Ryota's Getting Good at Winning Girls Over (4.5k)

Although Class 3-A did not hold an absolute leading position in the entire grade like Class 2-A, after nearly three years, it had already created a considerable gap in Class Points between itself and the lower-ranked classes, especially Class C and Class B. It can be said that these two classes had basically lost the ability to compete for the position of Class A after entering the third grade.

Tachibana Akane originally thought that their Class A's only remaining rival after that was Class 3-B. After all, Class B and Class A were only one step apart in terms of graduation benefits, but their situations were vastly different. They would never give up until the very last moment. Wasn't Ishikura, the Leader of Class B, flirting with Nagumo Ishikura Class 2-A with this in mind? But who knew that the situation would quickly take a turn for the worse, and a situation would emerge where the three classes at the bottom would jointly attack Class A?

Dude... at least Class B got some real benefits from defeating Class A, but you Classes Class C and Class D, who were clearly outmatched, are fighting so hard.

"Yes, the current situation in the third year is indeed all Ayanokoji's doing, and his method of winning over the lower-ranked classes is very simple: he directly dangled a rosy picture of what they'll achieve after graduation in front of them."

Just as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was fully aware of Kitagawa Ryo's actions in his second year, Kitagawa Ryo was also well aware of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's series of operations in his third year. After all, the other party was able to offer millions of Private Points as a real stake to entice Ryuen during the Summer Vacation Special Exam after the first semester ended. By following the clues and conducting a little investigation, one could guess most of the truth.

To be honest, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's logic for acting can probably be traced back to Koenji Rokusuke, or rather, he got his inspiration from Koenji. After all, this Ayanokoji in the real-world timeline is not the experimental subject who escaped from the White Room and hid in ANHS for refuge in the simulation, but a representative who was pushed to the forefront by Ayanokoji Atsuomi himself with a political mission. This means that he can now use the resources and bargaining chips of Ayanokoji Atsuomi and even the Naoe Faction without any scruples or burdens.

In this respect, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who wields such power, is even more troublesome than that handsome guy who used to admire himself in the mirror. After all, the only son and heir of the Koenji Conglomerate mostly had a playful mentality, and his large-scale collection of Private Points from upperclassmen was just to make his school life more carefree. He didn't choose to directly control upperclassmen or even classes like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did.

Seeing Tachibana Akane's puzzled expression, Kitagawa Ryo patiently explained it to her again:

"Indeed, the students in Class 3-C and Class D of the third year are about to graduate. From Class A's perspective, they would definitely feel that the other side doesn't need to make a futile struggle at this hopeless point in time. But the reverse is also true. Precisely because it doesn't matter what they do before graduation, why not choose to add more bargaining chips to their future? That's why Ayanokoji's promise is so sweet to them."

"Yes, that's exactly what Kitagawa said."

Horikita Manabu nodded slightly upon hearing this, and calmly expressed his thoughts:

"However, this won't affect our final result of graduating in Class A."

Class 3-A had already suffered such a blow during the Sports Festival, which not only made them realize the current situation of the alliance between the lower-ranked classes in the third year, but more importantly, it made them get rid of their previous views on Miyabi Nagumo. After all, Horikita Manabu himself, as a gentleman, had not used his power as the student council president to prevent Nagumo Masashi from eventually taking the position, even though he felt that Miyabi Nagumo's ideas conflicted with his own, for a long time. In fact, he had always maintained a very high opinion of Nagumo Masashi.

Just like what he said to Miyabi Nagumo during the Sports Festival, the other party's casual Anzan this time actually came at the cost of all the unspoken trust they had built up over the past two years. Anyway, it was bound to happen sooner or later, and being Anzan during the Sports Festival was better than being sabotaged at a more crucial moment.

"Now that it's been confirmed that Ayanokoji is indeed involved with the other third-year classes, or rather, that he can control them, then it's necessary to inform you and Suzune of what follows."

