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

So... has Mother finally accepted that she's going to seduce girls?

If that's all, Amane wouldn't care too much, except that Marina seems to have accepted her establishing a romantic relationship with a girl, which makes her quite happy. As for the strategy or anything like that...

Amane glanced at Shiina, whose face was flushed and whose head was almost hanging to her chest. This shouldn't be of any use, right? It's already a good thing that Shiina didn't devour her.

The last line of the note even listed Shiina's punishment during the quiz game between Marina and Shiina.

"Let Miyako Amane confess her feelings to Shiina Hiyori."

Upon seeing this punishment, Tianyin couldn't help but gasp.

Shiina actually accepted these conditions? Does that mean Shiina now needs to find a way to get her to confess her feelings?

As expected, Mother knows how to have fun...

"Do you know what's written above...?"

Tianyin first asked tentatively.

To everyone's surprise, Shiina first shook her head, then nodded. This action puzzled Amane. Did he know or not?

"I didn't peek at what was written on it, but... I can guess that it's related to the punishment during the quiz game..."

The mere mention of punishment caused Shiina's cheeks to flush even more, making Amane wonder if Shiina's face would be directly burned if this continued.

"That's what it said upstairs, so you're asking me for help, Hiyori?"

Such punishment certainly couldn't be achieved simply by telling Marina, "Amane has confessed to me," and Marina would believe it. According to Amane's estimation, Marina and Shiina most likely agreed on some kind of method to prove the punishment, perhaps even requiring audio or video recording. In that case, it wouldn't be something that could be achieved by lying or having Amane coordinate her statements.

"No, that's not it. I didn't ask you to help me cheat. I... I was just afraid that what I'm about to do might be a bit abrupt and scare you or cause you trouble, so I'm letting you know in advance. Don't worry, I'll definitely try my best to get you to confess to me!!"

Shiina suddenly waved her small fist and declared her purpose to Amane with great momentum.

If it weren't for his bright red face, he might have looked even more imposing.

"Wow, that's amazing! Good luck, Hiyori! By the way, why did you agree to this kind of bet, Hiyori? I learned about that quiz game from Suzune and Megumi later. After the other party asks a question, the respondent can choose to answer or not. Even if you can't judge the opponent's strength, you can try to gauge their approximate strength by probing or observing their words and actions. Even if you really can't judge the opponent's strength in the end, you shouldn't have rashly agreed to the bet. After all, it's a bet, not an exchange of benefits. If it were an exchange of benefits where you agree to certain things to win, that would be fine, but isn't it a pure loss if it's a bet? If you lose, you won't get all the points and you'll also face potentially troublesome punishments."

Amane discovered that the key to the problem lay in how her mother had managed to get Shiina to willingly agree to the bet.

The simplest way is to deliberately lure Shiina with something she cares about, or try to provoke her. But Shiina's temper is so good she shouldn't be easily provoked... Uh? What was the quiz game that Mother and she were competing in again? A deduction game!!

"Because Ms. Marina said she would defeat me with what I'm best at, it was like handing me the power to create my own questions. At the time, I thought that having me create the questions and then answer them was like having the answers in my exam, so I chose the reasoning game that I'm best at. But I didn't expect... even though I was watching the whole time she was creating the questions, I still couldn't answer them within the allotted time. Sigh... I was too careless. Who would have thought that someone could actually create such a difficult and logically consistent reasoning game in such a short time? I had no choice but to admit defeat."

Shiina pouted in frustration.

Seeing Shiina's aggrieved look, Amane believed Shiina's explanation. If someone challenged Amane with what she was best at, she might agree, whether out of confidence in her own abilities or out of curiosity.

Curiosity, in particular, is hard to suppress. It's like why villains always wait for their opponents to evolve or transform successfully, or to give them time to build up their power before unleashing their attacks. They all want to see what kind of thing their opponents can conjure up.

Perhaps Shiina just wanted to see what kind of reasoning questions Marina could prepare before she would agree, but little did she expect that this decision would lead to Shiina's crushing defeat.

"Alright, alright, since we've already lost, let's not dwell on those unhappy things anymore. The most important thing right now is how to complete the punishment, right?"

