Classroom of the Elite: Checkmate 7

Chapter 7 - Automaton

Closing the door of my dorm room, I made my way towards the elevator after finishing up my morning routine.

I didn't train as much as in the White Room, but I still made a habit of staying in shape, even if I didn't feel like it. Keeping healthy was a wise future investment, since I would probably go back to that place after my time here was over. I didn't know how that man would react when I returned and couldn't even physically overpower one of the tutors there.

Today would be very good weather. This much was a given after glancing up. The sky was clear, and the clouds were drifting over the horizon, partially covering the blazing sun. I drew a deep breath and inhaled the clean air, which had a hint of salt in its scent due to the school's location near the ocean.

After this comfortable sequence of actions, I coughed.

I took the elevator down and mixed with the students that were walking towards their respective classrooms. To my surprise, I didn't notice a single Class D student despite this huge crowd. Instead, I caught sight of Ichinose who was walking to school with Amikura and a few other classmates, who I had seen in their classroom. Aside from the students I recognized were many from Class A and C, which I couldn't allocate to their respective classes due to my lack of knowledge.

What took me by the most surprise, however, were the three words spoken to me from behind.

"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun."

The young girl's voice was as static and aloof as ever, but I believed that something had changed compared to yesterday. It might have been my imagination, but I concluded that the reason for these thoughts was her pleasant tone.

"Good morning, Horikita."

I turned to the acquaintance who had slowed down beside me.

Her expression changed into one of confusion before turning into a questioning, deeply puzzled stare. It was almost as if I could follow the chemical and electrical signals that her neurons were emitting through the different synapses as she was trying to make sense of my current getup.

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask."

"You aren't?"

I was genuinely surprised, since I wouldn't have been able to help myself.

"I... why would you think that it was a good idea to wear a scarf when it's this warm?"

"So you still asked in the end?"

"Because this is just too out of place, even for you."

She heaved an exasperated sigh while shaking her head in disbelief.

Well, sorry? It's not like I had a choice. I'm dying underneath this, you know?

I forced out a few coughs before replying to her inquiry with a hoarse voice.

"I caught a slight cold, but I don't want to miss school because of something minor. Since my throat feels quite sore, I wrapped that scarf around my neck to protect it from the cold breeze."

"If you infect me, I will beat you. Stay away, Ayanokouji-kun."

She shooed me away, as if I was some sort of annoying fly, but didn't make any movements to widen the gap between us herself. While we ambled along the marked paths towards our classroom, I steered the topic away from our usual banter to a rather important topic that was weighing on my mind.

"Say Horikita, about what I wanted to discuss yesterday. Could we talk today?"

My classmate turned around a few times while looking through the crowd of students. After she made sure that there was no sign of Kushida or any of her friends in the vicinity, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Let's talk in the cafeteria this time. I don't want to run into her again."

"You really don't like her, do you?"

"I don't. And I don't want to talk about her anymore."

She clarified that she had no interest in conversing about Kushida any longer, which was an understandable wish after all the stunts she had pulled during our time here. Everyone would have felt put off when someone got on their nerves every day. I had no problems with her arrangement, since I didn't want to talk about her either.

But I wondered if she would leave me behind if I chose to pursue the topic any further.

"Fine by me. Let's talk about Sudou then?"

Her eyes widened in curiosity for a moment upon hearing a name she hadn't expected. Horikita shot me a quizzical look while tilting her head to the side.

"Him? Did he come crawling to you with tears in his eyes? What a wimp..."

Tears? What in the world did she do to this poor soul?

"Your name just came up as we were talking about some stuff and he said something about you being the devil but didn't elaborate any further. I got curious, so I decided to ask you."

"Oh? That's good. He learned his lesson then. I initially doubted the effectiveness of my punishment since he's an airhead, but it seems like my worries were unfounded. Why were the two of you talking about me, by the way? Is there something I should know?"

Her slim fingers reached for something in her bag. She took hold of the object in question and hid it inside her hand before I could make out the shape of the item she had pulled out.

Was this the reason for Sudo's traumatic experience? I knew that I should have stayed clear of the minefield that was Horikita, but in the end, I couldn't help my endless curiosity.

While hoping that I wouldn't end up like the cat, I took a few steps out of her reach.

"Where are you going, Ayanokouji-kun? Please come back."

"After thinking it through, I determined that I should stay away from you due to my sickness. I'm looking out for your health, you know? Be thankful."

Another dry cough followed my cheap excuse, and I hoped that it didn't sound as fake for her as it did for me.

Her cold glare froze further, the more time I kept this space between us. I had a feeling that she didn't believe me at all, which would make the following punishment that much worse.

Like two model students who were worried for each other's health, we kept a good distance between us due to my illness. I coughed from time to time to sell the lie until I noticed my phone vibrating in my pocket.

My heart almost stopped after I had pulled it out and checked the message.

[07:39:22 AM][Fuka ] Behind you.

If I turned around now, I would give her the satisfaction she sought, which is why I navigated to her contact information and checked her location before doing anything else. The GPS pin showed that she was close enough to observe me, but still so far away that no one would notice that she was following me in particular.

[07:39:42 AM][Fuka ] You are boring. Why didn't you go all 'Oh no please don't be behind me,' in your head and turned around with a frightened expression?

[07:39:56 AM] The answer is to this question is pretty self-explanatory, don't you think?

I was about to type something else, but slipped the phone back into my pocket after I noticed that Horikita was closing in on me. A sudden and unexpected stinging sensation assaulted my left hand after she had attacked me with something sharp and metallic.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"Being impolite, talking about me with that idiot and getting on my nerves."

Her punishment wasn't as severe as I had expected after Sudou's description. Even though physical violence shouldn't be condoned, I felt that I somewhat deserved this, since I had used my phone while I was walking with her, which could have been viewed as inappropriate behavior.

Another stabbing attack snapped me out of my thoughts.

The girl beside me rewarded my eyes with a charming yet unsettling smile, which didn't reach her eyes.

I figured that this was why Sudou had called her 'devil'.

"Did you think that was it already?"

My arm looked like an addict's, full of puncture wounds, as we reached our classroom.

That I drew the attention of everyone because of the scarf that I had wrapped around my neck didn't help either. There was nothing else I could have done, though, since the alternative would have been far worse.

I didn't even want to imagine Ike's face if he saw my neck...

"Ayanokouji-kun, are you feeling sick again?"

Class D's angel bounced towards me, mere moments after our arrival.

Horikita didn't spare her another glance and split up from me before strolling towards her desk. She sat down and began to prepare the materials for our upcoming lesson without worrying about the sinister glares that were thrown her way from some students after she hadn't greeted Kushida.

"Ah, yes. My throat feels kind of sore. I guess I caught something."

A few fake coughs rang through the classroom to establish that my sickness was progressing.

Kushida inspected me with an apologetic and worried expression, while Ike was furious that I held a conversation with her. The heartbroken boy clenched his fists in anger, and it looked like he wanted to have a word with me as he made his way over to my desk with an irritated frown.

"You should go see the doctor if it gets worse, alright?"

It warmed my heart how Kushida cared about me and her surroundings. I didn't stand out much, yet here I stood, garnering her attention as if I was someone popular. Almost two weeks had passed since our first day here, and she seemed to be friends with most people in school. Leaving people like Horikita and Kouenji aside, it was an impressive feat that she had managed to make friends with even the upperclassmen.

Someone bland and boring like me had no chance to copy her success, no matter how hard I tried.

"Yes, I will. Thank you, Kushida."

She nodded and spun around before she walked back to her friends. Like the sweet girl she was, she glimpsed at me with worry a few times as I strode over to my table, where Ike already waited for my arrival.

"Kushida-chan is mine, you hear me?"

His voice was rather loud, so I wouldn't be surprised if the whole classroom, including Kushida, had heard him. The girl in question ignored his nonsense and spent her time chatting with her friends as if she hadn't heard a thing. Some other girls glared at the boy before me in apparent disgust, while gifting me with their pity.

It looked like my standing in the class had increased substantially, but I didn't know why. Was it because I was friends with Karuizawa, Hirata and Kushida? Or was there something I hadn't noticed?

"I hear you. Can you move, please?"

"If you understand, then that's good."

Ike regarded me with a satisfied grin before walking off towards the Professor and his other friends, Hondou and Okitani. Sudou wasn't with them, or anywhere else in the room, which meant that he was cutting it close again.

I prepared my materials and started to observe the class with a bored expression. The clock kept ticking, and I coughed in random intervals to keep up my cover.

Hirata turned around with a smile, offering me a cough drop from his bag.

"Thank you, Hirata."

"I hope you'll get better soon. Tell me if you need anything."

