Chapter 151 I don't plan on protecting you anymore, Karuizawa Kei
Karuizawa Kei glanced at Shimizu Akira, her gaze casually sweeping around his dorm room.
The room was almost identical to the last time she visited—still lacking any decent furniture. Only the open laptop on the desk stood out; it was playing an anime. On the screen, a brown-haired girl was huddled under her covers, tapping away at her phone screen with the recipient's name listed as "Sakiko."
Karuizawa didn't know much about the world of 2D media, but living in Japan, where anime posters are ubiquitous on the streets, she had picked up a thing or two through osmosis.
'I didn't expect Shimizu Akira to actually enjoy watching anime?'
A flicker of surprise rose in her heart. In her impression, he was supposed to be a muscle-obsessed fitness freak who had recently become addicted to boxing—the type who would spend every spare second at the gym. This didn't fit the "otaku" label at all.
Wait... where did he get the points to buy a laptop? She suddenly remembered that annoying "Professor" in the class saying that Shimizu had spent 80,000 points just to buy that machine. And this month, because of the surveillance rental issue from last month, everyone in Class D had to pay back points, leaving them with only 8,000 in hand.
'80,000... could it be that he bought it with the money I gave him last month?'
The more Karuizawa thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Her lips puckered unconsciously, making her look like she was pouting at an invisible burden, radiating a certain indescribable awkwardness.
Of course, she didn't dare voice any complaints—mostly because she was afraid Shimizu would stop looking after her.
With that thought, her gaze landed on the basket of mineral water bottles behind the door. She walked over and picked one up at random. Out of the corner of her eye, she instinctively checked Shimizu's reaction, seeing that he showed no sign of being annoyed.
'Hmm? Does this mean he's fine with me taking his water?'
Encouraged by this, she became a bit bolder and sat down on the edge of his bed. Shimizu remained in his usual indifferent state—or rather, his eyes were no longer on her; he was staring intently at the anime on the laptop.
Karuizawa twisted the cap and took two large gulps. The ice-cold water slid down her throat, finally soothing the vocal cords that had become parched from her earlier ranting. She sat on the edge of the bed swinging her legs, her eyes wandering back to the screen. The brown-haired girl was still tossing and turning under the covers, her phone screen glowing with text that faintly read "Sorry" and "Forgive me."
"What anime is this?" she couldn't help asking. Her tone still held a trace of her earlier lingering anger, but it was more relaxed now.
Shimizu's eyes didn't leave the screen as he responded vaguely, "MyGO!."
"Is it about a band?" Karuizawa raised an eyebrow. She wasn't unfamiliar with the genre; there were always clubs doing band performances at school festivals.
"In a way." Shimizu tapped his finger on the computer to switch to full-screen mode. "But the focus isn't on singing; it's about the band breaking up."
The screen suddenly cut to a night scene. The brown-haired girl was repeatedly apologizing to the person named Sakiko, her expression so emotional it looked like she was about to cry.
"They're arguing, too," she muttered softly.
"Yeah, mostly because of misunderstandings. It's mainly that the blue-haired girl isn't very human-like," Shimizu finally spared a bit of attention for her.
"They're pretty much like you guys."
"No, we're not! Who are you calling non-human!" Karuizawa immediately retorted.
"We were doing it for Chiaki..." She stopped mid-sentence as she suddenly realized that her arguing with Yukimura and the others really didn't have any substantial meaning—it just made Matsushita Chiaki feel more awkward caught in the middle.
"Since it happened yesterday, I'll handle it for you. After all, we are in a protection relationship, aren't we?" Shimizu turned his head specifically to look at her this time, his tone serious.
"Really?!" Looking at his earnest expression, Karuizawa felt a massive wave of relief. As expected, he was still a man of his word.
"Wait..." She suddenly sensed something, an ominous premonition creeping in. "Why did you say 'since it happened yesterday'?"
"Because our contract officially ended yesterday," Shimizu explained to her word-for-word. "You should remember that the contract started around 5:00 PM on Friday of the first week last month, right? And today is already the weekend of the first week of the second month."
