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

by legalinmybooks

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

15. Chapter 14: A Burst of Encounters

"Hey, Saki! Are you still here?" asked Manabe, knocking on the door. Each knock seemed to become more hard and rapid.

"Hey, Shiho! There's people next door. Don't be too loud." said Nanami.

"Fine. But, what's taking her so long? Just pause the goddamn anime."

"Shh... I'm sure she's just busy."

"I'm coming. Chill out." said Yamashita, unlocking and opening the door with any hesitation. It revealed Manabe, Nanami, and Morofuji standing by the door. They saw Ayanokouji standing there and had a mixed expression of horror and surprise. They were clearly not expecting to see Ayanokouji.

"Hello everyone." said Ayanokouji, calmly.

"A-Ayanokouji! What are you doing here?" snapped Manabe.

"Whoa! That's unexpected. I hope we didn't interrupt something." said Nanami. She was trying to mask her surprise by trying to sound casual.

"U-uhh..." stammered Morofuji.

"I was just leaving." said Ayanokouji, putting on his shoes before grabbing the bag of anime DVDs. "Have a good night."

With that, Ayanokouji decided to get out without explaining. He had a feeling that Yamashita could explain why he's in her room and decided to leave it to her. Ayanokouji had a feeling that Manabe would slap him if he didn't explain himself quickly or get out. He decided to do the latter and immediately left before they could say anything else. Ayanokouji could see from the corner of his eyes that Manabe was giving him a glare and Nanami and Morofuji were staring at him. Yamashita was scratching her head awkwardly.

"Saki... what have you done this time?" sighed Nanami.

"Him? This guy?" said Manabe.

Ayanokouji couldn't hear what else happened after that because Manabe closed the door, closing off the view to Yamashita's room and their conversations. Ayanokouji clasped his hands in prayer for Yamashita before going to the elevator. Luckily, there was anyone in the hallway otherwise it would've been a problem. A guy on the girl's dorm floor almost passed curfew.

Ayanokouji called the elevator and waited for a few moments. Ayanokouji entered an empty elevator and selected the 4th floor. Ayanokouji managed to get back to his room without running anymore. He stashed the bag next to his TV before going to shower. After the shower, Ayanokouji decided to get a good night's rest.

*Timeskip (next day)*

Ayanokouji woke up and went to brush his teeth. When he returned back to his bedside table, he picked up his phone and noticed a few messages. They were from Nanami, Manabe, and Morofuji which was sent last night. Ayanokouji saw the timestamp of each message and realized it was sent a little after the time that Ayanokouji left the room.

Nanami: Ayanokouji-kun. Sorry for judging without knowing the story.

Manabe: Ayanokouji. You're lucky that you didn't do anything to Saki. Otherwise the only banging you'll get is me kicking your ass.

Morofuji: Sorry. For jumping to conclusions.

Ayanokouji replied to each message individually before closing his phone and went to his kitchen to make some breakfast.

'That's interesting. Well, today is going to be an interesting and chaotic day.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (30 minutes later)*

Ayanokouji got off of the elevator and entered the dorm lobby. Ayanokouji was surprised that none of his soulmates didn't invite him to walk to school. He wouldn't be surprised that they all decide to walk to school rather than with him. There was a group chat that included most of his soulmates and he wasn't active in that group chat.

Ayanokouji was having a nice peaceful walk to school, enjoying the morning view and the rising sun.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun!" called Nishi. Tsukaji was the only one with her. Tamiya and Nishikawa weren't with them.

"Hello Nishi, Tsukaji." said Ayanokouji.

"Gah! I'm surrounded by two of the same people." said Nishi, gripping the side of her head in mock pain and agony.

"What do you mean?" asked Ayanokouji and Tsukaji at the same time.

"See! You're both the same!" said Nishi, pointing at them both. "You even say the same thing and have the same blank face."

"Sorry, that's how I was born." said Ayanokouji.

"You both say that! Someone save me from this!"

Ayanokouji studied Tsukaji, who still has her blank face. It was similar to Ayanokouji's blank face and she seemed to be studying him. The two seem to be looking at each other, silently without talking.

'I wonder what she's thinking about. Is she analyzing me?' thought Ayanokouji.

'I wonder what he's thinking about. Is he analyzing me? Or is he a pervert? I can't tell, but I believe he has no perverted intentions.' thought Tsukaji.

"What are you guys doing? Staring at each other?" said Nishi, interrupting the silent stare-off between Ayanokouji and Tsukaji.

"Just checking him out." said Tsukaji.

"Just checking her out." said Ayanokouji, at the same time.

"Whoa! You both are checking each other out. You guys should go out." said Nishi, teasing Tsukaji. Her intentions seemed to be trying to get a reaction out of Tsukaji or Ayanokouji. Both of them stared at each other, seemingly trying to consider Nishi's suggestion, before responding.

"No. He's not my type." said Tsukaji.

"To be honest, I don't know." said Ayanokouji.

'Did I just get rejected? That's a first. It's better than getting Tsukaji as one of my soulmates. Hopefully that doesn't happen.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Wow! Ayanokouji-kun is taking the rejection pretty seriously!" noted Nishi.

"There's no point in freaking out about it." said Ayanokouji. Tsukaji nodded in agreement.

"You two really think alike."

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Are you dating Kushida-san?" asked Nishi.

"No." said Ayanokouji, immediately.

"Really? You guys are surely close."

"Yeah. We're friends."

"What about the other girls?"

"Girls?"

"Seriously?! What about Horikita-san and a few others? I mean there's so many girls around you like Satonaka-kun."

Ayanokouji assumed that she meant some of his soulmates. He was having dates and seen together with multiple girls which led to suspicions and rumors of Ayanokouji dating one of them or all of them. Ayanokouji wondered if high school life and drama is always so complicated like this.

"No. They're my classmates. There's nothing wrong with hanging out with them." said Ayanokouji, deciding to try to downplay it.

"Yeah! It's not like they like the same guy!" said Nishi. "That would be crazy!"

"If it's true, it sucks to be you Ayanokouji." said Tsukaji.

"Yeah." said Ayanokouji.

'If only you knew Nishi, Tsukaji.' thought Ayanokouji.

For the rest of the way, the trio engaged in small talk and Ayanokouji slowly got used to talking and being alone with a girl or group of girls. Some of the boys stared at Ayanokouji like he spouted horns from his head. They were used to Ayanokouji walking to school with a girl or multiple girls sometimes, but it seemed that almost every time, he's with new girls. Some Class A students gave them a curious look while others shook their heads or glared at Tsukaji and Nishi.

After a few moments of walking, Ayanokouji said goodbye to Nishi and Tsukaji before parting ways and going to their respective classrooms. Ayanokouji entered the classroom and saw the classroom, looking confused. Ayanokouji's classmates seemed quite vocal and confused. He knew the reason why. Before Ayanokouji went to school, he noticed that no points were transferred to his account and it was the beginning of the month. Ayanokouji sat down at his desk and Horikita turned towards him.

"Ayanokouji-kun, did you notice anything?" asked Horikita.

"Yeah. You look lovely today, Horikita." said Ayanokouji.

"H-huh?! W-where did that come from? A-Ayanokouji-kun, if this is a j-joke, then it's a distasteful one."

"Who said I was joking?"

"I-idiot..."

Horikita blushed heavily at Ayanokouji's comments. On the other hand, Ayanokouji was just stating the truth. Horikita is quite pretty and easily one of the top girls out of his soulmates for now, but her harsh and stern attitude is less desired and caused to be less popular.

"A-anyways, did you receive any points for this month?" asked Horikita.

"Nope. Not even a single point." replied Ayanokouji.

"Perhaps there's no gaining class points. If that's the case, there's no incentive for the class to improve and study for upcoming tests and exams."

"That's true."

'Points are a great incentive for students. The inability to gain them will take a huge hit to Class D's motivation. I'm not sure what's the cause of it. Did we gain any points for this midterm?' thought Ayanokouji.

The home bell rang and the duo ended their conversation. A few moments later, Chabashira-sensei entered the room and stood next to the podium.

"Good morning, everyone. You all seem more restless than usual today." said Chabashira-sensei.

"Sae-chan-sensei! Do we have zero points again this month?! When I checked this morning, I didn't see a single point deposited into my account!" said Ike.

"Oh, so that's why you're all so restless?"

"We worked ourselves half to death this past month! We passed the midterm, so why are we still at zero points?! No one's been late or absent, and no one's talked during class, either!"

"Don't jump to conclusions. Listen to what I have to say first. You're correct, Ike. You have all worked harder than ever before. I recognize that. Naturally, the school understands full well how you all feel."

After being admonished by the teacher, Ike shut his mouth and sat back down. The classroom seems to be tense and in anticipation. Ayanokouji noticed that Chabashira-sensei is doing it on purpose to build up the anticipation and worries from everyone. He couldn't tell if Chabashira-sensei is into theatrics or just a sadist.

"Well then. Without further ado, here are this month's point totals." said Chabashira-sensei, putting a paper up on the board that listed the point values, starting with Class A at the top. Excluding Class D, all of the other classes had nearly 100 more points than last month. Class A now sat at 1004 points, slightly above where everyone had started when we were admitted.

"This isn't good. Could they have figured out a way to increase their point total?!" muttered Horikita, who appeared solely focused on the other classes.

However, Ike and most of the other Class D students didn't care much about the other classes' points. The important question for them was whether we had received more class points. That was it. Written next to Class D was our point total: 87 points.

"Huh? Wait, 87? Does that mean we actually went up? Yahoo!" said Ike, excitedly jumping up and down the instant he saw our score.

"It's too early to celebrate. All the other classes saw a similar increase in their points. We didn't close the distance at all. This might just be a reward first-year students receive for getting through the midterm. Every class seems to have gotten at least 100 points." said Hirata, looking at the other classes' points.

"So that's what happened. I thought it odd that we'd been awarded points so quickly." said Horikita, who is hoping to reach Class A, but didn't appear pleased with the result. She wasn't smiling.

"Are you disappointed because the gap between the classes has widened, Horikita?" asked Ayanokouji.

"No, that's not it. We managed to get something this time, after all."

"Get something? Get what?" asked Ike, now standing.

"So it's true...We didn't see a reduction in points for talking in class or being late." said Horikita, bringing up the deductions and plans that were made to keep the class from losing points. Of course, most people followed it because of Hirata and Kushida. They widened their eyes in realization as they realized that it was their efforts that helped them gain points.

