Surely Suzune Horikita Wasn't a Succubus!

"If you want someone to pretend to be your boyfriend, wouldn't Hirata be a better choice?

Besides, with how much of a nice guy he is, he probably wouldn't turn you down, would he?"

Hearing Yang Cheng's words, Kei Karuizawa nervously fidgeted with her hands and hesitantly voiced her concerns.

"I see. You're right, Hirata's personality can be a bit of a problem sometimes.

But aren't you trusting me a little too much, Karuizawa? Have you never considered the possibility?

What if I not only refused to help, but even exposed your past and left you facing bullying all over again?"

Yang Cheng could clearly see that the moment he said those words, Kei Karuizawa's body began trembling uncontrollably. Panic filled her face, leaving none of her usual bratty gyaru attitude.

That was right. All she had considered earlier was that Yang Cheng was more assertive than Hirata and better suited to protecting her.

She had completely overlooked the question of his character.

Hirata's nice-guy personality went without saying. He was absolutely someone she could count on.

But as for Yang Cheng... honestly, Karuizawa didn't know much about him.

Although he wasn't as cold and aloof as Horikita or as unnoticeable as Ayanokoji, he also seemed to linger on the fringes of the class.

If she had to describe him, Karuizawa felt that Yang Cheng was something like a combination of Suzune Horikita and Ayanokoji, with a touch of mystery thrown in...

Looking at Kei Karuizawa trembling before him, her face beginning to turn pale,

Yang Cheng understood that his words had probably brought back the trauma of her past bullying.

So, after hesitating for a moment, he finally said, "I was only joking just now. I won't tell anyone else about your past.

And I've decided to help you with the request you just made."

Kei Karuizawa now experienced firsthand what it meant to have heaven and hell separated by a single thought.

One moment, she had been wondering whether she would have to face that unbearable past again if Yang Cheng turned out to be a scumbag.

Yet the very next moment, Yang Cheng not only promised not to reveal her secret, but even said he was willing to help her.

She had gone straight from hell to heaven. After that emotional roller coaster, Kei Karuizawa soon looked at Yang Cheng with gratitude written all over her face. "Yang Cheng, thank you so much.

Don't worry. We only need to act like a couple in front of our classmates. I'll keep my distance in private.

And I'll explain things to Horikita myself. I definitely won't let her get the wrong idea about you."

Yang Cheng had already been puzzled by why Kei Karuizawa kept bringing up Suzune Horikita.

Kikyo Kushida had a personal grudge against Suzune Horikita, so he could understand why she mentioned her every other sentence.

But Kei Karuizawa and Suzune Horikita barely had anything to do with each other, did they?

And what would Suzune Horikita misunderstand? Did Kei Karuizawa have something going on with Suzune Horikita too?

Wait, why was this Classroom of the Elite world a little different from the one he knew?

Could Suzune Horikita be a succubus in this world who attracted both men and women?

"Karuizawa, are you and Suzune Horikita in that kind of relationship?"

Kei Karuizawa: "(///▽///) What are you talking about, Yang Cheng? There's no way I'm like that!"

Seeing Yang Cheng's strange expression, Kei Karuizawa instantly understood what he meant and protested with a hint of anger.

She might have been bullied in the past, but she definitely wasn't into girls!

"Then what do you need to explain to Suzune Horikita about us pretending to be a couple?"

Kei Karuizawa: "(´･Д･) Don't you like Horikita, Yang Cheng? Aren't you even trying to win her over?"

Yang Cheng: "(･_･; What the hell is all this? Where did these rumors come from? Why haven't I heard a thing about them?"

Seeing that Yang Cheng's astonishment seemed genuine, Kei Karuizawa explained where the rumors had come from.

After hearing the whole story, Yang Cheng could only cover his face with his hand, speechless.

He never would have imagined that his earlier outburst had been twisted into something like that by everyone in Class D.

And now he finally understood why Kikyo Kushida had set her sights on him.

Apparently, she also thought he was dating Suzune and had learned something from her.

Speaking of which, if everyone in Class D had gotten the wrong idea, surely Suzune Horikita hadn't misunderstood too?

He figured she probably hadn't. Suzune Horikita was so oblivious, after all, and she cared about nothing besides catching up to her brother. She probably wouldn't read too much into it...

With her goal accomplished, Kei Karuizawa felt much more relaxed around Yang Cheng than before.

After all, he already knew about her past, so she no longer needed to deliberately put on an act in front of him.

Besides, she had initially felt rather guilty about making that request when Yang Cheng liked Suzune Horikita.

But now that everything had turned out to be a misunderstanding, she no longer needed to worry about wronging Suzune Horikita.

To thank Yang Cheng for helping her, Kei Karuizawa insisted on treating him when it was time to pay.

But the moment she saw the bill, she was embarrassed all over again.

Kei Karuizawa was also one of the people in Class D who had spent their private points most recklessly at the start.

She had even borrowed some private points from a friend yesterday just to cover her living expenses at school.

Because she felt that asking Yang Cheng for help was a bit much, she had invited him to a rather upscale pastry shop.

Then, with everything settled and a weight lifted from her shoulders, her appetite had surged, resulting in the bill before her...

"Let me get this. If we're a couple, I should get a chance to be a gentleman now and then."

Seemingly noticing Kei Karuizawa's predicament, Yang Cheng smiled of his own accord and promptly paid the bill.

"Yang Cheng, I'm really sorry. I'll get a part-time job and pay back the private points I owe you as soon as I can."

By the time they parted ways, Kei Karuizawa had lost count of how many times she had bowed and apologized to Yang Cheng.

After all, today's events had been utterly mortifying for her.

She had needed a favor and specifically invited him to an expensive place, only

to discover when it was time to pay that she was short on funds. In the end, the very person helping her had paid the bill too.

Kei Karuizawa knew perfectly well that Yang Cheng had only said that to save her face in front of the staff.

Never mind that they were only pretending to be a couple-even real couples in Japan usually split the bill on dates.

"Don't worry too much about it, Karuizawa. You can treat me the next time we go out together.

And here, take this. I'd also like to ask you for a favor, Karuizawa, and it'll actually benefit you too."

Looking at the notebook Yang Cheng held out to her, Kei Karuizawa reached out and took it with a puzzled expression.