."


    With those final words, Kiryu Hina left.

 Chapter 86 It Has Already Been Decided Above

    After leaving the Student Council meeting room, Kagura Hikaru and the Gorilla Vice President took the budget and procurement meeting documents back to the Disciplinary Committee.The Vice President left partway to deal with other club matters, so in the end, it was only Kagura Hikaru who entered the office.


    In the office, he saw Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She sat there, legs crossed, flipping through a book, proudly showcasing her tight, long legs.


    In fact, Kagura Hikaru had never seen Ayakoji Chiyoko wear stockings.


    Black ones, white ones, flesh-colored ones, none at all.


    It''s said that if girls don''t wear stockings, the cold could make their legs freeze, and over time it could cause their calves to become thick.


    But no such flaw could be seen on Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Her figure, even by critical standards, was of a model''s caliber.


    Elegant and graceful, with a slender waist like a willow, her proportions were excellent, a classic tall beauty.


    More accurately, a tall beauty honed by rigorous training.


    Lift her clothes, and you might even see a mermaid line.


    "Back already?" Ayakoji Chiyoko closed her book.


    It was then Kagura Hikaru realized that she was reading a light novel he had left in the office of the Disciplinary Committee.


    "You''re interested in this?" Ayakoji Chiyoko noticed his gaze, lifted the book, and put it back on the desk, "I was a bit bored waiting, so I just read it casually. You don''t mind, do you?"


    "Feel free."


    Kagura Hikaru placed the documents and funds in front of her, "These are the topics from this meeting, and the budget for the Sports Festival purchases."


    She took the meeting documents and began looking over them, resting on her thigh, and Kagura Hikaru waited quietly for her to finish.


    "The Sports Festival, are you planning to sign up, Kagura?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked casually as she read.


    "No such plan."


    He replied.


    Heh, sports festivals weren''t really his thing¡ªhe was more of an indoors person.


    "Then sign up."


    "I''d rather not."


    "That''s an order."


    "..."


    Now Kagura Hikaru could be certain.


    The woman before him was extremely well-suited for SM.


    "...Give me a reason."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced at him, then said looking down, "It''s not ideal for the Vice President of the Disciplinary Committee position to remain vacant, Wada recommended you, and I didn''t object."


    Oh, so he was to be Vice President.


    It was the first time Kagura Hikaru had heard about it.


    "This Sports Festival, take it as your first public activity representing the Disciplinary Committee. Make a good impression and let everyone know that the Disciplinary Committee has a future."


    "No, not to mention my opinion, but your plan won''t work," Kagura Hikaru raised an objection, "Originally, like you, I was seen as a criminal for slandering the Student Council President. Now, any sort of exposure I get will backfire."


    "You have a point, but you''re overlooking something."


    "What?"


    "This society is more forgiving towards men."


    Although he knew he would ultimately be persuaded, he hadn''t expected her to bring up this kind of reasoning.


    It was truly unanswerable.


    Indeed, though the Island Nation never publicly admitted it, in this male-dominated society, certain unspoken rules existed for those who lived here.


    Famous male TV celebrities could cheat, harass women, speed in their cars, all of these could be forgiven, and might even be considered a sign of masculinity.


    But once "male" was replaced with "female," the situation would completely reverse.


    Thus, Kagura Hikaru had no counterarguments.


    "Do you really have no intention of coming back?" he asked.


    Ever since Ayakoji Chiyoko was branded with the malice of defaming the Student Council President, she chose to step down, in order to preserve the Disciplinary Committee''s reputation and since then, she had been working behind the scenes.


    Kagura Hikaru thought that as the public opinion dissipated, Ayakoji Chiyoko would find an opportunity to come back and take control of the club.


    But it seemed like she didn''t have such intentions.


    "Once I return, I will inevitably bring trouble upon you all. The students from Uka are very strict with me."


    After finishing the last page of the document, Ayakoji Chiyoko closed it firmly and looked up, "Besides, Kiryu Hina must be watching me. I need a spokesperson who can attract the firepower."


    "So you chose me. Isn''t Wada okay?"


    Wada referred to the Gorilla Vice President, whose full name was Wada Ritarou.


    Kagura Hikaru had a good impression of him; he was a pragmatic person, and most importantly, loyal.


    "Just that isn''t enough," Ayakoji Chiyoko said sternly. "His abilities are insufficient to contend with Kiryu Hina, and sometimes he also fails to understand my strategies."


    "Who could understand if you don''t explain?"


    Kagura Hikaru hadn''t forgotten about that trip to Capital City, where Ayakoji Chiyoko had kept her in the dark from beginning to end.


    She was undoubtedly a firm practitioner of secrecy.


    Although the outcomes proved her actions right, for those following her, the inability to see the path ahead could easily lead to confusion.


    "To those I cannot trust, I do not disclose extra information."


    "You don''t trust Wada?"


    "To be precise, I do not trust anyone except myself," Ayakoji Chiyoko tapped her thigh with her finger. "Anyway, you will become the vice president of the Disciplinary Committee, which is already decided. You have no room for refusal, understand?"


    "...I understand."


    "That''s good," Ayakoji Chiyoko curled the corner of her mouth: "Alright, take your novel and go have fun. Of course, if you choose to stay and help me, I wouldn''t refuse."


    "There''s one more thing," said Kagura.


    "Oh?"


    "President Kiriyu told me about it."


    "...Oh."


    Kagura Hikaru spilled everything about Saijo Mari, her grudge against Kiryu Hina.


    "So, what do you think?" he asked.


    Saijo Mari developed hatred toward Kiryu Hina over someone she had a crush on.


    That must be true, probably. She wouldn''t spread such an easily debunked lie.


    The real issue was the part where she expressed a desire to join forces with Ayakoji Chiyoko, which felt very delicate.


    Did she really care so much about the position of Student Council President that she would even cooperate with a sworn enemy she was at loggerheads with?


    ...No, that''s not right; I almost forgot her psychological issues.


    The current Kiryu Hina is a perfectionist, a perfect slave.


    True perfection cannot be broken.


    If flaws appear, it''s no longer perfection but rather something with imperfections, an ordinary person.


    In Kiryu Hina''s eyes, the position of Student Council President seemed less like a managerial role and more like a throne.


    It was a mask to cover the truth, a symbol of status, a proof of superhuman capacity.


    Perhaps she valued the Student Council elections even more than Kagura Hikaru had imagined.


    If we think from this angle, to prevent a third party from benefiting, joining forces with Ayakoji Chiyoko to take the initiative and drive away other candidates wasn''t impossible.


    She must have calculated that, compared to competing with someone unfamiliar, it would be easier to only face a known opponent, banking on that sort of lazy psychology.


    After listening to the whole story, Ayakoji Chiyoko rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her demeanor serious. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Saijo Mari, I thought she was smart, but I didn''t expect..."


    Right, you also think that making a move on Kiryu Hina is foolish.


    "Why wouldn''t you tell me such a wonderful opportunity to bother Kiryu Hina!"


    ....I really shouldn''t have expected her to have any moral bottom lines.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed inwardly. Read exclusive chapters at empire


    "Leave the sports festival to Wada and the others," Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up. "Come on, let''s go meet Saijo Mari."

 Chapter 87 The Shadows of the Past Caught Up with Him

    From the results, it seemed Hina had miscalculated.Ayakoji Chiyoko not only failed to adopt her proposal logically, but even enthusiastically went to the Sports Committee office, wanting to meet Saijo Mari.


    No, perhaps the reality was just the opposite.


    It was precisely because Ayakoji Chiyoko was rational that she might have refused the proposal.


    At Yuqiu High School, supporters of Kiryu Hina far outnumbered those of Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Voting in the election had not started yet, nor had any surveys been conducted.


    But this point was undeniably clear.


    The atmosphere within the school made people confident of this.


    The evidence was that when Ayakoji Chiyoko walked around the school, no strangers struck up conversations with her.


    Conversely, strangers frequently approached Kiryu Hina.


    This was the gap between a flawless Student Council President and a bloodless, tearless former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.


    It was poignant.


    If this continued, she would definitely not win, something even Ayakoji Chiyoko herself understood.


    However, changing her to be like Kiryu Hina was decidedly impossible.


    On one hand, she lacked that kind of affinity.


    On the other hand, she was unwilling to twist her personality for a mere Student Council election, forcing herself.


    Honestly, Ayakoji Chiyoko had already stepped into a deadlock.


    At this time, a disruptor appeared.


    Moreover, it was someone with enough electoral strength to barely compete with Kiryu Hina.


    Kagura Hikaru might not be aware of school affairs and possibly did not know, but Ayakoji Chiyoko could not be unaware of Saijo Mari''s influence over the athletic departments.


    As the president of the Sports Committee, she diligently helped athletic clubs progress every day, with a visitation frequency higher than the Disciplinary Committee.


    She was good at socializing and extremely popular, and there were rumors that half the boys in the athletic department had confessed their feelings for her. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A pretty girl occasionally coming to visit, handing you a towel or a drink, smiling while praising you, and even helping to resolve club issues like interpersonal conflicts or damaged equipment.


    Who wouldn''t be moved?


    If it were not for the presence of Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, the current celebrity at Yuqiu High School would likely be her.


    It could be said that the sports clubs were her stronghold of votes.


    If she decided to run for the Student Council, those athletes would definitely stand by her side.


    Even if Kiryu Hina stood before them, not many would change their minds.


    A high and mighty Student Council President with numerous followers, versus a kind and approachable girl next door, a normal person would treasure the latter more.


    If viewed as a rival, Saijo Mari''s strength was surprisingly strong.


    But why consider her a rival?


    The enemy of my enemy is my friend.


    As long as interests align, the so-called contradictions might not exist from the beginning.


    "Moreover, there''s another personal reason," Ayakoji Chiyoko explained to Kagura Hikaru, "I don''t want to be led around by the nose by Kiryu Hina, you understand, right?"


    Of course he understood.


    In the world, no one understood better than Kagura Hikaru what it was like to be led by that person.


    Both in a good and a bad way, it was deepened by their current ''hostility''.


    If they followed her plans, things wouldn''t end well¡ªthis was what Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru thought now.


    "But, this might also be deliberately set by her to make us think this way."


    "If you''re going to say that, it''s endless."


    "If you''re going to say that, you have a point."


    "If you''re going to say that, can you stop copying how I talk?"


    "If you''re going to say that... not impossible. First, put down your fists."


    After the spring break ended and the second semester began, moving from freshmen to sophomores,


    the only change that happened to Ayakoji Chiyoko was that she spoke more.


    Especially when she was around Kagura Hikaru.


    Could this be seen as a sign of their improving relationship?


    Unknown, women are fickle, and Kagura Hikaru had been taught this lesson multiple times.


    With that, they finally arrived at the door of the Sports Committee''s office.


    Knock knock.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko knocked on the door.


    Then, Saijo Mari came to open the door, wearing a smile.


    "Oh? Classmate Ayakoji, and Classmate Kagura, what a rare visit. What brings you two here?"


    In the Student Council room, Kagura Hikaru had seen her once.


    But to be precise, it could also be said that he had never really seen her.


    Because all her attention had been drawn away by another woman, she had no time to pay attention to anyone else.


    She did not care about others at all.


    Now, Kagura Hikaru suddenly realized.


    The face he had originally summed up as ''spirited'' was actually not just that.


    However, by comparison, perhaps Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko were still a notch better.


    Not just in looks and demeanor, but in acting as well.


    They knew it the moment they met.


    Saijo Mari was greeting them with a practiced smile.


    This was high school-level acting?


    Being at school every day and dealing with skilled individuals had almost made Kagura Hikaru forget the real level of most high school girls.


    "May we come in and talk?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked emotionlessly, arms crossed.


    "Well, sorry, I have some tasks at the sports clubs," Saijo Mari said apologetically, "If it''s urgent, could we talk while walking?"


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko exchanged glances.


    "Actually, I''ve asked someone to collect the sports clubs'' discarded items. Let''s go together."


    "...Alright then."


    Ayakoji made a call on the spot, notifying the Gorilla Vice President to send someone to receive the sports equipment that the sports department was about to obsolete and replace.


    This was agreed upon in the meeting, to be managed by the Disciplinary Committee.


    What was going on?


    Saijo Mari wondered internally, a flurry of question marks in her mind.


    She could tell that Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru had not initially come to see her for this matter.


    In this Uka High School, there was no student who didn''t know what kind of personality the former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee had.


    If she came to them, it was either for trouble or for a favor.


    Either way, no one could refuse.


    It had only been two months since Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped down, and her influence was still strong; Saijo Mari dared not take her lightly.


    She walked ahead, holding a file.


    Behind her, Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru communicated silently with their eyes.


    [What do you want to do?]


    [Depends on the situation.]


    [Use people for examination?]


    [Sort of.]


    [Understood.]


    The above was a conversation that Kagura Hikaru mentally concocted.


    Actually, he had only grasped that Ayakoji Chiyoko wanted to continue observing¡ªthat was all. In reality, there were no skills just with glances that could enable conversation.


    Even if there were, it was not something their current relationship could manage.


    It would at least require the degree of intimacy of a passionately in-love ex-girlfriend.


    Walking through the school''s courtyard, they arrived at Uka''s indoor gymnasium.


    The gymnasium was shared by several clubs; upon entering, they could see the volleyball club, the gymnastics club, and the badminton club training, making it quite a lively scene.


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    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was also there, wearing a volleyball uniform that signified her as a libero, her long white legs moving deftly as she darted behind her teammates to save balls, pushing up the volleyball that was about to score from landing, as if she could reach any tricky spot.


    Although he had heard about the reputation of the Girls'' Volleyball Club''s ace Ai Cheng Hua Lian from Ruzaki Mami before, seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.


    This was far different from the clumsy guitar-learning image during spring break.


    Thinking it over, since Kagura Hikaru had run into her by chance, he thought he should probably go up and greet her or something.


    But a glimpse from the corner of his eye saw someone who made him freeze, unable to move another step.


    It was a petite girl wearing a Uka High School uniform, with a visibly too-large, loosely hanging black coat draped over it.


    Her smooth long hair hung down like that of a doll from the Island Nation, a smile on her face, yet not a hint of light in her eyes.


    She sat neatly in the corner, hugging her knees, looking like an ordinary student visiting.


    Why was she here?


    Komori Ai!

 Chapter 88 Seeing Ghosts × Seeing Love √

    About whether ghosts truly exist or not, there is a disagreement between folklore and academia.Ghosts can''t be disproven, and in academic circles, a theory that can''t be disproven might have the possibility of being true; therefore, it can tentatively be considered real.


    In folklore, due to the crackdown on superstition, many people have already stopped believing, assertively proclaiming it all as false!


    Taking either side seems quite forced.


    As for such ethereal matters, there has never been a conclusive answer, and it''s likely that there never will be a definitive conclusion.


    Better to believe in their existence than to deny it¡ªthis is probably the attitude that ordinary people have towards ghosts.


    When people are helpless, they pray to the heavens.


    In the same way, when they are helpless, they also fear ghosts and spirits.


    In a sense, God and monsters are the same.


    They both are unobservable, unpredictable, and incomprehensible beings.


    Non-human, transcending human existence.


    Naturally, fear arises.


    It''s not respect, not admiration, but fear.


    How could one possibly greet an existence that is neither human nor object, and uncomprehensible, with joy?


    Especially when such things truly appear before one''s eyes.


    To suppress emotions and refrain from losing one''s composure was the only thing Kagura Hikaru could manage at this moment.


    Komori Ai.


    About half a month prior, during the spring outing held by the first-year, now second-year students of Yuqiu High School.


    The location was Tanigawa Peak Mountain.


    There, Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina got lost for four hours in the mountains, and what they eventually encountered was a grade-school student who had been missing for five years, as listed in the missing persons notice.


    A girl who looked exactly like the photo, same name and everything.


    Her name was Komori Ai.


    Though it was later proven that Komori Ai wasn''t the missing person, the fear only intensified.


    Without anyone noticing, she had stolen the favor of all the students and teachers in the campsite, making them revolve around her, and said some strange things to Kagura Hikaru.


    After that, or more precisely, the next morning, she mysteriously disappeared.


    Gone from the physical world, from everyone''s memory.


    Except for Kagura Hikaru himself, who experienced it all.


    For Kagura Hikaru, she was an enigma with unknown motives and a mysterious entity.


    Throughout the half-month holiday, this strange experience gradually faded and was pushed to the back of his memory.


    Until this moment, when he saw Komori Ai again in the gymnasium of Yuqiu High School. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The shadows of old times caught up with him.


    The suffocating sense of fear from facing a non-human returned in full.


    "Kagura, what''s wrong?"


    At this time, Saijo Mari had already gone to talk with the Volleyball Club''s coach.


    The Gorilla Vice President, along with Discipline Committee members, had come over, and Ayakoji Chiyoko had sent him to discuss with other clubs about the disposal of old equipment. She wanted to follow, but noticing Kagura Hikaru standing still, she asked in puzzlement.


    She glanced in the direction of Kagura Hikaru''s gaze, saw nothing, and turned back asking, "Is there something that caught your attention?"


    "...No, nothing," Kagura Hikaru took a breath and shook his head, "Sorry, I need to step away for a bit."


    He walked toward where Komori Ai was.


    This was trouble of a completely different level from what he had with Kiryu Hina or Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Or perhaps, a disaster.


    But since Komori Ai was now sitting here obediently by herself, it indicated she wasn''t here with malicious intent, at least she hadn''t started anything yet.


    For now, it was best to probe and see.


    "Long time no see, Komori-san," Kagura Hikaru greeted her casually as he approached.


    It was only when he came closer that he noticed today''s Komori Ai''s hair color seemed a bit different, with strands of pink highlights added to her long, straight, black hair. She wore a decorative leather belt around her neck, and her hands¡ªhalf hidden in the notably oversized sleeves¡ªonly exposed her youthful, scallion-tip-like fingers.


    As expected of the entertainment-to-death 21st century, even Mountain Gods dress in the explosive style.


    Upon hearing his words, Komori Ai looked up, glancing at him with her usual lifeless eyes for a second before her expression turned wary, like she had just spotted a suspect. Slowly, she pulled out a smartphone with a pink bunny case: "Who are you? Some scammer, huh? Come any closer and I''ll call the police!"


    "..."


    [I am Komori Ai, a first-year student at Yuqiu High School, I do not exist.]


    [I am Komori Ai, a first-year student at Yuqiu High School, I do not exist.]


    [I am Komori Ai, a first-year student at Yuqiu High School, I do not exist.]


    [You''ve gained through mind-reading: Origami +3]


    [Origami lv4 (89/100)]


    The mind-reading was followed by the same signature bizarre imagery as before: the dead body of a golden retriever, withered trees, and part of a hand protruding from the soil.


    ¡ªThis is indeed the person herself.


    "Ah, didn''t manage to fool you, how embarrassing." Komori Ai suddenly revealed a smile, lowered her phone, and spoke as if talking about someone else.


    With the subtle shift in her tone, that mysterious and indescribable special aura she possessed returned to her.


    Enchanting, hollow, like the secret whisper of a fairy in the woods.


    Just listening to her speak could chill someone to the core.


    The atmosphere was disrupted by her interjection.


    "Why are you here?" Kagura Hikaru stopped pretending to be naive and asked seriously.


    "How rude, have you already forgotten what I told you?" Komori Ai pouted like a little girl neglected at home, seeking attention from her father, swinging her legs discontentedly, "I''ve told you, I''m coming to Tokyo to study!"


    "The entrance exam for Yuqiu High School ended before the spring break; how did you... No, never mind, this should be a piece of cake for you."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t want to dwell on this issue.


    After all, Komori Ai clearly had the ability to influence humans in some way.


    Even without any proper procedures, she could attend any school she wanted.


    "I just want to confirm one thing¡ªyou won''t harm the students of Yuqiu High School, right?"


    "Eh, why do you ask? Do I look like a serial killer to you?"


    ..... The first thing that comes to mind when you mention ''taking action'' is killing.


    And you''re saying you''re not a killer?!


    "Don''t worry, I''m here to have fun with Brother Kagura~"


    Komori Ai spread her arms wide, her small body flinging at him like a bat.


    And then Kagura Hikaru dodged her.


    "What do you want to do?"


    "Don''t be so tense... gotcha, hug me!"


    She spun around and lunged at him again. This time, Kagura Hikaru planned to dodge as well, but suddenly a volleyball came flying towards them, hit the wall, bounced back, and rolled to his feet.


    This slight mishap slowed his reaction by a beat.


    And Komori Ai hit him in a full embrace. She wrapped her arms around Kagura Hikaru''s waist, pressing her body tight against him.


    So cold... No, although it was quite cool, it wasn''t as cold as before.


    Unlike the chilling sensation he had experienced at the campsite before, Komori Ai no longer had that extraordinary iciness; at most, her hands were a bit cool to the touch.


    However, she embraced him so tightly it made Kagura Hikaru''s waist sore.


    Naturally, his first instinct was to break free from her hold.


    At that moment, however, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps from behind and a familiar voice.


    "Sorry, sorry, did the volleyball hit you?... Eh, Kagura? What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 89 I Will Treat You as an Enemy

    When Kagura Hikaru was hugged, he thought he would be very scared, but he didn''t feel that way.Perhaps it was because Komori Ai was a shorty at 1.44 meters tall, and after hugging him, her face could only rest against his stomach?


    A lethal height difference.


    But when Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s voice came from behind, he became afraid.


    From bravery to fear.


    A crack appeared in his heart.


    If Komori Ai suddenly turned around and hurt her, Kagura Hikaru was filled with thoughts of what to do.


    So far, Komori Ai hadn''t shown any substantial aggression.


    But because of her brazen attitude, and her unknown ability to control humans, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t bring himself to trust her.


    A pair of cold hands climbed up like a snake, wrapping around his neck, and the widened hollow eyes rushed closer.


    "Who is that, Brother Kagura''s friend?"


    Komori Ai smiled like a sickly sweet character.


    This posture was very ambiguous, as if she was seeking a kiss from Kagura Hikaru, although he knew it was the complete opposite.


    Standing five steps away from Kagura Hikaru, Ai Cheng Hua Lian blushed, worried about being smelled, "Kagura, can you toss the volleyball over? I... was just training, there might be some odor on me."


    She couldn''t see Komori Ai at all.


    This situation, wasn''t it a bit bad...


    Kagura Hikaru''s mind was in chaos, he hadn''t listened to a word, and merely nodded stiffly.


    Wanting to bend down to pick up the ball, Komori Ai refused to let go, making it impossible for him to bend his waist. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let go." he said in a low voice, softly.


    Komori Ai hugged even tighter, smiling sweetly and implicitly refusing through her action.


    Did she want to see his embarrassment?


    For Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who couldn''t see Komori Ai, this scene probably looked very odd. She tilted her head slightly, looking over in confusion.


    "Kagura?"


    "...Sorry, I twisted my waist today." Kagura Hikaru made up an excuse on the spot and kicked the volleyball over with his foot.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian picked up the volleyball, concerned, "Should I take you to the nurse''s office?"


    "No need, I just need to rest a bit."


    "Oh, then... then I''m going back to training."


    She sensed the attitude in Kagura Hikaru''s voice, implying he didn''t want to be disturbed, so she didn''t continue to press and returned to her teammates, looking back every three steps.


    Kagura Hikaru watched her walk away, raised his hands, and with some effort, pried off Komori Ai''s hands that were wrapped around his neck.


    "Ouch~ Ouch~ Brother Kagura is so rough with girls!" Komori Ai complained loudly, feigning sincerity.


    Unmoved, Kagura Hikaru grabbed Komori Ai''s wrists and stared into her eyes, his head lowered.


    "What exactly do you want."


    "Eh~? So scary~~ Doesn''t Brother Kagura welcome me?"


    Komori Ai reached out to touch Kagura Hikaru''s face, but he tightened his grip, preventing her from moving freely, "Tell me, your purpose for coming here."


    "To play with Brother!"


    "Can I believe that?" Kagura Hikaru''s expression became serious, unexpectedly intimidating, "I''ll give you one more chance. If you lie, I''ll treat you as an enemy."


    An enemy, who can be called an enemy.


    The ones who have to be put to death at all costs, the ones who must be killed no matter what, the ones who would sacrifice themselves just to make the other''s life difficult ¡ª such people can be called enemies.


    He was serious with this statement.


    Komori Ai was far too dangerous, with mysteries about her too numerous to count.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t even see if she was lying; his mind-reading failed for the first time on a ''person.''


    So, he used conversation and determination to coax out Komori Ai''s true attitude.


    In plain terms, it was to scare her.


    The difference is, the content of this scare was real.


    If Komori Ai truly became an enemy, when necessary, Kagura Hikaru would use every method he could think of to make her disappear.


    ```


    But Komori Ai''s answer was the same; holding up her hands, her long sleeves hanging down: "I''m here to play with Brother!"


    [I am Komori Ai, a freshman at Yuqiu High School, I do not exist.]


    [I am Komori Ai, a freshman at Yuqiu High School, I do not exist.]


    [I am Komori Ai, a freshman at Yuqiu High School, I do not exist.]


    [You have gained through mind-reading: Origami+3]


    [Origami lv4£¨92/100£©]


    It was impossible to tell the truth from the lies.


    However, perhaps taking Komori Ai''s words at face value wouldn''t hurt.


    If it''s about playing together, then there will be a chance to interact closely.


    In that case, Kagura Hikaru could use this excuse to keep surveillance and seize the opportunity to confirm her real motives.


    Whether it was, as she said, to play with him, or if there was another agenda.


    The premise is that Komori Ai''s "playing" refers to a normal game.


    "...All right, I can accompany you." After some thought, Kagura Hikaru said this.


    "Yay~!"


    Komori Ai''s way of expressing joy was to swing her sleeves.


    "But only when I''m free. Also, you can''t harm anyone around me, not in any way!"


    "Yay~! Brother is going to play with me~! Yay~!"


    The girl hopped around Kagura Hikaru like a rabbit, hands raised, but her face was without a smile.


    An emotionless child at play.


    That phrase might just barely describe the eerie feeling in Kagura Hikaru''s mind.


    "Did you really understand what I said..."


    "Hmm-hmm~ Yeah hmm-hmm~~"


    With her hands behind her back, Komori Ai hopped from side to side, humming a nursery rhyme tune. She walked up to the gymnasium''s main doors, turned her head back to give Kagura Hikaru a creepy tilt of her head.


    "It''s a promise, Brother Kagura... I''ll come for you after school."


    With that, she disappeared at the door.


    She vanished like a vampire dissolving in sunlight.


    What on earth would be waiting for him after school...


    Perhaps he should write a last will and testament in advance and store it in his phone.


    No, considering the phone might be lost, he should record it on paper and hand it to someone trustworthy, to be mailed to his family or the police if he went missing for 48 hours.


    Yes, he thought, give it to Chiyoko Ayakoji.


    She was a rule-abiding person, who sometimes used rule-breaking methods to do things, but if he had to name the person he knew who was most like a cop, the likely future cop, it would be Chiyoko Ayakoji.


    If he had to choose two people at the school that he could trust, one of them would be her.


    Incidentally, the other would be Hina Kiryu.


    But considering she might hide the will, frame it, and turn it into a lifetime memory, something that could provoke laughter every time it was seen, like a comedic prop, Kagura Hikaru decided against it.


    If possible, his precious once-in-a-lifetime will should be properly kept by the person who received it.


    That said, eighty percent of the foregoing was a joke.


    The remaining twenty percent was about Chiyoko Ayakoji and Hina Kiryu.


    Firstly, Kagura Hikaru was certain that he wouldn''t die.


    Even if he was with that girl, he wouldn''t die.


    Because Kagura Hikaru knew something.


    Komori Ai was a human being, a living person, a natural human with warm blood flowing through her veins.


    The second thing.


    Her ability.


    To affect himself and other humans, briefly confusing the lost boy and girl named Kagura Hikaru and Hina Kiryu, effortlessly grabbing the affections of Yuqiu High School''s original freshmen, now sophomores, silently appearing at Yuqiu High School and wearing the uniform while claiming to be a new student,


    The so-called supernatural power.


    ```

 Chapter 90 Komori Ais Lie

    Let''s get one thing straight, although Kagura Hikaru can confirm that Komori Ai is human, he cannot accurately determine whether the ability she possesses is the so-called ''Supernatural Power''.It might be some special technique beyond his understanding.


    After all, no matter what, they had only met twice.


    The reason he could make this judgment this far was that the mind-reading content helped to expand his imagination.


    Let''s just state the result directly.


    Komori Ai''s ability is most likely, Lie.


    Or rather, a potent hypnotic triggered by lies that makes people believe it to be true.


    The first time he met her, Kagura Hikaru was deceived, alongside Kiryu Hina.


    They mistook her for a missing elementary school student by the name of ''Komori Ai''¡ªno, if this theory holds, then the name ''Komori Ai'' is also stolen, taken from that missing girl.


    "I am Komori Ai, everyone is kind, so happy."


    This was what Kagura Hikaru read from her at the camping site during the bonfire party that evening.


    "I am Komori Ai, a first-year student at Yuqiu High School, I do not exist."


    This was the mind-reading content when he encountered her at the gymnasium.


    If Komori Ai really was named Komori Ai, why would she need to emphasize she is herself?


    It''s only necessary to reinforce one''s identity like that in one''s mind when needing to impersonate someone who is not oneself.


    Going back to that day.


    At the time, Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina mistook Komori Ai for something like a ghost.


    After returning to the campsite, they learned of the ''truth'' from a flyer and informed Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    The lie that was penetrated by the truth naturally couldn''t continue, so for some time, the three of them were able to observe Komori Ai from a real perspective, perceiving the horror that emanated from her, misaligned with reality.


    But by dinner time, Komori Ai layered another lie on top of herself, covering up the previous truth again, causing Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko to fall back into some kind of cognitive illusion along with everyone else.


    Only Kagura Hikaru maintained his clarity.


    Perhaps due to having read Komori Ai''s mind before, peering into her deepest ''reality'', he was not confused by the lie any longer, and his memories about Komori Ai were not erased thereafter.


    As a result, he was targeted by Komori Ai, who chased him all the way from Sendai to here.


    Thinking about it, she''s indeed a determined child.


    The second point.


    The argument that Komori Ai is human, a living person.


    When he grabbed her hand before, Kagura Hikaru took the chance to check her pulse with his thumb.


    He does not have a license, but his Chinese medical skills are quite good, with a pulse-reading level of LV3.


    He refused to believe that the pulse of ghosts, goblins, or monsters would be the same as that of a human.


    The conclusion from the pulse check was that Komori Ai had mild cold body syndrome, but otherwise, everything about her body was normal, and her heart was beating.


    The cold feeling he had perceived that night at the campsite, as if it could penetrate clothing, might have a very simple explanation.


    That is Komori Ai was wearing too little at the time, and as the night temperature dropped sharply, she got cold...


    If Kagura Hikaru''s guess is correct, then Komori Ai is not some Mountain God or ghost, but merely a human with some peculiar abilities.


    A variant among humans, in short, ''human''.


    Just like him.


    "Kagura, have you rested enough?" Ayakoji Chiyoko came over in a flurry.


    His train of thought was interrupted, but it didn''t matter, it wasn''t too late to think about the details later.


    Kagura Hikaru walked towards her, too.


    Earlier, as he went to deal with Komori Ai, Ayakoji Chiyoko had divided her time to direct the remaining Discipline Committee members to transport those old and to-be-discarded props.


    For instance, items like hurdles, barbells, and shot puts.


    Every so often one could see Discipline Committee members briskly walking past with items they were carrying, holding, or dragging.


    But work of this level could be handled by the Gorilla Vice President as well.


    The reason Ayakoji Chiyoko personally went there was probably to take the opportunity to observe Saijo Mari.


    After all, like Kagura Hikaru, she too was puzzled as to why the girl who held the position of Sports Committee President had the power to threaten Kiryu Hina.


    Was she somewhat popular within the sports clubs?


    But how extensive was her network, really? Was the rumor that half the male students in the sports clubs had confessed to her true? And if she were to participate in the Student Council election, what kind of variables would that bring to the duel between Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina?


    All of that was unclear.


    If you don''t understand, then there''s nothing to discuss.


    Thus, Ayakoji Chiyoko made a move to probe.


    It seemed she probably got something out of it.


    "So, what''s the result?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    "What result?"


    "I mean... is Saijo Mari the kind of character who''s tough to deal with?"


    "Ah, about that," Ayakoji Chiyoko shook her head, "From the conclusion, no. Even if we don''t join forces with Kiryu Hina, just based on our current abilities and influence, we have enough to completely crush her. She''s not a strong person."


    In other words, they needn''t worry about her counterattack, and she would be easy to handle if things did not come to an agreement¡ªit''s this kind of meaning, right? S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "However, from the perspective of the election it''s a different matter."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko slightly furrowed her brow.


    It was an expression of perplexity rarely seen on her face.


    "Saijo Mari, I originally thought she was just a rather influential figure in the school, that even if she had connections with a few clubs, it would be to that extent. But I was completely wrong."


    "?"


    "If we were to classify her as either a domineering type or a people''s person, she''s undoubtedly the latter, but different from the type of people''s charm that Kiryu Hina has, she is completely integrated into the group."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned her head to look at Saijo Mari in the distance, who was speaking with members of the Volleyball Club. The smile on her face was far more genuine and sincere than any Acting she had seen before.


    There''s a saying that goes well, sincerity is the most lethal weapon.


    "If Kiryu Hina''s approach is to turn herself into the perfect idol, admired by everyone, then Saijo Mari aims to become a part of everyone''s school life. She is one of them, a friend they can share their troubles with, a classmate who greets them on their way to and from school."


    "In some senses, I admire her," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, "because I cannot do what she does."


    So that''s it, this is the confidence she has for joining the Student Council election.


    At the same time, Kagura Hikaru also realized why Kiryu Hina was wary of her.


    If this extensive network was something she had intentionally cultivated, then Saijo Mari was undeniably an individual with a deeply strategic mind.


    Such a person with ambitions for the Student Council President position would never be content with being second best.


    They could only cooperate.


    This was the mutual conclusion they reached.


    Later, Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t find an opportunity to negotiate with Saijo Mari.


    Because a Discipline Committee member hurt their foot while moving things, not only did they shout out, they also bled, and Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru went to help with the emergency treatment.


    As a result, until school was out, Kagura Hikaru never saw Ayakoji Chiyoko again, for she had accompanied the injured to the hospital.


    It was said that the poor victim had three toes broken and was currently undergoing surgery.


    Let''s hope they recover.


    At three-thirty in the afternoon, Kagura Hikaru left the school.


    And shortly after, she ran into Komori Ai.

 Chapter 91 Are You a High School Student from Around Here?

    After entering spring, there would occasionally be such weather.The overcast sky, dim light, and a slightly humid breeze would occasionally sweep past the corners of clothes.


    On these days when it might rain at any moment, Kagura Hikaru had stopped his part-time work at the livehouse, believing it to be very irresponsible to expose his guitar, worth over four hundred thousand yen, to the risk of getting wet at any time.


    Therefore, he hadn''t brought his guitar to school these days.


    Perhaps it was because of this.


    Without the extra weight on his shoulder and the large guitar case blocking his line of sight, Kagura Hikaru quickly noticed the trace of the stalker.


    He became aware of it within the third minute of leaving the school.


    When he occasionally looked back, he could see a petite figure swiftly retracting into the shadow of a utility pole.


    But you''re exposed, completely exposed, with that oversized black coat sticking out. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He rounded a corner, killed his presence, waited quietly for five seconds, and came out expressionlessly, just in time to meet the sneaky Komori Ai eye to eye.


    "Caught you, Brother Kagura is so amazing!" Komori Ai covered her small mouth in astonishment, then ran backward like a chick, waving her hands and shouting loudly, "Now it''s brother''s turn to catch me! Remember to count down from thirty!"


    So this was hide and seek.


    The play-along had started from the moment he left school, hadn''t it?


    Kagura Hikaru actually waited for thirty seconds at the corner before heading in the direction Komori Ai had left.


    Soon after, he found the ''devil'' crouching behind a stand-up billboard.


    Komori Ai turned her head and revealed a surprised smile, "Ah, caught again."


    Then she covered her eyes, turned back, faced the wall, and started counting loudly, "One, two..."


    Kagura Hikaru glanced around, no passerby seemed to notice Komori Ai''s voice, they seemed more curious about him instead.


    A male high school student standing behind a billboard and daydreaming, he must be the weirdest one of all.


    Komori Ai used her power again to hide her figure, ordinary people couldn''t see or hear her, so it seems that revealing her true self and playing with everyone at the camp was a rare occurrence.


    The game of hide and seek continued until Komori Ai was found for the third time.


    This time she was hiding in the park.


    Or rather, she didn''t really hide at all.


    When Kagura Hikaru found her, she was squatting next to a children''s sandbox, humming an unknown nursery rhyme, building sandcastles with her bare hands, so engrossed that she didn''t even notice Kagura Hikaru standing behind her.


    This childish image, so far removed from the idea of a ghost or monster, once again made Kagura Hikaru feel that she might indeed be human.


    He also walked over and squatted beside Komori Ai.


    "Sand, is it fun?"


    "Yes!" Komori Ai nodded vigorously, focusing on sculpting details with her fingers.


    Perhaps because of the recent rain and the high humidity, the sand in the sandbox was moist enough to hold its shape without additional water.


    Kagura Hikaru watched her quietly.


    Komori Ai''s behavior clearly didn''t match her age.


    According to her own words, she was fifteen this year.


    But no matter how he looked, he couldn''t associate the girl intently building sandcastles in front of him with the image of a fifteen-year-old high school student.


    At this age, normal girls would either be addicted to chatting on their smartphones and short video apps, or be crazy over handsome actors on TV.


    None would be like Komori Ai, playing with sand in the park with a serious face, without a shred of embarrassment even when being watched.


    If one were to discard the idea that ''her behavior is strange because she''s a supernatural being,'' and judge her by human standards instead, she could only be seen as lacking common sense or having a cognitive ability different from the norm.


    Going a step further.


    Her bizarre behaviors, such as tilting her head at odd angles, staring with widened eyes closely at people, and so on, resembled the actions of ghosts in horror films. Medically, they might be indicative of an unknown mental disorder, or perhaps emotional disturbances, preventing her from expressing her emotions normally.


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly remembered the bloody and religiously charged memory images he had seen through mind-reading and fell silent.


    Was it that experience that had changed her into what she was now?


    Perhaps Komori Ai''s past was even more grueling and dark than he had thought. Experience new tales on empire


    He didn''t know where her parents had gone, leaving such a young child to wander outside.


    Oh right, she had mentioned before that she was an orphan, so her parents were probably no longer around.


    ...In any case, as long as she didn''t show any signs of aggression, she could be considered safe enough.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t think of her as a dangerous person anymore.


    But just to be safe, he still needed to observe her more.


    It was convenient that Komori Ai would actively approach him.


    After all, she was still too dangerous.


    The ability to hypnotize a wide range of humans in an instant.


    The exact range hadn''t been measured yet, but it should exceed a hundred-meter radius or maybe it would activate as long as she was observed; he didn''t know if it worked through security cameras.


    He figured it probably did; otherwise, Komori Ai wandering aimlessly around the school would have already been discovered.


    This was a power stronger than mind-reading, one that could easily dominate over authority.


    Compared to Kagura Hikaru, who could only pry into people''s hearts, perhaps Komori Ai was the real threat to world safety.


    This was certainly not a topic to be excited about.


    "Brother Kagura, let''s play together!" Komori Ai said.


    Kagura Hikaru nodded, picked up a twig the length of a finger from the side as a tool, and started embellishing Komori Ai''s sandcastle, occasionally asking for architectural advice.


    If he was going to do it, he wanted to do it best.


    He built up all the sand on the surface of the sandbox, centering on Komori Ai''s castle, constructing a complex of buildings with swift movements.


    To outsiders, he probably appeared as a highly skilled high school student talking to himself and occasionally behaving oddly, frantically playing in the sand, scaring away elementary school kids who passed by.


    ...Not just elementary school kids; even Kagura Hikaru probably wouldn''t want to have anything to do with such a weird person if he had been a passerby.


    Thirty minutes later.


    "Done."


    Kagura Hikaru exhaled softly, wiped an imaginary sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, and looked at his creation with a sense of accomplishment.


    A mini-city rivaling Stormwind Castle had emerged in a children''s sandbox, typically found in any little park.


    In the center stood a tall German-style castle, clearly the royal castle, then extending out in tiers were the palaces, temples, and finally shops and residences, with the edge framed by the grand walls enclosing the entire city-state.


    If they wanted to be even more detailed, they could create the pattern of the city''s flooring, random objects, and human inhabitants.


    That was indeed what Kagura Hikaru and Komori Ai had planned.


    They exchanged a glance, their eyes reflecting the experience of seasoned craftsmen, and once again picked up their fingers and twigs to begin the next phase of their work.


    Just then, a hand pressed on Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder from behind.


    He turned around to see a police officer holding his hat brim with a smile and three elementary school students with scared expressions behind him.


    "Are you a high school student from around here? Could you tell me your name?"


    Kagura Hikaru decisively ran away.


    Taking Komori Ai with him.

 Chapter 92 Another Development Like This

    They shook off a Mr. Policeman who intruded on behalf of some elementary school students and stopped in front of a convenience store.The goal was to take shelter from the rain.


    Kagura Hikaru had a premonition when he saw the overcast sky earlier, and sure enough, it started to rain.


    Fortunately, the rain wasn''t heavy, and when they arrived at the convenience store, neither Kagura Hikaru nor Komori Ai''s clothes were very wet.


    But if the rain didn''t stop and they didn''t have an umbrella, the two of them couldn''t leave.


    To buy an umbrella, they entered the convenience store.


    Komori Ai unexpectedly behaved, took the initiative to hold Kagura Hikaru''s hand, covered her mouth with her sleeve, widened her eyes, and followed him wherever he went. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Would you like to buy some snacks?" Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but treat her like a relative''s child, and whispered while looking for umbrellas.


    Seeing Komori Ai nod, Kagura Hikaru let her push the cart to the snack section to pick out snacks on her own.


    Watching her walk away, Kagura Hikaru pulled out the largest black umbrella from the umbrella section.


    Although it was the largest, it wasn''t very big and could at most accommodate two people.


    The Island Nation is a small place with narrow roads in urban planning, which makes everyone in big cities with heavy crowds consider each other.


    It''s what''s called a "read-the-air" society.


    Buying too large an umbrella might obstruct others and attract disapproval.


    Perhaps considering this, and worrying about receiving negative reviews, no convenience store sells large umbrellas.


    That was the simple reason.


    Being attacked over minor issues is commonplace in the Island Nation.


    Conversely, it is because of this social atmosphere that many people in the Island Nation develop a cautious and careful character.


    Good or bad, it''s hard to judge.


    Perhaps this can be called the national character of the people of the Island Nation.


    Rather than that, Kagura Hikaru found himself lucky to see an unusual person here.


    Unusual, or rather, it was a coincidence to meet twice in one day.


    "Senior Saijo."


    Kagura Hikaru greeted Saijo Mari, who appeared in front of him with a shopping basket.


    "Ah, you are... Classmate Kagura," Saijo Mari said with slight surprise, "Good afternoon."


    "Good afternoon," Kagura Hikaru glanced at the items in her shopping basket, and said, "Senior Saijo, are you shopping for groceries for your family?"


    In the basket were onions, radishes, scallions, and other common ingredients for home cooking.


    "Yes, after finishing club activities every day, I have to go home and cook," Saijo Mari explained while taking a bottle of white pepper off the shelf, "Parents are often late coming home from work, but I still have two younger sisters at home, so I can''t just ignore them."


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    "I see, balancing your work in the Sports Committee and taking care of your sisters at home must be quite tough," Kagura Hikaru commented.


    "Not really, it''s just something I should do as the eldest daughter in the family. Compared to me, Classmate Kagura and Classmate Ayakoji probably have it tougher since you''ve been targeted by the Student Council President."


    "I didn''t expect even Senior Saijo to have heard about it."


    Saijo Mari laughed, "I mean, who in the school doesn''t know about your feud with him?"


    Senior Saijo seemed unusually talkative that evening, whereas when they had met before, she had been quite reticent, especially to him who was neither a friend nor a close acquaintance.


    Maybe, she was the type who was more open in private?


    Or perhaps, she was in a good mood today.


    Not sure, but it felt like an opportunity.


    He tried making conversation.


    "After the sports festival, it''s summer vacation, isn''t it? Do you have plans to go on a trip with your family, Senior Saijo?"


    "Eh? Yes, my father mentioned taking a family trip to America."


    "America, huh? Is it a free trip?"


    "Yes, we''ve already made the arrangements in advance."


    "Speaking of which, after the summer vacation, it will almost be time for the Student Council elections to start," Kagura Hikaru remarked casually as he observed Saijo Mari''s expression, "you''re quite popular in the sports clubs. If you were to run, you might be successful."


    "Run for election?" Saijo Mari shook her head, puzzled, "Sorry, I''m not really interested in Student Council affairs. Besides, I couldn''t possibly win against President Kiriyu."


    [Why bring up the election all of a sudden? It''s unrelated to the Sports Committee.]


    [Oh, I see. Perhaps Classmate Kagura wants me to help Classmate Ayakoji gather votes?]


    [But President Kiriyu is too strong, so beautiful and academically excellent; I almost became mesmerized and turned into a fan. Can those two really win.....]


    [You have acquired through peering into the heart: Baseball +3]


    [Baseball lv4 (58/100)]


    Ah....


    It''s this kind of development again.


    For some reason, probably because he had been deceived too many times, Kagura Hikaru was no longer surprised.


    [Why bring up the election all of a sudden? It''s unrelated to the Sports Committee.]


    [But President Kiriyu is too strong, so beautiful and academically excellent; I almost became mesmerized and turned into a fan. Can those two really win.....]


    It was those two lines.


    The problems were blatantly exposed.


    The ability to read minds only reveals the most genuine thoughts of the person involved, and of course, any change in mood subsequently alters the thoughts as well.


    But at least for the moment, this was Saijo Mari''s true inner feeling.


    "Saijo Mari plans on running for the Student Council and is also a strong candidate." "Saijo Mari is my enemy." "I don''t consider her an enemy, she unilaterally sees me as an enemy, so I have no choice but to regard her as one."


    ¡ªThese were all things Hina had said to him before.


    Now, it seemed none of it was true.


    This woman, she must be made of lies, right?


    Saijo Mari had no intention of running for the Student Council election, nor was she antagonistic towards Kiryu Hina; in fact, she quite admired her.


    She was just an ordinary president of the Sports Committee who got along well with everyone in the sports clubs.


    This was the truth.


    If it weren''t for his mind-reading ability, even if Saijo Mari told him the truth to his face, Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t dare believe it.


    People are biased by previous impressions, and after Hina''s implantation of impressions, it was hard for Kagura to see Saijo Mari as someone without ambition, with a pure heart.


    Naturally, he couldn''t fully trust her, and it was the same for Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    This was probably one of Hina''s intended goals.


    If Kagura Hikaru hadn''t bumped into her at the convenience store today, he might have discovered the lies much later.


    There was only one thing left unconfirmed, which was whether Saijo Mari truly had a secret crush on the former Vice President, Ando Naoto, who had already graduated.


    But Kagura Hikaru wasn''t interested in that part; whether it was true or not didn''t matter, so there was no need to probe further.


    The really important information was just one thing: that Saijo Mari had no intention of running for the Student Council election.


    This meant that it was possible to win her over.


    She could become a crucial ally in defeating Kiryu Hina during the elections.

 Chapter 93 Unavoidable Reasons

    Once liked Ando Naoto, still does, and now wants to run for the Student Council election, beginning to oppose her.This was Kiryu Hina''s claim.


    She had told Kagura Hikaru, and Kagura Hikaru relayed the information to Ayakoji Chiyoko, and they had taken action, trying to see if Saijo Mari could become a supportive partner.


    Up to now, everything had probably been within her expectations.


    Until now, Kagura Hikaru had resorted to cheating-like methods and learned the real thoughts of Saijo Mari.


    Lies were uncovered.


    There had never been a ''strong candidate'' nor an ''enemy''.


    From the beginning, it was all fabricated by Kiryu Hina.


    Saijo Mari''s reputation had been harmed.


    But what about the purpose, the most crucial purpose?


    What benefits could one possibly gain from such actions, and what drove Hina to disparage an innocent third-year senior by opening her mouth?


    Of course, Kagura Hikaru also understood the value that resided in Saijo Mari.


    She could be said to be the largest neutral party in the school, standing right in between the forces of Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whoever could win her over would become the biggest power.


    No, that statement wasn''t quite accurate.


    To be precise, if Saijo Mari leaned towards Hina, then no matter how hard Kagura Hikaru and others tried, they could not possibly win the election.


    But if Saijo Mari leaned towards Ayakoji Chiyoko, then the Disciplinary Committee would possess the strength to contend with Kiryu Hina on equal footing at last.


    In simpler terms, Saijo Mari was a guaranteed winning card for Hina, yet a legendary equipment for Ayakoji Chiyoko that allowed for battling beyond one''s level.


    Her importance to both sides was self-evident.


    Yet, knowing this, Kiryu Hina didn''t think of striking first but rather actively handed over the opportunity to Kagura Hikaru and his group.


    She wasn''t counting on Kagura Hikaru to help her with this, but she had explicitly told him to convey it to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Apart from her having a more significant plot, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t think of any other reason.


    Something must have occurred with Saijo Mari, leading Hina to believe she could control her and manipulate her, eventually benefitting herself by harming Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    That means, the focus is on betrayal, right?


    Kagura Hikaru thought of someone.


    Hosaka Yui.


    She too had suddenly turned traitor, pushing Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko into a tough spot without any warning.


    At that time, both were stranded in the Capital City as a lone man and woman. Even without something like a shared room record, Hosaka Yui could have used it to fabricate some other ambiguous news to damage Ayakoji Chiyoko''s reputation.


    If the latter had not prepared in advance, they would have definitely suffered a loss.


    But this time it was different. Saijo Mari wasn''t one of Kiryu Hina''s people and wouldn''t act on her orders.


    Unless, Hina created a ''must'' rationale.


    Finding this reason, uncovering the leverage that perhaps even Saijo Mari herself hadn''t realized someone held over her, was Kagura Hikaru''s next task to solve.


    After talking about the election, Kagura Hikaru really wasn''t interested in making small talk anymore.


    He had intended to take his umbrella and go look for Komori Ai, who had disappeared to who knows where.


    But unexpectedly, Saijo Mari seemed quite engaged in conversation and he found no opportunity to leave.


    "Actually, the atmosphere at home has been a little strange recently, so I don''t really want to go back so early," Saijo Mari said with some embarrassment as she tidied her bangs, "Normally by this schedule, I would have been home already and wouldn''t have run into Classmate Kagura at the convenience store."


    "Is that so....."


    "After all, being a child when parents argue puts you in a tough position, you''ve had this experience, right?"


    "..."


    Unpleasant memories circled back in front of him.


    The father, angrily smashing everything on the table, and the mother, cold and spiteful with her words.


    Both had become completely different from their usual selves.


    Standing between them, I felt nothing but agony.


    My family was crumbling right before my eyes.


    The feeling was, to say the least, extremely difficult.


    "Mother even mentioned divorce, and father said he would take me and my sisters to America and never come back. They fought terribly over this,"


    Saijo Mari sighed, "What should I do in this situation, what do you think, Classmate Kagura?"


    "...I think you should protect your sisters...,"


    "Yes, I think so too, so every time my parents argue, I take them to their room. But the thought of possibly being separated from my sisters if they divorce, it just..."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t think she was intentionally prodding his sore spot.


    She was sincerely troubled.


    But she had chosen the wrong person to confide in.


    Why go to a somewhat familiar friend instead of someone she met by chance in a convenience store and had only seen a couple of times to complain about her family woes? There was definitely something off about that.


    Kagura Hikaru thought of something and subtly glanced around.


    Then, unsurprisingly, he spotted Komori Ai peeking out from behind a nearby shelf.


    Pretending to grab something, he walked over to where Komori Ai was and stopped, lowering his voice, "Are you behind this?"


    From his previous impression, Saijo Mari was not the type to blabber in front of a stranger; if she were the type to overshare with acquaintances and lacked emotional intelligence, she wouldn''t have such a good reputation in the sports clubs.


    More than the possibility of Saijo Mari suddenly snapping, Kagura Hikaru was more inclined to believe Komori Ai had done something to her.


    "Eh~ What are you talking about, Xiao Ai is too young to understand,"


    Facing the questioning, Komori Ai tilted her head as if confused and pushed her cart, trying to sneak away.


    She was grabbed by the collar and pulled back.


    "Speak up, did you do this?" Kagura Hikaru held her, feeling like he was training a cat.


    Komori Ai seemed to find it amusing and deliberately pulled her clothes in the opposite direction. Catching a glimpse of Kagura Hikaru''s serious expression, she finally sobered up and muttered, "It''ll be back to normal... by tomorrow morning... "


    It was indeed her, had she used that ability again?


    Was she trying to help him?


    Kagura Hikaru looked back and saw Saijo Mari still staring blankly at a pack of diapers, lost in thought, before turning back.


    In terms of convenience and potential harm to society, Komori Ai''s abilities were far stronger than his own. If he could control her, anything could be possible.


    If it were an ambitious person, they might be very excited at this moment.


    But Kagura Hikaru said to her, "Thank you for your help, but don''t do this again."


    Using supernatural powers to disrupt the social order would only make one''s living environment abnormal.


    He didn''t know how Komori Ai felt, but Kagura Hikaru sincerely hoped she wouldn''t misuse her abilities.


    This would repeatedly remind her that she was an exception, a different kind of human, ultimately isolating herself from society like a ghost.


    In fact, Komori Ai had already become a ghost-like presence.


    Except for Kagura Hikaru, no one could see her, her past was a mystery, and her future unseen; she could be described as a living ghost wandering amongst humans.


    Seeing her like this was quite distressing.


    Whether you call it excessive compassion or sorrow for lost souls, Find your next read on empire


    Kagura Hikaru did not want to see another, perhaps the only creature like him, living such a miserable life.


    This would inevitably make one wonder if their own future would also be like this.


    A future of abusing one''s powers, acting recklessly, leading to the ruin of everything one held dear.

 Chapter 94 Devils Whisper

    Of course, the ability itself is not wrong: abilities are merely tools, instruments, weapons.The mistake lies in how they are used.


    One should only use abilities when necessary and never let curiosity overpower them in everyday life.


    After learning several lessons from relying on mind-reading, Kagura Hikaru had been quietly following this rule until today.


    Rules are very important.


    They pertain to one''s future life, what kind of person one wants to become, what kind of person one will become.


    Kagura Hikaru had no ambition to become a politician or a wealthy tycoon, and he certainly did not want to end up like his ancestors. His wish was modest: to live a safe and happy life until his last days.


    He would not force Komori Ai to bind herself as he did.


    After all, demanding something from others is different from demanding it from oneself.


    But this point was very clear.


    Kagura Hikaru disliked how Komori Ai easily disregarded a person''s dignity, forcing him/her to do something unwillingly, especially if it was for the benefit of others.


    This was a trampling of a person''s character.


    An overstepping of boundaries.


    And he strongly disliked people who did such things.


    "..." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Apparently sensing the anger hidden under his expressionless face, Komori Ai slowly and cautiously nodded, then turned and ran off, leaving the shopping cart behind.


    Had he frightened her?


    Only a few seconds had passed when Komori Ai circled back from the front, holding two ice creams she had just taken from the convenience store''s fridge and handed one to him.


    Kagura Hikaru accepted the ice cream and together with Komori Ai, started eating after tearing off the wrapper.


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    In the silent atmosphere, they reached a reconciliation.


    They just forgot that one should not open goods that had not yet been purchased in the convenience store.


    Under the condemning gaze of the store clerk, Kagura Hikaru awkwardly carried an umbrella he had just purchased, along with two large bags of snacks, and exited the convenience store with Komori Ai and Saijo Mari.


    "Pfft, I didn''t expect Classmate Kagura to be neglectful too; it''s quite surprising," Saijo Mari turned her head away, covering her mouth and snickering.


    Kagura Hikaru glanced sideways, stubbornly explaining, "I merely forgot for a moment, a natural human reaction."


    A light drizzle fell outside.


    Saijo Mari and Kagura Hikaru, each holding a clear and a black umbrella, walked side by side on the street.


    Unseen by others, Komori Ai hid under Kagura Hikaru''s umbrella, munching on a bag of tomato-flavored chips.


    The incident she had initiated led to a not too big, not too small consequence.


    Saijo Mari really treated Kagura Hikaru as though he were a psychologist, pouring out her troubles without leaving anything out.


    Family conflicts, troubles with classmates, a disobedient younger sister, a boy who had confessed to her the day before, the upcoming menstrual cycle...


    It turns out girls have so many worries; Kagura Hikaru was nearly overwhelmed, remembering just a third of it was already doing well.


    Saijo Mari didn''t seem to expect him to remember; she just talked unabashedly.


    This torture continued until their paths diverged at an intersection, and they had to part ways.


    "So, Mr. Kagura, see you tomorrow~"


    "Um, yes... see you tomorrow."


    When did he become ''Mr. Kagura'' again?


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself.


    They bid each other farewell and headed in different directions.


    Halfway through, Kagura Hikaru suddenly remembered that Komori Ai had said that Saijo Mari''s state would be lifted by tomorrow morning, which meant that she would maintain this ''blabbermouth state'' at least for tonight.


    He wondered if it would cause trouble for her family; if so, all he could say was sorry.


    After Saijo Mari''s departure, the atmosphere gradually quietened down.


    Kagura Hikaru walked silently.


    In the rain, sharing one umbrella with a fifteen-year-old girl, walking the streets of Tokyo.


    This experience was not entirely absent.


    But even compared to half a day earlier, when he thought he had encountered a ghost or the Mountain God, even he had to admit how unpredictable life could be.


    He looked down at Komori Ai, who was silently munching on chips.


    She didn''t seem to be harboring any unpleasant feelings, but at the same time, there were no pleasant ones either.


    Actually, it seemed like ever since the first time he had met her, Komori Ai had never shown any emotions.


    "Do you have a place to stay? I can take you home," Kagura Hikaru said to her.


    "No need." Komori Ai stepped under the awning of a bakery, reaching out her hand.


    Kagura Hikaru understood and handed her the bag filled with snacks.


    He had intended to give her both bags, but Komori Ai only took one and then stared steadily at him.


    "What''s up?"


    "I had a lot of fun today, didn''t expect you to actually hang out with me."


    "We did have an appointment, after all."


    "Brother Kagura, you really are a strange person... in capabilities and otherwise."


    "Hmm?"


    "Nothing at all~" Komori Ai said with a cute laugh, lifting the hand that held the snack bag, "I''ll come find you again next time, goodbye!"


    "Wait, there''s one more thing."


    "?"


    "On the night we stayed at the campsite, I saw a figure outside the tent. Was that you?"


    "It rained that night, right? Why would I run around outside? I was sleeping until morning."


    "Were you, though..."


    Kagura Hikaru''s face fell.


    That was the expression of someone who had encountered a ghost.


    Damn!


    "Well, this time it''s really goodbye."


    "Uh... goodbye."


    Kagura Hikaru walked a few steps, then turned back, but the girl''s figure had already vanished.


    He walked on, puzzled, toward the direction of his home.


    At that moment, he was completely unaware of the issues surrounding Komori Ai and the fact that she had no choice but to leave, rather than choosing to do so herself.


    The next time he saw Komori Ai was much later.


    ..............


    "Men''s 60-meter dash, please raise your hand... Women''s 60-meter dash, please raise your hand... Men''s 1000-meter relay, please raise your hand..."


    The next morning, in class 2A, during study period.


    The bespectacled female class president stood at the podium, recording the sign-ups for the sports day from the students in her class.


    In class 2A there were Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko, but the president was neither of them; it was a girl named Hagawa Reki, who had no connection to elections.


    The reason was obvious, as there was only one president''s position, and if one didn''t win the election, the other would have to be the vice president.


    And the one who lost would certainly not be satisfied, leading to a meaningless war.


    To prevent their class from becoming a smoke-filled battlefield, they both decided to take a step back and agreed that neither would compete.


    If only they could be so aware in the Student Council elections.


    "... Men''s 3000-meter endurance run, please raise your hand."


    Kagura Hikaru raised his right hand.


    The female class president glanced at him and wrote down ''Kagura Hikaru'' on the list.


    That morning, when Kagura Hikaru arrived at school, he discovered that he had been promoted to Vice President of the Disciplinary Committee.


    When he got to school, Discipline Committee members bowed collectively to greet him, startling the surrounding students, who wondered if some underworld bigwig had arrived.


    Kagura Hikaru was also helpless. Which vice president would have such a grand entrance? Clearly, it was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s doing.


    She wanted him to sign up for sports day to boost the prestige of the Disciplinary Committee. Kagura Hikaru couldn''t refuse, so he let her have her way.


    So far, he had signed up for ''60-meter three-legged race'', ''scavenger race'', and ''men''s 3000-meter endurance run''.


    He thought that was already plenty, but then Ayakoji Chiyoko whispered in his ear like a devil, "Sign me up for swimming too, remember, all of it."


    Kagura Hikaru silently rolled his eyes.


    Do you think I''m a cow, with endless energy?!

 Chapter 95 Flesh Trade

    "...Men''s 50-meter freestyle, those participating please raise your hand." the female class president shouted. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Kagura Hikaru was unwilling to raise his hand, so Ayakoji Chiyoko twisted his waist under the table until he agreed to do so.


    In the end, he had signed up for all four swimming events¡ªmen''s 50-meter freestyle, men''s 100-meter freestyle, men''s water polo, and men''s 800-meter freestyle relay.


    And so had Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    ".....Why are you making me sign up for so many swimming events? What are you trying to do?" Kagura Hikaru asked, his eyelids drooping.


    Just thinking about participating in so many events tired him out before the sports day even began.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko scanned him up and down with her eyes, as if a scanner was measuring his body data, "What do you think, how many girls will be attracted to a good-looking guy participating in swim events that reveal the most skin?"


    This question needed no thought.


    Never underestimate the level of girls'' interests; Kagura Hikaru, who had experienced a surprise attach by middle school girls on a train, had a say in this matter.


    However, compared to men''s freestyle, women''s swimming events tended to attract slightly more attention.


    And those were exactly the events Ayakoji Chiyoko had also signed up for.


    "Could it be, you did this for that....?"


    "Sports are my strength; I need to create a distinction between Kiryu Hina and myself here." Ayakoji Chiyoko rolled up her sleeves, showing her fair skin, "Even if they come for my body, I don''t care. What I want is their potential votes, it''s a mutual need."


    "To be able to say something like that, I really admire you, truly."


    It wasn''t sarcasm, Kagura Hikaru truly felt this way, finding himself able to respect Ayakoji Chiyoko at that moment.


    Such stark realism, typically expected from a stripper, would likely make anyone, adult or student, hesitant to speak it.


    But such normal inhibitions seemed not to affect Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    With her pride, it was definitely not that she truly did not care, she was just unscrupulously pragmatic in achieving her goals...


    No, that sounded even more alarming.


    If others knew, some might accuse her of shamelessness, as if a girl is easily trading her body for advantage, using it as if its only value was the profit it could bring.


    However, precisely because of this, Kagura Hikaru admired her even more for being able to voice such thoughts.


    In Island Nation society, being different equates to social suicide.


    Bullying and cold violence would follow suit.


    This was true not just at school but even more so in the workplace.


    Anyone grown up in this society had to learn the skill of reading the room.


    To be able to openly speak out of line and act differently in such a social atmosphere could indeed be deemed heroic.


    But ultimately, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s views were not the kind to be publically touted.


    If Kagura Hikaru were to post online about her saying such things, her approval rating would plummet in the blink of an eye, undoing all the efforts to rebuild her reputation since the beginning of the school year.


    Even in the relatively open Island Nation, girls who brazenly speak of such things are disliked, and there is also a disdain for male students within the school¡ªas superficial as they are.


    In a way, this also represented Ayakoji Chiyoko''s trust in him.


    Trusting that he would absolutely not speak out, would not betray her.


    It took half a class period, but the female class president recorded all students participating in the sports day and handed the list to the teacher.


    Taking advantage of the free period during self-study, Kagura Hikaru told Ayakoji Chiyoko about his encounter the previous day with Saijo Mari and how she denied she would participate in the Student Council elections and have any association with Kiryu Hina.


    "You mean, she''s not running, and she has no ties to Kiryu Hina?"


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    "Yeah."


    The two leaned their heads in close, spoke in a hushed voice, at a volume that the Kiryu Hina in the front row wouldn''t notice.


    "So, Kiryu Hina is lying again."


    "From the results, that''s correct."


    "But the purpose?"


    "..."


    Purpose, purpose.


    Kagura Hikaru had been pondering this question too, having thought about it all night without any clarity.


    If this was the truth, why would Kiryu Hina want them to pay attention to Saijo Mari?


    Lies would eventually be exposed, only unnecessarily making them aware of an extremely viable source for rallying votes. Just getting a step ahead in bringing her to their side could secure a large number of quality votes.


    But why wouldn''t she do that?


    It couldn''t possibly be because she underestimated their ability to win over Saijo Mari, that would be too dismissive.


    Kiryu Hina was not the type to let go of the initiative.


    Not only Kagura Hikaru, but Ayakoji Chiyoko also couldn''t quite understand why initially.


    But she also thought of Hosaka Yui.


    If they trusted Saijo Mari just like that, they might experience a betrayal like they did in Capitol City.


    The things Saijo Mari told Kagura Hikaru might all be lies.


    But Kagura Hikaru knew it was unlikely, as Saijo Mari yesterday was turned into a ''truth-telling state'' by Komori Ai''s skills, spouting truths that should and shouldn''t be said alike, as if telling the truth had become a form of venting for her, unstoppable.


    It involved too much personal privacy, personal secrets that she couldn''t possibly explain to others, things that even if fictional, a female high school student shouldn''t disclose to others.


    Moreover, there was no personal relationship between Saijo Mari and Kiryu Hina; she wasn''t the latter''s spy, which Kagura Hikaru had confirmed through mind-reading.


    Unfortunately, these methods were too special, unable to be explained to Ayakoji Chiyoko; it was impossible to clarify.


    He had to find another way to persuade Ayakoji Chiyoko to change her perspective, to prevent her from becoming misguided.


    "Maybe, we were wrong from the start," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "Oh?"


    "Not ''Saijo Mari is President Kiriyu''s spy,'' but ''Saijo Mari will become President Kiriyu''s spy.''"


    "You mean to say...." Ayakoji Chiyoko stroked her chin, grasping the key point, "I see, you think Saijo Mari has something held over her by that woman, and she herself is unaware."


    "If that''s the case, it would explain everything," Kagura Hikaru shared his speculations, "President Kiriyu''s plan might be to intentionally let us discover her, bring her under our fold, then use that leverage to make Saijo Mari turn against us and knock us out of the game."


    "Heh, that does sound like something Kiryu Hina would do," Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced at someone sitting in front, lowered her head to ponder a moment, then nodded in acceptance of Kagura Hikaru''s explanation, "I understand, I''ll have my people look into it."


    "I''ll leave it in your hands then."

 Chapter 96 Turns out, You and She Are the Same Kind of Person

    Midday break.Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were running on the track field.


    Maintaining a pace not much different from hers, he had already run ten laps, almost four kilometers, which was the distance for endurance running.


    Naturally, his legs ached, his head felt heavy, and his body was sweating profusely.


    Not used to exercising regularly, the moment he started, he ended up in this pathetic state.


    The reason for all this began with the sign-ups for the sports festival.


    "Before the sports festival, make sure you train properly!"


    That''s what Ayakoji Chiyoko had told him.


    And so, he was dragged into running laps.


    End of flashback.


    "Ha... ha... ha... It''s about, it''s about time we take a break, right, President Ayakoji..."


    Kagura Hikaru felt that he was only a step away from turning into a panting dog with its tongue out.


    But in reality, his pace wasn''t much slower than Ayakoji Chiyoko''s, and his appearance was far from as pathetic as he imagined, with his breathing only a bit rushed.


    All thanks to the various martial arts techniques he had mastered, in particular those related to reducing and conserving effort, which he applied to track activities.


    That''s why, when signing up for the sports festival events, he didn''t choose sprinting but endurance running instead.


    Outbursting in power might be hard to win, but in terms of stamina, he was confident he could compete with those athletic students from the Track and Field Club.


    But ultimately, a technique was just a technique; the physical limits were there, and he would still get tired regardless.


    "If you don''t train now, you''ll feel muscle soreness during the sports festival, and you wouldn''t want to be absent the next day, right?" Ayakoji Chiyoko mercilessly denied his request for a break.


    And the latter half of that sentence sounded more like a threat than anything else!


    The sports festival lasted three days with the track events on the first day and the swimming competition on the second. If Kagura Hikaru used up all his energy on the first day and couldn''t participate on the second day, it would disrupt Ayakoji Chiyoko''s plans.


    Kagura Hikaru silently lamented for himself and continued running, enduring the thirst. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    After running intermittently for an hour, he finally got a chance to rest.


    They came down from the track field and cooled off in the shade of the trees.


    There was a large pine tree beside the field that was a savior for the students during summer sports classes, providing shade from the scorching sun for countless generations of Uka students.


    The two of them stopped under this pine tree.


    Soon, a Discipline Committee member brought them sports drinks, towels, and hot bento boxes¡ªsince they''d started running right after class, Kagura Hikaru and the others hadn''t had the chance to eat.


    After delivering the items, a few Discipline Committee members tactfully left, allowing Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko to sit under the shade and open their bento boxes.


    "After school this afternoon, you''ll stay to run laps, and when you go home, do some burpee jumps to increase your lung capacity. Getting fit doesn''t happen overnight, but a few days of training should be enough for the sports festival. Don''t disappoint me."


    While eating, Kagura Hikaru felt somewhat exhausted listening to Ayakoji Chiyoko recite her training plan near his ear.


    Before long, a familiar voice came from behind them.


    To be precise, a voice he had heard just yesterday.


    "Mr. Kagura, Classmate Ayakoji, what a coincidence to find you here."


    Upon hearing these words, the two turned around and saw Saijo Mari, carrying a folder and walking towards them.


    [Mr. Kagura... your relationship sure is progressing quickly.]


    Kagura Hikaru saw this implication in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes.


    Slight contempt.


    No, although he had joked about being a playboy in the past, this time it really wasn''t his fault¡ªit was all Komori Ai''s doing.


    Saijo Mari approached, dusted off a spot just as they had, held down her skirt, and sat down on the pine tree roots, smiling over at them: "I saw you running. Are you preparing for the sports festival?"


    "Yes," Ayakoji Chiyoko replied, gesturing with her chin towards Kagura Hikaru, "He''s signed up for several athletic events, but his physical strength can''t keep up. He''s asking for my help to improve."


    That was all your doing.


    Kagura Hikaru took another bite of his meal, silently scoffing in his mind.


    In truth, he hadn''t failed to notice Ayakoji Chiyoko''s intentions.


    She was deliberately creating a topic of conversation for him and Saijo Mari.


    As President of the Sports Committee, the latter frequently mixed with the sports clubs to understand the athletes'' training plans, and she had a lot of authority on the subject.


    As expected, when Saijo Mari heard that Kagura Hikaru was looking for help to improve his stamina, her expression brightened a bit: "If that''s the case, I suggest you train following half the standard of the Track and Field Club, and you should see significant improvement before the sports festival. By the way, Mr. Kagura, what events did you sign up for?"


    "...Endurance running and freestyle swimming."


    "We can ignore the track for now, but the pool isn''t open outside of swimming classes," Saijo Mari pondered, "However, if Mr. Kagura would like to practice there, I could try asking the Swimming Club if they''d let you join for a while."


    "That''s not necessary. I''m somewhat confident in the swimming events. Just increasing my stamina should be enough."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes." Kagura Hikaru, who held a swimming grade of Lv4, nodded politely in agreement.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had finished her lunchbox without him noticing and stood up, holding the empty disposable plastic box: "I''m going to throw this away, you guys can continue talking."


    Once she had left, Saijo Mari sneaked a few glances at Kagura Hikaru and said in an embarrassed whisper, "Mr. Kagura... last night, I think I said a lot of inappropriate things to you... Please don''t take it to heart, okay?"


    "...Oh."


    "I really mean it, please don''t spread the word about my family issues."


    "I won''t talk about it."


    "Phew, thank you, Mr. Kagura." Saijo Mari put a hand on her chest, relieved, "For some reason that day, I really wanted to talk to someone, maybe because there was too much pressure building up inside me. I''m sorry Mr. Kagura, did it make you feel uncomfortable?"


    "It''s fine." Kagura Hikaru said, "My parents also divorced, so I can understand how you feel."


    "Eh, really?" Saijo Mari covered her small mouth in surprise, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said with a touch of loss, "Actually, my family might not be able to hold on either, my dad and mom both said they would fight for custody of us sisters if they got divorced. My mom quit her job at my dad''s company and said she is going to look for new work, everything is moving in a bad direction, I don''t know what to do..."


    Kagura Hikaru fell silent.


    At times like this, as a child, one feels the most helpless ¡ª he knew this feeling all too well.


    "In matters of custody, your own opinion is very important."


    "I know, but, if I were to live with my mom, my dad would be pitiable, and I don''t want to be separated from my sister..."


    "It seems you have already made your decision."


    "...Yes."


    "Thank you, Mr. Kagura. I feel a lot better after talking to you." Saijo Mari smoothed her short hair that almost reached her shoulders and smiled with lifted corners of her lips.


    It was a sincere smile distinct from acting, faint but warm.


    Although it lacked stunning enchantment, one could read her good feelings toward him from within.


    As expected of the sports clubs'' star of popularity, her charm was indeed genuine.


    "I, I should probably go back now, there''s still work to do at the club, I won''t disturb your meal any longer." After making eye contact with Kagura Hikaru for a few seconds, Saijo Mari suddenly blushed, her heart thumping rapidly, hurriedly stood up and dusted off her bottom.


    "I see, then see you next time."


    "Yeah, see you next time."


    Kagura Hikaru watched as she quickly walked away, then he turned and saw Ayakoji Chiyoko leaning against a pine tree, watching him with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile.


    "Saijo Mari seems to have taken a liking to you."


    "It''s just superficial appearance." Kagura Hikaru was unmoved.


    "Superficial, huh... Well, I don''t think so." Ayakoji Chiyoko walked over and sat down again, legs crossed, half-jokingly said, "Why don''t you seduce her? If you could gain her support, we would be half-way secure in the Student Council election."


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression turned cold: "Show some respect, she is not your election tool, nor am I."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced sideways at him.


    The atmosphere between the two changed abruptly because of his words.


    "It wasn''t me who first wanted to remove Kiryu Hina, it was you, and now you talk to me about tools." Ayakoji Chiyoko narrowed her eyes dangerously, "Do you care about her? Don''t tell me you''ve fallen for her."


    "Don''t make such jokes."


    "It''s not impossible, right? After all, you are a playboy."


    "..."


    "Tch, forget it." Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up unhappily, "Since there''s a chance, keep an eye on her, and try your best to cozy up to her for the votes."


    After saying that, she left.


    Her demeanor was very much like that of someone in a huff.


    But Kagura Hikaru knew that could not be the case; the reason she was upset was that he had become disobedient.


    And because, he had shown unnecessary emotion towards a ''pawn'' and even tried to protect the pawn''s dignity, which disappointed her.


    For Ayakoji Chiyoko, Saijo Mari might really be just a tool.


    But he could not see it that way.


    If he acknowledged that, then what did that make him, who was asked to seduce a tool?


    Completely disregarding others'' feelings and pursuing his own goals, making him do things he didn''t want to do.


    It was exactly like that time...


    Kagura Hikaru gazed at her tall, receding figure.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, in the end, you and Hina are of the same kind.


    No wonder you two are archenemies.

 Chapter 97 Mari and Mari Enterprise

    kagura hikaru and ayakoji chiyoko had another argument.to outsiders, their interactions seemed normal, just like before, chatting and acting without any sign of avoidance.


    only the parties involved knew that they were truly at odds with each other.


    moreover, this time the conflict was not a one-sided mistake on kagura hikaru''s part but a purer clash of values.


    therefore, the atmosphere was even tenser.


    kagura hikaru couldn''t accept the attitude of ayakoji chiyoko treating saijo mari as a tool and himself as a gigolo.


    ayakoji chiyoko also couldn''t accept his insubordination for the sake of an outsider.


    so, the two began to give each other the silent treatment.


    regrettably, or perhaps fortunately,


    since both individuals were very rational in nature, whether it was physical training, preparing for the sports festival, working for the disciplinary committee, or attending classes, they would still do these activities together.


    they were adept at separating personal matters from professional, a trait that made them superior to the average person.


    from this perspective, these two were quite a match.


    of course, in terms of a collegial relationship.


    this atmosphere lasted for about a day.


    three days before the sports festival was about to begin, ayakoji chiyoko called kagura hikaru to the disciplinary committee.


    "you should remember, during the department meeting, kiryu hina mentioned that the sports club was discarding old sports equipment and passing on the procurement of new ones to the sports committee," ayakoji chiyoko said straightforwardly.


    "i remember, it was a purchase of a substantial amount," kagura hikaru asked, "is there a problem with that?"


    "a big one."


    ayakoji chiyoko threw a document in front of kagura hikaru.


    he picked it up and saw it was a financial report of a local company named ''mari''.


    it showed that the company was in a dire financial situation, having incurred losses for three consecutive years, with dismal revenue.


    even after borrowing three hundred million yen from banks for cash flow, there was no sign of improvement.


    given that it was not a publicly-listed company, the financial report should only be circulated within the bank and the company. ayakoji chiyoko had procured such information from somewhere...


    kagura hikaru merely skimmed through this part since the content was very clear; his attention eventually settled on the enterprise''s brand logo.


    it was a white bird printed on a round green background.


    it looked familiar... that''s right, it was on the discarded sports equipment! sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    previously, when he and ayakoji chiyoko went to the school gym, the gear that the discipline committee members were moving had this logo on it.


    that meant mari enterprise was the producer of those sports equipment.


    "this enterprise, they''ve been taking orders at a discounted price recently, madly accepting orders from across the country at sixty percent off," ayakoji chiyoko explained.


    "isn''t that a good thing? it shows they''re trying to recover from their losses."


    "well... you could say that, but by discounting so much, they''ll also have to bear higher cost pressures, possibly even owing employees'' wages. can this enterprise really have such high morale?"


    ayakoji chiyoko was doubtful about something, and he guessed what it was.


    an enterprise on the brink of bankruptcy suddenly starts taking orders at a reduced price, and on a large scale at that.


    this unusual act could easily lead to speculation of absconding with the money.


    if that were the case, uka high school would also suffer because they had just placed an order with mari enterprise for new sports equipment.


    typically, school procurements like these would only go to established companies, with rarely any change.


    if something went wrong, it would be a major embarrassment for the sports committee.


    thinking of the sports committee, kagura hikaru remembered something.


    "speaking of which, this mari enterprise''s name, it coincides with saijo mari''s, that''s quite a coincidence."


    "you''ve got it backward."


    "what?"


    "it''s not ''mari enterprise''s name coinciding with saijo mari'', it''s ''saijo mari''s name coinciding with mari enterprise''."


    "...sorry, i don''t understand the difference between the two."


    kagura hikaru frowned in confusion.


    "which means," ayakoji chiyoko tapped on the table, saying, "saijo mari''s name comes from the name of this company, because the chairman of mari enterprise is her father."


    he suddenly realized.


    so that''s how it is, no wonder.


    ...no, that can''t be right¡ªif that''s the case, wouldn''t it be very troubling?


    ["the atmosphere at home has been bad lately." "father said he wants to take the family on a vacation to america." "mom and dad had a fierce argument, and they talked about getting a divorce." "mom resigned from dad''s company and is looking for a new job."]


    the words saijo mari had said swept through his mind one after another.


    "tch..."


    "what''s wrong, did you think of something?"


    seeing he had a lead, ayakoji chiyoko immediately pressed for more information.


    "give me some time." kagura hikaru put away the financial reports, "i need to leave early this afternoon, cover for me. also, i''ll need to borrow these documents for a while."


    "the least you could do is tell me what you''re going to do¡ªhey, are you listening!"


    ignoring the shouts of ayakoji chiyoko behind him, kagura hikaru rushed out the door with the documents.


    if this speculation is correct,


    saijo mari, your family problems are far more complicated than just your parents getting a divorce.


    at this rate, even maintaining a normal life could become an issue.


    ...


    mari enterprise.


    as a sports brand merchant with a small reputation in tokyo, with more than thirty chain stores across the country, its headquarters was an unremarkable, gray three-story office building.


    for some reason, even without entering, he felt a heavy sense of gloom.


    perhaps this was also a result of preconceived notions.


    kagura hikaru tightened his tie and strode towards the office building.


    now, he looked completely different from the student in school.


    in fact, he didn''t look like a student at all, but rather, he had the air of a working professional.


    his hair was combed neatly, he wore leather shoes, a deep blue suit, a white shirt with a red tie, a watch on his wrist, and carried a document bag in his hand.


    like a corporate white-collar worker straight out of a magazine, tall and slim, incredibly handsome, and turning heads as he walked.


    no bystander could ever have guessed that this was a high school student, whose suit and watch were both rented.


    upon entering the office building, he saw the mari company logo and knew he was in the right place, heading straight to the reception desk.


    the receptionist had been playing with her phone, but she looked up at the sound of footsteps, her eyes lighting up as she quickly straightened her attire and hair and stood up with a smile: "welcome, how may i help you?"


    ...you should represent the face of the company, not a hotel hostess.


    kagura hikaru thought doubtfully upon hearing her.


    he responded with a warm smile, further uplifting the receptionist''s spirit, then said: "hello, this is mari enterprise, right?"


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    "yes!"


    "good. i''m here on behalf of my client to discuss an acquisition. could you take me to see your leader?"


    "acquisition?" the receptionist paused, her face slightly stiffening.


    kagura hikaru noted that, after learning about the matter, she didn''t seem pleased but instead had the expression of someone witnessing a person fall into a pit.


    [acquisition? at this time?]


    [no, no, can''t let the guest feel uncomfortable, must react quickly...]


    [you''ve gained through "insight into the heart": swimming+2]


    [swimming lv5 (cannot be raised)]


    another skill had reached maximum level.


    well, it''s not like he particularly cared about such things.


    the receptionist quickly composed herself and actively led the way.


    all the way, she chirpily tried to wheedle out kagura hikaru''s contact information, which was a bit troublesome to manage.


    while humoring her, his gaze was constantly taking in the interior of mari enterprise.


    hearing is not like seeing.


    the real state of this company, he would confirm with his own eyes.

 Chapter 99 You Can Run from Everything, But You Cant Escape Taxes! [Please Subscribe]

    she was led into the office area on the second floor of the company.the receptionist asked kagura hikaru to sit in an empty workspace for a while, poured him a cup of instant coffee, and then got up to find the leader.


    after watching her leave, kagura hikaru immediately got up from his seat and began to wander around.


    he certainly wasn''t really there to acquire the company.


    even if he had the spare cash, he wouldn''t buy a mess of a company that was billions in debt to the bank and on the verge of bankruptcy.


    at least, that''s what the asset report given to him by ayakoji chiyoko said.


    but upon actually entering mari enterprise, kagura hikaru didn''t see any sense of urgency.


    it was clear that this floor was supposed to have a lot of employees, but now many workspaces were empty, with desks spotlessly clean of clutter, as if their former owners had moved out a long time ago.


    the remaining spots that still had employees were quite lively.


    but it wasn''t the kind of liveliness that came from everyone being hard at work; it was horseplay.


    guess what kagura hikaru saw.


    despite it being work hours, there were actually a few people gathered together, chatting and playing cards, and you could even see empty beer bottles at their feet, laughing and slapping their thighs merrily, with very few actually working on their computers.


    no one seemed to care about this situation, and the few employees who were actually working didn''t find it unusual¡ªit was clear they were used to it.


    at that moment, an office phone rang, right next to the group playing cards.


    but they just glanced at it and continued to joke and laugh as if they hadn''t heard, taking their sweet time to answer the call, and by the time they reluctantly walked over, the caller had already hung up.


    even this didn''t seem to bother the employees, who simply turned back to their card game.


    kagura hikaru withdrew his gaze.


    there was no need to investigate further.


    one glance was enough to know that the company''s operations were definitely in serious trouble.


    the employees knew best what shape a company was in, and their extreme lack of motivation to work signaled that the business had reached its worst moment, beyond the point of no return, with everyone just biding their time waiting for the end.


    is this what the end of a company looks like? he wondered if he should feel any sympathy. sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    conversely, as the chairman of mari enterprise and father of saijo mari, he still had the leisure to propose a trip to america with his family.


    no matter how you looked at it, it was peculiar.


    taking advantage of the fact that no one had noticed him, kagura hikaru silently left the building by the stairs, exiting mari enterprise''s office building.


    he stood at the entrance, straightening his tie and thinking for a moment before pulling out his phone to call the private detective he had collaborated with on the ruzaki mami case.


    next was the waiting period.


    days of studying, training, and secretly cold-warring with ayakoji chiyoko continued.


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    the day of the sports festival drew closer and closer.


    at the entrance of yuqiu high school, a notice about the start time of the uka sports festival was displayed, welcoming visitors.


    the campus had undergone quite a few decorations and preparations, but the most crucial sports equipment had not yet been delivered, and the old batch had already been disposed of; without them, the sports festival could hardly proceed.


    even the teachers had gone to the sports committee to ask saijo mari about it, and although exactly what she said remained unclear, the school authorities still chose to trust her without further investigation.


    the day before the sports festival.


    "dad, you can''t really be planning not to sell the goods to our school, can you? the sports festival is almost upon us... how much longer do we have to wait? there''s no time to wait; tomorrow is the opening day of the sports festival, and yet i haven''t received a single item here! ... dad, just wait, what do you mean you''re going on a business trip to america? i still have school, how could i possibly go with you... hello? are you still there?"


    saijo mari looked at her disconnected call screen, puzzled and disappointed, feeling a burning sense of urgency in her heart.


    a week ago, her sports committee had taken over the task of updating the order for sports equipment, and the preferred supplier, naturally, was the previous contractor for the school, which was also her family''s business.


    her father''s company specialized in producing these items, and the quality was assured; there was no way they would let down their own school.


    when she submitted the order, saijo mari even specifically contacted her father to have him expedite the delivery, as the sports day was in a week''s time and they would be needed.


    her father had readily agreed, so she hadn''t given it much thought.


    but now, with the sports day just a day away, she hadn''t seen a single barrier!


    although she had vaguely sensed that the company''s business hadn''t been doing well lately, it shouldn''t have been this inefficient.


    these were all ready-made products; why were they being made to wait so long?


    complaining to her father over the phone yielded nothing but evasive answers, and just today he had suddenly brought up going to america together, a suggestion so abrupt it made saijo mari feel uneasy.


    it was as if something bad had happened somewhere out of her knowledge, and she was completely unaware of it.


    the sense of unease growing stronger, saijo mari couldn''t help pacing anxiously back and forth in the club office, frequently turning her phone''s screen on and off, wondering if there was anyone left she could ask for help.


    just then, someone knocked on the club room door.


    saijo mari flinched.


    she really hoped it wasn''t a teacher or a student from the sports club coming to see her now; without thinking, she knew they must be there to inquire about the equipment, and she had no idea how to respond to them.


    but not opening the door at all would seem even more suspicious, not to mention quite rude.


    taking a deep breath, saijo mari went to open the door.


    the visitor was not who she expected.


    it wasn''t a teacher or a fellow student from the sports club, but kagura hikaru, whom she hadn''t seen in several days.


    "mr. kagura, what brings you here?"


    "aren''t you going to invite me in?" kagura hikaru lifted the document bag in his hand.


    "sorry, please come in."


    kagura hikaru stepped into the office.


    the sports committee''s club room was small.


    it was nothing compared to the disciplinary committee, which ayakoji chiyoko took up an entire floor for, and was probably even smaller than the literature club''s.


    a printer, filing cabinets, and other office supplies took up about half the space.


    in the center of the room, there was a table with a laptop and various paper documents on it.


    there were only four chairs, two in front of the table and two against the wall.


    meaning, normally, only two chairs were in use.


    it turned out that the two representatives from the sports committee present at the previous meeting had been the entirety of their department''s members.


    perhaps aware of the clutter in her department''s room, saijo mari smiled awkwardly and said, "our department is very busy during the sports festival, so..."


    "it''s fine, i don''t mind. may i sit down?"


    "ah, don''t be polite, please sit."


    the two sat down across from each other at the table.


    kagura hikaru placed the document bag on the table.


    "mr. kagura, this is..." saijo mari observed his expression covertly, sensing a premonition and asked anxiously.


    "inside here is the evidence of your father''s crime."

 Chapter 99 National Tax Agency [Seeking First Subscription]

    "crimes... evidence?"saijo mari struggled to smile, "what are you talking about, mr. kagura? how could my father possibly commit a crime? he is..."


    "the chairman of a debt-ridden company who plans to abscond with funds and live a carefree life beyond the reach of law, a traitor?"


    "..."


    "senior saijo, you must have noticed something off about your father, at least to some extent, right?"


    kagura hikaru opened the file folder.


    he took out the financial reports of mari enterprise given to him a few days ago by ayakoji chiyoko, and the information obtained by the competent private investigator, arranging it all meticulously in front of saijo mari.


    "mari enterprise has been running at a loss for three consecutive years. with most of its domestic physical stores closed, the chairman boldly borrowed three hundred million from banks and initiated a price war with drastically reduced prices to grab orders, miraculously reversing the company''s downtrend... such na?ve fairy tales only happen in idol dramas."


    kagura hikaru watched as saijo mari inspected the documents one by one, her expression growing increasingly frantic, feeling somewhat reluctant to distress her.


    but as one of the victims, or rather the person in question, she had to know the truth.


    "my client has investigated ¨C the chairman of mari enterprise, which is your father, senior saijo, along with some top executives, have transferred most of their assets, including family members, to america, presumably planning to collectively flee overseas. do you understand, senior saijo? what your father is doing constitutes fraud and deception, which is unforgivable by law."


    "i, i... i had no idea at all." saijo mari let her head fall in despair, crumpling the papers in her hands.


    how could she, just a high school girl, possibly be aware of these dirty financial dealings?


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    she had been completely kept in the dark by her father.


    "you told me before that your father wanted to take the family on a vacation to america."


    "are you saying that he..."


    "yes, i think this vacation was meant to be the kind with no return."


    "how could this..."


    saijo mari thought of the delayed delivery of school sports equipment and her father''s untimely mentions of going to america on the phone, her complexion growing worse by the moment.


    behind the scenes, unbeknownst to her, mari enterprise might have already ground to a halt, with the factory unable to ship out any goods.


    and her father, so greedy he even wanted to pocket the money allocated by the school.


    it was despicable ¡ª this was her own high school!


    "it''s just conjecture, but your mother probably argued with your father over this matter because she didn''t want to be complicit. if the situation were to be exposed, even you and your sisters would be implicated."


    "then you..."


    "don''t worry, i''m not a ''justice messenger,'' and i don''t plan to report to anyone. there''s only this one copy of the documents, and i''ll leave them in your care." kagura hikaru pushed the files toward saijo mari, who visibly struggled with a conflicted expression.


    common sense dictates that one should denounce their father if he''s committing crimes.


    but such matters are not easily addressed in reality.


    the exposure of her father''s crimes would drag down the entire family; no one would escape the fallout. this left saijo mari too scared to make any rash moves, completely at a loss as to what to do with these "criminal evidences."


    she was caught between a rock and a hard place, and that was the essence of her dilemma.


    if only she had remained ignorant of everything from the beginning.


    "..."


    "the affair of mari enterprise is beyond the involvement of a mere student like me, or rather, even if i wanted to interfere it''s already too late. so, senior saijo, let''s focus on our own tasks for now. preparing for the sports festival is already stressful enough." kagura hikaru said, "i heard that the new sports equipment hasn''t arrived yet?"


    "yes." saijo mari mustered her energy, "tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the sports festival, but we still can''t gather all the necessary props. many complaints have come my way, yet i can''t meet their expectations... if the equipment doesn''t arrive by the day of the sports festival, it''s going to be a disaster."


    "has the payment for the order been completed?"


    "yes, it was paid in full."


    "it doesn''t look like we''ll be able to recover it for the time being... i understand, senior saijo. the discipline committee will help you with this."


    "really?!" saijo mari stood up excitedly, "does that mean the discipline committee still has some of the old equipment? if so, we might just be able to make it through!"


    "no, those have all been sold, we did not anticipate this incident in advance."


    "ah... but how are we supposed to gather such a vast quantity of sports equipment now? if we go to buy them now, the cost issue..."


    "don''t rush, senior saijo, first list out the equipment needed for tomorrow''s sports day events, and i''ll make a call to inquire."


    "yes, yes! i''ll do it right now!"


    perhaps because there was more pressing work at hand, saijo mari temporarily put aside her father''s issue and started to search for this year''s uka sports day events on her laptop.


    kagura hikaru did not disturb her. he stepped out of the sports committee''s room, took out his cellphone, and leaned against the wall outside to dial a number.


    a few seconds later, the call connected.


    "hello, kagura?"


    the voice that came through was ayakoji chiyoko''s.


    "it''s me," said kagura hikaru, "i have an opportunity right now to score a big favor from saijo mari."


    "what opportunity?"


    "the sports equipment for sports day has not been gathered at all, we can help the sports committee resolve this issue." kagura hikaru seemed to already have a plan in mind as he went straight to the point, "you''ve been to tsukinomori before to see sakata asahi, right? is she still the student council president?"


    "yes."


    "go and give her a heads-up, borrow their school''s equipment."


    "i see. she probably won''t refuse if i go to her," replied ayakoji chiyoko crisply, "i''ll handle the communication. you make sure to keep saijo mari steady and, most importantly, prevent kiryu hina from getting involved, understand?"


    "okay, saijo mari is still compiling the list. once she''s done, i''ll send it to your phone."


    "got it."


    they both hung up at the same time.


    they were both aware that this was critical.


    the key to securing saijo mari''s unwavering loyalty.


    if they could help her navigate through this current predicament, she would almost certainly agree to solicit votes for ayakoji chiyoko in the future. that was the nature of favors.


    the only thing kagura hikaru was presently concerned about was kiryu hina''s movements.


    he could guess that the leverage kiryu hina held was mostly connected to saijo mari''s father.


    he just didn''t know how she would play her hand.


    what kagura hikaru didn''t anticipate was that the situation would develop much faster than he had expected.


    no, at times like this, it would be more accurate to say ''when it rains, it pours.''


    while saijo mari was frantically finishing up the equipment list, and before she could catch her breath after handing it over to kagura hikaru for ayakoji chiyoko, she suddenly received a call from her mother.


    "mari, your dad has been caught by the national tax agency people. we might not come home tonight, so please go pick up midori and riko."


    kagura hikaru overheard this much.


    it was both unexpected and expected.


    saijo''s father must have oversimplified his criminal activities, leaving a messy trail.


    even the disciplinary committee, a school organization, could uncover hints of misconduct, and hiring a private investigator meant that asset transfers could be dug up within days; it was implausible to think that they could elude the watch of national authorities.


    especially when dealing with the national tax agency, the most sensitive to monetary issues.


    this was also why, even though he knew that mari enterprise was involved in criminal activities, he did not plan to report it; kagura hikaru was aware that others would take care of them.


    however, this meant that the saijo family''s hardships were inevitable.


    he wondered whether saijo mari would be able to withstand it. s~ea??h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 100 Yoshou Elementary School

    "oh, if it isn''t classmate ayakoji who only shows up when in need. what is it this time, still looking into kagura hikaru and suse''s case?"on the other end of the phone, sakata asahi''s teasing voice came through, slightly mocking.


    one must say, she had quite a grasp on chiyoko ayakoji''s personality.


    ayakoji was a typical reclusive pragmatist who never contacted unless she needed a favor. sear?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but she would reciprocate the favors properly, understanding well the social give-and-take.


    for instance, after her last visit to tsukinomori where she learned about kohinata suse, as a return favor, chiyoko ayakoji used the influence of the discipline committee to facilitate an arts and culture exchange between tsukinomori girls'' academy and yuqiu high school.


    both schools benefited from the outcomes.


    chiyoko ayakoji snorted, "i didn''t call to banter with you, let''s talk serious, our sports festival has run into some trouble."


    "name it, as long as it''s nothing too troublesome, i can handle it. is it a shortage of manpower?"


    "it''s equipment, sports equipment. there was an issue with the factory we placed orders with. basically, i want to borrow some equipment from tsukinomori, any problem with that?"


    "equipment, huh¡­ sure, if you send someone to transport it, i''ll agree to negotiate."


    "good, i will send someone over. but just to be clear ahead of time, the amount of equipment we need is substantial; it might impact tsukinomori''s club activities during the duration of yuqiu''s sports festival."


    "ah, no worries there. most of our sports clubs aren''t seriously active; borrowing some equipment for a few days won''t stir any complaints."


    "that''s more than i could ask for." chiyoko ayakoji paused for a moment before adding, "also, thank you."


    "huh?" sakata asahi let out a surprised laugh and then burst into hearty laughter, with the sound of slapping the table faintly heard, "never thought chiyoko ayakoji of all people would thank someone. is the sun going to rise from the west tomorrow?!"


    "it''s just a thank-you, anyone can say it!" chiyoko ayakoji''s tone grew darker, "or do you think i''m that bad with personal relations?"


    "ah? you''re just realizing it now?"


    "?"


    "hahaha, just kidding." the laughter on the other end eased, and sakata asahi grew somewhat sentimental, "chiyoko, you''ve changed too. when i first met you, you were so rigid. now you''ve softened up and talk more."


    "...is that so?"


    "yeah, you don''t know how intimidating you used to be, like a lioness. did a year of growth do this, or did someone at uka change you?"


    "......"


    "ah, sorry, let''s not delve into that. you must have an urgent matter to handle. it was about the sports equipment, right? i''ll go talk to them now. if all goes well, send your people over."


    after hanging up the phone, chiyoko ayakoji leaned back in her chair, turned her head to look at the floating white clouds outside the window, her gaze shifting unpredictably.


    who changed her?


    what a joke.


    there are things in this world she wanted to change, but she never thought of herself as being subject to change, nor did she believe it would ever happen.


    glancing at her phone, chiyoko ayakoji realized that during her call with sakata asahi, she had missed a call from kagura hikaru.


    in the phone''s line app, she saw his message.


    [saijo mari''s father was caught by the national tax agency, and i am accompanying her to pick up her sister.]


    [if you need help with the equipment, just let me know.]


    the message included a series of issues with mari enterprise, explaining the whole situation, and how the sports equipment and mari enterprise were connected.


    ayakoji chiyoko had just found out for the first time that kagura hikaru had been doing so much behind her back.


    perhaps it was because they had recently had an argument. this time, kagura hikaru acted alone without informing anyone, including her.


    this made ayakoji chiyoko feel very upset.


    yet, irritatingly, his work had been done beautifully. he not only found out why the equipment needed for the sports festival hadn''t been secured but also cleared the suspicions surrounding mari enterprises, and even progressed swiftly in his task of getting closer to saijo mari.


    it left her with no grounds to criticize him.


    just then, sakata asahi also sent through an ''ok'' emoji; it seemed her side was progressing well too.


    [tsukinomori has agreed to lend the equipment.]


    [i will take over the equipment matter, you go help saijo mari, don''t worry about this side.]


    after typing the last character, ayakoji chiyoko hesitated for two seconds before clicking send for some unknown reason.


    apart of her felt an irritating itch, but she couldn''t pinpoint its source.


    it seemed like it had started after seeing kagura hikaru''s message.


    it was inexplicable.


    she adjusted her mood, went out, called the gorilla vice president and all the disciplinary committee members, and hurriedly rushed to tsukinomori to transport the equipment.


    meanwhile, kagura hikaru had already arrived with saijo mari at an elementary school in the bunkyo district.


    [it''s been several years, huh? that store is still there.]


    at the school gate, kagura hikaru turned his head to look at a nearby snack stand and murmured softly in awe.


    perhaps because she was close, saijo mari heard him and asked in confusion, ["mr. kagura, do you live around here too?"]


    ["no,"] kagura hikaru responded with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the school''s sign and sighed, briefly explaining, ["this place, this was the old site of the elementary school i used to attend."]


    [i see... i remember it was called yoshou elementary school before it was rebuilt,] she remarked.


    [senior saijo actually knows about it.]


    [yeah, i heard it from others before.]


    yoshou elementary school, it truly was nostalgic.


    he had only attended there for four years because, in fourth grade, he had been pushed downstairs by a classmate, injuring his head and having to be hospitalized for two years, even missing his graduation ceremony.


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    but fortunately, three days after falling into a coma from the injury, kagura hikaru discovered he had developed the mind-reading ability "golden finger," even recalling memories from his past lives.


    though, in his past life, he was just a middle school student who got hit by a dump truck, ignorant about soccer, stocks, or plagiarism, and thus was of no help.


    during those two years in the hospital, he grew closer to a classmate girl¡ªkiryu hina, who often visited him. ultimately, they ended up attending the same middle school and enjoyed a period of happy times together.


    everyone knew what happened afterward.


    thinking back, why was he pushed down the stairs initially?


    it seemed to be over another female classmate, getting on the wrong side of a group of bad kids... it was all elementary school stuff, hard to remember clearly.


    ["midori, riko!"]


    saijo mari''s voice brought him back from his memories.


    looking up, two angelically beautiful long-haired little girls, breaking free from their female teacher''s grasp, ran towards saijo mari.

 Chapter 101 Nameless Fury

    saijo midori, saijo riko, the twin daughters of the saijo family.they looked remarkably alike, with the same facial features, the same long hair, and the same dresses, even their expressionless faces were identical.


    the only distinguishable feature was probably their hair accessories.


    midori''s hair accessory was a red crown, while riko''s was two stars.


    this was what saijo mari told him.


    "thank you so much for your trouble."


    "not at all, if there''s a family emergency, it can''t be helped. please be careful on your way."


    "midori, riko, say goodbye to the teacher."


    ""goodbye, teacher~~"" s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the two little girls, one on each side, clung to saijo mari''s legs and said in a drawn-out voice to the elementary school teacher who had taken them out.


    having picked up his sister, kagura hikaru and the others walked in the direction of the saijo family''s home.


    on the way, saijo mari introduced kagura hikaru to her two younger sisters.


    they seemed a bit shy, just quietly saying hello and hiding on the other side to peek.


    "i''m sorry, my kids are really...," saijo mari apologized with embarrassment.


    kagura hikaru: "..."


    these two kids, they''re not your children, right? why do you speak with that motherly tone?


    is this the so-called ''eldest daughter is like the mother''?


    the saijo family''s house was close to the elementary school the twins attended. there was no need to take the train; a mere ten-minute walk was all it took to reach the destination, a beautifully decorated three-story bungalow, resembling a mini villa.


    it seemed that the saijo family was well-off.


    at least, that was the case before the incident occurred.


    but as soon as they arrived home, kagura hikaru and the others saw several neighborhood ladies gathered at the saijo family''s front door, whispering to each other. when they saw saijo mari approaching, they flocked to her like bargain hunters to discounted merchandise, bombarding her with questions:


    "mari, what did your father do? i heard he was taken away?"


    "it was something called the national tax agency, right?"


    "i''ve heard of this organization in dramas; they investigate taxes!"


    "it couldn''t be embezzlement at work, could it?"


    their ''enthusiasm'' was hard to handle.


    saijo mari instinctively shielded her two sisters behind her and responded with a forced smile, "i''m sorry, i don''t know anything, i''m sorry..."


    "you can''t be unaware; after all, you are the eldest daughter in the family."


    "don''t be so harsh, mari is still in high school. what would she know?"


    "hey, hey, don''t walk away, we''re not done talking..."


    kagura hikaru stepped forward to block the gossiping aunties, gave saijo mari a signal, and she quickly walked to the front door, took out the keys, slipped inside the house, with kagura hikaru following her in.


    as soon as the door closed, the noise from outside was cut off.


    finally, peace and quiet.


    "thanks for just now, mr. kagura."


    in the living room, saijo mari poured kagura hikaru a drink and sat next to him, "also, thank you for leaving early with me; that was very considerate."


    "it was no trouble at all, i didn''t do much," kagura hikaru said nonchalantly, taking a sip of water.


    "you''re too modest. you also took care of the sports festival matter for me, didn''t you?"


    "speaking of which, the disciplinary committee went to tsukinomori girls'' academy, and they''re willing to temporarily lend us the equipment. there should be no problem in dealing with the sports festival."


    "really? i can''t thank you enough!"


    "i was just passing along a message, if you want to thank someone, go thank president ayakoji. she was the one in charge of communicating with tsukinomori."


    the two chatted idly for a while, but soon the conversation uncontrollably slipped onto the topic of mari enterprise.


    saijo mari had briefed her sisters about the situation to some extent.


    it was unclear whether they truly understood, as they maintained a calm demeanor but from the way they blankly stared at the financial news on television, it was evident their minds were elsewhere, likely worried about their family''s situation.


    perhaps during their parents'' arguments, they and their older sister saijo mari had already sensed that the family was about to undergo a crisis, but obviously, none could have imagined it would escalate to this extent.


    "what are the consequences of being caught by the national tax agency..." saijo mari said with a somber tone.


    "it depends on the conviction, but for attempting to flee the country with the transferred assets, imprisonment is inevitable, and there''ll likely be a heavy debt burden to bear."


    "mr. kagura... you really don''t mince words, do you? i thought you''d comfort me."


    president ayakoji, after meeting you, said you didn''t seem like a girl of strong character, but i disagree with her," kagura hikaru glanced at her, then turned back to the television, "whatever the outcome, don''t give up or run away. face it seriously. as classmates, we will also help within our capacity."


    "is... that so," a gentle smile slowly spread across saijo mari''s face as she pursed her lips, "thank you, mr. kagura, i''ll do my best!"


    "mhm."


    "and then, once the debt is paid off, we''ll..."


    "hmm?"


    "it''s... it''s nothing...!"


    kagura hikaru stayed at the saijo family for half an hour before saying goodbye and leaving.


    on his way home, passing near tsukinomori, he happened upon uka''s discipline committee members, neatly moving sports equipment onto a rented truck.


    "kagura." ayakoji chiyoko suddenly approached from behind.


    she too was carrying two hurdles in her hands.


    "are you heading back now?"


    "yeah, i just came from saijo mari''s place."


    "...how is she?" ayakoji chiyoko asked with an air of disinterest, and even in a rare tone that was somewhat sarcastic, "after knowing the truth, she didn''t cry in your arms, did she?"


    "...do you have something against saijo mari? or are you dissatisfied with me? the saijo family has just gone through a rough patch, don''t be maliciously joyful about their misfortune."


    "me? take pleasure in their disaster? impossible."


    right, right, that''s the attitude.


    although she didn''t show it on her face, that mocking atmosphere could be sensed from a distance.


    does she still want to argue?


    kagura hikaru didn''t want to continue the conversation, handed over his shoulder bag to her, and went to help the others move equipment.


    ayakoji chiyoko stood there expressionless, silently slinging kagura hikaru''s shoulder bag over her shoulder.


    she seemed to have indeed said too much.


    even if she disliked saijo mari, she shouldn''t have spoken like that.


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    but what reason did she have to dislike her? after all, the other party hadn''t done anything distasteful.


    moreover, from a logical standpoint, she should try to foster good relations, as having her on her side could bring in a significant number of votes.


    ayakoji chiyoko was perplexed by her own sudden irritation.


    in fact, she didn''t fully understand why she and kagura hikaru argued in the first place.


    at first, it seemed to be because kagura hikaru defended saijo mari, and a rush of inexplicable anger surged within her.


    then they naturally fell into a cold war.


    now, too, whenever she heard the name ''saijo mari'' from kagura hikaru''s mouth, she felt frustrated, and her heart rate increased.


    it was odd indeed, and perhaps she should get her heart checked at the hospital soon.


    that''s how ayakoji chiyoko kept pondering to herself.


    the usually astute girl was completely off the mark this time.


    when she realized the truth one day, her feelings would probably be entirely different from now.

 Chapter 102 The Sports Meet Opens

    the next day marked the official opening of ugao high''s sports day.for the students of ugao high, this day could be seen as both a holiday and a non-holiday.


    except for the third-year students who were preparing for exams, all first and second-year students were required to continue coming to school to watch the sports day events.


    of course, if you really didn''t show up, no one could force you.


    this year, the school even encouraged everyone to bring their family to watch, under the guise of strengthening family bonds.


    in reality, it was probably just to show off the school''s large grounds and the newly built stadium with spectator stands¡ªeveryone knew that.


    it was said that ugao high''s synthetic track would be rented out for small-scale track and field events during rest days.


    in such a place, one couldn''t help but feel that private schools really are wealthy.


    "heh, just how much blood have they sucked from the parents of the students..."


    a middle-aged man sat in the stands, looking down at the track and snarking coldly.


    "wait... honey, don''t say things like that, what if someone hears you!" the woman sitting next to him whispered as she held onto his hand.


    just like the other adults sitting around them, this pair of parents had come specifically to support their child''s competition.


    however, more than the sports day, this father seemed more concerned about tuition fees.


    "i always said we should''ve chosen a public school. the tuition is ridiculously expensive; it takes so long to work off that kind of debt."


    "enough with that downer talk. look, kogane''s about to compete," said the woman, pointing towards the field below.


    there, a handsome, tall young man walked toward the starting line with his classmates.


    he wore dedicated black running shorts and shirt, loosening his limbs as he walked, standing out among the crowd with his good looks and height.


    "wow, kogane looks so cool. he must be very popular with the girls at school," she exclaimed.


    "that''s just how it is," the middle-aged man said with crossed arms, reluctant to agree.


    but he couldn''t help the slight curl of his lips.


    praise for one''s son is a secret delight for all fathers.


    yes, these two were kagura hikaru''s father and his stepmother.


    knowing that the sports day was on the weekend and that his son would be participating, thanks to his wife''s persuasion, kagura''s father came to ''reluctantly'' show his support.


    soon, the referee blew his whistle and raised his hand to signal the athletes to get ready.


    kagura hikaru, like everyone else, took his position, ready to start.


    beside him were the lean-bodied track and field athletes from different grades, with only a few being regular students.


    he didn''t know about other schools, but at least at ugao high, the sports day didn''t differentiate by grade. students from first to third year competed together on the same field, showcasing fairness. read new chapters at empire


    but compared to first-year students, the older students who had more time to practice and had grown taller naturally had a distinct advantage.


    so much for fairness¡ªwhat a pain in the ass to organize separate events by grade.


    "bang!"


    the starting gun fired, and everyone dashed off, straightening up after covering some distance to settle into a long-distance rhythm.


    kagura hikaru ran in the middle of the pack, neither ahead nor behind but perfectly positioned in a spot with an excellent view.


    he wasn''t in a rush. after all, this was a 3,000-meter endurance race; it wouldn''t be over quickly.


    his legs moved powerfully yet smoothly, with a good pace. though his muscles weren''t as developed as those in the track and field club, he still looked toned and well-proportioned.


    in the distance, the onlooking girls felt like they were watching an idol drama, their gaze glued to kagura hikaru. against the backdrop of the other runners, it was as if their retinas had a beautiful filter applied whenever they looked at him.


    "kagura, keep it up! kagura, keep it up!"


    in the stands, the uniformed members of the discipline committee chanted in unison.


    they had even brought a couple of drums and pounded on them whenever they shouted ''kagura'' and ''keep it up'', their vocal support overpowering the rest.


    ayakoji chiyoko stood on the stands, observing kagura hikaru''s pace, and nodded with satisfaction.


    it seemed their practice over the past few days was worthwhile.


    by the 1,000-meter mark, regular students had begun to fall behind.


    naturally, those who were only moderately good at running could not beat the year-round trained members of the track and field club.


    but kagura hikaru showed no signs of slowing down, still maintaining a steady pace in the middle of the first pack, blending in seamlessly and invisibly among them.


    2,500 meters.


    the less capable athletes fell several strides behind the leaders, leaving a group of five up front vying for the win.


    kagura hikaru remained in the middle.


    finally, someone noticed this ''outsider'', and several members of the track and field club beside him glanced over in surprise.


    did their school have someone this strong in long-distance running?


    two thousand eight hundred meters, the last two hundred meters.


    from here the curve led into the straightaway, and kagura hikaru began to speed up, as did the others.


    the key to victory in long-distance races could be said to lie within these final two hundred meters.


    the energy conserved until now had to be fully expended in this final stretch, sprinting with every last ounce of strength until nothing was left.


    whoever had more energy reserved would emerge the victor.


    in the sprint phase, two of the five in the lead quickly fell behind, leaving three to overtake the fourth by two body lengths, and their distance kept growing as they began to contend for first place.


    two thousand nine hundred meters.


    in the last one hundred meters, kagura hikaru somehow increased his speed yet again, as if he were powered by a two-stage jet engine, swiftly passing between his stunned competitors.


    at that moment, he seemed even faster than the champion of the previous short-distance group.


    in the end, kagura hikaru crossed the finish line five body lengths ahead of the runner-up, and he even appeared to have energy to spare. unlike the other competitors who were bent over gasping and clutching their knees, he casually walked off, twisting his waist as if on a leisurely stroll.


    "ohhh! who could have imagined that the first to cross the finish line would be second-year class a''s newly appointed vice president of the disciplinary committee, kagura hikaru! he''s the only one among the top three in the men''s three-thousand meter endurance run who isn''t from the sports clubs. truly heroic, let''s congratulate him!"


    the sports festival was equipped with student commentators, and it was obviously someone from ayakoji chiyoko''s side.


    the comments, which had previously been dry like a score-announcing machine, suddenly heated up with enthusiasm when it came to kagura hikaru, leaving the audience bewildered for a few seconds.


    the discipline committee member on the stand led the applause, with the rest of the audience following suit. s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    down below, kagura hikaru earnestly declined the track and field club coach''s invitation to join them, then accepted the water and towel passed to him by saijo mari who jogged over.


    "here, mr. kagura."


    "thank you."


    kagura hikaru took the towel to wipe his face and hair, then restrainedly drank two mouthfuls of mineral water.


    saijo mari was not there specifically to bring him items; she was part of the sports committee and naturally had to take care of everyone. she also provided water and towels to the other competitors, guiding them off the field to rest and making space for the next group of racers.


    "you''re amazing, kagura, winning first place like that!"


    ai cheng hua lian, too, was dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt for running, as she came over to congratulate him.


    she was the one truly waiting for kagura hikaru, having run the women''s sixty-meter dash in the previous round and deliberately waiting at the finish area for kagura hikaru''s race to end.


    "you''re too kind, you''re also first," said kagura hikaru, "though it''s from the bottom up."


    "hey! i kindly came to congratulate you, and you dare...!"


    "that''s what you get for not exercising regularly."


    "you''re one to talk, only starting to cram with running laps before the sports festival as if i wouldn''t know!"


    in front of ai cheng hua lian, even someone as reserved as kagura hikaru could crack a joke.


    that''s the power of friendship.


    after delivering water to everyone, saijo mari turned her head to see this scene and walked over with a smile.


    "mr. kagura, don''t move, the number on your back is crooked."


    she reached out to straighten the number pinned with velcro on his back and then patted his waist.


    "fixed."


    "thank you." kagura hikaru noticed ai cheng hua lian''s puzzled gaze and introduced, "this is the president of the sports committee, senior saijo mari, a third-year like you."


    "no, i''m aware of classmate saijo''s name. but when did you two become so close?"


    "oh, it''s nothing. there was a situation at the sports festival before and i greatly appreciate mr. kagura''s help in resolving it," saijo mari tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "but what about you, student ai cheng? what''s your relationship with mr. kagura?"


    ai cheng hua lian replied with a smile and hands on her hips, "friends!"


    "oh... just friends, is that it?"


    "what do you mean, ''just''? hey, friends are very important, okay? don''t underestimate the significance of that word!"


    "hmm-hmm, i didn''t say anything."


    kagura hikaru looked at saijo mari, who covered her mouth, chuckling with mirth, and ai cheng hua lian, who bristled like a provoked cat, and quietly took another sip of water.


    lu xun once said that a woman''s enemy is always another woman, and the master was not deceiving.


    unbeknownst to the trio, the subtle dynamics among them had already caught the attention of certain observant individuals.


    from the stands, kagura hikaru''s stepmother nudged her husband, saying with a smile, "see, i told you that kogane is very popular among the girls."


    "hmph, i wasn''t bad in my younger days either!"


    "oh?"


    "cough cough, it''s nothing..."


    not far away, in the section occupied by the disciplinary committee, ayakoji chiyoko watched the harmonious trio from a distance, her brows twisting without expression.


    there it was again, that feeling as if her heart was being seized.


    what was this feeling, after all...

 Chapter 103 Help Me Wipe

    from the results, the first day of the sports festival went without any problems.it proceeded normally and smoothly.


    all thanks to the fuki committee for borrowing that batch of sports equipment from tsukinomori girls'' academy, at least the school didn''t embarrass itself in front of so many students and parents.


    the equipment for the following two days was also gradually being transported from tsukinomori by the fuki committee.


    it must be said that as an "elite school," tsukinomori might have been lacking in athletic achievements, but their facilities were genuinely complete, surpassing even ugao high, which valued club activities more ¨C and perfectly filled the three-day gap in equipment for the sports festival.


    naturally, a new order for equipment had already been placed.


    the affair with mari enterprise couldn''t be kept secret after all, and it was soon exposed, so the school also learned why the equipment procurement was never delivered.


    one could only say, trust placed in the wrong hands, and consider oneself unlucky.


    thus, they allocated another sum of money for the sports committee to order from other manufacturers.


    as for the procurement funds swallowed by mari enterprise, that was still being disputed.


    there wasn''t just yuqiu high school that had been duped out of money by mari enterprise, but hundreds, even thousands of commissioning bodies nationwide were counting on the national tax agency to dig out mari enterprise''s money and return it to them.


    as one might guess, this would likely be a rather lengthy process.


    after all, the efficiency of government departments is something those in the know are familiar with.


    fortunately, the rumors outside hadn''t affected the school.


    very few students knew of the connection between mari enterprise and saijo mari.


    and the few who did know were close friends of hers, or among the students well-informed about school affairs, such as kiryu hina and ayakoji chiyoko ¨C they were even less likely to gossip.


    it was not only meaningless and off-putting but also devalued ones'' standing. sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with that, the sports festival safely transitioned to the second day.


    click, click.


    the flash of the cameras hadn''t stopped since the beginning of the competition, ever since the athletes took the stage.


    the reporters from the society discussion meeting''s daily and ugao''s news department were competing with each other, each brandishing a dslr camera, snapping away at ayakoji chiyoko from every angle.


    this time, even the student council-aligned news department had to concede that ayakoji chiyoko by the poolside was the ''political correct'' subject, and not capturing her would be regrettable later.


    not just student journalists at the school, but ordinary visitors from outside the school couldn''t help pulling out their phones to target her.


    with her voluptuous and tall figure, pure white and tight long legs, waist as thin as a model''s, and the to-die-for big big big, ayakoji chiyoko had become the center of attention for the entire venue.


    this person, who usually looks so stern with no expression on her face, making one feel as if standing before a stoic judge, why did she become so tantalizing once she put on a swimsuit?


    kagura hikaru stood behind her, responsible for holding her stuff and handing her a towel later, thinking this to himself.


    the focus of attention on the second day of the sports festival was on the freestyle swimming event.


    being able to legally and freely witness the exposed figures of young boys and girls was not an opportunity that came by often.


    although the so-called exposure was merely the level of competitive swimwear, along with tight shorts similar to what cyclists wear, which usually wouldn''t elicit any excitement.


    however, evidence showed that some individuals naturally had the talent.


    being able to sway even in competitive swimwear, kagura had only seen one such person so far.


    he pretended to casually glance at a certain astounded senior sister ai cheng karen outside, who looked barren, and then turned his head away, unable to bear looking any more.


    it was too much, such a comparison was just too much, it was criminal.


    ayakoji chiyoko, in her swimsuit, stood by the poolside like a huge bomb. everyone rushed to watch, and the sides of the pool were packed to the brim, with both males and females showing equal interest ¨C or rather, the girls'' screams were even louder.


    shouting things like "lady ayakoji!" and giving a massive shock to the parents of other students nearby.


    "it seems you''ve achieved your goal," commented kagura as he handed her a swimming cap.


    ayakoji chiyoko tied up her hair and put on the white swimming cap to hold her hair in place, then turned around and gave him a disdainful look, "you''re not watching me too, are you?"


    "...huh? why would i be looking at you?"


    "heh, perv,"


    ayakoji chiyoko didn''t give anyone a chance to explain and, with a cold snort, took her place at the starting block alongside the other competitors at the edge of the pool.


    one foot forward, one foot back, pressing against the raised block, she bent over until both hands touched the surface, assuming the standard starting position.


    kagura hikaru: "..."


    because he stood directly behind her, when ayakoji chiyoko bent over, her "safe delivery" butt was right in his line of sight.


    it was a veritable assault on his aesthetic preferences.


    he was supposed to prefer the petite type!


    your next chapter awaits on empire


    a whistle blew.


    all the competing girls dived into the water at once.


    only ayakoji chiyoko performed a professional level dive, swimming underwater like a fish for a distance before surfacing to start freestyle swimming, pulling more than a meter ahead of the other competitors with just one stroke, eliciting gasps from the crowd.


    the girls from ugao high were even more direct, yelling out, "go, president!" "so cool!" "marry me!" and other such fanatic declarations.


    it was only now that kagura hikaru realized ayakoji chiyoko''s popularity among the schoolgirls was extraordinary, at least on the same level as kiryu hina''s brainwashing.


    and as she showed off her figure more, it was clear that even the boys were getting restless.


    "ohhh, president!! go for it!!!"


    indeed, someone embarrassing had to make an appearance.


    it was the gorilla vice president, his tall and robust figure standing out in the crowd, shaking the support flag in his hands, his face full of fervor.


    the surrounding discipline committee members naturally wouldn''t be outdone and spontaneously cheered for ayakoji chiyoko.


    "go, president!!"


    "take first place!!"


    "president, you rock!!"


    "up, up, up, up, up!!!"


    in the charged atmosphere, ayakoji chiyoko comfortably dominated and won all the swimming events: the women''s 50-meter freestyle, the 100-meter freestyle, the water polo, and the 800-meter relay freestyle.


    these events were held back to back with only a short rest in between, making them more tiring than a marathon.


    what on earth was her body made of? she was just too strong.


    like a mermaid emerging from the water, ayakoji chiyoko leaped out, sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her fair feet back into the water.


    she took off her swim cap, wiped the water from her face, and breathed lightly, her cheeks reddened from the strenuous exercise.


    "here, a towel."


    kagura hikaru draped the towel over her head.


    ayakoji chiyoko didn''t look back, exposing her not so broad back to him, her hands weakly pulled on both sides of the towel, eventually letting it hang down.


    "help me dry off; i don''t have the strength."


    "weren''t you just trying to get the boys'' votes by doing all this? if people see you being intimate with someone else, wouldn''t that backfire?"


    "... you''ve got a point."


    "i''m off to get ready for the men''s event; you should go rest after you dry off."


    having said that, kagura hikaru left.


    ayakoji chiyoko watched him walk further away and, feeling a mix of shame and irritation, pulled the towel down.


    why had she said that kind of thing just now.


    it made no sense!

 Chapter 104 Do you know this is the mens restroom?

    following ayakoji chiyoko, the one who caused another wave of screams from the girls was kagura hikaru, who appeared in his swimming trunks after taking off his shirt.after placing first in the 3000-meter endurance run yesterday, he became quite a topic of discussion on the campus forum. some students had secretly taken photos of him and uploaded them online, and somehow, those photos went viral. the comments underneath were hysterical, with people saying they wanted to lick his sweat or smell his armpits.


    it was so cringeworthy that it made one''s skin crawl. kagura hikaru took a quick look and closed the browser immediately. it was more terrifying and frightening than encountering a billion serial killers.


    even now, standing on the swimming pool''s starting platform, kagura hikaru felt a bit intimidated, afraid that someone taking photos outside would post them online and create another frenzy. he just wanted to finish the competition quickly.


    with the sound of a whistle, continue reading on empire


    kagura hikaru shot out faster than anyone else, diving into the water with the most standard form. after a segment of underwater swimming, he surfaced, having already put an entire two meters'' distance between himself and the other swimmers¡ªhis technical gap was even more exaggerated than ayakoji chiyoko''s.


    with his maximum level lv5 swimming skill, speaking solely of technique, he was on par with olympic champions, completely defying logic.


    while others had only just reached the middle of the pool, kagura hikaru was already at the end, turning over in the water, performing a beautiful flip turn with such perfect form it was elegant.


    the gap grew wider and wider.


    the competition lost its meaning from that moment on.


    in just a short while, kagura hikaru won the 100-meter freestyle for men with an entire pool''s length between him and the second finisher, without a shred of suspense.


    next were the 50-meter freestyle, the 800-meter freestyle relay, and water polo.


    except for the relay, which had some suspense due to the team members, all the events featuring kagura hikaru inevitably became his personal stage.


    but neither his opponents nor his teammates could foster feelings of envy towards him.


    with a large gap, people tend to feel envy,


    but when the gap is so vast that they are certain they could never catch up, it''s a different set of emotions that come to the fore.


    that would be admiration and respect.


    those who don''t understand the sport are only aware that kagura hikaru is very impressive, while those in the know are aware of just how incredible he really is.


    his agile strokes and stable rhythm give him the air of a professional athlete, identical to those seen on television.


    no, logic suggests he should be a professional athlete, given that the timing for his freestyle events was on par with the national team''s standards.


    he''s like a machine, a racing machine.


    once he starts up, he surpasses his opponents and leaves them far behind like an f1 race car tearing through the track.


    so why is such a person a high school student?


    a crowd of bewildered sports students saluted him as they passed by.


    as soon as kagura hikaru finished his races, the coach for the uka swimming club was practically on his knees begging him to join the team, saying he was a world-class talent and the hope of the island nation, and so on.


    it was similar to what the track and field club coach had said yesterday.


    why don''t you have a fight about it first?


    "mr. kagura, here, a towel,"


    saijo mari appeared out of nowhere, smiling like she did yesterday as she offered a towel. sea??h th§× novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    just as kagura hikaru was about to take it, he saw from the corner of his eye ai cheng hua lian also holding a towel and running over with water. seeing them, she slowed her pace and hesitated.


    the towel suddenly felt too hot to handle.


    he withdrew his hand, "sorry senior saijo, i think i''d like to go rinse off directly."


    "eh?"


    "thanks for the towel,"


    kagura hikaru waved to ai cheng hua lian not far away and hurriedly ran to the shower room.


    watching him go, saijo mari turned to see ai cheng hua lian standing behind with a towel as well, squinting her eyes with understanding.


    the two looked at each other from a distance for a few seconds, each snorting in their mind and walking away.


    after kagura hikaru finished showering and changed back into his uniform, the two girls were nowhere to be seen, and he breathed a sigh of relief.


    he had no desire to get caught up in the girls'' competition.


    but as soon as he left the pool, he ran into his father and stepmother.


    "kogane, you''re so amazing. you were first in running yesterday and first in all your swimming events today." as soon as she saw him, his stepmother began to lavish praise on him with a smile.


    "no, just lucky."


    "it''s not just luck. i saw you pull way ahead of the others. you must have practiced hard. are you planning to pursue athletics?"


    "that... i haven''t decided yet. we can talk about it later."


    father, with a stern face, said nothing beside them, only uttering "let''s have lunch together later" upon meeting and then watching his wife and son talk.


    kagura hikaru smiled awkwardly in response.


    there are two kinds of students in this world: those who wish to see their parents at a sports day, and those who do not.


    he was of the latter type.


    it''s not that he didn''t like them; objectively speaking, his father and stepmother were very good to him.


    but the thought of adults watching him compete always made him feel embarrassed.


    and then there was the fact... that he could clearly sense his stepmother was deliberately trying to ingratiate herself with him.


    ever since his father remarried, kagura hikaru had found it difficult to fit into the new family, and his stepmother probably considered that, always hoping to close the distance between them to form a real mother-son relationship.


    the stepmother was a gentle person, kind-hearted, and a very good cook.


    but kagura hikaru did not want her to become his mother.


    he didn''t want to acknowledge that she had become a substitute for his biological mother, nor did he want his real mother''s place in his heart to be replaced.


    perhaps, that was the true point of contention within this family.


    the reason he could not blend in.


    "sorry, i need to use the restroom."


    kagura hikaru played his excuse card and went to the bathroom to catch his breath.


    while washing his hands, he watched, wide-eyed, as ayakoji chiyoko walked right in.


    kagura hikaru''s eyes widened: "do you know this is the men''s restroom?"


    "i know, i came to find you."


    she didn''t walk into the wrong place!


    there were a few other boys at the urinals, and ayakoji chiyoko glanced over with a release of spiritual pressure, making them shake like sieves and hastily zip up before running out.


    the restroom became quiet in an instant.


    "what is so important you couldn''t say outside that you had to discuss it in here?" kagura hikaru asked with a sense of resignation.


    "if we talked outside, your parents might see," replied ayakoji chiyoko, crossing her arms.


    "the atmosphere between you and your family seems off. are you not getting along with them?"


    he thought she came to discuss something serious but turned out she just wanted to chat about family matters.


    he sighed, "eavesdropping on others is considered bad manners."


    "i didn''t eavesdrop; the conversation just entered my ears without permission."


    "at least come up with a believable excuse when you''re being evasive..."


    kagura hikaru shook his head helplessly.


    he found himself feeling helpless in front of ayakoji chiyoko more often than he did in front of hina.


    hina always offered irresistible conditions and quietly achieved her goals.


    as for ayakoji chiyoko, she tended to be forceful, the type who would board the train first and buy the ticket afterward.


    for someone like kagura hikaru, who wasn''t very good at refusing others, ayakoji chiyoko''s assertiveness was somewhat his bane in a sense.


    not to mention her beyond-normal curiosity.


    if kagura hikaru dared to dodge a topic she brought up, he would surely be subjected to all-around probing and harassment afterward.


    so, what else could he do?


    "you want to hear about my family affairs?" kagura hikaru looked at his reflection in the mirror, pursing his lips, "it''s hardly a pleasant story."

 Chapter 105 He Really Is Lewd

    he first found out about his parents'' infidelity on the third day after he had acquired the mind-reading ability.at that time, kagura hikaru was lying in the hospital bed, recklessly peering into the minds of everyone who passed by the ward, deriving a bizarre sense of pleasure from this activity, as if he was superior to all beings.


    the worst part was that he legitimized this twisted psychology, claiming it was to collect the skills possessed by others.


    he wanted to dominate all skills and become an omnipotent god.


    that''s what kagura hikaru seriously believed at the time.


    soon, he learned his lesson.


    as usual, he read the minds of his visiting parents and saw something unexpected.


    his mother casually lied, saying she was going back to work, but she actually wanted to rush to meet a man named ''daisuke.''


    his father expressed understanding and said he would be going out for drinks with colleagues and not to wait for him for dinner, but he actually wanted to go to another woman''s house and spend time with her.


    kagura hikaru was shocked to his core.


    he confirmed it over and over again.


    but in the days that followed, he occasionally read about the infidelity.


    so, he became disappointed, he became despondent.


    the family was already shattered, beyond repair.


    two years later, kagura hikaru was discharged from the hospital.


    at home, his parents, now aware of the truth, erupted into an argument.


    his father smashed a glass, turning the living room into a mess, and yelled at his mother.


    "traitor! traitor!"


    he shouted like this.


    "you too, pot calling the kettle black," his mother mocked back, with a resentful look in her eyes, "if you can cheat, why can''t i?"


    both of them displayed expressions and spoke words that they usually wouldn''t.


    kagura hikaru''s attempts to intervene were futile.


    they got divorced.


    since kagura hikaru was not biased towards either parent, custody was granted to his father, whose job was more stable.


    after the divorce, his mother soon broke up with the man ''daisuke.''


    after kagura hikaru entered high school, she got engaged to another businessman, and it was probably only a matter of time before he would receive their wedding invitation.


    it was the opposite with his father.


    less than a year after the divorce, he married his lover as his second wife.


    the more affectionate they appeared, the deeper the conflict kagura hikaru felt inside.


    this woman, arguably one of the direct causes of his parents'' marital breakdown, and now he was supposed to call this person ''mother''?


    how could he do that, how could he forgive...


    if only she was a bad woman, then kagura hikaru could hate her unreservedly, labeling her as the chief culprit.


    unfortunately, she wasn''t.


    she could even be described as a perfect stepmother, gentle, domestic, and understanding.


    no wonder his father liked her.


    "...now you know," kagura hikaru turned around, looking at ayakoji chiyoko, "it''s not that i have a bad relationship with my family, it''s just that i can''t get over this hurdle."


    "you have a complex family," ayakoji chiyoko said somewhat empathetically, "i can somewhat understand your situation. my father is that kind of promiscuous man, changing women like changing clothes since i was young. the shortest was one day, and the longest lasted only three years before he got dumped. whenever i came home from school and saw another strange woman lying around the house, my feelings were like yours now."


    "and your birth mother?"


    "she went abroad right after having me and hardly ever meets or contacts me. she probably really hates me and my father. i heard their marriage was originally a political one."


    "your father, is it because of her that he...?"


    "no, he really was lustful."


    "alright."


    kagura hikaru mentally gave ryoma ayakoji, who had recently made it into the top five of the island nation''s most desirable public figures, a big ''pervert'' label.


    it was surprising that the long-famous actor was such a person. he had completely misjudged him.


    talking about one''s family troubles was probably a conversation that only true friends would have.


    this kind of confidential information could cause a major disaster if it were ever leaked.


    that was the case for both kagura hikaru and ayakoji chiyoko.


    it seemed that ayakoji chiyoko even revealed a slight smile as if confirming something.


    kagura hikaru also wanted to return a smile, but he couldn''t bring himself to smile.


    in case anyone forgot, he had a setting where he couldn''t smile.


    frankly, it was a psychological issue similar to kiryu hina''s obsession with perfection, a negative legacy left by a past relationship.


    healers can''t heal themselves.


    even though kagura hikaru knew very clearly that it was a psychological disorder caused by multiple stresses, it was useless; medication couldn''t solve it.


    because the sources of those stresses were always lingering around him, and even if they were temporarily cured, the issues would inevitably recur if not addressed.


    ayakoji chiyoko didn''t dwell on this; since she had known him, she had never seen kagura hikaru smile, and gradually she could discern whether he was happy or unhappy from his expressionless face.


    she could tell that right now, in his heart, kagura hikaru was smiling at her.


    that was enough.


    "speaking of which, didn''t your mother come to see the sports day?" ayakoji chiyoko asked as they were walking out of the men''s restroom.


    of course, she meant his birth mother.


    "she feels awkward seeing my father, so she hasn''t come to any of my school events since the divorce, only meeting occasionally when work calms down."


    "that''s better than my father, who even skips parent-teacher meetings."


    "your father is a big celebrity; it can''t be helped if he''s busy."


    "hmph, busy? i think he spends all his free time chasing women."


    "..."


    after parting ways with ayakoji chiyoko at the entrance, kagura hikaru gathered his spirits to go have lunch with his family.


    but they were seen together, and inevitably his stepmother interrogated him.


    kagura hikaru found it hard to explain his complex relationship with ayakoji chiyoko to them and simply ended with the fact they were classmates.


    sports day afternoon.


    there were only two more events that kagura hikaru needed to participate in.


    they were the borrowing race and the three-legged race.


    both were classic sports day events often seen in animations and were not to be missed. read new chapters at empire


    the borrowing race was first.


    the rules were simple: each participant would draw lots, then all would sprint towards a table sixty meters from the starting line. on the table, there was a box containing slips of paper with random words. these words might describe abstract concepts or concrete items, some easy to accomplish and others difficult, depending on the luck of the draw. s§×arch* the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    participants needed to bring back what was written on their paper to the referees for verification as quickly as possible, and as long as the referees confirmed it was correct, they could pass.


    the borrowing race was run in a relay form with students from different grades mixed into teams.


    as it was a relatively easy and simple event, many students participated, including many of kagura hikaru''s acquaintances such as ayakoji chiyoko, kiryu hina, ai cheng hua lian, saijo mari, ruzaki mami, and so on.....

 Chapter 106 Choosing Me for the Relay Race with Borrowed Items

    the "borrowing race" teams included five girls who were very familiar to kagura hikaru.ayakoji chiyoko, kiryu hina, ai cheng hua lian, saijo mari, ruzaki mami.


    they coincidentally ended up in the same group.


    even kagura hikaru himself was among them.


    the first to run was ai cheng hua lian, who, as an elite libero of the volleyball club, had a running speed that surpassed that of the average girl. she quickly reached the table and pulled out a piece of paper.


    "male friend."


    she knew this one!


    ai cheng hua lian didn''t have many male friends, or more precisely, just the one¡ªkagura hikaru.


    so she dashed toward the stands, happily waving at kagura hikaru.


    "me?" kagura hikaru pointed at himself, puzzled.


    "go on."


    the man sitting next to him, his father, patted his shoulder.


    kagura hikaru jumped off the stands and went to the judge, hand in hand with ai cheng hua lian.


    since it was a ''borrowing'' race, if a person was involved, maintaining physical contact by holding hands was a minimum requirement to qualify.


    it''s not that ai cheng hua lian wanted to hold hands, emphasis here.


    the judge of the borrowing race was teacher yamazaki, who normally looked after physical education classes.


    he gave kagura hikaru a mischievous look, raised an eyebrow, then took ai cheng hua lian''s piece of paper, opened it, and was immediately disappointed!


    under the supervision of their teacher group, this year''s borrowing race contained a lot of content that young men and women liked to see.


    for example, "crush," "dating partner," "physical relationship," and so on¡ª


    entrapment papers.


    as soon as the sports festival was over, those little couples who got carried away by the atmosphere and forgot the school''s rule against campus romance were going to face a heavy blow from the head of student guidance.


    but teacher yamazaki had a prior relationship with kagura hikaru and even if the latter was indeed dating someone, he planned to turn a blind eye. he didn''t expect the content to be so mundane.


    "alright, pass," teacher yamazaki said reluctantly, waving the piece of paper.


    ai cheng hua lian immediately looked at kagura hikaru with joy and crossed the finish line together.


    handoff!


    the second to run was ai cheng hua lian''s super-best-friend, ruzaki mami.


    she was much slower than the others, almost arriving at the table, gasping for breath, by the time all the other participants had grabbed their papers and run off to find their items.


    "the number one smile."


    she thought for a moment about who among the people she knew had the best smile...


    got it!


    then she cheerfully ran to the stands to find kagura hikaru.


    "mr. kagura, mr. kagura!"


    she waved her arms and jumped up, while her large ''assets'' bounced up and down.


    "?"


    "...go on," the father said again, patting on the shoulder, but this time with a heavier tone.


    kagura hikaru stepped down once more, hand in hand with ruzaki mami, approaching the judge.


    judge teacher yamazaki looked at ruzaki mami''s flushed cheeks and thought that this time they must be sweethearts for sure.


    he opened the paper.


    "the number one smile."


    damn it!!


    "kagura, give me a smile," teacher yamazaki said with a grim face.


    "ah?"


    "do as you''re told, smile when i ask you to." s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    of course, kagura hikaru couldn''t muster a smile and could only forcibly mobilize his facial muscles to tug upwards at the corners of his mouth.


    "...i''ve never seen such a forced smile, not passed!"


    "no way!" ruzaki mami was shocked.


    kagura hikaru took the paper from teacher yamazaki''s hand, puzzled, and upon seeing the contents, he nearly rolled his eyes to the back of his head.


    "miss ruzaki, since you''ve known me, have i ever smiled in front of you?"


    "eh? haven''t you?"


    "? have i?"


    ruzaki mami carefully reflected, and her face slowly turned even redder.


    right, it seems like there really wasn''t anything¡ªit was all just normal springtime fantasies!


    "then, then i should go find karen-chan instead..."


    ruzaki mami said, "i''m sorry, mr. kagura!" and rushed back, panting heavily.


    by the time kagura hikaru got back to the stands, she had finally made it past the judges, either being pulled by ai cheng hua lian or, more accurately, pulling her along, and this time they were approved.


    handoff!


    the third runner was the former chairman of the disciplinary committee, the power behind the scenes at ugao high, and the student council''s arch-nemesis¡ªayakoji chiyoko.


    she was even more high-profile.


    she arrived at the box faster than anyone, glanced at the slip of paper, and, with a clear target in mind, headed straight toward kagura hikaru.


    "me again?"


    kagura hikaru glanced at ayakoji chiyoko, who stood below the platform with a menacing look, and had the feeling she was up to no good.


    ".....just go," her father commanded with crossed arms and a stern face.


    the stepmother, on the other hand, was smiling so wide that her eyes were nearly shut.


    after stepping down from the platform, ayakoji chiyoko grabbed kagura hikaru''s hand and pulled her over to the referee.


    teacher yamazaki looked at her slip, then suddenly looked up at kagura hikaru, then down at the slip again, then sharply up at kagura hikaru, and slowly turned his gaze to ayakoji chiyoko.


    ".....are you sure?"


    "hurry up, let''s get through," ayakoji chiyoko commanded expressionlessly.


    teacher yamazaki rubbed his temples and waved his hand: "alright, go on through." stay updated with empire


    after crossing the finish line, with his bad feeling at its peak, kagura hikaru finally asked, "what was written on that slip of paper?"


    ayakoji chiyoko turned back to look at him, then revealed an overly gentle smile and flipped the paper over.


    [the dog i want to raise].


    kagura hikaru: "..."


    you wanna fight, huh?


    handoff!


    the fourth member of the passing event to take the stage was saijo mari.


    although she, as the president of the sports committee, was in charge of organizing this sports festival, she still participated as a student.


    after grabbing the slip, she predictably headed toward kagura hikaru.


    "mr. kagura, please take care of this for me."


    "..."


    his father was at this point utterly disinclined to talk, deeply convinced of his son''s deep sins, while his stepmother was full of worries, unsure of which daughter-in-law to choose.


    kagura hikaru followed saijo mari over to the referee.


    the slip she handed over read: [something i recently got hooked on].


    "hmm?" teacher yamazaki''s eyes lit up.


    this time it must be right, this girl is into kagura hikaru.....


    "the human body!" saijo mari pointed at kagura hikaru and declared, "that''s right, i''ve recently become fascinated with the human body!"


    teacher yamazaki: "..."


    "look, here''s the heart." she extended her finger to prod kagura hikaru''s left chest, "here are the kidneys." her finger prodded kagura hikaru''s side, "and this is....."


    "alright, alright, you pass, hurry on over," teacher yamazaki waved dismissively.


    he had given up.


    handoff!


    taking the baton next was kiryu hina.


    when she walked toward him with her slip of paper, kagura hikaru felt nothing but fear.


    [life mentor].


    teacher yamazaki looked at the slip, then at the serene and smiling kiryu hina, and the uneasy kagura hikaru, and wondered, "shouldn''t you go to a teacher when you see a term like this?"


    "i think he has taught me far more." kiryu hina''s smile gradually darkened, "he taught me that friends are unreliable when you''re out and about; if you''re not careful, they''ll run off with someone else, leaving you all alone."


    teacher yamazaki: "..."


    kagura hikaru: "..."


    because it felt way too scary, they let her pass.


    finally, it was kagura hikaru''s turn to take the baton.


    he took the slip of paper, hesitated for a second, and then headed toward the stands.

 Chapter 107 Who is the Life Master?

    after drawing a slip of paper, kagura hikaru thought for a few seconds and then headed towards the stands.it seemed he also wanted to pick someone.


    by this time, since their own competition had ended, ayakoji chiyoko, kiryu hina, ai cheng hua lian, saijo mari, ruzaki mami, and five other girls were by the stands, except for kiryu hina who had left early, the rest were close by.


    kagura hikaru glanced over and walked straight towards them.


    the drama of five consecutive girls choosing the same boy had been witnessed by the sports meet audience, and seeing the male protagonist heading towards those girls excited them all.


    they thought there must be his true love among them.


    would it be ayakoji chiyoko, the most beautiful and best-figured?


    or saijo mari, the girl-next-door held in high regard by the sports clubs?


    or perhaps it was ruzaki mami, the petite, cute, and easily embarrassed sweet girl?


    none of them.


    "ai cheng." kagura hikaru approached ai cheng hua lian who was standing at the stands and extended his hand to her.


    "eh...? eh? me??"


    "yes, you, come down."


    flattered, ai cheng hua lian jumped down from the stands under the sad eyes of her close friend ruzaki mami. kagura hikaru grabbed her wrist and ran with her towards the referee.


    it was the same process: hand in the slip, check, approved.


    the two of them sprinted across the finish line, becoming the fastest pair to complete the borrowing race.


    "um, kagura, what was written on that slip of paper...?"


    ai cheng hua lian tugged at kagura hikaru''s sleeve, hunched her shoulders, and asked shyly.


    although she knew it probably wasn''t anything flirtatious, otherwise, given kagura hikaru''s personality, he would most likely have run another round to redraw.


    but, dreaming is always nice, right?


    just in case, although she also knew it was not very likely...


    "oh, this?"


    kagura hikaru flipped the piece of paper, which read¡ª"the person i feel most at peace with."


    "?????"


    an unexpected moment of happiness lifted ai cheng hua lian off her feet.


    the person i feel most at peace with?!


    that, that''s like, the person you love...


    her entire face instantly turned as red as a freshly picked tomato from the field.


    knowing it was such content and still choosing her specifically, could it be that kagura also felt the same about her...?


    "of course, as friends," kagura hikaru quickly added.


    ai cheng hua lian''s shoulders drooped.


    well, yes, that makes sense...


    after the borrowing race came the three-legged race.


    the rule was for two people to team up, tying one of their legs together, necessitating cooperation and rhythm to move forward.


    this time, there was no drawing lots, and the students had to form teams themselves.


    kagura hikaru naturally invited ai cheng hua lian, who agreed.


    everyone made their own choices.


    in the end, only ayakoji chiyoko and kiryu hina, who were also participants, were left.


    normally, they would certainly have found teammates.


    rather, many people would have sought them out.


    but perhaps that was why everyone assumed those two had someone in mind already, or even had teammates pre-arranged, so no one dared to approach them.


    as a result, everyone else had formed teams, leaving just the two of them.


    the two left behind, reluctant as they were, had no choice but to team up.


    all the pairs with their legs tied stood at the starting line, and at the sound of the starting gun, kagura hikaru and ai cheng hua lian, shouting "one, two, one, two," moved forward in sync. read latest chapters at empire


    similarly, there were also pairs that fell right at the beginning of the race.


    for instance, the conflicting pair of kiryu hina.


    the race had just started when ayakoji chiyoko tripped her.


    "you... did that on purpose, didn''t you?" kiryu hina got up from the ground, her eyes dark and gloomy.


    ayakoji chiyoko gently covered her mouth, pretending to be concerned, bent over, and extended her hand. yet, she said in a taunting tone, "i''m so sorry, that was my fault for not coordinating well, what a pity. let''s try it again then."


    "..."


    kiryu hina fell three times before she finally crossed the finish line.


    after the next break when they took off the straps, she immediately distanced herself from the dangerous ayakoji chiyoko.


    "this damned sports festival, i knew i shouldn''t have joined!" kiryu hina muttered resentfully.


    as a representative of indoor types and physically fragile sports dunces, she deeply detested such activities.


    especially with someone like ayakoji chiyoko around, who took advantage of her strength to bully others.


    "haha, what are you two doing, being so competitive?"


    a short-haired girl walked over, wearing a dark blue uniform and gray pleated skirt, a uniform from tsukinomori girls'' academy.


    it was none other than the student council president of tsukinomori, sakata asahi.


    "asahi, long time no see."


    upon seeing an ''outsider'', kiryu hina immediately put on her public mask, gracefully smiling.


    "haha, long time no see, it''s been since the last school exchange meeting, right?" sakata asahi returned her smile, then glanced at ayakoji chiyoko, "chiyoko too... the three of us gathering like this, it''s been since we graduated from elementary school, hasn''t it?" s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "perhaps." ayakoji chiyoko said indifferently.


    "come on, you''re so cold, you said you changed but you''re still the same." sakata asahi shook her head, smiling as she asked them, "the sports festival has no more events right? it''s a rare opportunity, how about we go have coffee, do some shopping?"


    "that sounds nice, i don''t think i have anything else." kiryu hina smiled and agreed.


    "great! then chiyoko, you''re good too, right?"


    "indeed, i don''t have work to do next, nor any personal matters."


    "so..."


    "but i refuse." ayakoji chiyoko crossed her arms and glanced at the student council president beside her, "going shopping and eating with this person, even if you pay me, i wouldn''t do it."


    kiryu hina laughingly covered her mouth, her eyes squinting like a fox, "ah, still so petulant, that''s what i don''t like about you, you''re not generous enough."


    ayakoji chiyoko: "heh, you''re one to talk about being generous in front of me, stop joking."


    "you guys...."


    as sakata asahi watched them bicker seriously, she was taken aback.


    only then did she belatedly realize.


    the elementary school classmates, who had been close back then, were not continuing their friendship in high school as she had thought.


    quite the opposite, in fact.


    "sorry, sakata, that''s how it is," ayakoji chiyoko turned and said, "i''m fine with going out with you, especially since you helped a lot with this sports event, but with this person, sorry, i can''t agree, goodbye."


    with that, she turned and left.


    sakata asahi looked towards kiryu hina, "hina, what on earth is going on between you two, did you have a disagreement about something?"


    "ah, the reason isn''t that complicated." kiryu hina lightly shook her head with a faint smile, "remember the boy ayakoji has been looking for, the one from elementary school who saved her?"


    "of course i remember, she even asked me about him when she came to tsukinomori the other day."


    "i know who that boy is."


    "...what?"


    sakata asahi suddenly recalled ayakoji chiyoko mentioning that someone at yuqiu high school knew the boy but refused to speak up.


    it turned out hina was the one being referred to!


    "then why don''t you tell her, knowing how much chiyoko wants to find that person."


    "it''s not that i''m intentionally teasing her, there''s a reason i can''t tell her."


    kiryu hina held her face with one hand, her little finger touching her lower lip, speaking softly, "because the boy who saved her back then is named kagura hikaru."

 Chapter 108 The Unforgivable Scum

    ai cheng hua lian, what kind of existence was she to kagura hikaru.a friend?


    no, that was nothing but a lie.


    her importance to him could not simply be described by that word alone.


    because besides family, she was the only one who never took anything from him and simply saw him as ''kagura hikaru''.


    not as ''kiryu hina''s ex-boyfriend,'' ''a master of deceiving feelings,'' or ''a very capable student with good relations with the disciplinary committee.''


    she always faced kagura hikaru directly, with no ulterior motives, without arbitrary expectations or disappointments, without seeking or demanding or craving, a very healthy social relationship.


    she was the first friend, a pure friend, that kagura had made since he started high school.


    even someone who could be called a best friend.


    maybe their relationship hadn''t progressed to the point where they could be called ''best friends,'' but it was only a matter of time.


    that''s what kagura thought. your next read awaits at empire


    as it turned out, this too was just another of his unrequited wishes.


    after the sports festival.


    kagura hikaru saw off his father and stepmother, watching their figures leave the school.


    then he turned to ai cheng hua lian beside him and said, "let''s go."


    "mhm!" she nodded.


    the only reason she hadn''t gone home with her family after the sports festival was purely because she had carelessly promised saijo mari to stay and help with the post-event work.


    seeing her seemingly struggling yesterday, kagura had weakly agreed.


    but hearing that he was going to help the sports committee, which ''included saijo mari and consisted of just two people,'' ai cheng hua lian also quickly said she would go.


    so it turned into the current situation.


    "it should be evening by the time we''re done," kagura said. "ai cheng, is that okay with you?"


    "mhm, my family is used to me practicing late with zhen chun and the others, it''s no problem," she replied.


    "then let''s take the train back together after it''s over."


    "yeah, sounds good!"


    "you seem to be in a good mood today, is there something to be happy about?"


    "eh? how can you tell?"


    "even your eyebrows are smiling; only a blind man wouldn''t notice."


    "hehe, it''s nothing..."


    chatting casually with ai cheng hua lian about plans for the summer vacation and similar topics, kagura walked through the school courtyard towards the direction of the sports committee.


    on their way, they passed a short-haired girl wearing a dark blue different school''s uniform.


    kagura stopped in his tracks.


    "kagura?"


    "sorry, wait here for a moment."


    he had seen an unexpected person.


    sakata asahi.


    a classmate from elementary and junior high school, a friend of hina and suse, and according to what ayakoji chiyoko said before, also her friend.


    a girl from another school, yet her social circle was extremely close to his own. logically, she should also be a friend of kagura hikaru.


    or at least, she used to be.


    "stop, sakata."


    kagura chased after her.


    sakata asahi stood still and turned around, her face darkened upon seeing him.


    her reaction was as if she had seen the god of plague.


    it wasn''t incomprehensible, considering kagura had once done excessive things to two of her friends, so her reaction was not hard to understand.


    in fact, even before graduating junior high, sakata asahi had completely stopped seeing and speaking to him.


    she probably hated him by that time.


    "what do you want, i''m in a hurry," sakata asahi said coldly, her tone rigid.


    "i have something to ask you."


    "but i don''t want to be asked, goodbye."


    she dropped that line and turned to walk away.


    despite her attitude, kagura hikaru didn''t care, since he had stopped her not for information, but purely to question her.


    he quickly took a few steps to catch up.


    "why did you tell ayakoji chiyoko about that matter?"


    "that matter? oh, you mean the affair," sakata asahi said with a cold laugh as she walked, "feeling guilty? can''t face your own actions being known?"


    "even if we don''t consider my situation, that was hina and suse''s privacy you were spreading around. did you ask for their opinion on the matter?"


    "hina? suse? you sure are on familiar terms, but you''re not in a position to address them so personally anymore, are you?"


    "don''t dodge the question."


    "chiyoko is also my friend. i told her and then... tch, forget it," sakata asahi stopped, turned around to face him, "you might not remember, about chiyoko''s situation."


    kagura hikaru was puzzled, "chiyoko, are you talking about ayakoji chiyoko? why wouldn''t i remember her?"


    "you really don''t remember, otherwise you wouldn''t be in your current relationship with her. chiyoko used to go to the same elementary school as us, yoshou elementary school."


    "?"


    this piece of trivia was new to kagura hikaru.


    but even so, what of it?


    sakata asahi pursed her lips tight, her eyes on kagura hikaru were filled with complexity, "the reason why hina and chiyoko are like this now is all because of you!"


    in her logic, the reason kiryu hina was reluctant to tell ayakoji chiyoko the true identity of that boy back then was to keep her from getting involved with a scumbag like kagura hikaru.


    she cared so much for that boy, and once chiyoko found out his real identity, she might end up falling for kagura hikaru.


    but the more hina skirted around the issue, the bigger the rift between her and chiyoko became, until their friendship eventually shattered, though she too wanted to protect her former friend.


    according to this logic, all the trouble could be traced back to kagura hikaru.


    he was too awful, both as a friend or a lover, and yet he possessed a powerful attraction to women, whether due to his excellent facade or his talent for manipulating emotions through acting.


    that''s why hina couldn''t tell the truth and let chiyoko get close to him.


    one can imagine the attitude sakata asahi, now knowing ''the truth'', had towards kagura hikaru.


    she was grateful for his past heroic deed saving ayakoji chiyoko but hated him for what he had done to kiryu hina and kohinata suse.


    this man''s past and present were a total mess.


    but to kagura hikaru himself, who was kept in the dark, her accusations seemed utterly nonsensical.


    he furrowed his brow, "what exactly are you talking about?"


    the relationship between hina and ayakoji chiyoko, all because of him?


    what a joke.


    she must have misunderstood something.


    just as he was about to press for answers, footsteps came from behind.


    ai cheng hua lian made her appearance at the worst possible timing.


    "kagura, what is this..."


    concerned, she had followed, surprised to see the girl from another school confronting kagura hikaru.


    "is this your new girlfriend?" sakata asahi let her mouth droop, "heh, hooking up with another one, and right under hina''s nose at that... not sure if i should say you''re bold or a playboy."


    "what do you mean."


    "that girl over there, i''d advise you to stay away from him, he''s not a good person," sakata asahi told the newcomer.


    ai cheng hua lian didn''t know who sakata asahi was, or what kind of grudge she had against kagura hikaru.


    but upon hearing such words, she couldn''t help but frown, "i know what kind of person kagura is better than you do, i don''t need your advice!"


    sakata asahi snorted with laughter, "ha, you really know nothing, do you? you wouldn''t be saying that if you knew the truth." sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "the truth?"


    "hey!" kagura hikaru tried to stop her.


    but it was clearly too late.


    "after all, this man named kagura hikaru in front of you is a scumbag who betrayed his lover and took up with another woman friend, cheating with both, beyond redemption."

 Chapter 109 Exposure

    ai cheng hua lian, what kind of existence was she to kagura hikaru?a friend?


    no, that explanation was merely a lie. s~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    although he often said such things, he clearly knew in his heart that the word could not simply describe her importance to him.


    she was someone he could entrust with his trust, a close friend who would definitely be invited as a bridesmaid when he got married.


    however, that future was shattered by sakata asahi''s own hands at this moment.


    the worst situation he had imagined had occurred.


    the very thing he least wanted ai cheng hua lian to know was blurted out carelessly.


    in that instant, he even felt a murderous impulse.


    when dealing with other people, kagura hikaru was not afraid of his dark past being known, nor was he afraid of being misunderstood.


    even when ayakoji chiyoko first learned of it, he didn''t feel too much pain, but rather worried about possibly not being able to fulfill hina''s request.


    but for some reason, he specifically did not want ai cheng hua lian to know.


    his own bad sides, his troubled past, he specifically did not want her to know.


    suddenly, he recalled the note he had caught during the relay race.


    [the person who makes you feel the most at ease when together].


    yes, that''s right.


    at school, he had to face hina and ayakoji chiyoko.


    at home, he did not know how to face his stepmother.


    only when he was with ai cheng hua lian could he truly be himself and show the real ''kagura hikaru''.


    people only despair when they harbor hope, similarly, one only fears loss when they have something to lose.


    it was precisely because he did not want to leave that sanctuary that he feared ai cheng hua lian learning about his past, feared the unknown changes in their relationship.


    "kagura''s girlfriend... are you talking about president hina...?" ai cheng hua lian incredulously stepped back.


    "do you know what the worst part is?" since it had been said, sakata asahi decided to spill it all, "the person he had an affair with was one of hina''s closest friends at the time." find your next adventure on empire


    "i don''t know anything about this..."


    "enough!" kagura hikaru stepped forward, placing his body between sakata asahi and ai cheng hua lian, and glared at her darkly.


    "...well, whatever."


    sakata asahi indeed felt she had said too much today, making herself seem like a gossipmonger. she did not want to leave that impression on others.


    "don''t talk to me ever again."


    with those words, she tightened her clothes and quickly left.


    the maple tree in the courtyard was stirred by a gentle breeze, and a few dry leaves fluttered down onto the path.


    the two left behind did not speak a word.


    a long silence...


    meanwhile, sakata asahi had not yet left the school gates when she was stopped by someone.


    "what does it mean that kagura hikaru went to the same elementary school as us?"


    the person had a tall stature, a fiercely beautiful face, and an imposing aura that warned others not to come close.


    it was indeed the last person sakata asahi wanted to face right now¡ªayakoji chiyoko.


    "what... what are you talking about?" sakata asahi broke out in a cold sweat, hanging up what she thought was a perfect fake smile, "kagura hikaru went to our elementary school? that''s quite a coincidence, where did you hear that from?"


    "from your own mouth, you said it yourself."


    ayakoji chiyoko stepped closer, her shadow from the backlight enveloping sakata asahi completely.


    she moved so close that their noses almost touched, their eyes locked on each other.


    "i can see lies in your eyes, sakata asahi, clear as day," ayakoji chiyoko said in a low voice, like a lion''s growl, "tell me, what does it mean that kagura hikaru went to the same elementary school as us? what does it mean that hina and i ended up like this because of kagura hikaru? tell me."


    "..."


    sorry, hina, it looks like i can''t keep it a secret anymore.


    sakata asahi lamented in her heart.


    this was the irony of fate, a rare slip of the tongue, and it was overheard by the least appropriate person.


    "i hope it doesn''t come to the worst outcome in the end."


    she slowly revealed the truth.


    .................


    on the third day, the sports event concluded peacefully.


    saijo mari had been busy for a while, work finally took a break, and she found kagura hikaru again to thank him specifically.


    "this is a thank-you gift from my mother." saijo mari handed a box of chocolates to him with both hands, "she knew mr. kagura accompanied me to pick up midori and riko, and also helped with the sports event, so she asked me to bring this to you."


    "...i see, thank you."


    kagura hikaru accepted the chocolates, "how is your family doing now?"


    saijo mari forced a smile, "not too good, not too bad."


    in fact, it was much worse than just "not too good, not too bad."


    ever since the incident with mari enterprises, the saijo family fell into hard times overnight.


    saijo mari''s father was detained in preparation for trial, leaving mrs. saijo and their three daughters to face the criticisms from the outside world.


    all around them, people were adding insult to injury, and those whose deposits had been swallowed by mari enterprises bombarded them with messages, and some creditors even came knocking on their door, making them afraid to go home, so they moved in collectively with their grandparents in tokyo.


    strangely, the local bank, which was owed up to three hundred million, was the calmest and even sent a handwritten letter of condolence.


    but the numbers were there, making it impossible to feel at ease.


    saijo mari also heard from her mother that they planned to sell the original house to cover the debts.


    the pressure from all sides was overwhelming.


    saijo mari even felt fortunate that she was already in her third year, or else given her current family situation, she might not have been able to afford the school fees, and transferring to a public high school midway might have been a possibility.


    the hardest hit were midori and riko, who were still in elementary school, and it was uncertain what would happen to them in the future.


    kagura hikaru was a man who could read the room well.


    even without mind-reading, one could see saijo mari''s forced smile.


    the saijo family was facing difficulties.


    "you mentioned earlier that your mother resigned from the company, has she found a new job yet?"


    "no...she was busy dealing with people from the national tax agency, and she only just started looking for work again, but the situation isn''t ideal, she said she might have to take up a temporary job..."


    "if that''s the case, maybe i can help."


    "eh? mr. kagura, are you going to help find temporary work?"


    "idiot, of course not."


    kagura hikaru took out his cellphone, "i''ll prepare and visit in a few days, tell me where you''re staying now."


    "that could be possible..."


    saijo mari gave him her current address with confusion, then was sent on her way.


    after she left, kagura hikaru leaned on the corridor windowsill and dialed a number.


    it was quickly answered.


    "hello, hello? mr. kagura?"


    "ruzaki, do me a favor."


    kagura hikaru told saijo mari he would visit in a few days.


    but in fact, he went the very next afternoon.


    after school, he and saijo mari took the train, first picked up her two younger sisters from elementary school, and then went to her new home.


    it was a much smaller and older ordinary house than before, made of wood.


    "i''m back."


    "excuse the intrusion."


    after entering, what left a deep impression on kagura hikaru was the extremely narrow entranceway.


    past the short corridor was the living room, entirely in japanese style, covered with tatami mats, with a low table in the middle, an old tv, and two elderly people sitting in front of the low table drinking tea.


    saijo mari said they were her grandparents.


    the two little girls were left in the care of the elderly, and kagura hikaru followed her upstairs, finally meeting mrs. saijo in a room.

 Chapter 110 Mr. Kagura, I Like You

    when she entered the house, mrs. saijo was still on the phone.it seemed she was speaking with a lawyer, discussing topics like sentencing and bail.


    "okay... okay... then i''ll leave it to you, lawyer ueno."


    after hanging up the phone, mrs. saijo turned around while maintaining her kneeling position and greeted him with a smile and a nod, "are you mr. kagura? mari has been under your care."


    kagura hikaru was somewhat surprised because she looked very much like saijo mari, almost like a grown-up version of her.


    she looked very tired, probably from running around recently, and her hair was untidily tied back in a ponytail that hung over her shoulder.


    but it was clear that when groomed, she must be quite beautiful.


    with composure, kagura hikaru sat upright on the tatami and bowed to mrs. saijo, "i apologize for the intrusion, please forgive me."


    "not at all, as long as it''s not a malicious visitor, our home is welcoming," mrs. saijo said with a smile, "by the way, mari mentioned that you could help our family with some financial issues. may i ask what specifically...?"


    seeking help from my daughter''s classmate was a desperate move on my part.


    she thought to herself while speaking.


    she did not have much expectation for a high school student''s abilities.


    agreeing to let kagura hikaru come over was more to show gratitude for his care of her daughter during this time. otherwise, she should not have revealed her current residence to any outsider.


    bringing those debt collectors to her door would cause trouble for the elderly and children in the family.


    but soon she realized how terribly wrong she had been.


    "yes, i heard you were looking for a job, so i thought maybe i could help in that aspect, and managed to acquire this business card from an acquaintance," he said.


    kagura hikaru pulled a bone-white, high-grade business card from his jacket pocket and slid it across the tatami.


    mrs. saijo picked it up with a puzzled look.


    it bore a name and a simple job description¡ªyuhiko rosaki, president of rosaki group.


    "pres... president rosaki...?!"


    she couldn''t help exclaiming aloud.


    although not in the same industry, as a former rich man''s wife, she had heard of the rosaki group.


    now a leader in island nation''s dining industry, they operated many beverage factories and a famous sake brand, and owned countless chain restaurants.


    the rosaki group, a family business now in the hands of the third generation president yuhiko rosaki, was truly high society, belonging to a class unreachable even at the saijo family''s wealthiest.


    to acquire a personal business card from such a person required a commensurate status.


    mrs. saijo had never imagined she would see it through her daughter''s classmate.


    "may i ask if president rosaki is your... "


    "please don''t misunderstand, he is not my relative, we have no direct connection," kagura hikaru explained, "but i am quite acquainted with his daughter, so i am able to speak with him."


    "i see, that''s how it is¡­"


    in the incident with ruzaki mami, the rosaki family had owed him a favor.


    if kagura hikaru and his colleagues had not intervened, ruzaki mami might have continued to face extortion or even the risk of abduction.


    given that it concerned her daughter''s reputation and personal safety, exaggerating the debt was not considered excessive.


    ruzaki mami once tried to give kagura hikaru an expensive watch as a thank you gift, which he felt was too valuable and refused.


    perhaps feeling that the favor had not been fully repaid, after that incident, kagura hikaru found himself frequently encountering ruzaki mami, who seemed to be making an effort to get closer.


    upon learning of the saijo family''s difficulties, the first person kagura hikaru thought of was ruzaki mami, or more precisely, her father.


    after that event, he had done some research and looked up the rosaki group.


    for someone in the wealthy class, like a large corporation''s president, arranging a job that could clear a debt was naturally not difficult, and he could also settle an unpaid favor, which logically was a sound deal. sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after requesting ruzaki mami to relay his request, her side almost immediately agreed, hence kagura hikaru obtained that business card.


    if one were to think purely rationally, lending a helping hand to the financially bankrupt saijo family or owing a favor to a wealthy family like the rosaki family, the latter is certainly better.


    but the crux of the matter was that kagura hikaru didn''t care about these things.


    six years had passed since he had acquired the mind-reading extraction skill, and he had become almost omnipotent.


    the talents, knowledge, and experience that appeared out of thin air could all be converted into existing abilities, allowing him to quickly reach the top in any technology-driven industry.


    he would strive for what he wanted after entering society; he didn''t need to use personal connections as a way to bind others for his own benefit.


    unlike the still vigorous kagura hikaru, the current situation of the saijo family was on the brink of collapse, like a derelict house that could fall over with one wrong step.


    if he hadn''t known, it would have been one thing, but since he had seen it, he decided to help in a way that was morally justifiable.


    of course, he also admitted that this act of extending a hand was not purely out of chivalry; another goal was to win over saijo mari.


    the votes that she held sway over were something kagura hikaru and ayakoji chiyoko had long coveted.


    "i''ve done some research privately. auntie, you used to work in a restaurant, right?"


    "yes."


    "then this job should be very suitable for you."


    the job kagura hikaru introduced to mrs. saijo was a managerial position at a chain family restaurant, with a quite handsome annual salary, with immediate appointment without examination.


    this job was enough to allow her to maintain her family operations while slowly paying off debts, potentially settling them all in about ten years.


    "can this really happen....."


    perhaps because happiness came too suddenly, mrs. saijo was a bit perplexed.


    "if there are any problems, contact mr. rosaki with that business card," kagura hikaru stood up, "that''s it, i won''t disturb you any longer."


    "eh? are you leaving already?"


    saijo mari, who had been following the conversation, finally came to her senses and subconsciously stood up as well.


    "yes, at least stay for dinner before you go," mrs. saijo also hurriedly said.


    but kagura hikaru did not agree and left after exchanging a few polite words.


    once outside the house, saijo mari offered to walk him to the station.


    thus, they walked side by side.


    "knowing just that you would visit my house was unexpected, but you brought such a wonderful gift... with mom having this job, midori and riko can also go to school without worries, and it can alleviate a lot of difficulties at home,"


    saijo mari showed him a smile.


    it wasn''t strained like before but was a gentle, relaxed smile. your next read awaits at empire


    she knew what a high-paying job meant for her mother, and thanks to kagura hikaru, although they would still struggle, they could finally live a normal life.


    for a family that had been through hardships, just knowing this was more than comforting.


    "thank you, really, thank you, mr. kagura."


    she quickened her pace, walking ahead with her hands behind her back, her short hair that almost reached her shoulders gently swaying, "i will never forget this favor in my lifetime."


    the twilight''s glow cast upon her, outlining her youthful silhouette.


    a gentle breeze brushed through kagura hikaru''s hair.


    he fiddled with his fringe: "you don''t need to remember it for a lifetime; i have something i need your help with now."


    "anything, just say it, even if you want me to be your lover, i can do that too~"


    "...girls shouldn''t joke about such things lightly."


    "let''s be serious." kagura hikaru said, "about the student council election after summer vacation, i hope you can mobilize the sports clubs to support ayakoji chiyoko as the student council president. your vote count added to her current number almost matches president kiriyu, so your preference is crucial."


    "so you helped me because of classmate ayakoji." saijo mari seemed slightly upset, kagura hikaru saw her puff her cheeks from behind, but she quickly relaxed and smiled, "well, since i am the third wheel, i''ll help for you, mr. kagura."


    "if you face any difficulties, talk to me anytime, and don''t switch sides to president kiriyu carelessly."


    "yes, i''ll stand with you, mr. kagura, so¡ª"


    saijo mari turned around, her face slightly flushed: "be in a relationship with me, mr. kagura, i like you."

 Chapter 111 Ai Cheng is The Woman Who Could Become My Mother

    kagura hikaru stopped in his tracks.he never expected to suddenly hear such words from saijo mari.


    he hadn''t been without his suspicions. sea??h th§× n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    like the strange competitive spirit she showed towards ai cheng hua lian at the sports festival and several other small gestures.


    saijo mari was an open and forthright girl, thus, her feelings were plainly laid out in front of kagura hikaru.


    previously, he had simply chosen to ignore them.


    in his high school life, kagura hikaru didn''t intend to dye it rose-colored.


    "i''m sorry, i had planned to wait until graduation before saying this, but i really can''t do it, suppressing these feelings isn''t right,"


    with her right hand pressed against her chest, saijo mari took a deep breath, looked earnestly at kagura hikaru and said, "mr. kagura, i like you, please give me an answer!"


    "..."


    in conclusion, he rejected her.


    he apologized for his response to saijo mari''s confession.


    he believed that saijo mari hadn''t understood the difference between gratitude and romantic feelings.


    kagura hikaru didn''t believe in love at first sight.


    just knowing someone for a few days, how could you discern their true nature? casually professing liking someone was only because one was charmed by the outer layer that the other person displayed.


    saijo mari''s case might even include her feeling as if she owed kagura hikaru, coupled with the accumulated bits of fondness over these days, which impulsively made her say those words.


    moreover, to be honest, he had never entertained that kind of thought about saijo mari; to suddenly start dating would only add to his own troubles.


    when they said goodbye in front of the station, saijo mari stated she wouldn''t give up.


    kagura hikaru admired her for being able to pick herself up so quickly after just having her confession rejected ¨C something even many boys would feel ashamed of.


    indeed, she was not as ayakoji chiyoko had described ¨C a girl with a weak character. in this regard, she was severely underestimated.


    on the other hand, it was him...


    ever since being opened up by sakata asahi the other time, he hadn''t properly explained things to ai cheng hua lian.


    the longer time passed, the harder it became to speak.


    he knew this, yet he couldn''t help the feeling of wanting to escape inside.


    admitting past mistakes was difficult.


    the next morning.


    on the train during the commute to school.


    because they went to school at the same time and lived nearby, it was only natural that kagura hikaru and ai cheng hua lian encountered each other in the same train carriage.


    as he hesitated, it was the girl who took the initiative to come closer.


    "good morning, kagura..."


    "...yeah, good morning."


    an awkward atmosphere lingered between them.


    the reason was self-evident.


    sitting in the train carriage seats, they were like two sculptures themed ''thought,'' one looking at a book, the other holding a backpack, neither speaking a word.


    the train clattered on.


    kagura hikaru stole a glance at the girl beside him, opened his mouth, then closed it again. after a good fifteen seconds of thought, he broke the silence, "ai cheng, about yesterday..."


    "it''s okay."


    "huh?"


    "really, it''s fine. i was just startled yesterday. i actually don''t mind that much," ai cheng hua lian said, embarrassed as she straightened her hair, "i know, kagura is not that kind of person, and even if you were in the past, it doesn''t matter. i just want to know you as you are now."


    "ai cheng..." kagura hikaru felt both moved and pained, "you''re going to be tricked by a jerk someday, and when that time comes, you have to call me. i''ll take care of it for you."


    "eh? why?!"


    if it had been ayakoji chiyoko, saijo mari, ruzaki mami, or any other girl kagura hikaru knew, no matter how much they liked him, upon hearing those words, they probably wouldn''t want to be near him for a while.


    this should be the reaction a normal person would have.


    to distance oneself from those with tainted pasts as if avoiding criminals freshly out of prison, not to get close, not to be intimate, lest one get hurt too, this was how their families had always taught them.


    people who have made mistakes in the past are more likely to make them again in the future, it''s only natural to think so.


    however, ai cheng hua lian broke this rule.


    she trusted others unconditionally.


    even for friends, that shouldn''t be the case.


    but at this moment, in kagura hikaru''s eyes, she truly resembled a goddess.


    she exuded a healing halo all around her.


    in the next life, i should be reborn as ai cheng hua lian''s child, it would surely be a happy life.


    kagura hikaru admired her just like that.


    thanks to ai cheng hua lian''s saintly glow, the atmosphere gradually returned to how it had been before, and they chatted about the usual trivial topics as they always did.


    both of them consciously avoided discussing the past.


    perhaps one day in the future, kagura hikaru would take the initiative to tell her, but at least not now.


    after getting off the tram, they walked and talked.


    it wasn''t until they were close to the school gate that ai cheng hua lian said goodbye to him and rushed ahead.


    even though ayakoji chiyoko had stopped standing guard at the school gate after leaving the disciplinary committee, she still maintained her old habit of not appearing too close to kagura hikaru as they approached the school.


    it was fine during the sports festival, after all, there was a legitimate reason for interaction, but being together at other times seemed a bit ambiguous and could lead to misunderstandings about their relationship.


    ai cheng hua lian still thought he was pursuing ayakoji chiyoko, so she tried not to trouble him as much as possible, and kagura hikaru couldn''t really explain, he could only let it be.


    and in a sense, she wasn''t wrong.


    kagura hikaru was indeed "pursuing" ayakoji chiyoko, but his goal wasn''t to establish a romantic relationship with her¡ªthis was only kiryu hina''s hope, not his¡ªbut to be friends with ayakoji chiyoko; just being able to visit her home was enough for him.


    so far, although it had been a bit of a bumpy journey, overall, the progress could be considered smooth.


    kagura hikaru planned to continue relating to her in this way.


    not to back off, nor to press forward excessively, but to slowly infiltrate her heart, becoming an indispensable partner to her.


    "daydreaming on your way is not good, kagura."


    he was patted on the back from behind.


    wondering who it could be, kagura hikaru turned around, and was instantly somewhat surprised.


    "what are you doing here, did you oversleep today?"


    "i''m not a discipline committee member anymore, so there''s no need for me to arrive at school so early every day," ayakoji chiyoko walked out from behind him, walking shoulder to shoulder with kagura hikaru as she retorted.


    come to think of it, this was the first time kagura hikaru had seen her walking to school with a handbag like a regular student.


    it felt a bit fresh.


    "i saw you just now walking with ai cheng hua lian," ayakoji chiyoko said.


    discover stories with empire


    ah, she had been seen after all.


    "yes, we came on the same tram."


    "do you two run into each other often?"


    "occasionally."


    for some reason, kagura hikaru lied.


    he sensed a whiff of danger intuitively.


    he threw a puzzled glance at ayakoji chiyoko and continued walking.


    in a place he couldn''t see, a pair of beautiful eyes kept watching his face.


    "she''s grown up, changed a lot..."


    in a volume too soft for anyone else to hear, ayakoji chiyoko murmured to herself.

 Chapter 112 None of Your Business

    the incident began with an accident.it really was just an accident, ayakoji chiyoko could confirm that much. it wasn''t orchestrated by anyone, and it certainly wasn''t intentional.


    she had entered the courtyard chasing a cat.


    the plump, orange stray cat had snatched her handkerchief while she was washing her hands¡ªthat had been a gift from her stepmother, and ayakoji chiyoko didn''t want to lose it just like that.


    when she caught the cat in the tree in the courtyard, she just happened to see sakata asahi, and kagura hikaru who had followed him there.


    she decided to eavesdrop till the end after hearing the words from behind the tree, "chiyoko used to attend the same elementary school as us, yoshou elementary school."


    kagura hikaru, this person, should never have been associated with the phrase ''yoshou elementary school.''


    in ayakoji chiyoko''s memory, he was an unrelated character.


    but this understanding was wrong.


    [you indeed don''t remember, otherwise your relationship with her wouldn''t be like it is now.]


    [the reason why hina and chiyoko are like this now, it''s all because of you!]


    that''s what sakata asahi said.


    such a sure tone, it was enough to let one know she held some degree of the truth.


    this was content sakata asahi had never shared with her before.


    after they parted, ayakoji chiyoko beat her to it, blocking her at the school gate and prying the truth from her mouth.


    kagura hikaru was the person she had been looking for, and was that name really uttered by kiryu hina?


    at the time, ayakoji chiyoko didn''t believe it.


    it wasn''t because there was something wrong with kagura hikaru, but because she knew kiryu hina.


    a year ago, when they met at yuqiu high school, ayakoji chiyoko had once inquired about the boy from elementary school who had saved her. her relationship with kiryu hina was already somewhat strained due to her stepmother''s affair, but they truly became ''arch-enemies'' after the latter clearly knew who the boy was but stubbornly refused to reveal it.


    ayakoji chiyoko kept looking for trouble with her, also to grab something on kiryu hina that could be used as a bargaining chip to exchange for that boy''s identity information.


    the boy from elementary school who had defended her was the sole fixation of ayakoji chiyoko''s life up to that point.


    he was injured and hospitalized because he was helping her, yet she knew nothing at the time, even naively accepting the friendship of kiryu hina and sakata asahi, continuing such ignorance until graduation.


    kiryu hina''s deliberate concealment turned her into a girl who was ungrateful and lacked loyalty.


    this was something ayakoji chiyoko could not tolerate.


    she wanted to find that boy from the past, make amends, thank him in person for what he did, and talk about how much she had changed because of that incident over the years. continue your adventure at empire


    if they got along, they could perhaps even become friends.


    if it were that person, even the mental shackles ayakoji chiyoko had against making friends could be broken.


    he was that important to her.


    over the years, ayakoji chiyoko had always been using the image of him as a benchmark for self-improvement.


    whether it was the spirit of golden justice, the strong physique that could withstand all difficulties, or the curiosity to delve into the root of any matter, all of it was inspired by him.


    he was her life''s goal, as well as the beacon that ensured ayakoji chiyoko did not stray off her path.


    for so long, this was the only clue ayakoji chiyoko had gotten.


    even knowing full well that kiryu hina''s words were dubious at best, she had to verify them.


    and somewhere in her heart, there was a voice whispering.


    ¡ªif only kagura hikaru were really that person.


    "i should be going now, there''s something i need to confirm. you''re probably going to meet up with kiryu hina next, right?"


    "yeah...."


    "well then, i wish you a pleasant time, goodbye."


    "wait, chiyoko!" sakata asahi urgently grasped her, "i really think it would be better for you to stay away from that guy; he''s too dangerous!"


    "dangerous? are you talking about kagura hikaru?" ayakoji chiyoko smirked, finding it amusing, "that guy is a harmless creature."


    "i''m not joking with you." sakata asahi looked dead serious, "the person is of questionable character; he might have sinister thoughts if he knows you owe him."


    "so what, you''re doing this for me?"


    "of course, we''re friends, aren''t we? i can''t just watch you fall into a pit."


    ".....if you consider yourself my friend, then mind your own business. who i associate with has nothing to do with you. also, i''m not new to kagura hikaru; i don''t need you to remind me of what kind of person he is."


    ayakoji chiyoko snatched her arm back fiercely, looking at her coldly, "if i hear you slandering him behind his back again or gossiping with others, i won''t let you off."


    with that, she turned and walked out of the school gates.


    left behind, sakata asahi stood like she had been sharply slapped across the face, dazed and unable to recover for a long time.


    ..........


    that very afternoon, after getting a lead, ayakoji chiyoko set out to confirm kagura hikaru''s identity.


    the archival records from yoshou elementary school had vanished due to the school closing, and this was why ayakoji chiyoko had been unable to find the person previously.


    but even if the records were no longer available, there should be many who remembered the boy who was pushed down the stairs. sea??h th§× ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    such as the students at the time and the teachers.


    when she returned to tokyo after finishing middle school in capital city, ayakoji chiyoko had begun an investigation, spending time visiting her former elementary classmates, even including the bullies who had tormented her.


    the result was, apart from confirming that those bullies were now faring poorly, absolutely nothing was gained.


    not a single person remembered the boy''s name or face.


    on the contrary, there were more who remembered ayakoji chiyoko''s name.


    and yet he was the biggest victim!


    considering everyone was just an elementary student at the time, and quite young, it was understandable that they couldn''t remember clearly.


    so ayakoji chiyoko went to the teacher who was in charge of their class at the time, only to find the outcome was the same; they remembered the incident, but not the name of the person in question.


    people encounter so much information every day that very few make a conscious effort to recall details of incidents from many years ago.


    moreover, such incidents are not rare; forget about the child who was pushed down the stairs in the past, even if a student fell from the rooftop, after a few years, other than his close friends and family, who would remember?


    when ayakoji chiyoko went to see them, most teachers thought she was a nuisance and wanted to send her away quickly, giving her perfunctory attitudes.


    but among those people, only one truly showed care about that incident from years ago.


    that was the homeroom teacher responsible for the fourth grade in elementary school, teacher chi wei, who was in charge of ayakoji chiyoko''s class back then.


    if it were her, maybe she could identify kagura hikaru.


    with this thought, ayakoji chiyoko went to visit her.

 Chapter 113 Turns Out I Like Him

    a park somewhere in tokyo.the diffused light of dusk scattered down, tinting the ground, the sandbox, the slides, and the playing children in shades of orange.


    a kindly looking woman sat quietly under the shade of a tree, silently watching her grandson playing with his peers.


    "as you age, you really start to crave these moments, to escape the hustle and bustle and be with your children and grandchildren, even if just sitting still for an hour or several hours can fly by."


    "is that so?"


    "you''ll come to understand this feeling eventually, classmate ayakoji," the woman said with a smile, turning to ayakoji chiyoko sitting beside her, "just the thought of that tearful ayakoji now being a senior in high school, and me, an old relic who''s retired and no longer working, i can''t help but think of the saying ''time waits for no one.''"


    "you took care of me during that time, teacher chi wei."


    "oh, it was ultimately you students who saved yourselves. on the contrary, it''s me, the teacher, who failed to protect you, and i am really sorry for that."


    "that''s all in the past now."


    this kind woman was none other than their fourth-grade elementary school homeroom teacher, teacher chi wei.


    that same year was also the one when ayakoji chiyoko faced the worst of the bullying.


    your journey continues with empire


    almost every day she would end up in tears, sometimes crying three times in the worst days, and teacher chi wei often saw ayakoji chiyoko attending classes with tear-stained cheeks.


    at those times, she would call ayakoji chiyoko to the office for questioning, and then scold the group of bad kids fiercely.


    back then, teacher chi wei, standing in her role as a teacher, couldn''t get too deeply involved in student disputes but she secretly arranged for two other girls to befriend ayakoji chiyoko.


    they were kiryu hina and sakata asahi. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    she was a kind teacher, and ayakoji chiyoko respected her greatly.


    not long after that incident, a student was pushed down the stairs.


    "the last time you came to see me, it was about him, right?" teacher chi wei said, "i''m sorry, chiyoko. i''ve gotten old, and my memory is fading; i tried to recall for a long time after your last visit but still couldn''t remember."


    "it''s okay, i understand, teacher chi wei." ayakoji chiyoko shook her head, "actually, i came today because i''ve found some clues and wanted to confirm them with you."


    she pulled out her mobile phone and brought up an id photo of kagura hikaru.


    it was taken directly from the student album by the gorilla vice president, who was still serving in the disciplinary committee.


    she showed the photo on the screen to teacher chi wei, "this person is called kagura hikaru, someone told me he might be the boy who was pushed down the stairs back then. teacher, do you think it''s him?"


    about her classmates from that year, ayakoji chiyoko''s memory had almost completely blurred.


    after all, she was working part-time as a child star during elementary school, which already reduced her time at school, and moreover, she would be placed in different classes every year.


    to recall anything, she could only rely on related parties like teacher chi wei for help.


    unlike before when she''d broached the accident dryly without any clues, this time ayakoji chiyoko had a name and an exact likeness.


    even if her past memories had blurred, with these aids, she might be able to remember something.


    "let me see."


    teacher chi wei took the phone, put on her reading glasses and scrutinized it, muttering, "kagura, kagura hikaru... ah, i remember now, that''s teacher kagura''s son!"


    "teacher kagura is?"


    "the mother of this student, kagura hikaru; she''s a novelist. we all used to call her teacher kagura when she came to the parent-teacher meetings. she was a very talkative person, and left a deep impression."


    listening, ayakoji chiyoko felt it somehow resembled the description of her stepmother, but she was more concerned about another issue.


    "teacher chi wei, so you''re saying kagura hikaru¡­"


    "yes, thanks to this photo, i completely remember now," teacher chi wei lamented as she took off her glasses with a sigh, "how could i forget? indeed, i''m getting old... this kagura student was definitely one of my students, and he was in the same year as you, chiyoko."


    "could it mean!"


    "yes, the student who was pushed down the stairs that year was him."


    she had found him.


    at last, she had found it.


    at this moment, ayakoji chiyoko''s mood was even calm, calm with a touch of joy that unconsciously showed on her face.


    she looked up at the twilight sky, her heart burning like the clouds now.


    ¡ª¡ªthe hero she had been desperately searching for, who had secretly helped her escape bullying in elementary school and was the root and opportunity that made her into who she is now, had been right by her side all along.


    how silly, how could she have only realized it now.


    they were, after all, so close!


    all the experiences she had undergone with kagura hikaru uncontrollably reemerged in her mind.


    the first meeting was in the hallway, where ayakoji chiyoko blocked him, recruiting him to join the disciplinary committee.


    on the bench in the school courtyard, they reached their first agreement there, their relationship still very rigid, sparing with their words.


    in the process of confronting kiryu hina, they gradually developed a tacit understanding and became allies.


    in tsukinomori, she learned of kagura hikaru''s troubled past for the first time.


    on the night in the capital city, they thawed their previous misgivings, and kagura hikaru indirectly confessed his feelings to her.


    a long time had passed since then.


    until now.


    she discovered yet another past of his, which was also related to her.


    ayakoji chiyoko realized that a part of her school life already had a place for kagura hikaru.


    she could see him every day at school.


    was this a coincidence, or had she gradually started to seek him out intentionally?


    her gaze would be involuntarily drawn to his figure.


    she would get jealous seeing him close with other girls.


    when talking to him, her heart would uncontrollably beat faster.


    occasionally, she would long for more intimate physical contact.


    ayakoji chiyoko finally understood what that itch in her heart was whenever she saw kagura hikaru.


    it turned out, she liked kagura hikaru.


    she was in love.


    the emotions inside her burst forth all at once.


    making her heart race.


    thankfully, the dusk hid the blush on ayakoji chiyoko''s face.


    she had once imagined the boy who saved her as a great figure; would she be disappointed if she actually met him?


    ayakoji chiyoko had once pondered this question.


    but now, this question had become meaningless; there was no need to think about it anymore.


    because she had found the best answer.


    on the way to yuqiu high school, ayakoji chiyoko looked at kagura hikaru beside her, slowly drawing near his cheek.


    she touched his cheek with her fingertip.


