Kushida tensed up and turned her head towards Ayanokouji's direction which happens to be where the door to the rooftop. Kushida set her sights on Ayanokouji and glared at him. It was the angriest and coldest glare that Ayanokouji had seen on Kushida's face. Ayanokouji couldn't believe what he's seeing and realized that this is a new side of Kushida that he has seen tonight. Ayanokouji could see a sense of panic and alarm in her eyes when she recognized who she was looking at, but her glare was unwavering and focused on Ayanokouji.
"W-what... what are you doing here?" asked Kushida, coldly.
"I... got a little lost. Sorry. If you want me to leave, I'll go now." said Ayanokouji.
Kushida continued to glare at Ayanokouji as Ayanokouji could see that Kushida's eyes and facial expression were something else. It's cold, furious, and downright murderous which is a stark difference to the gentle and cute look that Kushida always has. Ayanokouji could sense that Kushida is making a point of indecision as judging from the slight rapid twitching on her face.
On the other hand, Kushida was panicking on what to do now that her secret is out. She wasn't expecting anyone from the school to find her true nature. Well, except one person, of course: Horikita.
'What do I do now?! Ayanokouji-kun has found out. WHY?! Out of everyone in the fucking school, why did it have to be him?! He would never accept my true self! That's right... Nobody will ever choose my true self over my fake self. W-what should I do? I can't let my secret be known at all.' thought Kushida.
Kushida has a few choices: run away from Ayanokouji, tell Ayanokouji the truth, blackmail Ayanokouji to not reveal her secret, or let Ayanokouji escape. Kushida was about to make a decision, but something in her mind screamed at her.
'Kikyou, you idiot! If he was here the entire time, he heard that you admit that you like him! Kikyou, you idiot! Why out of all the things you said?!' thought Kushida
Kushida blushed a little bit when the realization hit her and she began to panic and wondered how much Ayanokouji overheard. Kushida managed to steeedl her nerves and glare at Ayanokouji with her true, cold eyes.
"How much did you hear?" demanded Kushida.
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't hear anything? You know, the wind is pretty strong today." said Ayanokouji, insisting his innocence even though he knew it was a pointless attempt.
There was a brief moment of silence before Kushida began to laugh. This is the usual cute and angelic laugh of Kushida, but it was a dark, cold, and even maniacal laugh which is truly a different laugh and Ayanokouji wondered if the Kushida he was talking to is even the same person.
Kushida stopped laughing and dropped her glare, but maintained a smirk with those cold and dark eyes of hers.
"You're a really lucky guy, Ayanokouji-kun because I like you. If it was any other person in your position right now, I would've did something drastic like accusing them of raping me." said Kushida. Ayanokouji had a feeling that she was not joking around with that threat and could see that she could've done it.
'Lucky? My whole situation is more of a curse. But, I feel like I dodged a massive bullet there.' thought Ayanokouji.
"The ball is in your park, Ayanokouji-kun. What are you going to do? Expose me for being a two-faced and fake bitch. You better do it now, because I feel like I can't stop you." said Kushida, taunting Ayanokouji.
'Seriously? She's willing to let me leave like that. Interesting.' thought Ayanokouji.
Despite Kushida telling that to Ayanokouji, she was dreading and afraid of Ayanokouji's response. Ayanokouji tells someone about this and it can destroy everything that she built during the past few weeks or worse, Ayanokouji could reject her. In Kushida's heart, she knew that Ayanokouji could never accept her, but a small part of her wanted Ayanokouji's acceptance. Kushida tensed up, waiting for Ayanokouji's response and knew that she would be left heartbroken with her only hope for Ayanokouji to be crushed.
Ayanokouji remained silent as he began to process the next course of action.
'Okay. Well, this is interesting. Kushida is hiding something major from me. It has to do with her past and it's something that Horikita knows thus why she warned me about Kushida. I believe this is what Horikita is referring to. The question is now what should I do?' thought Ayanokouji.
'I have a few options: leave and tell everyone about this, leave and tell nobody about this and ignore Kushida, or stay and promise not to tell anyone about it. I favored just leaving and not telling anyone about this. I don't have the support to expose Kushida. Even with all of my soulmates, I'm still massively outnumbered and it's going to be me vs almost everyone. Plus Kushida is popular outside of Class D.' thought Ayanokouji.
'If I leave Kushida, I have a feeling that this will have a negative impact on Kushida's state of mind and might proceed to her death which might be traced back to me. I have to choose carefully. The safest option is to choose option three: to promise not to say anything. There's no harm in doing it. Kushida already stated that she wouldn't do anything to me to protect her secret and I know that she wouldn't try anything later because she would've already done it right now. Kushida also admitted that she would've accused me of a crime if I was someone else, meaning that I'm pretty much safe.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I won't." said Ayanokouji, locking eyes with Kushida. Kushida's face morphed to one of shock and surprise before glaring back at Ayanokouji.
"W-what? Are you fucking stupid? I'm letting you walk away! I gave you a fucking chance to do this!" said Kushida. Kushida paused for a moment before her glare intensified.
"A-are you taking pity on me? I don't need it! Just tell everyone that I'm a bitch! I won't stop you!" growled Kushida.
"I told you, Kushida. I won't say a word to anyone." said Ayanokouji.
Kushida looked shocked at Ayanokouji's statement before Ayanokouji continued on.
"I don't care why you're like this or why you hate Horikita so much. But, I'm a little curious, and I'm not going to tell anyone." said Ayanokouji.
"Y-you're an interesting person, Ayanokouji-kun. Anyone that was offered a choice like this would've left." said Kushida.
"Probably, but I'm not like most people."
"A-are you sure you're not going to tell anyone about this? This is your last chance to back away and I won't stop you."
Kushida seemed conflicted as parts of her mind believed Ayanokouji's words while others doubted it. Ayanokouji could see that Kushida's eyes danced with nervousness, panic, sorrow, and anger.
"Kushida. We are friends and friends don't sell each other out. They accept each other and their faults. Knowing you are true doesn't change the fact that we're friends. Honestly, I like seeing the real you: no lies, just the real Kushida Kikyou. Quite a beautiful sight." said Ayanokouji.
Kushida's eyes widened at Ayanokouji's words and her face became a little flustered. She averted her eyes and stared at the ground.
"Idiot. D-don't say things like that." snapped Kushida, but Ayanokouji noticed that Kushida had a tiny smile.
Kushida was relieved that someone accepted her true self and that her secret is safe. She was extremely happy that the person was Ayanokouji. It was like a huge weight was being taken off her shoulders and the sense of relief overtook my body, calming her down.
"You know, Kushida. It's unsafe for you to be revealing your true self out in public." said Ayanokouji.
"I know now!" said Kushida.
"If you want, you're free to come to my room alone if you want to vent out all of your frustrations. We don't want more people to find out your secret."
"E-eh?!"
Kushida became a little flustered at Ayanokouji's sudden suggestions and her mind panicked and started to think about some dirty thoughts. Kushida mentally restrained herself and calmed her racing heart and mind before replying.
"I-i'm not sure, but are you sure you want someone like me?" asked Kushida.
"Yes." replied Ayanokouji, immediately.
"T-then, I-i'll take you up on your offer."
"Just let me know when you're coming. My door will be open to you."
"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
Kushida raised her head and smiled at Ayanokouji. It was a different smile that Ayanokouji was used to. It was not one of the fake smiles that she gave to everyone and it was something that Ayanokouji knows as the usual Kushida smile. This was a different smile with different eyes. Her cold and dark eyes with a smile that revealed genuine joy. Ayanokouji found that cute, but dangerous at the same time.
"Nice smile, Kushida. I like it." commented Ayanokouji.
"I-idiot. Don't do that again." stammered Kushida, with a visible blush on her face.
"It's the truth."
"Speaking of the truth, did you hear the last part of my ranting?"
"Last part?"
"T-the one about..."
"No. I was worried about getting out of there, but I accidentally kicked the door loudly. So, I didn't hear anything. Did you say something important?"
Kushida was still blushing, but she breathed a huge sigh of relief.
'I'm so glad that he didn't hear that. I would've been too embarrassed!' thought Kushida.
'It's better if she didn't know about this. Otherwise, it would've been an awkward and embarrassing moment for Kushida and me. That'll put me on the spotlight and to come up with an answer to her sudden confession. Does this count as a confession?' thought Ayanokouji.
