Unexpected Guest

"As expected, you really have to reward yourself properly after a workout to make it worth it!"

Five thousand points flowed from Koenji's pocket into Katsuya's, and subsequently flowed into the Cloud Cafe.

Being able to eat his favorite desserts at any time—even the master of the Odd Jobs Agency couldn't help but hum a little tune, right?

"My little darlings, the old man is here to pamper you now~"

Looking at the prizes on the table, Katsuya felt like Dong Zhuo after entering the capital, not knowing which one to start with. Just as he finally selected the caramel pudding as an appetizer, an uninvited guest rang the dormitory doorbell.

"Ding-dong~"

"Well, I must be overworked, so I'm having auditory hallucinations. It's an illusion, just an illusion..."

"Ding-dong."

"I must be too tired!"

Katsuya raised his voice, hoping the uninvited guest outside would hear him and leave quickly. Right now, nothing was more important than enjoying the bouncy, sweet texture of his pudding!!

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

Whether the person outside didn't hear him or simply didn't want to leave, they kept pressing the doorbell, their technique growing increasingly aggressive.

"Tsk... you'd better have a real reason for this."

A reluctant Katsuya slowly got up and opened the dormitory door, and what met his eyes was a face both familiar and strange.

The girl had what could be called the cutest face in all of Class D, with honey-colored hair tied into a high ponytail at the back of her head. Perhaps to show off her personality, she had deliberately taken off her top and tied it around her waist.

She was the spitting image of a stereotypical gal.

"Uh... Karuizawa-san?"

Countless possibilities had flashed through Katsuya's mind, but he had never once considered this person.

After all, although the two of them had greeted each other and spoken before, that was as far as it went.

"Um... Katsuya-kun, could I have a word with you?"

The girl looked very reserved and nervous. It seemed she really had something very important to discuss, so Katsuya agreed to her request without a second thought.

"If you don't mind, please come in."

After receiving permission, Karuizawa let out a long sigh of relief and pulled the dormitory door shut behind her.

"Sorry, I don't have any clean slippers here, so you'll have to make do with these."

"Ah, it's fine! Really, it's fine."

It seemed she was truly nervous; her words were already becoming a bit incoherent.

Katsuya thoughtfully poured her a glass of water: "Please, sit."

Karuizawa thanked him after taking it, then caught sight of the various snacks and cakes on the table and gasped in amazement:

"Wow! Katsuya-kun really does love desserts."

"Because they're delicious. Don't laugh at me, but every time I go to a new place, I always taste the local customs first. Slowly, eating desserts went from a hobby to a habit."

"Eh? That sounds pretty nice."

The two chatted aimlessly. Perhaps because Katsuya had a strong sense of approachability, Karuizawa's guard gradually lowered until she was able to crack a few small jokes with him.

"Hahaha, so, Karuizawa-san, what brings you here today?"

Hearing Katsuya's question, Karuizawa's body stiffened for a moment, then she picked up her water glass and began rubbing her fingers against it incessantly:

"I... I actually wanted to... ask you a question."

"Oh? Go ahead, I'll tell you everything I know."

(As long as it's something I can tell you, I'll tell you everything.)

Karuizawa took a long, deep breath:

"During swimming class, I saw that you seemed to have some very heavy scars on your chest... so..."

Katsuya Shinjo narrowed his eyes calmly. Since the two of them weren't that close, why would she come over alone to ask such a question?

Even if it were out of curiosity or concern, she could have asked during swimming class or tomorrow in the classroom...

Something was wrong. It was nine parts out of ten suspicious...

"Ah... you mean that..."

Katsuya hadn't figured out how to answer her yet. Although he could use the same excuse he used on Ayanokoji—saying he was scalded by a frying pan—but...

However, in Karuizawa's eyes, Katsuya's vague response held a different meaning. To her, this must be a painful memory he didn't want to bring up!

Therefore, she tentatively probed with a joke:

"I'm not actually one to meddle in other people's business... I was just a little curious. But then I saw you racing Koenji in the pool and realized I might have overthought it. After all, Katsuya-kun is so strong, you don't look like someone who's been bullied at all, hahahaha... Sorry, I said something weird..."

Having said that, Karuizawa laughed awkwardly, though her laugh was awkward to begin with...

However, Katsuya caught a few keywords from her words, so he pretended to pour himself a glass of water, took a few sips, and said:

"This... Karuizawa-san... are you suspecting that I was bullied by others in the past?"

"Ah, no, no, no, I... I meant... it's just..."

"Well, you really have a sharp eye. To be precise, that is indeed the case."

There was nothing wrong with what Shinjo said; he had indeed been bullied. It just wasn't the kind of bullying that happens in school, that's all...

Karuizawa's brows twitched violently upon hearing this, and the smile on her face gradually froze.

As expected... is that the situation?

"Then... when did this happen?"

"Let's see... it was about two years ago, I think. After all, I don't really want to look back on that part of my past."

After saying that, Shinjo picked up his water glass again, stealing a glance at the changes in Karuizawa's expression.

He saw a hint of unnaturalness appear on her face; if he had to describe it, it was perhaps three parts fear, one part resentment, and six parts dullness.

"You... can a guy as capable as you also be bullied?"

"Being bullied has nothing to do with whether you're capable or not, or whether you're a boy or a girl. Or rather, whether a person is strong or weak has nothing to do with their gender or physique."

"Why?"

"Because I have always believed that the strength of the strong always comes from within, not from the outside."

"So, that's why you..."

Karuizawa looked thoughtful, as if she wanted to say something more, but she was interrupted by Shinjo:

"But you really do have a good eye. Ayanokoji and the others actually believed that I was scalded by a deep fryer. To think you could tell that I had been bullied... Karuizawa-san, you seem to be... quite experienced in this area, aren't you?"