Cote : I Just Want to Grant Your Wish!

Chapter 701 - 701: You're not worthy

"Fighting isn't my forte."Kaoru shook his head. "Besides, if word got out that the Student Council president was brawling with a freshman, it wouldn't look good."

Hosen Kazuo sneered, "What a coward. If you're scared, just say so. Stop hiding behind flimsy excuses."

He'd seen plenty of timid posers like Kaoru—if they were afraid, they were afraid.

No need to spout nonsense.

"No, what I mean is that you're not worthy."

Kaoru smiled faintly. "An adult fighting a child is a joke, no matter the reason."

Hosen Kazuo's face instantly darkened.

As a delinquent, the one thing he couldn't tolerate was being insulted.

He immediately kicked the table in front of Kaoru with terrifying force, creating a deafening crash like an earthquake in an instant.

Probably no one had expected Hosen Kazuo to strike directly—even Tsubasa Nanase beside him was startled.

In that split second, Kaoru suddenly reached out a hand and firmly pressed down on the edge of the table.

Though his palm vibrated from the impact, he prevented the table from being sent flying.

"Heh, not bad."

Hosen Kazuo began cracking his neck joints loudly. "But it's not enough. Maybe I'll take you down later."

"Hosen-kun!"

Tsubasa Nanase had to step in. "If you use violence against him, you'll be expelled!"

Kaoru was the Student Council President.

Normally, even student disputes were handled by the Student Council, let alone an act of violence targeting the President.

If Hosen Kazuo dared to make a move, there would only be one outcome.

"Whatever. I think President Mitoma would be more than happy to teach a lesson to a 'kid' like me."

Hosen Kazuo practically spat out the last two words through gritted teeth, his smile terrifying.

"Could you give me some guidance, Mitoma-senpai?"

Just as a fight seemed imminent, Tsubasa Nanase clenched her teeth, about to step in and stop Hosen Kazuo, when she suddenly saw Kaoru smile.

"Sure, but it won't be me."

Kaoru waved his hand grandly, as if summoning a Pokéomon.

"Ayanokoji, it's your time to shine."

As soon as the words fell, two pairs of eyes instinctively focused on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was standing nearby.

"..."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka inexplicably felt like calling the police.

So he was being used as a shield after all the aggro was drawn, huh?

Perhaps worried that Hosen Kazuo might misunderstand something, Kaoru added, "Don't be fooled by Ayanokoji's plain appearance. When he was just seven years old, he could take down over a dozen grown men. His martial arts skills are exceptional."

Ayanokoji's lips twitched.

This was just adding fuel to the fire!

Sure enough, Hosen Kazuo glanced at him and sneered, "Cut the crap. With a build like his, do you think he can even take one punch from me?"

"If you don't believe me, you can arm wrestle him. If you can beat him,"

Kaoru paused, "I'll let your earlier attempt to attack me slide."

Hosen Kazuo initially scoffed, thinking Kaoru was trying to humiliate him by pitting him against a weakling like Ayanokoji.

But upon second thought, it was just an arm wrestle—he had nothing to lose.

On the other hand, Kaoru's calm demeanor made Hosen Kazuo uncertain.

Could it be that Ayanokoji actually had some skill?

Hosen Kazuo couldn't help but glance at Tsubasa Nanase again, who forced a weak smile.

"Fine, let's do it!"

This only fueled Hosen Kazuo's competitive spirit.

Kaoru showed no surprise and turned to Ayanokoji. "If you lose, I'll have you expelled."

"Hey, that's way too blatant,"

Ayanokoji couldn't hold back.

"Because this trouble was brought by you. Without you, my life would be much easier."

Kaoru's expression remained blank.

He had initially thought the White Room Student was targeting Ayanokoji, but he never expected it would end up affecting Kushida Kikyo too.

Ayanokoji was momentarily speechless and had no choice but to step forward obediently.

Under Hosen Kazuo's intense gaze, he assumed the arm wrestling position at the table.

Compared to an outright fight, arm wrestling seemed much more civilized and could still demonstrate the disparity in their strength.

Hosen Kazuo had been observing Ayanokoji all along. While Kaoru's lack of fear was understandable, Ayanokoji had shown no sign of fear from start to finish.

Earlier, he had even walked into the private room alone, picked up his phone right in front of him, and waited for Kaoru's arrival as if nothing was wrong.

This level of composure was far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Moreover, Tsubasa Nanase's obsession with Ayanokoji and Kaoru's inexplicable appearance had put Hosen Kazuo on high alert.

Still, Hosen Kazuo didn't believe he could lose.

When it came to raw strength, he had never been defeated!

"So you're Ayanokoji, huh? A Class C student, yet you're hanging around with Class A folks."

Hosen Kazuo grinned widely before gripping Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's hand.

"Show me what you're made of, or I'll spill everything to your classmates."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka realized he couldn't keep pretending anymore.

It was bad enough being threatened by Kaoru, but now even Hosen Kazuo was joining in.

As the countdown ended, Ayanokoji suddenly exerted force—not with the careful control of using a grip strengthener, but with the immediate intent to crush Hosen Kazuo.

The previously relaxed expression froze on Hosen's face as he stared intently at Ayanokoji, as if truly seeing this seemingly ordinary student for the first time.

