Chapter 4: Pursuit of knowledge

The morning after the exam announcement dawned quietly.

This day marked the beginning of the one-week period that would either serve as the exam itself or time to prepare for it.

But for me, I didn’t need to do anything special. I would simply wake up, head to school, attend my classes diligently, spend my after-school time as I wished, and get ready for the next day.

As for my classmates, I’d given them a single instruction. Beyond that, they were free to do as they pleased.

Stick to their usual routine if they wished. Study extra if they felt like it. It was entirely up to their own initiative.

It was still quite early to be heading out, but unless I had something else to take care of, I wanted to keep up this habit of arriving ahead of time.

1

Turning off the TV, and putting on my shoes, I swiftly stepped out into the hallway.

As the elevator arrived and doors slid open, I was met with the sight of five girls and one boy already inside. Mornings before school were often packed, so seeing a full elevator was nothing out of the ordinary.

Technically, there was still room, I could have squeezed in but…

The three girls: Shinohara, Matsushita, and Inogashira stared at me with a cold and distant gaze as they stood inside the elevator.

Well, there was no point in forcing myself into that cramped space. Better to let it go and catch the next one.

I could have taken the stairs, but I decided to wait for the next elevator.

When it arrived, once again, three girls were already inside. But this time, there was enough space.

Yet… my feet felt oddly heavy. Just for a moment, I hesitated. Should I get in? Or Should I wait?

2

But, leaving now would be even more awkward. It was obvious there was space.

I took a step forward and decided to enter the elevator.

Turning around to face the doors, I waited silently as the elevator descended, and soon we reached the first floor.

Since I had been the last to enter, I was the first to step out. After walking a few steps into the lobby, I stopped, and just then, the two girls behind me passed swiftly by my side.

“......Good morning.”

A soft voice reached me from behind, carefully gentle so as not to startle me. It was Hiyori, the girl who had been in the elevator with me.

Since I transferred to Class C, I’d caught glimpses of her a few times, and even crossed paths on occasion. But we hadn't quite had a proper conversation yet.

“Morning.” I replied.

“Have you been well?”

“Same as always.”

That was it. A short exchange.

2

For some reason, I couldn’t seem to keep the conversation going, and it left me oddly unsettled.

1

Had it been the library, I would’ve started by apologizing for the class transfer, then slowly let the conversation drift toward books. That’s how I’d imagined it would go.

But maybe I hadn’t expected to meet her somewhere like this.

—No, that’s just a convenient excuse.

2

In a space this small, a moment like this, with just the two of us, was always possible. Inevitable, even.

It could’ve happened yesterday. Or the day before. I should’ve been prepared for it.

And yet, I can’t find the words.

This has never happened to me before.

5

Though an odd sensation lingered between us, we began walking side by side, sharing the path to school in quiet company.

It was a short walk, just a few minutes at most, but I figured that if we kept walking, a conversation would eventually find its way between us. That, at least, was what I hoped for.

1

But, as is often the case, things rarely go according to plan at moments like these.

1

Just as we stepped outside, timing our departure in hopes of breaking the silence with a word or two, we noticed a trio standing a short distance from the dorm, their eyes fixed on the lobby— Hashimoto, Morishita, and Shiraishi.

Judging by their presence, it was clear their business had something to do with me.

Hashimoto stepped forward, acting as their representative.

“Yo, morning. And you too, Shiina, good morning,” he greeted us with his usual laid-back ease.

“Wanted to run over a few class-related issues before we got to school,” Hashimoto added.

Normally, I wouldn’t mind a sudden visit from a Class C student. But right now? The timing couldn’t have been worse.

3

Perhaps sensing that, or simply wanting to distance herself quickly, Hiyori offered light greetings to the three and quietly excused herself, making her way down the path to school alone.

“Whoops, did I interrupt something? My bad.”

Though he put on an apologetic front, it was clear that his words were carefully chosen, a calculated move to drive away an outsider who wasn’t one of our classmates.

“It's fine.”

If I really want to have a proper conversation with Hiyori, I know I could always meet her in the library like I had originally planned. That had always been an option, one I’d known about for a long time. Still, I’d kept putting it off. But after today, I couldn’t keep avoiding it. It was time to face it and clear the air.

“You really don’t know when to stop, do you, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka? Going after even Hiyori Shiina now?”

3

“How’d you even reach that conclusion?”

“So you say, but who knows what’s really going on?”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with getting close to a few cute girls, is it? And I must say, choosing Shiina-san? That’s some excellent taste. Really, you have a wonderful sense for beauty.”

