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

Karuizawa, who had rarely been to an arcade since childhood, felt an urge to run away the moment she saw the dance machine.

Dancing in front of a crowd... just thinking about it is terrifying. If you don't dance well, you'll definitely be laughed at by the onlookers, right?

Even Karuizawa, who considered himself to be thick-skinned, realized that if he played this dance machine well, he could be the center of attention and enjoy the envious glances of others, but if he played it poorly... it would immediately turn into a social disaster.

"Um... Tianyin, I think we should switch to a different game? Whack-a-Mole seems pretty good, and we can even get souvenirs..."

Seeing Karuizawa's attempt to escape, Amane grabbed his hand and led him into the dance machine's area, inserting two game coins before he could run away.

"It would be such a waste not to play since you've already inserted coins?"

"Then let's choose the simplest one, the easiest one!!!"

Hi hi~

Tianyin flipped through the playlist and found that the dance machine's playlist consisted of some classic and relatively simple tracks. Tianyin, who was originally planning to randomly select a song, suddenly noticed that there was a download function below the track. So, while searching for the song in her memory, Tianyin revealed a wicked smile.

"I have a feeling that you're doing something wicked, Tianyin."

"How could that be? Hui, don't you believe me?"

"Of course I believe that... no way! You must have chosen some super rare piece, you big bad guy!!"

After the song was downloaded, there was an automatic loading function. The loading of the track was completed just as the two were bickering.

As the upbeat music started, Karuizawa's face turned deathly pale.

"It's about to begin!"

……

Karuizawa realized for the first time that her hands and feet would become uncoordinated due to the constantly accelerating rhythm.

Whenever she recalls those stiff, zombie-like dance moves, Karuizawa can't help but want to cover her face and seal away this part of her history, which is on par with that tragic experience as her second dark history.

Even something as simple as stepping on the arrows looked easy, but she messed it up terribly. Clearly, she's not suited for games that involve physical exertion.

"Here, have some water."

A bottle of water was handed to Karuizawa. When Karuizawa looked up, she saw that the person who handed her the water was Ichinose Honami.

"Thank you for your help, Ichinose-san."

"It's alright. Speaking of which, Tianyin is really something. She only thought about teasing you and probably didn't consider whether you could keep up with that kind of pace. It's really too much!"

Ichinose sat down next to Karuizawa.

Karuizawa, who had gulped down nearly half a bottle of water, felt less nauseous due to the strenuous exercise, and her complexion gradually began to regain its rosy hue.

"I pushed myself too hard. I didn't expect Tianyin to be able to handle such a fast melody."

Karuizawa looked at the dance machine in the distance, which had already attracted quite a few people, and felt a sense of emotion.

Amane could even operate two machines simultaneously without any panic, which Karuizawa found incredible.

You know, she felt nauseous just from playing with just one machine. If Tianyin hadn't taken over in time, she might have vomited on the spot, which would have been incredibly embarrassing.

"You really know how to say nice things about Amane. When I came here just now, were you planning to confess to Amane, Karuizawa-kun?"

"Huh? How did you know...?"

The moment Karuizawa heard the word "confession" from Ichinose's mouth, she jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Karuizawa-san, you've only just recovered a bit, so don't get so excited. Besides, I not only know you're going to confess, but I also heard Amane say that she'll accept your confession, right?"

Ichinose spoke as if it were something trivial, her tone remaining gentle throughout.

"So what? If you hadn't suddenly appeared, Tianyin would have already agreed to my request. By the way... you've been eavesdropping from the beginning, haven't you?"

Karuizawa questioned Ichinose with dissatisfaction.

Facing the hostile Karuizawa, Ichinose's lips curled into a chilling smile.

"Please don't say such unpleasant things. I just happened to overhear your conversation when I was passing by."

exactly?

Karuizawa couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"What a perfect coincidence! No wonder your timing was so opportune. It seems you're deliberately trying to get involved in this, Ichinose."

Karuizawa is usually very tolerant. Even when Sato and Horikita took away her right to speak, she never spoke up to fight for herself. She seemed quite weak, but that didn't mean that Karuizawa could accept Ichinose, who had only been in the class for a few days, provoking her like this.

