Chapter 24 Central Figures of Class

"Sorry, sorry! I'm late!" Kushida Kikyou's sweet voice interrupted the conversation about the confession, bringing renewed energy to Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki.

"Oh! Kushida-chan! We've been waiting for you!" they exclaimed excitedly, unable to contain their anticipation.

But their excitement was short-lived as they noticed more than just Kushida Kikyou approaching from the school building. While Kushida had mentioned bringing some friends, no one expected the two individuals who joined her.

"Hello, everyone!" greeted a polite and sunny boy with a handsome face and elegant temperament, who exuded the type of charm that girls like.

"What's wrong? Is the unpopular combination group also here?" asked the other person, a cute girl with a long ponytail and gyaru-style attire, who wrapped her uniform jacket around her waist and gave off a bit of an indecent vibe.

Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki cried out in shock at the sight of the newcomers.

"Hirata!?"

"Even Karuizawa is also come here!?"

Indeed, the man and woman who joined Kushida Kikyou were none other than the center characters of the boys' and girls' groups in Class 1-D: Hirata Yousuke, who ranked second in the handsome boys rankings and was highly acclaimed as a member of the Soccer Club, and Karuizawa Kei, who had great influence in the girls' group and could influence all the gyaru girls in the class.

The reaction of Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki was unsurprising, given that these two were the most popular combination in the class, making the contrast between the two groups stark. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Fang Li silently observed the scene, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.

"Why are you here?" Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki took several steps back, clearly shaken.

Hirata Yousuke and Karuizawa Kei had different reactions. "I was invited by Kushida-san," Hirata Yousuke said. "She said that I should do something other than club activities occasionally. So I asked the soccer club senpais for advice and came here to meet with everyone. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you."

Despite the negative reactions from Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, Hirata Yousuke remained composed and considerate of their feelings. A person with a sense of justice and a good heart, he was determined to be kind even in the face of hostility.

Karuizawa Kei, on the other hand, was not as polite. "We were invited by Kushida. Don't you have eyes?" she snapped.

In the D-Class, Karuizawa Kei had a reputation for being cute but high-pressure girl. She spent basically all points on clothes, jewelry, and makeup, and was popular with girls but seen as vain by boys. Her intimidating demeanor made Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki feel uncomfortable.

They huddled together with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and whispered, "I didn't expect this trick..." and "Karuizawa is no problem, at least she's cute, but why did Hirata also come?"

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was puzzled by their negativity towards Hirata. "I think Hirata is a very good guy," he said. "Is it really necessary to badmouth him so much?"

Unfortunately, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka didn't realize that sometimes emotional reasons could be more significant than rational ones. Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki are strong example of this notion.

"If there's such a handsome guy, won't our presence be weakened?" Ike Kanji said.

"Girls will only have eyes for Hirata! How are we supposed to stand a chance?" Yamauchi Haruki added.

"Plus, Kushida-chan is here too. If Hirata is around, how will we get any attention?" Ike Kanji continued.

"What if Kushida-chan takes a liking to Hirata? That would be an unfortunate event," Yamauchi Haruki fretted. Their agitation was evident, leaving Ayanokoji Kiyotaka tongue-tied.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka tried to ease their concerns. "But, from what I know, Hirata is already going out with Karuizawa, right?"

In other words, Hirata Yousuke already has a girlfriend, so they don't need to worry about other girls being interested in him. Unfortunately...

"So you're saying it's fine just because his girlfriend is here? Is there any guarantee?" Ike Kanji countered. "And looking at Karuizawa like that, she must have had all sorts of guys in middle school. I'd choose cute Kushida-chan over that used, dirty gyaru any day!" Yamauchi Haruki agreed, making a commotion that would be loud if anyone else heard it.

Fang Li watched this scene and felt relieved that he hadn't formed a deep connection with these guys. "No wonder these two are unpopular," he thought. Their behavior was terrible, and their thoughts were filthy. They were simply driven by their desires. Although they weren't wrong, they were so shameless that they deserved to be unpopular.

This made Kushida Kikyou a little uneasy. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked cautiously.

The whispering Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, who heard her talking , straighten their backs and quickly shake their heads. "No, Kushida-chan did nothing wrong!" they exclaimed loudly.

"Since it was Kushida-chan's invitation, there's no problem!" they added.

Kushida Kikyou was relieved and clapped her hands. "Alright, let's go!" she said, and the group set off towards the Keyaki Mall.