Chapter 015 School Starts / Too Many Shameless People in Class A!
Golden Week has ended. On Monday of the second week of May, students returned to their classrooms.
"Where did you go?"
"Hmm... I went to the aquarium to see the dolphins! They were super cute. What about you?"
"I went to the botanical garden to see the trees; I even planted one myself."
Shimizu Akira scanned the students in the class and noticed that most of them looked refreshed. It was clear that everyone was quite satisfied with this Golden Week. That night, Shiina Hiyori had also sent a message saying she had a very happy day.
As he was thinking, his phone vibrated. It was from Ichinose Honami.
Ichinose Honami: How was the date with Hiyori?
Shimizu Akira: Not bad. She messaged me tonight saying she was very happy.
Ichinose Honami: I see. Hiyori doesn't lie, so it seems you two really did have a wonderful date.
Ichinose Honami: Akira-kun, when do you plan to confess?
Shimizu Akira: Well...
Ichinose Honami: Hmm? Does Akira-kun not like Hiyori?
Shimizu Akira: I definitely like her. But I think Hiyori's feelings are more important. To her, she might enjoy the current stage more.
Shimizu couldn't deny this.
After their last date, he had come to appreciate the clear-headed, independent, gentle, and wise Shiina Hiyori more and more. But he also knew that, given her personality, there was a high probability she wouldn't want to get mixed up in his "harem" business.
Moreover, Hiyori seemed quite content right now. So, he thought it best to keep their relationship as it was.
Ichinose Honami: Hmm... Hiyori probably doesn't understand the benefits of getting close to you yet. Why don't you leave this to me? I'll find time to talk to her soon.
Shimizu was momentarily stunned. Wait, Honami was taking the initiative to help him persuade Hiyori?
'No, Honami, aren't you a bit too kind? Helping your boyfriend expand his harem?'
Come to think of it, Kikyo was the same; she had indirectly helped him "collect" Haruka and Airi. Were these two really competing for the "main wife" position?
Honami and Kikyo had indeed shown extraordinary tolerance toward his harem-building from the very beginning. Honami was the type who was fine as long as Akira-kun was happy, even proactively analyzing which girls suited him and how to pursue them. Kikyo, on the other hand, used her "clique-forming" methods to unknowingly pull Haruka and Airi into the circle. Both were helping him in their own ways.
Shimizu wasn't the type to take someone else's kindness for granted. He kept Honami and Kikyo's kindness in his heart and repaid it with action. But if there really was a "war for the main wife" brewing behind this... he had a bit of a headache.
As he was thinking, new messages arrived.
Ichinose Honami: Akira-kun? Why aren't you saying anything?
Ichinose Honami: Do you think I'm being too meddlesome?
Shimizu snapped back to reality and replied quickly.
Shimizu Akira: No. I just didn't expect you to be so proactive.
Ichinose Honami: Hehe, because I want to make Akira-kun happy.
Ichinose Honami: And Hiyori is my friend; I want her to be happy too. If her happiness lies with Akira-kun, then of course I should help.
This was said so naturally that Shimizu didn't know how to respond. He thought for a moment and finally asked:
Shimizu Akira: Honami, haven't you thought about yourself?
The other side was silent for a few seconds.
Ichinose Honami: Myself?
Shimizu Akira: I mean, when you help me pursue other girls, don't you feel uncomfortable?
The silence lasted longer this time. Just as Shimizu thought she wouldn't reply, the message popped up.
Ichinose Honami: To be honest, a little bit.
Ichinose Honami: But mostly, I'm happy.
Shimizu Akira: Happy?
Ichinose Honami: Mhm. Because Akira-kun is willing to tell me these things and let me participate in your life. This means you trust me, right?
Ichinose Honami: And every time I see Akira-kun come back from a date with another girl looking like he's in a good mood, I feel happy too.
Ichinose Honami: Even though you aren't mine alone, knowing that I am one of the people who can make Akira-kun happy makes me feel very satisfied.
Reading these messages, Shimizu was moved. This girl truly loved him in her own way. It wasn't about possession or control; she simply wanted him to be happy, even if that happiness didn't come from her.
He took a deep breath.
Shimizu Akira: Honami.
Ichinose Honami: Mhm?
Shimizu Akira: Thank you.
Ichinose Honami: Hehehe, you're welcome! Then I'll leave the Hiyori matter to me! Don't worry, I'll be tactful; I won't scare her.
Shimizu Akira: Yeah, I'm counting on you. By the way, I'll also think carefully about how to respond to Shiranami Chihiro.
Putting down his phone, Shimizu instinctively looked out the window. The May sunlight was still warm, and the students were still chattering about their holidays. He suddenly remembered that when school first started, he was just an ordinary student who only wanted to spend his three years of high school peacefully.
He didn't expect that after a year, there would be so many people around him. Honami, Kikyo, Masumi, Airi, Haruka, Kei, Suzune. And now Hiyori, with whom he had just planted a sapling.
'Wait! Is my count of girlfriends really going to hit double digits?'
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At 8:00 AM, the day's intelligence refreshed on time.