"I've already intervened, haven't I? I don't understand why you're going too far. I was clearly saving you, and it's fine if you don't appreciate my kindness, but your attitude... is really going too far. You and I can be friends, not enemies. I hope Karuizawa-kun will think carefully before you speak and figure out who your enemy really is."

Ichinose's tone was very gentle, but the content of her words made Karuizawa hesitate to make any rash moves.

"Help me? Your so-called helping me is just ruining my confession? What kind of helping me is that?"

Ichinose, noticing that Karuizawa's attitude had softened, pursed her lips and reached out to pull Karuizawa back onto the bench.

"Karuizawa-kun, you're so caught up in the situation that you can't see things clearly. Why did Amane agree to your confession? Don't you really have any clue at all, Karuizawa-kun?"

Ichinose attempts to gently guide Karuizawa's thinking.

Unfortunately, Karuizawa really couldn't see Amane's intentions, just like he had asked Amane before confessing.

She is inferior to other girls in so many ways, so why would Tianyin accept her confession?

Amane's answer was, "I like Karuizawa Megumi."

Was Tianyin lying too? It seemed Tianyin had no reason to deceive her.

Ichinose noticed that Karuizawa's expression kept changing, and that she would sometimes frown and fall into deep thought. She immediately knew that Karuizawa was not someone on the same level as her.

Since that's the case, we can't use the same subtle approach as talking to a smart person to make them understand the reason.

"First of all, I can tell you that Amane wasn't lying. It's true that she likes Karuizawa. Although I have no experience in dating, I believe I can still distinguish between truth and lies."

Upon hearing Ichinose's words, even Karuizawa, who was still angry, showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Probably..."

"However... it's not enough for Tianyin to just agree to this kind of thing."

Ichinose's words were a wake-up call for Karuizawa.

It was only then that she realized she wasn't the only rival vying for the position of Amane's lover; in fact... even Ichinose, sitting right in front of her, might be eyeing that position covetously.

Thinking about it that way, this position is practically a hot potato.

But if she were to give up, Karuizawa simply couldn't do that.

Even Horikita or Sakayanagi probably wouldn't easily give up in this situation.

Not to mention a pitiful creature like her who has absolutely no advantages.

"Why did Tianyin make such a promise to me?"

After realizing that this position was not so easy to hold, Karuizawa was somewhat puzzled by Amane's behavior, and even Ichinose could see the problem.

Amane couldn't possibly be unaware of the potential consequences for Karuizawa if she were to actually accept his confession.

However, Karuizawa didn't think that Amane was trying to harm her, and the development of events far exceeded Karuizawa's comprehension.

"Once your position is confirmed, your status in the class will probably immediately return to the level you had when you first started dating Hirata."

Because she was afraid of being bullied at school, Karuizawa chose to maintain her status among the girls by pretending to be in a relationship with the very popular Hirata. Although the girls had several small cliques at that time, they basically listened to her arrangements when it came to important matters.

It can be said that it is an unparalleled force in the world.

The current situation is almost unbearable compared to before. People only pretend to maintain a good relationship with Karuizawa out of respect for Amane.

In private, the people hardly interact anymore.

Even so, once rumors spread that she and Tianyin had officially established a relationship, she could instantly regain her former glory, no, she would be even more popular than before.

Tianyin's influence extends far beyond Class B; it has a significant impact on the entire first grade and even the entire school.

Everyone naturally wants to know what kind of person the girl Tianyin has chosen is.

Basically, neither school bullying nor being neglected in social relationships will likely occur in her school life again.

This was practically the perfect arrangement for Karuizawa.

However, there is a certain price to pay behind this.

"On one hand, you're glamorous in public, but on the other hand, there are undercurrents. Karuizawa-san, are you really prepared to be constantly targeted by Horikita-san, Sakayanagi-san, and those girls who are secretly eyeing you?"

"To be frank, Karuizawa, with your abilities, you simply cannot compete with Horikita and Sakayanagi. Rather than accepting the vain title of 'lover,' you might have a better chance by sitting low and watching the tigers fight. Of course, I also think you need a strong ally to support you. What do you think, Karuizawa?"

At this moment, Ichinose finally revealed her thoughts.

Her reason for sabotaging Karuizawa's confession was simple.

The purpose was to prevent Karuizawa from successfully sneaking away, and incidentally, to gain an ally for himself.

