Chapter— 160 Discussing Break And A New Student

Yuki

As Kiryuu-san and I began listening to Issei’s and Motohama-san’s conversation, I braced myself to hear something incredibly dumb.

Issei leaned closer to Motohama-san.

“So does that mean that you’ve gathered information on which of our classmates did it over break?” Issei asked far too seriously.

Motohama-san grinned smugly as he answered.

“Yep. I’m getting it now. I sent Matsuda to get the information.” Ha said proudly.

I blinked once.

Kiryuu-san’s mouth twitched.

A moment later, Matsuda-san came hurrying into the room and made a beeline for his two friends.

“Hey! Ise! Motohama! I’ve got the info!” He loudly called as he moved closer.

Half the room turned to look at him, then gave disapproving or disgusted looks and went back to what they were doing.

Matsuda-san came to a stop next to Issei’s desk.

“It’s like we had suspected, Yoshida from the class next door did it over the break! And I heard that it was with a third-year onee-sama too!” He said quickly.

Issei and Motohama-san immediately looked outraged.

“That fucker!”

“That bastard!”

I looked over to Kiryuu-san, who was grinning with amusement at their frustration.

“Have they always been like this?” I asked.

“Yep. Since their first day as first-years.” Kiryuu-san said, sounding almost pleased by it. “That’s part of their charm. They were named the perverted trio pretty early into their time here at Kuoh Academy.

“Really?”

Kiryuu-san nodded.

“Really. They're viewed as mostly harmless, and since each time they’ve been caught peeping, they’ve been beaten by the girls that caught them, the teachers can’t really take much action against them without also taking action against the girls who attacked them,” she said with a shrug. “So besides getting reprimanded and a few detentions, they’ve been left alone.”

That made some sense.

It wasn’t that the school was ignoring them, it was that if they did punish them, then all of the girls who had assaulted them would have to be punished as well, even if their reaction was understandable.

Matsuda-san continued after Issei’s and Motohama’s outburst.

“Exactly! And I heard another thing. It’s rumored that Ooba from our class did it in his first year as well.”

“What?! Ooba did it too?!” Issei said, looking shocked.

The three of them turned and glared at Ooba-san across the room.

He seemed to have heard Issei say his name, as he turned to them and smiled at them while waving.

The three of them glared at him as he had personally offended them. 

They were ridiculous.

Half the class seemed to have noticed their conversation and, besides glaring in their direction, seemed to be ignoring them.

It was moments like this that made it easy to understand why they were hated by the majority of the school's female population.

Kiryuu-san stood.

I looked up at her.

She adjusted her glasses, then gave me a sidelong glance.

“Come on.”

“Why?” I asked, already sure of where this was going.

“The three of them deserve to be harassed, plus I wanted to talk to Hyoudou anyways.”

I glanced at the three boys before looking back at Kiryuu-san.

“It feels like kicking them while they’re down. And even if they deserve it, it’s not worth the hassle.” I replied.

Kiryuu-san smiled cruelly.

“It’ll be fun. Let’s go. “

Before I could refuse, she had already started toward Issei’s desk.

I hesitated.

Then I sighed and followed after her.

It was easier than being called over loudly by her.

The three of them didn’t notice her immediately.

“Smells like virgins.” She said as she looked down on them haughtily.

Motohama-san pointed at her accusingly.

“Kiryuu! Did you come to laugh at our suffering?!

She nodded with a smug grin.

“Were your summer breaks productive? Knowing the three of you, I’m sure you wasted your time.”

Matsuda-san frowned.

“S-Shut it!” He shouted lamely.

Motohama-san hung his head in defeat.

Issei showed a bitter look.

Kiryuu-san looked far too satisfied with herself.

I debated it for a moment before deciding that she deserved to be knocked down a peg since she made me listen to her way too specific descriptions of the guys she saw over her break.

“Oh, you can tell that, Kiryuu-san? You must have a lot of experience then.” I said casually.

She looked at me in surprise.

I kept my face composed and kept the smile I felt forming off my face.

“Well, I, um, I would say that exactly…” she said, glancing back at the boys.

Matsuda-san stood and pointed at her.

“Ha! You’re the same as us, aren’t you? So you’ve got no reason to judge us.”

Motohama-san nodded rapidly.

Issei looked back and forth between Kiryuu-san and me.

He looked confused, but delighted at me making fun of Kiryuu-san.

Kiryuu-san shot me a glare.

“You didn’t need to bring that up,” she pouted at me.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said with a small smile.

Matsuda-san chuckled to himself.

“Welcome to the losing side, Kiryuu-san! If we are losers, then so are you!” Motohama-san said.

“I don’t know about that. Kiryuu-san could find someone if she wanted to,” I said, tilting my head. “She’s pretty enough to easily get a boyfriend. She just needs to keep her more lewd thoughts to herself. You guys should too.”

