"Well, how should I put it…"
Yamawaki smirked as he leaned against the nearby bookshelf, arms crossed. He had already greeted them, but he clearly had no intention of leaving. Instead, he kept pushing.
"In the end, I'm just glad this school values strength. Otherwise, it'd be unbearable studying with bottom-tier guys like you."
"What did you say?"
Sudo's chair scraped against the floor as he shot up, veins bulging on his forehead. He stormed over and grabbed Yamawaki by the collar, glaring down at him with barely restrained fury.
"Say that again, I dare you!"
His outburst immediately drew attention from nearby students, their murmurs filling the library. But Yamawaki, still wearing that infuriating smirk, didn't back down.
"Oh? You gonna hit me? With this many people watching?" He gestured lazily around the library. "Go on, Sudo. Let's see if you really have the guts."
"I'll smash your face in!"
Sudo roared and swung his fist—
—only for it to stop mid-air, caught effortlessly in a firm grip.
Slap.
The impact of palm against fist echoed slightly, but the real surprise was the power behind the grip. Sudo's punch had completely lost its momentum, held in place as if he had hit a steel wall.
"Alright, that's enough."
Kure Ragna's calm voice broke through the tension as he slowly lowered Sudo's hand. He barely looked fazed, as if stopping a furious basketball player mid-punch was just another part of his day.
But something was off.
His eyes flickered to the side—toward where Yukinoshita Haruno had been sitting just moments ago.
...She was gone.
Had she gone to the bathroom? At a time like this?
What a coincidence.
"Let me go, Kure!" Sudo struggled, his anger still flaring. "Don't stop me! I'm gonna teach this guy a lesson!"
Kure Ragna sighed. He briefly considered handling both of them in a way that wouldn't get caught on camera, but before he could act—
A gentle yet firm voice rang out from across the library.
"Alright, that's enough, you two."
The air shifted as a girl with long, flowing pink hair stepped forward, her presence drawing attention just as effortlessly as the fight had.
It was Ichinose Honami.
Her warm amber eyes held no hostility, yet the authority in her voice was unmistakable.
"The library is a place for studying, not fighting. I don't know what happened, but if there's a problem, can't we talk it out instead?"
Despite her soft tone, her words carried weight.
Yamawaki, who had been completely unfazed by Sudo's rage earlier, suddenly hesitated. He scratched the back of his head, looking… uncomfortable?
"Tch. Ichinose, this has nothing to do with you."
She tilted her head slightly, as if pondering his words. Then, she gave him a knowing smile.
"Oh? But it kind of does, doesn't it? If a fight breaks out here, it could cause trouble for everyone. If the school hears about it, I'm sure the teachers won't be happy. And, well… I don't want anyone to get hurt over something silly."
Her words weren't a threat.
They were a gentle nudge in the right direction—an invitation to make the right choice.
Yamawaki clicked his tongue, looking away. "...Whatever."
He turned to leave, but Kure Ragna stopped him with a casual wave.
"Hold on. One quick question."
Yamawaki scowled. "What now?"
"Ryuen Kakeru—" Kure Ragna's lips curled into an amused smirk. "—is he still playing the tyrant?"
Yamawaki's expression stiffened. A strange mix of contempt and unease flashed across his face.
"Why do you care?"
Kure Ragna chuckled. "Just curious."
Yamawaki clicked his tongue again but didn't press further. With one last glare at Sudo, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Ichinose watched him go, then let out a small sigh.
"I really hope he doesn't start trouble somewhere else."
Kure Ragna glanced at her, intrigued.
"So, you're Ichinose Honami from Class B?"
She blinked at him in surprise, then smiled. "That's me! And you're…?"
Before she could finish, Kure Ragna blurred into motion.
In the blink of an eye, he was suddenly right in front of her, examining her from different angles like a curious scientist.
"Hmmm…"
His intense gaze made Ichinose take a startled step back.
"Uh…?"
He ignored her confusion, muttering to himself. "Arisu's description doesn't match up completely…"
Ichinose tilted her head. "Sorry, what?"
Kure Ragna straightened and gave her a carefree shrug. "Ah, don't mind me. Just confirming something."
Ichinose smiled wryly, clearly still confused, but chose not to push the topic.
"Well, I'm glad things didn't get worse. Try not to let people like Yamawaki get under your skin too much, okay?"
With that, she turned and walked back to her table, her presence like a calming breeze that left the tension in the air significantly lighter.
Sudo crossed his arms, still frustrated.
"Tch. I really wanted to punch that guy."
Kure Ragna chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Patience, my friend. Revenge is a dish best served cold." His smirk widened. "We'll get our chance soon enough."
Sudo's eyes lit up. "For real?"
"Of course."
With that assurance, Sudo finally let it go and sat back down.
Just as Kure Ragna did the same, a test paper was quietly placed in front of him.
He looked up.
The girl who handed it to him had pinkish hair, tied in slightly messy twin tails, and wore red-rimmed glasses. Her posture was shy, her eyes darting away nervously.
Sakura Airi.
Kure Ragna recognized her immediately. She was always quiet, always shrinking into the background. But if you looked past her timid nature, she was undeniably beautiful.
She fidgeted slightly. "U-um… I finished…"
Kure Ragna glanced at her test. The small questions were mostly right, but two of the larger ones were blank.
Before he could comment, another voice whispered beside him.
"Hey."
Karuizawa Kei had sneaked up close, her voice low as she covered her mouth with one hand.
"Are you free this weekend?" she asked casually. "Points get distributed tomorrow, and I want to go shopping. You wanna come with me?"
Kure Ragna barely looked up.
"Did you finish your test?"
"...Not yet."
He sighed.
"Finish that first, then we'll talk."
Kei pouted. "Ugh, fine."
And just like that, things returned to normal.
----------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 100 Advanced Chapters and Exclusive R-18 Content!