"I-it's nothing, Ayanokouji-kun." said Kushida, shaking her head rapidly.
"Are you sure? It doesn't look like it's nothing." said Ayanokouji, stepping closer to Kushida and studying her face.
'Why is Ayanokouji-kun picking up on this? Did he overheard me? I can't tell. He might have heard it! I can't take this anymore. I have to get out of here. At any rate, I think I scored a huge win. Me and Ayanokouji-kun alone in his room...' thought Kushida.
"I-i told you, it's nothing. Idiot! I'm going to... go." said Kushida, getting a little panicky and nervous. Kushida quickly ran and left the school rooftop. The door slammed shut and Ayanokouji could faintly hear Kushida running down the stairs.
As Kushida was walking down the stairs, she kept her genuine smile as ecstatic thoughts ran through her mind.
'Yes! My secret is safe and me and Ayanokouji-kun now share a little secret that nobody else knows. Well... except that bitch, Horikita. My only target is her now. Just wait, Horikita. I'll have to be expelled from this school.' thought Kushida.
Kushida rearranged her face and her usual "angel" face came back as she walked down the stairs.
Meanwhile, Ayanokouji stared at the closed door before staring at the night sky for a few minutes, enjoying the peaceful and dark night sky. After that, Ayanokouji left the school rooftop.
*Timeskip (15 minutes later)*
Ayanokouji was on his way back to the dorm. He didn't initially go back to the dorms and stopped at some vending machines, sipping on a drink and disposing of it. Ayanokouji was nearly back to the dorm when he noticed a familiar person sitting at a bench, looking down.
"Hello, Shinohara." said Ayanokouji.
"A-Ayanokouji-kun..." muttered Shinohara, quickly glancing at Ayanokouji before staring at the ground.
"Mind if I sit here for a bit?"
"Go ahead. It's not like I can stop you."
Ayanokouji thanked her and he sat down next to her in silence. For a few brief moments, the duo sat in silence before Shinohara spoke up.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. I have a weird question to ask you." said Shinohara.
"Go ahead." replied Ayanokouji.
"Do you like who you are? What have you become?"
"..."
"I know it's a little weird, but it's something that I'm wondering about..."
"What do you mean?"
Shinohara POV:
'I've been thinking about something. Something that challenges my belief and behavior. As I mentioned before, I always wanted to become stronger. Strong enough to protect myself and the people close to me. It's something that I failed before. Sakiko... I'm sorry. You shouldn't have looked up to me as an older sister. I've failed you and disappointed you…' thought Shinohara.
'No. I also disappointed myself. For my failure and for what an older sister is supposed to do. To look over my younger siblings. Why am I so weak? Do I have any of that so-called strength? I don't know, to be honest. But, let's see if I even have any. I don't know what to do. I want to change, but I'm scared. Scared that I might fail and be left weaker than I was before. What should I do?' thought Shinohara.
'Ever since I met Ayanokouji-kun, I was starting to feel a little strange and show a bit of my weaker side. What I was like before Sakiko's attempted suicide. The side that I considered weak. Why am I feeling this way? Is it because I like Ayanokouji-kun or I feel like I could be myself and show a weaker side to only him? I'm not sure what to do. Should I keep up with my bitchy and annoying attitude that I used during my junior high school or just be myself?' thought Shinohara.
"Sorry for asking you that. I-i'm... just a little confused on what I should do." said Shinohara.
"I see. If you need a little help, don't be afraid to ask." replied Ayanokouji.
"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. I-i'm... not sure what I should do. I-i feel like I'm not growing anymore... as a person, you know."
"Is that your concern?"
"I've been more or less the same person since junior high school. I-i'm scared about changing myself."
"I see. Shinohara, change is something necessary for people. It's something that you can fear because it changes you and makes you different than you were before. It's something that you have to embrace if you're willing to change. The question is: are you willing to change yourself despite the fear that you have?"
"..."
Shinohara was thinking about Ayanokouji's advice thoughtfully and for some reason, her mind became at ease after hearing Ayanokouji's words. Her mind began more clear as she started thinking about the changes that she could use. Her fear of change and being weak is still present, but it didn't affect her as much.
"Y-you're really a good person, Ayanokouji-kun. You c-calmed me down slightly. I have one thing to ask you." said Shinohara.
"What is it?" asked Ayanokouji.
"If I'm changing myself, would you be by my side?"
"..."
"No." said Ayanokouji, immediately.
Shinohara's heart felt crushed like Ayanokouji just stomped on it and trampled on her already damaged heart. Her emotions ranged from anger, pain, and sadness, but Shinohara felt more sorrow and pain than anger. Her eyes immediately began to water and she could feel tear drops forming in the corner of her eyes and she stared down. Shinohara's tears began to slowly fall to the ground due to the change of gravity.
"Let me finish. No, I won't be the only one on your side. You have me and your friends. People that support you." said Ayanokouji.
Shinohara immediately felt relieved and she began to wipe her tears from her eyes. She gave Ayanokouji a glare before punching him lightly in the chest. Her blow bounced off Ayanokouji's chest, but it relieved her anger.
"You're an idiot, Ayanokouji-kun. Don't just say no and wait. Don't lead on a girl like that!" said Shinohara. Then, she dropped her glare and gave a relieved smile.
"T-thanks, Ayanokouji-kun. I feel like I can tell you my personal stuff. It means a lot to me." said Shinohara.
"By the way, what are the changes you were talking about?" asked Ayanokouji.
Shinohara was still not sure what to change about herself, but she decided to better herself and start small first.
"I'm not sure, but I think I should be a better student in class. So, I guess I can start studying or getting into shape." said Shinohara.
"Studying?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yeah. You have slightly better grades than me. Do you mind tutoring me for a bit?"
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I'm only slightly better than you."
"Don't be like that! We both can learn together!"
"..."
"If you insist."
"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun. I'll let you know if I need a study session with you."
"That's fine with me."
"Ayanokouji-kun..." said Shinohara, softly.
"Yes?" replied Ayanokouji.
"Thank you for listening to me. It means a lot to me."
"It's nothing."
"Oh! And don't speak any of this to anyone at all. I don't want people to talk about me in a weird way."
Of course, she's partially telling the truth. Shinohara is still undecided and still a little scared about making changes to herself. She knows that it's something that must be done in order to survive this school, but her fear of being weak and changing is still ever present. Shinohara didn't want anyone to know of it just in case, she was unable to change thus making her look pathetic and weak. Another motive is to have some alone time with Ayanokouji without any of Ayanokouji's soulmates interference. By not telling anyone, Shinohara can have Ayanokouji to herself and she intended not to give him up.
Shinohara smiled, got up from the bench, and offered her hand to Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji accepted her hand and she pulled him up.
"It's getting late. Let's go back to the dorm together." said Shinohara. Ayanokouji agreed and the duo walked the rest of the way back to the dorm, chatting as they approached the bright-lit dorms.
Ayanokouji POV:
*Timeskip (next morning)*
'So, that was an interesting night. I saw Kushida's true nature and Shinohara's fear and need to change. Shinohara feared the unknown and results of personal change which is understandable. But, it's something that we must face because not everything will stay the same forever. Things might be the same for an extended amount of time, but nothing lasts forever and some things are bound to change.' thought Ayanokouji.
'At first, I thought about rejecting Shinohara's proposal, but decided against it. Shinohara is basically asking me to become my tool. A tool that I can maintain and tweak to my liking. Shinohara doesn't have any outstanding quality and is worthless as a tool. But, a tool that I can forge and sharpen myself. Her academic and physical abilities are below average and needs improving. Her physical appearance and attractiveness is average. I mean, every girl here is pretty cute or beautiful, so an average girl like Shinohara looks "ugly" in comparison. Shinohara can also be a key and bridge to some of the other girls in the class that I didn't make too much contact with. Girls like Satou, Karuizawa, and Shinohara's own group. As long as Shinohara is willing to change, I can manipulate and dictate her changes thus shaping her to become one of my tools. At least, that's what I hope. I'm not sure if Shinohara is even willing to change, but I will have to see.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji got out of bed and changed into his workout clothes. He decided to take a light jog instead of going to the gym. Ayanokouji decided to take a jog to the school and its surrounding area.