    "....? what''s wrong?"


    "it''s nothing, just wanted to try," ayakoji chiyoko smiled.

 Chapter 114 2,2情相悦....!

    "....?"kagura hikaru looked at ayakoji chiyoko strangely.


    hey hey, former chairman of the disciplinary committee, mind your character.


    what''s the matter, suddenly getting all lively, even putting on a poking-cheeks game?


    "what''s with that expression." ayakoji chiyoko was displeased again, "don''t like being touched?"


    "well... indeed."


    "then get used to it more in the future."


    "what?"


    the expression of annoyance kagura hikaru used to wear, which chiyoko had always disliked, now appeared cute to her. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    was this the so-called ''power of love'' rumored to change a person''s aesthetic?


    even though she had confirmed her own feelings, ayakoji chiyoko still maintained her rationality and analyzed them.


    admit it, she had a fondness for kagura hikaru.


    the good news was that he, too, seemed to have tacitly acknowledged similar feelings for her on that night in the capital city.


    meaning, they were, mutually attracted...!


    but now, two big mountains stood before them, one being kiryu hina''s interference.


    teacher chi wei had proven that kagura hikaru was indeed the boy from back then, meaning that what kiryu hina told sakata asahi was real, not a lie.


    but, ayakoji chiyoko didn''t believe she would be so kind as to reveal crucial information for free.


    just combining her past actions and thinking it through, it was roughly clear what her purpose was in telling sakata asahi those words.


    the clue lay with hosaka yui.


    hosaka yui, what had she done?


    in the capital city, she deliberately stole the mobile phones and some cash of ayakoji chiyoko and kagura hikaru, intentionally leading them back to the hotel, and left behind only enough money to rent one room.


    the purpose was so obvious it could be figured out with toes.


    it was a deliberate attempt to create a situation where a man and a woman shared a room.


    back then, chiyoko thought yui intended to start a scandal to destroy her influence.


    the hotel accommodation records posted to the school forum later confirmed her suspicion.


    but maybe, there was more to it than that.


    what if yui not only wanted to provoke a scandal but also took this opportunity to achieve another goal?


    such as, bringing herself and kagura hikaru together...


    if this was true, hosaka yui couldn''t possibly have made such a decision on her own.


    it could only be an order from kiryu hina, who stayed behind the scenes.


    then there was the motive. what good would it do her?


    even if she succeeded in getting ayakoji chiyoko to start dating someone, what benefit would that bring to kiryu hina?


    that brings us to the second big mountain that stood in the way of advancing her relationship with kagura hikaru.


    that was the school regulations of yuqiu high school.


    ugao high''s regulations stipulate that on-campus romance is not allowed.


    and kiryu hina seemed eager to take advantage of this point.


    to put it plainly, this had been a long-con spiraling conspiracy, the pieces of which had been placed without knowing when it started.


    love is an unstoppable wind.


    once it starts blowing in the heart, it can''t be stopped on one''s own.


    the more one tries to stop it, the more powerless it seems.


    it must be said, the foresight to prepare such a plan truly commanded respect for kiryu hina''s imagination.


    if the male party were anyone else, ayakoji chiyoko would only sneer and loudly mock her for being too clever for her own good.


    but who made her choose the most suitable target?


    a person ayakoji chiyoko could never ignore no matter what, someone destined to stir her heart with every move he made.


    it''s kind of funny, yet you can''t help but not laugh.


    if she and kagura hikaru were together and kiryu hina exposed it at just the right moment, the teachers above would no doubt intervene.


    in that case, instead of being scolded, it would surely lead to even more serious consequences.


    if minor, her popularity would plummet; if severe, she wouldn''t even be able to participate in the student council elections, getting eliminated before the competition even started. continue your journey on empire


    this was kiryu hina''s calculation.


    the plan was seamless, without a single wasted move.


    a sidestep from the conventional, a stroke of genius thinking, tch.


    deliberately telling sakata asahi about the incident with kagura hikaru from years past was also part of the scheme.


    even if she hadn''t overheard anything from asahi that day by chance, some well-orchestrated coincidence would have ensured that she found out later.


    and now, the plan has ''successfully'' unfolded halfway.


    ayakoji chiyoko also felt frustrated with herself for falling into the trap so easily.


    when she was by kagura hikaru''s side, he occupied her entire heart.


    all girls have the potential to be lovesick, powerless against love; that''s the price of being inherently emotional.


    laughable that she claimed not to befriend anyone, yet she still couldn''t escape the trap of adolescence.


    this was the first time ayakoji chiyoko had felt affection for someone.


    that being said, she wouldn''t let kiryu hina succeed.


    of course, she also wanted to become closer to kagura hikaru.


    but to willingly fall into the trap and concede defeat to kiryu hina was naturally out of the question.


    ayakoji chiyoko was a rational girl with self-respect; she wouldn''t waste her previous efforts for a momentary impulse.


    furthermore, she didn''t share the same sort of half-hearted worries that other unrequited lovers in the world have.


    the happiest thing in this world is to know that the person you like also likes you.


    as long as this is confirmed, there''s nothing to fear.


    one could say that upon learning the truth, ayakoji chiyoko''s determination soared, reaching the pinnacle of resolve to win the student council election.


    initially, she had only wanted to dampen kiryu hina''s spirit and trade for the name of the boy who saved her in primary school.


    but having found out in advance, it didn''t diminish ayakoji chiyoko''s interest; instead, it only elevated her fighting spirit.


    come to think of it, kiryu hina knew about kagura hikaru''s identity since primary school yet deliberately kept it from her, and after she went to the capital city, she started dating kagura hikaru.


    you can''t call it being a sneaky cat... it''s totally being a sneaky cat!


    having such a ''best friend'' in this life is such bad luck!


    just thinking about it made ayakoji chiyoko clench her fist in frustration.


    defeating kiryu hina was also kagura hikaru''s own wish; it seemed he held various grudges against her actions.


    ayakoji chiyoko thought to herself that once the student council election was over and she was successfully elected president, she would immediately abolish that unreasonable school rule. after that, she would find kagura hikaru and... ahem, commend him vigorously.


    for now, she could only endure.


    "i''m sorry to put you in this position," ayakoji chiyoko suddenly patted kagura hikaru''s arm and sighed.


    he didn''t know about the situation, and ayakoji chiyoko didn''t plan to tell him just yet.


    if she could bear it but kagura hikaru couldn''t, causing himself to lose control and act rashly, it would be dangerous.


    kiryu hina was always watching them.


    both the primary school incident and her feelings for him would remain untold until after the student council election, to be revealed as a surprise.


    until then, they would continue to interact as they always had.


    "kagura, no, we''re close enough that i should call you by your name now, shouldn''t i? mister hikaru, hikaru-classmate, which do you prefer?"


    "...are you really okay?"

 Chapter 115 What Is Called the Mastermind

    "send these promotional materials for the sports festival to the culture committee," president kiryu instructed as members of the student council gathered around the meeting table. "have them edited and published within a week, both online and in the school journal.""yes, president. there''s also this request from the soccer club to increase their budget..."


    "deny it. tell them the reasons are insufficient."


    "understood. lastly, we have the expansion request from the sports committee. president saijo mentioned they are short-staffed and want to recruit at least four more members, as well as swap for a larger office."


    "i will discuss it with her personally."


    "alright, that concludes the topics for today''s meeting."


    "does anyone have any questions... if not, the meeting is adjourned."


    members of the student council rose from their desks; those with work remaining stayed behind to continue, while those who were finished prepared to leave the school.


    hina kiryu tapped the stack of papers on the desk to align them before filing them away neatly. she then draped her school blazer over her shoulders and picked up her handbag.


    yui hosaka, who had been busy calculating the exact expenses for the sports festival with a calculator, noticed that the president was about to leave and quickly stood up. "are you leaving, president? let me walk you out!"


    "that won''t be necessary, you still have work to do, right?" hina pressed her hand gently onto yui''s shoulder, nudging her to sit back down. "i''m going to talk to president saijo about the expansion, and then i''ll head straight home. make sure you go home early too after finishing your work."


    "yes.


    "then, i''ll be leaving first. see you tomorrow."


    "see you tomorrow, president!"


    exiting the student council office, she closed the door gently behind her.


    hina adjusted her bag''s strap and headed downstairs towards the location of the sports committee.


    unexpectedly, she ran into mari saijo in the hallway, who appeared to have just finished her tasks and was walking swiftly, a bit worn out. s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as she neared the stairwell, mari noticed hina waiting there.


    "good afternoon, president kiryu," mari greeted her.


    "good afternoon, classmate saijo," hina replied. "i''ve seen your request. the student council doesn''t object in principle, but the office you''ve asked for might take a few days to secure. is it alright if you wait a bit?"


    "ah, of course, we''re not in any rush." explore more at empire


    "thank you for your understanding," hina said, as if suddenly remembering something. "by the way, i heard about your family''s situation. are things not looking too good?"


    "well, it''s manageable," mari responded.


    if hina had asked mari about this a few days prior, mari''s expression might have been more strained, but now she managed to smile stoically.


    ever since hikaru kagura introduced her to a new job, the pressure on her family had been significantly less than expected.


    more so than their heavy debt, what the saijo family feared most was not being able to see a future ahead.


    mari''s mother wasn''t particularly skilled and had only done clerical work at mari enterprise. with a lack of extensive job experience or powerful friends, finding a high-paying job quickly enough to pay off their debt was nearly impossible.


    in the worst-case scenario, they might have faced the desperation of selling their bodies due to family pressures.


    mrs. saijo wasn''t alone¡ªshe had three young children to care for at home, on top of confronting external debt pressures.


    their situation at that time was so dire that saying they were completely out of options would not have been an overstatement.


    but hikaru''s arrival brought a ray of hope into their hearts.


    after hikaru left that day, mrs. saijo called the job he mentioned to confirm. everything hikaru had said was true; he had truly referred a well-paying job to her.


    this job was like a ''pillar'' for the saijo family.


    as long as the pillar stood, the house wouldn''t fall.


    the future would still be challenging, but they could finally see a glimmer of hope for improvement.


    the importance of this to a family cornered into a dead end was self-evident.


    because she understood this, mari impulsively confessed her feelings to hikaru in that moment.


    it wasn''t just out of gratitude, but also because she was assured that her family could survive¡ªdating hikaru wouldn''t cause him any trouble.


    unfortunately, it seemed their feelings hadn''t aligned, and the confession was rejected.


    as saijo mari recalled the events of that day, a trace of genuine bitterness seeped into her professional smile.


    that moment of vulnerability didn''t escape the notice of kiryu hina, who secretly curled the corners of her mouth before instantly plastering a look of sincere concern on her face, "it must be tough for you. if you need help, just say the word."


    saijo mari hesitated briefly before shaking her head with embarrassment, "thank you for your concern, president kiriyu, but there''s no need. we can handle it."


    oh? quite the pride.


    kiryu hina thought to herself.


    she had already investigated and knew the saijo family''s situation was dire.


    due to the fraud issues with mari enterprise, they were in debt, and saijo mari''s mother was now unemployed, with the whole family depending on her for support.


    they were completely out of options.


    at this point, they should be grasping for every lifesaver possible, yet saijo mari was stubbornly defiant.


    was she not yet in true distress?


    kiryu hina had deliberately waited a few days before making contact, hoping the anxiety would fester within saijo mari. it seemed, however, it was not enough; perhaps she had underestimated the strength of her pride.


    no matter, just a bit more pressure, and she would pierce through her defenses.


    after all, saijo mari was now burdened with the significant weakness known as ''family hardship.''


    kiryu hina silently smirked and continued, "don''t be so formal. let me help you. after all, as the student council president, how could i stand by and watch a student suffer?"


    "really, there''s no need..."


    "here''s what we''ll do."


    just one more push, yes, just one more push, and she would be in her camp.


    kiryu hina clapped her hands together, smiling as she said, "my father has been complaining to me that his current secretary is too inefficient and wants to replace her. if you''re interested, i could mention it to him and get your mother an interview. i guarantee, the success rate would be very high, and the salary is very generous~"


    a job with a high salary.


    or to put it bluntly, money!


    that was what the saijo family desperately needed now, more than any comfort or promise.


    with this card, kiryu hina was confident she could claim the important pawn that was saijo mari.


    she knew that the latter had been close to ayakoji chiyoko recently, perhaps already wooed by their invitation, no matter. that''s exactly how it should be.


    however, things did not unfold as she had envisioned¡ª


    "uh, president..."


    "hmm?"


    "sorry, my mother has found a job already. she''s become the manager of a family restaurant," saijo mari said with her hands on her knees, bowing gratefully, "but thank you for your concern, president. i truly appreciate the thought."


    kiryu hina''s smile twitched, "ah... i see... she found a job, congratulations."


    "yes, my mother said if we work hard for a few years, we might even be able to pay off the debt!" saijo mari beamed with happiness, "well then, president kiriyu, i must be going now. i need to pick up my sisters from school, goodbye."


    "yes, goodbye."


    kiryu hina watched saijo mari trot down the stairs with a smile.


    the smile on her lips gradually faded.


    she was surprised.


    according to her research, mrs. saijo should not have had the qualifications or connections for a high-paying job to land in her lap.


    could it be that someone had intervened along the way?


    who could it be? ayakoji chiyoko?


    no, that''s not right; she had been under her surveillance these past days, without any chance to contact saijo mari...


    "after going through the trouble of providing the national tax agency with evidence, all for it to go to waste," kiryu hina mused to herself as she slowly descended the staircase, gripping the handrail.

 Chapter 116 Another Moth to the Flame

    indeed, the reason the national tax agency knew about the illegal asset transfer of mari enterprise was partly thanks to kiryu hina, who played the role of the anonymous whistleblower behind the scenes.it all started two months ago. sea??h th§× n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    kiryu hina learned a bit of industry gossip from her father''s idle chatter.


    her father''s business was also in manufacturing, barely associated with mari enterprise, but because of their differing statuses, some rumors made their way upstream into his ears. read the latest on empire


    "i heard that the boss of mari enterprise is planning to take the money and run, and he''s thinking of fleeing to america. no idea how much he''ll have to pay off in protection fees over there, tsk tsk, i definitely wouldn''t be willing," he said at the dinner table.


    father said this at the dinner table.


    mari enterprise had already reported three consecutive years of financial losses, and although there was still hope for a turnaround, the management had lost patience and didn''t plan on continuing to run the company; they even started to entertain crooked ideas.


    on the surface, they had the factory lower prices to take orders from the public, but in reality, they planned to swindle all the deposits in one go and take the money and run. chairman saijo, the ringleader, intended to flee to america with his family once the money was enough; he even had the green cards ready.


    this kind of news was ambiguously circulating within the industry. nobody could produce evidence, but everyone thought it possible.


    the speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional.


    at that moment, kiryu hina almost instantly associated it with the president of the sports committee at their school, the biggest neutral party in ugao high, saijo mari.


    she was the daughter of the chairman of mari enterprise, and if the scandal broke, she would definitely be implicated.


    so, kiryu hina used all her charm and relied on her father''s connections to obtain lateral evidence of mari enterprise''s illegal overseas asset transfers from an insider. she anonymously handed it over to the national tax agency at an opportune moment.


    regardless of whether the national tax agency had noticed mari enterprise''s slight movements before, they certainly knew now.


    the bunch at mari enterprise, dumb ''thieves,'' thought they had deceived everyone, not realizing that their every move was right under the eyes of the nation; they couldn''t escape.


    although kiryu hina played a dark role in adding fuel to the flames, she felt no guilt about it; she wasn''t suffering from a messiah complex, after all.


    if they hadn''t committed a crime, they wouldn''t have ended up like this.


    it''s foolish to talk about morality and justice to criminals.


    kiryu hina only hoped that when their high-rise collapsed, it would create a favorable environment for her, so, with the least cost and in the shortest time, she could acquire the chess piece that was saijo mari.


    the bait had been set; now, it was time to wait for the fish to bite.


    she didn''t reveal everything to kagura hikaru and the others. instead, she deliberately concealed the major landmine that was mari enterprise and created the lie that saijo mari would participate in the student council elections, telling them they could join forces to eliminate her first.


    the true goal was to pass on saijo mari''s existence to ayakoji chiyoko through kagura hikaru, clearly making her want to take saijo mari under her wing.


    she knew the other party definitely couldn''t resist, and would step into the trap even if they knew it was there.


    of course, the trap was real.


    ayakoji chiyoko had no idea mari enterprise was going to be in trouble, and even saijo mari was kept in the dark, with only kiryu hina knowing the truth.


    she planned to use this leverage to help saijo mari when she was at her most vulnerable, offering her a huge favor. with this, she would be able to control her and, when necessary, make saijo mari betray ayakoji chiyoko, casting all her votes for kiryu hina during the final election.


    since the information came from her, ayakoji chiyoko and kagura hikaru would never fully trust saijo mari. becoming as close as one would be with a loyal subordinate was out of the question, which would make her later recruitment efforts easier.


    the best spies in the world are those who, until a second before the incident occurs, don''t know they will betray.


    it''s all about timing.


    she could indeed bring saijo mari into her fold before ayakoji chiyoko realized anything, gaining a massive advantage in votes, but this did not mean she had secured her victory.


    until the election results were out, it wasn''t a real victory.


    creating too large of a gap might instead force ayakoji chiyoko to resort to a pyrrhic strategy that harms the enemy at the expense of significant self-damage.


    don''t chase a desperate enemy to the end, that''s the rationale.


    military strategy suggests that when successfully encircling the enemy on the battlefield, it''s best to leave them an exit.


    this way, all the enemies will desperately charge towards the only hope, rather than stand their ground and aim their guns at the incoming foes to save their lives.


    an opponent driven into a corner is much more troublesome than one who still believes there''s hope.


    in the crucial final moments, not giving ayakoji chiyoko any time to react, and establishing a decisive victory with an overwhelming number of votes¡ªsuch an outcome is what kiryu hina had anticipated.


    the plan was executed perfectly up until the point of ''doing favors''.


    ayakoji chiyoko started contacting saijo mari through kagura hikaru, and as she predicted, mari enterprise collapsed suddenly, plunging the shijo family into financial difficulty, everything under her control.


    next was the final step, where kiryu hina herself would appear on the scene, bringing hope like a bodhisattva and gaining saijo mari''s loyalty.


    yet it fell through at this point.


    she failed.


    an unexpected error occurred, or rather, she faced obstruction.


    the position of secretary she specially had her father keep for saijo mari''s mother went to waste.


    that was, after all, a position closest to the ceo of a listed company, almost like a training ground for corporate executives¡ªsomething for which many bright university of tsukuba graduates would do anything to apply, yet it couldn''t even be given away.


    she thought she had been generous enough to the saijo family, offering them such favorable conditions that it would allow them to recover their previous standard of living within ten years.


    yet someone else snatched the opportunity.


    who could it be...


    as she was descending the stairs, kiryu hina happened to glance out the window and saw something that made her stop abruptly.


    she saw saijo mari running across the school courtyard, proactively greeting kagura hikaru who was also leaving school late, with a beaming smile on her side profile.


    kiryu hina had a sudden realization.


    so that''s it, an unforeseen obstacle indeed.


    her previous assessment of kagura hikaru hadn''t been wrong after all.


    when it came to deceiving someone''s feelings, he was indeed adept at it.


    in just a few days, another moth had plunged into the flame.


    as a spy, he was truly exceptional.


    with saijo mari as his wildcard, even if ayakoji chiyoko wanted to ignore him, she couldn''t; she would have to regard him highly.


    earning a significant place in her heart, too, was only a matter of time.


    the only problem was, he was too good¡ªso good that even she, his master, had been taken in.


    "by doing this, aren''t you forcing me to go all out against her, in a fight to the death..."


    kiryu hina looked on expressionlessly at the retreating figures of kagura hikaru and saijo mari, her gaze growing darker.

 Chapter 117 Summer Vacation Flies By

    at the end of july, yuqiu high school conducted their mid-term exams before the summer break.the ranking of the results was posted on the bulletin board in the classroom corridor, which was usually plastered with various school activity and club promotion posters, but today, it was covered by a large sheet of white paper filled with the mid-term exam results.


    it recorded the grades of the one hundred and twenty students in the second year.


    the results were as follows¡ª


    first place: kagura hikaru.


    second place: kiryu hina.


    third place: ayakoji chiyoko.


    fourth place: ...


    just like the results from the last final exams of the previous year.


    many students crowded in front of the bulletin board to check their own results, those with disappointing scores began to clutch their heads and wail over having to take make-up classes during the summer, while those without these concerns laughed and discussed the top-ranking academic achievers among themselves.


    "who is this kagura hikaru, managing to beat president kiryu?"


    "isn''t that the new vice president of the disciplinary committee?"


    "since first year, their grades seemed to have been above president kiryu''s."


    "impressive, they must have put in a lot of effort."


    "i wonder which cram school they attended."


    on the outskirts of the crowd, kagura hikaru, with his hands in his pockets, stood there, looking up at the results just like everyone else.


    actually, he didn''t need to come at all.


    he could know his ranking even with his eyes closed.


    chinese, mathematics, chemistry, physics... for someone like him, who was a theoretical genius, it wasn''t so much that these elementary courses were not challenging but rather that he couldn''t even feel the presence of any difficulty.


    he could even bet with someone that if he didn''t get full marks on any of the papers, he would eat that exam paper right there and then¡ªsuch was his level of confidence.


    so in a sense, he could be considered the first person in the school to know the ranking of the results.


    his appearance here now was purely because he had been dragged along by someone.


    "as expected, i didn''t surpass her this time either," ayakoji chiyoko, with her arms folded, stared at the irritating name ''kiryu hina'' ranked above her on the results list, tapping her toes discontentedly.


    in terms of studies, the two had been vying with each other for over a year, yet ayakoji chiyoko had never won once.


    just as kiryu hina had never beaten her in physical activities, she had never beaten kiryu hina in academics.


    in their first year, ayakoji chiyoko used to be ridiculed by her for being the perennial second place.


    and now, she could not even claim the position of second place, having been demoted to third.


    thinking of this, ayakoji chiyoko cast a satisfied glance at kagura hikaru, who was standing beside her.


    he was indeed worthy of the person she took a liking to.


    no, no, she almost let her true feelings show.


    ayakoji chiyoko put on a stern face, "i remember before the end of last semester, your grades were still way beyond the top ten, how did you suddenly jump to the top?"


    if you have any tips or secret martial arts manuals, teach me now!


    kagura hikaru could read this sentence from her fervent gaze.


    as if there could be such things.


    "just study seriously and spend time working on practice papers, that''s the only way."


    "nonsense."


    "hey... that''s actually solid advice, you know."


    "if effort alone guaranteed success, the world would be full of rich people by now," ayakoji chiyoko sized him up, "i think, given your personality, you must have been hiding your abilities, deliberately lagging behind on the ranking list."


    kagura hikaru thought to himself, she saw right through him.


    back in the first year, in his mind, he had been considering how to pass his three years of high school inconspicuously.


    many people know which is the tallest mountain in the world, but who knows the name of the sixteenth ranked mountain?


    kagura hikaru sought that kind of anonymity.


    at least, that was the case at the time.


    after kiryu hina approached him, his life changed.


    ayakoji chiyoko tended toward social darwinism, subjectively categorizing people she encountered as either capable or incapable.


    towards the incapable, she wouldn''t even spare a glance.


    that was the arrogance, or rather, the pride, rooted in her heart.


    to cater to ayakoji chiyoko and become her friend, kagura hikaru had to display a side of himself that was impressive enough to catch her attention.


    after that, he did many things to reach their current level of relationship.


    actually, from an ordinary person''s perspective, kagura hikaru and ayakoji chiyoko could already be considered friends.


    they would chat and work together, help each other out, and occasionally joke around.


    you see, if someone with ayakoji chiyoko''s aloof personality would joke with you, that''s already a pretty close relationship, right?


    but kagura hikaru felt it wasn''t enough.


    at least he still hadn''t found an appropriate excuse to visit her home.


    if he brought it up rashly, it would only make ayakoji chiyoko suspect he had ulterior motives.


    they weren''t that close yet.


    however, he wasn''t in a rush, after all, there were almost two years left to spend time together, and the current progress was satisfactory. there was no need to overdo it; taking it slowly would suffice.


    "hey, are you even listening to me?"


    "what?" kagura hikaru turned his head, "sorry, i was thinking about something, say it again."


    ayakoji chiyoko sighed with her hands on her hips in resignation, "i was saying, for the summer vacation, if you''re free, could you tutor me..."


    "tutor you at your house? i can do that," his eyes lit up.


    "huh? my house... it''s not convenient to go there, someone from my family might come back at any time," ayakoji chiyoko said, somewhat awkwardly avoiding the subject, glancing aside, "it''s fine if it''s outside, like a cafe, family restaurant, or the library, or something."


    that''s right, since they couldn''t be intimate at school, then going off-campus was the option!


    just like last time, listening to music at a live house, or drinking coffee in a cafe, those things were enough for ayakoji chiyoko to feel content.


    plus, she really wanted to see kagura hikaru over the summer break.


    more than ten days of vacation, she would feel lonely if she didn''t see him for too long.


    "oh, i see," however, kagura hikaru completely missed the point, and his interest faded when he realized he couldn''t go to her house, "sorry, i could during school, but not over the summer holiday."


    "why not?"


    "i have to go back to my hometown, it''s been a tradition for many years."


    "oh, i see..."


    ayakoji chiyoko''s shoulders drooped slightly.


    suddenly, there was an uproar from the end of the hallway. experience more on empire


    "ah, it''s the president."


    "where? where?"


    "president kiryu, good morning!"


    the girl floated over.


    with neat black long hair, white tights, and a gentle, perfect smile, the ordinary school uniform looked like a princess''s attire on her.


    she stood out from the crowd with an air of elegance that seemed out of place.


    the current student council president of uka high school, kiryu hina.


    "good morning, everyone."


    she moved through the middle of the hallway, responding to greetings from students on either side as if she were a woodland sprite surrounded by flowers and deer.


    aside from her, nothing else entered one''s field of vision.


    "if you could pull off that kind of effect, you''d easily win the student council election," kagura hikaru tilted his head a bit towards ayakoji chiyoko and said.


    with a disdainful snort, ayakoji chiyoko didn''t say anything.


    kiryu hina approached and their eyes met.


    their gazes locked together as if electrified, and after a deep second of eye contact, kiryu hina shifted her focus to kagura hikaru, this time for two seconds, longer than before.


    noticing this subtle change, kagura hikaru glanced at her strangely.


    had he done anything lately to warrant special attention?


    kiryu hina wasn''t looking at an academic leaderboard, so it seemed she was just passing by on her way to work and floated by.


    this was the last time kagura hikaru saw her before the break. s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    at the end of july, uka high school''s first term came to a close, and they smoothly transitioned to summer vacation.


    then, the holiday slipped away in a flash.


    the student council election began.

 Chapter 118 Student Council Elections Begin

    ```"...just like the other candidates, i too hold the vision of building the best possible uka. what sets me apart is my greater ambition and determination to take uka from the best to even better!¡ªthat concludes my speech, thank you, everyone."


    in the school auditorium, kiryu hina took a step back from the microphone and bowed seriously to the students below.


    thunderous applause erupted from the audience. discover exclusive tales on empire


    this was not the speech of the student council president, but that of a ''student council president candidate''.


    after the summer break ended and ugao high started, the student council elections began.


    "we''ve officially entered a world of competition, where you have to take everything that your opponent has."


    that''s what ayakoji chiyoko had said.


    she really was an excessive person.


    but as long as she had the drive, kagura hikaru was very relieved.


    every year''s election followed a set procedure.


    first was the most classic part, the campaign speeches in the school auditorium.


    similar to a real political election, the candidates had to express their determination, their advantages, and their core ideas in front of the ''public''.


    core ideas, simply put, were promises and personal stances.


    what changes one would bring to the school after becoming student council president, what kind of improvements one could seek for the students'' campus life, and so on.


    for example: proposing renovations for the outdated facilities of the old school buildings, increasing the budget cap for clubs, planting a large cherry blossom tree on campus... all these things, among students, were only likely to be accomplished by the student council president.


    the student council president, elected by everyone''s vote, is the student leader whose actions and ideas represent the wishes of the entire student body, and therefore has the right to bargain with the principal.


    an excellent student council president can bring about many positive changes to the school during their term.


    even to the point of providing a completely different campus life for all the students at the school.


    the overall atmosphere being lively or gloomy is, to some extent, related to the choice of student council president.


    if the wrong person is chosen, allowing an irresponsible person to take charge, mess things up, and then shrug it off nonchalantly upon graduation, the scene becomes exceptionally ugly.


    such incidents have been heard of in other schools.


    therefore, the student council election isn''t completely unrelated to the broader student body.


    in theory, everyone has doubts about every candidate.


    except for the current student council president, who already has work experience.


    the dense applause from below continued without waning.


    from such a scene, one can understand.


    needless to say, everyone was very satisfied with the work kiryu hina had done during her term from the second half of last year to the first half of this year.


    so satisfied that even though her speech had ended, they were reluctant to allow her to exit the stage for a good while, using applause to keep her bowing.


    if one were to describe kiryu hina''s one-year tenure as student council president in a word, it would be impeccable.


    whatever needed to be done, she always did it best, and nearly all student-friendly activities with reasonable content were successfully executed.


    if a student got entangled in a dispute, seeking her immediate help would lead to an effective resolution.


    in terms of ability, she even exceeded many of the in-school teachers.


    most importantly, she was extremely beautiful with a grace that matched her looks and had always been at the forefront of her studies; she was the very image of the perfect high-achiever you would expect to find only in comics and novels.


    it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call her ''the perfect student council president''.


    a student council president who has proven her talent and garnered much attention, intending to run for re-election, one would know that her chances of winning are extremely high.


    yet, including kiryu hina, the number of people participating in the election had reached five.


    ```


    the students of yuqiu high school are quite tenacious and won''t give up easily at the sight of a strong rival.


    although most of them participate with a half-hearted, half-serious attitude just for the fun of it.


    according to the results of the prior draw, kiryu hina''s speech was scheduled fourth, yet none of the candidates before her had managed to stir up such an enthusiastic atmosphere.


    they were just cheerful, average students.


    but kiryu hina was different; she was one hundred percent serious.


    only when the applause slowly died down did kiryu hina finally lift her head, revealing a smile full of charm, and waved to the students calling out her name as she made her way offstage from the side.


    she happened to pass right by the next speaker, ayakoji chiyoko, going onstage.


    "good luck, classmate ayakoji."


    "i don''t need your well-wishes, president," sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the two of them brushed past each other with smiles plastered on their faces.


    when ayakoji chiyoko took the stage, a neat and completely different set of sounds immediately erupted.


    it was the discipline committee members down below, who had gathered together, clapping their hands in a perfectly synchronized rhythm that was arguably louder than the support for kiryu hina had been.


    some of the bewildered freshmen, carried by the wave of applause, also began clapping, inadvertently forming expectations for ayakoji chiyoko.


    the first-year students, having only arrived at yuqiu for one semester, weren''t very familiar with the older candidates on stage, and even if they had any particular leanings, they weren''t deep-seated.


    they were the most indecisive group in the election.


    in other words, naturally neutral.


    having taken advantage of her term''s privileges, kiryu hina had already successfully established an impression in front of the freshman during the past first semester, but this impression wasn''t insurmountable.


    perfection implies covering all bases, but is there a possibility that this is also a form of mediocrity?


    the advice kagura hikaru gave to ayakoji chiyoko was to do the opposite of kiryu hina, to create an extraordinary perception.


    to even challenge authority publicly, doing what the students had long wanted to do but dared not do.


    below the stage, amidst the discipline committee''s formation, kagura hikaru gazed at ayakoji chiyoko, who stood atop the stage adjusting the microphone, "it''s all on you now..."


    strangely, after confirming the microphone was working, she didn''t speak.


    instead, she stood silently, expressionless, staring at the students below.


    after five or six seconds, the crowd gradually became aware that something was off, starting to whisper amongst themselves, wondering why the person on stage hadn''t begun.


    each person''s speech time was only ten minutes, and the students'' patience had its limits.


    every candidate from before was eager to begin their spiel, none had dawdled like ayakoji chiyoko now did.


    after ten seconds, even the students who weren''t interested in the speech became curious because of the prolonged silence and couldn''t help but lift their heads to look.


    kiryu hina, who had just stepped off the stage, looked up and seemed to realize something, her gaze becoming slightly more serious.


    silence has power.


    sometimes, those who don''t speak are more attractive than those who do.


    ayakoji chiyoko truly came prepared.


    the silence continued for fifteen seconds.


    the noise from below gradually subsided.


    it wasn''t that they had all collectively realized something, but rather an atmosphere had unconsciously formed, an invisible air that told them it was best to be quiet.


    "ladies and gentlemen, are you among those who believe in love?" ayakoji chiyoko finally spoke.

 Chapter 119 Love is really hard

    "ladies and gentlemen, are you believers in love?"ayakoji chiyoko finally spoke up. s§×arch* the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    and when she did, it was with a very discordant topic.


    it wasn''t that discussing love in front of teachers during a speech in a school auditorium was discordant; there were always those who dared to do it.


    but the word ''love'' coming out of aykaoji chiyoko''s mouth was, in itself, the biggest discordance!


    look at her abstinential face; she didn''t look like someone who would be interested in love.


    was this what they called "gap moe"?


    the students who knew her or had long heard of her reputation all gaped, their interest sharply piqued, listening intently to her speak.


    "before we explore the answer, let me first tell you a story that happened during my middle school years when i was attending a girls'' school in the capital city."


    ayakoji chiyoko smiled slightly, "many believe that because there are no boys in a girls'' school, no romantic tales could unfold, but the reality is quite the opposite. from my experience, i saw more couples during my time at the girls'' school than i do now at ugao high ¡ª oh, of course, half of that has to do with uka''s excellent disciplinary management, which simply kills any romances that are found."


    "ha ha ha~"


    the students burst into relatable laughter.


    indeed, many of them had similar examples close by.


    the couples in their class who were caught exchanging notes by the teacher, dragged to the office for a severe scolding and calls to their parents, were all too common.


    many of those couples were forcibly split or driven into covert, secretive romances.


    facing such situations, they dared not express their anger.


    the students couldn''t oppose the school; that''s the current reality for modern children.


    "the love that happened in my girls'' school was, of course, between girls only ¡ª what is commonly referred to as ''lesbian'', ''yuri'', ''lala''. but you must think since it was between the same sex, the relationships wouldn''t be exposed or stopped by teachers, right?... completely wrong, utterly incorrect."


    ayakoji chiyoko''s smile faded as she said, "the love story i''m about to share with you is an inevitable tragedy."


    telling stories, this old trick...


    even though kiryu hina knew it was her rival''s maneuver in giving speech, she couldn''t help but be drawn in, perhaps one of the human psyche''s weak points.


    even for herself, let alone the other students around her.


    even her own ''loyal dog'', hosaka yui, sitting beside her, looked towards the stage with a mesmerized gaze, patiently listening.


    everyone really had no resistance to love stories, especially if they knew beforehand it was a tragic one.


    what a twisted state of mind.


    "for the sake of storytelling, let''s just call the two main characters student a and student b. student a and student b met in middle school, belonging to the manga research club. student a had strong drawing skills and was recognized by student b as a slightly famous artist online. they became acquainted through this, and i heard student b even frequently modeled for her artwork.


    through their interactions, the two girls became romantically involved."


    after a second of silence, ayakoji chiyoko looked up at the ceiling, then bowed her head again to speak, "however, their relationship was not blessed. one day, at student a''s house, they were found lying together, clothes disheveled. student a''s parents reported this to the school teachers, who came to handle it. although it was later proven to be the wrong response, it wasn''t entirely incorrect given the circumstances at the time. in any case, student a and student b''s relationship was thus exposed."


    the students below were uncommonly quiet, more like a funeral home than an auditorium, with only faint murmurs between them, focused as if not hearing a speech.


    the teachers standing on the sides of the auditorium were also stiff-faced, not wanting to speak.


    it seemed that by this point in the story, everyone understood that the tragedy was about to begin.


    "the middle school teachers made public the relationship between student a and student b in an attempt to separate them with shame, to stop them from continuing their mistaken relationship, even asking other students to help monitor them. but with so many secret couples in the girls'' school, everyone was accustomed to such relationships and would not object. instead, knowing the difficulties student a and others faced, they actively covered for them. whether it was dating within the school or kissing, it was all conducted with the help of classmates, away from the teacher''s view, and their relationship advanced further, becoming a famous model couple in the school.


    however, although the school could keep it a secret, they could not hide from their families who already knew the truth. student a had a fierce argument with her parents, ran away from home, and sought refuge with student b. but student b faced a similar dilemma with her own parents also informed by the teachers about their daughters'' relationship."


    the two emotionally immature high school girls, pressured by both their parents and school teachers, chose to compromise. they broke up."


    the students below immediately issued disappointed sounds.


    "love is really tough, isn''t it? if it''s unrecognised, for adolescents it''s almost like the sky is falling."


    ayakoji chiyoko smiled at the silent audience below, "so, i''ll share my answer now, i am among those who believe in love. surprising, isn''t it? knowing such a tragic story, yet i can still speak these words. there''s only one reason why¡ª"


    "after graduating from middle school, neither of those girls abandoned the other, but instead entered the same high school with more relaxed regulations, and they are still dating now."


    hearing this, the students were both moved and excitedly clapping their hands.


    in the entire school auditorium, there was hardly a student not applauding.


    it was the most enthusiastic applause since the beginning of the speech.


    ayakoji chiyoko smiled while surveying the students below, taking two seconds to locate that boy in the crowd.


    he, too, was clapping, although his face was still wearing its usual calm expression, ayakoji chiyoko could tell he was very pleased with her speech.


    so, the smile on ayakoji chiyoko''s face broadened by another five percent.


    well, although the story was entirely fabricated.


    but if it worked, that''s all that mattered.


    her real speech content was only just beginning. enjoy new stories from empire

 Chapter 119 Love Is Really Hard Work (Revised for Review, No Need to Subscribe If Youve Read It)

    "ladies and gentlemen, are you believers in love?"ayakoji chiyoko finally spoke up.


    and when she did, it was an utterly incongruous topic.


    it''s not that discussing love in front of teachers during a speech in the school auditorium is out of place; there''s always someone daring enough to do it.


    but the word ''love'' coming out of ayakoji chiyoko''s mouth was the greatest incongruity of all!


    look at her ascetic face, hardly the countenance of someone interested in love.


    is this what they call ''gap moe''?


    the students who knew her or had long heard of her fame were agape; their interest surged as they listened intently to what she had to say. sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "before we discuss the answer, let me tell you a story that happened during my middle school days, when i was in a girls'' school in the capital city."


    ayakoji chiyoko smiled slightly, "despite the strict rules of the school, there were loads of couples, even more than at ugao high now¡ªoh, of course, half of that can be attributed to uka''s excellent disciplinary management. they''re known for nipping romances in the bud."


    "ha ha ha~"


    the students burst into laughter, empathizing with the sentiment.


    indeed, they had seen many such examples around them.


    couples in class caught passing notes were summoned to the office and severely reprimanded, their parents called in¡ªsuch stories were all too common.


    many couples were forcefully split apart or turned into secret underground relationships.


    they were furious, but dared not express it.


    students could not resist the school; such was the plight of modern children.


    "back then, there was a girl dating a boy from another school. but, oh, you must think that because it happened off campus, it would not get exposed or stopped by teachers, right? completely wrong, all wrong."


    ayakoji chiyoko, her smile gone, continued, "the story i''m about to tell you is a very common, very ordinary tale of inevitable tragedy that might be happening around us."


    so, the storytelling trick....


    even though kiryu hina knew it was a formidable speech technique of her opponent, she found herself involuntarily drawn in, perhaps tapping into one of humanity''s psychological weaknesses.


    even she herself was no exception, not to mention the other students around her.


    even her own ''loyal dog'' hosaka yui, sitting next to her, looked up at the stage with glazed eyes, listening patiently. stay connected via empire


    everyone was indeed powerless against love stories, especially when they knew in advance it would be a sad one.


    what a distorted psychological state.


    "for ease of telling, let''s just call the two main characters student a and student b. student a was skilled in drawing. one afternoon, while painting outdoors, student b recognized her as a somewhat famous artist online, and they struck up an acquaintance."


    after a moment''s silence, ayakoji chiyoko looked up at the ceiling then lowered her head again to continue, "however, their relationship was not blessed. one day, they were discovered at student a''s home. student a''s parents were very strict, disallowed early dating, and notified the school to handle it. just like that, their relationship was exposed."


    the audience was unusually quiet, more like a wake than a lecture, as they exchanged subdued murmurs, engrossed as if not merely listening to a speech.


    the teachers standing at the sides of the auditorium had stern faces, unwilling to speak.


    it seemed, by this point, everyone understood that the story was about to take a tragic turn.


    "the middle school teachers made their relationship public in an attempt to shame them into parting ways and stop the inappropriate liaison. they even enlisted students to monitor them. but since we were all peers, no one disagreed. knowing their difficulties, we instead began covering for them. with their classmates'' help, they evaded the teachers'' eyes, and student a and student b''s relationship not only survived the incident but became stronger, making them a famously model couple in the school.


    however, though secrecy was maintained at school, they could not hide it from their families, who knew the truth. student a and her parents had a huge fight, and she ran to seek refuge with student b. but student b faced the same predicament. his parents, also strict, forbade him from dating due to its impact on his studies.


    the two immature middle schoolers, pressured by both their parents and the school, chose to compromise¡ªthey broke up."


    the students immediately voiced their disappointment.


    this outcome was too realistic.


    but because it was so, it resonated even more with their own experiences.


    many of them were also unable to be together for a variety of reasons.


    "love is truly hard, isn''t it? if it''s not recognized, it''s like the sky falling down for teenagers."


    ayakoji chiyoko smiled at them, "so, here''s my answer. i am on the side of believing in love. surprising, isn''t it? after hearing such a story, i can still say this. the reason is simple¡ª"


    "after middle school, those two didn''t abandon each other but instead enrolled in the same high school, which had more relaxed rules, and they are still dating now."


    upon hearing this, the students felt moved and excitedly clapped their hands.


    it was the most enthusiastic applause since the speech had begun.


    ayakoji chiyoko smiled as she scanned the audience, taking two seconds to locate the boy in the crowd.


    he was clapping too, though his face still wore its usual calm expression, but ayakoji chiyoko could tell he was pleased.


    so, her smile widened by a further five percent.


    well, even though the story was entirely fabricated.


    but as long as it worked.


    her real speech content was only about to begin.

 Chapter 120 Ex-Boyfriend is Helping Another Woman Against Me

    "in this world, whether love truly exists isn''t even a false proposition in this story; it''s merely a joke. however, there are real lessons to be learned,"ayakoji chiyoko''s expression turned serious. "at that time, besides their peers, no one considered understanding or acknowledging the feelings between the two. whether it was the parents of those involved or society at large, everyone dismissively rejected them, one-sidedly denying them based on their own fixed perceptions of what children should be.


    but what about female student a and male student b? if, at that time, they had not chosen to compromise and instead went to another extreme, where would they have vented their pain? to their families, to society, or to themselves? if it had escalated into something more dangerous, would their parents have had time to regret it then?"


    and were they then free of responsibility? of course not. if they had been allowed, even tacitly, at least half of the emotional burden the two children were carrying could have been lifted. they wouldn''t have to hide like rats, living a concealed life after losing their foothold at home. it was merely the yearning of adolescents, how much condemnation from adults is enough?" stay updated with empire


    the topic had already delved deep from this point.


    the students quietly pondered the intent behind ayakoji chiyoko''s words.


    the first to realize it, besides those in the know, was kiryu hina.


    when ayakoji chiyoko mentioned responsibility, she understood the latter''s strategy and her eyes widened slightly.


    if tackled from this angle, one could imagine that almost everyone would stand on her side.


    this is bad.


    bang!


    ayakoji chiyoko forcefully knocked on the lectern, and the sound of knocking on the wood spread through the microphone, invigorating everyone.


    "an open style and attitude towards life, providing students with a stress-free environment¡ªevery school touts such slogans, but what is the reality? we not only face the pressures of daily studies and complicated club activities, which are already quite hard, but we are also forced under school pressure to suppress our true selves, prohibited from even mentioning the word ''love.'' this is more than just an issue of fairness; i dare say, the school rule prohibiting romantic relationships is an outdated practice, a sign of backward times!"


    ayakoji chiyoko knocked on the lectern again forcefully and said loudly, "here, i openly promise everyone. if i, ayakoji chiyoko, become the student council president, i will do everything in my power to change this unreasonable school rule, to relieve all the students of yuqiu of the shackles around their necks! then, we can openly express our affections, walk through the campus hand in hand with the ones we like, leaving behind irreplaceable youthful memories."


    the reason for bringing up a ''tragedy that meets public expectation'' is to lay the groundwork for this statement.


    this is ayakoji chiyoko''s campaign pledge¡ªto abolish yuqiu high school''s rule prohibiting romantic relationships!


    "''ohhhh!!!!''"


    the students were overwhelmed by ayakoji chiyoko''s momentum, and the atmosphere instantly erupted.


    the cheers exploded as if they were about to burst through the ceiling.


    so many people were waiting for someone to lead the charge against the school, and finally, that day had come!


    "valentine''s day, white day, tanabata festival, these festivals that belong to couples¡ªwe at ugao high should not miss any of them! boys and girls exchanging chocolates, slipping love letters into the lockers of those they fancy, these are the most natural things!"


    "now you have me! the things you want to do, i, ayakoji chiyoko, will do them for you! for the couples who could only date secretly because of the teacher''s scrutiny, for the students who dare not love because of the school rules, support me, and i will liberate you!"


    "president ayakoji!"


    "i''m going to cast my vote for you!"


    "president, we adore you!"


    the students below were not just enthusiastic; one could even say they were wildly clapping their hands, many standing up, their hands red from clapping, paying tribute to ayakoji chiyoko who openly declared war on school rules in front of the teachers from the auditorium stage.


    kiryu hina might be good; she''s a student council president who never makes mistakes and is perfect for both students and the school.


    but the problem is right there; she always satisfies everyone, so she never purposely touches on things unfavorable to the school administration. s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    such opportunism generally doesn''t seem problematic under normal circumstances.


    but if someone points it out, it becomes clear that kiryu hina has never truly given her all to fight for the students'' interests; she has never taken the risk of offending the school to proactively do such things.


    eliminating the rule against romantic relationships at school, such a desire of many uka students.


    the current student council president reluctant to handle such matters, has now been openly challenged by someone claiming they will.


    even if told to alumni, they would special make a trip just to give a thumbs up in support.


    whether ayakoji chiyoko ends up becoming the student council president or fulfills her promises, at least at this moment, she is the ultimate leader in all the students'' minds!


    if she became the student council president, it would surely be interesting.


    everyone couldn''t help but think so.


    in a sea of jubilation, kiryu hina''s smile stiffened, and her hands on her thighs gradually tightened.


    ayakoji chiyoko''s speech was clearly superior, successfully stirring the students'' emotions.


    moreover, she proposed a very appealing pie in the sky to the students, abolishing the rule against campus romance, freeing the couples from their constraints.


    for adolescents, this condition is very hard to resist.


    even if kiryu hina now turned around and supported abolishing the in-school romance rule, her approval rate had already been siphoned off by ayakoji chiyoko, and everyone would think she was hastily copying her opponent''s idea, leaving an impression less impactful than the story told by ayakoji chiyoko, resulting only in added ridicule.


    indeed, that initially silly story eventually became key.


    that tragic script acted like a golden signboard, greatly enhancing the recognizability of ayakoji chiyoko''s campaign stance.


    one can imagine, tomorrow''s society discussion meeting daily would feature this story, perhaps even a more detailed serialized novel version.


    in the future, whenever someone mentions ayakoji chiyoko wanting to change school rules, they will surely recall the story of student a and student b.


    she remembered that there shouldn''t be anyone in the disciplinary committee capable of writing such a speech, nor even in the news-centered society discussion meeting, who after all were just a bunch of reporters skilled at data integration, lacking the talent and literary flair for storytelling.


    kiryu hina did not know whether the story was adapted from real events or completely fictional, but that didn''t matter.


    what was important was only one thing, that the story had been accepted by the students in the audience.


    it turned out this was ayakoji chiyoko''s strategy, which was somewhat unexpected.


    suddenly starting to target school rules, attacking from such an oblique angle, it completely didn''t match her usual style.


    it was as if someone was behind her, writing her speech, and strategizing for her.


    .....the identity of this person didn''t even need to be thought about.


    kiryo hina gazed at the former chairman of the disciplinary committee standing on stage; she could vaguely see kagura hikaru''s silhouette behind her.


    her ex-boyfriend was actually helping her rival against her, no wonder her feelings were complicated.


    really now, what a mess.

 Chapter 121 Say NO to a World that Bans Love!

    ```let''s get straight to the conclusion, ayakoji chiyoko''s speech was a resounding success!


    her views might have been controversial among the teachers, but among the students, they were an absolute perfect score.


    this was precisely the effect ayakoji chiyoko and kagura hikaru had intended to achieve.


    after all, the main characters of the student council elections are the students, not the school.


    only the student council president elected by all the students is truly recognized; the school''s words are futile, which is why ayakoji chiyoko and her team never thought to curry favor with the school authorities from the beginning.


    their goal was clear from the start.


    that is, to cater to the tastes of the uka students and capture their hearts.


    abolishing the school regulation against romance was indeed a great angle to address. choosing this path meant they were bound to clash with the school administration in the future, but if they couldn''t even secure the student council presidency, worrying about future issues would be nothing but needless anxiety.


    this kind of short-sightedness, without regard for the future, actually has the taste of real-life political elections.


    real elections are like that too: during the campaign, candidates only think about pandering to the voters to secure votes. it''s not uncommon, even majority behavior, for politicians to turn their backs and dismiss their promises as worthless once they start running the country.


    because they very well know that some of the slogans from the election period require undermining the country''s interests and are fraught with difficulties to implement.


    those who, after taking office, really begin to fulfill their campaign slogans and turn them into reality are the true hard-liners.


    as for what kind of leader ayakoji chiyoko will become in the end, to be honest, she is not sure herself at this point.


    right now, she and kagura hikaru have eyes only for the student council president position and are solely focused on how to oust kiryu hina from the seat.


    there''s no room left for them to consider anything else.


    ayakoji chiyoko walked off the platform amid a round of applause and cheers.


    at this moment, she truly epitomized unity.


    no matter who the audience had supported before, at this instant, they all placed their hopes on ayakoji chiyoko.


    "congratulations, the speech was a success,"


    as soon as ayakoji chiyoko returned, kagura hikaru was the first to congratulate her.


    "this success is half yours. without the speech script and ideas you provided, i couldn''t have done it," ayakoji chiyoko said with a smile as she patted kagura hikaru on the shoulder, "thank you, and please keep coming up with good ideas like this so that defeating kiryu hina will be within reach."


    "voting hasn''t even started yet, don''t jinx it."


    "i didn''t expect you to believe in metaphysics apart from philosophy."


    "i mean for you to be cautious and not get carried away."


    there are three rounds of voting in the student council election.


    the first two are mock votes, which are only for reference and do not count, while the last vote will truly determine who gets the student council president position.


    the first vote takes place right after the ten-minute speech in the auditorium.


    upon exiting the auditorium, students pull out their cellphones and cast their vote for their preferred candidate on the school''s official election website.


    it''s the digital age now; of course, the voting methods have to be updated.


    the past methods of anonymous paper ballots dropped into a collection box, or tally boards, now seem outdated and inconvenient.


    online voting is so much better, quick to tally and comprehensive.


    it just tends to lead to instances of vote manipulation, which is why to ensure fairness, the website''s administration is supervised by teachers during the election period.


    ```


    kagura hikaru and ayakoji chiyoko listened to the surrounding students'' discussions, and knowing that roughly two-thirds of them were talking about the school regulations, they could tell that the initial voting results should be quite promising.


    once they had left, the words of ayakoji chiyoko recounted to their friends and classmates would likely help her approval ratings to continue to climb.


    "i didn''t expect you to target the school regulations, well done,"


    at this time, a figure approached them and said so.


    it was kiryu hina.


    with her arms crossed, she stood not far from ayakoji chiyoko, followed by hosaka yui and several student council members, all of whom were her loyal supporters.


    behind ayakoji chiyoko stood kagura hikaru and a group of discipline committee members, showing no less imposing a presence than her.


    it was as if a dragon and a tiger stood face to face, creating an atmosphere as if a storm was about to break.


    the smile in ayakoji chiyoko''s eyes slightly faded, and she gave a cold glance, "you wouldn''t be so easily defeated by a single speech, would you? if that''s the case, i would be very disappointed in you."


    "of course not, there''s still a long way to go, the election isn''t over yet," kiryu hina replied with a smile, then glanced at kagura hikaru opposite her and said without looking away, "your speech wasn''t written by yourself, right? if i''m not mistaken, it was written by vice president kagura, wasn''t it?"


    "that''s correct, our newly appointed vice president of the disciplinary committee is a talent i value very highly,"


    ayakoji chiyoko brazenly put her arm around kagura hikaru''s shoulder.


    she did so as if to deliberately show off to someone, pressing close against him.


    kiryu hina''s eye twitched.


    "hmmph... well then, i have work to do, i''ll be going now." sea??h th§× n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "as you wish."


    unperturbed, kiryu hina left with her loyal followers, smiling the whole time.


    watching her leave, a smile slowly returned to ayakoji chiyoko''s face¡ªlately she had become more prone to smile, especially when around a certain boy. she believed she had hidden it well, but it was obviously not well concealed. your next read is at empire


    "you should let go now," kagura hikaru said, prying off the hand she had around his left shoulder.


    ayakoji chiyoko did not insist.


    it wasn''t that she wasn''t willing to continue, but her height wasn''t actually tall enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with kagura hikaru, so the posture while holding his shoulder had not been very comfortable.


    if they were to put their arms around each other''s shoulders, it should be the other way around, initiated by the boy.


    while pondering such unsuitable thoughts, ayakoji chiyoko discussed the voting matters with kagura hikaru as they walked out of the school auditorium.


    the initial selection vote started counting now, but the results would be announced in three days, and until then, specific numbers would be inaccessible¡ªthe voting feature on yuqiu high school''s official website had not reached the point of displaying real-time data.


    during these three days, kagura hikaru and his group weren''t just sitting idly by.


    they leveraged their influence at the society discussion meeting and serialized the story that ayakoji chiyoko had told in her speech into three sections in the daily publication of the society discussion meeting, adopting a narrative approach akin to novel writing, with kagura hikaru as the writer, although it was published anonymously.


    the news that ayakoji chiyoko wanted to put an end to uka''s tradition of prohibiting student relationships also spread throughout the school alongside the story.


    this greatly encouraged the students who already supported her, while those supporting other candidates began to waver.


    at least for now, it seemed that ayakoji chiyoko''s sincerity in her intent to get elected far surpassed that of the others.


    moreover, her influence and tactics as the former chairman of the disciplinary committee were well recognized. saying that she intended to change the school regulations might not just be empty talk; if anyone could do it, it would be her.


    in such a bustling atmosphere, the three days passed, and the results of the first round of voting for yuqiu high school''s student council election were announced.

 Chapter 122 You Look Beautiful Even When Sweaty

    the sun hung high above yu gao high school.it seemed to be positioned at an exact ninety-degree angle, spreading sunshine and heat. discover exclusive content at empire


    spreading an abundance of sunshine and heat, that is.


    the sunlight was so intense that the view outside the window turned into a golden blur, as if a single glance could scorch one''s eyes, making it hard to look directly at it.


    and if you added the incessant shrill cries of the cicadas, redemption was impossible even without looking outside.


    although it might be a bit late to say this,


    summer had arrived!


    buzz buzz buzz buzz.


    the cooling system of the laptop on the desk emitted an irritating hum.


    kagura hikaru and ayakoji chiyoko, dressed in their light, short-sleeved school uniforms, were so hot they even rolled up their sleeves, turning ''short sleeves'' into ''sleeveless''.


    each stationed at their own chair, they guarded the computer, constantly pressing the f5 key to refresh the vote count on the school''s official website.


    they were now in the discipline committee''s domain, rightfully enjoying the marvelous human invention of air conditioning.


    honestly, the person who invented this thing should get the nobel prize, and while we''re at it, might as well throw in the hugo award, nebula award, akutagawa prize, and every other conceivable award.


    even so, one could still feel that our generation owed too much to the inventor of air conditioning.


    unfortunately, even for a school with financial resources like uka, they still wouldn''t install air conditioning in every classroom.


    the students had no choice but to depend on three electric fans to barely get by in the sweltering space.


    so, even if it wasn''t to check the preliminary results of the student council election, kagura hikaru would visit this place every day after the break between classes started.


    the mere fact that the discipline committee''s office had air conditioning made it worthwhile for him to move his feet here.


    after the start of summer, kagura hikaru was more than happy to come here.


    "how is it, are the results out yet?"


    while fanning his collar up and down just like cooling the laptop with a fan, he asked ayakoji chiyoko, who was sitting in front of the computer.


    truly the de facto leader of the discipline committee, the only fan in the room was naturally in her possession, fanning gently against herself as her bangs fluttered lightly.


    even sweating, she looked beautiful.


    "not yet... tch, this website needs maintenance, it''s so laggy," she complained discontentedly.


    "eh..."


    kagura hikaru leaned lazily back, stretching his right hand behind the chair''s back and reaching to check the direction of the air conditioning blow.


    the room was obviously working, yet the temperature seemed reluctant to fall.


    was this the fierce heat of tokyo?


    it was a little too extreme...


    "got it!"


    ayakoji chiyoko''s voice made him jump, nearly toppling onto the floor.


    stabilizing the chair, kagura hikaru leaned forward, peering at the screen: "which place is it?"


    "...second," ayakoji chiyoko said, propping herself up with her hands and leaning back, disappointed.


    kagura hikaru stood up and went over, taking a serious look: "these numbers are pretty good, don''t be disheartened."


    "i''m not disheartened, just disappointed," she said.


    the voting data on the official website showed, with the initial tally of student votes from the entire school, that the total number still had kiryu hina in the lead, with ayakoji chiyoko right behind her in second place.


    in fact, this was within kagura hikaru''s expectations.


    hina had been operating in uka for over a year, it wasn''t so easy to surpass her so quickly.


    for now, the current president still had a more profound influence.


    although her real acquaintances all thought she ought to be heartless.


    "just forty votes short, that''s about the number of people in one class, this number is already quite impressive," kagura hikaru encouraged.


    perhaps due to the public speech and that particular story having an effect, kiryu hina hadn''t led by as much as imagined.


    ayakoji chiyoko''s speech was superior to hers, more humorous, with a story, and content that made people think, and her promises to the students were more in line with their thoughts.


    the results of the initial vote already reflected this.


    the original gap in popularity between ayakoji chiyoko and kiryu hina within the school had been incredible, to keep the vote difference down to forty was a great improvement.


    "yes, afterwards i have to thank saijo mari," ayakoji chiyoko also acknowledged this and nodded.


    during these past few days of canvassing, saijo mari had been a significant help.


    as the president of the sports committee, she had a very effective network in the sports clubs, and many had given their votes to ayakoji chiyoko under saijo mari''s persuasion.


    during the student council election period, she would be a great asset.


    kagura hikaru had one hand on the table using the mouse to check the detailed votes of the other candidates, and the other hand was resting on the back of ayakoji chiyoko''s chair.


    this position allowed her to almost feel the warmth emanating from him.


    ayakoji chiyoko diverted her gaze subtly, staring at the buttons on kagura hikaru''s shirt that were undone, through the small gap that was visible, she could faintly see his healthy and well-proportioned chest.


    the more she looked, the hotter her cheeks got, and when she couldn''t take it anymore and raised her head, she saw kagura hikaru also looking at her.


    "what do you think about making some flyers to promote our campaign?"


    "eh... um? what?" sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i''m talking about flyers, putting your image and campaign promises on them, sticking to the slogan of changing the school rules all the way through, to prevent president kiriyu from competing with you for this area."


    "oh, yes, flyers, um..."


    ayakoji chiyoko pretended to wipe off sweat to cover up the real reason for her blushing, and after a brief moment of chaos, she carefully considered kagura hikaru''s suggestion.


    flyers were indeed a good idea, on the one hand, they could strengthen people''s impression of her, and also firmly associate her with the concept of changing the anti-dating school rules and creating a free campus.


    the only problem was, if done excessively, it could become annoying.


    flyers were something that most people wouldn''t look at twice and would throw away folded into paper planes into the bin.


    if they were distributed in excessive quantities with the aim of creating an advertising effect, it could backfire, and people might start to feel that her methods were cheap, and her support might actually decrease.


    if they were really to be distributed, then some tricks were needed.


    "it''s simple," kagura hikaru said at this time, "just turn the flyers into reusable tools, and they won''t be easily discarded."


    "like what, for example?"


    "collecting stamps."


    "stamps... indeed."


    ayakoji chiyoko quickly got his point.


    instead of just distributing a flyer as a piece of paper, if you add a stamp-collecting feature on the back, coordinate an event with the society discussion meeting, and attach stickers that come with the daily publications to the back of the flyer, people could submit the completed collection for a reward.


    in the island nation, such promotions were very common and usually had a good participation rate.


    ayakoji chiyoko also gave her opinion: "let''s include the flyers in the society discussion meeting''s daily editions, and declare that only a fixed number will be distributed, so there won''t be an excessive flood causing annoyance."


    kagura hikaru nodded, "as long as everyone is still interested in the final prize for the collection, they''ll have to keep the flyer that serves as their stamp card with them, and not carelessly throw it away. over time, they''re bound to take an interest in reading it."


    "well done, kagura, that''s a great idea."


    the two exchanged a glance, their eyes brimming with laughter.


    they were slowly edging closer to victory.

 Chapter 123 Indeed, True Nature Is Not So Easy to Change

    "To put it bluntly, the election is all about speeches."Elections are all about various speeches.


    To say that the process of giving speeches accounts for half of the election is no exaggeration.


    During the Student Council election period, the candidates had to visit different classes of each grade every three days, delivering brief speeches of three minutes as part of their campaign.


    But the truth is, most students wouldn''t change their attitudes just because of those brief three minutes.


    Therefore, one must either seek advantage in other aspects or try to be as sensational as possible.


    Specifically, this could mean putting effort into appearance, such as cosplaying anime characters or dressing more maturely¡ªjust don''t look too much like a student.


    Or, it could involve making extraordinary statements that catch people''s eyes.


    For instance, proposing to extend the three-day cultural festival to five days through social media or shortening the length of skirts¡ªthese kinds of impossible promises are excessive.


    It seems quite difficult to grasp that measure.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s radicalness was just right among the election candidates.


    She wanted to change school rules, specifically to ban dating¡ªa matter trivial to the school but immensely significant to the students. Although it has been mentioned many times before, it must be said again¡ªthis approach was excellent, from all aspects.


    In the entire struggle between Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, this move was a stroke of genius that suddenly bridged the gap between them.


    It also helped to close the distance between Ayakoji Chiyoko herself and all the students.


    What was her image before?


    The unfeeling Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee¡ªa true lioness, a ghost-faced hag, cold and terrifying just to think about.


    Imagine the Ayakoji Chiyoko, once rigid and icy in everyone''s impression, starting to talk about dating¡ªthe allure of such contrast was hard to resist.


    She realized this as she made her rounds between classes, dutifully conducting her three-minute speeches.


    Students who previously couldn''t even make eye contact with her were now occasionally interrupting from the audience with quips during her speech.


    Frankly, this was slightly annoying.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko endured it for the sake of votes and Kagura Hikaru. She tolerated it.


    She knew that this was a flaw in her character¡ªexcessive pride.


    Even though the interruptions weren''t necessarily meant as offense, she often easily spoiled the spirited atmosphere.


    She certainly knew how to be intimidating, but if she wanted to become the Student Council President, authority alone wasn''t enough¡ªshe also needed approachability and to be closer to the students.


    She didn''t need to smile all the time, but she definitely couldn''t afford to be aloof and distant.


    It was only now that Ayakoji Chiyoko belatedly realized that Kagura Hikaru had her chant the slogan to lift the ban on dating and talk about love stories during speeches, perhaps also considering this angle.


    Kagura Hikaru wanted to soften her image in front of everyone, thus gaining a different kind of influence from mere authority.


    Just being aware of this, even during the speech-making process, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt as if a warm current was swirling inside her.


    He must have really cared about her feelings to not tell her and to quietly do all this.


    This sort of subtle gesture one might expect from a family member also unexpectedly allowed her to feel his kindness and intelligence.


    "...And that''s my proposal, thank you, everyone."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood at the podium and bowed slightly to the freshmen students below.


    The applause came immediately afterward.


    It wasn''t particularly enthusiastic.


    Probably because her visit had interrupted their break time, and not everyone was willing to spend three minutes listening to someone talk during the interval.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t just go through the motions; she spoke earnestly and even with a bit of humor.


    All her speech scripts, including the three-minute speech she just delivered, were personally written by Kagura Hikaru.


    Each word was imbued with his effort and emotions.


    Even if it wasn''t for the audience below, for the people supporting her from behind, Ayakoji Chiyoko would not squander this sentiment carelessly.


    After getting to know Kagura Hikaru, especially upon learning that he was the boy who had saved her years ago and beginning to like him, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt herself slowly changing.


    Changing into a less fierce, less rigid image.


    In some sense, Kagura Hikaru was actually her idol.


    Therefore, Ayakoji Chiyoko could only become closer to him.


    If one day she suffered because of this, she might end up cursing him for causing no small harm. Stay updated through empire


    Actually, she wanted to curse him right now.


    Because Kagura Hikaru didn''t come to accompany her on her tour of speeches, instead he went to help Saijo Mari move to a new department!


    Although maintaining a relationship with that person was indeed very important for their election, was her side not important either?!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko thought this unreasonably and irritably.


    She had just left the first-grade classroom when a Discipline Committee member approached her, apparently having waited at the door for a while.


    "President, there''s a problem at the Society Discussion Meeting."


    "Speak."


    She had just been saying how Kagura Hikaru softened her image and personality, but once in front of her subordinates, Ayakoji Chiyoko immediately reverted to an iron-fisted state, cold and expressionless. Just a glance from her could make people tremble, like a bloodthirsty lion.


    It turned out her true nature wasn''t so easily changed.


    "Yes!" The Discipline Committee member immediately straightened up, thinking that the President seemed to speak a bit more gently only when Vice President Kagura was nearby, then said, "The election flyer stamping activity arranged by you, President, was just called off by the Student Council. They said the election campaign must not involve financial transactions."


    "Financial transactions?"


    "Yes, they said even prizes count, and they confiscated those items..."


    The so-called prizes were actually just some inexpensive items like plush toys and game cartridges¡ªHina Kiryu hadn''t expected this to be a breakthrough point.


    This meant that the plan to distribute flyers by collecting stamps had just fallen apart.


    Only...


    "Heh." Ayakoji Chiyoko actually laughed out.


    But it wasn''t a joyful smile, rather a cruel, cold smirk.


    It reminded one of a vampire.


    Hina Kiryu''s strong reaction after only two days of handing out the flyers and using the Student Council''s power to urgently intervene proved they were right.


    It confirmed that she was indeed terrified of them continuing their advocacy¡ªtheir move had been correct.


    Since Hina Kiryu was so afraid of her advocacy, she should advocate even more.


    What the enemy didn''t want her to do, she was determined to do.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko instructed her subordinates to first call the Gorilla Vice President to retrieve those prizes and then distribute them in a raffle format to the students who had collected the stamped flyers, to compensate for the losses caused by the activity being halted. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Additionally, send someone eloquent to the Student Council to argue with them¡ªquestion this sanction by the Student Council for as long as possible, preferably involving Hina Kiryu herself."


    That way, she would have no time to rally support outside.


    After finishing, Ayakoji Chiyoko continued towards the next classroom.


    Today''s round of speeches wasn''t over yet.


    The persistence to complete unfinished tasks¡ªthis too was something she had learned from Kagura Hikaru.


    Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring¡ª


    Ah, the class bell rang.

 Chapter 124 The Innately Evil President Ayakoji

    Going to school in the summer was torture.Especially for the students who had to walk a long distance, as their school was far from the station.


    Haneoka Private High School was one such unlucky institution.


    Early in the morning.


    The sunlight and the cicadas'' song tortured the senses, both tactile and auditory.


    Like the other students, Kagura Hikaru dragged his shoulders, wiping sweat as he trudged onward.


    The shirt on his back was soaked through.


    Actually, that was the least of his worries¡ªwhat felt worst was taking the train.


    Although he wasn''t in the sun, his nose suffered greatly.


    In the summer, the sour stench of sweat in the train cars grew even more pronounced, with every seat smelling, and no windows to open for ventilation, making it unbearable.


    Kagura Hikaru even thought maybe he should just get a motorcycle license, chasing the wind to school every day on a bike seemed not too bad.


    In the Island Nation, motorcycle licenses were categorized by engine displacement, and at 16 years old, he was eligible for the one for mid to small motorcycles under 400cc. Enjoy new chapters from empire


    But after giving it more thought, he decided to let the idea go.


    It wasn''t because he thought motorcycles were dangerous or he couldn''t afford one, but simply because if he rode a motorcycle to school, he wouldn''t encounter Ai Cheng Hua Lian on the train, which seemed like a pity.


    Meeting an angel on the train was his motivation to get up every morning!


    Speaking of which, he didn''t seem to have seen her today.


    Normally, he would see her on this train at this time, but not today.


    Did she come to school earlier, or could it be that Ai Cheng Hua Lian, too, could be late?


    Just as he thought this, he saw her as soon as he entered the school gates.


    However, Kagura Hikaru wished he hadn''t.


    Seeing Ai Cheng Angel walking around with a sign saying "Support Kiryu Hina for Student Council President" in her hands, one could imagine Kagura Hikaru''s complete collapse.


    He almost grabbed his scalp and screamed like a rabbit.


    Wait, rabbits don''t actually scream, do they?


    That''s not important.


    "Please make sure to support President Hina''s election, support the second vote, thank you all~... Ah, Kagura, good morning!"


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her blankly, his bag strap slipping off his shoulder.


    There was a sense of astonishment like seeing a good girl fall into a playboy''s trap.


    The angel, she had fallen...


    "What... are you doing?"


    "Eh? Can''t you tell?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said with a laugh, holding the sign, "I''m promoting for President Hina!"


    "..."


    Almost instantly, Kagura Hikaru realized that this was Kiryu Hina''s retaliation towards him for helping Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She had deliberately tricked Ai Cheng Hua Lian into joining her team to make him miserable.


    Upon reflection, it was clear, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was of little use to Kiryu Hina.


    Being from an athletic club, she was nearly incapable of rallying anyone outside of her close Volleyball Club members to vote for Kiryu Hina, because Saijo Mari was in the way.


    In terms of individual ability... What special skills did she have besides volleyball, singing, and playing the piano?


    If she wanted to promote, she might as well go to the cheerleading squad or the News Department.


    For Kiryu Hina, she was practically a vase¡ªno, if one were after aesthetics, Kiryu Hina alone was enough.


    So, she was even less than a vase! At best, she could shout slogans and run errands.


    But did Kiryu Hina lack such people by her side? Why go out of her way to bring in Ai Cheng Hua Lian, an outsider?


    The reason was simple.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who had no special skills or appeal, was nonetheless very important to Kagura Hikaru.


    She was her only true friend at school!


    From the beginning, Kagura Hikaru had no intention of asking Ai Cheng Hua Lian for help because she didn''t want to drag her into this election mess.


    But it was a misstep.


    It''s common sense that if you don''t go for the hills, someone else will attack them.


    Now it seemed that Ai Cheng Hua Lian couldn''t fend off the naturally evil Student Council President''s offensive.


    "Does this really work?" Kagura Hikaru was a bit skeptical that Kiryu Hina was deliberately making Ai Cheng Hua Lian look foolish, and if that was the case, he''d have no choice but to go argue with the Student Council about it.


    Just walking around school with a sign could increase support, the hearts of Ugao High students were too cheap.


    "I haven''t thought about it," said Ai Cheng Hua Lian with a silly look, "the more times I say it, the more effective it should be, right?"


    "You..." Kagura rubbed his temples, "Ai Cheng, stop helping President Kiriyu, come to our side."


    "Ah? You mean, support President Ayakoji?"


    "Yes."


    "No, no, I promised President Hina I would help her, how could I suddenly change my mind? I can''t do that," Ai Cheng Hua Lian shook her head vigorously.


    The refusal was very thorough.


    "Okay then, we''re opponents now."


    "Being Kagura''s opponent? That feels like I can''t win."


    Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked at each other and smiled, Ai Cheng Hua Lian with a smile on her face, Kagura Hikaru with a smile in his eyes.


    Both were just joking.


    "Wait here for me a moment." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After saying that to her, Kagura Hikaru left for a while, went to the vending machine downstairs and bought a bottle of chilled peach juice, then handed it to Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    "It''s hot, stay hydrated."


    "How can I accept this, let me give you money," Ai Cheng Hua Lian started fumbling for her wallet.


    "No need, it''s just a bottle of water," Kagura Hikaru insisted, handing her the drink, then waved his hand and walked toward the school building, "If you feel too hot, take a rest; don''t work too hard."


    "Thank you~!"


    Today was a lucky day, being fed by Kagura Hikaru.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought happily, feeling the coolness of the drink bottle with her hand, as if the scorching heat on her body had dissipated quite a bit.


    She twisted the cap, ready to take a sip, when a voice suddenly came from the other side.


    "Drinking while walking outside, against discipline, confiscated."


    The peach juice in her hand was snatched away by a slender hand, replaced by a lonely 500 yen coin lying in her palm.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked up stupidly, watching as Ayakoji Chiyoko drank the beverage while heading toward the school building.


    She nearly cried.


    That''s definitely bullying, right?


    "That guy isn''t even a Discipline Committee member anymore and still snatching things from people, forcing a sale, so unfair... don''t you think, Hua Lian?"


    Kiryu Hina appeared, followed by Hosaka Yui carrying a bag of canned drinks.


    She took out a bottle of cold cola from the bag, touched Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s cheek with it to cool her down, and said with a smile, "Here, this is a consolation gift, you''ve worked hard in this heat."


    "Wuwuwu, President Hina...!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian cried, tearing up as she violently opened the cola and guzzled it down.


    Although she didn''t get to drink what Kagura gave her, President Hina''s cola tasted great too!


    "So, how''s the promotion work going?"


    "Phewha... Well, it''s going pretty normal."


    "The second round of voting is about to start, you''ve got to give it your all."


    "Yes!"

 Chapter 125 However, I Refuse

    The second voting results are out.Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina were in a close race, and the gap narrowed further from forty votes to just three.


    They were able to catch up so quickly, all thanks to an unexpected accident.


    There was a variety show called "Searching for the Island Nation''s Strongest Young Genius~Let''s go~!", which had high viewership ratings. Right before the second voting, they suddenly came to Yuqiu High School to record a program with Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    As the title suggests, this program was about searching for underage geniuses across the Island Nation who were exceptionally outstanding in certain skills and documenting their stories.


    The reason they chose Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko was because of the attention they received from TV stations due to their performance at the National Sword Dao Tournament.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was the current record holder of the National High School Sword Dao Tournament and was the female swordsman who advanced the farthest in the gender-neutral high school Sword Dao competitions, rated by professionals as having a professional level of Sword Dao proficiency, which was highly prestigious.


    Moreover, considering that she was only a first-year high school student when she received the award, being the youngest in the field, one couldn''t help but marvel at her incredible talent.


    As for Kagura Hikaru, being a first-year high school student as well and defeating Ayakoji Chiyoko with an overwhelming advantage to become the champion of the national competition, he was without doubt a genius among geniuses.


    What was more coincidental was that both of them were students at Tokyo City''s Haneoka Private High School.


    It would have been a shame not to bring them together for the show!


    Ugao High was very welcoming toward the arrival of the production team.


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    Haneoka High School naturally couldn''t ask for anything better for something that could boost the school''s influence. They not only cleared out the Kendo Club''s dojo for filming but also specifically gave Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko a day off to cooperate with the shooting.


    Even though Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were not members of the Kendo Club, they still won the gold and silver medals in the National Kendo Tournament. Now, for the sake of filming, the actual Kendo Club was kicked out.


    I must say, it''s a bit of black humor.


    It seemed that the production team was aware in advance that Ayakoji Chiyoko was the daughter of the famous actor Ryoma Ayakoji, so they treated her with great courtesy, even deferentially and were careful not to offend her.


    This was enough to give a glimpse of just how much influence Ayakoji Chiyoko''s father had in the entertainment industry.


    According to the production team, they would pretend they didn''t know at first, aiming for a dramatic effect of accidentally discovering Ayakoji Chiyoko''s real identity during the interview. For this, Ayakoji Chiyoko cooperated with them and acted out a scene from questioning to the interviewer''s shock, much to the surprise of Kagura Hikaru who was watching.


    She has become quite agreeable lately.


    If it had been when I first met her, even if she was willing to cooperate, she would probably have had a poker face all along, and she might have given the interviewer an earful of sarcasm.


    But this guy can now actually smile at the camera, which is unbelievable.


    That''s what growth is all about, isn''t it?


    Who would have thought that Ayakoji Chiyoko would change as well?


    The interviewers from the production team asked them a lot of questions.


    They also had them put on Kendo Equipment in the dojo and performed a real Sword Dao match to best of two points.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko had no intention of performing for the camera and didn''t hold back, resulting in a prolonged stalemate, so it''s expected that this part will be heavily edited when the show airs.


    By the way, the score was still 2:0, with Ayakoji Chiyoko losing again.


    At the end of the recording, the production team asked them a few questions.


    "Since the two of you became famous on the internet, many people think you are a couple. Is that true?"


    "No," Ayakoji Chiyoko denied, "Besides, Uka doesn''t allow student relationships."


    "Is that so, I didn''t know the rules were so strict." The production team then asked, "May I ask what your standards for choosing a partner are?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "A man stronger than me."


    Kagura Hikaru: "Someone with a good personality."


    After the show aired, the editor added a huge pink heart on the screen, encircling the two of them.


    In the footage, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes were on Kagura Hikaru as she spoke, making it look like she liked him!


    Which was, in fact, the truth.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, watching the show at home, was so angry that she rolled around on the sofa with a cushion in her arms.


    But perhaps, there was also a bit of happiness... right?


    After the program was broadcast, their popularity in school shot up.


    Rumors even started to spread.


    Nonsense, they even drew a heart, it would be surprising if there weren''t any rumors!


    Naturally, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s voting rate also increased significantly, and the number of votes skyrocketed for the second election.


    She was now only three votes away from Kiryu Hina, who was in first place.


    Kiryu Hina had never expected that gaining influence from outside the school was also a possibility, and she had miscalculated.


    In fact, not even Ayakoji Chiyoko herself had expected it.


    After all, she couldn''t possibly manipulate the production of a television program, even if she was the daughter of a famous actor.


    The main purpose of the last trip to the Capital City was to expose Hosaka Yui, with the current outcome being an unintended success.


    Effort and luck had put her in a very favorable position.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s power was uncontrollably skyrocketing.


    Kiryu Hina had covertly made arrangements in an attempt to curb this, but they were all thwarted.


    No one wanted to betray Ayakoji Chiyoko, and there was no dirt to dig up on her. The conspiracies that were being forcefully pushed forward were keenly disrupted by the opponent early in their planning, leaving Kiryu Hina in a rare deadlock.


    Kiryu Hina somewhat regretted her actions.


    Ever since the sports festival, it seemed like she was hitting walls at every turn.


    It was as if an invisible ghost was secretly hindering all her moves.


    If only she had known, she should have drawn Saijo Mari into her camp earlier instead of resorting to tricks.


    This was the price for playing with power tactics too much, being bitten back by her own arrogance.


    There was only one week left until the third vote, which was the final decision for the Student Council President''s position.


    The three-vote lead was precarious and could be surpassed at any time.


    In this situation, Kiryu Hina had no choice but to seek help from Kagura Hikaru.


    One afternoon, she called Kagura Hikaru to a maple tree in the courtyard.


    The scorching summer days.


    Despite the hot weather that gathered the two of them under the shade, the atmosphere was chilly.


    "Speaking of which, everything started from here, huh." Kiryu Hina caught a falling maple leaf from the tree and said.


    It was the same maple tree, the same bench.


    In the winter, it was here that Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko first came to an understanding for cooperation,


    The branches above their heads were bare at that time, but now they were covered with beautiful golden maple leaves.


    Kagura Hikaru leaned back on the bench under the maple tree, enjoying the coolness brought by the gentle breeze. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "When you say the beginning, are you talking about the time when you poured yogurt over my head?"


    "Haha, I didn''t expect you to hold a grudge."


    "No, I knew from the start that you were that kind of person, so I wasn''t surprised you did something like that. As for holding a grudge... at this point, how could I possibly hate you?"


    "... Heh, let''s skip the nonsense. I called you here today for no other reason than the election."


    Kiryu Hina turned around, put her arms around Kagura Hikaru from behind, and rested her chin on his left shoulder, "If this continues, Ayakoji Chiyoko will really defeat me, which can''t happen. So, I won''t hold the speech draft thing against you, help me out, get Saijo Mari to turn against her. I know she will definitely listen to you, alright?"


    "Is that so, you had this in mind."


    Kagura Hikaru closed his eyes, "But I''m sorry, I refuse."

 Chapter 126 Youre Not a Clown, Youre the Entire Circus

    Kiryu Hina admitted that she had somewhat underestimated Ayakoji Chiyoko''s abilities.It indeed was wrong to judge a female high school student by conventional standards.


    High school students are organisms that grow on their own.


    Whether they face setbacks in some corner or find new goals and ideals, they start to change, becoming completely different people in just a year.


    From homebodies to social butterflies, from invisible to idols, from followers to leaders, from bullies to bullied; people like this are everywhere.


    This is the vigorous vitality of youth.


    It''s as disgustingly resilient as an earthworm that survives being cut in half.


    Thanks to this unpredictability, her plans had fallen through completely.


    Could there be anything more unfortunate?


    However, Kiryu Hina was actually not in a hurry, for she had one last ace up her sleeve.


    That was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s veteran favorite, the hidden spy, Mr. Kagura Hikaru.


    Although she was dissatisfied that he had snatched Saijo Mari ahead of her, she couldn''t be bothered to fuss over it too much¡ªafter all, they were ultimately on the same side. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Saijo Mari was a captive of Kagura Hikaru, and Kagura Hikaru was her captive¡ªa smooth chain of control, was it not?


    As long as she controlled Kagura Hikaru, Saijo Mari was essentially her subordinate as well.


    This was the practical application of "men conquer the world, women conquer men."


    Even if Ayakoji Chiyoko changed rapidly, even if the old methods of dealing with her all failed, what did it matter? She still had a weakness, and it was the most fatal one.


    As the saying goes, "Heroes falter at the beauty pass," but the reverse is also true, "Beauties falter at the hero pass."


    She trusted Kagura Hikaru too much, even to the extent of letting him control that important vote bank, Saijo Mari.


    Didn''t she feel that Kagura Hikaru might betray her?


    Not necessarily.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was actively pretending not to see it.


    Love blinded her, rendering her weak and blind.


    Earlier, before the Student Council elections had even begun, Kiryu Hina had learned from Sakata Asahi that Ayakoji Chiyoko knew of Kagura Hikaru''s identity.


    She didn''t regret deliberately leaking that information.


    At that time, Ayakoji Chiyoko had three choices. One was to completely ignore it, to pretend not to know, and to live as usual.


    But Kiryu Hina knew this was almost impossible; the likelihood was less than 1%.


    After all, the elementary school boy who had saved her years ago was like an obsession to Ayakoji Chiyoko, always on her mind.


    She even antagonized her, causing a lot of trouble, just to learn his identity.


    Would a person as proud as Ayakoji Chiyoko let Kagura Hikaru go?


    The second choice was to confess to Kagura Hikaru immediately and start dating.


    This depended on how far their mutual affection had progressed.


    Doubtless, with Kagura Hikaru''s skill at deceit, this was the least worrying part.


    If Ayakoji Chiyoko really spoke out, then even if Kagura Hikaru was unwilling, Kiryu Hina would make him willing.


    If she chose this option, it would be easy to handle; they just needed to share a kiss at school, and a single secretly taken photo from a distance could ruin Ayakoji Chiyoko, rendering her unable to participate in the Student Council election.


    In that case, the victory would undoubtedly be hers.


    Regrettably, that person was not truly lovesick after all; she logically chose the third path.


    That is, to observe and wait until the Student Council elections were over.


    This career-first style matched the image she had always presented to others.


    If learning the truth suddenly turned her into someone who thought only of sex and who drugged the man she liked to imprison him away from others like some ¨¹ber-possessive woman, it would be less a testament to Kagura Hikaru''s enchanting ability and more a reason for her to see a doctor.


    In any case, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s decision to postpone her repayment and handling of Kagura Hikaru was correct.


    Moreover, it was not hard to see that her possessiveness and fondness for Kagura Hikaru had been increasing lately.


    She had even openly snatched a peach juice drink specifically bought by Kagura Hikaru for Ai Cheng Hua Lian, and had paid for it.


    No hint of a former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee''s demeanor.


    She was the very incarnation of impulsion driven by jealousy.


    Kiryu Hina even suspected that Ayakoji Chiyoko thought of employing the repeal of the ban on romance as a campaign slogan only to pave the way for her future relationship with Kagura Hikaru.


    To tell the truth, among the three choices, only the first one, that is, choosing to ignore Kagura Hikaru, was correct.


    Any other path Ayakoji Chiyoko chose would lead her into the net trap that Kiryu Hina had preemptively laid for her.


    The more she became obsessed with Kagura Hikaru, the greater her mistake.


    Because the true allegiance of Kagura Hikaru was to someone else.


    And it was no other than the person she considered as her arch-enemy, her biggest rival¡ªKiryu Hina herself!


    Click, click.


    Kiryu Hina mockingly laughed in her heart.


    How foolish.


    Is this woman misled and unaware of being deceived?


    Utter failure does not even begin to describe it.


    The next step was simple, so simple¡ªit was to order Kagura Hikaru to momentarily make Saijo Mari change her attitude and cast her vote for herself.


    With just this step, Ayakoji Chiyoko was doomed to lose.


    She never would have thought that Kagura Hikaru was her greatest, most hidden trump card.


    That''s what Kiryu Hina believed.


    Then, full of confidence, she was rejected.


    "Eh...? What did you just say?"


    "I won''t help you, Hina." Kagura Hikaru lowered his eyelids, "It has nothing to do with Ayakoji Chiyoko, this time it''s my own will, wanting to relieve you of your position as the Student Council President."


    ".....Why....."


    "There is no why, it''s just something I want to do."


    "..."


    Turns out, the real clown was herself.


    Only then did Kiryu Hina understand.


    The Ayakoji Chiyoko she had mocked in her heart, upon closer inspection, was essentially no different from ''Kiryu Hina'' herself.


    Laughable, laughable, laughable, indeed!


    Kiryu Hina, you''re not a clown, you''re virtually an entire circus!


    Knowing full well that Kagura Hikaru was a venomous snake, she still genuinely trusted him, believed that he wouldn''t ruin it, thinking he was dancing in the palm of her hand and could not escape.


    Had she never considered that he might have an ulterior motive from the start?


    Had she never considered that someone who had once betrayed her could truly bear such trust without having second thoughts?


    Aren''t people untrustworthy, something she still doesn''t understand even now?


    Even she couldn''t help but lament her own arrogance and foolishness.


    She hadn''t improved at all.


    Rage and sorrow centered in her heart, spreading throughout her body, making her limbs stiff and cold, as if she was falling endlessly from a great height.


    Some unpleasant memories hidden deep in her mind were evoked.


    This familiar feeling, she had experienced it before.


    Yes, she recalled.


    The first time she had ever witnessed betrayal.


    It was a white Christmas day.


    She waited for someone in the snow, rubbing her hands, exhaling warm breath.

 Chapter 127 The Best Lover in the World

    White, transparent snow.It is said that no two snowflakes in this world are the same.


    Each and every snowflake is unique.


    Just like people.


    The process of a snowflake falling is like a person''s life.


    It condenses, grows branches, forms a beautiful shape, then falls to the ground, merges into the pile of snow, and if lucky, it can last until the weather warms up, and if not, it gets trampled, melts, and disappears completely.


    ...No, no, no, that''s too negative a thought.


    Life is beautiful, how can it be compared to something as brief and fragile as a snowflake.


    Standing in front of the huge glowing Christmas tree, Kiryu Hina rubbed her gloved hands again, stamped her feet gently, and a hopeful smile quietly appeared on her face, which was a bit reddened by the cold.


    Today is Christmas Day.


    It''s a white Christmas.


    When she saw the snow falling from the sky during dinner, she was already excited.


    She had not expected it to still be coming down when she went out.


    There was already some snow accumulated on the ground.


    She wore her beloved beige coat and carefully made sure not to slip as she walked to the agreed-upon location, an outdoor plaza.


    Today being Christmas Day, there were a lot of couples coming and going.


    So many, in fact, it was affecting the view.


    But Kiryu Hina couldn''t find it in her to complain about this, after all, she too was one of the couples here waiting for her lover.


    This little bit of happiness made her secretly thrilled.


    Right, she also had a boyfriend.


    She didn''t have to listen enviously on Valentine''s Day as her classmates boasted about how expensive the love hotels were, nor did she have to sulk alone under the covers, depressed, watching dramas on Christmas Day.


    When it''s cold, there''s a warm embrace waiting for you.


    When it''s hot, someone thoughtfully brings you a chilled drink.


    When you''re not feeling well, someone suffers with you.


    When you''re happy, they share in your joy.


    Kiryu Hina could arrogantly say she had the best lover in the world.


    After all, there probably isn''t a second person in this world who can make her, who''s usually somber and not given to smiling, smile so naturally just by the thought of his face.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    A pair of strong hands embraced her from behind, skillfully wrapping around her waist as the warm breath from his words brushed against Kiryu Hina''s ears.


    Realizing who was behind her, her body, initially stiff from the surprise, instantly relaxed, and her already cold-reddened cheeks reddened a bit more.


    She turned her head to the side, looking up with annoyance, and sure enough, she saw her boyfriend''s face.


    He was looking at her with a sunny smile, just like a golden retriever.


    "You''re late!"


    "You''re the one who came too early." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You dare talk back?"


    "Yes, yes, it''s all my fault, is that okay?"


    The two of them maintained their embrace and looked at each other, then suddenly both broke into laughter.


    The boyfriend bent down and kissed her cheek, "This is an apology."


    Kiryu Hina immediately covered her face and looked around, noticing that no one was paying attention to them, then glared up at him with puffed cheeks, "Kagura Hikaru you jerk, how many times have I told you not to do this in public places!"


    "So what you mean is, you don''t want to be kissed?" Kagura Hikaru slyly remarked.


    "That, that''s not it..." Kiryu Hina''s voice got quieter as she spoke, then, annoyed, she punched her boyfriend hard in the abdomen, pushing him away and hurriedly walking forward, "It''s all your fault for making me say such embarrassing things, let''s go quickly!"


    "Alright, alright."


    Kagura Hikaru laughed at the cuteness of his girlfriend, smoothed out the dent in his down jacket, and jogged after her.


    Together they looked at the Christmas lights on the streets, bought commemorative couple bracelets, received a pair of red and blue balloons from a Santa Claus they ran into, and fulfilled the achievement of eating ice cream on a snowy day.


    This was the happiest and warmest Christmas they''d ever had.


    Both of them would say that.


    They had been playing until about nine o''clock at night when their phones received a message at the same time.


    "It''s from Suse." Kiryu Hina, who was the first to check her phone, said happily.


    But she was completely unaware that when she mentioned that name, Kagura Hikaru''s smile became somewhat forced.


    They looked down at their phone screens.


    [Kohinata Suse:


    I am sending a text to Kiryu Hina and Kagura Hikaru right now.


    Are you two having fun on Christmas? I''m also out and about. (Yay~.jpg)]


    At the end of the message, there was also a photo attached, probably taken on a bridge, a straight river glistening with the moon''s reflection on the water surface.


    "True to Suse, even her photos taken with a phone are so beautiful."


    Even the usually haughty Kiryu Hina, known in class as the ''gloomy witch,'' became generous with her praise in front of her.


    Kohinata Suse.


    They were classmates, joined the Drama Club together, and were best friends.


    She was recognized by the students of Bunkyo Public Middle School, the school where Kagura Hikaru attended, as ''Ms. Perfect.''


    Ms. Perfect, a perfect person, an impeccable existence.


    Even her closest friends at school, which included Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, had to agree with this point of view.


    Kohinata Suse was perfect.


    Perfect appearance, perfect character, perfect background, perfect talent.


    The only weakness, if any, was probably in sports, which she was not particularly good at.


    But that only added to her charm.


    A beautiful girl who would become pale and gasp gently when running, who could resist?


    In her presence, most boys couldn''t even muster the courage to confess.


    She was too perfect, no one was worthy of her.


    Of course, even if one did muster the bravery to try, it was meaningless.


    The unattainable Kohinata Suse remained beyond reach.


    But... maybe it wasn''t that no one could reach her.


    Perhaps in her heart, she had already made her choice.


    "The place Suse took pictures of seems close to here, should we go find her?"


    "Today is our time together, why would we include Suse in that, and besides, she might not even want to."


    Kiryu Hina smiled happily, hugging Kagura Hikaru''s arm, "You''re right, let''s go then!"


    "Yeah."


    Ding-dong~


    Kagura Hikaru''s phone suddenly rang with another text message notification.


    "What is it, who is it?" Kiryu Hina asked curiously, looking over.


    He casually tilted the phone so his girlfriend could only see the reflection on the screen, and then with a troubled tone he said, "It''s my dad urging me to come home, he says he bought a cake and is waiting for me to eat it together."


    "Is that so, are you going back then?"


    "Yeah, sorry..."


    "It''s okay, I already had a lot of fun today." Kiryu Hina didn''t sulk, instead comforting him by patting his arm.


    "Thanks, then let''s part here, see you tomorrow."


    "Yeah, see you tomorrow."


    Kiryu Hina waved at Kagura Hikaru''s retreating figure, ready to turn around and head home.


    But just as she looked down, she suddenly noticed something silver flashing on the ground.


    It was the couple''s bracelet they had bought earlier.


    That guy, so careless, didn''t even know his bracelet had fallen off.


    Muttering to herself, Kiryu Hina crouched down to pick it up and hesitated for a moment between returning it tomorrow and catching up to him, choosing the latter.


    While she could still see him, Kiryu Hina quickly started following him.


    If she had known that at the end of this road she would encounter a tragedy that would completely overturn her current happiness, she would have thought more carefully before making this decision.

 Chapter 128 White Christmas White Album

    She liked Kagura Hikaru.More than anyone else in this world, more than liking anyone else in this world.


    If spending money could express love, she would clean out her entire family''s wealth.


    That was the extent of her feelings for her boyfriend.


    Even if it meant marrying him right now, she could do it.


    These thoughts had been running through Kiryu Hina''s mind when she discovered the fallen couple''s bracelet, tried to catch up with Kagura Hikaru to return it to him, and found she could not keep pace.


    That guy, why on earth does he need such long legs, making him walk so fast¡ªdoesn''t he know how hard it is for girls who are only five foot three to keep up!


    She muttered to herself in dissatisfaction.


    Maybe, she should just follow him all the way home.


    And incidentally meet his family....and so on...


    The above is the whole process she suddenly envisioned about getting married.


    She didn''t know what Kagura Hikaru thought since being middle school students, maybe he didn''t care much about these things yet?


    But waiting until it''s necessary to think about these things would mean being slower than others, wouldn''t it?


    Fun fact, Kiryu Hina was the type who wanted to marry earlier than her peers, preferably getting married as soon as they both reached legal marrying age. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By that time, they should be in university.


    She had heard that there are quite a few predatory women in university who specifically target men, get them drunk, and take them back to their dorm to play.


    To prevent Kagura Hikaru from being targeted by those kind of bad women, marriage was necessary, or rather proclaiming sovereignty was necessary, with that diamond ring on the ring finger.


    Yes, it definitely wasn''t because she had any possessive or controlling desires, absolutely not.


    After all, think about it, many people, when they are at a critical juncture, start to hate themselves for not being prepared earlier; it''s a common tendency, right?


    The students wailing over not reviewing before an exam, the boys realizing they didn''t take precautions before getting to base, the girls discovering their boyfriend cheating with their best friend...and so on.


    Isn''t it just to warn future generations to take precautions that people say "prevent problems before they happen"?


    Of course, in this aspect, Kiryu Hina was doing perfectly.


    She was earnestly studying, attending cram school, and her grades stayed steadily at second place in her grade, with no need to worry about exams whatsoever.


    She even prepared for the off-chance that Kagura Hikaru might suddenly unleash his wild side when they were together; she carried about ten sets of ultra-thin protections in her bag.


    Cheating.


    As for cheating, well, although she really didn''t want to consider this possibility, Kiryu Hina had also rehearsed in advance. If Kagura Hikaru ever cheated on her with some strange woman, she had figured out from which angle and with what force she should plunge a switchblade into that woman''s body to inflict the maximum degree of pain and the minimum degree of injury, so she wouldn''t be heavily sentenced if she ended up in court.


    Hmm? Why that expression, it''s a joke, you know.


    Really, really.


    Moreover, the previous example was about when a boyfriend cheats with a ''best friend'', right?


    It''s the same with this; there''s no need to worry.


    After all, among those who could be called Kiryu Hina''s friends of the same age, there were only two girls, and the only one who could be called a best friend was Kohinata Suse from the same club.


    Would she cheat with her boyfriend?


    Even joking should have a limit.


    She considered Kiryu Hina to the point where she even started worrying that the other might be asexual, completely disinterested in boys.


    Of course, disinterested in girls as well, in the sense of love.


    A high-level beauty, an unattainable flower, a perfect person, a saint... these words used to describe her would never be associated with cheating.


    Let alone with Kagura Hikaru as the target.


    If someone still aimed at a friend''s lover, they must be either insane or utterly malicious.


    Kohinata Suse was the kind of girl who would feel pity for a flower if plucked from the wild, too kind and gentle to the point that it was hard for others to watch.


    If someone mentioned in front of Kiryu Hina that Suse was dating someone else''s boyfriend, her first reaction wasn''t to get angry or to seek confirmation, but to punch the rumor spreader in the face.


    To insult Suse like that was unforgivable.


    As for the other possibility, that of Kagura Hikaru actively seducing Kohinata Suse.


    By the same logic, Suse wouldn''t agree.


    Even in the worst-case scenario, if someone had leverage against her, she only needed to make a phone call to inform her bodyguards, and the matter would be resolved within half a day.


    As long as she was unwilling, there were very few external forces in the world that could compel Suse to do anything.


    Was such a flawless woman likely to actively increase her own vulnerabilities?


    Putting aside dating someone, if that someone was another person''s lover, the nature of the matter changed.


    It was betrayal, a sin, an abominable act that society wouldn''t accept or condone.


    Kiryu Hina had indeed heard that some well-behaved daughters of elite families would act out against their strict upbringing by deliberately doing bad things.


    Like a broken spring, bouncing chaotically in every direction.


    In the end, they might truly break.


    But, she thought, Suse was not that kind of superficial girl.


    Or rather, not just that kind of superficial girl.


    Economic wealth was just a small part of what she possessed ¨C Kohinata Suse also had a level of knowledge and cultivation that matched her wealth.


    Honestly, even Kiryu Hina occasionally found her formidable.


    She would sometimes wonder if she wasn''t human.


    Previously, I mentioned her grades were often stable at second in the class, right? That''s because first place always belonged to Kohinata Suse.


    Not just in studies ¨C piano, dance, drama... Whatever she was interested in, she excelled at it, surpassing her peers.


    Even so, she never became arrogant or bullied others; she was a modest girl worthy of admiration.


    In any case, Kiryu Hina believed she wouldn''t cheat.


    Suse wouldn''t do such a thing.


    Even if she thought about it, reason would resist.


    But, she really shouldn''t have believed in this.


    Reason is the most unreliable part of a human being because even an irrational rationale is part of human nature.


    Back then, Kiryu Hina, just a middle school third grader who hadn''t faced tragedy, didn''t fully understand this.


    The lesson she should have learned from this was that even if the truth was as you believed, sometimes that was meaningless.


    Because thinking, no, presuming to think what someone else is thinking, is in itself meaningless.


    Betrayal could come at any moment.


    Whether it''s the persona seen by others.


    Or a boyfriend, or a best friend.


    When she followed Kagura Hikaru to the front of a love hotel and saw Kohinata Suse waiting at the entrance, flying into her boyfriend''s arms like a homing bird and kissing him on the neck.


    Kiryu Hina finally grasped this truth.


    This lesson was painfully profound.


    "Mister Hikaru, Suse, what are you doing..."


    She saw Kagura Hikaru turn around in shock, and the complex apology on Kohinata Suse''s face.


    The couple''s bracelet in her hand gradually slipped off.


    In that moment, her white Christmas came to an end.

 Chapter 129 Hina, You Surely Dont Understand

    Kagura Hikaru had deviated from his usual route on the way home, which first alerted Kiryu Hina that something wasn''t right.He had been close to the station that would take him home, but he missed it.


    At that time, Kiryu Hina just thought he wanted to buy something along the way and didn''t take much notice of it.


    She did not expect that his final destination would be this kind of place¡ªa love hotel.


    A love hotel is not a hotel. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s about love.


    This place charges by the hour, providing a space for couples to do "things."


    As for what those things are, of course, they are what adults love to do.


    The men and women who gather in such places, needless to say, have clear intentions.


    So why were Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo here?


    "Mister Hikaru... Motoyo... what are you doing?"


    At that moment, she asked this question purely out of curiosity.


    What were they doing, why were they there, why were they so close together...?


    She did not understand; she couldn''t comprehend it.


    Her mind subconsciously refused to accept the scene before her eyes.


    The statuesque and handsome Kagura Hikaru, dressed in a black trench coat, and Kohinata Motoyo, wearing a white fur coat with her hair hanging over her forehead.


    They looked good together.


    Just like a couple you''d see in a wedding advertisement.


    Probably what you''d call the ideal couple.


    Seeing her, Kagura Hikaru visibly panicked, becoming flustered.


    "Hina?! What are you doing here, wait, it''s not what you think, I really didn''t...!"


    "Calm down, Kagura," Kohinata Motoyo said, holding his shoulder and giving a wry smile, "I''ll handle this."


    "You....!" Kagura Hikaru seemed very angry and wanted to say something to Kohinata Motoyo, but after seeing her expression, he quelled his fury, stepped back silently, and went off to cool down alone.


    Kohinata Motoyo looked worriedly at him, brushed his chest with her hand, but he pushed her away.


    "Kagura...."


    Her expression briefly saddened, then she forced a smile, turned her head, and walked up close to Kiryu Hina.


    "Good evening, Hina. I''m so sorry for letting you see us in such an embarrassing state. Although I knew it would come out eventually, I didn''t expect it to happen here."


    "Motoyo."


    At that moment, Kiryu Hina, even she herself was surprised by her calm, as if all emotions had been erased. What appeared on her face was sheer expressionlessness.


    "Could you tell me what you were doing kissing outside a love hotel?"


    Faced with such a straightforward question, even Kohinata Motoyo couldn''t help but look embarrassed.


    She turned to look at the love hotel and then back again, "Today is Christmas, right? It''s a day worth commemorating for couples. So, I wanted to commemorate it here, by giving away my first time."


    "Giving away... what?"


    "My virginity."


    "To whom?"


    "Kagura Hikaru, the person I love."


    "..."


    "I caused him to cheat, I''m sorry, it was all my fault."


    ...Huh.... haha...


    All this was so absurd it felt like a dream.


    Was she dreaming? It must be, right?


    Her boyfriend, and her best friend, went to a love hotel on Christmas... just after their date.


    Kiryu Hina didn''t quite remember what happened afterwards.


    ¡ªJust kidding, how could she forget?


    Being betrayed by both her boyfriend and her best friend at the same time¡ªcould such a sensational experience really be forgotten by anyone?


    At least her memory of it was sharp enough to be engraved on her tombstone after death.


    "Why....."


    "Why did I do such a thing, is that what you want to ask?"


    Kohinata Motoyo gave a bitter smile, tilting her head, her sleek black hair swaying. Her eyes were full of undeniable turmoil and distress.


    Just like, yes, just like a girl in love.


    Kiryu Hina''s heart thumped uncontrollably.


    Her charm was effective on girls as well.


    "I like him."


    Kohinata Motoyo said, "I like him so much that I can''t pull myself away, just like you. It''s as simple as that."


    "I don''t understand something like that... I don''t understand!" Kiryu Hina finally changed her expression, shouting angrily and even drawing the attention of passersby, "The Suse I know wouldn''t do such a thing! Even if you liked him, you shouldn''t¡ª"


    "Hina, you just don''t understand."


    Suddenly, Kohinata Motoyo interrupted.


    This made Kiryu Hina catch her breath.


    She had never experienced such a thing.


    Suse doing something as rude as interrupting someone, she had never seen such a thing.


    ...No, in the end, her being with her own boyfriend was the biggest distortion.


    Kohinata Motoyo, she was no longer the Kohinata Motoyo she knew.


    Then who was this person in front of her?


    She didn''t understand, she really didn''t understand, can the world change so fast?


    "Saying I don''t understand, what do you mean? Are you saying I don''t understand love, or are you saying I don''t understand the special preference of someone cheating with a friend''s lover?"


    Kiryu Hina stepped back half a step, her gaze looking towards Kagura Hikaru not far ahead.


    Happiness, and love,


    all turned into hatred.


    "So it is, so it is, after all, I was the only one kept in the dark. Just how much have you done behind my back, taking for granted the trust I placed in you... "


    Once doubts started, all past memories began to feel wrong.


    At school, sometimes she would be late to the club for some reason, and by that time Kagura Hikaru and Suse had already started practicing, just the two of them alone in the club rehearsing the play¡ªbut, was it really just practice?


    There were always idlers around Suse, and Kiryu Hina sometimes heard rumors spread about her for chatting alone with her own boyfriend, at the time she only smiled about it, not taking it seriously¡ªbut, was it really just chatting?


    Not long ago, a text message arrived on Kagura Hikaru''s phone; he said it was from his father, urging him to come home¡ªbut, was the person on the other end of the phone really his father?


    The whirlpool of doubt kept spinning, pulling her in, swallowing her up.


    She felt as powerless as a lone boat on the sea, mercilessly dragged into the center of the whirlpool and mercilessly shattered.


    Unknowingly, tears streamed down her face.


    She didn''t want to cry, not in front of her boyfriend and his lover; she didn''t want to cry.


    Kiryu Hina forcefully grasped her cheeks with both hands.


    Perhaps frightened by the tears, Kohinata Motoyo became somewhat panicked, "I''m sorry, Hina, I''m really sorry, but please don''t blame Kagura, it''s my fault, I was the one who¡ª"


    "Don''t talk anymore." Kagura Hikaru came over and, without even looking at her, pushed Kohinata Motoyo away.


    "Kagura...?"


    "Let''s go, don''t say anything else, I''ll explain."


    "..."


    Suse hesitated before leaving.


    It was this aspect of her that made people feel sympathetic, almost obedient to those close to her.


    Gentle, passive.


    Initially, she had been proposed by others to run for the Student Council election, as her popularity could definitely secure her a position as Student Council President.


    But Suse refused, for this very reason ¨C she couldn''t reject others'' requests easily, so she definitely would not make a good leader.


    Ah, so it is like that.


    Kiryu Hina suddenly realized.


    Just as the growth of a person takes time, one cannot suddenly change.


    She hadn''t been mistaken about her impression of Suse; she still was that na?ve, kind-hearted, perfect girl.


    Then who was actually at fault?


    "Hina, now I''m going to tell you everything I''ve done."


    Kagura Hikaru said this, her own boyfriend said this.


    He was someone who loved to smile, his smile often enchanted girls at school.


    But now, he was numb, expressionless.


    "Half a year ago, I started to like Suse and she liked me back, so we began seeing each other behind your back. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, dating, everything I did with you, I also did with her¡ªthis continued for half a year. That''s the truth."


    Slap!


    Kiryu Hina slapped him with all her might.


    "We are done."


    "...Yes."

 Chapter 130 Dont Cry, Dont Cry, Dont Cry

    The night after the truth was unveiled.Kiryu Hina never spoke a word again to Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo.


    Until they graduated from middle school, the three of them had no further connection.


    Hina didn''t care about what would happen to those two, but she inevitably heard some developments from their mutual friend¡ªSakata Asahi.


    As it turned out, it seemed like Kagura Hikaru had broken off his friendship with Kohinata Motoyo.


    The latter went to study abroad in Europe, while Kagura Hikaru ended up at the same high school as herself.


    It must have been a coincidence.


    Hina was certain that he, just like her, had no desire to see each other again.


    Men who could comfortably interact with a girlfriend who had betrayed them once were not common in this world.


    As far as Hina knew Kagura Hikaru, he was not the type of man lacking in shame.


    ...No, she couldn''t say that now.


    Because of her belief in her initial impression of him, hadn''t she already learned a painfully memorable lesson from being betrayed once?


    After that, due to some issues involving the Kiryu and Ayakoji families, Kiryu Hina approached the most skilled deceiver among her acquaintances, a swindler¡ªher ex-boyfriend, Kagura Hikaru¡ªto ask for his help.


    After a long time without seeing each other, he had changed a lot.


    His soul had grown, alongside his body.


    Didn''t a great man once say that not being able to smile is proof of maturity? Wasn''t it Mr. Lu Xun?


    It doesn''t matter.


    Anyway, when Hina approached him, for a moment she thought she was talking to another person wearing Kagura Hikaru''s skin.


    Because he didn''t smile.


    The Kagura Hikaru she knew would never be unable to smile.


    The him from before, the him from middle school, was like a golden retriever, constantly smiling wherever he went to the point where people really wanted to tear off his mouth so he wouldn''t spread his charm around.


    However, in just one short year.


    He had become a man who didn''t smile, who lacked confidence, mature beyond his years.


    To be more precise, he was overly mature, thoroughly ripe, skipping past the stages of ''the na?ve newcomer to society'' and ''the wage slave tormented by reality,'' directly entering the era of an old man.


    Emptiness, yes, that''s the word she meant to use.


    Not maturity, but emptiness was more fitting.


    There seemed to be nothing left inside this body, and seeing him made people think so.


    But upon further conversation, she realized that he was indeed still the Kagura Hikaru of the past, kind-hearted, not prone to anger, and abundantly tolerant.


    And he was brave when it was necessary.


    During a spring outing when she fell down a slope, he jumped down without a second thought to save her.


    From that time on, Hina gradually rediscovered a familiar feeling.


    Even though she had hired him as a swindler, and knowing this, she unwittingly let herself be fooled as well.


    He aroused her curiosity with a pitiful demeanor unlike before, perhaps even with a little sympathy, with a compliant attitude that agreed and allowed, with the gratitude for saving a life that made one lower their guard, slowly weaving a web like a spider, tenderly wrapping her within it.


    By the time she realized it, the web that she once thought would break with a tug had gathered into a tough rope that silently strangled her throat.


    Unexpectedly, she was to experience betrayal for the second time in her life, again at the hands of Kagura Hikaru.


    She couldn''t believe she had fallen for him twice.


    This also explained the strange recent behavior of ''Ayakoji Chiyoko.''


    Why all her recent plans had failed. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hina had thought it was because Ayakoji Chiyoko had grown up, but if Kagura Hikaru had taken her side, it all made sense.


    The person thwarting her behind the scenes was not Ayakoji Chiyoko, but him.


    In the school, the one who understood her best was undoubtedly Kagura Hikaru.


    He knew all about her way of thinking and habits. Once they became opponents, he would undoubtedly become the most dangerous person.


    More threatening even than Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Even with this knowledge, Hina had never imagined that he would become so difficult to deal with once he took action.


    Yet indeed, none of these mattered anymore.


    What lingered in Kiryu Hina''s mind at the moment was only the fact that he had betrayed her once again.


    Anger, jealousy, resentment, sadness.


    A myriad of emotions crossed her face.


    Finally, they settled into an expressionless fa?ade of being utterly devoid of anything.


    She stood up, her hands leaving Kagura Hikaru''s shoulders, her tone surprisingly calm and cold.


    "So, what you''re saying is, you''re also going to be my enemy, is that it?"


    "I have no intention of being enemies with anyone," Kagura Hikaru slightly tilted her head, "But indeed, if that''s how you want to think, I cannot object, for what I must do will not change."


    "...From today on, we are enemies. Brace yourself."


    "I will."


    She took a deep breath and turned to leave.


    After she turned her back, her eyes immediately reddened, her nose wrinkling in frustration.


    No, I can''t cry, I can''t cry, I can''t cry.


    If someone sees me like this, I''ll never be perfect again.


    Like a command programmed into a robot, Kiryu Hina immediately suppressed the urge to cry.


    She thought of that girl who everyone saw as truly perfect¡ªbeautiful, innocent, flawless, and without blemish¡ªthe girl she found so detestable.


    If I''m not perfect... if I''m no longer perfect.


    How can I approach her, become her, and drive her out?


    In the end, how can I completely replace her?


    Kiryu Hina closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was no longer any anger or sadness in them, only gentleness and purity, and she revealed a stunningly beautiful smile.


    She was the perfect Student Council President, and she would become the perfect Student Council President.


    For that, she would pay any price, do anything.


    It was heartbreaking that Kagura Hikaru wasn''t willing to help. Frankly, she had no other options left.


    Defeat was looming ahead.


    But that''s okay.


    As long as Kohinata Suse doesn''t appear before her, there would be no one in this school who could rival her.


    Exhausting all her wisdom and connections, she would beautifully resolve this matter, just as she had done before.


    Then, after the election ended, just like always, she''d sit in the Student Council office, holding a warm teacup, and continue to refine her pursuit of perfection.


    If that were the case, someday...


    Watching Kiryu Hina''s departing figure, Kagura Hikaru was torn, but she had no regrets.


    If Kagura Hikaru had really stirred up Saijo Mari to help her at this moment, she would undoubtedly draw suspicion from Ayakoji Chiyoko, and the task entrusted to her by Kiryu Hina would never be completed.


    Did she realize this, or did she deliberately ignore it?


    It''s just the position of Student Council President. There are no monetary gains; it''s tiresome and time-consuming, and at most, it adds a single line to a resume after graduation. Is it really worth abandoning her role as a spy?


    This completely contradicted her initial logical behavior, it felt like she was being reckless without considering the consequences.


    This only proved Kagura Hikaru''s point again: the role of Student Council President was Kiryu Hina''s mask of perfection, a facade of her perfection, and a shackle upon herself.


    Therefore, to correct her, Kagura Hikaru could not compromise.


    Hina, she surely doesn''t understand.


    But that''s okay, even if she hates me like before, it doesn''t matter.


    What he''s doing, ultimately, will never be understood by anyone.


    He is just a man seeking retribution against his ex-girlfriend, a scumbag; understanding him as such is sufficient.


    No matter how it''s phrased, the harm he has caused to Hina cannot be mended.


    So, after doing all that needs to be done, they will never meet again.


    Enemies don''t need to see each other, after all.


    It''s a simple truth, isn''t it?


    Lunch break ended, and Kagura Hikaru returned to her class.


    Kiryu Hina, seated in front of him, chatted with her classmates with a smile, as usual, never once looking back.


    The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and the teacher came in through the door.


    He usually began the lecture by flipping open a textbook, but today seemed different.


    After placing the textbook on the lectern, he rested one hand on the desk, his other hand on his hip, and said to the students below, "Today, we have a transfer student to introduce."


    Come in.


    The teacher said to someone outside the door.


    "Excuse me."


    A clear voice sounded.


    Then, a long-haired girl in Ugao High''s summer uniform walked into the classroom gracefully.


    The instant she entered, Kagura Hikaru''s mind turned to mush.

 Chapter 131 Transfer Student, Kohinata Motoyo

    The girl who entered the classroom had black hair with a forehead-exposing bang, the ends slightly curled.She wasn''t tall among the girls, gentle and lovely.


    Her skin was as white as jade, her features attractive and pure, and her relaxed downward gaze exuded a maternal tenderness.


    As a high school student, she had a distinctive aura about her.


    A white flower, unblemished by any worldly impurities.


    As if she encompassed all of the world''s beauty.


    That was the impression she gave.


    It was summer, the weather very hot, so she naturally wore the summer school uniform; her top was tucked into her skirt, accentuating her soft yet substantial figure, yet slim in build, fitting the universal image of a high school girl.


    The arms and lower legs exposed were so clean and pale they could be likened to vanilla-flavored ice cream.


    Lick them, and perhaps you''d even taste sweetness.


    The classmates stared in stupefied awe as she walked gracefully to the podium with her schoolbag in both hands, smiling politely.


    "Introduce yourself to everyone," said the teacher.


    She obediently took the chalk and wrote ''Kohinata Motoyo'' on the blackboard in elegant calligraphy that must have taken years to perfect.


    After writing, she returned the chalk to the teacher.


    Then turned around, held her blouse at the collar to prevent any wardrobe malfunction, and gently bent her slender waist.


    "Hello everyone, my name is Kohinata Motoyo. Starting today, I''m transferring to Yuqiu High School. Please take good care of me."


    "Ohh! So cute!!"


    "Ah, she''s such a beautiful girl, I''m dead!"


    "Such a cute name, Suse huh."


    "Her demeanor is really refined, could she be from a wealthy family?"


    Class 2A quickly descended into a festive uproar.


    Following Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, another extraordinarily ethereal beauty had joined the class, no wonder everyone was so excited.


    The only two whose expressions were opposite to joy were Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina.


    Their faces, rather than surprised, were filled with panic, astonishment, and disbelief.


    When they saw her walk into the classroom, even their hearts skipped a beat.


    Kohinata Motoyo ¡ª was this the Kohinata Suse they knew?


    This person, shouldn''t she be in Europe now? Why is she here at Yuqiu?!


    Receiving a warm welcome from her classmates, Kohinata Suse remained unperturbed and smiled as she looked around the classroom; soon her gaze fixed on a pair of astonished eyes.


    Found you.


    "Then, Kohinata Suse, please take the empty seat in the back row. If you can''t see the blackboard, remember to tell the teacher, and I will adjust your seat," said the teacher.


    "Yes, thank you, Teacher."


    Kohinata Suse bowed to the teacher with impeccable manners and then smiled as she walked down, passing through the aisle between student desks; her gentle demeanor immediately drew everyone''s attention entirely.


    She parted them like Moses dividing the sea, turning all heads as she walked, a procession of gazes following her.


    Suddenly, she hesitated and stopped.


    She paused in front of Kiryu Hina''s desk, her expression complicated as if she was looking at a once-close friend who had become estranged due to some incident.


    Which was indeed the case.


    "Hina, long time no see."


    "Yeah, long time no see. When did you get back?"


    "Yesterday."


    Kiryu Hina''s look at Kohinata Suse was one of astonishment, gloom, and anger.


    Her fists clenched tightly.


    Not standing up and slapping her was already a restraint on her part.


    Over the past year, that flame inside her hadn''t died down, but rather, after experiencing another betrayal by Kagura Hikaru, it burned even more intensely.


    I thought you had let it go, hadn''t you? Why come back?!


    In her rage, there might have been a hint of fear.


    She instinctively felt that Kohinata Suse''s arrival could lead to unpredictable variables in the Student Council election.


    Just like Kagura Hikaru, she was an unpredictable and formidable figure; once in motion, she was hard to counter.


    Coming back was one thing, but it had to be at this time... Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just what she feared most had happened.


    Kiryu Hina''s hostility towards her was profoundly evident.


    Even the onlooking students could feel that her mood was extremely foul, arguably the worst ever.


    "What''s going on with the Student Council President, does she know the transfer student? Do they not get along?"


    Everyone fell silent, exchanging glances surreptitiously.


    The atmosphere in the classroom cooled down for a moment.


    Realizing her emotions were off, Kiryu Hina took a deep breath and revealed a warm smile, "Kohinata, please go back to your seat, it''s time for class."


    Upon closer inspection, that smile appeared identical to the one on Kohinata Motoyo''s face.


    "Hina....."


    Kohinata Motoyo was somewhat shocked by the other''s attitude, completely different from her memories.


    But soon she seemed to see through something and sadly closed her eyes.


    She nodded her head and continued walking two steps forward, stopping at Kagura Hikaru''s desk.


    He was the only one in the classroom not looking at her.


    Hands placed on the desk, he buried his head in them, keeping quiet.


    Aside from avoiding meeting her, he couldn''t do what he intended.


    Seeing him like this, Kohinata Motoyo felt somewhat sad, she reached out to touch him, but hesitated for half a second and then retracted her hand.


    Being too intimate in front of everyone was inappropriate.


    Moreover, Kagura Hikaru might not appreciate it.


    She gave up on greeting him and, with a final lingering look, was about to continue walking back.


    To her surprise, a voice stopped her.


    "So you are Kohinata Motoyo, I''ve heard all about you, didn''t expect you to transfer here, quite unexpected."


    It was a girl sitting by the window, sharing a desk with Kagura Hikaru.


    Very pretty, but an unfamiliar face.


    Kohinata Motoyo puzzled, "You are...?"


    "Ayakoji Chiyoko." Ayakoji Chiyoko extended her right hand, while glancing at Kagura Hikaru, "For now, let''s just say I''m this guy''s friend."


    "Kagura''s... friend."


    Kohinata Motoyo keenly sensed a hint of malice in her words and slightly furrowed her brows.


    She also extended her hand and shook with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "Hello, my name is Kohinata Motoyo."


    "I heard earlier."


    "You said you know about me, may I ask what you mean by that... could it be related to Kagura?"


    However, Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t answer, or rather, didn''t plan to answer here.


    She smiled, gesturing towards the front where the teacher was, "The teacher is staring at you, better get back to your seat quickly."


    Kohinata Motoyo could only return to an empty seat at the back of the classroom with her questions.


    Her deskmate was a girl with twin pigtails, named Hagawa Reki, who seemed to be the class president.


    She wondered to herself.


    Whether it was Kagura, Hina, or Ayakoji Chiyoko who had just spoken with her, regardless of ability, their presence far surpassed that of the girl before her.


    The class president is supposed to be someone who can keep all the students in check; logically, it should have been one of those three.


    Yet, the reality was different.


    Moreover, after speaking with Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kohinata Motoyo distinctly felt the classroom''s atmosphere split into two.


    One group''s gaze towards her turned friendlier, while the other''s became more guarded.


    It seemed that there were some hidden issues in Class 2A she wasn''t aware of.


    Perhaps, she had accidentally gotten involved in something troublesome.


    Acting impulsively without prior investigation tends to lead to such outcomes.


    But it didn''t matter.


    After all, troubles would be resolved, she just needed to focus on her own goals.


    Classes had already started.


    But Kohinata Motoyo''s gaze did not turn to the blackboard but remained on the boy whose head lay upon the desk in front of her.


    Nostalgically and longingly staring.


    During the time she had left Tokyo, she had reminisced about the past constantly.


    That broken yet beautiful dream was irresistible.


    A year hasn''t seen you, Kagura.


    Are you doing well?

 Chapter 132 Suses Ex-boyfriend

    The bell signaling the end of class rang.Kagura Hikaru, who had been sitting as if on pins and needles, sprang up from his desk and hurriedly left the classroom without even looking back.


    He didn''t exit through the closer back door but through the front one.


    The purpose, naturally, was to avoid a certain person.


    If there was anyone Kagura Hikaru had ever been afraid of in his life, it could only be Kohinata Motoyo.


    Not a dangerous ex-girlfriend who once carried a switchblade, nor the icy and violent former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.


    But the seemingly perfect Kohinata Motoyo.


    Her perfection was indeed genuine, not a fake like Hina''s.


    But, from a certain moment, she had changed¡­


    Why, why did she have to come back after she had already caused him to become like this? Did she still not want to leave him alone?!


    And she even specifically transferred to the class he and Hina were in.


    If this wasn''t intentional, what was?


    After what she did to them both, how could she dare to show her face in front of them again!


    Kagura Hikaru thought throughout the entire class period until his stomach began to hurt.


    He quickly left the classroom and went to the school restroom, stood in front of the sink, turned on the tap, and cooled his face with the icy tap water while supporting himself on the sink and silently pondering.


    Kagura Hikaru looked up at himself in the mirror.


    There was no anger, only anxiety and unease.


    Incredibly, he found that he harbored no hatred towards Motoyo.


    Even though she had done something quite excessive, it was still so.


    He only wanted to escape from her presence, yet he couldn''t truly resent her, not even harboring the thought to scold her.


    This was perhaps because the impact Motoyo had made on him still lingered in his body.


    Kohinata Motoyo had not forgotten Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru also could not forget Kohinata Motoyo.


    In that unethical half-year, he was not completely void of feelings.


    But there was always a thread of rationality pulling at him, connecting him to a sober and normal world.


    If the first person he had met was not Hina, but Motoyo.


    Then maybe everything would have been different¡­


    "You have a tendency to run to the restroom when troubled," she said.


    "¡­ I think I said something similar during the sports festival."


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head and saw Ayakoji Chiyoko, who, unbeknownst to him, had been standing there with her arms crossed, "This is the men''s restroom, please leave."


    "I refuse." Your journey continues with empire


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said nonchalantly, "Unless you tell me what the truth was back then."


    "¡­ The truth? I don''t understand."


    "Of course, the truth about you and Kohinata Motoyo. Your relationship was definitely not that simple."


    As an observer, Ayakoji Chiyoko naturally noticed that Kagura Hikaru''s attitude was off.


    The aversion and refusal to communicate he showed towards Kohinata Motoyo seemed different from the kind towards Kiryu Hina, and also, it didn''t seem like the attitude one would have towards a past lover.


    If he was afraid that Motoyo might expose his past in the class, that also didn''t make sense, because she clearly still had lingering feelings; during class, her eyes were practically glued to him. How could she possibly do something that would harm Kagura Hikaru?


    The most crucial point was¡­


    "I don''t believe you''re that kind of person," Ayakoji Chiyoko said.


    "What kind."


    "The kind who would cheat."


    A moment of stunned silence passed before Kagura Hikaru laughed sarcastically.


    He hadn''t expected that the second person in the school to say such a thing to him would be that Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    The bloodless and tearless Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, who would actually believe in someone else.


    "Whatever you have mistakenly understood, it''s wrong," Kagura Hikaru stood straight up and looked at her, "I cheated on Motoyo, betrayed Kiryu Hina, that''s the truth."


    To avoid disturbing other students, the two left the restroom and walked down the school corridor.


    The closer they got to Classroom 2A, the slower Kagura Hikaru''s steps became.


    Finally, he stopped completely at the back door.


    From there, he could see Kohinata Motoyo''s seat, now surrounded by classmates who all bore smiles and chattered noisily with the transfer student.


    That scene uncomfortably reminded Kagura Hikaru of Komori Ai.


    The little girl who, at the campsite in Sendai, captured the affection of all the students in her grade with her large-scale hypnosis-like Supernatural Power.


    Kohinata Motoyo''s charm is somewhat similar to hers.


    However, she achieved the same effect not through any supernatural abilities but with her own personal charm.


    ...Don''t you think that the latter is somehow even more terrifying?


    "You are afraid of her," Ayakoji Chiyoko said abruptly.


    It was not a question, but a statement.


    That showed that Kagura Hikaru could no longer hide his emotions in her eyes. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He sighed, "I don''t want to use that word, I just don''t want to see her."


    "That means you''re afraid."


    "Alright, alright, call it what you want."


    Seeing him give in, Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled slightly, "So, are you still going in, or do you want to leave early? If you want to escape, I can go in and get your backpack for you."


    Cheap provocation.


    "I can get my own backpack, I don''t need your help!"


    "Oh, so you''re not denying you want to leave early."


    "..."


    You know, no matter how negative a word is, if you add the words ''courage'' at the end, it starts to seem positive.


    For example ¡ª the courage to stab a companion in the back!


    It''s just betraying a companion, and even stabbing them in the back, a despicable act, but if you add the word courage, it seems justified, as if he is sacrificing his own reputation for some higher justice.


    It''s just betraying a companion in the end.


    Or say ¡ª the courage to lay off employees!


    It''s just a company layoff, the worst news for the employees, and it might even make people resentful, but if you add the word courage, it seems like he had to lay off employees for the sake of the company''s survival, making it thought-provoking.


    It''s just a company layoff in the end.


    Indeed, leaving at this point would be embarrassing.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko might look down on him, thinking he''s a cowardly man.


    But as Kagura Hikaru would say ¡ª this is ''the courage to run away''!


    Moreover, he needed a moment to think and to calm his emotions.


    Once he made up his mind to escape, everything else seemed easier.


    That''s right, he just needed to walk into the classroom, grab his backpack and guitar case, and then go ask the teacher for sick leave.


    It was that simple.


    Kagura Hikaru stepped into the classroom.


    Through the front door.


    He skirted the crowd gathered around Kohinata Motoyo''s desk, approached his own desk with the stealth of an assassin, unheard and unbreathed, and picked up his backpack and guitar case.


    At that moment, some words inevitably slipped into his ears.


    "Eh? Motoyo, have you had a boyfriend??"


    "Is that so surprising?" Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile.


    The other students chimed in:


    "No no no, it''s not that..."


    "It''s just that you don''t seem like you''d date, Motoyo."


    "Exactly."


    "So, that boyfriend, are you still dating him?"


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled calmly, "Unfortunately, we broke up when I graduated from middle school."


    Ah~


    Everyone made a sound that was either regret or relief.


    "However," Kohinata Motoyo suddenly looked forward, to the figure who was about to leave but froze upon feeling her gaze, "I transferred here to find him."


    "Eh? Eh??"


    "Who is it? Who?!"


    "Could it be that Motoyo''s ex-boyfriend is here at Uka?!"


    "Has Motoyo found him already?"


    "Of course," Kohinata Motoyo said softly, "Isn''t that right, Kagura?"

 Chapter 133 The Red String of Love

    Kohinata Motoyo''s words left the classmates stunned.In the room, you could even hear the sound of several men''s hearts breaking.


    "Kagura... is that Kagura? Kagura Hikaru?"


    "How could someone so inconspicuous, uh, I mean, in terms of aura, be...?"


    "Right, right, he seems, like, quite aloof and difficult to get along with... " sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although no one wanted to speak ill of Kagura Hikaru in front of Kohinata Motoyo, the undertones of their conversation seemed to insinuate that the two of them were a mismatch.


    It wasn''t that Kagura Hikaru wasn''t good enough; his looks were quite well-received among the girls.


    It was just that the atmosphere between him and Kohinata Motoyo was too different.


    Like the still mountains and rocks weathering wind and rain, compared to the quiet moon illuminating the night with its glow.


    Completely different styles.


    One could not even imagine them being friends, let alone in a romantic relationship.


    Hearing their discussion, the smile on Kohinata Motoyo''s face became slightly complex.


    If the students of Class 2-A had seen Kagura Hikaru during his junior high days, they would not have made such comments.


    Back then, he was clearly much happier than he was now, often smiling, sunny and refreshing.


    Now, he had become a little like the old Hina.


    Just less sarcastic.


    But it wasn''t for these reasons that Kohinata Motoyo had fallen for him.


    Sunshine and smiles are just the exterior of a person, merely appreciating someone''s appearance is not the same as liking them, that''s just admiration, infatuation.


    Love is a more indescribable feeling.


    Like a long red string tied to another person, you can feel the subtle weight transmitted through the pinky.


    Crossing oceans from Europe, connected to that person in Tokyo.


    A full year had passed, a sixteenth of a life she had already lived, and to this day, Kohinata Motoyo could still feel the presence of that red string. Explore new worlds at empire


    When this emotion became too overwhelming to contain, she could no longer hold back, breaking the promise, choosing to return to her homeland this summer to see him.


    Even if Kagura Hikaru no longer smiled, to Kohinata Motoyo he was still as he had always been.


    Because the Kagura Hikaru she saw was still Kagura Hikaru.


    Everything seemed as if nothing had changed.


    No, there should be one thing that had changed.


    Now, he had no lover.


    "Kagura."


    Kohinata Motoyo stood up and walked towards him, gently grabbed his arm, and with a soft voice that carried a hint of pleading whispered, "Stop avoiding me, let''s make up, okay?"


    The hand of Kagura Hikaru involuntarily jerked.


    In a way, it was refreshing.


    Because Kohinata Motoyo never spoke to anyone with that tone.


    To be precise, it was a plea, a request, a beg.


    This was the first time.


    She was always right, always able to elegantly achieve her goals, even on the day they broke up, she was just sad but never begged him in return.


    Even though they both knew, in her heart, Kohinata Motoyo was not ready to give up.


    This was a side of her that Kagura Hikaru had never seen.


    A new facade of Kohinata Motoyo, never seen before.


    In other words,


    The incident had changed not just Kagura Hikaru, but Motoyo as well...


    The one who used to laugh, now could no longer smile.


    The one who held onto pride, now chose to let go of it.


    ...No, this was not good.


    If he were to be beguiled by her here, there would be no turning back afterwards.


    She was always like this, inadvertently leading people astray.


    Rather, she actively led people astray.


    That''s why Kagura Hikaru feared her the most.


    Not resistance.


    But fear.


    "I... haven''t forgiven you, Kohinata," Kagura Hikaru said, tilting his head slightly and speaking in a stern yet insincere voice only the two of them could hear, "Let go of my hand before I lose my temper."


    "If you really want to pretend to be angry, you should talk more from your diaphragm, it gives you a more commanding presence."


    It seemed to have the opposite effect.


    Kohinata Motoyo instead smiled softly as if she had confirmed his true feelings and thoughtfully offered advice.


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    It worked on Hina just fine, so why didn''t it work on Ayakoji Chiyoko and Suse?


    Maybe he really wasn''t good at lying.


    "Ha..."


    He gave up.


    But the escape must continue.


    With his current state, he didn''t have the confidence to stand his ground in front of Kohinata Motoyo.


    Today had been full of too many shocks.


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was standing by the back door watching the drama unfold. She returned his look with a mocking gaze.


    You can''t even handle a little girl and you bragged about escaping¡ªshe seemed to be saying that.


    Indeed, how could he imagine continuing to share a classroom with Kohinata Motoyo if he couldn''t even manage to run away smoothly?


    He couldn''t keep running away forever.


    As Kagura Hikaru contemplated his options, he turned around, about to say something.


    At that moment, someone walked into the classroom.


    A girl with the same perfect demeanor and appearance as Kohinata Motoyo.


    She walked over with books in hand, moving her white, over-the-knee stockinged legs, her face carrying a light, indifferent smile.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo both stopped in their tracks and had their attention stolen by her.


    Expecting her to say something, they were surprised when Kiryu Hina utterly ignored them, simply greeting other classmates with a smile on her way to her seat.


    Completely overlooked, as if they were unseen.


    In a sense, did that mean she was actually very conscious of them?


    Concerned enough to feign ignorance.


    The atmosphere disrupted, Kohinata Motoyo''s grip relaxed a bit. Seizing the opportunity while she was distracted, Kagura Hikaru, with his backpack and guitar in tow, made a quick exit, leaving behind the words, "I''m not feeling well and need to leave early, see you tomorrow, Kohinata."


    "Kagura? Wait, I haven''t..."


    Kohinata Motoyo snapped back to reality, intending to chase after him.


    But with her athletic ability on par with Kiryu Hina''s, she was two centuries behind catching up to Kagura Hikaru in a full-speed race walk.


    As a result, all she could do was watch him go with the helpless look of someone watching their mischievous child leave.


    "Suse, don''t be mad, Kagura is always like that," someone said to comfort her.


    "Yeah, he can be heartlessly annoying at times."


    "And he practically only talks with Ayakoji Chiyoko; he doesn''t really pay attention to anyone else at other times."


    The classmates crowded around to console her.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay, I''m not so easily upset," Kohinata Motoyo waved her hands, trying to explain in confusion.


    And moreover.


    It wasn''t so much that Kagura Hikaru was heartless, but rather that he was perhaps too sensitive, which explained his behavior.


    Kohinata Motoyo felt a mix of gloom and guilt.


    In the past, she had indeed done something cruel to him.


    ...Speaking of which, did she just hear some interesting information?


    ''Kagura Hikaru only talks to Ayakoji Chiyoko in class.''


    So what that girl said was true, they really were friends.


    "Hey, I want to ask about Ayakoji Chiyoko, is that okay?" Kohinata Motoyo took the initiative to grasp the hand of a girl beside her, not hiding her curiosity at all, "And Hina, no, I mean Classmate Kiryu, I''m also very curious about her."


    "If you want to learn about me, it would be faster to speak directly to me," Ayakoji Chiyoko interrupted, "And by the way, I''ll also tell you about Kiryu Hina."


    She parted the crowd and came in front of Kohinata Motoyo, sizing her up with a look of contradictory interest¡ªas if she found her to be a fascinating creature that was intriguing to study yet tempting to devour.


    "In exchange... you''ll have to tell me about Kagura Hikaru''s past."

 Chapter 134 Premonition of Shura Field

    The first class after lunch break ended.It was a break between classes.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo walked along the corridor of the special classrooms.


    It was a place in the teaching building where few people came, visited only when classes such as chemistry and cooking, which required special equipment, were held.


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    Ayakoji Chiyoko stopped in front of one of the classroom doors and opened it.


    Inside was a dance studio, which usually served as the practice venue for the school''s dance club.


    The floor was covered with wood planks, the classroom''s front and rear walls had been converted into mirrors, and two horizontal steel bars, which dancers typically use to stretch their legs, were fixed on the sides near the windows. They were wrapped in a layer of sponge, probably to prevent injuries.


    Now that the lunch break was over, and it wasn''t yet time to go home, no one would come here.


    It was certainly a good place for a conversation.


    "Even if no one comes, it''s not so good to just enter without permission," one said.


    "Well, you still came in, didn''t you?" replied the other.


    "Ah, I accidentally..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kohinata Motoyo, who was cautious and looked around at the doorway, and somewhat grasped her character.


    She was indeed a missy from a wealthy family, just as Sakata Asahi had said.


    "Speaking of which, we haven''t formally introduced ourselves yet," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, hand on hip. "I''m Ayakoji Chiyoko, the eldest daughter of the Ayakoji family. Ryoma Ayakoji, also known as Ayanokoji Daisuke, is my father."


    Ryoma Ayakoji was a stage name; her father''s real name was ''Daisuke,'' a rough and hardly idol-like name.


    Coming from an upper-class family just like hers should make it easy for her to understand.


    "So you are Miss Chiyoko from the Ayakoji family, I''ve heard much about you. I apologize for my earlier rudeness."


    Unlike the casual Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kohinata Motoyo brought her legs together and bowed at the perfect angle, her gracefulness almost making it seem like she was wearing a kimono instead of a school uniform.


    "I too have heard of the Kohinata Family. Compared to you, my family might only be considered at the lower levels of the upper class. By rights, I should be bowing back, competing to see whose head can be lower."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, unfazed, said, "But the Kohinata Family, speaking to you now is just ''Ayakoji Chiyoko,'' not the ''eldest daughter of the Ayakoji family.'' I hope you understand this distinction."


    "I see, I understand," Kohinata Motoyo raised her head, a realization dawning with a laugh. "So, there''s no need for either of us to be overly polite, and we can simply treat each other as classmates."


    "Heh, having both our complicated backgrounds sure makes conversation troublesome."


    She shrugged her shoulders, Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped closer, gazing into her eyes, "You should know why I asked you to come here."


    Of course, Kohinata Motoyo hadn''t forgotten that quickly.


    "You want to know about Kagura," she assumed.


    "Exactly," Ayakoji Chiyoko took another step closer, cornering her prey with a forceful aura, "Sakata Asahi told me that during his relationship with Kiryu Hina, Kagura Hikaru cheated with another girl, which was you, Kohinata Motoyo."


    "Asahi... I didn''t expect you to have ties with her, what a small world," she remarked.


    "Kiryu Hina has expressed distinct resentment toward Kagura Hikaru, and the latter has also admitted to me personally that the cheating indeed occurred. I find this believable."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko took a deep breath, recalling the expression on Kagura Hikaru''s face when he mentioned the incident to her twice.


    Sorrow, pain, regret.


    "However, even so, I still don''t believe that''s the whole truth. Your presence has confirmed this to me."


    "And why is that?"


    "Kagura Hikaru is afraid of you, almost as if you are not a former lover, but some sort of calamity... This is not the attitude toward someone with whom one has had an affair."


    Upon hearing this, Kohinata Motoyo lost herself in laughter.


    Indeed, it was all too clear.


    Perhaps it''s the clarity of an outsider, even Ayakoji Chiyoko, an outsider could see what Hina completely missed.


    Or perhaps, she chose not to understand it.


    Once betrayed, it became impossible to trust again, and the thoughts of suspicion couldn''t be shaken off the mind, not to mention that Hina was the one who got hurt the most among the three of them.


    And with Kagura Hikaru''s personality, he probably took all the blame upon himself.


    Indeed, it wasn''t his fault at all, but her own.


    She was the root cause of the tragedy.


    "It''s about time you told me," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, "As Kagura''s friend, I think I deserve to know the truth."


    "...Yes, you''re right."


    Kohinata Motoyo closed her eyes, then opened them again.


    She didn''t hesitate and candidly revealed the truth, "Just as you thought, Kagura was forced to cheat. It was me who used Hina''s leverage to threaten him and force him to compromise. The so-called affair was nothing more than an act of wrongdoing I committed to satisfy my own desires."


    "..."


    Although she already knew that the lady in front of her was straightforward, she didn''t expect her to confess so openly.


    But, indeed, it was as she had thought.


    Kagura Hikaru was not the ''mastermind''.


    So, he was actually protecting Kohinata Motoyo, or rather, he was protecting the existence of the so-called ''leverage over Kiryu Hina'', allowing those other than Kohinata Motoyo who knew the truth to misunderstand him.


    Kagura Hikaru was not such an absurd person.


    Therefore, it must have been the leverage that Kohinata Motoyo presented, which he feared too much, capable of harming both parties, hence he had no choice but to respond this way.


    "That leverage..."


    "Sorry, I can''t tell you about that," Kohinata Motoyo shook her head, "After all, it also involves Hina, and I can''t reveal her privacy."


    "Is that so, well then."


    It''s a pity not to get hold of the opponent''s leverage, but it doesn''t matter if the interrogation about this matter is postponed a bit.


    Compared to that, learning another piece of the truth made Ayakoji Chiyoko feel satisfied, and that the trip was worthwhile.


    Just as she thought, Kagura Hikaru was not the despicable person Kiryu Hina thought he was.


    Doesn''t this mean that she, rather than his ex-girlfriend Kiryu Hina, is closer to Kagura Hikaru?


    "Now, it''s my turn to ask," Kohinata Motoyo smiled faintly, seemingly unaffected emotionally by her earlier confession, "Ayakoji classmate, please tell me what Kagura and Hina went through when I wasn''t around."


    Upon leaving the dance studio, both Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo had agreed on a cooperative intention.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko told her that if she wanted to reconcile and be a couple with Kagura Hikaru, she needed to first change the school rule that forbade dating, otherwise even holding hands at school had to be done secretly.


    But if she became the Student Council President, she would fully push for changes related to school regulations.


    She also promised her that once she became Student Council President, she would help her improve her relationship with Kagura Hikaru, as long as she helped promote herself in the Student Council election.


    The personal charm of Kohinata Motoyo had already been tested in 2nd year Class A. Even as a transfer student who had just moved, she might be a big help.


    Kohinata Motoyo was apparently persuaded and agreed.


    Of course, that was fake, a deception.


    She had promised to help her improve her relationship with Kagura Hikaru, but had not agreed to let her date him.


    How could Ayakoji Chiyoko possibly give up the man she had her eyes on?


    Moreover, according to Kohinata Motoyo''s statement, Kagura Hikaru even had a grudge against her, since she was the reason they had to break up.


    But from Ayakoji Chiyoko''s perspective, she had to thank her for giving her the chance to intervene in this relationship.


    The third period after lunch ended, school was out.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko immediately went to the Disciplinary Committee, prepared to send someone to thoroughly investigate Kohinata Motoyo''s affairs, and considered how to maximize the use of her abilities.


    She believed that the other party was the final piece of the puzzle to defeat Kiryu Hina.


    The last vote was just a week away, so preparations had to be made early.


    Meanwhile, having reluctantly declined an offer from a classmate to accompany her, and planning to ride home alone in a private car, Kohinata Motoyo accidentally encountered Kagura Hikaru in the courtyard. He was supposed to have left school early but was now walking around the school carrying a cute girl.


    "Eh?" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eh?"

 Chapter 135 Indeed, Its a Shura Field

    A few hours ago.After successfully getting permission from the teacher to leave class, Kagura Hikaru appeared under the academic building with a backpack and a guitar case in tow.


    "Hmm...."


    Seeing the golden expanse outside the shadow of the eaves, he couldn''t help but let out a troubled sound from his throat.


    The midday sun was too strong, stinging the eyes.


    The thought of having to walk out there made him feel hot.


    No, not just walking out there, but even standing downstairs made him sweat uncontrollably.


    This summer was proving to be a tough one.


    Kagura Hikaru wiped the sweat from his forehead, swept his hair back, and was just about to muster the courage to step out when he suddenly saw an adult wearing a straw hat and carrying a trash basket on his back passing by.


    It was Teacher Yamazaki.


    The physical education teacher and Kendo Club advisor who had been with him at the competition in the Capital City.


    "Hey, isn''t that Kagura?"


    Seeing him too, he raised his hand and came over to say hello, "What''s up with you, it''s class time right now."


    "I got permission to leave early," Kagura Hikaru replied.


    Noticing that he was wearing gloves and holding a long pair of tongs, Kagura couldn''t help but ask, "Teacher Yamazaki, are you picking up trash?"


    "Yeah, per the principal''s instructions, who else but the PE teacher with the best physical strength and plenty of free time?"


    Teacher Yamazaki struck a self-pitying bodybuilder''s pose to show off his biceps, said with resignation, then sized him up, his eyes lighting up, "Say, Classmate Kagura, you should have some time now, right?"


    "...What for."


    "Don''t think about running, come and help!"


    And just like that, Kagura Hikaru found himself drafted into service.


    Beep beep beep beep¡ª¡ª


    The constant chirping of summer cicadas filled the air.


    Though unseen, their sounds were always audible, no matter where one was.


    It was as if the essence of summer itself was making its presence felt.


    After listening for a while, he began to feel a peculiar type of calmness, reminding Kagura Hikaru of his rural hometown visits during the summer vacations. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He adjusted his cap and gazed at the distant clouds.


    He was assigned to clean the plastic racetrack area, donning a hat, gloves, and a trash basket like Teacher Yamazaki, with a long pair of tongs for picking up trash in hand.


    "So hot...."


    He muttered as he wiped his chin, sighing deeply.


    Why had it come to this?


    He''d rather be ''imprisoned'' in the classroom, with its ceiling providing shade and a fan that could blow air.


    Outside, even if there was a breeze, it was a hot one.


    After complaining, he bent down to continue working.


    The sooner he finished, the sooner he could go home.


    The racetrack was relatively clean, but the spectator stands next to it were a completely different story.


    Who knows who had been up there playing, leaving behind a pile of trash, plastic bags, empty drink bottles, snack wrappers, and even gum stuck to the seats.


    If anyone says again that people from the Island Nation are clean and civilized, Kagura Hikaru is ready to argue fiercely.


    By the time everything was cleaned up, it was already half-past three in the afternoon, and other students had left school.


    Kagura Hikaru washed his face, retrieved his backpack and guitar case, and was planning to go home when he encountered Ai Cheng Hua Lian wandering in the courtyard pathway near the school entrance, holding an election sign and distributing flyers.


    "Ah, Kagura, yo~"


    Seeing him, Ai Cheng Hua Lian greeted him energetically, hurrying over like a dog spotting its owner.


    She brushed the hair that had floated onto her cheek and smiled happily, "Are you heading back now? Got a live show today?"


    "No, heading home," Kagura Hikaru replied.


    Actually, there was a rehearsal, but it was just for the band, and he wouldn''t have brought the guitar to school otherwise.


    However, since the band that had asked him to perform was a regular client and they had collaborated many times, they mentioned that it was fine to come to rehearsal if he had time and no problem if he couldn''t make it, so he might as well say there wasn''t one. He was indeed planning to head straight home to rest.


    But since he''d encountered Ai Cheng Hua Lian, he figured a slight delay would be okay.


    "Are you helping President Kiriyu distribute flyers again?" Kagura Hikaru picked up a flyer from her hand, which bore phrases such as ''Support Kiryu Hina for a continued term as the Student Council President for a brand-new campus life.''


    The packaging was rather artistic, but that was the gist of it.


    Worth noting was that it also mentioned the proposal to change the school''s ban on dating, identical to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s policy.


    But surprisingly, Kagura had learned of it through the flyer, as there had been absolutely no similar buzz around the school, indicating it hadn''t had an impact.


    When it came to changing school rules, people still remembered Ayakoji Chiyoko more resonantly.


    After all, it was she who brought it up first and heavily promoted it in the Society Discussion Meeting Daily.


    Kiryu Hina''s later-added promises were merely icing on the cake and did not manage to pull back the advantage.


    Since both major candidates were advocating for a change in school rules, everyone would just vote for who they liked, and in the end, it wouldn''t be their loss.


    If it came down to popularity, Ayakoji Chiyoko, the first to propose the lifting of the ban on dating and who had appeared on a TV program with Kagura Hikaru, was recently gaining momentum. She was going back and forth with the school''s ''veteran idol'' Kiryu Hina, and it was still too early to tell who would win or lose.


    But Kagura Hikaru would ensure that in the end, it was Ayakoji Chiyoko who emerged victorious, no matter what happened.


    It was uncertain if the appearance of Kohinata Motoyo in this last week before the results would change the outcome of the election.


    If there were to be changes, he hoped they would be positive.


    Under the sun, students sought refuge in the shade of trees on both sides of the courtyard to avoid the sunlight.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was tasked with walking to crowded areas during the after-school period, carrying a sign and handing out flyers to promote as much as possible.


    She diligently carried out her duties and was passing out flyers to passing students while saying the slogan "Support President Kiryu Hina''s Reelection".


    The accident occurred at this time.


    Not noticing the group of boys running and roughhousing behind him was Kagura''s oversight; after all, it was the after-school period, and the surrounding noise was already loud. By the time he realized it, it was too late.


    The leading boy, walking backward and talking to those behind him, didn''t slow his pace and directly knocked over Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who couldn''t dodge in time.


    "Ah!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, being small and light, was knocked down hard, her sign and flyers scattering all over the ground.


    But after seeing what happened, they just glanced back and continued running forward, laughing and joking.


    However, before they could leave the school gate, they were stopped by the Gorilla Vice President and several other Discipline Committee members stationed at the gate.


    "Running and laughing in the courtyard, recklessly bumping into people and violating discipline," the Gorilla Vice President towered before them like a wall, his fierce and broad face instilling fear.


    "What discipline? Who cares about you guys?"


    The boys appeared to be first-year students, still unaware of Ugao High''s rules¡ªnever defy the Discipline Committee.


    They started retreating to escape.


    Likely to their surprise, they turned to find Kagura Hikaru already standing behind them, waiting.


    He swiftly kicked the leading boy''s knee and expertly restrained him with a joint lock.


    The other Discipline Committee members quickly joined in, pinning the boys down one after another.


    "Teach, what should we do with them?" the Gorilla Vice President came over to consult.


    "They bumped into someone and didn''t apologize. They should be punished."


    Kagura left this instruction and no longer paid attention.


    The Gorilla Vice President, however, showed a knowing smile¡ªor rather a sinister grin.


    Punishment it is, understood.


    While the Discipline Committee members took the offending students to the Discipline Committee for a ''disciplinary education'' session that was more physical than verbal, Kagura returned to Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s side.


    Before going to restrain the boys, Kagura had already checked that she was uninjured and helped her sit at the edge of the courtyard.


    But when he returned, he saw her massaging her ankle.


    "What''s wrong, does your foot hurt?"


    "Yes, it seems like I''ve sprained it..."


    Kagura turned around, squatted in front of her, "Climb on, I''ll carry you to the infirmary."


    "Eh... Eh!? Can you?"


    "Yes."


    "Then, then... thank you."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s face flushed as she slowly climbed onto Kagura''s back.


    Unexpectedly broad and firm.


    Is this how boys are supposed to feel?


    As she clasped her arms around his neck and at such a close distance, Ai Cheng could easily smell Kagura''s scent, and the warm touch of his hands under her thighs flushed her face thoroughly.


    Soon, they reached the infirmary, where the school nurse might think she had heatstroke.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought hazily.


    Today might just be her lucky day.


    The infirmary was located on the inner side of the first floor of the academic building. Kagura carried Ai Cheng Hua Lian, also holding both of their satchels and a guitar case, rushing there.


    However, clearly, he did not expect to encounter Kohinata Motoyo, who was about to head home, downstairs.


    They looked at each other, stunned for a few seconds, and then both women spoke almost simultaneously.


    "Kagura, who is this?"


    "Kagura, do you know her?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."

 Chapter 136 Are You Guys Dating?

    ```As it turned out, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian didn''t find the school doctor in the infirmary.


    Who knows where he wandered off to.


    Although he wasn''t there, since the door of the infirmary wasn''t locked, that meant it was available for use.


    Kagura Hikaru carried Ai Cheng Hua Lian on his back, settled her into a chair, then began searching the medicine cabinet for topical medicine for bruises and sprains.


    Thinking about the injuries high schoolers sustain at school, most of them are probably of this sort, so this type of medication is definitely a staple.


    As expected, he found it.


    Kagura Hikaru, holding a bottle of medicine, said to Ai Cheng Hua Lian, "Okay, take it off."


    "Wait, wait a second, that''s not something a guy should be saying to a girl, at least not among high school students..."


    Kohinata Motoyo said in panic from the side.


    Unexpectedly, this pure space contained a person whose mind was filled with lewd thoughts.


    Kagura gave her a strange glance and added, "Take off your shoe and socks. Just the injured foot is fine."


    "Okay...."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s face turned red as she bent down to take off her indoor shoes and ankle socks.


    A pale, delicate, and pinkish little foot was exposed to the air, timidly curling its toes.


    "Kagura, be gentle...."


    "I know. Just bear with it for a moment."


    "Wait, wait a second." Kohinata Motoyo covered her face, peering through her wide fingers, "That''s not something a girl should say to a guy¡ª"


    "Alright, I know what you want to say; just shut up for now," Kagura said impatiently, "Also, why did you follow us here? It''s just treating a sprained foot, there''s nothing to see."


    Kohinata Motoyo was slightly troubled: "You tell me to shut up, but then you ask me a question. So should I keep quiet or answer you?"


    "Of course you should shut up. Stay away from me."


    "Oh...."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian sat on the chair, supporting her thigh with both hands, looking here and there, unable to determine whether Kagura and this extraordinarily beautiful girl had a good relationship or a bad one.


    If you said they were close, they seemed to bicker as well. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If you said they weren''t close, it seemed like Kagura really didn''t want to have any contact with her, but the other girl felt the opposite.


    "Ah~"


    Lost in thought and caught off guard, her foot was suddenly grasped, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian let out an undignified sound.


    She quickly covered her mouth, annoyed, and fidgeted with her foot.


    "Kagura, you have to tell me before you start!"


    "Sorry," Kagura said, devoid of any real sincerity.


    He held Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s soft foot sole with his left hand, lifting it gently, and after a careful inspection confirmed there was no swelling, he applied medicine to the injured ankle with two medicated cotton swabs.


    Because the swabs had a very small contact area, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian was the type particularly sensitive to physical touch,


    what was a perfectly proper application of medicine slowly began to feel like an ambiguous atmosphere was developing.


    "Hmm.... Mmm~~"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, enduring the tickle, clenched her skirt with both hands, humming.


    It was only when she noticed the long-haired girl nearby had an embarrassed expression that she realized and her face turned beet red.


    How could she again...


    To divert her attention, she hastily asked Kagura, "I, I''m saying, Kagura, you haven''t introduced me yet."


    "What?" said Kagura, his head still down, focusing on applying the medicine.


    ```


    "It''s the one who came in with us....."


    "..." Kagura Hikaru acted as if he hadn''t heard and shut his mouth, resisting the urge to explain.


    Just moments before at the bottom of the classroom building, he had similarly brushed aside the girls'' questions.


    Clearly, he didn''t want Ai Cheng Hua Lian to interact with Kohinata Motoyo.


    But regardless of his wishes, it was the person in question who took the initiative to speak up.


    "I''m sorry for being rude. My name is Kohinata Motoyo. I''m in the same class as Kagura and just transferred today. Hello," Kohinata Motoyo said apologetically, smiling at Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    He just transferred today, but he seems pretty familiar with Kagura Hikaru?


    He''s not just an ordinary classmate, right?


    Thinking this, Ai Cheng Hua Lian awkwardly placed her hands on her thighs, folding them over: "No, it''s my fault, I also forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ai Cheng Hua Lian, and I''m friends with Kagura."


    "I see, so it''s Student Ai Cheng."


    "Watch your manners, Ai Cheng is a third-year student, she''s our senior," Kagura Hikaru interjected, "You should call her Senior Ai Cheng."


    Kohinata Motoyo looked over in disbelief, "Then why are you the exception?"


    "She just explained it, because we are friends."


    With a flick of his wrist, Kagura Hikaru accurately tossed the used cotton swab into the corner trash can, then found some gauze in the infirmary''s cabinet and skillfully bandaged Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s foot.


    "That should do it."


    Kagura Hikaru stood up, signaling to Ai Cheng Hua Lian that she could put on her shoes and socks now, while reminding, "Don''t bathe tonight, or at least don''t get this foot wet. Come back here tomorrow to change the dressing, and it should be completely healed in a few days."


    The two girls looked at each other upon hearing this and couldn''t help but snicker.


    "...What are you laughing at." Kagura Hikaru frowned.


    "No, it''s just... Kagura, the way you speak, it''s as if you''re the school nurse," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, bending down to put on her shoes to hide her expression, her shoulders shaking, "If you wore a white coat, pfft, it would be even more convincing."


    "Indeed, you''re just like the family doctor at my home," Kohinata Motoyo said, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.


    "..."


    He didn''t get the girls'' sense of humor.


    "Anyway, I should take you home first." Kagura Hikaru turned to face Ai Cheng Hua Lian again, squatting down and showing her his back, "Come on."


    Having had one experience already, and perhaps aware that there was a stranger watching this time, Ai Cheng Hua Lian smoothly reached out to grab his shoulders and clambered on without blushing to a deep red.


    But from the blush on the tips of her ears, it was clear she was still a bit embarrassed.


    "Kagura, do you know where Senior Ai Cheng lives?" Kohinata Motoyo asked at this moment.


    "Yes, I visited many times over the summer," Kagura Hikaru replied unconsciously, "It''s pretty close to my house."


    "Is that so..." Kohinata Motoyo seemed a bit lost in thought, and only when they started walking down the hallway did he speak again, "Kagura, are you dating Senior Ai Cheng by any chance?"


    "Eh??" Ai Cheng Hua Lian let out a small shriek.


    She had intended to eavesdrop on their conversation to determine the nature of their relationship, as part of her own little deductive game for entertainment, but she hadn''t expected to suddenly become the subject of discussion.


    "We..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was about to explain but Kagura Hikaru beat her to it.


    "What would you do if I said yes?" Kagura Hikaru didn''t turn his head, calmly dropping the bombshell.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, perched on his back, was instantly stunned into stiffness.


    What on earth did he just say?!


    "Is that so, I see..."


    Kohinata Motoyo suddenly revealed a smile with no trace of forcing it, naturally breaking into laughter.


    "Then I''m relieved, you definitely aren''t dating."

 Chapter 137 Ordinary Friends

    "....."He saw through her without even a hint of hesitation.


    She used to be a woman who was easier to deceive.


    Could it be that Kohinata Motoyo learned some kind of magic in Europe?


    "There''s no such thing as magic in this world, and even if there were, it''s not something a person full of selfish desires like me could obtain," she said.


    Kagura Hikaru turned around in surprise, "How do you know everything?"


    "I don''t know everything, I only know what I know," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile.


    "..."


    Save those words for when you become president.


    After that, there was no more conversation, and the three of them proceeded in silence.


    Karen Ai Cheng and Kohinata Motoyo were normally the talkative types, but to be accurate, they didn''t really know each other, they were strangers.


    To go even further, they were completely different types of people, generally speaking, they wouldn''t intersect.


    The only point of connection between them was Kagura Hikaru.


    So when he was silent, the other two had no inclination to chat either.


    But silence is a good thing.


    Silence leads to more contemplation.


    Karen Ai Cheng realized something, that the girl in front of her, Kohinata Motoyo, liked Kagura Hikaru.


    It''s not even that she ever tried to hide it.


    That she only realized it now made her feel quite slow on the uptake.


    Although Kohinata Motoyo always maintained a distance, it was a behavior borne out of courtesy; if no one else was around, and Kagura Hikaru himself allowed it, Karen Ai Cheng had no doubt that she would make a more intimate move.


    The relationship and sense of distance between them felt very delicate.


    It even inexplicably gave the illusion of a past relationship.


    But wasn''t President Hina the ex-girlfriend of Kagura Hikaru? Could it be that he had also dated this Miss Kohinata before?


    About Kagura Hikaru''s past, there seemed to be much that she didn''t know.


    Well, that''s to be expected, as they were only ordinary friends.


    Even she had many things she hid from Kagura Hikaru.


    Yes, for example, her own feelings...


    She knew that she and Kagura Hikaru weren''t well-matched; even if she confessed, it would only end up hurting them both.


    Therefore, such a hope did not exist in the heart of Karen Ai Cheng; and even if it did, she would not act on it; and even if she did, it would not succeed.


    Thinking this way, although she likened herself to Icarus, who approached the sun with wings glued together, at least Icarus had the courage to fly towards the sun, even though it ended badly, with his wings melting and him falling into the sea to his death, but still his courage was commendable, despite the poor outcome.


    But what about her?


    To give up before even trying, was she even lesser than the reckless Icarus seduced by the sun? Could it be called rationality or self-awareness?


    To give up at the sight of difficulty, to give up when only a slim chance exists, could that be viewed as a smart choice?


    If everyone in this world thought this way, then no remarkable scientific inventions would emerge, medical plans to cure terminal diseases wouldn''t make progress, and society would stagnate without breakthroughs.


    The same goes for interpersonal relationships.


    Sometimes, teenagers in their youth need that kind of reckless courage.


    Because they didn''t confess to their crush during their younger years, many adults end up regretting it years later.


    But, the reason they chose not to confess at that time must have been valid.


    Yes, they were all like Karen Ai Cheng now.


    Fear, trepidation, concern that it might destroy the relationship they had at this stage.


    As the saying goes, nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards, but if their friendship was lost, and nothing else remained, then it would be better to have kept only the friendship from the beginning.


    Instead of risking dropping and smashing a watermelon while bending down to pick an apple from the ground, it''s better to hold on tight to the watermelon in hand, to take good care of it¡ªafter all, is it not already very fortunate to have a watermelon?


    However, seeing the emergence of another strong rival, Kohinata Motoyo, Karen Ai Cheng faintly felt cracks forming in the walls of her heart.


    The restlessness hidden inside her was becoming increasingly intense.


    This, should probably be called jealousy.


    How nice it would be if someday, she too could express her fondness as bravely and straightforwardly as the other person.


    Not long after.


    Kagura Hikaru really carried Karen Ai Cheng all the way home in this scorching heat.


    Aside from resting a bit while riding the train, he did not ask for help from anyone, nor did he show any intention of letting Kohinata Motoyo help, not even with carrying the guitar. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Karen Ai Cheng repeatedly requested to get down and walk by herself, Kagura Hikaru was still insistent on his opinion.


    When they reached the doorstep, Karen Ai Cheng gently touched his face with empathy.


    It was very hot.


    "Kagura, are you okay, aren''t you too tired?"


    "No, it''s nothing....."


    Kagura Hikaru carefully set Karen Ai Cheng down, stretched his creaking waist and arms, and slung the shoulder bag and guitar case back onto his shoulders.


    "Be careful on your way home, don''t fall."


    He reminded.


    Karen Ai Cheng hesitated, glanced at Kohinata Motoyo, and then said, "You both come in and rest for a while, have a drink of water."


    "No thanks."


    If it had been any other time, Kagura Hikaru might not have refused, as the Ai Cheng Family''s house was a familiar place for him, without any awkwardness.


    But if Kohinata Motoyo was present, it would be different.


    As mentioned before, he didn''t want Karen Ai Cheng to interact too much with Kohinata Motoyo.


    Despite appearances, this guy, frankly speaking, was a dangerous person for him, for Kagura Hikaru himself, and for those around Kagura Hikaru.


    "Goodbye, I''m going back now," Kagura Hikaru bid Karen Ai Cheng farewell.


    "Then I''ll go too, see you next time, Senior Ai Cheng," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile and a wave.


    Karen Ai Cheng stood at the door, watching them walk away side by side under the sunlight, shook her head, and went to take out her keys to enter the house.


    But as she raised her hand, she realized that the keys were in her backpack and her backpack seemed to be with Kagura Hikaru, who had forgotten to return it.


    The fact that Kagura Hikaru could make such a simple mistake was probably because the heat had really gotten to him.


    Karen Ai Cheng really wanted to call him, but unfortunately, since her mobile phone might fall out of her pocket, she had put it in the backpack when Kagura Hikaru picked her up, which meant she couldn''t use it.


    In that case, she could only wait for a family member to come back and let her in, and retrieve the backpack tomorrow.


    Nevertheless, she still harbored a faint hope that perhaps Kagura Hikaru hadn''t gone far, and hobbled to the front door to peek out.


    And, indeed, she saw them.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo stood facing each other at the street corner sixty meters away from her house, talking about something.


    Karen Ai Cheng was overjoyed and was about to go over and call out.


    But she had hardly taken two steps when she realized something was wrong.


    It wasn''t her that was wrong, it was those two people.


    She saw Kohinata Motoyo''s face bearing a smile, purer and more demure than a young idol on TV, but then Kagura Hikaru''s expression changed dramatically, turning very ugly.


    ... What were they talking about?

 Chapter 138 Confession

    Leaving the Ai Cheng Family''s doorstep, the two of them walked forward.Suddenly, Kohinata Motoyo quickened her steps, clasped her hands behind her back, and bounced forward like a middle school student.


    "Do you know, Kagura? In this country, summer represents another meaning besides the season. Do you know what it is?"


    "Watermelon."


    "Not quite."


    Kohinata Motoyo clumsily spun around, her skirt fluttering.


    This deliberate display of feminine charm was exceedingly cunning.


    Especially since such playful actions could never be performed in front of others.


    "The other significance of summer is ''a new beginning,''" she said.


    Indeed.


    The first long break after school starts, that''s summer break.


    In youth dramas, one often hears phrases like "Our summer has ended..." which deeply imply ''we have grown,'' ''the story has concluded,'' ''the end of our youth.''


    Thinking back, perhaps it really could prove that summer also means a new beginning.


    "So, what''s the significance then?"


    "No significance, I just wanted to talk with you." Kohinata Motoyo slowed down, walking alongside him with her small hands clasped behind her back, a gentle smile in her eyes.


    She was slightly shorter than Hina, exactly 160 cm. When she looked at him, she had to tilt her head back, gazing up unconsciously.


    That was very cunning of her.


    "You have become quite silent now, Kagura. If I don''t initiate a conversation, you definitely won''t talk to me, right?"


    "I''d rather say, I don''t even want to see you."


    "... That statement is somewhat effective because it''s true,"


    Kohinata Motoyo pouted her lips, lightly kicking at the air, "Hey, Kagura, why won''t you let me get in touch with Senior Ai Cheng?"


    "I don''t understand."


    "Because it''s your issue, I understand that, that''s what you are thinking."


    What does ''because it''s your issue, I can understand'' mean, making it sound like you''re a worm in my stomach,


    thought Kagura Hikaru in his heart.


    At the same time, he gave up denying it.


    "Ai Cheng is my friend, and it''s only natural to protect a friend from danger."


    "Just friends, huh? It doesn''t feel like it~" Kohinata Motoyo chuckled, "And to treat someone as a dangerous element, isn''t that too much? Do I look like a bad person to you?"


    "So, Motoyo, now it''s my turn to ask you a question¡ªdo you know what is the hardest relationship to earn, yet easiest to ruin in this world?"


    "Um... trust?"


    "Exactly," Kagura Hikaru said, stopping at a street corner and looking at her, "Someone who once betrayed us, thinking of regaining trust, don''t you think that''s quite unreasonable? You shouldn''t forget what you did to Hina before."


    "... I see, that''s why you''re so wary of me, not wanting me to contact Senior Ai Cheng. It seems she really means a lot to you."


    "Don''t say such spiteful things. Haven''t I told you before, we are friends."


    "What about me, aren''t we friends anymore?" Kohinata Motoyo suddenly moved closer, reaching out to grasp Kagura Hikaru''s hand.


    But naturally, he avoided her.


    Grasping at air, Kohinata Motoyo''s expression turned somewhat sad.


    "So, it is like that, huh."


    They were no longer friends.


    In fact, they weren''t even strangers.


    It seemed she was disliked, even hated, by the person she loved the most.


    This was something inevitable, she understood.


    She has indeed committed evils grave enough to make Kagura Hikaru hate her.


    For love, she satisfied her own desires while forsaking two valuable friendships.


    She was the person in the fable who chose sesame seeds over watermelons, insatiably greedy.


    Kagura Hikaru being willing to talk to her was already considering past affection; if it were someone else, yes, like Sakata Asahi, who despises evil, he might not even give a chance to apologize.


    She no longer had the right to appear in front of Kagura and Hina. This was what Kohinata Motoyo had thought a year ago.


    That''s why she left everything in a mess and fled to study in Europe.


    But the guilt hadn''t diminished with time, and her longing for Kagura Hikaru only deepened. When she realized she was spending more and more time each day looking at old videos and photos, she understood that if she didn''t let go of these feelings, she would eventually drive herself insane.


    In the beginning, she had indeed harbored a sliver of hope.


    She thought that a year had passed and that Kagura Hikaru''s anger might have somewhat subsided, and perhaps, there might really be a chance for them to reconcile.


    As for her relationship with Hina, even if the chances were slim, she wanted to mend it as much as possible.


    But it seemed she had been too naive.


    Far too naive.


    What kind of illusion, or rather, wishful thinking, made her believe that her mistakes could be forgiven?


    Even so¡­ she still wanted to convey her feelings.


    "Kagura, I love you, and my feelings are genuine," Kohinata Motoyo said with a faint smile, her voice gentle, "During this year away, I couldn''t help but think about you, about everything we experienced since we met, and even those secretive six months felt blissful to me."


    "As for the things that happened during those six months, I have already forgotten them. What''s the point in bringing them up again?"


    Kagura Hikaru''s gaze was downcast, his voice icy: "That''s enough, I don''t want to hear such sweet nothings. There''s nothing left to discuss between us."


    "Is that really so?" Kohinata Motoyo stepped closer, "Aren''t you a bit glad to know that I still remember you, that I still can''t stop thinking about you? I was your first affair, how could you simply forget me?"


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    "What I want is to be your girlfriend again. This time, for real."


    Kohinata Motoyo''s hand gently pressed against Kagura Hikaru''s chest as she looked at him expectantly, "There will be no more affairs¡ªan honorable relationship, just between the two of us."


    Kagura Hikaru expressionlessly lifted his right hand and slowly grasped hers.


    In the face of Kohinata Motoyo''s expectant look, he pushed her hand away.


    "Only those who have had a normal relationship and then parted can talk about getting back together. You and I don''t meet that criteria."


    Kagura Hikaru watched her coldly, his gaze piercing as if he could see right through her desire-filled heart, "Suse, no, Miss Kohinata, please go find a boyfriend more suitable for you. I''ll wish you the best."


    His words pierced through Kohinata Motoyo''s heart like a sharp sword.


    Her face turned deathly pale, she stepped back, and after a long while, she struggled to speak.


    "Can we really never be again?"


    "Hm."


    "Even though I have begged you like this, sacrificing my dignity as a woman..."


    "Hm."


    "Why....."


    Seeing her dispirited demeanor, Kagura Hikaru also felt somewhat distressed.


    But he really didn''t want to have any more ties with Kohinata Motoyo, so he just kept his lips tightly sealed, not voicing the comforting words.


    For him, it was a rare form of cruelty. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have to go now, goodbye."


    ".....wait." Kohinata Motoyo lifted her head, her face sporting a weak smile, "Kagura, I didn''t expect you to be completely unmoved. If this had been back in middle school, you would have treated me more gently, right?"


    "As you said, that was the me from middle school. People change."


    "Hm, you''re right, people change... But some things don''t fade with time, do you know what they are?"


    "Another riddle?" Kagura Hikaru frowned, "Sorry, but I really have to go now."


    "It''s fear, the answer is fear, just like the fear I used to threaten you into dating me in the past. You definitely won''t forget that, right?"


    Kagura Hikaru, already turned to leave, suddenly stopped, his face pale with shock as he turned back to see her determined look.


    "You wouldn''t...?!"


    "I''m sorry, Kagura, I really didn''t want to do this, but it''s my last resort."


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled complexly as she briefly fiddled with her phone, then handed it to Kagura Hikaru to show him something on the screen.


    It was a photo.


    A photo of Kiryu Hina.


    A compromising photo.


    "Be with me, Kagura," she said, "just like before."

 Chapter 139 The Inner Demon

    Once upon a time, there was a girl born into a wealthy family.She was naturally blessed with a beauty praised by all, a powerful background, and yet it seemed the gods were still not satisfied, unreasonably endowing her with talents equal to her looks.


    She wanted to learn piano, she mastered the piano.


    She wanted to learn dance, she mastered dance.


    She wanted to learn acting, she mastered acting.


    She wanted to improve her academic performance, she easily reached the top of her class.


    Praise and adoration from others, awards from competitions, she had never lacked these things in her life thus far.


    No matter what she did, she could succeed; it was as if she had been cursed with this ability.


    The reason it''s called a curse, rather than a blessing, is because the ease with which she achieved success soon numbed her senses, making her indifferent to everything for a time.


    If she could succeed at anything, then doing nothing was also an option, right?


    Once this thought occurred to her, she stopped moving forward, stopped making progress.


    That was until she went to Bunkyo Public Middle School and met a boy in the Drama Club named Kagura Hikaru.


    In the club, Kagura Hikaru was not only an actor but also a scriptwriter; many of the club''s highly praised original scripts were born from his hands.


    Some even jokingly gave him the grandiose nickname ''Tokyo Shakespeare.''


    But his talent in scriptwriting couldn''t overshadow his acting ability; he was the strongest male actor in the entire Drama Club.


    According to him, he joined because of a friend and had no prior experience in acting.


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    Yet Kagura Hikaru clearly achieved high success in a very short time, and every day he improved at an astonishing rate that made it obvious it wasn''t a fluke.


    The girl quickly realized that he was the same kind of person as her.


    Someone naturally gifted with extraordinary talent.


    Upon realizing this, she quickly decided she wanted to become friends with him.


    At the very least, she wanted to find out how he dealt with the emptiness that came with talent.


    Their first encounter was a success, and it was great that he was a kind person.


    They quickly became friends, and along with them, a lovely young lady named Kiryu Hina, whose acting talent was also high, though not to that extent and was still within the realm of ordinary people.


    The three of them grew closer and closer, nearly always together whenever they were free.


    The girl achieved her initial goal and discovered the method to dispel the sense of emptiness¡ªcreating friendships.


    During her elementary school years, she was often taken by her parents to perform around the world, showing off her prodigy status, leaving her with little opportunity to interact with her peers for long periods.


    Only now did she understand why friendship was precious.


    As long as friends were around, even the most boring times could be sufficiently enjoyable. Sharing fun things together was happier than being alone.


    Why hadn''t she noticed before¡ªhaving friends of the same mind was so important.


    This blissful time continued until Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina shyly told her in her presence that they were dating.


    Dating? Aren''t you guys friends, why can you date?


    Under their puzzled looks, the girl realized she had asked a silly question.


    At that time, with her scant knowledge of romantic relationships, she thought that dating between boys and girls was a union through confessions between two people who liked each other.


    She had always thought that you could only progress gradually from being pure friends to dating partners and that the two were separate.


    It was at that time that a seed was planted.


    After Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina began dating, the time the three spent together decreased a bit.


    Although they didn''t exclude the girl from their company, as a couple, they naturally needed some private time together.


    The girl knew inwardly that this was normal, and outwardly she expressed her understanding, supporting their romance.


    However, if she had to tell the truth, she wished that their relationship had never happened, would never happen, and that the three of them would always be together as friends.


    If it were so, she wouldn''t feel lonely.


    But seeing the happiness of Kiryu Hina and Kagura Hikaru, she couldn''t voice these thoughts.


    Is dating someone really that great?


    Gradually, the girl began to think this way.


    She also wanted to try having a boyfriend.


    But, fortunately or unfortunately, she failed.


    The number of boys who confessed to her at school wasn''t really that high¡ªit seemed that everyone was being considerate of something.


    And those few who truly extended an invitation to date, she didn''t find any of them appealing.


    It wasn''t that they weren''t good enough; some of them were quite promising, and there were those whose looks and abilities were well above the standard.


    But once they were compared with Kagura Hikaru, they were nothing.


    Looks, personality, abilities, talent¡ªnone could match him.


    Soon, the girl realized she had set her sights too high, always comparing those boys to someone like Kagura Hikaru, it was an endless cycle.


    After all, she had lived for over a decade and only met one male of his kind, to meet another like him, equally handsome, equally outstanding, and who was also not in a relationship with someone else... the chances were probably too slim to see.


    But why compare them to Kagura Hikaru?


    Was it so that if they weren''t similar to him, they wouldn''t do?


    Or was it that deep down, she subconsciously felt it had to be him if she were to fall in love?


    It was at this time the girl knew she had truly fallen in love.


    Only the object of her affection was terribly unsuitable¡ªhe was her friend''s lover.


    It was the worst beginning imaginable.


    She thought about giving up, agonized, agonized.


    And in the end, she gave up agonizing.


    The girl started to try looking at the problem from another angle.


    If Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina had advanced from being purely friends to a dating couple,


    Then couldn''t she do the same?


    So, on an afternoon like this one, with the sun shining brightly in the summer sky, beneath the school''s cherry trees, the girl said to him:


    "I like you, please date me."


    That was the beginning of everything, the root of it all.


    Starting with Kagura Hikaru''s astonished rejection, everything became uncontrollable.


    Day by day, the girl watched the boy she liked show affection to his girlfriend, knowing full well that it was natural, something to be congratulated, yet jealousy uncontrollably grew within her.


    She wanted to restrain herself but lacked the experience to do so.


    From childhood to adulthood, she never had to tolerate anything.


    Because the things she wanted but could not have were very, very few.


    Even if her parents couldn''t provide them temporarily, she knew that someday she would be able to obtain them with her abilities.


    But Kagura Hikaru was different.


    How to win his heart was the one thing the girl couldn''t do, and didn''t know how to do.


    This one-sided affection, through endless entanglement and agony, slowly took a turn no one could have predicted.


    Finally, on the night of the ninth-grade school trip, the devil inside the girl was unleashed, and she spread malice against her own friend. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She took a photo as if possessed.


    Using her identity as both a girl and a friend, she secretly took a full-body photo of Kiryu Hina bathing.


    Using that photo, she got her wish, and at last, she and Kagura Hikaru became a couple.


    Maybe it was a feigned guilt, or perhaps she just wanted to bully her friend and romantic rival; the girl herself didn''t know,


    In any case, she didn''t break up Kagura Hikaru and his girlfriend but secretly dated him behind the scenes.


    That is commonly known as cheating.


    The complexity of human nature lies here.


    The girl regarded both Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina as important to her yet simultaneously did something excessive, deeply hurting the two who were originally her friends.


    On that white Christmas night, her deeds were exposed, thus ending their friendship.


    It was more than a year later that the girl, Kohinata Motoyo, returned to Tokyo and once again used that photo against Kagura Hikaru.


    "Let''s start over, Kagura. I''ll make you happy," said Kohinata Motoyo, her face serious.


    With an innocent and pure face, she uttered a line akin to that of a TV drama''s final confession scene.


    Dragging Kagura Hikaru into an even deeper abyss.

 Chapter 140 Fingers Intertwined

    When Kohinata Motoyo took out that photo.A buzzing noise whirred by Kagura Hikaru''s ear.


    A thrill of horror froze his body.


    Why does she have this thing...? Discover more stories at empire


    "You clearly promised me back then that you would destroy it!"


    Kagura Hikaru asked in shock, his eyes wide with anger.


    Moreover, he had indeed confirmed through mind-reading that Kohinata Motoyo had the resolution and intent to delete the photo.


    He had never thought she would go back on her word, even if he had been betrayed before, Kagura Hikaru still believed she was someone who kept her promises.


    Motoyo... how much more can you disappoint him!


    "I''m sorry, I really planned to destroy it, but for various reasons, it didn''t happen," Kohinata Motoyo sincerely expressed her apology, at least in her demeanor.


    But Kagura Hikaru didn''t want to waste words with her, and aggressively snatched the phone from her hands, deleted the photo, and dragged the file into the trash to shred it.


    However, Kohinata Motoyo merely watched calmly: "It''s useless, I have backups."


    "..."


    Clutching the phone, Kagura Hikaru pursed his lips and stared straight at her, trying to sound calm, "You want to use this to threaten me again...? Hina and I have already broken up, do you think it will still work?"


    "I wasn''t sure at first," Kohinata Motoyo said with a relieving smile, "but now I understand, you still have feelings for Hina, don''t you?"


    Under her serene and elegant exterior, it seemed as though something dark was stirring, wanting to break out.


    Kagura Hikaru faintly felt as if his life was about to be crushed by an external force.


    "Kagura, let''s go back to how things were," Kohinata Motoyo cherished that photo like a shooting star, the Holy Grail, making a wish to him, "This time, no one will tear us apart."


    Kagura Hikaru clenched the phone tightly.


    "Tell me, where are the backups of the photo stored?"


    "I won''t tell you."


    You don''t have a choice.


    Kagura Hikaru silently triggered his mind-reading.


    If Kohinata Motoyo even briefly thought about where the backup was stored, he would read it and then use every possible means to destroy it.


    But, something he didn''t expect occurred.


    [like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [You''ve gained through peering into the mind: Piano+3]


    [Piano lv4 (62/100)]


    "..."


    How is this possible.


    It felt as though a pair of hands had touched his back, grabbing at his throat.


    Goosebumps rose, suffocating, chilling to the spine.


    Let alone knowing the location of the backup photos, he couldn''t even perform normal mind-reading!


    Filling one''s heart with the same thought had surpassed obsession, enough to be called madness, fanaticism.


    Is she really still the Motoyo he knew?


    After hearing her inner voice and then looking into her eyes again, Kagura Hikaru could truly see something very ominous deep within her eyes. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In just this short year, what changed you, Motoyo.


    Is it regret, guilt, or could it be, love?


    The two silently faced each other, a silent storm of thoughts sweeping between them.


    A full minute passed.


    Eventually, it ended with Kagura Hikaru''s defeated compromise.


    "I understand, I will do as you say," Kagura Hikaru lowered his head, his eyes losing their sparkle.


    Just like in the past, even now, he couldn''t guarantee that Kohinata Motoyo wouldn''t actually leak that photo, especially without the ability to read minds.


    He couldn''t afford to take such a risk.


    Although Hina was rude to him, he was the one at fault first, so he deserved to be treated harshly.


    If he just allowed Hina''s virtue to be tarnished because of that, it would be unforgivable as a person.


    There was also one point that Kohinata Motoyo was right about.


    That was, he still had feelings for Hina and couldn''t possibly just stand by and do nothing.


    Even if, the cost was his own....


    "That''s right, I knew you would agree,"


    Kohinata Motoyo clapped her hands in relief, took her cellphone from Kagura Hikaru''s hands, and interlocked their fingers effortlessly, happily clinging to his left arm, revealing a bright smile, "Then, come home with me, we''re having dinner at my place tonight, you won''t refuse, right?"


    "..."


    A black Bentley slowly approached from behind, stopping ahead of them, and a female bodyguard in a black suit got out to open the door for them.


    Struggle flickered across Kagura Hikaru''s face, but eventually, he followed her into the back seat of the sedan.


    The car door closed, the black Bentley started smoothly, moving further and further away.


    A figure emerged stiffly from behind a standing billboard, watching the vehicle drive away in a daze.


    This person, naturally, was Ai Cheng Hua Lian who had come to retrieve her backpack.


    She came just for this purpose, completely unaware that she would accidentally overhear such a complex situation.


    She heard the entire conversation between Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo, including that photo.


    Although it was too far to see clearly, she could guess what it was about from the color schemes and Kagura Hikaru''s demeanor.


    "Kagura..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian paced anxiously in place, frantic like an ant on a hot pot.


    But now she didn''t have her phone with her, and even if she wanted to contact someone, she couldn''t.


    And mostly, it was probably too late.


    If Kohinata Motoyo planned to do something to Kagura Hikaru tonight, she was utterly powerless....


    If one were to describe Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s feelings at the moment¡ªit was like a high school student secretly in love with a goddess, watching the goddess being coerced reluctantly into the flashy car of a wealthy classmate, and there was nothing you could do but watch from behind.


    This feeling, it was just too awful!


    "Kagura, please be okay...."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, with a face full of worry, limped as she turned around to head home.


    Tonight, she likely wouldn''t sleep well.


    ..........


    The next morning.


    Kagura Hikaru opened his eyes in his own bed.


    He reached out to turn off the ringing alarm on his cellphone, propped himself up with his hands, and stared blankly down at the duvet.


    What happened yesterday...he couldn''t remember clearly.


    It all seemed like a nightmare.


    Once a nightmare was over, everything would be fine, back to normal life, business as usual.


    He comforted himself in this way, got out of bed, went downstairs to wash and eat.


    After eating, he tidied up his appearance in front of the mirror, picked up the backpack he and Ai Cheng Hua Lian had left at his place yesterday, and stepped out the door.


    Then he saw a beautiful girl about one meter sixty, dressed in Yuqiu High School''s uniform, prettily standing at the doorstep waiting.


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled and waved, "Kagura, good morning, let''s go to school together."


    It turned out the nightmare hadn''t ended yet.


    Instantly, Kagura Hikaru felt like he was plunging into an icehouse.

 Chapter 141 Spent a Passionate Night Together Last Night

    Haneoka Private High School''s summer uniform for girls is quite distinctive among other high schools.It''s very traditional in a good way.


    After all, it''s a blue and white sailor outfit.


    In this day and age, even junior high school students don''t wear traditional sailor outfits anymore, is this forgivable?


    No, it''s a tragedy, a regression of society!


    For Kagura Hikaru, a hidden sailor outfit enthusiast, the summer at Ugao High is a place that can easily stir his emotions.


    But he never expected that one day, this stirring would turn into a different kind of feeling.


    Stirring, one day, would become real shaking.


    Shaking your brain and vision like an earthquake, accompanied by seeing spots, as if someone punched you in the head.


    What is this, a serious illness?


    Is he dying?


    Even if it''s just a simple mental shock, it''s too ''shocking'', isn''t it?


    "Kagura, why aren''t you speaking?" Kohinata Motoyo tilted her head, and her long hair with a exposed forehead followed suit, "Low blood pressure from getting up early?"


    "...Why are you here."


    "Why? Can''t you tell, I wanted to go to school with you." She said with a refreshing smile.


    The normally dignified and graceful person was acting coy in front of him.


    To be frank, it was quite cute.


    If he didn''t know her true nature, he would certainly have fallen for her by now.


    In the Island Nation, there''s a saying.


    If you see a black animal crossing your path when you leave the house, it means that your luck for the day is bad.


    For example, a black cat, black dog, black bird, black snake, a person with a black heart.


