In a practical education, scheming against people? I can also do a little.

"You know, if you really like him, it's not impossible, but you'll need to train that body of yours a bit more."

As a woman who had battled with Hoya Chukai, Ryuen Shoko knew exactly what his combat power was like. As for Shiina Hiyori's physique... she'd likely be cut down in two rounds.

She, however, was different. Even though she was always on the losing end, she hadn't been defeated yet!

As long as she didn't surrender or admit defeat, she wasn't a loser!

"Tsk tsk, the boss and the strategist are arguing again."

"As expected, the strategist is a man of deep sin."

The camera crew watched this scene unfold, gossiping among themselves while capturing it all on film.

Two girls arguing over a boy was just the kind of thing that got them excited.

As for Shiina the strategist... because she was essentially the third-in-command of Class C, everyone called her Strategist Shiina.

However, no one felt jealous of her position; after all, it was a role full of work and no benefits.

Hoya Chukai had dumped a lot of tasks on her, from organizing study groups to managing the camera crew's logistics and future class fund records. It really looked like a heartless playboy tricking an innocent, naive girl into doing his labor.

Tsk, what a sinful man.

What's more, he always had some ambiguous relationships with girls from other classes; Hoya Chukai's reputation as a playboy had started spreading secretly from within Class C.

As for the boys... some were envious, some were just watching the show, and some were jealous. All sorts of emotions were present. After all, who wouldn't want to be a playboy for once and experience a sweet romance?

Chapter 80: Bubbles of Happiness (The Lost Chapter 7 Has Been Captured)

The morning passed just like that. Aside from being pinned down and teased by an annoyed Ryuen Shoko, nothing else of note happened.

Everyone was doing their own thing: the camera crew was busy filming, Shiina Hiyori was preparing for the study session, Albert had been called away by Hoya Chukai to act as a panda for Class B again, and as for himself... he was slacking off.

"Ah, this kind of life is just wonderful~"

Lying on his desk, Hoya Chukai was happily blowing bubbles, already looking forward to the end of the school day.

The lesson content had already been covered, and with a few minutes left before the bell, the teacher had opted for self-study, giving everyone a chance to review the material.

But for Hoya Chukai, this bit of knowledge... hah. Mere high school physics.

"Chukai-kun~ Chukai-kun~"

Hoya Chukai, still blowing bubbles, heard someone calling him. He squinted and scanned his surroundings, eventually identifying the caller by Ryuen's annoyed glare.

Shiina Hiyori.

It was rare for Shiina Hiyori to call him during class. She was sitting diagonally behind him, and seeing Hoya Chukai look over, she tossed a small ball of paper at him.

Catching the paper, Hoya Chukai began to read it.

'Chukai-kun, I've noticed that Ryuen-san's grades aren't particularly good. If she continues to be this lackadaisical, there might be problems when the exams come around. Could you please help tutor her?'

It seemed Shiina was aware that it was impossible to get Ryuen to join a study group.

So, the only option was for him to tutor her personally.

Looking at the contents of the note, Hoya Chukai's face immediately crumpled.

Good grief, he had to deal with this too?

He couldn't help but look at Ryuen Shoko, wondering if her grades were really that bad.

Regardless, she was so carefree; surely she must have some way to pass the exams, right?

"Exams? Wouldn't it be fine to just cheat when the time comes?"

"Cheat your head! I thought your grades were decent so I didn't pay much attention, but it turns out you're on the list too!"

Hoya Chukai slammed the desk in frustration. He didn't dare slam the person, but the desk was fair game.

"What, do you have a problem with that?"

"How could I not have a problem? Boss, if you keep going like this, you're going to get expelled."

"Then why don't you just become the boss?"

"It's not that simple. I've figured it out—you just don't want to join the study group, right? Fine, start reviewing with me tonight. Stop staring at that phone of yours."

"No."

"Then I'm throwing away your beer."

"..."

Seeing the increasingly dangerous look in Ryuen Shoko's eyes, Hoya Chukai had to respond in kind.

Some things couldn't be left to her whims, or it would just be a mountain of trouble later.

Matters like this had to be handled properly, or it would be too late to review when the time came.

"Tch..."

Seeing that Hoya Chukai actually dared to threaten her, Ryuen Shoko made an unfriendly gesture at him.

But at the very least, it seemed she had agreed to it.

Alright, then that was that.

Wiping away his sweat, Hoya Chukai left the school building and returned to his dormitory to tidy up the mess he hadn't cleared away that morning.

After cleaning up his place and grabbing a quick bite to eat, he headed back to the school building to prepare for the upcoming classes.

"Strategist, take a look at this. Does it work?"

"Hmm... it's a bit too exaggerated. Our filming should focus on authenticity. Don't worry, we have plenty of time, no need to rush. Take it slow."

"Strategist, Shiina said she needs to discuss the study group with you in more detail."

"Oh? Where is she?"

"She's busy over there."

"Good grief, there are so many people. Fine, I'll go see how the study group is doing."

"Strategist, am I still going to Class B this afternoon?"

"What, you don't want to go?"

"It's just... I feel like they're too enthusiastic."

"Hey, that enthusiasm is exactly what we need. This important task falls on you alone; if I sent anyone else, they wouldn't be able to pull it off. Be a good sport and go keep playing along with them."

Between managing the camera crew, soothing Albert, and checking on the study group, Hoya Chukai felt like he was getting busy all over again.

