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

"Let me guess, it must be that Aki Tomoya is holding his breath and trying to write a script that will satisfy you all before the end of Golden Week in May."

"Oh my, you guessed right, but I have serious doubts about it. He basically can't do it. His talent is just too poor. Like I told you before, he's all enthusiasm and trying to gather a group of people to work hard for his empty goal. Why should we work so hard?"

Kasumigaoka's tone carried a hint of complaint.

"There's no reason, so the reason you're helping him now is probably because he's your number one fan and has given you tremendous support."

“That’s right, after repaying this debt, it’s basically goodbye to that person.” Kasumigaoka released Himekoji’s neck and gently nudged his shoulder, saying, “See you Monday, my inspiration~”

After walking a few steps, Himekoji felt that someone was watching him. He glanced sideways and saw the guy who could no longer hide emerge from behind the cherry blossom tree. The cherry blossoms were still blooming, but they were about to wither.

Chapter 016 Unable to tolerate it any longer, [Aki Tomoya] decides to punch Himekoji!

"Oh my, this is really... Aki Tomoya-kun."

Ji Xiaolu pushed up her glasses. These were non-prescription glasses for decoration. Her mother said that they would make her look more scholarly and prevent her from scaring people with her eyes. In order to prevent her crybaby mother from biting that little handkerchief and crying her heart out, Ji Xiaolu had to wear these glasses since she was eleven years old.

"You are, student council president Himekoji Haruto."

Aki Tomoya, a second-year student in Class B, is a shut-in, an ordinary person, the kind you wouldn't recognize in a crowd, but the protagonist's halo given to him by the author still surrounds him with a large group of cute girls, who were quite envious of Himekoji when she first transmigrated to his world.

Aki Tomoya also pushed up his glasses, but these were the kind of round glasses with super thick black frames. His simple short hair and unremarkable figure made him easy for others to think he was a harmless mini-Hachiman Hikigaya, but it was precisely this image that always attracted a lot of girls!

"So, what advice does the president of Blessing Software have?"

Himekoji's student council room still bears the stain of Aki Tomoya's requisition of the school's computer to show anime to everyone during the first-year cultural festival. At the time, it was only through Shiho's persuasion that her number one fan was spared any serious punishment (Himekoji was the vice president at the time). But it seems that Shiho's goodwill has now been almost completely worn away by this hot-headed guy.

"Please, please don't treat Kasumigaoka-senpai like that, okay?"

He took a few steps forward, mustered his courage, and solemnly clenched his fists, saying to himself.

It looks like he's about to confess his feelings to a girl.

However, if she absolutely had to be confessed to by a boy, Himekoji still had a pretty good candidate in her mind, well, Gidou Mariya, Mariya-chan~, cough cough cough!

"Oh? Then tell me, how did I treat Kasumigaoka-senpai?"

Himeko stood up straight with her hands in her pockets. She was much taller than Aki, and the contrast between their shadows was even more striking in the setting sun.

"Can you please be devoted to your senior?! Senior, she...she admires you! But you, you're not only unfaithful to your girlfriend Touma-senpai, but now you're toying with Kasumigaoka-senpai's feelings!"

Aki took another step forward, his clenched fist looking like he was about to punch Himekoji in the face.

"Toying with Shiyu's feelings... Hahahaha, alright, alright, I thought that as the head of a club, you would have some profound insights to offer before me, in front of heaven and earth. I never expected you to utter such shallow words!"

After laughing a few times, Himekoji turned and left, no longer paying attention to Aki Tomoya, who was about to turn her into a steam engine with anger.

"You...!"

But Aki Tomoya didn't see it that way. Always prone to acting impulsively, he raised his fist, rolled up his sleeves, and charged at Himekoji. Himekoji hated fighting, because he always saw it as bullying. His mother had always taught him to avoid resolving problems with violence if possible, so...

"Lun Yejun."

A familiar voice stopped him in his tracks and his fist.

“Kasumigaoka-senpai…” Aki turned around. Kasumigaoka Utaha was walking towards them with a stern face. Himekoji waved his hand behind him and said, “Then it’s up to you, Utaha. By the way, Aki-kun, I admire you for having the courage to throw a punch at me.”

Just as Ji Xiaolu turned the corner of the teaching building, he clearly heard a crisp slap.

