Meow

Karuizawa Kei instinctively wanted to refute, knowing full well that what gave her courage was the memory of Ryo standing in front of her, taking a knife for her.

Kitagawa Ryo's eyes held a gentle smile as he said:

"But these kinds of things are always judged by actions, not intentions, and Hui's intentions were perfectly reasonable."

"No matter what, this is how I imagined Hui to be."

"I'm really happy."

Kitagawa Ryo was initially indifferent to Karuizawa Kei because he disliked this parasitic way of life. Perhaps it was because he had been relied upon and trusted in reality, but had failed too many times.

Perhaps, as Mr. Izaki said, he is actually still a child who wants to depend on others.

Kitagawa Ryo's favorite play is Macbeth, because he enjoys the feeling of being loved in it, having someone to lean on, and sinking into her soft arms to dream.

"Could you clean my ears?"

"Benefit."

With his eyes closed, Kitagawa Ryo slowly unearthed the most basic desires and unfulfilled wishes that had been suppressed in his heart for the past.

"Good."

Karuizawa Kei always carried an ear pick with her. She helped Kitagawa Ryo and gently placed his head on her lap.

She gently cleaned Kitagawa Ryo's ears, and because her head was lowered, a few strands of hair fell naturally, tickling Kitagawa Ryo's nose.

However, at this moment, Kitagawa Ryo was already immersed in the strange pleasure of being dominated by others.

I relinquished complete control of my body and emptied my mind.

He could feel the soft touch and the refreshing scent. Karuizawa Kei lowered her head and breathed warm air close to his ear.

"Turn to the side a little."

As he moved, he felt his lips touch the skin of Hui's thigh. Kitagawa Ryo, somewhat dazed, tentatively opened his eyes.

"Just close your eyes and leave everything to me."

Karuizawa Kei's beautiful eyebrows were slightly curved as she gently covered Kitagawa Ryo's eyes with her other hand.

The palms are warm.

"Relax."

After saying this, Karuizawa Kei gently brushed Kitagawa Ryo's hair aside with her slender fingers, softly grasped his ear, brought her face close, and gazed into the depths.

Feeling the organs next to his brain being manipulated, a certain mental pleasure almost melted away all of Kitagawa Ryo's rationality.

Forget about all your worries and experience the sweet thrill of being truly alive and loved.

It felt like someone was watching deep inside my head, and there was an instinctive urge to confide in someone within my soul.

My heart was pounding, and I could feel my body temperature rising.

The sounds around me seemed to fade away, leaving only echoes; even the concept of time seemed to have become blurred.

Karuizawa Kei lowered her head slightly and kissed Ryo's closed eyes; the kiss was very soft and warm.

It is full of gentleness.

Chapter 61: Meow

Welcome back.

After finishing three days of competition, Kitagawa Ryo was immediately asked to return to school. He was pulling heavy luggage in one hand and holding a huge bouquet of flowers in the other. He stopped in front of his dormitory room. Just as he took out his key from his pocket and opened the door, he heard words coming from inside the room.

He subconsciously responded with:

"Oh... I'm back."

Then Kitagawa Ryo quickly realized:

"You guys didn't each get a spare key to my room, did you?"

Who knows?

Horikita Suzune smiled and shook her head. Her hair, which had been temporarily tied into a ponytail while cooking, swayed slightly with the movement. She stretched out her right hand, her slender little finger gently hooking the hair tie, and let all her black hair down again. Her smooth, long hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, creating a dynamic beauty.

"After all, I'm quite 'envious' of Ryo being able to take a spontaneous trip when the class is at its most chaotic."

As she walked to the door, Horikita Suzune took the luggage from Kitagawa Ryo's hands, her tone hardening as if she were gritting her teeth.

On May 1st, homeroom teacher Mashima Tomonari announced the basic rules of Class Points, plunging the entire Class D into chaos. The most popular and respected students in the class Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi, unexpectedly left with Kitagawa Ryo. Moreover, before Kitagawa Ryo, Horikita Suzune had joined the Student Council.

With Sakayanagi Arisu watching the drama unfold, she emphasized that this was an honor unique to the First Year representative of Class 1-A, Katsuragi Kohei, was rejected in the interview. He was Horikita Suzune's true defeated opponent, never mentioning that he was also a nominal Student Council member.

The series of shocks did indeed leave the students of Class D confused. At this time, they urgently needed someone who seemed reliable to step forward, whether to stabilize morale or to lead the class forward. However, neither Ichinose Honami nor Sakura Airi, who seemed to have the best chance, were there. As a result, Horikita Suzune was inexplicably put in this position.

"This should be a good thing, right? Doesn't Suzune want to lead Class D to Class A with honor and show her growth in front of her brother? Things change, and back then you ignored me..."

Seeing Horikita Suzune tilting her head with an indifferent expression that said, "Keep making this up," Kitagawa Ryo awkwardly stopped talking. He quickly handed the huge bouquet of flowers in his hands to Horikita Suzune.

Surprise!

"What we've already seen can't really be considered a surprise, and besides, this should be yours..."

