Shiranami froze in mid-sentence as the words of gratitude got stuck in her throat and she couldn't seem to force it out. Shiranami's face became a ferocious color of red as the feelings for Ayanokouji seemed to come out of nowhere.
"Shiranami?" asked Ayanokouji, snapping out of the daze first before Shiranami. Unfortunately for Ayanokouji, he has already gotten used to this situation and could make his move before Shiranami. Shiranami got up from her bed and approached Ayanokouji.
"U-uhh... Oh! T-thank you, A-Ayanokouji-kun." stammered Shiranami.
"For what? I don't think I didn't anything too special."
"For being there for me and helping me."
"But-"
"P-please don't say things like that. Y-you really helped me. P-please don't discredit yourself like that."
Ayanokouji stayed silent and nodded his head. He decided to do something that he saw in anime and wondered if it would work. Ayanokouji reached out and began petting Shiranami's head. Shiranami froze and her face became flustered, but she seemed happy and at ease to Ayanokouji's touch. Ayanokouji continued this for a few moments before retracting his hand. Shiranami had a look of disappointment on her face before morphing back to normal.
"You should brush your teeth and get ready for school. Hurry up otherwise your breakfast is going to be cold." said Ayanokouji.
"O-okay. I'll be out in a couple of minutes." said Shiranami. She quickly scrambled to the bathroom and shut the door. It was quite loud and Shiranami lowered herself into a sitting position, her back leaning against the closed door. Shiranami covered her face in embarrassment and wondered what just happened.
Shiranami POV:
'No! What is happening?! I can't fall in love with Ayanokouji-kun. I always depended on him for advice and help. I can't be that selfish to fall in love with him after having a heart broken… It can't be happening! I always thought of him as someone dependable. Like an older brother figure. Someone mature and helpful to a person like me... Why is my heart acting like this?! It's almost similar to what I felt for Ichinose-san. No, I think it might be stronger…' thought Shiranami.
'Wait... Ayanokouji-kun just spent the night in my room... I can't believe that I asked him to do something like that! I might get in trouble and he saw me sleeping! What if someone finds this?! If Ichinose-san finds out... I can't imagine what will happen to me and Ayanokouji-kun. Ah... I need to calm down and stop thinking about this.' thought Shiranami.
Shiranami got up, turned on the sink, and splashed some cold water into her face in an attempt to calm herself and to snap herself back to her usual self. She wiped her face with a towel before reaching for the toothbrush.
'Have to act normal around him. Act normal around him. Act normal…' thought Shiranami.
While Shiranami was thinking about it, she seemed to forget that she was on a time limit and heard Ayanokouji calling for her.
"Shiranami. Are you okay? Breakfast is getting cold." said Ayanokouji. That snapped Shiranami out of her trance as she wiped her face dry.
"I-i'm coming..." replied Shiranami. She stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath before opening the door and walking out of the bathroom.
Ayanokouji POV:
Shiranami walked over to the dining table and took a seat across from Ayanokouji. The breakfast that Ayanokouji made is a traditional Japanese breakfast with rice, miso soup, grilled mackerel, pickled vegetables, and tamagoyaki.
"Itadakimasu." said the duo.
The duo began eating silently and Ayanokouji was seeing if his food is up to par or improved since last time. Shiranami took a bite of her breakfast before saying something.
"Wow! It's so good! You're a good cook, Ayanokouji-kun." said Shiranami.
"Thanks. It took a while for me to get good." replied Ayanokouji.
"I can tell."
'Not bad. I still need some improvement, but I suppose it's acceptable.' thought Ayanokouji.
The duo spent the rest of breakfast in silence as they ate the rest of their breakfast. Ayanokouji decided to give Shiranami some space and time by not talking and keeping silent. After the duo finished their breakfast, Shiranami and Ayanokouji argued whether he should wash the dishes. Shiranami argued that she should do it since Ayanokouji cooked breakfast for her. The duo compromised with Ayanokouji drying the dishes while Shiranami washed it. The duo spent a few minutes washing the dishes in silence before everything was cleaned and put away.
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. For breakfast and helping me clean up." said Shiranami.
"It's no problem. It would be rude for a guest to let their host do everything." said Ayanokouji.
"And... Thanks again for helping me last night."
"Are you ready?"
"Ready?"
"Ready to face Ichinose? To fulfill your promise for everything between the two of you to be normal?"
"Y-you know that?"
"Ichinose mentioned it briefly afterwards."
"I-I'm not sure, to be honest. I-I don't know what to do..."
"Everything is up to you. Your choice."
"..."
Shiranami fell into silence as she digested Ayanokouji's words. Ayanokouji could tell that she's trying to make up her mind, but couldn't at this moment.
"That's my advice to you. I'm going to leave now. Make sure to get dressed and ready for school." said Ayanokouji.
"O-okay. Thank you again." said Shiranami.
"Goodbye, Shiranami."
"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun."
Ayanokouji left Shiranami's room as he made sure that he has his school bag with him. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone nearby that saw him exit Shiranami's room and he made his way to the elevator and called it. After a few moments, the elevator arrived with a few students on board. They gave him a quizzical look as a male student coming from one of the girls' dorm floors. Ayanokouji ignored it and rode the elevator down where he has a morning walk with Horikita.
Ayanokouji exited the elevator and found Horikita leaning against a pillar, waiting for him.
"Hello, Horikita." said Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji-kun. Let's get going." said Horikita. The duo led the dorm building together and headed towards the school.
"How's progress?" asked Ayanokouji after a couple of minutes of brief silence.
"So far, there's nothing. Me and Kushida-san asked about her contacts with the other classes and there's nothing." replied Horikita.
"Did you come in contact with Class C?"
"Yes. Although, they are actively trying to avoid it completely."
"I see. What did Sudou say?"
"He said it happened at a special exam building and he swore that there was someone watching the fight."
"Is there any evidence of that?"
"Of course not. Sudou-kun only said he had a feeling which is not much to go off. It's also not valid evidence."
"I agree."
"I have a feeling there's something off with Kushida-san. I caught her giving me stares. Do you know anything about this?"
Ayanokouji was thinking about it for a moment and tried to remember all the times he was alone with Kushida. He didn't remember anything about her and Horikita, especially not anything strange. The only thing he remembered was that she and Horikita had a past together, but Kushida didn't elaborate further.
"No." replied Ayanokouji. "Did you do something?"
"How rude." said Horikita, giving him a karate chop to the side. He noticed that it wasn't as hard as before which meant less pain. He believed that Horikita was doing it in a more playful way and was glad that he wasn't in that much pain. Suddenly, his phone buzzed and Ayanokouji pulled it out. It was a message from Ichinose and he gave it a quick read before replying to it. Horikita looked at quizzically as Ayanokouji sent his response.
"By the way, Ayanokouji-kun, about Ichinose-san..." said Horikita.
"I was getting to it. I just got a message from Ichinose. She said she got some information regarding our trial with Class C." replied Ayanokouji.
"Are you sure we can trust Ichinose-san? She is from another class after all."
"Who knows? But, she asked for me to meet up with her during lunch to share the information she got."
"D-during lunch?!"
"Yes."
"If you don't mind... I would like to go with you."
"Hmm... are you sure?"
"Y-yes."
"Okay. I don't mind."
The duo continued talking about Sudou's case and what they know so far. While they were talking, Ayanokouji had some suspicions and decided to check out the special exam building later to confirm it.
"Hey. Did you check out the scene of the crime?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yes. Although, it was quite hot and there wasn't much evidence lying around." said Horikita. "Why?"
"Nothing. Just asking."
The duo fell into silence as they walked the rest of their way to the Class D classroom. Horikita and Ayanokouji entered the classroom together and sat down at their respective seats. Shinohara and Ichihashi both headed towards Ayanokouji's desk. They reported their findings which is not much and it was almost similar to what Horikita told him before. Then, the trio spent the rest of the time engaging in small talk. The home bell rang and the duo left and returned back to their seats.
