( `)
In an instant, any emotions stirred within her by this young man were completely extinguished.
Looking once again at the boy who could make hearts ache
Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
This man! He's terrifying!
()
Hayasaka Ai was finding it difficult to keep her composure.
How could you even say something like that?!
What did I cheat you about?!
Ah, maybe I did, but only about my identity.
(>)
Realizing that Yukima Azuma had long since seen through her identity, Hayasaka Ai found herself unable to come up with a rebuttal.
She could only pout, glaring at the boy who was completely immersed in his role, her expression filled with grievance.
()
Seriously, can't you give me a little leeway?!
Seeing that things had gone far enough, Yukima Azuma withdrew from his act.
A notification from the system appeared in his vision.
[Notification: Your acting skill has reached maximum proficiency.]
[Acting (Lv3) Acting (Lv4).]
[Host: Yukima Azuma]
Physical: 7Intelligence: 8Charm: 8
[Skills]
Language Proficiency (Lv6)
Literature (Lv6)
Cooking (Lv7)
Programming (Lv4)
Shogi (Lv9)
Acting (Lv4)
[Note]: Skills below Level 4 are hidden and do not appear on the skill board.
The acting skill, which had been hidden before, had now appeared on the skill list.
He had officially stepped into the level 4.
Seeing this, Yukima Azuma couldn't help but smile.
It seemed that aside from being taught by a master, actual combat experience also greatly contributed to skill proficiency.
The atmosphere in the room had become unbearably awkward.
Fujiwara Chikaas a self-proclaimed "love detective"was someone who couldn't stand witnessing brokenhearted scenes like this.
She even felt the urge to sneak out.
( )
Shinomiya Kaguya wasn't sure whether she should proceed with her plan at this moment.
Even if she knew Yukima Azuma was acting
His performance was too convincing, to the point that the atmosphere had become suffocating!
A long silence followed.
Finally, Shinomiya Kaguya gritted her teeth and spoke:
"Yukima-onii-san, now that I think about it, are you aware of the student exchange program between the top three private academies?"
"I'm the student council president of Shuchiin, and I heard that this year, Shuchiin is considering extending an invitation to you, Yukima-onii-san."
"As the top scorer in the inter-school exams, you could participate in the exchange program and experience studying at Shuchiin."
"At the same time, it would allow us to learn from your study methods and make you an inspirational figure for other students."
After saying this, Shinomiya Kaguya glanced at Fujiwara Chika.
Hoping that this energetic, yet "cancer of the Earth" girl would be of some use.
(.)
However, Fujiwara Chika had already lost all her spirit due to the suffocating atmosphere.
She had no intention of chiming in.
"...I see. I'll think about it carefully," Yukima Azuma responded, bowing his head slightly.
Shinomiya Kaguya's eyelid twitched slightly.
She began to suspect whether Yukima Azuma had already seen through her plan.
That would be way too absurd!
After another brief moment of silence
Yukima Azuma stood up.
"Ah I have a friend in the next room, and it wouldn't be polite to keep them waiting too long. I'll take my leave."
"Umu Alright, take care, Yukima-san."
"Yukima-onii-san, goodbye."
The two girls replied somewhat awkwardly.
Hayasaka Ai remained silent.
Before leaving, Yukima Azuma exchanged Line contacts with Fujiwara Chika.
....
Leaving the Girls' Room.
Yukima Azuma opened the Line app and found the chat with Hayasaka Ai.
Azuma: I'm in a terrible mood today. If only I could see Hayasaka, that would be great.
()
Sitting in her room, the moment Hayasaka Ai saw Yukima Azuma's message, her anger flared up instantly.
Terrible my ass!
And besides, didn't you just see me?!
Hayasaka: Harassment? Our relationship isn't close enough for that. Yukima-onii-chan, saying things like this puts me in a really awkward spot.
( ® ®)
Azuma: So cold.
()
Hayasaka: Yes! Exactly this cold!
( _ )
After venting a little frustration on Line, Hayasaka Ai finally felt a bit better.
She turned off her phone screen.
Yukima Azuma returned to his room.
"Azuma, where did you go?"
Kurokawa Akane asked curiously.
Could it really have just been a bathroom trip?
Why did it take so long?!
It really felt like he had taken the opportunity to do something else.