Before Horikita Suzune could finish speaking, a small white creature emerged from the bottom of the bouquet. Hotaru understood the situation in about a second and, quite obligingly, meowed and hopped into Horikita Suzune's arms.

Still covered in leaves and petals, and carrying the fresh scent of flowers and grass, the pure white kitten simply winked at Horikita Suzune, instantly melting away her feigned icy demeanor and bringing a smile back to her lips.

"How was that? Not bad, right?"

Kitagawa Ryo was also showing off triumphantly, just like his interference in Horikita Suzune's life. The kitten named [Hotaru], who could accompany him for life, had long since become a part of his life.

The first purpose of this trip to participate in the competition was to establish communication channels with students outside the school, to help deliver letters or gifts and make friends with upperclassmen. The second purpose was to take this opportunity to bring Hotaru in, although Kitagawa Ryo initially planned to put Hotaru in the water bottle, since it is said that cats are in a liquid state.

After half an hour of bold hypotheses and careful verification, Kitagawa Ryo changed his plan. In the end, Hotaru hid in the bouquet and was sent to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School under cover.

"If they're discovered, not only will Hotaru be deported, but Ryo will also be punished."

As Student Council member, Horikita Suzune was familiar with most of the school rules. After a brief moment of surprise, she regained her composure and hugged Hotaru with some concern.

"It's okay, as long as you stay in your room and don't go out, it'll be fine. And once you have enough points, you can just exploit a bug in the school rules and buy a qualification for Ying to live here."

"After all, points can buy everything here."

Kitagawa Ryo was already quite adept at secretly keeping cats in the dorm, and he casually waved his hand to indicate to Horikita Suzune that she didn't need to worry.

"However, to be fair, Suzune's actions could be considered embezzlement."

Remembering Horikita Suzune's identity as a Student Council member, Kitagawa Ryo gave a mischievous grin and reached out to casually stroke Hotaru's hair.

"... Well, I'm not the older brother, so why would I be the Student Council President?"

"Perhaps, occasionally, turning a blind eye isn't a problem."

Horikita Suzune, blushing slightly from Kitagawa Ryo's teasing, stomped her foot in frustration. She grabbed Hotaru's two front paws and rubbed Hotaru against Kitagawa Ryo's face, howling loudly.

After a while of playful banter, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune washed their hands thoroughly and meticulously before sitting down at the dining table. Hotaru had already started to skillfully crawl into Kitagawa Ryo's wardrobe, preparing to build herself a warm little nest out of old clothes, just like she remembered.

Before he could even stick half his head inside, Horikita Suzune, with lightning speed, grabbed him by the back of Fate neck and easily dragged him back to the living room.

"I just washed, dried, and folded the clothes inside two days ago, so don't mess with them."

With a look of utter despair, Hotaru could only lie on the bare floor for the time being, watching Kitagawa Ryo, who showed no intention of speaking up for her. Hotaru scratched her chin and decided to temporarily downgrade Horikita Suzune's "Pooper Scooper" status by one level.

The rule has been downgraded to Level 2, which prohibits touching one's own head without permission.

Looking at Horikita Suzune had washed her hands again, Kitagawa Ryo casually asked while eating the meal she had prepared in advance:

"So, what's the situation with Class D and the other three classes now?"

"Let's not do these unnecessary things while eating."

With a slightly disgruntled glance at Kitagawa Ryo, Horikita Suzune pushed the plate in the middle of the table a few more times towards Kitagawa Ryo. She seemed to have already eaten, and was just propping her head up as she watched, or rather, enjoyed, Kitagawa Ryo eating her homemade food.

This was a new yet nostalgic experience for Horikita Suzune. In the past, her cooking was simply about selecting ingredients that were good for her health, cooking them in a monotonous way, and then eating them without any expression.

However, unlike when she saw her older brother Horikita Manabu to eat her cooking, Horikita Suzune now seemed to experience a deeper, almost tranquil joy.

After her explanation, Kitagawa Ryo indeed stopped talking and quietly enjoyed Horikita Suzune's cooking.

The soft clinking of chopsticks against plates, the gentle sounds of chewing and swallowing, and the purring of a cat nearby—the two of them shared this moment in perfect harmony.

"I'm full."

With a satisfied sigh, Kitagawa Ryo put down his chopsticks, feeling as if a long time had passed, yet also as if only a moment had gone by.

"Go buy some daily necessities for Ying, but the school might not have them. If all else fails, buy some materials and make a nest yourself."

Waving his arm, Kitagawa Ryo suggestion, of course not forgetting the greatest hero who had just heroically saved his master.

"Good."

With a soft "yes, "Horikita Suzune skillfully tidied the table. She was probably the most skilled at housework among all the girls Kitagawa Ryo knew, even surpassing Ichinose Honami. After all, her mother would rather see Honami studying than sharing housework.

After washing the dishes with Horikita Suzune, Kitagawa Ryo neatly put them back in the cupboard. He also told Hotaru not to wander off and to stay in the room before taking Horikita Suzune out of the dormitory.

