Tennoji Kaede of the Haigoku spent a pleasant time chatting with Kushida Kikyo on the bus.
During the ride, the golden-haired beauty with a generous figure had enjoyed herself.
Meanwhile, Tennoji Kaede had steadily won her favor through their conversation. His Karma had shot up, and he'd unlocked several features, including [Linguistic Arts] and [Kinetic Dynamics].
Advanced Nurturing High School was just ahead. The bus pulled to a stop.
"Thanks again for your help, Kaede."
Kushida Kikyo waved an exaggerated goodbye at the school gates, drawing the attention of countless male students passing by.
Parting ways at the entrance was simply an excuse Tennoji Kaede had thought up in advance.
"See you around campus, Kikyo. Take care."
After bidding farewell to the Two-Faced Landmine Girl, Tennoji Kaede discreetly slowed his pace and approached a certain pair.
"You two were looking over at me on the bus just now. What was that about?" Horikita Suzune turned around abruptly and asked.
[Detected Kuroya 99-Point Masterpiece: 'Horikita Suzune']
[Deployed 'Horikita Suzune's' Causal Mark]
['Cause': Your furtive glances on the bus initially went unnoticed by Horikita Suzune. What happened afterward made her look down on you.]
['Effect': Charisma +1, Arrogant Heart +10]
"Huh?"
The brown-haired boy beside her, who'd been about to speak, looked bewildered. Had the girl set her sights on someone else, too?
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka studied the newcomer carefully. Even after observing him, he still thought Tennoji Kaede was merely a somewhat outstanding ordinary guy.
Giving up his seat just meant he was a good person.
"Um... miss, were we on the same bus?" Tennoji Kaede asked, deliberately playing dumb.
Horikita looked at him with contempt, then turned her gaze to the other boy.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said, "Uh... I was just wondering why he offered you his seat when you didn't seem to have any intention of doing the same from the start. Though I didn't either..."
"What? Did you two put your heads together and decide to put on an act in front of me?" Horikita Suzune thought they were both crazy and declared, "There's nothing about me that's the same as you! I didn't want to give up my seat because there was no point in doing so!"
The Black Long Straight Hair Girl turned and walked away.
"Haha, sorry, sorry. Did I interrupt something between you two?"
In Tennoji Kaede's view, Ayanokoji might have just noticed something in Horikita's personality that made her a useful tool.
Was it her arrogance? Maybe she was just stupid and easy to fool...
"You've got it wrong."
"I see. My mistake... Still, it's pretty irritating to get chewed out by that woman at the school entrance. I hope I'm not in the same class as her."
"Same here..."
[Detected Shiroya Supreme Masterpiece: 'Ayanokoji Kiyotaka']
[Deployed 'Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's' Causal Mark]
Tennoji Kaede thought to himself, Just like the socially awkward, deadpan Ayanokoji. He's finally taken a little interest in me.
[Detected the protagonist of the original work: 'Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.' Haigoku Novice Gift Pack has been issued!]
[Haigoku Supreme Body Technique: In short, your overall physical abilities—including combat and athleticism—will be slightly superior to those of Shiroya Supreme Masterpiece, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka!]
A flood of experience washed over him. His muscles tensed in an instant, and Tennoji Kaede almost couldn't keep his expression under control!
Lu Di! Take this punch right now... Of course, that wasn't happening.
Pretending to be dejected after Horikita Suzune had angered him, he said, "I'm Tennoji Kaede. We got chewed out together on the first day of school, so we've got something in common. Can I ask your name?"
"...Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."
"Got it, Ayanokoji." At last, he'd placed the protagonist's mark. Tennoji Kaede snapped his fingers. "It's getting late, and I've got some acquaintances to meet. I'll be going."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nodded, watching the man named Tennoji Kaede head inside.
That presence just now... Could he be an assassin from the White Room?
Tennoji Kaede was practically dancing inside. This felt amazing.
['Cause': Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has come to regard you as someone he can't ignore. At the time, he came up with eighteen ways to kill you, but in the end his subconscious told him that the chance to study at Gao was too precious to waste, so it was better not to make a move.]
['Effect': Combat Mastery +100, Memory Ability +100, Logical Thinking +100, Encyclopedia Knowledge +100, Common Sense +1]
Anyone who dared badmouth my Ayanokoji would be locked away in the Black House to study!
Thanks to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Haigoku had given him the crucial Survival Skill from Classroom of the Elite: combat strength!
On top of that, he'd received all these bonus points. He was truly grateful.
Tennoji Kaede was already imagining the good times ahead, fleecing Class D~
He made his way to the Class Assignment Bulletin Board, glanced at it, and his expression turned odd.
"First Year Class C: Ryuen Kakeru, Tennoji Kaede, Ibuki Mio..."
He hadn't expected to be assigned to Class C, but Tennoji Kaede wasn't surprised.
By the time he'd transmigrated, the preliminary screening for Classroom of the Elite had already been completed by the previous owner of his body. Apparently, this was about as far as his original ability could take him.
A class led by a tyrant... Now things were getting interesting.
He hadn't been placed in the familiar Class D, but in the truly weakest class, Class C, which believed in ruling through force. Still, Tennoji Kaede wasn't bothered.
Should he send Ryuen Kakeruko to the infirmary on the first day of school? Would he make his move today?
As he headed toward Class C, Tennoji Kaede wondered about it.
The moment Tennoji Kaede entered Class C, he drew plenty of attention.
"Hey, Ishizaki, why'd we get a pretty boy like this in our class?" Komiya Haigo exclaimed.
Ishizaki Daichi said, "Tch, traitor. What do you think, Kondo?"
The stockier boy with the buzz cut beside him said, "...I think you're pretty handsome too, Komiya."
"Shiho, what do you think..."
Tennoji Kaede ignored them and quickly found his seat by checking the seating chart on the podium.
At the back, in the lower-left corner of the classroom, beside the window.
Not bad. Wasn't this the King's Homeland? Tennoji Kaede thought with a smile.
Wait, Ibuki Mio was sitting in front of him, and Shiina Hiyori to his immediate right?
How... wonderful. The two relatively normal girls in Class C were both gathered in this corner.
Ibuki Mio didn't seem to have arrived yet. Tennoji Kaede went to his seat and sat down.
[Detected Kuroya 0-Point Masterpiece: 'Shiina Hiyori']
[Deployed 'Shiina Hiyori's' Causal Mark]
['Cause': Shiina Hiyori found her classmates' reactions to you amusing. It was like a scene from a book about a prince returning home, and she was somewhat interested in you.]
['Effect': Charisma +3, Memory Ability +3, Quantum Speed Reading +5]
So Hiyori had a skill like that, huh?
Tennoji Kaede was gradually getting the hang of how the Haigoku System awarded him points.
"Hello, Tennoji Kaede. Did I get your name right?" Shiina Hiyori asked in a gentle voice.
Tennoji Kaede turned to his right. She had long, pale-silver hair, violet eyes like glass, and delicate features. Her gentle expression gave him the impression of a well-read young lady raised in a sheltered household.
Without a tyrant ruling Class C, a sweet girl like Hiyori would probably be bullied by those few people.
But he would step in.
"You got it right. Hello, Shiina."
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