Ryunosuke's expression darkened with every word he heard.
Setting aside the fact that the lie was transparently thin, would Nanase actually buy it? One thing was for certain: his reputation had just taken a massive hit.
Just as Ryunosuke opened his mouth to protest and clarify that they shared no such bond, Nanase surged forward. Her eyes welled with tears as she delivered a stinging slap across Ryunosuke's cheek.
Spitting out the word "Bastard!", she tossed her beautiful blonde hair and stormed out of the classroom, overcome with grief. She felt as though Eiichiro's death had been utterly meaningless. Look at what he had died to save: a gay man.
She figured Eiichiro was lucky to have died early; if he hadn't, Nanase didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
Freshly slapped, Ryunosuke could only clutch his cheek, standing frozen in place for a long moment, unable to process what had happened. It was only after she had long vanished that he finally regained his senses.
"Damn it! Why me?!"
"Shouldn't Ayanokouji be the one getting hit?"
"Why am I the victim here?!"
Ryunosuke wanted to cry, but no tears came. His reputation was in shambles, and it was all Ayanokouji's fault!
He glared daggers at him, but Ayanokouji merely spread his arms as if to say: (Aren't we best friends? Shouldn't we share the burden of sorrow?)
Ryunosuke: (Share my foot!)
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Elsewhere, as Nanase walked away, she began to have second thoughts: was revenge even worth it anymore?
Her opponent was clearly gay and had even admitted it openly. If Eiichiro hadn't died early, perhaps he wouldn't have escaped this trap either.
Nanase shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Her resolve to seek vengeance against Ayanokouji weakened drastically; she felt a wave of reluctance even thinking about him... mostly because she felt disgusted.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Back in the classroom, Ryunosuke's mind was a mess. He felt physically nauseated by Ayanokouji's antics. He couldn't believe that to neutralize Nanase's grudge, the man was willing to concoct such a ridiculous lie and drag him into it. Talk about rotten luck.
If he'd known, he never would have stuck around to watch the drama. If he had stayed away, he wouldn't have been caught in the crossfire. Now look at him—he was the entertainment.
"Haaaah..."
Ryunosuke let out a long sigh and slumped over his desk like a salted fish that had lost its dreams, completely drained of energy.
Unlike Ryunosuke, Ayanokouji looked refreshed. And why wouldn't he? Not only was one enemy dealt with, but he'd also managed to prank Ryunosuke. For some reason, he felt a spark of genuine amusement. He seemed to have been infected by Ryunosuke's own mischievous nature.
The man who was originally devoid of emotion was beginning to experience various feelings, though they were a bit warped. If a problem arose, he simply threw it at Ryunosuke. Ayanokouji felt quite satisfied with his masterpiece.
At its core, the White Room's ideology taught all knowledge in an integrated way so it could be used flexibly. As its greatest creation, Ayanokouji had studied various disciplines, including China's Thirty-Six Stratagems, along with numerous tactics and deceptions.
The First Strategy: Create Something from Nothing.
Using non-existent facts to subvert an opponent's values and perspective, achieving the goal of distraction or even a redirection of hatred. This was exactly what he'd done by lying to Nanase about Ryunosuke being his lover.
The Second Strategy: Make the Lie Real.
Ayanokouji pulled out his phone and quietly changed Ryunosuke's contact name to "My Sweetheart."
When the bell rang for lunch, Ayanokouji used the excuse of treating him to a meal to get his hands on Ryunosuke's phone. He knew how stingy his friend was; since he was footing the bill, the miserly Ryunosuke wouldn't miss out on a free lunch.
Ayanokouji took the opportunity to slip a laxative into his friend's bowl, then found a window to borrow his phone under the guise of playing a game.
Ryunosuke agreed while clutching his stomach and sprinting toward the restroom. Before leaving, however, he still found the breath to warn Ayanokouji not to open his photo gallery, and especially not to touch his money. If even a single cent was missing, he would pay in blood!
Ayanokouji felt a bit helpless, but he nodded anyway. His goal wasn't money; it was a scapegoat.
One thing Ayanokouji hadn't expected was how cautious Ryunosuke was; even his photo gallery and messaging apps were locked with passcodes. Without the code, access was denied.
