GG, 100k words already.
Discord link: [discord . gg / 4y5QVPj]
Disclaimer: I don't own Classroom of the Elite but if I did, there will be MAJOR CHANGES.
Another week had passed, and time was ticking.
The midterm exams were next week, so studying became more of a priority for the students of Class D, especially with their future points at stake. They didn't want their points to be any lower than they already were, rather they wanted to increase what they already had.
In order to do that, they needed to be better than how they were last month. They were already lucky that they didn't outright lose all of their points so this time, things were going to be different.
They needed to do two things in order to increase their points this time. The first is to fix their own behavior, which has been going well so far. The other one is passing their midterms and making sure that none of them fail, which is a harder task than one might think.
Despite the efforts of the students who volunteered to teach their classmates, there's no telling if all of them are capable of passing their exams, particularly the seven people who failed the previous mock test.
But, it's not like anyone was sure of what could happen. Who knows? By some miracle, they might be able to pass their midterms, all of them. If that's the case, then no one will be in any danger of being expelled.
After their classes had ended, Ayanokouji and Sakura were heading to the library for yet another tutoring session, which more or less became a regular occurrence for the two of them. The past two weeks were but a blur now, but it didn't take away how they spent the weekdays at the library, studying and learning together.
Especially for Sakura, who thought that she could spend three years in this school staying as someone in the shadows who couldn't even hold a proper conversation with another person.
While they were walking, Kiyotaka then felt his phone vibrate all of a sudden, prompting him to check the message he had received.
He hummed for a few seconds, before returning his phone to his pocket. "Looks like Karuizawa's gonna be late for a bit."
"Eh?" asked Airi, as she turned to him in confusion. This was something that truly surprised her, because Kei was always with them during this time of the day and she had gotten used to the blonde girl's company. "W-Why?"
Kiyotaka shrugged. "She's going to eat with her friends, apparently. But she promises that she won't take long, so it's fine."
Airi blinked. If there's one good thing about Kiyotaka being a tutor, it's the fact that he was incredibly patient and wasn't strict with his methods.
"Oh… w-what do we do while we wait for Karuizawa-san, then?"
"When we get there, find an empty table for us to occupy. I'll be returning these books first, then I'll find you. From this point onward, we're no longer taking information from books. We're going to see and work on how much you actually remembered from the topics I've taught you."
In his hand was a plastic bag filled with the books they had used for the past few days. He borrowed them for Airi and Kei to use and study whenever they had free time.
"O-Okay."
Although she was nervous, Airi knew that this was inevitable. She knew that she won't be able to rely on books for so long, because her performance will depend on how much she knew by heart. That's why she has been putting a lot of effort into her studying ever since Kiyotaka began tutoring her and Kei.
Upon reaching the library, both students were surprised to see that the place looked relatively empty, compared to how it was last week. It didn't even seem like their classmates were there, not that it mattered. As a matter of fact, the quiet atmosphere was a nice change of pace.
"I'll find you once I'm done returning these," he told Airi, who gave him a nod before walking off.
With that, Kiyotaka went to the counter so he could show the books he had borrowed and ensure that he missed nothing. Afterwards, he went to the reference section and returned each book he had to the same place where he found it.
"Now to find Sakura," he thought to himself as soon as he was finished. "I hope Karuizawa's done eating and is on her way here. It'd be a shame for her to be left behind."
While on his way to find his red-haired classmate, Kiyotaka noticed a female student struggling to grab a book on a high shelf in the mystery section. The book was barely within reach, which could be the reason why the girl wasn't using a chair to make things easier.
Deciding that there wouldn't be any harm in helping another student in getting a book from a shelf, Kiyotaka went towards the girl and grabbed the book for her.
"Here you go," he said, handing it towards her.
The girl looked surprised for a moment, before flashing him a thankful smile. "Ah… thank you for your help."
He was about to utter a "you're welcome" as a sign of courtesy and then leave to continue looking for Airi, only to notice the book that she now had in her hand.
"Do you like her work? Brontë?" asked Kiyotaka, realizing that the girl was trying to reach for a novel entitled 'Wuthering Heights', which was one of the greatest novels of the English language.
"I don't really like or dislike the book. It was in the wrong section, so I thought I should return it to its proper place," she replied.
"I see."
Kiyotaka was ready to end the conversation right there, only for the familiar pink screen to appear above her head, which was enough to tell him that this wasn't any random encounter with a female student in the middle of the day.
[Hiyori Shiina: 'Curious Schoolmate']
[Relationship Status: ?]
[Affection Points: 0/100]
[Heroine Summary: Hiyori is a student of Class C who doesn't interact with a lot of people, but remains as a popular figure in the classroom for her intelligence and innocent nature. She dislikes violence and doesn't support the current method of how her class works. She prefers it when everyone gets along instead. She is very fond of reading books and is now interested in you, because you seem to be a bookworm like her as well. She doesn't have anyone in her class whom she can talk to about books, and now she is hoping that you would be one. MUST NOT BE LEWDED… FOR NOW.]
"Class C… this is the first time I've met someone from that class," he thought, taking a moment to consider this newfound information, before shifting his attention to the rest of her 'summary'. "So… she's happy that I'm interested in books like her, because she doesn't have anyone else in her class to talk to about them. Interesting… must not be lewded? What does that mean? Hm, I could have sworn I heard that word before… Eiichiro mentioned it once…"
Deciding to think about that later, he looked at the girl in front of him and observed her closely. At first glance, she appeared to be someone with an innocent nature and looked harmless enough to the point that she wouldn't even harm a fly. She was also quite attractive and cute as well, two traits that reminded him of Nanase, now that he thought about it.
"She doesn't like how her class works, and she dislikes violence…" he continued to observe her 'summary', now paying attention to the information regarding her class. "Does that mean that her class works around violence?"
"Uhm… may I know your name?" the girl asked, tilting her head curiously.
He was quickly brought back to reality by her soft and gentle voice. "It's Ayanokouji Kiyotaka," he replied.
"Which class are you from…?"
"Class D."
"Ohhh…" she muttered, before flashing him a smile that could make even the mightiest of gods bow down to her simply for how innocent and cute she was. "My name is Shiina Hiyori, from Class C."
Kiyotaka nodded, but didn't say anything else for now, opting to wait for something peculiar to happen first.
And he was right.
