I'm in a real religion, why are all the people who confess to me girls?

To his delight, Tianyin's answer revealed that she needed her own strength, and that she was also someone who valued personal gain.

Sometimes, relationships formed through shared interests can be even stronger than kinship.

As long as Tianyin is willing to talk about interests with him, the rest of the discussion can naturally proceed. However, at this moment, he must strictly control his expression so that Tianyin cannot see any joy.

"I'm also fulfilling my promise. Whether it's the sports festival, the final exams, or the forest school, I think I've done enough. Sometimes, the reasons for failure can't be blamed on me, can they?"

Ayanokouji wasn't wrong; that was exactly what Amane was dissatisfied with. To say that Ayanokouji did nothing would be unfair to him, but to say that he was working hard for the class was obviously impossible.

"But your performance does not satisfy me."

"You get what you pay for. Since you like to talk about exchanging benefits, you should understand this principle. The three-year protection period is in exchange for helping this class get promoted to Class A. When we made the agreement, it didn't say how I would help. As long as this class becomes Class A by graduation, I will have fulfilled my promise."

Faced with this almost sophistical explanation, Tianyin suddenly realized something.

Ayanokouji is indeed an eloquent person, but he is not the kind of person who would openly demand more benefits from her.

Ayanokouji has said so much, but in short, he just wants more money.

There should be a reason behind every idea.

What could be the driving force behind Ayanokouji's desperate attempt to get Amane to raise prices by slacking off? Was it for his own safety, or... Sato?

"Ayanokouji, are you going to be a father?"

Chapter 184: Tame Her Quickly! (6K)

"Ayanokouji, are you going to be a father?"

It must be said that the main reason why Tianyin often makes it difficult for opponents to find weaknesses or even to think from their perspective is due to Tianyin's highly unconventional way of thinking.

As it turns out, even someone like Ayanokouji was stunned into silence when Amane suddenly asked him that question.

Ayanokouji was initially bewildered, not understanding what his request had to do with becoming a father.

Then he immediately realized that he had never been a father. Before he could refute this, he had to think about why Tianyin would say something that was completely unrelated to the previous topic.

A single sentence shattered Ayanokouji's calm expression.

"Tianyin, do you know what you're saying? What we're talking about has nothing to do with whether I've become a father or not, right? Besides, where did you hear this rumor from? This is a fabrication!"

Ayanokouji's mood finally changed; he decided that if he couldn't understand a problem, he should just ask the person who asked the question to answer it.

"Isn't that right? Then why are you haggling? I know you want long-term or even permanent protection, but... why should I agree to that? Ayanokouji, you'd better understand the situation first. It seems like you have the upper hand in this negotiation, but the real power isn't in your hands, it's in mine. The only one who can make the decision is me. If you still don't want to be taken away by your father, you have no other option but to obey me. You should understand what I'm saying, right?"

After learning that she had misunderstood, Tianyin's last bit of sympathy vanished.

If Ayanokouji were to cause someone's death right now, there would truly be no one else who could help him except her.

If Ayanokouji was willing to break their previous understanding for the sake of Sato and his child, Amane, though dissatisfied, could barely understand his reckless actions.

But how could he dare to make demands of her when he was neither in any danger nor had he achieved anything?

"As expected of the descendant of this country's top figure, you always speak with such confidence. Yes, as you said, I have no right to demand that you or that person provide me with protection, but what if it's an exchange? I will fulfill our previous agreement and am also willing to do so for you..."

"Ayanokouji, your skill level has declined significantly in the past few years. Is it because of me that your education and training have been diluted?"

Amane shook her head, somewhat sighing. At this moment, Ayanokouji, though possessing real abilities, seemed to have become a half-baked player with those abilities.

If he hadn't appeared at the White House, there would have been no doubt that Ayanokouji would have become the White House's mascot and received training until adulthood.

However, if Amane remembers correctly, after completing the basic courses at the White House for three years, Amane left the White House and went to the training base provided by the Miyako family, where she was personally trained by Ayanokouji Atsuomi. Around the third year of training, Ayanokouji Atsuomi said that Amane's excellence was enough to represent the teaching level of the White House.

This moved Ayanokoji Atsuomi to a moment of compassion, leading him to grant Ayanokoji Kiyotaka his freedom.

Tianyin was nine years old when she left the White House.

In other words, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was about twelve years old when he left the White House.

Amane remembered that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka seemed to be a bit older than her. Even if Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was thirteen years old when he left the White House, he should be considered a junior high school student.

Ayanokouji's visibly withdrawn and lazy demeanor at this school, along with the fact that although she learned to smile and some basic social skills, was undeniably not how a normal person should fit in.

If he frequently displays his abilities, he would probably be assigned to Class A... Well, no, it wouldn't be surprising if his personality got him into Class D.

However, people who are used to showing their strength are hard to do without leaving any trace, so Amane is very sure that Ayanokouji has basically spent the last three years as an ordinary person.

So everything makes sense now. He still has the strength, but he's become rusty and forgotten how to use it correctly. He hasn't fought against someone of similar strength for too long, which has made him unable to make accurate judgments.

