The First Round Is Over. / Chapter 58: The Tempered Kitagawa Ryō

"It's not a matter of usefulness. While I don't deny your abilities, I dislike scheming people even more, especially right now."

"Actually, I never felt there was any need to send any assistants into the White Room from the beginning."

"If I were a hundred, then people like five and ten wouldn't be of any help no matter how many came. I'm still confident in that regard in the White Room."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka Yagami Takuya a cold look.

After the incident, he quickly deduced Yagami Takuya's original plan and keenly sensed that the other party wanted to attack both Class A and Class D at the same time.

Considering that Yagami Takuya has been actively taking initiative since the start of the school year, Yagami Takuya's thoughts are already quite clear.

"Moreover, you almost lost your influence in Class B during this incident, and even Class B's class guide Hoshinomiya Chie, didn't capitalize on it."

"I also have upperclassmen, and students I know in those upperclassmen can find out a lot of information, including the recording of Koenji Rokusuke's trading of points. I can help with that and use it to blackmail him..."

Under Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's gaze Yagami Takuya seemed to instantly return to the White Room, back to the fear of being dominated by the other party, and his voice even trembled slightly.

"I regret to inform you that Koenji Rokusuke has submitted his application to withdraw from the university."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka shook his head; he didn't want to talk to the other person anymore and walked out of the classroom.

Immediately afterwards, five expressionless adult men stepped into the room.

Yagami Takuya, who had just been about to chase after him, suddenly stopped in his tracks:

"Why... why are you all here...? Why... why..."

"Your withdrawal application has already been submitted; you are no longer a student at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School."

Having instantly lost all his strength, Yagami shrank back to the size of a child.

Ayanokouji Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood quietly outside the door, watching Yagami Takuya be taken away. He leaned against the railing of the corridor until the group completely disappeared from his sight.

Kitagawa Ryo.

The first round is over.

You should have already planned your next steps.

Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, Drama Club.

Student Council member Horikita Suzune read out the notification document announcing that the Student Council would be going out to participate in a competition through the Drama Club, with a blank expression.

Kitagawa Ryo jumped up excitedly and shouted:

"Yay!"

"Let's go out and have fun—to bring honor to our school!"

Chapter 58: The Refined and Tempered Kitagawa Ryo

"There are so many people during the May Day Golden Week."

"Even though it's only been a month, seeing the streets of Tokyo again still feels like a long time has passed."

Kitagawa Ryo slightly raised the brim of his sun hat, dragging a huge suitcase in one hand, and stood in the middle of the massive intersection, sighing as he waited for the traffic light to turn green.

"I reasonably suspect that Liang chose to escape in order to get away from the current chaos in the class."

Sakura Airi adjusted her sunglasses, which, combined with her oversized sun hat, almost completely obscured her face. She was far more famous here than Kitagawa Ryo; if her fans recognized her, the group would likely be stuck in a traffic jam.

"At least before we left, the class was in complete chaos."

On the other side Ichinose Honami, dragging her luggage, also shook her head. The basic rules of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, which the homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomonari, had revealed yesterday, as well as the fact that the Class Points were currently zero, had plunged the entire Class D into chaos. Even though the most troublesome students in the class Yamauchi and Ike, had been locked in the dormitory and were being suspended from school, feelings of unease, doubt, and panic quickly spread.

Fortunately, Ichinose Honami's speculation about Private Points at the beginning of the semester made many more cautious students pay more attention to point spending, so most students can guarantee their basic living standards next month.

Nevertheless, Mashima Tomonari's explanation of the rules for the midterm and Final Exam plunged the students of Class D back into despair.

Students who fail any subject in the midterm or Final Exam (below half the class average) will be expelled.

Putting aside the fact that many students in Class D have poor academic performance, the fact that Yamauchi and Ike were suspended is enough to make the whole class worry.

It's not that the students in Class D care about these two that much, but judging from their entrance exam scores and the results of the quiz at the end of April, the students in Class D know that these two will definitely not pass the Midterm Exam, especially since Yamauchi and Ike are currently suspended from school.

Whether Yamauchi and Ike drop out of school is not the point; the key issue is that if they drop out, Class D's Class Points will be deducted again.

This is the future that the entire Class D sees with absolutely no hope. The high-achieving students feel that their efforts are useless, while the low-achieving students also find an excuse. Yamauchi and Ike, who have been suspended from school, become the perfect targets.

"We're all out having fun—bringing honor to the school, why bother with these things?"

Kitagawa Ryo generously patted Ichinose Honami on the shoulder, but quickly changed his tune after glancing at the middle-aged man beside him who was acting as a supervisor and instructor, accompanying the Drama Club out of the school.

