On the morning of the first day of school, Tang Yu stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the secret apartment, overlooking Tokyo's streets as they slowly awoke. The System Interface unfolded clearly in the morning light:
[Current Emotion Points: 81500/∞] [New Semester Task: Establish a Class D intelligence network] [Special Reminder: Multiple hostile forces detected as active]
The bedroom door behind him opened softly. Karuizawa Kei came out rubbing her eyes, her blonde hair slightly tousled. She was still wearing Tang Yu's oversized T-shirt. After three days in hiding, she seemed much more relaxed than she had at first.
"G-good morning." Karuizawa tugged awkwardly at the hem of her shirt. "I made coffee... I don't know if it's to your taste."
Tang Yu turned and accepted the mug she held out. Signs of another person living in the apartment had appeared-the women's magazines on the coffee table, the skincare products in the bathroom, the neatly folded blanket on the sofa. This unfamiliar homely atmosphere made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
"Thanks. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah... better than I expected." Karuizawa sat down on a barstool nearby. "Um... school starts today. What should I do? Ryuen's people might still be looking for me..."
Tang Yu brought up the security footage on his phone. Over the past three days, the two young men suspected of being Ryuen's lackeys had indeed been loitering near the apartment, but they had never managed to get past the security system.
"I have a plan." Tang Yu set down his coffee. "I'll go to school first and find out what's going on. You should leave two hours later. Hirata Yosuke will meet you at Shinjuku Station and get you safely into school under the pretext of a class activity."
Karuizawa's eyes lit up. "Hirata? You got in touch with him?"
"I only said you needed help. I didn't tell him why." Tang Yu activated "Emotional Link" and confirmed that Karuizawa's emotional state was stable enough. "Once you're at school, try to stay around other people. Don't go off by yourself."
Karuizawa nodded, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Tang Yu's wrist. "Be careful. Ryuen... he's definitely planned something for the new semester."
Tang Yu felt her fingertips trembling slightly. It wasn't from fear, but concern. Being cared about like this felt a little unfamiliar.
[Karuizawa Kei's concern +200] [Affection stable at 85/100]
At seven o'clock, Tang Yu left the apartment, deliberately taking the back entrance to avoid the watchers. More and more students filled the morning streets, all heading toward Advanced Nurturing High School.
He activated "Presence Adjustment," blending into the crowd so that he was neither conspicuous nor completely invisible.
Colorful flags fluttered at the school gates, and a banner welcoming students back hung high above them. Tang Yu's Emotion Perception immediately picked up several unusual fluctuations-beneath the trees to the right of the gate.
Two boys in Class C uniforms pretended to chat while actually watching every Class D student who entered. Beside the information desk on the left, Student Council Vice President Kiriyama Ikiteru held a tablet and occasionally wrote something down.
"Tang Yu!"
A familiar voice came from behind him. Horikita Suzune approached with steady strides, her black hair tied into a neat ponytail. After the summer training, her posture was even straighter. Her gaze seemed less sharp than before and more composed.
"Morning, Horikita." Tang Yu nodded in greeting. "How was your summer vacation?"
"Productive." Horikita answered briefly, then lowered her voice. "I heard you helped Karuizawa deal with her problem?"
Tang Yu raised an eyebrow. "News travels fast."
"Hirata told me." Horikita's gaze swept over the Class C students by the gate. "Ryuen has been very active lately. He's not only targeting Karuizawa, but has also bought off a few people in my class."
"Kushida Kikyo?"
Horikita's eyes widened slightly. "You noticed too?" She paused. "We need to hold a meeting. After school today, in Section A on the third floor of the library."
Before Tang Yu could respond, Horikita had already strode toward the school building, as if their conversation had been nothing more than a casual greeting. Her cautious attitude showed that the situation was indeed serious.
[Horikita Suzune's trust +150] [Affection increased to 85/100]
The opening ceremony was held in the school auditorium. Tang Yu sat in the Class D section and observed the whole room without showing it. Class A remained orderly, Class B had a relaxed atmosphere, but Class C was unusually united-Ryuen Kakeru was surrounded in the center like a king, occasionally shooting challenging looks at Class D.
After the principal's address, Student Council President Horikita Manabu walked onto the stage. The entire auditorium fell silent at once, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the speech of this legendary figure.
"The start of a new semester means new challenges." Horikita Manabu's voice was calm and firm. "This semester, the frequency and difficulty of special examinations will increase. The first test is scheduled for two weeks from now."
A wave of groans rose from the audience. Horikita Manabu continued, "In addition, the Student Council will hold an election. Anyone who wishes to run must submit an application by Friday."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Miyabi Nagumo. The vice president wore his trademark bright smile, but Tang Yu's Emotion Perception clearly caught the ambition that flashed in his eyes.
After the ceremony, each class returned to its classroom. Class D's homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, stood at the front of the room, looking more serious than usual.
"Did you enjoy your summer vacation?" She pushed up her glasses. "I hope so, because starting today, you'll face the most rigorous semester since the school was founded."
The whispers in the classroom immediately stopped. Chabashira turned on the projector, displaying a set of complicated figures. "Based on your performance last semester, Class D currently has a total of 652 points and is still in last place. But the gap between us and Class C has narrowed to 89 points."
The figure prompted a burst of quiet cheering. Chabashira quickly dampened their spirits. "Don't celebrate too soon. The rules have changed for the new semester. At the end of each month, the lowest-ranked class will face an 'Expulsion Vote.' The student with the most votes will be forced to transfer."
The whole class erupted in an uproar. Tang Yu immediately understood the insidiousness of the new rule-it would make the students in each class distrust one another and undermine teamwork.
"Quiet!" Chabashira rapped her knuckles on the lectern. "Now, I'll announce the first special task: next week's Class Debate Tournament. The topic is 'The pros and cons of meritocracy.' The winning class will receive a reward of 100 points."
As soon as the bell rang, the classroom erupted into chaos. Hirata Yosuke tried to organize a discussion, but panic had already begun to spread. Tang Yu noticed Kushida Kikyo slipping out of the classroom, heading toward the floor where Class C was located.
"Should we follow her?" A voice sounded beside Tang Yu. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had appeared at his side without him noticing, his grayish-white eyes inscrutable.
Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception and found that Ayanokoji's Emotion Cloud was unusually active-a hint of anticipation lay hidden beneath his calm exterior.
"You go." Tang Yu replied quietly. "I'll check on Karuizawa."
Ayanokoji gave an almost imperceptible nod and followed Kushida without a sound. Such tacit cooperation would have been unthinkable before the summer vacation.
[Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's willingness to cooperate +200] [Current Emotion Points: 82500/∞]
Karuizawa Kei had arrived safely at school under Hirata's escort. She was now surrounded by a group of girls, apparently telling them some thrilling story. When they saw Tang Yu approach, the girls tactfully moved away.
"Everything go smoothly?" Tang Yu asked.
Karuizawa nodded and lowered her voice. "But there's bad news. Ryuen sent a text this morning..." She handed her phone to Tang Yu.
On the screen was a threatening message: [There's no use hiding. If you don't get in touch by tomorrow at noon, I'll send your photos to the whole school group chat. I know what class you're in.]
Tang Yu's expression instantly turned cold. "He's bluffing. He doesn't know you're in my apartment."
"But he installed tracking software on my phone!" Karuizawa bit her lip. "I only just found out... That's how he was able to send people to wait nearby as soon as I moved in with you."
Tang Yu took the phone and checked it quickly, confirming Karuizawa's claim-a hidden program was running in the background, transmitting her real-time location.