She had only intended to take the opportunity to tease Kaoru and vent her earlier frustrations.
Yet, at this moment, Amasawa Ichika felt something lodged in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
It was like joking about wanting a young, attractive, and wealthy woman who only had eyes for her, only to have a friend look shocked and say they had just married such a woman.
Wait, are you for real?
This was Amasawa Ichika's current state—slightly rattled, though not truly broken.
She just felt somewhat stifled.
She wasn't so fragile as to be completely undone by this; at most, it was a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton.
She had just made her move, and Kaoru had countered from an unexpected angle, leaving her utterly taken aback.
So, it wasn't that she was genuinely broken.
She had indeed wanted Kaoru to pity her, but it was all an act—it didn't mean she actually wanted his sympathy or comfort.
Amasawa Ichika bit her lip.
Even though she had intended it this way, her mood had inexplicably turned sour.
"Senpai, can I hit you right now?"
"I pity you, and you still want to hit me?"
"Because I feel deeply disappointed in you, Senpai. Aside from teasing girls, you don't seem to have any particularly remarkable qualities."
Watching Amasawa Ichika puff out her cheeks, Kaoru found it somewhat amusing and couldn't help but ask.
"In what areas should I be remarkable?"
"Everyone says you're the second Nagumo-senpai, that you want to declare war on the entire school and are waiting for someone to defeat you."
Amasawa Ichika said, "I've seen the class rankings for the second years. Your class is indeed impressive, but some say it has nothing to do with you—that you just lucked into the student council president position."
"It's their good fortune that I'm not in Class D."
Kaoru smiled faintly, "At least being in Class A proves I'm a natural genius. If I were in Class D, I'd probably prove a lot of people wrong."
"Senpai, you're so arrogant. No wonder you called yourself the Apex during the entrance ceremony."
Amasawa Ichika clicked her tongue in amazement, then shifted her tone, "But, Senpai, are you planning to thoroughly prove these people wrong? Is that why you're inviting everyone to challenge you?"
"Do you have such thoughts too, Amasawa-san?" Kaoru asked.
"Doesn't everyone have that feeling? When you see such an arrogant guy, being able to resist teaching him a lesson is truly this."
Amasawa Ichika raised her thumb, though it was unclear who she was praising. "I can't do it. Right now, my mind is full of thoughts about how to punch my senior."
"So I should thank you for resisting the impulse to hit me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kaoru felt someone kick him under the table.
He exchanged a glance with Amasawa Ichika, who let out a deep sigh.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I ended up hitting you."
Kaoru remained expressionless. Maybe next time he should hit her instead?
"Senior is thinking about something disgusting, isn't he?"
Amasawa Ichika narrowed her eyes. "I can see right through you now. However, I don't think senior can handle us."
Unlike her earlier gritted-teeth expression, she now radiated complete confidence, which surprised Kaoru.
"Senpai, you actually know, don't you?"
Amasawa Ichika stared intently at Kaoru.
"You know where I come from."
Although she had initially intended to tease Kaoru, his reaction made Amasawa Ichika sense something unusual.
Escape.
This word carried implications.
Most people would instinctively think about whether they could reconcile with their parents or express their thoughts to them.
Yet Kaoru's response was to escape quickly, as if he didn't care whether she had parents or not.
Unless Kaoru truly understood her situation.
"It's not strange that I know. What's strange is that you know nothing about me."
Kaoru showed little surprise. "Didn't you get any intelligence before coming here?"
She had expected him to be shocked that she could discover this in such a short time, but his calm reaction made Amasawa Ichika feel like her efforts were wasted.
"It seems senpai understands our situation well, but you're overconfident about yourself."
Amasawa Ichika snorted coldly. "Someone like you only has one page in the intelligence reports, filled entirely with content about you seducing women."
She had said it casually, but to her surprise, Kaoru showed a genuinely surprised expression.
"So there really is intelligence about me. It seems you had thorough understanding of everyone from the start."
"..."
Amasawa Ichika closed her mouth. She felt like she had been tricked into revealing information.
"So, are you planning to lay your cards on the table now?"
Kaoru remained composed.
He didn't even need to investigate Yagami Takuya anymore - it was clear the other side had seen Kushida Kikyo's files.
"You could say that, though I was just asking casually. I didn't expect senior to actually know about my past."
Amasawa Ichika asked with a cheerful smile, "Did you challenge us during the entrance ceremony because you knew about our existence?"
Although Kaoru had considered this, she was being rather presumptuous.
However, Amasawa Ichika seemed to interpret his silence as confirmation, smiling even more brightly.
"You scared me. Now I can rest easy."
The girl pressed her hand to her chest. "You really almost made my heart skip a beat earlier. It's the first time someone has spoken my true thoughts. If senpai weren't a liar, my fondness for you would reach the heavens!"
As she spoke, Amasawa Ichika patted her chest as if still shaken by lingering fear, then suddenly remembered that Kaoru was watching her.
Abruptly, her cheeks flushed with bashfulness.
Her smooth shoulders were exposed, creating a pitifully charming impression that easily stirred men's protective instincts.
"You really want to leave that place?" Kaoru asked.
"Tsk tsk tsk, senpai, the same tricks won't work on me!"
Amasawa Ichika crossed her arms over her chest, as if that could block Kaoru.
"Are you planning to convince me to stay here longer and enjoy my high school life, so you can take advantage of your cute kouhai?"
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Since i can find the raw, ill post a new cote fic i guess, this time the mc gonna be a teacher instead of student