『』『』『』『』『』
Time flew by, and soon it was the end of Yukimura's fifth study session with Miyake and Hasebe. Right now, instead of the usual Pallet Café, the four of them were using a different café since Pallet Café was especially crowded today.
The study session itself went smoothly since both Miyake and Hasebe took it seriously. And now that it had ended, the four of them were walking back together since they all lived in the same dormitory.
"It's been a long time since I studied this hard!" Hasebe said as she stretched her arms. "Six hours in class, plus another two hours afterward, right? There's gotta be almost no students in the world who study that much."
An irritated yet helpless look crossed Yukimura's face. "You've got to be joking. Once university entrance exams start, you'll need to study at least three hours after class. Four, if possible. And I mean every day. When exams get close, studying ten hours a day on your own becomes normal."
"Huuuh? No way, no way. There's no way I can study like that. Come on, you know me, Yukimuu," Hasebe protested.
"Who the hell are you calling Yukimuu?"
"Huh? Your name's Yukimura, right? It's too long, so I shortened it. Yukimura to Yukimuu. See? That's your name now, Yukimuu."
"....."
Hasebe seemed to have a strange habit of giving people nicknames. Ayanokouji remembered that she even called Miyake "Miyacchi." Miyake to Miyacchi. Besides shortening names, she also liked making them sound cute.
"Knock it off, Hasebe. Can't you see Yukimura's uncomfortable?" Miyake said.
"Heeh~? Don't be like that, Miyacchi. Nicknames like this are supposed to show we're getting closer as a study group, right? Besides, it's harmless."
Putting Yukimura's discomfort aside, it was true that their interactions had gradually become more easy-going. Even though the study group had been put together in a hurry, the atmosphere itself wasn't bad.
"Speaking of which, Miyacchi, you've really stuck with this study group, huh? I honestly thought you'd quit right away."
"Well, isn't it weirder that you're still here? Usually, you don't want anything to do with other people," Miyake replied.
"Well, sure. But if it's a study group with you three, then it's fine."
For a brief moment, Hasebe looked like she had something on her mind.
"By the way, Hasebe, mind if I ask you something?" Ayanokouji joined the conversation.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Are you close with Satou?"
"Satou-san? Not really. I don't like big groups that much anyway. If you're curious about her, shouldn't you ask Karuizawa-san?"
"Well..."
It wasn't like he hadn't tried. But for some reason, Karuizawa always avoided the topic whenever he brought it up. And it wasn't as though he could pressure her over it. That would only damage the fragile relationship he had managed to build with her.
"But if it's hard to ask Karuizawa-san, why not ask Kyo-chan? She's close with Satou-san," Hasebe suggested.
"Huh? Kyo-chan?"
Ayanokouji didn't remember hearing that nickname before.
"I mean Kikyou-chan. You hang out with her a lot, don't you, Ayanokouji-kun?"
So "Kyo-chan" came from "Kikyou," huh?
Ayanokouji didn't really get the naming sense, but at least that cleared it up. This kind of thing certainly suited Kushida. She knew a lot about the class's internal relationships. If it weren't for the issue with Horikita, he probably wouldn't have hesitated to ask for her help. Still, he wasn't sure she was someone he could truly rely on.
Miyake added his thoughts as well. "Yeah. Asking Karuizawa might be difficult, but Kushida should be fine, right? She gets along with everyone. Even with Kumagawa."
"But speaking of him, are Kumagawa-kun and Kyo-chan dating?" Hasebe asked curiously. "I know they're childhood friends, but doesn't the vibe she has around him feel different from everyone else's?"
Then she turned toward Ayanokouji.
"Aren't you especially close with Kumagawa-kun? So, are they dating or not?"
"I'm not that close with Kumagawa..."
No matter how much Ayanokouji tried to distance himself from Kumagawa, it seemed the label of "someone close to Kumagawa" wouldn't disappear anytime soon. Probably not even in the foreseeable future.
"Anyway, if you want to ask someone, then ask Kyo-chan. She does so much for the class without even complaining, and she's always cheerful. Normally, I don't really like talking to people, but Kyo-chan's special. She actually listens to you, and she'd never go around telling other people what you said."
Ayanokouji didn't know about that.
It seemed Hasebe had already become one of Kushida's victim.
"That reminds me, is it okay if we stop by the convenience store for a bit?" Miyake's suggestion abruptly changed the topic.
"Ah, yeah. I wanna buy some snacks too. Come on, guys," said Hasebe.
"You really are childish," Yukimura muttered.
Still, he followed along with the others.
『』『』『』『』『』
The four of them stood outside the convenience store, eating ice cream.
"Whew, eating ice cream when it's a little chilly outside really hits different," said Hasebe as she brought a spoonful of vanilla ice cream to her mouth with a satisfied look.
"This thing is basically a collection of preservatives, food coloring, artificial flavouring, excessive stabilizers, corn syrup, and emulsifiers. There's barely anything natural in it."
Unlike the others, Yukimura wasn't enjoying the ice cream in his hand and was instead reading the ingredients list on the packaging.
He adjusted his glasses slightly.
"How is this legally classified as vanilla? It contains more chemical additives than actual dairy products."
"You're seriously reading the ingredients?" Hasebe asked in disbelief.
"Of course. Understanding what enters your body is basic common sense," Yukimura replied. "Honestly, consuming this regularly would probably lower your overall health standards."
