Tokyo Soft Rice King.

In order to counter Anri Hitomi, Shion came up with this method.

How about that, Hitomi Anri?! Could you do that?!

But when Shion ate her meal with Kuroba Akira while glancing at Anri Hitomi out of the corner of her eye, what she saw was...

Anri Hitomi, completely unhurried, stared intently at the kissing couple with mesmerized eyes, while enjoying her white rice as if the scene were just a side dish.

What...?

This woman...

What exactly is going on?

Why doesn't she get jealous?

Doesn't she feel jealous at all?

Does she... truly love a wise ruler?

If she likes it, shouldn't she be just as furious as she is when she sees me doing this?

At the same time, Kuroba Akira suddenly realized.

I was kissed by Ziyin in front of the class monitor; this is the second time today...

Then, it also corresponds to what he and the class monitor did together yesterday.

He seemed to know what the class monitor was going to do.

But...why?

He, too, did not understand the class monitor's reasoning for making such an arrangement.

With mixed feelings, Ziyin took the bite, wiped her mouth, and left.

Anri Hitomi handed over a handkerchief and asked.

"Want to continue? If not, it's my turn?"

"Ugh... Don't even think about it!"

Of course, Ziyin didn't want to give in at all, so she continued to feed Anri Hitomi mouth-to-mouth in front of her.

Kuroba Akira couldn't dodge it, so he could only swallow the food that Shion put into his mouth as quickly as possible to shorten the feeding time.

The food that the squad leader fed me yesterday was chewed up and turned in my mouth multiple times, until it was a paste before I could swallow it. I just wanted to prolong the time we spent eating together as much as possible...

These are two completely opposite feelings.

After finishing his tasteless lunch, Kuroba Akira washed his face to cool down his brain, which was still dazed from Shion's kiss.

He could already guess what would happen in the afternoon.

As expected, after lunch, Hitomi Anri continued to lead the two of them to the cultural festival.

The route was the same one she took with Kuroba Akira on their date yesterday.

Now we can be sure that she did it on purpose.

By having Shion replicate what she did yesterday, Kuroba Akira will be constantly reminiscing about yesterday's date.

But he felt none of the immersion and enjoyment he had yesterday; only embarrassment and guilt, making him want to end this farce as soon as possible.

The class monitor is using Ziyin to ruin yesterday's romance.

Meanwhile, Shion was also in a bad mood. Even though she and Kuroba Akira had done many intimate things, she felt like she was being led by the nose by Anri Hitomi, without having her own thoughts and ignoring Kuroba Akira's feelings.

She only paid attention to her love rival and failed to properly focus on the man she liked. Just because of jealousy and competitiveness, she forced him to do something against the grain, completely disregarding the atmosphere...

It should have been more romantic, more comfortable, and happier...

By the time Ziyin realized she had made a mistake out of jealousy, half the afternoon had already passed.

Due to the presence of tourists, the evening performance will start earlier today, while the bonfire party will be held together with the celebration banquet after the tourists have left.

As an outside visitor, Ziyin was unable to stay until the bonfire party.

So we need to take her to that place in advance.

When Hitomi Anri mentioned, just like yesterday, that there was a place where she could see the entire stage outside, Akira Kuroba realized that it was probably the final spot where the battle would erupt.

But surely the class monitor isn't trying to lead Ziyin to repeat what she did yesterday?

Kissing Ziyin in front of the class was already a bit... well, it would be too much if we took it any further!

It's not that taking Ziyin's first blood is bad, but it's that going all the way with Ziyin under these circumstances is bad!

If this continues, every time I think about my first time with Ziyin, I'll definitely think of the class president... This is so awkward!

But Kuroba Akira really couldn't understand the class president's thoughts... They were able to understand each other just yesterday, but now they were sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams.

Lost in their own thoughts, the three arrived at the library.

It was here that Hitomi Anri and Akira Kuroba celebrated each other's graduation.

The lingering smell had long since dissipated, and the traces had been cleaned up. No one knew that they had done such intimate things here.