'Let's see what Ichinose has for us.' thought Ayanokouji.
*Timeskip (lunchtime)*
Ayanokouji and Horikita left the classroom together and headed towards the meeting place that Ichinose said in the message this morning. Ichinose wanted to meet at the race track and the duo exited the school building, heading there. The duo arrived at the track and saw Ichinose and another boy already there waiting for them. Ichinose spotted Ayanokouji and Horikita, gave them a smile and a wave.
"Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Ichinose. Ayanokouji waved back in response before closing the distance between himself and Ichinose to speaking distance.
"Sorry for bringing someone else here, Ichinose. I hope you don't mind." said Ayanokouji.
"No. It's fine! I'm Ichinose Honami from Class B." said Ichinose, introducing herself.
"Horikita Suzune from Class D. Nice to meet you." said Horikita. She gave Ichinose a quick look before turning her attention towards the boy with Ichinose.
"Kanzaki Ryuji from Class B." said the boy, introducing himself. Ayanokouji could see that this boy had a stiff and serious demeanor which is a stark contrast to Ichinose. Ayanokouji and Kanzaki shook hands.
"I made a post yesterday in the school forums asking people to come forward with information about Class D's case. I said that if anyone witnessed a violent incident at our school, I'd like to hear about it." said Ichinose, showing Ayanokouji and Horikita her phone. Ayanokouji could see a post, but Ayanokouji doesn't check the school forums that often which explains why he missed it. He could see that the number of people that saw the post is still only in the dozens, which is more people than Ayanokouji asked.
'It was much more efficient than asking people directly. Also, the message posted to the homepage offered compensation to witnesses and people with helpful information.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Wait. You're offering a reward?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yep! If it's useful information, I'll compensate them with points." replied Ichinose.
"Why are you doing this? There's no merit for you to do this." said Horikita, a little suspicious by Ichinose's actions.
'It makes sense. There's no reason to help another class who is your enemy. I suppose we can take the help, but Class B would need something for us if they are willing to spend points on Class D.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Because it's the right thing to do." said Ichinose. It seemed that Ichinose had a high standard of ethics and morals compared to the average high school student.
"I can't help, but think you have an ulterior motive." said Horikita, still not convinced by Ichinose. Kanzaki stayed silent and seemed to be letting Ichinose handle this. Ayanokouji had a feeling that Kanzaki was also silently thinking about it as well.
"If Class B works with you, wouldn't that dramatically improve your credibility? Though I suppose the opposite could be true, too. Class D may suffer greater consequences if the truth's uncovered." said Ichinose.
'In other words, if Sudou lied, then that'd prove Class C's assertion. In that case, Sudou would unquestionably be suspended, and Class D might suffer fatal damages.' thought Ayanokouji.
"What do you think? I don't believe it's a bad suggestion." said Ayanokouji. He weighs the offer's positives and negatives. Obviously, Ayanokouji couldn't trust Ichinose yet. She was a student from Class B, and she gained nothing by involving herself. But, Ayanokouji believed that the positive outweighs the positive and he doubted Ichinose would do something underhanded or dirty based on his interactions with her.
'If helping others out of sheer goodwill was reflected in class or private points, then I could
understand her motivation. It wouldn't be easy to ask, but she might have important information.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji glanced at Horikita and the two made eye contact with each other. Ayanokouji was silently eying her and telling Horikita to trust him and to accept Ichinose's help. Horikita's eyes were a little suspicious and doubtful about Ichinose, but decided to agree since she trusted Ayanokouji's judgment. Ayanokouji could tell that Horikita was still a little suspicious, but is willing to see the character of Ichinose Honami during this investigation of Sudou's trial.
"Fine. We'll accept your help." said Horikita, begrudgingly.
"Yay! By the way, are you guys like partners?" asked Ichinose.
"Yes. We are." replied Ayanokouji. Horiktia had a slight blush when Ayanokouji said that, but she nodded.
"I see." said Ichinose. "Did you find anything interesting or helpful, Kanzaki-kun?"
Kanzaki was scrolling through his phone while Horikita was deciding whether or not to accept the help.
"Somewhat. Scroll down a little bit and there's two posts about it." said Kanzaki. Ichinose nodded and she scrolled down before finding the post.
"Ah!" said Ichinose. She was reading the message before having a slight smile on her face. Then, she turned the phone towards Ayanokouji and Horikita, so they can read it themselves.
"It looks like one of the boys from Class C, Ishizaki-kun, was a bad seed in junior high. He was good at fighting, and terrorized the locals. A kid from his hometown probably leaked this." said Ichinose.
"Interesting." muttered Kanzaki. Horikita and Ayanokouji both agreed with him.
'Everyone had assumed that the three students Sudou fought were normal kids. However, if
they were troublemakers too, then that was a different story. As for the other two, being basketball players meant they probably had good motor skills. Yet Sudou had turned the tables, and beat them all without once being hit himself. I couldn't help but feel there was something unnatural about that.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Kanzaki-kun, what do you think?" asked Ichinose. It seemed that Ichinose was a leader that listened to everyone's opinions and Kanzaki was more of Ichinose's right hand man.
"Perhaps they let Sudou beat them up on purpose. If the three of them had wanted to set a trap for Sudou, the story would make perfect sense. The connection seems natural." said Kanzaki.
"Yeah, I think so too. I knew you'd figure it out, Kanzaki-kun. Great work. If we can verify this information, then we could be one step closer to proving Sudou-kun's innocence. But what we have is still pretty weak, isn't it?" replied Ichinose.
"I agree with that. Even if we managed to convince people with this new evidence, we're really only halfway there. The fact that it was such a one-sided fight definitely puts a lot of pressure on us." said Horikita, frowning. Those messages seemed to have left Horikita thinking about it.
"Anyways, I'd like to transfer points to the person that provides us with information. It looks like they did it anonymously. How do you transfer points?" asked Ichinose, tapping her phone.
"I know. Do you know the person's number?" asked Ayanokouji.
"It's a toll-free number, but I remember it."
Ichinose drew closer to Ayanokouji as she handed the phone and Ayanokouji could feel Ichinose's big breasts pressed against the side of his body. Ayanokouji could smell a pleasant scent from Ichinose, but Ayanokouji ignored it and began tapping on Ichinose's phone and showing her how to do it. On the other hand, Horikita had a slightly flustered face as she glared at Ichinose, especially her assets which Horikita had no hope of beating. Kanzaki just sighed at Ichinose's cluelessness.
'Yikes. What is she doing? This girl has her guard totally down. Being this near to somebody usually made people feel defenseless. I'd thought that a girl wouldn't want a man to be in her intimate space.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji instructed her to open up the points remittance screen and use her ID number. As soon as Ichinose followed his instruction, he saw something interesting on Ichinose's points page. Then, he told her to issue a temporary token key and send the key to the number, requesting for a payment.
"I see. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Ichinose.
"No problem." replied Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji-kun, it's time for us to go." said Horikita. Ayanokouji nodded.
"I'll keep you updated if I get more information." said Ichinose, waving to them. Kanzaki gave them a nod in farewell and the duo of Ayanokouji and Horikita left Ichinose and Kanzaki at the race track.
'For a split second, I saw something interesting on Ichinose's phone. I wonder how she got so many of those points.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji-kun." said Horikita.
"What?" replied Ayanokouji.
"I think we need to recheck the special exam building."
"You want to check it again?"
"Yes. I think we're missing something, but I'm not sure. This new information... We should be proving that Class C wants Sudou to beat them up."
"Okay. I was going to check that place anyway. Let's do it... partner."
"Yes..."