"Kitagawa is right. Since we're competing outside of school, we should focus all our energy on this."

"Otherwise, it would be difficult for the school to approve the Drama Club's application for the next competition."

The middle-aged man with a somewhat gloomy expression was named Sima Kexian. He was a newly hired teacher at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School and was supposed to be teaching a new batch of First Year students next year. However, he didn't have any work at the moment, so the school sent him out as a supervisor.

"Okay, okay."

Kitagawa Ryo casually agreed, as he was still unable to determine the other party's allegiance, and their communication was rather ambiguous.

Sima Kexian stared at Kitagawa Ryo with dead fish eyes for a few seconds before looking away and said indifferently:

"The light's green, let's go."

Although they were allowed to go out, Kitagawa Ryo and the others had all their communication devices confiscated. Under the supervision of Sima Kexian, Kitagawa Ryo used his mobile phone to contact the organizers of the event. He was soon warmly picked up and taken to a luxury hotel, which was already full of various Theater Troupe that came to participate in the competition.

When Kitagawa Ryo and his party arrived at the hotel, it was dinner time. In the banquet hall on the first floor of the hotel, the crystal-like lights sparkled with a mesmerizing brilliance. In the Matoba, which was as bright as day, the directors and leaders of various Theater Troupe mingled and drank, and the leading actors were also dressed in their finest attire, flitting around like butterflies, exchanging pleasantries, covering their mouths and smiling as they exchanged business cards.

Izaki Taishi is an old man with a thick beard and a shaggy, lion-like beard. Beneath his beard are a pair of eyes that have weathered many storms. His back is straight beyond his years, and even surrounded by a cast of Actor with extraordinary presence, he still exudes an astonishing aura.

As the most famous Theater Troupe leader in the industry, Izaki Taishi, who personally created the legend of Kitagawa Ryo, seemed somewhat absent-minded in the face of the other Actor's compliments. While trying to keep up his spirits and deal with their conversations and toasts, he would occasionally glance towards the entrance of the banquet hall.

"Mr. Izaki..."

"Please make way."

His lips were barely visible, Izaki Taishi's white beard near his mouth twitched, emitting a deep and powerful voice.

Upon spotting a familiar figure, the old man put down the wine glass he was holding and strode towards the entrance of the banquet hall under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

"You've all grown taller!"

"After all, two more years have passed."

Kitagawa Ryo pursed his lips. If he had to choose a true elder in his heart, it would only be the old man in front of him.

Perhaps it was a coincidence of Fate, but the Theater Troupe leader's surname was the same as that of the butler he had met in the simulation.

"... I feel like I was moved for nothing."

As Kitagawa Ryo sighed, he ran around boiling water and making tea for the old man. The old man was now sitting on the bed in Kitagawa Ryo's room, chatting happily with Karuizawa Kei and the other two girls, seemingly completely ignoring Kitagawa Ryo.

To be honest, all the current members of the Drama Club he created are actually acquaintances of Izaki Taishi.

Needless to say, Karuizawa Kei stayed in the Theater Troupe for two years longer than Kitagawa Ryo. Sakura Airi was also an elder who had a relationship with Izaki Taishi and was sent to the Theater Troupe for training for a period of time. Ichinose Honami, she worked in the Theater Troupe's logistics department for quite a long time on Kitagawa Ryo's recommendation.

And that's how the current situation came about.

"Hi - your tea is here, please have some."

After brewing the tea, Kitagawa Ryo respectfully handed it to Izaki Taishi. Back then, he was able to break away from the Kitagawa Family and become independent, which was inseparable from the support of Izaki Taishi. Without Izaki Taishi's help, he would not have been able to reach such heights in just two years.

However, in the two years of his rise to prominence, Kitagawa Ryo almost dismantled the original Theater Troupe. A large number of veterans were abruptly thrown onto a larger stage due to the sudden emergence of this genius, and were subjected to countless scrutiny and scrutiny. The immense pressure prevented many from persevering to the end, which was one of the reasons why Kitagawa Ryo chose to leave the Theater Troupe.

In a sense, he and Sakura Airi are very similar, both choosing to retire at the peak of their careers. However, even so, the Theater Troupe leader never blamed him, but instead chose to let him leave and leave the stage and theater.

Casually accepting the tea offered by Kitagawa Ryo, Izaki Taishi took a small sip. When he smiled, his previous fierce appearance was completely gone; his thick beard and hair trembled, making him look more like a kind Santa Claus.

"Megumi is in the same school as Ryo now, oh, that's definitely a good thing."

"What does it matter if we're not in the same class? Back in junior high, didn't you always transfer three times on the subway to go to that kid's school to see him?"

