Ayanokouji and Horikita were walking back to Class D after their deal with Chabashira-sensei. The duo remained silent on the rest of the way to the classroom. Horikita was thinking about something on the other hand as the classroom appeared in their sight.
Horikita POV
What is going with me?!
I can't stop thing about Ayanokouji-kun's words from the time I was with Nii-san the other day. His words struck a chord with me and it was something that bothered me this entire time.
I should do all of this for own sake. Yes... my own sake... for my dreams and ambitions... to catch up with Nii-san.
My way of thinking... Both Nii-san and Ayanokouji-kun believed it's flawed. I... think so too. But, it doesn't change my goals. I must reach Nii-san. That has always been my goal. Ever since I was a little girl.
To achieve that, I must reach Class A. Of course, I understand now that I can't do it myself. Unfortunately, I have this defective class on my side. Their lack of academic abilities and defectives are going to be the biggest problem and will be a constant bother to me. At least I have Ayanokouji-kun. This battle for Class A is not going to be an easy one.
On another note, I can't believe Ayanokouji-kun just did that. I still don't understand him at all. He received all 50s on the entrance exam and about average scores on the midterm. Is this all a coincidence? Why is he doing this? I believe that he's smarter and sharper than he's letting on. Is he playing as a fool on purpose? His idea to purchase a point for Sudou-kun's English test is something that I would never have thought of. I didn't know that it was possible. This goes against my belief of academic abilities trumping all. Who is Ayanokouji-kun? And why is he hiding? Does he want to reach Class A with me? He does not seem to have too much interest in such feat.
Whatever the case is, there's one thing that is certain. I think I realized it when I was with Ayanokouji-Kun. But,I believe that I'm changing and Nii-san looks happy with it. He gave Ayanokouji-kun a knowing look that night and his usual stern face changed for a fraction of a second. Did Nii-san like my changes? I do not know, but I'm sure that I need to change. And I'm thankful that the person that made me change is Ayanokouji-kun.
Thank you... Ayanokouji-kun.
Ayanokouji POV:
Ayanokouji entered the classroom with Horikita at the same time which prompted some suspicious glances from Ayanokouji's soulmates. Horikita and Ayanokouji approached Sudou who looked distraught and is packing up his belongings. Ike and Yamauchi gave him a pitiful look and looked nervous about to say something. Kushida was staring down, seemingly looking sad at Sudou's expulsion. Hirata was staring blankly at the classroom's wall with his fists clenched in anger.
"Sudou-kun." said Horikita.
"What is it?" replied Sudou. Sudou still looked distraught and seemed to have no more fight within him. He just simply wanted to get it over with.
"Your expulsion has been rescinded."
"WHAT?!"
Sudou's surprise is expected as he received the unexpected news. Life has re-entered into his body as his eyes widened and the color of his face became livelier. Ike and Yamauchi gasped and listened into the conversation. Kushida looked up and smiled. Sudou's sudden outburst was loud and surprising which got most of the attention off the class. Hirata's eyes widened as he stared at the group in shock, listening in at the unexpected news. The nearby classmates widened this eyes and were surprised by Horikita's actions. Most of them couldn't believe that Horikita did something like that and she seemed to not care about her classmates due to her isolationist, unfriendly, and cold behavior towards people. Of course, they didn't see her changes and only Ayanokouji saw her more vulnerable side.
"Chabashira-sensei changed her mind and your expulsion has been rescinded. Horikita did all the work and talked to her." said Ayanokouji. He decided to use Horikita to hide his involvement and spoke first before Horikita could say anything. Horikita froze and gave Ayanokouji a glare.
"W-wait..." started Horikita.
"T-thanks, Horikita. I owe you one." said Sudou, looking and sounding grateful that Horikita saved him.
"But..."
"Thank you, Horikita-san. Thank you for saving Sudou-kun." said Hirata, bowing his head slightly. Hirata's sudden action surprised some of the girls that followed him and they began to agree with him.
"Yeah. Horikita-san is someone good."
"I can't believe someone like her did something like that."
"I thought she hated us."
"Yay! Thank you, Horikita-san. Thanks for saving one of our classmate! I'm so glad that you changed your ways!" said Kushida, smiling and clapping happily.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I did it for own sake. Losing Sudou-kun might cause us to lose points or any demerits." said Horikita. Apparently, she wasn't comfortable on the attention that she's receiving. Horikita also didn't appreciate that Ayanokouji gave her all the credit and dodge all of it by using her. She gave Ayanokouji a full cold glare and he averted his eyes.
Kushida giggled at Horikita's statement, amused by it. Hirata didn't seemed to care and just seemed grateful on Horikita's actions.
"Same as ever, huh?" muttered Sudou.
"It's almost time for class." said Horikita, deciding to change the subject. "Get back to your seats."
Everyone began to head back to their seats. Ayanokouji sat at his desk and felt Horikita's glare towards him. He turned towards her and she mouthed something to him. Ayanokouji got the message loud and clear: You need to explain this later. Ayanokouji nodded as Mashima-sensei entered the classroom.
*Timeskip (after school)*
Ayanokouji stay in his seat when the school bell rang. Sudou gave Horikita one last grateful look before leaving with Ike and Yamauchi. Ayanokouji knew what's coming to him. Horikita turned to faced Ayanokouji.
"Explain yourself." said Horikita.
"What's much to explain? You saved Sudou from expulsion." replied Ayanokouji.
"Don't play too smart with me. You know that you bear half of the responsibility. Why do you give me all of the credit?"
"Because you need allies, Horikita. Your cold and arrogant personality has already pushed most of the class against you. You need to better your image and this is the start."
"..."
Horikita stayed silent as she digested Ayanokouji's reasoning to his actions.
'I suppose Ayanokouji-kun is right. My past actions and behavior is less than desirable for the class. Saving Sudou-kun will help my reputation and gather more allies at my disposal.' thought Horikita.
"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun." said Horikita. She looked down at the ground as she said those words. Her face a little red and she seemed a little embarrassed and happy at the same time that A helped her.
To be honest, I just want to use someone to hide my activities and involvement. I want a sense of a peaceful life, but I think it's no longer possible due to my soulmates. But, at least, I should hide my abilities otherwise I will be dragged into the class battles.
Before Ayanokouji could respond to Horikita, Kushida approached Ayanokouji's desk. Horikita's face soured as she saw Kushida approaching them.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun and Horikita-san." said Kushida, cheerfully.
"Hello." said Ayanokouji and Horikita.
"Thanks again for saving Sudou-kun, Horikita-san."
"I did it for my own sake." replied Horikita.
Kushida just smiled before turning her head towards Ayanokouji.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Remember what you said about a month ago?" asked Kushida.
"A month ago?" replied Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji had said a lot of things last month. He wondered what he said to Kushida that caused her to remember it. But, Ayanokouji had something in mind and he also have a bad feeling about it.
"Yeah! Remember you promised a date with me!" said Kushida, happily.
"I see. I recall saying something like this." said Ayanokouji, dryly. Ayanokouji said that to get Horikita and Kushida off him when he bought Mii-chan a jade bracelet and the moment where she had fallen for him. Of course, it was to test the limits of the soulmates magic, to see how jealous and badly they wanted for him. He noticed that any soulmates seemed to be jealous on any girls that flirt or seemed close to him. That may also explain on when the number of Ayanokouji's soulmates increased, the more jealousy arises for the rest of Ayanokouji's soulmates as each of them spend more time with Ayanokouji.
I wonder how far can I take this.
Horikita's face immediately warped to one of realization and shock. It looks like she also remember that promise as well.
"Ayanokouji-kun. I also recall such promise. Need I must remind you, you promise that you'll take both of us out on a date." said Horikita, interrupting the conversation. Horikita's face was a little red because she was embarrassed on saying something so shameful and embarrassing. Kushida's face smiled at Horikita, but inside was a burning, raging inferno.
'I can't believe I just said that. I never expect those words to come out of my mouth. But, I feel very joyful. What a joy...' thought Horikita.
'Stupid ass bitch! Fuck off! Annoying ass bitch always messing with my business. Ayanokouji-kun is not yours.' thought Kushida.