With a slight blush on her face, Horikita and Ayanokouji walked back into the school building. On the way, Ayanokouji decided to stop by the cafeteria and grab some lunch since he didn't have the chance. Horikita decided to go back to the classroom since she made a bento and didn't bring it with her.
"I'll see you later, Ayanokouji-kun. Remember, let's go to the special exam building after school." said Horikita. Ayanokouji nodded and the duo parted ways. Ayanokouji entered the cafeteria, bought a meal ticket, exchanged it for his meal, and found an empty table to sit.
"Itadakimasu." said Ayanokouji. With that, Ayanokouji began eating his meal and filling up his empty stomach. After a few minutes, Ayanokouji heard someone sitting down at his table.
"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun." said Sonoda.
"Sonoda? What are you doing here?" asked Ayanokouji, a little confused and surprised that Sonoda came to him.
"Just want to tell you something."
"Something?"
"I don't want to accidentally cause any more trouble for you. But..."
Sonoda hesitated for a moment which left Ayanokouji confused. He decided to wait until Sonoda said something.
"A-are you dating... Hasebe-san?" asked Sonoda.
"Eh?" said Ayanokouji, clearly not expecting this from Sonoda. It was an unexpected question and he wondered why Sonoda was asking it.
"No." replied Ayanokouji, still a little confused.
"But... I saw something interesting yesterday." replied Sonoda.
"Yesterday?"
"Yeah. I saw you and Hasebe-san at a restaurant together and you said that she's your girlfriend."
'So, it's from yesterday. Looks like Sonoda was at the wrong place at the wrong time.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Ah, I see. I was saved from a predatory senpai, so I told him that Hasebe was my girlfriend." replied Ayanokouji.
"I see. I didn't want to tell Kushida-chan about it if it's not true or you're hiding your relationship. Don't want a repeat of what happened last time." said Sonoda, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.
"I appreciate you talking to me first."
'I also don't want another incident as well. Last time, I had most of my soulmates waiting for me in my room. I don't want another incident like that again.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Sorry for asking you something like that." said Sonoda.
"Don't worry about it. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time." said Ayanokouji. " And thanks for not telling Kushida."
Sonoda gave him a smile and understanding nod as she realized that she was the cause of what happened last time.
"Well see you, Ayanokouji-kun." said Sonoda, getting up from his seat.
"Bye, Sonoda." replied Ayanokouji, giving a wave. Sonoda quickly disappeared from Ayanokouji's line of sight and melted into the cafeteria's crowd. Ayanokouji spent the rest of the lunch time in the cafeteria, finishing his lunch.
'I hope another incident like this will happen again. It seems that Sonoda is at the wrong place at the wrong time.' thought Ayanokouji.
*Timeskip (after school)*
Ayanokouji and Horikita made their way to the special exam building as soon as class was over. They arrived at the building and Ayanokouji found the temperature to be hot and humid. Ayanokouji and Horikita both walked to the end of the hallway and scanned the corners, making sure not to miss any nooks or crannies. Ayanokouji seemed to notice something and began looking around.
"Looks like there aren't any here. Too bad." said Ayanokouji.
"Huh? What?" asked Horikita.
"Cameras, like the ones in the classrooms. If there were cameras here, we'd have solid evidence. I can't find any."
"Ah, yes. The security cameras. You're certainly right about it. If they were here, this matter would be settled."
'There were electrical outlets by the ceiling, but no signs they were being used. There was nothing in the hallway to obstruct a camera's view, so if one were installed the whole incident would have been recorded from start to finish.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Well, did the school have hallway cameras in the first place?"
'It probably wasn't just the special building. The hallways in the main school buildings probably didn't have cameras, either.' thought Ayanokouji.
"If I had to think of places where they wouldn't be installed, I'd probably say the bathrooms and the locker rooms. Right?" said Ayanokouji.
"Yeah. Most likely." replied Horikita.
"If there were security cameras here, the school would have checked them first and we wouldn't have any problems with this case."
For a short while, the duo loitered around, wasting time and not really achieving anything. Ayanokouji had suspicions cleared up and began to form a new plan to get out of this situation.
"So, have you come up with a plan to save Sudou-kun?" asked Horikita.
"Of course, I haven't yet. I won't ask you to save Sudou, but it'd be nice for you to point Class D in the right direction." replied Ayanokouji.
Horikita shrugged in exasperation and was probably thinking up a response.
"We still don't have any leads. There are no cameras here and it's too hot here." grumbled Horikita.
"Yeah." replied Ayanokouji, opening the window. This allowed a fresh refreshing breeze of cold air to enter the hot and humid building.
"It's also an isolated spot with no cameras. A perfect spot to set a trap for Sudou-kun."
"I agree with that. Sudou has many qualities I can't stomach. However, I want to lessen
the blame they're placing upon him. The best possible outcome is we'll still have some points, even if Class D's image worsens."
"Unless a perfect witness appears, proving Sudou-kun's innocence will be impossible. If those Class C students admitted that they lied, I suppose things might turn out fine. Do you think that's likely?"
"No way. They would never admit it."
'The lie would stand, especially because the other class also lacked any evidence. That was what I thought, anyway. Our only proof was Sudou's word. We were completely in the dark.' thought Ayanokouji.
"There's no one here after class." said Ayanokouji.
"Well, that's obvious. They only use the special building for club activities." replied Horikita. "No witnesses."
'One party, either Sudou or the Class C students, had summoned the other to the special building. After that, as if by destiny, the two enemies started brawling. In the end, Sudou had injured the others, and they'd complained about it. That was the whole case. I definitely wouldn't come to a hot place like this unless someone had brought me. The humidity was suffocating. I felt like if I stayed even a few more minutes, my train of thoughts would be lost... Wait…' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji and Horikita decided to go back since there's nothing else to do. They also don't want to stay in the heat and Ayanokouji closed the window before the duo walked towards the exit. They rounded the corner and bumped into someone.
"Ah." yelped a girl.
"Oops!" said Ayanokouji. "Sorry, are you okay?"
The impact of our collision wasn't very hard. At the very least, no one fell over, but Ayanokouji heard a loud noise hitting the ground. It sounded like something that hit the ground hard and broke.
"Yeah. I'm sorry. I was careless." said the girl.
"Oh no, I'm sorry. Wait...Sakura?" said Ayanokouji.
"Ah, um?"
Judging from her troubled response, she didn't know who Ayanokouji was. After staring for a moment, she seemed to recognize him as one of her classmates.
"Ah, oh. Well, you see... My hobby is taking pictures, so..." said Sakura.
Sakura showed Ayanokouji her phone's screen. Ayanokouji hadn't really planned on asking for details. Ayanokouji looked at the ground and saw a camera with some broken pieces on the ground. He realized that she was using the broken camera rather than her phone.
"You said it's your hobby? What kind of pictures?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Things like the hallway...and the view outside the window. Stuff like that, I guess." replied Sakura.
"I'm sorry about your camera."
"Ah, um... I got a warranty for the camera, so the store can fix it."
"I see."
"I have something I'd like to ask you, Sakura-san." said Horikita. Sakura appeared uncomfortable, but Horikita, never one to pass up on an opportunity, stepped closer to her. Sakura backed away, seemingly frightened. Ayanokouji tried to gently restrain Horikita, gesturing for her to stop chasing Sakura.
"G-goodbye." stammered Sakura.
"Sakura." called Ayanokouji as she tried to hasten away. "You don't have to force yourself."
Ayanokouji spoke without thinking. Sakura stopped, but didn't turn around.
"F-force myself?" asked Sakura.
"Whatever is in your mind. You don't have to force yourself to think about it at the time. Sometimes it's best to tell someone than carry the burden around." said Ayanokouji.
"O-okay. I-i'll keep that in mind."
"Here's my number. If you want to talk or something wrong with the camera."
Ayanokouji showed her his phone with his contact information and Sakura shakily saved Ayanokouji's contact information to her phone.
