Chapter 71: The Young Lady Arrives, Everyone Clear the Way
Horikita Suzune simply felt that Katsuragi Keima had suddenly cracked a cold joke. She absolutely didn't consider that, in a sense, Keima wasn't wrong.
"Good morning, Ai-chan!"
Just then, Hasabe Haruka, who had just arrived in the classroom, walked between Keima and Sakura Airi's seats, greeting the latter first.
"Good morning, Haruka-san."
"Not bad, not bad! Ai-chan, you can already call me by my name! Next, you can start moving even further!" Hasabe looked at Airi with an approving nod.
"Further...?"
"That's right! Next, you can start using nicknames! You can call me Haru-chan!"
"........"
Airi was still a bit embarrassed, and her voice was very small, but she successfully managed to utter those two syllables.
"Great job, Airi-chan! You've taken the first step!"
"I-I'll work hard too!" A fire of fighting spirit seemed to ignite in Airi's eyes. It was just a nickname, after all.
"..." Hasabe turned toward Katsuragi Keima, then pressed her hands together. "God, Amen, Amitabha."
"Heh."
Even Horikita Suzune couldn't hold it in for a moment; the corners of her mouth curled upward.
"What?" Hasabe looked at Horikita in disbelief.
"What's wrong?"
"So Horikita-san can laugh."
The smile on Horikita's face didn't disappear; it simply transferred elsewhere.
"What are you all chatting about~"
Seeing Hasabe standing there, Kushida Kikyo also curiously joined the circle.
"Kikyo-chan, I've joined the study group too!"
"Eh! I see! Welcome, Hasabe-san! I'm so sorry I had a sudden matter last Friday and couldn't make it! I'll definitely be there today!" Kushida said to Hasabe with great enthusiasm.
Although the thought of Elsie—that "out-of-spec" existence—made Kushida feel like her heart skipped a beat, she also realized that the number of people in Keima's study group was gradually increasing, and his influence in the class was growing bit by bit. If Kushida participated, she could further increase her own influence. So, she wasn't going to pass up this opportunity again.
"By the way, Katsuragi-kun, why were you with a student from Class A yesterday?" Kushida turned her head, looking at Keima with curious eyes.
"Class A?" Horikita Suzune seemed to catch the keyword and immediately turned her head to look at him as well.
"My game cartridge went missing earlier, so I had Kamuro Masumi from Class A help return it to me," Keima replied.
"I see... but I saw her pulling you somewhere. What were you two going to do?"
"She has a friend who is good at chess, and since she heard I play too, she dragged me along for a match."
"It was chess? Then Katsuragi-kun definitely won, right?"
"Naturally. I am—"
"God." Before Keima could finish his sentence, Hasabe finished it for him.
"That's amazing, Katsuragi-kun!" Kushida's face beamed with a smile, looking as if she admired him.
On the other side of the class, several other girls were gathered and chatting. While Karuizawa Kei was chatting with her friends, her gaze was focused on Keima's direction.
'Speaking of which...'
Now, a circle had unconsciously formed around Katsuragi Keima. This seemed even more impressive than Hirata Yousuke or herself. Even though Kei disguised herself as a "gal," she had only managed to form a close relationship with those few people around her in a week. Keima, who clearly looked like a loner, had gathered more people around him.
Usually, his type would be the prime target for bullying... Why was this happening? And... was he really the one who caught the criminal at school?
"There are quite a few people around Katsuragi-kun."
"Setting Kushida-san aside, even Horikita, who looks hard to get along with, and the loner Hasabe seem to be on good terms with him. What was that girl next to him called again...?"
"..."
In another corner of the classroom, the trio of Sudo Ken, Yamauchi Haruki, and Ike Kanji watched Keima with eyes full of envy, jealousy, and hatred.
"How come that four-eyed otaku is surrounded by top-tier beauties?"
"This guy plays games all the time! How can he get so much attention?!"
"Unfair! It's so unfair!"
The group gritted their teeth at Keima, especially Yamauchi. He truly couldn't stand it anymore and left the classroom to go to the restroom.
At the same time, Yamauchi was still complaining: "Seriously, why does a guy like Katsuragi get so much attention?! What's so great about him? He's just a bit good at grades—"
"This should be the Class D classroom."
Just then, a crisp voice rang out. Hearing an unfamiliar female voice, Yamauchi quickly turned around. In his view was a petite and incredibly cute girl. Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Excuse me, classmate, is this the Class D classroom?"
"Y-Yes, that's right!" Yamauchi quickly forced a smile, speaking to Sakayanagi with excessive flattery. "I-I'm Yamauchi Haruki! Pleased to meet you!"
"I am Sakayanagi Arisu. Pleased to meet you too."
Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Yamauchi—it was a gaze as if looking at a dead person. However, Yamauchi didn't notice; instead, he thought she was checking him out, making him feel even happier.
"Does Sakayanagi-san have business in Class D?"
"Is Katsuragi-kun here?"
"Katsuragi?" Hearing Keima's name, Yamauchi's expression instantly changed. Why? Why were girls from other classes looking for Katsuragi Keima too? How?
"Do you have business with Katsuragi?" Yamauchi asked quickly.
However, Sakayanagi didn't answer him. She walked right past him and stood at the door of Class D, spotting Keima instantly.
"Good morning, Katsuragi-kun." Sakayanagi walked up to Keima and greeted him with a smile.
