After the morning classes ended, the students of Class 1-D dispersed as usual. It had been half a month since the school year began, and various cliques had already formed within the class. In fact, the girls had started forming their own little groups from the very first day.
Compared to the boys, the girls seemed to have a much stronger sense of factions and territory. Even in a class with only about twenty girls, this dynamic was vividly present.
On the surface, everyone got along harmoniously, but Ichinose Honami would often complain to Kitagawa Ryo about who liked to talk behind others' backs. She was probably the most popular girl in Class D. If they were to vote for a class leader at this moment, Ichinose Honami might very well secure around half of the votes.
The reason she wouldn't get all of them was due to the presence of Sakura Airi. Although Sakura didn't make any particular effort to socialize, the aura of a former popular idol had already gathered her a fanbase from the start. Not just the boys—even the girls would often approach her for advice on fashion or makeup.
Horikita Suzune didn't think much of some of the girls in Class 1-D. Her relationships with classmates were limited to polite nods, and her network mainly revolved around the student council. Using Horikita Manabu as a foothold, she was expanding her connections to upperclassmen and leaders of other clubs. It seemed she had intentions of taking over Manabu's position as student council president.
As for Sakayanagi Arisu, she was one of the rare few in Class D who still appeared to be diligently studying. Quiet and seemingly detached from conflict, her recent coordination with Matsushita Chiaki's strange behavior indicated she was definitely planning something.
However, for the majority of the Class D students, life felt like being soaked in a jar of honey, slowly sinking deeper day by day.
"Exactly! If I were to date a girl, I'd at least go for someone cheerful and easy to talk to. Of course, she has to be cute. Age doesn't matter at all."
Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou were loudly chattering as they exited the classroom.
"Aren't you just describing Kushida-chan?"
"Ahhh, I really wanna date Kushida-chan. No, wait, I just wanna sleep with her—"
Yamauchi didn't care that there were other students in the hallway as he voiced his desires with a wide grin.
"Actually, I think the homeroom teacher of Class B suits my taste too. Last night's snacks were amazing."
Ike Kanji chuckled pervertedly.
"You really think you have a chance with her, Ike? After getting those snacks this morning, in my head, she was already sleeping beside me."
"What?! In my mind, she was wearing the school nurse's uniform and striking some seriously naughty poses in the infirmary!"
Sudou, who had been thinking about lunch, was startled when Ike turned to ask him:
"Sudou, who are you aiming for? I heard there are cute girls in the basketball club too!"
"Huh? I haven't found anyone yet. Or rather, I haven't even been paying attention. New club members don't have the luxury to judge girls."
Sudou snorted. Women only got in the way of his dunking speed.
"Seriously... Anyway, if anyone gets a girlfriend, you have to tell us the truth! Got it? You must!"
"Y-Yeah, yeah."
Ike's constant nagging was starting to irritate Sudou, but for the sake of pride, he nodded anyway.
When it came to girlfriends, the two started gossiping about Matsushita.
"By the way, I heard Matsushita is dating that sissy from Class B?"
"Yeah, I saw them walking together a few days ago."
"Walking side by side means they're definitely dating."
Ike nodded firmly, and Yamauchi exclaimed in a fluster:
"They must have done it already, right? They totally have."
"They must have—so jealous, so damn jealous...!"
"I want to hear someone who's done it talk about it... Like, how does it feel down there, was it their first time, and... there has to be more, right?"
Yamauchi, walking down the path to the cafeteria, let loose all his primal thoughts, slipping his hand into his pocket as if lost in some fantasy.
"Not good..."
Ike was getting excited too, licking his lips as he replied.
"Aren't we heading to the cafeteria for lunch?"
Sudou finally couldn't stand the two any longer and spoke up irritably.
"Go on ahead, Sudou. I'm heading to the infirmary—not feeling too well."
Ike Kanji waved casually, then turned to Yamauchi Haruki and said:
"I used to fake being sick all the time. Just put a warm towel on your forehead and pretend to have a slight fever—I skipped a lot of classes that way."
"You're just going to see the school nurse, you perv, Ike."
Yamauchi shot back.
"Let's go together. If we can sneak a few pictures, we'll have fresh material for tonight's 'snack.'"
"Hell yeah."
