How about putting your clothes on first?

Seeing her brother getting beaten in a way that was... hard to describe, Suzune Horikita hurriedly called out to stop them like a helpless husband, her voice plainly panicked. "Stop fighting! Stop it!"

She had to stop them! Her brother and Ayanokoji had held back in their head-on fight and wouldn't truly hurt anyone. But that bastard Kazami fought dirty, with absolutely no restraint. If this kept up, the Horikita family bloodline would practically come to an end. She didn't dare imagine the consequences.

The chaotic fight finally stopped at Horikita's intervention. The night's commotion subsided into silence again, leaving only the streetlights shining on the ground and illuminating her brother's utterly bedraggled figure.

But he still maintained his imposing image as an older brother, straightening his clothes a little.

To Kazami, the bespectacled Manabu Horikita sounded incredibly arrogant as he told Suzune Horikita, "Drop out, Suzune. As you are now, you can't even keep up with my shadow."

There wasn't a trace of sibling warmth in his words. Hearing that, Kazami, who stood nearby in nothing but his underwear, couldn't stand someone being even more arrogant than him.

"If your sister hadn't begged for mercy and stopped us, you'd be on your knees begging and calling me Daddy by now."

Manabu Horikita's face instantly darkened.

Emotion Points from Manabu Horikita +9.

Only now did Horikita have time to take a proper look at Kazami... Never mind, better not to look. He turned to Ayanokoji, who had remained calm and composed throughout, and asked in a low, probing voice, "What fighting styles have you studied?"

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's expression remained placid as he gave an answer that completely defied everyone's expectations. "Piano and calligraphy."

Manabu Horikita gave the two of them a long look, then turned and left without another word.

Once her domineering brother had left, Suzune Horikita, who had been tense and desperately trying to stop the fight, instantly lost her strength. Her usual proud, forceful air fell away, and she leaned limply against the wall as though utterly drained, her eyes lowered and her expression desolate.

At that moment, she looked like a wronged puppy with no one to turn to, quietly curled up in a corner.

Kazami marveled at the sight. Horikita was secretly obsessed with her brother. No wonder her mood had been so off during club recruitment that time. Still, Kushida liked the younger Horikita, and the younger Horikita liked the older Horikita. Although it wasn't romantic love, Miss Kushida's pursuit was certainly full of thorns.

Kushida, who had just finished washing up, sneezed several times. Was she coming down with a cold?

Back in the present, Kazami and Ayanokoji both stood quietly where they were, giving Horikita a brief chance to rest and recover as the cool late-night breeze brushed past.

After regaining some composure, Horikita raised her head and looked at the two beside her. "I'd like you both to keep everything that happened tonight secret. Don't tell anyone else."

Ayanokoji gave a slight nod.

Kazami immediately curled his lip. She doesn't even know to say please when asking for a favor. I'm telling someone tomorrow.

After a brief silence, Horikita couldn't help growing curious about Ayanokoji. "What martial arts have you actually practiced? Those moves weren't anything an ordinary student could pull off."

Still perfectly calm, Ayanokoji switched to a new answer. "Piano and flower arrangement."

His two answers were completely different. Seeing this, Horikita gave up helplessly. "Forget it if you don't want to tell me."

Then her gaze landed on Kazami, who still had only one piece of clothing on. Her eyes paused before she quickly looked away, abandoning her inquiries.

Never mind. No need to ask.

Nothing this guy has done since enrolling has been normal. Stripping during a late-night fight isn't strange for him. It's business as usual. No point wasting time digging into it.

Having collected herself, Horikita turned and left, leaving only Ayanokoji and Kazami behind.

Just as the two were heading back to the dorms, a tipsy figure slowly swayed around the corner. It was Chie Hoshinomiya, mildly drunk after a round of drinks.

Her drunken eyes were hazy and unfocused. When she happened to catch sight of Kazami and Ayanokoji, they instantly lit up. She immediately pulled out her phone, muttering in a dreamy, utterly absurd tone, "It's Real Fantasy and Dream!"

As she spoke, her phone clicked away, taking a burst of photos.

Kazami was beside himself. He hurriedly raised his hands to cover himself and shouted anxiously, "Hey! What are you taking pictures for, Teach?! Delete those right now!"

Holding up her phone, Hoshinomiya smiled with a mix of slyness and innocence and offered a drunken excuse. "My hand just slipped a teensy bit~"

"This looks so much like something out of a novel... Absolutely a divine scene made just for me!"

This isn't a scene from that kind of novel! What on earth have you been reading? Kazami was falling apart as he tried to explain and clear his name. "Wait, wait, wait! You've got it wrong, Teach! It's not what you're thinking at all! Delete those!"

But Hoshinomiya didn't listen to his explanations at all. The moment she finished taking pictures, she turned and ran off with swaying steps and a laugh, leaving Kazami standing there, wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear.

Kazami and Ayanokoji stared at each other on the spot. The air was exceptionally quiet.

Kazami sighed. It looked like he could only ask her to delete them tomorrow. "What now?"

Ayanokoji looked at his current state. "How about putting your clothes on first?"

"Good idea!"

Kazami nodded, picked up his clothes from the ground, and put them on. Recalling Ayanokoji's two answers, he asked curiously, "By the way, that piano, calligraphy, and flower arrangement stuff you mentioned-can you really do all of it?"

"Yes." Ayanokoji nodded. He really could do everything he'd mentioned.

"I don't believe you." Kazami shook his head. "Unless you call me Big Brain a few times. Then I'll believe you."

Looking at his friend before him, Ayanokoji reluctantly played along and called him that several times.

The instant the words left his mouth, a system notification rang out in Kazami's mind, randomly copying the target's abilities...

Abilities acquired: Piano lv3, Calligraphy lv3. Both progress bars were already three-quarters full, too.

Kazami froze on the spot, his face filled with shock.

It was actually true! This guy really was accomplished in both scholarly and martial pursuits. He had a ridiculous number of hidden skills!

He was delighted, but also deeply regretful. Although he'd gained two useful skills, he hadn't copied the Martial Arts ability!

If he could copy Ayanokoji's fighting skills, he wouldn't have to rely on the Undressing War God trait in battle anymore. More importantly, he could easily beat that woman Suzune Horikita, show her the iron fist of justice, then overthrow her tyranny and firmly establish himself as the king of Class D!

Ayanokoji watched his close friend alternate between joy and dejection after being called Big Brain, then break into a disgusting smile. Ever since enrolling, he had built a personality analysis template for everyone, but even now, he still couldn't figure out what sort of person Kazami was. Everything he did defied common sense and expectations.

Kazami stopped fantasizing about being king and said to Ayanokoji, "How about calling me that a few more times?"

Ayanokoji shook his head. "Let's go back to the dorms. It's already very late."

"All right."

Since Ayanokoji wouldn't say it, Kazami didn't insist.