The next day after school, Chiaki and Touka, who had joined the fight lessons and study sessions, let out gasps of awe upon entering the equipment room for the first time.

“This place is perfect for a hangout spot, isn’t it?”

“Right~? It’s also perfect for living out a certain situation I’ve always wanted to try~.”

“A certain situation?”

When Shiki asked, Touka answered with an utterly serious expression.

“Yes… a situation I’ve always wanted to try… hands on the vaulting horse, getting pounded hard from behi—Ahn♥!”

With a sharp zap, Touka collapsed to the floor.

In Chiaki’s hand, standing beside her, was a stun baton that had appeared out of nowhere.

“Orifushi, don’t mind what she said. Me and Karin would never let her do anything that’d get her in trouble if it got out.”

Just like their first meeting at Round Ten, the casual way the stun baton came into play in their exchange left Shiki’s face twitching.

“Anyway, let’s get started.”

With Karin firmly taking charge as always, they decided to begin with Chiaki’s fight lesson.

Given Shiki’s level of fatigue, they judged it better to take another day off from sparring or sandbag training. Instead, he would receive lessons from the “Empress’s” allies— Tsukiike Chiaki and Hiyama Touka.

“Shiki, for now, put this on.”

Chiaki pulled a full-face mask, the kind used in survival games, out of her bag. At this point, Shiki already had a bad feeling about what was coming.

“T-Tsukiike-san… what exactly are we doing…?”

“Training your ability to predict an opponent’s movements and sharpen your danger sense.”

Grinning wickedly, she pulled two airsoft guns from the slits of her skirt.

That alone was enough for Shiki to be certain of what kind of lesson was about to happen.

“N-No way…”

“Exactly what you’re thinking. I’m gonna shoot at you with these airsoft guns, and you dodge like your life depends on it.”

“Isn’t that dangerous!?”

“It’s a regular airsoft gun, I’m using BB pellets, and you’ve got a mask on. It’s not dangerous at all.”

Is it really!? Shiki shot a pleading look at Karin.

“It’s Chiaki shooting, so I guarantee she won’t mess up and hit anywhere critical. Plus, she’s aiming for spots that are hard to dodge.”

Karin pointed at the center of her torso—around her solar plexus—with a freshly unwrapped pineapple cigarette before continuing.

“Through your uniform, even if you get hit, it won’t hurt or itch.”

“By the way, with a summer uniform, it stings just right, so I recommend it~.”

“A-And I’m really sorry about that time, Touka-senpai!”

What Touka meant by “recommend” or what Haruno was referring to with “that time,” Shiki tried his best not to think about.

As Karin and the others moved behind Chiaki and Shiki was positioned against the wall, Chiaki’s lesson began.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

No sooner had she spoken than she aimed her left-hand airsoft gun at him. Shiki instinctively raised both hands and twisted his body in a panic, but—

“…Ah.”

Chiaki only aimed without pulling the trigger, waiting to confirm Shiki’s dodge before firing.

A BB pellet hit Shiki’s side with a pop and fell to the floor.

“Just ‘cause I point the gun doesn’t mean I’m gonna shoot, you know.”

Despite saying that, she immediately aimed her right-hand airsoft gun and fired at the same time.

Unable to react at all, Shiki took a direct hit to his solar plexus with another pop.

After getting hit twice, Shiki finally got it.

This really was a lesson to train his prediction and instincts.

“Alright, I’m gonna keep shooting till I run out of ammo, so do your best to dodge.”

Despite her words, Shiki only managed to dodge Chiaki’s shots once after that.

And so, Chiaki’s fight lesson came to an end, and now it was time for Touka’s fight lesson.

“Alright~ next, I’ll teach you all~ sorts~ of~ things~.”

Touka clung to Shiki’s arm, pressing it between the voluptuous valley of her chest, prompting him to let out a panicked “H-Hiyama-san!?” in a voice bordering on a scream.

“Touka.”

Karin, unable to watch any longer, called out sharply.

“Shiki’s not used to that kind of thing, so keep it in check.”

“Not just in check, I need help right now!”

“Well, I mean, your nose is stretching a bit, Shiki, so I figured jumping in too soon might be a shame.”

Eighty percent of him genuinely wanted her to stop, but the other twenty percent was seriously thinking this might be the only time he’d ever get this close to a girl, so he instinctively covered his nose with his palm.

Karin burst out laughing at Shiki’s all-too-obvious reaction.

