A week later.
Class 1-C, during break.
Shiho Manabe had claimed Hidetoshi Suzuki's seat. Sitting in front of Prince Ganlongdao, she crossed her shapely legs and let out a coquettish laugh.
Ishizaki, Albert, Saki Yamashita, Nanami Yabu, and Rika Morofuji.
The five stood around the pair.
Prince Ganlongdao and Shiho Manabe had become the central figures in the class.
The ultimate social butterflies.
If people ran into them on the street,
most loners would instinctively lower their voices and step aside.
This greatly satisfied Shiho Manabe's vanity.
Not that everyone acted that way. Plenty of people were perfectly normal.
But Shiho Manabe didn't think she bullied people much. She simply liked being surrounded like a queen.
Of course.
Shiho Manabe knew full well
that her current standing in the class was largely thanks to Prince Ganlongdao.
Otherwise,
with her own abilities,
she could at best have led a small clique, just like before.
She'd never have had the chance to become the central figure of all Class C like this.
It was just... so great!
Feeling the eyes of those around her, Shiho Manabe lifted the corners of her mouth with a hint of smugness.
Whether they were watching out of awe, fear, respect, or simply because they thought the group was noisy was beyond Shiho Manabe's concern.
Ring.
The bell rang for class.
"That was fast?"
Shiho Manabe stood up, reluctant to leave.
"Prince Brother, I'll head back first. I just found out the university has a bowling alley. Remember, we're going bowling after class~"
"Sure~"
Prince Ganlongdao made a casual gesture, and Ishizaki and the others returned to their seats.
Nearby,
Hidetoshi Suzuki returned to his seat with a face full of despair.
He had indeed asked Sakagami about switching seats, but unfortunately, everything at this university required points. It was practically impossible.
How long was he going to keep getting bullied...
As long as they cleaned up after themselves, he didn't mind people sitting in his seat.
Still, Hidetoshi Suzuki couldn't help feeling resentful.
As soon as class let out,
he had to flee to the bathroom or go discuss schoolwork with Kaneda and the others.
It was getting pretty annoying.
Soon,
Sakagami walked into the classroom and stood at the front, his expression impassive.
"Everyone, since Ryuen hasn't attended class for a week and hasn't given me any explanation, the school has asked me to visit his dorm room after class and find out why."
"Is there anyone who's on good terms with Ryuen who'd like to come with me?"
Kazuma Sakagami looked straight at Prince Ganlongdao.
There was no need to guess.
Something had definitely happened between Prince Ganlongdao and Ryuen.
To choose the best class leader, Kazuma Sakagami didn't mind them using some unconventional methods, but there had to be limits.
Ryuen's guess had been right.
As time went by, the pressure would naturally fall on Prince Ganlongdao.
"Fine, I'll go with you, Sakagami."
Prince Ganlongdao didn't mind.
Feeling Shiho Manabe's slightly resentful gaze, Prince Ganlongdao shrugged. They'd have to make plans for another time.
Dormitory building, after school.
Prince Ganlongdao followed Kazuma Sakagami to Ryuen's room.
At that moment,
Ryuen was sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall as he read a book.
His face was covered in stubble, and his whole body gave off a sour stench.
The floor was littered with instant noodle containers and empty drink bottles, with little black flies crawling over them.
Only Ryuen's eyes
remained as sharp as a snake's, just as bright as they had been at the start of term.
This past week,
every two or three days,
Prince Ganlongdao had brought him supplies.
He'd known all along that the shackles on Ryuen's hands had been removed, and that Ryuen had long since regained his freedom.
And yet,
Ryuen had truly managed to be cuff-free on the outside, but shackled on the inside.
Except when he went to the bathroom,
it was as if he still wore shackles on his hands!
He ate, drank, read, and slept on the bed. Even in this battle of wills, Ryuen still showed no sign of giving in.
As for the trash on the floor,
it was already generous of Prince Ganlongdao to bring him supplies.
If Ryuen didn't throw it away, Prince Ganlongdao certainly wasn't going to do it for him.
"Ryuen..."
Kazuma Sakagami covered his nose and mouth.
His face was full of disgust.
The smell in the room was truly hard to bear. He couldn't understand how Ryuen managed to live there, though it did show just how strong Ryuen's willpower was.
At the thought,
Kazuma Sakagami felt a little pleased.
"Oh?"
Ryuen turned to look at them.
His gaze passed over Kazuma Sakagami and landed on Prince Ganlongdao behind him, tinged with amusement.
"Ganlongdao, what brings you here?"
Clearly,
Ryuen had endured the worst of it, and the pressure had already shifted to Prince Ganlongdao.
Beating and imprisoning a student—
either one was enough to get Prince Ganlongdao expelled. How was he going to explain himself in front of Kazuma Sakagami?
"Just came to see if you were dead yet~ You haven't been to class in a week, and you've even made Sakagami worry. Ryuen, aren't you ashamed of causing people all this trouble?"
Prince Ganlongdao covered his nose and mouth too, speaking with a teasing tone.
He'd lived in war zones
and experienced far worse living conditions, so he wasn't nearly as disgusted as Kazuma Sakagami.
That didn't mean
he had no standards when it came to quality of life.
When he had no choice,
he could put up with living conditions a hundred times worse than this.
When he had a choice,
Prince Ganlongdao naturally went for the best.
A person only lived a few decades.
Accept your circumstances and face your desires honestly; nothing else matters. That was the most important thing he'd learned on the brink of life and death.
At his words,
Ryuen's expression immediately fell.
He was constantly causing people trouble, and now Prince Ganlongdao was asking if he knew what shame was?
Anyone with even a shred of decency
would think Prince Ganlongdao couldn't possibly say something like that.
"Ryuen."
Kazuma Sakagami had no interest in their contest. Covering his nose and mouth, he just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"Why haven't you come to the university this past week?"
"..."
Ryuen looked at Prince Ganlongdao and didn't answer.
Going to a teacher,
in Ryuen's eyes,
was the greatest humiliation a man could suffer.
So he would never admit it voluntarily. He simply stared coldly at Prince Ganlongdao.
If
Prince Ganlongdao pretended nothing had happened,
or lied in front of Kazuma Sakagami and said Ryuen had just been sick and would be back at school next week,
that would mean
Prince Ganlongdao was afraid!
Afraid to take responsibility for imprisoning Ryuen, afraid of punishment from the school.
Then Ryuen would win this battle of wills.
He didn't need anyone else to acknowledge his victory.
Just like the cuffs on his hands before, everything depended on Ryuen's own judgment.
The main thing was,
Prince Ganlongdao had been the one to start this battle of wills.
Ryuen had agreed and endured these terrible conditions to crush his opponent completely, mentally.
Once Ryuen decided that this battle of wills had been won, there would be no point in continuing it.
Even if Prince Ganlongdao stubbornly refused to admit defeat,
all Ryuen had to do next
was keep using violence.
A man who was afraid!
Ryuen didn't believe for a second that his opponent could endure endless violence.
For a moment,
both Ryuen and Kazuma Sakagami turned to look at Prince Ganlongdao.
They waited for his answer!
Before you continue