I woke up two hours earlier than necessary this morning. It took a lot of willpower to actually drag myself out of bed. It wasn't until I caught sight of the angry, slightly annoyed reflection aka the face of Horikita on my phone's screen that I managed to push myself up. With that steely glare practically shaming me into action, I finally got moving.
Now, here I am, in the park, with an hour and a half until class starts. Since I don't have a treadmill, my only option for leveling up my Dexterity and Endurance stats is outdoor jogging. And really, how many Private Points would a treadmill even cost? 50,000? More?
It felt like a fantasy, so I resigned myself to running outdoors. I also invested in a pair of earbuds because there was no way I could survive this in silence. I'd read somewhere that breathing technique matters, so I focused on inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth.
Suddenly, I noticed a familiar figure nearby. It was Sudou, of all people, running at a steady pace. I shouldn't be too surprised, I guess; he is trying to make it as a pro basketball player. Still, seeing him here was unexpected. He almost instantly spotted me and veered over, looking both surprised and puzzled.
"Yo, Horikita! Didn't expect to see you running here," he called out, jogging up to me.
"Likewise," I replied, standing a bit awkwardly. Out of my element was an understatement; the only workout I was used to involved online videos, not running paths. Keeping my thoughts to myself, I focused on looking as natural as possible, though I'm sure he could tell otherwise.
Sudou decided to join me, and I didn't have the heart to turn him down. I slipped my earbuds back into my pocket and kept pace with him, or at least tried to.
As he went on about how frustrated he was with our class situation, I couldn't help but notice how he barely seemed winded while talking. His stamina must be incredible. Meanwhile, I was struggling to keep up. My body was strong enough, but compared to someone like Sudou, who probably trains every day with basketball, it was clear I had a ways to go.
"Man, what do you think I should do next?" Sudou asked, looking a bit lost. Honestly, I thought it'd take time before I could fully trust his commitment. Right now, he seemed genuine about wanting to change, but who knows if that'll last?
I racked my brain, trying to think of a way to help until an idea hit me. I remembered someone who always managed to stay calm.
"Maybe try talking to Ayanokouji-kun? He doesn't speak much in class, but I've never seen him lose his cool."
"Ayanokouji, huh?" Sudou replied, looking in thought. "Now that you mention it, he does seem like a pretty cool guy."
Sudou sighed, his frustration clear. "This whole thing with points and having to watch my behavior… it's a pain. Feels like I can't be myself, you know?"
I kept my tone steady. "Everyone's feeling the pressure, Sudou-kun. But you're not the only one dealing with it. If you start handling it now, you'll be setting yourself up to avoid bigger problems down the line."
He looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I came to this school to aim higher, to get somewhere in the basketball. Thought it'd be my shot but damn it"
"If you're serious about that," I replied, "then help unify our class. Think of it like your basketball team. Wouldn't you give your all to keep it together?"
Feeling like I was reaching my limit, I told Sudou I was done and stopped. I was about to leave but then remembered there was something I wanted to say to him.
"You should also work on managing your temper, Sudou-kun. I'm not saying this to scold you, but it wouldn't look good for a future athlete to lose their cool in the middle of a game. Reputation matters in sports—at least, that's what I think. Your team has to like you, not just play well with you."
PING!
[You gained 10 Favourability Points with Sudou Ken.]
He thought about it for a moment, realization crossing his face. "Yeah… that makes sense. Thanks, Horikita. Guess I'll see you in class."
I nodded, giving him a brief smile. "See you there."
+ 1 DEX!
+ 1 END!
+ 1 END!
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I sent a small nod as I walked into class, spotting Ayanokouji at his desk. "Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun," I greeted, and he responded with a small wave.
"Horikita. Didn't expect you'd send Sudou my way."
"Oh? So he actually talked to you?" I smirked secretly. "Well, what I told him was true. You seem to have good self-control over your facial expression."
"Maybe it looks that way," he replied, tilting his head slightly in exasperation. "Frankly, I was a nervous wreck during the class introductions. Completely messed it up because of nerves."
Now that caught my interest. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit to myself. What a shame I skipped that event. Would've been hilarious to see him struggling up there.
"So what do you think?"
Ayanokouji tilted his head thoughtfully. "Still, your advice makes sense. Sudou wears his emotions on his sleeve and it can be quite troublesome."
I nod in agreement, "That'll backfire if he's easily provoked. Keeping his temper in check could be good for the whole class."
"So you want me to keep him in check?"
"Exactly," I replied, crossing my arms. "We don't want people thinking they can mess with Sudou-kun so easily. Besides, if Sudou-kun's serious about his goals, he needs to stay focused and restrain his outbursts."
He looked at me with a faintly amused expression. "You really do think ahead in unusual ways, Horikita."
For a moment, his words threw me off, until I realized he was probably referring to these upperclassmen arguing with Sudou we'd already encountered. I calmed down, letting out a short breath. "Not so unusual if it's just common sense."
I cleared my throat. "So, what did you tell him? About managing his temper, I mean."
