An Unpleasant Study Session

In the days that followed, Horikita Manabu really did send over a few requests.

Although the content was generally quite basic, and the vast majority involved helping the Student Council with miscellaneous chores, apart from the free weekly task, the other requests did come with corresponding fees.

This allowed the three girls to become familiar with the workflow.

However, since the Yorozuya was only a part of life, there was clearly a more critical problem looming ahead.

The midterm exams, where failing meant expulsion!

Therefore, in order to help Karuizawa, Shinjo had no choice but to join a study group that was fundamentally impossible to keep harmonious.

To improve study efficiency, Kushida suggested that those with high scores should lead those with low scores, but Karuizawa felt that being in a group with just Shinjo might be more effective.

"Are Karuizawa-san and the others going to be okay?"

Hirata was clearly worried; after all, judging solely by exam scores, Shinjo wasn't much higher than Karuizawa.

"Hirata-kun, Shinjo-kun is actually very smart. Besides, haven't you noticed?"

As she spoke, Matsushita made a playful face.

"???"

"Sigh, you really are dense. Those two are currently dating~"

"Eh?! Really?!"

Clearly, Hirata was unaware of this.

After receiving confirmation from both Satō and Matsushita, he nodded. Regardless of anything else, this was the first couple to appear in the class!

If only everyone could get along this well...

Thinking of this, Hirata snuck a glance at the Horikita group not far away. While praying silently in his heart, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Forget it, since that's the case, let's focus on our review."

Saying this, he began to patiently tutor the gyarus around him who were averse to studying.

(After all, basically all the girls preferred to study with Hirata.)

"It's like this here, do you understand?"

"Uh... sort of."

Shinjo looked at Karuizawa, who was racking her brain so hard her features were twitching, and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Compared to scoring a perfect grade, teaching others to study was clearly much harder.

"Hey, Katsuya, am I really that stupid..."

"Why would you suddenly say that?"

"Because, look! You've already taught me this problem several times, but I still can't get it."

Karuizawa's mood grew increasingly dejected, until that familiar, large hand appeared on top of her head once again, gently stroking her hair.

"Don't be discouraged. After all, you didn't really have much of a chance to pay attention in class throughout middle school, right?"

"I..."

"That's why I'm saying, you're currently learning things that others spent years studying. Isn't it normal not to be able to grasp it all at once? Since you didn't understand, I'll just slow down and go over it again. Have some confidence in yourself, okay?"

"Mm! Thank you, Katsuya!"

Feeling the warmth on her head and the other's thoughtful comfort, Karuizawa secretly made up her mind—even if it was just for his sake, she had to study hard!

Just as Shinjo was about to speak, a loud bang erupted from not far away.

"Bang!"

"Ah, I knew it. It's impossible for that combination not to cause conflict."

Karuizawa's attention was instantly drawn as well. She saw Sudō suddenly slam his hand onto the table for some reason, glaring at Horikita Suzune beside him.

"What did you say, you woman?!"

Horikita Suzune was not a weak girl to be bullied, and even facing Sudō, she didn't retreat in the slightest:

"Heh, what did I say? I said, have you all been wasting your time in school all these years?"

"What are you acting so arrogant for? Isn't it just that your grades are a bit better?! You're being way too disrespectful!"

Sudō was clearly triggered, as his academic performance was truly a mess.

"You don't even have the qualifications to be respected! As a student, you don't study properly and spend all day thinking about playing basketball—what a ridiculous dream!"

Horikita's words were undoubtedly dancing on the other's landmines. The thing Sudō couldn't stand being insulted most from childhood to adulthood was probably his basketball dream.

If Horikita hadn't been a woman, Sudō likely would have punched her in the face already.

"What did you say, you woman?! What did you say?! What right do you have to mock my dream?!"

Sudō's tone grew increasingly agitated. His voice was already loud to begin with, let alone now that he had lost his cool.

Hirata had the intention to step forward and stop them, but Horikita Suzune had no intention of letting it go at that.

"A dream? If you think you can achieve your foolish dream by getting expelled now, then by all means, go ahead and try! Let's see which basketball team would want an idiot who got expelled from high school!"

However, what felt a bit strange to Shinjo was why Kushida Kikyo, who always advocated for unity and friendship and was the closest peacemaker to Sudō and Horikita, had yet to take any action.

Could it be... that she was scared stiff?

The noise grew louder and louder, and even if Karuizawa wanted to study, she simply couldn't concentrate.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before the library staff intervened, forcibly putting an end to the escalating conflict, but precisely because of this, the first study session for the entire Class D ended in failure.

"Katsuya... could you tutor me a bit more?"

Karuizawa tugged at the corner of Shinjo's shirt.

"Of course, no problem... I'd love to say that, but today is 'Brunch Cake' day."

"Huh?"

"Uh... how about later? You can come to my dorm later... uh, that doesn't seem quite right. How about tomorrow? I'll definitely teach you well tomorrow! Good night, see you, bye-bye!"

With that, Shinjo vanished in an instant.

"Huh?"

Because everything that had just happened was so fast, Karuizawa's brain, which had been imagining a romantic study session between the two of them tonight, suddenly lost its signal.

So, by the time she reacted, Shinjo had already run off.

"This guy!!!!"

"Hmph! Brunch Cake... what even is a Brunch Cake?! Is a Brunch Cake more important than me?! Even though, even though, I am... I am..."

"I am your most precious girlfriend, right, Megumi!"

Just as Karuizawa was gloomily kicking a stone at her feet, a faint female voice suddenly came from behind her, scaring her into letting out a scream on the spot.

"Ah!"

"Don't be scared, don't be scared, it's me! Satō."

"Satō? You! You actually teased me on purpose!"

Matsushita, standing to the side, took the opportunity to tease her: "It's not that we wanted to tease you, it's just that you looked so cute!"

"That's right, Megumi."

"Hmph! Even you guys are bullying me."

Satō and Matsushita exchanged a glance, then stepped forward to grab the pouting Karuizawa from both sides:

"How could we dare? After all, you are our president's wife! Or to put it bluntly, the... the landlady, right?"

"Hahahaha!"

"You! You're still teasing me! See how I deal with you!"

"Run! The landlady is attacking!!!"