On the first class of the morning, the long-legged teacher with golden-rimmed glasses stood on the podium and announced that the school would hold its annual school festival, also known as the anniversary celebration, this Thursday and Friday.
Each class had to compete to showcase their students' ability to organize events. The class that put on the most perfect event, both students and teachers, would receive awards from the school.
Hmm.
According to Amano Academy's custom, it usually meant a direct cash reward.
A wealthy school just couldn't think of anything fancy; they wouldn't even issue certificates, only give money.
To win the top prize of three million yen, Teacher Hamasaki, the long-legged teacher, was also giving it her all. The moment class started, she began soliciting students' opinions to discuss what kind of event to organize for the school festival.
To avoid students feeling embarrassed to speak up, the long-legged teacher thoughtfully adopted the method of passing notes, reading out various bizarre ideas without revealing the students' names.
Currently, there were three proposals causing endless debate.
The first, with the highest male support, was a 'maid cafe,' specifically requesting Teacher Hamasaki to also wear black stockings and participate.
The second, with the highest female support, was a 'butler tea restaurant,' with Hoshino-kun as the special guest butler, and other boys could participate as they wished.
As for the third controversial proposal, Hoshino Jun really wanted to drag out the person who suggested it and beat them up.
Then he would properly ask him or her what the hell a 'Hoshino Cross-dressing Cafe' was. Not only was it incredibly popular among girls, but the boys were also starting to get restless.
Even Teacher Hamasaki on stage stared at Hoshino Jun for a long time, clearly she also wanted to see if Hoshino-kun would look pretty in women's clothing.
"Sorry, I refuse."
Without any hesitation, Hoshino Jun unilaterally vetoed the proposal. Even if all three million yen of the prize money were given to him, it was absolutely impossible for him to cross-dress.
"Eh, what a pity."
"Hoshino-kun really doesn't want to try cross-dressing?"
"I really want to see Hoshino-kun become Hoshino-chan."
Absolutely not.
His indifferent gaze swept across the class. Hoshino Jun looked at the long-legged teacher in black stockings on the podium: "Teacher, it's break time now. You all can discuss, I'll head out first."
At Amano Academy, no one could prevent a student from taking a normal break unless the student had done something wrong, not even the homeroom teacher.
"Ah~!"
Seeing that Hoshino Jun truly had no intention of cross-dressing, Hamasaki Mayu had no choice but to abandon this proposal, which seemed destined to be a huge hit. She waved her hand and said weakly:
"Go on, go on!"
Once Hoshino Jun's figure disappeared from the classroom, a girl excitedly spoke up:
"Teacher, tell us what Hoshino-kun's proposal was."
"Yeah, yeah, let's see Hoshino-kun's, we want to understand him better."
A boy from the next row responded: "I think it must be the maid cafe."
"baka yarou, don't you dare slander Hoshino-kun." The girl was furious: "Do you think Hoshino-kun is as disgusting as you stinky boys?"
If it really was Hoshino-kun's idea, then she might grudgingly wear a maid outfit.
She could also wear it in bed in private.
Looking at the noisy students below, Hamasaki Mayu was also a little curious about what Hoshino Jun had written.
She didn't seem to have seen it just now.
She searched in the box where the notes were kept and found a half-sheet of A4 paper with beautiful handwriting.
It read:
The road is long and arduous; I will strive to seek.
Date: April 30, 2024.
Monday, sunny, cloudless sky.
Hoshino Jun, Class 3-B, Amano Academy.
"The handwriting is quite good." Hamasaki Mayu muttered twice, then her face became serious again and she said: "Stop arguing, Hoshino-kun didn't write any proposals. Let's continue discussing."
"Teacher Hamasaki, how about this? To satisfy everyone's preferences, let's have both maids and butlers appear."
"I can be a maid. As for the butlers, I think Hoshino-kun alone is enough; the other boys shouldn't appear."
"What?!" The boys were unhappy and cursed: "We only wish to have Teacher Hamasaki as the only maid."
---Hoshino Jun, who had already left the classroom, was unaware of his classmates'noisy. Even if he knew, he probably wouldn't care.