The world around him turned black and white, and the three usual choices appeared before him. At this point, this was basically second nature to him now, with how many times this has happened in the span of a month and a half.
A. [It's nice to meet you, Shiina-san. I hope we can get along.]
B. [My pleasure. I've always had a soft spot for girls in distress, if I had to be honest.]
C. [You're really cute, Hiyori. I'd like to take you out sometime, if you don't mind~]
Kiyotaka observed each choice closely. The obvious answer to this would be the third option, simply because almost every heroine he comes across likes it when he flirts with them… with a few exceptions like Suzune, Airi, and Kei. He has been careful with the choices he makes around those three, but everyone else was different.
The second option would be another good answer, because it's more of a harmless compliment like it always was. The first option was, of course, the neutral answer and had no romantic intention behind the words.
However, this time was different. Kiyotaka couldn't explain it, but he feels that it would be a huge mistake if he does pick the third choice. In fact, he was also feeling the same way towards the second option. It's like… if he went ahead and chose either of those two, something catastrophic might happen that's caused by the system itself…
Was this feeling caused by his 'dating stats' or something? Did it give him the gift of premonition? Or was it simply a hunch that he had?
Kiyotaka sighed.
There's just no way for him to understand the system and what it's capable of, is there?
"I hope this isn't the wrong choice, then…" he thought, shifting his attention to Option A. He had left that choice alone ever since the
And so, for the first time in his new life with this eroge superpower, he chose the first option.
"It's nice to meet you, Shiina-san. I hope we can get along," he told the girl as the world returned to normal.
Instead of saying something as a response, Hiyori simply flashed him another gentle smile, one that prompted three new notifications to appear.
[Hiyori Route has been Unlocked! You can now see 'Heroine Status' with Shiina Hiyori!]
[Your current status with Hiyori has changed to 'Book Buddies'!]
[You have gained 5 Affection Points with Shiina Hiyori!]
"Even though I picked the option that sounds friendly rather than romantic… I still get Affection Points?" the young man asked himself in surprise, although that feeling didn't last long. It's absolutely normal for the system to work like this, despite not making any sense in almost anything that it does. It's to be expected from a superpower like this.
"By the way, how do you know Brontë?" she asked.
Kiyotaka turned his attention to the girl herself once more. "I've already read her novel, as well as her sisters' works."
"That's amazing. I have never met someone who's also into books before," Hiyori breathed out. Her eyes started to sparkle in amazement.
"'Also'? Do you like to read, Shiina-san?" he asked, feigning innocence regarding what he knew about her.
"I do," she nodded. "I was planning on rereading 'Farewell, My Lovely', but I wasn't able to find a copy today."
"Do you need some help finding one? I can spare some time." Kiyotaka figured that it wouldn't take a while to find one book, especially when he knew what she was referring to, so it wouldn't hurt if he helped her out. That's what the system would want, right?
She shook her head. "It's all right. I've already read it. Besides, I was fortunate enough to find another good book while I searched for it. The school library is quite large. If I tried to search everything on its shelves for one book, I'd probably get distracted easily by other books."
"You're probably right," he agreed, before deciding to end their conversation right here. He still had to find Sakura and he had nothing else to do here. Plus, Karuizawa might have arrived already and was now only waiting for him to show up. "I'll be seeing you around then, Shiina-san."
"Wait a moment. Are you looking for a book to read, Ayanokouji-kun?" Hiyori asked, stopping him in his tracks.
Kiyotaka mentally noted to avoid mentioning either Kei or Airi to her. "Not really. I just saw you struggling to get that book, so I decided to lend you a hand. But it would be a good way to release some pent-up stress if I had one," he replied.
He wasn't lying, by the way. Oh, how he would love to read a couple of books during his free time in order to clear his mind and to act as a way to distract him from his troubles. Unfortunately, his current circumstances didn't allow him the luxury of having a relaxing hobby such as reading books.
There's no such thing as 'free time' for him by now.
After taking a moment to mourn about what could have been, Kiyotaka then noticed that Hiyori was already scanning the mystery section while pulling out several books from the shelves. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Have you already read Dorothy L. Sayers?" she asked.
"I've read Christie, but not Sayers. Sorry."
"In that case, I would most definitely recommend 'Whose Body?' That's the first book in the series featuring Lord Peter. Once you read that book, you'll inevitably want to read the rest." After getting six books from the shelves, Hiyori then handed them over to her newfound friend.
Kiyotaka could only stare at her as well as the books in her hands, puzzled at her behavior. She was completely different from all the other 'heroines' he had encountered so far. From her 'summary' alone, it was stated that she's somewhat like Suzune in terms of social interactions but she's not, in any way, an icy kuudere like the latter. Her behavior was more similar to Kikyo, but without a mask to hide her true intentions.
This girl with an innocent nature… simply had a passion for reading books. That's it.
"I'm sorry, I was rambling. Am I bothering you?" asked Hiyori, adopting a worried look when she noticed that he couldn't say anything in return.
"No. I was just a little surprised. I'm not really here to read books, but I might as well borrow these so I can read them when I have time," he shrugged, taking the books from her. "If I have time, that is."
[You have gained 3 Affection Points with Shiina Hiyori!]
"That makes me glad," Hiyori looked extraordinarily happy. She smiled so widely that her eyes scrunched up, and to the point that it got Kiyotaka to feel a sudden tightness in his chest for a moment. "You're not here to read, right? Would you like to walk with me to the dorms, then?"
Kiyotaka blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
That was even more puzzling than a simple book recommendation. Walking with a girl was a big red flag, especially for someone whom he just met. To make things worse, she likely lives on the 4th floor of the first dorm building, because she's one of his heroines as well…
"No one in Class C likes reading, so I don't really have anyone to talk to," she added, noticing that the young man was left speechless after her question.
"That's not my concern. I'm sure you're aware of the class standings by now, so wouldn't it be bad if we were seen together? Especially if people find out I'm in Class D," he explained. "All the more reason to be wary, since it seems like her class is being led through violence. I don't want to gain attention from other classes this early, although talking to Shiina about books would be a nice break from all of this."
"Please don't worry about that. I'm not really interested in the classes and their points, and I've never been interested in conflict, either. Do you find talking to me a problem because of this?" Hiyori asked.
Kiyotaka shook his head. "No, no. I have no issue with you, personally."
The worried look on her face disappeared and was replaced with a smile. "I'm glad. I wouldn't want our classes to clash over something so trivial. I'd prefer we all get along," she said.
