Chapter 023

Let's ask the questions... Because I have a hunch that now they will definitely tell me about everything they know about the system... As my hunches are true, these past days...

"I want to ask some questions, senpais."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Yes, kouhai-kun... Just ask."

"Do you guys know --?"

~ring~~ring~

Just as I was going to ask the questions, the school bell rang indicating the students that their lunch break has been ended, and now they should head back to their classes... Good Grief, I should have asked them from the beginning... But, my mind tells me that what I did is good also.

"Kouhai-kun, let's talk another time..."

"Yeah, later..."

"No, wait..."

I stopped both of them in their tracks, as they just rise from their seat and have already walked a few steps... They were surprised at me, as I haven't shouted in front of them. They both just stared at me until I said something.

"Let's meet up after the school..."

When they heard, they both looked at each other... Then, Uotani senpai sighed lightly and said, "Sorry, kouhai I can't... I have some errands to run..."

"Oh. I see. What about you, Hanajima senpai?"

"Hm... Well, okay. But where?

...

After successfully making plans with Hanajima senpai on where to meet, I thanked them and excused myself from there as Uotani senpai seems to be looking angry, no I am sure, she was blushing...

I returned to the class on the time, before sensei entered...

..

Then the whole day just went as any usual day, teachers came and teach us and then another teacher... Just like that.

Now I am, on my way, to the park, where we, I and Hanajima senpai, decide to meet… In the school, I decided that first I will go to the apartment and from there I should come to this park. But, now I think it will only take my energy and time…

After reaching there, I saw an empty seat at the center of the park, so I went there and sat on it… I am still wearing my school uniform, so the people around me are staring at me, more than usual… Well, it didn't matter to me that much…

…

After waiting for about one hour, now I can clearly see Hanajima senpai, having the usual unfazed look on her face and an expression that shows that she don't give a single fuck about anyone… What a great expression… No, wait I have also the same expression like her.

But… what the hell is wrong with her dress? She is wearing a black dress, black shoes, and black gloves and have a black umbrella, in her hand. Is there any special meaning behind this…? No, I can't get onto the conclusion; maybe she loves black that's why she is wearing or something like that…

"Good Evening, kouhai-kun… Is something the matter?"

"Oh, Good Evening, Hanajima senpai. No, it's just that black suits you…"

[SAKI HANAJIMA: +10 AFFECTION POINTS]

"I-I s-see…"

Well, what I just said is true… She really is looking beautiful in her dress, even if she has her usual expression on her, or maybe it's because this is my first time seeing one of my heroines, wearing a casual dress… After hearing my words, I gained some affection points from her but her expression still didn't changed a bit… But this is the first time I am seeing her, stuttering her words, and she is not looking at me while saying that… Is she, by any chance, embarrassed? If that so, then it's the most normal expression I have seen from her, until now.

Then she turned her face and started looking at me…? Is she waiting for me to say something? Then just as you wish…

"Senpai --"

"Kouhai-kun, why did you want to meet up?"

"Well, it's just that I have some questions I wanted to ask."

"I see…"

As she heard my reason, she hummed and sat near me… She put her umbrella in between us and again started to stare at me…

"Well, then ask the questions…"

…

"The school is a very interesting place…"

I muttered to myself as I reached my apartment. The answers I wanted from the two senpais, I get them successfully from Hanajima senpai…

It is not that complicated for me to understand the system of school, which is known as 'Ranking system'. The system was established just three years ago, when I heard about it my mind directly went to the name Haruno Yukinoshita, who must have been known this system… But why didn't she tell anything to her younger sister…?

As the name of the system, it is used for ranking of the classes… The ranking is decided on many factors including the tests, we given just a few days ago. It has many external factors, I think, as Hanajima senpai didn't tell anything about it… Maybe I can earn class points by blackmailing a teacher… That will be fun, but there are many eyes on me, so it may be difficult for me.

The factors are regulation of whole class, like how well the students behave in the class; on the whole attendance of the class; the tests and assignment, how well we scored in this aspect; co-curricular activities and some more… Teachers can also 'gift' us an extra point, but only if majority of the teachers thinks so… Hanajima senpai really explains well…

The ranking will be update on first day of every month… She also said that, except for the first month of the year, but it will definitely come in the first week of the second month…

I was not that surprised that she knows all of this and can explain it very well. But when I said that I have no more questions to ask from her, and then she asked a question which I didn't even imagined that she will ask me…

"Kouhai-kun, I also have a question for you…"

"Oh, what is it, Hanajima senpai?"

"Why did you run away from us that day, when I and Uotani came to see you?"

"Huh…! What are you talking about senpai? I think I had told you guys that sensei needed my help that time…"

"Well, your waves, at that time, looked awfully strange… So tell me why you did that?"

As she said, she came closer to me…

Is her affection reached to that point, where she can easily come this closer to me…? Her face is just a few centimeters far away from my face… Isn't a girl supposed to get embarrassed when they do something like this; to the person they… like…? No wait, I can't conclude on the fact she has already has some feelings for me, maybe she still hasn't started to like me… hmmm?

"Senpai, do you have a fever?"

"N-no…"

As she denied it, she takes a step back from me and now we have a distance of about 2 meters, as the bench has length of around 13 meters…

After that we went silent for about 5 – 10 minutes, until I break it…

"Senpai, let's eat the ice-cream…"

"…!?"

She was quite surprised at my sudden words, so when she heard she started staring at me, with her unfazed eyes, for few seconds and then turned her head in the direction, where my finger are pointing, to the ice-cream parlor… She nodded her head, two times, and then we make our way to the parlor…

..

"I thought that ice-cream would be free this time also, but…"

I muttered to myself as I took a glance at the senior, who has to pay the price for both of our ice-creams… As I don't bring my wallet to the school, so I don't have it with me… Well, I already apologized and thanked her for this, so it's fine…

…

After reaching the apartment, I exercised a bit, for just about 45 minutes and now I am on my way to the apartment of Shiina Mahiru, to return her, her lunch box, she gave me last week… I thought of not returning her lunch, empty, so I decided to give a pastry also with it…

~ring~~ring~

I pressed the doorbell, two times, and as I was going to press it for third time… I heard footsteps coming inside the apartment, so I controlled myself. She also said, in a normal voice, which was neither low nor high, that she is coming… What…? When my mind does become this 'dirty', huh?

"Yes, who is – Oh, Kaneki-san, what brings you here?"

"Hello Shiina-san… I just came here to return the lunch box; you gave me the other day…"

"I see…"

"Yes, it was delicious, Shiina-san…"

"O-oh, thank you…"

[MAHIRU SHIINA: +2 AFFECTION POINTS]

She showed me a small smile, as she said this… She looked extremely cute when she smiles like this, and my hand just moved and now it is on her head, patting her head…

"Kaneki-san, what are you doing…?"

"Oh, sorry…"

[MAHIRU SHIINA: +1 AFFECTION POINTS]

As I apologized, I slowly take my hand away from her head…

*crack*

I heard the sound coming from the place near where the stairs are, but when I turned my face there, there was no one… Maybe it was just my imagination… Because I see someone's shadow there…