“All that talk, but you’re still a boy, huh, Shiki?”

“Then~ I’ll~ turn~ Shi-kun’s boy into a grown man—Eek♥!”

As Touka’s hand started to slide toward Shiki’s crotch, Karin’s thrown iron fan nailed her temple. Like a criminal taking a headshot, she collapsed to the floor alone.

“That’s how it goes. If she tries anything sketchy, me or Chiaki will stop her, so just go ahead and take Touka’s fight lesson.”

Shiki, overwhelmed with all sorts of anxiety, could only manage a twitching expression.

Naturally, a wry smile escaped Karin’s lips.

“Don’t make that face. What Touka’s teaching this time is something worth learning, fight or no fight.”

“Exactly~!”

Startled by Touka’s sudden recovery, Shiki flinched hard, but—

“What I’m teaching you this time, Shi-kun, is how to take a fall.”

Just as Karin said, the lesson was genuinely useful and serious, leaving Shiki wide-eyed in surprise.

“You look shocked~! I can be serious when it’s time to be serious, you know~.”

“She says that, but if me and Karin weren’t here to stop her, she was totally planning to teach you ground techniques.”

At Chiaki’s remark, Touka turned away and started whistling with unnecessary finesse.

What kind of “ground techniques” Touka had in mind, Shiki tried his best not to think about.

They laid out mats for practicing falls, and Touka’s lesson began.

But at that moment, neither Shiki, Karin, Chiaki, nor the ever-oblivious Haruno noticed.

There was no way this Touka would conduct a lesson straightforwardly and innocently.

“Alright~ Shi-kun, I’ll show you how it’s done first, so watch closely.”

With that declaration, Touka demonstrated a forward roll fall on the mat.

To reiterate, Touka’s skirt was even shorter than Karin’s.

It goes without saying what happens when someone does a forward roll in a skirt that short. It also goes without saying that Touka had deliberately worn a bold T-back, calculating the angle so her ripe, fruit-like rear was fully visible to Shiki as she performed the fall.

“You absolute moron──────────!!”

Chiaki pulled a paper fan from under her skirt and smacked Touka’s head with a loud whack as she posed smugly with one knee raised. It was a rare tool, used only when Chiaki really wanted to clobber Touka.

Meanwhile, Shiki, having gotten a full view of Touka’s rear, turned his face bright red and belatedly averted his gaze in a completely futile direction.

In the midst of this, Haruno, unusually, blushed and fidgeted, blurting out something so shocking it made everyone doubt their ears.

“Um… Hiyama-senpai… where did you get that…?”

As Shiki, Karin, and Chiaki stared at Haruno in disbelief, only Touka beamed with a delighted “Ara~” smile.

Afterward, Karin and Chiaki took the lead in prying tips on taking falls from Touka, and Shiki practiced accordingly, forcefully brushing Haruno’s comment under the rug.

With the day’s fight lesson concluded, it was time for Shiki’s study session to begin.

“Are Tsukiike-san and Hiyama-san really joining too?”

At Shiki’s question, Chiaki and Touka nodded in unison.

“Even for us, we care enough about grades to at least graduate.”

“Last year, Chi-chan was the one in the most danger, though~.”

“Sh-Shut up! Anyway! Just ‘cause we’re delinquents doesn’t mean you should lump us in with idiots who have no intention of graduating or don’t care about repeating a year!”

“More like, I don’t wanna be lumped in with those types at all. People who don’t care about grades usually end up with two career paths after dropping out: yakuza or half-baked thugs.”

As Karin joined the conversation, Touka raised an eyebrow with an “Oh?”

“There’s also the juvenile detention route, so isn’t it three options?”

“Oh, forgot about that one.”

With talk of “dropping out” instead of graduating and career paths casually veering into the antisocial, Shiki was starkly reminded of just what kind of academy he’d enrolled in.

“Anyway, we’re not exactly model students, but we don’t wanna be grouped with those types.”

“That’s why, instead of boycotting classes or tests—or worse, disrupting them—we helped Rin-rin put some heat on those especially rowdy idiots, right, Chi-chan?”

“Well, yeah. If we’re stuck going to school, might as well make it a bit more comfortable.”

“…I was just beating up guys I didn’t like.”

Karin’s words were clearly a cover for her embarrassment, and Shiki picked up on it immediately.

Meanwhile, Haruno, completely oblivious, had her eyes sparkling as she listened to her admired senpais’ exploits.

