"Huh?"
Rias never expected anyone to say that. But once someone started, the rest of the class followed like dominoes falling. They didn't care about what the word "like" actually meant. It was just fun. Something new.
"Wow! So the Disciplinary Committee member likes Takumi! No wonder she didn't write his name earlier!""So that's what's going on!""Get together, get together, get together!""Marry him! Marry him! Marry him!"
Rias's face turned beet red. She fumbled with her hands, unsure what to do with them. Eyes squeezed shut, she shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! Who said I like Takumi?! I never said that! I'll tell the teacher if you don't stop!"
"Marry him! Marry him!" The class kept chanting in unison, drowning out her protests.
She shot a glance at Takumi, then retreated to her seat, buried her head in her arms, and covered her ears, pretending none of it was happening.
Takumi didn't care. He understood something crucial: when you argue with a fool, you risk becoming one yourself.
What could a bunch of seven-year-olds possibly know? Trying to explain would just feed into their nonsense.
He casually crumpled a large paper ball and lobbed it at the kid who'd started the whole thing.Expressionless, he said, "Are you stupid or something?"
The class immediately went silent. Everyone knew Rias was all bark and no bite, but if you provoked Takumi, he'd actually fight you.And with his top grades, the teachers always gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Soon, the teacher entered the room. Their scolding only smoothed things over on the surface.
"What are you shouting about?! The director's office is right next door! Do you not want to have class?!"
That was the end of it—for now.
After class, though, something unexpected happened. Rias approached Takumi. On the walk home, when no one was around, she suddenly pulled him into a quiet alley.
Takumi looked puzzled.
"Takumi!" Rias said with a conflicted expression. "Don't take what happened earlier seriously, okay? I don't like you. I only didn't write your name because I was afraid you'd tell people about the... the Great Yellow Dog thing."
She looked directly at him and added firmly, "I didn't write your name when you were sleeping today. So that means I helped you. We're even now. And you better not tell anyone about that day, got it?"
Takumi had figured there was some reason behind her actions. But being given a "we're even" speech out of nowhere still felt absurd.
"So that's why you've been avoiding me lately?" he asked calmly.
Rias didn't expect him to see through her. She bit her lip, embarrassed."Y-yeah. I thought if we met, you'd tease me in front of everyone. Boys are all like that... always bullying girls."
She paused, glanced to the side, then mumbled, "But... I guess you're a little different."
Takumi looked at her, unmoved. "Anything else?"
Caught off guard by his indifference, Rias shook her head. Her pigtails swayed at her waist.
"No, that's it."
"Then don't worry. I don't gossip about people. Next time, if I fall asleep in class, just write my name on the board. We'll call it even. I'm heading out."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the alley.
Rias stared after him, muttering under her breath, "Does this guy ever stop hardboiled... like some old man or something."
From a distance, Takumi suddenly glanced back and shot her a glare. Rias instantly turned her head away, pretending to look at something else, whistling as if nothing had happened.
Time passed. Most people eventually forgot about the whole incident—But not everyone.
Whenever Rias stood in front of the class as the Disciplinary Committee member, someone would inevitably bring it up again.
"Don't write my name, okay? I'm tight with Takumi.""Yeah, she likes him! Don't get on her bad side!"
Rias would grit her teeth in fury, embarrassed and exasperated."What does your friendship with him have to do with me?! I've said it a hundred times—I have nothing to do with him! I'm writing your name first! Let the teacher punish you first!"
The ridiculous rumor lingered well into the next year, refusing to fade even as the second semester of second grade arrived.
As summer approached, final exams loomed on the horizon.
Then, out of nowhere, the school announced a sports competition before finals—supposedly part of some government "initiative" to prepare kids for the high school entrance exam. Typical small-town spontaneity.
Takumi, ever the standout of Class Two, dominated the competition.And with the system's rewards backing him, no one his age even came close.
This battle—guided by the system—felt less like a schoolyard competition and more like a duel between seasoned martial masters.
And the result?
Takumi advanced to a major new level. Level Twenty.
[You claimed the first crown in today's martial arts competition, assimilated various masters' signature techniques, and your reputation now echoes across the martial world. Your spiritual energy cultivation has reached Level 20. A new exclusive skill is being unlocked. You have gained: +1 Strength, +3 Charm, +2 Stamina.]
While exaggerated in tone, the system's narration wasn't far from the truth.
This battle had, without a doubt, launched Takumi into elementary school stardom.
Everyone knew him now—especially the girls.
Class Two had a boy who was top of the class, freakishly athletic, and apparently, kind of good-looking too.
Off the field, Rias stood frozen, staring blankly as Takumi received his championship medal.
A boy nearby nudged her with a teasing grin."Disciplinary Committee member, your Takumi's pretty incredible. Looks like girls from other classes are starting to notice him. You might be in danger."
Rias shot him a glare. "Say that again and I'll tear your mouth off! I told you—he has nothing to do with me!"
But even as she snapped back, her eyes never left Takumi.
She watched him standing tall at the center of the field, medal gleaming in the sun, surrounded by cheers and awe.
Rias pursed her lips.
"So what if they're looking at him? It's not like it matters to me..." she muttered, her voice trailing off.
Still, something stirred in her bright eyes—an emotion she didn't fully understand.
"So annoying..." she whispered, eyes locked on Takumi's proud, effortless figure.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Class Three, Mizuki sat neatly among the audience.
Though she should've been cheering for her own classmates, her eyes followed only one person—Takumi.
Each time he won a round, she clapped quietly to herself, unable to hide her joy.
He's always been amazing... she thought. From the very beginning until now. Always so amazing.
But then, a stray whisper from the row behind her made her heart skip a beat.
"Hey, did you see Takumi from Class Two? I heard that Disciplinary Committee girl in his class is really close to him! Like, really close. People are saying they're together."
Mizuki's smile froze.
She turned slightly, eyes wide, trying to catch more of the conversation.
"Yeah, I've heard the same! Her name's Rias, right? Fierce sometimes, but honestly super cute. Rumor is they've been a couple since the first semester!"
Mizuki clenched her small hands together in her lap.
Suddenly, the cheers from the playground sounded distant and cold.
She stared at Takumi with a wounded expression, disbelief tightening in her chest.
No way. That's not possible.
He would've told me... right?
Her gaze trembled as she watched him celebrate. She didn't want to believe it, but the uneasy feeling kept growing.
No matter what—she had to ask.
She had to hear it from him directly.
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