What she said was mostly true, but sometimes lying doesn't necessarily require telling a huge lie, as that would be easily seen through.

On the contrary, hiding a fatal lie within the truth is more likely to achieve her desired effect.

If Karuizawa successfully runs away, the outcome will indeed be as Ichinose predicted. On the surface, Karuizawa will enjoy the benefits of great fame, but behind the scenes, she will become the public enemy of many girls.

The most important point is that even if Karuizawa becomes Amane's lover, her foundation is far less solid than that of Horikita and Sakayanagi, so Karuizawa will feel like she's sitting on pins and needles every day.

In addition, there are some fatal problems.

Everyone knows that Amane and Horikita are already living together. So, after accepting Karuizawa's confession, would Karuizawa dare to ask Amane to move out of Horikita's dormitory?

Karuizawa is able to accept the close relationship with Horikita and Sakayanagi that goes beyond friendship.

The answer is obvious: Karuizawa will soon be overwhelmed by the pressure, which is why Ichinose said he was saving her.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that Ichinose really did help Karuizawa... but is that really the case?

Even lovers who run away together are still lovers.

Even in a collaboration, Ichinose had no intention of giving up this unique position. In other words, it's only because a girl like Karuizawa, who lacks ability, encounters this kind of situation that she has so much trouble.

If it were Ichinose Honami who encountered something like this...

Ichinose smiled unconsciously as she thought about it.

Whether it's Horikita Suzune or Sakayanagi Arisu, she'll definitely be the first to claim the lover's position. As for what happens next?

Amane just wants to live in Horikita, right? No problem.

So Horikita and Sakayanagi are childhood friends? Then it's fine to continue as before. She's been so magnanimous; how could Horikita and Sakayanagi possibly dare to cause her trouble? If they really dare to...

Ichinose didn't mind letting these two capable girls experience how to defeat them without bloodshed using only seemingly harmless gentleness.

"So, Ichinose-san, you also have feelings for Amane."

Karuizawa was finally able to confirm that Ichinose was also one of her rivals, and a very difficult one at that.

"There's no way around it, it's hard not to be attracted to someone as outstanding as Tianyin, isn't it? It's just that Tianyin is a girl. If Tianyin were a boy... changing girlfriends every month or even every week would be very normal. Sometimes... what everyone is fighting over is often the proof of its value."

Chapter 194: Love with a Purpose

"The fact that everyone is fighting over something proves its value... that sounds to make some sense."

Karuizawa finally heard a statement from Ichinose that she could judge to be correct based on her level of understanding.

This means that Ichinose's previous words were most likely not about using her to achieve some goal, but rather that he genuinely intended to cooperate with her.

Karuizawa has never been confident when facing Horikita and Sakayanagi alone, but she has no clue about working with them. In fact, she had never even thought that there was such a thing as working together when it came to dating.

"So how should we cooperate?"

“Our collaboration is simple, but the details aren’t suitable to be discussed here. If Karuizawa-kun is interested in the collaboration I’m talking about, how about we come to my dorm sometime and discuss it in person?”

Ichinose's cautious attitude prompted Karuizawa to nod in approval.

This is the kind of approach that would be expected in a collaboration. If Ichinose were to start by telling her what to do, Karuizawa would dismiss her no matter how eloquently Ichinose described her plan.

This isn't cooperation; it's more accurate to say that Ichinose is looking for a pawn to achieve her goals.

Instead of directly stating her plan, Ichinose arranged a private meeting to explain that many details required mutual agreement before proceeding, and that she was not simply following Ichinose's unilateral instructions.

This is enough to demonstrate Ichinose's sincerity.

"That's true. I'll visit when I have time."

Upon seeing that Karuizawa had agreed, Ichinose's face lit up with an incredibly bright smile.

"I knew Karuizawa-kun was a smart person. In that case, I won't disturb your gathering. Have fun... Oh, by the way, don't try to take shortcuts. I've already explained the consequences of taking shortcuts to you, Karuizawa-kun. Although you might get many things you never dared to dream of before by taking shortcuts, those two people won't let you off the hook. Even I might become your enemy. Do you understand what I mean, Karuizawa-kun?"

Ichinose turned to the side and looked at Karuizawa Megumi meaningfully.