"Ah, is that so? I suppose that even if we got 100 points, a lot of deductions would've brought us down to zero." said Ike, raising his arms in victory. "Wait. But then, why didn't we get any points?"

Ike lobbied his original question again at Chabashira-sensei.

'It's strange that we hadn't received 8700 private points in our accounts. Unless there's something wrong with the transactions, there must be another explanation.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I have an announcement for you all. There was a bit of trouble the other day, an incident between the student sitting there, Sudou, and some students from Class C. In short, there was a fight." said Chabashira-sensei.

The classroom erupted. Some of the students glared at Sudou while others began muttering to each other. Sudou balled his fists and had a pissed off expression on his face.

'Depending on the degree of responsibility that Class C saddled him with, Sudou could face suspension, this might explain why we haven't received any points. There also could be some demerits if Sudou gets suspended too.' thought Ayanokouji.

Chabashira-sensei laid the whole situation bare for the class. Her face was so devoid of emotion or interest when she spoke that there was a certain serene beauty to it. She inserted no personal bias whatsoever when she addressed the class, and explained the situation from a position of neutrality.

"Umm. So why hasn't this issue been resolved already?" asked Hirata.

"The complaint came from Class C. They claim that the fight was one-sided. However, when we spoke to the accused, Sudou said that their claims were false. He insists that the students of Class C called him over and started the fight." said Chabashira-sensei.

"It wasn't my fault! It was self-defense! Self-defense, I tell you!" shouted Sudou as he shouldered his classmates' icy glares.

"But there's no evidence of that. Am I wrong?" said Chabashira-sensei.

"What evidence? I don't have any."

"So in other words, we don't yet know the truth. Therefore, we have put our decision on hold for now. Our response, and the punishment, will come when we find out who was at fault."

"All I know is that I'm innocent. If anything, I ought to receive a settlement for my trouble."

"So speak to the accused, but I wouldn't say that you have a high level of credibility right now. If there is an eyewitness, as Sudou seems to believe, then the situation may change. If anyone here witnessed the fight, please raise your hand." said Chabashira-sensei, continuing talking in a robotic, flat voice. No students raised their hands in response to her question.

"Too bad, Sudou. It appears there are no witnesses in this class." continued Chabashira-sensei.

"Looks that way." grumbled Sudou. When Chabashira-sensei cast a doubtful look at Sudou, he glanced downward.

"In order to check for witnesses, every teacher will inform their classes of the details of this incident."

"Huh?! You're telling everyone?!"

'The school probably had no say in the matter. Because Sudou had insisted it was a false charge and brought up a potential witness, the school had to be sure. For Sudou, who had hoped to hide the situation, none of this was good.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Damn it!"

"Anyway, that is all. We'll make our final judgment next Tuesday, taking into account any eyewitnesses and evidence. With that, let's end homeroom for the day."

Chabashira-sensei left, and Sudou followed right after her. He probably realized that if he stayed in the classroom, he'd lose his temper with someone.

"Man, isn't Sudou just the worst?" said Ike, who was the first to talk. Apparently, when Sudou is gone, Ike is feeling brave and willing to talk against Sudou. Ayanokouji guaranteed that if Sudou was here, he probably would've been too scared to say anything.

"If we lose points because of Sudou, will we be at zero again this month?" said another student.

'As uproar enveloped the classroom, things started to get out of hand. If we ended up losing points because of this, Sudou would most likely become the sole target of our class's frustrations. Naturally, Kushida and Hirata didn't want this to happen.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Everyone, can you please listen to what I have to say?" said Kushida, standing up and trying to silence the commotion. "What our teacher said seems to be true. Sudou-kun may have been in a fight. However, Sudou-kun was dragged into it."

"Kushida-chan, what do you mean? Do you believe in Sudou?" asked Ike.

"Sudou-kun was chosen as a candidate to play regularly on the basketball team. A few students in the basketball club were jealous of Sudou-kun, some of them are in Class C. They'd called Sudou-kun out and threatened him in order to make him leave the team. Sudou-kun is acting in self-defense and has to fight back." said Kushida.

Most of the class listened to Kushida's heartfelt words in silence while Ayanokouji was silently thinking.

'If Sudou had tried to explain the situation in the same manner, it probably wouldn't have been nearly as effective. However, not everyone in class easily believed the story. Sudou's typically poor behavior made it difficult to swallow, no matter how reasonable it sounded. I wonder how Kushida knows this. It's most likely that Sudou had told her the story and asked for her help in private.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I'd like to ask you all again. If anyone knows someone who saw what happened, whether it's someone in class, a friend, or an upperclassman, please tell me. You can contact me at any time. I would sincerely appreciate it." said Kushida.

'Even though she'd basically said the same thing as Chabashira-sensei, the class had a very different response. She had an innate ability to connect with people. Her presence glowed so bright that I could almost feel it. The keyword is almost.' thought Ayanokouji.

Instantly, silence enveloped the classroom. The first to speak wasn't the eyewitness, but Yamauchi.

"Hey, Kushida-chan. I just can't believe what Sudou said. I think he lied so he could justify what he did. He talked about beating up kids all the time in junior high. He even told us how much fun it was to beat people up." said Yamauchi.

After Yamauchi voiced his concerns, the rest of the class murmured their dissatisfaction with Sudou in turn.

"I saw him grab some kid by the collar just because they bumped into each other in the hallway."

"I saw him cut in line in the cafeteria and lash out when someone tried to tell him that wasn't okay."

Kushida's appeal for Sudou's innocence didn't seem to have reached anyone. They'd already hung Sudou out to dry, because he was probably going to lose them their hard-earned points.

"I want to believe him." said Hirata as he stood in support of Kushida. "If a student in another class were casting doubt on him, I could understand it. But I think it's wrong to doubt a fellow
classmate right away. Shouldn't friends do everything within their power to help someone in need?"

'The combination of Hirata and Kushida is deadly. Together, they can bring the class together and are essentially the glue that holds the class together.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I agree!" said Karuizawa, calling out in agreement, brushing her bangs aside with her hand as she spoke. "If it were a false charge, that'd be a problem, wouldn't it? In any case, you'd feel bad for him if he were innocent, right?"

'If Kushida uses the softness of her heart, then Karuizawa uses the strength of her will. It seems Kushida's and Karuizawa's influence that many of the girls started to express their support. They would follow suit when someone took the lead. Though they probably mocked him in their hearts, they would help Sudou a little bit. Sudou's critics stopped, at least for the time being. Hirata, Kushida, and Karuizawa had attracted the rest of our class's admiration.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I'll try asking my friends!"

"Well then, I'll try asking the upperclassmen I know in the soccer club!"

"I'll ask around, too."

Starting with Hirata, Kushida, and Karuizawa, the entire class launched our investigation to prove Sudou's innocence.

'For now, let's stay silent and see what happens. But, I have a feeling that I'll be thrown into the deep end.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (lunchtime)*

Ayanokouji wondered if any of his soulmates were going to invite over for lunch. It's either going to lunch with a bunch of girls or by himself. Ayanokouji wondered if he had any guy friends or if he was destined to have his soulmates. So far, he did not have any suitable and long interactions with any guys from the class. Ayanokouji didn't think his interactions with Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudou counts since most of the time it's usually perverted shenanigans and things that can get all of them into trouble. While Ayanokouji was thinking, somebody called his name.

"Ayanokouji-dono! Let us eat lunch together." said Sotomura, suddenly inviting him. Ayanokouji snapped out of his thoughts and looked around before responding.

"Me?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yes. Let's go!"

Ayanokouji followed Sotomura who joined up with two other boys: Okitani and Ijuin. They gave Ayanokouji a nod in greeting and they followed Sotomura out of the classroom. The group entered the cafeteria and ordered their meals. They found an empty table and sat down.

"Itadakimasu." said the group.

After a few moments of eating, Sotomura, Okitani, and Ijuin started talking about trivial things and Ayanokouji wondered how he could join in.

"Hey, Ayanokouji. Sudou is kinda of scary, right?" asked Okitani. The topic seemed to change to the Sudou situation.

"Yeah. I know. He's so big and intimidating. He can crush a fat guy like me in a second." said Ijuin, shifting uncomfortably and gulping nervously.

"Probably. But, it's not like he'll randomly just fight you." said Ayanokouji.

"I'm not sure about that. If what the class said about him is true, he'll probably just kill me."

"Sudou-dono is like an oni. Out for blood!" said Sotomura. It seemed that Sotomura, Ijurin, and Okitani all seemed to have a misconception of Sudou.

"Do you think he did it?"

"Probably did."

"But, Kushida-chan did say..."

"Who knows?"

The four individual members of the group gave their own input and Ayanokouji decided to stay neutral in the whole Sudou situation for now. Before he knew it, the topic changed again.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-dono! Is that Nino from Quintessential Quintuplets?" asked Sotomura, suddenly. Sotomura noticed the keychain from Ayanokouji's bag and it was one of his waifus. He didn't have the chance to talk to Ayanokouji about it because of the midterm, but since it's over, he has a chance.

"Yeah. I got it from a friend." said Ayanokouji.

"Have you read or watched it?"

"Nope."

"Gah! You're missing out. I'll give you my manga. It's better than watching it."

"Okay. Thanks. You remind me of someone I knew."

"Is it a girl?"

"Yeah."

"A g-girl?" asked Ijuin, looking at Ayanokouji. "Damn, Ayanokouji. Leave some girls to the rest of us."

"Another one, I see." mused Okitani.

"Ah! It's pointless. Girls won't even give guys like us the time of day."

"I guess you have a point. It's hard to stand out if you have Hirata in your class."

"Hirata-dono is not the main protagonist! He's just a popular ikeman. Ayanokouji does seem like one."

"I mean yeah. Having a bunch of girls flock to him."

It seems this group seems to have low self-esteem and seems to be less resentful than some of the guys from Class D. They have given up hope on attracting any girls or getting a girlfriend and merry focused on surviving the school.

"Anyways, is it Yamashita-dono?" asked Sotomura

"Yeah. You know her?" replied Ayanokouji.

"We're fellow comrades. To think you know her as well, Ayanokouji-dono. She must've taught some things."

"Yeah. She lent me her DVDs of K-on."

