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6 PM in the Class B classroom.
All the students were still seated, their gazes fixed on Ichinose at the front.
Ichinose's voice rang out cheerfully. "I have good news for everyone. The harassment from Class C has been completely resolved!"
Seeing some people quietly let out sighs of relief, she added, "So now everyone can go to the cafeteria without worrying about being followed or deliberately provoked."
As soon as she finished speaking, a low cheer erupted in the classroom.
The girls in the front rows nudged each other, and several boys in the back laughed and talked. The worry that had hung over them for days finally lifted with those few words.
"Ichinose-san, you're amazing!" Shiranami in the front row said, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "It's so reassuring to have you around!"
"Seriously, our class really can't do without Ichinose-san now," the girl next to her nodded. "We can finally relax."
"Exactly! Now we can finally go to dinner in peace, without constantly worrying about someone following us."
These past few days, most of the students in Class B had actually been pretty uncomfortable.
Although the harassment from the Class C group hadn't materialized into anything concrete—they just watched from a distance without doing anything out of line—this constant surveillance alone was enough to make anyone uneasy.
They were followed on the way to the cafeteria, felt watched on the way back to the dorms, and sometimes, as soon as they opened their doors, they'd see people from Class C standing outside.
That constant sense of pressure felt like a damp cloth stuffed in their chests.
So some students simply stopped going to the cafeteria, opting instead to buy rice balls and bread at the convenience store in the morning and eat a quick lunch in the classroom.
Of course, if they only filled their stomachs with bread and rice balls all day, their nutrition would definitely suffer, and it wouldn't be good for their health in the long run.
So when Ichinose said, "The problem is solved," the feeling of relief almost overflowed the classroom.
The vast majority of students visibly relaxed.
Someone reached out and pulled back the curtains. The Class C group loved to peek over during breaks, which made everyone afraid to keep the windows open.
At that moment, as the sunlight poured into the classroom, it was as if they could finally look at the sun properly.
"How did Ichinose-san solve it?" Shibata looked at the figure on the podium, unable to resist asking in a low voice.
Ichinose smiled and replied, "Actually, I know some upperclassmen from the boxing club, and they helped resolve it this time."
"The boxing club?!" Someone's eyes widened in surprise. "Isn't that all boys?"
"Why would they be willing to help us?"
"Ichinose-san, you weren't mistreated, were you?"
Many people in the class looked concerned.
Everyone knew the boxing club was one of the strongest martial arts clubs in the school, and having them deal with Class C's trouble would definitely be effective.
But where in this world is there a free lunch? Everyone couldn't help but feel anxious. Ichinose must have paid some price.
In the eyes of Class B students, Ichinose was like a gentle light. Beautiful, kind-hearted, always speaking softly, and willing to patiently listen to anyone's troubles.
More than half of the boys in the class secretly liked her.
The thought that she might have compromised herself for the class made their worry impossible to hide.
"Ichinose-san, although I'm really grateful for the boxing club's help... but were you... by the upperclassmen...?" Shiranami looked at her with worry, the latter half of her sentence stuck in her throat.
Shibata had also wanted to ask a similar question but was still hesitating how to start. He didn't expect Shiranami to ask it for him.
Don't let Shibata's handsome appearance and membership in the soccer club, which got him a lot of attention from girls in class, fool you. He secretly harbored feelings for Ichinose, just like many other boys in the class.
He didn't think there was anything strange about it. Ichinose was such a good person. As a classmate, it'd be abnormal not to have any feelings for her, right?
At this moment, his worries were identical to Shiranami's. She wouldn't have made some agreement with those people to get the boxing club to help, would she? Like agreeing to a date or something.
Doesn't this kind of thing happen all the time in real life? Trading a date for someone's help sounds perfectly "reasonable."
He looked at Ichinose on the podium, his heart a mix of emotions. That indescribable sense of loss was making it hard for him to breathe.
"Hehe, it's not what you're thinking," Ichinose said with a smile, shaking her head. "I know a third-year upperclassman, and her boyfriend just happens to be the boxing club president. This time, she simply lent a hand. And, you know, most of the upperclassmen in the boxing club already have girlfriends."
As soon as she finished speaking, both the boys and girls in the class visibly relaxed.
Take Shiranami, for example. Even though she was a girl, she'd secretly developed certain feelings the first time she saw Ichinose at the entrance ceremony.
One could only say that Ichinose's charm was truly impressive. Her gentle and bright demeanor genuinely appealed to both guys and girls.
However, just as Shibata was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Wait, all the upperclassmen have girlfriends, but what about the new students who joined the boxing club this year? They might not all have partners, right?
This thought had barely surfaced before he pushed it down himself.
He shook his head, feeling that he was overthinking. How could Ichinose be involved with new recruits who'd just joined the club? It shouldn't be that serious.
He composed himself, and as if suddenly remembering something, he spoke. "By the way, Ichinose-san. Actually, I've discussed it with our classmates, and everyone unanimously decided that from now on, each month we'll give you half of our private points to serve as the class's public funds."
Instead of worrying aimlessly here, it was better to bring up the important matter first.
He thought to himself, his gaze unconsciously softening a little.
Ichinose was startled, then quickly waved her hand. "There's no need for that. The class's current expenses are sufficient, so everyone should keep their points for themselves."
"This was something everyone discussed and agreed upon," Shibata said seriously. "Take the Class C harassment incident as an example. You asked upperclassmen for help, and you privately comforted everyone's emotions. You must've secretly put in a lot of effort, and perhaps even personally advanced a certain amount of points, right? Everyone giving you class fees will also allow us to repay the points owed to the upperclassmen from last month."
Someone in the back immediately echoed, "Exactly! Ichinose-san always thinks of us. We should do something too."
"From now on, the funds for class activities and the money for buying study materials for everyone will come from here. We can't always let you worry about it alone."
Ichinose looked at the sincerity in everyone's eyes. She hadn't felt that she'd done anything special, but at this moment, being remembered by so many people, her nose suddenly felt a little warm.
"Then... I'll keep it for everyone for now?" She smiled, her eyes curving. "If there's ever a need, I'll discuss it with everyone before using it."
"No problem!" Shibata's anxiety finally eased a little when he saw that she no longer refused.
He sat in the back of the classroom, watching all his classmates willingly hand over half of their private points to Ichinose.
Suddenly, he felt that his previous worry about the boxing club freshmen was truly ridiculous.
A person cherished by the entire class like this is never short of kindness and protection. There's no need for him to worry needlessly here.
But then again, this time he took the initiative to organize everyone to pay class fees, running around for several days. Ichinose should finally have him in her sights, right?
Of course, Shibata also knew that things went so smoothly largely because of Ichinose's credibility in the class. Everyone was always willing to cooperate for her sake, and he barely had to exert any effort.
But even so, this "initiative" should still be noticed.
He'd never actually hoped to date Ichinose.
He just occasionally couldn't help but think, what if? What if one day, when she needed help, he was among the first people she thought of? What if, when discussing class matters, she'd smile and ask, "What do you think, Shibata-kun?" That would be enough.
This was currently Shibata's small hope.