His expression was dazzling, almost blinding even, as if the sun itself shone into my face. People could say whatever they wanted about him, but Hirata always had your back if you needed him. As long as no one got inconvenienced during the process, that was.

Did he have cough drops with him in case someone caught a cold?

This behavior would fit someone like him, who always looked out for his surroundings. Our saint seemed a lot better than the past few days, which was only possible thanks to Kushida's intervention and additional efforts to keep my bishop afloat.

Our personal angel was exceedingly helpful with things that I could never accomplish thanks to her bubbly, feel-good attitude. In the situation we had found ourselves in, she was the only girl I could have used for the job, and I was happy with the outcome she achieved.

This alone affirmed my assumption that Kushida Kikyou was an essential piece for me to acquire during this game.

My thoughts were cut short as Sudou dashed through the door, almost ripping out the frame in the process.

Chabashira-sensei entered the room two stride lengths after him, which meant that he had barely made it in time. Our homeroom teacher didn't care about his current state in the slightest and began the lesson as per usual while Sudou panted like a dying dog as he pulled out his materials.

I was honestly surprised that he had them with him.

While I kept pretending to listen to our instructor, I began to observe the other students. Especially the ones that decided that they would gradually let their behavior slide again.

Karuizawa, for example, tapped around on her phone when Chabashira-sensei faced towards the blackboard and hid it under her arm when she turned back towards us. Since she was a popular figure in class, multiple girls followed her example and did the same, unaware about the cameras which were observing their every action.

Sudou rested on his arms after calming down, momentarily nodding off from time to time and Ike used the boy in front of him as cover to play games on his phone with a strained expression. There were few students that behaved like they should, mainly Horikita, Kushida, Sakura, Matsushita and a few boys, including Yukimura and Hirata. Even someone like Mii-chan, who was usually serious during the lessons, peeked at her phone from time to time.

Horikita was behaving this way because a good student was supposed to act in a certain manner during school hours. She was the sort of student who followed the rules strictly and would consume every piece of information the teachers fed her.

This was the attitude that every student at this school should strive for, and likely most students in Class B and upwards possessed. Since the students in Class C were known for their delinquent behavior, I doubted that they were all acting according to social norms.

My classmates were unperturbed about their wrong conduct after realizing that Sudou wasn't reprimanded for his actions and remembering that they weren't called out either. The misconception about Yamauchi's expulsion vanished and so did their inhibition threshold.

Even Kushida's interest in Chabashira-sensei's words didn't stem from her own wish to learn. She was doing this to prepare herself for the classmates who might need her help later because they hadn't understood the topics, or didn't bother to listen to the teacher's explanations at all.

At least it felt like something Kushida would do to push her popularity further.

Sakura was always serious and concentrated during the lessons. Even if she had trouble understanding things, she tried her best to compensate for this by taking extensive notes. She didn't stand out and had trouble talking to people, so I would be surprised if even half of the girls knew that she was in this class. Meanwhile, the boys had only noticed Sakura because of her breasts.

This was a pretty sad place to be in, and I felt somewhat bad for her.

Last but not least was Matsushita. The girl who I believed had a rough idea about the true system behind this school. Just from observing the students close to her, it was undeniable that she hadn't shared her worries with anyone, nor did she intend to do so.

Why didn't she voice her concerns, though?

Even if she was wrong, the connections she must have made were conclusive, otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted the way she did. This, combined with other weird regulations of this school, should have at least cast a shadow of doubt over the students. Even if some of them would scream nonsense, a few would be more careful, especially if Matsushita mentioned the cameras in the rooms, which she had also discovered a few days ago.

There weren't many reasons that someone would act this way in her situation. The likeliest scenario was that she had the same attitude as me and didn't want to stand out. She could also have given up on reaching Class A after evaluating her classmates, as well as her own ability, and concluding that most of them were useless and that she wouldn't make a dent even if she tried.

Matsushita might be smart, but she didn't seem to have the heart to use what was given to her, regardless of the consequences. If she had played her hands right, she could have used Yamauchi's expulsion as an example that another class must've attacked us. This would have given her a chance to explain what bothered her about this school's system.

Kushida's social network would have come in handy at that moment, since there was a high chance that she knew that Class C was filled with delinquents, just like Ichinose. The two of them were so popular that they knew most of the gossip going around, so they wouldn't have any trouble gathering information. Ichinose's biggest flaw was that she was too naïve, which didn't apply to Kushida.

As far as I was aware, Class B and C had clear leaders. Class A was most likely in a similar situation, in the sense that they had designated one representative to lead their class and keep them on top. If things kept going the way they were now, Hirata was the most reasonable candidate to take the reins for Class D.

But that wouldn't work.

He was too soft for his own good and needed to replaced by a proper figurehead.

If push came to shove, he wouldn't be able to make the hard decisions. The same went for Kushida, who wanted to be friends with everyone. She could never take such a place in our class. Even if I could make her act the way I wanted and use her to lead the class, I'd be wasting her potential as an information gathering tool.

With all of this in mind, there were only two people I could use to fill the role of class leader.

The melodious bell signaled the end of class, as yet another day of school ended.

Satou slid towards my desk and asked me to join their group for a meal. Since I had made plans with Horikita, I declined. The girls were surprised, as this was the second day in a row that I accompanied Horikita, but Hirata seemed to have (mis)understood my intentions and gave me a thumbs up.

He must've thought that I was helping Horikita just like he had helped me before, and supported the decision wholeheartedly. Karuizawa seemed annoyed that I wasted my time with her, while Matsushita and Satou wished me a good time. The group of four was joined by Mii-chan before they left the classroom.

The ice queen had already stashed all her materials and waited at her desk. The wind from the open window blew through her raven-colored hair as she typed away on her phone. This scene emphasized her cold beauty exterior, and I couldn't help myself but stare at her for a moment.

Did she have anyone to text, or was she just writing up her shopping list?

"You ready?"

"Yes, however, you've already wasted around three minutes of the time I previously allocated for you."

I tilted my head after hearing about this unexpected restriction.

"Really? How much time did you allocate for me?"

"Exactly three minutes. Goodbye Ayanokouji-kun."

The arctic beauty stood up and left the room without turning back, leaving me behind in a rather dumbfounded state.

Well, I suppose that's that.

I wondered if Matsushita and the others had already started, or if I should even join them. I didn't know how to explain my current situation, after all. It would be rather embarrassing if I ran after them because my plans with Horikita fell through.

Guess I'll just go buy whatever the internet told me and be done with it...

I grabbed my bag and heaved a heavy sigh. After closing the window, I glanced through the empty classroom to make sure everything was in order before walking out.

To my surprise, Horikita waited for me in front of a nearby window.

"Wow, it took you almost an entire minute to walk out after me. Were you that shocked?"

"No, I still had to close the window and had another coughing fit."

"Really? I could've sworn that I heard nothing. Not the slightest peep."

Horikita eyed me with suspicion before I changed the topic away from my feigned sickness.

"So, are we going now?"

"Yes, let's. You'll pay since you invited me again."

Of course I was paying...

"Sure."

We talked about trivial topics as we strolled towards the cafeteria. Most of the time, we were bantering and teasing each other with snide remarks. When I changed the topic to our previous history lesson, I was surprised when she answered me without biting back.

"I'll take the cheap set. What about you?"

Horikita gave me a quick glance before she decided to take one of the cheap sets as well.

Most people would unconsciously take something at a similar price range, while others would do the same because it would be bad manners to take the most expensive item. I saw Horikita in the second category, since she wouldn't fall for a cheap trick like the first one. Her good manners were the only reason that would discourage her from ordering the expensive meal option.

Her behavior clarified that she didn't think that this was a setup but thought that I was running low on points. This consideration also underlined the growth of our relationship, as she saw me in a more favorable light than anyone else in our class.

If she were with Sudou, she wouldn't have hesitated before ordering the most expensive option to cripple him financially.

Horikita herself didn't know that she ran into my trap as soon as she agreed to meet up with me yesterday, and that was her first mistake. She didn't lie when she claimed that she didn't want or need any friends. Those were her true thoughts, the ones I needed to break through in order to use her in the future.

I only told Kushida that I would work with her to befriend Horikita because it was beneficial to me since I could get in her good graces while working on Horikita's mental state, which showed slight cracks after yesterday's events.

'He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.'

If one knew how the mind worked, it was easy to manipulate people into doing what you needed them to.

Horikita had performed an act of kindness towards me by accompanying me, which she explained to herself by subliminally constructing the most plausible story; she liked me, or at least enjoyed my company.

Because why else would a person do another one a favor?

After we were interrupted by Kushida, she left the cafe and had some time to think about me. About us, to be more specific. She was confused and somewhat hurt, since she thought that I had betrayed her for Kushida, hence her strange statement.

