Even though Sae Chabashira had arrived, the students hadn't returned to their seats. Class hadn't officially started.
When the teacher called Airi Sakura's name from the podium, everyone froze.
Airi, who had just debuted her new look and reintroduced herself to the class, was naturally the topic of the day.
Now...
It seemed there was even bigger gossip surrounding her.
"Chabashira-sensei, I'm here!"
Clinging tightly to Haruka Hasebe, Airi raised her hand obediently. Her cheeks were flushed red, looking like a model student called upon during a lesson.
"Is this our newest Class A student? She's adorable~"
Chie Hoshinomiya, who had followed Sae into the room, smiled as she spoke, clearly charmed by Airi's timid reaction.
Class A? New student? Airi Sakura?
Everyone in Class D understood the words individually, but strung together, they made no sense.
What intersection could there be between Class A and Class D? Friendships, rivalries... certainly not transfers.
Hearing Chie's words, Suzune Horikita, who had been indifferent to Airi's transformation, finally looked up.
"Me?" Airi pointed at herself, her brain short-circuiting.
Yesterday in the Chairman's office, Ren hadn't finalized the deal to transfer her to Class A before she left. Since he hadn't discussed it with her afterward, Airi assumed the matter had been dropped.
But now...
Ren, who had been walking behind Chie, finally stepped forward. He waved at Airi with a gentle smile. "Airi, I'm here to pick you up."
"Airi-chan..." Haruka was bewildered.
So...
Her friend was a student of Class A starting from this moment?
Did that mean the study group they had just formed was about to fall apart?
Chie walked up to the two girls, placing her hands on their foreheads. "No fever... why are you both stupefied?"
"Chie, that's enough." Sae couldn't stand it anymore. She was itching to kick Chie out of her classroom.
In her eyes, Chie's behavior was a blatant provocation.
Sae wasn't wrong. Chie was doing this on purpose.
Originally, only Ren planned to pick up Airi. But when Chie found out that her "Ren-chan" was going to Class D to poach a student, she grabbed his arm and whined until he agreed to bring her along.
Her ace had used 20 million points to transfer someone just over a month into the semester. And a Class D student, no less.
Take that, Sae-chan.
Jolted by the cold touch of Chie's hands, the two girls snapped back to reality.
"Haruka-chan..." Airi looked at Haruka, her tone filled with reluctance.
Haruka was her first friend in this class, and so far, her only friend.
When Airi first enrolled, she was like a timid hedgehog covered in spikes, guarding against everything. Haruka, despite being a loner herself, had constantly reached out, ensuring Airi wasn't alone.
"Airi-chan, what's with that face? Be happy." Haruka squished Airi's cheek, comforting her instead. "It's not like we can't meet again. Really."
"Honestly... it's just a short walk down the hall. It's not a life-and-death parting. Is there a need to be so melodramatic?"
Chie was baffled by the exchange. Were these two acting out a tragic romance novel?
This is supposed to be the story of me, the Great Demon King Chie, stepping on Little Sae!
The atmosphere broken by Chie's teasing, the two girls looked away from each other, embarrassed.
"Please watch the time. Class is about to start," Ren reminded them.
Is this Airi-chan's crush?
Haruka finally turned her full attention to Ren. Since it was their first contact, she didn't know what he was like on the inside, but physically? He was undoubtedly a perfect ten.
Noticing Haruka looking at him, Ren met her gaze.
Clean, gentle, and appreciative. Haruka, who was very sensitive to how boys looked at her, quickly read the intent in his eyes.
Surprisingly, she didn't hate it.
"Then, I leave Airi-chan to you, Katsuragi," Haruka said solemnly, like a mother entrusting her child to a son-in-law.
Ren's mouth twitched slightly. He responded with a wry smile, "Hasebe, Class A hasn't closed its borders. If you want to visit, you're always welcome."
"Tsk. Guess Sakura spread her legs for a rich guy to get a ticket out of here, huh?"
Haruki Yamauchi sneered loud enough for the room to hear, jealousy written all over his face.
Ren, who was about to leave with Airi, stopped dead in his tracks.
"Spreading rumors before she's even out the door?" Ren looked at Yamauchi, his voice chillingly indifferent.
Not wanting to cause trouble, Airi tugged at the hem of Ren's jacket.
Hearing the commotion, Chie didn't rush to intervene. Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, eager to watch the show.
Gulp.
Under Ren's stare, Yamauchi didn't dare speak again. He felt the hairs on his arms stand up, his scalp tingling.
It was a primal reaction—prey freezing in the presence of a predator.
"Cat got your tongue? You think keeping your mouth shut now will save you?"
Ren walked up to Yamauchi and looked down at the waste of space spewing filth.
Slap!
A crisp sound rang out in the quiet classroom. Yamauchi clutched his reddening cheek, glaring at Ren with resentment.
"Still not convinced?"
Slap!
Another slap landed on the other side of Yamauchi's face.
Ren didn't indulge him, nor did he care to see that resentful look.
Smack!!!
Using a bit more force, this third slap was vicious. It sent Yamauchi stumbling directly into the wall near the corridor.
The resentment in his eyes vanished, replaced only by deep fear.
How dare he? How dare he?
Yamauchi couldn't understand why Ren dared to cause violence in a classroom full of cameras.
"If you make a mistake, own it. If you get beaten, take it standing tall."
Satisfied with Yamauchi's terror, Ren withdrew his hand.
This time, no one dared to gossip behind his back.
Haruka watched, eyes wide. She finally understood why Airi had fallen for him.
"Hahahahahaha!" Rokusuke Koenji, legs crossed on his desk, burst into laughter.
With his usual poker face, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji spoke to his neighbor, Suzune Horikita. "A classmate you considered a 'defective product' has transferred to Class A. What is your move?"
"I will tutor Ken Sudo and the others. You are responsible for calling them over."
Gripping her pen tightly, Horikita stated her conditions.
Obviously, she was deeply provoked by Airi's transfer.
She had been debating whether to waste her precious study time tutoring the failing students, but she finally made up her mind.
If no one would transfer classes for her, she would drag Class D up to Class A herself.
Besides...
The rule that 20 million points could buy a class transfer was now etched deep in her memory.
-----------------------
Unlock 400+ chapters across 7+ different novels on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/LEYI396
This Detective Conan novel alone already has 170 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!
We're entering one of the most mysterious phases of the Detective Conan project — cases that finally connect, secrets that can no longer stay hidden, and plot threads that have been building up for hundreds of chapters are beginning to tie together.
Every clue matters now, and every revelation hits harder than the last 👀
And yes — this project also includes exclusive R18 content.
And of course — many more projects are already in progress!
There's always something new to read.
If you ever spot a mistake or inconsistency, feel free to drop a comment — your feedback helps me improve the story and polish every chapter!
📌 Also, if you write a review or show support for the novel, it helps me a lot — and I'll keep uploading more chapters for those who do. Your support in any form truly motivates me to continue!