Ayanokouji entered Class D's classroom after leaving Hoshinomiya-sensei. Ayanokouji sat down at his desk and noticed a change in atmosphere in the classroom. Most of his classmates looked panicked, scared, and frustrated.
'It seems that Kushida told everyone about the midterm.' thought Ayanokouji.
"What are we supposed to do?" wailed Ike.
"I know right! I don't do any of this stuff!" agreed Yamauchi.
Sudou slammed his fists into his desk and scowled. Some students looked panicked and grabbed their notebooks while others looked frustrated like Sudou.
"Does Sae-chan-sensei hate us?! Why didn't she tell us?" cried Ike. Yamauchi nodded his head in agreement.
"Everyone, please calm down! I know you all are feeling scared and frustrated. But, this won't help us. Good thing Kushida-san found out before it's too late. Let's focus on these topics for our study groups!" said Hirata. It had its intended effect, calming down the classroom mostly. The majority of the girls nodded in agreement, led by Karuizawa.
"Hirata-kun is right!"
"Thank you, Kushida-chan!"
"You saved us!"
Gratitude was given to Kushida from the majority of the class, thanking her for the heads up.
"It was nothing. Anything to help the class." said Kushida, scratching her cheek in a shy, reserved way.
"Kushida-chan is such an angel!" said Ike, happily. Yamauchi and some of the boys nodded along in agreement. Horikita snorted, but only Ayanokouji could hear it. Ayanokouji was puzzled by Horikita's actions. With that, Class D was given a late warning about the midterm topics and had about a week left until the midterm.
*Timeskip (an hour and half later)*
Mashona-sensei left the classroom, marking the end of English. Hoshinomiya-sensei entered the classroom to teach science. Some of the boys perked up immediately when they saw Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"Hey, everyone. It's time for science with your favorite sensei~" said Hoshinomiya-sensei. Some boys nodded and kept their eyes locked on Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"Let's get started."
Hoshinomiya-sensei began teaching the lessons. Ayanokouji noticed that most of his classmates are paying attention to the lessons, remembering what Hirata told them and desperately trying to gain some points. Ayanokouji noticed that Hoshinomiya-sensei is giving Ayanokouji sideways glances and lingering stares.
A little over halfway through the class, Hoshinomiya-sensei passed out some worksheets for the class to work on. Ayanokouji looked at the worksheet that he received and it goes over the things that they just learned. Ayanokouji started to fill out the worksheet slowly to match his classmates' pace, deciding which questions to get wrong, and what his score should be. Ayanokouji heard Hoshinomiya-sensei approaching him, coming down the aisle.
"Ara~ Ayanokouji-kun. Do you need a little help?" asked Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"No thanks, sensei." replied Ayanokouji.
"Don't be like that~. Look, you got this question wrong."
"I see."
"Let sensei help you~."
Hoshinomiya-sensei sat down on Ayanokouji's desk. Her buttocks paced firmly on his desk, taking over half of the desk. This limits Ayanokouji's movement and space for his hand. Ayanokouji doesn't have much space to move his hand to write on the paper without accidentally touching Hoshinomiya-sensei's body. Hoshinomiya-sensei's thighs were placed on Ayanokouji's worksheet so he couldn't move and reposition the worksheet. Hoshinomiya-sensei placed her right leg above her left leg, crossing her legs. It was dangerous for Ayanokouji because Hoshinomiya-sensei is wearing a short skirt and Ayanokouji could see the forbidden which lie beyond the skirt. Since Hoshinomiya-sensei is sitting on top of Ayanokouji's desk, she's looking down at Ayanokouji, who is sitting down. Hoshinomiya-sensei leaned down and looked at Ayanokouji's worksheet. The blouse that Hoshinomiya-sensei is wearing slipped off a little due to the change of gravity, showing a little bit of her neck and collarbone. She tilted her head and brushed and tucked some hair behind her left hair. Hoshinomiya-sensei was so close to Ayanokouji that he could smell her perfume and feel the heat emitting from her body. Ayanokouji could accidentally touch Hoshinomiya-sensei's thighs if he accidentally got careless with his writing and brushed his hand against her body.
Ayanokouji could feel the stares of his soulmates aimed directly at him. Horikita, Shinohara, and Azuma are glaring at him and looking at Hoshinomiya-sensei suspiciously. Mii-chan, Mori, Onodera, and Kushida looked surprised and watched on. Some of the boys are glaring at Ayanokouji and muttering curses at his lucky situation. The rest of the girls looked at the duo with shock and surprise at the seductive position of Hoshinomiya-sensei and couldn't believe that a teacher is doing something like that with a student.
"It should've been me, not him!" muttered Yamauchi. Everyone could hear him and some of the boys nodded along.
"Sensei, please refrain from doing such actions to your students. Especially in front of the entire class." said Ayanokouji.
"Don't be like that. Playing hard to get, are you?~" teased Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"..."
"I don't mind hunting. Watch your back, Ayanokouji-kun." whispered Hoshinomiya-sensei, only she and Ayanokouji could hear.
"Sensei! I need some help!" said Ike, raising his hand.
"Me too!" said Yamauchi, raising his hand as well. Some of the other boys raised their hands as well and the girls gave them a look that reminded Ayanokouji of looking at pure garbage and filth.
"Ara~. Can't you see? I'm helping Ayanokouji-kun right now.~" said Hoshinomiya-sensei. The boys that raised their hands gave Ayanokouji a glare and a look of impatience, urging him to hurry and finish up with Hoshinomiya-sensei.
'Oh no. Here we go again. Here comes all the attention.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Don't worry, Ayanokouji-kun. I'll make sure you'll remember all of it.~" said Hoshinomiya-sensei. The way that she phrased it had double meaning and Ayanokouji wondered what it meant. Hoshinomiya-sensei helped Ayanokouji with the questions that he got wrong, explaining it. The way that she explained it to Ayanokouji was seductive and over-friendly. Hoshinomiya-sensei wasn't a bad teacher, but her teaching methods are questionable and concerning for a teacher. Ayanokouji kept his cool and his neutral blank face the entire time. He was sure that most of the boys in the class would've lost it by now, especially Ike and Yamauchi.
After explaining, Hoshinomiya-sensei got up from Ayanokouji's desks and made her way back to the front of the classroom. Some of the boys tried to get her attention and ask for help, but it was obvious that it wasn't their true intentions. Hoshinomiya-sensei waved them off and ignored them. They glared at Ayanokouji and muttered curses at his luck. Most of the staring were gone at that point because Hoshinomiya-sensei wasn't with Ayanokouji.
After 10 more minutes of silence, Hoshinomiya-sensei told everyone to pass the worksheets to the front where she collected all of them. Hoshinomiya-sensei told them it's for her to check to see where everyone is at and what they need to work on before the midterm. With that, science was over and Hoshinomiya-sensei left the room.
'This is troublesome. I can't believe that Hoshinomiya-sensei did that in front of the entire class. My soulmates are looking at me, some of the boys are giving me the glare, and the girls are thinking I'm a pervert.' thought Ayanokouji.
