The Plan / Competition

"That's the second problem."

Tanaka Yukishin held up two fingers.

Shiina Hiyori pursed her lips, a subtle expression that suddenly brought her to life.

"Would Tanaka -kun be willing to answer?"

"Because, in comparison," Tanaka Yukishin leaned back in her chair, her gaze sweeping over the students in the classroom who were eavesdropping, "Other recreational activities are much more relaxed."

He saw a knowing glint in Shiina Hiyori's eyes and continued to explain.

"The burden on viewers is different depending on whether the information is received in the form of text, images, or videos."

"Tanaka -kun is indeed... very lazy."

Shiina Hiyori nodded slightly.

Her voice was very soft, yet it made the entire classroom hold its breath.

This evaluation was like a pebble thrown into still water, creating ripples in Class C.

Chapter 87 86 Plan

The morning sunlight streamed into Class C classroom through the gaps in the curtains. Ryuen Kakeru leaned against the windowsill, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the window frame.

He squinted as he listened to his classmates chattering about Tanaka Yukishin's visit the day before.

"That guy from Class D, how dare he swagger into our classroom?"

Ryuen Kakeru's voice was deep and dangerous, and his red hair gleamed with a dark red sheen in the sunlight.

"Yes, yes..." The girl with the bun hairstyle shrank back, "He asked about Ryuen's whereabouts..."

Ryuen Kakeru's gaze swept across the corner of the classroom and landed on Ibuki Mio, who was organizing her gym bag.

The blue-haired girl noticed the gaze but continued tying her shoelaces without looking up.

"Ibuki" Ryuen Kakeru walked up to her. "You had contact with that Tanaka Yukishin yesterday, didn't you?"

Ibuki Mio raised her head, a hint of impatience flashing in her purple eyes.

"I only saw it from afar."

She stood up, her sportswear accentuating her slender figure. "What, even Lord Ryuen Kakeru cares about such a trivial matter?"

Ryuen Kakeru was not offended; instead, he revealed a playful smile.

"What about the evaluation?"

"Very powerful, in some ways like Shiina. Not everyone can calmly and casually talk to someone while being watched by nearly ten people from behind." Ibuki Mio snorted coldly, picking up her gym bag and brushing past him. "And... his eyes are dangerous."

Ryuen Kakeru nodded thoughtfully, then turned and walked to the seat by the window.

Shiina Hiyori was quietly flipping through a hardcover book, her gray hair falling onto the pages, shimmering silver in the sunlight.

Her fingertips, which were turning the page, paused slightly, as if she had noticed Ryuen Kakeru's approach.

"Shiina," Ryuen Kakeru sat down directly opposite her, elbows propped on the table, "I heard you had a pleasant chat with Tanaka yesterday?"

Shiina Hiyori gently closed the book, her purple eyes calmly gazing at Ryuen Kakeru.

"It was just a normal conversation." Her voice was soft yet clear. "He's a very special person."

"Oh?" Ryuen Kakeru raised an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

"Quick-thinking and observant."

Shiina Hiyori's fingers gently traced the spine of the book. "And... he doesn't seem very interested in Class C. He's only here for you."

Ryuen Kakeru suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the classroom.

This caused several students to turn around uneasy.

"Interesting!"

He stood up, his red hair gleaming like fire in the sunlight. "Let him stay interested then."

Rooftop.

The June wind, carrying the fragrance of plants, swept across the composite floor; Albert stood like a black sculpture in the doorway.

His muscular arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, scanned the stairwell warily.

The whistle of a physical education class drifted from afar, creating a peculiar duet with the howling wind on the rooftop.

Ishizaki Daichi squatted beside the ventilation duct, his school uniform jacket casually draped over his shoulders, his bangs sticking together with sweat.

He repeatedly looked at the map markers on his phone, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with each swallow.

As the iron gate creaked open, he jerked his head up like a startled wildcat.

"Ryuen!"

Ishizaki hurriedly got up, his sneakers brushing off years of accumulated dust from the pipes.

He handed over the phone with extreme respect, the blue light from the screen highlighting the dark circles under his eyes.

"This is the result of our recent reconnaissance... but I have a feeling that our plan has been discovered by that Club Tyrant?"

Ryuen Kakeru did not immediately take the phone.

He strolled leisurely to the edge of the rooftop, letting the wind tousle his signature red hair.

Looking down at the campus, his pupils contracted to dangerous pinpoints, while a predator-like smile played on his lips.

Ishizaki Daichi shifted his feet nervously, the soles of his shoes making a soft, scraping sound as they scraped against the ground.

Ryuen Kakeru suddenly turned around, reached out, spread his fingers, and pressed them against Ishizaki's face, pushing him away.

Ishizaki Daichi staggered back two steps, only regaining his balance after hitting the railing in the lower back.

"Idiot."

Ryuen Kakeru flicked his wrist, a dangerous glint flashing in his narrowed eyes.

"Even though you're a delinquent, you have a natural fear of Tanaka Yukishin's even stronger form of violence..."

He slowly pulled a cigarette from his uniform pocket and tapped it lightly against the metal railing. "But at least use your brain a little."

Ishizaki Daichi touched his reddened forehead and instinctively shrank back when he saw Ryuen Kakeru take out a lighter.

The moment the flames shot up, he smelled the acrid smell of burning tobacco.