Horikita needed some time to think about potential implications, which is why I ran after her with a short delay. When I confronted her with my feelings, she understood them, since they were similar to hers.

Because they just evolved into her feelings.

During our past interactions, I had repeatedly anchored a certain word in the back of her mind, which would have occupied her for the rest of each day, even if she wasn't aware of it. Additionally, I changed my behavior whenever we met.

Sometimes I was nice and pulled her towards me, while I pushed her away at other times.

This achieved a rather interesting psychological effect, which I had used to my advantage during yesterday's conversation. She kept thinking about my behavior, and about me, during our time here, which her brain had also noticed.

The human mind would act upon these recurring memories in the illusion that the host liked the person in question due to the frequency and nature of these thoughts. It would then begin to release the correlating chemical substances in the brain to support the theory, which it had figured out for itself, thus distorting the hosts perception to a certain degree.

As long as the target didn't abhor you, it was easy for the brain to follow through with these connections, which would lead to a more favorable opinion and other positive effects. Now that I had Horikita dancing in my palm, I could keep working on her with a steadfast support and reveal my true problem to her. The one I had faced since yesterday.

After we both sat down at an empty table and began to eat, Horikita broke the silence.

"So, Ayanokouji-kun, what is it that you want to talk about?"

I coughed a few times for good measure before swallowing my food.

"Well, I have this friend..."

Horikita started clapping.

"Congratulations, Ayanokouji-kun. I am truly proud of you."

"Uh... thanks, I guess? Anyway... this friend is a girl, and it's her birthday, so I was wondering if you had any idea about an appropriate present."

"If that's the case, why didn't you ask one of your other friends, like Matsushita-san or that Karuizawa girl?"

"Well, I figured you were the safest option."

She shot me a quizzical look before nodding in understanding.

"I see. Since I have no friends to speak of, you wouldn't risk that I might tell people about this, which is different for the other girls in your friend group."

"Correct. If it's Matsushita and the others, they would never leave me alone or ask if I am seeing someone or whatever, which would be troublesome. I figured that you are the superior alternative because I can trust you with this."

She nodded with a light smile and finished the rest of her meal before dedicating her full attention to the problem at hand.

"That being said. What did you come up with until now? You ought to have thought of something, right?"

"Ah, yes. I was thinking about a necklace? Something cute, like a heart-shaped one, maybe?"

I didn't think of this myself, of course, but the internet recommended such a present for highschool girls. Since I found myself in some unpleasant situations before, I decided that I should ask a girl for her opinion on the present. Horikita was the safest option while still being discreet, thanks to her nonexistent friends. Asking the other girls was a no-go, because they would never stop teasing me if the idea was a weird one.

My acquaintance stared at me with widened eyes. She leaned forward and supported her forehead with her hand before her fingers slid down, pinching her nose as she shut her eyes. This series of actions was followed up with a heavy sigh while she shook her head as if she was deeply disappointed by my suggestion.

Wow... I did something incredibly stupid again, didn't I?

"Ayanokouji-kun, let's get something straight. This friend of yours, she is not your girlfriend, yes?"

"No, she's just a normal friend."

"Then forget gifting her a heart-shaped necklace, or rather, forget everything that has to do with hearts."

"Yes?"

"If you gift her something like a heart-shaped necklace, you might make the wrong impression on her. Do you understand?"

What kind of wrong impression would a heart-shaped necklace on a birthday make if the internet recommended it multiple times? Wasn't it just a cute necklace? Since girls liked cute things, I hadn't seen a problem.

After listening to Horikita's serious tone, however, a horrifying idea popped into my mind.

I dodged a bullet there. This disaster of a present would have been a feast for Fuka.

"Now that you mention it. I guess such a present could be taken the wrong way."

"I don't think a necklace is a particularly bad idea as far as presents go, just not a heart-shaped one."

Her bell-like voice had me come up with an idea for a present. I didn't know if it was any good, but I hoped that Fuka would like it, or at least not complain outright. I had feelings too, after all.

"You are the best, Horikita. Thanks to you, I have an idea what I can buy her."

"Already? Hm, very well. I'm glad that I could be of help, Ayanokouji-kun."

I almost felt bad for screwing her over with the meal now that she had helped me so much.

"Does this mean we are done here?"

"Oh, yeah. You can go back to the dorms if you prefer. I still need to kill a bit of time until evening. I don't really want to be seen by one of our classmates."

"It should be fine if you hurry. Most of the students should be in the cafeteria or cafes directly after school, which would give you ample time to go shopping in the other stores."

"You are probably right. I might as well walk by and see if I can make my purchase without being seen. That would save me some time."

"Very well then. Since we are done here, I'll be taking my leave. See you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun."

"Yeah, thanks again. See you tomorrow, Horikita."

After we said our farewells, Horikita stood and disposed of her empty meal tablet before strolling out of the cafeteria on her own. I swept the area and confirmed that most of our classmates that came to the cafeteria were still eating, which gave me some leeway.

With that in mind, I quickly headed towards my destination.

The small doorbell rang for a second time as I stepped out of the shop.

I sat down on a nearby bench and contemplated on how I should spend the rest of my time until evening. Since the clerk said that the necklace would be finished by around 7PM, I decided to come back at around 7:30PM to make sure that everything was done in case he got held up by other orders or ran into problems along the way.

I browsed through my phone, wondering if I should ask someone to meet up.

Even though I had made some friends, I only reached out to them if I wanted to achieve something, be it gathering information or manipulating them into questioning the surrounding events. Not once did I invite any of them without an ulterior motive.

One could say that I still didn't know what friends would do together, or if I could see those people as friends in the future.

"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun. What are you moping around here for?"

A familiar voice reached my ear canal from the side. She was pleasant to listen to, as always, but I couldn't forget the small war we were waging.

"Hey Ichinose. I'm not moping... just zoned out again, that's all."

"You seem to do that a lot."

A cute giggle rang through the tranquil area as the beauty sat down beside me.

"What brings you here, Ichinose? It's strange seeing you alone."

"Me? I was on my way to the karaoke parlor. My classmates really love that place. We've been at least five times already."

The aura she gave off was sweet and charming, as usual. I couldn't find a single negative emotion in this girl, which is why I felt the urge to stay close to her.

Maybe then I could understand how a good person behaved and carried himself.

I was curious — no, intrigued even.

Would she still be so full of life and energy if she knew the darkness that lurked in everyday life? Would she still perceive this world through her eyes of goodwill?

"Well, since you are alone and don't seem occupied with anything, wanna come?"

She flashed a bright smile, one that put even the sun to shame.

"Huh? Me? I think I would feel somewhat out of place."

"Oh, come on, it's gonna be fun. I won't accept no for an answer."

Without warning, she grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

There was no need to mention that I could've dodged or slapped her arm away. But that would have been rather rude. She didn't have any ill intentions after all. Ichinose merely wanted people to be happy together and get along with each other. She was truly one of the most altruistic people I had seen.

Her warm palm lingered on mine and I was pulled out of my surprise about how soft her skin was when she suddenly began to walk. With not much of a choice, I followed her, having been defeated thoroughly.

"Could you let go of my hand?"

She spun around with a suspicious yet sympathetic gaze.

"Will you run off if I do?"

Yes, that was the plan.

"No."

"Fine, then."

Just like that, she took my word for granted and let go. It didn't take another second until she began to move again. I, however, stopped for a moment and weighed my options.

There was nothing she could do if I left, but I felt a sudden sharp pain travel through my body as I thought about taking off after telling her that I wouldn't run away. Additionally, I would meet her classmates again and could observe them in their natural habitat. There was a 100% guarantee that I would walk out of the karaoke room with more information than I had before.

Which brought me back to my previous thoughts.

I never did something without an ulterior motive behind ever since I had entered this school. There was always an angle, a move to play, an advantage to gain. The girl in front of me was the total opposite.

She got nothing by inviting me or dragging me along. Nothing would have changed for her if she had left me there... if she hadn't called out to me. Her actions were performed out of the kindness of her heart and genuine concern for other people's well-being.

Maybe... just this once. Could I allow myself to shut my brain off and just have fun?

Was I even capable of doing that?

I took a step forward and followed it up with another... and another.

In a few seconds, I had caught up to the girl known as Ichinose Honami, one of the most outgoing personalities I had the pleasure of meeting. I got nervous, as I thought about walking into a gathering hosted by a foreign class, but I felt that there wouldn't be any problems if I let Ichinose handle everything.

We both continued onwards, towards the place her class was scheduled to meet. She, humming a happy tune and greeting people left and right and me, following her.

