June Turns to July

The last weekend of June.

This swimming lesson was held jointly by Class B and Class C, as the Class C swimming instructor had volunteered for the second-year special exam.

Hoshida No had mastered his swimming technique with the help of Kushida Kikyo.

It was a free practice session, so after completing his basic drills, he leaned against the poolside, watching the others practice.

Karuizawa Kei swam over to his vicinity, wiped the water droplets from her face, and smiled brightly: "Brother No, you swim really well now! Much better than me!"

"Kei, you swim quite well too," Hoshida No evaluated objectively.

Not far away, Kushida Kikyo was being surrounded by several girls asking for advice on their form; she demonstrated patiently, though her gaze drifted toward Hoshida No from time to time.

Seeing that only Karuizawa Kei was by his side and that the two were conversing naturally, she increased the range of her movements, drawing the subtle attention of more boys.

On the other side, Ichinose Honami was also practicing in the Class B area.

She did not approach directly like Karuizawa Kei, focusing only on her own practice, her movements somewhat stiff.

During the break, Horikita Suzune sat alone on a bench by the pool, holding a copy of Group Dynamics and Team Efficiency, looking completely out of place in the playful environment.

Seeing Hoshida No climb out of the pool, she closed her book and walked over.

"Hoshida No, regarding the trust-building segment we discussed last time, I have consulted some materials."

She got straight to the point, completely ignoring Karuizawa Kei beside him. "I believe that in an environment lacking mandatory constraints, relying solely on common goals is insufficient to form stable cooperation. A responsibility-binding mechanism needs to be introduced. What do you think?"

Karuizawa Kei looked at Horikita and then at Hoshida No, feeling flustered and unable to interject.

Hoshida No wiped his hair with a towel and thought for a moment: "Your line of reasoning is feasible, but binding too tightly might trigger a backlash, especially for individuals with a strong sense of autonomy."

Karuizawa Kei finally found an opportunity to ask in a low voice: "Brother No, Horikita-san, are you talking about the next exam?"

"Yes." Horikita Suzune glanced at her, her tone softening slightly. "Preparation is never a mistake. Karuizawa-san, if Class B has similar discussions, feel free to share them."

"Ah, okay... I'll keep that in mind," Karuizawa Kei nodded.

Kushida Kikyo walked over at this moment, holding several sports drinks: "Everyone is chatting so seriously! Are you discussing studies? Would you like something to drink?"

She then naturally distributed them to everyone, giving one to Horikita Suzune as well, as if completely indifferent to the other girl's cold attitude.

"Thank you," Horikita Suzune accepted it and thanked her briefly.

By the small pool, several girls had gathered around Hoshida No for different reasons, creating a subtle yet temporarily peaceful atmosphere.

Class points for each class at the beginning of July:

A: 1160 B: 900 C: 850 D: 650

After lunch on Monday, Hoshida No was stopped by Hasebe Haruka in the corridor leading to the school building.

She had tied her long blue hair into a high ponytail today, making her look fresh and sharp.

"Hoshida-kun, do you have a moment?"

"What is it?"

"It's about Airi."

Hasebe Haruka's voice lowered. "That clerk has been officially dismissed, the police have issued a warning, and the school has compensated Airi with some points."

She paused and said tactfully: "Airi felt a bit embarrassed, so she asked me to pass on a message: she wants to treat you to a meal to show her gratitude."

"As long as the matter is resolved, we can eat together when there's an opportunity," Hoshida No responded indifferently.

"Alright."

Immediately, Hasebe Haruka took a simply packaged box from her bag. "This is a token of thanks. I baked these cookies myself, and I made them with Airi. The taste... should be about the same as what Kushida brought last time."

When she mentioned Kushida, her tone didn't change, but she clearly had noticed the details from the study session.

Hoshida No took the box: "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I just don't like owing favors," Hasebe Haruka smiled faintly and turned to leave.

Hoshida No held the cookie box, looking at her retreating figure, lost in thought.

He opened the box and took one to taste. The sugar content was perfectly controlled, and the texture was crisp. It was every bit as good as what Kushida had brought.

A few days later in the afternoon, Hoshida No encountered Morishita Ran again while looking up information in the library.

She was sitting in that corner by the window, and the book spread out before her had been replaced by On the Theory of God.

She looked up, her purple eyes fixed on him.

"Hoshida No, what a coincidence."

"It certainly is," Hoshida No sat down opposite her and set down his books.

The corners of Morishita Ran's mouth moved: "Because this is a high-quality observation point. It's quiet, the flow of people is controllable, and the view is wide."

