Chapter 226: Am I So Extreme?

"What are you whispering about?"

Noticing Miko and Hana whispering to each other, Tomie frowned and asked.

Aside from her special charm and immortality, Tomie was still just an ordinary high school girl in many ways. She didn't have heightened senses, so she had no idea what the two girls were saying.

"Nothing! Nothing!"

Both of them shook their heads quickly in unison.

Of course, there was no way they'd admit what they were actually talking about.

"Hmph."

Tomie didn't press further.

"Well then, didn't Ryuji want to see me? Let's go!"

For someone like Tomie, who thrived on vanity, the thought of the school's most famous person being obsessed with her was simply irresistible.

In her mind, the mere possibility of such a scenario would make her the most dazzling girl in the entire school.

And so, she didn't hesitate for even a second.

She wasn't worried that Miko and Hana might have ulterior motives.

Why would she be?

After all, even if they did want to harm her, what could they do?

She was Kawakami Tomie—immortal and indestructible. She had no reason to fear death.

That unshakable confidence was the foundation of her entire being.

---

"Okay," Miko said with a sigh of relief.

She and Hana immediately put away their earlier concerns and began leading the way to the Service Club room.

As they walked, both girls exchanged glances, their expressions tinged with disbelief.

Looking at Tomie trailing leisurely behind them, with not a single hint of worry on her face, they didn't know what to say.

They had initially been worried about how to trick Tomie into coming with them.

But now?

It turned out there was no need to scheme or deceive her. Tomie was all too eager to follow them willingly.

"It's like she's walking right into the trap herself," Hana muttered under her breath.

Miko just nodded in agreement, still processing how easy it had been.

---

At the same time, in the Service Club room…

"A hot spring trip? I can't even remember the last time I went to a hot spring," Shizuka said, leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful expression.

Ryuji had invited her as well, and she saw no reason to refuse.

Honestly, the idea of relaxing in a hot spring sounded nice.

"Hmm… it's been so long, I don't think I can even recall when it was," she added.

Then, as if realizing something, she glanced at Ryuji with a mock-pout and said, "You actually remembered me this time?"

Her tone was tinged with mock resentment.

For a moment, Hiratsuka Shizuka had thought Ryuji might've forgotten about her entirely.

"Of course I remembered!" Ryuji replied with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't dare forget you."

The girls in the room were a bit surprised by their interaction. Not many of them knew the nature of the relationship between Ryuji and Shizuka.

"Wait… Hiratsuka-sensei, are you and Ryuji…?"

One of the girls trailed off, her curiosity evident.

Shizuka coughed lightly, her face betraying the slightest hint of embarrassment.

"Ahem! Is there a problem with me being invited?" she said, quickly recovering her composure.

Her tone was confident, as if daring anyone to question her presence.

"…"

The girls exchanged glances but decided not to press the issue. Even if they thought something was unusual, they weren't about to say it out loud.

---

"Ryuji-kun!"

At that moment, Miko and Hana entered the room, bringing Kawakami Tomie along with them.

The sound of an unfamiliar yet haughty voice filled the room.

"So, this is the Service Club?"

The arrogance in Tomie's tone immediately grabbed everyone's attention.

The girls in the room, who had already been warned about Tomie's troublesome nature, turned their eyes toward her with undisguised curiosity.

"Hmm?"

Tomie stepped into the room and was momentarily taken aback.

The gazes of so many beautiful girls fell on her at once.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she scanned the room, a flicker of dissatisfaction flashing across her face.

I didn't expect there to be so many pretty girls here…

But Tomie's confidence didn't waver.

It doesn't matter. No matter how beautiful they are, none of them can match me. When it comes to charm, I'm unmatched!

---

"Kawakami Tomie?"

Shizuka, who had been watching silently until now, spoke up with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Although Tomie wasn't in her class, Shizuka still knew about her.

As a teacher, it was hard not to hear about the mysterious transfer student who had captivated every boy in her class.

"Hmm?"

Tomie turned toward the voice and saw Shizuka.

Her expression soured slightly.

Ugh, a teacher.

She didn't particularly like teachers, especially female ones.

"Hey, what's with that look?" Shizuka said, noticing Tomie's attitude immediately.

"You should show some respect for your teachers, you know."

The corner of Shizuka's eye twitched slightly.

Seriously, what's with kids these days? Do they all have such terrible attitudes?

For a brief moment, an intrusive thought crossed her mind.

I'm really annoyed. I want to kill her.

But the instant the thought appeared, Shizuka froze.

Her eyes widened slightly as she processed what she had just felt.

Wait… what's wrong with me?

Shizuka prided herself on having a temper, sure, but it was never anything extreme. She could get irritated, but it was more bark than bite.

She couldn't recall ever wanting to take someone's life, not even in passing.

She quickly shook her head, as if trying to clear the intrusive thought from her mind.

Maybe I'm just imagining things.

To cover her unease, she quickly changed the topic.

"I heard there was some trouble in your class today," Shizuka said, her tone softening slightly.

"A girl tried to hurt you, right? Do you want to take a break from school for a few days?"

For any normal high school girl, such an incident would've been terrifying. It wasn't uncommon for something like this to leave a lasting psychological scar.

But Tomie wasn't normal.

She simply gave Shizuka a dismissive look, her expression oozing indifference.

"I'm fine," she said casually, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her attitude made it clear that the whole ordeal was little more than a minor inconvenience in her eyes.

Shizuka studied Tomie carefully.

The girl's confidence was unusual, almost unnatural.

As a teacher, she had dealt with all kinds of students, but something about Tomie left her uneasy.