Chapter 222: Do You Like White Hair?
When Sakura Hibiki and the others heard that distinctly elegant, melodic voice, they were all completely stunned.
The rhythmic clanking of iron weights and the steady hum of the treadmills seemed to fade into the background. They turned their heads in unison, their eyes widening at the sight before them.
Standing amidst the heavy machinery of Silverman Gym was a breathtakingly beautiful silver-haired girl. Her flawless, pale skin contrasted sharply with her sleek, obsidian-black gym clothes—a fitted sports bra and high-waisted leggings that perfectly accentuated her slender yet surprisingly generous curves.
Standing rigidly by her side, clutching a water bottle like a lifeline, was a beautiful black-haired girl dressed in a modest, charcoal-gray workout outfit.
However, amidst the group of onlookers, only Sōryūin Akemi didn't turn her head.
She stood absolutely frozen, her athletic body going completely stiff. She knew this person all too well. In a sense, Akemi's deep, instinctual fear of Momobami Kirari was entirely comparable to Sonoko Suzuki's sheer terror whenever the silver-haired girl was in the room.
The moment Sakura Hibiki laid eyes on Kirari, her jaw went slack. "What a graceful girl..." she exclaimed, completely mesmerized by the newcomer's commanding aura.
Kirari's lips curved into a predatory, yet flawlessly polite smile. "Thank you for the compliment," she purred, her icy blue eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.
Her gaze slowly shifted, landing on the trembling figure with her back turned. "But Akemi... aren't you going to say hello to me?"
She then effortlessly flicked her gaze toward the bench press station. "And Ren, I'll talk to you about that exasperated little sigh of yours later."
Ren, sitting relaxed on the bench, merely offered a helpless shrug and didn't say anything to defend himself.
Sōryūin Akemi, realizing she had been called out, slowly turned around. Her usual confident, muscle-obsessed demeanor was nowhere to be found.
"Ah, haha..." Akemi laughed nervously, her voice cracking slightly as a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. "Long time no see, Kirari-nee."
Kirari closed the distance with a slow, deliberate grace, her silent footsteps making her seem like a phantom gliding across the rubber gym floor. She stopped right in front of the taller girl, raised her hand, and gently patted Akemi's head.
"Hmm. What a good child," Kirari smiled, her voice dripping with an older sister's condescending affection.
"Well then, Akemi. You go play to the side first. I have something important to discuss with Ren."
"Oh! Right away!"
Akemi didn't hesitate for a microsecond. She spun on her heel and practically sprinted to the safety of the dumbbell racks, exhaling a massive, trembling breath of relief.
Sakura Hibiki, utterly bewildered by her friend's completely out-of-character submission, jogged over and asked curiously, "Akemi, what's wrong with you? You seem absolutely terrified of that pretty sister!"
Hibiki tilted her head, watching Kirari saunter over to Ren. "This is the first time I've ever seen you act like a scared little mouse~"
Both Gina Boyd and Uehara Ayaka nodded in rapid agreement, gathering around Akemi in a tight, gossiping huddle.
Sōryūin Akemi glanced over her shoulder, making sure Kirari was out of earshot before she leaned in. "Keep your voices down," she whispered urgently. "Her name is Momobami Kirari."
[Akarin's Note: Momobami Kirari is the main antagonist of the Kakegurui series. She is the 105th Student Council President of Hyakkaou Private Academy and the absolute head of the Momobami Clan, a powerful conglomerate of elite families.]
Akemi swallowed hard, her eyes darting back to the silver-haired girl. "She's a very good friend of my older sister, Shion-nee, and she is the absolute head of her family's massive conglomerate."
The three girls leaned in closer, captivated by the tension in Akemi's voice.
"She is terrifyingly intelligent, incredibly decisive, and utterly ruthless when she needs to be," Akemi continued, hugging her own arms. "Technically, she's still a high school student right now, but make no mistake... she is the true, undisputed manager of her school."
Hearing Akemi's grave words, the three little girls all swallowed thickly, the gravity of the situation slowly dawning on them.
Sakura Hibiki blinked her large, innocent eyes, trying to process the information. "So... she's basically a perfect, super-wealthy young lady?" she asked somewhat blankly.
Akemi shook her head grimly. "Even using the word 'wealthy' to describe the Momobami family is a massive understatement."
"It's like saying the ocean is just a little wet. She's not just simply rich... she controls lives."