*Timeskip (after class)*
Ayanokouji decided to do the most honorable thing as a man when being confronted by a group of angry and distrustful high school girls. He immediately made a run for it. Ayanokouji already had his things packed into his bag and made a run before any of soulmates could get to him. Ayanokouji exited the classroom quickly with his soulmates surprised by his speed. They quickly became angry and annoyed that Ayanokouji escaped.
Ayanokouji decided not to go to the dorm for a while and stay at Keyaki Mall. Ayanokouji was on his way to the Keyaki Mall, but remembered his encounter with Nanami and the crepes stand. He wanted to try out the crepes on that day and decided to go there. Ayanokouji entered the park and found the crepe stand. He purchased the chocolate crepe and found an empty bench. Ayanokouji began eating his crepe slowly, enjoying the sweet and delicious taste. After a few minutes, the crepe was reduced to a small stubble and Ayanokouji wondered if he should get another.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Nanami, walking up to Ayanokouji.
"Hello, Nanami. Studying again?" asked Ayanokouji, giving her a wave with his free hand.
"Yep! Is this your first time having crepes from here?"
"Yeah. It's surprisingly good."
"I know right!"
Nanami sat down next to Ayanokouji and started taking out textbooks and workbooks. Ayanokouji finished the rest of his crepes, got up from the bench, and threw away the crepe wrapping into the nearest trash can.
"Shouldn't you be at a table instead of a bench?" asked Ayanokouji, wondering why Nanami is choosing to study and write on a bench instead of a table. A table is the best alternative and doesn't require Nanami to lean down or get into an awkward position while writing.
"Yeah. But, all the tables at the park are occupied." said Nanami.
"I see."
"Hey. It turns out that the midterm topics that I showed you were right."
"Yeah. Chabashira-sensei confirmed it as well."
"That's good."
The duo sat in silence for a few minutes as Nanami was looking at her workbook and scribbling in it. Nanami seems to be struggling in science and the concepts she was stuck on were taught today by Hoshinomiya-sensei today.
"You've got question 57 wrong. It's supposed to be mitosis instead of meiosis." said Ayanokouji.
"Really?! Mitosis is the one that divides into 4 sex cells?" asked Nanami, tapping her pencil to her chin.
"No. That's meiosis. Mitosis is one that is divided into 2 identical daughter cells."
"I see. Oops, I'm always getting messed up when they have similar names like that, you know."
"That's understandable."
"You seem better than me at science, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Nah. Just average. We were taught this today."
"Yeah, but I suck at science. Especially the stuff in cells and biology."
"I see."
"So many things to remember. I can't wait to be done with biology!"
"I'll help you out, but don't expect me to know everything."
"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun! That would be great."
Nanami and Ayanokouji spent at least 15 minutes working on biology problems. Ayanokouji decided to hold back and answer easy and medium level questions. From a distance, it would look like Ayanokouji and Nanami seem close and share a book together.
Nanami froze when she was talking to Ayanokouji before looking over towards her side instead of her workbook. Ayanokouji was puzzled by Nanami's sudden gazes and focused away from her workbooks. He glanced up as well and saw a girl standing a good distance back, watching them. The girl is Morofuji Rika and she seems very nervous. When Ayanokouji glanced at her, she averted her eyes from the duo and stared elsewhere.
"Hey, Rika! C'mere here!" shouted Nanami, beckoning Morofuji to come forward. Morofuji hesitated for a few moments before slowly making her way to Ayanokouji and Nanami.
"She doesn't seem too particularly fond of me and looks terrified of me." noted Ayanokouji.
"That's because she is. She's not afraid of you, but men in general. That's a story for another time." said Nanami, shifting uncomfortably. Ayanokouji assumed that it was a sensitive topic and he's not trusted enough to know it yet.
"You want me to get over her fear?" asked Ayanokouji, raising his eyebrows in curiosity.
"Yeah."
"Why me out of everyone?"
"You seem like a nice guy. You're quiet, not intimidating, and have a calm voice. Hopefully, this will stop Rika-chan from panicking when she talks to you."
"I'm surprised that Manabe allowed this."
"She doesn't need to know."
"I see. Well, your secret is safe with me."
"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun."
Nanami giggled and gave Ayanokouji a smile which he found cute. Morofuji approached the duo and Ayanokouji got up and backed away, letting Morofuji sit with Nanami. Ayanokouji decided to stand by the bench.
"Okay, Rika-chan! Let's start with some talking with Ayanokouji-kun. I'll be with you." said Nanami.
"O-okay. I-i can do this." said Morofuji.
"I-i.." started Morofuji. She instantly froze and averted her eyes from Ayanokouji, her words got stuck in her throat and stopped forming into sentences.
"It's okay. No need to rush." said Ayanokouji. It seemed to have the opposite effect as Morofuji struggled to form and say her words and still failed to make eye contact with Ayanokouji.
"How about this? Me and Ayanokouji-kun will talk and you try to join it. Is that okay?" said Nanami. Morofuji nodded.
Ayanokouji and Nanami began talking about small talk and the upcoming midterms. Morofuri attempted to join the conversation and talk, but she managed to talk when the questions and conservation were from Nanami. In other words, she's only talking to Ayanokouji through Nanami and her words were aimed directly at Nanami rather than Ayanokouji.
'Interestingly. This girl must have gone through a traumatic experience with men. She's not talking to me directly and joins in the conversation and answers my questions through with Nanami thus indirectly talking to me.' thought Ayanokouji.
Nanami must have realized it too, "Hey, Rika. You need to talk to Ayanokouji-kun too. You can't just talk to me when there's a group."
"B-but..." stammered Morofuji.
"No wait. It's fine. Morofuji managed to at least talk when I'm around. Even though she's not talking to me directly. At least she's talking when there's a guy around, so it's a minor improvement." said Ayanokouji. Morofuji looked at him with shock for a brief moment before averting her eyes.
"I guess you're right about that." said Nanami, nodding. She seemed to be thinking about it.
"I have an idea! I'll give Rika's contact info to you! That way, you guys can have a conversation via phone, so she'll get used to you! Who knows!? She might call you soon." said Nanami. Morofuji looked a little nervous by Nanami's suggestion, but she reluctantly agreed to it. Ayanokouji gave Nanami his phone and she inputted Morofuji's contact information and she added her contact information for emergencies.
"Okay. I got it. I'll see you later." said Ayanokouji, deciding it's time to leave.
"Okay. Bye, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Nanami, giving him a wave and a cute smile. Morofuji hesitated and it looks like she's trying to say goodbye to Ayanokouji. After a few moments, Morofuji waved at Ayanokouji, hesitantly.
"Feel free to text me." said Ayanokouji. Morofuji nodded meekly and Nanami exchanged her final goodbyes before Ayanokouji left the park and headed to the Keyaki Mall.
