The time for the midterm exams was drawing closer, and first-year students from all four classes were using the library more and more frequently.
It was another weekend,
All four first-year classes gathered at the library. After observing each other, they each found a relatively quiet area and began their respective class study groups.
Honami Ichinose no longer took the initiative to attend to the general members of Class A. Instead, she consciously came to Ren Katsuragi's study group, providing one-on-one tutoring to Airi.
Similar to most study groups in Class A, Ren Katsuragi's group was fixed, consisting only of Ren Katsuragi and Airi, and now Honami had joined them to form a trio.
It is worth noting that Hiyori Shiina, unusually, did not join Ren Katsuragi to read today. Instead, she was tutoring the students of Class C in the area they occupied.
It seemed Kakeru Ryūen had come to his senses. His class did not have many academically strong students, so he had to ask Hiyori to come and help.
"Airi, this is how this problem should be solved…" Honami Ichinose pointed to a question in the workbook, patiently explaining the solution formula to Airi.
Airi listened quietly and sensibly to Honami's explanation, occasionally asking questions about her confusion.
The threat of expulsion if she failed the midterm exam graduation line created a sense of urgency in Airi's heart.
To be able to stay in school and accompany Ren Katsuragi, Airi, the academic idiot, had no choice but to work hard.
Ren Katsuragi did not read. Unusually, he brought a chessboard to the library. After setting up half the pieces on the board, he began to examine it.
"Honami, what is Ren doing?" Noticing Ren Katsuragi's strange behavior, Airi whispered to Honami.
Shaking her head, Honami also said she didn't understand what Ren Katsuragi was doing: "Airi, try to solve this problem yourself."
Seeing that Ren Katsuragi was in thought, Honami, not wanting to disturb the young man, chose to distract Airi.
First Year Class D,
The infamous trio showed up at the library this time, without exception. They did not cause any trouble, all behaving obediently like quails.
Suzune Horikita stood in front of them, using a high school textbook to tutor the three of them.
"Damn it, Kanji, what kind of potion did Horikita give Sudō that made him so obedient to her!"
While Suzune Horikita was explaining a problem to Ken Sudō, Haruki Yamauchi whispered to Kanji Ike beside him.
He had planned to play video games all day in the dorm today, but that madman Ken Sudō frantically knocked on his dorm door and dragged him to this study group.
Haruki Yamauchi couldn't understand. Ken Sudō was the most vehemently opposed to the study group before; he didn't know what crazy idea had possessed the guy.
"Who knows?" Kanji Ike, who was equally miserable, quietly replied to Haruki Yamauchi.
His situation was similar to Haruki Yamauchi's; he was also dragged to the study group by Ken Sudō. When he clearly stated he didn't want to attend, Ken Sudō almost got physical with him.
Ken Sudō, listening carefully to Suzune Horikita explaining the problem, completely failed to hear the complaints of his two best friends beside him. His heart was already filled with happiness.
Suzune Horikita, who had run around handling his fighting incident and was now personally tutoring him, was elevated infinitely in Ken Sudō's mind, even surpassing Kikyō Kushida, who had lent him 300,000 points.
If this isn't true love, what is it!
"Kiyotaka, what are you looking at?" Noticing that Kiyotaka Ayanokōji was not focusing on his book, Haruka asked.
Although Airi had left Class D and transferred to Class A, the study group they had established remained unchanged.
The four-person study group had become a trio consisting only of Haruka, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, and Akito Miyake.
"Nothing," Kiyotaka Ayanokōji replied, shifting his gaze from Suzune Horikita back to his book.
Was it his imagination? Why did he feel that Suzune Horikita was slightly off?
"Haruka! Haruka!!!" Airi ran to Haruka's study group at that moment.
Seeing Airi run to her group, Haruka widened her eyes and asked, confused: "Eh, Airi-chan, why are you here?"
"Haruka, I missed you. Come to my study group, come on, come on~" Airi said while pulling Haruka toward the area where Ren Katsuragi was.
During swimming class and in daily life, Airi could clearly sense Ren Katsuragi's dislike for Kiyotaka Ayanokōji.
Airi, who was entirely devoted to Ren Katsuragi, was equally wary of Kiyotaka Ayanokōji.
Seeing Haruka and Kiyotaka Ayanokōji in the same study group in the library, she ran over, wanting to take Haruka far away from Kiyotaka Ayanokōji.
Of course, she wouldn't directly tell Haruka to stay away from Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, only protecting Haruka in this manner.
"Alright, alright, Airi-chan, stop pulling me. I'll go with you." Feeling the strength of Airi's pull on her arm, Haruka said with a smile: "My apologies, Kiyotaka and Akito, please excuse me."
On the way to the Class A area, pulled by Airi, Haruka whispered: "What's wrong, Airi? You don't like Kiyotaka and Akito?"
"Mhm mhm, Ren has a very bad impression of Kiyotaka Ayanokōji and even told Honami to pay special attention to Kiyotaka Ayanokōji!" Airi nodded, revealing the reason without any reservation.
Understanding the reason, Haruka smiled and assured Airi: "I understand, Airi-chan, I will be careful!"
Haruka did not require any further explanation. She trusted Airi unconditionally and did not believe Airi would harm her.
"Haruka, let's study together from now on. Honami is super amazing!"
Returning to Ren Katsuragi's study group, with Honami Ichinose nodding her consent, Haruka and Airi began tutoring together.
"Tsk."
Kikyō Kushida, who had been observing Ren Katsuragi from the corner of her eye, clicked her tongue when she saw Airi pulling Haruka over to Ren Katsuragi's study area in Class A.
After that day,
Initially, Kikyō Kushida was afraid Ren Katsuragi would expose her two faces, but Ren Katsuragi seemed to have forgotten the incident entirely, and no rumors spread.
He even seemed to have forgotten her entirely, never seeking her out actively.
"Kanji, if I confessed my love to Kikyō, do you think she would accept?" Haruki Yamauchi whispered to Kanji Ike again.
He completely failed to notice that Kikyō Kushida's study group was right behind him.
"Huh? You, Haruki, confessing? Kikyō would definitely reject you." Kanji Ike sounded like he had heard something unbelievable: "It should be me who confesses to Kikyō. I think I have a chance!"
"What does it matter? Kikyō is so nice; she definitely wouldn't reject me to my face. What if I succeed?"
"Let's be clear, Kanji. I'll confess first, and you go after I'm done!"
Haruki Yamauchi, confident that he understood Kikyō Kushida's personality, smugly analyzed Kikyō Kushida with Kanji Ike, even seriously insisting that he must go first.
How disgusting.
Listening to Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike's plotting behind her, Kikyō Kushida squeezed her palm tightly. With a snap, the ballpoint pen she was holding was broken by the girl.
Ren Katsuragi removed one of his pawns from the board and finalized his next move.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
Kikyō Kushida: Bastard, did you forget that I still owe you 300,000 points?
Ren Katsuragi: ?
Kikyō Kushida: Someone is planning to confess their love to me!
Ren Katsuragi: ?
Kikyō Kushida: Boxing gym tonight. Don't be late!
Ren Katsuragi: 1
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