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

"you are?"

"...I am Iwasaki Eri, my previous name was Iwasaki Yuki, Kiyotaka, don't you...recognize me?"

Snow's eyes glistened with tears, but this did not shake Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in the slightest. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but could you give me a hint?"

"A white room..."

Xue's voice trembled slightly when she mentioned that place, which showed that her experience at the White House was something she didn't want to recall.

“I know where you came from; you still carry the scent of the White Room. What I need is a clue about your interactions with me when you were ‘Snow.’”

Ayanokouji did not end the conversation simply because he sensed the other person's fear. On the contrary, he intended to use this as a breakthrough to understand Ayanokouji Atsuomi's entire plan and how many Shiraya students he had sent to the school.

"Can't you even smile?"

Xue hesitated for a moment before recounting the fragment of memory that held the most promise of awakening his connection with her.

Upon hearing those incredibly familiar words, Ayanokouji immediately pictured a cold, petite figure in his mind.

"Can't you smile? Your long face is ruining my appetite."

As the previously hazy memories gradually became clearer, Ayanokouji felt a stomach ache.

Because when the memories that he had sealed away were reopened, the fragment that Xue spoke of did not make him recall who Xue was. Instead, it made him see the person in the memory clearly.

Miyako Tenon.

There is probably nothing in the world that would make Ayanokouji feel such a stomachache, because he clearly remembers that the next second Amane punched him.

She even brazenly claimed, when questioned by the instructor why she hit someone, that it was because Ayanokouji's expression affected her appetite and would affect her performance, and that she hit Ayanokouji in order to maintain her best performance—such a ridiculous reason.

Even now, Ayanokouji doesn't believe that the mistake of being attacked by Amane was his fault.

However, this incident also marked the beginning of Ayanokouji's desire to compete with her.

What about the memories of snow?

Ayanokouji racked his brains and realized that he really had no memory of Yuki at all, and for a moment he even began to doubt his own memory.

In fact, it is normal for Ayanokouji not to remember her. When Ayanokouji was six years old, Amane, who was the same age as him, came to the White House. However, the training program for ordinary people is different from the training program for geniuses designated by the big family. Therefore, Ayanokouji and Amane had no chance to meet from the beginning.

It wasn't until a year later, when Amane was seven and had completed all her courses up to university, that Ayanokouji truly came into contact with her. Amane then returned to the Miyako family at the age of nine to continue her studies, while Ayanokouji Kiyotaka proposed leaving the White House three years later, at the age of twelve. Ayanokouji Atsuomi did not object at the time, so Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was enrolled in an ordinary junior high school.

Yuki was a girl in the same class as Ayanokouji. She developed feelings of admiration for Ayanokouji because he always ranked first in his class. However, at the time, Yuki did not understand that this was "love". Ayanokouji was focused on becoming stronger and looking forward to fighting Amane again one day, so he never paid any attention to Yuki's lively figure in front of him.

The year after Ayanokouji Kiyotaka applied to leave, Yuki was eliminated. When Yuki begged her father to let her see Ayanokouji one last time, Ayanokouji had already been promoted to high school. Upon learning this news, Yuki donated a substantial amount of financial assistance to Ayanokouji Atsuomi through her father and then used the White House's connections to get there.

From Xue's perspective, it was as if she were following in her lover's footsteps, going through all the trouble to come to this campus.

From Ayanokouji's perspective, however, he genuinely had no recollection of Yuki.

However, Ayanokouji at this time was no longer the blockhead he was when he first came into contact with the outside world.

Even with his slow-wittedness, Ayanokouji could conclude that if he were to tell this pale-faced girl who was about to cry, "I'm sorry, I really don't know you," there might be some terrible consequences.

Therefore, even if it's against his will, Ayanokouji intends to use a gentler approach.

That was a lie.

"It's you... It's been so long."

"Kiyotaka, you still remember me! I knew it, I knew it! You wouldn't forget me!! Cough, cough cough cough..."

Xue spoke excitedly, then suddenly began to cough violently.

"Are you OK?"

"It's nothing. This is a lingering effect from when the instructors forced me to duel that monster in the White House back then. After you left, I was deemed defective and eliminated because of my physical condition. It doesn't usually affect my normal activities, but I cough and experience chest tightness when I get excited. I'm used to it."

A duel with a monster?

It sounds like a child's ramblings. What monsters are there in this world, unless...?

Ayanokouji glanced at the corner not far away.

Hiding behind the corner, Tianyin subtly wiped away her cold sweat. She had no recollection of ever doing such a cruel thing to such a cute girl. Perhaps Xue wasn't referring to her, since she had no memory of this girl named Xue at all.

