I'm Back!

Ryuen Kakeru was in a complicated mood.

He had just told Ishizaki Daichi to notify the others—

The plan was off.

Ten minutes earlier...

Ryuen Kakeru had deliberately bumped into someone in the hallway.

"Hey, you! Don't you have eyes? Can't you watch where you're going?"

"Sorry, sorry."

The bespectacled man apologized repeatedly, but Ryuen Kakeru noticed his hand fiddling with something in his pocket.

Glancing at the camera overhead, he suddenly smiled broadly.

"It's fine. Just be more careful next time."

"Huh?"

The bespectacled man was stunned. Was Class C's Ryuen Kakeru really this easygoing?

"What? Got a problem with that? Or are you trying to shake me down?"

Ryuen Kakeru's expression suddenly darkened. Did the man really think he was a pushover?

"No, no! I'm leaving. I'm going now."

The bespectacled man fled in a panic. It was his first time seeing Ryuen Kakeru in person, and he looked and carried himself exactly as the rumors described.

He suspected Ryuen Kakeru had seen through him, which was why he'd let him go.

"Tch, what a pain."

Ryuen Kakeru spat, took out his phone, and messaged Ishizaki Daichi:

"Call off the plan."

He knew Ishizaki would carry it out without hesitation, rather than ask why.

That was the absolute authority violence had given him.

Should he put that plan into action early?

Ryuen Kakeru wondered. Class D's zero Class Points weren't worth risking a mutually destructive test, but it was still too early.

He quickly dismissed the idea.

He'd let them enjoy their school days a little longer.

Ryuen Kakeru thought with a trace of mockery. He was waiting for the school to offer him more amusement.

In just one morning, Kanzaki Ryuji received reports from several students.

They were all trivial incidents: brushing against someone in the hallway, accidentally bumping into someone while opening a bathroom door, and things like that.

Every one of the people involved was from Class C, which made Kanzaki Ryuji admire Makoto's foresight.

He really had seen it coming.

What Kanzaki hadn't expected was that Ryuen Kakeru himself would get involved. After that, the people from Class C stopped making a fuss and went quiet, as though they hadn't been jumping around and picking fights earlier.

It seemed Class C would settle down for a while.

Kanzaki Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know how the school would respond to the matter, and it was better to avoid trouble. He didn't want to be harassed and attacked by another class for no reason.

Class C keeping its head down would be the best outcome for him.

The hours of daylight flew by, but for Honami, the day felt unusually long.

She couldn't focus on her classes at all. Distracted, she waited for night to come.

Yet the more impatient she grew, the slower time seemed to pass.

"Why don't you ask Mashima-sensei for the afternoon off?"

Seeing Honami in this state, Sakayanagi Arisu offered her a pretty good idea.

"Huh? But I'm not sick."

Honami, who had always been a model student, didn't understand what Sakayanagi Arisu meant.

"I bet that Hoshinomiya woman has some kind of shady deal with your boyfriend. How else could he keep skipping class every day? I think you just have to ask her, and she'll get you a note in no time."

Sakayanagi Arisu rolled her eyes, but patiently explained,

"Hoshinomiya is the school's infirmary teacher. Mashima-sensei won't say anything if she gives you a note."

"But isn't that...?"

Honami didn't finish, but Sakayanagi Arisu understood what she meant.

"It's fine. You can't focus on studying right now, so there's no point in staying in the classroom. You might as well go back and get some rest. Besides, it's not like Makoto's definitely coming back tonight."

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't hold back in playing matchmaker. She'd already figured out why Honami had been so excited all afternoon.

All that mattered was whether she'd go tonight.

"Okay... All right. By the way, can you let me hold on to Makoto's dorm key card for a while?"

Honami held out her hand to Sakayanagi Arisu.

"...Fine, take it."

With a look of distaste, the latter took the key card from her pocket and placed it in Honami's hand.

"Thanks!"

Honami broke into an angelic smile as she took the card, then skipped off to the infirmary to see Hoshinomiya-sensei.

"Teacher, I'd like to take the afternoon off!"

"Oh, isn't that Ichinose? Sit down and take your time explaining."

Hoshinomiya-sensei smiled as she pulled out a chair and motioned for Honami to relax.

"Um... Well... How should I put it...? It's just..."

"I see. You don't want to go to class this afternoon, right?"

Hoshinomiya Chie interrupted Honami's halting explanation and cut straight to the truth. She'd seen this sort of thing plenty of times, but never someone so brazen.

"Can you tell me why?"

Her curiosity had been piqued.

"Well..."

Honami didn't want to give the specific reason, so she could only stammer, unable to get the words out. After thinking for a while, she finally said in a small voice,

"My boyfriend is Makoto. Is that okay?"

Unable to come up with another excuse, she decided to just lay it all on the line.

"So you're that man's girlfriend."

Hoshinomiya Chie looked intrigued. This was her first time meeting that man's girlfriend.

She looked Honami up and down a few times, unable to hide her admiration.

Good grief! Was that figure even human?

How could a human possibly have proportions like that?!

Her assets were even more impressive than Hoshinomiya Chie's, while her waist was about the same, making for a truly staggering visual impact.

No wonder she'd won that man over.

For some reason, Hoshinomiya Chie felt a little envious of Makoto.

"Is that okay?"

Honami felt embarrassed under Hoshinomiya Chie's frank scrutiny.

"If that's the case... then of course."

Hoshinomiya Chie smiled sweetly. Even without Honami spelling it out, she'd already figured out most of the story.

"Wait here. I'll find something for you. Don't worry, it's free."

As if afraid Honami might change her mind, Hoshinomiya Chie quickly took a Mickey Mouse Tool from a nearby drawer and shoved it into Honami's hands.

"Hold on to that! Keep fighting with your teacher's blessing!"

Honami sneaked a glance at what she was holding. Her face turned bright red at once.

"N-no, it's not what you think..."

"Mm-hmm, I was mistaken. I'll write you a note right away."

Hoshinomiya Chie nodded unconcernedly, picked up a pen, and started forging one.

Here in Sakura Country, even deaths could be faked. Some people had concealed them and collected decades' worth of extra pension.

What was wrong with her forging a medical report?

"All right, take this to Mashima-sensei."

Hoshinomiya Chie waved her hand, signaling that Honami could go.

Honami couldn't bear to stay there another moment. She fled the infirmary and swore she'd never go back.

Hoshinomiya-sensei was terrifying!

It was nine o'clock at night. Exhausted, Makoto opened the door to his dorm room and saw a golden-pink figure inside.

"...I'm back. I came in first place, okay?"

He sounded unsure.

"Welcome back!"

A soft, warm kiss silenced him.