Chapter 49 Who Sent the Breakfast?

Kasuga Haruno was in no mood to listen to the chatter, his attention instead turning to the seats in the front row.

There, Mirei Kiyoling sat with a cold, expressionless face, her aura so imposing that Mai Hanai and Kanae Terashima beside her dared not utter a word.

At that moment, Mirei Kiyoling happened to glance in their direction.

The look she gave sent a chill down Haruno's spine. He was just about to say something when—

"Haruno, don’t tell me you’ve already met that girl! Was your breakfast delivered by the one who likes you?" Yoji Heisuke clapped Haruno on the shoulder with a loud laugh, his booming voice brimming with pride for some reason, so that the entire class heard.

Everyone was momentarily stunned, then after a brief silence, the earlier noisy atmosphere resumed.

"Hey, have you noticed that Haruno from our class is actually kind of handsome lately?"

"I thought so too! I never noticed before, but the more I look at him these days, the more attractive he seems."

"Well, I just wonder if he accepted that girl's confession. If not, I think I’ll make a move—he’s totally my type!"

"Reiko, weren’t you saying something completely different the other day? So fickle!"

"Mock me, will you? You’re asking for it!"

Quite a few girls had noticed Haruno’s recent transformation, as if the once forgettable face had turned into someone everyone admired and adored.

Feeling the persistent slaps on his shoulder and hearing the surrounding chatter, Haruno felt so mortified he could die.

He turned to glare at Yoji Heisuke, who was still laughing heartily.

"Heisuke, have I done something to offend you?"

"Huh?" Heisuke was taken aback by the question, unable to react for a moment.

A loud bang echoed through the classroom.

Everyone swiveled their heads to see a beautiful leg, clad in over-the-knee socks, slowly retract as a chair was kicked over. Mirei Kiyoling stood up, her gaze icy.

The class fell instantly silent. The student with the overturned chair stood aside, too afraid to even complain.

Everyone swallowed nervously. No one wanted to provoke someone at the very top of the school's social pyramid.

Who knew what had gotten into her today?

"What's wrong, Kiyoling?" Kanae Terashima asked in a whisper.

She had noticed Mirei Kiyoling sulking alone when she arrived that morning, her expression stormy. Clearly, someone had angered her—very likely a classmate.

Mirei Kiyoling said nothing, but strode straight toward Haruno and his friends. The students in the aisle instinctively parted to make way.

One step, two, three—she stopped right in front of Kasuga Haruno.

Yoji Heisuke and Ichiro Kokuda had already retreated several steps, leaving Haruno standing alone, just like two lackeys behind their boss.

"So it was Haruno who got on her bad side!"

"Poor guy. Wonder what kind of reckoning he’s in for."

"To actually catch Kiyoling’s attention… What a shame, we were just saying how handsome he is."

Whispers rippled through the room. Yuriko Ogata watched anxiously, her small figure unable to push through the crowd, her eyes rimmed red with worry as she craned her neck to see what was happening inside the ring of onlookers.

Kanae Terashima and Mai Hanai followed behind Mirei Kiyoling, the two camps facing off.

Kasuga Haruno looked down at the golden-haired beauty before him. Despite feeling a little guilty, there was no trace of fear in his eyes. After all, he had tormented Mirei Kiyoling plenty of times in private, even making her cry once.

He recalled that last time, in a moment of excitement, he’d accidentally gripped her too hard and made her cry. The next day, the young lady wouldn’t let him near her until he finally appeased her with a barbecue feast.

Still, Haruno felt uneasy. He really had met Yuriko Ogata that afternoon, and he knew full well who had brought him breakfast today. As long as Kiyoling didn’t find out, things would be fine—otherwise, knowing her temper, Yuriko Ogata would be in for trouble.

Mirei Kiyoling glared up at Haruno, her large eyes full of challenge.

Haruno met her gaze, standing tall, looking down with a defiant disdain.

The young lady clenched her teeth in frustration. Both of them completely forgot that they were at school, not at home.

The scene startled everyone.

Haruno was actually daring enough to go head-to-head with the heiress of the Kiyoling family?

They’d heard he was from the countryside, and now it was obvious—he really was different, utterly unaware of the ways of the world.

Mai Hanai stepped forward, rolling up her sleeves to reveal her fair arms, apparently ready to teach this ignorant boy a lesson.

Kanae Terashima didn’t advance, her eyes darting thoughtfully. She couldn’t shake the sense that Mirei Kiyoling wasn’t actually angry with Haruno, that the two of them looked more like lovers in a quarrel.

The notion startled her so much she gave the pair a careful once-over.

She shook her head—how could that be? She tucked the ridiculous thought away in her mind.

Though Haruno was handsome, Kanae simply couldn’t believe Mirei Kiyoling would fall for some country boy.

Ichiro Kokuda and Yoji Heisuke also stepped forward, the tension between the groups palpable.

Suddenly, Mirei Kiyoling picked up the food bag from the desk, gave a cold snort, and turned on her heel to leave.

She said nothing at all.

Everyone froze. Was that it? Seriously? They’d already bought popcorn, only for the show to end like this?

Even Mai Hanai and Kanae Terashima were left baffled. Was this really the same Mirei Kiyoling?

With no more drama to watch, the classmates dispersed.

Kasuga Haruno shrugged helplessly. That jealous little thing—there was just no dealing with her. What a pity for those two pieces of cake and the milk.

They looked delicious, but even if Mirei hadn’t taken them away, Haruno wouldn’t have eaten them. He was on a fitness regimen now and had to change his eating habits. One bite of cake and his progress would be ruined.

Such a shame. Next time, he’d tell Yuriko Ogata to bring him a salad and some fruit for breakfast, and to deliver it secretly.

Yes, that was very important.

Back at her seat, Mirei Kiyoling placed the transparent food bag on the windowsill, gazing absentmindedly at the exquisite little cakes.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief—except for Yuriko Ogata, who continued to watch in silence.