Chapter 362 Yagami: I'm Going to Manipulate Kushida-senpai!
A new day.
"Kei, how was last night?"
At the bottom of the dormitory building, Matsushita Chiaki and Sato Maya leaned in curiously.
"What do you mean 'how was it'......"
Karuizawa Kei's tone was flat, carrying a hint of perfunctory dismissal.
"Don't play dumb. Did you 'eat'?"
Sato Maya winked excitedly.
"I ate."
Karuizawa Kei nodded.
"Eh?! For real!!"
Matsushita Chiaki's eyes widened in total shock.
"What are you guys thinking? I'm saying, I devoured an entire English textbook!"
Karuizawa Kei curled her lip and let out a huffed retort.
"What? You had such a rare opportunity to stay in Hikigaya-kun's room, and you actually just studied all night?"
There was a hint of "disappointment in a friend's lack of progress" in Matsushita Chiaki's voice.
"Don't even mention it... My brain was stuffed with rubbish(said in English)!" Karuizawa Kei held her head in her hands, looking like she'd lost all will to live.
"Pfft! It's the first time I've heard Kei speak English; it feels pretty funny."
Sato Maya covered her lips, unable to stop herself from giggling.
"It seems you really did take teaching them seriously."
Horikita Suzune walked over slowly, her narrow eyes filled with scrutiny as she shot a sideways glance at Hikigaya.
"Otherwise? What did you think I'd do?"
Hikigaya yawned.
"If you could stay serious like that all the time, you'd be a very excellent man."
"If I were always that serious, how would I have ended up being ridden by you... Mmph!"
Before he could finish, Horikita suddenly reached out and clamped her hand over his mouth. The tips of her ears turned red instantly as she glared at him in a fit of embarrassed rage: "What kind of nonsense are you talking?!"
Afraid to admit what you've done, huh?
Just as Hikigaya was about to call her "Lady Knight" under his breath, he caught sight of Kushida Kikyo out of the corner of his eye. He shut his mouth immediately to avoid triggering her "Yasha" persona.
"Humph!"
Horikita naturally noticed Kushida as well, but after looking at the girl's face, a flicker of suspicion crossed her eyes. Normally, if Kushida saw Hikigaya talking to her, she would have rushed over to force herself into the conversation. Today, she seemed exceptionally subdued.
Kushida Kikyo appeared somewhat listless. When others greeted her, she only offered a hollow, fake smile.
Hikigaya frowned.
He had long since noticed Kushida's recent abnormality and had asked her about it privately a few times.
Each time, however, Kushida had brushed it off with a laugh. Since she wanted to keep it hidden, he couldn't very well force her secrets out of her.
.
.
.
Morning classes ended. During the lunch break, everyone in Class D gathered to chatter about the upcoming exam.
"What should we do?"
"I heard most students from other classes have already found partners."
"Our class hasn't even finished half!"
"The key is that as time goes on, the remaining high-achieving first-years will probably get even scarcer!"
"Kushida-san, can you help me?"
Facing difficulty, the students of Class D immediately thought of the "kind and considerate little angel," Kushida.
"Kushida-san, are you listening?"
"Ah... sorry, I was thinking about something else just now."
"Oh oh, let me tell you... could I ask you to talk to the first-years and convince one of them to partner with me?"
Go to hell!!
Kushida cursed violently in her mind, yet she was forced to maintain a friendly expression on her face.
"Well, I can go try, but I can't guarantee success."
"That's a huge help!"
Just then, a stranger appeared at the classroom door.
"Um, excuse me, is Kushida-senpai here?"
Everyone looked toward the voice and saw a boy with short brown hair who looked quite handsome.
"Hey, hey~ that boy is a first-year, right?"
"What a handsome kouhai!"
The girls of Class D cast curious glances one after another.
"Kouhai, do you need something from me?"
Kushida looked blank, not recognizing the person at all.
"This is great! I didn't expect to run into Kushida-senpai here!"
the boy's eyes lit up, and he walked into the classroom with excitement.
