"Yeah, I didn't expect to see you again so soon either. Are you satisfied with our school food? Looking at you, it seems you've gotten a bit fatter since yesterday. I'm relieved."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire classroom fell into a deathly silence. Even the model students, who usually ignored the outside world to focus on their studies, had their eyes wide open. They stared at Izuru in pure disbelief, as if asking, "Is your mouth coated in a thousand years of fermented filth? How can your greeting be that sharp?"
"Haaah..." Hiratsuka let out a heavy sigh, her feelings a tangled mess, before finally settling on a decision.
As the target of that "elegant and friendly" greeting, Itsuki froze completely. The refined, noble-lady smile vanished from her face, her cheeks twitching as she fought to keep her emotions in check. This sent the class into an immediate frenzy.
"Hahahaha! He's handsome, sure, but so what?! I can't believe it. Even with this pretty boy's mouth smelling that bad, the transfer student is still trying to smile. If she can actually endure this, I'll eat this desk right now!"
"The President is superior in everything, except for that mouth of his—which is beyond repair."
"To the guy betting on eating his desk: were you not there at the cafeteria yesterday? You poor soul. I hope your teeth are strong enough."
"The sine formula is..."
And then...
"Pipe down! Do you lot realize this is a lesson? Of all the rooms in this building, ours is the loudest. It's just one transfer student, and you're carrying on like this? Why weren't you this excited when the new textbooks were handed out?"
Hiratsuka slammed the blackboard so hard it let out a resounding crack. Her anger-filled shout instantly swallowed the classroom's murmurs, restoring silence.
Even though Itsuki was seething at Izuru's comment, she forced herself to endure it.
{Right, the President's mouth is a bit... pungent. Like the aroma of stinky tofu that makes anyone who catches a whiff want to cry. But as long as you're patient enough to "eat" it, you'll find that behind that sharp scent lies a deliciousness that's actually addictive.}
{Yes, let's just think of the President as stinky tofu!}
With that thought, Itsuki put on an alluring, sweet smile again. She sat gracefully in her chair and spoke in a soft, gentle tone:
"President, you do love to joke. I only ate a slightly larger breakfast than usual; how did you notice so quickly? Is it because I'm so slender that even eating a little more makes it obvious? I'm quite embarrassed."
{No, no, that's not it at all! How on earth did you twist my meaning into that? Slender? The average weight of you quintuplets probably went up specifically because of you!}
Izuru, an expert in the art of "seeking death," almost spat those words out. But Itsuki was prepared and wasn't about to let him keep humiliating her. She cut him off immediately:
"President, I've just moved and don't have my textbooks yet. Would you mind if we shared yours during the lesson?"
{Sure, just take it, I don't use it anyway... Wait, what?!}
Izuru, his attention momentarily diverted, had intended to give a casual answer. However, to his surprise, Itsuki slid her chair over and sat flush against him. It was as if they were going to use one desk and one book as a pair.
The scent of Itsuki's perfume, mixed with a faint hint of steamed buns, drifted into Izuru's nose. Moreover, the extraordinary sensation of their arms pressing together due to their close proximity left him gaping.
This... what on earth was this?!
Itsuki was actually flushing a deep red herself, even stammering as she spoke: "Pre-President, get the book out... let's listen to the lecture!"
{Ugh! This is so embarrassing! How did I find the nerve to do something so suggestive in front of so many people? I'm so mortified I want to crawl inside a giant meat bun and hide! But this is worth it. Back then, Nino took aggressive action like this until the whole class—even the whole school—thought they were in a special relationship, and she managed to overtake everyone from the very back.}
{Since we quintuplets are identical, if I do the same thing, the effect should be the same, right? My relationship with the President will skyrocket too, right? I'm sorry, Nino, but don't blame me!}
"..."
Seeing Itsuki so embarrassed yet stubbornly refusing to pull away, combined with the sharp glares from his surroundings and the increasingly piercing chill from behind him, Izuru could only tap his forehead in resignation. He didn't say much, though. In silence, he opened his textbook—which was pristine, without a single scribble of a note—on the desk and spoke casually.
"For certain reasons, my textbook doesn't have any notes in it. But if there's anything you don't understand, as the top student in the year, I can explain it to you properly and quickly. Of course, if you want to take notes during the lecture, feel free to use my book."
"Yes, thank you, President." Because of their close proximity, Izuru's breath brushed against Itsuki's beautiful face as he spoke. This turned her face an even deeper shade of crimson, like a red bean. She didn't dare look at him and could only stare intently at the blank white book, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Seeing this, Izuru scratched his cheek awkwardly but said nothing more.
Hiratsuka, standing at the podium watching the whole scene play out, offered no comment. She immediately began the official lesson.
"Everyone, open your books to page three. Look at the first multiple-choice question: 'The sound of the turtle dove under the flowers slides smoothly, the flow of water choking under the ice feels difficult.' What atmosphere is this sentence used to describe? A. An unreadable scene when a woman feels lonely at night. B. An unreadable scene when a man feels lonely at night. C. Someone lonely at night playing the pipa, remembering sad things until they shed tears. D..."
Izuru, who had no intention of actually listening to the lesson, shifted his eyes slightly to glance at Itsuki from the corner of his vision.
The deep flush on Itsuki's face was starting to fade, and she seemed to be focusing on her studies. It was true; she was definitely "fuller" than Miku or Yotsuba. Her cheeks were a bit chubby, making anyone who looked at her want to give them a pinch.
Ah, no, that wasn't the point. It was supposed to be... Nakano Itsuki? Truly strange. Such bold behavior completely shattered her "loser" character archetype. What exactly was going on?
Meanwhile, behind Izuru, Yukinoshita had stopped her note-taking. From the corner of her eye, she watched the two in front of her sitting pressed together as if flaunting their intimacy. Her gaze was cold, yet a flicker of satisfaction was hidden within it.
Everything was going according to plan.