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

No one dared to say they could grow to the point of being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Amane. Therefore, when Airi was working hard to grow, her goal was to catch up with and surpass Horikita Suzune. She believed that the reason why Horikita Suzune was able to stand next to Amane was not only because of Amane's inexplicable favoritism, but also because Horikita Suzune's own excellence was part of what attracted Amane.

So Airi secretly made Horikita her goal to catch up with and surpass. Along the way, Airi witnessed Horikita's many failures from the corner of the classroom, and also witnessed Horikita's disappointment and self-blame when she was inexplicably defeated by Hashimoto before she could even celebrate her victory over Sakayanagi.

Many people felt that Horikita Suzune was not a very qualified leader because of Horikita's failure.

Airi didn't know what a qualified leader was like, but she knew very well just how outstanding Horikita Suzune was.

If we disregard the talents of those geniuses, Horikita Suzune is perhaps the pinnacle that an average person can achieve at the high school level.

She, who was already out of breath halfway through the journey, had no right to laugh at Horikita Suzune, who was fighting against those geniuses.

However, because she had been paying close attention to Horikita Suzune, Airi knew Horikita Suzune's personality better than anyone else. So when she learned that she was going to be partnered with Horikita Suzune, she went to Chabashira-sensei and hoped that Chabashira-sensei would allow her to withdraw.

In other words, it means voluntarily admitting defeat.

But Chabashira-sensei told her that if she admitted defeat, Horikita Suzune would also accept defeat.

Despite not wanting Horikita Suzune to collapse there, Airi ultimately chose to accept the reality that the two had become partners.

That's right.

It wasn't out of hatred that Airi didn't want to team up with Horikita Suzune; on the contrary, Airi was perhaps one of the few who hoped Horikita Suzune could go further and further, because in Airi's view, only an outstanding girl like Horikita standing by Amane's side could provide Amane with more help.

Airi's feelings towards Horikita were complex, a mixture of anger and admiration. She was angry because Horikita had conspired with other classes to frame Amane in order to monopolize her. She admired Horikita because she had indeed fulfilled all her promises to others. For example, Horikita's reluctance to publicly apologize stemmed from her desire to solidify her position in Class D. She had said she could turn Class D into Class A, and she did, even with Amane's help. However, if Horikita hadn't sought to prove her abilities by transforming Class D into Class A, Amane, with her lazy nature, probably wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Besides anger and admiration, Airi also felt envy and fear towards Horikita. She envied Horikita Suzune's dazzling abilities despite being an ordinary person, and she envied that Horikita Suzune could stand beside Amane as her lover.

As for the reason for her fear... it was a bit embarrassing for Airi to say it out loud. When that incident ended, Amane said that she would never have anything to do with her again, but when Airi encountered difficulties later, Amane would still help her and encourage her from time to time in secret. Airi knew all of this. Even the only birthday gift she received at this school was a cake made by Amane herself.

Airi still remembers that the cake tasted salty. Perhaps it was because she shed too many tears on the cake that changed its flavor. If she had the chance, she would love to eat a sweet cake made by Tianyin again.

One day later, when she ran into Amane at the movie theater entrance, Airi finally mustered up the courage to thank Amane, thus officially breaking Amane's promise that she would not take the initiative to care about Airi.

Since then, Amane and Airi have maintained simple contact privately.

Airi was originally very happy and satisfied that someone could chat with her and share her daily life, especially since that person was Amane.

It wasn't until a chance conversation that Airi learned that Horikita Suzune knew that Amane and she had resumed their contact.

Airi couldn't sleep that night. She started to get scared, afraid that one day Horikita Suzune would cut off Amane's contact with her. After all, Airi knew that Horikita Suzune was Amane's lover. If Horikita, as Amane's lover, forbade Amane from seeing her, even Amane would probably have to obey Horikita Suzune's words.

But if that were the case, Sakura Airi would undoubtedly return to that life where no one cared. Having already experienced warmth, Airi was unwilling to live alone in this bustling school again, but she didn't even have the power to resist. Faced with her lover, Horikita Suzune, she could only be at his mercy.

From that day on, Airi began to interact with Amane more cautiously, and her fear of Horikita Suzune reached its peak.

if you can.

She was willing to hand over victory to curry favor with Horikita, hoping that Horikita would give her a chance to survive in the shadows. She dared not ask for any more care from Amane. She only hoped that Amane could remain her friend until graduation.

That's enough.

But... would Horikita Suzune, known for her arrogance, really care about her insignificant tribute?

"Sakura-san, have you collected all the things you need for camping? I saw that the other groups seem to have collected food and other supplies as well."

According to the regulations, in addition to receiving living supplies such as new tents, even food and seasonings need to be picked up from designated places at the school. When Horikita came over, she immediately noticed that Airi had not taken those things. The reason she asked was not to criticize Airi for not doing a good enough job, but simply to start a conversation between the two of them.

after all.

