A Heroine Riding a Little White Pony Through Sunshine and Rainbows

"Ryuen, we're just here to take a group photo. We won't interrupt you while you play."

Hearing the greeting, Ichinose Honami came to her senses and smiled.

"Oh? Class B and Class C?"

Ryuen Kakeru tilted his head and looked over the people behind her, then said with an amused expression, "I don't recall your classes having such flashy faces."

"Ryuen, that's very rude of you."

Shiina Hiyori immediately stepped forward and used her body to block Ryuen's line of sight.

She introduced her proactively. "This is Suzumiya Shirako from Class D. She's my clubmate, so please don't be rude to her."

So... so cool!

Watching Shiina take the initiative to shield Bai Yu, the timid Shironami Chihiro felt a surge of admiration. She could not help imagining herself protecting Ichinose like that someday.

"Don't worry, Shiina. I've always been very polite toward women."

Ryuen Kakeru gave a perfunctory reply, then glanced again at the face he had not noticed before. Like a harsh host putting on a veneer of courtesy for his guests, he said, "Since she's Shiina's friend, I'll let you off for now. Enjoy the hospitality here."

As soon as he finished speaking.

Someone rolled their eyes.

Ryuen Kakeru's turning footsteps came to a halt.

His sharp gaze snapped back, passing over the two girls in front and heading straight for the rear, startling Shironami Chihiro into hiding behind Bai Yu.

"Looks like someone isn't very willing to accept my goodwill."

As the words fell again.

Someone else tossed her head and snorted coldly, closing her eyes at the same time to show that she had no desire to look at anything unhealthy.

At that moment.

Ryuen Kakeru's fake smile suddenly froze. The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, and a dark aura seeped from him. "This Class D student, it seems you're not very accustomed to me being polite."

"Ryuen."

Seeing that things were going wrong, Shiina Hiyori promptly stretched out a hand to stop Ryuen again.

Then she glanced at the man behind her, who seemed to have switched roles once more.

She was afraid Ryuen would provoke him.

"Relax, Shiina. I said I wouldn't make things difficult for your friend."

Ryuen Kakeru narrowed his eyes and examined the disdainful girl again. After pondering for a moment, he said almost on impulse, "But as the host, I should show a little hospitality. How about a round of Street Fighter with me, miss?"

"If you win, you can play wherever you want here."

"Ryuen, stop messing around. We'll be leaving soon."

Ichinose Honami stepped forward to speak as well. She could tell that Ryuen was deliberately making things difficult for them.

"Hey, Ichinose, it's just one game. Besides, isn't it a little cold-hearted of you not to let me entertain our new friend?"

A domineering smile skillfully appeared on Ryuen Kakeru's face, his expression subtle.

"Fine! I accept your challenge!"

Someone suddenly shouted without thinking, shattering the increasingly oppressive atmosphere.

"???"

Puzzled, Ryuen Kakeru looked over and saw her staring back at him with a confident expression. Then she immediately moved, walking around him toward the arcade machines without the slightest hesitation.

Her calm, assured manner, utterly free of stage fright, left the others briefly astonished as well.

"She's..."

Ryuen Kakeru cautiously began.

Shiina Hiyori, meanwhile, gave him a nod with an expression that said he should take care of himself. It was somewhat like a doctor solemnly telling a patient to eat something good.

He had only intended to give her a hard time. After all, everyone knew how skilled he was at video games; even among the second- and third-years, there were few upperclassmen who could trade blows with him.

Anyone who heard such an invitation would understand what it meant. They would either shrink back, apologize, and refuse, or simply surrender outright. Yet this girl... she really was rather baffling.

Whether she was fearless through ignorance or actually had some skill, it had been his suggestion. He could not just put on a show, or people would laugh at him, wouldn't they?

She was only a woman. Even if he went easy on her, he could settle this effortlessly. Watch me teach you a proper lesson today!

After pondering for a while, Ryuen Kakeru smiled confidently and headed toward his subordinates, who did not know how to respond.

Ichinose Honami and Shiina Hiyori exchanged a look. The latter immediately smiled and said there was no need to worry; Suzumiya Shirako was quite accomplished at games.

Over in the arcade area.

Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert had commandeered the machines and were happily locked in an evenly matched battle between two terrible players.

When they noticed their leader returning from the corner of their eyes, with an unfamiliar but devastatingly beautiful girl following in front of him, they immediately stood up to display their excellent lackey instincts.

"Boss's wife!"

"Your mother's the boss's wife, idiot."

Ryuen Kakeru could not help cursing. He swept the standing Ishizaki aside, then sat in the still-warm seat he had vacated.

With a look, he signaled Suzumiya to sit down.

On the other side, Yamada Albert was still reluctant to leave the game.

Taking advantage of Ishizaki sucking up to their leader, he was about to decide the winner of their noob fight and use his ultimate move to turn the tables when he heard an order from behind him, one even more vicious than Ryuen's usual tone.

"Move it, Nigger."

What a wonderful voice, what wonderful words, what an utterly natural attitude!

It was as though Yamada Albert's face had instantly been smeared with charcoal. That clear, lovely voice, coupled with that matter-of-fact form of address from behind him, pierced his delicate, sensitive heart in an instant and touched the ultimate forbidden zone that no one else was allowed to touch.

All at once, winning this game no longer mattered.

His face darkened to match his skin. Trembling all over, he radiated a terrifying aura as he angrily wanted to accuse her of something, to bombard her with questions—

Nigger? I'm mixed-race! I'm a proud, proper Japanese man, you bastard!

The hulking man and the girl met each other's eyes, their height difference making them look like Beauty and the Beast.

His thick lips twitched as a carefully selected, clumsy Japanese sentence was about to leave his mouth. But Ryuen Kakeru, who was getting impatient beside him, waved a hand and confiscated his chance to condemn her in the name of justice.

"Yamada, she didn't say anything wrong. All right, get out of the way."

"???"

"Didn't you hear me? Don't waste my fucking time!"

Yamada Albert,

instantly turned into a large pile of ash, scattered to the side by the cold, merciless wind of being discarded by his leader after use.

"How are we doing this?"

After sitting down in the seat cleared of Yamada, Bai Yu turned his head and asked Ryuen Kakeru simply.

"Heh, play whatever you want."

Ryuen Kakeru laughed disdainfully, his tone dripping with contempt. "As long as you beat me once, you can go wherever you want."

"Ah, this is boring!" Bai Yu suddenly cried out in frustration.

"???"

The people behind them all wore expressions of disbelief, as though they had misheard. Was there really someone this reckless?

"Oh? Then how do you want to do it?" Ryuen Kakeru became slightly interested.

"All of you come at me together. If you win the total number of rounds, I'll give each of you ten thousand points. If you lose, each of you gives me ten thousand!"

The crowd was even more shocked upon hearing this! Then they whispered among themselves, discussing where they should go for a good meal that night.

"Eighty thousand in stakes?"

Ryuen Kakeru casually glanced at the people behind him, then turned back to Bai Yu. His relaxed expression carried a hint of pity.

Considering Shiina's feelings, he spoke again to confirm. "Are you sure?"

"Stop yapping, boring man!"

After saying that, Bai Yu lowered his head and gripped the joystick. Staring straight and seriously at the screen as he prepared to choose a character, he radiated the bearing of a proud female general.

"Fine!"

Ryuen Kakeru readily agreed. At this moment, he felt unbelievably refreshed—he had never felt this good even when competing against the useless eaters behind him.

He then pulled his gaze away from her face and looked at the screen to choose his character.

Though a woman, her boldness and resolve were no weaker than a man's.

Since that was the case, then I would give her the respect she deserved!