4

I glanced over at Shiraishi and noticed a gleam in her eyes as she watched Hiyori’s retreating figure. The conversation I’d had the other day with Shimazaki and Yoshida briefly resurfaced in my mind.

Anyway, there was no point dragging out this pointless chatter, so I nudged Hashimoto to cut to the chase.

“I wanted to confirm the strategy you sent over yesterday regarding the special exam,” Hashimoto said.

“I was curious about that too,” Shiraishi added with a gentle smile. “Since Hashimoto-kun seemed to be waiting for Ayanokoji-kun, I thought I’d join in.”

“And Morishita as well?” Hashimoto raised an eyebrow. “It’s rare for you to be interested.”

“I’m just your friendly neighborhood spectator.”

5

Declared the nosy neighbor flatly.

“You posted those instructions for the special exam in the group chat last night, right?” Hashimoto continued, a hint of admiration in his tone. “Seeing that, I felt like you were finally stepping up into your role as the class leader. Honestly, I was kind of moved.”

The message had outlined a critical insight: the school likely intended to evaluate student behavior as part of the test. It emphasized that not only weekday conduct but also weekend actions would be under scrutiny. Students unsure of their behavior were advised to stay within the dorms.

These were the kinds of subtle but significant points I had shared.

“With you in charge, I feel like the class will run more smoothly than we could’ve imagined. Things got complicated in different ways under Sakayanagi’s leadership, y’know. Don’t you think so too, Shiraishi?”

Hashimoto turned towards her, fishing for agreement, but the response he got wasn’t quite what he’d expected.

“Actually, I still hold our former leader, Sakayanagi-san, in high regard. It's true that she often acted on her own judgement, but even so, for two years she maintained the position of Class A without ever letting it fall.”

If an anomaly like me hadn't shown up, she'd have likely maintained that control for all three years, leading them to securely graduate from Class A.

5

“I agree with that take.” Morishita added, “Though it seems Hashimoto Masayoshi, despite having been at her side, is oddly negative about her.”

“What’s with that look...? I’m just sayin’, it’s precisely because I was her close aide that I had to put up with so much trouble. And in the end, it was her own reckless behavior that dropped us to Class C.”

Hashimoto spoke as though he bore absolutely no fault in the matter himself.

“Oh? I don't really think so. Shall I specifically explain the reasons why?” Morishita replied cooly.

“......Nah, I'll pass. Just listening to your nonsense is tiring enough.”

1

“A wise decision—Betrayer Hashimoto THE Masayoshi.”

2

“What’s even that ‘THE’ supposed to mean!?”

Hashimoto, baffled by the bizarre nickname, shot back with the timing of a seasoned comedian.

“Oh my, what’s this about being a betrayer?”

“Don’t mind it at all. That’s just Morishita’s usual nonsense. Anyway, let’s get back to the topic.”

Just as Hashimoto tried to steer the conversation back to the exam, two figures emerged from the lobby right on cue: Kondo and Komiya from Ryuen’s class, striding toward us and closing the gap. Their pace was deliberate, almost as if they had timed their entrance.

“Well, if it isn’t the new class leader and his lackeys,” Kondo said with a smirk.

“Scheming somethin' shady this early in the morning?”

He let his eyes sweep over each of us, then began to circle our group like a predator sizing up its prey.

“It's been a while, Kondo. Seems like you've been keeping your distance from our class lately,” said Hashimoto.

“Things are different now,” he replied flatly. “We’re B Class, you’re C Class. We only bother keeping an eye on the ones above us.”

He made it sound like we weren’t worth the trouble, but the fact that he was standing here at all told a different story. More than anything, beneath his casual tone, there was the faintest thread of tension in his voice, one he couldn’t quite conceal.

“Then you could've just ignored us today too, you know?” Hashimoto shot back.

Kondo smirked. “I figured you might get lonely if I didn’t mess with you a little,”

Just like the other day when Ryuen barged into our classroom, the usually noisy Morishita had gone completely silent, like a borrowed cat. Now she stood there staring at the trees with an innocent look on her face, as if none of this had anything to do with her.

4

“Besides, if you’re having an interesting conversation, I thought I’d stick around and listen.”

“Too bad for you,” Hashimoto said flatly. “I was just mourning the start of yet another boring day.”

It was almost certain that Ryuen had given instructions to Kondo and the others to figure out the rules of the exam. Maybe they were hoping to squeeze out even the smallest hint. Or perhaps, just like us, he’d already zeroed in on a theory and sent Kondo and the others as quiet enforcers.