"Ohh! Good taste."

"It's not bad. But, CGDCT is not my favorite genre." said Ijuin.

"You have the worst taste!" said Okitani.

"Out of here with that bullshit. I just like shonen and stuff with more action."

"Like a fucking normie."

"The normies make us shonen fans look bad!"

Ijuin and Okitani began trash-talking each other's anime taste and favorite anime. Ayanokouji hadn't been around many boys his age, so he didn't know much about it. But, it reminded his interactions with Eiichiro and Eiichiro called it boys talk. He could tell that Ijuin and Okitani weren't saying it out of spite and it looks like they were messing with each other. Ayanokouji listened to Sotomura's talk about anime and what he recommended. Some of the anime titles he gave were the same to the ones that Eiichiro and Yamashita recommended, but there were a few new titles.

"Hey, Ayanokouji. You should watch Boku No Pico. It's a pretty good and unique show." said Ijuin.

"Yeah. A real eye-opener." smirked Okitani, elbowing Ijuin. It looked like they were both trying to hold their laughter together which made Ayanokouji a little more curious.

"Okay." replied Ayanokouji. That reply caused them to laugh and encourage him to do it. Ayanokouji wondered why they were laughing and what the contents were inside that anime title. He decided to check it out later.

'Ah. It's a ritual ceremony for you, Ayanokouji-dono. You will know the infamous title and works. I pray for your health, Ayanokouji-dono. I wonder if you can read 177013.' thought Sotomura.

For the remainder of the lunch period, Ayanokouji and the rest of the group engaged in small talk, mostly focused on anime. Ayanokouji had a feeling that the next time that they have lunch, the topic will be about his soulmates. Luckily, the group was focused on anime rather than Ayanokouji's soulmates or any girls. Ayanokouji had a feeling that he would get along with them and if he didn't have his soulmates and stayed quiet, he would've eventually run into them.

In the end, Ayanokouji exchanged phone numbers with Sotomura, Ijuin, and Okitani. Sotomura created a group chat and the group headed back to the classroom.

*Timeskip (after school)*

Ayanokouji left the classroom after a normal day of class. He noticed that some of their classmates were talking about Sudou's case. Others seem to be walking towards the direction of the other classes, presumably asking about Sudou's case. Ayanokouji decided to let the class handle it for now and headed to the Keyaki Mall.

After 15 minutes of walking to the mall, Ayanokouji doesn't know where to go and what to do. He decided to explore the Keyaki Mall and after a few minutes, he entered a music store.

Ayanokouji looked around and saw various instruments: guitars, bass guitars, piano keyboards, drums, trumpets, saxophones, and many more. He also could see various things that go along with the instruments and to maintain it. A store employee asked if he could help Ayanokouji and he replied that he's looking around. Ayanokouji admires the dedication and time to play instruments which takes time and he knows it based on first-hand experience. After a few minutes of walking through the aisles, he saw a grand piano on display. Ayanokouji walked towards it. He gently touched the piano and felt the cold, smooth keys. The employee nodded and gave Ayanokouji a chance to try out the piano. Ayanokouji thanked him and sat down. He gently pressed a key, playing a sound. Before he knew it, Ayanokouji closed his eyes and began to play. He was trained by that place to play instruments and he decided to learn the piano. Through harsh training, Ayanokouji mastered it, but strangely enough, he enjoyed it. Playing the piano made beautiful noise and music that seemed to have drowned out the emptiness of that place. The song Ayanokouji decided to play is Fur Elise, the song that he liked playing and practiced the most. Ayanokouji's fingers ran throughout the piano as he played the song that is fully memorized.

After a few minutes of playing, Ayanokouji played the final notes of the song before stopping. He opened his eyes and saw a few people clapping and congratulating him. They seemed to enjoy Ayanokouji's music. A senpai walked up to Ayanokouji, asking him if he would like to join the music club. He declined and the senpai left. Ayanokouji got up from his seat and decided to leave. After taking a few steps, a girl called for him.

"Hey, you! Can I talk to you?" said a girl, waving to Ayanokouji. The girl has light ivory colored hair that runs down her back. She had blue striking eyes and a green hair band on her hair. Ayanokouji assumed that she was one of the people that happened to see his performance and walked up to her.

"Yeah. What can I do for you?" replied Ayanokouji.

"You played pretty good!"

"Thanks. I practiced piano when I was younger."

"You are better than me."

"You play piano?"

"Well, a keyboard."

"I see."

"I wanna improve! How about you help me with that?"

"Uh... I'm not-"

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Tanihara Mao from Class A. Nice to meet you, uhh..."

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D."

"So Ayanokouji-kun, do you-"

"Hey, Tanihara-san! Whatcha doing?!" said another girl approaching the duo. The girl has silver-colored shoulder length wavy hair with amethyst-colored earrings and some multi-colored rings on her fingers. She has a guitar case sling to one of her shoulders. She glanced at Ayanokouji and gave him a nod in greeting.

"Nakajima-san, Ayanokouji-kun is good at the piano!" said Tanihara. She explained what happened minutes earlier and the performance that Ayanokouji did.

"Oh. That was all the noise and commotion was about." said Nakajima.

"I was asking Ayanokouji-kun if he wants to help me improve since he's pretty good!"

"You shouldn't bother people with your selfish request, Tanihara-san."

"I know, but don't you want me to improve? So we can play!"

"Yeah, but..."

Nakajima hesitated. It seemed like an improvement over an instrument and bothering someone with a time-consuming and troublesome request is having an internal battle in her mind as she couldn't decide whether or not to support Tanihara's decision.

"You know what, let Ayanokouji-kun decide. You can reject it if you want." said Nakajima, looking at Ayanokouji. Tanihara also looked at Ayanokouji, her eyes sparkling and begging him to accept her request. Ayanokouji internally debated it and reluctantly agreed.

'This is an interesting opportunity. It can give me a chance to have more contact with people in different classes and find out more information about Sudou's case. All I have to do is provide some lessons and advice on how Tanihara can improve. It shouldn't be too bad.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Okay. But, don't expect too much from me." said Ayanokouji.

"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Tanihara, excitedly grabbing his hands and shaking it. She seemed to be ecstatic on getting Ayanokouji on board.

"Thank you for accepting such a selfish request." said Nakajima, bowing her head.

"It's no problem." replied Ayanokouji.

"I'm Nakajima Riko from Class A." said Nakajima, introducing herself properly.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." replied Ayanokouji, echoing the same sentiment.

"I've checked out all my stuff. Let's go, Tanihara." said Nikajima. She took a few steps towards the exit with Tanihara going ahead, stopped, and glanced over to Ayanokouji. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah."

The trio left the music store and walked a few steps before finding an empty bench to sit on.

"So, let me tell you about it." said Tanihara. "So, I want to start a band! I'm the pianist and Nakajima-san is the bass."

"I see. Are you missing members?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah! We need a guitarist and a drummer."

"You want me to help you find your new member?"

"Not really. I think I have an idea on how to recruit more members."

"Really?!" asked Nikajima. Apparently, she wasn't aware of Tanihara's plan.

"Yeah! I'm gonna make a post on the school forums!" said Tanihara.

'It's not a bad plan. If it's an independent group with no school club affiliation, it's probably the best shot for them to find members. Wait. I forgot to ask them that.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Wait. Are you guys in a club for the band?" asked Ayanokouji.

"No. We're an independent band. We don't have a club at school." said Tanihara.

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to apply for a club? You can get club funding."

"Nah. I already tried asking, but the club requirement asked for 6 people. We're looking at a 4 person band, so it's too much."

"You could just have 2 random people as members, but they don't have to show up."

"Yeah, but it's too much of a hassle. And the school requires everyone to be an active member. Also the school encourages us to join the music or band club that's already in the school. Me and Nikajima-san wanna do our own thing, you know."

"I see."

'So, Nikajima and Tanihara want to make and play their own music. The school must have strict criteria and restrictions on the creation of new clubs to prevent people from abusing the current system. Of course, you can make new clubs, but it has to meet the specific requirements and guidelines that the school set. Of course, the school doesn't discourage extracurricular activities. The only choice for these two is to be an independent group and fund their own activities.' thought Ayanokouji.

"So, should I even be here at all?" asked Ayanokouji, a little confused about his place in the band.

"Think of it as a tutor," said Tanihara. "I'm gonna make my post right now!"

"Wait what?!" yelped Nakajima. She quickly shuffled her way to Tanihara and looked over Tanihara's right shoulder. Ayanokouji looked from Tanihara's left shoulder, curiously. Tanihara is sitting in between Ayanokouji and Nikajima. Ayanokouji could see the post that Tanihara wrote.

Want to join a band and play some music?

We are looking for a guitarist and drummer!

If the answer is yes, then meet at Sakurai Music at 5:00 PM tomorrow. If possible, bring your instruments.

- Tanihara

"Do you think this looks good?" asked Tanihara.

"All of the contents are good. I think you should underline and bold the important things." said Ayanokouji.

"Where?"

Tanihara leaned against Ayanokouji, pressing her body and breasts against his body while pushing the phone towards his direction.

'She's totally unaware about this situation, isn't she? There's no way a girl won't know that she's too close to a guy. To the point where she's pressing her breasts against his body.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Bold and underline the time and location of the meetup. You want it to stick out." said Ayanokouji. Then, he cleared his throat. "Can you please move? It's getting a little uncomfortable."

Tanihara immediately realized what was happening and how close she was to Ayanokouji. She yelped and backed away from Ayanokouji abruptly. Tanihara accidentally dropped her phone due to the sudden and abrupt movement. Ayanokouji quickly grabbed the phone with his hands and returned it back to her.

"S-sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything." said Tanihara, her face a little flustered.

"It's okay. Did you already post it?" asked Ayanokouji, deciding to change the subject.

Nikajima looked at Tanihara and Ayanokouji in shock and disbelief at what just happened. She couldn't believe that Tanihara was unaware of the situation before Ayanokouji mentioned it to her.

"Y-yeah. I sent it right now." said Tanihara.

"Now, we just wait until tomorrow." said Nikajima.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Do you want to come to meet up with us tomorrow?" asked Tanihara.

"Are you sure?" replied Ayanokouji.

"Why not?! I mean you're going to be involved in the band anyways. Might as well meet the new members."

"I guess you have a point. Sure."

