Karuizawa's Tears

"Shameless."

Horikita's gaze sharpened. She glanced at Albert, who was watching her like a bodyguard from behind Ryuen, then said no more and moved away from him.

Having figured out what Ryuen really wanted, she knew there was no point trying to talk him into giving her the food she was missing.

Arguing further would only waste precious energy.

The right thing to do was eat and rest as soon as possible, so she could conserve her strength for tomorrow's actions.

"It's enough to wake Horikita once tonight. Anything more would be overdoing it." After Horikita left, Shiina appeared beside Ryuen. "Horikita seemed pretty levelheaded just now."

"If she starts thinking that resting in Class C was a mistake, we won't be able to carry out the rest of the plan."

Watching Horikita's beautiful retreating figure, she offered Ryuen her suggestion.

According to Ryuen's original plan, he hadn't intended to let Horikita sleep peacefully tonight. He'd planned to wake her up at least three or four times.

"You're not saying that out of sympathy, are you, Shiina?"

"I understand where I stand, Ryuen."

Meeting Ryuen's sharp gaze without flinching, Shiina replied with a smile, then left at an unhurried pace.

As a member of Class C, even if most of her classmates had no expectations of her, she still wanted to help Class C reach Class A. Graduating together from Class A, happy and smiling, would be even better.

She could accept using somewhat underhanded methods to achieve that.

As long as they weren't too serious.

Like Aoyama, the seemingly soft and gentle Shiina Hiyori also had a flexible moral compass.

At Class A's base, elsewhere.

Unlike Horikita Suzune, who had eaten poorly and was about to get little sleep as well, Kushida Kikyo was surrounded by Class A students, and had even received more food than they had.

It wasn't that Katsuragi had given her special treatment. The Class A boys were simply trying to curry favor with her.

"Thank you, Machida."

"Don't mention it. It was just a small favor."

Beside the fire, Kushida, accompanied by her female friends, thanked Machida Koji for bringing her water while he was passing by.

"I don't think I've seen Aoyama around. It's pretty late already." Kushida pretended to be puzzled.

Ever since Aoyama had discovered her true nature, she'd been constantly looking for a way to retaliate against him.

Since she'd be eating and sleeping with the Class A students for the next few days, she planned to learn more about Aoyama and see if she could find something to use against him.

Even if she couldn't, she could still make a few subtle moves to turn Class A against Aoyama.

Ideally, she'd give herself a pleasant surprise and have Aoyama expelled without him knowing what was coming.

"Don't bring up that traitor. He doesn't even admit he's a Class A student." Machida looked irritated. "He's probably somewhere out there, hungry and freezing."

He seemed to want everyone to know how much he disliked Aoyama, and his voice wasn't quiet.

The Class A students were used to it. Whenever Aoyama wasn't around, Machida would pull this sort of thing now and then.

"I'm starving. Could you spare me something to eat, Machida?" Wearing his backpack, Aoyama appeared before the Class A students from the darkness.

He'd wanted to bring Yamamura some tasty food, so he'd set out a little early.

But as soon as he arrived at Class A's base, he heard Machida complaining about him.

"Y-You're here already?"

"What, you don't welcome me?"

Aoyama stared calmly into Machida's eyes and walked toward him without hurry.

Yamamura had told him that Machida badmouthed him from time to time, but he hadn't taken it seriously.

He knew what he'd done, after all. As long as Machida didn't say it to his face, he'd pretend not to know.

Being insulted didn't cost him anything.

"So what if I don't welcome you!" Machida glanced at Kushida, who seemed lost in thought, and felt a rush of heat.

It would have been giving him too much credit to say he had no impure thoughts about this incredibly popular and adorable girl.

Right then, Machida Koji was going to stand up to the great demon king, Aoyama Shiki, and show off his manly side.

"It won't matter. I'm just—"

Aoyama raised a fist toward Machida's chest, but moved so slowly that he hardly looked like he was trying to hit him.

As Machida watched the fist and started to question him, it suddenly sped up and slammed into the center of his chest. The force knocked him down onto the ground.

Now you'll see the essence of the fast-slow punch, kid.

Taking advantage of Machida's hesitation, Aoyama had struck fast and knocked him down. He looked down at the frightened boy, neither excited nor pleased with himself.

Guilt over beating up a classmate? As if he'd feel something like that.

He wasn't angry about Machida's behavior. He'd only acted to maintain his own authority.

"What are you doing, Aoyama?"

Kito, who'd witnessed the incident nearby, immediately stepped in front of Aoyama. On the way, he removed his white gloves.

In the firelight, Aoyama saw the veins bulging across the back of Kito's hands, which he usually kept covered by those gloves. They looked terrifying.

"Nothing. Just teaching a clown who keeps jumping around a lesson."

"Since you were the one who started it, then—"

"Please stop, Kito." Supported by Nishikawa Ryoko, Sakayanagi Arisu approached one step at a time. "Violence could get our class disqualified from the exam."

