Hiratsuka Shizuka, however, refused to let it go and continued on her own. "Recently, we'll be holding a social exchange event with Seaside Comprehensive High School. You know our Student Council president is only a first-year, so she simply can't handle something like this. That's why she asked the Service Club for help."
Seaside Comprehensive High School?
When Tsukikawa Shu had entered the Inner World before, he had killed four students from Seaside Comprehensive High School. One of them had even been a Student Council member.
There should have been more than just those four from that school who had entered the Inner World.
Tsukikawa Shu had no favorable impression of that Student Council. It was basically full of self-important idiots with no brains, who loved shifting blame and never did anything useful.
Whether those people would also abandon their humanity as directly as Koda Ken had in the Inner World was quite intriguing.
"Anyway, you should have heard about Yukino Yukinoshita's personality long ago. If someone like her takes charge of a social event, you can imagine what will happen," Hiratsuka Shizuka said helplessly.
"So, I can only ask the most handsome boy in the entire school to save the situation."
"Although that last part was undeniably true, do I have to do it just because you told me to?" Tsukikawa Shu snapped his notebook shut.
"Anyway, you have to go."
Hiratsuka Shizuka did not give Tsukikawa Shu a chance to refuse. She simply left, leaving behind a lovely silhouette and the faint fragrance stirred up by her hair.
Should he accept Hiratsuka Shizuka's task? Tsukikawa Shu hesitated.
Although he did not dislike Yukino Yukinoshita, they had barely interacted. He truly could not be bothered to help her.
[Linear quest triggered: Help Yukino Yukinoshita out of trouble] [System reward: Rare Class Card x1, Custom blue-grade weapon x1] []
"..."
Looking at the system notification that had suddenly appeared before him, Tsukikawa Shu felt somewhat speechless.
Though the words were cold and mechanical, it was just... surprisingly considerate!
Tsukikawa Shu did not think someone like Yukino Yukinoshita could be won over easily. Even if she were, she probably could not accept the idea of him having to wear a whole bunch of wings behind his back.
But—the system rewards had already been delivered right in front of him, so he might as well give it a try.
Goto Hitori remained just as bewildered throughout the day, spacing out until class ended.
No matter the subject, everything sounded like incomprehensible scripture to Goto Hitori.
Social Anxiety might have been slow-witted, but her grades were not much better either.
Especially after falling in love, all she could think about was how they would date and get married, giggling foolishly nonstop.
It could not be helped. Children who had never been loved were just like that.
Shut-in nerds were practically born to give themselves away for free.
Tsukikawa Shu could date because his studies were excellent and he had no worries about getting into a top university. But for Goto Hitori, even her future dating time would probably be spent getting dragged off by Tsukikawa Shu for intensive tutoring.
But that was a problem for future Mrs. Bocchi. What did it have to do with the current Goto Hitori?
She just had to enjoy dating while she could!
Naturally, Tsukikawa Shu had no idea what lovestruck fantasy his wife was indulging in again. At the moment, he was scouting out his next potential wife.
"System, what do you think of Hiratsuka Shizuka?" Tsukikawa Shu asked.
[System evaluating...] [After comprehensive evaluation, Hiratsuka Shizuka's rating is: A]
"What about Yukino Yukinoshita?"
[System evaluating...] [After comprehensive evaluation, Yukino Yukinoshita's rating is: S]
"And Yui Hama?"
[System evaluating...] [After comprehensive evaluation, Yui Hama's rating is: S]
"What factors go into the rating?"
[Anime character popularity]
"...You call that a comprehensive evaluation?"
[This system is extremely fair. Scores are assigned strictly according to readers' and viewers' overall evaluations and popularity. There is absolutely no vote rigging or score manipulation.]
This system really was blunt.
"Fine..."
Tsukikawa Shu shrugged.
He had originally wanted to find some highly rated random passerby to win over. After all, they would be much easier to deal with than characters who were heroines. But he had not expected the system to be so strict.
Other than a shut-in nerd like Bocchi, Tsukikawa Shu could not think of any highly rated character who would also be easy to win over.
During break time, Tsukikawa Shu headed toward the activity room known as the "Service Club."
After all, he had promised Hiratsuka Shizuka that he would participate in the social event between the two schools. If nothing unexpected happened, he and Yukino Yukinoshita had probably been chosen to hold down the fort.
And just as Hiratsuka Shizuka had said, Yukino Yukinoshita's mouth was practically a legendary sword. With that icy, venomous tone of hers, every word out of her mouth could sever bond after bond.
What kind of lousy social event was this? This lady would slaughter everyone indiscriminately, take down two Student Council idiots by herself, and tell all the trash to stop getting in her way!
They said a sword's edge was honed through hardship. Who knew where Yukino Yukinoshita had honed that venomous tongue of hers? Once her blade left its sheath, it had to draw blood. When those pretty lips opened, one person meant one kill, two people meant a pair.
She was beautiful, but she had no friends. Plenty of people admired her, but no one dared approach.