"T-thank you." said Sakura before retreating meekly down the stairs.
Ayanokouji turned around and saw Horikita giving him a glare.
"Something wrong, Horikita?" asked Ayanokouji.
"You didn't have to... do that for Sakura-san." said Horikita.
"I feel bad for being partly responsible for breaking her camera."
"I know, but..."
Horikita seemed to have a hard time saying what she wanted to say. Ayanokouji looked directly at Horikita, catching her a little off-guard.
"Horikita. Don't worry about it. I think I'm starting to see a solution to Sudou's trial." said Ayanokouji.
"W-what?! Does it have to do with Sakura-san?" asked Horikita, a little taken back by this sudden statement.
"Sort of. Let me deal with this for now."
"But-"
Horikita and Ayanokouji locked eyes for a few moments. Horikita blushed a little bit, but ultimately decided to trust Ayanokouji and leave the rest to him.
"O-okay. I'll look into some other stuff for trial and prepare Sudou-kun for it." said Horikita.
"Okay. When is the trial?" asked Ayanokouji.
"In 2 days."
"I see."
'Tomorrow is Saturday and Monday is the trial. I believe there's not much time to gather evidence for the trial.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Let's go back." said Ayanokouji. Horikita nodded and the duo left the special exam building. They found a bench outside of the school and sat down for a quick break. Horikita sat down and stared off into the subway nearby. She seemed to be thinking about something and Ayanokouji presumed it's most likely Sudou's trial. Ayanokouji remained silent as Horikita was lost in thought. After a few moments of silence, Horikita spoke up.
"Ayanokouji-kun, there is something I wish to confide in you." said Horikita.
"Okay. Go ahead." replied Ayanokouji.
"I-it's..."
Horikita looked a little hesitant to tell Ayanokouji, but after a few more moments of silence, Horikita cleared her throat.
"I-i'm a little scared to face Nii-san during the trial." said Horikita.
"I see." replied Ayanokouji.
'It was true that most likely Horikita Manabu would be overseeing the trial due to his position as student council president. It means Horikita will need to face her brother again after what happened on that fateful night. Will Horikita be able to face her brother with her usual attitude or will she show her changes?' thought Ayanokouji.
"In my honest opinion, I believe it's best if you face your brother even though you have some anxieties." said Ayanokouji.
"You think so?" asked Horikita.
"Yes. Show him that you've changed for the better. Remember he expects great things from you."
Ayanokouji didn't know if Horikita's older brother thought that, but after meeting him briefly, Ayanokouji was certain that her brother cared for Horikita greatly. Although, Ayanokouji found it strange that he was pushing Horikita away from him.
"That's reassuring. Ayanokouji-kun... do you mind if you come to the trial with me?" asked Horikita, with a slightly flustered face. "It's not what you think... I just want someone familiar to be there with me. Of course, I would have asked Kushida-san if you refused my offer."
"I'm okay with it." replied Ayanokouji.
"R-really?!"
"Yes."
"T-thank you."
Horikita gave Ayanokouji a small smile which he found cute and was a little unsettled by her unusual, but happy show of affection.
"It's getting late. Are you coming?" asked Ayanokouji.
"No. I... have some things to think about." replied Horikita, looking off into the distance.
"I see. I'll be leaving."
"Good night, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Good night, Horikita."
Horikita gave him one final look before staring at the ground and seemed to be lost in thought. Ayanokouji gave her one last look before heading towards the dorms.
After a few minutes of walking, Ayanokouji is rapidly approaching the dorms when he sees someone familiar, walking towards the dorms as well and are on the same path. It was Yajima.
"Hi... is it Ayanokouji-kun?" said Yajima.
"Yes. Hello, Yajima." said Ayanokouji.
"It's been a while, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Well, things are getting a little too troublesome, you know. Exams and stuff. Little time for me to sleep during class."
Yajima gave out a laugh and Ayanokouji listened in silence. He wondered why Yajima was so friendly towards him even though their classes are in conflict with each other. He wondered if she was sent by Class C to spy on him or to get him to lower his guard. Ayanokouji decided to be on guard around Yajima since he didn't spend too much time with her and doesn't know how she thinks and acts.
"I suppose." said Ayanokouji.
"You seemed kinda... like you're on edge." said Yajima.
"Well... our classes are in conflict with each other."
"Oh. I guess it'll be weird for us to talk, but I think it's fine. It's not like we're doing anything wrong."
"Yeah, but we might be looked down unfavorably by our classmates."
"Yeah, but haters gonna just hate."
It seemed that Yajima didn't seem to care, but Ayanokouji is still on guard.
"I'm surprised that you're not passing out or falling asleep." said Ayanokouji.
"Well, I took a nap during my last period, so I got some energy left in me!" said Yajima.
"I see."
The duo fell into silence as they continued walking towards the dorms. Ayanokouji watched other students walking past them or heading towards the direction of the Keyaki Mall instead of the dorms. After nearly making it into the dorm, Yajima started to stumble a little bit before Ayanokouji gently grabbed and steady her.
"Are you okay?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yeah. Kind of tired. But, I think I can make it to my room." said Yajima, blinking her eyes in an attempt to keep herself awake. Ayanokouji nodded and let her go. Yajima stumbled a little bit before the duo entered the dorm building. Ayanokouji called the elevator as Yajima leaned against the wall to stabilize herself.
"Hey. Let's talk to keep me awake." said Yajima.
"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Really anything."
"Okay."
Ayanokouji and Yajima talk about their slow, but peaceful life. Although they both knew that wasn't true due to their class conflict, they enjoyed talking about the peaceful and slow life of the first month before anything about the true nature of the school got revealed. The elevator arrived at their level and the duo entered the elevator. Ayanokouji selected the 4th floor while Yajima selected the 7th floor and the duo waited in silence before the elevator opened up to the 4th floor.
"See you around, Ayanokouji-kun." said Yajima.
"See you, Yamjima." replied Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji turned and headed towards his room. He heard the elevator's doors closed behind him as he got further away from the elevator. Ayanokouji entered his room and set down his school bag before turning towards the kitchen.
'It's time to cook.' thought Ayanokouji.
*Timeskip (a hour later)*
Ayanokouji was sitting at his dining table and eating some wonton noodles. He used some of the wontons that Mii-chan made for him. While he was eating, he was texting some of his soulmates and other girls. Shinohara told him that she wanted to visit his room tomorrow for a study session. Onodera asked if he's available this weekend. Andou asked if he's busy on Sunday. Before Ayanokouji could respond, he got a text from Morofuji.
Morofuji: Ayanokouji-kun... can we please talk?
Ayanokouji: Sure.
Morofuji: You're not busy?
Ayanokouji: No.
Morofuji: Thank goodness.
Morofuji: It's been a few days we talked, but...
Ayanokouji: Yeah.
Ayanokouji and Morofuji had been talking for a bit via text. They had conversations about trivial things and it seemed that Morofuji is slowly warming up to Ayanokouji, but they still haven't had a conversation with words rather they still used text.
Morofuji: Ayanokouji-kun... I want to try calling you.
Ayanokouji: Really? Are you sure about this?
Morofuji: Yes.
Ayanokouji: Of course. Go ahead.
Ayanokouji was a little surprised by Morofuji's sudden request. She had never had a full conversation with Ayanokouji, but this time she's trying to actively move forward which he found commendable. After a long silence, Ayanokouji's phone buzzed and he answered the phone.
"Hello." said Ayanokouji. After a few moments of brief silence, Ayanokouji could hear Morofuji whimpering and let loose a sharp gasp. It sounded like she's trying to keep herself from screaming and crying, but Ayanokouji could hear the fear in her voice as she spoke.
"H-hi..." said Morofuji in a quiet and shaky voice. Ayanokouji could barely hear her voice and it was more quiet than a whisper. Ayanokouji had to strain his ears to pick up her sound and it sounded like she's trying to fade into the background because no more sound came from her side of the line.