For Hoshino Jun, he could participate in class activities for collective honor, but he would not do anything too excessive.
"School festivals are such a bother."
"Thursday is class activities, and Friday is club activities."
"The Reading Club currently only has me. What should I do?"
"Perform reading for everyone?"
There were too many chaotic things, and Hoshino Jun's mind was a mess.
Forget it.
Compared to the messy affairs at school, the most important thing was to first deal with the current debt collection.
[Reminder: There are 6 hours left until a small debt related to Saionji Ayako expires.]
I know.
Don't rush me.
White clouds drifted leisurely, green grass stretched far.
Perhaps because everyone was discussing the upcoming school festival, there were only a few scattered people on the large basketball court below the office building. One of them was a young man in black clothes and a black hat, standing under the scorching sun.
"You're finally here."
To ask this question, there was no doubt that Saionji Ryuichi was waiting for Hoshino Jun.
"Mm."
Hoshino Jun responded, his gaze glancing towards the Vice Chairman's office.
He guessed that the Vice Chairman should also be looking this way at this moment.
Because he had just sent a message notifying the Vice Chairman that he would meet Saionji Ryuichi here.
Pulling down the hood of his hoodie, Saionji Ryuichi's expression was somewhat dejected: "Do you have any money? Lend me two hundred thousand yen, and I'll pay you back when I have money."
Hoshino Jun smiled: "You, a young master, actually come to me to borrow money."
Saionji Ryuichi couldn't help but frown slightly: "I'm not saying I won't pay you back. Just one word, lend or not?"
As expected of a young master's temper, even borrowing money was so aggressive.
"I need to know why you're borrowing money!"
"..."
After a moment of silence, Saionji Ryuichi said: "You know Takayanagi Jo from your class didn't go to class, right?"
"Yes, I know. So?"
"He was beaten up and is now hospitalized, afraid to tell his family, so I wanted to help him."
Help him?
Are you, Saionji Ryuichi, such a good person?
Hoshino Jun didn't believe it.
If Hoshino Jun guessed correctly, Takayanagi Jo and Yamada Tsukasa must have put on a show, tricking Saionji Ryuichi, this simpleton, into believing Takayanagi Jo was a good person, and he foolishly considered Takayanagi Jo a good buddy.
The reason was simple.
Saionji Ryuichi, without even knowing it himself, 'wanted' Takasaki Yusuke to pretend to be Yamada Tsukasa's good brother and stab Yamada Tsukasa.
So now, Takayanagi Jo's act was called 'returning the favor in kind.'
"Then why don't you ask your aunt or Kachiko? If it were them, they would definitely give you more."
"My business is none of your concern. Just tell me if you'll lend it or not."
Saionji Ryuichi glared, but Hoshino Jun's expression remained calm, his perpetually smiling face always making it difficult to guess what he was thinking.
In the end, this silent contest was lost by Saionji Ryuichi.
Although he was thoughtless, he was definitely not someone who would stand by and do nothing when others were beaten because of him.
Yesterday, Takayanagi Jo had already given in, but Saionji Ryuichi didn't. He immediately got into a fight with the others, and the result was that Takayanagi Jo and he were beaten up together.
And Takayanagi Jo was much worse off than him.
After an analysis with Takayanagi Jo, Saionji Ryuichi guessed that Yamada Tsukasa was deliberately messing with him and Takayanagi Jo.
Though he didn't know why, if they were against each other, then they were against each other.
Perhaps Yamada Tsukasa had discovered somewhere that Saionji Ryuichi had tricked him?
Now, the matter was a rivalry between two cousins and couldn't be brought home.
If Little Aunt sided with him, what would Little Aunt use to contend with Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle?
Saionji Ryuichi couldn't think of any way Little Aunt could win, so this confrontation could only be countered by himself, and not openly.
He had to rely on Hoshino Jun.
Therefore, he couldn't completely hide things from Hoshino Jun.
"I don't want to worry my Little Aunt."