Before Sudou could react, Ike and Yamauchi had already schemed it out and were waving goodbye with smirks, heading straight toward the infirmary.
Sudou Ken shook his head in confusion and walked alone to the cafeteria.
Even after lunch break ended and afternoon classes began, Ike and Yamauchi didn't return. It looked like they were skipping again, but the rest of Class D, including Sudou, wasn't surprised at all.
When the bell rang to signal the end of class, Sudou snapped out of his sluggish state. Energized, he pulled out a basketball from his bag. He was ready to teach that brute from Class 1-A a lesson today—to show him who was the real top dog of the first-year basketball club.
The official player slots for the summer tournament would be his.
Sudou Ken stood up, dashing out of the classroom toward the basketball club.
His flaring uniform hem swept past desks and chairs.
The seats of Ike and Yamauchi remained conspicuously empty.
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Katsuragi Kohei had been extremely anxious these past few days. Every morning he woke up with deep dark circles under his eyes. On the bright side, there was no longer a single strand of hair left to fall from his shiny bald head, so at least he didn't have to worry about handfuls of hair coming out when he washed it.
And the root of his worries could be summed up in just one name:
Kouenji Rokusuke.
Ever since learning about the class points and the basic rules of class rankings, Kohei could no longer turn a blind eye to Kouenji's unruly behavior. These days, he stared at Kouenji during class more than he looked at the blackboard!
Every time he saw Kouenji shamelessly prop his legs on the desk while filing his nails with a clipper, or styling his bangs with a pocket mirror, it felt like dull blades slicing through Kohei's flesh. He could practically see their class points draining away.
That's why Kohei had been desperately trying to find a way to deal with the problem student. Kouenji stood out more than anyone else in Class A. If it weren't for the fact that Kohei, as class leader, still believed Kouenji could be saved—not to mention his impressive grades and athletic prowess—there would have been a full-blown explosion long ago. Even so, the resentment and dissatisfaction toward Kouenji among Class A continued to build.
Clutching the item he had finally decided to buy from the convenience store yesterday, Katsuragi Kohei headed toward Class A.
"Good morning, Katsuragi-kun!"
As soon as he entered the classroom, he heard the cheerful greeting of his classmate, Totsuka Yahiko. Kohei returned a slight smile, then walked over to Kouenji Rokusuke's seat.
"Kouenji-kun..."
"Ugh, it's you again, Baldy-boy."
Kouenji opened one eye, lounging comfortably in his chair.
"Every time I see that bald head of yours, it ruins my mood."
"How about this, then?"
Katsuragi gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and pulled something from his bag.
It was a gleaming, golden wig—exactly the same style as Kouenji Rokusuke's.
This idea had actually come from a random chat a few days ago with their classmate, Hirata Yosuke. Kouenji was someone who cared deeply about appearances and beauty, detesting anything he found ugly. Kohei's shiny, bald head clearly wasn't doing him any favors in terms of gaining Kouenji's favor. Hirata had jokingly suggested wearing a wig that matched Kouenji's golden hair. Maybe, just maybe, it would have an effect.
Though Hirata had said it in jest, Kohei had seriously considered it. After several more days of frustration with no improvement in Kouenji's behavior, he finally gave in and tried the ridiculous solution.
"...Hahahahaha!"
"That's actually pretty interesting. At least you made me laugh for the first time in days."
Kouenji burst into loud, unabashed laughter. The sight of Kohei wearing that garishly shiny wig was just too ridiculous. He slapped his desk as tears welled up from laughter.
"Alright, alright. Since you've managed to make me happy today, I'll begrudgingly behave myself for the next couple of days. That work for you?"
Kohei was about to press further, but Kouenji waved him off and closed his eyes again.
Still, this was a pretty good start.
Katsuragi let out a quiet sigh of relief. He didn't like the clownish golden wig either, but if it bought him a few days of peace from Kouenji's antics and helped preserve some of Class A's points, then it was a sacrifice worth making as class leader.
During the morning classes, Kouenji surprisingly kept to himself. He didn't cause a single disturbance—a rare sight indeed. Though he did occasionally sneak glances at Kohei's wig, a smile playing on his face.
