In fact, after the information is refreshed, they always want to attack me!

But on second thought, this declaration of "relationship based on protection" sounds strange no matter how you look at it.

"So, do you really like me?" Shimizu Akira shrugged helplessly. "I think you're just after my body."

He was stunned as soon as he finished speaking—he never expected that one day such a line would come out of his own mouth.

But the facts speak for themselves! This cunning woman was clearly after his muscular physique!

"I..." Karuizawa Kei was speechless for a moment, her cheeks turning red at a visible speed.

She really couldn't refute it.

The clearly defined abdominal muscles of the other person, and the biceps that were faintly visible under the uniform, were one of the important reasons why she chose Shimizu Akira.

"I didn't mean to blame you," Shimizu Akira shrugged, frankly stating, "Everyone has some degree of attraction to appearances, and I'm no exception."

"...Really?" Karuizawa Megumi's eyes suddenly lit up.

This boy was surprisingly honest, completely different from the scheming image I had imagined.

This straightforward personality, ironically, made her feel inexplicably at ease.

"However, there's something I need to make clear," Shimizu Akira suddenly said seriously. "Now that we're officially dating, as her boyfriend, I'll definitely want to kiss her, touch her, and even..." He paused, "...it's perfectly normal to want to go all the way. Are you sure you can accept that?"

He didn't find a girlfriend just for show.

If you can't have close physical contact, you might as well pursue your anime/manga waifu.

"This..." Karuizawa Kei was speechless for a moment, her cheeks burning red.

She then realized that she had never considered this issue at all.

But then I thought, isn't it perfectly normal for couples to do these things?

"I don't want to do that yet..." Karuizawa Megumi said, her head bowed, her voice barely audible.

"So," Shimizu Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, "do you need a protector more, or a boyfriend?"

"Protect." She blurted out almost without thinking.

"Then why insist on maintaining a romantic relationship?" Akira Shimizu frowned, puzzled.

"Because..." Karuizawa Megumi twisted her fingers, "Only in this way will others have some reservations. Isn't it only natural for a boyfriend to protect his girlfriend?"

"...Are your grades usually not very good?" Shimizu Akira suddenly sighed and rubbed his temples helplessly.

"W-What do you mean?!" Karuizawa Kei bristled like a cat with its fur standing on end. "My grades are at least average! Besides..." Her voice suddenly softened, "This way... I can avoid being bothered by other boys..."

Akira Shimizu thoughtfully sized up the girl before him. "How about joining the sports club as manager? That way, no one will dare bully you."

"You think I haven't tried?" Karuizawa Megumi wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Those upperclassmen in the sports clubs, the way they look at you is like they want to devour you alive..."

"Then come be the manager of the boxing club. I'll talk to the club president and get everyone to give you special attention," Shimizu Akira said confidently. "I can look after you while I'm around. I'll also protect you in class—after all, you're practically our club's 'mascot' now. That way, everyone else will have to consider the boxing club's reputation and watch my face, so no one should dare to mess with you."

"This..." Karuizawa Kei's eyes gradually brightened.

She bit her lip and pondered for a moment, then realized that the plan was indeed feasible—it would not require forcing a relationship, yet would still provide substantial protection.

"Well then... thank you, Shimizu-kun!" Karuizawa Megumi bowed deeply.

"No need for thanks," Shimizu Akira waved his hand casually. "Just pay the points."

"Huh?!" Karuizawa Megumi looked up abruptly, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"What?" Shimizu Akira looked puzzled. "You don't actually think I'd be your bodyguard for free, do you?" He said matter-of-factly, "That's a fair trade. Besides—if you don't contribute anything, you'll feel uneasy, right? What if I stand by and do nothing one day? You'd be in trouble then, wouldn't you?"

Karuizawa Megumi opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.

This man's way of thinking always manages to pinpoint her deepest concerns.

Indeed, for someone like Karuizawa Megumi who is extremely insecure, being able to exchange points for protection is a relief.

