Chapter 16

Chapter 16: And This Is A Good Thing?! 

Murphy’s Law states that nothing is as simple as it seems, and things will always develop toward the worst possible outcome.  

Even something as small as a lunch gathering.  

But Ayase Aoi truly never expected events to unfold in such an absurd direction—one that completely deviated from a normal storyline.  

When Shimizu Sakuya returned to the classroom with drinks in hand, when Ayase Aoi met her with the challenging gaze of a conqueror who commanded all, and when Futaba-sensei walked in to begin class as usual—everything had still been within predictable bounds.  

Time flowed like a film reel, carrying everyone along as if they were characters in an old black-and-white movie set to the tune of an elegant classical piece.  

Morning classes ended, and lunchtime arrived.  

It was at this moment that the gears of fate began turning in an unforeseeable direction.  

Sakuya sat at her desk, waiting for Amami Saori, while the yakuza princess also seemed to be expecting someone.  

Their waiting postures were eerily synchronized—first flipping idly through books, then gazing out the window at the clear blue sky, and finally propping their chins in their hands, eyes fixed expectantly on the classroom door.  

Their moods were a mix of impatience and anticipation.  

Everything was normal—until that moment arrived.  

“Sakuya, Sakuya! I’m here! Let’s go eat!”  

Saori’s cheerful voice reached them before her figure did, her bright white ponytail swaying energetically as she entered.  

Sakuya was the first to break the silent standoff. She stood up, meeting Saori under Ayase Aoi’s intense, inscrutable stare.  

Trailing behind the white-haired girl was a stark contrast—a long, straight cascade of black hair.  

Black and white, nearly blending together like the yin and yang of a taiji symbol.  

Fujiwara Yuki walked close to Saori, speaking in a familiar, lilting tone: “Aoi, let’s go—”  

Before she could finish, her sharp eyes—like a nocturnal hunter’s—landed on the golden-haired “mouse” who had been peeking at her from the vending machine earlier.  

No, the mouse wasn’t quite right. Mice were the dull gray of filthy sewers.  

At best, she was a golden hamster.  

And this golden hamster was now waving enthusiastically at Saori, her newly befriended companion—which meant, without a doubt, that this hamster was none other than Shimizu Sakuya, Saori’s closest friend.  

For a moment, Yuki was struck speechless.  

She had assumed they would never cross paths again—hence her earlier “goodbye forever.”  

But now, not only was she being forced to share a meal with someone who had seen her true nature, but thanks to Saori, she might even have to befriend this girl?!  

Embarrassment flooded her, but Yuki’s impeccable adaptability forced her to maintain her practiced, hollow smile—though her tone noticeably dipped.  

“Mm… let’s go eat.”  

The old black-and-white film had now abruptly transformed into a classic sitcom.  

And in this sitcom, the undisputed lead—with her striking violet hair—was none other than Ayase Aoi, the eldest daughter of the infamous “Dragon of the Underworld.”  

The moment she saw the black-and-white duo walking in together, Ayase Aoi slammed her hands on the desk and stood up.  

Black and white had always been inseparable. Ayase Aoi’s father, the legendary yakuza boss, had never severed ties with the politicians of the “white world.”  

In fact, Ayase Aoi and Yuki had only met because their fathers, during a business discussion, happened to mention their daughters.  

Thus began their “friendship”—if it could even be called that.  

Their relationship had always been terrible, to the point where they would argue—or even fight—the moment they saw each other.  

Ayase Aoi saw Yuki as a two-faced, scheming fox.  

Yuki saw Ayase Aoi as a rabid, yapping little dog.  

Neither could stand the other.  

Ayase Aoi recalled the catalyst for this mess—yesterday’s phone call.  

She had called Yuki, offering to fulfill “one reasonable request” in exchange for having lunch together.  

This wasn’t because she wanted to get closer to Yuki, nor was it out of loneliness or envy toward others who had friends.  

No—Ayase Aoi had simply felt that the golden-haired mutt might have affected her.  

When others had friends to eat with, she had never felt this restless before.  

She wanted to confirm whether that damn dog had really messed with her head.  

And maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny part of her that wanted to flaunt in front of the dog—”See? I have friends to eat with too.”  

But this situation?!  

Wasn’t this just… too much?!  

Ayase Aoi leaned back against her desk, forcing her expression into neutrality as she cautiously asked. 

“So… the four of us are eating together?”  

Saori was equally baffled, her usually sunny smile frozen like cooling magma.  

What the hell is happening right now?  

Eating lunch with her childhood friend was normal.  

But this morning, Sakuya had suddenly asked her to bring her new friend along.  

Saori had agreed without much thought, and when she mentioned it to Yuki at school, the girl nodded gently—just as she always did—and agreed.  

With one small addition: “Can I bring someone too? She’s a girl, in the same class as Sakuya.”  

Everything seemed fine—until Saori realized, to her horror, that Yuki’s “friend” was Ayase Aoi, the infamous yakuza heiress who walked around with a 190cm-tall bodyguard, looked down on everyone, and radiated “school bully” energy.  

Rumors about her had spread like wildfire—  

How she had “conquered” the notorious delinquent school Majisuka Gakuen with her bodyguard in tow.  

How she had earned the title “Biker Gang Terror” before ruling the streets.  

And how, after growing disillusioned with the world, she had reformed and transferred to Shūchi Academy.  

Saori had even considered visiting Sakuya more often to make sure the golden-haired girl wasn’t being bullied by this mafia princess.  

But now?  

She had no idea what was going on.  

“Uh… yeah, I guess so?”  

Frowning, Saori scanned the expressions around her before cautiously answering.  

The moment the words left her mouth, the three others—each lost in their own thoughts—plunged into a whirlpool of complicated emotions.  

The atmosphere grew eerily still, as if frozen in an ice age.  

An unspoken tension spread through the classroom like fog, pressing down on them like an advancing army at the gates.  

At the far east of the room, Yuki’s gaze collided with Ayase Aoi’s at the far west—like Mars crashing into Earth.  

Sparks flew between them, their eyes conveying a storm of emotions—confusion, embarrassment, bewilderment, but most of all, the overwhelming urge to bury the other alive.  

It looked like they were seconds away from throwing hands.  

Clearly, the two—who already despised each other—were now blaming the other for this lunchtime disaster.  

Their silent battle raged on, their glares sharper than any weapon on a battlefield.  

Saori, sensing the thick hostility, remained still, her worried eyes fixed solely on her frail childhood friend.  

She was afraid—afraid that someone as kind as Sakuya might get bullied by Ayase Aoi.  

But unexpectedly, the one at the center of this storm—Sakuya—was delighted.  

She had been worrying about how to gather all the Light Music Club members now that the storyline had been flipped on its head.  

And now, through some bizarre twist of fate, she had been handed an enormous gift.  

Could there really be such a stroke of luck in this world?