Uninvited Guest

The man at the front had long red hair, a tall and lean build, like a venomous snake ready to strike at any moment, baring sharp fangs.

Class C's Ryuen Kakeru.

And his two underlings, Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert.

Himeno Yuki had just finished putting her book away, her gaze instinctively shifting toward Kitagawa Kai's direction.

As for Kitagawa Kai, the moment the door was kicked open, the laziness on his face dissipated, and he tried his best to put on a serious expression.

The deathly silence in the library was broken by a sneer from Ryuen Kakeru.

"Heh." He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping the room like a searchlight, finally locking onto Kitagawa Kai, his eyes brimming with provocation.

"Oh, if it isn't our famous 'Peak of Advanced Nurturing'? A big shot like you."

"Coming to a place like the library?" He spoke while leading his two underlings, unhurriedly closing in on Kitagawa Kai's direction.

"Ryuen-kun!"

A gentle yet exceptionally clear and firm female voice cut through the encroaching pressure.

Ichinose Honami abruptly stood up from the seat beside her.

She slightly spread her arms, shielding Kitagawa Kai behind her.

"This is a library. Please keep quiet and don't disturb other students studying."

The afternoon sunlight filtered through her pink hair, tracing a faint halo around her straight back.

"Kitagawa Kai, now you need to hide behind a little girl?"

The provocation in those words couldn't be more obvious.

Ichinose Honami's brow furrowed even tighter, and she was about to retort when a slender, knobby hand gently rested on her shoulder.

The touch was light, carrying a slight warmth.

Ichinose's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

That hand only touched her briefly before withdrawing.

Kitagawa Kai stepped half a pace forward from behind her, standing almost shoulder to shoulder with her.

"Thanks, Ichinose."

"Dragon Boy."

This address stunned everyone. Not Ryuen, not Ryuen-kun, not even a curse-laden insult, but a term dripping with belittlement and contempt, almost like calling a bratty child.

A stifled gasp rippled through the library. Even Ichinose glanced at Kitagawa Kai in surprise, as if she hadn't expected him to respond like that.

The provocation on Ryuen Kakeru's face instantly froze, then twisted into deeper ferocity. The simple-minded underling Ishizaki behind him cursed and stepped forward half a pace, only to be stopped by Ryuen Kakeru raising his hand.

Ryuen Kakeru stared at Kitagawa Kai, the muscles around his mouth twitching, his gaze as dangerous as if he wanted to devour him.

"Did you just eat garbage? Why's your mouth so foul?"

Dead silence.

"Hahaha, good, very good, excellent, Kitagawa Kai. What a man with balls."

Ryuen Kakeru suddenly took a big step forward, as if ready to throw hands at any moment.

Just then.

Clang.

A faint sound of a chair leg scraping the floor rang out sharply in the tense silence.

The sound came from the area where Class B was gathered.

Kanzaki Ryūji expressionlessly pushed his chair away from the table, stood up, and walked with steady, silent steps to a position slightly behind Kitagawa Kai's side.

It was like a signal.

Then, another figure stood up.

It was Shibata Sō. He almost followed Kanzaki, striding quickly across a few chairs, and stood directly on Kitagawa Kai's other side, assuming a fighting stance.

Then a third, a fourth...

The boys of Class B gradually gathered around.

In just a few seconds, the situation in the library had subtly shifted.

"Calling for backup?" Ryuen Kakeru sneered, still aggressive, but his laugh was devoid of warmth. "Think numbers scare me?"

Ichinose Honami, being the closest to Kitagawa Kai, clearly saw the instant surge of fury in Ryuen Kakeru's eyes. Her heart sank, knowing the worst might be about to happen.

"Kitagawa-kun, no need to stoop to his level. Stay calm."

Her voice was extremely low, but every word carried heavy weight—concern.

"Don't worry, Ichinose." Kitagawa Kai spoke softly.

Everyone's gaze, overt or covert, focused on Kitagawa Kai. He was the initial focal point of this conflict and the key to deciding the next move.

Ryuen Kakeru clearly noticed the quiet exchange happening nearby. The sneer on his face grew even more brazen.

"What's this? Kitagawa Kai, discussing countermeasures with your little girlfriend?"

Ishizaki and Yamada followed up with grating laughter.

The moment the word "girlfriend" left their mouths, Ichinose Honami's face flushed red, and faint wisps of steam tinged with embarrassment and indignation seemed to rise from the top of her head.

Just as Ichinose was overwhelmed with shame and anger, and Ryuen Kakeru and his two cronies were gloating triumphantly—

"Heh, Dragon Boy, I'm actually glad you called Ichinose my girlfriend."

"?!" At those words, everyone present was stunned.

Ichinose Honami snapped her head up, a flicker of hidden turmoil passing through her azure eyes.

Kitagawa Kai's voice rang out again: "But the tone you used just now? I really didn't like it."

"Didn't like it?" Ryuen Kakeru twisted his face into an even more grotesque expression, no longer dwelling on the topic of men and women. "If all you've got is a sharp tongue, then Class B sure is impressive! Last month, you guys talked your way into taking 500,000 points from our class."

"What's the matter? Now that you've earned enough points and have some confidence, you're talking all tough?"

"Ryuen, I've actually been a bit curious," Kitagawa Kai's voice remained steady, but the content of his words made the sneer on Ryuen Kakeru's face start to stiffen. "Class C traded away 500,000 points last month. This month, are you squeezing your classmates even harder?"

The faces of Ryuen and his two underlings turned extremely ugly. This month, the students in their class hadn't been handing over points as eagerly, and some had even started openly opposing Ryuen Kakeru.

"What happens in our Class C is none of your damn business, you scum from Class B!"

"It really isn't." Kitagawa Kai nodded agreeably, but then his tone shifted, his gaze falling back on Ryuen Kakeru's face, laced with a pitying mockery. "I just feel a bit sorry for the Class C students. Following a leader who rules through violence, a leader who makes his underlings fill the holes when he loses..."

He paused, shaking his head lightly.

"Must be exhausting, going to school like this."

"I'LL F***ING KILL YOU!!!" Ryuen Kakeru finally snapped completely. No longer caring about the consequences, he let out a wild roar and, like a mad beast unleashed from its cage, swung his fist, slamming it straight toward Kitagawa Kai's face!

"Kitagawa-kun!" Ichinose let out a startled cry.

"Ryuen!" Kanzaki, Shibata, and the others also changed expressions drastically, trying to step in and stop him, but it was all too fast.

The students from Class B and Class D stared wide-eyed.

Yet, facing this thunderous blow, Kitagawa Kai's gaze didn't waver in the slightest.

He didn't even step back. In the instant the fist was about to connect, his body shifted slightly, dodging the vicious strike.

Everyone could clearly see Ryuen Kakeru lose his balance as his full-force punch hit nothing but air.

They could also see that, as Kitagawa Kai sidestepped, his hands had already moved like coiled serpents lying in wait, locking onto Ryuen Kakeru with precision.

A simple, direct, yet exquisitely brutal double lock on joints and center of gravity!

Secret Technique—Arm-Shoulder Joint Lock!!!