"...Then I'll just pay you again!" Karuizawa interjected quickly, her tone carrying a forced steadiness.
It wasn't that she hadn't thought about renewing with points this month, but most people in Class D had very little extra money. She had scraped together everything she could, and right now she only had 30,000.
Shimizu shook his head, however. "Actually, I don't plan on continuing to protect you."
"Why?!" Karuizawa's heart sank violently. Her voice carried a tremble, yet she still tried to stay calm to negotiate.
"I have 30,000 right now... I'll make up the remaining 50,000 as soon as possible. Can you give me a few days' grace?"
"It has nothing to do with points." Shimizu sighed, his eyes turning more serious.
"It's because you seem to have violated our original contract conditions."
"What conditions? Wasn't it just me paying 80,000 points and you being responsible for protecting me?" Karuizawa frowned, clearly unaware of where the problem was.
"In my conditions, the first was for you to join the Boxing Club so that I could protect you legitimately under the guise of a 'club member protecting a manager'." Shimizu looked at her.
"But what about you? You've skipped several days in a row, haven't you? You should remember the rules from when you joined—if you miss more than three days, the President has the right to expel you. Now tell me, how many days have you missed?"
"..." Karuizawa opened her mouth, but not a single word came out.
"I had you join the Boxing Club not just to give me a legitimate reason, but also so the President could look after you when I'm not around."
Shimizu watched her as she lowered her head, his tone tinged with confusion.
"I can't understand you. Why would you skip so many days? Is it really that tiring? But your work isn't for nothing; the senpais should be giving you point rewards, and they would protect you too. The senpais in the Boxing Club are very protective of their own!"
Ichinose from a few days ago was the best example.
Karuizawa was momentarily stunned. She hadn't really heard the first half of his sentence, focusing instead on the latter half.
'Protection from senpais?'
Right! Chiaki had also told her once that senpais are excellent backers.
"Do the senpais in the Boxing Club... really protect the managers?"
"Why else? If a club's manager gets bullied, how could the members remain indifferent? They would definitely find a way to stand up for you. Just recently, the senpais in the Boxing Club settled a matter for First-Year Class B."
Shimizu had no reason to lie to her. Furthermore, she had recently heard vague rumors about the incident involving Class B. To think that the ones who took action were actually from the Boxing Club?
Karuizawa's heart sank. For a fleeting moment, she genuinely felt she had made a mistake—skipping all those days was a truly foolish decision.
"...Shimizu-kun, um, you should be able to get the President to be lenient with me, right?" At this thought, her eyes were filled with obvious pleading, and her voice softened. "Aren't you two on pretty good terms?"
"I can't help you with this," Shimizu refused without hesitation. "You'll have to rely on yourself."
"This..." Karuizawa's face instantly became panicked. It felt like her heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand, and her anxiety grew sharper. A look of humiliation crawled onto her cheeks, and even her fingertips began to feel cold.
If she was truly dismissed from the Boxing Club, there was a high probability Shimizu really wouldn't protect her anymore. If she couldn't find a protector in this school... she didn't dare think further.
Chapter 152 I'll do anything! Why is she stealing my lines?!
'If it weren't for Shimizu Akira, I...'
A thought bubbled up uncontrollably, carrying a hint of desperate resolve—as long as she could stay, as long as he was willing to continue protecting her, no matter what it was, she seemed... willing to do anything.
The words were stuck in her throat, so hot they made the tip of her tongue tremble, yet she couldn't bring herself to say them. She could only bite her lower lip hard as her eyes grew misty.
Just as she was about to discard her last bit of pride and voice that humble plea—
A line of dialogue suddenly blurted out from the laptop, almost perfectly overlapping with her inner thoughts:
"If it weren't for Sakiko... I! What do I have to do for you to come back?!"
"As long as it's something I can do! I'm willing to do anything!"
Karuizawa Kei froze instantly, her eyes involuntarily pinned to the screen.