"Hmm... I did promise that." said Ayanokouji.
"I know! How about you come with us, Horikita-san?" suggested Kushida. Kushida is smiling, but inside was a hatred, anger, and rage built up inside of her. It took a lot of Kushida's willpower to not explode and reveal her true identity. She was that angry that Horikita interfered and remembered Ayanokouji's promise.
"It seems fine with me." replied Horikita.
"Do I have a say in this?" asked Ayanokouji.
"No," said the two girls. With that, the trio left the classroom together. As they were walking to the entrance of the school, some people in the hallways noticed them and stared at them. Most of them were Kushida's admirers and gave Ayanokouji a glare. Some of boys were used to Ayanokouji and Kushida being together while others are not.
About 10 minutes later, the trio arrived at the Keyaki Mall and the date began. First, Kushida suggests that they should stop a cafe to get some drinks to celebrate. Horikita agreed, but on the condition that they go to a more secluded cafe and want to avoid the Pallet. Kushida agreed immediately and took them deeper into the mall. The trio stopped at a quaint little cafe and ordered their drinks. Ayanokouji noticed that the staff used actual coffee beans, instead of packaged already-grounded up beans. He watched them grind the beans and put it into a filter where the staff elegantly poured the water through the filter. It was different from a modern cafe where they used machines to make the coffee.
"This place has an old-timey feel to it." muttered Ayanokouji.
"I know! It's a very quiet cafe and you can see the staff make your coffee." said Kushida. Ayanokouji ordered a black coffee, Horikita ordered a mocha, and Kushida ordered a cappuccino.
"It's a bad place to stay for some alone time." said Horikita, watching the staff make her drink. Kushida began talking and steering the conversation otherwise it would've been an quiet and awkward time, waiting for their drinks.
Ayanokouji nodded along and said some few things. It was a good thing that Kushida didn't ask him about his past so, he was able to keep up. Horikita watched Kushida carefully and only answered when the conversation was directed at her. Ayanokouji wondered what happened between Kushida and Horikita in the past and how it involved Kushida's true nature.
After a few minutes, the waitress arrived with everyone's drinks and she set the drinks down to the correct person. Ayanokouji took his cup and took a sip of it. The bitter and dark roast of the coffee beans immediately hit Ayanokouji's taste buds after the first initial sip.
It's good coffee. They must use good-quality beans. The price for a cup is a little more expensive than the Pallet, but the ingredients are better here.
Unfortunately, due to my spending today, my points balance is running quite low, but I still have around 27,000 points left.
Ayanokouji set his cup down and saw Horikita and Kushida sipping their drinks. After a brief moment, Kushida spoke up.
"Impressive, Ayanokouji-kun. You drink black coffee like it's nothing." said Kushida, eying the cup of black coffee. Ayanokouji ordered it without any milk, sugar, or anything to sweeten or change the coffee's bitter taste.
"I enjoy the more simple things." said Ayanokouji, taking another sip of his coffee.
"Hmm... perhaps Ayanokouji-kun is a little more sophisticated and posher than we expected." said Kushida, in a teasing way.
"Hmm... this price. It's a little more expensive compared to most places. But, the quality of the beans are better compared to most places." mused Horikita. Apparently, Horikita came to the same conclusion as Ayanokouji.
For the rest of the time at the cafe, Ayanokouji, Horikita, and Kushida talked for a bit about trivial things and the future vacation that Chabashira-sensei talked about before the midterm. It was mostly lead by Kushida. After that, the trio paid separately for their drinks when everyone agreed to do it.
Ayanokouji and Horikita lost a majority of their points due to the deal with Chabashira-sensei. Ayanokouji knows that Kushida is low on points because he saw Kushida giving her friends and classmates points at the beginning of the month when they realized that they don't received any monthly points.
After that, the trio decided to explore the Keyaki Mall and see what stores they are. Ayanokouji did not have any objections to it and wanted to see more of the mall. The trio did some window shopping and Ayanokouji went to a variety of stores that he didn't expected to go: a jewelry store, some clothing stores, and shoe store. Due to the limited amount of points they have, the trio didn't buy too much, but Ayanokouji decided to buy some items for them, out of obligation for the date.
Ayanokouji bought Kushida a dark-blue blouse with a rose pattern while he bought Horikita a new multi-purpose pencil case where she can store her pencils and compass. Of course, Ayanokouji is carrying the shopping bags and the trio stopped at a nearby bench where there was a vending machine.
They bought their respective drinks and sat in silence, sipping their drinks. After a few moments, Ayanokouji heard someone calling his name at the flow of traffic of passerby students.
"Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Nishikawa, approaching the trio. She was with Tsukaji and two other girls. Tsukaji gave Ayanokouji a nod as greeting. One of the girl has bright red hair that runs down her back with some mini braids and some colorful orange sunglasses on her head. She also has red-orange colored eyes. The other girl has light-blue hair tied in a ponytail with some dark-green earrings and sparkling turquoise-colored eyes .
The four girls approached the sitting trio and stood nearby.
"It's a been while. You're still here?" said Nishikawa, laughing jokingly and clapped Ayanokouji on the shoulder.
"That's surprising." said Tsukaji, dryly. "I suppose you got lucky or you're decent at studying."
"You know him too, Tsukaji-san?"
"Yeah. I met him at a park a while back."
Horikita and Kushida narrowed their eyes at that statement and wondered how Ayanokouji already knew a bunch of students from a different class. Ayanokouji internally sighed, realizing what's happening.
Please don't go into detail, Tsukaji. Don't tell everyone that we met alone in a park alone early in the morning.
Thankfully, one of the other girls spoke up, cutting Tsukaji's chance to elaborate further.
"Who's this, Nishikawa and Tsukaji-san?" asked red-haired girl. The other girl studied Ayanokouji and his company. They all seemed to recognize Kushida which shows the extent of Kushida's connections and friendliness.
"Oh! I forgot to introduce you. This is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D." said Nishikawa, introducing Ayanokouji to the group.
"So, this is your secret boyfriend, Nishikawa. The guy that I saw with you that other day." teased the red-haired girl. Ayanokouji recognized her as the girl that was waiting for Nishikawa near the dorms during the day where Ayanokouji went with Mori to the arcade and met Nishikawa for the first time at the general store.
"Stop it, Tamiya! It told you already it's not like that!" said Nishikawa, her face a little red. Tamiya became teasing her more, but Nishikawa managed to deflect most of it away, her face is still a little red. Horikita and Kushida looked at Ayanokouji, suspiciously due to that interaction. The last girl just looked at Nishikawa and Tamiya in confusion.
"Where are my manners?" said the blue-haired. "I should introduce myself. I'm Nishi Haruka from Class A. Nice to meet you all."
"Ah! I forgot. I'm Tamiya Emi from Class A as well." said Tamiya, properly introducing herself.
"You sure know a lot of girls, Ayanokouji-kun." said Horikita, with a slight cold tone and staring at him. Kushida nodded along.
"It's nice to see you again, Tamiya-san, Nishi-san, and Nishikawa-san. Nice knowing you, Tsukaji-san!" said Kushida, happily. "Ah... this is..."
"Horikita Suzune from Class D." said Horikita, interrupting Kushida.
"Nice to meet you, Horikita-san." said Tamiya. Tsukaji remained silent and watched the group's interaction.
"Tsukaji-san, introduce yourself." scolded Tamiya, whacking Tsukaji on the head lightly.
"Ow. They already know my name because of you guys. Why should introduce myself?" asked Tsukaji, rubbing her head and stared at them, blankly.
"Because... it's a first introduction. Don't just assume everyone picked up your name because we mentioned you briefly."
"Okay. I'm Tsukaji Shihori from Class A. Pleasure to meet you."
"C'mon, say that with a little more flair. You sound like Ayanokouji-kun. No offense."
"None taken." said Ayanokouji.
"See! You have almost the same expressions!" exclaimed Tamiya, looking at Ayanokouji's and Tsukaji's faces.
"That's a little rude, Tamiya-san." said Nishikawa while Nishi chuckled at the comparison. Horikita and Kushida decided to have a look themselves and they began to muttering in agreement and nodded along.
