"Chisa! Please, just stay by my side, even if it's just for ten minutes!"
In the cafeteria, Iori Kitahara raised his hand and stopped Chisa Kotegawa, who had just gotten her food. His eyes showed a look of exhaustion and hope.
"I refuse!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Chisa turned and walked away with her tray, completely ignoring his desperate pleas as he knelt on the ground.
"Chisa! I won't ask for much! Just be by my side!"
"Absolutely not! Just give up!"
"Don't do this! Please..."
A tear rolled down his eye. Iori Kitahara crawled on the floor, screaming hysterically, "Please sit next to me and let me copy your answers!!! Waahhhh—"
"...How pathetic."
"I have to agree."
Not far away, Miyazawa Yu and Kohei sat at their table, eating their meal and watching the show.
Even though he had just angered Chisa a few days ago, Iori had the guts to publicly ask her for a favor. He had to admit that this idiot had a little more courage than a normal person.
Seeing Iori's failure, the team strategist, Moto Nojima, had no choice but to cross out the "ask Chisa for help" option. He asked with a pained expression, "So, what now? Are we on our own?"
"We're definitely going to fail, aren't we?"
With a clear understanding of himself and the other scumbags around him, Shinichiro Yamamoto sucked on his drink and reminded them, "The foreign language class is an easy A. If we can't even get these credits, we're going to get held back!"
"That's the problem..."
"..."
In a moment of silent worry, Miyazawa Yu's eyes curved into a half-moon. Why am I always surrounded by a bunch of low-level scumbags?
If they had paid attention in class and did their homework on time, there was no way they would be scratching their heads before the final exam.
But after the German exam, it would be summer vacation. He was really looking forward to it. He could travel for a long time. He wondered if the Pab club had any events.
If not, he was going to invite Nanaka-san to go sightseeing in Tokyo!
"I'm back. Chisa refused..."
Just as he was thinking this, Iori Kitahara, ignoring the stares of everyone around him, plopped down next to Kohei and asked, "Well, do you have a way for us to get by on our own?"
"Huh? You're going to start studying now? It's too late!"
"And we don't have notes, and we don't have any friends who take notes, except for Chisa."
Although it was embarrassing to say, it was the truth. The social circle of these guys, whether it was Yamamoto or Iori, didn't include any normal people.
Expecting a bunch of scumbags to take notes in class was like expecting the German teacher to condense the entire textbook into one sentence!
"That's true... Otherwise, I was planning on making a cheat sheet."
"Ah~ You're going to get by on your own by cheating? That definitely fits your stereotype..."
"..."
These guys didn't even suspect that he had been studying!
His chewing slowed down. Miyazawa Yu looked at the defeated Iori slumped on the table, and the frustration in his heart reached its peak.
Even though he spent all his time at drinking parties and playing strip poker, he was a good student in Tokyo for a while. But now, he was naturally categorized as trash.
...How should he put it? Not having to worry about meeting expectations was actually kind of nice!
"Hmm? So you're here."
Just as Miyazawa Yu was subtly planning to deceive Iori and the others, Chisa Kotegawa's voice came from behind him.
"Hmm? Chisa, did you change your mind?! Thank you..."
"Unfortunately, no. I just came to return Yu's notebook!"
With her hands in an X shape protecting her chest, Chisa Kotegawa slightly lifted her head. A queen-like aura and a contemptuous look simultaneously spread out.
Iori froze in place, not daring to move. It wasn't until a notebook with Miyazawa Yu's name on it was placed on the table that the chilling aura subsided a little.
"Thank you very much. I didn't get a lot of the points. I'm impressed that you could study so well after drinking all night."
"It was nothing. I just had a good foundation before. After all, the schoolwork in Tokyo is a lot harder than in Izu."
He smoothly pulled the notebook toward himself, a polite smile on his face. But in his heart, he wanted to explode—
He had completely forgotten that he had lent his notes to Chisa two days ago! And she just happened to return them at this very awkward moment.
He knew that on the other side of the ocean, the sound of flipping pages at night was more taboo than the sound of brothers snoring and grinding their teeth.
This strange rule was even more applicable in Japan!
The eyes of the beasts at his table were all wrong! No! I have to run!
"I see..."
Chisa Kotegawa was completely unaware of the undercurrents among the boys. She had given Yu a powerful Martian punch a few days ago, but now she had to ask to borrow his notes. She was a little shy about it.
Seeing that he didn't want to continue the conversation, she turned and waved goodbye. "Thanks anyway. I'll buy you an ice cream after school."
