"Tsk, this is getting a little troublesome." An Xiao pulled Sakura, who still hadn't quite come to her senses, off to one side. Then, while looking toward the sounds, he muttered to himself, "Why does that redhead look so familiar from behind?"
"I think I've seen him in the library before... What was his name again?"
"I think that's Sudo from our class," Sakura Airi reminded him quietly. Unlike An Xiao, when she heard the sounds of fighting, she had practically shrunk into a ball.
"Oh, it's him." An Xiao nodded in understanding, then looked at the three people standing opposite Sudo. He took something out of his pocket with one hand, pressed it, and held it in his palm.
Meanwhile.
Sudo stared at the three people opposite him with an annoyed expression, his fists raised before his chest, ready to strike at any moment.
"Hahaha, are you planning to take us on?" Ishizaki, standing at the front, glanced at Sudo's stance, then looked back at the two classmates behind him and burst out laughing.
"Figures. You're nothing but a defective from Class D. You can't even read the most basic situation. Just quit the basketball club quietly, or you'll regret it."
"But you could try out for the cheerleading squad. A dancing red-haired gorilla and all that—wouldn't that be hilarious? What do you think?"
"Hahahaha!"
The three of them's laughter filled the school building.
"Bastard, I'll kill you!"
Sudo couldn't take it anymore. He swung his fist straight at Ishizaki's face.
Seeing this, An Xiao raised an eyebrow. He noticed that after the person at the front was hit, the two behind him not only didn't panic, but actually looked relieved.
An Xiao was about to take out his phone and snap a picture, but remembering what had happened before, he hesitated.
The four of them were really getting into their fight, so An Xiao quietly moved farther away. Only when he'd put some distance between them did he take out his phone and start taking pictures. Sakura didn't know what An Xiao was doing, but feeling a little unsafe, she followed him.
After every shot, An Xiao looked up to make sure he hadn't been spotted.
"They're really going at it!"
An Xiao remarked, looking at the short video and several photos on his phone. He nodded in satisfaction.
In the end, after Sudo beat the three of them and left, none of the four people involved in the fight noticed the two of them hiding in the corner.
Only after everyone involved in the fight had left did Sakura finally gather the courage to come out of the corner. Seeing An Xiao looking at the photos on his phone with satisfaction, she hesitated for a moment before asking,
"Why didn't you try to stop them just now?"
"Stop them? Why would I stop them?" An Xiao looked at Sakura in puzzlement, pointing at her and then himself. "The two of us together might not be able to take even one punch from them."
"Are we supposed to go over there and get beaten up?"
"Besides..." An Xiao studied the video he'd just recorded with interest.
In the video, the other side had several chances to land a punch squarely on Sudo's face, but every time they were about to hit him, they mysteriously veered off. And when Sudo attacked, they usually didn't dodge, taking several heavy blows head-on.
As a result, the three of them ended up covered in bruises, while Sudo only suffered minor injuries.
"I bet those three were doing it on purpose."
Sakura didn't know what An Xiao meant by "on purpose," but she nodded anyway. After hesitating for a moment, she saw that An Xiao was about to leave and couldn't help speaking up.
"Um, can I add you on Line?"
As soon as she said it, Sakura panicked. She didn't know why she'd suddenly said that, and her head dropped again.
"Sure." An Xiao assumed Sakura might want to ask him about the Photography Club later. He didn't think much of it and gave her his account.
After adding each other on Line and exchanging brief goodbyes, they went their separate ways.
It was the first day of another month.
"The points for this month might be distributed tomorrow."
"Class B, make sure you all study hard today, too!"
Chie Hoshinomiya listlessly patted the blackboard behind her, where the Class Points for each class this month were written, then spoke.
"You smell awful, Sensei. You stink," Chihiro Shiranami said, leaning away from her seat near the front.
"I couldn't help it. I drank too much yesterday." Chie Hoshinomiya struggled to prop herself up from the podium, one hand pressed against her temple. But as soon as she spoke, a strong smell of alcohol wafted from her mouth.
"At least try to watch your image!"
An Xiao somehow produced a bottle of mouthwash and very deftly poured it into Chie Hoshinomiya's mouth. After she spat it into a plastic cup he'd prepared, he stuffed a candy mixed with honey and ginger into her mouth. The whole process flowed smoothly.
Don't ask why An Xiao was so practiced at this. He'd seen it happen far too many times in the staff room.
"Phew, I feel a little better. I can always count on you, Xiao An."
Feeling the sweet taste with a hint of spice in her mouth, Chie Hoshinomiya felt much better. Then she suddenly hugged An Xiao's arm and said pitifully,
"Just thinking about you graduating in three years makes me so sad."
"Why don't you just marry me, Xiao An? I can't live without you anymore."
"Ugh, you reek of alcohol! Let go of me!" An Xiao pressed one hand against Hoshinomiya-sensei's face and pulled hard with the other. "And didn't you just say something outrageous? You could seriously be accused of sexual harassment!"
Below the podium, Ichinose watched with a smile and couldn't help remarking, "Xiao An and Hoshinomiya-sensei really do get along well."
"Yeah!" Chihiro Shiranami appeared from who knew where, flopped into Ichinose's arms, and nuzzled against her before saying, "The materials he handed out before the exams were really useful, too."
"Even though we already knew how many points we'd gained, seeing it now still makes me so happy!"
"That's true. Xiao An has helped us a lot." Ichinose looked at the boy standing beside the podium, her eyes curving into a smile.
"If things keep going this way, we'll definitely be together forever."
"Yeah, if things keep going this way, we'll all get through the next three years together in Class B." Ichinose said with confidence. The other girls beside her heard this and rushed over to hug her.
"I'm so glad we're in Class B!"
But after hearing Ichinose's words, Chihiro Shiranami, whose face was buried in Ichinose's arms, looked a little disappointed. Then her expression turned resolute, as though she'd made up her mind about something.
Before you continue