Taking advantage of a natural break in the conversation, Shiki turned to Chiaki and Touka.

“Before we start the study session, can I ask which subjects you’re good at and which ones you struggle with?”

“I’m good at Japanese!”

Chiaki answered with a smug grin, and Shiki pressed further.

“What’s your average score, by the way?”

“‘Bout sixty points.”

Still grinning smugly, Chiaki faced Shiki, whose dark side manifested in the form of a smile.

“Tsukiike-san, if you’re going to call it a strength, you should at least be getting seventy points.”

“O-Oh…”

Caught off guard by the merciless jab delivered with an unfamiliar smile, Chiaki’s response was tinged with intimidation.

“What about your weak subjects?”

“S-Science-y stuff’s a bit…”

As Chiaki hedged, Karin chimed in with a wicked grin.

“Not just a bit—catastrophically bad. Stuffing your skirt with a whole exciting experiment set’s worth of tools, but sucking at science? That’s scarier than a bad horror flick.”

“I don’t need science to use stuff, so it’s fine!”

Ignoring her protest, Shiki pressed on.

“And other than Japanese and science subjects?”

“Right on the equator.”

Chiaki blatantly looked away. She probably meant she was scraping by at the failing line.

“Yeah, that comment’s a failing grade.”

Another merciless jab exploded, making Chiaki hang her head, and Shiki turned to Touka.

“What about you, Hiyama-san?”

“My strong subject is~…”

“Oh, I forgot to mention, but please leave out health and phys ed.”

Touka, who was clearly about to say health and phys ed, froze with her mouth half-open.

“Sh-Shi-kun, isn’t that a bit cold~?”

“Hiyama-san, don’t you think studying’s neither warm nor cold?”

With a beaming smile laced with “darkness,” Shiki made even Touka’s cheeks twitch in intimidation.

Watching this, Haruno whispered to Karin in a hushed voice.

“K-Karin-senpai… isn’t Shiki-senpai scarier now than when he was teaching us?”

“Y-Yeah… dude’s powered up or something…”

The two shivered in fear, but in truth, Shiki was just stretched thin from the number of students doubling.

The surge in his dark side’s power was merely a sign of his desperation, but for those being taught, it was the kind of desperation that was hard to stomach.

As it turned out, Touka could speak English and was supposedly good at it, but her written skills were lacking, making her strengths and weaknesses similar to Karin’s.

When Touka started explaining why she could speak English, mentioning “American size,” Shiki gently but firmly shut her down with another “dark” smile, and they dove straight into the Japanese study session.

And so, after the study session ended, Chiaki and Touka said in unison:

Shiki, when teaching, is kind of scary.

A few days had passed since Chiaki and Touka started joining both lessons, and it was now late April.

The routine had settled into a pattern: primarily sparring practice with Karin and sandbag training, and if Shiki had the energy and time, either Chiaki’s danger-dodging lesson or Touka’s falling technique lesson. This structure had become firmly established.

Today, as usual, Shiki was diligently working on sandbag training, slamming a kick into the bag at the absolute limit of his current height.

At first, Chiaki and Touka had been surprised by Shiki’s kicking power, but by now, they’d grown accustomed to the sight of the sandbag bouncing dramatically, so they no longer let out gasps of awe.

But—

“It’s not quite a high kick yet, but you’re hitting a pretty high spot now, aren’t you?”

Karin’s delighted smile as she praised his kick meant more to Shiki than anything else.

“Actually, if you can lift your leg this high, you could probably kick someone in the face.”

“Doesn’t that contradict what you just said, Kohinata-san?”

“No contradiction at all. If you crush their legs with a low kick or make ‘em double over with a gut shot, you could easily kick the face of anyone around your height.”

“I see…”

For Shiki, who knew little about fighting or martial arts, this was an eye-opening revelation.

Even if his kicks reached the level of a proper high kick, he wouldn’t be able to land one on someone too tall for his leg to reach their face.

But using the method Karin just described, he could land a high kick on anyone, regardless of their height.

Perhaps his surprise and admiration showed on his face, because Karin, fanning herself with her iron fan, wore a slightly smug grin.

“Still, it’s only been half a month or so, and you’ve gotten this flexible. That’s impressive.”

“I found some videos online about getting flexible enough to do the splits in a month, and they were surprisingly effective…”

“Oh, I’ve heard of those. They actually work, huh?”