What's happening? Why is the focus on me right now?
Ayanokouji could see a bit of resemblance between himself and Tsukaji. Both him and Tsukaji have a blank expression all the time and same blunt and neutral tone in their voice. Of course, there's a difference in their abilities and past.
"So, you're the famous guy that hangs out with Kushida-san all the time." said Nishi, giving Ayanokouji a thorough look.
"I suppose that's me. There's rumors off that?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Duh! You're hanging out with one of the most popular girl in the year. There's bound to be attention."
"I see."
"Tell me, Ayanokouji-kun. Are you dating Kushida-san or Horikita-san?" asked Tamiya.
"Don't be so direct, Tamiya-san!" hissed Nishi. Nishikawa looked shocked, but stayed silent, observing. Tsukaji remained silent and watched on.
"No." said Ayanokouji, immediately. Ayanokouji thought he saw a look of disappointment in Kushida's face before changing back to usual cheery self.
"Wow. So quick. If that's the case, are you just hanging out with them? Or is this a little date?" teased Tamiya.
"I guess you can look it that way." replied Ayanokouji. His answer shocked Nishikawa, Nishi, and Tamiya who didn't expected it from Ayanokouji. Even Tsukaji was shocked, but she kept her face blank and was thinking about it internally.
"Wow!"
"Even, Satonaka-kun wouldn't be able to get Kushida-san and another beautiful girl on a date at the same time!"
"Ayanokouji-kun is a monster..."
Horikita and Kushida looked away slightly flustered by the reactions and Ayanokouji 's statement. Ayanokouji titled his head in confusion. He didn't downright just said that he was on a date with Horikita and Kushida. He just mentioned that it could be interrupted that way, but he didn't confirm or deny it.
"You idiots... Ayanokouji-kun didn't confirm it. He just said that it could seen in that way." said Tsukaji. Tsukaji had a moment of shock and surprise before she started to think about it logically.
"Really?"
"Hmm..."
"I guess we've jumped the gun on that one."
"Sorry, Ayanokouji-kun." said the three girls.
"It's okay. It's not like I'm going on a date with Horikita and Kushida at the same time. It will be pretty stupid of me to doing something like in public." said Ayanokouji, accepting their apology. Kushida and Horikita stared at him, a little surprised by his ability to bounce back from it and lying easily.
"Yeah! I know right! "laughed Tamiya.
"That would be way too bold." said Nishikawa.
Tsukaji pulled out her phone and looked at it before slipping it back into her pocket.
"It's time for us to go. It's almost time." said Tsukaji.
"Crap. We don't wanna be late for the meeting." muttered Nishi.
"Yeah. Don't want to piss her off." said Nishikawa.
"See ya later, Ayanokouji-kun." said Tamiya.
"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun!"
"Goodbye, everyone." said Ayanokouji, giving them a wave. The four girls said their goodbyes to Horikita and Kushida before walking away.
"What an interesting group you met, Ayanokouji-kun." said Horikita, after a brief moment of silence.
"Just fellow acquaintances, I suppose." replied Ayanokouji.
"Let's get going. Are we done here?" asked Kushida.
"Yeah. Let's go back to the dorm." said Ayanokouji. Horikita agreed and the trio exited the Keyaki Mall and headed their way back to the dorms. After a few minutes of walking, the trio bumped into a duo that Ayanokouji recognized.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Nanami, giving Ayanokouji a friendly wave. Yamashita gave Ayanokouji a smile and a wave as well.
"Hello, Nanami and Yamashita." said Ayanokouji. Horikita was taken aback on the amount of girls that Ayanokouji knows and it was all girls from different classes. Horikita could mostly tolerate the girls from her class, which happens to be most of Ayanokouji's soulmates, because she could keep any eye on them for most of the day, due to class time. But, girls from other classes are a little different because they are rivals in class battles and in other endeavors especially from a romantic perspective.
"Hi, Kushida-chan!" said Nanami.
"Hey, Nanami-san and Yamashita-san!" said Kushida. Yamashita and Nanami both gave Horikita quick glance before Horikita introduced herself.
"You going back already?" asked Nanami.
"Yeah. Where are you going?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Just celebrating with Shiho and Rika at the Keyaki Mall. Glad to pass the midterm exam."
"I see."
"At least no one was expelled, right?" asked Kushida. Nanami nodded and duo engaged with some small talk with each other. They also included Horikita in, which Horikita hesitantly joined in. This left Ayanokouji and Yamashita looking at each other and they decide to talk about anime. After a few minutes of talking, Yamashita brought up something.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm going to send you a couple of my good stuff to you." said Yamashita, tapping on her phone. Yamashita said it causally and phrased it quite a misleading way which prompted the conversation between Nanami, Horikita, and Kushida to stop as they stared at the duo. Horikita and Kushida were both shocked and surprised, with a feeling of betrayal and disgust.
"Okay." replied Ayanokouji, pulling out his phone and checking the messages that Yamashita sent him. It was a list of a bunch of anime titles and Ayanokouji recognized some of them from Eiichiro.
"Sent it to you. Have a look at it when you should have the time. Should be a good time."
"I'm looking forward to it. Thank you, Yamashita."
'Good stuff? Don't tell me that Ayanokouji-kun and Yamashita-san is sending inappropriate pictures to each other. No... Ayanokouji-kun couldn't stoop this low and perverted. Right?' thought Horikita, panicking slightly.
'What?! Good stuff? Is Ayanokouji-kun getting nudes from this bitch? What the fuck?! Her body is not nearly as good as mines. Wait... WAIT A MINUTE! Why am I thinking like this? I-i shouldn't be thinking about stuff like that with Ayanokouji-kun...' thought Kushida, angry at first and quickly falling into a state of panic and embarrassment.
Nanami, who knows Yamashita better than Horikita and Kushida, just sighed and rubbed her forehead, recognizing what Yamashita just said and how it could be misinterpreted. On the other hand, Ayanokouji could feel a misunderstanding brewing, but couldn't understand what caused it.
"You should clarify, Saki." said Nanami.
"Clarify? U-uh... I'm sending anime titles to Ayanokouji-kun?" said Yamashita, a little confused by Nanami's statement. With that, Horikita and Kushida realized it was a misunderstanding and calmed down. But that didn't stopped them from giving Yamashita a glare for giving them a scare. Yamashita shifted a little uncomfortably before blurting something out.
"Y-you know, we've gotta go. Don't want to leave Rika and Shiho waiting." said Yamashita, laughing nervously.
"Ah! You're right. See ya, Ayanokouji-kun. Kushida-san. Horikita-san." said Nanami. The duo gave the trio one last wave and farewell before heading towards the direction to the Keyaki Mall.
Before Kushida or Horikita could say anything, Ayanokouji gestured them to continue walking and the trio walked in silence. Ayanokouji could feel Kushida and Horikita stare at him curiously. Ayanokouji looked up at the sky and sighed at his luck before returning his attention in front of him. Unfortunately, it was too late and Ayanokouji ran into someone. No, someone ran into Ayanokouji. The person must have been in a hurry because they plowed into Ayanokouji and managed to knock him off his feet.
Ayanokouji fell towards the ground, but he managed to tuck his legs in, breaking the fall and managed not to hurt himself too badly. Ayanokouji was on top of the person and the person came into view as he blinked the spots from his eyes. That person was Ninomiya Yui.
Ayanokouji could see Ninomiya's body up-close and personal. Her body wasn't that bad and Ayanokouji could see some of her buttons of her blazer and shirt, unbuttoned, probably due to Ninomiya's clumsiness and forgetfulness. Ninomiya's eyes widened in realization of the situation that she and Ayanokouji is in and her face became flustered. Ayanokouji's face is quite close to hers. Ayanokouji raised his hands to help Ninomiya up and she accepted it.
"I-i'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun!" yelped Ninomiya, trying to get up quickly and untangle herself from Ayanokouji. She moved her head forward too quickly and headbutt Ayanokouji's head accidentally before giving him a chance to back away.