Kiryuu-san smiled at my compliment and then frowned as I continued.

“You were almost nice for a minute. And it’s not like you’re any different from the rest of us in terms of experience.” She said

I hesitated.

I should have known that this would come back to me as soon as I poked fun at Kiryuu-san.

And if I lied now, she would probably realize it.

Motohama-san noticed the pause.

“Wait, have you done it with someone, Yuki-san?”

They all froze.

“It’s not important,” I said quickly.

“No way,” Matsuda said in disbelief.

I felt my stomach drop slightly as the way they looked at me changed.

“Really, Yuki-san?” Issei asked curiously.

“A beauty like her was already tainted! This isn’t fair!” Motohama-san said, slumping back in his seat.

I felt a few of our classmates glance over at us.

I felt eyes on my back.

I was starting to feel sick.

“Don’t say it like that, you idiot!” Issei said harshly.

Matsuda-san and Motohama-san ignored him and started bombarding me with questions.

“Was it someone in school?”

“Was it over summer break?”

“Do we know them?”

“Was it Hyoudou somehow!?”

“Quit bothering her!” Issei shot back at Motohama. “And why do you think it was me!?”

“Because you’re one of the two guys in the Occult Research Club! It’s a club that has most of the idols of our school in it, and for some reason you were allowed to join!” Matsuda-san said, pointing at him.

“That doesn’t mean anything!” Issei replied, pointing back at him.

They were talking too quickly.

I didn’t have time to answer any questions and didn’t know if I would be able to say anything if I had the chance.

I felt hollow as they started to bicker among themselves.

I felt pieces of memories that I never wanted to recall threaten to come to the surface.

Everything around me felt dull and distant as I tried to pull enough air into my lungs.

My shoulders felt tight and stiff.

My hands were clutched together.

I became aware of exactly how many people were around me and how they were all too close to me.

I remembered my old owners.

Being Kusari.

Having obedience and docility expected of me.

I focused on breathing to ground myself.

I would be fine.

That was all over.

I just needed a moment to breathe properly.

Kiryuu-san noticed.

Her head turned toward me, and her expression sharpened.

The amusement and curiosity disappeared from her face.

Before the boys' attention could return to me, she spoke up.

“By the way, Hyoudou.” Her tone was calm and casual. “Lately Asia’s been acting kinda off. Do you know why?”

The shift in conversation was so abrupt it caused all three boys to stop and stare at her.

“What?” Issei said.

“Asia-san,” Kiryuu-san repeated. “Try keeping up.”

She glanced at me, and Issei seemed to realize what she was trying to do.

“O-oh! Um, the issue that’s bothering Asia is kind of complicated,” He quickly said.

Motohama-San and Matsuda-san both looked confused.

“Wait, what? But weren’t we talking ab- Ow!”

Motohama-san jolted and then leaned down to rub his leg while glaring at Issei.

“What was that for?” He asked with a scowl.

With the attention drawn away from me, I took a step back from the group.

I wanted a bit more space so that I could compose myself again.

I knew it hadn’t been meant maliciously, but the questions they had been asked affected me in a way I hadn’t expected.

I took a deep breath to settle my heart rate and thanked Kiryuu-san in my head.

Issei continued with the new subject.

“There’s been this guy who’s shown interest in Asia. She turned him down, but now he won’t stop sending her gifts and love letters. It’s been bothering her and making her feel like she’s troubling the rest of us with it.”

Matsuda-san and Motohama-san immediately lost all interest in the last topic.

“What punk thinks he can make a move on Asia-chan?!”

“Yeah! Who does he think he is to approach our precious Asia-chan?!”

Issei scratched the back of his head.

“He’s a rich kid who doesn’t go to our school. Asia met him a while ago before she came to Japan. Buchou’s been trying to help Asia since she knows the guy as well.”

Kiryuu-san nodded.

“That makes sense. Asia’s been pretty tense since the term started,” she paused as she looked Issei up and down. “Though it could also be because you’ve become more popular with the girls at school since we came back from our break.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“He has?” I asked.

“Have I really? I haven’t noticed anything different.” Issei said, looking confused.

“There’s no way this guy would be popular,” Motohama-san said, pointing at Isei with his thumb.

“There’s no way he’d get a girl before either of us,” Matsuda-san said. “His brief stint of popularity will end soon, I know it.”

Issei stared at them.

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be my friends?”

“We are; that’s why we need to tear you down if you try to pull too far ahead of us,” Motohama-san said, fixing his glasses.

Matsuda nodded once, strongly.

Before they could devolve into more bickering, Kiryuu-san spoke again.

