-476- Women can be troublesome..

The opening ceremony concluded.

Though it's unclear if it could be considered smooth, there were no further conflicts after Kurahashi Miyo, the director, intervened and stopped the confrontation between Natsume and Kyouko.

In this atmosphere, the students exited the underground training ground, unlike the subdued ambiance earlier. They were lively, chatting animatedly and leaving as if they had just watched an exciting movie, not calming down for a while.

As for Rozen and Natsume, they also left the training ground and headed towards the first-year classrooms.

However...

"What's gotten into you, Natsume?" Rozen couldn't help but ask on the way.

"Why provoke someone on your own initiative?"

Rozen was puzzled, as Natsume had never displayed such aggression before. The thought of challenging Kurahashi Kyouko in front of so many people seemed out of character for her.

"Well, that Kurahashi family student was targeting Akikan, after all," Natsume said, sounding annoyed, which left Rozen perplexed.

While it was true that Kurahashi Kyouko had targeted Rozen in public, considering her circumstances, it wasn't surprising.

Being the only daughter of the head of the Kurahashi family and the granddaughter of the Onmyou Academy director, along with her talent and appearance, she would have garnered attention even without Rozen and Natsume.

In fact, she would have been the center of attention, especially with her third-place ranking in the entrance exam. If it weren't for Rozen and Natsume, she would have secured the first place.

Given her family background, abilities, and appearance, Kurahashi Kyouko was a remarkable individual. It was natural for her to feel frustrated when her spotlight was taken by Rozen and his unexpected popularity. So, Rozen didn't find Kyouko's public declaration to be excessive.

Regardless, the other party openly challenged, rather than resorting to underhanded tactics or sarcasm. If that were the case, considering Rozen's temperament, he would have certainly retaliated.

In light of this, Rozen wasn't too bothered by Kurahashi Kyouko's targeting. He felt it was quite natural for such a thing to happen.

However, Natsume seemed unable to stand idly by.

"If your skills aren't up to par, you should admit it and accept it gracefully. What's the point of doing something like that?" Natsume kept murmuring.

"Originally, Akikan was already the center of attention for all the students. Doing something like this would only put Akikan in the spotlight. As Akikan's shikigami, I can't just stand by and watch," Natsume's hostility towards Kurahashi Kyouko flared up for this reason.

Indeed, Kurahashi Kyouko's actions would thrust Rozen into the limelight and undoubtedly spark discussions among all the students at the Onmyou Academy. It would make Rozen's rumors even more intricate.

However, Rozen believed that even without Kurahashi Kyouko's targeting, discussions about him wouldn't cease among the students. This incident only added fuel to the fire, intensifying the situation but not altering its essence.

Rozen deduced the main reason for Natsume's enmity towards Kurahashi Kyouko was that she couldn't stand seeing her so aggressively target him.

"...Do you dislike Kurahashi Kyouko?" Rozen posed this question.

In Rozen's view, Natsume's intense aversion to Kurahashi Kyouko was probably the primary reason.

"..."

Natsume was suddenly struck silent, rendered speechless.

However, a while later, Natsume spoke up.

"...I don't know why either," Natsume said in a low voice. "Seeing Kurahashi Kyouko target you like that makes me uncomfortable. I want to dampen her spirit."

This was the reason for Natsume's uncharacteristic display of aggression.

"You..." Rozen sighed.

But Natsume also showed her usual stubborn side.

"Anyway, if that Kurahashi girl wants to deal with Akikan, she'll have to get through me first. My ranking is higher than hers, and I'm Akikan's shikigami. I have no reason to ignore her challenge."

Natsume firmly expressed this point without reservation.

"Fine," Rozen could only roll his eyes and compromise. "But remember to tone it down, don't go too far."

Kurahashi Kyouko had secured the third position in the entrance exam, indicating her skill and talent were quite commendable. She ranked just below Rozen and Natsume among the new students in this regard, surpassing the rest. It was no surprise considering she was the only daughter of the Kurahashi family, one of the most influential families in the world of jujutsu.

"If the opponent doesn't have Shikigami, refrain from using Hekireki, alright?" Rozen cautioned.

"I'll do my best," Natsume replied tersely, clearly harboring strong animosity toward Kurahashi Kyouko.

Naturally, from Kurahashi Kyouko's perspective, Natsume must have been an annoying and meddlesome person as well. The two were likely mutually unimpressed with each other.

"Women can be troublesome," Rozen couldn't help but comment.

Not long after, they both arrived at the classroom.

"————"

The once lively classroom suddenly fell silent when Rozen and Natsume walked in. The excited chatter among the students hushed as they watched Rozen and Natsume enter.

Rozen paid no mind to this, only feeling a sense of exasperation.

"..."

"..."

By their side, Natsume was engaged in a mutual stare-down with a girl in the classroom. The hostility and discomfort in their gazes seemed impossible to dispel.

Rozen observed Kurahashi Kyouko sitting in one of the seats, exchanging glares with Natsume. He scratched his head, unsure if he should intervene.

Fortunately...

"It's about time for class. Mister and miss Tsuchimikado, please take your seats," Ohtomo Jin, their class advisor, walked in with a cane and playful laughter, steering the conversation.

Natsume then withdrew her gaze and sat down in the last row of the classroom with Rozen.

"It's good to be spirited. I hope you both can keep it up," Ohtomo Jin nodded in satisfaction, perhaps enjoying the mischief, and proceeded to the front of the classroom.

Rozen sat next to Natsume, watching Ohtomo Jin like this, but he soon felt a distinct gaze.

Turning his gaze, he looked back at the person. There, the heir of Kurahashi was seemingly paying genuine attention to the lesson, rather than sending glances his way.

Rozen rubbed his temples.

"What will happen next?" Rozen murmured.