Classroom of the Elite: The 100 Elites Who Really, Really, Really Love

by legalinmybooks

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has been cursed (blessed) by The God of Love who accidentally linked Ayanokouji and 100 different girls/women. They are to become soulmates bounded by love and fate. If their relationship with Ayanokouji fails, the girls are fated to die in an accident. It's a matter of life or death. Will Ayanokouji survive ANHS with 100 potential soulmates waiting for him? Wil

29. Chapter 28: End of an Era

"Ayanokouji-kun, are you available?"

"I suppose I am."

Ayanokouji glanced over at Tachibana, who recently arrived at the classroom. It was lunch time and Tachibana arrived a few minutes later before Ayanokouji could leave for cafeteria. It's been a while since Ayanokouji and Tachibana had spent some good quality alone time together, so he agreed to it.

"Do you want to get some lunch with me?" asked Tachibana.

"Yeah. Let me finish packing up." replied Ayanokouji.

After a few moments, Ayanokouji got up from his seat and followed Tachibana out of the classroom. There were some few glances directed at the duo, but it was mostly from his soulmates. At this rate, it seems like most of the boys were used to Ayanokouji and his outings with various different girls. However, the jealous glances from his soulmates were a little unsettling. Ayanokouji ignored it and headed out of the classroom. As the duo walked down the hallway, Ayanokouji wondered where they were heading.

"Are we heading towards the cafeteria?" asked Ayanokouji.

"No. Are you fine with shabu shabu?" asked Tachibana.

"I'm fine with anything."

"Good."

"As long as it's with you."

"E-Eh?!"

Ayanokouji's remark left Tachibana stunned and flabbergasted as her face became flustered and averted her eyes from him. She became more aware that their bodies are quite close together as they navigated the busy and packed hallway.

'I suppose I don't mind it as long as it's with Tachibana. Freedom is something that I seek and due to my situation, my freedom is restricted. However, it's better than the White Room. It's not every day that I get to spend time with a senpai. It's honestly a breath of fresh air.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji believed that freedom should be enjoyed and should not be taken for granted. After all, he has already experienced his taste for the first time and wanted to keep it for himself. The price of freedom is priceless to him. The taste of making your decision to your own accord is something foreign to him, but he's willing to try it out and make a life out of it.

"Ayanokouji-kun?" called Tachibana, gently nudging his arm.

"Sorry, senpai. I was thinking about something." replied Ayanokouji, snapping out of his trance.

"You were thinking about something, right?"

"How did you know?"

"I could see it on your face and you weren't talking. Just staring ahead."

"You can tell?"

Ayanokouji knows that he has a blank face that doesn't show any emotions, which makes it hard for people to read his thoughts and emotions. He wondered how Tachibana could tell that he was lost in thought. He tilted his head out of curiosity towards Tachibana, who averted her eyes.

"I-It's just that... you seemed to be lost in thought and all quiet. You didn't even notice when I called your name! It's not because I-I spend a lot of time looking at you! That's all!" protested Tachibana. She said the last part quite loudly and suddenly, but Ayanokouji decided to ignore it and change the subject.

"Yeah... I just noticed that I'm getting a lot more attention than before." said Ayanokouji.

Tachibana glanced around and noticed the stares directed at the duo before they stepped outside of the school building. The cold, chilly autumn air breezed through the duo as they made their way down the main path with students coming from the same and opposite direction. Ayanokouji could see the gray clouds forming and leaves gently falling down the trees that lined amongst the path.

"You're right. It's natural since that race with Horikita-kun." said Tachibana.

"Did Horikita-senpai say anything about the race? I didn't have a chance to talk to him." replied Ayanokouji.

"No. However, I haven't seen Horikita-kun like that ever since I met him."

"Like what?"

"Satisfied? Amused? Horikita-kun looks happy and satisfied after the race."

"I presume that he found an opponent that is worthy and at his level."

"That's true... Nobody could go against Horikita-kun like you. Speaking of which! How were you so fast?!"

"I had some training in running when I was a child."

"You must be training at an early age like Horikita-kun! You were toe to toe with him!"

"You flatter me, senpai. But... Do you want me or Horikita-senpai to win?" asked Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji realized that Tachibana was asking too many questions and he didn't have all of the answers to lie and mask his abilities. The only thing left is to divert her attention somewhere else with another question. Fortunately, that question left Tachibana stunned and flabbergasted as she struggled to answer Ayanokouji's question.

"U-Uhh... I-I was... T-That's a good question!" stammered Tachibana.

'Eh?! I was cheering for both of them! I don't know who I want to win! Horikita-kun?! Ayanokouji-kun?! Gah! Why does my life revolve around choices now?! It was all Horikita-kun and now Ayanokouji-kun!' thought Tachibana.

"I'm teasing you, senpai. You don't have to tell me." said Ayanokouji. Tachibana pouted cutely with her cheeks puffed up as she gently pinched Ayanokouji's arm.

"You cheeky kohai!" said Tachibana.

"Ow."

"You're almost as bad as some of the other kouhais I know!"

"Sorry. You don't mean that?"

"Ahh... N-No!"

"I mean how bad can your kohais be?"

"You don't want to know, Ayanokouji-kun."

Tachibana's face darkened, but when she noticed that Ayanokouji was observing her, her face quickly changed to a cheerful smile.

"Ah! Follow me." said Tachibana. Ayanokouji nodded and the duo entered the Keiyaki Mall and began walking on the ground level, ignoring the escalators. After a few minutes of walking, the duo arrived at a restaurant with a cartoon hotpot logo at the front.

"Welcome! A party of two?" asked the waitress.

"Yes. I have a reservation under Tachibana." said Tachibana. The waitress checked her tablet for a brief moment before smiling and gesturing at the duo.

"Please come with me. I'll bring you to your table."

The duo followed the waitress, who brought them to a window side table that oversaw the Keiyaki Mall. She gave the menus to the duo before giving them some time.

There were a built-in cooktop stove on the table with some knobs, indicating temperature settings. There was an air vent above the stove along with the lights. Ayanokouji glanced over at the menu and noticed that it was an all-you-can-eat restaurant with a set price per person.

There was a selection of broths: dashi, miso, vegetable stock, chicken stock, or tonkotsu. The selection of meats were beef, chicken, pork, or lamb along with various cuts of meat such as shoulder, belly and thigh. Ayanokouji also noticed a section of vegetables and non-meat products: cabbage, tofu, enoki mushrooms, udon, leeks, or daikon. The smaller menu the waitress have given them contained a drinks and appetizers menu.

"Which broth do you want, senpai?" asked Ayanokouji. Tachibana remained silent for a few moments before looking up from her menu.

"Dashi. Are you fine with it?" asked Tachibana.

"Yeah. Is there anything else?"

"Hmm... I'll get an iced lemon tea with some enoki mushrooms and udon."

"I might get some vegetables too. It looks like the gyoza comes in 5 pieces. Do you want to share?"

"Sure."

The duo spent a few minutes chatting about the menu and what they are getting before the same waitress came back.

"Are you guys ready to order? Or do you need more time?" asked the waitress.

"No, thank you! We're ready!" replied Tachibana. The duo quickly ordered with the waitress tapping her tablet before looking up.

"All right. I'll be back with your drinks and nabe pot!"

The waitress quickly left and the duo began chatting about trivial matters, but Ayanokouji is getting a new perspective: one of an upperclassman. As he was listening to Tachibana, he noticed that she seemed more talkative and seemed to be getting closer to him. They exchanged eye contact a few times and Tachibana's smiles. He noticed that her smile was a melancholy one as if she's thinking about something that no longer exists.

'No. It seems that Tachibana is thinking about something that will no longer exist in the future. Perhaps her future?' thought Ayanokouji. He could see the sense of longing in her eyes every time they made eye contact.

"Here are your drinks and broth." said the waitress, placing their respective drinks on the table. Ayanokouji ordered a watermelon juice, something sweet to counter the savoriness of the meal.

A man wearing oven gloves slowly lifted and placed a steaming nabe pot on the cooktop stove before turning it on. He gently took the lid off, revealing a clear, steaming dashi broth. The waitress placed a metal tray with ladles, skimmers, and other utensils. There were also dispenser bottles labeled with ponzu, sesame, and soy sauce for a dipping sauce.

"I will be back with the rest of your food." said the waitress. Tachibana thanked her and the waitress headed back towards the kitchen. Ayanokouji took a sip of his juice and found it quite refreshing and sweet. After a few minutes, the waitress arrived with a tray of plates with thinly sliced meat, vegetables, and gyoza.

"Please enjoy." said the waitress. The duo thanked her before grabbing a pair of thongs and gently lowered some thinly sliced meat into the boiling pot. Ayanokouji found the experience interesting as it was rather unconventional because you have to cook the food yourself rather than someone else.

'It is a social and interactive dining experience as diners cook their own ingredients at their own table which allows more customization and individual preferences. What an interesting experience.' thought Ayanokouji.

The duo waited for a bit before grabbing a pair of long wooden chopsticks and picking the slices of meat out of the boiling pot. Ayanokouji poured a little bit of each sauce on the sauce dish which has three compartments.

"Itadakimasu." said the duo.

Ayanokouji took a bite of his first slice of beef toro. The thin slice meat had the taste of beef and a lingering umami taste of the dashi stock. Then, he dipped the half-eaten piece of meat into the first compartment, soy sauce. He could taste the perfect harmony of salty and umami soy sauce along with beef and dashi. Ayanokouji reached again and picked up another piece of beef toro and began trying it with the sesame and ponzu sauce.

The duo had ordered beef toro, beef strips, chicken thighs, and pork shoulder as the main meat dish. Tachibana ordered some enoki mushrooms and udon while Ayanokouji ordered cabbage, tofu, and daikon. Additionally, Ayanokouji ordered a plate of gyoza to share. It was a large spread of food and he wasn't sure if they could finish it all. Ayanokouji was glad that Tachibana was with him to help him finish this meal. The duo chatted as they ate, but as they ate, Ayanokouji realized that it was a perfect opportunity to question Tachibana's strange behavior.

"Tachibana-senpai, is there a particular reason why you invite me out?" asked Ayanokouji.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you, Ayanokouji-kun." replied Tachibana, her face turning slightly more red.

"I don't know. It may be the case, but it seems that it's more than that."

"..."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"..."

"You've planned all of this. You booked a reservation in advance. That's something you normally don't do if it's on the spur of the moment. It was premeditated."

Tachibana's face became more flustered as she averted her eyes as Ayanokouji was slowly catching on. She didn't want to tell Ayanokouji that she had this planned out for several days and waited until it was the right time to strike.

"F-Fine! I-I wasn't lying that I wanted to spend more time with you, but... I'm running out of time. I'm a third year student that is getting close to graduating and I-I want... to s-spend as much time with you as possible before I graduate!" said Tachibana.

Tachibana's voice cracked a little bit as she revealed her true intentions and the reason why. As Ayanokouji glance over at Tachibana, he could see the uneasiness and desperation in her eyes as she wanted to spend more time with Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji could understand why Tachibana went through all of this effort and the sudden invitation. He wondered how many more times they would end up go out together.

"I see..." replied Ayanokouji.

"Hmph! I poured my heart and time out and that's your response?!" demanded Tachibana.

"I'm just taken aback by your sudden confession, but thank you. Thank you, Tachibana-senpai."

"I-I should be thanking you."

"That reminds me of the mini special exam! How did the school approve such an exam like this?!"

"Were you perhaps jealous?"

"J-Jealous?! Of course not! I-I was just wondering why the school would allow something like this! Immoral things could happen!"

Tachibana was giving Ayanokouji a suspicious look as if he was a suspect as well.

"You know I won't do such atrocious things." said Ayanokouji.

"I-I know, but it doesn't calm my nerves." replied Tachibana, tapping her fingers nervously on the tabletop.

"Hmm... I know something that can help your nerves."

"Huh? What are you doing?!"

Tachibana yelped out loud as Ayanokouji reached over and grasped her right hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Tachibana's face turned more red as she began to stutter and was too tongue-tied to say anything back. Ayanokouji's hand gently caressed Tachibana's soft hand as he wrapped his other hand around her hand.

