When the lunch bell rang, Hayasaka hadn't even stood up before a group of students immediately swarmed around her. Curious gazes rained down on her from all directions.
"Hayasaka-san! What did you mean by your introduction earlier?"
"Are you really dating Rokuhara-san?"
"What's school life like at Shuchi'in Academy?"
"Why did you transfer to Ohananomitsu High School?"
"Yesterday, we saw you entering the hotel where Rokuhara-kun is staying. What happened there?"
And one question came from a girl who admired Hayasaka's beauty.
"Hayasaka-san, your skin is so smooth, and your hair looks so soft. Do you do any special treatments?"
Hayasaka, who had anticipated being swarmed like this, simply smiled faintly.
"My, so many questions... Which one should I answer first?"
"Of course, the most important one! Are you and Rokuhara-san really dating?" Exclaimed a male student.
Hayasaka glanced over at Ren, who was leaving the classroom with Masachika.
"Well, that's a secret~" She said in a teasing tone.
"Don't tease us like that, Hayasaka-san!" Protested one of the female students.
"But you said earlier that you 'belong to him.' Doesn't that mean you're really dating?"
"Is it true that you went to a hotel together?"
Upon hearing that question, some students coughed awkwardly, while others held their breath, waiting for her answer.
"It's true."
Without hesitation, Hayasaka admitted it.
"Kyaaa!!!"
The entire class erupted into chaos. The female students, who had been curious from the start, were now even more excited.
"How long have you two known each other?"
"How did you start dating?"
"Did Rokuhara-san confess his feelings first?"
"Do you two go out often?"
While the girls bombarded Hayasaka with a barrage of questions, the male students fell silent in disappointment.
"Seriously... she's already taken?" Whispered one of them in a desperate tone.
"Ugh, no chance of pursuing Hayasaka-san!" Lamented another.
"What's so great about Rokuhara anyway?!" Some of them cursed inwardly.
Amid the commotion, Hayasaka simply smiled calmly. With her fashionable high school girl persona, she easily blended in and answered questions in her signature style—sometimes teasing, sometimes leaving them curious, but always maintaining her aura as an attractive girl.
On the other side of the classroom, someone was not pleased with this situation.
Miura Yumiko, a blonde-haired girl with a dominant aura, sat with her arms crossed and a displeased expression. From the start, she had always been the center of attention in this class, and she disliked it when someone better than her stole the spotlight.
Near her, her two close friends, Yuigahama Yui and Ebina Hina, seemed interested in the topic of Ren and Hayasaka's relationship.
"Yumiko, do you think they're really dating?" Asked Yuigahama curiously.
"Well... Hayasaka-san seems really confident. They seem like a good match, don't they?" Added Ebina with a smile.
However, Yumiko's response was far from what they expected.
With a haughty expression, she crossed her legs and said sharply, "A woman who goes to a love hotel with a man is a slut."
A sudden silence fell over their corner of the room.
Yuigahama and Ebina fell silent, not expecting Yumiko to make such a harsh statement. Yuigahama, who was usually cheerful, looked uneasy, while Ebina, though often joked about vulgar topics, didn't laugh this time.
"Uh... Yumiko, isn't that a bit too much?" Yuigahama said softly.
Ebina just glanced at her with an unreadable expression but didn't respond immediately.
"..."
Meanwhile, Hayasaka, who heard the comment, narrowed her eyes and looked at Yumiko with a faint smile. The atmosphere around them shifted. The girls who had been surrounding Hayasaka gradually fell silent. They clearly felt offended by Yumiko's statement, but no one dared to refute her. After all, Yumiko was one of the top-tier girls in the class—someone with significant influence among them.
Other female students might fear Yumiko, but Hayasaka did not!
"Sorry, I don't think I've met you yet. May I know your name?"
Her tone sounded friendly, but there was something hidden beneath it.
Yumiko maintained her haughty expression as if the world revolved around her.
"Miura Yumiko. I'm just speaking the truth."
Hayasaka, completely unbothered by the provocation, seemed even more intrigued.
"Miura-san, I'm curious, do you have a boyfriend?" She asked innocently.
Yumiko frowned. "No."
As if she had found something interesting, Hayasaka smiled wider.
"Ah, no wonder you'd say something like that. Turns out you're still single and have no romantic experience."
Instantly, Yumiko's expression changed.
