You're No Good. Big Black, You're the One!

Nine parts truth and one part lie could still sound utterly convincing.

"She's developed in every area—morals, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor—but she's never had a friend or interacted with anyone her own age. After you left, I gradually realized this while talking with Ayanokoji. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said we needed your help."

The male student from Hoya Real Estate munched on fried chicken and asked them not to stand around, but to sit down and talk. "To be honest, I'm a guy, so there are a lot of private matters I can't help with. I'll need you two to assist me. Out of the 160 students in our year, I think you two are the best fit. In my eyes, your kindheartedness makes you the most likely to help this little princess understand social relationships."

As he spoke, the male student from Hoya Real Estate started putting on his shoes by the door. He thought he should stock his dorm room with some drinks. Beer alone wouldn't be suitable for the girls. "I'm going to buy some juice. Is there anything you'd like to drink?"

"Oh, anything's fine with me." "Um, isn't that too much trouble?"

See? What's the difference between a fake angel and a real one? It was plain as day.

"Hey, it's no trouble. I was going to stock up anyway. If neither of you has any preferences, I'll just buy whatever."

He put on his shoes, grabbed his phone, and headed to the supermarket to buy drinks.

The trip there and back was quick. By the time he returned to the dorm, Ichinose and Kushida had already started talking with Ayanokoji.

Their conversation was mostly a series of questions and answers. Talking with Ayanokoji was enough to convince them that what the male student from Hoya Real Estate had said was true.

This little princess really didn't know a thing.

"Here, everyone. I assume you're all okay with strawberry milk?"

"That's fine, thank you."

He handed each of the three a bottle of strawberry milk and put the rest in the fridge.

Who knew? Maybe he'd bring another lost little girl back to the dorm later.

For no particular reason, the male student from Hoya Real Estate began to think his dorm room might get pretty lively in the future.

"Eat up, everyone. It'll get cold if you don't."

As he spoke, the male student from Hoya Real Estate picked up Arrow of Time from beside him. He'd finally remembered to read.

Obviously. If he didn't read, was he supposed to die in front of Shiina tomorrow? He couldn't afford to mess with that girl who seemed sweet on the outside but was dark within.

"Arrow of Time? Hoya, I didn't know you read books like that."

"I just swapped books with another student. If I don't read it, she'll give me an earful tomorrow."

"Oh~ her, huh~"

As it turned out, even little angels loved gossip.

Kushida and Ichinose wore such nosy expressions that the male student from Hoya Real Estate couldn't help growing wary. And why was Ayanokoji making that face too? Had she been infected?

(I don't know why they're doing this, but if they're all acting that way, I might as well join in.)

Ayanokoji, who had very clearly been thinking that, looked just like an ordinary girl at that moment.

"Who is it? Don't tell me it's Shiina? She loves recommending books to people."

Ichinose had guessed correctly. She couldn't help it; her social skills were so strong that in just two days, she'd already made the first steps toward getting to know quite a few girls.

That was how she was able to name Shiina Hiyori outright.

"Shiina? You mean that girl from Class C? Wow, Hoya, I didn't know you went after girls in your own class, too, not just the ones in Class A."

Oh, Kushida, so you're getting back at him by abusing your position, huh?

The male student from Hoya Real Estate's face darkened. Who said things like that?

"Then, by your logic, I've got girls from Classes B and D wrapped around my finger too?"

He didn't say it outright, but he was clearly referring to the two gossiping girls.

Watching their expressions change, he couldn't help sighing. "All right, my attitude toward those two is the same as yours. Don't get the wrong idea."

"Then why did you bring her food..."

"It was just a favor. There's nothing else going on. Anyway, enough gossip from you two. Instead of talking about me, why don't you check on that little princess who's so eager to find capable people?"

The male student from Hoya Real Estate pointed to Ayanokoji, who was still putting on a gossipy expression over there... Wait, why had her style changed too, just because she'd become a girl?

Had she gone from brooding to... goofy?

Or maybe... a sweet, innocent airhead?

Having escaped that inexplicable bout of gossip, the male student from Hoya Real Estate breathed a sigh of relief. He went back to flipping through the book, reading the story of Arrow of Time.

The next day flew by like an arrow, and soon the three girls said their goodbyes and left.

Clearly, the three girls had formed the beginnings of a friendship. Truly worth celebrating, truly worth celebrating.

It had nothing to do with the male student from Hoya Real Estate, anyway. All he wanted now was to read for a while and get some rest.

He'd used up too much brainpower today.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again. The alarm was still right on time, blaring at seven o'clock.

He smacked the alarm and, yawning, quickly changed his clothes.

He put on the uniform he'd hung up to dry yesterday, tossed his other clothes into the washing machine, and got ready to go out for breakfast.

It was only the third day, so he still had to keep gathering information.

"Hey, morning." "Morning."

In other classes, you could still hear greetings like that. But in Class C, there was only a deathly silence.

After all, the ruler of Class C, Ryuen Shoko, was sitting at her desk with her legs crossed, reading some random book.

Well, a random book. She didn't like studying, and as long as she passed her exams with low marks, that was good enough.

"Hey, boss. Morning."

"Morning."

Hearing the male student from Hoya Real Estate greet her, Ryuen Shoko replied automatically. But a moment later, she raised her head and once again pinned him to a desk in the blink of an eye.

