The Dragon Boy's Provocation?

In the quiet library, there was nothing but the faint sound of pages turning and pen tips scratching against paper.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered by a heavy, unrefined, and chaotic sound of footsteps.

Almost all the students from Class B and Class D instinctively looked up toward the library entrance.

Three figures came into view.

Leading them was a boy with shoulder-length red hair and the fierce eyes of a wild beast: Ryuen Kakeru from Class C.

To his left was Ishizaki Daichi, who had an honest face but a sturdy build, while the most visually striking figure was on his right—a black student wearing sunglasses who stood over 190 centimeters tall: Yamada Albert.

Albert's tower-like frame blocked most of the doorway, radiating an intense sense of oppression.

"Hey, hey... what did that guy eat to grow like that?"

In Class B, Hashimoto Masayoshi raised an eyebrow as he looked at Albert, whispering to Kito Hayato beside him with a hint of undetectable vigilance.

Kito Hayato's face remained expressionless, though the eyes beneath his long dark blue hair grew sharper.

Nishikawa Ryoko instinctively tightened her grip on her pen, her twin braids swaying slightly as she leaned back, while Shiraishi Asuka blinked her large, innocent-looking eyes and whispered in awe.

"So tall..."

The reaction from Class D was even more intense.

"Whoa! Who is that guy...? Is he even a student?"

Yamauchi Haruki was startled, his voice stuttering.

"That black guy is way too tall! He's practically a monster!"

Ike Kanji also widened his eyes, unable to stop himself from exclaiming.

Sudo Ken clenched his fists; as a sports scholarship student, he could sense a more primal pressure from the three of them than anything he had felt in competitive sports, causing his muscles to tense involuntarily.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji remained as expressionless as ever, though a flash of surprise crossed his eyes; he clearly hadn't expected Class C to show up in this manner.

Beside Akiyama Shin, Horikita Suzune frowned at the group and whispered.

"These are people from Class C... what are they here for?"

Kushida Kikyo wore a look of concern, gently tugging at Akiyama Shin's sleeve as she whispered.

"Akiyama-kun, they don't look like people you want to mess with..."

Akiyama Shin didn't even move his gaze from the Japanese textbook in front of him, responding indifferently.

"They're here to cause trouble."

"Cause trouble? Then we should..."

Horikita Suzune's tone carried a hint of nervousness.

"It's nothing."

Akiyama Shin cut her off, his tone devoid of any fluctuation, as if he were stating an established fact.

On the other side, Sakayanagi Arisu tapped her slender fingers against the handle of her cane; she clearly hadn't anticipated the arrival of Class C either, and her gaze swept over Ryuen Kakeru with a hint of scrutiny and amusement.

Just then, Hirata Yosuke stood up.

With his usual gentle demeanor and sense of responsibility, he trotted over to Ryuen Kakeru and his two companions.

"Students, this is a library. Please keep it quiet..."

Almost simultaneously, Sakayanagi Arisu gave a quick signal, and Hashimoto Masayoshi, who was beside her, immediately understood. He stood up quickly, wearing that roguish, handsome smile of his, and followed Hirata Yosuke over.

Just as Hirata Yosuke was about to continue his plea, Ryuen Kakeru impatiently interrupted him.

His voice, laced with mockery and sarcasm, sounded jarringly harsh in the quiet library.

"Tsk... I've come here in person... and the leaders of Class B and Class D aren't even willing to come out and welcome me?"

"Such high and mighty airs."

Hirata Yosuke froze, and the smile on Hashimoto Masayoshi's face faded, turning somewhat unpleasant.

The students of Class D began to whisper among themselves.

"Leaders? What is he talking about?"

"Do we have leaders in our class?"

"Does he mean Hirata-kun? Or Kushida-san?"

Seeing the confused whispers of the Class D students, Ryuen Kakeru let out a scoff, filled with disdain.

"Ha! You don't even have a decent leader? The rules are laid out right in front of you, and you Class D idiots are still this stupid? A gathering place for geniuses who lost all their class points in the first month really lives up to the reputation! And as for Class B... you've already fallen from Class A, yet you're still here playing charity for Class D?"

His gaze swept precisely over Sakayanagi Arisu, finally passing over the crowd to lock onto the figure who had remained with his back to them the entire time, seemingly deaf to everything happening behind him: Akiyama Shin.

Ryuen Kakeru's intuition told him that this person was the only one here worth noting as his equal.

Ignoring Hirata Yosuke and Hashimoto Masayoshi, he, Ishizaki Daichi, and Albert walked straight toward Akiyama Shin.

The heavy sound of footsteps echoed through the silent library, the sense of oppression closing in with them.

Akiyama Shin remained motionless, staring at the Japanese textbook before him, as Ryuen Kakeru walked up behind him, looking down at the person who hadn't even bothered to turn around.

The sense of being ignored grew increasingly intense in his heart, but accompanying it was an even stronger curiosity.

The corners of his mouth curled into a dangerous arc, and he reached out, intending to slam his hand down onto Akiyama Shin's shoulder.

"Excuse me, classmate!"