"I'm glad that you called, Morofuji. Are you okay?" asked Ayanokouji.
There was a few minutes of silence from Morofuji's line, but Ayanokouji could faintly hear Morofuji. It seemed that she's far away from her phone, but Ayanokouji could faintly hear Morofuji's ragged breath and some noises that resembled screaming. After that, he could hear some soft sniffles and heavy breathing coming from Morofuji. The sound got louder as Ayanokouji predicted that Morofuji was approaching the phone. Before he could say anything, the line went dead as Morofuji cut off the call. Ayanokouji just stared at his phone and after a few minutes, a message from Morofuji arrived.
Morofuji: I'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I thought I could handle it...
Ayanokouji: That's no need for an apology. Just making a call with me is enough.
Morofuji: I'm so pathetic.
Ayanokouji: Perhaps. But, making an attempt to converse with me when you have never done it before makes you strong. Stronger than you ever were.
Morofuji: T-thank you... for making me feel better. But, it's fine. I'm so... pathetic.
Ayanokouji: Don't worry about it. It's fine.
There was a long pause before Morofuji sent another text.
Morofuji: I'm feeling a little better now...
Ayanokouji: Okay. I think that's enough excitement for tonight.
Morofuji: Yeah...
Morofuji: Thanks for doing this.
Ayanokouji: It's okay. I accepted this request.
Morofuji: Hey, Ayanokouji-kun... am I allowed to text you again?
Ayanokouji: Anytime.
Morofuji: Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. When I'm better... and stronger, can we call again?
Ayanokouji: Yes. I'm looking forward to it.
Morofuji: Looking forward?
Ayanokouji: It's nice to talk to a cute girl like you.
Ayanokouji attempted a light-hearted joke to ease Morofuji and hopefully give her a confidence boost. Unfortunately, Ayanokouji's message confused Morofuji and caused her to be flustered.
'E-eh?! Is Ayanokouji-kun hitting on me?! I can't do this! I-it'll open a wound. A wound that will never heal and leaves a scar... I-i can't do this!' Maybe I shouldn't talk to Ayanokouji-kun ever! thought Morofuji.
Morofuji: A-Ayanokouji-kun?!
Ayanokouji: Sorry. I didn't mean to like it. Just trying to cheer you up.
Morofuji: That's a terrible joke.
Ayanokouji: Sorry again. Please forget about it.
Morofuji: Maybe Saki was right about you.
Ayanokouji: What did Yamashita say about me?
Morofuji: Oh nothing too important.
Ayanokouji: I see.
Morofuji: Have a good night, Ayanokouji-kun.
Ayanokouji: Good night, Morofuji.
Morofuji took a sigh of relief as she realized that Ayanokouji was making a terrible joke and it could be something that can be misinterpreted. She remembered what Yamashita said about Ayanokouji: a dense protagonist.
After his interaction with Morofuji, Ayanokouji set down his phone and finished the remainder of his dinner. After a few more minutes, he left his phone on the table and went to the kitchen to wash his dishes. After that, Ayanokouji went to take a shower to freshen up. After a couple of minutes, Ayanokouji walked out of the bathroom with his comfortable clothes before picking up his phone. He sat down on his couch and turned on the TV with the intention to watch more of K-on.
'It's not a bad show. I prefer Mio out of the other girls, but it's quite a fun show of the daily lives of high school girls.' thought Ayanokouji.
After about 2 episodes, Ayanokouji heard a buzz coming from his phone. He paused the TV and took a look. It was a message from Sakura.
Sakura: A-Ayanokouji-kun...
Ayanokouji: Hello, Sakura.
Sakura: Ah! Good evening.
Ayanokouji: Good evening.
There was a brief moment of silence where it seemed that Sakura was away from the keyboard and not texting Ayanokouji.
Sakura: I-it's about my camera.
Ayanokouji: I see. How bad is the damage? I'll pay for it.
Sakura: N-no! It's fine. The camera has a warranty!
Ayanokouji: I see. Then, everything is fine?
Sakura: Y-yeah. Just wanted to let you know.
Ayanokouji: Okay. Thanks for telling me.
There were brief moments of silence as Sakura seemed to be typing with the little icon of a speech bubble and an ellipsis. Based on what Ayanokouji knew and his interactions with her, he knew that Sakura is a quiet and socially awkward person that had trouble communicating with others. Even Kushida didn't have too much information on Sakura, which was rare. After waiting for a bit, Sakura finally sent her message.
Sakura: A-Ayanokouji-kun... d-do you mind if you can come with me tomorrow to the camera store?
Ayanokouji: Camera store?
Ayanokouji: I have no problem with it since I was partly responsible to your damaged camera.
Sakura: R-really?!
Ayanokouji: Yes. Where and what time?
Sakura: A-t the entrance of the Keyaki Mall. A-around 10 AM?
Ayanokouji: Okay. Sakura... do you mind if an extra person comes with us?
There was another brief moment of silence before Sakura replied.
Sakura: S-someone?
Ayanokouji: Yes. I want to ask Kushida to join us.
Sakura: O-okay.
Ayanokouji: Are you sure?
Sakura: Y-yes.
Ayanokouji: I'll let her know.
Sakura: Okay.
Ayanokouji closed out of his conversation with Sakura and sent Kushida a text, asking her if she wanted to join him tomorrow with Sakura. Ayanokouji wanted Kushida to join because he didn't want another incident where he gets spotted with another girl and gets jealous glares from his soulmates. By inviting Kushida, it will look like a group of people hanging out rather than a date. After a few moments, Kushida responded immediately and agreed to it. Ayanokouji sent Kushida the location and time to which Kushida gave him a thumbs up. Ayanokouji opened his chat with Sakura and sent her a new message.
Ayanokouji: Sakura. Kushida agreed to it.
Sakura: G-good. See you tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun.
Ayanokouji: Good night, Sakura.
Ayanokouji closed his phone and turned his attention back to his TV to continue watching his anime.
*Timeskip (1.5 hours)*
Ayanokouji closed his TV after finishing more episodes of K-on. He is almost done with the series and he was messaging Yamashita. According to Yamashita, K-on ends with a movie and she has the physical copy of the movie. They made plans to watch and finish it together. Ayanokouji looked at the clock and figured he should get something to drink before going to sleep. He exited his dorm and made his way to the elevator. He entered the elevator after a few moments of waiting, selecting the ground floor.
After arriving at the ground level, Ayanokouji headed to the dorm's cafeteria. There was a cafeteria in the dorms that was similar to the school's cafeteria. But, there were a few differences: limited food selection on the menu and the kitchen opens during certain times. There wasn't going to be a staff in the kitchen all the time. Luckily, even though the kitchen is closed, there were a few vending machines available in the cafeteria. Ayanokouji got bottled water and took a seat at one of the empty tables. He noticed that the kitchen is still open, but he read that it will close in 10 minutes. He saw a few groups of students eating dinner or just hanging out. Ayanokouji slowly took sips from his bottled water and enjoyed his peace and quiet. Just when he thought everything was quiet, someone approached him.
"Hey! You're the guy with Ichinose-san!" said the girl.
"Yes." replied Ayanokouji, a little confused by the girl's sudden appearance.
"Ah! What are my manners? I'm Tsukabe Hitomi from Class B. I hope God will forgive my rudeness." said Tsukabe. Tsukabe has long blonde hair running down her shoulders and back tied into a single braid. She had sparkling green eyes and wore a cross pendant. Ayanokouji assumed that she was half Japanese due to her looks and she seemed to be quite religious. Tsukabe gave a quick prayer before turning to Ayanokouji.
"Sorry about that... uhh..." said Tsukabe.
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." said Ayanokouji.
"I see Ayanokouji-kun! Nice to meet you."
