I, the mastermind behind the scenes at Soubu High, refuse to be caught in a bloodbath.

But when Himeko entered the bathroom, she was a little speechless. There were Yukinoshita's washed stockings and underwear in the plastic basket outside the dryer. She glanced at them and realized that Yukinoshita had never worn any dark-colored underwear.

"I didn't expect Yukinoshita to not wake me up and even called Reiko-san. Really... Overall, she's a decent fiancée."

After muttering to himself, Ji Xiaolu had no intention of sneaking into her room to raid her at night. He had kindly let her stay overnight, and she still wanted to raid him... Ji Xiaolu couldn't do such a thing—even if the other person was his fiancée.

That kind of situation could only happen if he didn't fall asleep directly and Yukinoshita asked him to stay overnight, or if she tacitly agreed that he could stay overnight.

Chapter 307 What a hassle, these young boys and girls have so many thoughts.

Winter break is coming to an end, and Yoko has successfully undergone a stem cell transplant and is currently in the recovery period. He is also working hard to grow his hair back. Kazusa heard about his engagement and, apart from congratulating him, did not show any other unusual behavior. However, she is not very affectionate with Himekoji anymore, and even when she is affectionate, it is only to a certain extent. Of course, Himekoji does not necessarily have to do *that*. The short 20 or 30-day holiday flew by, and it was time to go back to school.

Everything was going smoothly until, out of nowhere, rumors spread that Hayato Hayama was dating Yukinoshita. The fact that these two popular figures in the school were together caused an uproar among both boys and girls. The boys were better at keeping such things to themselves and not talking about them much, but the girls were different. They discussed this matter almost every moment.

"However, what a surprise! Yukinoshita-san seems to have a very elegant demeanor, but it turns out she's a member of the 'looks-matter' club!"

"Yes, yes, I think so too. They seem to have nothing in common, yet they're dating. It feels like it's all about looks, right?"

"Huh? But if you say that, then Hayama-san would also be considered a member of the 'looks-matter' club."

"Maybe that's exactly what happened?"

Such conversations were common in every class, even causing quite a stir in Class J, where Himekoji and Yukinoshita were. Whenever Himekoji and Yukinoshita heard similar whispers, they would exchange a glance and then shrug helplessly.

No one knew Yukinoshita's true nature better than Himekoji. During the latter half of winter break, Himekoji spent almost every day with her. Yukinoshita even visited Himekoji's house several times, and was even chased around by her mother's ducks, crying and running around, with Himekoji capturing many embarrassing photos of her. Even without these incidents, Himekoji believed that Yukinoshita wouldn't date Hayama.

Once she has made up her mind about a certain answer, she will not make any other choice, nor is there any need for her to make such a choice.

However, to avoid any unnecessary trouble, only four people in the entire school knew about Himekoji and Yukinoshita's engagement. First, there were the two people involved, and then there was Kazusa and Kasumigaoka. Therefore, Himekoji wasn't worried about this matter being exposed. As a result, she acted no differently than she had in the previous semester, doing what she was supposed to do, and occasionally visiting the Service Club.

However, today, an uninvited guest arrived at the Service Department.

The moment they knocked, they flung the door open without waiting for anyone inside to say "Come in." This haste immediately silenced the previously lively room, forcing everyone to turn their attention to the newcomer.

"Ah... Yumiko!"

Yuihama softly called her name.

"I have a few words to say."

Miura stood at the door with a cold face and said.

"Excuse me, I have to take my leave now."

Just moments ago, Isshiki was discussing how to successfully confess her feelings to Hayama, but she wisely left quickly. Judging from Miura's expression, getting involved was definitely not a good thing. Besides, she and Miura were rivals in love, so staying would only make things more awkward.

Goodbye, goodbye.

Reaching the door, Isshiki quietly waved to the people inside, then slipped away, closing the door behind him. Himekoji, who hadn't seen Miura for a while, strode forward, pulled out a chair without a word, sat down, crossed her legs, and exuded a very assertive aura.

From beginning to end, her gaze was fixed on Yukinoshita, and she only exchanged a few words with Yuihama. As for Hikigaya and Himekoji, who were in a more secluded spot, she didn't even glance at them. Before, she would at least greet Himekoji, but it seems that when it comes to love, everything else has been forgotten.

"Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with Hayato?" Miura asked, and Yukinoshita, facing her burning gaze, responded in an icy tone: "Nothing much, we just knew each other before."

"Huh—? Is that really all there is to it?"

"What good would it do me to lie to you? I've always hated this kind of question."

Not to mention they're already engaged, but compared to enduring these inquiries, the gossip and trouble after announcing their engagement are far greater.

"What do you mean by that tone? It's infuriating, I hate your attitude the most."

"I don't necessarily expect you to like it. I'm just telling you the truth. If you're angry about it, that's your prerogative."

Yukino took off the blue light blocking glasses that Yuihama and Hikigaya had bought for her, and looked directly into Miura's eyes with her most genuine gaze.

"Yumiko!" Yuihama suddenly shrugged, looking at her with an unprecedented seriousness, and said, "Didn't I already explain this to you? It was just a chance encounter, and nothing happened afterward!"