"Of course--oh, oh my, she even brought a gift for this old man. I've always known that Honami is a kind-hearted girl, and she's also very skillful. There was a performance costume that Honami had sewn stitch by stitch by Fanbo."

"Mmm... It looks good, it definitely looks good! That's the spirit Airi, you lacked that drive back then, but now you've found it. And if you're tired, just take a break. What's the big deal? Even that brat Liang can rest, so why can't Airi?"

Seeing the Theater Troupe leader making the three girls laugh so hard, Kitagawa Ryo could only helplessly curl the corners of his mouth.

Since it had been reported beforehand that the Drama Club would be performing in the competition in collaboration with the other Theater Troupe, Sima Kexian couldn't interfere with the conversation between the group and Izaki, and simply stood silently outside the door with his arms crossed.

The Drama Club's staff was far too small to put on a single performance. Faced with their reasonable demands, and with Horikita Suzune mediating within the Student Council, even Sima Kexian could only temporarily acquiesce to this gossip until he found evidence of a violation of school rules.

As long as the conversation between the group did not mention any words or information related to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, he had no reason to stop them.

Besides, it was just a simple reminiscing session.

"Of course I brought Ying."

Mr. Izaki made a phone call, and soon a kitten came running from the other side of the corridor into the room.

The white cat, which seemed to have never grown up, meowed and rubbed against Kitagawa Ryo's legs Kitagawa Ryo reached out and stroked Hotaru's back, which rose and fell slowly with her breathing. Hotaru never hunched over in front of Kitagawa Ryo; she straightened her body and covered Kitagawa Ryo's right hand with her soft fur.

After petting the cat for the first time in a long while, Kitagawa Ryo subconsciously picked up the teacup on the table, but Karuizawa Kei reacted quickly and slapped his hand.

Along with the crisp, clear sound came her short but undeniable voice:

Go wash your hands.

Although Kitagawa Ryo had no idea how Karuizawa Kei, who was talking to Mr. Izaki without looking at him, had noticed what was happening here, he still obediently agreed, and only retorted as he walked out of the room with the cat:

"Ying is very clean."

"You still need to wash your hands, Grandpa Izaki, don't you agree?"

"Yes, we should keep a closer eye on them, otherwise bad habits will be hard to break once they're formed."

Mr. Izaki nodded in deep agreement, and he loudly addressed Kitagawa Ryo at the door:

"Hey Liang, it's not a bad thing to have someone in charge. You'll see later."

"Is this the reason why Mr. Izaki has remained single?"

Making a face, Kitagawa Ryo fled the room without looking back, heading towards the restroom at the other end of the corridor under Sima Kexian's watchful gaze.

Mr. Izaki's lips pursed down into a thin line, but he quickly smiled again:

"That brat."

He turned to the three girls sitting in front of him and said sincerely:

"If Liang encounters any difficulties, as her elders, we hope everyone can be more understanding."

"It's always been Liang who's been helping us."

Startled by Mr. Izaki's tone, Ichinose Honami quickly responded, and the other two nodded hastily as well.

"Yes, but that's not contradictory. It doesn't mean that a child who's always helping others doesn't receive help themselves."

Mr. Izaki lowered his voice, making it sound hoarse and rough, as if it had been rolled on sandpaper.

"I remember the earliest one of you met Ryo was around twelve years old, right?"

"Has Liang ever told you anything about his past, about his childhood?"

Karuizawa Kei pursed her lips, instinctively turning her head to see the reactions of the other two. Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi did the same. Their gazes met in mid-air before falling back, creating an awkward silence.

Mr. Izaki stroked his beard; he had already gleaned something from the three men's reactions.

"I see."

He read the three names in a very soft voice, then closed his eyes and repeated what he had just said:

"I see."

Kitagawa Ryo washed his hands carefully and meticulously. Hotaru looked at herself in the mirror, using her tongue and claws to groom the bristling fur on her body.

After the water droplets on his hands were dried by the dryer, Kitagawa Ryo carried Hotaru back to his room.

Although the room was still filled with a joyful atmosphere, I felt there were subtle changes compared to before I left.

Kitagawa Ryo sat down next to Mr. Izaki thoughtfully and began to speak:

"We'll probably be performing the day after tomorrow, and we're going to do a dress rehearsal tomorrow."

"This kind of thing doesn't need Liang, the kid who left the Theater Troupe two years ago, to teach us."

Mr. Izaki ruffled Kitagawa Ryo's hair. Hotaru had already climbed onto Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder. At first, she was going to chat with the other substitute Pooper Scooper she hadn't seen in a long time, but Karuizawa Kei and the others didn't seem to be in the mood. Hotaru didn't indulge them. Kitagawa Ryo's shoulders had grown even wider than before, and Hotaru lay on them, lazily licking her paws.