Ibuki Mio was still lying in the snow pit she had made by herself, the ups and downs of her chest had not yet subsided, and every breath brought out a cloud of white mist.
A hand stretched out in front of her.
"What?"
Kazehara Tetsu looked at her condescendingly, tilting his head slightly, and his tone was so relaxed that he even deserved to be beaten.
"You're still lying on the ground and don't want to get up? Are you planning to be a coquettish crybaby here?"
"... Huh?"
"Who would think that? Stop being so disgusting!" She gritted her teeth and growled.
"Crack."
It wasn't a gentle hand, but an almost rough grab.
Ibuki Mio stretched out his already stiff hands and firmly grasped Kazehara Tetsu's palm.
Kazehara Tetsu didn't care about this little temper. He exerted a little force on his wrist and raised it.
Ibuki Mio felt that his body was instantly pulled away from the snow pit.
Standing on the snow again, she staggered twice before regaining her balance.
Kazehara Tetsu did not let go immediately, but let her hold on, his eyes scanning her face.
Indeed, as she said, even after suffering such a tragic failure, the corners of her eyes were still dry.
"She still has some backbone."
Kazehara Tetsu smiled, let go of his hand, and patted the large snow stain on her shoulder.
"Since you're not crying, then put away that expression like that of a bullied little daughter-in-law. People who don't know may think I did something to you."
Ibuki Mio slapped his hand away and started cleaning the snow on his body.
The cold Snow Water melted and soaked the inner lining of the windproof jacket, making it sticky and uncomfortable on the skin.
But compared to the physical discomfort, the psychological gap made her even more uncomfortable.
"So..."
She stopped what she was doing and lowered her head.
"You're still not serious, are you?"
"Let me tell you, do you have any masochistic tendencies?"
"Although I don't mind taking action, I'm not that violent."
"No... I didn't mean that."
Ibuki Mio scratched his short hair irritably, which was already wet by Snow Water.
"Of course I didn't want to be beaten by you. I just..."
She raised her head, and her face, which always had a fierce look, showed a rare hint of complicated emotions.
"I'm just sorry."
"It's a pity that I tried my best and even used sneak attacks... but in the end, I didn't even get the qualifications to make you take the defense seriously."
"This feeling... is just terrible."
"It's not that frustrating, right?"
Kazehara Tetsu looked at her with a confused look.
"You are a girl and I am a boy. There is a natural gap between men and women in physiological functions such as physique and strength."
"It's normal for you to lose to me."
"Of course I know!"
"It's not like I haven't fought with boys before. Before I came to This School... I had also met men who were stronger than me, and I had also been beaten."
"But... there is no such gap."
Ibuki Mio stared at Kazehara Tetsu, as if trying to see some of Monster's characteristics from him.
"Those people defeated me by relying on their weight advantage and endurance. But at least I could hit them, at least make them bleed and make them feel pain."
"But you..."
"This cannot be explained by the 'gender gap' at all!"
"This gap... is almost like the difference between humans and another species."
If others heard these words, they would probably think that a loser was making excuses for his incompetence.
But to Kazehara Tetsu, this is the most accurate evaluation.
After all, his body was designed to match the "Kyougoku Makoto" whose strength level was at the top even among Detective Conan World.
"This is really... a high praise."
Kazehara Tetsu looked at her.
"Now that you know the gap is so big, and now that you know that I am the invincible 'Monster', are you planning to completely admit defeat?"
"..."
"Kagihara."
Suddenly, Ibuki Mio raised his head.
"You come and teach me."
"... Huh?"
This sudden sharp turn made Kazehara Tetsu stunned for a moment. He even wondered if he heard it wrong.
"Teach you? Me?"
"That's right."
"Since you are ridiculously strong, since you can easily see through my intentions... then you must have superior skills and understanding than me."
"I want to get stronger. Whether it's skills, the way I use my strength... even the damn reaction speed."
"Teach me how to defeat... no, even if it's just how to shorten this gap!"
Looking at the serious-looking girl in front of him, Kazehara Tetsu was complaining crazily in his heart.
Teach me shit.
The reason why he is so strong is entirely because of the Panel Attributes given by the "system".
To put it simply, he relies on numerical values to crush the game.
He has the physical strength, reaction speed and dynamic vision of Kyougoku Makoto.
But he has not systematically studied the complicated Martial Arts Theory.
He probably can only teach people how to punch through walls with brute force, or how to catch bullets with bare hands, although he hasn't tried it yet.
"I said Ibuki..."
Kazehara Tetsu pressed his temples speechlessly, trying to wake up this guy with a strange mind.
"Your ideas are too out-of-the-box, aren't they?"
"I have no interest in being a teacher. And..."
He spread out his hands with a puzzled look on his face.
"You lost. How can the loser still confidently make demands to the winner? How can there be such truth in this world?"
"The truth..."
Ibuki Mio bit his lip, seeming to be struggling with something.
Finally, she stretched out two fingers and pointed them in front of Kazehara Tetsu.
"Two things."
"...?"
"You don't think one of the things I just said is attractive enough, right?"
"Then I promise to do two things for you."
"Two pieces."
"Two 'orders' with no strings attached."
She stared hard at Kazehara Tetsu, which was all the chips she could offer.
For a delinquent girl who attaches great importance to commitment and is even a bit stubborn, handing over the authority of two "commands" is almost equivalent to selling herself to the other party twice.
Kazehara Tetsu narrowed his eyes and his brain began to work rapidly.
Teach Ibuki Mio...
Although he does not have the corresponding "Teaching Skill" now, this is not a problem.
As long as there is Points, what is missing in System Store?
Even, in this "teaching" process...
Being able to completely control this stubborn girl.
This business is profitable no matter how you calculate it.
"Two things..."
Kazehara Tetsu repeated it in a low voice.
"And is it an 'order' that can do anything?"
He put emphasis on the words "anything goes."
Ibuki Mio's body trembled, as if she had a premonition of a bad future, but she did not take her hand back.
"... That's right."
"As long as you don't let me die or do something like that... something that really crosses the line."
"Deal."
Kazehara Tetsu didn't hesitate any longer and simply agreed.
"Then I will reluctantly accept you as a stupid student."
"But..."
He took a step forward, stretched out his hand, and gently held the two upright fingers of Ibuki Mio.
Ibuki Mio's fingers are cold and have calluses unique to martial arts practitioners.
Kazehara Tetsu slowly pressed her fingers down, and finally turned them into a handshake gesture.
"As a teacher, I am very strict."
"Now that I have agreed, if I cry and say that I can't stand it anymore and want to quit, I will still accept those two conditions."
"Humph."
Hearing this, Ibuki Mio breathed a sigh of relief.
Not to be outdone, she shook her hand back, although she had very little strength left.
"Who will cry?"
"As long as you can make me stronger... even if it is hell, I will go down there to show you."
"Then, today's class will end here."
"... cut."
She turned her head away and pulled up Scarf to cover her red cheeks.
"Pretending."