After displaying a calm yet confident demeanor, Horikita Manabu then revealed to Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune the true purpose of inviting them here today:

"I've worked with Nagumo in the Student Council for over a year, and I'm quite familiar with his ideas about the school. His advocacy of Classroom of the Elite Studio has never been limited to competition between students in the same grade, so there will definitely be more Special Exam between students from different grades."

"Your relationship with Nagumo is strained, while Ayanokoji is on good terms with all the third-year classes except Class A. So, you must be extremely careful when you encounter Special Exam involving cross-grade competition or cooperation."

Horikita Manabu's words to this point, Kitagawa Ryo also discerned a hidden meaning in them, and tentatively asked, resting his chin on his hand:

"It sounds like we'll meet soon?"

"Well, based on past experience, it should be around the next month or two... As for the format, if it's not a training camp, it should be a school trip."

"I see."

Faced with Horikita Manabu's reminder, Kitagawa Ryo nodded thoughtfully in agreement. Sitting next to him, Horikita Suzune's purplish-red eyes also flickered, and she had already begun to think about how to use this information obtained in advance to increase her influence in Class A.

"Okay, that's all for today. See you next time."

Having said that, Horikita Manabu rose gracefully to leave, but before departing, he uttered a seemingly unrelated remark:

I saw your photos on the forum a few days ago... Hmm, nice scarf.

Having just seen off one senior student, Kitagawa Ryo was called out by another senior student who looked melancholy less than half a day later. The good news was that, just like with Horikita Manabu, this time the other student would pay the bill.

"After all, we agreed before that we'd cover the bill for every drink we go out with. Just order whatever you like, it's cold. We still have Private Points left from voting for you at the last Sports Festival, so we might as well just give them to that bastard Nagumo anyway."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Having no intention of disappointing the other party, Kitagawa Ryo casually chose a drink from the local winter special, then casually raised an eyebrow at Asahina Nazuna, who was sitting opposite him, after placing his hands on the table.

"Your coat looks great on you, senior."

His words weren't exactly a forced compliment. After all, compared to the common white or black down jackets, the warm orange-yellow thick coat Asahina Nazuna- senpai was wearing today was indeed eye-catching. Paired with her bright and sunny personality, it gave him a warm and dazzling feeling on this somewhat chilly winter morning.

"Hehe, right? I spent a long time specifically choosing this one."

Seemingly pleased with Kitagawa Ryo's praise, Asahina Nazuna, who had just been cursing Nagumo, nodded smugly, the sunflower hair clip on her forehead swaying with her movements.

So, after exchanging a few compliments about each other's outfits, Asahina Nazuna moved on to her familiar approach with Nagumo, which was her standard tactic when chatting with Kitagawa Ryo. Although she had a wide social circle, when she talked about Nagumo in front of the other second-year students, he could only stammer and not dare to respond. Among her friends, only Kitagawa Ryo could talk to her like that.

"Let me tell you, Nagumo went crazy again the other day. He insisted on removing Kiriyama from Class B's position as vice president of the Student Council. Even though Mizowaki and Tonokawa, who are also Student Council secretaries, disagreed, he wouldn't listen to anyone's advice. He even angered Kiriyama, who apparently came to Nagumo in private, and the two of them shouted things like, ' Nagumo, you'll regret this!' and ' Kiriyama, don't forget, I'm the Student Council President!'"

Upon Asahina Nazuna's words, Kitagawa Ryo already knew that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was making his move. After all, the conflict between Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu was about the two of them vying for an empty position. The best way to avoid offending either of them was naturally to kick Kiriyama, who was occupying the other position, out of the competition. It could be said that this was a case of collateral damage.

"It's alright, actually. After all, it's been like this every year. The position of Student Council vice president is always given to the next batch of freshmen."

"That's true, but only Nagumo has made things so undignified... Speaking of which, since he took office, apart from launching the OAA System, it seems like all he's done is negative news."