"Pleasure is all mine."
"Ah... pleasure... you and me..."
Tsukabe's face morphed to one of desire and perversion. It reminded him of Ike and Yamauchi when they were talking about girls' bodies. Her face is slightly flustered and eyes full of desire as a little drool comes out of her mouth.
"Tsukabe?" said Ayanokouji, a little surprised and confused by this sudden display of lust.
"Ah, sorry Ayanokouji-kun! Please forgive me, God. I have a curiosity about these kinds of things." said Tsukabe, holding her cross.
"I see."
"Please don't mind it. Unless... you want to do it~"
"I'll pass."
Tsukabe sat down across from Ayanokouji as he took another sip of water.
"I'm just a little curious about you. I saw you with Andou-san, Chihiro-chan, and Ichinose-san as well." said Tsukabe. "You don't seem to be a bad guy."
"I see. Thanks for that." said Ayanokouji.
"For what?"
"Normally, people just give me strange looks for being with that many girls."
"Haha. I guess so! But, you're pretty nice based on the things I heard from you."
"Heard?"
"Ah! Please forget about that. I promised not to tell!"
"Okay. I believe that I misheard something then."
Ayanokouji wondered who was talking to him and he had a feeling that it might be Andou and Shiranami who were his soulmates and might talk positively about him. On the other hand, Ichinose doesn't seem like the type of person to badmouth someone behind their back.
"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun." said Tsukabe, miming wiping her sweat away. The duo talked for a bit about trivial things. Based on what Ayanokouji could gather about Tsukabe, she seemed to be the usual friendly Class B student, but he could sense something was off with her. A contradiction between a religious and pure girl to a perverted girl based on what happened earlier.
"I'm going back now, Ayanokouji-kun. Are you coming?" asked Tsukabe.
"Yeah." said Ayanokouji, sipping the rest of his water. He quickly got up from his seat and threw his empty water bottle into the recycling bin before returning back to Tsukabe.
"Ayanokouji-kun... coming into my room with me. Heehee~"
Tsukabe's face morphed yet again to a perverted and thirsty face as she stared at Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji could see the little hearts in her eyes before he cleared his throat. He couldn't tell if Tsukabe wanted to do something perverted with him or was just joking, but he clearly didn't want to find out. Suddenly, Tsukabe's flustered face twitched as she cleared her throat and regained some control over her lust. Her face was still flustered, but with embarrassment rather than lust.
"S-sorry about that. Please forgive me and my transgressions, God." said Tsukabe. "I'm really losing myself here. Heehee~"
"Okay." said Ayanokouji, trying not to bring up the topic again while maintaining his blank face. The duo left the cafeteria and waited for the elevator to arrive.
"T-thanks for that." said Tsukabe, with a slightly flustered face in embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it." said Ayanokouji, understanding what she meant by it. Of course, Ayanokouji didn't want to bring up a sudden perverted side of her because it's not his place and he didn't want to accidentally get Tsukabe into a perverted mood again.
The elevator arrived and the duo entered before selecting their floors. The elevator played a cheerful tune as the elevator began to rise. The duo fell into silence for the rest of the elevator trip up. The elevator stopped at the 4th floor where Ayanokouji will disembark.
"Good night, Tsukabe." said Ayanokouji.
"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun." said Tsukabe.
Ayanokouji walked back to his dorm and decided to go to sleep earlier.
*Timeskip (next morning)*
Ayanokouji is walking towards the Keyaki Mall. It's almost time for his meeting with Sakura and he decided to go there early. Ayanokouji arrived at the location and waited for a few minutes. While he was looking at his phone, he noticed Sakura in the corner of his eyes. She looked nervous and hesitant to come closer to Ayanokouji. He decided not to do anything and let her come to him rather than him noticing her. After a few minutes, Sakura walked over to Ayanokouji. Her steps seemed to be a little hesitant and quiet.
"Hello, Sakura." said Ayanokouji.
"G-good morning, A-Ayanokouji-kun." said Sakura.
"It seems that we're missing Kushida."
"Y-yeah. I-i hope you didn't wait too long."
"Not really. It's fine."
The duo fell into an awkward silence as they stood quite a distance away from each other. From an outsider's perspective, it didn't look like they were meeting up with each other. After a few minutes, Ayanokouji heard Kushida calling his name.
"Ayanokouji-kun! Sakura-san! Sorry, I'm late." said Kushida, running up to Ayanokouji and Sakura. She seemed out of breath and looked like she was in a hurry to arrive here. Kushida was wearing a light pink blouse with a black skirt. Ayanokouji could smell a faint scent of perfume and her hair seemed to be done.
"Hello, Kushida." said Ayanokouji. "It's alright."
"H-hi..." said Sakura.
There was a silence between the trio before Sakura cleared her throat nervously.
"So anyway, about my digital camera. Is it okay if we go to the electronics store in the mall?" asked Sakura.
"Well, yes. We certainly came here to get the camera fixed." replied Ayanokouji.
"I'm sorry...for making you come along with me."
Sakura bowed apologetically, as though begging forgiveness from the bottom of her heart.
"Let's see, I'm sure they have a repair counter there. Let's check it out." said Kushida. "Let the way, Sakura-san."
"O-okay." replied Sakura. She started walking and Kushida and Ayanokouji followed closely behind her. After a few minutes of walking, the trio arrived at an electronic store and went inside. They spent a few minutes finding the repair counter. During that time, Ayanokouji decided to strike up a conversation with Sakura.
"I wonder if they'll fix it right away..." muttered Sakura, looking anxious as she took out her digital camera and held it tight.
"You really love your camera, don't you?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Yeah. It's weird, isn't it?"
"No, not at all. It's a good hobby to have, isn't it? I get the feeling there's a significant story attached to that camera. It'd be great if they fixed it soon."
"Yeah."
"There it is! The repair counter." said Kushida.
The store was crowded with a huge number of products and difficult to navigate, but towards the back was the place where they handled repairs.
"Ah..." yelped Sakura.
For some reason, Sakura suddenly stopped in her tracks. When Ayanokouji glanced over at her, he noticed she was wearing an expression of blatant fear and revulsion. It seemed that something had upset her quite a bit. However, when Ayanokouji followed Sakura's line of sight, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"What's the matter, Sakura-san?" asked Kushida.
Apparently, Kushida also must've thought Sakura's behavior was strange and was a little skeptical about what Sakura was looking at. Sakura was looking at the man on the repair counter.
"Ah, umm... Well..." said Sakura. Although it seemed like Sakura was about to say something, all Sakura did was shake her head and take a deep breath.
"It's nothing." said Sakura, with an earnest smile, and walked to the repair counter. Kushida and Ayanokouji exchanged looks, but decided to follow her. Kushida talked to the store clerk and asked him to repair the digital camera. Ayanokouji and Sakura stayed quiet during the entire exchange.
Kushida's worldly wisdom was impressive. Even though it was her first time meeting the store clerk, she was soon talking to him as if they were longtime friends. Sakura spoke only when she needed to give her consent or to clarify something. Even so, the store clerk appeared pretty fired up. He aggressively engaged Kushida in conversation, without even pausing for a breath.
Ayanokouji was a little alarmed by how the conversation was going. It sounded like the employee was asking Kushida on a date. It is very concerning that a grown man like him was doing something like, asking out for a date, to a high school girl. He asked if she wanted to see a certain female idol's concert, which was being screened over in the theater. He seemed like quite the otaku, judging from how passionate he was about a wide range of subjects, from idol elections to idol magazines.
'Because Kushida didn't show any signs of disliking the conversation, he probably thought he could successfully ask her out. However, I believed she would try her hardest to sidestep the invitation. She's probably internally cursing at the employee.' thought Ayanokouji.
'Fucking pervert! Disgusting! Fucking as creepy as Yamauchi! Fuck off and die, you good-for-nothing jerk off.' thought Kushida.
