Treating You to a Grand Feast

"Why wait for the weekend? You should go now. There's no telling what might happen if you wait too long," Nishikawa Ryoko said with a smile.

"That makes sense." Following the advice of the two love gurus, Nishikawa Ryoko and Shiraishi Asuka, Yagami Shizuka decided to ask Sakayanagi Arisu out.

Perhaps it really could ease the tension between them.

Would it succeed?

It should, right? This was the life experience of two seasoned experts in romance.

Entering the classroom, Yagami Shizuka immediately sought out Sakayanagi Arisu and asked, "Miss Arisu, would you do me the honor of grabbing a coffee after class? Or perhaps some black tea?"

Sakayanagi Arisu puffed out her cheeks, but she didn't soften her stance. She kept a straight face, said nothing, and then turned her head away.

This provided quite the spectacle for many of their classmates. Several girls, having learned of his failed attempt, felt their own romantic interests stirring once again.

Anyone with eyes could see that Sakayanagi Arisu had no interest in Yagami Shizuka.

And that was exactly the opportunity they were waiting for.

Shiraishi Asuka boldly stepped forward and offered comfort: "It's alright. If she doesn't want to go, I'll go with you."

To everyone's surprise, Sakayanagi Arisu immediately turned back and gave her a chilling look. "Isn't dating seven men in two days enough for you? Don't you ever get tired?"

Last time, Sakayanagi Arisu had said she would only give one warning, and she meant it—there would be no second chances.

The classroom was instantly filled with mocking laughter directed at Shiraishi Asuka. If anyone had actually gone on a date with her in the last two days, they would surely become the laughingstock of the class.

Shiraishi Asuka stepped back immediately; it was her first time experiencing the methods of Sakayanagi Arisu.

Information was Sakayanagi Arisu's weapon.

Shiraishi Asuka was thick-skinned; even when called out like that, she didn't feel embarrassed, and in fact, she felt a faint sense of pride.

Because of Sakayanagi Arisu's firm attitude, she couldn't bring herself to keep pushing to steal the man away.

A male student asked, "Shiraishi, did you really date seven men in two days?"

"What's the big deal? I'm single right now. Whether I go on dates or not is my business—does it have anything to do with you?" Shiraishi Asuka said dismissively.

That seemed to be the logic.

If she didn't have a partner, she wasn't violating any moral code by going on dates, so she hadn't done anything wrong.

The real "players" were the ones who dated others while already in a committed relationship.

Conversely, this only proved how highly sought after she was.

"If you want to date me, you'll have to work for it, or I might just become someone else's woman one day," Shiraishi Asuka encouraged him.

"Right." The male student could only answer weakly, his eyes darting toward Shiraishi Asuka.

When one couldn't get a date with any other girl, having one willing to go out with you felt like a blessing to some of the boys.

Many of the boys began discussing who had gone on dates with Shiraishi over the past two days.

Of course, no one would admit to it.

It wasn't because they were shy or embarrassed, but because it simply hadn't happened.

If you judge a person solely by appearances and hearsay, you would be making a grave mistake.

The story about her dating multiple men had originated from Shiraishi Asuka herself.

Upon enrolling, she had noticed Nishikawa Ryoko's penchant for gossip, so she befriended her, first telling her that she was popular with the opposite sex, and then spinning tales of her personal "achievements."

Making up stories only requires a mouth.

And so, the story of her seven dates reached the ears of Sakayanagi Arisu.

All of this was intentional on Shiraishi Asuka's part; in reality, she hadn't done anything over the last two days.

The purpose of all this was merely to build an image of herself as a master of romance.

This persona was meant to hide the fact that she was an artificial genius from the White Room, a mole for the Silver Faction.

Everything she did was successful; if she didn't reveal her secrets herself, it would be difficult for anyone to know she came from the White Room, including Ayanokoji.

As of now, only Yagami Shizuka knew her secret.