At this point, Asahina Nazuna sighed in disappointment, carefully sipping her hot drink through the straw for a while. Suddenly, she looked around alertly, making sure no one was watching her, before leaning forward slightly from her seat and whispering to Kitagawa Ryo:

"By the way, I kind of want to see Hotaru do a backflip again."

Chapter 391: Ryota Knows How to Win Over Girls (4k5)

"Wow, this is my first time in the First Year dorms. Hopefully, everything will be alright."

"It's okay, we're still on winter break. Sudo from our class just invited his seniors from the Basketball Club over to his room a couple of days ago. And although it's First Year dorm, I remember all the dorms at ANHS are the same style, so they shouldn't be much different from yours, second-year dorms."

After Asahina Nazuna offered to go to his room to see the kitten, Kitagawa Ryo didn't refuse and readily agreed, quickly leading his senior into the First Year dormitory building.

"That's what they say, but this is truly my first time here in your First Year, especially as a boy... in a junior's room."

Seeing Asahina Nazuna- senpai hesitate a little as if only then realizing what was happening, Kitagawa Ryo didn't pay much attention. After taking the elevator to the fourth floor, he went to room 408 on his own, took out his key and opened the door first. After confirming that there were no other suspicious traces in the entryway, such as an extra pair or several pairs of shoes, he turned around and greeted his senpai.

"We're already at the door, so let's hurry up and come in. If we linger in the hallway any longer, the other students on the same floor will really notice us."

"Okay, fine."

Slightly 'intimidated' by Kitagawa Ryo, Asahina Nazuna quickly slipped into his dormitory room. Before even changing her shoes, she slammed the door shut from the inside like a thief. Leaning against the door, she let out a long sigh of relief. Once her heartbeat had calmed down a bit, she curiously looked around at the layout of Kitagawa Ryo's dormitory.

The dormitory layout and style assigned to each student at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School are indeed identical, but in reality, the arrangement of each student's room varies considerably depending on the occupant's lifestyle. Asahina Nazuna's first impression of Kitagawa Ryo's dormitory could best be described as completely packed.

Whether it's the kitchen or the desk, almost every tiny corner of the space is utilized to the fullest. All sorts of decorations practically fill her entire field of vision. However, because everything is so neatly organized, even the bedding on the bed, it doesn't feel cluttered at all. Instead, it gives one the feeling of satisfaction that comes from the release of an obsessive-compulsive person.

"What an amazing room--"

Although she had initially claimed she wanted to see the cat's backflip, once inside Kitagawa Ryo's room, Asahina Nazuna completely ignored the small wooden cabin near the shoe cabinet, which looked like a decoration but was actually for Hotaru. After changing into her indoor shoes, she turned to the small kitchen next to the entrance with great interest. She was quickly drawn to the various kitchen utensils hanging on the walls and the oven that took up a large space in the corner. By the time Kitagawa Ryo went in to look, Asahina Nazuna had already picked up his apron hanging on the rack and was curiously holding it up to herself. When she saw him come in, she smiled at him a little shyly and put Kitagawa Ryo's apron back in its original place.

"The cold kitchen is definitely the most extravagant I've ever seen in ANHS. How should I put it? It just feels incredibly professional!"

"It's probably because I usually cook for myself, and I only use the oven for baking in my spare time."

"I know that, after all, I've eaten desserts made by Ryo herself, and your class's dessert shop was especially famous during the Cultural Festival... Hmm, it seems like Ryo has transferred to another class now?"

"Oh, right, didn't you want to see Hotaru? Let me see where she went."

Realizing that Kitagawa Ryo didn't seem to want to delve deeper into the topic of transferring classes, the highly emotionally intelligent Asahina Nazuna smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, hopefully it won't sneak out again like it did the first time I found it, right?"

"No, Ying is very well-behaved."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo walked out of the kitchen and went to his wardrobe. He neatly pulled the wardrobe door open, and sure enough, the other person was curled up in another little nest made of his old clothes, rolling around.

