As Kenji wrote, he muttered his problem-solving logic under his breath. His logic was exceptionally clear, and he quickly wrote out the solution set for the original inequality.
"Isn't this quite simple, Teacher Katsuko Kurose?"
Kenji returned the chalk to Katsuko Kurose, even raising an eyebrow and letting a smug smile play on his lips.
This kid... Katsuko Kurose's eye twitched wildly. She was secretly shocked, but she had to admit that she really had underestimated this boy.
However, she didn't let him off easy verbally: "Pay attention in my class and stop spacing out!"
Kenji ignored her, simply waving his hand dismissively with an air of effortless cool.
Are you kidding? He had to finish writing the second volume of sword art online as soon as possible. Who had time to listen to these elementary-level problems?
Seeing Kenji's nonchalant attitude, Katsuko Kurose was fuming, her chest heaving violently: "Come to my office after class!"
This guy really needs to be taught a proper lesson!
...Katsuko Kurose had always been quite fond of Kenji as a student, but precisely because of this fondness, as his teacher, she held higher expectations for him.
She hoped more than anything that Kenji would succeed in his studies and shine brightly on his future path; she feared that he might ruin his academics and his life due to a moment of negligence or playfulness.
Inside the office.
She gently set down the textbooks she was holding, stood still in front of her desk, and looked at Kenji with a gaze that was gentle yet carried a hint of sternness.
"Kenji, didn't I tell you yesterday? You need to pay attention. Why were you spacing out in class today?"
Katsuko Kurose frowned slightly, her tone laced with a trace of worry.
Kenji, however, looked relaxed. With a slight curl of his lips, he said, "I already know how to do those problems, so why should I waste time listening? Katsuko-sensei, I have more important things to do than listen to a lecture. I hope you can understand."
Hearing this, Katsuko Kurose's frown deepened, her eyes filled with confusion and dissatisfaction: "More important things? What could be more important than paying attention in class? Your primary task right now is to study. Only by studying hard can you become a successful person in the future and have more choices and opportunities!"
Kenji scratched his head in annoyance, thinking to himself that this was just great.
How should he explain it to her?
Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and changed the subject: "By the way, hasn't the position of director of academic affairs become vacant recently? Does Katsuko-sensei have any thoughts on that?
Katsuko Kurose was a bit dazed by this sudden question. She frowned and said, "I'm talking to you about your studies. Why are you bringing this up? This has nothing to do with studying. Don't change the subject."
Kenji, however, directly pulled out his phone, his fingers tapping rapidly on the screen, and then placed a call.
"Yes, promote Katsuko Kurose to the position of director of academic affairs. Mm, that's all." After saying that, he hung up the phone.
Katsuko Kurose stood there, somewhat stunned.
She thought to herself, what on earth was that? Could a single phone call decide her job transfer?
Was he joking?
She looked at Kenji and said seriously, "Kenji, please be serious. Your teacher is not joking with you. We are talking about your academic issues right now."
Kenji looked at Katsuko Kurose and said earnestly, "I'm not joking with you either, Teacher."
Soon, Katsuko Kurose's phone rang.
She answered the call somewhat hesitantly, and a voice came from the other end: "Teacher Katsuko Kurose, by decision of our Human Resources Department, you will take over the position of director of academic affairs starting tomorrow. Please be sure to complete the job handover today."
Hearing this, Katsuko Kurose's hand shook, and her phone slipped to the floor with a 'clatter.'
Her eyes widened in total disbelief; she was completely stunned.
Seeing this, Kenji leaned down to pick up the phone from the ground, handed it back to Katsuko Kurose, and said with a smile, "Actually, Katsuko-sensei, I have already finished all courses up to the university level. As for your concern about whether I can become a successful person, I think you can rest easy on that point too."
Katsuko Kurose took the phone, still not having recovered from the shock, when she heard Kenji say again, "Speaking of which, Katsuko-sensei is still single, right? Would you consider a younger student as a dating partner?"
"Eh!?"
Katsuko Kurose cried out in surprise, her eyes widening even further.