"Okay! Let's exchange numbers."

"Okay."

Ayanokouji, Tanihara, and Nikajima all exchanged phone numbers and Tanihara created a group chat for the band.

"Well, it's my cue to leave. I'll see you guys tomorrow." said Ayanokouji.

"Okay! Bye Ayanokouji-kun." said Tanihara, waving to him.

"See you tomorrow." said Nikajima.

Ayanokouji left the duo and wondered if he should go back to the dorms to cook dinner or go out to eat. He has a decent amount of points left, more than his classmates, but less than the average student. Ayanokouji decided to eat at the dorms since he has some food saved up.

Ayanokouji was walking towards the exit of the Keyaki Mall when he saw a certain classmate of his. A classmate known by her beauty and monstrous proportions. Someone that became a huge talk during swimming lessons. It was Hasebe from Ayanokouji's class.

Hasebe was standing alone and outside of a restaurant. It seemed like she was waiting for someone. Ayanokouji made his way past Hasebe and towards the exit of the Keyaki Mall. Suddenly, Ayanokouji heard something.

"Hey. I have never seen you before and you look kinda of lonely. Mind if we get some dinner together?" asked a boy. Ayanokouji assumes he's a senpai based on the way he talks.

"I'm sorry, but I would like to decline." said Hasebe, who did not look interested at all.

"Ah! C'mon on! Just a little dinner with your senpai. How about it?"

"I already told you. I'm not interested."

"But, I'm interested in you."

The senpai seems to be persisting in his attempts to get Hasebe to go to dinner with him. He noticed that the senpai was sneakily peeking at Hasebe's breasts while he was having the conversation with her. Ayanokouji had a feeling that he was doing it out of lust rather than genuine feeling. He could see why Hasebe was highly sought after due her physical appearance and beauty. He noticed that Hasebe was one of the loners and tended to stick to herself. The fact that most of the boys did the swimming bet with Hasebe being the top contender probably made Hasebe wary of most boys in the class. Ayanokouji wondered if he should get involved or not. While he stopped and complimented on what he should do, the upperclassman became a little more aggressive in his demands.

"C'mon! I mean you're alone. You don't mind some company, do you?!" said the senpai.

"I do mind and-" said Hasebe.

"Oh yeah. Who's with you?"

"T-that's-"

Ayanokouji steeled his nerves and decided to intervene before things get out of hand. He had a feeling that this act of good faith will come back to haunt him.

"She's with me." said Ayanokouji, walking up to Hasebe and the upperclassman. The upperclassman and Hasebe both had a brief moment of surprise as both of them didn't expect Ayanokouji to interrupt. Ayanokouji could see a glimpse of relief on her face.

"Who are you?" asked the upperclassman, giving Ayanokouji a dismissive glance.

"I didn't make you wait too long, did I?" asked Ayanokouji, completely ignoring the upperclassman and directed his question to Hasebe. Luckily, Hasebe realized what he was planning and she played along with it.

"N-nope! Took you long enough!" said Hasebe, making an attempt at a smile.

"Let's go."

"Yeah!"

"This is my girlfriend." said Ayanokouji. He decided to make his performance more convincing to deter the upperclassman's harassment of Hasebe by suggesting and doing something extreme. He wrapped his arms around Hasebe's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. For that moment, Hasebe's and Ayanokouji's body were pressed against each other and Ayanokouji could feel a soft sensation on his body, but he shook the feeling and sensation from his mind and focused on the upperclassman in front of him. Hasebe's face grew red in embarrassment and shock by Ayanokouji's sudden action.

"Y-yeah. This is my boyfriend. W-we're running late. Let's hurry." stammered Hasebe.

"Tch... what a lucky kohai." grumbled the upperclassman. He left the duo with his hands in his pocket. Ayanokouji watched the upperclassman leave and his retreating figure eventually disappeared from his eyesight.

"U-ummm... Ayanokouji-kun... can you please let me go?" asked Hasebe, clearing her throat. Ayanokouji realized that he was wrapping his arms around Hasebe and he quickly let go.

"Sorry about that, Hasebe." said Ayanokouji.

"I-it's okay. Thanks for saving me. I owe you one. " said Hasebe, taking a sigh of relief. She seems to be calming herself down and Ayanokouji decided to give her a few moments to catch her breath and clear her mind.

"Feeling any better now?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you standing outside of a restaurant by yourself? Are you meeting with someone?"

"No. I know this sounds stupid, but..."

Hasebe hesitated and seemed unsure whether or not to continue this conversation with Ayanokouji. Frankly, Hasebe was a little embarrassed by it.

'Ah! What should I do? Should I tell Ayanokouji-kun?! I mean this is my first time having a proper conversation with him. I mean he has lots more friends than me and I have zero. I do owe him one for saving me...' thought Hasebe.

"I'm... looking at the restaurant." said Hasebe, reluctantly telling Ayanokouji.

"Looking?" replied Ayanokouji.

"Yeah. It's a yakiniku restaurant and I always wanted to go. But I don't have friends, so it'll look weird to go by myself. I was thinking about how nice it will be to go with... friends."

'Hasebe seems to have an interest in yakiniku. But she knows that eating by yourself in a sociable environment like a yakiniku restaurant is a little off and makes you stand out. Judging from some manga and anime, yakiniku is used as a social environment which normally has more than one person. I have never had yakiniku, so I'm a little curious.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I see..." replied Ayanokouji. "Why don't I go with you?"

"E-eh?"

"If you want to go and have no one to go with, I can be of assistance. I also want to try out yakiniku."

"Are you asking me on a date?" said Hasebe, with a sly smile.

"Of course. I am your boyfriend after all." said Ayanokouji, with a blank face. Ayanokouji was worried that the upperclassman could be around and decided to play it safe by pretending to be her boyfriend. Apparently, Hasebe didn't know that and thought Ayanokouji was being serious.

'Eh?! What is Ayanokouji-kun thinking? He can't be telling me that and asking me out on a date. I can't tell if he's joking or being serious with that blank face of his. He's quite a mysterious guy. Very interesting... Wait, isn't he going out with Horikita-san, Kushida-san, or any of the other girls? Don't tell me he's a playboy?!' thought Hasebe, trying to rationalize Ayanokouji's actions. Meanwhile, Ayanokouji was looking blankly at Hasebe's reactions as her face was slightly flustered and she seemed to be very interested in looking at the ground.

"A-are you sure about this?" said Hasebe, quietly.

"Yes." said Ayanokouji, a little confused on why Hasebe is acting strangely. Ayanokouji just wanted some food and try something new.

"Okay. Let's go."

Hasebe and Ayanokouji entered the restaurant and the waiter brought them an empty table before presenting them with their menus. Ayanokouji checked the different cuts of meat they have and other items in the menu. While he was checking the menu, he noticed that Hasebe was looking at him.

"Something wrong?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Nothing. How about I pay for dinner for you? A little thank you for saving me." said Hasebe.

"Are you sure? Do you have points to spare for the both of us?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"How about this? You can pay half the price. I can cover the rest."

"But..."

"I don't want you to lose all of your points on me, but thanks for the offer."

"Okay."

Ayanokouji and Hasebe ordered their cuts of meat, side dishes, and drinks for the meal. They waited in silence for their food to arrive. Ayanokouji didn't know what to talk about with Hasebe and this is the first time they even had a proper conversation and sat together. After a brief moment of silence, Hasebe spoke up.

"Ayanokouji-kun, are you sure you should be having dinner with me? I mean you have a girlfriend." said Hasebe.

"I do? Are you talking about you?" asked Ayanokouji, a little puzzled by the fact that he has a girlfriend. From his knowledge, he didn't have a girlfriend and he was wondering if Hasebe is talking about the fact that he lied about being her boyfriend a few minutes ago. Since that was the only time, he mentioned a girlfriend.

"N-no! A-are you messing with me?!"

"No. I don't have a girlfriend."

"Are you sure? Horikita-san? Kushida-san? Mori-san? Mii-chan? Or the other girls that hang out with you?"

Ayanokouji was stunned by the barrage of questions from Hasebe. He didn't expect a girl that was perceived as a loner by most people in the class to be so into love and gossip. He wondered if someone happened to overhear this conversation, they would think Ayanokouji as a playboy.

"None of them." replied Ayanokouji.

"Really?!" exclaimed Hasebe. She gave him a look in disbelief.

"Yeah. I honestly don't see myself as boyfriend material."

"Hmm..."

Hasebe gave him a look that seemed to be scanning Ayanokouji's face and body. It looked like Hasebe was looking at Ayanokouji's body and judging it.

"I mean... you're okay. Better than those perverts in class." said Hasebe.

"You're quite blunt and daring. Checking out a boy's body in public." said Ayanokouji. He didn't expect Hasebe to be so direct with him.

"Meh. I'm like that."

'Plus you got a killer body! You can't tell when he has his shirt on, but I saw it during swimming lessons.' thought Hasebe.

Their cuts of meat arrived and the waiter started the fire on the barbecue grill that is in the middle of the table. The waiter instructed them to wait for a few minutes to give the grill time to heat up. Then, he dabbed some oil on the grill and left to get the rest of their orders.

"Wow. I didn't expect this much stuff. I might be able to finish all of this." said Hasebe, looking at her platter of meat.

"Didn't you order some side dishes and a drink?" asked Ayanokouji.

"I did! I might need someone to help me out, Ayanokouji-kun!"

"I'll try my best, but don't expect too much from me."

The waiter arrived with the rest of the order and drinks. Ayanokouji ordered some vegetable skewers with green onions, bell peppers, onions, and leeks. He heard that you were supposed to put it on the grill for a short amount of time. He figured it could be used to cut through the richness and fairness of the grilled meat. He also ordered a glass of apple cider.

"Let's get started." said Hasebe.

Ayanokouji nodded and they began placing various cuts of meat on the grill. They placed it on their side of the grill, careful to not invade each other's side to not mix up their meats. There was a satisfying sizzling and the smell of meat hit Ayanokouji's nostrils as the meat was slowly being cooked. The smoke coming from the grill drifted up and into a ventilator that was far above the grill. After a few minutes of waiting, the duo flipped their meats to the other side with their chopsticks. After another few minutes, both sides of the meat were cooked and it was time to eat.