*Timeskip (10 minutes later)*
'It's almost time for dinner.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji wondered if he should eat out or return back to the dorm to cook. Ayanokouji was standing off to the side thinking about it when he heard a voice calling him.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Mori, running up to him.
"Hey, Mori." replied Ayanokouji, turning to face her. When Ayanokouji turned to face Mori, she froze and stared at Ayanokouji. Mori's face became a little red and she quickly averted her eyes. Ayanokouji titled his head in confusion and silently stared at her. A few moments later, Mori broke into a cute, but awkward smile.
"Ah... s-sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I got a little d-distracted." said Mori, scratching her arm nervously.
'Gah! What's happening to me?! My heart can't stop racing when I'm near Ayanokouji-kun. I think I'm in love!' thought Mori.
"It's okay. Happens to everyone." said Ayanokouji.
"Speaking of everyone, the stunt you pulled with Hoshinomiya-sensei got everyone's attention" said Mori. "I didn't know that you're into older women, Ayanokouji-kun." said Mori. She doesn't seem pleased by it.
"Calm down, Mori. First of all, I'm neutral to any type of girl. Second, Hoshinomiya-sensei is a little too friendly and acts more like a student than a teacher."
"That doesn't explain why she was like that to you. She didn't even do that with the other boys."
"Yeah. Maybe she has a weird fixation on me."
"You like it, do you?"
"Yeah, I guess. It's not every day that I get a beautiful woman eyeing me up."
Mori pouted at Ayanokouji and swatted his arm lightly, "You're not supposed to be admitting that!"
"Well, it's like I could be dating Hoshinomiya-sensei. That's illegal." said Ayanokouji.
"I know! I just don't like seeing you with other wom-"
Mori quickly closed her mouth with her hands and her eyes were filled with shock and panic. It looks like she realized what she was going to say and managed to stop herself from saying it.
"Seeing what?" asked Ayanokouji.
"N-never mind! Please forget about it!" yelped Mori.
"Okay."
"So what'cha doing?"
"Just a little bored."
"In that case, I have a place in mind. Follow me."
Mori led Ayanokouji through the Keyaki Mall and arrived at a place with a bunch of machines at the entrance and with lots of colorful lights. It was an arcade.
"Let's have some fun!" said Mori.
"Yeah." replied Ayanokouji.
"You don't sound too excited."
"This is my first time at an arcade."
"Really?!"
"Yeah."
"Well, leave it to me to show you the fun and joy of the arcade." said Mori, puffing her chest out in pride and giving him a mock salute.
"Least the way." said Ayanokouji.
To play the machines, students scan the machines with their school ID and select which options to spend. Some machines such as crane games can be used once or multiple times with varying prices. Buying a turn one time is less expensive than buying it for 5 turns, but buying the second option gives you one free turn upon purchase.
'It seems that the goal of this place is for students to spend their points. The extra turn when buying 5 turns is an extra incentive for students to spend more points, hoping that the student will be focused on the prize in the machine and give them false hope by giving more turns to them if they're stuck on it.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Let's start over there!" said Mori, taking Ayanokouji to a basketball machine. The goal of the machine seems to be shooting the basketballs into the hoop in a given amount of time. The score increases every time the ball makes it into the hoop and the score determines the amount of ticket.
Mori and Ayanokouji both scanned the machine with their school IDs and the machine roared into life, playing music. Basketballs rolled down from the machine and until a little area in front of Ayanokouji. The timer near the hoop lit up, showing 45 seconds. The countdown began and the timer started going down. Ayanokouji and Mori began shooting their basketballs and aiming for the hoop. Ayanokouji decided to not try too hard, but he instinctively kept shooting with perfect accuracy and nearly all of his shots made it in.
When the 45 seconds timer was over, the duo looked at the scores. Mori's scores seem above average of 420 and it seems that she played a bit on this machine. The tickets from the machine spilled out and Ayanokouji received a substantial amount of tickets due to his high score. Ayanokouji stuffed his tickets into a plastic bag that he picked up from the entrance of the arcade.
"Whoa! Ayanokouji-kun, you're pretty good at this. You beat my score by a lot!" said Mori. Ayanokouji's score was 690.
"Yeah. I guess I'm a good shot." Ayanokouji, trying to downplay his skills.
"Duh! Amazing! Are you sure this is your first time at an arcade?"
"Yeah."
"Beginner's luck maybe? But, that was seriously amazing. Let's go to the next one!"
Mori took Ayanokouji to a machine with a large screen, steering wheels, and pedals at the bottom. Ayanokouji and Mori scanned their school IDs and the screen blared to life. It was a racing game where up to 4 players race each other with or without AI. Mori selected two players and allowed AI racers. Ayanokouji gripped his steering wheel in anticipation. The race started and Ayanokouji applied pressure to the accelerator pedal. Ayanokouji was having a hard time drifting and moving his wheel around corners and bends of the track. Eventually, Ayanokouji got the hang of it, but it was too late. Mori was way too ahead and finished 1st place and Ayanokouji managed to finish in 5th place out of 12 players.
"Mori for the win!" said Mori. Mori celebrated her win and pumped her fists into the air. The duo got up from their seats and began heading somewhere else.
"What's next?" asked Ayanokouji.
"You'll see!"
Mori led Ayanokouji to a machine with a huge screen and speakers lined on the bottom of the machine. On the floor of the machine lies a 3x3 grid where there were multi-colored arrows pointing in all cardinal directions and there was another grid next to it. There was a railing behind the two grids.
'It looks like a two player game where players use their feet to step on those arrows. Mostly likely they have to follow the instructions on the screen.' thought Ayanokouji.
"What is this?" asked Ayanokouji.
"It's a dance rhythm machine. Basically, you look at the screen and a bunch of arrows show up and move down towards the screen. You have to time it right and step on the arrows at the right time." explained Mori.
"I see."
"It's 2 players, so we'll have to work together to finish the song."
"I might be bad at it, so apologies in advance."
"Don't worry about it! Let's have fun!"
Mori and Ayanokouji scanned the machine with their phones and the screen lit up. Mori selected a song and chose the normal difficulty under Ayanokouji's insistence. The game started with a number of arrows with various colors and pointing to different directions started falling down. There seemed to be falling at a decent rate and falling behind the previous arrows. Some of the arrows fell at the same time requiring the player to step on 2 to 3 arrows at the same time. Ayanokouji managed to keep up and messed up a couple times. Mori, on the other hand, seemed to be better than Ayanokouji and only messed up a few times. The game ended with the score being about 82%.
"Not bad!" said Mori. "You're pretty good at it."
"Thanks. But, you were better than me." said Ayanokouji.
"Not bad for your first time."
"You give me too much credit."
"Gah! Stop being so modest. It's like you're an actual OP protagonist that hides his abilities and pretends to be a normal person."
"That kind of stuff happens in anime and manga."
"True."
Mori and Ayanokouji tried a few machines: skee ball, darts, ice hockey, and several other arcade machines. They collected a decent amount of tickets. Before stopping to redeem some prices with the tickets, they decided to stop at the crane games section of the arcade.