(_ )
"I ran into someone on the way and stopped by the front desk to get some ice for them to use on their injury."
Yukima Azuma explained briefly.
Kurokawa Akane let out a small "oh."
"I see."
And so, the two of them began their third rehearsal.
The moment they started acting, Kurokawa Akane couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
Last time was just improvement, but this time, it was an actual leap forward.
Even for a genius, this was ridiculous!
An Acting Lv3 skill was enough to surpass half the actors in the industry.
That level was still considered amateur.
After all, more than half of the entertainment industry relied on looks.
But Acting Lv4 was a completely different realmit was professional-level acting.
Now, Yukima Azuma had surpassed 90% of actors.
He had entered the top 10% of actors who could gain fame purely through skill.
It was unbelievable.
Kurokawa Akane simply couldn't imagine how such a skill could improve this much after just three rehearsals.
"That's... kind of shocking!"
She admitted bluntly.
Hearing this, Yukima Azuma chuckled.
At that moment, Kurokawa Akane was standing in front of Yukima Azuma.
While he was sitting on the sofa.
Taking the opportunity, Yukima Azuma wrapped his arms around her waist and looked up at her.
"It's all thanks to my Guardian's excellent guidance. Shouldn't a Guardian be happy when their child achieves something?"
Being held around the waist, Kurokawa Akane's heart pounded wildly.
(o)
Looking down at the young man from above, it really did feel like gazing at an adorable child.
Her maternal instincts surged!
()Ara Ara
But... this young man was too handsome.
So this so-called "maternal instinct" was getting a bit... off track.
Kurokawa Akane felt like she was about to get a nosebleed!
(/////" )
...
After three rehearsals, their acting practice came to a temporary close.
A Lv4 Acting skill was more than enough to handle a film crew.
In fact, it might even shock the entire production team.
Moreover, after reaching Level 4, the experience bar had lengthened significantly.
Kurokawa Akane's guidance was also becoming less effective.
To continue improving his skill, he would now need time and accumulated experience.
So the two of them simply decided to enjoy the rest of their date.
As the sun set.
Yukima Azuma put Kurokawa Akane in a taxi.
After watching her leave, he planned to stop by a nearby bakery and buy two cakes to take home.
After all, there were still a few girls at home, and an occasional snack wouldn't hurt.
But just as he reached the bakery's entrance
He suddenly heard a series of footsteps echoing from the alley behind the store.
At the same time.
Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai also stepped out of the bakery.
The footsteps in the alley grew closer.
And then.
A group of burly men in black suits, gripping metal pipes, cleavers, and other weapons, suddenly rushed out from the alley.
For a brief moment, all three groups froze.
Yukima Azuma scanned the men in black.
Ayo, no kidding, there were even some familiar faces.
Clearly, they were from Yamaguchi-gumi.
Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai frowned.
Another attack?
Chapter 184: Hayasaka Is Really Worried About You
Nitta Yoshifumi.
A young officer of the Yamaguchi-gumi, a yakuza organization in Japan.
Life motto: a man who craves blood, violence, and money.
He has a scar on his left eyebrow but isn't the type to rely on fistshe's more of an intellectual.
The scar on his head came from his time as an underling for Naito Tatsuhiko. He didn't manage to light a cigarette for him in time and got hit on the head with an ashtray.
His hobbies include collecting antiques and occasionally participating in auctions.
His father passed away, leaving behind his mother and younger sister, Nitta Mika, who live in the countryside.
As a young officer, Nitta Yoshifumi rarely takes direct action in violent incidents.
But recently, the gang has been short on manpower.
So, Nitta Yoshifumi had to step into the frontlines twice.
The last time, the mission was to kidnap a rich heiress.
For the yakuza, this was as easy as flipping a hand.
But for Nitta Yoshifumi to personally carry out the kidnapping was a foolish act.
If he had the time to investigate the target's identity and schedule,
he could have made more money by studying the stock market instead.
Moreover, kidnapping was inherently too risky a business.
But since it was an order from the gang, Nitta Yoshifumi had no right to refuse.
And just as he had an ominous feeling
During the kidnapping, he ran into a monster.
A being that looked human.
But could nonchalantly take on over a dozen seasoned gangsters.
That monster was like a cursed chef, treating everything around him as mere ingredients for his cooking.