"I'm glad you think that way."
Hiyori nodded. "So, would it be fine with you? Walking with me to the dorms? I'd like to talk to you more about the works you've already read, Ayanokouji-kun."
The young man was about to politely decline the offer [even though it would be a good way to take a break from all the craziness in his life at the moment] because of his responsibility as a tutor for two of his classmates, when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him, most likely in an attempt to get his attention.
"Ahem."
Kiyotaka turned around to see Kei standing there, with her arms crossed while sending him a frown. It was clear that she felt displeased about something, though Kiyotaka had no idea what it could be. And when exactly did she get here? From her text earlier, it honestly seemed that she wasn't even halfway to being done eating with her friends.
"What are you doing here, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "Why aren't you with Sakura-san?"
"When did you arrive?" he asked in return.
She smiled eerily. "Just now actually, and look at what I find. Aren't you supposed to be teaching us, Mr. Tutor? Why aren't you with Sakura-san?" Kei said in a voice that was full of sarcasm.
"Why do I feel like I did something wrong here?" he said in his thoughts, confused at her behavior. Kei has never acted like this before, so it was just strange that her personality took a sudden 180. "I was on my way to Sakura but I saw that she needed help with something, so I took a little detour."
As he gestured towards Hiyori, the girl herself blinked a few times in realization after unintentionally listening to the conversation between the two classmates.
"Oh, are you supposed to tutor your classmates, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"Yes. I was just about to decline your offer when Karuizawa suddenly appeared, Shiina-san," he explained. Kiyotaka decided that it would be for the best if he doesn't mention anything about Hiyori asking him to walk with her to the dorms in front of Kei, because she already looked like she's about to blow a fuse…
Like an innocent angel, Hiyori bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take you away from your responsibilities."
"It's fine. You didn't know."
"Well, it seems that you're already done helping her with whatever she needs help with," the blonde gyaru smiled sweetly as she grabbed the boy's arm before pulling him away from there. "Let's go, then."
Kiyotaka let himself be pulled away by his blonde heroine, but still turned his head to look at Hiyori for the briefest of moments. "See you around, Shiina-san."
Hiyori smiled and waved her arm in farewell, which was a sight that made the teen's heart skip a beat unknowingly.
It was an image that Kiyotaka wouldn't be able to get out of his mind even if he tried to.
As they searched for the table where Airi was, Kei took a hidden glance at Kiyotaka, who had his usual indifferent expression. She wondered who that was, the girl he was talking to earlier. Kei was completely sure that she wasn't a classmate of theirs, because she had never seen her before. Shiina, her name was? She must be from another class then… but why would Kiyotaka talk to someone from another class?
"So who was that girl?" she asked.
"Shiina Hiyori from Class C."
"What the—" Kei looked surprised for a moment, before she gave him an accusing stare. "Why the hell were you talking to her then?"
He gave her a curious look. "Does it really bother you that I helped her out instead of being with Sakura?"
"No! I meant, why were you talking to the enemy?"
Kiyotaka tilted his head in confusion. "Enemy?"
"She's from another class, isn't she? That makes her an enemy."
He felt appalled by that accusation from Karuizawa. "It's true that she's from another class, but I wouldn't say she's an 'enemy', Karuizawa. If you took a good look at her earlier, you'd know why. Shiina-san doesn't even look like someone who'd hurt a fly."
"That doesn't change the fact that you were talking to someone from another class," she scowled, looking pissed for some reason.
"Wait, is she jealous?" Kiyotaka asked in his thoughts. "If it makes you feel better, it was just a chance encounter. I helped her get a book from a tall shelf and we had a little discussion about books."
Having gotten through the same situation before, Kiyotaka knew how to resolve this. He reached out with his hand and patted the girl's head, causing her eyes to widen in surprise and making her stop in her tracks.
Kei couldn't say or think of anything else at the moment. All that her mind could focus on was Kiyotaka's hand that rested on top of her head.
Obviously, the first reaction that erupted her mind was to slap his hand away and yell at him for laying a hand on her, and then accuse him of being a pervert.
However, the complete opposite happened.
Karuizawa did nothing to remove his hand from her head. All she could do was remain in her place, look up at him in shock, and feel her heart beating faster inside her chest. Within a few seconds, the girl found herself enjoying his action to the point that her face turned red out of embarrassment.
In the end, all that came out of her mouth were three simple words.
"It better be…" she pouted, looking away to hide her face from him.
[You have gained 10 Affection Points with Karuizawa Kei!]
[You made a Tsundere jealous! You gained +2 in Charm!]
"These headpats are a really big help…" he let out a sigh of relief before removing his hand. He could now admit that it was a useful 'skill'. The only useful one he had so far. "...and that pout of hers is kind of cute."
While he was deep in his thoughts, Kiyotaka missed the little whine of disappointment from the girl, which was most likely because he stopped patting her head.
"Glad to see you've calmed down. Let's continue looking for Sakura," he told the girl before continuing on his way.
Grumbling to herself about certain guys being able to give comforting headpats, Kei followed after him.
It didn't take them long to find their classmate, who ended up at the second level of the library. As they headed to where Airi was, Kei shifted her attention to the books that Kiyotaka held.
"And what are those for? More books for us to study?" she asked whilst folding her arms across her chest.
"Actually, no. Shiina-san recommended these to me earlier, so I'm planning to read them in my spare time… if I have any, that is."
"Is that so…"
Kei had calmed down considerably by now, but her anger was quickly resurfacing after finding out that the books he had were basically from that girl earlier. Fortunately, she did nothing more than pout at him this time, which was certainly better than Kei lashing out at him for simply talking to a girl from another class.
"Maybe I shouldn't have said that," Kiyotaka thought to himself regardless, realizing that he may have just said the wrong thing.
He definitely shouldn't have.
~XoX~
"I hope everyone is doing a great job with their studies, because our midterm exams are taking place next week. We must all do our best in order to pass our tests for our class to rise again."
After their classes for the day ended and their last teacher had left, Hirata went in front and wasted no time in giving his classmates some words of encouragement. He had to make sure that everyone was still giving their all in their studying, because he didn't want any of them to fail and be expelled.
In response, almost everyone in the class nodded in determination. They weren't going to lose more of their points this time.
With that, he bowed his head and went back to his seat, as everyone prepared to leave.
