Shiranami Chihiro was on the verge of giving up.
So when she saw someone step forward to speak up for her, her eyes grew slightly moist, and she nearly broke down in tears.
So many boys and girls were standing nearby.
Among them were quite a few who were clearly upperclassmen. Yet not one of them was willing to say even a single word in her defense.
No one even stepped forward to stop Class C's bullying.
Everyone was just in the mood to watch a spectacle.
They wanted to see Shiranami Chihiro get publicly humiliated.
The idea that the strong can freely bully the weak had long been deeply ingrained in their hearts, taking root in the darkest corners of their minds.
If they were in her shoes, they might have crumbled even faster than Shiranami.
But right now, they, as a matter of course, stood on Class C's side.
On the side of the bullies.
Viewing things from the so-called "strong" perspective, they wanted to watch Shiranami Chihiro lose her composure, feeding their own inner satisfaction.
"I don't care who you are, but I suggest you mind your own business."
A blond boy behind Ishizaki cracked his knuckles as he spoke.
He then casually tried to shove Amane aside.
But he quickly realized something was off.
No matter how hard the blond guy pushed, Amane didn't budge an inch.
"Three guys and a violent girl ganging up on one helpless girl—don't you think that's going too far?"
"Violent girl? You've got some nerve saying that! Kondo, are you just for show? Teach her a lesson!"
Ibuki shouted at the blond boy, Kondo, who was struggling to move Amane.
Her gaze, however, remained locked on Amane.
Most people who dared to stand up for others in a situation like this were usually confident in their own abilities.
Naturally, Ibuki was on high alert.
"Ibuki, it's not that I don't wanna teach her a lesson… It's just… this girl is weird!" After a moment of frustration, Kondo could only label Amane as "weird."
"Hah? What are you even saying? Fine, I'll handle it myself. You're all utterly useless." Ibuki let out a cold laugh.
She casually shoved Shiranami, sending her tumbling to the ground, then strode toward Amane.
"Dammit! Who are you calling—" Kondo, about to retort, was cut off as Ishizaki placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's just watch for now."
Hearing that, Kondo shut his mouth and stepped back, ready to see Ibuki make a fool of herself.
"Which class are you from, anyway, daring to interfere with our business?" Ibuki demanded, displeased and questioning Amane's identity.
Business?
Was that an unconscious admission of guilt?
Class C students really were careless when it came to keeping things under wraps.
"First-Year Class D, Miyako Amane."
The moment the words "Class D" left her mouth, murmurs and snickers broke out around them.
"And here I thought she was from Class A. Turns out she's from Class D? I heard the first-years in Class D managed to lose all their class points in the first month."
"Eh? They blew through a thousand points already? As expected of Class D. Truly impressive."
"A student from the bottom class thinking she can meddle in the affairs of the upper classes? How delusional. She's gonna get beaten black and blue in a moment. That Ibuki girl clearly knows how to fight."
Amid the surrounding noise, Amane calmly faced Ibuki.
"I don't care what your name is! Or which class you're from! Since you've chosen to stand up for someone, you'd better be ready to get hit."
???
The temporary "lookout" strand of hair on Amane's head practically curled into a question mark.
Didn't you just ask me which class I'm from?
How can you turn around and pretend you didn't?
In that moment, Amane suddenly understood Horikita's desire to rise to a higher class. If this was what upperclass students were like, then being placed in the bottom-tier Class D felt downright unfair.
Judging from Ibuki and Ishizaki's behavior, Class C seemed to be full of this delinquent type.
Yet a class like that was ranked higher than Class D.
No wonder Horikita was so determined to climb.
Just as Amane's mind began to wander, thinking about Horikita, Ibuki, taking her silence as contempt, suddenly launched a swift kick toward her.
Amane, though distracted, dodged purely on instinct.
"Stop dodging if you've got any guts!" Ibuki taunted, following up with a sharp straight punch.
The force of the punch brushed past Amane's cheek, snapping her out of her imaginary deep conversation with Horikita and back to reality.
"Seriously... is violence really the only way you people know how to solve problems?"
Amane's intention was simply to remind Ibuki that using violence in public was risky—getting caught would surely mean punishment.
But to Ibuki's ears, it sounded like a veiled mockery.
Enraged, she unleashed a flurry of flashy moves, arms and legs flying.
Yet every single one was effortlessly dodged by Amane.
Word of the fight spread like wildfire.
In no time, a sizable crowd had gathered.
If it were just an ordinary fight, people might have just watched for fun.
But then someone posted on the school forum: "Two beauties brawling outside the Palette Café, tearing each other's clothes off! Come quick!"
The result: one to two hundred students swarmed the scene, turning it into a massive spectacle.
It was positively buzzing.
Even Horikita, who had been waiting in the dorm for Amane's return, heard the news and rushed over.
When she saw it was Amane in the fight, she wasn't in such a hurry to intervene.
From Horikita's experience, Amane was remarkably resilient. That blue-haired girl's attacks likely posed no real threat to her.
Since she didn't know the full context, barging in to stop the fight might interfere with whatever Amane was planning.
So Horikita simply found a chair, sat down, and watched the two fight.
If Amane won, she could just step in and scold her afterward, maybe punish her by making her be the hugging pillow again tonight.
If Amane lost...
Well, an injured Amane would need someone to take care of her, right?
Whatever the outcome, Horikita Suzune wouldn't lose out.
Meanwhile, from the shadows near the school building, a boy emerged, his face covered in bruises, walking with a slight limp.
"What the hell is Ibuki doing? Who's she fighting?"
Beside him, Shiina Hiyori thought for a moment. "The one fighting Ibuki is Miyako Amane, a student from First-Year Class D."
"First-Year Class D? That idiot Ibuki! I told her to cause trouble for Class B! And that moron Ishizaki, just standing there watching while Ibuki struggles. I've had it with these fools!!!" The red-haired boy yelled in frustration.
Shiina Hiyori quietly watched him vent.
Only after he finally calmed down did she speak softly. "Ryūen-san, what happened to your injuries?"
Faced with her question, Ryūen didn't bother hiding it. "Albert did this. But he didn't get off easy either. Probably two more rounds, and I'll have him under my thumb. But more importantly..."
Ryūen paused.
"Our top priority right now is to make that idiot Ibuki remember what she's even here for!!!"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.