“You didn’t need to rely on videos. If you’d relied on me, I could’ve taught you hands-on, among other things~.”

“That’s exactly why we can’t let you teach him.”

As Touka predictably got carried away, Chiaki shut her down with a deadpan retort. But—

“If Chiaki-senpai says that… then the ‘other things’ Touka-senpai’s talking about must mean Shiki-senpai’s mechanical pencil, right!?”

Haruno’s outrageous comment made Shiki, Karin, and Chiaki’s eyes pop out in unison.

Amidst this, Touka, letting out a gleeful “Ara~,” threw the scene into further chaos.

“No, no, Haru-non. You can’t say that. Comparing it to a mechanical pencil is rude to Shi-kun. If you’re gonna use a pen analogy, it should be a correction pen.”

“Why’s that, Touka-senpai!?”

“Because both have white stuff coming out of the tip—Ahh♥!”

At last, Chiaki’s stun baton went off, forcibly putting an end to the chaos.

Shiki had been avoiding the truth all this time, but at this point, he was forced to acknowledge that Haruno was undeniably curious about naughty things. Or rather, he was forced to face it head-on.

In any case, he decided it was time to change the subject, even if by force. Turning to Karin, who was slightly flushed and holding her head with one hand, he brought up a new topic.

“By the way, Kohinata-san! For this kind of thing, should I aim to kick just as well with my other leg too?”

“Y-Yeah… sure, it’s better if you can kick equally well with both legs… but in your case, Shiki, there’s one issue you need to tackle first.”

“Issue?”

“Yeah. Whether you can kick like that in a real fight.”

“You mean… like you said before, how even if two people have the same punching power, someone used to hitting people will have an edge over someone who isn’t?”

Shiki recalled what Karin had said two weeks ago, when he’d taken down Kawato with a front kick.

“Exactly, that’s it. In your case, Shiki, I’m thinking you might not be able to kick someone for real if it came to an actual fight.”

“Oh? Didn’t Shi-kun take down that Kawato kid with a single front kick? If so, I don’t think it’s something to worry about too much.”

“That time, Shiki was desperate, and the guy was someone who’d been bullying him, so he could kick with full force. Honestly, we won’t know if he can kick for real until he’s in a real fight.”

Shiki thought Karin was absolutely right.

Learning how to kick had made him able to hit higher and more accurately.

He’d also gotten better at transferring power, so his kicks were stronger overall.

But mastering kicking techniques had inevitably taught him how to control his strength, and by extension, how to hold back.

Given his personality, he could easily imagine himself holding back in a real fight out of concern for his opponent.

The thought of Kawato, who was currently lying low out of fear of the Empress’s gaze, retaliating made Shiki shudder at what could happen if he held back. He didn’t even want to imagine it.

Even knowing this, he wasn’t sure if he could kick Kawato for real, and that uncertainty frustrated him to his core.

“…Anyway, it’s about time for the study session.”

Karin said, checking the time on her phone.

At her words, Shiki decided to shelve the fighting issue for now and deliberately brought up the academic challenge awaiting Karin and the others.

“Yeah. With Golden Week starting tomorrow and midterms right after, we’ve got work to do.”

Faced with this harsh reality, Karin and the others turned pale in unison.

“I’ve prepared a curriculum so everyone can study at home during Golden Week, so today I’ll drill it into you all.”

Unknowingly, Shiki flashed a smile brimming with his dark side.

At the sight of that smile, someone let out a strained “Eek…!”

And so—

By the time Karin and the others were far more exhausted than Shiki, who’d been pushing his body in the fight lessons, it was past 6:00 p.m., the nominal complete dismissal time at this delinquent school. They wrapped up the lessons, grabbed brooms from the locker in the corner of the equipment room, and started cleaning.

Cleaning was a condition for using the equipment room, and after Chiaki’s lessons, they also had to collect the BB pellets, so they made a habit of tidying up.

Once that was done, Shiki and the others left the equipment room.

While no one was seriously practicing club activities in the gym, plenty of delinquents were loitering, playing basketball or volleyball, so they took care to avoid attention as they slipped out through the entrance connecting the school building to the gym.

They headed to the shoe lockers, and all five stepped outside the school together.

“Alright, see ya tomorrow!”

“Later!”

“Byyye-bye!”

“Goodbye, senpais!”

Parting ways with Karin and the others at the back gate, Shiki headed home.

Not only did he live in a different direction—opposite the downtown area—but he also lacked the courage to walk through town with four girls, so he was slightly relieved to part ways.