Yagami Shizuka couldn't join in on those kinds of conversations. Honestly, he was currently a loner in class, and he had no intention of making friends.

So far, the only person he could truly count as a friend was Shiina Hiyori from Class C.

He had no intention of getting close to people like Hashimoto Masayoshi or Katsuragi Kohei, and he didn't care to deal with boys who talked about girls' chests all day.

And because of his connection to Sakayanagi Arisu, no girls would come near him.

He didn't mind; things were fine just the way they were.

A few more days passed, and Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to have calmed down. She no longer gave him the cold shoulder at every turn and would occasionally speak to him.

When Friday arrived, Sakayanagi Arisu was in an inexplicably good mood, a rare smile gracing her face.

In the morning, after the first two periods.

Thump!

Sakayanagi Arisu's cane tapped against Yagami Shizuka's desk. "Have you forgotten something you were supposed to say to me?"

Yagami Shizuka lowered his head in thought. Was there?

He then looked up. "Have you eaten today?"

"Don't be ridiculous, it's not even lunchtime yet." Sakayanagi Arisu grinned.

"Then how about we grab a meal together?"

"Sure!"

Unexpectedly, she actually agreed.

The sun must be rising from the west; why would she agree to this?

If he had known, he wouldn't have asked.

"I'll treat you to a feast!" Yagami Shizuka added.

"Sure!" Sakayanagi Arisu still didn't have any objections.

Is this person really Sakayanagi Arisu?

Yagami Shizuka scrutinized her several times. She didn't seem to be a body double, nor had her soul been swapped; she was truly Sakayanagi Arisu.

< src="https://e1.kuangxiangit./uplos/chaptersnew/910/216974/260411/1775877698-100478924-114659085.jpg" alt='Arisu'>

Yagami Shizuka sensed a conspiracy.

What is going on? At a time like this, an important hint should have appeared by now.

Did you not notice such a massive conspiracy?

Or have you already malfunctioned?

[What are you doubting? Do you think you haven't woken up yet? You, in your confusion, have received the following hints:]

[1. Take Sakayanagi Arisu out for a fancy meal; you will receive the admiring gazes of everyone in class, while your wallet will bleed money like water and hit rock bottom in no time.]

[2. Be rational, young man. Sakayanagi Arisu is not a materialistic girl. Even if it's cheap food, she will cherish it. You can take her to the cafeteria and eat whatever is available; she will not blame you for it.]

[3. Resist the temptation and decline by claiming you have no appetite. Sakayanagi Arisu will subject you to a glaring attack for 13 days. Although you won't die, she will definitely be brewing a major move.]

What is the situation?

This Sakayanagi Arisu seems to be the real deal.

It doesn't seem like there's a conspiracy after all.

Option 3 is definitely out of the question; who knows what kind of major move she would brew.

Then let's go.

Time quickly arrived at the lunch hour.

Following the hint, Yagami Shizuka brought Sakayanagi Arisu to the cafeteria. This was the suggestion provided by the hint, not something he came up with himself.

"You said you were going to treat me to a feast, and it turns out to be the cafeteria?" Sakayanagi Arisu followed behind Yagami Shizuka, looking somewhat displeased.

There is no atmosphere for a date between a man and a woman in the cafeteria.

"What else? Points are very important, aren't they? No matter what, we shouldn't squander them recklessly. If you want to eat something good, I'll cook for you myself later."

Yagami Shizuka had already calculated that since utilities were free, buying groceries and cooking himself would definitely be more cost-effective than eating out, and more nutritious than the cafeteria food.

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't say anything, but she was secretly delighted inside.

Where else could she find such a good man who knows how to be thrifty and manage a household!

Because her legs were inconvenient, Yagami Shizuka had her sit at the table to wait while he went to get her food.

Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to enjoy this moment of warmth; waiting for someone else to take care of her didn't seem so bad after all.

Although she could force Kamuro Masumi to do such things through intimidation, it didn't feel nearly as good as this.