Chapter 16: A Love Rival Confrontation? No, You Came Just in Time! (Patreon)

A few of the girls covered their mouths, murmuring to each other. Ike Kanji hurriedly shook Yamauchi's shoulder, and when he got no response at all, he started to panic too.

"Hey, Yamauchi, you okay? Wake up!"

Hirata Yousuke frowned and stepped forward to check on Yamauchi. He looked up at the students around him. "Yamauchi looks like he's passed out. Can someone go get a teacher from the infirmary?"

Everyone glanced around at each other, but nobody moved. After all, the guy had just been talking trash about Daniel.

Getting on Daniel's bad side sounded like a very bad idea.

Seeing no one budge, Hirata sighed and hauled the unconscious Yamauchi Haruki up himself. "I'll take him to the infirmary," he told the class. "If a teacher comes, let them know what happened."

With that, he half-carried Yamauchi out of the classroom.

Daniel sat calmly in his seat, the corner of his mouth curling upward.

The effects of his hypnosis were subtle enough that even an investigation afterward would only conclude Yamauchi Haruki had simply lost his mind on his own.

And honestly, even if someone somehow leaped to the conclusion that Daniel had superpowers, so what? Worst case, he'd just have to sink Japan.

"Danny-kun, that guy was acting so weird just now. Why'd he suddenly start hitting himself?" Kei Karuizawa leaned in curiously.

"Who knows," Daniel said with an easy laugh. "Guilty conscience, maybe. Realized his mouth was too filthy." He turned to Sakura Airi. "Airi, what do you think?"

Put on the spot, Sakura Airi flinched, shoulders drawing in. "Eh? I—I don't know, but... what Yamauchi said about Daniel really wasn't very nice."

"Hah, well said. Airi's so cute," Daniel said, and reached out to pet her hair as she cringed like a startled little animal.

[Domination Points +1...]

Sakura went a little pink with embarrassment, but she didn't stop his hand.

Kei Karuizawa puffed her cheeks at the sight, clearly jealous, and refused to be outdone. "I think Yamauchi started it too. Serves him right!"

Too obvious, Karuizawa. Daniel held out his other hand and asked, deliberately teasing, "Does Kei want head pats too?"

"Mm! Can I?"

Looking at her—shy, but with eyes full of anticipation—Daniel naturally decided to indulge her.

He set his hand on her head and ruffled it gently.

"There, there. Kei's cute too."

The other students, watching Daniel with a hand on each girl, sucked in a collective breath.

"As expected of Daniel—he just casually pulls off what the rest of us can't. So jealous!"

Just then Kushida Kikyo arrived, running a little late. She froze for a second at the sight of Daniel with a girl on each side.

This bastard. After doing that to me, he's over here flirting with other girls—and two of them at once!

Kushida Kikyo abandoned her friendly-girl persona entirely and, without thinking, rushed over in a fit of jealousy, putting on her most pitiful expression. "Darling, are you cheating on me?"

"Did I show up at a bad time?"

BOOM.

There's another one?!

The whole of Class D stared, dumbstruck. This was Little Kikyo, the gentle beauty who'd already made friends with half the class on day one—and she'd fallen too?

Several of the boys' faces twisted in agony, groaning aloud.

"Damn it, how the hell is this guy doing it? I'm so jealous, so jealous, my brain is shaking!"

The classroom erupted into wails of despair.

Even Daniel hadn't expected Kushida to blow her own cover like this—as far as he'd known, her whole personality was built around making friends by any means necessary.

He hadn't realized his own importance had already overridden the core code of Kushida's friend-making program.

Luckily, Daniel had prepared for this. He'd already used hypnosis to make all three girls consider a harem completely normal.

They'd still get jealous, sure, but none of them would try to stop him, or cut ties the moment they found out about the others.

So Daniel spread his arms wide without a hint of panic. "No, you came at exactly the right time. All of you—you're my wings!"

Kushida Kikyo bristled a little at his shameless line, but in the end couldn't resist pressing herself against him. This bastard. Next time, I'll make sure he doesn't have the energy left to go chasing other flowers.