Despite saying that, he still took another bite.
"Yukimuu, you're not one of those health freaks who complains about every little thing you eat, are you?"
"That's an exaggeration," Yukimura replied immediately. "I'm simply concerned about nutritional balance and long-term health risks. Also... calling me Yukimuu is embarrassing."
"You don't like it?"
"I didn't say that. I said it's embarrassing."
"Come on, it's not a big deal."
"It's just that calling me Y-Yukimuu in front of other people is a little..." Yukimura trailed off awkwardly.
Hasebe however responded with a surprisingly serious expression. "You know, I think our friendship is coming along pretty nicely."
"A friendship where we use nicknames, you mean?"
"Well, you and Ayanon are kinda like me and Miyacchi. We're all loners, right?" said Hasebe.
"Why is my name Ayanon..." Ayanokouji muttered.
"Well, Ayanokouji is even longer than Yukimura, so obviously I'd shorten it, right?"
"....."
Now his own name had been shortened into "Ayanon." It wasn't as though he particularly minded, but there was still something uncomfortable about having his name turned into something that sounded oddly cute.
"Come on, don't worry about the small details. Yukimuu and Ayanon are like me and Miyacchi. We're all loners, right?" Hasebe repeated.
"I suppose so," Ayanokouji replied. Even if he wanted to deny it, there wasn't really anything to deny.
"Now that I've actually tried being part of this group, it feels more comfortable than I expected. Also, Yukimuu and Ayanon, you guys don't really have many friends, right? We're already more than halfway through the second semester, so I thought maybe I'd like having a new friend group. It's not like I'm trying to make up for lost time or anything. I just wanted to give you guys nicknames so we could open up to each other more. What do you two thinks?"
"Yeah. This isn't too bad," Miyake said as well. "I feel like I've gotten used to being in a group. Honestly, it surprises me. I don't really get along with Sudou and the others, and Hirata feels like he's in a different world altogether. He's always surrounded by girls."
"Right? So, what do you two think?" Hasebe repeated.
"I only intended to supervise your studies. Once the test ends, this study group should technically be over," Yukimura said. "But... I suppose there'll be more tests in the future. There's still the third semester, and even more exams until graduation. So for the sake of efficiency, I don't mind maintaining this group."
Even though the way he said it was slightly rude, Hasebe's face brightened after hearing his answer.
"That just leaves Ayanon." Hasebe turned toward Ayanokouji. Or rather, "Ayanon," since that was apparently going to be his name from now on. "Ah, but since you already hang around Horikita-san, will this be difficult for you? You spend time with Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun sometimes, and Kumagawa-kun too."
"Well, I'm not really better or worse than anyone else in class, but I think I'm a little different," Ayanokouji replied. "There are plenty of ways Ike, Horikita, and I don't really match. And as for Kumagawa, I'm not close with him at all. Around you guys, I don't really feel the need to pretend to be someone else. Horikita and I just happen to sit next to each other in class. It's not like we're some kind of clique."
Those were his honest thoughts.
"I see. Well then, it's decided. From now on, we'll be known as the Ayanokouji Group. Nice to meet you all, fellow group members!"
"Wait. Why'd you name the group after me?"
"Well, you're basically the one who brought us together, more or less. Isn't that enough?" Hasebe answered as though it were completely obvious.
Miyake and Yukimura didn't seem to have any objections either.
Ayanokouji, on the other hand, definitely had objections. But since it was Hasebe who brought it up, and also the one responsible for everyone's nicknames in the first place, it felt like he had no room to protest anymore.
In the end, he could only accept it silently and unwillingly.
Thus, the Ayanokouji Group was officially established.
"One more thing. From now on, let's ban formal surnames inside the Ayanokouji Group," Hasebe declared proudly.
As they continued walking back to the dorms, the group had somehow ended up deciding that. Or rather, Hasebe had decided it one-sidedly. Still, since nobody objected, things naturally moved forward that way.
From now on, Yukimura would be Keisei, Miyake would be Akito, Hasebe would be Haruka, and Ayanokouji would simply be Kiyotaka. And for some reason, because the group itself was called the Ayanokouji Group, his previous nickname "Ayanon" had now evolved into "Kiyopon."
He honestly didn't understand the logic behind it.
"Ah, right. Since the group's officially been founded, why don't we all do something together as a group?" Hasebe suggested.
Yukimura, Miyake, and Ayanokouji all nodded.
"After class tomorrow, how about we go watch a movie and take a break from studying?"
"Wait, are you talking about that new movie?" Miyake asked.
"Yeah, yeah, that one. It comes out tomorrow, right? Since everyone's busy studying lately, getting tickets should be easy!"
"I suppose taking a short break isn't a bad idea. But... when you say 'everyone,' I assume I'm included?" Ayanokouji asked somewhat nervously.
Honestly, this was probably the first time he had experienced something that actually felt like a normal friend group. Because of that, Ayanokouji didn't want to ruin it somehow.
"What are you talking about, Kiyopon? Of course you are," Hasebe replied immediately. "You're basically the spearhead of this group. Though I guess I did bring it up pretty suddenly. If you guys are busy, we can always go after the test instead."
If too many people couldn't make time for it, Haruka seemed willing to postpone it. Fortunately, nobody objected to the idea. Even Yukimura, who was probably the strictest out of all of them, didn't say anything against it.