“Your popularity is because of how you changed over the break. I’ve heard some girls say that your face seems more serious, and I can see from here that you’ve become more muscular.”

Issei covered himself with his hands as Kiryuu-san looked at his muscles.

“Some girls are saying that your appearance has become more rugged and wild,” Kiryuu-san continued.

Issei paused before touching his face and looking at his arms, like he was trying to see what Kiryuu-san had been talking about.

A smug grin formed on his face.

“Fufufu, I have been working out a lot more. It makes sense that people would start to notice. It’s nice to hear that some of the girls like what they see.”

He turned to Motohama-san and Matsuda-san.

“It looks like it won’t be long before I leave you two behind as virgins.” He said while looking down his nose at them.

“It also seems you’ve become full of yourself as well,” Kiryuu-san said, shaking her head.

The return to more usual banter helped calm me.

I was grateful that we hadn’t returned to the previous topic.

If they had gone back to it, I probably would have had to leave.

They hadn’t known that the topic would affect me like that, but it had left me rattled and on edge.

I was pulled from my thoughts as the classroom door was thrown open.

One of the male students from our class stood there panting as he had just finished a sprint.

“Guys! I’ve got important news!” He shouted to the class.

Everyone in the room turned to him with curious looks.

Some looked more annoyed by the interruption than others.

Someone tossed him a water bottle, and he quickly drank the whole thing.

After taking a few more breaths, he made his announcement.

“We are getting another transfer student! And it’s a girl, and she’s transferring from out of the country!”

The class exploded upon hearing that.

There was excited chatter across the room.

Some of the girls were already talking about what they thought the new girl would be like and what groups she might end up a part of.

A group of boys were talking about how she might look and where she could be from.

It was pretty similar to the excitement I saw when I first joined the class and then again when Xenovia joined.

There seemed to be extra excitement as a student transferring after summer break, but not at the start of the term, was odd.

Add to that the fact that it was a girl and a foreigner, and now the whole class was riled up.

“This is my chance! I’ll show the beautiful foreign girl around the town and explain things to her as I get to know her. We will be dating in no time!” Matsuda-san said, pumping his fist.

“I just hope she has an impressive figure,” Motohama-san said.

Issei nodded.

“But the size of their oppai is more important,” he said excitedly.

I stared at the three idiots.

I realized following Kiryuu-san to talk to them had been a huge mistake.

“The three of you should focus on not scaring her away. As soon as she hears about your reputation, she’ll know to steer clear of each of you,” Kiryuu-san said.

“As long as we stop being slandered, we will be fine,” Issei said.

Kiryuu-san rolled her eyes at him.

“Right. I doubt the new transfer will say two words to you. She’ll be repulsed by each of you.”

“Shut it! You’re ruining our dreams!” Matsuda yelled.

Before Kiryuu-san could respond, the teacher came into the room.

We quickly broke apart and made our way to our own desks.

Once the class had quieted.

Our tired-looking teacher cleared his throat and then addressed the class.

“So, while it might be unusual for a student to transfer at this time of year, it does happen. We will be having another student join our class, so please treat her well and be sure to get to know her.”

Our teacher shot Issei, Motohama-san, and Matsuda-san a look as he spoke.

There was a buzz of excitement from the class.

Our teacher waited until it was quiet again before he turned to the door and called out.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a girl stepped in.

A familiar girl with brown hair in twintails, a friendly smile, and a cross hanging around her neck stood at the front of the classroom.

The boys in the class made sounds of excitement at the fact that the new exchange student was a pretty girl.

I looked at Issei, Asia, and Xenovia for their reactions.

They all looked just as surprised as I was to see her here.

Issei’s eyes seemed like they would fall out of his head.

Asia’s mouth opened in shock.

Xenovia looked completely caught off guard.

The girl bowed her head, gave a bright smile, and introduced herself energetically.

“My name is Shidou Irina. Let’s get along, everyone!”

Xenovia’s former partner and one of the wielders of Excalibur had returned to Kuoh.

The last time I heard, she had returned to the Vatican after having a fight with Xenovia over her decision to become a Devil.

That was a while ago, after the fight with Kokabiel.

And now our factions were in an alliance instead of enemies.

Perhaps they would be able to work things out.

As I watched her, I could tell that the holy aura she gave off had increased noticeably from before.

It was only the second week of the new term, and things were already becoming interesting in our class.

Irina-san’s eyes looked across the room, stopping on Xenovia and Asia.

Then her eyes met mine.

Her smile dimmed slightly as we watched each other, before it grew back to its normal cheery brightness as she broke my gaze and looked over at Issei.

I tilted my head at her strange reaction to me.

Kiryuu-san made a noise of curiosity in her seat next to me as she seemed to notice it as well.

Hopefully whatever that was about wasn’t going to become a problem.