Saionji Ryuichi explained: "Whether Little Aunt thinks I caused trouble or that I made bad friends, neither is good. I don't want her to show a disappointed expression towards me."
Good heavens, Hoshino Jun clearly asked about his aunt and Kachiko.
But Saionji Ryuichi seemed to automatically filter it out, not mentioning his Great-Aunt or Kachiko at all.
Only Little Aunt was in his eyes, right?
"What about Kachiko? She likes you so much, she would definitely give you a lot of money."
"Kachiko's allowance is all given by my Little Aunt. Because of my troubles, her card was also suspended."
"That's so tragic."
"Isn't it? The family had long anticipated that she would secretly give me money."
"Tsk tsk, I suddenly want to ask you a question."
Hoshino Jun asked seriously:
"You also know how much Kachiko likes you. In this situation, why do you always only talk about your Little Aunt and ignore Kachiko?"
"Could it be that Little Aunt is more important than Kachiko, your future partner?"
Frowning.
Saionji Ryuichi noticed that Hoshino Jun's words seemed a bit off, but he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
Finally, he replied indifferently: "Nonsense, Little Aunt is far more important to me than anyone else. No matter how good Kachiko is to me, she can't compare."
Hoshino Jun didn't show any surprise, nodded without asking further, and then transferred two hundred thousand yen to Saionji Ryuichi.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. Just remember to repay it tenfold."
"Tsk, you're too greedy."
Hoshino Jun didn't answer, because Saionji Ryuichi was right, he was indeed very greedy.
The two hundred thousand yen given to Saionji Ryuichi had to be recovered immediately.
So, Hoshino Jun walked towards the office building.
"Where are you going?" Saionji Ryuichi asked from behind.
"The Vice Chairman's office." Hoshino Jun answered truthfully.
"What for?"
Hearing Hoshino Jun's answer, Saionji Ryuichi's curiosity was immediately piqued.
However, Hoshino Jun had no intention of stopping to answer him, only casually saying a few words before continuing forward.
"Nothing."
"The Vice Chairman has something for me."
???
Little Aunt, looking for Hoshino Jun, what could it be about?
Saionji Ryuichi's brows furrowed; he didn't want to miss anything concerning his Little Aunt.
Looking up, he could just see Little Aunt's office. The curtains weren't drawn. He took out his phone, opened the camera, and zoomed in ten times, barely able to make out the situation inside.
Little Aunt was currently sitting in her chair, drinking tea.
Two minutes later.
Hoshino Jun appeared in Saionji Ayako's office.
Even though it was summer, the air conditioning was pumping warm air into every corner of the office. Could it be that she was indeed a woman with only 3 stamina?
However, being able to see Vice Chairman without her trench coat seemed worth the heat.
"Why aren't you thinking about the school festival's class and club activities? What are you doing here?"
That's right, Saionji Ayako hadn't asked Hoshino Jun to come.
Hoshino Jun had decided to come on his own.
"Of course, I'm here to report on the mission's progress to you, Vice Chairman."
The so-called mission was to get Saionji Ryuichi and Kachiko to marry, thereby making Saionji Ryuichi abandon his annoying "aunt complex."
The warm air from the air conditioner stirred her dark, beautiful hair. Her delicate and well-defined face lifted, and her eyes gazed at the young man in front of her.
Their gazes met.
Hoshino Jun smelled a pleasant fragrance in the air.
"What did you and Ryuichi talk about downstairs?"
"If you're interested, Vice Chairman, you can just listen for yourself."
Hoshino Jun took out his phone and played a recording.
Lately, he felt like he was becoming a recording maniac. Every time he wanted to do something, the first thing he thought of was recording it to set a trap for someone.
"Through my unremitting efforts, the relationship between Kazuko-san and Ryuichi-kun has made a qualitative leap, but there is still one major obstacle."
"And that is you, Vice Chairman."
"..."
Saionji Ayako couldn't help but furrow her beautiful brows. Her well-proportioned, straight legs crossed, and her expression held a hint of anger.
What did he mean, she was the obstacle?
She hadn't done anything.