"Itadakimasu." said the duo. Ayanokouji grabbed a piece of meat off the grill and gave in a gentle blow before popping the meat into his mouth. The flavor of meat and the barbecue sauce that was used entered Ayanokouji's mouth which he enjoyed. Ayanokouji decided to try it with soy sauce and dipped another piece of meat. The meat's flavor instantly became a little saltier as the taste of soy sauce got mixed with some barbecue sauce.

"It's pretty good." muttered Hasebe, after several trying cuts of meat.

"Yeah." said Ayanokouji. He grabbed one of his vegetable skewers and placed it on the grill. Hasebe and Ayanokouji spent the rest of dinner talking about trivial things. Ayanokouji realized that despite Hasebe being a so-called loner that doesn't interact with many people in class was quite the talkative person once she got used to someone. She also seemed keen on love and gossip. Hasebe was asking Ayanokouji's relationships between Horikita, Kushida, and some of the girls from Class D. According to Hasebe, she was under the impression that Ayanokouji is dating one of them and he wondered if many of his classmates have that impression.

After their meal was finished, Ayanokouji helped Hasebe finish some of her side dishes which left Ayanokouji full and satisfied with dinner. The duo paid separately, but Hasebe paid half the price of Ayanokouji's meal. The duo left the restaurant and stopped at the side of the restaurant's entrance.

"Thanks for coming with me, Ayanokouji-kun. It was nice." said Hasebe.

"It's okay. It was my first time as well. I might come back later." said Ayanokouji. Then, he realized that he had gotten them into a previous and precarious situation before in almost the exact words. He hoped that no one affiliated with Kushida or his soulmates would be close by to hear it. Ayanokouji could feel that the conversation was dying out as they didn't know what else to say to continue the conversation.

"I'm heading back to the dorms. What about you?" said Ayanokouji.

"Ah. I'm sticking around the mall for a bit. See ya, Ayanokouji-kun." said Hasebe.

"See you, Hasebe."

Hasebe gave Ayanokouji a wave before he turned around and began walking towards the exit of the Keyaki Mall. Ayanokouji made his way to his dorms after a tiring day.

A few minutes after Ayanokouji left the Keyaki Mall, he heard someone faintly calling his name. He looked around and heard the voice coming from a nearby park. Whoever was calling him was someone that is quiet and has a soft, quiet voice. Ayanokouji entered the park and found Inogashira, sitting on a tire swing at a tree, calling and waving at him. He approached Inogashira who was sitting on the swing and gently rocking it.

"Hello, Inogashira." said Ayanokouji.

"Hi, Ayanokouji-kun." said Inogashira.

"You want to talk to me?"

"Yeah. For a bit. Do you mind?"

"I'm not busy. Let's talk then."

"O-okay."

Ayanokouji took a seat at another tire swing that was nearby and began gently swinging. Apparently, this park has a few tire swings on some trees.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun, this is our first time talking not during the night." said Inogashira.

"Yeah. I'm surprised that it took that long." said Ayanokouji.

"Well, I always see you during the night."

"Yeah. Are you still doing it during the night?"

"S-sometimes. When I'm not getting sleep."

"Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"No. Sometimes if I'm stressed, I can't sleep. So, I just sew or knit until I feel tired."

"I see. By the way, what's the progress with your sweater?"

"Y-you remember?!"

"Yeah. It'll be rude if I forget it. You seem quite committed to it."

"It's going well. I got the main body of the sweater almost done. I'm thinking about a design for it."

"Do you need ideas?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not sure if I can be of assistance, but I can provide you with some ideas based on what I know of you."

"Go ahead."

Ayanokouji went silent for a few moments, thinking about it and basing it off what he knew of Inogashira.

"Maybe you should put an animal or flowers you like." said Ayanokouji, deciding to go with a basic approach.

"Yeah. I thought about that too." replied Ayanokouji.

"Well, what's your favorite animal or flower?"

"I like tiger cubs and chrysanthemums."

"Maybe, you should do a heart design."

"Heart design?"

"Your first name is Kokoro. It could be seen as heart. You could base your design on it."

"Hmm... that's not a bad idea. I can use some pink and red for the heart. Maybe some smaller hearts off to the side of the big heart."

Inogashira seems to be really thinking about Ayanokouji's idea as she stopped knitting and started thinking idly. When she's thinking and working on her projects, she seems to be another person. Inogashira looked more focused and determined than her usual self.

"Well, I can decide later. I have to at least finish the sleeve and the rest of the body." said Inogashira, snapping out of her trance and began knitting again.

Ayanokouji and Inogashira spent the rest of their time together, chatting about Inogashira's projects and other small talk. She seemed to be more focused on herself and what's happened around her and class rather than gossip. It was like the two of them were reminiscing about past and current events.

After about 35 minutes of talking, Ayanokouji decided to leave since the sun was setting rapidly, leaving dark shadows everywhere.

"I'm going back to the dorms, Inogashira." said Ayanokouji.

"A-already? Thanks for sticking around and talking to me. See you tomorrow Ayanokouji-kun." said Inogashira, stopping her knitting to look and wave at Ayanokouji. He got off the tire swing and gave a wave before leaving the park.

'What a tiring day. A new, unique situation between Class C and D along multiple old and new encounters with girls.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (next day)*

Ayanokouji got off the dorm elevator and is walking towards the exit of the dorm building. Someone entered his field of vision and their eyes naturally met.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Good morning. You're early." said Ichinose, giving Ayanokouji a friendly wave and greeting.

"I woke up a little earlier today. What were you talking about with the manager?" asked Ayanokouji. He noticed that Ichinose was talking to the dorm manager as he was stepping out of the elevator. She had just finished talking to her before running into and talking with him.

"Some people from my class wanted to make requests about their dorms. I gathered everyone's thoughts on the matter and told the dorm manager. Stuff like water usage, noise, and so on." said Ichinose.

"You did all that, Ichinose?" asked Ayanokouji.

'Usually, individuals handled their own room issues. I wondered why Ichinose had gone to the trouble of gathering everyone's complaints.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Good morning, Class Rep Ichinose!" said a girl. There were two girls who were getting off the elevator who called out to Ichinose. Ichinose said hello back and gave them a wave. They quickly acknowledged Ayanokouji's presence and gave the duo some private time.

"Class Rep? Why Class Rep?" asked Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji hadn't heard of any class representative position before and was a little curious about it.

"I'm my class's representative. It seems like that, anyway." said Ichinose.

'That was the first I'd heard about this. Normally I would've been surprised, but considering who our homeroom teacher was, she'd probably decided to leave that part out.' thought Ayanokouji.

"No, that's just something Class B set up on its own. I think it's good to have some assigned roles, right?" said Ichinose.

Ayanokouji understood her point, but he couldn't see Class D unanimously agree and assign our
own class representative.

"Are there other positions besides class representative?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah. Whether or not they serve a function is a different question, but we do have other roles for formality's sake. Stuff like vice class representative, and secretary. They could be more useful when we have a cultural fair, or sports festival, or something. We could try deciding things on
the spot, but that might lead to trouble." said Ichinose.

'However, with Ichinose taking the initiative for Class B, she probably didn't foist things on others. I'd bet she handled her duties smoothly and united the class together. That's something that Class D can't do at all.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Seems like you've become the leader of Class B." said Ayanokouji, expressing his honest feelings.

"Do you think it's weird? It's all purely informal. Besides, there are quite a few troublemakers. We have to deal with a lot of stuff." said Ichinose, with a laugh. With that, the duo began walking to school together.

"Aren't you usually a little late? This reminds me that I've never seen you around this time." said Ichinose.

"I don't have to leave so early. I usually hang around my room for about 20 minutes or I'm already out of the dorms." said Ayanokouji. It was the truth: if Ayanokouji doesn't have to walk with his soulmates or meet other people, he usually stays in his room.

"So I guess you make it just in the nick of time, then."

As the duo got closer to the school, the number of students around them multiplied. Strangely enough, some of the girls turned one after the other and looked at the duo with envy. Ayanokouji has never experienced the envious looks from girls as most of the time he got them from boys rather than girls.

"Good morning, Ichinose!"

"Good morning, Ichinose-san!"

Ichinose was getting all of the girls' attention while Ayanokouji was silently beside her, hoping that he wouldn't get any more attention.

"You sure are popular." said Ayanokouji.

"I just stand out because I'm the class rep. That's all." replied Ichinose.

'It didn't seem like she was trying to act modest. Apparently that's what she truly thought. She had this charismatic force about her that pulled everyone's focus.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Ah, that reminds me. Did you hear about summer break, Ayanokouji- kun?" said Ichinose, starting up the conversation again.

"Summer break? No. I mean, isn't it just summer break?" replied Ayanokouji.

"I've heard rumors that we might be taking a vacation to a tropical island."

"I can't believe it, though. Could we really go on a vacation?" said Ichinose, getting a little excited.

'It was all incredibly suspicious. I really didn't think our school was going to be so good to be true. They had to be keeping something from us. Not even this school will offer a free vacation to a tropical island. I wonder what Ichinose thought about this.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji turned and saw from Ichinose's bitter smile which reinforced the idea that he and Ichinose were having doubts about this vacation.

"It's suspicious, after all. I think it's going to be a turning point." said Ichinose.

"In other words, you think our class points could fluctuate wildly over summer break?" replied Ayanokouji.

"Yeah, yeah. I think there might be a hidden task, one that has a bigger impact on us than the midterms or final exams. Otherwise, the difference between Class A and us wouldn't close much. We could diminish the gap little by little."

"The difference between you and A is about 350 points, right?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah, roughly." said Ichinose. "So far, the midterm is all that's given us a chance to raise our class points, so losing at least a few points was unavoidable for us. I mean, even Class A has lost points."

"You don't seem to be panicking." noted Ichinose, observing Ayanokouji's face.

"I'm concerned, but I think that there's a chance for us to make a comeback. I intend to focus all of my emotional energy on making those preparations." replied Ayanokouji.

"That's what I like about you. Your ability to stay calm in certain situations. You looked very calm while we were hanging out too."

"Was I supposed to be freaking out?"

"I mean... you're a guy with a group of girls. I thought you're going to be a little more nervous or different around us, but you acted normally."

"There's no point in panicking over something so trivial. If I did that, then it wouldn't be much fun for myself and you guys."

"I guess you're right about that!"

"But if we actually did vacation on a tropical island, that would be awesome!" said Ichinose, changing the subject again.

