"That's why I want to drop out."
After Genichi finished speaking, he quietly looked at Shizuka and waited for her reaction.
For a moment, Shizuka did not know what to say.
After all, Genichi had undeniably shown her real evidence. Those shadows that had crawled out of the darkness were not something she could explain away as a hallucination or a joke.
She stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking in a low voice.
"What do you plan to do after dropping out?"
Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of worry that was hard to notice.
Genichi thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't know. I'll figure it out later."
That was the truth.
He really had not decided what he would do after leaving school.
Keep devouring vengeful spirits?
Of course.
But the shadows were more than enough to handle that. There was no need for him to act personally.
So what was he supposed to do with all his free time?
Training?
Researching magic?
He had not decided yet.
When Shizuka heard that answer, she became even more worried.
He did not know?
He did not know what he wanted to do, yet he suddenly wanted to drop out?
This stupid kid. Did he not understand what dropping out actually meant?
She took a deep breath, looked at Genichi, and spoke seriously.
"If you don't know, then don't drop out yet."
Genichi paused, then looked at her.
Shizuka's eyes were filled with worry and concern.
That worry was not because of his power, but because of him as a person.
What was she worried about?
After thinking about it for a moment, Genichi understood.
Shizuka was worried that he would go down the wrong path.
Would a person with supernatural power become the kind of thug who acted however he pleased once he gained strength?
Would he stray into evil?
Would he hurt others?
It was not that Shizuka was overthinking things. She truly had reason to worry.
The usual Genichi was already extremely detached.
He had no friends at school and almost always kept to himself.
He never joined group activities. He never took the initiative to talk to others. He was like an isolated island, cutting himself off from the outside world.
How could Shizuka feel at ease with someone like that?
And now he had gained this kind of supernatural power.
If Shizuka could still feel at ease after that, then something would be wrong with her.
Genichi looked into Shizuka's worried eyes, and a complicated feeling rose in his chest.
He knew Shizuka cared about him.
Although, in his opinion, that concern was somewhat unnecessary.
But he did not dislike it.
Genichi thought for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Fine."
He agreed.
The main reason was that he truly did not have anything else to do right now.
To devour vengeful spirits and grow stronger, the shadows summoned by King of Shadows were enough.
Those shadows wandered the city twenty-four hours a day, hunting every vengeful spirit they found and continuously feeding that power back to him.
Genichi himself had become idle instead.
Since he had free time anyway, using school to pass the time was not unacceptable.
After receiving Genichi's agreement, Shizuka secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had really been worried that Genichi would refuse.
After all, with this kid's current strength, if he truly wanted to leave, she had no way to stop him.
But he had agreed.
That meant he still trusted her.
A faint smile appeared on Shizuka's face.
"Good."
She sat back down in her chair and began flipping through the documents on her desk.
After a few pages, she suddenly remembered something and looked up at Genichi.
"Right. I remember you haven't joined any clubs, correct?"
Genichi nodded.
"I haven't."
Shizuka's eyes lit up.
"A youth without a club is incomplete!"
She stood up, planted both hands on the desk, and her eyes shone with a certain light.
"So, is there any club you want to join?"
Genichi looked at her and immediately understood.
He knew that look far too well.
In every crossover world, Shizuka would look at problem students with that exact gaze, then drag them into the Service Club.
Yukino Yukinoshita, Yui Yuigahama, Hachiman Hikigaya...
Those names flashed through his mind one after another.
Clearly, this Shizuka also wanted to drag him into the Service Club.
Genichi shook his head.
"No."
That was exactly the answer Shizuka had been waiting for.
"In that case, come with me!"
She stood up, grabbed Genichi by the wrist, and pulled him outside.
Genichi did not resist and let her drag him along.
The two of them crossed the hallway, went down the stairs, and arrived at a corner of the school building.
There was a door there with a sign that read "Service Club."
Shizuka pushed the door open and walked in.
"Yukino, I brought you a new member!"
There was a trace of pride in her voice.
Genichi followed her inside and looked around.
It was not a large classroom. There were a few old desks and chairs, a bookshelf, and a sofa.
The window was open, and a breeze stirred the curtains, bringing in a faint coolness.
By the window sat a girl.
She had long black hair, a face as delicate as a doll's, and a pair of cold, sharp eyes.
She wore a neat school uniform and held a book in her hands, quietly reading.
When she heard Shizuka's voice, she raised her head, and her gaze fell on Genichi.
A trace of wariness and hostility flashed through her eyes.
"A new member?"
Her voice was very soft, carrying a hint of confusion.
Shizuka pulled Genichi over to her and patted him on the shoulder.
"Let me introduce him. This is Genichi, a student from my class. Starting today, he's a member of the Service Club."
Yukino looked at Genichi, then at Shizuka, and her brows furrowed slightly.
It was obvious that Yukino was displeased by Shizuka deciding on her own to add someone to the Service Club.
Then Yukino looked at Genichi again.
When she noticed that Genichi was looking at her as if he were examining an object, an unpleasant feeling rose in her chest.
"Please allow me to refuse. His eyes feel like an intrusion. Being in the same clubroom as a boy like him would make me feel unsafe."
The corner of Shizuka's mouth twitched.
But before Shizuka could say anything, Genichi spoke first.
"Sorry. Your face is cute enough, I'll give you that, but your figure is so lacking that even an A-cup would be asking too much."
Yukino froze.
The next instant, her pretty face turned bright red.
Yukino had overheated.
"Crude. Vulgar. A woman's value is not determined by her figure, but by her character. I will absolutely never allow someone like you into the Service Club."
Clearly, Yukino had been struck straight where it hurt, to the point that she had lost her usual composure.
(End of Chapter)
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