At first, Tachibana was too shocked to respond to Ayanokouji's sudden gesture. The hand-holding reminded Ayanokouji of an awkward handshake as Tachibana's hand was limp and out of alignment. But as the seconds passed, Tachibana eased into it as the handshake became more firm and their hands perfectly aligned as their fingers wrapped around each other in perfect unison. Ayanokouji gently rubbed his thumb across the back of Tachibana's hand. Tachibana had a joyful smile with her flustered cheeks, with the tension that she had before disappearing. When Ayanokouji looked at her joyful smile, he realized how beautiful Tachibana was.

Her slender frame, silky purple hair that forms two perfect buns, soft bangs, and warm brown almond-shaped eyes caught Ayanokouji's attention. But it is her smile that captivated Ayanokouji. An enchanting curve of her lips that carries both warmth and relief, showing joy and happiness. It's a smile that lingers in one's heart and would leave most guys flabbergasted and would make them fall in love with Tachibana. However, Ayanokouji was taken aback by Tachibana's smile and knew that it was a rarity to see such a smile. There was one person that gave him a smile on that same level of magnitude and it was Horikita.

'Interesting. Out of all my soulmates, Horikita and Tachibana are the only ones that gave me such a beautiful smile. I wonder if my other soulmates would open up completely and give such a smile.' thought Ayanokouji.

"We should do this again. Just you and me." said Ayanokouji.

"Y-Yeah!" replied Tachibana. Her smile faded, but she looked content as the duo remained holding hands, silently enjoying each other's company. Luckily, there wasn't anyone nearby and if anyone saw, they would assume that they were a happy couple.

'It seems that Tachibana is holding back. She seemed happy at this very moment, but not content. It's like she wanted more and is holding herself back. Tachibana Akane is a person that is well-disciplined with her high set of morals and established rules. I wonder what will happen when she disregards her discipline.' thought Ayanokouji.

As the duo was enjoying the peaceful moment, the waitress approached the bill and cleared her throat.

"Sorry for the interruption. Here's the check." said the waitress, she placed her tablet on the tablet, facing the duo. Before Ayanokouji could reach for his student ID, Tachibana quickly pulled, released her hand from Ayanokouji's grip, and pulled her student ID.

"Wait, senpai. I'll pay for the meal." said Ayanokouji, reaching into his pocket for his student ID.

"No! You don't need to do that, Ayanokouji-kun." said Tachibana, shaking her head.

"But..."

"As your senpai, I can't allow it. Please allow me."

"As your kohai and someone that respects you, I can't allow you to pay. Please allow me."

Tachibana gave Ayanokouji a cute glare and lunged with her student ID, scanning her ID with a tablet. Ayanokouji didn't have enough time to pull his student ID out of his pocket and scan the tablet with it. Tachibana already had the advantage and thus it was over for Ayanokouji. The tablet played a cute noise before a receipt slowly printed out which Tachibana grabbed.

"Thank you and please come back." said the waitress, giving a small bow before leaving the table.

"What a lucky guy!" whispered the waitress. Ayanokouji could hear it from the waitress, but luckily Tachibana didn't hear it.

'Lucky for free food.' thought Ayanokouji.

The duo got up from their table and made their towards the exit. Ayanokouji grabbed a peppermint from a jar by the front and handed one to Tachibana before they exited the restaurant. Ayanokouji popped the peppermint in his mouth and the clean, minty flavor flowed into his mouth and provided a cold and minty taste in his mouth and breath.

As the duo made their way back towards the school, Ayanokouji and Tachibana chatted about trivial topics and the end of the mini special exam. Tachibana seems quite happy about the end of the current mini special exam, but as they were talking about the mini special exam, Ayanokouji noticed that Tachibana was dodging the topic about a new mini special exam. Ayanokouji assumed that she's not allowed to leak information about special exams which could provide an unfair advantage.

As they approached the school building, Tachibana's phone buzzed and she picked it up, glancing at the screen. She sighed before turning towards Ayanokouji-kun.

"Sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I have some student council duties to attend to." said Tachibana, with an apologetic smile.

"Ahh... no worries. I'm sorry for holding you up." said Ayanokouji.

"No! It's not your fault. There's a bit of an emergency."

"I see. I guess I'll see you later, senpai."

"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun!"

Ayanokouji waved as Tachibana quickly made her way into the school building and disappeared from his sight. Before Ayanokouji could make his way into his building, he decided to make a detour to deal with a problem. He made his way towards the back of the school building where there was nobody present.

"How long are you going to follow me?" asked Ayanokouji, speaking loudly. He turned behind him and a figure emerged from around the corner.

"Oh? You've noticed. Well done, Kouhai-kun." said the mysterious girl. The girl has long platinum blonde hair with deep bright crimson eyes. She had a smug and confident smile, but the way she carried herself was full of confidence.

"Why are you following me?"

"Oh my. I like it. Straight to the point. Congratulations, Kohai-kun. You have officially gotten my attention."

"Huh? Thanks, I guess."

"It's an honor. I can count the number of people that got my attention with my two hands."

"Is that all, senpai?"

"Kiryuin Fuka."

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. How long have you been following me, Kiryuin-senpai?"

"You've noticed? I must give you a round of applause for your astoop observation, Kouhai-kun."

"What does getting your attention exactly mean, Kiryuin-senpai?"

"I'll be watching Kouhai-kun. Please entertain me for the foreseeable future. My school year is quite bland."

Ayanokouji didn't respond and watched as Kiryuin left, rounding the corner and disappearing from his sight.

'What an interesting senpai. She reminds me of a less extreme female Koenji. Confident in her abilities and doesn't seem like the type of person to get involved with others or class battles. I wonder if she's in Class D.' thought Ayanokouji. He tried not to think about it and started heading towards his classroom as lunch time was slowly dwindling.

*Timeskip (after school)*

"Hmm... it's too cold for ice cream. How unfortunate." muttered Ayanokouji, as he passed an ice cream shop by the Keiyaki Mall. Ayanokouji was staring at the cold, cloudy autumn sky. He began to think about what kind of dessert would be good for a cold autumn day. As Ayanokouji was thinking and walking, he heard someone calling his name.

"Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Nishi. Ayanokouji turned around and saw Nishi and Tamiya, waving at him. The two girls quickly approached him.

"You didn't notice us? We were calling your name." said Tamiya.

"Sorry. I was thinking about something." replied Ayanokouji.

"About what?"

"Dessert."

"Hahaha! That's it?! I thought you were thinking about something deep like a philosopher!"

"Reminds me of Tsukaji-san when she's thinking!"

"You mean that time that she was thinking about if a toilet is happy that someone is using it! Oh man! That was funny!"

"Hahaha! They're totally the same person!"

The two girls laughed and Ayanokouji wondered how similar Tsukaji and himself are. He began to wonder if a toilet would like to be used and his train of thoughts got distracted.

'Would a toilet be happy? Its whole purpose and existence is to be used by humans and their "dirty work". I suppose as humans, we would see it as disgusting and repulsive. But from the perspective of a toilet, it is just completing its duties and what it was meant to do when created. It's similar to the human profession. Sometimes you don't like your profession, but it's something you have to do.' thought .

"Are you thinking about it too?!" asked Tamiya, in amusement as she studied Ayanokouji's face.

"Totally! Ayanokouji-kun has the same face as Tsukaji's!" said Nishi, laughing.

"I mean a toilet's main purpose is to be used-" explained Ayanokouji.

"Stop! You sound like her!"

"She said the same thing too!"

This caused the two girls to laugh even more as the comparison between Ayanokouji and Tsukaji seemed to be indistinguishable for Tamiya and Nishi. After a few more moments of laughter, Tamiya spoke up as her face was slightly flustered due to her laughter.

"C'mon! If you want some dessert, I know a spot." said Tamiya, wiping a tear from the corner of her left eye.

"Lead the way." said Ayanokouji.

"As long as you're paying!" said Nishi.

"Dream on!"

The trio began making their way towards the escalator. Ayanokouji was in the middle of the two girls as the two girls were chatting about trivial topics. Sometimes they asked Ayanokouji for his input or opinion, but he stayed mostly quiet. They exited on the second floor and found a nearby cafe by the escalator.

"Here we go!" said Tamiya. The trio entered the cafe and as Ayanokouji looked at the menu, he realized most of the items on the menu were autumn themed.

"Wait... these items are mostly autumn themed. Too much of a coincidence?" said Ayanokouji.

"Yeah. This is a seasonal cafe. The menu changes every season and only a few items are permanent." explained Tamiya.

"Time to try out everything on the menu!" exclaimed Nishi.

"Good luck! You know how many items change every season. The whole menu was summer like two weeks ago and now it's practically brand new!"

"I don't suppose I can ask for a recommendation." said Ayanokouji.

"I only tried a few items from the autumn menu. I would recommend the kuri dorayaki and a pumpkin spice latte." said Tamiya.

"Aha! So you're trying the entire menu? That's why you brought us here!" said Nishi, gasping and placing both hands on her mouth in a mocking shocked expression.

"C'mon! Let's order." said Tamiya, rolling her eyes. The trio headed towards the register and Ayanokouji waited for the two girls to finish before going by himself.

"I'll have the kuri dorayaki and a pumpkin spice latte." said Ayanokouji.

"Your total is going to be 869 points." said the cashier. She gestured towards an ID scanner and Ayanokouji scanned his ID. A few moments later, the cashier handed Ayanokouji a receipt.

"Your order number is on the top and we'll call your number once your order is ready." said the cashier.

"Thank you."

Ayanokouji took the receipt and found Tamiya and Nishi at a nearby table. He took a seat and the duo seemed to be chatting about their items that they got.

"Ayanokouji-kun, what did you get?" asked Nishi.

"I got what Tamiya recommended." replied Ayanokouji.

"I feel bad for you, Ayanokouji-kun. Tamiya has the most garbage taste."

"Hey! It's not that bad! It seems like you're the one with the bad taste!" protested Tamiya.

"What do you get, Nishi?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and apple cider."

"See! All you got is sweet things!" exclaimed Tamiya.

"What?! It tastes good, okay?!"

"You have a sweet tooth, Nishi?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Hee hee! Maybe!~" giggled Nishi.

"That's light work. I swear last time you had enough sugar to give diabetes to an elephant." said Tamiya.

"It wasn't that bad!"

"Hang on. I think I might have a picture of it. I can show you, Ayanokouji-kun."

"Sure. What do you get, Tamiya?" asked Ayanokouji.

"I got a pecan pie and pomegranate juice."

'Nishi seems to have a sweet tooth while Tamiya has a more balanced taste and seems to avoid overly sugary food.' thought Ayanokouji. A nearby speaker blared to life as it called out some numbers.

"Order 67, 68, and 69!" called the speaker. Ayanokouji got up as his order number, 69, was called and noticed that Tamiya and Nishi both got up as well.

"Hey. All of us got called at the same time?" said Nishi.

"Coincidences can be freaky." said Ayanokouji. The trio made their way towards the front counter where an employee was waiting with drinks and trays.

"Order 67. One pumpkin pie and cheesecake with apple cider?" asked the employee.

"That's me!" said Nishi.

Nishi took the tray and headed back towards the table while the employee confirmed the orders with Tamiya and Ayanokouji. The duo headed back towards their table with their respective trays. There was a nice spread of autumn-based drinks and dessert on the table. It was a wonderful collage of orange, red, and brown on the table, perfectly symbolizing autumn.

"Itadakimasu!" said the trio.

Ayanokouji grabbed his dorayaki with his napkin and took a bite. It had a soft, pancake-like texture along with the usual sweet red bean taste, something that you should expect from a dorayaki, but he could taste roasted chestnuts inside. It had a slightly sweet and buttery taste to the dorayaki which complemented the red bean paste and had the same soft texture.

Ayanokouji decided to try the pumpkin spice latte next and it had the same texture of a regular latte, but it had a slight pumpkin taste, but it had an overwhelming taste of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. He could taste the spices more than the pumpkin which he found strange.

"Is it good?" asked Tamiya, glancing at Ayanokouji.

"Yeah... it tastes a little like pumpkin, but a little different." replied Ayanokouji.

