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As soon as the school bell rang, the classroom gradually became lively.
The two packed their bags, and as previously agreed, prepared to go to the Student Council together.
At his seat, Akira seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned his head to Horikita beside him and casually asked, "If I can help you talk to your brother, or even improve your relationship, how do you plan to reward me?"
"If you can really do that..." Horikita barely hesitated, nodding immediately. "I can shake your hand again."
After saying that, as if she felt it wasn't enough, she added, "Ahem... Of course, not just a handshake. As long as you can improve my relationship with my brother... you can ask me for anything. As long as it's not too unreasonable, I can agree to it."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she herself was momentarily stunned.
But looking at Akira's eyes, there was a rare hint of anticipation. She actually had such a deep desire for "a better relationship with her brother."
After all, Akira and her brother truly had a good relationship.
In all her life, Horikita had never seen a boy only two years younger than her brother, and her own age, get along so naturally and intimately with her brother.
Akira watched her turn her face away and couldn't help but smile. "You said it. Don't go back on your word later."
"I won't go back on my word." Horikita immediately turned back to refute, her chin slightly raised. "I am a person of my word."
"...Give me about half an hour, I need to prepare." Horikita suddenly frowned, her voice stiff with a hint of unnaturalness.
"Alright, go to the restroom. I'll wait for you in class." Akira looked at her slightly tensed profile and already had his answer. Most likely her stomach was bothering her again, and she needed to go to the restroom.
Thinking about it, including this time, she'd gone at least three times today.
"!" Horikita suddenly turned to glare at him, her eyes showing a hint of annoyance at being seen through.
Sometimes she really wondered if Akira had x-ray vision, otherwise how could he always see through her every little thought?
What was even more irritating was that he wouldn't say it outright, but just looked at you with that "I know everything" expression, and somehow always guessed perfectly.
It was a good thing she didn't plan on having a boyfriend in high school, otherwise being with someone like him, wouldn't she be unable to hide even her inner thoughts, completely at his mercy?
"Remember to take toilet paper." Seeing her stand up in a daze, Akira added, "Oh, and when you go back to the dorm, quickly throw away those free ingredients. Don't keep them anymore."
"...Understood." Horikita almost instinctively replied, only realizing two steps later. Why had she listened to him so readily this time?
She paused, turned back, and quickly shot him another glare, then clutched the toilet paper and hurried towards the end of the hallway.
Akira naturally caught that eye roll.
Thinking about it, the number of eye rolls he'd received from his deskmate this afternoon probably already exceeded five.
He'd been thinking of "changing the future" and acting proactively at eight o'clock this morning.
But by the end of the afternoon, he'd received far more eye rolls than expected. The direction of this future seemed to be diverging further than he'd planned.
'I have a strangely bad feeling.'
As soon as this thought emerged, he immediately recalled what happened last month. Shiina was supposed to find out his identity in May, and to avoid this future, he'd made many preparations in advance.
Thinking carefully, the current situation was remarkably similar to the last. Both involved actively intervening to avoid a predetermined development.
'Could it be... the Steins;Gate converging?'
The more he deliberately tried to change things, the more he seemed to be pushed by an invisible force towards an even more unpredictable direction.
In the end, he might gradually step into a worldline where the future couldn't be shaken at all.
But Akira wasn't Okabe Rintarou after all. He didn't have the status of an observer, nor did he have a phone microwave to send D-Mails.
If he truly encountered a future that "couldn't be reversed no matter what," he might not have the ability to struggle like that mad scientist.
However... even something seemingly set in stone like Class D's class points could be changed, from 0 to 530, indicating that information from the future could still be altered.
He must be overthinking it.
But just as he was thinking, his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated a few times, followed by a series of message notification sounds.
Both his main and secondary accounts had new messages. Akira glanced at the screen and first opened the chat box for his main account. It was from Ichinose.
{Shimizu-kun, I'm really sorry about lunch. Everyone was so enthusiastic and kept coming to say hello, accidentally delaying us too much.}
{Next time, let's find a quiet place to chat so we won't be disturbed.}
Akira tapped his finger on the screen and replied. {Okay.}
He received a reply almost immediately.
{Then tomorrow... how about we go to a coffee shop? Hmm, maybe not so good, coffee shops should be crowded on weekends too.}
{Um... please give me a little time, I'll think of a sufficiently private place where we won't be disturbed by anyone.}
Akira looked at the line of hesitant text on the screen and could imagine her slightly frowning, deep in thought at that moment.
He thought for a moment. He indeed had no plans for tomorrow, so he replied.
{Ichinose-san can decide, I'm free tomorrow.}
After sending, he then opened the message notifications for his secondary account.
He didn't use this account often, only for hiding the ten million points and buying information. He had exactly five friends. Hirata and Kushida from Class D, Ryuuen from Class C, Ichinose from Class B, and Sakayanagi from Class A. All were key figures who could speak for their respective classes.
The person who sent the message this time was Sakayanagi.
{Hehe, all day yesterday, I already notified all four classes and publicly released the exam paper information for free.}
{Oh dear, I'm so sorry—I accidentally ruined your business.}
This student acted quickly. It seemed that Class B and Class A had all been notified.
Akira figured she'd probably notified everyone during lunch yesterday.
But still!
Sakayanagi really took the opportunity to get in his face!
Was it just because he forced her to pay three million for surveillance? Did she really hold such a grudge against him?
{Oh? Is that so? As long as you're happy.}
{Not mad? I don't believe it! I bet you're pretending to be unconcerned, but you're already fuming inside!}