Akiyama Shin's loud outburst was like a stone tossed into a tranquil lake, sending ripples across the surface and instantly making the atmosphere in the library tense and uneasy.
Most of the students in Class D looked stunned, with a hint of satisfaction on their faces.
"Akiyama..."
"H-He's so bold!"
"He actually said it to his face!"
Many students whispered among themselves. They were worried the confrontation might escalate, but also felt a quiet satisfaction that someone had stood up to Ryuen Kakeru's insults.
In Class B, Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes widened slightly beneath her silver hair, a clear flicker of surprise giving way to even greater interest.
She lightly rested her slender fingers against her chin, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth. Akiyama Shin's refusal to back down was clearly more interesting than she'd expected.
She didn't say a word, only watched quietly, as if enjoying a play about to begin.
Hashimoto Masayoshi, Kito Hayato, and the others also looked wary and watchful, concerned that the conflict might escalate.
Nishikawa Ryoko glanced at Sakayanagi with some concern, then turned her attention to the center of the confrontation.
Meanwhile,
Shiraishi Asuka remained lost in her own world, her cheeks flushed as her eyes stayed fixed on Akiyama Shin.
Beside Akiyama Shin, Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo stared at him in shock.
Kushida Kikyo instinctively tugged at his sleeve, her voice anxious and worried.
"Akiyama-kun! Don't be reckless..."
She might have enjoyed playing small tricks on the man who bullied her, but she absolutely didn't want him to impulsively provoke someone as dangerous as Ryuen Kakeru.
Horikita Suzune also immediately spoke in a low voice.
"Akiyama... calm down!"
"There's no need to stoop to his level."
She was worried that things would get out of hand.
Hirata Yosuke hurried back a few steps and stood just behind Akiyama Shin, his face full of concern as he prepared to step in and mediate at any moment.
At the edge of the crowd, Yamauchi and Ike were simply enjoying the show and egging things on, waving their fists as they shouted.
"Akiyama! Well said! Show them what's what!"
"Yeah! You Class C bastards, get out!"
Watching the chaotic scene, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji rubbed his forehead helplessly. Things seemed to be heading in a troublesome direction. Ken Sudō said nothing, but with his arms crossed, he looked at Akiyama Shin with less contempt than before and a hint of respect.
He'd once thought Akiyama Shin was just a pretty-boy who coasted on his looks. The swimming lesson had changed his opinion somewhat, but not enough for him to respect Akiyama. Now, seeing Akiyama Shin face Ryuen Kakeru's provocation and speak up for their class, he saw a real man—not a coward who hid his head in the sand.
Behind Ryuen Kakeru, Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert were also staring intently at Akiyama Shin.
When they met Akiyama Shin's calm, fathomless eyes, cold as polar ice, they couldn't help but shiver. His gaze wasn't openly ferocious and violent like Ryuen Kakeru's, but it sent an even deeper chill through them, as if he had no emotions at all.
It was the first time they'd seen someone with eyes so cold. Somehow, they were even more unsettling than Ryuen Kakeru when he flew into a rage.
After a moment's surprise, Ryuen laughed instead of getting angry, his smile twisted.
"Oh? Finally, someone with the guts to come out and talk shit? Are you the leader Class D's been hiding?"
He looked Akiyama Shin up and down, trying to spot a weakness.
Facing Ryuen Kakeru's aggressive stare, Akiyama Shin's expression didn't change at all, as if Ryuen were merely putting on a pathetic one-man show.
He quickly assessed the situation.
Provocation and insults—the goal was to unsettle Class D and disrupt the study session. A crude but effective tactic.
Still, this was a good opportunity... Maybe he could use it to figure out what Class C was up to, or even gain leverage for future negotiations.
"You really are..."
"Crude to the core."
Akiyama Shin spoke evenly.
"Maybe you're right."
"But is Class C using such vulgar and ineffective tactics because you're trying to stage a street brawl, or because you aspire to be motorcycle gangsters from the last century? If that's the case, I'm a little concerned. After all, this school doesn't have any cops openly available to chase you around the streets."
With a single remark, he made Ryuen Kakeru's behavior sound like a pathetic performance and mocked Class C's level.
Ryuen Kakeru's expression darkened.
"You... You sure have a sharp tongue. But you defective pieces of trash... You think you're in any position to talk about anyone's level?"
"Whether we're defective isn't for a loser who only knows how to bark to decide."
Akiyama Shin fired back at once, his tone utterly even.
"At least we know how to stay quiet in a library, instead of making noise like untamed beasts."
"Who are you calling a loser...? Who are you calling a beast...?"
Ryuen Kakeru's anger finally flared. He stepped closer, while Ishizaki Daichi and Albert tensed their muscles. The atmosphere instantly grew charged.
Seeing Ryuen Kakeru fuming after Akiyama Shin had silenced him with just a few words, seemingly unable to come up with a stronger retort, the students in Class D felt thoroughly vindicated.
"Well said, Akiyama!"
"Exactly! Which side are the barbarians on?"
"Go back to Class C!"
Most of Class B remained silent. Hashimoto Masayoshi, however, seemed unable to hold back. A smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he turned to Kito Hayato.
"That guy's got a vicious tongue."
The tense lines on Kito Hayato's scowling face finally seemed to relax a little, despite himself.
Nearby, Nishikawa Ryoko leaned close to Shiraishi Asuka's ear and spoke as softly as a breeze.
"Akiyama's pretty impressive, huh?"
Shiraishi Asuka nodded vigorously, her eyes shining brightly.
Akiyama Shin completely ignored Ryuen Kakeru's steadily increasing pressure. His composure remained undisturbed as he continued in an even tone.
"There's no point wasting each other's time."
"If you came here just to act like a clown and draw attention to yourself, then your show is over. But..."
His tone shifted slightly, and his gaze sharpened.
"If you're trying to test us or looking for a way to cooperate, maybe you could try a smarter approach instead of one that makes everyone dislike you."
Ryuen Kakeru stared hard at Akiyama Shin, his chest heaving.
He realized that his plan to throw Class D off balance was almost completely ineffective against this guy.
The other boy's composure was like an ice wall. Ryuen's provocations and insults were like torches striking solid ice: they couldn't melt it, and might even get burned by the cold.
Even if he came to harass them every day, at most he'd waste some of their study time.
Class D and Class B could simply move to another location.
More importantly, this would seriously disrupt his own class's studies and plans. He might be good at ruling through violence, but his grades weren't bad, and he understood the importance of studying.
This guy...
Ryuen Kakeru silently weighed the pros and cons. For now, with Akiyama Shin in Class D, the class wasn't as easy to break as he'd imagined.
Staying here would only make him a laughingstock. There seemed to be no point, so he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger, then pulled a menacing smile back across his face.
"Hmph. Interesting."
"Looks like Class D isn't entirely full of useless trash."
His gaze swept across Akiyama Shin's face like a poisonous snake, as if he meant to etch the boy's features into his memory.
"Akiyama, is it...? We'll see about that...!"
With that, he said no more. He spun around and growled at Ishizaki and Albert.
"Let's go!"
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