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

Do not! !

Arisu would never do that. If Arisu really wanted to play this game, her decisive answer would definitely be to mislead her!

"Hori Kita-kun greeted me yesterday, saying she wanted to celebrate your birthday at the swimming pool and invited me to come along. But as you know, I can't get into the swimming pool, so I politely declined. Now that you can't contact them, maybe they want to give you a birthday surprise at the swimming pool."

Sitting opposite Sakayanagi, Kiryu silently gave Sakayanagi a thumbs up. Although she and Sakayanagi usually seemed to get along a bit, she truly admired Sakayanagi at this moment. In order to create a real surprise for Amane, Sakayanagi had actually set up such a logical trap that made Amane obediently follow Sakayanagi's lead.

If it were someone else, even Horikita, they probably wouldn't have been able to do this. Of course, she also couldn't see through Amane's psychological changes and thoughts to this extent.

Upon hearing Sakayanagi's reply, Amane blinked and then pinched her cheek.

It doesn't hurt! Was I still half asleep after all?

No! I couldn't feel any pain in the first place!

Does that mean Arisu wasn't involved in Suzune and the others' plan at all?

After feeling her mind start to go haywire, Tianyin quickly adjusted her breathing and went through the whole situation again.

Surprisingly, Arisu's statement was over 95% credible.

First of all, the disappearance of Suzune and the others was definitely organized, as can be seen from Sakayanagi's words. However, it seems that the organization was surprised by Horikita this time.

Although Amane expressed deep doubt about this result, the clues provided by Arisu seemed to prove that she was not the mastermind. The reason was simple: Arisu really couldn't go near the swimming pool. On the one hand, Arisu's physical condition prevented her from moving around in the swimming pool alone. That kind of place is very easy to fall, especially for a girl like Arisu with mobility issues. It was a disaster for her. As a result, Arisu had never taken a single swimming lesson.

On the other hand, Arisu can't swim...

If she really wanted to surprise Tianyin, there was absolutely no need to hold the birthday celebration at the swimming pool. If she could only participate from the stands, what kind of birthday party would that be?

No normal person would organize a birthday surprise by themselves and then sit alone in the stands watching Tianyin interact with other girls.

Lingyin, who performs quite well in swimming, is indeed quite likely the organizer behind the scenes.

As for the phone call not going through, it might just be a coincidence. If everyone had locked their phones in the locker room and planned to inform Tianyin only after everything was ready, then no matter who she called now, no one would be able to hear her, because they would all be preparing some surprise at the pool.

What could this surprise be?

A huge cake? Or a pool party?

In any case, all the clues now point to the swimming pool, so all she needs to do is go there, and all the mysteries will be revealed.

The only thing Amane needed to consider was whether to wait until Suzune contacted her before going over. If she went over now and Suzune and the others hadn't finished making arrangements, not only would she be embarrassed, but everyone would also feel frustrated because their surprise had been exposed. Suzune could also guess that it was Arisu, who hadn't participated in the surprise but knew the inside story, who leaked their plan.

It's not worth letting a well-intentioned surprise turn into a mirage just to satisfy your own curiosity.

Sakayanagi stared at the phone, which had been silent for a long time, with a smile on her face. She knew that Amane must be extremely conflicted at this moment, not knowing whether she should pretend to know nothing and wait for everyone to guide her to discover the surprise, or go directly to satisfy her curiosity now.

No matter what she thinks, Tianyin will eventually choose the first option. Although Tianyin usually acts in a self-centered manner, the impression she gives to outsiders is that of a domineering and powerful woman.

But those who know Tianyin well know that she is very good at handling interpersonal relationships and her ability to deal with people is outstanding in the whole school. Otherwise, how could she get others to cooperate with her just by relying on her fists?

For example, a lone wolf like Koenji, if you don't have real skills, people won't even bother to look at you. But even someone like that in Class A is completely subdued by Tenon. At least on the surface, he doesn't dare to go against Tenon or contradict her, and he even takes the initiative to take on some special exam tasks. Just being able to do this is enough to make the leaders of other classes take notice.

Just as Sakayanagi's thoughts were drifting away, Amane's voice finally rang out again from the other end of the phone.

"So it was Lingyin and the others who made the arrangement. I thought something had happened to them. Now that I know where they are, I can finally relax. Lingyin really should have at least left a note to let me know. I worried for so long for nothing..."

really!

Tianyin chose to do what wouldn't disappoint or frustrate everyone: suppressing her curiosity and quietly waiting for others to guide her to find the surprise, then pretending to be happy and celebrating with everyone.

Sakayanagi sighed almost imperceptibly. Did Amane really think he couldn't tell whether she was genuinely happy or not on her birthday? If Sakayanagi and Kiryuin hadn't understood Amane's pretense at first because they didn't know her well after her special training, then it would have been understandable.

Having spent so much time together, how could the two of them not see that Tianyin didn't really care about her birthday, one of the most important holidays?

But they have been working hard, hoping that one day they can truly let Tianyin feel the joy of her birthday.

Aren't you curious about what surprise Horikita and the others have prepared for you?