As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and in fact, Hotaru has three places to sleep. One is the wooden hut with "Hotaru's House" written on it. The other is the little nest in the wardrobe, which was originally a temporary place before the former was built. Now it occasionally serves as a temporary refuge when other unsuspecting people come to visit. As for the last place, that is Kitagawa Ryo's own bed.

It has to be said that Hotaru truly lives up to her reputation as a deity disguised as a cat. Unlike other cat owners who encounter problems like cat hair, litter, or other issues, Kitagawa Ryo has never been bothered by Hotaru. However, upon closer reflection, Hotaru has remained unchanged in both size and appearance since he adopted her, so he can only say that he is at peace with it.

Conversely, if Hotaru weren't such an easy cat to raise and requiring absolutely no effort, the other person wouldn't have been able to stay peacefully at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School for so long.

"No matter how many times I look at it, I always think Hotaru's eyes are especially beautiful."

Easily drawn to the cat's presence, Asahina Nazuna, who had been sitting on the sofa, couldn't resist and pulled Hotaru into her arms.

"I saw other cats on campus the other day, but none of them were as cute as Ying."

Are there any other cats on campus? Stray cats?

"It doesn't seem like it. I remember it had a collar around its neck, and it was quite affectionate. It probably came from the faculty dormitory area, since faculty members are allowed to keep small pets there, unlike us students."

"This is the first time I've heard of this, but the faculty and staff dormitories are indeed separated from the campus living area, and since everyone there is an adult, it seems the school wouldn't particularly prohibit this."

"Yes, so I've been thinking of a backup plan for Ryo and Hotaru these past few days. If Hotaru's existence is accidentally noticed or discovered one day, Ryo can try to ask a teacher he's close to for help, and have them pretend to claim her. That should solve the problem—of course, this is just a backup plan for emergencies."

After hearing that Asahina Nazuna was genuinely thinking of him and his sister, Kitagawa Ryo nodded with a smile, showing his appreciation.

"I understand, thank you so much, senior."

For some reason, after Kitagawa Ryo gave a heartfelt thank-you speech, Asahina Nazuna on the other side seemed a little embarrassed. She put her hands under Hotaru's armpits, using her as a shield to cover her face, and her voice unconsciously became much softer.

"Why so formal... It's just a small suggestion from me."

"Besides, Ying is so cute, I don't want the school to just take her away and catch her off campus."

"Right, Hotaru?"

"Meow."

Seeing Asahina Nazuna suddenly start talking to the cat, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but smile and stood up, heading towards the kitchen.

"I forgot to pour tea for you, senior. You treated me to tea at the Keyaki Mall earlier, so let me treat you this time."

"That will be troublesome."

While Kitagawa Ryo went to the kitchen to make tea, Asahina Nazuna resumed her unfinished observation. She quickly and astutely noticed that most of the decorations and ornaments in the room were gifts from girls. Considering the various rumors circulating on the forums surrounding this junior, Asahina Nazuna couldn't help but chuckle, feeling as if she had discovered a wealth of real evidence to prove those rumors true.

"It's a little hot, you can wait a while before drinking it."

Before long, Kitagawa Ryo brought out two cups of black tea and a teapot on a tray from the kitchen. He gently handed one of the cups to the other person and then carefully gave them a word of advice.

"Um."

Asahina Nazuna softly agreed. The air conditioning in the room had already turned up the temperature, so she took off her down jacket, revealing a beige sweater underneath. Compared to the bulky down jacket that almost covered Ichinose Honami to the level of Sakayanagi Arisu, although she was still wearing quite a bit, the curves of the girl's chest were still quite noticeable, showing Kitagawa Ryo what it meant to be a year older than her and called "senpai" (senior).

"Speaking of which, what's Ryo's view on childhood sweetheart relationships?"

While waiting for the black tea to cool down to a drinkable temperature, Asahina Nazuna took the initiative to ask Kitagawa Ryo this question.

In a sense, this was a question that had been troubling her for a long time.