Shimizu Akira didn't notice her reaction, but followed the plot with a casual complaint: "This Soyo is really something else. Begging Sakiko without any bottom line, has she no dignity left? Truly... they're all legends. Can't she just forget about the other person? Besides, she did wrong things herself, didn't she? Instead of apologizing to Tomori and the others first, what is she doing running to Sakiko?"
"..." Karuizawa was like a deer in headlights; her blood felt as if it had slowed down a beat.
So... that's how Shimizu Akira saw it.
He clearly looked down on that girl named Soyo.
But just now, she had been prepared to say the exact same words—prepared to cast aside all her dignity to beg him.
A strong sense of relief washed over her. Luckily she had hesitated for those few seconds; otherwise, things really would have spiraled in an irredeemable direction.
He said Soyo was wrong... was he hinting that the person in the wrong in this situation was her?
Yes.
On Tuesday, she had indeed failed to notify the senpais and skipped training without permission, and afterward, she had taken several days of leave in a row. Even Matsushita Chiaki had advised her to cherish the opportunity to be in the Boxing Club, saying the senpais would protect her.
Does this mean Shimizu Akira's point is... she should apologize to the senpais first, rather than coming here to beg him?
As this realization hit her, Karuizawa's cheeks burned slightly. She suddenly recalled the smiling face of the President on the day she joined, when he said, "You're one of us now," and her heart felt a light sting.
"I'm sorry... I was wrong about this. I shouldn't have come to you first." Thinking of this, Karuizawa lowered her head.
"..." Shimizu Akira was the one who was stunned now.
He had thought that, given this classmate's personality, she would likely continue to beg without a bottom line. He hadn't expected her to suddenly bow her head and admit her mistake.
"Actually, the people you should apologize to..." He was about to say something along those lines when Karuizawa interrupted him.
"It should be the senpais of the Boxing Club, right!" She snapped her head up, her eyes holding a newfound clarity.
"I was the one who broke the rules, skipped training without permission, and took such a long leave... I'll go back to the Boxing Club this afternoon, explain everything to the President and everyone else, and I'll give it my all to stay in the club."
This made Shimizu raise an eyebrow.
He looked at the screen where Soyo was still crying and begging, and then at the girl in front of him who seemed to have suddenly snapped out of her stubbornness. He found himself thinking a bit more highly of her.
"You've figured it out?" he asked.
Karuizawa pursed her lips and nodded: "Mhm." She paused and added, "Besides... I can't be like that girl in the anime, doing things that just make people laugh at me."
Hearing this, Shimizu couldn't help but let out a light chuckle.
"Then... our contract..." Karuizawa spoke hesitantly, her voice dropping again.
Shimizu turned off the anime and looked at her: "As long as you stay in the Boxing Club, I will naturally fulfill my side of the agreement." He paused, then added, "As for yesterday's matter, I'll handle it for you. Don't worry about it."
Karuizawa blinked, then nodded vigorously, her eyes finally lighting up again: "Mhm! Thank you, Shimizu!"
This time, she didn't linger. She turned and walked toward the door. As her hand touched the handle, she looked back at the frozen frame on the screen and whispered: "Actually... Soyo
might just be too afraid of losing someone. That person named Sakiko must have been very important to her."
Shimizu raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. The door was gently closed, and the room returned to silence.
"Unexpectedly straightforward this time."
Karuizawa being able to proactively realize her mistake, sincerely bow her head, and finally give a proper thank you—this truly exceeded his expectations. If she could maintain this level of clarity, he wouldn't mind continuing to look after her.
Admitting a mistake and changing for the better is the greatest virtue, after all. Who hasn't messed up a few times?
He glanced at the paused anime. Soyo still looked pathetic with her red, teary eyes. Recalling Karuizawa's serious expression when she clenched her fist and said she'd "stay in the Boxing Club," he suddenly felt that this classmate was far more lucid than Soyo.
"So, will she really be able to stay in the Boxing Club next Monday?"