When did Touma Kazusa become his girlfriend? How come I didn't know? Toying with Utaha's feelings? That's utter nonsense. Although it's true that Utaha is interested in him, Himekoji hasn't made a move on Utaha (Utaha is the one who makes moves on him), and he hasn't expressed any desire to develop a relationship with her. At this stage, there's only one woman with whom Himekoji has an ambiguous relationship, and that's someone that Aki Tomoya would almost never come into contact with.

Just as Himekoji got into the car and closed the door, her phone suddenly rang.

"It's me, Himekoji Haruto."

"Um, this is Shinomiya Kyoya... I think I've already got Mori-san's contact information and stuff."

"What do you mean by 'it seems like we've already got it'?"

"Because I'm not quite sure whether it was Ms. Mori herself or Ms. Mori's mother... President, please forgive my inability to tell!"

"I understand. Just send it to me via email. That was a close call. Otherwise, the GJ department would have been shut down if we had gone there today. Very good, well done. As for the department expenses, since that young lady from the Angel family is the department head, the expenses will remain the same as before. No objections?"

No, no.

Five seconds after the two hung up the phone, Himekoji received an email with Ms. Mori's phone number and email address. Although she didn't know what sacrifices Kyoya had made to get this, the goal was ultimately achieved, wasn't it?

Just as Himekoji closed her phone, there was a loud knocking on the car window. Turning around, she saw it was Hiratsuka Shizuka. Himekoji quickly rolled down the window and tossed a can of mango juice into it. Then, leaning against the window, she laughed and said, "In short, you're quite qualified as a member of the Service Club!"

"Would you like to come to my house, Ms. Hiratsuka?"

Although Himekoji really wanted to add "the kind who doesn't come back at night," he was afraid that Hiratsuka Shizuka would punch the car window and smash it, so he decided against it.

"No need. If you cause trouble next time, I'll probably have to pay you a visit myself."

She stepped out of the car window, making a face like a little fox.

Not long after they started driving, the phone rang again. Ji Xiaolu answered immediately, and before she could even speak, the other end said, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble today..."

"Shiyu, no matter what, this isn't your fault."

"I know, I shouldn't have accepted that guy's request in the first place."

"And you should also change your word choice, shouldn't you? You always say things that are easy to misunderstand."

"After helping him finish that childish game, I think I've repaid that favor."

"Well, you can decide for yourself on this point, since it's Shiyu's business."

"You still like to let things take their course."

"I hate forcing girls."

"You're so gentle, too gentle. But that's just how you are, Linggan-kun. That's what I love about you."

Kasumigaoka's tense tone relaxed considerably, presumably because the heavy weight on his heart had finally been lifted.

"Okay~, I hope that Aki guy doesn't mess with me. His dirty history is still on the student council's file. Warn him for me that if he doesn't want to drop out, he shouldn't cause trouble. Oh, and if you can, tell him not to always resort to violence when he can't solve a problem, otherwise he'll be the one who loses face in the end."

Chapter 017 After a long absence, [Touma Kazusa] has returned to this place.

As the student council president, Himekoji didn't want anyone to find fault with him and impeach him, so he couldn't hurt the other person too badly in this physical confrontation. He could subdue him in self-defense, but he still had a way to make Aki Tomoya look embarrassed in public and even make him not want to come to school anymore—if Kasumigaoka hadn't shown up today.

At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Kazusa arrived on time. Himekoji personally opened the door to greet her. Although Kazusa was dressed in casual clothes today, she still couldn't shake off her aloof and unapproachable facade. As soon as she saw Himekoji, she said coldly, "It's really surprising that you would come to open the door." She took off her shoes in the entryway and walked quickly into the house. Her mother was standing in the hall with her arms outstretched, waiting for her. She was slightly taken aback, as if she was not used to her mother's enthusiasm, but soon her mother came up to her and hugged her tightly.

"My dear Kazusa, look at you, how long has it been since you last came to our house?" After laughing for a short while, her mother began to scold her. Kazusa pleaded with tears in her eyes, "It was my fault... please let me go."

"do not want!"

Himekoji's mother's hair was more than twice her height. She used a huge crystal hair clip to hold the overlapping hair at the back of her head, and then let the hair hang down. Perhaps it was because she doted on Himekoji so much that she never cut her already long hair after Himekoji said that she liked her mother's white hair.

Just like Laura Stuart, but her mother is not scheming at all. Although she is not as tall as Kazusa, her mature appearance is quite dignified. It turns out that she and Kazusa have a lot in common at home. Whenever Yoko is mentioned, both Kazusa and she will curse her several times with the most vicious language before they stop.

"You haven't been here since you started high school, Kazusa, it's been over a year now."