The two of us ran into multiple students I didn't know. Some were from Class A, others from Class C or even the second- and third-year. Due to these facts, I had already failed in what I set out to do before we even reached our destination as I began to analyze everything I saw and heard.

As this was my first time seeing Class A students, I was rather curious about them.

They weren't overly athletic and didn't seem inordinately smart, but I couldn't come to a definitive conclusion with just a simple greeting and shallow small talk. I was just basing these assumptions on their general posture and behavior, which led me to the conclusion that they were not that different from someone like Horikita, with the exception that they were much more outgoing than her.

Ichinose and I kept chatting about useless things until we met up with her classmates in karaoke room number four.

None of them were surprised, as if they expected someone to tag along, which confirmed that Ichinose must have informed them when she checked her phone. Almost everyone recognized me, which was proven by the way their eyes lit up for a brief but noticeable moment.

Amikura waved with a pleasant smile, while Kanzaki gave me a silent nod. His glare wasn't as harsh as it was back then, but he still didn't like me very much, according to his body language.

After we entered the room, the entirety of Class B introduced themselves to me.

It was overwhelming for someone like me, who didn't like to stand out and had little experience with such large groups.

Against the wishes I had just moments ago, my mind started working on the surrounding people.

Everything I saw, smelled or heard, I absorbed it like a sponge in water.

The distance between certain people, the way their feet pointed when they talked to someone, their expressions, where their pupils flickered during a conversation, what they did with their hands, and how they conveyed themselves.

Even though I tried to have a normal day out with these people, my brain failed to adapt.

The group decided to make some sort of singing contest with singles, duets and even quartets. Everyone had their fun, especially the girls, who started dancing and goofing around while others were singing. The boys were more restraint, but they all enjoyed the time we spent together.

Ichinose shined in a peculiar aura of positivity, which couldn't be explained with words alone. Her voice, laughs and bearing — the positive atmosphere she emitted was nothing short of contagious and put a light smile on my face.

Even someone like me saw the semblance of fun in this class.

They were a decent, entirely happy bunch of teenagers, which was, in case of this school, the worst they could have been. If they didn't change in the future, they would be stomped into the ground and squashed like insects by the other classes.

I didn't care what happened to them, but it was impossible to stay like this if they wanted to reach Class A.

Their cohesion was top-notch, and none of the other classes could beat them in that regard, which was without a doubt due to Ichinose's influence. But they were also too naïve because of her. Ichinose wasn't a suitable pick for the class leader position in this kind of school.

Kanzaki was the superior choice in this special environment. Even though I knew little about him, he didn't trust me very much, which was a good instinct to have. He had an inherent distrust of people, which would only benefit their class.

I was glad that I wasn't the only guy who didn't want to sing, and occupied myself by chatting with Ichinose, Kanzaki, Amikura, Shibata, Shiranami, Himeno, Kobashi and a ton of other people. Just like she had said, her class was incredibly welcoming.

The problem, however, was that this exact attitude turned into a dangerous situation.

"Say, Ayanokouji-kun. Why are you wearing a scarf in the middle of April? And in here as well. Aren't you feeling hot?"

Amikura had a sly grin plastered on her face as most of the attention turned towards me.

That little...

Trapped in the lion's den, with no way out, I was confronted about the most suspicious object on my body. Since I was too occupied with my ongoing analysis, I had forgotten to cough for good measure.

"My throat felt kind of sore this morning, so I kept it warm since I didn't want to catch a cold."

I grabbed the hem of my scarf and pulled it towards my chin, smoothing over it.

"Mhm." Amikura nodded in understanding and wore a big, bright smile, just moments before this backstabbing monster renewed her assault. "Because of the cold wind, right? Mh, but there is no wind in here is there? So it should be fine if you take it off. We don't want you getting uncomfortable with your neck. Right, everyone?"

The whole class unanimously agreed that it would be beneficial for my health to take off the scarf. While half of the girls resembled Ichinose, radiating pure kindness, worry and unawareness, the other half mirrored Amikura, emanating nothing but mischief and suspicion.

"Well, I really like this scarf, and it's so warm right now. It could be bad if it suddenly gets colder, right?"

One faction nodded in understanding as they worried about my condition, while the other side couldn't care less, as they were only interested in the reason I was hiding my neck.

I turned towards the guys, mainly Kanzaki and Shibata, since they were the most important of the bunch, and pleaded for help with my eyes. Aside from placing my faith in their capable hands, there was nothing I could do against the barrage of attacks that were coming from the girls' side.

Different from Class D, they weren't dense to such a degree that they wouldn't have noticed that this scarf probably hid something interesting from view. Amikura realized this and used her chance to get a glimpse of this secret while Ichinose believed me due to her naivety.

Shibata understood my call for help and lent me a helping hand.

"I think it's fine if he wants to keep it on, right? I mean, if it gets uncomfortable, he would be the first to take it off."

Could it be that all the guys from the soccer club were sent by the heavens to protect me?

"I also believe that we should let him decide. He knows best, after all."

Amikura narrowed her eyes upon hearing Ichinose support Shibata's suggestion. She pulled her to the side before whispering something into her ear. My bad feeling about this whole ordeal was immediately confirmed by Ichinose's flushed face and the cute squeal that escaped her charming lips.

"Ehh? Umm... Ayanokouji-kun, maybe you should really take off that scarf. You know, because um, it's no good keeping it too warm... right everyone?"

Ichinose's betrayal stung deep.

She didn't even sound sure about what she was saying anymore.

Now that Amikura had infected her with these impure thoughts, even Ichinose wanted to see the skin below my scarf due to the gossip it might spark. With the class leader herself turning against me, the other girls who were on her side switched over without a second delay.

Once again, my eyes met with Shibata and Kanzaki.

'Please! Help!' they screamed, and I knew that they had understood my despair.

"Oh, the drinks are empty. Ayanokouji-kun, come help us get some."

This time, Kanzaki lent me a hand.

I couldn't believe that he, of all people, supported me. I thought Shibata would get him to help, but not that he would cooperate on his own volition.

"Sure, I'm coming."

The three of us rushed outside, and I heaved a sigh of relief after we closed the door behind us. I could still hear the girls complaining, but the three of us distanced ourselves from the door as fast as possible.

"Thank you. This would have been a disaster..."

"You owe us. Big time. They will kill us after we come back without you."

Shibata nodded with a pale face.

I had to agree with them. They saved me back there, and I had to repay them someday.

"Just say the word. It would have been troublesome without your help."

"So you really have a hickey under that scarf, huh?"

I chose to divulge some information as they were on my side.

"Uh, that. It's more like a bite?"

"Way to go, man. Not even half a month here and you already got yourself a girl."

Shibata's far too strong voice echoed through the corridor as we walked towards the machine to refill our drinks.

"It's not like that. It was more of an accident, which is why I really want nothing weird to spread."

"Did some girl stumble into you like in those rom-com manga?"

Shibata gave a light chuckle after Kanzaki shared his ridiculous theory.

"Something along those lines."

""Huh?""

Both of them let out a dumbfounded gasp.

Thanks to them, the worst-case scenario was prevented. My quiet life would have been over if Amikura and the other girls had seen that bite. I shuddered at the mere thought.

"Well, the two of us will go back. You better stay clear of Amikura until that... situation... is handled."

"Will do. Once again, thank you guys. You really saved my life back there."

"No worries. What are buddies for?"

Shibata pat my back with a comforting smile. Even Kanzaki seemed less hostile towards me, now that I had trusted him with my secret.

"We would give you our contact information, but our phones are still inside. Ichinose already has yours right? We'll ask her about it later."

"Oh, sure. See you guys later."

""Later.""

"And be careful out there." Shibata said with a grin before the two of them went back to the karaoke room.

I pulled out my phone and wrote up a quick apology before returning to the jewellery shop where I bought Fuka's necklace.

[07:17:59 PM] Sorry to just leave like that without saying goodbye, but something came up. Thanks for today. I had fun. ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

Upon reaching my destination, I sat down on the bench where Ichinose had found me. There were a few students inside, so I decided to wait since I didn't want them to see me. My phone vibrated with perfect timing, as I had some time to kill.

[07:27:12 PM][Ichinose] No, we should be sorry for teasing you like that. I gave Mako-chan a good beating for you. ヾ( ￣O￣)ツ

[07:27:23 PM][Ichinose] But I'm glad you had fun. Since you didn't smile, I was worried that I had forced you there. I felt kind of bad, but didn't know what to do. I'm truly sorry. (*/_＼)

[07:28:42 PM] There is no need to be sorry. I'm just bad at expressing myself. That doesn't mean that I didn't have fun.

[07:29:04 PM][Ichinose] If that's the case, I'm glad. You can hang out with us anytime, Ayanokouji-kun.

[07:29:31 PM] I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for having me.

