The next day.
With no personal points being deposited, the students in Class D were living decidedly frugal lives.
Rumor had it that several of them had been mocked by students from the neighboring class while waiting in line to buy the vegetable set meal.
Though they only had themselves to blame.
"Hey, Kushida, could you lend me some points?"
"Wang, could I ask you to lend me some points? Not too much—just 5,000!"
"Hey, hey..."
Early that morning, Karuizawa used the intimidation her gyaru image inspired to shake people down all over the place.
But since most of Class D had lived extravagantly the previous month, there weren't many people who could lend her money.
Because of that, she'd even had a falling-out with one of her classmates.
Whether she'd truly turned over a new leaf or just hadn't recovered from her sadness, the class was surprisingly well-behaved today. No one was late, chatting, or playing on their phones.
When lunchtime came, they had no choice but to swallow their reluctance and settle for cheap or free meals.
Katsuya Shinjo had been busy all day. He'd just ordered a bowl of udon when he noticed Karuizawa at a table nearby, surrounded by three fierce-looking girls. She sat frozen in place, and the sight caught his attention.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
At the sound of a familiar voice, Karuizawa's eyes lit up. She broke free from the three girls' circle and hurried to Shinjo's side.
She clung tightly to one of his arms, pressing herself against him as much as she could, like a sloth.
"Hey, Shinjo, you're here! These three are bullying me!"
As she spoke, Karuizawa pointed at the girls with an imperious air, looking every bit like someone who'd gotten a taste of power.
That infuriated them.
"Hey! What are you talking about? You bullied our friend, and now you're turning it around on us?!"
"Who... Who bullied her? She was the one who bumped into me..."
She still sounded cocky, but there was a hint of guilt in her words.
She was kind by nature, and she knew she was the one in the wrong. But years of being bullied had made her afraid to apologize, lest it bring more violence.
"Huh?! You're seriously getting on my nerves!"
The girl opposite them reached out to grab Karuizawa. The latter squeezed her eyes shut in fear, only to find a dependable figure standing in front of her.
"Y-You're going to stick your nose into this?!"
"Stick my nose into it? She's my friend. The three of you are picking on her for no reason, and that's supposed to be none of my business?"
Shinjo had already guessed what had probably happened, but he wasn't some embodiment of justice. Naturally, in a situation like this, he was going to side with his own friend.
"You! Karuizawa knocked Rika from our class flying while we were in line! And you're the one being unreasonable?!"
"Which of you three is Rika?"
"We... We're her friends!"
"Then it's simple. I'm Karuizawa's friend, too. You can stand up for your friend, and so can I."
The girl leading the group found herself at a loss in the face of Shinjo's shameless stubbornness. But just because she had no answer didn't mean no one in Class C did.
"Hah, you've got guts. If you've really got guts, wait here. I'll go get Rika. Dare to face her and hash this out?"
"Sure. But you'd better be quick. My time is precious."
Shinjo shrugged. The three girls rolled their eyes at him in unison, then turned and went to fetch Rika.
Only after they'd truly gone did Karuizawa let go of Shinjo's arms.
"Shinjo, why did you agree to that? What if a whole bunch of people show up? What are we going to do?"
"If I hadn't agreed, would you rather get cornered and beaten up the next time you were alone?"
"I... But we can't just sit here and do nothing, either, can we? Maybe we should get some people over here, too. At least that would make us feel a little braver, right?"
Karuizawa looked terrified. Shinjo seemed strong, but she knew all too well that one man couldn't fight off a crowd.
"This is the cafeteria. There are cameras everywhere. Unless they want to get expelled, they won't dare do anything. If you're scared, you can go back first—but try not to be alone outside."
He said that, but quietly switched his phone to recording mode and hid it in his pocket.
"I... I'm not scared... Besides, this happened because of me. How could I leave you here alone?"
"You're pretty loyal."
"..."
Seeing Karuizawa sitting restlessly beside him, Shinjo reached out and ruffled her hair. Not bad to the touch...
"Don't be afraid. I promise you'll be fine. I'm doing this so we can settle it once and for all. Take a deep breath, okay?"
She felt the odd sensation atop her head, and his reassurance warmed her face. Karuizawa knew this wasn't the time, but she couldn't stop herself from blushing. Almost without thinking, she replied:
"Okay..."
A little while later...
The udon was ready!
"I have to hand it to you. You can still eat at a time like this?"
"No matter how big a deal it is, it shouldn't get in the way of lunch. Besides, if she takes all day to come back, are you going to go hungry the whole time?"
As they talked, a group of rough-looking, menacing-faced students charged into the cafeteria. They were textbook delinquents.
The one in front wore his purple hair in a middle part. To look more intimidating, he'd taken off his shirt and draped it over his shoulders.
Two hulking guys flanked him. The one on the right looked just a tiny bit more muscular.
Behind them were the three girls who'd just left to bully Karuizawa. Close behind the trio followed a timid-looking girl with glasses and two braided pigtails.
Another short-haired girl walked beside them. She kept a deliberate distance from the others, but it was clear she was part of their group.
The immense pressure quickly drove aside the students in their path. Whether they were upperclassmen or underclassmen, no one seemed willing to risk provoking a gang of delinquents.
As they drew closer to Shinjo, every hair on Karuizawa's body stood on end. She couldn't help clinging tightly to his arm again.
It was as if some terrifying beast had set its sights on her, but Shinjo acted as if nothing was wrong and kept slurping his udon.
"The most important thing about udon is the broth."
Only after he slowly set down his bowl did a huge face appear in front of him.
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