Shimizu remembered the intel he saw this morning, which stated clearly: Next Monday, Karuizawa Kei will be officially dismissed.
He was momentarily uncertain—could Karuizawa's change in attitude just now turn the tide of that established intel? Or was everything already a fixed outcome that no one could change?
In his view, President Sato was actually quite lenient toward kouhais. When confronting Class C before, he had said "for Yamada's sake" and often treated members to meals. Since Karuizawa had skipped so many days but hadn't been immediately removed—and the dismissal was set for Monday—perhaps he was simply waiting for her to explain herself?
If so, Karuizawa's newfound determination might actually work.
"Well, Soyo did stay in MyGO in the end and slowly started acting like a normal person. Sakiko, on the other hand, currently doesn't look like the type to care about anyone else. In short, she doesn't seem human."
As he spoke, Shimizu turned his attention back to the screen, watching episode after episode until he finished the first season.
"So the second season's development is trying to redeem Sakiko? This is starting to pique my curiosity."
He patiently followed the show until the end of the third episode of the second season. Seeing Togawa Sakiko transform into "Hissing Sakiko" and exert insane pressure on Wakaba Mutsumi, the overbearing attitude finally broke his patience—"What kind of plot is this?!" He couldn't help but curse under his breath, his temper rising with the story.
"Sakiko, are you even human?!"
Chapter 153 Chabashira Sae: Shimizu Akira is the person who rented out the surveillance cameras
Chabashira Sae had been in a good mood these past few days. Even her usually expressionless face had softened considerably, her tone carried a hint of patience when speaking to others, and she even started clocking in for work half an hour early.
To onlookers, these changes prompted many to wonder—could Chabashira-sensei be in love?
But the truth was far from it. The real reason was quite simple: the Class D she managed had recently gained significant momentum, causing the small flicker of hope she held for reaching Class A to grow brighter bit by bit.
The fact that Class D had secured a staggering 530 Class Points in the first month alone was enough to put her at ease. A week ago, she had actually thought she misread that figure. Based on her many years of teaching experience, it was rare for a Class D to break 400 points in the first month, let alone 530.
But on second thought, this result seemed perfectly logical. After all, the students in this year's class had not only obtained hidden information in advance but had also rented surveillance equipment. If they couldn't even reach 500 points under those conditions, then the group of students should truly consider a collective withdrawal from the school.
While 530 Class Points still left Class D at the bottom of the four classes, the evaluation standard shouldn't be based solely on a comparison with this current grade. Compared to the historical average of 350 points for previous Class Ds, this score was nearly 200 points higher, which was already an exceptional achievement.
'This must be the result of the combined efforts of myself and Shimizu Akira!'
This thought naturally surfaced in Chabashira Sae's mind. She wasn't just comforting herself; she genuinely believed it. It was true that Shimizu Akira had initially obtained the intel from the second-year seniors.
However, the crucial step was her spending one million private points to buy that intel and skillfully arranging for Shimizu to leak it indirectly to Class D through Kushida Kikyo or Hirata Yosuke. Without her intervention, it would have been impossible for Shimizu Akira to share that information with the class for free.
As for the matter of the surveillance cameras, Chabashira Sae was even more certain about the identity of the person behind the scenes.
'The one who rented out the cameras is undoubtedly Shimizu Akira.'
She had essentially arrived at this as a factual conclusion.
After all, she was the one who had personally handled the registration of that spare account for Shimizu Akira. When Hirata Yosuke mentioned that the source of the information was
someone named "Yue" she immediately realized it had to be Shimizu Akira using that secondary account.
Later, when the surveillance incident occurred, she specifically sought confirmation from Hirata: "Is it the same person as last time?" The affirmative reply only solidified her judgment.
This realization brought about complex emotions. First was confusion—why would Shimizu Akira rather contact others to rent out cameras instead of coming directly to her, his homeroom teacher? This deliberate distance made it seem as though he were actively avoiding her.
'I am his homeroom teacher, after all...'
Following that was shock.