Returning to the topic of punishment, Shiina's face flushed red again.

This punishment truly stumped Shiina. If Marina had asked her to confess to Amane, it would have been a little easier; if she had just mustered the courage to confess, it shouldn't have been a big problem.

But the punishment now is that Tianyin has to confess his feelings to her. What should she do?

Shiina, who was used to confessing her feelings but had zero experience in it, couldn't imagine how to get a girl to confess to her. Even the love letters she received in junior high school were from boys. At the time, she thought that the primary task of a student should be to study or develop their talents, rather than wasting time on dating, which was destined to end when they went to college.

Moreover, the letters frequently praised her for being cute and expressed a desire to date her. In Shiina's mind, someone who only cares about other people's appearance is destined to be superficial and boring.

If she were to choose her future lover, the first thing she would want is someone strong. A strong person has a unique personal charm, and just being around her would make one unable to resist the urge to gravitate towards her and submit to her. Shiina glanced at Amane in front of her.

Then there's the interesting soul and the gentle, kind personality. She can joke around with her without being rigid, and chat with her about whimsical topics without getting bored. She's willing to stay with her quietly or play some childish games with her... Shiina looked up at Amane again, and when she realized that Amane was also looking at her, Shiina immediately lowered her head quickly like a frightened little animal.

And then... it would be even better if they shared similar interests. If her other half also liked reading and was interested in mystery novels, that would be even better. If he was willing to discuss the mystery with her and had his own insights and strong logic... that would definitely be her first choice for a lover. Shiina thought of this and looked up at Amane again. Although Amane wasn't very interested in reading, she was very good at mystery, probably at the same level as Marina. In some ways, that was definitely a plus.

Shiina will only consider looks as a last resort. She can accept the looks of a normal person, but if he could be a little prettier, it would be perfect.

Shiina's gaze toward Amane now held a hint of fervor.

"I will definitely win over Tianyin!!!"

Shiina spoke loudly again to the bewildered Amane in a firm tone.

Before Amane could respond, Shiina turned around, covered her face, and ran away, disappearing from sight.

"Hmph, I thought I'd see something interesting hiding here for ages. My phone's almost dead from all the photos, and Shiina-kun still hasn't confessed to you. What a disappointment."

As soon as Shiina left, Horikita slowly emerged from the shadows of a dark alley, arms crossed.

"I don't know what Hiyori is up to either. She just said she was going to take me down, Suzune, you heard that!"

Amane, fearing that Horikita would misunderstand that she was flirting with Shiina, waved her hands repeatedly in an attempt to prove her innocence, but was met with a disdainful glare from Horikita.

"I'm speechless. Now you're playing the good guy, but you slept in my bed the very day we met."

"Idiot, idiot, idiot!! Let's not bring up things like Rinne anymore!"

Back in her dorm, Shiina, having calmed down, realized she had a fatal flaw: she had no popularity and no experience in dating.

It's obviously unrealistic to think you can win over Tianyin with just your looks. In that case, you might as well ask someone for advice!

Shiina's eyes lit up. She suddenly realized that her cleverness was sometimes quite useful. Since she didn't know how, why not just find someone to teach her?

First, this person must be willing to communicate with her; second, they must be the type that Tianyin likes; it would be even better if they could also understand Tianyin's preferences.

After this screening process, Shiina was distressed to find that he only had four candidates left to consider.

They are Sakayanagi, Horikita, Ichinose, and Karuizawa.

Asking Sakayanagi is the most successful and simplest way. I heard that Sakayanagi has a very good attitude towards ordinary students, and he also has a long-standing friendship with Amane and knows Amane very well.

The problem is that Sakayanagi herself is not here, and her phone was confiscated when she got off the bus, so she has no way to contact Sakayanagi.

First, we have to rule out Sakayanagi. As for Horikita... he seems a bit difficult to talk to, so he also has to be ruled out.

In the end, only Karuizawa and Ichinose remained.

If asked who she felt most comfortable with, Shiina would choose Ichinose without hesitation. The problem is, Ichinose is too clever. Given her own questions and Shiina's earlier statement about competing with Horikita for Amane, Ichinose will likely quickly realize what Shiina intends to do to Amane. Girls are all a little jealous, and what if…

Finally, Shiina set her sights on Karuizawa.