This resulted in Ayanokouji falling backwards and the momentum caused Ninomiya to be pulled along with Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji managed to land on his arms, cushioning himself and not landing directly on his back. Ninomiya ended up on top of Ayanokouji instead and it the same position. The difference was that Ninomiya's blazer was off her upper body and dangling on her arms, half-off. Due to the change of momentum and change in position, Ninomiya's unbuttoned shirt was moved, revealing her shoulders and bra straps. Of course, Ayanokouji and Ninomiya were still holding hands which changed quickly as Ninomiya panickedly let go.
"S-sorry, Ayanokouji-kun!" yelped Ninomiya. "I didn't mean to!"
Ninomiya panicky tried to back away from Ayanokouji, but managed to get a few inches away before falling on her back. Ayanokouji tried to get up to check on Ninomiya, but stopped. Ninomiya was laying on her back and her lower body is facing Ayanokouji and her legs were spread out a little and Ayanokouji was getting a view of Ninomiya's white, rose-patterned panties.
What is this luck? First, I ran into a group of Class A girls, a misunderstanding with Yamashita and Nanami, and now I'm getting a look into the forbidden. This all happened while I'm on a date with 2 girls.
Ninomiya is quite the clumsy girl. How did a simple run-in become into this?
Ayanokouji quickly averted his eyes and helped himself up before helping Ninomiya up. Ninomiya thanked him multiple times with a flustered face. Ninomiya buttoned up her shirt and blazer which took a few moments as Ayanokouji was getting cold and angry glare directed at him and Ninomiya.
After a few moments, Ninomiya seemed to have calmed down slightly. She swallowed nervously, her face still red, before speaking again.
"I-I'm sorry, Ayanokouji -kun. I-i didn't m-mean to." stammered Ninomiya.
"Okay. Take a deep breath." said Ayanokouji. Ninomiya took Ayanokouji's advice and took a few deep breaths before trying again.
"S-sorry Ayanokouji-kun. I didn't mean to run into you and make you a little uncomfortable." said Ninomiya, bowing head towards Ayanokouji.
"It's okay, Ninomiya. It's not like I got injured." replied Ayanokouji. Ninomiya gave Ayanokouji an embarrassed smile before thanking him.
"Ayanokouji-kun, who is this?" asked Horikita. The tone of her voice sounded cold as she gave Ayanokouji and Ninomiya a frosty look while Kushida gave them an angelic smile. Ayanokouji knew that Kushida is hiding her anger and rage with her usual smile. If they were alone, she would've snapped and revealed her true self. Ayanokouji gave her credit for her phenomenal acting skills and calm composure.
"This is Ninomiya Yui from Class B." said Ayanokouji. Ninomiya nodded her head and gave Horikita and Kushida a shy wave.
"Nice to meet you, Ninomiya-san!" said Kushida, happily. Horikita nodded in acknowledgement, but kept her stare directed at her.
"I'm going to go. Sorry again!" said Ninomiya. She gave them one last wave before leaning hurriedly towards the direction of the Keyaki Mall.
Ayanokouji looked at Ninomiya's retreating and fading figure. Then, he turned around and felt the stares from Horikita and Kushida.
"I'm going to have to explain myself?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yep." replied Kushida and Horikita as they began to close the distance between Ayanokouji.
*Timeskip (20 minutes later)*
Ayanokouji is sitting in his dorm after a long explanation regarding his relationship with Ninomiya and what happened. Of course, Ayanokouji denied the fact that he did on purpose or enjoyed the experience. But a chill ran through Ayanokouji's body when he was thinking about his enjoyment of that situation. Something felt off and he felt a presence that he hasn't felt for a long time, but Ayanokouji shrugged it off
Ayanokouji was wondering what to have for dinner, but he heard a knock at his door. Ayanokouji got up from the sofa, approached the door, and look through the peephole. He saw Mii-chan standing there with a plastic bag in her arms. Ayanokouji opened the door.
"Good evening, Ayanokouji-kun." said Mii-chan.
"Hello, Mii-chan." replied Ayanokouji.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
"Sorry for the intrusion."
Mii-chan entered Ayanokouji's room and removed her shoes. She then went over to Ayanokouji's kitchen and placed the plastic bag onto the counter.
"What have you brought?" asked Ayanokouji, a little curious.
"You know the promise that we made about my wontons." said Mii-chan.
"I see. You've made them?"
"Yeah... and I-i'll like to give you a taste." said Mii-chan, shyly. She gave Ayanokouji a nervous smile.
"Okay. I'm going to assume that you want to eat them with me?"
"Y-yeah."
Ayanokouji noticed that Mii-chan didn't give the bag to him when he answered the door and instead entered his room. He was sure that Mii-chan didn't have any dinner yet and wanted to eat with him.
"How do you should I cook this?" asked Ayanokouji.
"L-let's cook together, then." said Mii-chan.
Mii-chan rolled up her sleeves and followed Ayanokouji to the kitchen. Mii-chan instructed Ayanokouji to boil two pots of water to which he followed it. Mii-chan asked if Ayanokouji has some noodles to which he nodded and brought them out.
"We're making wonton noodles." said Mii-chan. Ayanokouji nodded and helped Mii-chan wash and prepare the noodles. They added the noodles and wontons into their own separate boiling pots. Mii-chan grabbed and mixed some soy sauce, oyster sauce, and some other ingredients to make a sauce for the noodles. A grabbed a third pot which he kept to the side, boiling. Ayanokouji had already added chicken broth and kept in boiling. Mii-chan gave Ayanokouji a nod as she added a few ingredients into the broth to build up the flavor. After that, the duo left the kitchen as all that was left is waiting for the noodles and wontons are finished cooking.
The duo set up the table for dinner and sat down on the couch together. After a brief moment of silence, Ayanokouji spoke up.
"We look like a newly-wed couple, don't we?" asked Ayanokouji.
"A-ayanokouji-kun..." yelped Mii-chan. Her face grew red, flustered by Ayanokouji's statement. After a brief moment of silence, Mii-chan muttered something shyly.
"Y-yeah, I guess." said Mii-chan, twirling her fingers around and playing with it.
"I won't mind if it was you, Mii-chan. As I said before, you'll make a perfect wife." said Ayanokouji, reminding her on what he said the first time they met and talked. Mii-chan blushed heavily as she averted her eyes. Ayanokouji could see her ears which is red as her face and some smoke coming out of her ears.
"Y-you don't mean that..."
"Yes, I do. I won't have any complaints if that was the case." said Ayanokouji, switching directly to Mandarin.
Mii-chan immediately stopped fidgeting and stared directly in front of her without blinking. It seemed that Mii-chan was too shocked to react anymore and just stared off. It's similar to how a computer stops working and requires some troubleshooting. Ayanokouji wondered if he went a little too far, so he decided to stay silent to avoid causing more harm.
After a few minutes of silence, Mii-chan seemed to regain a little bit of her composure.
"T-that's nice for you to say, Ayanokouji-kun." said Mii-chan. Ayanokouji just nodded his head.
"By the way, I noticed some few things lying around. Some cups and extra pair of chopsticks." said Mii-chan, giving Ayanokouji a curious look. Those items mentioned by Mii-chan were cups, chopsticks, and other miscellaneous things that Shinohara, Kushida, and some of Ayanokouji's soulmates brought with them when they stayed at his room. Of course, Ayanokouji was tutoring Shinohara who brought over her own cup and chopsticks. Sometimes they have dinner together if the study session was too long. Kushida came to Ayanokouji's room sometimes to vent her frustration. Horikita came to Ayanokouji from time to time for advice and to change her tutoring schedule for the study group. Luckily, none of them actually bumped into each other when they were in Ayanokouji's room, but Ayanokouji figured it will be a matter of time when there's too many soulmates and will eventually run into each other in Ayanokouji's room.
"Oh! I had some visitors lately, so they leave their things behind." said Ayanokouji.
'Hmm... those look like belongings of a girl. They have little cute and girly designs. I don't think Ayanokouji-kun would have such things. Also there's way too many cups and pair of chopsticks for one person. How many girls did he have in his room?!' thought Mii-chan. Ayanokouji noticed that Mii-chan looks determined by something.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun." said Mii-chan.
"Yes?" replied Ayanokouji.
