Event 1 and Event 3… both carried a "Severe Risk to Life."
Given his current abilities, was there any chance he'd feel threatened by Tamamo Emi?
She was just a pretty but ordinary girls' academy student—aside from being a bit materialistic.
Yūki Miki, on the other hand… Her event didn't come with any life-threat warnings.
Tetsu didn't understand women. He didn't understand romance.
He couldn't tell whether this event had anything to do with female psychology or love.
But he did have a gut feeling:
This "risk to life" absolutely came from Yūki Miki.
He couldn't afford to take chances with this event.
If it were just him alone, he might be willing to risk it.
But he still had parents. No one could guarantee Yūki Miki wouldn't take out her anger on them.
Making sure his parents lived in peace—if not wealth—was his responsibility.
That meant the only event he could participate in was Event 2, reconciling with Yūki Miki.
If successful, he'd not only learn the 100,000-point "Grandmaster-Level Piano" technique for just 5,000 points, he'd also keep earning his daily sign-in rewards.
Thinking about this, Watanabe Tetsu walked into Class 4.
The moment he entered, whispers rippled across the room.
Tetsu kept a calm expression, pretending not to hear anything.
Was it the story of him confessing to Yūki Miki yesterday?
Or Seino Rin's accusation?
Or perhaps someone saw him running through the storm like a deranged idiot?
Calm. Calm. Don't care about other people's stares.
He recalled Seino Rin's scornful smile and used it to suppress his embarrassment.
He forced himself to move normally—walked to his seat, took out his textbook, and was just about to pull out his earbuds for the morning news when Saitō Keisuke burst into the classroom.
"Tetsu! Someone said you're dating Seino Rin?!"
"What?"
Tetsu removed the earbud he had halfway inserted.
Saitō leaned on his desk, panting. "Someone saw you two walking to school together just now—talking and laughing! Are you going out?!"
"First—" Tetsu flicked his index finger from under his thumb.
"It wasn't walking to school together. We ran into each other at the shoe lockers."
He lifted his ring finger.
"Second—I wasn't laughing. Only Seino Rin was."
He lifted his pinky finger.
"Third—we're not dating. We will never be dating."
Saitō blinked at Tetsu's raised hand. "What's with that finger pose?"
Tetsu snapped his final finger—the middle finger—firing the eraser on his desk like a projectile straight at Saitō's forehead.
"And lastly—stop spreading rumors."
"Oww!! That was the 'Serious Flick Series: Precision Sniper'!"
Saitō covered his forehead.
"You're too obsessed with One Punch Man."
Tetsu snorted, relieved it wasn't about yesterday.
"That's every man's romance!"
Saitō put the eraser back on the desk. "Tetsu, be honest—what's going on between you and Seino Rin?"
"Club president and club member. Not even friends."
"I don't believe that."
Saitō made a "don't lie to me" expression.
"She doesn't interact with anyone, but she walks with you? Something's going on!"
"Are you even qualified to talk, Mister Rank Thirty-Six?"
Because explaining would be troublesome, Tetsu just brushed him off with a joke.
"Ughhhh…"
Saitō collapsed onto the desk, clutching his chest like he'd been mortally wounded.
"Tetsu, you're too cruel…"
Tetsu patted his shoulder.
"Truth is always painful. Learn to accept it."
"I'm going to study now! Just you wait—this time I'll beat you in the exams!"
After Saitō left, Kunii Osamu arrived late and asked the same question, disrupting Tetsu's chance to study.
"How is this spreading so fast?" he groaned.
"You two walked from the first floor to the third floor in broad daylight in front of the entire school. How could it not spread? Now spill it—what stage are you at? Did you kiss yet?!"
"It's a rumor. I just said it's a rumor!"
If this continued, Tetsu felt he'd have a "severe life-threatening risk" even without participating in any events.
Just in case, during morning homeroom—while Seino Rin was explaining the test schedule—Tetsu secretly sent a message to Yūki Miki.
"Miki, there's nothing between me and Seino Rin. The one I love is you."
No reply.
He thought for a moment and remembered a haiku he'd once come across that expressed love beautifully.
"When daylight fills the sky, my love for you stands firm.
If the sky should lose its sun, only then will my love fade."
Still no reply.
Maybe she hadn't seen it—class was in session, after all.
Just as he thought that, his phone buzzed.
"How do you want to die?"
Tetsu's spirits rose.
A reply meant things were still stable.
"Growing old slowly with you."
Ten seconds later, he began wondering if he'd been too flippant.
Just as anxiety crept in, Miki replied:
"I've decided. Tonight, you're doing a full radio-exercise routine for me."
"Merciful and beautiful Lady Miki, I was wrong. Please forgive me."
"Shut up."
"Yes."
Tetsu slipped his phone back into his pocket, opened his notebook, and wrote with his 0.5mm mechanical pencil:
Buy romance-related books, especially the kind that appeal to upper-class ojou-sama types.
Budget: ¥100,000
Projected Return: ¥1,000,000,000
There's no investment more profitable than investing in yourself.
He tapped the notebook with satisfaction.
The day went by normally—studied attentively, practiced Spanish during activity period.
Yūki Miki never actually made him perform radio calisthenics.
As for reconciling… Tetsu didn't act immediately.
At the start of The Great Gatsby, it was written:
First put on the golden hat, jump high enough, and the woman who loves golden hats and men who jump will naturally desire you.
What kind of man did Yūki Miki like?
Tetsu had no idea.
So he decided to start with what most girls from elite academies liked.
He messaged a girl from his hometown, Honma Ayako, who studied at a different girls' academy.
"Ayako, are you free?"
"Call me senpai!!!"
"What do girls' academy students like in boys nowadays?"
"Anything but someone like you."
"I'm serious. Don't derail the topic."
"How is that a serious topic?!"
"It's serious to me. Just answer."
"Tetsu, do you like someone?"
"No. It's for a modern sociology assignment. I'm comparing dating values between Heisei and Shōwa-era girls' academy students."
Since Honma Ayako had a big mouth, he made up an excuse so word wouldn't spread to his parents.
"…What kind of assignment is that?"
"Tokyo's like this. Not like our hometown's pure countryside."
"Tokyo people really are trash."
"Anyway, hurry and tell me. I'm doing homework."
"Gentle, manly, considerate, loyal, kind, intelligent, athletic."
"Do guys like that even exist? I want one too."
"Ew—gross."
"Isn't that too idealistic? No mention of looks?"
"Isn't being handsome the baseline? Do I even need to say it?"
"Impressive."
"You asked what girls like. I can't guarantee everyone, but most girls want these."
"How many of those do I have?"
"Aside from being handsome and smart, you're useless."
A burst of indignation shot through Tetsu.
Wasn't this the same insult he used on Seino Rin?
He wasn't that shallow!
He had saved a couple at the Shinagawa Aquarium!
He was kind and gentle!
Just as he was convincing himself of his own virtues, Ayako messaged again:
"After the tests this Sunday, I want to visit Asakusa Shrine and Tokyo Tower."
"Go then. Who's stopping you?"
"Don't you get what I mean? Hehe~~ (^з^)"
"Anyway, my phone's dying. Good night."
"Watanabe Tetsuuuu!!! I'm telling your mom you bullied me!!!" (Unread)
In Kanagawa Prefecture, inside a small rental room, a girl in a T-shirt and shorts slammed her fist on the table in fury after seeing "Unread."
Her textbooks, stationery, and compact mirror shook as if hit by an earthquake.
...
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