Watching this, Kei Karuizawa asked with a hint of resentment, "Danny-kun, didn't you say you didn't have a girlfriend?"

"I didn't, when you asked yesterday. But plans change, Kei. Anyway—want to join in?" Daniel asked, opening his other arm.

Kei gritted her teeth, then steeled herself and leaned in too. Whatever happened, she wasn't about to give up on him.

Back at her seat, Sakura Airi felt like her brain was about to short-circuit. Watching Daniel with a beautiful girl tucked under each arm, she felt distinctly out of place.

"Um, I—should I hug you too?"

"Yes!"

Hearing that single word from Daniel, Sakura Airi felt her mind boil over like a kettle on the stove.

But looking at the gentleness in his eyes, and remembering the sense of safety she'd felt when he stroked her hair earlier, she bit her lip, screwed up her courage, and finally threw herself into his arms with her eyes squeezed shut.

"Mm..."

[Domination Points +1+1+1...]

Feeling the extra warm, soft weight against him, Daniel let out a contented sigh.

He couldn't help but wonder—who else was there?!

Could anyone else pull this off?

Daniel glanced down at Sakura Airi's pink head, trembling with nerves, and teased her on purpose. "Airi, you don't have to hold on so tight. I'm not going anywhere."

"Ah—s-sorry." Sakura quickly loosened her grip.

Kei Karuizawa and Kushida Kikyo both let out a huff at the same time, glaring daggers at Daniel from either side.

But for some reason, though they were clearly jealous, neither of them was actually angry enough to storm off.

The rest of the class had gone completely blank, murmuring among themselves about what a legend Daniel truly was.

Some of the boys had already gone from jealousy to outright admiration, half-ready to kneel right there and beg him to share his secrets.

But before Daniel could enjoy the moment much longer, a mature woman's voice cut through the group hug.

"What exactly are you all doing?"

Chabashira Sae stood in the doorway, arms crossed, wearing an expression of total, visible shock. No one knew how long she'd been standing there.

The classroom went dead silent. Every student turned to look at the door, then turned as one to stare at Daniel and the three girls in his arms.

"Oh no, oh no, the homeroom teacher's here!"

"Daniel's in for it now."

"Well, who told him to hog three beauties all to himself!"

Daniel, completely unbothered, released his hold on Kushida and Kei, then patted Sakura Airi's shoulder to signal she could let go too.

Then he turned to face Chabashira Sae with perfect composure, an entirely innocent expression on his face.

"Good morning, Ms. Chabashira. We were just having a friendly exchange."

Chabashira Sae's mouth twitched. This counted as a 'friendly exchange'?

Yesterday it had been choking Sudo by the throat, also filed under 'friendly exchange.' Was that phrase just a magic excuse for everything with this kid?

"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you—the school strictly prohibits inappropriate relationships between male and female students."

Kushida Kikyo and Kei Karuizawa both shrank their necks a little, looking guilty. Sakura Airi went pale with fright.

But Daniel replied with a face of pure innocence. "Ms. Chabashira, you misunderstand. What's between us is completely pure—purely a friendship of the lips, nothing more."

Chabashira Sae stared at him, speechless at the sheer nonsense coming out of his mouth, and decided it wasn't worth the effort. She turned instead to the girls beside him. "All of you, back to your seats. Class is starting."

Kushida Kikyo and Kei Karuizawa scurried back to their desks at once. Sakura Airi kept her head down, face red, not daring to look at anyone.

Chabashira Sae walked up to the podium, wrote out the day's material on the blackboard in chalk, then turned back around and swept her gaze across the room—only to pause, frowning.

"Why are we missing two people?"

She glanced at the empty seats, then checked the student roster in her hand. "Where are Yamauchi Haruki and Hirata Yousuke? Aren't they in class yet?"

A girl in the front row raised her hand carefully. "Sensei, Yamauchi suddenly slapped himself and passed out earlier. Hirata took him to the infirmary."

"He slapped himself and passed out?"

Chabashira Sae stared blankly. Even after several years handling Class D, she'd never seen anything quite like this.

"Well, we won't wait for them, then. Let's begin class."