Vol. 3: Chapter 27 - Seeds of Chaos

5th Day, 6:29 PM.

While watching the sky darken bit by bit, I heard Kikyou's footsteps approach me from behind.

"Hey, Kiyotaka-kun!" she called out cheerfully.

"Kikyou, is everything alright?"

"Yep, Ryuuko-chan and the others are just about done preparing the food. They're all ready to be cooked for later," Kikyou nodded with a smile. "How are you?"

"Oh... I'm fine. You can say that I'm mentally preparing myself for later."

"Later? What will you do?"

I raised my clenched fist in a comedic manner before speaking.

"To do battle."

I'm sure it wasn't funny given my horribly deadpan expression, but Kikyou replied with a chuckle, nonetheless. Of course, I know that Kikyou's chuckle didn't mean that she found my joke funny. She simply understood what I was trying to say.

"Don't do anything reckless, okay?" Kikyou voiced her concern with a gentle expression.

Under normal circumstances, I might've asked her to marry me right then and there.

"I won't. Thanks for worrying about me, Kikyou."

"Mn," she nodded.

It would've been nice to end the conversation on such a wholesome note but...

"By the way, Kiyotaka-kun~..." It was the same happy tone... but why in the world did I suddenly feel chills down my spine?

"Yeah...?"

"It seems like you slept well last night," she said.

"It... wasn't that great, really. Everything felt cold."

Like right now.

"Really? You looked really comfortable, though... with Hasebe-san cozily sleeping on your shoulder, too." Kikyou's smile was still there, but it had a completely different feel to it.

So she saw us, after all.

"It just kinda happened. The two of us were just sitting around, but before we knew it, both of us were already fast asleep," I replied calmly. Well... I hope I was calm.

"Hehhh... Well, isn't that nice?" she pouted.

"Are you jealous?" This exchange was practically our own skit at this point.

"Of course, I am~!" Kikyou answered strongly before forcing out a sigh. "Or at least, that's what I'd usually say..."

Kikyou heaved another sigh before facing me.

"Hey, Kiyotaka-kun. I think it's about time we stop this kind of skit. It's not something that friends would usually banter about unless they have feelings for each other. We're not in a rom-com manga, you know?"

I was initially surprised, but I guess this was Kikyou's way of working around her feelings. Her decision was to pull back. Well, if she wants to continue this performance, it'd be rude of me to not play along.

"That's fine with me," I shrugged.

"Right? First of all, I don't like you, romantically, so there's that. And of course, you don't really see me that way, do you?"

"No, not really."

"Umu, umu." Kikyou nodded with pursed lips. "You're my best friend, so if you like someone, I should be the one who supports you. We can't go on flirting like this or it might spell trouble."

Kikyou wanted me at a certain distance to cater to the perspective of outsiders. If I look like I'm too close, it wouldn't be good, for obvious reasons.

"So? Do you like Hasebe-san?" Kikyou nudged me with a teasing expression.

"I don't see Haruka that way. You already know that."

"Things can change, you know~?! But, I see... Same as usual, huh?"

"Yeah... It'll probably stay like that for a while."

"Mn... I expected that."

This was the current state of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Kushida Kikyou's relationship.

The subtleties of human interaction are still quite alien to me. I merely followed her lead despite the questions that popped up in my head. Why didn't we just talk about it properly instead of playing dumb? Is it another one of those unspoken rules of a conversation? Is it about Kikyou not wanting to explicitly admit her feelings? Am I just being overly self-conscious again? Those queries terrorized my brain, but I can put them behind me for now.

The two of us stood listlessly before finally getting separated from our classmates. As Kikyou's help was requested by the girls, mine was called upon by the guys. The fifth day of this week-long special test was almost at its end.

Class B has been consistent with its living situation. Given our current progress, we might rank among the top during the final grading. But after tonight, things might change drastically— for better... or worse.

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5th Day, 2:12 AM.

"If I remember correctly, it should be somewhere around here..." I muttered while walking silently in the dark.

I solely relied on the moonlight and my well-adjusted eyes. The trip was long, but after exploring this area with Hirata and Airi, the first part of the journey was much faster than I expected.

After a few more minutes of walking, I finally caught a glimpse of his radiant campfire. I thought I'd only see one person, but talk about a pleasant surprise.

"That's just how it is. Consider it a gift."

"Heh... I'll take it. It's not in my place to refuse, right?"

I tried to approach their location as stealthily as I could, but...

*Snap*

A number of small twigs were laid down on the ground and inevitably, I stepped on one of them. This was definitely placed by him. It was an especially effective way to catch intruders off-guard in the dark.

"Kukuku... It seems like my second guest has finally arrived. Welcome to my humble abode, Ayanokouji."

With a sinister smile, Ryuuen Kakeru received me without any hint of surprise.

"Oh... So Katsuragi wasn't lying, after all. It seems like Class B really was Ayanokouji's handiwork. Color me impressed... and deceived."

Beside him was a Class A student that I'd heard of before. A lot of the girls have mentioned his name in the past.

Hashimoto Masayoshi, huh?

"Seems like you had some business with Class A, Ryuuen. Care to fill me in?" I asked.

With my arrival, a conference between three classes had begun.