Shiranami Collapses, and the Two Argue

Even the oddballs in Class B, those who care more about themselves than the class, would vote against it even if tempted by points—after all, if there's a precedent, others would "voluntarily" sacrifice for the class under moral constraints when faced with similar situations.

While this approach may bring temporary benefits, it will sow the seeds of uncontrollable long-term problems.

Hoshino En believed that Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji, who were ranked first and second in Class B, could have thought of this.

But he's here to have some fun, and ultimately, this isn't something they can decide.

The real choice lies with Shiranami Chihiro, the "Leader" of Class B.

"But have you ever thought about how the other students will view Little Shiranami if he fails this exam?"

"They might act understanding and considerate in front of you, but will they complain about Little Shiranami behind your back?"

"This--" ×

Kanzaki Ryuji and Ichinose Honami exchanged a glance, speechless for a moment, while Shiranami Chihiro's face paled slightly.

"Furthermore, if you don't make it into Class A by graduation, or if you're just 100 points Class A, do you think others will blame Little Shiranami for making you miss out on those precious 120 Class Points?!"

Hoshino En's words left both leaders of Class B speechless, and Shiranami Chihiro's face turned even paler.

There was no wind, yet the Little White Flower standing on the ground was already swaying precariously, as if it would collapse at any moment and become decaying matter for its kind.

But Hoshino En wasn't satisfied; he wanted to add fuel to the fire for these innocent little lambs.

"Of course, we can help her withstand the external pressure—you, Ichinose, and even Kanzaki —but what about her own hurdle?!"

"If you miss out on 120 points today, causing your class to completely miss out on Class A; even on graduation day, everyone in Class B is comforting the self-blaming Little Shiranami, and no one is blaming her, then what about ten or twenty years from now?"

"Given the atmosphere in your Class B, there will definitely be a class reunion at these important times, right? When that time comes, seeing classmates who should have had bright futures but are all mediocre and have accomplished nothing, do you think Little Shiranami will feel guilty and blame herself?"

"If she falls into despair because of this, and lives a life devoid of light, Ichinose, tell me, who will be responsible for her future?! Can you handle it?!"

At this point, Hoshino En became so agitated that his eyes blazed with fury, radiating anger towards the irresponsible Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji.

They were speechless, stunned by his words.

First Semester of First Year: Search

Chapters 169 and 160: Shiranami faints, the two argue.

The Little White Flower stared in fascination.

Hoshino En's unpretentious and impassioned speech completely shattered the girl's defenses against external enemies.

Thump--thump--thump--

She felt her heart pounding in sync with the tone of the other person's voice.

Thump! Thump!! Thump!!! Thump!!!!

My heartbeat quickened, my limbs felt weak, and my tear ducts were uncontrollably producing tears.

She unconsciously leaned against Ichinose Honami, who was deep in thought because of Hoshino En's words, but Ichinose Honami did not notice the girl's strange behavior behind her.

It's so noisy... it's so uncomfortable...

Shiranami Chihiro felt as if the entire world before her was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, but the man directly in front of her, the man who carefully considered her feelings and even thought about how this matter would affect her future, was the only one who seemed to shine brightly.

Hoshino, you bastard... How could you say something so outrageous... How am I supposed to react?!

"But... but that's just your imagination!"

The quiet atmosphere was eventually broken as Kanzaki Ryuji broke free from the "tragic future" drawn by Hoshino En.

"Even if we lose these 150 Class Points, it doesn't necessarily mean we can't become Class A; even if we graduate as Class B, it doesn't mean we'll be mediocre and accomplish nothing. Your words are just selling anxiety—"

9. "I'm just stating the worst-case scenario. Even if the probability of that tragic future happening is less than one percent, you can't deny that it could actually become a reality."

Shihoshino Hoshino En interrupted Kanzaki Ryuji's rambling, for wishful thinking would only lead to predictable failure and misfortune.

"If this situation really happens, do you think you'll still have a chance to regret it? Can the outcome of Little Shiranami becoming depressed because of your stubbornness be changed?!"

The second "this--"

Kanzaki Ryuji shut up.

After finishing her critique of one of them, Hoshino En turned to look at Ichinose Honami.