"None of your business, lol—"

Kazusa Asahimekoji, who had been keeping a cold expression, made a face.

"Kazusa is so cute, so cute~"

The mother, who never grew up at heart, cuddled and snuggled against Kazusa, who had just been making funny faces. Fortunately, both of them were naturally beautiful and hardly needed makeup, otherwise... Himekoji couldn't imagine.

Her mother's full name was Himekoji Daphne Borgia, which was a surname with a given name in the middle. Unlike Yoko, who had a great figure, her mother was almost flat-chested. When she was little, Himekoji always stared at her mother's chest and wondered how she had managed to grow up with such a small amount of breasts.

Kazusa then went to Himekoji's room, where they often played together since they were little. In the middle of the spacious room stood an old piano, which had been the subject of many pianists' stories. The desk was spotless. Daphne, the mother, instructed the maid to serve the two of them the snacks that had been ordered earlier. She then sat on Himekoji's bed, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling as she watched them.

It was as if a son or daughter who had been lost for many years had finally been found.

The reason why they ate in Himekoji's room instead of the restaurant was that her mother didn't really like spacious places; she preferred small, cozy places filled with memories.

"Really delicious!"

After tasting one, Wasa showed an extremely satisfied smile.

"Right? If it's delicious, have a few more!"

His mother rolled up her dress sleeve and pinched a pastry to feed Himekoji. Himekoji was a little embarrassed, but if he didn't eat it, his crybaby mother would bite his handkerchief again. So, under Kazusa's "staring" gaze, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth. Then he heard Kazusa chewing with "mmm" sounds.

"Wow, Mom! You actually fed it to Kazusa!"

"Stop making a fuss, eat your food! It's like we're missing out on something."

Kazusa grabbed several more and forced them into Himekoji's mouth. Seeing his dark face almost choking to death, Kazusa burst into laughter while clutching her stomach.

"Whatever Kazusa wants to hear, I'll play it for you."

The mother clapped her hands, took out a handkerchief, carefully wiped the small crumbs of pastry off her fingers, and then stood up.

"No need, Aunt Daphne."

Kazusa quickly replied.

"Oh, right, I've got a great idea!" The mother said with a smile, placing her hands on Kazusa and Himekoji's shoulders and flanking them. "Kazusa and Haruto, why don't you play a four-hand piano duet? I haven't heard one in over a year!"

"Forehead..."

In fact, Himekoji and Kazusa had just played the piano together a few days ago.

"You wouldn't let me cry my eyes out, would you? Right, Kazusa, Haruto?"

Under the threat of their mother's tears, Himekoji and Kazusa exchanged a silent glance, then got up and went to the piano that was filled with memories.

Himekoji remembers how Yoko-nee bent Kazusa's fingers in this room until she cried loudly, how Yoko-nee silently wiped away her tears outside the door when Kazusa played a complete piece for the first time in this room, and how she and Kazusa played the piano non-stop, but she was so focused that she didn't hear her mother knocking on the door. When she opened the door, her mother had already fallen asleep against the door and fallen into her arms.

It's all full of memories.

Then, Himekoji and Kazusa exchanged a glance, took a breath in unison, and placed their hands on the clean piano keys.

Amidst the dynamic interplay of black and white, a beautiful melody flowed naturally. The mother, who was skilled in singing and dancing, closed her eyes and began to dance in the open space beside her. Her dress fluttered in the wind, and as she danced, she unfastened the hair clip on her head. Her long white hair dripped into the water like ink, spreading out, but it did not stop her dance steps.

"So beautiful..." Kazusa said, looking at her mother as she played the piano.

"Yes, she's so beautiful, I love her."

Seeing her satisfied mother, Ji Xiaolu played with even more spirit.

"Don't think you're the only one who thinks this way."

Kazusa gave Himekoji a cold look and said.

The school festival is still a long way off, which means Kitahara Haruki is still a clueless kid who can't play the guitar at all. Himekoji doesn't believe that someone like that could win Kazusa's heart and soul. It's totally the protagonist's halo! If it weren't for the protagonist's halo, Himekoji would have twisted his head off and given it to Hayama Hayato to kick around like a ball.

While reminiscing about the good old days, the three of them played the piano and danced, spending the most enjoyable noon of the year in this room. They only stopped when the mother got tired and begged for mercy. Yes, the mother was a true lady, unlike Yukinoshita who had a ladylike obsession. This was also the most important reason why Himekoji said to Yukinoshita, "I can't see where the lady is."