A Changing-Room Conflict

"I'm betting too. By the way, I'm betting on Sakura."

Seeing the message Yamauchi Haruki had sent, Kageya Shinjitsu thought of the girl named Sakura.

She was just as withdrawn as ever, a plain-looking girl who wore glasses.

She hardly spoke to anyone and didn't have many friends. It seemed that, apart from Kushida Kikyo, all the girls in the class with good figures were like that.

Maybe that was why Yamauchi Haruki could say things so shamelessly.

"I'm only telling you guys this, but actually, Sakura confessed to me."

"What? Seriously?"

"Seriously! But keep it a secret!"

"She's so plain, of course I turned her down. But I saw her in casual clothes once, and she was pretty big."

He said to keep it a secret, but his voice was loud enough for the people in front of him to hear.

Kageya Shinjitsu could already see many of the girls looking over with disgust, as if they'd spotted something filthy.

"Idiot. Even if she's not cute and dresses frumpily, who cares as long as she's got a big chest? Big is justice. Haven't you heard? If she's really that big, shouldn't you be even more inclined to date her?"

"If she's not on Kushida or Hasebe's level, I'm not interested. I don't go for plain girls like that."

Kanji Ike insisted that big breasts were all that mattered, while Yamauchi Haruki argued back.

Anyone who didn't know better might actually have believed she'd confessed to him.

With Sakura absent, Yamauchi spoke without restraint, and there was no one around to deny his story.

They weren't just talking about it in the group chat. They shamelessly discussed it in class, too. Yamauchi Haruki even looked rather pleased with himself as he spoke, especially when he saw the envious looks from the classmates he'd fooled.

He ignored the girls' expressions entirely.

Hearing the voices behind him, Kageya Shinjitsu turned around. Sure enough, the girl named Sakura wasn't at her seat.

Kageya Shinjitsu seriously suspected she'd run off because of them.

This is ridiculous.

What a bunch of idiots.

Studying them feels like a waste of time.

I thought they'd noticed something. I really overestimated you.

Just keep showing off your chests and welcome the next month.

Kageya Shinjitsu had gotten a sense of what was going on in the chat group. The messages were exactly as he'd expected.

He'd lost interest.

Some people kept urging him to place a bet.

Kageya Shinjitsu decided to leave.

Without saying a word, he left the chat group.

"Why'd he leave?"

"Kageya Shinjitsu?"

"What's his deal?"

"..."

A few quiet exchanges came from behind him. They'd obviously noticed that Kageya Shinjitsu had left the group chat.

But no one came over to say anything.

After all, since he'd left without a word, there wasn't much to say.

From now on, it probably wouldn't be possible for him to join them anyway.

Though Kageya Shinjitsu had never wanted to fit in with them in the first place.

He imagined himself hanging around with them and discussing which girl in class had the biggest chest.

It felt like...

A disaster waiting to happen.

Classes went smoothly.

Soon, lunch break ended.

At last, the boys' long-awaited swimming lesson arrived.

Kageya Shinjitsu could feel how excited the boys were as they headed for the indoor pool in groups.

Kageya Shinjitsu was excluded from the boys' group.

Hirata, the popular guy, was likewise surrounded by beautiful girls.

Then there was the eccentric Koenji Rokusuke.

He was said to come from a zaibatsu family and was excellent academically and physically, but he never treated his classmates as equals.

He was also a problem student, and one of the boys who was shunned by the others.

The Twenty-Ninth Chapter: A Changing-Room Conflict

Just as Kageya Shinjitsu was about to head to swimming class, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

Then someone tapped his shoulder, and a warm, gentle figure appeared.

She soon fell into step beside him.

"What's wrong?"

"You're not going with them?"

"Didn't Ike say he'd get you into the group chat?"

Seeing Kageya Shinjitsu alone, Kushida Kikyo greeted her friends, then came over to ask what was going on.

"I don't get along with them."

Kageya Shinjitsu glanced at her and didn't explain further.

Though he was a little curious. He wanted to ask whether she knew what they'd been talking about.

Should he tell her they'd been discussing her huge assets and planning to make a ranking?

Of course, that was only a thought. Kageya Shinjitsu didn't think he was close enough to her to say something like that.

"Oh, I see." Kushida Kikyo seemed to understand.

Then she continued.

"So, do you have anyone in mind? Someone you'd like to be friends with..."

"A boy or a girl."

"Either is fine..."

"I can introduce you to people..."

Kushida Kikyo was very good at saying suggestive things that could be misunderstood.

She wanted to get close to people and find out what was on their minds.

She watched Kageya Shinjitsu expectantly, almost as if she wanted him to choose her.

An ordinary boy with little self-control would have chosen her without hesitation when he saw those bright, eager eyes.

"A goal?"

"I don't have one."

Kageya Shinjitsu thought for a moment, then shook his head.

In this class, he had no intention of getting close to anyone yet.

"So you really are hiding something. Tell me, what's your goal?"

"Come on, tell me!"

Kushida Kikyo tried to coax Kageya Shinjitsu into opening up, acting cute and clingy as she repeatedly touched him.

Unfortunately, even by the time they reached the indoor pool, she still hadn't managed to persuade him.

"I'm going to the girls' side now."

"Do your best too, Kageya. Make a few friends, or you'll get lonely."

"Good luck."

After leaving him with a few caring words, Kushida Kikyo ran over to her friends, who were waving to her.

Her huge assets bounced as she moved, making the boys let out a few lewd laughs.

Kushida Kikyo simply gave them a bright, warm smile.

The boys' changing room at the indoor pool.

The school provided swimming trunks, but students could bring their own. The school had no rules against it.

The moment Kageya Shinjitsu walked in, the lively changing room fell silent.

Kanji Ike looked displeased.

"Stop using Kushida."

"Some people think putting on an act will get Kushida's attention."

"Disgusting. And you act like you're being bullied."

"You're no man."

After those contemptuous remarks, he turned to leave.

He was venting his anger over Kageya Shinjitsu leaving the chat group, as well as his displeasure at seeing Kushida Kikyo walking with Kageya Shinjitsu.

Ike wasn't the only one. The other boys ignored Kageya Shinjitsu, making their rejection perfectly clear.

It was even worse than before.

"Dumbass."

Looking at Kanji Ike, who thought he was so cool, Kageya Shinjitsu spoke slowly.

The guy was completely ruled by his hormones.

"What did you say?"

Kanji Ike had been about to leave, but now he turned around.

Yamauchi Haruki and Ken Sudō, standing beside him, looked over too.

They'd clearly been through something together recently, and their relationship seemed pretty good.

"I called you a dumbass."

"Can't you hear?"

Kageya Shinjitsu smiled for once as he watched Ike fly into a rage.

"Bastard."

Unable to tolerate being looked down on like that—especially by someone he looked down on—Kanji Ike charged at him, raising his foot to kick Kageya Shinjitsu.

"Dumbass."

Kageya Shinjitsu said it for the third time. He shifted slightly to the side and hooked his foot, throwing the one-legged Ike off balance. As Ike stumbled, Kageya Shinjitsu shoved him down hard.

Ike's head slammed into a metal locker in a brutal contest of egg against stone.

"Bang."