Nagumo was completely stunned.
The mistake he had just made filled him with unbearable humiliation.
His mind burned with fury, robbing him of all calm and reason.
When he saw Asahina Nazuna, he instinctively wanted to avoid her.
He couldn't bear to hear even a single word of concern from his childhood friend—each one would only force him to relive the scene, a torment worse than death.
So he coldly brushed past Asahina Nazuna.
He also couldn't face the gazes of his classmates.
Shutting out all voices, he initially thought of retreating to the restroom to collect himself, but the idea of running away only made him grit his teeth and stay.
Alone in the corner, he sat in silence, glaring coldly at the field.
.....
After today, there might be more scheming individuals emerging among the second-year students.
Kaoru withdrew his gaze—this was enough.
No mistake could leave a more indelible impression than what had just happened.
No matter how Nagumo tried to establish his authority in the future, someone would inevitably recall today's events.
Still, it felt a bit underhanded.
Reflecting on his actions so far, Kaoru acknowledged that this was simply who he was.
So perhaps it didn't matter.
"Kamuro, are you feeling alright?"
"Do you expect me to be unwell?" Kamuro Masumi replied with slight irritation.
She was already in a foul mood, and for some reason, girls had been crowding around her, chattering incessantly, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Now that the commotion had died down and she'd finally gotten some peace, here came Kaoru, inserting himself into her space.
"Well, the school is trying to cram over a dozen events into a single day. I just thought you might be exhausted." Kaoru rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy.
"Here, have a White Rabbit Creamy Candy. No need to thank me."
With that, he tossed the candy toward Kamuro.
"White Rabbit Creamy Candy?"
It was the first time Kamuro had heard of such a thing.
Curious, she examined the candy in her hand, only to find it was just an ordinary hard candy with plain packaging—nothing special about it.
"How thoughtful of you."
"I just don't want to see my three-legged race partner collapsing on the field."
"Talking to you is exhausting. All you ever do is mock people."
"That's called being a tsundere."
"..."
Still, she was tired.
The consecutive competitions, the physical exertion, and dealing with the girls' overwhelming enthusiasm had left Kamuro feeling drained.
"What kind of candy?"
Suddenly, Kushida Kikyo's voice chimed in from the side.
"Mitoma-kun, are you hiding something tasty?"
Before Kaoru could respond, his arm was immediately seized by a pair of soft breast pressing tightly against him.
The sweet, girlish scent that followed was enough to stir any healthy young man.
"What are you doing here? Isn't the girls' obstacle race coming up soon?"
"Hehe, I came running as soon as I heard there was something delicious." Kushida tilted her head up, narrowing her eyes and lowering her voice.
"Did you watch my race earlier?"
Has she been getting bolder lately?
"I did. Fourth place, second place, and fifth place." Kaoru paused, then added, "More impressive than I expected—in every sense."
"Oh, it wasn't that impressive. Just a stroke of luck, really. And I owe a lot to everyone's help." Kushida smiled brightly while discreetly pinching him—she understood exactly what he meant.
"If you two want to flirt, take it somewhere else. Don't do it in front of me." Kamuro's expression was cold, though the candy puffing her cheek made her look more like an irritated squirrel.
"Sorry, sorry! But Mitoma-kun and I aren't a couple." Kushida released Kaoru's arm, though she didn't seem displeased by the assumption.
"Friends don't act like that," Kamuro remarked flatly.
"We're close friends," Kushida corrected cheerfully.
"Tch." Kamuro turned away, refusing to engage further.
She'd never been good at handling girls like this.
"Got any more candy?" Kushida held out her small palm toward Kaoru.
"Nope," said Kaoru. "If you want, I can buy you more during lunch break."
Kushida pouted. "We can just eat at lunchtime."
"We can't leave now, so how about I treat you to a drink? There's a vending machine in the rest area," Kaoru suggested.
"I want black tea," Kushida replied, then added, "Actually, never mind. I'll just go with you."
The two walked toward the vending machine.
After a short while, Kushida quietly asked, "I think she probably has feelings for you."
"You mean Kamuro?"
"If she didn't care, she wouldn't have gotten angry."
"You seem to know a lot about this stuff?"
"Don't joke around. I get love consultations all the time—at least a hundred, if not a thousand," Kushida scoffed.
"You think I just go around smiling all day? A girl's world is way more complicated than you think. One wrong move, and you could end up with enemies."
"Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere in my business?" Kaoru glanced at the envious looks around them.
"And now, clinging to a guy's arm in front of everyone—your image is ruined, isn't it?"
"Not at all. With you around, things are easier for me," Kushida mused. "For example, ever since we got closer, no guys dare to harass me anymore. The confessions have stopped too."
"Who harassed you?" Kaoru asked.
"Plenty. Guys from the next class, upperclassmen..." Kushida counted on her fingers with a grin.
"Your slave is pretty popular, you know."
"I was thinking, maybe when you accept a confession, I could just order you to pee—"
Before Kaoru could finish, Kushida punched him without hesitation, her ears turning red.
"One more word, and I'll kill you."
"Sorry."
"Having a master like you—I despise you deeply."
"Like master, like slave i guess."
"..."
After a while, Kaoru sipped his drink, his gaze fixed on the nearby competition—a fierce battle between third-year classes.
"Maybe it's just me, but I feel like we're being watched," Kushida suddenly said.
"A lot of people in class are complaining that Class C stole their rankings. Did something unexpected happen?"
"Probably because the entry list got leaked," Kaoru replied calmly.
"Oh." Kushida fell silent.
She didn't care about this at all—she only mentioned it to warn him.
After a brief pause, Kushida spoke again.
"Horikita seems off."
Kaoru took another sip of his drink.
Of course he knew—he'd been watching the match the whole time.
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