29 Chapter 29 – Honami Ichinose

"Ah?" Ishizaki was completely taken aback, never expecting Yukio to go to such lengths for him, his loyal subordinate. He was immensely touched and silently vowed to go through fire and water for Yukio, without hesitation.

However, under Yukio's urging, Ishizaki winced in pain due to his facial injury and shook his head, finally refusing: "No need, Yukio-san. This small matter isn't worth it. To waste the contract that can heavily hit Class D at a critical moment for this, I just can't accept it in my heart."

"And about the fight, Sudo and I were just in a fair one-on-one. Even if it was a draw, or even if... Of course, Yukio-san, this is just a hypothetical situation, even if I lost, I don't see it as a big deal."

"Fighting always has wins and losses. To me, it's all part of life. To win this time and lose the next, that's how it goes. Resorting to underhanded tactics like ambushing or other forms of revenge... seems a bit... you know..."

Towards the end, Ishizaki seemed hesitant to continue, but Yukio understood him. Ishizaki was simply too proud to stoop to such tactics.

That might be a special mindset of a delinquent like Ishizaki. To have a proper fight and then go snitch to the teachers? Or to seek revenge after a fair draw? That's not his style.

Ryuen, with his hands in his pockets, followed behind, shaking his head in disdain: "What's the need for face? Isn't it sweet to just ambush and beat him up in the dark?"

Albert silently stood behind, not commenting, but felt a bit disappointed internally. If he had the chance to confront Sudo, he was sure to win.

"You don't understand, Ryuen-san," Ishizaki said, a bit embarrassed, before turning nervously to see Yukio's reaction. Ryuen's opinion didn't matter as much as what his boss thought.

"Alright then," said Yukio, indifferent to the minor skirmish. He didn't care for such trivial matters and casually inquired, "You weren't caught or seen by surveillance, right?"

That detail was important. Even a small oversight at Advanced Nurturing High School could lead to consequences.

"Of course, I was careful about that," Ishizaki boasted, taking credit for Sudo's suggestion to fight in a spot free from surveillance: "Sudo and I fought in a small woods next to the No. 2 gym, and we checked thoroughly. There were no cameras or witnesses."

Hearing that they were not seen or caught on surveillance, everyone was relieved and ready to head back. However, they were halted by two students calling out from behind: "Please wait a moment, members of Class C."

Yukio turned around to see a radiantly sunny girl accompanied by a young man with purple short hair. The girl had long, dreamlike golden-powder hair that flowed down to her waist, creating an impression of cascading golden waterfalls. Her cheerful demeanor, delicate features, and snow-white skin almost made her seem like a divine creation.

She wore the red school uniform jacket, which accentuated her mature figure, and her white blouse and pleated skirt added to her pure yet captivating appearance.

Her complex yet harmonious aura was so striking that, if she were in a film, she might be mistaken for the offspring of an angel and a demon.

Ryuen, suspecting Yukio might not know them, whispered, "That's Ichinose Honami, Class B's leader. She's basically to Class B what you are to Class C, and she's extremely popular throughout the grade." 

He added, "The guy with her is Kanzaki Ryuji, her right-hand man, well-rounded in both academics and physical abilities."

"Oh?" Yukio, intrigued, waited for Ichinose and Kanzaki, jokingly nudging Ryuen, "Couldn't you just say Kanzaki is to you in Class C what Ichinose is to me in Class B?"

Ryuen, visibly dissatisfied with the comparison, clicked his tongue, helpless.

Yukio then shifted his focus to Ichinose. He had heard from his classmates that Class B was highly united under her leadership, a tough nut to crack. His classmates had often tried to provoke Class B but couldn't make much headway with Ichinose.

Furthermore, Yukio had learned that Class A seemed divided but remained aloof from Class C's constant provocations, resembling stereotypical bookworms.

Class B's most interesting feature, as observed by many, was that they were the only first-year class to establish a complete class officer system, elected by the students of Class B, to manage various duties.

It was puzzling to many – were they playing house or truly experiencing youthful school life? The behaviors of Class B were in stark contrast with the harsh educational policies of Advanced Nurturing High School.

Yukio thought that only through direct interaction could he understand what kind of person Ichinose truly was – whether her class's out-of-place behavior was a calculated act to deceive other classes or if Ichinose was genuinely naïve, innocently committed to a cheerful school life.

Or perhaps Ichinose is genuinely naive and simple, not at all difficult to deal with, steadfastly adhering to a cheerful school life approach like a simpleton.

Now, without even needing a conversation, Yukio almost concluded that it must be the latter. Just a few specific exchanges should confirm it with 99% certainty.

After all, eyes are hard to deceive. And the eyes of this student, Ichinose, were so pure and flawless, devoid of any shadows, like a great angel stepping into the human world, inherently kind-hearted, capable of treating everyone well.

Such a character easily reminded Yukio of the 'little angel' from Class D, Kushida. However, Kushida's kind of goodness seemed suspicious at first glance.

Ichinose's demeanor, on the other hand, seemed exceptionally natural. If compared, one could easily conclude that even among angels, there are differences.

In the brief moment of thought, Ichinose and Kanzaki had already approached the people of Class C. Kanzaki was somewhat cautious, fearing that the ruffians of Class C might get rough.

In contrast, Ichinose was carefree, seemingly trusting that the people of Class C wouldn't lay a hand on her. "Hello, you might already know, but let me introduce myself anyway. I am Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B."

"Excuse me, the student with the injury on his face, did you have some conflict with Sudo from Class D?"

Yukio and Ryuen both looked calmly at Ichinose, unfazed even by her sudden question.

Ishizaki was quite surprised, and Albert gave Ishizaki a strange look as if to say, "Didn't you claim no one noticed? It took less than a minute for them to come to us."

***

300 power stones = 1 extra chapter