"You don't understand but act like a love expert." Hayasaka continued without giving her a chance to interrupt. "Judging others' good and bad, even though you know nothing about it."
Yumiko's face turned red with embarrassment and anger. Her eyes widened as if she couldn't believe someone had just belittled her in front of everyone. Her lips parted, ready to retort, but before she could utter a word, Hayasaka didn't give her a chance to respond.
"By the way, according to surveys, many girls lose their virginity during high school with their boyfriends. So, are you saying all of them are sluts? Who do you think you are to judge so many people without knowing anything?"
"..."
The classroom fell silent.
As a former Shuchi'in Academy student, Hayasaka's background couldn't be taken lightly. In fact, she might be the student with the highest status in Class 2-B. So, when she clashed with Yumiko, almost all the female students in the class immediately sided with her.
For a long time, many of them had been fed up with Yumiko's queen-like attitude, always acting as if they were beneath her. However, due to her strong influence, they had never dared to oppose her.
Now, with Hayasaka's presence as a more influential supporter, they were no longer afraid. In fact, they saw this as an opportunity to express their long-suppressed dissatisfaction.
"Miura-san, you're being too much!"
"Just because someone goes to a hotel with a guy doesn't mean she's a slut!"
"You don't even have any relationship experience, so why act like you know everything?"
"Do you think just because you're popular in this class, you can judge others as you please?"
"All of you..."
Yumiko's body trembled under the barrage of sharp words directed at her. Her face turned red, not just from embarrassment but also from anger mixed with helplessness. She had never been in a situation like this before—where people who usually submitted to her were now attacking her mercilessly.
Before the situation could escalate further, someone finally stepped in.
"Alright, let's stop here."
The calm but firm voice belonged to Hayama Hayato, the class representative of 2-B. With his signature gentle smile, he stood between them, calming the increasingly heated atmosphere.
"We shouldn't be fighting like this. Attacking each other will only make things worse. We're classmates, let's get along."
Although many of them still wanted to vent their frustrations, Hayato's presence was enough to stop the tide of anger. After all, he was a respected figure in Class 2-B.
However, the damage had already been done.
With her face still red and her eyes teary, Yumiko couldn't take it anymore. She bit her lip, then turned and ran out of the classroom without saying a word.
"Yumiko!"
Yuigahama and Ebina immediately chased after her, leaving behind a tense classroom atmosphere.
"..."
After an awkward silence, Hayato finally turned to Hayasaka. With his usual gentle smile, he said, "Hayasaka-san, please forgive Yumiko. She didn't mean any harm; she just sometimes says harsh things without thinking."
"Don't worry, I won't hold a grudge over something so trivial. Besides, I'm used to the arrogance of noble kids at Shuchi'in Academy. They're arrogant because they have something to back it up—whether it's family wealth, connections, or extraordinary achievements."
Pausing for a moment, Hayasaka glanced at the door where Yumiko had run out. "But I don't understand where Miura-san's arrogance comes from. She's just an ordinary high school girl, right? Why does she act more conceited than most Shuchi'in Academy students? I don't get it."
"..."
Hayato opened his mouth as if to defend Yumiko, but no words came out. After all, what Hayasaka said was true.
Yumiko was used to acting arrogantly in front of ordinary people. However, if she displayed her arrogance in front of people with more influential backgrounds than her, her actions would seem utterly foolish.
In the end, Hayato could only sigh. "If possible, please don't make too big a deal out of this, Hayasaka-san."
Hayasaka simply smiled faintly.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
On the other hand, Ren was completely unaware of the conflict between Hayasaka and Yumiko. Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
In his eyes, Yumiko was just a country girl who thought she was the center of the universe. She was used to acting as if everyone should bow to her. But once she entered society, she would learn that she was just an insignificant person.
At the moment, Ren was in the cafeteria with Masachika. With trays of lunch in hand, the two walked to an empty seat and sat down.
Masachika stirred his soup with a spoon, then glanced at Ren. "So... did you really bring a girl from Shuchi'in Academy to a hotel yesterday?"
"That's what the school forum says, right?" Ren replied, eating his curry without denying it.
"Aren't you going to clarify?"
"What for?"
"Your boldness is truly remarkable, Ren."
Seeing Ren's indifference to the rumors about himself, Masachika couldn't help but admire him a little.
"Mind if I join you?"
An elegant female voice interrupted the conversation between the two boys.