Meeting the Parents / Kitagawa Really Is an Honest Fellow

"Huh? Are you questioning the teacher? You can be irresponsible with your words, but I am responsible for my actions. Who is your department's advisor? Does he know you're fooling around here? If you have any questions, have him come over and ask me. Otherwise, I'll have him come over here and take you all back."

Although Sima Kexian's combination of coaxing and intimidation was quite convincing, it seemed the other side had also accomplished their task. After all, they were both seasoned veterans with just over a month left before graduation, well aware that the power dynamic between teachers and students at ANHS wasn't actually that unequal; in the upper grades, it was common for class advisors to be under the students' command. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and stubbornly insisted:

"This is a matter between students, between clubs and the Student Council. We're here to seek justice. Why is the Drama Club allowed to compete outside of school so many times...?"

Before he could finish speaking, another voice suddenly came from behind him:

"Exactly! And why is it that Horikita, First Year, is the sole person in charge of all the applications, approvals, and inspections for the Drama Club's departures from school? Everyone knows what kind of relationship he has with the Drama Club president, Kitagawa. How can you guarantee there's nothing shady going on behind the scenes?"

These words stunned the leader who had been at the front. "Dude," he thought, "Our lines weren't supposed to be this long, were they? Did our group of online trolls end up working for two different clients?"

The others, who were kept in the dark, were unaware of the shift in the wind, but they felt that the argument was indeed quite reasonable, and they all echoed it, wanting Horikita Suzune to give an explanation.

"Seriously? Are you crazy? The Drama Club is mostly girls. Would you let a guy inspect your girlfriend's personal belongings?"

Kitagawa Ryo simply rolled his eyes and casually made up an excuse to shut the other person up.

Although the third-year leader wanted to instinctively retort with, "Are all those girls in the Drama Club your girlfriends?", he immediately remembered the glorious achievements his First Year junior had left on the forum. For a moment, he could only hum a couple of times and change his tune, retorting:

"Aren't there any other girls in the Student Council?"

"There's only Suzune in the First Year and second grades, right?"

"Where's Sakayanagi?"

"Back then, people would take paid breaks and not even clock in. You can ask anyone and they'll know."

"If there aren't any in First Year, there are still third graders, right? Like that former school secretary, Tachibana Akane."

"If I ask Secretary Tachibana to check, are you going to say again that she's Horikita-senpai's person, and Horikita-senpai is Suzune's older brother, so there's something fishy going on? You yourself shot the arrow first and then drew the target, so can't you be honest?"

It has to be said that Kitagawa Ryo's words are not only more eloquent than those of Sima Kexian, but he also has a greater deterrent effect on these third-year students. After all, it hasn't even been a month since the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam. Just thinking about how a dozen people ganged up on one person in the woods and were all taken down makes his still-healing wounds start to ache again.

"Furthermore, we're in the final stages of preparing for the Valentine's Day event. If you keep delaying the Student Council's work like this, can you take responsibility if the event can't be held on time?"

"I'm not saying this out loud, but I think this event is perfect for you third-year students. You're about to graduate, so if there's anyone you really want to Confessions to, you should do it now before you die. It would be best if it's someone in the same year. You don't have to worry about breaking up after graduation. You can date for two years after leaving school and then get married. Isn't that great?"

Faced with Kitagawa Ryo's sudden shift to a "love lesson" and his seemingly concerned-for-the-sight approach, the third-year students exchanged bewildered glances. Adding to the confusion, the first and second-year students behind them kept whispering urging them to stop, and the only teacher present, Sima Kexian, clearly stood against them. After some deliberation, the leaders realized there was no going back, so they could only utter a few harsh words and retreat.

Not far from this farce, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, hidden by the trees, turned his gaze to another person beside Kitagawa Ryo.

With his third year of university approaching and the second year almost completely under Kitagawa Ryo's control, the incoming First Year students became his most important target. Only in this way could he regain his power and bring himself back to the same level as Kitagawa Ryo.

Actually, as early as last year, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had suspected that there were still Kitagawa Ryo's people in the school. After all, Ayanokoji Atsuomi was able to help him get two students into the White Room, so it was impossible for the Kitagawa Family to be completely unprepared.

