It's the Service Club—Karuizawa Has Been Saved!

After a brief discussion, the three decided to use the method Shiina had suggested.

They would build a friendship with Karuizawa that went beyond that of ordinary classmates. That way, if she became isolated, they could stand on her side, ease the situation appropriately, and prevent things from escalating.

But whether she herself could accept it...

No.

As long as Hirata Ko refused her unreasonable request, she would have no other choice.

So they needed to give Hirata Ko a heads-up first.

Huh?

Why was he calling Hirata "Hirata Ko"?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wondered as his gaze drifted over the two people talking before him.

He actually had a simpler, more direct method, but he hesitated over whether to mention it. Perhaps Bai Yu knew it too, but simply had no intention of using it.

After thinking it over for a moment, he decided to keep the suggestion to himself.

"Okay."

"Then we'll be counting on you, Shiina. It wouldn't be appropriate for us boys to directly approach a girl for a discussion like this. People might easily think we have ulterior motives."

Bai Yu flashed a bright smile.

Ayanokoji really wanted to mock him for caring about that, but after some thought, he said, "Still, Shiina and Karuizawa aren't in the same class. Wouldn't it seem too deliberate for you to approach her directly...? People who've suffered bullying are often wary and sensitive. If you end up putting her on guard, it'll have the opposite effect."

"Do I look like someone with ulterior motives?" Shiina Hiyori teased playfully.

"You look like someone who'd be targeted by people with ulterior motives."

Bai Yu said objectively, "But Ayanokoji has a point. People who have been bullied tend to be even more guarded around others. Approaching her rashly might backfire."

"Then how should I become friends with Karuizawa?"

Shiina turned her questioning gaze toward Bai Yu again, looking somewhat expectant.

Bai Yu pondered briefly, a sunny smile occasionally appearing at the corners of his mouth.

He sat back down, picked up his pen and improvised something on paper as he said, "People who have gone through hardship often feel intense resistance toward those experiences and memories. That's why they constantly arm themselves, staying alert to harm from others and preventing themselves from falling back into their previous circumstances."

"But they also develop empathy for those who have gone through the same things or are suffering similar circumstances. When facing such people, they are often more willing to open their hearts and be honest with each other."

Bai Yu left dramatic traces on the neat sheet of paper, then swiftly set down his pen and held the paper out to the two before him.

"Ayanokoji, don't you think our school life is a little too boring?"

"I think an ordinary, peaceful life is best."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stubbornly looked away, choosing not to face it.

Shiina Hiyori gently accepted the paper Bai Yu handed her. After taking one look, she immediately smiled with confidence.

She turned her gaze toward Ayanokoji Kiyotaka beside her and politely said, "Then I'll be in your care, Ayanokoji."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka glanced helplessly at the paper held out before him. It was definitely not a script, but a verdict sentencing him to death.

"The hero saving the damsel in distress is already an outdated cliché. This is the age of campus romantic comedies."

As Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood there stunned, he felt a powerful tug on his hand and was suddenly dragged out of the classroom.

Shiina Hiyori watched the two of them run off one after another. Then she lowered her head and slowly put away the unfinished tea, unable to keep a trace of a smile from appearing on her lips.

Bai's script had already been written. This time, she had been given a very important role as well, so she had to perform it properly.

That afternoon.

Bai Yu dragged Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to the venue ahead of time. There was no need for a rehearsal; it was only a simple scene, and as long as they did not go too overboard, they could handle it through improvisation.

It was just that the role assigned to him... Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt somewhat heavy-hearted. The target was Karuizawa Kei, a classmate of his. Ugh, his stomach was starting to hurt again...

"What is the club president doing?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was pulled from his thoughts by the indescribable movements beside him and could not help asking as he turned his head.

"I'm doing some simple warm-ups."

Bai Yu answered briefly.

"But what you're doing..."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt conflicted. Was this guy planning to do something bizarre again?

But to be safe, he decided not to ask.

Bai Yu eventually settled down and said, "Ayanokoji, as the saying goes, the capable work harder. A club president is someone who fears no challenge."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nodded mercilessly.

Before long, he noticed two figures walking toward them in the distance. One was the protagonist of today's little performance, Karuizawa Kei. The other was the special guest for this scene, Hirata Yosuke.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka composed himself slightly, preparing to act according to the director's instructions.

As for Shiina.

It seemed that, in order to make her entrance look natural enough, she had chosen to appear at the appropriate moment.

"Hirata, have you decided on your answer to what I told you before?"

Her gorgeous, bright yellow hair had been deliberately tied into a somewhat mature high ponytail. Karuizawa Kei stood with her arms crossed, staring seriously at Hirata Ko before her.

"Uh, actually, I asked you out today to make things clear."

Hirata Yosuke answered with a troubled expression.

"You... want to reject me? Was all that concern you showed for the class just an act?"

Karuizawa Kei sharply sensed something, and her voice became agitated as she questioned him.

"Listen to me."

Hirata Yosuke tried to persuade her. "Pretending to be a couple might let you receive my protection for a short time, but it'll inevitably be exposed eventually. Besides, constantly deceiving our classmates isn't good either. I think we should try to have some faith in our class..."

"What about the other classes?"

Karuizawa Kei asked calmly, gradually lowering her head. "Can you guarantee that no one from any of the four classes will bully me? I worked so hard from the very beginning of school to create a strong, domineering image. But that wasn't who I really was."

"I also want to make friends as my true self, but that self is the one I least want—and least dare—to face..."

Her hands slowly fell from before her chest, hanging at the edge of her skirt and clenching into fists. Karuizawa Kei's voice carried a touch more sorrow.

"I heard about what happened in Class C... Even after coming here, things like that still happen around me every day. I..."

"Wait!"

"??"