"Oh! They have it back now!" said Mori, pointing at a crane game with a cute stuffed cat plushie as a prize. Mori scanned her school ID on the machine and purchased the 5 tries on the machine. It automatically gave her an extra turn. Ayanokouji watched as Mori tried to grab the plushie by the neck, but failed. Mori tried 4 more times, grabbing at the neck and main body of the cat, but failed every time. Mori is on her last try and she seems to be hesitating to do it. Ayanokouji was standing there, analyzing the crane's movement, grip, and other factors during Mori's failed attempts.
"Do you mind if I have a try?" asked Ayanokouji, stepping up to the machine.
"U-uh... okay." replied Mori, backing away from the controls and allowing Ayanokouji to try. Ayanokouji looked at the controls: two buttons to move the crane from left to right and a button to make the claw go down.
'There's a set amount of time that the crane goes down before moving back up and towards the exit where the prize drops down. So we have a set amount of time to get the best possible grab on the prize. Judging from what I saw from Mori's few tries, I think I know where to grab.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji pressed the control and managed to get a good grip on the body of the cat plushie. He positioned it off center on purpose so when the plushie shifts while getting pulled up, it will counterbalance the force so it won't fall off. Ayanokouji managed to grab the plushie successfully in the claw and the prize barely managed to get into the hole.
"You did it!" exclaimed Mori, as the prize hit the bottom of the machine with a satisfying thud. Ayanokouji picked up the plushie from the machine and handed it to Mori.
"E=eh?! You're giving it to me?" said Mori.
"Yeah."
"A-are you sure?"
"Yeah, you can have it. Besides, you bought the turns with your own points."
"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
Mori blushed a little as she received the cat plushie that Ayanokouji won. She smiled shyly and bowed her head to Ayanokouji.
"It's no problem. You wanted it so badly. Think of it as a memento of our time together." said Ayanokouji.
"T-then you had a g-good time with m-me?" asked Mori.
"Yeah. It was a fun experience."
"I'm so glad that your first time is with me!"
Mori began to blush heavily when she realized what she just said. Mori began cursing at herself internally for saying something that can be misinterpreted. Ayanokouji just nodded, "I'm glad it was an enjoyable first time."
'Why is she blushing? Does she think this is a date? By definition, it is a date. Maybe she's a little embarrassed by that fact.' thought Ayanokouji.
'Ayanokouji-kun is so nice! He didn't even care that I said something like that to him!' Hopefully, nobody hears us otherwise it's going to be bad!' thought Mori. Mori thinks that Ayanokouji politely ignored what she said and didn't care about it, but in reality, our protagonist just doesn't know what someone's "first time" means.
Somewhere nearby, a certain classmate of Ayanokouji was nearby playing a crane game and heard it. Her eyes widened when she heard Mori's statement.
'Oh no! Did Mori-san already beat Kushida-chan to the punch already?! I can't believe someone like Mori-san beat Kushida-chan. I have to tell her.' thought the classmate.
She grabbed her phone and began rapidly typing on her phone contacting Kushida.
Meanwhile, Ayanokouji and Mori were at the tickets counter to redeem some prizes with the tickets they earned. Mori got a free drink, a few plushies, and a water gun. Ayanokouji bought a free drink and a gift card for a general store that is the Keyaki Mall. Ayanokouji had more tickets than Mori due to his high score on the basketball machine.
'I have some plans with my new prize.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji and Mori exited the arcade sipping their drinks and walking around the Keyaki Mall. After a few minutes of exploring, they sat down together on the bench to rest. Mori stirred up some small talk while Ayanokouji sat silently and listened while sipping his drink. He finished his drink and got up to throw it away. Mori stopped him and handed her empty drink to him and he threw them both away. When he returned to Mori, her expression became a little more serious.
"Man! This midterm is going to be a problem. Good thing Kushida-chan warned us about the new changes." said Mori.
"Yeah. Better late than ever." said Ayanokouji.
"Ugh... just thinking about it makes me- I'm gonna stop thinking about it."
Before Ayanokouji could respond, he heard someone approaching them.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun and Mori!" said Onodera, walking up to the duo.
"Hey, Onodera! Finished with the swimming club?" asked Mori, waving to her. Apparently, these two are friendly to each other, most likely past the "just classmates" phase because they're not using honorifics.
"Yep! Just finished." replied Onodera.
"Hello, Onodera." said Ayanokouji, giving her a nod. Onodera flashed a smile at him in greeting, but instantly blushed. Mori seemed to have taken note of it and looked at Onodera and Ayanokouji in a questioning way.
"You know Ayanokouji-kun, Onodera?" asked Mori.
"Yeah. We're gym buddies!" replied Onodera.
"Gym buddies?"
"We go to the same gym and sometimes work out together."
"O-okay."
"Hey, you guys hanging out?" asked Onodera, raising her eyebrows in curiosity. She seemed to notice the plastic bags with the arcade logo containing the prizes that Mori and Ayanokouji won.
"Yeah. We just finished at the arcade!" replied Mori.
"Ahh... I see."
Onodera's face flickered to a face of jealousy and panic for a moment before morphing back to her normal expression.
'It's a date...' thought Onodera, sadly.
There was an awkward silence between the trio. Mori was staring at Onodera, shocked by her connection with Ayanokouji. Onodera was blushing a little bit and had a hard time looking at Ayanokouji, confused by her sudden feelings towards him. Our protagonist, clueless as ever, stood there with his lack of social abilities.
"Want to have dinner with me? If you don't mind, of course." said Onodera.
"That's fine. Right, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Mori.
"I have no problems with that." said Ayanokouji.
"Let's go!" said Onodera.
"Wait. What are we eating?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Hmm... I don't really mind what we eat." said Mori.
"How about gyudon?" suggested Onodera.
Mori and Ayanokouji nodded their heads and they followed Onodera. After a few minutes of walking, Onodera took them into a restaurant that serves gyudon. Ayanokouji looked at the menu as they lined up. The main dish was gyudon and there's various side dishes. Ayanokouji ordered gyudon, clam miso soup,and gyoza. Onodera ordered a gyudon, some chicken wings, tamagoyaki, gyoza, and a salad. Mori ordered a gyudon, salad, and a miso soup.
After ordering, the trio managed to find a table where they sat and talked about trivial things, waiting for the food to arrive. After a few minutes of waiting, a waiter arrived with two trays on his arms and delivered their food.
"Itadakimasu" said the trio.
Ayanokouji took a bite of gyudon. The taste of beef and onions hit his taste buds. The sweetness of the onions, the meaty flavor of the thinly sliced beef, and the deliciousness of steaming white rice. Ayanokouji could taste the savory-sweet sauce that they added and simmered with the beef. Ayanokouji grabbed the calm miso soup and took a sip of it. It was delicious and had a more sweet and seafood taste to the miso soup.
After a few more moments of eating, Mori and Onodera began to talk.