"It tastes more like pumpkin pie spice rather than pumpkin."

"I see."

Since Ayanokouji had never had pumpkin pie before, he didn't know the taste of it and couldn't compare the pumpkin spice latte to a pumpkin pie. He found it more sweet and packed with spices rather than the actual taste of pumpkin.

The two girls began eating their desserts and it seemed like they enjoyed it. Ayanokouji grabbed his dorayaki and took another bite, listening to the conversation between Tamiya and Nishi as they were discussing their food and drinks they ordered.

"How was it, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Tamiya, turning her attention towards Ayanokouji.

"It's not bad. The pumpkin spice latte is a little too sweet for me and doesn't really taste like pumpkin." replied Ayanokouji.

"Ahh... I get it." said Tamiya.

"It seems like something that Nishi would like."

"Hey! You two are ganging up on me." said Nishi, pouting cutely. Tamiya chuckled before describing her opinion on her food.

"The pecan pie is decent. It's not too sweet and I like the nuts. Honestly, the pomegranate juice isn't that sweet. It has... a little more tart. I need a little more sugar." said Tamiya, frowning as she took another sip.

"Oh? Now you need more sugar?" teased Nishi, raising her eyebrows.

"Just because I don't like overly sweet things, it doesn't mean I don't like sugar. Why don't you give it a try?"

"Sure."

Nishi leaned in and took a sip of Tamiya's pomegranate juice. As soon as she took a sip, Nishi immediately recoiled back and her face morphed to disgust.

"Yuck! That's so trash! Needs more sugar!" exclaimed Nishi.

"Another miss." sighed Tamiya, staring at her pomegranate juice.

"I gotta get that taste out of my mouth!"

Nishi got a big scoopful of her pumpkin cheesecake and took a sip of her apple cider in an attempt to counter Tamiya's pomegranate juice. Ayanokouji was a little surprised that Nishi can consume two sweet desserts and a sweet drink at the same time. As Nishi was eating, she noticed that Ayanokouji was staring at her.

"Is there something on my face?" asked Nishi.

"No. I'm amazed that you can eat all of those sweet things in one sitting." said Ayanokouji.

"Hee hee! That's my superpower, Ayanokouji-kun!"

"That's true! All of those calories are probably going somewhere!" added Tamiya. As soon as Tamiya said that, Ayanokouji unconsciously looked towards Nishi's breasts as she happily bounced on her seat, causing her plentiful breasts to bounce a little bit because of the change in momentum.

'I mean they are going somewhere else...' thought Ayanokouji.

Nishi noticed Ayanokouji's gaze and her face became a little flustered as she stopped bouncing on her seat and her body language balled up, getting smaller and covering her breasts. Ayanokouji realized that he got caught and hoped that Nishi and Tamiya wouldn't think he was a pervert as he realized that he must do his best to salvage this situation.

"W-What are you staring at? It's not like that!" exclaimed Nishi.

"Hahaha! You're actually a closeted pervert, aren't you Ayanokouji-kun?! Well, all guys have a perverted side to them even if they're hiding it!" said Tamiya.

"Sorry, Nishi. I didn't mean it like that. It's just... Tamiya mentioned that the calories are going somewhere and-" explained Ayanokouji.

"You don't have to explain it!" protested Nishi, her face turning more red. Ayanokouji's explanation also caused Tamiya to giggle at Ayanokouji's obliviousness and couldn't tell if he's doing it on purpose.

"All right. I'm going to shut up now."

Ayanokouji focused on eating the rest of his dorayaki and he could hear Tamiya whispering and giggling to Nishi.

"It reminds of Tsukaji-san and how she tries to explain her actions even if it's so awkward and not necessary." whispered Tamiya.

"T-Totally. Also can we drop it?!" whispered Nishi, gently and playfully swatting Tamiya's arm.

Ayanokouji decided not to speak up and continue to eat the rest of his meal, hoping not to bring up the topic again and to allow the girls to change the topic. After about two minutes of silence, Tamiya spoke up.

"By the way Ayanokouji-kun, we saw you with Kamuro-san after the sports festival." said Tamiya.

"Perhaps a romantic rendezvous after seeing your running?~" teased Nishi.

"Nothing of that sort. She just wanted to talk to me, that's all." replied Ayanokouji.

'It's best not to bring up Sakayanagi. The last thing I want is to have people know my connection with Sakayanagi and meet her in a private location.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Oh?"

"Really?"

Nishi and Tamiya both looked shocked by Ayanokouji's explanation and had expressions of disbelief on their faces.

"Is there something wrong with that?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Well... Kamuro-san is not a sociable person and certainly wouldn't talk to someone outside of Class A." said Nishi.

"The only person she talks to is Sakayanagi-san." added Tamiya.

"Really?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah. She's been with Sakayanagi since the first month of the school year." said Nishi.

"Well... she was just asking me about my running. She seems impressed." said Ayanokouji.

"Definitely something that Kamuro-san wouldn't do. She doesn't care about anything." said Tamiya.

Nishi and Tamiya both don't look convinced by Ayanokouji's explanation, but didn't push further. Ayanokouji got a little bit of insight about Kamuro based on the little information that Nishi and Tamiya provided.

The trio spent the rest of their time chatting about trivial topics before they left the cafe. Ayanokouji realized that about an hour has passed and realized that he should probably go shopping for groceries since he had dinner duty and their fridge is bare.

"I'm going to the supermarket. This is where we part ways." said Ayanokouji.

"Wow! You can cook?!"

"Isn't it statistically one in five men can cook?"

"Yeah."

It seems that Nishi and Tamiya are both impressed by Ayanokouji's claim.

"Ah! We're heading back towards the dorms. Later, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Tamiya.

"Let's hang out again. See ya, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Nishi.

"See you around, Nishi, Tamiya."

The two girls waved as they quickly disappeared amongst the busy crowd of the Keiyaki Mall and disappeared by Ayanokouji's sight. Ayanokouji headed in the opposite direction and towards the supermarket.

*Timeskip (25 minutes later)*

Ayanokouji is heading back towards the dorm with two shopping bags in both hands. As he was walking down the main path, he decided to stop at a nearby vending machine for some water. Luckily, water was free at the vending machine and Ayanokouji was feeling a little thirsty. The nearest vending machine was at a nearby empty plaza. Ayanokouji quickly bought a bottle of water and as he was taking a sip of his water, he noticed something strange.

There was a purple-haired girl standing by one of the trees near the edge of the clearing. Her back was facing Ayanokouji and she seemed quiet which left Ayanokouji questioning what she was doing. Out of curiosity and concern, Ayanokouji quietly approached her. As Ayanokouji got closer, he got a closer and more in-depth look on the girl's appearance.

The girl was wearing the standard school uniform and blazer along with a pair of black tights. Her shoulder-length purple hair was tired into sidelocks accompanied by a white hairpin.

"You're noisy." said the girl, tilting her head as she heard Ayanokouji's footsteps approaching her.

"I am?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Could you please maintain a modicum of silence? Right now, I was listening to the voice of the forest."

"Huh? The voice of the forest, you say?"

"Do you not comprehend? The forest is alive. Place your hand upon the great oak as I have, close your eyes, steady your mind, and listen. Then, perhaps you'll understand my words."

"... I see?"

The girl gestured to Ayanokouji, who hesitatingly approached and stood next to her. He wasn't sure what to do and figured that it wouldn't hurt for him to try it out. Ayanokouji placed his shopping bags and bottle of water on the ground, placed his hands on the same tree, and closed his eyes, doing his best to mimic the girl's actions. Ayanokouji closed his eyes and the girl spoke up.

"Do you hear it?" asked the girl.

"No." replied Ayanokouji.

"Then maybe you're distracted by something."

"Distraction?"

Ayanokouji frowned as there were no distractions and he was certainly not hearing anything at all. But the girl still insisted.

"Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth." instructed the girl. Ayanokouji obeyed, but still could not hear the voice of the forest. Ayanokouji decided to open his eyes and saw the girl recording him with her phone, realizing that she tricked him.

"Hey..." said Ayanokouji.

"There's no way you can hear the voice of the forest. You've watched too many dramas and movies." said the girl, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

"Isn't that what you were doing?"

"Don't be shy. I was enjoying a nice peaceful moment, but don't worry. I won't share that you were trying to listen to the voice of the forest... What's your name?"

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Class D. And I wished that you didn't record me and leave evidence like that-"

"Morishita Ai, Class A. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun, you're an interesting person."

"What makes you say that?"

"Your race against the student council president."

"Thanks? To be honest, you're more interesting."

"Are you trying to smooth talk with me?"

"Perhaps. I'm not the one that was talking to the voice of the forest originally."

"Don't play in the forest forever. You're such a child."

"You're the one that was playing... And the keyword is originally."

"See you around, Ayanokouji-kun."

With that, Morishita quickly left the plaza before Ayanokouji could say his goodbyes. All Ayanokouji could do was watch Morishita's retreating figure slowly disappear from his view.

'What an interesting girl. That's another girl from Class A. Morishita Ai.' thought Ayanokouji.

Then, Ayanokouji glanced around for anyone and after he confirmed that there's no one around, he turned back around towards the tree, placed his hand on it, and closed his eyes. After a few moments of this, Ayanokouji opened his eyes and backed away from the tree. He was glad that no one was here and watching otherwise it would've been embarrassing. Ayanokouji grabbed his shopping bags and bottle of water before quickly exiting the plaza.

When Ayanokouji arrived back at the main path, he couldn't see Morishita anywhere and it was like she has disappeared. He wondered if Morishita took another path as he didn't see her on the main path. He tried not to think too much about it as he began heading his way towards the dorms. As he made his way towards the dorms, Ayanokouji noticed something on the ground. He stopped and glanced at it. It was an orange amulet and Ayanokouji glanced around and didn't see anyone nearby.

'Somebody must've dropped it recently. There's some students ahead of me and it might belong to them. However, they can lie and claim that it was theirs. The safest route is to take it and ask around until there's a general consensus on the true owner of this amulet.' thought Ayanokouji, making a split minute decision. He picked it and slipped in his pocket before heading back towards the dorm.

*Timeskip (2 hours later)*

"Itadakimasu!" said the duo.

Satou and Ayanokouji are sitting at the dining table with a bowl of donburi, tempura, miso soup, and pickled vegetables. The donburi was the standard type with chicken, egg, and green onions. He decided not to over complicate the donburi and stick with common ingredients for a donburi. Then, he added miso soup and pickled vegetables as side dishes.

"Good thing there was a sale for picked vegetables." said Ayanokouji.

When he was at the supermarket, there was a sale for jars of pickled vegetables. Of course, Ayanokouji could make his own, but it would take some time, so he decided to buy a jar of pickled vegetables since it is faster and cheaper because of the sale.

"I don't really like that brand." said Satou, slowly nibbling on a piece.

"Maybe I should've bought the other one."

"Oh! You don't have to, Ayanokouji-kun! I'm not that picky... I just don't like that brand."

"I see."

As the duo ate, Satou began chatting about trivial topics while Ayanokouji listened. After all of the time they spent together, Ayanokouji has begun to understand and know Satou better. He knew about Satou's likes, dislikes, habits, and behaviors.

"Let me help you with the dishes." said Satou.

Ayanokouji knew better to refuse Satou's offer and nodded as the duo worked in harmony. Ayanokouji had the duty of washing the dishes and putting them inside of the dishwasher while Satou was scraping off any excess bits of food into the trash can before handing it to him.

"You know we make a good team." said Satou.

"I suppose. It's a shame that this arrangement won't last long." said Ayanokouji.

"Yeah..."

Satou had a slightly disappointed look on her face as she knew that the good times wouldn't last long. She seemed to be thinking about something before taking a deep breath, as if she's gathering her courage, and speaking up.

"Ayanokouji-kun! How about we eat out on the last day?" asked Satou.

"Hmm... Actually not a bad idea. What time?" asked Ayanokouji.

"How about around 6 or 7?"

"I'm fine with it."

"Also..."

Satou seemed to be hesitating and Ayanokouji decided not to push her to speak. Instead, he would give her time to formulate and speak for herself without any rush.