"You've really worked hard."

Ayanokouji was surprised that Yuki was able to duel with Amane.

It's important to know that such an opportunity was extremely valuable to him. He recalled that he had applied to his instructors and researchers for practice sessions hundreds of times, but was only granted permission three times.

It was just a friendly exchange, not a duel.

Sparring is a combat practice where vital points cannot be attacked, while a duel is a battle with no restrictions on the use of weapons and fighting techniques, with the goal of killing the opponent.

Although the goal is to kill the opponent, the instructor will actually stop when one of them is unable to fight. This is probably why Xue, with her physical condition, was able to leave Tianyin unharmed.

"It's all worth it, no matter how hard it is, to be able to meet you, Kiyotaka."

After Xue finished speaking, the scene became awkward for a moment.

Neither of them had anything to talk about. The only thing they could talk about was the White House. However, Ayanokouji didn't want to talk about those things, and Yuki felt scared when she mentioned them. So, they tacitly avoided the topic of the White House.

After being eliminated, Yuki spent most of her time in the hospital, living in the ward until the start of the new semester, so she didn't have much to talk about with Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji could have plenty of topics to discuss, but it would be impossible to avoid Sato. Given Yuki's current state, Ayanokouji was afraid that mentioning Sato would trigger something in Yuki and cause an accident, which was definitely not what he wanted to happen.

Then both of them fell silent.

But this annoyed Tianyin, who was just about to enjoy the gossip. She had only secretly followed them because there was a possibility of a confession, but the two of them fell silent after only a couple of sentences. What gossip was there to enjoy?

"Well, since you guys aren't going to confess, don't blame me for having some fun."

Amane revealed a devilish smile, and then quickly sent a message in the chat box with Ichinose.

"Let Sato come over here."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Scene of Catching Adultery

zizi.

The vibration of a cell phone on the desk interrupted Ichinose and Sato's casual conversation.

As soon as Ichinose picked up her phone, she saw a message from Amane, telling her that she could let Sato go find Ayanokouji.

If Matsushita had been in charge of this task, she would probably have chosen to carry out Amane's orders without hesitation.

What sets Ichinose apart from Matsushita is that she possesses a broad perspective comparable to Amane's and a way of thinking far beyond that of ordinary students. Similarly, she understands Amane better than Matsushita, who had been exposed to her earlier.

Although Amane did not tell Ichinose what role Sato would play in this sudden love letter incident, Ichinose still sensed from the few words that neither Sato nor Ayanokouji were special figures in Amane's eyes.

Amane's involvement in this incident was most likely due to her finding it 'interesting'. Ichinose couldn't judge whether this kind of enjoyment was good or bad, but for Sato, this incident was undoubtedly a disaster.

Ichinose had a brief encounter with Ayanokouji, and based solely on her intuition, she deduced that Ayanokouji was hiding many secrets. At the same time, Ayanokouji was deliberately trying to conceal his strength and reduce his presence in the class. This unusual situation could not be explained by simply liking to keep a low profile.

The only reasonable explanation is that Ayanokouji felt he might become a thorn in Amane's side, so he deliberately reduced his influence to prove to Amane that he had no intention of vying for the right to speak. If that's the case, it can only mean that Ayanokouji is a very clever type.

Such a man is simply beyond Sato's ability to handle. In fact, Ichinose doesn't understand why Ayanoji would date Sato, but it's highly unlikely that it's because he likes him.

In this way, Sato ended up playing a 'tragic' role in both romantic and group relationships.

Based on Ichinose's experience, she was quite certain that Sato would become a sacrifice sooner or later. Even though Ichinose was on Amane's side, she did not want Sato to go to his death without knowing anything.

However, it wouldn't be difficult for Sato to escape. Ichinose has many ways to help her avoid becoming a sacrifice, but she's definitely unwilling to pay the price right now.

As Ichinose pondered, a look of hesitation appeared on her face. Sato, sitting opposite her, immediately noticed the change in Ichinose's emotions and couldn't help but ask her a question.

"Ichinose-san, is this a message from Miyako-san?"

Looking at Sato's anxious yet expectant gaze, Ichinose realized that she must have relaxed her expression control, otherwise Sato wouldn't have been able to see through her so easily.

"Yes, it's news from Tianyin, but it didn't mention what happened. I'll confirm the details with Tianyin again."

After responding to Sato with a smile, Ichinose began typing in the chat box with Amane.

"Is it really okay for Sato to go over there? Amane, you're not just trying to make things more interesting by wanting Sato involved, are you?"