Kiyotaka turned his attention towards Kei and Airi, both of whom met his gaze and nodded.
Satisfied with their response, he prepared to leave as well. He had told the two girls that they wouldn't be having a study session today, and instead gave another small test for them to answer. The next day would be another study session at the library and the day after that, it would be another short test.
It would continue until the end of the week to make sure that Kei and Airi wouldn't forget everything that they have learned from him.
Plus, with this strategy, he'd be able to get more hours of rest. The last few weeks were hectic, with most of his time spent figuring out how to teach them properly and making hand-written tests for the two. There were a lot of times where he felt the urge to sleep in class but kept himself from doing so because of the consequences if he did.
In fact, he was already planning on sleeping very early tonight, because it was surely going to be another busy day tomorrow.
"Ayanokouji-kun."
…and of course, he wouldn't be able to get what he wanted. There was bound to be some way that the system would screw with him, and this was it… in the form of Suzune approaching him with a serious look on her face.
He sighed to himself, knowing that it was too good to be true. "What is it?" he asked the girl.
"Walk with me."
That was all she said before leaving without turning back, as if she was expecting him to follow her.
"Was that a question or is she demanding me to accompany her?" Kiyotaka asked in his thoughts.
He honestly had no idea what she meant but nonetheless, he picked up his bag and followed after her. He didn't want to risk her getting angry at him or worse.
The two teens walked together silently until they were out of the school building. Kiyotaka treated the silence as part of something that Suzune might be planning in her mind, because things were starting to get too quiet. No, she's definitely planning something but there's no telling what it could be.
He decided to give it a shot in order to satisfy his inner curiosity.
"So what's on your mind? You wouldn't ask me to walk with you if you weren't planning anything," he asked her.
Suzune shook her head. "How rude. Can't I ask you to walk with me without having an ulterior motive?"
"I didn't say that. I simply got the feeling that you have something in mind because you demanded me to accompany you out of nowhere."
"You make a sound argument, but no. I simply want to talk."
"Talk about what?"
"You are currently tutoring Sakura-san and Karuizawa-san, correct?"
Kiyotaka nodded.
"How are they faring so far?"
The young man hummed softly. That's what this is about then. Horikita wanted an update on the girls' progress.
She knew that he was tutoring Sakura and Karuizawa, but didn't bother him about it until now. Suzune left him alone and focused on the students that she was supposed to teach, most likely because she trusted him enough on how to handle two of their classmates.
However, now that there was only a week left before the exams, she needed to know if they made progress. In order for them to advance to Class A, all of them have to be better in their academics.
"Sakura struggled at first, especially in Mathematics, but she's slowly making progress in the three mock tests I have given them. Karuizawa's not really in danger of anything, but I believe that she has the potential to be better. All she needs is a little more effort in her studies. Although, in the end, only their performance during the actual tests will tell if they have really improved."
"That is good to hear."
"How are things on your side?" he asked her in return.
"To my surprise, Sudo-kun has made significant progress in the span of two weeks. I have noticed that he does work better when Onodera-san is with him. When he experiences difficulty in understanding what I teach, Onodera-san explains it to him in a simple manner, before asking me to elaborate again. Of course, Onodera-san herself gets confused at times as well and whenever it happens, they resolve it by bouncing ideas off of each other."
Kiyotaka wasn't surprised that Ken would improve. It was almost like Kayano's mere presence became somewhat of a miracle in his student life. The two have become inseparable since the first day of classes that it wouldn't be a stretch to say they were a couple, but they weren't… yet.
"What about the others?"
"Azuma-san, Nishimura-san, and Minami-san are fine. Okitani-kun is the only one struggling with his studies, but I assume that it's because he easily gets distracted by… inappropriate videos."
…okay, he didn't need to know that and Suzune definitely didn't have to say it. It's like she forced herself to… for some reason. Whatever Okitani decides to do in his free time is up to him but then again, he was doing it while they were studying… so it wasn't exactly 'free time'.
Although, that did bring up one particular question.
Did she mean that Okitani was watching those 'videos' while he was studying with girls around him? And to make things crazier, there was no other boy around him.
What a madlad. To think that only Suzune noticed him.
Kiyotaka quickly noticed that she didn't say anything else after that last statement. When he turned his head to look at her, Suzune was blushing while also trying her hardest to keep her stone-faced look.
"Wow. Looks like you're becoming more popular with our classmates," he coughed, steering their conversation elsewhere.
"Shut up," she snapped. "As I was saying, Okitani-kun is the only one who struggles in his performance. However, one good lecture about doing something else when we're supposed to be studying was all it took for him to stop."
"Good thing you stopped him, then. It would have been a lot more disastrous if the other girls in your group saw him instead," Kiyotaka remarked.
She glared at him. "Don't misunderstand. The kind of attitude that he exhibited was disgusting and I would have stopped tutoring him if it weren't for our current circumstances."
From her cold tone, it's clear that she wasn't playing around. "Fair enough. I hope he doesn't do it again, for his own sake."
Suzune massaged her forehead to try and alleviate herself of the sudden wave of stress that hit her. "It would have been more manageable if you were there. You could keep an eye on Okitani-kun and make sure that he's focusing on his studies instead of senseless debauchery."
Kiyotaka didn't say anything in return, but he internally agreed with her. "Trust me, things would have been easier if that's what happened instead."
The two continued on in silence until they reached the campus library. Upon getting there, Suzune faced him while bowing her head slightly.
"Thank you for accompanying me. It's been a while since we last spoke to one another, Ayanokouji-kun. I mostly blame our current circumstances for that but nonetheless, it feels enlightening to speak with you again."
Kiyotaka understood why she felt this way, but he wasn't any less surprised at the fact that Suzune practically admitted that she missed talking to him. At first, he thought it was because of the system and her Affection Points, but then he remembered that he and Kushida were the only friends she had.
Basically, Suzune had no one else to talk to.
"I feel the same way," Kiyotaka nodded in agreement. He would be lying if he said that he didn't.
"Perhaps this is what it feels like to have a friend…" The girl muttered, allowing a small smile to appear on her face. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Same to you."
As he watched Suzune enter the library, he turned around and headed the other way, in the direction of the student dorms.
Kiyotaka began to walk faster. Perhaps now, he would be able to get that early rest he wanted. It was still early in the afternoon, so he had plenty of time to sleep and relax without anything else bothering him.