That said, it’d be a lie to say he didn’t feel a bit lonely. Compared to the days when Kawato was bullying him, though, this was beyond luxurious.

(…Come to think of it, isn’t my life right now ridiculously luxurious!?)

He was dumbfounded at himself for only realizing this now, while also recognizing how little mental bandwidth he’d had to notice it before.

Indeed. His current situation was, for a teenage boy, absurdly luxurious.

Even if three of the four were delinquents, they were all undeniably beautiful girls, and he was the only guy in their group.

What could be more luxurious than that?

But sadly, Shiki’s life had involved so little interaction with girls—especially in high school, thanks to the bullying—that he hadn’t built any immunity to this kind of happiness. As a result, he couldn’t fully embrace his situation.

The embarrassment of being the only guy among girls and the worry that mixing with the popular Kohinata Faction might earn him the ire of others—mostly male students—outweighed any joy.

Even sadder, his worries were spot-on.

Knowing it was safer to walk through town than the school grounds at dusk, where delinquents might hassle him, Shiki parted with Karin and the others at the back gate and walked along the fence toward the main gate, heading home.

On his way, he saw a group of St. Lukimantz Academy delinquents approaching. Trying to avoid eye contact, he moved to the edge of the path, but—

“Found you, Orifushi Shiki.”

He hadn’t dreamed they’d know his name and call him out, so he froze, trembling, and stopped in his tracks.

Seizing the moment, the delinquents surrounded him with eerily coordinated movements.

There were five of them. The leader, sporting a bold pompadour and thin sunglasses—a retro yankee style—seemed to be the one who’d called his name.

Shiki’s ability to analyze this instantly wasn’t due to confidence gained from Karin’s fight lessons. It was simply the habit of a weakling, forced to scrutinize delinquents’ moods to avoid trouble.

Proving his analysis correct, the pompadour guy spoke in a Kansai accent, delivering despairing words.

“Sorry to spring this on ya, but I don’t like you.”

“W-What don’t you like about me…?”

Asking nervously, Shiki saw the guy widen his eyes behind his sunglasses and pull a card from his pocket, flashing it at him.

The card read: 3rd Year, Class 7, Shiraishi Jun, along with Kohinata Karin Fan Club Member No. 00000001.

Shiki couldn’t help letting out a dumbfounded “Huh?”

The fact that it listed his year and class meant the card—likely a membership card—was updated annually. The sheer number of zeros in the member number caused a pile-up of retorts in Shiki’s brain.

“Listen up, Orifushi… The Kohinata Faction is an Eden ruled by Karin-neesan. A guy in that group is nothing but an outsider—no, trash!”

As Shiraishi ranted, his lackeys chimed in.

“Exactly what the prez says, ya punk!”

“Who do you think you are, hangin’ with Karin-neesan!”

“I’ll crush you, bastard!”

“Let me take your place, you scum!”

One guy was just spewing raw desire, but still.

The fan club lackeys hurled insults freely. As expected of St. Lukimantz Academy, even their fan club was absurdly rough.

Shiraishi, despite being older, called Karin “nee-san”, adding to the absurdity.

(It’s scary, sure, but…)

Given the reason they were targeting him, Shiki’s fear and tension began to loosen. The fact that one lackey was just shouting his desires made it even less intimidating.

Shiraishi raised a hand, and the four lackeys instantly stopped their jeering.

Their coordination, like when they surrounded him, showed they were disciplined—outside their desires, at least.

“So, your death sentence is set.”

What do you mean, “so”!? Shiki didn’t voice this retort, but he couldn’t help thinking even a medieval witch trial would hear the accused out more.

“Even with a grand cause like executing you, ganging up on one guy would be lame and get us hated by Karin-neesan.”

I don’t think she likes you in the first place! Shiki kept this rude thought to himself too.

“So, Orifushi, let’s have a one-on-one fight. Beat me, and I’ll put your punishment on hold.”

Perhaps because Shiki didn’t look remotely like a delinquent, Shiraishi’s expression showed no consideration of losing—only of pummeling Shiki.

“Wait, wait, wait! I think Kohinata-san would hate this kind of thing—”

“Don’t call nee-san by her name so casually, you punk!”

“Even her last name’s off-limits!?”

Ignoring Shiki’s yelp, Shiraishi threw a merciless punch at his face. In that moment, Shiki felt something unfamiliar.

It looked slow.

