Tokyo: After years of stagnation, the heiress of the yakuza arrives.

The air in the infirmary was quiet for a moment.

As Amamiya Kaoru looked at Onodera Zanne, who was sitting in a chair, a bead of cold sweat slowly seeped from her forehead.

"Does Ms. Amamiya have a boyfriend?"

The words sounded gentle, like a student's ordinary curiosity about a young school doctor, but to Amamiya Kaoru, they felt like someone had placed an interrogation light on her face, and thoughtfully turned it on full blast.

Amamiya Kaoru's brain began to work frantically.

coming.

They arrived as expected.

She knew that Onodera Zanne couldn't have just pulled a muscle during archery club training, so she came to the infirmary early in the morning to find her. Especially since this student council president wasn't an ordinary student; she was the one who had been secretly watching Kuroba Shido leave for several afternoons in a row.

Kaoru Amamiya is not blind.

She had seen Onodera Zannen's figure more than once from the window, the corridor, and downstairs when she used to slack off in the infirmary.

That way of waiting was very quiet.

He didn't approach, didn't make a sound, and didn't disturb anyone. He simply stood where he could just see Kuroba Shido leave, as gentle as if he were just passing by, yet as dangerous as if he had memorized the route.

Therefore, Kaoru Amamiya is very clear about this.

Onodera Zannen cares about Kuroba Shido.

And it's not just ordinary concern.

Now, this gentle, beautiful young lady with an incredibly powerful background, who is also the student council president and head of the archery club, is sitting in her infirmary, asking her if she has a boyfriend.

This is not just idle chatter.

This is torture.

Amamiya Kaoru's throat moved slightly.

If she says no, will Onodera Zanne judge her as a "single female school doctor who takes in male college students at night, raising the danger level"?

If she says yes, then who should she say?

You can't just make up a Yamada Taro on the spot, and then make up his height, occupation, birthday, blood type, and favorite ramen flavor, right?

No.

Amamiya Kaoru quickly realized that she had to establish her presence first.

She doesn't have a boyfriend.

Although from birth to now, strictly speaking, I have been single since birth.

Although her dating experience mainly comes from soap operas, melodramatic idol dramas, convenience store gossip magazines, and Shimotsuki Takari's occasional seemingly sophisticated but actually unreliable life experience sharing.

But she is an adult.

The most important skill for adults is to pretend to know everything in crucial situations.

Amamiya Kaoru coughed lightly, trying to put on an expression that said, "This kind of question is really too common for a mature woman."

"Boyfriend..."

She paused deliberately, picked up the glass on the table, and took a sip of water, trying to create the impression of a seasoned lover reminiscing about the past.

Which one are you referring to?

Onodera Zanne's eyes flickered slightly.

Amamiya Kaoru's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm on the surface, even moving the medicine box on the table to the side, as if to make room for her non-existent love story.

"After all, I'm not a child anymore. Of course, I've had some romantic experiences in the past. I really don't know which one you're referring to when you suddenly ask me this question, Onodera-kun."

After saying that, Kaoru Amamiya was already internally clutching her head.

It’s over.

That's an overstatement.

What does "don't know which part it refers to" mean?

She didn't even have the first paragraph!

Her romantic history was as clean as a newly purchased blank folder. The only ambiguous content was probably that some brat slept in her house last night and casually dismantled her smart lock, turning it into electronic remains.

Onodera Zanne looked at her, her smile still gentle.

She didn't ask any further questions.

They didn't expose it.

He simply nodded slightly.

"I see, so Amamiya-sensei is very popular."

Amamiya Kaoru felt her scalp tingle from that compliment.

She would rather Onodera Reine question herself.

There is at least room for rebuttal when there are doubts.

This gentle approval is like the other person smiling as they watch her build up her lies, layer by layer, and even handing her a brick.

Kaoru Amamiya gritted her teeth and continued to fill in the gaps in the settings.

"I wouldn't say I was very popular, but when you're young, you inevitably meet all sorts of people. Later, I got busy with work, and the clinic took up a lot of time, so I didn't seriously consider these things for a long time."

She spoke more and more fluently, and even vaguely found the feeling of a soap opera heroine recalling her past romantic relationships.

"Sometimes relationships depend on fate. Being too deliberate can be counterproductive. I currently enjoy living alone. I work, rest, occasionally watch dramas, and have some snacks. Life is quite relaxed."

Onodera Zannen listened quietly, his eyes showing no sign of offense.

The more Amamiya Kaoru was looked at like that, the more she felt a chill run down her spine.

Because she always felt that Onodera Zannen didn't believe it.

Instead, they see through things but don't say anything.

This kind of gentleness is terrifying.

Like a knife wrapped in silk, it doesn't cut, but slowly adheres to the skin, making you start to sweat.

"Why are you suddenly asking this, Onodera-kun?"

Kaoru Amamiya finally couldn't help but ask a question in return, trying to regain some of the initiative.

Onodera Zanne lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently adjusting his cuffs, his voice carrying just the right amount of hesitation.

"Actually, I've also been having some relationship troubles lately."

Amamiya Kaoru: "..."

She felt her heart skip a beat.

really.

It's not a muscle strain.

It's a form of torture in a relationship.

Onodera Zannen didn't continue speaking, but simply raised his eyes and looked at her quietly.

The infirmary was quiet.

The tablet had long been turned off by Kaoru Amamiya, and the soap opera heroine was still stuck on the rainy night scene from the end of the previous episode. A corner of a bread package that hadn't been properly hidden in the drawer was sticking out, and the air conditioner was humming and blowing cold air overhead.

Onodera Zanne looked at her so gently.

He remained silent.

Just watching.

