"The President is actually a really nice guy. He's nothing like the other guys say—calling him a 'useless kept man who's only good for grades and eating handouts'..."
Okita watched Izuru's retreating back with a gaze full of pure adoration. His eyes practically sparkled, like a die-hard fan moved to tears by their idol's grace.
After all, Okita was painfully self-aware. He knew exactly how disastrous his "unique athletic talent" truly was. Previously, several kind-hearted seniors from the basketball club had been left standing in stunned silence, eventually giving up on any hope of "curing" his incompetence.
Yes—they had straight-up abandoned him.
And now, this Student Council President he'd only just met was willing to go through the trouble of helping him. How could Okita not be moved to his core?
However, Okita's moment of sentimentality was cut short as the school bell shrieked through the halls. His pale face instantly turned a sickly shade of blue. His gratitude evaporated, replaced by sheer panic. Sprinting with every ounce of strength he possessed, he cried out internally:
{It's time already?! Why did lunch feel so short today?!}
As for whether Okita actually made it on time, Izuru—having already departed—didn't know and didn't care. He only knew that he managed to slide into his classroom exactly as the bell finished its chime.
"Tobe, last night when you were copying Hayato's homework, did you make sure to get a few wrong on purpose? If your answers are identical to his, the teacher will catch on instantly!"
"Relax, Miura. I purposefully chose a few questions to get wrong first, then I crossed them out and wrote the right answer over them. Makes it look authentic. If I look at it again in a few days, I'll probably even convince myself I did the work!"
The moment he stepped inside, Izuru's ears were accosted by the all-too-familiar chatter of academic dishonesty. Truly, no matter the country, the fundamental nature of students remains unchanged.
The corner of Izuru's mouth curled into an amused smirk. He strode toward his seat, located in the second row from the back, right by the window—the legendary position reserved for protagonists. However...
The girl sitting directly behind him caused Izuru to pause for a heartbeat.
Long, impeccably maintained black hair cascaded down her back. Her stunning features, which rivaled even the likes of Itsuki or Miku, were enough to make anyone catch their breath. Yet, her face radiated an icy aura far more daunting than Kaguya's. Her first impression was that of an eternal glacier—beautiful, but so cold that most people wouldn't dare approach for fear of frostbite.
Izuru knew this "Ice Queen" well. In fact, nearly everyone in school knew her: Yukino Yukinoshita. It wasn't just because she came from a prominent local family, but because the sheer talent she displayed made everyone keep a respectful distance.
Her academic prowess was terrifying, placing her neck-and-neck with Kaguya for the second-place spot in their year. She was a polymath, a genius who excelled at everything she touched. One could say she and Kaguya were mirrors of each other in terms of background, talent, and temperament. If not for their distinct physical differences, people might have mistaken them for twins.
And, of course, their mutual "pride" in their flat chests was remarkably similar!
Thinking of this, Izuru's grin widened. He reached his desk and gave Yukino a casual wave.
"Morning, Hiranoshita Hiranon!"
"It is no longer morning; it is afternoon. You should be saying 'good afternoon'..." Yukino knit her brows slightly. Her tone was frigid, yet she didn't ignore him.
"Furthermore, you should address me as Yukinoshita-san. Giving people arbitrary nicknames is exceedingly rude."
The surrounding students turned their heads, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. Everyone knew how difficult it was to engage the Ice Queen. Most were too intimidated to even say hello, while others found it hard to even stand in her vicinity.
Yet here was Izuru, greeting her with a relaxed smile, and even more shocking—Yukino was actually responding. The witnesses felt a surge of jealousy rising alongside their surprise. They were likely thinking:
{Is this 'kept man' President some kind of specialist in melting ice?}
Rumors would surely fly that Izuru didn't just have Kaguya's favor, but also maintained some ambiguous connection with the other great glacier, Yukino. It made one wonder if these students only grew physically while their brains stayed stagnant; second-year high school bodies with the mental maturity of a middle schooler.
The reality was that Yukino responded to Izuru not because of some secret intimacy, but out of basic, formal courtesy.
Truth be told, if these students stopped obsessing over the fantasy that "the Ice Queen is unapproachable, we can only admire her from afar" and actually took a step forward to greet her, they would likely receive the same polite treatment. But...
These students, with their second-year statures and middle-school mindsets, chose to alienate themselves from Yukino by choice, lacking either the courage or the decency to acknowledge her. Naturally, Yukino reciprocated with that same coldness.
Worse yet, after being met with that coldness, they chose to blame her rather than reflect on themselves, causing the classroom atmosphere to stiffen further. Who else was there to blame?
Izuru was different. Armed with his knowledge of the "plot" and his own unique personality, he understood the roots of Yukino's isolation and chose to approach her with genuine—if casual—sincerity.
And so, this scene played out. Not because of any hidden romantic tension, but simply because Izuru greeted her like a normal human being, and Yukino replied with civility.
"Don't overthink it. If you think about it, you lose!" Izuru said, sitting down with a cheeky grin.
"On the contrary, if I don't think about it, I'm the one who loses..." Yukino sighed in resignation, though she didn't press the matter and began pulling out her textbooks for the next period.
"Alright, settle down everyone! Didn't you hear the bell? Out of the entire building, this class is the loudest! I could hear you all from downstairs. Get to your seats and get ready to learn!"