The Prince Is Here-Everyone, Get Out of the Way!

The next day.

A new week, with May drawing to a close,

the classroom after school.

Prince Ganlongdao was lounging with Shiho Manabe on his lap, fondling her, when Ishizaki rushed into the classroom and came to a stop in front of them, panting.

"Prince Brother, I found out. Just as we thought, they're playing basketball there again today."

"Get Ryuen and the others. Let's go!"

Prince Ganlongdao gave Shiho Manabe's pert backside a smack. She immediately understood and got up, following him out of the classroom.

After school.

Life at Advanced Nurturing was just as full of possibilities.

Some students took part in club activities, some went to Keyaki Mall to shop and enjoy themselves, and some went back to their dorms to study.

Of course,

most chose to stay at school and enjoy their youth.

Besides the indoor facilities for the various clubs, Advanced Nurturing also had plenty of outdoor facilities for students to use.

For example,

basketball courts.

Basketball was entertaining enough,

and it let lots of people have fun, pass the time, and get some exercise. It was free, too.

More importantly,

a sport that showed off masculine traits was naturally very popular with girls.

Basketball was certainly a top-tier activity.

The courts were quite popular after school.

With the financial resources of Advanced Nurturing, a school backed by the government, building a few basketball courts was a breeze.

There were no fewer than ten outdoor courts

for ordinary students to use.

There was no need for students to fight over them at all.

However,

some courts were better than others.

At that moment,

dozens of lights hung around the court in the very center.

By evening,

it was clearly the brightest spot, bright enough for them to play until late.

Clearly,

this was the best location.

At that moment,

a bald-headed student and five companions were playing three-on-three street basketball.

There were plenty of courts,

so even their three-on-three game was played full-court. There were even empty courts nearby.

"Prince Brother."

Ishizaki pointed at the bald student on the court and said quietly, "That's Katsuragi Kohei from Class A."

"Mm."

Prince Ganlongdao nodded gravely.

"He looks really strong."

"Weren't you just saying the other day that you didn't think much of him?"

Ryuen frowned behind him.

"I meant his basketball skills. Come on."

With that,

Prince Ganlongdao walked over with his hands in his pockets, while Shiho Manabe followed close beside him, her hands clasped behind her back.

Ryuen Kakeru, Albert, Kaneda, and Ishizaki followed behind him with their hands in their pockets as well.

At a time like this,

there ought to be background music.

There was no need to guess.

With that bald head practically made for facing down the lights,

Katsuragi Kohei's basketball skills at night had to be incredible.

"Move, move! Prince Brother is here, so everyone get out of the way!"

Ishizaki kept shooing people aside as the six of them walked straight across the court where a game was in progress.

Someone was about to say something, but their companions quickly stopped them.

Prince Ganlongdao, Ryuen Kakeru, the burly, sunglasses-wearing Albert, and the shifty-looking Kaneda all looked like people you didn't want to mess with.

Shiho Manabe, meanwhile, held her snow-white neck high.

The annoyed stares from everyone around them, and the way they could only vent their frustration by dribbling the ball, were exactly what satisfied her vanity most.

So what if they hated her?

It wasn't as if they could do anything to Prince Brother or her.

What Shiho Manabe enjoyed was the sense of superiority that came from doing whatever she pleased while leaving others powerless to stop her. Their feelings were none of her concern.

Soon,

the group reached the court in the very center.

Ishizaki shooed Katsuragi Kohei and the others around like a flock of ducks,

barking,

"Break it up, break it up. Prince Brother wants this court."

With that,

the five students lined up behind Katsuragi in unspoken agreement. One of them pointed at Prince Ganlongdao, who was leading the group, and snapped,

"Damn, are you guys blind? Can't you see we're playing?"

"Totsuka!"

As soon as the words left his mouth,

a dark figure blocked his view.

Albert stood in front of the boy named Totsuka, arms crossed.

He was nearly two heads taller, and his presence was overwhelming. The others hurried to stand beside Totsuka and face off against Albert.

King against king, general against general.

They weren't on the same level,

so Prince Ganlongdao naturally didn't bother dealing with him. He just bounced the basketball in his hand and frowned.

"Albert, kick them all out."

"Yes, boss."

"Hold on."

At that moment,

Katsuragi Kohei finally spoke.

Beneath his bald head was a mature, composed face, and his voice was equally steady.

"Ganlongdao, what do you mean by this?"

"Oh?"

Prince Ganlongdao looked amused. "You've been looking into me?"

"Maybe you don't remember,"

Katsuragi said calmly. "I was there at the club orientation, too."

"Oh?"

Prince Ganlongdao looked the bald powerhouse up and down, his expression turning playful.

"You're still hanging around here, and it doesn't look like you've joined any clubs. Were you planning to join the Student Council, only to get rejected? Sorry, I'm not interested in the weak."

"What are you talking about..."

The boy named Totsuka glared at Prince Ganlongdao. "That Student Council president just had no eye for talent. It's not because Katsuragi's weak!"

"So that's what happened. Thought so."

Prince Ganlongdao shrugged.

"That Student Council president really doesn't have much of an eye for talent. But his lack of judgment has nothing to do with Katsuragi's ability. If you can't even figure that out, you don't seem very bright. And since Katsuragi keeps someone like you around, he doesn't seem to have much of an eye for people either."

"You..."

Totsuka glared at Prince Ganlongdao, unable to find an answer.

Horikita Manabu wasn't some kind of combat power scanner.

His judgment

had no necessary connection to anyone else's ability.

Getting angry over something like that showed that Totsuka was easily swayed by his emotions.

Katsuragi's brow furrowed slightly.

He hadn't expected

Prince Ganlongdao to infer so much from just one sentence.

Not only had he figured out that Katsuragi's goal had been to join the Student Council, he'd also figured out that the president had rejected him.

Of course,

it was possible Prince Ganlongdao had been fishing for a reaction.

But Totsuka's response had already shown

that Prince Ganlongdao's deductions were all correct.

Keeping someone like Totsuka by his side did, indeed, suggest that Katsuragi's judgment wasn't very good.

Before coming to the basketball court,

Prince Ganlongdao had already given a strict order.

Without his permission, Ryuen, Kaneda, and the others had to keep their mouths shut.

In ordinary situations,

he could joke around and shoot the breeze with Ryuen, Kaneda, and the others.

But when he was handling business,

everything around him had to follow his arrangements unless he said otherwise.

Only now

did Katsuragi begin to feel uneasy.

The man who had taken charge of his class on the second day and led his underlings in challenging the Student Council president

was far more terrifying than he'd imagined!

More importantly,

Prince Ganlongdao made no effort to hide his talents, or his rudeness and tyranny, as if nothing in the world could ever shake him.

That domineering, self-centered confidence

was genuinely unnerving.

Katsuragi's tone grew even more serious.

"Ganlongdao, what exactly do you want?"