"I almost forgot to introduce myself... I'm Yagami Takuya, a student from Class 1-B.
Kushida-senpai, we went to the same middle school. Don't you remember me?"
The kouhai named Yagami Takuya approached Kushida with great familiarity.
Kushida's pupils contracted, but she controlled her expression well, forcing a friendly smile: "Ah~ so it's Yagami-kun. I remember you."
"Kikyo-chan, is he an acquaintance from your old middle school?"
Wang Mei-Yu asked curiously.
"Yes, though we barely interacted..."
I don't have a damn clue who he is! In middle school, she had caused the entire grade to collapse; when would she have had time to care about the lower classmen?
Dammit! I can't show weakness! I have to steady him first! Class 1-B... this guy must have good grades.
"Yagami-kun is very smart, so I have an impression of him..."
Kushida lied through her teeth without changing her expression.
"I'm truly honored to be in the same school as the senpai I admire so much!"
Yagami continued his fervent flattery. In the past, Kushida might have been happy, but right now she was distracted and could only respond with an awkward smile.
"Horikita-san, do you know Yagami?"
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka suddenly turned to ask: "You and Kushida-san are from the same middle school, right?"
"Don't strike up a conversation with me so suddenly, Ayanokouji-kun." Horikita Suzune frowned at him.
"I'm collecting information." Ayanokouji stared at Yagami with a deep gaze.
"I don't know. I don't recognize him." Horikita folded her arms across her chest. "At the time, I had no interest in anything other than my studies, including Kushida-san."
"I'm really honored to go to the same high school as the senpai I admire!"
Yagami proactively extended his palm. "Although it's abrupt, I'd like to invite Kushida-senpai to be my partner for the special exam."
Who wants to team up with a guy of unknown origin like you!
Kushida's heart was in a panic. On one hand, she feared he knew the secrets of her past; on the other, she feared he would blackmail her. She could only decline politely: "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? With your grades, Yagami-kun, it might be more beneficial to team up with someone more excellent..."
"No! I only want to team up with Kushida-senpai!
Because I've been watching you since middle school!"
The words sounded a bit greasy, but coming from a handsome kouhai, they didn't provoke disgust.
"Wow~ is it a crush?"
"A cute kouhai who admires Kushida~" A few girls in Class D began to tease in low voices.
Kushida grit her teeth, her facial expression nearly cracking. Yagami saying he had "always been watching her" was equivalent to telling her he knew her dark history. It was a blatant threat!
The corner of Yagami's mouth curled. He thought to himself: Kushida Kikyo, student of Toyonozaki Private Middle School. During middle school, she was discovered venting negative information about classmates on a private blog and suffered severe bullying. To protect herself, she exposed the secrets of the entire class at once, causing mutual hatred, a student strike, and a serious school crisis.
This was the student profile data he had obtained from Tsukishiro after entering the Advanced Nurturing High School. Yagami was disguising himself as her kouhai to hide his White Room identity while also intending to manipulate her into becoming his spy in Class 2-D!
As expected, just by revealing a little information, Kushida-senpai got scared!
"I want to establish a relationship of trust with Kushida-senpai. Please, you must team up with me."
Just as Yagami was about to go a step further and grab Kushida's hands—
Suddenly, a hand-chop swung down!
It struck Yagami's palm away.
"!!!"
Before he could react, a mid-level side kick swept toward him!
Yagami's eyes turned cold. He was about to counter-attack, but when his peripheral vision caught Ayanokouji observing him in secret, he immediately stopped his counter-move.
"!"
Yagami took the kick squarely. His body slammed against the wall, and he fell clumsily to the ground.
"Eh?..."
Everyone looked at the attacker in shock—it was Hikigaya.
"..."
Kushida stared at him blankly, a flicker of "being saved" emerging in the depths of her eyes.
"Hikigaya, what are you doing?
Attacking a first-year kouhai out of nowhere!" Hirata Yosuke denounced him with righteous indignation.
"Didn't you see? This guy was harassing Kikyo." Hikigaya responded without changing his expression.
