After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

What did Kagura Hikaru mean to Ayakoji Chiyoko?

A tool? An ally? A fellow victim of sympathy?

In the past, Ayakoji Chiyoko could have easily provided an answer, but after that person took a knife for her, the question suddenly became blurred.

Previously, when Ayakoji Chiyoko looked at Kagura Hikaru, she saw the value behind him, his identity as Kiryu Hina's ex-boyfriend.

However, recently, she had seen more of Kagura Hikaru himself.

She suddenly discovered that the other had many shining points.

First was his appearance; unexpectedly, a mere tool had outstanding looks, something she had never paid attention to before.

Then there were his academic achievements; because of the upcoming final exams, the school held a preliminary test, and Kagura Hikaru came first in the grade, knocking the perennial top ranker Kiryu Hina off her throne, much to her delight.

Moreover, he had recently become a trainer in the Disciplinary Committee and had earned everyone's respect. His prowess in martial skills had also been certified.

Ayakoji Chiyoko belatedly realized that this person could indeed be considered talented both in letters and in arms.

It was just a pity that he was a classmate and not an incoming freshman; otherwise, making him the successor and entrusting the Disciplinary Committee to Kagura Hikaru after graduation was a possibility worth considering.

A dangerous person like him, everything about him must be known to Ayakoji Chiyoko.

All shadows must be illuminated, all mysteries must be unraveled; to stand by Ayakoji Chiyoko's side, this was a necessary condition.

As of now, Kagura Hikaru did not bring her a sense of security.

He had many secrets, such as his past with Kiryu Hina.

Ayakoji Chiyoko did not believe in the so-called 'incompatibility' excuse. What they experienced must have been a story that was far more rugged than that.

They say women are like cats, and being a cat, how could one stop in front of a puzzle?

There was another reason that convinced her to start an investigation.

Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina's past may be the latter's weak spot.

This secret could destroy a person and even more — wreak severe consequences. Perhaps it is because he is well aware of this that Kagura Hikaru has remained tight-lipped about it.

Ayakoji Chiyoko had no interest in destroying Kagura Hikaru, but she was very interested in destroying Kiryu Hina.

Hence, she came here today — to Tsukinomori Private Girls' School.

Standing at the gate of the girls' school, Ayakoji Chiyoko stood straight like a green pine, one hand clutching a shoulder bag, her eyes gazing at the distant twilight, lost in thought.

The female students passing by cast curious glances at her, all of which were ignored.

Tsukinomori, that so-called prestigious high school, every student who came and went was from a rich or noble family; it was said that even their greetings started with a genteel 'how do you do'.

Ayakoji Chiyoko would have also attended this school, but she transferred to Uka following her stepmother's recommendation.

The management of Tsukinomori was much stricter than that of Uka, especially towards outsiders; even a female student wearing the uniform of another school who stood at the gate for too long would receive wary looks.

But perhaps it was Ayakoji Chiyoko's aura of being not easily provoked, or maybe it was her identity as a well-known actress's daughter being recognized, that the teachers and guards at the gate did not approach her.

However, this atmosphere of mutual non-interference was soon broken when a short-haired female student walked out of the school, heading straight towards Ayakoji Chiyoko with a clear aim.

The students passing by addressed her as 'Student Council President,' to which the short-haired female student politely responded.

It was only when she reached next to Ayakoji Chiyoko that she stopped, smiled, and said, "Long time no see, Chiyoko, hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"It was just a waste of my fifteen minutes," Ayakoji Chiyoko turned around, her face expressionless, showing no sign of happiness or anger.

The short-haired female student was not at all frightened; instead, she covered her mouth and chuckled, "You're so fierce."

"Cut the small talk, where's the person I'm looking for? Take me to them now."

"Hey, really, you've become so unlovable since you've grown up." The short-haired female student gestured for Ayakoji Chiyoko to follow and muttered, "You used to be so easy to bully when you were younger."

Ayakoji Chiyoko's face darkened.

Sensing killing intent from behind, the short-haired female student quickly changed the subject: "Right, right, you were always looking for that boy who helped you, weren't you? Have you found him?"

"...No."