Gina, brushing a strand of her own silver hair behind her ear, tentatively raised a hand. "Akemi, you just said she's the real power holder of a school. What school lets a student have that much power?"
This was exactly what Sakura Hibiki and Uehara Ayaka wanted to know. The concept was entirely alien to normal high schoolers.
Sōryūin Akemi looked at their innocent faces, her expression darkening as she whispered the forbidden name. "Private Hyakkaou Academy..."
A pair of confused hums escaped Gina and Ayaka simultaneously.
Gina, being a Russian international student whose primary knowledge of Japan came from anime and manga, clearly didn't know the dark rumors of the high society world.
"Hmm? Private Hyakkaou Academy?" Gina asked confusedly, scratching her cheek.
"Is there anything strange about it? Why did you say it like it's a haunted house?"
Hearing Gina's naive question, Sakura Hibiki immediately grabbed the Russian girl by the collar, pulling her into a desperate, whispered crash-course of popular science.
"Gina, listen to me!" Hibiki hissed frantically. "That school is crazy!"
"It's an elite academy for the ultra-rich, but grades and sports don't matter at all! Everything is decided by high-stakes gambling!"
Hibiki's eyes were wide with secondhand terror as she recounted the urban legends. "If you lose too much money, you don't just get expelled."
"You get branded as a 'Housepet'! They hang tags around your neck and treat you like a literal animal with zero human rights!"
As the girls descended into a spiral of whispered horror stories, the scene on the other side of the gym was vastly different.
Ren was chatting quite happily with Kirari. Or, more accurately, Kirari was in an exceptionally wonderful mood, thoroughly enjoying her time with him.
[Akarin's Note: Igarashi Sayaka is Momobami Kirari's fiercely loyal secretary. She is deeply infatuated with Kirari, dedicating her entire existence to serving and protecting the Student Council President.]
With Igarashi Sayaka watching respectfully from a few paces away, Kirari stepped gracefully in front of Ren. She spun around on the balls of her feet in a slow, tantalizing pirouette.
The sheer black fabric of her leggings hugged every curve of her hips and thighs, while the sports bra left her toned midriff completely exposed to the cool gym air.
Kirari stopped, framing her hips with her hands, and flashed him a radiant, devastating smile. "Do I look good?"
"Yes, of course," Ren replied without missing a beat, his eyes sweeping over her form with unhidden appreciation. "I've never once denied your beauty."
"But Kirari, why did you suddenly decide to start working out? You usually prefer indoor mind games."
Rather than answering from a distance, Kirari took a step forward, closing the gap entirely. With absolute, unbothered naturalness, she turned around and lowered herself directly onto Ren's lap.
The sudden weight of her lithe body pressing against his thighs sent a jolt of heat through the air. Kirari shifted her hips subtly, settling comfortably against him, completely ignoring the scandalous nature of the act in a public gym.
She draped one slender arm around his neck, her pale fingers lazily tangling into the hair at the nape of his neck. The alluring scent of expensive, icy lilies mixed with the faint, warm musk of her body washed over his senses.
"Because you are my Combatant this time," Kirari whispered, her voice dropping an octave as she leaned her face close to his. "As the future woman of the legendary 'White Butler', you wouldn't want your sponsor to appear by your side with a subpar figure, would you~?"
Ren chuckled deeply, the vibration rumbling against Kirari's back. He casually wrapped one arm around her waist to stabilize her, his hand resting comfortably on the warm, taut skin of her side.
"I think your figure is already flawless just the way it is~" Ren smiled, fully matching her teasing energy.
Kirari's smile widened into something genuinely delighted, her icy facade melting into something softer and infinitely more dangerous.
"Hmm. You certainly know how to talk to a woman," Kirari praised, her thumb lightly tracing his jawline. "But there are plenty of wealthy, stunningly beautiful female bosses sponsoring fighters in this upcoming Kengan Annihilation Tournament."
She leaned slightly closer, her breath warm against his cheek. "And your dear Sister Shion is one of them. If I don't get my figure into absolute peak, mouth-watering shape, who knows if my beloved fighter will betray me for a better offer~"
Ren pretended to ponder the question seriously, his eyes looking up at the gym ceiling. "Hmm... it's actually possible."
"I am a mercenary, after all. That entirely depends on how much you're willing to pay me to stay~"
Looking at Ren's deadpan, calculating expression, Kirari's confident demeanor faltered for a fraction of a second. A faint, highly uncharacteristic blush dusted her pale cheeks.
