Chapter 37: Study? Learning Seems Impossible.

[Did Horikita change her hairstyle?]

[Horikita with short hair... is actually quite cute. She feels even cuter than with long hair!]

[So beautiful! Why did Horikita change her hairstyle today?]

Almost all the boys in the class shifted their eyes to Horikita Suzune simultaneously, but only Saiki Kusuo quickly looked away before catching sight of Horikita Suzune's muscles and bones.

[Is this girl attracting attention again? Damn it!]

Kushida Kikyo maintained a smile on her face and also directed her gaze towards Horikita Suzune.

'There is no change every day.'

Saiki Kusuo complained inwardly.

[Especially last night, were you mocking me like you did yesterday? You know my past, so I have to find a way to expel you from school!]

'Wait, what did you say?'

[I will never forget what happened yesterday, Horikita!]

Saiki Kusuo was momentarily confused but soon realized the situation.

It seemed that Kushida Kikyo's erased memory was filled in by things related to Horikita Suzune. Most likely, her deep hatred for Horikita Suzune caused her brain to fabricate memories of their conflict, leading her to continue venting her emotions yesterday by constantly cursing Horikita Suzune.

Overall, it appeared that Kushida Kikyo's animosity towards Horikita Suzune had intensified due to her altered memory.

Saiki Kusuo subtly turned his head and glanced out the window, pretending ignorance.

Horikita Suzune ignored the gazes of those around her and promptly returned to her seat.

"Good morning."

As Horikita Suzune passed by Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Saiki Kusuo, she greeted them and then sat down.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka turned his head and eyed Horikita Suzune with some confusion.

"What are you staring at?"

Horikita Suzune noticed Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's gaze and returned it with a glare.

"Oh, it's nothing. You just seem a bit different today."

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka shook his head and responded.

As he had just mentioned, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka could keenly sense a change in Horikita Suzune.

[Horikita is not the type to initiate greetings. Today is indeed strange.]

[Generally, girls with long hair don't cut it short easily. Something must have happened to prompt this change.]

[Horikita and I left Saiki's room around the same time last night. It was already very late. If something were to happen, it should have occurred later. So, what happened during those few hours?]

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was curious about the changes in Horikita Suzune. He believed that with her character, it wouldn't be easy for her to undergo significant changes quickly. Even Ayanokouji Kiyotaka himself was prepared to invest time in cultivating Horikita Suzune slowly, shaping her into someone he could utilize.

The fact that Horikita Suzune initiated the change indicated that she must have experienced something significant.

What could it be?

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's mind raced, but he doubted he would find the answer. Even if he knew that Horikita Suzune changed because of his brother, he wouldn't know Saiki Kusuo's involvement.

[The true meaning of aloofness and loneliness... What do my brother's words signify?]

[I always believed my lack of ability led my brother to distance himself from me. So, like my brother, I wanted to distance myself from those lacking in ability...]

[Was this notion flawed after all?]

'Yeah, yeah, you finally know how to reflect to your own problems.'

After hearing Horikita Suzune's inner thoughts, Saiki Kusuo affirmed to himself. Hopefully, Horikita Suzune would pay a little less attention to herself now.

...

Soon, it was time for school to end, and as agreed, several students went to the school library for tutoring.

'I really don't want to waste time on these things, but I have no way to refuse now. I can only hope they finish this reading club quickly.'

Saiki Kusuo thought to himself as he followed the others to find a suitable seat in the library.

[Regardless, we still need to improve their grades as soon as possible. Promotion to Class A is imperative.]

Horikita Suzune thought, then took out her textbook and began explaining the lesson to everyone present.

['You can still lecture seriously here. Did you cut your hair short to attract attention?']

['So sad... Kushida-san declined my invitation to watch the movie...']

['Horikita... looks quite good this way. She's top in appearance, right?']

['What are you having for dinner later...']

'It's just that Horikita Suzune is the only one studying seriously...'

Saiki Kusuo felt a little helpless. It seemed everyone was unfocused on studying.

At the same time, Saiki Kusuo picked up on some strange chatter.

['Is this also from Class C? They're the ones who took our spot in class... Damn it.']

['Ryuen tasked us with monitoring their class and gathering information about them.']

['The girl with black hair seems to be named Horikita Suzune, and the other girl is called Kushida Kikyo. Many people in our class know her...']

Saiki Kusuo shifted his gaze and noticed several unfamiliar faces observing them from a nearby desk.

From their thoughts, Saiki Kusuo deduced they were students from Class D.

'It seems that this person named Ryuuen really took action against our class?'

['Someone is secretly watching us. Could it be a student from another class?']

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka also noticed the stares directed at them, but his focus quickly returned to Saiki Kusuo.

[Saiki just glanced at those people. Did he notice them too?']

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