Before she could even process the shock of the job transfer, she heard something that felt even more inconceivable.
Kenji took this opportunity to lean directly in front of Katsuko Kurose, a hint of ambiguity in his eyes, as he suddenly placed his hand gently on her black bodycon skirt.
He said with a smile, "To be honest, since the day I met you at the start of school, I've been quite fond of you, Katsuko-sensei~"
"No way!"
Katsuko Kurose felt as if she had been burned. Her face instantly flushed deep red, her eyes a mix of panic and embarrassment. She took a sudden step back, waving her hands vigorously as she sternly refused: "A teacher-student relationship is unhealthy! It's absolutely not allowed! No, no, no!"
Blushing furiously, Katsuko Kurose walked quickly to Kenji's side, grabbed his arm with force, and practically shoved him out of the office, closing the door with a loud 'bang.'
She leaned her back against the office door, her body trembling slightly as she muttered to herself, "This... what am I going to do now..."
Everything that had just happened replayed in her mind. Her own student had actually confessed to her; this was completely beyond her expectations.
Her chest heaved violently as the image of Kenji half-embracing her, and even placing his hand on her bottom, surfaced in her mind again.
Clearly, that was very rude behavior, yet her heart was thumping uncontrollably. Not only did she not hate it, but she even felt a faint, hidden hope in her heart that he might be even rougher and more intense.
"What's... wrong with me..."
Katsuko Kurose covered her face with her hands, shame and confusion washing over her like a tide... Kenji, who had been pushed out of the office, stood outside the door. A ripple of emotion stirred in his heart as he wondered if his actions just now had been too hasty.
But immediately after, he shook his head in self-reassurance, a confident smile curling on his lips.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Once I've mastered more skills, won't conquering her be as easy as pie?"
Recalling Natsuka, whom he had already successfully conquered, Kenji's mood became even more pleasant.
He began to calculate in his mind who the next target for conquest should be.
Should it be Nanao Akane, also from Takeda Hiromitsu's works? Or Miyajima Sakura, the capable member of the Kendo Club who was quite famous in certain circles? Or perhaps the sisters, Chizuru Shiina and Chisato Mashiro?
Just as he was immersed in his fantasies, a sudden "Thump—" interrupted his thoughts.
"Ah, I'm sorry!" a panicked and sweet voice rang out.
Kenji looked closely and saw a plain-looking girl with braided hair and thick black-rimmed glasses. She had accidentally bumped into him at the corner, and the textbooks she was holding had scattered all over the floor.
The girl apologized repeatedly, a blush creeping onto her face, as she hurriedly crouched down to pick up the textbooks from the floor.
"Eh? Are you... Classmate Yoshida Saki from my class?"
Kenji crouched down to help pick up the books and asked as he looked up.
"Eh? You're... Classmate Kenji?"
Hearing the voice, the girl also looked up, her clear eyes meeting Kenji's.
When she saw Kenji's Handsome face, her heart couldn't help but race. Feeling a stir of youthful affection, she shyly lowered her head, two red clouds blooming on her cheeks.
"Yes, it's me. I'm really sorry, let me help you pick up these books."
Kenji said with a smile, reaching out to help.
"It was my fault for not paying attention when turning the corner. It's not Kenji's fault!"
Yoshida Saki waved her hands frantically, terrified of leaving a bad impression on Kenji.
"Saki-chan really is quite cute. Here."
Kenji handed the gathered books to Yoshida Saki, a flash of appreciation in his eyes.
Yoshida Saki, the female character from Shindol's "Metamorphosis," a famous anti-drug ambassador.
The system had already given her a rating of 89, which showed that Yoshida Saki's natural foundation was indeed good; her beauty was simply hidden by her overly plain appearance.
The braids plus the thick black-rimmed glasses made her look like a country girl.
The main point deduction was her figure. Compared to Natsuka and the others, her chest was a bit too flat, probably only around a C-cup—a size that could be easily covered by one hand.
However, that wasn't a problem.
With his financial resources, arranging a set of breast enhancement and beauty treatments would be a breeze. He might even directly draw a skill like 'Breast Enhancement' later on.