But as the recording played, Saionji Ayako understood the meaning of Hoshino Jun's words.
When she heard the line, "Little Aunt is more important to me than anyone else," Saionji Ayako didn't feel happy, only worry on her face.
Ryuichi's condition was far more severe than Saionji Ayako had imagined.
"I originally thought this would be a very easy mission, but I didn't expect Ryuichi-kun to be so stubborn."
Hoshino Jun sighed helplessly, put his phone away, and then continued:
"If I'm not mistaken, Ryuichi-kun is probably on the sports field right now, observing your every move, Vice Chairman."
Hmm?
Her clear, cold eyes lowered slightly, her rosy, small lips were tightly closed, and her entire demeanor suddenly became profound.
"You deliberately let Ryuichi look at the office, didn't you?"
Hoshino Jun wasn't scared; he just wanted to lament that it would be great if the Vice Chairman's chest could be just a little bit bigger.
Not asking for much, just a little bit.
Even a green jujube would be better than a flat chest, right?
"Yes, and no."
Without too much silence, Hoshino Jun spoke truthfully: "I just told Ryuichi-kun that I would be coming to your office, Chairwoman. Nothing else."
Warm sunlight streamed in from outside the window, making the handsome young man's face as dazzling as the sun in the shadows.
Perhaps handsome men are naturally endearing.
Saionji Ayako believed Hoshino Jun's words.
At least, she felt that Hoshino Jun had no reason to deceive her.
What would be the point of doing that?
None.
Saionji Ayako's eyesight was quite good. She stood up and glanced down at the sports field, and with just that one glance, she saw Saionji Ryuichi holding his phone and observing her office.
Ryuichi, you're really disappointing your aunt.
Since you like to watch so much, then Auntie will give you some strong medicine.
"Hoshino Jun, come here."
Her clear eyes moved. Saionji Ayako swept her long hair from her chest, then beckoned Hoshino Jun with her finger.
Her cold face, at this moment, seemed to transform into solid ice.
Hoshino Jun, who was about to launch his next round of verbal attack, choked on his words, which were stuck in his throat. He slowly walked towards Saionji Ayako.
He wondered if he had been too impatient, making his instigation too obvious, thereby angering the Vice Chairman?
Or maybe...
Just pretend it never happened. He would just give up on today's overdue mission.
Sacrifice a rook to save the king.
The moment Hoshino Jun stood in front of Saionji Ayako, she, slender as she was, suddenly lifted her lips and smiled gently.
"Are you flustered?"
"A little bit, yes."
When they were both standing face to face, Hoshino Jun only then realized that Saionji Ayako was also very tall.
The height of her black stiletto heels was probably around six centimeters. Wearing high heels now, she appeared to be over 1.7 meters, estimated to be between 1.73 and 1.74 meters.
Her upper body was a pure white stand-up collar, and her lower body was a red horse-face skirt, a strong Han element appearing on a slender island nation woman.
For some reason, Hoshino Jun seemed to see a faint blush on the face of this woman, who was usually extremely cold.
The Vice Chairman seemed to be shy.
"Don't panic. Take out your phone, open the camera, point it at your face, and get ready to take a selfie."
"Oh, okay."
Although he didn't know why the Vice Chairman arranged it this way, the current situation was that she was strong, and Hoshino Jun was weak.
Hoshino Jun still hoped to collect the debt as soon as possible, so he naturally wouldn't defy her.
Seeing Hoshino Jun obediently following her instructions, Saionji Ayako hesitated slightly, then took two more steps forward.
Her slender waist, graceful figure, and bone structure beauty were almost unreal.
Her only flaw, a flat chest, was also concealed the moment she got extremely close to Hoshino Jun.
The shampoo scent from her hair was very pleasant, probably from a high-end brand.
Hoshino Jun unconsciously took half a step back, not out of false propriety, but because he was afraid of offending this cold woman, whose conquest progress was not high, which would lead to subsequent failure.
After all, Hoshino Jun's persona in front of her was that he wasn't interested in women.
"Look down; you can press the capture button now."