If she could, Ichinose wouldn't want to meddle in other people's private affairs, but she vaguely saw the shadow of someone in Sato, and in order to prevent a tragedy from happening, she decided to try her best.

The message was marked as read the moment it was sent, indicating that Tianyin had her phone on the whole time.

Does this mean that Ayanokouji and the girl who wrote the letter have stopped talking? Otherwise, given Amane's perverse sense of humor, eavesdropping on their conversation would definitely be her top priority.

zizi.

Tianyin replied to the message quickly.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. It'll get more lively here after Sato comes. Honami, you can come along if you want! ~"

"But... what if something uncontrollable happens? The special exam is coming up soon. If Sato and Ayanokouji have a conflict, it might affect other people."

Ichinose couldn't help but feel nervous after sending the message.

This was the first time she had felt nervous while chatting with Tianyin, just like when she was afraid that everything she had done would be made public.

Although she eventually revealed those things herself, every time they were brought up, they would awaken those painful memories for her.

"If you feel it's inappropriate, then forget it."

Amane still replied instantly. Ichinose felt no joy at all when she saw Amane's message. She could have prevented the situation from escalating if Sato hadn't been there. But... wouldn't that be a deception of Sato?

Ayanokouji might be able to keep a secret, but no one knows better than Ichinose that nothing stays hidden forever. It was only a matter of time before Sato realized he was lying to her.

If that girl really did confess to Ayanokouji and then came to him afterward, how would she face Sato?

Ichinose hesitated for a moment, then decided to leave the choice to Sato himself.

"Sato-san, do you still want to go see Ayanokouji-san?"

Ichinose's blunt words initially caught Sato off guard, but he quickly grasped the hidden meaning behind her words.

"So, it really is because I'm not available to attend?"

"Maybe it is."

Ichinose was not clear about the situation on the ground, so she dared not say anything too certain, since what she had said before was just her conjecture.

"Perhaps? Ichinose, you're quite meticulous. Although I don't know what you and Miyako talked about, I can at least guess that it wasn't anything good for me, right?"

Sato put her phone in her bag and stood up. She was definitely going to find Ayanokouji. There were many things that Amane and Ichinose probably couldn't explain to her directly, so she would have to go to the scene and see for herself what kind of shameless girl would write that kind of letter to her boyfriend.

“Sato-san, you can choose not to go. I can’t explain it to you, but I can guarantee that if that girl does anything inappropriate, Amane will definitely take appropriate measures.”

"Ha, that's exactly the kind of thing only someone like Ichinose would say. I've known for a long time that if you cover your ears and eyes, you'll avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble. In fact, I did just that, but do you know what the result was? I was ruthlessly dumped by that person, just like being discarded as trash."

Sato started with such a heavy topic that even Ichinose fell silent.

"Well, I don't really want to bring up the past. After all, that jerk is nowhere near Kiyotaka's level. But this time, I hope I can do something before the same thing happens again... I... am confident that I won't lose to that girl!"

"Speaking of which, Ichinose, won't Miyako-san be angry if you tell me about this?"

Sato changed the subject and started asking Ichinose questions.

Why is Tianyin angry?

"Huh? You're not going to tell me it was Miyako who wouldn't let me go, are you?"

Sato's face showed a surprised expression, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

"Sato-kun, aren't you thinking too badly of Amane?"

"It's not that I want to think too badly of her, it's just that she's not... well, anyway, she's the kind of person who thrives on chaos. If it were Miyako, she would definitely send me over no matter what happened, because that might satisfy her perverse sense of humor. I've worked with her a few times, so I know her personality pretty well. Well, it's getting late, I'll head over now. Ichinose-san, do you want to come with me?"

Sato glanced at the time on his watch and made a request to Ichinose that was almost an invitation. However, Ichinose, who wasn't particularly interested in interfering in other people's private affairs, shook her head and declined Sato's offer.

"I think I'll pass. With Tianyin there, there shouldn't be any major problems..."

Ichinose gave a wry smile, lacking confidence.

Sato also showed the same smile; she knew that Amane was not the kind of person who would choose to calm things down.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now. Let's go out and have fun together again next time we're free."

"Okay, goodbye, Sato-kun."

"Goodbye~"

Sato gave a casual greeting and quickened his pace as he left the teaching building. Since running was not allowed inside the building, Sato forcibly suppressed the urge to run until he left the building, at which point he immediately began sprinting towards the agreed-upon location written in the letter.

Ichinose stood by the window, watching Sato's rapidly receding figure, and sighed softly. Then she took out her phone and sent a message to Amane.

"Sato-kun has already gone there."

"OK!"