"Ah, ow, ow! Boss, why are you doing this to me again?"

"Tell me, how many girls did you bring back to the dorm last night?"

"I was just gathering information. That doesn't count as... Ow, ow, ow!"

"I asked how many girls you brought back to the dorm yesterday. Give me a straight answer."

"Three, three... I'm gonna break!"

"Three? You've got some nerve. So, how were the girls from Classes B and D?"

"We were just having a proper discussion. There was nothing like that... Agh!"

"So what did you discuss?"

"How to deal with Class A. Plan B is halfway complete, I swear. Please let go, my arm's really going to break!"

"You're telling the truth?"

"I swear on my life! Ow, ow, ow!"

"You'd better not be messing with me. Or else... heh."

The male student from Hoya Real Estate, freed from Ryuen Shoko's grasp, couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, he'd survived.

But... who the hell was spreading rumors about him? Huh?!

You're No Good. Big Black Guy, You'll Do!

Anyway, at least he'd made it out alive.

Rubbing the arm Ryuen Shoko had once again manhandled, the miserable male student from Hoya Real Estate returned to his seat and continued with class.

He'd arrived just in time, so class had started before he'd even settled in.

So after giving the male student from Hoya Real Estate a look, Ryuen Shoko sat down and started listening to the lesson.

Listening to class was incredibly boring, and for most Class C students, these lessons were genuinely painful.

There was no need to mention Class C's grades. Most students only did a little better than the passing mark, generally scoring around sixty or seventy. Compared with Classes A and B, their disadvantage was obvious—and considerable.

Fortunately, under Ryuen Shoko's intimidation, everyone still listened obediently.

Perhaps that was how Class C survived. If the leader of Class C had been a gentle girl like Ichinose, even if she shouted herself hoarse telling everyone not to play around or sleep in class and to pay attention, some students still wouldn't have listened.

But with Ryuen Shoko's intimidating presence, everyone could be made to behave.

Well, everyone was behaving, but Ryuen Shoko wasn't.

It wasn't that she was slacking off during class. Rather, once class ended, she dragged the male student from Hoya Real Estate into another discussion about how to stir things up.

He'd already told her there was no need to rush, but she seemed terribly impatient.

She was impatient, and the male student from Hoya Real Estate was getting impatient too. It was lunchtime, and he wanted to eat.

It was noon. Was everyone supposed to skip lunch and hold a meeting here? She might be the queen, but people were made of iron and food was steel.

"As I said, we need a willing sacrifice."

He held up a finger and repeated himself. "Without a willing sacrifice, this won't work."

"A willing sacrifice? We've got one. Albert."

Ryuen Shoko snapped her fingers. The dull, quiet Black student sitting over there stood up.

"What do you think of him?"

"He's pretty big. Have you got anyone a little more delicate, but still gutsy?"

"Delicate but gutsy? That's a tall order."

Ryuen Shoko looked at another student. "Kaneda Satoru."

"Here!"

Kaneda Satoru stood abruptly, his back ramrod straight.

"How about him?"

"You sure he's got guts? He's willing to sacrifice himself?"

"Think he'd dare disobey me?"

"Fine, then. I'll test him."

Since Ryuen Shoko had said that, the male student from Hoya Real Estate really ought to give it a try.

This plan needed someone who would obey every order without question. Whether he was big and muscular was secondary. What mattered was that he followed instructions—without fail.

"Here, try headbutting the wall for me."

"Huh?"

Kaneda Satoru looked utterly baffled. He hadn't expected the male student from Hoya Real Estate to say something like that. He stared at Ryuen Shoko, and that reaction only proved she'd been bluffing.

"Bang!"

Ryuen Shoko slapped the table hard, glaring at Kaneda Satoru in exasperation. "I told you to headbutt the wall! Did you hear me?"

"I-I heard you."

After receiving the order, he looked at the wall beside him. He took a couple of deep breaths, tilted his head back slightly, and prepared to charge.

"Forget it. You're no good."

The male student from Hoya Real Estate stopped him with his next words. That single "you're no good" had already sealed Kaneda Satoru's fate.

He hurriedly turned around, flustered, and pleaded with the male student from Hoya Real Estate. "No, please give me another chance. I mean it."

"You. Go ahead and do it."

The male student from Hoya Real Estate didn't bother talking to him. Instead, he looked at Albert. Albert reacted completely differently from Kaneda Satoru and immediately charged at the wall with a loud thud.

A dull bang rang out, and everyone stared at his head.

That had been brutal. A huge bump had already risen on his head.

"All right, you'll do."

Compared with Kaneda Satoru, Albert's reaction was what satisfied the male student from Hoya Real Estate. He nodded and said to Ryuen Shoko, whose face had darkened beside him, "This big guy will do. We'll have to make do with him. I still need to refine the plan. The role isn't quite what I'd expected."

Not quite what he'd expected, yet the perfect choice all the same.

The male student from Hoya Real Estate had initially chosen Albert when designing the plan, but he'd soon given up on him. He was worried Albert was too big and might make the other person reluctant to act.

But now, it looked like Albert was the only option, so he'd need to adjust what he planned to say. Hmm... he'd have to think it through carefully.