Chapter 40: A Battlefield of Emotions?
Utaha looked at Shunsuke, her tone icy.
Though she usually reserved her sharp tongue for people she knew well, she didn't hold back for this junior who seemed like an obsessed fan. In Japan, there were no "rights" for creeps.
Shunsuke shot back without hesitation, "Miss sharp-tongued, paranoid upperclassman, I think you not only need to get your eyes checked, but maybe a brain scan, too."
—Not that either of those departments would help with Mai's issues, Shunsuke added in his mind.
"Wow, is Fujii-senpai that bold? That's an upperclassman he's talking to, right?"
Behind them, Marin leaned over to whisper into Eriri's ear.
Utaha's face was as cold as ice, as if water might start dripping from it—no one had ever dared to speak to her like that before.
"I don't care why you're here, but you can get out now."
She delivered her dismissal decisively.
Shunsuke shrugged. "Sorry, I can't do that. Hiratsuka-sensei specifically asked me to come and help by joining the Classical Literature Club."
Utaha muttered under her breath, "Hiratsuka-sensei just loves meddling. But we already have new members now, so you don't need to join. Leave."
Nearby, Chitanda blinked her large, doe-like eyes, nervously realizing she seemed to be caught up in the storm.
Unexpectedly, an interruption came from Utaha's own corner. Iwase Aiko, who had been quietly reading, put down her book and spoke calmly, "Kasumigaoka-senpai, former President Kasumigaoka, if I recall correctly, I'm the current president now."
Utaha narrowed her eyes. "Iwase, what do you mean by that?"
"Nothing much. I just think you and Fujii-kun might have a misunderstanding. In my experience, he's not the kind of person you described."
Shunsuke smiled at Iwase Aiko, who had taken his side. "Long time no see, Iwase."
Utaha looked between the two. "So, what's the story with you two?"
Shunsuke answered quickly, "We were just classmates in middle school. It's nothing."
Iwase's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. "To Fujii-kun, is that how it is? Nothing—that's how you describe the woman who once confessed her feelings to you?"
A cold sweat broke out on Shunsuke's back.
"Ohhh!"
In the back, Marin was on the verge of squealing with excitement at the unfolding drama.
Koizumi remained silent, Mashiro turned her attention to Iwase, and Eriri, once again, looked like she was about to shut down.
—Wait, Iwase confessed to Shunsuke? How did I not know that?!
Though only Iwase was questioning him now, Shunsuke felt as if he were facing a dire battlefield, surrounded by potential calamity.
Because the other people here were all targets of his fickle attention and budding "relationships"!
Their reactions may differ, but it was only a matter of approach.
If he answered wrong here, he might lose a "route" permanently!
Shunsuke, now faced with the biggest crisis since he reincarnated.
In response to the looming crisis, he summoned his secret weapon, Star Platinum.
"TOKI WO TOMARE!"
The world fell into stillness. In this paused reality, Shunsuke racked his brain, desperately trying to figure out the best way to respond.
One second passed.
Two seconds passed.
Time resumed.
Seamlessly, Shunsuke summoned The World once more.
"ZA WARUDO!"
The world froze again.
One second.
Two seconds.
As time resumed again, Shunsuke continued calling forth Star Platinum. But this time, he felt a weight in his body.
It seemed he could try to exploit a loophole by switching his stand back and forth, but his body and mind were beginning to feel the strain.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Yes! Under extreme pressure, Shunsuke managed to extend Star Platinum's time stop to three seconds.
But it was futile.
Never having dealt with a battlefield of emotions before, even a prolonged time stop didn't help—he lacked the experience to think of a good response.
His past success with the girls was only because he knew their histories and personalities well, allowing him to tailor his actions and hit them where they were most receptive—a clear advantage.
But now, facing a complex emotional showdown, his mind went blank.
With no good answer in sight, Shunsuke chuckled awkwardly, trying to shift the conversation and make an excuse. "Ha… hahaha. Well, that was ages ago, right? And it was already third year, we were focused on our studies and exams, so I turned you down. And since you didn't reach out much after that, I thought you'd moved on."
"Is that so?" Iwase shut her book with a snap. "If I confessed to you now, would you turn me down again, Fujii-kun?"
Shunsuke wanted to slap himself. What kind of answer was that? He'd just handed Iwase a perfect chance to press the issue!
But outwardly, he could only keep smiling through it. "I remember you liked me because I was good at schoolwork, right? But now, speaking of grades, wouldn't Uesugi Futarou be a better choice?"
In Sobu High, where talents bloomed and rivalries thrived, it was no longer a time when anyone—like Yukino or any single person—could dominate the scene.
Shunsuke, Yukino, Iwase, and Futarou were the top four, with others like Oreki Hotarou who could manipulate the rankings, Hayama and Hachiman who sometimes excelled in individual subjects… The school was full of talent.
During smaller quizzes, Shunsuke held his ground, but in major exams, his weak spot in literature dragged him down, leaving him only slightly ahead of Futarou once. The same was true for Yukino, who'd also come out on top just once; for the other four exams, Futarou held the top spot.
So while they were all in the top tier, it was clear there was a gap—Futarou's academic prowess was undoubtedly unmatched.
Hearing Shunsuke's response, Iwase's tone grew slightly ominous. "Do you really think I confessed to you just because of that, Fujii-kun?"
—Wasn't that the case?
Shunsuke swallowed the words, holding them back.
"If that were true, then back in middle school, Takagi's grades were just as good as yours. Why didn't I choose him instead of you?"
—I have no idea!
Shunsuke felt wronged.
Back then, you were the one who'd said you liked me for my good grades and future potential.
You thought we could make a power couple, with a solid chance to climb the social ladder together.
You calculated everything down to the last detail, and now you're acting like I'm some sort of heartless jerk.
—Though, I guess I am a bit of a jerk.
—Wait a minute! Takagi... Takagi Akito, Iwase Aiko, and… Mashiro Moritaka?!
Is Bakuman part of this world too?!
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