I'm Tired, Just Destroy It All!

"Airi, are you taking photos again today?"

After school, Uesugi Hara was invited to the same spot where they had taken photos last time.

"Mm." Airi nodded, her fingers clutching the hem of her shirt, looking somewhat uneasy.

"Then how come I don't see you carrying your camera?" Uesugi Hara looked left and right, but couldn't find a camera anywhere.

"I... I forgot to bring it. I'm using my terminal to take photos today." Airi spoke in fits and starts, her eyes darting away.

Seeing her stuttering, Uesugi Hara found it a bit suspicious.

He cast a skeptical glance at her, but Airi dodged his gaze with precision.

In this regard, Airi was truly gifted.

"It's fine, if you forgot the camera, you forgot it. The terminal works just as well," he comforted her.

"Mm."

Why did she choose to come back here?

Watching Airi happily taking photos nearby, Uesugi Hara couldn't help but wonder to himself.

Logically speaking, given Airi's personality, after witnessing that kind of incident, she shouldn't have wanted to return here. Furthermore, there were plenty of other places in the school to take photos, yet she specifically chose this one. Why was that?

It couldn't be that she wasn't afraid as long as he was here, could it?

"Uesugi." A shout pulled Uesugi Hara out of his thoughts.

Ayanokoji? Why was he here, and Horikita Suzune too?

"Airi, are you okay?" Sakura Airi ran behind Uesugi Hara, timidly hiding from Horikita Suzune, who had just been pestering her.

"Uesugi, why are you here?"

"Ayanokoji, that's the question I should be asking you. Why are you here? And Horikita, your attitude just now seemed a bit off, didn't it?" Uesugi Hara looked at Horikita Suzune with a sharp gaze.

Horikita Suzune glared right back without showing any weakness. "Sakura is a member of our class. It seems to have nothing to do with an outsider like you whether we ask our classmate a few questions!"

"Airi is my friend, so tell me if it has anything to do with me." Uesugi Hara mimicked Horikita Suzune's earlier movement, stepping forward as his aura instantly bore down on her.

Seeing the two of them about to come to blows at the slightest disagreement, Ayanokoji had no choice but to step in and mediate.

"Uesugi, Horikita, both of you, calm down."

"Ayanokoji! Shut up!" x2

Ayanokoji opened his mouth, then closed it. Did you two really have to be so in sync about this?

Just let it all end; I'm exhausted.

Although that was what Ayanokoji thought in his heart, he still bit the bullet and stepped forward. "How long do you two intend to stare at each other? And could you please consider Sakura's feelings?"

Although he didn't want to pay attention to Ayanokoji, what he said was indeed something Uesugi Hara cared about.

"You're nowhere near as good as your brother."

After saying this in a flat tone, Uesugi Hara was the first to withdraw his gaze, ending the standoff.

Horikita Suzune had originally intended to let him go, but his single sentence made her fly into a rage.

She lunged forward, attacking Uesugi Hara directly.

...Damn it.

Ayanokoji felt as if the sky were collapsing.

Although Horikita Suzune's moves were somewhat similar to the ones Horikita Manabu had used last time, they lacked a certain degree of power and technique.

Even though her strikes were sharp and each move carried a gust of hot wind.

It clearly wasn't enough to deal with Uesugi Hara.

"Please, stop fighting." Ayanokoji's tone remained as robotic as ever.

His attempt to break up the fight was indeed ineffective.

Neither of them even glanced at him—well, Airi gave him a worried look, but that gaze seemed to be saying, "Why don't you try persuading them again?"

The outcome was predetermined; Horikita Suzune was quickly pinned to the ground by Uesugi Hara.

Uesugi Hara was afraid of being framed like Sudo Ken, so he didn't use excessive force. His main goal was to subdue Horikita Suzune, which took a bit more time.

"It's been so long since I've had to fight, my skills are a bit rusty," Uesugi Hara said with a long sigh of relief.

"Ayanokoji, are you just going to watch?" Horikita Suzune lay on the ground, her face flushed red with anger.

Faced with Horikita Suzune's questioning, Ayanokoji didn't react much, simply saying helplessly, "Uesugi, that's enough."

He was truly exhausted. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Horikita Suzune.

It was just that he was afraid that if he intervened, Uesugi Hara would intentionally take a hit and then join Class C in accusing them.

"Well, since you've asked, what else can I say?" With that, he released Horikita Suzune from beneath him.

Horikita Suzune tried to retaliate the moment she was free, but Ayanokoji stopped her. You can't beat him!

"Horikita, calm down."

Seeing that there was nothing left to do, Uesugi Hara intended to take Airi and leave.

"May I ask you something, Sakura-san?" Ayanokoji suddenly spoke up.

Airi instinctively glanced at Uesugi Hara.

Meeting Uesugi Hara's calm and gentle gaze, Airi knew this was a decision she had to make for herself.

So, she withdrew her gaze and nodded at Ayanokoji.

"Even if you are a witness, Sakura, you are under no obligation to come forward. Besides, forcing you to testify would be meaningless."

Airi gripped her terminal tightly and said in a low voice, "I didn't see anything. You have the wrong person..."

"If that's the case, then it's fine." Ayanokoji didn't press the issue, simply adding, "If anyone tries to force you to testify, you can come to me at any time."

Airi nodded, indicating she understood.

Uesugi Hara led Airi away through the exit.

Just as they reached the exit, they ran into Ichinose Honami, who was walking toward them.

"What a coincidence, Uesugi-kun!" Ichinose greeted them with a smile.

"Oh, it's Ichinose."

"Hello there, I'm Ichinose Honami from Class B. Could we get to know each other?"

"Class D... Sakura... Airi." Faced with Ichinose's sudden greeting, Airi was startled, then spoke in a low voice, just loud enough for Ichinose to hear.

"Nice to meet you, Sakura-san!"

"N-nice to meet you."

As expected of the widely acknowledged archangel, her approachability was truly off the charts.

"Ichinose, what are you planning to do?"

"I'm planning to go to the scene of the incident to check things out. Maybe I can find some clues," Ichinose said, full of energy.

"I see. There are still people from Class D over there, so you might run into them."

"Then I'll head over and take a look! Goodbye, Uesugi-kun and Sakura-san!"

Although she was puzzled as to why people from Class D were still there while Sakura-san was with Uesugi-kun, she didn't show it.

Uesugi Hara: "See you later."

On the other side.

Horikita Suzune was still questioning Ayanokoji as to why he hadn't intervened earlier, especially when his skills were good enough to trade blows with her brother.

"What if Uesugi had taken a few hits and then joined Class C in accusing us?" His voice carried a hint of imperceptible resentment.

"Then couldn't I just go and accuse him!" Horikita Suzune's mind raced.

"...You don't have any injuries on you."

So tired...

Horikita Suzune checked her entire body; other than her clothes being a bit dirty, there were no obvious marks.

Her expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Damn it! Are we just going to let him go like this? How hateful!

"Uesugi-kun..."

"Is something the matter, Airi?"

"Do you think... I should testify for Sudo-kun..."

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but Airi kept her head down, so Uesugi Hara couldn't see what she was thinking.

"That depends on what you want to do, Airi. But no matter what decision you make, I will support you," Uesugi Hara said with a smile as he patted her little head.

"I understand..."