Chapter 11. I'll say it one more time: This is a mission.
Chapter 11. I'll say it one more time: This is a mission.
On Monday morning at eight o'clock, Hoshino Kaoru woke up after the alarm clock beside her bed rang for the third time.
Rin vetoed the idea of escaping Tokyo.
When Rin heard his idea of leaving the city, she initially thought he was crazy.
If Kaoru hadn't told her she was joking, the mental hospital staff would probably have grabbed his arms and locked him up in the mental hospital.
"It's only eight in the morning, let's sleep a little longer."
Xun yawned, intending to lie down for a while longer.
Just then, the door to the room was flung open with a bang, and the younger sister, dressed in a ramen shop uniform, appeared in the doorway.
Seeing that he was still planning to sleep in, Rin grabbed his ear with her right hand and twisted it all the way around.
"Rin, it hurts so much, my ear is going to fall off."
Kaoru's face contorted in pain before Rin finally released her right hand.
"Lazybones! I've called my brother downstairs countless times! The breakfast I made is all cold! Why aren't you up yet!"
Lin questioned him angrily, like a live volcano that could erupt at any moment.
Seeing her like this, Xun, who was afraid of having her ears pulled, scrambled to change into her school uniform and then went downstairs.
Yeah, it feels so good to be looked after by my younger sister.
While rubbing his aching ears, he ate bread and drank a whole glass of milk, then prepared to go out.
"stop."
Rin called out to him from behind.
He stiffly turned his head, his cheeks trembling as he managed to squeeze out, "What's wrong?"
"Come back soon, brother."
Realizing that Rin wasn't planning on pulling his ear, Kaoru quickly responded with a smile.
"Okay, I understand."
After a brief farewell, he found the bicycle parked in front of the store and rode it to school.
The private Kosaki High School he attends is a 30-minute walk from his home, but only a 10-minute bike ride away.
After riding for a while, Xun parked her bicycle in the parking shed and walked towards the classroom.
On the way, his gaze fell upon several first- and second-year girls, immediately sparking discussion.
"What class is that senior in? He's so handsome."
"He seems to be from Class A... I remember seeing his poster at a host club."
"Really?! Take me there after school! I want to order it next time!"
Xun walked quickly past several girls, whose gazes lingered on him like GPS signals until he entered the third-year teaching building.
Pulling open the sliding door to Class A, several girls were gathered together, discussing something.
"Hey, I heard Minami-chan has a tour performance next week, did you guys get tickets?"
"No, it sold out in less than a second. That's really unbelievable."
"It's a shame we can only buy tickets for the outer area now."
Kaoru walked past the girls who were talking, sat down in her seat, and took out her first Chinese textbook.
"I heard you managed to snag tickets for the inner circle, Chio-chan, is that true?"
Someone asked a question, and the girls all fell silent, staring at one of them.
"Of course it's true!"
The girl called "Chio" proudly raised her chin and showed the group the tickets she had bought.
"Wow, that's really an inside ticket! I'm so envious of you!"
"But... the concert is on Friday, you have class that day, right?"
"It's okay, I've already talked to my mom, and she agreed to let me take the day off."
"I really envy Chio-chan's family. They're willing to buy you such an expensive bag and even take time off work for you to attend concerts. Unlike my parents, they're so stingy."
Hearing the conversation of the group, Mizukami Orina, who had just pushed open the door to enter the classroom, frowned and sat down in the seat next to Kaoru without saying a word.
"Is Kobayashi lying?"
Kaoru sensed a lie, but was still unsure, so she asked out of curiosity.
Mizukami silently took out her textbooks and weekend homework. Although she didn't respond, her expression completely betrayed her inner thoughts.
"Hoshino-san, have you finished your homework?"
While taking out her pen, she casually asked a question.
"Someone like me who loves learning would have finished his homework long ago."
Kaoru pretended to accidentally drop her report card and asked the person sitting next to her to pick it up. The large "1" on it made her feel uncomfortable.
The top student in the grade...
Yes, that's perfect, I can ask him for help.
While thinking this, Mizukami handed Kaoru's report card and unfinished homework to him.
"Oh, right, I forgot to do my homework. In order to avoid being called to the teacher's office, please help me finish my homework. I will remember your kindness."
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After the morning classes ended, Kaoru and Mizukami were called to stand in the teachers' office.
The two of them lowered their heads and remained silent.
"Do you know why I called you two over here?"
Ms. Shoko, dressed in a white shirt and a black long skirt, sat in front of the two of them. The buttons on her chest were taut because they couldn't bear the weight inside, as if something would spill out at any moment.
"I know, it's because neither I nor my classmate Mizukami did our homework from last week."
Kaoru shifted her gaze from Ms. Shoko and stared at the floor beneath her feet.
"Oh, anything else?"
"No...that's all..."
"You're the top student in your grade, how could you do something like this?"
Shoko sighed and precisely selected the two students' submitted assignments from a large pile of papers.
"Don't treat the teacher like an idiot. Your handwriting is exactly the same. The teacher had you sit next to the student on the water so you could guide her, not do this kind of thing..."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Shoko, I will never do such a thing again."
Kaoru muttered under her breath, interrupting Shoko-sensei halfway through her sentence. Then, taking advantage of the teacher's inattention, she secretly pinched the waist of the girl next to her, Mizukami, clearly looking for an opportunity to retaliate.
"you!"
Mizukami glared at him, her cheeks flushed red, but she couldn't say a word.
"And you too! Mizukami-kun!"
Ms. Shoko's attention was focused on the other person beside her.
Shui Shang was clearly afraid of the teacher, keeping his head down and not daring to say a word.
"Minakami-kun, your grades are terrible, you're at the bottom of every subject, and you don't have the same ambition as Hoshino-kun. I'm really worried about your future."
Ms. Shoko shook her head helplessly, looking disappointed in her.
"Teacher...actually, it's about water..."
"Shut up, or you'll be punished by copying your homework ten times if you interrupt the teacher again."
Ms. Shoko glared fiercely at Kaoru, who was about to interrupt, her face, barely concealed by makeup, displaying a murderous expression.
The two of them then received a ten-minute lecture in the office.
Ms. Shoko took two forms from the materials next to her and handed them to the two of them.
"This is the school's club application form. There are only two of you in Class A who haven't joined a club yet, which won't do. Think it over carefully by next Monday and make sure you fill it out properly."
"I'll say it again, this is a mission, and it must be completed."
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