The temperature in early May already carried a hint of summer. Horikita Suzune took off her school uniform jacket and draped it over her hand. The school uniform jackets of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School were all red, regardless of gender, but the color of the inner shirt could be chosen by the students themselves. Kitagawa Ryo remembered that Karuizawa Kei usually wore a blue inner shirt.

However, like most students, Horikita Suzune chose the most basic white. Unlike the impact of red, Horikita Suzune, wearing a pure white shirt, seemed to form a stark contrast with her jet-black hair, and her temperament seemed to be a bit gentle and delicate.

"The question Liang asked about the class earlier..."

However, when Horikita Suzune glanced at Kitagawa Ryo with her purplish-red pupils and began to speak seriously about important matters, she seemed to suddenly return to her original demeanor, exuding a dignified aura that was completely different from when she was in Kitagawa Ryo's room.

"Um."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded. Compared to Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami before they changed, Horikita Suzune was a more independent person, both in terms of her own opinions and ideas.

Although this personality trait can easily lead to getting stuck on minor details.

"Because of Liang's disruptive behavior, the Class Points this year are basically at a record low since the school was founded."

"In previous years, Class C would have had more Class Points left over in the first month than Class A does now."

Horikita Suzune lowered her voice cautiously as she spoke, but since it was noon, there weren't many students on the road leading to the convenience store.

"So it's not just our Class D, the other three classes also had a strong reaction."

"Ryuen Kakeru from Class C realized he'd been tricked by Liang and came to see Liang once, but you weren't there. He just said a couple of harsh words and looked rather grim."

"Class B should have the least reaction. On the one hand, the students in the class are relatively stable, and on the other hand, the gap between them and Class A is actually not that big. In a sense, it's a good thing that everyone's points have shrunk, since there are fewer points to catch up with."

"As for Class A, the blame has been entirely placed on Koenji Rokusuke, who has already dropped out of school. Although some students in their class are somewhat panicked about the possibility of being surpassed by Class B, the class Katsuragi and the homeroom teacher Chabashira have managed to calm them down in time. Perhaps Katsuragi will even change his style of doing things because of this."

At this point, Horikita Suzune paused for a moment:

"After all, his previously advocated conservative style was based on the premise that Class A had a significant advantage. At this stage, Class A no longer has much of an advantage compared to Class B. If they stubbornly stick to their current approach, they will easily be overtaken."

"As for our Class D?"

When her class was mentioned, Horikita Suzune visibly furrowed her beautiful eyebrows.

"The only good news is that, like Class A, all the responsibility for the past month has been dumped on Yamauchi and Ike, which makes everyone look a little better and allows us to barely maintain a semblance of a group."

"The most fundamental problem hasn't been solved yet, and quite a few students have already given up on advancing to the next class, since there's absolutely no hope in sight. Although Mashima teacher Majima said that passing the Midterm Exam might increase Class Points, it seems like Yamauchi and Ike have absolutely no chance of passing, so it's practically the same as not getting any points at all."

Horikita Suzune also seemed somewhat puzzled at this point:

"So why didn't Liang just expel those two students? By keeping them in for another ten days or two weeks, most of the students in Class D have lost their motivation for the upcoming Midterm Exam."

"That's exactly what's good—no motivation at all. Everyone's just trying to pass anyway, and the class average will just get dragged down."

Kitagawa Ryo's answer sounded very perfunctory at first glance, but Horikita Suzune still sensed something was off. Just as she was about to ask a few more questions, she realized that the two of them had unknowingly walked to the entrance of the convenience store, so she had to keep quiet for the time being.

There seemed to be quite a few students shopping at the convenience store. After all, it was the beginning of the month when points were distributed, and students had plenty of money. A considerable number of students were chatting and laughing as they shopped, interspersed with a few First Year students looking worried and comparing prices of the same type of items.

This year, the Class Points for First Year are basically only half or even less than in previous years. Leaving aside Class D with zero points, Class C this year only has a little over 100 Class Points. If you convert that, that's just over 10,000 Private Points per month, which is only one-tenth of the previous 100,000. It's normal that they have to live a little tighter.

However, the predicament of the new students was not applicable to Kitagawa Ryo, who had more than ten million points in his hands. He and Horikita Suzune walked towards the area where there might be pet supplies, discussing in hushed tones.

Pets are not allowed at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, so cat beds, cat litter, and cat food are naturally unavailable. However, the two of them didn't intend to buy ready-made products directly, but were looking for alternatives or raw materials.

"If I had known that the first month's test would be on classroom discipline, I would have definitely given that guy, Koenji, a good scolding."

"... After all, they've already dropped out of school. Let them work hard again later."

Across a row of shelves, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune overheard two Class 1-A chatting about class matters while selecting items.

"As for the Midterm Exam, Class A will definitely pass without any problem."

"But Katsuragi still organized a study session. Are you planning to participate?"

"Going to take a look isn't a bad idea. After all, Katsuragi's grades are among the top in the entire grade. A student's primary responsibility is still studying and getting good grades. I guess any Special Exam in the future will basically be testing academic ability. Learning more knowledge is definitely a good thing."