"I suggested starting with something simple, like deep breathing or counting to ten. Sudou mentioned how you told him to see the class as his team, but that might be too premature. Our class isn't exactly close yet, and asking him to put everyone on the same level as his teammates might not feel natural. There is a possibility it will alienate him more. Maybe that approach would work better once he's had more time to adjust." he replied.
I was taken aback when he finished speaking. Honestly, I hadn't expected such a thoughtful response from him.
"Is something wrong?"
Noticing my surprise, Ayanokouji seemed to realize something was off.
"No, it's just... I didn't expect you to go into such detail," I said, still processing his words.
"It's nothing special. I've read a few books on staying calm in tough situations and how to react."
It made sense now, especially with what he said about feeling nervous during the introduction. Maybe he struggled with speaking in front of a crowd, just like I do. But while I relied on Horikita's calm composure as a shield, it seemed like Ayanokouji's calmness was more of a mask to cover up his anxiety. At least, that's how it seemed to me.
I decided to act now, hoping to secretly pull Ayanokouji into my plans for the future. "Would you mind if I ask you for advice on class-related stuff sometimes? Like how to handle situations like with Sudou. Your perspective could be useful for decisions," I said, trying to sound casual, though I knew it was a little self-serving.
"Well, as long as it's not too important. I'm not great with crises, so I can't help much."
I could tell he wasn't ready to offer help to me yet. Maybe the original Horikita had to convince him a bit more. After all, by the end of the game, he was standing in front of the most intimidating people in our grade without a second thought.
"By the way, can you give me your number? It might be useful to contact you if anything comes up."
Ayanokouji hesitated for a second but nodded, pulling out his phone and handing it to me. I added my contact info and then glanced at his contacts list. To my surprise and great horrification, the only names on his phone were Ike, Yamauchi, Sudou, and Kushida.
I blinked, a little taken aback. "Wait, that's all?" I asked, unable to hide my disbelief.
His face remained the same, though I couldn't help but notice a hint of expectation.
Did he think I was surprised by how many friends he had?
How is it possible that even Hirata wasn't on his contact list? I was lucky that Horikita's cold expression hid my thoughts, or I would have started crying.
"I'm sorry." I stared at the list, momentarily feeling a pang of guilt. "I... I didn't realize it was like this," I muttered, suddenly feeling ashamed for not noticing how isolated he actually was.
Ayanokouji didn't seem to notice my inner battle. I had no idea what was more troubling: the fact that I had missed something so obvious or the fact that I now felt like I was somehow responsible for this.
"Horikita?"
"Well," I said, trying to recover, "looks like we're both experts at keeping people at arm's length," I said attempting a weak smile.
I hid the fact that I now had all the girls' phone numbers in class.
Please, don't be mad at me!
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"What?" I repeated, trying to process what I just heard because there was no way that Ayanokouji had just said something that ridiculous.
"I want to see the bathhouse," he said again, his voice as calm as ever.
I stared at him, blinking, trying to make sense of his words. "What on earth gave you that idea to talk to me on this?"
"I've never been to one. It looks interesting," he explained, as if that was the most normal thing in the world, "Besides, we are friends, aren't we? I thought it's only natural to speak your mind."
I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Are you seriously suggesting I should go with you to the bathhouse? You do realize that would cost way too many points, right? Not to mention, you don't even need me there. Moreover, why do you want me there? Why would I go to a place like that?" I shook my head, exasperated about his logic. "Plus, it's too awkward to even think about it."
I was genuinely trying to wrap my head around this ridiculous request. Had the original Horikita ever been roped into these kinds of bizarre ideas? Were they plotting some class-wide incident in a bathhouse of all places?
No, no, wait. I'm definitely overthinking this. Calm down! This isn't a big deal. I could just tell him to go alone, right?
But then, my mind wandered back to the image of his contact list—the shocking lack of connections, the barely-there social status. It dawned on me that I had totally messed up his "favorability points." How had I failed so miserably even after playing this game so many times?
I cleared my throat, trying to sound as composed as possible, though my internal monologue was spiraling out of control. "I apologize. However..."
I trailed off, still trying to figure out how to navigate without completely losing my chances.
Why was I in this situation?
"...you still need to give me a very good reason why I should agree," I continued, pushing the conversation forward.
Ayanokouji, ever the peaceful one, didn't even seem fazed. "Bathhouses are supposedly good for the body and nerves. You looked pretty stressed after your speech some time ago, didn't you? I thought it might help you relax."
I hated to admit it, but his argument was solid. A little too solid for my taste. My gaze softened slightly, failing to mask my thoughts behind my usual cold exterior.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn't just about a bathhouse. It was about power and manipulation!
It is separated so it's fine.
I sighed, still not entirely convinced, "Fine. I'll go with you but there are some conditions."
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing, silently encouraging me to continue.
I smirked to myself as a sneaky thought crossed my mind. "But, I'll be the one deciding when we go and how long we stay. I've had enough of feeling stressed lately. Plus, I'll need to... evaluate the situation thoroughly," I said, trying to keep my voice casual.
Ayanokouji nodded, as if this was all perfectly normal. Little did he know, I was already plotting how I could use this small outing to my advantage. If I played my cards right, this could work out much better than expected.
At least, I was the one in control.
"So the next condition is...