Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

It's rare to see someone who's both naturally airheaded and cunning.

Even the experienced Haruno was left speechless by Rizu's expression.

With her sharp eye for detail, she couldn't detect a single flaw — the girl truly seemed to have no concept of it.

"Ogata-san, you shouldn't be so close with boys. People might say you're sharing an indirect kiss." Miku warned, her heart aching as she suppressed her jealousy. Her eyes fixed intently on Rizu, searching for any reaction.

Rizu stared blankly at Daiki, then looked at Miku.

"What's an indirect kiss?"

Her words made Haruno and the others weak in the knees. Her expression showed nothing but pure innocence.

Miku's jealousy and anger vanished like steam hit with cold water.

"Never mind, it's nothing." After a moment's hesitation, Miku decided to drop the subject.

This science genius from Sōbu High was simply too innocent. It was like punching a cotton ball. If she didn't even understand kissing, what else could they expect?

"But I'll remember what Miku said. I've never done this with other boys — only with Daiki-kun."

Miku's small fist clenched unconsciously.

Even knowing Rizu was naturally dense, it still stung!

With nowhere to direct her burning anger, her left hand moved quietly under the table and grabbed Big Daiki.

"This is... Daiki-kun's... punishment... for others!" She whispered into his ear, her face flushed.

Daiki's expression was helpless; he was suffering undeserved misfortune.

"I still need to thank Daiki-kun. Without you, I might have had no hope. Even though Kirisu-sensei has been helping us, the tutoring hasn't worked, and I can tell her patience is wearing thin."

Speaking of their homeroom teacher Mafuyu's tutoring, Rizu's eyes clouded with melancholy.

Initially, Mafuyu had genuinely wanted to help them achieve their goals. But as time passed, the teacher's attitude shifted. During tutoring, she would subtly probe their intentions, essentially suggesting they should give up their dreams.

Rizu didn't blame her but felt hopeless about the future.

"Yes, Daiki-kun's tutoring is incredible! My Japanese literature score improved right away! If we keep this up, passing all subjects isn't just a dream!" Yotsuba agreed enthusiastically, pumping her fist.

"Indeed, it is quite remarkable." Haruno said from her seat, quietly raising her jade-like foot. Her perfect toes brushed lightly against Daiki's leg.

The subtle touch made Big Daiki twitch.

Gripping firmly, Miku's face reddened, "Daiki-kun, behave yourself."

Yet even as she scolded him, her hand demonstrated its ultimate dexterity. She might not know much, but this she could do!

"Hmm? What's Haruno up to now?" Ichika, noticing the change in the older woman's smile, instantly became alert.

She experimentally raised her foot, touching the other leg directly. When she looked up, she caught Haruno's challenging smile.

The proper Nino and Yukino remained oblivious to this unusual behavior.

Miku, her face flushed red, buried her head in her bowl, unsure how to react.

"Sigh, if it weren't for me, Miku would have way more than three hats on her head!" With that thought, Ichika boldly extended her foot.

"Yes, Yotsuba-san, let's work hard together!" Encouraged, Rizu and Yotsuba exchanged warm smiles.

It was always delightful to find like-minded friends during study sessions.

"Of course! I've passed Japanese literature now. Ogata-san, feel free to ask me any questions!"

"Mm-hmm!"

The two fell into easy conversation.

"Before, I couldn't understand character relationships and emotions in literature. But thanks to Daiki-kun's teaching, I can now analyze character relationships! I'm sure we'll pass our literature subjects soon!" Rizu's face lit up as she spoke to Yotsuba.

In her excitement, she accidentally dropped her chopsticks.

The sudden clatter made the three mischief-makers jump.

Haruno and Ichika, worried about drawing attention, couldn't withdraw their feet in time. Miku, despite sitting next to Rizu and having the chance to move, deliberately kept her hand in place after a moment's hesitation.

After all, she was Daiki's official girlfriend — what was there to hide?

This was the perfect opportunity to make their relationship clear to this girl and prevent future misunderstandings.

As Rizu bent down to retrieve her chopsticks, she witnessed everything.

Two feet were playing against Daiki's legs, occasionally nudging each other furtively, while Miku's hand remained poised for its decisive move.

Question: What exactly was the relationship between these four people?

Her mind whirled frantically, nearly overheating as she tried to comprehend these intricate interpersonal dynamics.

'These relationships and emotions are so complicated. Literature... is impossible!' Her newfound confidence crumbled instantly.

Rizu lifted her head, her thoughts completely scrambled.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Miku's lips curved into a triumphant smile.

That's right, little girl — this is what real power looks like!

Luckily for them, she failed to notice Haruno and Ichika holding their breath.

When Miku paused her movements, the restless feet resumed their game.

"Ogata-san, are you okay?" Yotsuba and Itsuki asked with concern, noticing the girl's distraction.

"I'm fine." Rizu replied quickly, though her mind kept replaying the previous scenes.

What was the relationship between these four people? Why was Miku's hand doing that to Daiki? And what were Ichika and Haruno trying to accomplish?

This glimpse into an unfamiliar world left her mind swimming with questions. Even as lunch came to an end, she remained puzzled.

"Let's solve another practice paper to refresh ourselves!" Yotsuba declared energetically, unwilling to waste even their break time.

Nino and Itsuki shook their heads helplessly but accepted the papers. Everything seemed fine at first — until they saw the scores.

"Huh? How did Ichika's Japanese literature score suddenly get so high?" Itsuki asked, glancing up from her own passing grade.

A quick look showed her sister's score had far surpassed hers.

Their scores had been equal just that morning. Somehow, in the brief span of lunch, Ichika had pulled dramatically ahead.

❊❊❊

T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!

For just $1 you can access all the extra content, descriptive images, and the smuts (this one has a lot), costs only $2!

That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)

https://www.patreon.com/mrblackwing