"If that were really the case, Hayato wouldn't care so much. Besides, there's never been such a rumor before."

"So what happened before...?"

Hikigaya tentatively spoke, noticing that Himekoji seemed to be preparing something, and he felt that if Himekoji spoke later, it would be a decisive blow.

Let's find out the truth before that decisive blow.

"Even if something happened in the past... what can I change by telling you everything completely? Do you think the people around me will believe me?"

Upon hearing Yukinoshita's reply, Miura bit her lip and gripped the hem of her sweater tightly, her whole body trembling slightly. Although she wanted to say something to refute it, she found herself unable to utter a single word.

"Your attitude is really something—"

Miura Takeshi was so excited that he suddenly stood up and tried to grab Yukinoshita by the collar, but before he could, Himekoji had already grabbed her wrist. Yukinoshita was still sitting next to Himekoji, close to his body, without moving.

"How about calming down a bit?"

"How can anyone stay calm in something like this! It's not just Hayato, now even you, the student council president, are protecting her..."

“Of course I have my own reasons,” Himekoji glanced at Yukinoshita and found that she didn’t seem to care. But after some consideration, he decided he couldn’t tell them the whole truth without telling them. However, the rumors were getting out of hand, which was really annoying. He released Miura’s wrist and put his hand on Yukinoshita’s shoulder, saying, “Of course Yukinoshita isn’t dating Hayato, because she’s dating me.”

Chapter 308 However, for some people, youth truly does end in comedy.

"??!!" *N

The entire Service Club immediately fell silent. Yuihama choked on her words for a long time without uttering a single syllable, while Hachiman stared at them with wide eyes, taking her hand off her chin and sitting up straight. As for Miura, she was completely stunned after hearing the news, even wondering why she had come.

"Didn't you hear me? Excuse me, I'll say it again, Yukino is not dating Hayato, because she is definitely dating me. If possible, I would like to ask you to use your influence among the girls to help stop these troublesome rumors, right? If you can be absolutely certain, the girls won't doubt it, right? Of course, in exchange for me telling you this, can you keep this news a secret?"

Hearing Himekoji reiterate this fact, Yukinoshita blushed and tilted her head to one side. Seeing this, neither Miura nor Hikigaya could help but believe it. After all, they knew Yukinoshita's personality well. If Himekoji had just made up this story, Yukinoshita would definitely righteously refute it: "Absolutely not."

"I understand...I understand, but—, how could this be...I...it seems to me that you two absolutely...absolutely will never date—"

Miura sat back down blankly, looking utterly lost and dejected, causing the chair to creak as it bumped against the ground.

"If we act so intimately, won't people easily find fault with us and gossip endlessly? I don't care; I've never paid attention to rumors. But Yukino is different. Although she says she doesn't care, she's actually been suffering a lot. I don't want her to be like that—"

Himekoji removed her hand from Yukinoshita's shoulder and pulled up a chair to sit beside her.

"That's really... Congratulations! Wait, speaking of which, Yukino and the student council president, when did you two start dating?"

Yuihama was stunned for a moment. Before she could finish congratulating him, a flood of questions rushed into her mind.

"Come on, can you guys stop being so curious? Just know that Yukino and I are dating. As for when we started dating or why we started dating without telling anyone, those things are not important at all. What's important is the fact that we are dating—".

Himekoji shrugged, not really wanting to answer Yuihama's question directly. Yuihama would never spread the news about Yukinoshita and Himekoji dating, and Hikigaya wasn't a gossip either. As for Miura, she was grateful to Himekoji for knowing about it, so why would she spread it? She occasionally talked about gossip, but when the gossip affected them, almost everyone would shut up.

"Indeed... Yuihama-san, please don't ask any more questions."

Under the snow, with her cheeks flushed red, she spoke in a very soft voice, as if pleading.

"Oh...yes, I see, but it's still something I'm really bothered by! I'm so bothered by it, it's unbearable!"

Yuihama clutched her head and screamed in frustration, while Hachiman looked relieved, or at least not disappointed.

"However, there are also things I've been keeping from Yukino... I haven't dared to tell you before."

After her outburst, Yuihama returned to her bashful demeanor. At that moment, Himekoji glanced at Hikigaya and noticed that he had also become awkwardly embarrassed, much like Yukinoshita was now.

"By the way... is it okay if I continue listening?"

Miura pointed to himself, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“It’s not so bad, is it? Everyone knows what you’re thinking, Yumiko. It’s normal that you want to be close to Hayato. We all want to have the closest relationship with someone…” Yui whispered, glancing furtively at Hachiman, “Actually, I also…”

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?!"

Miura was truly shocked. While Himekoji and Yukinoshita's relationship was unexpected, it could still be explained upon closer examination. However, Yuihama and Hikigaya seemed to her like two asymptotes that would never intersect.

"It was just...it was just me who confessed...and Yui didn't even..." Hachiman seemed to want to explain something, but Yui suddenly looked up at him and said, "Seriously, Hachiman is still like this. I'm really going to ignore you!"

At this point, Hachiman finally gave in, letting out a long sigh and saying, "Alright, that's right."