"I want to keep in touch with you after the mini special exam! I-I don't want things to end like this!" said Satou.

'This mini special exam forces classmates together and the relationship between them wouldn't last. I suppose most of the pairs would just have the relationship as just classmates after the mini special exam. Satou seems quite afraid that it will happen.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Sure. Feel free to text me whenever." replied Ayanokouji, as he was used to girls texting him.

"Okay! T-Thank you for agreeing." said Satou, happily.

"I also don't want things to end like this."

"E-Eh?!"

"You're an interesting and fun person to be around, Satou. I hope you won't get bored of me."

"I-I won't! I can say the same to you, Ayanokouji-kun."

"I'm glad you think highly of me."

Satou giggled at Ayanokouji's response as she handed him the last bowl before waiting for her turn to wash her hands. Ayanokouji quickly rinsed the last bowl and placed it into the dishwasher before retrieving a dishwasher pod from the cabinet under the sink.

"All done." said Ayanokouji, washing his hands.

"Thanks for all your hard work." said Satou, sitting on the couch and scrolling through her phone. Ayanokouji looked in the fridge and noticed that his big bottle of green tea was gone and realized that he drank all of it last night.

"Hey, Satou. I'm going to the convenience store. Do you want anything?"asked Ayanokouji.

"Uhh... can you get a strawberry pudding? I'll pay you back." said Satou.

Ayanokouji nodded and Satou thanked him as he left the apartment. On the ride down to the elevator, Ayanokouji received a message on his phone. It was from Kinoshita.

Kinoshita: Ayanokouji-kun! I need a favor. Please help!

Ayanokouji: Kinoshita? What's the favor?

Ayanokouji: What about Yajima:

Kinoshita: You know that girl is probably asleep already.

Ayanokouji: True.

Kinoshita: I need some items from the convenience store. My leg kinda of hurts and I don't want to use it too much.

Ayanokouji: You're too lazy...

Kinoshita: Agh! You don't have to do me dirty like that! Assist a helpless maiden!

Ayanokouji: Coincidences are freaky... I'm actually on my way to the store right now.

Kinoshita: Wow! Here's what I want. I'll pay you back!

Kinoshita: Oh! My room is on the 2nd floor. Room 213.

Ayanokouji: Wait... I didn't agree to help.

Before Ayanokouji could protest further, Kinoshita began sending a list of items via text messages. Ayanokouji sighed as he realized that he got trapped into doing Kinoshita's errand.

'Well since I'm going to the convenience store anyways, I might as well give Kinoshita a hand.' thought Ayanokouji.

The elevator opened up and Ayanokouji exited the elevator and replied with a thumbs up to Kinoshita's messages before making his way to the nearby convenience store. After a few minutes of walking, Ayanokouji arrived and began combing through the aisles, grabbing his bottle of green tea and Satou's strawberry pudding before focusing on the items that Kinoshita wanted. As Ayanokouji was scouring through the aisles, he encountered something peculiar and made him stop in his tracks.

'Interesting. I can't believe they sell these kinds of items at school.' thought Ayanokouji, staring at the shelf that is right in front of him. Ayanokouji casually walked past it and headed off to find the rest of Kinoshita's items.

*Timeskip (15 minutes later)*

"Kinoshita, it's me." said Ayanokouji, knocking on the door. The door opened, but it wasn't Kinoshita. It was a boy with brown hair and a small visible scar on his left cheek. He was still wearing his standard school uniform.

"C'mon on in. Kinoshita is waiting by the couch." said the boy.

"Sorry for the intrusion."

Ayanokouji took off his shoes and followed the boy deeper into the apartment, noticing that Kinoshita's apartment is the same as his. They both have the same interior design and soon entered the living room.

"Ah, Ayanokouji-kun! There you are!" said Kinoshita, casually lounging on the couch. The boy quickly excused himself and left the duo, heading towards the direction of the rooms.

"Here you go." said Ayanokouji, handing her a plastic bag full with the items that she requested.

"Thanks! How much do I owe ya?"

"I believe 2432 points."

Kinoshita was looking through the bag and pulled out a sealed plastic box with gyudon and a small cardboard takebox of fried chicken.

"It's all fresh! God, I love convenience store so much!" exclaimed Kinoshita. Then, she reached into the bag again and pulled out a small plastic takeout box with crab salad.

"The power of modern Japanese convenience store." said Ayanokouji, dryly.

"Hahaha! It's the best. Always fresh and made every day!"

"And it's cheap."

"Itadakimasu!"

Kinoshita began eating and as Ayanokouji watched on, he realized that Kinoshita was probably quite hungry and all he did was deliver food to her door, judging on the fast pace of her chopsticks and the amount of food entering her mouth.

"Don't eat too fast. You might get a bad case of the hiccups." said Ayanokouji.

As soon as he said it, Kinoshita's eyes widened as she immediately dropped her chopsticks. She began making burping and hiccuping noises as she began to frantically search her plastic bag for something. Ayanokouji found it amusing and cute at the same time as Kinoshita pulled out a bottle of sports drink. She quickly unscrewed the cap and began to take a swig of her drink. After a few moments, Kinoshita stopped drinking and set her drink on the coffee table.

"Uwah~" gasped Kinoshita, as she took a deep breath of relief.

"Are you okay, Kinoshita?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah, just fine."

"I told you to take it slow."

"Now I know now."

"Now that you're safe, I will take my leave."

Ayanokouji began to get up from his seat on the couch, but Kinoshita stopped him.

"Wait, Ayanokouji-kun! You don't have to leave!" said Kinoshita

"But... I'm kind of intruding, am I not?" replied Ayanokouji.

"Not really! It's been really lonely ever since my injuries. I mostly stay indoors and my friends are hanging out without me."

"That's unfortunate. I suppose I can spare some time."

"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun! By the way, there's some snacks in the kitchen if you want."

'I get to spend some quality alone time with Ayanokouji-kun!' thought Kinoshita.

'Free food?' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji sat back down on the couch as Kinoshita began eating the rest of her dinner. On the other hand, he tried his best not to stare at Kinoshita too much. His phone buzzed and there were a few messages from the band group.

Tanihara: Are you guys okay with a meeting tomorrow after school?

Tsube: It's been a while, huh?

Isoyama: My drum skills might be rusty!

Nakajima: Practice makes perfect. We need to make a schedule if we want to improve.

Isoyama: Hear ye!

Tsube: I second that!

Ayanokouji: How often do you want to practice? We would need to make sure it fits everyone's schedule.

Tanihara: Two days a week? Or is it too much?!

Nakajima: I'm fine with it.

Tsube: Yeah!

Isoyama: It's all good.

Ayanokouji: Fine with me.

Nakajima: If I may, how about one of the days is during Sundays?

It seemed that everyone in the group chat agreed to have one of the days to be a Sunday and Ayanokouji had no issue with it since he basically had the entire week free.

Ayanokouji: What about the other day?

Isoyama: I don't know. I feel like everyone has their own schedule.

Nakajima: Further discussion is necessary.

Tanihara: You sound like a robot now!

Since Ayanokouji is free for the entire week, he decided to let the girls talk about it and schedule according to their own days. He was waiting for the final result before agreeing to it. After a few minutes of discussion, it seemed that the girls had decided on Wednesdays which Ayanokouji agreed as well.

Tanihara: And we're all done!

Nakajima: Try your best not to skip too many practices.

Tsube: It's nice to be working with everyone!

Isoyama: See you all tomorrow.

Tanihara: Later!

Tsube: See you all soon!

Nakajima: Goodbye.

Ayanokouji: Good night, everyone.

With everything sorted out, Ayanokouji placed his phone back into his pocket and when he glanced over towards Kinoshita, he noticed that she had finished most of her dinner. The only item remaining is the fried chicken.

"You demolished everything." noted Ayanokouji.

"Haha! You don't need to flatter me that much, Ayanokouji-kun." said Kinoshita.

"By the way, how often are you walking?"

"I go to school and back to the dorms. Sometimes I go out with my friends, but it really strains my leg."

"I see. I don't want to push you into a decision that you're not comfortable with, but my offer of running together is still valid."

"Eh? I-It's not like I want to! It's just that I think I'll be a burden to you, Ayanokouji-kun. A-And it's kind of pathetic to have someone with an injured leg like me around."

"No, Kinoshita. I would not have asked you if you wanted to run with me if I didn't want to. And... you're not a burden. Not to me."

Ayanokouji's sudden confession left Kinoshita so flabbergasted that she dropped her toothpick that was holding a piece of fried chicken. She stumbled backwards and sank onto the couch with her face all red and flustered. When Ayanokouji glanced towards her, Kinoshita covered her face with one of the couch cushions and he could see that her ears were turning slightly red.

"Kinoshita?" said Ayanokouji.

"Y-You really have a way with words, A-Ayanokouji-kun!" muttered Kinoshita.

"I get that a lot. This is my honest impression."

"How can you not get embarrassed by saying it out loud like that?!"

"There's no embarrassment when you're speaking your honest thoughts."

"H-Haha! Now I feel stupid when you're so honest and unfazed by it."

"I assume that your answer is a yes."

"Y-Yeah. How about tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Kinoshita took a deep breath to calm her nerves as Ayanokouji decided not to say anything in an attempt to fluster Kinoshita any further. She began rummaging through the plastic bag and pulled out a couple of items, packets of energy jelly.

"We're gonna need some of these tomorrow then!" said Kinoshita.

"Energy jelly?" said Ayanokouji, picking up a packet and looking at it.

"Yup! Sometimes I eat them after track and field practice."

"Are you going to eat all of them?"

"Probably not. You can have some."

The duo chatted for a little bit before Ayanokouji decided that it was time to go. He stopped at his room earlier to give Satou her pudding and put back the items that he bought at the convenience store.

"I'll be going now, Kinoshita." said Ayanokouji.

"Oh! At least let me see you out." said Kinoshita, making an attempt to get up from the couch. But Ayanokouji stopped her.

"Don't push yourself. Good night, Kinoshita."

"See you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun!"

Ayanokouji could see that Kinoshita looked disappointed by his departure, but he didn't want to be gone for too long and the conversation with Kinoshita was getting stale. He wasn't sure that Kinoshita had something to do and decided not to intrude for too long.

'Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Running with Kinoshita early in the morning, band practice after school, and dinner with Satou. Not to mention, the mini special exam is ending tomorrow.' thought Ayanokouji, realizing that he has a busy day tomorrow and that he should get some rest.

*Timeskip (next day)*

"It's been a while since I've done this." said Kinoshita, gently stretching her legs and wincing in pain. Then, she started stretching her arms.

"Let's take it slow, Kinoshita. Are you ready?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah."

The duo were at a nearby park in the early morning and they were preparing themselves before setting off towards a path. The path that Ayanokouji chose didn't lead towards the main path, but instead headed throughout the park and alongside the river. Ayanokouji decided to slow his pace down to match Kinoshita's pace as he noticed that her pace was slower than her usual.

As the duo jogged along the path of the trees and towards the riverside, Ayanokouji could hear Kinoshita shouting to him.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun! I could go faster!" shouted Kinoshita.

"No. Let's take baby steps together and if you're still up for it, then we can go faster." said, noticing that Kinoshita is forcing herself to go faster and could see her face grimacing in pain.

"B-But..."

"Kinoshita, I don't want to see you hurt."

"E-Eh?!"

Kinoshita was caught off guard by Ayanokouji's statement and her speed slowed down significantly. Ayanokouji slowed down to adjust to her speed and noticed that her face was turning her red and slightly sweating along with gasping for breaths.

'Kinoshita must be out of shape. I will need to adjust my speed accordingly.' thought Ayanokouji.

'Eh?! Why would he say something like this? Especially when I'm trying her hardest to run and... Man! I'm out of shape and he drops this out of nowhere! Take a deep breath, Minori!' thought Kinoshita, trying her best not to think too much about what Ayanokouji said.

However, Kinoshita found herself staring at Ayanokouji, who was running beside her. His blank and calm expression as the wind swept through his brown hair. His golden brown eyes stared ahead of the path as if he's calculating on his next course of action. The way he moved his body and calm demeanor seemed to have a calming effect on Kinoshita except for her heart as despite the exercise, it was beating faster than usual by the sight of Ayanokouji. Kinoshita could feel her face turning hot and some sweat slowly form.

