Ryuen Kakeru

"Kouenji-kun, the finals are coming up," the swimming instructor reminded him.

"Oh, I'm a serious teacher, but I don't see the necessity for finals," Kouenji Rokusuke replied, before turning and walking away on his own.

"This..." After a moment of hesitation, the instructor announced, "Then we shall rank by time. The champions are Onodera Kayano for the girls and Watanabe Hayabara for the boys. Come see me after class to collect your 5,000-point reward. Everyone else, feel free to practice swimming for the remainder of the period."

With a wave of his hand, the instructor dismissed the class. The students, who had been gathered together, scattered rapidly like a disturbed swarm of bees.

Watanabe Hayabara was no exception; he walked briskly toward the area where he had left his towel. However, just as he neared his destination, a crisp voice called out from behind him: "Watanabe-kun, your glasses!"

Watanabe Hayabara turned to see Kushida Kikyo trotting toward him with small steps. In her hand, she held the glasses he had asked her to look after earlier.

"Ah, thanks." Watanabe Hayabara took the glasses and slid them back onto the bridge of his nose.

"Don't mention it." Kushida Kikyo's lips curled into a sweet smile as she said softly, "Though, come to think of it, Watanabe-kun looks even more handsome without glasses."

Hearing this, the corners of Watanabe Hayabara's mouth lifted into a faint smile. His eyes narrowed slightly behind the lenses, revealing a hint of imperceptible gentleness, soft and warm like a spring breeze.

"Is that so?" His voice was low and magnetic, carrying a touch of light teasing. "Does Kushida-san think I look more handsome without them?"

A blush crept onto Kushida Kikyo's face. She lowered her head shyly and whispered, "Well, Watanabe-kun's glasses appear to be non-prescription. Are you intentionally hiding your looks?"

Watanabe Hayabara chuckled and shook his head, explaining, "They are indeed non-prescription, but the lenses are blue-light blocking. It's good for eye protection."

"Oh, I see." Kushida Kikyo nodded in sudden realization. "Then I should get a pair of non-prescription blue-light glasses too."

The smile on Watanabe Hayabara's face deepened. As he wiped the water from his body with a towel, he said, "It would be a pity if Kushida-san's beauty were sealed away."

Kushida Kikyo's face turned even redder. She shot him a playful, reproachful look and pouted, "You're awful, Watanabe-kun, always teasing me."

"Ike Kanji-kun is looking for you," Watanabe Hayabara said, glancing at Ike Kanji, who had been staring daggers at him from not far behind Kushida Kikyo. With that, he draped his damp towel over his shoulder and turned to leave.

"Eh?" Kushida Kikyo watched Watanabe Hayabara walk away, then looked back.

"Is something the matter, Ike Kanji-kun?" Kushida Kikyo asked with great enthusiasm.

"Watanabe-kun, are you free after school?" Shiina Hiyori's text message flickered on the screen, seemingly carrying a hint of anticipation.

Watanabe-kun looked at the message, his lips curling upward as he quickly replied: "If it's for your best friend, Shiina-san, I'll have to pass. After all, I couldn't possibly bring myself to praise someone else in front of the adorable Shiina-san."

His reply was laced with teasing, showing little interest in Shiina Hiyori's invitation.

Shiina Hiyori replied quickly: "Smart aleck! Of course not. Our class leader wants to meet you."

"In that case, I'd be happy to oblige. Name a place."

[Ready to make a move?]

Shiina Hiyori's reply came immediately: "6 o'clock, in front of the library, Watanabe-kun."

"Shiina-san, your obsession with books is truly admirable! You can't even spare the time while waiting without reading, can you?" Watanabe Hayabara arrived at the meeting spot on time and couldn't help but exclaim as he watched Shiina Hiyori reading intently.

Hearing his voice, Shiina Hiyori slowly looked up, a faint smile on her lips. "Watanabe-kun, don't you know that making a girl wait for a long time is a good way to get disliked?" Her voice held a playful tone.

Watanabe Hayabara laughed and quickly explained, "Haha, of course I know, that's why I'm here right on time. To apologize, I'll buy you a gift later, so please don't be angry. By the way, where is your class leader?" He said this while pretending to look around.