Ayanokouji felt strangely nervous about the whole thing. but at the same time, he also felt excited.
Somehow, after all this time, he had slowly started building something resembling a normal social life. A normal group of friends. For most people, something like this would probably be completely ordinary. But for Ayanokouji, it was something entirely new. Something he had never experienced before.
Finally, halfway through the second semester, he had begun to slowly achieve the objective he originally came to this school for.
『』『』『』『』『』
When Ayanokouji finally settled into his dorm room, his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID.
It was Horikita Suzune.
Ayanokouji picked up the call.
"—Seems like you're still awake," said Horikita from the other side.
"It's only ten o'clock. Did you need something?"
"—The library study groups are almost finished. After tomorrow's session, I'd like to make some final preparations for the exam. Can you come with me? If you could tell Yukimura-kun as well, that would help."
"Tomorrow, huh...?"
"—Is there a problem?"
That was the same day he had already agreed to go watch a movie with the others.
"—If that's inconvenient, then the day after tomorrow is fine. But Thursday's the limit. The questions are mostly complete already, but I think some of them still need adjustments."
It seemed she wanted to settle things as quickly as possible.
Even so, Ayanokouji didn't really want to completely ignore her expectations. She had probably already discussed things thoroughly with Hirata and the others, but Horikita was the type who would continue checking everything until the very last moment.
Honestly, if it was really urgent, then Ayanokouji probably didn't have much choice. But if it could be postponed, then that would be ideal. Right now, he didn't want to miss any opportunity to experience a normal high school life while he still could.
"I'll talk it over with Keisei. We should probably contact Hirata and Karuizawa ahead of time too, if needed," Ayanokouji said.
"—Keisei? It seems you and Yukimura-kun have gotten quite close. And you don't need to worry about the other two, I've already spoken with them. I'll let everyone know the date and time."
By the sound of it, Ayanokouji wasn't the only one who had grown closer to others recently. It seemed Horikita had also managed to gradually close the distance between herself and the students in her study group.
After hanging up, Ayanokouji was about to put his phone away before suddenly remembering something.
Thinking it would be better to contact her now, he opened the chat.
—I think Horikita's going to contact you about tomorrow, but we're planning to meet around 8 p.m.
Just as he was about to put his phone down again, another notification arrived almost immediately.
"That was fast..."
He looked at the message.
—Isn't that pretty late?
—I'm busy before that. I'm going to a movie with my study group.
—A movie? You're seeing that new one?
—Looks like you know it. Anyway, I've got a favor to ask.
He had no choice but to use tomorrow's meeting for this. This time, the reply took noticeably longer to arrive. She was probably reading through everything carefully. Eventually, another message came.
—This is another super annoying errand. What exactly are you trying to do?
—I'll explain after it's done. It's for your own sake.
—Yeah, sure. See you tomorrow.
Ayanokouji thought that was the end of the conversation. However, another notification arrived immediately afterward. There wasn't any text, but there was a little sticker. It was a cute strawberry shortcake covered in candles.
"Happy Birthday."
That additional message popped up after the cake.
Ayanokouji didn't expect anyone to remember his birthday.
It wasn't that he minded. In fact, it even made him feel a little happy inside.
Looking at the cake sticker displayed on the screen, Ayanokouji suddenly started craving something sweet. After eating ice cream earlier, it seemed he had developed what people called a sweet tooth. That was another new thing he had learned about himself recently.
Besides, since today was his birthday, maybe treating himself a little wasn't such a bad idea.
After deleting the chat history from his phone, Ayanokouji quietly left his room and headed toward the nearest convenience store to buy some ice cream.
Now that he thought about it, this was already the second time he had gone out late at night like this.
At this point, he almost wondered whose face he was going to run into this time.
『Hello, Ayanokouji-kun. Fancy meeting you here. 』
Sadly, the very first face he saw after entering the convenience store was Kumagawa Misogi himself.
『Hey, hey, what's with that face? Shouldn't you react a little after meeting me? Don't act so emotionless. Think about all the positive memories we've created together at this school. 』
Positive memory?
How?
Ever since April, when school first started, had there even been a single good memory involving Kumagawa? Probably not. If anything, it was a negative memory.
A negative experiences.
Every time Kumagawa got involved, another problem somehow followed afterward.
『Well, anyway, since you're here, why don't we talk for a bit? This might be the last conversation we have before my inevitable expulsion. 』
Kumagawa smiled.
Kumagawa smiled as he looked at Ayanokouji.
"....."
Without waiting for a response, Kumagawa left the convenience store.
After following him for a while, Ayanokouji once again arrived at the same place where he and Horikita had confronted Kumagawa and Kushida before. Since it was close to the dorms and mostly deserted at night, it was a convenient place to talk. And honestly, the scenery with the city lights in the distance was surprisingly beautiful.
After Kumagawa sat down on one of the benches, Ayanokouji followed and sat beside him, facing the city ahead.
Kumagawa said they were going to talk.
But instead, silence filled the air.
Ayanokouji himself didn't really know how to start a conversation considering their current predicament.
『Ayanokouji-kun, you probably entered this school with some kind of objective in mind, right? 』
"....Is that what Anshin'in-san told you?"
The reason why he enrolled in this school.