The duo exited the line of trees and onto the sight of a beautiful, lazy river. The sunrise reflected off the water's surface and was a collage of red, orange, and yellow. Ayanokouji could hear the birds chirping at each other from various trees, communicating as the duo ran alongside the river. It was a peaceful and carefree morning. A morning that is quiet and lonely that only Ayanokouji and Kinoshita could enjoy by themselves.

The duo followed on the path for about 15 minutes before they reached the end of their path which leads into the forest. Ayanokouji led Kinoshita to an empty plaza, the same plaza he was at with Morishita yesterday, and stopped a nearby bench.

"Let's take a break." said Ayanokouji, noticing Kinoshita's condition.

Kinoshita's face was sweating and a little red as she gasped for breath. The white running shirt she was wearing was starting to get wet as sweat was running through her upper body. Ayanokouji could tell that Kinoshita is slightly out of shape and it's been a while since she had a good run.

"How's the leg, Kinoshita?" asked Ayanokouji, glancing towards the leg. The bandaged leg seems to be shaking and he could see the bandages getting wet due to Kinoshita's sweat.

"I-It's okay! Damn! I forgot some water." said Kinoshita, glancing and realizing that she forgot her water bottle.

"There's a vending machine nearby. I'll get us some water."

"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun."

"I'll be right back."

Ayanokouji jogged over to the vending machine and got two water bottles before heading back towards Kinoshita. Kinoshita was massaging her injured leg and had a satisfied look on her face.

"Here you go." said Ayanokouji, placing a bottle of water next to Kinoshita.

"Thanks." said Kinoshita, reaching for the bottle and taking a nice refreshing sip of water.

"Massaging the leg?"

"Yeah, it feels better when I do that. And it helps my stiff muscles."

"I see. Your pace is not that bad considering that you injured your leg."

"Thanks. I'm still a little rusty, but I'm glad I could run again."

The duo fell into silence as they took sips of water, regained their breaths, and to cool off after a long run. Ayanokouji stared at the sunrise and found that Kinoshita was doing the same thing and staring at the sunset.

This gave Ayanokouji the perfect opportunity to study Kinoshita more closely. He noticed how beautiful she was. Her face dawned tranquil as she stared at the sunrise and he vaguely remembered that she said she liked sunflowers. Like a sunflower, Kinoshita is drawn to the sun and looks beautiful in the sunlight. Her beautiful shoulder-length hair seemed to glow as the sunlight gently kissed her hair, capturing a soft and ambient glow. Kinoshita's eyes sparkled as she stared at the sunrise which matches the rich, golden hue of the sunrise. She had a faint and soft smile as she watched the sun and Ayanokouji could see Kinoshita's beauty and it's a sight to behold.

Kinoshita, who noticed that Ayanokouji was staring at her, averted her eyes from the beautiful sunrise scenery and Ayanokouji.

"W-Why are you staring at me?" asked Kinoshita, shyly.

"It's nothing. Sorry for staring. I hope you don't think it's creepy." replied Ayanokouji.

"I-It's fine!"

"Ahh... isn't it time?"

Ayanokouji pulled out a few packets of energy jelly. It was the ones that Kinoshita asked Ayanokouji to buy at the convenience store yesterday.

"Grape one, please!" said Kinoshita.

Ayanokouji handed her a purple packet and decided to try the pineapple one. Its jelly-like consistency and faint sweet taste of pineapple hits Ayanokouji's taste buds. However, it was a little sticky and some of it got stuck on the roof of Ayanokouji's mouth.

"It's not bad, right?" asked Kinoshita, looking over at Ayanokouji for his opinion.

"Yeah. Some of it got stuck in my mouth." replied Ayanokouji.

"You gotta slurp it and it comes in smoothly."

"I see..."

Ayanokouji slurped the rest of his jelly up and found that Kinoshita's advice was valid and correct. Kinoshita reached for another and grabbed an orange flavor. He wondered if Kinoshita is addicted to energy jelly, but was a little hesitant to try another one as he read the nutrition list. He sat in silence and took a sip of his water as Kinoshita devoured another packet of energy jelly. After about two more minutes of rest, Kinoshita got up and stretched her legs.

"I'm ready to go, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Kinoshita.

"All right." said Ayanokouji, standing up as well.

"Let's speed up. I'm ready for a challenge!"

"As you wish."

The duo quickly jogged down the path which led back to the main path where they quickly disposed of their trash at a nearby trashcan before arriving at the main path. Ayanokouji decided to fulfill Kinoshita's wish and increased his pace slightly and found Kinoshita matching his pace. It seemed that Kinoshita was slowly improving, but not all of her full strength and Ayanokouji wondered how much longer would it take for Kinoshita to regain her full strength.

*Timeskip (20 minutes later)*

"Fufu~ That was a good run!" said Kinoshita.

"Yeah. Good work today." said Ayanokouji.

The duo are outside of the dorm building and taking their break. Ayanokouji and Kinoshita had done a full loop back towards the dorm, arriving at the same time that most students should be waking up.

Kinoshita's white shirt is completely soaked with sweat and is slightly see-through which Ayanokouji tried his best to ignore. However, he could see the black sports bra that Kinoshita was wearing. Sweat was coming off both of their bodies and they both desperately needed a shower.

"Let's get going." said Ayanokouji. Kinoshita nodded and the duo headed towards the elevator. They selected their respective floors and the elevator took Kinoshita's floor first since she was on the 2nd floor.

"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun. Let's do it again soon." said Kinoshita, stepping out of the elevator.

"See you later, Kinoshita. Just let me know when." replied Ayanokouji.

Kinoshita gave Ayanokouji one last smile and wave before the elevator doors closed and the elevator ascended. Ayanokouji waited for a few moments before the elevator delivered him to his floor. He quickly entered his apartment and made his way into the bathroom. However, Ayanokouji's luck seemed to have run out.

As Ayanokouji stepped into the bathroom, he noticed steam coming from the shower and Satou stepped out with a towel covering her breasts and upper body. Due to Satou's carelessness or the fact that she didn't expect Ayanokouji to return back so soon, the towel was barely covering her breasts and Ayanokouji could see the rough shape and size of her breasts. Luckily for Satou, Ayanokouji could not see her nipples, but he got a great view of her body. Her brown hair dripping wet, exposed shoulders, and bare slender legs revealed a dripping wet exotic figure.

On the other hand, Ayanokouji's figure was dripping with sweat when the duo's eyes met. Ayanokouji felt the familiar electric shock that he was sadly used to. Satou stumbled backwards and landed on her butt and the towel that was covering her bare body from view began falling. Satou quickly grabbed at the falling towel, but it was too late. The towel only covered the bottom part of Satou's breasts and Ayanokouji could see Satou's plentiful breasts and pink nipples. It wasn't the full image of her breasts, but it was pretty much the whole thing. Satou immediately covered her breasts with her hands, but it was too late as Ayanokouji already saw.

Satou's face turned so red that Ayanokouji thought he saw steam coming out of her head and ears, but it turns out it was just steam coming from the shower. Even her ears weren't spared as they were as red as her face. Her body began shaking as she began to stutter.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun! W-What a-are you doing?!" yelped Satou.

"Sorry for the intrusion. I've just come back and I shall take my leave now." said Ayanokouji, calmly.

Ayanokouji calmly walked out of the bathroom and closed the door before making his way towards the living room. He heard an ear-piercing shrill scream coming from the bathroom as Satou's screams rang throughout the apartment and he was sure that the neighbors could hear it.

**********************************************

Satou POV:

Pervert!

Ayanokouji-kun is a pervert!

Why did this happen?! Why?! Why?!

Probably because I didn't lock the door! But I thought Ayanokouji-kun would be gone for longer! He always is, but why?!

It's partially my fault for not locking the door, but Ayanokouji-kun should've knocked on the door before entering! Can he not hear someone inside?!

For the entire time we've lived together, not once did this happen! We've planned our showering schedules to avoid this. One mistake leads to this! And out of all the time, it happened on the last day!

But... It feels strange. I'm so confused now! Why didn't Ayanokouji-kun react at all? He just saw an almost nude girl in front of him and he just stares! That blank and calm handsome face that I've grown to admire is confusing and pissing me off. At least give me a reaction, so I don't feel stupid screaming my head off!

The strangest thing is my feelings. I've admired Ayanokouji-kun for a while. The first time that we met was during the first month. He was part of Karuizawa-san's gossip about Ayanokouji-kun going out with Horikita-san, so she invited him out. My first impression is that he's strangely quiet and calm. He doesn't fit well in a social environment, so I thought he was harmless and pretty weird for showing emotions.

That all changed when I saw the number of girls from Class D with him. Shinohara-san, Azuma-san, Mii-chan, Kushida-chan, and many more. Then, I really started to pay attention to him and to see what makes Ayanokouji-kun so special. From what I saw and the interaction I had with him, he's quite mature for a first-year high school student and seemed to be a calculating person. He also has this mysterious aura around him like something is off about him, but you can't seem to figure it out. I can totally understand why so many girls are around him. He's quiet, mature, mysterious, and not to mention handsome!

But when I saw him run against the student council president, I was taken aback. His speed is unnatural and I was sure that he was going to win. Ayanokouji-kun is really someone that I don't understand, but seeing like this makes my heart race. He is someone that I don't understand, but likes to understand and know better. Someone that I admire, but this feeling... It's wrong now.

Ayanokouji-kun is so cruel... Seeing him in that way makes my heart race and... I was truly happy and upset at the same time when he saw me in a vulnerable state like this!

He is no longer someone that I admire. He is someone that I wished to be more...

Satou looked into the mirror and noticed how red and flustered her face was. She cringed as she saw the sorry mess she was in and turned on the sink, splashing some cold water on her face. She gasped as the cold water hit her face and ran down to the chin. The cold water did its job and jarred Satou's vision and snapped her back to reality.

Satou took a shaky deep breath to calm her nerves before wiping her wet body. She knows that things between Ayanokouji are going to be a little awkward and there's an unavoidable conversation that they are going to have as soon as she gets changed and exits the bathroom. Satou took another deep breath and steeled herself for the inevitable.

**********************************************

Ayanokouji POV:

'Well, that was interesting. I have seen something that was not meant to be seen. Is it what Sotomura called a lucky encounter? Not only that, Satou has become my soulmate. Out of all of my countermeasures, something like this happened. I must prepare myself for the inevitable conversation that we are going to have.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji was surprised and caught off guard by this sudden encounter and that was the last thing he expected to occur so early in the morning. He decided that he should have a chat with Satou about the unfortunate situation before he takes a shower. He would rather deal with it as soon as possible rather than later. It's similar to ripping the bandage out quickly instead of waiting later to do it.

About five minutes later, Satou exited the bathroom and entered the living room with her usual orange cardigan. Satou averted her eyes from Ayanokouji as she made her way to the kitchen. He could tell that she was trying her best to ignore him, but still caught her giving him side glances. Ayanokouji realized that he will have to be the one to take initiative.

"Satou, can we talk?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Pervert..." muttered Satou.

"I'm truly sorry for what happened a few minutes ago. I've made a continuous lapse in my judgment and should've knocked on the door to make sure that someone is there before entering. Please forgive me and I hope our relationship won't end over a mistake like this." said Ayanokouji, bowing his head.

Satou stared at Ayanokouji's apologies as she felt disgusted and violated by the events that transpired, but she couldn't stay mad at Ayanokouji after he showed such sincerity and provided an honest apology.

"I-It's okay, Ayanokouji-kun. It's partially my fault as well. I should've locked the doors, but I thought you would be back later." said Satou, also offering her apologies.

"How about we call in even and forget this ever happened?" suggested Ayanokouji. He knew that the best thing to do is to forget that this event ever happened since he didn't want to be labeled as a pervert and Satou didn't want to be reminded of it.

"Y-Yeah."

"If you'll excuse me, I have something pressing to do."

Ayanokouji glanced at the clock and realized that he lost a significant amount of time due to the unfortunate incident. He was cutting it close to arrive at class on time as he needed to shower, make breakfast, change clothes, and make his way to school. Ayanokouji quickly went into his room to grab a change of clothes and headed towards the bathroom.