The sophistication of the surveillance plan far exceeded her expectations. In all her years of teaching, she had never seen a student come up with such a comprehensive strategy. At that moment, she almost wanted to call Shimizu directly to confirm, but ultimately, she restrained the impulse. She had only dropped a casual hint last week, telling him he could rely on her a little.
She already knew he had gone to see the Student Council President. The President was his partner in this cooperation. Kushida Kikyo from her own class had gone to the Student Council to pay the rental fees for the cameras. She just didn't know if Shimizu Akira had picked up on the subtle meaning behind her words at the time.
Thinking of this, Chabashira Sae's thoughts became even more convoluted. She knew very well that she couldn't use the matter of the secondary account to threaten Shimizu Akira. The reason was simple—she was afraid of losing this student, and afraid of Class D losing him.
'One can apply for a class transfer with 20 million private points... given his current points, what right do I have to restrain him?'
She silently calculated: from this one scheme alone, Shimizu Akira had collected a total of 12 million points from the four classes. And this was only the result of the first month after enrollment!
'The total private points I accumulated over an entire year back then didn't even come close to the amount he has now...'
At this rate, it would be as easy as turning over a hand for Shimizu Akira to gather the 20 million points needed to transfer classes within a few months.
'If my improper actions cause him to transfer... wouldn't the hope Class D finally saw be extinguished once again?'
The possibility left her feeling suffocated. She had to admit that the current situation had spiraled completely out of her control. As a homeroom teacher, she felt, for the first time, the
powerlessness of being held in check by a student. If she rashly revealed Shimizu Akira's identity, the consequences would be even more disastrous.
'How would the other classes view this?'
She analyzed calmly.
'They might feel they were played, but more likely... they would scramble to scout the person who managed to play four classes right at the start of school!'
Shimizu Akira already held 12 million private points, which meant another class would only need to pool together 8 million to easily reach the 20 million transfer threshold. Such things were common in the upper grades—every year there were classes willing to spend 20 million to poach elite talent from other classes.
'Fortunately, during the class meeting in the second month, I didn't tell the students of Class D that 20 million private points can buy a class transfer.'
This thought made her feel strangely composed. Shimizu Akira likely didn't know about the 20-million-point transfer rule. Therefore, it meant that even if he had 20 million points, he wouldn't transfer and would remain in Class D.
Actually, to be fair, even if Shimizu Akira stayed in Class D, it didn't offer a specific advantage to the class as a whole. This was because he had no intention of working for the class for free; he operated strictly on a "payment for goods" basis. Whether selling intel or renting cameras, Class D seemed no different from the other classes to him.
However, she could see that Shimizu Akira was the type to respond to "soft" persuasion rather than "hard" pressure. By spending more time with his classmates, perhaps his mindset could slowly change.
Maybe he would eventually lead Class D forward from the bottom of his heart—though the possibility was low, what if?
At the very least, as long as he remained in Class D, the class would maintain a right of first refusal for buying intel, and he wouldn't be strengthening the raw power of other classes.
'Therefore, not only can I not reveal his identity...
I must do everything in my power to protect the "Yue" alias.
It doesn't even matter if Class D pays Shimizu Akira more points! As long as we eventually reach Class A, that's all that matters!
This is the most optimal decision for Class D I can think of right now.'
Chapter 154 Hoshinomiya Chie: I'm going to start seducing Shimizu Akira
At this thought, Chabashira Sae finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Suddenly, the idle chatter of the third-year and second-year homeroom teachers drifted into her ears.
"Did you hear? The Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, has apparently forbidden the third-years from selling any exam papers to the second-years."
"Hmm? How did you find out?"
"Nagumo Miyabi from my Class A complained to me about it. He said the President jacked the price of the papers up to a staggering ten million points."
"What? Ten million? That's ruthless! Do you plan on helping Nagumo handle this?"
"Since a student reported it, I had to at least ask. I just got off the phone, but the school administration rejected the inquiry—they said it's a student matter and has nothing to do with the faculty. You know how this school is; they always advocate for students to solve their own problems. Besides, selling exam papers is a 'grey area' transaction to begin with."
