However, just at the critical moment, a strong and powerful hand reached out, grabbing the blond-haired punk's arm like an iron pincer.
"Eh? Classmate Kenji?" Shinomiya Natsuha exclaimed, turning her head to look at Kenji.
"Didn't you hear Classmate Shinomiya? I told you not to touch her!" Kenji said with a cold face and a firm tone.
"You brat, I advise you not to mind other people's busi— Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! Let go—"
Before the blond-haired punk could finish his sentence, he screamed in agony due to the sharp pain coming from his arm.
He tried to break free from Kenji's grip, only to find that the other party's hand strength was astonishing; he couldn't budge it even a fraction.
"Hmph," Kenji snorted coldly, giving the blond-haired punk's arm a gentle push forward.
The blond-haired punk stumbled back several steps, rolled a few times, and only barely came to a stop after knocking over two desks.
He scrambled up miserably, clutching his aching arm and glaring at Kenji with a face full of rage.
"You... you've got... such incredible strength!" the blond-haired punk said in disbelief.
He hadn't expected this seemingly frail international student to possess such terrifying power, but soon, his fury drowned out his fear.
A mere student, a pig, actually dared to make him lose face in front of so many people?
"Damn you, just wait until school's out! I'm going to make you pay!"
The blond-haired punk spat out a vicious threat, glared at Kenji, then turned around and stormed out, slamming the door.
He knew that with his strength alone, he probably couldn't beat Kenji.
But two fists are no match for four hands; he decided to call up a group of delinquent friends after school to teach this arrogant brat a lesson.
"Wow, so cool!"
"It's like watching an idol drama!"
Seeing Kenji's hero-saves-the-beauty moment, the surrounding female students' eyes sparkled as they began to gossip.
In their eyes, Kenji was practically the incarnation of perfection: handsome, tall, clearly from a wealthy family to be studying abroad, and he could fight well too.
He was simply the campus god!
Kenji smiled at them, then quickly walked over to Shinomiya Natsuha, taking her arm to check it carefully.
"Did that guy squeeze you? Do you need me to take you to the school infirmary?" Kenji asked with concern.
"No... it's okay..." Shinomiya Natsuha's face flushed bright red as she looked at Kenji's gentle expression.
Her voice stammered; she wanted to thank Kenji for helping her out, but at the thought of that blond-haired punk and his delinquent friends, she couldn't help but worry: "Classmate Kenji, let's go find Teacher Kurose Katsuko! That guy is definitely going to cause trouble for you as soon as school is over..."
"It's fine, it's just a small matter. I'm not worried about it," Kenji said with a smile, not giving the blond-haired punk a second thought.
This was the confidence the 'Sturdy' ability gave him.
This ability granted him the peak physical standards of a human: his running speed was comparable to Usain Bolt, and his lifting strength rivaled Aleksey Lovchev.
Beating up a few delinquents would be a walk in the park.
"Classmate Shinomiya, looking at that punk's attitude, he might harass you again in the future. Where do you live? If it's close, I can walk you home after school," Kenji asked caringly.
"Eh... Eh!?"
3. The Harem King Starts Flirting
As it turned out, Kenji's original plan popped as easily as a bubble.
He had originally intended to use the seemingly considerate move of "walking a classmate home" to create an environment where he could be alone with Shinomiya Natsuha, using the opportunity to build up favorability and perhaps even take their relationship a step further.
However, reality ruthlessly dealt him a heavy blow.
Shinomiya Natsuha's home was in a rural area far from the school.
To get there, even taking a bus required a full 40-minute commute. Such a long distance made Kenji's idea of walking her home instantly impractical.
In the end, Kenji could only sigh helplessly and settle for the next best thing: walking Shinomiya Natsuha to the station. At least he could accompany her for that stretch of the way; it still counted as spending time together.
At this moment, Shinomiya Natsuha's face was flushed, as radiant as the clouds at sunset. Her body couldn't help but feel slightly warm as she seemed to be trying her best to restrain her inner shyness and nervousness.
In Shinomiya Natsuha's eyes, the Kenji before her was handsome and considerate; he radiated a unique Charm that made one want to get closer to him.
She thought to herself: if he could become her boyfriend, wouldn't that make so many people envious?