Thanks to sparring daily with Karin, whose speed was exceptional, Shiki had gotten somewhat used to it, making Shiraishi’s movements seem sluggish.

(If it’s this slow…!)

Realizing the value of Karin’s sparring, Shiki tilted his body to dodge the incoming fist.

Caught off guard that his punch was dodged, Shiraishi stumbled, barely regaining his balance.

“You dodged that, huh? Not bad.”

Trying to maintain his prez dignity with a cool line, Shiraishi swung again. But to Shiki’s own surprise, the fight lessons’ results shone through—he didn’t get grazed once, no matter how many punches came.

(If I keep dodging, it shouldn’t be too hard…)

But dodging alone wouldn’t resolve this. Even if he outlasted Shiraishi’s stamina, the guy would likely see it as being mocked and get angrier.

However, if he followed the one-on-one rules and beat Shiraishi fair and square, he might earn some respect and get that suspended sentence.

It was a bit optimistic, but it had a far better chance of breaking the stalemate than dodging until Shiraishi tired out.

The decision was made.

But the resolve wasn’t.

It might be arrogant, but knowing his kicks were abnormally strong—thanks to Karin—made him worry about seriously injuring his opponent if he went all out.

At the same time, he feared that holding back might enrage Shiraishi further, worsening things.

“You…! Stop just dodging…! Get serious already…!”

Panting, Shiraishi kept swinging.

Shiki, deciding he couldn’t hesitate any longer, thought:

(Just a little restraint! A low kick probably won’t cause major injury!)

Convincing himself, he dodged Shiraishi’s punch and slammed a low kick into his left thigh.

A sharp crack rang out, painful just to hear, and—

“Gaaahhh!”

Unable to stand, Shiraishi clutched his thigh with both hands, writhing on the ground.

His agony was so intense that the lackeys shouted “Prez!” and rushed to him, panicking.

“Ooh… ugh…”

As Shiraishi groaned incomprehensibly, still writhing, the lackeys glared at Shiki.

“What’d you do to the prez, you punk!”

“Who do you think you are, kicking him!”

“I’ll crush you, bastard!”

“Let me take him on, you scum!”

Thinking one-on-four was impossible, Shiki screamed internally (Eek…!), but—

“Wait, you idiots… why’re you acting like I lost?”

Shiraishi, barely standing, prompted the lackeys to shout “Prez!” emotionally.

“That one hit made it clear. Keep this up, and my win’s obvious. Still, this guy showed some guts. So…”

Shiraishi, legs trembling like a newborn fawn, spoke with utter condescension.

“I’ll let you off for today.”

With that, he hobbled off, supported by his lackeys.

“…What was that?”

Unable to process what he’d just witnessed, Shiki muttered aloud.

“Honestly, I wanna ask you that.”

Hearing Karin’s voice behind him, Shiki spun around, wide-eyed.

“Kohinata-san!? Why’re you here!?”

“Forgot my phone in the equipment room. On my way back to grab it, I saw you getting hassled by those guys. Thought about stepping in, but you handled it yourself.”

Smiling as if it were her own victory, Karin spoke.

Feeling embarrassed but pulled in by her smile, Shiki smiled back.

“Thanks to you teaching me how to fight.”

“Teaching’s a stretch—I’ve barely started. But anyway…”

Her smile shifted to a troubled one as she tapped Shiki’s chest.

“Looks like you couldn’t kick for real, huh?”

“W-Well…”

As Shiki faltered, Karin’s smile turned gentle.

“Idiot. I didn’t say that’s a bad thing. If anything, being able to casually beat people up like me or the delinquent idiots at our school is way worse.”

Laughing heartily, Karin continued. Shiki wanted to say, “You guys are different from other delinquents,” but his usual embarrassment won out, and he stayed silent.

Luckily, it didn’t show on his face, so Karin continued without noticing.

“Just remember, there are some guys you can’t hold back against. Especially if Kawato comes for revenge—he’d probably flip out even more if you held back.”

Shiki, agreeing completely, took her words to heart.

“By the way, those guys said they were your fan club…”

“Ahh! Can’t hear you, can’t hear you!”

Covering her ears, Karin shouted.

At that moment, Shiki was certain the fan club was unofficial and decided not to press further about Shiraishi and his crew.

As they talked, streetlights began to glow, and Shiki realized the sun had almost set.

“…I shouldn’t keep you too long. Tsukiike-san and the others are probably waiting.”

