Ryuen's "Tea Party"

Airi Sakura's cookies became a small, private comfort for Yuefeng during those days.

He told no one about them, allowing himself only one or two each day, letting that homely sweetness melt on his tongue as though it could temporarily wash away the ever-present tension around campus.

He hid the box at the very back of his bookshelf, shielded by several thick volumes like a treasure known only to him.

His arm injury was recovering slowly but steadily. The bandages had come off, but it still ached faintly when he exerted himself, and he did not dare move it with complete freedom.

Still, at least his daily life and basic studies were no longer greatly affected.

He began cautiously resuming some physical training to prepare for any new "tests" Ishizaki or Ryuen might spring on him.

The rumors really did seem to fade away as Kiyotaka had said. Lacking fresh fuel or a clear target, they gradually died down, replaced by new gossip and discussions about the Class Points changes following the Sports Festival.

Hiyori Shiina had also returned to normal. She could once again express her views fluently in logic class, and no longer blushed so easily when discussing problems with Yuefeng.

Yet whenever their gazes met, she would still press her lips together slightly before looking away, carrying a subtle mix of trust and some deeper emotion Yuefeng could not understand.

Ishizaki's group still disliked the sight of him, but perhaps Ryuen was exerting some invisible pressure on them.

Or perhaps they were wary of the resilience Yuefeng had displayed during the Sports Festival, as well as the occasional warning looks from Ibuki Mio.

For the time being, they no longer openly caused trouble for him, though the malice in their eyes had not diminished.

Yuefeng was more than happy for the peace and put more time into studying and updating his Survival Notes.

The special classes, his exploration of the Old Book Section in the library, and his covert observations of the relationships among people in Class C and even other classes all made his notes increasingly detailed.

He began trying to sort out potential connections and patterns, such as Ryuen's methods of controlling the class, the behavioral habits of Ishizaki and the others, and the interactions and possible conflicts between key figures in different classes.

He even began deliberately using his unstable Slow Motion ability in non-combat situations, trying to catch microexpressions and small gestures during other people's conversations and analyze their possible true intentions.

It was mentally exhausting, and the success rate was low, but the occasional flash of See Through gave him a reassuring sense that he was making progress.

Yet calm was always the prelude to a storm.

After school that day, Yuefeng was preparing to head to the library as usual. He had barely gone any distance from the Class C classroom when someone blocked his path.

It was not Ishizaki, nor one of Ishizaki's lackeys. It was a quiet, inconspicuous boy from Class C named Kinoshita.

He was small and thin, his complexion somewhat pale. His eyes darted about, and he did not dare look Yuefeng in the eye.

"Y-Yuefeng..." Kinoshita's voice was tight as he handed over a neatly folded note. "R-Ryuen asked me to give this to you."

Yuefeng's heart tightened. Ryuen was contacting him directly? By passing a note?

He took the note and unfolded it. There was only a single line of small printed text, concise and direct, carrying Ryuen's usual commanding tone:

"After school. Equipment Room at the Old Gymnasium. Come alone. Ryuen."

There was no signature, no time, and no reason.

The Equipment Room at the Old Gymnasium? It was in a secluded spot near the edge of campus. Aside from sports clubs occasionally retrieving old equipment, hardly anyone ever went there.

Especially after school, it could practically be called a "gray area" of the campus.

Yuefeng's fingers tightened slightly around the note. Its sharp edge grazed his fingertip.

Was this... a banquet at Hongmen? Or had Ryuen finally decided to take the next step in "calibrating" or "using" a pawn whose value had risen?

The moment Kinoshita delivered the message, he hurried away without looking back, as if he had completed some dangerous mission and feared being implicated if he stayed even one second longer.

Yuefeng stood where he was, staring at the cold printed words as his mind raced.

Should he go, or not?

If he did not go, with Ryuen's style and control over the class, he had plenty of ways to make Yuefeng appear "voluntarily," or to "invite" him over by less dignified means.

Open defiance would only make all his previous restraint and caution go to waste, and might immediately bring down the most direct and violent "lesson" from Ishizaki's group.

Ryuen might even abandon him completely or remove him as an "unstable factor."

If he went, he would be attending alone, in a place like that, facing Ryuen and possibly an ambush by Ishizaki and the others... The risks were obvious.

Ryuen would not do anything too outrageous on campus, but some sort of "lesson" or coercion was practically guaranteed.

He did not have much time to hesitate. The note gave no time, but the phrasing "after school" and "come alone" meant immediately, and by himself.

