People at the practical education center only want to drop out.

Therefore, in terms of "social status" alone, Ichinose is far superior to Horikita.

1: 0!

Ichinose is in the lead.

Then comes ability.

Horikita and Ichinose both scored above 90 in the quiz, but Horikita's score seemed to be slightly higher.

Ichinose is "excellent" in academics and "good" in physical abilities, while Horikita is "excellent" in both.

However, considering that Horikita's excellent academic performance was achieved through crazy "overtime work".

In addition to studying, Ichinose also has to spend a lot of time interacting with and taking care of her classmates, so she has much less time to study than Horikita.

Therefore, it cannot be said that Ichinose's learning ability is lower than Horikita's; it can only be said that they allocated their stat points differently.

However, despite spending significantly less time studying than Horikita, Ichinose's academic performance was almost on par with Horikita's, and she even had the energy to manage others.

Therefore, it can be seen that Ichinose is even more intelligent than Horikita!

2: 0!

Ichinose remains in the lead!

Next, let's talk about physical abilities.

Considering that Ichinose's physical activities involve "weight-bearing exercises," which affect her score by four points, she can receive extra points during the physical fitness evaluation, thus raising her grade by one level.

Therefore, in terms of physical strength, the two sides are evenly matched.

The score remains 2-0.

Ichinose stays in the lead!

Then there's appearance.

In terms of looks, Ichinose and Horikita are on the same level, just with different styles.

A draw.

But, in terms of figure...

Ichinose wins!

3: 0!

Finally, if we add one more factor—how popular one is with boys.

The number of people in the entire grade who want Ichinose as their girlfriend is clearly far greater than that of Horikita.

and so.

4: 0!

Final result—Ichinose completely defeats Horikita!

Because Ichinose completely defeated Horikita.

In other words, it is highly unlikely that Ichinose would feel inferior and then retreat in defeat in front of Horikita.

If Ichinose were willing to help Shiran, she could easily block Horikita's attacks and prevent Horikita from harassing Shiran!

Just then, Ichinose said she wanted to repay Shiran's favor by helping her...

This made Bai Lan's mind wander.

anyway.

Horikita was originally meant to be Bai Lan's shield.

Then, Horikita, acting as a shield, betrayed Shiraran.

Now, Shirai plans to ask Ichinose to help him block Horikita.

What was Ichinose's name to Shiranai again?

Or is it a "shield"?

No, Horikita didn't really want to pursue Bai Lan at all; she wasn't an "arrow," but a "shield to be stabbed in the back."

Therefore, if Ichinose agrees to help, Ichinose's identity will become Shiran's "shield"?

......

After comparing Ichinose and Horikita, Shirai exclaimed with delight, "Ichinose-kun, you actually seem to be able to help me!"

Upon hearing this, Ichinose's face lit up with joy: "Really? Is there really something I can do to help you, Shiro? That's wonderful! Please tell me how I can help you. If I can, I'll do my best!"

Bai Lan began to think about how to bring up the matter of "shield" with Ichinose: "Actually, this matter is simple in some ways and difficult in others. Whether it can be done depends mainly on each person's situation."

"What's happening?"

"Ichinose-san, do you have a boyfriend?" Bai Lan asked.

"what?"

99. Deceiving Ichinose: True couples aren't real, fake couples aren't fake.

"Ichinose-san, do you have a boyfriend?"

Hearing Bai Lan's question, Ichinose couldn't help but think, "Could it be that the reason Bai Lan helped our class before was because he wanted to pursue me? Was everything he did before just to pursue me?"

While thinking this to herself, Ichinose subconsciously said in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry, Shiro-kun, I don't plan to date while I'm studying!"

Ichinose isn't a new "school idol"; she was one before she came to this school.

As a "school idol", Ichinose has always encountered all sorts of suitors.

However, just as she said, she doesn't plan to use her studies to date.

Ichinose's family is not well-off; it's a single-parent family with a younger sister. The three of them rely entirely on their mother for support.

My mother is not a high-income earner; on the contrary, her income level is relatively low.

Her mother had already done everything she could to support the family.

In this family environment, Ichinose also wanted to improve herself, whether it was academic subjects or interpersonal skills, these were all things she needed to learn.

She wanted to ensure her mother's sacrifices were properly valued, and she didn't have the energy to indulge in something as luxurious as romance.