After the last students left the shop, I kept waiting for around five more minutes to make sure that no one was in the vicinity and headed inside. I completed my purchase and pocketed the necklace before strolling towards my room.

Today was exhausting, since I wasn't used to hanging out with people. It was the first time that I went somewhere that was supposed to be fun with another class. I enjoyed my time with them, but I still couldn't grasp the concept that was 'fun'.

Maybe I just needed some more time to feel such complex emotional states.

I boarded the elevator after arriving at the dorm and made my way over to my room. I unlocked the door and shuffled inside before closing it again behind me.

"You are late, Kiyotaka."

I hadn't even dropped my bag, or let out a relieved sigh, when a sweet voice stopped me in my tracks. The source of said statement lay on top of my bed, had two long legs which were crossed over each other and smiled at me with the most alluring grin.

"How did you get in here?"

"With a spare key." The girl said, probing my reaction.

"How did you get a spare key if I don't even have one?"

"I wonder."

The vixen, Kiryuin Fuka, beamed as she pocketed her phone. She must've played with it to escape her boredom while waiting for me.

"You were careful, I presume?"

"Of course. I made sure no one else saw me. I don't want Kiyotaka-kun to get mad at me after all."

She revealed these puppy eyes, which were already dangerous on Kushida, but this was on another level altogether.

"Fine, then."

I took off the scarf, which gave my neck some well-deserved ventilation after it was trapped underneath the fabric for the entire day.

"Wow, that looks uncomfortable."

"And whose fault is that?"

She reached into her pocket and threw something in my direction.

"Just rub a bit of that onto the mark. It will look like normal skin. Provided that you don't get intimate with someone, because it's noticeable up close."

"That should not be a problem, thanks. I got you a present as well."

Mirroring her actions, I pulled an object out of my pocket and threw it towards her. In my case, it was a small box, which was wrapped with red and blue striped gift paper. I didn't know what to get, so I went with the cheapest packaging option since the necklace had already cost a small fortune.

It wasn't like the gift wrap was important or anything.

"Isn't that the cheapest gift wrap?" She smirked with a teasing grin.

While I cried internally, Fuka opened up the wrapping with the utmost care.

I wondered why she didn't just rip it open, since that would have been faster, but I chose not to ask since she would probably mock me for it. It wouldn't be weird if this was common knowledge or something along those lines.

Inside the wrapping paper was a dark blue box. On said box was a two-lined engraving.

The first line read 鬼龍院 (Kiryuin), while the second read 楓花 (Fuka), spelling out her name.

The inscription was the cheaper one of the two, but I could already see the happiness in her eyes, so I figured that this much was good enough. She opened the box, revealing a necklace with a pendant that resembled a maple leaf, which was a pun on her name, Fuka, which comprised the Kanji for 楓 (Maple) and 花 (Flower).

Research on the internet told me that the best gifts come from the heart. Since I couldn't do anything with that information, I had specified my search and found that a necklace would be a suitable gift for any highschool girl. Since Horikita told me a heart was a no-go, it had hit me, just like on the first day of school.

Her name, 鈴音 (Suzune), contained the Kanji for 鈴 (Bell) and 音 (Sound). I was reminded of that fact since I thought that her name was fitting due to her beautiful, bell-like voice. Fuka's name was similar, containing Kanji's for something I could make a pun with, which is why I gifted her a necklace that would fit her, and only her.

I wasn't sure if this was a so-called 'gift from the heart', but I felt that I made a satisfactory decision after examining her face, which beamed in delight.

The maple leaf itself was silver, and each line was intricately designed. On the back of the pendant was another small engraving for her first name, Fuka. Since there wasn't much space on such a small necklace, the engraving was equally narrow, but if one looked closely, they'd be able to read it without a problem.

The receiver of my first ever present stared at the necklace for a while. Her eyes were trembling ever so slightly and I didn't know whether this was good or bad. She removed the jewelry from the box and slid her finger over the pendant, feeling the sophisticated design with her own hands.

Upon turning it around and reading the previously mentioned inscription, her eyes gleamed once again. She had tried hard to keep up her poker face, but ultimately failed and let out the most enchanting smile.

"Thank you."

Her tone was quiet and uneven, different from her usual proud demeanor. She kept staring at the necklace with a dreamy gaze for some time before recovering her voice.

"Put it on me?"

Once again, I was surprised.

I expected a teasing command, but received a shy-sounding question instead. Since she was behaving out of character, I must have done something right, at least. My present caught her so off guard that she wasn't able to get back into her usual cocky and overbearing persona.

I inched closer and sat down on the bed before grasping the necklace from her smooth and warm fingers. As I was about to ask her to turn around for me, she showed me her neck and grabbed her hair before slipping it out of my way. Afterwards, she closed her eyes, as if to say 'do it from the front'.

With not much of a choice, I complied in silence and tried putting on the necklace without seeing the two ends, which was quite difficult. Due to my bad position, I had to approach her in order to see what I was doing behind her neck.

The closer I got, the more intense her intoxicating scent became. It was overwhelming, since I had never inhaled something this sweet and fragrant in my entire life.

Her warm breath tickled the skin on my neck as we were pulling closer to each other. Her eyelashes fluttered, as if she was trying her best to keep her eyes shut. Fuka's two soft mounds touched my chest, which is why I decided that it would be dangerous to let this moment play out any longer.

I finished up with the necklace in a few swift motions and pulled back. As I was about to escape her intimate zone, she embraced me, which prevented me from escaping her captivating grasp.

"I love it, your present..."

My whole body tingled upon hearing her soft voice and feeling the warm breath caress my ear. She moved ever so slightly up and down the side, while caressing the hair on the back of my head.

I deemed that this situation was getting more and more dangerous and searched for a way to escape.

"You are too warm."

"I know. Don't you like it? My lips and breath nuzzling your skin. My hands petting your hair..."

"It feels alright, I guess."

I steered the conversation towards my emotional state, in the slight hope that her interest in me would prevail over whatever she was doing now. I couldn't let this progress for much longer.

"That poker face of yours. Why do you hide behind it? You are handsome, there's no doubt. If you behaved like back then on the roof, you would be incredibly popular with the ladies. You know that, right?"

"I'm not particularly interested in standing out."

Aside from that, I doubted that I would be popular with normal people and only attract the crazy ones like her.

Her lips, which had hovered beside my ear just moments ago, moved closer towards my own. I could almost feel them pressing into mine, even though she kept a small but noticeable gap of a few millimeters between us.

Our foreheads touched as she leaned against me.

"Why is that? What else are you hiding under that emotionless facade of yours?"

That was the question I was waiting for. I could have ended her advances sooner, but the risk would be worth the reward.

She drew me in using everything in her arsenal, just like yesterday. I complied, making her think that I was not entirely opposed to her seduction, which would prompt her to dig deeper into the things she was so intrigued about.

Yes, everything went according to plan.

A woman like Fuka needed clear boundaries, otherwise she was too erratic and could become a loose cannon, which wasn't something I needed. The other alternative was to take her out, which could prove troublesome without resources, since she was in another grade level. Aside from that, I believed that Fuka would be useful to me in the future, which was why I wanted to avoid expelling her if possible.

I immediately disengaged, stopping any further advances, while my eyes turned cold.

As if she was reliving the scene from yesterday, goosebumps appeared all over her body. Kiryuin's instincts overtook as her hands let go of my back. She tried to leave my zone of influence with fluid steps backwards after realizing that she had asked something that she wasn't supposed to.

But it was already too late for her.

My right hand flashed forward, grasping her neck and pulling her towards me. The necklace I had gifted her just moments ago cut into her flesh as I put more pressure into my grip while I stared into her eyes. My bone-chilling gaze entwined with hers. Fuka's crimson orbs tremored as they were forced to stare deep into my never-ending abyss. The darkness inside threatened to devour her whole as I opened my mouth.

"Don't pry into my life."

My words and tone were as arctic as my glare, thus creating a clear boundary. This was a border that no one was allowed to cross, under any circumstances. I had to make this more than crystal clear if our relationship was supposed to continue beyond this point.

She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off without hesitation. None of the 'feelings' I had previously shown her were left. Only darkness remained.

"Out."

I loosened my grip on her as my voice resounded through the otherwise silent room.

Kiryuin was smart enough to realize that she had stuck her nose into something she was not supposed to, which was why she left my room without another word. She even gave up on the spare key she had prepared for my room, with no indication from me that she needed to do so.

This second-year vixen wasn't as weak of a person as being taken aback by something like this. She was simply showing me that she had accepted the boundary I set, because she knew that if she were to push any further, that everything she had built until now would crumble and plummet into her face.

Fuka was too interested in me to let something like this happen, thus her reaction.

