A Hint of Heartbeat

"What? Sakura Airi is actually that famous internet idol 'Shizuku'?" Hearing this news, Kushida Kikyo's face was full of shock, disbelief written deep in her eyes.

This kind of plot in domestic novels would be called "Three years have passed, the Dragon King returns."

"That's right, but as you can see, she has severe social anxiety." Shiraishi Makoto nodded in response. "So I hope you can take the initiative to help her integrate into the class—at least let her make a few friends she can get along with normally, and keep an eye on her in daily life."

After hearing his request, Kushida Kikyo's expression instantly turned strange, her gaze fixed directly on Shiraishi Makoto.

"You... don't tell me you've got a crush on her?"

"Where did that come from?" Shiraishi Makoto asked back helplessly.

"Then why would you help her for no reason..." Kushida Kikyo began. "And—and even ask me to look after her."

A hint of sourness crept into Kushida Kikyo's tone involuntarily, but Shiraishi Makoto didn't notice this subtle change at all and gave the excuse he'd prepared in advance: "She helped me accomplish something, but it might cause her identity to be exposed. I'm doing this as compensation for her."

"What thing, hidden so tightly?" Kushida Kikyo was a bit curious.

As the little angel of Class D, she thought she knew Sakura Airi fairly well, and couldn't imagine where she could have been useful.

"It's not convenient to say for now. You'll find out in a while." Shiraishi Makoto refused to discuss it.

"Fine. By the way, I want to ask you for a favor." Seeing she couldn't pry anything out, Kushida Kikyo gave up grudgingly and quickly changed the subject.

"What is it?"

"Help me deal with someone."

"Who?"

"Yamauchi Haruki from our class."

"What did he do now?" Shiraishi Makoto was shocked. This was the supreme masterpiece of the Black Room, Old Man Yamauchi. What earth-shattering thing had he done to provoke little angel Kushida?

"Wasn't it you who planned the 'past exam questions' incident? Since they just faced the threat of expulsion, those three idiots have finally calmed down a bit." Kushida Kikyo complained. "Ike Kanji is fine, but Sudo Ken and Yamauchi Haruki have something wrong with their heads. Sudo Ken inexplicably fell for Horikita Suzune, thinking she's cold on the outside but warm inside, gentle and kind."

"And Yamauchi Haruki has a crush on you?" Shiraishi Makoto guessed Kushida Kikyo's next sentence and burst out laughing.

"Not just that. Didn't I front them the money for the past exam papers, and even borrowed over two hundred thousand points from your Class A to keep them from being expelled? That idiot actually thinks I did it because I like him, and now he's spreading rumors among the boys." At this point, Kushida Kikyo gritted her teeth in hatred.

Yamauchi Haruki, whether intentionally or not, kept testing the boundaries wildly, only spreading rumors among the male group he was familiar with, never saying it to her face. Kushida Kikyo didn't even have a chance to clarify with dignity.

Although anyone with eyes could see it was a rumor, as the "little angel," she couldn't actively confront Yamauchi Haruki, because that wouldn't fit her persona.

And with three people spreading a rumor, if she let Yamauchi Haruki's gossip fester long-term without refuting it, the rumor might continue to ferment. Someone might actually believe Yamauchi Haruki's claim, and then it would spread everywhere—by then, she'd be in an even more awkward position.

"I really can't deal with him." Shiraishi Makoto shook his head. He was only good at leveraging the school's rules, not at scheming with these petty tricks.

There were no opportunities to exploit recently. The next special exam wouldn't be until the uninhabited island exam after finals, and Class A had no one skilled at this kind of thing.

"Useless at critical moments." Kushida Kikyo shot him a glare.

"But to get rid of the rumor trouble, you don't necessarily have to deal with him, right?" Shiraishi Makoto pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

If he wanted to solve this, Shiraishi Makoto thought there were three methods.

The first method: find an opportunity to get Yamauchi Haruki expelled. Dead men tell no tales. But there were no usable opportunities recently. Kushida Kikyo would have to plan it herself—a permanent solution, but high risk and difficulty.

The second method: find another classmate who secretly liked Kushida and let this rival know that Yamauchi Haruki was spreading rumors, using someone else to settle the score with him. But so far, there was no classmate who liked Kushida Kikyo to that extent.

The third method: use a more convincing rumor to overwrite Yamauchi Haruki's. Once Yamauchi Haruki was pressed by those around him and felt embarrassed, she could take the chance to clarify.

If Shiraishi Makoto had to act, he would only use this third method.

After thinking it over, Shiraishi Makoto still told Kushida Kikyo his three methods.

"Then how do we specifically carry out the third method?"

"Since he's spreading rumors that you like him, create another rumor that you like someone else—for example, that you like me." Shiraishi Makoto gave an example.

"I like you? How are you as narcissistic as Kouenji?" Kushida Kikyo immediately put on a disgusted expression, but her heart uncontrollably skipped a beat, and the tips of her ears burned slightly.

"But to others, this is very reasonable." Shiraishi Makoto didn't mind Kushida Kikyo's jab. "My reputation at school is fairly well-known, and I'm a formal member of the student council. My ability and status are beyond reproach. Even if we were actually dating, it wouldn't be that strange."

"More importantly, you and I haven't had little contact recently. Everyone knows you borrowed several hundred thousand personal points from Class A. If a rumor spreads now, it won't feel abrupt."

"Really, selling your own goods like a boastful melon vendor—aren't you embarrassed?" Though she was teasing Shiraishi Makoto's self-evaluation, Kushida Kikyo admitted the method was very feasible.

If you asked any random classmate which rumor was more believable—Kushida Kikyo liking Yamauchi Haruki or Kushida Kikyo liking Shiraishi Makoto—no one would pick the first. Once the second rumor came out, Kushida's friends would take the initiative to clarify: "Kushida is kind-hearted, that's why she helped Yamauchi Haruki, no different from Ike Kanji or Sudo Ken. Yamauchi Haruki is just flattering himself."

Most importantly, if others were spreading the rumor that "Kushida Kikyo of Class D likes Shiraishi Makoto of Class A," she probably wouldn't hate it...

"Then it's settled. This is trouble you caused me, so you have to help." Kushida Kikyo instinctively grabbed Shiraishi Makoto's hand.

"Fine, fine, but you plan the specifics. You should be good at this kind of thing." Startled by Kushida Kikyo's action, Shiraishi Makoto quickly agreed.

"Alright. Then you follow my orders when the time comes." Kushida Kikyo nodded with a smile and walked out of Shiraishi Makoto's room in a cheerful mood.

Watching Kushida Kikyo leave the room, Shiraishi Makoto fell into deep thought.

Although he had no romantic experience, he wasn't a dense fool either.

It was just that this window of paper seemed harder to tear through than he had imagined...