'That went better than expected.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (40 minutes later)*

"Good morning, Suzune." said Ayanokouji.

"G-Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun." said Suzune. It seems that Suzune is not used to Ayanokouji calling her by her first name even though she was the one that suggested it. She had a shy expression on her face.

"You were awfully late this morning. You are normally in class earlier." said Suzune. Ayanokouji raised his eyebrows, intrigued by Suzune's attentiveness to his schedule.

"I didn't know that you were paying so much attention to me, Suzune." said Ayanokouji, deciding to tease her.

"Of course not. I just noticed that my seatmate was going to be late and it might cost us extra class points."

Ayanokouji expected that from Suzune, but he couldn't help being amused by her comebacks and denial.

The morning bell rang and Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom with a huge rolled-up white poster under her arm. The class fell into silence as they recognized the white poster and it meant it was the results of an exam.

"Congratulations, Class D. The Mixed Dorm Mate Mini Special Exam is officially over." said Chabashira-sensei, tapping the white poster on the blackboard. The poster has the list of all of the pairs with green check marks which confirm that everyone has passed the mini special exam.

"In addition, 50,000 private points will be transferred to your accounts by the end of the school day. The move-out will commence after school and every student would be expected to move out by the end of today." continued Chabashira-sensei.

"What?!"

"They expect 80 students to move out by the end of today?!"

"How's that even possible?"

"I have so much stuff!"

"Not my porn- err... corn collection!"

"Wait! You have a corn collection?!"

Chabashira-sensei listened to the students' protest and the unreasonable amount of time that the school was giving to evict their students. Ayanokouji could see it as a valid concern as 80 students moving their belongings and emptying their apartments at the same time would cause chaos and big crowds.

"Your concerns are valid. The school will give everyone a specific time period for their move-out time. This will apply to every pair, so plan accordingly with your partner. An email with additional rules will be sent as a remainder of your move-out time period by the end of the school day. Please check your emails." said Chabashira-sensei.

Chabashira-sensei's explanation seemed to have calmed most of the concerns in the classroom and the classroom began chatting about their experiences and the 50,000 private points they just earned. The excitement of the classroom reflected on how easy the mini special exam is and Ayanokouji had the feeling that the school is going to be providing more interesting and special mini special exams later in the future and it might not be as easy as the first exam.

*Timeskip (3 hours later)*

"President Horikita has some final remarks he'd like to share with you all."

Horikita Manabu slowly took the stage and it got the attention of everyone. Curious glances were directed at the student council president. Even the first-year students, who were disinterested by the entire ceremony, turned their attention towards Manabu. Horikita's eyes remained set on her older brother as he leaned towards the microphone.

"I'm very proud to have led the student council for nearly two years. I'm also quite grateful. Thank you all very much." said Manabu. His address was brief and unemotional, delivered with the air of a solemn obligation, and he retreated to his original position once it was done.

The ceremony didn't end there. The other student council officers remained on the stage.

"President Horikita, thank you for all your hard work. Now then, we'd like to welcome Nagumo Miyabi, a second-year Class A and the next student council president, to say a few words."

Nagumo walked onstage and stood in front of the microphone. Ichinose, a first year student, was among the student council members who watched him attentively.

"Hello. I'm Nagumo, second-year Class A. Student Council President Horikita, I sincerely appreciate the strict yet kind guidance you've shown me. I'd like to express my respect for you, while also emphasizing what an honor it's been to serve alongside the most capable president in this school's history. You've exhibited the strongest leadership possible." said Nagumo, bowing his head deeply toward Horikita's brother. Then he faced the student body once more.

"Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Nagumo Miyabi, and I will be assuming the position of student council president at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. I sincerely look forward to working with all of you." continued Nagumo. Suddenly, he
donned a small, thin smile, and the atmosphere changed almost immediately.

"This may be sudden, but for my first order of business, I pledge to change the term length for student council members, as well as the general election method. The previous student council president held the general election in October instead of December each year. This arrangement, which saw the next generation of leaders move into their roles early, yielded mixed results. Therefore, the new student council has determined that it's time to take things a step further. From now on, the student council president and officers will have indefinite terms while attending school, so that they may serve continuously until graduation. At the same time, we'll annul both the current general-election system, and any restrictions on the student council's size. The council will constantly accept new officers. In other words, an excellent candidate may join the student council no matter how many people are currently on it. Also, if someone is determined to be unfit for office, they can be removed by a majority vote. Please allow me to confirm this to all students, teachers, and student council members who served under the previous president. To bring this school into the future, I intend to thoroughly
destroy the past." explained Nagumo, speaking forcefully. Ayanokouji glanced at Manabu and saw him frown as well as Tachibana leaning in and whispering in Manabu's ear.

"I wanted to implement these changes at once. Unfortunately, a newly elected president must deal with many obligations and restrictions first. A revolution is coming. Students with real ability will rise to the top, and students without any will fall. I intend to turn this school into a true meritocracy, so please, give me everything you've got. I look forward to seeing what you can do." said Nagumo, finishing the last of his speech.

The entire gymnasium had been silent during his announcement, but as soon as he finished speaking, almost every second-year student shouted with sheer delight. The first-year students began to mutter amongst each other and stared at the second-year students, surprised by their reactions. Ayanokouji glanced around and saw some kind of tension between the second
and third-year students.

Ayanokouji could see Manabu looking at Nahumo with disapproval and Tachibana glaring at him, but he knew that they were powerless to stop him. He had the feeling that Tachibana is also going to step down from the student council as well. He wondered what kind of conflict Nagumo and Manabu had and how it involved their respective years.

*Timeskip (after school)*

"Hey! The school sent the email."

"50,000 points!"

"What the hell?! 9:30 PM, why is it so late?!"

"Sucks to be you!"

Ayanokouji checked his email inbox and found an email from the school. As he checked the email, he found out that the school is giving half an hour for his move-out period which is 7:30 PM. Additionally, the school has extended the curfew time for only the first-years to adjust to everyone's move out periods. Luckily for Ayanokouji's schedule, this gave him time to attend band practice and Satou's dinner before his scheduled move-out time period.

Ayanokouji got up from his seat and headed towards the exit of the classroom, noticing that a few of his soulmates wanted to talk to him, but he quickly exited the building as he headed towards the stairs. After going up two flights of stairs, Ayanokouji arrived at a heavy oak double door before knocking on the door. He gave it a few moments before opening the doors.

Ayanokouji arrived at the student council office and found the room spacious with high ceilings and large windows that let in natural light, providing an excellent view of the school's courtyard and outside. There is a long polished mahogany desk sitting at the back wall, flanked by luxurious chairs with high backs and intricate carvings and Ayanokouji assumed that it is the president's desk.

There were also a few other desks nearby with stacks of paper, books, and other office supplies. The walls are lined with bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes, school records, framed accolades, certificates, and the school crest are displayed proudly. A plush red carpet covers the floor. Each window had red curtains that matched the carpet. A modern projector and screen was integrated on the ceiling and facing the left wall.

The room is immaculately organized, reflecting the council's discipline and Ayanokouji assumed Tachibana was the one that kept everything organized and clean based on her discipline and behavior. A sense of gravity fills the space as Ayanokouji enters the room, emphasizing the important decisions made here.

"Sorry for the intrusion." said Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji spotted Manabu at the large president's desk and he seemed to be moving some of his belongings into a box. Tachibana was at a nearby desk and was doing the same thing. However, Tachibana glanced over at Ayanokouji and smiled at him. Nagumo raised his eyebrows by Ayanokouji's sudden arrival. There were two other student council members present in the room which Ayanokouji saw during the ceremony earlier.

One was a girl with waist-length chocolate-brown hair with a sunflower hairpin on the right side of her head. She had a few other hairpins by his bangs and her sparkling purple eyes caught Ayanokouji's attention. The other student was a male student with black hair swept to the right side with brown eyes. Ayanokouji was getting stared at by everyone as he approached the center of the room.

"Ayanokouji... what brings you here?" asked Manabu.

"Tachibana-senpai asked me to come over and give her a hand." replied Ayanokouji. He approached Tachibana's desk to grab one of the cardboard boxes.

"Oh? It was a good race, Ayanokouji." said Nagumo, politely as he passed Nagumo's desk on the way to Tachibana's desk.

"Thank you, Nagumo-senpai. It was a shame that I didn't get to race you." said Ayanokouji.

"How about you come by the soccer club's practice and have a race?"

"I consider it, senpai."

Ayanokouji bowed politely to Nagumo and hoped that he wouldn't draw too much attention from Nagumo. He has already gotten the attention of Manabu and the last thing he wants is to get the attention of another student council president. However Ayanokouji felt Nagumo's eyes still directed at him as he approached Tachibana.

"Are you ready, senpai?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yes." replied Tachibana. Ayanokouji grabbed two boxes and stacked them on top of each other before following Tachibana, who was carrying one box.

"Please excuse me." said Ayanokouji, bowing at his senpais before following Tachibana out of the student council office. Ayanokouji could feel the stares from Manabu and all of the student council members directed at him. He tried his best to ignore it, but couldn't shake the feeling that Nagumo Miyabi will become a problem in the future.

*Timeskip (15 minutes later)*

"Thank you for the help, Ayanokouji-kun." said Tachibana.

"You're welcome, senpai. It wasn't that bad of a trip." replied Ayanokouji, gently setting the cardboard boxes near the kitchen. The duo had arrived at Tachibana's room and since Tachibana is leaving the student council, she's moving all of her belongings out of the office and back into her room.

"Why don't you sit down for a bit, Ayanokouji-kun? Are you okay with some green tea?"

"Anything is fine if it's made by you."

Tachibana stuttered out loud before quickly grabbing her tea set and leaves and disappearing into the kitchen. Ayanokouji sat down on couch and listened as the sound of water in the kitchen as Tachibana prepared some water for the teapot. He could also hear some tea leaves rummaging around and cups being placed down. After a few minutes, Tachibana emerged from the kitchen empty-handed.

"The tea is on its way, Ayanokouji-kun." said Tachibana, sitting down next to him.

"Thanks. You didn't have to make refreshments for me." said Ayanokouji.

"Oh no! It's for troubling you with some manual labor."

"It's nothing, senpai. You didn't ask Horikita-senpai?"

"He is busy with his own matters and it would be troubling for him."

"So you decided to trouble your favorite kohai?"

"Yes... I mean n-no!"

Tachibana's face turned red as she was caught off guard by Ayanokouji's sudden jab.

"I was teasing you, senpai." said Ayanokouji.

"Ayanokouji-kun! How uncalled for!" pouted Tachibana.

"It's because you're the best, senpai."

"E-Eh?! Y-You don't mean that!"

"Oh, I do. You're my favorite senpai."

'It's not like I know any more upperclassmen besides Horikita-senpai.' thought Ayanokouji.

'W-What is he saying?! Is that cheeky kohai pulling something up for his sleeve?' thought Tachibana, confused and happy at the same time by Ayanokouji's words.

Before anyone could do anything, the water began making high-pitched and shrill noise from the kitchen. Tachibana got up from the couch quickly and headed into the kitchen. After about a minute, Tachibana emerged from the kitchen with a tray with a teapot, two cups, and some snacks. She set it on the coffee table and poured some tea on the cups before sitting on the couch. Ayanokouji watched as the steam from the tea wafted towards the ceiling and opened the packaging of a daifuku before popping it into his mouth.

"Tachibana-senpai, what are your plans now?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Eh?! Honestly, I don't have a clue. I haven't thought too far ahead." replied Tachibana.

"I might be content in graduating from Class A. From junior high, I have been involved with being the class representative of my class and for the duration of high school, I was a part of the student council. I might just take it slowly and enjoy the rest of my time here."

"You've been involved greatly with the school and its affairs. It's quite commendable."

"Hehehe!~ You don't have to flatter me that much, Ayanokouji-kun. Horikita-kun was doing most of the work when he entered the school. As a class representative and student council member."

"Credit should be given when credit is due."