Ah, compared to him, Ryuen Shoko, who was sitting not far away with her legs propped up on a desk while playing on her phone, looked incredibly relaxed.

That made sense; Shiina and he were doing all the heavy lifting, so she only needed to hold down the fort.

As for anything else? Even if he asked her to do it, she might not do a good job anyway.

"What's wrong with the study group now?"

"We've realized there are too many struggling students, so we're having a headache. One student has to teach five others; we simply can't keep up."

"Then why not join forces with Class B?"

Hoya Chukai clapped his hands and asked in return.

Since Class C didn't have that many geniuses, they would just have to call in reinforcements.

Joining forces with Class B wasn't just talk; they had to do something practical.

He figured Class B might think of it as a collaboration, but they were probably just treating it like a game of house—they were still too conservative.

"Oh, right. But how do we bring it up to Class B?"

"Just tell them the truth. Talk to Ichinose directly. Their class has plenty of well-behaved kids; if you talk to them properly, it'll be easy to get their help. By the way, all of you remember this: Class B is our ally. You can be cold to other classes, but when facing Class B, even if you're crying, you'd better be smiling while you do it. Don't scare them off, understand?"

"Understood!"

Seeing everyone's reaction, Hoya Chukai couldn't help but nod. He thought of something else and said to Shiina, "Also, drag Albert along. He's our diplomat now, and his grades are pretty average too, right? Just tell them it's for the sake of mutual effort and progress. Throw in some slogans to get Class B fired up. You can do that, right?"

"That's easy. No problem."

Seeing Shiina Hiyori indicate that it was no issue, Hoya Chukai nodded and let her and the others get back to their work.

There were still a few minutes left before class, so they could keep on bustling about.

Ah, once classes are over this afternoon, I can finally rest~

Stretching his arms out wide, Hoya Chukai slumped back down onto his desk.

Mmm~ the desk is so comfortable~

"Hey, come buy alcohol with me this afternoon."

"Drinking again? We have to study this afternoon, you know~"

"If you don't buy it, I'm not studying."

"Fine, fine. I'll buy it, but don't think for a second that you're getting away with just drinking and not studying once we get back~"

Still radiating happy bubbles, it was rare for Hoya Chukai to be in such a good mood.

So, he and Ryuen Shoko quickly made the arrangement.

However, another problem emerged that afternoon that required some serious thought.

Chapter 81: No Rush, Just Play Along

"Tsk, clubs."

Hearing that this had come up, Hoya Chukai couldn't help but rub his temples.

Well, a roadblock had appeared.

The biggest issue for the study group was that club activities were indeed great at consuming the students' free time.

In particular, the study group was scheduled for after afternoon classes, which was exactly when club activities took place—a direct conflict.

So, what should they do?

"Does that even need thinking? Give way to the clubs, and push the study group back to the evening."

"But everyone's motivation to study isn't as high in the evening."

"Heh, as if it's that high during the day. Let's rotate shifts so they don't get annoyed by studying for so long every day. Tell them to negotiate with their clubs too. Aside from a few specific ones, most clubs shouldn't require daily attendance, right? If you talk to their club presidents, they should be understanding. After all, students should prioritize their studies."

Hoya Chukai had never considered this kind of trouble before. Back in China, who had the time to join a club?

That was the sort of thing only university students would think about.

"Excluding the recreational clubs, the serious ones that likely require daily training are the various sports teams. For those, try your best to ask if they can arrive later, or if that's impossible, every other day. If that still doesn't work, suggest they study during lunch instead. Unless everyone feels that studying doesn't matter, or they can guarantee their scores will reach at least half of the average, you don't need to worry about them. Remember, the main purpose of the study group is to help the failing students pass."

"Alright, I'll find a way to negotiate."

As she spoke, Shiina Hiyori also felt it was quite tricky; such a heavy workload was indeed a headache.

"Prioritize the sports clubs, then the various formal ones. As for the clubs that look like they're just for entertainment, they should be easy to negotiate with. And don't always think you have to do it alone—call on more people, or ask Class B for help."

"Is it really appropriate for us to keep bothering Class B?"

"Don't worry, they'll be happy to help. After all, their current needs have gradually reached the level of self-actualization."

In this academy, Maslow's hierarchy of needs was highly applicable. Once physiological and safety needs were guaranteed by points, the next steps were social belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. These little angels already enjoyed helping others, and teaching others could also improve their own academic ability, so why not?

"If you run into any obstacles, tell me, and I'll solve them. Don't always think you have to carry it all yourself. I asked for your help only because I don't have enough time to deal with the trivial matters myself, not because you are required to solve them no matter what. Don't wear yourselves out."

"Okay, I understand."

Watching the blushing Shiina, Hoya Chukai couldn't help but rub his chin... Had he just said something strange?

Forget it, it wasn't important.

Clubs, huh...

Hoya Chukai stood by the window, watching the lively club recruitment outside, and couldn't help but sigh.

Back when he was in China, he had joined a literature club, and after that... forget it, it was all water under the bridge.

In any case, the ending for everyone hadn't been very good; they had all gone their separate ways and never contacted each other again.

Sigh, youth is truly wonderful.

Feeling inexplicably old, Hoya Chukai let out a sigh, looking at the classroom where there weren't many students left.

"What's wrong, Shiina? Why are you still standing there?"