Chapter 28

"You startled me. Don't be discouraged; there will always be someone who likes you even in your half-dead state." "You... I'm ignoring you. You're so gentle with everyone else, yet you're so sharp-tongued with me." Yuan Yuyuan's expression visibly darkened, and he said with a hint of melancholy in his tone, "That's because Yuki is the first girl in this school to see my true nature. There are some things I can only say to you. If I've made you uncomfortable, I apologize. I'm truly sorry." This actually made Himeno Yuki feel embarrassed, and she tugged at Yuan Yuyuan's sleeve, saying, "Forget it. Come to think of it, we're the same kind of people. Actually, I quite admire that you've managed to get this far. If it weren't for you, I'd probably have to keep pretending in front of them for the next three years." "My, my, Yuki, you believed that so easily? You're far too gullible. You'll never become a good leader like that." ??? Watching Yuan Yuyuan, who had looked so dejected just a moment ago, turn around and mock her with a completely different face, Himeno Yuki's face flushed red with frustration. Feeling like a clown, she grabbed Yuan Yuyuan by the neck and shook him back and forth to hide her embarrassment: "Yuan Yuyuan, I'm going to kill you!" "I was wrong, I was wrong! Hey, hey, it's coming off, it's coming off! Seriously, stop shaking!" Once Himeno Yuki finally stopped, Yuan Yuyuan rubbed his neck and explained, "I just thought the atmosphere was too heavy and wanted to liven things up. Why are you getting so worked up?" "Don't... nonsense! You were just mocking me. Ahhh, I want to die." "Actually, I was being sincere just now. I just didn't want to see you... uh... you know... selling yourself short?" Seeing Himeno Yuki reach out again, Yuan Yuyuan had no choice but to surrender and admit his fault. "Don't choke me, don't choke me, I really know I was wrong. I'll cede territory, I'll pay reparations, I'll go buy you pudding as an apology after class." Seeing Yuan Yuyuan, who was usually somewhat aloof in class, willing to act silly to make her happy, Himeno Yuki couldn't help but laugh: "Stop doing things that don't fit your persona just to coax me! It's so out of character!" "Fine, fine. Does that mean you don't want the pudding anymore?" "No way, I want strawberry."

First Semester : Chapter 27

After class, the cafe staff arrived right on time with a variety of puddings. "Hello, may I ask who Miss Himeno Yuki is?" "That's me, that's me! I'm Himeno Yuki!" Seeing Himeno Yuki rush over to sign for the delivery in high spirits, Yuan Yuyuan couldn't help but smile. She looked like someone who thought the whole world owed her money, but in reality, she was just a teenage girl. Himeno Yuki grabbed a pudding and shoved it into her mouth, not forgetting to invite Yuan Yuyuan. "Don't be polite, don't be polite. If you want to eat, just take some." "Don't get it wrong, I bought all of these." "Is that so? But the recipient clearly says Miss Himeno Yuki of Class 1-B, not you. Come to think of it, the fact that you can get Palette to provide delivery service feels a bit strange..." Yuan Yuyuan took a sip of the black coffee he had picked up along with the pudding and shook his head helplessly. "Thanks to you, my spending at this cafe has skyrocketed. I don't even have to ask when I call; they ask me if I need delivery themselves. They're in business to make money anyway. Giving big spenders some privileges not only builds goodwill but also stimulates consumption. It's just business; there's no shame in it." "Tch, you're always thinking about these things. Aren't you tired? Come, have a piece of pudding." "I'm trying to get you to use your brain more so you don't get all teary-eyed the moment someone is nice to you. You're carrying the entire class on your shoulders now. I don't want you to become a sinner, and I certainly don't want you to drag me down, the one who recommended you." "Stop lecturing me with my dad's tone! It's supposed to be a happy moment, but you've made it so I can't even laugh." Seeing that Himeno Yuki seemed annoyed, Yuan Yuyuan shrugged helplessly. "Then enjoy your happy time slowly. I'm going to the library." "But school isn't over yet." "It's fine. I can get full marks even without attending class." "What a willful guy. How can you treat the little puddings like this?" Despite saying that, Himeno Yuki put down her favorite dessert. Just as Yuan Yuyuan had said earlier, wasn't she also opening her heart to someone else for the first time? I hope I didn't make him angry. She knew Yuan Yuyuan had her best interests at heart. Although he was always teasing her, he had never crossed any lines. Yet, it felt like she had ruined everything. What am I even thinking? We're just classmates and have a superior-subordinate relationship. Watching Yuan Yuyuan's retreating back, Himeno Yuki felt a bitter taste in her heart.

After arriving at the library, Yuan Yuyuan picked up his old friend and began reading absentmindedly. In truth, he hadn't thought that much about it. Since Himeno Yuki wouldn't listen, he couldn't be bothered to waste his breath. Lecturing was useless; once Himeno Yuki hit a wall and got bruised, she would understand his good intentions. If possible, he still hoped Himeno Yuki could grow enough to take his place. However, now was not the time. The top priority was to reach Class A, and quickly. Otherwise, if the gap between the two classes remained unchanged in the second month, morale would eventually become a problem. Yuan Yuyuan had a headache. Aside from her poor physical stamina, Ichinose was practically a perfect all-rounder. The pity was that just by having a bleeding heart for everyone, Yuan Yuyuan couldn't bring himself to say she was a good leader, or else he wouldn't have needed to find Himeno Yuki to fill that void. I don't know how much time had passed when Shiina Hiyori walked over to Yuan Yuyuan with light steps. Seeing him sitting in the chair with his mind drifting far away, she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. "Long time no see. Have you been waiting long, Yuan-kun?" "Not at all. Class was just boring, so I came early." Seeing that it wasn't because of her being late, Shiina Hiyori breathed a sigh of relief and sat down next to Yuan Yuyuan, quietly reading the book in her hands as usual. "Tell me, Shiina." "Hm? What is it?" "Do you think the way that Ryuen in your class rules is considered good?" "Asking that so suddenly... although I don't really agree with Ryuen-kun's methods, if we're talking about ruling, I suppose it counts as good. Why do you ask?" "It's nothing, just envious... no, curious about your thoughts. Then, do you think if Class C also had someone like Honami, and she competed with Ryuen for the leadership position, who do you think would have more support?" Shiina Hiyori didn't immediately blurt out Ichinose, who was popular with the vast majority, but instead carefully considered the target demographics of both. "Although Ryuen-kun has die-hard followers like Yamada-kun and Ishizaki-kun, his methods often provoke dissatisfaction among other students. If you compare that to Ichinose-san, it should be Ichinose-san, barring any accidents." Yuan Yuyuan nodded; this was within his expectations. Looking at the two classes made it clear: in the absence of an anomaly like Ichinose, violent rule could be said to be the fastest way to ensure the entire class had only one voice. Class A at least had a certain average quality, and the division was also due to...