You never know if you're the hunter or the prey until the trap finally snaps shut.
As the heavy door to the Chairman's office clicked shut behind Ren Katsuragi and Airi Sakura, the hidden partition wall slid open. Arisu Sakayanagi emerged from the shadows.
The rhythmic tap-tap-tap of her cane against the polished floor echoed through the room. Upon hearing it, the complex mix of emotions on Chairman Sakayanagi's face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of pure, doting tenderness.
"Arisu, are you sure your body can handle this?" Watching her approach, the Chairman hurried over, helping his daughter onto the leather sofa with practiced care.
If he had known it would come to this, he never would have let a moment of weakness sway him into accepting Kiyotaka Ayanokoji into this school.
Arisu, whose health was already fragile, had defied him openly for the sake of this so-called "childhood friend," stubbornly demanding to enroll here.
Just thinking about it made the Chairman feel like the precious daughter he had raised with such care was being stolen away by some outsider.
It was a small comfort knowing Arisu was only interested in Ayanokoji to defeat that "artificial genius." If she actually had romantic feelings for him...
He would have traveled back in time right then and there to slap some sense into his past self.
What were you thinking, old man?
"I'm fine, Father. But about that Katsuragi-kun..." Arisu tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled. "Why did you let that boy walk all over you?"
The Chairman cleared his throat, his expression hardening. "Ren Katsuragi. The true prodigy of that family."
At the words "true prodigy," a spark of interest lit up Arisu's eyes.
A new target?
The Chairman knew exactly what his daughter was thinking. He decided to offer a gentle warning. "Arisu, don't underestimate him. He isn't like the others."
Since the negotiation began, the Chairman had been paying close attention to both Ren Katsuragi and Rokusuke Koenji.
Both geniuses shared a "free-spirited" personality, but they were fundamentally different.
Koenji's freedom was rooted in narcissism. With his massive wealth as a safety net, he simply chose to waste away in luxury. Since the school year began, Koenji hadn't participated in any class activities; he'd only joined the betting pool because Ren had dragged him into it.
Arisu likely wouldn't be interested in a narcissist like Koenji.
But Ren Katsuragi was different. His freedom was an attitude of "nothing matters unless I enjoy it."
He did whatever he wanted, completely disregarding the consequences.
Whether it was punching Nagumo in the face on day one or putting that store clerk in the hospital.
A man like Ren was undoubtedly the most terrifying kind of person: immense power backed by astronomical influence, with zero restraint.
Frankly, the Chairman didn't want Arisu going up against him.
"Don't worry, Father. I'll win," Arisu said, claiming victory before the battle had even begun.
She had already looked up Ren's data. There were no outstanding achievements listed.
Even after witnessing him hold his own against her father today, Arisu still believed he was, at best, a spoiled young master who had picked up a few tricks growing up in the vipers' nest that was the Katsuragi Family.
Ren Katsuragi? He doesn't hold a candle to my childhood friend, Ayanokoji.
Seeing Arisu brimming with confidence, her father couldn't bring himself to dampen her spirits. He smiled, though the warmth didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Yes. You will win."
...
The following morning.
Airi Sakura had ditched the thick black-rimmed glasses she used as a shield. She changed into a uniform that perfectly accentuated her figure and stood tall, discarding the slouch she had used to hide herself.
With the gloom in her heart chased away by Ren, she now wanted to draw the boy's attention.
I want him to see me. The real me.
When she arrived at Class D, Airi's appearance instantly drew the eyes of the entire room.
"Excuse me, do you have business in Class D?" Kikyo asked with her usual warm smile.
Caught off guard by Kikyo's enthusiasm, Airi shrank back, burying her chin in her collar.
As expected, she still wasn't used to this kind of spotlight. Even dressed so beautifully, her heart remained timid.
"Airi-chan!!!"
Haruka Hasebe, recognizing the beauty as her best friend instantly, pounced on her.
She squished Airi's cheeks affectionately, her eyes full of curiosity. Haruka knew just how shy Airi was. They hadn't seen each other for just one weekend—how had she changed so much?
"Ha... Haruka-chan." Feeling her friend's hands on her face, Airi broke into a happy smile.
Even if many classmates didn't recognize her, Haruka still knew who she was at a glance!
Haruka's shout revealed the identity of the beauty at the door—Airi Sakura.
The boys in the class went into an uproar. None of them had expected such a total knockout to be hiding right under their noses.
"That's Sakura!?" Haruki Yamauchi's jaw dropped. He hadn't anticipated his quiet classmate being so... hot.
Kanji Ike slammed his fist on the desk, beating his chest in regret. "Damn it! If I knew Sakura had a body like that, I would have confessed ages ago!"
It had to be said, the quality of most Class D students left much to be desired. They stared at Airi with gazes that were frankly disgusting.
Haruka, who was extremely sensitive to those kinds of looks, felt sick to her stomach.
Using her own body to shield Airi from the leering eyes of the class, she hurriedly pulled the girl back to her seat.
"Airi-chan, did something happen yesterday?" Haruka asked with concern.
People don't just change overnight without a catalyst. For Airi to change so drastically, something major must have occurred.
"Haruka-chan, it's nothing," Airi said, not wanting her friend to worry.
Not something major... then there was only one possibility!
It had to be!
Thinking of this, Haruka leaned close to Airi's face, flashing a wicked grin. "Airi-chan, are you in love?"
"Haruka-chan!!!" Airi blushed crimson, though her stutter was almost gone.
Haruka sat on the edge of Airi's desk, leaning in for the gossip.
"Who is it? Is he handsome? What year? Which class? Better not be someone from our class."
Haruka knew exactly how terrible the guys in Class D were. She prayed Airi's crush wasn't among them.
"Mm... not yet... we're not dating... he's... Class A..." Airi replied, her voice barely a whisper.
Before Haruka could continue her interrogation, the sharp staccato of high heels cutting across the floor silenced the room.
Sae Chabashira's cold voice rang out from the podium.
"Sakura. Someone is looking for you."
-------------------------
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This crossover novel brings together Classroom of the Elite, Oregairu, The Quintessential Quintuplets and The Pet Girl of Sakurasou into a single interconnected universe — and it already has 122 chapters available right now on Patreon, so if you want to support the project and enjoy even more exclusive content, I'll be waiting for you on Patreon!
The protagonist is the son of Japan's most notorious conglomerate tycoon, and his life is wrapped in politics, manipulation, romance and power.
Between school wars, psychological battles and love tensions, every decision reshapes the balance between all four worlds.
His current girlfriends are Airi, Sakura, Hoshimiya-sensei, Kushida and Honami Ichinose — each with her own story arc, conflicts and development tied directly to the plot.
And yes — this project also includes exclusive R18 content.
And of course — many more projects are already in progress!
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