Chapter 149: I don't believe it unless you swear!

Chapter 149: I don't believe it unless you swear!

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'Why is this girl, Karuizawa, looking at me like that? Is she sick?!'

Kushida couldn't understand why Karuizawa was staring at her with such an intense gaze. Curious and somewhat annoyed, she decided to take the initiative and walked toward Karuizawa, intending to ask her directly for clarification.

As Kushida approached, Karuizawa—who outwardly seemed strong but was actually timid—began to feel a little guilty. However, when she thought of Rin, her resolve strengthened, and she regained her courage.

Karuizawa's sparkling eyes focused intently on Kushida as she drew closer.

"Karuizawa-san, why are you looking at me like that? Have I offended you in some way?" Kushida's tone was soft, almost like a weak kitten, making her appear very lovable.

Unfortunately for her, Karuizawa wasn't buying it!

Karuizawa lightly touched the silver necklace around her neck and asked, pressing her fingers against it, "Kushida-san, I want to ask you something. Have you received any gifts in the past two days? Perhaps a necklace, bracelet, or hairpin?"

"…"

Kushida's lips twitched slightly. Was this girl trying to show off the necklace she had received as a gift over the weekend?

The way Karuizawa kept touching her necklace made Kushida mistakenly believe that Karuizawa was provoking her, flaunting the fact that she had received a gift.

Still maintaining her sweet smile, Kushida replied, "No, not at all, Karuizawa-san. I'm not as popular as you are, so I haven't received any gifts."

"Really?" Karuizawa cast a suspicious glance at her.

"Of course."

"I won't believe it unless you swear to it."

'You poor, ugly woman. Don't push your luck'

Kushida resisted the urge to punch Karuizawa. Instead of indulging her demand, she decided to change the subject entirely.

"Let's not talk about whether I received a gift or not. Karuizawa-san, the necklace you're wearing is so beautiful. Did you buy it yourself?"

Karuizawa Megumi raised her delicate eyebrows and replied in a triumphant tone, "I didn't buy it. Rin gave it to me yesterday~"

Kushida's sweet smile faltered ever so slightly, and a look of surprise crossed her face.

She was surprised by two things.

First, the origin of the necklace.

Second, the way Karuizawa addressed Rin.

In Japanese culture, calling someone by their given name directly signified a very close and intimate relationship.

Seeing Kushida's stunned expression, Karuizawa felt that her revelation—"Rin gave her a necklace"—had already dealt a blow to Kushida. Sensing an opportunity, Karuizawa decided to push even further, determined to make Kushida give up any idea of pursuing Rin.

"Kushida-san, this necklace costs over 24,000 points. Do you think Rin would give me such an expensive gift unless he was interested in me?" Karuizawa's boastful tone and victorious expression were unmistakable.

Her words made Kushida seethe with anger.

At this moment, Kushida's urge to punch Karuizawa grew even stronger!

'Tolerate it.'

'I'll bear with this for now!'

Still smiling sweetly, Kushida feigned a puzzled expression. "Karuizawa-san, why are you asking me? When Rin gave you this necklace, why didn't you just ask him directly?"

"..."

Karuizawa's proud and victorious expression froze slightly.

'Why didn't I ask?'

'I did!'

She had directly asked Rin if he would accept her and let her be his girlfriend.

But Rin's response had been merciless—he told her it was nothing more than wishful thinking!

Kushida, ever perceptive, immediately noticed the subtle change in Karuizawa's expression. Raising her eyebrows slightly, she began to analyze the situation.

'Karuizawa didn't answer me directly. Clearly, she asked Matsuoka the same question after receiving the necklace.

And judging by her reaction, Rin's answer wasn't favorable.

If he was truly interested in her, Karuizawa wouldn't have been so stunned.'

Seeing Karuizawa lose her earlier arrogance, Kushida felt a surge of satisfaction. With a bright smile, she asked in a concerned tone, "Karuizawa-san, is something wrong?"

"I'm fine," Karuizawa replied sullenly. Recalling how Rin had rejected her confession, her good mood vanished entirely.

"Ah, Karuizawa-san, you're just curious if Rin-san likes you because of the necklace, right? Don't worry, as soon as he comes by, I'll ask him for you!"

Kushida patted her overly plump chest with a confident gesture and added, "I promise to find out for you!"

"There's no need! This is a matter between Rin and me. There's no reason for a third party to interfere!" Karuizawa glared at the overly "helpful" Kushida Kikyo.

"That won't do, Karuizawa-san! You asked for my help earlier, so I must get to the bottom of this for you!"

"I told you, don't meddle!"

Karuizawa abruptly stood up, towering over Kushida, who was half a head shorter than her. "Right now, I only want to know if you received the hairpin or not!"

Her voice was louder than intended, and most of the students in Class D turned to look. Horikita, who had been quietly reading her textbook, raised her head. She frowned slightly, her expression showing a hint of surprise.

Hairpin?

The word triggered Horikita's memory of the hairpin she had seen in Rin's dormitory the night before. Rin had mentioned it was a gift for Ichinose Honami from Class B, which meant it had nothing to do with either Karuizawa or Kushida.

Realizing this, Horikita decided the argument wasn't worth her attention and returned to her reading.

"No, I already told you, no!" Kushida replied, her expression aggrieved. Her tearful, pitiful eyes added to her appearance of innocence.

"Hey! Karuizawa-san, stop bullying Kushida-san!"

"Who's bullying her? I'm just asking her a question!" Karuizawa retorted, trying to maintain a façade of strength.

"But what you're doing is totally bullying Kikyo-chan!"

Before she realized it, a group of girls had gathered behind Kushida, glaring at Karuizawa and siding with Kushida.

These girls had been carefully recruited by Kushida over the past few days, forming a tight-knit group under her leadership.

The growing number of girls on Kushida's side made Karuizawa, a proverbial paper tiger, feel increasingly uneasy. Luckily, at that moment, Shinohara, known for her fiery temper and strong will, came rushing over.

"What's going on here?! Matsushita, Ichihashi, Sato, Mori, come quickly! Someone's trying to bully one of our own!"

Shinohara's shout immediately rallied Ichihashi Ruri and the others, who rushed over to support Karuizawa.

Amid the tension-filled crowd of angry girls, Matsushita was the only one who didn't seem upset. Instead, she looked visibly frustrated.

In truth, Matsushita had only joined Karuizawa's small group to avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, girls who didn't align themselves with a group often became easy targets for bullying.

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