After half an hour of jogging, Ayanokouji was near the outdoor swimming pool. He could hear a voice calling out to him.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Onodera. She was standing by the water's edge and seemed to be doing some warm-up exercise.
"Hello, Onodera. Swim club?" replied Ayanokouji.
"Yep!"
"This early in the morning? Where's everyone else?"
"Oh! I got here early, you know, to get ready before the others. What about you? I thought you're going to the gym."
"A nice change of pace. Just a light exercise."
"Oh! By the way, some days I have swimming practice, so I can't go to the gym."
"I see. You going for nationals?"
"Yep! That's every high school swimmer's dream! Time to crush the competition!"
"..."
The duo fell into silence as they ran out of things to talk about. Onodera slipped into the pool and made a small noise, as she adjusted herself to the changing temperature of the water.
"It's pretty cold?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yeah. We only use the outdoors pool during the summer and warmer days. If it's too cold, we'll just use the indoor swimming pool." replied Onodera.
"I see."
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. If you're looking for more exercise, why not give swimming a shot? During swimming class, it looks like you weren't putting any effort. Don't think I didn't notice!"
'You weren't supposed to be so observant. I'm going to need to change the subject.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I didn't bring any swimwear with me." replied Ayanokouji, changing the topic quickly .
"You have time. The rest of the swimming club should be soon. You can practice with us! "said Onodera, inviting him. Suddenly, Onodera froze as if she realized something.
"Wait... isn't the swimming club mostly girls?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Y-yeah." replied Onodera. Ondoera suddenly became a little nervous at Ayanokouji's question and realized that maybe inviting a high school boy to hang out with a bunch of girls that are dressed in swimsuits is a bad idea.
"Wouldn't they be uncomfortable with me here? They don't know me." said Ayanokouji.
"M-maybe. They're used to people watching them swim. Just don't oogle their bodies and you're fine." said Onodera.
"I see. Well, I think it's a little too late for that. I'll keep this spot in mind if I decide to go swimming."
"Okay! Well, it looks like the club is here!"
"I should probably get out of here. See you later, Onodera."
Ayanokouji began walking away from Onodera and towards the exit. Onodera wanted to speak up to stop him from leaving, but another voice interrupted her.
"Oh! Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Didn't expect to see you here." said Andou. Andou waved at Ayanokouji and she seems to be with a girl with short blue hair tied as buns that are on both sides of her head. She seemed to have a mole on the right side of her cheek.
"Hello Andou. You're a part of the swimming club?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Nope. The swimming and volleyball club sometimes practice together. We sometimes do pool volleyball!" said Andou.
"I see."
"Hey, Andou. Are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?" asked the blue-haired girl, poking at Andou with a playful smile.
"Ha... ha... Stop playing around, Minamikata. This is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D. We've hung out a few times with Onodera." said Andou, introducing Ayanokouji.
"Oh! Hi! I'm Minamikata Kozue from Class B. I'm in the volleyball club with Andou. Nice to meet you!" said Minamikita.
"It's nice to meet you as well." said Ayanokouji.
"By the way, what are you doing here?"
"Oh? I was just leaving. I was jogging and was talking to Onodera for a little bit."
"I see. A secret rendezvous with a girl? Seems kinda of suspicious~."
"Who knows? Perhaps I'm leaving because my time with Onodera is gone and my opportunity to strike is gone."
Onodera blushed a little after hearing Ayanokouji's statement. Both Andou and Minamikata both looked shocked and stared at Ayanokouji, surprised by his bluntness. Of course, this is Ayanokouji's poor attempt at a joke and due to his blunt and straightforward personality, it's interrupted as not a joke.
"I'm joking." said Ayanokouji. Onodera averted her eyes from Ayanokouji. Andou and Minamikata both stared at Ayanokouji, not getting the joke.
"You need to work on your jokes, Ayanokouji-kun." said Minamikata, giggling.
"I know right! Also change the tone of your voice to make the joke more lighthearted and not serious." said Andou, laughing.
"But it's kinda cute in a way."
"Dorky even!"
The two girls are laughing together and Ayanokouji wonders if he's getting laughed at at his own expense. After a few moments, the girls stopped laughing and managed to pull themselves together.
"Sorry about that, Ayanokouji-kun." said Andou.
"Yeah. Didn't mean to insult you, but it was pretty funny though." said Minamikata, wiping her right eye.
"It's fine. I'm about to leave anyway." said Ayanokouji.
"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun." said Onodera, Minamikata, and Andou, waving to Ayanokouji as he walked to the exit. He gave them one last look before leaving the gated pool area and jogged around the school and into a nearby park.
Ayanokouji stopped at a vending machine and got free water. After unscrewing the cap, Ayanokouji took a nice long sip to refresh himself after the light jog. Ayanokouji sat down at the bench and noticed a message from Morofuji. It was early in the morning and Ayanokouji wondered if Morofuji sent this message, expecting Ayanokouji not to see it. He opened the messaging app to see.
Morofuji: Hello.
Morofuji: I know that Nanami asked you to try and help me. Thank you.
Ayanokouji: It's no problem.
Ayanokouji looked at the app and he could see the icon of a speech bubble on the screen with three dots from Morofuji. It seems like she's typing something and taking a long time to type it.
Morofuji: Really? Thank you so much.
Ayanokouji: It's honestly nothing. I can't do much else other than talk to you.
Morofuji: That's more than enough. If you mind me asking something...
Ayanokouji: Go ahead.
Morofuji: It's pretty early in the morning. Are you awake already?
Ayanokouji: Yeah. I wake up early to exercise.
Morofuji: I see. I'm sorry for asking...
Ayanokouji: There's no need to apologize. It's not like it offended me or something.
Morofuji: Ah...
Ayanokouji: You have good friends. They seemed pretty worried about you.
Morofuji: Yeah. They are. I hope Shiho didn't go too hard on you. She could be a little overboard sometimes.
Ayanokouji: It's fine. It's not like she could assault me in broad daylight. Just some threats.
Morofuji: Her specialty.
Ayanokouji: Yeah. I figured she's not a bad person. Just someone that looks out for their own.
Morofuji: I'm glad that you don't see her like that. Most people see her as mean and delinquent-like, but she's overprotective of her friends.
Ayanokouji: Nanami said the same thing. You made a good friend, Morofuji.
Morofuji: Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun...
Morofuji: Can I text you again?
Ayanokouji: Of course, anytime. I'll be there.
Morofuji: Hopefully, not in the middle of the night. I'll be concerned if you reply back to me.
Ayanokouji: Of course. A guy needs his beauty sleep.
Morofuji: Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. Talk to you soon.
Ayanokouji closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He noticed that Morofuji was a little more talkative through text than in-person. She seemed more comfortable talking to people through text than in-person. Ayanokouji wondered if she's like that to her friends or just everyone including guys. Morofuji even asked some questions and made some lighthearted attempts for jokes to which Ayanokouji responded with.
Ayanokouji gulped down the rest of the water and started to get up. But, he noticed a girl walking by and stopping at the vending machine that was next to Ayanokouji. The girl bought a drink and sat down on the other side of the same bench as Ayanokouji. The distance was not far and Ayanokouji could hear the girl crack open her tea and take a sip.
The girl has short light-purple hair and a white large hair ribbon on the left side of her head. The girl has a serious blank face and it looked similar to Ayanokouji. The girl glanced at Ayanokouji before saying something, "Is there something you want from me?"
"No." said Ayanokouji.
"Why are you looking at me?" asked the girl.
"Curious on why a random girl just sat down next to me. Anyone would've done that."
"I see. That's understandable. If the roles were reversed, I would've done the same thing."
"Glad we could come to an agreement."
"..."
The duo fell into silence as the girl took another sip of her tea while Ayanokouji stared off into the distance. The sun began to slowly rise in the horizon, revealing the clear morning sky. After a few minutes of silence, the girl spoke up.
"It's getting a little too awkward. My name is Tsukaji Shihori from Class A." said Tsukaji.
"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D." said Ayanokouji.
"So, you're from that class? I see."
"That class?"
"The 'defect' class. The one with zero points."
"Yes."
"..."