[A Special Event has been Triggered!]
…never mind.
"Another? Am I not going through one already?" he palmed his face while trying his best to calm his growing frustration at the new notification that popped up in front of him.
That's right, the 'special event' that was triggered several weeks ago still wasn't done. He was completely sure that it was about tutoring Karuizawa and Sakura, so it would likely go on until the end of the week or right after their midterm exams.
And now, a new 'special event' was now happening
"Whatever. Let's just get this over with. The sooner I'm done with this, the sooner I can get to my room and retire for the day," he shook his head and dismissed the notification, before observing his surroundings.
Well? Where was this 'special event'? There's no 'heroine' here with him at the moment, so the system will definitely do something about that.
After about a minute of waiting for something to happen, Kiyotaka continued on his way to the dorms. If that new 'special event' wasn't going to happen right where he was, then it would take place on his way to his room or when he gets there.
Nonetheless, he was quite certain that something would happen.
"Ahhh, you fucking perverts!"
The young man immediately heard a loud, annoyed voice in the distance. Just from the tone, he could tell that it came from a girl, but who exactly? One of his heroines, maybe? Or could it be someone new?
"I want to strangle them every time they get close to me… I want to kick their faces over and over until they bleed and shut up!"
Kiyotaka quickly followed the source of the voice, having a feeling that this wouldn't be any ordinary encounter between a boy and a girl. It didn't take long for him to trace and find the source of the voice; a female student not so far from him, kicking the metal railing in front of her as hard as she could.
"Why the hell did I have to get stuck with those two idiots? Horikita should have taken them with her but noooo, she didn't want to handle it! She couldn't deal with them!"
It was none other than Kushida, who now bore a venomous look on her face as opposed to the usual smile she had all the time. Her voice had also changed. Gone was her cute and gentle voice and was now replaced by a deeper and sharper one.
"Is she not going to study with her group today?" Kiyotaka asked himself, temporarily ignoring the fact that she was having a little tantrum at the moment.
He decided to get a closer look and hid himself behind the trees nearby. The girl was facing away from him, so there was no danger of being detected by her… as long as he doesn't make any noise, that is.
"She's seriously annoying! God, how irritating. To think I even befriended that bitch… I can't wait for her to get expelled!"
Although he was aware of Kikyo's true nature from the start, it was still different from seeing it in person. Kiyotaka didn't know how to feel about seeing the girl act like this, when she was the complete opposite before.
"Ugh, I hate her. Who does she think she's fooling? She hasn't changed at all. She's still an arrogant bitch who only cares about what she wants!"
"Wait… she doesn't hate Horikita for possibly knowing about her past and instead, Kushida hates her for acting the way she is?" Kiyotaka thought.
That in itself was strange. What does she hate about Suzune exactly? Her attitude? The black-haired girl normally kept to herself instead of interacting with other people. Her arrogance? She's currently learning to change herself. Or perhaps it's because of how Suzune didn't want anything to do with her at first?
This whole issue is just plain confusing.
"Hmm, there's no one else around… most likely the work of the system," he noted while looking around for students who were in the area.
Strangely, even though classes just ended and the sun was still high in the sky, there weren't any other students roaming around the area. Even in the distance, Kiyotaka couldn't see any students approaching so Kikyo was in the clear.
Yep, this is definitely the work of his 'superpower'. It either made the girl invisible to other people except for him, or it was preventing other students from venturing into this area.
"'Get to Class A', my ass… you only care about yourself! You're annoying! You must think you're so good, huh?! I can't wait to get Ayanokouji-kun to work against you. I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out that he's the reason why you'll be kicked out of here!"
"Is that what she wants to happen?" he thought, raising an eyebrow in slight interest.
Apparently, Kikyo wants to get him to expel Suzune… somehow. She hated the other girl to the point that she wanted nothing more than to see her face expulsion… for some reason.
He could already tell from this that Kikyo is the type of girl to act before she thinks. She obviously didn't think of the possible consequences of ranting and letting her frustrations out in a place like this.
She was only lucky that the system protected her from being seen by other people.
Plus, how exactly would she be able to convince him? Throwing herself at him? Acting all cutesy so that he would take her side? Framing him for doing something so bad that Suzune would hate him? Or perhaps keeping Suzune from seeing him altogether?
Kiyotaka shrugged helplessly. Even with the 'heroine summary' that the system provided for him, it wasn't enough to make him understand how this girl's mind worked.
There was already a voice in his head that was telling him to get out of there before Kushida sees him… and who knows how she would react if she did?
However, an odd question arose as well. One that concerned the girl and the notification that appeared before him earlier.
"Am I supposed to catch her in the act now? That must be what this 'special event' is all about."
Well, what else could be the reason why he was seeing this? It couldn't have been for the sole reason of getting him to see Kushida's other side. This was the perfect opportunity for him to catch her in the act, and see where that leads to. He also had a feeling that if he didn't do this, his broken superpower would go ahead and make him trip or make a noise of some kind anyway, just to get Kushida's attention.
"I hope I'm making the right decision here…" he sighed in defeat.
Whatever happens from here, he would leave it to the system. For all the headaches and stress he gets from it, his weird power hasn't led him to danger yet.
He stepped out of the trees and walked closer towards her, making careful not to make any noise for now.
"Kushida?" he spoke just as he was behind her, doing his best to sound confused.
Kikyo suddenly froze in her place as she heard someone else's voice from behind her. What's worse is that the voice sounded familiar to her and when she turned around to see who it was, her eyes widened in alarm.
After a brief silence, she then spoke in a cold voice. "What… what are you doing here?" she glared at him.
Kiyotaka couldn't deny that it felt different hearing her speak to him in a completely different demeanor. If it weren't for the system considering Kikyo as a 'heroine', he would think that she never cared about him at all.
"I… got a little lost. Sorry. If you want me to leave, I can go now."
Kikyo glared harder at him, clearly seeing through the obvious lie. Her eyes were different than before; what was once a cute and gentle look was now a cold and murderous expression and it was directed towards him.
"How much did you hear?" she demanded.
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't hear anything at all?" he replied, still insisting that he was innocent even though it was a fruitless attempt in doing so.
Silence followed afterwards. The girl continued to glare at him, while he could only turn his head away. Kiyotaka honestly didn't know what to say to her that wouldn't make her mad in any way.
Once again, it would have been easier if the system helped him out here by giving him the three usual choices for him to choose from.