"Karuizawa is very popular with Amane, and she seems a bit dim-witted, so it should be easy to get information out of her... I'll choose Karuizawa!"

Chapter 184: Hiyori's Invitation

In the evening, Tianyin and her three friends, who were about to finish their dinner, sat on the spotless floor to enjoy the free lunch boxes provided by the school.

As for why they sat on the floor, it was because there were only two chairs in a four-person room, and it wasn't appropriate for anyone to sit down to eat, so they all simply sat on the floor. Fortunately, Karuizawa, Ichinose, Horikita, and Amane, who had returned after contacting Ryuen and the others, worked together to clean the entire room thoroughly. Otherwise, they would definitely have been so disgusted that they would rather not eat than sit in a dusty room to enjoy their dinner.

The four of them sat around a small dining table, but only Tianyin started eating like crazy, while the other three exchanged glances as if they were secretly competing with each other.

As the atmosphere began to become increasingly awkward, Horikita was the first to speak.

"Tianyin must be tired after a long day. You can have my hamburger patty."

"Huh? I'm alright now... um..."

Seeing the hamburger patty suddenly offered to her mouth, Tianyin instantly sensed danger.

A quick glance out of the corner of my eye revealed that neither Megumi nor Honami looked too pleased; they seemed somewhat displeased that Horikita had jumped the gun.

However, Amane, who was already quite adept at this situation, blinked and then happily opened her mouth to bite into the hamburger meat that Horikita handed her. After chewing a few times, a happy expression appeared on Amane's face.

"I didn't expect the hamburger steak bento to be so delicious!"

"Tianyin, I'm glad you like it. Would you like another piece?"

"I want it! I want it!"

"Come on, open your mouth~ Ah~"

Horikita gently held the hamburger patty to Amane's mouth again, and then smiled as he watched Amane happily eating the hamburger patty.

'If things continue like this... Hui and Fanbo have no chance, but neither of them will sit idly by and watch me take control of Amane tonight...'

Thinking of this, Horikita felt it was necessary to give the two of them a reasonable excuse to leave, so she deliberately looked at Ichinose and Karuizawa, who had picked up their chopsticks but hadn't touched their lunchboxes.

"Huh? Hui and Fanbo, why aren't you eating your bento boxes? Is it because they don't suit your taste? Things are a bit tough right now, so you'll have to put up with it for a bit. After the special exams are over, Tianyin and I will make you something delicious. Oh, by the way, you two have had a long day, so it would be better if you got some rest."

Horikita's words completely blocked almost all possibilities for Karuizawa and Ichinose, which made the two, who had originally planned to discuss the order of events with Horikita, decide that they could not let Horikita succeed so easily.

"Lingyin, you must be very tired, right? You were busy with class affairs today and yesterday you were with Tianyin... Hehe, Lingyin, are you sure you don't want to take a good rest and recharge your energy?"

As soon as Ichinose opened her mouth, Karuizawa immediately chimed in.

"You're right. I think Lingyin is the one who's been working the hardest. Besides, tomorrow we need you to lead everyone in building the granary, right? If you don't get enough rest today and make a mistake in your command, it could cause dissatisfaction among the other classes!"

Karuizawa remembered that Horikita had told her that the four second-year classes planned to unite and act as a group during the special exam the next day, so she quickly put her knowledge to use and accused Horikita of this.

Doing intimate things with Amane is a private matter, but assisting Ryuen in commanding the entire grade is a public matter, involving the interests of the class. Now, the important task of commanding and mobilizing the students of Class A has been handed over by Amane to Horikita, while she herself plans to act as a lone wolf and a sharp knife, ready to stab into the hearts of those first-year students at any time.

Under these circumstances, Horikita has no chance to be willful. She needs to maintain a good mental state almost every day for the next month, otherwise it will definitely affect the special exam.

When Horikita saw that Karuizawa had actually used the information she revealed to turn against him, his face immediately turned ugly.

