An Unpleasant Study Session

In the following days, Manabu Horikita really did send over some requests.

Although the content was generally basic, and the vast majority involved helping the student council with miscellaneous tasks, other than the free weekly jobs, the other requests did come with corresponding fees.

This also allowed the three girls to become familiar with the workflow.

However, the Odd Jobs Agency was, after all, just a part of life, and there was clearly a more pressing issue at hand.

The midterm exams, where failing meant expulsion!

Therefore, Shinjo had no choice but to join the study group, which was highly unlikely to be harmonious, in order to help Karuizawa.

To improve learning efficiency, Kushida suggested that those with high scores should tutor a few with low scores, but Karuizawa felt that she and Shinjo might be more effective as a pair.

"Are Karuizawa and the others okay?"

Hirata was clearly a little worried, as Shinjo's exam scores weren't much higher than Karuizawa's.

"Hirata, Shinjo is actually very smart. Besides, haven't you noticed?"

Matsushita made a funny face as she spoke.

"???"

"Sigh, you're really dense. Those two are dating now~"

"Eh?! Really?!"

Clearly, Hirata didn't know about this.

After receiving double confirmation from Sato and Matsushita, he nodded. After all, this was the first couple in their class!

[If only everyone could get along this harmoniously...]

Thinking this, Hirata secretly glanced at the Horikita group not far away. While secretly praying, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Never mind, since that's the case, let's just focus on our revision."

With that, he patiently began teaching the delinquent girls around him.

(After all, basically all the girls preferred studying with Hirata)

"It's like this here, understand?"

"Uh... I understand."

Shinjo looked at Karuizawa, whose face was contorted with effort, and felt a headache coming on.

Teaching others to study was clearly more difficult than getting a perfect score.

"Hey, Katsuya, am I really stupid..."

"Why do you say that all of a sudden?"

"Because, look! You've already taught me this problem several times, but I still can't learn it."

Karuizawa's mood grew increasingly dejected until that familiar large hand reappeared above her head, gently stroking her hair.

"Don't get discouraged. After all, you didn't have many opportunities to properly attend classes in middle school, did you?"

"I..."

"So, you're learning things that others have spent several years learning. Isn't it normal to not be able to accept it all at once? Since you didn't understand, I'll go a bit slower and explain it again. Give yourself some confidence, okay?"

"Mhm! Thank you, Katsuya!"

Feeling the warmth on her head and the thoughtful comfort from him, Karuizawa secretly resolved that she would definitely study hard, if only for his sake!

Just as Shinjo was about to speak, a loud noise came from not far away.

'Bang!'

"Ah, I knew it. It's impossible for that combination not to cause conflict."

Karuizawa's attention was also immediately drawn. She saw Sudo, for some reason, suddenly slam the table and glare at Suzune Horikita beside him.

"What did you say, you woman?!"

And Suzune Horikita was not a weak woman to be bullied. Even facing Sudo, she didn't flinch in the slightest:

"Heh, what did I say? I said, did you all learn everything and then forget it?"

"What are you being so arrogant about? You're just a little better at studying! You're so disrespectful!"

Sudo was clearly provoked, as his academic performance was truly abysmal.

"You don't deserve any respect! As a student, you should be studying instead of thinking about playing basketball all day. What a ridiculous dream!"

Horikita's words were undoubtedly stepping on his landmine. The thing Sudo couldn't have insulted since he was a child was probably his basketball dream.

If Horikita wasn't a woman, Sudo would probably have punched her in the face long ago.

"What did you say, woman?! What did you say, woman?! How dare you mock my dream?!"

Sudo's tone grew increasingly agitated. He was already speaking loudly, let alone after being provoked.

Hirata wanted to step forward and stop them, but Suzune Horikita had no intention of letting it go.

"Dreams? If you think being expelled now will fulfill your stupid dream, then go ahead and try! See which basketball team will take a loser who was expelled from high school!"

However, what Shinjo found a bit strange was why Kikyo Kushida, who always advocated for unity and friendship, and was the closest mediator between Sudo and Horikita, hadn't made a move yet?

Could it be... she was too scared?

The commotion grew louder, and Karuizawa couldn't concentrate on studying at all.

Fortunately, the librarian intervened shortly after, forcibly stopping the escalation of the conflict. But because of this, Class D's first study session ended in failure.

"Katsuya... can you tutor me again?"

Karuizawa tugged at Shinjo's sleeve.

"Of course, I'd love to say that... but today is 'Branch Cake' day."

"Ah?"

"Uh... how about later? Later, you can come to my dorm... uh, that doesn't seem appropriate. How about tomorrow? I'll definitely teach you well tomorrow! Good night, goodbye, bye-bye!"

With that, Shinjo disappeared in an instant.

"Huh?"

Because everything that had just happened was too fast, Karuizawa's brain, which was imagining a romantic study session between the two of them tonight, suddenly short-circuited.

So by the time she reacted, Shinjo had already run away.

"This guy!!!!"

"Hmph! Branch Cake... What is Branch Cake?! Is Branch Cake more important than me?! Clearly, clearly, I am... I am..."

"I am your most precious girlfriend~~ Right, Kei!"

Just as Karuizawa was dejectedly kicking a stone at her feet, a faint female voice suddenly came from behind her, startling her into a scream.

"Ah!"

"Don't be scared, it's me! Sato."

"Sato? You! You deliberately tricked me!"

Matsushita, standing nearby, took the opportunity to tease her: "It's not that we wanted to tease you, it's just that you looked too cute!"

"That's right, Kei."

"Hmph! Even you guys are bullying me."

Sato and Matsushita exchanged a glance and then each took an arm of the sulking Karuizawa:

"How could we dare? After all, you're our president's wife! To put it bluntly, you're the... the landlady?"

"Hahahaha!"

"You! You're teasing me too! See how I'll deal with you!"

"Run! The landlady is hitting people!!!"