In just a few breaths, Tenon had completely grasped Ayanokouji's current situation.

"Hmm? You mean you're refusing?"

"Isn't that obvious? Even if you're incredibly capable, what use are you if you can't be put to good use? Koenji is just as capable as you, but you've seen his attitude towards the class. If a pawn is clearly a trump card but you don't know when it will be useful, then it's better to just discard that pawn that's taking up space than to wait for the day it's used."

Amane refused Ayanokouji's request to bargain.

She knew that Ayanokouji might be thinking about the future, but Amane needed the present! Pawns that couldn't be used right now were of no value to her.

Even though Ayanokouji promised to step up his efforts, who knows if he'll make another unreasonable request?

She, Miyako Amane, isn't an omnipotent wish-granting machine. Besides, even if it were a turtle in a wishing well, you'd still have to throw a coin in before making a wish.

You can't even bear to toss a coin, yet you expect your wishes to come true?

Do you really think turtles in the wishing well are eating pancakes?

"Your words are really hurtful."

"It's natural, thank you for the compliment."

"I admit, I didn't expect you to refuse so decisively. All I wanted was a verbal guarantee from you. You could have kept me in check until after graduation and then discarded me, a pawn with no use to you. You're only a freshman and you're already throwing me away. Don't you feel it's a pity?"

This is not Ayanokouji boasting.

Although Ayanokouji was very confident in his abilities, Amane was considered by Ayanokouji Atsuomi to be the most outstanding work of the White House.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji may not acknowledge that Atsuomi Ayanokouji, as a father, failed to fulfill his responsibilities, and he may even disapprove of everything Atsuomi did.

However, Atsuomi Ayanokoji has a very sharp eye for people. He rose from humble beginnings to become a behemoth who once controlled half of the country's power. If it weren't for those old fogies asking Kuninori Miyako to come out of retirement, Atsuomi Ayanokoji would probably be sitting in that supreme position now.

This person was almost obsessed with Amane. To Ayanokoji Atsuomi, Amane's achievements were like fulfilling another important wish in his life: to create an all-around perfect person.

Of course, Ayanokouji Atsuomi's perfection only included the perfection of his abilities. As for personality and psychology, they were all irrelevant to him. In Ayanokouji Atsuomi's plan, as long as he could erase all of Amane's emotions through other means, Amane would be the most perfect person in the world.

However, what neither Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nor Amane knew was that this seemingly insane behavior was actually approved by Amane's father, Miyako Masatomi.

The reason why a biological father dares to treat his children this way is so simple it's laughable.

Because his mistress had a healthy son, that was all.

Tenon, who was separated from her mother during her breastfeeding period and raised by others, was never treated as a human being by Miyako Masatomi. This child was merely an explanation to the old man.

By the time Tenon's extraordinary abilities caught people's attention, it was too late for Miyako Masatomi to turn back. So he concealed the truth from the old man and handed the young Tenon over to Ayanokoji Atsuomi as a test subject.

……

Ayanokouji believed that his bastard father must have had his reasons for valuing Amane.

The more outstanding Tianyin is, the less she should exceed his calculations.

Logically speaking, even if Amane promised the Miyako family that she would protect Ayanokouji Kiyotaka for life, would it be of any use? Amane is not the one in charge now. Ayanokouji is very capable, but sometimes being capable doesn't necessarily make someone useful.

Since Tianyin can also make empty promises, there is no reason to use a promise to trick him into wholeheartedly serving her.

Even if it's for the sake of maximizing profits, they shouldn't treat Ayanokouji Kiyotaka as a pawn. Looking at the entire grade, no, the entire school, there are probably only a handful of people with similar strength to him.

Although Ayanokouji had been slacking off before, he could become the sharpest knife if he got serious. He would take a gamble on an empty promise, and no one with a sound mind would refuse!

If you put yourself in Ayanokouji's shoes, he wouldn't mind exchanging a worthless check for a useful pawn, and then just throwing it away like trash after graduation. Would Ayanokouji really dare to go to Amane and demand an explanation?

That's simply impossible.

Therefore, Ayanokouji could not understand why Amane would refuse so decisively.

The reason why Ayanokouji needed a promise so much was, of course, because... his phone in his pocket had the recording function on.

As long as Tenon dares to make a promise, he has a way to make the Miyako family his protector.

But now, due to Tianyin's persistence and decisiveness, not only have all the previous schemes fallen through, but it seems that they have also ended up on the opposite side, which feels a bit like trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.

Ayanokouji couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself; he never expected that he would suffer such a loss one day.

"What a pity? What's there to regret? The reason I came here is simply because the old man wanted to make up for some things, so that I could freely choose to live any kind of life I wanted before graduating from university."

"In other words, I have no pressure at all. My desire to advance to Class A was just my daughter, Suzune, trying to prove herself. But I've already solved that problem in another way. That is to say... whether this class advances to Class A, whether they get into a good school after graduation, or find a good job, has absolutely nothing to do with me! I should be living a carefree life like Koenji, but you..."

Tianyin's gaze turned somewhat disdainful.