Yuefeng took a deep breath, crumpled the note into a ball, and clenched it tightly in his palm.

He looked toward the library, then toward the northwestern corner of campus where the Old Gymnasium stood.

He had no choice.

At the very least, he could go and find out what Ryuen wanted. Blessing or disaster, he had to face it eventually.

He did not return to the dorm to put his things away, nor did he go to the library.

He adjusted his breathing, trying to steady his heartbeat, then started toward the Old Gymnasium. His pace was not fast, but it was firm.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long, casting it at an angle across the empty corridors and the increasingly quiet paths of the campus.

At this hour, most students were either at club activities, back in their dorms, or in the library or shopping district. The closer he got to the Old Gymnasium, the fewer people he saw.

The Old Gymnasium was an aged red-brick building covered in climbing vines, looking somewhat ominous beneath the sunset.

The Equipment Room was in an inconspicuous annex on the side of the main building. Its door was heavy sheet metal, its paint chipped and faded.

When Yuefeng reached the metal door, he found it slightly ajar. There were no lights on inside, and the room was dim.

He stopped at the entrance without immediately pushing his way in. Listening closely, he heard only silence, apart from the mournful whistle of wind passing through broken window frames.

Ryuen was inside. There might be others as well.

Yuefeng raised his hand and gently knocked on the metal door.

"Come in." A low, faintly careless voice came from within. It was Ryuen.

Yuefeng pushed the door open.

The Equipment Room was piled with dusty old mats, rusted weight plates, and broken vaulting boxes. The air was thick with dust.

The only light came from a cobweb-covered high window, casting several dim yellow beams that illuminated the dust floating in the air.

Ryuen Kakeru was leaning against an old Gymnastics Table covered in scratches.

He wore his uniform jacket without a tie, his collar casually open. His posture was lazy, but in the dim light, his eyes were as sharp and cold as those of a predator in the dark.

He was alone. Ishizaki was not there.

That made Yuefeng relax slightly, but his guard rose to its highest level.

When Ryuen met someone alone, it usually meant the matter was far from simple.

"Ryuen." Yuefeng stood by the door without going too deep inside, keeping enough distance to leave at any moment.

Ryuen's eyes swept over Yuefeng's face before settling on his left arm, which seemed mostly recovered but was still held somewhat stiffly.

"Is your injury healed?" he asked. There was no concern in his tone; it sounded more like he was checking the degree of damage to a tool.

"More or less," Yuefeng answered briefly.

"Mm." Ryuen neither agreed nor disagreed as he flicked away some ash. "You got lucky at the Sports Festival."

That was not praise. Yuefeng remained silent.

"That idiot Ishizaki screwed things up," Ryuen continued in a tone as flat as if he were commenting on the weather. "Still, you did let me see something... different."

He straightened up, jumped down from the Gymnastics Table, and slowly strolled toward Yuefeng. A scent like cologne, though colder and sharper, washed over him.

Yuefeng could clearly see the undisguised appraisal and... interest in his eyes.

"Quick reactions, patience, and a little cleverness." Ryuen spoke as though taking inventory. "In Class C, those alone aren't enough."

"I know." Yuefeng met his gaze, his voice calm. Showing weakness was useless in front of this person.

"Good." Ryuen seemed fairly satisfied with his response, a cold curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Class C needs people who can bring actual 'points' and 'victories.' Not punching bags that only know how to dodge and take hits."

He paused, his eyes turning deep. "Next month, there's something I need you to do."

Here it comes, Yuefeng thought. This was the real subject of today's "tea party."

"What is it?"

"The Student Council has recently been preparing a cross-grade Special Project Research Group."

Ryuen leaned back against the Gymnastics Table and spoke unhurriedly. "Officially, it's meant to promote academic exchange and cultivate leadership. In reality, it's the Student Council lot, along with the school administration, scouting and evaluating 'useful talent.'

Every class has a nomination slot, but the final number of selected members is limited."

A Special Project Research Group? Yuefeng's heart stirred.

This seemed like an opportunity to access more information and enter the school's more central circles.

But it also meant more attention and more risk.

"I want you to secure Class C's slot." Ryuen's tone allowed no argument. "Not only secure it, but also serve a 'purpose' once you're in."

"A purpose?" Yuefeng asked.

Ryuen looked at him, the amusement in his eyes growing stronger. "Gather intelligence. Observe the movements and weaknesses of the 'elites' in the other classes—especially Class A and Class B.

When necessary, create a little... 'interference.'

Of course, that means without breaking any visible rules or leaving behind evidence.

You seem rather good at that, don't you?"