In any case, they stuck to us like glue, till the end. Without saying a word or acting suspiciously, they simply radiated an oppressive, silent pressure until we reached the classroom and finally parted ways.

When the final bell rang, before I could even take a step, Hashimoto closed the distance and spoke up.

“Your schedule’s free today, right? Let’s pick up where we left off this morning.”

“Sorry,” Morishita’s voice floated from the seat behind me before I could answer, “I’ve got plans, so I’ll have to decline. Try not to cry about it.”

“I wasn’t talking to you…” Hashimoto sighed. “Ayanokoji. I meant Ayanokoji.”

I had expected this would happen ever since our conversation was interrupted this morning, but at this rate, the opportunity to head to the library would slip further away.

Should I turn him down for now and prioritize meeting Hiyori?

4

No... we've already entered the exam period.

Then, for the sake of healthy class operations, visiting the library, a purely personal matter, would have to wait.

2

Besides, there was still a chance I could see her once this talk was over.

“Shall we change locations?”

“Probably for the best. You look like you’ve got a troublesome lingering spirit hanging over your shoulder, Ayanokoji.”

With Hashimoto urging me to get up, I followed him out into the hallway.

Shiraishi, who’d been with us in the morning, was now deep in conversation with Nakajima from the girls’ side. She seemed to notice us, but without a word, the two of them walked out of the classroom together.

“The cafe at Keyaki Mall work for you?” Hashimoto asked.

I had no reason to refuse, so I gave him a casual nod.

“You're treating, right, Hashimoto Masayoshi?”

2

“If you’re insisting, I guess I could… Wait— why are you coming along?”

“Since you called me a lingering spirit, I thought I should follow through on the word to haunt you with ethical spiritual principles. For the honor of lingering spirits, y’know.”

Whether spiritual beings actually needed to uphold principles or have their honor protected was debatable. More likely, she just didn’t like the idea of me and Hashimoto talking alone.

“Jeez. You really plan on keeping me under constant surveillance?”

“For the sake of healthy class operations, it’s a road we can’t avoid,” Morishita replied without missing a beat. “But don’t worry, I won’t demand anything expensive. I’m a woman who’s gentle on wallets.”

“I'm not treatin' you.”

“Oh? You’ll treat Ayanokoji Kiyotaka but not me? Is that… hah… gender discrimination… ” I couldn’t tell if she was truly stunned or just putting on an act, but her eyes widened theatrically as she muttered,

“Guess I’ll just post about it online and rally my comrades for a coordinated attack,” she added, already pulling out her phone and tapping away.

“Argh, seriously, whenever you show up, the conversation never moves forward.”

“If you want to move the conversation forward, why not generously cover the ‘tea-beating fee’ instead of being stingy? It’ll help things go smoothly, just a small price to pay.”

4

“Fine, damn it. I’ll treat you. Just, when we’re having a serious discussion, be quiet. I mean it.”

As if those words were the deciding factor, Morishita gave the faintest nod and promptly shut her mouth. Then pressing her left thumb and forefinger together she made a tiny sliding motion across the air in front of her lips, from right to left.

Did that mean she was zipping her mouth shut...?

We started walking again, and after confirming that she had actually gone quiet, Hashimoto began to speak, looking at me.

“Yesterday, I spent the whole day checking out the other classes.”

“Found anything?”

“Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a harvest to speak of. In a special exam without any rule explanations, it’s no wonder no one can make any move right away. All three classes were quiet. Or rather, I should say they were no different than usual.”

This clearly wasn’t his main point, he skimmed through the report and kept going.

“The instructions you gave us last night, or rather, your idea... Did you tell Ichinose too?”

“Of course. As allies, we need to share information.”

“…I see. Well, for now, it actually works in our favor if Class D climbs up the ranks. If we take first and Ichinose takes second, that’d be the perfect outcome.”

He probably wasn’t completely free of dissatisfaction, but it seemed this was just a precautionary check to be sure.

“If this test turns out exactly the way you predicted, Ryuen’s class is practically guaranteed to lose again. And if Horikita’s class is even one step late to notice the rule, they won’t be able to recover. Even if there’s some surprise exam waiting after this, we won’t lose an academic contest. I’d say we’ve already got this one in the bag.”

“It’s when you let your guard down that you get blindsided. And Horikita’s not stupid, she realized yesterday that our ‘lifestyle behavior’ might be under observation.”