Hirata Yosuke's voice rang out, and at the same time, his hand had already moved first to firmly grasp Ryuen Kakeru's wrist.

Ryuen Kakeru was taken aback and tried to break free, only to be surprised to find that the seemingly slender arm of the other boy contained astonishing strength, making it impossible for him to shake it off for a moment.

He looked at Hirata Yosuke in disbelief.

Hirata Yosuke's expression was not overly cold, but his gentle demeanor carried an unquestionable firmness.

There was even a hint of embarrassment and helplessness at having to resort to force, and he spoke tentatively.

"This classmate..."

"If you aren't here to study..."

"Please don't cause trouble for everyone, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Ryuen Kakeru laughed out loud as if he had heard something hilarious, then exerted force to shake off Hirata's hand and said with disdain.

"Cause trouble?"

He scanned the room.

His gaze swept particularly over the faces of the Class D students.

"I'm just curious! I wanted to see for myself! Whether Class B is having a sudden attack of saintly compassion to provide charity... or if they just have unique taste and want to cooperate with this bunch of defective goods from Class D!"

The words "defective goods" pierced the ears of most Class D students like needles.

"What did you say?!"

"That's too insulting!"

"You bastard from Class C, what are you acting so arrogant for!"

Yamauchi Haruki, Ike Kanji, and Sudo Ken stood up directly, pointing at Ryuen Kakeru and cursing in anger.

Wang Meiyu also couldn't help but clench the hem of her skirt tightly, her face turning pale.

Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo were also rendered speechless by this blatant insult, and they turned their eyes in unison toward the only person beside them who remained calm.

Yukimura Teruhiko pushed up his glasses and frowned deeply, but he remained silent, just as the noise grew louder and a conflict seemed imminent.

"Noisy."

A calm yet highly penetrating voice rang out; it wasn't loud, but it strangely suppressed all the clamor.

Akiyama Shin closed the Japanese textbook in his hand and stood up. The entire library fell silent for a moment, and everyone's eyes focused on him.

Not far away, Shiraishi Asuka, who had been secretly observing Akiyama Shin, felt as if she had been struck by an electric current the moment that "noisy" reached her ears.

She watched as Akiyama Shin's aggressive profile was fully revealed by the movement of him standing up.

Listening to that cold and magnetic voice, her legs clamped together involuntarily, a flush of unnatural redness rose on her face, and her heart beat so fast it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.

She had initially been attracted by Akiyama Shin's outstanding appearance, but at this moment, this temperament—a mixture of dominance, indifference, and control—precisely struck a hidden, unknown inclination deep within her heart.

Akiyama Shin turned slowly, his dark red eyes staring straight at Ryuen Kakeru, calm and rippleless.

But the air in the library.

Froze at this moment.

In the quiet library, there were only the faint sounds of pages turning and pen tips scratching against paper.

However, this tranquility was soon broken by a burst of undisguised, heavy, and chaotic footsteps.

Almost all the students from Class B and Class D subconsciously looked up toward the entrance of the library.

Three figures came into view.

Leading them was a boy with shoulder-length red hair and eyes as fierce as a wild beast—it was Ryuen Kakeru from Class C.

To his left was Ishizaki Daichi, who had an honest face but a sturdy build, and the most visually shocking of all was the one on his right: a black man wearing sunglasses and standing over 190 centimeters tall—Yamada Albert.

Albert's tower-like physique blocked most of the doorway, carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

"Hey, hey... what did that guy eat to grow that big?"

On the Class B side, Hashimoto Masayoshi raised an eyebrow as he looked at Albert, whispering to Kito Hayato beside him with a hint of imperceptible vigilance in his tone.

Kito Hayato's face remained expressionless, but the gaze beneath his long dark blue hair became sharper.

Nishikawa Ryoko also subconsciously gripped the pen in her hand, her two braids swaying gently as she leaned back slightly, while Shiraishi Asuka blinked her large, seemingly naive eyes and exclaimed in a low voice.

"So tall..."

The reaction from the Class D side was even more intense.

"Whoa! Who is that guy...? Is he even a student?"

Yamauchi Haruki was startled, his voice stuttering.

"That black guy is way too tall! He's practically a monster!"

Ike Kanji's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but gasp.

Sudo Ken clenched his fists. As a sports scholarship student, he could sense a primal pressure radiating from the three of them that was far different from any athletic competition, causing his muscles to tense involuntarily.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji maintained his usual expressionless face, but a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes; he clearly hadn't expected Class C to appear in this manner.

Beside Akiyama Shin, Horikita Suzune frowned as she looked at the group and whispered.

"These are people from Class C... what are they doing here?"

Kushida Kikyo wore a worried expression, tugging gently on Akiyama Shin's sleeve as she whispered.

"Akiyama-kun, they don't look like people you want to mess with..."

Akiyama Shin didn't even lift his gaze from the literature textbook in front of him, responding indifferently.

"They're here to cause trouble."

"Cause trouble? Then we should..."

Horikita Suzune's tone was laced with nervousness.

"It's nothing."

Akiyama Shin cut her off, his tone devoid of any fluctuation, as if he were merely stating an established fact.