Now it seems that this was indeed the case.

They were just crammed in; they weren't students.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. From the very beginning, in this school, Kitagawa Ryo valued the role of teachers, or rather, class advisors, more than the students.

Chapter 458: Meeting the Parents

After temporarily resolving today's club disturbance, the Student Council members returned to their posts and continued with their work, seemingly unaffected, at least on the surface.

Kitagawa Ryo locked himself back in the Student Council's office. After staying there for a while, he had come to like this private space that belonged only to him once it was locked, a rare privilege that even his single dormitory room didn't have.

Without a doubt, today's incident was just a simple test. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka hasn't even presented his witnesses to launch a direct attack yet. All the students are doing is planting a seed of doubt in the minds of other students in advance, so that the final offensive will not seem so abrupt.

Even though he was fully aware of this, Kitagawa Ryo didn't intend to let these pawns off so easily. After all, starting from last year's Sports Festival, some of these so-called senior students in the third year had already caused him trouble several times. Since they had chosen to accept the pie in the Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had offered them and repeatedly opposed him, they naturally had to bear the corresponding risks.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that he had already given up during the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam last time. After all, no matter how many of these students were official members of the Soccer Club Basketball Club, they were no match for that wild boar that he had almost beaten to death with his bare hands.

As for how to carry out the punishment, Kitagawa Ryo already had a plan in mind.

Just like his view of ANHS that he mentioned after enrolling, the three most obvious areas that students can improve here, or rather during their high school years, are academics, clubs, and interpersonal skills, because these are the three options, or three paths, that are most likely to affect their future after graduation.

At this time of year, Kitagawa Ryo would always reminisce about the only serious thing that the Wild Boar Miyabi Nagumo, did during his tenure: making OAA more convenient.

Then, comparing the faces of the students who were leading the group today with the information that he had memorized by heart, it turned out that, just as Kitagawa Ryo had predicted, most of these students were the standard template of academically below average, but physically quite good.

However, this is actually normal, since they originally belonged to Class 3-C and Class D of the third year, and students from these two lower-ranked classes, who had long since given up hope of getting into Class A, were the easiest to be Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

If nothing unexpected happens, they are likely aiming to pursue further education or employment through 'sports clubs'.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that they have a clear self-awareness and future plans. Not to mention graduating from high school at the age of eighteen, Kitagawa Ryo himself has seen many students who are twenty-two years old and about to graduate from university who are still confused about their future and do not know what to do.

Whether they have this understanding or not is actually not important. What he is planning to do now is to directly block this path for these students. From this point of view, perhaps it is a blessing that they are still confused. As for whether they will suddenly realize this at some point in the future, that is none of his business.

Although the Student Council has a considerable ability to suppress other clubs, both theoretically and practically, Kitagawa Ryo is well aware that what he is targeting is actually this small group of third-year students. Of course, there are first- and second-year students in a club, and as he saw today, these students are actually more inclined to help him. Ignoring their wishes and launching an area-of-effect attack would only backfire.

Therefore, the best approach is naturally to win over some while suppressing others.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo smiled slightly.

Old Deng, it's time to cash in!

It must be said that the Student Council had accumulated all sorts of old stories. Under Kitagawa Ryo's instructions, Mizowaki and Tonokawa found files that were neither too big nor too small, but enough to make a big deal out of it. After sorting them out a bit, they were submitted to the advisors of various clubs. Several students were immediately awarded demerits, disciplinary actions, and certificates of misconduct. Not only were they expelled from their clubs on the spot, but these things were also kept in their files for life.

As for the aftermath of such incidents, Ken Sudō, who was originally admitted to a top sports high school but is now at ANHS School, should have a lot to say.

"I thought Liang would make them drop out of school directly."

Seeing that Asahina-senpai always knocks politely, but her visit frequency lately is no less than that of Asahina Nazuna Ichika during the winter Amasawa Ichika, Kitagawa Ryo habitually brought out the tea set and tossed Hotaru over as well, emphasizing a welcoming and attentive service.

"Do I really look like the kind of person who would do something like this?"

"That's true. He probably hasn't completely forgotten the impression of Nagumo as the Student Council. He got more than a dozen students to drop out in less than a year, abusing the power of the Student Council and a second-year Leader."

