After all, school is a microcosm of society. Social hierarchies form naturally, distinguishing students based on their popularity, personality, and family status.
Among the girls in Class 2-B, Miura Yumiko occupies the highest position in the social food chain. The girl with wavy blonde hair exudes the aura of a queen. Along with her cheerful best friend, Yuigahama Yui, and Ebina Hina, a girl with an overly wild imagination, the three of them form the dominant social circle among the girls.
On the boys' side, Hayama Hayato is the gravitational center of the group. With his handsome face, athleticism, and friendly demeanor, he is someone almost everyone likes—at least, on the surface. Together with his gang—Ooka, Yamato, and Tobe—they occupy the top of the class's social hierarchy.
For ordinary students, offending any one of them is a fatal mistake.
The consequences? Social ostracism or even bullying.
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When Ren stepped into the classroom, the usually lively atmosphere suddenly felt different. The previously noisy chatter quieted down a bit, and several pairs of eyes immediately turned toward him.
It wasn't because he was someone extraordinary in the class—on the contrary, he was just an ordinary student. However, this morning, his name had become the subject of gossip.
"That's him, right?"
"Yeah, the one who was seen with a girl from Shuchi'in Academy yesterday."
"Seriously? That elite school? Could she be his girlfriend?"
Whispers could be heard in various corners of the room. Curious, envious, and even some disdainful glances mixed together.
Shuchi'in Academy is a school for the elite. The fact that an ordinary student like Ren was seen with one of its students, especially a girl, was enough to draw attention.
Among them, some were intrigued to find out more, while others began to feel displeased.
Among the students witnessing this phenomenon, Tobe was one of the most disturbed.
From the start, he had always been somewhat blunt and sociable, but beneath that, he was also prone to envy toward people who attracted attention. And today, that attention was directed at Rokuhara Ren, someone who had never stood out before.
Tobe immediately gathered with Hayato, Ooka, and Yamato. As soon as he saw the opportunity, he launched into a sarcastic comment with a mocking tone.
"Hey, did you guys hear about Rokuhara? I heard he went to a love hotel with a girl from Shuchi'in."
Ooka raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Seriously? A girl from Shuchi'in? No way."
Yamato chimed in. "Now that I think about it, that's kind of weird, right? A rich, elite girl from Shuchi'in would go with him? Unless…"
Tobe continued in a lower tone, as if revealing a major scandal.
"Unless he threatened her."
Ooka and Yamato immediately fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances.
Tobe smiled smugly at their expressions. He felt his theory was quite plausible. How could a rich girl from an elite school willingly go to a love hotel with Ren unless there was coercion?
"I heard he used threats, you know. Maybe he has photos or secrets about her. Or maybe he has connections in the underworld who threatened her."
"That's insane… if it's true, that's just too much." Yamato muttered, starting to be swayed.
However, from the side, Hayato frowned. He had been listening to their conversation but hadn't intervened immediately. Now, he felt the need to stop Tobe before this gossip spread further.
"Tobe, don't just talk nonsense." Hayato said in a warning tone.
Tobe turned to him with an expression as if he didn't see the problem. "Eh, relax, Hayato. I'm just spreading info that might be true."
"But you don't have any proof." Hayato emphasized. "Spreading rumors isn't a good thing."
Tobe laughed as if he didn't feel guilty at all.
"Come on, Hayato! This isn't a rumor, it's analysis! Just use logic—why would a rich girl like that be with an ordinary guy? There's something behind it, and I'm just trying to figure it out."
Seeing Tobe getting more and more excited about badmouthing Ren, Hayato could only sigh. He knew forcing Tobe to stop would only make him more persistent.
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Meanwhile, in another corner of the classroom, Ren sat casually in his seat, seemingly unbothered.
Sitting right in front of him, Masachika turned to look at him.
"Hey, Ren. Aren't you going to stop him? That's going too far." Masachika asked with a curious expression.
Ren, who had been silent while playing with his phone, finally glanced briefly at Tobe, who was still busy slandering him.
"I'm not interested in wasting my time on a clown."
Masachika paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Hah… a clown, huh? That's a good metaphor."
However, his curiosity remained. He looked at Ren with keen interest. "By the way, is the rumor on the school forum true?"
"You've seen the photo, right? There's no point in me denying it. It's true. Last night, I spent a passionate night with that girl. Of course, the reason isn't what that clown is saying."
Hearing such a frank admission, Masachika whistled softly while looking at Ren as if he had just won the lottery.
"You're really an extraordinary guy. I can't imagine anyone saying that with such a calm face."
Hearing Ren's candid admission, Masachika whistled softly while looking at him in admiration.
At that moment, Hachiman entered the classroom. As usual, his presence didn't attract anyone's attention, and he didn't expect anyone to care.
However, Ren turned toward him.
Standing up from his seat, Ren said to Masachika, "I have some business to take care of."
Masachika raised an eyebrow but didn't ask further.
"Good luck!"
Ren walked straight toward Hachiman, who had just sat down in his seat.
When Hachiman saw Ren approaching, his expression immediately stiffened.
However, he remained calm and asked in a flat tone, "Do you need something from me?"
Ren didn't answer directly. Without any nonsense, he simply said in a flat tone, "Follow me."
Then, without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the classroom, as if he already knew for sure that Hachiman would follow.
Hachiman snorted inwardly.
'What an arrogant bastard.'
Yet, even though he hadn't had the chance to respond, his feet moved to follow Ren.
He let out a soft sigh while muttering complaints, "I didn't even say yes."
But in the end, he obediently followed Ren out of the classroom.
The two walked through the hallway without speaking, eventually arriving at a quiet corner of the building—a place rarely passed by other students.
"Eavesdropping isn't a commendable behavior, Hikigaya-kun."
Ren's voice broke the silence.
"Huh? I don't know what you mean." Hachiman tried to play dumb.
However, Ren just chuckled softly, then glanced slightly at him.
"No need to lie. I know you overheard my conversation with Natsuo."
"Fine, I admit it. So? What are you going to do to me? Threaten me?" He asked in a flat tone, though Hachiman couldn't hide a slight unease in his voice.
"It's nice talking to smart people. It saves a lot of time."
Ren stepped closer, staring at Hachiman with serious eyes.
"Listen carefully. If you dare tell anyone what you heard…"
He paused for a moment, letting the atmosphere grow more tense before continuing in a lower voice:
"The Hikigaya family will lose a member named Hachiman."
Hachiman's blood instantly ran cold.
His eye twitched, cold sweat dripping down his temple.
"You're joking, right?" He let out a small laugh, though it felt very forced. "I guess not…"
Seeing Ren's serious expression, he knew this wasn't just a joke.
"Damn it… I swear, I won't say anything. I'll take this secret to the grave."
Hachiman really didn't want to risk his life over some lewd gossip between two perverted guys.
After getting the answer he wanted, Ren patted Hachiman's shoulder with a friendly smile—as if the threat had never happened.
"Good. I like people who know how to keep secrets."
Without waiting for a response, Ren turned and walked away, leaving Hachiman still trying to calm his racing heart.
After a moment, Hachiman let out a long sigh.
"Damn, I really met the devil."
With slightly unsteady steps, he returned to the classroom, hoping never to get involved with someone like Rokuhara Ren again.