“Nah, don’t worry about Chiaki and them. They’re dropping Haruno off first, then deciding whether to meet up based on the vibe.”

Even so, for some reason, Karin grabbed his arm firmly.

“But, y’know, going to grab my phone alone is kinda lame, so you’re coming with, Shiki.”

He had no idea what she meant by “kinda lame,” but the strength in her grip made it clear he had no choice.

Returning to the school through the main gate, Shiki and Karin—

“Been a while since I saw it, but I still don’t know where to start with this.”

“Y-Yeah…”

They stared at the statue of St. Lukimantz Academy’s founder, Howard Lukimantz, glowing in seven colors, their faces twitching in unison.

Its dazzling brilliance was enough to make them forget this was a delinquent school and worry about it being a neighborhood nuisance.

Since the gym’s entrance was locked after dismissal time, they headed through the school building to the gym, just like when they left. But—

“Kohinata-san!?”

The moment they passed the shoe lockers, Karin clung to his arm, making Shiki let out a startled yelp.

“S-Service, it’s just service! It’s so dark, I thought you might be freaking out…”

Her voice and the pineapple cigarette in her mouth trembled slightly as she said this.

With most students gone, the hallway lights were sparse, and the night made the corridors eerily dim.

Even so, Shiki wasn’t afraid of ghosts or—

That said, Shiki had hardly ever found ghosts or spooky stories scary. Running into delinquents lingering in the school building was far more terrifying, so—

“I-I’m totally not scared, so you can let go, Kohinata-san!!”

He pleaded in a near-scream. Being clung to made him painfully aware, in real-time, that Haruno was right about Karin being “the type who looks slimmer in clothes.”

For a healthy high school boy, this was a situation to rejoice in, and deep down, Shiki was pretty thrilled. But his embarrassment won out, leading to his desperate plea for her to let go.

“No way, don’t push yourself! You’re totally scared, aren’t you!? A-And getting clung to by a girl like this—you like it, don’t you, Shiki!? You were all smug when Touka clung to you, too!”

The second question hit too close to home with a “YES,” making it hard to answer, but never mind that.

Faced with Karin’s desperate clinging, Shiki suddenly realized a possibility.

“Kohinata-san… are you, maybe, bad with ghosts?”

Karin froze with a start.

“N-N-N-No way… I don’t care about ghosts or anything…”

Her eyes and words were swimming hilariously.

Unable to believe Karin’s reaction, Shiki tested her.

“Hey, doesn’t that thing over there look kinda ghostly?”

Though he said it half-heartedly, thinking it was too childish to work—

“~~~~!?”

Letting out a silent scream, Karin clung even closer, leaving Shiki, cheeks flushed, frozen like a statue.

Her shift from just grabbing his arm to full-on clinging meant—without saying what—that his arm was now enveloped in a certain valley, making it impossible to move. Unlike Touka, whose antics were deliberate, knowing this was unintentional made it even worse.

“K-Kohinata-san… the ghost… was a lie…”

Unable to hold out, he confessed. Instantly, Karin snapped her head up.

Whether embarrassed at being seen like this or angry, her flushed cheeks puffed out, and her teary-eyed glare was so adorable it was hard to believe she was the top dog at St. Lukimantz Academy.

“S-Sorry…”

Shiki, cheeks reddening further, apologized, but Karin, as if refusing to forgive, grabbed his cheek and pulled hard.

“Owowowowow!! Sorry, sorry!! Really sorry!!”

Ignoring Shiki’s cries, she tugged for a full thirty seconds before finally letting go.

Then, turning her face away—

“G-Ghosts… I’m not scared, I just don’t like ‘em…”

She mumbled an excuse, hard to tell if serious, her ears bright red, while clinging tightly to his arm again.

Feeling like his quickening heartbeat might be audible to Karin, Shiki, to cover it, voiced a frank thought he hadn’t meant to say aloud.

“Honestly… it’s kinda surprising. I thought you weren’t scared of anything, Kohinata-san.”

“I’m not scared, just bad with ‘em. Don’t get that wrong.”

Even her excuse was cute, making his heartbeat race faster.

To think, just half a month ago, he was terrified of the Empress. It felt like a lie now.

“A-Anyway! Let’s hurry and grab my phone!”

Perhaps eager to escape the dark school building, Karin rushed him.

Her unrelenting grip on his arm was both thrilling and something he wished she’d ease up on.

