After Shin'ichirō—now Vermouth—left, she walked a sufficient distance from Hoshino Kurosawa before turning back to glance at the boy. She frowned slightly, muttering to herself:
"It seems this identity has its limitations. I'll need to hire a male doctor to handle physical examinations for the boys from now on."
It never crossed her mind that Hoshino might have sensed something off about her. She simply assumed there was some private, male-specific issue he wanted a doctor to check.
Vermouth didn't need to look to guess what he might have wanted her to examine in the restroom.
But she wasn't a real school doctor. As she stood near the restroom door, she couldn't take it anymore and excused herself. She was afraid Hoshino might actually insist on showing her something that would scar her eyes.
"Phew…" Vermouth let out a soft sigh. Her original plan to chat with Ran was now impossible.
Moreover, she sensed that Hoshino Kurosawa was wary of women getting too close to Ran; otherwise, he wouldn't have grabbed her wrist so abruptly.
"Heh, a knight guarding his princess? Not bad. The kid has good taste." A faint, amused smile curled on Vermouth's lips, and she felt a slightly more favorable impression of Hoshino Kurosawa form. An angel who could protect herself was perfect. After all, she couldn't be by Ran's side every moment—she always had missions from the Organization to complete.
Meanwhile, back with Hoshino Kurosawa.
He had found Ran and Sonoko. The two girls were standing by the badminton court, rackets in hand, apparently waiting for him.
"Hoshino-kun, here." Ran handed him a racket.
"Heh, come on, I can't wait any longer," Sonoko said, lightly plucking at her racket strings with her head slightly lowered, putting on a professional air.
Taking the racket, Hoshino gave it a few practice swings before slinging it over his shoulder. "Sonoko, the court is a battlefield. I won't go easy on you."
"Don't worry, you don't need to! It's two against one anyway. We're girls, you're a guy," Sonoko replied breezily.
"Sonoko, does your conscience hurt when you say that?" Hoshino shot back, fully aware that with Ran present, their side could unleash terrifying power at any moment.
"Hehe~" Knowing her best friend's true strength, Sonoko just smirked smugly.
The scene shifts. The final class has ended, and school is out.
Inside the classroom, Sonoko packed her bag while glaring at Hoshino Kurosawa, who still wore a faint smile. She wished she could punch that smug look off his face.
Hoshino shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Some people… I told you, in doubles, you're just dead weight. Look, even with Ran's insane athletic ability, she couldn't carry you. Tsk tsk…"
"You—!" A vein throbbed on Sonoko's forehead.
The memory of being relentlessly targeted by Hoshino during their badminton PE class filled her with renewed frustration. She had initially been confident that teaming up with Ran would crush Hoshino.
Instead, she became the sole target; every one of Hoshino's shots was aimed straight at her.
Although Ran quickly saw through the tactic and tried to cover for her, it essentially turned into a singles match between Ran and Hoshino, utterly ruining Sonoko's experience. In her flustered attempts to help, she only made things worse.
"Alright, alright, arguing with him is pointless," Ran comforted her.
Hoshino stood up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed for the door. "So, shopping or grabbing a bite?"
"Not shopping today."
"Not eating either."
Hearing their simultaneous replies, Hoshino stopped and turned to look at them in surprise.
He glanced at the duty roster on the blackboard. "It's not your turn for cleaning duty today. No shopping? Ran, Sonoko, are you two possessed or something?"
"Get lost," Sonoko waved a dismissive hand. "You're the one who's possessed. Ran is going to the Karate Club today to spar with Kazumi-senpai."
"That's right. Hoshino-kun, do you want to come watch?" Ran invited.
Hoshino shrugged. "Sure, lead the way."
The Karate Club was nearby, located in the school gymnasium.
Both male and female members were present. As soon as Hoshino entered, he saw Tsukamoto Kazumi in her gi send a male student flying with a sharp side kick.
"Oh, you're here." Tsukamoto Kazumi waved to the trio as they entered, dismissing the other students to continue their practice.
Hoshino glanced at the boy who was just getting up from the floor, limping away. "Tsukamoto-senpai, what was that about just now?"
"Nothing much," Tsukamoto Kazumi replied with a smile. "The kouhai wasn't convinced by my pointers, so he needed a firsthand experience. Ran, go change. Let me see if you've improved."
"Yes, Senpai!" Ran handed her bag to Sonoko and headed for the locker room.
"Kurosawa-kun," Tsukamoto Kazumi fixed her large, bright eyes on Hoshino. "You managed to dodge three of my moves last time, so you must have some skill. Want to give it a try?"
"Heh…" The corner of Hoshino's mouth twitched. Recalling the scene of the boy being kicked away moments ago, he decisively shook his head.
Besides, Tsukamoto Kazumi was the former captain of the karate club. In the stories, Ran had learned some techniques from her, which meant her strength was terrifying—likely even greater than Ran's.
If he faced her, he'd have no choice but to run in circles, and he probably couldn't even outrun her.
"Oh my~" Sonoko's eyes sparkled as she saw Hoshino decline. She immediately tried reverse psychology. "Hoshino, aren't you supposed to be really strong? Why are you scared of Kazumi-senpai?"
"Sonoko, I don't know karate, and I'm pretty sure you don't either. How about you and I have a match?" Hoshino replied with a teasing smile.
"…" Sonoko fell silent, her expression darkening slightly. She knew her own combat skills best—she was no match for Hoshino.
"Kouhai, since you don't know, how about I teach you a few moves?" Tsukamoto Kazumi offered.
"Senpai, I'm in my school uniform. It's not convenient for big movements."
"That's true. Then I'll teach you a few simple ones, with minimal movement."
"Senpai, maybe next time." Hoshino still refused.
"Alright." Tsukamoto Kazumi nodded, a faint hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.
A short while later, Ran returned, changed into her karate gi.
For Hoshino Kurosawa, it was an unusual opportunity to witness their sparring session—the first time he'd ever seen Ran fight.
How to describe it…
All he heard was the solid, rhythmic thud of fists and feet making contact with bodies. Just the sound of it made him wince in sympathy.
However, it was just a friendly exchange. After about a dozen moves, they stopped to discuss each other's openings, optimal defenses, and counterattacks.