The duo fell into silence again as there were no good conversations to continue off that topic. Ayanokouji noticed that Tsukaji still had a blank face and no change in her facial expression and emotions. Tsukaji sounded serious and had the same personality as Ayanokouji. He wondered if Tsukaji is always like this or just like it to strangers. Of course, Ayanokouji has own reasons why his face and personality is always like that.
Tsukaji finished the rest of her tea before standing up and putting the empty bottle into the trash. She turned around and offered her hand to Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji placed his empty water bottle in her hands and she tossed it away as Ayanokouji stood up.
"I'll be going now. See you around." said Tsukaji.
"Goodbye, Tsukaji." said Ayanokouji. He watched as Tsukaji walked out of the park and seemed to be heading to the Keiyaki Mall. Ayanokouji walked the complete opposite direction and headed back to the dorm, hoping to make some breakfast.
*Timeskip (35 minutes later)*
Ayanokouji was walking to school by himself. He was surprised that not any of his soulmates invited him to walk with them to school. Ayanokouji was about halfway to the school when he heard a voice calling to him.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Ichihashi, running up to him.
"Hello, Ichihashi. How are you today?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Good. Mind if I walked with you?"
"Sure, I have no problem with it."
The duo walked in silence as they approached the school building. Ayanokouji remembered how he first met Ichihashi.
*Flashback (about a two weeks ago)*
It has been a few days after news of Ayanokouji buying Mii-chan a bracelet and them being a potential couple was out. Ayanokouji got an invitation from some of the girls of Class D who were curious about the news and Mii-chan's friends. Ayanokouji didn't expect to get so involved with classmates, especially female classmates. He could feel the stares and glares from most of the boys which stemmed from jealousy, rage, pity, and shock.
Ayanokouji was leaving for school a little later than expected and left the dorm building. Ayanokouji heard a noise and some muttering coming from the alleyway of the dorm building and took a peek to see what's happening.
Ayanokouji saw a girl standing there alone in the alleyway, muttering something unintelligible and squeezing her school-issued blazer. The girl had her blazer off and there seemed to be water coming out of her blazer when she was squeezing it.
Before Ayanokouji could decide what to do, the girl spotted him. She looked at him helplessly and seemed to not know what to do. Ayanokouji took a second glance at the girl and realized that it was one of his classmates.
'I believe her name is Ichihashi Ruri. Judging from the previous quiz scores, she has one of the top scores in Class D. She's in Mii-chan's group along with Kushida and her other friends.' thought Ayanokouji.
"H-hey, Ayanokouji-kun." stammered Ichihashi, a little embarrassed at getting caught.
"Are you okay?" asked Ayanokouji, gesturing to the wet blazer.
"Not really. I accidentally ran into a staff member with a bucket and mop. I'm all wet now."
"I see."
Ayanokouji stopped looking at Ichihashi and stared off into the alleyway wall. He noticed something and got a quick glance of something that he wasn't supposed to see, but managed to avert his eyes after a quick glance.
"What's wrong? Why did you look away?" asked Ichihashi.
"Uhh... you should be aware of your surroundings and the situation you're in." said Ayanokouji, pointing at his chest area. Ichihashi looked at his chest area with a questioning look, not understanding what Ayanokouji was implying. Then, she looked down at her chest area and realized what Ayanokouji meant.
Ichihashi immediately started blushing and covered up her chest area with her arms and dropped her wet blazer to the ground. To cover up better, Ichihashi crouched to the ground and stared at the floor, her ears and face all red. She didn't expect to expose herself like anyone , especially a classmate and she internally cursed at herself for being such a klutz and not realizing what she did.
Ayanokouji maintained his gaze into the wall and wondered what he should do next. He just saw the forbidden accidentally and it's something that Ike would pay to see which Ayanokouji saw for free.
'Pink with some frills? I see. How should I proceed on with this? Do I say something or forget that it ever happened? I would choose the latter. I presume the accident with Ichihashi happened recently, hence why she's wringing the water and still wet. Judging from the time, there's an influx of students in the dorm, leaving for school. So, she can't just walk back to the dorm, dressed in wet clothes without exposing herself. There's not enough time for her to dry the clothes completely or dry enough to make her presentable.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji sighed and took off his blazer. He walked over and placed the blazer over Ichihashi's shoulders, draping his blazer over her. Ichihashi looked up in confusion and was surprised by Ayanokouji's actions.
"W-what, Ayanokouji-kun?" stammered Ichihashi.
"Here. You can borrow my blazer for now. You can return it back at a later date." said Ayanokouji.
"B-but... you don't have one either."
"It's fine. I can quickly grab my spare at my dorm. You couldn't do that because your entire clothes are wet right?"
"Y-yeah."
"Just wear mine for now. It should cover up your wet clothes."
"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. Seriously."
Ichihashi got up and bowed her head to Ayanokouji.
"Oh! I better let you go and get your blazer, so you won't be late. Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun! I owe you one!" said Ichihashi, giving Ayanokouji one last thanks and hurriedly walked away. Ichihashi slipped on and buttoned up Ayanokouji's blazer as she walked out of the alleyway. Ichihashi also folded her wet blazer and placed it into her school bag. It was a good thing that her bag wasn't full and did not have any papers, textbooks, or books in there. The blazer that Ichihashi was wearing was much bigger than her blazer and it was obvious that she was wearing a boy's blazer. Ichihashi ignored some of the looks that some students gave when she walked by them.
On the other hand, Ayanokouji hurriedly walked back into the dorm and noticed that the elevator was still not here and most likely, stopped at some of the floors. Ayanokouji decided to take a risk and use the stairs. Ayanokouji opened the door to the stairwell and found it empty, which was a good sign. Ayanokouji quickly used his speed to sprint up the stars and arrived on the 4th floor. He quickly entered his dorm and located his spare blazer that the school provides to all students. Ayanokouji slipped it on and buttoned it before leaving his dorm, sprinting down the stairs again, and walked to school at a fast pace.
'Luckily, I avoided being late to class. It's not like it would've helped and prevented the class from losing more points. We would've hit 0 points anyways. Kushida was giving me a weird look when she saw me, arriving almost late to class. Horikita scolded me about almost being late. Of course, Mii-chan and Kushida immediately noticed my blazer on Ichihashi and gave me a chilly look, but I managed to play it off. On the next day, Ichihashi returned my blazer back, washed, and neatly folded.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ichihashi and Ayanokouji were both still silent as they approached the school building.
'Why can't I think straight with Ayanokouji-kun around? I mean he's a good guy. He doesn't oogle at me and is not a pervert during the last time. I can't believe that I exposed myself to him like that! Come to think of it, I was wearing Ayanokouji-kun's blazer and the smell of Ayanokouji-kun was with me the entire day...' thought Ichihashi.
Ichihashi suddenly realized what she was thinking and snapped her mind off it.
'Stop it, Ruri! Don't be like a pervert like Ike-kun! I mean you don't have to become a fan girl for him! But, at least he's not like a pervert unlike those other perverts from the class. Him, Hirata-kun, and some other boys are not like that and I feel like I should trust him.' thought Ichihashi, shaking her head in embarrassment.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. How are your studies?" asked Ichihashi, deciding to break up the awkward silence between the duo.
"Good, so far." replied Ayanokouji.
"That's good. If you need any help, I-i'll give you a hand."
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I can manage."
"R-really? A-are you getting h-help from Horikita-san?"
"Horikita? No."
"A-aren't you in the study group with her, Kushida-san, and the other boys?"
"Yeah. I was helping them out a little. But, I study by myself."
"I see."
"Why do you look kind of relieved?"
Ayanokouji pointed it out and Ichihashi grew flustered and began waving her hands in denial.
"T-That's not it, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm just relieved... that you don't need help with studying. I-I mean... you're doing good." said Ichihashi.
"Oh. Thanks." said Ayanokouji, who was oblivious to the entire truth and situation and took Ichihashi's words at face value.
'I can't believe that I made that face. I'm so happy and relieved that Ayanokouji-kun is not spending too much time with Horikita-san. Too bad that he doesn't need any help studying, otherwise I get some alone time with him!' thought Ichihashi, giddily.
Before any of them could say something, Ayanokouji could hear someone calling for him.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kkkkkun!" said Yamashita, running up and jumping onto his back. Yamashita pressed her body against Ayanokouji's back and he could feel a soft sensation on his back.
"Hello, Yamashita." said Ayanokouji, calmly. He could feel Yamashita moving around and spreading that soft sensation all over his back.
