27 -27- Actually like men?

Night soon fell.

After dispersing from the group, Nanaya Hori returned to his room alone.

Looking at his room, which was almost the same as when he first moved in, Nanaya Hori muttered to himself.

"I've been living here for almost a month now..."

Normally, after living in a room for a month, one would have added some personal touches, right?

For example, a girl like Kushida Kikyou would probably decorate her room with dolls, makeup mirrors, cosmetics, and various items to create a girlish pink atmosphere.

For boys, they might add basketballs, soccer balls, game consoles, and posters.

This way, the room would reflect the owner's style and declare that the room had an occupant.

But Nanaya Hori's room was completely different.

His room was almost unchanged compared to when he first arrived, except for a few more books on the bookshelf.

Among those books were textbooks, reference books, and study materials needed for class, as well as various detective novels borrowed from the library, some of which were classics.

If living in a room for a while would usually reflect one's style, then this bookshelf was Nanaya Hori's style, right?

Simple, practical, plain, and quiet.

That was a reflection of Nanaya Hori's life.

Nanaya Hori never felt uncomfortable living like this.

Although one reason was that he had been accustomed to this kind of life since childhood, the main reason was his personality that didn't crave vanity.

If one day Nanaya Hori could have a relationship like an ordinary person, he hoped it would be a simple and quiet one, without too much fanfare.

It was more of Nanaya Hori's wish than a desire for personal satisfaction.

"After all, the first half of my life has been exciting enough."

Continuing like this might actually shorten his lifespan.

Unfortunately...

"In this school, life probably won't stay peaceful forever, will it?"

It was both a premonition and a sign.

Nanaya Hori checked the date displayed on his phone.

"Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new month, right?"

That meant the anticipated "change" was about to come.

"Based on the situation these past few days, it's almost time for the secrets of this school to be revealed."

That being said, Nanaya Hori actually had somewhat anticipated the true nature of this school.

"I wonder if that guy, Ayanokouji has glimpsed a bit of it too?"

That was what Nanaya Hori thought.

In Nanaya Hori's view, among the students of Class D, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was the only one who stood out.

He was meticulous in his thinking and had a sharp mind. Even though he claimed to be a recluse, he was likely to score at least 50 points in all subjects in the entrance exams, which showed his extraordinary ability.

And Nanaya Hori had actually noticed earlier that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was not an ordinary person.

Thinking back to the calm and seemingly bottomless darkness in his eyes, Nanaya Hori sneered.

"How could a guy with that kind of gaze be ordinary?"

Of course, if Ayanokouji Kiyotaka knew Nanaya Hori's current thoughts, he would definitely say so.

"Just judging someone as extraordinary based on a single look is a bit of a stretch."

That was definitely something Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would say.

Unfortunately, as mentioned before, Nanaya Hori didn't need facts or evidence.

He only believed in his own feelings.

So, Nanaya Hori firmly remembered Kushida Kikyou's gaze in his heart.

"If I have a chance, I'll investigate..."

After making this decision, Nanaya Hori took out his phone and opened the chat group.

In it, led by Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, a group of idiotic boys from the class were enthusiastically discussing.

"Today, I went on a date with little Kushida!" (Ike)

"Really...!?" (Sotomura)

"Is that true!?" (Hondo)

"It must be a lie!" (Okiya)

"It's definitely a lie!" (Domoto)

"Why are you lying to us? If you don't believe me, ask Yamauchi!" (Ike)

"Yamauchi, is this true?" (Kikuchi)

"Yeah, it's true, and by the way, I went too!" (Yamauchi)

"...You guys went out with Kushida together?" (Komiya)

"What? Isn't that just a normal hangout?" (Ijuin)

"You scared me." (Miyamoto)

The boys in the class engaged in such lively discussions.

Watching the discussion, Nanaya Hori had only one thought.

"Indeed, Kushida Kikyou is very popular."

Perhaps in terms of appearance alone, there were many girls in this school who could rival Kushida Kikyou. Even in Class D, there was Hasebe Haruka, who was not only beautiful but also had a better figure than Kushida Kikyou.

But in terms of popularity, there probably wasn't anyone in the first year of this school who could compare to Kushida Kikyou.

Being cute was one thing, but the most important thing was Kushida Kikyou's gentle and caring personality, which was approachable and inclusive, and naturally attracted the attention of boys.

Nanaya Hori had previously thought that Kushida Kikyou was just a very popular girl.

Now, it seemed that there was a mystery surrounding Kushida Kikyou.

"What could have caused her to look at me with that kind of gaze?"

Nanaya Hori pondered.

Meanwhile, the boys' discussion continued.

"I'm telling you, little Kushida is definitely interested in me. I saw thick love in her eyes when she looked at me!" (Yamauchi)

"Nonsense! Clearly, little Kushida is interested in me!" (Ike)

"I think, given Kushida's level, both Ike and Yamauchi are still far behind." (Miyamoto)

"Yeah, I think you guys should give up." (Ijuin)

"Kushida is on a level that you guys can't reach." (Hondo)

Facing Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki's fantasies, the boys in the class mercilessly poured cold water on them.

Finally, even Ayanokouji Kiyotaka chimed in.

"Isn't Kushida interested in Nanaya?" (Ayanokouji)

A stone thrown into the water causes a thousand ripples.

"What...!?" (Kikuchi)

"Kushida is interested in Nanaya...!?" (Sotomura)

"Nonsense! How could Kushida be interested in that solitary Nanaya?" (Okiya)

"I don't believe it either." (Minami)

The entire boys' chat group exploded, causing many lurkers to join in.

Among them, Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki's fiery remarks were particularly striking.

"Hey! Nanaya! You better not make a move on little Kushida, alright? Absolutely not!" (Ike)

"If you make a move, I'll spread rumors that you actually like men, and I mean it!" (Yamauchi)

Such bewildering remarks continued to appear in the chat group.

Nanaya Hori just watched, shook his head with a wry smile, and turned off his phone.

There was a faint curve on his lips.

"Life in this ordinary and uninteresting school isn't bad after all..."

With this thought in mind, Nanaya Hori closed his eyes, lay down on his bed, and slowly drifted off to sleep.