Upon hearing his words, a trace of shame flickered across Yasuhisa Kurona's face.
Uesugi Ryu wasn't wrong, she had acted out of a hasty desire to prove that she was no weaker than him.
Yasuhisa Nashiro also felt that Uesugi Ryu had made a valid point, but she didn't say anything further. She simply tugged on Kurona's sleeve.
"Kurona, let's go get changed."
After all, Kurona's long-sleeved shirt had been so considerately turned into a one-shoulder top by that kindhearted female Ghoul. With the tear, one could vaguely glimpse the scenery beneath.
Not that there was much to see, it was just a flat chest.
After the Quinques were returned, Tokage Goumasasa also lost interest in his games. He muttered a few words and casually dismissed the students.
The remaining time was left for self-directed training. Most trainees would go work on their physical conditioning.
Yamashita Tetsuno approached with admiration written all over his face.
"Uesugi-kun, that was awesome! A true hero saving the damsel in distress! I should've expected no less from someone who's already killed so many Ghouls."
Uesugi Ryu smiled modestly and shifted the conversation. "It wasn't much. That Ghoul you guys faced was already severely weakened. If you'd summoned the courage, killing her wouldn't have been that difficult."
Yamashita gave a bitter smile and scratched his head in frustration.
"Who knew? The moment I stood in front of her, my brain just shut down. There's no use regretting it now, I guess."
After some light chatter, Yamashita and the others headed off for training.
Uesugi Ryu declined Yamashita's invitation, it would've been a waste of time. Given his current physical stats, ordinary physical training had no effect on him anymore.
Instead, he walked over to Suzuya Juuzou.
"Hey. I don't think I've gotten your name yet. I'm Uesugi Ryu."
Uesugi Ryu extended his hand toward him.
Juuzou blinked in surprise and glanced around before realizing that someone was actually talking to him. He gave a cheerful smile.
"I'm Suzuya Juuzou. Nice to meet you~"
"Uesugi-kun, don't you know? That Suzuya Juuzou is a total psycho!"
The male student sitting in front of Uesugi deliberately lowered his voice, whispering conspiratorially.
"I heard he's obsessed with torturing kittens… really twisted stuff. I mean, the school even issued an official disciplinary notice because of it!"
Though he kept his voice down, the scorn and disgust in his tone carried clearly through the classroom.
Suzuya Juuzou, engrossed in embroidering human patterns into his own skin, heard every word.
Yet, he didn't react. Not even a flicker of his eyelids. He just continued threading his needle calmly, as if the outside world had nothing to do with him.
Uesugi Ryu frowned slightly. He looked around the room and saw that everyone else was watching Juuzou with thinly veiled hostility and rejection, as if they'd already branded him a monster beyond redemption.
Facing this, Uesugi Ryu's brow furrowed deeper.
"I'm skeptical of things I haven't seen with my own eyes. Do you have any solid evidence?"
The male student froze, clearly not expecting such a reply. Thinking carefully, he realized the school hadn't issued any clear reason at the time. All they had said was "a matter confirmed by internal investigation."
Even so, he quickly tried to maintain confidence and said with a firm expression, "The matter's been confirmed, Uesugi-kun. Aren't you being a bit stubborn?"
Uesugi Ryu gave a faintly mocking smile. It wasn't like he was going out of his way to befriend Suzuya Juuzou, he simply hated this kind of baseless accusation.
"You're condemning someone without clear evidence?"
"Even the extermination of a Ghoul requires proper detection reports and verification. Yet you're ready to pass judgment on a fellow human over hearsay?"
"If that's what you believe, then you're not Investigators, you're executioners."
The room, which had been buzzing with quiet chatter, immediately fell silent.
Everyone was stunned into momentary silence.
"Yasuhisa Kurona witnessed it herself, you know. Uesugi-kun, aren't you being a little too persistent?" someone muttered.
Uesugi Ryu didn't respond. He could tell this was a case of playing the lute to a cow, his words fell on deaf ears.
What he said made sense on paper, but most people still preferred to trust the school and their own assumptions.
Or maybe, deep down, they just couldn't stand the presence of someone like Juuzou to begin with.
With this exchange, the students who'd been friendly toward Uesugi Ryu earlier now subtly distanced themselves.
And the real culprit, Mutsuki Tooru who had framed Suzuya back then, suddenly grew tense, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.
The bell soon rang for class.
Suzuya, looking a bit sleepy, yawned and laid his head down on the desk.
As an orphan taken in by the CCG, Suzuya lived in the dormitory on campus. Naturally, Uesugi Ryu, a day student, would leave at the end of the day.
"Juuzou, see you tomorrow."
Uesugi Ryu called out as he left the classroom.
Startled by the bell, Juuzou sleepily raised his head, smiled brightly, and replied, "Bye-bye!"
Uesugi Ryu's home was in the peaceful, tranquil 20th Ward, it was completely different from the bustling chaos of the 1st Ward, where the Investigator Academy was located.
This meant he had to commute daily between the two areas.
The identity arranged for him by the system was quite satisfactory. Although his "father" and "uncle" were fictional figures, the inheritance they'd left behind was very real.
Given the substantial salaries Investigators earned, it made sense that they'd accumulate a sizable fortune over time.
Parked in a spot not far from the Academy sat a sleek, two-door Toyota Supra, with a pure-white body and aerodynamic design. Its distinctive shape drew attention from passersby, who would often pause to admire it.
Especially at dusk, when the lone headlight at the front flickered on, it looked like a one-eyed giant glaring into the night.
The massive rear spoiler only added to its flair.
Uesugi Ryu spared no expense when it came to himself. He had bought the Toyota Supra outright with a full payment.
It might not be an ultra-luxury vehicle, but for Uesugi Ryu, it was enough to fulfill a dream he never realized in his previous life.
Seated comfortably in the driver's seat, he floored the accelerator.
The roaring thunder of the engine burst through the surroundings.
The tires screeched against the pavement, filling the air with smoke and the pungent scent of burning rubber. In an instant, the sleek car shot forward like a missile.
Accompanied by the exhilarating Playlist of his own making, Uesugi Ryu raced his flamboyant "One-Eyed Demon Bull" down the road home.