She closed the book that looked profound and tapped the cover with her fingertips. "Moreover, most people who come here have a clear purpose, making it easier to see their true side than in the classroom or the cafeteria."

She changed the subject, her voice dropping slightly:

"I've noticed that Ryuen Kakeru's petty actions have been increasing lately. Spreading rumors about internal discord in Class C, sowing discord—the target seems to be you. And you, you haven't reacted at all."

"No need." Hoshida No flipped open his book. "Not many people would believe those words of his anyway. Reacting strongly would only make it seem like I care."

"Calm No." Morishita Ran suddenly spat out three words.

Hoshida No's finger, mid-turn, paused, and he lifted his eyes to look at her.

"A nickname. I thought of it the first time I saw you." Morishita Ran's expression remained unchanged. "Seeing you like this, I thought it fit well. Since you're still the same this time, I just said it."

She paused, and seeing that he didn't refute it or show any particular expression, she continued:

"Then, regarding those... friends around you. Ryuen might look for a breakthrough through them, or Sakayanagi might take more interest in them. Have you considered this?"

"They aren't that easy to exploit." Hoshida No's tone was flat. "Karuizawa and Ichinose are in Class B; Ryuen's reach isn't that long, and Sakayanagi's interest in them is limited. Kushida..."

He paused slightly. "She knows very well how to protect herself. Horikita is even less likely to fall for that."

"You know them quite well, don't you?" Morishita Ran leaned back against her chair, her gaze scrutinizing. "But that doesn't mean trouble won't come knocking. The more people try to protect something, the more they stand to lose. Them being close to you is a risk in itself."

"I know." Hoshida No's reply was simple. "That's why I'll keep things as they are. I'll do what I need to do, and they will do the same."

Morishita Ran watched him for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "This attitude of yours is really infuriating sometimes."

She said it calmly, but the meaning was direct.

"It's like you've calculated everything and nothing matters. However..."

She picked up On the Theory of God again. "This is also exactly what makes you the most inscrutable. Forget it, pretend I didn't say anything. Go back to your book."

She lowered her head, seemingly beginning to read in earnest, and ceased the conversation.

About twenty minutes later, Morishita Ran closed her book, stood up, and prepared to leave.

As she passed Hoshida No, she paused for a split second and said in a volume only the two of them could hear:

"By the way, Calm, No. Sakayanagi seems quite interested in games other than shogi lately. Keep an eye out."

After saying this, she hugged her book and walked out of the library with that unique, somewhat self-assured gait of hers.

Hoshida No lifted his gaze from the page and looked toward the doorway where she had disappeared.

He noted this information and continued reading.

Mid-July.

Just as Morishita Ran had noticed, Ryuen Kakeru's probing had begun.

He did not resort to direct physical threats against Hoshida No himself, but instead adopted more insidious methods.

First, a few boys from Class C with poor grades and relatively weak personalities were intercepted by Ryuen's subordinates on their way home from school.

They were verbally humiliated and threatened, with hints that there was no benefit in following a pretentious guy like Hoshida No.

Next, vulgar rumors began to spread in small, secretive circles, claiming that Hoshida No was using his relationships with Class B girls to play them for fools.

Hirata Yousuke and Kushida Kikyo both sensed these anomalies.

Hirata tactfully reminded everyone during a class meeting to value unity and not to believe rumors lightly.

Kushida Kikyo was more actively engaged among her classmates, inadvertently revealing the practical contributions Hoshida No had made to everyone during study sessions and exams, indirectly neutralizing the rumors.

Horikita Suzune scoffed at this: "Low-class tactics. Using such despicable methods only proves that Ryuen Kakeru and his class have no potential for growth."

She suggested that Hoshida No go directly to the school authorities or use the rules to strike back.

Hoshida No's response was more indirect.

Through Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he confirmed the specific individuals among Ryuen's subordinates who were most active in spreading the rumors.

Then, instead of a direct confrontation, he cleverly funneled information about some of these individuals' recent minor infractions—which violated school rules but had been overlooked—to places where the Disciplinary Committee and Chazhu Zuo Zhi were likely to notice.

Soon, these students were summoned by the Disciplinary Committee one after another or had their Personal Points deducted.

Although the punishments were not severe, it was enough for them to feel the trouble and vaguely realize that their actions were being watched.

Ryuen Kakeru sensed this precise, unexpected blow; he was furious but could not find any evidence for the time being, forcing him to temporarily rein in the blatant spreading of rumors.

This incident had a subtle impact within Class C.