"But he just hit Machida." Kito's face was full of anger.

"But it was over quickly. Mashima-sensei can pretend not to have seen it."

Letting go of Nishikawa, Sakayanagi stepped between Aoyama and Kito and looked up at Aoyama's calm face from close by.

"If Kito starts something, I doubt Aoyama will just stand there and take it."

"I don't make a habit of taking hits without hitting back."

Aoyama answered coolly and took two steps back, so Sakayanagi wouldn't have to tilt her head up so far.

Sakayanagi was right. If Kito attacked him, he wouldn't just stand there and take it.

If the commotion got loud enough, Mashima, who was monitoring the students nearby, couldn't possibly pretend not to see it.

That was why he'd used a trick to take Machida down in one move.

"Hmph!"

Thinking of the unacceptable consequences Sakayanagi had warned him about, Kito could only put his gloves back on and leave, deciding it was better not to look.

As the nearby Class A students watched in fear, Sakayanagi calmly put an end to the farce that had looked ready to spiral out of control.

Chapter 75: Karuizawa's Tears

Good grief. Why couldn't I get a moment's peace?

But at least I finally caught you, you bastard Aoyama!

Sneaking up behind Aoyama with Yamamura, Kamuro jumped up and put him in a full nelson.

"Now let's see you run, bastard."

With the large backpack between them, Kamuro clung to Aoyama's back.

"Are you still mad, Kamuro?" Recognizing the voice beside his ear, Aoyama immediately gave up on using the Mamba Elbow Strike.

He'd thought some idiot had lost his mind and wanted to challenge him to a one-on-one showdown.

"I'm just that petty. Why don't you give me a punch too?"

"How could I? You're one of my nearest and dearest friends, Kamuro."

With a wry smile, Aoyama crouched down to let Kamuro back onto the ground.

Her tousled purple hair fell in front of him, and her faint, distinctive scent filled his nose.

It was the first time Kamuro had ever been this close to him. Even through the backpack, he could feel how soft her body was.

If only there weren't a backpack between them.

But without the backpack, Kamuro probably wouldn't have dared do something this bold.

With that softness against his back, Aoyama's thoughts began to wander.

"Yamamura, hand it over."

"Isn't that a little mean?" Yamamura sounded hesitant.

"Just give it to me. Hurry up."

What did she mean by that? Kamuro probably knew where to draw the line, right?

Held in place, Aoyama couldn't see what was happening behind him, and began to panic a little.

"Open your mouth."

"Are you going to force a kiss on me? Should I close my eyes?"

Even though he knew whatever was coming wouldn't be pleasant, Aoyama still couldn't help teasing Kamuro.

It would be even better if he could see the embarrassed, angry look on her face.

"Who'd force a kiss on a bastard like you!" Kamuro's voice sounded hurried, and the arm she had around his neck tightened.

"Ow, ow, ow—"

"Who cares? Open your mouth already."

Kamuro sounded tough, but Aoyama could feel her arm loosening around his neck.

Noticing that more and more Class A students were watching, he thought it over and opened his mouth.

Kamuro didn't look like she'd stop until she got what she wanted.

"Feel the pain."

As Kamuro spoke with obvious delight, she tossed a finger-sized wild jujube into Aoyama's mouth. Its skin was split, and it was entirely green.

The intense sourness, like biting straight into a lemon, instantly twisted Aoyama's face in pain.

"At least the ones I gave you were ripe."

After Kamuro let go with satisfaction, Aoyama straightened up and spat out the thing in his mouth.

Seeing the jujube, green all over and not a trace of yellow, he looked at the smug Kamuro with exasperation.

"My life motto is that if someone does something bad to me, I pay them back double."

"You must've just thought that up." Aoyama grumbled as he brought the backpack around to his front, opened it, and took out two bags of marshmallows, handing one to each of them. "And here I was, bringing snacks for you and Yamamura."

Sugar was humanity's best friend, always.

"Call it compensation."

"Thank you."

Unlike Kamuro, who casually took hers with one hand, Yamamura accepted hers with both hands, her cheeks a little shy.

When she noticed the other students looking, she lowered her head even further.

Knowing Yamamura felt uncomfortable with everyone's attention on her, Aoyama led the two of them to an unoccupied corner.

Which one was the real him?

After watching Aoyama beat someone up and then get force-fed by Kamuro, Kushida couldn't help feeling jealous of Kamuro.

When it came to Aoyama, she could say for certain that she disliked him more than she liked him.

But even if she disliked him more, she still didn't want him to treat her so differently.

Why could he joke and smile with Kamuro, but act cold and domineering with her?

She didn't think she was worse than Kamuro in any way. She should be the most popular girl!

"Class A, gather up. We're about to take roll call."

At eight o'clock sharp, Mashima appeared at Class A's base, his face stern.