I Understand

These past two days, after school he'd been helping Sato study with Horikita. When they finished, he'd chat with Horikita and wander around the school with her.

Still, he could tell that the girl beside him seemed to be in low spirits, and she often had a dazed look on her face.

So he asked:

"What are you thinking about, Suzune?"

"Nothing... I just have a bad feeling." Horikita looked him straight in the eyes. "I feel like... you might break up with me."

"I see."

His words the other day must have hinted at it too strongly, leaving her thinking about it constantly over the past two days.

"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I won't leave you in the end."

He put particular emphasis on the words "in the end," but Horikita didn't catch his meaning. She said:

"I don't believe you. You'll have to prove it to me."

"How?"

"Come to my room..." She turned her head away, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

"You mean that kind of thing?" he asked again to make sure.

"Mm."

He looked at Horikita for two seconds, then nodded. "I'll go buy a few things first..."

"No need. I'm in a safe period today, and it's my first time, so..."

"Okay."

He said no more, taking Horikita's hand and walking with her toward the dormitory.

They were both somewhat silent on the way. Horikita was probably shy, while he simply didn't know what to say.

It was only natural that he liked Suzune and wanted to sleep with her.

It was because she was Suzune that he wanted to do it.

Since she had no objections herself, he certainly wasn't going to refuse out of false modesty.

There wasn't much to say about what happened. Even if there were, it couldn't be published.

But it was obvious that he'd given the girl a wonderful night.

He'd also successfully graduated from virginity.

And that night was the happiest of his life.

One of the greatest joys in the world was coming together with a girl who felt the same way about you.

Desire alone was just a way to satisfy an urge, while feelings alone could seem empty.

Only when spirit and desire came together could feelings rise to a whole new level. That was the highest form of passion.

It was love itself, the thing that captivated men and women alike.

Morning.

Bai Ye looked at the exquisite body before him, smooth as silk, his gaze briefly fixed.

Horikita was undeniably a top-tier beauty.

And after being bathed in affection, she was even more breathtakingly beautiful.

She was like a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains. Even after being "ravaged," she still inspired no desire to profane her.

With her icy aura and bewitching, sinfully alluring body, calling her a rare beauty would hardly be an exaggeration.

After a long while, Horikita woke. Seeing his bold, unapologetic gaze, her pretty face reddened, and she pulled up the blanket to cover herself.

"Do you feel reassured now?"

Bai Ye asked softly.

"Mm." Horikita nodded. "I won't overthink things anymore. Sorry."

"No, it's my fault. I didn't make you feel secure enough... It's all because of me..."

"Stop sweet-talking me and go get my clothes."

She frowned slightly at the clothes scattered all over the floor, and another blush crept over her pretty face.

"Okay."

Bai Ye searched around, picked up the clothes one by one, and handed them back to her.

Once they were both fully dressed, Bai Ye looked up.

After her first night, Horikita's cool face seemed to have gained a touch of mature charm and lost some of its sharpness, making her all the more captivating.

Noticing his somewhat dazed gaze, Horikita rolled her eyes at him and chided him:

"Want to do it again? That's enough."

"No... But Suzune, you know now whether I'm any good, right?"

"You still remember that? How petty are you?"

"...Of course not. I forgot about it as soon as I fell for you, Suzune. I was just saying whatever came to mind."

"I know. I believe you."

"Mm."

Just as he'd said, he'd only been trying to lighten the mood.

In front of Horikita, he always wanted to show his childish side, to deepen the bond between them. Otherwise, they'd return to the way things were after he'd first forced a kiss on Horikita. He hadn't changed, and he figured the distance between them would remain.

The wheels of time would keep turning, and their connection would grow ever stronger.

He would let this bond become unbreakable.

By then, whether they broke up or cut ties would be nothing more than empty words.

That was right. Their relationship status was merely a superficial wrapper around their connection.

What truly kept people together forever was the bond between their hearts.

Once someone truly understood that, how could a mere task keep them bound?

You... still don't understand?

It was as if a heavenly voice had sounded beside his ear. Bai Ye's cloudy eyes gradually cleared.

"I see."

The situation wasn't complicated. He'd always known that, which was why he kept deepening his relationship with Horikita. Before, it had been so she wouldn't let go of him after they broke up. Now, he finally understood completely.

It was clear what he had to do next.

Ever since they'd been promoted to Class C, things in the class had seemed a little chaotic.

Just as Horikita had said in class, Class D had begun harassing them frequently. Quite a few students complained that they felt someone was following them.

According to what he'd heard from Ayanokouji, the current leader of Class D—its ruler, you could say—was a person named Ryuen Kakeru.

He ruled the class through extremely violent methods and had even resorted to the despicable practice of monitoring his classmates' phones.

Bai Ye knew that Ryuen Kakeru was a particularly despicable person who loved using underhanded tactics.

He was always saying vulgar things, too.

Of course, it was just a disguise, a tactic he used to provoke his enemies.

Bai Ye was at a loss for words when it came to people who liked using sleaziness as a weapon.

Naturally, he didn't think much of petty thugs like him. Bai Ye had once been involved in that kind of life himself. How could he respect a knockoff thug like Ryuen?

Even if he looked down on him, he wouldn't pick a fight with Ryuen. He knew he might not be able to beat him.

Ryuen's biggest problem wasn't even his physical strength, but his refusal to surrender, no matter what.

This really was Sakura Country. Ryuen had inherited the little devils' fine tradition perfectly.

If he were outside, he wouldn't be so afraid of Ryuen. Even if Ryuen refused to surrender, Bai Ye could always kill him with a single slash. Maybe there wouldn't even be a fight; one shot would be enough to finish him.

Unfortunately, this was a school. If he killed someone here, he'd be expelled.

Rules really were a good thing. They protected ordinary people so well, while keeping him firmly restrained.

He should've had his butler secretly bring him a firearm. Even if he couldn't win, he'd still be in an unbeatable position.

But when he thought about it, that wouldn't work either. He couldn't carry a gun around all the time. What if he got caught while being intimate with Suzune?

Suzune would be one thing, but if it accidentally fell out in front of Chabashira Sae, would it scare her half to death?