"If you don't mind, I'll like to do this again."
"This?"
"Yeah. Eat dinner with you..."
"I'm fine with it."
"Thank you."
Mii-chan gave Ayanokouji a smile and they locked eyes for a brief moment. Then, they stared at each other for about a minute. Mii-chan's face seemed to growing a little more red by the second, but she managed to keep her eyes locked with Ayanokouji's. Ayanokouji could see the affection and admiration in Mii-chan's eyes. He marveled the power of the soulmates and how it changed them. Ayanokouji knew Mii-chan for about two months and she already fallen for him. He wondered if he can gain such emotions that are unknown to him. He knows those emotions especially love, but does not truly understand and felt them. Ayanokouji's curiosity drives him to explore these emotions and to understand and feel them. Of course, he is willing to experiment on his soulmates to see how those emotions come to fruition from his soulmates and from himself.
What will happened to my soulmates? Will they be able to change my mind and perspective? Will I finally experience the same emotions that they are feeling right now? The feeling of love? Desire? Warmth? Who knows?!
Will it take only one girl or multiple? But, we shall see.
"Ayanokouji-kun..." said Mii-chan.
"U-uh..." said Ayanokouji. Then, he realized that he was staring blankly and seemed to be spacing out.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. I was just thinking."
"Okay. The noodles and wontons should be ready!"
"Let's go, then."
Ayanokouji and Mii-chan went to the kitchen, turning off the stove. Mii-chan opened the lids of the pots to check the contents while Ayanokouji prepared and placed two empty bowls next to her. Mii-chan grabbed a spoon and blew on it to cool it off before taking a sip. She noticed that Ayanokouji was watching and scooped a little for him. Mii-chan blew on it softly before offering it to him.
"Say 'Ahh...'" said Mii-chan, gently pushing three spoon closer to Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji opens his mouth and the flavor of chicken broth with a bit of a spicy kick was detected by his tastebuds. Mii-chan's face was a little red as she realized that she used the same spoon that she used , but she was happy.
"Taste good. Let's get the rest of the stuff." said Ayanokouji.
Mii-chan nodded and grab a ladle, scooped some of the broth out, and placed it gently into the two bowls. Ayanokouji grabbed a pair of cooking chopsticks and began pulling the noodles out, placing them into the bowls. He made sure to do it gently to avoid creating any splashing of the broth and made sure to have almost the same amount of noodles on each bowl. Mii-chan grabbed a ladle with holes on the bottom and began grabbing scoping up the wontons. She gave it 5 to 10 seconds to let the water drain out before placing the wontons into the bowls.
"Ayanokouji-kun, can you cut some scallions? There should be some in the bag that I brought with me." said Mii-chan. Ayanokouji nodded, checked the bag, and found some in the bottom. Ayanokouji grabbed a chopping board and began chopping them to small pieces as Mii-chan finished scoping up the last of the wontons. Ayanokouji grabbed the small pieces of scallions and scattered them into the bowl, topping the wonton noodles as Mii-chan spread some sauce that they made earlier on the noodles. With that, the meal is finished and ready to eaten.
Ayanokouji and Mii-chan decided to pour out the hot and used water out and clean the pots. Within a few minutes, everything was cleaned which included the utensils they used to cook. Mii-chan set up the table while Ayanokouji carried the two bowls out. The duo sat down facing each other.
"Let's eat." said the duo.
Ayanokouji first tried Mii-chan's wontons and he enjoyed it. He can taste the pork, scallions, and a bit of oyster sauce. The wonton wrappings has just the perfect texture: not too hard or soft. Ayanokouji tried the noodles and it complements the wontons and the flavor is increased to the chicken broth and sauce. Then, he took a sip of the broth with his spoon and set the spoon down after his first taste of everything.
Mii-chan was staring at Ayanokouji expectantly and nervously, awaiting his answer.
"It's good. Your wontons are pretty good." said Ayanokouji, taking another bite of another wonton.
"T-thank you." said Mii-chan, shyly.
"I can tell that you put a lot of effort into it. Well done."
Mii-chan nodded her head, shyly and took another slurp of her noodles. The duo spent the rest of dinner time, eating their meals in silent ad they enjoyed their dinner that they created together. After finishing their meal, they carried their bowls and Mii-chan insisted that she wash the dishes. Ayanokouji hesitantly agreed if she allows him to dry the dishes after she finished washing them. She reluctantly agreed and the duo spent a few minutes, washing and drying the dishes.
"Take a seat. I'll make some tea for you." said Ayanokouji.
"You don't need to." said Mii-chan. Ayanokouji ignored her and continued to prepared the teapot and kettle. Mii-chan realized that Ayanokouji wasn't going to stop and she stopped resisting and went over to the sofa.
After a few minutes, Ayanokouji carried the tray out and took a seat on the sofa.
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun." said Mii-chan. Ayanokouji nodded his head and grabbed his cup, blowing the steam for a few moments before taking a sip.
The duo began to engage in small talk with revolved around the class and the midterm. Ayanokouji could tell that there's something in Mii-chan's mind and it must be important. He could tell that she wanted to bring it up, but is waiting for the right time and she was using the small talk to warmup.
"Mii-chan, is there something you want to tell me?" asked Ayanokouji.
"E-ehh... I guess nothing gets by you, Ayanokouji-kun." said Mii-chan, a little surprised by Ayanokouji's deduction and how he was right.
"You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable."
"No..."
Mii-chan took a deep breath before continuing.
"Ayanokouji-kun, as you know, I was born in another country and moved here when I was younger. Don't get me wrong. I love Japan, but I always felt a little off even though I lived here for a long time. I feel like a foreigner and kind of out-of-place. I know it sounds stupid because I can speak Japanese. But, ever since I met you, I feel a little happy and relieved that I met someone that can understand my language and someone that can understand me." said Mii-chan. She looked down as Ayanokouji looked at her.
'Ahh... it feels so good to get that off my chest. I didn't expect Ayanokouji-kun to speak Mandarin, but I was relieved that I found someone that can speak my language. Someone that I can talk to and can understand. So, I don't feel like I'm out of place in this school. That's a bonus because Ayanokouji-kun is like a Prince Charming, similar to Hirata-kun. He's a little quiet, but he's kind, understanding, and could understand me. He even noticed that I have something on my chest.' thought Mii-chan.
After a few moments, Ayanokouji spoke up in Mandarin.
'Mii-chan. You don't need to worry about being out of place or nervous here. It doesn't matter where you are born. All that matters is that you're here. You can speak good Japanese and can make friends despite not being a native Japanese. It's impressive and you should be proud of yourself. You have your friends if you're feeling a little out of place.' said Ayanokouji.
'U-uhh... I know that. But, I think you're right. Although I think I trust you more. Can I lean on you?' asked Mii-chan, her face a little flustered and averted her eyes.
'Of course. Don't be afraid to ask for help from me and your friends.' said Ayanokouji. Mii-chan's eyes widened at Ayanokouji's answers and she nodded. She smiled happily with her face a little red.
'Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun." said Mii-chan. There's a change in atmosphere as Mii-chan got the heavy burden off her chest and she felt relieved and free. The atmosphere felt less heavy and more free. Mii-chan and Ayanokouji spent another 20 minutes, engaging in small talk before she decided to leave.
"Thank you for listening for me. I have a good time." said Mii-chan, placing a foot out of the room and turned halfway facing Ayanokouji.
"I should thank you. Your wontons are really something." said Ayanokouji.
"T-thanks. See you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Bye, Mii-chan."
Mii-chan gave Ayanokouji a smile before leaving the dorm. Ayanokouji watched her retreating figure for a few moments before shutting the door. Ayanokouji began cleaning up the cups and teapot. While he was doing it, he heard a buzz from his phone. After finishing cleaning up, Ayanokouji looked at his phone and got a message from Shinohara.
Shinohara: Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. You really helped me for the midterm.
Ayanokouji: You give me too much credit. It's because of your hard work.
Shinohara: Don't be like that! You helped a lot!
Ayanokouji: I suppose. Your scores improved a bit.
Shinohara: Yeah. But it sucks compared to other people. Do you mind if I still swing by from time to time to study?