"Damn, Onodera. You eat a lot!" said Mori.
"Don't say it like that! You make me look like a pig! I just eat a lot because I exercise a lot, you know." said Onodera, frowning at her food portions, feeling a little self-conscious.
"I'm just joking."
"I know! But, you're making me too aware of it."
"That shows dedication to your training and workout." said Ayanokouji. "It means you're giving it your all on your club activities."
"T-thanks, Ayanokouji-kun. I appreciate it." said Onodera, shyly.
"Just telling the truth."
"So... Onodera. How was club activities?" asked Mori, pouting slightly.
"Good! We're training for a swim meet in a few months." said Onodera.
"That's cool. Are you fast?"
"Yep! One of the top swimmers in the club!"
"Wow! You were like a fish during swimming lessons!"
"Ah... stop embarrassing me."
"Oh! C'mon. Don't be shy."
Ayanokouji ate his food while watching his soulmates interact with each other.
'They are quite friendly to each other. Drastically different from Horikita and Kushida. I wonder how they'll react when they both realize that they're in love with the same guy. Will their friendship change? I wonder…' thought Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji-kun..." said Mori.
"What's up, Mori?" asked Ayanokouji.
"You were kinda spaced out. You okay?"
"Yeah. I was just thinking about something."
"Okay. Help me with this. Which one is better: beef or chicken?"
"Huh?!"
"Onodera said chicken is better, but beef is better!"
"You're wrong. Chicken is cheaper and tastes better. You can do so much stuff with chicken: fried, grilled, soup, and much more. It's also healthier and leaner than eating red meat like beef." said Onodera.
"Nope! Beef tastes much better! There's more premium cuts and it's juicer. If you're worried about your health, just eat small cuts of beef like gyudon." argued Mori. The duo were partaking in a small playful argument. Ayanokouji decided not to get involved with it and watch from the sidelines.
Suddenly, Mori and Onodera both looked at Ayanokouji with expectant eyes, looking for him to join their side.
"U-uhh... I think both meats are good." said Ayanokouji, trying to declare his neutrality.
"Don't give me that!" said Mori and Onodera. They gave him a look that made his decision.
"I think chicken is better. It's more versatile than beef." said Ayanokouji.
"Yes!" said Onodera. Mori scowled at Onodera before pouting.
"I'm disappointed in you, Ayanokouji-kun. You let me down." said Mori, pouting and closing her eyes, looking away from Ayanokouji.
"Sorry." said Ayanokouji. Mori stuck her tongue out in a playful manner.
The rest of the dinner continued along with small talk between the trio. The trio left the gyudon restaurant and began walking to the dorm.
"Wait. I've got some things to do before going to the dorm." said Ayanokouji, stopping.
"Ahh... okay." said Mori. Onodera nodded her head.
"See you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun. You're a pretty fun guy to hang out with!" said Mori, giving Ayanokouji a wave.
"Later, Ayanokouji-kun. Hopefully, we'll see each other at the gym." said Onodera, giving a wave.
Ayanokouji nodded and waved them goodbye. Onodera and Mori made their way towards the exit of the Keyaki Mall with Ayanokouji watching their retreating figures. Ayanokouji made his way to the general store where he got the gift card from the arcade.
'Okay. It's time to use the gift card. The card has 5000 points, so I can buy some stuff.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji walked for a few minutes before approaching and entering the general store. He began browsing through the aisles to see what to buy. Ayanokouji stopped at the kitchen utensils and silverware section. He remembers the dinner he had with his soulmates and how underprepared he was.
'If my soulmates are planning to eat dinner in the near future, I need to be prepared to have some extra chopsticks, plates, bowls, and glasses. It never hurts to be prepared.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji grabbed several pairs of chopsticks, making sure that each pair has a different color and pattern to differentiate them. He also grabbed a few bowls, plates, and glasses and added it into the basket. Ayanokouji wondered what he should buy. Ayanokouji headed to another aisle to check some things out and saw a girl there.
The girl seems to be looking at the shelf with interest and hasn't had a hard time deciding something. Ayanokouji walked by her without paying too much attention to her. But, she called out to Ayanokouji.
"Wait! I need your help with something!" said the girl, looking up at Ayanokouji.
"What is it?" asked Ayanokouji.
"I need help deciding on something. Which one is better?"
The girl showed Ayanokouji some tablecloths that she was looking at. Ayanokouji was at the decoration aisle where there's stuff like tablecloths, curtains, and other stuff for people to decorate their dorms. Ayanokouji was planning to buy cushions so he can place them by the coffee table because there's limited room on the sofa and he needed more places to sit just in case some of his soulmates stop by his dorm.
The tablecloths that the girl showed to Ayanokouji had various designs and colors: plain white, flowers, checkered, and stripes.
'What's the best choice for her? I don't have too much information about this girl and what her room looks like. I can make an educated guess about this. Girls like flowers right?' thought Ayanokouji.
"I would go for the flowers." said Ayanokouji, pointing at the flower tablecloth. "If you don't like it, I'll go for the plain white or just a random color."
The girl frowned and studied at the first option that Ayanokouji presented. Then, she broke into a smile.
"Thanks! You really helped me out! U-uhh... sorry what's your name?" asked the girl, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D." replied Ayanokouji.
"I'm Nishikawa Ryouko from Class A. Nice to meet you." said the girl.
"I'm gonna grab the flower one." Nishikawa, grabbing the flower tablecloth and adding it to her basket. Ayanokouji also grabbed a white tablecloth for his own and added it to his shopping basket.
"What'cha buying?" asked Nishikawa.
"Just some stuff for my dorm. To help decorate it." replied Ayanokouji.
"Cool. Do you have people over all the time?"
"To a certain extent."
"I'll help you! Two heads are better than one, you know."
"Sure. I don't mind having a second opinion."
Ayanokouji and Nishikawa began walking through the aisle while grabbing a few items before finding some cushions on the shelf. Ayanokouji studied them and judged them based on price and quality of material.
'There's a price difference and gap between some cushions. The quality of material feels vastly different in between the expensive and cheap cushions. I want cushions that are relatively inexpensive, but with good quality. Lower quality cushions may rip, be damaged, or feel uncomfortable which may cost me more points and pain in the long run.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji grabbed some cushions that are inexpensive, but with decent quality and added them to his shopping basket.
"How come you didn't grab these ones?" asked Nishikawa, showing Ayanokouji a cushion. Ayanokouji was considering buying it, but decided against it due to the higher price. The cushion that Nishikawa suggested is good quality, but it was way out of Ayanokouji's price range.
"It's a little too expensive for me." replied Ayanokouji.
"Ohh... I forgot you're in Class D. Oops. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to rub salt in the wound."
"It's fine. It's the truth. There's no point in avoiding it."
"Ha! You're a pretty straightforward guy, Ayanokouji-kun. Most people would get offended or try to avoid or hide the fact that they're in Class D."
"As I said before, there's no point in that."