Then, out of nowhere, Kikyo began to laugh.
She just… laughed.
"...Haha… hahahahaha… hahahahahahaha…!"
"This is creeping me out…" the young man thought to himself as he watched her laugh for some reason, which was also different to how she usually does it while around other people.
The girl dropped her glare and put on a sarcastic look. "You're really lucky that I like you, Ayanokouji-kun. If it was any other person who's in your position right now, I would have accused them of raping me," she smirked.
He didn't show it, but he was surprised at the sudden 180 in her demeanor. "Was that supposed to make me feel better? And why do I feel like I dodged a massive bullet there?" he asked himself.
Kushida stopped laughing a few moments later, "So what are you going to do now? You're gonna tell everyone that I'm a two-faced bitch who's only pretending to be nice in order to gain everyone's trust? You better do it now, because I don't feel like I can stop you anyway."
"Seriously? She's just going to let me leave like that?"
Despite the surprise he felt at the moment, he noticed that underneath her sarcastic words, Kikyo felt afraid that he would actually tell someone else about this. Kiyotaka wasn't sure if she was serious when she said that he can run away now, but he wasn't going to do such a thing.
['To Protect Her Smile' has been Activated!]
"I won't," he told her, making the girl look at him in shock.
He had no reason to tell anyone about Kikyo's 'other side', even though she basically admitted that she would have accused him of a crime if he was someone else. Because of the high number of Affection Points she had, the system must have influenced her not to do anything bad to him.
Furthermore, he had known about her fake mask ever since he met her and still, he never told anyone else about it.
"W-What?" she asked in a dumbfounded voice, before Kushida glared at him again. She felt that he refused because he had some sense of pity for her, which the girl saw as an insult. "What the hell are you talking about? I told you, you can walk away right now and tell everyone that I'm not who they think I am! I won't stop you!"
Kiyotaka shook his head, now assured that nothing unfortunate will happen to him.
"I have no idea why you're like this, nor do I know why you hate Horikita even though you're friends, but I'm not going to tell anyone about this."
Her angry look fell apart as soon as it appeared.
"If anything, I'd like to hear your side of the story first. Why are you like this? Why did you befriend Horikita if you actually hate her? What caused you to be this way? Are we even friends? Or do you hate me too?"
After hearing those words from his mouth, Kikyo's mouth was left hanging open out of shock. She seemed unresponsive for a few moments before lowering her head, hiding her face from him. Kiyotaka wondered what she must be thinking right now, and he could only hope that he was saying the right thing.
"You really are an interesting person, Ayanokouji-kun."
The girl raised her head and smiled at him. No, this wasn't one of the fake smiles that she always does whenever she's around everyone else. Just from a single glance, one could see that this particular smile was genuine. Despite the dangerous look in her eyes, it didn't take away anything from the way her lips formed a curve that conveyed her joy.
In fact, her actual smile was completely different from her fake one to the point that Kiyotaka was left staring at her in wonder and amazement. It almost felt like he was seeing something that was meant for his eyes only.
['Kikyo's Real Smile' was added to the gallery!]
The sound of a camera snapping a photo was able to snap the young man out of his little trance, as he looked at the newest notification he received, as well as the 'image' of Kikyo smiling at him.
Well, at least now… he can see that 'image' whenever he wants to.
"I won't tell you today. Though… maybe when we're alone, I will."
"That's fine with me."
He could understand why. The girl probably needed time to sort this whole thing out. Plus, she already got caught in the act while she was out here…
Another brief silence followed, because Kushida was trying to figure out what to say next. Ayanokouji now knew about her secret, and he promised not to tell anyone about it… so what happens now?
"Are…" she frowned, before looking up at the young man. Kiyotaka noticed the conflicted expression on her face that was mixed with eyes of nervousness. "Are you really not going to tell anyone about this? This is your last chance, Ayanokouji-kun. If you walk or run away now, I won't stop you."
"Friends don't sell each other out, Kushida. What you are right now doesn't change the fact that you're one of my friends. And to be honest, I kind of prefer seeing you like this. No lies, just the real you."
Kikyo's eyes widened again, and this time a blush took over her cheeks as well. She was clearly affected by his last statement that it made her turn away in order to hide her face from him.
"S-Stop saying things like that!" she snapped.
[Special Event 'What's Hidden Underneath' has been cleared! You gained 31 Affection Points with Kushida Kikyo!]
[Relationship Status 'A Rocky Relationship' has been maxed! Relationship Status with Kushida Kikyo has been upgraded to 'Lovey-Dovey Psycho'!]
[Congratulations! You unlocked the Achievement: 'Level Up'! You gained +5 in all stats!]
"So that's what happens when I max out a girl's 'route'..." Kiyotaka quickly read through all of the notifications that popped up and observed each one closely.
If he had to be honest, he felt a little disappointed afterwards. For all the bullshit that he had gone through up until now, a change in their 'relationship status' was all that he received as a reward?
How underwhelming.
"Want to head to the dorms together, Ayanokouji-kun? I don't really have anything else to do today," the girl asked, snapping him out of his thoughts again. She had switched into her 'angel' persona, donning the fake smile that he was so used to seeing at this point.
Kiyotaka nodded. "Lead the way."
But, if nothing else, then the fact that Kikyo wasn't angry with him despite knowing her secret was the reward. The system might have influenced her mind, but it still made him relieved that she didn't react in a violent way or anything.
It also felt like they had become closer than before, now that one was aware of the other's true nature.
~XoX~
"I should have bought something from the convenience store before going home earlier."
With a tired look on his face, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka walked through the grounds in search of the nearest store, as he felt his stomach grumbling in hunger.
After the little encounter he had with Kikyo earlier this afternoon, the two headed to the dorms together. Surprisingly, nothing else happened on the way there and like what he had wished for, Kiyotaka was able to get an early rest despite the slight detour he had to take, and ended up sleeping for several hours undisturbed.
However, it also caused him to wake up at about 8:42 in the evening with a hungry stomach, causing him to search for something to eat for his dinner.
The poor guy only groaned to himself when he saw that he didn't have any ingredients left, and his stock of instant ramen and microwavable bentos had all been consumed already. In other words, he would have to go out and buy something to eat.
Luckily for him, he didn't wake up in the middle of the night, so the convenience stores should still be open. It didn't make his situation less of a hassle, though. It was still annoying to have to leave the dorms when the sun was already gone.