Maybe because he owed so much to Karin for the Kawato situation, being relied on like this—though he felt bad for her fear—made him genuinely happy.

Outside of studying, it wasn’t often he could help, but Shiki resolved to gladly lend his strength if she needed him again.

During Golden Week, spending more time alone brought a faint sense of loneliness, but Shiki continued fight lessons on his own as best he could.

Eventually, Golden Week ended, midterms began, and the test period flew by in a blur.

With tests over, fight lessons resumed—though study sessions took a break—and Shiki headed to the equipment room right after school.

“Maybe I came a bit too early…”

Apparently the first to arrive, he found the room empty.

Placing his bag in the corner, he thought idly:

(Somehow… I’m starting to enjoy coming to school.)

When Kawato and his crew bullied him, he dreaded school so much he couldn’t stand it.

Not wanting to worry his parents, he’d ruled out transferring, leaving him stuck with no way forward.

(Kohinata-san pulled me out of that hell.)

Not only that, she was teaching him how to fight to avoid falling back into it.

He couldn’t thank her enough.

(Though… saying that out loud feels too embarrassing…)

Lost in thought, he heard footsteps from beyond the door.

Preparing for the possibility of a teacher, he pretended to grab cleaning supplies from the locker in the corner.

“Shiki, you’re here—!”

The moment Karin burst through the door, she shouted with high energy.

“Kohinata-san, that’s a bit too loud…!”

As Shiki scolded her, she ran up and—

“Thanks, Shiki!”

“!!!?!!!?”

Hugging him head-on, she short-circuited his brain.

“My test scores! I got over fifty in every subject! It’s the first time I’ve ever done this well!”

In her excitement, she slapped his back while hugging him.

Overwhelmed by her closeness, her nice scent, and the confirmation that she was indeed “the type whose clothes hide her figure,” Shiki froze like a statue, face red.

“All thanks to you, Shiki! Seriously, thank you!”

Expressing joy and gratitude with words and body, Karin—unlike Touka’s intentional antics—had a natural disregard for personal space that was far more heart-stopping and destructive. Shiki realized this in a corner of his short-circuited mind.

Then Touka and Haruno arrived, and Karin hugged them too—only to get a whack from Touka’s iron fan for touching somewhere.

Finally, Chiaki came in. Karin tried to hug her but was thoroughly dodged, leaving it an attempt.

“Haa… huff… haa… huff… By the way… I got zero failing grades…”

Panting from dodging Karin, Chiaki reported.

“Sorry to rain on Rin-rin’s parade, but I averaged sixty across the board~.”

Touka pulled out her test papers, flaunting them to everyone.

Though Japanese was in the fifties, every other subject was over sixty.

Seeing this, Karin and even Chiaki grumbled with frustration.

Neither Karin nor Chiaki seemed to like studying, but they cared about outscoring each other.

Following Touka’s lead, Haruno rummaged through her bag.

“Look! All my subjects are in the double digits!”

She proudly showed off papers ranging from twenty to forty points.

Though Karin and the others had been competitive, they suddenly softened, patting Haruno’s head gently.

“So, how’d you do, Shiki?”

Caught off guard by Karin’s question, he looked away.

“Oh? Were your scores bad or something?”

“No… it’s not that…”

“Really now?”

As Karin grinned and pressed him, Chiaki pointed out dryly:

“Even if they were bad by Shiki’s standards, they’re definitely better than ours.”

“But I’m curious about Shiki-senpai’s scores!”

“So~ Shi-kun, you wanna show us your papers willingly, or do we have to force you?”

“That’s basically no choice at all, right!?”

With that, Shiki chose to reveal his papers, spreading them out before Karin and the others.

To reiterate, St. Lukimantz Academy is mocked as a school where you pass the entrance exam just by applying.

For Shiki, who’d aimed for a decently competitive public high school, the academy’s tests weren’t that tough.

His lowest score was ninety-four, his highest a hundred.

“…That’s brutal.”

Staring at Shiki’s papers, Karin muttered.

“Brutal!?”

Shocked by the expression, Shiki let out a startled cry.

“Yeah, brutal.”

“Brutal, huh~.”

“Shiki-senpai! These papers definitely need a mosaic!”

Chiaki and the others echoed Karin’s sentiment.

“Being told that about my test scores is a first…”

Unconsciously mimicking Karin’s earlier phrasing, Shiki wore a complicated expression.

And so, Shiki and the others safely (?) made it through midterms.