"And the way you're looking at the cushions. It's like a robot! Just like a certain classmate of mine!"
"Ouch."
"You're just like her! The blank face, bored tone, and lack of humor!"
"Stop murdering with your words."
"I'll stop for now."
Nishikawa gave Ayanokouji a playful smile before the duo walked into a new aisle. Ayanokouji grabbed some dish soap, sponges, and other essential kitchen supplies. Nishikawa gave Ayanokouji some recommendations on some of the products.
After 15 minutes of shopping, the duo made their way to the cashier. Ayanokouji bought his supplies and spent at least 4500 points. The gift card had at least 500 points left and the expiration date for the card is next year.
The duo left the general store together and decided to walk back to the dorm together. As they passed the convenience store that was on the way back to the dorms, Ayanokouji wondered if he should make a quick stop for a dessert or frozen treat. He decided against it to save some points. After a few minutes of walking, the duo arrived at the dorms and Ayanokouji stepped inside. But, he noticed that Nishikawa stopped and didn't enter the dorm building. Ayanokouji turned around and saw that Nishikawa was looking off to the side.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Thanks for walking me back. I see my friend over there. I'm going to her." said Nishikawa.
"Okay. See you later, Nishikawa." said Ayanokouji, giving her a wave.
"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun!"
Nishikawa gave Ayanokouji one last wave before running over to her friend, who was standing near the dorm entrance. When Nishikawa arrived, her friend leaned and whispered something to Nishikawa. Nishikawa shook her head rapidly as if she's denying something. Ayanokouji could hear a laugh as he turned around and walked to the elevator.
Ayanokouji was on his way to the elevator, but a voice called out to him.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Got a minute?" asked Ichihashi, who was sitting at one of the sofas in the lobby.
"Yeah. What's up?" asked Ayanokouji, walking up to Ichihashi.
"There's something I need to tell you."
"I see."
"A bit of a warning. You'll have some visitors."
"Visitors?"
"Yeah. Let me explain."
*Flashback (45 minutes ago)*
3rd person POV:
Kushida is waking back to the dorm in a hurry. A few minutes ago, she received a text message from a classmate and friend about Ayanokouji and Mori having their first time. Kushida panicked in response and tried to meet Ayanokouji at the arcade after asking her friend. She arrived too late and didn't find Mori and Ayanokouji at the arcade. She cursed internally and made a mad dash to the dorms, hoping to find him.
'Damn! That Mori bitch! Slut! Harpy! Some friend you are! Why did Ayanokouji-kun choose someone like her over me?! Wait, why do I feel like this? My heart... I just want to take off my mask and yell!' thought Kushida.
When Kushida made it to the dorm lobby, she bumped into Horikita who was waiting for the elevator.
"Hello, Horikita-san. How are you doing?" asked Kushida.
"Kushida-san. What an unfortunate coincidence." replied Horikita. Kushida irked at it, but managed to keep her cool.
"That's not nice, Horikita-san."
"Any askers?"
"When is the elevator coming? I'm in a hurry."
"Hurry? The whole world does not revolve around you. It will be here shortly."
"But... Ayanokouji-kun..."
"Ayanokouji-kun?"
Horikita turned and raised her eyebrows when Kushida mentioned Ayanokouji.
'Stupid bitch! Now, you pay attention when Ayanokouji-kun is involved. Fuck off!' thought Kushida.
'Why am I feeling this way?! My mind switches when I think or hear about Ayanokouji-kun. No. I'm just worried about him as an... ally. Kushida-san is someone that's dangerous.' thought Horikita.
"Well, I heard that-" started Kushida.
"Hey Kushida-chan!" said Mii-chan. She was with Shinohara and Azuma.
"Hey, Mii-chan, Shinohara-san, and Azuma-san." said Kushida, cheerfully waving to them.
"Oho... it's rare seeing you and Horikita-san together." said Mii-chan.
"Really?!"
"Yeah! Normally, you guys are together because of Ayanokouji-kun."
Shinohara and Azuma both narrowed their eyes when they heard about this. They glanced at Horikita and Kushida suspiciously and decided to be on their guard.
"Hey, isn't that the purple-haired senpai that took Ayanokouji-kun out on the date?" asked Shinohara, pointing at Tachibana who entered the dorm lobby. Kushida waved her over and Tachibana approached the group.
"Hello, Kushida-chan and everyone." said Tachibana. Shinohara was the only one that didn't meet Tachibana, so she decided to introduce herself.
"I'm Shinohara Satsuki from Class D." said Shinohara, bowing her head.
"I see. You're from Ayanokouji-kun's class. I'm Tachibana Akane from Class 3A." said Tachibana.
"If you don't mind if I'm asking, Tachibana-senpai, what's your relationship with Ayanokouji-kun?"
"My relationship?"
"Yeah. I mean you took him out for lunch the other day, didn't you?"
"Y-yeah. But-"
"Okay. Let me give you the rundown!" said Azuma, interrupting. She sensed that Tachibana was going to give a long-winded explanation. Within a minute, Azuma managed to give a short explanation on the reason for Tachibana's visit to Ayanokouji.
"Can we get back on topic? Kushida-san, what about Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Horikita, impatiently.
"Ayanokouji-kun?" said the other girls, looking at Kushida.
"W-well, I-i heard from a friend that Ayanokouji-kun and Mori-chan h-had their f-first time together recently." said Kushida.
"E-eh?!" said all the girls.
'A-Ayanokouji-kun with M-mori-san?!' thought Azuma.
'A-Ayanokouji-kun, you idiot!' thought Shinohara.
'H-how immoral! Doing it on school grounds!' thought Tachibana.
'N-no, it can't be...' thought Mii-chan.
'A-Ayanokouji-kun already did it?! I-it's not like I c-care...' thought Horikita.
All the girls seemed to be having a range of emotions running through them all: anger, sadness, betrayal, and many more negative emotions.
'Why does it hurt so much?' thought the girls.
"Is that why you were in a hurry, Kushida-san?" asked Horikita.
"Yeah! I was looking to see if I could find Ayanokouji-kun at the dorms." said Kushida.
"Is he even at the dorms?" asked Azuma.
"He's got to be. My friend said that he and Mori-chan were at the arcade, but I already checked. I couldn't find them." said Kushida.
"That's why you came back." mused Horikita.
"I have an idea!" said Mii-chan.
"Lemme guess: we ambush him when he gets back?" asked Shinohara.
"How did you know?"
"I was planning to do the same thing."
The girls agreed to set up an ambush on Ayanokouji. They headed up to the fourth floor and waited by the elevator.
Before they could enter the elevator, they saw Mori and Onodera enter the dorm lobby. They looked at each other and nodded. Shinohara, Azuma, Horikita, and Kushida both approached Onodera and Mori who didn't suspect anything. They greeted them, but were grabbed by the girls.
"K-kushida-chan, what are you doing?" yelped Mori, as Kushida and Horikita grabbed her arms, preventing her from escaping.