Heh, if only the system could somehow bend reality to his favor again by teleporting him to the nearest store and letting him buy what he wanted for free. Unfortunately, it only activates whenever one of his heroines needs it, and nobody was with him right now.
"I should buy some more ingredients in a few days. Just enough until the end of the month when the school distributes our points. Also have to remember to keep track of the food that I have everyday… before going to sleep, preferably," the young man thought.
As much as possible, he didn't want to do this again.
Kiyotaka reached the convenience store a few minutes later. After buying a couple of ready-to-eat meals, a few packets of instant ramen that would be enough for the next few days, and a can of soda, he immediately headed back to the dorms.
However, before he could reach the entrance to the building, he saw two people who were standing there. He couldn't recognize the tall one because he was facing the lights from the building, but he got a good look at the other person, and he was surprised to see that it was none other than his black-haired classmate who also happened to be his neighbor.
"Horikita? What is she doing here?" he thought, raising an eyebrow in confusion at what he was seeing. "And who is she talking to?"
Deciding to take a closer look but not wanting to attract attention, Kiyotaka quickly slipped through the nearest trees and hid himself from sight. Before he could fully pay attention to Suzune and the person whom she was speaking to, a pink screen appeared before him.
[A Special Event has been Triggered!]
As soon as he saw the notification, Kiyotaka crushed the can in his hand before punching the tree next to him. His punch was strong enough to the point that the impact caused a little crater afterwards. He was just lucky that it wasn't heard by the two people not far from him.
Just when he had thought that his suffering was done for the day, this happened.
"This day just keeps on getting better…" he said in his mind sarcastically, as he threw his soda can to the nearest trash can before turning back to the scene with a sigh. "I wonder what's the 'special event' now… probably has something to do with Horikita since she's here."
"Suzune. I didn't think you'd follow me this far," the mysterious person said.
"I'm far different from the useless girl you once knew, Nii-sama. I came here to catch up to you."
Horikita Manabu stared at his sister coldly. "Catch up to me, hmm?"
Kiyotaka shifted his attention to the other person, now that he knew who it was. "So that's her brother… I couldn't recognize him at first because it's too bright from here, but now it makes sense why Horikita would be here… however, what about him? Why is Horikita-senpai here exactly?"
"I heard you were placed in Class D. How can you possibly 'catch up' to me, when nothing has changed in the last three years. You've always been fixated on following me, and as a result you don't notice your own flaws. Choosing to come to this school was a mistake."
Those words had a clear effect on Suzune by breaking down her outer defenses, but she tried to stay composed. "Y-You're wrong about that. I'll show you. I swear that I'll reach Class A, then—"
"It's pointless. You will never reach Class A. As a matter of fact, your class will fall apart soon enough. Things at this school aren't as simple as you think."
"No. I will definitely, definitely reach—"
"And I told you, it's pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister."
Manabu stepped closer to her with no hint of emotion on his face. It's like he was staring at something that he treated as nothing more than an inconvenience. He grabbed his younger sister by the wrist, the girl offering no resistance whatsoever, before pushing her against the wall.
['To Protect Her Smile' has been Activated!]
The young man didn't pay attention to the new notification that just appeared, because his sole attention was directed towards Horikita Manabu and the fact that he cornered his younger sister as if she was an animal to be put in a cage.
Kiyotaka was ready to come out of his hiding place and save Suzune from whatever was about to happen, but he resisted the urge for now just to see where this would lead.
"No matter how I try to avoid you, you always follow me around like a sick pup. However, the fact remains that you're my little sister. If people around here learned the truth about you, I would be humiliated. Leave this school immediately."
"I-I can't do that… I'll definitely reach Class A. I'll show you!" the girl stubbornly replied.
"How incredibly stupid. Do you want to relive the pain of the past?"
"Nii-san…" was all that the girl could say at the moment.
"You possess neither the abilities nor the qualities needed to reach Class A. Get that through your head. But I suppose I'll just have to beat it into you."
Manabu moved forward, as if about to act. The situation had changed so fast that Kiyotaka knew he had to be quick. He dropped the bag of food in his hand, leapt out of his hiding space, and immediately went after her brother.
Within seconds he was already there, grabbing the older student's arm, which he was about to use to hit his own sister.
"What the…?" He stared at his arm and slowly turned to the brown-haired teen with a sharp gleam in his eye.
"A-Ayanokouji-kun?!" Suzune cried out in surprise, as she wasn't expecting to see her classmate here.
"You were about to throw your sister to the ground, weren't you? You do realize the floor here is concrete, right? It may not be my business to pry, but I can't stand around and watch you abuse my classmate," he said coldly. Even Kiyotaka himself was surprised at the tone he used while talking to the older student.
"Eavesdropping is not a quality that a student of this school should possess," Manabu retorted.
"Fine. Then let go."
"That's my line."
The two glared at each other in complete silence.
"Stop it, Ayanokouji-kun…" said Suzune, her voice strained. The girl had never sounded so defeated before, and it was something that Kiyotaka wasn't used to.
The young man stared at her for a moment, before releasing her brother just like what she wanted. In an instant, Manabu tried to backhand him in the face, which he barely managed to avoid. Manabu followed it up with a sharp kick, which he quickly evaded as well.
"So close."
Manabu looked slightly confused, before he extended his right arm, and opened his hand. Kiyotaka slapped it away and went for a punch of his own, which Manabu blocked. He then retaliated with another punch, which Kiyotaka blocked as well and from there, they traded move after move which resulted in a stalemate every time.
Slap was met with slap, punch with punch, knee with knee, and kick with kick. Manabu was surprised to the point that he thought he was fighting a complete copy of himself, but didn't lower his defenses one bit.
Suzune only looked on with wide eyes as Kiyotaka and her brother matched each other blow for blow, with neither one gaining an edge. It was the first time that she had seen someone who was on the level of her older brother, and who would have thought that it would be her own neighbor?
After catching a punch from the other at the same time, the two men stared at each other dangerously for a few moments, before finally separating.
"You are immensely skilled. I did not expect you to fight well. Have you been taught?" asked Manabu.
"Who knows?" replied Kiyotaka.
"You're in Class D too, if I'm not mistaken. What a unique boy, Suzune." Manabu turned to his sister with a look of interest. "Is he your friend? I'm honestly surprised."