If Yukino Yukinoshita could truly take control of the event and its command, Tsukikawa Shu would not be worried. Though plenty of people beneath her would certainly resent her leadership, that sharp-tongued girl would absolutely be able to complete the task.
Of course, that was only if she held absolute authority.
But in this social event, Yukino Yukinoshita did not have that authority. She was merely one of the participants.
That made the problem much bigger.
That woman definitely would not accept being ordered around by a bunch of idiots.
Tsukikawa Shu rubbed his brow.
Should he start considering how to stop this woman from drawing her personal legendary sword and going on a rampage?
As he thought that, Tsukikawa Shu had already arrived outside a classroom.
The sign by the door was covered in colorful, adorable little cards. At a glance, it was clearly the handiwork of some dango-haired girl.
Tsukikawa Shu lazily pushed open the door. Someone was already waiting inside.
"Ah, he's here, he's here!"
The pink-haired girl spoke.
She was a cute, sunny, cheerful young woman. Tsukikawa Shu could tell from her voice alone that she was Yui Hama.
Besides her, there was Hiratsuka Shizuka, the Japanese teacher he had met earlier, as well as a long-haired black-haired girl seated at the end of the long table. Her long legs were crossed as she quietly read a book resting on her black-stockinged thighs. Gentle sunlight filtered through the treetops and fell across her, giving her the beauty of a youthful poem brought to life.
"You're late. Didn't I tell you to come as soon as class ended?" Hiratsuka Shizuka said, somewhat displeased.
"Sorry, sorry. As a third-year student, I spent some time reviewing," Tsukikawa Shu said with an easy smile before closing the door behind him.
"Haha, I didn't review at all. I was almost falling asleep during class, but the moment class ended, I suddenly felt wide awake. I don't know why..."
Yui Hama awkwardly scratched the dango-shaped tuft of hair at the side of her head.
While doing so, she secretly glanced at Tsukikawa Shu.
So handsome...
An innocent young girl could not help feeling a little fluttery when she saw a handsome guy.
However, the icy beauty seated at the end of the table spoke at that moment.
"If you truly intended to review, you would not have come empty-handed."
Then, the girl turned to Hiratsuka Shizuka, her supervising teacher. "I dislike people who do not follow the rules. They only hold me back."
"Yukino, don't be like that. At least... give him a chance. Look, at the very least, he's pleasant to look at."
"Pleasant to look at?"
Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at Tsukikawa Shu, then let out a snort. She shifted her crossed legs, placed one hand over her chest, and smiled.
"I am the cutest and the most pleasant to look at."
"You only need to look at me. There is no need for an inferior substitute."
She truly said it without blushing or skipping a beat, as naturally as breathing.
Take back what he said earlier. Yukino Yukinoshita really was a poem brought to life, provided she did not open her mouth.
The moment she opened it, that silky, youthful beauty became a steaming pile of crap.
Tsukikawa Shu thought about it. That completely justified shamelessness was probably on par with his own desire to openly build a harem in the twenty-first century.
"But you're flat."
Tsukikawa Shu casually pulled out a chair and sat down, glancing at the chest Yukino Yukinoshita had covered with her hand.
"..."
The moment Tsukikawa Shu said that, the other three people present had no idea how to respond.
"Tsukikawa, since your attention is focused on private parts, does that mean you are very confident about that part of yourself?" Yukino Yukinoshita smoothed her hair and closed her book.
"That's right. I'm very confident that I can conquer and satisfy any woman."
"I am the most outstanding man in the world!"
When it came to shamelessness, Tsukikawa Shu feared no one.
After all, it was not as if she could just pull down his pants and verify it.
"Tsukikawa."
Yukino Yukinoshita's eyes widened slightly. "I never understood what people meant when they said I was narcissistic until you appeared."
She pinched her throat and imitated Tsukikawa Shu's voice. "I am the cutest woman in the world!"
Then she nodded.
"Yes, that really is a little disgusting."
"Only those lacking in ability feel anxious and believe they are unworthy of their position." Tsukikawa Shu casually pulled over another chair and sat down.
Yukino Yukinoshita had studied drama and had a solid foundation, so imitation came naturally to her. But she had also expertly applied that skill to her sharp tongue, making her even more skilled at speaking with veiled sarcasm.
She truly possessed an essential social skill for home and travel alike.
"Enough."
Hiratsuka Shizuka helplessly covered her forehead. She had long expected this to happen when these two met.
Yukino Yukinoshita in particular had a strong need to take the lead and was also prone to clashing with others.
For this social event, someone who could rein Yukino Yukinoshita in had to accompany her. Tsukikawa Shu, who had always been carefree and unruly but also had a good head on his shoulders, had become the top choice.
Besides, this guy's skin might have been even thicker than Yukino Yukinoshita's.
And Yukino Yukinoshita's hostility toward Tsukikawa Shu, whom she had only just met, was also because of Hiratsuka Shizuka's decision. She did not want anyone restraining her, nor did she want to be forced beneath someone else.
Before you continue