"Oh, that's great..."
Stop talking, Chisa! The eyes of these beasts have already turned from disapproval to murderous intent!
In the few seconds it took for Chisa to leave, Miyazawa Yu finally understood what it meant to be on pins and needles and have a blade at his back.
For scumbags like Moto Nojima, studying in secret was a big no-no. But now, he was even getting an ice cream from a goddess! This was a crime punishable by death!
"Well, I'm done eating. You guys can continue. I'm going back to Grand Blue..."
After Chisa finally left, Miyazawa Yu no longer hesitated. He got up and ran. But in the next second, Iori's angry hand grabbed his right arm.
"Wait, Yu. You've been studying behind our backs, haven't you?"
"And Chisa-chan even recognized you. You're so proud of yourself, aren't you, boy!"
"Gulp—"
With their terrifying voices in his ear, Miyazawa Yu knew he couldn't get away in his normal form. He frowned and reached for his zipper.
As long as he could transform into his Super Mode and get a boost in power, he could easily break free from the deranged Iori's grasp!
But just as he was daydreaming about his escape, he realized after a few tries that his left arm was also being held.
He turned to look and saw the grim faces of Kohei Imamura and Shinichiro Yamamoto. These two guys had anticipated his move and pulled a combo with Iori!
"Heh~ How pathetic! Yu, do you really think we would let you transform when we know what color underwear you're wearing?"
Hajime Nojima saw the shock in Miyazawa Yu's eyes. Yu had run out of tricks. Nojima let out a cold laugh and slowly took the notebook.
"Oh, you take great notes. Letting your friends suffer and die without helping them, that's your first crime! Do you plead guilty, criminal Miyazawa Yu!"
"..."
Miyazawa Yu wanted to say that he also had a trick to rip his clothes off, but since Nojima was so into acting, he decided to play along.
"Yes, yes! This criminal pleads guilty! Please, Lord Nojima, spare my life!"
"Hmm, the evidence is confiscated!"
"Well~ You guys could have just said it. It's just notes anyway..."
With his eyes in a half-moon shape, Miyazawa Yu was speechless as he watched Nojima take his notebook.
"Can I go now? You've achieved your goal, haven't you?"
"How is that possible? We still have to judge you for studying in secret. Tell us! How long have you been planning this 'show-off'?"
"...You guys could have just paid attention in class. I live with Iori all the time. He can testify to my innocence!"
There was no way he would be a grinder again. He had already grinded enough before he was transmigrated. If he grinded again, what was the point of transmigrating?!
When it came to his principles, Miyazawa Yu shook his head frantically, claiming he was innocent!
He hadn't had the thought of secretly surprising everyone since high school!
"Iori?"
"Hmm, I've never seen him study at home. He's always drinking properly!"
Iori Kitahara blurted it out without a second thought. To be honest, he had never seen Yu bring his backpack to the store, which meant there was no way he could have been studying in secret.
"Hey! What are you guys doing? Are you performing a play?"
"Count us in! After you're done with the trial, you can just bury him in the mountains behind the club, right?"
More familiar scumbags appeared! And these guys were even more brutal than Moto Nojima! They wanted to bury him for fun without even hearing the details.
But a blessing in disguise. After a quick thought, Miyazawa Yu's mouth curled into a malicious smile. He yelled at Mitarai, "Yu! It must be tiring to study just with notes, right? I'll draw the important points for you for German class!"
"Hey! What are you guys doing! We will not stand for you treating Miyazawa Yu like this! We are partners in justice!"
When he heard that he could get a new cheat sheet, Yu Mitarai, who was about to join Nojima, immediately changed his expression.
He and Kenta Fujiwara each took on one of the chains holding the demon king and saved Miyazawa Yu.
"You guys... are all scumbags!!!"
Finally free, Miyazawa Yu's first act after being released was to rip off his clothes and hold Iori in a headlock, a headlock filled with anger.
If it weren't for this bastard suggesting that they cheat using Chisa, there was no way he would have been put on trial like a monkey in public for so long!
"Now, now~ You can play with Iori when you get home, Yu! Hurry up and draw the important points for us! We need time to make our cheat sheets!"
Kohei Imamura, who had no sense of being a teammate, sat back down and looked at the disheveled Iori with no pity.
Instead, he urged Miyazawa Yu to hurry up and get to work so they wouldn't mess up the exam tomorrow.
Miyazawa Yu was unhappy, but he wasn't a sore loser. "Give me the notes. You guys owe me a favor, got it!"
"No problem! We're best friends! Where are the important points? Let me see!"