Karuizawa, I Know Your Secret

On his way back to the classroom, Bai Ye ran into Kushida Kikyou, who had been waiting for him by the wall.

The sweet, adorable girl happily bounced over and said with a playful pout,

"You're so slow. I've been waiting forever."

"What do you want with me this time?"

He looked at Kushida with a slight frown.

It wasn't that he disliked Kushida. He just thought she was too dangerous, and that he shouldn't get too close to her for now.

Not unless the time came when he truly needed to win her over.

After all, in the original story, this girl could betray her class without batting an eye. No matter how cute she acted, she couldn't change her true nature.

Unlike Horikita, she still held on to a little goodwill toward the world. Kushida, on the other hand, was a pure individualist. Everything she did served her own interests.

Of course, if she could be like Liu Bei and spend her whole life as a righteous and benevolent person, then Bai Ye would still respect her, no matter what her true nature was.

Unfortunately, what had happened in middle school had already shown that she didn't have the patience to endure those negative emotions.

Kushida hadn't noticed what he was thinking. She stepped forward and took his hand.

"About those points earlier... thanks! How should I thank you?"

"No need. Suzune and Meiyu got some too."

"Really?" Kushida looked a little surprised. "Horikita's your girlfriend now, and I won't even mention Miu, but you transferred points to me... Could it be that...?"

Of course it was to get you off my back so you'd stop bouncing around in front of me.

"What do you think?" he asked in return.

"I think... Hmm... Oh, you're so mean! Don't make me say it~" Kushida lightly tapped his arm and acted coy.

"..."

When he showed no reaction, a trace of disappointment crossed Kushida's face. But she quickly recovered, leaned closer, and kissed his cheek.

"That's your thank-you! See ya~"

The girl gave him a quick wink and bounced away.

Watching her lively figure, he sighed and continued toward the classroom.

After school, he received an invitation from Sato. To thank him and Horikita for helping her study, she wanted to take them to karaoke.

He had no reason to refuse, so he agreed at once.

After packing up, he and Horikita arrived at the karaoke room. As soon as they entered, they saw that there was another girl there besides Sato.

It was none other than Kei Karuizawa from their class.

Bai Ye was a little puzzled, but he didn't ask.

When Karuizawa saw them, she came over to greet them.

Unlike the cold attitude she'd shown him last time, she seemed much friendlier now and even invited them to take their seats.

Once everyone had settled in, Sato started chatting with Horikita, acting like they were close friends.

After spending time together over the past few days, Sato had realized that Horikita was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She'd become more casual around her as a result.

But even though Sato was outgoing, she didn't dare say anything that might cross Horikita's boundaries. She knew how cold Horikita could be when she was angry. It was like having a mountain bearing down on you, leaving you unable to breathe.

After that, they took turns singing. They chatted and snacked between songs, and with Sato leading the way, the atmosphere gradually grew livelier.

Horikita was still expressionless most of the time, but she occasionally chimed in, so she was at least joining in.

Yet in the seemingly ordinary, cozy room, Bai Ye sensed something off.

It was because of Karuizawa. She kept brushing against him as if by accident—sometimes her chest, sometimes her arm.

He hadn't minded the first couple of times, but after it happened repeatedly, he began to wonder what she was up to.

Karuizawa, however, always looked perfectly calm. Sometimes she even smiled and chatted with Horikita, leaving him unsure what to make of it.

Halfway through the gathering, Karuizawa finally revealed her true intentions. She leaned close to Bai Ye's ear and whispered,

"Come outside for a bit. I need to talk to you."

Then she stood up.

"I'm going out with Jingu to grab some snacks. Wait here, okay?"

"Sure." Horikita glanced at them but didn't think much of it.

Sato waved cheerfully.

Though he found it a little strange, Bai Ye followed Karuizawa out of the karaoke place. They kept walking until they reached a dimly lit alley.

Karuizawa finally stopped. She clasped her hands behind her back and turned to face him.

A hint of sorrow clouded her rather cute face. In a subdued voice, she asked,

"Would you be willing to hear about my past, Jingu?"

"..." Bai Ye thought for two seconds. "No."

He already knew about Karuizawa's past, and hearing it again wouldn't mean anything, so he flatly rejected her.

Now it was Karuizawa's turn to look troubled.

"Why...? Are you really not interested in me at all, Jingu?"

"...I guess not." He hesitated too. He didn't know whether Karuizawa would become a target for one of his missions.

And with his current romantic entanglements already complicated, he really didn't want to get mixed up in Karuizawa's affairs.

Even if he did feel sorry for what she'd been through.

If he confirmed that Karuizawa wasn't a mission target, he would give up on her without hesitation.

He had no reason to date her. Without the system, he probably wouldn't date anyone, Suzune included.

Other people would probably focus entirely on getting stronger after acquiring a system, but he was different.

He wondered what the point of getting stronger was. Revenge?

Honestly, he didn't have much desire for revenge. At most, he'd complain about it—a childish notion, like a little kid's.

Ever since he'd crossed into this world, he'd always felt out of place, unable to truly fit in.

That wasn't surprising. He hadn't been from this country in his previous life, and he couldn't relate to it very much.

The other reason to get stronger was to enjoy life.

To be honest, he'd already achieved that. He had more money than anyone could spend in several lifetimes.

Those had been his thoughts before enrolling.

But now he had people to protect, so he had to get stronger.

He didn't know how powerful the people plotting against him from behind the scenes were. His real enemies weren't the students at this school, but the titanic forces lurking in the shadows.

Without strength, all he could do was wait to die.

So for Suzune and Wang Meiyu, he had to take that step.

Now, back to the matter at hand.

"Karuizawa, I actually know about your past."