Asahina Nazuna gently pinched and played with Hotaru's front paws while bringing her face close, striking a classic cat-cuddling pose.

"Does Ryo usually bathe Hotaru frequently? Or is Hotaru just a clean little cat by nature? She always seems so fragrant and soft every time we visit."

"Both, I guess, but now that it's winter, I'm a little worried about catching a cold if I shower, so I do it much less often."

"That's wonderful... I can already imagine Hotaru being very well-behaved while taking a bath."

After a brief chat about fireflies, Kitagawa Ryo ignored the pure white creature in the firefly-colored eyes that proudly gleamed with a meaning that seemed to say, "Heh, woman, you could never do that," and instead turned to Asahina Nazuna to ask:

How are the second-year students in the club?

"That's good. After all the third-year students have left, it's convenient for them to take over. Although it's only a little over a month, it's good to be able to get through it a day earlier."

"What about Nagumo? What has he been up to lately?"

"Nagumo... let me think... he's been pretty quiet in class lately. He goes straight to the sports clubs after school, but he doesn't go to the Soccer Club like before. It seems like he's spending more time on track and field and tennis. I wonder what he's up to."

"Okay, just keep an eye on it."

Kitagawa Ryo still held considerable confidence in whether Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would fulfill the bet they made, after all, he had witnessed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's transformation from the beginning of his school years to the present.

Of course, if everything he has witnessed so far is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, then Kitagawa Ryo can only give the White Room another nickname besides the white White Room: the white film and television base.

"Okay."

After giving a crisp and agreeable reply, Asahina Nazuna suddenly brought up another matter:

"Oh, right, it's cold."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"We're having a two-way meeting with second graders this month."

"A two-way talk?"

"Yes, it's like the homeroom teacher representing the school will have one-on-one meetings with each of us students. The conversations usually focus on our future and employment, along with some topics about school life. Apparently, they've also gotten some advice from our guardians outside of school."

Because it was something that First Year had never experienced, Asahina Nazuna explained it in great detail and with great patience.

"Although high school is not part of compulsory education, we can't let students do whatever they want and ignore their guardians' right to speak and opinions to decide their future. So it seems that after the two-way meeting, there will be a three-way meeting with the guardians at the school. I guess it should be before the end of this semester."

"It sounds like time is quite tight."

"After all, I'll be a third-year student soon, my last year here, so I need to prepare in advance."

At this point, Asahina Nazuna's own gaze became somewhat unfocused, as if she were lost in thought.

Because of the unique system at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, all resources and benefits are only allocated to the final Class A. Therefore, students in other classes must make certain choices before graduation, since some university entrance exams don't wait until after graduation in April, and many students need to prepare well in advance.

Even in Class A, the right to choose still rests in the students' own hands. For them, ANHS is essentially a perfect platform, but where they ultimately choose to leap forward is a decision they must make themselves.

"So, what are your thoughts, senior?"

When Kitagawa Ryo asked her a question, Asahina Nazuna just rubbed Hotaru's head with a troubled expression, her tone quite hesitant.

"To be honest, no, there's just been so much going on lately that I haven't had time to think about these things."

So you have time to come here for tea and a chat, right?

Oh, the sentence above was Ying's comment, please don't mind it, anyway, to other people it's just cute meowing.

"However, if my family knew about the privileges of Class A, they would probably want me to apply for a job at a big company, preferably one with lifetime employment."

"Would my senior like this kind of future?"

"I don't know... To be honest, I'm actually hoping that fortune teller from last summer will come to our school again."

Looking at the occult enthusiast in front of him who was always ready to switch to metaphysics at the drop of a hat, Kitagawa Ryo shook his head with amusement. He unconsciously glanced at the amulet hanging on the other's wrist, only to be caught red-handed by Asahina Nazuna, who had been closely watching his every move.

"Actually, I think Fate does exist, otherwise I wouldn't have met Hotaru that day... and then Ryo."

As she spoke, Asahina Nazuna even extended her right hand and waved the amulet in front of Kitagawa Ryo.

It can only be said that ever since she severed her relationship with Miyabi Nagumo Asahina Nazuna has developed a flexible and unpredictable double standard when it comes to Fate, exhibiting a pragmatic style where a twitching left eyelid means good fortune, while a twitching right eyelid means feudal superstition.