Almost the entire Class D was drawn to her. Not only because she had an incredibly cute appearance, but because this was the first time a student from another class had proactively come to their classroom.
"You're... Sakayanagi-san?"
Kushida Kikyo was quite shocked, not expecting Sakayanagi to appear here. As the school's first-year social butterfly, although Kushida didn't have much contact with Class A yet, she had heard rumors about Sakayanagi. In a very short time, Class A had already split into two
factions, and Sakayanagi was the leader of one. Being in Class A was proof enough of her excellence, let alone being a leader.
But why was Sakayanagi here? And... she seemed to have come for Katsuragi Keima.
"Ah, are you Kushida-san? Pleased to meet you for the first time." Sakayanagi greeted her very ladylike.
Beside her, Airi stared intently at Sakayanagi.
'Such a... such a cute girl...'
She was a completely different type from herself. But, but! She seemed to be here for Keima? Was there a reason? Airi seemed to grow anxious, her hands clasped to her chest, but she didn't dare speak in front of a stranger, only watching silently from the side.
"Sakayanagi?" Keima looked at the girl in front of him, who wore a mischievous smile on her cute face.
'This girl feels like she's up to no good.'
"I'm here because of what happened on Saturday," Sakayanagi said with a smile.
"Saturday?" Airi's confusion was only audible to herself. On Saturday, hadn't Keima gone to a cafe with Shiina Hiyori? She had followed them the whole way. Then she had returned to the dorms with Keima. Did something happen afterward?
"Katsuragi-kun, I am a person of my word. I did say I would visit personally on Monday." Sakayanagi stared intently at Keima.
"The visit isn't important. The most important thing is..."
"I know, of course. That's why Masumi-san is right behind me." Sakayanagi clapped her hands, and soon a panting Kamuro Masumi arrived in the classroom.
Her expression wasn't very pleasant either. Because right now, Kamuro was carrying the latest model of a game console and monitor in her hands, with a headset and controller hanging from her neck—a complete set.
"I promised to send Katsuragi-kun a game console, and naturally, I will follow through. I've also equipped it with a controller and headset. I'm sorry I don't know much about the related hardware; I hope you are satisfied~" Sakayanagi said with a smile.
"Ha? She came over just to deliver a whole console?"
"This set must cost nearly 100,000, right...? A whole month's worth of points..."
"How? Why him?!"
The boys nearby watched the scene in shock. This kind of scene only appeared in dreams, right?
Keima's gaze was instantly captured by the equipment. He scrutinized it intently and then gave Sakayanagi a thumbs-up.
"As long as Katsuragi-kun likes it."
"But I have a question. Wouldn't it have been more convenient to deliver it directly to my room?"
"You only asked me to buy this for you, but you didn't say where to deliver it~"
"You... you're getting petty revenge, aren't you?" Keima narrowed his eyes at Sakayanagi. He would have to carry all this equipment back to his dorm after school. Sakayanagi did this on purpose!
"I just thought this would be more interesting~" Sakayanagi shook her head slightly. "Please take care of me from now on, Katsuragi-kun! Let's go, Masumi-san."
Then, under the gaze of almost every student in Class D, Sakayanagi and Kamuro left the classroom.
"Sakayanagi, you really are a woman of your word. This must have cost quite a lot of points," Kamuro said.
"Points are whatever; I can just earn them back later. Besides, encountering such an interesting opponent for the first time, these points were spent quite meaningfully." While speaking, the smile on Sakayanagi's face vanished instantly. "However, some people spoiled my mood."
"Are you talking about that student named Yamauchi Haruki?"
"Mm." Sakayanagi nodded. She had heard Yamauchi's complaints about Keima in their entirety. Keima was an opponent she recognized. The other ants in Class D had no right to speak ill of him. "That guy needs to pay a price."
Just as she spoke, Sakayanagi suddenly stopped. Another group of people had appeared before her. Ryuen Kakeru. Ishizaki Daichi and the others followed behind him.
"What a coincidence, Sakayanagi. I didn't expect to see you here." Ryuen wore a wolfish smile as he looked at Sakayanagi.
Since entering the school, neither of them had ever hidden their sharpness; they were well aware of each other's existence. To Ryuen, Sakayanagi was an opponent he had to defeat. In Sakayanagi's eyes, Ryuen was one of the few "interesting" beings in this school.
However, in both their eyes now, there was an even more important existence.
"If it isn't Ryuen-kun. It really is a coincidence."
"Sakayanagi, why are you here? Over there... that's the Class D classroom, isn't it?" Ryuen's smile was full of aggression, as if he wanted to swallow the person before him whole.
"Who knows~ And since you know only Class D is over there, why are you coming here~?" Even with the large physical difference, Sakayanagi didn't back down; instead, she surpassed him in momentum.
"I'm here for hunting—I imagine you're here because there's an existence you care about too? To have you, a self-important queen, personally come here... it seems that existence in Class D is truly special, right?"
"He is indeed very special, Ryuen." Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes, maintaining her smile. "But, Ryuen-kun, you'd better work hard from now on. At least, don't lose too pathetically."
"Quite arrogant, Sakayanagi. If I were to break you right here—"
"There are cameras everywhere. I believe you aren't that stupid, Ryuen," Sakayanagi replied, then walked right past him. "Show me if you even have the right to stand before me."
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