I'm Back!

Ryuen Kakeru felt quite conflicted.

He had just instructed Ishizaki Daichi to notify the others—

The plan was aborted.

Rewinding ten minutes...

Ryuen Kakeru had intentionally collided with someone in the hallway.

"Hey, do you even have eyes, kid? Don't you look where you're going?"

"Sorry, sorry."

The bespectacled man in front of him apologized repeatedly, but Ryuen Kakeru noticed the other party's hand operating something inside his trouser pocket.

Glancing at the security camera overhead, he suddenly wore a face full of smiles:

"It's fine, just be more careful next time."

"Huh?"

The bespectacled man was dumbfounded. Was Ryuen Kakeru of Class C really such an easy person to talk to?

"What? Do you have a problem with that? Or are you trying to extort me?"

Ryuen Kakeru's expression turned cold in an instant. Did the guy really think he was a pushover?

"No, no, I'm leaving, I'm leaving right now."

The bespectacled man fled in a panic. This was his first time seeing Ryuen Kakeru in the flesh, and the man's appearance and aura were exactly as the rumors described.

He suspected that Ryuen Kakeru had already figured something out, which was why he had let him go.

"Tch, what a pain."

Ryuen Kakeru spat, took out his phone, and sent a message to Ishizaki Daichi:

"Plan aborted."

He knew the other party would execute the order without hesitation and without asking for the reason.

This was the absolute status that violence had brought him.

Should he execute that plan ahead of schedule?

Ryuen Kakeru thought to himself. Class D's zero class points weren't worth a mutually destructive probe, but it was still too early for that.

He quickly dismissed the thought.

Let them enjoy their school life for a little while longer.

Ryuen Kakeru thought with a hint of mockery, waiting for this school to bring him more amusement.

In just one morning, Kanzaki Ryuji received messages from multiple students.

They were all trivial matters: bumping into someone in the hallway, accidentally hitting someone while opening a door in the restroom, and so on.

Without exception, the other parties were all from Class C, which made Kanzaki Ryuji admire the foresight of Makoto.

He really was as prescient as a god.

What he hadn't expected was that Ryuen Kakeru himself had taken action. After that, the people from Class C quieted down and stopped making moves, as if they hadn't been the ones jumping around and picking fights just moments before.

It seemed Class C would be settling down for a while.

Kanzaki Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He didn't know what the school's attitude toward these matters would be, but he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble, and he didn't want to be harassed or attacked by other classes for no reason.

Class C staying quiet was the best possible outcome for him.

The daytime hours slipped away rapidly, but for Honami, today felt exceptionally long.

She couldn't even focus on her classes, her mind completely preoccupied as she waited for the night to arrive.

Yet, the more anxious she became, the slower time seemed to crawl.

"Why don't you ask Mashima for a leave of absence?"

Seeing Honami in this state, Sakayanagi Arisu offered a decent suggestion.

"Eh? But I'm not sick."

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

"I'm sure that woman named Hoshinomiya must have some dirty deal with your little boyfriend; otherwise, how could he skip class every day? I think if you just say something to her, you'll get a leave slip in no time."

Sakayanagi Arisu rolled her eyes but explained patiently, "Hoshinomiya is the school's infirmary teacher. If she issues a leave slip, Mashima won't say anything about it."

"But isn't that...?"

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

"It's fine. I can see you have no heart for studying right now, and staying in the classroom is useless anyway. You might as well go back and get some rest. Besides, it's not certain that Makoto will even be back tonight."

Sakayanagi Arisu did not hold back in providing her assistance; she had already sensed the reason for Honami's excitement throughout the day.

Whether she goes tonight or not will settle it.

"O-okay, by the way, could you keep Makoto's dormitory key card for me for a while?"

Honami reached out her hand toward Sakayanagi Arisu.

"...Fine, take it."

The latter took the key card out of her pocket with a look of disdain and placed it into Honami's hand.

"Thanks!"

After receiving the key card, Honami flashed an angelic smile and skipped off toward the Infirmary to find Hoshinomiya-sensei.

"Sensei, I'd like to request a leave of absence for the afternoon!"

"Eh, isn't this Ichinose-san? Sit down first and tell me slowly."

Hoshinomiya-sensei wore a smile as she pulled out a chair from the side, signaling for Honami not to rush and to take her time.

"Uh... it's just that... how should I put it?... it's just..."

"I know, you don't want to go to class this afternoon, right?"

Hoshinomiya Chie interrupted Honami's stuttering, hitting the nail on the head. She had seen this kind of thing many times, but this was the first time she had encountered someone so stubborn about it.

"Can you tell me the reason?"

Her curiosity was piqued.

"That..."

Honami didn't want to give a specific reason, so she could only stammer, unable to get the words out. After thinking for a long time, she said weakly:

"My boyfriend is Makoto, is that not allowed?"

Unable to think of any other excuse, she simply threw caution to the wind.

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

Hoshinomiya Chie looked intrigued; this was the first time she had seen that man's girlfriend.

Looking Honami up and down, Hoshinomiya Chie made no effort to hide her admiration.

Good heavens! Is this figure even human?

How could a human reach this level?!

While both her top and bottom were more impressive than her own, her waist was nearly the same size, creating a terrifying visual impact.

It was no wonder she could capture that man.

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

"Is it okay?"

Honami felt a bit shy under Hoshinomiya Chie's direct, scrutinizing gaze.

"Since that's the case... then of course it's okay."

Hoshinomiya Chie smiled sweetly; even though Honami hadn't said it, she already understood most of it.

"Wait for me, 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 out of a drawer nearby and shoved it into Honami's hand without further explanation.

"Hold onto it tight, and go fight with your teacher's blessing!"

Honami snuck a peek at what was in her hand, and her face turned bright red instantly.

"I-it's not what you're thinking, Sensei..."

"Mm-hmm, yes, it's what I'm thinking wrong. I'll write your leave slip right away."

Hoshinomiya Chie nodded dismissively and grabbed a pen to start forging the document.

In Sakura Country, even death could be faked; there were people who hid deaths to collect pensions for decades.

What was the big deal about her writing a fake medical report?

"Alright, take this and go find Mashima-sensei."

Hoshinomiya Chie waved her hand, signaling that she could leave.

Honami didn't dare stay there for another second; she fled the Infirmary as if escaping, swearing never to come back again.

Hoshinomiya-sensei is too terrifying!

Time reached nine o'clock in the evening. A deeply exhausted Makoto opened his dormitory door and saw a golden-pink figure inside.

"...I'm home. I got first place in the competition, you know?"

He said, feeling a bit uncertain.

"Welcome home!"

His mouth was blocked by a warm, soft touch.