"W-what are you guys doing?" yelped Onodera, as Shinohara and Azuma grabbed her arms as well.
"We're going to have a little chat, Mori-chan." said Kushida, smiling cheerfully.
"L-leave me out of this. I have nothing to do with it." shouted Onodera. But, Shinohara and Azuma refused to let go and dragged them along.
Of course, Ichihashi didn't hear their plans. She was studying in the dorm lobby when she heard some noise coming from the group. She witnessed the group grow larger and seemed to be talking about Ichihashi. Ichihashi could hear Ayanokouji's name and the girls lined up to the elevator. She presumed that they're heading to Ayanokouji's room and went back to studying. Ichihashi was surprised to see Ayanokouji coming back from the dorm later and realized that they were all waiting for him. Ichihashi has watched the group grow in numbers and dragged Mori and Onodera into the elevator within them.
'What is happening? Are they going to Ayanokouji-kun's room? Whatever is happening, I pray for you, Ayanokouji-kun.' thought Ichihashi, clasping her hands in prayers for Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji POV:
"And that's what happened and what I saw." said Ichihashi.
"I see." replied Ayanokouji.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. I probably should not go to my room right away."
"Isn't that a bad idea? They're waiting for you. They'll be pissed if you leave them waiting for a while."
"That's a good point. But, I should give them a little room to calm down before facing them."
"Okay. Where do you want to head?"
"U-uhh... I'm not sure."
"Then, how about my room?"
Ichihashi blurted it out instinctively without thinking about it. Ichihashi realized what she meant by it and clamped her mouth shut with her hands. Her face became flustered and she seemed to be tongue-tied.
"S-sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I didn't mean it that way." stammered Ichihashi.
"It's fine. I just didn't expect that from you." said Ayanokouji.
"Jeez. Don't remind me. You can forget that."
"I'll take you up on your offer."
"E-eh?!"
"I'm just staying there for maybe 10 to 15 minutes. So; it wouldn't be that long."
"O-okay. L-let's go."
I and Ayanokouji called the elevator and they waited for it to come down. Ayanokouji turned to Ichihashi.
"Thank you, I. You really saved me for a pickle." said Ayanokouji, looking at her.
Suddenly, an electric shock ran through Ayanokouji's body. At this point, Ayanokouji is used to it and his day was already full of discovering new soulmates. Ichihashi's eyes widened and her face turned red as she averted her eyes from Ayanokouji.
"I-it's no p-problem, Ayanokouji-kun." said Ichihashi.
"Are you sure? Having a guy in your room?" asked Ayanokouji.
"I-I'm fine if it's you."
Ichihashi realized what she said and how it can be misinterpreted. Something happened between Ichihashi and Ayanokouji before She shook her head rapidly, "U-uhh... I-I don't mean it like that!"
"No worries."
The elevator arrived and the duo entered the elevator. Ichihashi pressed the 9th floor and the elevator closed and began to ascend. There was an awkward silence between Ayanokouji and Ichihashi. Ichihashi didn't know what to say to Ayanokouji and her heart and mind are racing when her views of Ayanokouji changed.
'What! My heart can't stop racing because of Ayanokouji-kun. He's coming to my room. He's coming to my room! Did I clean my room? Me and Ayanokouji-kun alone in a room together... Stop it, Ruri! Calm down.' thought Ichihashi.
The thought of being alone with Ayanokouji kept her mind and heart racing, causing her to not think straight. Ichihashi knows that she's not acting like herself and is probably a blushing mess, but she's too panicked and flustered to say anything to Ayanokouji. Ichihashi internally scolded herself and managed to get herself to calm down to a certain degree to stop any further embarrassment.
The elevator stopped and Ayanokouji looked at the top of the elevator, showing that the elevator is stopping at the 4th floor.
'That's strange. The elevator stopped at the 4th floor. We didn't call for the 4th floor. Most likely, someone called the elevator from the 4th floor.' thought Ayanokouji.
The elevator slid open, revealing Ayanokouji's soulmates standing there. Ichihashi stared at them with shock and horror. Ayanokouji just stared at them blankly, "Hello, everyone."
"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun." said the girls. Ayanokouji could see their cold smiles and dark aura around his soulmates. Mori and Onodera both looked uncomfortable and a little nervous. It turns out that Mori and Onodera both got interrogated by the girls about the whole "first time" incident between Mori and Ayanokouji.
"Having fun with yet another girl, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Horikita, eyeing Ichihashi.
"Just happened to meet her in the elevator." said Ayanokouji.
"Oh, really? If I remember correctly, Ichihashi-san was in the dorm lobby when we were there. And now she's in the elevator when you're here." said Mii-chan. Ayanokouji realized that he has nowhere to escape. Ayanokouji believed that his soulmates were waiting on the 4th floor and every time they saw the elevator being called, they called the elevator to the 4th floor to see if they could catch Ayanokouji.
"Coincidences can be freaky." said Ayanokouji. Horikita gave him a harsh glare.
"Mori-san explained what happened to us." said Shinohara.
"Y-you didn't do it, did you?" asked Mii-chan, twiddling her thumbs nervously. Mii-chan looks like she is asking for confirmation from Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji shook his head and the girls gave a sigh of relief.
"By the way, about Hoshinomiya-sensei..." said Azuma, bringing up again. The soulmates presented did not get Ayanokouji's explanation and the truth of what happened with the situation with Hoshinomiya-sensei except for Mori. The rest of the soulmates looked at Ayanokouji with suspicion and doubt, Ayanokouji tried to back into the elevator, but Ichihashi grabbed him by the arm gently and pressed in against her body. Ayanokouji could feel her breasts pressed firmly against his way, preventing him from moving freely. The elevator closed, sealing Ayanokouji's fate.
"Ayanokouji-kun..." said his soulmates, except for Mori who gave him a concerned look. Mori's eyes seemed to be telling Ayanokouji something, 'Good luck with that buddy' as Mori followed behind the group as Ayanokouji was being dragged to his room with Ichihashi, Azuma, and Shinohara holding him.
'This is going to be a long explanation.' thought Ayanokouji.
*Timeskip (45 minutes later)*
'It's cold. Really cold, but it's good.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji was sitting on the sofa by himself and enjoying an ice cream cone. He had just finished explaining to his soulmates about Hoshinomiya-sensei. Of course, it was a pain and Ayanokouji had to choose his words carefully to not imply anything that happened between Hoshinomiya-sensei and himself. After explaining himself and assuring his soulmates that he and Hoshinomiya-sensei are not in a relationship, they began to leave. Ichihashi gave Ayanokouji an ice cream as an apology for not being able to help him escape from his soulmates. Ayanokouji accepted graciously and ate the ice cream. This was his first-time eating ice cream and he really enjoyed it.
After a few minutes of eating, Ayanokouji got up from the sofa and threw away the ice cream wrapper into the trash can. Ayanokouji was feeling thirsty and decided to go to the lobby to get something to drink from the vending machine outside of the dorms. Ayanokouji noticed Horikita walking rapidly outside of the dorms and into the darkness as Ayanokouji left the elevator.
