Bringing Their Relationship into the Open

Human curiosity was a powerful thing.

Ever since seeing Karuizawa walk into Room 321, Kushida had used her connections that very day to find out that the room belonged to Lezheng. Every day since, her curiosity had been like an itch she could not scratch.

What was their relationship? Were they dating? Or was it some other special relationship? Today, however, she got her answer.

"Kei, why does that charm on your bag look so familiar?" The sharp-eyed Matsushita spotted something.

"Now that you mention it, I do feel like I've seen it somewhere," Sato said thoughtfully.

"Wh-what are you talking about? Isn't this just the Mizuhiki knot Chiaki gave me? Let's go shopping first." Karuizawa tried to change the subject.

"That's not right. The one Chiaki gave you was yellow. This one's blue," Mori Nene said.

"You're remembering it wrong."

"I remember now!" Matsushita's eyes widened. "That's the one Lezheng made during the competition!"

"What?! Kei, why do you have something of Lezheng's?" Sato raised her voice in surprise.

"No wonder you've seemed different ever since we got back from the cruise."

"And you even broke up with Hirata."

"Tell us, what exactly is your relationship?" The three stared at Karuizawa, their faces full of curiosity.

"W-we're just ordinary classmates." Seeing that all three still looked eager for gossip, Karuizawa knew they did not believe her. "Then I'll tell you, but remember to keep it a secret."

"Don't you know us? We're the best at keeping secrets," all three said in unison.

"All right. Lezheng is actually my older brother-my cousin," Karuizawa said quietly.

"Huh? So he isn't your boyfriend?" All three looked disappointed.

"What are you disappointed about?"

"That explains why you're never short on Private Points." Matsushita nodded.

"Kei, could you ask Lezheng to come out? We could have a meal or some coffee together." Sato's eyes sparkled.

"You're thinking of something bad, aren't you?" Karuizawa quipped.

Still, she had long wanted to make their relationship public, especially in front of her girlfriends. Just thinking about it carefully was exciting.

So, brimming with excitement, she called him in front of the three.

Karuizawa: "Cousin, are you free today?"

Lezheng: "Oh, Kei. What's up?"

Karuizawa: "My classmates want to meet you, so we were thinking of having a meal together or something."

Lezheng: "Sure. Where are you?"

Karuizawa gave him an address, and ten minutes after she hung up, Lezheng found them.

"Hello."

"L-Lezheng, hello." Sato, who had been chatting away just moments earlier, started stammering.

"Shall we go? Where are we heading?" Lezheng asked.

"Let's go to that dessert shop from last time. Their macarons are delicious," Karuizawa suggested.

"Yes, let's! I haven't had them in ages." Matsushita nodded.

On the way to the dessert shop, the three bombarded him with endless questions, such as, "How do your elders get along?" "How did you get so amazing?" and "Do you have a girlfriend?"

All one could say was that adolescent boys and girls were interested in romance.

With the holidays underway, the dessert shop was getting busier. Fortunately, their timing was good, and a table for six had just been cleared.

"Order whatever you want. It's my treat." Lezheng placed the menu in the middle of the group.

"Then I won't hold back."

While Sato and Mori Nene were still being reserved, Matsushita had already started ordering. Fortunately, with her taking the lead, the other two relaxed as well.

There were quite a few familiar faces in the shop: Kanzaki and Shibata from Class C, Kushida from Class D, and Manabe and her friends, who hurriedly lowered their heads after meeting his gaze.

Manabe and her friends had spent the first week after returning from the cruise in fear, but after waiting a month, they found that judgment had never come.

So they thought Lezheng had been bluffing. They had originally considered going to scare Karuizawa again, but when she heard that Lezheng was running for Student Council president, Manabe lost her nerve again.

Now, seeing Lezheng and Karuizawa enter the dessert shop together, she was glad she had not let the will to bully take over her brain back then.

That emblem-isn't it just a damn face? Manabe began cursing inwardly.

"Lezheng, how do you run so fast? It's like you're flying." Sato gestured in the air.

"Maybe it's because I was chased by a wild boar when I was little and broke through my limiter," Lezheng replied.

"Limiter? What's that?"

"They say people who break through their limiter gain unexpected potential."

"He's having another episode," Karuizawa interjected at just the right moment.

"Lezheng gets sick too?" Mori Nene asked curiously.

"I'm human too, you know. What do you take me for?" Lezheng helplessly put a hand to his forehead.

"Ever since my cousin hit puberty, his delusions of grandeur have only gotten worse," Karuizawa explained.

"You're talking too much, Kei. What I have is called Adolescence Syndrome."

During a lull in their conversation, the server brought over the desserts they had ordered.

"Cold weather and ice cream really are the perfect match." Sato took a spoonful.

"Obviously, macarons are the perfect match," Matsushita countered.

Lezheng had chosen chocolate mousse, though eating ice cream in cold weather really was nice, provided you did not mind the cold.

"Cousin, do you want to try mine?" Karuizawa pushed her cake toward Lezheng.

"Kei, don't you like matcha? Why did you switch to banana this time?" Lezheng scooped up a little with his spoon.

"I suddenly wanted a different flavor. Besides, I remember... I think this is the flavor you like." Karuizawa was a little shy.

Lezheng froze slightly. Why isn't this following the script? Why have you suddenly started trying to win me over?

That was right. All of this was a script Lezheng had arranged with Karuizawa beforehand. Starting with Karuizawa casually showing the Mizuhiki knot in front of her friends, especially Matsushita, every move had been intended to bring their relationship into the open.

As for why, it was naturally because of his encounter with Miyabi Nagumo the day before. What Nagumo had said had served as a reminder.

After taking Shiina home, Lezheng had carefully thought through the hidden bombs he still had left and discovered that only Karuizawa remained in the shadows. Although he was prepared for her to be discovered, announcing it himself and being forced to admit it were two different matters.

That had led to today's performance. He was not sure whether this was the little gift Nagumo had mentioned, but to prevent Nagumo from making an issue of it, and since Karuizawa wanted this too, Lezheng had agreed after a moment's thought.

When he informed Karuizawa, her tone had grown noticeably happier.

Fortunately, Lezheng was excellent at thinking on his feet. "Even delicious food gets boring if you eat it for too long. It's nice to change flavors once in a while."

Having boldly made her move, Karuizawa's heart was now pounding fiercely. At first, she had merely wanted to use Lezheng for protection and avoid a repeat of what had happened on the cruise, but slowly, her original intentions had changed...