(PS: The image depicts Kushida Kikyo)
"Next up—it's my turn."
The self-introductions continued as a short-haired blonde girl stood up.
She wore a white headband, and her burgundy uniform jacket clung tightly to her upper body, emphasizing a figure far more mature than her age suggested. Her white pleated skirt swayed gently as she rose.
With a radiant smile and a soft, gentle voice, she spoke:
"My name is Kushida Kikyo. Since none of my middle school friends came to this school with me, I'm all alone."
As she said this, Amamiya Yuki sharply noticed Kushida briefly glance in Horikita's direction.
Kushida continued,
"So my goal is to become friends with everyone as quickly as possible! After we finish introducing ourselves, I really hope everyone will exchange contact information with me!"
By the time she finished speaking, several girls had already gathered around her.
Yuki observed quietly. Kushida Kikyo's acting was flawless—award-level, even.
If he hadn't read the original story, it would have been hard to believe that such an angelic-looking girl actually possessed a twisted dual personality.
She fed on the trust of others to maintain her own sense of satisfaction, and anyone who might expose her past would be eliminated without hesitation—even expelled.
As for that quick glance at Horikita earlier, Yuki was certain that beneath Kushida's cheerful smile, she was already considering how to get Horikita Suzune expelled.
Next came another introduction.
"My turn. I'm Yamauchi Haruki. Back in middle school, I was the ace pitcher of the baseball team—number four hitter, too. But I got injured during the high school league and I'm still recovering. Nice to meet you all."
Yuki nearly sighed.
He probably meant the cleanup hitter, and high school leagues didn't even exist back in middle school.
Yuki remembered him clearly from the original story.
One of the so-called "idiot trio" with the worst academic performance, easily manipulated by Class A's leader Sakayanagi, eventually betraying Class D and getting himself expelled.
Even now, Yamauchi had already sunk straight to the bottom of the class hierarchy.
Half-baked lies only gave the impression of someone thoughtless and shallow.
That was why self-introductions were critically important—they directly affected future group affiliations and class standing.
Finally, after a long wait, it was Amamiya Yuki's turn.
He stood up, the corner of his lips lifting into a confident smile.
"My name is Amamiya Yuki. I'm fairly good at photography. If anyone needs pictures taken, feel free to come to me. I look forward to working with all of you."
"So does that mean class photography is yours now, Amamiya?"
"Yeah, I'm interested in photography too—could you teach me sometime?"
With Matsushita Chiaki casually leading the conversation, several girls gathered around Yuki as well.
This was the advantage of social momentum. With Matsushita taking the lead, Yuki integrated smoothly into the group—and, frankly, it helped that he was genuinely handsome.
Just then, an ill-timed cold laugh echoed through the room.
"Amamiya Yuki, wipe that fake smile off your face. Your ugly soul isn't beautiful in the slightest."
Kōenji Rokusuke—who had already introduced himself—leaned back lazily, propping his legs up on the desk.
Unlike the others, Kōenji understood exactly what kind of person Amamiya Yuki was: profit-driven, ruthless, and willing to use any means necessary.
More importantly, both came from powerful Sakurajima conglomerates. Their families maintained surface-level harmony while stabbing each other in the back. When they were younger, Kōenji had been bullied by Yuki more than once.
The classroom instantly fell silent.
The students hadn't yet processed the sudden confrontation.
Kōenji might look narcissistic and eccentric, but he didn't seem like someone who lied casually.
Could it really be true? Was the smiling, easygoing Amamiya Yuki actually a hypocrite?
Sensing the growing unease, Hirata broke out in a cold sweat and hurried to smooth things over.
"Kōenji, is there some misunderstanding between you and Amamiya? If there's a problem, we can talk it out. We're all classmates now—let's try to get along, okay?"
Kōenji ignored him completely.
Yuki's smile didn't fade as he replied calmly,
"Kōenji, it's probably better to leave family disputes outside of school. We'll be in the same class for three years. Even if we can't be friends, at least let's not interfere with each other. How about that?"
Hearing this, Matsushita and the others suddenly understood.
If it was a family issue, then Kōenji's behavior seemed unreasonable instead. Given Kōenji's extreme narcissism, he probably didn't care—but perception mattered.
Once people accepted this explanation as reasonable, any further accusations would sound hollow.
Even if Kōenji exposed Yuki's past right here, it would only make him look aggressive—or even slanderous.
What sounded like a concession was actually a checkmate. At this point, Kōenji had no good moves left. Yuki already had a small group backing him.
Kōenji knew it too.
"Not interfering?" He snorted. "Your credibility with me is zero, Amamiya Yuki."
He scoffed. Explaining himself or seeking validation was ugly—and ugliness offended him. He knew Yuki was dangerous, but he wasn't afraid.
With that, Kōenji stayed right where he was, admiring his reflection in a handheld mirror.
If he wasn't embarrassed, then everyone else could deal with it.
Yuki didn't respond further. With the mood disrupted, the classroom fell quiet again.
Matsushita leaned forward slightly, peering up at Yuki with a curious, almost playful expression.
"Kōenji is the heir to the Kōenji Group, right? Don't tell me you're rich too, Amamiya. You wouldn't happen to be an heir to the Amamiya Group, would you? Just kidding~"
She waved her hand lightly, brushing the topic aside with a laugh.
The Amamiya family was terrifyingly powerful, with influence across nearly every industry in Sakurajima. If Yuki really were an heir, he'd be a perfect match—exactly her type.
"Well…" Yuki said awkwardly, raising a finger to his lips. "Keep it secret from the other classes, okay?"
It was impossible to truly keep secret—but sharing one made for excellent social lubrication, quickly closing the distance between him and the girls.
"Really?"
"The Amamiya Group… that's amazing."
The girls crowded even closer, nearly pressing against him, their eyes gleaming like hunters sizing up prey.
The classroom atmosphere recovered once more.
Hirata finally relaxed, then turned toward a red-haired boy.
"Alright, then the next person—"
"Don't mess with us. Do you think we're kids?"
The red-haired boy slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up.
"If you want to introduce yourself, do it on your own."
With that, he walked out of the classroom—taking several students who didn't want to introduce themselves with him.
Yuki remembered him. His name was Sudō—short-tempered and violent.
"What's wrong with him?"
"No, it's my fault," Hirata said with a gentle smile, taking all the blame upon himself. "I shouldn't have forced everyone."
"That's not true, Hirata—you did nothing wrong."
"Yeah, forget about him. Let's keep going."
Urged on by his classmates, Hirata turned to the next student.
Just as he was about to speak, Yuki said apologetically,
"Hirata, I've got something personal to take care of. I'll head out for now, alright?"
"Of course. Personal matters are important too. If you need help, feel free to talk to us—right, everyone?"
"Yeah, Amamiya, let us know if you need anything!"
Hirata smiled, the girls chimed in, and Yuki nodded before turning and leaving the classroom.
However—
Perhaps due to a butterfly effect, Horikita Suzune, who should have left by now, was still inside.
She clenched the compass in her hand, the needle gleaming coldly.
Staring at Yuki's back, Horikita followed him out.
She had to stab him once—or she wouldn't calm down.
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