"Childhood sweethearts?"

Upon hearing Asahina Nazuna mention this word, Kitagawa Ryo's hand holding the teacup paused in mid-air, naturally conjuring up the talent he had once drawn called "A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold is a Promise."

If we define childhood friend as growing up together, then in all his Sims, he actually had quite a few childhood friend experiences with the heroines in the stories. Whether it was Ichinose Honami's second Sim, Karuizawa Kei's first Sim, or Sakayanagi Arisu's first Sim, there was even a 'childhood friend from the blue' relationship that would be considered the absolute quintessential romance manga. However, the endings of these stories were not exactly happy.

It could even be said that, in some aspects of the plot, it is precisely this childhood sweetheart relationship that truly restricts their relationship, highlighting the sense of entitlement and fearlessness of the favored one in every way.

"... Although it sounds strange, I actually think the phrase 'being favored makes one fearless' is a good way to describe this relationship."

After saying this, Kitagawa Ryo took a sip of his black tea, only to see Hotaru, who was lying on Asahina Nazuna's lap, wagging her tail at him in dissatisfaction.

Hey, if childhood sweethearts are simply defined as people who grew up together, then wouldn't a younger sister be the perfect fit for that definition of a "childhood sweetheart"?

But she has never done anything like taking advantage of being favored.

"Those who are favored are fearless... I actually think Liang's summary is surprisingly apt."

Asahina Nazuna was taken aback by what she heard, but she quickly grasped the meaning and responded with a wry smile.

After all, the reason why Miyabi Nagumo dared to abandon her and make advances on pretty girls in the second and even First Year without any scruples was simply because he felt that she, his so-called childhood sweetheart, did not have the courage to truly leave him. That's why he became more and more brazen, to the point where he is today.

Aside from her chaotic private life, what Asahina Nazuna finds increasingly distasteful of Miyabi Nagumo is his behavior after taking over Student Council President.

Stubborn, suspicious, and autocratic... These adjectives used by Miyabi Nagumo's opponents to attack him in the past have become increasingly apt over time, especially for Asahina Nazuna, who has known him for a long time Miyabi Nagumo's changes during this period have even exceeded the sum of the other party's previous ten years of life.

If she initially only felt a little disappointed and annoyed, by today, Asahina Nazuna had actually become somewhat numb.

The antonym of "like" is sometimes not "dislike," but rather indifference or lack of concern.

Ultimately, whether you like or dislike someone, it means you're still investing your emotions in them. The relationship truly ends when you no longer care about any news from them or are unwilling to comment on their actions.

Without a doubt, Asahina Nazuna is now close to that stage.

If her initial conversation with Kitagawa Ryo about Miyabi Nagumo stemmed from lingering habits from the past, by now, the other person had almost become a topic of conversation that was no longer relevant to either of them.

She no longer wondered why the other person had become like this, nor did she feel disgusted by their actions.

In Kitagawa Ryo's view, from the moment he asked the question about 'childhood friends,' the relationship between Asahina Nazuna Miyabi Nagumo had already become a mere formality.

However, he didn't think it was a bad thing.

It wasn't that he had any special feelings for this beautiful senior with the air of a girl next door; after all, his schedule was already almost overloaded. He simply felt that Miyabi Nagumo and she weren't a good match.

Childhood sweethearts is indeed a beautiful phrase; simply having it evokes a flood of touching stories and imagery.

However, no one in this world has ever stipulated that childhood sweethearts must be together.

And so, over their respective cups of black tea and reminiscing about their past experiences, Kitagawa Ryo leisurely shared his many thoughts with Asahina Nazuna, until he saw the other woman's previously somewhat confused eyes gradually regain their resolve.

"Phew--I got it."

"I never imagined I'd be mentored by someone younger than me."

After finishing the last bit of black tea in her cup, Asahina Nazuna stretched lazily again, her tone inexplicably complex, as if she were relieved yet still troubled by love.

"This has nothing to do with age."