The New Semester Is About to Begin

Tang Yu remotely unlocked the lobby entrance while simultaneously activating his "Environmental Emotion Infiltration" ability, filling the apartment entrance area with an atmosphere of "calm" to help Karuizawa Kei settle down.

The elevator doors opened and Karuizawa rushed in, her face pale: "They found where I live! They said if I didn't cooperate with Ryuen's plan, then..."

Tang Yu handed her a cup of hot tea (a Calming Tea redeemed from the system, costing 30 points), though Karuizawa's hands were still trembling.

"Rest for a moment first." Tang Yu guided her to sit on the sofa. "How were you discovered?"

"Kushida Kikyo." Karuizawa gritted her teeth. "She pretended to be my friend and pried out my connection to you. Then Ryuen sent people to follow me..."

Tang Yu activated "Emotion Perception," and Karuizawa's emotional cloud appeared as a mix of deep gray fear and red anger. This incident was more serious than he had imagined—Ryuen had already begun using forces from outside the school.

"It's safe here." Tang Yu showed her the newly installed security system. "Unless I personally grant access, no one can enter this building, let alone this unit."

Karuizawa looked around, suddenly realizing something: "This is... your place?"

"I bought it today." Tang Yu said nonchalantly.

Karuizawa's eyes widened: "How can a student... such a luxurious apartment..." Her voice trailed off, a flash of complex emotion crossing her eyes. "Who exactly are you, Tang Yu?"

This question came sooner than Tang Yu had expected. He activated "Emotional Link," deciding to be partially honest: "Someone with the ability to protect his friends. That's enough, isn't it?"

Karuizawa stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly lunged forward and hugged him tightly: "Thank you." She whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

[Deep dependence from Karuizawa Kei +500]

[Favorability increased to 85/100]

[Current Emotion Value: 70500/∞]

This sudden hug caught Tang Yu off guard. He gently patted Karuizawa's back while keeping an eye on the movement downstairs via the monitors. The two suspicious figures were still lingering nearby, but they were unable to enter the building for the time being.

"You need to stay here for a few days." Tang Yu released Karuizawa. "Until the new semester starts and the situation stabilizes. I've prepared a spare bedroom."

Karuizawa nodded, then blushed: "Just... just the two of us?"

Tang Yu chuckled: "Don't worry, I have no interest in taking advantage of the situation. There are two bedrooms here, both with en-suite bathrooms."

He took Karuizawa on a tour of the apartment. When she saw the spacious walk-in closet, her eyes lit up—even in the face of danger, a girl's nature remained.

"Can I borrow the bathroom?" Karuizawa asked, feeling covered in cold sweat...

"Of course." Tang Yu took a brand-new towel and bathrobe from the closet (redeemed from the system, costing 20 points). "Tell me if you need anything."

While Karuizawa was showering, Tang Yu checked the security system again while contemplating his countermeasures. Ryuen using outside forces was a dangerous signal, indicating he was escalating his tactics. And Kushida Kikyo's involvement further complicated the situation.

After the sound of water in the bathroom stopped, Karuizawa emerged wearing the oversized bathrobe, her blonde hair damp on her shoulders, making her look much more fragile than usual.

"I... I didn't bring a change of clothes." She said awkwardly.

Tang Yu took a few neutral-style T-shirts and sweatpants from the newly purchased wardrobe: "Wear these for now. I can have someone deliver some women's clothing tomorrow."

Karuizawa took the clothes, her fingers accidentally brushing against Tang Yu's, and both of them froze for a moment.

"Tang Yu..." Karuizawa hesitated. "If... if those people find this place..."

"They can't get in." Tang Yu said firmly. "And..." He activated "Emotion Field," filling the space with a sense of security. "I guarantee your safety."

Karuizawa looked at him deeply, nodded, and returned to the bedroom.

That night, Tang Yu used the study (which he had converted into a temporary command center) to redeem several surveillance devices from the system, placing them around the apartment. Just as he was calibrating the equipment, a familiar signal appeared on the edge of the monitor—Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

The boy, who was always expressionless, stood in the shadows of the building opposite, his gaze directed straight at the window where Tang Yu was, as if he knew someone was watching. A moment later, he vanished silently into the night.

[Deep attention from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +300]

[Current Emotion Value: 70800/∞]

Less than an hour later, the monitor captured another familiar figure—Student Council Vice President Kiriyama Ikiteru. He was wandering downstairs with some kind of device, seemingly recording something.

"Interesting." Tang Yu muttered to himself. "Two big fish in one day."

It seemed his secret base was no longer so secret. However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing—proper exposure could serve as bait to draw out more hidden opponents.

In the dead of night, Tang Yu stood on the private terrace, overlooking the night view of Tokyo. An idea from three days ago had now become reality. This apartment was not just a physical space; it would become an important stronghold in the complex chess game he was playing at this school.

Karuizawa's unexpected addition had disrupted some of his plans, but it also brought new possibilities. By protecting her, Tang Yu would further solidify the trust between them and gain more inside information about the Ryuen Group.

[Special Alert: Multiple factions detected]

[Ayanokoji Kiyotaka Attention: 85%]

[Kiriyama Ikiteru Hostility: 75%]

[Ryuen Group Threat: 65%]

The light from the system prompts flickered in the night sky like distant stars. Tang Yu stood by the window, taking a deep breath of the cool air, feeling the tranquility of the night.

In three days, the new semester would begin, and this game would enter a whole new phase. Tang Yu was filled with anticipation and excitement; he knew this would be a time full of challenges and opportunities.

And now, he was more prepared than anyone. Over the past few days, he had been constantly learning and researching, gaining a deeper understanding of the game's rules and strategies. He believed that as long as he remained calm and focused, he would surely achieve better results in the new semester.

Tang Yu turned away from the window and returned to the living room. He saw Karuizawa curled up on the sofa, already asleep. She was clutching her phone tightly, as if waiting for some important information.

Tang Yu walked over to her gently, afraid of waking her. He carefully covered her with a blanket, noticing that even in her sleep, her brows were still tightly furrowed, as if she were contemplating some difficult problem.

"Get some good rest." Tang Yu whispered. "Tomorrow will be more challenging, but I believe you can handle it."