    Perhaps today is not a good day to leave the house.


    Kagura Hikaru calmed down a bit, "No... usually, don''t you take a private car to school?"


    "From now on I won''t, I want to walk with Kagura, ride the train together, go to school together."


    "..."


    "Or do you think it''s better to ride in a car? I can get the driver to come pick us up right now."


    "No need."


    Kagura Hikaru slung his and Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s shoulder bags over his shoulder and headed in the direction of the train station.


    Kohinata Motoyo followed, her hands clasped behind her back.


    "Speaking of which, you didn''t bring your guitar today, I''ve been meaning to ask, did you join the Light Music Club?"


    "No."


    "Then, a jazz research group?"


    "No."


    "Then what is it?"


    "..."


    "Hey, don''t be so cold, talk to me more." Kohinata Motoyo suddenly hugged his arm, her ample upper body pressing up against him, and said with a laugh, "After all, we are lovers who spent a passionate night together yesterday."


    Yesterday night...


    Kagura Hikaru looked up slightly, the memories of last night''s intruding unbidden into his mind, lingering persistently.


    Even to the extent of feeling a slight nostalgia.


    "Passionate refers to the steak''s black pepper sauce, don''t make it sound like there''s some deeper meaning."


    Yes, the Konohinata Family''s rib-eye steak was delicious.


    Their chef seemed to be a former head chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant.


    Incidentally, he did not see Suse''s parents at the Konohinata house.


    To be precise, it was just a villa for Kohinata Motoyo''s personal use.


    Her family''s main residence seems to be in Capital City.


    As they walked, without realizing it, Chiyoko''s fingers were once again interlocked with Kohinata Suse''s, even if she turned to look at her, she would only receive a smile as sweet and shy as that of a newlywed bride.


    One couldn''t help but marvel at where her dignified demeanor had gone, now she was completely like an ordinary girl deeply in love.


    No, an ordinary girl wouldn''t use such tactics to capture a man.


    So, is this also just a facade?


    [Like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [Like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [Like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [You have gained through mind-reading: Acting +3]


    [Acting lv4 (81/100)]


    Today, as always, the content of the mind-reading was terrifyingly simple.


    The imagery accompanying the mind-reading was the scene from last night where she and he were cutting steak under candlelight.


    Suse was smiling happily, while he had an expressionless face.


    Although it was not as grotesque as Komori Ai, it was obviously far from normal.


    He didn''t know why Kohinata Suse had become like this.


    Honestly, he didn''t even understand why she liked him in the first place.


    During the past three years of junior high, he thought he treated Suse as a friend, occasionally using mind-reading to understand her preferences to enhance their relationship, but he did this not only with her¡ªat that time, Kagura Hikaru did the same with everyone.


    Perhaps, this is the irrational nature of love.


    There''s no logic, no need for reason, it''s like catching a cold, and before you know it, you''re already affected.


    For most people, a cold will always get better.


    But in Suse''s case, she refuses to give up, knowing full well that Kagura Hikaru already has a girlfriend and still wanting to join the competition, achieving her ends by methods akin to a sneak attack.


    Ultimately, this led to the current situation.


    Honestly, Kagura Hikaru really didn''t want to go to school now.


    He didn''t know how to explain things to the people around him.


    The person he especially didn''t want to see was Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    What should he say to her?


    That after he escorted her home last night, Kohinata Suse confessed her love to him, or that he confessed to her, and then they became a couple, wow, great~


    Could he just blurt that out so simply?


    No matter what, it would seem abrupt and bizarre, wouldn''t it?


    Until yesterday, his attitude toward Kohinata Suse didn''t seem like he would confess to her or accept her confession, how was he supposed to fabricate a story to cover up this lie?


    ...Originally, this was Kohinata Suse''s problem, and he had no responsibility to solve it for her.


    How to cover up the lie, how to eliminate doubts, those were issues she should be worrying about. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, in the depths of his heart, Kagura Hikaru felt that she wouldn''t come up with a good plan.


    Although Suse was quite adept at managing relationships, she couldn''t possibly understand others'' social circles so clearly, and leaving it to her would only end in a mess.


    Fortunately, on the train to school, they did not encounter Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    Perhaps she hadn''t recovered from twisting her ankle the day before and had taken the day off.


    But unfortunately, when they got off the train, they saw Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She was probably waiting intentionally, standing under the traffic sign at the station''s exit, like a beautiful statue being admired by passersby, some even taking pictures from a distance to show off online, no doubt.


    Glancing at her watch, Ayakoji Chiyoko thought it was about time.


    Sure enough, she soon caught sight of Kagura Hikaru''s figure. With his height and appearance, he stood out among the people coming out of the station.


    Just as a smile began to form on her face, it quickly sagged.


    Because she noticed that there was a long-haired girl beside Kagura Hikaru, wearing their Ugao High''s summer sailor uniform, clinging to his arm and smiling while talking to him.


    That person...


    "Kohinata... Suse?" Ayakoji Chiyoko frowned deeply.

 Chapter 142 Silent Mockery

    In Kagura Hikaru''s anticipation, Ayakoji Chiyoko was the person he least wanted to encounter at this time, after Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Kiryu Hina.She was the third among his acquaintances.


    It wasn''t that he worried she had any particular hostility towards Kohinata Motoyo.


    But he couldn''t explain why, at the critical juncture when the Student Council election was nearly ending, he suddenly became involved with a transfer student unrelated to the election.


    Moreover, he might later have to neglect his duties because of Suse''s matters.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was the kind of person who kept work and personal affairs strictly separate, and therefore, she despised those who neglected their work for private emotions the most.


    According to Kagura Hikaru''s observation over the past few months, this conclusion wasn''t hard to come by.


    He wondered about the reaction Ayakoji Chiyoko would have upon seeing Chiyoko hand-in-hand with him, claiming she was his girlfriend.


    Would she praise them for being a good match, or would she scold him for not attending to his duties, or perhaps mock him with sarcasm for his adolescent excess of energy, or maybe she would just be simply surprised, devoid of any other emotions.


    That was a rather inappropriate thing to say.


    He was now somewhat looking forward to it.


    Upon seeing them, Ayakoji Chiyoko stood still for a few seconds before walking towards them.


    The two groups met at the intersecting paths.


    Kagura Hikaru, "Good morning."


    Kohinata Motoyo, "Good morning, Classmate Ayakoji."


    "Hmm, good morning." Ayakoji Chiyoko narrowed her eyes and nodded, her gaze sharp like a shark, particularly focusing on their intertwined hands, faintly emitting an almost imperceptible aura of murderous intent, "What is this... can you explain?"


    Huh, the reaction was different from what he had expected.


    Kagura Hikaru''s heart tensed up.


    It was Kohinata Motoyo, who was under the most pressure, that appeared nonchalant with a shy touch on her cheek and a natural smile, "Actually, we''re dating now, me and Kagura."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, "............"


    It was probably because she had mentally prepared herself for the worst beforehand. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To be honest, she felt less anger than she had imagined.


    From her initial desire to take out the imaginary crowbar from her bag, smash Kohinata Motoyo into pieces, skewer her alongside Kagura Hikaru, mount them on the Himalayas for people to gawk at, and then cry her heart out with great satisfaction.


    Her rage had now diminished to the point of almost personally wanting to strangle Motoyo till she was incontinent.


    Even she had to admire her own magnanimity, thinking of resolving the matter so simply; she had truly grown over the year, haha.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko suppressed the urge to clench her trembling hands into fists and quietly moved them behind her back, pulling off a twisted smile, forcing herself to laugh without humor.


    Just like a bionic robot.


    "Ah, is that so, you''re dating, hmph, yeah, is that right, that''s how it is....."


    The fists clenched behind her back were shaking with force.


    Now, she felt both sad and angry; if she were a Saiyan by blood, she''d already be at the brink of an Explosive Qi Rush.


    "Ah sorry, I forgot, Ayakoji Chi reminded me yesterday that Yuqiu High School''s rules don''t allow student romance, right?"


    Kohinata Motoyo looked like she was in hot water, then smiled apologetically at Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Sorry, Classmate Ayakoji, I''ll be cautious not to get caught. Can you help us keep it a secret at school? In exchange, I''ll seriously consider the proposal you mentioned last time."


    "Last proposal?" asked Kagura Hikaru.


    "It was after you left early yesterday afternoon. Classmate Ayakoji said she could help me get on good terms with you, but since the school rules prevent formal relationships, she wanted me to help her become Student Council President. That way, she could remove that troublesome rule."


    "Oh... I see."


    Seeing the happy and eager expression Motoyo had when talking to Kagura, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt an unspoken mockery.


    Just yesterday afternoon, she had repeatedly said she would help these two people get closer, and yet, by the next day, they had become a couple.


    Even though it was she who should be the deceitful one, she now felt as if she had been deceived.


    No, rather, it''s like she was made a fool of.


    Even the previous conversation had a tinge of sarcasm to it, which could arouse suspicion.


    The brilliance of Kohinata Motoyo lay in her ability to completely conceal her true intentions; whether it was through her gaze, expressions, or gestures, she exuded sincerity.


    It was impossible to tell whether she was secretly mocking her or sincerely discussing serious matters.


    But all these were minor details.


    Attitudes that could have enraged Ayakoji Chiyoko before were now, in the present situation, nothing more than trifles.


    They were not even worth her attention.


    The only important thing was this.


    Kagura Hikaru, who had desperately escaped from Kohinata Motoyo''s presence yesterday, why, by today, had he suddenly become her boyfriend?


    This made no sense, it was overly suspicious.


    It bordered on eerie.


    Besides, Ayakoji Chiyoko was not unaware of their past.


    Kohinata Motoyo was the third party who had interfered with the relationship between Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina back in the day, commonly known as the lover.


    In the last period of their middle school days, the three of them had almost broken off all ties; in other words, their infidelity must have been completely exposed in the end.


    Then there was yesterday afternoon, when Ayakoji Chiyoko heard from Kohinata Motoyo herself, who admitted the truth about that year.


    She had used some method, coercion, and threats, to make Kagura Hikaru cheat and become her boyfriend.


    Any way you heard it, it sounded like a story that would create enemies.


    Kagura Hikaru''s aversion towards her also proved that there was indeed a significant rift between them.


    But reality was.


    Within just one day, their relationship had completely turned around.


    Overnight, they went from being sworn enemies to lovers.


    Why would his attitude change so quickly?


    It couldn''t possibly go unnoticed.


    To rekindle a relationship, to reconcile¡ªif Kohinata Motoyo was willing, Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t be, he just wouldn''t be.


    If that logic didn''t hold up, then what was the truth?


    It couldn''t be that both Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo had simultaneously contracted a mental illness that made them like each other, could it?


    Even for mentally ill patients, it takes time for symptoms to develop.


    Not to mention, they were clear-headed, normal individuals; they didn''t seem to have consumed any hallucinogenic mushrooms, and now he was carrying on a normal conversation with her.


    No, wait a moment.


    Is it really normal?


    Could it be that she just hadn''t noticed up until now?


    The fleeting expressions of endurance and rejection that occasionally crossed Kagura Hikaru''s face while speaking and being touched by Kohinata Motoyo.


    These were clues that could not be simply ignored.

 Chapter 143 Women Quarrel, Women Fight

    Cold Reading Technique.Commonly known as the observation of micro-expressions.


    The term Cold Reading Technique is a direct translation from "cold reading".


    "Cold" implies "unprepared", and "reading" suggests "mind-reading" or "divining".


    Without any defense, or even upon the first meeting, this technique involves using language, facial expressions, and physical movements to see through someone''s current emotions and even thoughts, thereby creating favorable conditions for the subsequent interaction; this is cold reading.


    This is not pseudoscience but a legitimate practical psychology skill often used by psychologists and detectives as part of their professional skills.


    And Ayakoji Chiyoko had mastered these methods.


    The reason she started learning wasn''t anything special¡ªjust a casual stroll past a bookstore where she was drawn by the exaggerated slogans on the books like "FBI Agent Investigation Techniques!" and "Real Mind Reading!". She bought them out of curiosity to study.


    At that time, she was only eleven years old.


    In conclusion, that book was just a simple fairy tale, with less than 30% of the content being referential, but the missing knowledge was supplemented by Ayakoji Chiyoko on the internet.


    The greatest credit of the book probably lies in sparking her interest in the Cold Reading Technique.


    Having experienced that incident in elementary school, she became particularly keen on learning and training herself to master human emotions to avoid getting hurt.


    After such a roundabout way of saying it, Ayakoji Chiyoko actually just wanted to express one thing.


    She had read an unwillingness in Kagura Hikaru''s body language.


    Though slight, it was certainly present.


    Frankly speaking, this was a relief.


    If Kagura Hikaru truly had developed feelings for Kohinata Motoyo, then Ayakoji Chiyoko might truly have lost control.


    But no matter what, that hadn''t happened.


    Only when she truly calmed down did she realize that these two didn''t really look like a couple at all.


    To be precise, they didn''t look like those standard couples who are mutually in love.


    Thinking back, from the moment they walked out of the train station, both body contact and conversation initiation were predominantly started by Kohinata Motoyo.


    In their response to the outside world, Kohinata Motoyo was the most reactive; aside from the initial greetings, Kagura Hikaru only spoke once and stood silently by the side for the rest of the time.


    He used to be often quiet.


    But today, his introversion seemed more severe than before.


    It wasn''t just about not speaking; there was even no eye contact. While they were talking, his attention was more on watching the traffic on the street, his expression numb.


    It wasn''t like a child diverting his attention from a boring conversation between a mother and a neighboring auntie.


    This condition was clearly not right.


    If this could still be reluctantly explained by low blood pressure in the morning, then Kagura Hikaru''s repulsion to physical contact with Kohinata Motoyo was inexplicable.


    They aren''t a couple, aren''t they? At least, that''s what Kohinata Motoyo claimed.


    Since they are a couple, why would he dislike physical contact, which is the core pleasure in a romantic relationship.


    There is even a significant portion of people in the world, whose primary purpose in establishing a romantic relationship is to engage in physical contact with the opposite sex.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t deny the existence of such people.


    Well, she often felt that way too.


    Yet, Kagura Hikaru showed repulsion towards Kohinata Motoyo.


    It wasn''t complete disgust or contempt, but a tolerating resistance.


    To use an inappropriate analogy, he was now like a high school girl blackmailed by a sleazy old man in a risqu¨¦ manga, unwilling and yet not daring to show his real reluctance.


    In reality, a situation like "Madam, you wouldn''t want¡­" in thin manga plots would only lead to a police case.


    But there are also many situations where one cannot call the police when genuinely coerced because the people making threats are not fools.


    Speaking of possible weaknesses that Kagura Hikaru might be threatened with, as far as Ayakoji Chiyoko understood him, it was only the cheating incident.


    At the time, he too was threatened by Kohinata Motoyo in some way, which forced him to have an affair.


    It''s likely that Kagura Hikaru back then was the same as he is now.


    So this means, she''s starting over again, isn''t it? S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Using the same methods again, as if playing house with dolls without considering the person''s feelings, she arbitrarily declared Kagura Hikaru to be her boyfriend.


    "This is not an action worthy of praise."


    "Hmm? What?" Kohinata Motoyo asked with a surprised face.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko realized she had gotten too serious in her thoughts and had accidentally spoken out loud.


    Since that was the case, she might as well lay it all out then.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t the kind of woman to be indecisive. Once she decided to quarrel, she directly confronted her with an air of authority, "You told me yesterday, initially you coerced Kagura Hikaru to be with you by using some leverage. It seems you haven''t learned your lesson."


    "Um... sorry, Classmate Ayakoji, I really don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled ambiguously.


    "I indeed made a mistake in the past, I shouldn''t have meddled in someone else''s relationship. But now we are both single, we should have the right to love freely."


    Then she turned and tightly grasped Kagura Hikaru''s hand, looking up innocently asking, "Isn''t that right, Kagura?"


    "..."


    Facing this kind of childish defiance, Kagura Hikaru looked helpless and nodded.


    Now, he looked no different from a puppet being manipulated.


    "Kohinata Classmate, are you really satisfied with this... with such a self-deceiving act, are you really satisfied?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was very angry now, furious that the boy she liked was being manipulated by someone else.


    It was even more painful than being insulted herself.


    Just as the literal meaning suggests, it felt like there was a fire burning in her heart.


    "Stop joking! Kagura Hikaru is not an object for you to manipulate; even despicable actions should have a limit!"


    "We are in a society governed by law, oh Classmate Ayakoji, you should speak with evidence."


    Kohinata Motoyo remained unfazed, her smile still intact.


    Seeing her composed demeanor, she probably anticipated from the beginning that she would break off relations with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Not only was she sensitive to the likes of Kagura Hikaru, but she could instantly see through others like Kiryu Hina, Ayakoji Chiyoko, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian in a different sense.


    She could guess some of the things they were thinking just by putting herself in their shoes.


    After all, everyone''s goals and motives were the same.


    It''s just that on this track, some people are behind and some are ahead.


    And Kohinata Motoyo had become the person who arrived last but ran to the front at an astonishing speed.


    In this game, she had already won half of it.


    "Don''t get agitated, Classmate Ayakoji, please calm down a bit and don''t be governed by your emotions." Kohinata Motoyo earnestly said.


    Calm down? Governed?


    That''s completely off the topic.


    It seems with such a person, words were not going to get through.


    Raging to the point of laughter, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly swung a fist fiercely towards Kohinata Motoyo''s face.


    The latter probably didn''t expect her to act so suddenly and just stood there without dodging.


    Smack.


    A hand reached out from the side and firmly blocked Ayakoji Chiyoko''s fist.


    "Enough, stop it," Kagura Hikaru sighed and said.

 Chapter 144 White on the Outside, Black on the Inside

    Arguing and getting physical on the street is a bit too conspicuous, and if passersby stare, even if you have something to say, you can''t really say it.The three of them started moving toward the school, talking as they walked.


    "I don''t want you to worry about this, President Ayakoji," Kagura Hikaru made Kohinata Suse take a few steps back, giving him and Ayakoji Chiyoko some private space to talk.


    The two walked ahead.


    "Why?" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression was cool, "As my vice president, of course, I can deal with your matters."


    "But this is my personal issue."


    "Fine, I recognize that. But as... as a friend, I am very concerned." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


    A friend, huh?


    He hadn''t expected the plan to bear fruit right here.


    He had thought it would take two years, but now it seemed he hadn''t even needed half that time.


    However, the timing really wasn''t good.


    Truthfully, Kagura Hikaru didn''t have the luxury to progress Ayakoji Chiyoko''s friendship at the moment. His big trouble was following right behind him, step by step, like an overt stalker, smiling while looking this way.


    Ever since the day he confessed to him, Suse''s attitude had taken a nasty turn.


    Specifically, he became excessively clingy, to an uncomfortable degree.


    And he also showed a strange aggressiveness towards Ayakoji Chiyoko, different from his usual self.


    Added to that were the unusual obsessions Suse had seen through mind-reading.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t know whether to call this a yandere or something else, but he didn''t think it was a good idea to get Ayakoji Chiyoko involved.


    "Do you want to exclude me? Even after I''ve heard about such a terrible thing?" Ayakoji Chiyoko expressed her confusion, her eyes filling with anger, her eyebrows shooting up, "What exactly do you want, tell me your plan now, and if you don''t have one, let me step in! I''ll help you deal with her."


    "...Thank you, but no need."


    "So why is that? Is it related to the leverage that is being held against you? Tell me, we can figure it out together!"


    "It''s unrelated to the leverage. She just offered me a condition that I couldn''t refuse."


    Kagura Hikaru locked eyes with her, his tone a bit heavier, "I''m dating her voluntarily, do you understand?"


    "You...!"


    Voluntarily, voluntarily threatened, huh?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko cursed under her breath, keeping her composure, as she internally raised the danger level of Kohinata Suse by more than one notch.


    To think that Kagura Hikaru would actively say such a thing, it must mean he has been silenced before that.


    That woman, she is surely not as harmless as she appears.


    The outside is white, but if cut open, it might be black.


    "Thanks for your concern, President Ayakoji... no, Ayakoji. But for this period, you should focus your energy on the Student Council elections. The gap between you and Kiryu Hina hasn''t widened much, has it?"


    "..."


    "You two have been talking too much as well. If there''s so much to talk about, let me join in," Suse said nonchalantly as he suddenly came in between them, chuckling and squeezed into the middle, not even glancing at Ayakoji Chiyoko, but wrapping his arm around Kagura Hikaru''s.


    "Kagura, there seems to be a quiz in a few days, and I''ve just returned to the country, so I''m not very familiar with the coursework here. Could you come to my house after school to tutor me?"


    "...Yeah."


    "That''s great, I''ll tell the chef at home to prepare some snacks for the afternoon tea."


    Tsk, with such a big sun up in the sky, you don''t find it hot?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko muttered sourly to herself.


    She fell back subtly, watching the despicable and shameless woman from behind, her gaze sharp as countless thoughts spun in her mind.


    From stuffing her in concrete and dumping her into Tokyo Bay to reporting their early romance to the head teacher, all sorts of ideas tumbled through her head.


    Of course, she had no intention of letting things go so easily.


    The person she liked was under threat and control by someone else; if she did nothing, would she still be Ayakoji Chiyoko?


    Uphold justice, punish the evil, and protect the weak. These were the things that Kagura Hikaru had taught her.


    Back in elementary school, when Ayakoji Chiyoko was being bullied, it was he who stood up and bore the malice behind her.


    At that time, he was a true dark hero.


    Even now, he remains the idol of Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    But now, regardless of right or wrong, Chiyoko wants to get involved in this matter of her own free will.


    It''s for a very simple reason¡ªshe doesn''t allow it.


    Chiyoko clenched her fists in secret.


    The past you protected me; now it''s my turn to protect you, Kagura Hikaru.


    ............


    Kiryu Hina was doing her homework.


    It was rare for her to bring her homework to school to do.


    In Island Nation high schools, the approach to supervising students'' studies is generally more relaxed, typically requiring students to self-study.


    But that''s just a general statement. Discover stories with empire


    As a school known for its high university entry rates, Haneoka Private High School cannot afford to be as lenient as the average public school.


    There isn''t a day when homework isn''t assigned.


    Normally, Kiryu Hina wouldn''t bother with this; she always completed her homework at home in advance, never having left it to do at school before.


    After all, it''s called homework, and it''s usually checked at the beginning of the class.


    Rushing to copy others'' work at the time of submission is something only poor students would do.


    Even if she were busy with her Student Council President duties, Hina should not have let herself slip to this extent.


    But the fact was the fact, it happened just like that.


    She knew exactly what was going on.


    It wasn''t that some external force at home had disrupted her, causing her to lose the time to do homework.


    No, in a sense, that could be said too, but it was more likely the result of her own self-inflicted troubles.


    The source of her troubles was none other than the person who transferred to this school, to this class yesterday.


    Her last name was Kohinata, her first name Motoyo.


    Not having seen her for a year, she was still the same, showing no weaknesses inside or out, her demeanor exceptional.


    It took no time for her classmates to be captivated by her, or rather, won over.


    Even the people from Hina''s side were no exception.


    Maybe it was because Motoyo exuded an aura similar to Hina''s, which made them fall even faster.


    But they were mistaken about one thing¡ªit wasn''t that Motoyo had an aura similar to hers; it was actually the other way around.


    She was the imitation, Motoyo the real thing.


    The counterfeit cannot hide in front of the genuine article.


    The person being mimicked surely knows it best, doesn''t she?


    The moment Motoyo spoke to her in the classroom, Hina''s fa?ade crumbled.


    She loathed Kohinata Motoyo.


    Yet she yearned for the fact that Motoyo was Kohinata Motoyo.


    Counterfeits should not appear in front of real things, or else their outer layers will peel away, exposing their true natures.


    Frankly, just the thought of Motoyo possibly sitting behind her and watching made Hina lose her composure. She hadn''t absorbed any of the teacher''s lectures these past few days and had to self-study after classes.


    Therefore, she fell behind on her assignments and ended up having to bring them to school to complete.


    While Hina was multitasking, smiling and talking with classmates while pondering over the homework questions.


    Suddenly, there was a commotion from the back.


    She heard someone mention ''classmate Suse'' and turned around reflexively to look.


    There she saw Kohinata Motoyo, smiling as she walked into the classroom with Kagura Hikaru.


    To be precise, they were walking hand in hand¡ªtogether.


    The moment of their entry, a piercing restlessness crossed her heart.

 Chapter 145 Escape

    As soon as Motoyo entered the classroom, she was surrounded by her female classmates.It was to be expected.


    Anyone who saw a beautiful transfer student, who just arrived at school holding hands with a male classmate from the same class, would react this way.


    Moreover, she had said yesterday that she transferred to Uka to get back together with Hikaru Kagura.


    Now it seemed, she had succeeded.


    The gossip-loving girls in the class were so excited, they were practically screaming. No, they were indeed screaming as they surrounded Motoyo and Hikaru.


    While they eagerly asked Motoyo about the progress of her romance, Hikaru seized the chance to slip away and return to his seat.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji, who had been following behind them, had disappeared at some point and didn''t come back.


    Hikaru could only pick up a light novel and start reading to avoid the stares of the group of girls behind him.


    But when you''re feeling irritable, it''s clear that you can''t really take anything in.


    The girls quickly learned from Motoyo the news that they were dating successfully, which immediately caused another round of commotion and screams, as they expressed their congratulations.


    Motoyo responded politely to each one.


    Without looking back, Hikaru knew that right now she must be wearing a light happy smile, one that made anyone who saw her feel involuntarily relieved for her.


    On the other hand, he, the successful man in this story who paired up with such a beautiful and perfect girl, was the person least willing to witness this scene.


    Such irony.


    Soon, the bell for the beginning of class rang.


    Everyone returned to their seats.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji also came back from outside just in time, hurriedly sitting down.


    While taking out the textbook and waiting for the teacher to enter the classroom, Hikaru suddenly noticed something strange.


    In front, Hina Kiryu''s seat, was empty.


    Where did she go?


    The male teacher entered the room, picked up the attendance book, and began calling names.


    But just as he was about to call Hina Kiryu''s name in the order of the seating arrangement, he skipped over it.


    "Classmate Kiryu just took a leave in the office," the male teacher explained, "It seems like she''s not feeling well, so she was allowed to go home early."


    "Eh?"


    "Is President Kiryu alright?"


    "No wonder, if she''s not feeling well, then there''s nothing we can do about it."


    "Everyone should send a message to wish the President well later."


    The classroom was slightly abuzz, with students whispering to each other, and the male teacher on the podium had to cough forcefully twice to quiet them down.


    This little episode wasn''t taken to heart by anyone.


    Hina Kiryu taking sick leave was a first, but no one was surprised.


    After all, the Student Council President, who was impeccable in every way, had only one weakness: her physical strength. She was absolutely the worst in physical education classes.


    She would get lapped in running, lie flat on the ground during push-ups, and her longest standing long jump was eighty centimeters.


    For someone so physically weak, getting sick was nothing strange.


    No one noticed the real reason for her departure.


    Not even Hikaru or Chiyoko Ayakoji.


    There was only one person who was different.


    This person was none other than Motoyo Kohinata, who locked eyes with Hina Kiryu as soon as she entered the classroom.


    She could clearly see the wavering on Hina''s face at that time.


    It was almost like a repeat of that white Christmas night.


    It must have brought back bad memories for her.


    I''m sorry, Hina.


    That''s what Motoyo Kohinata whispered in her heart.


    "This time, I will not give up, nor will I back down again."


    Lunch break.


    After the morning classes finished, the classroom instantly regained its liveliness.


    Everyone was discussing where to go for lunch or activities of their clubs.


    Kohinata Motoyo quietly took out the luxurious bento she had asked the chef to prepare that morning, enough for two, and came over to Kagura Hikaru''s desk, smiling as she said, "Kagura, let''s have lunch together. I''ve prepared your portion as well."


    Before Kagura Hikaru could open his mouth to say anything, his deskmate Ayakoji Chiyoko, while packing up her textbooks, said carelessly, "You''re really thoughtful, Classmate Kohinata, but unfortunately, this guy brings his own bento to school every day. The extra one you have there is probably unnecessary."


    "...Is that so, Kagura?"


    "My stepmother made it." Kagura Hikaru replied as he took his bento box out of his bag and put it on the table.


    Of course, it couldn''t compare to the luxurious bento Kohinata Motoyo had brought, neither in size nor in the quality and pattern of the box. They were simply on two different levels.


    But she couldn''t just blurt out something as insensitive as, "Then don''t eat that bento, eat mine instead."


    If Kagura didn''t eat any of the bento his family had made and took it home untouched, he might get scolded.


    "You''re not expecting him to eat both, are you? Be careful not to fatten Kagura up," Ayakoji Chiyoko chuckled from the side.


    Kohinata Motoyo''s eyes twitched. She decided to ignore her and smiled at Kagura Hikaru, "Kagura, let''s go. We''ll find a place to rest. We can treat the extra bento as a snack, and if we can''t finish it, I''ll take it back."


    "...Oh."


    "Wait a second." Ayakoji Chiyoko reached out and pressed down on Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder as he was about to get up, firmly pushing him back into his seat, "Kagura can''t go with you now. He has to attend a meeting with me at the Disciplinary Committee to discuss the upcoming Student Council election publicity matters. That was already decided yesterday. Isn''t that right, Vice-President?"


    With a helpless glance at her, Kagura Hikaru could only nod under Ayakoji Chiyoko''s intense gaze, "Yeah, that''s the case."


    Basically, after being given the cold shoulder by Suse, Ayakoji Chiyoko wanted to interfere with them.


    But such petty tactics were too low-level.


    However, with a noble-sounding reason, things indeed become much more convenient.


    Since they were busy with serious work, Kohinata Motoyo obviously couldn''t stop them, or else she would come off as an unreasonable woman.


    She thought for a second, her eyes curving into a smile as she said composedly, "Then, let me come along. I''ve mentioned before that I wanted to help with Ayakoji''s campaign promotion but haven''t discussed the specifics yet. I believe now is a good opportunity, as the saying goes, ''speed is of the essence''." Your next chapter is on empire


    Having her own nobility pressured, she struck back with a justified reason.


    Left without a comeback, Ayakoji Chiyoko found herself unable to refute. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She couldn''t just say that her Disciplinary Committee was open to Kagura but closed to others; that would make her intentions too transparent and appear childish. She did still care about saving face, after all.


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko racked her brain for a suitable retort,


    A girl unfamiliar to the rest of the class briskly walked into the second-year A classroom.


    With a determined look, she limped with an imposing air towards the trio of Kagura Hikaru.


    "Kagura, I need to talk to you, come here!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said.


    After speaking, she didn''t wait for a response but reached out and firmly grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s wrist and dragged him away.


    "Ai Cheng?"


    "I¡ªI really have something urgent to discuss with you, sorry!"


    Unexpectedly, when she got serious, her strength was quite considerable, befitting an elite member of the Volleyball Club.


    With Kagura Hikaru''s willing cooperation, the two quickly left the classroom.


    Kohinata Motoyo''s outstretched hand intending to hold him back hung futilely in mid-air as her face froze.


    All she wanted was to have lunch with her boyfriend, so why had there been so many complications?!


    Meanwhile, Ayakoji Chiyoko, who sat at her desk, raised her eyebrows slightly as she watched Ai Cheng Hua Lian drag someone away.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, from the moment she entered the door, seemed to have locked eyes only with Kagura Hikaru and herself, without giving Kohinata Motoyo a glance.


    It was only when she was dragging Kagura Hikaru away that she gave a hasty look.


    It was during that moment that Ayakoji Chiyoko found the expression revealed to be quite intriguing.


    That look held a sharpness as if she had identified a culprit.


    What reason could a person like Ai Cheng Hua Lian have to dislike Kohinata Motoyo?


    Problematic.

 Chapter 146 It Might Be Mutual Love

    Kagura Hikaru was dragged by hand by Ai Cheng Karen and taken to a secluded corner of the courtyard under the school building.There was a golden maple tree glittering under the sun and a long bench beneath it.


    It was the same familiar place.


    Kagura Hikaru had once received Ayakoji Chiyoko here and had been doused by Kiryu Hina with yogurt.


    What used to be his secret spot for eating lunch alone was now known by more and more people.


    Ai Cheng Karen brought Kagura Hikaru to the maple tree, forcibly made him sit on the chair, and then stared at him with probing eyes.


    But within less than two seconds, her face turned red as she averted her gaze, looking left and right.


    "Kagura, you know, you, you..."


    Kagura Hikaru raised his right hand that she was holding, "Let''s not talk about that for now, can you let go of me? If you keep holding on, my blood won''t circulate."


    "Wow!"


    She quickly let go of his hand with an awkward laugh, "Ah, ahaha, sorry, I forgot."


    "No problem."


    Rotating his wrist, Kagura Hikaru leaned back against the chair back, his gaze toward the distance.


    Having waited for quite some time without him asking, Ai Cheng Karen scratched her head and asked curiously, "Kagura, aren''t you curious why I brought you here?"


    "...Ah, that, whatever."


    "Whatever??" S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, actually, I just couldn''t stand that atmosphere and took the opportunity to escape. The reason doesn''t matter."


    "Ha... that''s a really casual thought indeed," Ai Cheng Karen sighed and then smiled, "But that''s just like Kagura."


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head, "What style am I, exactly? Explain."


    "Uh, well, ahaha, it''s not important either," Ai Cheng Karen chuckled and after a few seconds of silence, her expression became serious, "Kagura, there''s something I need to tell you."


    "Let''s get this straight, if you''re confessing here, I won''t agree," said Kagura Hikaru with a strange expression.


    "Who''s confessing to you! Cough, no, I mean, that''s not what I want to talk about."


    "Asking for money? If it''s less than a million yen, I might consider not charging interest."


    "It''s not about borrowing money either! And really, you''re unexpectedly generous!"


    "Don''t mind it, you''re worth that much."


    "What do you mean, am I wanted?"


    After a bit of play fighting, the originally heavy atmosphere blew away.


    "Here, this is your backpack that you forgot at my place yesterday." Kagura Hikaru pulled out Ai Cheng Karen''s tote backpack from behind, which he had grabbed on his way out of the classroom.


    He placed the backpack in her arms, looked down at her foot still wrapped in gauze, "Speaking of which, your foot injury has healed pretty quickly, you can already walk."


    Not only walk but even walk fast with someone.


    "Well, healing quickly is one of my strengths. Also, thanks for keeping my backpack, you really helped me out."


    Ai Cheng Karen''s face finally wore her usual smile, but the thought of what she had to say next still slightly dampened her spirit.


    "Kagura, there''s something I must be honest with you about."


    "Hmm?"


    "Yesterday, actually, I overheard you and Kohinata talking about something..."


    "..."


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to eavesdrop! I was just coming to get my backpack back, and I didn''t expect..."


    "Alright, no need to explain," Kagura Hikaru shook his head at her, "It''s okay, I''m not upset."


    Ai Cheng Karen cautiously, "Really?"


    "Yeah, of course, but if you go around spreading it, then I would really get upset."


    "No, no, I won''t do that," she quickly shook her head and waved her arms, "But Kagura, what do you plan to do now?"


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Aren''t you being threatened by Kohinata right now? Surely you don''t really want to date her, though I can understand why...."


    As Ai Cheng Hua Lian spoke, uncertainty crept into her heart, and she hung her head.


    Although Kohinata Motoyo''s methods were dirty, if one thought about it from another angle, it could show that she was foolishly in love with Kagura Hikaru to the extent of resorting to threatening others.


    Since she had resorted to such actions, she had already strayed from the righteous path, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian would never acknowledge her actions, no matter what.


    But if Kagura Hikaru also wanted to be in a romantic relationship with her.... Enjoy new stories from empire


    "No, I never thought that way," Kagura Hikaru shook his head decisively, "Even if you told me to break up with her right now, I wouldn''t hesitate. If I were able to lead the relationship by my own will, I would do just that. But the problem is that I can''t."


    "Is it because of President Hina, because of that picture...?"


    "I didn''t expect you to have seen that, too."


    Kagura Hikaru sighed, "Yes, Motoyo still has leverage over me, I can''t act rashly."


    "I understand, let''s seek help then!" proposed Ai Cheng Hua Lian earnestly, "Let''s first inform President Hina about this, she will surely assist with all her might once she knows the situation. If needed, we could even bring in President Ayakoji, let everyone come together to think of a solution!"


    The eagerness in her eyes somewhat stung Kagura Hikaru.


    Seeing him as a complete victim was the greatest irony for him.


    "...Sorry, I don''t plan to tell anyone about this, and please don''t talk about it to others."


    "Not even President Hina, when it''s related to her?"


    "No, you can''t."


    "Why not!"


    "You just can''t, that''s why," Kagura Hikaru stubbornly refused to explain his reasons.


    Ultimately, Ai Cheng Hua Lian left in frustration without extracting an answer from Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru lay down on the bench, his head resting where Ai Cheng Hua Lian had just been sitting.


    Looking up at the sky through the gaps between branches and golden maple leaves.


    The sunlight left patches of light on his body.


    Whether to seek help externally and tell Kiryu Hina the truth.


    All of that was unnecessary and an action he was unwilling to take.


    Initially, when he had been threatened by Suse, he hadn''t told Hina about it.


    He could have, if they had discussed it secretly, Motoyo would have never known they had communicated.


    Thus, they could have avoided a bad ending and, with Hina''s intelligence, freed themselves from Suse''s control together.


    But Kagura Hikaru had not done so.


    There were three reasons:


    First, he was worried about the spread of compromising photos. At the time, he had used mind-reading on Suse immediately to find out where the backups of the photos were, but they were in a place that he could not reach then or now, physically impossible.


    Second, if Hina knew that compromising photos of her had been taken by a friend, given her immature character back in middle school, she might have physically confronted Suse, which could have resulted in injuries for both and possibly affected their academic progress.


    Third, and this was something Kagura Hikaru least wanted to admit, a fact, a reality.


    It was the true root of the eventual tragedy, the most significant reason.


    And that was¡ªhe had feelings for Suse and wanted to protect her actively.


    Don''t you understand?


    Let me put it in simpler terms then.


    That is to say, Kohinata Motoyo''s affection was not unrequited.


    The Kagura Hikaru she loved, loved Kohinata Motoyo back.


    What she thought was unreciprocated love,


    Perhaps, was mutual affection.

 Chapter 147 Kiss

    When do people fall for someone?The answer is unknown, with myriad opinions.


    Some say you like someone when you find them cute.


    Some say it''s when you feel an urge to protect them.


    Some say it''s when you can''t stop your eyes from glancing their way, paying attention to their every move.


    Kagura Hikaru had felt all these emotions.


    Towards his girlfriend, Kiryu Hina, and also towards his friend, Kohinata Motoyo.


    He started dating the latter three months after her confession.


    Experience more content on empire


    At that time, Kagura Hikaru didn''t know that Suse was about to do something very unreasonable, his mind preoccupied with the confession under the cherry tree.


    What exactly did Suse like about him, and why would she say those things knowing he had a girlfriend?


    And him, did he really like Suse as well...?


    After being confessed to, Kagura Hikaru became quite concerned about these questions, his inner turmoil accumulating, unfamiliar yet familiar feelings emerging.


    He gradually developed the same feelings for Suse as he had for Hina.


    Men really are simple and superficial creatures.


    Happy all day when a girl calls them handsome, boasting to the world when a girl gives them a gift.


    Falling for a girl who confesses to them.


    I''ve said it before, right?


    During the half year he dated behind Hina''s back, Kagura Hikaru wasn''t completely unmoved, not entirely indifferent.


    After all, when a girl so perfect, with good looks, personality, family background, and abilities, confesses to you and even goes as far as having an affair to be with you, becoming the other woman.


    Which man on this planet could refuse? S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru is a straight man who likes good-looking girls, girls with nice figures, enjoys sensuality, a normal man not lacking any of the desires that should be there.


    Such a man, such a shallow man, how could he not have fallen for Kohinata Motoyo?


    Everything he said to Hina that white Christmas night was true.


    His guilt towards Hina, like Suse''s entanglement with him, was all genuine.


    He indeed betrayed her.


    From the body to the soul.


    His entire being, including his soul, was tainted with Kohinata Motoyo''s color.


    Knowing it was not allowed, knowing it was against the promise, very unfair to Hina.


    The moral code accepted by society, the thrill of an affair, tormented him from two opposing directions.


    Indeed, if Suse had not taken action, it would never have resulted in such a situation.


    Maybe even now, he would be having a secure and affectionate relationship with Hina and be best friends with Suse.


    A relationship that is neither more nor less than that.


    However, there are no maybes, no what-ifs, what''s done is done, and it''s irreversible.


    Whether it was Hina, Suse, or Kagura Hikaru himself, they were all completely changed at that moment.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought he was the victim.


    Perhaps because she thought she understood the truth, and because of her trust in him as a friend.


    But in Kagura Hikaru''s own view, it was completely different.


    She was wrong, Hina was the one who was right.


    Truthfully, when everything was exposed that night, deep down he really felt relieved.


    If he continued like this, if he kept on pretending to be threatened by Suse, continuing to date both girls.


    It wasn''t just about occupying their feelings, but eventually, even taking the final step in a romantic relationship.


    Afterwards, what kind of twisted path would his life take, it''s truly unimaginable.


    He was a terrible man, a scumbag, unforgivably worthless.


    No matter who said those words to him, he would accept them in silence.


    Not for any other reason.


    But simply because that was the reality.


    When Kohinata Suse returned from abroad and pursued him to Ugao High, Kagura Hikaru''s fear was genuine.


    Because he had a premonition that he would fall back into that state he had been in before.


    No matter how he verbally justified himself, claiming he resented her, or how much he physically repulsed and harshly denied all her requests, it probably wouldn''t be effective.


    This time, he might not be able to turn back.


    There came a gentle sound of footsteps and the crushing of dry leaves from behind.


    A pair of warm, small hands covered Kagura Hikaru''s eyes.


    "Guess who~?"


    "Ogura Yui."


    "Hm? Who is that woman?"


    "A female voice actress, your voice sounds very similar to hers. If they make an animation, I''d definitely want to invite her to be responsible for your voice."


    Kagura Hikaru got up from the bench, intending to offer his seat to Kohinata Suse.


    But unexpectedly, she pressed down on him, and after sitting, she cradled his head gently in her lap.


    The skin on the back of his neck touched the girl''s thigh.


    The feel was soft and slightly cool.


    A refreshing fragrance enveloped him.


    Kohinata Suse placed her left hand on Kagura Hikaru''s chest, patting it like one would soothe a baby, gazing down gently.


    "What were you lying here thinking just now?"


    "I was thinking it would have been better if I never dated you in the first place," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "Ah, you''re saying that kind of thing again. I don''t know how many times I''ve heard you say it when we were together."


    "Then you''ll have to trouble yourself to listen to it one more time."


    "I won''t agree, you know. No matter how many times time rewinds, I will still fall in love with you," Suse said gently as she caressed his cheek, chin, Adam''s apple, and collarbone, "Like you, fall for you, become your lover, and then, come back to find you again."


    "That''s so heavy, that kind of unchanging affection."


    "Don''t say heavy, this is romantic," she chided.


    Kohinata Suse playfully pushed Kagura Hikaru''s nose with her index finger, "How can you say such mean things about a girl''s feelings."


    "The one who is bad is you."


    "Hoho, I won''t deny that," Suse laughed with a smile that turned somewhat sad, "I''m sorry, Kagura, for it ending up like this. If I could have met you a bit sooner, dated you earlier, then Hina wouldn''t have..."


    "Hina will never forgive you, and neither will I," Kagura Hikaru said, looking her straight in the eye, calmly.


    "Hmm, is that so? I suppose it is, why would I be anything but a bad woman."


    Suse smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, bent down, and slowly lowered her head, the shadow of her hanging hair enveloping Kagura Hikaru.


    "So now, all you need is to look at me."


    A soft touch came from his lips.


    Kagura Hikaru closed his eyes.


    Indeed, I still don''t want to date you, Suse.


    I don''t want to be lovers, nor do I want us to be a couple, and even less do I want to be anything beyond that.


    A wrong beginning won''t lead to a right end.


    If only we had never dated from the beginning.


    If only we had been strangers from the start.

 Chapter 148 This is too much, Suse

    In the past, Kagura Hikaru thought of himself as a lucky person.Being liked by beauties like Hina and Suse at the same time, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call him a big winner in life.


    Even now, he still believes this, feeling honored to have the favor of such outstanding people.


    However, looking back, he sees that the so-called winner''s rhetoric was nothing more than a shallow thought.


    Reality is not a romance game.


    If you accidentally enter a bad ending, you can''t just load a save and start over.


    In reality, there is no option to go back; you must bear the consequences of each choice you make.


    Kagura Hikaru has already borne the consequences he deserved and has accepted them as well.


    But Kohinata Suse, it seems, has not yet acknowledged this outcome.


    She, who was supposed to have exited the stage, came back, appending a new sequel to the story in an almost forceful way.


    Honestly speaking, it''s a form of selfishness.


    During junior high, Kagura Hikaru had a part of his heart that wanted to date Suse.


    But it''s different now.


    The greatest reason he was forced into acceptance was that compromising photo.


    He needed to find a way to destroy its backup and persuade Suse to give up the idea.


    However, because Suse''s thoughts were too simple when she was with him, she wouldn''t think about anything else, making Kagura Hikaru''s mind-reading ability almost ineffective, unable to precisely locate where the backup of the photo was.


    Even if it was still kept in the same place as during junior high, he, having grown for over a year, still couldn''t reach it.


    It''s not about willpower.


    It''s purely physically out of reach.


    After all, it''s supposed to be thousands of kilometers away.


    Keeping a classmate''s compromising photo backup in a Swiss bank vault... That''s going too far, Suse.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    "What the heck, I tried to help you out of kindness, but why would you refuse me with that attitude and not even explain, that''s just too much," Ai Cheng Hua Lian muttered to herself as she walked along the path back to the school building, kicking at the ground.


    She imagined a mini Kagura Hikaru doll and mentally pummeled it with her fists. Your journey continues on empire


    It was apparently the first time since they''d met that Kagura Hikaru resisted communicating with her.


    Even when they were not well acquainted at first, on the train, he would initiate conversation with her.


    But not this time.


    It was as if he was deliberately protecting Kohinata Suse, his attitude very strange.


    He even requested her not to tell President Hina and incessantly urged her to keep a secret.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian could guess that there must be some hidden situation she was unaware of, but still, the matters she couldn''t accept felt unacceptable.


    More distressing than Kagura Hikaru not saying anything was her inability to assist him.


    But having accidentally discovered the truth, could she really do as Kagura Hikaru asked, stand idly by and do nothing?


    Does she really think that would be okay?


    "Hey, over there."


    A voice roused Ai Cheng Hua Lian from her reverie.


    She looked up towards the source of the voice and saw Ayakoji Chiyoko standing with her arms crossed at the entrance of the pathway.


    "I remember, your name is Ai Cheng, right?" she said.


    "Yes¡­" Ai Cheng Hua Lian hesitantly nodded, "May I ask, what''s the matter?"


    She knew very little about Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    All she knew was that she was the person Kagura Hikaru currently liked, the former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, currently vying with President Hina in the Student Council elections.


    And that she had encountered her a few times while accompanying Ruzaki Mami in dealings with the Disciplinary Committee.


    Beyond that, there was no further interaction. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What purpose would such a person have for approaching her?


    For a moment, Ai Cheng Hua Lian could only think it was related to the Student Council election.


    It couldn''t be that she wanted her to be a spy to disrupt President Hina.


    But she obviously thought wrong.


    "Let''s change the location and have a talk," Ayakoji Chiyoko approached, "about Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo."


    Taken aback, Ai Cheng Hua Lian fell silent, then nodded.


    Shortly after, the two arrived at the Disciplinary Committee office and took their seats in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s office.


    "Have some tea."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko poured a cup of oolong tea for Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who expressed her thanks and then comfortably enjoyed the cool breeze from the air conditioner.


    It was her first time realizing that the Disciplinary Committee had an air conditioner installed.


    Such luxury.


    But then again, it made sense, considering the Disciplinary Committee was a major club with a large membership, qualified to apply for such equipment from the school.


    Clubs like their Girls'' Volleyball Club, since they usually practiced in the school''s indoor gym with only fans to circulate air, never had the chance to apply for air conditioners.


    They didn''t even have a real club room.


    She indeed envied clubs of the scale of the Disciplinary Committee.


    Noticing her aspiration, the corners of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mouth lifted slightly, "How about joining the Disciplinary Committee? That way you can enjoy air conditioning every day."


    "No, that''s still..."


    "You can manage both your club activities, as long as you participate in the patrols and martial training every morning and afternoon."


    "Martial training?!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian exclaimed in surprise, "The Disciplinary Committee has such activities?"


    "Of course, how else do you expect to subdue those disobedient students without using force when necessary?" Ayakoji Chiyoko poured herself a cup of tea as well, then sat down behind her desk, lifting the cup gracefully as she spoke.


    Having a vague impression that Discipline Committee members only caught students at the school gate, Ai Cheng Hua Lian struggled to imagine them using force to subdue Uka students.


    Generally speaking, committee members aren''t allowed to be violent, right?


    They aren''t police or the mafia.


    Could it be that they are actually a group of dangerous people?


    She began to worry about the reason she had been called here...


    Seeing that the atmosphere was set, Ayakoji Chiyoko began to address the main issue.


    "Where did you take Kagura Hikaru before? Where is he now?"


    "Uh, he should still be in the courtyard, I think," Ai Cheng Hua Lian hesitated then leaned forward slightly, placing her hands on her thighs. "I want to ask something!"


    "Hmm?"


    "President Ayakoji is also a friend of Kagura''s, right?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko raised an eyebrow, "One could say that, indeed. So what?"


    "Then, if Kagura is in trouble, would you help him?"


    "...The trouble you''re speaking of wouldn''t have anything to do with Kohinata Motoyo, would it?"


    "Eh? You know about that too...?"


    "I don''t know, but it seems you do," Ayakoji Chiyoko put down her tea cup, her gaze piercingly into Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes, "You seem to dislike Kohinata Motoyo quite a bit, right? When you led Kagura Hikaru away, you didn''t even want to glance at her, which is quite unusual."


    Surely, someone as beautiful as her could not be ignored so easily by anyone, male or female.


    But Ai Cheng Hua Lian was different, she had ignored Kohinata Motoyo at that time.


    No, she had deliberately overlooked her.


    Normally, even strangers don''t exhibit that kind of attitude.


    So, she must know something about Kohinata Motoyo.


    Especially something related to Kagura Hikaru.


    "Tell me the details. What kind of trouble is Kagura Hikaru in right now? Tell me," Ayakoji Chiyoko said.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian gathered her courage to inquire, "If I tell you, will you help him?"


    "I will."


    "Even if it means opposing Kohinata?"


    "Do you think I would care about something like that?"


    "...I understand."


    Taking a deep breath, Ai Cheng Hua Lian slowly revealed the truth.

 Chapter 149 Roaring with Laughter

    Ten minutes later.Disciplinary Committee Office.


    "Pu-hahaha, Kiryu Hina you clown, hahaha..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko burst into laughter.


    It was nothing short of hysterical.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian opened her mouth wide, unable to believe what she was seeing. Discover stories with empire


    The Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, the unsmiling, stone-faced Ayakoji Chiyoko, was actually slapping the table in laughter!


    ...Was she having a nightmare, still trapped in a dream?!


    If so, she needed to wake up immediately!


    After laughing for a while, Ayakoji Chiyoko finally stopped.


    But her lips still wildly curled upwards.


    "Sorry, I was a bit taken aback, not well-prepared."


    "Yeah, yeah....."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian smiled awkwardly, with eyelids twitching.


    So President Ayakoji truly disliked President Hina, the rumors were true...


    She began to feel a bit regretful.


    If by tomorrow the news that President Hina had been cuckolded spread all over the school, not even a ritual suicide could serve as an apology. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her stomach began to hurt...


    "So, well, a compromising photograph," wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, crossed her legs, and laced her fingers together on the desk. "Kagura Hikaru got tripped up by such a trivial method, huh."


    "President Ayakoji, this is a very serious matter, please take it seriously!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian frowned.


    But when Ayakoji Chiyoko cast a sidelong glance at her, she immediately recoiled, "Sorry, sorry....."


    "It''s okay, you''re right, it is serious." Ayakoji Chiyoko tapped the desk with her fingers, "I remember your friend last time, named Ruzaki."


    "Ruzaki Mami."


    "Right, Ruzaki Mami, was also blackmailed because of a photograph."


    "Yeah... but in the end, we didn''t find any backup copies of those photographs, we just had Teacher Sato caught..."


    Last semester, Ruzaki Mami fell in love with a teacher who taught the national language, Teacher Sato, and was blackmailed with photos of them kissing in the classroom.


    It was ultimately resolved with the help of Kagura Hikaru and the Disciplinary Committee''s power.


    But the truth behind the incident was shocking, for Teacher Sato turned out to be in cahoots with the blackmailer, and eventually Ruzaki Mami reported the case, leading to the arrest of the teacher by the police.


    Afterward, the second year''s national language teacher was replaced by a stodgy middle-aged woman.


    But that was still better than a degenerate gambling teacher who preyed on female students.


    The case with Ruzaki Mami last time, and what Kagura Hikaru is facing now, are nearly identical.


    Different details, but the essence is the same.


    Both involved blackmail through photographs.


    Only, Ruzaki Mami was extorted for money, while Kagura Hikaru was extorted for her body.


    Well, that might sound ambiguous... let''s say affection instead.


    Kohinata Motoyo wanted to be loved, and the target she chose was Kagura Hikaru, with whom she had had an unusual relationship in the past.


    It''s often heard that men who cheat can''t forget their lovers after being caught, but it''s rarely heard that the lover can''t forget the man after such an incident.


    Yet when such a thing really happens to one''s own classmate, it''s hard to find it funny.


    "If the person concerned doesn''t care about their weakness, the whole extortion falls apart," Ayakoji Chi said calmly, "Kagura Hikaru is just too kind-hearted."


    "President Ayakoji, you''re being too heartless..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian frowned adorably, "Isn''t it right to protect someone from getting hurt?"


    "I never said he did anything wrong."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clicked her tongue, "I don''t know much about Kohinata, but that guy doesn''t seem like someone who would be naive enough to not make a backup. To completely eliminate the photos is very difficult, if not impossible, unless she does it willingly."


    "Hmm..."


    "The only people who might know where her photos are hidden would be Kiryu Hina, who had the most contact with her, and Kagura Hikaru herself."


    "...Then what do we do...?"


    "Didn''t Kagura Hikaru tell you not to inform Kiryu Hina? My opinion is the same."


    "Huh? Why?"


    "That person is not useful right now."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said so.


    Although she hadn''t paid much attention to it before, thinking it was just a coincidence.


    But now that she thought about it carefully, it was definitely not normal for Kiryu Hina to see Kohinata Motoyo exceed her in class and not pick on her even once.


    Rather, it was as if she was deliberately avoiding, circumventing her.


    It was almost like... yeah, like she was dodging her.


    This was not in line with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s impression of her as someone who holds a grudge; it was too far off, almost unlike the same person.


    Under these circumstances, there could only be one conclusion¡ªthat Kiryu Hina was afraid of her.


    That perfect Student Council President also had her nemesis; just thinking about it was enough to make Ayakoji Chiyoko''s heart merry.


    However, she couldn''t keep smiling.


    Because she realized that she was about to have a confrontation with the person even Kiryu Hina was afraid of.


    And it was all over a man.


    Really... If the her from half a year ago knew this, she would definitely think she was out of her mind.


    "Ai Cheng Hua Lian, you can go back now." Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly said.


    "Eh?"


    "You being here right now doesn''t serve any purpose; go back to doing what you should be doing. I''ll take care of Kagura Hikaru''s business."


    "Is that okay?"


    "Of course, although I''ve stepped down as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, the Disciplinary Committee is still my territory. All the members of the society will help; we won''t miss one person." Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it properly."


    The way she said it made people feel very assured.


    She was Uka''s former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee who had established the Disciplinary Committee from scratch, and her influence lingered even after leaving the club.


    She surely had her fair share of experience in dealing with blackmail cases.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, just an ordinary high school student, really couldn''t help, and might even cause trouble.


    "...Okay, then I''m counting on you, President Ayakoji."


    So, Ai Cheng Hua Lian chose to trust her.


    Finally, she told Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Please contact me if there''s anything I can help with," and left the Disciplinary Committee.


    Watching her leave and the door shut behind her, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes narrowed slightly, somewhat concerned.


    That third-year student seemed to care about Kagura Hikaru in a way that went beyond friendship.


    If it was just her being kind-hearted, that would be fine, but if not...


    No, now was not the time to think about these things.


    She called her subordinates and mobilized all the Discipline Committee members across the school to search for Kohinata Motoyo''s current location.


    In less than fifteen minutes, she got the result and immediately left the room.


    As for what she was going to do.


    Of course, it was to declare war.

 Chapter 150 Lets Break Up

    It had rained lightly last night.It was the first rain since the end of summer vacation.


    The rain brought some moist air, cooling off this scorching summer.


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko walked through the school''s green courtyard, strolling under the maple trees, she could even feel a hint of chill from the breeze.


    Although, in terms of actual temperature, it might have been reduced by only about one degree, not that noticeable, but the sentiment mattered.


    She was currently on her way to find Kohinata Motoyo.


    Not long ago, someone had spotted Kohinata Motoyo in the courtyard, but despite the courtyard not being very large, when she scanned around, there was no sign of anyone.


    So naturally, Ayakoji Chiyoko thought of that secluded spot where she first collaborated in negotiations with Kagura Hikaru.


    If it was there, indeed, nobody would notice.


    Thinking she might find them there, why not go and have a look?


    And indeed, she found them there.


    Moreover, she saw a quite disgusting scene.


    Kohinata Motoyo was giving Kagura Hikaru a lap pillow, with her right hand unfaithfully touching the latter''s hair and eyebrows.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s goosebumps sprang up instantly, not as an exaggeration, but for real.


    She vigorously rubbed the back of her hand, metaphorically strangling Kohinata Motoyo to death in her mind for a second time to stabilize her emotions, before striding towards them.


    Upon reaching them, she stood with her arms crossed, looking down at them as if examining corpses, and spoke expressionlessly,


    "You two be mindful of the setting, this is a school after all."


    Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo probably hadn''t anticipated that Ayakoji Chiyoko would find this place, their faces showing some surprise.


    "We''re not doing anything indecent, and as long as we''re not causing trouble to others, it shouldn''t be a problem, right?"


    Kohinata Motoyo said that, "Moreover, weren''t you the one, Classmate Ayakoji, who first said that the rule against romantic relationships is unreasonable and should be changed?"


    After speaking, she cheekily hugged Kagura Hikaru''s head and pulled his face a bit closer to her somewhat ample bosom.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s cheek twitched.


    "Yes, I did say such a thing, but that was in anticipation of the future. Since it hasn''t taken effect yet, rules are still rules and all students of Uka must abide by them. The two of you are no exception," she then coldly stared at Kagura Hikaru, "Especially you, Kagura, as the vice president of the Disciplinary Committee, leading such disorder is unseemly."


    While speaking, she stepped forward, grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s collar, and jerked him up from Kohinata Motoyo''s embrace.


    "Let''s go, come with me," Ayakoji Chiyoko said to him, "There''s plenty of work to be done at the Disciplinary Committee, and there''s no time for you to be romancing an extortionist."


    "Hold on, please, when you say extortionist, are you referring to me?" Kohinata Motoyo asked, surprised, pointing at herself.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced sideways at her, "Using someone''s psychological weaknesses to force them to do things they''re unwilling to do, if that''s not extortion, what is?"


    "Force...?" Kohinata Motoyo touched her cheek and smiled gently, "If you''re referring to my relationship with Kagura, then you must be mistaken." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, mistaken."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko raised an eyebrow and threw Kagura Hikaru back into the chair, "So, the matter about that photo was also a mistake, yes?"


    Photo...


    At the mention of that word, the expressions of Kohinata Motoyo and Kagura Hikaru both shifted slightly.


    "How curious, how did you find out about it?" Kohinata Motoyo didn''t look the slightest bit intimidated, but her smile deepened instead, "This matter should be a total secret, except for me and Kagura, there shouldn''t be a third person in the world who knows... Oh, I see now, it was Senior Ai Cheng, wasn''t it?"


    Her intuition was sharp, or rather, she was very confident in her logical reasoning, hitting the bullseye in an extremely short span of time.


    Involuntarily, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt a similar sensation she had faced when dealing with Kiryu Hina before.


    Unfathomable, incomprehensible, yet seemingly aware of everything.


    This type of person, incompatible with her, was the most difficult to deal with.


    "The only time we discussed the photo in public was yesterday afternoon, not far from Senior Ai Cheng''s house, it seems she overheard us... I''m sorry, Kagura, this was my mistake," Kohinata Motoyo said with a sigh of apology.


    Kagura Hikaru remained silent.


    He recalled how he had just reminded Ai Cheng Hua Lian not to spread the word, yet in less than an hour, it had reached Ayakoji Chiyoko''s ears.


    It was the first time he felt that Ai Cheng Hua Lian could be unreliable.


    Although he knew, it definitely had nothing to do with her will.


    Those targeted by Ayakoji Chiyoko would sooner or later succumb; the former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee''s methods were comparable to a Swiss Army Knife, endlessly emerging, always precisely targeting others'' weaknesses.


    Whether mentally or physically.


    It was odd to expect a well-behaved child like Ai Cheng Hua Lian to stand up to her.


    Probably some clue had been discovered, and then she was cornered at the door and forced to confess.


    As he was thinking this, Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo had already faced each other.


    "Stop this behavior now, immediately; this is your final warning," Ayakoji Chiyoko said sternly. "You don''t need me to remind you how despicable your actions are."


    "Ah, I thought you would understand this feeling, was I wrong?"


    "...What do you mean?"


    Kohinata Motoyo rested her cheek on one hand, her smile full of deep meaning: "Love unrequited, unable to let go even when you grasp it, isn''t that what love is all about?"


    Read exclusive chapters at empire


    Ayakoji Chiyoko understood her insinuations, and her expression turned even uglier.


    Her fondness for Kagura Hikaru was seen through...


    "I''m different from you!"


    "The same, all girls in the world are the same, we all have the same wish, which is to have the best partner," Kohinata Motoyo extended her hand to hold Kagura Hikaru''s, "I have found what I want, and I won''t let go, no matter what."


    "This kind of forceful behavior won''t last," Ayakoji Chiyoko said coldly. "You may think familiarity breeds fondness, but Kagura Hikaru isn''t a puppet to be manipulated at your will, and others will help him, you won''t get your way."


    "Is that so, she said that, Kagura?" Kohinata Motoyo looked at Kagura Hikaru, "Will you leave me as she said?"


    "Probably," Kagura Hikaru gave an ambiguous answer.


    He didn''t dare to be too definitive, worried that Motoyo might bring up Hina''s photo again.


    Frankly speaking, being by Motoyo''s side put him under more pressure than spying around Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Although she outwardly depended and complied, Kagura Hikaru was always concerned that if he misspoke and triggered her fury, both he and Hina would be blown sky-high.


    The so-called minefield girl was exactly this type.


    When with her, every sentence had to be carefully considered, pondered over thrice in his mind before being spoken.


    Even if it came to speaking ill of her face to face, it had to be the kind among friends that could enhance their relationship, to minimize her going berserk.


    If he were to speak the truth, Kagura Hikaru found it hard to imagine that he could, with time, develop feelings for the current Motoyo, with only worries and fears growing.


    Maybe seeing something in Kagura Hikaru''s expressionless face, Motoyo seemed a bit disheartened and unexpectedly let go of his hand.


    "Is it because things are moving too fast? I see, I understand..."


    Kohinata Motoyo made a decision, nodded solemnly, and said to Kagura Hikaru: "Then let''s break up."


    Kagura Hikaru: "?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "?"

 Chapter 151 Give Up on Kiryu Hina

    "Then let''s break up."Kagura Hikaru: "?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "?"


    Not only Kagura Hikaru but even the onlooking Ayakoji Chiyoko was stunned.


    What drama is this now?


    "Are you... serious?"


    "Yes, of course I am." Kohinata Motoyo twirled a strand of her hair, draped it over her shoulder, and smiled as she said, "I''ve realized that this way, neither of us will find happiness. This isn''t the right relationship for us. Let''s start over as friends."


    She didn''t seem to be joking from her expression.


    In that moment, Kagura Hikaru breathed a heavy sigh of relief in his heart.


    Although he didn''t know where this sudden change of heart came from, it was good to see she had come to terms with it.


    That was the Motoyo he knew¡ªrational and understanding. It seems that yesterday''s threat was indeed an act of impulse.


    So now she must also...


    [Like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [Like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [Like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like]


    [You have gained through deep introspection: Tea Ceremony +3]


    [Tea Ceremony lv5 (cannot be upgraded)]


    [Congratulations on achieving your third maximum level Skill, Mind Reading Technique has been enhanced]


    "..."


    He had maxed out another skill and also acquired a new ability following the image display from his mind reading.


    Unlike last time, Kagura Hikaru could identify the special feature of this new ability at first sniff. Explore new worlds at empire


    It was literally just that, needing only a sniff.


    Because the new ability he had just acquired was to discern truth from lies through scent.


    This wasn''t so much an enhancement of his mind-reading as it was an upgrade of his sixth sense, or his olfactory sense had been magically modified to smell pheromones.


    And unlike the mind-reading ability, it seemed he couldn''t voluntarily shut it off; it was a continuously active passive skill.


    At that moment, both Ayakoji Chiyoko and Motoyo in front of him had not yet noticed the imperceptible change in Kagura Hikaru within that second.


    The two stood silent in confrontation.


    Like mountain goats meeting on a sheer cliff face.


    Kagura Hikaru only needed a sniff to discern the flavors of truth and lie mixed together in the air.


    He could clearly distinguish whose scents were whose.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s smelled clean, like the cool breeze off ice cream, chilly.


    The one belonging to Motoyo was like a chocolate eclair.


    The thick chocolate coating on the outside was the scent of lies, while the sour-sweet syrup filling inside was the scent of truth.


    A mixture of truth and lies, thirty percent to seventy percent.


    Even Kagura Hikaru, directly cheating with his new abilities, was almost fooled, unsure of where her lies began.


    But actually, the answer had already been given.


    It was those constantly repeated mind-reading sentences.


    Reflecting on it now, Kagura Hikaru still underestimated Motoyo''s growth over the past year.


    Even a lie like a breakup, she now could utter without hesitation.


    This obsession overflowing from her heart didn''t look like something she would let go of.


    In short, she really had no intention of breaking up; it was just an excuse she casually threw out to drive Ayakoji Chiyoko away.


    But such tricks, even without mind-reading and lie detection abilities, Kagura Hikaru himself would soon realize.


    Not to mention fooling Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was already extremely wary of Motoyo.


    As expected, after being dazed for a few seconds, she frowned deeply, eyeing Kohinata Motoyo''s smile as she assessed, "If you truly want to break up with him, then hand over that photo."


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that."


    "Hmph, just as I thought, you''re pretending, aren''t you?"


    "That''s not it. It''s mainly because Kagura actually destroyed the photo," Kohinata Motoyo revealed with a smile, a piece of news that even Kagura Hikaru himself was unaware of.


    He immediately thought of yesterday afternoon, when, near Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s house, he snatched Kohinata Motoyo''s phone and deleted the photos from her album.


    But he distinctly remembered that right after deleting them, Motoyo personally told him it was useless since she had backups.


    Thus, this was yet another obvious lie.


    Yet, frustratingly, they couldn''t dismiss the possibility; unable to prove that Kohinata Motoyo was lying, and even if she admitted it herself, the two people present would still be skeptical.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji wore a constipated expression.


    Indeed, this guy''s style was much like that of Kiryu Hina.


    This feeling of knowing there was an issue but being helpless about it ¨C she had experienced it countless times at his hands.


    Kohinata Motoyo seemed very cooperative, obediently responding to each of her statements, every query, and accusation.


    But how much of it was true and how much false, only heaven knew.


    At least it was utterly indiscernible just from the exterior.


    Indeed, this approach wasn''t working.


    If she was too gentle, this guy would remain uncompromising.


    Kagura Hikaru as well, probably too concerned about that photo, didn''t dare oppose Kohinata Motoyo openly and remained a spectator without offering any aid.


    Well, letting him confront his former lover holding dirt on his ex-girlfriend might be asking too much of him.


    ... Wait, now that she thought about it, were his interpersonal relationships a bit disastrous?


    Never mind those details.


    After all, Kagura Hikaru''s past and present were both messy; she just had to get used to it, as loving someone meant accepting all their flaws.


    It was Kohinata Motoyo, however, who was truly troublesome.


    Even though the Student Council election had reached its crucial phase, she popped up unexpectedly like a groundhog, startling everyone.


    The bad news was that Chiyoko Ayakoji was disgusted by her, as she had snatched away Kagura Hikaru, a key aide in the election.


    The good news was that she managed not only to repulse herself but also affected the biggest rival in the election, Kiryu Hina, even more severely than Chiyoko Ayakoji.


    This seemed like a silver lining, but the thought of Kagura Hikaru being under her thumb caused Chiyoko Ayakoji to feel she couldn''t ignore the situation.


    Even though she knew that starting a conflict with Kohinata Motoyo at this time did not align with her own interests.


    In any case, their current situation seemed to be a communicative failure.


    That meant she had to confront her harshly...


    The narrative continues from Kagura Hikaru''s first-person point of view.


    In the end, Chiyoko Ayakoji employed her Intimidation Skill, pressuring Kohinata Motoyo with formidable aggression.


    The fierceness of her words made the bystanders feel terrified.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji''s demand was for Kohinata Motoyo to relinquish her blackmail, break up with Kagura Hikaru, and to avoid contacting him unless he was willing, otherwise, she threatened to make Motoyo''s life at this school untenable.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji was capable of this.


    Kagura Hikaru also corroborated this to Motoyo. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a transfer student who had just arrived two days ago, indeed, if she truly crossed paths with Chiyoko Ayakoji, a significant local presence, she wouldn''t be able to leave unscathed.


    However, Kohinata Motoyo responded, "I don''t mind, Classmate Ayakoji. If I can''t stay at Uka anymore, I can still attend another school. It just means less daily time with Kagura. Therefore, I''m sorry I can''t agree."


    Thus Chiyoko Ayakoji realized this approach was ineffective.


    She hadn''t managed to scare her.


    The so-called making her life at Uka untenable was mere intimidation; if she truly took action, the consequences would be unimaginable, as Kohinata Motoyo''s background was something she couldn''t mess with.


    Since this path was blocked, she would now have to target Kagura Hikaru.


    She would make him voluntarily give up Kiryu Hina and cut off this warped relationship with Kohinata Motoyo.

 Chapter 153 Between competition and self-esteem, choose self-esteem

    The fastest way to get a blackmailer to give up their plans is naturally to change the mindset of the person being blackmailed.The fundamental reason why blackmailers can succeed is only one: they hold someone else''s weakness.


    With leverage in hand, conversations with others seem more assertive.


    Kohinata Motoyo held sway over Kagura Hikaru''s weakness, which was his lingering feelings for his ex-girlfriend Kiryu Hina.


    Or should I say, the kindness to protect a girl''s reputation.


    He was manipulated because of his kindness.


    But conversely, if he were not kind or moral, temporarily losing these qualities, then he could completely ignore the leverage in Kohinata Motoyo''s hands and break free from her control.


    This was indeed a certain way to guarantee victory over blackmail.


    Don''t care about any compromising photos, let her send them.


    Don''t care about any hostages, let her tear up the ransom note.


    Overcome your own weaknesses and you will be the strongest!


    Of course, Kagura Hikaru didn''t agree to this.


    And it was to be expected, for if Kagura Hikaru were the type of person who was heartless and had a disagreeable character, Ayakoji Chiyoko wouldn''t have fallen for him in the first place. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His kindness and caring too much about others, to the point of being somewhat altruistic, were all parts of what Ayakoji Chiyoko liked about him.


    What happened next was just as she had predicted.


    She declared war on Kohinata Motoyo.


    Perhaps that''s an exaggeration, but she did something very similar.


    After all, she confronted Kohinata Motoyo face-to-face, telling her that she would do everything in her power to break up her relationship with Kagura Hikaru.


    Even though Kohinata Motoyo had proactively requested her help in the Student Council election, with her personal charm, gathering more than twenty votes in a week seemed more than doable.


    Objectively speaking, Ayakoji Chiyoko actually held Kohinata Motoyo in high esteem.


    Twenty votes were enough to leave Kiryu Hina, who had accomplished nothing of late, far behind in the final vote tally.


    Yet, Ayakoji Chiyoko still chose to push her away.


    This was not rational, not logical at all.


    Even if they were to have a falling out, waiting until the week was over and the voting ended to do so, utilising her for maximum benefit, was the kind of decision she would normally make, wasn''t it?


    Yet now, she was ready to overturn her own principles for a man.


    Of course, Ayakoji Chiyoko had to admit, she wasn''t doing this solely for Kagura Hikaru.


    It was a matter of self-respect.


    It was whether to compromise with people she disliked for a better outcome, or to stand up for her dignity.


    In between these two outcomes, Ayakoji Chiyoko chose the latter.


    Between the election and her self-respect, she chose self-respect.


    She had completely given up on the idea of cooperating with Kohinata Motoyo, positioning herself as an enemy, the second in the school after Kiryu Hina.


    She was even prepared to risk losing the Student Council election.


    But Kohinata Motoyo seemed not to care.


    ```


    Just like humoring a child, she smiled and responded with a few cordial words and then left with Kagura Hikaru.


    It was as if she wanted to demonstrate her resolve in front of Ayakoji Chiyoko, interlocking her fingers with his and walking away hand in hand.


    What an infuriating woman.


    Find your next read at empire


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stared at their retreating figures, her gaze dark and stormy.


    Unable to change Kohinata Motoyo''s attitude, and unable to change Kagura Hikaru''s either, was she just supposed to maintain the status quo?


    Of course not, there were still options available to her, one of which she could implement right now.


    That was to seek the help of Kiryu Hina.


    As a former friend of Kohinata Motoyo and one of only two victims in the entire extortion incident, if she were to confront Kohinata, there might be a chance to break through her defense.


    After all, in some ways, Kohinata Motoyo owed Kiryu Hina quite a lot, including stealing her boyfriend in secret and taking compromising photos of her.


    If that woman had any conscience left, then Kiryu Hina could actually be the second most influential person on her after Kagura Hikaru.


    But, as feasible as this idea seemed, it wasn''t reliable.


    The first reason was that Kiryu Hina currently harbored resentment towards Kagura Hikaru because of his past infidelity.


    If she were to take action, one would have to tell her the truth about Kagura''s reluctant affair.


    Just this step alone was something Ayakoji Chiyoko really did not want to take.


    She, too, was a person with her own selfish motives.


    If Kiryu Hina learned the truth and her fondness for Kagura rekindled, even though he had now fallen for Ayakoji, there was no guarantee he wouldn''t return to his ex-flame because of lingering feelings for her.


    With their relationship history so fraught with complications, if Kiryu Hina played her emotional cards right, Ayakoji Chiyoko feared she was in great danger, and might end up losing both her reputation and her man.


    She might consider this option if things got to a desperate point and there were no alternatives, but not now.


    The other reason was Kiryu Hina''s fear of Kohinata Motoyo.


    Past traumas had left deep psychological scars on her, making it impossible for her to confront Kohinata, and even if she did, it was likely she wouldn''t be able to give it her all and would easily crumble.


    She couldn''t think of a win-win solution.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clicked her tongue in frustration and turned to leave in another direction, heading back to the Disciplinary Committee.


    She hadn''t lied to Kagura Hikaru¡ªthere was indeed a great deal of work piling up in the Disciplinary Committee, and with the Student Council elections, it was already a busy time.


    Lunch break ended, and in the afternoon, it was Japanese language class.


    "Everyone knows the ancient Chinese poet Li Bai, the legendary figure who created timeless masterpieces like ''Bringing in the Wine'' and ''Departure at Baidi City,'' and who is known as the ''Immortal Poet'' in China¡ª a testament to his status. But do you know the background of his life, and in which dynasty he lived? Correct, the Tang Dynasty, and Li Bai''s era was during the most flourishing period of the Tang Dynasty."


    The middle-aged female teacher with a commanding voice was Kagura Hikaru''s Japanese language teacher, currently reading from the textbook while writing key terms on the blackboard.


    Below her, the students listened attentively since they all aimed for higher education and had managed to get into Yuqiu High School with the intention to study seriously.


    However, if one looked at the two students ranked first and third in the class, they were currently whispering to each other.


    "Why did you say that to Suse? Do you realize I had to spend an entire hour explaining our relationship to her after you left?" Kagura Hikaru whispered, keeping his voice down and pretending to read his book as he complained to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had been pondering over Kohinata Motoyo''s matter and not fully concentrating, suddenly widened her eyes and gave him a glare.


    "How dare you blame me? I wanted to ask you why you kept quiet when I talked about her, but now you have the nerve to lecture me?"


    "I can''t afford to offend either of you, but you shouldn''t have provoked Suse," sighed Kagura Hikaru. "You''ve messed up all my plans."


    ```

 Chapter 153 Repay Evil with Kindness?

    "Plan?" Ayakoji Chiyoko raised her voice slightly.When the teacher on stage swept a glance over, she pretended to be asking Kagura Hikaru about something in the textbook but spoke of a topic completely unrelated to China''s Tang Dynasty, "What plan, related to Kohinata Suse?"


    "Since it''s a plan to deceive her, of course it''s related to her," Kagura Hikaru said, feeling that Ayakoji Chiyoko''s reactions were a bit slow today, "I was intending to keep sparring with her, but the words you said to Suse have added quite a bit of difficulty for me."


    "...I need an explanation," Ayakoji Chiyoko demanded.


    So, Kagura Hikaru began to explain. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Regarding the matter with Kohinata Suse, Kagura Hikaru''s attitude had always been quite passive, even negative.


    On one hand, he was indeed held by his weakness and couldn''t confront Kohinata Suse openly, nor could he show favoritism towards Ayakoji Chiyoko and the others in Suse''s presence.


    But like Ayakoji Chiyoko, he had been trying to find a way to change Suse''s mind.


    Having her break up with him voluntarily had probably become wishful thinking.


    From the current situation, it seemed that Suse intended to continue this distorted relationship for a long time¡ªin fact, at last night''s dinner, she even suggested that Kagura Hikaru meet her parents.


    Kagura Hikaru felt she had truly gone mad.


    On the other hand, the other reason for his passiveness.


    That was Kagura Hikaru''s desire to have Suse help them win the Student Council election.


    Commonly known as ''pillow talk.''


    Enduring a few days of discomfort to gain a powerful ally whose abilities and charisma surpassed even Kiryu Hina''s was, to him, a no-brainer.


    He considered it as acting like a spy, which he did when he was with Ayakoji Chiyoko anyway.


    All of it was for a greater good, or more precisely, for his personal desires¡ªto see Hina lose the election.


    That''s why he was so persistent in instructing Ai Cheng Hua Lian to keep quiet about it to others.


    Although, the result was still contrary to his wishes, Ayakoji Chiyoko found out.


    When he heard her declaring war on Suse face to face, Kagura Hikaru really wanted to heave a deep sigh.


    Pig-headed teammates who don''t communicate can lead to such unwanted blunders.


    Kagura Hikaru thought his plan had already fallen through.


    Though Suse could be considered magnanimous, she was no fool; she had no interest in helping someone who would stand in her way.


    The collaboration she previously had in mind with Ayakoji Chiyoko was mostly likely off the table now.


    After he had finished explaining, even the look in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes changed.


    "That''s sick," she said.


    Kagura Hikaru nodded, "I think so too; Suse is behaving very abnormally."


    "I''m talking about you."


    "?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko held her forehead, her head throbbing.


    How could anyone be someone else''s boyfriend just for a student election.


    Though there was an element of going with the flow, however you thought about it, it just wasn''t right!


    "If, after the election ends, you achieve your goal and Kohinata Suse still won''t let you go, what do you plan to do?"


    "Do what needs to be done, there''s no difference from now," Kagura Hikaru replied, "Honestly, I can''t find the backup of that photo; if I want to get away, I''ll have to think of another way."


    "So, have you thought of anything?"


    "No."


    "..."


    This is definitely not okay, not at all!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed.


    Though it was unintended, she had indeed disrupted Kagura Hikaru''s plans.


    But there was a silver lining, as she no longer had to worry about Kagura Hikaru''s attitude and could go ahead with what she originally wanted to do.


    However, over the next two days, Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t find any flaws in Kohinata Motoyo''s actions, and several attempts to probe, such as deliberately causing trouble for her, were all resolved by superior interpersonal skills.


    Not only did her people fail to gain an advantage, but they were also led to a win-win resolution, ending up reconciled with each other, and her people even said they didn''t want to target Kohinata Motoyo anymore.


    Such personal charisma made Ayakoji Chiyoko very wary.


    All those little tricks couldn''t harm Kohinata Motoyo, but instead contributed to her reputation spreading rapidly among the second-year students, with her charm gradually extending beyond class 2-A.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched with her own eyes as her influence began to grow, attracting a crowd of students around her as soon as class ended. These were the few neutral parties in the class, who originally neither supported Ayakoji Chiyoko nor Kiryu Hina, preferring to sit back and watch the drama unfold, but were now won over by Kohinata Motoyo.


    If she entered the election, she might be even more troublesome than Kiryu Hina. Observing her actions naturally led to such conjecture.


    And come lunchtime or the end of school, Kohinata Motoyo would start clinging to Kagura Hikaru, showing off a loving demeanor, eating lunch together, going to and from school together.


    The rumors of a breakup turned out to be completely false.


    Thanks to her, Kagura Hikaru wasn''t even going to the Disciplinary Committee anymore, or rather couldn''t go.


    Basically, all his free time was occupied by Kohinata Motoyo, with communication with Ayakoji Chiyoko only possible through messages or private LINE chats during class.


    Originally, everyone thought that Ayakoji Chiyoko''s declaration of war on Kohinata Motoyo would result in another rival in addition to Kiryu Hina.


    But it seemed the complete opposite was true.


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    After spending two days winning people over, Kohinata Motoyo started making her move.


    But not targeting Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had already attacked her, but Kiryu Hina.


    To be precise, it was the Student Council election.


    Kohinata Motoyo, using her growing influence, was pushing forward the election affairs, drumming up support for Ayakoji Chiyoko, and expressing a welcoming attitude towards lifting the ban on romantic relationships.


    She even set the example by publicly displaying Kagura Hikaru, her boyfriend.


    Now, everyone knew that Kohinata Motoyo had an affectionate boyfriend, and they became the second-year students'' model couple, with many girls envious of them.


    This longing, under Kohinata Motoyo''s subtle persuasion, gradually morphed into support for lifting the ban on school romances.


    In other words, supporting Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    In the eyes of the majority of Uka students, supporting the removal of the love ban was almost equivalent to supporting Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Many approached her to discuss voting for Ayakoji Chiyoko, to have a Student Council President who supports school romances.


    Before the final vote even started, Kohinata Motoyo had garnered quite a few votes for Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    In light of this, she was more than just magnanimous; one might even say she was generous to a fault.


    Despite Ayakoji Chiyoko explicitly declaring herself as an enemy, Kohinata Motoyo forgave and repaid with kindness, practically a paragon of sainthood in her conduct.


    However, Kagura Hikaru, who was closest to her, knew she was no saint.


    Whether to cooperate or not was irrelevant; from the very beginning, she wasn''t acting for Ayakoji Chiyoko but for her own sake.


    The driving force behind all this was actually just a very simple reason.


    To put it bluntly,


    ¡ª she wanted to be affectionate with Kagura Hikaru openly at school, without having to hide from teachers.


    For Kohinata Motoyo, it seemed this reason was enough.

 Chapter 154 Guess Who is the Biggest Clown?

    The appearance of Kohinata Motoyo brought an unexpected twist to the situation. Enjoy new stories from empireThe opponents in the election seemed to have changed overnight.


    Facing the addition of Kohinata Motoyo to the rival camp, Kiryu Hina, who had initially held an advantage in the election, was completely overwhelmed.


    Perhaps this was what they called "like repels like." The two of them were too similar, causing their fan bases to overlap and inevitably leading some fans to defect to Kohinata Motoyo''s side.


    Compared to Kiryu Hina, who maintained a perfect facade, Kohinata Motoyo, the "real deal," seemed a bit more human. She could act coquettish, complain, and joke around, showing more emotion and consequently gaining more affection.


    If one were to say Kiryu Hina possessed a divine radiance, then Kohinata Motoyo possessed an impeccable humanity.


    It was like the difference between the sun and lake water.


    However, if one were to point out the biggest difference between her and Kiryu Hina, it would probably be the fact that she had a boyfriend.


    Wherever Kohinata Motoyo''s name went, Kagura Hikaru''s name followed.


    It was mainly because Kohinata Motoyo mentioned him so often, flaunting like a foolish girlfriend everywhere, making it impossible for others not to notice.


    Such unrestrained behavior, of course, led to no good end, eventually attracting the attention of the head instructor, who personally called the pair of puppy-love students, Kohinata Motoyo and Kagura Hikaru, for a talk.


    The head instructor at Yuqiu, also called "Coach," held the same responsibilities as the Disciplinary Committee. Nonetheless, he did not concern himself with the finer details of student interactions but was in charge of investigating students and teachers who violated school rules.


    For example, students who broke the law, students involved in premarital romance, students who assaulted teachers, or teachers who assaulted students, among others.


    The previous blackmail incident involving Ruzaki Mami, by rights, also fell under the head instructor''s jurisdiction.


    However, the Disciplinary Committee handled it privately, and by the time the school authorities became aware, the case had nearly concluded.


    Everyone feared the fierce and formidable Coach, including the teachers, because once he spotted a mistake, he would loudly scold without sparing any feelings. Since his appointment, the number of girls he had reduced to tears could encircle Ugao High three times.


    When Kohinata Motoyo and others were summoned, those around them were very worried.


    It was not until shortly thereafter, when they saw the head instructor and the principal accompany her back to the classroom with respectful smiles, that their worries were alleviated.


    Head Instructor: "Ms. Kohinata, I am truly sorry for this misunderstanding."


    Principal: "I will give this fellow a good scolding later. Please don''t take it to heart, Ms. Kohinata. Say hello to your father for me later."


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled and nodded in response, "I''m sorry for the trouble I caused, apologies from my side too."


    "No, no, no, no."


    "Not at all, not at all."


    The Coach and the principal waved their hands repeatedly, overwhelmed by surprise.


    "I''ll explain things to my father as well. If there''s any disrespect in the future, please be tolerant." She bowed slightly, her manners impeccable.


    Kohinata Motoyo treated them like a princess would treat her subjects, gracefully seeing off the principal and the head instructor under the stunned gaze of her classmates.


    It was only then that everyone realized Kohinata Motoyo truly came from a very affluent background.


    Although her demeanor was fine, and the classmates had somewhat guessed it, they had not expected it to be true.


    After transferring schools, she immediately developed a romantic relationship with Kagura Hikaru. They went to and from school together every day by train, avoiding the need for a private car, which led many classmates to be unaware of her family background; she never mentioned it herself.


    To think, even the usually stern principal and head instructor had turned sycophantic.


    Could it be that she was of royal descent? Nobility? A tycoon''s daughter?


    Amidst a flurry of speculation, Kohinata Motoyo merely smiled and stated that her family was in the musical instrument business, offering no further explanation.


    The incident where she boldly confronted and successfully repelled the head teacher only added a mysterious aura to her already flawless impression.


    She increasingly resembled a character from a manga or anime, noble by birth yet willingly attending a commoner''s school for the sake of the male protagonist.


    Rumors about her multiplied, and her popularity soared exponentially.


    Kiryu Hina''s campaign momentum was quickly overshadowed by her.


    As a transfer student starting from scratch in terms of social connections, she became an influential figure among the sophomores in just three days, showcasing the incredibility of Kohinata Motoyo.


    She was now the emerging neutral party within Yuqiu High School, surpassing even the efficiency of large clubs'' leaders in garnering votes.


    Fortunately for Kagura Hikaru and the others, the person Kohinata Motoyo supported was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    However, her support was not due to her confidence in Ayakoji Chiyoko as a person, but for her policy, namely the abolition of Uka''s school-wide ban on romance.


    In this respect, Kohinata Motoyo''s interests aligned.


    She was willing to engage in efforts to win people''s hearts just for this cause.


    Moreover, she made no attempt to hide this fact.


    When asked about it, Kohinata Motoyo did not hesitate to respond, "I want to be able to be with my boyfriend openly at school."


    Her straightforwardness sometimes took people by surprise.


    From this alone, she seemed quite romantic, and indeed she was.


    The boys she liked were indeed fortunate, for they must have saved the world in their past lives to be loved so dearly by Kohinata Motoyo.


    This is what the girls would say.


    And the boys, rare in agreement, had only one reaction towards Kagura Hikaru: jealousy.


    In just a few days since her transfer, Kohinata Motoyo had become the dream goddess of many, and the man who was lucky enough to be favored by her naturally received no warm reception.


    Of course, they could never imagine the feelings of Kagura Hikaru himself, surrounded by envious and jealous stares.


    Being liked by someone was indeed lucky and something to be happy about.


    Especially when that person was Kohinata Motoyo.


    However, her passion was so intense that it scorched those around her, including Kagura Hikaru.


    If Kohinata Motoyo were a flame, then Kagura Hikaru was the tree onto which she clung, ceaselessly burning and corroding him.


    Half-past four in the afternoon.


    Today, Kagura Hikaru was rare in being able to leave the school alone.


    Kohinata Motoyo had taken the afternoon off and hadn''t come to class because an important relative of hers was hospitalized, and she needed to return to the Capital City to visit him, bidding farewell during the lunch break.


    Consequently, Kagura Hikaru found some free time and was caught by Ayakoji Chiyoko, taken to the Disciplinary Committee, where he spent an entire noon and an extra hour after school finishing up all the backlog tasks before finally being released. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seizing the chance to relax, Kagura Hikaru pondered for a moment and decided to check out a live house performance.


    However, this time it was not to perform but merely to watch.

 Chapter 155 The Scumbag Who Meets Another Woman As Soon As His Girlfriend Leaves

    Recently, Kohinata Motoyo had become extremely clingy.Can you imagine the horror of seeing your girlfriend''s face as soon as you open the door every morning?


    In front of her, Kagura Hikaru seemed to have absolutely no concept of personal space, and wherever he went outside his home, Motoyo would be by his side.


    Was she like his own Pok¨¦mon or something?


    Kagura Hikaru would occasionally think this.


    If she hadn''t been concerned about his family''s opinions, Motoyo might have moved into his house directly, it had reached that point.


    Their proximity has almost reached the point of cohabitation.


    So today, after school, with Motoyo absent, Kagura Hikaru, having attained a rare moment of alone time, wanted to indulge himself a bit.


    Therefore, he went to a livehouse.


    Not as a performer, but as a spectator.


    Recently, he hadn''t taken any gigs from other bands, and it had been close to a week since he last went to a livehouse.


    For Kagura Hikaru, who considered being a hired guitarist part of his after-school routine, it felt a bit unusual.


    The livehouses of various sizes around Tokyo had almost become his backyard.


    He casually chose a mid-sized livehouse closest to the school.


    Because livehouses are generally considered for soundproofing, most are placed underground, and this one was no exception.


    There was a staircase leading downward to the entrance, and the walls on both sides of the stairwell were plastered with band posters, both old and freshly tacked, creating a great atmosphere.


    Kagura Hikaru arrived at the entrance and pushed the door to enter.


    Upon entering, he immediately heard someone singing a song from "K-On!", colloquially known as an anime song.


    He remembered this livehouse being quite tolerant of different band styles, so it allowed for performances of soft, sweet songs such as this one.


    Then he glanced casually at the stage and unexpectedly saw the Red Pepper Band, led by Karen Ai Cheng.


    They were still sporting the thick foundation that was almost blinding to look at, dressed in "K-On!" cosplay costumes, performing on the stage.


    So, they had a gig today.


    It was quite a coincidence to bump into them here.


    Karen Ai Cheng''s clear and passionate voice echoed in the enclosed space of the livehouse, strumming and singing with that metallic red Telecaster guitar that she and he had gone to buy together, showing a proficiency that had improved since last summer.


    During the chorus, she reached out her hand for audience interaction, and the otakus packed below hesitantly waved their light sticks with excitement.


    Yeah, Kagura Hikaru could understand their feelings.


    Seeing a legitimate girl band dressed in cosplay and performing anime songs with decent musical skills was definitely a good thing.


    But if they all wore thick foundation, with uniform black lipstick, red lips, and purple eyeshadow, let alone corresponding to the animated characters, you couldn''t even make out their features, and feeling out of place was inevitable.


    He didn''t know why they insisted on this style, and even Kagura Hikaru didn''t fully understand it and had never asked.


    Watching shows in a livehouse wasn''t free; their tickets were called ''drink tickets,'' which meant purchasing an overpriced beverage equivalent to the ticket price. This was a tactic to get a business license by being considered a beverage shop rather than just a concert venue.


    Kagura Hikaru approached the counter to buy a ticket.


    "Hello, I''d like to buy a ticket."


    "Thank you for your patronage, that will be 1,200 yen."


    Hearing a familiar voice, Kagura Hikaru looked up and saw the face of Mari Saijo.


    "Senior Saijo?"


    "Eh, Mr. Kagura?"


    Mari Saijo, wearing the livehouse''s black short-sleeved uniform, had a look of surprise on her beautiful face, "Long time no see."


    "Yes, long time no see."


    Kagura Hikaru nodded.


    Even if he really counted the days, it hadn''t been that long, but since the incident in the Saijo family occurred until now, a lot had happened.


    The Student Council elections, along with the arrival of Motoyo.


    It truly felt like it had been a long time.


    "Are you working at this livehouse now?" Kagura Hikaru asked as he paid for his ticket.


    Saijo Mari efficiently collected the money and washed her hands before going to prepare drinks. While doing so, she said, "Yeah, I thought at least it could alleviate some of the financial situation at home, so I came here. The pay is quite good, and they also accept students."


    "Is that so, congratulations."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t continue to probe further.


    For example, how the Saijo family was doing now, whether there were debt collectors impacting their lives.


    He felt that he wasn''t in a position to ask such questions.


    In Kagura Hikaru''s heart, he and Saijo Mari could probably only be considered as casual acquaintances, not close enough to inquire deeply into family matters.


    Although for her, it probably wasn''t the same.


    "Here," Saijo Mari said with a smile as she brought over a Coke in a disposable transparent plastic cup with a straw, "I took the liberty of choosing Coke for you. Hope that''s okay?"


    "Mm, that''s fine."


    Kagura Hikaru took the Coke, took a sip, and his eyes were already looking toward the stage.


    "I didn''t expect Mr. Kagura to come to a livehouse for a show, I thought you were more of an indoors person."


    "Livehouses are indoors too."


    "Ah, I suppose that''s true."


    Saijo Mari chuckled, her laughter slowing before she fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "I heard you got a girlfriend?"


    Kagura Hikaru turned his gaze to her, then away, "Mm, sort of."


    "Sort of... isn''t that kind of disrespectful to your girlfriend?"


    "Not really, she wouldn''t mind."


    "Is that so... have you known each other for a long time?"


    "Since junior high."


    "I see."


    The two fell into a long silence.


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    If one were to read Saijo Mari''s mind now, they would probably hear some interesting thoughts. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If Kagura Hikaru were a nasty person, he might actually do it.


    But if he really did listen, two people would end up in a bad mood instead of one.


    Kagura Hikaru certainly wasn''t interested in seeking out such disheartening matters.


    Continuing to stay would only be awkward, so he bid farewell to the distracted Saijo Mari and went elsewhere to watch the performance.


    By this time, the Red Pepper Band''s performance had ended, and they were waving to the audience as they walked off the stage.


    Soon after, they emerged from backstage without their stage makeup, laughing and chatting, carrying their instruments and planning to head home.


    Ruzaki Mami was originally talking with Ai Cheng Karen, but then she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye, paused, recognized him, and then tapped the fellow band members beside her.


    "Look, isn''t that Mr. Kagura?"


    "Kagura?"


    "Where, where?"


    Everyone immediately perked up, scanning in the direction she indicated, and sure enough, they found Kagura Hikaru, with a straw in his mouth, looking down at his phone.


    In the dim light of the livehouse, the screen of the phone illuminated his face.


    A few girls exchanged mischievous glances and sneaked up to him. Ai Cheng Karen, the ringleader of mischief, reached out her hand to tickle him, but Kagura Hikaru turned his head and caught her in the act.


    The girls froze in place.


    "What are you doing?" Kagura Hikaru squinted his eyes.


    "Ahaha..."


    "No, nothing~"


    "Mmhm, really nothing."


    "We were just coming to say hi, don''t be so wary, Mr. Kagura."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at the cheekily sticking out her tongue Ai Cheng Karen, defeated by her cuteness.

 Chapter 156 Falling in love twice in one day, huh? You, with your love-struck brain!

    "Mr. Kagura, did you come to see our performance?"Ruzaki Mami looked up with her big, watery eyes, like a little deer, and giggled as she asked.


    But Kagura Hikaru''s response was merciless, "It was just by chance."


    "Ah~? Why like that."


    "I have other performances to watch. Don''t stay out too late, all of you should head home."


    "Hey~ don''t be like that, Mr. Kagura, come hang out with us."


    Hoshimi Nana, the Huajiao Band''s guitar player, clung to Kagura Hikaru''s arms and cooed from left and right.


    After removing her makeup, she was also a girl with a sense of a "gal," dyed golden hair, a side ponytail, a short skirt, and a straightforward personality, like a college-aged cousin who would come to visit during the holidays.


    During the summer break, she and Ai Cheng Hua Lian took guitar lessons with Kagura Hikaru, and that''s when their relationship got better.


    Ruzaki Mami, who could only refer to him as "Mr. Kagura," was so envious her eyes turned red, looking like an angry rabbit.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian spoke with a tone of resignation, "Nana, don''t bother Mr. Kagura like that."


    "How is this bothering him? Shouldn''t he consider it an honor to hang out with a few beautiful girls like us?"


    "Nana!"


    "Hehe, just kidding."


    Hoshimi Nana chuckled and placed her hands on Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s shoulders from behind, "Then how about this, Ai Cheng, you stay and keep Mr. Kagura company. We won''t be here, so don''t do anything naughty~"


    "What are you talking about!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian retorted as she knocked on Nana''s head with a karate chop, trying to conceal her embarrassment.


    "If Karen-chan is staying, I''ll stay too!" Ruzaki declared, raising her hand high.


    "Hmm... then let''s just go shopping later, excluding Karen," the band''s female bassist said, stroking her chin.


    "Yeah, she definitely won''t be coming," Hoshimi Nana said, clutching her head in agreement.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was astonished, "Why are you all assuming I would stay behind??"


    The band members all revealed subtle expressions.


    "Well, you see, after all, that..."


    "Right?"


    "It''s too obvious, do we need to say more?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian: "..."


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    These people really had no sense of boundaries, reading her mind like that!


    As a result, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was left behind by the others.


    And Ruzaki Mami, struggling with her little arms and legs, was tearfully dragged away by the others.


    This scene felt somewhat familiar.


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself.


    "Ahaha, sorry Mr. Kagura, staying here doesn''t bother you, does it?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian scratched her head and carefully watched Kagura Hikaru''s expression, afraid that he might notice something.


    But Kagura Hikaru was the same as ever, showing no emotion, and shook his head, "It''s a bit more pleasant having you here."


    "Is, is that so..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked down, her heart pounding and her face flushing.


    Kagura Hikaru occasionally said things that could easily make someone blush.


    No, no, pull yourself together. He has someone else he likes; don''t make assumptions on your own.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian slapped her cheeks to compose herself, smiling as she looked up and asked, "Is Kohinata not with you today?"


    "She went to the Capital City. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have had the chance to come here."


    The next band had finished setting up their equipment on stage and was about to start performing. Kagura Hikaru put away his phone and, while sipping a cola, fixed his eyes on the stage.


    This band seemed to be quite popular; as soon as they came on stage, the number of people in the venue noticeably increased, and the space grew tighter.


    "Excuse me, could you move a bit that way?"


    A few audience members who had just entered the venue apologized while they squeezed Ai Cheng Hua Lian to the right side, forcing her to lean her shoulder against Kagura Hikaru''s arm to avoid bumping into other guests.


    The live house was built underground where ventilation was more challenging, so the air-conditioning had to be kept on when it was hot.


    But after all, it was summer, and the space was enclosed. When it got crowded, the scent of sweat became more intense.


    Ai Cheng Karen stayed for a while but soon felt a bit overwhelmed, quietly lifting her hand to cover her nose, focusing on the music to distract herself.


    "...Let''s go outside,"


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly whispered in her ear.


    "Eh?"


    Ai Cheng Karen turned her head, and before she could react, Kagura Hikaru had taken her hand, pulled her through the crowd, said goodbye to Saijo Mari at the counter, and left the livehouse. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once outside the entrance, Ai Cheng Karen finally breathed in the fresh air, sighed in relief, and with a questioning look, she turned to Kagura Hikaru, "Kagura, why did we suddenly come out? Weren''t we supposed to watch the show?"


    "Ai Cheng, you might not think it to look at me, but I''m actually pretty empathetic,"


    Standing on the ascending stairs, Kagura Hikaru turned back and said, "When I see someone else suffering, it tends to affect my mood."


    He spoke rather indirectly, and it took Ai Cheng Karen a couple of seconds to catch on.


    Ah, could it be that he saw how uncomfortable she was and that''s why he took her outside?


    "Kagura..."


    "Don''t look at me so moved. You are my friend, and it''s only natural for me to look out for you,"


    "That...that''s true,"


    Ai Cheng Karen slapped herself in the heart.


    What''s going on with you, getting emotionally stirred twice in one day? Get a grip on yourself, you hopeless romantic!


    While she was lost in her thoughts for just those few seconds, Kagura Hikaru had already started up the stairs. Ai Cheng Karen hurriedly adjusted the strap of her guitar case and followed him.


    "Kagura, wait for me!"


    "Oh."


    "Hey, can I ask you a question?"


    "Go ahead."


    "The classmate Saijo who works at this livehouse, you know her too, right? When we were leaving just now, why was she glaring at us?"


    "She probably thought it was rude of me to leave without watching the show after buying a ticket,"


    "I see, Classmate Saijo is pretty strict."


    Neither of them brought up the idea of joining the other members of the Red Pepper Band; instead, they tacitly maintained silence on the topic, walking side by side in the sunset, making idle conversation.


    Inevitably, they ended up talking about the Student Council election.


    "President Hina hasn''t been herself lately. She''s hardly given any speeches. Could she be ill?" Ai Cheng Karen expressed her concern.


    Kiryu Hina, who usually had a strong presence in the school, seemed to have vanished recently, her aura waning, no match for Ayakoji Chiyoko''s rising popularity.


    Kagura Hikaru had expected a fierce battle as the election drew to a close, but it seemed as though the end was already in sight.


    Who was responsible was as plain as day.


    Now, only three days remained until the last vote for the Student Council election.


    That included the weekend.


    Next Monday, the final struggle would commence.


    Everything would be decided then.


    At this point, they had done everything they could; there was no role left for Kagura Hikaru to play in the upcoming campaign, leaving the rest up to Ayakoji Chiyoko to decide on her own.


    Considering the current advantage, Kagura Hikaru believed they had it, especially with Saijo Mari and Suse strongly supporting them.


    And Kiryu Hina, due to Suse''s recent activity, had not performed well and had not mounted any effective counterattack, her decline more evident than ever.


    If this continued, perhaps they could indeed oust her.


    "Kohinata is amazing, even I heard about her in my third year," remarked Ai Cheng Karen in awe. "I never imagined she would side with President Ayakoji and seems to have drawn quite a few votes already."


    "Yeah, she''s impressive," said Kagura Hikaru.


    That name seemed to have some sort of magic.


    After it was spoken, the atmosphere turned cold.


    Both fell silent.


    "...Kagura," Ai Cheng Karen mustered the courage to look at him, "are you and Kohinata going to break up?"

 Chapter 157 Despair! Despairing at this world where might is right!

    Breaking up with Suse?This thought had spun around in Kagura Hikaru''s mind probably about ten thousand times.


    To tell the truth, he still didn''t know how he was going to get out of this.


    How to safely break up without harming everyone''s interests.


    Yes, he even wanted to protect Suse.


    Though he also knew it was impossible.


    The mere thought of breaking up with Suse was, in itself, the greatest harm and misfortune for her.


    The idea of being someone''s happiness sounds so wonderful.


    But if that love becomes too heavy, it gradually becomes selfish.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t know how to answer Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s question, neither Ayakoji Chiyoko nor he himself could give an answer.


    The threat based on Hina''s reputation seemed unsolvable.


    The backup of the photos was kept in the world''s safest vault and could not be found.


    Suppression by force was absolutely out of the question, even disregarding the presence of bodyguards, this was a line that Kagura Hikaru would not cross.


    Gentle persuasion was clearly wishful thinking, as understood from the exaggerated mind-reading content.


    "Here, Kagura."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, not knowing what had made her leave and then come back, handed a pink, oversized cotton candy to the frowning Kagura Hikaru and said with a smile, "This is really sweet, eat it and cheer up a bit."


    "...Thank you, I''ll pay for it."


    "No need, it''s just a stick of cotton candy. You can just buy me a coffee next time to pay me back."


    "I got it."


    Kagura Hikaru took a bite of the cotton candy and watched Ai Cheng Hua Lian nibble on hers. He couldn''t help but remember the first time the two of them went shopping together.


    They had bumped into each other at the station and discovered they were headed in the same direction, so they walked together for a while.


    He remembered that they had also each bought a cotton candy to eat along the way.


    How nostalgic, it felt like it happened just recently, yet it feels as though several years have passed.


    Was it because his relationship with Ai Cheng Hua Lian was so good that he unconsciously felt they had known each other for a long time?


    "Hey, Kagura, what do you think is the thing you care about the most?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian suddenly asked casually, her cheek puffed out with cotton candy at the corner of her mouth.


    "What''s with the sudden question?"


    "Just small talk." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru handed her a small pack of tissues to wipe her mouth and replied, "I guess what people care about the most is themselves, as determined by the nature of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages."


    "Hmm, that''s true." Ai Cheng Hua Lian said while wiping her mouth, "What about the second thing you care about the most, aside from yourself?"


    "Parents, friends."


    "And the third thing?"


    ".....Health?"


    "Pfft, Kagura, that''s still within the range of ''yourself,'' isn''t it?"


    "I got it, let''s start over, money."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian giggled a few times, her bright eyes looking at him as she swung the cotton candy in her hand back and forth: "Kagura is a sentimental person, huh, ranking money only in the third place."


    "What about you?" Kagura Hikaru glanced at her sideways, "Money first?"


    "I''m not that materialistic!"


    "Then it''s second."


    "No, more or less..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian shrank her head guiltily, "But for me, Kagura, you... and my family, Zhen Chun, and all of them, you''re all ranked first along with me!"


    "Even if you say such moving things, chewing on cotton candy while saying it completely nullifies the effect."


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    "Eh?!"


    "...But, the sentiment has been conveyed."


    Kagura Hikaru smiled at Ai Cheng Hua Lian, "Thank you, you''re also one of my most important friends."


    ".........."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian stared blankly at his face, her eyes wide and mouth agape for a full ten seconds before she realized what had happened.


    She raised her shaking hand, pointing at Kagura Hikaru''s face, stammering, "Ka-Ka-Kagura! Did you just laugh!?"


    "?" Kagura Hikaru looked confused and touched the corner of his mouth, "..... Did I just laugh....?"


    "Really, really, you truly laughed! I saw it!"


    The seriousness of this matter was enough to make Ai Cheng Hua Lian speak excitedly while jumping up and down.


    Frankly said, ever since she met Kagura Hikaru, she had never seen him laugh.


    Not to mention laughing, even the curvature of his lips always maintained the most stable minor curve¡ªalways drooping downwards, never turned upwards.


    At first, Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought he was like other high school boys, playing it cool on purpose as if suffering from chuunibyou¡ªboys seem to all have this trouble.


    But as time went on and she got to know him better, Ai Cheng Hua Lian began to think that it must be an attitude toward life inherent to Kagura Hikaru.


    Smiling, which for humans is nothing more than normal, was forgotten by him.


    Or perhaps, it was due to some disease, like Bell''s palsy, the way director Takeshi Kitano is.


    But now, Ai Cheng Hua Lian understood that Kagura Hikaru actually could smile!


    "You really just laughed!"


    "I didn''t feel it myself."


    "Try harder!"


    Kagura Hikaru tried to move the muscles on his face.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian: "Kagura... you''re definitely not making a face on purpose, right?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "What do you think?"


    "I get it now, let''s recreate that scene just now to make you laugh!"


    Holding the cotton candy, Ai Cheng Hua Lian straightened her face, her gaze as determined as a warrior''s, and she said with a deep, affectionate tone, "To me, Kagura... and my family, Zhen Chun, and the rest! You all rank first together with me!"


    "...Even if you say something touching, saying it while chewing cotton candy completely ruins the effect."


    "Eh!"


    "Sorry, your acting is really bad."


    It took less than five seconds for Kagura Hikaru to give up.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian glared with wide eyes and made a fierce gesture, "Don''t you think you''re being rude to me? I am serious here!"


    "I know, thank you," Kagura Hikaru took a bite of his cotton candy, "but whether I laugh or not, it doesn''t really affect anything, right?"


    "It does matter, people who don''t smile are unlikable!"


    "As long as those who matter to me like me, that''s enough," Kagura Hikaru looked at her, "Would you dislike me just because I don''t smile?"


    "Of, of course not... wait a minute, that''s a sneaky question! How could I possibly say I dislike you!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s face turned red, and she stamped her foot resentfully, "And I''m speaking about a serious matter here, okay? If you go for a job interview and don''t smile at all, won''t that have a bad impact on getting hired?"


    "Ai Cheng, you''re not a child anymore, you should understand something."


    "Wh-what is it?"


    Kagura Hikaru sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders, "Some people, even if they frown all the time, as long as they are skilled, there will be people fighting to hire them."


    "..."


    That''s right, Ai Cheng Hua Lian almost forgot¡ªthis guy was known in Tokyo''s underground music scene as a hired guitarist, evaluated by some livehouse owners as having the strength to make a debut at any moment.


    With his guitar skills, forget not smiling, even if Kagura Hikaru''s face was twitching all day long, people would still give him money.


    Despair! She despaired at this world that prioritized ability above all else!!


    Feeling the reality of the world, Ai Cheng Hua Lian bent forward in defeat, Orz.


    Chatting away, they unknowingly finished the cotton candy in their hands, and as the sky darkened, they took the train back home.


    At the intersection where they parted, Kagura Hikaru watched Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s receding figure with gratitude.


    Just a short time together had made most of his repressed emotions dissipate.


    Having friends is nice, he thought every time he looked at Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    And most importantly.


    Thanks to Ai Cheng, he had already found the method to defeat Suse.

 Chapter 158 Election Day

    The weekend zipped by in a blink.Monday, the day school resumed, was also the day the final voting for the Student Council elections commenced.


    On this day, the campaigning efforts of all the candidates reached their zenith.


    "Please support President Kiryu Hina''s re-election! We''re counting on you!"


    "Ayakoji Chiyoko will lead us to a world with freedom in love! Please be sure to cast your vote for her!"


    In the courtyard walkways, there were dozens of students shouting slogans and handing out flyers, urging their peers to support the Student Council President candidate they endorsed.


    From the school gate all the way to the teaching building, Kagura Hikaru received more than ten flyers, with the majority of them¡ªover eighty percent¡ªbeing from either Ayakoji Chiyoko or Kiryu Hina.


    Merely stepping into the school, one could feel the air thick with tension.


    The decisive moment to determine the ownership of the Student Council President position was drawing near.


    When Kagura Hikaru reached the corridor of the second-year classrooms, he found a conspicuous QR code displayed on the bulletin board at the corridor''s edge. Scanning it led directly to Uka School''s official voting web page, where one could cast their vote for one of the five electoral candidates.


    He casually pulled out his phone, scanned the code, and clicked on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s portrait to vote for her.


    There were quite a few students like him, standing in front of the bulletin board, scanning the code.


    The fervent participation in the Student Council elections, an event largely irrelevant to most students, was partly because of the voting itself, they reasoned.


    This illusion of having a candidate''s future in one''s hands propelled them into action.


    Sometimes, even somber thoughts can be a source of motivation.


    Arriving in the classroom, although it was still early, Ayakoji Chiyoko was already at her desk, talking to a few Discipline Committee members seated behind her. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    After Kagura Hikaru took his place beside her, she turned her head, "Good morning, Kagura."


    "Hmm, good morning."


    "How''s it looking outside?"


    "It''s bustling."


    "I thought as much," Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced around, "Strange, you didn''t come with your little girlfriend today?"


    "Because I got up early."


    "Hmph, is that so?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t really care, or maybe she had other things on her mind that were distracting her.


    She tapped on the desk, her peripheral vision locked on the seat in front, which belonged to Kiryu Hina and yet was empty.


    She felt a bit concerned.


    "This person, she hasn''t put up a decent fight up until now. Is the pressure from Kohinata Motoyo really that great?"


    In the final stretch of the Student Council elections, Kiryu Hina seemed almost resigned, continuously losing ground to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Though her regular campaign activities were ongoing, they were too conventional, unlike her.


    In Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mind, Kiryu Hina was a woman capable of cunning and underhanded tactics.


    Sneak attacks, sudden assaults, and unorthodox strategies¡ªshe was never stingy about employing anything effective.


    Yet, such an unscrupulous person suddenly turned surprisingly tame after the arrival of Kohinata Motoyo at Uka, which was uncomfortable even to think about.


    Did they have some sort of restraining effect on one another?


    However, this only worked out in her favor.


    With Kiryu Hina, the biggest obstacle in the election, becoming complacent, Ayakoji Chiyoko wouldn''t, like a Justice Warrior in the movies, slow down out of concern for the state of her arch-rival and wait for her. If Kiryu Hina didn''t care, she wouldn''t hesitate to snatch away the Student Council President position.


    The campaign on her end was going smoothly; so far, there wasn''t anything that could be criticized.


    The problem now turned to Kagura Hikaru.


    "Have you thought about how you''re going to deal with Kohinata Suse?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked him with a serious expression, "Surely you don''t plan to continue dating her after the voting is over, right?"


    "Don''t talk as if I''m using her," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "But that''s the truth, isn''t it."


    "Indeed, you''re not wrong... She has something she wants to gain from me, and I have something I want to gain from her."


    Kagura Hikaru''s only request to Kohinata Suse was to participate in the election and help Ayakoji Chiyoko seize the position of Student Council President, to be precise, to topple Kiryu Hina.


    He didn''t even need to hint or scheme to coax her; Kohinata Suse acted on her own accord as if she saw straight through his intentions.


    Now, the final voting for the Student Council election had begun, and in three days the results would be out, determining this year''s Student Council President at Yuqiu High School.


    Using a girl to achieve one''s goal sounds just like a villain, doesn''t it?


    But the truth is, these were mere sideshows.


    If possible, Kagura Hikaru would prefer that she didn''t help, didn''t come near him, and didn''t even appear in this school.


    After all, compared to the demands he made of Suse, her demands of him were heavier and harder to fulfill.


    What she wanted was love, to pick up where their abnormal romance in middle school left off.


    This was unacceptable to Kagura Hikaru.


    But fortunately, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was there.


    After the chance encounter with her after school that day, Kagura Hikaru was inspired by their conversation.


    He also understood how to beat Suse.


    Perhaps ''beat'' is somewhat ambiguous.


    ''Beat'' isn''t appropriate; she wasn''t his enemy or opponent, but rather the exact opposite.


    Maybe the word ''reject'' is more accurate.


    He knew how to reject Suse.


    He would reject her in a way that would only hurt Suse and no one else.


    "Don''t worry, I have a plan in mind. Leave the rest to me and don''t interfere," Kagura Hikaru told Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "You sound pretty cool, but I wonder if you can be trusted," Ayakoji Chiyoko sized up his profile and hummed lightly, "I understand, I''ll leave everything to you."


    "Yes, I will do as I''ve planned," he nodded.


    Just then, a commotion came from outside the classroom door.


    Two girls in Yuqiu summer school uniforms, which were blue and white sailor outfits, walked in surrounded by a group of students.


    Incredibly, it was Kohinata Suse and Kiryu Hina.


    They greeted the surrounding people with identical smiles and expressions, as if they were a pair of close sisters, not just in demeanor, but their height was also strikingly similar.


    If their faces were identical too, it would be quite hard to tell them apart.


    "Ah, Kagura," as soon as Kohinata Suse saw Kagura Hikaru, her smile brightened a few degrees, and after apologizing to the surrounding people, she quickly walked over, "Why did you go to school today without waiting for me?"


    "I woke up early and with nothing to do, I set out early," he replied.


    "Really, remember to wait for me next time, or else call me. No matter how early it is, I''ll hurry over!" she said.


    "That won''t be necessary."


    "Why be so formal? We''re lovers, aren''t we?" Kohinata Suse winked playfully and took Kagura Hikaru''s hand that was laid on the table, "Going to school together as boyfriend and girlfriend, that''s what youth is all about."


    "Your idea of youth is too narrow..." Kagura Hikaru extricated himself without leaving a trace and changed the subject, "Speaking of which, why did you come with Hina? Did you run into each other on the way?"

 Chapter 159 Please, Help Me Save Her

    "Rather than that, how did you end up coming here with Hina? Did you run into each other on the way?" Kagura Hikaru asked Kohinata Motoyo."Um..."


    Kohinata Motoyo''s smile faded a little as he glanced at Kiryu Hina sitting in front of him, who didn''t even spare them a glance and continued to chat and laugh with someone else. His eyes were slightly shaded with sadness, "She still won''t forgive me. That''s understandable. If it were me on the receiving end of such a situation, I wouldn''t forgive the other party either."


    "Thinking you can reconcile with her is an impossible thought to begin with."


    "Yeah... you''re right."


    "But don''t you find that Hina''s current state is quite abnormal?" Kagura Hikaru lowered his voice and added, "She''s completely different from before."


    "Of course I''ve noticed that, and the reason... I have a pretty good guess."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, but I can''t tell you¡ªeveryone but you, Kagura."


    "Why not?"


    "Secret~" Kohinata Motoyo said with a laugh as he playfully tapped Kagura''s nose.


    "..."


    Blinding stares came from beside him, but Kagura Hikaru pretended not to see them.


    He wasn''t ready to confront Motoyo yet, even if he knew how to break up, it wasn''t possible, at least not until the Student Council elections were over. The time wasn''t right.


    Until then, he had to keep playing the part.


    So for now, he decided to use another matter to temporarily occupy Motoyo, to prevent her from noticing anything unusual.


    Pretending to suggest a stroll outside before class started, he led Kohinata Motoyo up to the special classrooms on the upper floor.


    It was quieter there, a good place for a private conversation.


    However, Motoyo seemed to misunderstand something. After discovering that Kagura Hikaru had led her into an empty music classroom, she blushed while fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.


    "Goodness, I didn''t expect you to be so impatient, Kagura. Well, it''s fine, though it''s not what I had in mind, but as long as it''s with you, Kagura, I''m good anywhere," she said.


    "?"


    Kohinata Motoyo clicked the door lock and then walked over, trying to take off Kagura Hikaru''s pants.


    "Wait, wait, what are you doing?!" Kagura Hikaru cried out in an embarrassed voice, gripping his belt for the first time with such force.


    "Eh? What am I doing?"


    Kneeling before him, she was gripping his pant legs, looking up confusedly with eyes as pure as a baby''s, "Aren''t we going to do it here?"


    Not pure at all! Where in the world is there a baby like this?!


    "Stop, what are you thinking of on your own, some weird things!"


    "Isn''t that it?!"


    "Why do you seem so disappointed?!"


    "Um... who, who''s disappointed, that''s not it, I''m not that kind of frivolous girl, it''s very rude, Mr. Kagura."


    "I think you''re getting all mixed up now..."


    Kagura Hikaru watched helplessly as Motoyo, her face flushed, stood up and awkwardly pretended to fix her hair.


    So, it''s the same thing that teenagers¡ªboth boys and girls¡ªare thinking about, even a girl like Motoyo.


    Normally prim and elegant girls become desperate and reveal an indecorous side in the presence of boys they like; it''s hard not to find them endearing.


    But who would want their first time to be in a school music classroom? At least let it be in an off-campus love hotel!


    Though two high school students in a love hotel is plenty strange as well.


    "To get to the point," Kagura Hikaru shook his head, leaning on a desk in the music classroom, "I mentioned earlier that something was off with Hina, and you agreed, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s right." Motoyo also leaned against the desk, looking over with a soft smile, "She has changed so much, absolutely a different person from before."


    "In just one year, for her to change this much, it must be our fault, right?"


    "...Yeah, mostly."


    "So, I want to help her."


    "You mean Hina?"


    "Yes." Kagura Hikaru said seriously, "Her change is too drastic, and she''s obviously forcing herself. Continuing like this, there''s a risk of developing a psychological disorder."


    Suse covered her mouth, looking down and feeling very upset.


    She didn''t doubt Kagura Hikaru''s words.


    If anything, it wasn''t surprising.


    Even though she didn''t have knowledge in psychology or mental health care, sheer common sense had already allowed her to faintly realize that something was wrong with Hina.


    In front of others, she clearly suppressed her emotions, and this was even more so when she faced Kohinata Motoyo, her facial expressions completely contradicting the emotions in her eyes.


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    It''s rare for someone without a special reason to be able to hide their emotions to such an extent.


    She used to be a person of strong character. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now, she had completely softened.


    Rather than softening, it was more like she had been smoothed out, transformed into a completely different shape.


    More accurately... into Kohinata Motoyo herself.


    "Hina''s problem now is that she persists in disguising herself, forcing herself to wear a mask called ''perfection''," said Kagura Hikaru. "This mask is binding her, driving her towards what she believes to be perfection, completeness, flawlessness."


    "That sounds like she''s overdoing it..."


    "Exactly."


    "How can we help her?" Suse asked earnestly, holding her chest, "Just tell me whatever I can do, and I''ll do it."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Do you want to help Hina to please me, or to make it up to her?"


    "Huh?"


    Suse was stunned.


    "I guess it''s a bit of both... And even without these reasons, I would still choose to help. Hina is still my best friend."


    "Even though you''ve turned against each other?"


    "Yeah, that''s right." Kohinata Motoyo smiled, came closer, hugged Kagura Hikaru, rested her head on his shoulder, and whispered, "As long as it''s not about you, I''ll give her whatever she wants."


    "If you say that to her in private, she''ll probably want you to rip out your heart."


    "Haha, that''s not going to happen. My heart is reserved for loving you."


    Kohinata Motoyo raised her head, resting her chin on Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder, smiled up at him, then stretched her neck to give his cheek a kiss.


    But Kagura Hikaru just looked at her expressionlessly.


    The smile on Suse''s face slowly faded, "Actually, it''s not just Hina who has changed a lot, Kagura. And it''s a pretty significant change."


    "I know."


    And he also knew the cure.


    Just like the last time, while shopping with Ai Cheng Hua Lian, he inadvertently showed a smile.


    As long as he was away from the sources of pressure like Hina and Suse, he might be able to heal at any time.


    "Let''s not talk about me for now; Hina''s situation is clearly more serious," Kagura Hikaru didn''t want to continue the topic, "You know about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, don''t you?"


    "Are you saying...?"


    "Yes, Hina''s symptoms clearly match it. If she keeps pushing herself, she may develop emotional cognitive disorders, personality dissociation, depression, and other mental illnesses. Hina is heading in that direction."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her and said the first sincere words since he had entered the classroom:


    "Please, Suse, help me save her."

 Chapter 160 No One Can Save Others, One Can Only Save Oneself

    Salvation.It used to be Kagura Hikaru''s most detested word.


    He once came across a passage in a certain light novel, a character''s catchphrase.


    "People cannot save others, they can only save themselves."


    Helping others.


    It sounds good, but in the end, it''s a form of interference.


    Whether the outcome of interference is good or bad, the one who interferes cannot take responsibility for it; only the person being helped must bear the consequences.


    It''s their life, after all, and what it turns out to be should be for them to decide.


    It''s okay to scream for help and let others step in; after all, humans aren''t creatures meant to live alone in this world.


    We are social animals; from the moment we are born until we fully mature, we are vulnerable and need others'' protection, which is so-called interference.


    When one reaches the age where they can decide their own fate, this privilege disappears.


    From child to adult.


    From being saved to saving oneself.


    "People cannot save others, they can only save themselves."


    In a sense, that''s only something adults should heed. Children can''t save themselves; they need someone else to lend a hand.


    High school students, in the eyes of the law, aren''t really considered children anymore.


    Seventeen-year-olds in their second year of high school are even at the age when they can marry.


    Next year, as they enter their third year and turn eighteen, they will officially step into the adult world. They are no different from those working in companies or factories, part of the working society.


    High schoolers of this age already have their own judgment.


    The universities they want to attend, the careers they hope to pursue, their hobbies¡ªmost have some vague ideas or may even have already started taking action.


    Such individuals cannot be called children.


    If outsiders attempt to interfere with them, they''ll be met with severe judgment, fierce resistance, spit upon, and despised.


    The more mature someone is, the more freedom they crave, the right to make their own decisions.


    But still.


    Even so, Kagura Hikaru wanted to interfere in the life of Kiryu Hina.


    People cannot save others, they can only save themselves.


    It''s correct, and perhaps in the end, without anyone''s help, Kiryu Hina can attain salvation on her own. She has that ability, and Kagura Hikaru believes this.


    One day, she might become aware of the issue, consult a hospital, accept a professional treatment plan, and ultimately recover, returning to society.


    But if one just blindly trusts and lets things be, wouldn''t that be negligent?


    What if she doesn''t become aware?


    What if her self-rescue efforts fail, and she messes up her life, destroying what could have been a fulfilling existence? Would a future Kagura Hikaru, looking back, regret not reaching out to the extent of wanting to kill his current self?


    What if...


    People cannot save others, they can only save themselves.


    Because they cannot bear the responsibility, cannot shoulder the burden of someone else''s life, thus, they have no choice but to bother themselves with self-saving.


    Kagura Hikaru, fully aware of this yet still desiring to extend a hand, is no hero.


    If there is someone who can be a hero here, it would only be Kohinata Motoyo who, after hearing his words, didn''t express scorn or contempt but instead shared her opinion candidly.


    "I understand, I''ll do my part," Kohinata Motoyo said, patting her chest, "Hina''s troubles are my troubles...even though she''d probably prefer I didn''t help."


    After speaking, she gave a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.


    From her, Kagura Hikaru sensed the scent of truth. Just as before, she wasn''t lying; her offer to help Hina was indeed sincere.


    Ever since he gained the ability to distinguish truth from lies through scent, he found himself uncontrollably gathering information from everyone around him.


    Some were lying, others were telling the truth; sometimes, both could exist at the same time...


    These scents weren''t real in the physical sense and normally wouldn''t affect his actual sense of smell.


    But it was different with Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo.


    Whenever he encountered them, he could only detect a singular scent.


    From Hina came the smell of lies.


    From Motoyo, the smell of truth.


    Although they seemed similar on the surface, their approach to life was starkly different.


    Motoyo hardly ever lied, especially when she was with him; her words and actions could be described as cohesive, never hiding anything from Kagura Hikaru, for better or for worse.


    Hina, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.


    Each time he saw her, the scent of lies on her was so strong that he couldn''t perceive anything else.


    Every word and action, devoid of her own thoughts, as if she were a puppet¡ªno, worse than a puppet¡ªlike someone acting against their own feelings under the lucidity of hypnosis.


    Seeing her like that always made Kagura Hikaru feel very afraid. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn''t imagine what it was like to live every day drowned in lies.


    Yet, Hina had persevered for over a year.


    Ordinary compulsions wouldn''t go to such lengths; at most, they''d manifest as uncontrollable frequent hand-washing or constantly straightening items on a table.


    But Hina had changed everything about herself from top to bottom.


    Such willpower and persistence could only be described as pathological.


    "Thank you, that''s a huge help," Kagura Hikaru said. "You don''t need to do anything special, just continue as you are now and help Ayakoji Chiyoko win the Student Council election."


    "Why is this, does the Student Council President position have anything to do with Hina''s condition?"


    "Hmm, it''s a bit complicated, but to put it simply, it''s a necessary step to let her better expose her true self. Sorry to trouble you."


    "No problem at all, I''m doing it for Hina. I can understand your feelings, Kagura," Kohinata Motoyo shook her head, "We''ve both done too much to Hina and want to find ways to make amends."


    "That''s a debt we can never fully repay."


    "No, it can be repaid. There''s no debt in this world that can''t be settled, it just depends on how high a price you''re willing to pay," Kohinata Motoyo took his hand, fingers interlocking, "If, and I mean if, Hina really forgives us, then invite her to be a bridesmaid at our future wedding ceremony."


    Marrying the person you love most, with your best friend by your side, bounding into matrimony amidst everyone''s blessings, was Kohinata Motoyo''s idea of a perfect wedding.


    Unfortunately, such a thing was impossible.


    Kagura Hikaru placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her slightly away: "Thank you, Motoyo, I''m very happy you think that way."


    Her expression turned to ecstatic joy: "Kagura, does this mean you''re willing to..."


    "I''m sorry, it''s probably not what you think."


    "? What is it then..."


    "I''m really happy you''re willing to help Hina, but we can''t continue this way."


    Kagura Hikaru sighed and said to her, "I''m sorry, Motoyo, we should break up."

 Chapter 161 Breakup

    Kagura Hikaru was honest.He wanted to break up with her.


    Originally, he had intended to wait until after the election to come clean to Suse, as that would maximize his benefit.


    But now that she was willing to help him, it would be too much to continue using Suse like this.


    Not that anything he did wouldn''t feel a bit like repaying kindness with ingratitude.


    The current situation of the election had become quite clear, with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s side projected to be at least on par with Hina, therefore the chances of winning the election were very high.


    Plus, Suse had promised to help Hina, and that promise wasn''t an empty one.


    Her friendship with Hina, as well as her guilt, were genuine.


    So, she would do it.


    Even if she had already broken up with him.


    "...How could this happen, breaking up.....?" Kohinata Suse was shocked and then stepped back, "Kagura, what... what are you saying...?"


    "I can''t be with you, Suse. I don''t have those feelings for you, nor do I want to date you,"


    Kagura Hikaru said.


    Suse, she was a good girl, really a good girl, almost too good for him.


    But continuing to date her would only bring pain to both of them in the end.


    Kagura Hikaru would not forget what he had done in the past, nor could he. Suse''s presence for him was like the temptation of a demon that he had encountered before.


    More than affection, it was fear that dominated¡ªfear that he would fall again.


    Every minute and second with her only accumulated stress and a sense of guilt.


    Perhaps Suse felt that it was okay just to be like this, that being together was enough and nothing else mattered.


    But as time passed, there would inevitably come a day when she would become tired of it.


    The moment Suse thought of using a threat to be in a relationship with him, their separation had been inevitable.


    A wrong beginning could only end in tragedy.


    Kohinata Suse had never imagined that Kagura Hikaru would say these words to her here.


    Hadn''t the atmosphere been quite good before?


    She would act foolishly, then Kagura would give his emotionless criticism, occasionally say some serious things, and she would meet all his requests.


    But why, why had it turned out this way...


    "Kagura, you''re joking, right?"


    Kohinata Suse tried to laugh it off, moving forward to embrace Kagura Hikaru, but he blocked her with his hand.


    She was stunned.


    "Just like we''ve discussed before, I don''t want to be in that kind of relationship with you, Suse," Kagura Hikaru said calmly, "If you want me to become your friend again, maybe that''s possible. I won''t deny that I still have a bit of friendship for you in my heart. But Suse, I can''t give you what you truly want. Do you understand?"


    "No, how can it be, it''s impossible....!"


    Kohinata Suse shouted in disbelief, "Don''t you care about Hina anymore?! That photo!"


    "Indeed, I can''t find a backup of that photo, or rather, it was never possible to find one to begin with,"


    "Then¡ª¡ª"


    "But actually, it doesn''t matter," Kagura Hikaru shook his head and interrupted, "Even if I ignore it, it really doesn''t matter, because from the beginning, you never intended to leak that photo, nor could you make it public. Not realizing this all along, I really was foolish."


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    Previously, when they left the live house and walked with Ai Cheng Karen, they casually talked about the things they cared about most.


    Kagura Hikaru''s answer was family and friends.


    At that time, he thought of Suse.


    What was the most important thing to Suse?


    Given her obsession with him, the name Kagura Hikaru could possibly be among the top few, along with Hina, whom she now also regarded as a friend¡ªa friend she owed far too much, a creditor.


    So, could she really do something to hurt the person most important to her?


    Reminded by Ai Cheng Hua Lian, Kagura Hikaru realized something.


    That photo was indeed very important to him, but it was just as important to Suse.


    Once exposed, not only would it hurt Hina, but it would also lead Kagura Hikaru to truly hate her; not to mention any chance of reconciliation would be gone, and they would be sworn enemies for the latter half of their lives.


    As someone whose thoughts of love were nothing but genuine and only consisted of the word ''like,'' Suse wouldn''t possibly do that.


    Compared to before, although Suse had become more dangerous, her weaknesses were also more apparent.


    Never had he thought that one day he would use love to coerce someone else.


    Kagura Hikaru lifted his head and looked straight into Kohinata Suse''s eyes, "Suse, thank you for your affection, I''m truly happy, but I won''t be with you... I''m sorry, let''s part ways here."


    "Kagura..."


    Kohinata Suse reached out her hand to Kagura Hikaru.


    Seeing her expression, Kagura Hikaru felt a pang in his heart.


    "I''m sorry."


    He did not take Suse''s hand and stood up, passing her, stopping at the door.


    There was a brief silence.


    "Suse, even if we part ways, we are still friends. If you''re in trouble, remember to come to me, don''t struggle on your own."


    "..."


    "And..." Kagura Hikaru pushed the door open to leave, leaving behind only these words, "If you also leave, I will be saddened."


    "Kagura!"


    Kohinata Suse turned her head in surprise, but all she saw was the empty floor.


    This was a lie.


    Kagura Hikaru was walking down the school hallway.


    The last sentence, half of it was a lie.


    It was a consolation made to prevent Suse from going to extremes.


    Kagura Hikaru had once made a mistake, on that Christmas Eve when the truth was revealed, speaking too harshly to Kiryu Hina, showing no mercy, resulting in her becoming like this.


    So with Suse, he couldn''t make the same mistake and turn her into another Hina.


    At least, he had to leave her a glimmer of hope.


    As long as they parted amicably, maintained their distance, and kept rejecting her, one day she would come to terms on her own, and time would wear down her feelings for him.


    Time was the mightiest force, and mere love could never stand against it. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The so-called ''endless love'' and ''forever together'' between lovers were nothing but play words.


    One day, Suse would be able to let go completely.


    Then, they... could truly return to how they were at the beginning and become real friends.


    Having returned to the classroom, the morning class was about to start.


    Kagura Hikaru sat down at his desk and let out a heavy sigh.


    "Have you broken things off with your little girlfriend?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked with a smile.


    From the moment he entered the classroom, Ayakoji Chiyoko had noticed that Kohinata Suse had not returned with him, and Kagura Hikaru looked clearly relieved.


    Perhaps, he would bring some happy news.


    As she had expected, Kagura Hikaru nodded and said, "I have successfully broken up with Suse."


    "Is that so."


    The smile on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face widened.


    Then, it was her turn, wasn''t it?


    The girl sitting in front of him, Kiryu Hina, also seemed to sense something and turned her head slightly.

 Chapter 162 Chiyoko Ayakojis Self-Disclosure

    Kohinata Motoyo didn''t persist too much and stopped, just as he wished.This was the greatest comfort to Kagura Hikaru.


    After they broke up, she even sent a text message to explain that the photo Kagura Hikaru initially deleted from his phone was the only backup she had; she didn''t have any other copies.


    In other words, the so-called backup was actually just a lie.


    Keeping a backup was risky for Motoyo as well.


    As Kagura Hikaru had said, the photo was leverage over Kagura Hikaru but was equally so over Motoyo.


    If it were to be leaked, it would only be detrimental to her and not beneficial at all.


    Kagura Hikaru''s eyes were blinded by Kohinata Motoyo''s frighteningly pure mind-reading content, while Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ayakoji Chiyoko were temporarily confused due to their lack of understanding of Kohinata Motoyo''s nature; they all failed to notice this at first.


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    Fortunately, Kagura Hikaru eventually woke up to the truth and also managed to break up smoothly.


    However, the mental pressure he thought would decrease didn''t actually decrease, but rather unexpectedly increased.


    But that''s another story. Right now, he was still immersed in the relief of the successful breakup.


    Having resolved the issue with Kohinata Motoyo, Kagura Hikaru then focused on the Student Council election matters.


    The final voting for the election had started, today was the first day, and it would go on for three days.


    Since the data was not publicized, all the candidates had no idea how many votes they had or who was in the lead, so they all tried their best to campaign for votes.


    The school also provided them with some conveniences, allowing election candidates to give their last speech in the auditorium.


    During lunchtime, students from all grades gathered in the school auditorium once again.


    The sequence for the speeches remained the same as before, decided by lot.


    This time, Kiryu Hina also went before Ayakoji Chiyoko, delivering an excellent speech on changing the school''s atmosphere, with stories students were concerned about, and kept her style humorous without losing the sense of Rinran, showing signs of coming back into form.


    When she stepped down, the warmth of the applause from the audience made Kagura Hikaru feel a bit anxious.


    Especially since Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was up next to give her speech, didn''t have this speech script pass through his hands this time.


    Since he had been tightly wound up by Kohinata Motoyo, the second speech script he had planned to write for Ayakoji Chiyoko was delayed due to a lack of communication between them.


    Seeing that there was not enough time, Kagura had no choice but to give her a half-finished draft and let her complete the rest depending on the situation.


    Around Ayakoji Chiyoko were mostly brawny Discipline Committee members; there were few among them who had literary talent, and it was questionable whether she could finish it smoothly on her own.


    People always judge by first impressions. Today was the first day of voting for the Student Council election. If Ayakoji Chiyoko made a weaker impression on the students than Kiryu Hina, even if she had a prior advantage, it could still be overturned.


    If that happened, all their efforts over the past half-year would have been in vain.


    So please, Ayakoji, don''t mess this up at such a crucial time!


    After Kiryu Hina stepped down with a wave, Ayakoji Chiyoko followed closely, marching confidently onto the stage.


    She came to the podium and proceeded with her speech according to plan.


    She talked about her illustrious achievements as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and also about her plan to lift the ban on school dating. Generally speaking, even though there were some occasional highlights, her speech seemed quite ordinary compared to Kiryu Hina''s.


    As Kagura Hikaru overheard other students chatting about games, showing no interest in the speech on stage, he couldn''t help but feel a twinge of concern.


    He was already thinking about how to regain the lost popularity through other methods.


    However, he could never have imagined that Ayakoji Chiyoko would recapture everyone''s attention in a way he had never considered.


    "...School bullying, a topic that everyone is probably tired of hearing about by now. Yes, it''s a major problem that can occur in any school, in any class, and it''s unavoidable. To date, no school has been able to come up with the best solution to this issue. Teachers can''t intervene, and the voices of those being bullied are weak and often drowned out in a sea of noise."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s tone became more serious, her voice louder, momentarily drawing the attention of the audience below.


    Then she took a deep breath and revealed something explosive enough to shake the entire school auditorium:


    "I am no exception; I have also experienced school bullying."


    That statement brought a swift silence to the audience.


    The crowd stared at Ayakoji Chiyoko on stage, dumbfounded.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was bullied?


    The former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, who was perceived as unfeeling and cold??


    Even the Discipline Committee members, who were closest to her, were stunned, their pupils trembling.


    They were even more shocked than the ordinary students.


    The strong, dominant image Ayakoji Chiyoko usually portrayed was so deeply entrenched in people''s minds that it was extremely difficult to associate her with the nodding yes-men who were bullied. It was more conceivable that she was the bully than the one being bullied.


    Even Kagura Hikaru was in shock along with everyone else.


    He had never imagined that Ayakoji Chiyoko had been bullied, nor did he think that she would reveal such a thing at this moment.


    This was almost like speaking in front of the entire student body.


    For the usually proud and high self-esteemed Ayakoji Chiyoko, this would have been unthinkable before.


    The air was silent for several seconds.


    Then came the eruption as the murmurs from the audience instantly grew more than twice as loud.


    "What''s going on, eh? President Ayakoji?"


    "No way, THAT Ayakoji Chiyoko could be bullied...?"


    "No, no, no, she said it herself, it must be true!"


    "She might just be acting for her speech, right?" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If it''s that person, it''s possible. After all, she''s the daughter of an actress."


    "Don''t joke around. How could President Ayakoji lie! And spread such an image-damaging lie at that!"


    "Exactly, exactly."


    "....."


    For a moment, countless thoughts swirled above the auditorium.


    Everyone was so shocked by Ayakoji Chiyoko''s words that they couldn''t think straight.


    Among them, there was one person who stood apart.


    "That girl, she''s really desperate, huh... is she so eager for this position...?"


    Kiryu Hina watched the expressionless Ayakoji Chiyoko on stage with interest, then turned her gaze to Kagura Hikaru sitting not far away, whose face still held traces of shock, "Or is it for someone''s sake that she''s trying so hard to change herself. Heh, how interesting."


    "What are you laughing at, Hina?"


    A fragrant breeze and a gentle voice came from beside her.


    Kohinata Motoyo had somehow come to sit beside her unnoticed, smiling at her.

 Chapter 163 Is it a coincidence?

    The expression on her face quickly disappeared as Kiryu Hina calmly said, "I''m relieved that Ayakoji Chiyoko once experienced bullying, yet she bravely made her way out.""Lying, you''re actually taking pleasure in her misfortune, aren''t you?"


    Kohinata Motoyo, smiling, pierced through, "Although it might sound strange, I think you should show more of your true self, don''t suppress yourself too much."


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    "You see, that''s just it. The old you wouldn''t have played dumb like this." Kohinata Motoyo''s expression became somewhat reflective, "You''ve changed a lot, so have I, so has Kagura... everyone, we''ve all become unrecognizable."


    "Heh."


    Kiryu Hina lowered her voice and scoffed, "I, on the other hand, think you haven''t changed at all."


    Kohinata Motoyo raised an eyebrow, "Are you talking about Kagura? We''ve broken up."


    "I know."


    "Oh, did Kagura tell you?"


    "..."


    "Anyway, I came over just to tell you one thing."


    Kohinata Motoyo clapped her hands, tilted her head, and looked at her with a smile, "From now on, I''m going to compete with you fairly."


    "Huh?"


    "That''s it, I''m going back now."


    Having said that, Kohinata Motoyo stood up, swung her long hair, and walked towards the Disciplinary Committee.


    Inside, Kiryu Hina was filled with confusion, watching her happily jog over to Kagura Hikaru, swap seats with another Discipline Committee member, sit next to Kagura Hikaru, and start chatting with him, smiling.


    What does she mean by fair competition?


    Competing for what? The position of the Student Council President? Or perhaps, Kagura Hikaru?


    Ridiculous, does she really think I still harbor feelings for the same man?


    ...It''s already beyond redemption, whether it''s my feelings or that relationship.


    Ever since that person betrayed me.


    Kiryu Hina had decided to become a better person, to completely erase the shadow of Kohinata Motoyo from her heart, and make Kagura Hikaru regret leaving her forever, dancing in the palm of her hand!


    The first thing to do, or rather, the immediate opponent, is not the two of them.


    It''s the woman currently standing on stage, Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kiryu Hina looked earnest.


    Being able to expose one''s own weaknesses voluntarily, in a sense, is actually a way of eliminating them.


    In these six months, Ayakoji Chiyoko had truly grown.


    Sending Kagura Hikaru to her side might have been a mistake after all.


    The noise below continued for about half a minute, Ayakoji Chiyoko heavily knocked on the lectern, which barely brought them to a reluctant silence.


    The reason they calmed down so quickly was partly because the students still wanted to hear Ayakoji Chiyoko further explain.


    What exactly was the so-called school bullying she mentioned.


    "I know, you must be very curious right now about the bullying I endured in the past," said Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Fine, I''ll satisfy your curiosity."


    "Ohhhh!"


    "Eh? Should I really say it?"


    The crowd below became noisy for a moment, but as soon as Ayakoji Chiyoko began to speak, they quickly quieted down to listen.


    What she narrated were events from her elementary school days.


    Being the daughter of a famous actor, she debuted as a child star, but often missed school and was unable to blend in with the student body, gradually becoming isolated.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko talked about the incidents she had encountered at school.


    Bullying was like a prolonged torture.


    It was a dark history she had previously not wanted to face or talk about, a past she was reluctant to mention.


    But now, surprisingly, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly felt it was not a big deal.


    If it could serve her purpose and Kagura Hikaru''s purpose, why not reveal everything.


    "Perhaps some of you seated here have experienced similar things, and I assure you, I can understand, I can empathize."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face was expressionless, and her tone of voice was quite calm, but everyone could feel her attitude.


    It was a quietly burning anger that had not extinguished even after many years.


    Down below, not a single person spoke; they just listened silently.


    "Back then, I had nothing¡ªno friends, and my family was too busy with work to notice. Being isolated was unfortunate, but I was lucky to have four people who helped me. One was a teacher who often consoled me, another was a classmate willing to befriend me, and another person who fought against those bullies for me, sacrificing themselves so I could be saved. He was my hero." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wait?


    Listening to this, Kagura Hikaru connected some memories in his mind, and it sounded increasingly familiar.


    It couldn''t be, could it? That would be too much of a coincidence...


    Moreover, Ayakoji Chiyoko had told him that she met Hina for the first time because of her stepmother''s remarriage, not during their elementary school days.


    She... she shouldn''t be that child, probably.


    "Past experiences shaped who I am today. To prevent other students from suffering like I did, I founded the Disciplinary Committee at Ugao High and dedicated my efforts to stopping all malignant incidents at school."


    Applause erupted from the audience.


    The students, full of emotion, had not expected such a twisted story behind the founding of the Disciplinary Committee.


    Thinking about it, Ayakoji Chiyoko and the Disciplinary Committee had truly been like the dark hero in her story, protecting others at their own expense, and had been working tirelessly for the students at Yuqiu High School for over a year.


    Sometimes they might have been considered annoying, and they faced various challenges in enforcing discipline, but when in real trouble, everyone''s first thought was not to seek help from teachers or the Student Council, but the Disciplinary Committee.


    All this time, they had taken it for granted, but it wasn''t really so, was it?


    The students couldn''t help but project their rising gratitude toward the Disciplinary Committee onto Ayakoji Chiyoko herself.


    Realizing this, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but show his admiration.


    That was the Ayakoji Chiyoko for you, the former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, a master of many strategies. Whether the story was true or not, she had indeed achieved her goal, and even if the speech ended here, it would still be on par with Kiryu Hina''s speech.


    "Amazing, Classmate Ayakoji," Kohinata Motoyo, sitting beside him, also expressed his admiration: "That''s the quality of a leader, isn''t it? Why can''t I be like her?"


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru wanted to ask as well.


    Why, despite having already broken up, could you act so casually close?


    Don''t you have a period of heartbreak to cool down?!

 Chapter 164 The Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee Falls Deeply in Love

    Ayakoji Chiyoko brought up her own victim experience in her speech, not solely for the purpose of garnering sympathy.Her self-respect had not fallen to the point of revealing her wounds just for this aim.


    The reason she talked about school bullying and drew on her personal experience to attract the attention of the students was also just to raise awareness.


    What awareness? Naturally, the awareness of the school bullying issue.


    As she had said before, the problem of bullying is universally present in all schools, and some cases are so clandestine that outsiders are completely unable to detect them. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it were only the more visible cases, within Uka, there would be no need for the victims to report them; the Discipline Committee members would actively intervene on their own.


    They had informants in every grade and class within the school, keeping an eye on the students'' every action.


    But occasionally there would be cases that the Disciplinary Committee was not aware of, requiring the victims themselves to seek help.


    There were also numerous instances where victims did not dare or could not ask for help.


    Ruzaki Mami, who was recently extorted, was a prime example.


    Her problem was serious enough for the Disciplinary Committee to step in, but if she did not speak up, it would be difficult for them to even notice.


    "Therefore, I, along with the representatives of the Disciplinary Committee, all agree that Yuqiu High School needs an effective reporting channel to more comprehensively protect the basic rights of Ugao High students."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko took out her smartphone, opened a certain app, and showed it to everyone below the stage, "This is an app software developed by the Disciplinary Committee, tentatively named ''Disciplinary Reporting System.'' After logging in with a student ID, you can directly submit a report to the Disciplinary Committee. This system can be relied on for difficulties that are generally not discussable verbally or in case of being threatened to stay silent, allowing direct assistance from discipline committee members."


    Developing a mobile app specifically for reporting?


    Now that was an innovative idea.


    The students below discussed among themselves.


    "The download QR code for this app will be published in tomorrow''s Society Discussion Meeting Daily, and students in need can download it immediately. If anyone among you, like the past me, is suffering from bullying but fears retaliation, you can use this program to contact the Discipline Committee and submit a detailed account of the victimization. After confirmed by investigation, we will wield the hammer on the bullies!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko hammered her fist on the podium, declaring with an iron-blooded expression, "After resolving the issue, we will publicize the bullies'' information and deeds through the Daily of the Society Discussion Meeting. The Society Discussion Meeting has agreed to allocate a special column for this purpose. If the bullies do not wish their identities to be exposed, they should stop their behavior from this moment on!"


    Ohh!


    The students exclaimed in amazement.


    No matter how you look at it, this was all to their benefit.


    For those who were bullied, this could be a lifeline. And for those leading normal student lives, they could get a laugh and a warning from the exposed list of bullies, keeping away from those bad students.


    No matter from which perspective, this was an intensely topical issue.


    The only ones who would be harmed were those who recklessly bullied their peers.


    But no one cared what happened to those people.


    Island Nation was a society that read the air; such people who flouted the rules were unacceptable anywhere, like vampires that can only perish once exposed to the sunlight.


    For normal people, it was the greatest contribution to society if such individuals were entirely eradicated.


    Following the lifting of the dating ban, Ayakoji Chiyoko now brought forth another compelling proposal.


    No, it was not just a proposal, but a plan that was already completed.


    Whether the plan was mature, or if it would be stopped by the school due to the publication of student information, is another matter to discuss.


    But at least in terms of topicality, it was no less influential than the previous school rule change, and the impact it could create in the few days before the vote could be unexpectedly significant.


    It could be foreseen that many students who would have not voted for her might change their vote in favor of her stance.


    Kiryu Hina anxiously bent her index finger and gnawed on the knuckle, her right leg trembling up and down, her complexion gloomy, her troubled state of mind laid bare for all to see.


    She had initially thought that the guy was just talking big, but he had gone as far as developing a mobile app, clearly there was premeditation involved, and there was no telling how long he had been preparing for this.


    I''m going to lose, at this rate, I''ll really lose.


    "President? Are you okay...?"


    The worried voice of the Student Council accountant, Hosaka Yui, came from beside her.


    In an instant, Kiryu Hina regained her usual demeanor, her anxiety completely vanishing.


    She sat up straight, with the decorum of a royal princess, a smile spreading across her face as she looked towards the other person and said softly, "I''m fine, what''s the matter?"


    "President..."


    "Ah, are you worried about the election? Don''t worry, I still have an ace up my sleeve, I can win."


    "Hmm..."


    The look of concern in Hosaka Yui''s eyes did not fade.


    Since falling into a disadvantageous position in the Student Council elections, Kiryu Hina somehow seemed different in the eyes of others.


    Hosaka Yui, who was closest to her, would occasionally witness some uncommon things.


    Especially when that person, recently quite famous among the second-year students, Kohinata Motoyo, came to talk to her, the unintentional chill and darkness emitted by Kiryu Hina was worrying, as if she had become a different person.


    President, what''s happened to you...?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked down from the stage amidst applause.


    As the former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, even at this moment, the contributions she had made for the school had already surpassed those of several previous Student Council Presidents, including Kiryu Hina.


    If Kiryu Hina hadn''t been there, this Student Council election would definitely have been an overwhelming victory for her.


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    But even now, Kiryu Hina was still a formidable enemy.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko hadn''t let her guard down because of the recent slump in her condition, instead she always maintained the highest level of vigilance, waiting for her to make a move.


    Now, the last card she could reveal at this stage had already been thrown onto the table.


    So, what will you do, Kiryu Hina.


    Will you simply bow to the inevitable, or will you make a final counterattack?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko contemplated these thoughts as she descended the stage, her gaze naturally turning towards Kagura Hikaru, seated at the center of the Discipline Committee members.


    As a result, she couldn''t avoid seeing Kohinata Motoyo, chattering away happily next to him like a girlfriend, her face beaming with joy.


    ...What''s going on, haven''t you already become an ex-girlfriend, why are you still so close!


    Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t lie to himself, the fact that they had broken up was indeed true, but what''s with this closeness?


    Would that troublesome woman not give up?


    Her fists clenched involuntarily, Ayakoji Chiyoko strode towards them.


    At the same time, a thought became increasingly clear in her mind.


    I can''t wait any longer.


    Time to confess.

 Chapter 165 Lost in Mahjong

    As things turned out, Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo didn''t end up fighting.After all, they were in a public place, and both were normal females with a sense of shame; they would not do something as crass as grabbing Kagura Hikaru''s hands from both sides and fighting over a man.


    But even their sarcastic remarks were enough to change the temperature of the air around them.


    "This ex-girlfriend classmate, you really have an unexpectedly thick skin, don''t you? Could you let go of our vice-president now? We need to get back to work," one of them said.


    "Classmate Ayakoji, indeed we ''twice'' dated and ''twice'' became exes, but it doesn''t prevent us from being friends now. Interrupting a conversation between friends is quite rude, you know."


    "What a joke, couples who can stay normal friends after breaking up do not exist in this world," the other retorted.


    "Ah, that must be because of your limited knowledge."


    "It''s just your wishful thinking, don''t drag Kagura into this. Come on Kagura, let''s go, the reporting software is your creation and today we''re doing the final check."


    "Can I tag along?" one asked.


    "That won''t be possible, ex-girlfriend classmate."


    "Ah, then what about a ''former'' Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee who''s not even an ''ex-girlfriend'' anymore?"


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    The surrounding Discipline Committee members practiced selective hearing, all wearing invisible earplugs, not hearing anything. They formed a human wall to shield the curious gazes of other students.


    At that moment, a figure sneaked out from a crack in the wall, straightened their clothes, and quickly walked away.


    It was a while before Kohinata Motoyo and Ayakoji Chiyoko realized that Kagura Hikaru had slipped away.


    Stepping out of the school auditorium, the air outside was clearly fresher than inside.


    The summer sun turned the ground and buildings it touched into gold, as a refreshing breeze blew by, rustling nearby branches and maple leaves, temporarily taking away the heat.


    This special sense of comfort, it could only be experienced in the summer.


    Kagura Hikaru stretched extensively and was about to head back to the classroom for lunch, when suddenly a hand tapped on his shoulder from behind.


    He turned around to see Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami, whom he had just met a few days before.


    "Good noon, Kagura," they greeted.


    "Hmm, good noon," he replied.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Kagura Hikaru greeted each other.


    "Mr. Kagura, let''s have lunch together!" Ruzaki Mami proposed, raising her small hand.


    Thinking it over, he didn''t have anything urgent to attend to, and the software testing that Ayakoji Chiyoko had mentioned could be postponed, so he agreed.


    The three of them each went back to their classrooms to grab their bentos and then met under a quiet tree in the courtyard.


    Yes, it was that same diligent place.


    After conversing there once with Kagura Hikaru, Ai Cheng Hua Lian had found she rather liked the spot.


    As a place to eat, it had many advantages: the maple tree provided scenery, the shade meant it wouldn''t be too hot, it was far from the pathways and classrooms for quiet, and there was a bench to sit on, among other things.


    Kagura Hikaru was pleased to find that Ai Cheng had the same aesthetic taste as him.


    Although this had been his secret base before, he would be more than willing to share it with Ai Cheng.


    "I''m the first~"


    Ruzaki Mami ran to the bench like a little kid trying to beat others in a race, holding her bento and sitting in the middle. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a result, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian had no choice but to sit on either side of her.


    Ruzaki Mami lowered her head slightly, her mouth curving into a smug smile under the shadow of her fringe, looking as if her plan had worked perfectly.


    The spot between Karen-chan and Mr. Kagura, perfect!!


    The three took out their own bentos and placed them on their laps to open them.


    At a glance, both Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian had fairly standard home-cooked bentos, while Ruzaki Mami''s looked a bit fancier, including regular bento items such as rolled omelet, meatballs, and octopus sausages, plus three different flavored sushi pieces.


    "Let''s all share," Ruzaki Mami offered, looking left and right at Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian like a considerate wife, passing her bento box over.


    "A bento exchange, sounds good. In a bit, take whatever you want from my bento as well," another chimed in.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian reached out with her chopsticks and picked up a piece of sushi with fish.


    "Mr. Kagura, please help yourself," Ruzaki Mami said with a smile, turning her head and handing over the bento box.


    "Thank you."


    Kagura Hikaru picked up a tamago (egg) sushi.


    The last piece left was fish roe sushi, which Ruzaki Mami elegantly covered her mouth to eat in one bite, following sushi etiquette.


    The three of them enjoyed the meal together deliciously.


    Afterward, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian also shared items from their own bento boxes.


    If it came to taste, surprisingly, Kagura Hikaru''s bento was the most delicious among the three.


    "My bento was made by my stepmother; she''s really good at cooking."


    "Eh, I''m so jealous!" Ruzaki Mami was a beat slower to realize something, "Wait, stepmother?"


    "Yeah, my father remarried."


    "I see...that''s how it is....."


    "Um, Kagura," sensing the mood was becoming gloomy, Ai Cheng Hua Lian hurriedly spoke up, "I heard you broke up with Classmate Kohinata, is that true?"


    Kagura Hikaru was surprised, ".....Where did you hear that from?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was one thing; he had told her himself, but how did Ai Cheng Hua Lian come to know?


    It only happened in the morning; surely, the news hadn''t spread to the third graders in just a few hours, had it?


    But when he asked, it turned out the news had indeed spread from the second grade.


    It seems Kohinata Motoyo had proactively told her classmates that because the current school rules do not allow students to date, her boyfriend, which is to say Kagura Hikaru, decided to break up temporarily to not cause her trouble in school but they would get back together once the new school rules were implemented.


    ...That excuse seemed far-fetched, the whole temporary breakup to avoid trouble and getting back together when the new rules come into effect, as if they were exploiting legal loopholes like new energy car manufacturers!


    However, when you considered this was the Island Nation where reading the air meant everything, it wasn''t that incomprehensible.


    But according to Kohinata Motoyo, it sounded like she wasn''t ready to give up yet.


    He had already said they were breaking up.


    Was it a mistake to give her hope before? No, ultimately that wasn''t a mistake.


    Sigh, he really hoped she could figure out how to resolve this situation on her own eventually.


    Having confirmed the news with Kagura Hikaru, Ai Cheng Hua Lian breathed a sigh of relief, "I''m glad it ended smoothly."


    "Hmm....."


    Both of them fell silent for a moment, each lost in their own troubling thoughts.


    Only Ruzaki Mami, oblivious to the actual situation, was left looking around in shock.


    Eh? Eh??


    It''s normal for Karen-chan to be happy about Mr. Kagura''s breakup, but why doesn''t she hide her feelings in front of him?


    Could it be that those two...


    "Mr. Kagura, are you going to date Karen-chan?" Ruzaki Mami asked cautiously.


    "Zhen Chun?!?! What are you talking about!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian was both astonished and blushing red with embarrassment.


    This was too sudden!


    "There''s nothing like that."


    However, it was Kagura Hikaru who replied with a calm tone, coolly denying it, "Ai Cheng is my friend, I respect her and wouldn''t see her in that manner."


    "Is...that so," Ruzaki Mami couldn''t help but smile secretly to herself.


    That meant she still had a chance, right?


    On the other hand, Ai Cheng Hua Lian pouted, looking down and poking the rice in her bento with her chopsticks, muttering quietly, "Even if you look at me slightly, just slightly, with those eyes... it would be okay..."

 Chapter 166 Date Me

    After lunch, Kagura Hikaru had planned to head right back to the Disciplinary Committee.But Ai Cheng Karen stopped him, seemingly with something she wanted to say to him.


    Moreover, it had to be a private conversation between just the two of them.


    "Eh? Karen-chan, are you going to confess to Mr. Kagura?" Upon hearing they needed to talk privately, Ruzaki Mami, told by Ai Cheng Karen to go back to the classroom and wait, asked in shock.


    "Wait¡ªMami! Don''t be so loud, someone will hear!"


    Ai Cheng Karen quickly covered her best friend''s mouth, then awkwardly turned back to smile at Kagura Hikaru who was not far away, then turned back sharply, glaring sternly at her best friend.


    "Stop joking about that, and don''t bring it up in front of Kagura. The two of us... we''re not in that kind of ambiguous relationship."


    Ruzaki Mami patted her hand, feeling the pressure on her mouth loosen, and muttered, "But, Karen-chan likes Mr. Kagura, doesn''t she?"


    "..."


    "The whole band sees it, that''s why they''re all trying to pair you two up."


    "I... I''m content just being Kagura''s friend; I''ve never thought about confessing," Ai Cheng Karen said softly, her expression melancholic. "Besides, he already likes someone else. I don''t stand a chance."


    "Eh, Mr. Kagura likes someone? Who is it?"


    "That I can''t tell you."


    "Hmm..." Ruzaki Mami puffed up her cheeks adorably, then asked with a puzzled look, "If it''s not about confessing, then what is so secretive that you have to keep me out of it and talk alone?"


    "I can''t tell you that either~"


    "Stingy Karen!"


    "Hehe, just go back to the classroom and wait for me. I''ll be there soon."


    "... Humph, I got it, just don''t sneak off!"


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    "Sneak off?"


    "Nothing." Ruzaki Mami stuck out her tongue, waved her hand, and ran off. "I''m off, bye Karen-chan."


    "Yeah."


    "And Mr. Kagura, goodbye~"


    Kagura Hikaru nodded towards her as she passed by: "Yeah, goodbye."


    After Ruzaki Mami had run off, he turned back to look at Ai Cheng Karen, who looked anxiously at him.


    The time was now noon, when the sun was at its strongest.


    Even standing in the shade of a tree, one could feel the body losing moisture due to the heat.


    The stifling temperature fueled the agitation within.


    Kagura Hikaru tugged at his collar to cool off, vaguely feeling that what Ai Cheng Karen was about to say wasn''t going to be good news.


    "Kagura," Ai Cheng Karen started, lifting her head, "about the photo, are you really not going to clear things up with President Hina?"


    Just as he thought.


    He sighed softly and leaned against the back of the courtyard bench, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over his fingers, pondering his words.


    "... Ai Cheng, if this gets out, do you know what will happen?"


    "The truth will come to light?"


    "They will both be hurt ¨C President Kiriyu and Suse."


    "..." Ai Cheng Karen was silent for a moment. "I think that should be for President Hina to decide."


    "You''re taking her side?"


    "This isn''t about taking sides. I just don''t want you to continue being misunderstood!"


    "I don''t mind."


    "But, but I care!"


    "Ai Cheng?"


    Ai Cheng Karen anxiously lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers, her face slightly flushed, "You, you are my friend. Who would want their friend to be misunderstood and even hated? You didn''t cheat; you were just coerced. I just want President Hina to know this, to clear up the misunderstanding."


    Kagura Hikaru remained silent.


    The issue isn''t here, Ai Cheng.


    The real key was that he wasn''t a victim, but like Motoyo, a real perpetrator, they were accomplices.


    At this point, how could he shamelessly ''clear up the misunderstanding'' and obtain Hina''s forgiveness?


    Staying away from her, away from Hina, was the best choice for both parties.


    "...Thank you, thank you for your concern, I really appreciate it. But it''s unnecessary," Kagura Hikaru responded.


    "Why?!"


    "Just consider it my whim," Kagura Hikaru looked at her and earnestly said, "Please, Ai Cheng, don''t tell Hina about this, this is my request as a friend."


    "...That''s so despicable, Kagura. After saying something like that, how can anyone refuse..."


    "Thank you."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian shook her head sadly, "I don''t deserve your thanks; after all, I really didn''t do anything."


    "Having you by my side is the greatest encouragement."


    "There you go with cheesy lines again... just don''t go spreading them to other girls outside, I might be an exception, but others will definitely misunderstand."


    "I know."


    "..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian stood up, patted her skirt, picked up the empty lunch box, "I''ll head back first, you still have election duties, right, Kagura?"


    "Yeah, I have to stop by the Discipline Committee in a bit."


    "Then I''m off."


    "See you tomorrow."


    "See you tomorrow."


    Smiling as they said goodbye, Ai Cheng Hua Lian turned and left, the breeze lifting her bangs.


    ...I''m sorry, Kagura.


    You said it was your request as a friend, right?


    But you surely didn''t know, Kagura, that in my heart, I have never seen you as just a friend.


    Not a friend.


    But someone I liked.


    So, I won''t follow that request.


    This is also my little whim, belonging to Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    Watching Ai Cheng Hua Lian leave.


    Kagura Hikaru also stood up, planning to head back to the Discipline Committee to handle his duties.


    As a supporter of Chiyoko Ayakoji''s campaign for Student Council President and the apparent vice president of the Discipline Committee, his duties were actually more than anticipated.


    Especially these days, being entangled by Kohinata Motoyo, some tasks had piled up, and those also needed to be dealt with, he could foresee that the next few days would be very busy, leaving no time even for his part-time job.


    He thought about the election as he walked towards the old school building where the Discipline Committee was located.


    On the way, he happened to see Chiyoko Ayakoji, who was also heading back to the Discipline Committee. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm? I thought you had gone somewhere, turns out you were here," Chiyoko glanced at him, then eyed Kagura Hikaru''s lunch box, "Had lunch alone? What a lonely guy."


    "Stop teasing me," Kagura Hikaru retorted, "Besides, I wasn''t alone."


    "With whom then?"


    "Ai Cheng, and also Ruzaki Mami."


    "Oh, who was that again?"


    "...You always have a good memory, pretending to be dumb now, you''re doing it on purpose, aren''t you?"


    "Hehe, maybe."


    The two chatted as they walked.


    As they were about to reach the door of the old school house, Chiyoko Ayakoji suddenly recalled something and casually said, "Oh right, almost forgot, good that you''re here."


    "What is it?"


    "Hmm, let''s date."

 Chapter 167 Long Time No See, Mister Hikaru

    Kagura Hikaru stopped in his tracks.What did he hear?


    What was she saying?


    He had just heard¡­


    "I''m serious, go out with me, Kagura Hikaru. I like you," Ayakoji Chiyoko turned to look at him, her hand on her hip, and repeated her words with confidence.


    There was no shyness on her face, no restraint or coyness, she spoke candidly and openly.


    Although he knew that this was just Ayakoji Chiyoko''s personality, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but feel a sense of unreality.


    As well as a tiny, unrealistic hope.


    "This is a joke... right?"


    "Of course it''s not. Do you think I would make such an unfunny joke?"


    "..."


    The tiny hope was extinguished.


    Just as he was taken aback by seeing Kohinata Motoyo appear in the classroom of second year Group A for the first time, at this moment, Kagura Hikaru was struck by a huge shock. His mind became a mess, unable to think properly.


    Why would she say such a thing? Ayakoji Chiyoko likes him? What does that mean? Impossible, impossible, impossible, he had clearly not shown her any amorous intentions¡­


    Suddenly, Kagura Hikaru vividly remembered that night. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The hotel room illuminated by the bright moonlight.


    The location was Capital City, the time was late at night.


    When they were accidentally left to stay overnight in Capital City, because he was too tired and not thinking straight, Kagura Hikaru had a bad idea and took a tacit approach to the accusation of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s unrequited love.


    In other words, in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes, he was the one who was harboring an unrequited love for her.


    When he woke up the next morning, Kagura Hikaru regretted it deeply, but then many things happened, and gradually he put it at the back of his mind and did not explain anything to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Perhaps it was that mistake at the time that led to the current situation.


    Women are weaker when it comes to resisting love; knowing this, Kagura Hikaru took such a foolish action that night.


    Looking back now, his judgment wasn''t wrong.


    Even someone like Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t resist this principle.


    But precisely because his judgment was too accurate, it backfired! He shot himself in the foot!


    Kagura Hikaru''s heartbeat quickened, and he unconsciously clenched his fists.


    This all-too-familiar scenario made him involuntarily think back to when he was confessed to by Suse during middle school. His feelings were exactly the same as back then, panicked and flustered.


    He didn''t want to develop that kind of relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Becoming a couple with an attractive woman was indeed a tempting proposal; rather, one would just feel fortunate as if a lump of gold had fallen from the sky and landed right before him.


    But as much benefit and temptation as this lump of gold could bring to him, the cost Kagura Hikaru would have to bear would be just as substantial.


    Firstly, he didn''t harbor any romantic feelings for Ayakoji Chiyoko; secondly, if they started dating, the consequences would be unthinkable if Suse were to find out.


    They had just broken up this morning!


    But he couldn''t refuse.


    Otherwise, with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s personality, if rejected, she would certainly not approach him again. Her pride wouldn''t allow her to continue to develop feelings with someone who rejected her.


    Having worked with her for so long, Kagura Hikaru was of course clear about this.


    People who have been hurt in interpersonal relationships tend to be particularly sensitive in this regard.


    In this way, Kagura Hikaru would be unable to become friends with her, and Hina''s commission would be impossible to fulfill.


    Even now, having fallen out with Hina, Kagura Hikaru still wanted to fulfill his promise to her.


    He had promised to do one last thing for her before they graduated.


    But now, an unprecedented hurdle stood before him.


    If he agreed to date, the commission could continue, but it would bring a lot of trouble, and he would be deeply embroiled in it.


    If he did not agree to date, the commission would fail, the trouble would be lessened, and it wouldn''t affect him.


    Either choice would be right, and both would be wrong.


    He was caught between a rock and a hard place, in a real dilemma.


    Kagura Hikaru fell into confusion.


    Just like a machine that had frozen due to a logic error, he stood still, unmoving.


    "Hey hey, are you so happy that you''re stunned?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko hooked the corner of her mouth up, walked closer, and waved her hand in front of Kagura Hikaru''s eyes. Seeing no response, she pinched his cheek.


    Then, not yet satisfied, she ran her fingers from his cheek flesh to his lips, and from his lips to his Adam''s apple.


    Seeing that he still didn''t react, Ayakoji Chiyoko, a bit embarrassed and annoyed, pinched his nose.


    "Say something, will you? Are you trying to let me be embarrassed all by myself?"


    "..."


    "Hey!"


    "Ah, has our school''s former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee finally fallen so low? To bully a male student at the entrance of the old school building¡ªI wonder what everyone would think if I recorded this and posted it on the forum."


    A teasing voice came from behind.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t need to look up, nor did she need to identify the voice; she could guess who it was with her grandmother''s arthritic knees.


    At this school, there was only one person who dared to talk to her like that.


    "Kiryu Hina, what are you doing here?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze moved past Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder, looking at Kiryu Hina, who stood nearby smiling demurely.


    If Kiryu Hina now said something about eavesdropping on her confession, Chiyoko might not be able to resist punching her in the head to cause amnesia.


    Fortunately, Kiryu Hina didn''t touch on that topic.


    "Me? I''m just here to collect some documents."


    "From where, which department, which club."


    "May I ask, what does that have to do with you?"


    "...Tch, just don''t mess around on my turf, I''ll be keeping an eye on you."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glared at her and grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s arm, dragging him into the old school building like hauling cargo, her back slightly rushed.


    The scene of her confession being interrupted by someone else was also a bit embarrassing for her.


    Kiryu Hina smiled as she watched her figure disappear at the entrance, then leisurely took out her phone, opened Kagura Hikaru''s contact email, and typed:


    [Congratulations, Ayakoji Chiyoko successfully confessed to you. Come down in ten minutes, I''ll be waiting for you at our usual spot in the courtyard. Don''t think about refusing, whether it''s me or Ayakoji Chiyoko.]


    She clicked send.


    She smiled, bringing the phone to her lips.


    "As expected of you, Kagura Hikaru, finding you was indeed the right choice; it allowed me to see quite an amusing show. And with this¡­ the plan can take a big step forward."


    Toward the end, the smile on Kiryu Hina''s face faded a bit.


    She put away her phone, entered the old school building, took a so-called document from the News Department, and left. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ten minutes later, Kagura Hikaru rushed out of the old school building, glanced back at the window of the Disciplinary Committee office on the third floor under the scorching sun, and hurried toward the school courtyard.


    In the end, he did not accept Ayakoji Chiyoko''s invitation to date.


    But, he also did not refuse.


    Because before he could reply, he saw the text message from Kiryu Hina.


    Having his confession witnessed by Ayakoji Chiyoko was the biggest mistake, and he didn''t know what sort of tricks Hina might play using this.


    From her tone, she probably had something to rely on.


    With the circumstances unclear, Kagura Hikaru dared not act recklessly, simply telling Ayakoji Chiyoko that he would reply to her later, and then temporarily left the Disciplinary Committee.


    In Ayakoji Chiyoko''s view, he might be considered as having fled in a panic.


    At their usual spot in the courtyard.


    It was that secluded spot under the maple tree, where he had lunch with Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami before.


    Kiryu Hina sat there, content and at ease, looking up at the maple leaves not far away.


    Hearing footsteps, she turned her head and displayed an elegant smile.


    "Long time no see, Mister Hikaru."

 Chapter 168 Stranger

    "Long time no see?"Kagura Hikaru steadied his emotions and calmly walked toward her, "What do you mean by that? We just saw each other in the auditorium."


    "As for me, I have been out of sorts lately, you know that, right?"


    "Yes, including the reason why."


    Kiryu Hina''s face stiffened slightly, "Is that so... It''s good if you understand. Anyway, I was still adjusting my emotions during that period, so that wasn''t the real me."


    "I understand." Kagura Hikaru stood in front of her, hands crossed, and didn''t sit down, "So, can you tell me the reason why you called me here?"


    "Speaking of which, your sudden departure didn''t arouse Ayakoji Chiyoko''s suspicions, did it?"


    "It shouldn''t have, I told her I needed to step out to calm down."


    "Is that so, at least it probably didn''t ruin that woman''s mood."


    "Since when have you started caring about other people''s feelings?"


    "? Oh, I''ve always been considerate." Kiryu Hina pretended not to understand the insinuation about her past character and smiled, waving her finger, "Let''s get to the point. Kagura, I happened to overhear Ayakoji Chiyoko confessing to you, although it was by coincidence."


    "..."


    Whether it was a coincidence or not, Kagura Hikaru almost immediately knew what she wanted to say.


    They had also discussed this issue before.


    No, that wasn''t a discussion, it should rather be called an argument.


    Kiryu Hina wanted him to become lovers with Ayakoji Chiyoko, so it would be more logical for him to go to her house and obtain certain things.


    What these things were, he still hadn''t figured out.


    But no matter what, Kagura Hikaru didn''t think that something a female high school student needed could be more valuable than another girl''s genuine feelings.


    "Mister Hikaru, I want you to accept her, accept Ayakoji Chiyoko''s confession and date her."


    Kiryu Hina said what Kagura Hikaru had expected.


    "In exchange, I will help you deal with Kohinata Motoyo''s troubles."


    .....that sentence wasn''t there.


    Exchange?


    She, who had only ever unilaterally commanded him, proposed a deal?


    Interesting, it seems my previous betrayal scared her, and my status actually improved a bit. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    But even so¡ª


    "I refuse." Kagura Hikaru shook his head, "I will handle Suse''s issue on my own, and dating Ayakoji Chiyoko is another matter altogether. I told you, I won''t agree to such things."


    "Oh? Are you saying that you are going to reject her?"


    "Of course, I don''t have those kinds of feelings for her."


    "That''s good, then I can rest assured." Kiryu Hina suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.


    "?"


    "In that case, let''s use the act of ''dating someone you don''t like'' as your revenge for your betrayal of me."


    Kagura Hikaru was stunned, "What are you talking about?"


    "Nothing much, I just figured you wouldn''t refuse. Of course, not refusing Ayakoji Chiyoko, but, not refusing me."


    Kiryu Hina''s smile grew lovelier, like a butterfly.


    Or rather, an insect.


    An insect''s smile is merely a pattern on the shell used to lure prey.


    "Go ahead and date Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kagura Hikaru, otherwise, I will spread the news of Kohinata Motoyo being a mistress throughout Yuqiu High School, including her parents and friends."


    "?!"


    "After she returned, you immediately started dating again, which shows you still have feelings for her, right." Kiryu Hina smiled gently, "But Kohinata Motoyo has changed, become overly clingy, and you gradually couldn''t stand the psychological pressure she brings, and chose to escape, that is, to break up."


    "..." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But Kohinata Motoyo, who traveled miles from Europe to find you, would not give up that easily. I guarantee you will still face a lot of harassment from her. That woman seems demure, but she is actually the kind that will not stop until she achieves her goal, just like me, and Ayakoji Chiyoko. Don''t you think, having me to block her, is a good thing?"


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t think so, but, he had no leeway to argue about that now.


    He had thought that Hina might have something on him, which is why she was so confident in summoning him here.


    But he didn''t expect, the leverage would be Suse.


    A former lover, now used as a bargaining chip by an ex-girlfriend to threaten him, could there be anything more absurd in this world?


    Just like Hina said, their renewed relationship was a mistake. It made Hina realize there was ''unfinished affection'' between them, prompting her to use Suse''s past as her trump card.


    Indeed, it was just like the two people who were once close friends, even their methods of threatening were the same.


    Indeed, pitiful, ridiculous.


    At that moment, something quietly shattered inside his heart.


    He didn''t know what it was, but it must have been something important to his past self.


    Otherwise, it probably wouldn''t feel so empty, so sad.


    Kagura Hikaru looked up at the blue sky and sighed heavily.


    Nothing mattered anymore.


    Just let it be, it doesn''t matter anymore.


    "Alright, I agree," Kagura Hikaru said, wiping his emotions clean and speaking calmly.


    A smile formed on Kiryu Hina''s face, "So, you''re willing to date Ayakoji Chiyoko, right?"


    "Yes, but you must agree to one condition."


    "At this point, you still want to make conditions with me? Fine, tell me. If it''s not too much, I might consider it."


    "Make peace with Suse, and be friends again," he said.


    "What?"


    Kiryu Hina''s hands tensed, clutching into fists unconsciously on her skirt, and her expression darkened, "Are you joking?"


    "She has never given up on reconciling with you; she still thinks you two are best friends."


    "What does that have to do with me!"


    "If you want to use me, you''ll have to swallow the condition I''m giving you."


    "Do you no longer care about what happens to Kohinata Motoyo?!"


    "Go ahead and expose it. Let Suse be forced to relocate and live somewhere far from here; such an outcome isn''t bad for me."


    "..."


    To this rebuttal, Kiryu Hina only half believed it.


    There was only one fundamental reason behind her threat¡ªshe believed Kagura Hikaru had feelings for Kohinata Motoyo and thought he wouldn''t do anything harmful to her.


    However, Kiryu Hina suddenly realized she could no longer read him.


    Although it had been the same before, she could at least guess his feelings from his reactions.


    But now, she could see nothing.


    Suddenly, a sense of unease and foreboding arose in Kiryu Hina''s heart.


    The person standing before her was no longer the familiar Kagura Hikaru, but a stranger.


    For some reason, this thought crossed Kiryu Hina''s mind.


    She struggled to suppress this anxiety and forced a smile, "...Alright, I agree."


    [Wanting me to reconcile with that woman, what a joke...!!]


    [Kagura Hikaru, what are you really thinking?!]


    [You have gained from peeking into the heart: Acting +2]


    [Acting lv4 (83/100)]


    It turned out that Kiryu Hina''s heart was no different from anyone else''s.


    The things he had cared about in the past seemed rather foolish now.


    "So, to confirm one last time, I will date Ayakoji Chiyoko and retrieve something from her house. Meanwhile, you won''t expose Suse''s past and will help me resolve the troubles she has caused me and become friends with her again¡ªthis is correct, isn''t it?"


    ".....Yes, it is."


    "Alright, let''s proceed that way then."


    Kagura Hikaru said blandly as he turned and walked away.


    Kiryu Hina watched his retreating figure, pursing her lips.


    A golden maple leaf fell onto her thigh, which Kiryu Hina picked up and held in front of her, using it to obscure the distant Kagura Hikaru.


    She wouldn''t apologize.


    Nor would she feel guilty.


    After all, this was a matter of vengeance, of retaliation.


    They were never meant to be friends again, nor to return to being lovers.


    At this point, what else was there to care about?


    Right, Kiryu Hina?

 Chapter 169 Love Fool

    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko had started dating.This matter did not cause any commotion.


    Because, apart from the two of them and a certain Student Council President, no one knew.


    Although this rule had been trampled upon in various ways by many people already, strictly speaking, Yuqiu High School still had a rule prohibiting campus romance.


    Openly expressing the relationship was akin to seeking death.


    Kohinata Motoyo was an exception, as she had a family background that allowed the school authorities to turn a blind eye.


    As for Ayakoji Chiyoko, although she herself was reluctant to admit it, her family was somewhat inferior.


    She was a descendant of a Former Chinese Clan and nominally a member of the Island Nation''s upper society, but since her father''s generation, due to the heir refusing to enter politics and running off to become an idol instead, their influence in society had started to decline.


    Kohinata Motoyo could make Ugao High''s principal and head of discipline bow and scrape, while Ayakoji Chiyoko could at best make them behave a bit more politely.


    If a principal issue occurred at school, the way they would treat the two of them would clearly be entirely different.


    Moreover, most importantly, Ayakoji Chiyoko was currently participating in the Student Council election, and was in the midst of the crucial final vote.


    If she were disqualified from candidacy for breaking the school rules, causing all her previous efforts to be wasted, the loss would be immense.


    Today was the second day of the Student Council election.


    Approaching the school, one could still feel that enthusiasm for canvassing.


    However, today Kagura Hikaru found his surroundings significantly quieter, and no one was forcibly pushing flyers into his hands anymore.


    Probably because the tall girl, Ayakoji Chiyoko, was walking beside him.


    She usually kept a cold face towards others, but today she seemed in a particularly good mood, with a slight smile on her lips and occasionally glancing at Kagura Hikaru.


    "Do I have something on my face?"


    "No, I just want to look."


    "Look at what?"


    "My boyfriend."


    "...Talking too loudly might get us heard." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hehe, don''t worry, I''ll be careful." Ayakoji Chiyoko leaned in quietly, her breath warm on his ear, with a sweet scent, "After school today, let''s sneak out and go on a date somewhere."


    "What about work?"


    "Leave it to Wada, he can handle it."


    "...Okay."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled quietly, but soon tensed up again and pulled back her head to avoid being noticed by any schoolmates.


    The day before, after she had confessed, Kagura Hikaru had gone out to cool off for ten minutes before coming back and agreeing to date.


    When he had run away initially, Ayakoji Chiyoko was somewhat worried, feeling Kagura Hikaru''s reaction was not as joyful as she had imagined. Weren''t they both clearly smitten with each other?


    Why didn''t he simply agree?


    From birth till now, Ayakoji Chiyoko had never been so nervous.


    During the confession, she had only feigned composure, but in reality, her heart was about to leap out of her chest.


    She had discovered that a girl in love could become so sensitive and vulnerable, which was a first for Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    It was as if she had returned to her weaker self during her primary school days.


    Back then, she had nothing, and it was Kagura Hikaru who had stepped forward to protect her.


    Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    A girl saved by a hero falling in love with the hero¡ªit was supposed to be a common story.


    Only, this romance had been delayed by six years.


    Now, she had finally caught up.


    The gratitude for her long-searched-for benefactor combined with her feelings for Kagura Hikaru himself.


    The happiness of being with the person she liked filled Ayakoji Chiyoko''s heart.


    Even she herself had never imagined becoming like this.


    Although she had anticipated that being in a relationship with the person she liked would be joyful, she hadn''t expected it to be to this extent.


    She had many things she wanted to experience with him and endless words she wanted to tell him.


    Moreover, she had not yet expressed her gratitude to him for helping her at that time.


    She wanted to constantly watch over him, hold his hand, kiss him, and rush into his arms to smell his scent.


    She wanted to be with him forever and always.


    Love was indeed dazzling and mesmerizing.


    Even just thinking about him made her involuntarily smile.


    For someone like her, the world had a very fitting descriptor¡ª


    A love fool.


    "Ah, Kagura, and Classmate Ayakoji, good morning."


    At the entrance of the school building, they encountered Kohinata Motoyo.


    She was changing her shoes in front of the locker, slipping her feet, clad in black knee-high socks, into indoor shoes, then placed her own shoes into the locker, closed the door, and turned to smile at Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    The moment she saw her, the smile on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face disappeared.


    A vile woman who threatened and framed her boyfriend!


    If it wouldn''t upset Kagura Hikaru and affect their election campaign, she might have already attacked that woman.


    "Good morning, Kohinata student," she said coldly.


    "Good morning."


    Kohinata Motoyo glanced at her thoughtfully, then regained her smile, walked up to Kagura Hikaru, clasped her hands behind her back, and cajoled, "Kagura, did you receive the gift I sent you yesterday?"


    "A gift?" Ayakoji Chiyoko looked over sharply.


    After a few seconds of silence, Kagura Hikaru unzipped his backpack and pulled out an AMOUAGE perfume box: "Is this what you''re talking about? It was in my mailbox yesterday afternoon."


    "Yes, that''s the one."


    "Here, take it back, I don''t need it."


    Kagura Hikaru handed it to her.


    Upon hearing this, Kohinata Motoyo was not annoyed, and smiled as she took the box, "That''s true, I forgot you never wear perfume, sorry, I picked the wrong gift."


    "...Don''t send any more in the future."


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko went to change their shoes, while Kohinata Motoyo didn''t leave early; instead, she stood nearby with a smile, holding her handbag.


    While changing shoes, their lockers weren''t far apart, and Ayakoji Chiyoko softly asked Kagura Hikaru, "Didn''t you guys break up? Why is she still clinging on?"


    "Probably because I didn''t emphasize it enough."


    "Just end it cleanly and decisively."


    "Don''t say silly things. That would only provoke her, and I won''t deal with her if she turns into a Kiryu Hina."


    "You''re not doing this for me...."


    "No."


    "Hmph, we are dating and you are still shy about it." Ayakoji Chiyoko rolled her eyes, "Tell me, if we tell her about our relationship, what would her reaction be?"


    "...You''d likely be ''shot six times in the back and die by suicide,'' roughly speaking."


    "If that happens, would you avenge me?"


    "I don''t want to think about that possibility."


    Kagura Hikaru lowered his eyes, slipped on his indoor shoes, and left first.


    With a clear goal, Kohinata Motoyo greeted Ayakoji Chiyoko and then followed him upstairs.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched their backs from behind.


    She knew that Kagura Hikaru didn''t want the two women to have too much contact, which was why he drew Kohinata Motoyo away like this.


    After all, both of them knew that the latter was a dangerous character.


    But she had decided¡ªto protect Kagura Hikaru.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko did not want to lose him again.


    She didn''t want to leave him alone to bear it all, like in the past.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko grabbed her handbag and quickly followed him.

 Chapter 170 Like

    Kiryu Hina waited in her seat.Sitting upright and tense, she kept her eyes fixed on the classroom door, waiting for that girl to appear.


    Due to inexplicable nervousness, her gaze began to dart around.


    There was something that needed confirmation.


    This was merely a condition of the transaction, a result of a promise made under duress; it didn''t come from her heart.


    To forgive her ex-boyfriend''s affair partner was outrageous, even for someone not directly involved, seeing it from a third-party perspective.


    But she had to do it.


    Kiryu Hina believed there were many ways to gain someone''s trust, and one of the most important was to keep a promise.


    If she couldn''t be honest, then she couldn''t even take the first step towards being a perfect person.


    Just like before, proceed with a smile and acting.


    Even if she sees through it¡ªwhich she undoubtedly will¡ªgiven Kohinata Motoyo''s way, she would accept it in the end anyway. That''s just how she is, and becoming her friend was nothing but simple.


    The difficult part was overcoming her own mental barrier.


    There she is.


