Chapter 98.
Today marked the official commencement of summer vacation.
While ordinary students were excitedly packing their bags and planning their escapes, the atmosphere at Totsuki Academy crackled with a completely different kind of electricity.
Today was the day the administration officially unveiled the roster for the highly anticipated Autumn Election.
The residents of the Polar Star Dormitory, including Megumi Tadokoro, Ryoko Sakaki, and Yuki Yoshino, had gathered in the central plaza, anxiously waiting for the staff to reveal the massive announcement boards.
"I'm so nervous my stomach is doing flips—Do you think I actually made the cut?"
Yuki practically vibrated with anxious energy, staring intensely at the white tarp covering the bulletin board. If the school officials hadn't been standing guard, she would have sprinted forward and ripped the sheet off herself.
"You'll definitely be on the list, Yuki-chan. But I... I probably don't have much hope."
Megumi said timidly, wringing her hands.
The poor girl was completely oblivious to the fact that her boss had recently marched into an Elite Ten council meeting and unilaterally strong-armed her into the tournament.
Because council proceedings were strictly confidential, Shijun couldn't technically announce it. More importantly, Satoshi Isshiki had specifically suggested they keep it a secret so the girls could experience the genuine thrill of discovering their names on the board. Shijun thought it was a fun idea, so he had kept his mouth shut.
"They're taking the tarp off!"
"Let me see! Is my name there?!"
"Dammit... I didn't make it..."
The crowd surged forward. Everyone desperately scanned the freshly printed text for their own names.
"Oh my God!" Yuki suddenly shrieked, grabbing Ryoko and jumping up and down. "I'm in! I've been chosen!"
"Take a breath, Yuki, before you pass out."
Ryoko laughed, a gentle, relieved smile blossoming on her face; she had just spotted her own name on the roster as well.
"What about you, Megumi?!"
Yuki asked, shaking her friend by the shoulders.
"I... I think I'm selected."
Megumi whispered, her eyes glued to the board. She was officially listed as a competitor in Block B.
"That's amazing! That makes six of us from the Polar Star Dorm!"
Yuki cheered, overwhelmed with excitement.
"By the way." Ryoko interjected, looking around the bustling plaza. "Why hasn't Shijun shown up this morning? I know he can't participate since he's in the Elite Ten, but you'd think he'd want to be here on such a lively day to support you."
"Shijun? Oh, he went to the airport."
Megumi replied with a warm smile, gently breaking free from Yuki's crushing hug.
"The airport? Wait, is he moving back to China?!"
Ryoko froze, a sudden wave of melancholy washing over her usually calm demeanor. The idea that their overpowered, eccentric friend was suddenly leaving without saying goodbye stung.
Yuki fell utterly silent, her celebratory mood instantly crashing.
Megumi blinked, utterly bewildered, before quickly realizing the massive misunderstanding.
"No, no! Don't worry, he's not moving back to China. At least, definitely not this summer."
She couldn't help but laugh, recalling Shijun's visceral, horrified reaction whenever going back home was mentioned. The boy treated his grandfather's brutal mountain training like a prison sentence.
"Then why did he go to the airport?"
Yuki asked, thoroughly confused.
Ryoko, however, suddenly smiled, putting the pieces together. "Ah. I think I know..."
—
Tokyo International Airport.
This was Shijun's second time setting foot in this massive terminal. Summer vacation had officially begun, and his mood was exceptionally bright.
He was absolutely thrilled—and it certainly wasn't because he was flying home. He had zero desire to subject himself to that old man's demonic culinary boot camp in the deep mountains. Going back meant grueling labor; staying in Japan meant freedom, luxury, and having fun.
But mostly, he was happy because Rindou Kobayashi was finally returning.
He was here to pick up his girlfriend. The fact that her flight coincided perfectly with the Autumn Election roster announcement was a total non-issue. He wasn't eligible to compete anyway, and frankly, standing in a crowded plaza staring at a piece of paper couldn't even remotely compare to the importance of welcoming his girl back.
He checked the time on his phone.
She should be landing right about now.
A moment later, the melodic chime of the PA system echoed through the arrivals hall.
"Attention passengers. The flight arriving from Sao Paulo will be landing in ten minutes."
Shijun smiled, leaning casually against the railing.
Ten minutes later, a striking figure emerged from the arrival gates. Long crimson hair, golden feline eyes, and a relaxed, predatory grace. Rindou pulled her suitcase behind her, scanning the crowd until her eyes locked onto his.
The two shared a bright, knowing smile.
Shijun stepped forward to greet her. Naturally, a reunion required a proper embrace.
Catching the beautiful woman in his arms, inhaling her familiar scent, Shijun felt a profound sense of satisfaction. The passing travelers cast knowing, warm smiles at the affectionate couple; it was a common, heartwarming sight at international terminals, and neither Shijun nor Rindou cared about the audience.
"Are you starving? Let's head back to my place to eat."
Shijun said, seamlessly taking the heavy suitcase from her hand.
"Sounds perfect. I haven't tasted your cooking in almost two months; I've been going through severe withdrawals."
Rindou laughed sweetly, naturally slipping her arm through his as they walked out of the terminal.
Stepping out of the airport doors, Maria was already waiting by the curb, holding the door to a sleek luxury sedan.
Shijun stowed the luggage in the trunk and slid into the backseat with Rindou. Maria, the ultimate, hyper-competent maid, smoothly merged the car into the bustling Tokyo traffic. In Shijun's personal opinion, her driving skills were exponentially better than Hisako's.
"So, how have things been? How is your new Research Society doing?"
Rindou asked casually, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"It's doing alright. There aren't many students who genuinely understand high-level Chinese cuisine, so our numbers are pretty small right now, but the talent is solid."
"I heard a rumor you actually bothered to show up to an Elite Ten council meeting recently?"
Rindou teased, looking up at him with a grin.
"Yeah, some guy with glasses was actively trying to sabotage my members."
Shijun rolled his eyes.
"A guy with glasses? You mean Etsuya Eizan?"
"Sure, whatever his name is. I just call him Megane-kun."
Shijun shrugged, too lazy to commit the corporate snake's actual name to memory.
Rindou chuckled, but a sharper, more serious glint appeared in her golden eyes.
"Don't underestimate that guy, Jun. He manages a massive portfolio of consulting businesses outside of school. More importantly, he is an executive committee member for this year's Autumn Election."
She knew her boyfriend possessed overwhelming strength and tended to ignore bureaucratic pests, but she felt the need to warn him.
"Oh?" Shijun raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. "Do you think a guy like that would actually try to rig or sabotage the official tournament?"
"With his personality? He will one hundred percent pull something in the shadows."
Rindou confirmed without hesitation. Having been a dominant force at Totsuki for years, she knew exactly how Eizan operated. He was the undisputed king of the academy's underworld, notorious for utilizing bribery, sabotage, and extortion to crush his opposition.
"Ah..."
A slow, predatory smile spread across Shijun's face.
Since he was barred from participating in the Autumn Election himself, he had been mildly worried that the upcoming semester would be incredibly boring. But if Little Four Eyes was planning to rig the games and target his people?
Perfect.
Now he had some high-stakes entertainment to look forward to.