"Harassment? ... He was just catching up normally, wasn't he?" Hirata's brow furrowed, seemingly unable to comprehend why Hikigaya would suddenly resort to violence.
"Just because they're from the same middle school? Kikyo said herself she has no interaction with this guy.
This brat shamelessly forced himself over and even tried to touch Kikyo's hand. If that's not harassment, what is?"
Hikigaya was perfectly composed and didn't forget to incite the others: "Tell me, doesn't this pretty-boy kouhai have improper intentions toward Kikyo?"
"Yes!"
"Hikigaya is right!"
"I think this kid is a closet pervert!"
The boys of Class D immediately chimed in.
Handsome kouhai? Get lost!
"See? The eyes of the masses are sharp." Hikigaya shrugged.
"...."
Hirata was suddenly speechless.
Yagami's eyes flickered, and then he put on a wronged expression: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend Kushida-senpai... I just wanted to work hard with her to pass..."
"Stop acting, Yagami Takuya!
The rumors of you being a 'Human Walking Cannon' back at Toyonozaki Private Middle School have already spread!!
Not only did you get a classmate pregnant, but you also went after older teachers—you didn't even spare the boys!!!"
Hikigaya spoke with total confidence, fabricating the lies at high speed.
"You, you're lying...!" Yagami was filled with indignation.
He had lived in the White Room since he was a child and had never even been in a relationship. Where did this "Human Walking Cannon" come from?
"This... Hikigaya-senpai, I remember you weren't from Toyonozaki Middle School, right?
On what basis do you say such outrageous things!"
Yagami's brain carefully recalled the student records he had read. At the time, Tsukishiro had warned him to keep an eye on "Hikigaya Hachiman." However, he had been so focused on taking down Ayanokouji that he hadn't been interested in anyone else.
"Of course I have a basis!
My childhood friend... her name is... Kato Kei. Yes, because of her parents' job transfer, she moved to Toyonozaki. We keep in touch online often, so I know all about your scandals, Yagami!"
Hikigaya spoke with such conviction that it sounded highly credible. However, when he got to the "childhood friend" part, several sharp gazes in the class pinned themselves onto him.
"I, I didn't..." Yagami's face turned from blue to white. For a moment, he couldn't think of how to refute it. After all, his identity as a "Toyonozaki student" was fabricated in the first place.
Hikigaya had banked on exactly that.
You make things up? I'll make things up too! Just a short story—a specialty for a humanities student!
"Alright, both sides calm down." Hirata stepped in to end the topic.
He wasn't stupid; from the abnormal reactions of Hikigaya and Yagami, he realized that both of them were likely not telling the truth.
Yagami opened his mouth: "Kushida-senpai..."
"Please don't appear in front of me again, Yagami-kun." Kushida regained her composure. She took a deep breath and then took the opportunity to grab Hikigaya's arm: "I'm afraid Hachiman-kun will misunderstand."
"Waa—!"
The students of Class D were in an uproar. Although everyone could more or less see Kushida's favor toward Hikigaya before this, this was the first time she had publicly acknowledged it!
This move was equivalent to Kushida discarding her "everyone's little angel" persona.
Yagami's face became incredibly gloomy. Because of Kushida's stance, his plan to use her dark history to manipulate her had ended in failure!
Damned landmine woman, you dare reject me? Don't think you'll have an easy time at this school either!
"!!!"
Kushida seemed to see the malice in his eyes and instinctively tightened her grip on Hikigaya's hand.
"Yagami, your expression right now is very sinister.
Let me guess what you'll do next... Since you failed to get the beautiful senpai, aren't you planning to spread malicious rumors and slander?
As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, I won't forgive such actions!"
With one sentence, Hikigaya blocked the other's next move.
The match was decided.
"Hehe... haha!"
Yagami's fist tightened and then relaxed. His distorted expression gradually returned to normal, and then he revealed a strange smile: "This round, I lost.
It seems that the rumors of Hikigaya-senpai being a Great Demon Lord are not groundless."
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