    Kiryu Hina saw Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo appear at the classroom door; they had arrived at school together again. It seemed that even after breaking up, their relationship hadn''t turned sour, which was absurd.


    Today, even Ayakoji Chiyoko was following behind them.


    That guy seemed to have an increasing number of beautiful women around him.


    If she were a guy, she would surely be grinding her teeth in envy, secretly sticking needles into his voodoo doll at home.


    Why do so many girls like such a scumbag? Is it just because he''s handsome, does being good-looking really trump everything?!


    No, truth be told, she didn''t care about any of that and was just wildly speculating to avoid conversing with Kohinata Motoyo.


    "Good morning, Hina."


    As she passed by her seat, Kohinata Motoyo smiled and nodded in her direction, greeting her as usual.


    Even though her greetings were always ignored, or even met with a rude stare, Kohinata Motoyo never gave up on extending goodwill.


    That was her approach, the approach of a foolishly kind woman.


    If only she hadn''t done that thing, they would still be real friends now.


    "...Good morning."


    Kiryu Hina struggled to squeeze the words through her clenched teeth.


    Then she smiled at Kohinata Motoyo.


    Once the first step was taken, some things suddenly seemed to become easier.


    Kiryu Hina quickly put on the mask of a professional smile as Kohinata Motoyo looked at her in surprise, and continued, "Kohinata, I have some... academic matters I''d like to discuss with you, could you please help me out?"


    The sudden change of attitude was disconcerting.


    All she did was strike up a conversation as per usual, yet today Kiryu Hina returned it with kindness and even took the initiative to invite her, signalling friendliness.


    This situation was so strange that it felt eerie.


    Kohinata Motoyo stared at her face in disbelief for a moment, then seemed to understand something, and turned her head to look at Kagura Hikaru.


    "Kagura, did you¡­"


    "Go talk to her," Kagura Hikaru nodded without wanting to elaborate and then returned to his own seat.


    Upon hearing this, Kohinata Motoyo was surprised for a moment, then started chatting happily with Kiryu Hina.


    She could tell that most likely, it was something Kagura Hikaru had done that led to Hina''s behavior.


    Although the latter''s smile was fake and the conversation was quite awkward, Kohinata Motoyo didn''t mind at all.


    As long as there was a chance to get closer to her, that was a good thing.


    Kiryu Hina asked the girl sitting at the same desk as her to vacate the seat for Kohinata Motoyo to sit down, making it convenient for the two of them to talk.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko followed closely behind Kagura Hikaru and also returned to her own seat, which was his desk mate''s spot.


    She watched Kohinata Motoyo, who was sitting in the front desk and talking with a smile, and Kiryu Hina, who also had a smile on her face but somehow felt oddly uncomfortable. Chiyoko couldn''t help but pinch her own thigh.


    How unreal this scene was.


    After what had happened, these two could still have a day where they laughed and talked together.


    Chiyoko knew their hidden relationship all too well.


    One was a girl betrayed by her best friend, the other was the betraying best friend. Logically, they should have been like fire and water.


    But now this was...


    Could it be that Kiryu Hina was trying to win over Kohinata Motoyo for the election?


    But it seemed too late to start currying favor now, didn''t it? The election results would be out by tomorrow noon, and most people had already cast their votes. No matter what, it wouldn''t be possible to make it in time.


    "Hey, what do you think?" Ayakoji Chiyoko tilted her head and whispered to Kagura Hikaru, "What''s Kiryu Hina up to?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Hmm... Maybe a little investigation would be better."


    "..."


    Under the desk, Kagura Hikaru quietly grabbed Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hand.


    "Wh-what is it?!" Chiyoko''s voice suddenly broke, tense and slightly strained, her face also reddening, "We''ll be seen."


    "If we''re seen, will it cause any trouble?"


    "No, just holding hands should be fine, but..."


    Kagura Hikaru gripped her hand even tighter.


    Chiyoko fell silent, resting her head on the desk and burying it in her arms, silently moving her fingers to interlace with Kagura Hikaru''s, feeling the warmth of her boyfriend''s palm.


    "It''s my first time in a relationship, so don''t bully me..." she murmured in a voice as faint as a mosquito''s.


    The face buried in the shadows was already as red as an apple.


    Her ears peeking out were flushed a rosy red.


    The former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, now a girl in love, had also become vulnerable.


    Kagura Hikaru emotionlessly hid his hand, along with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s, on his thigh.


    It was probably better not to let Ayakoji Chiyoko delve any deeper into Kiryu Hina''s issues, otherwise, if even the fake nature of their relationship was exposed, the plan would no longer be feasible.


    They say people in love grow dumb. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, if only Ayakoji Chiyoko was in love, then she would be the only one growing dumb.


    A vibration in his pocket, followed by a notification tone.


    Kagura Hikaru flipped open his phone, and a line message was displayed.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko:[I like you.]


    He looked to the side, where Ayakoji Chiyoko had her head turned away, the other free hand holding a phone on the desk. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    He lowered his head to type on the keyboard and sent the message.


    Kagura Hikaru:[Me too.]


    Afterward, he put away his phone and took out a light novel from his bag, quietly flipping through it.


    Let this time continue.


    A happy time for everyone.


    He had grown afraid to imagine what the future held.

 Chapter 171 Proof of Love

    After school.Kohinata Motoyo said she wanted to leave school with Kagura Hikaru, but he turned her down on the pretext that he had to go to work for the Disciplinary Committee. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, this was a lie¡ªthe main reason was that he had a date with Ayakoji Chiyoko after school today, and he couldn''t let Kohinata Motoyo tag along and interfere.


    Only after confirming that she had left school did Kagura Hikaru leave with Ayakoji Chiyoko from the Disciplinary Committee room.


    "I always feel like we''re sneaking around," said Ayakoji Chiyoko, unable to help herself from complaining, "in the end, why do we have to care about that woman''s feelings? We should just tell her outright!"


    "Haven''t I told you that''s not possible right now?" Kagura Hikaru sighed, "We''ve already discussed this in the morning."


    "But when the rule against dating at school is scrapped, and we go public with our relationship, won''t it be the same result then?"


    "It''s different. This period of time is very important."


    "...Alright, I trust you."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko put the matter aside¡ªthere was still a long way to go until that time, and what she should really focus on now was something else.


    "Hey, where should a couple go on a date? I looked it up, and online they say to go to haunted houses, amusement parks, swimming pools, and stuff like that."


    "Are you interested in haunted houses and amusement parks?"


    "Not really," Ayakoji Chiyoko thought for a moment, "If I had to choose, a haunted house would be better. Their makeup is quite interesting."


    Interesting makeup?


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head, unable to fathom Ayakoji Chiyoko''s peculiar train of thought.


    "Haunted houses are mostly located in amusement parks, so in essence, the two choices are pretty much the same."


    "Right, then let''s pass on that," said Ayakoji Chiyoko, "that just leaves the swimming pool."


    Indeed, it was summertime, and a dip in the pool to cool off didn''t seem like a bad idea.


    "Do you have a swimsuit?" asked Kagura Hikaru.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko thought for a moment, "The school swimsuit should be fine, right? The one I wore for sports day."


    Kagura Hikaru eyed her up and down.


    The sight of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s explosive figure surrounded by onlookers at the swimming competition during sports day was still vivid in his mind.


    "Maybe we should forget about it," he turned away.


    "Why?"


    "You''re too conspicuous in a swimsuit."


    "Huh?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kagura Hikaru''s expression, suddenly realizing, and let out a sneaky chuckle as she leaned close to his ear, "Are you jealous?"


    "?"


    "You don''t want other men to see my body, right? Tsk tsk, the possessiveness of boys."


    "Let''s just say that''s the case," Kagura Hikaru didn''t argue, "What about it? Does it disgust you?"


    "No... of course not."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned away with a slight blush on her cheeks and began absent-mindedly toying with her hair, hands behind her back.


    Actually, it''s not just boys who can be possessive¡ªgirls are too, and strongly so.


    She didn''t want other women ogling Kagura Hikaru''s body beneath his clothes either. Just the thought of it made her feel frustrated inside. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    During the previous sports day, there were some stealthily taken photos of Kagura Hikaru circulating on the school forum. Ayakoji Chiyoko used some means to have the news department people take down those posts, as well as her own swimming competition photos.


    Since they started dating, Ayakoji Chiyoko had found herself becoming unexpectedly conservative.


    She cared about how others looked at her, feeling that if she didn''t act properly, it might reflect poorly on her boyfriend or even cause Kagura Hikaru to dislike her.


    The thought of using a swimsuit to get votes, as she had considered before, now struck her as unbelievable.


    She had no regrets, but she didn''t want to do it anymore.


    Her body should only be seen by Kagura Hikaru; she only wanted Kagura Hikaru to see it.


    Being seen by him made her happy; being seen by others just felt disgusting.


    Conversely, if she could see Kagura Hikaru in his swimwear, maybe even touch him, Ayakoji Chiyoko was confident she would nosebleed on the spot.


    It''s not only boys who desire girls; girls have desires too, perhaps even stronger than boys.


    Even now, walking down the corridor of the old school building, Ayakoji Chiyoko was fighting the urge to just throw herself at him.


    But to avoid being disliked, she managed to restrain herself.


    If she embraced him now, they would definitely be seen by other students, and her image as a candidate for election would be ruined. She didn''t want to see Kagura Hikaru upset.


    She had waited six years to meet Kagura Hikaru again, and her desire to cherish him was stronger than anyone could understand.


    If they were to be intimate, it was best done in private, somewhere with no one around...


    "How about the caf¨¦ we went to last time? The atmosphere was pretty nice there," Kagura Hikaru said while checking his phone.


    "Mm, mm..."


    "Ayakoji?"


    "Eh?"


    ```


    Not good, I really want to be close to my boyfriend, I can''t think of anything else!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mind was a complete mess.


    As they just happened to step outside the old school building, seeing their school''s courtyard that was outstanding enough to be jokingly called ''a small forest park,'' an idea suddenly came to her.


    "Let''s go to the courtyard."


    "?"


    "That''s where we''ll have our date."


    "At school? Are you sure?"


    "Yes, as long as I''m with you, it doesn''t matter where we go."


    Kagura Hikaru was shook to the core.


    What a love-struck statement that was.


    If it were the Ayakoji Chiyoko of the past, she would never have said something like that.


    The two of them headed to the school''s vending machine area to buy some snacks and two drinks, to enjoy during their date, then they set off for their usual spot.


    After school, the courtyard became very quiet. The weather was also nice today, with the sun shining brightly and a gentle breeze blowing.


    The spot they chose was even more secluded, with only the sight of beautiful maple trees and no sign of people, as if they were truly in some green park.


    They brushed off the maple leaves from the bench, took seats on opposite sides, and placed the snacks in the middle.


    Ding ding~


    At that moment, Kagura Hikaru''s phone pinged once.


    He glanced at his phone.


    Kiryu Hina:[Where are you now?]


    Kagura Hikaru:[In the courtyard.]


    He thought nothing of it, replied casually to the text, and put the phone away.


    Just as he turned his head back, Kagura Hikaru caught sight of Ayakoji Chiyoko moving the snacks to the other side of the bench, then scooting over closer to him.


    "What''s up?" he asked curiously.


    "I want to be closer to you." Ayakoji Chiyoko scratched her cheek with her finger, facing another direction, but her hand stealthily reached out to hold Kagura Hikaru''s.


    The scent of a girl varies from person to person.


    Contrary to her strict image, Ayakoji Chiyoko had a sweet fragrance about her, like candy or cake with her own scent.


    "Hey, Kagura..."


    "Yeah?"


    "Do you like me?"


    "I do."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled happily and turned her head, "Then, prove it to me."


    She leaned in closer and closed her eyes.


    Her pretty face was flushed with color.


    In that moment, even the dullest of men would understand what she meant.


    If he went through with this, there would be no turning back.


    Kagura Hikaru fixed his gaze on her soft, mushy lips, inhaling her sweet scent.


    He kissed her gently.


    On the other side, Kiryu Hina was running.


    "Mister Hikaru, Mister Hikaru... why didn''t you tell me!"


    She was berating her ex-boyfriend and herself as well.


    Recalling the things Ai Cheng Hua Lian had revealed to her in the Student Council office, her heart felt like it was being torn apart.


    Although Kagura Hikaru had only said he was in the courtyard, Kiryu Hina knew what he meant; he would only be there.


    Finally, she arrived, and caught sight of Kagura Hikaru''s silhouette seated on the bench.


    Kiryu Hina''s face brightened up.


    "Hikaru¡ª"


    Suddenly, she lost her voice.


    On the bench, there wasn''t just him; Ayakoji Chiyoko was there too.


    Their heads were close together.


    They were kissing.


    ```

 Chapter 172 Suse, Suse, Kohinata Motoyo!!!!!!

    Time rewound to about half an hour earlier.Student Council office.


    "We''re really going to lose this, President."


    "Hmm."


    "Do you truly understand the situation?"


    "I know."


    The Student Council members sitting at the same table as Kiryu Hina discussed anxiously.


    The election had reached its final stage, and today was the end of the second day; the results would be out by tomorrow noon.


    Given the current circumstances, the chances of winning seemed to be less than 50%.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had a comprehensive advantage.


    Yet, as the person concerned, Kiryu Hina didn''t seem to be in a hurry at all, sipping tea and smiling as she listened to her subordinates'' exchanges.


    Knock, knock.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door silenced everyone.


    Hosaka Yui rose to open the door, appearing somewhat surprised by the person on the doorstep.


    "You are¡­ Student Ai Cheng?"


    "Good afternoon!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian stood at the doorway, bowed slightly to Hosaka Yui, then looked inside at Kiryu Hina, "I''m here to see President Hina, is she available now?"


    "Yes," Kiryu Hina put down her teacup and said with a smile, "Yui, let her in."


    "Yes, President." Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Excuse me."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian entered the Student Council office, and before Hosaka Yui closed the door, she said, "I''m sorry, may I have a private conversation with President Hina?"


    Everyone exchanged glances.


    "It''s alright," Kiryu Hina nodded at the Student Council members, "There''s nothing much today, you all can go home."


    "But President, about the election¡­"


    "Don''t worry about that, I have a plan."


    "Yes, then, excuse me."


    "See you tomorrow, President."


    "Yes, see you tomorrow."


    Kiryu Hina bid farewell to each Student Council member.


    After the last person left and closed the door.


    The office suddenly became quiet.


    Only Kiryu Hina and Ai Cheng Hua Lian were left looking at each other.


    "Please, take a seat, Student Ai Cheng."


    "....."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian obediently sat down.


    Though quiet, she was restless.


    Her fingers incessantly tapped on the desk, afraid to make eye contact with Kiryu Hina.


    Her visit to the Student Council seemed to be about a difficult-to-discuss matter.


    "What''s wrong, Student Ai Cheng, no, Hua Lian." Kiryu Hina said reassuringly with a smile, "There''s no one else here, just speak frankly."


    "President....."


    "Hmm."


    "..."


    "?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s fingers twisted together, hesitating to speak.


    Out of necessity, Kiryu Hina dragged her chair closer, leaned over, and asked, "What happened, can you tell me?"


    Up until now, there had been numerous students who came to her for a heart-to-heart; she believed she had gained experience.


    Whatever Ai Cheng Hua Lian might say, she felt confident enough to handle it.


    That should have been the case.


    However, when Ai Cheng Hua Lian mentioned that person''s name, she sensed a loss of control coming.


    "Sorry, President Hina, actually it''s about Kagura..."


    "Kagura." Kiryu Hina''s mouth corners pressed down imperceptibly, "Are you referring to Kagura Hikaru?"


    "Yes, you once dated him, you told me so, didn''t you, President?"


    ".....Indeed, that''s true. So what?"


    "But you didn''t mention the reason for breaking up at that time."


    "..."


    "Actually, I''ve already found out from a girl who knew Kagura. She said Kagura cheated on you while you were together, and it was with Kohinata."


    "..." Kiryu Hina remained silent for a long time, her tone turning cold, "Why bring this up to me?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She didn''t know where Ai Cheng Karen had learnt this, nor did she care; she''d treat it as a coincidence.


    If she merely wanted to boast in front of her, then so be it.


    In case the other party planned to use this information for something, then Kiryu Hina had no choice but to destroy her as swiftly as possible.


    Keenly sensing the hostility emanating from Kiryu Hina, Ai Cheng Karen quickly waved her hands, "I''m sorry, President, I didn''t mean to spread it!"


    "Then state your purpose."


    "It''s¡­ I came here today to clear up a misunderstanding."


    "Misunderstanding?"


    "Kagura told me not to tell anyone, but after thinking over it for a day, I felt I had to," Ai Cheng Karen placed one hand on her thigh, clutching her skirt, "Otherwise, he''ll carry the stigma of cheating for life, and I don''t want that."


    ".....What are you talking about.....?"


    Kiryu Hina looked perplexed.


    The stigma of cheating?


    This statement made it sound as if he wasn''t a cheating scumbag at all.


    Let''s get something straight, she was the affected party, didn''t she know better?


    "Sorry, I''ve been too vague."


    Ai Cheng Karen took a deep breath, her face resolute, "Kagura was forced to date Kohinata at that time, he was threatened."


    A grating noise.


    It was the sound of a chair being dragged backward, the metal legs screeching against the floor.


    The perfect mask shattered in an instant, Kiryu Hina''s face darkened terribly, her eyes gloomy, looking fiercely at her, "What nonsense are you spouting?!"


    "I''m not spouting nonsense," Ai Cheng Karen stood as well, looking at her earnestly.


    A slight dizziness hit her, her head seemed to sway a bit.


    Kiryu Hina supported herself on the table, her head slightly drooped, but her eyes still glaring at her, "What evidence do you have?"


    "As for evidence, I don''t have any. But I saw it with my own eyes, on the afternoon the day Kohinata transferred here, outside the school, the scene where she threatened Kagura to date her, and also the thing she used to blackmail him."


    "What was it?"


    "...."


    "I''m asking you, what was the thing she used for blackmail? If you can''t tell me, I will assume you are lying!!"


    "It was a nude photo."


    "¡­...What?"


    Ai Cheng Karen''s face turned red with embarrassment, and she lowered her head, whispering, "Kohinata has a nude photo of you, President Hina."


    For a moment, the world spun around her.


    With Kiryu Hina''s memory, especially with keywords like Kohinata Motoyo, nude, and photography, it was enough for her to retrieve related memories in a short time.


    It was a year ago, during the school trip in the third grade of middle school, in the girls'' hot spring bathhouse, a brief incident occurred so brief no one would care to notice.


    Click.


    "Motoyo! How could you bring a phone into the bathhouse and snap pictures randomly?"


    "Sorry, sorry, Hina, your body was just too beautiful, I couldn''t help myself."


    "Really, make sure you delete it afterward."


    "¡­Can I keep it?"


    "Of course not! If you dare show it to anyone, I will cut ties with you!"


    "Okay, sorry Hina, I''ll delete it right after the bath."


    At that time, Kohinata Motoyo was still her best friend, and she herself was a naive, gloomy otaku, too overjoyed at having friends to simply trust her word.


    Is that so, was it then?


    Motoyo, you used that thing to get with Kagura Hikaru...


    Motoyo, Motoyo, Kohinata Motoyo!!!!!!!

 Chapter 173 Has it started again? This desperate cycle.

    "President Hina? Are you okay...."Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked at her, trembling with fear.


    It was no wonder she reacted like that.


    After hearing about the incident with the photo, Kiryu Hina before her was completely engulfed in anger, her fists clenched on the table, her face ominously dark as if she was about to kill someone.


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    "Ai Cheng." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her tone was terrifyingly cold, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian, as if a gun was pointed at her back, immediately straightened up and responded, "Yes!"


    "Why didn''t you tell me when Kagura Hikaru was being blackmailed."


    "I, I first went to Kagura to understand the situation, and then he stopped me..."


    "He stopped you, and you just gave up. After all, why wouldn''t he speak?"


    ".....I don''t know."


    "Hmm, no, perhaps it wasn''t his will, maybe he was threatened, by Kohinata Motoyo. That Christmas Eve as well, right, the things he said to me, was it to keep me from worrying? Why take everything upon yourself, yes, yes, how could I forget, you are that kind of person, a fool who only knows self-sacrifice, idiot, ever since elementary school. I fell in love with you since then, how could I have forgotten..."


    Kiryu Hina murmured to herself, head down.


    The shadow of her bangs concealed her expression.


    "Pres, President Hina." Ai Cheng Hua Lian cautiously broke in, "Do you believe what I said?"


    "...I do not."


    "Eh?"


    "After all, you are an outsider, hearing second-hand information from others, how could it represent the truth," Kiryu Hina gradually regained her composure, but her eyes still surged with fury and regret. She looked up at Ai Cheng Hua Lian, "But as a reference, I need to know everything, tell me everything you experienced!"


    "Yes!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian had come for this exact purpose today, thus she did not resist.


    The two sat down again, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian began to narrate every detail.


    From how she twisted her ankle in the courtyard, her first meeting with Kohinata Motoyo under the school building, Kagura Hikaru escorting her home, to Kohinata Motoyo''s confession to Kagura Hikaru near a street corner close to her home, and the subsequent threats after his rejection.


    "Be in a relationship with me, Kagura," said Kohinata Motoyo, "like before."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian didn''t know exactly what had happened in the past, but she could guess that Kagura Hikaru had resumed cheating back then because of the things Motoyo had done to him.


    He was worried that Motoyo would harm Kiryu Hina, so he used himself as a sacrifice to make him stop.


    It was the same this time.


    History was repeating itself.


    Only this time, it wasn''t Kiryu Hina beside Kagura Hikaru, but Ayakoji Chiyoko and Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    Both of them had learned the truth.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko dealt with Kohinata Motoyo in her own way, keeping Ai Cheng Hua Lian out of it.


    Later on, no one knew what had happened, but eventually, Kagura Hikaru finally broke up with Kohinata Motoyo, perhaps they had managed to handle that photo smoothly.


    Kiryu Hina silently listened to Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s narration.


    But she actually didn''t absorb a single word.


    While she was speaking, her mind uncontrollably kept recalling things about Kagura Hikaru.


    The happy memories they shared, their mutual adoration, as if nothing in the world could tear them apart.


    Then, there was that white Christmas night.


    It was then that she had slapped Kagura Hikaru, and the sensation from that time still lingered on her palm.


    More than the slap, her heart hurt much more.


    She, who hadn''t cried since fourth grade, couldn''t hold back until she got home and ended up crying loudly in an alleyway for half an hour on her way home.


    When she entered her house with red, rabbit-like eyes, it nearly scared her father off the couch.


    When she encountered Kagura Hikaru again in high school, Kiryu Hina had only one thought.


    She wanted to exact revenge on him, to make him regret what he had done to her.


    What she had purportedly wanted to achieve through Ayakoji Chiyoko was merely secondary, a moral justification for her to get close to Kagura Hikaru again.


    But, if the truth was as Ai Cheng Hua Lian described,


    then what did all that she had done to Kagura Hikaru amount to?


    All the resentment, the malice she had held all this while had been poured onto an incorrect target, an innocent person, someone who once liked her, who perhaps still liked her.


    How much of Kagura Hikaru''s expectations had she betrayed, making him do things he didn''t want to do?


    When Kagura Hikaru was threatened by Kohinata Motoyo, he couldn''t ask for help, and she hadn''t realized.


    When they broke up, he didn''t ask for help, and she hadn''t realized either.


    When they reunited at Ugao High, when Kohinata Motoyo chased him from Europe, when he was confessed to by Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She had seen nothing at all.


    What a dull, foolish woman she was!


    To not even see through the heart of the one she liked.


    Kagura Hikaru, Kagura, Mister Hikaru...


    Kiryu Hina could no longer contain herself and abruptly stood up.


    "President Hina?"


    "Sorry, Student Ai Cheng, I need to go find Kagura Hikaru."


    Kiryu Hina grabbed her handbag and rushed out the door impatiently, but then turned back hesitantly and said, "Thank you for telling me this, Student Ai Cheng... no, Karen."


    Having said that, she left as if flying, not even having time to close the door, her footsteps growing fainter and fainter.


    Ai Cheng Karen, who sat stunned in the chair, slowly leaned back into the chair and let out a deep breath.


    "This should be enough, right?" she mumbled, staring down at her own palms, "Misunderstanding cleared, Kagura will reconnect with President Hina, two people who love each other will have their happy ending... So, this should be enough, right? I, I must have done pretty well, right?"


    She slowly laid her head down on the desk, her face resting in the crook of her arm.


    "Why isn''t it me..."


    In the quiet Student Council office, all that could be heard was a soft murmur.


    "I also, love you, Kagura..."


    ...........


    Kiryu Hina was running downstairs.


    At the same time, sending a text message on her phone.


    Kiryu Hina: [Where are you now?]


    Kagura Hikaru: [Courtyard.]


    Kiryu Hina understood what he meant; he would only be there.


    "Wait for me, Mister Hikaru."


    She smiled, pocketing her phone, and amid the astonished gazes of students, ran full speed toward the courtyard.


    Kiryu Hina was not physically fit.


    Outside of physical education classes, she was hardly willing to even walk fast, let alone run.


    But now, driven by her desire to see Kagura Hikaru quickly, it was as if she had gained an extra source of energy, compelling her to run involuntarily.


    "Mister Hikaru, Mister Hikaru...!"


    The wind lifted her long hair and the hem of her skirt.


    Just like the soaring emotions of Kiryu Hina now.


    She wanted to appear before Kagura Hikaru immediately, to embrace him, to apologize for all the wrongs she had done, to seek his forgiveness no matter what.


    Then, if possible, they could become a couple again and drive Kohinata Motoyo from this school together.


    It would be okay even if she had to give up her position as Student Council President to Ayakoji Chiyoko, as long as Kagura Hikaru came back to her side!


    Having done so much, Kiryu Hina had only now come to realize.


    All she wanted was Kagura Hikaru alone.


    Wanting to be perfect was just an arrogant notion to replace Kohinata Motoyo in Kagura Hikaru''s heart.


    But she never needed to pretend from the beginning; Kagura Hikaru liked her for who she was initially, the person she had been before.


    And so did she.


    Just like in the past, she still loved Kagura Hikaru.


    Crossing over the maple trees, passing through a small wooded area like the courtyard.


    Finally, she arrived and saw Kagura Hikaru''s figure sitting on a bench.


    She had found him.


    Kiryu Hina''s face lit up in joy.


    "Hikaru¡ª"


    Suddenly, she lost her voice.


    There wasn''t just him on the bench; Ayakoji Chiyoko was there too.


    Their heads were nestled together.


    They were kissing.


    In that moment, Kiryu Hina''s thoughts froze, and her eyes lost their sparkle.


    Only tears, uncontrollably flowing down.

 Chapter 174 Let me cover up the scent of Kiryu Hina.

    Kiryu Hina stood behind the tree, staring blankly at them.Like someone unrelated.


    A third party.


    She turned her back to lean against the maple tree, slowly crouched down, closed her eyes, and tears fell in large drops.


    Why, why is it always like this.


    Failed again.


    Did she go too far, oppress too much, let her need to control get the better of her?


    Or is it that Ayakoji Chiyoko is better than her?


    Were they, after all, doomed not to understand each other anymore?


    Mister Hikaru, why.....


    Unforgivable, whether it''s herself for forcing him to become like this, or Kagura Hikaru himself, they''re both unforgivable!


    Kiryu Hina trembled as she took out her phone.


    All she needed now was to take one picture to ruin Ayakoji Chiyoko''s reputation and make her lose completely in the election.


    If anyone were to mention her lifting the ban on romance, they would say she did it so she and her boyfriend could openly display affection on campus; how could someone with such a selfish nature become Student Council President.


    After all, this was Kiryu Hina''s ultimate purpose for encouraging Kagura Hikaru to date her.


    After Kohinata Motoyo''s interference, given Ayakoji Chiyoko''s nature, she would certainly become impatient to define her relationship with Kagura Hikaru.


    And Kagura Hikaru, just as she wished, dated the latter, exposing her weaknesses.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had no experience in love, and although she might have strong self-control, a girl in love knows nothing of rationality¡ªKiryu Hina, as someone who had been through it herself, was well aware of this fact.


    This was the tender trap she had set for Ayakoji Chiyoko for the final success in the election.


    Everything was going smoothly.


    Everyone was acting just as Kiryu Hina had imagined.


    But in the end, it was she who had changed.


    What a foolish woman.


    She had actually pushed the man she liked towards her rival.


    Kiryu Hina gripped her phone tightly, but no matter what, she couldn''t press the shutter button.


    Eventually, she gave up in despair, wiped away her tears, and fled.


    Not far away, the kissing couple slowly parted.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko leaned her head on Kagura''s shoulder, touched her moist lips with slim fingers, and showed a stunning, tender smile.


    "So this is what it feels like to kiss a lover....."


    She turned her head and nuzzled her boyfriend, whispering, "Kagura, do you know why I like you?"


    "I don''t know... face?"


    "Am I that shallow!" Ayakoji Chiyoko said irritably, hugging him a bit tighter, "Do you remember the girl you saved in elementary school?" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru''s eyes widened slightly.


    He remembered the past deeds Ayakoji Chiyoko had talked about during her speech at the school auditorium.


    "Wait, you mean you are....."


    "That''s right, I''m the girl who was bullied and then you saved me. In a way, I''m also to blame for your hospitalization. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have spent two years in the hospital."


    "But you once said that you met Kiryu Hina for the first time because of your stepmother''s arrangements."


    "How do you remember something from so long ago?" Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a chuckle, "We weren''t close back then, how could I possibly tell so much to a stranger. Besides, if people knew I and Kiryu Hina were classmates in elementary school, they would definitely ask all sorts of questions, and I''m too lazy to explain."


    "..."


    She really was.....


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    The heart that had already been torn at the edges peeled away a little more.


    Kagura Hikaru certainly remembered her, the elementary school girl who was bullied.


    She was isolated by everyone, bullied by classmates every day; it was painful to watch, yet there was no reason to intervene.


    At that time, Kiryu Hina, who was already his friend, suggested that he confront those bad kids, and she would get Sakata Asahi, who was in the same class, to befriend that girl.


    Driven by a heart of justice, Kagura Hikaru impulsively agreed to the proposal.


    Alone, he struggled against the class''s nasty crowd; while the girls were happily laughing together, he was battling every day.


    During that time, he occasionally wondered if Kiryu Hina was too heartless for dumping all the hardest tasks on him.


    One person cannot defeat a group.


    The bad students proved this to him.


    Kagura Hikaru was hospitalized.


    And the girl who was bullied made two friends, Kiryu Hina and Sakata Asahi, and graduated without knowing anything.


    The day Kagura Hikaru was discharged, Kiryu Hina visited him in the hospital and talked about that girl.


    After making friends, she became much more outgoing and confident and went on to study in Capital City after graduating.


    This was probably the best outcome, and Kagura Hikaru had no regrets.


    He had used two years of his life to save a girl''s childhood; was not that a worthwhile investment?


    Nobody expected that six years later, when he and the girl met again, it would be in such a scene, such a relationship.


    He had saved her once.


    But he would push her into the abyss again.


    All of it was just too cruel.


    Feeling the warmth from Ayakoji Chiyoko''s body, Kagura Hikaru''s heart grew colder.


    In the future, when the day came for a confession, could he really bring himself to say it?


    To say it was all a deception, that he did not love her.


    What kind of expression would Ayakoji Chiyoko wear at that time?


    "Kagura, can you forgive me?"


    The girl''s voice brought his attention back.


    "What?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    "I, the thing about you being hospitalized..."


    In front of him, Ayakoji Chiyoko unguardedly showed her vulnerability.


    She pressed her face against the side of his neck and whispered softly, "If back then, I had been strong enough to resist, maybe you wouldn''t have..."


    "I didn''t mind that."


    "I know that''s the kind of person you are, but this one thing I must say." Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up, looking into his eyes, "This thank you, I''ve owed you for six years¡ªthank you for saving me, you''re my hero."


    Hero, hero...?


    "But don''t get me wrong, I''m not dating you because of that."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled, touching Kagura Hikaru''s face, her eyes sparkling, "I fell for you first, and it was only after that I found out you were the person who saved me in elementary school. The order is very important."


    Her smile was beautiful.


    Like pure white light, it left nowhere for the ugliness in Kagura Hikaru''s heart to hide.


    God, what had he done to this girl...


    "One more question, was that just now your first kiss?"


    "..."


    "It was for me." Ayakoji Chiyoko laughed as she tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear and leaned in again, "Let me override Kiryu Hina''s taste."


    Not just Kiryu Hina, there''s also Suse, so you should have kissed for a long time now.


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t foolish enough to voice that thought.


    He closed his eyes, cherishing the moment from the bottom of his heart.


    Lips met.


    The soft touch, along with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s love, was conveyed.


    Thank you.


    And, sorry.

 Chapter 175 Someone is Robbing the House

    Two days later.The Student Council election results were announced.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko won the final victory over Kiryu Hina with a margin of 10 votes.


    The classroom erupted into a frenzy when the results were published during lunch break.


    Students supporting Ayakoji Chiyoko applauded and congratulated her, and Kohinata Motoyo also stood up to offer her congratulations.


    "Congratulations on your successful campaign."


    "It''s all thanks to you, thank you." Ayakoji Chiyoko, uncharacteristically in high spirits, maintained her smile and even took the initiative to extend her hand to Kohinata Motoyo.


    Kohinata Motoyo was taken aback.


    Ever since the incident with her dating Kagura Hikaru, there had been no good atmosphere between the two of them; she hadn''t expected to see Ayakoji Chiyoko making the first move today.


    She smiled as well and shook hands with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "Although I stood by your side this time, on another battlefield, we are still opponents, please do not forget that," Kohinata Motoyo reminded her in a soft voice.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t just maintain her smile, the curve at the corners of her mouth even widened a bit, "Of course, I''ll remember that."


    "Hmm... good."


    Kohinata Motoyo slightly furrowed her brow, filled with doubt. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The cheering in the classroom occupied only a part of the room.


    The other half of the students, those who supported Kiryu Hina, fell into a deathly silence.


    They looked at each other, stealing glances at their leader, the outgoing Student Council President Kiryu Hina.


    She too seemed to be immersed in the sense of defeat, hanging her head and staring blankly at the desk, expressionless.


    "Kagura!"


    The name that came from behind made her shoulder tremble.


    "Kagura, you''ve helped me a great deal this time, I don''t even know how to thank you."


    "President Ayakoji, now you are truly the President."


    "Heh, are you mocking me?"


    "Who dares."


    "Hmm, you better not dare. Also, stay after school to help with the Student Council transition. We''re moving to the Student Council office tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow is the founding day, the school is closed."


    "Is it? I almost forgot, then we have even more to do today."


    Listening to the conversation behind her, Kiryu Hina''s hands under the desk clenched her skirt tightly, her face turning pale.


    "President..."


    The girl sitting beside her looked at her worriedly.


    Kiryu Hina managed a feeble smile and shakily stood up, "Sorry, I need to leave first."


    "Do you want me to call Hosaka-senpai over?"


    "No need, I''ll be fine by myself."


    "..."


    Kiryu Hina''s steps were unsteady as she left the noisy classroom.


    Kagura Hikaru caught a glimpse of her retreating figure out of the corner of his eye, paused for a second, then looked away.


    At three-thirty in the afternoon, classes ended.


    The sky was gloomy, shrouded in dark clouds.


    The Student Council office was lit up as representatives from the Disciplinary Committee and the Student Council began the handover work.


    The Student Council Vice President explained the various duties of the Student Council to new President Ayakoji Chiyoko, along with some of the campus projects they were pushing forward, which would all be handed over to her upon taking office.


    Normally, the previous Student Council President would convey these things, but Kiryu Hina just sat in the back the whole time, doing nothing.


    It sounded like she was sulking.


    But everyone present could tell something was off with her complexion; she seemed sick, in poor spirits, looking very unwell, with Hosaka Yui taking care of her by her side.


    "Next month, we are planning to hold the second cultural exchange with Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy, which is already agreed upon. Please mark it on your calendar."


    "I will remember."


    "There''s also Uka Cultural Festival at the end of the month. Here''s the schedule we''ve drawn up, please take a look."


    "Mm."


    Kagura Hikaru, as her trustworthy aide, stayed beside Ayakoji Chiyoko, listening together.


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    He could feel the gaze from Kiryu Hina behind him.


    Could it be that she was pushing herself to stay here just to monitor his and Ayakoji Chiyoko''s progress?


    Pretty diligent of her.


    The handover work was more complicated than Kagura Hikaru had imagined, listening to the Student Council, then moving documents, and the furniture Ayakoji Chiyoko needed.


    They had remodeled the Student Council office to the point that it was unrecognizable from before, resembling more closely the office that belonged solely to Ayakoji Chiyoko in the Disciplinary Committee.


    They were busy until five-thirty in the afternoon before they finally finished their work and could go home.


    Unfortunately, the weather was not on their side, as it had started to pour heavily outside.


    Everyone was prepared, pulling out their umbrellas.


    The precipitation rate was 98% today¡ªeven without checking the weather forecast, the afternoon''s overcast sky was enough to remind them.


    They said goodbye to the Student Council members at the school gate and headed home separately.


    Kagura Hikaru opened his transparent umbrella, which he had bought at a convenience store last time, hitched his shoulder bag, and headed towards the station.


    Large raindrops pelted down onto the umbrella, making a pattering sound.


    It was late now, and with the heavy rain, there were hardly any people to be seen around.


    Walking on the street on a rainy day, the feeling of loneliness got amplified.


    It felt as though he was the only person in the world, surrounded by a dense curtain of raindrops.


    However, not far along, Ayakoji Chiyoko, holding a black umbrella, quickly caught up from behind. When she was close enough, she slowed down to walk side by side with him.


    When they were out of sight from any other Uka High School students, she suddenly closed her umbrella and scooted under Kagura Hikaru''s.


    "I''ve always wanted to experience sharing an umbrella," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, looking outside with a hint of shyness.


    Fortunately, Kagura Hikaru''s umbrella was large enough to shelter two people.


    Even so, Ayakoji Chiyoko stayed close, pressing her shoulder against his and even subtly wrapping her left hand around his arm.


    Kagura Hikaru felt that this wasn''t just to avoid getting wet from the rain.


    They walked to the station together before parting ways.


    Though Ayakoji Chiyoko was reluctant, it didn''t change the reality that their homes were in opposite directions.


    After getting off the train, Kagura Hikaru walked towards his house.


    The rain grew heavier, joining to form a curtain, accompanied by gusts of wind.


    Kagura Hikaru quickened his pace, eager to reach home soon.


    Passing a shopping street, he happened to see a long-haired girl standing under the eaves of a closed shop. She was wearing a Uka High School uniform and was soaked to the bone.


    Just as he was thinking about buying an umbrella for her from a nearby convenience store, he saw the girl suddenly stagger and sit down on the ground, bracing herself with her hands.


    Kagura Hikaru was startled, and without much hesitation, he approached.


    "Hey, are you okay?"


    He stepped under the eaves and put down his umbrella.


    At his words, the girl turned her head slightly, revealing a familiar face from under her drenched hair.


    Kagura Hikaru fell silent.


    Kiryu... Hina?

 Chapter 176 Regret

    The rain outside was pouring down harder and harder.The raindrops reflected the light through the darkness, like endless silver needles threading through the night.


    What a torrential downpour it was.


    Kagura Hikaru sat by the window, resting his chin on his hands, staring blankly through the small window outside the bathroom, accompanied by the rumbling noise of the washing machine.


    He was at home now.


    There is a saying that being inside and watching the rain outside, even if a roof shields your head, yields two completely different sensations.


    At home, there is a feeling of safety being securely sheltered by the house, while outside, you can feel the wind on your skin and the fine raindrops brushing against your cheeks.


    The sound of running water echoed from the adjacent bathroom.


    And the noise of the shower water hitting the skin.


    Kiryu Hina was right now bathing just a door away from him.


    A short time ago, on the way home, he had encountered her drenched from the rain under an umbrella, the feeling of being battered by the storm still vivid on his skin.


    Yes, Kagura Hikaru had taken her home.


    There was no reason not to bring her; even if it were someone else, he would have done the same, as helping each other is a good human virtue.


    Kagura Hikaru nonetheless asked her for the reason.


    "Why are you all soaked, where is your umbrella?" Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    She said she hadn''t held it tight, and the wind blew it up to a rooftop. There wasn''t a convenience store selling umbrellas nearby, so she had to stay under the eaves of that store to take shelter from the rain.


    The tone of her voice at that time, Kagura Hikaru could only describe as ''feeble.''


    Thus, it naturally led him to the second question.


    "Are you sick?"


    Just a bit dizzy, I''ll be fine after I rest for a while, she said.


    Having been pale and unsteady since noon, and now having been rained on as well, this condition couldn''t merely be dismissed as ''dizziness.''


    Therefore, Kagura Hikaru disregarded Kiryu Hina''s opinion and carried her back to his own home.


    Since she was in such a condition, it was natural that she couldn''t hold the umbrella, and the result was that they were both wet by the time they arrived home.


    When a drenched Kagura Hikaru arrived at his doorstep, carrying a drenched beautiful girl, his stepmother was quite startled.


    The stepmother had first seen Kiryu Hina during a sports day before the summer vacation but didn''t retain much of an impression and evidently had forgotten her.


    But Kagura Hikaru''s father knew her.


    As a child, Kiryu Hina often visited Kagura Hikaru at the hospital.


    Since middle school, they had been inseparable.


    Thanks to his introduction, the stepmother almost changed the dinner to red bean rice (celebration meal).


    What a tattletale.


    After they entered the house, Kagura Hikaru first let Kiryu Hina take a hot shower. After changing out of her clothes and getting them washed, her stepmother prepared new clothes for her to change into.


    That''s why now, wearing a set of dry clothes, he sat outside the bathroom waiting for Kiryu Hina to finish her shower before it was his turn to go in.


    Click.


    The sound of water inside the bathroom stopped, and a minute later, the bathroom door opened.


    Kiryu Hina came out wearing a light blue long-sleeve nightgown, her long hair cascading down, either from shyness or from the steam of the hot water, her face was flushed as she stepped out.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting," Kiryu Hina said with an awkward smile.


    "Come out, it''s my turn to bathe."


    "Oh, yes....."


    Kagura Hikaru passed by her and walked into the bathroom.


    Fifteen minutes later, he finished his shower and when he came into the living room, he saw his stepmother waving at him.


    "Kagura, that girl you brought, she has a fever."


    "Did you take her temperature, how high is it?"


    "Around thirty-nine degrees."


    "Give her some fever-reducing medicine."


    "Yes, she has taken the medicine already and is now lying in the guest room." your stepmother said with a sly expression,


    "Do you want to go see her?"


    "..."


    In the end, he went, using the reason of visiting a sick person.


    Of course, he had some questions to ask as well.


    Kagura Hikaru gently opened the door to the guest room on the first floor, and upon entering, he saw Kiryu Hina lying on the bed, her face pale as she looked at her phone.


    "Aren''t you sleeping?"


    "Ah, yes, I was reporting to my dad."


    Kiryu Hina put down her phone, turned her head, and with a frail smile full of apologies said, "Sorry for causing you trouble."


    "Not at all."


    "Can I stay here tonight?"


    "Why, isn''t your father coming to pick you up?"


    "He''s currently out of town on a business trip and said he won''t be back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."


    "What about your stepmother?"


    "She''s in London gathering material."


    "...Is that so."


    "Sorry."


    The sick Kiryu Hina seemed much weaker than usual, even pitiable.


    This made Kagura Hikaru feel somewhat estranged.


    What was her plan then?


    She had deliberately waited there just to get him to take her home, what was she planning this time?


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t intend to keep his questions to himself and asked straightforwardly, "It wasn''t a coincidence that we met, right? Your home isn''t nearby, and you specifically waited on the path I take home, you came to find me, didn''t you?"


    "...Yes."


    "The reason, does it have to do with Ayakoji Chiyoko?"


    "Are you questioning me, Mister Hikaru?" Kiryu Hina turned her face towards him, her eyes somewhat sad, "What if I said that I had no ulterior motive, that I just wanted to see you?"


    Kagura Hikaru sniffed, sensing a mix of truth and lies.


    As expected, her purpose wasn''t entirely pure. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Would you do something so pointless, I don''t believe it."


    "...Is that so."


    Kiryu Hina seemed to have thought a lot in that moment and then took a deep breath, "Yes, my coming here today indeed relates to Ayakoji Chiyoko. However, getting a fever was truly unexpected."


    "If you want to inquire about the progress of our relationship, then it should still be going smoothly," Kagura Hikaru said emotionlessly, his eyes calm, "I''ll find an opportunity to suggest visiting her home, I will inform you when the time is right."


    "...What if, I asked you to terminate the plan..."


    "You''re not thinking of backing out, are you, after I''ve already deceived and hurt Ayakoji Chiyoko?"


    In that moment, Kagura Hikaru''s aura became exceptionally intimidating.


    "You''re not going to say that all of this was just a joke, a revenge against me... You wouldn''t say that, would you?"


    "I...."


    He lowered his hand, walked up to the bed, and looking down at Kiryu Hina, his expression ice cold, said, "Finish this matter soon, end this connection, and then we can go back to being strangers."


    "..."


    Strangers.


    That word, like a needle, pricked Kiryu Hina''s ears.


    She stifled the urge to cry, and smiled laboriously, mimicking the playful tone she used to use, "Saying such things to a sick person, that''s not very nice, Mister Hikaru."


    "True, it was inconsiderate of me to say that."


    Kagura Hikaru looked as though he had lost interest in the conversation, "Rest well, your family will pick you up tomorrow, then?"


    "Yes."


    "That''s good."


    Without any reluctance, he left the room, shut the door, and even turned off the light for her.


    The room returned to darkness.


    Kiryu Hina lay there with her eyes open, staring at the invisible ceiling, drawing her limbs helplessly under the covers.


    She could feel Kagura Hikaru drifting further and further away from her.


    When had he begun to feel disappointed in her... Yes, it was when she had forced him to date Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Deceiving, concealing from someone, and embracing her with a heavy heart, that experience, even the past Kagura Hikaru had gone through it, and it had brought painful memories to him and those around him.


    And the past her, once a victim, now found herself on the side of the perpetrator.


    If only she had shown a bit more empathy towards Ayakoji Chiyoko at that time, she wouldn''t have resorted to those measures, and she wouldn''t have put Kagura Hikaru in such a difficult position, leading to the current situation.


    The Kiryu Hina of now truly felt regret from the depth of her heart.


    What should she do?


    Tell me, Mister Hikaru.


    What should we do to return to how things were before...

 Chapter 177 Ayakoji Chiyokos Surprise Attack

    The next day, Kagura Hikaru was woken up by the alarm on time.It wasn''t until he sat up in bed that he remembered today seemed to be Yuqiu High School''s founding day. There was no school, and he didn''t need to get up so early after all.


    Once he was up, he couldn''t go back to sleep, so he didn''t force himself and simply got up to wash.


    As he came downstairs, his stepmother was already making breakfast.


    She was always the first to wake up, preparing meals and lunches for the whole family. Hikaru had always been grateful for her silent dedication.


    After eating, he saw his father off to work.


    Leisurely drinking milk and checking his phone, he heard the sound of a door opening from the guest room. Kiryu Hina leaned on the doorframe with her left hand, lazily and cutely covering her mouth with her sleeve, yawning.


    "Aunt, Mister Hikaru, good morning...."


    "Good morning, Hina-chan," the stepmother said as she came out of the kitchen, "How are you feeling now?"


    "Mm, much better," replied Kiryu Hina, rubbing her eyes.


    "That''s good to hear. Make sure you get plenty of rest. Also, breakfast is ready."


    "Thank you, aunt."


    "There''s no need to be so formal. Go wash up."


    Kiryu Hina went to the restroom, and Hikaru finished his milk and stood up, "I''m full."


    "Oh, aren''t you waiting for Hina-chan?" the stepmother asked in surprise.


    "Why should I wait."


    "I thought you''d want to eat with her."


    "You must be mistaken," said Hikaru, "we don''t get along very well."


    "Eh? Is that so?"


    "I''m going back to my room now."


    He went upstairs to his room to read a book.


    Lately, he''d bought too many books and his bookcase could no longer accommodate them all, forcing him to pile them on top of the bookcase. Even so, it was getting too full.


    Besides light novels, Hikaru also read a variety of other books, including history, philosophy, Eastern and Western architecture, car maintenance... and so on, some professional and others not.


    They were all just for leisure reading.


    In this world, there is a talent known as the talent for reading.


    Some people can quickly get engrossed in a book and enter their own world.


    Hikaru had this talent, a rare one that had nothing to do with mind-reading ability, belonging only to him.


    Thanks to this, he quickly lost track of time, to the point that he didn''t even notice someone sneaking into his room.


    It wasn''t until Hikaru was halfway through his book and looked up to stretch his neck that he suddenly realized Kiryu Hina, at some point, had made her way onto his bed, leaning over to read one of his light novels. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you want to sleep, you can go to the guest room," Hikaru said.


    "I got enough sleep last night, I don''t want to sleep now."


    Hina''s eyes remained on the light novel without looking up, "Don''t interrupt my reading."


    "..."


    This was someone else''s house, and she had quite the nerve.


    Hikaru sighed.


    Or was it that he had been too lenient?


    Hina''s father was not coming until the afternoon. If Hikaru had no intention of driving her out, they did indeed need to share the space for that time.


    Perhaps each losing themselves in a sea of books could be a fine way to while away the time.


    However...


    Hikaru took a few glances at Kiryu Hina, sizing her up a bit.


    The response he had just given didn''t sound like what the ''Perfect Student Council President'' would say, but rather it was closer to the frank, uninhibited style of the old Hina.


    Does that mean the mask had begun to slip, or was it just a peculiar behavior due to illness?


    Perhaps having Hina stay in the room wasn''t such a bad idea, as it would allow him to observe her condition more closely.


    Hikaru began to view her from a medical perspective.


    About half an hour later, the stepmother came upstairs to knock on the door, delivering a box of some sort, about the size of a computer case, quite heavy.


    "Someone just dropped this off at our doorstep, said it was for you," my stepmother said with a puzzled tone.


    Kagura Hikaru hadn''t ordered anything online recently, so logically, there shouldn''t be any packages, but he had a vague idea of who might have sent it.


    He used a utility knife to cut through the tape and opened the box.


    Inside, he found a bouquet of red roses, along with... a 90 series graphics card, a Bandai Unicorn Gundam model kit, and the latest PlayStation console.


    There was also a handwritten card included.


    Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    [People online say that the best gifts for boys are nothing but these, do you still like them? ¡ª Kohinata Motoyo]


    ...How was he supposed to react to this?


    "Who sent this?"


    Kiryu Hina appeared behind Kagura Hikaru at some point, peering over his shoulder at the card in his hands.


    Upon seeing the name ''Kohinata Motoyo'', her expression changed drastically.


    For a brief moment, it turned incredibly grim.


    "You''re still in touch with her?"


    "That''s none of your business."


    "Does she send you gifts often?"


    "I said, it''s none of your business."


    Kagura Hikaru packed the items back into the box, planning to find a time to return them later.


    But Kiryu Hina seemed to care a lot, insisting, "She''s still clinging to you, isn''t she? She won''t give up unless you talk to her seriously, you should be careful."


    "Didn''t we agree to mind our own business? How I deal with Motoyo is my choice."


    "You''re not... being threatened by her again, are you?"


    "Threatened?"


    Kagura Hikaru furrowed his brows.


    No, that wasn''t right. How did Kiryu Hina know about the threats?


    Could it be...


    Just as he was about to ask, his phone suddenly rang.


    He glanced at the caller ID, which displayed the name ¡ª Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Since they started dating, not only had they exchanged LINE contacts, but phone numbers had naturally been shared as well.


    She insisted on chatting with him on LINE for at least half an hour every night before she would let him go to sleep, but they rarely called, perhaps because she found it hard to express lovey-dovey sentiments in direct conversation.


    But for her to call today, what could it be about?


    Kagura Hikaru gestured for Kiryu Hina to be quiet and not to speak, then answered the call, "Hello?"


    "Ah, it''s me," Ayakoji Chiyoko''s voice came through, "Can you come to the window and open the curtains?"


    "The curtains? Why?"


    "Just do it, stop asking."


    Having been told so, Kagura Hikaru could only comply.


    He went to his room''s window and drew back the curtains, allowing the sunshine, clear after the rain, to pour into the room immediately.


    Being on the second floor, he could clearly see outside the house from his room.


    A tall girl around 1.7 meters tall stood at the door, one hand holding a phone, the other waving towards him.


    It was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    How could she be at his doorstep when Kagura Hikaru remembered not having given her his address?


    "Do you see me? I''m down here."


    "I see you," Kagura Hikaru quickly separated Kiryu Hina, making sure she stayed away from the window, and asked, "How did you find out where I live?"


    "Just an address, you think that could stump me?"


    "Alright. Wait a bit, I''m coming down now."


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you."


    After hanging up, Kagura Hikaru turned to Kiryu Hina, "Alright, go back to the guest room and stay there. Don''t come out until Ayakoji Chiyoko leaves."

 Chapter 178 Where is the Notebook?

    "Ayakoji Chiyoko is downstairs?""Yes."


    "What did she come to see you for?"


    "I don''t know."


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina were speaking as they went downstairs.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was not aware of their relationship, only knowing about the ex-girlfriend aspect.


    If she discovered Kiryu Hina in the Kagura household, a dispute was inevitable.


    Kagura Hikaru certainly did not want his home to become a battlefield.


    "You go hide in the guest room for a while, I will invite her upstairs to my room¡ªthen you find a chance to leave on your own," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "Why should I? After all, I was here first," Kiryu Hina said discontentedly.


    "Is that so? Does that mean you want to meet Ayakoji Chiyoko?"


    "...There''s nothing I''m afraid of, let''s meet!"


    "Stop being so tough."


    When they reached the first floor, Kagura Hikaru cautiously peered around from behind the wall to the front hall, only to witness a scene that nearly sent chills down his spine.


    "I''m really sorry to bother you, aunt."


    "Oh, not at all, you''re here to see Kagura, right? He''s upstairs at the moment; should I take you to him?"


    "No need, he should be down soon."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was standing in the entrance hall, talking to Kagura Hikaru''s stepmother.


    Kagura Hikaru noticed his stepmother was holding a basket of vegetables.


    Apparently, she had gone out to buy groceries and just happened to encounter Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had been waiting at the door, so she brought the guest inside.


    But the timing was too coincidental. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Ayakoji Chiyoko walking toward the stairs, Kagura Hikaru quickly motioned for Kiryu Hina to go back the same way they came, then stepped forward himself.


    "Ayakoji, how did you get in?" Kagura Hikaru asked with a puzzled expression, pretending he''d just come downstairs.


    "It was the aunt who let me in." Upon seeing him, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face naturally brightened into a smile. She glanced at her gossiping stepmother behind her and couldn''t bring herself to act too affectionate with Kagura Hikaru in front of an adult. She just hinted with her eyes and said, "Aren''t you going to invite me up?"


    "My room might be a bit messy."


    "Boys will be boys, I don''t mind."


    "You came all this way just to see my room? I thought you wanted me to go out."


    "What, you don''t want me to see it that much? Now I really want to see it." Ayakoji Chiyoko squeezed past him and walked up the stairs.


    Damn, it backfired.


    If it were under normal circumstances, Kagura Hikaru would let Ayakoji Chiyoko see as much as she wanted.


    But now, there was one person upstairs who should not be encountered.


    Hopefully, Kiryu Hina had hidden herself well.


    Aside from his room on the second floor, there was a storeroom and a balcony.


    While ascending the stairs, the balcony''s view was clearly visible straight ahead, suggesting that Kiryu Hina hadn''t hidden there¡ªhopefully, she wasn''t that foolish.


    So she must be in the storeroom, then.


    That was all right, once they entered the room, she could sneak out the door without Ayakoji Chiyoko noticing.


    It was only after Kagura Hikaru entered his own room that he realized he had been too naive.


    In the corner, the door of the wardrobe that hadn''t moved since the previous night suddenly cracked open.


    Thinking it couldn''t be possible, he quickly walked over to check; his eyes met with an eye peeking from behind the door.


    Bang.


    Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Kagura Hikaru decisively shut the wardrobe door.


    This idiot, what was she doing?


    "What''s wrong?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, who followed him into the room and looked around, noticed something unusual and turned to ask.


    "The door isn''t closed properly." Kagura Hikaru responded calmly and walked over to sit on his bed.


    The light novel that Kiryu Hina had previously looked through was still open and flipped over by the pillow, and the spot where she lay had left a faint scent.


    All he could do was pray that Ayakoji Chiyoko''s nose wasn''t too sharp.


    After entering the room, Ayakoji Chiyoko aimlessly wandered around, checking the books in the bookshelf, then went to open Kagura Hikaru''s drawers. She passed the wardrobe several times, making his heart race, afraid she would get curious and take a look inside the wardrobe, only to see a familiar girl crouched inside.


    "What exactly are you here for?"


    Having no choice, Kagura Hikaru spoke up to draw Ayakoji Chiyoko''s attention.


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko was peeking behind the bookshelf, she turned her head upon hearing him, "Where do you keep your porn mags? I can''t seem to find them."


    "...Are you dumb?"


    "All you guys keep that stuff, right? The Disciplinary Committee has a bunch; they''re all confiscated from the boys who bring them in."


    "Not all guys like the paper stuff."


    "Oh? Does that mean everything is on the computer? Let me have a look."


    "Hey, don''t just start messing with someone else''s computer!"


    Kagura Hikaru stood up to stop her.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t about to listen to him, "You''re not someone else, you''re my boyfriend. Knowing about your partner''s XP should be basic in a relationship, right?"


    "Basics my foot, stop it."


    "Are you teaching me how to do things?"


    "I''m telling you to back off."


    "I won''t!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko playfully started to tussle with Kagura Hikaru, fighting over the mouse.


    If someone from Ugao High saw this scene, they would definitely be shocked.


    At least Kiryu Hina, hidden behind the wardrobe, found it quite nauseating.


    There were a few narrow vents at the top half of the wardrobe, allowing Kiryu Hina to see outside just by standing up inside.


    But that was all she could do, as she knew well what the consequences would be if Ayakoji Chiyoko discovered her.


    She had taken such a risk to choose playing hide and seek by coming back to the room¡ªhonestly, even she wasn''t sure what she was thinking at the time.


    She knew that staying would only let her see and hear things that would upset her, yet she did it anyway.


    Kiryu Hina chalked it up to a precautionary measure.


    If Ayakoji Chiyoko was going to do something bad to Kagura Hikaru, it would be good for her to come out and stop it timely, right?


    But as a result, she had to hide in the wardrobe in an uncomfortable position for over two hours.


    Because after messing around with the computer for a while, they began to watch a movie¡ªthose R18, blood-pumping... super gory, comedic superhero films.


    When a funny moment came, Kiryu Hina had to suppress her laughter, using the clothes hanging nearby to cover her mouth and nose to avoid giving herself away.


    The wardrobe was filled with Kagura Hikaru''s scent as it was, after all, where he kept his clothes.


    Thanks to these distracting elements, Kiryu Hina managed to endure through one movie.


    When would that guy finally leave?


    Kiryu Hina started to regret her actions as her muscles were all sore by now.


    After watching the computer, they turned it off.


    Were they finally planning to go out on a date?


    Kiryu Hina felt somewhat disappointed yet relieved.


    Once they left, she could come out.


    However, that plan fell through as well.


    She saw Ayakoji Chiyoko go over to lock the door, say something to Kagura Hikaru, then suddenly push him onto the bed, climb on top of him, and begin to undress.


    Kiryu Hina: "???"

 Chapter 179

    Kagura Hikaru was lying in bed, utterly dumbfounded.His girlfriend was straddling his waist, pinning him down with her thighs in a position that made escape impossible, smiling as she took off her top and tossed it aside.


    At this point, Kagura Hikaru thought no man would misunderstand the other''s intentions.


    "Isn''t this a bit too soon..."


    "Is it?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked as she unbuttoned her shirt, revealing the magnificent northern hemisphere, and tilted her head, "Don''t worry, I brought protection, I won''t get pregnant."


    "That''s not the problem!" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru''s face contorted.


    Perhaps you don''t know, but we are not the only two people in this room right now.


    What kind of ''caught in the act'' plot is this?!


    Moreover, doing this sort of thing is not the same as kissing; they are completely different in nature.


    It was already heart-wrenching enough for him to deceive Ayakoji Chiyoko, but if he went further and harmed her body and chastity, he would truly become scum, worse than a beast.


    "Ayakoji, listen to me," Kagura Hikaru grabbed her hands, "This sort of thing, we should wait until we''re older, and you shouldn''t be the one initiating it."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko paused, "¡­you don''t like it?"


    "To say whether I like it or not, I probably do, but I think now is not the right time."


    "Why? Isn''t it normal for couples to deepen their relationship in this way?" Ayakoji Chiyoko countered and seized him, pressing his hands down on the quilt and looking into his eyes with excitement.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her expressionlessly: "What kind of twisted view of love is this..."


    "Don''t make it sound as if I''m abnormal. Of course, I know how normal couples should be, holding hands, kissing, dating. That sort of thing is the last step. But for us, we can skip all those tedious steps and move directly to the next stage."


    Kagura Hikaru''s peripheral vision caught sight of the closet door slowly opening, a beautiful hand with a switchblade stretching out.


    He turned his gaze back and calmly denied: "I think it''s good to take things step by step."


    "¡­I didn''t expect you to be the slow-to-warm-up type," Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed, let go of his hands, sat up straight, and punched his chest in embarrassment and annoyance. "I had psyched myself up so much to take the initiative, and now you''re the one slamming on the brakes. Are you even a man?"


    "¡­Sorry?"


    "What do you have to apologize for? It''s me who should be saying sorry for not considering your feelings."


    "Uh¡­then, can you get off me first?"


    "No."


    "?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko pressed her fingers against Kagura Hikaru''s chest, revealed an alluring smile, and slowly leaned in, "If we can''t do that, let''s just kiss. Let''s not waste this mood."


    Kagura Hikaru felt like prey wrapped up by a female spider, with no escape, passively accepting Ayakoji Chiyoko''s lips.


    The switchblade and hand that had been sticking out of the closet slowly withdrew.


    Seeing this from the corner of his eye, Kagura Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart.


    The old Kiryu Hina used to love waving her switchblade around; he never thought that bad habit hadn''t changed even now.


    But now he was in trouble.


    As Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hands began to sneak under his clothes, Kagura Hikaru''s mind was filled with thoughts of those adultery storylines from manga.


    However, the current scenario was probably the reverse, a case of the ex-girlfriend ''caught in the act.''


    He wondered what Kiryu Hina, now inside the closet, was thinking.


    Terms like adulterers or disgraceful lovers?


    No, that wasn''t right. He and Ayakoji Chiyoko got along well, so that person should be happy, right?


    They had already far surpassed the boundary of friends. Rather, they had skipped the stage of being friends and had become lovers directly.


    Now was probably a good time to bring up that matter.


    A kiss lasted a full two minutes.


    Kagura Hikaru gasped softly, "I didn''t expect President Ayakoji to have such strong desires after we started dating. You weren''t like this before."


    "Strong desire is a proof of my love for you, you should be happy about it."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was proud rather than embarrassed, lowering her head like a cat and licking his neck.


    The moist and tender touch scraped across the skin.


    Kagura Hikaru shivered, feeling a tad horrified.


    It was the same with Kohinata Motoyo, and so was it with Ayakoji Chiyoko¡ªwhy were the feelings of the girls around him heavier than the next?


    "Hey, can I visit your place next time, Ayakoji?"


    "Hmm?"


    "I always feel it''s unfair that only you get to ambush me."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko lay lazily beside him, touching his Adam''s apple indifferently and said, "Sure, you can come over anytime when my dad isn''t home."


    "I don''t want to go when your dad is home." Kagura Hikaru stared at the ceiling. "Although it''s just a hunch, I get the feeling I won''t be welcomed."


    "If he dares not to welcome you, I''ll just expose all his affairs with women to Bunshun."


    "..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s father is a big celebrity. Leaking scandals to the entertainment gossip magazine Bunshun would be a fatal blow, wouldn''t it?


    What a filial daughter she is.


    However, the reason he didn''t want to meet President Ayakoji''s father wasn''t the above; it wasn''t because he felt he wouldn''t be welcomed.


    It was because of Kiryu Hina.


    She asked him to find something in Chiyoko''s house. Whatever that thing was, having one more person obviously increased the risk of exposure.


    "Then it''s settled. I will invite you to visit my house next time." Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled brightly, playfully drawing circles on his chest with her finger, "I will prepare props, and we can play~ slowly~"


    ".... Props?"


    For a moment, Kagura Hikaru felt he had made a wrong decision.


    "Maybe forget it, I suddenly don''t really want to go."


    Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    "It''s too late to say that now, this matter is already recorded in my mental backup," she tapped on her lips, "if you want me to push it back... you can use your ''mouth'' to persuade me."


    The sweet scent lingered around the tip of his nose.


    Right now, Ayakoji Chiyoko was as sweet and tempting as candy cake.


    But it wouldn''t be strange to bite into a knife at any moment.


    Even so, Kagura Hikaru still kissed her, overpowering her onto the bed.


    This sordid relationship should end sooner rather than later.


    While in intimacy, Kagura Hikaru thought emotionlessly about other things.


    Whether it was a hug or a kiss, he felt nothing.


    The strongest emotion he harbored for Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t lust, let alone love, but guilt.


    When lunchtime was close, Ayakoji Chiyoko said goodbye to Kagura Hikaru and went home, not even tempted by her stepmother''s offer to stay for a meal.


    She probably felt very satisfied with today.


    As she left, her face shone brilliantly, making her stepmother look at Kagura Hikaru with a weird look¡ªprobably thinking they did something strange in the room.


    When she saw Kiryu Hina coming down for lunch with a flushed face, her expression became even more hesitant.


    Young people these days really know how to play.

 Chapter 180 Do you still like me now?

    The weather in summer changed rapidly.In the afternoon, it rained again.


    The dark clouds completely shielded the sunlight, and one could hear the dense sound of raindrops even while sitting inside the house.


    In the room, Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina each sat in front of the desk and on the bed, staring blankly at books, both remaining silent.


    It was so quiet that only the sound of rain and the turning of pages could be heard.


    "Do you really plan to date Ayakoji Chiyoko?" After a long time, Kiryu Hina suddenly spoke.


    Kagura Hikaru kept a calm expression, "Why do you ask?"


    "Because you kissed her..."


    "Yes."


    "Although I hate to admit it, Ayakoji Chiyoko is indeed a great beauty, and it wouldn''t be surprising if you had feelings for her."


    "Kissing someone I don''t like, do you think that would make me happy?" Kagura Hikaru said coldly without lifting his head.


    "..."


    A thick barrier of silence was erected between them.


    Kiryu Hina realized her slip of the tongue.


    It was a mistake she had made before, yet she hadn''t learned her lesson. Why wasn''t the brain she took pride in working at times like this?


    She knew full well. In the past, Kagura Hikaru had been through such a thing.


    Threatened by Kohinata Motoyo, he had no choice but to date her behind everyone''s back.


    At that time, what were Kagura Hikaru''s feelings?


    What are his feelings now, dating Ayakoji Chiyoko?


    In essence, she was no different from the Kohinata Motoyo of the past, both forcing Kagura Hikaru to do things he did not want to do, to satisfy their own selfish desires.


    Knowing nothing, she had presumptuously used these methods to take revenge.


    Obtaining such a result, one could say it was well deserved.


    I was wrong, I''m sorry.


    This phrase tumbled around in Kiryu Hina''s mind for a long time, like a fishbone stuck in her throat, unable to be spat out or swallowed, continuously tormenting her.


    She had apologized to many people in the past, most of the time out of politeness or as a tactical retreat.


    Just by apologizing, she could easily make others relax their guard, or even end up comforting herself. Kiryu Hina was quite skilled in this technique.


    But after all, that was deceit, crying on the outside while laughing on the inside, not really feeling that way at heart.


    However, once she realized she had really made an irreversible mistake, and that it had already had harmful consequences, it became hard to say sorry.


    What exactly should I do? She hadn''t really figured it out.


    But just like what Kagura Hikaru had said earlier, she had intentionally waited for him on the way he had to pass when going home yesterday, as there were some things she needed to convey to him.


    She wanted to call off the plan, to have Kagura Hikaru stop dating Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    After learning the truth, this was the first thing Kiryu Hina planned to do.


    Last night, that''s what she had said to Kagura Hikaru as well.


    But instead, she was rejected by him.


    Whether good or bad, once a decision was made, it must be followed through, and such matters left no room to turn back¡ªKagura Hikaru made his stance clear.


    Even though he was the one who would suffer the most, he still flatly refused Kiryu Hina''s proposal.


    He probably wanted to sever ties with her for real.


    Kiryu Hina realized this belatedly, and then once again recognized her own pettiness and ruthlessness.


    She shouldn''t have asked him to date Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    At that time, she was cornered by Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo, planning to simply and crudely push Ayakoji Chiyoko out of the picture, and so naturally used Kagura Hikaru as a pawn.


    This pawn felt guilty towards her and she had a hold over him, and Kiryu Hina had no feelings for him. Even if it meant forcing him to do something against moral principles, she didn''t care at all, with no trace of guilt in her heart.


    The things she had done in the past had all eventually turned into retribution upon her.


    The more she had hurt Kagura Hikaru in the past, the more difficult it was now to try to mend their relationship.


    ..........


    Kiryu Hina''s father was a very mature and handsome middle-aged man.


    Driving a black Mercedes, dressed in a suit, well-proportioned, with a smile on his face, he was like a corporate tycoon from a city TV drama, radiating a gentle elite aura.


    He spoke humbly, continuously expressing his gratitude to Kagura Hikaru and his stepmother for taking Kiryu Hina in.


    "Well, Hina, it''s time for us to leave," Kiryu''s father turned his head and said.


    But Kiryu Hina shook her head, "Dad, please go wait for me in the car."


    She didn''t give a reason, but Kiryu''s father still respected his daughter''s wishes.


    The stepmother also sensed that the atmosphere was off, guessing that Kiryu Hina wanted to speak with Kagura Hikaru alone, and jokingly said, "I just remembered I still have housework to do at home, I''ll head off first. Goodbye, Hina-chan."


    "Mm, goodbye, Aunt."


    After greeting, the stepmother hurried back into the house. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is there anything else?"


    Kagura Hikaru stood inside the door, speaking to Kiryu Hina outside.


    Kiryu Hina looked at him, light swirling in her eyes.


    "Thank you for helping me yesterday."


    "No need."


    "Also... that night, when I wanted you to stop the plan, I was serious. It was a failure¨C"


    "It''s too late now," Kagura Hikaru said expressionlessly.


    Yes, it was already too late.


    From the day Kiryu Hina forced him to agree to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s confession, the tragedy had already been set in motion.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t persuade himself to fall for Ayakoji Chiyoko, nor could he agree to stop the plan at this point.


    Their relationship was sustained solely by Kiryu Hina''s purpose.


    Only by completing it could he completely conclude things with Kiryu Hina.


    Being led by the nose by her all this time, Kagura Hikaru had begun to grow weary as well.


    Even Chiyoko''s feelings for him, he no longer had the capacity to consider now, or rather, he deliberately ignored them.


    This time, he would be a truly heartless and unprincipled jerk.


    No matter what Kiryu Hina thought, it all didn''t matter.


    "...I understand."


    Seeing the intent of farewell in his eyes, Kiryu Hina''s face changed for an instant, she slowly nodded, losing the mood to speak the words she had intended to say.


    "I''m leaving."


    "Oh."


    "Hey, Mister Hikaru, I want to ask you one last question," Kiryu Hina, who had already taken two steps away, turned back, smiling, "Do you still like me now?"


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her deeply, closed the door, "Goodbye."


    "..."


    Kiryu Hina got into the car.


    Resting her head against the car window, she stared blankly outside.


    Until the Kagura home was completely out of sight, tears finally slid down from the corner of her eyes.


    This time, she had finally confirmed Kagura Hikaru''s feelings.


    Pity, they weren''t what she had hoped for.


    Kiryu''s father noticed through the rearview mirror and quickly asked, "What''s wrong, does something hurt, do we need to go to the hospital?"


    "No, it doesn''t hurt," Kiryu Hina shook her head, wiping her tears, "Dad, I lost something very important. What should I do...?"


    "Lost something? Just make an effort to find it again," he replied.


    "What if it''s already impossible to find?"


    "Then... just buy a new one."


    "A new one... I see..." Kiryu Hina murmured softly, "But, I still want that old one."


    The vehicle moved farther and farther away, driving into the pouring rain.

 Chapter 181 The Astringent Iceberg Beauty

    The next day, Kiryu Hina didn''t come to school and took a sick leave, likely because her previous fever hadn''t fully subsided.Kagura Hikaru had no time to pay attention to her whereabouts.


    He had been transferred by Ayakoji Chiyoko from the Disciplinary Committee to the Student Council to be the accountant, replacing Hosaka Yui''s position, and he was busy dealing with miscellaneous tasks from various parties.


    After Kiryu Hina lost the election and left the Student Council, as one of her loyal followers, Hosaka Yui naturally chose to follow her.


    She had no interest in the work of the Student Council, having joined only for Kiryu Hina, so when she left, she had no second thoughts and dumped all the unfinished work onto Kagura Hikaru.


    The other Student Council members did not exhibit Hosaka Yui''s decisiveness, but still, one after another, they left.


    Partly because they didn''t want to work under Ayakoji Chiyoko, and partly because Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t trust them, persuading Kiryu Hina''s direct subordinates to leave one by one, leaving only those who were neutral in attitude.


    But as an ironic twist, there weren''t any neutral parties in the Student Council.


    So as a result, Ayakoji Chiyoko practically fired the entire lineup of the previous Student Council, cleaning house from top to bottom and replacing them all with her own confidantes.


    As for the Disciplinary Committee, it continued to be presided over by the Gorilla Vice President.


    The Gorilla Vice President occupied a position akin to the commander of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s private army, possessing a certain level of leadership skills. During the time when Ayakoji Chiyoko was focused on the election campaign, he managed the Disciplinary Committee well on his own, so she also felt relieved to officially hand it over to him.


    From now on, Ayakoji Chiyoko would focus on managing the Student Council, and as long as she was there, the Disciplinary Committee would no longer operate separately from the Student Council as it had in the past.


    For the management of the school, this was a positive trend.


    But the consequence was that the workload exploded during this period.


    There were unfinished projects left by the previous Student Council to deal with, new tasks that had arisen, considerations about how to make an impression on the students as the new President, and the fulfillment of promises made during the election campaign.


    All these issues weighed heavily on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mind. Of course, she couldn''t complete everything herself, but her other subordinates lacked experience, so she borrowed the assistance of Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru had barely worn the title of ''Vice President of the Disciplinary Committee'' for long before he was forcibly stripped of it and grabbed by Ayakoji Chiyoko to become the Student Council''s accountant.


    On one hand, there truly was an overwhelming amount of work that needed assistance; on the other hand, she also wanted to ''mix business with pleasure'', to create more opportunities to be with Kagura Hikaru.


    Being able to see your boyfriend when you raise your head during work was indeed a luxury.


    However, in front of other students, she and Kagura Hikaru did not display any overly intimate demeanor; from an outsider''s perspective, they would only seem like friends with a good relationship.


    At Yuqiu High School, student romances were still prohibited, at least until Ayakoji Chiyoko managed to successfully abolish that rule.


    If the newly appointed Student Council President were to show affection with a male student in the office, it could easily leave a flaky impression on the students, and Ayakoji Chiyoko valued her reputation. She was also worried that Kiryu Hina, after stepping down, might seize the opportunity to make trouble for her.


    She wanted this relationship to be kept secret from everyone at school.


    "This kind of secret love affair has its own charm, especially with the feeling of sneaking around, unexpectedly thrilling, don''t you think?" Ayakoji Chiyoko, propping up her chin, smilingly said to Kagura Hikaru in the office where only the two of them were present.


    As she spoke, she also gently and slowly rubbed his pant leg with her foot clad in silk stockings, seemingly trying to entice Kagura Hikaru to do something to her.


    Had she recently become more and more lascivious?


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but think.


    He recalled the first time he met Ayakoji Chiyoko; she was an emotionless ice beauty, fierce and aggressive like a lion, and he would have never expected her to change like this in half a year.


    "Cut it out, there''s still a lot of work to be done today. If you''ve got time to spare, you might as well come and help me," he said.


    Kagura Hikaru tapped on the keyboard in front of his laptop, occasionally glancing at the document at hand. Multitasking, he spoke to her while mentally calculating the expenses of each project for the end-of-month cultural festival.


    Whenever the school was to host an event, the workload of the Student Council accountant would become much heavier. It was necessary to compute expenses while finding ways to cut costs, striving to keep within the budget limit set by the school authorities.


    It was a quite exhausting position.


    Moreover, Kagura Hikaru didn''t just serve as the Student Council accountant but also took on clerical duties, such as composing slogans for posters and small articles.


    After helping Ayakoji Chiyoko write a speech, they recognized Kagura Hikaru''s writing talent, and now some of the most important clerical tasks landed on his shoulders.


    The pace at which he typed showed just how much work he had. If he didn''t finish today''s tasks, tomorrow''s work would pile up even more, trapping him in a vicious cycle.


    So slacking off was not an option.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko saw him flustered and not paying attention to her, and she pouted discontentedly.


    She then reached for a few documents and began to help Kagura Hikaru with the calculations.


    The two were busy until late before they left school.


    Kagura Hikaru even took the unfinished work home with him.


    Sitting on the train with a briefcase full of documents, Kagura Hikaru looked out the window as the scenery began to move. He felt a hint of regret in his heart.


    Today, he had not seen Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    It wasn''t just a simple desire to meet her; he had some things to ask her.


    Yesterday, Kiryu Hina''s sudden change in attitude also came with some strange questions for him.


    It was as if her previous persistence was all a joke. Suddenly saying she wanted to halt the plan, her attitude toward him softened significantly.


    Kagura Hikaru was not entirely indifferent to this.


    If he had to give a plausible reason, the first thing Kagura Hikaru would think of was that Kiryu Hina had come to know the true nature of his affair with Kohinata Motoyo.


    And the one who knew about this and would talk to her about it, when he thought about it, was only one person¡ªAi Cheng Hua Lian, who had previously discussed similar matters with him.


    Without a doubt, she wanted to clear up the ''misunderstanding'' about Kagura Hikaru.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought he was the victim, Suse the perpetrator, and Kiryu Hina, even worse, was the one unaware.


    Despite being at the center of the incident, she knew nothing about the reasons behind it. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ignorant, both pitiful and resentable.


    Out of sympathy for both herself and Kiryu Hina, Ai Cheng Hua Lian might truly spill the beans despite his objections.


    If Kiryu Hina were to find out the details behind the affair... truth be told, it wouldn''t really impact Kagura Hikaru himself.


    At most, it seemed he would benefit from it.


    At least, he would be clear of any suspicion of infidelity, and Kiryu Hina would no longer treat him with such impoliteness in the future.


    But in doing so, she would become complete enemies with Kohinata Motoyo.


    For the rest of his high school life, Kagura Hikaru just wanted a peaceful existence. If he got dragged into a feud between two girls, he would likely never have peace.


    This premonition unfortunately came true when he saw Kiryu Hina the next day.

 Chapter 182 The Poison-Tongued Literary Girl Kiryu Hina

    The next day, Kagura Hikaru arrived at school at his usual time.On the train that day, he saw Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    Just as he was about to approach her to ask about Kiryu Hina, Ai Cheng Hua Lian suddenly became panicked upon seeing him, looking around frantically before turning and squeezing into another car.


    Kagura Hikaru did not follow her.


    The feeling of being disliked by Ai Cheng Hua Lian struck him like an arrow to the chest, a bit heartbroken.


    However, thanks to her obvious behavior, Kagura Hikaru guessed something.


    She indeed had told her.


    About him and Suse to Kiryu Hina.


    Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t feel disappointed toward Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    He just didn''t know what actions Kiryu Hina might take in the future, and he felt a bit of fear toward the unknown future, somewhat reluctant to go to school.


    It''s common for students to have such thoughts.


    Probably half of the students had thought like this, and the other half also didn''t want to go to school, but they were more inclined to fantasize about blowing up the school.


    Unfortunately, these were just fantasies, back to reality, they still had to attend school.


    Upon arriving at school, Ayakoji Chiyoko had not yet arrived.


    A few members of the Discipline Committee who arrived earlier greeted him, and Kagura Hikaru responded to each one.


    Since he first became a trainee of the Disciplinary Committee, he had gotten along well with the Committee members, and after becoming the vice president, he had even more interactions with them.


    But for reasons everyone understood, they now all treated Kagura Hikaru as if he were the ''Chief Lady'', showing him the same respect as if he were Ayakoji Chiyoko herself.


    This made Kagura Hikaru feel a bit odd.


    Sitting at his desk and putting down his backpack, Kagura Hikaru looked at the seat in front of him.


    Kiryu Hina''s seat was empty, perhaps she wouldn''t come today either.


    Just as he was thinking this, he noticed Kiryu Hina entering the classroom through the main door, with her shoulder bag hanging and a book in her hand, reading as she walked, expressionless.


    Surprisingly, Hosaka Yui, a third-year student, followed her into the classroom looking somewhat bewildered, with a look as if she wanted to start a conversation but hesitated.


    As soon as Kiryu Hina appeared, several female students quickly gathered around her. They were all loyal members of her group.


    "Hina, what book are you reading that you''re so engrossed in?"


    "Hina, Hina, did you watch yesterday''s TV show? It was super fun, wasn''t it!"


    "Look at my new hairclip, isn''t it pretty?"


    The girls chattered around Kiryu Hina.


    Unlike those under Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kiryu Hina usually spoiled those around her too much, leading each of them to believe they were Kiryu Hina''s best friends or close confidantes, and thus they spoke somewhat more casually.


    If it were the usual Kiryu Hina, she would have greeted them with a smile, addressing each topic thrown her way, like a graceful and distinguished young lady who handles matters with ease.


    This was the path she had chosen, a path of ''perfection.''


    Wearing a mask, interacting with others with a disguised self, pretending gentleness to gain favor, presenting her hard-earned abilities as if they were innate talents.


    But now, this path had veered off course.


    A person who had failed once was no longer perfect, merely a mere mortal.


    Even so, Kagura Hikaru had thought it would take a long time for her to completely change, but things always evolved faster than he anticipated.


    "Move aside, you''re in the way, and also, don''t you think it''s very noisy when so many people talk at once?"


    Kiryu Hina closed her book with one hand, her face showing displeasure, "You guys talk to me every day, every day, every day about these meaningless trivialities. Do you really think I care about those TV shows only middle-aged women watch and the shape of someone else''s hairclip?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girls speaking to her were suddenly stunned.


    "...?"


    "H-Hina?"


    "....Sorry, did we disturb you?"


    "Ah, no worries, I''m used to it," Kiryu Hina said sarcastically, laughing. "After all, you''ve always been like this, I guess I wouldn''t have a choice but to get used to it."


    "...."


    "...."


    "If you have nothing to say, then please step aside."


    Overwhelmed by her presence, the girls instinctively made way, staring blankly as Kiryu Hina walked to her seat and continued reading.


    This was the first time they had seen the sharp-tongued Kiryu Hina.


    The previous Kiryu Hina never said ''no'' to anyone.


    She would agree to everyone''s requests and meet everyone''s expectations, spreading joy like an angel descending from the heavens.


    But today, Kiryu Hina had lost that glow.


    It was not so much novelty as it was a greater shock.


    They had originally been happy to chat with her, only to be treated this way and even called noisy.


    The girls felt puzzled, embarrassed, and annoyed, then could only attribute it to Kiryu Hina being in a bad mood today before they dispersed dejectedly.


    Only the observant Kagura Hikaru knew.


    This was not her being in a bad mood; this was simply Kiryu Hina''s normal state.


    To be exact, it was her normal state over a year ago, during her middle school days.


    The Kiryu Hina who was called ''Rain Girl'' by her classmates and ''Literature Girl with a Sharp Tongue'' by her friends.


    This was her true self after tearing off the mask.


    Kagura Hikaru felt a bit nostalgic after a long time.


    It looked like she had truly let go, so his initial purpose was also achieved without any regrets.


    Latter, unaware new students attempted to greet Kiryu Hina but ended up like little slimes hopping towards the player''s blade, coming eagerly only to leave disheartened.


    They approached with a smile, yet left with faces of despair.


    Everyone in the class was uncertain and kept glancing at the different Kiryu Hina while whispering among themselves.


    And Kiryu Hina, as if completely unaware, quietly read her book.


    "Um, President...?"


    Hosaka Yui hesitated for a long time before cautiously starting the conversation: "What''s wrong with you today? If there''s anything bothering you or causing you discomfort, please tell me, I''ll do everything I can to help."


    "Oh? Are you serious?" Kiryu Hina looked up.


    "Yes, of course! I will do anything you ask, Lady Sister!"


    "Then please go back to your own classroom, Hosaka from third grade, you''re starting to be a bit annoying."


    "...Eh?"


    Hosaka Yui seemed frozen, stunned for a few seconds before slowly turning around, face gloomy, and with heavy steps, she left, passing by Kohinata Motoyo who was entering the classroom.


    "Hm?"


    As soon as she entered, Kohinata Motoyo sensed that something was off.


    The classroom noise was quieter than usual, and everyone was seemingly glancing at Kiryu Hina, secretly talking about something.


    What''s going on here?


    She looked around, puzzled, and walked towards Kiryu Hina, greeting her with a smile.


    "Good morning, Hina."


    "Yeah, good morning, bitch."

 Chapter 183 Damn!

    "What are you... talking about?" Kohinata Motoyo''s smile strained a bit.She doubted her own ears. How could Hina possibly say such vulgar words?


    Since she hadn''t heard it, Kiryu Hina kindly repeated it for her.


    "Stop trying to cozy up to me, bitch. Do you think you are close to me just because I kindly spoke to you a few times?" Kiryu Hina flipped her long hair by her ear and sneered, her eyes scraping across Kohinata Motoyo''s face like knives.


    "..."


    Kohinata Motoyo was not angry, more perplexed.


    Why had Hina suddenly changed her attitude so drastically? Recently, she had done nothing discourteous to anger her.


    Could it be.....


    "Hina, do you know?" Kohinata Motoyo vaguely probed.


    But soon after, she found her own evasive attitude amusing.


    Only someone with a guilty conscience would speak this way.


    In the past, she had looked down on such people, believing that if one could not face everything openly and honestly, then as a human, that was a failure.


    One can have secrets, but must remain guilt-free.


    The past Kohinata Motoyo earnestly thought this.


    But from today''s perspective, she could only sigh that she had been too young back then, overestimating herself.


    If a person could truly be completely open and honest, like a saint, living in this world without any concealment, then instead of saying he is successful, it is more frightening. It shows he has no reservations, no attachments anymore.


    Kohinata Motoyo couldn''t achieve this; she had too many secrets she kept from Hina, especially those about what she and Kagura Hikaru had done behind each other''s backs, which were particularly hard to express.


    The past her would probably be very disappointed, the future self was not at all the open-hearted noble she thought she would be.


    Even facing her once close friend, she appeared craven and thoroughly petty.


    Kohinata Motoyo stared at Kiryu Hina''s expression, seeing the mockery, disgust, and anger in her eyes, and understanding dawned on her as she gently sighed, "...Hina, can we have a proper talk, please."


    "Are you trying to apologize to me now? You can''t be serious?" Kiryu Hina scoffed.


    "No, to be honest, I have never regretted my decision to this day." Yet Kohinata Motoyo unexpectedly refuted without hesitation.


    The feeling of liking someone cannot be concealed. The more one tries to hide it, the more obvious it becomes, like a whale stranded on a beach.


    The past Kohinata Motoyo had never regretted confessing her feelings to Kagura Hikaru, and neither did she now.


    "I truly owe you an apology, and I can make any compensation you want, but you can''t deny the sincerity of my feelings."


    "Nice words, but what you covet is someone else''s boyfriend!"


    The volume of her voice rose, and more and more people in the class began to notice the commotion over here.


    Kiryu Hina glanced around with the corner of her eye and involuntarily clicked her tongue, "...We can talk, but let''s wait until lunch break."


    ".....I understand."


    Kohinata Motoyo of course did not want to argue with Kiryu Hina in front of everyone, so she forced a bitter smile, tiredly made her way back to her seat, and even couldn''t bring herself to greet Kagura Hikaru.


    Kiryu Hina slowly turned her head, keeping her gaze fixed on Kohinata Motoyo''s retreating figure, shifted her gaze slightly, and naturally met the eyes of Kagura Hikaru sitting behind her. Immediately, her pupils quivered, and her lips moved slightly.


    "Mister Hikaru, I¡ª"


    "It''s best to call me Classmate Kagura in school, otherwise if Ayakoji Chiyoko hears it, she''ll start making things up again." Kagura Hikaru lowered his eyes, expressionless.


    "Whatever that woman thinks is fine."


    Kiryu Hina''s smile slowly drooped.


    "But it''s important to me, I was dating her," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "..."


    "What''s the matter, are you talking about me?" Just then, Ayakoji Chiyoko happened to walk by from behind, smiling as she tossed her backpack onto the table, but her gaze towards Kiryu Hina was completely devoid of any mirth.


    It was full of warning instead.


    Kiryu Hina gave her a dark look and jabbed lightly, "Someone is overly self-conscious, not to say who."


    ".....What?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kagura Hikaru. "Did this guy take the wrong medicine?"


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    "You''ll get used to it," Kiryu Hina said with a smile, "I''ll continue to tease you in the future, please bear with me."


    So directly attacked, Ayakoji Chiyoko was so surprised that she forgot to retort.


    Even as archenemies, she had never seen this... impolite side of Kiryu Hina.


    Was this a return to her true nature?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clicked her tongue in wonder.


    Overnight, Kiryu Hina, like a completely changed person, became the new center of conversation in Second Year Class A, causing a small sensation and even panic.


    Some said it was because she was so affected by losing the position of Student Council President that she had gone mad, others thought she might be conducting a mass social experiment, and still others believed she was engaging in performance art, opinions were varied.


    Most people found it hard to accept that Kiryu Hina, who once was as gentle and considerate as Kohinata Motoyo and like a modern Yamato Nadeshiko, had turned into someone who would hurl abuses at others.


    The perfect image Kiryu Hina had long established in the students'' minds had collapsed entirely within a very short period.


    Especially those who once followed her, the students who had been closer to Kiryu Hina in the past were all the more incomprehensible and almost seemed to flee from her.


    Amidst all the skeptical gazes, Kiryu Hina merely kept quiet, reading her book and doing her own thing, in her own way.


    Unlike the classmates who only knew the perfect Student Council President, for Kagura Hikaru, the girl now was the real Kiryu Hina.


    She had reverted to that literary girl who no longer hid herself, who was honest and straightforward and spoke with a sting.


    The shock from his infidelity years ago was too substantial, probably the catalyst that had made Kiryu Hina choose to live behind a mask.


    She was overly concerned about Kohinata Motoyo, who had stolen her lover, to the point she had started deliberately imitating her.


    But as the truth was revealed and her mental burden was lifted, her desire for perfection was also shed instantly.


    If he had known it was this effective, Kagura Hikaru might have told her sooner.


    Kiryu Hina had reverted to her original self, no longer forcing herself, and it seemed she was no longer at risk of developing a mental illness, he had finally fulfilled one of his wishes.


    Next, it was now up to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    But before that, it seemed he still had to face some trouble from the past.


    The last class of the morning ended, and lunch break began.


    Kohinata Motoyo came to Kiryu Hina''s desk as promised, inviting her to talk in private.


    "Mister Hikaru, come with us too." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unexpectedly, Kiryu Hina suddenly turned back to Kagura Hikaru and said.


    Kohinata Motoyo was surprised for a moment, then quieted down, maintaining the status quo.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed.


    "Alright, I''ll go."


    There was no escaping it anyway.

 Chapter 184 I Will Never Forgive You

    The school''s building courtyard, a secluded spot.Under that maple tree, Kagura Hikaru, Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kohinata Motoyo, Kiryu Hina¡ªthey sat on the same bench in that order, crowded together.


    "...Look, why did you even follow us here? This is between us, it''s none of your business," Kiryu Hina glared at Ayakoji Chiyoko with annoyance, "And also, this bench is too cramped for four people. Go back!"


    "Who says it''s none of my business? I''m Kagura Hikaru''s girlfriend. If my boyfriend is going out with another girl privately, of course I need to be there," Ayakoji Chiyoko shifted her seat, trying to make room for Kagura Hikaru who was sitting on the edge.


    But as a result, the space for Kiryu Hina who was sitting on the edge too became increasingly small, and now half of her behind was hanging in the air.


    "Ah! I can''t stand you!"


    Kiryu Hina stood up angrily and started scolding Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Do you have a sore on your butt or what, can''t you sit still!?"


    "Hmm, you actually look better standing up. Let''s keep it that way," Ayakoji Chiyoko seized the opportunity and quickly moved to the left, squeezing Kohinata Motoyo over a little more, and just like that the three of them took up the entire bench, leaving no space for Kiryu Hina.


    "You..." Kiryu Hina gritted her teeth.


    Kohinata Motoyo was in a daze, her mind still lingering on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s words, and she slowly turned to look at her and Kagura Hikaru: "You guys... you''re dating? When did that happen...?"


    "Two days before the elections ended," Ayakoji Chiyoko answered, glaring at her, "Kagura is mine now, don''t even think of hitting on him anymore. Of course, if you want to try threatening me with your racy photos, be my guest."


    "...."


    Kohinata Motoyo fell silent, head down, evidently preoccupied with her thoughts.


    Leaving Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina to continue their snarky bickering.


    "Alright, stop it,"


    Kagura Hikaru finally interjected.


    He looked at Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Ayakoji, you should go back first."


    Hearing him say that too, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyebrows shot up: "Why?"


    "After all, this is between us, and having you here will just make you feel awkward," Kagura Hikaru paused, "Plus, I''m your boyfriend now, and I won''t let happen what you''re worried about."


    "...Okay, I believe you."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled.


    She seemed delighted that he acknowledged their relationship in front of Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo.


    Before she left, she provocatively kissed Kagura Hikaru on the cheek and then coolly walked away, leaving the two girls to cast resentful glances at her retreating figure.


    Kagura Hikaru wiped the spot on his cheek where Ayakoji Chiyoko had kissed him and calmly picked up his lunch box: "Begin, I''ll just listen."


    It seemed he had made up his mind to be a spectator.


    Kiryu Hina twitched the corner of her eye and asked with a forced smile, "You and Ayakoji Chiyoko, things seem to be moving pretty fast, huh?"


    Kagura Hikaru paused with his chopsticks reaching for the lunch box: "... You dragged me here, not to discuss Ayakoji Chiyoko, right?" Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Actually, I think we could talk about it," Kohinata Motoyo also looked at him, her eyes emitting a dark shade, as if black sludge was flowing through the depths of her pupils, "I''m a bit interested too."


    "..."


    That definitely wasn''t just ''a bit'' interested.


    Pressured, Kagura Hikaru had no choice but to come clean; he put down his hands and said expressionlessly, "We''ve only gone as far as kissing, that''s it."


    "In less than a week, you''ve caught up to us. Ayakoji Chiyoko, you''re more formidable than I thought," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smirk, her expression slightly distorted.


    ''Us,'' of course, referred to herself and Kiryu Hina.


    Honestly, Kagura Hikaru completely failed to understand how Kohinata Motoyo could be so sure about his past progress with Kiryu Hina, considering they had never talked about such matters before.


    Suddenly, it felt a bit creepy.


    On the other side, Kiryu Hina''s eyes swept over coldly, "You, an unnamed third party, talk so openly about your past ''achievements'' in front of me, do you think I won''t punch you because I am good-tempered?"


    Kohinata Motoyo immediately fell silent, her face awash with embarrassment.


    "And that night, you even tried to drag Mister Hikaru off to a love hotel."


    "Err....."


    "Playing dumb is useless! Your misdeeds don''t end there."


    Kiryu Hina stared at her, this once most cherished friend, and couldn''t help but feel her eyes welling up with tears, "That photo was taken during the school trip, wasn''t it? You promised me that you would delete it, but you didn''t, you lied to me!"


    "...Yeah." Kohinata Motoyo nodded with difficulty, then hastily explained, "I''m sorry, Hina, I really didn''t intend to do that. It was later when I was organizing the album at home that I realized I forgot to delete it, and then I was misguided..."


    "What did you tell Mister Hikaru, that you would spread the photo to shame me if he didn''t agree to date you?!"


    "..."


    Kohinata Motoyo hung her head in pain, her hands clutching her head.


    She did not regret those times, but she never wanted her relationship with Kiryu Hina to turn out like this.


    "Mister Hikaru, you too, why didn''t you tell me back then..." Kiryu Hina looked at Kagura Hikaru, somewhat angry but more filled with regret and sorrow, "If I had known the truth then, we, we wouldn''t have..."


    She broke off, unable to hold back her tears any longer.


    It had been two years since she broke up with Kagura Hikaru.


    During those two years, she had never moved on from that relationship, and the memories of the excruciating pain she had gone through haunted her nights.


    The best lover and the best friend, conspiring behind her back, made her feel like a clown being toyed with by both of them.


    She initially thought so, and arrogantly did many outrageous things to Kagura Hikaru, even feeling smug about it.


    Until the day she learned the truth.


    "I heard about this from Classmate Karen."


    Kiryu Hina sobbed, wiping away tears in front of the silent Kagura Hikaru and Kohinata Motoyo, and said in fits and starts, "You seemed to have told her not to tell me. I know, you must be disappointed in me... I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I don''t know how to make you forgive me..."


    "There''s nothing about forgiving or not forgiving, we both owe each other," Kagura Hikaru said quietly, looking at her, "I won''t forgive you, just as you won''t forgive me."


    Kiryu Hina suddenly lost her voice, her face gone pale.


    "Is it... because of Ayakoji Chiyoko?"


    "I didn''t want to hurt her, it was you who left me no choice."


    "I will explain it to her!" Kiryu Hina raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears as she spoke earnestly, "I will tell her that it was because I threatened you, so that''s why¡ª"


    "I will tell her myself when everything is over, you needn''t trouble yourself."


    "But!"


    Kohinata Motoyo looked at them in surprise, "What are you talking about...?"


    "Classmate Kiriyu, you explain to her," said Kagura Hikaru as he snapped his hardly touched lunchbox shut and stood up from the bench, "I''m leaving, you two talk." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn''t bear this atmosphere any longer.


    Kohinata Motoyo was wrong, he was wrong, Kiryu Hina was wrong too. The three perpetrators were confessing to each other here, yet none of them could take responsibility for the innocent Chiyoko.


    They dragged her into this vortex without giving her a ship to escape.


    Ignoring Kiryu Hina''s pleas to stay, Kagura Hikaru left the place without looking back.

 Chapter 185 A Slap

    Watching Kagura Hikaru walk away, Kiryu Hina stopped crying almost immediately.When she lowered her hands, her eyes were devoid of tears.


    She calmly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.


    Kohinata Motoyo also lifted her head, her expression somewhat helpless.


    "Hina, you''re still as bad at crying scenes as ever."


    "Shut up."


    "Kagura''s acting and insight are almost on par with mine, he probably saw through it too."


    "..."


    Kiryu Hina sat down in silence.


    She had thought that by crying a little, she could garner some sympathy for herself, which would naturally lead to a dialog of ''mutual forgiveness.''


    Because that''s the kind of person Kagura Hikaru is, tender-hearted; even if he knew there was acting involved, he wouldn''t ignore a crying girl.


    In middle school, Kiryu Hina both loved and hated his excessive kindness.


    This inclusiveness was what made Kagura Hikaru charming, but it also often attracted other girls, and Kiryu Hina had spent a lot of effort driving them away.


    In her anticipation, it was supposed to be a success.


    But Kagura Hikaru had changed.


    He didn''t choose to stay for her; instead, he left without hesitation, abandoning them. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Was it because of her, or because of Ayakoji Chiyoko? S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No matter what the reason, it made Kiryu Hina''s chest tighten.


    A heavy sense of regret weighed on her heart, making it hard to breathe.


    "Hina, let''s join forces."


    Kohinata Motoyo, somewhat anxious, extended her hand tentatively to Kiryu Hina, "We now have a common enemy. I think there should be room for collaboration, what do you think?"


    "I suggest you give up," Kiryu Hina said coldly, "If you make a move against Ayakoji Chiyoko, you might end up like me."


    "...Hina, what exactly did you do to them?"


    "Mister Hikaru never really liked Ayakoji Chiyoko, I forced him to date that woman, that''s all you need to know."


    "Hina..."


    "I know what you want to say, but I don''t have a reason to be accused by you," Kiryu Hina glared at her bitterly, "Don''t pretend to have forgotten what you''ve done in the past."


    "Even so, you shouldn''t have hurt Kagura."


    "...I know."


    "Sigh." Kohinata Motoyo sighed, "The way we are now probably looks ridiculous to others."


    Three girls with bright futures, all chasing the same phantom of the past, none willing to let go.


    It was incredible that such a distorted relationship could happen in reality.


    If the parties involved were oneself, then it was even harder to judge.


    "Don''t pity yourself; we all deserve this," Kiryu Hina gestured to Kohinata Motoyo, "Bring your face here."


    "? Why?"


    "Just do it."


    "..."


    Kohinata Motoyo moved her face closer with confusion.


    And then, she received a slap from Kiryu Hina.


    Slap!


    Kohinata Motoyo''s beautiful face turned to the side in disbelief, covering her cheek and looking back.


    "That slap is the price you pay for deceiving me," Kiryu Hina said calmly as she withdrew her hand and disgustedly took out a handkerchief from her skirt pocket to wipe her palm, "Don''t approach Kagura Hikaru again, and stop playing the friend game with me. You''d better go back to studying in Europe right now."


    "..."


    "Heh, today was indeed a productive conversation. I feel much better now, thank you, goodbye."


    Kiryu Hina said with a smile as she rose to leave.


    Beneath the lively maple tree, one by one, people left, leaving Kohinata Motoyo alone.


    The cheek that had been hit was prickly and sore to the touch, sensitive like freshly grown skin, definitely reddened quite a bit.


    "Really, I didn''t expect Hina to resort to violence, I''ll have to update my impression of her."


    She slowly leaned back in her chair, gazing up at the sky.


    In her clear pupils reflected the sun, blue sky, and vivid, magnificent clouds.


    Such thick clouds, looks like it''s going to rain again in the next few days.


    .............


    After leaving the courtyard, Kagura Hikaru was looking for a place to have lunch.


    He didn''t want to go back to the classroom.


    The classroom was too noisy and didn''t suit his current mood, and he might run into Kiryu Hina again, so Kagura Hikaru wanted some temporary respite.


    He was tired of thinking about his issues with her.


    Just as he had told Kiryu Hina before, he wouldn''t forgive her, nor would she forgive him.


    So, it was better to just leave it as is.


    If they didn''t continue to intertwine, everyone could be happy.


    Walking along the pathway in the courtyard, Kagura Hikaru pondered where in the school was both quiet and suitable for sitting down to eat.


    Then, unexpectedly, he ran into Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who was coming out of a teaching building.


    She was alone, holding a chocolate bread in her hand, and obviously had not expected to meet him there, her face showing surprise as she looked at Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru thought she was going to run away again, because of the earlier snitching she directed at Kiryu Hina.


    But unexpectedly, Ai Cheng Hua Lian quickly gathered her courage and walked over to him.


    "Yo, yo! Good morning, Kagura."


    "It''s already afternoon."


    "Is it? Seems like it, ahaha..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian, nervous, didn''t know where to put her hands, momentarily placing them at her chest and then behind her back, looking awkwardly uncomfortable, "Kagura, have you had lunch yet?"


    "Not yet, I haven''t found a place."


    "Eh? Wasn''t the spot in the courtyard okay?"


    "It was taken by someone else today."


    "Is that so..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian took a deep breath to relax, then smiled at him, "Then, how about going to my place?"


    "Your place?"


    "Yes, I know a great spot! Let''s go!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian led the way in a certain direction, her skirt swaying vivaciously.


    Perhaps it''s fitting for a member of the Volleyball Club, her thighs were well-toned, neither too fat nor too skinny, and her skin was also very fair.


    Kagura Hikaru was careful not to let his gaze fall on any inappropriate places, but Ai Cheng Hua Lian still noticed, turning back to him with a puzzled look, "Kagura, what is it?"


    "Nothing..."


    "Liar, you were looking at my skirt."


    "..."


    "Eh, just as I suspected, you noticed," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, seeming embarrassed while lifting her skirt.


    Underneath, she wore a pair of sports shorts.


    "Hehe, actually, I''ve always been uncomfortable wearing skirts, always worried about someone seeing up them, so since I was little, I liked wearing shorts under my skirt. Oh, and of course, I''m properly wearing underwear too!"


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    He wished he could throw that momentary expectation he felt into the river.


    "... Ai Cheng."


    "Yes?"


    "You can put your skirt down now, you''re being very unladylike."


    "Eh? Oh, okay..."


    Finally realizing the inappropriateness of her actions, Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s face turned red, and she quickly smoothed down her skirt, speeding up her pace.


    "It''s, it''s just up ahead!"


    "Okay."

 Chapter 186 The Rooftop Couple Incident (Mistake)

    The rooftop of the old school building belonged to the Astronomy Club.It was said that their club activities even included secretly staying overnight at the school, standing on the rooftop of the old building at night, and observing the stars with a telescope.


    If it were late at night, even in the brightly lit metropolis of Tokyo, one could still see a decent view.


    Fortunately, they had not been caught by the teachers yet; otherwise, the night owls of the Astronomy Club might have had to retire altogether. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The one who brought up this topic was Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who, while talking about the feats of the club members, led Kagura Hikaru to the door of the rooftop of the old school building.


    It was naturally locked.


    For safety''s sake, rooftops were almost always off-limits.


    Even the rooftop of the academic building, which had a wire fence so high it was essentially impossible to climb over, was only open for two hours during lunchtime.


    Kagura Hikaru wondered how Ai Cheng Hua Lian would get in since the door was locked, only to see her take out a key from her pocket on the spot.


    "This is...?"


    "I borrowed it from someone in the Astronomy Club," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said with a smile, "I have a good relationship with the president there. Sometimes when I want a quiet place to eat, I borrow the rooftop key from them."


    "Oh....."


    "You know, the president of the Astronomy Club is a girl!"


    "? I know that, but why mention that specifically?"


    "Uh, it''s nothing....."


    Click.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian unlocked the padlock and pushed the door open.


    The wind that blew in lifted their bangs.


    The view was unobstructed.


    It was probably because the people of the Astronomy Club cleaned it regularly, but the rooftop was much cleaner than Kagura Hikaru had imagined, with hardly any dust visible. It was not as well-equipped as the academic building''s rooftop, with no chairs for sitting, which made it look quite bare and simple.


    But its advantage over the other was that the old school building''s rooftop had no protective wire fences, only a low wall that came up to waist height, allowing those standing on the rooftop to enjoy the scenery below unimpeded.


    Looking forward from here, one''s sightline stretched over the school''s green courtyard and the academic building, even reaching the streets outside the school.


    If the school building was taller or if their school was located on top of a hill, they could have taken in the whole city at a glance.


    "This place has no protective measures; it''s amazing that the Astronomy Club got permission from the school to use it," Kagura Hikaru remarked, standing at the edge of the rooftop and looking down.


    "Eh? They didn''t get permission," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, looking over in surprise, "They made the key secretly, the teachers have absolutely no idea."


    "...So, standing here now, we''re also breaking the school rules?"


    "It''s okay, no teachers come around to patrol at this time, we just need to not be too conspicuous and get seen."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was unexpectedly carefree.


    She excitedly pulled Kagura Hikaru up to the ladder embedded in the wall at the top of the rooftop staircase, where there was a small platform just big enough to sit on. It could arguably hold five adults lying side by side, any more and they''d likely fall off.


    This was the highest point of the old school building, with absolutely no barriers, not even a raised guardrail, making the seating here feel especially thrilling compared to the lower rooftop.


    Kagura Hikaru sat down with his legs dangling over the edge, raised his head, and shielded the sun with his hand.


    From this height, the blue sky seemed within reach, and the clouds looked particularly majestic.


    A breeze swept through, billowing his white short-sleeved school uniform shirt.


    Today''s sunlight wasn''t too harsh; it was just the right warmth, and with the unobstructed wind on the rooftop, it wasn''t exactly a cooling spot, but it was enough to make one feel comfortable.


    He gazed at the distant scenery, his hands resting on the edge, his whole body relaxed, enjoying the peaceful moment.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, knowing better, didn''t make a sound, quietly sitting beside Kagura Hikaru, accompanying him in enjoying the view.


    After about ten seconds, or maybe a few minutes, Ai Cheng Hua Lian tapped Kagura Hikaru''s thigh to wake him up.


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head and saw Ai Cheng Hua Lian smiling as she held out a half-piece of chocolate bread wrapped in a napkin.


    "Here, have this, it''s really tasty."


    "With just half a piece, you won''t have enough for lunch," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "No worries, I''m actually on a diet!"


    "No need to diet, you''re just fine as you are."


    Kagura Hikaru bent down to pick up the lunch box beside him, opened the box, and placed it between him and Ai Cheng Hua Lian, then took the chocolate bread she offered, "I''ll share my lunch with you, let''s split it."


    "But, there''s only one pair of chopsticks," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, scratching her head.


    But that problem was easily solved.


    "If you don''t mind, we can use the same pair of chopsticks."


    "Eh?¡ª¡ªEh?!?!" Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s face turned bright red, her pupils shook like an earthquake, her body visibly wavering and wobbling.


    "Isn''t that, that, that like like like like an indirect kiss?!?!"


    Kagura Hikaru took out the chopsticks integrated into the lunchbox lid, nipped the air with them in his hand: "Just use one end each, that way it won''t feel dirty, right?"


    "Oh, that makes sense....."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was forcefully calmed down.


    That makes sense, how could Kagura Hikaru ever flirt with her.


    That''s adolescent girls for you, always daydreaming, completely out of touch with reality.


    "Ai Cheng, open up."


    "Hm?"


    "I got up a bit early this morning and just went ahead and made a lunchbox." Kagura Hikaru picked up a soy sauce meatball with the chopsticks, held it up in midair, looking at her: "I made these meatballs, try one and see how it tastes."


    "..."


    Every lovestruck girl in the world, I apologize for saying you''re out of touch with reality¡ªreality does contain dreams-come-true after all!!


    To look up and see the boy you like personally offering you food, that scene is just too impactful!


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian felt dizzy, her body swayed, and she almost fell off the edge.


    Fortunately, Kagura Hikaru quickly caught her by the shoulders, maintaining her balance.


    "Dizzy? Be careful."


    "Yeah, yeah..... thanks."


    Kagura Hikaru held Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s shoulder with one hand, leaned in close, looking into each other''s eyes at close range, their noses even picking up the warm scent from each other.


    This, this position...!


    It was just like a couple about to kiss!


    She felt a bit dizzy again.


    Until, the fragrant scent of the sauce on the meatball wafted over.


    Kagura Hikaru brought the meatball close to her mouth: "Come on, eat it, I''m getting a bit tired holding it."


    Gurgle...


    Smelling the scent, Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s stomach embarrassingly rumbled.


    Her face turned red, she bit off the meatball, turned her head to the side to chew, and shyly kicked her feet.


    But soon, the exploding taste in her mouth made her eyes widen, pushing down her shyness.


    Not because it was too awful.


    On the contrary, it was too delicious!


    Both the chewiness of the meatballs and the flavor of the sauce were impeccable, and although they had cooled down since they were made in the morning, they were still this tasty¡ªit was hard to imagine how delicious they would have been right after being made!


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian chewed up and finished the meatball, looked up intoxicated for a couple of seconds, then suddenly held her mouth and sharply turned to Kagura Hikaru who was eating a chocolate bread: "Kagura, did you say you made this?!"


    "Yeah," Kagura Hikaru nodded, asking, "Is it good?"


    "Delicious, super incredibly delicious! This is the best meatball I''ve ever had in my life!"


    "That''s good."


    "Yeah, can I have another one...?"


    "Of course."


    "That''s great! Kagura, you''re so nice!"


    The first rooftop date worth remembering was stained with the taste of soy sauce meatballs in Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s memory.

 Chapter 187 End of This Relationship

    The two of them finished sharing the chocolate bread and bento on the rooftop.Ai Cheng Hua Lian still had remnants around her lips, due to her eating too fast, yet she seemed unsatisfied, her gaze lingering on the now empty bento box.


    In this era, cooking in the household was no longer limited to women, and the number of men proficient in cooking among ordinary people had increased significantly.


    But someone on the level of Kagura Hikaru, Ai Cheng Hua Lian believed, even measured on a nationwide scale, would be among the very few.


    Admittedly, she didn''t possess any high-end culinary evaluation skills, and her taste buds were just of an average person''s sensitivity, merely distinguishing between fragrant, smelly, salty, light, sweet, bitter, and spicy.


    Yet, this further illustrated that Kagura Hikaru''s cooking skills had reached a level where even laypeople could recognize them as impressive.


    That bento, although made with ordinary ingredients and accompaniments, without any novelty, was somehow delicious when put together, with a great texture, and even surpassed the quality of meals from restaurants outside, with the only downside being that it was cold.


    "How did you practice, did your stepmother teach you?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian asked curiously.


    "Self-taught," Kagura Hikaru answered.


    Transferring knowledge from someone else''s head to one''s own, such an act was like force-feeding education, yet without relying on someone else''s instruction, so it was roughly equivalent to self-study, case closed.


    "That''s amazing..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian murmured in admiration, "Kagura, it seems like you''re strong at everything. You play the guitar well, your academic performance is good, you''re strong in swimming and long-distance running, and you can also cook... Is there anything you''re not good at?"


    "That''s not true, there are many things I don''t understand," he replied.


    "There you go, showing the humility that only those who are truly knowledgeable can," she said.


    "...Rather than that, let''s talk about something more interesting," he proposed.


    "More interesting?" she echoed.


    "Yeah, like, the thing you told Kiryu Hina," he suggested.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian broke out in a cold sweat, her glance shifting awkwardly under Kagura Hikaru''s calm stare.


    "Ah, you, what are you talking about, I don''t understand..." she fumbled.


    "Kiryu Hina told me herself, you were the one who told her," he stated.


    "I''m sorry!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian promptly bowed her head to apologize.


    Kagura Hikaru raised his index finger and lightly tapped her on the head.


    "Ouch!" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I warned you not to tell her about that, this is the punishment for treating my words like wind passing by your ears," he reminded.


    "Hmm..."


    With her hands covering her head, Ai Cheng Hua Lian mumbled hesitantly, "I, I struggled for a long time about whether or not to tell, but in the end, I thought I should..."


    "The truth is the one thing in this world that can most hurt people, and because of what you''ve done, me, Kiryu Hina, and Suse, all three of us will be affected," he said.


    Kagura Hikaru propped his hands on the floor behind him, looking up at the blue sky.


    The light breeze stirred his bangs, revealing a clean but completely expressionless face.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian drew her legs in, hugging her knees, and watched him warily, "Kagura... are you angry at me?"


    "No," he replied.


    "You''re clearly angry," she retorted.


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    "Not really, if I had to put it into words, it''s probably more like a nuisance," Kagura Hikaru exhaled softly, "Ai Cheng, you weren''t planning to try and matchmake me with Kiryu Hina again, were you?"


    "Eh? That... of course not," she said.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s gaze shifted slightly.


    Truth be told, she certainly did not wish to see Kagura Hikaru dating someone else, yet if she turned a blind eye to the matter, he would always remain as a cheating scumbag in Kiryu Hina''s memory, an outcome Ai Cheng Hua Lian also did not desire to witness.


    However, she had anticipated that once the misunderstanding was cleared, Kiryu Hina would undoubtedly fall for Kagura Hikaru once again.


    The greater the guilt she harbored towards him, the deeper the love that would rekindle.


    When she saw President Hina dash out of the Student Council office, Ai Cheng Hua Lian knew her guess had been correct.


    If all went well, Kagura Hikaru would likely get back together with President Hina, and the lovers would be reunited at last. She would clap and congratulate them with a smile in the crowd, perhaps earning a grateful glance from them, and that would be enough for her.


    But it seemed the course of events was far from smooth.


    To speak frankly, it was despicable.


    At this moment, realizing that Kagura Hikaru had not started dating President Hina, what flashed through Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s mind was not regret, but a guilty sense of schadenfreude.


    Feeling such vile emotions, rejoicing in the misfortune of others, struck Ai Cheng Hua Lian hard.


    "Ai Cheng, perhaps you think you''re acting in my best interest, but that''s because there''s something you don''t know yet, leading you to misjudge the situation and make that decision. Before that, you should have talked to me again,"


    Hearing Kagura Hikaru''s sigh, Ai Cheng Hua Lian had an ominous feeling.


    "The thing I don''t know about... what is it?"


    "I have started dating Ayakoji Chiyoko."


    "........"


    How should I say it? It was sort of expected, wasn''t it?


    A little surprising, but not at all surprising.


    President Hina had already told her that Kagura was pursuing President Ayakoji.


    Both of them were exceptionally outstanding individuals, so it was only natural for them to be attracted to each other.


    Moreover, Kagura recently joined the Discipline Committee out of character, even though he previously had been the most orthodox of all students heading straight home after school. Why would he deliberately join an organization like the Discipline Committee, which required so much work?


    The mystery was now solved.


    That must be when they started dating.


    "Really, such an important matter, you should have told me earlier. You''ve made things difficult for me..."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, with the help of a passing breeze, pretended to be blinded by the dust and quietly wiped away the half-dropped tears from the corner of her eye, lamenting, "President Hina must be quite disappointed, don''t you think? Now that you''re with President Ayakoji, she doesn''t stand a chance of getting back together with you."


    "Hmm."


    As for what Kiryu Hina thought now, Kagura Hikaru could not offer a judgment, nor did he want to concern himself with it.


    They were far from calling each other friends now, let alone partners in cooperation.


    They had made a deal before: if Kagura Hikaru would date Ayakoji Chi to help her achieve a certain goal, Kiryu Hina would reconcile with Suse, even if it was pretense, and continue to be friends.


    This would be beneficial to her condition and also distract Suse, so the latter wouldn''t always be fixated on her.


    But now, Kiryu Hina had completely ignored the content of the deal, her attitude towards Suse was anything but friendly.


    It was her way of retaliating after knowing the truth, and also revenge for Kagura Hikaru breaking free from her control and not obediently ending their plan.


    Whether Kiryu Hina wanted to get back together with him, or whether she had fallen for him again, none of it really mattered anymore.


    Her thoughts belonged to her, Kagura Hikaru just wanted to end that relationship.


    Whether it was with Kiryu Hina, or with Kohinata Suse, and also, with Ayakoji Chiyoko.

 Chapter 188 Lemon Flavor

    No goals, no dreams, no friends, no lovers.That was Kagura Hikaru now, an empty shell.


    When he woke up this morning, he touched his chest in front of the mirror to check if there was a hollow where his heart should be.


    Otherwise, why had he suddenly become so indifferent to everything?


    Thinking about it, it all seemed to have started with Suse. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her confession had led his relationship with Kiryu Hina astray.


    More than a year later, she suddenly returned from Europe and started a new chapter.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t think about judging her character.


    With the story unfolding to this point, every character had faults, and all their actions were the causes leading to the current situation.


    Kagura Hikaru was no exception; he had made mistakes from the start.


    He shouldn''t have dated Kiryu Hina, shouldn''t have felt lucky, shouldn''t have had expectations of others.


    And he definitely shouldn''t have hurt innocent people.


    So, Kagura Hikaru understood, he really wasn''t good at building relationships with people.


    He wanted to start over.


    Break up with Ayakoji Chiyoko, say goodbye to Kiryu Hina and Suse, go somewhere after graduation where no one knew him, tell himself not to mess up this time, nor to get involved with anyone, and live a careful life.


    That was the future Kagura Hikaru could imagine for himself.


    A boring and lonely apparition.


    But did he have a choice?


    After being fooled by Kiryu Hina, betrayed by Kohinata Motoyo, and hurting Ayakoji Chiyoko, could he still live a happy high school life like others?


    If only he could become like that.


    But Kagura Hikaru couldn''t even imagine it.


    The future where he would happily chat with people around him, that kind of happy ending, would it really come?


    Click.


    Suddenly, the door to the rooftop below was opened by someone.


    Sitting at the top of the staircase, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian watched as Teacher Yamazaki, who taught physical education, came out from the door, looking around as if checking if there were any students on the rooftop.


    It was that lock.


    Kagura Hikaru remembered the lock that Ai Cheng Hua Lian had removed when they entered the rooftop and casually set aside.


    He hadn''t thought much about it at the time, but now he realized, if a teacher happened to see the lock on the ground, it would be easy to deduce that someone had trespassed onto the closed old school rooftop.


    It was a foreshadowing, a mistake!


    Without needing a reminder, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian moved in sync, slowly and quietly pulling their legs back in, then lying down slowly, feet flat, to reduce their visible area.


    The ceiling of this stairwell was quite high, and if someone below didn''t specifically look up, the chances of being discovered were relatively small.


    Still, it ultimately depended on luck.


    The two lay side by side above, as if they were on the same bed, shoulders touching, breathing deliberately softened, silently praying that Teacher Yamazaki''s eyes weren''t too sharp.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s body heat transferred over.


    At such close distance, Kagura Hikaru could clearly distinguish the scent of her body wash.


    It was lemon.


    He slowly turned his head, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian, blushing, turned hers as well.


    They looked into each other''s eyes.


    Slowly, Kagura Hikaru''s look turned wolfish.


    ''Didn''t you say that there wouldn''t be any teachers coming up at this time?'' he seemed to say with his eyes.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s lips pouted, like Little Red Riding Hood who had lost her grandmother, pitiful: ''I, I didn''t know¡­''


    They exchanged anxious glances.


    If discovered, they would certainly be mistaken for a couple meeting on the rooftop.


    That would be terrible/actually sort of nice!


    Both were turning the same but opposite thoughts in their heads.


    "..."


    "..."


    Teacher Yamazaki''s footsteps below kept coming.


    At first they grew distant, then approached again, growing louder and louder until Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian felt their hearts rise to their throats.


    The footsteps circled around nearby, paused for a moment, and then they heard a loud bang, the sound of the rooftop door closing.


    They didn''t get up right away but waited quietly instead.


    After a minute with no other sounds, they slowly rose and carefully surveyed their surroundings.


    It seemed not to be a trap; no one else was on the rooftop.


    Realizing they were safe, they both breathed a sigh of relief.


    They were lucky not to be caught.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian exchanged glances, smiles appearing in their eyes/on their faces.


    To do something naughty at school and almost get caught by a teacher, then to celebrate with a companion after confirming safety.


    Such an experience, everyone should have at least once in their life, right?


    The scare had completely dispelled the gloomy mood from before.


    Kagura Hikaru laughed at his earlier desire to run away.


    Living alone in a place where no one knew him, never interacting with others again, he couldn''t believe he was seriously considering such a juvenile idea.


    He surely was past the age where he thought being lonely was cool.


    "Kagura, you''re smiling again!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said, surprised.


    "Am I?"


    Kagura Hikaru touched the corners of his mouth.


    Indeed, there seemed to be a slight curve.


    "Just wait, let me take a photo for you, don''t move!"


    By the time Ai Cheng Hua Lian took out her phone, Kagura Hikaru''s mouth had already relaxed.


    However, even if his face wasn''t smiling, deep down he surely was still smiling.


    He had decided not to run away anymore.


    He had thought about finishing the deal with Kiryu Hina and breaking up with Ayakoji Chiyoko, and that would be the end of it.


    But that was actually a form of giving up, a careless attitude.


    He truly had made a mistake, but the only mistake was hurting Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Even now, the thought of breaking up with her hadn''t changed.


    Lies would be uncovered one day, and even if he continued the relationship through further errors, it wouldn''t lead to a good outcome in the end, so for both their sakes, breaking up was inevitable.


    But perhaps there was a more acceptable way to do it.


    He couldn''t think of it now, but he was sure his future self would come up with something.


    Kagura Hikaru optimistically thought.


    "We should probably go back down," he said to Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    Kagura Hikaru jumped down from the high spot and pulled at the rooftop door.


    Bang.


    It didn''t budge.


    "...?"


    Bang bang.


    Kagura Hikaru yanked harder twice, still not opening it, but he could faintly hear the sound of the lock rattling against the door panel from the other side.


    "..."


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    "Kagura, what''s wrong?"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian too had come down the ladder by now, walking over curiously to ask.


    Kagura Hikaru turned to look at her: "The door''s been locked."


    "..."


    And so there were two silent figures.


    In the end, they called for Ruzaki Mami, slipped the key through the door crack, and had her unlock it for them.


    As for the questioning look she gave them after opening the door, well, consider it the price to pay for asking for help¡­

 Chapter 189 The New Neighbor

    "I''m back."Kagura Hikaru closed his home''s door and changed shoes in the entryway.


    His stepmother, hearing the noise, came wiping her hands from the kitchen to greet him, "Welcome back, did it rain outside?"


    "A light rain."


    "Ah, luckily, I brought the clothes in earlier."


    "Mm," said Kagura Hikaru as he slipped on his slippers and brought up another matter, "Did the neighbors next door move out?"


    On his way home, he had seen a truck parked in front of the next-door neighbor''s house and several workers in blue uniforms carrying furniture outside in the light rain, much like ants.


    His stepmother replied, "It seems so. I heard from the housewives nearby that someone bought his house last week."


    "Is that so."


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t particularly interested, just making casual conversation.


    He just hoped the new neighbor wouldn''t be too noisy.


    After eating, Kagura Hikaru took a bath.


    As he came out of the bathroom, he could hear laughter and voices coming from the living room. His stepmother hurried past with a fruit platter.


    "Do we have visitors?" Kagura Hikaru asked her.


    "Ah, Mister Hikaru," seeing him emerge, his stepmother stopped and smiled, "Yes, the new neighbor from next door came to visit. It''s a young girl."


    "Hmm?"


    A young girl coming alone to greet the neighbors¡ªcould it be that she moved in by herself?


    Kagura Hikaru found it odd but didn''t think much of it and prepared to head upstairs to his room.


    As he had to pass through the living room to get to the second floor, he inevitably crossed paths with the new neighbor.


    "Oh, you came just in time," his father called him, cheerfully introducing them, "This is my son, Kagura Hikaru. Hikaru, this is the new neighbor from next door, Miss Kohinata Motoyo. Come and say hello."


    "I think there''s no need for that."


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled as she stood up from the sofa.


    "You agree, right, Kagura?"


    "..."


    Without much thought, Kagura Hikaru had already figured out the situation.


    This woman had actually bought the house next door!


    He was aware of the Konohinata Family''s wealth, but seeing something he''d only come across in comics before¡ªbuying a house on a whim¡ªunfold before his eyes was still surreal for him.


    And further confirmed that Kohinata Motoyo was indeed a hopeless romantic.


    "Oh, you know each other?" his father asked, surprised, glancing between the two.


    "Yes, we''re at the same school, in the same class," Kohinata Motoyo said with a polite smile, yet her eyes remained fixed on Kagura Hikaru.


    "What a coincidence," his father seemed to sense something, cheerfully remarking, "Then I won''t disturb you two. Hikaru, why don''t you show your classmate around, upstairs?"


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at his father. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The usually silent and serious father was strangely in a good mood today.


    It couldn''t possibly have anything to do with the expensive tea canister on the table, right?


    "Kagura, let''s go. I''d like to see your room," Kohinata Motoyo walked up to Kagura Hikaru, hands behind her back, leaning slightly forward with a beaming smile.


    She was adept at using her charms as a woman.


    From this angle, Kagura Hikaru could see her beautiful face and shapely figure; every expression and gesture was carefully crafted to be sweet and adorable.


    "That style doesn''t suit you," Kagura Hikaru said expressionlessly.


    "Ah, is that so?"


    Kohinata Motoyo stood up with an unchanged smile, regaining her usual elegant demeanor, "I thought changing my style would bring a fresh vibe, but it seems you''re not moved at all. Truly, you''re hard to conquer. Kagura, if you were in a video game about beautiful girls, you''d definitely be a hidden character that appears only after multiple playthroughs."


    "If we must get specific, it should be an otome game, I guess."


    Kagura Hikaru led her upstairs, grumbling all the while.


    "Otome game, the type where women have harems? If Kagura were in one, I''d rather you be a non-romanceable character¡ªunless I am the heroine."


    Kohinata Motoyo proudly patted her chest, "I would stick to your route repeatedly until the end of the world." Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Kagura Hikaru was speechless.


    This girl is too much.


    They reached the second floor.


    "That''s the balcony," Kagura Hikaru pointed to a spot not too far off, intending to give a brief tour of his home.


    But turning his head, he saw that Kohinata Motoyo was not listening at all but had spun around and entered his room on her own accord.


    Kagura Hikaru was stunned and quickly followed her in.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Eh, didn''t uncle say you were to show me around the rooms?"


    "He said to bring you up to the second floor, not into my room!"


    "Can''t I come in?"


    Kohinata Motoyo stared with wide eyes, feigning innocence.


    This girl, she knows no bounds with her acting skills.


    Kagura Hikaru sighed, resigned, "Fine, have it your way."


    "Then I''ll take your word~"


    She grinned mischievously and leaped onto the bed, burying her face into the quilt.


    "Hey!"


    "Sniff sniff, ah, the nostalgic smell."


    Kagura Hikaru shut the door to prevent any odd sounds from escaping downstairs, then immediately rushed over and pulled Kohinata Motoyo up by the collar of her shirt. "You need to stop this."


    "Why? I''m just smelling the quilt of my ex-boyfriend after all."


    "That''s enough to prove you''re a creep. I''m calling the police!"


    Seeing the usually immaculate Kohinata Motoyo acting so crazily creeped him out.


    Even a character breakdown must have its limits!


    Kagura Hikaru begrudgingly let her down, "Did you come here just to perform a comedy act?"


    "Sigh, that style doesn''t work either, huh." Kohinata Motoyo sighed deeply and patted her clothes, "Can I sit down?"


    "Sit then."


    Seeing her finally return to her normal self, Kagura Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief. He moved to get the computer chair from the desk for her to sit on, but Kohinata Motoyo plopped onto his bed instead, smiling and hinting with her eyes that he could sit next to her.


    "..."


    Not wanting to comply with her, and because getting too close to an ex-girlfriend isn''t ideal, Kagura Hikaru dragged the computer chair over and sat opposite her.


    His intent to maintain distance was too apparent, and Kohinata Motoyo could only smile helplessly: "Really, is there a need to be so shy?"


    "There is," Kagura Hikaru said expressionlessly, "Let''s get to the point. Is it true that you''ve moved next door?"


    "It''s true, starting today we are neighbors. Please take care of me, Mr. Kagura~"


    "Such a mess... Forget it, it''s your family''s money, how you spend it is your business." Kagura Hikaru shook his head resignedly, "But remember, I am now a man with a girlfriend. Even if you moved next door, it doesn''t mean we can get close."


    "Um... actually, I came today because of this."


    Kohinata Motoyo asked, "What exactly is going on between you and Ayakoji Chiyoko? You don''t really like her, do you?"

 Chapter 190 Out of the Wolfs Den and Into the Tigers Lair

    "Is it because of Hina?"Kohinata Motoyo furrowed her brow slightly, "What did she do that made you agree to date Ayakoji Chiyoko against your will?"


    Since the time Kiryu Hina had informed her that Kagura Hikaru had been forced to become boyfriends with Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kohinata Motoyo had been very concerned about this matter.


    Today, she had to clarify things from Kagura Hikaru no matter what.


    "Her trump card is you," Kagura Hikaru replied.


    "What?" Kohinata Motoyo was puzzled.


    Talking about this made Kagura Hikaru want to laugh.


    Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo, these ''best friends'' who now had a horribly strained relationship, used exactly the same tactics.


    "Yes, for a certain purpose, she made me date Ayakoji Chiyoko on the condition that I make up with you and also that I don''t spread the scandal of you being the other woman throughout the school."


    This time, unlike when Ayakoji Chiyoko initially discovered the affair where Kagura Hikaru was evasive, he spoke very frankly.


    Although it was his own assumption, he believed that Kohinata Motoyo could handle this truth.


    "She..." Kohinata Motoyo, shocked, covered her mouth, pondered for a moment, then looked at Kagura Hikaru with a softened gaze, "So you agreed to Hina''s absurd demand just for this reason?"


    "...It wasn''t for you."


    "Yes, I know."


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled gently.


    "..." Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire


    Kagura Hikaru knew she hadn''t really listened.


    "If Hina tries to use this method again, you can simply refuse. It''s my real past, and it doesn''t matter even if people find out," Kohinata Motoyo said with a calm smile.


    She truly was a person with a strong spirit.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t even detect a hint of deceit in her, which meant it was the truth.


    Which seventeen-year-old girl could calmly reveal her troubled past? Kohinata Motoyo might well be the only one.


    In that respect, she genuinely impressed Kagura Hikaru.


    "I advise you not to do it, as it would implicate me too."


    "Kagura, are you still considering my feelings?"


    "No, it''s really..." Kagura Hikaru managed to suppress his urge to retort and turned back to the main topic, "You said you came today because of Ayakoji Chiyoko. Now that you''ve asked, can you leave?"


    "Eh? Kagura, do you really want me to go?"


    "Do you intend to stay overnight?"


    "Ah, actually, I just moved and found out that my mattress had a giant hole in it, making it unusable tonight..."


    "Alright, then you can sleep in the guest room downstairs," Kagura Hikaru quickly answered.


    "Eh? Is that okay?"


    Kohinata Motoyo hadn''t expected him to agree and was momentarily stunned.


    This was clearly a joke... but could such a windfall really happen?


    "Yes," Kagura Hikaru nodded, "However, Ayakoji Chiyoko and I have an agreement that she''ll come over in the morning to provide a wake-up call and join us for breakfast. If you don''t mind her potentially seeing you as a sneaky cat and deciding to ''take care of you,'' then feel free."


    "..."


    Kohinata Motoyo remembered the fearsome demeanor Ayakoji Chiyoko exhibited towards others, along with the punch she had decisively thrown at her when she was dating Kagura Hikaru, and she began to feel apprehensive.


    "I think I''ll just go back today..."


    "Scared?"


    "Of course not. It''s just that I don''t want to cause unnecessary trouble, and it would be difficult for Kagura too if that happened," Kohinata Motoyo firmly denied. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She stood up, looked at Kagura Hikaru, and turned serious, "Jokes aside, Kagura, what exactly are you going to do with Ayakoji Chiyoko? Are you really planning to continue dating her? If so, both on a personal and rational basis, I advise against it¡ªit''s a bad choice¡ªunless you actually like Ayakoji Chiyoko."


    "We can only say we''re friends, at least from my perspective," Kagura Hikaru said, "This is not what I intended."


    "That''s good, then..." Kohinata Motoyo smiled, "Do you need help, Kagura?"


    "What?"


    "Say you need it, and then let me help you."


    She extended her hand.


    Like the Virgin Mary offering bread to a hungry believer, her face radiated a glow of hope.


    "I will figure out a way to break you up smoothly."


    "You....."


    "You can completely trust me, after all, your breakup benefits me as well."


    "..."


    Seeking help from Kohinata Motoyo had never crossed Kagura Hikaru''s mind.


    It was like escaping the wolf''s lair only to enter the tiger''s den, a method that overextended the future like borrowing on credit.


    His plan was to gradually distance himself from Suse, to normalize their relationship, not to let her delve deeper into his life.


    But... there were priorities to everything.


    He no longer had any leverage in Suse''s hands, as long as he firmly refused, she couldn''t possibly force him again.


    On the other hand, concerning Ayakoji Chiyoko... honestly, Kagura Hikaru was at his wits'' end with her.


    He had thought through several plans for breaking up after accomplishing the mission, but no matter what, he couldn''t imagine Ayakoji Chiyoko handling it calmly.


    She was currently in a passionate phase of love.


    Like any girl in love, she wanted to stick by him all day, showing her affection unreservedly when alone.


    Kagura Hikaru even harbored an illusion that he was like a gem, constantly toyed with in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hands day after day, until he almost glowed from the handling.


    Last time too, if he hadn''t strongly refused, they might have even crossed the final line of being a couple.


    This outpouring of affection, if Kagura Hikaru and she were truly a couple, he would probably be very happy, since having a girlfriend who adored him so much is the happiest thing for a man.


    Unfortunately, reality was far from it.


    Kagura Hikaru knew that, in terms of intelligence, he was not the match of a true genius like Kobayashi Suse.


    Suse wasn''t constantly causing trouble like Kiryu Hina, but strategically, they were perhaps on par, perhaps Suse even excelled.


    Joining forces with her at this time, using her intellect to avoid the worst outcome, was also a tactic.


    Or to put it in harsher words, fighting poison with poison?


    After quietly thinking for a few seconds, Kagura Hikaru slowly nodded, rose to his feet, and extended his hand: "Then I''ll be troubling you."


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled broadly and gently grasped his hand.


    "Good, I''ve heard you, I will help you, Kagura."


    "..."


    "Now, please tell me what Hina''s purpose is exactly. If there is conflict, it might make things worse."


    "About that, actually, I don''t know either," Kagura Hikaru released her hand and said, "She wants me to find something in the Ayakoji family home but hasn''t specified what it is, only telling me that it''s not very important or valuable."


    "So it''s something that matters to Hina herself but for the members of the Ayakoji family, they might not even notice when it disappears?"


    "Perhaps."


    "Is that so..." Kohinata Motoyo pondered, touched her chin, then perked up and smiled, "I''m going back for today. If I uncover anything, I''ll tell you first."


    "Hmm, thank you."


    "If it''s for your sake, I''m willing to do anything, as you know, Kagura."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru saw Kohinata Motoyo off at the entrance, watching her wave goodbye with a red umbrella, walking toward the neighboring house.


    Kagura Hikaru shut the door, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes.


    Had he made another wrong decision?


    He didn''t know.

 Chapter 191 To Avoid Disbanding the Club, Kagura Hikaru Decides to Debut as an Idol

    By the end of this month, the Uka Cultural Festival was slated to begin.Right after the summer vacation had ended, the Student Council was already in the process of advancing the planning for the festival, controlled then by Kiryu Hina.


    However, in the middle of this month, Ayakoji Chiyoko seized the position of Student Council President from her, and naturally took charge of the festival''s activities.


    Student Council meeting room.


    An Executive Committee, composed of the Student Council, Culture Committee, Sports Committee, and Disciplinary Committee¡ªcritical student authority departments¡ªgathered again after the last sports meet to discuss matters concerning the cultural festival.


    "President, I think there are unreasonable requests in the equipment requisites proposed by the Light Music Club. The speakers they want to rent are too expensive, and we should cut the budget here," proposed the Culture Committee Chairman, raising a hand.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, sitting at the head of the long table, was flipping through files in her hands and said, "Regarding the budget, you can discuss it with Kagura Accountant, as that falls under his jurisdiction."


    Kagura Hikaru, sitting next to her, nodded slightly towards him.


    "Yes¡­," the female Culture Committee President mildly lowered her hand with a subtle expression. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it were up President Kiryu Hina, she definitely would not have answered like that.


    The members of the Culture Committee and Sports Committee attending couldn''t help but think.


    Kiryu Hina was authoritarian; she required that every decision made by the Executive Committee pass through her hands, even verifying each figure in the budget allocations.


    Not to mention uttering "This is in the accountant''s jurisdiction; talk to him" like that.


    For an average person, such meddling would inevitably cause dissatisfaction amongst those around them, but Kiryu Hina was a universal genius in the usual sense, surpassing other Student Council members in calculation, writing, networking, and language skills. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    To exaggerate a bit, she alone could actually handle all the Student Council work, and do so very well.


    During the year she led the Student Council, the Executive Committee had already been baptized by her talent several times and began to feel it natural for the Student Council President to handle everything alone.


    But now Kiryu Hina had stepped down and was replaced by the different Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Truly, where she would lead this session of Yuqiu High School''s Cultural Festival was quite worrisome.


    After all, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s assertiveness was notorious in the school.


    No one who dared to oppose her had a good end, not even Kiryu Hina, who lost to her.


    The representatives of each committee expressed their opinions cautiously, and Ayakoji Chiyoko responded to each one by one.


    She was a typical utilitarian + perfectionist; she would instantly replace the old plan with a better one, even if some were already underway.


    And if in some more ambiguous areas, her approach was also unconventional.


    For instance, regarding the issue of the decor style inside the school on the day of the Cultural Festival.


    Whether to make it similar to Halloween''s quirky style or a more conventional pattern, the Executive Committee was split into two sides, with more than half supporting the conventional style.


    Logically, this should have been resolved through a vote, decided by the side with the larger number of supporters.


    But after pondering for a while, Ayakoji Chiyoko immediately made a decision, "This year we are going with the Halloween style."


    The committee members, who had been arguing, all looked at her, waiting to hear how she would convince them.


    But after staring at each other for a few seconds, no one spoke.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko narrowed her eyes displeased, "Do as I say."


    Everyone: "..."


    Look, this is where the two Student Council Presidents differ.


    Dealing with a decisive tyrant, it''s hard to tell if that''s a blessing or a curse...


    The Executive Committee members looked at each other, tacitly turning to the next topic.


    "The Drama Club has applied to use the school auditorium for a play," Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at the project file in her hand, "like previous years, we can give them the auditorium. But, Culture Committee Chairman, explain to me why they also want the Student Council President to appear as well."


    A Drama Club program demanding the inclusion of the Student Council President, that isn''t just audacity.


    Honestly, it''s just causing trouble.


    The Culture Committee is responsible for managing the school''s arts clubs, and she should be well aware of these issues.


    "Yes, the head of the Drama Club mentioned to me..."


    The female President of the Culture Committee had just begun speaking when her deputy suddenly interjected.


    "I apologize, Chairman, but it would be better for me to explain this issue as I am a member of the Drama Club. It''s appropriate for me to answer."


    An extremely beautiful girl stood up.


    She had snow-white skin, jet-black hair tied into a single ponytail, a middle-parted fringe that revealed her forehead, well-defined features, gentle eyes, and slightly smiling lips, looking like a beauty who surpassed time.


    Her identity was unmistakable.


    The rising star of Uka High School¡ªKohinata Motoyo.


    ''Why is she here....?'' Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced at Kagura Hikaru beside her, her gaze inquiring.


    Kagura Hikaru noticed and slightly shook his head.


    He also did not know when Kohinata Motoyo had become one of the representatives of the Culture Committee, nor when she had joined the Drama Club.


    But then again, there was no need to inform him about these things.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko withdrew her gaze and looked at Kohinata Motoyo, her eyes reflecting a trace of puzzlement, "Alright, Kohinata student, please explain the consideration behind your Drama Club''s proposal."


    "It''s simple, we want to make this year''s Drama Club program better than the previous years,"


    Kohinata Motoyo sincerely said, "President Ayakoji, not to hide it from you, the Drama Club is currently in a dire situation, we are extremely short on club members, and with the seniors graduating next year, the Drama Club might face the crisis of being disbanded. We plan to use this Cultural Festival to positively promote the fun aspects of drama, for which we need the power of the Student Council President to show more people that the Drama Club exists."


    It''s just the crisis of disbandment, a mere wave could draw a crowd of fools to join¡ªit''s hardly the real reason.


    Such a big flaw, Ayakoji Chiyoko had no reason not to see through it.


    She eyed Kohinata Motoyo with suspicion, bewildered, then spoke to deny, "Kohinata student, I have a lot of work as the Student Council President, dealing with Drama Club matters..."


    "For this reason, not only President Ayakoji, we have also successfully invited Student Council''s Kagura Hikaru to join this drama performance," Kohinata Motoyo revealed the other half of her statement.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was momentarily stunned, turning her head to look at Kagura Hikaru beside her.


    Kagura Hikaru was also startled.


    When had he agreed to act in a play? He had never even heard about it!


    He saw Kohinata Motoyo take advantage of the shift in everyone''s gaze, quietly winked at him with her right eye, and gave a slight smile.


    Could it be that this was related to their discussion from last night about successfully breaking up with Ayakoji Chiyoko smoothly?

 Chapter 192 Mystery

    All eyes in the room turned to Kagura Hikaru, each gaze different from the next.After a brief silence, Kagura Hikaru sighed internally but his face remained expressionless as he said, "Yes, I did indeed make such an arrangement with the Drama Club."


    "Kagura...?" Ayakoji Chiyoko was surprised.


    She had never heard Kagura Hikaru mention anything like this. Surely, he shouldn''t have kept this from her, his girlfriend, right?


    And it was with Kohinata Motoyo, of all people...


    She was slightly annoyed.


    After Kagura Hikaru finished speaking, Kohinata Motoyo added with a smile, "Perhaps you are not aware, but Classmate Kagura was also a member of the Drama Club in junior high school and his acting was quite astonishing."


    "How do you know that? Did you research him?" asked Saijo Mari, the President of the Sports Committee, in surprise.


    Kohinata Motoyo glanced at her with amusement and said, "Coincidentally, I was a member of the same club as this Classmate Kagura during junior high school. His skills were recognized by me and all the members at that time, which is why we had the idea to invite him to participate in the Drama Club''s program. Luckily, he himself agreed and was willing to help out the Drama Club despite his busy schedule."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "..."


    Her gaze fixed on Kohinata Motoyo''s flawless smile, becoming increasingly dangerous as the air grew tense.


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly got involved with some Drama Club performance without any prior notice.


    It sounded like there was some sort of conspiracy afoot.


    If it was just Kohinata Motoyo trying to cozy up to her boyfriend with some trickery, Chiyoko could understand, but she couldn''t grasp why Motoyo would also make a point of inviting her to join as well.


    What was Motoyo''s objective, and what exactly was she up to?


    For a moment, Ayakoji Chiyoko brainstormed furiously in her mind.


    "What about your decision, President Ayakoji?" Kohinata Motoyo asked with a smile, "If you refuse, we won''t force you, and we''ll just have to give up. At least with Classmate Kagura, an outstanding actor, we should be able to attract some attention. Oh, I forgot to mention, this time Classmate Kagura will play the male lead."


    Upon hearing this, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression changed.


    To her ears, these words were nothing short of a challenge.


    "If you''re too scared to accept, you can refuse, but then Kagura Hikaru will be mine." ¡ª Motoyo seemed to whisper into her ear with a soft chuckle.


    Faced with such a blatant provocation, Chiyoko couldn''t possibly do nothing.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko straightened her expression and stared at Kohinata Motoyo, "As I said earlier, the Student Council has many responsibilities, especially for me as the Student Council President."


    "So....."


    "However, as Student Council President, I naturally cannot stand idly by and do nothing when a club under my supervision is in trouble," Ayakoji Chiyoko feigned a cough, "Therefore, I accept your proposal."


    The smile on Kohinata Motoyo''s face grew more genuine, "Really? I am so thankful to you, President Ayakoji, for agreeing to our request despite your busy schedule, we really appreciate it and we will try not to cause you any trouble. However, we do hope that you will also take time to come to the Drama Club rehearsals, and of course, Classmate Kagura needs to join too."


    "We''ll arrange another time for that."


    "Sit down, Kohinata, your proposal for the Drama Club is approved, next item," said Ayakoji Chiyoko, slightly irritated, as she gestured dismissively with her hand.


    Kohinata Motoyo slowly sat back in her chair, grinning like a triumphant little ermine, and exchanged a quick glance with Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru returned her look with a reproachful gaze.


    He did not like the feeling of being ambushed out of the blue.


    Performing on stage was certainly no problem, as he did not dislike acting.


    And to be honest, he was indeed quite talented at it.


    But the problem was, this meant he would inevitably come into frequent contact with Kohinata Motoyo, a member of the Drama Club.


    This plan is definitely mixed with a hundred percent self-interest!


    Kagura Hikaru felt like she had shot herself in the foot.


    She really shouldn''t have agreed to help Kohinata Motoyo; it was too late to refuse now.


    After a lengthy Cultural Festival planning meeting, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped out of the meeting room with their documents. Their eyes swiftly turned to Kohinata Motoyo, who was laughing and chatting with the Culture Committee Chairman in the hallway, their gazes were distinct from each other.


    Seeing them come out, Kohinata Motoyo greeted the Culture Committee Chairman and took the initiative to walk towards them.


    "President Ayakoji, and Classmate Kagura, when do you have time to go to the Drama Club rehearsal? The Cultural Festival is right around the corner, and if we don''t rehearse a few more times, it would be bad to make a mistake during the actual performance."


    "... What exactly are you trying to do?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked coldly, glancing at the nearby Kagura Hikaru, "and you got Kagura involved too."


    "Eh? Why would you say that, President Ayakoji? I just want to help the Drama Club recruit new members, that''s all."


    Kohinata Motoyo looked genuinely puzzled. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was an obviously feigned ignorance.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s chest heaved twice, and she exhaled, "Whatever plots and schemes you have, you''d better not get caught by me. Just you wait and see."


    "President Ayakoji is joking," said Kohinata Motoyo, "Both of you, do you want to come over to the Drama Club''s dress rehearsal now?"


    "I''ve told you already, the Student Council is very busy right now!" Ayakoji Chiyoko stared at her, expressionless, "After school, we''ll go there on our own."


    "Is that so, that''s great then."


    Kohinata Motoyo smiled, clapped her hands together, and looked at Kagura Hikaru, "Mister Hikaru, thank you for your help this time."


    "Hmm..."


    Kagura Hikaru had an odd look in her eyes and then followed Ayakoji Chiyoko and the other Student Council members as they left.


    Kohinata Motoyo kept smiling as she watched their figures disappear into the stairwell before she took out her phone and sent a message.


    Kohinata Motoyo: [It''s a success, they both agreed.]


    Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    Kiryu Hina: [What are you really thinking.]


    Kiryu Hina: [Helping me offers no benefit to you.]


    Kohinata Motoyo: [Well, what do you think?]


    Kiryu Hina: [...]


    Kiryu Hina: [I won''t be there for the rehearsal.]


    Kohinata Motoyo: [Of course, everything waits for the actual performance.]


    [Kiryu Hina has gone offline]


    The phone screen turned black, reflecting Kohinata Motoyo''s gentle smile tinged with a hint of slyness.


    She tapped the phone against her chin, chuckled, and pocketed it before turning away.


    Kagura Hikaru has her own goals, Ayakoji Chiyoko has her own goals, and Kiryu Hina has her own goals as well.


    Their demands are all very simple and straightforward at a glance.


    But Kohinata Motoyo is different from them.


    "Really looking forward to it, the Cultural Festival," she said softly, her eyes twinkling with an unpredictable shimmer.

 Chapter 193 Oxen on Both Sides

    At 3:30 p.m., school was dismissed.Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko had finished organizing the Student Council affairs and arrived at the school auditorium.


    When they got there, members of the Drama Club were rehearsing on stage.


    The Drama Club''s actual clubroom wasn''t here; it was in the old school building, but the school allowed them to use the auditorium during off-hours for rehearsals and performances.


    After all, this was the only place in Ugao, aside from the indoor gymnasium, that could be considered a "stage."


    The Drama Club at Ugao High used to be quite famous, with students reportedly coming from other schools during the cultural festival just to watch the performances.


    Unfortunately, a talent gap had appeared in recent years, and the club had started to decline.


    Kagura Hikaru observed the Drama Club members busying themselves in the auditorium.


    Just as Kohinata Motoyo had said, there were very few people, perhaps only six or seven.


    With so few people to handle the stage setting, acting, costume making, and makeup, it was inevitable that individuals would have to play multiple roles, making the club''s operation quite challenging.


    "You''re here," Kohinata Motoyo appeared, smiling as she approached, accompanied by a short girl wearing large, frameless glasses.


    "Let me introduce her, this is the president of the Drama Club, a senior, President Takeuchi Momo," Kohinata Motoyo introduced.


    "President Ayakoji, and Classmate Kagura, I appreciate your willingness to join us for the cultural festival performance," Takeuchi Momo adjusted her glasses and said smiley, her eyes constantly shifting to inspect the faces of Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, which was somewhat disconcerting.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko slightly furrowed her brow but still nodded at her, "Hello, President Takeuchi, let''s get started soon.


    "Oh? President Ayakoji is quite impatient," Takeuchi Momo seemed not to be afraid of Ayakoji Chiyoko, she said cheerfully, then turned to instruct Kohinata Motoyo, "Kohinata, please hand them the script. You two, just skim through the dialogue first, and we''ll try rehearsing a segment in a moment."


    After issuing the instructions, Takeuchi Momo waved goodbye and hurried off to direct the other members in setting up the stage.


    Kohinata Motoyo apologized to them with a rueful smile, "Sorry, President Takeuchi is just like that; please don''t think she is impolite. It''s just that her passion for theater overcomes her social skills."


    "It doesn''t matter," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, arms folded, expressionless, "Bring out the script quickly, our time is very limited, let''s not waste our energy on these pointless pleasantries."


    "Alright, alright."


    Seemingly accustomed to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s manner, Kohinata Motoyo looked resigned, and let the two find a place to sit down before she brought over two scripts that had been prepared earlier.


    "This time, we are thinking of performing ''The Phantom of the Opera,''" Kohinata Motoyo said as she handed over the scripts.


    They took the scripts and began to flip through them.


    As a classic opera, even as laymen, they were familiar with the overall plot.


    The story told of a musician who, after his face was disfigured, hid in the catacombs of the Paris Opera House and was known as "The Phantom of the Opera." He fell in love with a minor actress, Christine, and secretly coached her to become the lead actress.


    However, Christine loved her childhood friend Raoul, and to her, The Phantom of the Opera was just her music teacher.


    Driven mad with jealousy, The Phantom of the Opera kidnapped Christine and imprisoned her in his labyrinth-like lair. When Raoul and his companions came to her rescue, they fell into a trap. With their lives in peril, The Phantom threatened Christine to marry him.


    Christine tearfully agreed to save everyone, but The Phantom of the Opera eventually came to his senses, realized the true feelings of the woman he loved, and knowing his love would never be reciprocated, he abandoned his crazed behavior and released Christine and her companions back to the surface, disappearing forever.


    A quintessential love triangle story, which perhaps initiated this concept.


    The team had not made original changes to this classic play, apart from some details and shortening the length, the overall plot aligned closely with the 2004 film version.


    "How is it?"


    Seeing that both Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko had finished reading, Kohinata Motoyo smiled and asked, "If you have any issues or suggestions, please tell me anytime, and we can make adjustments accordingly."


    "Rather than that, why don''t you first tell me what roles are we actually going to play?" Ayakoji Chiyoko patted the script in her hand.


    The main roles in The Phantom of the Opera were clear: The Phantom, Christine, and Raoul.


    It centered around a love triangle involving two men and a woman.


    But the question was, who did Kohinata Motoyo want her to play?


    If it was Christine, setting aside whether Ayakoji Chiyoko''s na?ve and sweet heroine temperament matched the character in the script, if she really was chosen to play the lead female role, it would mean she''d have romantic scenes with two male actors.


    No matter whether Kagura Hikaru played The Phantom or Raoul, it all seemed very odd.


    Because although Christine''s true love was Raoul, she had a kissing scene with The Phantom in the last part of the drama.


    If Kagura Hikaru was The Phantom, Ayakoji Chiyoko could kiss him legitimately on stage, which indeed sounded a bit exhilarating.


    But if it was so, it also meant that Kagura Hikaru had to watch as Ayakoji Chiyoko and another male actor displayed their affection for each other.


    On the other hand, if Kagura Hikaru played Raoul, he would still have to watch Ayakoji Chiyoko and another male actor kiss misalignedly in the last part.


    This was frustrating. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With trouble on either side, is this place a Green Grass Farm?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kohinata Motoyo with a dark expression, already contemplating leaving with Kagura Hikaru. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    What a lousy play, just don''t act in it. Want to kiss? She could kiss as long and as passionately as she wanted in private, no need to upset herself just to act stubbornly?


    Moreover, she also suspected that Kohinata Motoyo was planning to set her up and intentionally provoke her.


    However, it assumed they truly wanted Ayakoji Chiyoko for the role of the female lead.


    Kohinata Motoyo gave a completely different answer.


    "President Ayakoji''s role is Raoul, and as for Mister Hikaru, you''ll play The Phantom," Kohinata Motoyo said with a beaming smile.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were both stunned.


    It was understandable for Kagura Hikaru to play The Phantom, but Ayakoji Chiyoko as Raoul?


    She, a drama novice, was to play a male role straight away?


    Although this fundamentally resolved the issue of the dilemma, it was well known that gender reversal roles were the most challenging to perform. Whether males act as females or females as males, both required extensive practice and acting skill to avoid becoming unconvincing.


    "It''s just a high school cultural festival, no need to take it so seriously," Kohinata Motoyo seemed to understand the problem and comforted her: "Besides, I think President Ayakoji already has a masculine presence in her everyday behavior and demeanor. Just tone it down a bit, and you can definitely handle it."


    "What do you mean...?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked, her eyes fierce, suspecting someone was making insinuations about her.


    Moreover, Ayakoji Chiyoko was more concerned about another matter than the difficulty of acting.


    Since Kagura Hikaru''s role was The Phantom, didn''t that mean they became rivals in love in the play?


    Forget about the dilemma, there wasn''t even a single romantic scene!

 Chapter 194 Two Women Fight For One Man

    "The Phantom of the Opera, huh..."Gazing at the script in his hand, Kagura Hikaru''s mind seemed to connect some thoughts together.


    In fact, it was only after arriving at the auditorium that he realized he was not suited to perform on stage as an actor.


    He was indeed skilled at acting, with a level 4 acting skill, completely top-notch professional standard; he would have been enough even for a real performance at the Paris Opera House.


    But, before that, Kagura Hikaru had a significant problem, or rather a defect, as an actor.


    He couldn''t smile.


    He just couldn''t bring a smile to his face.


    Due to various psychological pressures, he had developed a slight after-effect; until now, Kagura Hikaru had only smiled twice in the presence of Ai Cheng Hua Lian. If he consciously tried to control his muscles to smile, the scene would turn out to be very unsightly.


    Kagura Hikaru had also tried it in front of a mirror, and recalling that awkward expression was truly undesirable.


    A smile is a common emotional expression.


    Even when playing a cool antagonist, there would occasionally be the need to give a cold smile, let alone in traditional drama.


    The acting method in drama requires some ''exaggeration,'' after all, when performing on stage, the audience is quite far away, unlike the close-up view of facial expressions and movements in films and TV dramas, hence the need to rely on the actors to convey character emotions through clear body movements, language, and expressions.


    That is the nature of drama, and of course, there is no blame in that.


    But for Kagura Hikaru, it became a major problem.


    An actor with a poker face who can''t smile, no matter how expressive their words and actions are, would still cause a strong sense of disconnect and have no value on the stage of drama.


    Of course, this depends on the role.


    For example, a role without a head wouldn''t need to worry about this issue at all.


    His reason for coming here this time was not only to join Ayakoji Chiyoko and the Drama Club for the rehearsal but also to speak with Kohinata Motoyo in person about possible solutions to this problem.


    But after Kohinata Motoyo told him about the role he was supposed to play, Kagura Hikaru realized there was no need to remind her; she had probably noticed it long ago.


    The Phantom of the Opera is a disfigured musician who, because of his ugly appearance and suffering discrimination, could not blend into the crowd and thus hid like a vampire beneath the Paris Opera House.


    And his classic screen image is one wearing a mask, concealing the frightful ugliness of his face.


    It matched Kagura Hikaru''s needs perfectly.


    The mask could cover his face, and the defect of not being able to smile would disappear.


    With his acting skills, he was more than capable of compensating for the lack of facial expression with body movements and voice.


    Kohinata Motoyo must have known this, which was why she gave him the role of the Phantom.


    Kagura Hikaru met her gaze and said, "I have taken the role of the Phantom. So, who will play the female lead?"


    On the side, Ayakoji Chiyoko was all ears.


    The name Kohinata Motoyo was about to say would be the person who had a kissing scene with Kagura Hikaru at the end of the play.


    "Of course, it''s me," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile, patting her chest.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko almost exploded with anger.


    It was indeed a trap!


    "I disagree!" she immediately cried out.


    "President Ayakoji?" Kohinata Motoyo widened her eyes innocently, "If the President disagrees, then you can take the role of Christine, and I can play the lead actress who is replaced by the female lead."


    "You..." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko felt like she had been played.


    This person clearly knew that having her play the female lead would lead to a bull-headed tendency, and that''s why she had deliberately said this!


    "Let Raoul be played by you, and I will play Christine!"


    "That absolutely won''t do. I''m not tall enough. If President Ayakoji plays Christine, I will end up shorter than you, and it would greatly affect the audience''s perception."


    "That''s a small matter, can''t we just ignore it?"


    "President Ayakoji, please don''t forget this is an important recruitment performance for our Drama Club. As the Student Council President, you wouldn''t intentionally cause us trouble, right?"


    "You... fine, I get it. Let Hikaru play it! Let him play Christine, then you''ll have nothing to say!"


    Kagura Hikaru: "???"


    Wait up for me!


    "Mister Hikaru playing the leading lady... I''m a bit interested," Kohinata Motoyo teased, her gaze circling him twice before returning to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face. "But I''m sorry, it won''t work. Our president wouldn''t agree to it either."


    "..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face darkened with visible resentment.


    When she played a male role, the script was strong.


    But this time, she was the one being strong-armed?


    It was the familiar Green Grass Farm all over again.


    She had no intention of compromising, locking eyes with Kohinata Motoyo in a chilling standoff.


    In the end, it was Kagura Hikaru who broke the awkward silence, "Suse, can we cut the kissing scene at the end?"


    If there were no kissing scene, Ayakoji Chiyoko might be able to accept it, and he felt the same way.


    Kagura Hikaru was a bit annoyed at Kohinata Motoyo for blindsiding them with this private agenda.


    She hadn''t mentioned this part before.


    But Kohinata Motoyo shook her head and said, "Sorry, I can''t compromise on this. The final kiss is a crucial moment in The Phantom of the Opera''s change of heart, as well as an iconic moment on screen. We could change other parts, but not this one."


    "...Alright, I understand. So, can we angle it, misalign the kiss, and keep as much distance as possible?"


    "Eh~~ Mister Hikaru, I''m a girl and even I''m not saying anything, are you a boy feeling shy?"


    I''m worried if you keep this up, we won''t be able to leave the campus today.


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at Ayakoji Chiyoko, who looked murderous, feeling his hint was already quite clear.


    Kohinata Motoyo got the message, shaking her head as she spread her hands helplessly, "Alright, we''ll do it that way."


    "Are you satisfied now?"


    Kagura Hikaru turned to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Although the latter was still disgruntled, her expression had softened somewhat, but she still turned her head and warned Kagura Hikaru like a mother cautioning her child, "You''re not allowed to get close to this woman, got it?"


    "Oh."


    "If you dare actually kiss her, I''ll kill her, then kill you, and then myself!"


    "...Oh."


    This conversation was in no way private; Kohinata Motoyo, standing to the side, listened till her smile became stiff.


    And thus, the script and roles were set in stone.


    Kagura Hikaru would play the leading man: The Phantom of the Opera.


    Kohinata Motoyo would play the leading lady: Christine.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko would play Christine''s lover: Raoul.


    Interestingly, from the perspective of those in the know, the relationship between these three was actually the opposite of the script.


    The Phantom of the Opera ardently pursues Christine but fails to win her favor.


    However, Kagura Hikaru, who plays The Phantom, is actually the one being chased by Kohinata Motoyo, who plays Christine.


    In the original plot, Christine loves Raoul, but Kohinata Motoyo and Ayakoji Chiyoko, who portray them, actually have a mutual disdain for each other as romantic rivals.


    But in reality, it was Raoul (Ayakoji Chiyoko) and The Phantom of the Opera (Kagura Hikaru) who were a couple.


    So, don''t always associate actors with their roles.


    Otherwise, you''ll end up creating a lot of odd couples like these.


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    After giving them an overview of the script, Kohinata Motoyo took them on stage to rehearse their lines, mainly to get the inexperienced Ayakoji Chiyoko accustomed to the feeling of standing on stage.


    Watching them exchange words with one laughing and the other wearing a cold expression, Kagura Hikaru''s gaze flickered.


    He recalled a conversation with Kohinata Motoyo after a recent meeting, when she had contacted him privately to explain the significance of casting them for this play.


    It was part of a strategy for breaking up.


    The goal was to make Ayakoji Chiyoko initiate the breakup herself.

 Chapter 195 The Nonexistent Happy Ending

    ```Several hours earlier.


    "So, we want Ayakoji Chiyoko to be the one to initiate the breakup,"


    "Initiate?"


    In a corner outside the school building, Kagura Hikaru leaned against the wall, talking on the phone with Kohinata Motoyo, whose whereabouts at the time were unknown.


    "That''s right, initiate," Kohinata Motoyo said with a laugh, "People only believe in the choices they make themselves, and the decisions they make are usually harder to regret and overturn. If Mister Hikaru wants to break up with her peacefully, then this should be the best outcome. I assume you don''t mind sacrificing a bit of your pride for that, do you?"


    "Of course not," Kagura Hikaru said, "The key is how exactly to go about it."


    "The simplest and most direct method, of course, would be to make her detest you, to the point where she becomes physically repulsed. Naturally, she will choose to distance herself. But this method comes with consequences: after the breakup, you can no longer be friends,"


    "Alright, that''s a last resort. What else is there?"


    "Nothing else. If you want a clean break, this is the only way," Kohinata Motoyo said, slowing her speech, "Don''t worry; even making someone hate you has its degrees. We won''t make you do anything too extreme."


    "Like cheating with you, for example?"


    "Ah, Mister Hikaru, when did you learn to be as sarcastic as Hina?"


    "I''m not joking," Kagura Hikaru said seriously, "That''s the one thing I absolutely refuse to do."


    "...I understand, I won''t,"


    "So, Suse, may I ask what your motivation is?"


    "? What''s this all of a sudden?"


    Kagura Hikaru stood up and went to the vending machine nearby, inserting a coin and choosing a beverage as he spoke on the phone, "You like me, I know, but I''ve already made it clear that we won''t be together. I will not get back with you." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "...Yes,"


    Kohinata Motoyo on the other end responded softly,


    Her breathing became slightly heavier.


    Kagura Hikaru picked out a bottle of peach juice, crouched down to retrieve the drink, tilted his head to clamp his earphone between his shoulder and neck, and twisted off the bottle cap with both hands, "Even so, you still want to help me. What does it matter to you whether I break up with Ayakoji Chiyoko or not? Or do you simply detest Ayakoji Chiyoko yourself, wishing her to suffer?"


    "...It''s simple. I just don''t want to see you hurt anymore," Kohinata Motoyo said quietly, "Mister Hikaru, both of us understand that lies will one day come to light."


    "Yes, that''s all too clear,"


    After taking a sip of peach juice, Kagura Hikaru''s shimmering gaze seemed to reflect the image of that white Christmas night.


    The longer a malicious lie persists, the greater the harm it will cause.


    What starts as a minor cut can turn into a gaping, bleeding wound.


    A lie is just a lie; it can never become the truth.


    Just imagine, if one day in the future, he, already a graduate and of marriageable age, were to receive a marriage proposal from Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Of course, Kagura Hikaru could never marry her. He would then have to reveal the truth, that he doesn''t love her, that it was all an act, a plan devised by Kiryu Hina.


    What would she become then?


    It would only be a tragedy even more horrific than that of Kiryu Hina.


    He could not let them continue towards a deeper abyss out of temporary weakness.


    So this matter could not be dragged on.


    The longer it dragged on, the worse the outcome would be.


    He needed to slowly apply the brakes, closing this chapter in as stable a manner as possible while fulfilling Hina''s request.


    By doing so, the peaceful life he yearned for might return.


    ```


    And Ayakoji Chiyoko was bound to be hurt, subsequently drawing away from him.


    As for what Kohinata Motoyo said about them possibly not being able to remain friends, if it truly came to that, Kagura Hikaru would regret it, but there was no helping it.


    With every choice made, a corresponding outcome was born.


    In the story of those two, there was only one happy ending for Ayakoji Chiyoko, and that was if Kagura Hikaru continued to hide the truth, preventing others from divulging it, and kept playing the role of her boyfriend until he actually fell for her one day.


    But Kagura Hikaru would not do so.


    Moreover, such an ending simply did not exist.


    A lie was just a lie and could never become reality.


    Besides, there were too many people aware of the matter, all of whom did not get along with Ayakoji Chiyoko, and had their own agendas in private.


    Even if Kagura Hikaru was willing to sacrifice his own wishes, he might ultimately lose the ability to continue for various reasons.


    An ending built on false happiness was unfeasible from the start.


    Kohinata Motoyo''s words only made him more determined to break up.


    "So, what exactly do you intend to do?" Kagura Hikaru lightly tapped on his drink bottle, "Inviting us to participate in the play, you must have some purpose."


    "Exactly."


    Kohinata Motoyo''s tone regained its cheer as he explained, "The play is just the first step. I will make sure that your roles diverge from that of a couple, and I will have you act out scenes that make her uncomfortable. You must not console her, but instead show indifference, thereby helping Ayakoji Chiyoko to realize the difference in your values, which is often the start of many couples breaking up."


    "..."


    It sounded somewhat far-fetched, yet somehow plausible.


    The core idea was still the same as what was said at the beginning: it was a plan to make Ayakoji Chiyoko dislike him, very easy to understand.


    Kagura Hikaru knew what kind of person he was; he was someone who could easily be swayed by emotion. Even though he knew that maintaining a distance from Ayakoji Chiyoko was right, sometimes he couldn''t be that resolute.


    But now, with Kohinata Motoyo beside him to supervise, maybe this time he could finally take a firm stand.


    "I understand. Let''s do it that way."


    Saying this, Kagura Hikaru emptied his peach juice with one gulp.


    The flashback ended.


    Returning to the present.


    "You pitiable creature of darkness, what kind of life are you familiar with?"


    As Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera," Kohinata Motoyo recited her lines with a tender and sorrowful vibrato in her voice, a look of deep compassion in her eyes and a complex smile of self-sacrifice on her face, as she slowly walked toward Kagura Hikaru.


    "Pitiful, miserable Phantom, I must tell you, you are not alone."


    She was not wearing a costume, still clad in Ugao High''s summer uniform, which was a blue and white sailor outfit.


    Yet her superb acting made her seem just like the real Christine, as if she were wearing a long gown from the last century, beautiful and elegant, captivating the gaze of those watching.


    The Phantom portrayed by Kagura Hikaru, silent and filled with the thrill of anticipation and success, drew Christine into his arms.


    After exchanging looks for a moment, Kohinata Motoyo closed her eyes and leaned in to offer her lips.


    "Stop, let''s not get so detailed with this part,"


    With a swoop, Ayakoji Chiyoko placed the script between their lips, her face as cold as an iceberg.


    "What are you doing, don''t interrupt the actors'' rehearsal!"


    The Drama Club president, Takeuchi Momo, was hopping mad, but her hops did not even reach the height of the stage, making her look entirely unthreatening.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko paid her no mind, her gaze fixated on Kohinata Motoyo until she withdrew from Kagura Hikaru''s embrace with a smile.

 Chapter 196 There are Differences Between Geniuses and Geniuses

    "President Ayakoji, is there a problem with our acting?" Kohinata Motoyo asked with a smile.Ayakoji Chiyoko challenged him, "You said that the kissing scene was supposed to be a fake kiss, so why did you get so close?"


    "Even for a fake kiss, we need to get close to give the audience a more realistic effect."


    "This is just a high school cultural festival. There''s no need to be so serious, those were your words exactly, weren''t they?"


    "Yes, but doing our best is our duty as actors, right?"


    A frustrated anger burned in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes.


    Yet, Kohinata Motoyo maintained his pure smile, boldly making eye contact with her.


    The atmosphere was tense, ready to explode at any moment.


    Supposed to act as a peacemaker, Kagura Hikaru seemed oblivious to their conflict, silently reciting his lines on the side.


    "Refusing me is like sending your lover to death!"


    "Forget everything you''ve seen, and go..."


    "Only you can let my song soar. I love you, Christine."


    He practiced the moves from The Phantom of the Opera as if no one else was there.


    Kagura Hikaru''s acting style was devoid of personal emotion, with complete immersion instead.


    The character''s anger, madness, loneliness, pain, and sadness were all vividly displayed, sharp and powerful, as if the real Phantom of the Opera had appeared.


    A man filled with anger and jealous of the world of light, pitiable, detestable, a homicidal control freak, yet he possessed a dark charm unique to him.


    On and off the stage, people who were originally working couldn''t help but stop their actions and look towards Kagura Hikaru.


    As members of the Drama Club, they had a higher appreciation level than average students.


    The better the discernment, the more apparent the prowess of Kagura Hikaru became.


    Even Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo, who were arguing on the side, found themselves unconsciously stopping their dispute, captivated by his performance and watched for a long time.


    "Hikaru''s acting is impressive, isn''t it?"


    Kohinata Motoyo''s eyes locked onto Kagura Hikaru, not missing a single detail in his movement, expression, or voice, his eyes sparkling as he proudly said, "Even at his current level, he could make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. With one classic piece, he could even be on par with other masters."


    "..."


    Different from Kohinata Motoyo''s undisguised longing and agreement, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes flickered uncertainly, seemingly not eager to see such a version of Kagura Hikaru.


    The current him gave Ayakoji Chiyoko a sense of distance, as if he was far away from herself.


    After Kagura Hikaru graduates and enters society, what path will he choose?


    Sword Dao expert? Musician? Actor?


    No matter what, he is bound to make a mark and lead the forefront, isn''t he?


    At that time, could they still maintain their current relationship?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, always seen as a genius by others, felt a rare surge of inferiority.


    There are differences even between geniuses.


    But after all, she is Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Seeing a peak won''t make her want to retreat, but will only firm her determination to climb further.


    A smile slowly formed on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face.


    The increasingly excellent Kagura Hikaru made her proud, compelling her to challenge him.


    She would catch up.


    She would put in more effort and time than she did now, achieve enough to match Kagura Hikaru, prove that she was not just a genius''s appendage, and then stand by his side, supporting each other as they moved forward.


    This was the relationship Ayakoji Chiyoko wanted.


    Her brief emotional shift was clearly observed by Kohinata Motoyo, who stood by her side.


    This girl was a bit of a handful, she thought to herself, her expression unchanged.


    The afternoon rehearsal continued for two hours.


    Unexpectedly, Ayakoji Chiyoko adapted quickly.


    Drama, as a high-threshold form of performance, initially presented the challenge of memorizing lines.


    They needed to memorize the entire script without a prompter, as there would be no chance to look at their scripts during the actual performance, akin to a one-shot, one-hour movie.


    Of course, there were scene changes during the play, but that time was consumed by changing costumes and applying makeup, hardly a break.


    As a high school cultural festival play, it obviously wouldn''t be as professional as a real theater performance, but the requirement to memorize numerous lines was the same.


    The Drama Club members never expected from the start that Ayakoji Chiyoko could memorize all the lines quickly, and even prepared themselves mentally for the possibility that she wouldn''t finish memorizing before the festival started.


    If it had been a supporting role, it would have been manageable, but the lead role of Christine had too many lines, the most in the entire play, including singing.


    But as it turned out, they had underestimated the current Student Council President of Ugao High.


    During the first rehearsal, Ayakoji Chiyoko demonstrated remarkable memory skills; she recited all her lines without missing a word, her delivery smooth and coherent.


    Once or twice might be coincidental, but three or four times was not.


    In terms of acting, Ayakoji Chiyoko still had a lot to learn, but she was also learning rapidly.


    She had Kohinata Motoyo and Kagura Hikaru, two actors with superb skills, for reference and guidance, along with the muscle memory from being a child star and going through systematic training.


    The memories of her child star days did not leave much of an impression on Ayakoji Chiyoko; after all, she was too young at the time, and many feelings about acting were only gradually retrieved through deliberate digging.


    Once her state returned, she began to let go and managed to speak on stage as the character, rather than as ''Ayakoji Chiyoko'' herself.


    Progress on the Drama Club''s part was going very smoothly.


    At the same time, the Executive Committee led by the Student Council was also rapidly advancing the preparations for the cultural festival, posting advertisements everywhere and gradually transforming the school''s style.


    As previously decided by Ayakoji Chiyoko, this year''s Uka High School''s cultural festival would be Halloween themed.


    The chosen main colors were black and orange; school street lamps were decorated with ribbons and vines, and even the school sign outside Haneoka Private High School was adorned with bat-shaped stickers.


    The school was gradually taking on the atmosphere of the cultural festival.


    Although the theme was Halloween, Ayakoji Chiyoko and her group did not really intend to turn the cultural festival into a Halloween event. It was merely a kind of gothic style that was not quite similar in form or dark in essence.


    If it really turned out that way, the Student Council would be the first to lead the opposition.


    The cultural festival was an activity unique to the school; if it was overshadowed by the impression of another holiday, it would be putting the cart before the horse.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was very concerned about this aspect. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How well she managed this first major festival since becoming the Student Council President would affect the students'' impression of her and her re-election the following year.


    In the midst of busy days, the cultural festival entered the countdown.


    The cultural festival would officially begin in three days.


    And before that, Class 2A, Kagura Hikaru''s class, finally decided on the class program to be presented at the cultural festival.


    It was a maid caf¨¦.

 Chapter 197 This time, I wont let anyone else have you

    At Yuqiu High School, Kagura Hikaru thought a great aspect of the Island Nation high schools was that all significant school events were arranged autonomously by the students themselves.For example, for large-scale school events like the sports festival and cultural festival, which are held to make the students happy, the mood inevitably starts to shift if adults intervene or even completely take charge.


    As a school focused on advancement to higher education, Yuqiu High School usually has a very strenuous academic schedule, so the cultural festival serves as an outlet for relief.


    There were only three days left until the official start of the cultural festival, and each class began their preparations in earnest.


    After school today, everyone gave up their club activities to help decorate their classroom.


    The program for Kagura Hikaru''s class at this year''s cultural festival was a maid cafe; they planned to set up shop right in their classroom.


    There were also options like a haunted house or a family restaurant, but in the end, the maid cafe received the highest number of votes.


    It was a conventional choice, as there would likely be many other classes choosing a maid cafe, given its simplicity and ability to attract attention. All that''s needed was to combine maid outfits with serving coffee.


    However, the students in second year Class A could confidently claim that there wasn''t another maid cafe throughout the whole school that could rival theirs in terms of talk value.


    That was because their class boasted three exceptionally beautiful girls¡ªKohinata Suse, Ayakoji Chiyoko, and Kiryu Hina¡ªwho all could be TV idols, creating a lineup as luxurious as an airliner cabin crew.


    Class president Hagawa Reki rushed to measure the girls'' sizes immediately after class ended, then prepared to go out and rent maid outfits.


    There were indeed a few girls in the class skilled in sewing, but there simply wasn''t enough time to make everything themselves.


    Even so, there was still a problem: it seemed that the class funds allocated for the cultural festival had gone a bit over budget. They could only afford to rent some very cheap outfits. If they wanted nicer ones, there wouldn''t be enough for everyone to wear, and the girls who were looking forward to the maid outfits would definitely be disappointed.


    In the end, it was Kohinata Suse who solved the clothing issue; she somehow managed to procure a large batch of English-style maid outfits that fit everyone, and both the fabric and craft were quite professional.


    Some students noticed that where there should have originally been brand tags, they were all torn off, making it unclear whether these were branded clothes or not.


    Even when asked directly, Kohinata Suse merely smiled without giving a response.


    The maid outfits were sorted, and what remained was the coffee.


    The coffee machines had already been moved into the classroom, rented with class funds. However, the critical factor wasn''t the machines, but the people making the coffee.


    As it was a maid cafe, the girls would be the servers, and naturally, the boys would take care of the backend.


    The boys in the class each took turns trying to make coffee with the machine.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and a few class committee members acted as judges, choosing three boys who made the best-tasting coffee to take charge of the coffee machine. Kagura Hikaru was among them, his coffee being of an entirely different caliber; there was no reason not to choose him. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    The rest of the boys would be responsible for cooking and various logistics tasks.


    Even though it was called a cafe, they planned not to offer just coffee; necessary dishes and snacks were essential too.


    They needed to select someone for this area as well.


    In the end, Kagura Hikaru won the cooking competition, so the situation became him being responsible for both coffee and cooking.


    "I don''t have three heads and six arms; you''re expecting too much from me!" Kagura Hikaru protested.


    "How about this then?" Kohinata Suse suggested, raising her index finger. "Kagura could be the ''head chef,'' in charge of the entire kitchen."


    "Hmm, I think that''s a better idea," said class president Hagawa Reki, lifting his glasses in agreement.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko also folded her arms and said, "Well, I guess that''s the only way."


    Kagura Hikaru sighed.


    He already had work from the Student Council and the Drama Club plays, and at this rate, he really was going to be overwhelmed.


    Although he complained inwardly, he still took on the responsibility.


    This was the cultural festival, a collaborative project involving everyone; he couldn''t dampen everyone''s spirits.


    He and the other boys cleaned the classroom, moved desks and chairs around, while the girls were responsible for the room''s decorative frills, making the classroom feel more like a maid cafe.


    Kagura Hikaru finished his part quickly, and he went outside to dump out the dirty water and fill up with fresh water at the downstairs tap.


    While waiting for the bucket to fill, he felt a little bored and took the opportunity to look around him.


    The weather was still the scorching heat of summer, with the sun remaining fully intense at three or four in the afternoon, heat ascending and the cicadas'' cries disrupting the quiet.


    But this is summer, feeling annoyed now, maybe after this period, the nostalgia will begin.


    The chants of sports clubs that were often heard after school were absent today, replaced by the noisy sound of moving tables and chairs coming from the building behind, and hurried figures in the corridors; it seemed that other classes were also busy cleaning just like them.


    Well, the cultural festival is in less than three days, and any slower in action, they wouldn''t have had the leeway to prepare for the event.


    After all, they only had the after-school hours of these three days to prepare; they still had to attend classes at other times, leaving not much time to spare.


    "Takahashi-kun, hurry up and bring the rag over!"


    "Ah! There''s a spider!!"


    "So dirty! Who left chewing gum here..."


    A variety of lively voices came from upstairs.


    Is this what they call youth?


    "It''s so hot....."


    Kagura Hikaru wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and bent down to turn off the tap.


    Just as he was about to lift the bucket, he saw someone extend a hand next to him, offering a handkerchief.


    "Here, use this to wipe off the sweat."


    It was a familiar voice.


    Kagura Hikaru looked up, and Kiryu Hina was already beside him, looking at him with a smile.


    There wasn''t any scheme or cunning in that smile, only warmth and sincerity.


    That expression was exactly the same as when they were dating.


    Kagura Hikaru felt momentarily dazed, but remembering what she had done, he quickly came to his senses.


    "...No need, thank you."


    He didn''t take the handkerchief but bent down to lift the bucket and walked toward the stairs steadily.


    Kiryu Hina followed him step by step.


    "I heard you''re going to perform in a play?"


    "Yeah."


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t surprised she knew this; the breadth of Kiryu Hina''s information network was evident from several previous incidents.


    Even after she had stepped down as Student Council President, those connections wouldn''t just disappear.


    And besides, it wasn''t anything that needed to be kept secret. Perhaps the members of the Drama Club had already spread the news, unbeknownst to him.


    "I''ll come to cheer for you when it''s time."


    "It''s not a sports match, no need to come."


    "...Really? I''d like to see you perform again."


    "This time, Kohinata Motoyo and I are acting opposite each other, are you sure you want to watch?"


    "Yes!" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then it''s up to you."


    Kiryu Hina, who was walking behind him with hands clasped behind her back, let out a faint smile, and her steps became a bit lighter.


    Now that she had been granted permission, it was time to make a scene.


    This time, I won''t let anyone else have you.


    You are mine, Mister Hikaru.

 Chapter 198 In other words, a Lolita complex?

    "Wow, how beautiful!""God...."


    "I absolutely have to capture this and keep it forever."


    "Hold on! You boys, stop snapping randomly!"


    The classroom of Grade 2 Year A was bustling with noise.


    The students surrounded three girls in the middle, admiring them as devotedly as if they were statues of goddesses.


    These three girls were none other than Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kohinata Motoyo, and Kiryu Hina.


    All of them had changed into black and white maid outfits provided by Kohinata Motoyo, with long skirts, slim waists, and small leather shoes, each displaying their own unique flavor.


    Kohinata Motoyo resembled the typical gentle maid you might see in an anime, her long hair piled up behind her head, hands crossed over her lower abdomen, with a gentle smile, radiating a motherly aura.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, on the other hand, was like a strong-willed older sister cosplaying in a maid outfit from a hot-blooded battle series. Her long hair was wildly spread out, her eyes fierce, standing straight as if even holding a bamboo sword on her shoulder and a band-aid on her cheek could not disrupt her commanding presence.


    Honestly, she and the maid outfit didn''t match at all. No matter how one looked at it, it felt like cosplay, like someone ordinary wearing a costume, lacking immersion.


    The final one, Kiryu Hina, was a typical kuudere type maid.


    Although she didn''t wear glasses, the somber, literary girl vibe she conveyed couldn''t be hidden at all. At the moment, she casually put her hands in the front pockets of her maid skirt, her eyes wandering aimlessly, her expression blank, as if she didn''t care about the students around her at all.


    Only when she saw Kagura Hikaru, who was rolling up his sleeves and fiddling with a coffee machine outside the crowd, did a hint of a smile appear in her eyes.


    Everyone surrounded and took photos of them. Initially, the girls who tried to stop them couldn''t hold back, and they eventually joined the group of photographers too.


    It wasn''t until Ayakoji Chiyoko started to get angry and chased them all away that the commotion settled down. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How does it feel to try these on?" Kohinata Motoyo asked with a smile, "After all, these aren''t custom-made, so there might be some issues with the sizes. If there''s a problem, let me know and I''ll make adjustments."


    "It''s okay, nothing bad," Kiryu Hina responded flatly without turning her head.


    "However, I think mine''s a bit tight," Ayakoji Chiyoko challenged, glancing at Kiryu Hina and tugging at the chest area of her dress, "Especially here, it''s quite uncomfortable."


    Kiryu Hina''s face stiffened, and a vein popped on her forehead.


    In reality, her figure wasn''t poor, and could even be said to exceed the average for girls.


    But compared to Ayakoji Chiyoko, the voluptuous beauty making her way with a "duangduang" sound, it was just... a bit less so.


    Even Kohinata Motoyo was a bit more endowed than her.


    Seeing this, she suddenly realized she was actually the flattest among them!


    "Darn, just because hers are bigger, what''s so great about that...." Kiryu Hina muttered darkly, her eyes fixed enviously on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s body below her head.


    "Come on, come on, these are just individual differences, nothing to judge as good or bad," Kohinata Motoyo, like the mom of the group, smiled and comforted, "What''s important is what the person we care about thinks, right?"


    "Hmph, if that''s the case, there''s no need to compare at all," Ayakoji Chiyoko crossed her arms, holding up a large, subtly pleased posture.


    In this world, there was only one person she was willing to actively show off her figure to, and that person was already her boyfriend.


    So the answer was obvious¡ªKagura Hikaru liked big!


    "Hehe, that''s hard to say," Kiryu Hina touched her lips, and gave a dark, seductive laugh like a vampire in an ancient castle, "Don''t forget who his first girlfriend was."


    "Tsk!" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face shifted momentarily, her index finger tapping her arm unhappily, "That was just a middle school fancy, now, it''s probably useless even if you stripped naked in front of him."


    This time it was Kiryu Hina''s turn to change her expression.


    The two of them poking at each other''s sore spots, breaking each other''s defenses, looked quite amusing to Kohinata Motoyo.


    "Honestly, I have observed that Kagura''s preference is for petite women," Kohinata Motoyo covered her mouth as if hiding a secret, leaning in and whispering softly.


    Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko pricked up their ears.


    "So, a lolicon?" Ayakoji Chiyoko voiced her suspicion.


    "What are you talking about? He''s definitely not that kind of indecent person," Kiryu Hina glared at her fiercely, "You were talking about the height thing, right?"


    "Then the shortest person here is..."


    They all looked towards Kohinata Motoyo, who was calmly smiling.


    They rolled their eyes simultaneously.


    "Speaking of which, Kohinata aside, since when did you take an interest in him?" Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kiryu Hina warily, sensing something off about her attitude.


    Why would an ex-girlfriend, who had long since broken up and ceased contact, display an atmosphere of Shura Field with her, the current girlfriend?


    She and Kagura Hikaru had nothing to do with each other anymore after all, especially after all the targeting previously.