"Is 80,000 points a month enough?" After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously gave a number.

After a quick calculation, this amounted to 80% of her monthly income.

"Deal." Shimizu Akira nodded readily, then raised his index finger to emphasize, "However, I want to make it clear beforehand—I'll only intervene if you're bullied without cause. If you provoke others or try to use my name to show off, I won't be responsible for cleaning up the mess."

To be honest, 80,000 isn't a lot, but it's not a small amount either. If Karuizawa Kei gets into trouble with the upperclassmen, the price he might have to pay would be far more than that.

But judging from the girl's uneasy appearance, this was probably the limit she could muster.

Chapter 28: Class 028 Ayatsu's Back-to-School Plans

Saturday, morning.

A cool morning breeze gently swept across the campus. Sakayanagi Arisu sat on a bench by the roadside, her slender fingers lightly swiping across her phone screen.

The phone screen displayed a chat interface with "Sakayanagi Narumi"—her father, who is also the current chairman of the board of directors of this advanced nurturing high school.

As the only daughter of the chairman, Sakayanagi Arisu had been spoken to privately by her father the day before she enrolled in school.

Her father, Narumi Sakayanagi, bluntly told her that he hoped she could find a boy with strong physique and no family history of hereditary diseases during high school.

The reason her father emphasized the condition of "strong physique and no family history of disease" is related to her parents.

Sakayanagi Narimori herself was in good health, but her mother was born with a weak constitution.

After the two got together, their son, Sakayanagi Arisu, was born with congenital heart disease.

She spent almost her entire childhood in the hospital, and playing chess alone became her most familiar pastime.

Later, when his health improved slightly, he was able to start going to school with the doctor's permission.

Now, the father's expectations are actually very simple—to prevent the next generation from repeating the same mistakes, and his future grandchildren must be healthy children.

Sakayanagi Arisu currently has no interest in romance, but she has followed her father's wishes and promised that her future marriage partner will be a healthy person with no family history of hereditary diseases.

For her, this wasn't even a choice that required hesitation.

People always crave what they lack—and what she lacked was a strong physique.

Her childhood experiences of being bullied by classmates and even having her hand taken away had already made her determined that her future partner must have overwhelming physical strength.

She couldn't tolerate a sickly man standing beside her—a guy who couldn't even protect his own woman was no different from a piece of trash.

However, compared to boring things like dating, she is now more enthusiastic about intellectual battles with geniuses.

Just like her duel with Akira Shimizu on Monday—even after losing all her points, she wasn't angry at all; instead, she developed an even stronger interest in the man.

After all, there are very few opponents who can make her take things seriously.

Sakayanagi Arisu tapped the screen with her fingertip and sent a message to her father:

"Father, could you please send me the entrance exam scores and medical examination records for this year's freshmen?"

As soon as the message was sent, she added:

"After all, you said you wanted to find a healthy partner. We need to screen them first; it would be troublesome if we ended up with a sickly one."

The phone vibrated almost immediately.

"I see! You're right, Arisu, I'll send it to you right away."

"First-Year Student Physical Examination Report.xlsx"

"First Grade Entrance Test Results Report.xlsx"

Seeing the document arrive instantly, Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled softly, her slender legs swinging gently in the air. "Father's really easy to fool..."

Indeed, Sakayanagi Shigemori almost always granted his daughter's requests.

Sakayanagi Arisu looked at the additional message her father had sent and gently tapped her phone screen with her fingertips.

[Athletes with a physical ability of B+ or above are welcome to be considered, but by my standards, A is best. These children rarely have hereditary diseases, and they've rarely even caught a cold since childhood; some have never even taken medicine.]

[By the way! That Rokusuke Takaenji from Class D has been showing up at the upperclassmen girls' dormitory for three days in a row, so he's out of the running.]

"Is Father... helping me screen potential blind dates?" She couldn't help but rub her forehead, her fair cheeks puffing out slightly.

Investigating even such details thoroughly is perhaps overkill.

