"Whoa, Xia Mu, you've got some nerve!"
"Seriously! You even have the nerve to take a girl's lunch?"
Both the boys and the girls condemned Xia Mu.
But some people just watched coldly from the sidelines.
"Everyone, please stop. I offered it to him."
Kushida quickly waved her hands, playing peacemaker. "It's okay, really."
After all that, Xia Mu had to be so moved he'd burst into tears, right?
When the person in question spoke up, the girls pursed their lips and glared at Xia Mu, but didn't say anything else.
Kushida lifted her head, hoping to receive Xia Mu's gratitude.
"Nom, nom."
But to her surprise, Xia Mu had already opened her lunchbox. He picked up a teddy-bear cookie with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. As he ate, he commented, "Tsk, so dry. All looks, no substance."
"You son of a—"
Kushida trembled with anger, but didn't say anything. She just silently sat back down and got to work on her homework.
If she got the chance, she'd make Xia Mu experience a fate worse than death.
I refuse to believe you don't have any secrets.
"I can't take this anymore! This guy's way too obnoxious!"
Ken Sudō looked thoroughly annoyed, ready to teach Li Mu a good lesson.
"Sudō, don't do anything rash!"
Yamauchi and Kanji saw what was happening and hurriedly held him back. Then they whispered something in his ear.
"Shit. I'll let you off for now!"
After hearing their plan, Sudō's eyes lit up, and he finally lowered the chair.
But Xia Mu definitely wouldn't escape his punishment.
He'd soon learn what happened to people who treated kind and gentle Kushida that way!
Once he'd eaten his fill, Xia Mu let out a long burp and tossed the unwashed lunchbox to Kushida. "Thanks, Kushida. It was a little bland, though."
If it was so bland, why did you eat every last bite!?
Kushida stared at the empty lunchbox in front of her as her stomach growled.
She hadn't eaten either because she'd been rushing to finish Xia Mu's homework. What had she done in her past life to deserve this?
For the first time, she wanted to give up.
But she still replied politely, "Ah, sorry. I'm not very good at cooking yet..."
"It's fine. From now on, make me one every day. That way, I can watch your cooking improve." Xia Mu grinned.
"Uh..." Kushida was just about to refuse.
"We're going to be good friends someday, right?" Xia Mu's voice carried a strange, persuasive quality. "You're so beautiful, Kushida. You wouldn't have the heart to turn me down, would you?"
"Mm!" Before she knew it, Kushida had nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll thank you in advance." Xia Mu waved and turned back to his seat.
"Huh?"
A while later, Kushida came to her senses and stared blankly.
Why had she agreed to Xia Mu's request so easily?
She'd meant to negotiate some conditions first.
Damn it. I must've been so angry I wasn't thinking straight!
Kushida jabbed Xia Mu's homework with her black pen, cursing him a thousand times in her heart.
Suddenly, she felt that being so popular wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
[Correction: Kikyo Kushida, Progress 2%/100%, Reward: Skill Point +2]
Xia Mu, who had suddenly received a system notification, was a little dazed too.
That worked!?
Looks like she'd been suffering under his torment.
"Tsk. Something's not right..."
Xia Mu carefully glanced over the System Panel.
Hadn't his Correction progress been at 3% before? Why was it 2% now?
"Wait!"
A bold guess suddenly came to Xia Mu.
Could Kushida recover on her own?
For instance, the last time he'd said things she didn't like hearing, he'd gotten Skill Points twice, but not a third time. It was as if she'd gotten used to it.
So, after one night, she'd recovered the Correction progress from before.
That was why it had only reached 2% this time.
"Does this mean I can farm Skill Points off Kushida forever!?"
He didn't care what happened to Kushida. All he cared about was Skill Points.
"Sōka!"
"Kushida, you really are my lucky star!"
Xia Mu stared at Kushida's back with shining eyes, as if she were a treasure.
Kushida couldn't help shivering. She felt like a demon had set its sights on her.
"What a creepy look..."
Suzune had noticed too, and couldn't help criticizing Xia Mu.
He wasn't just thick-skinned. He was the most shameless man she'd ever met, from childhood to now.
The afternoon passed as usual. Some students played games in class, others slept, and those who liked to chat continued to do so.
Only a tiny handful actually paid attention.
After school, Xia Mu invited Kushida to the rooftop.
"Xia Mu, what did you want to see me about?"
Kushida stood with her back to the metal door at the elevator entrance, just in case Xia Mu closed it and tried something inappropriate.
"Kushida, come over here. I've got something really good to show you."
Xia Mu beckoned to Kushida as if calling a dog.
"Uh..." Kushida had a head full of questions, but she still obligingly stepped a little closer.
Seeing that, Xia Mu grabbed the hem of his uniform jacket and suddenly yanked it upward!
"Whoosh!"
His clothes billowed, revealing what he was wearing underneath.
It was a black-and-white spiral-patterned outfit that looked almost like a prison uniform. "Ta-da! Surprise!"
The sudden gesture startled Kushida into backing away several steps. She gave an awkward laugh. "Ahaha, I had no idea you were into that sort of thing, Xia Mu..."
"But I'm not that kind of person, so no funny business, okay?"
Kushida was being very considerate. "If you really can't help yourself, you can touch my breasts once, but nothing else."
This pervert actually took his clothes off right in front of me. Disgusting.
"Come on, Kushida, you've got it all wrong."
"I'm not that kind of person!"
Xia Mu looked at Kushida with a grin. "I just wanted to surprise you."
"Ah, a s-surprise..."
Kushida cursed him as an idiot in her heart, but lightly applauded. "You're amazing."
She realized Xia Mu wasn't just as dumb as he looked. There was something seriously wrong with his head.
Suddenly, she didn't want to be friends with Xia Mu anymore.
This guy was just too good at tormenting people.
"Hehe, as long as you're happy, Kushida. I just wanted to cheer you up."
Xia Mu smiled honestly, his expression completely sincere. "Kushida, first of all, congratulations on passing my test and becoming my friend."
"Huh?"
Kushida stared blankly for a moment, then pointed at herself. "Me?"
"Yep!"
Xia Mu nodded solemnly. "But actually, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
As he spoke, he secretly activated his Hypnosis skill.
"Hmm, what is it?"
Kushida smiled sweetly, like an angel. "I can't wait!"
But in truth, she'd already more or less guessed what he was about to say.
He was obviously going to confess his feelings.
After all, she was so gentle, cute, kind, beautiful, and popular.
She was much better than Horikita Suzune.
She indulged in the thought, her bright eyes fixed on Xia Mu.
For some reason, she felt that Xia Mu's clothes had a strange sort of magic. Following the pattern, she felt as if she were about to be drawn in.
Seeing that, Xia Mu skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.
"Actually, you only act this way because you want other people to like you, right?"
"This isn't really what you're like."
Kushida's smile froze, then gradually turned cold.
Had he figured her out?
Then she'd just have to take control of him.
Before you continue