4

When I said that with certainty, Hashimoto stopped mid-step, glancing back at me.

“…Huh? That so?”

Judging from my tone that I wasn’t bluffing, he started walking again.

“What makes you so sure she’s caught on?”

“Because uniting a class… is never that simple.”

I didn’t need to say much. Hashimoto picked up on it right away and let out a brief whistle.

“You either got a top notch scout, or a spy hidden somewhere, either way, you're pretty good at extracting the information.”

6

Normally, the ever-curious Hashimoto would’ve pressed for more, including whether I was already using Yamamura, but this time he held back. Something in his instincts told him that prodding carelessly now, and souring my opinion of him, wouldn’t do him any favors.

The three of us made our way towards the cafe in Keyaki Mall.

At the entrance, a girl spotted us and gave a small wave. Hashimoto and I exchanged a glance before heading her way.

“I thought I might join you as well,” said Shiraishi, the very same who had left the classroom earlier with Nakajima.

“Where’s Nakajima?” I asked.

“We were just chatting for a bit, but then went our separate ways. You knew I was with Nakajima-san, that's impressive.”

“Of course. Watching Shiraishi Asuka from afar is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka’s specialty, practically licking her with his eyes. Right?”

4

Saying that, Morishita patted my shoulder and shot me a triumphant thumbs-up.

“Could you not make me sound like a pervert?” I muttered.

“What, afraid of being disliked? Even though everyone in your old class already hates you?”

5

“Hey now, just because it’s true doesn’t mean you should say it out loud. Besides, we're here for him now. And honestly as a man… well, I can understand wanting to look at Shiraishi.” Hashimoto patted my other shoulder and offered his own thumbs-up.

1

“This is who Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is, but please try not to hate him.”

No matter how you looked at it, Morishita was orchestrating this whole thing to make me look bad. And even if I said I was simply in the habit of keeping tabs on the class as a whole, it would only sound like a flimsy excuse.

“Oh my, I’m actually delighted. Being watched by someone I’m interested in, it’s an honor,” Shiraishi said with a small smile.

2

“Seriously? Well, good for you, Ayanokoji. Sounds like you’ve got a shot,” Hashimoto chimed in. It probably wasn’t the first time he’d heard her give a comeback like that; knowing it was half a joke, he played along easily.

1

I, on the other hand, didn’t know how to answer either way, so I just let it slide.

“You understand, right? Morishita.”

“I'll be a good girl during the discussion, rest assured. Just make sure you treat me, okay?”

With our party now grown from three to four, we each placed our orders and settled into an open seat, our usual spot.

Strange as it is, people are creatures of habits.

They gravitate toward places they’ve already experienced and feel comfortable in. Choosing spots that match subtle conditions: the angle of the light, the view from the table, the space between seats.

2

It’s not just about physical comfort, memory plays its part as well.

Pleasant times spent with certain companions, fun conversations, moments when a good idea came to mind. Those positive traces draw you back, associations which cannot be ignored.

On the other hand, bitter memories push you away from a seat just as surely.

1

A rational tendency of the human mind, one I suspect Hashimoto and Morishita have experienced as well.

2

Even with Shiraishi joining us, the mood didn’t shift, neither better nor worse. She had a way of blending seamlessly into the space, as if she’d always been there.

“Seriously? Making me buy a drink and a crazy pricey at that? You know I'm low on funds and still went for the kill.”

In exchange for her promise to stay quiet, Hashimoto had treated Morishita to a brand-new strawberry frappé, packed so full you could spot at least five whole berries just at a glance.

Most drinks here went for around 500 private points, maybe even 800 on the higher end. This one came in at 1,300 points.

“My mother always taught me to be bold when someone’s treating. I was merely following her teaching,” Morishita replied. Probably a lie, but she delivered it with perfect composure.

1

“Honestly, though… I just wanted a regular cafe latte,” she added, then jabbed her straw into the frappé with all the enthusiasm of someone poking a dead fish.

1

“Then you should've just ordered a latte…”

While quietly watching their exchange from the sidelines, I took the first sip of my coffee, and exhaled. The warmth slid down my throat, a small preparation for the conversation with Hashimoto that was soon to follow.

“Alright, from here on, it's a serious discussion.”

Immediately after, Morishita made a zipping motion across her mouth, clearly indicating that she’d stay silent.

“You seem fired up,” I began quietly once all eyes were on me, “but honestly, I’m not planning to focus on winning or losing this exam.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hashimoto asked with suspicion.

