Chapter 30

"Did you hear all of that?" "If you're asking whether I heard Kushida-san kicking the door and cursing out Suzune, then yes, I heard it." "You really are honest." Seeing that the jig was up, Kushida stopped bothering to maintain her image. She marched down the stairs in two quick strides and shoved Yuan Yuyuan against the wall. "If you dare to breathe a word of what just happened, I will never forgive you." "That actually gives me an idea. How does 'Shocking! Anonymous Class D Student Kushida Kikyo Caught Doing This in Secret' sound for a headline? The entire Newspaper Club would be eternally grateful to me." "It seems you still haven't grasped the reality of the situation. If you dare to leak this, I'll accuse you of attempted molestation." Yuan Yuyuan raised an eyebrow. This woman was truly vicious. In this country, once a person's record was stained with a charge like molestation, their entire life would likely be ruined. However, he didn't need to look for a job, so he couldn't care less. "But what are you going to charge me with? Do you really think I'd have to prove I didn't do it just because you're spouting baseless accusations?" "Wrong, because you actually did it." As she spoke, Kushida Kikyo grabbed his palm and pressed it against her chest. "Look, your fingerprints are right there on my chest. Doesn't that count as evidence? I'm never washing this shirt again. If you dare to say anything, I'll hand it over to the police." "Not bad, I admire your audacity, but it seems you're the one who hasn't grasped the reality of the situation." Yuan Yuyuan quickly pulled out his phone with his other hand, the camera already open, and snapped a rapid-fire series of photos of Kushida. Before Kushida could knock the phone out of his hand, a sharp pain radiated from her chest. "Ah!" She glared at Yuan Yuyuan in fury, never expecting that Yuan Yuyuan, who appeared to be a gentleman on the surface, would suddenly pinch her... "What are you doing!" Yuan Yuyuan, the culprit, was busy scrolling through the masterpieces he had just captured. "Why is Kushida-san making that expression? How lewd." "It's useless! Even if you took pictures, I can just say I was trying to pry your hand off! Delete that right now!" "I'm done playing with you. Actually, even if I deleted them, it wouldn't matter. Look behind you." "That kind of trick is way too amateurish. Just because..." "Just because a self-righteous bitch like you could ever have a way to teach others how to study!" Kushida's eyes widened, and she turned around in disbelief. She saw a girl with twin tails standing on the stairs behind her, and her own voice, cursing Horikita Suzune, was playing from the girl's phone. "No! You have no proof that it's me. That's not my voice." Hearing this, Himeno Yuki helpfully fast-forwarded to the clip Kushida wanted. "Your fingerprints are right there on my chest. Doesn't that count as evidence?" Seeing that Himeno Yuki had recorded the entire exchange, combined with Yuan Yuyuan having photos of her face, Kushida felt the color drain from her entire world. Looking at the collapsed Kushida Kikyo, Yuan Yuyuan extended his hand, which still smelled faintly of milk. "Get up. As long as you behave, I won't leak any of this." "Heh, hahahahaha, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. What do you take me for?" Kushida Kikyo quickly calmed down, searching for a countermeasure. "You often come to our class to sell information, so you must really like points, right? How about I give all my points to you? Or, in the future, when you come to Class D to make deals, I can put in a good word for you. Didn't we work together quite well back then? That fool Horikita probably still hasn't realized we were doing it on purpose. Besides, I can talk to any group in Class D. Please, I'm very useful, but I really can't do that kind of thing." Seeing Yuan Yuyuan remain silent, the light gradually faded from Kushida Kikyo's eyes. Meanwhile, Yuan Yuyuan looked at Kushida, who seemed to be acting like she had just finished, and then at Himeno Yuki, who was looking at him with eyes that suggested he was a beast. He felt incredibly wronged. "Where is your mind? I'm not interested in that kind of scenario." Yuan Yuyuan leaned down and cupped Kushida's face with his hand. "Don't you want to get rid of Suzune? I can help you." "What? Really? You're willing to help me get Horikita expelled?" Kushida Kikyo, seeing a glimmer of hope, was on the verge of tears. She excitedly grabbed Yuan Yuyuan's hand that was on her face, though this time she didn't press it against her chest, instead using it as leverage to stand up. Although he felt a bit regretful about missing out on that position, Yuan Yuyuan spoke up. "That, I'm afraid, is impossible. Although President Horikita and I have a mutually beneficial relationship, we are also half-friends. I won't fall out with him over something like this. You just hate Suzune, right? I can make her disappear from Class D." "Yuki, the following topic might be a bit dark, so you should head back first. Thanks for your hard work today; once this is resolved, I'll treat you to a big meal." Himeno Yuki pointed at herself with wide eyes. She had wanted to hear the two of them discuss their future plans in detail, but she hadn't expected Yuan Yuyuan to pull up his pants and act like he didn't know her. She wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. Finally, she could only manage: "Stingy! Go drink some cold water!" After saying that, Himeno Yuki turned and left with great dignity, which had absolutely nothing to do with the big meal. Yuan Yuyuan knew she wouldn't be angry over something like this, so he didn't take it to heart. The priority now was Kushida. "How about having her transfer classes? As long as she isn't an eyesore in Class D, it shouldn't matter, right?" "But she knows about me... things like that. What if she tells someone? I think it's better to have her expelled." Yuan Yuyuan finally understood the source of her hatred for Horikita. "What happened between you two? Tell me about it." Since she was already under his thumb, Kushida didn't mind venting her frustrations to Yuan Yuyuan. "Fine. Actually, it was back in middle school. Oh, this story has to start from the beginning. I heard Yuan-kun got a perfect score on the last test, and even that big oaf Sudo is no match for you. Someone as excellent as you surely can't understand me. You surely can't understand someone like me, who can never be the best in any field." First Semester : Chapter 29 Chapter 28: Kushida Kikyo, Who Craves Recognition "When I was very young, I was someone who craved recognition from others. I loved the feeling of being watched. Whether it was admiration, envy, or even jealous gazes, it all made me feel happy. My life started out exactly as I had hoped." "But good times don't last. That kind of life ended the moment I entered middle school. Whether it was academics or physical fitness, I was no longer the most dazzling presence. Whether it was top students or athletes, they could always stay a step ahead of me. Even when I performed at my best, I still couldn't take first place. Even my appearance, which I was so proud of, was surpassed by more than one person. But I discovered..." "You discovered that others really liked communicating with you, and your social skills..."