Ryuen Kakeru of Class 2-C cannot beat Housen Kazuomi of Class 1-D in a fight. Koenji Rokusuke of Class 2-B was deliberately transferred to Class 2-C by Tsukishiro Tokinari. Hashimoto Masayoshi of Class 2-A believes Sakayanagi Arisu is not reliable enough and is looking for a new backer.
The first one? Ryuen Kakeru couldn't beat that blonde "hedgehog"?
Shimizu remembered when he beat Ryuen on the rooftop—the guy had almost no power to fight back, so it made sense. Housen Kazuomi could probably lift Ryuen with one hand. But Ryuen's specialty was never brute force; it was using dirty tricks.
In that regard, ten Housens wouldn't be his match. For instance, if Ryuen sent Yamada Albert, Housen might not be able to hold out.
The second one: Koenji was deliberately sent to Class C? To Ryuen? That old fox Tsukishiro was clearly up to no good.
Wasn't it obvious he wanted to weaken their class's overall strength?
As for the third one: Hashimoto Masayoshi's "fence-sitter" attribute was acting up again. He wondered if Sakayanagi Arisu knew about it.
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This morning, Chabashira-sensei held a meeting for the class. The topic was exactly what Ichinose Honami had mentioned during the holiday—the punishment regarding the last class vote exam.
Just as the intelligence stated, Koenji Rokusuke was arranged to temporarily transfer to Class 2-C.
"Koenji, even though he usually holds the class back, he actually played a big role at critical moments."
"Yeah, now that he's leaving, I'm actually a bit unaccustomed to it."
The students watched Koenji as he began packing his things. His sudden departure actually left them feeling a bit sentimental.
Hirata Yosuke raised his hand: "According to the rules, as long as we can gather 10 million private points, we can buy Koenji back. If everyone contributes 250,000 and I personally contribute 500,000, it should be fine."
"Hmph, spending 10 million to buy me back?" Koenji waved his hand and glanced specifically at Shimizu Akira. "I personally don't believe it. After all, Class B has never collected class fees, right? You couldn't come up with the 20 million last time. But it doesn't matter; I personally want to see a new environment. There are many girls in this class I can't touch, but in the new class, I shall show my true prowess."
Shimizu's mouth twitched.
This guy had definitely realized he had five girlfriends in the class. But then again, this guy was only thinking about picking up girls in the new class?
Hearing Koenji say that, the slight sadness of departure dissipated instantly. They watched him pick up his bag and swagger out of the classroom.
A few minutes later, a student from another class walked up to the podium.
"Hello everyone, I am Kanzaki Ryuji from Class 2-D. Please take care of me for the next month or two."
Luck was quite good; it was an acquaintance, Kanzaki Ryuji from the class next door.
"Oh, it's just Kanzaki!"
"In that case, Ichinose Honami will definitely buy you back."
"Don't worry, just stay in our class comfortably during this time."
Although Class 2-B and 2-D were no longer in a cooperative relationship, the previous friendship remained. Everyone was very friendly toward Kanzaki.
There were now two empty seats in the classroom: one from Yamauchi Haruki and one from Koenji. Kanzaki Ryuji didn't pick and choose; he sat directly in Koenji's old spot. Shimizu looked at him and saw his expression was normal.
Likely, Honami had already briefed him.
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Class 2-A: A New Dynamic
Manabe Shiho walked into the classroom with an excited face and waved to the students. "I am Manabe Shiho from Class 2-C. Please give me your guidance for the time being!"
To her, this transfer was a godsend. Moving from Class C straight to Class A, skipping two levels at once—she had achieved her goal ahead of time. How could she not be happy? The homeroom teacher said that for these two months, her private points would be distributed according to the new class's standards. That was over 100,000 a month.
However, she was also a bit nervous. During the last mountain camp exam, she had accidentally offended the leader of Class A, Sakayanagi Arisu. Later, Sakayanagi had targeted her because of that, even trying to get her expelled.
'Damn it.' Her expression turned unfriendly.
'Whatever. At worst, I'll just fight it out with that woman. She walks with a cane; if it really comes to blows, I won't necessarily lose.'
After the teacher left, whispers broke out. Just as Manabe was feeling uneasy, she saw Sakayanagi Arisu stand up and walk toward her. Kamuro Masumi, Hashimoto Masayoshi, and Kitou Hayato followed behind her.
With this lineup, there didn't seem to be an opportunity to fight.
Sakayanagi stopped in front of her and spoke calmly: "Manabe-san, if you sincerely apologize to me, I might be able to forgive you for what happened last time."
Manabe froze, her expression becoming complex.
Apologize? Her attitude toward Sakayanagi back then was indeed not friendly. But who could have predicted today? Who would have thought she'd be thrown from Class C to Class A? But to bow her head in front of so many people...
She grit her teeth and looked at Sakayanagi. Kamuro stood by with a cold expression. Hashimoto was smiling, his gaze darting between the two. Kitou stood there like a wall, expressionless.
Manabe immediately realized this wasn't a situation where she could use force. She took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry."
