Wow, is it really that thrilling?

Keyaki Mall was crowded, especially in the swimsuit section, where girls mostly came in groups to pick out styles, with hardly a boy in sight. A group of girls from Class D had come together after school to choose swimsuits for their upcoming pool class, their chatter and laughter rising one after another.

Kei Karuizawa walked at the front. Since enrolling, she had established her position as the leader of the class's gyaru crowd. She had not wanted to come, but maintaining her position made it difficult to refuse. She would find an excuse later, such as not wanting boys to see her skin, and buy a beach cover-up or a one-piece swimsuit, as long as it could cover her scars.

But she could not show any hesitation now. She compared several new swimsuits, then picked up a basic bikini with a conservative design and ample coverage, stubbornly declaring, "This is way too plain and conservative. Boys don't go for this sort of thing. There's absolutely nothing eye-catching about it."

With that, she casually set the conservative swimsuit down and picked out an intricately designed, distinctively cut one from the rack, suggesting enthusiastically, "Let's try this one next. This should be just right."

Chiaki Matsushita leaned closer to examine it. Looking at the swimsuit's slender ties, she found it a little hard to accept.

"Aren't these straps way too thin? Wouldn't you worry about them coming undone in the water? That feels way too insecure."

Maya Sato promptly picked up another item from the rack and showed it to everyone.

"Then how about this? Waterproof patches that cover the three essential spots. Simple and convenient."

Chiaki Matsushita helplessly pressed a hand to her forehead, at a complete loss for words. Was joining this circle really the right choice? I really don't fit in.

"You said it yourself-they're patches! This isn't even a swimsuit! Wearing that to class would be ridiculous."

Kei Karuizawa also breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the others were all fairly shy. That made things easier for her and saved her the trouble of finding an excuse.

"You're so picky." Karuizawa then picked up an attractive one-piece swimsuit. "What about this one?"

As she asked for everyone's opinions, Kazami's voice came from the side. "I'd advise you not to choose that one."

The girls froze and turned to look.

Kazami Saku was beside the men's clothing racks a short distance away. He had happened to spot them choosing swimsuits and had been unable to stop himself from speaking up.

"What are you doing here?!" Kei Karuizawa took a step back.

"Exactly. What's a boy doing over here? That's so weird," Maya Sato immediately chimed in, full of wariness.

Satsuki Shinohara eyed Kazami suspiciously. "You haven't been following us, have you?"

Kazami Saku raised a hand and pointed toward the nearby men's swimwear section. It had been a complete coincidence.

"I was picking out men's swimwear over there. I was just passing by and thought I'd give you a heads-up."

Chiaki Matsushita still looked puzzled. "Why do you say that? This design looks really pretty."

"It does look pretty." Kazami Saku nodded, then revealed the fatal truth. "But this one uses a special fabric that turns transparent when it gets wet. Are you sure you want to wear it to pool class?"

Maya Sato froze at first, then her eyes lit up, excitement entering her voice. "Wow, is it really that thrilling?"

A flicker of curiosity also crossed Kei Karuizawa's eyes, and she instinctively chimed in, "That sounds so thrilling."

Kazami Saku: "!!!"

He stood there dumbfounded. He had underestimated how hardcore these gyaru were. He had only meant to offer a friendly warning, yet they were not afraid at all and actually found it thrilling? Sure enough, none of the girls in Class D were ordinary.

"Sorry, I should've kept my mouth shut."

After her brief shock, Chiaki Matsushita quickly recovered and thanked Kazami Saku sincerely. "No, not at all! Thank you so much for warning us! If we'd actually bought this and something went wrong when it got wet in class, it would've been incredibly embarrassing. Seriously, thank you!"

"No problem. It was nothing." Kazami waved a hand, indicating that she need not worry about it.

Chiaki Matsushita shook her head. "You really helped us out. Please let us thank you somehow."

Since she had gone that far, Kazami Saku took the opportunity to ask, "If you don't mind, could you call me big brain a few times?"

Hearing that, Chiaki Matsushita was momentarily at a loss for words. The other three were, too. It was their first time hearing such a bizarre request, and they could only laugh helplessly. "Your tastes really are pretty unusual."

Kei Karuizawa, however, spoke without hesitation. "Thanks, big brain."

Randomly copying target's ability... Ability acquired: Women's fashion appreciation Lv2.

Kazami Saku looked at the new ability that had appeared in the system. Sigh. Another flashy but utterly useless ability.

Immediately afterward, Chiaki Matsushita also helplessly followed suit and called him big brain.

Randomly copying target's ability... Ability acquired: Violin Lv3

At the sight of the newly unlocked ability, Kazami Saku's eyes instantly lit up.

Lv3, a proficient-level violin ability-she really had kept that hidden. He had never expected Miss Matsushita to have such a refined talent.

Class D certainly lived up to its reputation. They seemed like problem students, but there was a wealth of hidden talent among them, with all kinds of capable individuals and every one of them concealing an unknown trump card. It seemed he had still underestimated his classmates.

After that brief interlude, the girls each chose a swimsuit and waved goodbye to Kazami Saku.

The next day, it was time for pool class.

The corner where the boys had gathered was incredibly lively. Kanji Ike, Haruki Yamauchi, and the others huddled together, loudly plotting in secret, their eyes occasionally darting toward the girls in their class, their faces full of excitement.

Yes, they thought they were being discreet, but they were loud enough for the whole class to hear, and the girls kept casting disgusted looks their way.

"Why don't we make a bet?" Haruki Yamauchi suggested enthusiastically. "During pool class, we'll secretly rank the girls' boobs based on their figures and bet on whose ranking is the most accurate!"

The boys instantly burst into cheers of agreement, all endorsing the ridiculous bet.

Kanji Ike spotted Kiyotaka Ayanokoji sitting nearby and immediately waved him over. "Ayanokoji, join us! It's just for fun!"

Everyone chimed in, intending to drag Ayanokoji into the bet.

While the boys were busily plotting away, Suzune Horikita's cool gaze settled on Kazami Saku, who was behaving himself nearby, her eyes heavy with warning.

Her stare made Kazami Saku uncomfortable all over, and he quickly raised his hands to clear things up.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm definitely not part of their crowd. I'm not involved!"

Suzune Horikita did not let her guard down in the slightest, her tone earnest and stern.

"You'd better not be. Your usual behavior already draws enough attention. Don't give yourself the additional label of sex fiend. It'll only make people more wary of you."

"Thanks for that thoughtful description." Kazami Saku sighed helplessly. Ayanokoji was the one taking part. What did it have to do with me? I got caught in the crossfire.