(Second Update) (Continued)

"Hehe..." Goto Hitori scratched her head sheepishly.

Normally, they would already have been late by this time, and the two of them would have sprinted full speed toward school. But after being tempered by the Inner World, something like that seemed rather small-minded now.

After going home separately to change into their uniforms, Tsukikawa Shu and Goto Hitori leisurely made their way to school.

The disciplinary committee members responsible for recording late arrivals had already gone to class. When Tsukikawa Shu and Goto Hitori arrived outside the school, they found the gates tightly shut, with no one around no matter which way they looked.

"Alright, this way."

Tsukikawa Shu took Goto Hitori's hand and headed straight around to the wall at the side of the school.

"We'll go in from here," Tsukikawa Shu said.

"Huh? We're climbing the wall?"

Goto Hitori was a little startled, but also a little excited.

As someone with social anxiety, she had never done anything thrilling before. Every day, she went home on time and came to school on time. Besides, her constitution had been weak in the past, so climbing walls had never had anything to do with her.

With one leap, Tsukikawa Shu vaulted over the wall.

Goto Hitori followed right after him, copying Tsukikawa Shu as she climbed onto the top of the wall.

After leveling up in the Inner World, one's physical strength increased as well. Climbing over a wall like this was no longer a problem.

When Goto Hitori climbed over the wall, Tsukikawa Shu caught her from below.

"Thank you... Ah!"

Before Goto Hitori could thank him, Tsukikawa Shu gave her butt a squeeze, and her face immediately flushed red.

Fortunately, there was no one around.

"I won't do it next time."

Seeing the resentful look in Goto Hitori's eyes, Tsukikawa Shu quickly apologized.

Heading toward a different classroom from Goto Hitori, Tsukikawa Shu dusted himself off and casually walked into the classroom with his schoolbag slung over one shoulder.

When he pushed open the classroom door, he found Teacher Hiratsuka teaching. All the other students had already arrived and were still bent over their books.

"..."

Teacher Hiratsuka, who had been lecturing, glanced at Tsukikawa Shu and froze for a moment before immediately looking away.

Although she had not forgotten about class, she still had not completely adjusted from those five days in the Inner World. For a moment, her face actually turned slightly red, giving her a somewhat girlish air.

But she quickly returned to normal.

"Tsukikawa, don't be late next time," Teacher Hiratsuka said flatly, as though it were no different from usual.

"Got it." Tsukikawa Shu sat down in his seat without much concern.

"This period is self-study. Anyone who hasn't submitted their application preference form, fill it out and bring it to me," Teacher Hiratsuka said.

"Preferences..." Tsukikawa Shu played with the pen in his hand as he looked at the untouched application form and pondered it.

Looking around, all his classmates had their heads down studying. Time was tight, and there was not much room to waste it.

Even the last few remaining students had filled out their forms and handed them in.

"Hey, Tsukikawa—"

At that moment, the chubby boy with glasses sitting beside him quietly called out to Tsukikawa Shu.

His name was Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, an otaku suffering from chuunibyou.

"Teacher Hiratsuka seems a little different today, especially when she saw you." He pushed up his glasses curiously. "It feels like you and Teacher Hiratsuka are pretty close?"

Although Tsukikawa Shu had girlfriends now—two of them, in fact—he did not really belong to the group of people with fulfilling social lives.

Yeah, just like Big Teacher from the anime, who was surrounded by beautiful girls every day and got along well with a group of girls anyone would envy, yet still believed he had nothing to do with that crowd.

"It's nothing," Tsukikawa Shu said blandly. "She's my wife now."

"Your wife? Hahaha, Tsukikawa, you really know how to joke."

Zaimokuza Yoshiteru waved his hand and laughed. "Forget it, let's not talk about that. A new game came out recently. Want me to buy you a copy too?"

The games Zaimokuza Yoshiteru referred to were, without exception, Galgames—commonly known as erotic games.

The really spicy kind.

Back when Tsukikawa Shu could not be bothered to find a girlfriend, and since he had liked anime and manga before being transported here, he had chatted with Zaimokuza Yoshiteru about such things. Now the other boy regarded him as a kindred spirit.

"I don't need them now. I have girlfriends," Tsukikawa Shu said. "Two of them."

"Tsukikawa, even though everyone else is saying you have a girlfriend, I know you wouldn't like three-dimensional women, right?"

Zaimokuza Yoshiteru looked utterly unconvinced. "I remember you saying before that chasing girls in this world was too troublesome."

Actually, this world is two-dimensional to me.

However, Tsukikawa Shu did not voice that thought.

"Yeah, it is troublesome." Tsukikawa Shu nodded. "But if they come to me themselves, I'll still consider it."

(Fourth update! Please send tips and vote!)

"Alright, alright."

Then, he glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka on the podium and mysteriously pulled a thick stack of papers from his backpack.

"I heard you've been getting pretty close with the Service Club lately. Coincidentally, I want to become a light novel author. This is my first draft. I want to visit the Service Club after school too, so help me take a look." Zaimokuza Yoshiteru said.

Tsukikawa Shu glanced at his stack of light novel pages.

