Chapter 43: Mahiru Shiina's Crisis

Renji Kamisaka didn't know it yet. The boy he had helped, Sorata Kanda, had indirectly given him an immense assist. The system's task to have Nanami Aoyama live in Sakurasou had been directly completed, without him needing to lift a finger.

Renji Kamisaka had returned to class and settled into his seat, an aura of calmness enveloping him. Renji Kamisaka had no habit of proactively greeting his classmates. He simply gave a slight nod to Hachiman Hikigaya, who was staring at him with his characteristic bland gaze, then took his seat. No one came to bother him, and he was happy to have this peace and quiet. If I were like Hayato Hayama, I would smile at everyone and greet them warmly. That would definitely be tiring, he thought. The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Some people are destined to be mere passersby in his life, and he didn't need to waste energy on them. Therefore, he only needed to pay attention when greeting the beautiful girls he cared about.

Heh-heh.

His dream was to continue developing Sakurasou and turn all the girls he liked into Sakurasou residents. This way, Sakurasou could be renamed the Crystal Palace. An amused smile tugged at his lips.

"Hm~"

A cold snort broke the comfortable silence. Mahiru Shiina, who was sitting beside him, suddenly snorted for no apparent reason, her voice loud enough for him to hear. Renji Kamisaka was stunned, his smile fading, and he unconsciously turned towards the beautiful blonde girl.

"Shiina-san, I have a question for you." Renji looked at her, his expression slightly puzzled. "Since this morning, you and Sumireko have been staring at me. What have I done to you?"

Mahiru Shiina clenched her hands under the desk, turning to glance at him with a sharp, unreadable gaze. How dare you ask? she thought, a small anger burning in her chest. Yesterday, she saw this person go up to the third floor and never come down. Later, Sayu Ogiwara also went up. Didn't come down either. Thinking about what Sayu Ogiwara had once said about an unexpected "one-versus-two fight," how could she not guess what he was doing to the two girls?

"Eh, are you looking down on me?" Renji asked again, looking into her eyes, his tone feignedly gloomy.

"No, you misread," Mahiru replied casually, turning her face away, as if she didn't want to look at Renji. "My nose is just stuffy, so I snorted."

Renji Kamisaka: "..."

Good one, Renji thought, suppressing a laugh. This excuse is even worse than the one he gave Sumireko last time. Just because your nose is stuffy, you snort coldly and haughtily? Shouldn't you use a tissue when blowing your nose?

Renji Kamisaka stared at her for a few seconds, observing Mahiru's expression, then looked away, feeling amused. She probably already guessed. Mahiru Shiina has found out about his affair last night. She will be mad about it. That's a good thing, Renji concluded. Because if you don't care, there won't be any emotional change. However, Mahiru Shiina lives next door and considers what he does to be normal.

But what about Sumireko Sanshokuin? Renji thought. Are you jealous when you see yourself going to school with Mahiru Shiina? Renji Kamisaka probably never would have guessed that a beautiful, mischievous girl like Sumireko was actually spying on Sakurasou with her personal telescope, witnessing everything that happened.

Before class started, Renji Kamisaka took out his phone and sent a message to Sumireko Sanshokuin.

Renji Kamisaka: "Sumireko, do you want to meet for lunch?"

A reply came almost instantly.

Sumireko Sanshokuin: "No appointment."

Renji Kamisaka: "Huh? Why?"

Sumireko Sanshokuin: "Because your hands are dishonest."

Renji Kamisaka was speechless. Wasn't it because you agreed to let me wrap my arm around your waist? He sighed.

Renji Kamisaka: "But yesterday you told Taiyō Ōga that you wanted to play with me and you didn't have time to watch his baseball game. Aren't you afraid he won't see me next to you and will come bother you?"

Sumireko Sanshokuin: "It's fine. I'll go straight home after school and won't give him a chance. The baseball game will be in the afternoon, and I don't think he has time to bother me."

Renji Kamisaka: "Sumireko, you've changed. I miss the warm bench from yesterday afternoon."

Seeing this, Sumireko Sanshokuin couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, the image of her mischievous smile flashing in Renji's mind.

Sumireko Sanshokuin: "Alright, no need to make an appointment today. I see Shiina-san looks very angry. Are you sure you don't want to comfort her?"

Renji Kamisaka: "She just snorted and glared a few times. I don't know how I offended her."