Ichinose once considered starting work after graduating from high school in order to help ease her mother's burden as soon as possible. However, when she brought this up with her mother, she was slapped hard by her mother's agitation.

That was the first time her mother hit her.

Afterwards, her mother calmed down and apologized to her. Then she said to Ichinose, "Mom will let you live the life that normal children should have. Of course, you can choose to finish high school and go straight to work without further education, but I hope that this is a choice you make according to your true desires, and not because of reasons such as 'to reduce the burden on the family'."

Providing a child with a normal environment to grow up in is a parent's obligation. Doing so will make your mother feel useless.

After that, Ichinose never said those words again, but she worked even harder than before.

Although Bai Lan had helped her, Ichinose wouldn't accept Bai Lan's advances just because of that.

After all, in the past, many boys had taken the initiative to help her in order to pursue her.

If she were willing to repay favors with her feelings, she would have had hundreds of boyfriends by now.

Because she had frequently rejected other people's advances in the past, Ichinose was very skilled at saying no, it had almost become a muscle memory.

In fact, Ichinose had subconsciously pulled out the rejection lines she had prepared long ago from her mind.

Based on her experience, suitors who are shy and whose courage is exhausted just from confessing their feelings will usually give up immediately after being hit by her "rejection rhetoric - starting move".

However, based on Ichinose's impression of Shirai, she felt that Shirai was not the kind of person who was easily embarrassed. Therefore, she thought that she probably wouldn't be able to get rid of Shirai with just a "starting move".

Thinking of this, after finishing her sentence, Ichinose began to try to predict what Shirai might say next.

As long as Shirai uses a move similar to those in the various contingency plans that Ichinose had studied, she can easily counter it based on her experience.

However......

"What a coincidence!" Bai Lan exclaimed with delight upon hearing Ichinose's words.

This was a reaction Ichinose had never expected.

"Huh? Huh—! What do you mean by 'too coincident'?"

Ichinose couldn't help but show a puzzled expression.

Bai Lan explained, "That's right, I don't plan to date while I'm studying."

Ichinose: "Then why did you ask me this question, Shiro-kun?"

Bai Lan: "I don't want to be in a relationship, but some people are trying to disturb my life under the guise of 'pursuing me,' which is exactly what I was just troubling."

At that moment, Ichinose noticed the lunchbox in Shiran's hand, and then looked enlightened, as if she understood something: "So, the reason why Shiran went to the fourth floor, which is basically impossible for first-year students to come to, is to avoid the troublesome 'pursuer' so that she can have lunch, right?"

Bai Lan thought about it for a moment, and although it wasn't entirely that reason, it seemed to be close enough, so she nodded: "Yes, speaking of which, don't you need to go for lunch?"

"Ah, lunch? I prepared a bento box in advance." As she spoke, Ichinose took a bento box out of her handbag and waved it in front of Shiraishi: "How about we eat and chat?"

"Okay." Bai Lan nodded.

Afterwards, the two of them took their lunchboxes and sat down on the stairs leading from the fourth floor to the rooftop, where almost no one would pass by.

Then, as Ichinose opened her lunchbox, she said, "Actually, I noticed it the first day I enrolled. It seems that Shiro-kun isn't very good at refusing other people's kindness, is that right? Although it's not nice to say that about myself, I've always had quite a few suitors. Since I don't want to be in a relationship, I've studied a lot of ways and techniques to refuse people, so I have some experience in this area."

Do you need me to teach you how to say no?

After speaking, Ichinose picked up some food with her chopsticks and ate her bento while pretending to listen attentively.

Shiran felt a little guilty after Ichinose said that to her.

Because of the experience of crashing and burning that Hirata and Horikita, those two seemingly "honest" guys.

Once, twice, but never three times.

Although Ichinose seems like a good person, even "good people" can sometimes do bad things with good intentions.

Examples might include: "I'm doing this for your own good," or "He's still just a child."

Therefore, Bai Lan remained vigilant and did not want to expose her "weaknesses" in front of him.

Thinking of this, Bai Lan explained without revealing her true feelings: "Haha, not good at refusing kindness or anything like that, that's not true."

I think I'm pretty good at speaking; what I say usually achieves the effect I want.

Therefore, I don't need anyone to teach me this, and besides, your approach is not the same style as mine.