It's True That I Like You / A New Member Joins the Study Group

"Yes, I am that domineering, but I can be very considerate at times."

Aoyama moved the shy Sakura to his side and stood up from the cushion.

"I'm going to the bakery to buy some cakes as dessert during my study break. It should take about half an hour."

"I'll have to trouble Airi to look after the house for a while."

After smoothing Sakura's bright red hair, Aoyama left the room.

Chapter 225 It's true that I like you.

I am not worthy to be my brother's sister at all.

Feeling thirsty and with chapped lips, Horikita Suzune snapped out of her study mode, took a sip of water, and her thoughts began to wander again.

A chaotic class full of mutual accusations, a sudden wave of public condemnation, and Aoyama Shiki bursting into the classroom and standing in front of her.

The conflict that happened yesterday kept replaying in her mind.

What exactly does that person take me for?

He clearly beat her to a pulp, yet he went to the classroom to protect her, even resorting to violence.

The Ayanokoji lying expressionless on the ground after being beaten, and Aoyama looking down at him with a cold gaze that seemed somewhat angry, was particularly vivid in Horikita's memory.

Thanks to the powerful Aoyama, although the students of Class D were still full of complaints, they dared not repeat the Matoba being condemned by thousands of people in the morning.

"Knock knock--"

"They've arrived."

The sudden knocking on the door of the quiet room startled Horikita Suzune from her reverie. She left her desk and went to open the door, puzzled.

Her tutoring sessions with Karuizawa were usually in the afternoon, and she hadn't received any notification from Karuizawa about a time change.

Good morning, Suzune.

"Not good at all."

Reflexively, Horikita Suzune gave a cold reply, while Aoyama, holding two large paper bags, stood in front of her.

"At this time, we should have some dessert. I bought some for you too." Ignoring Horikita's cold and resistant gaze, Aoyama walked straight into the room and placed the things he was carrying on the dining table.

After buying the cake and returning to his dormitory, he realized he still had some time, so he went to Horikita's room to comfort someone who had been severely reprimanded the day before.

"Who gave you permission to come in?" Horikita asked coldly as she followed him into the room.

"It's not like it's forbidden, is it? Why don't you go and report me to the Student Council?"

With a light laugh, Aoyama took out a small cake he thought was delicious from the bag and sat down on the familiar cushion.

"I didn't know which one you liked, so I picked the one I like. Next time you want to please me, remember to buy this one!"

"Who's trying to please you?"

"Who can predict the future? But you don't expect me to feed you, do you?"

After opening the transparent box on the chocolate cake, Aoyama moved the cake over to Horikita's side, then looked up at Horikita, who was still standing there, her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly lost in thought.

Wearing sporty shorts, a beige loungewear top, and a light pink cardigan, Horikita Suzune looks surprisingly good in her casual home style.

"What... what do you think of me?" Horikita Suzune slowly sat down, staring intently at Aoyama's face.

"That's a rather vague question. Let's eat first, and I think I'll have a better idea after we finish."

With one hand supporting his face, Aoyama gazed at Horikita's irresistibly cute face.

Horikita Suzune is a very troublesome girl. She blindly idolizes her older brother and presents herself as an arrogant, conceited, aloof, and cold queen, but deep down she is a weak and kind-hearted child.

He had spent a considerable amount of time with Horikita, and the only word that could best describe Horikita Suzune was "child."

Children who are easily influenced and whose personalities are not yet fully formed.

Her aloof and strong appearance, as well as her cold and unapproachable behavior, all stem from her poor imitation of her older brother.

"You're looking at me like that... I feel a little uncomfortable." Savoring the wonderfully sweet taste of the cake in her mouth, Horikita looked up and met Aoyama's deep, confident brown eyes.

As she expected, Aoyama was still watching her quietly, seemingly with great interest as if there were flowers blooming on her face.

"I brought you all the delicious food, so what's wrong with letting me see the pretty things?"

"Something pretty??"