If Kumagawa was connected to this Anshin'in person, then perhaps that person knew why he came to this school and had told Kumagawa about it. After all, Ayanokouji had caused quite a commotion just to get here.
But—
『Huh? What does Anshin'in-san have to do with that? 』
"...? Didn't Anshin'in-san tell you?"
『No? I mean, is it really that important? 』
Now Ayanokouji was a little confused.
If this Anshin'in-san truly knew about the existence of the White Room, then Ayanokouji could only assume that she had some sort of connection with that man. And if she was connected to that man, then naturally it would also involve him.
『Ahaha, it seems you're misunderstanding something, Ayanokouji-kun. Are you really that worried about that "White..." what was it again? Anyway, you seem really sensitive about that name. Well, Anshin'in-san did tell me about it, but it has nothing to do with this. 』
"It doesn't...?"
『She's someone who can be pretty whimsical at times. She's also the one who sent me to this school. Probably just because she wanted to mess with me, so you don't really have to worry about anything. 』
"....."
Now Ayanokouji was even more worried.
Since he didn't know Anshin'in-san personally, he had no way of knowing whether Kumagawa was telling the truth or not. There was also the problem that he couldn't tell when Kumagawa was telling the truth or not either. But the fact that Kumagawa knew about the White Room, and that he was connected to someone else who also knew about it, was already troublesome enough.
With that in mind, Ayanokouji couldn't afford to lower his guard.
At this point, it genuinely felt possible that he could suddenly get expelled from this school without even realizing what happened.
What was even happening with his school life?
He hadn't even finished his first year yet, and he was already standing on the verge of expulsion from two completely different situations.
『Anyway, now that you're enrolled in this school, what are you planning to do after that? 』
"After that?"
『After you graduate. 』
"After I graduate... This is kind of sudden."
『Well, you're already on the verge of expulsion, right? Though rather than graduation, maybe it's more appropriate to ask what you'll do after getting expelled. But I guess it's basically the same thing. 』
While Ayanokouji wanted to argue that those were completely different things, technically both meant leaving this school.
After graduation, huh...
Honestly, Ayanokouji had never really thought about it that much before.
"After I graduate... Hmm. College, probably. Maybe through a recommendation or scholarship."
『Then doesn't that mean you need to graduate from Class A? 』
"Well, probably. What about you, Kumagawa?" Ayanokouji asked.
Since Kumagawa himself was also standing on the edge of expulsion, Ayanokouji found himself wondering what kind of future he had in mind.
While Kumagawa was definitely dangerous, and objectively speaking it would probably be better if he got expelled, Ayanokouji still had to admit something. Kumagawa was the first person at this school whom Ayanokouji genuinely didn't feel confident he could beat cleanly without taking damage himself.
『No matter how you look at it, my future looks pretty bleak. If I somehow manage to graduate from this school without getting expelled, that alone would already be impressive. And if I could even graduate from Class A with all its incentives, then maybe I could get into whatever university I wanted. 』 Kumagawa lightly shrugged. 『But if that doesn't happen, then I'd probably fail all my university entrance exams and end up with an even bleaker future. Honestly, just managing to avoid expulsion at all would already feel like a miracle. 』
"Then why make a bet like that in the first place, if your future really becomes worse after expulsion?"
Putting Kushida's reasons aside, Ayanokouji still couldn't understand Kumagawa's own motives. Horikita had also been interested at first, but she eventually gave up trying to understand him and focused entirely on winning the bet instead.
But Ayanokouji was different.
He wanted to understand what exactly Kumagawa was thinking.
『Ehh? Reason? That's a bit problematic.... Ah, that's right! Maybe because I hate Class D. How's that sound? Or maybe because I'll get kidnapped if I don't do it? Hmm, maybe saying I'm scared of betrayal in a school like this sounds too naive. Hmm? I'm a bit lost what to do. 』
"....."
His reason...
Was there really no proper reason behind it at all?
『Hey, hey, don't look at me like that. There are meanings and reasons. Receiving that much is already fine without curiously reading more into it. 』
"So there really wasn't any reason for dragging Kushida down with you? I want to understand it properly."
『Of course there's a reason. It's naturally because I adore my childhood friend, Ayanokouji-kun. 』
Ayanokouji didn't understand what that had to do with Kushida's situation. If anything, what Kumagawa did only pushed Kushida into an even worse position. The reasoning already sounded flimsy enough, but Ayanokouji had already decided to hear him out until the end.
『You see, I'm an easily sympathetic fool. I tend to sympathize with people who have strong ambitions and desires. You could even say I'm a slave to both my own desires and other people's desires, and Kushida-chan was one of those people. 』 Kumagawa looked up toward the night sky. 『And besides, losing beautifully is much easier than winning disgracefully, don't you think? That's why gambles should always have clear consequences attached to them. It's more efficient that way. 』
"So you think dragging Kushida down like this is efficient?"
『Umm, you could say it's easier for someone to reach a proper sense of closure that way. Doing this would let Kushida-chan finally obtain that closure. That's why it's easier to just bet everything on a single chance and erase all her worries with a simple "poof."』
"Erase her worries...? in what way?"