Her sweet scent lingered in my room for a moment until it slowly faded away through molecular diffusion, according to Avogadro's law and the Brownian movement.

After this incident, around two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.

Fuka had returned the next day and apologized while assuring me that she wouldn't ask any further questions which would trespass the boundary I had set. She would still try to find out more about me, but she had to do this on her own, without bothering me, which was my plan from the very beginning.

Since this whole charade worked out as I had expected, I gave her the key back, which she had left with me, in case she wanted to come over and I wasn't in my room. Afterwards we texted most of the time, rarely meeting up, since it was too dangerous to be seen with her.

If we met up, it was in the evenings and in my room, which was the most reasonable spot because she had a key. It also became a habit to prepare dinner for her if she planned to come over, since it wouldn't be that much additional work for me.

The second time she visited my place, she had asked about the chess boards I had lined up near the entrance. I explained their meaning, to which she pouted and complained that Nagumo wasn't good enough to be a king. Even though she protested against the choice of his piece, she was delighted after figuring out that she was the queen.

Fuka began interrogating me about the first-year board, but I didn't tell her anything since this wasn't something she needed to know. The second-year queen managed to guess a few herself, but I never confirmed nor denied any of her assumptions.

Aside from her, I had met up with Ichinose and her class from time to time. Amikura apologized for her rude behavior the day after our first meeting, since she thought that she had jumped to the wrong conclusions after I used the concealer that Fuka had given me.

Kanzaki and Shibata kept my secret as promised, and the three of us became quite close during the following days.

My special acquaintanceship with Horikita was the same as always.

It wasn't smart to push her into a direction she didn't want to go, which is why I decided to work on her in a slow but steady pace. Our companionship would evolve on its own from this point onward, and I could still intervene if something seemed to go wrong.

Most of my time during these one and a half weeks were spent with Matsushita, Karuizawa, Satou, Hirata and the others, while I kept some leeway to check in on Sudou from time to time.

After two weeks at this school, Hirata and Karuizawa started going out with each other.

From what I could tell, nothing had changed in their relationship, which confused me somewhat. I kept this to myself, however, as I had no first-hand experience and figured that this might have been normal behavior for new couples.

Sudou and Ike came to be known as the two idiots. If Yamauchi were still here, he would probably be a part of 'the idiot trio', or something like that.

After Kushida's failed attempt at making friends with Horikita, the two of us interacted rarely except for the usual small talk. Since neither of us had anything to gain by chatting with the other, we kept our talks brief and superficial without revealing our intentions.

These events continued until today as the periods went by. Before I knew it, it was time for Chabashira-sensei's history lesson.

The classroom was as noisy as it had been in the beginning of April. Every single ounce of careful behavior that followed our classmate's expulsion was thrown out the window and forgotten.

I had told Fuka about this, and she couldn't help but laugh about the idiocy of my classmates.

No one in this class knew about the school's true system aside from Matsushita, Kouenji and me. Out of the three of us, I believed that Matsushita knew the least amount because of my help, while Kouenji had noticed a bit more, but not as much as I did.

Horikita would have been a great addition to this lineup if she weren't as arrogant and overconfident in her own intelligence. She was not stupid, but not as smart as she thought she was, or else she wouldn't have been in the dark for a whole month.

"Quiet down a little, please. Today's lesson will be a little serious."

Chabashira-sensei's stern but charming voice brought me back to the world of the living, where I was sitting at my desk with a bored complexion.

"What's wrong, Sae-chan-sensei?"

Ahh... this happened as well, didn't it?

Ike and a few of the other boys had dubbed her Sae-chan-sensei, apparently. She didn't seem to mind her new pet name, but I wouldn't be brave enough to call her that, not even if she explicitly told me to.

Brain, stop. Don't go there...

As I was having yet another internal battle, Chabashira-sensei mentioned the exams I had been waiting for.

"It's the end of the month, so we're going to have a short test. Please pass the papers to the back."

The single sheet tests she gave out were handed back by the students in the front row. After skimming over the single page I received, it seemed to be a test about the five main subjects.

Calling it short might even exaggerate the length of this miniature test.

"Hey, that's unfair!"

"I didn't even pay attention!"

"You mentioned nothing about a test, Sae-chan-sensei!"

Some of my classmates complained while I bumped my head against my memory palace in disbelief of their stupidity. I knew that this class was filled with morons, but those were some of the most laughable things those people had said since I've known them.

How would any sane person get the idea of complaining about having to write a test in school?

"Stop complaining. This test is just for future reference. It won't be reflected in your report card. There is no risk involved, so don't worry. Cheating is still prohibited, of course."

I was disappointed at that revelation. The effect of this sudden exam would have been much stronger if they had to tremble in fear for a day or two because they messed up their test.

What a waste of potential...

Chabashira-sensei began the pop quiz and observed us students in silence. As I was gazing around to examine my classmates' reactions, our gazes overlapped for a split second. I immediately disengaged and scanned the questions on the sheet.

Twenty questions, four per subjects, 100 points. A standard school exam, so to speak, just in miniature.

Most of the questions were so easy that even middle schoolers should have been able to answer them. As I reached the end of the questionnaire , three of them stood out between the bunch. The last math problem in specific, was a college level question one couldn't solve without the use of complex formulae.

No matter whether the student was in Class A or D, this question was almost impossible to be solved by students on the highschool level. If I had to guess, only a handful of students in the whole school should be able to solve such a question, Kouenji and myself included. I knew little about our upperclassmen, but I assumed that they would at least have one or two capable students in their midst.

With a small sigh, I decided that I was going to solve the questions as I did in the entrance exam. Chabashira-sensei might wonder about the results due to my previous talk with her, but I didn't mind. I wasn't sure if she was a usable piece in this game or if the faculty staff was off-limits. If push came to shove, I might even have to get rid of her.

Even teachers shouldn't be safe at a school like this.

"If you tell me the truth, I'll forgive you, okay?"

"Tell you the truth about what?"

Today, I was on Sudou duty. Since he was a wildcard, I had to make sure that he wouldn't do anything overly stupid until I could tie him down to someone. I had multiple girls to choose from, but I have yet to narrow it down to a specific one in particular.

Sudou wasn't someone who would change his ways easily, just like Horikita. He would do so in extraordinary circumstances, however, which is why I asked him about the sort of person he'd like to go out with. If I tie him to a girl that could handle him, I wouldn't need to be mindful of his outbursts and temperamental decision making as long as I had a firm grasp on her.

Sudou duty not only entailed hanging out with him but also Ike and anyone else in his specific group of friends. For this instance, the three of us were standing next to a vending machine in the hall.

"We are friends, right? Comrades that stick together through thick and thin, right?"

I'd love to say no, but he might still be useful in the future, as weird as this sounded. Since I didn't know what kind of special examinations this school would employ to let the students compete, even someone like Ike might come in handy down the line.

Probably not, but there was a chance.

"I guess."

"Right. So you would tell us if you got yourself a girlfriend, right?"

"Ah, sure. If that happens, I will."

Ike put his arm over my shoulder and moved closer towards my ear. This was a situation I was in previously, but it felt much better when Fuka was the one doing it. Ike's moist breath was ravaging my mental state.

"Come on, tell the truth. You are going out with Horikita, right? I will not forgive you if you get ahead of us!"

"Huh?"

Both Ike and Sudou eyed me with suspicious glares while the former lay bare his reasoning.

"So it's like this. We've observed you, Ayanokouji. And we made a few interesting discoveries along the way."

Ike let go of me and backed up before holding his index finger in front of my face.

Should I be worried?

"One, you have contact with a ton of girls in class. Most of them, to be exact."

So far, his 'observation' was correct. But even a blind man would have noticed this.

He held up his middle finger as well, posing with a peace sign.

"Two, every time you have contact with these girls, there are other girls with you, which makes these interactions safe."

Sudou nodded towards Ike's 'reasoning'. The latter held up his ring finger and finished up his detective work.

"Three, the only exception to this rule is Horikita, which means you have a special relationship with her. Hence, the two of you must be dating."

If he examined everything as carefully as my interactions with the girls and reached the correct conclusion even one out of ten times, he might not even be the most useless student that was currently attending this school.

"You idiot. We are not dating. Absolutely not. Seriously. Never, ever, say something like this again. You are playing with all of our lives here. Sudou? Say something!"

The delinquent's body shuddered in fear upon remembering his most traumatic experience to this day. He turned towards Ike with a pair of pleading and fearful eyes.

"He's right, Ike. I allowed you to ask this once because it seemed plausible, but we can never, ever talk about this again. Do you understand me?"

Wait, hold up a minute. Nothing he said was plausible.

"Fine, Sudou. I'll trust your judgement."