She tightened her grip around his neck, her eyes flashing with a mix of possessiveness and excitement.
"You'll know exactly what I'm offering when the time comes," she whispered huskily, her painted lips hovering agonizingly close to his ear.
"The reward for your absolute loyalty will be very generous. You know that, don't you~?"
Ren smirked, acknowledging her promise with a slight squeeze of her waist.
Regaining her composure, Kirari pulled back slightly, looking around the gym floor. "Oh, by the way, where is Lucifer? I thought she would be clinging to you today."
"She went to the private studios to practice yoga," Ren explained, gesturing toward the back hallway. "She seemed incredibly excited about the concept of Earth's yoga. The moment she finished changing into her athletic wear, she practically kidnapped the female instructor I hired for her and ran off."
"Eh? Is that so..." Kirari murmured, a playful glint returning to her eye.
"Then I suppose we should start our training too. I specifically hired you to be my personal coach today."
Kirari turned her head to look at the raven-haired girl standing nearby. "Sayaka has also been looking forward to your hands-on instruction for a long time, right?"
Hearing her name suddenly called, Sayaka jumped slightly. A furious, bright red blush exploded across her cheeks, extending all the way down her neck. She pushed her glasses up her nose with a trembling finger and gave a stiff, embarrassed nod.
Ren glanced between Kirari and the flustered Sayaka, fully aware of the manipulative, teasing web Kirari loved to spin.
Kirari leaned all of her weight back into Ren, pressing her lips softly against his ear. "If you teach us well today, Mr. Coach," she whispered, her voice a sultry promise, "I'll make sure to give you a very special private reward later~"
Before Ren could respond, Kirari turned her head and planted a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek. Her glossy lips left a faint chill against his warm skin, accompanied by a spike of adrenaline.
With a soft giggle, she unwrapped her arm from his neck and stood up, smoothing down the front of her leggings with perfect elegance.
Ren let out a quiet breath, stood up from the bench, and turned his attention back to the trembling dumbbell girls in the corner.
"Akemi! Hibiki! Do you all want to join our circuit?"
A chorus of enthusiastic agreement rang out from the four girls.
Even though Gina was now profoundly terrified of Kirari after Hibiki's whispered 'Popular Science' lecture regarding the Housepet system, the prospect of practicing with Ren far outweighed her fear.
Ren was just about to lead the group toward the squat racks when he suddenly remembered another member of his entourage. He turned his gaze toward the far wall, spotting Courage.
The beautiful, white-haired WGO Inspector was currently in the middle of a brutal back workout, wearing a pair of heavy noise-canceling headphones.
Ren watched her form for a moment. Courage was hanging from the high bar, executing flawless, strict pull-ups. Her athletic tank top clung to her sweat-slicked skin, highlighting the intense contraction of her latissimus dorsi and the sharp, controlled retraction of her scapula with every upward pull.
Ren walked over, waited for her to lower herself from the bar, and tapped her shoulder. Courage gasped, pulling her headphones down to her neck. She panted heavily, her chest heaving, glistening with a fine sheen of exertion.
After Ren explained that they were doing a group session, Courage's eyes lit up. She wiped the sweat from her brow, nodded excitedly, and eagerly followed him back to the group.
Watching Ren effortlessly collect another gorgeous woman, Kirari narrowed her icy blue eyes. She crossed her arms under her chest, boosting her cleavage subtly as she offered a knowing smirk.
"Oh my," Kirari mused aloud, her voice dripping with amusement. "As expected of my infamous Mr. White Butler. You really are quite the beautiful girl killer, aren't you~"
Four pairs of confused eyes blinked at Kirari.
"White Butler?" the gym girls echoed in perfect, bewildered unison.
Sōryūin Akemi, eager to prove her knowledge of the underground martial arts world, puffed out her chest and smiled proudly.
"It's a fighting epithet!" Akemi explained, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Just like Kaolan Wongsawat holds the terrifying title of 'The Thai God of War', Brother Ren's 'White Butler' is his official title in the underground Kengan matches~ He is absolutely legendary!"
The girls quickly moved past the intimidating titles and naturally began introducing themselves to Kirari, Sayaka, and Courage. Despite the heavy psychological baggage Kirari brought with her, the shared environment of the gym quickly made them familiar with one another.
