Chapter 49 – Kushida’s past

I've just checked the ranking of this novel, and amazingly, we've hit rank 66! For context, this novel never surpassed rank 120 before, haha. This tells me that the golden era for this fanfic might just be starting, and it's not disliked after all. Therefore, I'll persist with the translation. Let's continue to elevate our ranking, guys. Remember, there are extra chapters after Power Stone milestones, and if it's within your means, join my Patreon. Thanks for your support!

And since I'm in a good mood, I'll drop a little spoiler for you. The first member of the harem is Kushida!

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Koenji was well-known to Yukio, who had heard of him even before acquiring the old-style phone and connecting with the outside world. Learning of Koenji's background, Yukio realized he was a scion of the Koenji financial conglomerate from Japan, who had been sent to Advanced Nurturing High School for unknown reasons.

Such a privileged scion, unbound by norms, was probably beyond the school's control. Indeed, Koenji was the limit of Class D's potential, but his character ensured he could never lead the class upwards. Yukio saw Ayanokouji as a more significant threat, thus mocking Kushida for her ignorance.

Kushida barely contained her frustration. Her forced smile was uglier than tears: "Why would you say that? This benefits you and Class C, doesn't it?"

"A bird in the hand is worth ten in the bush," Yukio quoted, realizing Kushida might not understand and rephrased it: "Let me put it this way."

"A wolf catches a sheep. The sheep pleads for its life, promising to lure ten sheep in exchange for its freedom. The wolf eats it anyway, for a skilled hunter never lacks food. Only a desperate wolf would believe such an offer, risking the sheep escaping and dying of hunger."

Had Kushida proposed this deal earlier, Yukio might have accepted. But now, with undercover agents like Sakura and Karuizawa of high status, what value did Kushida hold?

Kushida's information was redundant, considering what Sakura and Karuizawa could provide. Yukio had put effort into a plan to elevate Karuizawa's status in Class D.

Now, Kushida's only remaining value lay in her hidden knowledge of everyone's secrets, which could be unleashed at an opportune moment to trouble Class D.

Kushida bit her lip in silence, conflicted. Her expressionless face hidden by her bangs, she resembled a witch dissecting an angel's mask under the moonlight.

She recalled her pride: naturally sweet, excelling in both academics and sports, and always popular. Since kindergarten, she had dominated accolades, and in elementary school, she was unrivaled in both studies and athletics, basking in endless praise.

This superiority became an addiction, driving her to maintain her top position at all costs. But in middle school, Kushida's certainty wavered as she was no longer the best.

Her grades were good but not the highest, and her athletic ability, while strong, was outmatched by students specializing in sports.

Popular? Yes, Kushida was indeed popular, but there were always those more favored than her.

Realizing this, Kushida strived to break through her limits. She studied late into the night, exercised early in the morning, and learned makeup techniques. Yet, she remained outmatched by the natural talents.

No amount of late-night studying could surpass the efficiency of a true academic prodigy; her daily morning runs were no match for the dust she ate in the tracks of athletic specialists; and as for makeup, how could she stand out when other popular girls were equally adept?

Refusing to be surpassed by anyone and yearning deeply for others' respect and admiration, Kushida found her greatest advantage in social interactions.

By suppressing her distaste and offering insincere smiles, she could easily enchant naive boys and even befriend envious girls.

As she delved deeper into social dynamics, she became privy to the deepest secrets of others, who often confided in her. She learned about academic geniuses' unrequited loves, athletes' struggles with excessive sweating, and popular students' desires for luxury gifts over simple candies. All these secrets were hers alone.

This trust brought back the sweet taste of superiority, thrilling Kushida to the point of uncontrollable excitement.

Experiencing this return to 'being the best', Kushida found her life's path – trust.

She no longer compared herself in studies, sports, or popularity; being the most trusted was her new excellence. After all, while academics, athletics, and popularity came with their burdens, trust only brought the sweetness of superiority.

But this general trust led to an unfortunate end. Kushida, upon arriving at Advanced Nurturing High School and seeing Horikita, the only one aware of her past, felt intense pain and anger.

Hiding her true self at all costs, maintaining everyone's trust became her survival strategy. Driven by this conviction, Kushida lifted her head and strode forward, colliding straight into Yukio's arms.

Yukio could distinctly feel two soft entities pressing against his chest, stirring his heart like richly filled delicacies.

"Then," Kushida's subdued voice resonated softly from within the embrace, "what if the sheep first offers the wolf its most precious possession before going to deceive its peers into fulfilling the promise?"

Yukio looked at Kushida unexpectedly, thinking to himself, 'Is this a trend among D-class girls? Are they all keen on such desperate measures, throwing themselves at someone just to keep a secret?'

However, Yukio had no intention of playing by the rules. He grabbed the front of Kushida's shirt with both hands and yanked it violently from side to side.

The sound of ripping fabric once again reached Kushida's ears, reminding her of her terrifying experience by the school lake.

Then came a series of soft sounds, the buttons of Kushida's shirt hitting the ground. It seemed her shirt was now beyond repair, unable to be buttoned up.

Perhaps due to the summer heat, even though it was windy at sea, Kushida hadn't worn a jacket, leading to her current precarious situation.

Yukio then slowly walked back, saying, "I'm sorry, but some wolves are proud and only enjoy food they've hunted themselves. They don't want to be foolish wolves waiting for rabbits to come to them."

"If you do this again, it won't be as simple as losing all your buttons."

Kushida couldn't hold back her anger any longer and cursed, "Bastard! Bastard! Again! It's always like this!!"

Every time she was alone with Yukio, she seemed to face a situation akin to a dangerous game, and this time it was even worse than at the school lake. In her current state, even bending over and pretending to have a stomach ache wouldn't cover everything.

Kushida had to walk back very carefully, like a rolled-up pangolin, avoiding both surveillance cameras and classmates, which was extremely difficult.

She also had to call her roommates in advance to ask them to come out and help her buy things, to avoid being discovered when she returned to the room.

Finally, Kushida managed to return to her room on the cruise ship, feeling a mix of thrill and anger. She thought to herself, 'This was… a bit exciting.'

***

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