"Not bad, not bad! You're full of surprises, Ayanokoji!"

Hosen's veins were already bulging, yet his eyes shone with excitement. "But it's not enough! Still not enough!"

As he spoke, his breathing grew heavier, his muscle lines straining visibly throughout his body.

Even his neck turned red, with veins clearly standing out along his arms.

The table beneath them began shaking, as if unable to withstand the terrifying contest between the two.

"Ayanokoji!"

This was the first time Hosen had encountered someone matching his strength, and his excited breathing practically steamed with heat.

Ayanokoji remained silent, continuing to increase the pressure. He could feel how troublesome Hosen was—a complete monster through and through.

This pure contest of strength forced Ayanokoji to start taking things seriously.

But he hadn't anticipated that Hosen would only grow more excited, like a wild bull with endless stamina.

Tsubasa Nanase seemed to be witnessing someone overpower Hosen in raw strength for the first time, her emotions becoming complicated.

Bam!

Hosen's wrist slammed heavily against the table.

No matter how he struggled, Ayanokoji had completely subdued the beast.

"It appears the outcome is decided," Kaoru remarked calmly.

Hosen struggled desperately for a moment, as if unable to accept his defeat.

After a pause, he gradually stilled, staring fixedly at Ayanokoji.

"Don't think this counts as winning! Fight me properly, Ayanokoji!"

Ayanokoji couldn't be bothered with this violent maniac.

Truthfully, suppressing him hadn't been easy at all—if he hadn't been serious, he definitely would have lost to this brute.

"That's enough, Hosen-kun," Tsubasa Nanase said with a bitter smile. "Ayanokoji-senpai, please release Hosen-kun."

The moment Ayanokoji withdrew his hand, Hosen suddenly lunged, attempting to pin Ayanokoji down.

However, Kaoru anticipated this and spoke up: "If you can't even accept defeat, your character is even smaller than I imagined, Hosen-kun."

As the words fell, Hosen's fist stopped inches from Ayanokoji's face.

"Heh, impressive. This is the first time I've met someone stronger than me," Hosen said, having regained some composure while wearing a smile.

"I can't help but want to spar with Ayanokoji-senpai immediately. But let's save that opportunity for next time. Ayanokoji-senpai, Mitoma-senpai—you've both given me quite many surprises."

Hosen Kazuo was like a master of rapid facial changes—one moment ready to fight to the death, the next flashing a cheerful grin.

When Ayanokoji Kiyotaka returned, Kaoru finally turned his gaze to the girl beside him.

"Still thinking about using violence?"

Tsubasa Nanase stiffened upon hearing this.

She couldn't understand why the other party would help Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, nor why he seemed to know every detail of her plan.

"I never intended to use violence."

Tsubasa Nanase took a deep breath, "But I want to know why Mitoma-senpai is doing this?"

It had to be said, the girl possessed a unique aura.

Kaoru had noticed her presence long ago - even the near-violent confrontation earlier hadn't elicited a trace of fear from her.

Only when observing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's behavior would she reveal complex emotions, something resembling hatred, yet also tinged with sorrow.

"Are you referring to me eavesdropping on your negotiation?"

Kaoru smiled, "Sorry, it was indeed me who asked Ayanokoji to do this, because I wanted to know what you discussed with Suzune."

The incident with Yagami Takuya had served as a warning - these new students who seemed to be targeting Ayanokoji Kiyotaka might end up affecting those around him, so early precautions were necessary.

However, Tsubasa Nanase suspected he was deliberately provoking her.

She maintained a stern expression and said clearly, "If you just wanted to eavesdrop on our negotiation, having Ayanokoji-senpai leave with his phone would have been enough. Kaoru-senpai didn't need to reveal yourself either."

Not only had Ayanokoji Kiyotaka not taken the phone away, he had left it behind to eavesdrop for five or six minutes - clearly intentional.

"You're right, actually I hadn't planned to reveal myself this quickly either."

Kaoru didn't explain further, instead showing some regret, "It's a pity I know too much. As the Student Council president, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Hosen Kazuo snorted coldly, "Why waste time with all this talk? You heard what you heard. Just say what you want to do now."

"Me?"

Kaoru looked meaningfully at Tsubasa Nanase, "I feel like it should be you who needs to explain to me why you harbor such deep hostility toward your senpai so soon after entering school. Did Ayanokoji offend you in some way?"

Tsubasa Nanase was slightly taken aback.

She had originally thought that since Kaoru associated with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he would at least know about the White Room.

But judging by the current situation, he seemed unaware?

"To be frank, I was the one who helped find Ayanokoji's partner. If you want him expelled, I need a reason."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt somewhat moved, never expecting that Kaoru would actually be willing to protect him.

However, upon hearing Kaoru's next words, Ayanokoji soon felt his vision darken again.

"Nanase-san, if you can convince me, helping you take down Ayanokoji wouldn't be a problem."

As these words fell, even Hosen Kazuo looked at Tsubasa Nanase, curious to know what her reason was.

Tsubasa Nanase fell into silence, seemingly contemplating whether to speak out, her eyes flashing with pain and struggle.

After a moment, she let out a long sigh.

The girl's gaze suddenly became resolute, while simultaneously showing a hateful expression toward Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"Ayanokoji-senpai is a murderer."