The last time she spoke alone with Airi was when she apologized.

Thinking back to her selfish self, Horikita Suzune felt a little embarrassed and didn't know how to say the words she had prepared to Airi.

Should I go and tell Airi, "You're not as important to the class as I am, so I hope you'll willingly lose to me?"

These words would have sounded like something Horikita Suzune would have said in the past, but now, while she hoped Airi would cooperate with her, she didn't want to hurt Airi's pride.

"I'm sorry, I just went to the food pick-up area and there were quite a lot of ingredients, seasonings, and disposable tableware. I can't carry them all at once. I'll go get them as soon as we decide on our campsite."

Seeing Airi's desperate attempts to explain, Horikita Suzune hesitated for a moment but couldn't help asking.

"Sakura-san, you don't need to be so nervous. I didn't mean to criticize you. Also, you seem...afraid of me?"

"..."

Love remained silent.

He tightened his grip on the tent, pulling the folded, frameless tent canvas closer to his chest.

Airi's reaction proved that Horikita Suzune's guess was correct.

Then the problem is coming.

Why should Sakura Airi be afraid of her? Even if it was because of what happened back then, she had already apologized to her. Although Airi didn't seem to accept the apology at the time, she shouldn't be afraid if she didn't accept the apology. If Airi still felt dissatisfied and resentful towards her now, she should show the same disgust and sarcasm that Kushida Kikyo showed her.

Why is it fear, in particular?

Logically, the right thing to do when seeing Sakura's unusual behavior is not to investigate further. However, Horikita was too curious about the reason, so even if she might be insulted or angered by Airi for asking, Horikita wanted to know why even a weak and timid girl like Airi was afraid of her.

"I know it's rude of me to ask this, but I still want to know why you're afraid of me, Sakura-san? Did I do something to make you feel threatened?"

When Horikita pressed her for an answer, Airi realized that she had completely revealed her thoughts on her face, which was why Horikita Suzune noticed her so quickly. What should she do now?

If she's lying, it wouldn't be difficult for Horikita Suzune to find out, given her abilities. Besides, she doesn't lie. If Horikita gets angry and tells Amane to stop contacting her, the liar, she'll be in real trouble.

But to tell the truth...

She felt a little ashamed, but shame was only one aspect. If she were to tell Horikita her innermost thoughts, wouldn't that be the same as revealing her weakness? And what if Horikita then blackmailed her into doing something...?

Airi was caught in a dilemma.

Seeing Airi's constantly changing expression, as if she had some unspeakable trouble causing her to be so distressed and sweating profusely, Horikita felt a little sorry for her.

"Alright, alright, Sakura-san, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But let me make it clear in advance that I have no intention of hurting you again. You may not trust me now, but I will prove to you with my actions sooner or later that I am no longer the Horikita Suzune I used to be."

She's not the same Suzune Horikita she used to be.

Does it mean...?

Will they not let her off this time?

Horikita probably never imagined that Airi would be so scared and nervous that she would only hear the last few sentences.

When she was at her wit's end, Airi suddenly thought of something.

'I'm sorry, Tianyin…'

"The reason I'm scared is actually... Amane told me that Horikita-san has a bad temper... Besides hitting her... she also often bullies her, and it got even worse a while ago... so, so I'm a little scared."

After hearing Airi's explanation, Horikita Suzune clenched her fists tightly.

Miyako Amane!!!

So you're the one who talks badly about me behind my back, right?

What do you mean by "going too far"? So what if they asked a few more times? Is that considered bullying?

Chapter 145: I want to ask you to date me

When Horikita learned that the reason Airi was afraid of her was because Amane was talking badly about her behind her back, her face turned slightly red.

To be honest, she wasn't exactly a girl who liked to use violence; it was just that Tianyin's behavior made her blood pressure rise too easily.

For example, when Amane has nothing to do, she lies on the floor playing games, taking up the most spacious area of ​​the already small dormitory and becoming the biggest obstacle for Horikita to clean. Every time, she has to throw her onto the bed before she can clean properly. She also likes to lie on the floor eating snacks, which makes Horikita, who is keen on keeping the dormitory clean, very angry every time. If Amane doesn't vent her anger, cough cough... something just feels off.

As for the habit of giving Tianyin a chop to the neck, it's simply because when Tianyin is in bed, she's always moaning, saying things like "I can't take it anymore" or "I feel like I'm dying," but as soon as she goes out, she goes into heat mode again.

Her chop was merely to calm Tianyin, who was in heat 24/7.

But why does Airi portray her as an utterly wicked and violent woman?

If we're talking about violence, isn't that idiot Tianyin more like a violent woman?

The usual situation is:

"Tianyin, help me open that bottle of soy sauce."

"Leave it to me~"

Clang.

"...Why did you break the bottle neck?"

"I don't know, it just broke when I gently broke it."

……

But these things are hard to explain to Airi. You can't exactly say that she used Amane twice because she was angry that Amane was rolling around on the floor while she was cleaning, can you?