On the other side, Sakayanagi Arisu tapped her slender fingers against the handle of her cane. She clearly hadn't anticipated the arrival of Class C either, and her gaze swept over Ryuen Kakeru with a mix of scrutiny and amusement.

Just then, Hirata Yosuke stood up.

With his usual gentle demeanor and sense of responsibility, he trotted over to Ryuen Kakeru and his two companions.

"Students, this is a library. Please keep your voices down..."

Almost simultaneously, Sakayanagi Arisu shot a quick glance at Hashimoto Masayoshi. He caught the signal immediately, rising to his feet with a roguish grin and following Hirata Yosuke.

Hirata Yosuke was about to continue his plea, but Ryuen Kakeru impatiently cut him off.

His voice, dripping with mockery and sarcasm, sounded jarringly harsh in the quiet library.

"Tch... I came all the way here myself... and neither the leaders of Class B nor Class D are willing to come out and greet me?"

"Such high and mighty attitudes."

Hirata Yosuke froze, and the smile on Hashimoto Masayoshi's face faded, turning somewhat sour.

The students of Class D began to whisper among themselves.

"Leaders? What is he talking about?"

"Does our class even have a leader?"

"Does he mean Hirata-kun? Or Kushida-san?"

Watching the confused murmurs of the Class D students, Ryuen Kakeru let out a scoff filled with disdain.

"Ha! You don't even have a decent leader? The rules are laid out right in front of you, yet you Class D idiots are still this stupid? A gathering place for geniuses who managed to lose all their class points in the first month—the reputation is well-deserved! And Class B... you've already fallen from Class A, yet you're here playing charity for Class D?"

His gaze swept precisely over Sakayanagi Arisu before moving past the crowd, locking onto the figure who remained turned away, seemingly deaf to everything behind him: Akiyama Shin.

Ryuen Kakeru's intuition told him that this was the only person here worth paying attention to.

Ignoring Hirata Yosuke and Hashimoto Masayoshi, he, along with Ishizaki Daichi and Albert, walked straight toward Akiyama Shin.

The heavy sound of footsteps echoed through the silent library, the pressure mounting with every step.

Akiyama Shin remained motionless, staring at his textbook. Ryuen Kakeru stopped behind him, looking down at the person who hadn't even bothered to turn around.

The irritation of being ignored grew stronger, but it was accompanied by an even more intense curiosity.

A dangerous arc formed on his lips, and he reached out, intending to slam his hand down onto Akiyama Shin's shoulder.

"Excuse me, student!"

Hirata Yosuke's voice rang out, and at the same time, his hand shot out to firmly grab Ryuen Kakeru's wrist.

Ryuen Kakeru froze, attempting to pull away, only to be shocked to find that the seemingly slender arm possessed surprising strength, preventing him from shaking it off.

He looked at Hirata Yosuke in disbelief.

Hirata Yosuke's expression wasn't cold, but his gentleness was underscored by an undeniable firmness.

There was even a hint of embarrassment and helplessness at having to resort to physical force, but he spoke tentatively.

"Student..."

"If you aren't here to study..."

"Please don't cause trouble for everyone, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Ryuen Kakeru acted as if he had heard something hilarious, bursting into loud laughter as he yanked his hand free and said with disdain.

"Cause trouble?"

He scanned the room.

His gaze lingered particularly on the faces of the Class D students.

"I'm just curious! I wanted to see for myself! Whether Class B is just having a saintly episode and wants to play charity... or if you have such unique taste that you actually want to cooperate with this bunch of defective goods from Class D!"

The word "defective" pierced the ears of most Class D students like a needle.

"What did you say?!"

"That's too insulting!"

"You bastards from Class C, what are you acting so arrogant for!"

Yamauchi Haruki, Ike Kanji, and Sudo Ken stood up immediately, pointing their fingers at Ryuen Kakeru in a fit of rage.

Wang Meiyu couldn't help but clench the hem of her skirt nervously, her face turning pale.

Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo were also rendered speechless by this blunt insult, and they simultaneously looked toward the only person beside them who remained calm.

Yukimura Teruhiko adjusted his glasses, his brows furrowed, yet he remained silent as the noise grew louder and a conflict seemed imminent.

"Noisy."

A calm yet highly penetrating voice rang out; it wasn't loud, but it strangely drowned out all the clamor.

Akiyama Shin closed the Japanese textbook in his hands and stood up. The entire library fell silent for a moment, and everyone's gaze focused on him.

Not far away, Shiraishi Asuka, who had been secretly observing Akiyama Shin, felt as if she had been struck by an electric current the moment that "noisy" reached her ears.

She watched as Akiyama Shin's aggressive profile was fully revealed by the movement of him standing up.

Listening to that cold, magnetic voice, her legs clamped together involuntarily, an unnatural flush spread across her face, and her heart beat so fast it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.

She had originally been attracted to Akiyama Shin by his outstanding appearance, but at this moment, this aura—a mixture of dominance, indifference, and control—struck precisely at the secret, hidden tendencies deep within her heart.

Akiyama Shin turned slowly, his dark red eyes staring straight at Ryuen Kakeru, calm and rippleless.

But the air inside the library.

Froze at this very moment.