Tachibana thanked Ayanokouji once again and scratched her cheek bashfully before taking a sip of tea. Ayanokouji followed suit and Tachibana felt a great sense of relief and freedom as her duties as a student council member was over and a great deal of freedom and lack of responsibility was over. It was the first time since she entered the school that she felt a sense of relief of duty and responsibility.

'I leave the rest to Horiita-kun, but when the time is necessary to assist the class and Horikita-kun, I will do my best and fulfill my duty as a member of Class A. For the time being, I can enjoy the taste of freedom.' thought Tachibana.

Ayanokouji placed his empty cup down and Tachibana refilled it for him. Then, Ayanokouji found a perfect opportunity to ask Tachibana something, hoping that she has an answer.

"Tachibana-senpai, do you know the owner of this amulet? I found it on the ground yesterday." said Ayanokouji, pulling on the amulet that he found yesterday. He handed the amulet over to Tachibana, who began inspecting it.

"Wait... That's Asahina-san's amulet." said Tachibana.

"You know who it belongs to?"

"Yes! Do you remember the girl with the brown hair you saw when you came to the student council office today?"

"Yes."

"Her name is Asahina Nazuma from Class 2-A."

"I see. Thank you for telling me. I'll give it to her when I see her again."

Ayanokouji took the amulet back and slipped it back into his pocket. With that, the duo spent the rest of their time chatting about Tachibana's future plans, but Ayanokouji noticed that Tachibana's expression darkened and became nostalgic. There was some lingering sadness and doubts in Tachibana's mind as if she had some unfinished business with Ayanokouji.

'Tachibana-senpai is most likely sad and upset that her time in this school is running out. She has months left remaining in this school and she knows that. Leaving the student council will grant a greater degree of freedom, but the time that we spent together is limited. Let's give it our all, Tachibana Akane.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Tachibana-senpai, thank you for the tea. I'll have to go now." said Ayanokouji, getting up from the couch.

"Is it your move-out period?" asked Tachibana, getting up as well.

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry, Ayanokouji-kun. It's a part of the process. I'll see you again."

"See you around, senpai."

Ayanokouji had to lie since he didn't want to tell Tachibana that he's meeting four girls alone in an isolated and soundproof place. He knew that his soulmates already didn't appreciate or liked that Ayanokouji is spending time with a variety of different girls. He was also not in the mood to explain the entire truth, so he took a shortcut, the fastest way to leave.

Ayanokouji called the elevator and when he entered, there were a few upperclassmen in the elevator and they were giving him strange looks. A first-year coming from one of the girl's floors was strange enough for some people, but since Ayanokouji is used to it. He ignored it and entered the elevator.

*Timeskip (20 minutes later)*

"Welcome to the first official band practice!" said Tanihara. Tsube clapped politley and Isoyama played a beat with her drums.

"Technically, this isn't our first practice, but it's close enough." said Nakajima, dryly.

The four girls were discussing how they practice and their improvements as they began playing their instruments one out of time. Ayanokouji could hear and see the improvements for Tanihara as she was less rigid and nervous on the keyboard piano. Before that, she would be rigid and her movement is not as smooth as before. The worst part is that every time Tanihara messed up, she froze and her movements became jittery and more mistakes were made. In short, Ayanokouji found that Tanihara's confidence was low which led to more mistakes. However, he noticed that Tanihara seems more comfortable and her movements have improved significantly. However, he noticed that her key knowledge was lacking as she played the wrong keys on certain parts of the melody. When Tanihara finished, everyone was giving her a round of applause and Tanihara turned towards Ayanokouji, looking for his feedback.

"You've improved, Tanihara. You seemed more confident in your movement and your movement is more smooth. However, you must have all of your keys memorized and in your muscle memory. Your A and D keys are a little sloppy and sometimes you hit the wrong keys." said Ayanokouji.

"But! I don't like those keys!" protested Tanihara.

"A simple trick is that A comes first before B and C before D. It's similar to the English alphabet. If you remembered that, you should be able to memorize the key's order. Just keep practicing and you'll get better."

"Okay! Thanks for the advice."

The rest of the girls played their own melodies and Ayanokouji noticed some critical flaws within each band member. Before he could point them out, Tanihara suggested that everyone play together to see how they sound as one. Nakajima pulled out her phone and began looking through some songs and melodies that have all of the instruments.

"Play that one!"

"Nah, that's too hard!"

"Would like a challenge!"

"Do you think that highly of yourself?"

"What about that song? It's so good!"

The three other girls were crowded around Nakajima as they couldn't decide on which song to play. It seemed that everyone has different musical tastes and Ayanokouji had a suggestion.

"Why not start on something simple first? To see how you all sound together." suggested Ayanokouji.

"Good idea!"

"I knew that! I was testing Ayanokouji-kun!"

"This one. It's the most basic one."

The girls began browsing their phones and pulled up the music sheets that contained the music notes before getting in position. Ayanokouji held his breath and nodded to Isoyama, who started the countdown.

"One! Two! Three! Four!" said Isoyama, hitting her drumsticks in a rhythm that matches the countdown and with that, everyone began playing.

Ayanokouji listened quietly as the four girls began to play and as he listened, he noticed critical flaws with each instrument. He had the song's name and the music sheets for it, so he can keep track of everyone. The girls didn't sound in sync with each other and he could see obvious mistakes for each instrument. After a few more minutes, the song ended and the girls began to laugh out loud at each other.

"That was so bad!"

"I thought you were better than this!"

"I thought we were decent!"

"Are you tone-deaf? Isoyama's drums were too much!"

"I think you played too quietly!"

Ayanokouji could feel the stares of all of the girls directed at him as they wanted his honest opinion. Ayanokouji took a deep breath before he started.

"First of all, you did mediocre. Everyone was not in sync with each other. Isoyama, your rhythm was good, but it was too intense and you seemed more focused on your drumming than the harmony of the other instruments. To be blunt, you're simply too good for the others and you took all of the attention with your drumming." said Ayanokouji. Isoyama yelped and clutched her heart before Ayanokouji continued on.

"Nakajima, there were a lot of crucial mistakes on your part. I'll be blunt, but how confident are you in reading music?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Well... not really good. I only started about a few months ago and I'm not that good." said Nakajima, wincing.

"You've got the basics, but the more complicated parts of the songs are where you struggled the most. I would recommend studying and learning how to properly read music."

Nakajima nodded her head and lowered it in shame as Ayanokouji's blunt words tore into her and left her stunned by all of her flaws.

"Next up is Tanihara. As I mentioned before, your flaws are in your lack of confidence and memorization of your keys. That's where all of your mistakes are. Just learn the position of the keys and practice more." said Ayanokouji. Tanihara nodded her head vigorously and Ayanokouji turned towards the last band member, Tsube, who gulped nervously as Ayanokouji began his analysis.

"Tsube. Out of everyone, you were the worst. However, since everyone has played their instruments longer than you, it was your inexperience with your guitar. The only advice is to practice more and your guitar needs better care. It sounds out of tune." said Ayanokouji, gesturing to Tsube's guitar. Everybody glanced at it before Nakajima exclaimed out loud.

"Tsube-san! Your guitar!" said Nakajima.

"What?" asked Tsube, confused.

"You need to change the strings and get a tuner for your guitar! Look at this mess!"

Nakajima shook her head in disbelief before grabbing Tsube by the arm.

"You're coming with me. We are going to the music store right now and getting you some new strings and tuner. Bring your guitar too!" said Nakajima. This is the first time that Ayanokouji heard Nakajima raise her voice and Tsube was also surprised, but agreed to come with her.

"Before you leave, despite all of your flaws, everyone plays to the best of their abilities. Keep practice and spend more time working together. It wasn't a bad start, but it's not the best. Keep up the good work, everyone." said Ayanokouji. He wasn't sure if his speech was inspiring and he hoped that his blunt and honest analysis didn't discourage the girls, but he figured since they were giving it their all, he might as well support them to the best of abilities.

"Yeah!"

"Go team..."

"At least sound energetic about it!"

The girls laughed out loud and Ayanokouji thought he was being a little too rough and blunt about his criticism, but was glad that the girls were not discouraged at all. Tsube and Nakajima both left for the music store which is in the same building while the others began practicing with their instruments.

In the end, Nakajima taught Tsube how to replace the strings on her guitar and how to properly tune her guitar. Ayanokouji saw this session as productive as they were able to identify everyone's flaws and how they can improve themselves for the next band practice.

*Timeskip (30 minutes later)*

"Okonomiyaki! Okonomiyaki!" said Satou, happily.

"You are a big fan of okonomiyaki." said Ayanokouji.

"Yep!"

The duo entered a restaurant that was in the Keiyaki Mall and were seated right away. The table has a grill in the middle with an air vent above the grill along with some colorful, decorative lights. On the side of the table, there were menus and various sauces ready to be used. Ayanokouji studied the menu and saw two different styles of okonomiyaki: Kansai and Hiroshima. As he saw the pictures and ingredients listed on the menu, Ayanokouji decided to get the Kansai version while Satou decided on Hiroshima.

"We can share it." said Satou.

"Yeah." replied Ayanokouji. The duo placed their order with a tablet that was on the table and they added their own drinks to the order before sending it to the kitchen. The duo were chatting about

"What are you going to do after the mini special exam, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Satou.

"I don't know. I guess I will try to stay in the school and not get expelled." said Ayanokouji, shrugging his shoulders.

"Y-Yeah. Have you heard of the rumors of a new mini special exam?"

"No. What are the rumors?"

"I've heard that they are involving students from different years. Supposedly, the first-years are going to be in groups with second and third-year students."

"Wow. Where did you hear it from?"

"Karuizawa-san and Hirata-kun. Hirata-kun said Nagumo-senpai brought it up during soccer practice."

"I was not aware of such rumors. It does seem interesting."

"I know right! When Nagumo-senpai brought up how he's going to make changes today, I was scared."

"It would be disadvantageous for Class C and D if he turned the school into a meritocracy."

"I know! Just seeing the second years act like that gives me the chills!"

"Let's not worry about it tonight. We're here to celebrate."

"Yeah!"

"Excuse me." said a waiter.

He was carrying a large metal tray filled with bowls and plates. There were various toppings and batter for the okonomiyaki. The waiter placed down various bowls and plates on either side of the table and before he left, he turned on the grill. Ayanokouji's side had a bowl of batter, cabbage, seaweed, bonito flakes, slices of pork, pickled red ginger, green onions, and bits of tempura which is for a standard Kansai okonomiyaki. Satou's side had a bowl of batter, crispy yakisoba, cabbage, beansprouts, green onions, slices of pork, bonito flakes, fried egg, and pickled red ginger which is for a standard Hiroshima okonomiyaki.

It seems that in this restaurant, the customers are the ones to cook their own food. Ayanokouji had no idea on how to prepare and cook okonomiyaki. He decided to watch Satou since she was the one that suggested okonomiyaki.

Ayanokouji watched as Satou poured the batter onto the grill and she made a circular motion, making a perfect circle of batter. There was a satisfying sizzling noise as the batter hit the hot surface of the grill. He watched as Satou began adding cabbage and slices of pork. Satou, who noticed that Ayanokouji was doing anything and watching her, spoke up.

"Is this your first time, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Satou.

"Yeah. I have never made okonomiyaki." replied Ayanokouji.

"You're missing out. I'll give you a hand."

"Thanks, Satou."

"All right. First, grab the ladle and get some batter. Make a circular motion as you slowly dump the batter on the grill. Do your best to make a circle, it doesn't have to be perfect."

Ayanokouji followed Satou's instructions and he managed to make a deformed looking circle.

"It's all right, Ayanokouji-kun. It looks good enough. Add your cabbage and slices of pork on the batter now. Since cabbage and pork are the things that will take the longest to cook." said Satou. Ayanokouji followed her instructions and added a healthy amount of pork and cabbage.

"There's enough toppings and batter for a second okonomiyaki." said Ayanokouji, noticing the leftover batter, pork, and cabbage in the bowl.

"Yeah. There should be enough for two portions. Now we just wait."

Ayanokouji watched as his and Satou's okonomiyaki began to form as the batter thickened and formed a pancake. He watched as Satou began twirling around her flat metal spatula as the duo waited anxiously for their okonomiyaki to cook more. After a few minutes, Satou spoke up.