"Is that so... sorry, I can't help with that either." The short-haired female student scratched her head, "Not long after we graduated, the elementary school closed. It would be difficult to look for old records now."

Ayakoji Chiyoko calmly said, "I have a lead now."

"Really?"

"There's someone who knows, and she happens to be at the same school as me." An annoying figure flashed through Ayakoji Chiyoko's mind, "I'll find a way to pry open her mouth."

"Don't go committing any crimes~"

She had been searching for so many years without giving up; she truly was persistent.

Thinking this, the short-haired girl then blurted out with abandon, "Speaking of which, I heard that Hina is at the same high school as you, right? Are you two still as close as you were in elementary school?"

Ayakoji Chiyoko took a deep breath.

"Are you trying to step on every single landmine today to feel satisfied?"

"Huh?"

"Shut up, and lead the way!"

"Okay, okay, I won't talk anymore, what's with the anger."

As they spoke, they had unconsciously arrived in front of the Moon Forest Student Council room. The short-haired girl opened the door, and inside sat a female student.

"Bang bang ka-bang~~ Thanks for waiting, this is Ayakoji Chiyoko, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee at Uka High School, who said she wanted to meet you."

The girl was very ordinary in every aspect, and she hesitantly stood up to nod at Ayakoji Chiyoko.

The three sat down around the table.

The short-haired girl sat with the other girl, while Ayakoji Chiyoko sat across from them.

"Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, are you familiar with these two?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked as soon as she sat down.

The girl hesitated, then nodded: "They were quite famous in middle school."

"This kid used to be classmates with Hina," interjected the short-haired girl.

"Then I'll get straight to the point," Ayakoji Chiyoko said with an inquisitive look. "Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina, what happened when they broke up? Or rather, what was the reason for their breakup?"

"...Eh?"

The girl was flabbergasted.

Initially, when the Student Council President called her in to talk about some middle school matters, she thought it was because the President's junior wanted to attend that school and wanted a reference. She didn't expect the real question to be a million times more outrageous than she imagined.

How could she possibly know why another couple broke up!

The girl, looking wronged, honestly said, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

"Is that so..." Ayakoji Chiyoko appeared slightly disappointed, then continued to probe, "Can you think of any leads, anything that could possibly be related?"

"Uh..."

The girl was about to say no, but then suddenly remembered something, and, after musing over it, she provided Ayakoji Chiyoko with a very significant piece of information.

"At that time, Classmate Kagura and Classmate Kiriyu both joined the Drama Club. There was a girl named 'Kohinata Suse' who was very close with them. But right before graduation, Classmate Kiriyu left the club, and so did Classmate Kagura, and after that, I never saw the three of them together again.

There were rumors that they had a falling out over something."

It was quite common for graduating students to stop participating in club activities because they needed to prepare for exams, but if nothing had happened, no one would quit a club right before graduation, giving the impression they couldn't wait to escape.

This was the first abnormal point.

The second was the stranger named Kohinata Suse.

Ayakoji Chiyoko's eyes slowly brightened.

Her intuition told her, this was it!

"This Kohinata Suse, what kind of person is she? Tell me in detail."

"I don't know much..." said the girl in a faint voice, "She was a classmate of Kagura, joined the Drama Club in the first year, and later became the club president. Everyone said she was pretty, had a good personality, and her family was very rich, with luxury cars to take her to and from school.

But I hardly ever heard any bad talk about her, and there was a time when everyone wanted to elect her as the Student Council President, which she declined."

"Anything else?"

"...I'm sorry, that's all I know," the girl said apologetically. "For more details, you can ask President Asahi, she was a friend of Kohinata."

"Who is that? Where is she?" Ayakoji Chiyoko turned to the short-haired girl.

The latter smiled and said, "She also attended the same middle school as Hina, was in the same club, and I originally planned to tell you about her later."

Ayakoji Chiyoko stood up: "Take me to her now."

"You've already met her."

"...?"

The short-haired girl looked at her, suddenly laughed with a snort, leaned her elbow on the table, winked with one eye, and made a gun gesture with her hand at Ayakoji Chiyoko: "I say, do you need a reminder of my name? Sakata Asahi, the current President of the Moon Forest Student Council, and the President Asahi you're talking about is none other than me."