He could even tear a two-meter-tall muscle-bound thug into a "pile of shredded meat" that didn't even reach his knees.
Nitta Yoshifumi thought that, in the face of such a monster,
running away couldn't possibly be called cowardice.
So, he ran.
Later, he was punished by his superiors.
But compared to his comrades, who had been torn apart into pools of blood,
to Nitta Yoshifumi, that so-called punishment felt completely insignificant.
His judgment had been entirely correct.
And yet, less than two months later, his superiors assigned him another mission.
Another kidnapping.
But this time, the target was just an ordinary child.
Nitta Yoshifumi was speechless.
He wondered if the boss had gone stupid.
Kidnapping a little girl from a regular familywhere was the money in that?
He still had PTSD from the last kidnapping attempt.
Nitta Yoshifumi even considered
Should he injure himself? Break a bone or something?
Just to get out of this job.
But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Thinking it through, that monster must have been a professional bodyguard for the rich heiress.
Like the kind of character you'd find in a seinen manga.
Orphans abandoned on a secluded island,
trained by professional assassins in every killing technique imaginable,
and ultimately, in their final graduation exam,
they had to slaughter their closest comrades to pass.
Hmm... That actually sounds more like Naruto than a seinen manga. Umu.
This time, it was just kidnapping a little girl from an ordinary family.
There was no way he would run into
...
On the streets.
For a moment, all three sides were stunned.
Shinomiya Kaguya frowned.
The last attack, at least, had some clues to follow.
After all, she had attended a dinner party that night and even stayed out overnight.
No matter how well the Shinomiya family safeguarded information, with so many people around, leaks were inevitable.
But this time, in order to carry out the plan with Yukima Azuma,
she had only brought a trusted driver and a few bodyguards.
The location was even a Shinomiya Group-owned business.
And yet, she was still ambushed.
Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't help but suspectwas someone within the Shinomiya family trying to take her life?
Her three older brothers were not easy opponents.
As for Yukima Azuma,
when he saw those familiar faces, he couldn't help but click his tongue.
Was this yakuza gang really that bold?
Daring to go after the Shinomiya heiress twice in a row.
Did they not fear that the entire gang would be erased by the Shinomiya conglomerate?
He turned to glance at Shinomiya Kaguya.
Then, helplessly shook his head.
If it had been one of the three sons of the Shinomiya family,
even a single ambush would have been enough for Yamaguchi-gumi to be wiped off the map.
After all, in the eyes of most members of the Shinomiya family,
Shinomiya Kaguya was nothing more than a nobody.
Just a tool that would eventually be used for some exchangewas she even worth the trouble of causing a major conflict?
Yukima Azuma shook his head.
He pushed aside these irrelevant thoughts.
Since they had already run into each other, he might as well take care of it.
Consider it a small favor in return for the conveniences he had enjoyed from the Shinomiya family.
"Hey, hey!"
Yukima Azuma called out to the yakuza, his voice carrying the same kind of provocation as a low-level thug.
And yet, among those large, muscular yakuza
a full third of them instinctively stepped back in fear from that completely non-threatening call.
"Brother Nitta, why did you step back?"
"Yeah, Brother Nitta, why are your legs shaking?"
"The legendary 'Shibuya Dragon'could it be that he's scared stiff by some high school brat?"
Seeing their leader retreat,
the low-ranking Yamaguchi-gumi underlings were all dumbfounded.
They had never seen Yukima Azuma before.
At this moment, Nitta Yoshifumi's face had gone pale.
Forget about the fact that his so-called title of 'Shibuya Dragon' was nothing more than a bluff based on the scar on his head.
Even if he really was the 'Shibuya Dragon'
against this guy, he wouldn't even have a chance to make a move before his "dragon tendons" were ripped out.
"You idiots don't get it! That guy is a super-assassin trained by a financial conglomerate!"
"We're executing a strategic retreat! Preserving our forces! That way, we can remain loyal to the organization, got it?!"
While desperately making up excuses, Nitta Yoshifumi retreated behind his underlings.
His behavior immediately made a few yakuzawho usually just stood guard at their turflook down on him.
A leader this cowardly?
Getting scared by some high school kid?
This Yamaguchi-gumi was done for. That officer positionmight as well be mine.