She knew that the possibility of possessing Tianyin tonight was gone. As long as she still cared about the group, her rationality would not allow her to indulge herself too much. Now it was time for her to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the interests of Class A.

However, Horikita was a little annoyed that Megumi deliberately sided with Honami. After all, it was she who had asked Amane to stay at Megumi's place for a while after they returned to school. Now, Megumi had actually teamed up with Honami for a chance to spend a night with Amane. It's true that girls' stances are the easiest to waver when it comes to feelings.

In that case...

"Thank you for your concern. I'll get some rest early tonight..."

Upon hearing that Horikita was willing to give up his claim to ownership of Amane tonight, Ichinose and Karuizawa both smiled, but Karuizawa's smile quickly froze on his face.

"But Hui, why don't you consider getting some rest earlier? Sometimes eating alone isn't a good thing. I heard that Tianyin has been playing with you for a whole week..."

Horikita's single sentence created a rift in the fragile alliance between Ichinose and Karuizawa.

“I think Lingyin is right. I haven’t spent time with Tianyin in a long time. I was planning to have a private chat with her today. How about I give Hui the next chance? Or maybe we can do it together? If you don’t mind.”

Ichinose's sudden betrayal caught Karuizawa off guard. She was stunned for a long time before she realized that Ichinose had actually chosen to let Horikita drag her into the mess because of Horikita's overtures.

That Ichinose is truly despicable!!!

Karuizawa cursed Ichinose countless times in his heart, but on the surface he still waved his hand in a seemingly generous manner.

"Let's skip it if we do it together. I prefer doing that kind of thing alone with Tianyin."

Now that everyone has made their intentions clear, there's no need to pretend anymore.

Only Amane, the key figure, was busy eating all the egg rolls, hamburger patties, and fried shrimp from the three people's bento boxes. By the time the three people discovered Amane's behavior, it was obviously too late. Just as Karuizawa deliberately hugged Amane to make Amane pay for the fried shrimp, there was a knock on the door.

dong dong dong.

As dusk approached, the sudden knocking alerted the four people behind the door. After a brief exchange of glances, Horikita went over and opened the door.

"Xiaomei? Is something the matter?"

Horikita felt a little relieved after seeing that it was Wang Meiyu who came. However, she knew that Wang Meiyu must have something important to say for coming over so late at night, and her heart jumped again at the thought.

"Horikita-san is here too? Well, I have something I'd like to discuss with Karuizawa-san. Is now a convenient time for you, Karuizawa-san?"

"Need something from Hui?"

Horikita glanced at Karuizawa, who was hugging Amane in the room. Karuizawa quickly shook her head slightly to indicate that she had not made an appointment with Wang Meiyu. Then she quickly let go of Amane and went to the door to meet Wang Meiyu.

"Xiaomei, is there something you need from me?"

Karuizawa asked Wang Meiyu, who seemed a little flustered. She had assumed that Wang Meiyu had only asked her about something trivial, but when Wang Meiyu didn't answer her question immediately, she realized that something was wrong with Wang Meiyu's behavior.

Karuizawa, who is extremely good at reading people, could immediately tell that the person who wanted to meet her at this time was definitely not Wang Meiyu, but someone else.

The fact that this person didn't show up but instead sent Wang Meiyu to test Karuizawa further demonstrates that what that person wanted to talk to her about was not simple.

"Karuizawa, would it be convenient for us to talk outside? It's not really convenient to talk here..."

"Is it inconvenient to talk here? Xiaomei, are you relaying a message for someone? Are you from Class C?"

"Eh!!!"

Wang Meiyu looked at Tianyin, who was leaning against the door chewing on fried shrimp, in astonishment.

"Looks like I guessed right. Let me guess again... The person who asked you for help must be Shiina Hiyori, right?"

"..."

Wang Meiyu's body trembled as if she had been electrocuted. She immediately bit her lip and waited until she calmed down before she dared to speak again.

"Um... I really can't say who it is, but she definitely didn't mean any harm."

The way the girl was addressed, along with the timing and other factors, made Amane absolutely certain that it was Shiina who had begun to carry out the punishment she had inflicted on her match with Marina.

But why is it Hui?