He turned back to me with yet another skeptical gaze.

"But if the two of you aren't dating, then what are you? You are the only one that talks to her."

Sudou beside him nodded again and again, sweat running down his temple.

Just what had this poor man gone through?

"We are just seatmates. I mean, even someone like Horikita would feel uncomfortable without talking to their seatmate for three years, right?"

"Mhm."

Their doubtful glares were replaced with something akin to enlightenment.

"I guess that makes sense. Without Kushida-chan, we wouldn't even know her name after all. If she doesn't want to talk with us, there is no way she would want to talk to someone like you if she wasn't practically forced to because you are seatmates."

Ike was a rather... unique person.

It was... interesting... to talk to him, since he was different to other people I had encountered. Whenever I was talking to friends or other students, I learned new things. Most of the time, it was common knowledge that anyone aside from me would know, which has proven to be helpful in avoiding certain disasters until now.

In Ike's case, I felt like that I was losing brain cells the more I talked to him. If I were to sit him in a room full of Class A students, would he be able to dumb them down to a degree that would make it possible for Class D to overtake them in academics?

"She has a cute face, though, don't you think?"

Another classmate, Okitani, inserted himself into the conversation with such words. Ike and Sudou both nodded in agreement, even though Sudou had more to say about her.

"I mean, yeah, she's cute, I guess. But her personality is the worst. Seriously."

He threw his empty coffee can into the bin and cracked his neck.

Sudou was the worst person to talk about bad personalities, but I got the point. Horikita was difficult to handle to where it wouldn't be worth the trouble for most people. In the end, it was her decision to live like that, but I was sure that she would come to regret her actions sooner rather than later.

"Yeah, I know. She's always so high and mighty, thinking that she's better than us. I'd rather go out with a cheerful girl like Kushida-chan. Just thinking about her calling me Kanji-kun or doing lewd things with her gets me going."

Nobody wanted to know what gets you going...

"Or fantasizing about her wearing revealing cosplays like swimsuits, maid outfits, or bunny ears, or..."

The Professor butted in and kept listing cosplays until even my mind drifted off.

"What about you Sudou? Seen any cute girls in the basketball club?"

That was the first question which interested me, since I wondered if anything had changed from the last time the two of us had talked about this. If this were the case, I might change some of my plans going forward. Nothing was set in stone, but if I could accommodate to his own wants and needs, it would be easier to tie him down. Otherwise, I had to create those feelings for him artificially, which would be a pain to do.

"No, not really. There aren't any girls in our club."

I was disappointed that he only focused the second part of Okitani's question, which led me to the conclusion that his thoughts hadn't changed from our last chat. Since we were at the subject, I threw Hirata and Karuizawa into the mix, since I was missing some crucial insights into how relationships like theirs worked because of my special upbringing.

"Now that we are on topic, what do you guys think about Hirata and Karuizawa?"

"Hondou and I saw them walking to school holding hands and things like that. We were shocked beyond words."

"So Okitani and Hondou noticed first, huh? I kind of expected them to end up eventually since she was always staring at him with those lovey-dovey eyes." Ike moved closer into the group and checked his surroundings. "Do you guys think they already did naughty stuff?"

I had seriously underestimated the people I was associating with. How did I even expect to get something useful out of them? I apologized to Hirata and Karuizawa in my mind, as this topic was bound to get disrespectful.

"Of course they have. Karuizawa's personality is kinda off as well, but she's hot. If I were Hirata, I would have done it immediately." Ike said in a proud tone while patting his chest.

"Probably, right? I mean, what else would you do?"

"Dunno about that. Maybe they haven't gone that far just yet?"

"2D supremacy."

Sudou, of all people, took the most logical approach, and I had to agree with him.

There was a chance that they already had sex, of course, but from what I had learned about relationships, this only happened after some time has passed as a couple. While spending time as boyfriend and girlfriend, people would explore their feelings first before they would start to explore their bodies.

Meanwhile, Sotomura said something I didn't understand, so I kept this in mind until I could consult the internet about this so-called supremacy I had never heard of before.

"Let's just ask Hirata."

Once again, Ike demonstrated to everyone that he was an idiot.

"Do you honestly think Hirata would give us the details? If we asked him about her breasts or if she was a virgin, we would be skinned alive by Karuizawa on the next day."

"Wait! Can't you ask them?" Ike said, whereupon Okitani and the Professor turned their heads towards me.

"What now?"

"I mean, you are hanging out with them all the time, right? Ask Satou to ask Karuizawa for all I care. Just get us the information! We are brothers, aren't we? We need to band together in times like this!"

This is bad, I should —

"Yeah, Ike's right."

"It's a deal then."

Apparently, I had no say in this matter.

Sudou surprised me once again, as he didn't pursue the conversation while they were talking about stuff like this. I had already mentioned it before, but I was sure that Sudou wasn't a bad guy.

If I could find someone who could help him grow in the places he lacked in, it would be a worthy endeavour.

[03:12:27 PM][Ike] Hey, we are going to hang out with Kushida-chan and some other people in around 20 minutes. You wanna come?

My heart sped up after reading this message.

Not because it was from Ike, or about its contents, but that he had thought of me.

I already knew about their plans from Matsushita, Karuizawa and the others who had invited me yesterday. Satou and Mii-chan wouldn't come, since the former had something to do, and the latter mentioned that she needed to study.

Mii-chan's excuse was a lie, but a rather good one.

Her overall behavior had changed when Hirata and Karuizawa made their relationship public, so she likely tried to stay away from them for the time being to sort out her own feelings. Even if I wanted, there was nothing I could do to help her at this point.

That aside, she wasn't one of the important pieces, so it was no problem if her behavior dipped for a bit.

The rest of our group, namely Hirata, Karuizawa, Matsushita and Mori, confirmed that they would be coming. Hirata was the one who invited Kushida, and I presume he also called Ike as well, since he was the sort of person who didn't want anyone to feel left out.

[03:12:34 PM] Sure, I'll join.

[03:12:39 PM][Ike] Just so you know, Kushida-chan is mine, you hear me?

I ignored the flood of messages that Ike had sent me and browsed to another chat that pleaded for my attention. Sometimes I felt overwhelmed having so many conversations going on, since I felt obliged to answer as soon as I read them.

[03:14:38 PM][Hirata] Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Do you Have Horikita-san's number, perhaps?

I knew what he was going for, but I let the conversation play out naturally to hide my conclusions.

[03:14:47 PM] I do. Why?

[03:15:01 PM][Hirata] Would you mind asking her if she wants to join us today? I tried talking to her this morning, but she blocked me off.

Wow, even Hirata had a tough time dealing with Horikita.

[03:15:09 PM] Of course, I'll ask her.

After switching over to her profile, I stared at the empty chat window. This was the first time I would text her after receiving her number, and I felt nervous.

[03:17:03 PM] Hey, I already know your answer, but I felt obliged to ask. Hirata asked me if you wanted to join us later. We are going to meet up with some people from our class.

[03:17:12 PM][Horikita] If you already know the answer, then that's fine. You've fulfilled your obligation. Is that all?

Her answer came shortly after my initial message, which surprised me, since I didn't expect her to be someone who replied fast. I figured that she was one of those people who'd leave someone on 'read' for hours or even days until they decided to lower themselves to one's level and reply to the message that already lost all meaning.

[03:17:15 PM] Perfect, I'll tell him you're looking forward to later.

[03:17:20 PM][Horikita] Hey. Ayanokouji-kun.

I closed the chat, ignoring the barrage of incoming messages from Horikita. If she used her head, she'd realize that I was only messing with her. I'd probably get stabbed to death by her tomorrow, but I couldn't help but tease her a bit whenever I had the chance.

[03:17:29 PM] She declined, as expected.

[03:17:35 PM][Hirata] Still. Thank you for asking, Ayanokouji-kun.

After I was done dealing with all those obligations, yet another notification appeared on my screen.

[03:17:59 PM][Fuka ] Are you free later?

[03:18:23 PM] I'm going out with some friends in a few minutes, but I should be free this evening. I'll let you know before I come back.

[03:18:31 PM][Fuka ] Mh, maybe I'll go visit my cute Kouhai-kun's. I wonder if I'll be able to find you~.

[03:18:42 PM] You know how to act if you do.

[03:18:57 PM][Fuka ] Buuuhhh! You're such a bore Kiyotaka. How are you not smitten by my beautiful existence and perfect assets?

I was...

[03:19:04 PM] Who knows?

[03:19:20 PM][Fuka ] And that's why you are so interesting. Are we having dinner or are you eating out?

Eating out, huh... damn it, Ike. Get out of my head.

[03:19:32 PM] Don't know yet. You could observe my classmates and make the call on your own. I'm interested in your take on them.