"Actually... I am a little curious, but surprises shouldn't be known to everyone in advance. Lingyin and the others must have been preparing for a long time. If I go there before they are ready, everyone will probably feel disappointed, right?"

"That's true, but I'm more interested in Horikita and the others' surprise. How about this, Amane, why don't you come with me there? I'd like to see what kind of tricks they have up their sleeves."

Sakayanagi then offered a reason that Amane couldn't refuse: if Sakayanagi wanted to go to the swimming pool, it would be quite troublesome for her to go alone; she would need someone else to accompany her.

Logically speaking, Sakayanagi could ask Kamuro or Fukuyama, girls he knows in his class, for help, and they would surely be happy to help him.

However, Sakayanagi chose Amane, inviting her to accompany him even though he knew Amane didn't want to experience the surprise beforehand.

"Isn't this... a bit inappropriate?"

"You can wait outside, just let me in for a look. That's not too much to ask of you, Tianyin, is it?"

Sakayanagi precisely grasped Amane's every thought. If this were a special exam or a class competition, Amane would be completely caught in her rhythm without realizing it. However, Sakayanagi never thought of using her understanding of Amane to hurt her.

Tianyin is something more precious to her than life itself; she would feel heartbroken if it were to be harmed.

On the other end of the phone, Tianyin hesitated again.

She wasn't sure if Arisu's invitation to accompany her was because she genuinely lacked someone willing to help her, or if she wanted to satisfy Amane's curiosity. If it was the first, she would certainly do her best, but if it was the second...

Tianyin, on the other hand, felt that there was absolutely no need to go to such lengths; she wasn't so impatient as to not even be able to wait a few hours.

However, after thinking it over, Tianyin finally agreed.

A large part of the reason is that Amane is afraid that Arisu might encounter some accidents or troubles if she goes to the swimming pool alone. Having her accompany her can at least save a lot of time, and she can just stay in the changing room.

After Arisu has seen the surprise, he will take her away. It seems that this will not affect her seeing the surprise with her own eyes. After all, she knows that Arisu is extremely tight-lipped.

"Alright then, but let me make this clear first, I'll accompany you to the changing room, Arisu. After you've seen the surprise, I'll bring you back. As for what you saw, you're not allowed to tell me!"

Seeing that Amane had ultimately fallen for the trap, Sakayanagi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's settled then. I'll take the elevator downstairs now, and we'll meet in the lobby on the first floor."

After agreeing on a time with Amane, Sakayanagi gave Kiryuin an OK sign. Kiryuin quickly got up, quietly opened the door, and rushed down the stairs ahead of everyone else. She needed to get to the swimming pool as quickly as possible and deliver the surprise to Amane, who was completely unaware of what was happening, as Sakayanagi had planned.

"Arisu~ Huh? What are you holding in your hand?"

Amane had just greeted Sakayanagi in the lobby when she noticed the bag he was holding.

"It's a swimsuit underneath."

"swimsuit!!!"

Sakayanagi knew that hiding things would only arouse Amane's suspicion, so he simply opened the bag and showed Amane the swimsuit inside.

After confirming that it was a swimsuit underneath, Amane's expression became even stranger.

"Don't overthink it. You need a good reason to go to the swimming pool, right? Although I could say I'm going to check on how Horikita's gift is coming along, I'd inevitably get ridiculed by her. It's better to say I'm going to practice my swimming skills, and then I can easily get away by saying there are too many people and I'll come back another day."

Banyan's words had no flaws, and the logic was almost entirely sound. Even Amane couldn't find any loopholes, but Amane simply felt that something was off about the matter.

Why does Arisu suddenly want to wear a swimsuit? It gives me the feeling of... being lured into a trap.

Sensing that Amane was beginning to have doubts, Sakayanagi waved to her, indicating that Amane had something to say to her in private.

Tenon leaned closer and heard Sakayanagi whisper something in her ear.

"It's really troublesome for me to put on my swimsuit by myself; I need someone to help me."

Upon hearing this, Tianyin's eyes immediately lit up.

"Ahem, with me here, swimsuits and stuff won't be a problem~"

"Huh? Really? Tianyin, you wouldn't be thinking of taking this opportunity to do something to me, would you?"

"How...how could that be! Am I that kind of person?"

"Is not it?"

"...Arisu messed it up!"

"Hehe, if I weren't a little mischievous, you might not like me anymore one day."

"How could that be? I like you no matter if you're bad or not, Arisu."

Just as Tenon was about to reward Sakayanagi, she saw Ryuen and a group of boys standing there staring at her. Tenon was so angry that she had no choice but to give up, while glaring fiercely at Ryuen and Ishizaki and Albert behind him who were waving their hands and shaking their heads.

The two of them strolled leisurely to the swimming pool.

I asked the person in charge of the swimming pool, and it turns out that a club has booked the entire pool today, and it seems to be in preparation for some kind of competition.

This left Tianyin a bit confused. When did Lingyin start hanging out with the swimming club members? And why did they give Lingyin such a big favor, booking the entire swimming pool for a day under the guise of training? This was definitely not something that could be done by simply paying points.

But if the student council gets involved...

Tenon glanced meaningfully at Sakayanagi beside her, seemingly lost in thought.

