Running Into a Clingy Pest

I hadn't been able to tease Horikita Suzune.

No matter.

Wasn't there someone else beside her?

Shi Cheng decisively changed targets. With a shy expression, he still gathered his courage and looked at Kushida Kikyo. "Kikyo, would you be my girlfriend?"

Huh?

She hadn't expected the gossip to suddenly land on her.

Kushida Kikyo froze for a moment.

But she quickly recovered.

After all, she had dealt with this sort of thing plenty of times before.

She was already used to it.

Kushida Kikyo smiled and replied politely, "Shi Cheng, that joke isn't funny at all. Even I would get angry, you know."

To prove it.

Kushida Kikyo did her best to pout her delicate lips.

As for why she was certain Shi Cheng was joking.

What a joke.

Countless people had confessed to her.

She could tell at a glance whether they meant it or not.

"You could even see through that?" Shi Cheng looked surprised, then said seriously, "Since you figured it out, I'll tell you the truth."

"Mm-hm." Kushida Kikyo looked forward to it, completely forgetting what had just happened.

More than teasing, she wanted to know what it was all about.

Shi Cheng lowered his voice, thoroughly drawing in Kushida Kikyo's curiosity.

"This school gives me a very bad feeling, so I decided to do something about it."

Was that why he had asked Horikita Suzune to investigate the camera locations?

Kushida Kikyo couldn't understand.

She spoke up for the school. "I think the school treats us quite well. They even give us so much living allowance."

What she meant was that Shi Cheng was worrying over nothing.

Horikita Suzune listened quietly, with no intention of voicing an opinion.

She already found Kushida Kikyo irritating.

If leaving right then hadn't felt like losing momentum, she would have gone back to the classroom to read long ago.

Still, irritation was irritation. She could listen to what Kushida Kikyo said.

And after hearing it, Horikita Suzune felt that it made some sense.

Shi Cheng didn't explain further and said candidly, "You're right, which is why I haven't acted rashly."

Anyway, Horikita Suzune was the one doing things. What did it have to do with him?

Horikita Suzune caught the hint that he was shifting the blame and discreetly reached out to pinch Shi Cheng.

So since he couldn't act conveniently, he was sending her ahead to scout the way again?

Horikita Suzune didn't fly into a rage, merely giving him a small warning.

She had her own considerations.

She couldn't possibly rely on just one person's words.

Especially when those words came from Kushida Kikyo.

Though they did make some sense.

Shi Cheng bared his teeth, preparing to pry away Horikita Suzune's overly soft hand and take advantage of the opportunity.

The situation was terrible.

He had suffered pain for nothing and gained no benefit at all.

As if she could predict the future, Horikita Suzune let go beforehand and quietly went back to being a beautiful girl.

Shi Cheng shot Horikita Suzune a look.

He picked up his tray. "I'm heading back. You two carry on."

Before Kushida Kikyo could react, Horikita Suzune left behind only a dashing silhouette.

Her decisive retreat deeply moved Shi Cheng. He turned to Kushida Kikyo, whose face was shadowed, and asked, "Are you sure you still want to carry out the plan?"

Kushida Kikyo's gaze flickered, but she nodded firmly.

"Yes. It's precisely because Horikita is like this that I'm even more worried about her."

"Fine, then." Shi Cheng shrugged indifferently.

He figured their next meeting would be another farce.

He was even ready to buy some sunflower seeds and soda.

But then he thought that would be inappropriate.

Only then did Shi Cheng abandon that disrespectful idea.

The following classes were terribly boring.

Good habits might not spread, but bad habits definitely did.

Influenced by the majority of the class.

Even Shi Cheng, who had previously paid attention in class, found himself unable to concentrate.

Because he was thinking about the show that would unfold later.

He desperately wished that moment would arrive sooner.

Amid that anticipation.

The day's lessons ended quickly.

As the bell rang.

Some students who had begun adapting to life here left even faster than the teacher at the podium.

Fortunately, Horikita Suzune was a good student.

Packing up her textbooks took some time.

Otherwise, Shi Cheng might have had to chase after her.

"Horikita, wait a moment. I have something to tell you."

Shi Cheng stopped her.

With her bag hanging from one shoulder, Horikita Suzune stood gracefully in the fading sunset glow and looked at Shi Cheng.

"What is it?"

Her words were icy, as if she were still holding the cafeteria incident against him.

In truth, she wasn't. She wasn't an unreasonable person.

Before everything became clear, she had her own judgment.

If she eventually discovered.

That Shi Cheng had really just been fooling around with her.

Horikita Suzune swore.

She would definitely make Shi Cheng pay.

Shi Cheng looked around and suggested, "Let's change locations. It's inconvenient to talk here."

"Say it here."

Horikita Suzune frowned.

Only the two of them remained in the classroom now. Who was there to overhear them?

"Come on. I'll take the chance to express my thanks too." Shi Cheng didn't bother considering her opinion.

He walked straight out of the classroom.

Horikita Suzune glared at Shi Cheng's back.

If what he said later didn't satisfy her.

He'd better watch out for her temper!

"You've never been to a place like this, have you? Girls should act like girls. Being cold all the time won't do, you know."

Arriving outside a milk tea shop, Shi Cheng grinned as he spoke to her.

"You'd better have a reason for this." Horikita Suzune was thoroughly impolite and showed no appreciation whatsoever.

The two then entered the milk tea shop.

The situation wasn't great.

Because they had arrived a step too late.

Every seat was occupied.

"Ah, there are seats open over there. Let's hurry over." Two vaguely familiar figures stood up.

Shi Cheng's eyelid twitched, but he still led her over with a stiff expression.

He secretly observed Horikita Suzune's reaction.

Sure enough, he saw her frown.

It seemed she had also noticed that the people who had just left were classmates.

But there still wasn't enough that was unusual.

So Horikita Suzune didn't explode yet.

"What do you want to drink?" Shi Cheng asked.

Meeting Horikita Suzune's cold gaze, Shi Cheng obediently nodded. "Got it. I'll order for you."

"Hurry up and tell me. What exactly is this about?" Horikita Suzune was growing irritated.

"Don't rush. We can talk while we drink." Shi Cheng sat down and waited quietly.

There were quite a lot of customers, so the milk tea would take some time to make.

"What a coincidence, Horikita. You're here too. We really are fated."

Kushida Kikyo approached, her face full of smiles.

"Since fate brought us together, become friends with me!"

Kushida Kikyo sat down on the other side, forming a pincer formation with Shi Cheng.

Surrounded on both sides, Horikita Suzune showed no trace of panic.

She had already sensed that something was off earlier.

Now, her suspicion had merely been confirmed.

Horikita Suzune calmly shot a fierce glare at Shi Cheng, who was laughing awkwardly.

Then she focused her efforts on dealing with Kushida Kikyo.

Because she understood.

Kushida Kikyo was the main culprit.

Shi Cheng was merely an errand boy.

A little lackey wasn't worthy of speaking to her!

Seeing the immense resentment radiating from Horikita Suzune, Shi Cheng wasn't worried at all that the two of them would fall out.

After all, she was such a tsundere.

"Kushida, can't you understand what I'm saying? Why do you keep pestering me?" Horikita Suzune decided to go all out this time.

It seemed she understood.

If she didn't resolve this trouble completely.

Kushida Kikyo would keep clinging to her.