Tokyo Soft Rice King.

Shiori Shirai realized that she had gone a bit too far. Although they were indeed her own thoughts, there were some things that should not be said aloud.

Especially the disparagement of light novels, which is too rude to those who like to read light novels. You should know that Mengmeng also likes to read light novels. I shouldn't discredit my friend's interests like this.

Besides, she knew there were great works in light novels, and she only said those things in a fit of anger...

But words spoken are like water spilled; her pride wouldn't allow her to take them back, so she had no choice but to remain silent once more.

Then it was Kuroba Akira's turn.

"Since you said light novels are lowbrow, Shirai-kun, writing a light novel that's publishable shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"

"..."

Shiori Shirai seemed to already know what Akira Kuroba was about to say.

This is a 'challenge letter' sent to her.

Kuroba Akira shrugged and said nonchalantly.

"Anyway, my original intention was just to produce something that would allow the Literature Club to survive. In the end, it doesn't matter whose novel it is published... In that case, let's have a competition to see whose work Ai-en will illustrate."

"..."

"It doesn't matter which publisher... no, even if it's not publishing, just having the opportunity to be published in a magazine is fine. Whoever's work gets the chance to be published wins, how about that?"

At this point, Shiori Shirai realized that she was in a difficult situation. If she wanted to stop Akira Kuroba, she had to produce results that would make him submit.

"...What about the deadline?"

Kuroba Akira extended one finger.

"One month. If you win, I'll strip naked and run around the playground."

"...Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious, but if I win..."

The girl also had her pride, and she took the initiative to state the bet.

"Then I will kneel down and apologize to you."

"Kneeling down isn't enough. Give me a full-body kowtow. After all, I'll have to take my clothes off if I lose."

Shiori Shirai frowned. The punishment of being completely naked would be tantamount to social death for a young girl, but her pride wouldn't allow her to back down here, and in the end, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

"Sure! You said it yourself! Just you wait and see!"

Whoever loses will be stripped naked.

This is a duel where face and dignity are at stake.

Chapter Sixty: The Scent of Books Inside the Girl's Shoes

Having witnessed the entire process of the two making the bet, Anri Hitomi smiled and teased Aizono Moe.

"That's great! Our Mengmeng has entered her popular period of attracting suitors. Look how much they all want to have you."

"Um... Hitomi, Hitomi-chan..."

Overwhelmed with shyness, Aizen Moe rested her forehead on Anri Hitomi's shoulder and patted her other shoulder like a doting wife.

It was just a close interaction between girls who were on good terms; it didn't have any special meaning.

However, more than her own popularity, Aizono Moe was worried about the conflict between Kuroba Akira and Shirai Shiori, and asked with a melancholy expression.

"Hitomi-chan... is it really okay not to stop them?"

Anri Hitomi stroked Aizono Moe's head and said with a loving mother's smile.

"No problem, just leave it to Kuroba-kun."

She trusted Kuroba Akira's character and knew he didn't say such things lightly, just like the deal he had proposed to her before.

Hei Yuming has a quality that everyone can possess, but few can carry out to the end: he always does what he says.

"But...they've already made those kinds of bets..."

If neither side manages to publish, the duel will likely end inconclusively. However, if one side does win, the outcome will be far from over.

Aizono Moe knew that with Shirai Shiori's personality, she would never give the other party a way out after winning, and making a boy run laps completely naked... just thinking about it made her blush.

Therefore, Aizono Moe actually hopes that Kuroba Akira will win, because Kuroba seems to be very gentle, and he shouldn't make Shiori lose face.

"Perhaps after this duel, Shiori and Kuroba-kun will become close friends. That's what they say, 'No fight, no friendship,' right?"

"Will it really go that smoothly...?"

"No problem, today too. Kuroba-kun quickly became friends with the boys in the class."

Although it's just a physical "getting together".

After making the bet, Kuroba Akira knew that his continued presence would only make the atmosphere more tense, so he got up to say goodbye.

"Then I'll go back today, squad leader."

"Won't you stay a little longer?"