"Our plan is known to only three people." Ryuen Kakeru exhaled a puff of smoke, watching the bluish-gray smoke rings twist and deform in the heat. "If I really have to reveal it..." He suddenly leaned closer, the cigarette butt almost poking Ishizaki Daichi's nose. "Is it me? Is it Ibuki? Or is it you?"

Ishizaki Daichi's pupils contracted sharply, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He opened his mouth, but only managed to utter a few meaningless breaths.

Ryuen Kakeru straightened up and casually flicked the cigarette butt into the distance.

The burning cigarette butt traced an orange-red arc before falling onto the concrete, scattering a few sparks.

"These next few days, you, Komiya, Kondo will thoroughly investigate those three locations." Ryuen Kakeru ground a cigarette butt on the ground with the tip of his shoe, his voice suddenly softening. "Don't wait until the plan succeeds, only to find CCTV footage proving..." He looked up, a cruel smile curving his lips. "Understand?"

"Yes, Ryuen!"

Ishizaki Daichi almost tripped over his shoelaces while standing at attention, and he hastily wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The phone slipped from my trembling fingers and bounced twice on the concrete floor.

Ryuen Kakeru looked down at the scene from his high vantage point and suddenly chuckled.

"As for Tanaka Yukishin, leave her alone for now."

As Long Xiangxiang turned around, the hem of his uniform stirred up a slight breeze, revealing a faint metallic sheen at his waist.

He walked toward the rooftop entrance, Albert immediately stepped aside to make way for him.

But just before the iron gate closed, Ryuen Kakeru suddenly turned around, his red hair shining like a burning flame in the backlight.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the plan remains unchanged; proceed as originally planned in seven days."

His gaze swept across Ishizaki Daichi in the corner like a blade, who was frantically picking up his phone.

"That idiot Ken Sudō-- "

Ryuen Kakeru's voice, mixed with the whirring of the door hinges turning, came through. "It will definitely bite."

The loud slamming of the iron gate as it closed startled the flock of birds that were roosting there, and Ishizaki Daichi collapsed to the ground.

As soon as the school bell rang in the afternoon, Tanaka Yukishin got up and headed to Class C.

I didn't get to see Ryuen Kakeru yesterday, but I'm determined to see this legendary "tyrant" today.

In the corridor, two familiar figures blocked his way.

"Hiratsuka-senpai? Sakura- senpai?"

Tanaka Yukishin stopped in her tracks, looking at the two senior members of the MMA Club with some surprise.

Hiratsuka Kaoru pushed up her black-rimmed glasses, her strong biceps stretching the sleeves of her school uniform taut.

Sakura Ya stood with her hands in her pockets, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"I heard you were selected for the Gyokuryuki team?"

"Yes, I'll be leaving school to compete at the end of July."

Tanaka Yukishin nodded, her gaze shifting between the two women. "Is there something you need?"

Hiratsuka Kaoru and Sakura Sae exchanged a glance.

Hiratsuka Kaoru a deep breath.

"We... would like to ask you for a favor."

Chapter 88 87 Competition

"Hey, Tanaka-kun, count me in for the Gyokuryuki competition where you can deliver messages."

In the club activity room, Sakura Sae hooked her arm around Tanaka Yukishin's shoulder and took out an exquisite bento box from her bag with her other hand.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the bento box, revealing glimpses of the delicately arranged sushi and fried shrimp inside.

"This is a special bento box worth 5000 points, it tastes absolutely amazing..."

"Etc!"

Hiratsuka Kaoru suddenly squeezed between the two, waving a photograph in her hand, "Take a look at this first! My older sister, a real beauty!"

The woman in the photo is wearing a white lab coat and is giving the camera a loving smile.

Sakura Sae narrowed her eyes.

"Your sister? The one who always wears a white coat and has a bottle of whiskey in her office..."

"Cough cough!"

Hiratsuka Kaoru quickly interrupted, nearly throwing the photo at Tanaka Yukishin's face, "That's medical alcohol! Shizuka-nee is a school nurse!"

"Isn't your sister that Hiratsuka Shizuka? She teaches Japanese."

Sakura Sae grinned mischievously, tapping her fingers lightly on the bento box. "It's that legendary 'Iron Fist Leftover Woman,' a master of both smoking and drinking..."

"Sakura Sae!"

Hiratsuka Kaoru's face was so dark it could drip water. "You dare say another bad word about my sister? I'll tell on you."

Sakura Sae shrugged dismissively.

"You can't say anything before graduation. Otherwise, we wouldn't have needed to ask Tanaka-kun for help."

He deliberately dragged out his words, "Tell me after graduation, if you want. At worst, I'll just hide and go to Okinawa!"

Tanaka Yukishin rubbed her temples as she watched the two men, who were on the verge of exchanging blows.

"Why don't you go find other team members? A 5000-point bento box, that price, and if you convert it to cash, you'll get more points. Nobody would refuse, right? Besides, there are more than a dozen people in the team, aren't there? Most importantly, if it's just a message, a phone call would be quick, wouldn't it?"

The two exchanged a glance, sighed simultaneously, and slumped back into their chairs like deflated balloons.

"Everyone else has already booked their time slots."

Hiratsuka Kaoru explained, "For a popular contestant like Sato, the line to record messages with him stretched all the way to the school gate."

"And in terms of relationships..."

Sakura Sae scratched her head. "We're not that close to the other participants. These spots were already taken by their classmates and friends."