"What's up? It's kinda of like an anime. Friendly girl, usually the childhood best friend, jumps onto the main protagonist! Aren't you a lucky guy, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"Yeah. I feel really lucky today."
"Say it with more emotion or at least be blushing or something like that! You remind me of a MC from a psychological school anime who acts like an emotionless robot that came from a secret government facility that trained them from birth!"
"Who knows? Maybe I am."
"HAHAHA! Did you watch it as well? It's one of his lines, you know!"
"Which anime are you referring to?"
"Never mind! You didn't watch it!"
'Okay. There's an anime based on my origins? Coincidences can be freaky. Yamashita reminds me of an otaku version of Mori.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ichihashi was looking at Yamashita and Ayanokouji with shock and embarrassment.
'Why is this girl all over Ayanokouji-kun? Don't tell me that I'm too late!' thought Ichihashi, sadly. She pouted as she stared at Ayanokouji and Yamashita.
"Who is this, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Ichihashi, trying to hold in her pain and sorrow.
"One second. That's enough, Yamashita." said Ayanokouji, gesturing for her to get off him.
"Yesssir." said Yamashita, pulling herself off Ayanokouji before standing next to him.
"This is Yamashita Saki from Class C. Yamashita, this is my classmate, Ichihashi Ruri." said Ayanokouji, introducing the two girls.
"Nice to meet you."
"Same here."
"What's your relationship with Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Ichihashi, a little curious on why they seemed close from her perspective. Because no normal girl will randomly jump onto a guy's back like that.
"We're comrades." said Yamashita, proudly. "Or more like teacher and student."
"Come again?"
"I'm teaching him the wonders of the world of anime! To open his eyes and to see beauty with his own eyes!"
"I see... You made an interesting friend, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Yes." agreed Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji-kun, did ya watch some of the anime that I recommend?" asked Yamashita.
"Yeah. I watched about half of Toradora." said Ayanokouji.
"That's a good one! Did ya get to that scene yet?"
"Scene?"
"Yeah. The one with Taiga and the student council president."
"No, I don't think so. I stopped around the time they went on a school trip in the snow."
"OH! I won't spoil anything then." said Yamashita, giving Ayanokouji a playful wink and zipping her mouth.
Ichihashi watched the duo talk to each other and had a small hint of jealousy. She didn't know what they were talking about and was not knowledgeable on anime, feeling a little left off.
"Hey, Ichihashi. You wanna watch some anime? I'll give you some titles." said Yamashita, her eyes sparkling. Yamashita wanted another student and disciple to learn the vast world of anime and otaku.
"No thanks. Maybe another time." said Ichihashi.
"Okay! Just let me know!"
"You remind me of a certain classmate of mine." said Ayanokouji. Ichihashi realized which classmate Ayanokouji was mentioning and nodded along.
"Really?" asked Yamashita, tilting her head curiously.
"Yeah. A guy from my class named Sotomura."
"Sotomura? Does he have a nickname?"
"Yeah. People call him The Professor."
"OH! I know who you're talking about. Yeah. He's one of my comrades and a man of culture!"
"Man of culture? He must be really knowledgeable about the historical culture of Japan."
"HAHA! That's not what it means! But, sure! You need to level up a few times before you understand the meaning, my student."
"I see."
"Yeah. Me and Sotomura talk through text and find niche anime, light novels, games, and other stuff. That's why we're comrades in arms."
"I see. Does he know about me and you?"
"Nope. I'll introduce you later! Gotta go, Ayanokouji-kun. See ya around, you two!"
Yamashita gave them a final wave before running towards Class C, excitedly.
"Well, she has a lot of energy." said Ichihashi.
"Yeah." agreed Ayanokouji.
With that, the duo walked to Class D.
*Timeskip (lunch time)*
'There's an obvious change in the class. People are actually taking notes and paying attention to class. Even the three idiots are doing it and following Horikita's plan. It's like it's a different class. The monthly points are a great incentive for students to try seriously.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji watched as Ike, Sudou, and Yamauchi headed over to Kushida's desk with their notebooks. Horikita joined them and they began discussing the topics they had trouble on. Ayanokouji refrained from joining them and watched from a distance. He noticed that some students were studying while eating as others left the classrooms with their friends.
Ayanokouji decided to head to the cafeteria by himself. He walked to the cafeteria, purchased a meal ticket at the machine, exchanged the ticket for his meal, and looked for an open table. Ayanokouji was walking around with his tray of food looking for an open spot. Ayanokouji spotted an open table and before he could make his way, he heard someone calling his name.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Eat with us!" called Nanami. Ayanokouji glanced over his shoulder and saw Nanami, Yamashita, Manabe, and Morofuji sitting at a table. Nanami and Yamashita both waved at Ayanokouji and urged him to come sit with them. Manabe scowled at him and looked away while Morofuji averted her eyes and looked very interested in her food.
Ayanokouji debated in his mind whether or not he should join them, but decided to do it. Ayanokouji cautiously approached their table.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Come sit here!" said Nanami, petting the empty seat next to her. Ayanokouji sat down next to Nanami and Yamashita. Manabe and Morofuji sat on the other side of the table.
"Hello, my disciple. To think that we will meet again." said Yamashita.
"You know him, Saki?" asked Nanami.
"Yea! He's my student and a newbie to the wonderful world of anime!"
"Ah shit. Not this shit again." grumbled Manabe.
"Seems like you're going to be in for a wild ride, Ayanokouji-kun." said Nanami.
"Don't be like that! You're supposed to defend me !" said Yamashita, pouting.
"Yeah, right!"
The girls began teasing each other while Ayanokouji took a sip of his drink. He noticed that Manabe seemed to lessen her scowl and seemed to be at ease. Morofuji even cracked a little smile, but still remained quiet and fixated on her lunch.
"Should we eat? Your food might be cold." said Ayanokouji. Nanami and Yamashita stopped arguing and agreed.
"Let's eat!"
The table fell into silence as they ate their lunch. After a few minutes of eating, Nanami spoke up.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. How is progress with Rika?" asked Nanami.
Morofuji stopped eating and placed down her chopsticks. She swallowed her food nervously and stared at her half-eaten lunch. Manabe stopped eating as well and glared at Ayanokouji. Yamashita seems to be the only one still eating, but she's still listening in.
"It's going okay. We talked for a little bit through text." said Ayanokouji.
"Oh wow. That's surprising." said Nanami.
"What do you mean?! Why didn't anyone fucking tell me of this?" demanded Manabe. Nanami seemed to realize her mistake and looked a little flustered. Yamashita looked up from her lunch and eyed Morofuji and Ayanokouji. Morofuji maintained her eye contact with her lunch without saying anything.
"Shiho..." started Nanami.
"Don't! Why didn't you tell me?! I'm not trusted enough to take care of Rika. So, you let some random guy do it." snapped Manabe. She seemed to be offended and enraged that Nanami kept a secret from her.
"It's because I know that you make a big deal out of everything!" fired back Nanami. "I know Rika has own problems and past, but she needs to take care of them."
"So, letting a random boy that you met only a few times do it is better. Fucking genius!"
"Ayanokouji-kun is someone that I think is perfect for it."
"Fucking yeah right. Don't use the bullshit excuse of 'He's a good guy'. Don't give Rika false hope!"
"But..."
"Why are you even defending this guy, Yabu? You like him or something like that."
"No!"
Nanami's face became a little red as she denied it. Yamashita looked at Nanami and Ayanokouji, her face still had a little bit of food stuck on her cheeks. Ayanokouji handed her a napkin to which Yamashita accepted and blushed a little. Manabe gave Nanami and Ayanokouji a glaring look that screams tell me what's going on. Even when Morofuji looked up, she gave a quick glance at Ayanokouji before focusing on Nanami. Ayanokouji wondered if he should step in, but decided against it and watched it continue.
"Are you sure? Looks like you're crushing on him real hard." said Manabe, looking suspiciously at Ayanokouji.
"I-I told you no already! He's just a good guy! Okay?" snapped Nanami. She seemed to be growing even more flustered and averted her eyes from Ayanokouji.
"I don't think that's the case." said Yamashita.
"Oh yeah?" asked Manabe.
"It won't be a good romance if they didn't have some kind of special event or moment together."