『Well, even if she loses, Kushida-chan won't have to think about anything anymore. No worries, no troubles. If Kushida-chan wins, then Horikita-chan disappears. If Kushida-chan loses, then Horikita-chan disappears too. Everyone gets to be happy. Kushida-chan will be happy, Horikita-chan will be happy, and in the end, everyone can just eat, sleep, and smile together. 』
"Do you really think that kind of closure would be okay for Kushida?" Ayanokouji asked as he looked at Kumagawa.
Reasoning aside, did Kumagawa truly believe that was the best outcome for her?
『Who knows? 』
He said.
『Whether it works or not doesn't really matter. I've always been the kind of person who lives while betting everything even when defeat is already guaranteed from the start. 』
"....."
『Ahaha, don't look at me like that. I'm not saying anything exaggerated or dramatic here. Whenever I think about where life might take me or what kind of people I'll meet, I always end up becoming the champion of fools and weak people. 』
Ayanokouji had already seen many abnormal people throughout his life, but Kumagawa was different. This was probably the first time he had ever met someone like him. And perhaps the last.
Kumagawa slowly stood up from the bench and looked down at Ayanokouji.
『Anyway, don't worry too much, Ayanokouji-kun. This gamble will end with either your victory or my defeat, so just do whatever you want. Your precious school life, and Horikita-chan's school life too, will eventually be twisted apart by me. 』
After hearing those words, Ayanokouji didn't respond.
Kumagawa also didn't bother giving a proper goodbye and immediately walked away after leaving behind those ominous words.
But that didn't really matter.
In the end, the bet would only conclude once one of them was expelled. Ever since that proposal was made back then, there had already been no turning back.
That's why all Ayanokouji could do now was continue moving forward with his own plan.
And protect his fate within this school.
『』『』『』『』『』
It was past eight o'clock on Thursday night, and it was the final day for Horikita's meetings before the exam week.
Since the test was already next week, Thursday was probably their last chance to properly finalize everything, and Horikita understood that well.
Right now, they were gathered inside a karaoke place since most other shops were either already closed or beginning to close. While it was admittedly a strange place to discuss exams, especially a place meant purely for entertainment, at the very least the students of Class D didn't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping on them.
Inside the karaoke room were the three people mainly responsible for creating the questions: Horikita, Hirata, and Yukimura. Alongside them were the class's social butterflies like Kushida and Karuizawa, and somehow even Ayanokouji and Sudou had ended up here as well.
"Hey, is it okay if I sing?" Karuizawa suddenly asked.
"Wait, Karuizawa-san. We didn't come here to have fun," Hirata replied with a troubled smile.
"Even though we came all the way to a karaoke place? Isn't it weirder not to sing at all?"
"Just enjoy the food and drinks and deal with it," Horikita said coldly as she looked at her.
Karuizawa had already ordered several snacks for herself. French fries and other junk food covered the table along with her drink.
Of course, Karuizawa immediately shot Horikita an annoyed look, though it only lasted for a moment before she turned back toward Hirata. "Then let's sing a duet after the meeting's over, Yousuke-kun."
Hirata smiled awkwardly and nodded, while Kushida and some of the others also seemed interested.
"Okay, let's begin," said Horikita, completely ignoring Karuizawa. "First, regarding the study sessions. To be honest, I think the results have been excellent. The boys were complete imbeciles at first, so I was worried, but fortunately they studied harder than expected. The atmosphere during the first week after the exam was announced probably contributed to that as well. Thanks to it, they should be able to handle the final exam even if the questions are harder than we estimated."
Because of Kumagawa, the class's overall academic ability had improved considerably.
At the time, Horikita had deliberately hidden how the pairings for the exam would be decided, and because of that, everyone became terrified of ending up paired with Kumagawa. Even Ike and Yamauchi had seriously studied for once just to avoid that possibility.
"Sudou-kun especially has improved significantly compared to where he started. His concentration has improved tremendously," Horikita continued. "However, Sudou, your basic academic abilities are still slightly below the level of a first-year middle school student at the end of their first semester."
"Hah!? I studied this hard and I'm still only at middle school level!?" Sudou shouted despairingly.
"Considering you started at elementary school level, that's already impressive."
"H-Horikita-san, don't you think that's a little harsh?" Hirata asked cautiously.
It really was pretty insulting considering how seriously Sudou had worked recently, but Horikita's next words immediately shut Hirata up.
"....He didn't even know the mathematical constant pi existed until recently."
"....."
To think Sudou had gone this long without knowing what pi was.
"Hahaha! That's so dumb!" Karuizawa burst out laughing.
"Shut up, Karuizawa! You probably don't know it either!" Sudou snapped back in frustration.
"No, no, I do. Even I know pi is 3.14," Karuizawa proudly replied.
Before the meeting could even properly begin, the conversation was already starting to derail.
"Please stop. I can already tell exactly where both of you stand academically," Yukimura said with a sigh before turning toward Horikita. "Horikita, is Sudou really going to be okay?"
"Like I said, his fundamentals are weak. But if we focus only on the material a first-year high school student needs right now, then he should manage somehow. At the very least, he shouldn't fail. What about you, Yukimura-kun? Did you resolve Miyake-kun and Hasebe-san's issues?"
"Of course. Ayanokouji watched over things too, so he can confirm it. Right?" Yukimura looked toward Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji simply nodded in response.
Compared to the other academically weaker students, Miyake and Hasebe were relatively average. More importantly, both of them were diligent and actually paid attention during the study sessions.