After all, an excellent and caring boy like Kenji was truly hard to come by.
"Ring, ring, ring—"
Just then, the crisp and loud school bell suddenly rang, breaking the subtle and beautiful atmosphere between the two.
Kenji had no choice but to return to his seat.
The new teacher responsible for Physics walked in, pushing open the classroom door with light and confident steps.
She was dressed in a stylish and appropriate professional outfit, her long, glossy black hair draped casually over her shoulders. With a faint smile on her face, she gave off a friendly yet professional vibe.
Standing at the podium, she cleared her throat and said in slightly unpolished Japanese, "Hello everyone, I am the new teacher in charge of your Physics class. I am from Korea, and you can call me Hanna."
Hearing the name "Hanna," Kenji's heart skipped a beat. The image of Hanna from the ABBB doujinshi "Teacher's Kindness" instantly surfaced in his mind.
His eyes widened as he marveled inwardly.
Heavens, there are even Manhwa elements here?
His future days certainly wouldn't be lonely.
He began to feel full of curiosity about this new teacher, while also looking forward to his future campus life a bit more.
The hour-long class passed quietly while Kenji was in a conflicted state of drifting off and listening intently.
Finally, school was over.
Kenji quickly packed his textbooks, slung his shoulder bag, and left the school with Shinomiya Natsuha in high spirits.
Along the way, Kenji carefully observed his surroundings, his eyes scanning every corner for fear of missing the blond-haired punk's silhouette.
That punk was like a ticking time bomb, keeping him constantly on alert.
However, after walking for a while without seeing the annoying blond-haired punk, Kenji breathed a secret sigh of relief.
He knew he couldn't just wait around; he had to take the initiative, so he immediately switched into flirting mode.
Kenji turned his head slightly and said to Shinomiya Natsuha with a gentle smile, "Classmate Shinomiya, do you know if there's any good Japanese food around here? Speaking of which, I haven't been in Japan long and I'm not very familiar with this area. Could you show me around?"
Shinomiya Natsuha was slightly stunned for a moment, then a sweet smile appeared on her face as she nodded gently and said, "No problem at all."
Faced with such a simple and sincere request, she naturally wouldn't refuse.
After all, in her heart, she felt that Kenji was staying by her side to protect her, a sentiment that made her feel warm and secure.
"There's a good Japanese yakiniku restaurant just up ahead. The meat there is tender and the seasoning is very unique; it's always packed. There's also a takoyaki shop; their takoyaki are plump, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, topped with special sauce and bonito flakes—it's delicious and usually quite busy. Do you eat sushi, kenji-kun? If you do, there's a sushi shop over there too. The chef's skills are exquisite; every piece of sushi is like a work of art and very tasty too."
Shinomiya Natsuha explained while gesturing with her hands.
"Is that so? I happen to be a bit hungry after school. I want to buy some takoyaki to fill my stomach. Classmate Shinomiya, can you take me there? I'll buy a portion for you too, my treat."
Shinomiya Natsuha quickly waved her hands, a blush creeping onto her face as she said, "No need, Classmate Kenji, you're being too kind!"
Since they had plenty of time after school, Shinomiya Natsuha eventually couldn't resist Kenji's enthusiastic invitation and took him through the entire snack street near the school.
The snack street was incredibly lively with people coming and going, and the aromas of various delicacies were mouth-watering.
Common Japanese snacks like takoyaki, sushi, and oden were everywhere, each shop decorated uniquely to catch the eye of customers.
Of course, there were also many internationally famous snacks scattered throughout the street; whether it was fragrant grilled meat skewers or sweet and delicious ice cream, everything made one want to have a taste.
Kenji said excitedly as they walked, "Indeed, there are many delicious things near the school. Thank you for bringing me here to get familiar with the area, Classmate Shinomiya."
Shinomiya Natsuha lowered her head slightly, a shy blush on her face. She was about to speak when her stomach suddenly let out a "gurgle."
The sound wasn't loud, but both of them, standing so close, heard the noise from Shinomiya Natsuha's body.
Shinomiya Natsuha's face instantly turned red to the tips of her ears. She lowered her head in embarrassment, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
This was a snack street; it would have been fine if they hadn't come, but once they walked in, the drifting aromas were like an invisible hand tempting one's appetite.