"So, Ichinose, what are your thoughts?"

0. "You asked me to explain the pros and cons of the solution, and I have now done so. So, what's your decision?"

His questioning hit rock bottom, only to be met with silence.

Ichinose Honami lowered her head and frowned, seemingly struggling, but her reaction only added to the gloom on Hoshino En's face.

It wasn't something that came out because of his words, nor was it caused by his long bangs; rather, it overflowed from the depths of his heart, stemming from the gloom and repression of his emotions.

After a long while, Ichinose Honami raised her head, looked at Hoshino En, and solemnly announced her decision.

"I'm sorry, Hoshino-kun, I just couldn't bear to see Chihiro-chan take risks."

"The environment here is not like school. If something were to happen and Chihiro-chan's fake relationship became real... I don't want to see that."

"Besides, it's a rare opportunity for everyone to travel, and I don't want to see Chihiro-chan lying alone in bed resting."

"..."

Ichinose Honami explained a lot, seemingly expressing her apology to Class B, but Hoshino En couldn't listen to what she said after that.

His abnormality was eventually exposed to Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji.

"Hoshino... kun?"

Looking at Hoshino En's gloomy face, which seemed to be suppressing anger, Ichinose Honami felt as if something was gripping her heart.

"What's wrong with you?"

She reached out her hand with concern, wanting to comfort the other person, but Hoshino En suddenly brought up a new topic, which abruptly stopped her from doing so.

"Ichinose, everyone says that your family of origin greatly influences a person, and I've noticed that you and your mother are very alike!"

"Huh?"

When the topic of her mother was suddenly brought up, Ichinose Honami's expression froze along with her movements.

Her expression became very strained, and even Kanzaki Ryuji, who was watching from the sidelines, could see the abnormality in his representative.

"Hoshino- Hoshino-kun, what did you suddenly say—"

"Do you know why I'm here, and why I'm so generous in giving you information and advice?"

Hoshino En suddenly steered the conversation to another topic.

He walked between Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji, and came behind them. He pulled Shiranami Chihiro, who was barely conscious but holding on with her strong will, into his arms and made her lie down.

"Little Shiranami, don't push yourself too hard, take a rest."

He forcibly closed the girl's eyes and took off his coat, covering her with it.

"Chihiro-chan!!" / "Shiranami -kun!!"

The two representatives from Class B finally noticed the unusual behavior of their "Leader".

Ichinose Honami quickly went to the girl's side to help look after her, while Kanzaki Ryuji immediately set off to find their homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya Chie.

Taking advantage of the absence of the outsiders, Hoshino En continued the previous topic.

"Ichinose, I don't really care what choice you make. I just came here to have fun today; but your performance has disappointed me."

"In this kind of situation, you should ask Little Shiranami what she wants to do, ask her what she really wants to do, and respect her opinion, instead of making the decision for her yourself—don't you think your behavior just now is very similar to your mother dragging you to that shopping mall to apologize?"

"This... this is..." (turns away)

When the topic of her mother came up again, Ichinose Honami's thoughts once more reached a dead end.

"And you know what, Ichinose, I really like you. The reason I helped you back then was because I saw through your difficulties and your intentions."

The sudden confession threw Ichinose Honami's already stagnant mind into complete chaos.

She completely lost the ability to respond, temporarily becoming a faithful listener and a safe space for words.

"An angel who would break her own wings for someone important, a fool who would willingly fall into hell—your beauty is so captivating that I couldn't resist. That's why I helped you, because a good person like you deserves a good reward." —Er

Hoshino En's gaze shifted from Shiranami Chihiro to Ichinose Honami's face, but his usual tenderness and care were gone; instead, his expression was one of disgust, as if he had seen something repulsive.

"Ichinose, I know people change, and you can't possibly go back to the Angel I first met. But why have you become the kind of person who used to bully you?"

Upon hearing this, Ichinose Honami finally had the urge to refute.

"My mother did nothing wrong; I was the one who was wrong!"

Her sudden rebuttal only fueled Hoshino En's anger.

