"Haruya, are you rejecting me? Or are you deliberately ignoring me and playing some kind of neglect-play game?"
My god. She's only read about ten pages and she already knows what neglect play is! If she reads ten more she'll end up as some kind of legend in the adult-anime realm.
"Doing this kind of thing in class… someone will notice, right? Someone definitely saw, right? Maybe I've already been seen by classmates with really good eyesight?"
I panicked and immediately checked the class leader's direction. Thankfully, she was busy taking notes and wasn't looking at Xiao Qin.
"Haruya… it's embarrassing, but I'll always cooperate with your hobbies. I just have one request…"
"…Can you only play with me? Please don't… don't do it with anyone else in our class."
Her voice was turning into a desperate wail.
"Stop talking! I'm already embarrassed for you!"
Only then did I realize I needed to shut her down now before she spiraled even further.
"You're right, Haruya. A girl like me, who can't even get the things she wants, trying to fulfill all of Haruya's perverted desires by myself… it's ridiculous. I'm overestimating my abilities. Everyone's going to laugh…"
Why is she saying it like my "perverted desires" are some kind of elite, world-ending challenge?
"I don't want you to turn into a criminal, Haruya!"
"If I'm not enough and you have to reach out to other classmates… someone's absolutely calling the cops!"
No need for police. If I ever did anything to the girls in my class, the class leader would personally execute me on the spot.
The school bell rang.
Xiao Qin hurriedly zipped up her jacket.
"Haruya, I'm sorry. I wasn't mentally prepared enough for you to… play with me in a place with so many people around. Let me go home and think about it."
She looked genuinely apologetic.
"Oh—Haruya, that manga you really like… can I borrow it so I can study it at home?"
"No!"
I refused instantly. If anyone found out I'd lent an H-manga to a female classmate, imagine what they'd think I was aiming for.
"I understand! But I won't trouble you! If there's anything I don't understand, I'll ask someone else!"
"Who?!"
"The other girls in class… they've been girls longer than I have, so they must know more… that's right! The class leader seems very knowledgeable—"
"Absolutely not! You're not asking them! Especially not the class leader!"
"I… can't?"
She drooped like a punished puppy.
"Then… even though it's embarrassing… I'll wait until my mom's not busy and I'll ask her instead."
You are not allowed to ask Auntie Ren! If she finds out I lent her daughter an H-manga, she'll hit me with that signature MMA championship spin-kick of hers and slice me cleanly in half. (The kind she does—minus the ball.)
I decided to skip the last two afternoon classes and take the manga home immediately.
Sure, Dad might ask questions, but that's still better than dying from a spin-kick or getting shot by a hunting rifle.
If I say I'm doing something, I'm doing it.
While Xiao Qin was still in her dazed, world-view-collapse mode, I grabbed my bag and headed out. She said something behind me, but I didn't hear.
The back door of the classroom is close—but unfortunately, it's right next to where the class leader, Shu Sha, sits.
"Where are you going?"
She was discussing something with the chemistry class rep. The moment she saw me with a bag on my shoulder and the face of someone planning to escape class, it was impossible for her to pretend she didn't notice.
"Toothache. I need to leave early to see a dentist."
A casual lie.
"Endure it! A man who can't endure a little toothache won't amount to anything!"
Shu Sha handed a stack of stapled handouts to the rep, sitting sideways in her chair like some overbearing CEO.
Why are you talking like my older sister lecturing her disappointing sibling? You're not my sister!
"I can't endure it. I'm going."
I dashed toward the door.
Shu Sha didn't even look up—she casually stuck out a leg to trip me.
Her long leg stretched out at a 45-degree angle. If I hadn't seen it, I really would have face-planted.
You actually dared to trip me?! If I fell face-first, I'd definitely need a dentist.
Luckily, I've practiced. I leapt up, cleanly jumped over her long leg, and landed safely.
She bit her lip angrily.
Of course, I bumped into Teacher Yu right after landing.
Anyone could see I was trying to skip class, but timid Teacher Yu can't even hold my gaze. Every time he sees me, it's like he expects me to punch him.
When will you grow even half as tough as Shu Sha?
Technically, I could just walk out, but since he's a teacher, I should at least give him some face. Maybe it's because Dad used to be a teacher.
So I bowed slightly.
"Teacher, I have a toothache. I'd like to take a leave for the afternoon to visit a dentist."
He looked touched that I was speaking so politely.