Ayanokouji: Sure. Just let me know in advance.
Shinohara: Gotcha. Good night, Ayanokouji-kun.
Ayanokouji: You too.
Shinohara: You should at least say in back :(
Ayanokouji set his phone down and grabbed a change of clothes before stepping into the bathroom.
*Timeskip (25 minutes later)*
Ayanokouji decided to take a walk and grab a drink from the vending machine after finishing showering. It was a good chance to cool off and get some fresh air instead of using the air conditioning. Ayanokouji stepped out of the elevator and left the dorm, heading to vending machines that are nearby the dorms. Ayanokouji noticed a certain classmate walking in the dark and heading away from the dorm. Ayanokouji bought a drink quickly and followed them.
After a few minutes of following, Ayanokouji saw them taking a seat at a bench. The classmate of his is sitting there, fiddling with a needle and some yarn.
"Hello, Inogashira." said Ayanokouji, stepping out of the dark and revealing himself.
"A-Ayanokouji-kun.." yelped Inogashira, startled by Ayanokouji's sudden appearance.
"Sorry to startled you."
"No. It's all right. Just didn't expected someone to come out of nowhere."
"Mind if I take a seat?"
"Go for it."
Ayanokouji took a seat on the same bench as Inogashira and the duo fell into silence. After a few moments of silence, Ayanokouji spoke up.
"What are you making?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Umm... just a new project. I was thinking about making something that I don't usual make." said Inogashira, pausing and the needle that she was using stopped moving.
"What do you usual make?"
"Scarfs, gloves, and sometimes hats."
"That's interesting."
"R-really?"
"Yes. I won't serve much of a purpose if I lied."
"T-thanks Ayanokouji-kun. I'm working on a sweater..."
"A full-size sweater?"
"Yeah. I want to prepare for winter and since it's my first time, I'm going to spend my time trying to master it."
"So, how is it?"
"Going terrible. I can't seemed to get the shape right. This is nothing compared to a scarf."
"You need everything to be perfect if you want a good sweater."
"I-i know. I-it's just that I never done something like this before."
"Keep at it. You're bound to figure out a way."
"T-that's true."
The duo fell into silence again as Inogashira continued working on her sweater. She seemed to have restarted most of her progress and starting again. She moved her needle around and it looked like a graceful dolphin jumping in and out of the water.
"Ayanokouji-kun..." said Inogahsira, after a few minutes of silence.
"Yes?" replied Ayanokouji.
"Why do you hang out with me? M-most people think I'm boring and I-i'm sure you'll have a better time with anyone else besides me. I-i'm not that special and not very pretty compared to Horikita or Kushida."
"That's not true. I think you're an interesting girl with a nice hobby. Although you don't view yourself in that way, I think you're quite pretty. Just don't compare yourself to other girls. Just focus on yourself and your work."
Inogashira's face became a dark shade of red at Ayanokouji's comments.
"Y-you really think that?" asked Inogashira, fiddling with her needle.
"Is that weird?" asked Ayanokouji.
"N-no. It's just the first time someone told me that besides my parents. I don't what to say."
"You don't have to. Think of it as my honest and objective opinion, Inogashira."
"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
The duo fell into silence again as Ayanokouji watched Inogahsira began weaving the sweater's shape and he could see that Inogashira is trying to make the general shape of the sweater first. It looks like she's trying to start from the top where the neck is supposed to be.
After a few minutes, Ayanokouji decided it's time to leave Ingoashira and it's time to head back before curfew.
"Ingoashira, I'm leaving. Are you coming?" asked Ayanokouji.
"No... I'm almost done for now. I just want to finish this last part before I sleep." said Inogashira, still focused on her work.
"Okay. Have a good night."
"Good night, Ayanokouji-kun."
Ayanokouji got up from the bench and took a few steps towards the dorm before Inogashira called his name.
"Ayanokouji-kun... T-thank you for tonight. I-I hope you don't get too tired of me." said Inogashira, looking up from her work. She looked shy, but happy at Ayanokouji's presence.
"I could say the same to you, Inogahsira." said Ayanokouji, jokingly. Ingoashira smiled at that.
"H-hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Go for it."
"Are we friends?"
"I think we are. Don't you agree?"
"Yeah."
"Then, it's settled."
Ingoashira gave Ayanokouji a cute, but happy smile and she gave him one final goodbye. Ayanokouji walked the rest of his way back to the dorms in silence.
Ayanokouji is walking to Class D and the hallway is more packed than usual. None of Ayanokouji's soulmates had invited him to walk to school together.
"Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Nanami. She ran up to him. Ayanokouji could see Yamashita, Manabe, and Morofuji walking behind her.
"Good morning, Nanami." said Ayanokouji.
"You forgot about us, dumbass." scowled Manabe.
"I was just getting to it. Hello, Manabe, Yamashita, and Morofuji." said Ayanokouji.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Yamashita with a smile.
"Ayanokouji..." scowled Manabe, which seems her way of greeting him. Morofuji just gave Ayanokouji a nod before staring at her feet. There was a brief awkward silence before Yamashita broke it.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Wanna come to my room after school?" said Yamashita. Manabe, Morofuji, and Nanami both looked shocked and stared at Yamashita.
"W-what? S-saki, you..." started Nanami.
"You can't be serious. With this guy!" exclaimed Manabe. Morofuji remained silent as she stared Yamashita.
"Yeah. What of it? My student needs a more hands-on and direct approach." said Yamashita.
Please stop, Yamashita. You're making this worse.
"No." said Nanami, stepping closer to Ayanokouji.
"What do you mean 'no'?" said Yamashita, closing the distance as well.
"I won't allow it."
"Butt off, Yabu. He's my student and he must learn the secret of anime."
Both Yamashita and Nanami cling onto Ayanokouji's arms which surprised himself, Manabe, and Morofuji.
"Why are you fighting over him?!" snapped Manabe, giving the trio a glare.
"That has nothing to do with you, Shiho. Don't tell me you like him too." retorted Nanami.
"I-i..." stammered Manabe, caught off guard by Nanmi's sudden accusation.
"C'mon Yabu! Shiho is basically like a cold-hearted violent tsundere type!" chided Yamashita.
"Shut up!" snapped Manabe, her face a little red. Ayanokouji wondered why that was the case because all of his interactions with Manabe seemed to be hostile towards him and he wondered what changed. Manabe gave them both a glare and got closer to Ayanokouji. Morofuji mumbled something and stared in horror and shock at what's happening in front of her.
"C'mon Rika! Ya better get into the action too! What better chance to get over you fear?" said Nanami.
"B-but..." stammered Morofuji.
"You don't want to?"
"..."
Morofuji seemed hesitantly, but Ayanokouji could see that her face is growing red. She noticed that Ayanokouji was looking at her and blushed heavily, averting her eyes.
"Ya gotta take your chances, Rika. Don't lose to anyone." said Manabe, her tone becoming softer.
"W-well, okay! I won't lose to anyone. Not even you, Shiho!" said Morofuji, her face full of determination. Morofuji began closing the gap between her and Ayanokouji.
What is happening? It looks like my soulmate power is getting out of hand. How do I stop it?
Ayanokouji was too busy thinking about his current predicament to notice that the girls in the hallway are looking at him. They were staring at him as if seeing him in a different light or noticing him immediately. Some of them were whispering to each other, staring intently at Ayanokouji, or averting their eyes from him. One common thing among all of those girls was that their faces are bright red.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Andou. She was approaching Ayanokouji with Minamikata and Ninomiya.
"Hello Andou, Minamikata, and Ninomiya." said Ayanokouji.
"Hi, Ayano-" said Ninomiya, walking ahead of the trio and tripped falling towards Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji tried to catch her, but Ninomiya slammed into him and knocked him over. Ayanokouji fell backwards and handed on his butt, but he managed to stop Ninomiya from falling even further by wrapping her around his arms. Yamashita and Nanami were both clinging to his arms, but from an outsider's perspective, Ayanokouji is surrounded by girls: two clinging to his arms and one sitting on his lap with his arms wrapped around her. Manabe and Morofuji were behind Ayanokouji, staring in shock and horror at the situation that unfolded in front of them. Andou and Minamikata were both shocked, but jealous at the same time. They wanted to be in the same position as Ninomiya.