"I wonder about that..." said Ayanokouji. He remembered his experience with traveling and he didn't find it pleasant.

"Huh? That idea doesn't make you happy? Do you hate traveling?"

"I don't hate it. I don't think I do, anyway..."

"What's the matter?"

"Just recalled something a little bit traumatic."

Ichinose continued talking, seemingly untroubled by Ayanokouji's words. Ichinose changed the subject again and it seemed like an attempt to change the subject in consideration of Ayanokouji and his traumatic experience.

"Hey, I still have some things on my mind. May I ask you some questions? If that's okay with you..." asked Ichinose. Ichinose had a radiant presence, though it was different from Kushida. Ayanokouji could see that she acted without an ulterior motive and put her best foot forward. But, this time she had a serious expression on her face which was different from her cheerful aura.

"If it's something I can answer, I will." replied Ayanokouji.

"Has a girl ever confessed her feelings to you?"

"Really? Do I look like a guy who's ever had a girl confess her feelings to him?"

'I mean yes. I'm pretty sure that one time that I saw Kushida's true nature and her venting on the rooftop counts as a confession. Saying yes to that question will over complicate everything.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Oh no, I'm sorry. It's nothing." said Ichinose. Ayanokouji knew that it didn't look like it was nothing based on Ichinose's facial expression. He could tell that she was actually worried about something.

"Did someone confess to you?" asked Ayanokouji, deciding to take the initiative.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Kind of."

"Well, if you're okay with it, can you spare a little time after class? I have some questions about confessions. I know all too well how busy you are with the incident right now, but..."

"Sure, that's okay. I don't really have much to do."

"Don't have much to do?"

"I don't think there's much point in looking for evidence or another witness. Doing that would be a waste of time and a headache."

"Are you sure? I mean one of your classmates is in trouble."

"Anyway, it's fine. Other people in the class are helping out, so don't worry about it."

"Thank you."

Ayanokouji wondered what all this confession stuff had to do with him. He thought it might be an anime trope where Ichinose makes up a lie about Ayanokouji being her boyfriend or something like that. But, Ayanokouji pushed those thoughts aside since he believed that it's something from fiction and not real-life.

"I'll be waiting at the school entrance after class." said Ichinose.

"Okay. I understand." said Ayanokouji.

After a few moments of silence, the duo walked to the spot where Ichinose and Ayanokouji had to part ways to go to their respective classrooms.

"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun. Thanks for agreeing to this!" said Ichinose.

"See you later, Ichinose. It's no problem." said Ayanokouji. The duo parted ways and Ayanokouji continued on his way to Class D. After a few minutes of walking, Ayanokouji entered the classroom and noticed that it was more tense than usual. Some of their classmates were talking to each other and looked around the classroom as if they were looking for someone specific. As Ayanokouji walked by his classmates and towards his seat, he heard some few glimpses of their conversations.

"Yeah. I got nothing on it."

"Is Sudou telling the truth?"

"I think he's lying. No way anyone is stupid enough to fight him. All brawn over brains."

"Don't let him catch you saying that!"

It seemed that a lot of Ayanokouji's classmates were talking about Sudou's case with Class C. Apparently, most of them have been asking around for witnesses and evidence to support Sudou's theory of self-defense, but nothing was found. Ayanokouji could see that there are some doubts about Sudou and his innocence. He figured that most of them wouldn't be talking about him if he's in the class. Ayanokouji sat down and stared outside of the window.

'Let's see what happened next.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (after school)*

Ayanokouji left the classroom and made his way to Class B. Ayanokouji arrived at Class B and saw a few students leaving together. He hesitated and wondered if he should go into the classroom or wait outside. Ultimately, he decided to go into the classroom rather than waste time standing outside and look like a creepy guy. Ayanokouji entered the classroom where he noticed a completely different environment than Class D. Ayanokouji could feel and see the friendly atmosphere from the students of Class B. He could see that everyone was united unlike Class D. Some people looked at Ayanokouji's arrival, little curious on why someone from another class went to their classroom. Others such as Amikura, Minamikata, and Andou gave Ayanokouji a greeting as he walked over to Ichinose. Ayanokouji also noticed that Shiranami is not present in the classroom which he found strange because everyone in Ichinose's group was here except for her.

"Ah. Good timing, Ayanokouji-kun." said Ichinose, waving at him.

"Honami-chan, did you invite Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Minamikata.

"Yeah. I have some business with him. Sorry guys."

"Oh! Perhaps something romantic?~" teased Amikura. It was clear that Amikura had a knack for teasing Ichinose and trying to get a reaction out of her. Ayanokouji had a feeling that she's also trying to get a reaction out of him, but Ayanokouji maintained his blank face.

"Oh no. Just something personal, Mako-chan. D-don't worry about it." said Ichinose, dismissively waving away Amikura's teasing.

"You're not denying it, are you?"

"Let's go, Ayanokouji-kun."

Ayanokouji nodded and followed Ichinose out of the room. He saw that Amikura was smirking and gave him a thumbs up while Andou had a look of panic. Ayanokouji could feel everyone in the classroom stare at him: out of amazement, envy, or surprise. He followed Ichinose through the hallways where he attracted even more attention from people. Ayanokouji assumed that it wasn't likely that people expected someone like him to be with a popular figure like Ichinose. He got even more jealous looks and stares from other people. He had a feeling that tomorrow is going to be an interesting day for him as the news of him being with Ichinose will be spread throughout the year.

"Follow me. It's almost time." muttered Ichinose. The duo left the school building and headed towards the gym and track. After a few minutes of walking, Ichinose took Ayanokouji to the back of the gym building. From Ayanokouji 's viewpoint, it looked like the perfect place to confess your love to someone.

"Now then..." said Ichinose, stopping a few feet away from Ayanokouji. Ichinose took a deep breath, and faced him.

'This reminds me of a romantic confession scene from anime. There's no way that Ichinose would do this. It's too early in our relationship for something like this to happen.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I think..." started Ichinose. "... someone will confess their feelings to me here."

"Huh?" said Ayanokouji, a little surprised by Ichinose's sudden answer. He was a little confused on why he was brought here.

With that, Ichinose took out a letter and showed it to Ayanokouji. It was a cute love letter adorned with a heart sticker. Ichinose nodded her head and Ayanokouji opened the letter, feeling a little rude that he was looking at it. The handwriting was pretty, much like the letter's exterior. The handwriting was cute, definitely not like a boy's. Ayanokouji noticed something that concerned him. The meeting time and location were written in the letter. It was set for today, after school, behind the gymnasium. Ayanokouji realized that there isn't much time before this meeting will take place.

"Wouldn't it be better if I weren't here?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Love is kind of alien to me. I don't know how to respond without hurting her feelings. I also don't know if we can stay good friends afterwards. I want you to help me." said Ichinose.

"Wait... her?"

"Yeah. It's a girl..."

"I see."

From Ayanokouji's perspective, Ichinose does seem like the type of person to attract people from both genders due to her physical appearance and attitude. He wondered if he would ever fall in love with her, but pushed that question aside.

"I don't really think I'm the person to ask for this. I don't have any experience with romantic confessions. There are probably other people in Class B who could help." said Ayanokouji.

"The person confessing her feelings to me...is from Class B." replied Ichinose.

'Ah, that's what it was. I now understood why she'd asked me to come.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I'd like for you to keep this secret. If not, things will probably get unpleasant. Knowing you, Ayanokouji-kun, I doubt you'll go around telling people." said Ayanokouji.

"But Ichinose, aren't you used to people confessing their feelings to you?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Huh?! N-no way. Not at all! I've never experienced this before."

"I really don't understand why this is happening."

"So...will you please pretend to be my boyfriend?"

'I really just called it. Has this situation seriously devolved into such a cliché?' thought Ayanokouji.

"I did a bit of research, and discovered that the rejected person hurts less if the object of their affection is already in a relationship..."said Ichinose.

"I understand that you don't want to hurt anyone, but won't it be worse if they find out you lied?" said Ayanokouji.

"I could say that you and I broke up, or that you left me or something."

'I don't think that was the solution here... It will only slow down the inevitable.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Honestly, I think it would be much better for you to talk with this person one-on-one. Truthfully." said Ayanokouji.

"But— Ah!" yelped Ichinose. Ichinose seemed to have noticed something, and awkwardly raised her hand. Apparently the person in question had arrived earlier than expected. Ayanokouji turned around and saw Shiranami standing there. She had a shocked expression as she didn't expect another person to be here. Someone that she knows and asked for advice.

'W-what?! What is Ayanokouji-kun doing here? Don't tell me... that he's going out with Ichinose-san. It can't be.' thought Shiranami. Shiranami had mixed feelings about it. The person that she relied on and asked for advice on multiple occasions, Ayanokouji, was alone and with the person that she likes, Ichinose. Shiranami was having feelings of regret, betrayal, and confusion, and sadness, but she managed to keep it bottled up. She could feel them rising up and getting ready to explode out of her, but Shiranami focused her eyes on Ichinose.

"Is Ayanokouji-kun by any chance...your boyfriend, Ichinose-san?" asked Shiranami.

"Ah... Well..." stammered Ichinose. Ichinose was going to say yes, but guilt over lying seemed to stop her answer. The words got stuck in her throat.

"So why is Ayanokouji-kun here?" asked Shiranami, confused by the unexpected situation. Then, Shiranami began to cry. Tears welled up in her eyes as those feelings were too much to bear. Ichinose, seeing Shiranami's tears, grew flustered which seemed to make the situation even worse as both parties couldn't properly communicate. Uncertain of what to do, Ichinose started panicking which surprised Ayanokouji, who expected her to be a stalwart, reliable person, but apparently she had an unexpected weak point.

"Um, do you mind going somewhere else, please? I have something important that I need to talk with Ichinose-san about." said Shiranami, looking at Ayanokouji for a brief moment before turning her attention to Ichinose.

"P-please wait a minute, Chihiro-san. That's, um... Well, to tell you the truth, Ayanokouji-kun is..." said Ichinose, trying to make the first move.

"What is it?" asked Shiranami.

"So, Ayanokouji-kun, he's... Well, he's my—"

"I'm just a friend." said Ayanokouji, interrupting Ichinose and putting an end to it.