"Fuck off with that anime shit."
"Hey! Not the power of anime!"
"That's enough. You two. Shiho, you know it needs to be done." said Nanami, looking serious and directed her gaze at Manabe.
"Yeah, but..." started Manabe.
"Shiho!" snapped Nanami, slamming her fist into the table. It startled everyone and surprised Ayanokouji who didn't expect Nanami to raise her voice.
Nanami gave Manabe a look which lasted a few moments before Manabe hesitantly nodded her head.
"Fine... if you fucking hurt Rika in any way, I'll fucking kill you. Got it?!" snarled Manabe, glaring at Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji nodded his head in agreement.
For the rest of the lunch period, the conversation was a little more tense and unusual. Nanami and Yamashita mostly led the conversation that sometimes included Ayanokouji. Manabe seems to be on guard and scowls at Ayanokouji from time to time. Ayanokouji noticed that Morofuji said very few things during the conversations even if it was directed at her. He had a feeling that it was because of his presence.
There was about 10 minutes left of lunch. Ayanokouji decided to leave rather than continue this rather tense and awkward atmosphere. He recused himself and quickly left the cafeteria and back to Class D.
When he arrived back in the classroom, Ayanokouji noticed a few stares and glances were directed at him. Ayanokouji ignored them and sat down at his desk, preparing for the worst.
"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun..." said Kushida. Shinohara, Mii-chan, Mori, and Ichihashi was also with her.
"Hello, everyone."
"Care to explain what you were doing during lunch?"
*Timeskip (4 days later)*
Ayanokouji managed to downplay the lunch with the Class C girls and told them that they were some acquaintances from another class which seemed to work. Ayanokouji avoided telling them anymore that they need to know.
The last couple days have been busy for Ayanokouji. He spent some time with Horikita and Kushida, refining and advising on their tutoring schedule which is constantly changing as Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi are working on all of the topics in the midterm. Of course, Ayanokouji did not tutor any of them. He also spent time with Mii-chan, Mori, Azuma, and Ichihashi during lunchtime and after school. Horikita and Kushida didn't have time to spend time with Ayanokouji, due to the tutoring sessions they have, which made the rest of Ayanokouji's soulmates happy.
During the evening, Ayanokouji was visited by Shinohara or Kushida. For Shinohara, Ayanokouji tutored her for the upcoming midterms privately. Ayanokouji noted that there's been some improvements on her weakest subjects: math and science. Ayanokouji believed that Shinohara is no danger of being expelled. For Kushida, she went to Ayanokouji's room to vent her frustrations and reveal her true self. This led to Ayanokouji finding out some little secrets of his classmates and seeing more of Kushida's true nature.
It's the last day of the exam and last night, when Kushida visited Ayanokouji's room, he provided her with a plan to execute. It's after school and Kushida immediately stood up and headed to the front of the classroom, where the blackboard is. She got up so fast that everyone is still at their desks and have not left the classroom yet.
"Everyone, before you return to the dorm, would you mind listening to me for a moment?" said Kushida. Everyone, including Sudou, stopped and listened to Kushida.
'This was a role that neither Horikita nor I could play. Only Kushida could do it.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I know that you've all been studying a lot in preparation for the test tomorrow. I have something to help you. I'm going to hand out some papers." said Kushida, disturbing the question and answer sheets to the students in the first row. It was the answer key and test questions that Ayanokouji and Kushida got from the upperclassmen earlier that week.
"Test...questions? Did you make these, Kushida-san?" asked Horikita, visibly surprised by this sudden turn of events.
"Actually, these are the old test problems. I got them from a third-year student last night." said Kushida.
"Old test problems? Huh? Wait, will these questions be on the test tomorrow?"
"Yes. To tell you the truth, I heard that the midterm test from the year before last had almost exactly the same problems as this one. So, if we study what's on this test, it'll surely come in handy."
"Whoa! Seriously? Thank you, Kushida-chan!" exclaimed Ike, who was overjoyed and hugged
his test paper. None of the other students could suppress their elation, either.
"What the hell? If we had these, then wasn't it pointless to study so hard?" Yamauchi complained, even as he laughed.
"Sudou-kun, do your best when you study today!" said Kushida.
"Yeah. Thanks, you really helped me out." said Sudou, who happily accepted the test papers.
"Let's keep this a secret from the other classes! Don't be scared, everyone! Do your best and aim for a high score!" shouted Ike with joy and determination. Koenji smirked and crumpled his copy of the questions and answers. Everyone was too happy to care or notice and they left the classroom with high spirits, leaving Kushida, Horikita, and Ayanokouji.
"Kushida-san. Excellent work." siad Horikita.
"Eh, really?" said Kushida.
"I'd never even considered trying to use the old tests. I'm also grateful that you verified that the questions were still useful."
"I just did it for my friends. It was nothing special."
"Also, I think that you were correct to announce that you had it today after class. If you'd carelessly let word get out about this test, it's possible that everyone would have lost their motivation to study."
"That was only because I received the test papers so late. If many of the same problems are featured on the test tomorrow, then everyone will probably manage to get pretty high test scores."
"Yes. It also means that the past few days we spent studying weren't for nothing."
"It was hard but fun."
"I don't think the Idiot Trio found it the least bit fun."
Horikita became quiet and more serious than usual which puzzled Ayanokouji . She quietly looked over at Kushida as she put her textbook into her bag.
"Kushida-san." said Horikita.
"Hmm?" replied Kushida.
"Really, thank you for everything you've done. If you weren't here, the study group would not have succeeded."
"Don't worry about it. I just want to get into the higher-ranked classes together with everyone else. That's why I did it, and why I agreed to help with the study group. I'll help you again any time." said Kushida, smiling and grabbing her bag before standing up.
"Wait. There's just one thing I want to confirm." said Horikita.
"Confirm?"
"If you say that you'll continue working with me for the sake of our class, then I need to be sure of something." said Horikita looking straight at Kushida, who was still wearing that dazzling smile. Ayanokouji knew what Horikita meant. He had a suspicion that Horikita and Kushida already knew each other prior to entering ANHS. He didn't bring it up to Kushida or Horikita and kept it to himself as he observed both their actions.
"You hate me, don't you?" asked Horikita.
"Why do you think that?" asked Kushida.
"You're not answering my question because it's true. Right?"
"Ha ha, you got me." That's right. I really hate you." said Kushida, facing Horikita without losing her smile.
"Do you want me to tell you the reason?" asked Horikita.
"No. That's unnecessary. Knowing that is good enough. I can continue working with you without hesitation."
Kushida gave one final smile before leaving the classroom.
*Timeskip (next day)*
"There are no absences today. It appears everyone is present." said Chabashira-sensei. She had entered the classroom and finished taking attendance.
Chabashira-sensei took up the test papers and passed them out. The first test was for social studies.
"If anyone stumbles here, the other tests will be an uphill battle, quite frankly. You'll take this midterm and the final exam in July. If no one fails either test, you'll be rewarded with a vacation during your summer break." said Chabashira-sensei.
"A vacation?" asked a classmate.
"That's right. A dream vacation on an island surrounded by the brilliant blue sea."
Ayanokouji could feel a strange and uniting pressure being emitted by the boys. Chabashira-sensei stepped back and the girls looked uncomfortable as they detected it as well. Ayanokouji kept his blank face.
"Everyone. Let's do our best!" shouted Yamauchi.
"Yeah!" howled Ike, along with the majority of the male classmates. Ayanokouji kept his silence which earned him approving nods from his soulmates.
Before long, everyone had their test papers. On the teacher's signal, everyone began. Ayanokouji held off on starting for a moment and looked around at the
others.
'Let's see if their hard work will pay off.' thought Ayanokouji.
The second and third period exams were for Japanese and chemistry. While Ayanokouji worked, he discovered a few things: the questions were the same as the ones that the upperclassman gave to him. It was similar to the topic and if his classmates studied over the questions, they shouldn't have a hard time answering the questions. Ayanokouji also noted that what Horikita had drilled into the study group was consistent with what was on the test. Horikita had been able to accurately predict what problems would appear just from the lessons.
Then came fourth period mathematics and all of the abnormally difficult questions that had been featured on the mock test also appeared here, but the content was the same as the old exams.
