Shinmuro Masumi, are you a dog?

While Suzune Horikita and Yuki Gyakukai were arguing with each other.

Not far away, at the Art Club, Masumi Kamuro stood silently, stealing a painting with a furtive air and using it to cover her face.

Through the eyes left exposed, she glared fiercely at that damn dog of a man.

"Dog man, if you don't explain clearly what last night meant, you're done for in a bit."

Halfway through the club recruitment event, one person still stood on the stage.

It was a male student around 170 centimeters tall, wearing square-framed glasses. He stood on the stage without speaking.

His posture was straight, his gaze sharp as he looked down at the crowd, his jet-black hair giving off a stern impression.

"Hey, senpai, you're not too scared to talk, are you?!"

"Hahaha!"

The first-year students below were jeering—though that obviously didn't include Classes A, B, or C, so it took no thought to know the hecklers were the idiots from Class D.

At that moment, Suzune Horikita's face darkened, her icy gaze piercing through the crowd toward the still-ruckus Class D members.

If looks could kill, Yamauchi and the others would have died millions of times over in Horikita's eyes.

Gradually, Class D's students also noticed the strangeness around them.

"Hey, Yamauchi-kun, Sudou-kun, please stop talking. There's still someone up there. This behavior is rude, so I'm counting on you."

Class D's good-natured peacemaker, Yousuke Hirata, also noticed the odd atmosphere. He saw that aside from the upperclassmen, even the other three first-year classes were keeping quiet.

The moment he spotted the anomaly, he quickly found the few still mocking and stopped them.

But the effect didn't seem very obvious.

Facing the class's popular figure, Haruki Yamauchi glanced dismissively at Hirata:

"What's the big deal? Hirata, you're still too timid. If we were really bothering anyone, someone would've stopped us by now."

Meanwhile, Ken Sudou, standing by the basketball club, keenly caught the strange looks from the basketball club's seniors.

Though he didn't care much about those looks, that indifference was based on him joining the basketball club first—the problem was, he hadn't joined yet.

So he turned his head, saw Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike still making a racket, and immediately told them to shut up with displeasure.

After all, Ken Sudou couldn't care less about studies or motivation; he'd already staked his future on basketball.

If he couldn't even get into the basketball club now, how could he talk about making a name in the high school league and securing a better future?

Thus, under overwhelming pressure, the noisy few finally lowered their heads and stopped shouting, though they still whispered now and then.

"Damn, I was gonna show off my manliness, but now the girls in class probably think I'm a loser."

"Wah... goodbye, my pink campus life. No wait—I still have Kikyou-chan!"

"Right, someone as gentle as Kikyou-chan will definitely understand me."

"..."

They kept whispering, who knows how they had so much to say.

You could only say their mental fortitude was too strong—they somehow ignored the looks from everyone around them, as if they were monkeys in a zoo.

Thankfully, those few had some self-awareness. After feeling uncomfortable under the crowd's stare, they finally shut their mouths and stopped talking.

Watching this scene, Yuki Gyakukai glanced curiously at Suzune Horikita, whose face was as dark as a pot bottom:

"Suzune, with a group like that in Class D, what's your take?"

Suzune Horikita frowned, glancing impatiently: "What take could I have? I don't know them. The difference between us is like modern humans versus unevolved monkeys.

And we're not close enough for you to call me by my first name, you pervert Gyakukai-kun."

Too far, Suzune Horikita. You'd better hope I never catch a handle on you, or I'll knock you to your knees and make you sing surrender.

When everyone finally quieted down, the venue fell into silence.

This state lasted for about several dozen seconds. Then Manabu Horikita, standing on stage, finally began his speech.

"I am Manabu Horikita, the student council president."

"Since the upperclassmen will soon be leaving the school, the student council will be selecting some new first-years to join during this period.

In principle, those who join the student council cannot join other clubs; otherwise, they will not be accepted."

"The student council has the authority to change school rules. Therefore, I do not wish for those with naive ideas to join. After all, that would be a stain on the school. I hope everyone understands."

"That concludes what I have to say."

Without a moment's pause, without caring about the students' reactions below, as if the whole matter had nothing to do with him, he simply left the venue.

But the entire recruitment hall remained silent, a heavy unease hanging in the air.

Hiss~!

Yuki Gyakukai, who had been thinking about whether to leave, suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, frowning as he reached behind him.

"Kamuro, are you a dog? Suddenly jumping on me and biting down."

Masumi Kamuro, who had been clinging to Gyakukai's back and biting his shoulder with all her might, was lifted up by an irresistible force.

The next moment, his gaze shifted, and he saw Yuki Gyakukai's face, pained as if he'd lost something precious.

The two of them just stared at each other, eyes wide.

But precisely because of their commotion, the originally somewhat quiet venue and the clueless class members instinctively turned their gazes here.

"Hey! Isn't that the super handsome underclassman who was hanging around in front of our class earlier?"

"Wow! He's like a celebrity!"

"Is his strength that great? He lifted someone up directly—he's definitely a good prospect for our basketball club or kendo club."

"Is that Masumi Kamuro? Why does she seem so familiar with Yuki from Class B? So jealous."

In an instant, Masumi Kamuro, who hadn't felt embarrassed before and thought she'd gotten her revenge, felt like needles pricking her back as she listened to the dense chatter. Her little foot, dangling in midair, unconsciously scraped against the sole of her shoe.

Along with the embarrassment, a strange thrill filled her chest.

But thinking of the culprit right in front of her, looking at that handsome face, she couldn't help but get angry and began struggling quickly.

"Put me down now. How long are you going to keep me in this position?"

"Apologize to me, you little sneaky cat."

"No way. Who told you to call me by that weird name? And worst of all, who told you to stop mid-sentence?"

"So according to you, it's my fault?"

"Isn't it?"

Just as the two were at a standoff, a petite figure appeared beside them, leaning on a cane.

Sakayanagi Arisu looked at them with a probing gaze, shifting her eyes back and forth between the two.

"Yuki-kun, someone who bullies girls isn't popular, you know."

"Step aside for now, you malicious little shorty. This has nothing to do with you yet."

She was furious.

For the first time, Sakayanagi Arisu felt contempt. The emotion called anger surged in her chest, and her hand gripping the cane unconsciously tightened.

And then... there was no and then.

She turned and left directly.