"Don't listen to his nonsense!" Shu Sha stood abruptly. "He's obviously making an excuse to skip class!"
"Oh? My teeth belong to you now? How can you be so sure?"
"You ate so much and so fast during lunch. That's not a toothache!"
Her arguments are always infuriatingly logical.
"Why were you staring at me eat?! I was eating quickly because it hurt!"
"Liar!""You're being unreasonable!""Useless!""What does that have to do with you?!"
Teacher Yu stood helplessly between us.
"L-let's not argue first. Let your teacher speak."
He finally managed to muster a bit of authority.
Shu Sha reluctantly shut her mouth and glared at me like I'd trampled on her future.
I crossed my arms with the classic hooligan posture: Do I know you?
"Well, Shu Sha… you're actually wrong here," the teacher began carefully.
She stared at him like he'd just betrayed humanity.
"Teacher, he—"
He raised his hand to stop her.
"There's a saying: 'Toothache isn't an illness, but when it hurts, it hurts terribly.' If Haruya has a toothache, even if he stays, he probably won't learn anything, right?"
"Exactly!" I chimed in.
I never do this. I sounded like those butt-kissing students who follow teachers around snitching on others. But I did it to annoy Shu Sha on purpose.
Teacher Yu was delighted. He looked moments away from patting my head—but thankfully didn't, because he was scared I'd hit him.
"Haruya isn't leaving for no reason. He even asked the homeroom teacher for approval. So everything is in order."
Shu Sha trembled with rage.
"So, Shu Sha, can you let Haruya leave?"
He sounded more like he was negotiating with her than giving instructions.
She clenched the fabric of her uniform trousers so tightly it looked like she wanted to crush me through it.
Finally, she bowed her head slightly to the teacher.
"Teacher Yu, I was wrong. Since he has a toothache, I should let him leave early."
I nodded politely to both of them. Teacher Yu giggled happily. Shu Sha ignored me and bit her lip.
I added, "Thank you, teacher."
His smile grew brighter.
I added again, "Thank you, class leader."
Shu Sha looked like she was going to bite through her lip.
That felt amazing.
I didn't go through the front gate—I headed for the back gate.
During class hours, it's locked with a giant padlock.
No problem for me.
I took a few steps back, ran up, grabbed the pointed railing at the top, and vaulted over effortlessly.
As soon as I landed outside, I saw five student-looking guys smoking nearby.
They jumped back in shock but didn't run.
One of them—the pockmarked one—ran up.
"Oh! Isn't this big brother Haruya?!"
The other four rushed over too.
"Long time no see, big brother Haruya!"
"We missed you!"
Ah yes. These idiots.
The Five Fools of Qingzi Academy.
They skip school daily and wander around pretending to be street punks. Their families are loaded—they wear head-to-toe brand names—but they insist on acting like TV-drama hoodlums, robbing students from other schools.
The guard uncle said they were looking for "excitement." I said they're just stupid.
They even robbed Eunuch Cao once.
The first time I beat them up was when they cornered a girl with glasses and a ponytail—our study committee member who'd also been terrified of me in the cafeteria.
They weren't stealing her money—they were surrounding her and insisting she call them "big brother."
At the time, I was heading out to buy pancakes for lunch when I heard a girl crying in an alley.
I walked over and found the study committee member standing there wiping tears, the five idiots hovering awkwardly around her.
Ever since Little Tyrant bullied me for years, my temper has been terrible—I absolutely can't stand seeing others bully someone weaker.
She was wearing our uniform. They weren't, and they looked like they stepped straight out of a cheesy Taiwan drama.
Without saying a word, I grabbed the pockmarked leader and punched him in the gut.
Three percent of my strength—and he immediately knelt in a corner and started vomiting.
The other four shouted, "How dare you hit our brother!" and rushed me.
I slammed them all into the alley wall with a single shoulder charge.
They flew like angry birds being launched.
Worst fighters I've ever seen.
I warned them to never step foot at 28th Middle to extort anyone again or I'd beat them every time.
They helped each other up and ran, leaving the study committee girl still in tears.
She was crying so hard she couldn't calm down.
I needed her gone quickly—if more hoodlums showed up, I'd have to fight again. And I still needed to buy pancakes.
It took forever to find two female classmates to take her away. They stared at me like I made her cry.
Maybe that's when class leader Shu Sha started treating me even worse. Back then, she still seemed to want to "save" this delinquent classmate.