The light from the screen reflected in her amethyst-like eyes, revealing a look of helplessness mixed with amusement.

The father's excessive enthusiasm was just like that of an old woman who was eager to find a partner for her daughter.

Sakayanagi Arisu tapped her slender fingers on the screen and replied:

"I understand, Father. I know the young master of the Koenji Zaibatsu. I'll check the information now."

Putting down her phone, she went straight to the first-grade entrance test report and slid without hesitation to the file of Akira Shimizu in Class D.

The moment the data unfolded, her pupils contracted slightly—

Academic Ability: E-

Judgment: B

Intelligence: E-

Athletic Ability: A

Teamwork: E-

"..."

This is impossible.

The person who made her taste defeat in the psychological game actually had the lowest intelligence rating in all subjects.

Ironically, this guy with an "E-" intelligence score has the most outstanding achievement in... combat skills?

How could an E-grade student who relies on muscle thinking actually beat her, an A-grade genius?

Her gaze paused again as she glanced at the other person's medical examination report.

— [History of genetic diseases: None]

Hidden within this brief record are alarming statistics.

The platelet count far exceeds the upper limit of normal, the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells exceeds the level of most athletes, and even the basal metabolic rate is 30% higher than the standard value.

As someone who deals with medical reports year-round, she knows all too well what these numbers mean: this is simply not the physical function that a normal high school student should have.

"It's too perfect! It's almost like..." She unconsciously bit her lower lip, "...a genetically optimized experimental subject."

The phone trembled slightly in her hand.

That opponent, who appeared so composed in front of the "chessboard," possessed an astonishingly high level of physical ability.

The energy emanating from this body could probably easily break her fragile wrist—as easily as breaking a reed.

"The physical ability assessment could never be wrong... It must be that the interviewer underestimated Shimizu's abilities!" Thinking of this, a hint of displeasure appeared on Sakayanagi Arisu's fair face.

After all, Shimizu Akira had defeated his opponent fair and square in a game of wits. If he was rated as E, wouldn't his own A rating become a huge joke?

[Father, I'm very interested in Shimizu Akira from Class D. Could you please provide me with his entrance exam video?]

{Akira Shimizu? Indeed, this kid's athletic ability is an A, which perfectly matches the requirements. I'll send you the video right away.}

As Sakayanagi Arisu stared at the unanimous failing grades on the screen, her elegant figure froze on the spot—for the first time in her life, this girl, known for her wisdom, was caught in a five-second mental blank.

{What, Arisu's developed an interest in Shimizu? She might be a bit slow-witted, but I don't object. After all, my requirements for a future son-in-law are simple—he can protect you and give me a healthy grandson. Anyway, in terms of intelligence, who in this world can compare to my daughter?}

Ignoring her father's teasing remarks, Sakayanagi Arisu turned her attention back to the enigmatic boy.

"I see..." She suddenly chuckled, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes. "You started plotting from the entrance exam? Deliberately failing all subjects and lying low in Class D, waiting for your chance... Shimizu-kun, what kind of game are you playing?"

The phone screen lit up again.

Sakayanagi Arisu lowered her eyes and lightly swiped her fingertips across the screen—it was a message from a bald classmate in Class A.

Kohei Katsuragi: I have already reached a private agreement with those students who violated school rules, and from now on, no one in Class A will break the "Daily Behavior Code".

Kohei Katsuragi: Based on the information and data analysis you provided, Class A will only have a maximum of 56 class points deducted this month.

Kohei Katsuragi: In this way, Class A will still be able to maintain its first place next month.

Sakayanagi Arisu finally looked away from the screen and tapped her cane lightly with her fingertips.

The arrangements for Class A's start of the school year are all in place; all that remains is to wait for the results.

"Shimizu-kun... how are your Class D preparations going? Please, don't disappoint me too much."

Chapter 29: 029 What? Class D got a zero?

Class group chat - Boys' group of Class D, Grade 1

Haruki Yamauchi: It's 07:44 AM now, and I'm on my way to class!