When lunchtime arrived, Katsuragi politely turned down an invitation from Totsuka Yahiko and the others, intending to capitalize on this momentum by striking up more conversation with Kouenji. However, after brushing off his classmates and looking up, he realized Kouenji had already left the classroom. He quickly ran out in search.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, students from other classes spotted him. Many girls covered their mouths, giggling. Unable to withstand the stares coming from all directions, Kohei sheepishly removed the wig, deciding to only wear it again once he found Kouenji.
He circled the cafeteria but couldn't find Kouenji anywhere. With his well-built physique and striking golden hair, Kouenji should have been easy to spot, but even after searching most of the campus, there was no sign of him. Just as Kohei was starting to feel frustrated, he bumped into Hirata Yosuke, who seemed to be heading back to class.
"Hirata-kun, have you seen Kouenji around?"
Kohei asked on a whim, not expecting much, but to his surprise, Hirata seemed to know.
"I saw him heading toward the infirmary a few minutes ago. Maybe try checking there?"
"Got it. Thanks a lot!"
"No problem. You're doing your best for the class. Kouenji can be a real headache, huh."
They exchanged a few more words before Katsuragi slipped into a small grove, put the wig back on, and jogged off toward the infirmary.
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"Is something bothering you lately, Matsushita-san?"
During yet another mixer organized by Kushida Kikyou, she asked curiously, noticing Matsushita Chiaki looking rather pale.
"If there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask."
Beside them, Yagami Takuya from Class 1-B smiled warmly as he joined in. Kushida had also noticed that since the last mixer, Yagami had started showing signs of interest in Matsushita. But she wasn't surprised—Matsushita was quite the beauty, always stylishly dressed, so it was natural for boys to be drawn to her.
"The boys in my class are just really annoying."
Matsushita sighed as she twirled a strand of her hair.
"Like Ike and Yamauchi from last time—they're always cracking filthy jokes in class. I even heard they organized some sort of poll on which girl has the biggest... you know, and they were betting points on it."
The girls around them all wore expressions of disgust. Yagami Takuya looked righteously furious and stood up with a shout:
"I could tell from last time—those two always had this creepy look in their eyes."
Handsome and considerate, Yagami's words instantly won over the girls, who nodded in agreement.
The group continued chatting about similar topics for a while. It basically became a venting session for Matsushita, with the other girls joining in to mock and comfort her, while Yagami simmered with indignation on the side.
Once the mixer ended, Matsushita gathered her things and started heading toward the dorms. Soon, she heard the hurried footsteps of someone catching up behind her.
"Matsushita-san."
"Yagami-kun? Is something wrong?"
Putting on a flawless smile, Matsushita turned back and asked kindly.
"Ever since last time... I've had feelings for you, Matsushita."
Yagami Takuya's bashful and shy confession was filled with youthful sincerity and emotion.
He stepped forward, clenching his fists:
"So after hearing what you said today, I really want to teach those guys a lesson."
"Ah... I appreciate your concern, Yagami-kun, but violence isn't the answer. You could get in trouble with the school."
Matsushita covered her mouth. Her flustered reaction to the confession was performed with perfect grace.
"It's fine."
Yagami looked deeply moved by her concern. He stepped closer, nearly pressing up against her.
"I have a plan. I just want to give them a taste of their own medicine—if that's what you want, Chiaki."
He waved his fist slightly, and without realizing it, had shifted to calling her by her first name.
"Sorry... That's too risky. You don't have to do that, Yagami-kun."
Matsushita stepped back and shook her head firmly.
"The school has cameras everywhere."
"I told you, I have it all figured out! I just can't stand the thought of you being harassed every day by trash like that. It makes my blood boil..."
Yagami's emotions flared up. He looked like a boyfriend about to fight for his lover.
"Our homeroom teacher is also the school nurse. As long as you want it..."
Lowering his voice, Yagami began to explain his plan, trying to make it sound more convincing.
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"How much of it is real, and how much is fake?"
Sakayanagi Arisu gracefully blew away the tea leaves floating on the surface of her cup. She took a light sip and looked with intrigue at Kitagawa Ryo sitting across from her.
"Why bother figuring that out?"
Ryo casually picked up the cane resting on Arisu's lap and tapped it against the table.
"They've already built the stage for you. Sure, we don't know the script or the actors... but that doesn't matter."
"When the time comes, all you have to do is turn the tables."
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