After muttering something to herself, and realizing what Aoyama was saying, Horikita clearly felt a feeling of happiness welling up inside her.

"Whatever you want."

Suppressing her discomfort at being watched by Aoyama, Horikita tried to eat the cake Aoyama brought in small, elegant bites, savoring the flavor that Aoyama liked.

Before long, the palm-sized cake was completely gone from her stomach, and her previously suppressed emotions were greatly relieved by the stimulation of dopamine.

"You've finished eating, can you talk now?" Horikita Suzune asked immediately, without putting the empty plate in the trash can.

This problem has been bothering her for a long time, especially these past two days. Last night, she was lost in thought for a long time before finally falling asleep, I don't know what time it was.

She desperately wanted to know what her place was in Aoyama's heart.

Not wanting to change the subject, Aoyama looked at Horikita seriously and said, "She's a little troublesome, but because she's so cute, she's perfectly fine."

"That's not what I want to hear. Besides, what do you mean by 'child'? Aren't you the same age as me?" Horikita bit her lower lip, somewhat dissatisfied.

"Wait, I haven't finished yet. But since you have a problem with the word 'child,' I'll explain."

Capturing Horikita's adorable gesture of biting her lip, Aoyama continued, "Just like when you look at Yamauchi Haruki, do you think his personality is that of someone his age?"

A person's personality will automatically evolve with age, a notion that seasoned adults would only scoff at.

Because it's so funny, it's completely unrealistic.

Just as Ichinose single-parent family, sometimes refers to her students as children, she subconsciously feels that most of her classmates are less mature than she is.

Horikita was not as good as most of the students in Class Ichinose because she chose to imitate her older brother during the period when she could have grown up the most.

Having been alone since elementary school, expecting Horikita to be worldly-wise and sensible is simply asking too much of her.

"In my eyes, Suzune, you still have a lot of room to grow; you are a wonderful child full of potential."

"Like your brother, I want to see you grow up healthily and become the kind of girl I like even more."

Because of her immense potential, Aoyama actually paid even more attention to her than Horikita Suzune imagined, to prevent her from being influenced by certain bad guys and going astray.

"A girl you like even more??" Horikita Suzune's expression gradually stiffened.

This statement clearly demonstrates that Aoyama likes him.

Although he mercilessly attacked the class he led, he liked himself, so what's the big deal?

"Yes, after all, Suzune, you're so cute. Even though your personality is a bit troublesome, you're kind at heart, so that's perfectly fine." Aoyama nodded as he continued, "My feelings for you are completely genuine and not a joke."

"If she weren't a girl I liked, I wouldn't have spent over a hundred days having dinner and chatting with her every night."

If his dislike for Horikita Suzune outweighed his liking for her, he would go to the cafeteria to eat, even if it was too much trouble, instead of eating for the full one hundred days he had agreed upon with Horikita.

"Well, I know you're confused right now. Calm down and call me anytime if you have any questions."

Seeing that it was almost time, and with Horikita Suzune looking like she didn't know what to say, Aoyama packed his things, patted Horikita's head, and left.

Chapter 226 A New Member Joins the Study Group

"Hey, Hasebe, you're still here?"

Carrying the cake back to his room, Aoyama found Hasebe still there, sitting close to Sakura.

Judging from Hasebe's slightly amused expression, it's likely that the two reached a certain consensus while he was away, and Hasebe is no longer too concerned about Sakura and his relationship.

"What, can't I be here?" Hasebe pursed his lips, but didn't deliberately put on a sour face.

After speaking with Sakura alone, she realized that continuing to wear a sour face would only add to Sakura's troubles and affect their friendship.

Convinced by Aoyama's previous remarks Sakura's determination, she decided to follow Sakura's wishes, get along well with Aoyama, and stop being hostile towards him.

Aoyama smiled gently. "No, it was just a little accident, and I bought too many cakes too."