But that was no hurdle for him. He had memorized his friend's passcode long ago. Even though Ryunosuke was vigilant, Ayanokouji could analyze the subtle shifts in his arm muscles and the angle of his fingers; even without looking at the screen directly, he could deduce the code. Such was the caliber of the White Room's masterpiece.
After cracking the code, Ayanokouji immediately sent a brief text.
The exchange went something like this:
Ayanokouji: (My sweetheart, do you miss me?)
Ryunosuke: (Of course I miss you, my Lady.)
He sent over 100 variations of these messages, then deleted them from Ryunosuke's side while leaving them on his own phone. This way, Ryunosuke would never find the evidence or see the content. He wouldn't have a shred of proof to blame him...
Ayanokouji was truly unleashing all his dirty tricks on his best friend. He didn't quite know why he was doing it, but he knew it felt incredibly liberating!
He was no longer an emotionless machine; he had simply been "corrupted" by Ryunosuke.
As the saying goes, if you stay near someone long enough, a white sheet will be stained by their colors. The Ayanokouji who emerged from the White Room was a pristine white sheet, but he had been forcibly painted jet black by Ryunosuke.
Ayanokouji's eyes narrowed. The stage was perfectly set. If Nanase grew suspicious, he could hand over his phone for inspection at any time without leaving a single gap in his story.
After finishing lunch with Ryunosuke, Ayanokouji went to find Nanase. They met on the school rooftop, and he showed her the messages.
Nanase's gaze went blank. She took a staggered step back in shock; she was now fully convinced that the man before her was gay. She backed away from Ayanokouji, her skin crawling with revulsion. She wanted nothing more to do with him. Her desire for revenge had almost entirely vanished.
Ayanokouji once again felt satisfied with his flawless strategy. At the same time, he pointed the girl's spearhead toward Ryunosuke to draw the fire.
"I love Akasaka deeply. If you think Eiichiro's death was unworthy, then take it out on him! Because he is the most important person in my life!!!"
Ayanokouji delivered these tender words with a completely deadpan face. Nanase swallowed the story hook, line, and sinker, turning her full resentment toward Ryunosuke.
Ryunosuke: (Damn it, Bro, are you that heartless? Are you trying to get me killed?)
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Nanase eventually tracked down Ryunosuke while he was on duty in the Student Council room. She slammed her hands on his desk, then placed a hand over her heart as she declared war!
"I, Tsubasa Nanase, swear it here! My childhood friend was a far better man than you! Just you wait! Ryunosuke Akasaka, I will surpass you, defeat you, and prove that Eiichiro was greater than you could ever be!!!"
With that final outburst, Nanase stormed out in a rage, leaving a bewildered Ryunosuke behind. He had absolutely no idea what kind of madness had possessed the girl; it made no sense at all.
Ryunosuke sighed, planning to head home after school. Since he was the Student Council President, his duties kept him 2 to 3 hours later than the average student. On his way back, he crossed paths with Fuka Kiryuin, who was sitting on a park bench.
Fuka remained as gallant as ever, waving to him from a distance and beckoning him over. Ryunosuke walked over with a resigned air and greeted her.
"Yo. Long time no see, Kiryuin-senpai."
Fuka suddenly looped an arm around Ryunosuke's neck, pulling him close. With a teasing tone, she tilted his chin up.
"It certainly has been a while, little Junior. You haven't looked for me once in almost three months since that last incident, have you?"
Fuka complained, feeling neglected. Ryunosuke rolled his eyes and sat beside her, annoyed.
"Why am I getting a lecture from you, Senpai? I thought our partnership was over? There's no reason for us to keep in touch."
His point was that after the Nagumo incident, they were square. There was no need to meet again. Besides, Ryunosuke's promise to elevate her to Class A had been technically fulfilled—even if the only third-year class left was Fuka's.
Fuka snorted. "I feel like I've been swindled."
Ryunosuke spread his hands. "Just tell me: did you make it to Class A or not? I kept my end of the bargain."
He made it clear he didn't care about the details. He had completed the task perfectly, regardless of the "flaws" in the outcome. Given that only one class remained in the third year—Fuka's—didn't that make it the de facto Class A? He had fulfilled his promise to get her class to the top. Ryunosuke didn't see a single thing wrong with that logic.
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