Hmm, I feel like my desires are getting stronger and stronger, I must have been led astray by that guy Tianyin.

"Amane was just joking with you, Sakura-kun. I don't seem like that kind of rough girl at all, do I?"

A smile twitched at the corner of Ai's mouth.

Actually, you really can't tell from Horikita's appearance that she has any violent tendencies. Her mature temperament and intellectual gaze make her seem like the kind of gentle older sister.

However, if Amane hadn't given her 'evidence,' Airi would probably have easily believed Horikita's story.

Airi opened the photo album with slightly trembling hands and showed a photo to Horikita.

The photos that Airi showed were very blurry, mainly because they were taken while she was running at high speed. In the photos, you can see that Amane, who is dressed in a disheveled manner, is running ahead without looking back. Despite looking like she is in a panic, Amane has the mind to raise her phone and take a close-up shot of Horikita, who is holding a kitchen knife, her face red, pointing at Amane's back and shouting something.

Horikita was stunned when he saw the photo.

No, when did she ever chase Tianyin with a kitchen knife?

Horikita fell into recollection. This kind of special situation was extremely rare for her, so she couldn't possibly have no memory of it. So it wasn't long before Horikita remembered what had happened that day.

That night, Amane snuggled into Horikita's arms and made a suggestion to Horikita: she wanted to replace all the desks and other furniture in her dorm room with folding beds that could be placed side by side.

At the time, Horikita was very puzzled as to why Amane suddenly thought of remodeling the dormitory layout. After all, a few folding beds were not a particularly big expense, but the thought of a room being completely filled with folding beds... it was only natural to feel strange.

So Amane asked that she hoped to invite Arisu, Megumi, and Honami to her dorm to celebrate her birthday with her next time.

This request wasn't too much for Horikita. Even if they had classes that day, they could still have dinner together in the evening. Besides, a lot of girls came to Amane's birthday party last time, so Horikita wasn't too surprised by the list Amane proposed. In fact, she felt that it was a bit too few, a significant reduction compared to last time. With no worries about time or expenses, she naturally wanted to make her birthday party, one of only three times in her life that she would spend in high school, as lively as possible.

When did Tianyin suddenly become so stingy?

What does celebrating a birthday have to do with a folding bed?

Before Amane confessed, Horikita had almost no doubt about Amane's motives for making the suggestion. After all, Sakayanagi, Karuizawa, and Ichinose were all close enough to Amane to invite them over, which was only natural.

But when Amane mentioned inviting them to stay overnight, Horikita realized why Amane, when suggesting buying a few folding beds to celebrate her birthday with some acquaintances, still clung to her, acting cute while discussing business.

Horikita understood Amane's little scheme and motive in just three blinks, but before punishing Amane, Horikita was very curious about Amane's reasons.

She wanted to know just how shameless Tianyin must be to come up with such a brazen plan.

But to her utter surprise, Tianyin's reason was that she wanted everyone to be happy.

And that's when the scene shown in the photo happened.

If Horikita were to explain herself, anyone would be outraged by Amane's constant spouting of "scumbag woman" phrases and would understand and support Horikita's actions.

Of course, this is all on the premise that Horikita is able to explain himself.

Is this something she can explain?

Tianyin wanted to play a multiplayer game, and then she chased after him?

A girl as innocent as Airi would probably blush and run away as soon as she heard something so exciting, right?

"It was just a misunderstanding. I was playing a game of tag with Tianyin at the time."

"Really? But I feel like Horikita looks really fierce in the photo?"

"Of course it's true! Also, Sakura-san, isn't it true that you secretly kept photos related to me...?"

Seeing that her excuse was too easily exposed, Horikita quickly adopted a strong attitude, hoping that Airi would be intimidated by her attitude and give up on continuing the topic. Otherwise, not only would Amane's image be ruined, but even her image would suffer a devastating blow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to save Horikita-kun's photos... I'll delete them if you don't like them."

As if in a hurry to prove her innocence to Horikita, Airi pressed the delete button next to the photo in front of Horikita.

But when she saw the pop-up window asking if she wanted to confirm the deletion, Airi hesitated again.

The reason she kept this photo was certainly not to target Horikita Suzune, but because she saw another side of Amane that she would never normally see.

Perhaps this is just an ordinary photo to Amane or Horikita, at most the story behind the photo is a little special.

However, this was like a priceless treasure to Airi.

Seeing Airi's hesitant movements, Horikita realized that Airi seemed to care a lot about this photo. She was not very clear why such an ordinary photo would make Airi care so much, but she obviously had no reason or intention to play the villain.

Even though this photo might deepen Airi's misunderstanding of her, it's just a photo anyway, so Airi can keep it if she likes it.

"Fine, keep it if you want, but I don't want this photo, which could be maliciously misinterpreted, to appear on social media and online. Do you understand what I mean?"