He rarely makes a special trip to the bakery, and thinking that some people might want more after trying it, he bought two extra portions so that he could have it as a late-night snack if no one else wanted it.

He was only counting a small amount, and hadn't even considered saving.

"Hasebe, are you coming to the study session later?"

In half an hour, it will be time for the usual Saturday study session to begin.

Aoyama remembers that Hasebe's grades weren't very good; he was unbalanced in some subjects and could only barely pass.

Hasebe frowned. "Studying—"

There are always reasons why someone might not do well in school. Hasebe's reason is the same as that of any other student: he simply doesn't like it and is lazy.

"If you don't want to drop out of school, I suggest you, Hasebe, start studying hard as soon as possible, or you could try to improve your physical fitness."

Place the cakes one by one in the refrigerator, Aoyama sits opposite the two of them.

There are quite a few students in Class D who are not good at academics or sports, but Hasebe is the only one who has few friends.

Based on strength and value, Hasebe is the easiest to be discarded.

"Do you have some inside information?" Hasebe wasn't foolish enough to think that Aoyama was threatening her. She felt that as the Student Council Vice President, Aoyama might know something.

"There's no such thing as inside information; it's just a simple assessment of the situation in Class D."

Aoyama smiled and began to explain, dispelling Hasebe's misunderstanding.

"Currently, Class D lacks a strong and credible leader. Faced with Special Exam that could lead to expulsion, they will only become lambs to the slaughter."

"Leaving aside the future, just looking at the final exams after the Sports Festival, if no one organizes the high-achieving students to lower their scores, the high average score could create two or three dropouts."

"Well, it's not like we have absolutely no inside information."

When talking about the Midterm Exam, Aoyama recalled something.

"The final exams after the Sports Festival will be innovatively turned into Special Exam, which will increase the chances of dropping out for struggling students, especially those who are weak in certain subjects."

Am I in danger?

Hasebe was well aware of his own grades, and he also knew that he was particularly unbalanced in some subjects.

She doesn't want to drop out of school yet.

With a worried look on her face, Sakura grasped Hasebe's hand, "Gaga."

As Hasebe was the only friend she got along with in the class, she naturally didn't want him to risk dropping out of school.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best." Hasebe placed his hand on Sakura's hand to comfort her, then lowered his head towards Aoyama.

"Excuse me, Aoyama- kun, could you please include me?"

She knew that Aoyama had invited her entirely because of Sakura.

"Okay, then we can begin now."

Hasebe planned to give Aoyama some extra lessons beforehand, letting him familiarize them with his teaching methods.

When Kamuro and Yamamura opened the door and entered the room, they discovered that there was a new member in the study group, a pretty girl whom they had never heard of before, and whom Aoyama had some connection with.

Their exceptionally well-developed figures intimidated the two women.

I thought Sakura was invincible, but I didn't expect that there would be a rival among the first-year students.

"You kept it a secret really well, Shiki." Standing behind Aoyama, Kamuro pinched and tugged at one of Aoyama's cheeks.

After their relationship was semi-established, her mindset changed. Now she couldn't accept that Aoyama had secretly taken in another cute girl without telling her.

You should at least tell her beforehand; she won't stop you.

"This is Airi's friend, not what you think." Aoyama's voice was distorted as his cheek was pinched.

"Oh, really?"

Knowing that Aoyama wasn't someone who would deny it, and that Kamuro also knew she had misunderstood, she released her grip on Aoyama's cheek and patted Aoyama head as a gesture of comfort.

"You think you can just get rid of me like that? No way, Masumi, you have to let me touch you too." Grabbing the hand that was trying to leave Kamuro, Aoyama made his demand firmly.

He regretted agreeing to Kamuro; he needed her permission to stroke her hair.

That lustrous purple hair felt so good to the touch, but he didn't get to touch it very often.

There are outsiders here, next time.

Seeing Hasebe's curious expression as he watched his interaction with Aoyama, Kamuro immediately agreed to Aoyama's request and then simply sat down next to Aoyama.