"Not interested," Tsukikawa Shu said. "If it's not web fiction, I won't read it."

"Come on, don't be like that. Your grades are so good, you can definitely help me find the flaws." Zaimokuza Yoshiteru pleaded.

However, Tsukikawa Shu remained unmoved and continued filling out his preference form.

In this era, where one could pick up any Japanese light novel and it would basically be toilet paper, Tsukikawa Shu could not be bothered to read one.

"I'll buy you the complete set of Kagami Manjushage!" Zaimokuza Yoshiteru said.

Tsukikawa Shu raised an eyebrow.

"Deal," Tsukikawa Shu said.

"Yes!" Zaimokuza Yoshiteru was overjoyed.

The two of them even exchanged a high five.

"Ahem—"

At that moment, Hiratsuka Shizuka coughed from the podium.

Tsukikawa Shu and Zaimokuza Yoshiteru were being far too brazen. Hiratsuka Shizuka could not stand watching anymore.

Although their relationship was now anything but ordinary, Hiratsuka Shizuka was still quite serious when it came to teaching.

Tsukikawa Shu helplessly spread his hands at Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, then filled out his preference form and walked up to the podium.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was still seated behind the podium, wearing a white shirt over a black vest, complete with a tie.

Tsukikawa Shu deliberately glanced at her lower body. Hiratsuka Shizuka had her legs crossed, but unfortunately, she was wearing black trousers rather than the black stockings she had worn in the Inner World.

"What are you looking at?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka folded her arms and spoke irritably.

Of course, the students below all had their heads down studying, so she did not speak very loudly.

"I think business attire suits you better, Teacher," Tsukikawa Shu said.

"Still haven't had enough of looking?" Hiratsuka Shizuka said.

"It's not about looking. Mainly, it doesn't feel as good to touch... The chalk fell."

As he spoke, Tsukikawa Shu bent down slightly.

However, he was not picking up the chalk. Instead, he placed his hand on Hiratsuka Shizuka's thigh and gave it a squeeze.

"You're still touching..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka hurriedly glanced at everyone below the podium.

After confirming that no one had noticed what was happening at the podium, Hiratsuka Shizuka rolled up a sheet of paper into a tube and smacked Tsukikawa Shu on the head.

"The podium is blocking us anyway. No one can see," Tsukikawa Shu said as though it were perfectly natural.

"This is school! Take your hand away. Take it away..."

However, Tsukikawa Shu did not listen to Hiratsuka Shizuka. In the end, he only stopped after thoroughly feeling up her thigh. Hiratsuka Shizuka was embarrassed and angry, yet she did not dare make a sound or resist too fiercely, afraid that the others would notice.

Time rewound slightly, to just after the Inner World survival period had ended.

Shiritsu Shuchuin Academy, Student Council.

Compared with ordinary high schools, this school was far more spacious and luxurious.

Even the Student Council occupied an area as large as a reception hall, furnished with expensive leather sofas, with premium pastries and black tea placed on the glass coffee table.

"Ah!"

At that moment, a scream shattered the Student Council's tranquility.

Fujiwara Chika woke up and clutched her chest as she gasped for breath.

Looking around at everything, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"What happened?"

Shinomiya Kaguya, who was sitting beside Fujiwara Chika, was startled.

As students of Shiritsu Shuchuin Academy, they did not have it easy academically, and Student Council work was equally busy.

Thus, the entire Student Council worked from early morning until late at night. At a time when other schools had only just begun classes, the Student Council was already operating, handling as much work as possible.

"Kaguya-chan!!! Waaahhh!!!"

Fujiwara Chika could no longer hold back her tears. With the force of a pouncing tiger, she threw herself at Shinomiya Kaguya, nearly knocking her onto the sofa as she burst into loud sobs.

"What happened?" Shinomiya Kaguya had no idea what was going on.

Today had started as usual. The Student Council members had come to handle their work, but halfway through, Fujiwara Chika had suddenly sat beside her in a daze.

Then, she had suddenly nearly been knocked onto the sofa by the other girl.

"You have no idea where I went! Sniff—"

"It was such a dangerous place! Sniff—"

Fujiwara Chika had been terrified by that Inner World. She sniffed as tears streamed down her face.

At first, it had been alright. Everyone had maintained the dignity expected of nobles and members of the upper class. But after a few days, things changed.

First, someone suddenly suggested persuading the women around them to accept the conditions of that Great Demon Lord, Tsukikawa Shu. The proposal was met with unanimous opposition.

Then, people began trying to steal and snatch food. The once harmonious atmosphere among the upper class suddenly soured.

Going out to gather food was impossible. They could only hide in the abandoned shopping mall to survive, and the people around them had sounded so pleasant at first... That was how it had been in the beginning.

But as time passed, the boys in the group began looking at the girls around them more and more strangely. It seemed they truly thought sending the girls to be ravaged by that Great Demon Lord Tsukikawa Shu might not be such a bad choice...

(Fifth update! Please send tips and vote!)

No one said such thoughts aloud, but Fujiwara Chika was not an oblivious girl. She had keenly sensed the change in atmosphere...