    What was with this attitude now?


    "Well, guess," Kiryu Hina, looking down and fiddling with her fingers, obviously uncooperative.


    But as a girl in love, Ayakoji Chiyoko could clearly see through it.


    Someone she thought was a safe target in love, turned out to be a sneaky cat after her property!


    "You''ve fallen too, Kiryu Hina, even learning to eat your own vomit," she accused.


    "Oh, are you referring to the proverb ''A good horse doesn''t eat the grass behind it''? But I am a human, not a racehorse that only knows how to move straight ahead. Humans are creatures that regret, you know."


    "From the look of you, could it be that you''ve learned something?" Ayakoji Chiyoko queried, looking suspiciously at Kohinata Motoyo, "Did you tell her?"


    "How could that be possible," Kohinata Motoyo laughed with a complex smile, her fingers twirling her hair, "Don''t overestimate me, I don''t have the guts."


    "Then it''s..."


    "No need to go on," Kiryu Hina cut her off, her hands shoved into her skirt pockets, her face expressionless, "I indeed found out, the true events of the past. So now, I will return to the track and compete with you."


    "..."


    "Don''t assume you''ve won just because you''re now ''the legitimate wife''. The days ahead are long, no one knows what will happen. Listen well, this is a declaration of war, Ayakoji Chiyoko, better catch it properly."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression was uncertain.


    A Kohinata Motoyo was troublesome enough, and now there was another even more difficult one to deal with.


    Having a charming boyfriend is something to brag about for a lover.


    But it always brings bad women around, and Ayakoji Chiyoko occasionally felt a headache too.


    But...


    "Alright, to be honest, I''ve been waiting for you for a long time," Ayakoji Chiyoko revealed a cruel smile like spotting prey, staring directly into Kiryu Hina''s eyes, "Let''s start the second round, betting on Kagura Hikaru, this is a war between women."


    "Just what I wanted."


    Killer intent overflowed between the two, as if one could hear the roar of dragons and tigers.


    If they were to be dragons and tigers, then Kohinata Motoyo was like a little weasel, unnoticeably retreating from the battlefield with a smile.


    Then she quietly slipped next to Kagura Hikaru, who was cleaning a machine.


    "Kagura, the work over there is done, let me help you."


    "Hm?... Okay, handle this side then." Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire


    "If I finish it, will I get a reward?"


    "I''ll thank you."


    "That gives me a little motivation."


    "..."

 Chapter 199 Youll Get Caught if You Sneak Away

    "Mister Hikaru, I don''t understand this part, could you teach me?""Mister Hikaru, the light on the coffee machine suddenly came on, did I accidentally press something?"


    "Mister Hikaru, I''ve finished cleaning here, is there anything else I need to do?"


    "Mister Hikaru..."


    "Mister Hikaru..."


    Kohinata Motoyo circled around Kagura Hikaru like a puppy.


    She grasped the limits well, neither annoying nor overbearing, and was so helpful that she incited pity.


    The classmates around them noticed but weren''t surprised, only showing the fed-up look of ''there they go showing off their love again''.


    Kohinata Motoyo and Kagura Hikaru were known as the model couple of the school, a fact firmly nailed into everyone''s heads by the former. Her getting close to Kagura Hikaru was nothing out of the ordinary.


    And although they now claimed to have broken up, according to Kohinata Motoyo, it was just a fake separation to avoid causing trouble for the school. They would resume their relationship once the new school rule lifting the ban on romance came into effect.


    Some envied their relationship, others were jealous and wondered why it couldn''t be them.


    As for the more unique individuals, like Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, they wished that this despicable, shameless, cheating cat, Kohinata Motoyo, would just hurry up and die.


    But none of that stopped Kohinata Motoyo from sticking close to Kagura Hikaru.


    For her, what mattered was enjoying the time spent with the person she liked, desiring more time together, a yearning she could hardly hide.


    Watching her, Kagura Hikaru thought of an impolite term¡ª''loyal dog''.


    Such small disturbances had actually never stopped since the breakup.


    After Kiryu Hina returned to her old self, the false perfection was shattered, and in one night, the previous ''Uka Pope'' turned into a hard-to-get-along-with literary girl.


    Therefore, Kohinata Motoyo became the next ''Kiryu Hina,'' the next symbol of perfection, adored by all.


    After losing one idol, people needed to find another replacement quickly to seek mental tranquility and return to their previously familiar lives.


    Because she was too gentle-natured, Kohinata Motoyo would sometimes be swept up by those around her and unable to be with Kagura Hikaru, but she would find him whenever she had the chance.


    Yet whether she was frequently seeking him out at school to chat or filling his mailbox with expensive gifts every day, it was all a nuisance to Kagura Hikaru. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At school, at least he had Ayakoji Chiyoko as a shield.


    But it was different at home.


    Whenever his father and stepmother found gifts in the mailbox, Kagura Hikaru could only repeat tirelessly, ''A rich girl is pursuing me,'' ''I will return the gifts to her.''


    Carrying a gift box to Kohinata Motoyo every day, to outsiders, it looked as if he was buying her gifts daily.


    This also became evidence for his classmates to believe that they were deeply in love.


    Every time she heard such talk, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt an itch of hatred in her teeth.


    Especially lately, as it had become even more excessive, with Motoyo deliberately buying the house next to his just to become neighbors with him.


    But even though Kohinata Motoyo did so much, Kagura Hikaru still couldn''t persuade himself to accept her.


    Her affection was heavy but sincere, and anyone would soften at a girl who tied her heart to them like this.


    But ultimately, Kohinata Motoyo had caused too much irreversible damage, making it impossible for Kagura Hikaru to ever see her as someone he could truly be close to again. Find exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Even though he was no longer agonizing over Kiryu Hina''s affair, he still felt they shouldn''t be together.


    So, Kagura Hikaru was always refusing.


    "Figure it out by reading the manual yourself."


    "Turn off the power, and the light will go out."


    "There''s nothing left to do here, go help someone else."


    Kagura Hikaru saw himself as a tough straight guy and mercilessly rejected each advance one by one.


    When he realized that Kohinata Motoyo was talking too much and the physical distance between them was closing in, Kagura Hikaru immediately decided to kick her out.


    When she returned dejectedly, she was met with the deep, searching gazes of Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kohinata Motoyo''s smile stiffened.


    Just like a lie will eventually be exposed, no matter how cautious you are, sneaking off will get you caught.


    This was the lesson Kohinata Motoyo learned from this incident.


    The Uka Cultural Festival continuously improved amidst the students'' enthusiasm.


    Three days later, on the day of the festival.


    The weather was clear, with no clouds in sight and a comfortable temperature.


    It was a rare good weather in recent times.


    At eight in the morning, the Discipline Committee members opened the school gates on time to welcome visitors from outside the school.


    People who had been waiting outside entered the gates with laughter and chatter, pointing out the Uka High School''s Halloween-themed decorations for the cultural festival.


    Black ribbons and vines wrapped around the street lights, and vampires handing out colorful balloons, pumpkin lanterns, plaster sculptures, old crooked signboards, and heaps of masks adorned the walkways from the courtyard to the school building, creating a curious atmospheric feeling.


    Most of the visitors were adults; some were student families, while others were unrelated guests who had heard there was a high school cultural festival nearby and came to take a look.


    The school''s cultural festival was open to the public, and for the residents nearby, it was like a small festival.


    If they were interested and had the time, they would come for a visit.


    There were even some who brought their DSLR cameras specifically to take photos of the students.


    Being able to walk into a high school and openly take photos of the students was an opportunity that only came twice a year, during the sports festival and the cultural festival.


    However, such people were somewhat suspect of crime, especially during the sports festival. There were quite a few dubious individuals who came specifically to take photos of high school girls'' thighs.


    Photography was certainly allowed, and nobody went out of their way to restrict this, but if someone purposely took pictures of private areas, that would be somewhat improper.


    So anyone with a camera around their neck would be specially watched by passing Discipline Committee members, who would kindly warn those found only focusing on taking pictures of female students.


    "Don''t stir up trouble, alright? We''ll be watching with these eyes," they would say.


    Confronted by the Discipline Committee member''s fist, as big as a sandbag, photographers could only nod repeatedly and flee in fear.


    But no matter where they fled, they would see the fierce Discipline Committee members wearing red armbands.


    For this cultural festival, the Disciplinary Committee had specially recruited fifty student volunteers from the general student body and, after three days of basic training, put them on duty with the Discipline Committee members to oversee the school''s security.


    Nobody knew what those volunteers had experienced within the Discipline Committee, but the once ordinary students now all looked like they stepped out of a JoJo''s rugged art style, with distinctly angular and visibly muscular figures.


    They could intimidate wrongdoers with just their gaze alone.


    Kagura''s father and stepmother had just walked into the school and were startled by them.


    "It seems even more exaggerated than last time¡­" the stepmother said, embarrassed.


    Kagura''s father nodded silently, thinking that Uka used to look quite normal, but recently it had become more and more unseemly.


    However, they were not experts on cultural festivals.


    Today, their main purpose was to see their own son.


    They had heard that his class was running a caf¨¦ event, and as a father skilled in both tea and coffee, Kagura''s father certainly couldn''t miss it.


    Downstairs there were many directional signs for visitors from outside the school.


    They quickly found Class 2-A.

 Chapter 201 200 Chapter Maid Cafe

    At this moment, class 2-A was bustling with excitement."One Blue Mountain Coffee, one egg fried rice!"


    "Got it!"


    "Eh, is there cappuccino on the menu? Can I order that?" Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course, you can, guaranteed delicious~"


    The seats in the classroom were all filled, mostly with students in Uka school uniforms, and a long queue formed outside the room. Had they not turned away most of them to prevent disruption to other classes and hallway traffic congestion, it would have been even more crowded.


    The reason for this was probably because of Kiryu Hina, standing at the door to welcome guests with rabbit ears on her maid outfit and a cool expression.


    She was too beautiful, like an idol with makeup on TV, yet she was standing there so real that anyone who walked up to this level of classroom corridors couldn''t ignore her and would unconsciously want to line up.


    Although Kiryu Hina herself did not want to stand there being watched.


    It wasn''t personal; the position of greeting guests at the door was on a lottery system, and she just had the misfortune of drawing the short straw.


    And even if she didn''t man the door, she would have to serve in the classroom. Perhaps this job was better in comparison? After all, she only needed to stand.


    ...But who could tell her what was up with these rabbit ears?!


    Remembering when Kohinata Motoyo cheerfully put the rabbit ear headband on her, saying, Kiryu Hina felt veins popping on her forehead.


    "Every maid greeting guests at the door must wear these. We have cat ears, rabbit ears, dog ears, bear ears, which one do you want?"


    "I don''t need any of them!"


    "No can do, Hina. This is for the class''s revenue. You can''t say such capricious things."


    "You..."


    "Come on, put it on. How about these rabbit ears?"


    "..."


    "Ah, so pretty! As expected of Hina, everything looks good on you."


    And so, coaxed and praised, Kiryu Hina found herself standing here.


    How could she make Kohinata Motoyo feel the same shame she did?


    Because it was boring just standing there, she began pondering such a question.


    She hadn''t reached a conclusion when an astonished voice suddenly came from beside her.


    "Eh, aren''t you... Classmate Kiriyu?"


    She turned her head and saw that it was Kagura Hikaru''s father and stepmother.


    Kiryu Hina had taken shelter at the Kagura family home due to a fever from being caught in the rain, so she had met Kagura''s father and his wife before.


    That''s right, today was the school culture festival. It made sense for them to be here to see Kagura Hikaru.


    She just hadn''t expected their second meeting to be under these circumstances.


    Kiryu Hina awkwardly grasped her skirt with one hand, her cool demeanor completely gone, and like a well-behaved child, she humbly bowed her head and said, "Hello, aunt and uncle, I really troubled you last time."


    "Not at all, not at all," the stepmother said with a smile, waving her hand, "When will you come over to visit again, Hina-chan? We''re always happy to have you."


    "Yes... if I have the chance."


    "That would be great. How have you been getting along with Mister Hikaru lately?"


    "It''s the same as before..."


    "Is that so? It would be nice if you two could get a little closer. Good luck!"


    "Yes..."


    Kagura''s father, seeing his wife''s eyes twinkling as if she was picking out a daughter-in-law, shook his head and asked, "Is it full inside? When can we get a seat?"


    Kiryu Hina turned her head to glance at the situation inside the classroom.


    Just then, a couple got up from their seats, freeing up a table. She turned back and said, "There''s a seat available, you can go in now."


    "Really?" the stepmother asked in surprise, looking somewhat skeptically at the queue outside the door, "But there''s such a long line outside..."


    "Ah, it''s alright, family members of students can be prioritized for entry, auntie, look, it''s posted right here."


    Kiryu Hina pointed towards the classroom door.


    Indeed, a notice was posted there, with the slogans "No smoking indoors," "No loud noises," and "Family members of students have priority in the queue."


    With that being the case, Kagura Hikaru''s father and stepmother felt completely at ease.


    After thanking Kiryu Hina, they entered the classroom.


    Class 2-A''s classroom had by this point been transformed beyond recognition.


    The lectern had been removed, and the desks and chairs had been remodeled to mimic the style of a restaurant, complete with a large menu on the blackboard and a cute chibi maid illustration. Lace trimmings floated everywhere, and even the tablecloths were composed of white, double-layered lace with cutouts.


    It felt like a princess''s room, with a sense of dreamy luxury.


    "Welcome to the maid caf¨¦, please have a seat over here."


    Kohinata Motoyo came forward, her hands at her waist, and performed the perfect maid''s curtsy, with the poise of a genuine English maid but with the touch of high school sweetness, so adorable it was astonishing.


    "Miss Kohinata?!" Kagura''s father''s eyes widened.


    Who would have thought they would encounter their neighbor here?


    But then he remembered that during her last visit, Kohinata Motoyo mentioned she was classmates with Kagura Hikaru.


    No wonder.


    "Auntie, uncle, please have a seat," said Kohinata Motoyo with a smile, guiding them to an open table, "May I take your order? All the coffees on the menu are handcrafted on the spot and come highly recommended."


    "Rather than that," Kagura''s father looked around, "where''s that kid Hikaru? We came to see him."


    "If you''re looking for Classmate Kagura, he''s currently in the kitchen. He''s the main chef."


    Kohinata Motoyo gestured toward the back of the classroom.


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    There was a section covered with curtains, from behind which could be faintly heard the sounds of cooking and some kind of machinery.


    That must be the kitchen she was referring to.


    "Hikaru''s the chef? Can that boy handle it?" Kagura''s father expressed his skepticism.


    "Yes, of course," Kohinata Motoyo''s smile brightened a bit, "He''s the best cook in our class, and also the best at making coffee, so he became the main chef. The feedback from the customers has been really great too."


    "Is that so?"


    Kagura''s father looked around with a hint of disbelief.


    The other customers who were eating seemed genuinely happy, a kind of satisfaction that couldn''t be faked.


    "Hmph... then bring me a cup of Blue Mountain Coffee, nothing else."


    "I''ll have a coffee as well, any kind is fine, and add a small cake to that," said the stepmother with a smile.


    "Of course, please wait a moment, I''ll bring it right over."


    Kohinata Motoyo bowed with a smile and then walked with proper decorum towards the kitchen area to relay the new orders, lifting the curtain to speak to the kitchen staff.


    "Hikaru''s coffee, huh." Kagura''s father crossed his arms, wearing a serious expression, still somewhat apprehensive, "He never even enters the kitchen at home, not a finger dipped in ''spring water,'' can he really make coffee?"


    "Well, don''t be so impatient. The answer will be out soon enough, won''t it?" the stepmother said, patting his hand with a laugh.


    "That''s easy for you to say..."


    "Right, by the way, which do you prefer?"


    "What?"


    "Classmate Kiriyu and Miss Kohinata!" the stepmother cupped her face with her hands, her thoughts drifting, "Both of them are such good children, I wonder who will join our family. Or maybe it''s that Miss Ayakoji from last time... oh dear, it''s such a hard choice!"


    "..."


    In the end, maybe neither will be the one.


    Kagura''s father muttered to himself in his heart, and he did not dare to voice it out loud until the coffee arrived.

 Chapter 201 Brawl Incident

    "Mister Ohashi, this pork cutlet is still raw.""Ah! I''m sorry, I will redo it immediately!"


    "Classmate Kodama, a customer said the coffee you made was too bitter. Could I try it?"


    "Sure."


    "... Hmm, no problem, it''s the inherent aroma of the coffee beans; it''s probably because there isn''t enough sugar for the customer. Classmate Kodama, you''re quite skilled."


    "Not at all, Classmate Kagura''s coffee is better, both in aroma and flavor. I can''t compare." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s not true; you will surpass me eventually. Please, keep it up."


    Kagura Hikaru was calm as he moved between the kitchen and the coffee machine, making coffee and dishes while also tasting the dishes about to be served, sending back those whose flavors were off for a redo. He even took care of the garnishing and plating himself.


    Juggling four tasks at once, yet showing no sign of anxiety, he smoothly pushed out one delicious beverage and dish after another, with customer feedback that positively surprised everyone, boosting the morale of everyone in the kitchen.


    The chef''s job is to be the stabilizing force in the kitchen, ensuring that the dishes coming out meet the restaurant''s standards.


    There are many types of chefs¡ªsome who scold harshly, some who are always smiling, and even those who do just enough to get by.


    But Kagura Hikaru didn''t overly criticize others, nor did he always smile or do just enough; his suggestions were always spot-on, commend when deserved, and correct when needed.


    Though he appeared unemotional, if he managed to do as much as others while making dishes that were even more delicious, he inevitably earned everyone''s respect.


    Those with greater ability naturally deserved higher positions.


    In a sense, since day one, Kagura Hikaru had completely dominated the kitchen.


    Although, it was just a small area temporarily sectioned off from a classroom for the cultural festival, nominally called a ''kitchen''.


    But with Kagura Hikaru there, any place seemed to shine brightly.


    Miss Kohinata Motoyo, peering through the curtain at Kagura Hikaru''s working back, thought so from the bottom of her heart.


    In the bustling kitchen, someone finally noticed Miss Kohinata Motoyo''s presence and asked in confusion, "Miss Kohinata? Do you have an order?"


    "Yes." Miss Kohinata Motoyo smiled at the student who asked, then said to Kagura Hikaru, "Kagura, your parents are here. They''ve ordered two Blue Mountain coffees and a small cake. Do you want to make it yourself?"


    "... Yes."


    Kagura Hikaru thought for a moment, but ultimately didn''t ask Miss Kohinata Motoyo which ''mother'' she meant¡ªwhether his birth mother or his stepmother.


    After some thought, it was clear. Miss Kohinata Motoyo had actually only met his stepmother. So, in this case, it could only refer to her.


    Additionally, Kagura Hikaru''s birth mother was apparently overseas, touring. She had sent him a bunch of photos from abroad recently, so it was impossible for her to be at the Tokyo cultural festival.


    By the way, those photos didn''t include a single selfie.


    No wonder she was the parent whose interests matched his the closest; like him, she didn''t like including herself in photos.


    About ten minutes later, Miss Kohinata Motoyo brought the coffee and small cake to Kagura''s parents'' table.


    "Two cups of Blue Mountain Coffee and one small cake; sugar can be added freely." Miss Kohinata Motoyo carefully placed the coffee cups, sugar pot and cake on the table, stood up holding the tray, and said with a smile, "Aunt and uncle, please enjoy your meal slowly; all these are personally made by Classmate Kagura."


    "Thank you, Miss Kohinata." The stepmother responded with a smile.


    Kagura''s father skeptically picked up the coffee and sniffed it.


    Hmm, at least it doesn''t smell bad.


    "My dear, that''s quite rude!"


    "..."


    "Then, please enjoy your meal~"


    Miss Kohinata Motoyo smiled and bowed, then went to greet the new customers.


    As soon as she left, Kagura''s father turned his attention back to the coffee, with three parts anticipation and seven parts skepticism, picked up a sugar cube and tossed it into his cup, stirred it a bit, and then took a sip.


    He almost scalded himself.


    The freshly made coffee was a bit too hot, and the upper half of his lips turned red immediately upon contact, but the fragrant liquid smoothly ran over his tongue and slid down into his stomach.


    Just one sip let Kagura''s father gauge the barista''s skills.


    The unique acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and richness of the Blue Mountain Coffee perfectly blended together to form a strong, inviting, and elegant aroma.


    It was delicious beyond expectation.


    Truth be told, he wasn''t any professional coffee connoisseur, just an ordinary amateur who loved coffee and drank a bit more than the average person, occasionally dabbling in hand-grinding coffee beans at home.


    As a classic type among coffees, Kagura''s father had naturally drunk plenty of Blue Mountain Coffee, from his own hand-ground beans at home to a cup worth 8000 yen at a well-known Tokyo coffee shop.


    But the coffee he had at this modest culture festival today was not limited to just the Blue Mountain type¡ªit was the best coffee he had ever tasted!


    "Ah, this is really good." His stepmother took a light sip and was also astonished, her face lit up with admiration.


    She turned her expectant gaze to the small cake wrapped in oil-absorbing paper, took a bite, and immediately her mouth was filled with the fluffy scent of bread. A happy expression appeared instantly, and she covered one cheek with her hand, "Mmm, I didn''t expect Mister Hikaru to have such skills."


    His stepmother was about to take another bite when she looked up and saw her husband gazing eagerly at her, his face expressing a desire to speak yet caring about appearances. She couldn''t help but chuckle, "Honey, let me split it with you."


    "I''m just curious, one bite is enough..."


    "Don''t be shy, here."


    His stepmother took a napkin, laid it out on the table, and tore half of the small cake onto it.


    The couple began to eat along with their coffee.


    Soon, they finished both the coffee and the cake.


    "We need a bit more," his stepmother said patting her stomach signaling ''I want more'' and looked at her husband. Seeing no objection, she waved a waitress over and ordered some more dishes.


    Seeing such a long queue outside the classroom, they felt it would be improper to stay too long. They finished their coffee and left, smiling broadly as they walked out.


    Only at the school gate did they suddenly realize that they hadn''t seen Kagura Hikaru at all during their visit, having been too caught up in eating and drinking.


    However, it wasn''t without its rewards, as they at least discovered that Kagura Hikaru had some surprising culinary skills.


    After the culture festival was over and Kagura Hikaru was less busy, they definitely had to have him make dinner sometime.


    The first day of the culture festival, Class 2A unsurprisingly earned the highest sales in the whole school and had the shortest operation time.


    With the most beautiful waitresses, the most delicious food and coffee, and rave reviews from all customers, their revenue was understandably high.


    The reason for the short operation time was purely because they underestimated the crowd, preparing too little food and running out of ingredients by midday, forcing them to close early.


    After a morning of everyone taking turns without rest, the exhausted classmates finally got a break and cheerfully ran off to explore other classes and have fun!


    Kagura Hikaru, poor thing, being the main chef without breaks, even had to go work for the Student Council after his shift.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko hadn''t shown up in class that morning, busy with her duties as Student Council President, collaborating with Discipline Committee members to patrol around, checking each class for any violations. Once the patrol was done, she was off to supervise the plans for the next day''s culture festival and deal with any sudden issues, equally busy.


    As soon as Kagura Hikaru stepped into the Student Council office, he was immediately pulled away to help where they were short-handed.


    The task Ayakoji Chiyoko threw at him was to go to class 3C to resolve a fight, where the other party seemed to be quite strong, having already defeated many Discipline Committee members. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    When Kagura Hikaru arrived, he unexpectedly saw Karen there.


    This was her class, after all.

 Chapter 202 Drama Cast Members

    "Get lost, stop bothering me!!""Hey, restrain him!"


    "I can''t, President, he''s too strong¡ªah!"


    "Fujimura! Damn it!!"


    The Gorilla Vice President was confronting a muscular man who was nearly two meters tall and even larger than himself. Many Discipline Committee members had fallen around them, all injured and unable to stand. The classroom was a mess with overturned desks and chairs and scattered utensils and food.


    For some reason, there was also a woman lying on the ground, crying and covering her face.


    When Kagura Hikaru arrived on the scene, this was the chaotic state he encountered.


    Since such a serious incident had occurred in class 3C, it naturally attracted a crowd of onlookers outside the classroom, some of whom were still wearing aprons and holding cooking utensils, presumably students from class 3C who were running a food stall.


    From the food scattered on the ground, their main offerings appeared to be stir-fried noodles, grilled sausages, and ice cream. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru thought about going in to ask the other Discipline Committee members for an update, but then he noticed Ai Cheng Hua Lian also mingling in the crowd of onlookers, also wearing an apron.


    He walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.


    "Ah!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian, startled, turned around and saw Kagura Hikaru''s face, then couldn''t help but laugh through her tears: "Kagura, don''t scare me like that."


    "Is this your class?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian nodded, "Yes, haven''t I told you before?"


    "What''s going on inside, can you tell me?."


    "Well, actually..."


    After hearing Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s explanation, Kagura Hikaru roughly understood the situation.


    Simply put, the muscular man confronting the Gorilla Vice President inside the classroom was a domestic abuser. The woman lying on the ground crying was his girlfriend; he suddenly started yelling and slapped her while they were eating, making her cry.


    The students of class 3C tried to intervene but almost got beaten up themselves.


    Someone immediately called the Discipline Committee, reporting a disturbance. The Discipline Committee rushed over to try to persuade him to leave, but the man, without a word, started fighting with them, turning the classroom into a mess.


    Later, after hearing about the incident, the Gorilla Vice President came with backup, but the muscular man''s strength was off the charts. He fought them all off, leaving the Discipline Committee members in disarray.


    "Among these people, only Wada, the Discipline Committee Chairman, could hold his own. They threw punches at each other with a bang, then the troublemaker suddenly grabbed a chair and hurled it at Wada, who dodged it, and the chair cracked as it shattered on the floor...."


    "Okay, okay, that''s enough."


    Kagura Hikaru stopped Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who was overly animated and using too many sound effects in her description.


    He observed the muscular man''s movements and posture inside the classroom.


    He clearly had practical boxing experience, strong legs, and seemed to have trained in Muay Thai as well.


    Most crucially, his overwhelming physique and weight; an average high school student couldn''t even lift one of his feet.


    No wonder the Gorilla Vice President couldn''t beat him; this guy wasn''t someone just anyone could handle. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    "I''ll take care of it, Ai Cheng, you better stay back and avoid getting hurt," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "Eh? Kagura, you''re going in?!"


    "Yes, I was called by the Student Council President to resolve this."


    "But..."


    "I''m going now."


    "Wait!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian hurriedly grabbed him, "At least take a weapon with you? I''ll go get you a steel pipe or a crowbar or something!"


    Kagura Hikaru frowned: "....I''m just trying to stop a fight, not send someone to the hospital, let''s not."


    "But, Kagura, are you sure you''ll be fine alone?"


    "Don''t you trust me?"


    "Of course not! It''s just....."


    "Don''t worry."


    Kagura Hikaru grabbed her hand and pulled away, squeezed it slightly to reassure her, and then walked through the crowd into a messy classroom.


    The Gorilla Vice President, who was confronting a man, glanced over when he heard someone enter and immediately looked relieved. He stepped back and whispered, "Instructor Kagura, should we do it together, or...?"


    "I''ll handle it alone, go check on the injured Discipline Committee members."


    "Yes."


    The Gorilla Vice President gave the troublemaker a look as if he were looking at a dead man, did not hesitate further, and withdrew to check on the injuries of the fallen Discipline Committee members.


    "Oh? Switching opponents?"


    The brawny man cracked his knuckles and smirked at the approaching Kagura Hikaru, "Little guy, you look a lot weaker than the one before. Can you even fight?"


    Kagura Hikaru had no interest in responding to such a clich¨¦d taunt.


    He loosened his shoulders slightly, advanced two steps, and then suddenly sped up into a sprint.


    The brawny man was caught off guard and instinctively swung a punch at him.


    But Kagura Hikaru simply tilted his head slightly to dodge and, with a slight turn of his body, thrust out his elbow like a spear.


    A sharp pain exploded in the lower side of the brawny man''s ribs.


    He instantly opened his mouth wide, bent over like a shrimp, uncontrollably dropped to his knees, one hand supporting the ground, trembling from the severe pain, and drooling slightly.


    The brawny man was filled with disbelief, considering his physique and muscle mass, there was no way he should have been knocked down by an elbow strike from a high school student!


    "There are many weak spots on the human body; your failure to protect them shows that you still need more practice," Kagura Hikaru said emotionlessly, looking down at him, "After you come to, remember to compensate for the damages to Class C of the third year, the Disciplinary Committee will probably come looking for you."


    "What are you... saying...?"


    Before he could finish speaking, Kagura Hikaru abruptly kicked out, hitting the man''s chin from the side.


    The brawny man''s head twisted, and he immediately lost consciousness, falling with his bottom up and his head hitting the ground hard.


    "Ohhh!!"


    The onlookers outside the classroom gasped, then a round of applause erupted, as if they had just watched an exciting martial arts performance.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian ran in, "Kagura, are you alright?"


    "I''m fine, take care of that woman, I''ve got to go."


    "Eh? So soon?"


    "At times like this, the Student Council has a lot of work to do." Kagura Hikaru looked at the chaotic Class C of the third year, "I''ll ask President Ayakoji to arrange for someone to help you repair the classroom, maybe it can resume operation by tomorrow."


    "Thank you, you''re a big help!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said happily, "Then you''ll come over, right? I''ll treat you to fried noodles!"


    "Sure."


    Kagura Hikaru said goodbye to Ai Cheng Hua Lian, greeted the Gorilla Vice President and others, and returned to the Student Council office.


    The first day of the cultural festival ended smoothly like this.


    The next day, Kagura Hikaru kept his promise and took time out to visit the now operational Class C of the third year, where he ate fried noodles and ice cream made by Ai Cheng Hua Lian herself.


    To be honest, it wasn''t delicious.


    But in front of an angel, you have to say it''s delicious even if it''s not.


    Amidst the festive atmosphere, the cultural festival finally reached its last day.


    On the third day, there will be a well-prepared drama by the Drama Club held in the school auditorium.


    Performers: Kagura Hikaru, Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kohinata Motoyo.


    And, Kiryu Hina.

 Chapter 203 The Distortion of the Perfect Person

    "Do you know about the theory of original evil?""What?"


    "It was proposed by the ancient thinker Xunzi from Huaxia to oppose Mencius''s ''theory of original goodness.'' Mencius believed that human nature is inherently good, while Xunzi held a different view. He thought humans had an animal nature, needing to be restrained after birth through education and other means. From the perspective of modern society, Xunzi''s theory is actually closer to reality."


    "What''s the point of telling me this now?"


    "Nothing in particular, just feeling a bit sentimental. In fact, I also agree with Xunzi''s point of view that humans have an animal nature, humans have desires, and desire is jealousy, which breeds greed, anger, envy, deception, betrayal¡ªin other words, sin. I never thought I would also walk this path. Perhaps from the day I decided to betray a friend two years ago, I was no longer myself."


    "..."


    "Hey, let me ask you, if a guy is liked by three girls at the same time and owes something to each of them, do you think he would choose one of them as a girlfriend, take all of them into his harem, or choose none at all?"


    "Huh?... I guess it depends on the person."


    "Right, a rational person would choose the former, someone who can''t see reality would choose the middle, and a pessimist would choose the latter."


    "What are you trying to say, can you get to the point already? My time isn''t as plentiful as yours, Motoyo Kohinata."


    "Don''t be in such a hurry, Takeuchi Momo Department Head, there''s still half an hour before the play starts."


    "... Just remember, Kohinata, the reason I''m following your direction like this is only because I owe President Kiryu a favor. Beyond that, we have no other friendly reasons."


    "Eh, why so cautious, did Hina tell you something?"


    "President Kiryu isn''t the type to bad-mouth others behind their backs!"


    "Yeah, you''re right, my apologies for the slip of tongue."


    "Good you understand... Anyway, can you get to the point now, I need to prepare soon too."


    "President Takeuchi, I simply wanted to remind you¡ª"


    Backstage, Motoyo Kohinata leaned in close to her and whispered a warning, "After this play is over, it''ll be better for you to leave the Drama Club quickly. Chiyoko Ayakoji won''t let you off."


    "Ha..... To be pushed to retire by a junior in my second year, how unjust."


    "I''m saying this for your good, President Takeuchi. The new Student Council President is much more brutal than Hina, it''s just that she''s pretending to be nice right now."


    "Speaking of pretending, you''re no different."


    "Me?"


    "Everyone thinks you''re the perfect goddess, including those blind fools in the club, a bunch of idiots." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You didn''t seem to like me much from the first moment you saw me, President Takeuchi, why is that?"


    "It''s not about liking or disliking. It''s just that, compared to someone like President Kiryu who''s trying to control themselves, you seem to be naturally like this, and it terrifies me."


    "?"


    "People like you, who seem naturally pure, would do something truly twisted once they fall, and I can''t even begin to imagine it."


    "President Takeuchi, you say you can''t imagine, but haven''t you already seen it with those eyes?"


    "Yes, I never thought you''d actually do it. Motoyo Kohinata, you really should see a psychologist. Rarely does someone become so blindly devoted to love and friendship."


    "... We are born sinful, desirous beasts, with madness and sanity separated by a single thought, which is why we need shackles. Hikaru and Hina are my shackles. If I need to put on chains, I hope it''s they who do it."


    "You''re truly mad."


    "Hehe, I think so too."


    "So what about Chiyoko Ayakoji, what do you plan to do with her?"


    "She''s a bit special, no, dangerous is the correct word... What I feel from her is a different kind of unease than I do from Hina."


    "In other words, you''re still scared of getting beaten up, right?"


    "Nope, it''s not what I''m talking about. Her possessiveness is a little abnormal."


    "I hope you don''t get beaten to death by those fists."


    "At that time, Mister Hikaru will protect me."


    "Kagura Hikaru, huh... For him to make all three of you fall for him and get so deeply involved, his charm must be a bit abnormal."


    "Love is without reason and logic, you know. If President Takeuchi ever falls in love, she''ll understand."


    "Tch, I don''t want to understand. Just watching the twisted drama you guys are performing is irritating enough. Let''s go, if we''re not back soon, there''ll probably be another problem."


    "President Takeuchi, you actually care about the outcome, don''t you? That''s why you''re so invested in this play."


    "Idiot, this is my last performance before I retire, of course I''m invested, not to mention President Kiryu is also involved."


    "You''re not very forthcoming. You won''t make friends like that, you know."


    "I don''t need friends if they make you weak."


    "Sometimes you sound like a guy with a case of ''chuunibyou'', President Takeuchi. Is it the fault of acting in too many plays?"


    "Shut up! Let''s get going already!"


    "Fine, fine~"


    "Also, after this, I''m counting on you to take care of the Drama Club."


    "...Yeah."


    ...........


    Kagura Hikaru was applying makeup.


    He was doing his own makeup.


    He needed to make himself look more sinister than he currently did, specifically by adding more dark circles under his eyes, deepening his eyebrows, and applying some wrinkles to prove he wasn''t a young man.


    And then there was the most important part, the Phantom of the Opera''s disfigured, hideous face; Kagura Hikaru applied a prepared prosthetic piece directly to his face, then covered it with thick flesh-colored makeup.


    After finishing, he picked up the mask on the makeup table and slowly put it on his face, securing it with an elastic strap. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    He looked at himself in the mirror.


    A black mask covering three-quarters of his face, including the lower half below the nose and the upper half of the left side, fitting so perfectly as if it had grown there.


    It was provided by Kohinata Motoyo, made of fine materials, had some weight to it, and wasn''t uncomfortable against the skin. Its design closely matched the image of ''The Phantom of the Opera'', possibly the work of a renowned master again.


    And most importantly, it covered Kagura Hikaru''s mouth.


    That way, he could use a falsetto to breeze through the segments that required smiling without making the audience feel awkward.


    "Are you ready?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko came up behind him, placing her hands on Kagura''s shoulders, looking at him in the mirror.


    A masked monster in a black deerskin coat.


    At first glance, that''s the only way to describe him; if he walked down the street at night, he''d surely be mistaken for a vampire, only missing the red glow in his eyes.


    "Not bad at all. It has a good feel."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hands couldn''t stay still as they reached for the mask: "Did Kohinata Motoyo bring this too?"


    "The costume for the play was supplied by her as well," said Kagura Hikaru.


    "She sure gave you a lot of stuff."


    "It''s for everyone."


    "She has her heart set on you, it''s clear as day to anyone with eyes."


    Seizing a moment when Kagura Hikaru was off guard, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly lifted the mask, "Let me see the true face of the Phantom of the Opera."

 Chapter 204 Share a Little with Me

    The mask of The Phantom of the Opera concealed a horrific visage.In the play, when the female protagonist Christine first saw it, she was so scared that she cried incessantly, her beautiful dream shattered on the spot.


    Any slight possibility with The Phantom of the Opera, probably also broke off at that moment.


    Modern people judge by appearance, just as ancient people did; that''s simply how it is. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Just like Christine in the play, Ayakoji Chiyoko took advantage of Kagura Hikaru''s inattentiveness and abruptly lifted the mask. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unlike the 2004 film version, which only covered a quarter of the face with a deformity, Kagura Hikaru painted half of his face with an ugly shape; even the clean half couldn''t really be called nice, handsome but gloomy, like a classic vampire not ''ruined'' by Twilight City.


    This face had quite a visual impact; a Drama Club girl, who was also doing her makeup, nearly lost her grip and flung her makeup pencil away, hurriedly finished her makeup to get away as fast as she could, unwilling to stay in the makeup room even a moment longer.


    Even knowing it was theatrical makeup, it was frightening nonetheless.


    No, rather than fear, it was more like a physical discomfort, making one feel dizzy and nauseous at the sight.


    The reaction of those who saw it was proof enough of Kagura Hikaru''s successful makeup skills.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed to be an exception.


    She stared unblinkingly at Kagura Hikaru, who was made up as The Phantom of the Opera in the mirror, her hand rubbing the edge of his makeup, eager to touch: "May I feel it?"


    "It''s better not to," Kagura Hikaru glanced at her with suspicion, "Do you have a high resistance to such things?"


    "No, I''m the kind of person who dares not even look at pictures of hives," Ayakoji Chiyoko said nonchalantly, "But knowing it''s makeup, it''s not that scary."


    "Is that so?"


    "Besides, even if you, Kagura, really turned into this, I wouldn''t be scared, unlike Christine."


    "If that were true, I would be the one to be scared."


    "Haha, are you afraid I''d become clingy, that''s too much of an exaggeration. You''re my lover, after all; there''s no girl in the world who''s afraid of the person she likes, it''s just common sense."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko helped him put the mask back in place, then stood straight up, revealing her own stage costume in the mirror.


    It was a man''s white shirt, popular in the French naval era of the 18th century, with long sleeves that were wider at the top and tighter at the cuffs, tucked into fitted trousers showing off Ayakoji Chiyoko''s model-like slender waist.


    Somehow she had also managed to hide her signature ample bust, leaving behind only what might be mistaken for pectoral muscles.


    Her hair, too, was covered with a wig, changing from waist-length to disheveled short hair that almost reached the shoulders.


    "How about it? Do I look like him?" Ayakoji Chiyoko, with one hand on her hip and a slight tilt of her head, asked with a smile.


    Kagura Hikaru took a good look at her.


    This time, Ayakoji Chiyoko was playing Raoul, a French noble, and moreover, a male.


    Initially, he thought it wouldn''t be very fitting, but once she donned the men''s clothing, the incongruity surprisingly wasn''t that strong.


    Firstly, Ayakoji Chiyoko was quite tall for a woman, almost reaching the standard height of male actors.


    Moreover, with the natural dignity and openness of her manners, she actually resembled a male noble quite a bit.


    Apart from her feminine face which was hard to disguise, she did very well in other aspects.


    Besides, Kagura Hikaru felt that this might not necessarily be a drawback.


    They did not need to perfectly recreate every detail of The Phantom of the Opera; it was just a high school cultural festival, not a real movie or something. Being too strict would be rather dull.


    If Ayakoji Chiyoko showed a bit of her female characteristics while actually playing a male, it would probably make the audience find the performance more interesting.


    "Hmm, not bad," Kagura Hikaru nodded in agreement.


    "President Ayakoji, Classmate Kagura, it''s almost our turn," Kohinata Motoyo and Drama Club President Takeuchi Momo came backstage and told them with a smile.


    The two of them were also dressed in their stage costumes by then.


    Kohinata Motoyo was wearing a plain dancer''s costume, which made her fairly inconspicuous except for her face and figure.


    In the first act of the play, the heroine Christine was not yet in the spotlight, essentially just a member of the ensemble.


    In contrast, Takeuchi Momo, the club president, was dressed in a dazzling and extravagantly colorful costume.


    She was responsible for portraying the sharp-tongued and pretentious lead actress of the troupe, who is later replaced by Christine, a role that was somewhat challenging to play.


    With her petite build playing a character role, this pairing was quite amusing.


    "So, we''ll be going on stage now."


    From backstage, they could barely hear the host introducing their Drama Club''s play. Kohinata Motoyo smiled at them and, along with Takeuchi Momo, went on stage ahead of the others.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru''s parts would not come up until sometime after the opening of the play, so they wouldn''t make their entrance so soon.


    "The play, I hope it goes smoothly," Kagura Hikaru said as he watched their backs heading to the stage.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko nodded, "It definitely will, with Kagura''s acting, there''s totally no problem."


    "Yeah."


    A look of concern flashed through Kagura Hikaru''s eyes.


    He had a vague feeling that something was amiss.


    The closer it got to showtime, the stronger the sense of unease became.


    Could it be that Kohinata Motoyo was still hiding something from him?


    Meanwhile, Kohinata Motoyo stepped onto the stage.


    At that moment, the curtain had still not been raised, and the audience could not see the scenery on stage, but the setting had been prepared early, and the members of the Drama Club were anxiously standing in place, waiting for the play to start.


    "You''ve worked hard."


    Kohinata Motoyo greeted everyone and then approached a girl standing at the edge.


    "Are you ready, Hina?" she asked.


    "No need to worry." Kiryu Hina, wearing the same dancer''s costume, said expressionlessly, "After all, I was once the main actor of the Drama Club, I won''t let you down."


    "I''m not worried about that. But have you thought about how you''re going to explain it to Kagura?"


    "No need, he''ll realize right away that this is your doing."


    "That''s a bit harsh, you agreed to it as well."


    "... For that, I''m truly grateful to you," Kiryu Hina said, her gaze complex as she looked at her once close friend, "But if you''re thinking of using Kagura as a bargaining chip to win my forgiveness, I''ll be even angrier than before."


    "But in the end, you still came. You couldn''t resist the temptation of this opportunity."


    "..."


    "Hina, if you want to win back Kagura, cherish this chance and convey your feelings to him sincerely."


    "Doing all this for me without any reason, what''s your purpose?"


    "It''s not without reason, you are my friend."


    "In the past, yes. And you feel the same way about Kagura as I do."


    "That''s true," Kohinata Motoyo smiled a little, "So, as fellow enthusiasts, let''s share just a little, shall we?"


    "What?"


    Kiryu Hina''s eyes widened in shock, "Wait, you don''t mean to...?!"


    Before she could finish, the curtain opened, and gasps from the audience filled the room, with the stage instantly becoming the center of attention.


    With no time to finish her sentence or sort out her suspicion, Kiryu Hina had to start her performance.

 Chapter 205 Act 1: The Perfect Voice

    "Long, long ago, there was such a legend in the Paris Opera House.""The Phantom of the Opera, shrouded in darkness, took over the opera house, causing unrest and making everyone uneasy."


    "But in the end, he was defeated by the sword of love."


    "The Phantom of the Opera, Act One: The Perfect Voice."


    The narrator finished the brief background introduction, and the thick red curtain slowly opened.


    Applause and exclamations erupted from the audience, continuous flashes targeted the stage.


    "General Hannibal returns in triumph!!!"


    The opening was met with a resounding voice.


    The noise from the audience instantly quietened down.


    Onstage appeared a man in magnificent golden armor, striding forward, joking and chatting with those around him, followed by soldiers in armor.


    "General! General!"


    The previously recorded crowd''s and cheers voices erupted.


    Two dancers, as if celebrating the king''s return, danced beautifully at the back, scattering flowers while dancing, their flowing skirts and dance moves captivating.


    It was Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina, and the audience immediately recognized them.


    At this moment, the school auditorium was mostly filled with students, hardly leaving much room for outsiders.


    The reason was that through the Drama Club''s promotion, they had learned that the play was to feature Kohinata Motoyo and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kohinata Motoyo was the recently arrived transferee, a super student with a gentle smile and elegant demeanor, like a goddess among the present, inspiring admiration.


    Though she was already taken, her charm was not limited to just the boys; she was also popular among the girls and quickly became a prominent figure at school.


    The other, Ayakoji Chiyoko, had recently become the new Student Council President, her popularity still at its peak throughout the school.


    Neither of them had performed before the Ugao High students before, and upon hearing they were going to be in the play, the students decided they would overcome any obstacle to see it.


    The photography club even prepared a 4K high refresh rate professional camera, ready to record the whole play and share it on the school forum.


    Suffice it to say, the excitement was palpable.


    So, when they saw Kiryu Hina appear on stage, it was even more of a delight.


    Is this the so-called mystery guest?


    Who would have thought that a cultural festival play would bring together three of Uharu''s acknowledged beauties at once? Those in attendance were indeed immensely fortunate.


    "To come back and see the land I deeply love, being repeatedly dominated and frightened by Rome, is truly heartbreaking!"


    The Carthaginian commander Hannibal on stage lamented his lines with a heavy heart.


    The Phantom of the Opera, while a play, is also a musical; when necessary, lines must be delivered singing.


    "Hannibal, my Hannibal is back!"


    A woman in colorful attire appeared from the other side of the stage, playing Hannibal''s wife, portrayed by Takeuchi Momo, the Drama Club head.


    "My beloved wife, my beloved wife!"


    "Hannibal! Hannibal!"


    The two excitedly embraced at the center of the stage. Hannibal, overcome with emotion, opened his mouth to speak his lines but let out a burp.


    "Burp~~"


    Aware of the faux pas, he quickly covered his mouth.


    The audience, caught off guard, burst into uproarious laughter.


    Hannibal''s wife, or rather the person playing his wife, suddenly pushed him away, revealing her harsh true character, and scolded, "Piangi! It''s you again, you ninny! Why can''t you play even a simple role well!"


    "Oh, sorry, Miss Carlotta."


    "Damn it, cough cough, your bad breath, ugh¡ª"


    "Sorry, sorry...."


    "God, stop talking!!"


    Laughter erupted from the audience again. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both the members of the Drama Club on stage and those preparing backstage shared a knowing smile.


    Takeuchi Momo Department Head was very apt at this kind of slapstick.


    Unfortunately, she was about to retire; otherwise, she could have contributed more entertaining plays to the Drama Club.


    "Enough! I want to practice my solo, so get off the stage."


    Carlotta kicked ''Hannibal'' off the stage, recomposed herself, posed delicately on the stage, smiled, and began her soprano performance.


    "...from our savior, from the servitude of Rome, overthrow the tyranny, Carthage must prevail~~"


    Her movements were earnest, but her performance was comically awkward, and her singing was so unpleasant that the audience let out suppressed laughter.


    Behind Carlotta, the company members, including the recently kicked-off ''Hannibal'', gathered to quietly discuss her.


    "Carlotta is the company''s lead actress, the soprano for four consecutive seasons."


    "But her singing is terrible, but her singing is terrible."


    "Why is she the lead then?"


    "It must be because of some dealings behind the scenes."


    While labeled as ''quiet discussion,'' the voices were nearly as loud as Carlotta''s singing, echoing back and forth, clearly meant to introduce character setups.


    Carlotta might not have heard them, but she was visibly smug, which was off-putting to see.


    "Shut up, all of you, stop gossiping about the lead!"


    Another new character appeared, a well-dressed man.


    "Oh no, it''s the company manager."


    "Get back to work!"


    The company scattered.


    But just then, a letter suddenly floated down from the sky, prompting everyone to stop, looking serious as if they knew what it was, and murmuring among themselves.


    The company manager caught the white envelope out of the air, tore it open, and read aloud, "Carlotta, your singing is terrible. I can no longer endure it. Manage, I command you to replace her immediately, or something bad will happen¡ªThe Phantom of the Opera."


    Carlotta stopped her singing, and the company gasped.


    "The Phantom of the Opera, the specter of the company!"


    "The ghost that haunts the company!"


    "There are rumors of his immortality."


    "He is the true master of the company."


    "Nonsense! There''s no such thing as The Phantom of the Opera!"


    Carlotta, clutching her skirt, stomped forward and furiously tore up the letter: "It must be one of you meddling, someone in here!"


    The retribution for destroying the phantom''s letter came swiftly. Another object fell from the sky.


    This time, however, it was not a fluttering envelope but a large stage prop, a long wooden rod supporting a curtain, which fell with the curtain.


    The stage prop (actually dyed foam) hit Carlotta as it fell amid gasps from the audience, injuring her, and the company manager hastily ordered her to be carried off.


    The company was both scared and reverent, claiming it was the work of The Phantom of the Opera.


    Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "We need a lead for tonight''s play, but Carlotta is unavailable. I need a substitute, a substitute!"


    The company manager was visibly distressed.


    Then, the stage suddenly darkened, and a spotlight fell from the sky, focusing on Kiryu Hina, who was dressed as a dancer and standing at the back edge of the stage.


    Playing a dancer, Kiryu Hina, prompted by the other dancer, Kohinata Suse, shyly raised her hand and sang to the audience with a tremulous voice, "Please give me your thoughts, as endless as the sea, but if you can still remember, stop and think of me..."


    Another spotlight fell, this time on the company manager standing nearby, staring at her, who slapped his forehead in realization and exclaimed, "Perfect singing, Christine!"

 Chapter 206 Disgusted to Death

    Ai Cheng Hua Lian sat in the audience, looking up at Kiryu Hina, with whom she had had many dealings, the former Student Council President.Everyone was enchanted by her singing, acting, and beauty.


    Only she harbored doubts.


    Unlike the other students who knew little about classic theater, when Ai Cheng Hua Lian learned that Kagura Hikaru was going to star in "The Phantom of the Opera," she specifically watched the movie version and knew that the dancer replacing the female lead, Christine, who appears at this moment, was the lead actress of the play, about to engage in a twisted, even bloody and violent love triangle with Raoul and the Phantom of the Opera.


    But now, the dancer singing on the stage was unmistakably Kiryu Hina, while Kohinata Motoyo, who was announced as the main actress, instead became a minor character behind Christine, encouraging her.


    What was going on, could it really not be a performance mishap? Could it be deliberate?


    Had the two of them swapped roles?


    The spotlight on the drama manager went out, but the dancer on the stage continued to sing.


    Previously hidden in the darkness, the drama employees reappeared, like support staff surrounding machinery, smiling as they fitted the dancer, dressed as Christine, with an elegant white gown, beautiful jewelry, high heels, and applying her makeup before swiftly exiting.


    At that moment, Christine was utterly transformed.


    From her earlier simple dancer attire, she changed into the real lead actress of the troupe, fair and pure, resembling a true angel descending to earth, and moreover, a beautifully singing musical angel.


    The audience exclaimed in surprise, applauding this stunning scene change, just as the audience in the play was moved by Christine''s singing.


    The song reached its climax, Christine closed her eyes, and her clear song floated above the stage.


    "Looking back at those days, reflecting on those times, thinking about all those things we could never achieve. And the days I stop missing you will never come....."


    "Is it you, Christine...?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, playing Raoul, stepped onto the stage, illuminated by the spotlight.


    Unlike earlier backstage, Ayakoji Chiyoko had donned a dark blue coat over her white shirt, adorned with many gold lines that hinted at nobility, making her look more like a young aristocrat.


    She lifted her head to look at the ''Christine'' on the stage, and was immediately stunned.


    Who could tell her why Kiryu Hina, who was not listed on the cast, appeared on stage?


    Why was she wearing Christine''s clothes, singing Christine''s song?!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood on stage for a full three seconds before regaining her composure.


    To the audience, it seemed a part of her acting, but only she herself knew it was not.


    She exchanged what seemed like an inadvertent glance with Kiryu Hina on stage, who had a clear flicker of mockery in her eyes.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression suddenly darkened, her fists cracking.


    Kohinata Motoyo!!!


    With hundreds of pairs of eyes watching from the audience, Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t possibly make a scene and ruin the play, so she had to continue performing for now.


    She took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing and sealing her anger away.


    "It''s been a long time, it seems like ages ago, when we were young and innocent. She might not remember me, but I remember her. Little Lotte, Little Lotte, you loved dolls, you loved dresses, I still remember you....."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, playing Raoul, masterfully portrayed the joy of reuniting with his childhood sweetheart. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire


    The tone was joyful, expectant, her smile conveying the genuine happiness in his heart.


    Even Kiryu Hina had not anticipated that, after an initial shock, she could adjust her state so quickly.


    They say women are born actors, and indeed that saying isn''t wrong.


    Christine finished a song, the spotlight went off.


    After a while, it came back on.


    Christine sat alone at the dressing table, wearing a gown, surrounded by congratulatory flowers, clearly indicating the performance was a great success.


    Knock knock knock.


    The knock sounded.


    "Come in," Christine said, turning her head.


    The spotlight fell on Raoul.


    He, too, was holding a bouquet of flowers as he walked in.


    "In the attic of our childhood, we listened to our father playing the violin while we read stories to each other. You said¡ª"


    "My favorite was every night at bedtime, an ''Angel of Music'' would come to me and sing stories in my mind."


    "Little Lotte."


    "Raoul."


    Christine and Raoul, the childhood sweethearts separated for so long, embraced each other.


    The depth of Raoul''s feelings and Christine''s joy in recognizing him moved the emotional audience to sniffle softly.


    No one knew that at that moment, the two people hugging on stage actually detested each other so much that they wanted to strangle one another, feeling nauseous about touching each other''s backs, the closeness of their bodies, and smelling the perfume on her.


    Unlike Christine and Raoul.


    Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko, however, were genuine rivals, archenemies.


    Especially for Ayakoji Chiyoko, the woman before her had conspired with Kohinata Suse to deceive her and Kagura Hikaru, tricking them into performing this clownish play.


    Still in her acting mode, she wasn''t thinking about the deeper meanings behind this, but she remembered to pinch Kiryu Hina''s waist as they hugged part to get back at her.


    Kiryu Hina was quite tolerant, showing no unusual expression on her face, but she also pinched Ayakoji Chiyoko hard while they were holding hands, her nails digging in.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eye twitched.


    The two looked at each other, maintaining pleasant faces as they exchanged pleasantries about their reunion, no one knowing what they were really thinking. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon after, Christine claimed she was tired from the performance and needed to rest, sending Raoul off.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked down the stage, each step on the staircase heavy.


    "How did it go?" Kagura Hikaru was waiting at the entrance to greet her.


    Although he couldn''t see much of the performance detail from here, at least Ayakoji Chiyoko hadn''t misspoken any lines or made any mistakes, which was good enough for a drama novice.


    He had thought that the play was progressing smoothly, but then he saw Ayakoji Chiyoko coming offstage with a dark expression and immediately felt a pang of alarm in his heart.


    "Was there an accident?"


    "..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was silent, casting a few doubtful glances at him, but seeing his genuine surprise, she suppressed her inner doubts.


    It seemed to be Kohinata Suse and Kiryu Hina acting on their own initiative.


    No, members of the Drama Club didn''t seem surprised at all, not panicking in the slightest; obviously, they were in the know.


    So, the entire play, only she and Kagura Hikaru were left in the dark.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko took a deep breath, the anger within almost reaching her face.


    "There was a slight issue on stage."


    "?"


    "Prepare yourself, Kiryu Hina is up there."


    She said this.


    Kagura Hikaru frowned deeply.


    The ominous feeling had come true; was this what Kohinata Suse had been hiding?

 Chapter 207 Its All Trivial Matters Now

    From the very beginning, when Kohinata Motoyo invited Ayakoji Chiyoko and herself to join the play, the direction of the story became a bit incomprehensible.Although she claimed it was to help Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko break up amicably, Kagura Hikaru had accepted her reasoning and plan.


    But, regarding this sudden offer of help, Kagura Hikaru was naturally somewhat wary.


    People are inherently skeptical about free things, especially young people who have seen all sorts of scams in modern times.


    Indeed, it was usual for Kohinata Motoyo to extend a helping hand to those in trouble without asking for anything in return. It was her routine.


    That''s why Kagura Hikaru didn''t harbor too many doubts.


    The goodness of Kohinata Motoyo was genuine, as could be guaranteed by Kagura Hikaru, who had known her for over three years¡ªeven Kiryu Hina, who had been hurt by her, would admit that.


    Aside from the infidelity, she hadn''t committed any evildoing, not even daring to step on an ant.


    Today, perhaps, was the second time Kagura Hikaru witnessed Kohinata Motoyo''s deceit.


    The last time she deceived someone was when they dated behind Kiryu Hina''s back. Now, she was helping Kiryu Hina deceive him.


    Could this be considered a cycle of retribution?


    "It''s almost your turn, Classmate Kagura. Get ready," Takeuchi Momo Department Head, who was being helped out of her costume by other club members, reminded him.


    Kagura Hikaru nodded at her, then glanced at Ayakoji Chiyoko, took a few steps forward, climbed the stairs to the stage, and stood behind the curtain, waiting.


    Kiryu Hina was indeed on stage. The Christine she portrayed was alone in a room, lighting candles and offering prayers, singing, asking for the Music Angel to descend.


    In the white light, her gown and jewelry reflected a fluorescent sheen, illuminating her refined and graceful face.


    "My father once spoke of an angel, and I''ve always dreamed he would appear. I know he''s here. In this room... he softly calls to me... somewhere here... he teaches me music, guides me where I falter... he''s the Music Angel sent from heaven. Angel, angel... please don''t hide any longer, mysterious and strange angel, reveal your true self to me."


    "So arrogant! This man, who seeks nothing but fashion, wallows in your glory. You bold and foolish suitor, dare to share in my success!"


    A deep male voice resonated from somewhere, replying to her in a singing manner as well.


    The stage lights slowly dimmed, and the background music became disquieting and dark.


    Christine looked up anxiously, her body trembling slightly: "Angel, I can hear you. Stay by my side, lead me."


    "You flattering child, you shall know me, learn why I dwell in darkness."


    A spotlight fell on a life-sized mirror on the stage.


    In it, a blurry figure wearing a black mask was reflected.


    The audience let out a quiet gasp.


    For there clearly was nothing in front of or behind the mirror, yet the mirror itself was glowing, projecting a figure.


    Let''s reveal the secret¡ªit was an OLED display with excellent viewing angles, also kindly provided by Kohinata Motoyo as a prop. The wiring was hidden beneath the carpet, making it very difficult to notice.


    In the real world, some magicians use video screens to perform tricks. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And The Phantom of the Opera also happens to be an exceptional magician as part of the story.


    But the Christine in the play was obviously unaware of the mirror''s truth, surprised and terrified. However, her trust in the angel still led her to step by step approach the mirror.


    Just as the mirror was about to reflect her face¡ªthough it actually couldn''t since it was a screen¡ªthe stage lights suddenly went out completely, and Christine screamed.


    The next second, the lights came back on, but the figure of the strange person had disappeared from the life-sized mirror.


    In its place stood the real Phantom of the Opera in front of Christine.


    He was one meter eighty tall, dressed in a black coat, with formal dark clothing underneath. His face was covered by a black mask that hid three-quarters of his features, revealing only a patch of skin that was slightly pale with dark circles under the eyes, giving him a dark, vampire-like presence.


    In fact, his entire black attire and overcoat made him look rather like a giant bat.


    But instead of panicking, Christine gradually calmed down, her eyes transfixed on The Phantom of the Opera as if entranced, she slowly spoke, "Am I dreaming? I have found him... The Phantom of the Opera is here... In my heart, the Music Angel is the Phantom of the Opera."


    "Come to my side, my child, and I shall show you my glory."


    The Phantom of the Opera slowly extended his hand clad in a deerskin glove, inviting her.


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    And Christine slowly raised her own hand, placing it in the Phantom''s.


    The Phantom led her, moving slowly out of the spotlight and into the darkness.


    At the same time, the stage curtain dropped, closing the first act of the play.


    It was only then that the audience reacted, rising to their feet in applause, commending not only the Drama Club''s set design but also the actors'' brilliant performances.


    "In ten minutes, the next act will commence, please wait patiently," the person who just recited lines announced over the PA system.


    Exclamations such as ''Don''t leave it on a cliffhanger!'' and ''Let me keep watching!'' rose from the audience, but clearly, they had no choice but to endure the ten-minute wait.


    With the stage lights now brightly lit and the curtain down, members of the Drama Club surged from backstage, busily moving set pieces and arranging the new scenery.


    Kagura Hikaru''s hand separated from Kiryu Hina''s as he walked towards the backstage, but she grabbed him again, this time firmly.


    "Do you really not want to talk to me?"


    "..."


    "Mister Hikaru, I''ve made many mistakes. You can ask me to apologize as much as you want, but please don''t ignore me, alright?"


    ".....Was it Suse who sent you?"


    "Yes."


    "What exactly are you trying to do?"


    "..."


    "If you don''t want to say, then let go."


    Kagura Hikaru tugged at his hand once without success. On the second attempt, he pulled harder and finally withdrew his hand from Kiryu Hina''s grasp, then walked towards the backstage without looking back.


    At the entrance to the backstage, Ayakoji Chiyoko, dressed as Raoul, stood waiting for him, her gaze flicking to Kiryu Hina, her eyes narrowing.


    "What did she say to you?" Chiyoko asked as soon as Kagura Hikaru approached.


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head: "Nothing, just some nonsense."


    "You still have to tell me, word for word," Ayakoji Chiyoko commanded, gripping his arm firmly.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her with a slight surprise.


    Realizing that she had become somewhat emotional, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression softened slightly, "Sorry. After all, she''s Kiryu Hina. I need to know what kind of scheme she''s cooking up this time. Especially now, when she''s seemingly in cahoots with Kohinata Suse."


    ".....It''s fine, she can''t affect us."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Of course."


    Because from the very beginning, his opinion of Ayakoji Chiyoko had never changed.


    And it wouldn''t change in the future.


    No matter what Kiryu Hina said or did, it wouldn''t sway Kagura Hikaru''s decision.


    "That''s good to hear," Chiyoko said with a relieved smile, intertwining her fingers with Kagura Hikaru''s and pulling him offstage.


    What expression Kiryu Hina had, watching them from behind, Kagura Hikaru did not know at that moment.


    Did she feel sympathy for them?


    Or did she regret making everything turn out this way?


    Either way, it had become an irrelevant matter.

 Chapter 208 This is My Ex-Boyfriend, Why Should I Let You Play with Him?

    "We''ll be seen like this.""What do you mean, ''like this''?"


    Kagura Hikaru lifted their interlocked fingers.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had expressly said they should keep it a secret, yet there she was, engaging in such an intimate behavior in public. Was she not afraid of being found out?


    If the Student Council President acted improperly and broke the school rules, the punishment would be different from that of ordinary students.


    Just as politicians standing in high positions are cautious about their image, the Student Council President, too, should be more cautious than the other students.


    In a time when the ban on dating had not been lifted, this was undoubtedly risky behavior.


    "It''s fine. The Drama Club members have gone to move props. There''s almost no one backstage; we can be a bit freer, just like when we''re alone."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a smile.


    "I can''t pretend I didn''t hear that."


    As soon as they entered backstage, they saw Kohinata Motoyo, who had changed into casual clothes, smiling and saying, "Are you two always this affectionate in private? It''s quite enviable."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced at her, squeezed Kagura Hikaru''s hand tightly, and displayed an ambiguous fake smile, "Of course, we are a ''genuine'' couple, not like some people who, behind their shiny exteriors, use threats to coerce others ¡ª sheer treachery."


    "President Ayakoji, are you talking about me?"


    "It''s hard to say. Maybe I''m talking about someone else, but since you took it personally, maybe it is about you after all."


    "Hmm... President Ayakoji, when did you become so sharp-tongued? It''s a bit different from the image I had of you."


    "People grow."


    "Is that so? Rather than growing..." Kohinata Motoyo glanced at the silent Kagura Hikaru, then slowly moved her gaze back to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face, "It seems more like you''ve changed because you''ve got something to protect now. I''d love to congratulate you, but due to the circumstances, I can''t be so straightforward, I''m terribly sorry."


    "Tch..."


    Having been told that, Ayakoji Chiyoko found it hard to keep being sarcastic towards her.


    She looked at Kagura Hikaru, "Kagura, sit down and rest a bit."


    "I''ve hardly been on stage for two minutes..."


    "Just two minutes on stage still uses energy, and you still have quite a bit to perform. It doesn''t hurt to save some strength."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko eagerly had Kagura Hikaru sit down and got him some blue tin cookies she had brought, even attempting to feed them to him by hand.


    If it were anyone else displaying such girlfriendly care, Kagura Hikaru might appreciate it, but coming from Ayakoji Chiyoko, it just made him feel uneasy.


    Perhaps she intended to flaunt their relationship to irritate Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina as a form of revenge.


    But if it were the old Ayakoji Chiyoko, she would probably have confronted them earlier and pressed for information. When had she started resorting to such cunning and circuitous methods?


    This style felt as if it was coming from Kiryu Hina of the past, still wearing her mask...?


    Kiryu Hina, dragging her long gown off the stage, saw the sweet exchange on the other side and twitched the corner of her eye.


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    Even if there were no outsiders backstage right now and only a few insiders, that still seemed too casual.


    She looked at Kohinata Motoyo, who was also smiling as she watched, and walked over to quietly ask, "What''s going on with them?"


    Kiryu Hina felt it odd too.


    This did not align with the Ayakoji Chiyoko she used to know.


    "That''s the charm of love; it continually ensnares people... We have all experienced this feeling, haven''t we, Hina?"


    Kohinata Motoyo, with one hand stroking her cheek, said smilingly.


    Kiryu Hina stared deeply at her, "Will she become an obstacle to you?"


    "To us."


    "..."


    "Don''t worry, after revealing the truth, she should quiet down for a while, and then it will be our opportunity."


    "So what am I actually doing now."


    "Didn''t I say to have a proper talk and make up with Mister Hikaru?"


    "But, what if he won''t forgive me....."


    "He will."


    "Why are you so certain?!"


    "Before today, our relationship was also not good, Hina, but now here you are complaining about this and that in front of me. Is this the sign of a bad relationship?"


    "..."


    Kiryu Hina was momentarily stunned, her expression becoming defiant, "Are you mocking me?"


    "Of course not, what are you thinking," Kohinata Motoyo chuckled softly, covering her mouth, her eyes gentle like the good mother of a heroine in a movie, "What I mean to say is, just like our relationship could improve, so can yours and Mister Hikaru''s. All you need is to become accomplices."


    Accomplices.


    Upon hearing this word, Kiryu Hina immediately understood what she was talking about.


    Kohinata Motoyo was referring to the pretend relationship between Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    This was the cause of Kiryu Hina''s falling out with him, but it could also turn into an opportunity for their reconciliation.


    Since it was a pretend relationship, there would definitely come a day when they would break up.


    Kiryu Hina found it hard to imagine Kagura Hikaru truly falling for Ayakoji Chiyoko and dating her. She knew her ex-boyfriend actually disliked girls who were aggressive and liked to exert pressure unless he had been so deeply disappointed as to suddenly change his taste.


    But seeing him now, unwilling even to be fed cookies, that didn''t seem likely.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t stand a chance.


    This was something both Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo could see. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For now, let it be out of pity, to let her enjoy this final time.


    Soon, this beautiful dream would be shattered.


    Kiryu Hina no longer paid attention to that situation, sitting alone in a corner, reading her script.


    Kohinata Motoyo went up on stage to help the Drama Club with the props.


    Since the role of Christine had been given to Kiryu Hina, she had nothing much to do¡ªno acting, no script memorizing, no lines to learn¡ªsuddenly becoming idle.


    But she couldn''t really do nothing, she had to help out everyone; it wouldn''t be proper to be idle by herself.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, still playing the role of girlfriend, saw them lower their flags, thinking she had won, and smirked smugly.


    "Excuse me, Mister Hikaru, could you run some lines with me?"


    But at that moment, Kiryu Hina suddenly got up and walked over.


    Kagura Hikaru gave her a strange look, hesitated for a moment, then thought that since it was a play of the Drama Club, and Kiryu Hina hadn''t come to a single rehearsal, if she messed up it would be bad for everyone. In the end, he nodded in agreement.


    "Which part?"


    "Right here."


    Kiryu Hina smiled and turned the script over to show him.


    It was the final, intense scene from The Phantom of the Opera on the script, with her, or rather, with Christine''s kiss scene.


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyelids twitched wildly, and she sneered in anger, "What are you trying to do?"


    "Just running lines, it''s pretty normal, right? Classmate Ayakoji, you''re the Student Council President now, you should learn to be more magnanimous."


    Kiryu Hina smiled as she held her gaze, neither of them backing down.


    Sorry, she thought carefully, even if it''s the final beautiful dream, it seemed there was no reason to let an irrelevant person enjoy it.


    This is my ex-boyfriend, why should I let you play with him?


    Your fantasy, I will crush it!

 Chapter 209 Act 2: Angel and Devil

    "Generous? Are you saying I should just sit quietly and do nothing while my boyfriend is kissing some random woman? Is that what you mean by being generous?""If you choose to, I won''t stop you."


    "What a joke, you ex-girlfriend!"


    "Better than you, who''s been his ''current girlfriend'' for less than a month. Our memories together far outweigh yours."


    "Tch, if it wasn''t for the fact that you deceived me back then, hiding Kagura Hikaru''s identity from me... You did it on purpose, didn''t you? You liked him back in elementary school already!"


    "So what if I did, the one who got deceived is at fault."


    "If it were really like that, there wouldn''t be any fraudsters in this world! You wicked woman, and to think I used to consider you a friend, I was totally blind!"


    "Pfft, how come you''re breaking down all of a sudden? It''s so funny. Are you sure your boyfriend should see you like this? He might have nightmares tonight."


    "How about I come to your house tonight and give you nightmares instead?"


    "Oh my, aren''t you afraid of running into our step-mother at my house? Oh, my bad, my mistake, she''s my step-mother now."


    "You¡ª!"


    Chiyoko Ayakoji, obviously not used to arguing with people and reluctant to swear due to her upbringing, was verbally outmatched by Hina Kiryu.


    She really needs to enhance her Yin Yang Power.


    Kagura Hikaru, who took the first opportunity to distance himself, was munching on the snacks the Drama Club members had brought, all the while calmly providing commentary in his mind.


    "What are you doing?" Takeuchi Momo Department Head walked into the backstage only to find Christine, dressed in a white gown, fiercely arguing with Raoul.


    Is this the real attitude of The Phantom of the Opera''s heroine towards her childhood friend? Damn, she felt disillusioned.


    "Christine, Act Two of the play is about to start, come and get ready right now! The Phantom of the Opera, you too!" shouted Takeuchi Momo Department Head.


    "That''s right, I''m off to perform a romantic scene with your boyfriend, I mean, my bad, with The Phantom of the Opera. Just watch."


    Hina Kiryu left behind a triumphant, restrained smile, under the resentful gaze of Chiyoko Ayakoji, and strode up to Kagura Hikaru, extending her hand, "Mr. Phantom of the Opera, shall we?"


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at her, said nothing, bowed his head to wipe his hands with a tissue, put on his deerskin gloves again, and then slapped Hina Kiryu''s hand away, striding alone onto the stage.


    Behind him, Chiyoko Ayakoji''s laughter turned from anger to amusement. Hina Kiryu''s face stiffened slightly, unwilling to look back at her rival, she quickly lifted her dress and hurried after him.


    Bam¡ª


    The school auditorium amplified the sound of the horn signaling the imminent start of the play, along with the voice of the narrator.


    "''The Phantom of the Opera'', Act Two: The Angel and the Devil, now begins."


    Below the stage, the audience, who had been chatting, all looked up and lowered their voices.


    As a massive red curtain slowly opened.


    "Those who have seen your face draw back in fear, I am the mask you wear."


    The stage bathed in a sickly green light seemed to depict a cave tunnel as rocks (colored foam) hung overhead.


    Under the lighting, water ripples were reflected on the floor, and The Phantom of the Opera and Christine, in a rowboat, rowed across the water, singing in unison like a perfectly harmonized couple:


    ""They hear only my song (your song). My song (your song) and your heart (my heart), together as one. The Phantom of the Opera is here, in my heart (your heart).""


    Moved by the performance, Christine''s voice trembled, "There he is, The Phantom of the Opera, singing for me!"


    The long-sought Angel of Music finally appeared before her--mysterious, powerful, and talented, truly mesmerizing. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was unlike the image of the Angel of Music she had pursued; after all, he wasn''t really an angel, but a ghost that lingered in the troupe, a phantom from the opera, who had recently injured someone.


    Yet, years of nurturing comradeship made Christine subconsciously overlook the darker aspects of The Phantom, her gaze drunken and infatuated as she focused on him.


    At that moment, he was undoubtedly her god.


    This part of the play didn''t even need Kiryu Hina to make an effort to act; she just had to show her true self.


    A girl obsessed with the opposite sex, her heart stirred.


    Her gaze penetrated The Phantom of the Opera''s mask, through the hideous and gloomy makeup, and saw Kagura Hikaru''s familiar handsome face.


    Kiryu Hina didn''t deny that she was a superficial person.


    If Kagura Hikaru had been as physically unattractive as The Phantom of the Opera, perhaps their lives would never have intersected from the start.


    But his good looks were just a part of Kagura Hikaru.


    By now, what Kiryu Hina loved had gone beyond mere appearances.


    She loved his voice, his talent, his loneliness, his perseverance, his desires.


    Whether it was his extraordinary attributes or his mundane aspects.


    Every time she learned a little more about this man, the fondness in Kiryu Hina''s heart grew a bit more, as if it would never lessen.


    Until that Christmas Eve.


    When she and Kagura Hikaru parted, it felt like her heart had been torn in two, the half that was discarded was human warmth, and what remained in her heart was a boundless, endless cold.


    After graduating and seeing him in high school, all that remained in her heart were desires for revenge and possession.


    But that day in the Student Council office, Ai Cheng Hua Lian confessed the truth, and a split heart was pieced back together.


    It turned out, Kagura Hikaru hadn''t betrayed her. It turned out, it wasn''t his fault.


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    She fell in love with Kagura Hikaru once again and once again, hopelessly in love with him.


    He still liked her, Kiryu Hina finally realized this, otherwise he wouldn''t have been so readily at her beck and call before.


    It was something she should have known if she had thought about it, why hadn''t she realized it before¡­ No, perhaps she had realized it but just didn''t care.


    Back then, what she wanted was dominance, and why would a puppeteer care about the feelings of the puppet?


    However, by the time her heart was filled with regret, it was already too late.


    She had pushed the person she loved, the person who loved her, away, towards Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Their disputes had dragged in unrelated, innocent people.


    Deceiving emotions, exploiting emotions, relishing the wait for the ultimate shattering ending.


    Kiryu Hina felt fear towards her past self who manipulated others without any scruples, though Kagura Hikaru had clearly warned her not to do so.


    Regrets were futile, the consequences had already occurred.


    Kagura Hikaru had constructed a fantastical dream for Ayakoji Chiyoko, a dream that could shatter at any moment.


    When that bubble burst, not only Ayakoji Chiyoko, but also Kagura Hikaru would leave.


    Somehow, Kiryu Hina had this feeling.


    She must salvage what she could before the worst had yet to happen.


    So, even if she had to cooperate temporarily with the woman she despised most in the world, she could pinch her nose and do it.


    As for what that woman truly thought, Kiryu Hina didn''t want to judge; it was beyond her own moral line, but for that person, it seemed like the most beautiful future.


    A person unaware of their evil deeds, heading straight down that path, would eventually fall into an abyss.


    The future of Kohinata Motoyo wasn''t something Kiryu Hina should worry about.


    What she wanted was always just one thing.


    Kagura Hikaru''s love.

 Chapter 210 I Love You

    Christine, dressed in a white gown, was like a pure light in the darkness on the dimly lit stage, so beautiful that one could hardly bear to look away.The somber and shadowy Phantom of the Opera, rowing for her, seemed more like her protective Dark Knight.


    The juxtaposition of black and white, their harmonious duet, the perfect match sent the audience''s shippers into a collective brainstorm, generating dozens of fictional narratives in their minds in a short span of time.


    As the chorus concluded, the backdrop depicting a gloomy cave canal at the rear of the stage suddenly parted, revealing another backdrop painted with an iron gate. As the Phantom and Christine drew near, it was also slowly lifted to reveal the real background.


    It was a palace within the cave.


    Luxurious gold everywhere, precious candelabras, chandeliers, furniture glistening under the candlelight, divinity tinged with a hint of eeriness.


    The floor was strewn with sheets of music and architectural drafts, and there was a piano. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Christine looked around in amazement, her gaze finally resting on a enormous oil painting over one and a half meters tall hung upon the wall. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a replica imitating Da Vinci''s famous "Mona Lisa," with herself, Christine, as the main subject.


    The painting depicted her wearing the exact same gown and makeup as she was currently, almost as if it foresaw a future destiny reuniting.


    The Phantom''s mystery reached a new level.


    Upon reaching their destination, he disembarked the boat and extended his hand to Christine, "I have brought you to the kingdom of music, to this kingdom where everyone venerates music, my kingdom. Submit to your deepest dreams, let your soul take you where you wish to go."


    Christine stared at him, enraptured by the fantasy and beauty of this moment, and slowly took the Phantom''s hand.


    "Since the first time I heard you sing, I wanted you to follow me, to serve me, to continue singing, for my music...my music. Your voice, it lets me soar through the night, only your voice, can make me float in the air."


    The Phantom said, looking at her.


    This statement was nearly a confession.


    Not just Christine in the play understood, but the audience below grasped it even more clearly, the girls letting out restrained screams, the shippers ecstatic!


    And those who knew the plot showed subtle expressions.


    For soon Christine was to learn the true nature of the Phantom, his true face.


    Christine was led off the boat by the Phantom, who then showed her his collection of treasures.


    There were sculptures, paintings, toys, treasures, and musical instruments.


    Of course, there was also music.


    At this moment, the Phantom was like a child, proudly showing off his wealth to the woman he adored.


    The Phantom sat at the piano, playing while subtly expressing his love for Christine.


    The piano was fake, an electronic keyboard masqueraded as a piano; the Drama Club could not have possibly brought a real one on stage if it wasn''t, and the piano music used as the background was a recording found online.


    But the piano skills held by Kagura Hikaru, who played the Phantom, were real: his technique and presence left no doubt that he was an experienced player, easily allowing the audience to be immersed in the impression of a musical master.


    The man playing the piano elegantly in the resplendent cave, even though he was a ghost of the shadows, had his own kind of romance and charm.


    "I remember a mist over the wide, calm surface of the lake, candles all around, and a boat on the lake, with a man inside. He was so patient, teaching me to sing, commanding me to follow him, to serve him, to sing for him."


    Christine was completely captivated by his mystery, her eyes full of emotion, the corners of her mouth lifting lightly as she started singing to the rhythm of the piano, "Angel of Music, your servant craves greedily, who is in that shadow? Who is behind this mask...?"


    Christine stretched out her hand, as if embracing him, caressing the Phantom''s mask and face, her slender fingers tracing over his features. The Phantom, intoxicated, closed his eyes.


    At that moment, she suddenly seized the opportunity, violently lifting off the Phantom''s mask to reveal a grotesque and pus-filled, disfigured face.


    The music stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere plummeted.


    "Ah¡ª!!!"


    Christine screamed in horror, covering her mouth and staggering backward.


    The audience below was similarly shocked by this horrifying turn of events, crying out unstoppably.


    "Damn woman! You inquisitive Pandora! You devil! This is what you wanted to see, damn you! Hypocritical witch, serpent!!"


    The Phantom abruptly stood up, shoved Christine to the ground, covered half of his face with his hand, and cursed in fury.


    At that moment, his ruthless and irritable nature was finally exposed as he raged in the cavern, thrashing and smashing while spitting saliva.


    Behind the furious cursing seemed to be a tinge of inferiority and pain.


    It appeared more like the anger of someone whose truth had been exposed, whose beautiful dream had been burst, rather than pure hatred.


    Lying on the ground, Christine''s tears swirled in her eyes as she incredulously watched the mysterious man who had once danced romantically with her but now had changed so drastically in temperament.


    Whatever fantasies she had harbored about the Phantom evaporated the instant she saw his face.


    "Now you can''t obtain freedom, you damned woman, you deserve divine punishment!"


    The Phantom pointed at Christine on the ground and cursed.


    He turned to face the lake, watched it quietly, calming down slowly, but his tone still conveyed faint anger and pain, "Can you bear to look at me? You can''t even endure the memories. You must be thinking, ''This disgusting monster should burn in hell, yet in secret, longs for heaven, in secret, in secret...''"


    The Phantom moved in front of Christine''s painting.


    In the huge portrait, the beautiful Christine in a white dress gazed at him with eyes as gentle as water.


    At this moment, the Phantom''s next lines were to beg for Christine''s friendship, hoping she would understand him and not leave him even after seeing his true face.


    However, before Kagura Hikaru could speak, Kiryu Hina preempted the lines.


    "Fear can transform into love, and I will learn to understand the man before me, the beautiful man hidden behind the monster. To see beyond the ugly exterior, to discover your kindness and the warmth inside you."


    Kiryu Hina had, at some point, appeared behind Kagura Hikaru. Gently, she placed one hand on his shoulder, her palm''s warmth and her trembling nervousness transmitted through the fabric.


    She had broken with the script.


    Christine wasn''t supposed to reconcile with the Phantom¡ªseeing his true face was only the first step. She was meant to keep rejecting him, leading the Phantom to drive himself into despair with jealousy¡ªthat was the natural progression of the plot.


    But why?


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head in shock.


    Kiryu Hina, with tears at the corners of her eyes, showed the same tender gaze as the Christine in the painting, and although she was the one crying, her fingers gently brushed away the non-existent tears from Kagura Hikaru''s eyes.


    I love you.


    With her back to the audience, Kiryu Hina''s real tears, not prescribed by the script, fell silently as she mouthed her innermost feelings with no sound.

 Chapter 211 Total Chaos

    Christine stretched out her hand to wipe away the non-existent tears from the hideous Phantom of the Opera, who stared at her, unknowingly letting his hand that covered his disfigured face fall limply by his side.To the audience, the scene was already sublimely beautiful.


    The Christine who had seen the Phantom''s cruel and ugly side forgave him like a saint and saw through to his tearful heart. Her kindness overcame her fear, and she chose to accept him.


    How pure was this act!


    Though it was beyond what was in the script, it brought about a different level of emotion.


    However, to those in the know, this scene held a different significance.


    Whether it was Ai Cheng Hua Lian in the audience, Kohinata Motoyo backstage, or Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had run from backstage to peek from behind the curtains, they all understood the hidden truth in her words.


    "Fear can turn into love. I will learn to understand this man before me, this beautiful man behind the monster. Not to be fooled by an ugly exterior, to discover your kindness, and your warm heart."


    Kiryu Hina was speaking about the Phantom on the surface, but she was actually speaking about herself.


    Fear, monster, an ugly exterior¡ªthese all represented the hurt she had once caused to Kagura Hikaru.


    She hoped that Kagura Hikaru could look past those awful things; even if he couldn''t forgive her, he would still see her true intentions.


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t dense; he understood the deeper meaning behind her words faster than anyone.


    That unspoken confession was also conveyed crystal clear to him.


    His ability to discern truth from lies told him that this was the real thing.


    ...Now of all times, truly now of all times, why did she wait until now to say these things to him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was already too late.


    The Phantom snatched the mask that belonged to him from Christine''s hands, took two quick steps past her, turned his back to her, put on the mask, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Let''s go, I''ll take you back. If you don''t show up soon, the troupe will start to worry."


    "....Yeah."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t answer directly, but Kiryu Hina, as if she already knew his response, lowered her head in disappointment.


    She slightly regretted it; her intention had been to apologize, not to confess, but somehow the words had changed as they reached her lips.


    Such an unheralded confession, without any buildup, was too embarrassing.


    How could it possibly succeed this way?


    The lights dimmed on stage, and the curtains came down as well, met with cries of disappointment from the audience below.


    "That''s all for the second act, they''re closing the curtains for preparation again?!" Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I want to see what happens next!"


    "Hurry it up, Drama Club!!"


    After the curtains fell, the stage lights finally came on, and Kiryu Hina saw that Kagura Hikaru had already departed in the dark, leaving only a black silhouette behind.


    In his place stood Ayakoji Chiyoko at the backstage entrance, staring intently at her.


    Dressed in men''s clothing and holding her arms as she coldly stared at someone, she indeed made one feel rather uneasy.


    In her eyes, perhaps all of her actions were quite unreasonable.


    Kiryu Hina composed her expression and smiled as she slowly walked over.


    Then she stopped just outside of what she estimated to be Ayakoji Chiyoko''s striking distance.


    The two of them looked at each other quietly.


    Members of the Drama Club bustled around them, continuously changing the props on stage.


    "...What exactly do you want to do?" After a long stare, Ayakoji Chiyoko finally spoke.


    "What do I want to do? As you see," she replied.


    "So you''re determined to be against me."


    "I''m not targeting you, it''s just that our goals happen to be at cross purposes," Kiryu Hina said with a smile.


    There was not a hint of shame in her eyes.


    As if the identity of someone else''s boyfriend had no restraining power over her.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko laughed out of sheer anger.


    This kind of wantonness, doing as one pleases, was filled with selfishness... Indeed, she was worthy of being her arch-enemy, every move she made disgust Chiyoko to the core.


    "I won''t give him up to you," Ayakoji Chiyoko said seriously.


    "That should be up to his own will, shouldn''t it? He''s not your toy puppet, Ayakoji Chiyoko," Kiryu Hina retorted.


    "I''ll give you that line right back. Don''t forget what you''ve done to him in the past."


    Kiryu Hina''s face changed slightly: "That was... a misunderstanding."


    "Ha," Ayakoji Chiyoko sneered as if she had caught a mouse''s tail, "I don''t know whether to call you naive or what, but how can you still have the face to make up with him now."


    "It was Kohinata Motoyo''s fault!"


    "Whose fault it is doesn''t matter¡ªall that matters is that you lack the ability to distinguish lies, and that is the biggest mistake."


    Kiryu Hina was taken aback, suddenly not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and fell silent for a moment.


    She suddenly realized that she and the Ayakoji Chiyoko in front of her were not so different after all.


    They were both slaves to fate, clowns that provoked laughter.


    "...Enough, you should think about how to continue this play," said Kiryu Hina, suddenly losing the mood for conversation, she waved her hand and walked off the stage.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned back to look at her and frowned, "Continue? What do you mean by that?"


    "It means you should take a look at the new script. Don''t screw up the play when the time comes, President Ayakoji."


    Her words were loaded with implication.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, as if remembering something, her complexion changed, and she quickly followed offstage.


    Previously, Kiryu Hina had suddenly taken over the lines of ''The Phantom of the Opera,'' creating a peculiar atmosphere.


    As someone watching the play from the side, Ayakoji Chiyoko could clearly sense an invisible red thread connecting Christine and The Phantom in the play.


    According to the typical logic of dramas, the plot should then revolve around the development of their relationship.


    But the key issue is, the original plot of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' was not like this!


    What about Raoul? He should have been Christine''s rightful partner, a pure love warrior fighting against the control freak Phantom to rescue his beloved from the hands of the monster. What would he become in this changed play?


    The part of the plot Kiryu Hina had altered was precisely the key turning point hidden in the entire play.


    It was because Christine chose to distance herself out of fear of The Phantom, and The Phantom, driven mad by the loss of his beloved, committed murder, resulting in an increasingly uncontrollable series of tragedies.


    One could say that Christine''s fear and rejection of The Phantom indirectly caused the series of ensuing tragedies¡ªalthough that was unavoidable. A woman cannot be expected to fall in love with a man by force.


    On the other hand, if Christine fell in love with The Phantom and they became a couple, then basically all the subsequent tragedies could have been avoided.


    Christine could have served as a great regulator, using love to suppress The Phantom''s rampage.


    In the end of the original story, Christine does use love to transform The Phantom, voluntarily abandoning the assured victory and returning to Raoul, her rival in love.


    But with Kiryu Hina''s meddling, the plot was in complete disarray.


    If Christine and The Phantom were together, at least half of the script that Ayakoji Chiyoko had memorized would need to be upended and rewritten!


    Kiryu Hina, just how much do you enjoy causing trouble for others!

 Chapter 212 Someone Got Anxious, Swearing Sovereignty Face to Face

    When Ayakoji Chiyoko ran backstage, she saw Kagura Hikaru sitting there flipping through the script, looking troubled. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library EmpireBefore she could even ask, the passing Drama Club President Takeuchi Momo suddenly stuffed a script into her arms.


    On the first page, it read ¡ª¡ª [Uka Cultural Festival Drama Script "The Phantom of the Opera" (True)]


    ?


    (True)?


    "What''s this...?"


    "As you see, a new script, hurry up and memorize it now."


    Having said that, Takeuchi Momo slipped away.


    Like a little bear cub afraid of being hit, her two little short legs moved at lightning speed.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stared at her retreating figure, then reacted, flipping open the script fiercely.


    [Raoul: "Why is this happening, why does fate treat me this way, Christine!" (Steps back half a step, in pain, hiding anger)]


    Christine: "I''m sorry, Raoul, I can''t reciprocate your feelings." (Sorrowful, leaning into the Phantom''s arms while speaking)]


    Christine: "Because I already belong to the Phantom." (Gently looking towards the Phantom)]


    The Phantom: "My love, we shall never be apart again." (Also looks back at Christine tenderly)]


    What is all this nonsense??!!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes bulged with fury, and she unintentionally creased the thick script with her too-tight grip.


    She read through the script carefully, focusing on the part after Christine leaves the Phantom''s Bat Cave, which is the real script the Drama Club seemingly wrote long ago but deliberately kept secret from her.


    Christine doesn''t fear the Phantom as in the original, but instead falls in love with him.


    The Phantom, out of self-denial, continuously rejects her but secretly rejoices in her understanding, maintaining a push-pull relationship with her.


    But Raoul, Christine''s childhood sweetheart, mistakenly thinks the ugly phantom has stolen Christine away, and ignores her pleas to chase and kill him.


    The arrows of the love triangle have completely reversed.


    Over there, Kagura Hikaru also got the new script and looks stupified, his mind in total disarray.


    The Drama Club people deceived him and Ayakoji Chiyoko by changing the script without permission, arbitrarily pairing Christine with the Phantom.


    Holy shit, is "The Phantom of the Opera" going to turn into "Beauty and the Beast"??


    Moreover, this new script twists things even further; Raoul, the official match, turns out to be the annoying villain blocking the young lovers, jumping around like a flea.


    This is nothing like what was agreed upon in the beginning.


    A sudden script change, Ayakoji Chiyoko must be about to explode.


    Kagura Hikaru looked up towards her.


    Sure enough, Ayakoji Chiyoko, holding the new script, was shaking with anger, her eyes red as if she was a predator ready to strike, exuding an aura of magic as formidable as Two-faced Sukuna.


    Her anger is understandable, after all, if they were to perform according to this new script, Ayakoji Chiyoko wouldn''t just be the male lead anymore; she''d directly become the clown of the play, subject to the collective ridicule from the audience.


    Her childhood sweetheart stolen away, her love failing yet refusing to yield to her rival, and eventually getting a harsh lesson and left behind underground, watching helplessly through the bars as Christine and the Phantom blissfully unite.


    Who wrote this twisted plot! Can it truly not be intentional revenge?


    Carefully assessing Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mood, Kagura Hikaru didn''t dare approach her; instead, he shot a questioning look towards Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina on the other side.


    "Sorry, Kagura, this was decided from the very beginning." Kohinata Motoyo put her hands together and, tilting her head slightly to one side, closed one eye to feign cuteness, laughing as she said, "You''ll forgive us, right?"


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Heh, hehe, hehehehehe..."


    Seeing something amiss, Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina subtly stood up and moved their feet, hiding behind Kagura Hikaru and grabbing the back of his chair to peek out.


    Kiryu Hina: "Ayakoji Chiyoko, you''d better go and memorize your lines quickly; the third act''s plot is quite long."


    Kohinata Motoyo: "Yeah, yeah."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Heh, hehe, hehehehehe...!!"


    With no choice, Kagura Hikaru stood up and said, "Alright, stop provoking her. Ayakoji, you too, start memorizing the script. There''s only ten minutes of rest time; if you don''t hurry up, you''ll run out of time."


    Having her boyfriend say this, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression twisted awkwardly, and she pouted discontentedly, "Are you taking their side?"


    "I have no reason to favor them, it''s just that time waits for no one, and the problems are objectively there, be rational."


    "But... Tch, fine, I got it."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glared fiercely at Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina, who sighed with relief and stood up, her face like a wrathful Prajna mask: "Later, I''ll settle the score with you."


    Kohinata Motoyo returned a very forced smile, while Kiryu Hina let out a dissatisfied snort, folded her arms, and turned her head away.


    Watching the nasty atmosphere between them, the air backstage also turned abnormal, and Kagura Hikaru sighed, thinking to himself that it served them right for provoking her for no reason, then sat down, scratching his head and looking at the script.


    He was seriously worried; to memorize the entire third act''s lines in ten minutes was a daunting task.


    Although he had mind-reading abilities that allowed him to copy others'' skills and theoretical knowledge, at the end of the day, this ability did not transform his body itself.


    In other words, what Kagura Hikaru possessed was, at most, just a technique.


    His memory was the same as it had always been.


    However, he had previously read the minds of people who were adept at speed-reading, and he had copied their abilities, so given some time, memorizing the script shouldn''t be a problem.


    Seeing Kagura Hikaru sit down again, seriously flipping through the script, Ayakoji Chiyoko had no choice but to follow suit and look at it herself.


    She was somewhat confident in her memory; otherwise, she wouldn''t have consistently ranked near the top academically at Yuqiu High School, a school known for its emphasis on advancement to higher education.


    Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo, both women, were sensible enough not to disturb them anymore, quietly sitting in the corner, one reading the script and the other reading a book, thinking and passing the time.


    Ten minutes later, a "bah¡ª" sound signaled the reopening of the stage was timely broadcasted outside.


    Takeuchi Momo Department Head rushed backstage, only to see Kagura Hikaru and the others already neatly prepared, checking each other''s costumes.


    After confirming there were no issues, she gestured, "Come on, the third act is about to start."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina simultaneously straightened their collars and exchanged a glance. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The third act was their main stage.


    Raoul would be confessing to Christine in this act.


    Let''s see how I deal with you.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sneered inwardly, glanced at her archrival, then grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s collar, pulling him close and kissed him fiercely.


    Naturally, it was on the lips.


    And it was in front of Kiryu Hina, Kohinata Motoyo, Takeuchi Momo Department Head, and even other Drama Club members who had just come off the stage.


    After their lips parted, Ayakoji Chiyoko licked her lips expressionlessly, straightened Kagura Hikaru''s disheveled collar for him, then ignoring everyone''s shocked gazes, she strode out of the backstage area.


    Kiryu Hina pinched the corner of her eye, smiling helplessly.


    She then stepped forward, took Kagura Hikaru''s hand, bent her knees in a curtsy, performing a standard one-handed skirt-lifting gesture, and ascended the stage like a princess.


    Once the two ladies had left, all eyes backstage naturally fell on Kagura Hikaru, whose facial expression was frozen stiff.


    ...Eh?

 Chapter 213 Act Three: The Arrogant King

    Kiryu Hina caught up with Ayakoji Chiyoko and followed her onto the stage, not forgetting to glance back at the backstage, silent as a morgue.When they come to their senses, it will definitely cause a big stir.


    "To do this in front of everyone, do you have a problem in your head, Student Council President?" Kiryu Hina asked with a smile on her face but not in her eyes, turning her head to ask.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, while adjusting her cuffs, walked forward nonchalantly, "The new school rules will be announced after the cultural festival ends. By then, student romance will no longer be taboo. Once the news spreads, it will no longer be a threat."


    "Oh, new school rules, that was quick. How did you manage to deal with that snobbish principal?"


    "Perhaps you don''t know, but my father sponsored this school when I enrolled."


    "Ayakoji Ryoma, huh... Ohoho, it seems it''s thanks to daddy."


    "Family is also a source of strength. Even if you mock me, I won''t feel ashamed."


    "What thick skin you have. You might surprisingly be well-suited for a career in politics."


    "Shut your mouth."


    The rest of the actors rapidly took their places, and the curtain slowly rose.


    The third act¡ªThe Arrogant King, begins!


    The stage backdrop returned to the opera house.


    Christine is singing on the stage, and every time she finishes three lines, the actors peel off her outermost garment, revealing a different costume underneath, symbolizing her continuous performances on stage and her accumulation of leading roles.


    This quick costume change performance was also demonstrated when Christine first took the stage.


    Although inspired by quick-change magic, it turned out to be surprisingly effective and was well-received by the audience. In the future, it might even become a signature feature of the Uka Theater Club. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On stage, Carlotta, the original leading lady who left due to injuries caused by The Phantom of the Opera, although now recovered and returned, could only watch with ugly jealousy as Christine shone brightly on stage, hindered by the theater manager''s obstruction.


    However, the company itself took pleasure in her misfortune, with no one willing to interact with her.


    The stage shifted once more, and that day the theater manager received another letter from The Phantom of the Opera.


    The red seal with a skull was his trademark.


    "My dear Andre (the theater manager), what an attractive gathering. Christine''s performance is truly exceptional. Carlotta''s absence has had no impact whatsoever. That woman is a disaster. Why would you employ someone who is past her prime? Let Christine take the lead. As for Carlotta, the noisy wretch, I will generously allow her to be Christine''s silent serving maid. Servants are silent, after all. This is how I''ve decided things should be. In a word, flawless¡ªYour master, The Phantom of the Opera."


    Raoul and Carlotta also received letters from The Phantom of the Opera.


    "Don''t worry about Miss Christine. The Angel of Music watches over her. Stop trying to see her!"


    "Your days at the opera house are numbered, Carlotta. Christine will sing in your place tonight. Should you dare attempt to replace her, be prepared to face calamity."


    The three recipients of the letters gathered together, discussing the mysterious Phantom of the Opera.


    There were too many letters concerning Christine, which made the company start to wonder¡ªwho exactly was The Phantom of the Opera? Why was he helping Christine? Was Christine herself an accomplice in all this?


    The Phantom''s letters had the opposite effect.


    The theater manager, who had initially felt that it was better for Christine to continue as the leading lady, now felt defiant. He didn''t want to let an intangible Phantom have the last laugh. He was the true master of the theater company, yet he was constantly manipulated, a situation no one could tolerate.


    Raoul felt the same way.


    He obviously sensed The Phantom''s possessiveness towards Christine, his childhood friend, through the letters and planned to team up with the theater manager to capture The Phantom''s true identity.


    Thus, they unanimously decided that they would not heed the instructions of The Phantom of the Opera. In the next performance, Carlotta would assume the role of the lead actress, while Christine would play the part of The Silent Servant.


    Carlotta was now beaming with joy; however, the rest of the opera house cast wore troubled expressions.


    To be honest, Christine was much easier to deal with than Carlotta, this pompous widow who was always posturing and prone to causing trouble. She had a penchant for cursing people, and if it weren''t for their paychecks, who would truly want to work with her?


    Furthermore, for the opera house, the only area where Carlotta could match Christine was in acting; her vocal skills lagged far behind those of Christine. This gap was significant enough for the managers to opt for Christine, and the audience members who came specifically for Christine would be disappointed.


    But the managers were now so blinded by rage that they could not concern themselves with these considerations.


    Little did they know, all of this was being observed by The Phantom of the Opera from the shadows.


    The plans they thought were concealed were all exposed.


    That evening, the opera house lights shone brightly, and Raoul with his sword fastened at his side, waited in the second-floor balcony''s Box Five for VIPs.


    The Phantom of the Opera always demanded that managers reserve Box Five for him, and when he felt inclined, he would appear in the box to watch the performance.


    Especially tonight, since he had made a request regarding the stage, he was sure to come.


    Raoul waited there to catch The Phantom of the Opera in the act.


    The music began, and the performance officially started.


    Carlotta, dressed in a gaudy pink noblewoman''s gown, her face powdered white with red lips, entered the stage. Along with the other actors, she used exaggerated theatrical gestures to mock the decadent lives of the French nobility.


    Mis Christine, oblivious to everything, naively made her entrance as The Silent Servant, only to be mocked by Carlotta on stage, her face a picture of utter confusion.


    No one noticed a pair of hands clad in deerskin gloves, extending from the darkness, swapping out Carlotta''s mouth freshener.


    The background music became somewhat lively and theatrical.


    When it came time for the singing part, Carlotta stepped down from the stage and hurriedly urged the staff to bring her mouth freshener. She sprayed it into her mouth and then quickly lifted her skirt to get back on stage.


    "I now must find a better husband, poor dear, he has no clue, if he knew, he surely would have left," she sang.


    Carlotta mockingly pointed her fan at Christine, who played The Silent Servant, "My husband loves you, but you cannot speak, you¡ª"


    Suddenly there was a hush on stage as everyone was shocked to see Carlotta covering her mouth, her voice breaking down mid-song.


    The audience sitting below, made up mostly of students, began to laugh.


    The embarrassment lasted for two seconds before everyone pretended nothing had happened and continued with the performance.


    "Poor fool, he makes me laugh¡ª"


    Carlotta, at a loss, covered her throat frantically gesticulating: "What''s happening, I can''t sing, I can''t sing! My goodness!!"


    "Quick, lower the curtain, hurry!"


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    The opera house manager and the actors on stage were thrown into chaos, dragging the screaming Carlotta off the stage.


    The manager bowed to the audience to apologize, then hurriedly had the actors dance on stage to buy time, arranging for the next scene. They moved to have Christine replace Carlotta, rushing to put her in a red dress.


    The manager had guessed the work of The Phantom of the Opera but was helpless in the face of his inscrutable methods. Now, they could only concede to his will.


    But just as the curtain was raised again, a body with a noose around its neck suddenly fell from above and thumped onto the stage floor.

 Chapter 214 The Yuri Route Between Love Rivals Also Exists

    The sudden appearance of a corpse elicited screams both from the actors on stage and the audience below.At that moment, Christine was still on stage, covering her mouth in shock as she watched the scene unfold.


    Raoul could no longer wait passively; he quickly left his box and rushed onto the stage.


    The body was dressed in a pink costume identical to Carlotta''s, and the lifeless face turned to the side was also a perfect match for Carlotta''s, the floor around was covered in bloodstains.


    Could it be the very Carlotta who had just been dragged away by everyone?!


    No one wanted to get close, keeping their distance as they whispered among themselves, creating an edgy and restless atmosphere on the stage.


    As Raoul reached the stage, an infuriated Carlotta emerged from backstage, "What are all of you fussing about? Can''t you see I''m in distress right now, you ah ah ah ah ah ah¡ª¡ª!!!!"


    Stepping onto the stage and seeing her own ''corpse,'' Carlotta screamed and fainted on the spot, once again being dragged offstage by the crowd.


    Finally, everyone began to realize the situation.


    If Carlotta was still alive, then what was the ''corpse''...?


    Raoul walked over to the ''corpse,'' knelt down to examine it, then looked up and said, "This is a dummy! Not a human!"


    He slid his hands under the dummy that had a face identical to Carlotta''s and lifted it up.


    It was obviously heavy, solid, equivalent to the weight of an adult; otherwise, the sound of it hitting the floor would have given it away.


    Upon closer inspection, one could make out the joints of the dummy, but it still looked frightening with the bloodstains covering it.


    "Curse the Phantom of the Opera, is this yet another of his doings?!" the managing director stomped his feet in a fit of rage.


    First, Carlotta had lost her voice, then came a corpse-like dummy, and Carlotta fainted at the sight of the dummy.


    The managing director asked if anyone had seen the Phantom of the Opera. After receiving negative responses, he began to shirk responsibility and argued with the company members, throwing the troupe into complete disarray.


    Concerned that the Phantom might take advantage of the chaos to target Christine, Raoul handed the dummy over to other company members to deal with and then took Christine to the roof.


    As the lights on stage dimmed, and brightened again, the backdrop had changed to the opera house rooftop.


    It was snowing on the rooftop, covering it in a frosty white.


    Raoul took off his coat, intending to drape it over Christine''s shoulders, but she refused.


    "Christine, what''s your relationship with the Phantom of the Opera, and why is he helping you?"


    "I''m sorry, Raoul, I can''t say," Christine shook her head, hugged her shoulders, and walked to the other side, her red skirt swaying with her steps, leaving footprints on the snow.


    "Why?" Raoul caught up with her, full of questions, "Who is the Phantom of the Opera exactly? Is he an evil man? Will he harm you?" Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Of that, I can be certain, absolutely not," Christine placed her hands on her chest, looking into the distance, "He''s a lonely soul who has helped me and has been by my side ever since my father''s death. No amount of gratitude would be enough for him."


    "But today he ruined your performance."


    "That is something for the manager to worry about. He was just standing up for me."


    "Christine..."


    The two didn''t notice that the Phantom of the Opera had already silently arrived on the rooftop.


    Dressed in a black coat and a mask that covered three-quarters of his face, he was hidden behind a sculpture on the rooftop, silently listening to their conversation.


    Raoul fell silent for a moment before singing, "Christine, you are always so kind, and innocent... forget the darkness, forget these fears. I am here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and comfort you, let me offer you freedom. I am here to protect and guide you." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am already free; I don''t need protection or guidance. I already have an Angel of Music."


    "Come to your senses, that''s no angel, it''s a trouble-making devil, a greedy whisper in the dark. You shouldn''t be tempted, come back, come back."


    Raoul grabbed Christine''s shoulders, looking intently into her eyes.


    The Phantom of the Opera took a step out from behind the sculpture''s shadow, clenched his fist, and seemed ready to rush forward, but at the last moment, he retreated, helplessly withdrawing back into the darkness.


    Such a creature of darkness should never appear in the light of day.


    No one wishes to see him.


    "No, he is not a troublemaking devil, nor a greedy whisper in the darkness, he is the lonely Angel, my Angel of Music. He brings me music, brings me sunlight, he guards and leads me, he is my Angel of Music."


    Christine sang.


    Her voice was clear, her demeanor gentle, causing the Phantom lurking in the shadows to yearn for her, staring at her, as if beholding an angel.


    "Do not succumb to darkness, you have me now!" Raoul suddenly embraced Christine from behind, "I love you, at every waking moment, during that summer, I fell in love, I need your company."


    The students of Uka below the stage watched in confusion as this twisted love triangle unfolded before them, some girls covering their faces and screaming.


    Raoul clearly had intentions for Christine, but she only saw him as a friend, otherwise she wouldn''t have rejected his coat in the cold wind.


    On the contrary, Christine''s feelings for the Phantom must be deeper, after all, he was the angel who had accompanied and taught her in secret since she was young, even though the true face of the angel was not beautiful, she was still willing to touch that lonely soul.


    And the Phantom, hiding in the darkness, loved Christine as well, jealous of Raoul.


    But his methods were too extreme, dark and ugly, he felt unworthy of the beautiful and kind Christine and never dared to take that step, always remaining silent in the shadows.


    Contrary to the beginning, where Christine saw him as an Angel, now it was the Phantom who saw her as his angel.


    On stage, Christine broke free from Raoul''s embrace,


    "Let me lead you out of loneliness, that is my hope for you, Christine. Let us share every day, at every dawn and dusk, no matter where we went in the past, we were inseparable," Raoul said passionately.


    "That is in the past, Raoul, I can''t reciprocate your feelings," Christine said gently as she caressed his hands, smiling yet firmly rejecting him.


    Raoul, upon being rejected, stared blankly at her.


    The members of the Drama Club gave a thumbs up to the props team, ready to have them lower the curtain to end the third act.


    But at this moment, Ayakoji Chiyoko, in the role of Raoul, suddenly did something that no one had anticipated.


    "I bestow upon you my love, but how do you repay me? Say you love me, I shall follow you, let us share every day!" Raoul tightly grasped Christine''s hands.


    Confronted with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s aggressive gaze, Kiryu Hina recoiled somewhat uncomfortably.


    This had gone beyond the script, and whatever she did next was all improvisation.


    Was this retaliation for her previous willful behavior?


    "We were once apart, yet our hearts were still connected, but we can''t be together."


    Phantom, you are doomed to part, humans cannot be with spirits, wake up Christine, I am the one for you."


    "Poor Raoul, crazy Raoul, I can''t fulfill your expectations,"


    With each sentence, Kiryu Hina stepped back, and with each step back Ayakoji Chiyoko advanced.


    It was as if they were performing a duet, enacting a chase scene over and over.


    Behind the curtain, Takeuchi Momo Department Head frowned, focusing on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s increasingly forceful performance toward Kiryu Hina, and gestured to the props team.


    The team, understanding the signal, nodded and began to transition the background music from a deep, sorrowful mood to a more unsettling, steep plunge into an abyss.


    "What on earth are you doing, Ayakoji..." Kagura Hikaru, hidden in the shadows, looked up at the props team switching the music, then at Raoul, who was still entangling with Christine.


    Was she trying to ruin the play?


    "I shall destroy the Phantom, your fears will leave you," Ayakoji Chiyoko seized Kiryu Hina''s shoulders, preventing her from leaving, gazing directly into her eyes, "My love for you is unchanging, you belong to me."


    She wrapped her arms around Kiryu Hina, held her head, and kissed her without hesitation.


    Lips pressed against lips.


    Kiryu Hina''s eyes widened suddenly.


    Huh?!?!?

 Chapter 215 Today, you can touch a little further down!

    Kiryu Hina: "Hmm?!"Kagura Hikaru: "???" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kohinata Motoyo: "Oh la la oh la la~~"


    Takeuchi Momo and other Drama Club members: "Wow wow wow wow wow....."


    Audience: "Yaaah¡ª!!!!!!"


    There was no faking it; it was a real kiss.


    The place where their lips touched was visible for all to see!


    Kiryu Hina experienced a mental explosion on the spot, with an earthquake in her pupils and her body uncontrollably leaning backward.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hand, which had been holding her back, moved down to support her waist as she leaned down to deepen the kiss with the almost supine Kiryu Hina, eyes still open, gazing into the shaken girl''s, a visible sneer in her eyes like a golden fox playing with its prey.


    The screams from the audience were almost enough to lift the roof off the school auditorium.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and former Student Council President, although they were opponents, arch-enemies, and famously at odds with each other from heaven to earth.


    But as Mr. Lu Xun said¡ªpointed rivals are much more enjoyable to ship than any fool couple you''d find by the roadside!


    In their first year, those shipping their ''cp'' could be lined up from Tokyo to Sendai.


    In their second year, their ''cp'' image transitioned from bickering foes to Demon King and defeated Hero, but that did not hinder everyone from continuing to ship them.


    Incidentally, the Demon King was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    And now, here they were, the Demon King and the Hero kissing on the stage of a drama!


    Mom, the ''cp'' I ship is actually playing out for real!!


    For a moment, everyone forgot the rule that you can''t take pictures during a play, and couldn''t control their hands as they lifted their phones and frantically pressed the shutter button, turning the audience into a sea of flashlights with unceasing shutter sounds.


    "Oh la la oh la la~~"


    Standing behind the curtain and watching them, Kohinata Motoyo had been repeating those words since just now.


    With one hand supporting her cheek, her gaze vacant, it seemed she was quite frightened.


    She was probably imagining herself being retaliated against by Ayakoji Chiyoko in the same way, no doubt her mental state wouldn''t be much better than it was now.


    Right beside her, the frantic President Takeuchi Momo was jumping up and down, gesturing wildly for the people above to lower the curtain.


    The stage prop team operated the stage apparatus, and the red curtain slowly closed, blocking the view from below, leaving the audience with the image of Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko locked in a kiss.


    The stage was lit up again.


    Only then did Ayakoji Chiyoko lift her head, spread her arms to release the person in her embrace, and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.


    Kiryu Hina slowly slid to the ground, kneeling down, covering her mouth, staring blankly at the floor for a few seconds before turning her slightly reddened face upwards indignantly and glaring at her: "What are you doing? That wasn''t in the script at all!"


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    "You too, you deceived us, this is just payback," sneered Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was still rapidly wiping her lips, which soon became reddened.


    "What a joke, don''t you have any shame as a girl?!"


    "Calm down, you''re too old for this."


    "This is enough to anger my 78-year-old grandmother!!"


    "Tch, I can still feel the touch lingering, so disgusting." Ayakoji Chiyoko wiped her lips, looking away with a muffled voice, "Luckily, I had Kagura moisturize it just now, or I wouldn''t even know how to start."


    "You...!" Kiryu Hina''s face turned entirely red with anger, steam practically coming out of her ears, the epitome of rage upon rage.


    "It should be considered a good thing for you, right? You''re so lucky, getting to indirectly kiss the boy you like for free," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with narrowed eyes and a mocking smile, "Even though it''s from his girlfriend''s lips, just now, huh?"


    "...(Angry) (Angry) (Angry)"


    "That''s about enough, Ayakoji."


    Kagura Hikaru approached with a dark expression.


    He was dressed in the costume of The Phantom of the Opera, entirely in black, even his face was blackened.


    If he had left his unwashed, greasy long hair, he would have looked exactly like a certain dark arts professor.


    "Why on earth would you do such a thing?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    Could forcibly kissing Kiryu Hina bring her any benefits? It seemed unlikely¡ªafter all, Kiryu Hina was no longer her rival, neither in popularity nor power. In other words, there was no threat.


    In such a case, it was mostly likely...


    "Just pure revenge," Ayakoji Chiyoko answered quickly, her nasty nature was laid bare.


    As expected.


    "What kind of person are you, you pervert! Slut!" Kiryu Hina cursed and then rushed off to the backstage.


    Immediately after, President Takeuchi Momo stormed over, stomping her feet and standing akimbo in front of Ayakoji Chiyoko, her petite frame looking up at her with fiery eyes: "Why are you improvising instead of sticking to the script? Raoul is a gentleman, he''s clearly not the type to force himself on a woman!"


    "I was simply following your arrangements, President Takeuchi. The new script shows Raoul, who''s obsessed with Christine but can''t have her, eventually going to extremes. It''s quite good, isn''t it? I just added a bit of improvisation,"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko replied, arms folded, confronting her without showing any weakness, "Compared to what you guys have come up with, my adaptation is hardly an exaggeration, don''t you think?"


    "You...."


    Takeuchi Momo''s face changed colors, and she was at a loss for words for a moment.


    Was this the reason Kohinata Motoyo warned her to be wary of Ayakoji Chiyoko? She never expected that revenge would come even before the play had ended.


    Indeed, although Ayakoji Chiyoko''s performance was improvised, it was still within the bounds of her character.


    And the kiss scene between the current and former Student Council Presidents indeed greatly increased the discussion around the play, which could potentially explode on the forums, ensuring the Drama Club''s recruitment plans were completed successfully.


    However, that was a problem for later. For now, due to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s antics, the new script would surely need to be modified again.


    Christine being kissed forcefully by Raoul, while The Phantom of the Opera was just lurking in a corner of the rooftop, he couldn''t possibly do nothing.


    But if The Phantom of the Opera and Raoul were made to fight right now, what would happen to the storyline afterward? How would Christine''s attitude be dealt with? And how would The Phantom of the Opera, revealed, extricate himself?


    Just thinking about these issues was enough to give Takeuchi Momo a headache.


    In fact, she was the playwright and the director of this drama, meaning she was the one responsible for revising the script, so all these problems ultimately fell on Takeuchi Momo herself!


    They had only ten minutes of rest before the next act; the workload was simply explosive, ahhhhhhhh¡ª!!


    With no time to argue with Ayakoji Chiyoko, Takeuchi Momo ran backstage, hands on her head, and gathered Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo to brainstorm and continue scripting.


    Seeing her in such a hurry, Ayakoji Chiyoko laughed with malice, tossed her hair playfully, "This is what happens to those who oppose me. I hope they remember this well and stop bothering us in the future."


    "Don''t you think you went a bit too far this time?" Kagura said.


    "Hmph, it was just right... Hey, let''s do it again. I still can''t shake off the feeling of kissing that Kiryu guy," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, pulling on Kagura''s hand, pouting with arrogance.


    "Here?"


    There were still Drama Club members moving props all around.


    Though they seemed to be seriously working, eyes kept darting their way, clearly still affected by Ayakoji Chiyoko''s startling kiss backstage.


    And with the kiss onstage with Kiryu Hina, everyone might start thinking Ayakoji Chiyoko was actually a kissing fiend.


    "Idiot, as if I''d do it in front of so many people, what I did just now was impulsive," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, her cheeks blushing slightly as she pulled Kagura towards the backstage, "Let''s go to the changing room, today, today, you can touch a little lower!"


    "...Now is not the time for that."


    "You don''t have the right to refuse, come with me."


    And so, there in the backstage, Takeuchi Momo, Kiryu Hina, and Kohinata Motoyo watched helplessly as a determined Raoul dragged The Phantom of the Opera into the same changing room, from which strange noises kept emanating.


    They didn''t emerge until ten minutes later, clothes disheveled.


    Raoul looked thoroughly satisfied, while The Phantom of the Opera appeared despondent.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, with the force of a boyfriend, shattered the three girls'' moral standing into pieces, resulting in the rest period of the play having to be extended to fifteen minutes before the fourth act could finally start.

 Chapter 216 Act Four: Hand in Line with the Eye

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    The red curtain of the stage slowly opened.


    Act Four ¨C Hand and eye the same height, begin.


    As the scene opened, it was still the part where Christine was being forcefully kissed by Raoul.


    Only this time, there was a real mix-up with the kiss, with their backs to the audience, and instead, the Phantom of the Opera''s position, which originally was in the corner, was brought to the front of the stage, essentially giving the audience a different point of view, putting them in the shoes of the Phantom.


    The Phantom, who had been listening intently from the shadow of a statue, was caught off guard when his beloved was suddenly assaulted with a kiss from the man below, and he lost his reason in a fit of rage.


    He drew the military saber at his waist, leaped out of the shadows, and bellowed, "Let her go!"


    Raoul was startled and, turning his head, saw a figure in black rushing towards him, and quickly drew his sword in response.


    The two men put on an exciting and spectacular sword fighting performance, from one end of the stage to the other.


    Whether performed by Ayakoji Chiyoko or Kagura Hikaru, both of whom were masters of Sword Dao, even an improvised fight was well executed.


    Aside from the fact that the swords were made of wood, so the sound of metal clashing had to be added from the background music¡ªa bit of a letdown¡ªall other aspects were impeccable, even for professionals.


    The duel took place amidst falling snow, with white flakes landing on their bodies, only to be swiftly thrown off by their vigorous movements, creating a visually impactful scene.


    Christine, who had been sitting on the ground dazed due to the forced kiss, finally came to her senses, stood up, and shouted, "Raoul, Phantom, stop fighting!"


    But the men, engrossed in their battle, were not willing to give up easily. Neither side was ready to stop, continuously striking at the other''s vital points, intent on delivering a deadly blow.


    At this moment, it seemed that someone below had heard the commotion on the rooftop.


    Members of the troupe, who were searching for the Phantom of the Opera, were making their way up the stairs leading to the rooftop, and the sound of chaotic footsteps came from below.


    The Phantom, distracted by the noise, turned his head towards the stairs and was caught off-guard by Raoul''s sword slashing across his shoulder, leaving a trail of blood.


    Christine could no longer stand idly by. Ignoring her own safety, she plunged directly between the two men.


    "Stop fighting, both of you!"


    Raoul and the Phantom immediately ceased and lowered their swords.


    Raoul, "Step aside, Christine!"


    Phantom, "I want to kill that scoundrel!"


    "Please, Raoul, let him go," Christine pleaded with tears streaming, "Phantom, he''s my teacher. We can''t let him get caught."


    "Christine..." Seeing the tears in his beloved''s eyes, Raoul''s expression wavered.


    "Phantom, now''s your chance," Christine urged, looking back. "Run, don''t get caught, just run!"


    "..." The Phantom glanced at the crowd that had started appearing in the stairwell. Clenching his teeth, he sheathed his sword and looked deeply at Christine, "We will meet again."


    "Of course, my Angel," Christine said with a smile in response.


    The Phantom, with a lingering gaze at her, then turned towards the darkness, made a leap as if to escape, and vanished from sight.


    The troupe rushed onto the rooftop, all talking at once.


    "I just saw a shadow!"


    "Was that the Phantom of the Opera?" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My God! It''s Viscount Raoul and Miss Christine."


    "Why did he draw his sword?"


    Christine ignored the noise behind her and sang softly, "People say that birds pursue freedom, but who has asked the birds what they want? They do not desire freedom; their destination is a cage, surrounded by candles, enveloped in music, keeping company with the lonely. Perhaps this, too, is a fine fate..."


    Suddenly, she saw a leather-bound book on the ground where The Phantom of the Opera had been standing moments ago.


    She picked it up and flipped it open, exclaiming in surprise, "''Don Juan Triumphant''? Is this the script for the next play?"


    The lights dimmed.


    Seconds passed, and when they brightened again, the scene had switched to a dark tunnel.


    The Phantom of the Opera clutched the wound on his shoulder and stumbled through the tunnel, singing softly, "My life, a life unloved. My mother abandoned me, left me at a circus for people''s amusement and pleasure. They called me the devil''s child, with the devil''s visage. The circus master beat me; I killed him and fled. I took refuge in this dark underworld of the opera house. Here, I found song, I learned music, trying to comprehend this refined world, but loneliness gnawed at me."


    His knees buckled, and he half-knelt against the wall, panting lightly.


    The Phantom of the Opera tilted his head as if gazing at a light only he could see.


    "One day, the devil''s child found a girl. She had lost her father, and the theater took her in. I decided to teach her. She couldn''t see me, thought me an Angel, unaware that I was the devil. The girl dissolved my loneliness, reviving my soul, and unbeknownst to me, the devil''s child developed human emotions. I fell in love with her.


    Christine, dear Christine, poor Christine, we shall meet again, surely, inevitably..."


    The Phantom of the Opera slowly got up and ran toward the end of the tunnel.


    The lights dimmed once more, and the scene changed again.


    On the stage of the Paris Opera House, everyone was busy setting up.


    Raoul and the theater manager came into view, discussing the script Christine had picked up, which appeared to have been written by the Phantom of the Opera.


    "Tonight, we''ll be performing this piece," said the manager.


    "The lead will be Christine."


    "He will certainly show up, the Phantom of the Opera!"


    "This is his play, and his infatuation, Christine; he is bound to take the bait."


    "This play is the lure, the bait to catch him."


    "The legend of the Phantom of the Opera will come to an end tonight."


    Raoul and the theater manager exchanged a look, smiled at each other, and walked to the other end of the stage.


    In a corner, Christine, dressed in a light gauze costume, sat on a prop resting, singing anxiously, "This play is a trap for you, I can understand, this is Raoul''s idea. Why, Raoul, when I clearly don''t expect it so."


    She worried about The Phantom of the Opera, "Don''t come, don''t come, Phantom, they are armed and ready, you are the wolf in the hunter''s eyes, don''t let them shoot you in the eye..."


    The lights dimmed again.


    When they brightened once more, what had been a disordered stage was now neatly arranged, signifying the official commencement of the play.


    The theater manager stepped onto the stage, smiled, and twirled his mustache, bowing thrice to the audience¡ªleft, center, right¡ªand announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Paris Opera House. Tonight''s performance is titled ''Don Juan Triumphant''. Please enjoy."


    Background sound carried a warm round of applause.


    The real audience below followed suit, clapping as well.


    At this point, Uka Theater Club''s production of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' had already significantly diverged from the original storyline. Whether one knew the original or not, all were immensely looking forward to what would unfold.


    What would happen next between the Phantom of the Opera, Raoul, and Christine? Would the final ending be a tragedy or a reunion?


    Regardless, among these three, one was bound to lose.


    This was without a doubt.

 Chapter 217 The Affair of the Young Girl

    "Don Juan''s Triumph" is one of Mozart''s operas by the same name, telling the story of a libertine named Don Juan who seduced women using cunning deception, only to be ultimately killed by ghosts because of his promiscuity.The character is originally based on the protagonist of the epic poetic novel "Don Juan" created by the English poet Byron, who is also characterized by his promiscuity and popularity with women.


    However, in the opera "Don Juan''s Triumph," Don Juan appears as an antagonist-like protagonist, committing every wrongdoing without any thought of repentance, until he is dragged to hell by the very people he had once slain.


    The adaptation of "Don Juan''s Triumph" by The Phantom of the Opera himself is a brand-new story derived from the original opera.


    At the opening, against the backdrop of a luxurious European-style mansion, two male actors playing Don Juan and his servant Pasqualino step out from both sides of the stage.


    Don Juan, "Pasqualino, my friend, recount our plan once again!"


    Pasqualino, "Let me recount the plan once again, making the master believe I am you, and you; you are Don Juan, and I am the servant."


    Don Juan laughed proudly, "Don my cloak, wear my mask, meet with him, and he''ll think it''s me dining with him at this luxurious masquerade! You feast and drink here, while I meet with that girl."


    Pasqualino obsequiously took Don Juan''s mask and cloak, "Poor girl, she has nowhere to escape."


    They were discussing how to deceive the master of the mansion into mistaking the servant for Don Juan while dining with him.


    And the real Don Juan was going to meet with the daughter of the mansion''s master.


    This was the despicable plan of the promiscuous rogue, Don Juan.


    After speaking with the servant, Don Juan walked into the dressing room, laughing heartily, intending to swap outfits with him.


    But the figure that emerged seconds later was The Phantom of the Opera clad entirely in black.


    He was no longer dressed as a giant bat; his cape had been replaced by a black one-shoulder cloak, with a white low-cut shirt and a form-fitting vest on top, tight leather trousers below, accentuating his tall and solid figure and a pair of long legs, exuding a masculine sexiness.


    The Phantom of the Opera lifted his hand, covering his lower face and body with the cloak.


    Because The Phantom of the Opera was wearing a mask identical to the disguised Don Juan, the actor playing the servant outside couldn''t recognize him.


    "Master."


    "Go now, Pasqualino, the trap has been set, we merely need to wait for the prey to appear."


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    The servant actor did not harbor the slightest doubt, thinking everything was proceeding smoothly according to the script, bowed, and then quickly exited the stage. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After he left, The Phantom of the Opera slowly lowered the cloak.


    At that moment, a spotlight suddenly fell on the stage, revealing Raoul, the theater manager, and several police officers dressed in dark blue uniforms and carrying rifles, lurking in the corner.


    As The Phantom of the Opera lowered his cover, they immediately realized The Phantom of the Opera had appeared, and right at the center of the stage, they became alert.


    Last time, The Phantom of the Opera had ruined a play, even crossing swords with Viscount Raoul, a nobleman, in an undeclared battle, which was a violation of the law. Raoul had actively called in the police to get involved in this capture, to ensure nothing went amiss.


    They did not rush onto the stage immediately but cautiously formed an encirclement below the stage to prevent him from escaping.


    The performance would be halted next, awaiting the police to apprehend the person, and the audience would presumably not blame this minor disruption.


    Raoul had planned everything carefully.


    However, what he had not anticipated was Christine, on the sidelines of the stage, not acting according to the plan and, despite the dissuasion of the theater members, going on stage to perform.


    The spotlight followed her, moving with her as she walked.


    The Phantom of the Opera stood not far away, gazing intently at Christine, who was coming from the other side of the stage, carrying a basket of flowers, dressed in a flowing gown.


    "She has no other dreams in her heart, but the dream of love... I came here not knowing why I came."


    Christine portrayed the noble daughter about to engage in a secret affair with Don Juan: Elvira.


    She came to the center of the stage, looked around at the audience for a moment, slowly sat down, and adopted a waiting posture, fiddling with the roses in her basket, a look of unease on her face.


    This unease was not just the character''s anxiety about secretly meeting her lover behind her father''s back but also Christine''s apprehension about facing The Phantom of the Opera alone.


    She didn''t know whether he was aware that Raoul had laid a trap, waiting to apprehend him.


    Christine''s decision to break the plan and come on stage was precisely to warn The Phantom of the Opera about this¡ªin a worst-case scenario, he could still take her as a hostage and flee with her.


    The Uka students below the stage might not yet grasp the full implication, but they generally understood that Christine''s insistence on coming on stage must mean she was willing to risk her life to help The Phantom of the Opera.


    Their feelings for each other were about to burst forth.


    And Raoul, who hadn''t anticipated this twist at all, could only stop the police from making a rash move, to avoid provoking The Phantom of the Opera into harming Christine, while he paced anxiously below the stage.


    "What are you trying to do, Christine?!"


    "You came, came here, following your deepest impulses, pursuing that desire."


    The Phantom of the Opera was moved, and while singing the lines from "Don Juan Triumphant," he stepped down from the staircase and approached Christine.


    The lines were no longer just part of the script but had become The Phantom of the Opera''s heartfelt monologue to Christine.


    "I have shown you that this passion will melt and merge. In your heart, you have already succumbed to me, dropped all your defenses, and completely given in to me. Now you are with me, without any doubt, you have made up your mind..."


    The Phantom of the Opera reached out his hand, Christine looked at him blankly, and also extended her hand to his.


    Suddenly, The Phantom of the Opera forcefully pulled her into his arms, moving behind Christine to embrace her, one hand caressing her neck, his singing growing rough.


    "Wild emotions will engulf the soul! Abundant desires are to burst forth, sweet temptation lying straight ahead."


    Taking advantage of The Phantom of the Opera''s proximity, Christine whispered to him, "Be careful, Raoul is waiting for you, and so are the police."


    "I know,"


    The Phantom of the Opera whispered back, then continued to sing, "We, crossing the point of no return, this final threshhold, the indescribable secret waiting for us, just beyond the point of no return..."


    Christine gently pulled away from him and took one step forward, holding her chest, "You have let me see your love, at that moment words ran dry, at that moment words vanished into thin air, turning into silence... silence..."


    Her words gradually grew deeper, more profound, elusive.


    "I came here, not knowing why I came, in my heart I had already imagined, our bodies intertwined, silent and unguarded."


    She turned back, gazing lovingly at The Phantom of the Opera, slowly moving closer, "Now I am with you, without any doubt¡ªI have made up my mind."


    The look in her eyes was one of determination, not that of a stage actress.


    The Elvira who fell in love with Don Juan, the Christine determined to stand or fall with The Phantom of the Opera.


    And Kiryu Hina, who was in love with Kagura Hikaru.


    At that moment, the three became one.


    Dramatic lines don''t represent the true feelings of the actors, so Kagura Hikaru on stage could only smell the scent of lies; that would usually be the case.


    But once again, from Christine, who deeply loved The Phantom of the Opera, and from Kiryu Hina, playing Christine and acting opposite him, he sensed the true fragrance of vanilla.


    It was the aroma of authenticity, with not a hint of deception hidden within.


    She said she had made up her mind.


    What decision?


    For the first time on stage, The Phantom of the Opera felt unsettled, as if he had been wounded by the dazzling emotions in Christine''s eyes, and he avoided her gaze.

 Chapter 218 The Persistent Underdog

    "We can hide no longer, our passion is about to unfold. No more thinking of right and wrong, just one question remains, how long must we wait to become one? When will our blood start to surge, when will the dormant buds bloom and burst forth, when will such passion... "The Phantom of the Opera stepped back half a step, but Christine, on the contrary, was pressing forward step by step.


    The roles had reversed.


    Such overtly flirtatious lines were less about seduction and more akin to the mating call of animals.


    Kiryu Hina uttered the words, her face flushing, because in her heart she wasn''t imagining the Phantom of the Opera, but the figure of Kagura Hikaru.


    Their bodies entwined in bed, skin against skin, they shared body heat and love.


    What a beautiful thing that would be.


    But at this moment, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face and that unexpected kiss from not long ago intruded into her thoughts without warning, quite spoiling the atmosphere.


    It wasn''t about lingering feelings, but a residual pain.


    Just as someone who had once been stabbed might flinch when seeing a stabbing on television, their memories would resurface, and the old wound would phantomly ache.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s forceful kiss had a similar lingering effect on her.


    So much so that Kiryu Hina''s lines were not quite smooth, she briefly faltered due to the memory flashback, pausing here for a second.


    It could be said that from this moment on, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s purpose in teasing her had been achieved¡ªto hinder her, to prevent her from affecting Kagura Hikaru so easily.


    The only reason Kiryu Hina had insisted on going on stage was obviously to get close to Kagura Hikaru, there was no doubt about it.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, on the other hand, didn''t want her wish fulfilled, but with such little time to plot, she used the kiss to disrupt Kiryu Hina''s composure.


    Once the flow of emotions inside is interrupted, it''s not so simple to pick up where one left off.


    This quick thinking indeed took effect, the one second pause allowed Kagura Hikaru''s rationality to swiftly recover.


    He surreptitiously pinched his thigh.


    This was the stage, no time for him to space out, as it was his turn to speak next.


    He flung his cloak off with a flick of his wrist and joined the recovering Kiryu Hina in a duet: ""Beyond the point of no return, the final threshold, we have crossed the bridge, look, it burns behind us!""


    The Phantom of the Opera extended his hand, Kiryu Hina grabbed it and twirled into his embrace, leaning her head back onto his shoulder, eyes closed, their singing voices softened:


    ""Now we''ve passed the point of no return... the final... threshold... ""


    According to the script of Don Juan Triumphant, the scene should come to an end here, as the first act of the opera closed.


    But the Phantom of the Opera didn''t let it conclude.


    On one hand, he was infatuated with the sensation of performing onstage with Christine for the first time; on the other hand, the police had quietly surrounded the sides of the stage, their long guns ready, as if waiting for the curtain to fall to immediately apprehend him.


    Christine too noticed the urgency of the situation, looking at him with worry.


    The Phantom of the Opera was not panicked but turned Christine towards him, holding her face in his hands, eyes locked onto hers.


    "Tell me you''ll share with me one love, one lifetime, lead me, save me from my solitude. That is my wish for you, Christine. Say you need me with you now and always, let us be together every moment, day or night. In times past, wherever we went, we were inseparable."


    This was almost identical to the confession Raoul had made to Christine on the rooftop of the opera house in the preceding scene.


    Christine had rejected him back then.


    But now, faced with the same lines, Christine''s expression was completely different.


    Her eyes brimmed with tears, her lips trembled slightly, her delicate fingers caressed the Phantom''s chest.


    "Yes," she said, "I will." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Christine!!" Raoul at the edge of the stage howled like a beaten dog.


    The Phantom of the Opera, who desperately wanted to confess his love to his beloved before being arrested, got the answer he had longed for.


    Tears of joy ran down from his unmasked right eye, and he was utterly content.


    At that moment, he decided that he must escape with Christine no matter what.


    The Phantom of the Opera, who had harbored thoughts of giving up, found hope to continue living.


    He pulled out the dagger hidden at his waist.


    The police thought he intended to harm the hostage (Christine) and immediately aimed their guns at him, but the Phantom of the Opera flung his dagger into the air, and it disappeared into the ceiling. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    The officers instinctively looked up, then wore looks of shock and, forgetting all about arresting the suspect, they hastily turned and fled.


    The Phantom of the Opera also grabbed Christine''s hand and ran towards the back of the stage.


    Before the crowd could react, a huge golden chandelier crashed down onto the stage at the school auditorium with a thunderous noise, shattering into pieces on the stage floor and sending fragments flying in all directions.


    The students below screamed while the onlooking teachers almost mistook the event for a stage accident.


    But they quickly realized that the loud bang seemed to have come from the auditorium''s sound system; it was just a sound effect.


    Upon closer inspection, the chandelier that had fallen onto the center of the stage wasn''t actually made of crystal but appeared to be solid-colored foam, weighted to fall convincingly, and the chandelier''s pendants were all hung up with plastic models, which is why they swayed.


    As for the ''fragments'' that flew out, they were merely foam bits and could not hurt anyone.


    The classic scene of the chandelier falling in "The Phantom of the Opera" is iconic, and the Drama Club put enormous effort into creating the prop, having to report to the school to do this particular scene.


    Thanks to Chiyoko Ayakoji, who was the Student Council President and also participating in the performance, who implicitly allowed it, the scene was approved after much difficulty, and they were permitted to smash the chandelier.


    Regardless, the result seemed to be successful.


    If the audience below was successfully scared, then their efforts were worthwhile.


    The soothing music that filled the auditorium grew tense and uneasy with the fall of the chandelier.


    In the center of the stage, the chandelier burnt with black smoke amidst chaotic screams and confused shouts of anger.


    It was complete chaos.


    "Christine, where are you?!"


    Raoul, with his hair disheveled, staggered about searching for Christine.


    He ran toward the back of the stage, tentatively lifting the curtain of the changing room where the Phantom of the Opera had switched places just before and, to his surprise, he found the Don Juan actor lying on the ground, along with a secret passage.


    Raoul drew his sword, lifted the entrance to the tunnel from the floor, and jumped in.


    The lights suddenly dimmed, and the curtain quickly closed.


    In less than twenty seconds, the curtain was pulled open again, and by then, the chandelier in the middle of the stage had vanished, the backdrop had changed to a dark and gloomy cave.


    The Phantom of the Opera and Christine, just like before, took the boat down the river toward his Underground Kingdom.


    The cave backdrop parted, and the iron fence backdrop behind it also lifted, revealing the Phantom''s chamber, filled with candles and art, glowing gold and resplendent.


    He led Christine out of the boat and then moved aside the 1.5-meter-tall portrait of Christine, revealing a narrow secret passage behind it that could only fit one person.


    "This leads to the surface, and at the end of the tunnel is our freedom," said the Phantom of the Opera joyously, holding Christine''s hands.


    Christine smiled back, gripping his hands.


    But at that moment, Raoul, relentless in his pursuit, waded through the water behind them, drenched, his long hair dripping wet, incessantly dripping water.


    "Christine!!"

 Chapter 219 Duel of Justice

    "Raoul?"Christine turned back in surprise, having never anticipated that her childhood friend would be able to follow her here.


    "Christine, you can''t go with this criminal, come back with me!" Raoul pleaded earnestly.


    Christine hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, "I''m not going back, Raoul."


    "Why? Is that man really better than me? That man who always hides his face and doesn''t even dare to take off his mask!"


    Raoul shouted at The Phantom of the Opera standing beside Christine, "Phantom, you have nowhere to escape now, and the excellent policemen are waiting at the other end of the road. I know you must be coercing Christine. Let her go, I implore you as a viscount, please comply!"


    The Phantom of the Opera stepped forward to shield Christine, the eye not covered by the mask glaring fiercely at him.


    "I refuse, Viscount. Christine, this beautiful, honorable, and independent woman, has her own thoughts. If she wished to return, I would never dare to stop her. But her being here now is her own will, her decision¡ªand yes, she has made her decision!"


    "I don''t believe it!"


    "Is that so? Then there is only one path left for us."


    Watching this stubborn man, The Phantom of the Opera slowly removed his deerskin gloves and threw them to the ground.


    When gentlemen have irreconcilable differences, they choose to settle the matter with a fair duel.


    In other words, it is about physically eliminating the opponent.


    Whoever survives the duel gains the dignity.


    The duel can be declined, but the declining party is deemed a coward and ridiculed.


    Raoul certainly didn''t consider himself a coward.


    He glanced at the gloves on the ground, walked slowly toward The Phantom of the Opera, took off his coat to remaining in a white shirt, and drew his sword from his waist.


    "Let us use one life,"


    "to prove our love for Christine."


    The Phantom of the Opera also took the black-handled Knight''s Sword leaning next to his treasured collection, threw the scabbard aside, and faced Raoul with his sword drawn.


    "Phantom, Raoul..." Christine was at a loss.


    One was her mentor and lover; the other, her childhood playmate and precious friend. Losing either was painful for her.


    "Step back, Christine," said The Phantom of the Opera. "This is a duel between men, and I must honor it."


    "In the battle on the rooftop, we didn''t determine a winner; this time, it will continue until the fate of one of us is severed," Raoul raised his blade earnestly, "I will save you, Christine."


    Christine cried out, "Stop it, both of you! Don''t do this foolish thing!"


    It was already too late.


    Without any count, The Phantom of the Opera and Raoul simultaneously made their move, attacking each other.


    They swung their blades rationally yet crazily, each strike deadly, their killing intent even greater than before.


    Heavy and tragic background music, akin to Beethoven''s "Symphony of Destiny", began playing on the stage.


    "Set her free!" Raoul sang as he fought, "Just let her go, and you can do whatever you want. Do you not have even the slightest bit of pity?"


    "This is a most delightful surprise; I''ve always hoped you would come, and now, my Beautiful Dream has come true; you have made my night," The Phantom of the Opera also sang. "That night, you forcefully took Christine''s lips; I will never forgive you!"


    "Stop it, Raoul, there''s no point," Christine joined in.


    "I love you; does that not matter? I love you, please pity me, Christine... Christine..."


    "Sir, I salute you, for you have given me the chance for revenge,"


    With one thrust, The Phantom of the Opera and Raoul''s swords clashed, pushing against each other with force.


    The Phantom of the Opera was stronger in build and brute strength but in terms of sword techniques, Raoul had the upper hand.


    In the midst of their struggle, Raoul cleaved through The Phantom of the Opera''s black mask with his sword, revealing the hideous face beneath that no one but Christine had ever seen¡ªthe true visage of The Phantom of the Opera.


    Raoul stepped back two steps, shocked by the truth of The Phantom, and exclaimed in surprise, "Good heavens, Phantom, you are so grotesque, where did you find the courage to pursue Christine?"


    "Ah, ah, damn it, you damn bastard! Stupid boar!"


    The Phantom trembled, covering his face with his hands, his long sword falling to the ground.


    Fear was evident in the eyes peeking through his fingers.


    With his mask exposed and facing mockery from his romantic rival, he cursed under his breath like a veteran soldier with PTSD.


    He had been subjected to the same humiliation by everyone when he was imprisoned in the circus in the past, being called an ugly toad, a demon''s spawn¡ªtitles that once crowned his head. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had never forgotten that period of his life; it haunted him every night, in every dream.


    The mask he wore every moment was actually a safety valve, suppressing The Phantom''s fear of past memories and intense inferiority complex.


    Some people find their true selves upon removing a mask, while others only truly become themselves once a mask is donned; The Phantom was the latter.


    "Phantom!"


    A beam of light shone in.


    Christine, dressed in a long gown like the Virgin Mary descended from heaven, embraced him.


    "No, don''t look at me any more, Christine!" said The Phantom.


    But Christine shook her head, took his hands away from his face, and told him, "I am no longer afraid of your face; your love and passion have moved me. Others see your exterior, but I see your heart."


    "Christine..."


    Encouraged by his beloved, The Phantom found his courage again, no longer concealing his appearance, and tentatively raised his head.


    Most of his face was deformed, like a clump of twisted filth, difficult for anyone who saw him to harbor goodwill.


    However, Christine looked at him with a gentle gaze, differing from Raoul''s shock and disgust; she seemed to truly not regard The Phantom''s appearance as something worth noting.


    As she said, her eyes reflected The Phantom''s soul, not his superficial exterior.


    Thanks to Christine''s comfort, The Phantom gradually calmed down, regaining his composure.


    But in the midst of the confusion, his long sword had fallen into the water and sunk, seemingly ending his ability to continue dueling with Raoul.


    "Without your weapon, how will you fight against me?" Raoul pointed the tip of his sword at him.


    The Phantom gently pushed Christine behind him, gave her a glance, nodded, and then boldly walked towards Raoul.


    "Before everything ends, I must remind you of one thing."


    "What?"


    "¡ªWhen dueling with me, keep your hand as high as your eye!"


    Suddenly, The Phantom whipped out a hemp rope from his waist, encircled Raoul''s neck with it as if catching a horse, and while the latter was panicked, yanked him forward and delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen.


    Raoul doubled over in pain, and The Phantom seized the opportunity to kick him down to the ground again, pinning him like a pig, hands tied behind his back.


    In that moment, Raoul finally understood the meaning of ''keeping your hand as high as your eye.''


    Only by raising your hand next to your head can you prevent your neck from being ensnared by the rope.


    Unfortunately, the warning from his adversary came too late, and the situation had already reversed.


    "Now, no one can save you," The Phantom, picking up his sword, rose to his feet, pointing the tip of the blade at Raoul''s face, "Say that you will give up Christine, or else you will die here in this unknown underground, humiliated, at the hands of the man you call hideous!"


    "No, never!" Raoul, facing down toward the ground, roared defiantly in a lowered voice.


    "Then, you shall die."

 Chapter 220 Closing and Secret Meeting

    The Phantom of the Opera lifted his hand, and the long sword was about to fall when he heard Christine shout from behind, "Phantom, don''t kill him!""Christine, are you pleading for him?" The Phantom turned around, his eyes flickering with bloodthirsty intent.


    But soon, seeing Christine''s pleading face, that murderous intent melted away like snow.


    He lowered his sword and turned to embrace Christine.


    "Let us leave and start a new life in a place where no one can find us."


    "Yes."


    "Wait!" Raoul got up from the ground and looked at the two, "Christine, are you really going with him? Have you truly fallen in love with him, this monster?"


    "Yes," Christine nodded.


    Raoul stepped back half a step, his face showing pain.


    "Why must fate do this to me, Christine!"


    "I''m sorry, Raoul... I cannot reciprocate your feelings."


    Christine felt sad for her childhood friend but slowly leaned into the Phantom''s embrace, tenderly looking at him, "Because I am already his."


    The Phantom was visibly moved as he caressed her face and tenderly gazed back, "My love, we will never be apart again."


    At this moment, Chiyoko Ayakoji, who played the role of Raoul, seemed to also feel the emotions of the defeated suitor, clenching her teeth in jealousy and glaring fiercely at the woman who, relying on the script, freely flirted with someone else''s boyfriend.


    Using the noble excuse of acting, she touched and clung to Hikaru Kagura without any ladylike restraint!


    Hikaru''s body must now be saturated with that vixen''s scent; after the performance, she would definitely force him to bathe ten times.


    The script was written by the Drama Club president Momo Takeuchi and Motoyo Kohinata. Although it was unclear why they wanted to help Hina Kiryu, one thing was certain.


    Motoyo Kohinata and Hina Kiryu had formed an alliance.


    They were like characters in a drama about the Three Kingdoms, constantly countering each other. If one became stronger, the other two would ally to restrain them until the balance was restored.


    The factions of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu pursued the Central Plains, the entire realm.


    But these three women were vying for a man.


    If the earlier version of herself knew this, she would surely have ridiculed it to no end.


    Why immerse herself in such trivial feelings of love? What happened to her past ideals and goals?


    Chiyoko Ayakoji, when had she become so superficial?


    In fact, even she didn''t know whether her feelings for Hikaru were more about true affection or crude possessiveness.


    However, she had no intention of handing Hikaru over to those two despicable women, Hina Kiryu and Motoyo Kohinata.


    To excavate someone else''s boyfriend at a cultural festival, arranging an opera performance as a guise to flirt¡ªhow cunning of them!


    Fortunately, her boyfriend was reliable, able to resist temptation.


    ¡­He was able to resist, right?


    Chiyoko Ayakoji, playing Raoul, gave the Phantom a deathly glare.


    Strangers thought it was hate for a rival, but little did they know it contained a hidden warning.


    Hikaru silently wiped his sweat, took Hina Kiryu''s hand, and slipped into the dark passage, completing the final act of this topsy-turvy version of "The Phantom of the Opera," which would have infuriated the original author.


    The red curtain slowly closed. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The school auditorium curtains were drawn open, and the sunlight that had been blocked for the sake of stage effects shone in again.


    Everyone then realized that the play had ended, so they rose to their feet and applauded, the applause thundering and echoing throughout the hall.


    Even without discussing the adapted plot, the outstanding acting of the actors on stage alone was enough to merit the applause.


    Kagura Hikaru, Kiryu Hina, and Ayakoji Chiyoko, the three main actors, along with the Drama Club President Takeuchi Momo, who played the unattractive Carlotta, stood out with their performances, which hardly seemed like those of students.


    The final duel between The Phantom of the Opera and Raoul, along with Raoul''s lament of defeat, left a profound impression due to the emotional entanglement of the three main characters.


    Not to mention the scene before the duel where the chandelier descended from above.


    That scene really did involve dropping a prop, startling everyone.


    It completely shattered the stereotype that a drama was just a few people standing on stage delivering dry lines.


    The curtain opened once again, and all the actors, still in costume, appeared on stage, waved to the audience, and then bowed together in thanks.


    As the male protagonist, Kagura Hikaru stood in the center with ''Christine'' and ''Raoul'' on either side, being Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko, each holding onto one side of his cloak, and even while bowing to the audience, they managed to exchange glances as if battling from afar.


    Kagura Hikaru, caught in the middle, occasionally felt a chill or heat on the back of his neck from the murderous aura surrounding him.


    He just wanted it to be over quickly.


    Kohinata Motoyo and Takeuchi Momo stood on the other side, next to Kiryu Hina, quickly noticing the chilly atmosphere there, exchanged glances, and anticipated this outcome.


    "Is this what you wanted?"


    With a hint of mockery, Takeuchi Momo thumbed towards them and spoke to Kohinata Motoyo.


    The latter smiled without responding.


    What she wanted, of course, wasn''t a battlefield like this, but rather a scene of everyone living together in peace.


    However, in the scenario Kohinata Motoyo envisioned, Ayakoji Chiyoko did not exist.


    "How should I explain this to Mister Hikaru..." Kohinata Motoyo looked in another direction, talking to herself.


    After the acknowledgments, everyone walked off the stage to the backstage area.


    After removing his makeup and changing out of the dark costume from The Phantom of the Opera, Kagura Hikaru slipped into a blind spot out of the crowd''s view and stealthily made his exit.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina had already started arguing outside, and he did not want to get involved in the war between the two women and become collateral damage.


    Moreover, he had already made plans with Motoyo.


    Back in his short-sleeved school uniform, Kagura Hikaru arrived at the courtyard.


    It was under that maple tree again.


    He sat on the bench and waited for a moment before seeing Kohinata Motoyo casually walking over from not far away.


    "Sorry to have kept you waiting," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile, "The acting just now was great, the audience seemed very satisfied."


    "What are you really doing, why did you let Kiryu Hina get involved!"


    "Oh, we''re getting right to the point? I wanted to chat for a bit more."


    "Don''t change the subject," said Kagura Hikaru expressionlessly.


    "That''s rather cold, are you angry?"


    Kohinata Motoyo pulled her hair to the front of her shoulders and elegantly sat beside Kagura Hikaru, "Well, it is indeed my fault, I should not have kept it from you, sorry."


    "What are you helping her for, give me a reasonable explanation."


    "It''s actually very simple, none of the complex reasons you might be thinking... I just wanted to create an opportunity for you to reconcile," Kohinata Motoyo said with a resigned smile, "But it seems, Hina didn''t handle it well."

 Chapter 221 Before the End of Summer

    Today''s temperature was 28 degrees, and the sunlight equally scattered across every piece of the school''s flooring. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Hot.


    Just moments ago, Kagura Hikaru had performed a one-hour play in a long-sleeved black costume, ending up with a fine layer of sweat all over his body when he stepped off the stage.


    Coming out of the auditorium, a breeze had just passed, swirling in through the short sleeves and hem, taking a turn, and carrying the heat away with it.


    This moment was exactly why Kagura Hikaru loved summer the most among all seasons.


    But just thinking about the entanglements he had with those three girls still in the auditorium, his mood became congested again.


    This was not what he intended at all.


    Kagura Hikaru realized that he seemed to harbour an inherent misconception that emotions could be manipulated rationally, handled lightly.


    But perhaps he was not using the right methods, or lacked the talent in this regard, as he always stumbled in matters of the heart.


    Time and again.


    "Reconciliation...?" Kagura Hikaru questioned.


    It was Kohinata Motoyo who had mentioned the word "reconciliation."


    But she was not referring to herself, but to Kiryu Hina.


    Unfathomable, nonsensical.


    "Haven''t you done something similar before?" Kohinata Motoyo didn''t seem to understand why Kagura Hikaru reacted this way, and she smiled puzzledly.


    She was referring to the time Kagura Hikaru had used dating Ayakoji Chiyoko as a condition to force Kiryu Hina to reconcile with Kohinata Motoyo.


    Now, Kagura Hikaru finally realized how naive and presumptuous it was of him to have proposed reconciliation to Kiryu Hina back then.


    How could he ask others to do what he couldn''t even do himself?


    Back then, he had proposed it half-seriously, half-vindictively, like a child''s play.


    And in the end, that agreement was also scrapped just as childishly.


    Humans, unable to reconcile even with themselves, how can they talk about reconciling with others?


    Just bringing up the word made his inner dignity knock in protest.


    If you dislike someone, just keep disliking them, why go against your own feelings?


    Reconciliation is too lame; isn''t insisting on your own views stubbornly also very cool?


    If it really comes to a point where reconciliation is unavoidable, then surely a proper opportunity is needed.


    Whether such an opportunity will emerge in the distant future, nobody knows.


    But at least for now, Kagura Hikaru didn''t think there was any necessity or need to reconcile with Kiryu Hina.


    Let the story end with a pair of ex-lovers parting due to conflicts, mutually respecting and wishing each other happiness, never to meet again in old age¡ªit''s quite good too, isn''t it?


    Why go out of the way to continue writing a new story on an old one that has already closed?


    If this were a successful commercial novel, then continuing it for profit could be understood, but nothing could be done about it.


    But this is just a sad man and woman, building a story with their pain, illogical, unable to provide any enjoyment to the audience.


    Such a work, does it still need to be continued?


    Is there a need for this?


    No, let''s be more direct.


    Kagura Hikaru doesn''t want to reconcile with Kiryu Hina.


    This arises from his true feelings at this moment.


    He doesn''t intend to become friends with Kiryu Hina, let alone anything deeper; her actions have made Kagura Hikaru realize how naive he had been in the past.


    That kind of woman, snake-like, willing to use and trample others'' feelings without hesitation for her own ends.


    She used Kagura Hikaru to attack Ayakoji Chiyoko and now, using Kohinata Motoyo''s sense of debt and friendship, replaced the latter as the leading role in "The Phantom of the Opera," all to salvage a relationship.


    Others might see a beautiful young lady''s deep affection, but Kagura Hikaru saw her selfishness.


    Everything she did, without exception, was to satisfy herself.


    Whether it was the matter with Ayakoji Chiyoko or now.


    She never did anything for someone else without an ulterior motive... Kagura Hikaru could no longer tolerate it.


    "Hina failed, huh." Kohinata Motoyo sighed, "It must be Classmate Ayakoji''s fault, I reckon. Whenever she''s around, Hina always seems off her game."


    "All the students at Uka know they are arch-rivals, and it''s normal for them to trip each other up."


    "Really? It feels like if they could lower their guards, they might actually become good friends."


    "Maybe."


    "Mister Hikaru, you seem indifferent, but you''re also responsible."


    Kohinata Motoyo said to him in a slightly accusatory tone, "Today''s play was originally meant to leave a bad impression of Ayakoji Chiyoko, wasn''t it? You should have cooperated with Hina."


    Kagura Hikaru silently watched the maple leaves across from him.


    Facing Kiryu Hina, how could he stick to the original plan?


    And, the more he thought about it, the more he realized Suse''s plan was essentially a trap.


    Suse''s intention to make him break up with Ayakoji Chiyoko was probably serious. Maybe because of a bad first impression, she never seemed polite to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    On the contrary, she always pampered Kiryu Hina, even going as far as to secretly involve her in the breakup plan to mend things between Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina.


    Her intention might have been to consider everyone''s feelings.


    If everything went according to her plan, this would become a world where everyone but Ayakoji Chiyoko is redeemed.


    Kagura Hikaru felt he was na?ve enough, but Suse''s naivety still surprised him.


    Indeed, he had made another mistake.


    This was an error.


    All of this was because he harbored unrealistic fantasies, driven by his guilt towards Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Even though he was prepared to hurt someone, he didn''t want to face the final cost.


    It was like a soldier who dared to shoot at the enemy but lacked the resolve to be shot at.


    Such a person could not truly be called brave.


    "So, you..."


    "Suse." Kagura Hikaru interrupted Kohinata Motoyo, who was nagging like an old mother, and said, "Thanks for your help, but I''m sorry. From now on, I''ll handle the breakup with Ayakoji Chiyoko alone. The plan is off."


    "... Eh?"


    Kohinata Motoyo was stunned, cautiously asking, "Is it because I let Hina go on stage without telling you, and that upset you?"


    "A bit, but that''s not all of it."


    Kagura Hikaru got up, "I realized I have a severe case of procrastination, always putting off challenging tasks, and this needs to stop."


    "?"


    "After I break up with Ayakoji Chiyoko, let''s talk again. Whether it''s your thoughts or Kiryu Hina''s, I will take the time to properly respond."


    "Mister Hikaru..."


    Kagura Hikaru left.


    He resolved to solve all problems before the end of summer.


    In his heart, he silently made this decision.

 Chapter 222 Weight of a Daughter

    Bidding farewell to Suse, Kagura Hikaru stepped out of the courtyard.On the way, he could encounter students who were still strolling around the school festival booths.


    It was now evening, and most of the external visitors had left, leaving only the students still active within the school.


    The fact that so many students were still at school at this time, and the booths hadn''t closed, would normally be impossible.


    By this time, families would have started cooking dinner at home, and even students devoted to their club activities would normally have gone home.


    They remained here for one reason, of course, the existence of the post-festival night celebration.


    The post-festival night celebration, an extension of the school festival, was a cultural festival at night that belonged exclusively to the students.


    They would light a bonfire in the center of the playground and have a barbecue party with the teachers to celebrate the successful conclusion of the three-day festival.


    In the end, there was even a dance segment.


    Inviting a dance partner, holding each other''s hands and waist in front of the bonfire, they would sway gently.


    It was the single moment of romance that was allowed in a student''s life.


    This year was due to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s earnest guarantee and lobbying that convinced the teachers and the school to decide to hold the post-festival night celebration, and it was uncertain if there would be such an opportunity again in the future.


    So even students from strict families with curfews would find a way to stay behind on this day.


    The existence of the post-festival night celebration had been widely announced before the start of the cultural festival. By now, everyone must have decided on their dance partners.


    Different from the male high school students who were worried about how to invite a girl, Kagura Hikaru had no such concern.


    After all, there was only one person who could be his dance partner.


    "Found you."


    Walking along, Kagura Hikaru suddenly heard such a phrase coming from beside him.


    Then, a great force on his arm pulled him violently into a small corner.


    This was the back of a booth, now empty since the students operating it had left, and even if one or two people hid behind here, they''d hardly be noticed.


    But even so, it wasn''t a reason for Kagura Hikaru to be pinned against the wall like this.


    "Where have you been? I''ve been looking everywhere for you."


    A hand reached past Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder, and with a height of 170 centimeters, Ayakoji Chiyoko used the full force of her two-meter aura to look down at him, using the classic "wall-slam" pose, she stared intensely.


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at the spot next to him that wasn''t blocked by her hand, only to find Ayakoji Chiyoko quickly moved to use both hands.


    Now he was trapped.


    "Why did you run away?" asked Ayakoji Chiyoko, her expression flickering between light and dark, "After you disappeared, Kohinata Motoyo also went missing. Tell me, are these two incidents related?"


    "I talked with her a little," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "About what?"


    "About Kiryu Hina. I told her to stop interfering."


    "Oh? Since when did you two get so close."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko leaned in close, and her sweet scent clearly drifted over.


    This was a disconcertingly intimate distance.


    "Tell me, did you kiss her?"


    "Of course not."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko kissed him briefly, then asked, "Hugged? Held hands?"


    "We just talked," he insisted.


    "Sounds believable," she said.


    Then she leaned in for another kiss.


    Warm, viscous.


    A deep kiss that lasted two minutes.


    At the moment their lips parted, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly and unpredictably pressed Kagura Hikaru''s head against the wall with force, her face expressionless.


    "Kagura Hikaru, I know you''re popular. I might overlook it when you were dating Kiryu Hina, but if you dare to be unfaithful now, if you betray me or leave me... I''ll kill you."


    Strangely, Kagura Hikaru read a hint of seriousness in her dim eyes.


    It was like the truth.


    Indeed, it was.


    He could smell it.


    "Answer?"


    "... I understand."


    "..."


    "..."


    All of a sudden, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression brightened from gloom to sunshine, and she rose to her feet, releasing him, and put some distance between them as she straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes, nonchalantly smiling as she extended her hand to him, "Then let''s go join the post-night festival."


    Kagura Hikaru touched his sore scalp and placed his hand in hers.


    "Ayakoji, next time I want to visit your place. Preferably when your family isn''t home."


    "Huh?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was startled by the sudden change in topic, and then her face turned red.


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    Her boyfriend asking to come to her house, specifically when her family wasn''t there.


    She felt that any modern high school girl would know what that implied.


    "Then, then... there''s a cultural exchange at Tsukinomori tomorrow. After we attend, we, we can go to my place..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s voice was so tense it almost cracked as she looked down, touching her neck.


    Her hesitant and stammering speech was a side of her that, besides ''lovestruck girl,'' left little else for one to describe.


    It was impossible to associate her with the strong demeanor she''d shown before.


    Fickle and changeable¡ªmaybe that''s just the nature of girls.


    Watching her, Kagura Hikaru thought to himself. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko raised her eyes, glaring at him darkly: "Are you thinking about some other girl again?"


    After being provoked by Kiryu Hina on stage just now, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s possessiveness seemed to have become even stronger than before.


    Kagura Hikaru quickly thought of an excuse: "I was wondering whether I should change clothes when I go to your place."


    "School uniform is fine, since it''s all the same off... Um, but if things get too wild, maybe I''ll need a set of clothes to change into?"


    "..."


    "It''s about time, let''s go."


    She smiled again, leading Kagura Hikaru to the sports field.


    Uka''s students had already erected a large pile of firewood in the center of the sports field, just waiting for the darkness to fall before lighting the bonfire.


    A few students and teachers were preparing for a barbecue, stocking the grills with charcoal, with all the barbecue ingredients piled up in a large box.


    When they reached the crowd, Ayakoji Chiyoko quickly switched into Student Council President mode, going over to direct Discipline Committee members to help with the preparations while also checking for safety hazards.


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t left by the wayside; he was, after all, a member of the Student Council and naturally had to follow beside the Student Council President.


    That''s what it seemed on the surface, but in truth, whenever he tried to move away, the icy warning glare of Ayakoji Chiyoko swept over him, making it impossible for Kagura Hikaru to step away.


    Night fell.


    A few Discipline Committee members joined together to light the bonfire.


    Huge flames rose in the center of the school''s sports field.


    This sight was a bit surreal for students who had never experienced a bonfire night.


    "Everyone, the barbecue is ready. First come, first served!"


    The aroma of the barbecue drifted from upfront, and Teacher Yamazaki, who taught physical education, with his muscular arms bulging beneath a tank top, fanned the grill and shouted loudly.


    The crowd immediately cheered, and each person received a clean disposable plate and plastic fork before lining up to get their barbecue and drinks from Teacher Yamazaki and others.


    After all, with the post-night festival feeding thousands of students, a huge amount of grilling was required, and several large barbecues operated simultaneously to ensure everyone could enjoy their meal.


    After eating, everyone cleaned up and the dance started.


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko danced a song, after which others gradually started approaching.


    Saijo Mari: "Kagura, want to dance a song?"


    Ruzaki Mami: "Ka, Kagura-sensei! Dance with me, please!"


    Ai Cheng Karen: "Hey, Kagura, do you have a moment now?"


    Kiryu Hina: "Mister Hikaru, I..."


    Kohinata Motoyo: "Mister Hikaru, are you free now? Care to dance a tango?"


    ¡ª¡ªBut Ayakoji Chiyoko blocked them all.


    In the end, the official girlfriend, Ayakoji alone, monopolized Kagura Hikaru for nearly half an hour, and until the end of the post-night festival, she didn''t let any other girl succeed.

 Chapter 223 Double Dealing Makes the News

    The day after the cultural festival, the news that Ayakoji Chiyoko was playing both sides broke.The school was split into two factions, endlessly debating.


    One faction believed that Ayakoji Chiyoko forcefully kissing Kiryu Hina on stage was definitely an attempt to start a lesbian relationship, celebrating the victory of the yuri faction.


    The other faction believed that Chiyoko spent almost an hour dancing with Kagura Hikaru at the post-festival celebrations, with rumors they were getting affectionate in secret at school, suggesting they might already be dating.


    Overall, more people supported the first viewpoint.


    That was because the photo of Chiyoko kissing Hina had spread more widely than the ambiguous rumors about her and Kagura Hikaru.


    Both factions held firm to their views, and in the end, they compromised with each other, creating a new faction.


    The Ayakoji Chiyoko playing both sides faction.


    "As long as you open up a harem, there''s no problem at all, everyone can be happy!" they began to promote their strange slogan.


    After school in the Student Council office.


    "Really, always with these useless antics," Chiyoko complained bitterly as she tossed the Society Discussion Meeting''s daily publication onto the desk, "As expected, this school gives too little homework, creating so many idle people."


    She had heard that a rumor about her and Kagura Hikaru was published, and meant to read it for leisure after the cleanup work of the cultural festival, but ended up getting completely infuriated after reading it.


    Why did they have to pair her up with Kiryu Hina? Did the two of them look like they had any good relationship at all?!


    And that ''playing both sides harem faction'' was even more eyesore-inducing.


    Who would step onto such a weird ship!


    "Isn''t the Society Discussion Meeting under your jurisdiction? How come even you are criticizing it," Kagura Hikaru asked with a strange look after picking up the daily publication Chiyoko had discarded.


    Chiyoko reluctantly clicked her tongue and explained, "When the Society Discussion Meeting was initially set up to counter the News Department, I told them not to tie it too closely to me, advocating that presenting views from an objective standpoint would gain more trust from the students."


    "Does this count as shooting yourself in the foot now?"


    "... I''ll talk to them about it later."


    From Chiyoko''s expression, it seemed it was going to be more than just a talk.


    Kagura Hikaru had no intention of standing up for the estranged Society Discussion Meeting. Casually, he put the daily publication down and said, "It''s about time, we should head out."


    "Yeah, you''re right, the others should be waiting at the school gate now."


    Chiyoko checked her phone, then stood up, gave some instructions to the other Student Council members, grabbed her handbag, and left with Kagura Hikaru.


    Today there was a cultural exchange meeting with Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy.


    The main participants were representatives of various arts departments and the Student Council, who were going over there to discuss cooperation between the clubs of the two schools, to promote communication and mutual learning.


    Essentially, it was just an event similar to a social gathering, only scaled up to involve two schools.


    Whether there was really any improvement in skills was debatable and not important; the only thing the Student Council cared about was strengthening the connections between Uka and Tsukinomori schools. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In other words, this was a diplomatic mission.


    When Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru walked out of the school together, the head of the Cultural Committee and several student representatives of the arts clubs were already waiting there, coming up to greet them.


    But Chiyoko''s attitude was somewhat perfunctory, her attention entirely on another person.


    That was Kohinata Motoyo, temporarily replacing the Takeuchi Momo Department Head, who was also going with them to visit Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy today.


    Hey, haven''t seen you in a day.


    Kohinata Motoyo waved with a smile, and though she didn''t speak, it seemed like she was saying that to Kagura Hikaru and the others.


    Though for Kagura Hikaru, not seeing each other for a day or two was nothing new¡ªthey almost saw each other every day, from morning till night.


    After all, they were neighbors.


    Moreover, Motoyo''s room was ''just so happens'' to be right across from Kagura Hikaru''s room. She never drew her curtains, so one could clearly see everything through the window.


    By the way, it''s worth mentioning that, for some reason, she always did everything in front of her window¡ªreading, doing homework, using her phone, changing clothes¡ª it was like a whole new kind of exhibitionism.


    Thanks to her, Kagura Hikaru had to keep his curtains tightly drawn every day to maintain his sanity, making his entire room dim with no sunlight.


    "Is everyone here?" Ayakoji Chiyoko checked off the names. All the representatives had arrived, so she called everyone to set off.


    The large group of them headed straight for the train station.


    Taking a taxi was out of the question; taxis in the Island Nation were as expensive as if they ran on golden wheels. Besides, Tsukinomori wasn''t far from Uka. Taking the train was just perfect.


    About half an hour later, the group finally arrived at the gates of Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy.


    Looking at the grand gates and the European-style academic building constructed from red bricks in the distance, the representatives from Uka High School couldn''t help but let out soft exclamations of awe.


    "It''s no wonder it''s the rumored aristocratic girls'' school; the grandeur is unmatched."


    "I wish our school were like this too."


    "Uka isn''t lacking either; we recently got a new racetrack." Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "You must be joking. It''s not even close."


    "..."


    The group chattered on and on.


    A moment later, having been notified by Ayakoji Chiyoko, the members of the Moon Forest Student Council arrived and opened the school gates to let the students from Uka in.


    Among them was Sakata Asahi, who knew Ayakoji Chiyoko well. She greeted them with a smile.


    "Welcome to Tsukinomori. Everyone, I am Sakata Asahi, the president of Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy. You can call me....."


    Before she could finish her opening remarks, she caught sight of Kohinata Suse standing with Kagura Hikaru among the crowd. She froze, her eyes widening in disbelief, "Su, Suse? What are you doing here?!"


    "Asahi, long time no see. So you''re a student at Tsukinomori," Kohinata Suse responded joyfully.


    "Long time no see! Since you went abroad to study, it must have been over a year since we last met. Why didn''t you come to see me when you returned to Tokyo?"


    Sakata Asahi handed off the welcoming duties to other members of the Student Council and joyfully moved closer.


    Kohinata Suse said, "Sorry, I''ve been busy with a lot of things lately; I haven''t even had time to get in touch with many old friends."


    "No worries at all, I don''t mind. By the way, you transferred to Ugao High?"


    "Yes."


    "Eh... why didn''t you come to Tsukinomori? It''s so nice here."


    Sakata Asahi said this with a smile, but her tone carried a deeper meaning,


    It was as if she was saying that Kohinata Suse, by going to Uka High School, definitely wouldn''t be as happy as she would have been at Tsukinomori.


    After all, both Kiryu Hina and Kagura Hikaru were there.


    Being at the same school with them would surely lead to plenty of awkwardness,


    Especially with that obnoxious guy.


    Kohinata Suse was standing right next to Kagura Hikaru, so naturally, Sakata Asahi had to approach them to talk.


    However, she didn''t even give Kagura Hikaru a glance, obviously ignoring him, which was starkly different from her warm interaction with Kohinata Suse.


    The two of them were also middle school classmates who had played together in the past, yet now their relationship had become like this.


    The bizarre atmosphere between the two was keenly sensed by Kohinata Suse.


    She looked inquiringly at Kagura Hikaru, but he had already followed Ayakoji Chiyoko to meet with the members of the Moon Forest Student Council.


    "Suse, you haven''t been in contact with that person, have you?" suddenly asked Sakata Asahi.


    "Eh?"


    "I mean Kagura Hikaru. He''s now helping Chiyoko out, right? He hasn''t approached you, has he?"


    "That... hasn''t happened..."


    On the contrary, she was the one continually reaching out.


    In front of her long-lost friend, Kohinata Suse at least didn''t let anything slip.

 Chapter 224 Observations at Tsukinomori Girls Academy

    "That''s good to hear," Sakata Asahi let out a sigh of relief and skirted away from the topic of that man. "Do you still keep in touch with Hina? She didn''t come today?""Yes, she''s left the Student Council. And, our relationship isn''t very good right now."


    "I see¡­" Sakata Asahi''s expression became complicated, but she quickly put on a smile, "Come on, let me show you around my current school."


    The main group from Uka entered Tsukinomori and began their tour of the campus scenery and the clubs.


    With each literary club they passed, the visiting army from Ugao High lost a few members.


    The students representing Uka were none of the introverted, shy types, except for those from the Student Council. They easily struck up conversations with the girls of Tsukinomori who shared their interests, naturally falling behind the main group.


    No, to be precise, it was they who left the main group behind.


    This was an opportunity for exchange, and Ayakoji Chiyoko did not chastise them for breaking ranks, allowing them to go their ways.


    In fact, the Student Council of Uka was also engaging in an exchange with the Student Council of Tsukinomori.


    Especially Ayakoji Chiyoko''s current, inexperienced Student Council sprouting department needed to learn from those with experience for future reference.


    The process went smoothly; the members of Tsukinomori''s Student Council were friendly and willing to answer many questions.


    The only pity was that Sakata Asahi, as the President of Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy, had been clinging to Kohinata Suse from beginning to end.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched the two admiring flowers at the edge of the school flowerbed, far from the main group, and she secretly curled her lip.


    It was ironic that Sakata Asahi still considered herself a friend when she became so enchanted by Kohinata Suse that she couldn''t tear herself away. But Chiyoko had held no expectations from the start.


    Still, not even offering a greeting was indeed strange.


    The puzzle in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mind went round and round until, upon glancing at Kagura Hikaru at her side, she instantaneously solved the mystery.


    She still remembered the Uka High sports festival.


    How could she forget? That was the first time she learned Kagura Hikaru''s true identity, from Sakata Asahi''s own mouth.


    First overheard, then pressed, and finally confirmed the correct person, Ayakoji Chiyoko began a relationship with Kagura Hikaru.


    In some sense, Sakata Asahi could even be considered their matchmaker.


    Although the matchmaker herself had a high opinion of Kagura Hikaru¡ªthat was.


    When Ayakoji Chiyoko accidentally overheard their conversation, Sakata Asahi was even berating Kagura Hikaru, accusing him of being a scumbag who played with people''s feelings.


    Sakata Asahi, as the former close friend of Kohinata Suse, fiercely protected her and was extremely hostile toward Kagura Hikaru, even believing he had seduced Suse and caused her to make a grave mistake.


    She not only had to endure a painful and erroneous relationship experience and harm from a jerk but also lost an important friendship with Hina.


    For this reason, she even considered concealing the truth after learning it from Kiryu Hina.


    Objectively speaking, she might have had good intentions, fearing that another female friend was about to be deceived by a jerk.


    But in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes, this was nothing but meddlesome. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    No matter what the answer was, what the truth was, what the consequences were, what the outcome was, she should bear it alone.


    What right did an outsider have to make decisions for her?


    Later, after somewhat forcibly extracting the answer from Sakata Asahi, the two of them stopped communicating for a while.


    It wasn''t until Ayakoji Chiyoko became President of the Student Council that she took the initiative to contact Sakata Asahi to organize this cultural exchange event with Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy.


    Since then, their relationship had become somewhat awkward.


    However, in the end, Sakata Asahi mustered up the courage to inquire about Ayakoji Chiyoko''s current relationship with Kagura Hikaru.


    At that time, Ayakoji Chiyoko hadn''t gotten the new school regulations approved yet, so she skirted around the topic and only said that they had become friends.


    If it were now, she might have simply answered that they were dating.


    Then, Sakata Asahi''s expression would have definitely been amusing.


    Right now, by deliberately keeping Kohinata Suse away and preventing her from having any contact with Kagura Hikaru during this visit, she revealed that she actually understood nothing.


    To those who are too confident in themselves, they can appear quite foolish in the eyes of others, and perhaps that could be considered a lesson.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Sakata Asahi''s retreating figure, scoffed inwardly, and turned to whisk Kagura Hikaru away.


    "Let''s go, we''ll take a look at the Student Council office in Tsukinomori, and have a cup of tea while we''re at it."


    Not far away, Sakata Asahi, who noticed their movement, tugged on Kohinata Suse''s sleeve to remind her, "They''re heading to the Student Council now, let''s go too."


    "Mhm, can we wait a little?"


    "Haven''t had enough of looking around, have you? Well, it makes sense, Suse, you''ve loved flowers since way back."


    "It''s not because of that..." Kohinata Suse said while stroking the petals of a sunflower and spoke, "Asahi, you''ve been intentionally letting me be alone today, why is that? If you just want to chat, there should be plenty of other opportunities later on."


    "So you really noticed, huh." Sakata Asahi, feeling somewhat embarrassed, scratched the back of her head and chuckled, "No wonder you''re Suse, you''ve probably guessed everything I''m thinking, right?"


    "How could I, I''m not capable of mind-reading."


    Kohinata Suse chuckled and shook her head, "Tell me, do you need my help with something urgent?"


    "Of course not!"


    "Then what is it...?"


    "...Alright, I''ll be honest, it''s all because of Kagura Hikaru."


    "Kagura? What about him?"


    "What about him, you ask, don''t you know what kind of person he is yourself?" Sakata Asahi posed with a look of ''I can''t deal with my airheaded best friend,'' hands on hips, "That guy is now at the same school as you, just this fact alone is making me very anxious, worried he might do something to you again."


    "Not just at the same school, we''re also classmates."


    "Huh?"


    "It was my special request to the teacher when I transferred schools. It''s a pity I didn''t get a seat next to him, but I''m quite happy just being able to attend classes with him from such a close distance."


    "Huh??"


    Seeing Sakata Asahi''s exaggerated expression, Kohinata Suse was puzzled for a moment, then realized something, "Asahi, you don''t think Kagura is pursuing me, do you?"


    "Isn''t he?" Sakata Asahi looked astonished, "He was engrossed with you in the past, and now that you''re back in the country, I''m worried he''s going to entangle you again..."


    "Pfft, entangle? Are you talking about that taciturn Kagura...?"


    It seemed she pictured that scenario for a moment, then Kohinata Suse found it so amusing she laughed to herself.


    Sakata Asahi''s face became increasingly uncertain.


    "Sorry, Suse, what is your relationship with him now? You seem... not to dislike that person."


    "Why would I dislike him, I really like him. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have confessed to him during middle school, even knowing he had a girlfriend."


    "Suse...?!"


    "Ah, right, I haven''t told you about this yet."


    Kohinata Suse tucked her long hair behind her ear and gave Sakata Asahi a shy smile, "Originally, I was the one chasing after him, insisting that he date me. In the end, Hina found out. It was so embarrassing."


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 Chapter 225 Evading is Useful but Dont Mimic

    "....You, you''re joking, right?"Sakata Asahi forced a smile, cautiously asking, "You''re not that kind of person, I know it best, you''re kinder than anyone else, how could you possibly force someone to cheat? Don''t lie to me."


    But Kohinata Suse just smiled and shook her head.


    "Suse..."


    Sakata Asahi covered her mouth, her eyes showing a complex expression.


    Just this shake of the head was enough to shatter all her impressions of Suse.


    A woman who ruins others'' relationships belongs to the most unwelcome category among girls.


    No matter how you looked at it, Suse shouldn''t be that kind of person.


    And yet, it was she who had actively seduced someone else''s boyfriend.


    But she had admitted it herself.


    If that was the case, then were all her past views and attitudes towards Kagura Hikaru totally wrong?


    "It must be hard to believe that a good girl like me would do something so outrageous, isn''t it?"


    Kohinata Suse accidentally plucked off a petal and threw it back into the flower bed with embarrassment, then looked up at the sky with her hands behind her back, "I don''t even understand what I''m doing right now, just blindly pursuing my own desires, like a gambler trapped in a losing streak, betting on myself over and over again."


    "Then... why not just give up?"


    "If only it were that simple," Kohinata Suse said with a smile as she turned around, "You''ll understand when you find someone you like, Asahi."


    "..."


    "Asahi, don''t blame Kagura. He got dragged into this by me, just like Hina, he''s innocent. No matter what I do, I probably won''t be able to make up for the harm he''s suffered."


    "...So, you came back from Europe for Kagura Hikaru?"


    "Yeah."


    Although she was somewhat prepared before getting the answer, knowing that her speculation had become reality still made her feel conflicted.


    Sakata Asahi turned around, scratching her neck with unease, glancing at her and then troubledly looking away, asking, "What about Hina? What will she think now that you''ve transferred schools?"


    "She, well, treats me like an enemy now," Kohinata Suse replied with a bitter smile, "But luckily, we have a common adversary, so for now we''re maintaining a cooperative relationship."


    "A common, adversary?"


    "Eh, isn''t Classmate Ayakoji your friend? She didn''t tell you anything?"


    "Tell me what?"


    "Well... it''s not very nice for me to gossip, I might be disliked for it, you better look for an opportunity to ask her yourself, Asahi."


    "..."


    After all that had been said, Sakata Asahi was no fool; none who could become the Student Council President were fools.


    Kiryu Hina had already told her that Kagura Hikaru was the shadow hero who had saved Ayakoji Chiyoko from bullying years ago. Later, under Ayakoji Chiyoko''s insistence, she had spilled everything she knew.


    She hadn''t wanted to tell Chiyoko at the time, fearing that she would be deceived by a scumbag.


    Now, hearing Suse''s tone, they apparently ended up together after all.


    The initial worries had come true, but now Sakata Asahi''s feelings were very complicated.


    She wasn''t particularly worried, nor was she that happy.


    She realized that she had been too meddlesome, not only making rash judgments but also interfering in others'' romantic conflicts, which left her in an unfavorable position with both sides.


    Rather than worrying about other people, she should be concerned about her own love life.


    Suse, Hina, Chiyoko, one by one they had romantic experiences¡ªeven though it was with the same guy¡ªleaving her as the only one who had never dated a boy!


    She could only blame herself for choosing an all-girls'' school; her high school life was cursed with receiving love letters only from girls, how frustrating....


    Back at the Student Council, Kagura Hikaru and others were indeed there, chatting with people from Moon Forest Student Council over tea.


    It was basically Ayakoji Chiyoko who was doing the talking while Kagura Hikaru just focused on his tea, lost in thought.


    After all, he was just an accountant who took care of the accounts and menial tasks when needed; he wasn''t involved in interactions with other schools.


    Sakata Asahi greeted everyone and sat down, stealing glances at Kagura Hikaru.


    As the conversation flowed, somehow, the topic shifted to the cats that Tsukinomori School was raising.


    Everyone expressed their desire to see the cats, so they set off to find them.


    Members of the Moon Forest Student Council led the way and found the family of cats behind the academic building, as mentioned.


    There were four in total: two oranges, one tabby, and one tortoiseshell cat. Fed well by the students, they were chubby, fluffy, and particularly adorable¡ªthey weren''t shy around people either.


    Seeing everyone approach, they didn''t run away; they stayed put, yawning as they waited for the foolish humans to come and stroke them.


    Even Ayakoji Chiyoko was enticed by their soft and inviting bodies; she knelt down and began scratching the head of the tortoiseshell cat, her eyes transfixed, unblinking.


    Kagura Hikaru did not join the crowd in petting the cats.


    It wasn''t that he disliked them, but with everyone petting the cats, he simply couldn''t find a spot, so he contentedly stood in the back and watched.


    Sakata Asahi was also hanging back like him.


    Seeing that no one was paying attention to their area, she stealthily tugged on the hem of Kagura''s clothing.


    "Kagura, do you have a moment?"


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    "?"


    "Let''s talk over there."


    Sakata Asahi gestured for him to follow and then sneaked away.


    Kagura hesitated briefly before following her.


    They circled around to the front courtyard walkway of the academic building, enjoying the shade of the trees.


    The greenery at Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy wasn''t as lush as at Yuqiu High School, but their courtyard was much more impressive than those at average schools, with rows of lush trees lining the walkway leading from the school entrance to the academic building.


    Kagura and Asahi stood under the shade of one of those trees.


    Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light upon them.


    "Did you want to talk to me about something?" Kagura asked.


    With nervous fingers and a distant gaze, Sakata Asahi fidgeted, grinding the sole of her shoe against the floor. It took her several seconds to muster the courage to bow deeply at ninety degrees to Kagura:


    "I am terribly sorry!"


    "...What?"


    "Before, I said many harsh words to you, I''m sorry!" Sakata Asahi straightened up, looking embarrassed, "I heard a bit from Suse, and although I don''t know the details, I know you never did anything to harm Suse. So, I''m sorry¡ªI misunderstood before, and I am deeply apologetic!"


    With that, Sakata Asahi bowed deeply once more.


    "..."


    "..."


    Seeing that Kagura did not respond for a long time, she couldn''t help but break into a cold sweat.


    On the day of the Yuqiu sports festival, she had said many things that now seemed excessively harsh.


    Kagura, for the sake of Suse''s reputation, had not rebutted, but that very fact made her suspect he was guilty, which only made her attitude worsen.


    Now, reflecting on that time from another perspective, she realized she was quite the jerk.


    Truthfully, Sakata Asahi had considered not apologizing and just letting it slide.


    Speaking with someone she had exchanged harsh words with was bound to be embarrassingly difficult, and facing up to her actions needed courage.


    There''s a famous saying that fits well¡ª"Running away is shameful, but it''s useful." It would be understandable to run away in this situation.


    But, as comfortable as it is to play the ostrich, the things left unresolved would keep nagging at her heart.


    Sakata was the type who didn''t want today''s issues to spill into tomorrow. Apologizing properly felt right; making all sorts of excuses to delay would likely end in nothing being resolved.


    If she still couldn''t receive forgiveness in the end, at least she''d have settled one regret.


    She had braced herself for this possibility. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, a sigh from Kagura broke the silence.

 Chapter 227 226 Chapter The Last Day of the Relationship

    "Sigh...."Asahi Sakata heard Kagura Hikaru sigh and then he said, "Okay, I forgive you."


    "Really?" Asahi Sakata suddenly looked up, saw he was not joking, and breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s great, I was wondering what to do if you didn''t forgive me." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It wasn''t a big deal anyway."


    Kagura Hikaru said indifferently, "Is that all you wanted to say? If you''re done, you should go back."


    "Wait, wait!"


    Asahi Sakata still wanted to ask more questions, like about his relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko and his opinion on Suse.


    Though she had decided not to pry into their relationship anymore, her innate curiosity as a girl still made her eager to know more about these matters.


    However, before she could even ask, a figure suddenly emerged from behind a tree next to them.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko appeared out of nowhere, her face beaming with a smile, yet her eyes darkly fixed on them.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Ah...."


    As if struck by the petrifying gaze of a Gorgon Snake Demon, Asahi Sakata froze on the spot, turned her head awkwardly, and forced a strained smile: "Chiyoko, weren''t you playing with our school''s cat...?"


    "Yes, and while playing, I suddenly realized my ''boyfriend'' (emphasis) and a girl had both disappeared. Do you know what I was thinking?"


    "What, what were you thinking?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko showed a warm and gentle smile, "If I accidentally discovered him cheating, I would have to twist off both your heads and throw them into the scenic lake over there. If there were piranhas in it, they''d surely clean the bones nicely, right? Hehe, just kidding."


    Asahi Sakata: "..."


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Words are powerful.


    Both of them felt this very deeply.


    Fortunately, Tsukinomori had neither piranhas nor unfaithful men and women to decapitate. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire


    "Hehehehe then Chiyoko I''ll go first, you guys take your time talking!"


    Feeling an unusual heaviness from Ayakoji Chiyoko''s dark gaze, Asahi Sakata broke into a sweat, quickly ran off.


    She felt that if she stayed any longer, she might not get her head twisted off, but she really could end up being thrown into the lake.


    Only when Asahi Sakata''s figure was no longer visible did Ayakoji Chiyoko turn her head back to look at Kagura Hikaru with a smile, "What were you guys really talking about?"


    "You already heard."


    "?"


    "Playing dumb won''t help," Kagura Hikaru said, "Actually, you were following us since we left, weren''t you?"


    In fact, as soon as he and Asahi Sakata moved away from the main group, Ayakoji Chiyoko had noticed and followed them.


    She didn''t show herself, probably just as she said, to catch them in the act.


    "Didn''t expect you to notice, I thought I was well hidden. You truly deserve to be called Kagura."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko approached with a squint and a smile, lightly bumping him with her shoulder as if she was rather pleased.


    At that moment, she noticed that Kagura Hikaru seemed to be always looking towards the school gate, tilted her head, and asked, "Want to go back already?"


    "..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s cheeks flushed, "You, you''re that eager to go to my house, aren''t you."


    "Yes."


    "Cough... I''ve already checked, my father is at work today and not at home, and I told the servants they could take the day off."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko whispered softly, "That means, from today to tomorrow morning, there won''t be anyone else at home but us."


    Today would likely be the last day of their romantic relationship.


    Yet, Ayakoji Chiyoko was completely unaware.


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at her and then closed his eyes and looked away.


    He could not bear to look or listen any longer.


    At five in the afternoon, the cultural exchange with Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy ended.


    More precisely, the preliminary meeting for a true future exchange was over.


    Sakata Asahi and other members of the Moon Forest Student Council were at the school gate, bidding farewell to the representatives from Yuqiu High School.


