Saiki Kusuo turned his head to look at the person approaching.
Tall and muscular, with long hair typical of a delinquent, the man had a rugged face. However, his expression was filled with arrogance and a playful disregard for others.
Ryūen Kakeru was exactly who Shiina Hiyori had been thinking about moments ago.
Standing beside Ryūen was an even larger black man. Even Ryūen seemed small in comparison.
Yamada Albert, also a student in Class D, had several visible scars on his dark skin.
On the other side stood a girl in a school uniform, slightly petite, with short blue hair. Her features were decent, but her sharp gaze made her seem anything but cute.
Ibuki Mio, another of Ryūen's classmates.
"Shiina Hiyori's here? I didn't expect her to have friends. In class, she seems so aloof, barely interacting with anyone. Is she on a date now?"
"She's not from our class. Given her personality, she probably doesn't socialize much with upperclassmen either… She must be from one of the other three classes."
"Either way, they'll all end up under my heel! We're in Class D now, but I'll climb my way up, step by step. When those three classes let their guard down, I'll swallow them whole—bones and all!"
Saiki Kusuo could hear Ryūen's declaration of war loud and clear.
'Yare yare, here comes trouble,' he thought.
Saiki didn't want his class's rank to rise too high precisely to avoid situations like this. The higher the rank, the bigger the target.
But for a first-year student only a month into school, Ryūen's aggression seemed excessive.
'As long as it doesn't affect me, I don't care.'
Saiki didn't dwell on Ryūen for long, quickly returning his attention to the pudding in front of him. Whatever Ryūen planned, as long as it didn't involve him, Saiki wasn't bothered.
Meanwhile, Ryūen's focus remained fixed on Saiki.
"He looks pretty weak—probably all brains and no brawn."
"Since he's from another class, he'll eventually become my stepping stone."
"I don't know much about him yet, so I'll provoke him a bit and see how he reacts. Maybe I'll learn something useful."
Ryūen noticed the pudding in front of Saiki and planned to knock it over deliberately, testing his reaction.
This was his usual tactic: provoke his target, gauge their impulsiveness, judge their character and abilities, and exploit their weaknesses. Once they were off-balance, he'd use any means necessary to control them.
Albert had fallen into this trap, becoming Ryūen's underling despite once being a delinquent himself. Even though Ryūen was smaller, Albert had lost to him and now feared him, blindly following his orders.
'If you dare knock over my pudding, you'll die three months from now, bleeding from every pore.'
Saiki's gaze turned icy in an instant. He wasn't joking.
If Ryūen made any move, Saiki would ensure he paid the price.
However, Saiki quickly realized Ryūen's plan wouldn't succeed—not because of him, but because of someone else.
"Ryūen, I'm talking with my friend right now. If you have something to say, can you wait until later?"
At that moment, Shiina Hiyori looked up, smiling at Ryūen.
Though she struggled with social interactions, she clearly expressed her stance: she didn't want Ryūen causing trouble here.
As a classmate, she knew Ryūen's methods—he solved everything with violence.
Even at the start of the school year, before anyone had gotten to know each other, Ryūen had used force to seize control of the class.
Many resented him but dared not speak up.
"Not many in the class would talk to the boss like that…"
Albert muttered, glancing at Ibuki Mio before returning his attention to Shiina.
Saiki could hear Albert's thoughts, which were in English. Unlike others, Albert's inner monologue was in his native language, but Saiki understood it perfectly.
"Hiyori's the smartest in Class D—no one comes close. She's brilliant."
"She avoids conflict, so she's not a useful pawn, but she's essential to our class. Her intellect could be invaluable later."
"For now, it's best to maintain a decent relationship with her. Provoking that guy and risking her trust would be a loss."
In an instant, Ryūen made his decision, smiling warmly.
"I was just passing by and saw you guys, so I thought I'd say hi. Let's catch up later!"
Ryūen waved and left the café with his underlings.
"Who's that guy?"
"A first-year? He looks so cocky. And that black guy with him—what's his deal?"
"Stay away from him—absolutely!"
Saiki could hear the whispers around him about Ryūen.
Despite his violent reputation, Ryūen remained calm in this situation.
"Let's start with Class C."
"Midterms are still a month away. We'll use that time to observe them, gather information."
"We'll pick them apart piece by piece, climb our way up, and crush Class A—and that guy in it—under our feet."
As Ryūen left, a hunter's smile spread across his face.
And Saiki heard every thought in his head, crystal clear.