The voice wasn't loud, but the classroom was silent, and everyone heard it. Sakayanagi raised an eyebrow but didn't speak.
Manabe grit her teeth and added: "What happened last time... it was my fault."
This time, her voice was clearer. Sakayanagi looked at her for a few seconds and then let out a soft laugh.
"Very well," she said. "Since Manabe-san is willing to apologize, the past is wiped clean."
She turned and walked toward her seat. After two steps, she stopped. "By the way, Manabe-san, welcome to Class A."
After saying that, she continued walking, with Kamuro and Kitou behind her. Hashimoto stayed back a step and smiled at Manabe.
"Don't be nervous. The Princess isn't actually that scary. As long as you don't mess with her, she won't mess with you." Then he turned and left.
Manabe stood there stunned for a long time.
'He called her "Princess"?! This woman has that much power in the class?'
She took her bag and sat in an empty seat. As she was thinking, someone suddenly leaned over.
"So you're Manabe? You're from Class C, right? What do you guys usually do over there?"
It was a friendly-looking girl with bright, curious eyes. Manabe blinked and replied nonchalantly, "Just normal classes."
"Do you know Ryuen Kakeru? I heard he's a good fighter."
"I know him." Manabe curled her lip. "He's not that great; he just likes to cause trouble. Hmph, come to think of it, he still owes me 500,000 private points."
The girl laughed. "Then tell us more about Class C! Oh, do you know about that rooftop incident last year? Why exactly did Ryuen get beaten up?"
Seeing the girl's sincere expression, Manabe's tension and defensiveness unconsciously loosened.
"Oh, you want to know about that?"
"Mhm!" The girl nodded and whispered, "By the way, as a kind warning, Sakayanagi Arisu is a very vengeful woman. Don't think you can relax just because she 'forgave' you. She might strike when you least expect it."
Manabe's heart tightened.
'Is this class that dangerous? That bad girl Sakayanagi was just fooling me?'
She looked at the kind girl in front of her and couldn't help asking: "What's your name?"
The blue-haired girl smiled. "My name is Morishita Ai. I'm the most 'awake' girl in this class. I'm telling you, you're lucky to have me as a seatmate."
Manabe didn't know what expression to make. "The most awake?"
"That's right." Morishita Ai nodded as if it were obvious. "It means I don't just follow the crowd like others, and I won't be led by the nose by Sakayanagi. I have my own rhythm."
Manabe blinked. This tone sounded somewhat similar to Sakayanagi Arisu. However, Sakayanagi had a "master of everything" composure, while this girl seemed to have pure confidence.
"Is that so? Then what you said about Sakayanagi being vengeful—is that your own judgment too?"
"Of course." Morishita lowered her voice. "I only slightly contradicted her before, and in the last project selection match, she made me go against Shimizu Akira. What do you think about that?"
Manabe went silent. Now that she mentioned it, that did happen. Making such a delicate girl fight Shimizu Akira? Even if Shimizu fought with both hands behind his back, she wouldn't necessarily win.
"But you don't need to worry too much." Morishita laughed again and patted her shoulder. "Sakayanagi is narrow-minded, but as long as you don't stand in her way, she won't target you specifically. I was just reminding you so you'd be aware—don't think she's some magnanimous person."
Manabe nodded. "Thank you, Morishita."
"No problem. My favorite thing is doing good deeds," Morishita tilted her head. "Anyway, hurry up and tell me what happened on that rooftop last year."
Manabe's expression turned awkward. "Well..."
"Make it brief." Morishita propped her chin on her hand, looking expectant. "I've helped you so much, and there's still time before class starts."
Manabe hesitated. Thinking about it, she really did need a new "underling" to pave her way in the new class. So she spoke: "Actually, Ryuen was just causing trouble and got beaten up by Shimizu Akira. I was disciplined a bit too. It's that simple."
"Wow!" Morishita's eyes widened. "So there really was an inside story? And it was related to that guy Shimizu?"
Then, she suddenly turned away and started talking to herself.
"Wait! Doesn't this mean I have more leverage over him? Hehehe~"
Manabe watched her, speechless. "Morishita? Could you introduce me to the people in your class?"
Morishita turned her head, her face screaming "What kind of nonsense are you saying?"
"Huh? Can't you do that kind of thing yourself? Why should I have to take you around?"
Manabe was choked by this sudden rejection.
"Weren't you being quite helpful just now?"
Morishita blinked. "Being helpful is one thing; being a guide is another. They are two different things."
"..."
Manabe took a deep breath, telling herself not to get angry. This was Class A, not Class C. She had no background or connections here; offending anyone was a bad idea.
"Then at least point out who is who, okay?"
Morishita tilted her head. "I can't. I'm busy thinking of a strategy to deal with Shimizu Akira. Figure it out yourself."
Manabe almost wanted to curse.
'So this person was only warm and welcoming just now to squeeze out the news about the rooftop? What kind of people are in Class A!'
This Morishita Ai was just as shameless as Sakayanagi Arisu.
Manabe wanted to go home!
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