Thanks to Shuchiin's merger and acquisition of several high schools last year, including Sobu High, the school is now divided into numerous branches.
This also explains why many characters who shouldn't be attending school here are present.
This huge shift in the educational world also triggered a chaotic war among the delinquent girls from various schools.
Ultimately, after countless bloody conflicts and turf wars, a bipolar structure formed, centered around the former hegemon of Sobu High, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Megumi Kato, who had risen meteorically with her bizarre reputation during the merger process.
The restructuring also brought a policy of reassigning classes. Students from different schools were shuffled and reorganized into new classes, causing the executives of the Service Club to be scattered.
This also planted a hidden seed of trouble for the Service Club's management, allowing Dango to secretly stir the pot.
Returning to the present, Yukinoshita Yukino and Miura Yumiko walked one after the other through the noisy hallway.
Yukino was already picturing the scene of meeting Kanzaki Saku. Perhaps he would offer a faint, yet heart-stopping, smile when she came to see him.
Then she would use the excuse of checking on his physical condition to naturally take his hand, and then...
Meanwhile, Miura Yumiko, following behind her, was a nervous wreck. With every step closer to the classroom, her anxiety grew.
On one hand, she prayed that Kanzaki Saku was sitting quietly in his seat, allowing this awkward meeting to pass smoothly.
On the other hand, the secret memories from yesterday's train ride inappropriately resurfaced, throwing her into a panic. Perhaps it would be better if Kanzaki Saku wasn't in the classroom at all.
Finally, the two arrived at the classroom door.
Yukino impatiently pushed the door open and scanned the classroom, which had fallen silent at her appearance, but she didn't see the familiar figure.
Trailing behind, Miura Yumiko saw Boss Yukino stop at the doorway, and her heart skipped a beat. This was bad.
She quickly peeked inside, only to see that the seat where Kanzaki Saku was supposed to be was now occupied by Gotoh Hitori, the class clown who played guitar every day after class.
Yumiko subconsciously turned her head to carefully observe Yukino's expression. For a moment, it was as if she were looking at the Siberian ice fields, the chill cutting to the bone.
The atmospheric pressure around Yukino dropped visibly, and even the temperature in the classroom seemed to fall by several degrees. The other students felt the chill, shrinking back and wishing they could flee immediately.
But no one dared to move, as if they were playing some bizarre game of Red Light, Green Light where moving meant being eliminated by Yukino.
If Yukino's face was an ice field, then Yumiko's was the permafrost beneath it, turning pale and sallow, drained of all color.
It's over! He's gone! And on her watch, too!
There was no room left in her mind for any amorous thoughts about Kanzaki Saku. If this wasn't handled well, she'd be in for some serious punishment.
She hadn't kept a good eye on him yesterday either, but at least that hadn't been discovered.
What wasn't mentioned was as good as zero calories. What wasn't discovered meant she'd done her job. Some things are trivial until you put them on the scale, but once you do, they weigh a ton.
Even if she had the excuse of leaving temporarily for the club meeting, and even if Yukino had demanded full attendance, if something really happened, she'd still be blamed for incompetence.
"Where is he?" Yukino's voice was soft, yet it carried the dangerous air of a coming storm. She didn't look at Yumiko, but the invisible pressure was already making Yumiko break out in a cold sweat.
"I-I don't know... I swear I saw him come in..." Yumiko explained frantically, knowing she had to give an immediate and effective response.
Her brain spun furiously under the extreme pressure, recalling the morning's events. She had indeed seen Kanzaki Saku walk into the classroom, but what happened after that?
The club meeting was urgent, and with her loyalty to Yukino, she wouldn't have allowed herself to be late. Who would have thought someone would dare to act right under the Service Club's nose...
Suddenly, an old saying came to mind: Better you than me.
As if grasping at the last straw, Yumiko pointed almost without thinking, her voice sharp with urgency.
"Boss! Ask her! Gotoh Hitori! She's sitting in Kanzaki-san's seat! She must know something!"
That one finger-point was earth-shattering.
Instantly, all eyes in the classroom focused on Gotoh Hitori.
The gazes were a mixture of sympathy, curiosity, and, most of all, relief at finally having a scapegoat.
As for the person in question, Gotoh Hitori was hugging her beloved guitar, trying hard to maintain her persona as a "lone rock singer."
Her head was bowed, her long pink bangs covering most of her face, and her fingers were idly strumming the strings, creating a cacophony of noise.
In her mind, she was frantically fantasizing about Kanzaki Saku being conquered by her musical talent, confessing to her in tears, and she would occasionally let out a creepy "Heh heh heh" laugh, completely unaware of the impending doom.
'That's right, once I join that short blonde's band and become a rock star, Kanzaki-kun will definitely...'
This beautiful fantasy was interrupted by a shout calling her by name.
"Gotoh Hitori!" Yukino's voice was as cold as ice.
She strode forward, her powerful delinquent aura flaring to life, pressing down on the still-smirking Bocchi-chan like Conqueror's Haki.
"Eek!" Gotoh Hitori yelped, nearly jumping out of her chair as the guitar slipped from her grasp and fell.
She looked up to see the terrifying boss of the Service Club staring at her with murderous eyes, with the equally grim-faced blonde executive Miura Yumiko standing beside her.
The Snow Woman of the Service Club—Yukinoshita Yukino. Bocchi-chan knew of this big shot. When she was trash-talking online or bragging to people, she often used her as a backdrop.
For instance: "Yukino is just a mere mortal born in a timeline where I didn't become a delinquent," or "If I, Gotoh Hitori, gave up music and entered the delinquent world, where would Yukinoshita even stand!"
But this was her first time seeing her in person. After all, Shuchiin was big, and it got even bigger after absorbing other schools. It was pretty hard to find a specific person.
Gotoh Hitori felt her blood run cold. She tried to force the crooked, cool smile she'd practiced countless times, but her facial muscles were too stiff to obey.
She wanted to say some famous quote to save face, but her throat felt blocked, and only a choked "H... h..." sound came out.
'Could this Snow Woman have heard my online trash talk and come to teach me a lesson?!'
'Good thing Kanzaki-kun is gone. At least he didn't see me make a fool of myself. My image is safe!'
That's right. At this moment, Bocchi-chan still had no idea why Yukino was here and was even thankful that her crush, Kanzaki Saku, was absent, saving her from embarrassment.
"Where's Kanzaki Saku? Where did he go?" Yukino didn't bother with pleasantries and interrogated her directly.
"I was wrong! I shouldn't have trash-talked you, calling you a mere mortal born in a timeline where I didn't become a delinquent!"
Her mind completely taken over by fear, Gotoh Hitori dropped to her knees and began to grovel incoherently.
She was terrified that if she was a second too late, the fist rumored to be able to punch through steel plates would land on her face.
____
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