The employee seemed to be getting excited over talking to such a cute girl, but their conversation didn't proceed any further. As Ayanokouji expected, Kushida began to feel awkward. In order to conclude their business, she urged Sakura to hand over the camera. When the store clerk opened up the camera to confirm the contents, he saw that part of it had been damaged from the fall. That was why the camera wouldn't turn on properly. Fortunately, because Sakura still had the warranty card, the item could be repaired free of charge. Finally, all Sakura had to do was fill out her contact information, and their job was done. But Sakura's hand suddenly stopped as she filled out the form.
"Sakura-san?" asked Kushida, thinking that something strange was going on, called out to Sakura. She seemed to be hesitating for some reason. Ayanokouji didn't intend to say anything at the time, but her attitude seemed strange to him and he wondered why. The store clerk, who had previously been absorbed in his conversation with Kushida, now stared directly at Sakura. Both Sakura and Kushida were looking down at the form, so they didn't notice. But the clerk had unsettling eyes. Even men would find it a little creepy. Ayanokouji had a bad feeling about him and slowly began to piece all of the puzzle together as he saw what's happening in front of him.
"Can I see that for a second?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Huh?" said Sakura. Standing next to Sakura, Ayanokouji reached for the pen she was holding. She didn't seem to understand why Ayanokouji wanted it, but she anxiously handed it over.
"When the repairs are finished, please contact me."
"H-hey, wait a minute. Contact you? She's the owner, isn't she? That would be..." said the store clerk.
"The manufacturer warranty explicitly shows where the item was sold and the date of purchase. Also, I doubt there'd be any legal problems with me putting my information down. It should be perfectly fine if the user's name is different from the purchaser's." replied Ayanokouji.
Before the clerk could say anything, Ayanokouji entered his name and his dorm room number into the required fields.
"Or, is there a reason why she specifically has to enter her information?" added Ayanokouji, still without looking back up.
"N-no, not at all. I understand. There's nothing to worry about." said the clerk.
Shortly after Ayanokouji completed the form, Ayanokouji handed it over with the camera. Sakura gently patted her chest and sighed in apparent relief, but when she learned it'd take two weeks for the camera to be repaired, she grew discouraged. Her shoulders slumped.
"That clerk sure was something else. He talked with such incredible passion, I was just so shocked." said Kushida.
"Didn't you feel kind of disgusted?" asked Sakura.
"N-no, I wasn't disgusted by him. Do you know something? About that clerk?"
Sakura gave a meek nod. Ayanokouji guessed that something had been off even when she first purchased the camera. That would've been the only time that Sakura would've met him.
"What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Kushida, directing her attention to Ayanokouji.
"Well, he had this sort of vibe, like he's kind of hard to approach. Especially for girls." replied Ayanokouji.
"That was kind of what I was trying to get at before... I was scared to go to the repair shop alone because of that..." said Sakura.
Kushida seemed to have an epiphany. She turned to Ayanokouji with wide eyes.
"Did you know about this, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Kushida.
"Well, she's a girl. I thought she might be reluctant to write down her address or cell phone number." said Ayanokouji. He could tell that Kushida wasn't too surprised based on her delayed reactions.
'She's most likely already knew, but is trying her best to not show it. Otherwise, she would've been cursing at the clerk.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Th-thank you...Ayanokouji-kun. You really...saved me." said Sakura.
"I didn't really do anything. I just wrote down my address. When they contact me about the repairs, I'll get in touch with you right away, Sakura." replied Ayanokouji. Sakura nodded, looking glad and relieved.
"You really looked out for Sakura-san." said Kushida. Ayanokouji thought he detected a hint of jealousy.
"Well, you're making it out to be bigger than it was. Honestly, I was only watching out for that rather weird clerk. I guess he gave the impression that he really, really loved girls." replied Ayanokouji, giving them a fairly generous description of the clerk. Of course, he would've said worse, but didn't.
"Ha ha... That's certainly true." said Kushida.
"Since you were with me today, Kushida-san, we completed our task without me having to talk at all. Thank you." said Sakura, giving Kushida a bow.
'If Sakura had faced that store clerk one-on-one, she probably would've run away.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Oh, no need to thank me. If you're okay with my help, then I'm happy to lend a hand any time. Sakura-san, you really like your camera. Don't you?" said Kushida.
"Yeah... I've liked cameras ever since I was little. My dad bought me one before I entered junior high, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Or I suppose you could say that I just love taking pictures... I'm not really well- informed when it comes to this stuff, though." said Sakura.
"I think being knowledgeable and liking things are separate matters. It's wonderful to be so passionate about something."
"Sakura, you usually take pictures of landscapes, right? Do you ever take pictures of people?" asked Ayanokouji.
"Huh?!"
Sakura stepped backwards, looking quite flustered. Sakura shut her mouth, and her body stiffened.
'Did she find that question unpleasant? It'd seemed like an extremely natural question to ask. Like, did she just take pictures of landscapes or were they her specialty? Is there something more to it?' thought Ayanokouji.
"Th-that's a secret." said Sakura.
"W-well, it's just... It's embarrassing," replied Sakura, her cheeks reddening. She looked down as she spoke.
"Oh hey, that reminds me. Sorry to ask, but since we're here, is it okay for me to look around the store?" asked Kushida, switching the topic.
"Was there something you wanted?" asked Ayanokouji, playing along with it. Sakura looked relieved that the conversation was steered away from her.
"S-sure. After all, I feel bad you both had to come with me... Besides, I do have the time." said Sakura.
The trio explored the store and Ayanokouji gave Sakura and Kushida a wide space, allowing them to walk side by side. When Ayanokouji watched the two of them walk side by side, he realized that they'd managed to grow closer in just one day. He assumed the power of Kushida's social skills are quite potent. Since they seemed to be having girl talk, Ayanokouji decided to leave them alone and went to look for what he wanted. Kushida noticed that Ayanokouji was slowly backing away and gave him a quick nod of understanding before turning her attention to Sakura.
Ayanokouji went to a different aisle and ran into a familiar person. It was Sotomura who seemed to be looking at a bunch of cameras and other gear for cameras.
"Hey Professor, do you have a minute?" asked Ayanokouji. Apparently, the boys have been calling him the "Professor" due to his expertise in technology and otaku with dating sims to anime and manga.
"Ayanokouji-dono! It's nice to see you!" said Sotomura.
"Professor, did you buy your laptop computer from the school, with your points?"
"Yes, I most certainly did. It cost 80,000 points. But what of it?"
"I'm looking for something."
Ayanokouji explained the gist of what he wanted. Although Ayanokouji saw many similar products sitting on the displays from the last aisle he was in, Ayanokouji didn't know which one to choose. It probably would've been faster to just ask the store clerk, but he didn't want to for various reasons. It was better for him to talk to someone that he knew personally. Sotomura and Ayanokouji headed back to the previous aisle that Ayanokouji was in and showed Sotomura what he saw.
"Ayanokouji. Though I am considerably well-versed in that particular electronic field..." said Sotomura.
"It's okay if you don't know." said Ayanokouji.
"I do know. In fact, I have two of them at my parents' home."
"No way! You've had them since junior high? Isn't that bad?"
"Do not misunderstand me. They were only for experimentation, for the sake of my language studies."
"Well, could I trouble you to help me set it up?"
"Puh, leave it to me. I'm sure that someday I will have a favor to ask of you in return."
'Clearly, he was the man for the job. When entering a subject that I didn't understand, it was important to find an expert.' thought Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji agreed and Sotomura set to work while Ayanokouji left. He walked around the store until he ran into Sakura and Kushida.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." said Ayanokouji. "Have you already finished?"
Suddenly, Kushida froze while glancing over at Sakura's profile on her phone.
"Sakura-san, have we met somewhere before?" said Kushida.
