4.6 Midterms (6)

[POV: Heylel]

Time slipped fast in the ANHS, well, no it didn't but I liked to pretend. Horikita had been busy with her study group which after the first integration and a few close calls was keeping steady—which simply translated to free time.

And so, today I was out with Kouneji with no real destination in mind for either of us, the plan being to just do something that we thought might be fun. What was something I used to do for fun before all this? My mind immediately carried me to one place, "Man I wished they had a range."

"A gun range Heylel boy?" I nodded, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me, nothing can quite match the smell of sulphur and the cold comfort of gunmetal.

Kouenji was surprised by my words, a very rare expression if Ike or Yama-something were here they would say 'epic loot' before I shot them.

"Have you fired one before Heylel boy?" I shook my head, "We are in Japan, and we are 15-16, all of us, so no. I would imagine I love them though."

"And why is that?" He asked as we kept moving forward, "Call it a hunch or instinct maybe but I feel a certainty that I would fall in love the moment I fire one. Not Olympics-style stuff, no, I am taking 9mm, 5.7 and stuff."

"Hmm," Kouenji scratched his chin, "Regardless of your instincts my boy, the sport itself is fun. But I suppose we will have to do without."

Then a ringing buzzed in my phone. Fishing it out of my pocket I looked at the message.

[Horikita: Where are you?]

[Heylel: Messing around the campus.]

[Horikita: Oh then you are free?]

[Heylel: I'm with Kouenji.]

[Horikita: I can not for the life of me fathom how the two of you are friends.]

[Heylel: Just like how the two of us are. Chance and circumstances.]

[Horikita: Fine. Please inform me when you are done with the oddball.]

Closing my phone I looked up to see Kouenji just…gone. Scanning around I saw he was surrounded by his usual posse of third-year girls a good bit away, he was being a nuisance to the world as always—good to see.

Raising my hand I waved at him, he nodded back.

It seems he was bored enough to just fall back on his favourite pastime, womanising. Well, he was rich so it made sense for students about to graduate.

Opening my phone back up I started a chat with the girl.

[Heylel: He is gone. So, what's up.]

[Horikita: I would hope for a bit of support, you see I have taken the liberty of promising a game of basketball to Sudou today.]

[Heylel: Want me to come and cheer or fill out the squad?]

[Horikita: …it was on your behalf?]

[Heylel: Oi! Woman, what?]

[Horikita: It is fine isn't it? He told me how disappointed you were about his potential expulsion because you two would not get to play again. Please come meet us in the library.]

[Heylel: Oh fuck me.]

[Horikita: Language.]

Sighing I put it back in my pocket, well, not like I was doing anything anyways.

My eyes moved to Kouenji and I gave him one last look. Did he notice my conversation and dip or was he truly just bored? He was perceptive enough for the first and spontaneous enough for the second. Either way, it was convenient at least.

Finally, I turned and walked away.

I arrived at the library in an hour, it should have taken me fifteen minutes at most but my walk was slow and prodding, I was deliberately delaying. They had a study group after all, why bother the busy people?

Then I got another text.

[Horikita: Forget the library, please head to the faculty office.]

Huh?

Soon enough I was in front of the faculty room, I waited for the girl, there were still about ten minutes till her study group ended. Then she came and came with her whole army. She gave me a brief nod before she and her entire army flooded the office.

I didn't enter, the open door would allow me to hear whatever so I stuck to the outside, leaning on the wall and listening.

"Chiyabashira-sensei, we have an urgent question." Horikita started.

"Quite the theatrical entrance. You surprised the other teachers," she said.

"I sincerely apologise for the sudden intrusion."

"It's fine. We're in the middle of something, so please keep it brief."

"Chiyabashira-sensei, last week when you told us what material the test would cover, did you make a mistake? A little earlier today, some Class C students told us that the test's material would be different from what we were expecting."

"That's right. The test's topics changed last Friday. Sorry, I must've forgotten to inform you."

"What?!"

I could hear the sound of paper being torn.

"Thanks to you, Horikita, I was able to correct my mistake. I'm grateful to all of you. That's all. Thank you."

"Wait a minute, Sae-sensei! Isn't it way too late for this?"

"I don't think so. You still have one week. If you use that study time wisely, it should be easy. Right?"

Chiyabashira-sensei tried to shoo them out of the faculty room without the slightest hesitation. However, none of them moved. There was a strange silence, I could not see the teacher's reaction but I didn't hear a fucking peep either.

"Even if you stay, nothing will change. You understand that don't you?" she asked.

"Let's go." Horikita declared.

"B-but, Horikita! We can't just accept this!"

"As Chiyabashira-sensei said, staying would be a waste of time. Instead, we should begin studying the revised test materials."

"But!"

Horikita turned on her heel and left the faculty room, Sudou and the others reluctantly followed after her. When she came out she headed me the paper and the rest of her army spread out in the hall and the door automatically closed behind them. They all had eyes on me. What the fuck were they expecting?

Ugh.

Reading the topics once over I felt annoyed, a lot of my mugging up for history, geography, civics and Japanese had just gone down the dumpster. I could handle everything else.

Well, these other idiots wouldn't be able to. I tossed the paper to Kushida, "Just circulate it." That was the best we could do.

"That's fine, but…is it okay for me to do it?" She asked and I gave her a blank stare, "Obviously you are the best candidate."

"Okay, I understand. Leave it to me. I'll tell Hirata-kun and everyone else." Of course, you will.

Next up Horikita spoke, "We need to make new material, I will be ready by tomorrow," I nodded at the shaken miss, taking a wide step I switched over and came to her side. "We will be fine. It's not that bad." No, it's fucking terrible I had to memorize a whole different section of my books. But that was not the main concern, the idiot trio were.

Surprisingly Sudou looked motivated. "Horikita. I know I've been difficult, but I'm counting on you," Sudou bowed to Horikita as he spoke those words. "Starting tomorrow…I'll take a break from club activities. Will that work?"

Oi! I was the material too you fuck! Of course, he thanks the girl! Fuck you!

Still, good to hear from him being logical. Though it still surprised Horikita, "That…"

She asked again to confirm, "Will that be okay with you? It'll be a lot of work."

"Studying is a lot of work, isn't it?" Grinning, Sudou moved to pat Horikita's shoulder.

My eyes widened and I frantically started shaking my head! Dude you are in danger! Don't take the bait! Seeing me his hand stopped mid-air, I signed, loud enough for Horikita to turn to me…fuck.

She then turned her head back to the redhead, "It seems Heylel saved you, please remember I don't like being touched."

A smile graced her lips, "Regardless, Sudou, are you serious?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm pissed at our homeroom teacher and those jerks in Class C now, too." As I heard him speak I realised something had changed in him, drastically. I didn't know what or how. But I knew who to ask, Horikita—not that I would, his life hardly mattered to me. Good thing though that his declaration inspired Ike and Yamauchi.

"Guess we don't have any choice. We'll try harder, too," Ike said.

"Yeah!" Yamauchi added.

Kushida, who also seemed motivated, stuck out her fist. "Come on, Ayanokouji-kun. You do your best…" she pulled him into the conversation.

I for one turned them out, and spoke to the ice queen next to me, "I will meet you later."

"No," She rejected me. "Let's go head back together. We can discuss the material plans along the way."

Not wanting to be seen heading alone with her I turned to Ayanokoji, "Let's go."

He nodded after a brief second, breaking off his conversation with Kushida—they had been getting along recently. Good for them.

I for one also pulled out my phone to pass the message to Kouenji, who replied faster than expected.

His message read, 'The whole thing smells of politics and power plays. Either that or it could be a test from her.'

Well, fuck her then.