    "President Ayakoji, which station are you going to for your ride home? If it''s on the way, we could go together." one of them suggested.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko turned it down, "Today I have a ride picking me up, you guys go ahead."


    With that, everyone else had no choice but to leave and disperse into several groups at the school gate, each returning to their own home.


    However, that statement was of course a lie.


    No one was coming to pick her up; she had said so only to avoid walking with the other students.


    Quietly, Ayakoji Chiyoko exchanged a glance with Kagura Hikaru in the crowd, gave a slight nod, and then separated from him as the two left in different directions.


    Over ten minutes later, they met up on a residential street a few hundred meters away from Tsukinomori where Uka students were unlikely to pass by.


    "Let''s go then... to my house." Ayakoji Chiyoko took Kagura Hikaru''s hand, smiling like a bride freshly married.


    Taking the tram, about an hour later, Kagura Hikaru stood at the doorstep of the Ayakoji family''s home.


    What now lay before him was a large estate.


    Styled traditionally, as if directly transferred from the Heian Period.


    There were even long wooden fences around her house, forming a continuous line; although one could see its end, together they stretched for at least two hundred meters.


    And that was just the main entrance.


    Upon entering, a pebble-stoned path underneath their feet led windingly to the courtyard.


    Crossing the wooden bridge over the stream in the courtyard brought them to the house.


    That too was a traditional wooden residence, just like the places where nobles like Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga in movies resided.


    There was even a huge cherry tree planted in front of the house, which must be stunning when in full bloom during spring.


    "Please come in." Ayakoji Chiyoko moved forward to open the door for him, welcoming Kagura Hikaru inside.


    They changed their shoes in an entrance hall that was even larger than Kagura''s living room at home.


    The house was eerily quiet, with nothing but their footsteps on the wooden floor echoing throughout.


    It seemed just as Ayakoji Chiyoko had said, today no one would disturb them.


    Since entering the house, Ayakoji Chiyoko became even more serene than usual, perhaps enhanced by the surroundings; with her long single ponytail tied behind, she looked even more like a traditional Japanese lady.


    "Kagura, please wait for me in the living room for a moment; I need to change my clothes."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko led Kagura Hikaru to a spacious traditional room and then hurriedly left.


    Kagura Hikaru surveyed the surroundings.


    Tatami mats, a low table, paper sliding doors, and no visible electronics.


    Pushing aside the sliding door, there lay the corridor and the garden. From here, one could view a rock garden.


    The ground was raked into patterns with a stone lantern placed near the center, and a weeping willow planted on the left side of the yard; from where he stood, he could see the wooden bridge and stream they had crossed earlier.


    Two words, upper class.


    But these had nothing to do with Kagura Hikaru''s purpose; he just glanced and then continued down the corridor to explore other rooms.


    Kiryu Hina had already informed him about his target.


    Now, he was ready to find the room of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s father, Ryoma Ayakoji, in this exaggeratedly large mansion.


    There should be something he needed there.

 Chapter 227 What Kiryu Hina Wants

    An hour earlier.At the entrance of Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy, after parting ways with Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kagura Hikaru walked off in a direction different from the crowd.


    Just around the corner, he received a text message from Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Meet here (navigation location.jpg)."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "I am waiting for you here."


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    Kagura Hikaru searched it and discovered it was a back alley in a nearby residential area.


    In that case, apart from local residents and those delivering newspapers or packages, essentially no one else would be around, let alone students from Yuqiu High School.


    From the direction everyone had departed, the chances of encountering them were slim.


    Kagura Hikaru walked toward the location given by the navigation, sending an ''ok'' emoji to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    He then closed her chat window, brought up the dialing interface, and dialed a well-memorized phone number.


    Beep, beep, beep... click.


    It connected.


    "Hello? Mister Hikaru?"


    Kiryu Hina''s voice came from the other side.


    "What''s up, you reaching out to me? Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.


    As he walked, Kagura Hikaru said, "I am currently on my way to the Ayakoji house."


    "..."


    "You know what I mean," he said calmly. "Tell me now about the thing I was supposed to find earlier."


    "Mister Hikaru..."


    There was a moment of silence from Kiryu Hina on the call, followed by a sigh.


    She spoke slowly, "I''ll be honest with you. The condition I set initially was just to give you a hard time. I had actually obtained the real answer a long time ago, and there was nothing you needed to do. It was just... an excuse to keep you working for me."


    Kagura Hikaru, phone in hand, walked briskly through the streets, attracting the gaze of every woman he passed, whether students or mature women, with his stern face.


    Even knowing this infuriating truth, his expression remained unreadable.


    Perhaps he had realized it long ago, or perhaps he truly didn''t care.


    "State your objective clearly, you only need to answer me this one thing, no need for the rest," he said.


    Kiryu Hina fell silent again.


    In her hand, she held a thread as thin as a spider''s web.


    This thread was her connection to Kagura Hikaru.


    Kiryu Hina could feel clearly that if she gave Kagura Hikaru the answer he sought, this last thread of connection would also snap.


    From then on, they would no longer be in contact, each heading in a different direction with both joyful and painful memories.


    "Don''t go any further, Mister Hikaru." ¡ª She wanted to say this to stop him.


    But after a moment of silent contemplation, Kiryu Hina took the initiative to give the answer.


    It wasn''t that she intended to let go of Kagura Hikaru, but she had realized that even if she continued to postpone the inevitable bad future here, in the end, they would not achieve a happy ending.


    The crisis of separation was imminent. No matter how hard they struggled, it would only delay the inevitable by a month, a few months, a year.


    In this ugly entanglement, how would Kagura Hikaru see her?


    By doing this, she was essentially forcing him to continue associating with Ayakoji Chiyoko, and his impression would only continue to deteriorate.


    Not just for Kagura Hikaru, Kiryu Hina herself did not wish to see him continue like this.


    There is a saying, "No breaking, no establishing."


    Some relationships, stuck in a deadlock, might need to be shattered first before a new future can be seen.


    Kiryu Hina had made her decision.


    "Alright, I''ll tell you," she said on the other end of the phone, "What I want is a DNA sample from Ryoma Ayakoji."


    ..............


    Kagura Hikaru wandered through the Japanese-style rooms of the Ayakoji family residence.


    Along the way, he had confirmed that there were no surveillance devices inside the house, and if there were any, they were only external, so he needn''t worry about being treated as a thief.


    However, their house was indeed a bit excessively large.


    Kagura Hikaru felt that he had probably had a largely inaccurate impression of Ayakoji Chiyoko; she wasn''t just any rich girl, but in ancient times, she might have been considered of a princess''s stature.


    Although there was still a gap between her and the top tycoons he knew, like the Kohinata family, it was already beyond the reach of ordinary people.


    An average family, working hard for a lifetime, might only be able to afford one room in this mansion. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rooms that Kagura Hikaru opened were almost all unoccupied.


    But they were all spotlessly clean, without a speck of dust, and were fully furnished with no item missing, among which included some valuables. With Kagura Hikaru''s level of appraisal, he had mentally calculated a number that could land him in prison if acted upon.


    Among them were some antiques that could not be measured in money, each one capable of being a family heirloom.


    Ryoma Ayakoji, Chiyoko''s father, was also a top actor in the entertainment industry of the Island Nation and an international superstar, but if it were just him alone, it would be very difficult to possess so many priceless treasures.


    That would require a profound family legacy, collected generation after generation.


    On the flip side, if these items were put up for auction, they could instantly create a new tycoon overnight.


    Speaking of which, Ayakoji Chiyoko had once mentioned to him that her family was of the Former Chinese Clan.


    At that time, Kagura Hikaru didn''t quite grasp the significance of this.


    The Former Chinese Clan he knew of merely had ancestors who had prospered for a while and been nobles for some time, only leaving their descendants a title by now.


    But that was not really the case.


    Now he realized just how significant that title was; it was literally made of pure gold.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko trusted him, had brought him into her home, and even let him roam alone, yet Kagura Hikaru shamelessly planned to steal, which really made him feel guilty.


    Even though what he was looking for was insignificant both to the Ayakoji family and to Ayakoji Chiyoko herself, wandering and searching around someone else''s house without their knowledge was still not a proper thing to do.


    Kagura Hikaru, feeling guilty, kept moving through room after room, while simultaneously praying not to encounter Ayakoji Chiyoko before finding his target.


    At this moment, Ayakoji Chiyoko must have realized he was missing and he needed to speed up.


    This one wasn''t the right room, but a guest room.


    This one is, a game room? To even have such a place, with arcade machines inside.


    Judging from the age of the game machines, they probably belonged to Ryoma Ayakoji, but Kagura Hikaru was looking for his room, and it was unlikely he would find the other''s DNA sample here.


    Blood, mouth swabs, hair, cigarette butts, toothbrushes, fingernails, chewed gum, etc., these are the so-called DNA samples, containing a person''s DNA components.


    These items, for most people, are used for paternity tests.


    So why did Kiryu Hina need them?


    Kagura Hikaru forcefully severed his own line of thought.


    He didn''t want to get involved in matters related to that woman anymore, even if it seemed to involve the Ayakoji family as well. But what of it? After all, after this matter was over, he and Kiryu Hina, and even Ayakoji Chiyoko... would all become strangers again.


    "Found it."


    Kagura Hikaru slid open a paper screen door and, upon seeing the scene inside, immediately concluded that this was Ryoma Ayakoji''s room.

 Chapter 228 Danger.jpg

    This room was different from the other Japanese-style rooms.


    In abstract terms, it had a lived-in feel.


    Watches carelessly placed on the bookshelf, a novel left halfway read on the desk, several film scripts with artistic titles, and a man''s shirt and tie discarded on the bed.


    The room also had a television and a gaming console.


    A flagship controller, worth thirty thousand yen, was wedged into the sofa crevice¡ªa sight that would infuriate any gamer.


    It was apparent that the occupant was an adult male who liked his privacy and lived casually.


    To keep the room as it was when he returned, he even specifically instructed the servants not to touch anything here.


    Otherwise, judging by the state of the other rooms, this one would not be so messy; it probably would have been cleaned up by the Ayakoji family''s servants before Kagura Hikaru''s arrival.


    From various subtle clues, Kagura Hikaru concluded that the owner of the room must return occasionally.


    There were no clear indicators of who lived in the room.


    The reason he was sure this was Ryoma Ayakoji''s room, and not that of some other guest temporarily staying with the Ayakoji family, mainly came from several scripts placed on the desk.


    Kagura had seen the name on the scripts on the television in the living room the night before.


    It was a sequel to a classic romance drama, with only the movie''s teaser, cast list, and scenes from the previous movie shown on TV, ending with "In vigorous production."


    In layman''s terms, that meant a greeting to the viewers that filming had begun, and to not forget to follow it.


    Ryoma Ayakoji''s name was among the main cast revealed for that sequel movie.


    Kagura''s stepmother, a fan of Ryoma Ayakoji, had screamed loudly upon seeing his name, leaving a deep impression on Kagura.


    The script for a movie that was supposed to be kept a secret during filming yet was found in a room in the Ayakoji house, along with adult male clothing and an expensive men''s watch, made it over ninety percent likely that this was Ryoma''s room.


    After all, Kagura had never thought that the Ayakoji family would have a long-term male guest.


    This place was clearly where Chiyoko Ayakoji normally lived; she had seemed very familiar with it when she opened the door and led the way.


    And as a well-known actor with a busy schedule, Ryoma rarely came home; he would not likely trust an adult male to live with his daughter.


    Even if there were other servants in the house.


    Considering this, the likelihood that this was Ryoma''s room had just risen to a hundred percent.


    Despite the extensive analysis, in reality, only three seconds had passed in Kagura''s thoughts.


    Once he had confirmed the target room, he immediately began searching for the appropriate samples.


    Kagura was looking for hair, Ryoma Ayakoji''s hair, which should be the easiest sample to obtain.


    Other samples like saliva or blood usually wouldn''t be left in a room, and they were difficult to collect.


    He could only hope that the Ayakoji family''s servants weren''t too diligent, leaving not even a single hair behind.


    Kagura started searching in areas that might not have been cleaned, such as under the sofa and the bottom of the bed, then near the pillow, where it was easiest to find hair.


    The result was none.


    Those places had been swept clean, with hardly any dust.


    It was clear that the nanny of the Ayakoji house enjoyed her job.


    Finally, he found two hairs under the desk in the room, pressed into a corner, seemingly pushed there by the sweeping of the maid.


    Knowing he could not linger, Kagura pocketed the samples securely, swiftly erased any traces he had left, exited the room, and closed the door behind him.


    He had entered from the outside corridor, but upon leaving, he exited through the main door, which led to the inside hallway.


    After meandering a bit, he saw Chiyoko Ayakoji, who was looking for him.


    "Kagura, where did you go?" Chiyoko Ayakoji approached him, puzzled, "I told you to wait for me inside."


    She wasn''t in her school uniform but had changed into a white house dress.


    The design of the dress cinched at the waist, perfectly highlighting her figure.


    The loose dress on Chiyoko Ayakoji gave no other impression to Kagura but awkwardness.


    And it seemed like she might not be wearing anything underneath...


    Her "enthusiasm" was fully demonstrated.


    "I was looking for the bathroom and got lost," Kagura Hikaru said, using the excuse he had prepared earlier.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t help but laugh and cry as she took his arm and led him to the restroom.


    It seemed he had smoothly bluffed his way through.


    Kagura Hikaru closed the bathroom door and stood in front of the toilet, thinking about what to do next.


    He had successfully obtained the sample, but how was he to extricate himself?


    If he did nothing and just let things happen, he might end up waking up in the same bed with Ayakoji Chiyoko the next day. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Danger.jpg Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    Having not thought of a better plan, he actually used the toilet to maintain his lie, flushed after relieving himself, washed his hands under the tap, and walked out the door.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was standing at the door with a smile, causing a slight pang in Kagura Hikaru''s heart.


    With that posture, she might not plan to let him out of her sight next.


    "Then let''s go," Ayakoji Chiyoko said as she reached for his hand again and dragged him in a direction, "My room is that way."


    "Isn''t this too fast... ?"


    "Eh? I thought you were in a hurry, even going to the bathroom in advance."


    "..."


    "I get it, let''s consider it foreplay and watch a movie first," Ayakoji Chiyoko, misunderstanding that Kagura Hikaru was slow to warm up, pulled him in another direction.


    Just as Kagura Hikaru wondered what kind of "movie" she was talking about, he suddenly realized that Ayakoji Chiyoko had led him to the same room he had just visited¡ªRyoma Ayakoji''s room.


    "!?"


    "This is my father''s room, he recently bought a very big TV," Ayakoji Chiyoko said nonchalantly as she barged into the room.


    She had Kagura Hikaru sit on the sofa, threw out the controller tucked in the sofa seams, and started rummaging around for the remote control.


    Such rough actions, truly befitting his own daughter.


    "You''ll get scolded for this," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "It''s okay, he won''t be back today anyway, I''ll just tidy up later," Ayakoji Chiyoko, sitting duck-like on the wooden floor, aimed her clean, reddish soles at Kagura Hikaru.


    She seemed to have discovered something, curling her toes.


    "Found it!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko pulled out the remote control from a drawer at the bottom of the bookcase and pressed it toward the 75-inch giant mirror-like TV across from the sofa; the screen indeed lit up.


    "Watch some TV for now, wait here for a bit," Ayakoji Chiyoko tossed the remote control to Kagura Hikaru, walked out of the room, but just as she left, she quickly peeped back in, her pupils seemingly turning cat-like as she stared at Kagura Hikaru, "Don''t run off again this time."


    "... I know," he replied.


    "Good, I''ll go get some drinks and discs."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko ran out with a lively thump thump thump of her footsteps.


    Her steps were livelier than ever.


    The opportunity had come, should he slip out now... ?


    Kagura Hikaru pondered with the remote in his hand.


    But before he could make a decision, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the room.


    They were heavy footsteps, unlike Ayakoji Chiyoko''s.


    A tall man appeared at the door, pausing when he saw Kagura Hikaru sitting on the sofa.


    Kagura Hikaru also paused.


    Had his stepmother come too, she would have been delighted, he thought for no reason.


    Because the man who appeared before him was his stepmother''s idol, the famous Mr. Ryoma Ayakoji.


    He was done for.

 Chapter 229 Dad and Boyfriend Undressing in the Room

    This situation...


    Kagura Hikaru did a bit of imagining.


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    If, just if he were a father, raising a beautiful daughter.


    One day, after coming home from work, he suddenly found a boy of his daughter''s age, wearing the same school uniform as his daughter, obviously brought by his daughter, sitting in his living room.


    And he was sitting in his chair, watching his brand-new TV.


    As a father, what would he think?


    Well, Kagura Hikaru felt that even if he could keep his cool, it would require considerable effort and restraint.


    So, he felt a bit of admiration for Ryoma Ayakoji who was only scowling now and hadn''t come up to punch him or grab him by the collar demanding answers.


    Ryoma Ayakoji, father of Chiyoko Ayakoji, a well-known actor.


    Living in the Island Nation, many could recognize his face, as he appeared in numerous ads everywhere: on trains, on TV, and on billboards at shops.


    Even the bottle of body wash at Kagura Hikaru''s house had his image on it.


    Meeting him in person actually gave a stronger impression than any video or photo could.


    He was very tall, over one-meter-eighty, with a V-shaped physique he must have maintained with regular workouts over many years, and a scruffy beard that added a touch of decadence and maturity. He wore a shirt and jeans, and his black hair was fluffy.


    A classic handsome and rugged type.


    The two stood there, one at the door and the other seated on the sofa, eyeballing each other.


    Neither seemed willing to speak first.


    After a long while, Ryoma Ayakoji took a deep breath, lowered his head to scratch the back of his neck, braced the doorframe with one hand and said, "...just to confirm, you are Chiyoko''s guest and not some burglar who snuck in, right?"


    Although Kagura Hikaru could technically be considered a burglar, having recently committed the bizarre act of stealing some of Ryoma Ayakoji''s hair.


    But of course, he wasn''t about to admit that here.


    "Hello, my name is Kagura Hikaru," Kagura stood up and said, "I am Classmate Ayakoji''s.... friend."


    "You hesitated at the end there, surely it''s not that simple as just friends, right?" Ryoma Ayakoji gave him a sharp glance, his gaze shifting momentarily as he scratched his head in irritation, "...tsk, daughters grow up, and it becomes difficult in many respects."


    "..."


    "Well, don''t be too nervous, I won''t do anything to you... anyway, sit down first."


    Ryoma Ayakoji walked over, pushed Kagura back down on the sofa, then nonchalantly went to the wardrobe behind and started changing clothes.


    The rustling sound of clothes could be heard from behind.


    Kagura had no desire to turn around and look, awkwardly watching the TV, broadcasting international news about a war starting somewhere.


    At this moment, Chiyoko Ayakoji came in carrying drinks and snacks.


    The scene she saw was this:


    Her father, down to gray underwear as he took off his pants.


    And her boyfriend, blankly watching TV. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The chaotic scene almost made her black out and drop the tray.


    With a frozen smile, she walked over and placed the tray with drinks and snacks, along with a European romantic movie DVD on the table, nodding at Kagura Hikaru.


    Then she slowly shifted her dark glare toward her father.


    "What are you doing.... Explain this to me."


    "Huh? I''m changing clothes, can''t you see?"


    Ryoma Ayakoji''s immunity to his daughter''s disdainful glare was admirable. He continued talking while nimbly changing into house clothes.


    Suppressing her anger, Chiyoko said, "You said you had work today and that you''d be home late...!"


    "The job was suddenly cancelled," Ryoma Ayakoji said, "What, did I interrupt something?"


    "...You can go out and eat by yourself tonight, I''m not cooking for you."


    "Alright, alright, don''t be mad, can we drop it now?"


    "If you already know, then leave."


    "This is my room though!"


    "We''re watching a movie, you''re in the way here."


    "Hold on, I haven''t even asked you about that boy and¡ª"


    "Get out!"


    Chiyoko Ayakoji pushed and kicked her father out of the room and slammed the door shut.


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji leaned against the door in silence for two seconds, turned around, and said nonchalantly, "Let''s continue watching the movie then."


    ".....Okay."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji tore open a disc case, inserted it into the Blu-ray player, then sat next to Kagura Hikaru, wriggled her butt closer to him, and pressed her hip against his.


    The movie had already started playing on the TV. Kagura Hikaru picked up a cola from the table, took a sip, and began making casual conversation while watching, "You can cook?"


    "....Yeah, you''ve seen what my father is like."


    "Doesn''t seem like someone who''d cook, but don''t you guys have a maid?"


    "My father actually doesn''t like eating at home. He used to take me to restaurants all the time when I was little, every day. It was his habits that drove me to start learning how to cook. Only after I got good at using the kitchen did he agree to eat at home."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji clung onto Kagura Hikaru''s hand, leaning against him, "Ever since my mother left, I''m the only one left to look after things at home. Sometimes I really wish he wouldn''t rely so much on others to care for him."


    "Your birth mother left?"


    "Yeah, she and my father were in a political marriage, not much love. After she had me, she moved abroad to live. It''s been several years since I''ve seen her."


    "What do you think of her?"


    "A stranger with blood ties, I guess."


    "..."


    They watched the movie in silence.


    The male and female lead on the TV were caught in a fantastical accident. Their day kept repeating itself, and apart from the two of them, no other person in the entire city had looping memories, as if they were trapped in the cracks of time.


    Naturally, they decided to act together and start an investigation.


    Actually, by this point, Kagura Hikaru had roughly guessed the entire plot of the movie.


    Next, their investigation would make some progress, during which the two''s relationship would heat up. Then, they would face a setback, falling into despair¡ªperhaps even having a quarrel¡ªbefore accidentally finding a way out and successfully escaping the time loop.


    At the end of the movie, they would find each other, confirm their relationship, and embrace at the end.


    He had seen similar commercial film formulas countless times.


    Once a person''s attention wanders, they start to think about all sorts of things.


    In Kagura Hikaru''s case, he was thinking about how to escape from the Ayakoji house.


    If he directly said he wanted to go home, it would certainly seem very strange. As for revealing the truth here, the atmosphere just didn''t feel right.


    Once again, Kagura Hikaru felt his own indecisiveness.


    What did he really want to do with Chiyoko Ayakoji?


    To simply play the villain, confess the truth, and make a clean break, or¡ªno, there are no ors, no matter how he played with words, the fact remained that he had deceived Chiyoko Ayakoji, exploited her feelings, turning her first love into a disaster.


    But Kagura Hikaru also felt, if he said it in such a cozy atmosphere, it wouldn''t be strange to get stabbed, making it very hard to remain optimistic.


    Eventually, he found another excuse to delay¡ªcorrect, there was another ''outsider'' in the house, Ryoma Ayakoji was at home.


    If he argued or even fought with Chiyoko Ayakoji here, Ryoma wouldn''t just stand by, which could turn into a very messy situation.


    These kinds of things were better kept known by as few people as possible, and Chiyoko Ayakoji would certainly not want to lose her composure in front of her father either.


    Convincing himself, Kagura Hikaru refocused, and watched the movie attentively.

 Chapter 230 The Challenge of Inch Stop

    The development later in the movie was pretty much as Kagura Hikaru had expected.


    The only unforeseen part was that, in the end, the female protagonist forgot the male protagonist, losing all the memories they had shared.


    This means their relationship was completely erased, with almost no chance of recalling it.


    But the male protagonist wasn''t discouraged, he just calmly smiled, as if he was meeting her for the first time, and struck up a conversation again.


    If this were at the beginning of the film, before experiencing all this, the male protagonist surely wouldn''t have been so composed, he matured by the end.


    Kagura Hikaru was quite envious of that open-minded attitude towards life, because he couldn''t manage to do the same.


    The movie ended, and the credits and cast list started to play.


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    "Not bad, right?" Chiyoko Ayakoji crouched down and ejected the disc, "I watched it long ago with my stepmother in the cinema and liked it since then. Later, I came across it in a video store and bought the disc for my collection."


    "It''s indeed very good."


    Kagura Hikaru stood up, grabbed his briefcase, and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, it''s getting late, I should head back home now."


    "Eh?"


    Chiyoko Ayakoji turned her head in surprise, not comprehending.


    In her plan, the movie was just the first step in flirting, the real action was supposed to follow!


    But as a girl, she couldn''t possibly say such a thing outright, so she hesitated and said, "Won''t you stay for dinner or something? Stay a little longer."


    "Your father is home, let''s not."


    "..."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji froze.


    Right, she had been so engrossed in the movie that she''d almost forgotten her damned father was still at home!


    She stood up fiercely, fists clenched, her face determined, "I''ll kick him out right now."


    "Hey....."


    "Wait for me, I''ll be done in a moment."


    "Don''t!"


    Kagura Hikaru quickly grabbed Chiyoko Ayakoji''s hand to stop her, explaining, "I already feel bad for taking your uncle''s room, let''s not trouble him any further."


    "But....."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji showed a rare daughterly look, pouting.


    She had everything prepared, and now she was being told it couldn''t happen?


    Wasn''t this torture!


    "There will be other opportunities, next time," Kagura Hikaru softened his tone.


    "...okay..."


    Seeing Chiyoko Ayakoji''s expression soften, Kagura Hikaru also breathed a slight sigh of relief inside.


    It was good that she was willing to let it go; this way, he could leave.


    Kagura Hikaru prepared to say goodbye and head home.


    Just as he was about to speak, Chiyoko Ayakoji suddenly, without warning, grabbed his hand, pushed him onto the sofa, and then threw her entire body on top of him, straddling his waist.


    This rapid series of movements almost didn''t register even to Kagura Hikaru, a skilled fighter.


    He leaned against the back of the sofa, staring in surprise at her.


    "Ayakoji?"


    "Call me Chiyoko."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji sat on him, tossed her sleek hair back, treating Kagura Hikaru almost like a large doll, wrapping her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes, "We''ve been together so long, yet I''ve never once heard you say my name. Is it because my name is too ugly, hard to pronounce?"


    "That''s not it....."


    "I am Ayakoji, my father is also Ayakoji; making a distinction is quite important," Chiyoko Ayakoji slowly ran her fingers over Kagura Hikaru''s face, leaning closer, close enough that he could feel her breath.


    Kagura Hikaru tilted his head back, sensing trouble, "Your father''s right outside, you don''t plan to right here...?"


    "Won''t do anything too overboard, just collecting a bit of interest, and besides, this isn''t even my room," Chiyoko Ayakoji slowly moved closer, sniffed like a canine at Kagura Hikaru''s neck, gave a peck, and whispered, "Say my name, and I''ll let you go home, say it."


    ".....Chiyoko... Chiyoko."


    "Too soft, say it in my ear."


    "...Chiyoko."


    "Closer."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji kissed him, her lips pressing against Kagura Hikaru''s.


    The tip of his nose was suddenly filled with a sweet scent.


    Sometimes, he really thought that Chiyoko Ayakoji might be a cake come to life, and a strawberry cake at that.


    Because the scent was so similar.


    It may have been rude to think about such things while kissing, but getting distracted did help to shift his focus.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji''s weight pressed down from her hips and thighs, causing slight upward and downward movements intermittently.


    The position was very unfortunate.


    If this continued, he really was going to rise to it...


    Kagura Hikaru reached his hands under her armpits, trying to push Chiyoko Ayakoji away, but she hugged him tightly in refusal.


    After kissing for over a minute, Chiyoko Ayakoji finally lifted her head and allowed him a breath.


    "I have to go back now, you get off first..."


    Mid-sentence, he saw Chiyoko Ayakoji slip down one shoulder strap, revealing her snowy skin and a ravine that possessed the depth of hell and the beauty of heaven. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru''s pupils shook.


    "Didn''t you say you weren''t going to do anything too excessive?!"


    "Sorry, got carried away," Chiyoko Ayakoji pressed him back on the sofa, "Even though this is my father''s room, bear with it for a bit."


    "Absolutely not, get off now!"


    "Quit the nonsense, if I tell you to strip, you strip!"


    Click.


    At that moment, Ryoma Ayakoji, scratching his head, pushed the door open.


    "Is your movie over? It''s about time; do you want to go out...to eat..."


    He paused.


    Then without a word, quickly bowed his head and left, slamming the door with a bang.


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji: "..."


    They were silent.


    Those who needed to fix their hair did so, and those who needed to dress, dressed.


    After being interrupted twice by the same person, Chiyoko Ayakoji now appeared completely subdued, her face carrying a Buddha-like serenity that shone on all beings, devoid of worldly desires.


    "...I''m going back first."


    "Yeah, you know the way out, I won''t see you off, I''ve got something to handle."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji said this with a smile, bending down to pick up the gaming controller she''d thrown aside earlier, weighing it in her hand with a satisfied, bloodthirsty grin.


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    It turned out he was mistaken; that wasn''t the Buddha-like serenity of Sakyamuni Buddha, but of the Victorious Fighting Buddha.


    Hopefully, the person is okay.


    When he left, he didn''t see Ryoma Ayakoji, not knowing where he had hidden.


    Anyway, he walked out of the Ayakoji house alone.


    After closing the front door from the outside, he couldn''t help but look back as he was about to leave.


    Only after confirming that there were no screams did he step away.


    If the news popped up on his phone the next day about a famous actor murdered by a family member, he was confident he could guess the truth behind the case instantly.


    By the time he left the Ayakoji house, it had completely darkened outside.


    But Kagura Hikaru didn''t go home.


    He contacted his family to say he''d be eating out, and after sending a text and receiving a reply, he headed to a chain family restaurant in the Bunkyo District, Tokyo, with his backpack slung over his shoulder.


    The female manager of the restaurant appeared somewhat familiar and even greeted him proactively.


    Kagura Hikaru recalled after a second that she was Saijo Mari''s mother.


    During their family''s financial struggles, he had helped her land this job as the restaurant manager.


    Meeting her here was by chance; Kagura Hikaru had been coming to this place since middle school and had merely forgotten that they had changed managers.


    Saijo''s mother was enthusiastic about treating him, insisting on comping his meal which he could not refuse no matter how he tried.


    Seated in a corner of the restaurant, he ordered a classic junk combo of a burger, fries, and Coke for his dinner.


    After about ten minutes, he saw Kiryu Hina''s figure at the door.

 Chapter 231 Dark Hand Hina Goes Online

    Kiryu Hina pushed open the glass door and entered the family restaurant.


    She was wearing blue denim shorts and a white shirt, with a conical pendant hanging around her neck, a different kind of refreshing from the sailor uniform, dazzling to the onlooker.


    Dressed in casual clothes, Kiryu Hina exuded an aura that wouldn''t be out of place on the pages of a fashion magazine.


    The simplest outfit pairing could say loads, but it also depended on who was wearing it.


    Some people see a retailer''s model photos, thinking that they can look just as pretty or handsome wearing the same clothes.


    But the reality often isn''t that ideal. After all, most of the time, what looks beautiful isn''t the clothes, but the model instead.


    And for Kiryu Hina, it was clear that she didn''t have this kind of trouble.


    For others, the realization comes after purchasing clothes and finding they don''t look as good as the models. For Kiryu Hina, the opposite was true.


    Your average minor model wasn''t as pretty as her.


    If she put on the clothes she bought, took a photo, and posted it online as a buyer''s show, there was a fifty percent chance people would mistake her for a paid promoter by the retailer, and another fifty percent they''d be crazily adding her contact info.


    In an environment where it''s easy to overestimate oneself, Kiryu Hina had managed to cultivate a down-to-earth and unpretentious character.


    Her attire and makeup were always simple, and her tastes rather classical.


    If asked, she might say it was thanks to a happy upbringing that she didn''t need to deliberately seek others'' admiration.


    Of course, her first love''s preferences had also played a part.


    The ''first love'' referred to here could naturally be no other than Kagura Hikaru.


    As soon as Kiryu Hina entered, she habitually glanced toward the corner booth in the restaurant''s no-smoking area, and, as expected, she spotted Kagura Hikaru munching on a burger. She couldn''t help but smile nostalgically.


    This family restaurant was close to the middle school they used to attend, and after club activities, if it was still early, the three of them would come here to eat, chat, or study and do homework, often sitting at that spot.


    ''The three of them'' referred to herself, Kagura Hikaru, and Kohinata Motoyo.


    Back then, their relationship was good, inseparable every day.


    Not like now.


    Kiryu Hina walked over.


    Kagura Hikaru saw her, put the half-eaten burger down, and wiped his mouth with a napkin.


    Pulling out a chair, Kiryu Hina sat opposite him and said with a smile, "You can finish that, I don''t mind."


    "I''ve obtained what you wanted," he said.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t feel like making small talk, took a transparent zip-lock bag that looked like it was meant to hold pills out of his pocket, and slid it across the table: "Take it."


    The bag, bought at a convenience store on his way here, was indeed practical, considering the hairs could easily be lost if just placed in a pocket.


    After all the trouble of obtaining them, losing them that way would be unthinkable.


    Kiryu Hina''s gaze fell upon the zip-lock bag.


    Upon closer inspection, two strands of hair were visible inside.


    Her expression shifted. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was hesitation, and an avoidance she didn''t want to confront.


    This was what she had been looking for, yet in a sense, it was also the very thing she needed the least at this stage.


    Even without it, she already knew everything that she needed to know¡ªthis was merely a final confirmation.


    Perhaps, this could be used as bait.


    "You must be very curious, what do I want Ryoma Ayakoji''s DNA sample for?" Kiryu Hina raised her head and smiled.


    Picking up his half-eaten burger, Kagura Hikaru resumed eating. At her words, his hand paused briefly before he casually responded, "Not really."


    Saying he wasn''t curious was, of course, a lie.


    He couldn''t understand why Kiryu Hina would have made contact with Chiyoko Ayakoji''s father and even suspected that the real reason for her and Chiyoko Ayakoji not getting along might stem from this.


    When they were dating, he had never heard a whisper of this from Kiryu Hina''s lips.


    The so-called DNA sample, where would it end up? Would it be used on Hina Kiryu herself, or given to someone else? Or perhaps, it had a different purpose altogether?


    Thinking it over, the questions simply piled up.


    But admitting it here felt like losing to the other person.


    Kagura Hikaru decided to give up pursuing these matters.


    After all, what did the relationship between Hina Kiryu and the Ayakoji family have to do with him? Whether it was the former or the latter, they were both strangers to him.


    He maintained the etiquette of dining, devouring his hamburger at the fastest speed possible without being rude and gulped down the last of his cola. After wiping his mouth, he picked up his shoulder bag and stood up.


    "I''ve already brought you the item, the transaction is complete... goodbye."


    This goodbye meant that from now on he would completely sever his connection with Hina Kiryu.


    It was reflective how their last encounter would end with such a sordid, behind-the-scenes transaction.


    People often say first loves usually don''t end well, and Hikaru should have heeded that advice and established a more rational relationship from the start.


    Now, it was too late for regrets.


    Kagura Hikaru stepped past Hina Kiryu.


    "Wait."


    "Is there something else?" Kagura Hikaru asked, turning around expressionlessly.


    "You''re mistaken, the thing I want hasn''t yet been delivered to me," Hina Kiryu said.


    "...Huh?"


    She rose from her seat, smiling as she walked toward the entrance of the shop.


    Kagura Hikaru watched her back, puzzled, then suddenly remembered something and turned back around. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    On the booth''s table, the sample he had managed to obtain from the Ayakoji family with great difficulty, was still sitting there intact. Hina had not taken it with her when she left.


    So that''s it, ''the thing I want hasn''t yet been delivered to me'' referred to this?


    What is she, a child playing such a pointless word game!


    Kagura Hikaru picked up the plastic-sealed bag, irritated, and followed her out of the shop.


    "Hey, take this with you!"


    He caught up with Hina Kiryu and handed over the plastic-sealed bag.


    To his surprise, Hina Kiryu showed an expression of astonishment. "Sorry, I refuse. Mom said not to take things from strangers outside."


    "..."


    It seemed like she had made up her mind not to ''take'' it.


    Kagura Hikaru''s hand fell as he knitted his brows, following the still-forward-moving Hina and said while walking, "I''ve already gotten the item for you, what else do you want? Could it be, you intend to play me with these childish tactics?"


    "How could that be, do I look like someone who would be that trivial?"


    Hina Kiryu finally stopped pretending to be an ignorant little girl and revealed an inscrutable smile, running her fingers through her long hair, "However, I will not accept the item, except in my room¡ªnowhere else will I take it."


    The implication was clear.


    Kagura Hikaru fell silent for a moment. "Do you want me to go to your house?"


    "Ah, you said it, how embarrassing," Hina Kiryu turned her head away in false shyness, hands covering her face as if bashful.


    "..."


    Damn it, even though he was sure he had stripped away her mask, why was he still seeing that manipulative version of Hina from behind the scenes?


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head, stopped walking, and stood at the intersection, watching her coldly. "I''m not going to be led around by you anymore, it doesn''t matter to me whether you take it or not."


    Yes, he no longer wished to return to the way things were.


    No matter what scheme Hina Kiryu was trying to enact, from today forward, they would only have one kind of relationship.


    That of strangers.

 Chapter 232 First is Kiryu Hina, who committed the sin of pride.

    Just a minor change in mindset could make the world seen by a person completely different.


    When Kagura Hikaru was young, he read this line in a book.


    At that time, he could not truly understand the meaning behind this phrase.


    Only after gaining the ability to eavesdrop on other''s inner thoughts did he literally see a different world. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A world full of hypocrisy, lies, terrifying yet real.


    In this world, everyone was lying.


    People''s lives are filled with all kinds of lies.


    Malicious and benevolent, intentional or unintentional, even not from the heart.


    Kagura Hikaru could confidently say that no one in this world saw and heard more lies than he did.


    He knew all too well the power of lies; his family, his love, were all shattered by lies. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    He deeply understood why ''honesty'' was praised as a virtue.


    He hated lies so much, hated deception.


    But ironically, in the end, even he was surrounded by lies.


    No, more than that, he even had to actively deceive others, to deceive an innocent girl.


    While deceiving others, people must also deceive themselves.


    When Kagura Hikaru was dating Ayakoji Chiyoko, he also had to deceive himself, convincing himself he liked her, so that he could act and speak like a lover would.


    Kagura Hikaru actually found it unbearable from the first day to spew lies the moment he stepped out of his house every day.


    There are few things more unpleasant in this world.


    Actually, even Kagura Hikaru himself was unclear, whether now he was pursuing Ayakoji Chiyoko in order to get revenge on Kiryu Hina or to fulfill a deal.


    But at least two things were certain.


    First, he had no intention of reconciling with Kiryu Hina.


    The second thing, he was now in too deep.


    When it came to the issue of dealing with Ayakoji Chiyoko, his heart was a mess of entanglements.


    The moment he found Ryoma Ayakoji''s hair in the Ayakoji family house, he even thought to himself ¡ª he could still turn back, pretend to not have seen and put the hair back, tell Kiryu Hina the deal was off, and then earnestly continue dating Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    This self-degrading thought took Kagura Hikaru longer than usual to kill, and only now was he able to hand over that DNA sample to Kiryu Hina.


    Maybe it didn''t show on the outside.


    But he was tired.


    Tired of the endless lies, and of the fact that he had incurred another debt to himself.


    Would Ayakoji Chiyoko become the second Kiryu Hina for him?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, who succeeded Kiryu Hina as the Student Council President, will she even inherit the hatred for him?


    It''s not funny at all.


    In such a situation, Kagura Hikaru had no desire, nor did he want to, play any sort of love comedy chase game with Kiryu Hina.


    He knew she wanted to win him back, but that was impossible.


    They were already finished.


    "This thing, whether you want it or not, we''re done here," Kagura Hikaru said indifferently.


    All the people one meets in life are merely passersby; eventually, they will part ways.


    Some relationships are brief, others last until death.


    The relationship with Kiryu Hina was just like a floating leaf, already blown far enough by the wind.


    Now, it''s time to land.


    Kagura Hikaru gripped the sealed bag tightly in his hand, then loosened his grip, flinging it to the ground and turning away without a backward glance.


    Kiryu Hina stood there stunned.


    Before it could be stepped on by pedestrians, she hurriedly picked up the sealed bag, carefully dusted it off, then watched as Kagura Hikaru walked further and further away.


    Confidence and composure disappeared from her face, replaced by confusion and fear.


    This reminded her of the day she found out the truth, the feelings she had while standing behind the tree seeing Kagura Hikaru kissing Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    The feeling of her heart being brutally torn apart.


    She had made the same mistake again.


    ```


    After that day, once again.


    Among the seven deadly sins, she committed the sin of pride.


    She arrogantly believed that her little schemes would work, arrogantly thought that Kagura Hikaru would obey her as he used to.


    Arrogantly believed that she still understood Kagura Hikaru...


    He was no longer the person that Kiryu Hina knew.


    Could this be called growth?


    But growth is actually a word with malicious undertones.


    So-called growth means having to go through pain.


    It means going through things that are beyond one''s control, giving up after efforts, experiencing something that wakes one up in the middle of the night, uncomfortably pounding the mattress with one''s fist, taking deep breaths with force.


    Without these, there can be no talk of growth.


    That Kagura Hikaru had become what he was now also meant that she had truly disappointed him, hadn''t she?


    Even though it was summer, Kiryu Hina felt that her hands were terrifyingly cold.


    The premonition of losing something important weighed heavily on her heart.


    But humans are creatures with thick skins.


    Faced with fear, beasts choose to run away with all their might. But for humans, that same emotion can also be a driving force.


    So, Kiryu Hina made herself move, step by step, running towards Kagura Hikaru.


    "Wait, wait¡ª"


    She reached out, chasing and crying out.


    Her voice was unexpectedly quiet.


    Kiryu Hina opened her mouth slightly, suddenly realizing that she couldn''t make a sound, as if an invisible ghost had blocked her throat.


    It didn''t matter if she couldn''t make a sound.


    She had to catch up to him.


    "Wait for me, Mister Hikaru, Mister Hikaru¡ª!"


    Kiryu Hina, with a plastic bag in hand, rasped out words that nobody could hear, stumbling towards Kagura Hikaru.


    Her coordination was still as bad as ever, bumping into countless people along the way, apologizing time and again.


    Finally, she was close enough to reach out and touch Kagura Hikaru''s back.


    Kiryu Hina reached out her hand again.


    Suddenly, her foot tripped, her toe hitting a slightly raised floor tile.


    Her fingertips brushed past the hem of Kagura Hikaru''s clothing.


    Kiryu Hina fell to the ground, her knees and elbows burning with pain.


    The passing pedestrians hurried on, only concerned with their own affairs, giving the girl who had carelessly fallen only a quick, indifferent glance before briskly walking past.


    Tokyo is a cold place, something she had known for a long time.


    Kiryu Hina raised her head to see Kagura Hikaru, who, like the other pedestrians, ignored her and continued walking forward. Not sure what hurt more, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.


    Although Tokyo was cold, she had never been disappointed with it.


    Because she knew that people like Kagura Hikaru, gentle fools, existed here.


    But look at what she had done now...


    A strong intuition emerged in Kiryu Hina''s mind.


    If at this moment Kagura Hikaru walked away without turning his head back, then they would have nothing to do with each other ever again.


    For some reason, Kiryu Hina irrationally trusted this thought.


    Without a word, she silently bowed her head and wept, curling up.


    At that moment, a cool voice came from above.


    "Can you get up by yourself?"


    Kiryu Hina looked up blankly.


    Through her teary eyes, she could make out the blurry face of Kagura Hikaru.


    He had turned back.


    ```

 Chapter 233 Mom, Im on TV

    "It''s my first time seeing a high school student fall down and cry like that."


    "...You talk too much."


    "Next time, remember to fall where I can''t see you."


    "I don''t want to."


    Kiryu Hina''s grip around Kagura Hikaru''s neck tightened, and she pressed her upper body against his back.


    Right now, she was being carried by Kagura Hikaru on the way back home.


    The fall had resulted in a scraped knee and elbow and a twisted ankle.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t just leave her there, so with a somewhat disgusted expression, he had to carry her into a taxi and take her home.


    After the taxi arrived near the Kiryu household, the last stretch of the journey had to be shouldered by him, as he carried Kiryu Hina back.


    At first, Kagura Hikaru said he wouldn''t accompany her home, yet now he did the exact opposite.


    She hadn''t expected to accomplish her goal in such a way, not even Kiryu Hina herself anticipated it.


    A pretty girl playing the sympathy card indeed proves useful.


    However, if Kagura Hikaru had been a little more indifferent, it might not have been effective at all.


    Thanks to Kagura Hikaru''s kindness, his gentleness saved her.


    Under Kiryu Hina''s guidance, they entered a luxurious apartment building that stood fourteen stories high¡ªthis was her residence.


    Actually, it was also Kagura Hikaru''s first visit.


    When they were dating, they never discussed visiting each other''s homes; perhaps they felt that meeting at home would be uncomfortable.


    They passed through a glass door secured by a password and a lavishly decorated lobby with marble flooring, then entered the elevator.


    Despite its fourteen-story height, according to Kiryu Hina, a normal resident here, the building actually housed only six households.


    The apartments were sold two stories at a time. Excluding the ground floor lobby and the top-floor observation deck, each two-story section could house only one family.


    As she said, the elevator had just eight buttons for the floors (including the ground floor and the rooftop), which seemed somewhat incongruous.


    Initially, Kagura Hikaru didn''t understand what she meant.


    Selling by two stories?


    If one story is lived in, what about the other? It would be quite wasteful to keep it empty just for storing things.


    Not until they reached the highest floor indicated by the elevator, walked through the corridor, and used the key Kiryu Hina provided to open the door, did Kagura Hikaru finally realize. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon entering, there was a small entryway, but the space beyond it was exaggeratedly large.


    Looking up, they saw a ceiling roughly seven meters high.


    No wonder the building had fourteen stories but only housed six families. The designer of this luxury apartment had directly combined two stories into one.


    Essentially, the space of what would normally be one story was doubled in height.


    And since one family exclusively occupied each floor, the width of the rooms also seemed exceptionally large.


    Kagura Hikaru even thought that the living room he first saw upon entering was bigger than his entire house¡ªprobably an illusion, but it was enough to illustrate the extravagance.


    The living room''s decor was modern and uncluttered, with not much furniture, giving off a fresh and comfortable feeling.


    To the right was a spiral glass staircase, leading to the second floor in a stylish manner, which, of course, was also habitable.


    The removal of the ceiling was limited to the large living room area alone. If one entered the other rooms, the ceilings would be at normal height.


    "You should wear these, the blue ones, they''re for guests," Kiryu Hina, still perched on Kagura Hikaru''s back, said as she pointed to a pair of slippers on the floor.


    Kagura Hikaru set Kiryu Hina down in the entryway and changed shoes. Seeing that Kiryu Hina couldn''t remove her shoes due to her sprained ankle, he helped her with that as well.


    It was just a courtesy, yet she couldn''t stop giggling like a fool.


    A slight irritation began to rise in Kagura Hikaru''s heart. He wished he had let her change by herself.


    Carrying Kiryu Hina to the living room, just as I set her on the sofa, the door on the side of the living room suddenly opened, and a slender man wearing glasses and a brown shirt with a cup in hand walked out.


    "Hina, you''re back... Huh, who are you?"


    Kagura Hikaru and the man looked at each other, both taken aback.


    This scene felt oddly familiar.


    "Hello, I am Hina''s father, Kiryu Masaki," the man was the first to recover, lifting his glasses slightly and smiling as he introduced himself. "Are you Hina''s classmate? Thank you for bringing her home."


    "Hello, my name is Kagura Hikaru," said Kagura Hikaru, bowing slightly.


    Kiryu''s father''s face paused for a moment, then with some recognition: "Oh, so you''re Kagura Hikaru, no wonder..."


    Huh?


    That reaction, does he know me?


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself, puzzled.


    It was probably something Kiryu Hina mentioned to her family.


    "Ah, never mind," Kiryu''s father said, waving his hand with a smile. "I''ll just get a glass of water and go back to my room. You can take your time to chat."


    Kagura Hikaru explained the situation: "Classmate Kiriyu twisted her ankle outside, and I happened to run into her, so I brought her back. I''ll be leaving shortly."


    "Is that so? Let me have a look."


    Kiryu''s father hurried over, placed the cup with coffee residue on the living room''s glass table, and carefully checked Kiryu Hina''s condition.


    "Your knee and hand are scraped; did you fall? How could you be so careless."


    "...It''s that brick on the ground''s fault, not that the road management didn''t install it properly, or it got pushed up by an earthquake¡ªit''s not my fault," said Kiryu Hina, turning her head slightly, not quite willing to agree.


    "Move your foot for me to see, it''s not fractured, is it?"


    "It''s fine... Kagura has looked at it already, it''s just a sprain, it''ll be better in a few days with some medicine."


    "You, you''re lucky to have met such a kind classmate. Be more careful next time," sighed Kiryu''s father, and then smiling at Kagura Hikaru, he added, "Thank you this time, Mr. Kagura. I''ll go get some ice for her to apply. You can stay and chat with Hina for a while."


    "No, I should be leaving now."


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    "It''s still early, stay for a bit longer. If you''re bored, you can watch TV."


    Kagura Hikaru was about to refuse when Kiryu''s father didn''t give him the chance to speak, he picked up the remote control, turned on the TV, and then swiftly walked to another room.


    He opened his mouth, then closed it helplessly.


    Someone tugged at the back of his clothes.


    Turning around, Kiryu Hina was looking up at him with wide eyes, whispering, "My dad doesn''t know we dated, don''t slip up."


    "...You don''t need to tell me that," he replied.


    Kagura Hikaru brushed off her hand and sat down on the adjacent armchair, resting his hands on his knees and sighed.


    Why on earth was he, at such a time, staying at his ex-girlfriend''s family home?


    If he''d known, he would have just left her at the doorstep and gone back by himself.


    Kiryu Hina made an effort to reach the remote control from the glass table and changed to a channel broadcasting a scenic view of Wakayama Prefecture.


    It must have been shot this summer, with a program crew touring each part of the Island Nation, this time looking for natural scenic spots in Wakayama.


    In this place known as Amano Village, they would never run out of things to film.


    Kiryu Hina initially just wanted to find a quiet program and then make conversation with Kagura Hikaru, but before she could say anything, she suddenly saw Kagura Hikaru''s silhouette on the TV.


    In the footage, Kagura Hikaru passed by the camera unintentionally like a passerby, wearing a large straw hat and expressionless, with the vast blue sky and farmland in the background, where one could even see the old Island Nation houses covered with thatched roofs.


    The camera even made an intentional close-up of him.


    In the quiet and peaceful countryside, a handsome young man walking down the road seemed like a scene from a movie.


    Subconsciously, Kiryu Hina grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s clothes, pointed at the TV, and exclaimed, "Mister Hikaru, you''re on TV."

 Chapter 234 Seeing Parents Twice in One Day

    Kagura Hikaru looked up and commented, "That''s my father''s hometown, I went there once during the summer break."


    "Did you know you were filmed?"


    "Yeah, they asked me if it was okay to broadcast it, and I agreed."


    Counting this time and the last time he appeared on TV with Ayakoji Chiyoko in the "Young Genius" program, this was his second appearance.


    Once bitten, twice shy, he had been through it before and didn''t feel it was anything special anymore.


    "You really are photogenic, Mister Hikaru," Kiryu Hina praised sincerely.


    "...I''m going back."


    Kagura Hikaru stood up.


    Kiryu Hina was startled, not understanding what she did to upset him again, and quickly grabbed his wrist: "Wait, stay a little longer, I still have something to tell you."


    "It can wait until next time, or just text me the details."


    "No, it has to be said here in my house!"


    "That''s just your own wish, let go."


    "I won''t!"


    "I''m going to twist your fingers off if you don''t let go."


    "I won''t!"


    The two of them started arguing in the living room, with Kiryu Hina clinging to Kagura Hikaru''s hand, refusing to let go.


    To outsiders, this scene seemed like nothing more than playful banter.


    Kiryu''s Father, holding an ice bag and a wet towel, appeared from behind the couch at some point, watching them with a smile and adjusted his glasses.


    "You seem to be having fun," he remarked.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina were startled and quickly let go of each other.


    "It''s, it''s not like that..." Kiryu Hina said flustered.


    "Hahaha, it''s good to see you two getting along so well."


    Kiryu''s Father walked over to Kiryu Hina, gently wiped her wound with the wet towel he had prepared, then handed her the ice bag to apply to her sprained ankle.


    "Mr. Kagura, could you help me get some hydrogen peroxide and antiseptic ointment? And bring some cotton swabs and gauze as well, they''re in the bottom drawer of the cabinet over there."


    Kagura Hikaru, feeling awkward, complied, fetched the items Kiryu''s Father needed, and was then put to work helping disinfect Kiryu Hina''s wound with hydrogen peroxide.


    After wiping it clean twice, he applied ointment with a cotton swab and finally wrapped the wound with gauze.


    He also applied antiseptic ointment to her sprained ankle.


    As he applied the ointment, his hands inevitably touched Kiryu Hina''s foot, which made her twitch slightly every time, as if she was involved in something naughty, making his mood turn weird as well.


    When everything was done, Kagura Hikaru suddenly realized he ended up doing all the work.


    What happened to just assisting?


    He turned to look at Kiryu''s Father, who was sitting across from him, having poured himself another cup of hot water to drink, and he couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.


    Hearing that Kiryu Hina''s father was a businessman, it certainly showed. A true leader, he sure knew how to delegate.


    "Ah, sorry." Kiryu''s Father sensed Kagura Hikaru''s disapproving look, embarrassedly set down his cup, "I just saw you looked like you were enjoying yourself, so I didn''t intervene."


    "..."


    This man was clearly telling a tall tale with a smile on his face, his sly eyes were a spitting image of Kiryu Hina''s.


    Kagura Hikaru stood up to take his leave, glancing as he did at his ex-girlfriend, who had been peacefully quiet since before, when Kiryu''s Father added, "Speaking of what just happened, I rarely see Hina acting so spoiled. You''re quite impressive, Mr. Kagura."


    Kagura Hikaru''s shoulders slumped.


    "...I''m sorry."


    "No, no, no, don''t get me wrong, I''m not being sarcastic; I''m serious," Kiryu''s Father said, laughing openheartedly, "Hina has never had many real friends, and it''s uncommon for her to initiate relationships with others, so I hope you''ll continue to get along with her from now on."


    ```


    "....I cannot do that."


    "Eh, why is that?" Kiryu''s Father didn''t expect this response, holding his cup, he was stunned.


    Kiryu Hina tugged urgently at Kagura Hikaru''s sleeve, desperately signaling with her eyes, worried he would spill their romantic history.


    Turning his head, Kagura Hikaru gave her a cold stare and calmly said, "Classmate Kiriyu is a dangerous person, and I don''t want any trouble."


    "What?"


    Kiryu''s Father was startled again, then he slapped his thigh and burst out laughing, "Hahaha, dangerous, indeed, indeed! My daughter is just like a hedgehog, all prickly."


    "Dad!" Kiryu Hina shouted somewhat shyly and annoyed.


    "Ah, fine, fine, I''ll stop," Kiryu''s Father shrank back embarrassingly, then stood up smiling, "Mr. Kagura, sorry but I have some work to do. I''ll leave this place to you young folks. But what I said earlier is true, I do hope you can make friends with Hina."


    Halfway through, he seemed to hesitate, then slowly said, "Since starting high school, Hina has become more and more reclusive. Although she''s become smoother in her dealings with people, I always feel that her heart has become more closed off. The recent improvement might indeed be because she met you, Mr. Kagura."


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    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    It''s the complete opposite, Mr. Kiryu.


    "Alright, you kids chat, I won''t disturb you any longer." Kiryu''s Father smiled and took his water cup back to the study.


    Although he was bothered by the unpleasant request and was tasked with looking after Kiryu Hina, Kagura Hikaru suddenly realized he couldn''t bring himself to dislike Kiryu''s Father at all.


    A handsome, gentle, and generous mature man, he was like the ideal version of himself.


    He couldn''t help but compare Kiryu''s Father with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s father, Ryoma Ayakoji, whom he had just met not long ago.


    The two were clearly opposite types.


    Ryoma Ayakoji was unrestrained and casual, while Kiryu Masaki was calm and polite.


    One was like a street gang boss, and the other a literary youth.


    So that''s why they each had daughters with such contrasting personalities.


    "Mister Hikaru." Seeing her father leave, Kiryu Hina grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s hand again, this time with a particularly serious expression, "Come to my room for a bit."


    "It''s getting late, I should be heading back."


    "I have something very important to tell you, and also, to ask for your opinion," Kiryu Hina said, biting her lip and looking troubled, "It''s about my relationship with the Ayakoji family, with Ryoma Ayakoji, and the real relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko... Sorry, I don''t want my father to overhear, can you carry me to my room? It''s upstairs on the second floor."


    "..."


    Maybe it was what Kiryu''s Father had just said that influenced him, or maybe it was a spur of the moment curiosity.


    Having come this far, there''s no reason not to hear the truth.


    Kagura Hikaru carried Kiryu Hina up to her second-floor room.


    Her room had her pink nameplate hanging on the door, conspicuous and easy to find.


    Still using decorations like a grade school girl at this age?


    He opened the door and entered.


    The room was all pink, pink carpet, pink stuffed animals, pink bed sheets.


    If the walls weren''t white to give one''s eyes a break, Kagura Hikaru almost felt like he could get pink snow blindness.


    This kind of pink girlishness was something one would expect of Ayakoji Chi, not you, the sharp-tongued and sly girl!


    Having put Kiryu Hina down on a chair in her room, Kagura Hikaru asked, "What is it you wanted to talk about?"


    "It''s about this."


    Kiryu Hina pulled out from her pants pocket the plastic bag containing Ryoma Ayakoji''s hair that Kagura Hikaru had given her earlier.


    But what she needed wasn''t the hair¡ªit was the DNA, Ryoma Ayakoji''s DNA.


    As a very important piece of evidence.


    "Actually, I don''t have any blood relation with my father," Kiryu Hina said.


    ``` S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 235 The Grudges and Sentiments of the Previous Generation

    Kiryu Hina pulled out a photograph from the drawer beneath her desk.


    "This is a copy I secretly made from my father''s collection of albums."


    Kagura Hikaru took the photograph she handed over and examined the front.


    The photograph was somewhat old, clearly of a style from the last century.


    At the center of the frame were three adults, two men and one woman, who appeared to be in their twenties, with a certain school as the backdrop.


    The three individuals stood in front of a pine tree in the order of man, man, woman. The handsome man in the middle had fluffy, curly hair and was smiling with teeth showing, dressed in a black baseball uniform, his arms around the shoulders of the two beside him, facing the camera directly.


    The man on the left wore thick-rimmed glasses and had neatly combed hair, giving off a quiet and cultured impression, his hands clasped behind him and a light smile on his lips; he was also quite handsome.


    On the far right, a woman wearing high-waisted trousers and a blouse, with long curly hair and well-proportioned features, seemed to shine even in an old photograph. She held a book in her hand and was smiling with pursed lips, looking at the man in the middle.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t recognize the woman, but felt she bore some resemblance to Kiryu Hina.


    Apart from her, Kagura Hikaru quickly recognized the other two individuals.


    The man on the left with glasses was Kiryu Hina''s father, Kiryu Masaki.


    He hadn''t changed much from his younger days; both his figure and face were almost the same, making him easy to identify.


    The man in the center was the same case.


    That man, smiling with teeth showing and dressed in a baseball uniform¡ªno matter how one looked at it, he was the guy Kagura had just recently met at the Ayakoji family home, who might now have been bludgeoned to death by Ayakoji Chiyoko using a game controller.


    The father of Ayakoji Chiyoko, Ryoma Ayakoji.


    "The three people in the photograph are my parents and Ryoma Ayakoji," Kiryu Hina said from the side. "All three of them were students at Tokyo University back then. Although my father never mentioned it, they must have been very good friends at the time."


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    No matter how one looked at it, the woman in the photograph clearly favored Ryoma Ayakoji more.


    She didn''t resist being embraced by him and was distracted during the photograph, looking at him with a smiling gaze, tilting her head affectionately. Perhaps they were in a relationship back then.


    Yet, Kiryu Hina claimed she was her own mother.


    Just from looking at this single photograph, Kagura Hikaru could imagine an entire melodramatic love triangle.


    However, to be honest, he wasn''t particularly surprised.


    He had already guessed the most likely possibility when he learned that Kiryu Hina was after a DNA sample from Ryoma Ayakoji, and now it had simply been confirmed.


    "You want this sample for a paternity test with you and Ryoma Ayakoji, don''t you," Kagura Hikaru said calmly as he placed the photograph on the table, looking at Kiryu Hina. "You suspect that he is your real father."


    "To be honest, by now, there''s not much to suspect anymore."


    Kiryu Hina closed her eyes and let out a soft breath. "When I accidentally came across this photo in the album, I asked my father about it. That''s when I realized he wasn''t being honest. He refused to admit that he and Ryoma Ayakoji were friends, saying only that they had been classmates at university, and even got a little angry at my probing.


    My father isn''t one to easily lose his temper, and he''s only gotten angry in front of me once. That was when he talked about how my mother''s family didn''t come to her funeral. Now, his emotions were stirred just by the mention of Ryoma Ayakoji."


    "At that time, I knew there must be a story between the three of them, and it was very likely highly related to my mother."


    Kiryu Hina leaned back in the computer chair, spun around lightly, and looked up, "So that day, I secretly took some of my father''s hair for a paternity test. What do you think the result was after the test came back?"


    "..."


    "Well, you don''t need to guess, right? I am not his biological daughter; I share not a single drop of blood with him."


    Kiryu Hina frowned, sitting up straight: "If my mother were still alive, I could have just asked her who my biological father really is. But she''s been dead for over ten years. So I had no choice but to follow the clue associated with Ryoma Ayakoji."


    "If you suspect him, instead of looking for samples at the Ayakoji family''s place, wouldn''t it be faster to find Ayakoji Chiyoko?" Kagura Hikaru asked, "Ryoma Ayakoji is a big star. It always seems easier to look for his daughter."


    If this speculation were true and Kiryu Hina was Ryoma Ayakoji''s daughter, it would mean that she and Ayakoji Chiyoko are related by blood.


    As half-sisters, it''s also possible to confirm their genetic relationship.


    "Of course, I did that too. It wasn''t difficult to get a hold of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hair. The test results proved my guess."


    Kiryu Hina placed her hands on the desk, her fingers impatiently tapping on the surface, "The staff responsible for the test told me that the probability of us being half-siblings was extremely high, with almost no chance of error. In other words, Ayakoji Chiyoko and I are sisters, and by looking at the birth dates, she''s even my younger sister!" Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    Kagura Hikaru: "....So that''s why you''ve been bullying her."


    Kiryu Hina: "I haven''t been bullying her, she started opposing me on her own, so I just played along with her."


    Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    So this ''playing along'' means stirring up a lot of dirt on each other and turning Yuqiu High School upside down?


    It looks like Ugao High has really lost its virtue in the past life to take in both of you.


    "Regardless, after receiving both test results, things became very clear," Kiryu Hina said, "Ayakoji Chiyoko was born after me, which means Ryoma Ayakoji had a relationship with my mother first, got her pregnant, and then abandoned her to marry another woman and have children. And my father, the poor guy, ended up as the sucker."


    "To call your own father ''the sucker'' is really something," Kagura remarked.


    "The truth is the truth," Kiryu Hina waved her hand nonchalantly, "Moreover, I don''t think knowing this will change the relationship between my father and me."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head, "According to what you say, isn''t the truth already very clear? You''ve known everything from the start; there''s no need for me to steal samples."


    Kiryu Hina shifted her gaze slightly: "There''s also the possibility of an error in the test, like a mistake by the testing facility, or the possibility that Ayakoji Chiyoko and her father also have no blood relationship."


    "That''s far-fetched."


    "I also feel it shouldn''t be to such a melodramatic extent. So, that''s like a final confirmation," said Kiryu Hina, caressing the plastic bag on the desk containing two strands of Ryoma Ayakoji''s hair, her expression somewhat lost, "When the last test result comes out, I can''t run away from it anymore."


    A child who learns the truth about their parentage has two choices.


    One is to keep it a secret, pretend nothing happened, and continue living life as usual. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other is to come clean, to acknowledge and embrace their relatives.


    Now, Kiryu Hina was wavering between these two options.

 Chapter 236 She Undoubtedly Received Love

    Kiryu Hina''s feelings were contradictory from start to finish.


    She had already obtained quite comprehensive evidence proving that she was actually the daughter of Ryoma Ayakoji.


    But due to an evasion mentality, she wanted to acquire more direct evidence.


    This appeared to be a tactic to postpone the difficulty, a subconscious evasion, very rare for someone like Kiryu Hina.


    As a well-known actor, Ryoma Ayakoji was not so easily approached, his daily schedule was ever-changing, and only seasoned fans could get his itinerary in advance.


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    It was incredibly difficult just to see him, let alone obtain his DNA.


    Therefore, at that time, Kiryu Hina could only choose to take a detour, seeking a breakthrough from his daughter, Chiyoko Ayakoji.


    Regrettably, at that time, Chiyoko Ayakoji, due to her stepmother''s affair, had already resisted her deeply, making it unlikely for her to allow Hina to rummage through her house, so Kiryu Hina turned to Kagura Hikaru.


    This was the cause of their meeting in the stairwell that one time.


    This was actually the ultimatum Kiryu Hina set for herself, and in a sense, it could be said that she left the decision to someone else.


    If Kagura Hikaru failed, then she would act as if nothing had happened and continue living in that home, not piercing the truth.


    If Kagura Hikaru succeeded, she would have to confront her fate and her biological father head-on.


    The choice was tossed into the hands of Kagura Hikaru.


    In the process, she could also take revenge by playing games with him, although this was just an idea Kiryu Hina had in the past, and now she regretted her actions immensely.


    Now, she had finally obtained the last piece of evidence as she had wished.


    As long as the DNA sample from Ryoma Ayakoji and her own sample were sent to an agency for identification and comparison, everything would come to light.


    And then she would have no escape.


    "Hey, what do you think, with what feelings did my father marry my mother, who was already pregnant? Was there love between them?" Kiryu Hina was not so much asking a question as she was muttering to herself.


    She was not the one involved, and even if she deduced the simplest truth, she could not touch the feelings of those involved.


    Her mother died on the day she was born, her father chose to conceal the fact, and Ryoma Ayakoji might not even know of her existence to this day, or even if he does, he might not care at all, having never come to see her.


    ...Such family circumstances were already more complex and heavy than the current situation with the Kagura Family.


    After all, what Kagura Hikaru is facing is just a family that has collapsed and split into two halves, a tragedy that has already played out, which, barring accidents, is unlikely to develop further.


    But Kiryu Hina was different; she was facing a very urgent issue, whether or not to acknowledge her biological father.


    If she made this decision, she might hurt her current father, Kiryu Masaki, and lose the present peaceful and tranquil family atmosphere, so would she still persist?


    Would she choose the unknown future after uncovering the truth, or cherish the still beautiful present, opting for the false comfort of a lie?


    The scales of fate seemed to appear before her.


    Her gaze swung between the two sides.


    Kiryu Hina had made many similar choices in the past, and each time she had chosen lies.


    The past, the present, and the future.


    Kiryu Hina believed the present was what mattered most.


    Of course, she cared about the other two as well.


    "Future" was the path she was about to take; if she didn''t care about the future, she wouldn''t have chosen to study hard and accumulate knowledge, but would have indulged in play all day.


    "Past" was the landscape she had once traversed; a person who doesn''t know their past has nothing, no dreams or goals, not even knowing why they are alive, and thus, they have no future.


    With this understanding, Kiryu Hina still chose to prioritize the present.


    Because, unlike "past" and "future," the "present" is the true reality.


    Kiryu Hina had heard such a joke: Mom said I would grow up, and always bought me clothes one size larger, so I''ve never worn clothes that fit.


    People who blindly chase the past and the future will become blind to reality, always wearing "clothes that don''t fit."


    Therefore, each time Kiryu Hina chose to pursue reality, only recognizing the best option for the present.


    She was a quintessential realist.


    But it was not until now that she realized that her ability to continue being a realist wasn''t because she was so clever that she could always accurately distinguish the most correct path.


    Rather, it was because she hadn''t faced any real-life challenges, the kind that would affect the rest of her life.


    In this world, some things don''t have correct answers.


    Just like that classic internet saying goes, "The world isn''t simply black or white; it''s a delicate shade of gray."


    Perhaps in the future, when she''s entered society, working and having become more mature, she''ll laugh at her current indecisiveness, able to make a choice without hesitation.


    But now, being only seventeen years old, still dependent on her father for sustenance, with shallow experience and qualifications, Kiryu Hina couldn''t so easily leap over the hurdle.


    "I think they were happy,"


    "...What?"


    "I''m talking about your current father and your mother," Kagura Hikaru replied after a moment of silence, answering her previous question, "Regardless of what they''ve been through, in the end, they undoubtedly found love. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have grown up so happily."


    "..."


    Kiryu Hina was momentarily stunned, her hands placed on her thighs slowly clenched.


    Yes, she had overlooked something, something that was actually glaringly obvious.


    To her father, Kiryu Masaki, her very existence was actually an anomaly, something that fell out of the belly of the woman he loved.


    There was nothing about her that belonged to him; instead, she was the embodiment of the man he detested, the union of that man and his wife.


    Normally, she would have no reason to be welcomed in this home.


    Yet she grew up safe and sound.


    She had a beautiful childhood, her memory filled with her father''s smiling face.


    Without a doubt, she had received love.


    Just like her mother had.


    Kiryu Masaki, her father, was such a gentle and strong man, who had managed to completely overlook the past. It was for the first time that Kiryu Hina truly understood the warmth behind her father''s smile.


    In the last moments of her mother''s life, she must have fallen in love with this man.


    At this moment, Kiryu Hina was utterly convinced of this. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "...Thank you, Mister Hikaru." Kiryu Hina wiped the corner of her eyes, her gaze slowly becoming resolute.


    "It seems you''ve made your decision."


    Kagura Hikaru stood up, "I need to go back now, take care of yourself."


    "Let me see you out!"


    Kiryu Hina propped herself up on the table with one hand, and on the chair''s armrest with the other, struggling to stand on one leg.


    "If you fall again, I''m not going to help you up," Kagura Hikaru said as he walked to the door and opened it. He took one last look at her, "Goodbye, Kiryu Hina, this is probably our last normal conversation. After today, don''t come looking for me again."


    Bang.


    The door closed with a firm gentleness.


    Kiryu Hina''s outstretched hand slowly fell in midair.


    Her eyes reddening, she smiled a self-deprecating smile.


    "Such a stubborn man... But I won''t let go, no matter what, I absolutely won''t this time."


    Kiryu Hina took out her mobile phone from her pocket, flipped open her address book, and scrolled down two lines.


    She finally stopped at the name ''Ayakoji Chiyoko''.


    She pressed the call button.

 Chapter 237 (Unread)

    It was over.


    Kagura Hikaru stepped out of the apartment and stood downstairs, taking a deep breath.


    What he smelled was the scent of Tokyo night, a blend of loneliness and mugginess.


    The planned schedule was already halfway completed.


    What remained was to break up with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    By doing so, he could return to his usual calm life, no longer burdened by disgusting lies, not having to speak insincere words every day.


    But this last step was the hardest. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn''t even guarantee that he wouldn''t be killed by Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    If she truly lost her mind, Kagura Hikaru probably wouldn''t just sit and wait for death; he would definitely fight back.


    He felt unexpectedly strong nostalgia for this world and didn''t want to head to Naraku that early.


    However, if he couldn''t exchange it with his life, then how on earth should he pay back this emotional debt and affection...


    Kagura Hikaru picked up his phone, intending to use the navigation to find the nearest tram station.


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    But at that moment, a Bentley drove up, its black, smooth shell reflecting the lights of the apartment behind it as it slowly approached Kagura Hikaru.


    The car door opened, and a beautiful girl got out of the back seat.


    "Mister Hikaru, what a coincidence," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile, waving her hand in greeting.


    She was dressed in dark blue overalls paired with a clean white T-shirt, make-up free, her youthful beauty beyond enhancement.


    But was it really a coincidence, to happen to be under Kiryu Hina''s apartment?


    Without any reason, Kagura Hikaru suddenly had the illusion that she was controlling his every move.


    She couldn''t have placed a tracker under his shoes like Conan, could she?


    "Are you planning to go home?" Kohinata Motoyo said with a waving hand, "Get in, I''ll give you a ride."


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t refuse.


    Passing up a free ride and walking a long distance alone to wait for the tram would only be something a very contrary person would do.


    He got into the Bentley from the other side.


    The interior space of the vehicle was spacious, emitting a faint fragrance; he wasn''t sure if it was the car''s perfume or the scent of the girl beside him.


    The car naturally had air conditioning, and a wave of cool air brushed against his face, relieving some of the irritation in his heart.


    The Bentley started moving slowly.


    "You must be tired, want a drink?" Kohinata Motoyo asked with a smile.


    She took out a bottle of champagne and two champagne glasses from the car fridge; both appeared high-end.


    "Underage drinking is illegal."


    Although Kagura Hikaru said this, he seemed to have no intention of stopping her.


    Kohinata Motoyo held the bottle and winked at him: "It''s not a crime if it''s not discovered, Mister Hikaru."


    The champagne had been opened in advance, but it appeared that no one had drunk from it yet.


    Kohinata Motoyo skillfully removed the cork with a tool and poured half a glass.


    Kagura Hikaru took the glass, waited for Kohinata Motoyo to pour herself a glass as well, clinked with her, and then drank it all in one swift motion.


    "You can''t really taste anything by chugging it like that."


    Kohinata Motoyo refilled Kagura Hikaru''s glass with champagne, asking with a smile, "Did something happen?"


    "..."


    "It''s not good to keep everything bottled up inside, don''t worry, I can keep a secret."


    "There''s no need for secrets." Kagura Hikaru tipped his head back and drank another glass.


    Although it was only a 13-degree bubbly champagne which, to a connoisseur, might hardly count as alcohol but rather a flavored drink,


    this was actually the first time in his life he had ingested alcohol.


    After the second glass, Kagura Hikaru felt his spirits somewhat relaxed.


    It seemed that alcohol could indeed relieve worries.


    "Tomorrow, I will officially break up with Ayakoji Chiyoko," he said.


    Kohinata Motoyo''s smile slightly faded: "That''s really a pity."


    "Not happy about my misfortune?" Kagura Hikaru glanced at her.


    "Oh my, why would you think that? Do you think I''m that kind of awful woman?" Kohinata Motoyo said with a feigned laugh, covering her mouth, "Or, do you think you''d like me more if I were like that?"


    "I''m not in the mood for jokes right now," Kagura Hikaru said, "Don''t meddle in tomorrow''s matters."


    "Oh? What do you think I''m going to do?"


    "Last time, it was because of your unilateral actions that so many unnecessary issues arose."


    "Seems like I''ve lost your trust, I''m actually thinking about everyone''s interest here."


    "Say whatever you want," Kagura Hikaru cast a mysterious glance at her, "Anyway, our cooperation has ended. This is my private matter, don''t interfere anymore."


    Kohinata Motoyo made a contemplative face: "But Hikaru, you''re not only planning to break up with Classmate Ayakoji, you also want to cut off all ties with Hina, right?"


    "Yeah."


    "I think she''s going to be very unhappy."


    "Oh."


    "And, you might end up with someone like me, is that still okay?"


    "..."


    "You''re hesitating," Kohinata Motoyo sighed softly, "You''re soft-hearted again, Mister Hikaru, that''s why girls can lead you by the nose."


    "You talk too much."


    Kagura Hikaru was starting to regret getting into this car.


    There''s a fatal problem with being in someone else''s car: you can''t open the door and jump out until you reach your destination.


    For the rest of the journey, Kagura Hikaru didn''t speak anymore, just looking out at the cityscape from the window, slowly savoring the champagne.


    Under the night sky, Tokyo shone with a dazzling array of lights, like a city that never sleeps.


    But to Kagura Hikaru, it felt like those lights might just be stripped from the hearts of people.


    By the time he finished his third glass, the car had already arrived at the Kagura Family''s front door.


    Kagura Hikaru thanked the driver, grabbed his briefcase, and got out of the car.


    "Even though you''re soft-hearted, you''re quite resolute," Kohinata Motoyo observed through the car window as she watched him enter his house. She touched her face with concern and sighed, "Hina, it looks like you will have to get through this hurdle on your own..."


    Back home, Kagura Hikaru took a bath and threw himself heavily onto his bed.


    Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling and took out his phone.


    The bright screen still showed the LINE messages sent by Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "I''m dining out with the idiot right now, this guy covered himself up so thoroughly, everyone thought he was a suspicious person, so embarrassing. (photo.jpg) (unread)"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "We''ve finished eating, have you gotten home? (unread)"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "What are you doing, why aren''t you replying? (unread)"


    He opened the chat history and scrolled up.


    All of them were messages she had sent before, almost every day he would receive a lot of text from her.


    Although she seemed very fierce on the outside, Ayakoji Chiyoko also had the side of a young girl.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Look at this tree, it''s grown so strangely. (photo.jpg)"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Goodnight."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Good morning, wake up!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Found a four-leaf clover in the garden, isn''t that lucky?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "How about going to school together today, I''m here waiting for you. (map location.jpg)"


    Her feelings were very reserved, she would never speak lovey-dovey words, and her face would turn red just by saying she liked something.


    She was also very loyal to her partner, intentionally keeping a distance from other guys since they started dating.


    What a good girl she was.


    Kagura Hikaru opened the message input field: "Tomorrow, I have something to tell you, right at....."


    Halfway through typing, he deleted it, typed again, and deleted it again.


    His eyes stayed on the chat interface until the screen automatically turned off, then he lowered his hand and put the phone down.


    Ding-dong.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Goodnight. (unread)"

 Chapter 238 The Man with Deep Sins

    The next day at Haneoka Private High School.


    A black Audi stopped a hundred meters away from the school gates¡ªany closer and it would get stopped, as parking was not allowed near the school''s main entrance.


    "Are you sure you''ll be okay by yourself, should I walk you there?" Kiryu Masaki turned around, his face etched with worry, as he asked his daughter who was sitting in the passenger seat.


    Kiryu Hina shook her head and smiled at her father, "It''s fine, I''m much better now, I can walk on my own."


    "Is that so... be careful, okay?"


    "I know, and dad, you be careful on the road too."


    Kiryu Masaki raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    Ever since his daughter had started junior high, it had been a long time since he had heard words like these.


    His child had grown up.


    He smiled with a touch of contentment, "Thank you, I will."


    "Alright, I''m off."


    Kiryu Hina opened the car door, waved through the window, and then started limping towards the school gate.


    Her ankle sprain wasn''t severe, and after a night''s rest, she could already walk, but a normal gait was out of the question.


    As she walked, some people recognized her.


    Many students who realized who she was wanted to approach and ask, but they hesitated and stopped in their tracks.


    Kiryu Hina had changed and was no longer the gentle and polite Student Council President of the past. Countless people had been turned away by her so far, leading many to stop supporting her.


    Having shed that divine glow that seemed to tolerate everything, Kiryu Hina now appeared to be just a slightly more attractive but hard-to-approach acerbic student, quickly overshadowed by the charms of Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo.


    The students who passed her ultimately chose to keep their distance, pretending not to see her as they hurried by.


    Only a third-year girl didn''t hesitate and jogged over upon seeing her.


    "President Kiriyu!"


    Kiryu Hina turned around to see a petite girl with glasses.


    It was Hosaka Yui.


    "Classmate Hosaka, it''s been a while."


    "President, what happened to you? Did Ayakoji Chiyoko sabotage you?!"


    Hosaka Yui frantically circled around her like a bomb-sniffing dog that had discovered explosives but didn''t know how to defuse them.


    "I''m not the President anymore, Classmate Hosaka. If you keep calling me that, I''ll be a laughing-stock along with you," Kiryu Hina sighed, "I simply had a fall yesterday, it''s nothing serious."


    "So you sprained your ankle?" Hosaka Yui volunteered with false bravado, bending her thin arms to show off her strength, "Then let me carry you to school, President! Come on, please hold onto my neck¡ª"


    "Shut up, do you want to get me on the news tomorrow, you idiot," Kiryu Hina rebuked mercilessly, "Just go away, or be quiet!"


    "Oh..."


    Hosaka Yui''s face fell.


    If she had been sporting animal ears rather than glasses, they would have surely drooped down by now.


    Kiryu Hina observed her, then looked away and asked, "I already made it clear to you before, Hosaka, to stop following me, didn''t I? Why did you still talk to me? You could''ve done like the others, pretended not to see anything and left."


    "The President is my benefactor. How could I ignore my benefactor''s difficulties!"


    "I told you to stop calling me President."


    "Then... older sister?"


    "Aren''t you a year older than me!" Kiryu Hina retorted irritably, "Just call me Classmate Kiriyu normally."


    The two passed through the school gates.


    Just like last year, there were Discipline Committee members lined up at the entrance, checking the discipline.


    They obviously still remembered Kiryu Hina.


    However, unlike the past when each time she passed they would glare, now the Discipline Committee members only gave her looks of cold indifference reserved for the defeated.


    Hosaka Yui bared her teeth in a grimace, glaring back at them one by one, like a loyal but dimwitted guard dog by the side of a mob boss.


    It was too embarrassing; Kiryu Hina couldn''t help but cover her face.


    Compared to the gaze of the Discipline Committee member, Hosaka Yui''s seemed more like a punishment she had left for herself from the past.


    Was it because she had been too cold to her lately? This time, when they met again, Yui seemed eager to flaunt her loyalty in front of her, to the point of going overboard.


    Kiryu Hina fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Hosaka, what have you been up to lately? Have you returned to the Kendo Club?"


    "No, there''s no place for me there anymore," Hosaka Yui shook her head.


    Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Don''t you want to find a new club?"


    "I have no intention of doing so, unless my older sister commands it!"


    "... I think you''d better focus on your studies and aim for the University of Tsukuba," Kiryu Hina said with a hint of disdain.


    Hosaka Yui perked up, "Yes! Since it''s an order from older sister, I will definitely get in!"


    "Don''t make me sound like someone into SM," she said.


    Hosaka Yui knew she was being cutesy, and scratching her fluffy hair embarrassingly, she sneaked a few glances at Kiryu Hina and cautiously said, "Older sister, can I still come to see you after this, just like before... Of course, I won''t cause any trouble for older sister!"


    Kiryu Hina glanced at her sideways.


    Hosaka Yui''s condition, after a period of not seeing her, couldn''t be said to be good.


    Although she appeared spirited in front of her, the dark circles under her eyes were heavy, and her fidgety behavior was remarkably like that of someone with anxiety.


    Her own changes had such a heavy impact on another person.


    She had always disdained the circle of acquaintances she built with fake kindness and warmth, thinking they were just tricked by her deceptions, and as soon as she reverted to her true nature, they would leave her.


    And indeed, as she thought, hardly anyone came to see her now, no one regarded her as a friend anymore, as they''d all gone over to Kohinata Motoyo''s side.


    Except for Hosaka Yui.


    Her spirit still remained in those past times.


    Such loyalty, wasted on someone as excessive as herself.


    Feeling a pang of compassion, Kiryu Hina let out a small sigh and hesitated before saying, ".... If I have time..."


    "Really?!" Hosaka Yui visibly brightened up, "Then, can I come to see older sister during lunchtime, so we can eat together?"


    "I can''t do lunchtime," Kiryu Hina shook her head, "I already have plans then."


    After parting ways with Hosaka Yui in the classroom corridor, Kiryu Hina headed towards the classroom of second year Class A.


    Upon entering, she immediately ran into Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was standing by the door talking to others, seemingly discussing Student Council affairs.


    The Student Council President was sure handling it with ease, this person was.


    Compared to how she used to manipulate schemes, Ayakoji Chiyoko was more serious by nature, and should manage the Student Council even better. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko noticed her, and their eyes met, each holding a different emotion, for two seconds.


    Kiryu Hina nodded at her expressionlessly and walked to her seat.


    Kagura Hikaru was already at his desk, looking down at a novel.


    Dressed in a white school uniform, sitting in front of the window, his handsome face seemed to be coated with a layer of light.


    The gaze of the girls in the classroom was occasionally drawn to him.


    While the desire to appreciate beauty was the same for everyone, if possible, Kiryu Hina still wished they''d restrain themselves a bit.


    Such a man, deep with sin, she thought to herself with a wry smile.


    "Good morning, Mister Hikaru," Kiryu Hina greeted.


    His response was silence.


    Kagura Hikaru calmly turned a page in his book, as if her words were just a breeze that had blown past his ear.


    Kiryu Hina pressed her lips together and sat down, placing her handbag aside.


    The tears that were to be shed had long dried up, and she certainly wouldn''t be discouraged by his neglect now, of all times.


    Kiryu Hina looked up as Ayakoji Chiyoko approached, her gaze deepening.


    I won''t give you the chance to act first, Mister Hikaru.


    If there has to be someone to take the wrong step, it will definitely be me.

 Chapter 239 The Dangerous Thing in My Heart

    "Everyone, quiet down and listen to me!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko walked up to the podium, clapped her hands, and drew everyone''s attention in the classroom.


    As the noise in the classroom subsided somewhat, Ayakoji Chiyoko placed her hands on the podium and loudly said, "Everyone, do you still remember the promise I made before I took office as the Student Council President? I promised to change some of the unreasonable school rules to increase the freedom of the students."


    The students immediately started buzzing with discussion. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    When talking about the promises Ayakoji Chiyoko made before her tenure, the most famous one was undeniably the abolition of the school rule that prohibited dating.


    Just because of this, the number of people who supported her and voted for her was countless.


    Including the freshmen, most of them first learned about Ayakoji Chiyoko because of this issue.


    For the election at that time, it was a highly rewarding move, instantly boosting Ayakoji Chiyoko''s popularity and prestige.


    But actually, after Ayakoji Chiyoko became the Student Council President, this issue was rarely brought up.


    Perhaps some people still remembered; they were those who eagerly hoped that this vision would become a reality, namely the hidden couples within Uka high school, who longed to no longer have to hide their relationships and could openly be with the people they loved.


    However, they did not have enough influence to help Ayakoji Chiyoko, and could only bitterly wait and pray that she would fulfill her promise and not turn out to be like those politicians who all talk before getting on stage and then completely renege on their words once in power.


    When they heard Ayakoji Chiyoko step up to the podium and say this, those who were quick on the uptake immediately realized what she was about to announce, and their faces lit up with surprise.


    "Yes, the rule at Uka High School that prohibits dating is going to be abolished. This proposal has already been approved by the school," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, "This news will be officially announced during the noon broadcast."


    "Ohhhhhhh!!!"


    The students of Class 2A immediately erupted into cheers, and the noise was so loud that even the adjacent classes could hear it.


    The world has long suffered from these school rules, and their wish had finally come true!


    Amongst the cheers, Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped down from the podium, engaging in vibrant conversations with the excited students who surrounded and spoke with her for a long time before she finally returned to sit next to Kagura Hikaru.


    Seeing the excited reactions of the students around her, Ayakoji Chiyoko also felt very gratified.


    But they probably did not know that behind the change of the school rules hid Ayakoji Chiyoko''s own little secret motive.


    Assuring that no one was looking at her, she quietly moved her lips closer to Kagura Hikaru''s ear and softly said, "This way, we can openly be in a relationship now, isn''t that great?"


    "..."


    "I know, you are worried about Kohinata Motoyo, aren''t you? It seems like she still hasn''t told anyone that you two have already broken up," Ayakoji Chiyoko patted his shoulder to comfort him, "Don''t worry, I will also help explain it to everyone."


    Kagura Hikaru clenched the novel in his hands a bit tighter, remained silent for a while, and then slowly asked, "Do you have time during lunch break today... I have something I need to talk to you about."


    "Lunch break?" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s response was slightly troubled, "Is it something urgent?"


    "It is indeed urgent... but if you have other plans, another time would also be fine."


    "Then let''s do it after school, lunch break is a bit inconvenient."


    "...?"


    During the lunch break, the Student Council didn''t have any special work to do, so it must be Ayakoji Chiyoko''s private matter.


    Kagura Hikaru felt a bit puzzled, but at the same time, he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    His heart felt a twinge of shame for feeling secretly pleased about escaping a moment of judgement due to his ugly mentality.


    Complex emotions swirled within his heart.


    He could no longer escape, dragging it on was harming everyone.


    Once Ayakoji Chiyoko''s business was taken care of, it would be best to clearly resolve everything and then part ways.


    By this point, he no longer expected any gentle ending.


    After being tricked by Kohinata Motoyo once, he realized that the more he delayed, the greater the uncertainties became, and he couldn''t keep hesitating¡ªthere was no telling what Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina might do next.


    All the initial goals had been achieved, and it was better to end the ambiguous relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko sooner rather than later.


    No matter what he would face in the future, he was willing to accept it, as it was his due.


    The teacher pushed the door open and entered the classroom to start the lesson.


    Soon, it was noon and lunch break.


    "I''ll go ahead then, you just eat first, don''t wait for me," Ayakoji Chiyoko said this, greeted Kagura Hikaru, and left the classroom.


    After she left, Kagura Hikaru also got up and walked out of the classroom, planning to go to the snack bar to buy something to eat.


    He had forgotten to bring his lunch from home that morning. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the first time such a thing had happened to him; he was not usually so scatterbrained.


    He did not notice that after he left, Kiryu Hina had also packed up her shoulder bag and stood up, glanced at the back of Kagura Hikaru from the doorway, then turned and went in the same direction as Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kiryu Hina walked down the stairs from the teaching building to the courtyard below, following the direction from her memory, and arrived under a maple tree.


    She remembered that this was Kagura Hikaru''s favorite resting spot, with beautiful scenery and quiet, undisturbed by others.


    So, she naturally set the meeting place there.


    On the bench under the maple tree, Ayakoji Chiyoko was already waiting early, legs crossed, leaning back in the chair, looking in another direction.


    Upon hearing footsteps, she turned her head and frowned unhappily at the sight of Kiryu Hina.


    In the past, she and Kagura Hikaru had been played for fools, and those memories were still vivid in her mind. Only recently had they turned things around, gaining the upper hand in both career and love, and thus gained confidence.


    They were enemies, in every sense of the word.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko believed that the other party thought the same.


    They were like fire and water.


    If so, why had she called herself to such a place? What more was there to discuss at this point?


    "Speak, what do you want to do?" Ayakoji Chiyoko looked coldly at Kiryu Hina as she sat down beside her, "If you''re here to talk about Kagura, I advise you to give up the idea. No matter what tricks you play, we will not let you have your way."


    "I did call you here today regarding Kagura Hikaru, but there''s more," Kiryu Hina said, lifting her head, "I want to tell you some truths."


    "I''m all ears."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned slightly, resting her elbow on the back of the chair, her expression composed, alert inside.


    She felt that Kiryu Hina was playing tricks again, trying to lure her into a trap.


    Ordinarily, Ayakoji Chiyoko should have gotten up and walked away without hesitation, but the shrewd mention of Kagura Hikaru made it impossible for her to leave.


    Kiryu Hina fiddled with the strap of her shoulder bag, unzipped the bag, and took out an appraisal report.

 Chapter 240 Go Ask Your Lower Half!!!

    Before today, Kiryu Hina faced two important decisions.


    Publicly acknowledge her biological father and their relationship, or keep it secret and continue her current life.


    If she chose the latter, she was confident she wouldn''t be exposed for a lifetime.


    However, choosing the former meant facing a future full of unknowns.


    Would she receive recognition from Ryoma Ayakoji? What would the other members of the Ayakoji family think, or would it instead attract hostility?


    In reality, Kiryu Hina was rather indifferent to these issues.


    She wasn''t after anything from the Ayakoji family; more than anything, she wanted Ryoma Ayakoji to realize that he had a daughter other than Chiyoko.


    Kiryu Hina wanted to know what Ryoma Ayakoji, once he learned the truth, would say to her.


    Based on his reaction, she would decide how to approach the Ayakoji family.


    What concerned Kiryu Hina more was her father and adoptive father, Kiryu Masaki¡ªhow would he feel about her taking action on her own?


    If things went poorly, she risked not only failing to reconnect with her biological father but also losing her current family.


    But last night, something Hikaru Kagura said had awakened her.


    Her worries were laughable.


    She wouldn''t lose anything, really.


    Because her father loved her as his own daughter, he was surely prepared for her to find out the truth; Kiryu Hina felt she could trust her father''s rationality not to cast her out of the house.


    Whether their relationship would worsen would depend on her subsequent actions.


    This could harm her father, Kiryu Hina knew this.


    His deliberate concealment of the truth had already shown his stance.


    But because they were family, such actions were permissible.


    The kind of person who embraces both right and wrong would always stand by her side to face everything together¡ªthat is family.


    Regardless of whether there was a blood relation, Kiryu Masaki was her father, her family.


    Her father would forgive her mistakes.


    Similarly, she would forgive her father''s mistakes.


    Tonight, she would be honest with her father and together they would decide what to do next.


    But before that, she needed to talk to Ayakoji Chiyoko first.


    The issues between them were no less complex than their parents'' grudges.


    "What is this?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko eyed the papers Kiryu Hina handed over and asked.


    Kiryu Hina looked straight at her, "This is a paternity test report, also known as a blood relation test."


    "Whose blood relation with whom?"


    "...You''ll see once you look at it."


    For no reason, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly felt nervous.


    She snatched the report and started flipping through it.


    The label of the testing agency at the top was one she recognized¡ªone of Tokyo''s big hospitals, which she passed every day after school.


    ''Medical reports'' always carried a cold air.


    Because they are the products of science, utterly rational, and emanating from hospitals, they often evoke associations with disease, causing unease.


    Perhaps it was inherent to the report, but Ayakoji Chiyoko could smell the scent of disinfectant as she read seriously.


    It was full of data and terms she didn''t understand, as incomprehensible as philosophy.


    But she recognized the names at least.


    On the last page of the report were the names ''Ayakoji Chiyoko'' and ''Kiryu Hina.''


    Behind them was written a match percentage of 50%.


    Match percentage? What match percentage.


    She looked directly at the final conclusion.


    ["Ayakoji Chiyoko" and "Kiryu Hina" are related by blood: Yes.]


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stared blankly at the last line, then slowly raised her head to look at Kiryu Hina, "Are you saying we''re relatives? What are you playing at, trying to fool me with this fake report?"


    "It''s not just relatives... I hope you can calm down and listen to me." Kiryu Hina took out a photo of Ryoma Ayakoji and her parents, which she had brought from her home, and handed it to Ayakoji Chiyoko: "The three people in this photo, you must recognize one of them."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko glanced briefly at it and immediately recognized the man standing in the middle.


    That foolish look was undoubtedly her father''s.


    "The other two are my parents," Kiryu Hina said. "Have you ever heard your father mention that he and my parents were college classmates and close friends?"


    "No, but what does that matter? Those are his personal relationships; there''s absolutely no need to tell me about them."


    "What if he couldn''t tell you?"


    "... What are you trying to say?"


    Kiryu Hina sighed, raised her finger slightly towards the report in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hand, "You''ve seen the test result. Do you think if your father was just ordinary friends with our family, we would have a blood relation?"


    "..."


    "I''ll just say it then, my mother had a romantic relationship with Ryoma Ayakoji." Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clenched the photo and report in her hand tightly.


    She had noticed the discrepancies earlier but had not spoken up.


    The woman in the photo was clearly very intimate with her father, yet Kiryu Hina claimed it was her mother, which seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at it.


    A simple yet infuriating conclusion slowly emerged in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s mind, causing her heartbeat to quicken and her chest to slightly heave.


    "Are you implying that my father had an affair with your mother?"


    "It could be explained that way, but I lean more towards Ryoma Ayakoji abandoning her, then she decided to marry my father, Kiryu Masaki. The proof is, my mother was pregnant before the wedding; she married after being three months pregnant and gave birth to me seven months after the wedding."


    Kiryu Hina stared straight at Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Do you understand, Ayakoji, your father got my mother pregnant, then left her and chose to marry your mother¡ªdo you get what I mean?"


    "..."


    How could she not understand?


    At this point, Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t a fool; of course, she understood.


    As far as she knew, the Kiryu family didn''t have a second child; Kiryu Hina was an only child, just like her, with no other siblings.


    The only one born from her mother''s womb was Kiryu Hina.


    If this report was true, if this photo was real, if what she said was true...


    That meant, in the simplest terms¡ª the two of them were actually connected by the same bloodline, half-sisters sharing the same father.


    ...Her? And Kiryu Hina?


    The very idea that it was them, two people who could not stand each other, was absurd.


    The absurdity of the situation couldn''t help but make Ayakoji Chiyoko laugh out loud.


    "You actually secretly gathered so much evidence; when did you start suspecting?"


    "Probably during the second semester last year."


    "That''s rather early," Ayakoji Chiyoko said as she picked up the report, looking at her with a grave expression: "You should know that I can verify this matter right away, it''s just a phone call away." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can assure you this is true," Kiryu Hina nodded, "If you don''t believe me, you can wait another two days. The DNA comparison between me and Ryoma Ayakoji is already underway. By then, whether he and I are biologically related will also be confirmed."


    "You actually managed to get his DNA sample, impressive," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, almost laughing out of rage.


    But this rage wasn''t entirely directed at Kiryu Hina.


    "Wait here."


    Leaving those words behind, she got up and walked over to a nearby spot, picking up her phone to dial her father''s number.


    The dial tone went on for about five or six seconds before it connected.


    "Yi Yi? Chiyoko? What''s up? I''m just about to start filming; if there''s something, make it quick."


    Hearing her father''s usual unserious and lazy voice, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face was about to turn into a furious demon.


    "What''s the matter?... Go ask your lower half!!"

 Chapter 241 Women Compete

    "That guy said, ''She wants you to come home this weekend for a face-to-face talk.''"


    After hanging up the phone, Ayakoji Chiyoko returned and spoke to Kiryu Hina, her face bearing expressions she had never shown before: disdain, loss, and confusion, all mixed in an awkward manner.


    Apparently, she had gotten confirmation and answers from the conversation with her father.


    Ryoma Ayakoji was evidently aware of what she had done.


    "It seems you really are my ''older sister,'' so funny." Ayakoji Chiyoko''s right hand, raised in front of her, clenched into a fist, probably imagining putting the ''iron fist of justice'' into practice when she got home.


    It wasn''t long before she noticed the unusual silence from Kiryu Hina, thinking that the other party was also lost for words due to the absurd drama.


    "What kind of person was your mother?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, setting aside her combativeness for once, made an overture to Kiryu Hina.


    Even if she despised her, Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t deny that her own family owed the other party.


    If Kiryu Hina was willing to accept her real blood relatives, then in the future, they might even share a meal at home.


    Although that scene was hard to imagine.


    Kiryu Hina shook her head and looked away: "My mother died when I was born, I''ve never seen her, only photos and some stories from my father."


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    "Did he ever mention my father?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked.


    "It''s probably best not to let them meet; they''d definitely argue."


    "..."


    Indeed, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt she had also lost her composure, asking such a foolish question.


    Unable to advance the conversation, the two fell silent again.


    Suddenly, Ayakoji Chiyoko thought of something and lifted her head: "Wait, when you called me here, you said you wanted to talk about something related to Kagura Hikaru, but now it''s turned into reconciliation. Was that a lure?"


    "...No," Kiryu Hina fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, "This is the second matter, and it involves not just Kagura Hikaru but you and me as well."


    "?"


    Sensing a shift in the atmosphere, Ayakoji Chiyoko slowly furrowed her brows, "What are you trying to say?"


    "Do you remember the day you confessed to Kagura Hikaru?"


    "How do you know about that?" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes narrowed.


    She had never told anyone; it was her who confessed her feelings.


    "I was nearby and heard it, you just didn''t notice," Kiryu Hina said, lowering her gaze slightly, "After you confessed, Kagura Hikaru said he''d think about it and then left the old school building for a while, right?"


    "...So what?"


    "At that time, it was me who called him out."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko made a move to stand up, but before her bottom could leave her seat, she sat back down, lowering her raised leg and crossing her arms, asking calmly, "What did you tell him, to not be with me?"


    "Quite the opposite."


    Kiryu Hina turned to face her, meeting her gaze: "I was the one who told him to go out with you."


    As soon as the words fell, her vision suddenly blurred.


    Slap!


    Her face felt like it had been struck by something, burning painfully.


    She turned her head to the side, touched the corner of her mouth with her hand, then looked at it closely. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was bleeding.


    Kiryu Hina turned around and saw Ayakoji Chiyoko standing up, her face flush with rage, her body radiating anger.


    "What do you think you''re doing... First, you use a paternity test to evoke my compassion, then you use this nonsense to shake our relationship? Ridiculous, do you think I''m such an easy woman to deal with?"


    "Whether you admit it or not, what I said was true."


    Kiryu Hina, covering her cheek, kept a calm face, like a French queen ascending the scaffold: "Back then, I made a deal with Kagura Hikaru, no, it was more like unilateral oppression. I told him if he didn''t date Ayakoji Chiyoko, I would expose Kohinata Motoyo''s affair and ruin her reputation..."


    To Ayakoji Chiyoko, this meant only one thing¡ª


    Her relationship with Kagura Hikaru was a sham.


    "Shut your mouth!"


    Her collar was grabbed, and Ayakoji Chiyoko, clutching her clothes, lifted her up with such force that her feet almost left the ground, her furious face nearly touching hers.


    "I don''t believe anything you say, but if your purpose was to anger me, you''ve succeeded."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko forcefully pushed Kiryu Hina to the ground, stepped over her, not wanting to listen anymore.


    But the latter still didn''t stop talking as she sat up: "At that time, facing a desperate situation in the Student Council election, I came up with this dirty trick, perhaps I wasn''t thinking clearly. I only began to regret it after I accidentally learned the truth about Kagura Hikaru''s past infidelity, but it was already too late!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stopped, breathed heavily, and turned back to look at her: "Even if what you''re saying is true, what of it. We truly love each other, we like each other, and our hearts are in tune; even if the process is wrong, as long as the result is right, that''s all that matters!"


    "But what if the result is also wrong?"


    "..."


    Kiryu Hina, supporting herself with her hands, slowly got up, feeling like her body was falling apart.


    She could already imagine how she was going to be treated if she continued, but she still didn''t plan to back down: "You''re a smart person, Ayakoji Chiyoko, perhaps you''ve already realized, haven''t you? Kagura Hikaru doesn''t like you, he''s just been pandering to you. But for the sake of this relationship, you''ve blinded yourself, convincing yourself it''s an illusion, that there''s true affection between you, and that Kagura Hikaru really likes you¡ª"


    "Shut up!!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned fully around, pushed Kiryu Hina again, pointing at her as she staggered back and yelled, "Don''t put words in my mouth, what do you know about me!? You know nothing!!"


    "Of course I understand, you idiot!" Kiryu Hina raised her head, eyes wide with anger, and shouted back: "I like him too, so of course I understand!!"


    "..."


    "Because of you, Kagura Hikaru is now planning to cut ties with me. I''ve tried many times to mend things, but it''s useless, he''s completely disappointed in me."


    Kiryu Hina, her eyes red, glared at her: "I even secretly envy you, Ayakoji Chiyoko, you two can be together normally, but I even have to resort to hurting myself to get a bit of his attention! Do you understand that feeling!! It''s what I used to think I deserved naturally, but now, now it''s....."


    "Then don''t interfere with us anymore."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped closer, her gaze cold and condescending: "I will continue dating Kagura Hikaru, whether he truly likes me or not, I will continue to love him until he falls for me. And you, just watch from the sidelines, wishing us happiness, that''s your ''just deserts''."


    "...Your resolve is touching, but unfortunately, your wish is unattainable."


    Kiryu Hina''s lips curved in a smile, not knowing whether it was mockery or self-mockery: "Because Kagura Hikaru has already made up his mind to break up with you."

 Chapter 242 Please Dont Hurt Him, I Beg You

    ".....Your awareness is moving, but unfortunately, your wish cannot be fulfilled. Because Kagura Hikaru has already made up his mind to break up with you."


    When Ayakoji Chiyoko heard this, it was as if a funeral bell tolled inside her head, an invisible vibration transmitting from the top to her entire body.


    She felt as if she suddenly lost her strength and took a step backward.


    ".....No, it cannot be, Kagura wouldn''t do such a thing. We have been together for so long, we got along so well, why would it come to this point now...."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes lit up with a flicker of hope, "No, Kiryu Hina, you are still deceiving me, what is your real purpose?!"


    "Think about it calmly, do you really believe that Kagura Hikaru is the kind of person who would be happy dating a woman he dislikes?" Kiryu Hina looked at her self-deceptive ugliness with derision, "He has been enduring it until he achieved his goal, then there was no reason to endure any longer."


    "A goal...?"


    "It''s unrelated to that transaction but dates back even earlier, when you and Kagura Hikaru first established your collaboration."


    Kiryu Hina pointed toward the bench under the maple tree, "It was on this bench that you first formally established your collaboration, targeting me. Back then, you questioned why Kagura Hikaru suddenly changed his attitude, why he agreed to help you¡ªnow I''ll tell you the answer¡ª


    From the beginning, it was I who instructed Kagura Hikaru to act with you, from the beginning, he was my spy!"


    "What are you talking about?!" Ayakoji Chiyoko was utterly shocked.


    "I had him get close to you, win your affection, become your friend, get the chance to come to your house..... I didn''t tell Kagura Hikaru my purpose until the end, only then did he know, my goal was Ryoma Ayakoji''s DNA sample," Kiryu Hina said, "You were surprised how I got your father''s DNA sample, weren''t you? Kagura Hikaru got it, during his visit to your house yesterday."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clenched her fists tightly.


    Her emotions told her it was impossible, Kagura Hikaru''s nature was upright, he wasn''t the kind of person to do such a thing.


    But her reason recalled how Kagura Hikaru suddenly disappeared in the living room yesterday, and then wandered the corridors inside the house until she found him.


    Could it be that, at that time...


    "After you two parted ways, we met once," Kiryu Hina lowered her head slightly, "Kagura Hikaru brought me your father''s hair, and then he completely cut off contact with me. He was very hesitant about how to deal with you, but he will probably decide soon." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


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    "That''s all I wanted to tell you. Now, here is my personal request."


    Kiryu Hina struggled, biting her lip as if enduring something, clenched her fists, and closed her eyes.


    Then, she slowly bent her knees and knelt down.


    "I forced Kagura Hikaru to get close to you, I forced Kagura Hikaru to date you, it was all my fault alone."


    Kiryu Hina bowed her head, her forehead touching the ground, humbly making a dogeza gesture in front of her arch-enemy.


    "Please don''t hurt him, I beg you."


    ............


    Arriving at the snack bar, Kagura Hikaru was utterly stunned.


    It was his first time coming to such a place to buy lunch, and he was obviously late. The line in front was super long, as lively as an offline Double Eleven event, only describable as frantic grabbing.


    "Don''t snatch, don''t snatch! There''s still bread!"


    "Don''t take too much at once, leave some for the other students!"


    "The boy over there, you haven''t paid yet!!"


    The sales ladies at the snack bar, full of energy, shouting as if it was their daily routine.


    Kagura Hikaru honestly lined up at the end of the queue, but by the time it was his turn, not a single piece of bread was left on the stall, not even yogurt, only fruits and two boxes of jelly were left.


    Tough luck.


    Kagura Hikaru could only helplessly buy the last two boxes of jelly.


    As for lunch, the portion was still a bit too small.


    Just as he was walking out thinking he wouldn''t starve from missing one meal, he unexpectedly ran into Ai Cheng Karen in the corridor, whom he hadn''t seen for some time.


    "Ai Cheng."


    "Kagura!" Karen had been with her classmates when she saw Kagura Hikaru. She waved at her companions, holding a plastic bag with something in it, and jogged over.


    "Kagura, did you come here to buy lunch too?"


    "Yeah, I forgot to bring my bento today."


    "Looks like you didn''t manage to buy much good stuff."


    Karen pointed a bit gleefully at the two packs of jelly in Kagura Hikaru''s hand, then smiled and took out a piece of ham bread from her plastic bag to give him, "Here, humanitarian aid."


    "Thanks, you really helped me out," Kagura Hikaru reached out to accept it, "How much? I''ll pay you."


    "No need, no need. I said it''s humanitarian aid."


    "Then I''ll treat you next time."


    "I said it''s not needed, Kagura. You are too polite," Karen scratched her head and said, "Well, as an exchange, how about... shall we eat together today?"


    She leaned in a bit closer, her cheeks slightly red as she whispered, "Go to the rooftop we visited last time, just the two of us. Is that okay?"


    "...Sorry, I''d rather not." Kagura Hikaru shook his head apologetically, "Today I''d like to eat alone."


    "Is that so... Well, okay then. I''ll head back. If you want to hang out after school, just call me. I''ll call Zhen Chun and the others too!"


    "Yeah."


    Karen seemed to sense his poor mood and didn''t cling too much. She waved and went back to her classmates.


    Kagura Hikaru could even faintly hear the senior students teasing her.


    "Hey, is that Karen''s boyfriend? He looks quite decent."


    "No way! He has a girlfriend!"


    "Karen won''t compete for him?"


    "Stop joking, I told you he has someone."


    "Stealing him could also be fun, you know~"


    They disappeared around the corner laughing and joking.


    That kind of relationship seemed nice.


    Kagura Hikaru was slightly envious of Karen.


    In her, he could always discover something he longed for.


    Like pure friendship, ordinary life.


    Perhaps she represented what a real high schooler should be like.


    ...No, to call himself an abnormal high school student might be too self-centered.


    He was just an ordinary person too.


    Only mortals could remain caught in the mires of emotion.


    He left the academic building and bought a bottle of green tea from a school vending machine, then walked towards the courtyard with his bread and jelly.


    The best place to eat was, of course, there.


    His little secret base.


    However, as Kagura Hikaru walked through the courtyard pathway to his destination, he unexpectedly found that someone had already gotten there first.


    He looked at Chiyoko Ayakoji and Hina Kiryu, who was kneeling before her, and frowned.


    "What are you guys... doing?"

 Chapter 243 I Dont Have Romantic Feelings for You

    Memories with Kagura Hikaru flickered before her eyes like a carousel.


    It all started with their collaboration to confront Kiryu Hina, but they quickly found themselves entangled in various troubles, and their relationship began to evolve slowly.


    On the last day of the sports festival, she finally learned the truth, clarified her feelings, and they began to date.


    Though there were unpleasant moments, in the end, they all became part of cherished memories.


    What exactly is love? Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t entirely sure.


    Could her feelings for Kagura Hikaru be called ''love''?


    She didn''t know, wasn''t sure.


    But it was certainly more than just liking him.


    For the first time in her life, there was someone she was willing to be with forever.


    But then Kiryu Hina shattered this beautiful dream and smeared it with mud.


    She told her that everything was fake, that it had been a ruse from the start.


    Whether it was their initial collaboration or their dating.


    For a moment, Ayakoji Chiyoko even began to doubt if Kagura Hikaru was really the person who had saved her when she was young.


    Once the seed of doubt was planted, it was hard to remove.


    Her faith was on the verge of collapse.


    "Please, don''t hurt him. I beg you."


    Saying this, Kiryu Hina knelt before her, her forehead touching the ground.


    This was the first time Ayakoji Chiyoko had ever seen someone perform a dogeza in real life.


    Let alone it being Kiryu Hina.


    She had completely abandoned her pride, all to protect a man who barely had any connection to her anymore.


    This made Ayakoji Chiyoko realize that the devil-like nemesis in her eyes was just an ordinary girl blinded by love.


    But to say she was blinded by love was like the pot calling the kettle black; she was not much different.


    At this moment, even after hearing so much truth, she still wanted to believe in Kagura Hikaru.


    "What are you doing? Trying to beg for my forgiveness?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh and her fists were trembling.


    She looked at Kiryu Hina, who was kneeling before her, furious beyond measure.


    It was despicable, whether it was forcing Kagura Hikaru to deceive her or to garner sympathy in this manner.


    They might indeed be related by blood, but that hardly served as a shield!


    "I''m not seeking your forgiveness, as that would be meaningless. I know that," Kiryu Hina said with her head low, "but I''m requesting you, please don''t involve Kagura Hikaru. He did it because he had no other choice."


    Upon hearing ''no other choice,'' Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed to think of something. Her eyes lit up, she slowly regained her composure, and wore a mocking expression, "Almost fooled by you again, wow, it''s incredible that for the sake of a lie, you stoop so low to dogeza. You''ve once again lowered my estimation of you, Kiryu Hina."


    "...?"


    Kiryu Hina looked up in confusion, "What are you... talking about?"


    "You''re saying that Kagura had no choice but to date me, aren''t you."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked down on her as if she were a clown, "Then explain to me how Kagura, for the sake of a woman who had threatened him just like you, spent so much effort deceiving me? His relationship with Kohinata Suse wasn''t that good, was it?"


    Kiryu Hina''s body trembled, and she fell silent.


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    Seeing her reaction, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt even more smug, believing she had caught a loophole in the other''s logic. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nothing to say now? Where has your proud intellectual prowess gone? Kiryu Hina, you''ve fallen, haven''t you? Even such a simple lie you can''t concoct well."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko squatted down, looked her straight in the eye: "But you really have guts, pulling an all-out gamble, trying to split me and Kagura to get back together with him yourself? I knew you weren''t over him yet."


    "No, you''ve misunderstood,"


    "It''s unfortunate, but Kagura now loves me, not you. No matter how many schemes you devise, the fact will not change!" Ayakoji Chiyoko said sarcastically, "Thank you for your blessings. I will continue to be happily together with Kagura, and you can just stand by and applaud."


    "What on earth are you talking about? Ayakoji Chiyoko, stop deceiving yourself!"


    "Ha, look at your frantic face, it fits so well with the words ''a loser.''"


    "You¡­?!"


    At that moment, footsteps came from behind.


    "What are you doing?"


    Kagura Hikaru, holding a sandwich jelly and a green tea drink, looked at Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, who was kneeling before her, and frowned.


    Why were they together?


    "Ah, you arrived just in time, Kagura."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up happily, went forward to meet him, and said, "This person asked to meet me here during lunch break and spouted a bunch of nonsense, claiming you were coerced into dating me, that our initial cooperation was fake, and even said you were a spy, which is ridiculous, right?"


    She walked over to Kagura Hikaru''s side, naturally took the drink and jelly from his hand, and then grabbed his hand.


    In a very short time, Kagura Hikaru had a rough understanding of what had happened.


    He''s making assumptions again, this guy.


    He glanced at Kiryu Hina still kneeling on the ground, then turned to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She was looking at him with hopeful eyes.


    Kagura Hikaru certainly knew that she was seeking a confirmation.


    Confirmation that he hadn''t deceived her, that their relationship was real and not fake, confirmation that he would continue to like her in the future.


    But one must not take his eyes off the reality.


    Once that happens, the damage isn''t limited to oneself.


    "Ayakoji, listen to me," Kagura Hikaru gently pulled away from Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hand.


    In that moment, she froze, her gaze gradually dimming.


    "It''s true, I did deceive you," she heard Kagura Hikaru say, "I never had romantic feelings for you from the start. I was actually planning to reject your confession."


    "..."


    "The harm I''ve caused you... I can barely make amends... I''m very sorry."


    "..."


    "Let''s break up."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko kept her head low, silent.


    Suddenly, she punched Kagura Hikaru in the stomach forcefully and ran away with tears in her eyes.


    The punch was so hard that Kagura Hikaru fell to the ground and couldn''t get up for a while.


    After all, he hadn''t made any move to block or dodge.


    "Mister Hikaru!"


    Kiryu Hina immediately got up to help Kagura Hikaru.


    But just as she reached out her hand, Kagura Hikaru forcefully pushed it away.


    He covered his abdomen with one hand and leaned on the ground with the other, struggling to stand up and then left without a word.


    Leaving just Kiryu Hina kneeling alone, utterly bewildered.


    From this moment on, the three of them were no longer intertwined.


    On this little pathway, hearts lay shattered everywhere.

 Chapter 244 Going with the Flow is My Life

    Kagura Hikaru was running through complete darkness.


    Behind him were invisible hounds.


    He didn''t know where the hounds were, only hearing their hoofbeats and light panting as they ran, and he could faintly smell a stench.


    They were right behind him.


    If he stopped, he would be preyed upon.


    Fear for his survival kept Kagura Hikaru from stopping.


    He could only keep on running through the endless darkness.


    Though humans had the strongest endurance among all the creatures on Earth, they too had their limits.


    When Kagura Hikaru''s pace slowed, he smelled death.


    He felt the pressure of some large beast closing in from behind before a sharp pain hit his neck.


    The next moment, Kagura Hikaru opened his eyes in bed.


    Warm sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, carrying with it the scent of detergent from the blanket.


    Kagura Hikaru slowly sat up, his hand pressing against his forehead, fingers threading through his hair.


    His forehead and temples were cold with sweat, and a bit of his back was drenched as well.


    It was another nightmare.


    Kagura Hikaru exhaled, his body relaxed, he stood up to pour himself a glass of water, and downed it, feeling his heartbeat return to normal.


    It had been a week since he and Ayakoji Chiyoko broke up, and the frequency of his nightmares had been increasing. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The initial frequent nightmares had started when Suse returned to Tokyo, roughly appearing once every four to five days.


    During his relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko, they happened every three days.


    Now, they were occurring almost every day.


    He had bought some medication on his own, but it seemed ineffective, probably due to the unending high-pressure environment¡ª the medication could only provide temporary relief.


    Kagura Hikaru drew back the curtain.


    The sunlight from outside poured in, warmth enveloping his whole body, almost like a hug, soothing his mind.


    But soon, that warmth slowly turned somber.


    Across from his bedroom window, the neighbor in the next house also had their curtains wide open, combing her long hair by the window; noticing him looking, she opened the window and smiled.


    Kagura Hikaru immediately drew the curtains.


    He glanced at the time and went downstairs to wash up.


    As he sat at the dining table ready to have breakfast, his stepmother came over with a resigned face, holding a red gift box tied with a rose.


    "Mister Hikaru, another one for you. How many has it been now? Can''t you think of something?"


    "...I''ll ask her to be cautious."


    Kagura Hikaru put down his chopsticks, took the gift box, and set it aside.


    At first, he still had the interest to unseal them.


    Inside, sometimes were expensive items like luxury watches and perfumes, and other times, cheaper but equally heavy handmade heart-shaped chocolates.


    But with a frequency of deliveries every morning and evening, he had now become too lazy to even look.


    If all the received gifts were stacked together, they could probably fill a room.


    His father and stepmother didn''t know who was sending these gifts, Kagura Hikaru had only told them about a rich girl who was pursuing him.


    He knew, without a doubt, they were from Kohinata Motoyo.


    Now every day as he went to school, Kagura Hikaru had to add an extra step¡ªpacking the gifts she sent into his backpack to return them to her at school.


    Ever since she returned to the country, she had been using this method to ''show her determination.'' Telling her to stop was futile as it only made her cling more, making conversation out of nothing.


    Sometimes, Kagura Hikaru truly felt Suse was quite clumsy in love; even if pestering a boy, it shouldn''t be done this way.


    "I''m full."


    After finishing his breakfast, Kagura Hikaru went upstairs, grabbed his backpack and guitar case, stuffed the gift box into his backpack, and headed for the train station.


    Entering the train, he successfully found Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    "Ai Cheng."


    "Ah, Kagura." Ai Cheng Hua Lian smiled her usual smile, "You look a bit tired. Did you oversleep?"


    "Something like that."


    Kagura Hikaru took the empty seat next to her and placed the guitar case between them.


    "You''ve been bringing your guitar to school again lately," Ai Cheng Hua Lian noted, "are you planning a comeback?"


    "It''s not a matter of coming back or not, I never quit."


    "Is that so? You haven''t participated in live performances since summer vacation, I thought..."


    "I have started taking commissions again. If your band needs it, you can also hire me."


    "Really? Actually..."


    Just like any other morning, Ai Cheng Hua Lian chatted while smiling, and Kagura Hikaru sat beside her quietly listening, occasionally joining in the conversation.


    If he had to pick the time of day he looked forward to the most, it was this brief moment in the mornings walking to school with Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    In her presence, Kagura Hikaru found solace.


    Unrestrained, with no expectations, equal in conversation, no debts owed by anyone.


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    The fierce summer continued.


    In the slightly shaking train car flooded with sunlight, they complained about the stifling air, conversing and laughing with the girl beside them as if no one else existed.


    This chapter of high school life, Kagura Hikaru would probably never forget for the rest of his life.


    But even in such times, there were jarring notes.


    From a certain point in time, Ai Cheng Hua Lian stopped mentioning Ayakoji Chiyoko, not even her name.


    The reason was obvious.


    In school, rumors that his relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko had fallen apart had begun to spread recently.


    He had not only voluntarily left the Student Council, but he had also switched seats with a female Discipline Committee member sitting in the back, now sitting in the last row near the classroom''s back door.


    He no longer spoke with Ayakoji Chiyoko and would leave separately as soon as school ended.


    This was completely opposite to their usual behavior.


    Because of the atmosphere, no one dared to ask what happened between them, but people in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s circle had started treating Kagura Hikaru as if he were invisible, because that was what Ayakoji Chiyoko was doing herself.


    As his friend, Ai Cheng Hua Lian probably heard some rumors too and had been careful about his feelings, not bringing up the topic.


    Kagura Hikaru also wanted to find an opportunity to explain to her, but the efforts had been fruitless until now.


    It was really hard to say it out loud.


    Maybe letting it continue like this until graduation wouldn''t be so bad, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was a clever girl, and she would understand without needing extra explanation.


    Kagura Hikaru knew this was his procrastination acting up again, yet he couldn''t help but let it be.


    The summer was too hot, making him unwilling to think anymore, just going with the flow seemed to be his life''s ethos.


    When they reached the station, they got off the bus.


    Walking on the road leading to Yuqiu High School, they happened to run into Kohinata Suse again.


    "Good morning to both of you," she said with a smile, waving as if it had been arranged for them to meet.


    But she insisted it was a coincidence.


    Could there really be coincidences that lasted over a week?


    "Morning, good morning, Kohinata student," Ai Cheng Hua Lian awkwardly rubbed the hem of her clothes.


    "Sorry, I hope I''m not disturbing you guys?" Kohinata Suse said with hands holding her satchel behind her back and an apologetic smile.


    If one couldn''t read minds, one would never know if she actually felt embarrassed or had bad intentions.


    However, these coincidences had one advantage, Kagura Hikaru took the opportunity to return the gift every day.


    "Here, take it."


    "Okay."


    As if used to it, Kohinata Suse smiled and put the returned gift box into her bag, not at all embarrassed about receiving the gift back.


    This could be interpreted as having a good attitude, but Kagura Hikaru leaned more towards describing it as ''tenacity''.


    When facing her, Kagura Hikaru often felt a chill.

 Chapter 245 The Human-Faced Dog

    For Kohinata Motoyo, Kagura Hikaru was both admired and feared. She maintained a careful distance, daring not to get too close nor too far, for fear that he might pull some troublesome stunt on her again.


    Originally, he thought that as long as he kept a rejecting attitude, Kohinata Motoyo would gradually reduce her dependence on him and leave on her own.


    She was a girl with dignity, after all, and wouldn''t keep hanging on one man indefinitely.


    But given the current trend, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t shake the feeling that even after they graduated from high school, Kohinata Motoyo would still continue to follow him everywhere.


    He hoped that this premonition would not come true.


    The trio walked into the school.


    After parting ways with Ai Cheng Hua Lian in the corridor, they walked into the doorway of classroom 2-A.


    When Kagura Hikaru entered, there was a moment when the classroom''s noisy chatter dimmed, only to quickly return to its previous level.


    Everyone was stealing glances at him and at Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was talking to others without as much as a sideways glance in his direction.


    Kagura Hikaru was indifferent, placed his bag and guitar down, shot a complicated look their way, then, as usual, picked up a light novel to read.


    The atmosphere in the classroom became somewhat weird.


    As Kiryu Hina stood up and walked towards Kagura Hikaru, the odd atmosphere intensified.


    "Mister Hikaru, may I take a little bit of your time?" Kiryu Hina asked as she came to his desk.


    The response was silence.


    Kagura Hikaru calmly turned the pages.


    "That... um..."


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    "..."


    "Just give her some attention, it looks too pitiful this way," Kohinata Motoyo also came over and said with a smile.


    Kagura Hikaru snapped the novel shut with a thud. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Motoyo, please tell the class president that I won''t be attending the first period."


    He stood up, picked up his shoulder bag and guitar case, and left through the back door.


    "I''ll pass on the message~~" Kohinata Motoyo called out to his retreating figure and then turned to a dejected Kiryu Hina with a helpless look, "You need to change your approach, Hina."


    "...I don''t need you to remind me."


    Kiryu Hina shot her a glare, turned, and walked back to her seat, the silhouette of her back filled with defeat and resentment.


    "Ah, it''s getting complicated," Kohinata Motoyo muttered, glanced down at Kagura Hikaru''s empty seat, then looked towards Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko, touching her face in vexation, uncertain about what to do.


    On the other side, Kagura Hikaru.


    With his bag and guitar, he walked along the corridor in the courtyard.


    He passed by his former secret base from a distance.


    After looking that way for a moment, Kagura Hikaru continued walking forward.


    That place, he did not plan to go there again.


    A secret base that had been touched by too many people could no longer be considered ''secret''.


    When the bell for classes rang, he just happened to step into the doorway of the old school building.


    Since it was class time, the students were all on the teaching building side, and the old schoolhouse, which normally served as a societal gathering place, was now eerily quiet and empty, without a sound.


    Kagura Hikaru made his way up the stairs in the quiet corridor of the old schoolhouse, heading upwards.


    Until he reached the top floor of the old school building and saw a locked door.


    Behind the door was the rooftop of the old schoolhouse, which was rumored to have been appropriated by the Astronomy Club members, something the teachers were still in the dark about.


    He had to thank Ai Cheng Hua Lian for telling him about this place; otherwise, Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t have known where to go.


    But now the door was locked, and without a key, how was he to get in?


    This difficulty was not enough to defeat him.


    Kagura Hikaru dug around in his backpack and took out two paperclips, bent the tips, and started fiddling with the lock.


    The rooftop door lock was not a modern anti-theft lock but rather an old-fashioned type, so it only took Kagura Hikaru three seconds to pry it open.


    He placed the lock and chain on the ground, opened the door, and walked onto the rooftop.


    The vast blue sky he saw from up here was refreshing to the soul.


    He put his guitar case down, climbed up to the top of the staircase, which was the highest point of the old school building''s rooftop, and in that tiny area where he had once had lunch with Ai Cheng Hua Lian, he lay down facing up, using his backpack as a pillow, his hands cushioned beneath his head, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds above.


    Skipping class to sleep on the rooftop was something delinquents would do.


    But now, this was the only sanctuary he had left, as the atmosphere in the classroom was too uncomfortable to even immerse himself in a novel.


    Guilt by own doing... those words couldn''t be more true.


    Kagura Hikaru did not feel he had the right to face Ayakoji Chiyoko, nor could he think of anything that could compensate her.


    She lacked for neither money nor power.


    So Kagura Hikaru naturally chose to distance himself; after all, she definitely did not want to see his face.


    Leaving the Student Council, changing seats, it was all for that reason.


    Beyond that, Kagura Hikaru did not know what else he could do.


    He had burnt all his bridges; it was too late for regrets now¡ªnot that he would have done anything differently if given another chance.


    If he used a false love to deceive Ayakoji Chiyoko, letting her continue to give to him, wouldn''t he just be a leech?


    He closed his eyes, and under the sunlight, Kagura Hikaru grew drowsy and gradually fell asleep.


    The hound in his dream once again lunged at him.


    This time he saw the hound''s face.


    It was a ''human face,'' but not entirely, because that face was made up of many faces joined together.


    Father, mother, stepmother, Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kiryu Hina, Kohinata Motoyo... They were all reduced to lifeless facial skins, pieced together on the hound''s head, displaying a twisted expression.


    In the next moment, as his throat was being torn apart, Kagura Hikaru abruptly opened his eyes.


    In front of him was still the boundless blue sky.


    Surprised for an instant, he then remembered he was on the rooftop.


    Kagura Hikaru sat up, his forehead and back slick with cold sweat.


    He touched his feverish eyes.


    The shadow of the human-headed hound kept reappearing in front of him, haunting his mind.


    Was he to be chased by this hound every time he closed his eyes?


    Kagura Hikaru had the ability to diagnose himself, and he understood that this condition indicated his psychic pressure had built up to a considerable extent; this was not something that could be cured with medication alone.


    To be completely cured, the best way would be to leave the high-pressure environment, in other words, to depart from existing relationships and live alone somewhere else, preferably with a beloved pet, and heal slowly.


    But given the current situation, this was nearly impossible to achieve.


    Not to mention explaining it to his parents, Kagura Hikaru himself was not eager to leave.


    Although he was in a period of confusion and neglect, he had not yet completely given up on Ayakoji Chiyoko, and he had to find a way to explain things to her eventually.


    ...It looks like he needed to find time to see a psychologist.


    The more knowledge he had, the more he understood the fragility of the human psyche, and Kagura Hikaru did not want to become a lunatic with a mental disorder.


    Ring ring ring ring...


    It must be the bell for the second period.


    Kagura Hikaru picked up his backpack and the guitar case he''d left below, and quickly left the rooftop, making sure to lock the door behind him.


    As expected, when he returned to the classroom, the teacher gave him a good scolding.

 Chapter 246 Happiness Sanatorium

    Recently, she was cheated by a scumbag.


    It sounds like a topic a disheartened thirty-year-old single woman would complain about, but this incident clearly happened to a seventeen-year-old high school girl. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the tender age of seventeen, she had already experienced a failed romance.


    This could happen to anyone, but it seemed impossible when it came to herself.


    That''s what Ayakoji Chiyoko used to think.


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    She propped her cheek with her left hand, listening to the math teacher scolding Kagura Hikaru for being late to class, restraining herself from looking at him, yet her body seemed not to obey, having glanced his way several times already.


    Did girls cheated on by sleazy men ever think this way too?


    ¡ªThat damn man is unforgivable!... But what if he had no choice?


    No matter what, it seems high school girls possess an inherent potential to be attracted to bad boys.


    Perhaps it''s because they are still at an age not tainted by materialism, and are less sensitive to spiritual loss.


    They even harbor a vague fantasy that they can change him, can redeem him, make him fall willingly in love with them and stick with them for life.


    That''s a common ailment among women: excess of emotion, idealism, often relying on the frequency of their heartbeat rather than their brain to make decisions, thus allowing society''s scumbags to succeed frequently.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko was different; she belonged to the most rational part of the female population, the gold at the top of the pyramid. She operated her body with a logical mind, moving through each day with robotic discipline, accumulating knowledge and connections. She made no friends, engaged in no romance, everything was to climb higher in society.


    However, even she started to oversleep recently, almost missing breakfast, abandoned morning exercises due to laziness, found herself daydreaming in classes uncontrollably, her notes going awry, and began to develop a peculiar interest in romantic books and dramas.


    All because she broke her vows, her rules.


    She not only made friends but also a boyfriend.


    Indeed, her past beliefs were not wrong; friends eventually become a burden, and boyfriends even more so.


    Although her work efficiency declined and her distraction during study time increased after breaking up with the scumbag, it must be a post-traumatic stress disorder, it will get better after a while¡ªprobably.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t help but feel that she now resembled those addicts who could never disconnect from addictive substances after tasting them just once; just because she encountered a scumbag, her originally orderly and beautiful life became a complete mess.


    Even her values became strangely skewed.


    She used to despise women who forgave scumbags, thinking them utterly irrational, as people who have sinned once have a higher likelihood to commit a second sin, given their record.


    But now, her thoughts had begun to shift slightly.


    Reasonably thinking, the likelihood of someone who has sinned once sinning again is not necessarily higher than that of the average person; the probability of both parties committing a crime should be equivalent.


    On the contrary, it should be the women who have been deceived once that become the outliers.


    Due to their previous failure, they would become more cautious and careful, the probability of being cheated by scumbags would drastically decline.


    Right, so the most suitable candidates in the world to be paired with scumbags should be those who have been cheated on once already; they are the ones who should be together with scumbags, as it''s the optimum allocation of interests.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko herself felt her way of thinking had become somewhat bizarre.


    But somewhere deep inside, she kept recognizing the logic in this line of thought.


    Maybe those future criminals who continually make excuses for the crimes they are about to commit feel the same way.


    One week.


    It has been one week since she parted ways with Kagura Hikaru, and Ayakoji Chiyoko felt she had sufficiently calmed down.


    Even if it were a plan to flatten every country in the world, with so much time passed, a military strategy should have been drafted by now.


    In this matter, there was a big premise.


    The truth was, Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t really care that much about being deceived.


    Perhaps having been accustomed to being fooled by Kiryu Hina, and also having been forearmed with several vaccinations, her emotional response wasn''t as volatile when she confirmed the truth from Kagura Hikaru.


    Maybe she was unexpectedly magnanimous.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was truly angry about only one thing... Kagura Hikaru might not love her at all.


    In other words, all the affection she had given him was just unrequited love.


    Much harder to accept than any deceit or espionage.


    But at the same time, because it was a deception, Ayakoji Chiyoko saw a glimmer of rare hope.


    Perhaps it could also be called self-deception.


    After all, Kagura Hikaru did this only because of Kiryu Hina. If it weren''t for her, Kagura Hikaru would not have turned into a scumbag.


    Right, let''s just blame her. After all, there are plenty of sisters with bad relationships in the world, and this ''older sister'' even shamelessly wanted to steal her man.


    As long as she could blame someone else, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly felt a clearing ahead, like the only path blocked by a landslide had been cleared by a cannonball.


    Compared to other hopeless scumbags, don''t you think Kagura Hikaru still has a chance of redemption?


    It might even be said that he is also one of the victims, just like herself.


    So, victims standing together, doesn''t it seem like a logically coherent act...?


    Thinking this way, courage surged within her.


    A dark light glimmered in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes.


    To all the women fighting on the front lines of the war of love, she too was now stepping on the same path.


    With her first experience under her belt, success this time seemed certain.


    If not, even if it meant using some other methods, she would have to.....


    ..............


    At lunchtime, Kagura Hikaru had left early.


    Lately, he had been leaving early quite often, and although complained about by his homeroom teacher, Kagura Hikaru simply used the excuse of needing to see a scheduled psychologist to smoothly obtain a leave slip.


    But this was indeed true, as Kagura Hikaru had already booked an appointment online with a well-reputed private mental health clinic, a bit pricey, but he valued its no-queue policy.


    After leaving school, Kagura Hikaru first went for lunch, then headed to the clinic.


    The clinic wasn''t large, just two stories high, but it was notably placed in Tokyo.


    Upon entering, the receptionist led him inside, and in an office on the second floor, he met the doctor¡ªa man in his thirties with a gentle face.


    An hour later, Kagura Hikaru left the clinic.


    He was holding a piece of paper with an address on it, his expression somewhat perplexed.


    The doctor was competent, having significantly relaxed him with just talk therapy, but he neither sold medication nor recommended a further treatment course, instead sending him to a community event claiming it could effectively alleviate his psychological stress.


    The address was nearby, and timing was good. Thinking there might be some special treatment process, he felt it worth trying. So he walked into the ''Happiness Sanatorium.''


    Though called a sanatorium, they didn''t offer medical services, resembling more a civil society group where people were dedicated to studying the ways of happiness.


    For instance, always telling the truth to people, always smiling at others, always maintaining kindness.


    Improving life by changing oneself.


    There was even a special room for spewing dark sludge where one could freely smash things, curse at their boss, colleagues, spouse, or even people from the same community.


    Although Kagura Hikaru didn''t go in, it seemed like a great stress reliever.


    The people at the sanatorium were all kind-hearted and enthusiastic, pleasant to talk to. Kagura Hikaru felt a long-missed relaxation there. He left with a smile on his face, holding a big bag of honey health products recommended by the manager.


    It wasn''t until he walked about three hundred meters away that his expression fell and he took out his phone to start making a police report.


    No matter how you look at it, it seemed like a dodgy pyramid scheme!

 Chapter 247 Summoned by the Police

    Kagura Hikaru didn''t dare to take out his phone to call the police until he was over three hundred meters away.


    The reason why he went so far wasn''t because of issues like signal reception, but purely because he sensed danger.


    In fact, right after he left the so-called ''Happiness Sanatorium,'' he abruptly felt many gazes falling upon him.


    The fruit shop owner across the street, the cashier at the small convenience store next door, the old man in the tea shop, the young men and women passing by...


    Their looks weren''t just out of simple curiosity, those gazes had a purpose.


    In that moment, Kagura Hikaru knew he might have gotten involved in some sort of abnormal incident.


    So, after walking a good distance and confirming that no one was watching him anymore, he immediately chose to call the police.


    He originally thought he was just reporting a pyramid scheme outpost, but the response from the police was somewhat unexpected.


    "Uh, the Happiness Sanatorium... is that so?" the female officer on the phone hesitated, "You mean, that group that researches methods of happiness... the association?"


    A cult?


    Kagura Hikaru furrowed his brow: "Is there a problem?"


    "No, not at all. You just said before leaving, you were aggressively given a box of honey health products?"


    "Yes."


    Kagura Hikaru looked down at the yellow cardboard bag in his left hand, which had ''Royal Honey'' in large characters on it, very conspicuous.


    It was forcibly sold to him by the person in charge who sent him off from the Happiness Sanatorium, claiming it was free and a benefit for newcomers to the sanatorium.


    He didn''t even know when he had joined that damned sanatorium.


    Kagura Hikaru was planning to find a trash can at the next intersection and casually discard it; of course, he wouldn''t put something of unknown origin and obviously homemade into his mouth.


    But from the tone of the female officer on the phone, it seemed there was more to it?


    "Sorry, can you wait a moment, please? We''ll call you back shortly," the female officer said.


    After Kagura Hikaru responded, the call was promptly cut off.


    Five or six minutes passed, and suddenly a private number called in.


    Kagura Hikaru tapped to answer: "Hello, may I help you?"


    "Hello, I''m Inspector Yamazaki Kouki from the Organized Crime Countermeasures Division of the police department, and I''m calling you on my personal phone," a young male voice came through.


    "?"


    The Organized Crime Countermeasures Division... the one that combats the underworld?


    "Sorry to bother you, but could we talk a bit about the Happiness Sanatorium you just reported on? Of course, not over the phone."


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    "I know the place, let''s meet at the nearby Kafka Cafe then. Also, please don''t throw away that box of honey for now."


    "Hello¡ª"


    Before Kagura Hikaru could ask for clarification, the call was ended abruptly.


    What''s going on?


    Reluctantly, Kagura Hikaru had no choice but to head to the meeting location.


    Cooperating with police work is a civic duty, he couldn''t just refuse.


    "Welcome to Kafka Cafe~"


    The waitress in a green dress greeted him with a bow inside the cafe.


    Seeing the familiar decor of the cafe, Kagura Hikaru remembered that this was apparently the place where he and Ayakoji Chiyoko had their first meeting.


    ...No, to be precise, that wasn''t a date, it should be called an encounter.


    At that time, after accepting the commission from Kiryu Hina, he had arranged a meeting out of school with Ayakoji Chiyoko to improve their relationship and took her to listen to a live performance. Later, seeking a place to chat, they ended up here at Kafka Cafe.


    Back then, Ayakoji Chiyoko had also wanted him to take charge of the Society Discussion Meeting and launch a targeted public opinion campaign against Kiryu Hina. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but wonder if the modern-day high school squabbles had evolved to the point where students were forming clubs just to hurl insults at each other.


    Although he didn''t look back on those days fondly, thinking about them now, they indeed made for some interesting memories.


    Kagura Hikaru ordered a cup of Blue Mountain Coffee and waited.


    About half an hour later, a young man in a suit, carrying a briefcase like he was selling insurance, walked into the cafe, hurriedly declined the waiter''s service, and pulled out a mobile phone to dial a number.


    The mobile phone on Kagura Hikaru''s table immediately began to ring.


    The man''s gaze quickly settled on him and he walked over.


    "Hello, I''m with the police," the man said in a low voice before sitting down across from Kagura Hikaru without exchanging greetings.


    Plainclothes, huh...


    The fact that an officer not in uniform had come looking for him hinted that the issues with Happiness Sanatorium might be greater than he had anticipated.


    "Inspector Yamazaki, is it?" Kagura Hikaru put down his coffee cup and calmly asked, "May I know what business the police have with me?"


    "I think you might have already guessed, it''s related to the Happiness Sanatorium you''ve just visited."


    Inspector Yamazaki glanced at the yellow bag Kagura Hikaru had placed under the table, "Is that the honey they gave you?"


    "Yes, is there an issue?"


    "There is, but before I go into that, there are some basic facts I need to explain," Inspector Yamazaki asked, "Classmate Kagura, are you aware of the ''Happiness Cult''?"


    "Wait, how do you know my name?" Kagura Hikaru interrupted.


    He remembered that he hadn''t introduced himself yet.


    "I had already reviewed your basic information before coming here, studying at Haneoka Private High School, excelling academically, I even know about the TV shows you have appeared on," Inspector Yamazaki said.


    "Alright... please continue."


    "Have you ever heard of the Happiness Cult?"


    "No."


    "You must pay close attention from now on, It''s a cult, and it''s inseparably linked to the Happiness Sanatorium, or rather, the sanatorium is one of their sub-organizations."


    "..."


    In the Island Nation, cults are not uncommon, though they don''t proclaim themselves as such.


    Some are relatively harmless, merely persuading you to worship Mount Fuji and read the church''s self-published newsletters every day.


    Others aim to destroy the Island Nation.


    It can be said that their range of influence is extremely broad and potentially dangerous.


    Recently, there was even a case where an open-minded Prime Minister was shot in public by a cult victim, which goes to show the prevalence of religious issues here.


    Locals in the Island Nation grow up learning to reject proselytizing, including Kagura Hikaru himself.


    Every time someone came to his door with religious propaganda, he would say he was Chinese and didn''t understand the language, getting by with his fluent speech.


    "This Happiness Cult isn''t involved in any violent activities, it doesn''t deal with drugs, pornography, or organized crime. It simply gathers wealth through its followers and performs multi-level marketing activities. But such strange religions can easily cause problems once their numbers grow, so the police have been keeping a close eye on them," explained Inspector Yamazaki as he waved over a waiter to order a Kopi Luwak and casually paid the bill (covering Kagura Hikaru''s order too), and explained while waiting for the coffee: "The box of honey health products you received is actually a marking the Happiness Cult uses to identify potential recruits they can accept into their fold. The selection criteria are unclear, but the candidates generally have severe psychological issues."


    The detective gave Kagura Hikaru a strange look, probably finding it hard to believe that such a young and normal high school student could have psychological problems.


    To that, Kagura Hikaru could only respond in silence and take a sip of his coffee as if oblivious to everything.


    "The police have also obtained samples, and after testing the honey distributed by the Happiness Sanatorium, we''ve concluded that there''s nothing wrong with its contents, even in terms of hygiene. However, for some reason, people who consume it invariably return to the Happiness Sanatorium to join their community, after which, the Happiness Cult comes to proselytize, and they have an unusually high rate of success.


    Those who return to the Sanatorium all say the same thing ¡ª the honey was so delicious they wanted to have it again."

 Chapter 248 Religious Shrine Maiden? Suddenly Hearing from an Old Acquaintance

    Kagura Hikaru''s hand paused suddenly, feeling a chill.


    Was it just because the honey tasted good that he had returned to that strange place?


    He felt it wasn''t just for that reason.


    But the plainclothes officer had also said, the honey had been tested and confirmed to be safe, certainly not addictive, so what exactly...


    Kagura Hikaru thought it no wonder that they had so insistently pushed the health products on him when he left; he had thought it was part of a pyramid scheme, not realizing there was such a dangerous trap involved.


    In any case, his decision to throw the honey away was the right one.


    Even if the test results showed no problem, there had to be an issue elsewhere. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru almost instinctively realized that this so-called Happiness Cult fundamentally differed from normal cults.


    "Our police have been investigating this religion for several years now, but their information collection capabilities seem very strong, and every officer who has tried to infiltrate has failed,"


    Inspector Yamazaki stated straightforwardly, "Currently, the police department urgently needs a volunteer with a clean background. Classmate Kagura, would you be willing to get involved? As long as you don''t do anything out of line, you will not be in danger. We don''t need you to do anything special, just accurately convey what''s happening inside. You can also withdraw anytime if you want to give up; the Happiness Cult is quite lenient about people coming and going, with no punishment involved."


    Holding his coffee, Kagura Hikaru''s expression was subtle, "Inspector, you sound more like a preacher now than the people at Happiness Sanatorium."


    "...Eh?"


    Inspector Yamazaki scratched his head awkwardly, "Sorry, I was too eager. It''s really hard to find willing volunteers."


    "Can''t you specially recruit from the Tokyo Police Academy?"


    "We tried that, but it didn''t work. We suspect someone inside our department has been bribed, and every plan ends in failure... that''s why we are now resorting to asking for help from the public."


    Inspector Yamazaki sighed, but then quickly composed himself, "Classmate Kagura, as long as you are willing to join and cooperate with us, regardless of whether the plan succeeds or not, when you graduate, our department promises to provide you with an opportunity to enter the police force. If you want to go to Tokyo Police Academy for university, I can also apply for a guaranteed admission spot for you, how does that sound?"


    A guaranteed university spot...it was a very tempting offer for a high school student, and Tokyo Police Academy was highly esteemed; even if he didn''t become a police officer later, this degree could be beneficial in many areas.


    But that was for the average person.


    For Kagura Hikaru, he clearly did not need such favors.


    "Inspector Yamazaki, you said yourself I am an excellent student. If I have a university I want to attend or a job I want to pursue, I will strive for it myself, without resorting to such risky methods."


    Kagura Hikaru declined calmly, not wanting to wade into these troubled waters.


    And more so, was the Happiness Cult really as harmless as Inspector Yamazaki had said?


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t think so.


    At the end of the day, does a truly harmless cult exist?


    The real danger of a cult, after all, is not its armed forces but its ability to ensnare people''s hearts.


    Kagura Hikaru had only visited the sanatorium once and had been followed until he was 300 meters away from their surveillance, that entire street could well be under the Happiness Cult''s control.


    A religion that had developed this far could not be safe.


    Inspector Yamazaki might know but hadn''t told him, or perhaps he didn''t know. Either way, it didn''t matter because Kagura Hikaru had no intention of joining their ''cops and robbers'' battle.


    "Sorry, Inspector, but I will not be part of your plan," Kagura Hikaru stated bluntly. "Such troublesome matters are too much for a high school student."


    "Is that so... You''re right; now that I think about it, it''s really inappropriate to ask a student for help. I should be the one apologizing," Inspector Yamazaki expressed regretfully.


    It seemed that the police station had indeed run out of options, desperate enough to consider using even a cat''s claw, which is why they foolishly thought of having him, a minor, go undercover.


    This isn''t a movie.


    "Well then, I should be going back now. I''ll leave this box of honey here; please have the police handle it."


    Kagura Hikaru finished his cup of coffee and stood up.


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    "Wait, I haven''t finished yet," Inspector Yamazaki hurriedly stopped him, "I have a list here that you absolutely must look at. It contains the names of the Happiness Cult''s missionaries, including some top-tier personnel. Be cautious of these individuals in the near future, avoid any association with them, and if they approach you, just reject them outright. As for the top executives, if you see them, remember to stay away."


    Upon hearing this, Kagura Hikaru could only sit back down and watched as he took out several pages from his briefcase, each page printed with many people''s color photographs and a brief description.


    Kagura Hikaru started with the lowest-ranking personnel, memorizing their faces; these were the missionaries he was most likely to encounter.


    Then, it was the middle and high-level managers. Interestingly, their division of work seemed quite clear?


    Finally, the photo of the Sect Hierarch of the Happiness Cult appeared, a bulky man with gold chains, looking quite tacky. Could such a person really be worshiped?


    There was also the Sect Hierarch''s trusted vice, a pointy-faced, bucktoothed man, one stereotype of a villain following another.


    After finishing the last... wait, there seemed to be one more page.


    Kagura Hikaru thought he had seen everything after the pages with the Sect Hierarch and the Vice Sect Hierarch, but there was still more.


    He pulled out the last page.


    Once he clearly saw the photograph of the person on the page, his eyes slightly widened, completely stunned for a moment.


    "Surprised, aren''t you?" As the server brought Inspector Yamazaki''s coffee, he sipped it and said, "You probably didn''t expect to find such a young girl in a cult."


    "She is..."


    "Serizawa Mai, the Shrine Maiden of the Happiness Cult, the daughter of the previous, or rather, the first Sect Hierarch. Unfortunately, he hanged himself last year at home, his wife abandoned their daughter and fled overseas with the money, her whereabouts unknown, leaving their daughter Serizawa Mai still confined within this bizarre religion."


    Inspector Yamazaki expressed some emotion, "Our people at the station think she''s quite pitiful, such a young child trapped in a cult, never even went to school, and it''s uncertain if she can ever return to a normal life."


    Serizawa Mai, Serizawa Mai?


    No, this is clearly...


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression became extraordinarily solemn.


    He recognized her, of course he couldn''t forget.


    The first time he met her, he thought she was a ghost, a Mountain God, which scared him immensely.


    Only later did he realize that she might be just like him, possessing some special ability.


    It had been almost half a year since that farewell, and he had not expected to see her again here.


    ¡ª Komori Ai!

 Chapter 249 Komori Ai

    It was an obvious candid photo, taken from a skewed angle with blurred quality.


    In the center of the image, a beautiful young girl with a petite figure, dressed in a red kimono, walked into an old-fashioned house expressionlessly, surrounded by smiling men and women of all ages.


    Although only her profile was shown, there was no doubt that it was Komori Ai, whom I had met twice before.


    It was impossible to forget, and impossible to mistake.


    After all, she was the only other being like Kagura Hikaru in this world, and the first person with special abilities that he had encountered besides himself.


    And that aura of independence was not something that could be easily imitated.


    But why would the police think her name was Serizawa Mai?


    No, I almost forgot, ''Komori Ai'' was a borrowed name, a name of a child who got lost and died on the mountain.


    Serizawa Mai might very well be her real name.


    "Where was this photo taken?" Kagura Hikaru turned over the paper printed with Komori Ai''s image and asked Inspector Yamazaki.


    The other members of the Happiness Cult all had a formal ID photo, but only Komori Ai was different, with just a candid shot. This might mean she was a person without an identity from birth, so-called unregistered.


    A girl without an identity, brought up in a cult and revered as a Shrine Maiden, none of it boded well.


    But was she really imprisoned?


    Kagura Hikaru felt that with Komori Ai''s mysterious and elusive hypnotic abilities, there should be no one in this world capable of stopping her.


    But if this was true, didn''t it mean that Komori Ai was now at the mercy of the Happiness Cult?


    "Ah, are you curious about Serizawa Mai?" Inspector Yamazaki said, "That photo was taken by me a while back at the home base of the Happiness Cult. As I''ve mentioned before, the Happiness Cult treats her as a Shrine Maiden, an Arahitogami, almost like a princess on her travels."


    "A while back... so, she''s still at the base of the Happiness Cult now?"


    "I can''t be sure of that."


    Inspector Yamazaki''s tone became cautious, his gaze assessing Kagura Hikaru. It seemed he realized the questions were numerous and too probing.


    [Why did his attitude suddenly change after seeing Serizawa Mai, could it be that he''s with the Happiness Cult? No, that can''t be, or he wouldn''t have obtained the honey.]


    [Or could it be, he''s a lolicon?]


    [You''ve gained through Soul Gaze: Handgun Shooting +2]


    [Handgun Shooting lv4 (67/100)]


    Not a bit of what I wanted to see.


    Kagura Hikaru remained silent.


    He realized that if he wanted help from the police, he would have to give something in return.


    Kagura Hikaru planned to meet with Komori Ai in person, to ask her directly what was going on and why she was involved with a cult, whether it was of her own volition or by coercion.


    Considering the worst-case scenario, Kagura Hikaru thought that he couldn''t just sit back and do nothing.


    With that thought, some ideas began to clear up.


    If he was to infiltrate a place infested with the madness of the Happiness Cult, it would be best to have external support and a proper justification.


    The best outcome would, of course, be to join an undercover plan and have the police as backup.


    He raised his hand to call the waitress, asked her to clear away the empty cups, and ordered another coffee. Then he sat down and said to Inspector Yamazaki, "I''ve changed my mind about that undercover operation you mentioned. I''m in."


    Inspector Yamazaki regarded him with a thoughtful look, his finger tapping the coffee cup pensively: "Your attitude has changed quite quickly. Is this related to Serizawa Mai?"


    Was I too obvious?


    Well, let''s give the police something interesting to ponder.


    "Actually, I''ve seen her before," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "What, are you serious?!"


    Inspector Yamazaki immediately got excited, hastily pulled out his notebook and ballpoint pen to take notes, and stared at Kagura Hikaru anxiously as if afraid he might run away, as though he were looking at a criminal witness, "Please tell me in detail about the situation at that time!"


    After pondering for a moment, Kagura Hikaru said, "It was about half a year ago, during the school trip to Sendai, that I saw her once."


    "In Sendai... Were there any other people with her at the time?"


    "No, she was alone."


    "Impossible, Serizawa Mai is a shrine maiden of the Happiness Cult, not to mention whether she''s allowed to leave her station, but it''s unthinkable that she''d be without attendants if she did leave." Inspector Yamazaki scratched his chin in thought, "Could it be that she snuck out? And all the way to Sendai by herself...? Anything else, did she say anything to you?"


    "Not really, just an ordinary encounter."


    "The place, where exactly was it?"


    "Tanigawa Peak Mountain."


    Inspector Yamazaki meticulously noted down everything Kagura Hikaru said, then paused and asked, "Classmate Kagura, you wouldn''t still be hiding something, would you? For someone you''ve only met once, you wouldn''t normally agree to go undercover just for her."


    Kagura Hikaru was prepared for the plainclothes officer''s suspicion.


    He pulled out the most universally compelling reason in the modern world¡ª


    "It was love at first sight."


    "...Ah?"


    "I fell in love with her at first sight, was head over heels for her, dreaming of seeing her once more. It''s as simple as that."


    "..."


    Yes, in the modern world, what is universally compelling is love! Love is invincible, love can solve all problems!


    Inspector Yamazaki had a hard-to-read expression, "Classmate Kagura, with you saying that, I''m even more worried that you might do something inappropriate if you successfully infiltrate the Happiness Cult..."


    "Don''t worry, I am a reasonable person," Kagura Hikaru confidently said.


    "Those words you just said don''t sound like they could come from someone reasonable at all!" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inspector Yamazaki let out a big sigh, "Are all high school students nowadays like this? I, as an uncle, am starting to feel out of touch with the times."


    "So, Inspector, what''s your answer," Kagura Hikaru asked, "Can I take it that I''m already part of the plan?"


    "...Classmate Kagura, let me confirm one more time, when I said I wanted you to go undercover, I didn''t mean for you to act like a secret agent in the movies and rummage around looking for the Happiness Cult''s criminal evidence. It''s enough just to stay there. Keep a clear head, don''t get brainwashed by the religion, and report back to me privately what you see. That''s all, do you understand?"


    "I understand."


    Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Really..."


    After being shook by Kagura Hikaru''s incredible assertion, Inspector Yamazaki expressed some disbelief, scratching his head in annoyance, "Eh, although you chose this yourself, I''m still responsible. After all, you''re underage. If it gets out to the media, I would definitely lose my job. Maybe it''s better to forget it and find someone older..."


    "Inspector Yamazaki."


    "What?"


    "If you don''t agree, I will infiltrate by myself. Is that okay with you?"


    "..."


    Just who was it that said they were very reasonable?!


    Inspector Yamazaki''s stomach began to hurt. He filled his coffee with milk and took a bitter sip, "You''ve really got me beat, Classmate Kagura... Fine then, from now on, you''re my personal informant. I''ll support your infiltration into the Happiness Cult."

 Chapter 250 Just Give It a Try and Then Die

    "So, what should I do next?"


    Having confirmed the undercover operation, Kagura Hikaru quickly got into the role.


    Inspector Yamazaki tapped his fingers on the table, thought for two seconds, and said, "Take that box of honey home and wait a few days. Then go to the Happiness Sanatorium again and claim you ate the honey and want another jar, and then someone will naturally contact you. Also, make sure to note down the cell number I gave you and notify me immediately if anything happens, understand?" Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    "I understand."


    Kagura Hikaru took out the box of honey from under the table, planning to leave, but suddenly paused and said, "Inspector Yamazaki, you said that everyone who returned to the Happiness Sanatorium and was pulled into the cult had eaten this honey, right?"


    "Not everyone exactly, but at least most of them did."


    Inspector Yamazaki watched as Kagura Hikaru took a jar of honey out of the bag, twisted open the lid, and sniffed it.


    "Then tell me, can they distinguish between people who have eaten the honey and those who have not?"


    "That... should be impossible."


    "But this jar of honey really has something peculiar about it, doesn''t it? Although it''s not addictive, everyone who has eaten it says it''s delicious and they all revisited the Happiness Sanatorium without fail."


    "That is true, but... hey, what are you trying to do?!"


    "Whether it''s like the rumors say, let''s find out."


    Before Inspector Yamazaki could stop him, Kagura Hikaru scooped up a spoonful of honey and put it in his mouth.


    Quite sweet.


    That was the first thought that came to mind.


    But it seemed to have a slight taste of rust, maybe from the spoon?


    After waiting a few seconds, he felt no urge to take another spoonful.


    Which means, even if there was some addictive substance, it didn''t have an immediate effect.


    "Hey!!" Inspector Yamazaki stood up, pressing on his shoulders, looking anxious, "Did you swallow that honey? Spit it out now!"


    "It''s too late, I''ve already swallowed it," Kagura Hikaru calmly put down the spoon.


    Inspector Yamazaki looked like he messed up, covering his head with his hands as he sat back down, "Why did you decide on your own! What am I supposed to tell your family if something happens!"


    "Since I acted on my own, of course, I will bear the consequences alone."


    "Easy for you to say, you''re just a high school student!" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The components of the honey were verified to be safe, you said that yourself, Inspector Yamazaki," Kagura Hikaru tilted his head, "Don''t you trust your police laboratory?"


    "That''s a completely different matter!" Inspector Yamazaki frantically scratched his head, his hair all messed up, "The bottle we tested isn''t the same one you have in your hand, it might be completely different! And even the one we tested, wasn''t completely problem-free..."


    "Hmm?"


    Kagura Hikaru furrowed his brow, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Actually, there''s something I didn''t tell you before. It wasn''t just the honey''s components we detected." Inspector Yamazaki weakly placed his hands on the table, "We also found human blood..."


    ............


    "I''m back."


    "Welcome home... Oh, Hikaru, did you buy honey?"


    "Just bagged it, there are some old books inside."


    "I see."


    After ending the conversation with his stepmother at the entrance, Kagura Hikaru carrying the ''Royal Honey'' entered his room.


    He turned on the light, placed the honey in the center of the room, and sat down on the floor, silently pondering it.


    After confirming the undercover operation, Kagura Hikaru had left the caf¨¦ ahead of everyone else.


    He then performed a live show at a live house, went home after his part-time job, and until now, he had not felt any involuntary desire to eat the honey again or visit the Happiness Sanatorium.


    In other words, the notion that this box of honey is non-addictive is highly likely true; it''s just regular honey after all.


    The only peculiar thing about it is...


    Kagura Hikaru recalled the conversation he had with Inspector Yamazaki in a cafe not long ago.


    "Human blood?"


    "Exactly," Inspector Yamazaki said worriedly. "The lab people told me that it''s mixed with about two milliliters of human blood."


    "Whose blood is it?"


    "Don''t know, we''ve conducted DNA identification, but it only revealed that it belongs to a female. There''s no matching information in our DNA database; perhaps she''s a foreigner."


    "..."


    Mixing human blood into honey seemed like an abnormal, sinister act, but under the context of the Happiness Cult, it surprisingly made sense¡ªafter all, they were already crazed.


    But unlike Inspector Yamazaki, Kagura Hikaru didn''t believe the blood came from some foreign woman.


    Related to the Happiness Cult and female, the only person he could think of was.


    Komori Ai.


    But why?


    Why would the Happiness Cult extract her blood to infuse into the honey; what was the significance of this action?


    Yet if one were to say this was purely a superstitious act, this honey had indeed brought back followers to the Happiness Cult.


    That is to say, it was not mysticism but a proven practical method that had been effective.


    Komori Ai, her abilities, her body, what secrets did they hold...


    No, now Kagura Hikaru was more concerned about what the Happiness Cult, likely knowing Komori Ai''s secrets, would do to her.


    Mere usage as a blood bag? It couldn''t be that simple; a cult like this, its ambitions would grow with its resources.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but recall the first time he had met Komori Ai, the mind-reading of her that revealed bizarre, religiously-infused images.


    Could it be that those were her real memories from growing up within the Happiness Cult?


    Those memories filled with blood and corpses...


    That plainclothes detective mentioned there was no danger; they had no idea what truly lay inside the Happiness Cult.


    In that twisted place, Komori Ai could well have been used as a tool, a weapon to achieve adult objectives.


    Until now, it was unimaginable how much the Happiness Cult had utilized her abilities.


    And if Komori Ai cooperated actively, then their actions were virtually invisible.


    But at least, as Komori Ai grew up, she clearly did not want to remain in such a place, and she chose to escape.


    Inspector Yamazaki was right; the Happiness Cult wouldn''t simply let Komori Ai run around outside on her own, she was likely on the run then.


    ...Could it be when she suddenly said goodbye and left, it wasn''t out of boredom, but out of necessity? Was it because she didn''t want to drag him into this?


    But in the end, she still couldn''t escape and was ''welcomed back'' to the headquarters by the people of the Happiness Cult.


    The photograph Inspector Yamazaki had taken recently corroborated this.


    Damn it, why hadn''t he noticed at the time, he was too slow!


    Kagura Hikaru paced back and forth in the room, restless.


    He didn''t know why he was so desperately anxious, thinking about Komori Ai''s current situation nearly made him lose his calm.


    Logically, he and Komori Ai shouldn''t have such deep feelings. Even if they were a rare breed, in reality, they had only met twice; he shouldn''t be this agitated, it didn''t make sense.


    It couldn''t possibly be that he had actually fallen for Komori Ai.


    Once all impossible factors were eliminated, the remaining outcome, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.


    Could it be.....


    Kagura Hikaru looked at the box of honey placed in the center of the room floor.


    The human blood mixed in there, had it established some sort of connection between him and Komori Ai?

 Chapter 251 Ayakoji Chiyokos Pick-up

    This uncontrollable heartbeat, this sudden protectiveness towards Komori Ai, could it be because of the honey he had eaten?


    Could that be possible?


    Just by drinking blood to have such an impact on someone, even vampires don''t display such behavior.


    Could it be that Komori Ai is some Non-Human species?


    Or is it a peculiar aspect of being a Supernatural power user? Would others experience the same effect if they drank his blood?


    Thanks to that box of honey, Kagura Hikaru was so full of brainstorming that he hardly slept all night, and when he finally dozed off just before dawn, he had a strange dream in which he turned into a baby born to Komori Ai, soaked in blood and submerged in water.


    Although it was rare for it not to be a nightmare, and the beast with a human face from last time didn''t appear, it was still quite eerie.


    The downside of not sleeping well at night was becoming apparent.


    Awoken by his alarm clock in the morning and getting ready for the day, Kagura Hikaru barely recognized the haggard person in the mirror as himself.


    In that one week of relentless nightmares, waking up each morning wasn''t due to natural wakefulness but from being startled by dreams, he had practically never relaxed, he was already extremely exhausted, and the lack of sleep from the previous night had caused a sudden outburst of all the accumulated fatigue in his body.


    Swollenness, dark circles, a dark complexion, vacant eyes, slight swaying of his body due to dizziness... If he stood in front of a police station, he might even be dragged in for a drug test.


    Kagura Hikaru washed his face with cold water, slightly refreshed, and left for school after breakfast.


    When he ran into Ai Cheng Hua Lian on the train, she too was startled.


    "Kagura, what''s this, did you stay up all night? You look so pale..."


    "Hmm, pretty much," Kagura Hikaru didn''t want to elaborate, so he brushed it off and changed the subject.


    He naturally didn''t plan to tell anyone about the Happiness Cult.


    Talking about it would only increase the worry of those around him and the risk of exposure.


    However, the more he tried to cover it up, the more Ai Cheng Hua Lian suspected he had something on his mind. Their conversation became stilted, as if by tacit agreement they were avoiding something, making the atmosphere odd.


    After leaving the station, as expected, he "happened to meet" Kohinata Suse.


    She also expressed concern about Kagura Hikaru''s condition.


    When they were almost at the school gate, Ai Cheng Hua Lian said goodbye to them, joining the classmates ahead.


    Perhaps she couldn''t stand the awkward air on our side.


    "That child is really cute, don''t you think, Mister Hikaru?" Kohinata Suse looked at Ai Cheng Hua Lian running off with her classmates and smiled as she turned around to ask.


    Kagura Hikaru, with half-lowered eyelids, said, "She''s a year older than you; you should be calling her ''senpai,'' what child are you referring to?"


    "It''s just a nickname, a term of endearment for Ai Cheng~"


    "That''s cold."


    Listening to Kohinata Suse''s pun, Kagura Hikaru felt the awkwardness.


    Unexpectedly, she climbed right up the pole, leaning in with ill intentions, brushing against him with her shoulder: "Is it very cold? Then please allow this humble girl to warm you with her body heat."


    "Talking nonsense in this hot weather, buzz off."


    Kagura Hikaru pushed her away without mercy.


    "You''re really cold, Mister Hikaru," she said.


    "..."


    Kohinata Suse too began to shed her elegant exterior, knowing how to joke around, and her laughter, filled with a sense of ease, made people very envious.


    Could this be taken as the proof of maturing and becoming an adult?


    Kagura Hikaru thought of this as just a typical morning exchange with Kohinata Suse, as common as a greeting.


    But to others, it seemed hard to describe it as anything other than flirting.


    Especially for Ayakoji Chiyoko, who followed them into the school, watching their departing figures while walking.


    The chill in her eyes seemed capable of freezing an entire universe.


    The unusual killing intent from behind was even felt by Kohinata Suse.


    But before the two of them turned around, Ayakoji Chiyoko had taken the initiative to walk over and grab the back of Kagura Hikaru''s collar. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You two, stop horsing around in the hallway, it''s disruptive to other students," she said, face cold.


    Picked up like a child by her, Kagura Hikaru: "..."


    Looking at him being picked up like a child, Kohinata Suse: "..."


    All told, it had been a whole week since Ayakoji Chiyoko had spoken to Kagura Hikaru.


    She was someone who was straightforward and passionate, and by this point, not just Kagura Hikaru, but even Kohinata Suse felt that there was no way Ayakoji Chiyoko would forgive him.


    Even if they hadn''t become enemies, at the very least, it would end with them never crossing paths again until death.


    Her sudden approach to ''strike up a conversation'' was something nobody anticipated.


    "Ayakoji...?" Kagura Hikaru turned his head in confusion.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t looking at him, instead she said to Kohinata Suse, "Kohinata, I''ll be taking him with me for now, please make your way back to the classroom on your own."


    "Eh?" blinked Kohinata Suse, not quite catching on.


    It seemed that Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t expect any reaction from her, or perhaps she simply didn''t care, as she tossed Kagura Hikaru over her shoulder and headed towards the depths of the courtyard, carrying him like an Amazon warrior returning home with prey caught bare-handed, exuding an indescribable fierceness.


    The students they passed saluted with shocked gazes.


    Who was this woman with freakish strength?


    Kohinata Suse watched their retreating figures and touched her face to calm herself down.


    "...I have a bad feeling about this."


    Meanwhile, Kagura Hikaru, who was being carried away like a dead pig by Ayakoji Chiyoko, quickly realized they were heading towards the secluded secret base deep in the courtyard.


    "Ayakoji, what are you planning to do?"


    "Don''t move, behave yourself," Ayakoji Chiyoko tightened her grip around Kagura Hikaru''s waist.


    Probably realizing he couldn''t escape, he gave up struggling.


    About a minute later.


    "We''re here."


    Upon hearing Ayakoji Chiyoko say this, Kagura Hikaru was then thrown onto a bench, his back painfully knocking against it.


    Upon opening his eyes, he saw the familiar maple tree.


    It was covered in golden maple leaves, stunningly beautiful, even more so than the last time they were here.


    But following that, a large behind descended from the sky, fiercely landing on Kagura Hikaru''s soft abdomen. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    "!?"


    "Oh? Using a human as a seat cushion seems unexpectedly not bad."


    "What are you doing, get off!" Kagura Hikaru said, enduring the pain.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko pressed down her entire weight onto his stomach unceremoniously, as if his organs were about to be squashed flat!


    "Does it feel heavy?" she asked, looking down at him.


    "Of course it''s heavy! ¡ª Argh!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko intentionally shifted her bottom, changing the pressure point and further tormenting Kagura Hikaru.


    "I''ll ask again, is it heavy?"


    "...Did you bring me here just to torture me??"


    "Hmph, still as stubborn as ever," Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up, turned around to face him with one hand on her hip, looking down imperiously at Kagura Hikaru as he clutched his abdomen and grimaced in pain: "It''s just one lie to me, how much longer are you going to sulk about it."

 Chapter 252 Her Request

    "Why have you been avoiding me lately?" Ayakoji Chiyoko said coldly. "It was me who was deceived, yet, as the perpetrator, you act more aggrieved than I do. How is that reasonable?"


    "..."


    "Given your nature, you probably feel that you can''t find anything to compensate me with right now, so you might as well stay out of my sight to keep me from getting annoyed, right?"


    "..."


    "I really underestimated you," Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed. "After all, we pretended to be a couple for so long, yet you can''t even see my true feelings. It seems you really have no interest in me."


    "...Ayakoji," Kagura Hikaru groaned, clutching his stomach, slowly sitting up. "At this point, I don''t have any right to keep up appearances with you. Just say what you want, as long as it''s within my limits, I''ll fulfill your every wish."


    "Really? If anything goes, then start by taking responsibility and get engaged to me."


    "...Sorry, that''s beyond my limits."


    "Then let me become the prime minister of the Island Nation."


    "Are you joking?"


    "This won''t do, that won''t do, what a useless man." Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at him with disdain. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then she bent down, pressing her hands hard on Kagura Hikaru''s shoulders, pushing him against the back of the chair, "So how about this¡ªstop running away, stop playing the invisible man, let''s start over."


    "What do you mean...?"


    Kagura Hikaru''s puzzled eyes met Ayakoji Chiyoko''s, and to his surprise, he could not see any anger in them.


    Unlike what he experienced with Kiryu Hina, he did not feel a surge of revenge emanating from her.


    Instead, there was something deeper.


    Kagura Hikaru did not perceive this as a display of Ayakoji Chiyoko''s magnanimity¡ªas far as he was concerned, this woman had never been magnanimous, not since he had known her.


    The only thing that could make her behave this way was a desire greater than revenge.


    "What exactly...?"


    "Kiryu Hina threatened you in the same way back then, didn''t she? She exploited your guilt and made you willingly become a spy for nearly a year."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko ran her hands up along his neck to Kagura Hikaru''s cheeks, fixed his face, gazing into his eyes: "Didn''t she say something like this?¡ª''This is what you owe me''?"


    "..."


    "It looks like I guessed right," Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled. "Forget it, let''s not talk about that despicable woman anymore, it spoils the mood. Let''s talk about our future instead."


    "Our¡ªhuh?!"


    Before he could finish, Kagura Hikaru''s mouth was sealed by another soft pair of lips.


    What was she thinking?!


    Kagura Hikaru widened his eyes, lifted his right foot, and drove his knee into Ayakoji Chiyoko''s body, pushing her away with all his limbs.


    "What are you doing? We are no longer in a relationship!"


    "Can''t we kiss if we are not a couple? Such men and women are everywhere outside." Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face darkened slightly, then she smiled with difficulty. "Weren''t you considering what to use to compensate me? How about compensating with your body?"


    "...Ayakoji, don''t be like this, this kind of joke isn''t funny."


    "I''m not¡ª"


    "Ayakoji!"


    Kagura Hikaru interrupted her, "Wake up, you''re not the kind of girl who lacks self-respect. Even if it''s not me, you can meet someone better in the future."


    "...So why can''t it be you?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression grew colder: "What exactly is it about me, Kiryu Hina, and Kohinata Motoyo, that you dislike so much?"


    "Love is something no one can make clear." Kagura Hikaru shook his head. "Sorry, Ayakoji, I genuinely can''t see you as a romantic partner, I''m the kind of person who can''t bring you happiness."


    "Even during our intimacies in the past, you never wavered."


    "...Yes."


    "..."


    "Sorry."


    Kagura Hikaru picked up his backpack and stood up, giving Ayakoji Chiyoko a complex look before heading toward the school building.


    "Wait."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s voice came from behind, "You just said you could fulfill a request of mine as long as it doesn''t cross any lines, right?"


    "Yes."


    Kagura Hikaru turned around, then paused slightly.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was crying without expression.


    It seemed to be the first time he had seen her cry, even on the day he revealed the truth, the day he told her face-to-face, "I don''t have romantic feelings for you," Ayakoji Chiyoko had only teared up.


    Seeing her like this, pain started to clutch at a part of Kagura Hikaru''s heart.


    Kagura Hikaru, Kagura Hikaru, look at what you''ve done.


    "Then I''ll say it, my request."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffed, glanced away, and bowed her head slightly as she spoke softly, "Become friends with me... become friends with me, Kagura Hikaru."


    ..........


    "I''m back."


    "Welcome home, you''re early today."


    After school in the afternoon, Kagura Hikaru returned to his room.


    The jar of honey was still intact under his desk, seemingly untouched.


    Just in case, he opened the lid to check if the volume had changed.


    This jar of honey, maybe it was just ordinary honey, for after trying it once other than feeling special emotions when thinking of Komori Ai, he experienced no other symptoms.


    It didn''t suddenly make him want to eat more either.


    This was completely unlike what Inspector Yamazaki had said.


    According to him, everyone who got the honey and ate it consumed it entirely and re-entered the Happiness Sanatorium for another jar.


    Was the police investigation wrong, or was it individual differences?


    For an undercover mission, did he really need to consume the entire jar of honey?


    After careful consideration, Kagura Hikaru decided to try it again.


    He took a soup spoon from the kitchen and scooped another spoonful of honey into his mouth from the jar.


    Having sat for just a day, it tasted slightly different, probably due to the hot weather, and maybe human blood had something to do with it. Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire


    Savoring the taste of the honey, confirming he had swallowed it, Kagura Hikaru closed his eyes and recalled the figure of Komori Ai once more.


    Her delicate and gentle body, her beauty like the bright moon, her light red dress.


    A sense of restlessness inexplicably aroused in his heart, a desire to immediately rush to the Happiness Cult''s premises to ensure her safety, to protect her, to respect her, these desires and thoughts kept emerging.


    It was as if thoughts not his own were being forcibly implanted into him.


    If vampires create their Devoted Clan by sucking blood, was Komori Ai generating faith through being sucked blood from?


    Kagura Hikaru roughly understood why the Happiness Cult had designated Komori Ai as both ''Shrine Maiden'' and ''Human God''.


    Her presence was a natural religious cornerstone.


    If others who ate the honey were like him, then simply by entering the Happiness Cult''s premises and seeing Komori Ai in person, they would probably easily be captivated and become followers.


    He decided to end the experiment there, feeling no further change in his thoughts.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at the honey stored in the glass jar and decided to finish it.

 Chapter 253 Returning to Happiness Sanatorium

    After finishing the second spoon of honey, Kagura Hikaru felt no more change than when he had taken the first spoon.


    It didn''t get better, nor did it get worse.


    In other words, by the time he ate the first mouthful, he had already fallen victim to it, and eating any more would probably have the same effect, at most causing him to overeat.


    His decision to finish the honey wasn''t because he felt he needed to consume it all to carry out his undercover plan; he was mainly worried about his family members finding it and eating it without permission.


    If they were affected too, it could turn into a complete disaster for the whole family.


    However, as he raised the spoon to start eating, he suddenly realized something was off.


    He originally had no reason to finish the honey, yet he inexplicably convinced himself with a seemingly logical but actually illogical reason: fear of his family secretly consuming it.


    If he was worried about his family accidentally consuming it, why not just throw it away? Why choose to eat it himself?


    Moreover, neither his father nor his stepmother were the type to sneak into his room and steal food. They were adults, capable of buying whatever they wanted to eat.


    Staring at the jar full of honey that glistened like liquid gold, Kagura Hikaru felt a sense of horror. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew there was something eerie about this substance, yet he almost didn''t avoid it.


    Perhaps, his continuous skepticism about the honey was also a part of leading him to this outcome?


    Lying to oneself...


    It definitely had the hallmarks of hypnosis.


    If Hikaru had not been completely sure before, he now felt more strongly that the human blood in the honey belonged to Komori Ai.


    The honey, mixed with her blood, exhibited characteristics similar to Komori Ai''s abilities.


    Such a high correlation made it difficult to disassociate it from her.


    Kagura Hikaru resealed the honey and put the jar back in the bag, planning to dispose of it later.


    At this point, the bizarre honey seemed to have a limited effect on him; at least he was still rational enough not to continue eating it.


    That was not surprising.


    If the proselytizing method of the Happiness Cult relied on Komori Ai, then he, who was immune to Komori Ai''s abilities, logically should not be completely defenseless.


    He had eaten the honey; now, all that was left was to find a time to visit the Happiness Sanatorium again.


    Kagura Hikaru thought tomorrow would be appropriate.


    The next day after school, he appeared again at the gates of the sanatorium.


    Before arriving there, Kagura Hikaru met with the undercover police officer, Inspector Yamazaki, to explain his plan for infiltration starting today. The latter didn''t object, only cautioning him to be wary of the people on the list shown to him yesterday.


    If the operation went smoothly, he would soon be dealing with some of the people on that list.


    He stepped into the Happiness Sanatorium.


    The person in charge of the sanatorium, a middle-aged man who always wore a smile, approached him cheerfully.


    "Is it Mr. Kagura? Are you here to participate in the activities today? Welcome."


    "Yes."


    Kagura Hikaru looked around nervously and rubbed his arms. "I wanted to ask about the box of honey you gave me yesterday¡ªdo you still have it? I''d like to buy some."


    Hearing this, the person in charge raised an eyebrow in surprise at Kagura Hikaru''s directness.


    But considering he was just dealing with an impatient young man, he quickly hid his surprise and revealed a deeper smile. "Are you referring to the Royal Honey I gave you last time?"


    "Yes, that one."


    "Actually, we have very few in stock here too, but luckily there''s one jar left at the sanatorium. Mr. Kagura, please take a seat and wait a moment; I''ll go fetch it for you."


    "How much?"


    The middle-aged man smiled and said, "We''ll charge you just the cost price, six thousand yen."


    Six thousand yen was no small amount for a student, yet Kagura Hikaru seemed very decisive. He directly pulled two three-thousand yen bills from his wallet and handed them over.


    The man glanced at the crowded bills in his wallet, a flash of greed in his eyes. Smiling, he took the money and turned to leave.


    After a while, he came back carrying a yellow cardboard bag just like the one from yesterday. Strangely, an old woman dressed in black followed him despite the heat.


    "This is Ms. Kurosaki, a happiness specialist recently transferred from headquarters," the manager introduced her to Kagura Hikaru.


    But actually, Kagura Hikaru already knew who she was.


    In the list of Happiness Cult members Inspector Yamazaki showed him yesterday, there was this ''Ms. Kurosaki.'' She was one of the specialists responsible for preaching for the Happiness Cult.


    It seemed the Happiness Cult had already taken an interest in him.


    A young person with money in his pocket and weak willpower (referring to psychological issues, unable to resist temptations) was exactly the kind of talent the cult needed.


    But they had no idea that this was exactly what Kagura Hikaru wanted them to see.


    Who was the hunter and who was the prey was still uncertain.


    "What is a happiness specialist?" Pretending he didn''t recognize her, Kagura Hikaru took the honey, his voice full of confusion.


    "Just someone who studies the essence of life''s happiness, like those staying here at the sanatorium. It''s nothing to fuss over." Ms. Kurosaki smiled ''kindly'', revealing rotten teeth and an ugly face with layers of wrinkles, which was rather intimidating.


    Yet for some reason, Kagura Hikaru felt an inexplicable warmth towards her, almost like meeting a familiar relative.


    This sudden emotion was just like yesterday when he remembered Komori Ai, only much milder this time.


    But no matter the intensity, it was clearly unnatural.


    Without a doubt, it must have been the influence of that jar of royal honey again.


    It wasn''t only connecting Kagura Hikaru with Komori Ai, but even the missionaries who came out of the Happiness Cult could inexplicably affect him. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    What in the world was the principle behind this?


    Kagura Hikaru''s internal alarm bells were ringing, but on the surface, he pretended to be confused, "Are you... a scholar?"


    "Not really, but not exactly no. After all, our teachings have not yet gained widespread attention in society; it would be too arrogant to claim ourselves as scholars."


    Ms. Kurosaki naturally sat down beside Kagura Hikaru, continuously staring at him with a smile, "Mr. Kagura, I hear you were recommended to this sanatorium by a psychologist?"


    "Doctor Honda."


    "Ah, him," Ms. Kurosaki realized, "He used to have psychological issues too, but he got better after meeting us and even became a formal physician. Perhaps he thought your condition was similar to his own back then, and so he recommended you to come here."


    Ms. Kurosaki''s demeanor and speech were slightly theatrical, clearly trying to cozy up to him intentionally.


    Yet Kagura Hikaru was unable to harbor any hostility towards her or suspect her with malicious intent. He unjustly trusted her lie.


    Of course, these emotions were merely superficial. Kagura Hikaru could still maintain a rational judgment. He even reversed these ''real emotions'' into a disguise, casually striking up a conversation with this Happiness Cult missionary.


    Ms. Kurosaki, apparently used to such cooperation, didn''t find it strange. The sanatorium manager who was listening in seemed unsurprised as well.


    Instead, seeing his confused and utterly unresistant demeanor seemed to confirm something for them, their expressions growing even more satisfied.

 Chapter 254 Potential of Being a Sickly Sweetheart

    Perhaps, the Happiness Cult attracted its followers using this very tactic.


    They first enticed people to consume their specially made honey and then somehow induced those who ate the honey to develop a fondness for the cult''s missionaries, gradually drawing them into the sect.


    However, this tactic wasn''t foolproof.


    Because Ms. Kurosaki did not mention the Happiness Cult to Kagura Hikaru, she just chatted with him about trivial matters, discussed a bit about Kagura''s medical condition, gave some ambiguous treatment suggestions, and then excused herself on the pretext of being busy.


    If that jar of honey really was so effective in converting people, she wouldn''t have acted so cautiously.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t feel disappointed, as he didn''t think he could penetrate the inner circle of the Happiness Cult just on his second encounter.


    Gaining their trust would likely take a significant amount of time.


    But it probably wouldn''t take as long as he initially thought.


    The persona Kagura Hikaru had crafted for himself was a rich young heir with severe psychological issues and a heavy dependence, the sort of easy target that a wealth-grabbing cult like the Happiness Cult wouldn''t pass up.


    To make them believe he really came for treatment, he had deliberately stayed for an hour at the sanatorium, even asked the management for utensils and ate almost half a jar of honey in front of them, subsequently engaging in chit-chat with the others in the sanatorium.


    Half the people in the Happiness Sanatorium were probably like him, all under observation by the Happiness Cult, potentially to be recruited or already in the process of being indoctrinated.


    They had one thing in common: all of them had mental disorders.


    While it wasn''t to the extent of clinical insanity, each had their heavy life burdens that pushed them to seek companionship in a place like the Happiness Sanatorium.


    Such mentally fragile individuals were the cult''s favorite targets, easy to manipulate and bleed dry of their family wealth with little effort.


    No wonder a sanatorium like this existed, it was practically a dark church.


    Under the smiling gaze of the administrator, Kagura Hikaru walked out of the sanatorium carrying the honey, moved away from the possibly imaginary watchful eyes all around and took a detour back to Kafka Cafe.


    Last time he had met Inspector Yamazaki here, and today he was waiting for him again.


    As soon as he entered the cafe, Inspector Yamazaki spotted him and waved his coffee mug from a corner seat to greet him.


    "Finally back. Any findings?"


    "Sort of,"


    Kagura showed him the newly acquired honey. "I spent six thousand yen on this, can I get reimbursed?"


    "Only if you can prove it''s a expenditure relevant and meaningful to the case."


    "It''s part of gaining their trust."


    "Then that''s fine," Inspector Yamazaki pulled out six thousand yen in cash to cover him, mentioning he would file for a reimbursement later and then spoke on the matter, "So, tell me what you observed."


    "Well,"


    Kagura explained about his encounter with Ms. Kurosaki and their conversation.


    After listening, Inspector Yamazaki pondered for a moment, "Right... try to visit the sanatorium daily. Since you''re adopting the ''dependent rich young master'' role, it''s best to keep purchasing those honeys until they recruit you. Plus, whatever the Happiness Cult''s followers give you, regardless of what it is, you absolutely must not consume it. Keep it at home, and once this is over, I''ll personally come to collect it."


    "Don''t worry, I know my limits,"


    Inspector Yamazaki immediately looked skeptical.


    A young man who casually ate cult food right before him claimed he knew his limits?


    "I should head back now," Kagura said, getting up with the bag of honey jars.


    He didn''t want to continue eating this honey but also didn''t plan to hand it over here to Inspector Yamazaki. If someone from the Happiness Cult noticed the disappearance of the items in his possession upon leaving the cafe, it could arouse suspicion.


    If he was going to be an undercover agent, it was best to be cautious in all respects.


    That''s what he thought.


    However, when Kagura Hikaru turned to leave, he could not help but reveal an imprudent expression upon seeing a woman appear abruptly before him.


    "Suse?!"


    "Good afternoon, Mister Hikaru."


    Kohinata Motoyo stood not far away, a coy smile on her face, "What a coincidence, you''re here for coffee too. Would you like to join us?"


    Us?


    Kagura Hikaru came to his senses and noticed that behind Kohinata Suse stood another girl, Kiryu Hina.


    His expression gradually darkened, "No, I was just about to leave."


    Kiryu Hina pursed her lips, silently watching him.


    Like a child who quarrels with parents in a fit of anger but knows they are wrong and can''t bring themselves to apologize.


    "Is that so?"


    Kohinata Suse smiled and nodded, glancing at Inspector Yamazaki, who had just been chatting with Kagura Hikaru at the same table and now pretended not to recognize him while sipping his coffee, her gaze thoughtful, "Mister Hikaru, may I have a word with you outside?"


    ".....?"


    He followed Kohinata Suse out of the cafe.


    "What''s wrong, what happened?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    "The problem is on your side," Kohinata Suse shook her head, "Mister Hikaru, why would you get involved with Happiness Cult? It doesn''t fit your style at all. Surely, you weren''t instigated by that inspector, right?"


    ".....What do you mean?"


    "Playing dumb won''t help, I''m serious."


    "..."


    Had Kohinata Suse sent someone to follow him?


    No, with his counter-surveillance capabilities, he would have noticed. It must be electronic.


    Kagura Hikaru unzipped his briefcase and began rummaging through it without a word.


    In a few moments, he found something in the little compartment that should not have been in his bag¡ªa strange-looking black patch.


    "A tracker?" Kagura Hikaru''s voice was questioning, but his eyes were confrming as he looked at Kohinata Suse. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    She awkwardly averted her gaze, "....It wasn''t me."


    "You''re a terrible liar." Kagura Hikaru forcefully broke the tracker into pieces with his fingers and stuffed it into his pocket, "The last time you ''coincidentally'' appeared downstairs at Kiryu Hina''s apartment, was it because of this device? And now too?"


    "...Alright, it was all me, my own idea." Kohinata Suse pouted slightly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye, "On one hand, I was worried you might encounter danger, and on the other hand, I... I wanted to create some chance encounters."


    Kagura Hikaru rubbed his forehead, head aching.


    My god.


    What kind of person puts a tracker in someone''s bag just to have chance encounters with a boy?!


    Lately, Suse had been less aggressive, and he had almost forgotten that she could be obsessively possessive.


    "....But then again, I wouldn''t expose something this embarrassing just to warn you in person without a good reason. You should realize the seriousness of the situation by now."


    Kohinata Suse''s expression turned grave, "Mister Hikaru, don''t provoke Happiness Cult, they are not a simple cult. That inspector probably knows nothing and was just thrown into this case. But you shouldn''t get dragged down by him. Stop while there''s still time." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That being said, you seem to know something." Kagura Hikaru furrowed his brows, "If you don''t provide me with a reasonable explanation, it''s hard for me to heed your advice."


