Advanced Nurturing High School's reception room was no different from an ordinary one, except perhaps that it was slightly more upscale, though not excessively so.
In the center of the room, two middle-aged men sat facing each other on the sofas.
One of them was the chairman, whom they had not seen for an entire semester.
Across from him sat another middle-aged man.
He looked to be around forty, dressed neatly in a suit. His face bore faint traces of age, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp.
The man radiated an overwhelmingly powerful presence, and an aura like a honed blade seemed to drift around him. One glance was enough to tell that he was no decent person.
The moment Fang Li and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka entered through the door, their gazes fell upon the middle-aged man almost simultaneously.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained expressionless, while Fang Li's expression was unchanged, though a faintly amused look surfaced in his eyes.
Before the two arrived, the chairman appeared to have been discussing something with the other man.
Though they did not know what the two had been talking about, the atmosphere made it clear that it had not been a pleasant conversation.
Fang Li and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's arrival brought their discussion to a halt.
Then, setting aside the middle-aged man, the chairman turned toward Fang Li and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka with a smile.
"You're here. Come sit down."
The chairman welcomed Fang Li and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka warmly.
Unfortunately...
"No need."
Before Fang Li could speak, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka spoke first.
"I don't intend to stay here for long. This is fine."
The instant he opened his mouth, he displayed an assertiveness he had never shown before.
Anyone who knew Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would have been utterly shocked by that sight.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, known as the gloomy guy,