Curious about this, Ayanokouji decided to follow her and he silently followed Horikita, while hiding his presence. Horikita turned the corner of a building that's nearby the dorms and Ayanokouji peeked around the corner, carefully and saw that Horikita had stopped. Ayanokouji noticed that there's someone else with her and she's meeting with someone.
"Suzune. I didn't think you'd follow me this far," said a male voice. Ayanokouji could tell that voice was familiar. It's a voice that he heard from before.
'Had she left to rendezvous with some guy?' thought Ayanokouji.
"Hmph. I'm far different from the useless girl you once knew, Nii-san. I came here to catch you." said Horikita.
"Catch me, hmm?"
'Nii-san? In the dark, I couldn't see the person she was talking to. But, it's President Horikita, the student council president.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I heard you were placed in Class D. I suppose nothing has really changed in the last three years. You've always been fixated on following me, and as a result you don't notice your own flaws. Choosing to come to this school was a mistake." said Manabu.
"That's... You're wrong about that. I'll show you. I'll reach Class A right away, then—" replied Horikita.
"It's pointless. You will never reach Class A. In fact, your class will fall apart soon enough. Things at this school aren't as simple as you think."
"I will definitely, definitely reach—"
"I told you, it's pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister."
Manabu stepped closer to her. From Ayanokouji's hiding spot, he could see no hint of emotion from Manabu. It was like he was staring at an uninteresting object. He grabbed his younger sister by the wrist—she offered no resistance—and pushed her against the wall.
"No matter how I try to avoid you, the fact remains that you're my little sister. If people around here learned the truth, I would be humiliated. Leave this school immediately." said Manabu.
"I-I can't do that... I will definitely reach Class A. I'll show you!" said Horikita.
"How incredibly stupid. Do you want to relive the pain of the past?"
"Niisan, I..."
"You possess neither the abilities nor the qualities needed to reach Class A. Get that through your head."
Manabu moved forward, as if about to act. The situation looked fraught with danger. Resigned to facing Horikita's anger, Ayanokouji leapt out from my hiding space and went after her brother.
Before Manabu could know that Ayanokouji was there, Ayanokouji grabbed his right arm, which he was using to pin his sister.
"What? You..." said Mabau, staring at his arm and slowly turned to Ayanokouji with a sharp gleam in his eye.
"A-Ayanokouji-kun?!" Horikita cried.
"You were about to throw your sister to the ground, weren't you? You do realize the floor here is concrete, right? You might be siblings, but you should know the difference between right and wrong." said Ayanokouji.
"Eavesdropping is not an admirable quality," Manabu said.
"Fine. Then let go."
"That's my line."
The duo glared at each other in complete silence.
"Stop it, Ayanokouji-kun," said Horikita, her voice strained. I'd never heard her voice like that before.
Reluctantly, Ayanokouji released her brother. Instantly, Manabu tried to backhand Ayanokouji in the face. Ayanokouji instinctively took a step back to avoid it.
'For such a lightly built guy, he was a nasty attacker.' thought Ayanokouji.
Manabu then aimed a sharp kick at Ayanokouji's unguarded spot within a millisecond after trying to backhand him.
"Watch it!"
Manabu had enough power to knock Ayanokouji out with one blow. Looking slightly confused, he exhaled deeply, extended his right arm, and opened his hand.
'If I grabbed his hand, he'd probably throw me to the ground. Instead, let's slap his hand away.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji slapped his hand away and Manabu backed away from Ayanokouji.
"Good reflexes. I didn't imagine you could evade all of my blows so quickly. Also, you seemed to understand quite well what I was trying to do. Have you been taught?" asked Manabu.
"Yes, I was taught piano and calligraphy. Also, when I was in elementary school, I won a national music competition," Ayanokouji said.
"You're in Class D, too, aren't you? What a unique boy, Suzune."
Manabu let go of his younger sister and he turned to face me and Horikita who was together.
"No. Unlike Horikita, I'm pretty incompetent." said Ayanokouji.
"Suzune, is this boy your friend? I'm honestly surprised." asked Manabu.
"H-he's n-not... N-no, h-he is. I suppose he's my friend and ally." said Horikita, blushing slightly and averting her eyes from Manabu and Ayanokouji.
Manabu's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before maintaining his neutral, stern expression when he heard his sister say that. He couldn't believe that his younger sister was saying something like that.
'I can't believe that Suzune is acting like this. She seems to be changing slightly. It's all because of this boy. Ayanokouji...' thought Manabu.
"Interesting. It seems that you're changing, Suzune. Do not confuse independence with solitude. And you, Ayanokouji. With you around, things might get interesting. I approve." said Manabu.
Then, Manabu walked past Ayanokouji and disappeared into the night.
'So, that was the distinguished student council president. His presence explained some of
Horikita's weird behavior during the club ceremony.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I'm going to drag myself up to Class A even if it kills me," Horikita said.
With her brother gone, the night was silent once more. Horikita sat up against the wall, her head hanging low. Ayanokouji was about to return to the dorms when Horikita called out to him.
"Did you hear everything? Or was it just a coincidence?" asked Horikita.
"Oh. It was half coincidence, I'd say. I saw you when I was getting something at the vending machine and saw you and your brother. It seemed like you needed some help and had no intention of meddling in your business." replied Ayanokouji.
Horikita lowered her head and fell into silence. She seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
"Your brother is really strong and doesn't lack ferocity." said Ayanokouji.
"He's ranked 5th dan in karate and 4th dan in aikido." replied Horikita.
'He was really strong. If I hadn't pulled away, it would've ended badly for me.' thought Ayanokouji.
"You also practice martial arts, don't you, Ayanokouji-kun? You must hold a dan rank." said Ayanokouji.
"I told you, didn't I? Just piano and tea ceremony." said Horikita.
"You said calligraphy before."
"I...did calligraphy in addition to those, yes."
"You purposefully get lower test scores, and you say that you studied piano and calligraphy. I really don't understand you."
"My scores were a coincidence. I really did do piano, tea ceremony, and calligraphy."
"You saw a strange side of me."
"On the contrary, I always thought of you as a normal girl. Well, not really."
Horikita glared at Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji put his hands up in surrender to show that he's not pushing any deeper with that statement.
"Horikita, let's have a talk. It will determine whether or not." said Ayanokouji.
Author's Note:
What's up everyone! Bet you didn't expect this to be updated so soon. Honestly, I was working on Harem School President and I didn't feel like writing anymore. So, I switched back to 100 girlfriends. I'm honestly feeling really worn out and tired of writing. It would be a shame for me to stop writing, but I decided to take a few days of break. Hopefully, that will help me get back to writing. I also decided to not have a set schedule and just to start writing on all three stories randomly. Whichever one I feel like writing.
Anyways, things are changing for our boy and I've already prepared some new girls ready (if you guys haven't caught on already).
Until next time, my dear readers.