Chapter 23

"Don't make things up. When you say it's important, you really mean you want me to be your puppet, right? But if your conscience is bothering you, I don't mind." Himeno Yuki wasn't buying Yuan Yuyuan's act, but a reward was a reward, so she accepted what he offered. Only then did Yuan Yuyuan nod in satisfaction. He wasn't worried about her asking for too much; he was worried she wouldn't ask for anything at all. If Himeno Yuki ever decided to slack off, he could always let the others find out about their arrangement—by accident, of course. It was a perfectly ordinary deal, but if she suddenly quit, the holier-than-thou students in Class B probably wouldn't take it well. They wouldn't go so far as to ostracize Himeno Yuki, but it would leave them feeling a little strange. After all, they were all good kids who were willing to help others selflessly!

Ever since Himeno Yuki started helping him, Yuan Yuyuan no longer had to go to the study group every day. Everyone was doing pretty well in their studies; they could manage without him. The price was that the other classes now knew Class B had gained a vice president and a secretary, both leaders in their class. Yuan Yuyuan didn't really care. He just wanted the holidays to start. Still, he knew better than to lose touch with the people, so he went to the library again. On the way, he spotted an acquaintance holding a book high, as if she were desperate to let everyone know she was studying, while her eyes wandered elsewhere. "Hey, is that Masumi? You're actually studying in the library? Has Arisu learned to walk upright yet?" Kamuro jumped. When she saw it was Yuan Yuyuan, she quickly put a finger to her lips. "Shh, keep your voice down. I have my own things to do, you know. Who says I have to follow that girl around? She's disabled, not a vegetable." Thanks to Han Zuiying for the airplane gift! She was barely holding the book the right way up. Yuan Yuyuan looked toward the direction she was peeking at: Katsuragi and his number-one follower, Totsuka Yahiko, along with the rest of the Katsuragi Faction. Wasn't she still keeping an eye on a political rival? So much for "whatever happens to Sakayanagi happens to me." What a loyal, puppy-like high school girl. Honestly, I could cry. "I get it, I get it. By the way, didn't Arisu even help you with your homework? Or is it too obvious to tail them in the library?" "Seriously, why are you so perceptive? Hey, you nasty guy—don't tell me you're going to threaten me again?" "I'm neutral. Don't point that keyboard at me. I really did just come over to say hi." Kamuro scoffed. "Oh, sure. You could've fooled me." "Masumi, you really do have it in for me. Well, I'll leave you to it." "Wait. I mean, if you want, you can sit down and chat." Yuan Yuyuan looked at the unusually friendly Kamuro and figured it probably meant trouble. "Huh? But I don't want to at all." "You use me and then just ditch me? Sit down, or I'll yell that you're harassing me!" "Go ahead and yell. Everyone already thinks Honami is my girlfriend. Why would I harass you?" "So you're saying I'm not as good as that woman? But this always works on TV—wait." Kamuro thought she'd found a flaw in his argument and smugly declared, "You mean Ichinose isn't your girlfriend? Now I've got you! If you don't sit down, I'll spread the word everywhere." Yuan Yuyuan nearly laughed at how stupid she was. He waved a hand. "Oh, I'm so scared. Say whatever you want. Maybe Honami will like me even more when I clear up the rumor." "You have no chivalry at all. Couldn't you cut me some slack?" "Just say you want to chat with me. Masumi, you're such a tsundere. All right, I'll stop teasing you. You can tell me now. Even if you're confessing your love, I won't mind. I might even accept." Kamuro had figured out that he was all soft and no hard. But acting like a sweet, timid girl was a bit too much for her. "Who'd confess to you, you conceited idiot? I heard you and Sakayanagi were childhood friends. Could you... I mean, tell me about her weakness? No, her past." "First of all, we weren't childhood friends. Our families knew each other, so we met when we were kids. Then, for certain reasons, we grew apart." "Honestly, you're such a shameless person, but now you're blushing? When Sakayanagi heard about your relationship with Ichinose, she announced in class that you two were childhood friends and that she'd never let Ichinose take advantage of the situation. She even said you'd promised to get married when you grew up. Even she wouldn't joke about something like that, would she?" Yuan Yuyuan's eyes widened like bells. If they weren't in the library, he would've torn the ceiling off. Instead, he had to quietly explain to Kamuro, "She's slandering me! Heaven knows I'm telling the truth! I haven't seen her once since we grew up. Marriage? That's the kind of thing kids say. How could anyone take it seriously? Did she go crazy that year and fry her brain?" The more Yuan Yuyuan thought about it, the less sense it made. He'd heard that after their relationship changed, Sakayanagi Arisu had become like a different person. He didn't think Sakayanagi was the type to take childish promises seriously, unless... "She wants to use my position in the Student Council to weaken the Katsuragi Faction. Think about it: if we really had that kind of relationship, I might not be able to help the Sakayanagi Faction because of class rivalries, but I could still make things difficult for the Katsuragi Faction. They're probably all on edge now. That woman's actually using me!" Even after figuring it out, he couldn't feel happy. He'd rather she'd gone crazy than be using him. Yuan Yuyuan resolved to help Katsuragi. A united Class A would be bad for him either way. Professionally, a divided opponent was an opportunity. Personally, Sakayanagi had really crossed a line this time. Whenever they met, she'd butter him up—"Oh, you're a true genius. You're the person I'm chasing after." And behind his back, she was using his name to divide the Katsuragi Faction. This girl had a whole other side to her. "Seriously? Is all there is to the world of rich kids scheming against each other? Maybe she really does like you." Faced with Kamuro's naivety, Yuan Yuyuan shook his head as if to say she was too young to understand. "You're missing the point. It's not about her chest size. It's about the bigger picture. With her 'I'm the queen' attitude, would she say something like that in public? If she really liked me, she'd go after Honami, right? But she hasn't." Yuan Yuyuan didn't give Kamuro a chance to reply. He kept firing away like a machine gun. "Even if we assume she really does like me, saying it out loud does her no good. Given the situation, if she secretly went after Honami, Class B would just assume Class C was behind it. So why would she say anything? It's absolutely, definitely, certainly fake." Yuan Yuyuan didn't care that they were in a library. He slapped the table, though it still didn't feel like enough. "Besides, I don't feel that way about her! I admit she's cute, but I've always thought of her as a little sister. That'd be incest!" "Is that so? Then why are you reacting so strongly? I didn't ask what you thought of her. Don't tell me your secret forbidden love has been awakened." Seeing that Yuan Yuyuan looked ready to snap, Kamuro quickly changed the subject. "Oh, um... By the way, she did say she planned to go after Ichinose, but I think it was after she dealt with Katsuragi." "Exactly. She spread that rumor to deal with Katsuragi, and—