A Direct Assault, Speak Straight from the Heart!

"...I wasn't lying to you."

"Kuroko and Shirako were both the club president cross-dressing as girls, so they're called cross-dressers."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka explained with solemn dignity.

He diluted this cup of poison with plenty of water, drank it in one gulp, and tenaciously survived.

Horikita Suzune showed mercy and did not pour him another cup of poison.

She sighed. "No wonder I had a familiar feeling from the very beginning."

As soon as she finished speaking,

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka gave a thumbs-up, only to have it silently glared back down by Horikita.

"It's about time. Don't forget what we're supposed to do later."

Horikita Suzune looked up at the withering sky, considered it for a moment, then turned to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka beside her.

Making sure once again, she said, "You've already figured out how to respond, right?"

"I have a rough idea."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nodded with complicated feelings, his gaze inevitably drifting into the distance.

It was evening.

The setting sun cast a thin layer of twilight across the ground, illuminating the girls' slender yet upright figures.

The group, whose date was drawing to an end, stood before the musical fountain. Amid the crisp sound of flowing water, casual conversation mingled freely, while light laughter occasionally spilled out as harmony, creating an atmosphere that was both relaxed and pleasant.

Just one glance at this scene was enough to brighten one's mood considerably.

It was stress relief for office workers, a smile-making machine for shut-ins, and material for uncles and aunties to reminisce about their youth.

But some people simply could not be happy.

Under Horikita Suzune's watchful gaze, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka rose and launched his attack.

His bold yet tragic figure resembled Jing Ke, ready to depart and never return.

"Suzumiya still hasn't come back. Do you think she's all right?"

In front of the fountain.

Remembering that Suzumiya Shirako still had not returned to meet up with them, Ichinose Honami could not help asking worriedly.

Shiina Hiyori looked at her gently and smiled. "Don't worry. She should be joining us again soon."

"Mm, that's good."

Ichinose Honami returned her with a relieved smile.

Before long, a man came over from afar, scratching his head while looking as though he wanted to sweep the entire street with his eyes. He slowly wandered into the group's view.

Upon seeing who it was, Shiina Hiyori's brows furrowed slightly.

She clearly remembered that today's performance had not assigned him any role.

Ichinose Honami gathered her wandering thoughts, stretched as if casually surveying the surroundings, then turned her gaze toward the boy approaching them.

Seemingly without intent, she called out, "Huh? Ayanokoji-kun..."

"It's Ichinose..."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's deliberately natural greeting caught in his throat, because he felt a suspicious gaze from a former teammate.

Shiina... I have no choice.

Trying his best to avoid her eyes, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka walked somewhat awkwardly up to them. His tone regained a little composure as he said, "Ichinose, I happen to have something I need to talk to you about. Would it be convenient to speak privately?"

Huh?

Shironami Chihiro, standing nearby, wore an expression as though she sensed danger.

"Oh? What's going on?"

A kind smile appeared on Shiina Hiyori's face—so kind that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's back could not help turning cold.

"...I just want to clear some things up."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka answered vaguely, a bead of sweat slowly trickling down his forehead.

He simply chose to ignore her questioning stare and continued, pointing at Ichinose Honami as he sought her permission. "Would that be okay, Ichinose?"

Ichinose Honami's lively eyes darted left and right. Looking slightly guilty, she nodded silently, then followed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka toward a quiet corner behind them.

W-What was going on?!

Shironami Chihiro was already so nervous that she did not know what to do.

Watching the two walk one after the other behind a building to a hidden corner, the ambiguous air seemed to wrap tightly around them. She could not help casting a helpless look at Shiina Hiyori beside her.

Shiina Hiyori's feelings were somewhat complicated as well.

After silently pondering for a moment, she guessed that the man might have been instructed by Horikita... If it were Bai-kun, what would he do now?

That man's face and voice surfaced in her mind. Even she often could not grasp his unpredictable personality.

In a situation like this, what choice would he make? What kind of strategy would he come up with?

Her thoughts slowly sank to the bottom of a lake, searching for a trace of light amid the darkness...

In an instant.

It was as though lightning pierced through the girl's mind. Shiina Hiyori raised her head slightly and saw the door leading straight to the truth swing open before her.

Then, a familiar and blazing voice resounded through her mind—"Launch a direct assault and speak straight from the heart!!"

That voice was so familiar, and the meaning it conveyed was so unmistakable!

At that moment, the girl was like Shakyamuni beneath the Bodhi tree, like the Leshan Hermit attaining enlightenment at Longchang, like Mouri Kogoro under anesthesia—

Shiina Hiyori instantly achieved enlightenment.

She turned around and swiftly grabbed the hand of the still-bewildered girl. Her bright, resolute eyes gave no time for explanation as she flung her a look, and the next second, she dragged her toward the girl's true battlefield—"Huh?"

"Shiina—?!!"

At the soon-to-be crime scene.

As they waited, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Ichinose Honami cautiously observed their surroundings.

According to Horikita Suzune's plan, the two had to put on a scene before Shironami Chihiro where Ayanokoji's confession failed and Ichinose Honami was deeply devastated.

So until the person involved arrived, all they could do was wait.

Logically speaking, after seeing him and Ichinose Honami enter this corner, she should not have been able to remain indifferent.

What was more, Shiina Hiyori was beside her. Considering their objective, they presumably would not let Ichinose Honami make her confession so easily.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka glanced at a bush behind him that had begun rustling suspiciously, calmly sorting through the situation in his mind for the moment.

He looked at the school's acknowledged beauty before him, who was also somewhat distracted, her uneasy gaze wandering everywhere.

His feelings were subtly complicated.

How should he put it...

He felt unbelievably calm right now. He had neither the excitement and anticipation of being about to receive a confession, nor any desire to see the girl display anything resembling the expected scene of a confession...

What's wrong with me?

Gulp.

For now, he might as well examine himself.

--

Writer's block. Tragic.

I'll post later tonight. A-Qie not giving me any traffic has affected my mindset a little. Should I rename this book The Self-Cultivation of xxxx?

I only ask for a third of those two books' popularity.