┗|｀O′|┛ Awoo~~

As though something had occurred to her, Hasebe gave Kazami a strange look.

"What? Were you trying to play the hero and win some points with Horikita just now?"

Kazami sneered, thinking that gossip was all this girl had on her mind. She had no vision at all.

"Not at all. Horikita has actually trained in karate. In a real fight, most people couldn't even get near her. If things really escalated and she and Sudo started fighting, I'd definitely help Sudo."

"Huuuh?!"

Beside them, Sakura Airi's eyes widened, her face full of shock as she let out an adorable cry. She had never expected that answer from Kazami. It defied common sense.

Hasebe fell silent too, staring speechlessly at this guy with his bizarre ideas and unconventional way of thinking. When other people picked sides in an argument, they sided with the girl. Only Kazami went against the grain and took the opposite side.

Kazami looked at their shocked faces. There was no sense of justice involved, only personal grudges. Horikita regularly exploited him, ordered Ayanokoji around, and ruled like a tyrant. If he could beat her in a fight, he would have taken her on long ago.

After tutoring ended, Kazami and Ayanokoji had a simple dinner, then Kazami invited Ayanokoji to play games with him.

After several intense matches in a row, Kazami's throat felt dry. He stretched luxuriously, stood up, and shook out his limbs, which had gone numb from sitting too long.

"I'm thirsty. I'm going downstairs for a drink. Coming?"

Ayanokoji did not decline. He quietly put away his phone, got up, and followed.

The dormitory corridor was especially quiet late at night. The two headed downstairs side by side in the slightly cool evening breeze, left the dormitory building, and walked toward the vending machine downstairs, planning to buy cold drinks to quench their thirst.

With nothing else to do on the way, the farce at the library that afternoon naturally became their topic of conversation.

His blood running hot, Kazami recited a grand declaration of rebellion.

"The azure heavens are dead; the yellow heavens shall rise. In the year of the Wood Rat, all under heaven shall prosper!"

His voice rang out powerfully, as though he would raise the banner of rebellion the very next second and overthrow Horikita's dictatorship.

Beside him, Ayanokoji glanced at him. Kazami's thirst for the throne really was something. "You still haven't given up on becoming king."

Kazami held his head high and puffed out his chest, making no effort to hide his ambition. "Of course not. Who in this world could resist the allure of kingship? Who would willingly bow to someone else and spend their entire life as a lackey?"

Though he might end up being a king who ran away, he could not tell Ayanokoji that. After all, he was a king-in-waiting, lying low until his chance came. He had to maintain his royal dignity at all times and could not reveal his thoughts.

Ayanokoji opened his can and took a sip. "Well, what happened today was just Horikita giving up on Sudo and the others, not on reaching Class A."

Kazami immediately deflated at that. He let out a long sigh, forced to face reality. "Fine. Looks like I'll have to bide my time a little longer. I'll let that Horikita act high and mighty for a few more days."

"Bow low and keep to your station as you await your hour; one must not contend with fate. The time hasn't come yet. Acting rashly would only cost us everything. But following Horikita means missing nine meals in three days. She won't even give us a settling-in allowance, yet she expects people to conquer the world for her."

Watching him casually reel off classical phrases, Ayanokoji offered a rare, sincere compliment. "I have to admit, you really do have a solid grounding in literature."

Just as the two were chatting and bantering, the faint sounds of an argument broke the late-night silence.

They lightened their footsteps and approached the source of the sound. Farther ahead, two figures stood facing off in the shadows of a corner.

At that moment, Manabu Horikita had none of his usual composure or refinement. He gripped Suzune Horikita's arm with one hand, forcefully pinning her against the wall. His stance was intensely oppressive, and the tension between the siblings had reached its limit.

Kazami and Ayanokoji watched from the darkness. Ayanokoji was still hesitating, but Kazami began to act.

Ayanokoji heard a faint rustling beside his ear. When he saw Kazami taking off his clothes, he froze, his voice plainly bewildered. "What are you doing?"

Without stopping, Kazami answered calmly, "Taking off my clothes. Isn't that obvious?"

"Uh..." Ayanokoji said.

For a moment, even the normally detached Ayanokoji, who knew little of social conventions, was utterly at a loss for words. He had no idea what to make of the scene before him. They had stumbled upon an argument late at night, and Kazami's first reaction was neither to intervene nor to watch, but to strip. However limited his experience, Ayanokoji knew perfectly well that Kazami's behavior was not normal.

"Why are you suddenly taking off your clothes?" After two seconds of silence, Ayanokoji could not help asking. Was he simply too ignorant of social conventions, or was this some custom from Kazami's hometown?

Kazami's gaze turned grave as he stared at the imposing Manabu Horikita nearby and explained in all seriousness, "You don't understand. That four-eyes has one hell of a presence. One look tells you he's bad news. If I don't take my clothes off, I probably can't beat him."

Ayanokoji fell silent for a while. So that was his reason.

"Actually, there's no need to go to all that trouble. Just leave it to me."

Kazami had no intention of slacking off, his fighting spirit soaring. "No way. You go first, and I'll look for a chance to ambush him. Today, we'll give that condescending four-eyes a proper taste of our righteous two-man beatdown!"

Ayanokoji: ... If we're ganging up on him, there's nothing righteous about it.

Still, since Kazami had said as much, Ayanokoji did not refuse again and walked toward the two siblings facing off.

Manabu Horikita was looking down and reprimanding his younger sister. Sensing someone approach, he instinctively looked up, his gaze icy. Faced with the imposing upperclassman, Ayanokoji did not shrink back in the slightest, his steps steady.

Like two sides facing off before battle, they exchanged a few probing words, then came to blows.

Manabu Horikita moved first, raising his hand to attack Ayanokoji, who had intruded so abruptly. His movements were swift and fierce. But Ayanokoji anticipated him precisely, turning sideways to evade with nimble ease. Then he turned his wrist, caught Manabu Horikita's forearm, and redirected his strength with a pull, dismantling his offensive. The entire sequence flowed smoothly, without a single unnecessary flourish.

Watching from the shadows, Kazami was stunned. Ayanokoji was even this good at martial arts.

A flicker of surprise crossed Manabu Horikita's eyes. Clearly, he had not expected this unassuming Class D student to possess such skill. He immediately adjusted his stance and counterattacked with renewed force. Yet no matter how he attacked or pressed him, Ayanokoji calmly neutralized every move, balancing offense and defense, advancing and retreating with control. He maintained a firm advantage throughout, keeping Manabu Horikita suppressed the entire time.

Meanwhile, Kazami seized his opportunity, relying entirely on surprise and throwing fair play out the window. While the two were locked in a head-on exchange, he aimed all his attacks below the belt.

The previously imposing Manabu Horikita was reduced to a sorry state by Kazami's blows.

"┗|｀O′|┛ Awoo~~... Mmm~ o(*￣▽￣*)o."

Perhaps mindful that Suzune Horikita was still there, Manabu Horikita forcibly swallowed his scream.