"They shouldn't interfere anyway. If they were going to step in, they should have done it back when Nagumo was forcing those one-sided contracts on the second-years. President Horikita Manabu is simply forbidding the sale of papers this time. As for the ten-million-point price tag, to put it bluntly, he's just completely cutting off the second-years' desire to take 'shortcuts.' There's nothing wrong with that approach. What right do they have to complain? Just because they can't 'cheat' anymore?"
"As Nagumo's homeroom teacher, I'm grateful to him since his efforts brought the class up from Class B to Class A, but work is work. He's never really shown me much respect, and to be honest, I don't like him very much."
"He truly is the strongest Student Council President in history; he's finally made a move. But honestly, this tactic doesn't really fit his usual style. I thought he'd keep letting Nagumo do whatever he wanted!"
The conversation between the two teachers floated over in fragments, carrying the specific tone of office gossip.
However, to Chabashira Sae, the topic felt somewhat distant, as it involved the second and third years. Regarding President Horikita Manabu, she had heard plenty. He was a top-tier talent in every field with impeccable character. Thinking carefully, this move indeed didn't seem like his typical style.
Her first reaction to the situation was simple: Nagumo could just not buy them. It would only result in a few fewer Class Points.
But the fact that Nagumo went as far as to report it suggested the matter wasn't as simple as she thought.
Did he have to buy them?
If so, this was a classic "Open Scheme"—laying the choice out in the light, forcing the opponent to spend a massive amount of points because not buying would result in an even heavier loss.
This logic reminded her of the recent surveillance camera rentals. The core of both was remarkably similar: there was no "information gap" involved; the contract was simply spread out before you, forcing you to grit your teeth and accept the terms even though you knew it would cost a fortune.
This methodology... felt very much like Shimizu Akira's way of doing things. It seemed straightforward, but was actually inescapable. Even if you knew you were being played, you had no choice but to hold your nose and accept the conditions.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt the probability was staggeringly high. Shimizu Akira did know Horikita Manabu. An ordinary first-year might not understand the power dynamics of the upper years, but Shimizu was different.
She remembered clearly that a month ago, because of the intel sales, she had told him everything about Nagumo Miyabi's influence in the second year, even mentioning the rivalry between Nagumo and President Horikita. Perhaps he had puzzled out this move from those two pieces of information.
'In that case... was I actually the catalyst behind this event?!'
When this thought surfaced, she felt it was almost unbelievable. Could her casual provision of intel have invisibly stirred the winds of the upperclassmen?
As she was pondering, a figure suddenly leaned in—Hoshinomiya Chie, wearing a pink silk-chiffon blouse, slammed her hands onto Sae's desk, her chest nearly pressing against her face.
Chabashira looked away from her friend's half-exposed cleavage with an expressionless face. They were both women; there was nothing to see. Besides, in terms of figure, she didn't lose to her at all.
"Sae-chan, what are you thinking about?" Her best friend tilted her head with a smile, her voice trailing off softly.
"Nothing," she replied coldly.
"Is that so?" Hoshinomiya Chie drawled. "By the way, that little Shimizu-kun from your class—I should be able to meet him privately, shouldn't I?"
"What are you trying to do?!" Sae immediately frowned, looking at her warily.
"Well..." The pink-haired teacher tapped her chin with a finger, smiling deviously.
"I'm just a bit curious about him. After all, last time he did say he was single."
"You are not allowed to make a move on him!" she blurted out.
"Hehe... I am a sensei, after all." Hoshinomiya Chie waved her hand and turned to leave. "It's just a casual chat to ask him what he thinks about Class B."
'His thoughts on Class B?!'
Chabashira Sae frowned as she watched Hoshinomiya Chie's retreating back. Having worked together for so many years, she knew her friend's personality all too well. Chie was definitely still holding onto that grudge from their high school days, constantly trying to compete with her.
But that matter had happened over a decade ago.