The meaning is very clear.

Amamiya-sensei, with such a rich romantic history, you should be able to listen to some of your stories, right?

Amamiya Kaoru remained remarkably calm, even nodding slightly, displaying a reliable expression befitting a mature adult.

"I see. It's true that relationship troubles are very common. If Onodera-kun is willing to talk about it, then of course I'm willing to listen."

In reality, she was already screaming inside.

Master, save me.

Xiao Gao, save me.

Anyone will do, just hurry up and get her out of here.

She was just a school doctor who was just coasting along, not a relationship expert or a mature woman with rich emotional experience. She hadn't even figured out why that brat Kuroba Shido could turn every woman into a source of danger.

Onodera Canyin smiled slightly.

"Then I'll have to bother you, teacher."

Her posture was natural, and her tone was soft.

"It's not really anything serious, it's just that I've recently realized that I seem to care a lot about someone."

Amamiya Kaoru: "..."

She didn't need to ask who it was.

She knew who it was.

It's definitely Kuroba Shido.

Does that brat even know how many dangerous traces he leaves outside all day long?

Onodera Zanne continued, "That person is a few years younger than me. Sometimes he seems pitiful, but you can't really treat him like an ordinary pitiful person."

Amamiya Kaoru's lips twitched slightly.

He's a few years younger than her.

They look pitiful.

They cannot be treated as ordinary, pitiful people.

This is no longer just a hint.

This involves breaking down Kuroba Shido's name into strokes and writing them one by one on her forehead. If all else fails, classmate, you could just read her ID number directly; that would be more straightforward. Let's use name tags instead, so the teacher doesn't have to feel so bad...

Onodera Zannen seemed oblivious to the change in Amamiya Kaoru's expression and continued speaking softly.

"He's good at running away, and he's also good at pretending he knows nothing."

Amamiya Kaoru's fingers trembled slightly.

Ok.

The ID card number was also posted.

"Sometimes it can make you angry, but after you get angry, you can't help but wonder if he's just too scared."

Amamiya Kaoru thought the air conditioner might be broken.

Otherwise, why would she get hotter and hotter even though the cold wind kept blowing?

Onodera Zanne looked up at her with gentle eyes.

"What do you think is the best way to deal with someone like this, Ms. Amamiya?"

Amamiya Kaoru's lips moved slightly.

She really wanted to suggest calling the police.

It's not about calling the police to arrest Kuroyu Shido.

She called the police to save herself.

Because Onodera Zannen was looking at her.

She had just finished boasting about her extensive dating experience.

Amamiya Kaoru coughed and began her arduous business operations.

"In this situation, it depends on the other person's personality. If the other person is... well, lacks a sense of security, then excessive pressure may backfire."

Onodera Zannen nodded thoughtfully.

"So we shouldn't get too close?"

Amamiya Kaoru's eyes lit up.

Correct!

This is it!

Keep your distance!

Everyone, please keep your distance!

The best way to deal with Kuroba Shido is to let him live a quiet and impoverished life, and stop him from becoming a victim of further harm.

She immediately became serious.

"Yes, a sense of distance is important, especially with boys who are younger than you. Sometimes they are not mature yet and their behavior is quite childish. If you get too close, it may cause trouble for both of you."

Onodera's remaining voice repeated softly.

"childish."

Kaoru Amamiya nodded frantically.

"Yes, very childish, extremely childish, especially those who seem very eloquent but are actually full of escape routes and strange fallacies. It's best not to indulge them too much."

After saying those words, Amamiya Kaoru suddenly realized that she seemed to have revealed the extent of her knowledge of Kuroba Shido.

She immediately took remedial action.

"Of course, the teacher was just giving an example."

Onodera smiled in the residual tone.

"Yes, I understand. Just give me an example."

Amamiya Kaoru: "..."

She felt that the other person didn't seem to understand at all.

Onodera Zanne tilted his head slightly, as if he were genuinely seeking instruction.

"But what if, although he's naive, he's someone you can't trust?"

Amamiya Kaoru's back started sweating again.

"But we must remain rational."

"What if he keeps getting injured?"

"Take him to the hospital."

"What if he has nowhere to go?"

"Let him find a friend."

"What if his friends are unreliable?"

"Let him call the police."

Onodera Zane was silent for two seconds.

Amamiya Kaoru was silent for two seconds.

The two people looked at each other.

Amamiya Kaoru finally realized what was happening.

wrong.

This is not relationship counseling at all.

This is gentle torture.

Every question Onodera Zanne asked, seemingly about "the boy who was a few years younger than her," was actually a way of confirming the extent of her contact with Kuroba Shido.

And every answer she gave seemed to be an attempt to prove her innocence.

Amamiya Kaoru felt she couldn't continue being so passive.

She had to cut off this dangerous route immediately.

So she took a deep breath and forced herself to put on a very serious, mature, and principled expression.

"Onodera-san."

Onodera Zanne looked at her.

"Um?"

Amamiya Kaoru gritted her teeth.

"Teacher, I can tell you very clearly that I will never like a partner who is younger than me."

The infirmary fell silent.

As Amamiya Kaoru spoke, she felt she should immediately retract her statement, otherwise she would inevitably be dragged into a ditch by Onodera Zanne's gentle interrogation.

"Boys younger than me are too immature, troublesome, willful, and prone to causing trouble, especially the kind who are always thinking about weird survival strategies and can't say anything serious. I, as a teacher, am completely against them!"

Onodera's lingering smile remained unchanged.

Kaoru Amamiya was already drenched in sweat, but she still forced herself to finish saying the last sentence.

"I swear, I, Amamiya Kaoru, will never like a boy younger than myself!"