[03:19:51 PM][Fuka ] When will you guys be meeting?

[03:20:12 PM] 3:30PM in front of the first-year dorms.

[03:20:23 PM][Fuka ] See you soon then.

[03:20:35 PM] I sure hope not.

After dealing with my most troublesome friend, I changed into more comfortable clothes and headed downstairs. On my way to the elevator, I ran into Ike and Okitani, one of which was hopping around in excitement while chanting Kushida's name over and over.

His happiness, however, didn't last very long as he caught sight of the ones waiting downstairs.

"Hey! What is Hirata doing down there with Kushida-chan? Hey, hey, Ayanokouji. Tell me I'm seeing things."

"You are seeing things."

My assumption that Hirata had invited them was wrong, apparently. Since Matsushita and the others would never have called them, it must've been Kushida's doing.

I hadn't revealed my lie to Horikita yet, so I glanced upwards through the elevator window. Her door remained shut for the entire duration of the ride, or at least, as long as I could see it. I just hoped that she understood that I was messing with her before she came down and gave me a beating.

Ike, who was occupied with his own personal hell, rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"I STILL SEE HIM. AYANOKOUJI YOU BASTARD!"

How was that my fault?

The deeply wounded boy calmed himself down before we reached the ground floor. As we walked out, Okitani said his farewells and went somewhere else.

I was wrong again? Something felt off today...

Fuka dawdled around near the first-year dorms and observed our group with utmost discretion.

"Ike-kun, Ayanokouji-kun. Heeey!"

"Kushida-chaaaaaan."

Those were the first exchanges in our group and I couldn't help but shake my head.

"He sure seems energetic." Matsushita, who strolled to my side, let a cute giggle escape her rosy lips.

I inched my head closer to hers since I didn't want Ike to hear what I was saying.

"This guy is absolutely hopeless. I'm really glad you girls saved me back then."

"You should thank Satou for that. She was the one who asked if we shouldn't help you as you were fumbling around for friends even though you already had some."

Once again, her cute chuckle tickled my eardrums.

"Well, I made some fantastic ones, I believe."

She seemed surprised upon hearing those words, but broke out into a smile just seconds later.

"Hey, what are the two of you flirting around for? Get a room."

Karuizawa called out to us while whistling, which turned the whole group's attention. Since we were whispering to each other, we were indeed quite close. Matsushita flushed and began stuttering, which didn't help with anything she said.

"W-what are you t-talking about, you dummy?"

Our usual group began to snicker upon listening to her almost comical reply. Since they were familiar with us, everyone knew that Karuizawa was just joking around. Most of my one-on-one conversations were with Matsushita, so creating a joke with that fact in mind was not a bad move.

Different from the usual suspects, Matsushita and Ike had trouble treating this as a joke. The former was a surprise, while the latter turned around with a pale face, as if he had frozen to death in a blizzard. He couldn't believe what he had just heard and glared at me before mouthing, 'Not before me'.

Kushida was also surprised for a short moment before she realized that Karuizawa cracked a joke at our expense and began to giggle as well.

After this 'shock', we made our way around campus while joking around and chatting with each other.

Hirata and Karuizawa walked arm in arm, chuckling and flirting around in their own world for some time. Ike orbited Kushida and asked her a multitude of questions, most of which with indecent thoughts in mind.

"Hey, Kushida-chan, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Me? No, unfortunately not."

With a bright smile that could rival even the sun itself, Ike shed a few tears of joy upon hearing her response. For him, this was the best news he could have heard today aside from something impossible, like Kushida asking him to go out with her.

The other girls shook their heads in shame, and I couldn't help but agree with them.

Kushida buzzed around like a worker bee and organized us in a large group where everyone could talk with each other without feeling left out. This was one of those things she excelled at, and nobody in our class would even come close to her in that regard. If we were talking about all the first-years, only Ichinose might rival her in terms of popularity and social abilities.

While I was chatting with Mori about some trivial topic, I typed a message in my pocket and sent it off. Kushida also joined our conversation as we were steering towards our favorite parfaits. The information itself was pointless, but this was what friends would talk about when they were out together.

My eyes focused on Matsushita as she turned around with a cautious gaze for the third time since I had sent the message.

Pleased with my yield, I typed another message before turning my focus back on the whole group.

There was something else that struck me as odd, namely Hirata and Karuizawa's relationship.

I was but an amateur, but I assumed that certain steps were involved until two people would become a couple. One of which was the use of the partner's first name. I didn't know what's special about using someone's first name, but common knowledge dictated that it was quite a big deal, especially in highschool. Hence my surprise when Hirata and Karuizawa still referred to each other by their family names.

Since I didn't know if this behaviour would be classified as normal or abnormal, I was in a bind. I could only note down other people's reactions and compare them to reach a consensus which would apply to the majority. In this specific case, nobody minded that they weren't using their first names when talking to each other, which is why I ignored the constant nagging in my mind.

Somewhere along our journey, we reached a boutique.

Karuizawa and Ike were the two loudest voices that wanted to go inside and browse the shops merchandise. Hirata lent his girlfriend around 20.000 points to purchase some new clothes, confirming that he was the best boyfriend in existence.

I, however, still couldn't believe that Karuizawa and Ike actually agreed with each other on something, as well as the fact that she had managed to empty her balance on our first week.

Kushida was a careful spender, just like Hirata, Matsushita and Horikita. She only bought one new piece of clothing to finish up one of her outfits. Mori vanished somewhere in-between the trousers, while Matsushita stood in front of a full body mirror and kept holding dresses, skirts and other clothes in front of herself.

"They would all suit you, you know?"

Upon hearing my voice, she turned around with a surprised expression. As her eyes caught sight of my figure, her smile turned gentle and even more charming than before.

"If I buy all of them, I'll be broke for the next week, though. How many points do you have left?"

"Around 60.000, why? Do you need any?"

"No, I was just curious. I have around 35.000 left. I'll hope that will be enough."

"Enough for what? Are you also planning to buy half the store like Karuizawa?"

She let out a cute laugh and denied this possibility by shaking her hands.

"Ahh, no. Nothing in particular. I just hope my points are enough for the next few days at least. We get our 100.000 points rather soon, though, so I'm not overly concerned."

She still hadn't mentioned her true thoughts to me, which hurt somewhat.

"Say Ayanokouji, you wanna tease Karuizawa back for before?"

She still kept holding dresses and skirts in front of herself, but her eyes were focused on me instead of them. She didn't notice how unnatural her current behavior was, and that Fuka was glaring daggers at her from three rows down.

Different from before, she wasn't as focused on her surroundings. Back then, she had noticed the suspicious senpai, who had purposely slipped up and revealed herself a few times by my request.

Now, however, the ever-observant Matsushita was nowhere to be seen.

"You mean when she told us to get a room? What do you have in mind?"

"Well, we could call each other by our first names. That would catch her off guard for sure..."

She glanced towards the ground with a light rosy tint on her cheeks, which slowly extended towards her ears.

"Really? If you think so, then let's do that, Chiaki."

"Huh?!"

Testing out her plan had a clear adverse effect towards Chiaki, whose cheeks and ears turned crimson. It also didn't help that she kept stammering unintelligible nonsense afterwards.

"Chiaki?"

She squealed as I wanted to inquire further about her well-being. It took her some time to recover from this state, but aside from Fuka, no one seemed to have noticed her troubles, as they were all occupied with their own agenda.

"Y-yeah, we'll show her. Ay- ehm... K-kiyo..ka."

Was my name that hard to pronounce?

I didn't think so.

That we were calling each other by our first name now confused me somewhat. Using first names, especially as a man and a woman, seemed to say a lot about their relationship with each other. I didn't feel that anything had changed to before, however. I was just using another part of her name.

Where she was nervous and fidgety, I couldn't even find a reason to be.

Fuka was the first friend I called by her first name, but she was weird either way, so I thought little of it. Chiaki was different as we have been warming up to each other.

Yet, nothing had changed, even though I hoped that it would.

I knew that I was defective, but I didn't expect to be broken to such a degree. This was why I kept wondering if anyone, myself included, could fix these deficiencies of mine.

It wasn't uncommon that I was stumped when someone asked me if I had fun. Most of the time, I would answer yes, because I felt like, if I could feel 'fun', then I would probably feel it at that moment. I never registered this as a lie, but more like a cheap out, since I was unable to put my feelings into words.

Would I ever be able to understand fun, love, happiness and such things?

Would I ever experience them in these fleeting three years before I would be locked up in an all too familiar white world?

All the memories I would have made in those three years... would they just... vanish just like my emotions?

I couldn't help but think about such noxious thoughts as our group exited the boutique before we continued our journey through the schools many establishments.