"Hey! What're you doing?!" demanded Manabe, glaring at Ninomiya.
"S-sorry. It was an accident." said Ninomiya, a little embarrassed. She was trying to pull herself away from Ayanokouji, but seemed to be failing. Ayanokouji unwrapped his arms around Ninomiya to give her a chance to escape. Then, the duo managed to get up without any more accidents.
"I-i'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I keep bumping into you." said Ninomiya, bowing her head.
"It's fine. Just be careful next time." said Ayanokouji.
"Wait! This happened more than once." said Minamikata. Manabe, Andou, Nanami, and Yamashita all gave a suspicious look at Ninomiya.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. It seems like you're quite the ladies man." said a voice behind him. It was Nishi along with Tamiya, Nishikawa, and Tsukaji.
Will this ever end? I can see the jealously being emitted from some of the guys. I mean being surrounded by girls is one thing, but in front of the entire school. This is bad. Is this what Hirata feels like every day?
"Hey Nishi, Tamiya, Nishikawa, and Tsukaji." said Ayanokouji.
"Not going to deny it, are you?" teased Nishi.
"I mean there's no point. From anyone's perspective, this is true." said Ayanokouji, eyeing the girls that have came to him and surrounded him. He could see that all of the girls nearby are whispering to each other and looking at the group, especially Ayanokouji, with a flustered expression.
Suddenly, when Ayanokouji was looking around, he felt a sharp electric shock run though his mind and body. He saw that every girl in the hallway widened their eyes and began blushing heavily as they all stared at Ayanokouji.
Oh no. Did I just linked up with all of all of those girls in the hallway? Are they are my soulmates? It seems like it, judging from the blushing expressions. There must be around 40-50 girls here and the atmosphere is quickly changing, directed at me. I feel like a fresh sack of meat in a river full of piranhas.
"By the way, who's that?"
"He's pretty handsome."
"I think he's from Class D."
"A hidden gem! Hirata-kun may have stolen some glances, but I think he has competition."
"I think his name is Ayanokouji-kun."
Ayanokouji shifted his eyes towards the crowd of female students who seemed to be gathering and getting closer to Ayanokouji. He noticed that all of them are not from Class D and seemed to be from every other class.
"U-uh... what's happening?" asked Ayanokouji. The girls with Ayanokouji seemed to noticed the change in the atmosphere and the crowd of female students closing in onto them. Ando, Ninomiya, Yamashita all looked shocked and stop in front of Ayanokouji to try and block them. Manabe seized Ayanokouji's right arm and held it tightly.
"C'mon you bastard! Make my day." scowled Manabe, shooting the crowd a glare.
"Don't worry, my student. I'll protect you from those succubus!" said Yamashita.
"I'll give you a hand, Ayano-" started Ninomiya, walking forward to address the crowd. But, she slipped and fell towards Ayanokouji, taking him down on the floor and Ninomiya ended up on top of legs and facing him directly. From a certain perspective, it looks like Ninomiya is performing some sort of sexual act to Ayanokouji.
"Hey! You doing it here right now?!" asked Manabe, giving Ninomiya a glare.
"N-no." stammered Ninomiya.
"Ninomiya-san, you're really going for it already. In front of everyone." said Tsukaji.
"Even Shiho won't do something like that!" said Nanami. Morofuji and Yamashita both agreed.
With that, the defense rallied around Ayanokouji broke and the Ayanokouji found himself surrounded by girls from every class expect his own. He can practically see the hearts in their eyes. Ayanokouji wondered how he can get out of this situation, but the loudspeaker above came into life.
"Ayanokouji-dono! Your time of reckoning is approaching yet again! Show them no mercy!" said Sotomura from the loudspeaker. Ayanokouji stared at the loudspeaker, confused on how and why Sotomura got into the audio room where the loudspeaker is located at. Before he could think more of it, Ayanokouji saw that the light from above darkened as the crowd of girls enclosed him, blocking the hallway lights.
Ayanokouji woke up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around his room, blinking before getting up from his bed and stretching.
Weird dream. It's similar to the last dream that I had. The so-called 'day of reckoning'. Should I take this as a sign? Will the number of my soulmates increase and spread out throughout each class? I don't know, but it's best not to take it seriously. Dreams are not reality and it's best not to worry too much about it.
Ayanokouji pushed those thoughts aside and got changed into his exercise clothes before leaving the dorm. Ayanokouji decided to stop by the pool during his morning exercise routine.
*Timeskip (an hour later)*
Ayanokouji was sweating as he jogged by the school and the outdoor swimming pool. Ayanokouji could hear some splashing and yelling coming from the pool, indicating that the swim club is in session.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Onodera, who was sitting by the pool's edge. She gave him a wave and motioned him to come into the pool area. Ayanokouji pushed open the door and entered the pool area. He noticed that the girl's swim and volleyball club seemed to have joined together and playing some pool volleyball. Onodera gestured to Ayanokouji to come over to her which he followed.
"Hey! Exercising?" asked Onodera, noticing the sweat.
"Yeah. I'm almost done with though." replied Ayanokouji. Onodera noticed the sweat from Ayanokouji's body and making his shirt semi-transparent, revealing a bit of his muscles and abs. Onodera blushed a little bit and she began cursing at herself for thinking that way.
'Kayano, you big idiot! Don't be like one of us ogling girls that check out a guy's body. Ayanokouji's body is something that Ayanokouji-kun worked for and it's the result of his training and dedication. Don't ruin it by thinking about something perverted!' thought Onodera.
"Onodera?" asked Ayanokouji, wondering why she stopped and she was staring off into the distance, blushing.
"U-uh... Sorry about that." said Onodera.
The duo engaged in small talk that mainly focusing on swimming and different swimming techniques. Ayanokouji could tell that Onodera is truly passionate on swimming. He could see the enticement in her eyes as they sparkled to life when they are taking about swimming. After a few minutes, Andou swam over to the duo.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Andou.
"Good morning, Andou." said Ayanokouji.
"What brings you here?"
"Passing by and Onodera called me over."
"Oh my! Onodera, you wanna impress your boyfriend?~"
"N-no! T-that's not it." said Onodera, waving her hands in denial, but her flustered face tells a different story.
"It doesn't look like a no." said Andou, smiling and giving Onodera a playful suspicious look. This made Onodera a little self-conscious and she managed to maintain a straight face without portraying any more reactions from Andou's teasing.
"Still doing water volleyball?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yep! You bet!" said Andou, stretching her tired arms.
"It seems that I think you're a part of the smiling club rather than the volleyball club."
"Hahaha... We've been doing this a lot this month. When it gets colder outside, we'll probably not be doing it that much. We have some few tournaments during the winter."
"I see."
"You look kinda of disappointed. You miss me this much?~"
"Yeah. I would like to see you more."
Ayanokouji's intention was to joke back with Andou. But, due to Ayanokouji's blank expression and serious tone, it sounded serious and not in a joking or teasing way. As soon as Ayanokouji said that, Ayanokouji could feel a familiar electric shock run through his body. Andou's eyes widened and her face began flustered after hearing Ayanokouji's statement.
Onodera's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she glanced at Ayanokouji and Andou suspiciously, watching Andou's reactions.
"U-uhh... Ayanokouji-kun. T-thanks, I guess. I-i'll be there..." said Andou, clearly embarrassed by Ayanokouji 's smooth words.
Ayanokouji nodded his head and saw Minamikata swimming towards the group.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun." said Minamikata.
"Hello, Minamikata." said Ayanokouji.
"Hey Andou, why is your face so red?"
"I-it's nothing. Just a little heated from all that movement." said Andou.
"Okay. Are you coming back? The match is about to start." said Minamikata, gesturing to the group of girls from the swimming and volleyball club members waiting for them.
"S-sure. See you later, A-ayanokouji-kun." said Andou, swimming away and towards the game. Minamikata gave him a smile and wave before following Andou.