"Ichinose. I didn't think this was something I should say, considering no one's ever confessed to me before. But I think it was a mistake for you to call me here." said Ayanokouji, deciding to speak honestly for both of the girls' sakes.

"It's true that confessing your feelings isn't easy to do. You spend every day in complete anguish, as you create the experience in your head over and over. And yet, you still can't confess your feelings. Even when you think the time has come to actually do it, you can't say the words 'I like you'. They get stuck in your throat. That's what I think. Don't you think you should answer someone when they desperately long to express their feelings? If you make the situation unclear, both of you may regret it later." continued Ayanokouji.

"Uh..." stammered Ichinose.

'Ichinose who probably never experienced seriously falling in love with someone before. Therefore, she didn't really know what to do, or if she were doing something wrong. Trying to prevent someone's pain was useless. If you turned someone down, their feelings would inevitably be hurt. Well, if you managed to come up with a suitable excuse, you probably
could make things a little easier. An excuse like "I want to concentrate on my studies" or "There's someone else that I like." Or, like what Ichinose had attempted here: "I'm already dating someone." But no matter what answer you gave, the other person would definitely be hurt.
Even more hurt if the excuse were built on a lie. It's something that I know personally and felt. A lie…' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji left without waiting for Ichinose's reply and headed back, but didn't leave the immediate area. Instead he stopped by the tree-lined pathway, leaned against the handrail, and sighed as Ayanokouji looked up at the athletes that are running on the track. About five minutes later, Shiranami ran past Ayanokouji. There were tears in her eyes, but she shot Ayanokouji a look as she ran by him. After a few minutes, Ichinose trudged back from the gym and walked over to Ayanokouji.

"Ah..." said Ichinose, not expecting Ayanokouji to stick around. She looked a little awkward and hung her head. But then she immediately glanced back up at me.

"I was wrong. I didn't respect Chihiro-chan's feelings. I just wanted to avoid hurting her, and to run away. That was my mistake. Love is really tough, huh?" muttered Ichinose as she leaned against the handrail next to Ayanokouji.

"I asked her if we could carry on like usual, but... I don't know if we can go back to how things were." said Ichinose.

"That depends on you both." replied Ayanokouji.

"Yeah... Thanks for today. For coming along with me for such an odd request."

"It's okay. Days like this happen, anyway."

"I guess I owe you one. How about this? I'll help you with your class incident."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

"Don't worry about it. I'll ask around and have my class investigate as well."

"I'm sorry for acting so full of myself back there."

Ichinose blinked a couple of times at Ayanokouji's odd statement before replying back.

"There's no need for you to apologize, Ayanokouji-kun. None at all." said Ichinose. "Let's exchange contact information. I'll let you know if I got anything."

"Understood." replied Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji and Ichinose exchanged contact information before parting ways. Ayanokouji headed towards the Keyaki Mall for his meeting with Tanihara and Nakajima.

*Timeskip (20 minutes later)*

Ayanokouji arrived at Sakurai Music after parting ways with Ichinose. He made his way into the store and tried to find Tanihara or Nakajima. After a few minutes of searching through the store, Ayanokouji found Nakajima sitting at a small table with some chairs. It seemed that the table was hastily put there and set up for them.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. You made it on time." said Nakajima.

"Hello, Nakajima. Can I sit down?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Go ahead. Tanihara-san is just walking around the store to see if there's anyone showing up."

"I see."

Ayanokouji noticed that Nakajima brought her bass guitar and seemed to be tuning her guitar. Ever once in a while, she played a note to check out her tuning. After a few moments, Ayanokouji decided to talk and it's better than sitting there silently.

"How long have you been playing on bass?" asked Ayanokouji.

"About 3 years. I started in junior high for fun." replied Nakajima.

"Have you been in a band?"

"Nope. I had some friends back in school that were in the band club. But, I just practiced by myself."

"I see."

"What about you? How long have you been playing piano?"

"Ever since I was a kid. I had strict parents."

Ayanokouji decided to mention vaguely about his piano skills since he can't say that he was just a beginner with that level of skill, but someone that had practiced throughout the years.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Tanihara, walking out of one of the aisles.

"Hello, Tanihara." said Ayanokouji, nodding to her as she sat down in one of her chairs.

"The owner of the store set up a table and chairs for us. He said we could stay here a while."

"I see. It's about 5:00 PM right now."

"Now, it's a waiting game!"

*Timeskip (15 minutes later)*

Ayanokouji, Tanihara, and Nakajima were having a conversation about their instruments and musical background. Ayanokouji mostly let the two girls lead the conversation and answered in simple and vague answers when the questions were directed at him.

"Damn. Your parents must be pretty strict." said Tanihara. "You're pretty good at the piano."

"Yes. Perfection is what they expected from me." said Ayanokouji.

"Can you play other songs?" asked Nakajima.

"Yeah. I can play some other classics."

"Like?"

"Well-"

"Hey. Is this for a band? For Tanihara?" asked a girl, interrupting their conversation. The trio stopped their conversation and turned towards the girl. The girl has shoulder-length light blue hair with golden-yellow eyes and she seemed to be carrying a guitar case.

"Yeah. Welcome!" said Tanihara.

"I'm Tsube Hitomi from Class B." said Tsube, introducing herself.

"I'm Tanihara Mao from Class A." said Tanihara.

"Nakajima Riko from Class A." said Nakajima.

"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D." said Ayanokouji.

"Oh! So, you're the guy that came to Class B and went with Ichinose-san." said Tsube, recognizing Ayanokouji from when he entered Class B classroom about an hour ago.

"Yeah." said Ayanokouji. Tanihara and Nakajima both had a surprised look on their face as they gave him a quizzical look.

"So, I play the keyboard piano." said Tanihara. "And Nakajima plays the bass."

"What about Ayanokouji-kun? Is he a part of the band?" asked Tsube.

"No." replied Ayanokouji.

"He's more of a coach. He's better than me at playing the piano, so he offered to coach me and help me improve." explained Tanihara.

"More like you forced him to do it." added Nakajima.

"Hey! That's uncalled for!"

Tsube laughed nervously, unsure what to make of this while Tanihara and Nakajima were nipping at each other. She gave Ayanokouji a curious look.

"Yes. I'm not held against my will and came here voluntarily." said Ayanokouji, dryly.

"Don't say it like that! You make it sound like we're forcing you to say it with a script!" said Tanihara. Nakajima laughed while Tsube had a small smile on her face.

Tanihara, Nakajima, and Tsube began having a conversation about Tsube's entry to the band. Tsube is a guitarist that played only for about a year and seemed to be a beginner. Ayanokouji mostly stayed quiet and let the girls talk as they went over their instruments and the future of the band. It seemed that Tanihara and Nakajima both agreed to let her join, so Tsube can improve as a guitarist. The trio of girls pulled out their instruments and played a little bit to show their skills. But, they couldn't go all out because they are technically still in the music store and don't want to bother any customers.

*Timeskip ( 30 minutes later)*

"You know, I think it's getting late. I don't think anyone else is coming." said Tsube, looking at a wall clock.

"Yeah. Wanna grab dinner together!" asked Tanihara. "Our first ever band dinner."

"Sure. But, you're paying." said Nakajima.

"Split the cost at least!"

With the usual bantering between Tanihara and Nakajima, it seemed that Tsube had gotten used to it as she gave a smile to their usual bantering. Suddenly, the group heard a loud bang coming from one of the aisles. A girl rushed out with a cart with a whole drum set tied down.

"Whoa! Sorry, I'm late!" said a girl, pushing the cart out of the aisle. The three girls looked at the incoming girl with shock as they didn't expect one last person to come with a full drum set.

"Whoa! You didn't have to bring the entire drum over!" said Tsube, still a little shocked by the fact that someone brought their drum set to this meeting.

"But, it said to bring your instruments."

"Oops. I should've mentioned not bringing it to the drummer." said Tanihara, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay. Sorry for being late. I was moving my drums!" said the girl. "I'm Isoyama Nagisa from Class C."

"Welcome, Isoyama-san. I'm Tanihara Nao from Class A." said Tanihara.

"Nakajima Riko from Class A." said Nakajima.

"I'm Tsube Hitomi from Class B. Nice to meet you." said Tsube.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D." said Ayanokouji.

"Nice to meet all of you. I'm a drummer and I played drums for about 4 years and I always wanted to be a part of a band!" said Isoyama. She took a seat and happily drummed her fingers on the table, making a rhythm. It seemed that she's quite energetic and couldn't stop moving, similar to a person with ADHD. It seemed that Tanihara, Nakajima, and Tsube silently agreed to let Isoyama join.

"That's nice. Well, I play the piano, Nakajima-san plays the bass, and Tsube-san plays the guitar." said Tanihara. "Wait, what is Ayanokouji-kun doing here?"

"He's my piano coach, so I guess he's a part of the band." said Tanihara.

"Oh. So, it's just us girls."

"Yep."

Isoyama's stomach made a loud rumbling noise which caught everyone's attention. Isoyama blushed a little bit in embarrassment while the other girls began to giggle.

"Sorry. I was trying to get here as fast as I can, so I didn't get a chance to eat dinner." said Isoyama, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.

"It's fine. We're about to go to dinner ourselves. How about we eat together?" asked Tsube.

"Okay! But..." said Isoyama, looking at her drum set.

'It would be a pain to bring your instrument to a restaurant. It will take too much space and be too much of a hassle to bring it everywhere especially if it's the drums.' thought Ayanokouji.

"How about I ask the owner if we can leave our instruments here, so we can get some dinner?" asked Tanihara. The other band members agreed and Tanihara left the table to find the owner. While Tanihara was gone, the other band members seemed to be engaging in small talk and asking some questions to Isoyama to try and get to know her better. After a few minutes, Tanihara came back.

"The owner said we can leave our instruments behind and he'll get the staff to move it into the back room." said Tanihara.

"Do we just leave it behind now?" asked Nakajima.

"Yep. A staff member is coming right now."

The group decided to wait until the staff member arrives, just to be safe and not leave their instruments behind without any supervision. After a minute, a staff member approached the group. The group thanked him as they left all of their instruments behind and made their way to the exit.

"Hey. Where should we go?" asked Nakajima.

"I don't know, but let's look around." said Isoyama. The group exited the music store, but Ayanokouji stopped following the group. The group noticed and turned towards Ayanokouji.