"Well... since we've already made this bet, I need to go back and prepare properly. I don't think Shirai-san would want me to interfere with her writing process."

"……snort."

Shiori Shirai snorted coldly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Whether Akira Kuroba was there or not, she would not waste even a second of her time on him. She had already begun to think about suitable themes for writing light novels.

We must win! And then kick him out! The Arts and Culture Club doesn't need any men!

However, the thought that Kuroba Akira might continue to tease Xiaomengmeng and flirt with Hitomi is unsettling, so I think it's better if he's not around.

If he doesn't leave, then leave by yourself.

"Look, Shirai-san doesn't seem to welcome me very much, so let's wait until we decide who wins. Then I can openly enter and leave the Literature Club, and no one should have any objections."

　"..."

She spoke as if she had already won, which made Shiori Shirai furious.

But she knew that Kuroba Akira was deliberately saying these things to mess with her mindset, so she simply went back to being a silent woman.

If you can't hear it, it doesn't exist!

Kuroba Akira waved goodbye to the class president and Aizen Moe, grinning mischievously before leaving the Literature Club.

"Then I look forward to seeing your masterpiece, Shirai-kun. Also, this is just a small suggestion of mine: if you're going to write a light novel, it would be better to refer to your own works from your chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) period, okay?"

Before leaving, they didn't forget to mess with their opponent's mentality one last time; they really pulled out all the stops with their underhanded tactics.

"You...! Die!"

Shiori Shirai simply took off her shoes and threw them over, since she couldn't throw away the book she was holding.

Hei Yuming, who had just walked out of the door, caught the indoor shoes thrown at his face with his backhand, and even lowered his head to smell them.

"Oh my, this smell...it really is filled with the fragrance of books."

"…………!!!"

Shiori Shirai was so angry she was about to explode.

Hei Yuming had already achieved his goal of disrupting his opponent. He threw the shoe into the arts club's activity room and ran away.

See you tomorrow! Bye-bye~

It's definitely more fun to tease young girls than to be teased.

Incidentally, there's no way the shoes would smell like books; they only have a musty, slightly sour smell of silk fabric... After all, wearing opaque tights on a hot day must be very stuffy for your feet.

Luckily, she was a literary girl who spent the whole day reading, so her feet didn't sweat much.

If she's from the sports department... I can't imagine how smelly her feet would be; her socks would probably be dripping with juice.

Those girls from the sports department were complaining that the boys in the club building smelled terrible, but they turned out to be just as bad themselves.

After leaving the club building, Kuroba Akira returned to the classroom, ready to pick up his schoolbag and go home.

As soon as he entered the classroom, he saw Sumitomo Ryota chatting with Fujiyoshi Michio. He was also sitting on Kuroba Akira's desk. When he saw Kuroba Akira return, he raised one hand to greet him.

"Hey! Ming! You're back!"

"...Uh, Sumitomo-kun?"

You actually called yourself Ah Ming... Do we know each other that well?

"Just call me Ryota, right? Friends usually call each other by their first names."

"..."

Are we already friends?

How come this guy is even more outgoing than the class monitor?

And it was someone who had just hit him... That's a bit scary.

Kuroba Akira walked over and asked in confusion.

Didn't you go out with your friends?

"Oh, they said they were going bowling today, but I'm not really interested, so I'm not going... Ah Ming, did you just come back from the Literature and Art Department?"

"Yes."

"Hey……"

Perhaps thinking about how he had wanted to join the Literature Club for so long but had failed, while Kuroba Akira had beaten him to it, Sumitomo Ryota sighed sadly.

"So, what do you say?"

"What do you mean, how about it?"

"Of course it's the Arts Department, what else could it be?"

"It's just a very ordinary club activity."

"Damn it! Don't joke around! Although the Literature and Art Club is small, the three members, including Xiaotong, are the top beauties in our first year! If you, a boy, went into a place like that, you'd probably be surrounded by girls, having a blast!"

"Do you think the Literature and Art Department is a nightclub...?"

Kuroba Akira rolled his eyes, sat down in his seat, and asked.

"So, what are you guys talking about?"