Like almost every student, he was dead set on winning every exam this year. Hearing that I didn’t care about the outcome was bound to raise eyebrows.

“It’s just like the last special exam; the change in class points was minimal and had little overall impact. This time, the reward is only about half of what it was then.”

“Sure, maybe it won’t hurt much even if we slip up here,” he said, “but still, what do you mean, not concerned about winning or losing?”

To greedily aim for even one rank higher, that seemed to be his mindset. Hashimoto didn’t bother hiding his dissatisfaction when I challenged that line of thinking. However, I have no intention of taking a strict stance on this exam.

“To be precise, rather than not being concerned with winning or losing, it might be closer to say that there's no reason to be concerned.”

The phrasing must have clicked with Shiraishi. She smiled faintly and nodded.

“I think I understand. You believe the information you passed to us is as close to the truth as it gets, don’t you?”

The exact nature of this exam was still hidden. Every third-year would have to spend the week juggling possible scenarios in their head. If it turned out to be something like a written test, where results are tied directly to ability, then, like Hashimoto, you’d naturally aim to win and do what you could to raise your chances. Even burying yourself in study for a week could push you closer to victory.

But the scenario I considered most likely was lifestyle behavior.

“You can avoid the obvious negatives,” I explained, “but there’s no way to earn extra points. All we can do is wait for the other classes to slip. That’s why there’s no point in getting worked up.”

1

“So you don't think it'll be a competition of academics or athletics? But in that case, wouldn't it have been better to let them know about it from the start? Plenty of people are still stressin’ out, trying to prep for anything, y’know.”

“If they’re willing to put in the effort, let them. With the rules still unclear, they probably won’t zero in on a single target or push things too far.”

Hashimoto's expression remained somewhat stiff, as if some part of him was still unconvinced. Morishita remained silent, so I thought the topic of this exam was coming to a close, but to my surprise, Shiraishi leaned in.

“May I ask a few questions? Ayanokoji-kun, you've judged that the exam is based on our daily lifestyle behaviour, but what do you think the probability of that is?”

“Over ninety percent,” I said without hesitation. “At least, that’s my assessment.”

2

“…That’s ridiculously high,” Hashimoto muttered, half in disbelief, half in amusement. “In that case, maybe I should buy in too. If you’re right, my trust in you’s only going up.”

“How did you exactly arrive at that number? We can’t even say for certain if this week is a preparation period or part of the test itself, that’s why everyone’s imagining possibilities from every angle. You seem to have based your conclusion on Mashima-sensei’s comment about ‘manner befitting a student’ but that alone feels like weak evidence.”

She wanted the reasoning that turned scraps of information into a claim of over ninety percent.

“If it were only that one statement,” I said, “it wouldn’t have even reached fifty.”

Hashimoto turned his head toward the others. “But was there anything else he said that stood out? Did we miss something?”

He scanned back through yesterday’s conversation with Mashima-sensei, waiting for Shiraishi and Morishita to confirm.

“I can't think of any,”

As Shiraishi denied it, Morishita also nodded her head vertically while keeping her mouth shut.

“That’s because no other hints have surfaced, at least not from Class C,” I replied.

“What do you mean?” Hashimoto asked.

“What some students focused on in this exam was the phrase from Mashima-sensei, 'manner befitting a student'.”

“Yeah, that caught my attention too.” Hashimoto admitted, “But you can't be sure if it's related to the exam or not, right?”

“If something’s ambiguous, you test it. What I focused on was one step beyond that: whether the phrase itself was significant. And if it was, the next step was to see if that remark was shared across all classes. If the school had instructed every teacher to deliver it word-for-word, then I could be certain the phrase itself had meaning.”

“So you mean… what the teachers of the other three classes said?” Shiraishi ventured.

“That's right. I don't have information on Sakagami-sensei, but Hoshinomiya-sensei apparently said, 'You all will be fine as you usually are.' And Chabashira-sensei said, 'Show me that you're no longer the same as when you first entered this school.'”

4

Add Mashima-sensei’s comment to those, and the outline of the rules at play in this exam starts to come into view. Even the three standing before me should be able to see it now.

“On its own, one statement wouldn’t have been enough to narrow things down,” Shiraishi said, “but once you add in the other classes’ information, it’s like the noise just falls away.”

“Yeah… no kidding,” Hashimoto agreed. “At this point I can’t think of any rule it could be besides lifestyle behaviour.”

He exhaled, the wry smile on his lips doing little to hide his genuine admiration.

