Tokyo Soft Rice King.

Since Saionji Machi started by introducing herself, everyone else present also introduced themselves.

"My name is Murasaki no Miyako Shion."

"Hehe, my name is Tashiro Akari."

"Domo, Kuroba Akira desu."

When Sumitomo Ryota heard that the two people traveling with Kuroba Akira had different surnames from his, he showed a slightly worried expression.

If it's not my sister... is she a distant relative? I hope so.

If they weren't relatives, then Hitomi would really be in danger... This Murasaki-no-miya is too much of a threat.

Because he himself had just experienced heartbreak, he hoped that the person he had loved could find happiness. Moreover, he felt that Kuroba Akira was the most suitable person to be with Anri Hitomi, because he had never seen Hitomi open her heart to a boy to this extent before…

Ryota Sumitomo has become a fan of the Akira/Hitomi pairing.

However, the most crucial person, Hitomi, is not present... Thinking of this, Sumitomo Ryota decided to act as a wingman and provide some off-field assistance.

"Oh, by the way, Amin and Xiaotong are good friends now. He even joined the literature and art club that Xiaotong is in. He's the only boy in the literature and art club now!"

You really know how to bring up the most sensitive topics!

Kuroba Akira rolled his eyes, really wanting to give Sumitomo Ryota a chokehold.

He never mentions school matters when he's at home, mainly because he's afraid that Murasaki will feel resentful, since the current Murasaki sacrificed her student years to embark on her professional career.

If she were to rekindle her desire to return to school, my plans would be significantly delayed, and might even lead to bankruptcy.

The topic that Sumitomo Ryota started was like a large stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples all around.

Upon hearing the crucial information, several questions arose in Murasaki's mind.

Did the wise ruler join the literature and art department?

Ah, so that's why I started writing novels... It must have been an activity of the Literature Club.

The most crucial thing is... the pupil.

It sounds like a girl's name, and it's said to be a close friend of a wise ruler.

This Sumitomo classmate also mentioned that the Literature Club only has one boy, Akira... so it must be a girl without a doubt.

It's not surprising that Mingjun has female friends at school; someone as capable as Mingjun must have many friends.

But... it's possible for close female friends to develop into lovers, right?

Unlike herself, there should be no business dealings between the wise ruler and her, so there would be no worries even if they were to get along.

……don't want!

How annoying...!

I don't want my wise ruler to associate with other women... I don't want to see that at all!

Having just realized that her relationship was not progressing well, and now hearing this 'bad news', Murasaki's mood plummeted. A burning jealousy surged within her, making her feel short of breath and tightness in her chest.

"Oh? So Kuroba-kun and Hitomi are friends?"

Saionji Mato was also slightly surprised, but what surprised her even more was that Sumitomo Ryota was actually willing to share this matter.

She knew that Sumitomo Ryota had a crush on Anri Hitomi since childhood, so Anri Hitomi's departure was the biggest blow to him. It was from that time that Sumitomo Ryota dyed his hair blonde.

Given Sumitomo Ryota's personality, if he had successfully confessed and started dating Hitomi, he would definitely have bragged about it to his childhood friends during this meeting and tried to mend the relationship between Hitomi and them. However, he didn't mention Hitomi at all, which means he probably hasn't confessed yet, or his confession failed.

And now he can actually say so naturally that Kuroba and Hitomi are good friends, and even seems to be trying to 'matchmake' them...

It seems that Ryota has given up on Hitomi and now supports Kuroba and Hitomi being together.

Because they were childhood friends, Saionji Madoka was able to accurately analyze Sumitomo Ryota's true thoughts based on just this sentence, and believed that Kuroba Akira was a trustworthy person.

　So Saionji Masato smiled and extended his hand to Kuroba Akira in a friendly manner.

"Kuroba-kun, thank you for being willing to be friends with Hitomi. Although Hitomi chose to leave us, I believe she had her own reasons. Leaving a friend must have been very painful for the gentle Hitomi, so it's great to have you as a new friend."

“I didn’t do anything… but the class monitor does have her own difficulties, and I thank you on her behalf for still believing in her.”

Not wanting the girl to keep her hand outstretched, Kuroba Akira politely shook her hand.

Murasaki stared intently at their clasped hands, pursing her lips.

Only Tashiro Kurenai noticed her displeasure.

Oh dear... the smell of vinegar is so strong, it's sour and pungent.

Ah Ming... Little Brother Bai Zi, it seems you have a lot of luck with women in this life...

But be careful, lest it turn into a romantic disaster!

Chapter 110 The Unconventional Purple Palace

After shaking hands, Saionji Machi wanted to steer the conversation back to Murasaki no Miyako.

She wasn't worried about Anri Hitomi because she knew Anri Hitomi had been excellent since childhood and could solve problems on her own.

Saionji Machi believes that as the student council president, she needs to care about her classmate Murasaki no Miyako.

"Murano, you haven't been to school for a week since the start of this semester. I've asked the teachers, and they said they haven't received any news about you withdrawing or transferring, nor have they received any application for a leave of absence..."

She paused for a moment, then looked concerned and asked.

"So, if I may ask, why haven't you been coming to school? Is something wrong?"