Objectively speaking, Sae hadn't been rational back then and had made impulsive decisions. But as the years passed, the former Class B students had long since made peace with it—when they occasionally chatted in the old class group, everyone spoke nostalgically about the days they worked hard together.
Only Hoshinomiya Chie remained like a wound-up spring, following her from high school to university, and from graduation to this Advanced Nurturing High School. As if that wasn't enough, she insisted on managing a class in the same year, as if she wouldn't stop until a winner was decided.
Managing the same year was one thing, but who would have thought she would use every means possible to interfere with Sae's class, targeting them both openly and secretly? Over the past few years, the classes Sae managed hadn't just failed to promote; they had even set precedents for demotion.
Chabashira Sae had to admit that her lack of skill in class management was part of the reason, but Hoshinomiya Chie's constant interference was even more to blame. Her most common tactic was "enticement"—either contacting the elite students of Sae's class privately to offer benefits and "buy" them over to her class, or having the attractive students in her own class take the lead, going on a few dates to spark a relationship—before Sae knew it, her students had been lured away. Sometimes, she would even take the field herself.
Over the years, Chie's tactics had been almost unfailingly successful. Countless times, Sae had watched key talents be poached from her class, leaving her with no one to use for subsequent Special Exams, leading to miserable defeats.
This time, she would absolutely not let her do as she pleased.
'So, Shimizu Akira... he shouldn't be easily seduced, right? Wait, does he actually have a girlfriend right now?'
Chapter 155 Today's Intel: Sakayanagi Arisu is a "Love-Brain"
Chabashira Sae: Shimizu-kun, do you have a girlfriend right now?
Shimizu Akira stared at the message from his homeroom teacher on his phone screen, his eyebrows twitching slightly in surprise. Since when did the homeroom teacher start caring about a student's private life?
But on second thought, Chabashira Sae had indeed been helpful lately. He tapped on the screen and replied with two words.
Shimizu Akira: No.
Almost instantly, another message popped up.
Chabashira Sae: Then lately... have any female students from other classes come looking for you?
Shimizu Akira: Yes.
He thought back for a moment.
Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C and Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B both technically counted. Especially Ichinose Honami—he had made a point to meet her last weekend.
Come to think of it, that matter was related to Shiina Hiyori; it was to inquire about why those specific people in Class 1-B had purchased laptops. Later, Ichinose had arranged to meet at a quiet café. At the time, he gave Ichinose all the questions he wanted to ask, and she handled the phone calls while he occasionally added a few points.
She was very efficient, questioning everyone on the list in less than half an hour. Once Shimizu finished organizing the data, they both went their separate ways. Nothing out of line happened during the entire process; it couldn't even be called a special interaction. It was purely professional in nature.
The phone screen dimmed and lit up again. Chabashira Sae's message followed immediately, her words tinged with a suppressed urgency.
Chabashira Sae: It wouldn't happen to be... Ichinose Honami from Class B, would it?
Shimizu raised an eyebrow, his finger hovering over the input box. It seemed the homeroom teacher was not just curious but had actually done her homework to guess it so correctly.
He replied concisely: Yes.
Chabashira Sae: What did she want with you?
Shimizu Akira: To be precise, I was the one who had business with her.
The chat window went silent for a full thirty seconds—long enough for Shimizu to think she wouldn't reply—until a long string of text suddenly jumped onto the screen.
Chabashira Sae: Shimizu-kun, if you encounter people from other classes approaching you for strange reasons, or... if someone offers to introduce you to a "friend," you must remain vigilant.
Looking at that line, he found it somewhat comical. This didn't sound like a homeroom teacher; it sounded like a parent worried about their child being kidnapped. Was Chabashira Sae worried that he would be "bought" away by another class?
Perhaps because the intel from previous days had been too significant, Shimizu found today's content somewhat shocking.
[1. Sakayanagi Arisu of Class 1-A is a "love-brain" (hopeless romantic).]
[2. Hasebe Haruka of Class 1-D dislikes Ichinose Honami.]