Sumireko Sanshokuin: "Think for yourself, you stupid Mr. Renji."

Seeing this, Renji Kamisaka had no choice but to put away his phone. Damn it, I can't hug Sumireko's slender waist this afternoon. But he wasn't in a hurry. He quietly glanced at Mahiru Shiina's expression next to him, but had no intention of talking to her. At school, it's better not to be too close to her. After all, she's very popular. If you're too close, you'll cause her trouble. Hehe, anyway, when I go back to Sakurasou, she'll be my neighbor.

And Sayu has a good relationship with her. His lunchboxes all contain dishes she made. Not panicked at all.

It was midday, the sun shining brightly. Renji Kamisaka certainly wouldn't stay in class and eat his lunchbox alone. He found a quiet spot, quickly finished his lunch, and then went to a vending machine to buy a bottle of Max Coffee with coins. One sip, and he immediately felt refreshed.

After a leisurely stroll, he saw an interesting scene outside a lush flowerbed. There was a blushing boy standing in front of Mahiru Shiina. The boy was wearing a soccer club tracksuit and looked nervous, his hands trembling. Unexpected. This is a confession scene, Renji thought, grinning. Indeed.

The boy bowed deeply towards Mahiru Shiina, extending his trembling hands. "I like you, Shiina-san, please give me a chance and date me!" His voice sounded choked.

"I'm sorry, Senior, I have no plans to date anyone for now," Mahiru Shiina's voice was soft, almost a whisper, but her tone was firm, unshakeable.

The rejected boy shrugged, his shoulders slumping in disappointment. "Sorry to bother you..." A flicker of anger flashed in the boy's eyes, but he immediately turned and ran without hesitation, disappearing behind the trees.

Mahiru Shiina looked helpless, her expression showing a hint of fatigue. When her eyes landed on Renji Kamisaka in the corner, a small flicker was visible.

"Did you see that?" Mahiru asked, her voice flat.

"Yes, I saw it." Renji Kamisaka shrugged and walked closer, a faint smile on his lips.

Mahiru Shiina's face flushed, and she became nervous, her eyes averting. "You... what do you want to say?"

Renji Kamisaka gave her a thumbs-up, his expression full of admiration. "Excellent! A confession from a stranger like this should be rejected outright!"

Mahiru Shiina pursed her lips, a faint smile appearing. "You seem very happy?" she asked, a hint of interest in her voice.

"Of course. I'm a man too, so I don't want to see my beautiful classmate being chased by other men," Renji answered frankly.

"Hmph, if you confessed, I would also reject you," Mahiru Shiina said something that seemed to imply something, her gaze challenging.

"I know, so I'll never confess." Renji smiled.

"You... Hmph, pervert!" She felt very displeased, then said something to him and turned, walking away quickly.

So, she was indeed angry at him about last night, Renji concluded with amusement. But he couldn't help it either. That senior student insisted on bothering him. Then, because he couldn't hold on any longer, he called Sayu. What could he do? I can only fight one-on-two, defeat them, and show my masculinity.

But, Shiina-san, are you sure you won't reveal anything by calling me a pervert? Thinking about it, he remembered something. When he was fighting one-on-two last night, he saw footsteps at the door. So... Could Mahiru Shiina have been eavesdropping? Renji Kamisaka's expression turned strange, a mix of surprise and amusement.

Mahiru Shiina didn't speak to him for the rest of the afternoon. Even after school, she ignored his invitation to walk home together, just huffing and speeding up her pace. Renji Kamisaka had no choice but to block Sumireko Sanshokuin on his phone for a moment. I can't let both girls reject me simultaneously.

Suddenly, a prompt appeared in his ear.

[Ding, mission triggered: Mahiru Shiina's Crisis.]

[The senior from the soccer club, filled with resentment from his rejected confession, grew increasingly furious and decided to destroy what he couldn't have. So he found a group of five hooligans nearby and prepared to teach the beautiful girl who pretended to be noble a profound lesson.]

[Please save your tenant, Mahiru Shiina, and resolve her crisis. Completing the mission will grant you a random skill or item, and a fixed reward of 1 million yen.]

Seeing this, Renji Kamisaka's face turned serious. The person whose confession failed is so shameless. He wants revenge after being rejected? Renji Kamisaka had no time to hesitate. A shadow of danger flashed in his mind. He immediately asked the Game Life system to direct the arrow and ran towards the destination, adrenaline beginning to pump in his veins.

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