"This is none of your business."

Murasaki's reply was extremely cold; she was still annoyed that Kuroba Akira had shaken her hand.

Akira Kuroba, listening from the side, felt a chill for Makoto Saionji.

How heartless, Miss Ziyin! She's your classmate, and she's showing concern for you. At least be nicer to her!

However, Saionji Madoka is not the type to give up after one setback, and she tries again to reach the Heart Wall of Murasaki Palace.

"I know you've been subjected to a lot of gossip at school, and some girls have been very unfriendly to you and have even been subjected to covert bullying... I want to know, is that your reason for not coming to school?"

So-called covert bullying is the indirect and covert exclusion and malicious slander through language and behavior, or by forming cliques. To put it bluntly, it is gossiping behind someone's back.

In fact, this kind of bullying is the most common form of bullying in schools. It's not only direct beatings, physical violence, or robbery that constitute bullying.

This kind of covert bullying is very difficult for teachers to detect and manage, and students themselves may even be deeply involved without realizing it.

Beauty breeds envy, and since Murasaki attends an all-girls school, she's bound to become the target of everyone's jealousy.

However, Akira Kuroba felt that Murasaki probably didn't care at all what other people thought of her, because she always knew what her appearance would bring her.

"Saionji-kun, we can't really be considered friends, so why are you so concerned about my affairs?"

"As the student council president and your classmate, I have an obligation to understand the situation of every student. If you encounter any difficulties, I will do my best to help you."

"Thank you for your kindness, Saionji-kun, but I don't have any difficulties right now, and even if I did, it wouldn't be your turn to help."

Once a woman gets jealous, she becomes very resistant to other women, so Murasaki no Miyako just wants her to leave as soon as possible.

"Is that so...that's good."

Although Murasaki no Miyako acted very unfriendly, Saionji Mato felt not offended at all, but rather relieved.

Because in her memory, Shion Murasaki had this kind of independent and self-willed personality.

Even in Shirayuri High School, a school teeming with beautiful girls and known for producing many famous idols, Shion Murasaki is a rare beauty.

But precisely because of this, she also inadvertently became the number one target of everyone's jealousy.

However, Shion Murasaki never expressed her dissatisfaction with the injustice she suffered, nor did she bow down or compromise with anyone. She was not smooth at all, and was even too sharp. But it was precisely because of her proud personality that she was the object of many girls' admiration.

At Shirayuri Girls' High School, girls who have seen Murasaki no Miyako Shion fall into two categories: those who blindly hate her and those who are die-hard fans.

Saionji Machi also admires her and regards her as her role model.

She is like the lily on the school emblem, fragrant and beautiful with a subtle fragrance, peerless and independent.

The conversation between the two came to an end, and then a new voice broke in.

"Ryota, what happened?"

Perhaps because Sumitomo Ryota and Saionji Machi hadn't returned for so long, the other two people who were eating with them also left their seats and moved closer to them.

Why are there so many people...?

"Oh, Souji, it's nothing, it's just that Makoto and I ran into some friends from school."

"Oh? What a coincidence! Hello, I am a good friend of Ryota and Makoto, my name is Mitsui Sojiro."

This young man named Mitsui Sojiro is tall with well-defined muscles and a buzz cut, giving him a kind and honest appearance.

A few steps behind him was a petite girl with a bob haircut. She was also very cute and her looks were about 85 out of 100.

But why is the child wearing a medical eye patch over their right eye? Is this kid suffering from chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)?

Moreover, her outfit really gives off a bit of a teenage girl vibe, wearing a loose black hoodie and super short shorts with many inexplicable straps on the shorts, full of gothic Lolita style.

Of course, what attracted Kuroba Akira the most were her two pink and black striped stockings and the thick-soled leather shoes she wore.

I bought stockings for Murasaki no Miyako, mainly considering their feel and breathability, but from a visual perspective, opaque cotton stockings also have a unique charm.

Don't you feel hot wearing so much in the summer? My feet must feel stuffy...

Judging from her timid expression, she's probably one of those melancholic, eccentric girls.

“Hey Mirai, come over here too! Why are you hiding so far away? They’re Ryota and Makoto’s friends, come over and say hello.”

"Hmm... Takanashi Mirai Desu..."

It seems she is the Takanashi-chan that the class monitor mentioned, and she is also a classmate of Kuroba Akira and the others.

When Saionji Makoto saw that her friends had all come over, she realized that she had been lingering here for too long. Meeting Murasomiya Shion was just a minor incident, and she had not yet achieved her main goal for the day.

She was the organizer of today's gathering. The reason she had gathered her childhood friends after so long was because she overheard her younger sister saying that Takanashi Mirai had gotten into a fight with someone outside of school, and it was quite a fierce fight, they even seemed to have hit each other. It was because of this that she was injured in the eye.

So she wanted to find out what had happened. In her memory, Takanashi Mirai wasn't the kind of person who would impulsively hit someone.

"Well, it's about time we headed back... Murasaki no Miyako, I have one last question for you: will you be coming back to school?"

"Probably not."

"Izanomiya said decisively."

“But you don’t need to worry, Saionji-kun. Not going to school is my own choice because I want to become a voice actress.”