The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 46: The Next Morning...

"Chibi, come here,"

Makino suddenly sat on Higo’s table the moment the boy arrived in class, his eyes full of arrogance. It was definitely a power play here, as the captain just sat at the table rudely, and he didn’t even say please or something like that.

Right after his little action, the whispers around him intensified instantly, with eyes glancing at them with their gossipy nature.

"Oh my god! It should be because of Shishida-san, right?!"

"I know there is something suspicious between those three! A forbidden love triangle!"

"Idiot! You read too much Shoujo manga! Tone it down, please!"

"Bah! Then, how would you explain this?!"

It was the morning two days after the game against Sapporo Kita High was over, and Higo sighed as he found himself once again getting dragged by Makino to be the center of attention. He tried his best not squirm, not wanting to show how uncomfortable he was under the hungry gazes of those vultures around him.

"Can we do it another day?" Higo groaned. "Can you see that you are attracting attention here?" He pointed out his surroundings, and right after that, the whisper was gone, while the glance also became more subtle.

"No, no, no, that cannot do." Makino shook his head quickly, not caring about anything else. He was on a rampage right now, with his eyes red and bloodshot. "Explain to me why it is that Kumiko-chan only left your home around midnight two days ago! What the hell are you doing there?!"

Right after that, the furious whispers were back again.

’Oh my god! What do we have here?!’

’Damn! Will the childhood friend be able to win for the first time?!’

’Hey, I really pity Makino-kun here...’

’Yeah, I know, right... That bitch! How could she play so smoothly and have two guys under her palm?!’

Right on the bat, Kumiko’s reputation plummeted instantly, and Makino’s face paled white as he finally realized the repercussions of his careless action. It wasn’t just her who would be hurt by the gossip, but the entire team would also get dragged down into the mood instantly.

Feeling annoyed, Higo finally clicked his tongue and spoke, "Yes, indeed, she stayed until quite midnight that day. However, you must know that this is her parents asking us to take care of her. I mean, it is normal for people to help each other in the neighborhood, right? I bet you guys have also received a similar request from your neighborhood in the past."

Fortunately, he was quick-witted, and people in the classroom were easily swayed by any logical rebuke here, so they just nodded in acceptance at Higo’s explanation. Makino also let out a relieved sigh, somehow glad that his ass was saved here. However, his eyes still narrowed at Higo, looking at the boy with jealousy and suspicion inside his heart.

That was when...

"Why are you guys gathering around Makino-kun like that? Is there something going on here?"

A crisp, melodious voice greeted them all, her tone, while calm, also radiating command here. When they turned around, there, Kumiko was walking elegantly, as if she wasn’t just the main topic that everyone talked about.

"No, no, no, there is nothing wrong here!" All the students around rushed back to their seats immediately, trying to act as if they were innocent here.

Kumiko narrowed her eyes immediately, and when she saw Higo looking fuming while Makino smiling sweetly at her, the girl couldn’t help but sigh, knowing exactly what happened earlier. However, she didn’t address it further, just took a seat on the spot behind Higo, her usual seat in the classroom.

’Should I talk to Makino-kun about not bullying Ryukkun?’ Inwardly, she pondered. However, it only took a second, as the girl shook her head quickly, rejecting that idea in her head. ’No, Makino-kun didn’t do anything excessive, and Ryukkun didn’t ask me to take over the situation here. He still has that masculine ego in him, so he would be embarrassed if I helped him in this situation. Let’s see how they solve this situation first, and if things get worse, I might still be able to act.’

This small episode was forgotten by everyone pretty quickly, as the class finally began. Only Higo and Makino were probably still having that scene inside their heads, sometimes glancing at each other with a stinky glare before throwing their face away in embarrassment.

Seeing this from behind, Kumiko just sighed in both amusement and exasperation. ’Honestly, if I didn’t know them better, I would’ve thought they had things for each other.’ She giggled silently at the image of the two as items.

The school hours ran quite slowly today, what with all the teachers suddenly going all out, burning everyone’s brains. Hell, even top students like Makino and Kumiko looked so tired, on the verge of collapse. And that didn’t count the amount of homework that was given to them, enough to haunt all the students even in their nightmares.

"Oh, don’t groan like that. Sensei is doing this for your own good." The math teacher smiled at the dejected looks that the students gave. "I mean, it is only two weeks before the final exam, you know? If you want to be in the remedial class at the beginning of the term, feel free to ignore all the homework I give."

That... Was a threat, and a serious one, nonetheless. Enough to send a shiver down everyone’s spine. Fortunately, this was also the last class before the bell rang, so Higo could finally let out a relieved sigh.

Still... Remembering how much homework was given here, the boy couldn’t help but have a headache.

’Math, science, Japanese language, and foreign language, at least four exercises for each one of them. What the hell?! Do all the senseis here want to kill us?!’

While he was crying inwardly, Kumiko suddenly tapped from behind, and when he turned around, Higo saw the girl and Makino standing alongside each other.

"Come on, Ryukkun! There is something that we have to talk to the others."