"You girls should go without me. I'm not part of the band and playing alongside you. You guys should go without me and get to know each other better." said Ayanokouji.

"But..." started Tsube.

"Are you sure, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Nakajima.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it. I'll still help you guys, but at least get to know each other more." said Ayanokouji.

"Okay. Let me add Tsube-san and Isoyama-san to our band group chat before you leave." said Tanihara. The two girls quickly pulled out their phones and exchanged contact information with Tanihara. Ayanokouji's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to find a notification that said Tsube and Isoyama have joined the band group chat.

"All right. I'll be leaving now. See you guys." said Ayanokouji.

"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun." said the group. Ayanokouji left the group and headed towards the convenience store to pick up some dinner. He figured that he could spare a few points and it's closer and more convenient for him to get dinner here than back at his dorms. Ayanokouji entered the convenience store and began looking for some items for his dinner. After a few minutes of searching, Ayanokouji grabbed some onigiris, fried chicken, a cup noodle, and a green tea. Ayanokouji was pouring some hot water into his cup noodles after purchasing his dinner. He didn't realize that convenience stores have so many services provided and wondered how convenient it would be.

Ayanokouji exited the store and sat down at a bench outside of the convenience store and began eating his noodles. After a few minutes of eating, Ayanokouji was almost done with his noodles and began finishing drinking the broth. His phone buzzed and Ayanokouji set down his cup noodles on the bench before pulling his phone out. It was a message from Shiranami.

Shiranami: Ayanokouji-kun, I need your help... Please come to my room... please...

Shiranami: Floor 7, Room 21.

Ayanokouji immediately knew what the problem with Shiranami was and knew how dire the situation was. He quickly finished his cup noodles and disposed of it in a nearby trash can before making his way towards the dorms. After about 10 minutes of walking, Ayanokouji arrived at the dorms and entered the elevator, selecting the 7th floor. After a brief moment of waiting, Ayanokouji arrived at the 7th floor. It took a few minutes for Ayanokouji to find Shiranami's room and he gently knocked on the door.

"C-come in. T-the door is unlocked..." said Shiranami, in a weak and quiet voice that Ayanokouji could barely hear. Ayanokouji entered the Shiranami's room and found the entire room dark. Shiranami had covered all of her windows and prevented any light from coming into the room. Ayanokouji can barely see anything, but can make out a faint outline of the room. Ayanokouji approached the light switch of the room and reached for the switch, but hesitated.

"Shiranami, do you want me to turn on the lights?" asked Ayanokouji.

"N-no. P-please don't. I d-don't w-want you..." said Shiranami.

"I can't see you. How about I turn on the lamp instead?"

"O-okay..."

Ayanokouji made his way towards Shiranami's bed and managed to find the bedside table. Ayanokouji managed to find the lamp and switch to turn it on. The light illuminates the room slightly and makes the room more visible. Ayanokouji could see that Shiranami had been crying for a while as her eyes were red and puffy. He still could see the tears running down her face which was still moist.

"It's okay to cry more, you know." said Ayanokouji.

"B-but... I-i've been doing that..." stammered Shiranami.

"Just do it. There's no shame in that."

With those words, Shiranami began to cry as Ayanokouji sat down on her bed. It was painful to watch a girl with a broken heart especially when the girl is experiencing that pain for the first time. Ayanokouji wondered if he would ever experience that sort of pain.

'The courage to confess one's feelings to someone you truly love requires a great amount of strength to do. But it was destroyed before Shiranami had the chance to bloom that love. I wonder how Shiranami is feeling. Was she feeling anger, regret, sadness, despair, or any other emotions after this rejection? How will Shiranami recover from this? Will she start to despise Ichinose or will everything return to normal? I have so many questions, but one thing is certain. The bawling mess known as Shiranami will start to change now, especially her relationship with Ichinose.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Cry all you want. Just let it all out." said Ayanokouji, encouraging Shiranami to cry even more. Ayanokouji had a feeling that if anyone from Class B was here instead of him, they would try to comfort Shiranami which is the opposite of Ayanokouji. He purposely wanted Shiranami to cry and face the entire situation herself rather than comforting her and providing false hope and words of encouragement to her.

'Cry. Cry until your eyes are red and irritated. Cry until you cannot cry anymore. Drown your thoughts with your screams of anguish and misery. Cry. Cry. Cry to distract yourself from your broken heart and disturbed thoughts. Just cry. Cry now and build yourself back up. So, once you find yourself in that situation, you won't be broken again. This won't kill you, Shiranami. It will only make you stronger. I wonder if you could do that, Shiranami. Would you fall over and never rise again after this hardship or build yourself back up and change? The decision is up to you.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji watched Shiranami cry as he sat there silently with no words spoken. Suddenly, Shiranami rushed in and hugged Ayanokouji which surprised Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji's shirt began to get wet due to Shiranami's tears as she began to bawl even more.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun..." muttered Shiranami in between her tears. Ayanokouji said nothing, but instead began stroking her hair. The duo stayed like that for about 10 minutes as Ayanokouji's shirt grew more and more wet due to Shiranami's tears.

After that, Ayanokouji could see that Shiranami was getting exhausted by her tired facial expression and the fact that she seemed to be running out of tears.

'I suppose that Shiranami has cried enough. She might not have enough tears left to cry.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji gently positioned Shiranami on her bed and covered her with her blanket. Then, he grabbed a box of tissues from the bedside table and offered it to her. Shiranami wiped her face and tears of it before placing the used tissues on the bedside table. Ayanokouji placed the tissue box back on the table and rubbed Shiranami's head again. He noticed that every time he did that, Shiranami seemed to be a little more calm, but she still had a devastated expression on her face.

"It hurts so much... What did I... do wrong?" asked Shiranami, gasping for air.

"Nothing. You did everything you could do. That's just how it is sometimes." said Ayanokouji.

"Y-yeah. I g-guess so..."

"You should get some sleep. There's school tomorrow."

"I-i don't know if I can... Can you p-please sleep over? P-please!"

Shiranami looked at Ayanokouji desperately. Ayanokouji could tell if he left, he would leaving Shiranami alone and it was a bad idea.

"Okay." replied Ayanokouji.

"P-promise to not leave me..." said Shiranami.

"I promise."

"T-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."

Shiranami reached out her hand towards Ayanokouji and gestured to him, to hold her hand. Ayanokouji obliged and with that, Shiranami closed her eyes. Ayanokouji could hear Shiranami's sniffling as he held her hand and watched her sleep. After around 15 minutes, Shiranami fell into a gentle sleep. Ayanokouji let go of her hand and took off his blazer which was soaked with Shiranami's tears. Ayanokouji turned off the lamp's lights and turned on his phone flashlight to get some light into the room without disturbing Shiranami's sleep. Then, he ate the rest of his dinner quietly without making much noise. After that, Ayanokouji turned off his flashlight and checked his phone for any messages.

There was a message from Shinohara, asking where he was since she was waiting by his room. He replied and told her that he's helping out someone and he won't be returning to his room anytime today. She asked him if it was a boy or a girl. Ayanokouji replied and said it was a boy to not overcomplicate the situation. Shinohara told him that she'll be coming to his room tomorrow instead of today and wished him good night before going silent.

There was another message from Horikita, talking about the case with Sudou. Apparently, she and Kushida worked together to try and find evidence and witnesses for Sudou's claim of self-defense. She also questioned why Ayanokouji was with Ichinose after school. Ayanokouji responded by telling her that Ichinose had agreed to help them with the case. Horikita was a little concerned about Ichinose's motives, but she trusted Ayanokouji's judgment and ability since he managed to get the help of Class B. They talked for a little bit about the case before Horikita said she's getting some sleep. Before sleeping, she asked if Ayanokouji would walk with her to school tomorrow to which Ayanokouji agreed.

Ayanokouji closed his phone and placed it on Shiranami's dining table before laying down on her coach. Within a few minutes, Ayanokouji drifted to sleep.

*Timeskip (next morning)*

Ayanokouji woke up early in the morning to an unfamiliar room before remembering what happened yesterday. He got up and went to Shiranami's kitchen. He looked around and found some ingredients to cook. Ayanokouji decided to make himself and Shiranami breakfast because judging from what happened yesterday, he assumed that Shiranami didn't eat any dinner and was busy crying. Ayanokouji grabbed the necessary ingredients out of the fridge and began cooking.

*Timeskip (45 minutes later)*

Shiranami woke up and smelled something delicious. The smell of food hit her nostril and she looked around. Shiranami saw an arrangement of food placed on the table with two bowls of rice placed on both sides of the table. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun..." called out Shiranami, a little confused and panicked after finding a freshly prepared breakfast with no Ayanokouji. She wondered if Ayanokouji broke his promise to her, but she heard a noise in the kitchen.

"Oh. You're awake, Shiranami. Feeling any better?" asked Ayanokouji, walking out of the kitchen with some dishes.

"Y-yeah. T-thanks to you." said Shiranami. "D-did you make all of this?"

"Yeah. You better hurry up. I don't want the food to get cold."

"O-okay. And A-Ayanokouji-kun..."

Shiranami was going to thank him for being there for her and helping her during her darkest day of her entire life, but just when she stared into Ayanokouji's eyes, something strange happened. Ayanokouji felt a sudden mind-numbing electric shock run through his entire body. It was a sensation that Ayanokouji is familiar with and has already experienced on multiple occasions. Shiranami's face became flustered as the words in her mouth got stuck in her mouth.

'Here it goes again.' thought Ayanokouji.
*

Soulmates

1) Horikita Suzune

2) Kushida Kikyou

3) Mii-chan

4) Tachibana Akane

5) Azuma Sana

6) Shinohara Satsuki

7) Onodera Kayano

8) Mori Nene

9) Hoshinomiya Chie

10) Ichihashi Ruri

11) Andou Sayo

12) Shiranami Chihiro

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Author-san here! Another one. This chapter is just a set-up with some action with a few more girls for our boy. I'm a big fan of using side characters and thanks to AbzuAzazel with his Harem of Side Characters. I liked his idea on Shiranami and I'll start to expand on it. Give him some love too!

I also decided to add a soulmate list, so people don't forget the number of soulmates Ayanokouji has.

This is the longest I have ever written with over 15.5k words in this chapter. Fuck! A reaction of this is going to kill Author-san. Say F for me.

Until next time, my dear readers.