"Now! Add the rest of your ingredients!" said Satou, who began adding the rest of her ingredients.

Ayanokouji watched as she littered the top of her okonomiyaki with green onions, red pickled ginger, yakisoba, a fried egg, beansprouts, and bonito flakes. He could see a mountain being formed on top of the pancake and watched as some of the ingredients spilled off and onto the grill, creating a sizzling noise. Ayanokouji followed suit and added his green onions, red pickled ginger, pieces of tempura, seaweed, and bonito flakes.

"Don't worry about the mess you make. You can use the spatula to scrape and push them out of the way." said Satou, demonstrating for Ayanokouji. He followed suit and the grill was cleared off.

"Now give it a flip now. Here's the tricky part." said Satou. She took Ayanokouji's spatula and using both hands, she managed to flip the entire okonomiyaki. Ayanokouji followed suit and now the time to eat is nearing.

"Give it maybe two minutes and we can turn off the grill." said Satou. Ayanokouji glanced at the grill controls and found the knob that controls the temperature of the grill. He nodded and watched his okonomiyaki slowly cook itself.

After the long awaited wait, Ayanokouji turned off the grill and he saw Satou grabbed a sauce bottle from the tableside and squirted some on top of her okonomiyaki. When she offered it to him, Ayanokouji accepted and did the same. He glanced at the other sauces and decided to add them later to have a new experience for every bite. Ayanokouji and Satou both grabbed their spatula and cut a piece of the okonomiyaki and scooped it on their plates.

"Itadakimasu!" said the duo.

Ayanokouji used his chopsticks and quickly broke a small piece of okonomiyaki. He watched the steam rise towards the ceiling before taking his first bite. Ayanokouji was immediately flooded with a barrage of sensation: sweet, salty, and umami. The texture was also fluffy due to the pancake-like batter and crunchy because of the bonito flakes, seaweed, and pieces of tempura. He can also taste some acidity from the pickled ginger and refreshing aftertaste of the green onions along with the sweetness of the cabbage. All of the ingredients work in harmony and also counteract with each other, producing an unique and complex dish. The sauce also enhanced the flavor and Ayanokouji grabbed another sauce bottle which contained Japanese mayonnaise and put some on his okonomiyaki.

'Interesting. The flavor changes as a new sauce is used. What an interesting dish.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji began eating his okonomiyaki and as he ate, he chatted with Satou. Due to Satou's close proximity with Karuizawa, there was a lot of gossip that Ayanokouji was hearing. He was sure that he was probably a main target, but Satou didn't say anything regarding him. Ayanokouji took a sip of his fruit smoothie as he listened to Satou.

After Ayanokouji finished eating about half of his okonomiyaki, Satou glanced at his okonomiyaki and asked a question that Ayanokouji was waiting for.

"Do you mind if I have some of your okonomiyaki, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Satou.

"Yeah. Can I do the same as well?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Go for it."

Satou and Ayanokouji traded okonomiyaki and he got a piece of Satou's. Ayanokouji studied it and noticed a difference between his and Satou's. Satou's okonomiyaki had yakisoba noodles on top and with additional beansprouts. With the visual differences noted, Ayanokouji took a bite and immediately tasted the yakisoba noodles which added a crispy texture to the bite. He also noticed that Hiroshima style has more thinly sliced cabbage and uses less batter than the Kansai style. Overall, Ayanokouji found it just as delicious.

"Not bad, right?" asked Satou.

"Yeah. Yours has more flavor than mines because of the yakisoba noodles." replied Ayanokouji.

Satou nodded her head in agreement as the duo continued eating. Ayanokouji realized how filling okonomiyaki is and he wasn't sure if he could finish another one. All of the batter and toppings seemed to be an iron weight in Ayanokouji's stomach.

"Let's make the rest of the okonomiyaki. If we can't finish it, we can get it in a take-out box." suggested Ayanokouji.

"Yeah!"

Satou and Ayanokouji managed to finish the first okonomiyaki and began the process of making the second set. Luckily, Ayanokouji was experienced and it wasn't his first time, so he quickly got his second okonomiyaki on the grill.

"Wow! You're faster and doing better now, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Satou.

"I'm a quick learner." replied Ayanokouji, as he sprinkled the last pieces of pork and cabbage on the batter.

"I can see that!"

Satou and Ayanokouji waited patiently as their okonomiyaki began cooking and after a few more minutes, the second set of okonomiyaki was created. Ayanokouji decided to try his best to finish as much as the okonomiyaki as he can. At this rate, the intense and delicious flavor became a detriment as Ayanokouji's taste buds were being overwhelmed and he decided to stop and not push his body any further. Satou also wasn't doing as well as Ayanokouji.

"This is too much." muttered Satou. Ayanokouji has at least half of his okonomiyaki and Satou has more than half of hers left.

"I'm stuffed." said Ayanokouji. He got up and went towards the front counter where a waiter was at.

"Can we get some take-out boxes?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Coming right up!"

Ayanokouji headed back to the table and the duo used their spatulas to break their okonomiyaki into pieces, so it can fit in take-out boxes. After a few more minutes, the waiter came back with take-out boxes and plastic bags.

"Here's the check and your take-out boxes." said the waiter. Ayanokouji quickly grabbed his student ID and scanned it before Satou could do anything. He learned that lesson from Tachibana, who bested him last time.

"Thank you for your patronage and please come back soon." said the waiter, handing Ayanokouji a printed out receipt before leaving.

"Ayanokouji-kun!" protested Satou.

"I was the one that suggested we eat out so it's my treat, Satou." replied Ayanokouji.

"B-But..."

"Let's hurry up and get this into the box. We don't want it to be too cold."

"Yeah!"

Satou and Ayanokouji both use the spatulas to scoop the pieces of the okonomiyaki into their own takeout box. The duo decided to trade some of their okonomiyakis to each other, so each box will have the two different styles of okonomiyaki. The duo quickly left the restaurant and headed towards the dorms, preparing themselves for their moveout-period.

*Timeskip (20 minutes)*

"That should be all of my belongings!" said Satou.

"Luckily, the school provided cardboard boxes and carts to make things easier." replied Ayanokouji.

"Yeah!"

When the duo arrived back at the dorms, they checked in with the front desk and their scheduled move out-time and they were given options to buy cardboard boxes to store their belongings and rent carts to transport their belongings. The duo agreed to buy one cart for themselves and move all of their belongings together and it was to save some points. Luckily, the mini special exam provided students with private points and Ayanokouji wouldn't complain for more points in his balance.

"All right. Let's get yourself on the cart first." said Ayanokouji.

"Huh? Are you sure? I can wait and you can move yourself first, Ayanokouji-kun." said Satou.

"It doesn't matter. Eventually, we're going to move all the boxes out of here."

"I suppose you're right."

Ayanokouji and Satou began moving all of Satou's boxes that contained her belongings onto the cart. It took a few tries before everything was loaded and the duo headed out of their apartment and towards the elevator. With Satou's assistance, it only took the duo a few minutes when they arrived at Satou's room in the first year building. He helped unload the boxes off the cart before turning towards Satou.

"Satou. You can hand me your keycard. I'll take my stuff back to my room and return the keycards back to the staff when I'm done." said Ayanokouji. The policy was to have the keycards returned back to the front desk. If a student lost their keycard, they would be charged a fee.

"Oh no! Let me give you a hand, Ayanokouji-kun. That's the least I can do." said Ayanokouji.

"If you want to..."

The duo returned back to their shared apartment and retrieved all of Ayanokouji's boxes before returning back to Ayanokouji's room. Satou looked around Ayanokouji's room.

"Cozy..." muttered Satou. She froze when she noticed a few things that a high school boy should not have, items that belong to a high school girl instead. She also saw multiple plates and pairs of chopsticks in Ayanokouji's kitchen which meant he has frequent guests.

'Now that I think of it... this is my first time inside Ayanokouji-kun's room. He must have a lot of visitors. I can see plates, pairs of chopsticks, mirrors, cushions, and other things. Just how many people come to his room?!' thought Satou, shaking her head in disbelief.

"It's fine to leave all of the boxes by the couch. I'll move everything back by myself." said Ayanokouji.

"O-Okay." said Satou.

Satou and Ayanokouji left several cardboard boxes on the floor and once it was done, Ayanokouji left his room and pushed the cart towards the dorm building to return the cart and keycards. He was surprised that Satou was following him, but didn't say anything and allowed her to follow him.

"Hello. I'm here to return two keycards and a cart." said Ayanokouji, arriving at the front desk.

"Can you please tell me the names?" asked the receptionist.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Satou Maya."

"Please give me a moment."

The receptionist was typing something on the computer and glanced at it for a few moments before looking up with a smile.

"All right. Please give me the keycards and there should be an area for the carts around the corner to your right. Once you're done, everything is all set." said the receptionist.

Ayanokouji gave her the keycards and thanked her before pushing the cart around the corner where there were a bunch of carts lined up. Ayanokouji pushed the cart towards the end of the line and left it there before exiting the building with Satou.

The walk back to the first year dorm building was quiet as the duo enjoyed the last few moments of time together before the mini special exam was over. Ayanokouji and Satou did everything together and in a sense, this is the last moment between the duo from the mini special exam. Ayanokouji called the elevator and they selected their respective floors.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun! It's been fun hanging out with you and I-I'm glad that we were partnered up for the mini special exam." said Satou, smiling at him gratefully.

"It's been fun and interesting, Satou. I suppose I got lucky to have you as a partner." replied Ayanokouji. The elevator opened and it was time for Ayanokouji to exit to his floor.

"Good night, Satou." said Ayanokouji, stepping out of the elevator. He took a few steps, but heard Satou call out his name and he turned around to face Satou.

"See you around, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Satou, giving him one last smile before the elevator doors closed.

Ayanokouji stared at the elevator for a few moments before heading back to his room. As he entered his room, he saw all of the boxes full of his belongings and Ayanokouji sighed as he realized that he had some things to do before relaxing.

*Timeskip (next day)*

"What is this about?"

"Another exam?!"

"Damn! We just finished a mini special exam and now we get more?!"

Ayanokouji sat in silence as he listened to some of his classmates complain as they saw Chabashira-sensei enter the classroom with a rolled-up white poster paper and they knew what's about to happen next.

"Good morning, Class D. It seems that some of you are aware that another special exam is fastly approaching. Good, it seems that you have adapted as a class. Now... Your next special exam is here." said Chabashira-sensei, noticing the chatter in the classroom.

Ayanokouji watched as some of his classmates groaned and complained while others shook their heads in disbelief. He could see that Chabashira-sensei is amused by the class's reaction judging based on her body language. Ayanokouji wondered what the school had in store for Class D.

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Soulmates

1) Horikita Suzune

2) Kushida Kikyou

3) Mii-chan

4) Tachibana Akane

5) Azuma Sana

6) Shinohara Satsuki

7) Onodera Kayano

8) Mori Nene

9) Hoshinomiya Chie

10) Ichihashi Ruri

11) Andou Sayo

12) Shiranami Chihiro

13) Yabu Nanami

14) Sakura Airi

15) Inogashira Kokoro

16) Morofuji Rika

17) Manabe Shiho

18) Kinoshita Minori

19) Satou Maya

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Author's Note:

All right! I got another chapter out! By the time I realise this chapter, it should be Christmas for one half of the world and Christmas Eve for the other half. Merry Christmas! Or Christmas Eve!

Morishita is one of the newer characters and I'm not sure what to think about her. I only read up to Y2V8, so I don't have any clue on the plot and character interactions with Ayanokouji. But apparently, Ichinose and Ayanokouji had sex in the latest .5 chapter. I've been getting comments on it on my latest reaction chapter, so I guess that happened. I really need to read past volume 8.

I've been locked in ever since I finished the latest chapter of the reaction, but I'm feeling under the weather for the past few days. Luckily, I locked in and got this chapter out during Christmas. Whew! It's time to rest and recover before moving on!

I will now start with the Kei arc. I've been holding back for a bit and now it's the perfect time for her character development. Also Manabe too!

That's enough writing for today. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Until next time, my dear readers!

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