First Semester of First Year:

Chapters 170 and 161: They've Broke Up, This Time It's Really Over

"No, she was wrong! For the sake of so-called 'moral bottom line' and so-called 'principles of being a decent human being,' she personally destroyed and crushed her own child's reputation! She cared more about her so-called honor than you!!" —Qiong

Hoshino En pinched Ichinose's cheek with one hand, forcing her to pout and making it difficult for her to refute.

He continued speaking into the girl's "O"-shaped mouth. "I'm not saying it's wrong for her to discipline you. From a parent's perspective, it's normal for her to be angry because you stole. But she shouldn't have embarrassed you in public."

"Doesn't she realize that doing this will ruin you?!"

Unable to speak, Ichinose Honami expressed her opinion through actions—she shook her head vigorously, seemingly trying to break free from Hoshino En's grasp.

Hoshino En: "..."

Stubborn fool!

He let Shiranami Chihiro lean against him, and with his other hand, he placed it on Ichinose Honami's head, forcibly stopping her struggles.

"If I hadn't intervened earlier and ruled this a misunderstanding, you would have been permanently stigmatized and would have lived the rest of your life as a 'thief'!!"

"No company will hire someone with a stain on their record, you won't find a partner who will accept you, and you have no future—doesn't she even know that?!"

Hoshino En's intimidation seemed to have worked, Ichinose Honami was startled upon hearing about this possible tragic future.

The person stopped struggling, and their vision became much clearer.

She obediently looked at Hoshino En as he manipulated her, her watery eyes seeming to plead.

I know I was wrong, so please let me go. Others have already seen this.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Sakayanagi Arisu and Shiina Hiyori, who had somehow appeared in the nearby woods, and her homeroom Kanzaki along to prevent him from coming closer.

But Hoshino En, still furious, wouldn't let her leave so easily; his lecturing continued.

"And now, Ichinose, you've become that kind of person too: you say you're worried about Little Shiranami's health, but have you considered what Little Shiranami herself is thinking? Have you thought about respecting her feelings?"

"Yes, you could suggest a class vote to let everyone decide whether to use this method, but you're not as slow-witted as Shiina."

Shiina Hiyori: "..."

Is there anything more for me to do here?

"You should have already realized it—in Class B, your word is like a royal decree, an inviolable instruction. Under your call, no one will choose to agree to this method."

"When you get a negative result, and you happily share the good news with Little Shiranami, all she can do is smile and say 'That's great,' swallowing the guilt and pain she feels for holding everyone back... Don't you think she's exactly like you, with your own grievances but nowhere to confide in, forced to kneel and apologize by your own mother?"

"How is your behavior any different from your mother forcing you to apologize?!"

Sakayanagi Arisu: "..."

Ichinose is really cunning; she's already let En-kun meet her parents.

Oh, En-kun seems to have met me before, then that's fine.

"Ichinose, wrongdoing must be punished. Only then will evil people suppress their evil intentions and live a more humble life, while kind people can cleanse their conscience and rise again. Your act of forgiving everyone may seem gentle, but it's actually just satisfying your own desire to 'not let anyone get hurt'! Foolish and hypocritical!!"

At this point, Hoshino En released her grip on Ichinose and pushed Shiranami Chihiro, who was in her arms, towards her.

"Little Shiranami has fainted, you can now legitimately choose a new 'Leader.' I'd better not get involved in Matoba."

"By the way, tell the rest of the class that Xiaobai Bo hurt himself. Use my method to convince them; it should help Little Shiranami salvage some of his reputation and give you a boost in popularity... Just don't betray me!"

Although she was very angry, Hoshino En Enishi was giving her instructions like an old friend of Ichinose Honami.

But Ichinose Honami was holding Shiranami Chihiro, understood that a rift had appeared in their relationship. Moreover, she could see that the anger in Hoshino En's eyes showed no signs of abating, and there was even a hint of grievance in them.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing!"

Before leaving, Hoshino En suddenly stopped, turned around, and added another sentence.

"The 'Leader' of Class A is Totsuka Yahiko, and the 'Leader' of Class C is probably Ryuen Kakeru, the same information as your class's 'Leader.' This information was already known to Class D. You can read this letter and fill it out on the last day if you wish."