The Absolute Speed of a Certain Comic'

For several days in a row, Ryoji had been on high alert, bracing himself for a potential ambush by the legal loli. But as four or five days passed without a sign of Saikyou Nene, he breathed a sigh of relief.

At least he wouldn't have to make the difficult choice between selling his body and enhancing his physical abilities.

If only I could freeload on the legal loli's "Jibakujin" without any strings attached, he mused, indulging in a fleeting, unrealistic daydream.

Soon enough, the weekend arrived.

That day, after school, Ryoji pulled a sealed envelope out of his desk, glanced at its contents, and left the classroom.

The moment he stepped out, the classroom erupted into an uproar.

"Damn it, which shameless vixen dared to give Ryoji Kun a love letter again?!"

"Ryoji is clearly the shared property of Year 1, Class 1 girls! How audacious!"

"Ryoji is way too 'Yasashii' (gentle). He goes to meet every girl who gives him a letter— even if it's only to reject them outright. If only he were colder and ignored them altogether!"

"Hehehe... Nangou Kun, my dear Nangou Kun... I just want to see you all bloody... hehehe..."

The girls huddled together, ranting collectively about whoever had dared to write the letter.

In the past few days, several girls had tried to confess to Ryoji. However, the moment anyone showed such intentions, the entire class of girls united to thwart them. In the end, a stalemate ensued.

After much discussion, the Year 1, Class 1 girls decided to treat Nangou Ryoji as their collective property, forbidding anyone from claiming him individually.

But word about the first-year's stunning ikemen had begun to spread. Now, even girls from other classes— and some senior students— were starting to set their sights on Ryoji.

"By the way, Kusakabe, you're pretty close to Ryoji, aren't you? Maybe you could convince him to stop responding to those love letters?"

Someone approached Kusakabe Kagami, who was tidying up her belongings.

"You guys have such strange ideas. Someone like Ryoji isn't the type of person ordinary girls like us can tie down. Honestly, just being in the same class and getting to talk to him occasionally should be enough."

Kagami waved her hand dismissively, her expression exasperated. Then, she sighed and gave a resigned shrug.

"Anyway, enough of that. Since you all like Ryoji so much, I have something special for you. Want to buy it?"

"Something special? Is it Shoujo Manga?"

"Even better than that!"

"Wait, this is—?!"

The girls swarmed around Kagami, their faces lighting up with excitement as she displayed her collection of photos. Their cheeks turned bright red with delight.

"Line up! One photo is 2,000 Yen, and a full set is 20,000 Yen! No bargaining and stock is limited, so grab them while you can!"

"I'll take a full set!"

"I'll just get one photo— I'm broke... Damn it! There's so much amazing stuff here, but I can't afford it all! Guess I'll have to cut expenses next month!"

"Kusakabe, how did you even get these pictures? You're a genius!"

"Ugh... but if each photo is unique, it'll feel wrong to stick pins in them... My poor Nangou Kun..."

The set consisted of twelve unique photos, each depicting Nangou Ryoji in breathtaking beauty. They were so precious that not a single girl dared mishandle them. Frames to protect the photos became a necessity, drastically increasing their monthly budgets.

Amid their frenzy, none of the girls noticed the envy and frustration on the faces of a few male classmates.

"Let's go," One tall, burly boy whispered, leading two scowling lackeys out of the classroom unnoticed.

Kurogane Ikki, watching from the corner of his eye, sighed and clasped his hands together in silent prayer.

"I hope they survive."

Meanwhile...

"I like you, Nangou Kouhai!"

In the Dense Forest

Amid the thick woods, a senior student with adorable twin tails blushed deeply, her face a mix of shyness and boldness as she confessed her feelings to Ryoji. Her expectant gaze sparkled with hope.

The senpai was undeniably cute, with a doll-like face, but...

Ryoji's half-lidded eyes reflected his indifference. The extraordinary insight granted by his innate skill in swordsmanship enabled him to see through her uniform at a glance, instantly analyzing her proportions.

Compared to the legal loli, she didn't fall short, but the situation still left him lamenting: Truly, a tale of unfulfilled potential.

"Senpai, I truly appreciate your feelings, and it touches me deeply that you like me. But unfortunately, I must reject you. It pains me greatly, but fate has not brought us together. Forget about me— it's for the best..."

Ryoji recited the lines as though reading from a script, devoid of any emotion. Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and walked away briskly, vanishing in moments.

Left standing there, the senpai had yet to process what had just occurred. The wind seemed to crystallize her as she gradually turned to stone.

"Honestly, isn't there a senpai out there with both a pretty face and a great figure?"

Ryoji grumbled as he made his way toward the forest's edge, thoroughly exasperated.

What he liked were big waves— voluminous curls and curvaceous silhouettes! Yet, so far, the ones who'd approached him to confess had either lacked a figure or a face.

Still, when he thought about those 'big waves', the first image that popped into his mind was Senior Sister Toudou Touka.

An exceptionally beautiful young woman with perfect features and a stunningly well-proportioned figure, Touka Senpai was rare indeed.

Her best friend, Totokubara Kanata, wasn't far behind. If anything, she might surpass Touka in terms of body proportions. Based on Ryoji's estimate, there was a 90% chance Kanata boasted an E-cup— arguably the most powerful figure in Hagun Academy when it came to "connections."

Of course, Princess Stella was also impressive; her beauty and physique were on par with, if not exceeding, Touka's. But as the saying goes, "Friends' wives are off-limits." Thus, Ryoji had no choice but to maintain a respectful distance.

"Huh?"

Walking along a forest path, Ryoji suddenly caught sight of three classmates in his peripheral vision.

The trio was crouching in the shade of the trees, whispering among themselves in a manner that could only be described as shady. Sinister grins were plastered across their faces.

"Listen up! When the little Onee-San who's coming to confess arrives, we'll jump out together and claim that Nangou Ryoji is a heartless playboy who toys with women's feelings. He'll never be able to clear his name! Once she's disappointed in him, it'll be our chance to shine! But let's be clear— no one's allowed to sabotage the others in secret!"

"Deal!"

"Absolutely!"

"Good brothers for life!"

The trio's camaraderie seemed airtight, each man enthusiastically agreeing to the pact of fairness.

Of course, anyone who doesn't sabotage is a fool, Ryoji thought sarcastically, watching from the shadows.

Ryoji: (｜д)!!

'Unbelievable!'

If he hadn't been rejecting confessions so quickly, he might have fallen for their scheme!

Still, Ryoji doubted the plan's feasibility. Forget whether the girl would even consider giving up on his overwhelming attractiveness— these three clumsy misfits didn't stand a chance anyway.

Stealthily, Ryoji pulled out his student handbook and activated the recording function. Keeping low to the ground, he crept closer to their hideout.

"Crack!"

A twig snapped underfoot.

Ryoji: (...)

'(End Of The Chapter)' 

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