Chapter 80: Shiina: I Was Worrying for Nothing

While Ryuen was lost in thought, Kanda Shuichi started eating and even made sure to serve food to Shiina.

"If you want to make it to A-Class, the biggest obstacle isn't us in D-Class, or B-Class with Ichinose, but A-Class, where Sakayanagi is. 

Though I don't know what benefit you got from her last time that made you choose to self-destruct with B-Class, but this way, you're only going to fall further behind A-Class, right?"

"You even know about that?"

Ryuen squinted his eyes and stared at Kanda Shuichi.

"How obvious can it be?" Kanda Shuichi said, speechless. "Class B may seem united and strong, but its weaknesses are just as obvious. It's nothing to be afraid of. The real problem is Sakayanagi, who treats people like pawns."

"So you want to team up with me to take down Class A first?" Ryuen's face curled into a cold smile.

"If necessary, I'll even involve Class B," Kanda Shuichi replied, also wearing a similar smile.

Seeing the two of them grinning like that, Shiina Hiyori suddenly realized that her worries were unnecessary. They were completely the same type of person!

So, the meal went on somewhat harmoniously. Ryuen and Kanda Shuichi agreed that they could cooperate on the upcoming exams during the summer break, and until then, they wouldn't trouble Class D.

Kanda Shuichi also promised not to accuse Ryuen of false charges over this matter. This was, after all, the real reason Ryuen had invited him over today.

If things had gone the other way, Ryuen's class would have likely lost the lawsuit, leading to a situation where their class points would drop to nearly zero, and they'd spiral out of control, possibly causing a massive collapse.

By that time, the four first-year classes might all end up suffering.

To avoid such a ridiculous situation, Kanda Shuichi agreed to Ryuen's invitation and even made sure to get a little extra out of him.

Neither of them wanted a mutual loss, so they figured, "Let Class A suffer, since they have so many points left."

In the end, they agreed on the cooperation plan.

And in fact, Class D couldn't file a counterclaim either. Although it was true that they had been provoked, Sudou had still been the one to throw the first punch.

If they went through with a counterclaim, they could end up in a situation like Class C, where things would get awkward for them too.

Moreover, their goal was simply to get through the crisis, with no intention of complicating things further.

How cowardly...

The most frustrating part was their boring sense of righteousness.

So old-fashioned...

And most importantly, if those people found out about the opportunity, they might get overconfident and fall right into Ryuen's trap.

Making Sudou hold back for a week was already the limit. There was no way to drag things out any longer, so the sooner this issue was dealt with, the better.

Therefore, even if someone wanted to use this chance to take a shot at Ryuen, Kanda Shuichi would stop them.

It's best to know when to stop. Getting carried away is the worst mistake.

As for Ryuen, through this meal, he had raised the danger level of Class D by more than just a notch. Initially, he thought it was just a bunch of useless students, but he hadn't expected someone like Kanda Shuichi to be there.

As someone like himself (or at least how Ryuen saw it), Ryuen knew how much damage someone like Kanda Shuichi could do. So, if he didn't eliminate Kanda Shuichi first, getting revenge later would certainly cause a lot more trouble.

Therefore, before he had absolute confidence in defeating Kanda Shuichi, Ryuen didn't see the point in continuing to test him. He decided to hold off for now.

And Kanda Shuichi was right: Class D still had fewer than 100 points. They could try to work together to take down the far-ahead Class A first.

In this school, being the strongest didn't automatically guarantee being in Class A. To hold that position, a class had to be stronger than the combined strength of the other three classes.

Otherwise, the spot in Class A would never be stable until the final showdown.

Even with all his arrogance, Ryuen knew he couldn't defeat three classes working together. So, for now, he planned to stir the pot, close the gap between them, and when the final battle came, they'd all fight for themselves and he'd try to take advantage of the chaos.

"When it comes to life and death, every class has a chance, and that definitely means we can't cooperate again!"

...

It was 9 AM on Saturday. Because the weather was so hot, Kanda Shuichi put on a breathable ice silk short-sleeve shirt and fitted long pants before heading out.

Today was the day he had planned to accompany Kushida and Sakura to repair her camera, and they had agreed to meet in the dormitory lobby on the first floor.

To be honest, Kanda Shuichi felt really guilty about Sakura. In the end, this incident had nothing to do with her, yet she had been dragged into it, and on top of that, her beloved camera had been broken.

Although Kushida had clearly offered to cover the repair costs, that didn't mean the situation hadn't caused trouble for her.

The meeting point was the dormitory lobby on the first floor.

Kanda Shuichi was the first one to arrive. He disliked being late, so whenever he made plans, he always arrived early. Even if sometimes the other person's lateness drove him crazy, he still made it a habit to arrive ahead of time.

Today, Kanda Shuichi ran into someone he hadn't seen for days, Kamuro Masumi.

"Long time no see, Kamuro."

"Oh, you're still alive."

When Kamuro heard Kanda's greeting, he looked over. His mood, which had been relatively calm, immediately darkened, and then he said something that could choke a person.

"What nonsense are you talking? How could I let you die before I rub your face in the ground?"

Kanda Shuichi froze for a moment, then immediately countered, "Is that from the body that got knocked out with one punch?"

Looking at the condescending look on Kamuro's face, Kanda Shuichi's brow twitched several times, then he rubbed his forehead.

Why does it feel like this guy is mad at me? Kanda Shuichi raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, completely puzzled.

The last time we studied together, the atmosphere was pretty good, wasn't it? Why is it suddenly like this now?

Then, Kanda Shuichi thought of a possibility, one that even he could hardly believe.

"Kamuro, you..."

Kanda Shuichi leaned closer to Kamuro, and in the blink of an eye, their faces were less than 10 cm apart.

Being so close, Kamuro could hear Kanda Shuichi's breath, making his heart race, but his face remained calm.

"Are you worried about me?"

"Who's worried about you? Even if you die, it has nothing to do with me." Kamuro stubbornly turned his head away, unwilling to meet Kanda Shuichi's gaze.

"Then why can't you look me in the eye while saying that?" Kanda Shuichi's eyes were filled with amusement. "But I'm happy, there's nothing more satisfying than having a loyal dog worry about me."

Upon hearing Kanda Shuichi's words, Kamuro's breath became noticeably more hurried, and his chest visibly rose and fell more quickly.

"Ah, Kanda, long time no see."

At that moment, Kanda Shuichi frowned when he heard a voice from a distance.

Damn, that white-haired loli, why are you everywhere? Can't you see I'm having fun here?

"Please don't bully Masumi."

Looking toward the voice, Sakayanagi Arisu, wearing a white spaghetti-strap dress, had a different, more casual feel compared to usual.

Her usual gray beret was replaced with a large white round hat, and she wasn't wearing her usual white stockings.

Is she wearing a hat every day to hide the fact that she's bald?

Also, did this guy get shorter?

"Ah, really? By the way, did you get shorter?"

Kanda Shuichi showed his consistency here, being the same inside and out.

When Kanda Shuichi spoke, the smile on Sakayanagi Arisu's face froze for a moment, and her grip on her cane tightened.

In the next moment, her eyes, full of killing intent, locked onto Kanda Shuichi.

"If it weren't impossible, I'd love to break your legs with my cane and let you see the same view I have," she said.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't say such creepy things with a smile on your face," Kanda Shuichi rolled his eyes and suddenly realized something.

"Wait, have I gotten taller?"

Kanda Shuichi muttered to himself as he looked at Kamuro, who snorted and turned her head away, clearly not wanting to deal with him.

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