Chapter 29: Devouring Class C, Ryuen's Next Plan!

Saiki Kusuo turned his head to look at the newcomer.

He was tall and looked very muscular. Beneath his delinquent-like long hair was a strong, angular face, though his expression was filled with arrogance and a sense of mischief.

Ryuen Kakeru—the very person Shiina Hiyori had just been thinking about.

Standing next to Ryuen was an even larger black man, who made Ryuen seem short in comparison.

Yamada Albert, another student from the current Class D. However, his dark skin bore several noticeable scars.

On the other side was a petite girl in a school uniform. She had short blue hair and decent features, but her sharp eyes made her seem anything but cute.

Ibuki Mio, also Ryuen's classmate.

[Shiina Hiyori is here? I didn't think she had any friends. In class, she seems so aloof and doesn't interact much with others. Is she on a date with someone right now?]

[Not from our class. Given Shiina Hiyori's personality, she probably doesn't interact much with upperclassmen either... This person must be from one of the other three classes.]

[But no matter which class they're from, they'll all eventually be crushed under my feet! Even though we're Class D now, I'll climb up step by step, and when the other three classes let their guard down, I'll devour them until nothing is left!]

Saiki Kusuo could hear Ryuen's thoughts, which sounded like a declaration of war.

'Yare yare, here comes a troublesome guy.'

The reason Saiki Kusuo didn't want his class to rank too high was precisely to avoid situations like this. The higher the rank, the more likely they'd become targets.

But for a first-year student who had only been at the school for a month, Ryuen's combative nature seemed a bit excessive.

'As long as it doesn't affect me, it's fine.'

Saiki Kusuo didn't keep his gaze on Ryuen for too long, quickly shifting his attention back to the pudding in front of him. No matter what Ryuen wanted to do, as long as it didn't involve him, Saiki Kusuo couldn't be bothered.

However, at this moment, Ryuen's attention remained firmly fixed on Saiki Kusuo.

[He looks pretty skinny. Is he more brains than brawn?]

[Since he's from another class, he'll eventually become a stepping stone for me.]

[But I don't know much about him yet. I'll provoke him a bit to see how he reacts. Maybe I can gather some information from his response.]

Ryuen noticed the pudding in front of Saiki Kusuo and planned to knock it over as a way to provoke him.

This was his usual tactic—first, provoke the target, make them act impulsively, judge their personality and abilities, and then exploit their weaknesses to bring them under his control.

Albert had become Ryuen's lackey for this very reason. Even though Albert had once been a delinquent himself, he had been defeated by Ryuen, who was smaller in stature, and had developed a fear of him, eventually becoming his follower.

'If you dare knock my pudding to the ground, you'll bleed from every pore in three months and die.'

For a moment, Saiki Kusuo's gaze turned icy cold. He wasn't joking.

If Ryuen dared to make any move, Saiki Kusuo would definitely make him pay.

However, Saiki Kusuo quickly realized that Ryuen's plan wouldn't come to fruition—not because of his intervention.

"Ryuen-kun, I'm chatting with my friend. If you have something to say, could you please do it later?"

At that moment, Shiina Hiyori looked up and smiled at Ryuen.

Although Shiina Hiyori wasn't good at dealing with others, in this situation, she made her stance very clear—she didn't want Ryuen causing trouble here.

As a classmate, Shiina Hiyori knew Ryuen's methods. He solved almost everything with violence.

Even though it was only the first month of school and everyone was still getting to know each other, Ryuen had already used force to seize control of the class.

Many in the class resented Ryuen, but none dared to speak out.

[Not many in the class dare to talk to the boss like this...]

Albert, standing nearby, muttered to himself, glancing at Ibuki Mio out of the corner of his eye before quickly turning his attention back to Shiina Hiyori.

Saiki Kusuo could hear Albert's thoughts. Unlike others, Albert's inner monologue was in pure English, but Saiki Kusuo could understand it.

[Hiyori, her mind is probably the sharpest in Class D. No one can compare to her. She's very smart.]

[She doesn't like conflict, so she can't be used as a good pawn. But there's no doubt that Shiina Hiyori is essential to our class. Her mind could play a huge role in the future.]

[For now, it's best to maintain a decent relationship with Hiyori. If provoking this guy ruins my relationship with her, it wouldn't be worth it.]

In an instant, Ryuen made this judgment and then smiled.

"I was just passing by and saw you here, so I thought I'd say hello. Let's get along better later!"

Ryuen waved his hand and then left the café with his lackeys.

"Who's that guy?"

"A first-year? He looks so cocky. And that guy next to him—is he black?"

"We definitely shouldn't mess with him!"

Saiki Kusuo could hear the surrounding people discussing Ryuen.

Although Ryuen seemed like an extremely violent person, in this situation, he remained surprisingly calm.

[I'll make Class C my first target.]

[There's still some time before the midterm exams. I'll use this month to observe Class C and gather information about them.]

[I'll slowly devour them, then lead the entire class upward, and finally crush Class A—and that guy in Class A—under my feet.]

As he left, Ryuen's face broke into a smile, like a hunter who had found his prey.

And every single one of his thoughts was heard clearly by Saiki Kusuo.