The temporary stage outside is still being prepared for the performance, so the music hasn't started yet.

Now is the perfect time to start a conversation.

Anri Hitomi had Kuroba Akira sit in a chair inside the service counter, while she and Shion went outside and stood on opposite sides.

This scene is somewhat like being in a courtroom, with the judge sitting in the middle and the defense lawyer and prosecutor facing off on either side.

"How was it? Are you satisfied with today's arrangements?"

Anri Hitomi asked her how she felt today in a flippant tone.

"You and the wise ruler did many intimate things, you must be very happy, right?"

"...Hmph, it would be even better if it weren't for that certain person."

"Really? But without me, you and Mingjun wouldn't have progressed so quickly, would you?"

"..."

In terms of results, Ziyin did indeed make up for a lot of the experiences and insights she had with Kuroba Akira today.

Especially when it comes to kissing, it's unlikely that Shion alone could convince Kuroba Akira to unlock the kissing option.

It was precisely because of Anri Hitomi, her love rival, that Shion was able to take things a step further with the man she liked.

But... something's not right!

Something feels really wrong!

Ziyin didn't know how to describe this subtle and complex feeling in words, but her furrowed brows showed that she was very dissatisfied with today's cultural festival date.

"Heh, Shion Murasaki...Are you very dissatisfied?"

Anri Hitomi's lips curled into a slight smile, but it lacked her usual warmth and instead resembled a sharp blade, full of contempt.

"But what right do you have to be dissatisfied?"

"Why can't I be dissatisfied? Am I just supposed to watch you lay a hand on my man?"

"Your man... Ha! Do you think you got what you have now through your own 'earning'?"

"what?"

Ziyin frowned even more deeply.

Anri Hitomi narrowed her eyes, her long, narrow pupils revealing a disdainful glint.

"Ha, you foolish woman, haven't you realized yet? I gave it all to you."

The cold laugh was short but extremely penetrating, as if mocking the other party's overestimation of their abilities.

"Everything you and Mingjun did together today was something that Mingjun and I did together yesterday."

"you……!"

"You think that's all?"

Anri Hitomi didn't give Ziyin a chance to curse at all. Her eyes were filled with a hint of coldness as she spoke mercilessly.

"Do you know? That bottle of milk you cherish was actually something I offered to Mingjun."

"And the gymnastics outfit you usually wear is the one I wore in junior high school."

“Mika Kobayashi is my grandmother. If I want, I can live in that house too.”

"In fact, on the day you met the wise ruler, I had already known him before you and had established a contract with him before you."

Upon hearing these words, Ziyin showed an incredulous expression and turned to Kuroba Akira for confirmation.

However, when she saw that Kuroba Akira's expression was not one of doubt, but rather one of surprise, she knew what was going on.

Everything Anri Hitomi said is true.

She was the one who came later.

"What have you earned with your own hands? Besides your innate looks and talent, what else do you have?"

Anri Hitomi didn't intend to go this far.

But Shion Murasaki... your romantic mindset is too dangerous.

"You're just a woman who only knows how to 'live off a wise ruler'!"

Since you see me as a rival in love, then I'll 'do as you wish' and become your rival in love.

Chapter 243 The Cultural Festival Amidst Wind and Snow, Part Fifteen

Anri Hitomi's slap didn't land on her face, but it resonated in her heart.

Ziyin's face turned deathly pale instantly, devoid of any color. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but she couldn't utter a single word.

She originally intended to make Anri Hitomi give up today no matter what, and to make Kuroba Akira give a single and clear answer to the question of 'choose her or choose me'... which is to choose her!

But now she has been given a rude awakening and is completely powerless to fight back.

The sense of superiority I felt when I was in the lead was as fragile as paper; it couldn't hold up at all.

Ziyin realized that she was not only slower than the other person, but that soul-searching question had also struck a chord with her.

What have you earned through your own efforts? Besides your innate looks and talent, what else do you have?