Ayanokouji, naturally, didn't take the girl's words at face value. If their target truly were someone else, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to cause trouble for him.
Seeing his skepticism, Ichika didn't hesitate to spill the beans regarding her boss's orders. After all, Ayanokouji was her idol; in the presence of the one she worshipped most, she felt no guilt whatsoever in betraying her ultimate superior.
(Ayanokouji Atsuomi: I'm truly "grateful" to you!)
The moment Ayanokouji realized their target wasn't him, but Ryunosuke instead, his eyes practically sparkled.
(Excellent.)
Ayanokouji thought to himself, not even pausing to wonder why he felt such genuine joy at "selling out" his best friend. He only focused on one undeniable fact: someone was finally going to pull the enemy's aggro for him. Someone else would be the target of his father's obsession.
He became an active collaborator, coaching the opposition on how to handle Ryunosuke. He acted as if he were ready to tell them the color of Ryunosuke's underwear if it helped. Ichika watched him, her brain feeling like mush from the sheer absurdity of it, yet she strained to memorize every detail he gave her.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Elsewhere.
Yagami began his move. He met with Housen from Class 1-D, laying out a plan to take Ryunosuke down.
Yagami handed Housen a fruit knife that bore the fingerprints of three people: Ryunosuke, Ayanokouji, and Suzune. He instructed Housen to wound himself with the blade to frame the opposition, pinning the blame squarely on them.
Housen, who already harbored a deep-seated grudge against Ryunosuke, snatched the knife from Yagami's hand with a grin. Without a word of thanks, he turned his back on Yagami and waved him off.
"You can beat it. I've got no more use for you here."
Watching Housen's arrogant display, Yagami's gaze turned cold. However, he suppressed his mounting irritation, maintaining his mask of wide-eyed innocence and offering a friendly smile.
"Could I tag along? I'm honestly a bit uneasy leaving such a high-stakes task entirely to you."
"Huh? You don't trust me?" Housen glanced back, his face darkening with annoyance.
Yagami kept up the act, pleading once more with a humble tone.
"Please, Housen-sama. I really want to come."
Hearing the honorific, Housen's ego swelled. He felt a rush of satisfaction at being treated with such deference and agreed to let him follow. He had absolutely no idea that the boy standing before him was capable of wiping the floor with ten men of his caliber simultaneously.
Having achieved his goal, Yagami cursed him inwardly.
(What an idiot. So easy to manipulate... a literal pig-brain.)
Housen began to move, but he didn't follow Yagami's advice to the letter. Driven by his own whims, he decided to lie in wait along the path Ryunosuke was guaranteed to take. In reality, he only needed to plunge the knife into his thigh or any non-vital area; there was no need for such elaborate theatrics.
Yagami had already suggested the optimal play: engage where the CCTV cameras could capture the initial interaction, then move to a blind spot to execute the "assault" to make the narrative more convincing.
Everything required evidence. And if evidence didn't exist, you created it. That was the power of Yagami Takuya, the Masterpiece known as the White Room's finest weapon.
At the same time, he wanted to draw Ayanokouji into the fray. After all, there was a high probability the boy's prints were on that knife. Yagami had spent this period confirming the routine.
Ayanokouji practically lived at Ryunosuke's place for dinner every night. This meant the fruit knife would, at the very least, have the prints of Ryunosuke and his girlfriend, Horikita Suzune. There was also a massive chance it carried Ayanokouji's.
Even if his prints weren't there, Yagami could use the incident to gauge his reaction and verify the truth. If Ayanokouji stepped in to protect Ryunosuke and Suzune, it proved the knife was a direct threat to him.
Based on Ayanokouji's personality, he wouldn't lift a finger for something that didn't involve him. If he interfered, it proved he was linked to the mess and couldn't escape the consequences. This was Yagami's personal analysis of the man. Ultimately, he wanted to see how his predecessor reacted to the chaos.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Meanwhile.
Under the orange glow of the setting sun, Ayanokouji and Ichika shared a friendly farewell, looking for all the world like a typical senior and junior without a hint of animosity. Ayanokouji lowered his waving hand.
(Why would I feel hostile? I'm not the target, so what does it have to do with me?)
Ayanokouji felt an immense sense of relief. His father wouldn't be breathing down his neck anymore; with Ryunosuke acting as the vanguard, he didn't have to worry about his father making life difficult. He stretched his limbs, his mood significantly lightened.
(Being friends with Akasaka is truly an honor. Where else could I find such a useful scapegoat?)
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Across town, Ryunosuke—who was currently accompanying Suzune on a grocery run—suddenly sneezed.
"Pah! Who's talking trash about me now?"
Ryunosuke glanced around but couldn't spot the culprit.
Suzune, having finished picking out the cheapest vegetables in the supermarket, spoke flatly to her boyfriend. "We need to go."
She carried the shopping basket toward the checkout. Ryunosuke followed, eyeing the budget greens with a look of mild disgust.
"Wifey, can't we eat something a little more gourmet?"
Ryunosuke's shameless use of the word "wife" sent a crimson flush crawling up Suzune's face. Since they were in public and not at home, his words had reached the ears of several nearby shoppers.
The surrounding crowd began to whisper.
"Wow, married at such a young age. I didn't expect to see a young married couple here."
"I know, right? Youth is so beautiful. I wish I could go back," sighed a third-year girl, clutching her cheeks wistfully.
"Aren't you a senior? Just how old do you think you are to be talking about 'going back'?" a first-year junior nearby couldn't help but chime in.
"Listen here, kid—did you just call me old? Want me to show you how 'old' I am?" The upperclassman began rolling up her sleeves.
"Bring it on! I'm not scared!" The junior followed suit, ready for a scrap.
Ryunosuke and Suzune were indeed of legal marriageable age. Even if they actually were married, people would just assume they were a very young couple, seeing nothing fundamentally wrong with it.
Ryunosuke seized the moment to grab Suzune's hand. "How about we actually get married? What do you think?"
He didn't know yet that, within the system, he was already married. Suzune swiped her hand away and walked off with the basket, her face a mask of indifference.
Ryunosuke trailed behind and caught her hand again. This time, Suzune didn't resist, accepting it with a sigh of resignation. She knew this man's habits well; if she didn't let him have this small victory, he would simply pester her indefinitely.
Suzune found a logical excuse to accept the affection. That was her nature—stiff, yet sweet. Ryunosuke understood her perfectly; it was that very quirk he loved most. He loved each of his girls with a sincerity that was free of deceit.
The two left the supermarket hand-in-hand, looking like any other young couple in love.
Elsewhere, Kiyotaka glanced at his watch, timing Ryunosuke's shopping trip. Feeling the moment was right, he shoved his hands into his pockets and prepared to set off.
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