    "Okay."


    Kohinata Suse had anticipated this question, she nodded and slowly revealed the truth she knew about Happiness Cult.

 Chapter 255 Selling Beautiful Dream

    ```


    "The Happiness Cult is quite famous among the wealthy circles of Tokyo," Kohinata Motoyo said, "They offer something to the rich that''s very popular."


    "An addictive substance?"


    What came to Kagura Hikaru''s mind first was drugs.


    But if it were drugs, those wealthy people probably wouldn''t be interested, what they''d really want would be something exciting without any side effects.


    That naturally led him to think of the jar of honey at home that he still hadn''t dealt with.


    That stuff actually had properties close to those of drugs.


    "No." But Kohinata Motoyo shook her head in denial, "They''re selling beautiful dreams."


    Huh?


    Beautiful dreams?


    Kagura Hikaru was puzzled, how do you sell beautiful dreams?


    "As long as you pay, someone from the Happiness Cult will bring their shrine maiden to perform magic for the client, letting them see the dream they desire most... that''s what I heard," Kohinata Motoyo said.


    Upon hearing this, he quickly understood.


    He hadn''t expected that the Happiness Cult had turned their shrine maiden, Komori Ai, into a money-making tool, using her abilities to create beautiful dreams, which was simply the lowest use.


    However, he instantly understood when Kohinata Motoyo mentioned the price for a beautiful dream.


    A dream for five million yen, high definition, true to life, lasting till dawn, satisfaction guaranteed.


    Your average rich person couldn''t even afford it.


    Not scamming the poor, huh, that''s good.


    This service was so expensive yet popular, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but doubt if those people''s brains were fried. Was their life really so miserable that they needed a five-million-yen dream to heal?


    He set aside these criticisms for the moment; he had underestimated the Happiness Cult for involving upper society contacts.


    "In the past, many law enforcement agents have suspected the Happiness Cult of fraud and money laundering, but it all came to nothing," Kohinata Motoyo said softly, "There are many dark aspects of this world that shouldn''t be touched, Hikaru, you should understand these principles, don''t get in too deep, or you might end up in danger."


    "...Sorry, I have my own reasons,"


    Kagura Hikaru declined with a calm look in his eyes.


    Actually, regardless of whether he was influenced by that honey or not, Kagura Hikaru would have opted to proactively approach the Happiness Cult to find Komori Ai.


    The two of them had only met twice and did not have a deep relationship, but they shared a unique connection.


    That was being social outcasts.


    Unlike Kagura Hikaru, who chose to limit himself in order to fit in with the group, Komori Ai was clearly on the fringes of normal society, fitting the description of ''outcast'' even more than he did.


    Komori Ai''s existence, to a degree, terrified Kagura Hikaru, but he also felt a heartfelt sympathy for her.


    Especially after learning about her past under the control of some cult and grasping the root of her twisted nature, an uncontrollable urge to intervene surfaced within him.


    Beyond the personal desire to save the girl, Kagura Hikaru also believed that Komori Ai''s abilities needed to be contained and not exploited by others, especially not by an abnormal organization like the Happiness Cult.


    If all this was actually orchestrated by her, then stop her.


    If she was also being coerced, then step in and save her.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t consider himself to be a hero, and in normal circumstances faced with such a situation, even if it were a girl just like Komori Ai, if she wasn''t Komori Ai, perhaps he wouldn''t have gone to such lengths, leaving it to the police and other professionals might have yielded a better outcome.


    But the person involved was Komori Ai.


    Similar to him, and with dangerous abilities, an outcast.


    To ignore it, with the impending disaster that could arise in the future, it would be unreasonable, both emotionally and logically, to pretend he hadn''t seen anything.


    This was something he felt he had to do.


    ...However, to think negatively, this might just be an excuse Kagura Hikaru found for himself to stay busy.


    ```


    The oppressively stagnant atmosphere at school recently had him contemplating playing hooky more than once.


    After all, now that he had acquired so much knowledge, what was the point of attending school? ¡ª this is what Kagura Hikaru often thought to himself lately.


    He didn''t hold any special opinion about going to school; he neither liked nor disliked it but had recently started leaning towards disliking it, especially regarding interpersonal interactions while at school. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And just so happened, he had a perfect excuse, one that served both justice and personal motivation, that could temporarily justify distancing himself from the school''s social circles.


    Perhaps, this was yet another instance of his avoidance.


    But unlike before, this might be called a ''righteous escape.''


    It was just a joke.


    Even if there was an element of avoidance, it was far less significant than for Komori Ai.


    Ever since he ate that can of honey, Kagura Hikaru found his mind completely preoccupied with her¡ªa total mess, uncertain if seeing her again could free him from this state.


    Continue your journey at My Virtual Library Empire


    Kagura Hikaru said goodbye to Kohinata Motoyo at the entrance to Kafka Cafe.


    Although she invited him to stay and have coffee with them, he politely declined.


    He still could not sit down with Kiryu Hina calmly and peacefully.


    Kagura Hikaru was aware this was immature, but he had no intention of correcting this behavior for the time being.


    He was just an ordinary second-year high school student, not knowing how to forgive others¡ªperhaps that was understandable.


    He took the train home.


    At the entrance to his house, Kagura Hikaru unexpectedly saw a tall girl in a Yuqiu High School uniform looking around uncertainly.


    Pacing back and forth, she hesitated several times with her hand raised to ring the Kagura family''s doorbell before stopping herself.


    Kagura Hikaru watched her struggle for ten seconds, then stood still, conflicted for another ten seconds, before finally gritting his teeth and walking over.


    "...What are you doing here, Ayakoji..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko jolted as if a ghost had tapped her on the shoulder from behind, straightening up instantly.


    After a pause, she turned around with her usual stern expression, one hand on her hip, the other tightly gripping the strap of her shoulder bag.


    "Nothing much, just here to bring you notes... You missed half of the math class this morning because the homeroom teacher called you in for a talk, so I wrote down the parts of the lesson you missed."


    Bringing notes over was such a trivial matter, one that could have been completed at the door.


    Yet, Ayakoji Chiyoko stood there with a look of clueless rigidity, not budging an inch.


    Kagura Hikaru gave a strange expression: "...Anyway, let''s go inside and talk."


    "Then I''ll take you up on that offer," Ayakoji Chiyoko replied promptly.


    Kagura Hikaru felt a complexity within as he took out his keys to open the door, asking, "Leaving school so early, is that okay with the Student Council?"


    "If you''re concerned, how about coming back to work at the Student Council?"


    "I''d rather not, I still prefer going home."


    "Is that so..."


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko maintained their stiff exchange.


    Their interaction felt neither close nor distant.


    Ever since Ayakoji Chiyoko abruptly said she wanted to be friends with him, the two of them had maintained this kind of feeling.


    Kagura Hikaru was genuinely taken aback by her magnanimity and subsequently unsure of how to interact with her.


    Usually, shouldn''t someone like him¡ªa complete scumbag¡ªbe avoided at all costs? Why would she approach him on her initiative after breaking up?


    Although he could somewhat guess the reason... thinking about it that way only made things more painful for him.

 Chapter 256 The Invitation from the Happiness Cult

    "Please come in."


    "Sorry to disturb you..."


    With a strange expression, Kagura Hikaru and an even more oddly nervous Ayakoji Chiyoko than the first time, stepped into the Kagura Family''s entryway.


    "Mister Hikaru, you''re back... Oh?"


    The stepmother, who had been watching television in the living room, got up to greet them, but upon seeing the unexpected guest, Ayakoji Chiyoko, she glanced at Kagura Hikaru, covered her mouth with a pretense of secrecy, and chuckled as she looked at the girl, "Well, if it isn''t Miss Ayakoji from last time, welcome, welcome! Are you here to see Mister Hikaru again today?"


    "Yes, sorry for the disturbance, Aunt," said Ayakoji Chiyoko with a blush and a nod.


    "Not at all, not at all."


    The stepmother smiled like a farmer delighting in the growth of their cabbages, "It''s hot outside, isn''t it? There''s air conditioning in the upstairs room; go rest in Mister Hikaru''s room first, and I''ll prepare some drinks for you."


    "Thank you, Aunt."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko obediently responded.


    That was completely unlike her.


    "What are you blushing about?" Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but ask after the stepmother turned to head to the kitchen.


    Her like this, people would suspect she''d been possessed, and her character setting had changed too much!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned away awkwardly, and whispered with pursed lips, "It''s my first time entering a friend''s house...!"


    "But you''ve been here before, haven''t you?"


    "That time was different, we were a couple then, and now we''re friends."


    What''s the difference?


    Kagura Hikaru was puzzled, for the first time somewhat unable to guess her train of thought. Was there really such a big difference between visiting a lover''s house and a friend''s house?


    He escorted Ayakoji Chiyoko upstairs to his room.


    There weren''t many things in his room, and even without deliberate cleaning, it still appeared very tidy, so a sudden visitor wouldn''t bring any shame.


    Kagura Hikaru casually set down his backpack and stuffed the honey he bought today under the desk.


    Then he brought over a small table, invited Ayakoji Chiyoko to sit on the wooden floor, and went to pull open the curtains at the window.


    As soon as he drew the curtains, Kagura Hikaru caught sight of a familiar figure downstairs, and hesitated momentarily.


    Clothed in black, with seaweed-like wet and messy curls and an ugly face... it was the Happiness Cult missionary from the Happiness Sanatorium, that ''Ms. Kurosaki''!


    Kagura Hikaru stared as she approached his front door, disappeared under the eaves after entering, and probably was ringing the doorbell by now.


    He didn''t need to think about it; she was obviously there to see him.


    Kagura Hikaru felt a cold sweat on his back.


    His stepmother was at home, right downstairs.


    What to do? He didn''t want them to meet at all.


    "Sorry, Ayakoji, could you wait here for a bit? I suddenly have an urgent matter to attend to," he said quickly, then dashed out of the room.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched his retreating figure with puzzlement, listening as his footsteps faded.


    Gradually, she began to smile.


    Propping herself up, she got to her feet and began to leisurely hum a tune, looking around the room.


    She flipped through Kagura Hikaru''s book collection, opened his wardrobe to investigate his fashion sense, checked the smell of his quilt, and crouched down with her phone to search for erotic magazines under the bed.


    She was having a great time throughout.


    But she didn''t find anything particularly interesting.


    Just as Ayakoji Chiyoko was starting to feel a little disappointed, she accidentally noticed she had missed something under the desk - two yellow bags tucked away, and she let out a soft "Huh?"


    "What''s that...?"


    The items seemed to possess some sort of magic power, drawing her curiosity as she reached out her hand...


    .............


    As Kagura Hikaru ran downstairs, he nearly collided with his stepmother, who had heard the doorbell and was approaching the entryway to answer it.


    "Wait, I was just about to go out; I''ll get the door!" he hastily said.


    "Eh?"


    Before the stepmother had time to react, Kagura Hikaru had already slipped on his shoes, swiftly opened the door and left, thoughtfully closing it behind him, and the stepmother hadn''t even seen clearly who had rung the doorbell.


    By the time she made sense of it and opened the door, there was no one there.


    "Strange..." The stepmother stepped back in confusion.


    Around the corner outside, with his back against the wall, Kagura Hikaru heard the door close and sighed with relief.


    Ms. Kurosaki, whom he had just seen, was standing right next to him, looking at him with a half-smile, "Mr. Kagura, it seems you didn''t want your family to see me? Why is that?"


    Kagura Hikaru was half-serious, half-pretending to be helpless as he said, "Ms. Kurosaki, I don''t want my family to know that I... that I''ve seen a psychologist, and even visited a sanatorium, do you understand?"


    "Of course, that''s your right," Ms. Kurosaki said, appearing very respectful, "Moreover, it was my mistake this time for not sending a greeting message before coming. I didn''t know your mobile number, so I had to visit like this."


    "Is there something important?"


    "Ah, not particularly important, just wanted to deliver an invitation to you."


    "Invitation?"


    "Yes."


    Ms. Kurosaki''s face was full of wrinkles as she smiled, eyes narrowing, and she pulled a deep blue, elegant invitation card from her designer handbag and handed it to Kagura Hikaru.


    "Next Monday evening, Happiness Sanatorium will be hosting a small gathering, and Mr. Kagura must honor us with his presence. If you''re lucky, you might even meet the Great Shrine Maiden."


    "You''re talking about the Shrine Maiden?"


    Kagura Hikaru frowned.


    "Correct." Ms. Kurosaki smiled cryptically, gave a slight bow, "With that, I''ll take my leave, as I must deliver more invitations to others. I wish you a pleasant day, Mr. Kagura."


    Then, she briskly turned and left.


    Finally, the old witch posing in her act was gone.


    Kagura Hikaru exhaled a sigh of relief and looked down at the invitation in his hand.


    There was no writing on it, just a cutout emblem resembling a folding screen.


    A gathering at Happiness Sanatorium? The Great Shrine Maiden?... No matter how he thought about it, it seemed he had no reason not to go.


    He slipped the invitation into his pocket, ran to the nearest convenience store as if he were buying a bag of snacks, and returned to his room in about fifteen minutes.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting."


    Kagura Hikaru said as he came in through the door.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was sitting listlessly in front of a low table doing her homework, looked up and scowled, "You''re slow!"


    "Sorry."


    Kagura Hikaru set down the snacks and sat cross-legged, "The notes?" Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Here." Ayakoji Chiyoko pushed a notebook from atop the table toward him, then went back to her homework.


    She seemed like she wasn''t planning on leaving.


    Without speaking, Kagura Hikaru likewise didn''t know how to start a conversation and also took out his homework, and started writing.


    As it turned out, Ayakoji Chiyoko apparently just came to Kagura''s household to do homework, had some of the snacks he bought, finished her work, and then left.


    Kagura Hikaru was somewhat bemused.


    But perhaps it was a good thing nothing happened.


    After seeing off the visitor, Kagura Hikaru returned to his room and instinctively looked towards the yellow bag stored under his desk.


    To be precise, at the honey inside the bag.


    He hesitated for a moment, but decided to take out the honey jar to check, just to be safe.


    On the outside of the glass jar, there was a mark he had made the last time he ate from it. If the level of the honey was lower than the mark, it would mean someone else had eaten some.


    He was a bit worried that Ayakoji Chiyoko, during the fifteen minutes he was out of his room, might have succumbed to curiosity and taken some.


    While he knew it was unlikely, it wasn''t out of the realm of possibility... that person occasionally did unexpected things. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After checking, Kagura Hikaru concluded that the honey had not been touched.


    He was relieved, and put the honey jar back in place.

 Chapter 257 How are you here?

    Monday.


    The hot weather continued.


    It seemed to Kagura Hikaru that this summer might be unusually long.


    Perhaps it was the sun heating up the sky and the constant chirping of cicadas that told him so.


    In the afternoon after school, he was in his room packing his bag with enough clothes for a change and a Swiss Army Knife, praised universally as a multi-tool.


    The latter was his self-defense tool; even if it was discovered, it wouldn''t raise suspicions, nor would he be treated as a dangerous person to be expelled or monitored.


    Frankly, that was the kind of place he was heading to today.


    Last week, Ms. Kurosaki from the Happiness Cult had given him an invitation.


    The invite detailed the location and time of the gathering, and it mentioned that guests could choose to stay overnight voluntarily.


    This subtle invitation from the Happiness Cult was also a stepping stone for an undercover mission.


    After reporting this to his "superior," Inspector Yamazaki, Kagura Hikaru, as expected, received instructions to cooperate.


    Just in case, the police would not equip him with any eavesdropping devices.


    This was actually for the safety of Kagura Hikaru.


    As previously agreed, Inspector Yamazaki did not plan to have Kagura Hikaru do anything special; just follow the lead of the criminals, successfully infiltrate the Happiness Cult, remain vigilant against brainwashing, and report the occurrences to the police. That would be enough.


    Because of the mysteriously strong intelligence network of the Happiness Cult, the police were utterly unable to implant an undercover agent within the cult ¡ª resorting to this method to gather information was a helpless measure.


    Inspector Yamazaki still felt regretful to this day; he frequently agonized in front of Kagura Hikaru, feeling he should not have impulsively invited a minor to participate in the plan and to this day, dared not face Kagura Hikaru''s family.


    In fact, according to normal procedures, Kagura Hikaru''s family should have been informed, as he was still a minor and anything concerning him required guardian consent. The fact that no one knew was purely because Inspector Yamazaki had been too timid; procrastinating and even enjoying the delay as if hoping for the end of the world.


    Regardless of what he thought, Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t give him the opportunity. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whether it was kicking himself out of the undercover plan or telling his parents, he wouldn''t let Inspector Yamazaki succeed.


    After all, it was he who approached him first, and now he regretted and wanted to escape; no way.


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    Kagura Hikaru finished packing his overnight bag, then went downstairs to bid farewell to his stepmother.


    "I''m leaving now," he said.


    "Eh? Oh."


    As Kagura Hikaru was putting on his shoes in the genkan, his stepmother came over and said worriedly, "Mister Hikaru, staying overnight at a friend''s house is fine, but don''t stay out too late, you still have school tomorrow."


    "Oh."


    "Also, remember to come home early tomorrow. Your father has gone on a business trip to China and won''t be back for months. It''s lonely being in the house by myself," she added.


    "...Oh."


    Her words might have sounded a bit ambiguous, but of course, they were only meant on the face value.


    It was just a few days ago, his father, following company orders, went on a business trip to China alone, without taking his stepmother.


    It must have been because of Kagura Hikaru, assuming that at least one adult should stay at home to take care of the child.


    However, once only the two of them remained at home, his stepmother was clearly more uneasy than Kagura Hikaru.


    She was a very traditional woman from the Island Nation, accustomed to relying on her husband, and once her pillar of support was away, she became absent-minded, even subconsciously leaning on her stepson (Kagura Hikaru) as her support.


    But Kagura Hikaru himself didn''t really know how to interact with his stepmother.


    Moreover, he now had more important things to attend to, so he just hastily responded a few times and left the house.


    Soon, he arrived at the Happiness Sanatorium.


    Unlike the previous time with its open doors, today the sanatorium unusually had its doors closed, with a sign at the entrance stating ''No Unscheduled Visits Allowed.''


    Having an invitation in hand, Kagura Hikaru supposed he wasn''t considered ''unscheduled''?


    He approached the door and knocked.


    After a while, a middle-aged man came to open the door ¡ª the manager of the Happiness Sanatorium.


    "Is it Mister Kagura? What can I do for you?" the manager asked with a slight smile, only cracking the door a bit.


    Mister Hikaru took out the invitation and handed it to him.


    No lengthy explanation was needed; the other party understood his status as a guest immediately.


    The person in charge stowed the invitation away and then smile deepened, opening the door, "I apologize for the rudeness. Please come in, Mr. Kagura."


    "Thank you."


    Mister Hikaru walked into the sanatorium.


    It was only after entering that he realized the place was already full of people. Roughly estimating, there were about thirty individuals, each one carrying a luggage bag or backpack.


    They likely, like Mister Hikaru, had received an invitation, considered by the Happiness Cult to be of value for their mission.


    From this perspective, the Happiness Cult wasn''t picky.


    The group included males and females, young and old, the eldest around sixty, the youngest about the same age as Mister Hikaru, truly a varied collection.


    Mister Hikaru''s gaze inadvertently locked onto one person.


    A young woman stood somewhat apart from the others, tapping her foot impatiently, her back toward him.


    She seemed somehow familiar.


    "Why are you here?"


    Mister Hikaru slowly approached, calling out, "Ayakoji?"


    The girl turned around; her beautiful ponytail swept through the air in an arc, revealing Chiyoko Ayakoji''s lovely face.


    He hadn''t recognized her incorrectly.


    But he wished he had.


    Mister Hikaru felt his palms sweat, and his heart seemed to contract in an instant.


    Why was Chiyoko Ayakoji here? She shouldn''t have any connection with the Happiness Cult!


    His mind flashed back to a few days ago when Chiyoko Ayakoji had come to his place to drop off some notes, and he had left the room for a while.


    At that time, Mister Hikaru had also checked the honey, ensuring none was missing.


    But now, thinking back, he realized he only checked the first jar of honey he had brought back, not the second batch bought by the sanatorium.


    Could she have...


    "What''s wrong? You look so pale upon seeing me. Are you unhappy?" Chiyoko Ayakoji said, noticing him but not appearing surprised, her half-moon eyes drooping.


    "Did you eat that jar of honey?" Mister Hikaru stepped closer, asking in a low voice.


    "What?"


    "Don''t play dumb!"


    Chiyoko Ayakoji, puzzled, said, "I don''t know what you''re talking about. What honey?"


    Mister Hikaru was taken aback, then questioned, "I had two jars of honey in my room. You didn''t touch them when you visited last time?"


    "Why would I need to touch your honey?"


    "...You didn''t eat it?"


    "Of course not. What do you take me for, a glutton or a thief!" Chiyoko Ayakoji said indignantly.


    Mister Hikaru''s nose was very sensitive.


    Sensitive enough to distinguish between truth and lies.


    Thus, he could be certain that Chiyoko Ayakoji was telling the truth.


    He sighed deeply in relief.


    He certainly did not wish for Chiyoko Ayakoji to become a follower of the Happiness Cult after accidentally consuming the honey ¨C such a plot twist would be far too dreadful.


    However, if it wasn''t because of the honey, why on earth was she here now¡­

 Chapter 258 Ive Come to See You, Komori Ai

    Only two kinds of people will gather at the Happiness Sanatorium this afternoon¡ªthose who received invitations and the inner members of the Happiness Cult.


    It seems highly unlikely that Ayakoji Chiyoko would have any contact with the Happiness Cult, but if that''s not the case, then how did she get the invitation?


    That thing, it doesn''t seem like something they would hand out carelessly.


    After all, the place they were going to was the base of the Happiness Cult, the very heart of its headquarters, a place only believers were allowed to enter.


    In that invitation, the destination had already been clearly stated.


    Kagura Hikaru had asked Inspector Yamazaki, and he recognized at a glance that it was the location of the Happiness Cult''s base.


    At the time, Kagura Hikaru was shocked to see that the address of the headquarters of such an organization was being sent out so openly. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    But Inspector Yamazaki just shook his head and told him, "They dare to do this because they are utterly fearless. The police can''t find any evidence of their crimes. Even if we know the Happiness Cult occupies a big piece of land in the mountains, we can''t just go investigating someone''s private territory without cause, that would get us sued."


    Police is a profession that upholds the law, so it must also be bound by legal restrictions. To knowingly break the law is to commit a more serious offense, which is only right.


    So when Kagura Hikaru accused him of being closed-minded at the time, Inspector Yamazaki couldn''t find a single word to retort and could only drink his coffee awkwardly.


    In conclusion, it seems that the only ones who truly received invitations to the Happiness Cult base were the thirty-something people in front of Kagura Hikaru. They are the so-called ''religious recruits'', the lambs and leeks in the eyes of the Happiness Cult.


    Kagura Hikaru actively played along to get this opportunity, but under normal circumstances, he would never be deceived to this extent.


    So how did Ayakoji Chiyoko find this place and join the gathering?


    Could it be that she had consumed the Happiness Cult''s special honey elsewhere? Or had she somehow come into contact with someone from the Happiness Cult without his knowledge?


    "Alright, hold on."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko spoke up.


    As Kagura Hikaru snapped back to reality and stared at her, she helplessly crossed her arms and said, "Don''t overthink it, I was actually asked to come here by Kohinata Motoyo."


    "Motoyo?"


    "That''s right."


    Kagura Hikaru was astonished, "What did she ask you to come here for? This isn''t some holiday destination."


    "I''m well aware, she already warned me. Besides, even if it were a real resort area, I wouldn''t accept an invitation from someone like her," Ayakoji Chiyoko said irritably, "This time, I voluntarily allowed her to use me."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Can''t you figure it out, you really are hopelessly dim," Ayakoji Chiyoko jabbed his forehead hard, "Besides your safety, is there anything else that could make both me and that woman worried?!"


    Kagura Hikaru covered his forehead and fell silent.


    It seemed that he had once again caused Ayakoji Chiyoko to give unilaterally.


    "That woman told me that you might be attending a dangerous gathering, and gave me an invitation to come and take you home."


    "...Sorry for bothering you."


    "No need to apologize, it was my choice," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, turning her face slightly away.


    "I understand," Kagura Hikaru nodded, took a deep breath, and then said, "Then, Ayakoji, please go back."


    "? What do you mean?"


    "I still have things I want to do here, and I won''t be leaving with you."


    "That''s fine, but if you don''t want to leave, then I won''t leave either, not even one step," Ayakoji Chiyoko firmly refused, with a determined look in her eyes.


    Typical of her, even being obstinate seemed dignified.


    But this time, it was not possible.


    "Ayakoji, you might not understand the situation, but I can tell you clearly¡ªyou being here will be a hindrance."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her and said,


    The statement was not meant to provoke but merely a rational presentation of facts.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko could read this from the tone of Kagura Hikaru''s voice.


    "I still have things I want to do here, no, things I must do, and I will not give up until my objectives are met."


    Kagura Hikaru said softly, "But I don''t want you to get dragged into this, Ayakoji. If you''re not careful, you could get hurt, or even taken as a hostage... In short, having you here will distract me, so please leave quickly."


    "... That''s quite the harsh thing to say."


    For some reason, Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed somewhat happy to hear this, blushing as she looked away and twirled a strand of hair around her finger.


    Then she turned back and said, "But, aren''t you underestimating my abilities a bit? I have my own means of self-protection."


    "This isn''t like playing house during the Disciplinary Committee times. Anything could happen."


    "I see, it seems the situation is more serious than I thought... Then you have to protect me seriously."


    "Ayakoji..."


    "I told you, if you''re not going to leave, I won''t budge an inch," Ayakoji Chiyoko said earnestly, "I''ve thought through the consequences, but I will absolutely not leave you alone, no matter what happens."


    "..."


    Rarely had someone spoken such a heroic line to him, but Kagura Hikaru didn''t feel ignited inside, only a deep unease.


    He didn''t know how many people the Happiness Cult had at their compound, or how much firepower they were hiding.


    He had even prepared himself for the possibility of facing firearms.


    If their objective was exposed, he had no confidence that he could get out with Ayakoji Chiyoko unscathed.


    If she insisted on staying with him, many actions suitable for one person would no longer be appropriate.


    Was he really expected to quietly make a round at the Happiness Cult compound and then return without achieving anything?


    That would please Inspector Yamazaki, but it didn''t fit into Kagura Hikaru''s plans at all.


    He finally had the chance to enter the Happiness Cult compound, and he was definitely going to try to search for Komori Ai, but the risk of being discovered would more than double with a second person.


    At this moment, he really wanted to knock Ayakoji Chiyoko out with a chop and forcibly throw her out.


    But obviously that wasn''t feasible.


    Kagura Hikaru was a bit frustrated.


    He was about to try persuading her again when he was interrupted by the voice of the sanatorium''s person in charge not far away.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, it''s time, please get on the bus!"


    The person in charge opened the gate of the Happiness Sanatorium wide and gestured to everyone to come forward.


    A large bus, their transportation to the destination, had appeared at the gate at some point.


    Hearing this, everyone gathered in the courtyard began to move, lining up and boarding the bus under the direction of the person in charge.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko also took the opportunity to pull Kagura Hikaru into the line, and turning to him, said, "Let''s talk in more detail on the bus, I''ll listen to you." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru sighed, coming to terms with the reality.


    It was too late to send Ayakoji Chiyoko away now, all he could do was pray that everything would go smoothly.


    He looked up at the red bus in front of him, feeling as if a small flame had appeared in his heart.


    He thought of the girl in red dancing by the bonfire that night.


    I''m coming to see you, Komori Ai.

 Chapter 259 That Should Be the Boss Room, Right?

    "There''s a crow in front of my house, always calling~ always calling~ It wants happiness~~~"


    On the bus during the journey, Ms. Kurosaki stood at the front, like a tour guide, keeping the beat as the passengers sang along with her.


    "Happiness is the pursuit of both me and the crow, we''ve become confidants~ Happiness is the best~ Happiness is the best!!"


    The song they sang was an original song circulated within the Happiness Sanatorium.


    The genre was enka.


    That is, the so-called ancient art style listened to by the elderly.


    If explained from the perspective of Chinese people, it probably felt similar to listening to a Peking opera.


    Yet on the bus, whether old, middle-aged, or young, everyone was enthusiastically singing along with Ms. Kurosaki, smiles on their faces, hands keeping the beat.


    The entire bus was immersed in a sea of joy.


    "...What''s with these people?"


    On the bus, neither at the front nor at the back, in a double seat, Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru were sitting there.


    Among the thirty-some people, they were the only ones without smiles on their faces, sticking out like sore thumbs.


    Kagura Hikaru kept the beat with his hands, trying to appear part of the group, while softly speaking to Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Everyone here is a follower."


    "Follower?"


    "Didn''t you hear what Suse said?"


    "She only told me you entered a dangerous place¡­ so this is a cult?" Ayakoji Chiyoko keenly realized something, her voice growing softer and softer.


    Kagura Hikaru nodded slightly.


    "You shouldn''t be interested in these, why still¡­"


    "Shh."


    "..."


    Realizing her slip, Ayakoji Chiyoko immediately stopped talking, subtly scanning the surroundings.


    "Let''s change the subject," Kagura Hikaru said. "You mentioned Kohinata Suse told you I was here, why didn''t she come herself?"


    "I asked her the same question. She said her identity was special, and she couldn''t just appear in this kind of situation, it would be exploited by some," Ayakoji Chiyoko replied.


    This reason was probably only half true.


    Kagura Hikaru could probably guess what Suse was thinking.


    If she could have persuaded him to give up, she would have succeeded last time at the caf¨¦.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko''s influence on him was different; Suse was likely leveraging his guilt towards the former to make him see the error of his ways.


    That idea, maybe Ayakoji Chiyoko herself could guess it, so they just tacitly skipped over it.


    "So you''re not concerned?" Kagura Hikaru asked in return.


    Although the Ayakoji family was just ''Former Chinese Clan,'' from Kagura Hikaru''s observations, their family was mostly also in the upper circles.


    If Kohinata Suse was afraid her own actions might lead to misunderstandings about her family, then wouldn''t Ayakoji Chiyoko likely be in a similar situation?


    "Maybe there is an issue, but I didn''t think much about it," Ayakoji Chiyoko hesitated, offering an unexpectedly irrational answer, "Hearing it involved you, I just agreed."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru resisted the urge to facepalm.


    When had Ayakoji Chiyoko also become such a reckless person?


    She had been acting very strange since their breakup, inexplicably giving him a sense of disarray.


    Normal yet not normal.


    Previously, even during their relationship, if she knew there was danger, she would typically choose to trust in herself and rationally withdraw to find a more suitable way to intervene from the outside.


    But now, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s behavior was like that of someone infatuated with love.


    Apart from no longer having intimate interactions, it even seemed subtly more proactive than during their relationship.


    Could it be that she had potential masochistic tendencies, becoming more addicted the more emotionally tormented she was?


    Or was she imprisoned by the sunk cost of romance, unwilling to let go?


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t understand.


    Both her thoughts and actions had far exceeded his expectations.


    To whisper, it was only natural for their physical distance to close, with Ayakoji Chiyoko''s body gently leaning on Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder.


    In that moment, Kagura Hikaru saw a strange expression flicker across her face, but before he could discern it clearly, it had returned to seriousness.


    Perhaps he had seen it wrong.


    But since that time, Kagura Hikaru had felt an inexplicable unease.


    About three hours later.


    As evening fell, after a long journey and finally ascending a slope up a mountain, twisting and turning, the bus finally stopped in front of the destination''s gate.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru got off the bus along with the others.


    As soon as they disembarked, they saw the front gate of an ancient-style mansion.


    It resembled the Ayakoji family''s home, with its long walls and the roof and gate structures of the Kyoto era.


    However, the mansion before them, both in terms of its walls and its gate, was a size larger than that of the Ayakoji family''s, exuding an air of opulence.


    Such a house, surprisingly situated deep in the countryside.


    Without a doubt, this was the base of the Happiness Cult, and in other words, the territory of the x cult.


    Kagura Hikaru took out his cell phone for a glance, and unsurprisingly, it was out of service.


    In the Island Nation, there are many private estates, and it''s problematic for the government to negotiate the installation of signal towers within them; therefore, it is common to experience a sudden reduction to one signal bar while walking, and in rural areas, complete signal loss isn''t rare.


    In case of an emergency here, it would be impossible to make a call for help.


    At that moment, the front gate suddenly opened from the inside, and a bucktoothed man with a pointy chin came out, followed by a man and a woman.


    Kagura Hikaru recognized his face; on the list provided by Inspector Yamazaki, he was second in rank only to Komori Ai and the Sect Hierarch of the Happiness Cult, the Hierarch''s deputy and confidant.


    The name... he remembered was surnamed Sakamoto. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Miss Kurosaki, are these the ones chosen for this batch?" the bucktoothed man came up cheerily.


    Taken aback by the honor, Ms. Kurosaki hurriedly bowed, "Yes, Lord Sakamoto."


    "Very good, very good."


    The bucktoothed man turned around to survey the surroundings, and his condescending gaze made Kagura Hikaru feel quite uncomfortable.


    However, at the same time, he, like Ms. Kurosaki, exuded an inexplicably welcoming aura.


    Two conflicting emotions tumbled inside Kagura Hikaru. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed unaffected, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, restrained but her eyes clearly showing disdain for the man.


    "Then take them for a tour, Miss Kurosaki," the bucktoothed man said haughtily, turning his back.


    "Yes."


    The bucktoothed man left with his followers.


    As Ms. Kurosaki watched him walk away, she then turned to everyone, clapped her hands with a smile, and said, "Thank you for waiting, let''s go inside and have a look."


    After speaking, she led everyone into the mansion.


    The view inside was exactly as Kagura Hikaru had anticipated, a courtyard designed in an ancient style, very similar to the Ayakoji family''s, but much larger; it was hard to imagine how much money had been spent on its construction.


    Even for a wealthy individual, it would necessitate careful consideration.


    A religious organization not involved in normal business activities possessing so much capital; its sources of funding couldn''t possibly be legitimate.


    Yet, despite this, the police still couldn''t catch them in any misconduct, even resorting to using minors for investigations.


    Fortunately, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.


    Kagura Hikaru thought this as he looked towards the largest building in the distance.


    No matter how one looked at it, that surely must be the boss''s room.

 Chapter 260 Komori Ai Makes Her Appearance

    The Happiness Cult''s residence was not only surrounded by pristine mountains and clear waters, but there were also many houses, all designed in a retro, Japanese style.


    Before entering, the place seemed reminiscent of a temple, but once actually inside, one could see that modern technology was by no means absent.


    Inside the residence, there was even a factory.


    Ms. Kurosaki enthusiastically took them on a tour.


    Inside the factory, some workers wearing masks were busy canning and sealing honey. A tube was inserted into a glass jar, a single press would release honey from a sealed barrel beside it, and once the jar was sufficiently filled, they would stop and cover it.


    The production didn''t seem very high, and the workers were leisurely and methodical in their tasks.


    Kagura Hikaru recognized it as the honey he had tasted before.


    Were these enchanting and dubious items produced here? It would be nice if they could all be burnt with a single fire.


    That wasn''t entirely impossible, after all.


    As Kagura Hikaru walked through the compound, he realized the security within the Happiness Cult was not as impregnable as one might assume.


    CCTVs were everywhere in the residence, security personnel could be seen all over, and any newcomer would immediately attract their vigilant gaze.


    While it appeared strictly controlled, it seemed they hadn''t engaged professional security advisors to design their system, as the patrol routes were not optimally planned. After just two minutes in the factory, Kagura Hikaru had already spotted three feasible infiltration routes.


    However, that was just the result of his boredom wandering as he listened to the "tour guide" explain the production process of the Happiness Cult''s premium honey health products. He had no intention of actually carrying out any plan.


    What use would there be in just entering a factory, anyway? The real treasure of the Happiness Cult was not there.


    It wasn''t until Ms. Kurosaki finally went through her script and brought them to the largest building in the Happiness Cult''s compound that Kagura Hikaru finally perked up a bit.


    "This is the main hall, the residence of our esteemed Great Shrine Maiden and the place where ceremonies are held," she said.


    As Ms. Kurosaki spoke, she looked up with genuine reverence at the shrine in front of her.


    Yes, a shrine. The people of the Happiness Cult had actually built a proper shrine in their base.


    The grounds were spacious, and the architecture was impressive.


    Those unaware might even believe it was the Meiji Shrine if told so.


    It''s odd, isn''t it? Being part of a cult yet embracing the traditions of Shinto. Don''t they feel any dissonance?


    But then again, the cult was a melting pot by definition, incorporating anything and everything.


    They now stood in front of the red torii gate, still a hundred meters away from the main shrine building, and Ms. Kurosaki stopped there, not proceeding any further.


    According to Shinto beliefs, passing through a torii gate means entering the realm of the gods. Perhaps the Happiness Cult also shared a similar perspective internally.


    So this is where Komori Ai, the person they regard as the ''Shrine Maiden,'' lived.


    Kagura Hikaru''s eyes gazed through the torii gate, keenly observing from a distance.


    There were plenty of guards around the shrine. Roughly ten were patrolling visibly, with another ten concealed. It was unclear how many more were inside, but it was obviously a more fortified position than the factory.


    Moreover, all the guards were armed ¨C batons were a given, and they seemed to also carry Taser guns on their persons?


    Any average thug would likely be pinned to the ground before even stepping onto the shrine stairs.


    In the end, Ms. Kurosaki didn''t take them inside, opting just to share the general structure and interesting anecdotes about the shrine''s construction instead.


    After completing the tour with everyone, the sky had already begun to darken.


    Finally, they arrived at a hall.


    The arrangement inside was somewhat similar to that of a church, with neatly lined benches and a raised platform at the end, which reminded Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko of the auditorium at school.


    The thirty-odd ''Prospective Believers'' sat down, excitedly discussing the sights they had seen along the way.


    They weren''t fully aware of what this place actually was.


    Even though they saw the shrine and even heard the term ''Great Shrine Maiden'' from Ms. Kurosaki''s lips, the crucial term ''Happiness Cult'' never came up from beginning to end.


    If it weren''t for knowing the ins and outs, Kagura Hikaru would definitely think that the headquarters of the Happiness Sanatorium was a quirky but intriguing place.


    In other words, until now, even with an enthusiasm that could rival that of believers, they were still just tourists.


    When exactly did the Happiness Cult plan to recruit them?


    Kagura Hikaru pondered thoughtfully.


    At that moment, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed, while the ones on the raised platform lit up.


    Realizing something was about to begin, everyone gradually fell silent and turned their gaze to the stage.


    A plump man with a stocky build and a broad back sauntered onto the stage from the side, smiling and waving at everyone.


    Despite his fierce appearance, the man''s expression was very kind and even gave off a Buddha-like vibe, as if nothing could ever make him angry.


    However, Kagura Hikaru dared not underestimate this man because of his seemingly gentle demeanor.


    For he was none other than the current sect hierarch of the Happiness Cult¡ªMaster Tanaka, the top-tier individual on the list provided by Inspector Yamazaki.


    The Sect Hierarch himself has made an appearance, huh? He''s really going all out to recruit believers.


    "Hello, good afternoon everyone, although it''s almost evening,"


    Master Tanaka said with a slap on his forehead and a chuckle, eliciting a few quiet laughs from the crowd below.


    "First of all, thank you all for coming today. I''m Tanaka, the person in charge here. If I were to describe myself using the hierarchical terms of mountain bandits, I suppose I''d be the Mountain King."


    "Ha ha ha ha....."


    The crowd below laughed once more.


    "Everyone who has come here must have felt a profound resonance with the word ''happiness.''" Master Tanaka continued with a smile, looking around, "Yes, we are comrades, we have a common goal¡ª"


    "Happiness!!"


    The audience answered in unison.


    "Exactly! Happiness!" Master Tanaka raised his clenched fist, speaking in a raised voice, "Happiness is our sole purpose, the only thing in our lives that we should strive for!"


    The kind-looking plump man officially began his speech.


    He didn''t preach about any religious texts or apocalyptic theories; he merely talked about happiness. This familiar topic evidently made the ''prospective believers'' below the stage happy as they laughed frequently.


    Only Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, who remained rational throughout, were aware that the man on the stage was actually spouting utter nonsense.


    All cults share one laughable trait¡ªthey insist their ideology can save humanity.


    The Happiness Cult was no exception. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Happiness! It can make society better! Just imagine, no wars, no hatred, everyone on Earth loving each other and passing on happiness¡ªwhat a wonderful era that would be!"


    Master Tanaka spread his arms wide, "But such a world will not come to pass because there are too many people who don''t cherish the happiness they have now. Instead, they would rather chase after illusory things than grasp the beauty before them. But I''m different, we''re different!"


    "Happiness! Happiness!"


    "Yes, we will continue to be happy, because all of us sitting here, we! We have already become one big family! We love one another, passing on our happiness, and making the happiness of others our own."


    He said, "I won''t lie to everyone, this place is actually a religious base, and some even say we''re a cult."


    The people below reacted to this, some beginning to panic, while others laughed heartily.


    "What''s evil about pursuing happiness?"


    "Those people are just bored, that''s all."


    "They must be stubborn old fossils to think that way."


    "Exactly, exactly."


    They mocked and jeered, completely unconcerned. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    But there were also those who realized they might have been deceived and showed signs of doubt.


    After all, the terrible impression left by cults was deeply ingrained.


    The atmosphere below the stage was neatly divided into warm and cold halves.


    To completely ensnare all of them would require not just PUA techniques but also a real ''miracle.''


    "The Happiness Cult, that''s the name of our sect. Our mission is to bring happiness to every person in the world,"


    Master Tanaka on stage said with a smile, "Why do I have such confidence to make such bold claims? Because we have Serizawa Mai, the great shrine maiden, the ''Human God'' of our Happiness Cult! A big round of applause, please~~"


    Master Tanaka led the applause.


    The majority of the people below did not recognize the name but clapped along anyway.


    And the few who knew, or rather, the only person who knew that name¡ªKagura Hikaru¡ªtightened her fist and stared at the figure walking barefoot onto the stage.


    That was a petite girl wearing a fox mask, a red kimono, with long hair reaching her waist.


    There was no mistake, it was Komori Ai.

 Chapter 261 Ayakoji Chiyokos ‘Beautiful Dream

    The barefoot Shrine Maiden ascended the stage.


    Although called a Shrine Maiden, she was not wearing the Shrine Maiden Attire; instead, she donned a beautiful red kimono that appeared somewhat large on her petite frame.


    Her hair was not put up, but naturally cascaded down.


    Wearing a fox-patterned mask, her face was obscured.


    Her bare feet, clear and pure as jade, made almost no sound as they touched the clean wooden floor.


    Without needing much confirmation, Kagura Hikaru immediately recognized that it was Komori Ai.


    Following that, a sudden and inexplicable palpitation emerged within him¡ªas if his heart was struck by a hammer, conjuring feelings of reverence, admiration, and joy.


    It was like a child seeing their mother, a knight seeing their king, a sword clashing with a shield.


    His heartbeat quickened dramatically.


    This was clearly not an emotion that arose naturally; realizing this within a second, Kagura Hikaru forcefully pinched his own thigh to calm himself.


    He glanced at the people around him with the corner of his eye.


    The other thirty-something Prospective Believers invited here were all staring at the Shrine Maiden on the stage, some in a daze, some excited, all revealing an unstable state, unconsciously applauding.


    Even though they should have all been seeing Komori Ai for the first time, they exhibited the exact same reactions.


    It seemed his guess was right, the human blood mixed in the honey had established some unknown connection between them and Komori Ai.


    They, like Kagura Hikaru, had eaten that honey.


    Even including Ms. Kurosaki standing at the very edge and Master Tanaka on stage, their expressions were similar, full of admiration when looking at Komori Ai.


    This is what surprised Kagura Hikaru the most.


    Ms. Kurosaki, presumably just a missionary, crudely put, a bottom-tier in the cult, it was normal for her not to know the truth.


    But why was even the esteemed Sect Hierarch so excited?


    Among all those present, only Ayakoji Chiyoko remained unswayed, focusing intently on the new figure appearing on the stage.


    "Everyone, this is our revered Shrine Maiden and Human God of the Happiness Cult, Great Shrine Maiden Serizawa Mai," the Sect Hierarch respectfully bowed to the Shrine Maiden and then sternly addressed the crowd, "The Great Shrine Maiden holds the power to control the Beautiful Dream, bestowing happiness upon everyone. Our Happiness Cult exists for her, and our ideals will ultimately be realized because of the Great Shrine Maiden."


    Shrine Maiden: "..."


    An unusually silent Shrine Maiden, her gaze unflinching, stood dignified on the stage like a puppet.


    Is this really Komori Ai?


    For a moment, Kagura Hikaru even doubted himself.


    Based on his brief interactions with Komori Ai, if it were a normal situation, she would definitely not be so well-behaved, perhaps laughing mischievously and pretending to flap her wings onstage.


    At the very least, she would be lively, waving cheerfully.


    Such a childish-personality individual would never appear so ''mature and composed,'' remaining silent.


    Whether it was truly her, mind-reading would reveal.


    Kagura Hikaru activated his ability without hesitation.


    "I once was a bird, now I am a tree!"


    "I once was a bird, now I am a tree!"


    "I once was a bird, now I am a tree!"


    "You have gained through peering into the heart: Origami+3"


    "Origami lv4 (95/100)"


    Some unusual, grotesque images followed closely.


    A woman, pushed into a pit full of scars, a hanging male silhouette, a bloody coarse rope.


    An absolute madness, completely exemplary.


    It was indeed her.


    "Great Shrine Maiden, please perform a miracle and let us foolish lambs feel your grace,"


    Master Tanaka respectfully said.


    Komori Ai nodded stiffly, looked down at the crowd below, and silently stretched out her hand.


    An invisible wind blew by.


    Colorless and tasteless, it seemed like a breeze blowing into one''s heart.


    Kagura Hikaru knew what Komori Ai was doing, but he felt nothing specific.


    Her ability was activated as silently as mind-reading, catching one completely off-guard.


    Unfortunately, it had no effect on him.


    Lies, deceit, disguise¡ªafter learning the truth, these concepts were nonexistent to him; thus, he was not deceived by Komori Ai''s ability.


    As for others besides Kagura Hikaru, they were not so lucky.


    Without exception, their eyes became confused, their expressions blank, and they slightly bowed their heads as they sat and entered a hypnotic state.


    It was similar to actual hypnosis, not changing cognition unconsciously. Komori Ai probably made everyone in the audience believe they were dreaming, and it was Kagura Hikaru''s first encounter with this form of ability.


    Ms. Kurosaki and Master Tanaka on stage were not affected, as Komori Ai seemed to consciously avoid them.


    But those two even seemed somewhat disappointed.


    Komori Ai on the stage lowered her hands, but then seemed to realize something, tilting her mask slightly downward as she made eye contact with someone below.


    She appeared to recognize Kagura Hikaru, quietly raising her hand and giving a ''yeah'' sign.


    For Master Tanaka, who was continuously watching her, Komori Ai''s action was too conspicuous. He immediately shifted his gaze downwards, searching for where Komori Ai''s eyes landed.


    To avoid detection, Kagura Hikaru quickly lowered his head, pretending to be dreaming like the others.


    After about ten seconds, when he no longer felt the scrutinizing gaze, Kagura Hikaru opened his eyes.


    He didn''t know how long the others'' dreaming would last. For Kagura Hikaru, this time was both tedious and hard. He slightly turned his head to check on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s condition.


    She sat next to him, her head slightly bowed and her expression grave, startling Kagura Hikaru.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko rarely smiled, at least not around others.


    Sometimes an ice queen, sometimes a selective man-eater, neither associated with smiles.


    But in her dream, Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled¡ªbroad and... sick.


    Sick, that was the only word he could find appropriate, as Kagura Hikaru couldn''t think of a better description.


    Though she was smiling, it was a distorted, horrifying smile.


    It was nothing like what humans could produce, terrifying enough to give Kagura Hikaru goosebumps all over his body.


    What kind of beautiful dream was this, what beautiful dream would make one smile like that!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko showed a radically different demeanor from what he remembered, and it was not the first time.


    Including forgiving him nonchalantly, showing up at his front door on her own, and following him to the Happiness Cult headquarters against orders.


    Kagura Hikaru grew increasingly uneasy, worried whether she had been possessed by something unclean without his knowledge.


    Concern gradually transformed into uncontrollable curiosity.


    He had been resisting the urge to spy on Ayakoji Chiyoko''s privacy, but now he could no longer hold back.


    Kagura Hikaru stealthily watched Ayakoji Chiyoko, tentatively reading the mind of her dreaming self.


    "Now you are mine, belonging only to me."


    "Belonging to me alone, my exclusive...."


    "This feeling, is this happiness?" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You have gained through inner vision: Judo +3"


    "Judo lv4 (92/100)"


    Images corresponding to the mind-reading promptly followed.


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    Kagura Hikaru saw himself.


    A person identical to him lay in an oversized adult baby crib, obviously mentally immature, sucking on his finger, eyes widened with curiosity about the outside world.


    Outside the crib, a giant Ayakoji Chiyoko figure, over three times larger than in reality, gently rocked the crib, gazing down at Kagura Hikaru with a maternal look, eyes intense as if they could stare forever.


    Instantly feeling a chill, Kagura Hikaru immediately turned off the mind-reading, his back drenched in cold sweat.


    ...What?

 Chapter 262 Miracle

    Everyone''s preferences are different.


    For some, a beautiful dream is falling in love, but for others, it''s piloting a Gundam¡ªtotally opposite.


    Therefore, the contents of dreams can never be consistent.


    Although he had never experienced it, Kagura Hikaru felt that Komori Ai''s so-called "beautiful dream" must involve showing the target what they most desired to see, creating a dream that fulfilled their wishes.


    If this guess was accurate...


    Chiyoko Ayakoji, did she want to be his mother?


    A chill ran down Kagura Hikaru''s spine.


    No, the kind of mother she wanted to be was different from the usual sense.


    To be precise, she wanted to possess and imprison him.


    He could feel the affection, but this kind of love was too burdensome!


    A wave of cold swept over him.


    It was like the first time he saw Kohinata Motoyo''s curse-level yandere mind-reading.


    In that mind-reading image, a magnified Chiyoko Ayakoji kept staring at her own infant self, with a focus on gaze and scrutiny, which seemed to hint at something.


    Could it be that she came up here disregarding the risks just to keep him within her line of sight?


    Speaking of which, after Chiyoko Ayakoji took the initiative to reconcile with him, he had indeed felt more gazes upon him.


    He had been worried whether the Happiness Cult had secretly done something to Chiyoko Ayakoji to make her act so strangely, but it turned out to be such a pure reason.


    So pure, that it was pitiable.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji had changed.


    Her ideals and rationality had been twisted since that breakup.


    Kagura Hikaru had always thought that Chiyoko Ayakoji''s indifferent behavior towards the failure of that relationship was due to her being more rational in love than Kiryu Hina, or perhaps Kagura Hikaru himself hadn''t had such a big influence on her.


    But he was wrong.


    It wasn''t that the impact was small, but that Chiyoko Ayakoji knew better how to hide herself, simply appearing indifferent.


    And next to her, Kagura Hikaru hadn''t felt it at all!


    Her beautiful dream was to have him all to herself.


    This was an obsession caused by loss.


    And what she had lost was something that didn''t need pondering.


    Unable to bear watching any longer, Kagura Hikaru pursed his lips and looked away. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    After this situation ended, he would have a good talk with Chiyoko Ayakoji.


    However, he truly didn''t know how to console her, since there was nothing more absurd than an offender sympathizing with a victim.


    This was why he didn''t want to casually probe into others'' inner thoughts.


    It was too easy to become emotionally disturbed by just a few words, just a couple of images.


    And what was worse was accidentally finding out some secrets that shouldn''t be known.


    That could make interactions between people very awkward, not knowing how to face each other.


    Kagura Hikaru''s mind was in turmoil, feeling so confused that he didn''t even need to act, perfectly mimicking the demeanor of someone caught in a beautiful dream¡ªbewildered, vacant.


    Until a sharp clap jolted him awake.


    He and everyone else below the stage suddenly snapped out of it, looking up towards the stage.


    The one clapping was Master Tanaka, who lowered his hands and smiled at everyone, "Ladies and gentlemen, did you have a good dream?"


    Everyone below the stage slowly regained their senses, their expressions varied as they discussed animatedly.


    "I just saw my wife, really, I''ve dreamt of killing her, and I just did it!"


    "Really? I dreamed about my son, he grew up, and he was as happy as me."


    "Why are your dreams different from mine? I became a star, traveled around the world, and even dated a foreign actress."


    "Why would we suddenly have such dreams? How did they put everyone to sleep at the same time? Hypnosis gas?"


    "No, this is a miracle!"


    Everyone was very excited.


    In their dreams, they had indeed experienced things they had long wanted to do but were unable or might never accomplish, fulfilling their own desires.


    Just as Master Tanaka had said, it was a tangible ''Beautiful Dream''.


    Beautiful fantasies, dreamlike states.


    And the Happiness Cult that made it happen, along with the Shrine Maiden Komori Ai who performed the miracles, suddenly took on a mysterious and elusive stature in their minds.


    Some who had barely maintained their sanity, being skeptical, began to waver in their longtime adherence to materialism as they pondered.


    Some people suggested that they had been inhaling some kind of hypnotic gas since entering the hall, which had caused them to fall into the dreams.


    But the counterargument was persuasive, as human physiologies differ, making it impossible to control over thirty people of varying ages and genders to enter dreams simultaneously.


    Nor was it possible to wake up simultaneously at the snap of fingers.


    If they had inhaled hypnotic gas, they would have felt discomfort upon awakening, yet they didn''t feel such sensations; instead, they opened their eyes in their seats as if they had simply been dreaming, feeling light-hearted save for a slightly stiff neck.


    With all possibilities eliminated, only one truth remained¡ªthis was supernatural power. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was still the line of thought among the more rational ones.


    The other half, already driven mad, having experienced a ''miracle'' firsthand, started to worship the Sect Hierarch of the Happiness Cult and the Shrine Maiden Komori Ai devoutly.


    Some were praying with hands clasped non-stop, some were dancing and gesticulating wildly, some knelt on the chairs.


    It was a complete chaos.


    In comparison, Ayakoji Chiyoko was among the calmest, but she was visibly shaken, her pupils dilating, her gaze trembling, a mix of rage from having her inner thoughts probed and greed for the Beautiful Dream flickering repeatedly across her face.


    Kagura Hikaru gripped her shoulders firmly, and she suddenly snapped back, turning her head to look.


    "Kagura?"


    "Stay calm, don''t be influenced," Kagura Hikaru said calmly, "That wasn''t a miracle, nor was it supernatural power, just a hypnotic technique."


    "Hypnosis? But it clearly....."


    "It is indeed fake; it probably began from the moment we boarded the bus, sing songs, view landscapes, tour, continuously reinforcing impressions. It''s like ancient sorcerers who used chemical reactions to deceive people, same idea."


    Kagura Hikaru mixed false speculations with genuine knowledge of hypnosis, coaxing Ayakoji Chiyoko to gradually believe that it was a deliberate ruse by the Happiness Cult.


    "Could it really be so...?" Under his continuous persuasion, Ayakoji Chiyoko also became bewildered.


    "Yes." Kagura Hikaru said, "So, no matter what you dreamed of, it might have felt comforting, but it might not represent your true self. Stay calm, remember this is a tactic of the cult, don''t let these vile deceivers succeed."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression subtly changed, pondering on her own.


    Seeing her doubtful look, Kagura Hikaru quietly sighed in relief.


    That Beautiful Dream, perhaps truly reflected Ayakoji Chiyoko''s desire, but it was not a good future, was not normal.


    For now, he could only stabilize Ayakoji Chiyoko with his words, and continue to guide her slowly in the future, now wasn''t the time.


    Kagura Hikaru fixed his gaze on Komori Ai on stage, she was watching this way all along, and tilted her head slightly when she saw him look over.


    Their little interaction earlier had proven that Komori Ai''s mind had not been influenced by the Happiness Cult, she remained herself.


    This made him all the more eager to confront her for clarity.


    Why she was being used by the Happiness Cult, whether it was voluntary or forced.


    And, if Komori Ai was coerced, then how exactly did the Happiness Cult control a supernatural power user.


    He hoped that the next time he saw her, all his questions would be answered.

 Chapter 263 Undercover Plan x Assassin Assassination √

    After witnessing the miracle, the Prospective Believers quickly became true believers, expressing their desire to join the Happiness Cult.


    Master Tanaka, however, remained composed and said there was no rush, suggesting everyone eat and rest first.


    As everyone started leaving with Ms. Kurosaki, Master Tanaka stopped Ayakoji Chiyoko for a chat.


    The gist was that he was thankful Ayakoji Chiyoko graced them with her presence today and wanted to establish a connection with the Ayakoji family.


    They indeed knew her true identity.


    Unlike Kagura Hikaru and the others who had gone through vetting and testing, Ayakoji Chiyoko was a direct drop-in, and without prior knowledge of her background, it was unlikely the Happiness Cult would have agreed so easily.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave noncommittal responses, saying she was just accompanying a friend, and Master Tanaka did not press further, leaving with a smile.


    "Let''s go."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko returned and said to Kagura Hikaru.


    "Ah, yes..." Kagura Hikaru came back to his senses, shifting his gaze from the stage.


    Realizing he had been watching the ''Great Shrine Maiden'' who had been led away by two female believers in Shrine Maiden Attire, Ayakoji Chiyoko frowned slightly, "Are you concerned about that girl?"


    "She is my target for this trip," Kagura Hikaru said in a low voice.


    "Oh...?" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression changed subtly, "What do you plan to do?"


    "This isn''t the place to talk, walls have ears."


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head gently at her and walked towards the exit.


    This behavior sent Ayakoji Chiyoko''s thoughts racing.


    That evasive attitude... could it be that woman was of significant importance to him?


    Yet she had never heard her name before today.


    Serizawa Mai, a cult Shrine Maiden, why would Kagura Hikaru get involved with someone like her?


    Watching his retreating back, Ayakoji Chiyoko was filled with thoughts, her expression changing rapidly, and she quickly followed him.


    They gathered in a room, dining with the others stationed there. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The food wasn''t upscale, but it tasted very good.


    After finishing their meal as quickly as possible, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko made an excuse to go to the restroom, where they forced themselves to vomit everything they had eaten into the toilet.


    Neither could be sure the meals didn''t contain something bizarre, so it was better not to actually ingest them just to be safe.


    Luckily, Kagura Hikaru was prepared and had brought some chocolate bars for emergencies, giving two to Ayakoji Chiyoko to fill their stomachs.


    After dinner, everyone gathered to watch a movie, then bathed, brushed their teeth, and went to bed.


    It was baffling how the people of the Happiness Cult reasoned, claiming a world where everyone is equal should start now, then they assigned everyone to sleep together in one large Japanese-style room, regardless of gender.


    No wonder Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko saw no signs differentiating the restrooms by gender when they went to use them; they thought the Happiness Cult had run out of money during construction and skimped on building separate facilities.


    Now it seemed they were simply out of their minds.


    However, this actually worked to their advantage due to the inadvertent error.


    In such an unknown environment, it clearly wasn''t wise to be separated.


    In horror movies, when men and women split up to explore a haunted house, someone usually ends up dead, and at times, even a couple.


    When choosing their futons, Ayakoji Chiyoko naturally took the spot next to Kagura Hikaru and deliberately brought the two futons as close together as possible, right next to each other.


    In the dead of night, everyone fell into a deep sleep.


    Kagura Hikaru lay awake in the darkness, watching the shadows of the patrolling guards through the paper sliding door, silently listening to the breathing of those around him.


    Not until he had figured out the frequency and intervals at which the patrols passed by and confirmed that everyone in the room except for himself and Ayakoji Chiyoko was asleep did Kagura Hikaru decide to act, slowly peeling back the covers.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko also opened her eyes and whispered, "Are we leaving?"


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t speak but patted her hand and silently stood up.


    The two of them quietly got out of bed and slid open the paper doors to leave the room.


    Emerging from the house into the corridor, Kagura Hikaru gently closed the paper doors behind them. Then he looked left and right, making sure the coast was clear before dashing toward the shadows under the eaves of the neighboring house.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko followed closely.


    Since they had left their shoes at the entrance, they were now barefoot, feeling the novelty of the dry, rough, and warm ground beneath their feet.


    They quickly slipped into the shadows.


    Reaching the edge of the shadows, Kagura Hikaru held out his hand to stop Ayakoji Chiyoko and waited silently.


    One second, two seconds.


    Footsteps approached, a patrol guard was closing in on their location.


    Just as he reached the edge of the shadows, Kagura Hikaru struck like a viper. His left hand covered the mouth, his right delivered a kidney blow, instantly dazing the target. He dragged him into the darkness and finished with a punch, knocking him out cold.


    That skilled movement, decisive momentum, and effective outcome caught Ayakoji Chiyoko by surprise.


    "Kagura, you... couldn''t be one of those agents who received training from a young age, living under an assumed name, surveilling society in secret, could you?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    Kagura Hikaru said, puzzled, as he stripped the guard of his baton and Taser gun.


    He handed the Taser gun to Ayakoji Chiyoko, instructing her to dress in the guard''s clothes and shoes while he picked up the baton.


    They continued on their way, with a clear target in mind - the highest building within the Happiness Cult''s residence, the Shrine.


    Being a shrine maiden, it was natural that she wouldn''t stay anywhere else, right?


    The closer they got, the tighter the security became, and the more people they encountered.


    But Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko moved with caution, steady and secure, taking down one person every ten paces.


    As they looted the guards'' equipment, their arsenal grew, and it became easier to incapacitate their adversaries.


    The Taser gun was handy, instantly disabling someone with a shot, and since it was electric, the victims couldn''t cry out. All they had to do was catch them before they hit the ground and knock them out.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was in charge of delivering the shocks, and Kagura Hikaru was responsible for the knockout blows, dragging them into the shadows to hide them. Their cooperation was silent and efficient.


    He estimated that these men wouldn''t wake up for a couple of hours, and by the time they could open their eyes and shout, he would have long completed his mission.


    However, he felt it was more likely they would be discovered by others before they even woke up.


    They advanced, quickly reaching the outskirts of the Shrine.


    The two had no intention of entering through the main gate under the torii, which was too conspicuous. Kagura Hikaru chose to climb over the wall from the side.


    The landing made a noise that nearly got them caught, but thankfully, Kagura Hikaru swiftly managed the situation with his Taser guns in both hands.


    After that, it was a repeat of earlier tactics - silent assassinations of all the guards around the shrine, ensuring safety before entering the shrine itself.


    The doors of the shrine were locked from the outside.


    It was as if something was being sealed away.


    But such a ''seal'' was clearly no challenge for Kagura Hikaru, who used his Swiss Army Knife to jimmy the lock in less than two seconds, even faster than it took to pick the rooftop door of a school building.


    He was ready for an attack as soon as he opened the door; it would have been normal to have someone guarding inside.


    But to his surprise, upon opening the door, he found the place as quiet as an empty room, with only flickering candlelight illuminating the interior.


    "You stay here and watch the door, keep it slightly ajar to keep an eye on the outside," Kagura Hikaru said to his partner as he closed the door behind them after they slipped inside, "If anyone tries to come in, take them down with the Taser gun. If there are too many, run inside and call out loudly for me. Don''t try to be a hero, got it?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed hesitant but nodded seriously, knowing this wasn''t the time to be stubborn. She took out her Taser gun and stood guard by the door.


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    Seeing her comply eased Kagura Hikaru''s mind, and he then set off to ascend the staircase along the side.


    If they were to imprison a princess, it surely had to be in the highest place possible.

 Chapter 264 Youre Still Human, Right?

    Just like Kagura Hikaru had guessed, Komori Ai was confined on the top level of the shrine.


    Though called the top level, this shrine was after all just three stories high.


    The entire third floor was one room, covered with tatami mats, with nothing but load-bearing pillars for separation.


    As he ascended the stairs, Kagura Hikaru saw her.


    Komori Ai hadn''t gone to bed yet; she was curled up, her delicate little feet tucked beneath her, quietly sitting by the window, fiddling with something.


    She was clad in a crimson kimono, her sleek black hair cascading down, revealing her pale side profile, which, under the bright moonlight, resembled Takenaka Koya¡ªso exquisitely beautiful that it was beyond words.


    But the origami cranes scattered around her feet added a childish touch to her image.


    There were others in the corners, heaped up into small mountains.


    So, what she was fiddling with... was indeed origami.


    No wonder the mind-reading Skill could only replicate the origami skill¡ªit was something borne out of boredom after all.


    "Big brother, you''re here."


    Perhaps having heard his footsteps, Komori Ai turned to look at him, then cheerfully got up and threw herself into Kagura Hikaru''s arms, followed by her hopping excitedly, her sleeves flapping as she ran to the pile of origami cranes, scooping up a big handful against her chest. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Look! I''m amazing, aren''t I? I''ve folded so many in just half a year!"


    "Half a year..."


    Kagura Hikaru''s brow twitched.


    Half a year, that was the time they had been apart.


    So, she indeed had been captured then.


    The influence of the honey surfaced once again.


    The desire to protect her, to save her, to help her¡ªsuch emotions kept burrowing into Kagura Hikaru''s mind.


    Upon seeing that lock at the shrine entrance, a subtle fury had already surged within him, and now, seeing Komori Ai''s situation, this emotion started to become more pronounced.


    Without a doubt, the Happiness Cult did not truly treat Komori Ai as a goddess; instead, they imprisoned her, forcing her to work as a proselytizing tool for the sect.


    If that were not so, why lock her in? Because if not locked, she would definitely run away.


    Komori Ai''s parents probably did the same; her father too exploited her.


    According to Inspector Yamazaki, Komori Ai''s father was the first Sect Hierarch of the Happiness Cult, who established its wealth-gathering schemes in society. After his death, Komori Ai found no respite; like an object, she was succeeded by another opportunist and continued to be a tool for making money.


    There was no future for her here.


    "Do you want to leave this place?" Kagura Hikaru asked.


    "I am a free little bird, I want freedom, freedom! Caw!"


    Out of the blue, Komori Ai spread her arms wide, standing unsteadily on one foot, her expression serious, while mimicking the caw of a crow.


    Although it was a bit bizarre, Kagura Hikaru felt that her answer was affirmative.


    "Why don''t you leave on your own?" Kagura Hikaru asked, voicing the doubt that had been present from the beginning, "With your abilities, how exactly do those people keep you under control?"


    "They are despicable adults!" Komori Ai put down her hands, pouting angrily, "They took my umbilical cord! So, they just won''t listen!"


    "Umbilical cord?"


    What was that? Some kind of magic artifact alias?


    "An umbilical cord is an umbilical cord!" Komori Ai said sorrowfully, touching her stomach, "It is the proof, the real, that I was born...."


    Listening to her intermittent stories, Kagura Hikaru roughly understood the meaning.


    The umbilical cord cut at the birth of Komori Ai seemed to her like some sort of ''Item of Truth,'' a thing that restrained her powers.


    In terms of mysticism, the umbilical cord is the first bridge connecting a human to this world, signifying an undeniable blood-tie; perhaps that is why it became her bane.


    Though this part was Kagura Hikaru''s guess.


    According to Komori Ai, anyone who carried the umbilical cord could restrict her ''Lie''.


    The Happiness Cult had powdered the umbilical cord and distributed it among all members to carry with them; thus, Komori Ai could not hypnotize them, becoming a weak little girl who couldn''t even defeat a goose in the presence of Happiness Cult members.


    Kagura Hikaru had thought they possessed some ancient supernatural weapon or a magic contract to keep Komori Ai submissive, a bit worried it might threaten him, but the answer turned out to be simpler than he thought...


    "Wuwuwu, Xiao Ai is too miserable, not only do I have to fold origami cranes here every day, I can''t go out to play, and they even draw my blood, it''s killing me!"


    Komori Ai covered her eyes with her right hand, pretending to cry while secretly peeping at Kagura Hikaru''s reaction.


    "Blood draw?" Kagura Hikaru furrowed his brows, "Did they mix your blood into the honey?"


    "Yes, yes, you ate it too, didn''t you? I can feel it!" Komori Ai''s tears turned into laughter in a second, dancing around Kagura Hikaru, and dancing quite beautifully.


    "Does that stuff affect the mind?"


    "Quack, quack, vampire, vampire~~"


    "Speak properly." Kagura Hikaru caught her face with his five fingers, then skillfully hoisted her onto his back, "Anyway, I will take you with me, but you need to tell me how to counteract the effects of the blood you drank."


    "Eh? What do you mean by counteract?"


    "..."


    Meaning it can''t be undone, right?


    Kagura Hikaru sighed deeply.


    Forget it, it''s just that seeing Komori Ai gets me a bit more emotional, nothing serious.


    Speaking of which, the reason he felt a connection to Ms. Kurosaki and the Sect Hierarch''s group might also be due to this, the umbilical cords they carried and the blood of Komori Ai he had consumed were interacting.


    For Komori Ai, this urge might be even more intense, which is why she couldn''t use her abilities on them.


    Well, thinking about it, just drinking blood can influence one''s mind and trigger emotions, and even connect with the other''s umbilical cord, what kind of bodily structure would produce such effects?


    Is she really still human?


    The ''Non-Human'' on his back suddenly began to wriggle.


    "You''re speaking ill of Xiao Ai! Why speak ill of Mom, bad child!"


    "Shh! Keep it down, don''t attract the bad guys."


    "Oh oh oh, shush~shush~~"


    Although Komori Ai acts weird sometimes, she seems quite obedient when it comes to what should and shouldn''t be said.


    It would be nice to have a daughter as cute as her in the future.


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself without reason.


    He carried Komori Ai on his back, his steps still light as a feather, running down the stairs.


    This also related to Komori Ai being very lightweight, one could tell this girl hardly ate well regularly.


    Quickly running down to the first floor, Ayakoji Chiyoko was still guarding the front door, and without turning around at the sound of footsteps, she kept watching the door crack dutifully.


    "Ayakoji." Kagura Hikaru called out to her.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko, without turning her head, gestured with her hand.


    Kagura Hikaru understood her signal and quietly came over to peek through the door crack.


    Outside the Shrine, many flashlight beams appeared.


    A group of people hastened through the torii gateway into the Shrine area, and if one listened carefully, some command-like shouts could faintly be heard.


    It seems the ''corpses'' of the guards knocked down earlier had been discovered.


    "Xiao Ai, is there a back door we can use?" Kagura Hikaru asked, turning his head.


    "Nope." Komori Ai hugged his neck, grinning as she said, "The first floor is completely sealed off."


    "First floor, what about the second floor?" Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Sealed too~"


    Kagura Hikaru hummed to himself.


    The Shrine''s story height was not the same as an apartment, with just the first floor matching two stories'' height. Jumping down from the Shrine''s second floor was already perilous, let alone from third story.


    From that height, even Kagura Hikaru himself was likely to get injured, not to mention Komori Ai and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "Kagura, what should we do?" Ayakoji Chiyoko looked back worriedly.


    The group outside had already started searching around, likely to encircle them soon.


    What to do?

 Chapter 265 Dont move, or Ill knife her!

    After discovering their patrolling companion knocked unconscious, lights swiftly came on throughout the Happiness Cult compound as believers spontaneously walked out of their houses to search for the culprit.


    About twenty or so followers and guards of the Happiness Cult came in groups, surrounding the Shrine.


    It wasn''t because they were efficient and quickly realized that the attacker''s target was this place, but more to protect Komori Ai, the highest asset of the sect.


    Trouble could happen anywhere in the compound, but not here, so the number of people dispatched to this location was also the greatest.


    However, when they arrived to inspect the area around the Shrine, they quickly realized that all the guards were missing, found unconscious in various concealed locations, and the locks of the Shrine''s main gate had been picked open.


    Clearly, the worst had happened, and the Shrine had been invaded.


    The believers immediately wanted to storm into the Shrine.


    At that moment, the main gate of the Shrine was suddenly kicked open from the inside.


    "Nobody move!!"


    A man''s shout echoed through the air.


    The guards, shining their flashlights, saw three figures against the light coming out of the Shrine.


    To be precise, it was two masked men and women taking the Happiness Cult''s Shrine Maiden Serizawa Mai as a hostage.


    The masked man held a small knife at the Shrine Maiden''s throat and, flanked by the masked woman on either side, supported her.


    The guards of the Happiness Cult instantly raised their Taser guns with caution, but because the Shrine Maiden was taken as a hostage, they dared not act rashly and subtly lowered their aim a bit.


    "Who are you?! Let go of the Great Shrine Maiden!!" The lead guard shouted urgently.


    "I won''t let her go, what can you do about it, you x cult dogs? Hahahaha!"


    The masked man laughed wildly, filled with strong vengeance and malice, furrowing brows.


    "Ah~~ I''ve been captured! What should I do~~" The petite Shrine Maiden stuck out her tongue without any grace, chanting in a sing-song voice.


    The guard glanced at her and raised the Taser gun, shouting, "What do you want to do!?"


    "What do I want to do? Is it any of your business!" The masked man flipped his middle finger with the hand holding the Shrine Maiden, then shoved her forward, the blade pressed against the girl''s pale neck, "Back off, everyone back off! Or I''ll do it!"


    The malicious thug''s demeanor made Ayakoji Chiyoko want to cover her face.


    The pair of masked men and women were none other than Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    When they were about to be surrounded, Kagura Hikaru thought of a harmful strategy.


    If going out meant being captured, then the only option was to take Komori Ai as a hostage and flee.


    Hence the current situation.


    The reason for covering their faces and impersonating criminals wasn''t just to hide their identities; it was more important to maintain a strong position and intimidate them.


    Having a hostage meant the more ferocious the display, the better.


    True to form, the Happiness Cult believers, seeing their own Shrine Maiden in the hands of criminals, dared not defy them. Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chi carried Komori Ai between them, passing through the crowd and then started running toward the exit at an increased pace.


    The path was smooth, with nobody daring to block their way.


    But no matter how fast they ran, there were always people following behind, and the number kept growing.


    They finally arrived at the Happiness Cult compound''s main gate.


    Master Tanaka, whom they had seen before, led a group of believers, blocking the way with a furious expression.


    "Stop¡ª"


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t listen to him, firing a Taser gun shot unexpectedly, directly knocking Master Tanaka down. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    The corpulent man thudded to the ground.


    At that moment, the crowd of believers were stunned.


    "Make way!" Kagura Hikaru demanded vehemently.


    They looked at Komori Ai being held hostage and then at Master Tanaka lying on the ground, unable to speak or rise.


    With the decision-maker taken down, they could only silently clear a path.


    Of course, the key factor was that Kagura Hikaru had control over the believers'' lifeline, that is, Komori Ai, the ''Shrine Maiden''.


    From the moment they left the Shrine, Kagura Hikaru noticed that the Happiness Cult''s people were exceptionally nervous about Komori Ai being taken, it went beyond just ''sect asset endangered'' level, it was almost as if their own mother was being lured away by a scoundrel.


    Fury filled them, but they dared not say too much, fearing trouble.


    And it wasn''t just one person; everyone felt the same way.


    Even including that Master Tanaka.


    This realization struck Kagura Hikaru, they must have, like him, consumed honey mixed with Komori Ai''s blood, and were likely sincerely worshipping her as the Shrine Maiden.


    But even so, they still disregarded Komori Ai''s wishes and imprisoned her.


    Thus, in the end, desire had triumphed over love, such was the complexity of human nature.


    After clearing the last obstacle, Kagura Hikaru and the two others ran down the mountain along the path they had come.


    A swarm of people rushed after them, and shaking them off seemed impossible.


    But as long as they didn''t block the way and just followed, it didn''t matter; Kagura Hikaru planned to immediately call the police once he reached an area with a signal for support.


    "Do we just keep running towards the city?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked while running.


    "Yes," Kagura Hikaru answered succinctly.


    Although somewhat distant, being able to leave safely was already a very good outcome.


    However, they had only run a short distance when they encountered another group of people led by the sect hierarch''s deputy, the bucktoothed man they had seen earlier at the entrance of the encampment.


    They had blocked the road with several jeeps, turned on the headlights for illumination, and were holding weapons in their hands.


    Guns.


    Kagura Hikaru signaled for Ayakoji Chiyoko and the others to slow down. Before they could take further action, that group of people raised their guns and shot towards them.


    Bang!


    At the sound of gunfire, Kagura Hikaru''s adrenaline surged crazily, and he knocked Ayakoji Chiyoko and Komori Ai to the ground at top speed.


    "Have you been shot?!" he quickly asked after they fell to the ground.


    "Not at all!" Komori Ai shouted back with a smile.


    "No!" Ayakoji Chiyoko said in alarm, "They''re shooting?! Where did they get the guns?!"


    "Don''t panic, there was no muzzle flash¡ªthat was an air gun!"


    Once he confirmed that the two were unharmed, Kagura Hikaru quickly pulled them up and ran towards the woods, off the road.


    Staying in place would only get them caught in a pincer attack; he preferred to risk being hit and run into the mountains.


    Under Kagura Hikaru''s lead, they split up and ran at different distances.


    Frantic voices and a second round of gunfire came from behind them, delayed.


    But they managed to dodge behind trees in time and escaped once again.


    In fact, even if they were hit, it probably wouldn''t affect their ability to move¡ªKagura Hikaru had deduced from the sound that they were low-pressure air guns used for hunting, shooting lead pellets. At close range, it would struggle to penetrate a rabbit''s skull, much less kill a person.


    However, the behavior of that group was indeed very unusual, different from the cult followers they had encountered at the encampment; they had dared to shoot at Komori Ai. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if a low-pressure air gun was unlikely to be lethal, a strike to the eyes could still cause serious problems if they were unlucky.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help feeling there were things about the Happiness Cult he didn''t fully understand yet.


    The trio quickly disappeared into the shadows of the mountain forest, vanishing under the cover of the night.


    The people from the Happiness Cult didn''t plan on giving up; they formed teams and continued to search along the mountain path.


    After half an hour, they still found nothing. Their flashlights were out of power, but they refused to give up. They had batteries delivered and continued the mountain search, gradually expanding the range.


    By this time, Kagura Hikaru, Komori Ai, and Ayakoji Chiyoko were hiding in a spot that was difficult to detect, a corner concealed by trees and underbrush, watching them from a distance.


    "What do we do now?" Ayakoji Chiyoko crouched beside Kagura Hikaru, whispering in his ear.


    The way down the mountain was completely blocked, and a forceful breakthrough would lead to a chase; if this continued, they would eventually be caught.


    Kagura Hikaru pondered for a moment, looking up the mountain.


    Under the moonlight, the Shrine of the Happiness Cult''s encampment was faintly visible.


    He turned his head and said, "Let''s head back."

 Chapter 266 Time to Skedaddle with a Parting Shot

    "Go back?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said in surprise, "You want to go back to that x cult''s nest?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru, with Komori Ai who was dozing off on his back, signaled with a wave and then headed up the mountain.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko followed without hesitation.


    The three quietly distanced themselves from the search team. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    After a while, Kagura Hikaru finally explained, "The sect''s shrine maiden has been taken by us. They must be desperate by now, sending everyone out to search the mountain. At this time, their base is probably where the fewest people are."


    "I see," Ayakoji Chiyoko nodded in agreement. "But after we get there, how are we going to escape?"


    "That depends on whether the tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain is successful."


    "?"


    Half an hour later, they dodged the watchful eyes and infiltrated the Happiness Cult''s base once again.


    As expected, there were very few people on the mountain. Almost everyone had gone out to search, with probably less than one twentieth of the original number left to guard.


    Kagura Hikaru and his group easily dealt with the obstacles, achieved their goal, and then left from the other side of the mountain.


    By the time they had traveled far from the base, they could already see the fire in the distance.


    Yes, Kagura Hikaru had set a fire.


    He set the Happiness Cult''s honey factory ablaze.


    He had this idea during the previous visit, and now he just took the opportunity to make it happen.


    The harmful honey and the blood of Komori Ai all went up in flames there.


    Only the factory was burning, unlikely to cause a forest fire, yet sure to attract all the cult''s followers.


    They surely wouldn''t insist on searching the mountain while the base was on fire; the number of interceptors would definitely decrease significantly.


    By this time, Kagura Hikaru and his group were already making their way down from another part of the mountain, taking a different route than before, almost certain to be safe.


    Kagura Hikaru led Ayakoji Chiyoko and Komori Ai down the mountain.


    Though this place was in the outskirts, it wasn''t completely isolated from the city. Finding a spot with a good view, they could easily see the lights of the city in the distance; the direction was very clear.


    As long as they didn''t encounter a strange confusing array like they did during their last camping trip to Sendai and with Kagura Hikaru''s confidence in his various wilderness survival skills, he was sure they could make it out in the dark of night.


    Moreover, tonight the moonlight was very bright, and the sky was clear and cloudless, making it an even better night to escape.


    By this point, they could basically confirm they were safe.


    Their descent was mostly straight, and they didn''t encounter a single Happiness Cult follower. It was predictable that they wouldn''t meet any going forward.


    The strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain was perfectly executed.


    Kagura Hikaru checked for mobile phone signals every once in a while as they walked.


    Once he reached an area with a signal, he planned to call Inspector Yamazaki.


    The police certainly wouldn''t just let him go undercover into the Happiness Cult alone while comfortably sleeping in Tokyo City. Backup was already waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain, ready to help Kagura Hikaru make his getaway.


    It was uncertain what their reaction would be to the unexpected addition of two more people.


    "Kagura,"


    As they walked on, Ayakoji Chiyoko suddenly spoke from behind. "It''s about time you told me what the deal is with that little girl... How do you know her? Who exactly is she?"


    Finally, she asked.


    Kagura Hikaru was not surprised by her question.


    It was more surprising that Ayakoji Chiyoko had followed him through all this chaos and only now asked.


    Komori Ai seemed to be awakened by her voice, turning her head on Kagura Hikaru''s back, rubbing her cheek against the back of his head, and then continued to sleep.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched with a twitch of her eyelid, her gaze growing a bit darker.


    "I met her last year," Kagura Hikaru said, looking forward, and without turning his head continued, "I didn''t have a good impression the first time we met, but after more interaction, I just thought she was a kid."


    "..."


    "Unexpectedly, when I saw her half a year later, I found her captured by the x cult, turned into some kind of shrine maiden."


    "So you entered this kind of place just for her?"


    "Is there a problem?"


    "...No."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face was dark.


    She knew that this matter was far from as simple as Kagura Hikaru had described.


    Was it really just because she couldn''t ignore seeing a girl she knew being controlled by a cult, that she dared to take on the entire cult head-on?


    Kagura Hikaru might indeed be considered helpful, but she felt that even he wouldn''t do so much for a girl he was not particularly close to.


    The connection between the two of them was definitely much tighter than he had let on.


    Especially that girl, who had no sense of personal space at all, rubbing up against him without even knowing if Kagura Hikaru agreed!


    Crack.


    Suddenly, she stepped on something that made a crisp sound underfoot.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko could tell it wasn''t a branch because it felt very hard.


    She instinctively looked down and, with the help of the moonlight, she vaguely saw... a hand.


    To be precise, it was a skeletal hand.


    Following the bones upwards, as expected, she found an entire human skeleton.


    For the first time in her life, Ayakoji Chiyoko came face to face with a human skeleton in reality, and the fact that she merely froze instead of screaming out loud was proof that she was braver than 99.9% of the girls in this world.


    "Wow! A corpse!"


    Komori Ai seemed to have woken up and exclaimed excitedly.


    Kagura Hikaru, "Do you know who this is?"


    Komori Ai, "I have no idea!"


    Kagura Hikaru turned around, illuminated the area with his phone, and bent down with a grave face to observe.


    There was no doubt that this was a human skeleton, it wasn''t fake, nor was it a mistake.


    From the looks of it, it had been dead for at least three years.


    There were marks of blunt force trauma on the skull, probably the victim had been struck on the head before the body was dumped here.


    "Ka-Kagura... what on earth..." Ayakoji Chiyoko asked, somewhat stuttering, pointing at the skeletal remains.


    "Hmm, it might be the doing of the Happiness Cult," Kagura Hikaru said as he took photos of the body, planning to give them to Inspector Yamazaki later, possibly as evidence of the cult''s criminal activities.


    At the very least, it could become a legitimate reason for the police to search their premises.


    In modern society, a dead body is much more serious than a cult.


    Komori Ai, seeing their serious expressions, pouted and indifferently kicked her foot out, "There''s a lot of this stuff around here, you can come back and look some other time if you want."


    Why talk about a corpse as if it''s a scenic spot right outside your house.


    And what does "a lot around here" mean...


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko exchanged glances, turned on the flashlight function of their phones, and illuminated the surrounding area.


    As a result, just within the visible range, there were four skeletons, and there might be more further away.


    Finding a body here was no accident, this place had been used as a dumping ground!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko clasped her hands over her mouth to stop herself from making any noise and her face turned deathly pale.


    Even for Ayakoji Chiyoko, seeing so many corpses in one day, especially at night, was a bit too much to handle.


    "Ayakoji, we''re heading down the mountain."


    Kagura Hikaru felt a sense of urgency and dared not dally any longer.


    The ones capable of discarding bodies in such large numbers could be none other than the Happiness Cult.


    His initial suspicion about the Happiness Cult was correct; it was an incredibly dangerous organization.


    If they got caught, they might end up just like the skeletons beneath their feet!


    Kagura Hikaru quickly took several photos, marked the GPS coordinates of the location, and then pulled Ayakoji Chiyoko along as they hurried away.


    Before long, they successfully descended the mountain and met up with Inspector Yamazaki on the road.

 Chapter 267 A Conclusion?

    ```


    Luckily, Kagura Hikaru and his colleagues, although they did not find the man-made path down the mountain, managed to locate the highway smoothly.


    After jumping over a drainage channel from the mountain to the asphalt road, they waited for a short while before a white Honda sedan pulled up in front of them.


    The driver-side window rolled down, revealing not Inspector Yamazaki''s face, but that of a short-haired woman in a suit, who was a stranger to them.


    She slightly frowned as she sized up Kagura Hikaru, as well as the two girls by his side and on his back, before shifting her gaze back to him: "Are you Kagura Hikaru?"


    "Who are you?" Kagura Hikaru asked, furrowing his brow in response.


    "Don''t be nervous." A familiar voice came from the passenger seat, and Inspector Yamazaki leaned over from the other side, waving at Kagura Hikaru, "She''s my colleague, working with me."


    After saying this, he glanced at the group beside Kagura Hikaru and was taken aback for a moment: "Wait a second, why are there so many people, who are these two girls?"


    Perhaps it was because Komori Ai was lying on his back, or it was due to the poor lighting at night, but Inspector Yamazaki seemed not to recognize her identity.


    "For now, just get in the car, we''ll talk later," the policewoman pointed to the back seat somewhat impolitely.


    Kagura Hikaru and the others opened the car door, boarded the back seat, and then the car swiftly started moving.


    "Looks like it went smoothly?"


    Obviously, Inspector Yamazaki was still unaware of the fire on the mountain, and he didn''t know what Kagura Hikaru had done, so he was still speaking in a relaxed tone that could even be considered lazy.


    For him, Kagura Hikaru''s safe return was more important than anything else, and he regretted every encounter for inviting a high school student to be an undercover agent; this time, he was extremely anxious, fearing something might have happened to him.


    If anything were to happen to Kagura Hikaru, it would not only be hard to explain to his family, but the Inspector would likely lose his position as well.


    Relieved after seeing that Kagura Hikaru was safe, his professional drive slowly returned, and he reminded Hikaru, "Start recalling everything you saw and heard in the Happiness Cult, and it''s best to take notes. Once we get to the police station, I will ask you to write everything down. But don''t speak carelessly, since we will record it as your testimony."


    As Inspector Yamazaki spoke, he turned his head from the passenger seat to look at the two girls beside Kagura Hikaru: "Besides, explain to me how they come to be..."


    He stopped mid-sentence, stupefied.


    The red-dressed girl sleeping on Kagura Hikaru''s shoulder looked increasingly familiar.


    Thinking it couldn''t be possible, he reached out and turned on the car''s built-in overhead light.


    Though not very bright, it was sufficient to clearly see a person''s face.


    His mouth fell open as if he had seen a ghost, and he stammered while pointing at Komori Ai, "Mr. Kagura, is she... could she possibly be...?!"


    "Yeah, the plan was a success." Kagura Hikaru nodded calmly, "I rescued the Happiness Cult''s Shrine Maiden."


    ......


    Shortly thereafter, Kagura Hikaru and the others arrived at the police station in Tokyo City.


    In the room, in front of Inspector Yamazaki and the female officer, as well as the professional recording device on the table, Kagura Hikaru recounted every detail of the entire incident.


    From being "kidnapped" by the Happiness Cult to setting the factory on fire as a diversion and successfully rescuing Komori Ai.


    Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Inspector Yamazaki was in a state of disbelief all the way, mechanically inquiring about the details like a machine.


    He had yet to accept what had happened.


    The police had spent several years on the case, not only failing to find any criminal evidence against the Happiness Cult but also never even managing to enter their premises.


    And now a high school student, in less than a week and with almost no help from the police other than the information, had just spirited away the Great Shrine Maiden of the Happiness Cult?!


    The existence of Serizawa Mai was an extremely important witness. Her testimony could significantly advance the police''s investigation progress against the Happiness Cult.


    ```


    Kagura Hikaru bringing out such a character was undoubtedly the best outcome possible.


    But for Inspector Yamazaki and his team, this wasn''t even the greatest accomplishment of Kagura Hikaru.


    His greatest accomplishment was the discovery of bodies within the private lands of the Happiness Cult.


    With the appearance of bodies, the case was no longer civil, but criminal.


    As such, although it was inevitable that detectives would get involved and share the credit, it finally provided an opportunity to categorize the Happiness Cult''s vile criminals, which was a good thing. Inspector Yamazaki''s Organized Crime Division had been fed up with this impregnable organization for years, achieving nothing, and longing to close this case soon.


    The more he knew about the difficulties posed by the Happiness Cult, the more Inspector Yamazaki admired Kagura Hikaru''s bravery.


    It was undeniable that his methods were extreme, having even set fire to a building, but if it was in self-defense, it could be explained in court, and the multiple bodies he discovered in the mountains were further corroboration of this.


    Having experienced so many thrilling things overnight, and even managing to escape with two girls from the throngs of Happiness Cult followers, his actions were nothing short of heroic.


    Even the female police officer, who had not been very polite to them before, looked at Kagura Hikaru differently now.


    After Kagura Hikaru''s testimony was completed, Ayakoji Chiyoko took over.


    Her reason for getting involved in the case was even simpler, just worried about her friend (Kagura Hikaru) going alone to a dangerous place, so she insisted on following.


    Although she claimed they were just friends, and Kagura Hikaru also said she was a friend, both Inspector Yamazaki and his colleague could tell there was something unusual about the relationship between the two young people and smiled without saying anything.


    After Ayakoji Chiyoko''s testimony ended, it was time for the most important person, Komori Ai, no, Serizawa Mai.


    As they were also associated with the case, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were exceptionally allowed to observe.


    Everyone looked serious.


    Serizawa Mai''s testimony could potentially overturn what people knew about the Happiness Cult, or she might simply be a puppet who knew nothing.


    In any case, she was a vital witness, and it was impossible not to gain something from her.


    But Inspector Yamazaki did not expect the girl to startle him right from the start.


    "Eh? I''m not Serizawa Mai, you must be mistaken," said Komori Ai cutely, tilting her head.


    Inspector Yamazaki was taken aback and hurriedly pulled out a photo he had secretly taken of Komori Ai wearing a kimono, surrounded by followers as she entered the grounds of the Happiness Cult: "That''s you in the picture, right?"


    "Yes!" Komori Ai nodded obediently, her large eyes blinking.


    "You are the Shrine Maiden of the Happiness Cult, correct?"


    "Yes!"


    "Then you are Serizawa Mai."


    "No, I''m not!"


    "?"


    "Hehe, I have a new name now!" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All of a sudden, Komori Ai stood up on the chair without any warning, waving her hands wildly, and shouted, "Huahahaha, I am Komori Ai, Komori Ai is¡ª"


    Bang!


    Sitting in the back, Kagura Hikaru finally couldn''t hold back any longer, got up, and knocked her on the head fiercely with his knuckle, forcibly pushing her down to sit properly.


    "Sorry, this one''s quite peculiar, probably because she''s been confined by the cult for too long and is not in the best mental state. Please take this into consideration and be lenient," Kagura Hikaru said helplessly.

 Chapter 268 Komori Ais Bizarre Testimony

    Inspector Yamazaki and his female colleague exchanged puzzled looks.


    Komori Ai might not look like a child anymore, but her behavior was even more bizarre than a child''s.


    She must really have mental health issues.


    It made sense, after all, wasn''t it strange to not have psychological problems when one grew up trapped in a cult, never allowed out, and not having received a proper education?


    But the strangeness didn''t stop at her behavior, as her following testimony was extremely eerie.


    Inspector Yamazaki, "I ask you, Serizawa..."


    Komori Ai, "Komori Ai!"


    Inspector Yamazaki, "Alright, alright, Komori Ai, I ask you, do you know that the Happiness Cult is a cult?"


    Komori Ai, "Is it? Aren''t all religions like that?"


    Inspector Yamazaki, "Oh, umm..."


    This young girl suddenly uttered a phrase that seemed quite philosophical, which caught people off guard.


    Inspector Yamazaki composed himself and continued the interrogation, "What was your main responsibility in the Happiness Cult?"


    Komori Ai, "Promotion! And drawing blood!"


    Inspector Yamazaki, "Drawing blood?"


    Kagura Hikaru interjected, "Inspector Yamazaki, didn''t you test a bottle of honey from the Happiness Cult before? The human blood in it should be hers."


    Inspector Yamazaki, "?!... I see, I understand now."


    He cursed silently, "Damn cult," and looked at Komori Ai with sympathy, "Komori Ai, were you imprisoned?"


    Komori Ai, "Yes! I wanted to go out and play, but they wouldn''t let me, hmph!"


    Inspector Yamazaki, "Has it been like this since your father founded the Happiness Cult?"


    Komori Ai, "Gah!"


    The record continued.


    Inspector Yamazaki started with some minor questions, delving deeper towards the core step by step.


    Finally, he got to the matter of the bodies.


    Inspector Yamazaki asked, "According to the testimonies of Kagura Hikaru and Classmate Ayakoji Chiyoko as well as photographic evidence, you discovered at least four bodies on the private land of the Happiness Cult. Do you think these people were killed by the Happiness Cult?"


    Komori Ai, "My dad killed them all, he liked killing too much, he even made me do dissections when I was young, said it was some kind of ritual, I got all dirty! So annoying!"


    Inspector Yamazaki and the policewoman exchanged serious glances and asked, "Those people were killed by your father? Are you sure?"


    Komori Ai, "Sometimes he even let me watch."


    Inspector Yamazaki, "Who were the victims? Were they related to the Happiness Cult?"


    Komori Ai, "Um... Some were believers who volunteered to be killed by my dad, others were captured from outside, I don''t really know."


    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, listening to her describe these dark matters with an innocent tone, couldn''t help but murmur to themselves.


    Inspector Yamazaki''s expression turned odd as he continued his questioning, "After your father''s death, did anyone in the Happiness Cult continue doing such things?"


    Komori Ai, "I don''t know."


    Inspector Yamazaki, "Alright, I understand."


    He closed his notebook, stood up, and looked at Kagura and others, "Mr. Kagura, and Classmate Ayakoji, please stay at the police station for now, it''s best not to go out. We can ensure your safety here. The situation is urgent, I have to report this to the criminal division."


    He instructed his female colleague to take care of Kagura and the others, emphasizing the need to watch Komori Ai closely, then hurried off with the record book.


    Clearly, there were no bedrooms in the police station, but the policewoman arranged an empty large meeting room for Kagura Hikaru and the other two to rest.


    Although there were no beds or sofas, resting one''s head on the table was sufficient.


    However, unlike Komori Ai, who started sleeping soundly again after the recording was finished, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko couldn''t fall asleep.


    In the deep of night, long past midnight, they remained awake in a pitch-dark meeting room, standing by the window, gazing out at the Tokyo nightscape.


    The police precinct in Tokyo is quite large, towering over the average office building, allowing a perfect view of the bustling, dazzling human world from the meeting room. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This incident... should be over now, right?" Chiyoko Ayakoji said, her fingers brushing the glass uncertainly.


    The memory of being chased like prey with a gun at her back, along with the skeletons discovered on the mountain, was all still fresh in her mind, vivid and clear.


    The brutality of the Happiness Cult had been seared into her heart, leaving behind fear.


    Not only the fear for her own safety but also the fear of losing Hikaru Kagura.


    If they had made one wrong move, they would have been captured by now.


    "Don''t worry, even if the people from the Happiness Cult wanted revenge, their first target would not be you, but me," Kagura Hikaru said calmly.


    "How could I not worry!" Chiyoko Ayakoji blurted out excitedly, "Those guys will definitely come after you!"


    "That''s when the police will protect me."


    "But they can''t be vigilant all the time!"


    "I''ve thought about that from the beginning," Kagura Hikaru glanced at her, "which is why I said you shouldn''t have gotten involved."


    "...Are you saying I''m immature?"


    "Maybe not that, but you''re definitely too impulsive, unlike how you were before."


    "..."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji fell silent, glanced over at Ai Komori, who was fast asleep on the conference table, and started to feel indignant, "To cause so much trouble just to save one person...!"


    "Are you really going to complain about the victim?"


    "...Just tell me the truth, what''s really going on between you two," Chiyoko Ayakoji took a deep breath, turned to face him, "Is she your lover? Another ex-girlfriend? Or some clich¨¦ childhood sweetheart?"


    "..."


    "None of the above? Are you about to say that she is your curr¡ª"


    "Right, I am his mother!"


    Ai Komori, who had, without them noticing, suddenly emerged from behind, leaped onto Kagura Hikaru''s back, and peeked out from behind him with a mischievous grin.


    "Ai Komori!" Kagura Hikaru scolded.


    "Hehe," Ai Komori cheekily stuck out her tongue.


    Seeing them being physically close again, Chiyoko Ayakoji''s expression grew even darker, "I was speaking with Mr. Kagura, can you not interrupt?"


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    "Eh? Me?" Ai Komori pointed at herself in surprise, then looked puzzled at her hand, and even sniffed it, "Did I interrupt just now? No, there''s no saliva on it."


    "...?"


    Now Chiyoko Ayakoji was certain that the girl before her was not of sound mind.


    She sighed.


    Here she was, getting worked up over someone with a disability, seeming more immature by the minute.


    Kagura Hikaru, on the other hand, seemed concerned, grabbed Ai Komori, and asked, "What''s all this about being a mother? Is it because I''ve drunk your blood?"


    "Good son, you''ve finally seen the light!" Ai Komori said, affectionately rubbing his head with a motherly look.


    But since she couldn''t reach the top, she ended up touching the lower head instead.


    Slap!


    As expected, Kagura Hikaru smacked her on the head once more.


    Seeing her like this, Chiyoko Ayakoji sighed again.


    She shouldn''t have been treating her as a member of the opposite sex to be wary of.


    This person was no different from a bratty child; what on earth was the Happiness Cult thinking in choosing her as a shrine maiden?

 Chapter 269 A Trap?

    Kagura Hikaru''s undercover mission had failed up to that point.


    His disguise was completely blown in just one evening.


    However, on his first infiltration, he brought back a key figure¡ªSerizawa Mai, the Shrine Maiden of the Happiness Cult, also known as Komori Ai.


    After that night, he and Ayakoji Chiyoko went their separate ways, each doing their own thing and even attending school.


    But once they left school and home, they had to accept police surveillance and protection.


    Being watched every time they left the house was uncomfortable, and fearing possible dangers, both of them stayed indoors as much as possible, avoiding wandering around or meeting outside of school.


    Komori Ai stayed at the police station under police custody.


    As the Shrine Maiden of the Happiness Cult, she was more likely to be attacked than Kagura Hikaru and the others.


    Whether it was to reclaim the Shrine Maiden as a symbol of the sect or to retaliate against her betrayal, the remnants of the Happiness Cult were unlikely to let Komori Ai off easy.


    Although she was reluctant, Komori Ai stayed at the police station to take shelter, persuaded by Kagura Hikaru.


    She could leave whenever she wanted to, as her abilities could easily evade the police guarding her, but no one would stop her.


    However, if she left the police station, Komori Ai would face Happiness Sect Cultists who were not afraid of her abilities; these were the real threats, whereas ordinary police officers were actually able to deter them.


    Thanks to Kagura Hikaru''s efforts and Komori Ai''s compelling testimony, the police had the chance to heavily damage the Happiness Cult.


    That night, the police conducted a mountain search overnight.


    At the location reported by Kagura Hikaru, they found skeletal remains.


    The police had an excuse and immediately arrested all personnel at the Happiness Cult''s premises.


    According to those involved, most of the deceased had been followers; some had volunteered themselves, while others had been deceived, leading to their burial deep in the mountains.


    Some of the actual murderers had been caught, but not all.


    The current Sect Hierarch of the Happiness Cult, Tanaka, and his deputy, the Bucktoothed Man, had fled with a group of followers.


    By the time the police stormed the Happiness Cult premises, those people had vanished without a trace.


    They were now entirely considered dangerous elements, urgently wanted by the police who distributed flyers throughout the streets urging the public to stay vigilant.


    Passing by any station entrance, one could see their wanted posters and photos. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    This incident had made international news, attracting global attention.


    And the Island Nation police, credited with dismantling this nefarious sect, received widespread social attention and praise.


    Among them, Kagura Hikaru and Komori Ai, who had played significant roles, were not mentioned in the news at all, not even their faces or names appeared, as they were deliberately concealed.


    This was at their own request; Kagura Hikaru clearly did not want to appear in reports about such a case.


    On the other hand, it was an effort by the police to protect them, keeping them completely out of the media''s sight.


    Since the case escalated from a multi-level marketing religion to a criminal case, including Kagura Hikaru, Komori Ai, and Ayakoji Chiyoko, even their families were protected by the police.


    This major crime was unearthed entirely due to them, and the police also feared that the remnants of the Happiness Cult might take extreme measures for revenge. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From this point, the pace of the case began to slow down.


    The police followed the network of the Happiness Cult, investigating further up the chain, and found more and more people involved in illegal transactions with them, expanding the scope of the case.


    Because the Happiness Cult had been identified as a dangerous organization, the investigation had a high degree of freedom and was relatively smooth, but not entirely so.


    At last, they made the decision to crack down on the major players while letting smaller ones slip away, successfully sealing off all the Happiness Cult facilities within the country, and the majority of the related suspects were arrested, except for the Sect Hierarch and his deputy who remained at large.


    Unnoticed, a month had passed since the day the case broke.


    The summer, which was expected to linger, abruptly vanished after a day of continuous heavy rain.


    Gone were the cicadas'' chirps, the high temperatures, and the fiercely scorching sun.


    On a gloomy, overcast day,


    Kagura Hikaru, Ayakoji Chiyoko, and Komori Ai gathered once again in front of the Tokyo Police Station.


    Today was a special day.


    Komori Ai''s foster home had been decided, and today was her moving day.


    Having been rescued from the Happiness Cult premises, Komori Ai, a minor with effectively no family, needed a guardian.


    The person who stepped forward to adopt her was Inspector Yamazaki.


    It was only afterwards that Kagura Hikaru learned that the female officer they went to pick up last time was married to Inspector Yamazaki; they had been married for some time but hadn''t had children due to their busy schedules.


    The two of them had been taking care of her during this period.


    The police station was no place for staying, so Komori Ai spent her nights at Inspector Yamazaki''s home and was brought back to the station in the morning.


    Perhaps touched by Komori Ai''s experiences, Inspector Yamazaki ultimately decided to adopt her.


    After seeing Komori Ai''s quirky temper, even Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but admire anyone who dared to live with her.


    However, having a family once again was a good thing, one might say.


    Just to be safe, Kagura Hikaru had also checked using mind-reading; both Inspector Yamazaki and his wife were kind people with no ties to the Happiness Cult.


    If it were them adopting Komori Ai, he could be at ease.


    Kagura Hikaru had thought he would be the only one coming to help Komori Ai move today, but unexpectedly, Ayakoji Chiyoko also showed up.


    He wasn''t sure how she heard the news... No, he could guess; it was probably Inspector Yamazaki who told her.


    Since leaving the Happiness Cult premises last time, this was the first time the three of them had gathered together, inevitably bringing back various memories of that incident.


    As time went on, the initial feelings of danger and fear gradually faded.


    Even the Happiness Sect Cultists, who they had thought would come after them, vanished without a trace, rendering their initial anxiety meaningless.


    After so long with no action, perhaps they would not come at all.


    "Why are you so quiet today?"


    Kagura Hikaru looked at Komori Ai, who was clutching his clothes, feeling something was amiss with her today.


    Apart from the initial embrace when they met, she hadn''t spoken a word until now, which was not like her at all.


    "Hmm..." Komori Ai gnawed at his clothes, her face pressed against him, mumbling fuzzily, "I just feel... a bad premonition... very, very bad..."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru silently turned his head to look at Inspector Yamazaki, who was beckoning them to get into the car.


    From the start, he had noticed, there were many policemen hidden around.


    Could this, perhaps, be a trap?

 Chapter 270 Attack of the Zealot

    The case of the Happiness Cult was nearing its conclusion.


    But there were still some imperfections.


    That was the fact that their leader, Master Tanaka, and his deputy had not yet been successfully arrested and were still on the run.


    For the police, not capturing the leader would not signify the end of the case; they surely were not content with this.


    Especially since they were not simply criminals, but highly dangerous individuals who had committed murder and even had subordinates who obeyed their commands, to call them a ''terrorist organization'' would not be an exaggeration.


    Anyone would feel uneasy with such individuals at large in society.


    After a month of silence without any movement, the police came up with a ''good idea''.


    Bait, fishing.


    Komori Ai, even Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko, were all considered bait for this fishing.


    This seemingly normal ''moving plan'' was actually a trap set for the Happiness Cult.


    Here, they gathered their enemies (Kagura Hikaru, Ayakoji Chiyoko), shrine maiden (Komori Ai), and the police who had arrested their colleagues.


    It was almost like a giant pitcher plant, inviting them to take the bait willingly. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, the police did not plan to really let them come to harm; plenty of backup was concealed nearby, forming a tight-knit web of protection.


    Kagura Hikaru could understand their impulse to catch the leaders of the Happiness Cult, but the fact that they had not been informed beforehand was really frustrating.


    Inspector Yamazaki probably noticed he had become aware and gave a meaningful look in that direction before getting into the car.


    The passenger seat was occupied by his wife, the short-haired female police officer.


    "... let''s go," said Hikaru, leading Komori Ai into the car.


    Once the arrow is on the bowstring, it must be shot.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was already in the back seat, listlessly propping her chin with her hand as she looked out the window.


    Kagura Hikaru had Komori Ai sit in the middle, fastened her seatbelt, then closed the car door and said, "We can go."


    The sedan started moving.


    A strange silence filled the car; no one spoke.


    Kagura Hikaru observed through the window.


    After the car had started, several vehicles followed them at a moderate pace, occasionally alternating; these must have been police undercover vehicles, there to protect them.


    Influenced by Komori Ai''s two sentences, Kagura Hikaru suddenly also became uneasy.


    What exactly would happen next?


    A pair of little hands quietly reached over and intertwined with Hikaru''s fingers.


    He turned to look.


    Komori Ai was straining upward, resting her chin on his shoulder, and whispered into Kagura Hikaru''s ear, "They''re coming."


    The sedan drove through the intersection.


    Although it should have been a green light, a van from a side road sped towards them after running a red light.


    A second before the collision, Kagura Hikaru only managed to protect Komori Ai''s head, shouting, "Be careful!"


    The next moment, the massive impact arrived as expected.


    In the final moment, Inspector Yamazaki reacted just in time, slamming the pedal to the floor, accelerating a short distance so that the van, aiming for the center of their vehicle, only hit the rear of the car.


    Even so, the impact sent their sedan spinning halfway around, nearly flipping over.


    The screeching sound of tires sliding across the ground was ignored; inside the car, everything was topsy-turvy, and the seatbelt painfully constricted against their stomachs, almost as if it was about to cut into their intestines.


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    It was an extremely brief yet unbearably long moment.


    When Kagura Hikaru felt the vehicle stabilize, he opened his eyes and saw that the window by his side had shattered, scattering glass shards over him and inside the car. The door had a large inward bulge, luckily it hadn''t collapsed.


    He quickly checked himself over for injuries and, finding none, then looked at the others in the car.


    Komori Ai and Ayakoji Chiyoko were both unharmed, just visibly shaken.


    Inspector Yamazaki was also shaking his head, and after snapping back to reality, he pulled out his weapon, as he was carrying a gun.


    The female officer in the passenger seat was less fortunate. She slumped forward in her seat, her head drooping, and there was a trace of blood on her forehead¡ªa likely result of knocking her head and passing out during the crash.


    "Kagura!"


    Inspector Yamazaki turned around to check on their condition when his expression suddenly changed, and he shouted to Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head just in time to see a metal baseball bat thrust through the shattered window from outside.


    He ducked just in time but was still hit on the scalp, the pain making him feel as if his hair had been scraped off.


    He opened the door and kicked with all his might, sending the already flimsy door flying out and striking the attacker, knocking him back a few steps.


    Immediately after, he unfastened his seatbelt, got out of the car, and rapidly assessed his surroundings in half a second.


    The rear half of their sedan was severely damaged. The van that had hit them had stopped not far behind, and the armed, masked men heading their way likely had emerged from that van, wielding baseball bats, crowbars, and police batons, and they approached aggressively.


    He didn''t even have to think about it, these must be members of the Happiness Cult.


    Backed into a corner, they resorted to violence to achieve their goals. What a hassle.


    Aside from the people Kagura Hikaru was facing off against, there were others attacking the vehicle, targeting Komori Ai in the back seat.


    Inspector Yamazaki was dealing with them, firing his gun as a warning.


    Innocent bystanders around the road screamed.


    This wasn''t America; gunshots in a busy district meant something serious had occurred.


    Kagura Hikaru only glanced back briefly, as he didn''t have the time to look any longer¡ªthe attackers in front were already making their move.


    The latter pushed the wrecked door that had hit him aside and pulled a familiar-looking gun-like weapon from his waist, aiming it at Kagura Hikaru and pulling the trigger.


    He immediately recognized it as a Taser gun, a tool he had used to bring down many members of the Happiness Cult. Now, it seemed like payback had come.


    Kagura Hikaru''s reactions were lightning-fast. He dodged to the side right before his assailant could fully squeeze the trigger, narrowly missing the electric wires shot from the Taser gun.


    Before he could deal with one enemy, another rushed at him, wielding a crowbar and aiming a powerful chop at him.


    This man seemed to have a background in Sword Dao; his slash was decently skilled.


    But Kagura Hikaru responded faster, twisting his body and whipping out a kick that hit the man''s wrist before the crowbar could fall, sending it flying. He then lunged forward, punching the man in the face and swiftly moved behind him.


    The other attacker had already turned the Taser gun towards him, firing another shot, but Kagura Hikaru dodged, causing him to accidentally strike his comrade, who had just taken a punch, taking down the Happiness Cult follower.


    As the unfortunate man fell, Kagura Hikaru stood up from behind him, lifting the Taser gun he had just taken.


    While he was behind his foes, Kagura Hikaru had snatched this Taser gun from the person incapacitated by friendly fire. Was this the standard issue for the Happiness Cult followers?


    Without a moment''s hesitation, he pulled the trigger, taking down the second enemy.


    Only now did he have time to look around at the rest of the scene.


    The attackers who had run down from the van were now being subdued one by one by the responding police officers.


    The plainclothes policemen, guns in hand, competently ordered the thugs to drop their weapons and lie down.


    But those daring enough to assault police officers were undoubtedly fanatics, hardly inclined to heed the police''s commands.


    Inspector Yamazaki had also gotten out of the car by then, protecting Ayakoji Chiyoko and Komori Ai who were still inside the vehicle.


    It seemed to be a total standoff.


    However, with the increasing number of police cars arriving, those people would eventually surrender, wouldn''t they?


    Just as Kagura Hikaru was thinking this, several more vans charged into the perimeter, crashing directly into police cars and even knocking down a few officers.


    Kagura Hikaru saw the figure of Master Tanaka from the approaching vans.


    He jumped out of the van, shouting to his subordinates about "reclaiming the Shrine Maiden!" and led the charge towards them.


    It just never ended.

 Chapter 271 Accident, Human Calamity

    Surrounded by well-prepared police, even with the Sect Hierarch of the Happiness Cult leading the charge, they had no chance of taking Komori Ai away.


    Especially after the riot police arrived in armored vehicles, the cultists retreated at great speed.


    Kagura Hikaru only got involved at the beginning; after that, she merely watched from the sidelines, and ultimately just sat in the car to rest.


    The minor injury from the cultist''s surprise attack didn''t even draw blood, after Ayakoji Chiyoko checked it for her.


    Everything went smoothly.


    About half an hour later...


    The wreckage at the scene had been cleared, and traffic at the intersection was back to normal.


    All the Happiness Sect Cultists involved in the attack had been arrested, the only disappointment being that Master Tanaka had escaped. In the last moment, realizing the plan had failed, a group of fanatics formed a human wall to shield him into a car, and then he drove off alone, leaving his followers behind.


    The key figure''s escape left the police fuming, the atmosphere at the scene was tense, and after Inspector Yamazaki sent his unconscious wife off in an ambulance, he hurriedly borrowed another police car to take Kagura Hikaru and the others home.


    "After this incident, the members of the Happiness Cult probably won''t come after you again; they lost many people," Inspector Yamazaki said as he drove, "I''m sorry the police operation involved you, but we can''t let those dangerous elements lurk within society. If you understand our predicament, that would be a great help."


    "Hmm, I understand," said Kagura Hikaru from the passenger seat, his tone detached.


    He was actually a bit displeased, but since the outcome was acceptable, he didn''t argue.


    From the back seat, Ayakoji Chiyoko then asked, "So you''re saying there won''t be anyone keeping an eye on us anymore?"


    "Yes, the police protection has been completely withdrawn. From now on, you can move freely," replied Inspector Yamazaki, "However, you still need to be cautious. Don''t head into areas with poor security or remote locations on your own, and be wary of strangers. It''s possible that some members of the Happiness Cult haven''t given up."


    "Their target has always been this little girl, but the one adopting her, you, Inspector, are in the most danger."


    "Ahahaha, that''s true indeed."


    In the relaxed conversation, Kagura Hikaru glanced back at Komori Ai, who was still sullen and silent in the back seat.


    Despite the attack being over. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Was she still frightened?


    The closest to the incident location was Kagura Hikaru''s house.


    Inspector Yamazaki stopped the police car at the entrance to the residential area.


    He had expected to return alone afterward, but just as he was about to open the door to get out, Inspector Yamazaki said, "Wait, let me personally explain this incident to your family and notify them of some details... Is there a place to park nearby?"


    "There''s a large convenience store over there; you can park in front."


    "You lead the way."


    Guided by Kagura Hikaru, Yamazaki drove to the front of the convenience store and parked. After letting them out of the car, he said he was going to buy a pack of cigarettes and went inside the store.


    Kagura Hikaru and the others didn''t want to wait in the car, so they stood on the sidewalk.


    With time to kill, Ayakoji Chiyoko casually struck up a conversation with Kagura Hikaru.


    "Does this child possess some kind of special abilities?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked, her gaze shifting subtly towards Komori Ai clutching Kagura Hikaru''s hand.


    "Why would you say that?" Kagura Hikaru asked in return.


    "After all, you see, the people of the Happiness Cult would rather risk attacking the police to take her back. If she were just a simple religious symbol, it wouldn''t be worth such an effort."


    It wasn''t surprising that Ayakoji Chiyoko had such questions.


    The essence of religion is quite similar to that of capital; it innately absorbs nutrients from the outside to expand itself, generating profit and endlessly growing.


    Thus, the larger the religion, the more realistic and lacking in true faith are those close to its centers of power.


    But Master Tanaka of the Happiness Cult personally led the attack, focusing entirely on Komori Ai, with the intent to take her away.


    If it weren''t for some real reason, they would almost certainly not do this.


    Because as previously mentioned, the closer one is to the center of power in a religion, the more realistic they are, and theoretically, as the leader of the Happiness Cult, Master Tanaka, if he was attacking the police merely for the sake of faith, that would just suggest there was something wrong with his head, and Ayakoji Chiyoko firmly did not believe a person with a problematic mind could grow a sect to such an extent.


    The logic simply did not match up.


    So, she naturally thought of Komori Ai.


    This young girl seemed to have nothing special about her other than her beauty and being worshipped as a Shrine Maiden by the Happiness Cult on the surface.


    But maybe, the reason she became a Shrine Maiden was not solely because she was the daughter of the previous sect hierarch of the Happiness Cult, there might be something extraordinary about her.


    On this matter, Kagura Hikaru obviously couldn''t give a straightforward answer, if he wanted to delve further, he would reveal Komori Ai''s supernatural power. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So he vaguely lied, "I don''t know, she never told me these things."


    Even in front of the police, Komori Ai had not been discovered, and up until now, the police believed she was just an ordinary little girl, how could he let slip here.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko narrowed her eyes but did not continue to question.


    Having known him for some time, she could more or less discern Kagura Hikaru''s thoughts.


    That expression clearly indicated there were some secrets that could not be disclosed.


    As a perceptive woman, Ayakoji Chiyoko would not press on with questions, for the sake of a minor matter, to stiffen their relationship, would be a foolish act characteristic of menopausal women, she was young and clear-headed.


    She naturally changed the subject, "Inspector Yamazaki said that the protection for us is going to be withdrawn, do you think he was telling the truth?"


    "Probably, but I suggest you still don''t go out these days. After a failed attack, the possibility of a second one increases, staying at home is safer."


    "Mm, I''ll listen to you."


    Although they said this, the tension in both their voices had relaxed, and when they mentioned the Happiness Cult, they were no longer as wary as before.


    Today, the police had undoubtedly dealt them a serious blow, catching the last batch of roaming criminals. Although the big fish had gotten away, they had just those few people left and couldn''t do much.


    Once the storm passed after some time, they could live as usual.


    ¡ª¡ªConsidering this, with the benefit of hindsight, describing Kagura Hikaru as na?ve would not be an exaggeration.


    The first sign that something was amiss was the sound of a vehicle''s horn and people''s screams coming from behind.


    The shrill noise of the engine grew closer and closer.


    Kagura Hikaru and the others subconsciously turned around.


    A very familiar-looking van was speeding towards them.


    Through the front windshield, one could see a burly fat man holding the steering wheel, and he too was very familiar.


    Who else could it be but Master Tanaka of the Happiness Cult who had just escaped!


    He was driving on the road at speeds exceeding 120 kilometers per hour, surging onto the sidewalk.


    With Kagura Hikaru''s abilities, he had enough time to react.


    But Komori Ai and Ayakoji Chiyoko lacked experience in handling sudden incidents and were significantly slower to react.


    In the split second, he made a decision, forcefully pushing both women out of the path of the vehicle.


    Then he forcefully jumped to dodge the front of the car, adopting the best posture to brace for impact mid-air.


    The next instant, his body collided with the van''s window glass, a massive force bearing down on him, and he was lifted off the ground.

 Chapter 272 Carousel

    In that extremely short reaction time, Kagura Hikaru believed he had done his best.


    He might break a few bones after the collision, but he was certain not to lose consciousness and the ability to move, nor to injure any vital parts.


    But sometimes, luck is a hard thing to pin down.


    The place where he was hit was not his back or limbs, but his head.


    That happened after he was sent flying and fell to the ground, his occiput colliding with the corner of a roadside wall, bleeding soon ensued.


    After that, it was difficult for Kagura Hikaru to maintain consciousness, as if an old witch was stirring his brain like a cauldron with a large spoon, and the world before his eyes started to blur and spin, stained with blood and snowflakes.


    In such a state, he was unable to sustain thought, his mind seemingly disconnected from his body, with only vague sensations of pain coming through.


    What followed was the legendary life flashing before one''s eyes.


    Starting from his past life to everything he had experienced after being reborn, it all unfolded before him with startling clarity. Like watching a movie, Kagura Hikaru had no chance to intervene, only to silently watch it play out swiftly.


    No matter how quickly the scenes flashed by, he could see them clearly, and whenever he recognized a scene, the corresponding memory would flicker back in his mind.


    Bickering parents, Kohinata Motoyo under the cherry trees, Kiryu Hina in her middle school uniform, Komori Ai deep in the mountains, Ai Cheng Hua Lian on the train, the school courtyard, the old school building''s rooftop... and, Ayakoji Chiyoko. Read chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Looking back on these two lifetimes, there were many regrets, but if he had to say who he owed the most to, apart from his parents who raised him, it would only be Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Everything stemmed from his evasion and self-abandonment.


    He heard screams as if they came from a distant valley.


    Someone was approaching, afraid to touch him, they could only anxiously circle around him.


    Kagura Hikaru struggled to concentrate and could finally see that the person before him was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Right, he had yet to properly apologize.


    If he didn''t speak now, he might never get the chance again.


    "Ayakoji... Chiyoko..."


    Kagura Hikaru struggled to utter her name.


    It was the first time he realized how difficult it was to speak, as if something was stuck in his throat.


    Using all his strength, he could only manage to lift one hand.


    The palm was quickly grasped, Ayakoji Chiyoko enveloped it with her two warm hands, and it seemed as though raindrops fell upon the back of his hand.


    Was it raining?


    No, those were tears.


    In Kagura Hikaru''s memory, Ayakoji Chiyoko was someone whose smile was hard to come by, yet she had shed tears in front of him twice, both times because of him.


    He felt his consciousness beginning to slip away, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.


    He closed his eyes and whispered an apology.


    Whether Ayakoji Chiyoko heard it clearly or not, Kagura Hikaru no longer had the strength to say it again.


    If there''s still a chance, if there''s still a chance...


    After that, there was only darkness.


    Consciousness plunged into chaos, and he felt nothing.


    ................


    "...."


    "Doctor, when will he wake up?"


    "He could wake up at any time."


    "Will there be any complications?"


    "Since he suffered a traumatic brain injury, a concussion, there will be some sequelae, more or less."


    "It''s not permanent, right?"


    "In most cases, it will improve with treatment, but we need to wait until the patient wakes up to make a more specific analysis."


    "Ah! Doctor, I saw his fingers move!"


    So noisy.


    A group of people were talking around his bed with different voices, surrounding him as he slept.


    Who in the world could that be, disturbing a good dream so early in the morning? Don''t they have any public spirit?


    Could they be having a party in his room?! If that''s the case, it''s even more outrageous ¨C starting a party without waiting for him to get out of bed.


    Thinking this, Kagura Hikaru opened his eyes groggily.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he was startled by a bunch of heads crowding around the bed, which snapped him out of his daze considerably.


    "What are you doing?!"


    He sat up and looked around, it was an unfamiliar room, but the familiar layout and setting he had seen countless times in movies and TV shows allowed him to recognize it immediately.


    "Is this... the hospital?"


    Before he could fully grasp the situation, a crowd of women swarmed him chattering.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo were among them, as well as some other unfamiliar people¡ªwere they classmates?


    "Finally awake, do you know how long you''ve been asleep?"


    "Kagura, you''re still lucid, right? What day is it?"


    "Today we came as a group to visit you, and we happened to catch you waking up."


    "Mister Hikaru, it''s really great that you''re okay...."


    Some of them were happy, some were excited, and others were wiping away tears.


    Kagura Hikaru looked completely bewildered.


    "Alright, alright, make way, give the patient some space."


    It was the doctor who saved him at the crucial moment, chasing the group of girls to the back and then smiling at him, "Hello, what''s your name?"


    "Uh, Kagura Hikaru."


    "Very good, what is ten times ten?"


    "One hundred?"


    "How many fingers are these?"


    "Two."


    The doctor methodically had him do some simple test questions and then move his fingers and such; Kagura Hikaru guessed he was doing a basic check to see if his consciousness was clear.


    To tell the truth, he was still in a state of half clarity, half confusion.


    He had no idea why he was currently in a hospital.


    But from the atmosphere, it seemed like it wasn''t a time to chat casually, so he held back from asking.


    He must have been in some sort of accident, maybe a car crash, and hit his head, which was why that part of his memory was missing, though he could guess as much from feeling the gauze on his head.


    Where exactly the accident happened, that''s really unlucky.


    Wait, wait, does this mean, for the following period, he''d have to stay in the hospital and wouldn''t have to go to school?


    This wasn''t bad luck; this was fortune smiling upon him!


    Even though he knew this thought was inappropriate, the idea still made Kagura Hikaru laugh uncontrollably.


    Suddenly, the hospital room fell silent.


    Confused, Kagura Hikaru looked at the group of girls, who suddenly stared at him as if seeing a ghost.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked curiously.


    "Kagura... laugh again," said Kohinata Motoyo, still dazed.


    "Oh."


    The atmosphere felt really bizarre. Kagura Hikaru was bewildered but still obediently showed a smile.


    Unexpectedly, just from a single laugh, the group of girls exploded into a frenzy.


    "Did you see that? Kagura, he laughed!"


    "You''ve got to be joking, can Mr. Kagura actually smile?" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This can''t just be a coincidence, right...?"


    "Another one, Kagura, do it again!"


    Urged on by their excited prodding, Kagura Hikaru became frightened, looking at them as if they were oddities, then he turned his inquiring gaze toward Ayakoji Chiyoko and gestured her to come over.


    She was the calmest looking among all these people, true to Chiyoko.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko moved closer, and Kagura Hikaru whispered to her, "What are they excited about, is my laughter that rare?"


    What was a perfectly normal question was met with a puzzled look, "You never used to laugh before."


    "Is that so, I didn''t know that. Is my memory messed up..."


    "Anyway, it''s good that you''ve woken up," Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed in relief and said, "When you were admitted, I thought you were going to die. Who would have thought you''d pull through after just two days. The doctor said it''s just a skull fracture and concussion, nothing serious."


    "So I''m alright then, you all had me nearly peeing myself with fear."


    Kagura Hikaru''s heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled, and then with a smile he asked, "Hey, Chiyoko, can you introduce me to them? Apart from Suse, all those faces are unfamiliar, where did you bring them from?"


    "...What did you just say?"


    "What''s the matter? I''m just asking you to introduce them¡ª"


    "You aren''t joking, are you?"


    "?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko turned to look at the others, then faced him again with a serious expression, "Those are Kiryu Hina, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, Saijo Mari, Ruzaki Mami, and your stepmother."


    "Stepmother?? When did my dad remarry?" Kagura Hikaru''s eyes widened, "Chiyoko, you''re the one joking, right? Just because you''re my girlfriend doesn''t mean you can scare me like this!"


    "Girlfriend?!"


    "Aren''t you?"


    Kagura Hikaru was completely at a loss.


    From the chillingly silent atmosphere within the room, he began to sense that something was definitely off.


    Could it be, he really did break his brain?

 Chapter 273 Selective Amnesia

    Hospital office.


    "Hmm...."


    The doctor was humming to himself as he flipped through Kagura Hikaru''s examination results.


    Only after he had turned the final page did Kagura Hikaru''s stepmother, sitting opposite him, anxiously start to speak, "Doctor, what exactly is wrong with Mister Hikaru?"


    Behind her, Ayakoji Chiyoko and a group of girls were also listening intently with nervous ears, waiting for the outcome.


    "It appears to be selective amnesia, likely caused by a concussion. The patient''s cognition has regressed three years; he believes he is still in his second year of junior high," said the doctor, putting down the examination chart.


    "Amnesia is one thing, but it''s not common to see it accompanied by delusional disorder. It could be a chain reaction caused by the concussion," he continued.


    "Then, doctor, when can he return to normal?"


    "That will require a lot of effort from you, the family members. Be patient and earnest, and let him interact with things that can stimulate his memory. For now, the recommendation is to stay in the hospital for a week of observation, then we''ll see about discharging based on his condition, but he will need to return regularly for medication and to change dressings."


    "Alright."


    "As for the delusional disorder, that might also stem from psychological issues... You mentioned earlier that the patient doesn''t laugh, right?"


    "Yes, we are all his classmates, but we have never seen him smile," interjected Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    "Not even once?"


    "Not even once," confirmed Ayakoji Chiyoko with certainty.


    The others nodded in agreement.


    Only Ai Cheng Karen, standing in the corner, seemed hesitant.


    She had seen Kagura Hikaru laugh, twice in fact, but it felt awkward to mention it now, so she chickened out.


    The stepmother, gripping the bag on her lap tightly, also added, "Mister Hikaru is like this at home as well, never laughing or joking."


    "Hmm... If it''s not his personality, then it must be due to excessive stress."


    "How could that be...."


    The doctor mused thoughtfully, "But now that the patient has regained his smile, maybe amnesia is to thank for that."


    "What do you mean?"


    "There''s a saying ''no worries, no burdens''." The doctor, twirling a ballpoint pen in his hand unconsciously, explained, "The three years of memories that the patient has forgotten might just be the source of his stress. Do you have any clue about this?"


    Everyone exchanged looks.


    The memories Kagura Hikaru lost were those of his entire high school period and the time in ninth grade, which is right after he broke up with Kiryu Hina.


    No, more precisely, it was after Kohinata Motoyo confessed to Kagura Hikaru.


    In his second year of junior high, Kohinata Motoyo confessed to him, which seemed to be a watershed moment. After that, his life started to unravel.


    His father remarried the woman with whom he had an affair, his mother found a new boyfriend, he was pressured by a former close friend to secretly date her while still dating his girlfriend, broke up with his girlfriend over an infidelity before graduating junior high, encountered his ex-girlfriend again in high school and was forced into a mess of wrongdoings, Kohinata Motoyo returned to the country, and the issues with Ayakoji Chiyoko remained unresolved.


    If looking back from the present, one could argue that the period during his second year of junior high, when he was still dating Kiryu Hina, represented Kagura Hikaru''s happiest times, the last happy times indeed.


    No wonder he chose to restart from that point after losing his memory.


    Up to here, it was somewhat understandable.


    But why did Kagura Hikaru come to believe that he was currently dating Ayakoji Chiyoko, rather than Kiryu Hina? He even forgot about her, the very person he was with.


    The doctor, observing the unspeakable expressions of the girls in the room, cautiously ventured, "Is it... a love triangle?"


    At that, the atmosphere in the room grew even stranger.


    Kohinata Motoyo tilted her head slightly, looking towards Kiryu Hina whose face had turned pale.


    Kagura Hikaru had memories from middle school, but he had forgotten her, the one who occupied the largest part of his memory.


    This might mean that Kagura Hikaru believed Ayakoji Chiyoko to be a better girlfriend than Kiryu Hina.


    If Kohinata Motoyo could think of this, naturally, Kiryu Hina could think of it too.


    She quietly left the office, leaned against the wall in the hallway, and stared blankly at the floor.


    Before long, Kohinata Motoyo also came out and went up to her, "Hina..."


    "Don''t say anything." Kiryu Hina sighed deeply as if she wanted to exhale all the air in her lungs, her complexion ashen, "... It''s because I was too harsh on him before, that''s why..."


    "Don''t think like that, be more optimistic," Kohinata Motoyo consoled her, "Kagura''s amnesia means you can start over with him as strangers."


    "I would rather he recovered now," said Kiryu Hina as she turned her head.


    At that moment, another person walked out of the office.


    It was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She and Kiryu Hina, who had turned her head, looked at each other. Approaching a few steps, with her arms crossed and a hint of mockery, Chiyoko said, "The two of you, whispering secrets?"


    "It''s none of your business," Kiryu Hina said coldly.


    "Anything related to Kagura is my business," Ayakoji Chiyoko scrutinized her from head to toe, "Take this opportunity to end your affair with Kagura Hikaru, and don''t approach him anymore."


    "On what grounds?!"


    "Since he''s forgotten you, that means you no longer hold any status in his heart, doesn''t it?"


    "I think you''re wrong," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile as she stepped between them, "Perhaps Kagura indeed doesn''t like Hina anymore, but the fact that he forgot her, whom he shouldn''t have, that''s a special treatment. His behavior only shows that he still can''t let go of Hina."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at her curiously, "You''re speaking for your love rival?"


    "Not just a love rival, but also a friend."


    Kohinata Motoyo said so, then slightly narrowed her eyes, staring at Ayakoji Chiyoko like a mother tiger, "Classmate Ayakoji, although you are mistaken by Kagura Hikaru for his lover now, I advise you not to harbor any delusions. Tell him the real truth and let us all help Kagura recover his memory."


    "Of course, I wouldn''t resort to such tricks," Ayakoji Chiyoko nodded as if it were a matter of course.


    Seeing that she didn''t seem to be lying, Kohinata Motoyo slowly returned to a gentle expression, "That''s good... Regardless of our relationship, our concern for Kagura is the same. At times like these, it''s better if we don''t fight among ourselves."


    "...Hmph." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sat down on the hallway bench, legs crossed, her face turned to the other side, noncommittal.


    Kohinata Motoyo, helpless, turned and shrugged at Kiryu Hina, but the latter seemed to be lost in her own world and didn''t look at her.


    Kohinata Motoyo heaved a silent sigh.


    She knew that the other was indulging in self-loathing again.


    After being rejected by Kagura Hikaru several times, Kiryu Hina had become very depressed in this period, and her ex-boyfriend''s car accident and amnesia were a double blow.


    Perhaps Ayakoji Chiyoko was right, Kiryu Hina could take this opportunity to let go of the past and completely sever ties with Kagura Hikaru.


    There were no more debts between them, and even if they truly fell out, it wouldn''t be wrong; this might even be what Kagura Hikaru himself wished for, as long as Kiryu Hina could come to terms with it herself.


    But, from Kohinata Motoyo''s perspective, she still hoped the two could reconcile and return to the relationship they had in middle school¡ªor even go further.


    However, with Ayakoji Chiyoko around, the process would undoubtedly not be smooth.


    ... Anyway, get well soon, Mister Hikaru. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 274 Happy Times

    "Regarding the Happiness Cult, the police have announced that the sect hierarch, Tanaka Taio, died in a car accident. The suspect had hit a male high school student with a car two days before and died on the spot when broken windshield glass pierced his throat. The victim is now actively receiving treatment at the hospital."


    "In another piece of news still on the Happiness Cult, after the death of the sect hierarch, Tanaka Taio, another high-ranking fugitive of the sect was found last night, hanging from a tree near the police station. The police have ruled out foul play, considering suicide very likely."


    The TV screen showed footage of the police collecting the body and even briefly revealed the face of the deceased, a bucktoothed man with a bruised and bloated face, which was distressing to see. Kagura Hikaru decisively changed the channel.


    That''s the intriguing part about television.


    One moment you might see someone else''s death, the next moment you might be watching "Cardcaptor Sakura."


    Listening to Dan XiaYing, now a veteran voice actress, vaguely voicing a grade-school girl on TV, Kagura Hikaru felt the purest form of joy.


    Taking advantage of being alone, he turned up the volume a few notches with the remote and sat on the hospital bed watching anime meant for younger girls, which wasn''t exactly suitable for a middle schooler.


    No, according to others, he was supposed to be a high school student now.


    Even though Kagura Hikaru himself was quite perplexed about it.


    However, having gone through something as drastic as reincarnation, a mere case of amnesia wasn''t too hard to accept.


    But just as he had watched for a few minutes, a nurse walked in and told him he should rest and recuperate, then turned off the TV and made him lie down to sleep.


    Kagura Hikaru agreed outwardly, but as soon as the nurse left, he climbed out of bed to reach for the remote on the cabinet.


    What''s the point of sleeping so early in the morning? He wanted to watch little girl cartoons!


    Grabbing the remote, he turned the TV back on, and Sakura had already transformed into a magical girl and started fighting.


    "Big brother, you''re not being obedient; the nurse told you to rest."


    A little girl in a red dress, standing with her hands behind her back and smiling at Kagura Hikaru, had appeared in the room at some unknown time.


    This was of course Komori Ai.


    In fact, she had been here from the start but had used her ability to erase her presence so that no one but Kagura Hikaru could see her; though, the latter pretended not to notice throughout.


    True to her role as a hero, her acting was exceptional!


    Komori Ai hopped and skipped to the foot of the bed and playfully started tickling Kagura Hikaru''s feet. Noticing no reaction, she tickled even harder.


    But Kagura Hikaru just kept his eyes glued to the cartoon.


    She got a bit upset and wrinkled her nose, "Big brother isn''t paying attention to me, that''s so mean!"


    Komori Ai punched Kagura Hikaru''s knees hard, making a ''thump'' sound on the blanket.


    No reaction.


    "Big brother? Big brother? Big big big big big brother!!"


    Even when she shouted right next to Kagura Hikaru''s ear, he didn''t stir and continued to look up at the TV.


    Komori Ai climbed onto the bed and straddled Kagura Hikaru, swaying her head from side to side in front of his eyes.


    Yet, he remained indifferent.


    Could it be... Kagura Hikaru can''t see me anymore?


    Komori Ai gradually realized this was the case.


    "Impossible, your eyes..." Komori Ai, touching Kagura Hikaru''s face, showed a worried expression for the first time.


    He was the first person who could see her without any tricks, truly seeing through the lies.


    Of all people, he was the most special.


    But why now...


    Komori Ai''s eyes brightened; she had an idea.


    Right.


    If he couldn''t see her when she used her powers, then not using them should work.


    She let go of the lie, and to Kagura Hikaru, she appeared instantly in front of him like a ghost.


    He couldn''t help but scream, "Ah!!"


    "Ahh!!"


    Not expecting him to shout back even louder, she then giggled and hugged his neck, "Big brother, you won''t get well if you don''t rest properly."


    "Eh? Eh?? Who are you? Where did you pop out from!?"


    "...?"


    Komori Ai tilted her head in confusion.


    At that moment, footsteps approached from outside the room; it was probably the nurse coming to check upon hearing the noise.


    The hospital room door had just opened when Komori Ai''s figure disappeared into the air, leaving no trace.


    "Mr. Kagura, I told you that you need to rest, why are you still watching TV?"


    "I just saw someone, she appeared and then vanished!"


    "What are you talking about, there''s no one else here."


    A perplexed Kagura Hikaru hastily asked the nurse to call the doctor.


    Afterward, ''hallucination'' was added to his medical record, in addition to selective amnesia and delusional disorder.


    After that, Kagura Hikaru never saw that little girl again.


    He stayed in the hospital for a week.


    During that time, in addition to Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo, some other classmates he did not recognize visited, as well as a police inspector.


    The man introduced himself as ''Yamazaki Kouki,'' and from him, Kagura Hikaru learned the real reason for his hospitalization.


    It seemed that, before his amnesia, he had been a very righteous person who, at the request of the police, had gone undercover in a cult and even rescued a girl who was imprisoned there, a Shrine Maiden of the cult.


    However, when it came to the name of the Shrine Maiden and her current situation, for some reason, both of them hesitated and unconsciously skipped over the topic.


    Regardless, it seemed that it was because of that undercover incident that he had been retaliated against and run over by the Sect Hierarch of the cult, landing him in the hospital.


    Considering that the perpetrator was in a slightly worse condition than him, having already descended to hell, Kagura Hikaru let go of his anger.


    A week later, he finally was discharged from the hospital, albeit with a less-than-attractive bandaged head.


    Currently, he was clearly not in a condition to attend school, neither physically nor mentally, and could only rest at home. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if he could go, Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t. He certainly didn''t want to use a middle schooler''s mind to attend high school classes; just thinking about it was torture.


    Staying at home was great; he could play games happily every day.


    His memory still lingered in the period when he was a second-year middle school student, while reality had already advanced more than two years, during which many new games, series, and movies had been released for him to choose from.


    Although knowing about his father''s remarriage was a blow, his stepmother was a kind person, completely leaving him alone.


    So, now he was super happy every day, not having to go to school and playing all day without anyone nagging - incredibly thrilling, Wuhu~!


    Knock knock.


    The door sounded twice, then Ayakoji Chiyoko entered carrying beverages and snacks.


    "I''m here again, did I disturb you?" she asked, smiling as she walked into the room. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    Kagura Hikaru turned and saw his girlfriend, also breaking into a smile, "How could you."


    During the home convalescence, Chiyoko visited every day after school.


    Despite her stubborn denial, it was clear she just wanted to be close to him.


    Needless to say, so did Kagura Hikaru.


    "Watching a movie?"


    "Yeah, come join."


    Kagura Hikaru patted the floor, signaling Ayakoji Chiyoko to sit beside him. Once she did, he naturally took her hand.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko picked up the beverage and placed the straw to his lips, simultaneously handing him his medication for the day.


    Kagura Hikaru took a sip of soda mixed with the pill and swallowed, Ayakoji Chiyoko took the beverage from him and naturally took a sip herself.


    From the beginning, she had brought only one cup.


    She set the beverage aside, watching her boyfriend''s profile with a content smile.


    "Eh, what are you doing..." Kagura Hikaru shyly averted his face.


    "Nothing, I''m just enjoying the moment," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a smile.


    "Oh..."


    Kagura Hikaru did not know what was on his girlfriend''s mind, as he couldn''t read minds.


    But without a doubt, at this moment, they were in perfect harmony; there was nothing happier than that.


    Kagura Hikaru quietly watched the movie with her, their hands naturally intertwined, fingers interlocked.


    He too, was enjoying the moment.


    If only it could always be like this.


    Being with the person he loved, doing what he enjoyed, without a worry or a mundane care in the world.


    This, perhaps, was what they call happiness.

 Chapter 275 Kiryu Hina Wants to Meet

    The autumn wind carries a distinctive scent.


    It''s unlike spring, summer, or winter.


    They say autumn is the season of harvest, when rice bears fruit and corn fields glow golden. It''s said that under the sun, a breeze can carry the warm scent of popcorn.


    Whether that''s just a city dweller''s fantasy or not, even in the steel and concrete jungle of Tokyo, the scent of autumn follows closely behind.


    At Haneoka Private High School, this scent refers to the aroma of maple leaves.


    In the school''s courtyard, maple trees are everywhere, their leaves having turned golden in the summer, almost dazzling under the reflection of the sun.


    But come autumn, one could see the golden of the maples start to tinge with vivid red.


    That''s a sign of the maples ripening, evolving into the legendary red maples, even more eye-catching than gold. If they were to blanket the hills and fields, the sight would be unexpectedly spectacular.


    Kiryu Hina had only witnessed that scene last autumn.


    From the classroom window, she could see clusters of red clouds swaying in the gentle breeze, relaxing even the most troubled of moods.


    A fresh, faint scent of leaves mixed with the wind, blowing in through the classroom windows.


    The autumn wind was much more mischievous than the summer''s, stirring the curtains to dance periodically, occasionally hitting the faces or backs of the students as if to tease them.


    During tedious classes, watching the billowing curtains, one might even think they were alive.


    Normally as inanimate as a rock, manipulated by others, it was just because its friend hadn''t come. Once the wind visited, it immediately became lively.


    From this angle, the curtain might be a follower of the wind, dancing in pursuit of it.


    But the wind, that friend, was heartless; it played with the curtain when in good spirits, and once it lost interest, it departed from the other side of the classroom, leaving the curtain to droop down dispiritedly, once more becoming lifeless, and desperately waiting for its friend''s next visit.


    Thinking this, Kiryu Hina even felt a sense of empathy.


    Riiing, riiing, riiing...


    The end-of-class bell rang.


    Glancing at her watch, Kiryu Hina realized class had ended.


    She had been daydreaming during the Japanese language class and probably missed recording half of her notes.


    It looked like she''d have to make some time for self-study tonight.


    Kiryu Hina sighed softly and turned her head towards the seat behind her.


    It used to be Kagura Hikaru''s seat, but now it was occupied by a girl, which momentarily disoriented Kiryu Hina.


    A moment later, she remembered that Kagura Hikaru had already changed his seat to the one by the back door, which was now empty.


    He certainly wasn''t going to attend school, especially since his illness had not fully healed yet.


    Strangely enough, Kagura Hikaru was fairly well-liked among classmates, but after he stopped attending school, not a single student inquired about him.


    Perhaps it was because Kagura Hikaru was usually too cold, pushing people miles away, making him difficult to approach, which discouraged any curiosity about him.


    But if it were the current Kagura Hikaru, the one from middle school, returning to school, the scenario might be entirely different.


    Not to mention, Kiryu Hina did not wish for such things to happen. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She believed even Kagura Hikaru himself, prior to losing his memory, would not want to be seen by outsiders in his former self.


    Rather than calling it a dark history, it was more his rawest form before experiencing any tragedies, like a knight without armor, a masked man without his mask.


    That posture, for Kiryu Hina, should have remained a beautiful memory faded with time.


    Little did she expect to see it manifest in reality again, which she had never anticipated.


    No matter what, the current Kagura Hikaru seemed fine, but it was just an illusory facade.


    Put overly, it was a sort of pathology.


    He needed to regain his memory as soon as possible.


    It would suffice if he were to return to school and sit in the corner seat, reading books as usual.


    Whether he was willing to talk to her or not, Kiryu Hina would rather see such Kagura Hikaru rather than face an empty seat every day.


    She shifted her gaze towards Ayakoji Chiyoko, who was seated diagonally behind her.


    She was talking to other people, apparently discussing Student Council matters and obviously couldn''t disengage herself.


    This left Kiryu Hina with no opportunity to ask about Kagura Hikaru''s condition.


    Lately, such situations had become frequent, inevitably making her feel as if the other party was deliberately avoiding her.


    Several days had passed since Kagura Hikaru was discharged from the hospital, and during that time, only Ayakoji Chiyoko had visited his house, as everyone else had been busy with their matters.


    Kohinata Suse''s drama club was rehearsing for an upcoming major play, and as the newly appointed head of the club, she had to attend to the practice of all members and thus was temporarily unavailable.


    As for Kiryu Hina herself, she too had matters to attend to.


    It concerned the Ayakoji family.


    Ever since she and Ayakoji Chiyoko acknowledged each other as sisters, she had been invited to meet her biological father, Ryoma Ayakoji, and they had a long discussion.


    After that day, Kiryu Hina gained a father and reluctantly accepted a sister.


    Her other father, Kiryu Masaki, although upset about the situation, as always refused to meet Ryoma Ayakoji but still recognized the outcome and respected his daughter''s decision.


    Everything had initially been moving in a favorable direction, but somehow, Ryoma Ayakoji heard about her playing the female lead in "The Phantom of the Opera" during the school festival and even watched the recording. Then, he spontaneously decided she was talented and interested in acting, planning to train her as an actress.


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    This was a path once abandoned by Ayakoji Chiyoko. It seemed Ryoma Ayakoji was still harboring these feelings and wanted to try again to have his second daughter continue his business.


    Kiryu Hina had no interest in acting.


    However, she hadn''t yet mastered the proper distance with her biological father, inadvertently agreed to an audition, and, unfortunately, passed the screening.


    The result was that after school every day, she had to wait on set with an agent arranged by Ryoma Ayakoji, accompanying the film crew.


    The part-time acting job after class left her with no time to seek out Kagura Hikaru.


    She vaguely felt that all this was too coincidental; there might have been someone else''s shadow in it.


    Could it be Ayakoji Chiyoko?


    Wrong, it must be her.


    Her desire to monopolize Kagura Hikaru was utterly evident to those with intentions.


    Kiryu Hina even suspected that she might not have even told him about their real relationship.


    That violated their initial agreement.


    Seizing today when the acting work had paused, she planned to personally visit the Kagura family and see Kagura Hikaru.


    This was also a challenge for Kiryu Hina.


    Because the one she was going to see was not the Kagura Hikaru from high school, but from junior high ¡ª the Kagura Hikaru from her past relationship.


    It was after their breakup that he had started to change.


    In a sense, the person she was about to meet was not just Kagura Hikaru.


    It was her own consequence.

 Chapter 276 Ex-Girlfriend, Also Current Girlfriend

    At 3:30 in the afternoon, Yuqiu High School''s prime dismissal time.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko wouldn''t head back home that early, even if she finished her work quickly, she still had to visit the Student Council after school.


    Kiryu Hina took this opportunity to leave the school and took a train to Kagura Hikaru''s house.


    Back in junior high, she had never visited the Kagura residence.


    Mainly because she dared not meet his family, fearing she''d be teased. Even when Kagura Hikaru assured her that no one was home, she refused to go and preferred to meet outside.


    But nonetheless, the address of the Kagura family was etched in Kiryu Hina''s memory, clear as day. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it hadn''t been, she probably would have struggled to find the way when she went to see him while he was sick.


    Before long, Kiryu Hina stood at the Kagura''s doorstep with a bag of fruit in her hand.


    She felt somewhat nervous.


    Her heart was beating faster than when the Student Council election results were announced.


    Kiryu Hina patted her chest, took a few deep breaths, slapped her face lightly to maintain her usual expression, and then reached out to press the doorbell.


    Ding-dong~


    The moment she pressed it, she realized she hadn''t given any thought to how she should talk to Kagura Hikaru.


    Would he be scared if she came across as too familiar, as if they were acquaintances?


    But if she treated him like a normal classmate, that also seemed somewhat inappropriate...


    While Kiryu Hina was caught in her dilemma, the front door had already opened.


    The one who greeted her was not Kagura Hikaru... but his stepmother.


    "Eh, I remember you are..."


    "Hello, auntie. I am a classmate of Kagura Hikaru''s. I was under your care last time."


    "Oh, I remember you." The stepmother recalled her as the girl who had stayed over last time, and a smile immediately bloomed, "Are you here to see Mister Hikaru?"


    "Yes, that''s right. I brought some fruit." Kiryu Hina raised her hand to show her present.


    "There''s no need to be so formal, please come in."


    The stepmother welcomed her warmly, prepared slippers for Kiryu Hina, took the fruit she brought, and then said, "Mister Hikaru is upstairs, you can go up to see him."


    "Okay, thank you, auntie."


    Kiryu Hina changed shoes and walked upstairs.


    On the stairs, she could hear the sounds of rapid gunfire and miscellaneous noises coming from a room on the second floor¡ªit seemed to be coming from Kagura Hikaru''s room, apparently, he was playing video games.


    Being sick had that one upside, being able to play games all day at home.


    If it were the junior high Kagura Hikaru, he would probably be very happy about it.


    Thinking this, Kiryu Hina ascended the stairs and knocked on the door.


    "Who is it!" A voice came from inside.


    "Hello, I''m here to visit you," said Kiryu Hina.


    After waiting a bit, the door opened from the inside, revealing Kagura Hikaru in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.


    Upon seeing Kiryu Hina, he showed a faintly puzzled expression, opened his mouth, and awkwardly scratched his head.


    "You are, uh, that..."


    "Kiryu Hina."


    "Right, Classmate Kiriyu... What brings you here?"


    "Didn''t I say? I''m here to visit you," Kiryu Hina said with a smile.


    The nervousness that had been so intense just moments before flew away upon seeing him.


    The sight of Kagura Hikaru scratching his head in foolish confusion made Kiryu Hina look on with some nostalgia.


    Many memories she thought she had forgotten came flooding back.


    The first time they met on the way to junior high, before they even started dating, he wore that same expression, as if he wanted to chat but didn''t know what to say.


    Back then, both Kagura Hikaru and herself were still quite naive.


    ```


    But now, if one were to consider psychological age, Kiryu Hina was about three years older than him and had matured more as well.


    Huh, thinking about it that way, the one who should be nervous should be Kagura Hikaru; to a ''junior high school boy,'' she''s now a charming and appealing upperclasswoman!


    Such a strange thought crossed her mind, and Kiryu Hina''s smile turned unconsciously seductive.


    It seemed her smile truly had a lethal quality, as Kagura Hikaru''s face flushed slightly, and he scratched his head, eyes darting to the side, "Come in first."


    "Okay."


    Kagura Hikaru invited Kiryu Hina into the house, asked her to find a place to sit, then picked up the game controller again and, with an apologetic gesture towards the computer, said, "Sorry, Classmate Kiryu, my game isn''t over yet¡ªcould you wait for me to finish this round?"


    "Sure, I''ll just sit here and watch."


    "I''m sorry, I''ll finish as quickly as I can."


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    "No rush."


    "Don''t worry, I''m fast!"


    As Kagura Hikaru spoke, he got back to playing, his character on the computer screen running across the map, occasionally pulling out a knife for a burst of speed.


    Suddenly someone sprang out from around a corner, Kagura Hikaru''s character lifted an assault rifle, and with a controlled burst, shot in the head, taking down the opponent.


    Such scenes continued to unfold; he seemed to always be able to guess where the enemy was, and his shooting was always a step faster than others, easily achieving the highest kill count and securing the final victory in the game.


    "I won!" Kagura Hikaru turned to Kiryu Hina with a smile, unable to hide his pride.


    "That''s amazing," Kiryu Hina said with a smile.


    Kagura Hikaru admitted honestly, "A lot of my plays are based on muscle memory. I probably kept playing this game during the years I lost my memory. I wasn''t this strong before."


    "I see."


    "Ah... sorry, I forgot girls aren''t usually interested in games," Kagura Hikaru said somewhat sheepishly, scratching his head.


    "I...."


    Kiryu Hina was about to speak when suddenly there was a knock at the door.


    Her heart hanging in her throat, she watched as Kagura Hikaru went to answer it.


    Fortunately, it wasn''t Ayakoji Chiyoko at the door, but Kagura Hikaru''s stepmother, who had cut the fruit Kiryu Hina had brought into a fruit platter and brought it up.


    After the stepmother left, Kagura Hikaru turned on the TV in the room and shared the fruit platter with Kiryu Hina, who was sitting at the low table.


    What caught Kagura Hikaru''s attention was that she was sitting very close, close enough that he could smell the fragrance of her hair.


    It was enough to shake his resolve.


    The female classmate who visited today was intimidatingly beautiful, fair-skinned and lovely, with a figure just right. Among people Kagura Hikaru knew, only Chiyoko and Suse could compare to her.


    And what made him more alert was her inexplicably adept manner... as if they had been close before.


    Had he done something before losing his memory to betray Chiyoko?!


    The TV was broadcasting international news.


    Somewhere in the Middle East was at war again, somewhere else was protesting¡ªtypical events.


    The room fell into an awkward silence, with neither speaking.


    As the host, Kagura Hikaru felt he shouldn''t let his guest feel uncomfortable. Just as he was about to make conversation with Kiryu Hina, he noticed she looked over as well, and she took the initiative to speak, "Classmate Kagura, no, it''s better to just call you Kagura, right? You don''t mind?"


    "Uh, sure."


    "Do you know what our relationship was before?"


    "Huh?" Kagura Hikaru was a little startled by Kiryu Hina''s tone and said cautiously, "Friends?"


    "More than that, guess again."


    "...Members of the same club?"


    "Nope."


    "You might as well tell me straight."


    "Ex-girlfriend," she said softly with a slight smile, meeting Kagura Hikaru''s astonished gaze as she leaned in and whispered, "And for you in junior high, I''m also your current girlfriend."


    ```

 Chapter 277 A Short Dream That Will Wake Up One Day

    ".....What do you mean?"


    "I mean exactly what I said, Chiyoko Ayakoji lied to you, I am your real girlfriend."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru''s smile vanished, his expression became blank, and his gaze intensified.


    It was then that Kiryu Hina realized that the Kagura Hikaru of the ''future'' who hadn''t lost his memory hadn''t disappeared; he was just hiding behind a smile.


    Strangely enough, Kiryu Hina thought she might actually prefer him like this.


    "A person can''t be ''current girlfriend'' and ''ex-girlfriend'' at the same time; there''s a linguistic error in your statement," Kagura Hikaru said.


    "Don''t you believe it?"


    "Of course, I couldn''t possibly mistake my own girlfriend. I might have amnesia, but I''m not stupid."


    Kiryu Hina sighed helplessly, "If you don''t believe me, you can ask someone else."


    "Like who?"


    "Kohinata Motoyo, she is your... well, according to your current understanding, she''s still your friend. You could ask her; she knows everything."


    ".....wait, what do you mean ''she is still your friend''? Did Suse break off her friendship with me?"


    "Not exactly; she is currently pursuing you, but you turned her down¡ªI mean the you before you lost your memory, so currently, you aren''t that close to her."


    "The more you talk, the more confused I get."


    Kagura Hikaru stood up and looked at this girl claiming to be his girlfriend, his brows furrowed tightly, "By coming to my house and saying all this, what is your real purpose? Are you trying to drive a wedge between Chiyoko and me?"


    "I told you, if you don''t believe me, you can verify it with someone you trust."


    Seeing that he didn''t want her to stay any longer, Kiryu Hina also got up and patted her skirt, "But I must remind you, only a very few people know about our relationships. Aside from me, only Chiyoko Ayakoji, Kohinata Motoyo, and Ai Cheng Karen know."


    "Ai Cheng Karen?"


    "Yes, you''ve met her in the hospital before." Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    "I thought she was just a regular classmate."


    "She is also your friend..... and mine. We both owe her favors." Kiryu Hina opened the door, turned her head towards Kagura Hikaru and said, "Be careful with Chiyoko Ayakoji. We''ve warned her to tell you the truth, but she didn''t do it and it even seems like she''s obstructing us¡ª" S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What about me?"


    Chiyoko Ayakoji''s voice suddenly appeared.


    She had come upstairs at some point and was standing in the hallway, her right hand gripping the shoulder strap of her school bag, her face expressionless, eyeing Kiryu Hina, then turning to Kagura Hikaru in the room, smiling and pointing at Kiryu Hina, "Kagura, was she just speaking ill of me?"


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t respond, just shrugged and turned away.


    His non-response was an answer to Chiyoko Ayakoji.


    "Well, I didn''t think you''d stoop so low, Kiryu Hina," Chiyoko Ayakoji crossed her arms, sighed heavily, and looked at her with resignation, "Even if you lost to me in the Student Council election, there is no need to drag Kagura into our personal grievances."


    "Chiyoko Ayakoji." Kiryu Hina''s face turned serious, "Is deceiving a sick person satisfying for you? You know what I''m talking about."


    "The liar here is you."


    "Are you trying to turn the tables on me?"


    "That''s the truth."


    ".....Don''t go too far, you better stop while you can!"


    Kiryu Hina realized that Chiyoko Ayakoji had no intention of clearing up the misunderstanding; the agreement they had in the hospital was completely ignored.


    She planned to keep being Kagura Hikaru''s girlfriend, letting him continue with his misunderstanding.


    How was this different from getting someone drunk and forcing yourself on them!?


    Kiryu Hina clenched her teeth so tightly she almost raised her hand to slap Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    But remembering that Kagura Hikaru was right beside her, she ultimately lowered her hand and instead took a step closer, raised her index finger, firmly poked Ayakoji Chiyoko''s chest, leaned in, and said, "Kagura''s illness will get better eventually, and his memory loss is only temporary. When that lie is exposed, what do you think he will think of you?"


    "Oh? So you''re saying you''re doing this for my benefit?" Ayakoji Chiyoko chuckled coldly in a low voice and pushed her away, "Sorry, please leave. You''re not welcome here."


    "...Kagura." Kiryu Hina frowned, turned to glance at Kagura Hikaru, hesitated, and then turned away and left.


    Even if she explained now, Ayakoji Chiyoko would have countless arguments to justify herself.


    Given Kagura Hikaru''s current trust in her, anything she said would be hard for him to accept, and it might even backfire.


    It would be best to temporarily step back, go gather more support, and figure out a way to thwart Ayakoji Chiyoko''s plan.


    She had already taken the wrong path.


    It was unexpected that Ayakoji Chiyoko would one day stoop so low as to bully a sick person for her own selfish desires.


    It was just like Kohinata Motoyo from the past.


    They both used to be noble talents, so why had they changed this way?


    ...No.


    Kiryu Hina suddenly realized that it wasn''t just the two of them who had changed, but also herself.


    They had all been blinded by love.


    The things Ayakoji Chiyoko was doing now, she had done herself in the past.


    Only, her methods involved using malice to control Kagura Hikaru, whereas Ayakoji Chiyoko used love.


    She had to admit that, in this respect, Chiyoko was more skilled.


    Unfortunately, that love was too fake and extreme, like a castle in the air, a brief dream you''re bound to wake from someday.


    She herself must have understood this, yet she still wanted to monopolize this temporary moment.


    No wonder it is often said that emotion is a woman''s weakness.


    But even this brief beautiful dream, Kiryu Hina was not willing to give to her, not only because they were rivals in love, but also because she was hindering Kagura Hikaru''s recovery.


    This was what she found most unacceptable.


    As Kiryu Hina walked downstairs, she glanced back at the room one last time, where Ayakoji Chiyoko had just closed the door, shutting out the noise.


    For some reason, looking at the closed door, she suddenly felt unease, as if she had forgotten something important.


    But upon reflection, there didn''t seem to be anything out of the ordinary.


    Kiryu Hina shook her head.


    She walked down the stairs, greeted Kagura Hikaru''s stepmother, and left the Kagura Family home.


    Standing at the entrance, she looked back once more at Kagura Hikaru''s second-floor room window, then headed towards the train station, took out her phone, and dialed Kohinata Motoyo''s number.


    "Hello?"


    "It''s me, are you still at school?"


    "I''m rehearsing in the auditorium."


    "I''m coming over now, there''s something you need to know¡­ and also, I need your help."


    "Understood, I''ll wait for you."


    "Yeah."


    Kiryu Hina ended the call, took a deep breath, stared at the phone screen for a long time, shook her head, and continued walking.

 Chapter 278 Possessiveness

    Kagura Hikaru stood in the room, frowning as he watched the girl named Kiryu Hina leave.


    After all, he had lived through two lifetimes, and even though he had lost three years of memories, he had lived a total of twenty years when combining both lives.


    While still not fully mature, he certainly couldn''t easily believe the one-sided words of a stranger.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was undoubtedly his girlfriend. How could that be fake?


    He could easily recall every little moment they spent together, going to school together, dating outside, practicing in the drama club...


    Hiss!


    Kagura Hikaru suddenly clutched his head, suffering from a splitting headache.


    "No good, are you having an attack again? Sit down quickly." Ayakoji Chiyoko had just shut the door and turned around when she saw Kagura Hikaru holding his head in agony. She hurriedly took his hand down to prevent him from pulling off the bandage and helped him sit on the bed.


    "Are you thinking about the past again?"


    "Mhm..." Kagura Hikaru gripped her hand tightly, managing to squeeze out a smile, "Just accidentally."


    "Do you want some painkillers?"


    "No need, it''ll pass if I endure it."


    "Clear your mind, don''t think too much. How about watching some TV?" Ayakoji Chiyoko comforted as she patted his back.


    Since waking up in the hospital, every time Kagura Hikaru tried to remember the details of his past, he would suffer a headache - the cause was unknown, and the doctors hadn''t found any symptoms either.


    This also meant that Kagura Hikaru often needed something to distract his attention.


    In the hospital, it was the TV in his room; at home, it was playing video games. Without these distractions, he would suffer headaches two to three times a day.


    One time, he even nearly fell down the stairs.


    This was why everyone believed he shouldn''t go to school, and even his stepmother indulged his daily play at home.


    It was clear that he was not fit to go out.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko picked up the remote control, turned up the volume on the TV, and switched to a documentary channel, which was conveniently airing scenery from Wakayama Prefecture.


    Watching the high blue skies and beautiful mountain landscapes on TV, Kagura Hikaru''s headache gradually eased, and he apologetically released Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hand, "Sorry, did I hurt you just now?"


    "It''s alright."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled at him.


    Kagura Hikaru returned the smile.


    But his emotions were in chaos.


    Every time he tried to recall the details of the past, the pain prevented him from remembering anything.


    For instance, he could remember that in middle school he and Chiyoko attended the same school and were in the same club.


    But if he tried to think of the name of his own desk mate or what the other club members looked like, Kagura Hikaru''s head would start to act up.


    It was as if his own body was protesting, not wanting to remember those things.


    Yet this time, something different occurred.


    In his memory, the face of another girl emerged.


    It was none other than Kiryu Hina, whom he had just met.


    ...What on earth is going on?


    He was sure that he didn''t know her, so why would she appear in his past memories?


    Could it be due to the residual impression from before?


    Or is it...


    Glancing sideways at Ayakoji Chiyoko''s smiling face, doubts began to form in Kagura Hikaru''s heart.


    Then, the headache struck again.


    This wasn''t good; he was thinking too much again.


    "Does it hurt again?"


    "Sorry... could you get me some painkillers..."


    "I''ll get them right now."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sprang to her feet, intending to go downstairs to fetch some medicine.


    But as she turned away from Kagura Hikaru''s gaze, her face suddenly darkened.


    Kagura Hikaru began to recall events more frequently.


    No matter the pain, one eventually becomes accustomed to it with enough experience.


    What if, after many attempts, Kagura Hikaru truly found inconsistencies in his memories?


    Her identity would be exposed.


    Damn it, it was all Kiryu Hina''s fault! If she hadn''t come here speaking nonsense, Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t have started questioning his own memories.


    And judging by her actions today, she was unlikely to let it rest and would cause more trouble for them in the future.


    Predictably, not just Kiryu Hina, but Kohinata Motoyo would surely join in too, those two had been colluding since the cultural festival.


    ...No, this way they were bound to be exposed eventually.


    She would have to create more problems for them, to keep them so busy they wouldn''t have time to pay attention to her agenda. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Under the cover of her bangs, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes emitted a murky light.


    She opened the door and went downstairs.


    In the room, Kagura Hikaru who had been pressing his forehead, heard Ayakoji Chiyoko leave, immediately stood up, swayed and nearly fell, but quickly steadied himself.


    Battling the headache, he rushed to the desk, grabbed his phone that was on it, and started flipping through the photo album.


    He remembered taking quite a few photos with Ayakoji Chiyoko in the past.


    If he could find that one, he could prove that what Kiryu Hina said was false, and that he and Chiyoko were a real couple!


    Kagura Hikaru opened the photo album on his phone and glanced through it rapidly.


    There weren''t many photos in the album, a quick glance revealed a few landscape pictures, his class schedule, blackboard notes, a few incomprehensible forms... but not a single picture with people in it.


    This wasn''t right, there was no reason for him to delete photos with his girlfriend.


    Had he gone mad before his memory loss?


    Or had someone tampered with his phone...?


    With his left hand braced on the desk, Kagura Hikaru''s eyes slightly widened as he looked at his phone, a cold sweat breaking out on his back amidst the splitting headache.


    "Kagura? What are you doing?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s puzzled voice suddenly came from behind him.


    With a reaction speed that surprised even himself, Kagura Hikaru put the phone back in its place, casually picked up a game controller from the desk, turned around towards Ayakoji Chiyoko, lifted the controller, and laughed, "I thought... play some games. Watching TV doesn''t seem to work well."


    "That''s fine too, but you should take your medicine first," she replied.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko wasn''t suspicious at all, she walked up to the desk with a glass of water and a pill bottle, handed Kagura Hikaru a pill, and then offered to help him drink the water. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No need, no need, I can do it myself," Kagura Hikaru quickly took the glass from her.


    "Why be so formal? I''m your girlfriend, taking care of you is what I should do."


    "Thank you...," he said.


    Using drinking water as cover, Kagura Hikaru stealthily observed her from the corner of his eye.


    Chiyoko immediately noticed this and smiled.


    Kagura Hikaru raised his eyebrows at her and looked away.


    He knew he shouldn''t be doubting his girlfriend.


    But with so many doubts before his eyes, he couldn''t help but be affected by them.


    Once the seed of suspicion is planted, it''s destined to break through the soil.


    With a concern for the future, Kagura Hikaru drank a whole glass of water mixed with the pill in one go, then, with a hearty gesture, put down the glass and smiled at Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Let''s play a game, I found a new one for two players."


    "Sure," Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled.


    Kagura Hikaru bent down and searched for another controller in the large drawer at his feet.


    He was completely unaware that a pair of eyes was watching him intently from behind.


    The reflection in those murky eyes was possession.

 Chapter 279 The Heartbroken, Assemble!

    An hour after leaving school, Kiryu Hina now stood at the entrance of Uka High School again.


    She walked straight through the gate.


    At this moment in the school, only students involved in club activities still lingered, the orange hue of twilight bathed the maple trees and academic buildings, adding a layer of nostalgia to the quiet.


    In the past, when Kiryu Hina worked in the Student Council, staying late after school was a common occurrence.


    However, it was clear that after losing the position of Student Council President, she no longer needed to do so.


    Moreover, up till now, she hadn''t joined any club apart from the Student Council.


    Frankly speaking, she was just like Kagura Hikaru¡ªpart of what''s known as the "Go Home Club."


    But while Kagura Hikaru would occasionally work part-time after school, Kiryu Hina really did just go home.


    None of the clubs at school had sparked her interest, and that now included the Student Council as well.


    When it came down to it, her initial impetus for joining the Student Council and becoming President was, after all, to bring herself closer to the "perfection" of Kohinata Motoyo; she herself was not interested in such things.


    The only thing that could be considered an interest was acting, but after her fallout with Kohinata Motoyo, even her passion for acting had fizzled out.


    Now, she was headed to the school auditorium, intending to observe the rehearsal of the Uka High School Drama Club, which had recently dazzled at the cultural festival.


    It wasn''t that her interest in drama had reignited, but rather she had made plans with Kohinata Motoyo.


    She never thought she''d one day voluntarily say to that person, "I need your help."


    Kiryu Hina could almost predict how delighted Kohinata Motoyo would be.


    That person might be scheming and double-dealing, but oddly enough, Kiryu Hina had never doubted her sincerity and kindness.


    Putting aside the messy relationship between the three of them, she was still the person Kiryu Hina trusted the most¡ªsecond to none.


    Especially when it came to matters concerning Kagura Hikaru.


    Kiryu Hina pushed open the doors of the school auditorium.


    The auditorium was surprisingly lively.


    The drama club members were decorating the stage backdrop, and actors were rehearsing on stage.


    Compared to the previous small and scattered drama club, the current one was revitalized¡ªit was obvious at a glance, and the number of members had significantly increased.


    A quick look suggested at least more than twenty people.


    That was multiple times more than before.


    The recruitment performance during the cultural festival seemed to have been effective.


    No wonder, for that performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" included Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko. To put it grandiosely, the two of them were then the stars of Uka High, but now Ayakoji Chiyoko''s popularity had far surpassed hers.


    Particularly since Ayakoji Chiyoko had, rather forcibly, involved her in a highly controversial kiss scene for recruitment purposes¡ªit could not have been more successful.


    Unfortunately, Takeuchi Momo, who had performed with them last time and was the drama club President, had since retired, passing the mantle to Kohinata Motoyo, who was now the head of the club.


    ...If possible, she really didn''t want to greet her on her own turf, but she was the one who had asked for the meeting.


    Scanning the auditorium, Kiryu Hina quickly spotted Kohinata Motoyo.


    She was standing below the stage, talking to two actors dressed in 17th century European costumes, tapping a rolled-up script in her hand, looking quite professional.


    "Hey, madam director over there." Kiryu Hina walked over and called out, then waited impatiently after Kohinata Motoyo turned around and motioned for her to approach.


    Kohinata Motoyo nodded in acknowledgment and, after greeting the members, walked towards her.


    "You came."


    "Yes, just came from the Kagura family... Ayakoji Chiyoko was there as well, I just happened to bump into her."


    "Oh, seems like bad timing. Maybe next time you should find someone to send a message ahead."


    "Thanks for the advice, I''ll do that," Kiryu Hina said with a hint of sarcasm before falling silent for a while, then she seated herself in the auditorium next to her, tilting her head to signal.


    Kohinata Suse smiled, carefully pressed down her skirt, and sat down beside her, even deliberately inching several centimeters closer, nearly leaning their shoulders together.


    "...Too close."


    "This way we can hear each other clearly."


    "Tch," Kiryu Hina clicked her fingers in annoyance and turned her head slightly away from her, looking at the stage and saying, "Things aren''t looking good for Ayakoji Chiyoko, she plans to go against us."


    "How so?"


    "She lied to Kagura, and also made me out to be a liar."


    "I see, she plans to keep hiding the truth, as expected."


    "You knew all along?"


    "No, I didn''t know she would be so aggressive, it seems something must have provoked her..." Kohinata Suse''s face took on a serious expression, contemplative, "Was it the breakup last time?"


    "I thought she didn''t react that much and would let it go."


    "It''s not that simple, as you know."


    Kohinata Suse tilted her head and smiled, gesturing first towards herself and then towards her companion, her expression noncommittal.


    Kiryu Hina understood her meaning and involuntarily rolled her eyes, turning her head away, "I won''t be like her."


    "That''s hard to say, aren''t you sisters? With the same blood flowing in your veins, maybe if the roles were reversed, you would go crazy too."


    "Yeah, and when that happens, you''ll be the one to stop me, right?"


    "Of course, I will. Watching a friend make a mistake is the most heartbreaking thing." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, so now you can empathize with my feelings from back then? That''s just great~" Kiryu Hina said sarcastically.


    Kohinata Suse, embarrassed, "Um... alright, let''s get back to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s matter."


    "Dealing with her won''t be easy; I need more people... and you''re going to help."


    "Of course."


    "Good, then first¡ª"


    "Wait, hold on a second," Kohinata Suse cut her off, "Hold your plan for a moment, not everyone''s here yet."


    "What do you mean?"


    At that moment, the auditorium doors were pushed open again.


    Four girls walked in from outside.


    Three of them wore the uniform of Yuqiu High School: Ai Cheng Hua Lian, Hosaka Yui, and Saijo Mari.


    And one unexpected person¡ªSakata Asahi.


    They quickly spotted Kiryu Hina and her companion seated near the entrance.


    Kohinata Suse stood up and raised her hand to signal them.


    The four exchanged looks and walked over.


    "You gathered them all here?" Kiryu Hina turned and asked her curiously.


    Should one say it''s no surprise for past close friends who understood each other so well, without instruction, they had already made preparations in advance.


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    These people, although to varying degrees, all owed Kagura Hikaru some favors, or were friends with him, and the only one who seemed like an outsider, Hosaka Yui, was also her own... friend.


    If it was them, they could presumably be easily persuaded to become allies.


    "I knew you would definitely need a hand," Kohinata Suse smiled at her, "Now, the people you want are here."

 Chapter 280 Kohinata Motoyo Who Tells Hells Jokes

    Kiryu Hina curled the corners of her mouth, "Sure enough, ''the great director'' knows how to handle things."


    "I''ll take that as a compliment... Everyone, thank you for coming." Kohinata Motoyo stood up with a smile and greeted Ai Cheng Hua Lian and the others.


    "You said in the text message that Classmate Kagura had an accident?" Saijo Mari asked first, "What exactly happened?"


    "Regarding that, I will explain in detail." Kohinata Motoyo looked back and exchanged glances with Kiryu Hina before saying, "It''s too noisy here, not a place for talking. Would you please move to the courtyard?"


    "The courtyard..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian subconsciously thought of something.


    "Yes, that''s the place." Kohinata Motoyo smiled and nodded at her, then turned back to Kiryu Hina and asked, "Hina, could you please lead everyone there? I still have to instruct some people from the drama club and will be a bit late."


    "Don''t use my name; we''re not that close."


    Kiryu Hina said gruffly, stood up, patted her skirt, nodded to Hosaka Yui who had come up to her, and then led the way out of the auditorium.


    With a helpless shrug, Kohinata Motoyo apologized to everyone, "Sorry, that''s just how she is."


    "Hmm, I might not be able to get used to that..." Saijo Mari, who had worked with Kiryu Hina over a long period in the Student Council and seen how she pretended to be a perfect idol, sighed and turned to follow her out.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian glanced at the others and hurriedly followed suit.


    Only Sakata Asahi was left behind.


    She watched the group leave the auditorium and approached Kohinata Motoyo to ask, "Suse, what was that about? Did something happen to Kagura Hikaru? You told me that what happened involved Chiyoko."


    "Yes, that''s right. Specifically, both of them are in trouble. Well, Kagura''s issue is a bit bigger, to be precise." Kohinata Motoyo walked towards the stage.


    Sakata Asahi stepped forward to keep up, pressing, "What exactly is going on?"


    "Are you sure you want to hear it now?"


    "Of course!"


    "Okay, to put it simply, Ayakoji Chiyoko plans to imprison Kagura and make him her Stellar Fury. We are trying to stop her evil conspiracy."


    "Stellar... What?!?!"


    "Doesn''t it have that Justice Messenger vibe to it?"


    "No, you, Suse??!!"


    "Just kidding."


    Kohinata Motoyo covered her mouth and chuckled lightly.


    Even after telling a dirty joke, she maintained her graceful demeanor, something not everyone can manage.


    And what shocked Sakata Asahi, causing her to widen her eyes like a frog, was exactly that.


    ¡ªKohinata Motoyo, the flawless Suse, was actually telling dirty jokes now?!


    "Suse... did you pick up bad habits abroad?"


    "Maybe, I admit the English have many tasteless jokes, especially the school I attended, which even holds regular Hell''s Jokes competitions."


    "You''re joking, right?"


    "Not this time." Kohinata Motoyo cleared her throat, "Here''s one I remember vividly¡ªlet me ask you, what present does a child with no hands get?"


    "Uh, a toy car?"


    "Gloves."


    "..."


    "Pfft, just kidding, he hasn''t opened the present yet."


    Seeing Kohinata Motoyo laughing till she was nearly in tears, Sakata Asahi felt as if her entire world view was about to explode!


    "Eh, you didn''t laugh?" Kohinata Motoyo looked at her in surprise, "Seems like you can go to heaven now."


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    "Oh my God, Suse!!"


    "Alright, alright, I''ll stop." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kohinata Motoyo instructed the people in the drama club on areas where the rehearsal could be improved, what stage props needed to be revised, then told them to wrap up and leave, before she turned to Sakata Asahi with an apologetic smile and said, "Sorry, just now... I was just venting my own stress, there''s too much I need to think about."


    "What exactly happened?"


    "Well... actually, not all of it was a joke just now, Ayakoji Chiyoko really did imprison Kagura Hikaru, you know he lost his memory in a car accident, right?"


    "Hina told me about it some time ago."


    "His current situation is a bit complicated." Kohinata Motoyo beckoned, signaling Sakata Asahi to leave the hall with her, talking as they walked: "Kagura has lost all memory after the second year of junior high, including the memory of dating me. But he only remembers Ayakoji Chiyoko, and has forgotten about Hina."


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know, in Kagura''s memory, his girlfriend now is Ayakoji Chiyoko, and Hina has become a stranger," Kohinata Motoyo said as she picked up her handbag from the seat, absentmindedly rubbing its strap, "I think, his guilt towards Ayakoji Chiyoko might have overwhelmed his fondness for Hina."


    "What?"


    "Eh, didn''t you know? They broke up, over a month ago."


    "Kagura Hikaru and Chiyoko?"


    "Yes, I can''t tell you the details, but Kagura lied to Ayakoji Chiyoko, and now their relationship is a bit like Kagura''s previous one with Hina. I don''t know what they went through, but Ayakoji Chiyoko''s attitude towards him has started to warm up again."


    Kohinata Motoyo''s expression turned serious: "We all didn''t expect things to evolve to this point, she''s gone beyond control, planning to compound the error by letting Kagura continue to see her as his girlfriend. This is extremely detrimental to Kagura''s treatment for his condition."


    "But... why say that? Is there something wrong? If Chiyoko is willing to accept him again." Sakata Asahi asked, puzzled, "Kagura originally liked her anyway, right?"


    Kohinata Motoyo turned to look at her, slowly shaking her head: "....No."


    "..."


    "As I said, it''s complicated."


    "I can sense that," Sakata Asahi said, "And I guess, just like with Kagura and Hina''s issue, there''s some inside story here, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Does this have anything to do with you, Suse?"


    "I wish Kagura Hikaru would let me help him deal with it, but he pushed me away, probably because he thinks I''m too scheming," Kohinata Motoyo said with a helpless tilted smile, "Let''s walk faster and meet up with everyone in the courtyard, then we can discuss strategies... will you help us?"


    Sakata Asahi did not reply at once.


    Just like Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo, Ayakoji Chiyoko was also her friend.


    For her to work with others against her own friend was not something she could decide on lightly.


    However, by the time they were about to exit the hall and nearing the courtyard, she had made up her mind.


    Sakata Asahi sighed, "Let me ask you, Suse, are you sure what you''re doing is the right thing?"


    "I''m sure." Kohinata Motoyo nodded, "And Hina thinks the same."


    "Then I''m in."


    "Really?"


    "Yes," Sakata Asahi said, "I misunderstood Kagura Hikaru before and said some harsh words to him, a mere apology can''t make up for it. As for Chiyoko''s matter... since both Suse and Hina think she''s wrong, then that''s probably the truth. It''s rare for you two overly clever people to agree on something and be wrong about it."


    "Thank you."


    "You''re welcome, if she''s a friend, naturally I can''t watch her go astray."


    Kohinata Motoyo gave a complicated smile: "....Yeah, you''re right."

 Chapter 281 Bee Operation

    When Kohinata Motoyo and the others hurried to the courtyard, beneath the maple tree, they just caught the end of Kiryu Hina''s speech.


    "...That''s how it is, Ayakoji Chiyoko has done something unforgivable, and I don''t want her to continue acting so recklessly. Some of you owe favors to Kagura Hikaru, some are his friends, and some are my friends, so I think our goals should align, don''t you think?"


    It seemed Kiryu Hina had already made the situation clear to the others.


    "Oh dear, aren''t you a bit early, but some people haven''t arrived yet." Kohinata Motoyo walked to the bench under the tree, "How could you not wait for us?"


    "Anyway, you already told Sakata on the way here." Kiryu Hina said indifferently without turning back. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It seems you also know she''s impatient."


    Sakata Asahi angrily exclaimed, "Hey, you two! I''m still here, you know. At least make sure the person you''re talking about isn''t present when you speak ill of them!"


    "Perhaps, it''s because you''re not ''someone else,''" Kohinata Motoyo said to her with a smile.


    Caught off guard by this ''confession,'' Sakata Asahi''s face turned red, and she looked away in silence.


    "I still find it hard to believe." Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s face was still marked with shock, as if she was just coming to her senses, "President Ayakoji doesn''t seem like the kind.."


    "Everyone has a side that can surprise others, Ai Cheng," Kiryu Hina said looking at Kohinata Motoyo, then lowered her head, "No exceptions."


    "Student Ai Cheng." Kohinata Motoyo said with a resigned smile, "Ayakoji Chiyoko might not be as righteous as you think, she is a dangerous person."


    "Then Kagura...."


    "We''ll help him out of this predicament," said Kohinata Motoyo.


    Kiryu Hina leaned back heavily in her chair, "Right now, Ayakoji Chiyoko controls both the Student Council and the Disciplinary Committee, undoubtedly the most powerful person in Ugao High, having access to far more manpower and resources than we can muster. But with your help disrupting her plans a bit is still achievable."


    "I will do my utmost," Saijo Mari nodded to them, "Kagura once helped our family through a tough time, now it''s my turn to help him."


    "Don''t make it sound so melodramatic like some underworld payback," Hosaka Yui said expressionlessly, taking off her large round glasses and wiping them with her jacket, "Just follow Big Sister''s orders obediently, and everything will go smoothly."


    "Big Sister?"


    "I meant President Kiryu,"


    Saijo Mari''s expression was ambiguous.


    The bespectacled minion of Kiryu Hina, could she be ''that side''s'' person...?


    "Let''s get down to specifics," Sakata Asahi said, hands in pockets, "Hina, I''m listening to you, tell us what to do."


    Kiryu Hina glanced around at everyone.


    Kohinata Motoyo, Sakata Asahi, Saijo Mari, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, Hosaka Yui¡ªthey all looked at her, unhesitatingly.


    These people represented not only themselves but also the networks behind them that could be put to use.


    In Kiryu Hina''s eyes, she saw a vast web, a giant spider web.


    And Ayakoji Chiyoko was the massive mother spider at the center of the web, surrounded by countless smaller spiders.


    And they, gathering together, were the bees planning to make a few holes in that spider web.


    The bee''s sting was non-toxic and couldn''t combat the much larger mother spider, but they shared a common goal and a cause that any upright person could support.


    Although it was a scenario where they had to overpower a stronger opponent with weaker forces, for some reason, Kiryu Hina saw no possibility of failure.


    "Before explaining the plan, let''s divide into groups," Kiryu Hina raised her index finger, pointing to each person as she mentioned their name, "Sakata Asahi, your role is to go undercover beside Ayakoji Chiyoko and tell her about this meeting."


    "Huh?" Sakata Asahi''s face showed surprise.


    "Of course, you mustn''t tell her the real plan. You should say you know about this meeting but don''t agree with our ideas, making Ayakoji Chiyoko think you are leaning towards her side¡ªremember, the time is tomorrow, do not tell her tonight, don''t give her too much time to react."


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    "Alright, I understand."


    "Hosaka Yui, go find something to do for the Student Council."


    "Understood."


    "Kohinata Motoyo, Saijo Mari, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian¡ªyour roles are to cause trouble for the Student Council and the Disciplinary Committee, causing trouble for them is causing trouble for Ayakoji Chiyoko. I''ll tell you how to do it later."


    Kohinata Motoyo: "Just don''t go too far."


    Saijo Mari: "Yes."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian: "Eh? Do I have to do it too?"


    "Don''t worry Ai Cheng, we won''t make it difficult for you," Kiryu Hina smiled at her, then turned her finger towards herself, "Lastly, it''s me. I will approach the News Department."


    "The News Department? Aren''t they allied with the Student Council?" Saijo Mari asked, puzzled.


    The News Department and the Student Council are essentially tied together; everyone in school knows that.


    "That was the case," Kiryu Hina''s slender finger pressed into the soft flesh of her thigh visible under the skirt''s hem, indenting slightly, "but for Ayakoji Chiyoko, the News Department once opposed her directly. She never really liked them, and now that she also holds the Society Discussion Meeting card, which highly overlaps with the News Department''s duties, the News Department has become quite an unnecessary accessory."


    "I see, ever since Ayakoji Chiyoko became President, the News Department has been neglected by her," Kohinata Motoyo added while holding her chin, smiling.


    Kiryu Hina snapped her fingers, pointing at her, "Now, the News Department only retains its name, completely cut off by the Student Council. Now is the right time to step in."


    "But don''t forget about Kagura," Kohinata Motoyo reminded, "how to recover Kagura''s memory is the most important."


    "I will take care of that part," Kiryu Hina said, "During my visit to the hospital, I spoke with Kagura''s doctor. He said the best approach is to let him revisit impactful past memories frequently, constantly stimulating his deep memory. This task is best left to me."


    Sakata Asahi suddenly realized, "Right, Hina, since elementary school you have been close to Kagura Hikaru, and you were classmates through middle and high school. You should understand him the best."


    "Although that trend did not continue to the end," Kiryu Hina laughed self-deprecatingly. "¡ªAnyway, leave Kagura to me. If you divert Ayakoji Chiyoko''s attention, I can take the opportunity to take Kagura out without her noticing."


    "But how will you get Kagura to willingly follow you?" Kohinata Motoyo questioned once more, "He doesn''t recognize you at all now, and Ayakoji Chiyoko has been maligning you in front of him."


    "That''s what I''m least worried about," Kiryu Hina smiled, "Kagura might seem indifferent, but that doesn''t mean he''s rigid. I believe, even in his amnesiac state, he could still sense something."


    Kohinata Motoyo, convinced, also smiled.


    Indeed, if it were the Kagura Hikaru they knew, he wouldn''t be controlled by Ayakoji Chiyoko''s deceptive tricks.


    He might be confused for a while, but having spent so much time, he probably began to sense something was off.


    Then, Kiryu Hina detailed her plan thoroughly, ensuring everyone understood clearly.


    Finally, she laughed, circling her finger in the air, "Everyone, let''s keep Ayakoji Chiyoko busy, make her chase after the bees, neglecting what the real prey is."


    "Then, we''ll steal her prey," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile.


    "So, let the action begin, dismissed."

 Chapter 282 Suse Confessed to Me? How Could I Have Such a Dream?

    He dreamed of a cherry blossom.


    The pale pink petals fell like snow, carried away by the wind.


    Kagura Hikaru was dazzled by the Sakura Fubuki, lost as he looked up, watching the petals drift away.


    In the direction the petals drifted, a girl approached.


    She had snow-white skin, long hair framing her face, a beautiful complexion, and wore the Bunkyo Middle School''s short-skirt uniform¡ªshe looked like Aphrodite walking on earth.


    As she got closer, Kagura Hikaru gradually recognized her.


    It was Kohinata Motoyo, his friend.