Onodera and Ayanokouji fell into silence as they watched the start of the volleyball game. The ball bounced from to different girls and the two opposing sides. Of course, that wasn't the only thing that was bouncing around. Ayanokouji could see some certain parts from the girls bouncing around and Ayanokouji knew that some of the boys from the class will kill to be in his position. Ayanokouji managed to not stare too much at certain areas of the girls' bodies and watched the game.
"You're not playing?" asked Ayanokouji, after a brief moment of silence.
"Nah. I'm taking a bit of a break." said Onodera.
"You've been playing too much?"
"Kinda of. I played 4 games in a row, so I thought I should take a break."
That was a lie. Onodera was not lying about playing volleyball for 4 games in a row. She had the energy to continue on, but she knew that Ayanokouji might come by during his exercise routine. She took the chance to meet and talk to him alone without any more girls getting in her way. Onodera purposely used the excuse of "taking a break" to leave the game and wait for Ayanokouji. She had planned to wait for about 15 minutes before joining the game if Ayanokouji hadn't shown up.
"Working hard for the tournament?" asked Ayanokouji, changing the topic.
"Yeah! It's in 2 weeks. Hopefully the team is ready by then!" said Onodera.
"I'm surprised that you guys aren't practicing and playing volleyball instead."
"We've been training nonstop, so this is our free day. Don't want to overwhelm us."
That's true. Practicing nonstop can be a negative if there's no break. It can physically and mentally exhaust the team which made lead to a lower performance.
Ayanokouji and Onodera talked for a bit about her upcoming swimming tournament, how she's feeling about it, and her swimming skills. Before Ayanokouji knows, he heard the some of the girls from the volleyball game calling for her, gesturing for her to come and join. Ayanokouji excused himself and told Onodera to join the others and wished her luck. Onodera gave a smile and wave before entering and swimming swiftly to the group. Ayanokouji watched her for one last time before leaving the pool.
*Timeskip (1 and half hour later)*
Ayanokouji is walking to school after his breakfast in his dorm. Ayanokouji was on the elevator down when the elevator stopped at the 2nd floor. Azuma entered the elevator by herself.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun." said Azuma, walking into the elevator.
"Good morning, Azuma." said Ayanokouji. They were the only ones in the elevator so they can talk freely to each other.
Azuma and Ayanokouji started talking about the midterm and the results. Azuma seems concerned about the next test or exam. Ayanokouji knew that is to be expected because Azuma scored about average and the danger of expulsion is always an imminent threat for people that performs around average and below average. They need to be constantly studying and improving themselves otherwise expulsion is inevitable.
The duo got out of their elevator together and decided to walk to school together. When they exited the dorm building and took a few steps, Ayanokouji could hear someone calling out his name. The duo turned around and saw Mori and Ichihashi walking out of the dorm, waving at them.
For a moment, Ayanokouji could see the displeasure and disappointment on Azuma's face before it morphed back to her normal face as she smiled and waved at the approaching duo.
'Damn it! Just once. Please let me be alone with Ayanokouji-kun.' thought Azuma, a little frustrated by a third party interference.
"Good morning, Mori and Ichihashi." said Ayanokouji. Azuma said her greetings as well as Mori and Ichihashi matched the pace of Ayanokouji, walking towards the school. The group engaged in small talk about everyday life and trivial things.
When they approached the school building, Ayanokouji could hear someone approaching him. Their footsteps are rather quick as if the person is excited to see Ayanokouji. The next thing that Ayanokouji knew, he was seeing darkness as someone covered his eyes.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun~" said Hoshinomiya-sensei.
Ayanokouji could feel her breasts pressed up against him, massaging his body with a soft sensation. Some of hair draped over his shoulders and Ayanokouji could smell her shampoo that she recently used on her hair and the perfume she put on. Hoshinomiya -sensei removed her hands from Ayanokouji's eyes.
"Hello, Hoshinomiya-sensei. You seemed to be in a good mood today." said Ayanokouji, maintaining his blank expression. He can see out of the corner of his eyes that Mori, Ichihashi, and Azuma were glaring at Hoshinomiya-sensei. It seems like that she attracted more than Ayanokouji's soulmates' attention and some students that are nearby.
"Of course. I get to see my favorite student after all.~" said Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"You don't mean that, do you? You always have a knack for harassing students that interest you." said Ayanokouji.
"Maybe I do. But, you're the exception to that, Ayanokouji-kun."
Hoshinomiya-sensei teased Ayanokouji relentlessly and seemed to try to get a reaction out of him, but Ayanokouji just took in on without a change in his expression.
"Playing hard to get? I don't mind a challenge." said Hoshinomiya-sensei, wrapping her arms around Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji could see that his soulmates are on the verge of losing it.
"Sensei, I think you should stop. If you value your career." said Ayanokouji.
"Don't be like that, Ayanokouji-kun. If you want to do something with me, just say the word. I wouldn't mind." whispered Hoshinomiya-sensei, only Ayanokouji could hear. Ayanokouji could feel her warm breath tickled his ear and he can sense some truth from her words, but there's something else going on that Ayanokouji couldn't get completely.
"S-step away from him, sensei." said Mori.
"Y-yeah. You can't be doing that as a teacher." said Azuma, grabbing Hoshinomiya-sensei by the arm in an attempt to pry Hoshinomiya-sensei off Ayanokouji. Ichihashi joined in as well and the two girls managed to pry Hoshinomiya-sensei off Ayanokouji and move her several inches back.
"Ara~ It seems like Ayanokouji-kun is quite popular with the ladies. It looks like I have a few competitors to take care of." said Hoshinomiya-sensei, glancing at Mori, Ichihashi, and Azuma.
"Don't say blatant illegal and suspicious things especially in front of the public, sensei." said Ayanokouji. The three girls gave Hoshinomiya-sensei a glare and it seemed like the presence of Hoshinomiya-sensei seemed to have united them.
"I'll see you later, Ayanokouji-kun. When there's less rivals around~" said Hoshinomiya-sensei, with a laugh. She blew Ayanokouji a kiss before leaving them and heading to the school building. The students that were nearby and stopped observing the situation that was unfolding in front of them looked at Ayanokouji with a shocked, jealous, or confused expression on their faces. Ayanokouji could feel the stares from Mori, Ichihashi, and Azuma.
"Ayanokouji-kun..." said Mori, Ichihashi, and Azuma who looked very interested in the relationship between Ayanokouji and Hoshinomiya-sensei and a explanation on what just happened.
"Let me explain, girls." said Ayanokouji, releasing a sigh. He had a feeling that it's not going to be a good day and the presence of Hoshinomiya-sensei will most likely create some troubles along the way.
*Timeskip (15 minutes later)*
Ayanokouji was in Class D and is sitting at his desk. Before arriving at the classroom, Ayanokouji explained on the way to the classroom about Hoshinomiya-sensei. He pointed out that Hoshinomiya-sensei is a more outgoing and sometimes flirtatious teacher that acts more like a student than a teacher. Ayanokouji told them that Hoshinomiya-sensei seemed to have taken a liking for him and liked to mess with quiet and serious guys. Ayanokouji reassured them that he didn't do anything with Hoshinomiya-sensei and she liked to teased him, in a very questionable way, to try to get a reaction out of him. When they asked him if he liked it or not, Ayanokouji immediately dodged the question which left them a little suspicious and thinking about making some changes on themselves.
Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom when the school bell rang, signaling the beginning of homeroom. She came into the classroom holding a big roll of paper and she unraveled the paper and taped the corners of the paper to the blackboard.
"Attention, Class D. There's been a new changes in the school and its current system. These new changes will be changing class battles and will affect your future in this school." said Chabashira-sensei.
Author's Note:
Thanks for 150 followers everyone! It means a lot for me and it's a great source of motivation for me. To have people read and like the crazy shit that I make up sometimes. If you haven't already know this, I've decided to make a reaction of this story (COTE 100 girlfriends). I'm almost done with the first chapter featuring the prologue.
Reactions don't take as much time as writing a story from scratch, so this should be good. It also give me a chance to re-read and correct some spelling and grammar errors. I'll be hopping to my other stories for the time being. So, wait for me or see you at my other stories.
Until next time, my dear readers.