"Good," Horikita nodded. "Now then, what about you, Kushida-san?"
Everyone's gaze naturally shifted toward Kushida.
By this point, everyone already knew that Kushida had been privately tutoring Kumagawa for the exam. Because of that, she rarely showed up at the other study groups like originally planned. Ike and Yamauchi had been especially frustrated about that fact, but there was nothing they could really do about it.
"Kumagawa-kun was doing okay, I guess?"
She lied through her teeth.
Kushida had already given up during their very first study session. And whenever they were supposed to have proper private tutoring sessions afterward, the two of them mostly ended up playing Dragon Quest IX together instead.
While she obviously wasn't as absurdly rich as Kumagawa when it came to private points, Kushida still had more than enough money to buy a game console herself while maintaining her usual lifestyle without any problems.
"You guess...?" Horikita looked at her suspiciously.
"Hahaha, don't look at me like that, Horikita-san. At the very least, I already made sure Kumagawa-kun can answer the questions during the exam."
That part, at least, was true.
"You know how much I hate losing anyone from Class D, right?" Kushida added with her usual smile.
"Yeah, but are we really going to be okay?" Karuizawa suddenly spoke up, still looking uneasy. "Like, I obviously don't want any classmates getting expelled either, but this exam seriously feels dangerous, right? There's no guarantee Sudou-kun, Kumagawa-kun, or even I won't fail."
"Well, I can't guarantee that," Kushida said. "But..."
"Then don't act like it's a done deal." Karuizawa slammed the Karaoke table.
The somewhat relaxed atmosphere became tense.
"You know, Kushida-san, I've kinda felt this for a while now," Karuizawa said, her voice full of contempt. "It feels like you've just been giving us empty reassurance this whole time."
"...Are you angry at me by any chance, Karuizawa-san?"
Even after suddenly receiving such obvious hostility, Kushida didn't look startled in the slightest.
"See? You're still acting so calm even now. Man, it sure must be nice being smart. You don't have anything to worry about."
"....."
"You know, Kushida-san, I've kinda been thinking this for a while now," Karuizawa continued, her voice filled with irritation. "Don't you think you take this good girl act a little too far?"
"...Goody two-shoes?" Kushida tilted her head slightly.
"Can you calm down, Karuizawa-san? We're in the middle of discussing the exam. Don't waste everyone's time," Horikita said coldly.
"Be quiet, Horikita-san. Hey, Kushida-san. Are you secretly making fun of me in your head right now? Thinking about how stupid I am?"
"I wouldn't do something like that," Kushida answered calmly. "More importantly, I'm curious why you're suddenly angry at me. I didn't patronize you; I didn't insult you, and I didn't even say anything about you. So why are you so angry?"
What Kushida said was perfectly reasonable.
Karuizawa's sudden hostility confused not just Kushida, but everyone else in the room as well. It seemed Karuizawa found Kushida's overly perfect personality irritating in itself. Then, before anyone could react, Karuizawa suddenly grabbed Kushida's blazer harshly and practically forced her to stand up.
Rip!
The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the karaoke room. Part of Kushida's blazer ripped near the shoulder.
"....."
"Karuizawa-san! What are you doing!?" Hirata immediately grabbed Karuizawa's wrist, which was still clutching Kushida's blazer.
Slowly, Karuizawa loosened her grip.
"B-but... Are you saying I'm the bad one here?" Karuizawa argued.
"Sorry, but yes, Karuizawa-san. Kushida-san hasn't done anything to you," Horikita replied.
Even Horikita, who was practically in the middle of a war with Kushida, couldn't defend behaviour that had almost crossed into outright violence.
Everyone in the room had started looking at Karuizawa strangely now. From an outsider's perspective, she completely looked like the villain here. Her self-centered complaints and sudden outburst only made it worse.
"Oh sure, I'm the bad guy. Kushida-san's everyone's favorite after all," Karuizawa muttered bitterly before suddenly turning toward Ayanokouji. "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Whose side are you on?"
"Whose side?" Ayanokouji repeated. "There aren't any sides here. You're the one in the wrong, Karuizawa."
"I knew it. Everyone's against me."
Karuizawa stood up and grabbed her bag without apologizing.
"Karuizawa-san. If you leave now, you'll regret it later. I don't want that," Hirata told her seriously.
"So what do you want me to do then!?" Karuizawa shouted back.
"First, apologize to Kushida-san. That's the most important thing right now."
Karuizawa stood there silently for a few moments. Then, slowly, she turned back toward Kushida.
At the same time, everyone else also looked toward her.
For some reason, Kushida had remained unusually quiet this entire time. Even after having her blazer practically torn apart, she barely reacted at all.
And even more strangely than that, her smile still hadn't disappeared in the slightest.
"Sorry."
Karuizawa lowered her head.
"...Rather than your apology, I'm still curious about what exactly made you so angry at me, Karuizawa-san."
"H-huh?"
Karuizawa raised her head.
And because of that, she ended up locking eyes with Kushida's unchanged smile.
Not just Karuizawa, even the others seemed surprised that Kushida was still focused on that question. While it wouldn't have been strange if she refused to forgive her, everyone had assumed that someone like Kushida would immediately smile and say "it's okay."
But instead—
"No, I don't think angry is the right word. You were blaming me, weren't you? Why is that, Karuizawa-san?"
