Chapter 74: Seiryo Miryu and Yukiko Okata Are the True Love! (Begging for Continued Reading, Today Is Crucial)

As for the two girls, Haru Yano had no worries whatsoever. If it were just Ryo Kiyori and Ami Uehara together, perhaps he would feel a bit nervous, but now—

Not to mention that he and Yuriko Ogata were perfectly innocent; the two of them, pure as they were, hadn’t even held hands. Little Yuriko would have liked to, but Haru, oblivious as ever, never caught on to her intentions, and so the opportunity was lost.

Though Kiyori seemed on the surface to be a cruel, unsentimental young delinquent, he knew that deep down she was a kind-hearted person. He believed that the young lady would not make things difficult for Yuriko.

There wasn’t much he could do now… and that mattered greatly…

He cast a glance as the two girls left the classroom, then calmly lowered his head, steadying the frantic thumping of his heart, and activated the screen-peeking mode to observe their current status.

…

Without moving from his seat, two graceful figures slipped out of the classroom, behaving furtively.

“Hey, Kanae, why are we sneaking around like this? Surely Yuriko Ogata wouldn’t dare lay a hand on Kiyori?” Mai Hanai, watching Kanae Terashima crouched by the classroom door, worried about being spotted, couldn’t help but lower her own voice, “And why are we being so cautious, acting as if we’re thieves? Wouldn’t it be better just to walk out?”

Students passing by stared at them curiously, their eyes seeming to say, “What a shame—so pretty, but not too bright.”

That couldn’t be! She hadn’t even dated anyone yet…

“Silly!” Kanae Terashima was exasperated by her simple-minded companion. “Don’t you remember what we saw behind the cherry trees that morning?”

Mai Hanai thought for a moment, recalling Ogata’s recent behavior, and suddenly understood. “You mean Yuriko Ogata still hasn’t given up on Kiyori?” As she spoke, Mai’s brow furrowed in irritation. “That wretched little brat—Kiyori doesn’t even like her, yet she keeps trying to force herself in.”

“Hey, hey, calm down. I actually think there’s more to this.” Kanae quickly pulled Mai back, worried that her impulsiveness might make things worse.

…

“What do you mean, more to this?” Mai asked, puzzled.

“Just keep watching—you’ll see.” Kanae gestured to the end of the corridor, where two beautiful figures stood.

“Kiyori, you said you didn’t like Haru Yano,” Yuriko Ogata spoke in a trembling voice, her head lowered, cheeks flushed, unsure whether from fear or anxiety.

Ryo Kiyori said nothing, her delicate face expressionless, eyes cold as she fixed her gaze on the girl before her.

To Kiyori, Yuriko was hardly a threat—someone who stuttered when speaking would never be the one to make the first move.

Besides, the young lady was absolutely confident in her own charm!

Receiving no reply, Yuriko finally dared to lift her head, but at the sight of that icy, beautiful face, she immediately lost her nerve. Yet, after only a moment’s hesitation, she gathered her courage, heart pounding wildly.

“I’m sorry, Kiyori. I—I really like Haru Yano, and I won’t give up! Please forgive me!” With that, Yuriko bowed deeply to Kiyori, as if she had committed some unforgivable sin.

The blush had spread to her neck, her pink earlobes glowing red, and dressed in the younger girls’ school uniform, she looked utterly adorable.

Kiyori merely glanced at her indifferently, replied with a curt “Oh,” and turned away, leaving Yuriko standing stupefied.

Proud as she was, Kiyori did not consider herself to have any rivals. Last night, Haru Yano had left ample evidence on her neck—those little strawberries still itched faintly.

The distance was too great to hear their words, so Kanae could only imagine the conversation, attempting to interpret their actions.

Yuriko’s bow and apology, and Kiyori’s cold departure—through Kanae’s eyes, the scene took on a different flavor.

The fragile little Yuriko again confessed her feelings, but was once more rejected by the aloof young lady, leaving both hearts wounded.

So, was the next episode the “Chasing after love, funeral pyre” arc?

Seeing Kiyori approaching, Kanae quickly dragged the bewildered Mai away; best not to let Kiyori spot them, since such things were decidedly private.

Back in the classroom, Haru Yano, observing the girls’ current status, deduced that their “second conversation” had ended perfectly.

…

Yet the first to return to the classroom were the two delinquent girls who always followed Kiyori.

Kanae Terashima glared at him fiercely for no apparent reason—was she resentful that he’d stolen her boss?

If that was the case, Haru thought, he had plenty to say: Hey! Not only did I steal your boss, I spank her every night!

Damn Haru Yano, breaking apart true love—how could he! Kiyori and Yuriko were meant to be together!

That bull-headed Haru Yano! No, she had to find a way to help those two girls!

Sitting at her desk, Kanae plotted quietly, now seeing Haru as if he’d sprouted horns—utterly detestable!

Haru merely shrugged, unconcerned. In the end, none could escape.

Before long, the young lady Kiyori entered the classroom, her face unchanged, still expressionless, her graceful figure especially striking. The students wanted to look, yet didn’t dare, caught in hesitant indecision.

Fortunately, Yuriko Ogata also came in; now everyone could focus their curiosity on her. The attention made little Yuriko’s face turn bright red as she scurried shyly back to her seat.

With things settled, the bell rang, and the language teacher launched into a passionate lecture.

Haru Yano’s thoughts drifted out the window, watching the cherry blossoms swirl. He opened his attribute panel to review last night’s gains.

In that small park, the system’s notification chimed ceaselessly, seven or eight times in total, with achievement and quest rewards among them.

At the time, he’d been busy enjoying Kiyori’s company and coaching her in oral skills, so he hadn’t had the chance to inspect them closely.

Opening the activity log, the first quest reward caught his eye:

[Congratulations, player, for completing Ryo Kiyori’s stage quest (1), reward received: Eyes of Enchantment.]