Chapter 588: Jabami Yumeko's Precise Score Control, Kirari's Love
Momobami Kirari had absolutely no intention of hiding her affections. She clung to Ren's arm as they strolled down the opulent corridors of Hyakkaou Private Academy, her serene smile radiating a terrifying authority that practically forced the surrounding students to their knees. The whispers died in their throats as they stared at Ren. Who was this divine being walking beside the untouchable President? He possessed a presence far too formidable for this school.
Ichihara Yuko watched the parting sea of students with a wry expression. "You certainly know how to clear a room, Kirari. They look like they've seen a ghost."
Kirari's pale blue eyes swept over the trembling masses with mild amusement. "Them? Have you ever known an aquarium owner to weep over the lives of one or two cheap guppies?"
Yuko paused, taking in the sheer absurdity of the environment. She let out a slow breath. "You really are out of your mind. I never imagined your prestigious academy operated quite like this."
She glanced at the students shrinking against the walls. Some wore humiliating tags around their necks, reduced to mere livestock under the crushing weight of debt, while others flaunted their winnings like royalty. Yuko could not fathom where the entertainment lay in this endless cycle of scheming, speed, and psychological warfare. She had no desire to look too closely at the miserable existence of the housepets, nor did she care for the victors living in their artificial paradise. She only knew that humanity and reason were scarce commodities here. Most of the student body lacked them entirely, or possessed heavily distorted versions.
Ren observed the frantic gambling happening in the alcoves. He offered a faint, knowing smile. "You never seem to feed these fish, Kirari."
A sudden flush of color rushed to Kirari's pale cheeks. Her grip on his arm tightened, her composure cracking into a breathless, euphoric laugh. "Oh my. As expected of my man. You always know exactly what to say to make my heart race. 'Feeding'... what an absolutely perfect way to put it."
Yuko exhaled slowly. She was finally seeing the true depths of Kirari's madness. If Ren weren't here to anchor her—or perhaps, to indulge her—there was no telling how far this insanity would spread. The conversation had already drifted into a psychological territory Yuko had no desire to handle.
Recovering her elegant poise, Kirari murmured softly, "But I do feed them. My Student Council regularly scatters fish food into the water. If a few of the little swimmers are on the verge of starving to death, we might even toss in a little extra."
Yuko understood exactly what that 'fish food' was. Money. Capital. In a normal tank, starving fish would cannibalize each other. But here, they were kept alive just enough to keep eating, to keep craving the taste of wealth. Kirari was using their own insatiable greed to turn the entire student body into her personal, self-sustaining aquarium. She was treating human beings like wind-up toys.
As they rounded a corner, Yuko stopped in her tracks before a massive bulletin board. Ren glanced at the sprawling list of names pinned behind the glass and let out a dry chuckle.
"You see?" Kirari gestured gracefully toward the board. "I told you my school is entirely voluntary. I merely encourage a bit of recreational gaming, and naturally, arrange a few minor consequences for those who lose. We still maintain a rigorous academic curriculum and standard rankings."
Yuko nodded slowly. It was easy to forget this was an actual educational institution. The teaching quality here was genuinely elite, and Kirari truly hadn't forced anyone to gamble. If the students couldn't control their own impulses, that was hardly her problem. After all, most of the fish in her aquarium had jumped into the tank willingly.
Yuko scanned the bottom of the list, her eyes trailing upward.
"What exactly are you looking for, Yuko?" Kirari asked, tilting her head.
"I'm trying to find where you rank at the bottom. Considering how much time you spend playing god, you can't possibly have time to study."
Kirari's serene smile faltered for a fraction of a second, her tone dipping into haughty amusement. "I suggest you start looking from the top."
Startled, Yuko shifted her gaze to the very peak of the rankings. There, printed in bold, obvious ink, was the name 'Momobami Kirari'. Perfect scores in advanced sciences. Perfect scores in literature. Perfect scores in foreign languages.
"You have got to be kidding me," Yuko breathed out. "Perfect scores across the board?"
"I am the President," Kirari stated, her voice dripping with aristocratic absolute. "That means I am the apex of this academy. Whether at the gambling table or in the classroom, I am simply the best."
Ren's gaze lingered on the board. "Because standing at the absolute top allows you to bear the greatest risks," he said quietly. "The higher you climb, the more desperate the masses become to drag you down from the peak. Inviting that kind of challenge... that is just another one of your games, isn't it, Kirari?"
Kirari's eyes widened, shimmering with a dark, intense affection. She turned to Ren and opened her arms. He merely looked at her, his expression unreadable, making no move to step closer. Undeterred, Kirari beckoned him with a slender finger. "Bend down a little."
Ren obliged, leaning in just enough. Kirari leaned up and pressed her lips firmly against his cheek. She pulled back, admiring the faint, pale imprint of her lipstick left on his skin. She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face against his shoulder with a soft, airy laugh. "This is exactly why you are my most precious existence. Really, why is the man I love so utterly perfect? I truly am a woman to be envied."
Ren tilted his head, letting the display of affection wash over him. "That Yomotsuki Runa..."
"Oh? Are you interested?" Kirari's voice took on a teasing, dangerous lilt. "Do you want me to arrange something? I could easily have her brought to you."
Ren sighed, reading the subtle tension in her posture. "Looking at you, I know you have no desire to discuss her. Fine. It is your domain, you can handle your own council members."
"You are always so wonderfully considerate," she purred. "But Runa is quite adorable, don't you think?"
"Passable. But when I looked in her eyes... I saw nothing but pure, hollow indifference. That girl is rather interesting."
"Isn't she? Runa is a delightfully twisted little thing." Kirari turned her attention back to the bulletin board. "Yuko, what are you still staring at?"
Yuko was still tracing her finger down the glass. "I was looking for the academic scores of that girl... Jabami Yumeko. She seems incredibly dangerous, so I assumed she'd be near the top."
"Look toward the center," Ren advised.
Yuko frowned, dropping her gaze to the middle of the sprawling list. She stared at it for a long moment, letting out a slow breath. "I assumed she would at least be in the top fifty. I've checked this section three times now, and she is exactly in the middle..."
"Is that just a coincidence?"
Ren shook his head, a hint of dry amusement in his voice. "Jabami Yumeko precisely controlled her test scores to land exactly at the median point of the entire student body."
Yuko leaned closer to the glass. Yumeko's name sat there like the dead center of a symmetrical axis, perfectly balancing the hundreds of names above and below it. Yuko swallowed hard. "What kind of monster does that? What is she even trying to prove?"
"It is a gamble with herself," Ren said smoothly. "A private bet to see if she could manipulate her own performance to hit the exact center. There is no tangible reward for winning, and if she miscalculated, she would simply try harder next time. It carries zero risk, but the sheer difficulty of the execution is enough to satisfy her cravings. This Jabami Yumeko... she is quite fascinating."
Kirari smiled, her eyes curving into elegant crescents. "You see, Yuko? You still have a very long way to go to understand this world. As expected, only Ren can truly see the board. Thinking about it like this, I really am a woman to be envied... aren't I, Saya?"
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