"T-that's..."
"You're blaming me for your misfortune, your academics, and your anxiety, right? It's easier for you if none of it is your fault. Is that it?"
"...."
After being told that so directly, Karuizawa could only fall silent.
Or rather, silence was the only thing she could offer in response.
"Ahaha," Kushida laughed lightly. "Don't worry, Karuizawa-san. It's not like I blame you or anything. In fact, I forgive your absurd and erratic behavior. It's not your fault, and it's not my fault either. So, I guess today just wasn't my day."
For some reason, even though Kushida had technically forgiven her, the atmosphere only became even more tense than before.
Karuizawa could only stand there silently while staring down at the floor, tightly gripping the edge of her skirt. Even she understood that what she had done was unreasonable from everyone else's perspective. But at this point, there was nothing she could do about it anymore.
"Kushida-san, do you have a spare blazer for tomorrow? Will you be okay?" Horikita asked.
"Don't worry. I have a spare one in my room."
The school provided two uniforms for situations exactly like this.
"But what should I do about this...?" Kushida muttered while looking down at the torn part of her blazer.
The fabric near the shoulder had been ripped badly enough that it was practically unusable now. Even sewing it back together probably wouldn't fix how messy the tear looked.
"Isn't there a store that specializes in student uniforms?" Hirata suggested.
And of course, like everything else at this school, replacing it would cost a large amount of private points. Since it would also need to be newly prepared, it would probably take some time too.
"But... should I really have to pay for it myself?" Kushida asked quietly while staring at Karuizawa.
"..."
"Do you really think I should pay for damage someone else caused? I may be forgiving, but I'm not kind enough to pay for something I didn't do."
"...S-sorry, Kushida-san. As an apology, I'll pay for the damage to your uniform."
Hearing that, Karuizawa had no choice but to take responsibility for the damage she caused herself.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Please let me at least do this much," Karuizawa answered quietly.
And so, she ended up paying the fee.
『』『』『』『』『』
After the whole chaotic situation with Karuizawa and Kushida, Ayanokouji immediately headed back to the dorms. The others were probably still enjoying themselves at the karaoke place. Aside from himself, Horikita, Sudou, and Yukimura, the rest had stayed behind.
Still, Ayanokouji had to admit that Karuizawa had quite a lot of nerve to remain there after what happened earlier. Most people would have left immediately after causing a scene like that.
Just as he neared the dormitory building, he noticed a large crowd gathered around the entrance.
"It's pretty noisy over here. Did something happen?" Ayanokouji hadn't directed the question at anyone in particular, but apparently someone nearby heard him.
"I dunno. I just got here too... Hm? Ayanokouji?"
Ayanokouji turned his head and saw it was Kohei Katsuragi.
Katsuragi himself only seemed to realize halfway through speaking who he was talking to.
An awkward silence immediately followed.
The only time they had ever really spoken was during the uninhabited island exam, and even then, calling it a proper conversation would probably be stretching it.
"...Were you here long?" Ayanokouji asked.
"No. I just arrived too," Katsuragi answered shortly.
"....."
Another silence followed.
It was the kind of awkwardness that came from two people having absolutely no reason to continue talking, yet also no clean way to immediately end the conversation either.
Ayanokouji could tell Katsuragi was probably thinking the exact same thing.
"Hm? What's with the crowd?"
Another voice suddenly came from behind them.
"Hashimoto."
Katsuragi greeted him with a small nod.
While Ayanokouji didn't personally know him, he vaguely remembered seeing him around Sakayanagi before. Alongside that girl who always had an unpleasant expression on her face.
"Man, there's seriously a lot of people here," Hashimoto muttered before turning toward Katsuragi. "What happened?"
"I just arrived myself. It was already like this."
"Hmm... Well, I'll go check."
Without hesitation, Hashimoto casually slipped into the crowd and started speaking with several students at a surprisingly natural pace. Seeing that, Ayanokouji thought he was probably the sociable type. Honestly, Ayanokouji also wanted that kind of communication skill sometimes, but with his personality, it was probably impossible.
Before long, Hashimoto returned.
"Hahaha, you seriously wouldn't believe this. Apparently every first-year student received the same letter in their mailbox."
"The same letter?" Ayanokouji asked.
"That's right. It's... huh? Do we know each other?"
Ayanokouji shook his head.
"Ah, then I should introduce myself. I'm Masayoshi Hashimoto from former Class A." He smiled casually while reaching out his hand, "Nice to meet you."
"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Nice to meet you too."
The two briefly shook hands.
It was just a simple introduction, but Ayanokouji didn't particularly mind. At the very least, they could now be considered acquaintances.
Still, hearing that every first-year student had received the same letter naturally made him curious.
Ayanokouji slipped through the crowd, headed toward his mailbox, and unlocked it. Normally, the mailboxes didn't see much use. Occasionally students would receive packages, gifts, or notices from the school, but that was about it.
Katsuragi and Hashimoto did the same beside him.
After retrieving the exact same letter, the three of them headed back outside. Opening it inside that crowded lobby felt uncomfortable.
"Is this...?"
"Yes. Looks like it."
Each of them held the same folded letter in their hands. Then, almost simultaneously, they unfolded them. The contents read:
"First-year Class B student Ichinose Honami may be collecting points illegally" —Ryuen Kakeru
"What is that guy trying to pull by signing his own name to this?" Katsuragi muttered. "If this accusation is baseless, the school could punish him for it."