Then, there was a 15 minute break before the rest of the exams. Ayanokouji walked over to the Sudou's desk along with Horikita, Kushida, Ike, and Yamauchi.
"An easy victory! We've got this test on lock!" said Yamauchi.
"I feel like I might get 120 points." said Ike.
"Sudou-kun, how about you?" asked Kushida. Sudou sat in silence at his desk and stared fixedly at the old test material. However, Sudou looked sullen.
"Sudou-kun?" asked Kushida.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm kind of busy." said Sudou, not looking up from the questions as he spoke. He was reviewing the English test material, his forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat.
"Sudou, did you...not study the old test material, by chance?" asked Kushida.
"Everything but English. I fell asleep partway through." said Sudou, sounding irritated. In other words, this was his first time reviewing the material.
"Eh?!"
"Damn, I can't get any of these answers to stick in my head."
'Unlike the other tests, the English problems weren't easy to memorize. Trying to cram all of the answers in just 15 minutes would be impossible.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Sudou-kun, memorize the problems that are worth a lot of points and those with the shortest answers." said Horikita.
"O-okay." said Sudou, focusing on the low-point questions and instead zeroed in on what would net him the most points.
"A-are you going to be okay?" asked Kushida, getting a little anxious.
"Unlike Japanese, I don't know the basics of English. These letters look like some kind of magic spell or something. Memorizing it'll take time." muttered Sudou.
The break passed in the blink of an eye, and the heartless class bell rang.
"I did all I could. I'll try to answer the questions I remember first, before I forget them." said Sudou.
"Yeah..." said Kushida.
And thus began our English test. While the other students calmly made their way through, Sudou clearly had trouble. Occasionally, he'd stop writing and whack his pen against his head. However, no one could help him now and it's up to him now.
*Timeskip (3 hours later)*
After the last test, we gathered around Sudou's desk again. It was the end of the day and the students were free to leave the classroom.
"Hey, did you do okay?" asked Ike, anxiously.
Sudou was on the verge of losing his cool. He balled his fists in anger and frustration.
"I don't know... I did everything I could, but I have no idea how well I did..." said Sudou.
"Don't worry. You studied as hard as you could. I'm sure you did well." said Kushida, trying to reassure Sudou.
"Damn it, why did I fall asleep?" grumbled Sudou, fidgeting and frustrated with himself.
"Sudou-kun." said Horikita.
"What is it? Are you going to lecture me again?" grumbled Sudou.
"It was certainly your fault for not reviewing the old test's final section. However, as you said, you did everything that you could with the time that you had. You didn't cut any corners or give up. Considering how much effort you put in, I think you should hold your head high and feel
proud."
"What is this? Are you trying to comfort me?"
"Comfort? I'm speaking the truth. When I look at how far you've come, I understand how hard studying is for you, Sudou-kun."
Ayanokouji couldn't believe what he was hearing. Genuine praise from Horikita and it seems that the rest of the study group couldn't believe it as well.
"Let's wait for the results." said Horikita.
"Yeah... Okay." said Sudou.
"There's...one more thing. Something I need to amend."
"Amend?"
"Earlier, I said that your dreams of becoming a professional basketball player were foolish."
"Why are you reminding me of that?"
"I researched how someone could become a professional basketball player, and I learned that the road to success is an incredibly rocky one."
"So, you're telling me to give up because it's a reckless dream?"
"Not at all. I know that you're passionate about basketball. I also realize that you probably understand how difficult it is to play professionally."
Ayanokouji could tell that Horikita was trying to apologize, but was doing it in her normal, aloof manner.
"There are many Japanese people who fight to enter that profession. There are some among those who wish to become internationally renowned. You're one of those people, right?" said Horikita.
"Yeah. I'm incredibly stupid, but I want to play ball. Even if I have to live a pathetic, miserable life as a part-time worker or worse, I'm going to achieve my dream." said Sudou.
"I never thought I needed to understand anyone except for myself. So when you first told me that you wanted to play basketball, I insulted you. However, I now regret that. Someone who doesn't understand how difficult, how arduous basketball is has no right to dismiss that dream as foolish. Sudou-kun, don't forget the hard work and effort that you poured into studying. Apply that diligence to basketball. If you do, you might be able to go pro. At least, that's how I feel." said Horikita. With usual expression, she bowed her head to Sudou.
"I'm sorry for what I said back then. Well. Now that I've said my piece, I'll be going." said Horikita, leaving the room, her apology still hanging in the air.
"Hey, did you just see that? Horikita apologized! And so nicely!" said Kushida, happily.
"I can't believe it!" said Ike and Yamauchi, who were completely stunned.
'Horikita had acknowledged that Sudou had done his best. I wondered what caused her to do this. A massive change in Horikita. What caused her to change so much in a few days besides myself?' thought Ayanokouji.
Well, that's a story for another time.
A dumbfounded Sudou, still seated at his desk, looked after Horikita as she walked through the classroom door. Soon after, Sudou put his right hand over his heart and looked at the group.
"O-oh, no... I... I think I might be in love with Horikita..." said Sudou.
'Sorry, Sudou. I made the first move already.' thought Ayanokouji.
*Timeskip (next day)*
Chabashira-sensei strode into the classroom, looking around at the students in surprise. Everyone was clearly anxious, holding their breath in anticipation of the test results.
"Sensei. We were told that the results would be announced today, but when?" asked Hirata.
"There's no need for you to get so worked up, Hirata. You should have passed quite easily." replied Chabashira-sensei.
"So, when will the results be released?"
"Right now."
Chabashira-sensei stuck a large, white sheet of paper with everyone's names and test scores onto the blackboard.
"Honestly, I'm impressed. I didn't think that you'd score so well. Many students tied with perfect scores in mathematics, Japanese, and social studies. More than ten of you, actually." said Chabashira-sensei.
Some of the students shouted in joy and delight when they saw the 100s lined up on the results sheet. However, some weren't smiling. The only grade that truly mattered was Sudou's score in English.
Ayanokouji saw Sudou's test scores. He had scored sixty points in four of the five main subjects, which was considerably high. He'd scored thirty-nine points in English.
"Yes!" Sudou leapt up and shouted with joy. Ike and Yamauchi stood and cheered, too. There was no red line to be found on the results sheet. Kushida and Ayanokouji shared a glance and sighed in relief. Horikita didn't smile or cheer, but she did appear relieved.
"We showed you, sensei! When we really try our best, we can do anything!" said Ike, wearing a smug, confident look.
"Yes, I recognize that. You all did very well. However—" said Chabashira-sensei, holding a red pen in her hand and drawing a red line right above Sudou's name.
"Wh-what is that? What does that mean?" stammered Sudou.
"You failed, Sudou." said Chabashira-sensei.
"What?! But, I passed!"
In response to Sudou's failing grade, the entire classroom did a complete one-eighty. Everyone stopped their delighted cheering and erupted in confusion.
"Sudou, you failed the English exam. That's all." said Chabashira-sensei.
"Don't screw with me! I got thirty-two points! I passed!" protested Sudou.
"When did anyone say that thirty-two points was a passing grade?"
"No, no. You said so, sensei! Right, everyone?" shouted Ike.
"Say whatever you want, it won't matter. This is the undeniable truth. You had to score at least a forty to pass the midterm exam. In other words, you were just one point short. You were so close." said Chabashira-sensei.'
"F-forty?! You never told us about this! I won't accept it!" said Sudou.
"Should I tell you how we determine the passing grade?" said Chabashira-sensei, writing a simple formula on the blackboard: 79.6 divided by 2 equals 39.8.
"We set a passing grade for each individual class, just as we did for the last test. We calculated that number by dividing the average score by two. That's how we arrived at our answer." explained Chabashira-sensei.
'In other words, anything at 39.8 or lower was considered failing.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I provided proof that you failed. That is all." said Chabashira-sensei.
"No way... So... Does that mean I'm going to be expelled?" muttered Sudou.
"Although your time here was short, you struggled valiantly. You'll be asked to fill out a withdrawal form after class, but you will need to have a legal guardian present when you do so. I'll contact them for you."
"As for the rest of you, good work. You all passed without any issues. Work hard so that you can pass your final exam as well. Well then, next—"
"S-sensei. Is Sudou-kun really being expelled? Is there no way to save him?" asked Hirata.
"He's being expelled. He got a failing grade." replied Chabashira-sensei.