    She, himself, and his girlfriend, they had all met in the drama club, always together.


    That time had been so beautiful it felt unreal.


    He supposed this friendship might continue for a long time, maybe ten years, perhaps twenty, or even longer. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire


    Even if they went their separate ways after entering society and lost contact, when they met again after a long time, Kagura Hikaru could call out her name without hesitation.


    "Suse," Kagura Hikaru said to the approaching girl with a smile.


    Kohinata Motoyo stopped in front of him, slightly lifting her head, smiling at him¡ª


    "Kagura."


    "I like you."


    "Go out with me."


    No one could be saved by those words.


    They were the seductive whispers of a demon.


    The apocalyptic trumpet of an angel.


    In front of Kohinata Motoyo, Kagura Hikaru fell into an abyss, tumbling into darkness, deeper and farther away from the light.


    The moment he felt his back hit the ground, he suddenly woke up.


    "Ha... ha..."


    He slowly sat up, his head throbbing painfully, his back and the sheets completely soaked with cold sweat.


    But he had not been woken up by pain but by fright.


    "Suse confessed to me...? Why did I have such a dream?"


    Kagura Hikaru sat on the bed, covering his forehead, feeling an uncontrollable sense of shame.


    He admitted, Suse was a very charming girl, no less attractive than his girlfriend, and as a normal male, he was inevitably drawn to her.


    But dating Suse, even in a dream, he should not think about it.


    Betraying a relationship was the thing he despised the most, his father and his mother also were...


    Wait, what about his parents?


    Didn''t they just divorce normally? Why did he think of emotional betrayal?


    The deeper he thought, the more intense his headache became, forcing Kagura Hikaru to cut off his thoughts, stagger out of bed, open the drawer, take out the painkillers that Ayakoji Chiyoko had placed there the day before, swallow one immediately.


    Whether it was a placebo effect or the painkillers were really strong, within a few seconds, Kagura Hikaru felt much better.


    He ran his fingers through his hair and went downstairs to the restroom to wash up.


    The sun was already up outside, its fierce rays were just like in summer.


    Looking out the little window in the restroom at the scenery outside made Kagura Hikaru''s mood quite good.


    He liked looking at the landscape under the sun; it reminded him of his visits every summer to his old home in Wakayama, where the sky was vast and high, the air was clear and blue, with lush forests and clean streams, few people, very quiet.


    Although it was the countryside, inevitably inconvenient, Kagura Hikaru was very fond of the days spent there.


    Next summer vacation, he''d invite Chiyoko to come and stay for a few days; it would be nice if she enjoyed it too.


    Thinking of his girlfriend, a natural smile spread across Kagura Hikaru''s face.


    He took a shower, changed clothes, went to the dining room to eat the breakfast his stepmother had prepared, then returned to his room to take down the wet sheets and put them in the washing machine to clean, replacing them with new sheets.


    It felt great not to have to go to school early in the morning and leisurely go about my own business.


    However, today I still had important things to take care of.


    Today, the gauze on my head needed to be changed, and I needed to reapply my medication; my stepmother would probably drive me to the hospital around noon.


    If my father had been at home, he would have been the one to do this.


    But I heard he might have gone on a business trip to China?


    The day I woke up in the hospital, my father called to check on me and mentioned this, asking Kagura Hikaru to bring back some local snacks.


    It had been many years since I''d had anything from China, and I strangely missed it.


    Oh, and my mother¡ªthe one by birth¡ªalso called, saying she was currently traveling in New York and should be coming back to the country in a few days.


    On the phone, Kagura Hikaru cautiously inquired about their reason for divorce.


    After losing my memory, I had also lost the memory of my parents'' divorce.


    It was tough to talk about it with my father, but my mother was outgoing and generous, closer to me, and likely wouldn''t mind such a direct question. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, unexpectedly, my mother glossed over the topic.


    It seemed that no matter what, Kagura Hikaru had to accept this reality; his father had remarried and there was another wife now, a gentle and kind stepmother with whom Kagura Hikaru, despite his feelings, wouldn''t take it out on her.


    But awkwardness was inevitable since he had to live under the same roof with a "stranger" of a woman and adjust to everything anew.


    After playing games till noon and having lunch, Kagura Hikaru was driven by his stepmother to the hospital where he had been treated before.


    The hospital was crowded at noon, with many people visiting during their break.


    Kagura Hikaru waited in line for half an hour before it was his turn, and the nurse helped him change his gauze and medication.


    After finishing up, as he planned to go back to find his stepmother, he saw her sitting in the corridor of the hospital, talking to someone unexpectedly.


    "You are... Classmate Kiryu?"


    Kagura Hikaru walked over, surprised to see Kiryu Hina appearing in front of him in the hospital.


    Just now, she was having an animated chat with his stepmother.


    But she was wearing a school uniform, which meant today wasn''t a school holiday.


    "Shouldn''t you be at school right now? Are you here to get treatment for an injury as well?"


    "No, Classmate Kagura, I am here to see you," Kiryu Hina said, tucking her hair behind her ears and smiling.


    "To see me?"


    "Actually, I asked Hina-chan to come over, Mister Hikaru," his stepmother continued. "The doctor said that to cure your amnesia, you should try to engage as much as possible with things related to your lost memories. I was quite worried about how to do that, but I ran into Hina-chan yesterday afternoon, and when I brought up this matter, she said she could help."


    "So, you came here?"


    "Yes, does Classmate Kagura not welcome me?" Kiryu Hina said with a smile.


    Kagura Hikaru narrowed his eyes slightly.


    His instincts told him that this Kiryu Hina definitely had some ulterior motive.


    Additionally, it was obvious that she did not get along with Chiyoko.


    Could it be that she wanted to use him to find out Chiyoko''s weakness or something compromising?


    And those comments yesterday that sounded like attempts to sow discord...


    Seeing that Kagura Hikaru was silent for a long time, his stepmother quickly tried to smooth things over, "Mister Hikaru, Hina-chan had also visited our house before. You got along very well before the accident, so don''t worry about her. Moreover, Hina-chan even took a special leave from school to come here today, let her help you."


    "..." Kagura Hikaru looked troubledly at Kiryu Hina, "You say you want to help me recover my memory, but how exactly are you going to do that? You don''t know what could trigger my memory."


    Kiryu Hina gave a helpless smile and said, "Of course I know, I already told you, I used to be your friend."


    She stood up, still having her school bag slung over her shoulder, and said to Kagura Hikaru, "Today I plan to first take you to Yoshou Elementary School."


    "The elementary school I attended? Why, I don''t have any memories from elementary school lost."


    "No, you do."


    Kiryu Hina said assertively, "So, are you coming?"


    "..."

 Chapter 283 Where the Story Begins

    Yoshou Elementary School.


    A name filled with nostalgia.


    Kagura Hikaru had graduated there as an elementary student, though he had been absent for two years.


    That was where everything had begun.


    There, he had first met Chiyoko.


    Back then, his girlfriend wasn''t the person she is now; she had been a delicate girl who was bullied because she was a child star. Kagura Hikaru and another classmate, Sakata Asahi, had teamed up to rescue her.


    As a consequence, he had had to stay in the hospital for two years.


    However, during that time Ayakoji Chiyoko often visited him at the hospital, so it hadn''t been too tough.


    It was a period of innocent bliss, and just the faint memory of it brought a smile to Kagura Hikaru''s face.


    "You''re smiling, thought of something?" Kiryu Hina leaned over next to him and asked with a smile.


    Kagura Hikaru immediately wiped the smile off his face.


    He looked up at the school gate before him. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yoshou Elementary School had since been abolished, renamed, and turned into another elementary school.


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    It looked much better than he remembered, probably because it had been rebuilt.


    "Can we really go in?" Kagura Hikaru turned his head and asked.


    Elementary schools were naturally the most secure, and even as an alumnus, his status wouldn''t grant him entry to the school.


    In this country, there were too many anti-social elements wishing to harm elementary students, and the security wouldn''t let them through.


    "You''re right," Kiryu Hina made a gesture with her eyes, "so we have to sneak in."


    "You want to climb the wall?"


    "How inelegant, I am a lady after all."


    Kiryu Hina pointed at a security guard sitting in the guardhouse reading a newspaper, guarding the school gate, and whispered, "Look at that man, his name is Nakamura Tomo, 46 years old, lives at 12 Clock Street, single, has a golden retriever, and his mobile number is xxxxxxxxx."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her in surprise, "Never mind where you got your information, why are you investigating a security guard?"


    "Well, just because."


    Kiryu Hina took out her phone, dialed, and put it to her ear.


    The security guard nearby who was reading the newspaper had his phone ringing, and he naturally picked it up, "Hello?"


    "Is this Mr. Nakamura?" Kiryu Hina switched to an impatient tone, like a middle-aged woman busy selling clothes in a shopping street.


    "Yes, it''s me, and you are..."


    "I live at Clock Street 9, your dog has run out, but I am about to leave, please come and take it back quickly."


    "Ah! Sakura-chan has run out? How did she get out!?"


    "How should I know."


    "I am sorry, very sorry, please wait for me a little longer, I am coming back right now!"


    The security guard hung up the phone anxiously, threw down the newspaper, picked up the walkie-talkie, and said, "Kondo, come take over my shift quickly, I have an emergency... yes, I must go, come quickly!"


    After saying this, he opened the door of the guardhouse and ran out.


    Kiryu Hina hung up the phone and shrugged at Kagura Hikaru, "Now we can go in."


    Kagura Hikaru stared stunned at the now unguarded school gate and walked over with Kiryu Hina, asking as they walked, "Do you know the person at Clock Street 9?"


    "Don''t know them, but when I was scoping the place earlier, I saw they had flowers planted inside and women''s clothes on the clothesline, it shouldn''t be exposed anytime soon."


    "How did you know that Nakamura Tomo would leave work early for a dog, what if he didn''t care?"


    "How could he not?" Kiryu Hina said, "A 46-year-old man living alone, only having a dog at home, he would pour all his longing for family into his pet. It''s just leaving work early, nothing compared to his dog."


    "You really are... very thorough."


    "You''re welcome."


    Kagura Hikaru actually wanted to say that she had great potential to be a scam artist, but on second thought, that didn''t seem like a compliment, so he dropped it.


    With no security to stop them, they smoothly passed through the small path beside the school gate and entered the school.


    However, just as they walked in, they saw a young man in a security uniform jogging towards them from a distance.


    The two of them immediately dodged behind a large pine tree at the entrance, watching the security guard enter the guardhouse.


    It seemed he was the one coming to take over the shift, "Kondo."


    "Let''s go."


    Kiryu Hina tugged at Kagura Hikaru''s sleeve, signaling him to walk further inside.


    After passing the school gate and the pine tree, they could see two school buildings at a right angle to each other, with a playground at the back.


    The layout of the school was still exactly as Kagura Hikaru remembered,


    Of course, the two of them couldn''t go inside the school.


    There were too many people inside, and the possibility of being discovered was too high; they could only stroll around the downstairs and the playground.


    Even so, Kagura Hikaru was very happy.


    "Look at this, I drew this before."


    They were now under the wall at the edge of the playground, and Kagura Hikaru pointed at the slightly old wall in front of him excitedly.


    There was a series of crude paper-cut figures on it, as if they had been carved out with stones.


    The nearby walls all had similar marks; mischievous students liked to scrawl on the walls or in the sand with stones during PE classes, showcasing their childish imaginations.


    Kagura Hikaru recognized his own masterpiece immediately; he had also left his mark here.


    Kagura Hikaru touched the carvings on the wall, his eyes showing nostalgia, "Did you know, back then, I, Chiyoko, and Sakata went to school here¡ªoh right, you might not know Sakata."


    "Sakata Asahi, I know," Kiryu Hina said with her hands behind her back, looking at the wall, "She was also my friend. You, Asahi, Ayakoji Chiyoko, and I, we all studied here."


    "...You''re saying that again." Kagura Hikaru frowned, "I''ve told you, I don''t remember you."


    "When Ayakoji Chiyoko was being bullied, it was Asahi and I who told the teacher," Kiryu Hina turned her head with a slight smile, which slowly receded, "But back then, I thought things were too simple, I got you involved to help, and it resulted in you staying in the hospital for two years."


    "..."


    "It was only after graduating that Ayakoji Chiyoko knew of your existence; afterward, she went to study in the Capital City, but Asahi, you, and I became classmates again at Bunkyo Public Middle School. Remember?"


    "What are you talking about, it was Chiyoko who studied with us!"


    "Not really, Ayakoji Chiyoko should have been at a girls'' school in the Capital City at that time, it''s easy to find evidence."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru covered his forehead.


    His headache struck again.


    It was as if his body was resisting his memories, his head throbbing painfully, soon covered in cold sweat.


    "Are you alright?" Kiryu Hina supported him, "Do you have your medication?"


    "...I do."


    Kagura Hikaru stiffly took out a painkiller from his pocket, took one, and the symptoms of his headache somewhat eased.


    "Did you remember something just now?" Kiryu Hina asked, rubbing his back.


    "No... but I''ll verify what you''ve said."


    "The truth always stands the test."


    Kiryu Hina placed her hand on her handbag, her expression somewhat hesitant.


    Kagura Hikaru noticed her gesture: "What''s wrong?"


    "Actually... I also brought a photo here, but it might be too soon to show it to you now."


    "Let me take a look," Kagura Hikaru reached out his hand.


    Since he insisted, Kiryu Hina could only unzipper her bag, pulled out a photo, and handed it to him.


    It was a large group photo with several dozen people, labeled ''Yoshou Elementary School 37th session''.


    It was Kagura Hikaru''s class.

 Chapter 284 Ah Oh, The Spider Is Coming

    When Kagura Hikaru lay on the ground waking up, what he saw was Kiryu Hina''s serious face.


    "I... what happened to me...?"


    "You passed out for a few seconds."


    "..."


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    Kagura Hikaru sat up from the ground and glanced at the photograph that had been tossed to the side.


    It was as if his eyes had been stabbed through the air, and he immediately turned his head to the other side.


    Kiryu Hina bent down to pick up the photograph, dusted it off, and put it back in her bag, "This photo might indeed be too much for you, you fainted after just one look."


    "...Why did this happen."


    "Maybe, your brain is rejecting a reality that''s different from your memory."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at his own hands in bewilderment.


    A reality that''s different from memory, what is that?


    Could it truly be.....


    No, that''s impossible, if his memories of Chiyoko were fake, then why would Chiyoko admit it? It doesn''t make sense.


    Kagura Hikaru''s thoughts were in turmoil.


    Ding ding ding ding ding...


    The bell signaling the end of class rang.


    The teaching building suddenly became noisy.


    Kiryu Hina checked her watch, "Two o''clock, they''ve finished school. Once the parents gather outside, we can blend in with the crowd and leave."


    "...Yeah."


    The two waited for about fifteen minutes.


    The entrance to the school was already crowded with people, teachers handing students over to the waiting parents one by one.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina took the opportunity to leave under the cover of confusion.


    School teachers and security were only vigilant against people coming in from the outside and didn''t pay much attention to those leaving the school, which was a common oversight due to their way of thinking.


    They walked quietly along the road.


    Kagura Hikaru''s face was struggling, pondering over something.


    Kiryu Hina looked at him with concern.


    She could tell that Kagura Hikaru actually was content with his current life.


    He had a girlfriend who loved him, a family that wasn''t perfect but happy, and all the painful memories had been lost due to the car accident.


    His present condition was almost the same as when he was in junior high school.


    The only difference was that the girlfriend who loved him had changed from Kiryu Hina to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Kiryu Hina sadly realized that Kagura Hikaru, now amnesiac and unable to recognize her, seemed happier and more joyful than before.


    The number of times he had laughed since losing his memory was more than in the past three years combined.


    The worst part was that he thought so too, which was why he subconsciously resisted learning the truth. He was escaping, wrapping himself in a "Beautiful Dream."


    Kiryu Hina sincerely hoped that he could find happiness and stay away from the pain and torment of the past.


    But, could this situation truly be considered happiness?


    False memories, false relationships.


    What''s more worrisome is Ayakoji Chiyoko''s possessiveness; she was controlling Kagura Hikaru, intending to make him entirely hers.


    Kiryu Hina would not give up trying to stop her.


    Of course, she wouldn''t give up on helping Kagura Hikaru regain his memory either.


    Dreams are just dreams, and one day you have to wake up.


    Not to mention, this "Beautiful Dream" was gradually slipping into a nightmare, and he had to face reality.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina headed toward the train station and on the way, they saw a roasted sweet potato stall and bought two servings, eating as they walked.


    After entering autumn, the weather started to get cooler, and every time the wind blew, it seemed to take away some of the body''s warmth.


    But with just one bite of the hot and sweet roasted sweet potato, the tiny bit of warmth that had been taken away seemed to sprout again in the heart.


    Unlike Kiryu Hina, who was eating her sweet potato with earnestness, Kagura Hikaru appeared distracted, hardly eating at all.


    He never stopped thinking.


    As long as he didn''t recall the details of past memories, he wouldn''t suffer the headache of troubles, and this was precisely what he was pondering.


    Why did he faint upon seeing a class photo from his elementary school days?


    Yoshou Elementary School''s 37th graduating class, he remembered that was his graduating class.


    He wasn''t present when that photo was taken as he should have been in the hospital then, but presumably, he could find Chiyoko and Sakata Asahi from his childhood. These were the only available pieces of information.


    So, why did he faint?


    A school photograph alone, could it really cause PTSD?


    He knew whose face was in it, and he remembered memories from elementary school, some happy and some not so much.


    But no matter what, such a strong reaction shouldn''t have occurred.


    Or perhaps... his subconscious knew that the photo would reveal something that contradicted his own awareness.


    Just recalling the details of past memories would cause him a headache, something even the doctors couldn''t understand, thinking it was a novel symptom or a psychological factor causing a chain reaction.


    Now, Kagura Hikaru probably had a guess.


    His body didn''t want him to remember.


    Or rather, his subconscious believed that remembering would have a detrimental effect on him, and fainting was a form of self-protection.


    In those missing three years of memories, perhaps there was something he couldn''t identify with, something he didn''t want to acknowledge.


    If that were true, it would mean he was now living a lie.


    This was... a big problem.


    Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina stopped not far from the train station, planning to finish their sweet potatoes before entering.


    Of course, you can''t take food on the train.


    It was at this moment that they happened to see a familiar figure.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, dressed in Yuqiu High School''s uniform, walked out of the station, looking around as if searching for something.


    "Ah oh, the spider''s here," Kiryu Hina said.


    "What?" Kagura Hikaru asked, puzzled.


    "Nothing, I''ve got to go, see you next time, bye."


    Kiryu Hina turned around, smiled at Kagura Hikaru, and disappeared into the crowd, walking backward.


    "Hey!"


    Kagura Hikaru still intended to ask for clarification, but Ayakoji Chiyoko seemed to have seen him and quickly walked over.


    "Kagura!"


    "...Chiyoko."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko approached Kagura Hikaru and glanced behind him: "Who were you just talking to?"


    "Who?" Kagura Hikaru appeared confused, then pretended to have an epiphany, "Oh, just a student passing by, asked me for directions, but I''m not familiar with this area."


    "But, you used to attend elementary school here¡ªwith me," Ayakoji Chiyoko pointed out sharply.


    "It''s been many years since then, my memory might not be as reliable as you think."


    "Is that so."


    "What about you, why are you here?" Kagura Hikaru counter-questioned, "It doesn''t seem like it''s time for school to let out."


    "I heard that liar Kiryu Hina left school early on the pretext of being sick, I thought she might come to see you¡ªhas she been here?"


    "No, I didn''t see her."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s gaze was fixed on Kagura Hikaru, increasing his pressure and causing him to secretly sweat.


    He didn''t know why he felt the need to lie to his girlfriend, covering for that inexplicable girl.


    Something inside told him it was the right thing to do.


    He felt shaken by the reality Kiryu Hina had described.


    Maybe what she said was true, maybe it was false, who knew.


    Kagura Hikaru understood there might indeed be something fishy going on, but he didn''t want to jump to conclusions too quickly. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So you''re saying, you left school early to look for her?" Kagura Hikaru said.


    "You could say that."


    "Why are you so wary of that girl?"


    "I know what she''s capable of, so I don''t dare let my guard down for a moment," Ayakoji Chiyoko said firmly, looking deeply into Kagura Hikaru''s eyes, "She''s a deceiver, Kagura, don''t let her bewitch you."


    "...I won''t."


    Around the corner, Kiryu Hina hid, watching Ayakoji Chiyoko speaking with Kagura Hikaru.


    She quickly finished her sweet potato, placed the remaining peel in a small plastic bag she brought from when she made the purchase, tied it up, wiped her hands, and then took out her phone to dial a number.


    Click, the call connected.


    "Ayakoji Chiyoko is here with me, she won''t be going back, make your move."


    After hanging up the phone, Kiryu Hina gave a cold smile in that direction and disappeared around the corner.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, feeling something amiss, turned her head to look in that direction, but found nothing.


    Confused for a moment, she turned her head back and said with a smile to Kagura Hikaru, "Where did you buy your sweet potato? It smells very good."


    "Over there, I''ll take you."

 Chapter 285 Little Kitty, Im Gonna Run Off

    At 2:17 p.m., Haneoka Private High School.


    There was still over an hour left before classes ended.


    But Saijo Mari was not in the classroom.


    Instead, she was in the courtyard, wearing the boys'' school uniform.


    Her neatly trimmed short hair was also put up and covered with a baseball cap, and a black mask concealed the lower half of her face, making her look androgynous, unrecognizable even to acquaintances.


    She sat on a bench, listlessly playing with her phone as if waiting for something.


    Suddenly, her phone rang¡ªa call.


    Saijo Mari pressed the answer button.


    "Hello."


    "Ayakoji Chiyoko is with me, she won''t be returning, commence."


    "Understood."


    After hanging up, Saijo Mari looked around, making sure no one was there, and quickly headed towards the old school building.


    Since it wasn''t dismissal time yet, the old school building, usually bustling with club activities, was as quiet as a mortuary, utterly devoid of students.


    So it was hardly an infiltration; Saijo Mari simply walked in.


    She went up to the second floor and found the room with a sign that read ''Girls'' Volleyball Club.''


    Just as the sign suggested, this was the Yu Gao Women''s Volleyball Club''s clubroom.


    Since their usual club activities took place in the gymnasium, this space served mostly as their changing room and storage, so it was smaller than a typical clubroom and located at the very end of the second floor hallway.


    Saijo Mari arrived at the door of the Women''s Volleyball Club, took out a pair of black gloves and put them on, then pulled out a key and smoothly unlocked the door.


    Of course, she was not a member of the Girls'' Volleyball Club; she was with the Sports Committee, but even Sports Committee members wouldn''t have keys to another club''s room.


    There was only one explanation for Saijo Mari being able to open the door¡ªshe had either duplicated their key or a Volleyball Club member had lent it to her.


    The situation was the latter.


    The key Saijo Mari held originally belonged to Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    For this operation, the latter contributed the key, as today, all Kiryu Hina asked her to do was this one task.


    Saijo Mari pushed open the door of the Women''s Volleyball Club, glanced inside to ensure it was empty, and closed the door behind her.


    Before her was a row of upright lockers, a few volleyballs on the floor, and clearly personal items like backpacks, makeup cases, and towels scattered around.


    The space was very small, probably only a third the size of a normal clubroom, almost like a short corridor and akin to a dressing room.


    There was a fragrant scent in the room; it was probably perfume, or perhaps the natural scent of the girls.


    If the boys of Yuqiu High School were to rank the ''changing rooms they''d most like to infiltrate'', the Girls'' Volleyball Club would undoubtedly be at the top.


    Girls who played volleyball all had attractive legs, and since it was a sports club, they were good at managing their figures. Furthermore, Uka High''s Women''s Volleyball Club had many beauties, always popular among the boys. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, and perhaps not, the first to ''invade'' the Women''s Volleyball Club''s room was not a boy but Saijo Mari.


    She was not here to relish the scent of sports club girls today.


    She tried pulling open the locker doors, which opened without any resistance, unlocked.


    As Ai Cheng Hua Lian had said, the members of their club were quite lax about security. To put it nicely, they trusted each other, but to be frank, they were just lazy and usually didn''t bother locking their lockers.


    "Sorry!"


    With hands pressed together, Saijo Mari apologized to the empty room and then began her task.


    The lockers mostly contained clothing, the Women''s Volleyball Club''s uniforms, and even some underwear could be found.


    She opened all the lockers in the room and messed up the clothes and personal items inside, including the locker belonging to Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    She had no intention of stealing anything, but the mere act of making it seem like they had been searched was grave enough for a girls'' club and would inevitably lead to gossip and concern from the school authorities.


    However, this fell within the purview of the Disciplinary Committee, meaning it would ultimately be the Discipline Committee''s job to handle.


    This was also the objective of Saijo Mari and her team.


    They had to keep the Disciplinary Committee busy.


    After rifling through every storage locker, even opening the bags on the floor, and tampering with nearly everything in the club, Saijo Mari finally left the room, re-locked the door, and vanished into thin air.


    Then, she returned to her own club, the Sports Committee, which was also located in the old school building.


    In the deserted club room, she changed back into the girls'' school uniform, took off her gloves, mask, and cap, tidied her hair, picked up her backpack, and left the old school building as if nothing had happened. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    It was hard to imagine that this elegant girl had just personally participated in a small-scale crime.


    But her mission was far from completely accomplished.


    The school''s indoor swimming pool was located near the old building, close to the gymnasium.


    That was Saijo Mari''s next target.


    The indoor swimming pool was not open to the public, and was typically maintained by the Swimming Club, but Saijo Mari, being a member of the Sports Committee, had a spare key to the swimming pool.


    Upon entering, she smiled faintly at the sight of the beautiful azure hundred-meter swimming pool.


    As Saijo Mari approached the pool, she unzipped her bag, pulled out a can of red liquid, unscrewed the lid, and poured all of the contents into the swimming pool.


    It was Magic Dye with an added ingredient that could quickly change the color of water.


    While the dye was originally easy to wash off, Saijo Mari had specifically purchased the most difficult type to clean, so that even draining the pool immediately would require a lot of scrubbing.


    As the dye entered the pool, the clear water quickly turned blood red, and the color spread, predicting that within five minutes, the entire pool would become a ''sea of blood''.


    After completing her task, Saijo Mari put away the can of dye and quickly left.


    When she arrived at the courtyard, she just happened to run into Kohinata Motoyo, who was also not in class and was heading towards the Drama Club.


    "President Saijo." Kohinata Motoyo greeted her with a smile, "Finished with your work?"


    "Yes," Saijo Mari responded with a smile.


    "Is everything alright?"


    "It went smoothly."


    "That''s good."


    Saijo Mari watched with interest as Kohinata Motoyo and several male and female students, who seemed to be members of the Drama Club, used a small handcart to transport a large openwork iron basket filled with small animals¡ªit was cats, a large number of cats.


    At rough estimate, there must have been more than fifty, crowded together, constantly meowing.


    Saijo Mari asked in a drawn-out voice, "Kohinata student, what are you doing with so many cats here?"


    Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile, "These are for the upcoming play of our Drama Club. We decided not to use props, but to create a better effect with real animals."


    "You truly are dedicated, Director Kohinata," Saijo Mari complimented.


    "Likewise."


    Saijo Mari crouched down, and reaching through the cage, teased the cats, "Where did you get all these cats?"


    "We bought them from a cat shelter nearby the school."


    "That must have been expensive."


    "Not really, it was purchased with the Drama Club''s funds, although I did personally contribute a ''small'' sum to the club budget." Kohinata Motoyo pinched two fingers and made a mockingly adorable gesture, "But for the sake of drama, I''m happy to make the sacrifice."


    "I admire your determination, Kohinata student, and I will definitely come to watch the play of the Drama Club," Saijo Mari expressed.


    Saijo Mari''s eyes remained on Kohinata Motoyo as she spoke, but her fingers ''unintentionally'' pried the latch of the cage open.


    The opening of the cage holding the cats was quite large, and the latch made a ''snap'' when opened.


    The already frightened cats suddenly became excited and, one by one, they escaped through the only exit.


    Within the blink of an eye, in full view of Kohinata Motoyo and the others, fifty cats scattered and ran off disappearing completely, not a single one remained.

 Chapter 286 Ayakoji Chiyoko and I are rivals in love

    "I''m very sorry, Kohinata Classmate, I accidentally let them escape."


    Saijo Mari stood up and sincerely apologized.


    Kohinata Motoyo looked at the fleeing kittens with a smile and turned to her, "I didn''t expect President Saijo to be so careless too, haha, no worries, I don''t blame you. It''s just that the design of the cage was flawed."


    "Indeed, there is a problem with the design of this cage. The mechanism for opening it is too prone to accidental triggers."


    "You are right."


    "So, Kohinata Classmate, what do you plan to do now?"


    "Of course, I''m going to report this to the Disciplinary Committee. These cats were purchased with club funds; they are the Drama Club''s property. I need their help to find them all, not a single one can be overlooked."


    "Ah, that''s really troubling. It will definitely cause them some trouble."


    "Indeed, so I can only ask them even more sincerely for their help."


    Kohinata Motoyo and Saijo Mari smiled at each other.


    The air was filled with the scent of tea.


    Time quickly moved on to after school.


    While the high school students in the Going Home Club joyfully ran out of the school gates, Kiryu Hina was entering the school with her bag in hand.


    She had requested leave, yet she returned to school, and of course, it wasn''t for something as simple as a club activity¡ªafter all, she wasn''t even a member of any club at the moment. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If one had to say, she was part of a crime group.


    She walked past nonchalantly, one hand holding the strap of her shoulder bag, the other playing with her phone.


    When she noticed fewer members of the Disciplinary Committee at the school gate than usual, Kiryu Hina smiled to herself and continued into the school.


    She walked straight through the school gates and along the way, Kiryu Hina saw many Disciplinary Committee members with red armbands.


    They were running all over the place, seemingly searching for something in the school, and now and then, she could see a Committee member happily running off with a cat in both hands.


    It seemed like things were going smoothly on Kohinata Motoyo''s end.


    Kiryu Hina''s mouth curved into a smile as she quickly arrived at the base of the teaching building.


    There, a bespectacled girl who was a stranger to her awaited.


    Make no mistake, it wasn''t Hosaka Yui.


    She was the vice president of the News Department and the administrator of the school forum, a third-year student: Senior Takahashi.


    "You got my message, didn''t you?" Kiryu Hina nodded to her, "Then you should know what I''m here for."


    "Kiryu Class... Kiryu Classmate, you said you had information to leak," said Senior Takahashi, nudging her rimless glasses. "Let''s talk over there; it''s quieter and fewer people around."


    "Of course."


    Kiryu Hina noticed Disciplinary Committee members watching them but didn''t care in the slightest. She followed Senior Takahashi to a vending machine nearby.


    She bought two cans of Coke, one for each of them.


    "Here, my treat today."


    "Oh no, I should pay you!"


    "No need, consider it a bribe."


    "What?"


    Kiryu Hina tossed the drink to her, then opened her own can and cocked her head, "Just kidding."


    Senior Takahashi held the Coke dazedly, surprised by Kiryu Hina''s change.


    Her impression of the other girl was still that of the radiant perfect idol from her time as the Student Council President, the Uka Pope.


    Completely different from the carefree girl who joked around with her now.


    "Just like you said, I''ve got some news I want you to help broadcast, on the forum, you get it?" Kiryu Hina said.


    "Understood."


    Senior Takahashi came to her senses, pulled out the reporter''s essential notepad and ballpoint pen that she carried at all times, and looked at her, "Please go ahead, Kiryu Classmate."


    Kiryu Hina gave her a look, took a big swig of her Coke, and then spoke, "Ayakoji Chiyoko and I are rivals."


    ".....Huh?"


    Senior Takahashi''s eyes widened in shock, her pen nearly snapping in her grip, "Wait, President Kiriyu? Is this a joke or...?" Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Of course it''s not a joke," Hina Kiryu pointed with the hand holding a can of cola, "You know how much we''re at odds with each other."


    "Is that why you two don''t get along?"


    "It''s not just that, but more or less."


    Senior Takahashi was so shocked that for a moment she didn''t know what to say.


    Both Hina Kiryu and Chiyoko Ayakoji were impeccable in their looks, personalities, and aura, with countless admirers both inside and outside school.


    But who would have thought they were romantic rivals?


    It meant that they had fallen for the same person!


    Since it was Hina Kiryu who said it, she felt it must be true.


    No matter how she thought about it, Senior Takahashi didn''t think spreading this kind of rumor would benefit Hina Kiryu; Chiyoko Ayakoji would kill her.


    No, even if it were true, Chiyoko Ayakoji would hate her to death.


    Was she deliberately provoking?


    Even so, getting her hands on this news, she was willing to give it a push.


    Senior Takahashi''s curiosity as a journalist was ignited. She quickly noted down Hina Kiryu''s words while carefully asking, "Then, may I ask, who is the person you both like¡­?"


    "Second-year Class A''s Kagura Hikaru," Hina Kiryu replied.


    "Oh...! So it''s him, I should''ve guessed!"


    Senior Takahashi couldn''t stop jotting down notes in her notebook, her excitement palpable.


    Kagura Hikaru was Chiyoko Ayakoji''s right-hand man during her time as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee. Initially, he did not seem to be given much attention, only responsible for the educational work of the Disciplinary Committee, but later he truly joined the Committee and even strategized for Chiyoko Ayakoji during the Student Council elections, writing speeches and becoming her important strategist.


    The News Department had known of his reputation for a long time.


    However, as they were not the type of ''entertainment media'' like the Society Discussion Meeting which loved to spread rumors, they only knew about the information and that was it. Unless the current Student Council President Hina Kiryu commanded, they would not arbitrarily spread this kind of news.


    But now it was different; they could finally ''carry out orders''!


    Senior Takahashi wrote down the keywords, continually asking for more details, and Hina Kiryu told her some bits of information within her limits.


    For example, the connection between the three of them since elementary school, her own romance with Kagura Hikaru during junior high... Aside from some complex internal matters, she told her all that could be said.


    And even so, this was enough to cause a sensation within the school.


    Love topics were always the most popular; even more so when it involved well-known figures.


    Releasing this news would give Chiyoko Ayakoji quite the headache for some time.


    "Thank you, President Kiriyu, this is going to make a great headline!" Senior Takahashi excitedly adjusted her glasses, unable to take her eyes off the notebook, "As soon as we get this out, our News Department will definitely overtake the Society Discussion Meeting!"


    "So you still care about that?" Hina Kiryu said, sipping her cola.


    "Of course!" Senior Takahashi swung her fist in frustration, "Those Society Discussion Meeting folks show off to us whenever they can, they even release a daily publication, while we can only put out a weekly. We''re beaten by them everywhere except for the forums."


    "I heard that the Society Discussion Meeting is very much to Chiyoko Ayakoji''s liking?"


    "That''s true, we are not trusted by President Ayakoji and hardly ever make contact," Senior Takahashi said with a hint of dejection, "All we have left is some official news no one wants to read, and our forum''s popularity is also starting to decline. If this goes on, the News Department is going to become an unpopular club."


    "I see, want me to help you?" Hina Kiryu revealed her fangs, "I''m sitting on quite a bit of explosive material that could turn you guys into the most popular news club among the students."


    "Really?!"


    "Of course," Hina Kiryu finished her can of cola, tossed it into the recycling bin, and nodded at Senior Takahashi, "I''ll come find you the day after tomorrow, go ahead and release the current news for now."


    "Yes! Thank you, President Kiriyu!"


    "I''m not president anymore."


    Hina Kiryu waved her hand nonchalantly and left.


    Soon after, she arrived at the courtyard, beneath the maple tree.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, Kohinata Motoyo, and Saijo Mari, the three were already waiting for her.

 Chapter 287 Post-traumatic Syndrome

    In a quiet corner of the courtyard, under a maple tree.


    The secret base that once belonged to Kagura Hikaru was now occupied by a group of girls.


    Kohinata Motoyo, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, and Saijo Mari, three of them either sitting or standing, watched Kiryu Hina approaching from a distance.


    "Ladies, how is everything going?" Kiryu Hina walked over and sat down on the bench, holding her arms and asking.


    With a smile, Kohinata Motoyo stroked her cheek with one hand: "The Discipline Committee''s efficiency isn''t bad. They found twenty-two cats in one afternoon, and I''m waiting for them to return the remaining twenty-eight."


    "The Swimming Club has also sought help from the Discipline Committee, as they couldn''t remove the dye by themselves in such a short time," said Saijo Mari.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian hesitated: "As for the Volleyball Club... the issue of their stuff being tampered with, we talked to the teacher. The teacher was very angry, and the Discipline Committee members said they would investigate."


    Kiryu Hina curled her lips slightly: "Well done, that should keep the Discipline Committee busy for a while."


    The Discipline Committee was both Ayakoji Chiyoko''s core support and her most substantial reliance, whereas the Student Council only had access to political resources, and the Discipline Committee could provide much more practical action than the Student Council.


    Keeping the Discipline Committee busy so they had no time to help Ayakoji Chiyoko was Kiryu Hina''s purpose.


    By now, the Discipline Committee was probably already incapacitated, with too many issues to deal with. The manpower Ayakoji Chiyoko could mobilize was likely less than a third of the original, as if she had lost an arm, and that arm was her dominant one.


    And what followed would be a series of similar events.


    Such conspicuous pranks; she knew Ayakoji Chiyoko would definitely suspect her involvement¡ªit was expected.


    But even so, it didn''t matter because she had long stood in opposition anyway.


    What she was thinking about now was only buying time to let Kagura Hikaru remember more things. Today was just the beginning.


    "How did the negotiation with the News Department go?" asked Kohinata Motoyo, "Did they accept it?"


    "Of course, they couldn''t resist the opportunity to trump the Society Discussion Meeting," Kiryu Hina said as a matter of course.


    "Do they know they''re going up against Ayakoji Chiyoko?"


    "I didn''t say."


    As if she had guessed, Kohinata Motoyo showed an unsurprised expression and sighed, "You, how can you deceive people into this situation?"


    "They will come to understand on their own given time," Kiryu Hina said nonchalantly, waving her hand, "By the time they realize it, they would''ve already boarded our ''pirate ship,'' and it would not be easy to jump off. Instead, they would end up offending both sides."


    "Pirate ship¡­" Saijo Mari muttered under her breath, "And here I thought we were on the side of justice."


    "That is indeed the case. We are doing this to help Kagura!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian said with wide eyes, "President Kiryu, you went to see him today, right? How does he look? Any signs of recovering memories?"


    "Not at all."


    Mentioning this made Kiryu Hina gloomy, as she frowned deeply, "I took Kagura Hikaru to the elementary school we attended together, hoping to use our graduation photo from those years to prove my existence in his past, but he just fainted on the spot."


    "Fainted, fainted?!"


    "Is Kagura alright?"


    "He''s fine, he''s fine, he woke up after just a few seconds," Kiryu Hina gestured for them to calm down.


    "Hmm... such a reaction, could it be a post-traumatic symptom?" Kohinata Motoyo thoughtfully touched her chin, giving Kiryu Hina a helpless look, "What have you done to him?"


    "Nothing at all¡ªI''m lying, but could it really be that serious?" Kiryu Hina knitted her brows.


    "Don''t forget that his amnesia is related to physical trauma; perhaps we shouldn''t push him too hard."


    "No, the longer it drags on, the more complete Ayakoji Chiyoko''s control over him will become."


    "Right, you said she''s been continually instilling false memories into Kagura," Saijo Mari said, "That will affect Kagura Hikaru''s memory recovery, won''t it?"


    "Can we persuade President Ayakoji to stop?" Karen also asked, careful not to overstep.


    "There will be an impact on the treatment, but as for Ayakoji Chiyoko having a change of heart... my judgment is that she won''t," Kiryu Hina shook her head.


    "It seems we have no choice but to stop her."


    Saijo Mari and Karen exchanged a glance, both revealing resolute expressions.


    "Speaking of which," Kohinata Motoyo asked, "where is Hosaka Yui? She doesn''t seem to be with you."


    Kiryu Hina replied, "I gave her a task that will take some time, so don''t worry about her."


    Just then, they heard rustling noises nearby.


    A pretty little white cat walked out from behind a maple tree, traversing beneath the bench to rub against the legs of Kiryu Hina and her companions.


    Kohinata Motoyo picked her up, placed her on her lap to scratch the cat''s head, and said while laughing, "Next, it all depends on what Ayakoji Chiyoko will do, how she will make her move."


    ......


    It wasn''t until 8:30 p.m. that Ayakoji Chiyoko finally returned home.


    Upon entering, she noticed men''s leather shoes at the genkan (entryway).


    Inside the larger Japanese-style room, there was Ryoma Ayakoji, sitting alone at a low table, drinking whisky, with the room filled with the scent of alcohol.


    "Ah, Chiyoko!" Ryoma Ayakoji greeted, a bit tipsy, raising his hand, "Welcome home!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko wrinkled her nose. "Why didn''t you tell me you were coming?"


    "I did tell you, I sent a text, but you didn''t respond," he said.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko silently took out her phone and glanced at it.


    Indeed, there was an unread message from her father.


    And a slew of messages from the school.


    Neither the Student Council nor the Discipline Committee would bother her for no reason. The sudden influx of so many messages meant there must be trouble.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko first skimmed through their messages, her expression growing darker and her grip on the phone tightening with a creak.


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    The Girls'' Volleyball Club''s room had been turned upside down by an unknown person, and the surveillance outside the old school building captured only a boy wearing a duckbill cap entering during that time.


    Then there was the Indoor Swimming Pool of Ugao High, someone had poured dye into it; the girls from the Swimming Club nearly fainted when they arrived, for the pool water had turned red, but the red dye stuck to the pool surface and couldn''t be washed off after being drained.


    Finally, the Drama Club claimed that fifty cats had gone missing within the school and requested the help of the Discipline Committee to find them.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko remembered, the Girls'' Volleyball Club was Karen''s club, and normally the indoor swimming facility was locked, with keys only held by the Swimming Club and the Sports Committee, and to say nothing of the Drama Club, it was now under the purview of Kohinata Motoyo.


    Karen, Saijo Mari, Kohinata Motoyo, as well as Kiryu Hina who left early and secretly went to see Kagura Hikaru.


    All these incidents had occurred only after she had left the school.


    Even if it were a coincidence, wasn''t it too much of a coincidence? sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 288 The Philandering Cat

    Ai Cheng Hua Lian was a member of the Girls'' Volleyball Club. Today, the clubroom of the Girls'' Volleyball Club was intruded upon, yet nothing was stolen.


    Saijo Mari was the head of the Sports Committee. Today, the indoor swimming pool was tainted with dye, and only the Swimming Club and the Sports Committee held the keys to the pool.


    Kohinata Motoyo was the current president of the Drama Club. Today, the Drama Club lost fifty cats, and they requested the help of the Disciplinary Committee to search for them.


    All of this happened after she chased Kiryu Hina out of school.


    She had thought that it was Kiryu Hina''s own initiative, but it turned out to be a trap intended to lure her away.


    If this wasn''t a strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain, Ayakoji Chiyoko could eat her own life!


    They had planned thoroughly, leaving no evidence that could be captured on camera, and it was clear they were looking for trouble with her.


    But bringing these girls together was not so easy; there had to be a suitable reason.


    And Ayakoji Chiyoko knew what that reason was¡ªall of them were friends of Kagura Hikaru.


    So, who was the instigator, Kiryu Hina? Or Kohinata Motoyo?


    It didn''t matter who it was, there was only one important thing; they were looking for trouble with her.


    "Where on earth have you been, playing so late, making me miss dinner and forcing me to go out to eat?" Ryoma Ayakoji complained to his daughter while pouring himself more alcohol.


    "I went to a friend''s house." Ayakoji Chiyoko put away her phone expressionlessly, "Next time, give me a call if you''re coming over. I might not notice text messages sometimes." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, alright~" Ryoma Ayakoji picked at the salted peanuts on his dish, drinking and incessantly complaining, "Eh, once daughters grow up, they stop caring about their old fathers. It''s the same with you and with Hina too."


    "Kiryu Hina? What about her?"


    "She turned down work. The director from last time even called me specially to praise her acting skills, wanting to cast her as a major supporting role in another production. Such a great opportunity, yet Hina said she won''t go to the set anymore."


    Ryoma Ayakoji sighed heavily, clanking his glass on the table, "You sisters, both of you, why do you both lack interest in the entertainment industry, not inheriting a single artistic cell from me!"


    "Whoever wants to inherit your cells can go ahead and inherit them."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko gave him an icy glance, chilling her father to the core, and turned to go back to her room on her own accord.


    After closing the door, she leaned against it and thought for a few seconds before taking out her phone again and dialing a number.


    Click, the call connected.


    "They''ve made a move, just like you said," Ayakoji Chiyoko spoke coldly.


    "What do you want to do?" Sakata Asahi''s voice came through the phone, "Just to make it clear, don''t make things difficult for me."


    "I''ll try my best."


    "Hello..."


    Sakata Asahi was silent for a while before saying, "Chiyoko, I support your romance, but please don''t do anything that could hurt others."


    "When I need to, I will come to you."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko didn''t directly answer that question and hung up the phone.


    Looking at the phone, her expression grew complex and conflicted before turning sinister.


    "Kiryu Hina, if you insist on going against me... then you can''t blame me."


    ............


    The next day, in the afternoon, after school


    Kiryu Hina walked out of the teaching building while thinking about her own matters.


    Yesterday''s trouble they had caused for the Discipline Committee had not yet been completely dealt with, and today, the school forum exploded with news about her rivalry in love with Ayakoji Chiyoko, instantly igniting the whole school. Now, as soon as classes finished, a crowd of people would come to ask if the story was true.


    More people definitely approached Ayakoji Chiyoko to inquire and seeing her manage the situation until she was emotionally and physically exhausted, Kiryu Hina couldn''t help but laugh.


    This was what she deserved.


    Furthermore, the incident inevitably affected Kohinata Motoyo, who not long ago disgracefully claimed in front of her classmates that she was Kagura Hikaru''s girlfriend, and in order not to cause the teachers trouble, was now in a state of a ''fake breakup.''


    After this news leaked, her position became extremely awkward.


    Fortunately, Kiryu Hina saved her some face by not telling the News Department that they had already broken up, nor did she say that Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko had been involved, so the outsiders'' perspective should be like this¡ª


    In elementary school, Kagura Hikaru saved Ayakoji Chiyoko from 80 meters away on campus, and she developed a liking for him. Later, Kagura Hikaru dated Kiryu Hina in junior high, they broke up after graduation, and in high school, he dated Kohinata Motoyo, while Ayakoji Chiyoko harbored an unrequited love for him.


    .....After sorting out the timeline in her head, even Kiryu Hina felt this was like a diary of a winner in life, where a person could date so many idol-level beautiful girls, almost like a harem manga brought to reality.


    The only problem is, will Ayakoji Chiyoko reveal that she is actually dating Kagura Hikaru now?


    If she were to say so, it would undoubtedly put Kohinata Motoyo in an awkward position in the class.


    At the same time, it would also damage Kagura Hikaru''s reputation.


    According to the version Kiryu Hina provided to the News Department, without the part about infidelity, Kagura Hikaru might have dated her and Kohinata Motoyo, but with a year or two in between, it wasn''t considered scandalous behavior, and at most, people would feel envy and jealousy.


    But if Ayakoji Chiyoko said that she has been dating Kagura Hikaru, especially while Kohinata Motoyo clearly stated that she and Kagura Hikaru were only ''fake breaking up,'' Kagura Hikaru''s image would instantly fall into that of a scumbag who violates promises.


    Kiryu Hina was certain she wouldn''t speak carelessly.


    And indeed, as she predicted, Ayakoji Chiyoko swallowed her pride with a forced smile, and once school was out, she left with the members of the Student Council and Discipline Committee to deal with work.


    Her behavior matched expectations perfectly.


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    And it was precisely because of this that Kiryu Hina felt a sense of unease creep in.


    From yesterday until now, a whole day had passed.


    But Ayakoji Chiyoko had been busy mending fences, seemingly doing nothing else.


    The school forum showed no movement, the Student Council was calm, the Discipline Committee was preoccupied with catching a stray cat, and Sakata Asahi had not received any messages from her.


    But Kiryu Hina knew she couldn''t have done nothing; it was just that she had failed to notice.


    What exactly had she done?


    Thinking all the way to the school gate, Kiryu Hina finally came to her senses and shook her head.


    If she couldn''t guess, then what was the use of imagining out of thin air?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was currently too busy filling the gaps she had left to be able to leave, and Kiryu Hina had no reason to let go of this opportunity.


    While her opponent was preoccupied, it was time to find Kagura Hikaru.


    Just like a daring stray cat seizing the opportunity when the owner wasn''t home, stealthily slipping into the kitchen to snatch the fish and scamper away, me eat eat eat eat eat!


    With a smile resembling that of a cat who had stolen a fish, she walked out of the school gates.


    But after only a few steps, a figure blocked her path.


    It was an adult woman dressed in OL attire, with her hair tied back in a short ponytail, looking very familiar.


    Kiryu Hina remembered then; this person was the agent forcefully assigned to her by Ryoma Ayakoji, that creature''s biological father.

 Chapter 289 Its Up To You, Ai Cheng

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    "Miss Hina, please come with me to the set," said the woman dressed in OL attire, blocking her way.


    Kiryu Hina furrowed her brow and scrutinized her. "I remember, my work had already finished."


    "That''s true, but a new job has been assigned, and you were specifically requested."


    "Sorry, I''m very busy."


    Kiryu Hina walked past her and continued forward.


    The agent turned and caught up with her, persistent. "Miss Hina, please don''t be capricious. This is an opportunity specifically found for you by Mr. Ryoma ... Ayakoji," she pleaded.


    "I don''t need it."


    "Miss Hina, you are extremely talented, please don''t waste it. This opportunity is very rare and might win the appreciation of a famous director, which would greatly assist your future in the entertainment industry¡ª"


    "Have you said enough? If so, you can leave."


    "Miss Hina ..."


    Kiryu Hina stopped, her face cold. "Don''t think I don''t know. It was Chiyoko Ayakoji who sent you, wasn''t it?"


    The agent''s complexion shifted slightly, and she denied vehemently, "This has nothing to do with Miss Chiyo."


    "You call her Miss Chiyo? I didn''t know you were a servant of the Ayakoji family." Kiryu Hina scoffed mockingly. "Please, I know my own worth. Whether it was Chiyo Ayakoji who sent you or Ryoma Ayakoji, I''m not interested¡ªjust tell them that and goodbye."


    "Miss Hina!"


    "Are you Kiryu Hina?!"


    "You really do resemble Ryoma Ayakoji a bit around the eyes and nose!"


    "Please let us take a picture!"


    Just as Kiryu Hina was about to leave, a large group with cameras and recorders suddenly appeared from around the corner, mostly appearing to be reporters.


    They surrounded Kiryu Hina in a 360-degree formation like hyenas encircling prey, quickly closing even the smallest gap.


    Kiryu Hina stared in shock at these people, nearly blinded by the relentless flashes, her ears ringing with various voices.


    "Miss Kiryu Hina, please look this way!"


    "Is the rumor that you are Ryoma Ayakoji''s illegitimate daughter true?!"


    "What is your relationship with Ryoma Ayakoji!!"


    "Ryoma Ayakoji''s daughter goes to the same school as you, right? Did you find out about your origins from her?"


    "What is Miss Chiyoko Ayakoji''s attitude towards you?"


    "Did your foster father agree to your mother''s relationship with Ryoma Ayakoji knowing about it?!"


    Kiryu Hina''s face grew stern


    So loud, like flies. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She could finally understand why so many celebrities despised reporters; these people spoke without restraint and just kept chattering incessantly.


    Did Ryoma Ayakoji always live under these circumstances? She couldn''t help but admire him.


    Kiryu Hina didn''t know how this information had leaked.


    Theoretically, only a few people knew about it: herself, Kagura Hikaru, Chiyoko Ayakoji, her foster father Kiryu Masaki, and her biological father Ryoma Ayakoji.


    Among them, excluding herself, Kagura Hikaru was amnesiac, foster father Kiryu Masaki wouldn''t do such a thing, and Ryoma Ayakoji certainly wouldn''t blab about his own scandalous history.


    The only one with a motive was Chiyoko Ayakoji alone!


    But Kiryu Hina had never imagined that Ayakoji Chiyoko would go to such lengths to cause trouble for her, exposing a marriage scandal would definitely affect Ryoma Ayakoji''s work.


    As a well-known actor, whether male or female, exposing an extramarital child is a bit more serious than infidelity, and it falls into a more severe category.


    Even if Ryoma Ayakoji''s stature meant he wouldn''t easily lose his job, it would at least have a certain impact on his future acting life, and this impact would undoubtedly extend to his family, bringing no benefits for Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Why would she do something that harms others without benefiting herself? Was she insane? Or did she have another motive?


    "Miss Hina, you recently participated in the filming of the drama ''Spy Girl,'' and the director praised your acting as exceptional. How do you view this?"


    "Will you consider continuing to exploit your acting talent in the entertainment industry after graduation?"


    "Forming a father-daughter duo with Ryoma Ayakoji might be quite something!"


    "Miss Hina, are you interested in idols?"


    "..."


    Listening to the barrage of questions from these dogged reporters, Kiryu Hina had a flash of insight, vaguely realizing Ayakoji Chiyoko''s purpose.


    Without a doubt, she was the one who had leaked the information, even staging the illegitimate daughter scandal as groundwork for her real agenda.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko planned to drag her into the limelight of the entertainment industry.


    As the ''rumored'' illegitimate daughter of Ryoma Ayakoji, who had also participated in a television drama and received high praise.


    Whether the rumors about the illegitimate daughter were true or false, the incident would attract a certain level of attention.


    Entertainment reporters would swarm towards her like sharks drawn to the scent of blood.


    This was Ayakoji Chiyoko''s aim: to use the reporters adept at stalking as her eyes, thus effortlessly barring Kiryu Hina from finding any opportunity to approach Kagura Hikaru.


    In order to maintain a failing relationship, this woman had cruelly tripped up her own father!


    This was an impulsive act of revenge, utterly reckless with consequences, the kind of decision one might only make when drunk. Did she even realize how much it could cost their family?


    But it had to be said, this move was damn effective!


    "Miss Kiryu Hina, please answer my question! What exactly is your relationship with Ryoma Ayakoji!"


    "Is the rumor true?!"


    "I heard your relationship with Miss Chiyoko isn''t very good?"


    Kiryu Hina was blocked by a sea of people, and her female manager had vanished without a trace.


    She realized that today she would not be able to get away, and even if she did manage to escape by chance, she could not lead these people to the Kagura''s doorstep.


    If they saw her entering the house of a young man of her age, another news story would emerge: ''Ryoma Ayakoji''s rumored daughter-in-law.''


    She couldn''t drag Kagura Hikaru and his family into this maelstrom as well.


    Damn it, Ayakoji Chiyoko! Was she a self-destructing truck?!


    Kiryu Hina seethed inwardly.


    No wonder she was so composed; from the start, she never planned to trade blows directly but rather flipped the table entirely, trading space for time.


    ...But, even now in this situation, Kiryu Hina wasn''t without a backup plan.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s greatest strength was her numerous subordinates, but her greatest weakness was the same: she seemed to have many under her command, yet she truly had no reliable person by her side.


    It was different for Kiryu Hina; she now had many like-minded friends.


    Amidst the chaos surrounded by reporters, Kiryu Hina swiftly drafted a text message and sent it to her most trusted companion.


    Kiryu Hina: [I''m trapped and can''t move, leave Kagura to you, Ai Cheng.]

 Chapter 290 Taking Over, Ai Cheng Hua Lians Turn

    Kagura Hikaru was playing video games.


    Today, he wasn''t playing shooters but rather an action game.


    The character he controlled was a white-haired amputee Devil Man, slashing with a long sword in combination with his demonic-technology prosthetic hand, battling from the ground to the air and back to the ground. Monsters didn''t stand a chance in his grasp, completely powerless to respond; he effortlessly slaughtered the most challenging creatures without sustaining a scratch, securing an S-rank score with ease.


    After setting down the controller, Kagura Hikaru stretched his fingers, intending to take a break.


    Strangely enough, no matter what game he played, he seemed to quickly reach an exceptional level of skill. Even in this action game before him, which he was only experiencing for the first time, he hadn''t reached the ending yet but had already mastered all the combos, his fingers dancing over the controls effortlessly.


    He felt that his pre-amnesia self must have been a master gamer, and had he pursued esports, he surely could have made a fortune.


    However, Kagura Hikaru vaguely felt that wasn''t the path he wanted to take.


    Speaking of which, how had he planned his future before losing his memory?


    Kagura Hikaru placed both hands behind his head, leaning against the computer chair, gazing up at the ceiling.


    Without amnesia, he was a second-year high school student, close to facing university entrance exams.


    Since he attended an academic school, it probably meant he intended to go to university, but what then?


    College was merely a stepping stone; what he truly wanted to do was something else.


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head, casting his eyes towards the foot of the bed.


    There, a thick black guitar case rested against the wall between the bed and the bookshelf.


    He had opened it; inside was a lake blue electric guitar with many signs of use, indicating it had been passionately played for some time.


    If it wasn''t second-hand, it meant that those marks were his own; he had used that guitar for a long time, either during those brief three years or maybe even longer.


    Perhaps, he had thought about pursuing a career in music?


    Kagura Hikaru imagined himself passionately playing and singing on a concert stage... but the thought was somewhat incomprehensible; he had never envisioned that future.


    But oddly, he felt a surge of desire to give it a try.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.


    "Mister Hikaru, a classmate of yours is here to see you!" his stepmother called from outside.


    Was it that girl named Kiryu Hina again?


    Kagura Hikaru hesitated for a moment before getting up to open the door.


    However, it wasn''t Kiryu Hina who appeared outside, but another gentle-looking girl.


    "Mister Hikaru, I''ll leave you to it; I''m heading downstairs," his stepmother said with a smile, gesturing goodbye as she descended.


    Kagura Hikaru watched her leave, then turned to the girl in the Yuqiu High School sailor uniform, "I remember you as... Ai Cheng, Karen? I got your name right, didn''t I?"


    "Yes."


    Ai Cheng Karen''s expression showed a fleeting sadness, but she quickly smiled at him, "Let''s reintroduce myself, I''m Ai Cheng Karen, a third-year at Uka High School, and a member of the Girls'' Volleyball Club."


    "Senior Ai Cheng!" blurted out Kagura Hikaru.


    "Eh? Senior?" Ai Cheng Karen looked up in surprise.


    "Ah, sorry, I just..." Kagura Hikaru scratched his head in confusion, "But it seems I didn''t make a mistake; I''m a second-year high school student, and since Senior Ai Cheng is a third-year, that makes you my senior after all."


    Ai Cheng Karen stared at him, astonished, then covered her mouth, laughing softly, "Sorry... I didn''t expect you to say exactly the same thing as back then..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "We''ll talk about that later," Ai Cheng Karen said with her hands on her shoulder bag in front of her, smiling at Kagura Hikaru, "I came here today to invite you to a live show. Shall we go together?"


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    "Live? Are you talking about a live house?"


    "Yes, my band is performing soon, and I''d like you to come and see. In a sense, you are our teacher."


    "Was it something I did before I lost my memory again...." Kagura Hikaru looked at her, feeling a sudden softening of his heart, "Alright, I''ll go change my clothes. Would you mind waiting for me downstairs, Senior?"


    "You don''t need to call me Senior, just Ai Cheng is fine."


    "Got it, Ai Cheng."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian smiled sweetly, turned around, and swung her long hair as she walked downstairs, her silhouette joyous like a happy elementary school student.


    Unconsciously, Kagura Hikaru also smiled, went back to his room to get changed into outdoor clothes, grabbed his wallet, and went downstairs.


    It was only after asking his stepmother, who was watching TV in the living room, that he found out Ai Cheng Hua Lian was already waiting for him outside; he quickly put on his shoes and left.


    True enough, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was standing at the corner as he stepped outside.


    With her hands behind her back holding a handbag, stood against the wall, looking up at the blue sky, occasionally rising on her toes.


    Super cute.


    "Sorry to have kept you waiting," Kagura Hikaru said.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian turned around, her lips curving into a smile, "I didn''t wait long, let''s go!"


    She waved at Kagura Hikaru and then started to jog, her skirt flouncing with each step, clearly revealing her slightly plump legs.


    Kagura Hikaru started running to catch up.


    "Is there a need to rush?"


    "We have to, our band''s performance time is coming up," Ai Cheng Hua Lian replied while running and checking her phone''s time, turning back to Kagura Hikaru with a sheepish smile, "Sorry, we have to go a bit faster, or we really won''t make it...."


    "Ah?"


    "Hurry, hurry~!"


    They almost missed the train, struggling desperately, they dashed into the carriage at the last second, just as the doors were closing behind them.


    "We made it!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian excitedly raised her tiny fists as if she''d won an Olympic gold medal.


    Bent over and hands on knees, Kagura Hikaru panted, "You sure are fit... Volleyball Club... Are you not tired from running all the way?!"


    "It''s okay, we usually do running training," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said and took out a handkerchief from her bag to pass it over, "Here, wipe off some sweat."


    "Thanks... I''ll wash it and return it to you," Kagura Hikaru took the handkerchief and wiped his sweat.


    "No need," Ai Cheng Hua Lian turned slightly red, her hands behind her back as she looked around aimlessly, stealing glances at the sweat on Kagura Hikaru''s cheeks, "I''ll just wash it myself when I get back."


    But Kagura Hikaru obviously took it as a polite gesture and, after a round of courtesy, stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket, agreeing to return it to her cleaned the next time she came to his house.


    As they exchanged pleasantries, they started chatting and laughing together on the train.


    "How did I meet you before I lost my memory?" Kagura Hikaru asked curiously.


    "We met at the live house!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian reminisced about their first meeting and couldn''t help but laugh, "Our band was all novices back then. We were so scared during our first onstage performance that we wanted a pro to cover for us. The live house manager recommended you."


    "Me?"


    "Yes! You were working as a hired guitarist back then."


    "Eh?! Really?"


    "Yep, but you took the money and didn''t even show up for practice. We were actually worried we had made the wrong choice."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian started to giggle, "But it turned out we were just being narrow-minded. When there was a mishap and the performance went cold, it was you who saved us." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru thought of the electric guitar sitting back in his room.


    So he used to do this kind of side job. That''s pretty cool.


    "I''ll introduce you to the rest of the band members in a bit," Ai Cheng Hua Lian said expectantly, "Who knows, maybe after watching our performance, Kagura, you might remember something."


    Kagura Hikaru scratched his head, "I hope so."

 Chapter 291 Star Scout

    livehouse¡¤Starry Sky.


    This is an underground rock venue located in Shimokitazawa, relatively small in space, a medium-sized livehouse.


    This is where Karen''s band, Red Pepper Band, will perform today, with a set lasting half an hour.


    This also happens to be their first attempt at playing continuously for such a lengthy period.


    Ruzaki Mami and the other band members had arrived early, nervously tuning their instruments in the green room.


    Onstage, the performance of the previous band was nearing its end, yet the lead singer of Red Pepper Band had not yet arrived.


    "Karen is so slow, where is she now?" Hoshimi Nana, the lead guitarist of Red Pepper Band, paced back and forth in the room, constantly checking her watch.


    "Eight minutes ago, she was still on the train," Ruzaki Mami said, checking her phone. "I''ll ask her again."


    Everyone waited in silence.


    But before they could get a reply, the door to the green room burst open, and Ai Cheng Karen and Kagura Hikaru walked in.


    "Sorry everyone, I''m late!" Ai Cheng Karen apologized immediately upon entering.


    "Karen!"


    "Geez, you took forever!"


    The band crowded around her, one taking out a makeup case, another using a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, all clumsily applying makeup to Ai Cheng Karen.


    From Kagura Hikaru''s perspective, it was like a group of fiery red-lipped, leather-clad girls rushed forward, determined to turn Ai Cheng Karen into a Shibuya-style high school girl.


    He was so frightened that he froze on the spot.


    "Ai Cheng, are these your band members...?"


    "Yeah," Ai Cheng Karen replied with her face still being covered in dark makeup, and turned around to see Kagura Hikaru''s expression. She chuckled awkwardly, "This, this is our band''s style... It''s very rock, isn''t it?"


    "...You''re not playing heavy metal, are you?"


    "No, no, no, no, it''s really just a styling thing!"


    That''s some styling indeed!


    Has the recent rock scene really evolved to this kind of style??


    Just then, another band came down off the stage, passed by the dressing room¡ªa refreshing contrast to Red Pepper Band.


    Both groups were too embarrassed to look at each other and left with their heads down.


    "Their makeup really is weird," somebody muffled.


    "They''re trying to look like gyarus."


    "Shhh! Don''t let them hear you!"


    The passing band whispered amongst themselves.


    But because the room was small, Ai Cheng Karen and the others heard every word loud and clear.


    Even through the thick coat of dark makeup, Kagura Hikaru thought he could see their faces turning bright red.


    If you''re going to be shy about it, then why put on such an extravagant act!


    "That, that!"


    At this moment, a small-statured girl from Red Pepper Band approached, nervously fiddling with her fingers: "Mr. Kagura, do you remember me?"


    "Hm?" Kagura Hikaru looked at her puzzled, "I''m sorry, do we know each other?"


    "I''m Ruzaki Mami..."


    "...Sorry, I have no memory of you."


    "Is that so," Ruzaki Mami bowed her head, "Karen-chan said Mr. Kagura, you had amnesia from a car accident, it''s true, huh."


    "Don''t say that, Mr. Kagura~" Hoshimi Nana complained while still doing Ai Cheng Karen''s makeup.


    "Teacher?"


    "You used to teach us guitar," Ai Cheng Karen explained.


    "Right, I already had some basics, but Karen was like a baby you raised from scratch, nourished bit by bit. You even bought the guitar together with Mr. Kagura," Hoshimi Nana cheekily winked with her right eye as she said.


    "Bit by bit...?" Ai Cheng Karen scrunched up her face.


    "Is that so?" Kagura Hikaru asked curiously.


    "Of course not!"


    Ruzaki Mami picked up Ai Cheng Karen''s guitar bag from the corner, unzipped it, and took out a metallic red-colored Telecaster, holding it out with both hands for Kagura Hikaru to see, "This is Karen-chan''s guitar, Mr. Kagura. Do you remember this?"


    "No."


    "Well..." Ruzaki Mami said, disappointed, and set the guitar on the nearby stand.


    At that moment, a livehouse staff member entered to remind them that they had five minutes before going on stage.


    Ruzaki Mami and the others dared not chat anymore and began applying makeup to Ai Cheng Karen all the more vigorously.


    Right before going on stage, Ai Cheng Karen handed an orange pick to Kagura Hikaru.


    "What''s this?" Kagura Hikaru held the plastic pick and examined it from all sides as he asked.


    "It''s the livehouse''s ticket. I had Zhen Chun and the others save one for you in advance," Ai Cheng Karen said with a smile. "With this, you can exchange it for a drink outside and watch the show. You should head out now; we''re about to go onstage."


    "Thank you."


    "You better cheer for us from down there, Mr. Kagura," Hoshimi Nana said with a smile.


    Kagura Hikaru pocketed the pick ticket and said with a smile, "I wish you a successful performance."


    That smile caused a stir.


    Everyone except Ai Cheng Karen froze, and they huddled together to whisper, "Did Mr. Kagura ever smile before?"


    "Never seen it."


    "Woah, looks like amnesia can cure resting bitch face."


    "He''s not a resting bitch face; he just didn''t like to smile!" Only Ai Cheng Karen clarified for Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru gave an awkward smile, waved his hand, and left backstage to go outside, where he exchanged the ticket for a Coke at the counter.


    Just as he got his Coke, he saw Ai Cheng Karen and the others walking onto the stage under the lights.


    The audience below immediately started cheering; it seemed many were there for them.


    Kagura Hikaru hadn''t expected this. He had thought Ai Cheng Karen''s band was just a group of high school students messing around, but their popularity was actually quite high.


    He found a good angle from below the stage and watched while holding his drink.


    "Good afternoon, everyone! We are the Red Pepper Band!" Ai Cheng Karen, with the metallic red electric guitar strapped to her, energetically yelled into the microphone.


    There was an immediate response of applause from below. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Then let''s start with the first song, a cover¡ª''Sun Inch Performance''!"


    The drums sounded like birds swooping by, followed by the distortion of electric guitar. Ai Cheng Karen and Hoshimi Nana simultaneously picked their strings as lights flickered on stage.


    After the intro, Ai Cheng Karen grabbed the microphone and began to sing.


    It was a cool Japanese rock song, and whether it was the lead singer''s voice or the performance of the other band members, it was all surprisingly good, beyond Kagura Hikaru''s expectations.


    The livehouse''s small space helped immensely, as the unseen waves of sound kept crashing and reflecting off the walls, maximizing the atmospheric effect.


    By the end of the song, Kagura Hikaru realized he had goosebumps.


    They were impressive.


    He almost underestimated them because of their comical makeup.


    After the first song, Ai Cheng Karen introduced the band members, then suddenly told a bad joke, causing a chill to fall over the audience. She quickly moved on, embarrassed, into the next song.


    The Red Pepper Band continued to play for twenty straight minutes, maintaining the high quality of the first song.


    Kagura Hikaru''s drink was almost finished. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, buddy."


    At that time, a portly fat man who had been standing beside him suddenly started talking to him, "What do you think of this band?"


    Kagura Hikaru looked at him, puzzled, "Not bad, what about it?"


    "How about compared to a professional band?"


    "Ah?"


    "Haha, sorry, I was too abrupt." The fat man said with a laugh and wave of his hand, explaining, "Actually, I''m a talent scout for a music company. I''ve been following this band for a while."

 Chapter 292 Guitar Hero

    "Do you think they have the potential to go pro?!"


    Kagura Hikaru exclaimed in surprise, "That''s really...a high compliment."


    "It''s just a possibility." The fat man spread his hands, "Of course, that''s provided they can take off that heavy makeup."


    Kagura Hikaru and the fat man laughed at the same time.


    Indeed, that exaggerated makeup didn''t seem at all like something one would see on television.


    But since this self-proclaimed talent scout was not attracted by their makeup, and instead saw it as a drawback, it meant that the Red Pepper Band''s performance really had something that a professional talent scout would appreciate.


    To be honest, Kagura Hikaru wasn''t very clear about it himself, at least the amnesiac him didn''t possess such a discerning appreciation.


    He could feel that Ai Cheng Hua Lian and their band were strong, but he didn''t know just how strong.


    So all he could do was to give an assessment based on his feelings, "If they released an album, I probably would buy it."


    "Thank you, I''ll take your opinion into consideration." The fat talent scout shook hands with Kagura Hikaru, smiled, turned around, and was about to leave.


    But at this moment, something seemed to go wrong on stage, making both him and Kagura Hikaru lift their heads to look.


    The Red Pepper Band continued to play, but Hoshimi Nana, the lead guitarist, increasingly couldn''t keep up with the rhythm after a pause, her strumming significantly slowing down.


    The fat talent scout shook his head, "This is a serious mistake, she''s ruined the song."


    "Wait, something seems off about her condition." Kagura Hikaru said, frowning as he looked at the stage, "She''s sweating a lot."


    The fat talent scout observed carefully and indeed noticed some clues, "....You''re right, she''s unlucky."


    The other members of the Red Pepper Band, of course, noticed this too, and even earlier than the audience below.


    When the song reached an artificial ending in the middle, they hurriedly finished and helped Hoshimi Nana off the stage.


    The audience below was buzzing with speculation, as the staff came on stage to announce that the performance would continue in five minutes.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t wait around, instead, he turned and entered the backstage rest area.


    Upon entering, he saw Ai Cheng Hua Lian and the others all surrounding Hoshimi Nana.


    "Nana?"


    "What''s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?"


    "You were fine just a moment ago...."


    The members of Ai Cheng Hua Lian asked with concern.


    Hoshimi Nana was squatting on the ground holding her stomach, taking sharp breaths as if she was enduring pain, her face stiff as she looked up and told her teammates, "Sorry, it''s my time of the month...."


    "Why didn''t you say anything!"


    "I didn''t want to hold everyone back, this was a hard-to-come-by long performance invitation, and there was no way I was going to mess it up," Hoshimi Nana strained to get up, knees wobbling, "I''m fine, I can still do this....uh...."


    "Don''t overdo it." Ai Cheng Hua Lian comforted her by patting her back, then hesitantly looked at the others, "What do we do? We have one more song, but I haven''t practiced Nana''s part."


    "Without the lead guitar, it can''t really be considered a song," the bassist of the Red Pepper Band said rationally, "We have to give up. I''ll go talk to the manager."


    "Wait a minute!" Hoshimi Nana quickly grabbed the hem of her pants, "We only have one last song left, and it''s our original composition, let me play it!"


    At that moment, she saw Kagura Hikaru standing behind them, her eyes lighting up as if she had seen a lifesaver, "Kagura! Right, we still have Mr. Kagura! If it''s him¡ª"


    "What are you babbling about, Nana, Mr. Kagura''s got amnesia now!" Ruzaki Mami said with a despondent face.


    "This last song was written together with Mr. Kagura, he must still remember!"


    "Even so, it''s impossible," the bassist shook her head, comforting her, "Don''t worry too much about it, Nana, missing one song isn''t a big deal, this live performance is already quite good."


    Hoshimi Nana turned pale, bowed her head, and remained silent.


    Kagura Hikaru hesitated as he watched them, unsure if he should interject.


    He had no idea what songs he had supervised in the past; it was obviously a part of his lost memory. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    Unable to even remember songs, let alone take someone else''s place on stage.


    Just as he was about to speak words of comfort,


    at that moment, Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked at him and suddenly started to sing in the break room.


    "I''ve come here to tell you the legend of Red and Blue¡ªtraveling back in time, three thousand years ago, there were two girls, both maidens and warriors, who swore to the king to slay the Evil Dragon and restore peace. Amid blessings and cheers, they embarked on the road to death¡ªRed returned unharmed, while Blue lay shattered; they climbed the mountain to slay the dragon at the cost of their lives¡ª"


    It was a punk rock song with heavy lyrics but an upbeat tune, telling a complete story.


    In the process of slaying the dragon, the girl in Blue sacrificed herself, and the girl in Red, cursed to become the Evil Dragon, killed the king and took the throne using the kingdom''s treasure to resurrect her comrade.


    For some reason, halfway through listening, Kagura Hikaru already knew the rest of the story, which appeared in his mind like a familiar tune.


    His gaze was vacant, as he unconsciously started to sing along in a low voice.


    "The kingdom lay in ruins, bodies strewn everywhere. Atop the rubble, the girl in Blue was reborn, donned a cape, grasped a sword, and set off on the road to death to kill her dear friend¡ªThe light of magic faded from her, as she willingly gave up her life, cutting off her own path¡ª"


    The girl in Blue couldn''t accept the kingdom''s desolation because of herself, so she killed her friend turned Evil Dragon. Before the curse spread to her, she gave up her life. The two maidens embraced in mutual demise upon the throne, and magic turned them into statues forever side by side¡ªa bittersweet dark fairy tale.


    As Kagura Hikaru sang on, just as she had hoped, Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s eyes lit up, excitedly she said, "Kagura, you remember this song!?"


    She only wanted to see if the song could stimulate Kagura Hikaru''s memory, not expecting him to really sing it.


    "Just a gut feeling," Kagura Hikaru said with an embarrassed expression, "Honestly, I don''t even know what I''m singing."


    "That''s enough," Ai Cheng Hua Lian turned her head to Hoshimi Nana, "Nana, is that okay?"


    "Hmm, thank you, Karen," Hoshimi Nana said, rising to her feet with help from the bassist and Ruzaki Mami, taking her guitar off and handing it to Kagura Hikaru, "Give it a try."


    Kagura Hikaru hesitated as he looked at Ai Cheng Hua Lian; after receiving a nod from her, he took the guitar, slung the strap over his shoulder; Ai Cheng Hua Lian handed him her pick.


    Kagura Hikaru took a deep breath and strummed the strings.


    The sound of standard tuning seemed to awaken a melody in the deepest recesses of his mind that naturally began to play. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it wasn''t in his head¡ªit was coming from his own hands.


    To his surprise, he found himself able to play the guitar, and quite proficiently at that.


    He was playing the first original piece by Red Pepper Band, the same song that Ai Cheng Hua Lian had just sung.


    "Red and Blue," a title pulsed in Kagura Hikaru''s mind.


    This time, the headache didn''t seem to flare up.


    Why?


    Everyone from the Red Pepper Band watched him in amazement.


    "Mr. Kagura, has your memory returned?!" Luoqi Zhencheng said in shock.


    "Not yet, but it appears unrelated to my muscle memory," Kagura Hikaru said trying a fast run on the guitar, with no issues.


    Just like he could naturally grasp video games without being taught, the same happened with guitar playing; he became proficient immediately despite having no relevant knowledge or learning memories after the amnesia.


    It seemed that these were the ''legacy'' his past self had left behind.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at the black Ibanez electric guitar in his hands, then raised his head to Hoshimi Nana, "Is this really okay?"


    "Yes...!"


    Hoshimi Nana had sweat on her face, nodded, and managed a difficult smile, "The last song, I''ll leave it to you, Mr. Kagura."

 Chapter 293 Could it be that Ai Cheng is my girlfriend??

    Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    Five minutes later.


    The Red Pepper Band, which had paused their performance, walked out from backstage and onto the stage again, and the audience was immediately surprised.


    Because there was one less member among them, but one more person who shouldn''t have been there.


    "Ah, ah." Ai Cheng Hana Lian tapped the microphone to test it, then said, "Sorry to have kept everyone waiting, Nanachan is feeling a bit under the weather, so we let her leave early. But we didn''t want to give up on the performance, we still have one last song to sing, so we''ve brought in a substitute guitarist¡ªMr. Kagura!"


    Kagura Hikaru, wearing a black mask (borrowed), nodded towards the audience.


    He appeared indifferent on the surface, but was sweating buckets behind the scenes.


    He gripped the electric guitar tightly, his heart doing somersaults, fearing a cold reception.


    He had never had the experience of performing on stage¡ªat least not since losing his memory!


    On the other hand, some parts of the audience cheered upon hearing Ai Cheng Hana Lian''s introduction. They were regulars at the livehouse and quickly recognized Kagura Hikaru, the freelance guitarist who often roamed the underground music scene.


    The support from these people somewhat eased Kagura Hikaru''s tension.


    He had been worried that as a man, he would be rejected by the audience of an all-girls band, but it seemed the situation wasn''t too bad.


    Emboldened, he dared to look into the audience, only to accidentally lock eyes with the chubby talent scout he had spoken to before.


    The latter obviously recognized him, probably because he hadn''t changed his clothes, and looked surprised. He likely hadn''t expected Kagura Hikaru to be acquainted with the members of the Red Pepper Band, let alone take to the stage with a guitar as a substitute.


    Sorry, uncle, I didn''t expect it to turn out this way either.


    "So please listen to the last song, an original track by the Red Pepper Band¡ª ''Red and Blue''," said Ai Cheng Hana Lian.


    She turned to look at her bandmates and exchanged a nod with Kagura Hikaru.


    Kagura Hikaru took a deep breath, counted the beats silently in his heart, and fiercely struck the strings with his pick.


    This song kicked off with a crisp guitar solo.


    Though the rhythm was not fast, it was a challenge for the heart.


    Fortunately, his muscle memory was reliable, and he managed to complete the ten-second solo at the beginning smoothly. Ai Cheng Hana Lian''s vocals then began, accompanied simultaneously by the bass and drums as the performance started.


    "Rewind to three thousand years ago, there were two girls, red and blue. They were warriors as well as maidens, swearing to the king to slay the evil dragon for peace. Amid blessings and cheers, they embarked on the road of death¡ªred returned unscathed, blue shattered and broken. What was all this for, anger, sorrow, the maiden turned into a red dragon¡ª"


    The overall style of the song was pop rock, the atmosphere was not sad, in fact, it was inspiring and passionate, like recounting the tragic tale of Hamlet in the tone of singing about the hero Don Quixote.


    As long as one understood the lyrics, one couldn''t help but be firmly captivated by the contradiction.


    When Ai Cheng Hana Lian and her bandmates first came up with this song, it was based on Nakajima Miyuki''s "Riding on the Back of a Silver Dragon," which, though sorrowful and profound, felt quite mundane.


    It was after incorporating Kagura Hikaru''s suggestions that they changed direction, turning into what it was now.


    There had been a bit of an argument at that time.


    But after Kagura Hikaru truly rebuilt the song according to his own philosophy, everyone in the Red Pepper Band was convinced and decided to adopt this version of the style.


    Looking back now, this part of the story felt a little bit like a face-slapping Mary Sue plot.


    .....Eh?


    Kagura Hikaru belatedly realized, this memory, he shouldn''t be able to recall it.


    It was clearly something he had experienced before losing his memory!


    He couldn''t even remember Ai Cheng Hua Lian, so how could he possibly recall those warm little stories from composing music with the Red Pepper Band?


    As he continued to play, Kagura Hikaru gradually shifted from being clueless at the beginning to being adept, and he started to remember more.


    He seemed to have done many similar performances in the past.


    Taking the stage with some people, just like now, holding a guitar, supporting the band with its strings.


    A few livehouses in Tokyo had seen his tracks.


    And there was the matter of Ai Cheng Hua Lian.


    Memories about her were surfacing bit by bit.


    In the midst of songs, Kagura Hikaru saw Ai Cheng Hua Lian sitting beside him in a sunlight-filled tram, smiling.


    Sharing a meal on the rooftop, walking to school together, chatting in her room with a guitar in his arms.


    Had they been this close before?


    Could it be¡­ Ai Cheng Hua Lian was actually his girlfriend?


    This was the first time he experienced memories surfacing out of nowhere, and Kagura Hikaru was momentarily thrown into confusion.


    Unfortunately, he hadn''t managed to remember everything, only brief fragments.


    He had a suspicion.


    Kiryu Hina seemed to be working hard to help him regain his memory, but why was Ai Cheng Hua Lian the first person he remembered?


    Was it because she was very special to him, or...


    Kagura Hikaru had some guesses in his heart.


    He had lost his memories after the second year of junior high school, and if what Kiryu Hina had said was considered, the three years he forgot were filled with not so great memories: his parents'' divorce, breaking up with his girlfriend, and then the car accident.


    In other words, his memories had stopped at a relatively happy stage of his life.


    There were no changes in the family, good relationships with people, he had a lover and friends, living life like a romance novel''s male lead, with a bright future ahead.


    And the worst part of his memory after the car accident was erased.


    He couldn''t imagine what he had experienced before he lost his memory, but it must have been a lot of painful events.


    Normally, one can''t escape memories, and the selective amnesia caused by a concussion seemed like a godsend that wiped away all the memories he didn''t want to keep.


    On the other hand, if they were happy memories, there might be much less of a barrier to recalling them.


    Kagura Hikaru wasn''t even experiencing a headache now.


    Did this mean that, to his pre-amnesia self, memories of being with Ai Cheng Hua Lian were all happy ones?


    "The Kingdom collapsed, the Red Dragon stood atop the ruins of the castle, roaring skyward, calling all Mages to come with all the kingdom''s treasures¡ªunder the sparkling stars, the miracle of magic unfolded, and the Blue Maiden was resurrected amidst expectations, raising her sword towards the Red Dragon¡ª"


    From here, Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s lyrics became fast and intense.


    The band members behind her started to burst into performance.


    "In the fierce battle, the Red Dragon was brought down, transforming into the Red Maiden, friends reunited, only to face eternal farewell, the light of magic faded from her, the Blue Maiden willingly gave up her life, ending her own path, agreeing with her friend to move on to the Underworld¡ª"


    "Looking back from now, three thousand years ago, there were two girls, red and blue, both maidens and warriors, who vowed to the king to slay the Evil Dragon, to bring back peace, and amidst blessings and cheers, they embarked on the road of death¡ªbetween the thrones of the past, on the cliffs of the present, the embracing maiden statues find eternity in their vigil."


    S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 294 The New Side of Ai Cheng Hua Lian

    The performance by the Red Pepper Band and Kagura Hikaru ended amid applause.


    It seemed the audience was quite satisfied.


    "I''m dead tired~~" Back in the dressing room, Ai Cheng Hua Lian raised her hands and stretched like a cat, then wiped her neck with the back of her hand, "Ugh, all sweaty, I want to go home and take a shower."


    "After we remove our makeup, let''s all go to Karen-chan''s house for a party!" Ruzaki Mami suggested.


    "Sorry, count me out of the party, I want to go back and rest....." Hoshimi Nana said with a pale face.


    Sitting in the dressing room waiting had apparently made her menstrual pain worse, visibly weakening her.


    "I''ll take her back," the bassist of the Red Pepper Band said reluctantly, pointing at Hoshimi Nana with his thumb, "The three of you go ahead."


    "Eh~ it can''t be called a celebration without you guys!"


    "That can''t be helped."


    Amid the argument between Ruzaki Mami and the bassist, Kagura Hikaru quietly came over and returned the guitar to Hoshimi Nana: "Thanks for your guitar."


    "I should be the one thanking you." Hoshimi Nana asked him to help put the guitar back into its case, weakly smiling, "I didn''t expect you truly could pull it off, Mr. Kagura truly is something."


    "Eh, did you think I would mess it up at the start?"


    "Oh, don''t mind me, I''m a bit of a pessimist. I just thought, if it were you, Mr. Kagura, even if you screwed up, the audience wouldn''t hate you because everyone knows you."


    "Am I that famous?" Kagura Hikaru was surprised.


    "In the livehouse scene, yes, very famous." Hoshimi Nana teased, "So, how about it? Why not seize this opportunity to join our Red Pepper Band? You can choose from four beauties~~" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No way! Don''t joke with Mr. Kagura like that!"


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian flushed and smacked her on the head, then said to Kagura Hikaru, "Kagura, thank you for today, without you, we would have had to cancel the performance."


    "It''s me who should be thanking you."


    "Eh? What did I do?"


    "Thanks to this performance, I''ve started to remember some things."


    ""Really?!""


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian, along with the other three who perked up their ears to listen, shouted simultaneously.


    "Yes." Kagura Hikaru gave a peculiar smile and looked deeply at Ai Cheng Hua Lian, "About you, just a little."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian appeared not to understand and stared blankly for a few seconds before reacting, her face slowly turning red, "You mean, you are....."


    "Ahem, let''s set aside that kind of talk." Kagura Hikaru quickly changed the subject, "Actually, when I was outside watching the performance earlier, I bumped into a talent scout."


    "A talent scout?"


    "Yes, he claimed to be from a music company and said you guys have the potential to become a professional band."


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian and the others exchanged glances.


    "Um, which company was it?"


    "I didn''t ask, and he didn''t give me a business card," Kagura Hikaru shrugged.


    "I see....." Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked at the band members, "Actually, we''ve been approaching the performances with an amateur mindset up until now, not considering the band''s future."


    "A professional musician, huh, I hadn''t even thought about it." Hoshimi Nana said, supporting her chin.


    The bassist and Ruzaki Mami were silent, probably thinking about it as well.


    Learning about this suddenly, it was inevitable to be at a loss.


    It''s like telling a student who is about to graduate that they will soon step into society to fend for themselves; anyone would struggle to grasp the reality of it.


    Half an hour later, Kagura Hikaru and Ruzaki Mami arrived at the Ai Cheng family''s place as guests.


    Carrying two big bags of snacks.


    Since it was a celebration, how could it be without some delicious treats.


    "Ah, Zhen Chun, and Mr. Kagura, welcome."


    The door was opened by Karen Ai Cheng''s mother, who looked very young. Kagura Hikaru almost thought she was her older sister, but he realized who she was when he heard Ruzaki Mami call her ''aunt'' and quickly corrected himself.


    She seemed quite familiar with him, so Kagura Hikaru tried his best to act close to avoid suspicion.


    He didn''t want to make a big deal about his amnesia.


    The two were welcomed into the house, and Ruzaki Mami confidently found her way to Karen Ai Cheng''s room and opened the door.


    It was a very tidy room, filled with a girlish atmosphere and a fragrant scent.


    Karen Ai Cheng had already come home earlier after they had gone to buy snacks, and apparently, she had taken a bath and changed clothes.


    Seeing her smelling all fresh, Ruzaki Mami felt envious.


    After all, she was the drummer in the band, and if anyone sweated the most in the room, it was definitely her!


    So she let Kagura Hikaru and others start without her, then borrowed some clothes from Karen Ai Cheng and went to take a bath.


    "You guys are really close," Kagura Hikaru said, watching Ruzaki Mami leaving with the clothes and then turning his head back.


    Ordinary friends wouldn''t usually take a bath at someone else''s place.


    "Yeah," Karen Ai Cheng said with a shy smile, "Let''s watch a movie."


    "Eh, aren''t we waiting for Ruzaki?"


    "She doesn''t like horror movies, I think it''s fine."


    So you were planning to watch a horror movie¡­


    Karen Ai Cheng pulled out a disc, put it in the player, and even deliberately drew the curtains, giving Kagura Hikaru an ominous feeling.


    He was the type who completely avoided horror movies. Good horror movies were too scary, and those that weren''t scary were not interesting, and so he had blacklisted all thriller films.


    As a result, Kagura Hikaru had zero tolerance for horror films.


    "Doesn''t it feel like a movie theater when you watch the screen in the dark?" Karen Ai Cheng said with a smile.


    Under the light of the screen, her smile seemed eerily uncanny.


    Kagura Hikaru was setting out snacks while barely managing a smile back, "Ai Cheng, are you one of those who are not afraid of ghosts...?"


    "I think I''m okay with them," she replied.


    While trying to adjust the volume with the remote control, Karen accidentally hit the fast-forward button. A fearsome, bloody monster suddenly appeared close up, as if it was about to jump out of the TV, emitting a sharp scream.


    Kagura Hikaru was so startled that he froze for a moment, grateful he didn''t scream out loud, which would have been utterly embarrassing.


    He instinctively looked away to catch Karen Ai Cheng''s reaction.


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    To his surprise, her eyes brightened, glued to the screen intently.


    Kagura Hikaru''s gaze shifted back just as the film showed a monster devouring someone''s abdomen, blood spurting everywhere like a fountain.


    He turned again to confirm.


    Far from being scared by such a scene, Karen Ai Cheng leaned in closer, put down the remote control, and watched attentively.


    Kagura Hikaru''s impression of Karen Ai Cheng was completely revised.


    The girl who seemed soft and frail turned out to be a hardcore horror movie fan!


    And whether she forgot or was too lazy to rewind, she showed no intention of starting over. Kagura Hikaru had no choice but to reluctantly continue watching with her.


    He reached out to grab the tomato-flavored chips placed next to him, only to grasp at air.


    Strange, they were missing. Did he forget to put them out?


    Never mind.


    Kagura Hikaru simply gave up on figuring it out and grabbed another pack from the bag to share with Karen Ai Cheng.


    As for when Ruzaki Mami came back from her bath later, just in time to run into a shadowy room and a monstrous massacre on the screen, screaming so loudly that it was heard outside, that was a different story altogether.

 Chapter 295 Memory Restoration, But Only a Little Bit

    Night, Ai Cheng Family.


    Ai Cheng Karen sat on the bed alone, hugging her thighs, her chin resting on her knees, while pressing her phone, her toes curling occasionally.


    By now, Kagura Hikaru and Ruzaki Mami had already left, probably already home and done with dinner.


    She should probably report to President Ayakoji about the battle situation.


    There was quite a lot to talk about today.


    Ai Cheng Karen opened the contact list in her phone, scrolled down to find ''Kiryu Hina,'' and tapped the call button.


    The call connected after a few seconds.


    "Hello, Ai Cheng?" Kiryu Hina''s voice came from the other side of the phone.


    "Good evening, President Hina."


    "Good evening, Ai Cheng, have you had dinner yet?"


    "I have. What about you, President Hina?"


    "Not yet, I was waiting for your call."


    "Ah, right, I''m sorry!"


    "Just kidding." Kiryu Hina laughed softly, "How did you all progress today? I was given quite a hard time."


    "Are you alright, President...?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course, I''m alright. It''s just that the reporters chased me to my doorstep, and I couldn''t go out, that''s all. Anyway, they can''t enter the apartment where I am."


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    "Did President Ayakoji do this...?"


    "Probably," Kiryu Hina said without much concern, "But never mind me, how is Kagura? Did he remember anything?"


    "It seems like there''s some progress."


    "Oh?"


    Ai Cheng Karen thought for a moment: "Today, I took him to a live house to see our band''s performance, but our guitarist was unwell, so we had to have Kagura fill in."


    "He''s in a state of amnesia, there were no problems?"


    "No, it surprised me too, but really, there weren''t any." Ai Cheng Karen, holding the phone, looked up and said, "And after the live ended, he told me he remembered some things about me on stage."


    "Is that so? That''s great."


    You could tell from her tone that Kiryu Hina was in a very good mood.


    When you''re on the phone and only able to hear a voice, you tend to be very sensitive to emotional changes on the other end, and sometimes it''s even more accurate than face-to-face conversation.


    Actually, Ai Cheng Karen thought that Kiryu Hina would be really angry, even if she didn''t show it outwardly, she''d have some doubts in her heart.


    After all, Kagura Hikaru remembered her first, not Kiryu Hina.


    Ai Cheng Karen clearly remembered how Kiryu Hina dealt with Ayakoji Chiyoko, who wanted to monopolize Kagura Hikaru.


    But now the other party seemed not to be angry; instead, she sounded quite happy.


    This... didn''t quite match with Ai Cheng Karen''s impression of her.


    Though she was curious, she dared not ask directly.


    However, it seemed like Kiryu Hina guessed Ai Cheng Karen''s thoughts and suddenly changed the subject: "Ai Cheng... you like Kagura, don''t you?"


    "Eh?" Ai Cheng Karen was stunned, then frantically waved her hands, "How how how how could that be! President Kiriyu, don''t joke like that!"


    "There''s no need to hide it. In fact, I could tell from the first time we met that you have special feelings for Kagura Hikaru."


    Kiryu Hina said, "Back then, you even thought I was a bully to Kagura, a bad guy¡ªwhich, indeed, was the case. You should have seen your expression at the time, just like a protective mother cow."


    "Cow, cow?"


    "Stubborn, indignant, repressing fear, you were really trying hard," Kiryu Hina said in a more profound tone, "And then, you earned Kagura''s friendship with your sincerity, he came to consider you as a friend."


    "..."


    "Don''t worry, I''m not blaming you." Kiryu Hina said with a complex smile, "Ai Cheng, if Kagura Hikaru ends up choosing you, I don''t know what others would think, but I won''t resent you."


    "President Hina??"


    "At that time, I was still in the dark about Kagura and Kohinata Motoyo''s situation; you could have chosen not to tell me. So, why did you?"


    "Eh...?" Ai Cheng Hualian hesitated, "I just, didn''t want Kagura to be misunderstood, and President Hina seemed really concerned about it... Did I do something wrong?"


    "It''s exactly because you''re a kind person, Ai Cheng Hualian," Kiryu Hina said softly, "Whether it''s me, Kohinata Motoyo, or Ayakoji Chiyoko, we all have our own selfish desires. But as someone who likes Kagura just like us, you were willing to help your rival without expecting anything in return. That''s what makes you so likable."


    "...No." Ai Cheng Hualian shook her head, "President Hina, you misunderstand, I''m not as kind as you think, I just simply have no hope. I do... really like Kagura, but I won''t confess to him."


    "Afraid of rejection?"


    "I feel that Kagura only sees me as a friend, and I don''t want to ruin that relationship."


    "Hmm..." Kiryu Hina mused, then said with a smile, "You''re a year older than me, but unexpectedly clumsy, Senior Ai Cheng."


    "?"


    "But being silly is also adorable, no wonder Kagura is fond of you."


    "I''m not silly...."


    "Silly is a relative term, and it''s not necessarily a bad thing," Kiryu Hina stated, "Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo are ''smarter'' than you, but look where they are now."


    "..."


    "Ai Cheng, keep protecting Kagura, whether it''s as a friend or something else, I don''t want to see him get hurt again."


    "Yes, me too."


    ..............


    At the same time, at the Kagura Family''s house.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was dining at the same table with Kagura Hikaru and his stepmother.


    Kagura Hikaru had only discovered upon returning home that Ayakoji Chiyoko had arrived before him and was laughing and chatting with his stepmother while busying themselves in the kitchen.


    He was then informed that Ayakoji Chiyoko was going to have dinner at his house tonight.


    His stepmother obviously knew about their relationship and was very welcoming of her visit.


    As for Kagura Hikaru''s feelings, they were somewhat delicate.


    He had just come back from Ai Cheng Hualian''s house, and seeing his girlfriend at this time made him feel inexplicably guilty.


    But on second thought, he''d only been hanging out at a classmate''s home, and he hadn''t cheated, so why should he feel guilty!


    After dinner, Kagura Hikaru went back to his room, while Ayakoji Chiyoko stayed behind to help his stepmother with the dishes before heading upstairs.


    Standing at the bottom of the stairs, she didn''t hear a sound. Usually, Kagura Hikaru would be playing games or watching movies or TV series at this time. Why was it so quiet today?


    It was not until Ayakoji Chiyoko went upstairs that she found Kagura Hikaru sitting on the bed with a lake-blue electric guitar, leaning against the wall, thoughtfully and unconsciously playing some improvised segments.


    When he saw her walk in, Kagura Hikaru looked up and asked, "Chiyoko, what kind of person was I before my memory loss? Can you tell me?"


    "Hmm? Why do you suddenly ask that?" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s heart sank, but she kept a smile on her face.


    She closed the room door with her left hand, then climbed onto Kagura Hikaru''s bed and sat next to him.


    Gazing up thoughtfully, Kagura Hikaru said, "I just find it incredible. In just three short years, I''ve mastered the electric guitar, improved my gaming skills, and even started to recognize foreign languages that I couldn''t understand before... Did I really do all that?"


    "Your abilities are not limited to those," Ayakoji Chiyoko said softly, "You understand performance art, have been onstage, and can create. You helped me write my speech when I ran for the Student Council, and last year you were victorious at the national Sword Dao competition... You''ve always been a person of outstanding talent; I doubt I could ever catch up to you in my lifetime."


    "That''s an exaggeration."


    "Not at all."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko slowly wrapped her arm around him. Her arm, warm like a snake, hooked around his neck, and she whispered in his ear, breathing fragrantly, "Hey, where have you been today? Can you tell me? Don''t hide it from me, okay?"


    "...Yes."

 Chapter 296 Kohinata Motoyos Turn

    The next day at noon.


    Kohinata Motoyo appeared at the Kagura family''s door right during lunchtime, just as Kagura Hikaru had finished eating and was coming to open the door.


    "Hey, Kagura, good afternoon," said Kohinata Motoyo with a smile, waving her hand as she stood there in her white long-sleeved school uniform.


    With the arrival of autumn, the weather had gradually started to cool down, and many people had already given up their short-sleeved shirts for something warmer.


    It seemed Kohinata Motoyo was no exception.


    But why was she here?


    "What brings you here?" asked Kagura Hikaru curiously. "Did school get out early?"


    "Something like that."


    "Oh... well, come on in anyway."


    "No need, I''ve come to take you out," Kohinata Motoyo said with her hands clasped in front of her and a slight tilt of her head, smiling. "Once you''re ready, we can go. The car is already waiting."


    "Huh?"


    Kagura Hikaru paused, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu washing over him.


    First, it had been Kiryu Hina, then Ai Cheng Hua Lian, and now Kohinata Motoyo.


    Did they have some kind of rotation system where today was her turn to take him out for a stroll?


    In truth, Kagura Hikaru was more of a homebody. He might have declined an invitation from anyone else after being out several days in a row.


    But given his relationship with Kohinata Motoyo, he couldn''t possibly refuse.


    "Give me five minutes to get ready."


    "Sure, I''ll wait for you."


    After changing and getting ready upstairs, Kagura Hikaru informed his stepmother and left the house.


    Kohinata Motoyo was waiting outside; after he emerged, she led him to the street, where Kagura Hikaru couldn''t see the car she had mentioned.


    "They don''t allow parking here," said Kohinata Motoyo, as if she knew what he was thinking, with a smile. "The driver parked in front of the large convenience store up ahead."


    Kagura Hikaru was cluelessly led by her to their destination. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    He did know the large convenience store, as it had been open nearby for a long time, and his family would go there to find things they couldn''t get at the supermarket.


    However, as they approached the entrance, he felt a vague sense of familiarity, as if he had been there before.


    "Does it feel familiar?" Kohinata Motoyo looked back at him and pointed to the ground nearby. "Your accident happened right around here; we were standing right here at that time."


    "Is that so?"


    Kagura Hikaru looked around the area.


    Though no memories flashed in his mind, his head started to hurt reflexively, like being pricked by needles, which subconsciously made him believe Kohinata Motoyo''s words.


    "Back then, you and Ayakoji Chiyoko were standing at the entrance when a car came speeding towards you," said Kohinata Motoyo with a complex expression. "Classmate Ayakoji didn''t manage to dodge in time, and you saved her by pushing her out of the way, but you ended up like this."


    "So it was a heroic rescue. I must have been pretty cool back then," said Kagura Hikaru, rubbing his chin and deliberately speaking in a lighthearted tone.


    "...Yes, you were quite cool," Kohinata Motoyo replied, letting a smile return to her face as she took hold of his arm.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her hand in surprise.


    In his limited memory, he had never seen Kohinata Motoyo make such an intimate gesture with anyone else.


    Kohinata Motoyo had more traditional views; she wouldn''t even hold hands with her female friends and maintained a certain social distance from everyone.


    Had the sun risen from the west today?


    "What''s wrong? Let''s keep walking," said Kohinata Motoyo, now looking at him strangely and giving his hand a gentle tug.


    "Oh, right..."


    Kagura Hikaru, still puzzled, let her lead him towards the large convenience store.


    Parked outside in the open-air parking lot was a black Bentley, conspicuously standing out, and they entered the car and took their seats in the back. The vehicle soon started moving, leaving the convenience store behind.


    "Speaking of which, I haven''t asked yet. Where are we going?" Kagura Hikaru asked, turning his gaze away from the window to look curiously at Kohinata Motoyo.


    She smiled at Kagura Hikaru, "Today, I want to take you to Bunkyo Public Middle School."


    "Bunkyo Middle School? Isn''t that..."


    "Yes, it''s the junior high we attended¡ªwell, it might be present tense for you."


    "Why do we need to go there?"


    "To see if it can trigger some memories for you."


    "The day before yesterday, Classmate Kiriyu took me to Yoshou Elementary School, but it didn''t work very well."


    "It''s just something to try. Don''t you want to recover your memories?"


    Kagura Hikaru was silent for a while, "Of course I do."


    That was, of course, true.


    There are few patients who don''t want to cure their ailments.


    But strangely, he felt that if it happened, Ayakoji Chiyoko might not be very happy.


    Taking a ride, the two of them quickly arrived at the entrance of Bunkyo Public Middle School.


    It was a prestigious school that, despite being public, wasn''t much inferior to Yuqiu High School.


    And at the entrance, there was a security guard on watch, giving off a ''no strangers allowed'' vibe.


    Bunkyo Middle School was not open to the public either; in fact, no school is open to the public during school hours, so they had to figure out a way to get in on their own.


    However, Kohinata Motoyo seemed to have come prepared, and her method of entering the school was much more civilized than Kiryu Hina''s.


    She took a bunch of flowers from the car and then made a phone call.


    After a while, an older female teacher hurried over and spoke with the security guard, allowing them both into the school.


    "Teacher Miura, long time no see." Kohinata Motoyo smiled, handing the flowers to her, "It''s been what, two years?"


    "Why did you even bring flowers, you''re too kind," Teacher Miura exclaimed with surprised delight, and then with a smile said, "Indeed, it''s been a long time. Have you returned to the country now, Kohinata student?"


    "Yes, I''ve come back home to study."


    "That''s good, life overseas must have been difficult, right?"


    "Indeed, there were many things I was not used to."


    Teacher Miura turned to Kagura Hikaru and smiled, "This must be Classmate Kagura, I remember you."


    "Long time no see, Teacher Miura."


    Kagura Hikaru responded with a smile.


    This person was their homeroom teacher during junior high, from the first year all the way to the second, and perhaps she was still their teacher in the third year.


    He didn''t expect Kohinata Motoyo to have this connection.


    The teacher must have thought they were graduates visiting their old teacher. When they were still in school, they occasionally saw alumni who visited the school with this intent. He hadn''t anticipated that today they would become one of them.


    Teacher Miura warmly led them to the office.


    The teaching building and the corridors were just as they were back then, unchanged, and both of them felt nostalgic.


    Teacher Miura brought out the graduation album, intending to help them recall the past.


    But it was only Kohinata Motoyo who looked at it, as Kagura Hikaru carefully averted his gaze. He didn''t want to faint in front of his teacher.


    Last time, after seeing a grade school graduation photo that Kiryu Hina had given him, he had fainted on the spot. Now with an outsider present, it was better not to try, just in case it actually happened¡ªit wouldn''t be easy to explain.


    But it seemed his past memories were not willing to let him off so easily.


    Upon learning that Kohinata Motoyo and Kagura Hikaru were now studying at Haneoka Private High School, Teacher Miura naturally mentioned a former student: "I remember that Kiriyu student also went to that school, didn''t she? Are you still in touch with her?"


    "...Yes," said Kohinata Motoyo with a smile, subtly checking Kagura Hikaru''s expression. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see," sighed Teacher Miura. "I never would have thought that the two of you, who were first and second in your graduating class, would end up at Ugao High. Although it''s a good school too, I always felt like the study environment there was a bit too relaxed."


    Kohinata Motoyo went along with a smile.


    But there was no smile on Kagura Hikaru''s face: "Teacher Miura, when you speak of Kiriyu student, could it be Kiryu Hina? You know her?"


    "Of course I know her," Teacher Miura replied somewhat puzzled, "I remember, the three of you used to be quite close, didn''t you?"


    His head began to spin.

 Chapter 297 The Secret is Revealed

    ```


    It was as if a shock grenade had detonated at the center of his skull.


    For a moment, it seemed as though his brain matter itself was trembling.


    This was probably an illusion, but Kagura Hikaru truly felt waves of dizziness assault him like a tsunami.


    He stood there, losing consciousness for perhaps a fraction of a second, then quickly recovered as if he had taken a power nap at the height of exhaustion and instantly awoke, his body shock, followed by an uncontrollable numbness that spread throughout his entire body, making it impossible for him to stand steadily.


    What had he just heard?


    Kiryu Hina?


    To learn this name from Teacher Miura, his middle school homeroom teacher, could only mean one thing¡ªKiryu Hina had also attended this school, and she was one of Teacher Miura''s students, just like Kagura Hikaru and the others.


    From the way the teacher spoke of her, Kiryu Hina was clearly a student from their same year!


    But that, that was impossible.


    Teacher Miura, as the Japanese language teacher, was responsible only for the students in their particular year. If Kiryu Hina were also her student, and her grades were comparable to Ayakoji Chiyoko''s, then he would certainly have known of such a person during middle school.


    Yet the reality was the opposite.


    In his memory, the only person with grades close to Kohinata Motoyo was Ayakoji Chiyoko; he had never heard of the name ''Kiryu Hina.''


    Memory and reality were in conflict.


    The more he thought about it, the greater the fear he felt.


    Because Kagura Hikaru knew what this meant, and it was something he couldn''t possibly be unaware of.


    So far, the only person who had pointed out errors in his memory was Kiryu Hina herself.


    Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Kohinata Motoyo had intentionally avoided discussing it.


    After Kagura Hikaru''s last fainting episode, Kiryu Hina had them change their approach, believing that overstimulating Kagura Hikaru''s brain might not be beneficial. The external injury to his head hadn''t even fully healed, and it had been very fortunate that his last faint didn''t affect the wound.


    Therefore, neither Ai Cheng Hua Lian nor Kohinata Motoyo mentioned Kiryu Hina when they were with Kagura Hikaru. After all, this wasn''t the only way to help him regain his memory.


    Unexpectedly, the taboo was broken right here with Teacher Miura.


    ...No, was it really unexpected?


    The one who caught the staggering Kagura Hikaru was Kohinata Motoyo, her lips curved in a slight smile as she embraced him, using her body for support.


    "Are you alright?" Kohinata Motoyo asked softly.


    Unlike the last time, Kagura Hikaru didn''t faint; he just had a severe headache and swayed his head groggily, "I''m not, not fine...."


    Seeing Kagura Hikaru in pain, worry filled Kohinata Motoyo''s eyes, which also held a hint of determined resolve.


    Ever since his last faint, Kiryu Hina had been terrified and specifically asked them not to bring up her matter in front of Kagura Hikaru, lest it lead to another accident.


    However, after consulting with her family''s doctor, Kohinata Motoyo had a different opinion.


    The doctor agreed with her that Kagura Hikaru didn''t need to be shielded from the truth; instead, he needed more stimulation of the cerebral cortex, allowing the brain to become accustomed to such shocks and gradually adapt, in order to uncover the deeply buried memories.


    This, she believed, was the way to help Kagura Hikaru recover his memory quickly.


    Kiryu Hina''s approach was like an old person maintaining health; the threat of Ayakoji Chiyoko was imminent, and there was no time for such caution.


    "What''s happening to him...?"


    Kohinata Motoyo looked toward Teacher Miura, who had stood up from her chair in surprise, and said with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Teacher Miura, Kagura might be feeling unwell. We''ll go outside for some fresh air."


    "Okay, okay, do you need me to take you to the infirmary?"


    "That probably won''t be necessary. If we decide to see the school nurse, I remember where to go."


    "Alright."


    "Wait."


    Kohinata Motoyo intended to take Kagura Hikaru outside, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned back to look at the teacher and asked, "Teacher Miura, do you know Ayakoji Chiyoko?"


    ```


    "What?" Teacher Miura showed a baffled expression and took a few seconds to reply, "Sorry, I don''t seem to have heard of her. Is she a student at Bunkyo Middle School?"


    "...It''s nothing."


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression darkened as he turned his head and walked out of the teacher''s office with uneven steps.


    As the two of them walked down the stairs and passed by the communal sink in the first-floor corridor, Kagura Hikaru asked her to stop for a moment and splashed his face with some cold water.


    The chilly sensation spread across his cheeks.


    After rinsing his face, he rested his hands on the edge of the sink and hung his head in silence.


    Kohinata Motoyo stood by his side, equally silent.


    "...Why aren''t you saying anything." It was a long while before Kagura Hikaru finally spoke, his head still lowered.


    Kohinata Motoyo cracked a wry smile, "What do you want me to say?"


    "Stop playing dumb!" Kagura Hikaru slammed his fist down on the edge of the porcelain basin.


    But he quickly realized his tone was too harsh and softened his voice, "...Motoyo, I need to seriously ask you a question."


    "Hmm."


    "Is my memory wrong?"


    "Hmm."


    "Chiyoko, she never attended school here?"


    "Hmm."


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    Kagura Hikaru clenched his fists, his forehead breaking into a sweat.


    His current state of mind was as if someone had just informed him that Godzilla really existed and might emerge from the sea at any moment. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In his memories of middle school life, Ayakoji Chiyoko unquestionably played a large part.


    She had been in the same class as him in the second year, had joined the drama club with him and Motoyo, and this year, Kagura Hikaru had confessed to her, making them a couple.


    Everything seemed so perfect.


    Yet now, he was being told that all of that was false, a deception.


    But that made no sense.


    If Ayakoji Chiyoko never attended Bunkyo Public Middle School, then who was the one who had been with him, to whom he had mustered up the courage to confess his love?


    The more he tried to recall the details, the more severe his headache became. His hands trembled uncontrollably as he took out a painkiller from his pocket, swallowed it, closed his eyes, and waited a few seconds, slowly feeling the dizziness subside.


    He couldn''t even be sure if ''Ayakoji Chiyoko'' ever existed.


    The seed of doubt that Kiryu Hina had planted in him that day had finally begun to take root and sprout.


    "Let''s go outside."


    Kohinata Motoyo suddenly said.


    She smiled, grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s hand, and, while he was still dazed, led him outside.


    They exited the academic building and turned left toward the side near the sports ground.


    Bunkyo Public Middle School had a signature plant, a large cherry blossom tree.


    When spring came, the students of Bunkyo Middle School liked to gather under the tree to enjoy the cherry blossoms.


    The blossoming season had already passed, leaving the branches bare and giving the place a desolate, somber air, but the trunk was so thick that four people could not encircle it, and that alone was impressive.


    For Kohinata Motoyo, this place held a special significance.


    Because it was here that she had confessed her feelings to Kagura Hikaru.

 Chapter 298 Confession Under the Cherry Blossom Tree

    The national flower of the Island Nation is the chrysanthemum, which is also the royal family''s insignia, representing the Island Nation people''s pursuit of beauty.


    Even that famous anthropological study of the Island Nation written by Americans¡ª "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" ¡ªuses the chrysanthemum as a symbol for the Island Nation.


    But the flower most recognized by the populace is actually the cherry blossom.


    The cherry blossom represents dreams, romance, hope.


    And, love.


    Among students, there is a tradition related to cherry blossoms, which could also be described as metaphysical.


    ¡ªThe success rate of confessing love under a cherry blossom tree increases.


    Although everyone knew it was false, simply changing locations wouldn''t make you more likeable in the eyes of the boy or girl you liked, but at least the blooming cherry trees are quite beautiful, aren''t they? Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although in the Island Nation, there is also another notion about cherry blossoms¡ªthat the reason cherry blossoms are so splendid is that corpses are buried under the cherry trees, and the more bodies buried, the more radiant the blossoms when they bloom.


    This is a bizarre rumor that had spread widely before the society entered modernization.


    It can also be termed a folk legend.


    Ordinarily, average individuals would keep their distance from such rumors, even if they didn''t believe in them.


    But Island Nation students formed the tradition of confessing under cherry trees despite knowing the connection between the cherry trees and corpses.


    In a perplexing way, they linked love and death together.


    Does this corroborate the inherent pessimism in their lives? Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Those young people realized it.


    If marriage is seen as entering a tomb, then confessing love is akin to a dying person buying their own tombstone.


    Historically, cases of lovers maintaining their relationships until the end are rare.


    Many begin to dislike each other midway.


    Couples who get past the stage of distaste don''t become more loving but merely maintain the status quo.


    And for the majority that don''t make it past, the ending is predictable.


    Therefore, love is something short-sighted, nobody can maintain it for long, such emotions are exhausted within about ten years or so. The reasons to continue being together afterward are no longer out of romance.


    Yes, Kagura Hikaru belonged to those who didn''t believe in ''eternal love'', but his hidden perfectionism made him seek out things that lasted.


    Moreover, he firmly believed that he was not a lucky person, that fairy tale stories of growing old together would not happen to him.


    Love is fragile, utterly incompatible with him.


    Even before his rebirth, Kagura Hikaru harbored this belief¡ªsince they were bound to part eventually, why bother being together from the start?


    Frankly, he used to be a believer in ''rejecting romance'', a faithful advocate of singlehood.


    Love? Women? He needed none of those.


    In a consumerism-driven society, these fell below money, which could buy far more happiness than the former two.


    Moreover, matters of love inherently split joy and pain equally, with a very high likelihood of gaining painful memories, a typical case of low return, high risk.


    However, when he was reborn, obtained the mind-reading ability, and possessed the capability to create wealth at will, Kagura Hikaru realized that his longing for wealth was probably more a reaction to environmental crises.


    Yet, the Golden Finger that came with his rebirth erased such concerns, ensuring he would have endless ways to generate income in the future.


    Once material needs were fulfilled, human instinct naturally progresses to the next stage, spiritual needs.


    The person who broke his declaration of singleness was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    They met during elementary school, dated through middle school, and have been deeply in love to date.


    Even though he lost three years of memories due to a car accident, his girlfriend''s attitude alone was enough to show that their feelings for one another hadn''t weakened at all in those three years.


    It was absolutely the ideal outcome.


    Perhaps it was his excessive exuberance that made him forget the fact that under the cherry trees symbolizing love, corpses were also buried.


    Behind the beautiful things, there are even more unpleasant things, and people always fail to see this, don''t learn from their mistakes, and remain blindly optimistic.


    That''s why so many people fall on this path, unwillingly singing ''Marriage is a grave, love is a cage'' to warn others.


    Kagura Hikaru looked up at the cherry blossom tree in front of him, pressing his hand against its rough trunk, silently.


    "Kagura," Kohinata Motoyo approached him, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to keep it from you."


    ".....There''s no need to apologize, it''s not your fault," Kagura Hikaru sighed, "Chiyoko, she... isn''t my girlfriend, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Then who is my girlfriend, Kiryu Hina? Or does she not exist at all?"


    Kohinata Motoyo offered a slight smile, "You could trust her a bit more, I mean Hina. Your impression of Ayakoji Chiyoko in your memory, it''s mostly her."


    The more Kohinata Motoyo spoke, the more Kagura Hikaru''s head hurt, and he was nearly overwhelmed by the pain and the dizziness that came with it.


    Fortunately, his hand was still on the tree; otherwise, he might have fallen over right then.


    However, compared to last time when he fainted at Yoshou Elementary School, there had been a significant improvement.


    Kagura Hikaru took a moment to recover, and Kohinata Motoyo remained timely silent, giving him space to think.


    She said that her memory of Chiyoko was mostly Kiryu Hina?


    This meant that when Kiryu Hina first came to his house, what she said wasn''t a lie, the liar was Chiyoko then.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t doubt Kohinata Motoyo''s words as he believed she wouldn''t lie, nor did she have a reason to lie.


    "Suse...." Kagura Hikaru wanted to ask more questions.


    But Kohinata Motoyo, as if guessing what he would say, smiled and raised her hands, waving them in front of her chest and said, "We have talked enough for today. If we continue, you''ll run out of painkillers, and eating so many pills in one day isn''t good for your health."


    ".....Alright." Kagura Hikaru reluctantly agreed, "Just one last question, Chiyoko, what exactly was her relationship with me before I lost my memory?"


    "Ex-girlfriend... maybe that''s the best description."


    "Maybe?"


    "There are many complicated details, perhaps it''s better to let Hina explain it to you personally after some time, telling you now would only confuse you more."


    "It sounds like you''re shirking responsibility, but since you said it, it must be true."


    Kagura Hikaru shook his head, wiped his sweat with his sleeve, and struggled to keep his eyes wide open to stay awake, "Let''s go back, I want to go home and rest."


    "Don''t you want to walk around a bit more?"


    "No, I''m exhausted."


    "Wait a second." Kohinata Motoyo grabbed Kagura Hikaru as he turned to leave, and when he looked back in confusion, she smiled and pointed upwards towards the cherry blossom tree, "I have something else I want to try, to see if it can awaken your memory."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I once said something very important to you under this cherry blossom tree, do you remember?"


    Kagura Hikaru looked puzzled.


    "I thought so." Kohinata Motoyo sighed with a smile, "I''m going to recreate the scene now, focus your mind."


    "Ah... okay?"


    Kohinata Motoyo took a deep breath.


    It was autumn now, and the cherry blossoms had all fallen, yet, for some reason, Kagura Hikaru could faintly see cherry blossoms raining down.


    A sudden, immense fear engulfed him from nowhere.


    The girl opened her eyes, looked up at him.


    Just like that bright afternoon three years ago.


    "I like you, Kagura Hikaru, please be with me."

 Chapter 299 The Student Councils Big Trouble

    At the same time, at Haneoka Private High School, Student Council.


    It was currently lunch break. Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    However, Ayakoji Chiyoko was not resting, or rather, she couldn''t rest.


    She and the Student Council members hadn''t even eaten lunch, all gathered around the council''s office desk discussing a solution.


    An unforeseen, enormous problem had fallen upon them.


    "What can we do, the items are most likely irretrievable!"


    "We''re going to be scolded terribly..."


    "It''s more than just scolding."


    "Damn it, why did such a mistake occur! Who''s going to take the blame for this?"


    "How should I know!"


    Under Ayakoji Chiyoko''s leadership, the Student Council, known for its calm approach to difficulties, was now completely in disarray.


    Even Ayakoji Chiyoko herself could only sit at the table, fists clenched, her head slightly lowered in silence.


    They had unintentionally caused a big problem.


    The cause was as follows.


    Since the last successful cultural exchange with Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy, Sakata Asahi, representing the Moon Forest Student Council, had naturally extended an invitation for a second exchange, this time by sending a delegation from Tsukinomori to Ugao High.


    The friendly exchange between students of both schools was a good thing no matter how one looked at it.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko even specially entrusted the school''s Drama Club to prepare a theatrical performance as a welcome for the guests from Tsukinomori.


    In response, the ladies from Tsukinomori decided to bring over some of their club''s paintings, sculptures, and creative crafts to hold a small exhibition at Ugao High.


    The Yuqiu Student Council promised to take care of the transportation, dispatching a school utility truck to help them transport the exhibit items.


    That''s when things went wrong.


    According to the school worker who was responsible for driving that day, after the exhibition items were loaded and the vehicle had departed, he drove towards Ugao High as usual, but he stopped the vehicle outside a public restroom due to a stomachache and went to use the toilet, continuing to the school after he finished.


    When they got out of the truck to unload, the Discipline Committee members discovered that all the exhibit items inside had vanished without a trace.


    When the truck had left Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy, it was full of exhibition items, but by the time it arrived at Ugao High, they had disappeared.


    The school worker argued his case emphatically, insisting he had not stolen anything. He couldn''t possibly have stolen that much by himself; he just stopped for a bathroom break and the goods disappeared as if by magic.


    Upon hearing about the incident, the inquiries from Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy were very embarrassing for Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    The missing student works were outstanding pieces from various Tsukinomori cultural clubs, with most being keepsakes left by past graduates. They held high sentimental value for Tsukinomori, but due to Ugao High''s fault, the entire exhibition had gone missing, a responsibility the Student Council couldn''t escape.


    Now, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s Yuqiu Student Council faced a serious diplomatic issue, and the fatal part was that they were in the wrong.


    For years, Ugao High had maintained a good relationship with nearby Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy. Last time, when Ugao High ran short of sports equipment for the sports festival, Tsukinomori even helped them out, but Ugao High ''bit the hand that fed them.'' Relations between the two schools had reached a freezing point at this stage.


    Even if they were to reconcile later, the second exchange was definitely off.


    Simply put, they had caused a disaster.


    And undoubtedly, it was the biggest disaster Ayakoji Chiyoko had caused since becoming Student Council President.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed, stepped out of the office, and made a phone call to Sakata Asahi.


    The phone was quickly answered.


    "Hello, Asahi."


    "What''s going on, Ayakoji Student Council President."


    "...How are things on your end?"


    "Everyone''s complaining to me, I don''t have a moment of peace, what about you?"


    Sakata Asahi''s tone wasn''t good, and Ayakoji Chiyoko could understand. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If the same thing happened to her, she wouldn''t be in a good mood either.


    This recent issue at Uka had offended the majority of the literary and artistic clubs at Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy. As one of the ''culprits'' who proposed the second exchange meeting with Ugao High, Sakata Asahi was also not in a good situation, bearing a lot of pressure in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s stead.


    Apologetically, Ayakoji Chiyoko said, "I will try my best to retrieve the items."


    "That would be best."


    After that, Sakata Asahi hung up on her.


    If it were any other time, Ayakoji Chiyoko would have found her rude, but now she could only helplessly shake her head.


    After school, she went with a Discipline Committee member again to talk to the staff member who was driving that time, hoping to find some clues, but the guy had an attitude like a dead pig not afraid of boiling water, very negative, making Ayakoji Chiyoko very frustrated.


    In the end, they still came up empty-handed.


    Moreover, somebody had leaked this issue to the school forum.


    There were already rumors disadvantageous to Ayakoji Chiyoko circulating on the forum, and with the Student Council losing the exhibition items of the Tsukinomori clubs, bad reviews about Ayakoji Chiyoko kept increasing among Haneoka students.


    This matter also troubled her deeply.


    One trouble followed another, making Ayakoji Chiyoko feel like she was probably being targeted, and she had a feeling it was not just an illusion.


    Leaving school and checking the time, Ayakoji Chiyoko quickly walked towards the train station and soon arrived at the Kagura''s house.


    She had been visiting Kagura Hikaru''s house almost every day recently, even having dinner there, almost as if she were living there.


    "Oh my, Chiyoko-chan, welcome."


    "Good afternoon, auntie, sorry to disturb you."


    Kagura Hikaru''s stepmother warmly welcomed her in as usual.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko made her way upstairs with practiced ease.


    As expected, Kagura Hikaru was in his room, reading a book in his chair.


    Seeing him, a smile quickly spread across Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face as she walked over and pressed down on his shoulders from behind, "Kagura, what are you reading?"


    Seemingly startled, Kagura Hikaru''s shoulders shook and he cautiously turned around, "It''s you, Chiyoko..."


    "What''s with that expression?" Ayakoji Chiyoko hugged him, then suddenly froze, leaned in close to his clothes, and sniffed, "Wait, this smell..."


    Her eyes suddenly became cat-like, the eyes of a predator.


    "Did you meet with Kohinata Suse today?"


    "Huh? How do you know¡ª" Kagura Hikaru''s eyes widened in shock, but then stopped as he realized he might have let something slip.


    "Why? I told you she and Kiryu Hina are together, they''re scammers, absolutely not trustworthy!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko moved in front of Kagura Hikaru and grabbed his shoulders firmly, "She didn''t tell you something strange, did she? Don''t believe her, it''s all fake."


    "Chiyoko...."


    Kagura Hikaru''s face showed hesitation, "We went to Bunkyo Middle School today, where I used to study, and she... indeed told me some unusual things."

 Chapter 300 Are you trying to sleep with me?!

    The atmosphere around the dinner table was extremely oppressive.


    Kagura Hikaru''s stepmother glanced to the left and then to the right, silently eating her meal without daring to speak.


    She could feel that Kagura Hikaru seemed to have had a small lover''s quarrel with Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    The situation was indeed as she had thought.


    Earlier upstairs, Ayakoji Chiyoko had wanted to press Kagura Hikaru to reveal the content of his conversation with Kohinata Motoyo, but he adamantly refused to open his mouth.


    Since Kagura Hikaru''s memory loss, this was the first time Ayakoji Chiyoko experienced being rejected by him, which led to her sulking, and now they were in a cold war.


    Unlike Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had a scowl on her face, Kagura Hikaru was not thinking only about her at this time or, to be precise, not just about her.


    Under the cherry tree at Bunkyo Public Middle School, Suse had told him the truth.


    His memories were disordered, and the memories regarding Chiyoko were, in fact, those of Kiryu Hina. In other words, Kiryu Hina was his girlfriend, not Chiyoko.


    Kagura Hikaru still couldn''t accept this explanation.


    He couldn''t imagine a scenario where Chiyoko wasn''t his girlfriend and he couldn''t harbor such feelings for Kiryu Hina either.


    Yet, he also knew Suse would not lie to him.


    But after Suse''s confession, this certainty had also started to become uncertain.


    Suse''s plan was so-called "scene reenactment."


    That is, to recreate a scene from Kagura Hikaru''s memory that had left a deep impression on him to stimulate his memory and see if he could recall anything.


    And indeed, Kagura Hikaru did remember something.


    He remembered Kohinata Motoyo threatening him with Chiyoko''s compromising photos to force him into a relationship.


    This caused Suse''s credibility in his eyes to plummet.


    Perhaps she had ulterior motives in telling him all this?


    Kagura Hikaru''s memories of the event were limited, but his wariness of Suse lingered, preventing him from easily trusting her words.


    Consequently, he also began to doubt Teacher Miura.


    If the two of them had previously conspired to deceive him, what would he do if he had wronged Chiyoko? S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t shake off this worry while simultaneously he couldn''t completely discard the suspicion that Chiyoko wasn''t his girlfriend.


    He was caught in persistent confusion and indecision, his thoughts jumping back and forth between the two possibilities.


    What was the truth, and what was false? At this stage, Kagura Hikaru couldn''t find any evidence to confirm either.


    The quickest way would likely be to find an absolutely trustworthy informant to verify the truth once again.


    His stepmother was out of the question; she clearly had no clue about his emotional state.


    Kohinata Motoyo, as previously mentioned, had dubious credibility.


    Kiryu Hina, she was a party directly involved.


    That left only one choice, Ai Cheng Hua Lian¡­


    Since she was his friend and seemed to have relations with Kiryu Hina, she should have some understanding of these matters.


    Kagura Hikaru thought to himself that once Chiyoko left, he would go through his phone''s contacts to see if he could find Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s mobile number and give her a call to ask about it.


    "I''m full," he said.


    After finishing his meal, Kagura Hikaru got up, intending to go upstairs.


    "Mister Hikaru, remember to take your medicine!" his stepmother called out from behind him.


    "It''s okay, I''ll get it for him," Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had just finished eating as well, put down her utensils and said.


    The stepmother said apologetically, "Then I''ll leave it in your hands, Chiyoda-chan, the medicine box is over by the bathroom."


    The Kagura family''s washbasin mirror was a design that could be opened, and the medicine box was kept inside it, along with the medicine prescribed by the hospital for Kagura Hikaru.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko took out the medicine box and picked up a bottle of blue pills.


    These were the medications for Kagura Hikaru''s amnesia treatment.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stared at the medicine bottle, then pulled out another bottle from the pocket of her skirt, nearly identical in size and color, containing vitamin tablets.


    Her expression shifted from conflicted to resolute.


    She could feel that she was losing control over Kagura Hikaru, especially today, as the way he looked at her had changed.


    Taking into account the recent onslaught of ''unfortunate incidents'', it was obvious that Kiryu Hina and others were conspiring to create trouble for her¡ªand she was no fool.


    Their objective was clear, there could be only one¡ªto have Kagura Hikaru regain his memory and completely break free from her.


    But it seemed that Kagura Hikaru hadn''t been fully persuaded by them.


    If he had indeed obtained conclusive evidence, he would have confronted her by now, but he hadn''t.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko knew that ever since Kagura Hikaru lost his memory, he had been unable to recall past details, suffering intense headaches whenever he tried, and he couldn''t access any useful information, which was why she had been able to maintain her deception until now.


    Kagura Hikaru''s illness prevented him from correctly recognizing their relationship.


    Therefore, to continue this relationship, the solution was actually quite simple¡ªjust exacerbate Kagura Hikaru''s condition. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    As long as his selective amnesia and paranoia never healed, she could forever be Kagura Hikaru''s girlfriend.


    Originally, she had no intention of resorting to such extreme measures.


    But desperate times called for desperate measures.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko emotionlessly opened Kagura Hikaru''s medicine bottle, dumped all the pills into the toilet, and flushed them away, then replaced them with the similarly colored vitamin tablets in the empty bottle.


    She looked at the medicine bottle and smiled briefly before leaving the bathroom and heading to the kitchen to pour a glass of water. On her way upstairs, she cheerfully said to her stepmother, who was dining at the table, "Aunt, may I stay over tonight?"


    "Eh?" her stepmother paused, "You can... but remember to tell your family, okay?"


    "Sure, thank you, aunt."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko smiled sweetly, nodded obediently, and carried the glass of water and the medicine bottle upstairs.


    Watching her disappear into the stairwell, the stepmother rubbed her arms, feeling a chill in the house.


    Had she forgotten to close a window?


    Upstairs, Kagura Hikaru heard a knock at the door, quickly put down his phone, and went to open the door.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood at the doorway with water and medicine, gesturing to him.


    Kagura Hikaru welcomed her in.


    "I''ve really been a bother to you all this time, making you fetch my medication."


    "Don''t mention it. It''s a small matter." Ayakoji Chiyoko handed him the medicine bottle, watching as Kagura Hikaru took out two pills and swallowed them with water.


    He never chewed his tablets, never tasting them, oblivious to the switch.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko acted as if nothing had happened, placing the medicine bottle on his desk, "From now on, keep the medicine here, then there''s no need to go down to get it."


    "That makes sense."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko: "I told aunt that I''m going to stay over here tonight."


    "Ah? You''re going to sleep here?"


    "Mhm."


    "Err, I mean, you''ll definitely use the guest room, right?"


    Kagura Hikaru was a bit flustered.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at him with cat-like eyes: "I said I''m going to sleep here, ''here.''"


    She held up her index finger upside down, pointing it towards the floor.


    If Kagura Hikaru wasn''t mistaken, she meant...


    "You want to sleep with me?!"

 Chapter 301 As Long As the Raw Rice Can Be Cooked into Mature Rice

    "You can''t sleep with me."


    "Why?"


    "What do you mean, why!"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko cocked her head in a feigned cute gesture, "If you don''t explain it clearly, I won''t understand."


    Damn it, she was definitely mocking him!


    Teeth clenched, Kagura Hikaru said, "Men and women shouldn''t have close contact..."


    "Is that some kind of virgin talk?"


    "... Uh ..."


    Words were like swords, piercing his heart.


    But what was not allowed was not allowed.


    He couldn''t even understand the relationship between them, how could he possibly take a step further with Ayakoji Chiyoko under these circumstances.


    Seeing Kagura Hikaru''s resolute attitude, Ayakoji Chiyoko showed a helpless expression, "But I''ve already told my aunt, I''m staying over tonight." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s why I said you should stay in the guest room downstairs."


    "Do you really not need me to accompany you?"


    "No need!"


    "Alright then."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko shrugged her shoulders, seeming to have given up on the idea.


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression was complex; he looked down at his phone, stood up to pass her, ready to get the remote control, "You watch TV for a while here, I''m going to take a shower¡ª"


    Without warning.


    A pair of hands suddenly struck from behind, coiling around Kagura Hikaru''s neck like a snake, clamping tightly and squeezing his windpipe with a force that was no joke.


    "Chi...yoko...?!"


    The sudden crisis caused Kagura Hikaru to widen his eyes.


    He could feel Ayakoji Chiyoko''s breath on his back, her upper body pressing tightly against him, giving not the slightest sense of intimacy, only a terrifying sense of being crushed by a bear.


    Her arms, firm as iron, choked Kagura Hikaru''s neck; he couldn''t breathe.


    Kagura Hikaru struggled to pry Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hands off, but they wouldn''t budge.


    His face turned red due to the lack of oxygen, and his heartbeat quickened.


    Why? Did she want to kill him?


    Oxygen grew thinner, and the will to survive began to dominate.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t bear it anymore, and he started pounding his elbows against Ayakoji Chiyoko behind him, hitting her ribs but only managing one strike before Ayakoji Chiyoko reacted, using Judo techniques to hook his leg, trip him, and pin him down, continuing to choke him.


    She was silent throughout, and Kagura Hikaru couldn''t even turn his head to see her expression, which only increased his fear.


    What did she want to do?!


    He struggled on the floor, but Ayakoji Chiyoko took the initiative and gained the upper hand.


    Gradually, Kagura Hikaru''s consciousness became blurry.


    Everything went black.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko figured it was about enough, let go of her hands, and Kagura Hikaru''s head thudded onto the floor, clearly unconscious.


    She quickly checked Kagura Hikaru''s pulse. Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire


    ...It was still beating, the timing was just right.


    She sighed, regretting she hadn''t gone home first.


    If she had used the sleeping pills her father kept in the medicine cabinet, things would have gone a lot smoother, and Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t have had to suffer.


    But whatever the case, Ayakoji Chiyoko had to do it.


    It was not out of good intentions, but because of her own personal desires.


    The moment she clamped down on Kagura Hikaru''s neck, Ayakoji Chiyoko realized that she was already blinded by her desires.


    When she struck, she didn''t hesitate at all, surprising even herself.


    It was as if she had become a completely different person.


    If it had been a year ago, she would never have understood how she could commit such evil acts to get a person.


    Perhaps this was what they called "the magic of love," a force that unknowingly changed people''s hearts.


    Unknowingly, she had become obsessed with winning.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, like dragging a corpse, hooked her arms under Kagura Hikaru''s armpits and dragged him onto the bed, stripping off his clothes.


    Kagura Hikaru''s body was not very fleshy.


    Moreover, he had just come out of the hospital not long ago and was quite weak, which is why he was so easily subdued by her.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko calmly stripped off his shirt, pants, and even his underwear without any mercy and threw them onto the floor.


    Now, Kagura Hikaru was completely exposed to her.


    She also took off her own clothes, ready to proceed.


    Once the deed was done, given Kagura Hikaru''s character, he would not shirk his responsibility.


    At this moment, this was the only way she could win Kagura Hikaru''s heart.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko thought herself quite ridiculous.


    If she wanted a boyfriend, there were many excellent options to choose from, yet she inexplicably chose someone who did not like her.


    But unexpectedly, she was quite happy, enjoying herself.


    Whether it was with Kagura Hikaru or competing wit against wit with those rivals.


    But unfortunately, this ''game'' would also end today.


    Having possessed Kagura Hikaru''s body, she could logically bind him to her side.


    Fun fact, compared to girls, boys care more about who they are with for the first time, especially if it''s also the first time for the other person.


    A sensible person like Kagura Hikaru would not ignore the responsibilities he had to bear.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko deeply understood the despicability of her actions.


    She was forcing him, overwhelming Kagura Hikaru with violence, completely disregarding his feelings.


    Even if she successfully tied him down, he would not feel happy.


    But that was fine.


    Kagura Hikaru had also deceived her, and it was only fair for her to deceive him in return.


    The grudge from that fake relationship could finally be settled tonight.


    He would become a canary, locked in the most exquisite cage by her, never to fly out in this lifetime.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko imagined the future and unconsciously revealed an extremely pathological smile, her eyes full of intense possessiveness.


    Beautiful Dream was finally going to come true.


    Victory was just in front, and even she couldn''t help but feel her heart racing.


    Just to be safe, she got up to lock the door, then shed her last piece of clothing and climbed onto the bed.


    Slowly leaning towards Kagura Hikaru''s lips...


    Then her eyelids suddenly became heavy, and an irresistible drowsiness surged over her.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s lowering head bumped into Kagura Hikaru, her lips grazed his cheek, and she slowly fell face down onto him, sinking into deep sleep.


    A petite figure in a red dress appeared on the bed.


    Yawning and sitting haphazardly as if it was the most natural thing for her to have been there all along.


    There''s no need to say who she was.


    Asking where Komori Ai came from... it''s more accurate to say she never left.


    From the time she met Kagura Hikaru in the hospital to now, she actually lived by Kagura Hikaru''s side all along, eating together, playing games and watching movies together, visiting the Ai Cheng Family together, and even sleeping together.


    It was just that Kagura Hikaru himself was completely unaware of it.


    Stretching her little feet, Komori Ai disdainfully kicked Ayakoji Chiyoko''s bare body with some force, pushing her off the bed.


    Then she curled up with the blanket, covered Kagura Hikaru properly, nestled into the corner of her eyes by his side, and hugged Kagura Hikaru''s neck, snoring deeply.


    Without that layer of clothing, tonight''s pillow felt a bit warmer for her.

 Chapter 302 Its a pity, didnt trick them

    "Kagura, there''s a reason why painkillers can''t be purchased without a prescription,"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said seriously, holding Kagura Hikaru''s bottle of painkillers, "They are addictive. Do you understand? This is no joke. I don''t want you to end up in rehab after your illness gets better."


    "I''ve been very careful with them," Kagura Hikaru said quietly, shrinking his neck guiltily.


    In fact, he used four to five pills a day, which was twice the amount the doctor recommended. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    But he certainly wouldn''t admit that.


    Of course, Ayakoji Chiyoko was not deceived.


    The consumption of painkillers was too high; it simply didn''t add up. She even suspected that Kagura Hikaru hadn''t read the doctor''s advice at all, which stated a maximum of two pills per day, yet he was consuming them like running water.


    However, she didn''t intend to puncture her man''s little pride: "Anyway, you can''t keep taking them haphazardly anymore. From now on, I''ll manage your painkillers, and you can only have one pill a day," she said.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko poured a pill from the bottle into Kagura Hikaru''s palm, indicating that it was his allowance for the day.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her in astonishment. "One pill a day?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "One pill a day."


    "Alright then."


    She was doing it for the sake of his health, and the reason couldn''t be more justified, which Kagura Hikaru clearly couldn''t dispute.


    He knew consuming too many painkillers was harmful, but the recent high frequency of recalling past memories caused headaches so severe that it made him feel miserable. As a result, without realizing it, he had consumed a third of the painkillers.


    No wonder it was discovered; the discrepancy was too great.


    Kagura Hikaru scratched his head, pocketed the pill, and asked Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had scolded him and then bowed her head to continue with her homework, "By the way, I found a mark on my neck when I woke up this morning, and I have no idea how it got there."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko looked up briefly then lowered her head again: "You probably pressed on it in your sleep."


    "Is that so...?"


    Kagura Hikaru rubbed his neck doubtfully.


    Since morning, his neck had been very sore. It might really be as Ayakoji Chiyoko suggested, an accidental mark made during his sleep last night.


    It happened occasionally; he would find red marks or bruises on his body without knowing when or how they appeared.


    Kagura Hikaru leaned back, propping his hands on the floor, and looked out the window.


    The window was half open, the curtains not drawn, allowing a view of the gentle sunshine outside.


    A light breeze blew in, bringing a hint of coolness.


    It was indeed a perfect weather.


    "Hey, let''s go out and play," Kagura Hikaru couldn''t resist asking Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    But she pursed her lips, somewhat reluctant, and said, "I haven''t finished my homework yet."


    Today was Saturday.


    No school.


    However, the teachers at Yuqiu High School did not let up because it was the weekend; they had assigned plenty of homework.


    Even for someone as academically excellent as Ayakoji Chiyoko, it would take at least a morning to complete.


    But after looking at Kagura Hikaru, then back at her homework, the latter seemed suddenly unappealing to her.


    She tossed her pen aside: "Forget it, let''s talk about it tomorrow. Let''s go out."


    "Yay~"


    Kagura Hikaru made a funny noise, jumped up to look for his phone, "Wait a minute, I''ll search for some fun places nearby. What about that park? The one we often go to together."


    "Sure,"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko actually didn''t know which park he was talking about, as that was probably a memory he shared with Kiryu Hina, not with her.


    But that didn''t matter. She could adapt as needed when the time came.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko watched Kagura Hikaru''s retreating figure and subconsciously touched the back of her head, feeling a bump that seemed to have formed from nowhere.


    It was somewhat strange, she felt that she had lost a part of her memory about last night.


    She couldn''t remember what she had done the previous evening, only that she had greeted her aunt and then stayed over at the Kagura family''s home.


    She had intended to do something with Kagura Hikaru, but it seemed like the opportunity never came, and she just muddled through the night.


    .....In any case, she had not made any progress, and she planned to look for another opportunity next time.


    Now Kagura Hikaru had started to suspect her, and to achieve a real couple''s ending, perhaps more aggressive measures were necessary.


    Once they were ready, they went downstairs, greeted Kagura Hikaru''s stepmother, and left the house.


    Outside, the sun shone brightly, the sky was blue with white clouds, and the frequent breeze made it feel not too hot¡ªindeed, it was perfect weather for going out and having fun.


    "Let''s go this way." Kagura Hikaru led the way enthusiastically toward the park.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko initially wanted to link arms with him, but missed her chance.


    After they had walked a distance.


    Kiryu Hina, Ai Cheng Karen, and Kohinata Motoyo emerged from around the corner.


    "Shall we follow them?" Kohinata Motoyo said with a squint and a smile.


    It sounded like a question, but to Ai Cheng Karen and Kiryu Hina, it sounded more like a statement.


    "Of course," Kiryu Hina responded.


    Even Ai Cheng Karen nodded seriously.


    The three girls had originally planned to come and find Kagura Hikaru, and it just so happened that they ran into him and Ayakoji Chiyoko heading out.


    Seeing such a scene, they obviously couldn''t just let it go.


    To them, Ayakoji Chiyoko was practically no different from a criminal, and seeing her with Kagura Hikaru, they subconsciously felt she would definitely commit a crime.


    "Today''s weather is so good, they couldn''t possibly be going on a date, could they?" Kohinata Motoyo touched her cheek and said with a sad smile, "It''s quite unreasonable not to invite us. We are all his girlfriends after all~"


    "Huh?" Ai Cheng Karen was taken aback.


    "Stop being sarcastic, let''s quickly catch up, or we''ll lose them."


    Kiryu Hina said irritably and pulled Ai Cheng Karen to hurry after them.


    Kohinata Motoyo shrugged her shoulders and quickly followed them.


    The three girls were not experienced in tracking, and they awkwardly followed far behind Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    Luckily, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko were not paying attention to what was behind them.


    The park they were headed for was not close to the Kagura home; it took them a while to reach it.


    Calling it a park was actually a bit of a misnomer¡ªit was more accurately described as a plaza, as the only landmark was a large fountain.


    People came and went around them.


    "It''s a pity it isn''t Christmas," Kagura Hikaru pointed at the fountain and said, "During Christmas, there would be a light show here, and it''s really beautiful."


    "I know, I''ve seen it," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, looking at the pool.


    "This is where we had our first date," Kagura Hikaru looked at her," Do you remember? You tricked me into thinking this was a wishing well, and I foolishly threw a coin in, getting us both scolded."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko tried to keep her smile natural: "Really? I don''t quite remember that."


    "How can you not remember? It was our first date!"


    "For me, it was several years ago already; it''s normal not to remember, right?"


    Kagura Hikaru''s smile slightly faded.


    As expected, it wasn''t so easy to fool him.

 Chapter 303 Stealing a Man

    Saying that the weather was nice and feeling like going out wasn''t a lie.


    After being discharged from the hospital, he had rarely stepped out of the house, except for those three times when Kiryu Hina, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, and Suse invited him out, spending the rest of his time at home.


    As a hidden homebody, Kagura Hikaru wasn''t unable to cope with this lifestyle, but staying in for too long indeed became a bit depressing, especially since recent events had been quite troublesome, making the desire to find an opportunity to relieve his mood quite natural.


    However, since it wasn''t just him going out, but also bringing Chiyoko along, there was naturally a probing intention.


    The conversation by the fountain just now was all a trap.


    In his memory, the first date with Chiyoko wasn''t here, but in an unremarkable second-hand bookstore where they had spent an afternoon reading.


    Moreover, Chiyoko hadn''t lied to him about throwing coins into the fountain; that was a made-up story.


    Chiyoko didn''t directly answer these questions but used the excuse of ''it''s been too long, I don''t remember clearly,'' leaving Kagura Hikaru with nothing much to say.


    But that didn''t mean that the probe was over.


    He needed to know what the true relationship was between him and Chiyoko, whether she was his girlfriend or something else.


    The identity and purpose of a person very close to him, with whom he interacted daily, suddenly shrouded in a veil of mystery, was a very unsettling feeling.


    It even made Kagura Hikaru doubt his own past life.


    If even the memories with his girlfriend, whom he had been with for so long, were fake, what about the other parts?


    The things he now thought were real might not be so.


    For instance, his suddenly improved gaming skills, his excellent guitar skills, etc.


    Or, for another instance, his parents'' divorce, was it really just because of irreconcilable differences?


    All these became unavoidably uncertain.


    Kagura Hikaru initially wanted to consult Ai Cheng Hua Lian about Chiyoko, as she seemed to be an informant and appeared quite straightforward, but he hadn''t found the chance since last night.


    Chiyoko was always by his side, monitoring everything he did; if he spent too long on his phone, she would peek, leaving no opportunity to make contact, even sending a message was difficult.


    Now, he could only probe by himself.


    Or rather, this was the most appropriate method.


    The things others told him, even if said by his own parents, might not be correct; after all, he needed to figure it out for himself.


    If Chiyoko in his memory wasn''t Chiyoko, then no matter how much she hid it, she would reveal a flaw.


    After much deceit, this behavior itself could become a basis for suspicion, unless she had the thick skin to still interact normally with Kagura Hikaru under such circumstances; otherwise, she would sooner or later start speaking on her own.


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    Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko rested for a while before leaving the fountain square and going nearby to shop.


    This area was on the way home from school; when he was studying at Bunkyo Middle School, he would walk home from here after getting off the tram, and in Kagura Hikaru''s memory, they often walked together after school before splitting up to head home.


    Thus, this place held quite a few notable memories.


    But no matter if Kagura Hikaru pointed to the small stall selling thick fish pies, the gaming center, the KTV, and talked about their experiences there, Ayakoji Chiyoko dismissed all of them with vague responses.


    While some of these stories were fabricated, more of them were real, and Chiyoko''s memory couldn''t possibly be so bad as to forget all of them.


    He racked his brain painfully, frantically recalling material, only to end up with this result.


    This reaction... he might not need to test any further.


    Kagura Hikaru''s expression grew gloomy, and he spoke a bit less.


    On the other hand, Ayakoji Chiyoko, from start to finish, hadn''t changed her smiling face at all, seemingly oblivious to the emotional changes within Kagura Hikaru, everything as usual.


    But this was impossible, she was a very intelligent person, and she couldn''t possibly be unaware of the change in atmosphere.


    It appears that Kagura Hikaru''s initial prediction was completely wrong; she really did have such thick skin...


    But as they walked, Kagura Hikaru suddenly noticed that her complexion had changed.


    Had she finally realized that she had given herself away, and was feeling ashamed?


    It seemed that wasn''t it.


    He followed the direction Ayakoji Chiyoko was looking and saw Kohinata Motoyo, whom they had seen the day before.


    She appeared on the walkway ahead, with Ai Cheng Hua Lian also by her side.


    The two girls seemed not to have noticed them, each holding a sunflower painting and a human head-sized revolver sculpture, laughing and talking as they walked toward them.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes were fixed on the objects they were holding.


    Both the painting and the gun sculpture looked very familiar, like items that would appear on the lost property list submitted by the Moon Forest Student Council.


    ¡ª¡ªThe list had even thoughtfully included a picture of each lost item.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko recognized at once that the items in the hands of Kohinata Motoyo and Ai Cheng Hua Lian were exhibits from Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy that had been lost by the staff at Yuqiu High School.


    The sunflower painting and the revolver sculpture were among the more conspicuous items on the list, unmistakable.


    Why were they holding exhibits from Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy? Could it be that they took the items?


    Sure enough, had they bribed the school staff?


    Ayakoji Chiyoko figured out the connection in an instant.


    She had certainly considered this possibility.


    The school worker responsible for transporting the items had said he stopped for the toilet midway, and when he returned, he found the exhibits had all disappeared.


    It now seemed that the stop mid-trip was made to facilitate Kohinata Motoyo and her group moving the exhibits.


    The reason for doing this was the same as why they messed up the Girls'' Volleyball Club''s room, dumped dye in the swimming pool, had the Discipline Committee search for fifty cats, and disrupted her with constant leaks of related matters on the school forum.


    ¡ª¡ªAll to make trouble for her, giving them a chance to get close to Kagura Hikaru.


    The mastermind behind this no doubt was Kohinata Motoyo, Ai Cheng Hua Lian did not have the guts, and judging by her naive smile, she likely had no idea what was happening and had been tricked into participating.


    Regardless, Ayakoji Chiyoko was genuinely furious at the moment. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Causing trouble for her at school was tolerable, she could handle that, but this time they had crossed the line by targeting the property of Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy.


    Did they not realize this would cause a serious diplomatic issue, damaging the reputation of Yuqiu High School in the process?!


    Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina couldn''t possibly have failed to consider this.


    Committing the deed despite knowing the consequences, this was undoubtedly the worst kind of offense.


    To undermine her authority, these people had resorted to underhanded tactics!


    "Sorry, Kagura, wait here for me," Ayakoji Chiyoko said grimly to Kagura Hikaru, then stormed off towards Kohinata Motoyo and her group.


    She was determined to make them disclose the whereabouts of those missing exhibits!


    But she really didn''t want Kagura Hikaru to know about her blunder, so she left him waiting there.


    However, Ayakoji Chiyoko clearly wouldn''t expect that everything was within someone''s anticipation.


    As she angrily approached Kohinata Motoyo to confront the two, a long-haired girl quietly appeared from behind Kagura Hikaru and gently tapped his arm.


    As a perplexed Kagura Hikaru turned around, his mouth opened in surprise.


    There stood Kiryu Hina.


    She smiled, put her index finger to her lips as a gesture to be quiet, waved at him, and motioned for him to follow her.


    By the time Ayakoji Chiyoko realized and looked back to check, Kagura Hikaru''s figure had already disappeared.

 Chapter 304 Kagura Hikarus Confession

    When Kagura Hikaru saw Kiryu Hina here, he subconsciously froze.


    She was wearing a milk-white dress today, cinched at the waist, which highlighted her quite impressive figure for a high school student. She looked very beautiful.


    Perhaps because the sunlight was particularly strong today, she also wore a big white sunhat on her head, adorned with a blue ribbon, exuding elegance while still maintaining a sense of approachability.


    For a moment, Kagura Hikaru thought he had seen her dressed like this somewhere before, but he couldn''t recall where exactly.


    "Why are you here?" he asked in astonishment.


    "Shh." Kiryu Hina playfully winked with her left eye and put a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to speak more quietly.


    Gazing towards Ayakoji Chiyoko to make sure she was still focused on Kohinata Motoyo and the others, and wouldn''t notice them for a short time, he then relaxed and tugged at Kagura Hikaru''s sleeve.


    "Come with me."


    Kiryu Hina whispered, beckoning him with her hand as she trotted off in her straw-colored sandals.


    Kagura Hikaru glanced back, hesitated for a moment, and then followed.


    They turned the street corner, passed through an alley, and stopped in front of a second-hand bookstore on another street.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at the bookstore and became lost in thought.


    Before he could speak, Kiryu Hina expressed surprise, "Hey, wasn''t it here? Where we had our first date."


    "Eh?" Kagura Hikaru was stunned.


    Realizing her outburst, Kiryu Hina turned and smiled, "Sorry, you probably don''t remember it at all."


    Even if he did, that memory wouldn''t include her.


    At this thought, Kiryu Hina''s expression slightly dimmed.


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her, "Kohinata Motoyo and Ai Cheng Karin, did you call them here?"


    "Yes, I asked them to distract Ayakoji Chiyoko," Kiryu Hina said without any hint of evasion. "If she were here, she definitely wouldn''t give me a chance to talk to you."


    Kagura Hikaru neither agreed nor disagreed and turned his head towards the second-hand bookstore: "Why did you bring me here?"


    "Just by chance," Kiryu Hina observed his expression and tentatively asked, "Shall we, go in and have a look?"


    "Hmm...."


    Kagura Hikaru was the first to walk in.


    The shop was not big, very quiet, with shelves holding many old books, carefully categorized.


    There were all types of books, including literature, popular science, and even light novels could be seen.


    These were all second-hand books.


    Lover of books often browsed places like this, where one might find out-of-print editions no longer available in regular stores.


    However, with the internet being so prevalent now, even rare and hard-to-find titles are not impossible to source online, and there''s no need to sift through a vintage shop.


    This was a place forgotten by time.


    Lagging behind the era.


    Yet walking in such a place somehow seemed to settle one''s mind.


    Kagura Hikaru ran his hand over the age-worn bookcase, pulling out a book.


    It was Camus''s "The Outsider," looking to be about a decade old by now, with its cover turned yellow.


    Kagura Hikaru stood in front of the bookcase, flipping through the book.


    Kiryu Hina came to his side, quietly drawing out Nietzsche''s "The Birth of Tragedy" and read along with him.


    Time passed quietly.


    It wasn''t until his phone in his pocket rang that Kagura Hikaru snapped back to reality.


    He closed the book and took out his phone, no surprise to find it was Ayakoji Chiyoko calling.


    He hesitated on whether or not to answer.


    A fair hand reached over and pressed the button to decline the call.


    Kiryu Hina looked up at him slightly, using Nietzsche''s book to cover the lower half of her face: "If you want to go find her, you could call her back. I won''t stop you."


    "..."


    Kagura Hikaru switched his phone to airplane mode and slid it back into his pocket, then closed the book and returned it to the shelf, and said to Kiryu Hina: "Where to next?"


    A smile slowly blossomed on her face; Kiryu Hina also put away her book and led Kagura Hikaru out of the bookstore.


    A tacit understanding seemed to have developed between them.


    Kagura Hikaru knew that Kiryu Hina was leading him on.


    And Kiryu Hina knew that Kagura Hikaru acknowledged he was being led on.


    It was an incredibly curious atmosphere.


    In theory, Kiryu Hina should almost be a stranger to Kagura Hikaru at this point, yet he abruptly left his ''girlfriend'' to run off with a strange woman.


    What Kagura Hikaru was thinking right now, nobody could guess.


    Not long after, the two of them arrived at a fountain square.


    Indeed, it was the same place Kagura Hikaru had visited with Ayakoji Chiyoko before.


    This place held a special significance for Kagura Hikaru, just like the bookshop did.


    Because this was where he and his girlfriend had their last date.


    That snowy Christmas Eve, the feel of her body when he hugged her from behind, the touch of his hands on her chest, was still vividly felt to this day.


    "Kohinata Motoyo told me," Kiryu Hina said, her hands clasped behind her back, looking at the fountain, "She confessed to you again."


    "Mhm."


    "Didn''t you feel anything?"


    "....." Kagura Hikaru was silent.


    "She likes you that much, and she still doesn''t plan to give up, she even tried to drag me down too, really don''t know what to say about her." Kiryu Hina sighed as she shook her head in disapproval, "Kagura, how do you see her?"


    "She''s just a friend, nothing more."


    "Ha, so heartless, but that''s what I like about you." Kiryu Hina kicked the ground, "Anyway, back to the main point, you probably don''t remember this place, do you?"


    "....."


    "Our first date was in that secondhand bookstore, and the last was here."


    Kiryu Hina looked up into the blue sky, her bewildered eyes lost in memory, "That day we met here to hang out, then I saw you with Kohinata Motoyo...and then, we broke up."


    Kagura Hikaru turned his head and looked at her, "Were you really my girlfriend?"


    "Of course, guaranteed genuine."


    "Then why would you help me?"


    "What?"


    "If, as you said, you caught me cheating with Motoyo and broke up with me, why would you confront Ayakoji Chiyoko on behalf of your ex-boyfriend, what''s in it for you?"


    Kiryu Hina abruptly turned around, seemingly surprised, she opened her mouth then closed it, thought for a moment, and slowly said, "One can''t view human emotions with such a simple notion of trade-offs... Besides, it''s not like there''s no benefit to it."


    "Such as?" Kagura Hikaru asked calmly.


    Kiryu Hina slowly reached out and tugged at his sleeve, cautiously saying, "Such as, improving our relationship?"


    "..." Kagura Hikaru silently looked at her, "That''s not what you really think."


    "...I want to stay by your side, to keep liking you, is that reason good enough?" Kiryu Hina released his sleeve, her face turning red with embarrassment.


    "Now that''s the truth."


    "You...!" Kiryu Hina hit him hard, "Stop speaking in riddles, you''ve regained your memory, haven''t you!"


    Kagura Hikaru, as immovable as a rock, nodded without expression, "I remembered everything back in the bookstore."


    He thought Kiryu Hina would complain, but instead, she suddenly threw her arms around him.


    The arms around his waist tightened gradually.


    "Really... don''t ever make me worry again."


    The warmth of her touch.


    It was exactly like what he had felt on that Christmas night years ago.


    Kagura Hikaru stayed silent as he pushed her away, his hands on Kiryu Hina''s shoulders, he looked into her eyes, ".....Hina, there''s something you need to know."


    Kiryu Hina wiped the corners of her moist eyes, looked up confused, "What is it?"


    "I cheated."


    "I know."


    "It wasn''t under threat, I genuinely fell for Motoyo."


    ".....I know."


    Actually, when Ai Cheng Hua Lian told her about Kagura Hikaru''s infidelity, she had already realized.


    No matter what Kagura Hikaru initially thought, in the end, he actually did fall in love with Kohinata Motoyo.


    Even though they had broken up over Kohinata Motoyo, Kagura Hikaru held no resentment towards her and was still willing to call her ''Motoyo,'' speaking with her as he would with a friend.


    Back then, when she threatened him using that person''s reputation, Kagura Hikaru accepted it all without complaint.


    At that time, Kiryu Hina understood that Kohinata Motoyo had, just like her, secured a place in his heart.


    But betrayal was not his intention, just knowing that was enough for Kiryu Hina''s redemption.


    If it wasn''t for Kohinata Motoyo''s actions, all the subsequent events probably wouldn''t have occurred.


    Kagura Hikaru wouldn''t have fallen for Motoyo, and they would likely still be a couple now.


    But it didn''t matter.


    Let the past pass; what''s important is to seize the present.


    After so many experiences, when Kagura Hikaru had a car accident, Kiryu Hina finally realized, she gave up dwelling on the past, decided to follow her heart''s choices, to live the present without regrets or resentment.


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    And to stop obsessing over a person, a relationship. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As long as this love is real, that''s all that matters.


    "Kagura."


    Kiryu Hina looked at him, a slight smile on her face, though her eyes revealed a bit of nervousness, her hands instinctively grasping Kagura Hikaru''s sleeves.


    She mustered up her courage and whispered:


    "Let''s start over from strangers."

 Chapter 305 Im Willing to Do Anything for You

    Kagura Hikaru had returned home, alone.


    He rang the doorbell.


    He had thought his stepmother would come to open the door, but it was Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    As she pushed open the door and saw herself, her expression darkened for a moment. It was only after she noticed that there was no one else by her side that she revealed a gentle smile, "Where did you run off to? You didn''t answer my calls; I was really worried."


    Such a smile didn''t suit her at all.


    Kagura Hikaru couldn''t help but recall how Ayakoji Chiyoko had looked in the past.


    She was cold, stern, like a soldier or a wild beast, hardly ever seen with a relaxed smile on her face; even if there was a smile, it was a mocking sneer.


    She was a girl whose personality was so rigid that it left one unsure of what to say.


    But in just one short year, she had changed completely, at least in front of him.


    Is this fickle creature what they call a high school girl?


    It really wasn''t funny at all.


    If he hadn''t met her, perhaps... no, that thought was too arrogant.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s change indeed had something to do with him; there was no denying that¡ªyet Kagura Hikaru was not so arrogant as to think that everything she did was for him.


    But then¡ªhe had to deny it again¡ªhe felt he was responsible.


    As the main culprit behind the transformation of the girl before him, Kagura Hikaru indeed felt a sense of guilt.


    He wouldn''t feel that everything was his fault, but, his actions had led to all this.


    Looking back now, in the matter of Ayakoji Chiyoko, he had made too many misjudgments and had been too presumptuous.


    From the beginning, there were better ways to handle it, yet he not only failed to choose those, but he also opted for the solution furthest from the correct one.


    Now, he didn''t want to make that kind of mistake again.


    "It wasn''t convenient at the time," Kagura Hikaru calmly answered Ayakoji Chiyoko''s question.


    "..."


    Realizing something, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s stern gaze shifted, carefully discerning his expression; gradually, her smile faded, and she began to seem a bit embarrassed.


    When she saw the familiar, unshaken, expressionless face of Kagura Hikaru, a fear began to grow within her.


    Kagura Hikaru, who usually had a slight smile on his face after his amnesia, very sunny, was completely different now; his gaze was deep, his face was expressionless, totally unlike how he was when he left the house.


    Has he... regained his memory?


    "Come inside," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, maintaining her smile as she welcomed Kagura Hikaru into the house.


    Kagura Hikaru did not see his stepmother; Ayakoji Chiyoko told him she had gone out to buy groceries and had just left, so she probably wouldn''t be back for a while.


    That meant, for the time being, it was just the two of them at home.


    A good occasion for a talk.


    But the reality was a cold silence.


    Walking into the house, Kagura Hikaru said nothing, quietly changed shoes, neither giving Ayakoji Chiyoko a second glance nor specifically avoiding her gaze.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko, on the other hand, was like a doting newlywed wife, diligently arranging Kagura Hikaru''s shoes he had taken off.


    While arranging the shoes, she casually asked, "Where did you just go?"


    "A bookstore, and also a fountain."


    "The fountain? The one we went to before?"


    "Yes."


    "I wish I had known; I would have waited for you there."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko said with a smile.


    As if nothing had happened.


    Upon standing upright after setting the shoes down, she casually took Kagura Hikaru''s hand, intending to lead him upstairs, subtly pressing her body close to his.


    But Kagura Hikaru didn''t plan to go up, he broke free from Ayakoji Chiyoko''s hand, sat down in the living room, and gestured for her to sit on the sofa opposite him.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was stunned for two seconds and didn''t comply. Instead, she smiled and said, "What if your stepmother comes back and sees us playing here?"


    As she spoke, she walked over and sat on Kagura Hikaru''s lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, looked at him lovingly, and naturally brought her lips closer.


    "Don''t do this," he said.


    Kagura Hikaru held her mouth and then stood up directly; Ayakoji Chiyoko, losing support, fell directly onto the hard wooden floor.


    "Ouch, what are you doing?" she complained, rubbing her behind.


    A chill crept over Kagura Hikaru. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl in front of him, was she acting coquettishly?


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    Did she have any connection with that word?


    Kagura Hikaru almost thought she was a stranger.


    Could love really change a person so thoroughly? It was truly chilling.


    "I also want to ask what you are doing," Kagura Hikaru looked at her, "Why did you lie to me?"


    "Lie to you, about what?"


    "When I lost my memory, saying that you were my girlfriend, that kind of lie."


    "But I really am your girlfriend, I didn''t lie."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up and gently embraced Kagura Hikaru, softly saying, "Don''t listen to what Kiryu Hina and the others say, I am your girlfriend, always have been."


    Her words were gentle and calming, like a whisper.


    It was less about deceiving Kagura Hikaru and more about hypnotizing herself.


    Kagura Hikaru grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away, "I don''t think so, we were already over."


    "I didn''t agree to that," Ayakoji Chiyoko''s tone suddenly became intense, "You said you were dating me for Kiryu Hina and then dumped me unilaterally. That incident is over, but we are not done, this is what you owe me, Kagura Hikaru, you owe me!!"


    She then grabbed Kagura Hikaru''s collar with both hands, her face very close, and her warm breath constantly spraying on his skin.


    In Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes, there was no love anymore, only sheer possessiveness.


    Kagura Hikaru broke free from her hands and said flatly, "Do you like me?"


    "Of course!" Ayakoji Chiyoko''s expression softened, "For you, I would do anything."


    "I don''t think that''s the case."


    "...What?"


    "You just don''t want to admit your own emotional failure."


    Although Kagura Hikaru''s voice was not loud, it was like a depth charge, exploding in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s heart.


    Her muscles suddenly tightened, she trembled slightly, her heartbeat accelerated.


    That reaction, like a lie being exposed, a criminal caught.


    She stared at Kagura Hikaru in shock, instinctively stepping back half a step, "No, what are you saying, I¡ª"


    "Get a grip, then open your eyes and look at me."


    Kagura Hikaru looked seriously at her, "This man in front of you, who deceived your feelings, you did so much for him, but he still has no love for you, and he dumped you as soon as he achieved his goal. Is this the kind of man you like, is your taste that bad, Ayakoji Chiyoko!"


    "..."


    "You just can''t stand it, can''t stand failing, can''t stand being manipulated by Kiryu Hina again, wanting to use me to surpass her."


    "Stop talking!"


    Out of embarrassment, Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face turned red.


    She liked Kagura Hikaru because of Kiryu Hina?


    Even if the earth exploded, she would never admit such an absurd explanation!

 Chapter 307 306 Chapter: The Beautiful Girl Sleeping Beside Me

    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face grew so hot that even she was surprised.


    According to what Kagura Hikaru said, she was clinging to Kagura Hikaru because she couldn''t stand losing to Kiryu Hina, which practically sounded like she truly liked Kiryu Hina.


    How could that be possible!


    Nonsense was not enough to describe it; it was just picking on her, deliberately trying to upset her!


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face turned red with restraint, "I don''t know what you''ve misunderstood, but it''s definitely not like that. Believe me, it''s absolutely not!!"


    "Maybe."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her skeptically.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was so angry she wanted to stomp her foot, "I truly like you; it''s definitely not because of some silly competitive spirit!"


    "Even your tone is becoming childish. Are you embarrassed and angry?"


    "No!!!"


    "Alright, alright, whether it is or not, you should go home for today."


    "I, you...!"


    Kagura Hikaru turned Ayakoji Chiyoko around, and pushing her forward, ignoring her protests, he bizarrely shoved her out the door. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After closing the door, Kagura Hikaru exhaled a breath of relief, finally succeeding in tricking her away.


    The atmosphere just now was too much on the yandere side; it was unsettling. Ayakoji Chiyoko''s emotions were fickle, capable of exploding at any moment.


    He had a feeling, if they had continued on that topic, he might have gotten stabbed.


    So he randomly made up an excuse to crack a joke, sending Ayakoji Chiyoko home first to clear her head.


    A true heart-to-heart should start when she realizes the abnormalities in her behavior. Only then could they have a normal conversation.


    Kagura Hikaru turned around.


    Komori Ai was standing behind him with her hands behind her back, tilting her head with a grin.


    "Komori Ai."


    "Big~bro~ther~"


    "Thanks for yesterday," Kagura Hikaru said as he passed her, his hand brushing over her head.


    He was referring to yesterday afternoon, when Ayakoji Chiyoko had choked him unconscious.


    After his memory recovered, he remembered. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    But that morning Ayakoji Chiyoko had no recollection of it, even thinking the red mark on his neck was a sleep-induced one, Kagura Hikaru then knew, Komori Ai must have handled things after he lost consciousness.


    And now, he could roughly guess the reason he was attacked.


    Indeed, if there was a shortcut in their relationship, that would be one of them, but no sane person would think of trying it out.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko had completely lost her senses.


    Probably the pressure Kiryu Hina and her friends were applying from the outside had cornered her; who knows what happened in that time.


    Shortly after, his stepmother came back from grocery shopping, very pleased to learn about Kagura Hikaru''s memory recovery, and cooked him a big table full of delicious meals.


    The next morning.


    Kagura Hikaru woke up on time, and when he opened his eyes, he suddenly felt a soft, warm presence leaning against his shoulder.


    Thinking it couldn''t be, he pulled back the covers.


    To his surprise, he discovered Komori Ai sleeping right beside him, facing him and snoring, looking irresistibly cute.


    Kagura Hikaru slowly sat up, covering his forehead.


    Waking up early with a beautiful girl by his side, Kagura Hikaru wondered from which harem anime this plotline had sprung.


    Last night, Komori Ai had already shown this tendency. When it was time for sleep, she had swiftly climbed onto the bed, skillfully acting as if she had been living there all this time, which sent shivers down Kagura Hikaru''s spine.


    It took him half the day to get Komori Ai out of his room, yet somehow, she managed to appear under his blanket in the morning.


    This young girl was simply elusive, absolutely incredible.


    After he got out of bed, Komori Ai also groggily got up, clinging to the hem of his clothes. Wherever Kagura Hikaru went, she followed, even attempting to follow him into the bathroom.


    Through observing Komori Ai''s actions, Kagura Hikaru realized that she had been sticking closely by his side all this time. When he brushed his teeth, she brushed hers; when he washed his face, she did the same; when he went to the bathroom, she also...


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t know how it was before, but now they had to be separated.


    While eating, Kagura Hikaru thought back to waking up in the hospital after his amnesia and learning about the fate of the Happiness Cult from the TV.


    The cult had now been destroyed by the police. The leader, Master Tanaka, had died accidentally, impaled by broken window glass in a car accident. Bucktoothed Man, the cult''s second in command, was initially on the run but oddly appeared hanged from a tree in front of the police station the day after the accident.


    The first incident could be explained as an accident, but the latter seemed far from normal.


    Kagura Hikaru didn''t believe that the man would commit suicide out of guilt, especially not in a location easily discovered by the police.


    It had to be someone''s doing.


    And that person could very well be right beside him.


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at Komori Ai, who was sitting next to him, eating demurely.


    She looked as young and innocent as when he first met her, her appearance sweet and naive, but her behavior hinted at something more sinister.


    If Komori Ai had really killed someone, it must have been for his sake.


    Kagura Hikaru reminded himself not to blame her.


    Given Komori Ai''s personality, it was hard for her to hold grudges against others, because she simply didn''t care about the outside world.


    Even though the Happiness Cult had imprisoned her for so long, making her fold origami in that shrine, covering an entire floor with paper cranes, she showed no hatred towards the villains when Kagura Hikaru went to rescue her.


    Besides, the cult members had ways to restrain Komori Ai''s abilities, yet she still managed to gain the upper hand using certain methods.


    Kagura Hikaru guessed that perhaps during the time he was hospitalized after the accident, she controlled a large number of people and, using a sea of operatives, located Bucktoothed Man, then captured him using puppets, and then...


    However, after all, this was just speculation. Kagura Hikaru had not witnessed Komori Ai''s act of murder, nor did he have evidence. He couldn''t prove that she was the killer.


    Kagura Hikaru stopped thinking and gave up on pursuing the matter further.


    The killer deserved to be killed.


    As the second in command of the cult, Bucktoothed Man not only perpetrated tyranny but also bore his own sins, and he deserved his fate.


    Since it was a satisfying ending for everyone, why bother distinguishing so clearly?


    Something else deserved his attention now.


    After waking up in the hospital, Inspector Yamazaki, who was his contact person, had visited him. Although at the time, Kagura Hikaru didn''t remember him, he still shared some follow-up developments.


    At that time, something that now greatly concerned Kagura Hikaru was mentioned. When talking about providing evidence for the crimes of the Happiness Cult, the Shrine Maiden of the cult''s name wasn''t mentioned by Inspector Yamazaki. Not only that, but he also ambiguously skipped over the topic.


    It didn''t seem like a deliberate change of topic because that would seem too abrupt. It was more like being hypnotized into forcibly forgetting the matter, and moreover, the hypnotist had intentionally downplayed their presence.


    That''s right, he was talking about Komori Ai; only she could pull off something like that.


    After entering the police station, Komori Ai had registered with the national authorities. The police recorded her blood type, fingerprint, and even issued her a resident''s certificate, transforming her from an unregistered to a registered citizen of the Island Nation.


    However, after the accident that day, Komori Ai evidently disappeared from society''s view yet again using her abilities, unrestrained and now a true invisible person. Unless she wished it, no one but Kagura Hikaru could see her.


    How, then, should Kagura Hikaru view her?


    Should he simply keep her home like a zashiki-warashi, or...


    After the ordeal with Ayakoji Chiyoko, this would be the second matter to trouble Kagura Hikaru.

 Chapter 307 Caught in the Web of Love

    Kagura Hikaru held a rather special position in his own class.


    On one hand, those he associated with were at the top of the school''s food chain¡ªKiryu Hina, Kohinata Motoyo, Ayakoji Chiyoko, and so on¡ªall had quite significant relationships with him.


    There were many in the class who liked him, naturally, most of them were girls, valuing his appearance.


    However, oddly enough, on the other hand, Kagura Hikaru wasn''t exactly popular.


    When he returned to school after disappearing for several weeks, his return stirred no waves, and not a single classmate showed any concern.


    He left without a sound and came back just as silently.


    Only a handful truly cared.


    He only entered the classroom after saying goodbye to Ai Cheng Hua Lian in the corridor.


    On the way to school, they naturally bumped into each other on the train, where Kagura Hikaru expressed his gratitude to her.


    His memories had returned, clearly with a bit of Ai Cheng Hua Lian''s help.


    In his eyes, this young girl was no longer an angel, she was practically a goddess; every time Kagura Hikaru spoke to her, he had to fight the urge to kneel.


    Well, that''s a bit of an exaggeration.


    At least, he was certain that he owed her a favor.


    Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo also greeted him with a ''welcome back''.


    Upon entering the classroom, they were the first to approach him.


    "You took off your bandage?" Kohinata Motoyo asked, seemingly surprised by her first remark after greeting him, pointing at the top of Kagura Hikaru''s head.


    The white gauze was no longer wrapped around it.


    Kagura Hikaru replied, "I had it removed at the hospital yesterday; it has healed."


    "I see, congratulations."


    "And thank you for taking me to visit Bunkyo Middle School that time."


    "No problem~"


    Kagura Hikaru glanced at Kohinata Motoyo, who smiled and winked at him, as if to prompt him to recall something, perhaps about bones buried under cherry blossoms.


    But she miscalculated. Kagura Hikaru intended to pretend that nothing had happened.


    Then he looked towards Kiryu Hina.


    Compared to Kohinata Motoyo, she appeared much more restrained, standing behind, hesitating as if not knowing how to start or whether to speak at all.


    Kagura Hikaru dispelled this doubt, "Good morning, Hina. Is your mouth sewn shut?"


    He even made a joke.


    But clearly, it had a poor effect.


    Kohinata Motoyo and Kiryu Hina looked at him in astonishment.


    "...Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "You...you''ve never made jokes before." Kohinata Motoyo said with a questioning look, "Are you really Kagura Hikaru?"


    "That''s obviously a misunderstanding; he makes jokes, in private... Okay, maybe not now but he used to," said Kiryu Hina in defense of Kagura Hikaru, but her eyes weren''t right either. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly asked, "Have you forgiven me?"


    "I believe we are even on that matter."


    Kagura Hikaru placed his shoulder bag on the desk and looked at her, "You said it, starting from scratch, from strangers, or have you changed your mind?"


    "Of course not!" Kiryu Hina''s expression brightened with joy.


    Kagura Hikaru hadn''t given her a definite response that day and left; later, there had been no contact, and she thought all hope was lost.


    Unexpectedly.


    "Alright, then let''s start from strangers¡ªbut let''s skip the self-introductions."


    "I agree," Kohinata Motoyo said with a smile, pretending to be serious as she looked at Kiryu Hina and extended her hand with a tilt of her head, "You''re Kagura''s new friend? Hello, I''m Kohinata Motoyo."


    "Yes, I know, sly fox," Kiryu Hina''s expression drooped as she rolled her eyes.


    "I don''t think I should be a fox,"


    "Cheating cat suits you too, hey there, Cheating Cat. Remember to take a bath the next time you come to school; you reek,"


    "Wow, you''re really aggressive,"


    While they were arguing, Kagura Hikaru''s eyes drifted towards the other side of the classroom.


    From the classroom''s front door, a familiar girl walked in, Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    It might have been Kagura Hikaru''s imagination, but the moment she entered, the hubbub in the classroom quieted for a second before resuming its nosiness.


    Kiryu Hina noticed his frown and followed his gaze to Ayakoji Chiyoko, explaining, "Recently, her reputation at school has been pretty bad."


    "Why?" asked Kagura Hikaru.


    "Uh, that was our doing," Kohinata Motoyo said awkwardly. "To distract her and get a chance to talk to you, we sent some trouble her way."


    "Like what?"


    "We made her look for fifty stray cats around the school and hide the exhibits Tsukinomori Girls'' Academy sent over."


    "Exhibits?"


    "We let Sakata Asahi know in advance; she knows everything, and the items have been returned to their rightful place, don''t worry,"


    That didn''t put his mind at ease at all.


    "We also exposed her love life," Kiryu Hina said with a glance at Kagura Hikaru, shrugging, "If someone stops you at school asking about your relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko, don''t be surprised. Just say it was absolutely terrible."


    "..."


    These two really went to extremes.


    As he was thinking, Ayakoji Chiyoko saw him and headed straight towards him with a warm smile on her face.


    "Kagura, you finally came to school," she said.


    "Chiyoko,"


    Kagura Hikaru used the name from their dating period, which changed the expressions of Kiryu Hina and Kohinata Motoyo, while Ayakoji Chiyoko''s smile deepened.


    "The time you were not here felt like an eternity to me."


    "You''re exaggerating," Kagura Hikaru looked around at the classmates who were casting surprised glances their way, thinking they were well-hidden.


    He completely understood their astonishment; he''d be startled too if a mummy started talking one day.


    For someone like Ayakoji Chiyoko, the more beautiful her smile, the more terrifying she became, leaving people guessing her thoughts.


    But if someone really guessed what she was thinking... that would be even worse.


    Now, Kagura Hikaru felt as if he were wrapped in a spider web, the wire-like threads causing him pain as though blood were seeping out beneath his skin.


    The one tightening around him was the look in Ayakoji Chiyoko''s eyes. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her gaze held a suffocating quality that Kagura Hikaru had experienced in the past, but now he was not so sure about.


    "We need to talk," Kagura Hikaru said, "I hope these past few days have given you some clarity."


    "...Of course, crystal clear," Ayakoji Chiyoko slightly lifted her head, like a proud swan looking down.


    But in her eyes, there was an inescapable unease.


    Kagura Hikaru hadn''t been in contact with her for several days, even when Ayakoji Chiyoko came to him personally, he did not meet her, leaving her shut out.


    It seems that when someone is pulled from a Beautiful Dream back to reality, they somehow regain a bit of rationality. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Then let''s do it now," Kagura Hikaru nodded and walked out of the classroom.


    "Class is about to start!" Kiryu Hina exclaimed in surprise.


    "Help us ask the teacher for a leave," Ayakoji Chiyoko hurriedly said, then quickly followed.


    Kiryu Hina and the other looked at each other helplessly as they watched her leave the classroom.

 Chapter 308 Who is Your Ideal Type?

    Kagura Hikaru brought Ayakoji Chiyoko to the agreed place.


    Under a maple tree in the courtyard.


    ....What are you thinking? That he would take Ayakoji Chiyoko to the rooftop of the old school building?


    No, no, no.


    Imagine this scenario.


    You are picked up by a woman who likes you, and you like her too. You quickly fall in love, and after doing everything together, you learn that she has a partner and you are the third party.


    You angrily leave that woman and find another whom you can truly trust.


    Then one day, the former woman finds you, tells you she has separated from her original partner, and wants to get back together with you. Would you bring her to meet your current lover?


    The reason why Kagura Hikaru didn''t take Ayakoji Chiyoko to that rooftop is somewhat similar.


    But seeing her looking up at the blooming maple tree with a hint of joy on her face, he couldn''t help feeling guilty about his own stinginess.


    Bringing her here without attending class was meant to be an opportunity to open up one''s heart to talk, but now he had deliberately closed a window, creating an unnecessary barrier, hadn''t he?


    If Ayakoji Chiyoko ever finds out that he had a better place, he could just say that he discovered it after today.


    Yes, that''s what he would say.


    .....Before even opening up to someone else, he had already told a lie. Could it be that he was quite a terrible person?


    "How beautiful, the red maples."


    Drawn by Ayakoji Chiyoko''s words, Kagura Hikaru also looked up at the maple tree.


    The red leaves, like crimson clouds, were spread out among the branches. If you squinted and purposely blurred your vision, there was a charming fluffiness to them.


    He lowered his head and turned his gaze to Ayakoji Chiyoko.


    She was still looking up, mesmerized by the stunning autumnal crimson maples. It was then that Kagura Hikaru realized she was still a romantic at the age of youthful adolescence.


    Girls of sixteen or seventeen are always unpredictable. A year ago she probably wouldn''t even bother to look up at the scenery, but now she was candidly appreciating the beauty of the maple leaves.


    Was he the cause of this change?


    In saying so, he seemed to have inadvertently drawn out Ayakoji Chiyoko''s girlish quaintness.


    Even if there were no further ties with her in the future, he could say proudly that their relationship had been beneficial to her¡ªprobably so.


    But on some level, Kagura Hikaru felt that Ayakoji Chiyoko from a year ago was a little more attractive.


    "Chiyoko," Kagura Hikaru said, "do you know what I was thinking the first time I saw you?"


    "What?" Ayakoji Chiyoko turned her head around.


    "This is a lioness, a true lioness."


    "?"


    "Confident, earnest, dangerous. I couldn''t see the slightest hint of hesitation on your face; you were like steel."


    ".....Describing a woman with those words doesn''t seem quite right."


    "That is also a kind of charm." Kagura Hikaru said, "Now, that quality can no longer be seen on your face."


    This sentence sounded like it wasn''t a compliment.


    Ayakoji Chiyoko was silent.


    "What was your ideal when you entered school, do you remember? It shouldn''t be trivial matters on the scale of dating some guy or opposing Kiryu Hina."


    "..."


    "I heard that Hina and Suse gave you quite a bit of trouble at school, and I bet you paid them back in kind. How many such small-scale conflicts have you guys had? Aren''t you tired of it?"


    Kagura Hikaru said softly, "Chiyoko, we are no longer children. Next year we''ll be seniors, just one step away from adulthood. I don''t want to see you getting caught up in these kinds of things anymore."


    "What do you mean by ''these kinds of things''?"


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s voice sounded like she was holding back something, "I¡ª"


    "You''ve put in so much and yet can''t get anything in return. Your efforts are completely meaningless, yada yada," Kagura Hikaru interrupted her mercilessly, "You can go interview at any company, where the corporate drones can spill a whole string of similar grievances."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s face turned pale: "Are you mocking me?"


    "Yes."


    Kagura Hikaru looked at her, his black eyes seemingly flickering with spikes, "Do you know, Ayakoji Chiyoko, there are two kinds of people I despise most in life: one is the fool who is ignorant of their stupidity, and the other is the love-brain. You, in my eyes right now, are the second type."


    "..."


    Ayakoji Chiyoko''s complexion changed in an instant.


    Humiliation flushed her face red, and her fists clenched tightly.


    Being explicitly expressed disgust by the person she liked, she was not one of those who enjoyed being mistreated, and certainly did not derive any pleasure from it.


    "Why, do you have to speak of me like this... I''m not love-obsessed, I just, I just like you, is that not allowed?!"


    "If unilateral control is what you call liking someone," Hikaru Kagura stepped closer, staring at her coldly, "do you realize how ugly you look right now? Like an old lioness who''s had her teeth pulled out, skinny and weak, falling over with just a push. How could someone like you qualify to be my girlfriend, you''re not even qualified to be a friend."


    In a flash of rage, Chiyoko Ayakoji reflexively threw a punch, hitting him on his left cheek.


    Hikaru Kagura stepped back twice, touching the corner of his mouth.


    There was blood.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to... I was just..." Chiyoko Ayakoji, stunned, looked at him helplessly.


    Hikaru Kagura was unexpectedly calm, wiping the blood with the back of his hand, "It''s okay, I was just worried it would come true."


    "What?"


    "I was always afraid of you; I felt like you would hit me if you got upset."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji stood awkwardly on the spot, looking down at her hands before subconsciously hiding them behind her back.


    She indeed had a tendency to resolve issues with violence, but she never thought that one day she would raise her fist against Hikaru Kagura.


    Could she be a Domestic Abuser Woman?


    "Why are you making that face? You are Chiyoko Ayakoji, after all. Even if you hit someone, you should stand tall and proud," Hikaru Kagura scolded her in return.


    Now Chiyoko Ayakoji became even more confused.


    "Aren''t you angry?"


    "I insulted you, and then I got hit, I think I brought it on myself. Besides, I did it to provoke you."


    "Why? To get hit?"


    "Of course not, but it''s enough to prove one thing: you''re not good at controlling your emotions. So we''d better clear the air and not leave any lingering issues."


    A red maple leaf fell on his head, Hikaru Kagura picked up the leaf, twirled it in his hand, then threw it away, and said, "Let me tell you the truth, Chiyoko, I don''t plan to pursue the things you did while I was amnesiac." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then..."


    "At the same time, I don''t want to get back together with you," Hikaru Kagura sized her up and down, "I really don''t want to crush your spirits, but to be honest, you''re not my ideal type."


    "Umm..."


    "Chiyoko, now that you know where I stand, you''re a smart person, don''t hang yourself up on me."


    "I can''t find anyone better than you."


    "No, you certainly can. You''ve got a lot of time ahead of you to meet someone, this is just the perspective of a seventeen-year-old you."


    "What if I can''t find anyone?"


    "You''re being obstinate," Kagura Hikaru said in disappointment, "If you keep this up, we really won''t even be able to be friends."


    "..."


    Chiyoko Ayakoji fell silent for a while, "I have a condition."


    "Hmm?"


    "I... I can stop pursuing you, but I have a condition," Chiyoko Ayakoji stated earnestly, "If five years from now, you don''t have a girlfriend, and I can''t find that someone better than you that you speak of, then you''ll have to accept me."


    "...Alright."


    They both knew that this condition was quite lenient.


    Even when the time came, if Hikaru Kagura hadn''t changed his mind, he could just find someone to pretend to date.


    Chiyoko Ayakoji had already realized she had no chance, it was about saving face for both of them, that''s what Kagura Hikaru thought.


    He agreed readily.


    Now, more than half of the first class had passed, but obviously, there was still an opportunity to go back, provided he had a suitable excuse.


    As Hikaru Kagura was about to leave, he was stopped by Chiyoko Ayakoji again: "Wait, can I ask one last question?"


    "Go ahead." Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Who is your ideal type?"


    Hikaru Kagura looked at her, furrowed his brows.


    He wanted to name someone else at first, but after some thought, he decided against it, waved his hand, and mentioned a name they both knew:


    "Motoyo Kohinata."