[3. Matsushita Chiaki of Class 1-D believes that if she exerts her full effort in the midterm exams, she is confident in ranking around the top twenty in the grade.]
Sakayanagi Arisu? That "Little Princess" who loved to calculate others and whose thoughts were as deep as the sea was a love-brain? This contrast was too absurd, like saying the Student Council President was going to perform an idol dance tomorrow.
What did "love-brain" even imply? Once they like someone, their mind is filled only with that person's shadow, and logic gives way to emotion. Shimizu could not imagine Sakayanagi Arisu liking someone else, let alone becoming a hopeless romantic. If the person she liked was in another class and told her to drop out, would she actually obey?
Just thinking about it made his logical circuits knot up.
'This piece of intel... let's just set it aside for now.'
Looking at the second one: Hasebe Haruka dislikes Ichinose Honami... that wasn't too surprising. If Shimizu wasn't mistaken, Hasebe didn't seem to enjoy chatting with other girls in class much anyway.
As for the third one, Matsushita Chiaki was quite confident. Claiming she could break into the top twenty of the grade—so she really was holding back?
At this point, he suddenly remembered that on Saturday he had promised Karuizawa Kei to help handle the dispute between her group of girls and Hasebe Haruka's group. Just as the thought arose, his gaze drifted toward Hasebe Haruka nearby.
He saw the class representative, Kushida Kikyo, already approaching her with a look of inexplicable conflict on her face.
"Hasebe-san, um... about that matter last time..."
"Kushida..." Hasebe looked up, her tone not exactly harsh.
"I don't want to say anything too heavy, so just stay out of this."
"But..." Kushida wanted to say more, clearly not intending to give up.
"I know you want the class to be harmonious," Hasebe interrupted, her eyes landing on Kushida's face. She suddenly said, "I won't keep arguing with her. At most, I'll just ignore her."
This sentence was like a small pebble, making the conflict on Kushida's face even more apparent. She opened her mouth but found herself momentarily stuck.
Shimizu was somewhat surprised—he didn't expect to have a "helper." It seemed Kushida Kikyo had been present during the last study session and had noticed the seeds of conflict then. However, looking at the situation, her mediation was clearly not going smoothly.
He turned his gaze elsewhere; Karuizawa Kei hadn't arrived yet. Instead, Matsushita Chiaki was sitting in her seat, uncharacteristically lost in thought, her eyes glazed over as if she were contemplating something.
Seeing this, Shimizu walked straight over. "Matsushita-san, want to step outside for a few words?"
"...I didn't expect Shimizu-kun to seek me out proactively." Matsushita Chiaki looked up, a flash of surprise in her eyes, then nodded.
"Okay, let's go."
Since she agreed so readily, the two walked out of the classroom one after another to a quiet corner.
"I heard about your argument from Karuizawa-san. Could you tell me the specifics?" Shimizu spoke in a calm tone.
Having Matsushita Chiaki recount the events was undoubtedly the fastest way—she was both a participant and a witness, and his previous impression of her was that she was intelligent and rational.
"Does Shimizu-kun intend to resolve this personally?" Matsushita paused, her tone carrying a hint of understanding.
"Actually, you don't need to trouble yourself anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I've already explained everything to Yukimura Teruhiko and even took the opportunity to ask him for study advice," she said clearly.
"He also said that cold wars between small groups affect the class atmosphere and hinder overall Class Points. He promised to talk to Miyake Akito and Hasebe Haruka privately to clear things up."
"As for..." Matsushita looked back toward the classroom.
"Kei's side, I'll explain things to her properly later. After all, we're classmates; we can't stay at odds forever."
Listening to her orderly arrangements, Shimizu couldn't help but nod repeatedly. Matsushita Chiaki wasn't just hiding her abilities; she was also quite efficient at handling interpersonal relationships.
She had saved him a lot of trouble.
"Shimizu-kun, this is already the second time."
Matsushita Chiaki suddenly blurted this out out of the blue, then turned and walked away.
Shimizu froze for a moment, not immediately realizing what she was referring to.
The second time? The second time for what?