Saionji Ayako suddenly grabbed Hoshino Jun's collar, stood on her tiptoes, and her star-like eyes, filled with gentle ripples, drew closer and closer to Hoshino Jun's face.
His brain froze for a moment.
By the time Hoshino Jun came back to his senses, his lips already had a soft and delicate touch on them.
He had actually been kissed by Saionji Ayako.
"Click!"
A freshly baked kissing photo was thus born.
[Ding!]
[Friendly reminder: Twenty-two C-level debts, one B-level debt, collection completed.]
---Thick white clouds obscured the sunlight, and the sky above seemed to be swallowed by a vast sea of white clouds.
The earth was covered in shadows.
Saionji Ryuichi's face was flushed red, he was panting, tears streamed down his face, glistening with every drop.
The tears seemed to flow inward, turning bitter and salty.
His whole body trembled, and an inexplicable, strange commotion surged within him. Red blood rushed backward, stimulating Saionji Ryuichi's entire body.
He wanted to scream loudly, to curse Hoshino Jun to his heart's content, to grab Little Aunt's hand and demand why she did it.
However, Saionji Ryuichi didn't move. With an indescribable mix of emotions, he zoomed in on the two people on the screen again, carefully observing every detail of their kiss.
In his mind, the plots from the books Hoshino Jun had pushed him to read kept repeating.
Saionji Ryuichi desperately wanted to stop everything he was fantasizing about in his mind.
But at this moment, he was fragile and helpless.
Like a venomous snake lurking deep within his heart, it slowly crawled out, occupying his inner world.
---Warm air kept coming out of the air conditioner, and Hoshino Jun's face also began to heat up.
It wasn't until Saionji Ayako took a step back that Hoshino Jun's condition improved slightly.
"Vice... Vice Chairman..." Hoshino Jun stammered. Even now, he hadn't figured out why the Vice Chairman had made a move.
He should have been the one attacking.
"Don't overthink it. Since we're putting on a show for my sister, reaching this point is inevitable. You can give her this photo to claim your deserved reward."
Saionji Ayako's voice was very soft, gentle, and carried a hint of nervousness, as if she was defending herself about why she did it.
"You don't need to be concerned either. Although this was my first kiss, you don't need to take responsibility for it, don't worry!"
"Huh?"
Hoshino Jun frowned: "Vice Chairman."
His tone suddenly became serious, attracting the gaze of Saionji Ayako, whose face was a little flushed.
"What's wrong?"
"I think you might have misunderstood."
Hoshino Jun took a deep breath. He said:
"I am the one who was forcibly kissed and defiled by you. If anyone needs to take responsibility, it's you for me. But my path forward doesn't need women, so you need to pay me for emotional damages."
"After all, I never agreed to kiss you."
"..."
Saionji Ayako's face darkened.
She had originally thought that while crushing Saionji Ryuichi's infatuation, she could also help Hoshino Jun deal with her sister.
And it could also be considered a perk for Hoshino Jun.
But she didn't expect...
Hoshino Jun, having gotten the benefit, was now acting coy and shamelessly asking her for a reward.
Did Hoshino Jun really think she didn't understand what he came to her for? It was nothing more than wanting to appear intimate with her and show progress in his conquest.
Now, she hadn't even brought it up, and he was the one complaining first.
"Get your reward from the Chairwoman."
"You're the one who kissed me."
"Get out!"
"Understood!"
Hoshino Jun obediently slipped away.
Although he didn't get any extra benefits, the two million seven hundred thousand yen that arrived was still a big profit.
Also, this time the attribute point was added to intelligence, and he felt his mind had become much clearer.
[Name: Hoshino Jun]
[Stamina: 9]
[Intelligence: 8]
[Charm: 10]
[Occupation: Student]
[Skill One: Invisibility (Refreshed)]
[Skill Two: Danger Prediction]
[Current Assets: 3,570,000 yen]
"Not bad, 3,570,000."
"First, I'll go to the sugar mommy for some, then in the afternoon, I'll go to Takasaki's mother to make progress."
"I'll be a multi-millionaire again soon."