Shiina Hiyori chuckled and shook her head, then stood up, clutching her book carefully to her chest. "Follow me, Watanabe-kun." With that, she began to lead the way, her steps light and elegant.

Watanabe Hayabara followed, keeping a respectful distance. The two crossed the campus paths, bypassed several buildings, and finally arrived behind the special building.

[It seems the Class C leader has also discovered this is a blind spot for surveillance.]

After bringing him behind the special building, Shiina Hiyori returned to her book.

Watanabe Hayabara's gaze landed on a long-haired man whose fierce expression radiated an unapproachable aura.

"Watanabe Hayabara, that's you, right?" The man's voice was low and aggressive, as if he were filled with hostility.

Watanabe Hayabara smiled slightly. "That is correct. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Ryuen Kakeru, the ruler of Class C." The man introduced himself, his tone dripping with confidence in his status.

"Oh, so you are Ryuen-kun." Watanabe Hayabara maintained his smile. "May I ask why you've summoned me?"

"What is your objective in getting close to our Class C students?" Ryuen Kakeru's question was blunt, without the slightest pretense.

Watanabe Hayabara laughed. "Are you referring to Shiina-san? I do have some affection for her, but that doesn't mean I have any malicious intent. I haven't been investigating Class C."

"Is that so?!" Ryuen Kakeru's voice rose, clearly unsatisfied with the answer.

Yet, Watanabe Hayabara showed no fear; his expression remained calm, even revealing a faint smile.

"However, I heard you performed well in the swimming competition, taking first place for your class, and you were quite a bit faster than me." Ryuen Kakeru's tone softened slightly but remained provocative. "With your ability, it's a pity to stay in Class D with those so-called 'rejects'."

Watanabe Hayabara's mouth curled up as he said unhurriedly, "While Class D students might be inferior to Class C in some respects—or even complete trash—some of them have great potential. Moreover, Class D has an unpredictable variable. Overall, Class D is much more interesting than the mediocre students in Class C."

"You can observe that much? In this school where ability is everything, students are indeed divided by comprehensive strength. The average strength is Class A > Class B > Class C > Class D. However, there are special cases. Still, with my ability, leading Class C to Class A is more than enough."

"By ruling through violence?" A look of contempt flickered on Watanabe Hayabara's face, as if he scoffed at Longyuan Xiang's capabilities.

Longyuan Xiang watched Watanabe Hayabara expressionlessly, his eyes cold and deep, making it impossible to glimpse his true thoughts. He did not respond to the mockery, simply staring at him as if waiting for him to continue.

Seeing this, the smile on Watanabe Hayabara's face widened. He continued, "Insight is a magical thing. But looking at the current situation, Class C is indeed the most competitive."

Longyuan Xiang remained silent, but his brow furrowed slightly, clearly intrigued by Watanabe Hayabara's words.

Watanabe Hayabara continued, "Class A has been split into two factions; their internal strife is severe, and their strength has been greatly diminished. Although Class B has a leader, it is a pity that this leader is too gentle—one might even call her saintly—lacking both decisiveness and resolve. While Class D appears to have a leader on the surface, they are actually a scattered mess, each acting in their own interest. By comparison, Class C and Class D are in similar straits, but at least they fear your power, don't they?"

At this point, Watanabe Hayabara paused slightly, then looked at Longyuan Xiang with a cryptic smile, as if observing his reaction.

The corners of Longyuan Xiang's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile as he gestured for Watanabe Hayabara to continue.

Seeing this, a flash of cunning crossed Watanabe Hayabara's eyes, and he continued, "I'll stop here; I'll be taking my leave. If you want to test your skills against mine, forget it—I wouldn't want to cross a tyrant. It would be quite embarrassing for a dignified tyrant to lose face in front of a female student, wouldn't it? Oh, right, remember to transfer 500,000 points to me, and I'll handle a problem for you afterward. You can get my contact information from Student Shiina."

"See you next time, Student Shiina," Watanabe Hayabara said, his tone shifting to one of gentleness.

With that, Watanabe Hayabara turned and walked away, leaving Longyuan Xiang standing there alone. Longyuan Xiang watched Watanabe Hayabara's receding figure with a soft chuckle, making no move to stop him.