#43 Suspicion

"I am going to grab lunch in the cafeteria, do you want to go with me? Or do you really have your so-called plans for a lunch break?" Yuichi asked while getting up from his seat.

"..." Horikita didn't refuse or accept his invitation, maybe she felt weird to accept it after telling Kushida that she already has plans.

"No need to feel awkward or weird, just say yes or no. There is nothing complicated about it." Yuichi said, hinting that he would like to hear her decision as soon as possible.

"Hmph" Horikita didn't say anything but she still stuffed her textbooks into her bag before getting up.

Seeing this, Yuichi just started walking towards the classroom's doors without even checking if Horikita is following him.

When they arrived in the cafeteria, they took the trays and bought the meal with their points. Yuichi chose the set of vegetables with meat and a few eggs because it was his diet, occasionally eating other stuff to get other nutrition. Thanks to this, his meal's price was relatively low.

Horikita somehow took the charge and decided on the spot where to sit at so Yuichi just followed after her but when he was walking past numerous tables filled with students, he noticed someone familiar. And that someone familiar was also reciting something from classes to other people sitting at the table.

Yuichi stopped right behind that person and looked curiously at the table to see all kinds of textbooks, obviously, this garnered him a lot of attention from people around the table which in return prompted that person to turn around in confusion.

Horikita also stopped to wait for Yuichi while wearing a confused and slightly impatient expression.

"Hm? Iwamura-kun? Hi!" It was Ichinose who quickly greeted with a bright smile when she noticed him.

"Hello, Ichinose-san. I am sorry for interrupting your studying session, it's just that something caught my interest." Yuichi apologized with an apologetic smile and closed eyes.

"Oh? It's alright, alright! If you want, we have a room for another 2 people, that is if you want to join us, right everyone?" Ichinose said while sliding her chair to the left, making more space for another chair.

Everyone looked at Yuichi and nodded with a welcoming smile on their faces.

"I am going ahead." Horikita suddenly said before leaving towards her chosen spot, very far away from all others.

"Eh...I am sorry" Yuichi said with a forced smile while looking at Ichinose but she just shook her smile with a smile as if to say to not worry about it.

"Can I ask what exactly are you reviewing right now?" Yuichi asked with a polite smile.

Ichinose immediately replied to him, completely confusing him however he didn't let it be seen on his face.

"Well, thank you for the invitation but I should go join her soon if I don't want her to harass me with her math compass once again." Yuichi said with a helpless smile, slightly confusing others with his words but Ichinose just nodded with an approving face as if she felt it was the right thing to do...to join his own classmate who was lonely right now.

"One more thing...Could I talk to you after I am finished with my lunch?" Yuichi asked with an apologetic smile while scratching back of his head, visibly telling them that he is sorry for interrupting them from studying for so long.

"Of course! I have yet to return the favor so I will definitely wait for you however I won't treat it as returning the favor since I would have accepted regardless" Ichinose replied with a bright smile which prompted Yuichi to release a genuine smile with softened emerald green eyes.

"Thanks, good luck everyone, and once again sorry for interrupting!" Yuichi said and waved at the other people sitting at the table since they seemed like they weren't looking down on him despite being from Class B.

"Bye!"

"Don't worry about it!" All of them waved back and some girls even sent him that kind of smile "don't worry~!"

Yuichi went towards the spot where Horikita was eating her lunch.

'That girl...Ichinose. She is a kind girl but still, that's just her outer appearance. We are still something similar to enemies so she might be acting nice just to befriend me and have me tell her all kinds of secrets. Now that I think about it...Kushida is pretty popular among 1st years, even upperclassmen know about her.' Yuichi thought, telling himself to be careful around anyone who is not from his class- no, to be careful around everyone and in particular students from other classes.

"I thought you would sit down with your friend." Horikita said calmly when Yuichi joined her across the table.

"But I did, or not?" Yuichi said with a grin.

"Please don't force that role onto me." Horikita replied with closed eyes.

"Still, you sounded like jealous girlfriend back there and this time I am not joking." Yuichi said with a serious expression.

"If you haven't noticed it yet, I always talk this way..." Horikita replied normally since she noticed that Yuichi truly wasn't joking this time.

"Right..." Yuichi muttered with an unconvinced expression before digging into his meal.

"...What were you talking with her about? She isn't from our class." After a while of silence, Horikita asked while frowning down.

"Nothing really, there is something that caught my interest...All 1st years should take the same exam, right?" Yuichi replied before asking with a curious expression.

"Naturally, despite them being "superior" class, we are the same grade so we have to take the same exams as all other classes. What did you find out?" Horikita replied while giving Yuichi a strange look before she asked with a suspicious expression.

"They were studying something completely different than what should be on the exam. I doubt they would be studying things that might only confuse their knowledge of the materials that should be on the exam." Yuichi frowned down and replied with folded arms.

"...Should we verify this with Chabashira-sensei?" Horikita also found this strange so she suggested.

"Not yet, I am planning to talk to her after I am finished with lunch. I will ask exactly why are they studying those materials." Yuichi shook his head.

"Then eat faster, still, it has its perks having someone popular who can move around and bring me information." Horikita muttered with a thoughtful expression.

"Oi, I can hear you. If you want someone to be your lapdog, call Hirata, I have heard that he would like to cooperate with you." Yuichi remarked while pointing his chopsticks at her.

"Don't point at me with the chopsticks you already used. There is no need to "befriend" Hirata, there are too many people hanging out around him while you indeed are popular for your communication skills, at least you aren't surrounded by numerous people." Horikita replied.

"Yeah, can you tell why I am not surrounded by many people?" Yuichi asked while casting a glance to the side. Horikita followed his line of sight and noticed 2 girls from their class holding tray, looking towards them but when they noticed Horikita looking, both quickly sat down at the random free spot.

"Am I perhaps obscuring your potential love life?" Horikita asked with a smirk as if she was even happier if it's the truth.

"Not really, just saying if you were to approach Hirata, I bet a lot of people would also stop hanging around him when you are present." Yuichi said with a bright smile.

"Well, I am done and it looks like Ichinose is the only one waiting for me now, so I better go before she leaves." Yuichi said, getting up with the tray in his hands.

"I see..." Horikita muttered while looking towards Ichinose who was sitting at the table all alone, waiting for Yuichi.

"I am going, see you later in the class." Yuichi said and Horikita nodded at him with a calm expression.

Yuichi carried the tray away before approaching Ichinose.

"I am sorry for the wait, can we talk now? It will be fast." Yuichi said with a smile while pulling the chair out, waiting for her reply before sitting down.

"No problem at all and please feel free to take a seat, no need to be so polite" Ichinose said despite her speaking politely.

"You say that but you are the one who is also speaking politely. Thanks." Yuichi commented with a smile before taking the seat.

"Hihi, I guess you are right. Then let's both of us stop with it. Anyway, you wanted to ask me something, Iwamura-kun?" Ichinose giggled and admitted with a smile before asking with a curious expression.

"May I ask you what were you studying? These materials shouldn't be on the midterm exam, no?" Yuichi asked and when Ichinose heard his questions, she immediately looked at him with a confused expression.

"These things are supposed to be there...The topics of almost every subject changed around a week ago...Have you perhaps written it down wrong? If you happen to be in need of help, I will be more than happy to tutor you. You are always welcome in our class." Ichinose asked with a concerned expression before reassuring Yuichi with a bright smile.

"I see...Looks like I had wrong information, thank you for your help and for your offer but I think I will be fine. I wish you luck on midterms, Ichinose-san." Yuichi thanked her before wishing her luck with a soft smile.