The advantage was clearly on Nagumo's side.
However, even though Ryunosuke had given such leeway, his opponent still didn't dare accept the challenge. If it came to that, he had no other choice.
Ryunosuke suddenly pulled Honami, forcibly embracing her slender waist, then whispered near her ear.
"Cooperate with me for a moment, I'll help you vent your frustration."
Honami blinked her large, cute eyes, looking confused.
But Ryunosuke didn't care anymore. While continuing to embrace Honami, he announced in a loud voice.
"I just want to demand justice for my woman."
"Don't think too far, Nagumo."
"Eh?" Honami made a cute sound; she was starting to feel flustered.
She tried to break free from his embrace with a sullen face, but her efforts were in vain. In chuunibyou mode, Ryunosuke's physique was many times stronger than a normal person. Moreover, Honami's stamina was quite weak. Even without that mode, she wouldn't necessarily be able to win against him.
Ryunosuke continued to provoke, afraid that Nagumo wouldn't be baited.
"Didn't I already say from the beginning?"
"If you dare touch my woman, then I will take your woman."
"I remember her name is..."
Ryunosuke deliberately paused his sentence as if just remembering, then mentioned a name.
"I remember her name is... Asahina Nazuna-senpai, right?"
Nagumo's fist clenched. Clearly his pride had been disturbed. Ryunosuke patted his own cheeks in front of him and continued to provoke.
"Try to guess, do I have the ability to get her?"
"How dare you!" Nagumo shouted while throwing a punch at him.
Ryunosuke stepped back with his hands still in his pockets, dodging easily. He then continued.
"If you don't accept a duel with me, then I will approach your girlfriend."
This tactic was truly cunning. Ryunosuke's reputation, just like Nagumo's, was indeed not very good in terms of romantic rumors. There were many whispers about him and the female leaders in various classes.
Nagumo felt intimidated. The man in front of him might really be able to take Nazuna from him. After taking a long breath, he finally made a decision.
At most he only needed to spend many points to buy other people's votes. Nagumo didn't care anymore about point expenditure. He planned to bribe seniors to vote for him.
As long as he won, there were 80 million points belonging to Ryunosuke that could cover his spending hole. Victory was everything.
Nagumo agreed to the duel and extended his hand as a sign of agreement. Ryunosuke shook it. In front of Manabu, they formalized the bet.
Of course, a written contract was still signed. Without a binding contract, the agreement would have no legal force and the opposing party could break their promise.
After finishing, each took one copy of the contract and left the Student Council room. There was no point staying there long in an awkward atmosphere. Manabu could only sigh seeing them leave just like that.
Outside, Ryunosuke and Honami walked hand in hand in the garden area. Honami stared at her hand being held, and her face turned red again unconsciously.
Remembering how Ryunosuke defended her in the Student Council room earlier, Honami's heart began pounding hard again. Perhaps because she was too embarrassed, she finally broke free from his grip and pretended to be angry.
"Isn't Akasaka-kun being too careless?"
"Pulling a girl's wrist just like that... that, that should only be done by a couple!"
Honami shouted while closing her eyes. Clearly she felt embarrassed to the maximum level. She was truly innocent in this matter and had never had a boyfriend, so she had a perception that such things were very sacred.
Seeing that, Ryunosuke—who since childhood had been "educated" by his mother about how to coax women—reflexively placed his hand on top of Honami's head and stroked it gently.
Honami's cheeks flushed; she puffed out her cheeks with a pitiful look.
"Why are you so skilled?" Honami asked, referring to his ability to coax girls.
Even so, Honami didn't reject the stroking on her head. She just turned her face away, not daring to look directly at Ryunosuke, though occasionally her eyes glanced toward the man.
After feeling Honami was calm enough, Ryunosuke pulled her hand toward Class B's room. He intended to resolve Honami's problem there.
"Explain the situation to them. Tell the truth like you told me. They will accept you." Ryunosuke said.
Honami shook her head firmly, indicating she didn't want to enter. She was afraid of losing her classmates. Ryunosuke pushed her forward from behind while continuing to calm her.
"Relax. As I promised, they will accept you." Ryunosuke said while smiling.
Seeing the conviction on his face, Honami began to waver. Taking advantage of the moment when Honami was daydreaming, Ryunosuke pushed her into the classroom then immediately closed the door. He blocked the exit so the girl couldn't escape.
Honami knocked on the door in panic, her face already red from mixed emotions. She slowly turned her head and found all her classmates staring at her.
Honami scratched her head awkwardly. "Haha, hello everyone~"
She waved her hand as usual, trying to greet them. However, unfortunately, her friends this time didn't return her greeting. This made Honami break out in cold sweat from panic.
Actually, Ryunosuke had already contacted Himeno secretly and explained everything, including Honami's little secret. The rest depended on them themselves.
Although he said he had no right to interfere, Ryunosuke still felt worried and stood guard in front of the door.
Inside the classroom, seeing everyone continue to stare at her, Honami took a long breath and steeled her heart.
"Everyone, listen to me!"
"Back in junior high, I once..."
Honami explained everything about the theft she had committed. She bowed her head deeply, hoping to receive forgiveness from them.
Actually, Ryunosuke had already given a warning to Kanzaki Ryuji and the others. They already knew in advance and were just waiting for Honami to say it herself. After all, harboring a secret alone was not a good thing. Honami's mental burden had to be resolved.
And in this matter, all her classmates agreed to forgive her. Not a single one objected.