Looking at the blank sheet of paper Shizuka Hiratsuka had placed on the desk, Hachiman Hikigaya stared at Ren with a gaze called "shock."
For real?
Ren might be unaware of how high Shizuka Hiratsuka's combat power was since he had just transferred, but Hikigaya knew it well.
Hiratsuka-sensei, whose family owned a dojo, had off-the-charts combat power in terms of martial arts.
Thinking of this, the shock in Hikigaya's eyes turned into pity, as if Ren was about to be sent flying by an enraged Hiratsuka in the next moment.
At the same time, Hikigaya rejoiced inwardly. Luckily, Ren is here to take the bullet for me today. Otherwise, I might be the one getting beaten up later.
Without a hint of guilt, Ren picked up the blank paper on the desk and pointed to the water stain on it. "Hiratsuka-sensei, this is my understanding of youth."
"Oh? Please begin your sophistry."
Seeing Ren's utterly unpanicked demeanor, Hiratsuka became interested. She leaned back, shifting into a more comfortable position.
"What is youth? Youth can be anything. It can be this blank sheet of paper itself, or it can be the breeze brushing across the surface of the paper."
"This puddle of water I deliberately spilled on the white paper is the sweat wantonly shed by students in their youth on the playground."
"It is the tears of joy from getting into an ideal university, and the tears of pain from experiencing failure while holding one's head."
"It can also be the bodily fluids left behind by young men and women due to hormonal impulses."
"Are these not all youth?"
Ren explained the meaning of the water stain on the white paper to Hiratsuka with a straight face. By the end, the corners of Hiratsuka's mouth were twitching.
Bodily fluids left by hormonal impulses? This brat really dares to say anything.
Click—
A lively little flame jumped out of the lighter, igniting the cigarette placed above it.
Feeling stifled, Hiratsuka took a deep drag on the cigarette in her hand and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. "Brat, you're really good at twisting words."
After dispelling the annoyance in her heart, Hiratsuka crushed the remaining cigarette in the ashtray and looked at Ren calmly.
"Tell me, how did this water stain accidentally get on there?"
"This is my understanding of youth."
"I'll pass your essay this time."
"I shook it onto the paper when I was drying my hair after a shower last night."
Die!!!
After extracting the truth she wanted to hear from Ren's mouth, Hiratsuka threw an iron fist at Ren, excitedly chanting, "Eat my fist!"
Ren caught Hiratsuka's fist steadily with his left hand, his tone indifferent. "Sensei, do you call this a duel?"
Advancing half a step, Ren clenched his right hand into a fist and swung it towards Hiratsuka's abdomen.
An explosive sound, like a bowstring snapping, rang out in the space. It was a perfect short-range body blow.
Ren didn't press the attack; he stood still. "Hiratsuka-sensei, courtesy demands reciprocity."
Cough... cough cough...
Taking Ren's punch to the abdomen, Hiratsuka, sitting in her office chair, slid back several steps along with the chair until she hit the wall.
"Not bad, kid. It seems you're good at more than just talking."
Hiratsuka lifted her shirt without any taboo, revealing the abs she had developed through long-term training.
A slightly reddish fist imprint appeared on Hiratsuka's fair abdomen.
"Brat, there's some ointment in my drawer. Get it for me."
Feeling the burning sensation from the fist mark, Hiratsuka frowned and ordered Ren.
Shrugging innocently, Ren opened the drawer, found the ointment Hiratsuka mentioned, and tossed it to her.
Hiratsuka didn't stand on ceremony. She took the ointment, unscrewed the cap, and applied it directly to her abdomen, completely unbothered by the presence of the two male students.
"I say, Hiratsuka-sensei, couldn't you wait until we left to apply it?"
Ren was speechless. His homeroom teacher was a bit too carefree.
"What? Afraid it'll hurt your eyes?"
After applying it, Hiratsuka pulled down her clothes and teased Ren.
"No... it's just that your training is pretty average. It looks awkward to me."
While Hiratsuka and Ren were engaged in a verbal battle, Hikigaya, as the third party, was completely dumbfounded.
What did I just see?
Hiratsuka-sensei, known for her Iron Fist of Justice, was forced back by the new transfer student?
Hikigaya began to doubt life.
"Um... if there's nothing else for me, can I leave?" Hikigaya said sheepishly.
On this battlefield of only three people, Hikigaya felt that as the one with the lowest combat power, it was necessary to run first out of respect.
Die!
Hiratsuka's fist grazed past Hikigaya's ear. Listening to the wind of the fist ringing in his ear, Hikigaya sweated profusely.
Yamete, Hiratsuka-sensei.
Just because you can't beat that transfer student doesn't mean you have to take it out on me. I'm innocent.
Hikigaya complained frantically in his heart.
Firelight appeared in the office once again. Hiratsuka flicked the ash into the ashtray before speaking about the purpose of calling the two of them today.
"You two don't seem to have joined any clubs yet, right?"
Hiratsuka had known Hikigaya since his first year and had also paid close attention to this problem child.
Feeling the time was about right, Hiratsuka planned to throw Hikigaya into the Service Club for proper reform.
As for Ren, Hiratsuka originally just wanted to see if this transfer student had any major issues she needed to watch out for in the future.
Now it seemed... his problems were even bigger than Hikigaya's. It was necessary to throw him into the Service Club along with Hikigaya.
"I did. I am a member of the great Going Home Club," Hikigaya retorted quickly.
After school, one should go home and enjoy life, not stay at school miserably participating in meaningless social interactions.
Having been a member of the Going Home Club for a year, how could Hikigaya do as Hiratsuka wished?
Unfortunately, Hikigaya had no right to choose.
When Hiratsuka punched the top of his head, Hikigaya surrendered directly.
"Katsuragi, what about you?"
After dealing with Hikigaya, Hiratsuka turned her gaze to Ren, the troublemaker.
To deal with Hikigaya, Hiratsuka could use force directly.
Facing Ren, a student whose combat power was higher than her own, Hiratsuka had to think carefully about what to do.
"No. I don't feel I need to join any club either."
If this world had a stat panel, Ren believed he would definitely be a top-tier character with maxed-out stats.
Ren wasn't interested in school clubs meant to develop students' hobbies and interests.
Staring at the contemplative Hiratsuka with dead fish eyes, a hint of a different expression appeared in Hikigaya's lifeless eyes.
It was a look of envy. Hikigaya envied Ren for not being threatened by Hiratsuka's force.
Recalling Ren's various behaviors after transferring to Sobu, Hiratsuka deliberated for a moment. "What if that club is very interesting?"
"Very interesting?"
"Very interesting."
Although Ren didn't understand why Hiratsuka-sensei was so persistent in making him join a club, if it was truly interesting as she said...
"Then I have to go see it."
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