Tempted by so many delicacies, even Shinomiya Natsuha, who usually didn't eat much junk food, was indeed a bit hungry.
Looking at Shinomiya Natsuha's embarrassed yet cute appearance, Kenji couldn't help but feel a surge of affection.
He gently took Shinomiya Natsuha's hand and led her to a shop selling takoyaki and oden. Taking money from his pocket, he said to the owner, "Boss, I'll take some of these and some of those."
"You got it!" the owner replied enthusiastically with a bright smile, skillfully operating the pots and placing pieces of oden into a bowl.
Shinomiya Natsuha watched as the food was continuously placed into the paper bowl. Startled, she looked at the owner in confusion and said, "No, I can't eat all that. Not so much."
The owner looked up, glanced at Shinomiya Natsuha, then at Kenji, and laughed. "Haha, if you can't finish it, let your boyfriend help you."
4. The Harem King's New Skill
Hearing this, Shinomiya Natsuha opened her mouth to explain but felt too shy.
Her face flushing, she shyly withdrew her hand from Kenji's and said with a trembling voice, "I... I'm not his girlfriend! Please... please just give him another bowl; I don't need that much for mine."
The owner chuckled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. He looked at Kenji, then back at Shinomiya Natsuha, and said intentionally, "Young people, since when do couples eat separately? Just share one bowl."
Soon, the bowl was filled.
How could Kenji possibly object?
He paid readily and took the overflowing cup of oden. His movements were natural and smooth, as if all of this were only to be expected.
Afterward, he led Shinomiya Natsuha to a quiet park nearby and found a bench to sit on.
Looking at Shinomiya Natsuha's shy appearance, Kenji felt his heart stir. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight, playful smirk as he said, "Do you need me to feed you?"
His tone carried a hint of teasing, as if he were intentionally poking fun at Shinomiya Natsuha.
Shinomiya Natsuha's face was incredibly red. She quickly waved her hands and said with a trembling voice, "No need!"
Her heart was both shy and somewhat expectant, wondering what unexpected move Kenji would make next.
What does Mr. Lin Feng mean by this?
Is he silently agreeing with what the shop owner said—that they are boyfriend and girlfriend?
How can he be like this? Mr. Lin Feng is truly too wicked!
Shinomiya Natsuha thought to herself, but she couldn't bring herself to feel any disgust. Instead, her heart was thumping incessantly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat.
It seemed the 'Charm' skill was taking effect.
Kenji couldn't help but smile at Shinomiya Natsuha's cute and shy demeanor.
He used a bamboo skewer to pick up a takoyaki from the bowl and brought it to Shinomiya Natsuha's lips, saying gently, "Come on, Classmate Shinomiya, this is a thank-you gift for accompanying me on my walk~"
Looking at the takoyaki in front of her, Shinomiya Natsuha felt a surge of internal conflict.
Wh-why is it like this... isn't this a bit too intimate!?
But... she... she really wanted to take a bite... Her heart was in a constant struggle; on one hand, she felt the gesture was too close and embarrassing, but on the other, she couldn't resist Kenji's gentleness and the temptation of the food.
"This is a thank-you gift, so you can't refuse, Classmate Shinomiya. Come on, open wide, ahh~"
Kenji's words seemed to have a magical power that Shinomiya Natsuha couldn't resist.
Shinomiya Natsuha, who usually kept everyone at a distance, actually opened her cherry-like mouth slowly with a bright red face.
"Ahh~ mmm~"
Shinomiya Natsuha took a light bite of the takoyaki. The delicious flavor spread through her mouth, making her squint her eyes in a satisfied expression.
"You're so cute, Classmate Shinomiya~"
Kenji felt a wave of affection looking at Shinomiya Natsuha's adorable state and couldn't help but praise her.
"Cute or whatever... I'm not..."
Shinomiya Natsuha retorted softly with a red face, but her eyes were filled with joy and shyness.
"Classmate Shinomiya is very beautiful and very cute. If I could marry a girl like you, I'd have no regrets in this life~"
Kenji said sincerely while looking into Shinomiya Natsuha's eyes.
Just as Kenji was about to strike while the iron was hot and say more cheesy pick-up lines to increase favorability, an ill-timed voice finally rang out nearby.
"You damn pig, I finally found you!"