"It's normal to use your abilities to bid for a higher price, and it's not wrong to use some methods. But the problem is that you used the wrong person in your strategy. If it were my Lingyin here today, she might agree to kneel down to unite the class members. But I'm different. That's why I said your abilities have declined."

"Your strategy can be described as perfect. First, you tried to provoke me with a passive and uncooperative attitude. Just when I was about to lose my temper, you softened your stance, saying that you only wanted long-term protection and were not uncooperative. You tried to make promises to me, hoping I would take a gamble and believe that your abilities would come in handy in the future. And here, words are not enough to prove anything unless you recorded it. Otherwise, only heaven, earth, you, and I know what we said. Even if I change my mind after graduation, you can't do anything about it. Either way, you have the upper hand. Whether it's someone who wants to take a small advantage and gamble, or a smart person who wants to maximize their benefits, they will fall into your trap. Unfortunately... I made a mistake. I am the one who is neither greedy for small advantages nor too lazy to maximize benefits, because I don't have a hard need for your abilities. You chose the wrong buyer."

"Oh dear, I almost forgot, it seems I'm the only buyer? Then you... Kiyotaka-kun, how dare you try to play tricks on me? You don't actually think—you're that important, do you?"

Tianyin curled her lips into a mocking smile.

The next second, her body instinctively leaned to the right, followed by a punch so fast that only a blur could be seen, which rushed straight past her in a swift motion.

Then she heard the belated whooshing sound.

This shows just how terrifying the power of this punch was.

Even Ayanokouji himself couldn't help but start breathing heavily after throwing that punch.

Although Tianyin was deeply shocked, her expression remained unchanged, as she had learned how to wear a mask since childhood.

"That was a spectacular punch. Even I wouldn't dare to take it head-on. Although I can't feel the pain, that punch would probably damage my head. Kiyotaka-kun, you're really ruthless."

"Although I am insignificant compared to what is behind you, I still have the power to destroy you."

Ayanokouji's expression began to turn serious, and anger could be seen visibly in his eyes.

The fact that she could break down the defenses of a master of emotional indifference who had been pretending to be an ordinary person for three years shows why Sakayanagi was most afraid of Amane's ability to control people's hearts, rather than Amane's martial arts and strategies.

Amane expressed her approval of Ayanokouji's statement.

"That's right, you have plenty of ways to destroy me, but the premise is that your freedom will also be crushed here. Are you willing to lose the freedom you worked so hard to win over here for such a trivial matter? Besides, you want to destroy me just because I don't help you. Is this your code of conduct, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka? I think you're just taking your anger out on me because your plan failed?"

Tenon's words suddenly jolted Ayanokouji awake.

Admittedly, Tianyin's mocking words made him lose control of his emotions for a moment. Now that he thinks about it, it was just a failure of his plan. He hadn't only prepared one plan. Even without Tianyin, he had other ways. There was no need for him to perish together with Tianyin here.

After Ayanokouji calmed down, his expression returned to calm, as if everything that had happened before had never occurred.

"Just as you said, I have regressed. I'm sorry, I almost did something dangerous just now. If you plan to report it to the school, I will cooperate fully. If you want to take your anger out on me, I can accept that too, since I did have plans to scheme against you."

After realizing his defeat, Ayanokouji decisively chose to concede.

Continuing to play a game when you've already lost is nothing but a desperate act of resistance. No matter how hard you persist with a bad game, you won't get applause; instead, you'll only be disliked. In the end, it's the player who suffers the most, rather than the player who ends up becoming an enemy.

After assessing the situation, Ayanokouji calmly chose to concede defeat.

Looking at the recording interface on Ayanokouji's phone, Amane's lips twitched involuntarily.

She really didn't expect Ayanokouji to use such methods. However, the same method can have different effects depending on who uses it. Perhaps Ayanokouji has some backup plan.

"You said you'd let me vent my anger, right?"

Amane asked Ayanokouji to confirm what he had just said.

"Yes, if my mistakes can be wiped clean, I think it would be perfectly reasonable for you, Miyako, to vent your anger."

Miyako-kun.

Have the ways of addressing each other become unfamiliar?

It seems the cooperation has come to an end today. If that's the case, wouldn't it be a huge loss if I didn't vent my anger?

"Shall we talk in the hallway?"

A gentle smile appeared on Tianyin's face.

Ayanokouji simply nodded.

The so-called talking in the hallway is naturally...

Boom! ! !

Looking at Ayanokouji lying on the ground, Amane gently patted his cheek.

"I know what you're planning to do next, and I won't interfere. But since we're old acquaintances, I'll give you a heads-up: the tree that is Koenji is not so easy to climb, and that tree may not be able to shelter you from the wind and rain either."

Upon hearing Amane's words, Ayanokouji's eyes widened suddenly. He tried to speak, but the pain in his abdomen prevented him from uttering a single syllable.

"Tsk tsk, it's been a long time since I've felt this good. It seems that sometimes it's good to get some exercise."

After glancing at Ayanokouji, who was still struggling, Amane hummed a strange little tune and walked briskly downstairs.