"If he's willing to risk that, then maybe the claim is actually true?" Hashimoto said.
"Well, this does sound like something Ryuen would do. Even if it's false, simply making people suspect Ichinose would already make things difficult for her. It could probably count as defamation, but Ryuen wouldn't care about something like that."
That much was true.
Even if Ryuen's lies were exposed later, it wasn't as though he had much reputation left to lose in the first place. And even if he did, it had probably already reached rock bottom by now.
"Hey, Ryuen's back!"
One of the students near the entrance suddenly shouted.
Ayanokouji turned toward the entrance and saw Ryuen entering the building.
Honestly, Ayanokouji wondered whether Ryuen had already expected this kind of commotion the moment these letters were spread.
"Hey, Ryuuen. What're you trying to pull?!" One of the Class A guys grabbed him.
"Hmm? What in the world are you talking about?"
"This! Your letter! This nonsense you handed everyone!"
The A class student shoved the paper directly in front of Ryuen's face.
"....Oh, that. Pretty interesting stuff, huh?" said Ryuuen.
"What's interesting about it!? This is going too far!"
"Then show me proof that Ichinose isn't collecting points illegally," Ryuen replied immediately.
"That's—"
"How about it, Ichinose?"
Ryuen locked his gaze toward Ichinose, who had apparently just arrived a few moments ago.
"No matter what I say right now, you probably won't believe me anyway, Ryuen-kun," Ichinose answered calmly.
"That's right. Besides, it's up to the school to decide whether you're actually doing something wrong."
"I suppose so. Sorry, everyone. It seems like I'm currently under suspicion," Ichinose said while facing the gathered crowd. "But please don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll properly explain everything to the teachers and prove that this is simply a misunderstanding on Ryuen-kun's part."
"How exactly are you planning to prove that?" Ryuen asked mockingly.
"I'll explain everything in detail to the school tomorrow. Including how many points I have and how I obtained them. If I do that, will you be satisfied?"
"Report it to the school?" Ryuen laughed. "Why not just prove it right now, in front of everyone?"
Hearing that, the surrounding students couldn't help but start whispering among themselves. While Ichinose was popular as both a girl and a person because of her personality, that didn't mean everyone would blindly believe her, especially when it came to accusations involving bad behavior or something negative.
Humans really did work in a strange way.
However, those murmurs suddenly stopped because of the appearance of another person.
『Hey, hey, don't you people know that gathering around like this is prohibited by the school rules? What's going to happen to this place that promotes violence between classes if something that disrupts the peace is happening here? 』
Kumagawa had just arrived at the dormitory entrance.
Even though his voice wasn't particularly loud compared to the students' earlier murmuring, that unpleasant and overly familiar tone of his immediately made the entire area quiet down.
As Kumagawa slowly walked toward Ryuen and Ichinose, the crowd naturally opened a path for him. Part of it was because of his position as the student council vice president, but more than that, it was because of the unpleasant aura he constantly carried around him.
『By the way, what's happening here? 』
"It's nothing, Kumagawa-kun. This is probably just a misunderstanding on Ryuen-kun's part," Ichinose answered calmly.
『A misunderstanding? 』
"Heh. Apparently, that strawberry-looking saint over there has been extorting points from her own classmates," Ryuen said with a mocking grin while pointing at Ichinose. "As the vice president, this is clearly a case of extortion. So what're you gonna do about it, Vice Prez?"
『Hmm? What are you talking about? Of course I'd side with Ichinose-chan. 』
"Hah?"
『Well, I mean, between truth and lies, or good and evil, girls obviously come first. That's just common sense, right? It's the same as manga readers forgiving anything as long as the heroine is cute, right? Before justice, cute girls always come first. 』
"....."
Not just Ryuen, even Ichinose looked speechless after hearing that ridiculous logic.
『Besides, it's already outside my working hours. Student council duties only last from the beginning of the school day until the end. But whether Ichinose-chan did it or not... maybe I should just bet my honor and reputation on her innocence? That way, no matter what the truth is, the result will feel legitimate. 』
Honor and reputation...
If Ryuen was someone with a terrible reputation inside the school, then Kumagawa was someone whose reputation had already sunk far below rock bottom a long time ago.
Ryuen stared at Kumagawa for a few seconds before clicking his tongue in annoyance.
"...You're seriously useless."
『Eh? That's pretty harsh, you know? Even though I'm properly supporting justice and cute girls at the same time. 』
"Shut up."
Ryuen immediately lost interest in arguing with him. Trying to have a proper conversation with Kumagawa was pointless from the very beginning. The guy's logic itself was already rotten.
His gaze shifted back toward Ichinose.
"But whatever." Ryuen shrugged. "I don't really care what that idiot says. I'll be looking forward to your confession tomorrow, Ichinose."
Ichinose silently watched Ryuen board the elevator with a fearless smile still on his face.
The next day, Ichinose did exactly as she said she would.
The school released an official announcement stating that there had been no fraudulent activity involving her points at all.
Ichinose Honami was officially cleared of all suspicion.
『END』
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Here you go peasants, another chapter.
Anyway, that's it for today's chapter.
Hope you enjoyed it.
[Thanks for reading!]