Just as the tension fully dissipated, Sakura Hibiki tapped her chin thoughtfully. She looked around the circle of girls, her eyes darting from Courage's white hair, to Kirari's silver braids, and back to Ren.
"Say..." Hibiki whispered loudly, entirely lacking a filter. "Does Brother Ren have a huge fetish for white-haired girls?"
The moment the words left Hibiki's mouth, the entire group froze.
When Courage heard this, she was momentarily stunned. A deep blush rushed to her cheeks, and she looked at Ren with wide, excited eyes, her heart suddenly pounding faster than it had during her pull-ups.
Ren, however, looked genuinely confused. He paused his stretches and looked at the gyaru. "Hibiki, why would you suddenly say that?"
Everyone held their breath, eagerly awaiting Hibiki's bold statement.
Sakura Hibiki waved her hand dismissively, completely oblivious to the sudden romantic tension she had spiked in the room. "Ah, it's just a wild guess!"
She began ticking points off on her fingers. "Because before today, besides Sister Courage here, I also saw another really pretty sister with animal ear hair accessories hanging around Brother Ren!"
"And her hair was pure white! And now, Miss Momobami also has beautiful silver-white hair..."
Momobami Kirari tilted her head, her blue eyes flashing with a sudden, dangerous amusement. "Eh? Why did it suddenly become 'Miss Momobami' when it came to addressing me?"
Hearing the subtle drop in Kirari's tone, Sakura Hibiki instantly panicked. She realized she had accidentally alienated the apex predator of the group. She looked desperately at Sōryūin Akemi for help, her eyes screaming for a rescue.
Sōryūin Akemi stepped up bravely, offering a strained but genuine smile to mediate. "Hibiki didn't mean anything by it! Although Kirari-nee is very devious and has a thousand scary tricks up her sleeve, she's honestly not as terrifying as the underground rumors make her out to be."
Kirari nodded gracefully, accepting the defense with a soft chuckle. "That's exactly right."
"It's not like I ever physically forced anyone to play my little games. I merely... encouraged them to follow their own greed."
She placed a hand elegantly over her chest. "Besides, Private Hyakkaou Academy still has perfectly normal math and history classes, okay? We aren't entirely uncivilized."
Hearing this surprisingly reasonable explanation, the young girls all nodded slowly.
There was nothing they could really do; the dark reputation of Private Hyakkaou Academy was simply too outrageous to fully comprehend anyway. Looking at her now, the legendary, cold-blooded, and ruthless Student Council President just seemed like a rather cunning, love-struck maiden who was actually very polite to them.
She wasn't the demonic tyrant the legends painted her to be. Thinking this, the heavy knot of anxiety in everyone's chests finally loosened, and they collectively breathed a massive sigh of relief.
Ren, on the other hand, let out a long, silent sigh of his own.
Kirari's gentle, smiling appearance had flawlessly deceived countless people over the years. He knew exactly how dangerous she was.
However, he also knew she wouldn't play any malicious tricks on her own people. At worst, anyone under his protection would only be subjected to a cunning, harmless prank for her own amusement.
Sensing the relaxed atmosphere, Kirari smiled warmly at the dumbbell girls. "Please, don't worry yourselves."
"Sister Shion and I are very good friends. Since Akemi is her younger sister, that practically makes her my younger sister too."
Kirari's eyes swept over Hibiki, Gina, and Ayaka. "So, you can all just treat me the same way Akemi does. No need for titles."
She then turned her sharp gaze back to the man of the hour, a mischievous smirk dancing on her lips. "But for now, I think it would be much better for Mr. Ren to answer the very important question that was just asked."
All eyes instantly snapped back to Ren.
Ren scratched the back of his head, feeling the collective weight of the girls' expectant stares. He looked at Courage's hopeful expression and Kirari's teasing gaze.
"Hmm. White hair..." Ren started slowly, his voice calm and measured.
"It seems to me that those who can successfully pull off white or silver hair are rarely anything but absolute beauties. As a perfectly normal man, I certainly don't dislike it at all."
A visible wave of relief and excitement washed over Courage, while Kirari's smile widened triumphantly.
"But," Ren added quickly, clapping his hands together loudly to break the spell, "it is absolutely not the only hair color I like, okay? Now, enough gossiping."
"Hurry up and get to your stations to train. After all, we rented this gym space for a workout, not for an idle chat."
A chorus of motivated voices rang out across the gym floor.
"Yes, sir!"
"Understood!"
"Okay then, Coach sir!"
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