Figures can be changed.
As long as she was properly groomed and dressed up, Yoshida Saki could clearly become a very fine Slut.
The next target will be you, Yoshida Saki!
At this moment, Yoshida Saki's face was beet red.
Did Kenji just say she was cute?
It was the first time a boy had ever used the word 'cute' to describe her... "Yes, I think Saki-chan is very cute. You don't need to doubt that."
Kenji's lips curled up, his gaze sincere and bright as he looked straight at Yoshida Saki.
"Ah! Um... Uh... Thank you!!!"
Yoshida Saki's face instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple. She unconsciously tugged at the hem of her clothes, completely at a loss for a moment. Her mind went blank as if all her thoughts had flown away. After standing dazed for a long time, she finally managed to squeeze out those words of thanks.
Yoshida Saki had always lived in an oppressive school environment.
In class, she always sat silently in the corner, rarely called upon by teachers. During breaks, while classmates laughed and played in groups, she could only sit in her seat all alone.
Combined with a terrible family background—parents who argued all day and showed her little care—this made her increasingly self-deprecating.
She didn't excel in anything particularly; her grades were average, and she had no outstanding talents. Thus, she became a transparent, marginal figure in the class, having failed to make a single friend from middle school until now.
Loneliness followed her like a shadow, like an invisible net tightly binding her, making it hard to breathe.
The surrounding air seemed filled with heavy pressure, weighing on her until she was almost suffocating.
Especially when she saw other girls dressing up meticulously and wearing heavy makeup, each finding boyfriends and becoming the center of attention, receiving everyone's focus and praise, Yoshida Saki's heart felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, making her long even more to change herself.
"As long as I become pretty, I'll be liked"... Sometimes, she couldn't help but think this silently in her heart, as if it were the only life-saving straw she could grasp.
Unexpectedly, by a stroke of luck, she encountered Kenji at the school corner.
Kenji's earnest words of praise were the first time in her life she had been treated so seriously, and with such sincere compliments at that.
At this moment, time seemed to have been paused, frozen in this beautiful instant.
Behind her black-rimmed glasses, a trace of inexplicable expectation flashed in her clear pupils, like a sudden ray of dawn in the darkness.
Kenji smiled and reached out, his eyes full of sincerity and friendliness: "If Saki-chan doesn't mind, how about I become your first friend?"
At this moment, Yoshida Saki was still in a state of suspended animation, as if a freezing spell had been cast on her.
She stared with wide eyes, gazing blankly at the sharp, Handsome face before her. Her heart was thumping in her chest as if it were about to burst through.
The so-called popular Handsome guys in school and the glamorous male stars on TV programs all paled in comparison to Kenji. None were as elegant and yet so approachable as the Kenji before her eyes.
"What's wrong? Saki-chan?"
Seeing that Yoshida Saki didn't respond, a hint of confusion flashed in Kenji's eyes as he waved his hand in front of her.
"Ah! Sorry, I spaced out. I'm sorry, Classmate Kenji."
Coming to her senses, Yoshida Saki realized her loss of composure. Her face turned even redder, like the sunset glow. She hurriedly bowed in apology, her movements somewhat frantic.
"No need to apologize to me," Kenji said, his movements gentle and natural as he tenderly tucked a loose, messy strand of Yoshida Saki's hair behind her ear. In a soft, deeply affectionate tone, he said, "If I'm not mistaken, deep in your heart, Saki-chan, you must be seeking change right now, aren't you? As a friend, if you need help, I'll be there, okay? Eh? Why are you crying? Saki-chan?"
Faced with Kenji's sincere treatment, Yoshida Saki could no longer suppress the long-standing pressure in her heart, and tears unconsciously fell from the corners of her eyes.
"Eh? Sor... Sorry..."
Realizing her loss of composure, Yoshida Saki hurriedly tried to wipe away the tears.
At that moment, Kenji took a bold step forward and directly embraced Yoshida Saki.
"It's okay. If you're tired and want to cry, you can borrow my shoulder."
The girl's inner fluttering reached its peak at this moment... After school.