"He is…" Suzune turned away, a clear blush on her face. She was embarrassed about admitting such a thing in front of her brother.
If the older boy was surprised, then he certainly didn't show it on his face. "Hoh… this is truly surprising. Perhaps you might have some hope after all. However, the road to Class A is a difficult one. You must rely on everything that you have in order to succeed."
"I know that…"
"And you, Ayanokouji-kun…" Manabu shifted his attention towards the younger student and walked towards him. Kiyotaka braced himself for a possible attack from him but all Manabu did was place a hand on his shoulder and gave a small nod. "I approve."
Kiyotaka tilted his head. "...huh?"
Without saying anything more, the student council president walked past him and disappeared into the night, leaving Kiyotaka utterly confused on what he meant by those last words he told him.
"What did he say to you?" asked Suzune.
"I have no idea," he replied, deciding not to tell her about it. Besides, he wasn't lying about having no idea what the older Horikita just said to him.
With Horikita Manabu gone, the night was silent once more. The black-haired girl leaned against the wall, her head hanging low. Kiyotaka was about to invite her to walk back with him to their dorms, but Suzune spoke first.
"Did you hear everything? Or was it just a coincidence that you were here?"
"Uh, it was half coincidence, I'd say. I saw you when I bought some food from the convenience store. I just happened to walk into what was happening between you two. I really didn't mean to meddle in your business, but I couldn't let him hurt you."
Suzune lowered her head again, as if she was thinking deeply about something. If one would look at her up close, they would see a small blush that dusted her cheeks out of embarrassment.
After getting his bag of food from his hiding spot earlier, Kiyotaka approached the girl again. "Your older brother is really strong. He doesn't lack ferocity."
"He's ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in aikido," she told him.
Kiyotaka was impressed by those two feats. "He was really strong, then. No wonder he was able to fight with such high intensity and a fast pace."
"You also practice martial arts, don't you, Ayanokouji-kun? You must hold the same rank as Nii-sama."
Remembering that Suzune was there to watch him fight an experienced martial artist like Manabu, Kiyotaka realized that he would have to explain himself to her. Unfortunately, he was tired and not in the mood for such a thing.
"Maybe I do," he shrugged.
The girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you keeping something hidden from me again? Just like the truth about your test scores?"
"Hey, if anything, your brother's hiding something from you," he said, shifting the topic of the conversation to her brother.
She narrowed her eyes even more. "What are you saying?"
"Remember the club fair? Nagumo-senpai said that he knew you because you're Horikita-senpai's little sister. However, he also said that he knew me even though we have never met before. How can that be possible? It's because your brother mentioned who I am to the student council."
"What are you getting at?"
"Your brother was aware of me from the start. He knew who I was, yet he acted like this was the first time he had seen me," he revealed.
Suzune's eyes widened slightly. "But why would he do that?
"That's not what's important. If you also remember, Nagumo-senpai also mentioned that your brother wanted to talk to you someday in the future. But I'm suppose you were too distracted by actually seeing him tonight that you forgot,"
"Get to the point already," she snapped. Suzune was getting more impatient by the moment.
"From what Nagumo-senpai said, I believe it's quite obvious that this is what your brother meant when he said that he wanted to speak with you. However, it just wasn't in the way that you may be hoping for. It's about something else."
"Something else? He said that I wasn't capable of making it into Class A, and I will prove him wrong. It was quite clear what Nii-sama wanted to do," she argued.
"It's not just that. I believe this whole thing was a test."
"A test? What do you mean?"
"That's not something for me to figure out," he shook his head. This whole issue was for Suzune to deal with, and he was just here to lend her a hand… just like what the system would want. "And I'm not even sure if I'm right. For now, you should simply focus on what your brother wanted.
"O-Of course…" she replied, putting on a more determined look. Despite her brother's attempt in talking down to her, she wasn't going to let it hinder her. "I will reach Class A, one way or another."
"I don't know if you caught on to what he said, but his demeanor changed after he saw me. Before I showed up, he didn't believe that you have what it takes to be in Class A. After I did, he changed his mind," he explained. "Your brother believes in you now, and you cannot let him down."
"But I cannot do it alone," she shook her head slowly, before looking up at her classmate. The girl had learned from her mistake and she won't do it again. "You will help me… right, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"Of course." A small smile appeared on his face as he offered her his hand. "We're like partners at this point."
Suzune returned his smile with one of her own and accepted the handshake. "That doesn't sound bad."
As the two shook hands, two new notifications appeared in front of Kiyotaka, two of which that he was expecting to appear ever since earlier.
[Special Event 'Finding Her Resolve' has been cleared! You gained 41 Affection Points with Horikita Suzune!]
[Relationship Status 'Strange Friends' has been maxed! Relationship Status with Horikita Suzune has been upgraded to 'Partners-in-Crime'!]
The young man sighed to himself.
On one hand, this 'special event' only succeeded in making him even more tired than before, so much that he could feel his eyes about to drop. He might not have had to tutor Karuizawa and Sakura today, but his two encounters with Kushida and Horikita made him more tired than a study session at the library.
On the other hand, Kiyotaka wondered how his relationship with this girl will change from now on. He could already tell that Kikyo won't be the same around him now that he had seen what she's like under her mask, but Suzune was different. She had no mask to put up and her usual personality was cold and composed, even though she treats him differently than other people.
As tiring as it would be, it's interesting how she would act around him now that their relationship had changed and they had grown even closer than before.
In the not-so-far distance, Horikita Manabu watched the interaction between Kiyotaka and his sister while holding a camera in his hand, secretly recording the whole scene with a proud look on his face.
Ever since he had seen the two walking together during the first day of classes, he had kept a close eye on them and witnessed how his sister slowly became a more competent student and person while she was with Kiyotaka.
Manabu had never been more proud of his sister before, and it was all thanks to a certain classmate of hers. And now, after meeting Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in person, he had never been more sure of a suitable lover for his little sister in the future.
"Well done, Suzune. I'm proud of you for choosing the most appropriate boy to be your future husband.," he thought, thinking of how his sister looks at Kiyotaka as if he was some kind of savior in her life. "You better not let go of him, especially when you have a lot of rivals, even if you may not know it yet."
Let it be known that Horikita Manabu is the captain of the 'Suzune Route'.
MINASAN, YONDE KURETE ARIGATŌ! AISHITEMAAAAASUUUUU! *starts playing air guitar*
-Lance