"Could we possibly see Sudou-kun's answer sheet?"
"Even if you look it over, you won't find any grading mistakes. I was expecting that you'd protest."
Chabashira-sensei took out Sudou's English answer sheet and handed it to Hirata, who immediately looked over every problem. His expression turned dark when he reached the end.
"There...are no mistakes." said Hirata.
"Well, if you're all in agreement, homeroom is over." said Chabashira-sensei, without offering Sudou a second chance or the faintest bit of sympathy. Ike and Yamauchi, knowing that words of comfort would probably have the opposite effect, stayed silent. Hirata remained quiet, too. Sadly, some of the students appeared relieved by this.
"Sudou, come to the faculty room after class. That is all." said Chabashira-sensei.
"Chabashira-sensei. May I have a moment of your time?" asked Horikita, raising her arm in the air and spoke.
"Well, this is unusual, Horikita. Why?" asked Chabashira-sensei.
"Earlier, you said that the previous test had a passing grade of 32 points. You arrived at that number by the same formula you showed us today. Were there no mistakes in calculating the passing grade for the last test?"
"There were no mistakes."
"Then, that raises one more question. I'd calculated the average score for the previous test to be 64.4 points. If I were to divide that by two, I would get 32.2 points. In other words, higher than 32 points. Despite that, the passing grade was set at 32. That means that you left off the decimal. That contradicts what you did this time."
"Th-that's right. If you follow what you did last time, the passing grade for the midterm should be 39 points!" said Sudou.
'In other words, Sudou's overall grade should have meant that he just barely passed.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I see. Did you anticipate that Sudou would just barely pass, then? You only scored exceedingly low in English, after all."
"Horikita, you..." muttered Sudou, looking at Horikita's score which prompted others to look at it as well.
Sudou had realized something. The other students gasped as they also realized what had happened. Horikita had gotten perfect scores in four of the five main subjects, but she'd gotten an exceedingly low score of fifty-one points in English. Her English stuck out from her other scores.
"You really—" said Sudou, noticing what she'd done.
'In order to lower the average score for the English test, Horikita had purposefully botched her own grade as far as she could. She tried to manipulate the average scores by purposely lowering her own scores.' thought Ayanokouji.
"If you believe that my thinking is incorrect, could you please tell why the calculation differs between this test and the last test?" asked Horikita.
"I see. In that case, I'll explain in more detail. Unfortunately, your calculation is off. We didn't simply omit the decimal when we calculated the passing grade. We rounded the numbers up or down. On the last test, we rounded down to thirty-two points, and on this, we rounded up to forty. There's your answer." explained Chabashira-sensei.
"Tch..."
"You should have noticed that we rounded the numbers, but to hold on to that possibility... Well, too bad. At any rate, the first period will be starting soon. I'll be going."
Horikita had nothing left to counter with, so she remained quiet. She couldn't contradict anything Chabashira-sensei had said. Horikita's last resort had been eradicated. The classroom door slammed shut, and silence enveloped the room.
Sudou, still struggling to wrap his head around this new reality, looked over at Horikita. She had purposefully lowered her grades as far as she could, all to stop Sudou's expulsion. Horikita slowly sat back down. However, Horikita's 51-point score on her English test was already considerably low. If she'd scored in the 40-point range, she could have run the risk of expulsion herself.
"I'm sorry. I should have tried to lower my score just a little more." muttered Horikita.
"Why? You said that you hated me." said Sudou.
"Don't misunderstand. I did this for my own sake. It was all for nothing, though."
Ayanokouji caught Horikita's attention and gave her a look. After a brief silent exchange, he gestured to her to which Horikita nodded. Ayanokouji and Horikita both stood up.
"Wh-where are you going, Ayanokouji?" asked Ike.
"Bathroom." replied Ayanokouji.
"You too, Horikita?" asked Ike.
"Ike-kun, it's best for your health to not ask those type of questions to me or any girls anymore." replied Horikita, coldly. Ike frantically nodded and closed his mouth.
With that, Ayanokouji and Horikita exited and quickly made my way toward the faculty room. Then, they ran into Chabashira-sensei, staring out the window into the first-floor hallway, almost as if she were waiting for someone.
"Ayanokouji and Horikita? Class will begin any minute, you know." said Chabashira-sensei.
"Sensei. Would it be all right if I make a request." asked Ayanokouji .
"A request? Is that why you went to the trouble of chasing after me?"
"Please sell me one point that I can apply to Sudou's English test."
"..."
Ayanokouji pulled out his student ID and presented it to Chabashira-sensei. Horikita's eyes widened in surprise at Ayanokouji's sudden request, but she pulled out her student ID as well.
Chabashira-sensei's eyes widened, and then she laughed loudly.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! That's a rather interesting idea. You really are a different kind of student. I never imagined you'd try to buy points." said Chabashira-sensei.
"You said so the day we were admitted, didn't you, sensei? You said that we can buy anything with our points. The midterm test is just one more 'thing' at this school, after all." said Ayanokouji.
"I see, I see. You certainly could view it that way. However, do you even have enough money on hand to afford it?"
"Well, how much does one test point cost?"
"Now, that's a rather difficult question, isn't it? I've never been asked to sell test points before. Let's see... Seeing as how this is a special occasion, I'll sell a test point for the exceptional price of 100,000 points."
"You're cruel, sensei."
'Everyone at this school had spent at least some of their points. Absolutely no one had 100,000 to spare. That's why I asked Horikita to come with me. Although I spent some points during the past month, I know that Horikita is probably the only one that has a decent amount of points.' thought Ayanokouji.
"I'll pay, too." said Horikita.
"Heh. Just as I thought. You two are interesting." said Chabashira-sensei, taking Ayanokouji's and Horikita's student ID cards.
"Fine. I accept your deal. I'll sell you one point to apply to Sudou's test, taking a combined total of 100,000 points from you both. As for the matter of Sudou's expulsion, you can inform the class that's no longer the case." said Chabashira-sensei.
"Is that okay?" asked Ayanokouji.
"You promised to pay me 100,000 points. There's nothing more to be done." said Chabashira-sensei, who seemed simultaneously exasperated and amused.
"Horikita, do you understand how talented Ayanokouji is? At least somewhat?" asked Chabashira-sensei.
"I'm beginning to see why." muttered Horikita, looking at Ayanokouji.
"Perhaps the pair of you really can reach the higher-level classes."
"Just not just 'I'. But, we."
Chabashira-sensei looked at Horikita before giving out another laugh.
"You've changed quite a lot, Horikita. But, no one from Class D has ever been promoted before. The school has already labeled you defective and will coldly toss you aside. How will you
accomplish your goal?" said Chabashira-sensei.
"If I may, sensei?" said Horikita, unwaveringly returning Chabashira-sensei's gaze. "Honestly, maybe the students in Class D are defective. However, that doesn't mean they're trash."
"What's the difference between a defective product and trash?"
"The difference is paper thin. However, with repairs, a defective product may become a superior article."
"I see. When you say it like that, Horikita, I admit it sounds oddly persuasive."
'Wow. She honestly changed, but there's still a few flaws. Some flaws that need to be addressed before reaching Class A.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Well, I look forward to seeing what you do next. As your homeroom teacher, I'll be sure to watch over you with great attention and care." said Chabashira-sensei.
With that, Chabashira-sensei headed toward the faculty room, leaving the duo alone in the hall.
"Well said, Horikita. You've changed." said Ayanokouji, giving Horikita his honest impression. Horikita blushed a little bit and averted her eyes slightly.
"I-it's all because of someone meddling," said Horikita, giving Ayanokouji a side look.
"Perhaps. Let's head back. Class will be starting soon."
"Ayanokouji-kun."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you... I'm glad that you were the one. The one... that changed me."
With that, Horikita gave Ayanokouji a smile with her face still blushing. It was a small, but genuine happy smile. A thankful smile.
Author's Note:
YO! What's up? Sorry for the late updates. But, I was quite busy this week as mentioned in my last post. But, I managed to squeeze it out. I took inspiration from some of the scenes from RainSennin, his COTE eroge and several other authors.
I just wanted to get the midterm exams section of COTE over with, so I can work on some other girls. I think you guys know who might be next, but we shall see!
Thanks for sticking with me, everyone!
Until next time, my dear readers.