"Huh? N-no. I don't think so, but..." said Sakura, getting a little nervous.
"Sorry. It's just that when I look at you, I get this feeling that we've met before, Sakura-san. Hey, weird question, but could you try removing your glasses?"
"Huh?! B-but that's... My eyesight is so bad, I wouldn't be able to see anything..."
Sakura put her hand up and waved it, signaling to Kushida that she did not want to. Ayanokouji found that a little strange and his suspicions grew as he looked at Sakura's glasses.
"We should hang out together again, Sakura-san. Not just with me, but with my other friends, too." said Kushida.
"That's..." started Sakura. She looked like she wanted to say something, but something ended her thoughts. Sakura said nothing. Kushida seemed to feel that it would make trouble if she pressed the issue, so she kept quiet.
"Umm... Thank you for everything today. You really helped me out." said Sakura, thanking Ayanokouji and Kushida again.
"It's okay, it's okay. There's no need to thank us. Actually, Sakura-san, you can talk to us normally, you know? If it's okay with you. We're in the same grade. It sounds a little weird when you speak so formally to us." said Kushida.
"I didn't mean to sound that way. I wasn't aware of it... I sound weird?"
"It's not really a bad thing! I mean, I'd be happy if you didn't speak so formally to me, though."
"Ah... O-okay... I...I got it. I'll do my best."
'I thought that Sakura would have rejected the notion, but she managed to squeak out a few words of agreement. It seemed like she wanted to accept Kushida's proposal. Perhaps this was how people became friends, little by little. Even Sakura, who seemed to have hardly interacted with another person ever, was steadily growing closer to Kushida.' thought Ayanokouji.
"It's okay, though. You don't need to force yourself." said Kushida.
"I-It's okay. I...will." said Sakura, keeping her eyes down as she spoke. Partway through her sentence she began to sputter, and her words faded so much that Ayanokouji and Kushida couldn't hear them. However, it didn't seem as though she felt uncomfortable. Kushida smiled in satisfaction, but didn't try to coerce anything more from Sakura.
'That specific distance felt exactly right for where they were at the moment. If you tried to strong-arm people who weren't good at socializing, it could backfire. Rather than be grateful, they'd probably find it off-putting. Rather than draw them nearer, being overbearing would probably end up pushing them further away. It seemed that Kushida understood that perfectly and is using it to her advantage.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Well then, we'll see you at school. Okay?" said Kushida, thinking the conversation had ended. However, rather unexpectedly, Sakura didn't move.
"Well!" said Sakura, in a small voice, but looked straight at Ayanokouji and Kushida. When their gazes met, however, she immediately averted her eyes
"About Sudou-kun... As my way of saying thanks for today, I... Well, that might be a little misleading, but if you like..." said Sakura. She paused, and started again more clearly. "I-I may be able to help you with Sudou-kun's case."
In her own words, Sakura told the duo that she was the witness. Kushida and Ayanokouji exchanged glances.
"So, does that mean that you saw Sudou-kun fight with those other students?" asked Kushida.
"Yes. I saw everything. It was a total coincidence, though... I'm sure you don't believe me." said Sakura.
"No, we do. Why did you decide to tell us now, though? I mean, I'm happy you did, but I don't want you to force yourself. You don't have to do this just because you're grateful, you know?"
Sakura couldn't seem to get her words out. She lightly shook her head. Ayanokouji studied her as she averted her eyes to the ground.
'The fact that Sakura had waited until now to talk proved that she was more concerned about Sudou's case than anything else. I wondered if getting a foothold in friendship made her want to cooperate.' thought Ayanokouji.
"Is that really true? You're not forcing yourself?" asked Kushida. Apparently, she was thinking the same thing as Ayanokouji.
Sakura nodded sheepishly, as if she could feel that we were worrying about it.
"It's okay... I think that if I kept quiet, I'd probably come to regret it. I...don't want to cause trouble for my classmates. But, if I spoke up as a witness, then...I would definitely stand out. I hated the thought of that... I'm sorry." said Sakura. While Sakura apologized to us repeatedly, full of remorse, she also promised Kushida that she would testify.
"Thank you, Sakura-san. I'm sure Sudou-kun will be really happy." said Kushida, taking Sakura's hand, and Sakura looked up at Kushida's smiling face. Ayanokouji wondered if a new friendship had been born right here, right now. But, he was glad that they found Sudou's witness.
*Timeskip (30 minutes later)*
Ayanokouji is sitting at a bench at the park by himself as he watches the background of the park. He was enjoying the warm sun and the peaceful morning. Kushida and Sakura went back to the dorms together. Kushida wanted to know about Sakura's involvement and she promised Ayanokouji that she would text Horikita about it. Ayanokouji decided to leave everything to Kushida for the time being.
'I wonder if I should get lunch. It's a little past noon.' thought Ayanokouji.
While Ayanokouji was lost in thought, he heard someone faintly calling him, indicating that they were at a far distance.
"Ayanokouji-kun!" called Nanami. This snapped Ayanokouji out of his thoughts and turned towards her. Nanami was a fair distance away and she approached him, waving at him.
"Hello, Nanami." said Ayanokouji. Nanami gave out a laugh before sitting down next to him.
"You gotta stop calling me by my first name! It's kinda off. It's not like we're that close." said Nanami.
"True, but you did show your name in the incorrect order, so I called you Nanami."
Ayanokouji was referring to the first time they met. Nanami was showing him what she thought was in the midterms which was completely different for Ayanokouji and Class D. It was thanks to Nanami that Ayanokouji realized that the topics for the midterm that Chabashira-sensei gave to Class D might be wrong and he and Horikita found out. During that, Nanami showed Ayanokouji and he saw her name written and she put her first name first rather than last name. This led to Ayanokouji calling her "Nanami" believing that it was her last name.
"I guess. I don't really mind. I hope no one gets the wrong idea." said Nanami. Apparently, it seemed that Nanami didn't mind that much and was joking around with him.
"Yeah." replied Ayanokouji.
"So, what'cha doing?"
"Just getting a nice morning breeze."
"Ah! I need to ask about Rika. Is she doing okay with you?"
"Yeah, for the time being. We've messaged a few times and it seems that she's getting a little more comfortable around me."
"Really? That's great! Did she try to call you?"
"Yeah."
"How did it go?"
"Well, she managed to call me, but she didn't actually talk to me."
"Oh. That's... good and bad at the same time. But, it seems that Rika is making some improvements. Please keep working with her, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Okay. That was my intention."
"Thank you for doing this. I hope Shiho isn't too hard on you."
"It's fine."
"Sorry if Shiho was a little too tough on you. It's just that..."
"Does she just have her own ways of doing stuff?"
"Yeah! Sort of."
The duo fell into silence for a few moments before Nanami spoke up.
"Okay. It seems that you're making progress with Rika. Now, if you stop calling me by my first name, then we're golden." said Nanami, in a joking way which brought up what they said earlier.
"No way. Not with a cute girl like you." said Ayanokouji, trying to match her joke and light-hearted attitude. But, as soon as Ayanokouji met eyes with Nanami, an electric shock that Ayanokouji is familiar with ran throughout his body. Nanami's eyes widened as her face became flustered.
Soulmates
1) Horikita Suzune
2) Kushida Kikyou
3) Mii-chan
4) Tachibana Akane
5) Azuma Sana
6) Shinohara Satsuki
7) Onodera Kayano
8) Mori Nene
9) Hoshinomiya Chie
10) Ichihashi Ruri
11) Andou Sayo
12) Shiranami Chihiro
13) Yabu Nanami
Author's Note:
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This chapter is a little slower and I will probably finish Sudou's trial by next chapter. Then, it's time for more development with some of Ayanokouji's soulmates and the other girls that he met. It's almost time for the Class C girls to finally rise up. But, let me cook a little bit longer.
Until next time, my dear readers.