"Well, so that's what it is. You can go after your Hayato, and we should take good care of our own relationship."

Although Himekoji said that, he was still pessimistic about Miura and Hayama. Although the two seemed to be a good match, they were more like an asymptote. No matter how well they seemed to get along or how much they seemed to be dating, Hayama's heart was not with her.

So whether it was Yukino Yukinoshita or Haruno Yukinoshita—all these questions seemed unimportant after Himekoji and Yukinoshita got engaged.

The comedies of youthful romance always culminate in graduation and marriage, though not everyone may have a happy ending.

Looking back now, perhaps when Yukino half-jokingly asked him about the engagement they had discussed before during their summer trip to Chiba Village, it might not have been a joke. It was possible that his mother had actually discussed these issues with the Yukino family back then, and in the end, it was Yukino who took over. From beginning to end, she approached Himekoji in a way that seemed intimate but was actually quite troublesome, making it impossible for him to develop any good feelings towards her. Instead, he focused all his attention on his younger sister, Yukino. This older sister was really quite responsible; she was just too much of a worrywart.

The rumors quickly dissipated because everyone noticed that Yumiko, the one who should have been most restless, began to firmly believe that Hayama was indeed no longer dating Yukinoshita. The fact that she could maintain such an attitude in such an environment full of rumors meant that she must know more information. However, no one dared to ask her. Ebina was not interested in these matters at all, and Yuihama shared the secret with her. The two understood each other without saying a word, so naturally no one would interfere.

The third-year students graduated after spring break. At the airport, Yukinoshita saw Kazusa off as she went to Vienna. At this point, Himekoji still didn't know the reason why his mother insisted that he get engaged before Kazusa graduated.

Hopefully, my mom will be able to explain things clearly when I get back.

Chapter 309 Therefore, [Himekoji Daphne] is meticulous in her scheming.

"I made that decision because Kazusa is pregnant with your child. Do you want to see my pregnancy test results? I just had them done yesterday."

When Ji Xiaolu got home, he went to see his mother, but her first words left him speechless.

"Oh, I thought you would accept this fact calmly. After all, you didn't use any protection, and you did it during her most dangerous period, so it's normal to get pregnant."

My mother remained calm and composed, her hands never stopping as she played the piano.

"Then...then what about Kazusa—? And Yukino...isn't that awkward?!"

“That child won’t inherit the Himekoji surname, so what are you worried about? He won’t disrupt your life with Yukino—” Mom stopped playing the piano and came to Himekoji’s side. She opened her arms, grabbed his ribs, and looked up at him with her pure amber eyes. “You will have to stay in Japan in the future, but my main family also needs someone to inherit the family business. This is a last resort. It can also solve Kazusa’s problem at the same time… By the way, they are twins. It’s been more than three months since January. You noticed that little Kazusa was avoiding being intimate with you before. After all, she is pregnant. It’s not noticeable in the first three months. If you take good care of her, she will continue to develop smoothly.”

"...Twins, Mother, I'm overwhelmed with information right now, please give me a moment to process it."

Ji Xiaolu, pale-faced, sat down on his mother's soft, large bed, rubbing his temples. This was terrifying! Kazusa was not even nineteen, and Ji Xiaolu was not even eighteen, yet one was going to be a father and the other a mother? And this had to be kept a secret from his fiancée, Yukino... and it was a double whammy...

But then I think about it again, becoming a parent at seventeen or eighteen is really too weak compared to my mom who gave birth to me at thirteen...

"What about her going to Vienna?"

"Of course she'll go to Vienna, but that'll be in about ten months. Right now, she's going to Italy, to my family home to rest and recuperate. Of course, they've hired someone there to train her in piano, but they won't let her get too tired. As for raising her, you don't need to worry at all, because not only are people from my family home taking care of her, but even that jerk Yoko said he'd take responsibility, even though he doesn't seem to care that much about his own little Kazusa."

At this point, Daphne's lips curled slightly. She put her hands on her hips and muttered a couple of vulgarities. Then she put her hands together, tilted her head, and said, "Of course, this matter must be kept a secret from Yukino."

"I'd have to be crazy to say that..."

"Of course, the Borgia family knows all about this. They'll probably just say to the outside world that I adopted Kazusa as my goddaughter. As for the truth, the public will never know." Daphne shrugged, pacing around the house as she cheerfully said, "Hey, Haruto, you're really lucky! Actually, I misspoke earlier. They're not twins, I should use... what word again? Twins! Ah, that's it! What names should we give them? The first surname should be Touma, and the last surname has to be Borgia... This is giving me a headache!"

"You've already started thinking about names? I haven't even recovered from this huge amount of information." Ji Xiaolu lay back, the bed carrying a faint fragrance that smelled exactly like his mother's hair. He paused and then said, "If we still don't understand Father, then wouldn't that be...?"

The word "illegitimate child" flashed through Himekoji's mind several times. To be honest, Himekoji couldn't bear to let her own child be an illegitimate child, and... it would also be bad for Kazusa's reputation.

"It is claimed that he is the child of one of your clan uncles, so it is natural for him to be given the surname Borgia. However, your clan uncle just passed away two months ago, so there is no way to verify it."