Upon arriving at the changing room, Amane skillfully helped Sakayanagi change into her swimsuit, though the process took even longer than Sakayanagi herself.

If Sakayanagi hadn't advised Amane to stop rubbing, the time it would have taken for Sakayanagi to change into her swimsuit with Amane's help might have been doubled.

Upon reaching the passage connecting the changing room to the pool and the stands, Amane and Sakayanagi parted ways. However, just as Amane was smiling and watching Sakayanagi's back disappear at the end of the pool passage, a sudden burst of running footsteps alerted Amane. Realizing that the other person was coming for her, Amane quickly turned around and delivered a chop to her wrist.

"Get over here!"

As soon as Tianyin turned around, she saw Fenghua's face, which she knew all too well. Tianyin's hand, which was about to strike, quickly changed direction and narrowly missed Fenghua's ear. Fenghua was not injured, but Tianyin was in trouble. Tianyin, who was kicked in the waist by Fenghua, lost her footing and fell to the ground, sliding all the way down the pool passage.

Just as she slid out of the tunnel, Tianyin finally found her balance, supported herself with one hand on the ground, and then performed three high-difficulty backflips in a series of gorgeous moves before landing perfectly.

Just as Tianyin had regained her footing and was about to have a good talk with Fenghua about life and ideals, she suddenly heard the sound of fireworks exploding.

Immediately afterwards, all sorts of voices that she knew all too well rang out in unison.

"Happy Birthday, Amane!! Welcome to the swimsuit birthday party!"

Despite being mentally prepared, she was still completely stunned when she turned around and looked at the pool.

Needless to say, Suzune, Honami, and Megumi were among the dozens of girls from various classes and grades who stood by the pool or in the stands waving and waving at Amane.

Not only was the unprecedentedly luxurious lineup dazzling Tianyin, but the variety of swimsuits was also overwhelming.

This wasn't a swimming lesson, so naturally everyone wasn't wearing the standard swimsuits issued by the school. These girls went to great lengths to show off their figures and swimsuits, and as a result, before any contest was even decided among their swimsuits, Tianyin had already gotten quite aroused.

"Happy birthday, Tianyin!"

Airi carefully placed the birthday crown, symbolizing the person to be celebrated, on Amane's head.

"Thank you... Airi, for today..."

"This, this swimsuit... was chosen for me by Sakayanagi-san. She said... she said you would like it, Amane..."

As Airi spoke, she blushed and kept lowering her head, almost to her chest.

Amane glanced at Airi's swimsuit and immediately looked at Sakayanagi. To think she could convince Airi to wear such a revealing swimsuit—practically no different from being naked—was truly amazing! But Amane was a little dizzy. Airi's F-cup was a real weapon, not everyone could handle that, and her relationship with Airi wasn't even that close yet. Wasn't this just letting her see but not have?

For a moment, Tianyin felt a mix of emotions.

At this moment, Sakayanagi, supported by Kamuro, came to Amane's side, tiptoed, and whispered in Amane's ear.

"So, do you like the gift I gave you?"

"I never imagined that Arisu could invite so many people to my birthday party, and even have everyone wear swimsuits..."

Before Amane could finish speaking, Sakayanagi shook his head with a smile.

"Who was talking about that? Besides, do you think I could invite so many people with my connections? Everyone came voluntarily. The gift I mentioned is Airi. What do you think? Doesn't she look good in this swimsuit? I picked it out myself. You were staring at her there for a full three minutes and forty-three seconds."

Chapter 229: The Crossroads of Fate

"Arisu! Please don't say such vulgar things so seriously at a time like this. Airi is about to faint!"

As Tianyin watched the faint white steam rising from Airi's head, Airi herself blushed to the point where she could rival a perfectly cooked crayfish.

Amane originally thought that Airi had told her before that she had found her source of courage, and that Airi wouldn't care too much about Sakayanagi's jokes. But seeing that Airi's eyes were almost turning into mosquito coils, Amane quickly interrupted Sakayanagi's attempt to add fuel to the fire.

"Vulgar? This is nothing. You'll see what true vulgarity is in a moment, Tianyin."

"Could it be... Arisu, did you prepare some other gift?"

Holding the ripe Ai in her arms, Tianyin's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

She was already getting a little carried away by the sheer scale of the event; what if Sakayanagi put on some special performances...?

Tianyin might really have to act like a monster this time.

"Guess what~ Horikita-kun, I've brought the Amane to you. Now it's up to you. I hope you won't disappoint me."

Sakayanagi stepped back a few paces to make room for Horikita, who was wearing a swimsuit behind her.

Although Horikita was a little annoyed that Sakayanagi had stolen the spotlight, she couldn't argue that the whole plan was devised by Sakayanagi, Amane was brought here by Sakayanagi, and even the venue issue was resolved by Sakayanagi. As the core figure of this plan, it was only natural for her to appear as the host, which was perfectly reasonable.

Fortunately, Sakayanagi can't go into the pool, so this is her time to shine.

"Don't worry, it's just letting her experience 'defeat' once. There are so many people here, even if Tianyin were truly inhuman, she wouldn't be able to handle it."

"that……"