"Really."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement.

"If you think this is Fate, then maybe it's Fate that has brought me here to tell you that passively waiting and settling are both unreliable. You should always choose your own future."

"That's what I say, but when the three-way talks come around, I don't know if I can still stick to this idea. After all, I've never been confident in persuading my parents."

"In that case, I'll help you introduce..."

Kitagawa Ryo was just about to introduce Asahina Nazuna to another experienced woman in this area, Ichinose Honami, who had been through four major ups and downs with her own mother, when the upperclassman opposite him interrupted him first, her eyes crinkling as she neatly and cleanly clasped her hands together in front of her chest:

"So, Liang, you can meet my parents then!"

What a long map of the Yan Kingdom!

Oh, this comment wasn't just made by Hotaru.

Perhaps they genuinely didn't want the Student Council to finish the final preparations for the celebration peacefully, or perhaps it was just that a certain former Student Council had an overly strong desire to survive and show off. The turmoil of the club disturbance had just ended when another trouble came knocking on the Student Council's door.

There's nothing we can do about it; the Student Council is in charge of student affairs. Theoretically, even if someone is constipated, they could complain to the Student Council about a suspected problem with the restroom in a certain teaching building. However, no one would do that; they'd really get blacklisted, since it would be considered taking up public resources in a way.

This time, the one who blatantly skipped over the fact that her post almost started with "I'm sorry for taking up public resources" was a second-year girl. This girl clearly knew this tactic all too well: she started by posting on the school forum to build up buzz and discussion, then swiftly reported it to the Student Council, directly targeting the other party involved in the incident—

Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class 1-C.

The reason can be summarized in just four words:

Emotional entanglements.

Seeing the words "affiliated with the Tennis Club" prominently displayed on Hashimoto Masayoshi's profile, Kitagawa Ryo instantly understood who was behind this incident.

Putting aside the differences between classes, he himself has only one rather simple opinion on this:

Hashimoto, do you know why, even though I could easily take down a dozen guys ganging up on me, I still fled the last Mixed Training Camp Special Exam, running all the way into the forest?

Now you know.

Chapter 459: Beichuan is still an honest and kind person.

In the Student Council meeting room, the Student Council members, who usually perform their respective duties, were gathered together today, a rare sight. Led by the acting Student Council, Kitagawa Ryo Chabashira Sae, they sat in the middle at the head of the table. On the left and right sides at the foot of the table sat a student and their class advisor, respectively. On the left was Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class 1-C and his class advisor, Chabashira Sae. On the right was the instigator of this temporary dispute, Yamanaka Akie from Class 2-D and her class advisor, Kobayashi Hikaru. This was a rather young-looking man who was staring intently at Chabashira Sae sitting opposite him.

"Alright, now that both parties are present, the hearing regarding this dispute can begin."

Kitagawa Ryo tapped the table lightly as a signal, feeling that the scene before him was strangely familiar. He naturally thought of the assault incident involving Sudo Ken during the simulation, except that the person in charge of the trial was Horikita Manabu, who was the student council president at the time, and Sudo Ken and Ishizaki Daichi and others from Class C were sitting on his left and right sides.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that only Chabashira Sae has achieved a 100% participation rate, and both of them are homeroom teachers who are the defendants.

"The matter is clear: Hashimoto Masayoshi, a student in Class 1-C, is of questionable character. During his relationship with Yamanaka my class, he engaged in inappropriate behavior, using PUA tactics to coerce and trick her into handing over all her Private Points. This also caused Yamanaka immense and irreparable damage to her mental and psychological well-being."

"We would prefer to hear a more detailed account from the parties involved."

"I apologize, but my client is still unable to overcome the trauma until the defendant has been truly punished. It was already quite a struggle for them to muster the courage to expose this, so I will be the one to make the explanation during this hearing."

As if to confirm what their homeroom teacher, Kobayashi Hikaru, had said, the girl next to her simply nodded slightly and curled up in her chair, clearly unable to take the initiative to explain or answer questions.

"I see... So, Hashimoto- san, are you still conscious—no, are you able to explain yourself?"

"No problem."