It wasn't long after Kaoru Mitoma had left that Ichinose Honami finally realized—she'd been the one questioning him, so how did it end up feeling like she was the one at fault?
"Um, Honami-chan, what did you guys talk about in there?" Shiranami Chihiro asked nervously.
Ichinose Honami rubbed her head and said softly, "It was nothing, just a small thing."
"It was my first time meeting Mitoma-kun, he seems like a really nice guy." Amikura Mako looked genuinely admiring.
Seeing that look on her face, Ichinose Honami expression stiffened a bit. If she ever found out what Kaoru Mitoma was really like, she'd probably be super disappointed.
"Hey, Honami-chan, you work with Mitoma-kun in the student council too, right?" Amikura seemed really interested in Kaoru Mitoma.
"Is he always like that? Ugh, I should've voted for him in the last hottest guys ranking."
Ichinose Honami didn't know how to answer, so she just mumbled,
"I'm not really close with him, and we don't see each other much, so I'm not sure. Sorry, Mako-chan."
"Eh, I thought maybe he spoke up for me because of you, Honami-chan." Amikura Mako looked a little surprised.
"He's definitely into you," Shiranami Chihiro suddenly said.
"No way!" Amikura Mako blushed immediately. "I don't even know him, and he doesn't know me!"
"Hmph, Mako-chan, you're such an easy girl to win over." Shiranami Chihiro scooted closer to her, and while Mako wasn't paying attention, she reached out and tickled her waist.
"I-I'm not… haha… help… stop, stop, hahaha…" Amikura Mako was shaking all over, barely able to hold back her laughter.
Realizing she couldn't escape Shiranami Chihiro grasp, she decided to fight back just as fiercely.
The two girls tickled each other, their playful laughter echoing far away.
Normally, Ichinose Honami would have joined in too, but right now, her mood was heavy. If Amikura Mako had to take a leave from school, she'd definitely miss next week's midterm exams.
According to the rules, any student who scored below the average on the midterms would be expelled—let alone someone who missed the test and got a zero.
Facing the threat of expulsion right at the start of the school year, and it was her friend, too. The only thing to be thankful for now was that they still had time to investigate the truth and prove their innocence.
"Honami-chan, if you have anything on your mind, you can talk to us, okay?"
For some reason, the two girls stopped messing around and looked at Ichinose Honami with worried faces.
"It just feels like you've been preoccupied lately. Can't you tell us what's going on?"
As her best friend, Amikura Mako felt they should share their feelings, whether happy or sad.
"I don't know what's happened, but I'll always be cheering for you, Honami-chan!"
Shiranami Chihiro clenched her fist in front of her chest, a cheering pose she learned from TV.
The restlessness in her heart faded a little when Ichinose Honami saw their expressions, and she couldn't help but smile softly.
"It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about how to teach those Class C people a lesson. How dare they frame our Mako-chan? I won't let them off easy."
As long as they could stay happy, she would take on all the darkness herself.
...
Kaoru had just returned to the dorm building when he saw a girl who looked like a delinquent standing at the entrance, staring straight at him. Her hair was short, just enough to cover her ears, making her look like a tomboy.
There was still a hint of youthfulness in her eyes, but her expression was cold, chin slightly raised as she looked down at Kaoru.
Kaoru looked calmly at the girl as well. She stood with her arms crossed over her slightly puffed-out chest, the hem of her skirt fluttering a little in the spring breeze. Her black knee socks only covered a small part of her calves, leaving her smooth, delicate bare legs exposed as she stood straight on the steps.
"My whole body itches, I wish Ibuki would step on me and insult me"
"Let her kick me"
"I want to learn judo from Ibuki????"
"I want to lick Ibuki Mio beautiful feet until they're raw"
"Students like her, who only think about fighting, should be pinned to the ground and taught a lesson,"
"Look at her panties,"
"I want Ibuki to beat me until my bones break"
.....
As expected, this girl was the very student Amikura Mako had mentioned—the one who knocked her over.
But in Kaoru eyes, she now looked like a boss whose health bar had suddenly appeared.
"Come with me."
Leaving those words behind, Ibuki Mio turned and walked toward the back of the dorm building. Kaoru didn't move, just watched her leave without any sign of following.
After a while, Ibuki Mio came back to stand in front of him, staring at him expressionlessly.
"Didn't you hear me just now?"
"I heard you, but why should I go with you?"
"..."
"Ryuuen wants to see you."
"Are you a student from Class C?" Kaoru asked.
"But what if you're not?"
For some reason, she really wanted to punch this guy. It was the first time Ibuki Mio realized this guy is really annoying.
"Are the people from Class A troublesome idiots too?"
Although Ibuki Mio made a cold, sarcastic remark, she still took her student ID out of her skirt pocket. Looking at the student ID she handed over, Kaoru had a strange expression on his face.
This girl attitude didn't seem as bad as he'd imagined—in fact, she was kind of cute in a clueless way.
"So you really are from Class C, but your student number looks really familiar."
"Cut the crap and come with me. We don't want anyone to find out."
Ibuki Mio was running out of patience with him. She put away her student ID and turned to head behind the dorm building.
This time, she didn't forget to glance back at Kaoru. When she saw he was actually following, she finally relaxed. There was a blind spot for the security cameras behind the student dorms, and hardly anyone ever passed by, making it a convenient spot for private meetings.
When they got there, Kaoru saw Ryuuen and his group. Yeah, not only were there a few delinquent-looking students, but there was also a big Black guy.
Wait, were they planning to secretly execute him or something?
"Long time no see, Mitoma."
Ryuen looked at him, a playful smile on his face.
"We ran into each other at the library recently, didn't we?"
Kaoru glanced behind him and saw Ibuki Mio quietly standing there, blocking his way out.
"I was going to say hi, but I didn't expect you to have a girl with you. Tch, you two were so lovey-dovey I couldn't even watch." Ryuen clicked his tongue.
"And you were hanging out with our Shiina too. Don't tell me you're trying to two-time them?"
"Still single, no girlfriend." Kaoru made it clear he had no such intentions.
"Heh, you think I'd fall for that crap?"
Ryuen suddenly stared at him coldly, and the delinquents behind him looked just as unfriendly—especially since Manabe Shiho was among them.
"Manabe said you helped Class B at the last minute. What's up with that, Mitoma?"
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