Horikita's class, which lost all its class points due to poor daily lifestyle behaviour upon enrollment.

Ichinose's class, which received some negative assessment but steadily produced results.

And Sakayanagi's class, which was more stable than any other class.

2

It can be interpreted as advice from the teachers that corresponds to their respective results.

“By the way,” I added, “how I got intel from those two classes… that’s a trade secret.”

1

Hashimoto and Morishita probably figured out that Hoshinomiya-sensei's statement had come through Ichinose. But with Shiraishi here, and the Horikita-class intel mixed in, I kept the source to myself.

4

The alliance could be revealed when the time was right.

“Lifestyle behaviour is something to be mindful of on a daily basis and can't sway the outcome. That's why you don't intend to be concerned with it this time. Yeah… now it all fits together.”

“I'm glad you seem to understand.” I said. “But more than this exam, what I want you three to keep your eyes on… is the next special exam.”

“The next? Are you saying there's a high probability that the next special exam will be a big battle?”

“Yeah. Considering the previous one and this one, it wouldn't be strange if it carried real risks.”

“You mean… the kind where someone might actually get expelled?”

5

“I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being part of the rules. The odds aren’t exactly low.”

“Well, it's not like it's always going to be no-risk, but aren't exams with that much risk rarer?”

Hashimoto threw out the question, wondering if it was something to be that cautious about.

“No, you can’t say that for sure,” Morishita finally spoke, breaking the silence she’d kept until now. “Compared to the other years, the third-years’ expulsion risk has clearly been higher. Just look at the seniors over the past two years.”

From her tone, she clearly understood the cases of Horikita Manabu’s generation, and Nagumo Miyabi’s as well.

“Come to think of it,” Hashimoto said, “by the start of the second semester last year, there’d already been a bunch of expulsions, right?”

“Yes. Around fifteen,” Morishita replied, “Nagumo Miyabi did whatever he pleased back then. Even if that was an extreme case, there’s no way everyone will make it through this year unharmed.”

1

“Getting expelled at this difficult time would be no laughing matter, but man, you remember that well.”

“This much is common knowledge, c-o-m-m-o-n knowledge.”

Hashimoto has a sharp eye for gathering information on students in his own year, but he doesn’t seem all that interested in keeping tabs on those from other grades.

“Wait a sec, weren’t you supposed to be just listening quietly? What happened to keeping your mouth zipped?”

“Eh? When did I say such a thing? What time, what minute, what second, and on what rotation of the earth?”

1

“Huh? What the hell kind of nonsense is that? How many Earth rotations… what?”

“Oh, dear. Do the youth living in modern times not even know the statements made by the great figures of the past?”

1

I liked to think I had a decent grasp of historical figures and their famous sayings, but this one was drawing a blank.

The Earth takes about twenty-four hours to complete a single rotation, or rather, we call it twenty-four based on that rotation period. By that logic, with the planet being around 4.5 billion years old, if you multiply by 365 days per year, account for leap years, and keep crunching the numbers—

…No. That’s a completely pointless calculation.

6

“If you really can’t let it go, I’ll give you your drink back,” she said.

“Give it back…? It’s empty!”

While she’d been silent, she’d been steadily sipping away at that strawberry frappé the whole time.

Did she really chug the whole thing just so she could jump back to talk?

5

After that, I spent some time drawing out information about Class C from Hashimoto and Shiraishi.

These were things you couldn’t find in OAA stats or written test results like who got along with whom, and who couldn’t stand each other.

Hashimoto had a solid grasp on the class dynamics, but as expected, there are many things that only a girl can see about other girls, and I was able to hear a few tidbits that made me nod in agreement.

About an hour had passed since we started chatting at the cafe, and it was gradually getting crowded as evening approached.

Just as I was starting to consider wrapping things up—

“Ugh... Ayanokoji again...!”

Two figures approached the table next to ours, turning towards me with clear disappointment. Ike and Hondo— the same pair I’d bumped into in the cafeteria yesterday.

9

“Guess we’re fated to meet,” I said.

1

When I gave that reply, they narrowed their eyes with displeasure.

“What do you mean, 'fated to meet'? Don’t act all buddy-buddy with us, you traitor.”

4

Disgust oozed from his expression. I thought they might move to another table right away like they did yesterday, but with the cafe this crowded, they dropped into the chairs next to us as if they had no other choice.

Watching the Class A duo, Hashimoto decided to play it casual.

“C’mon, even if our classes are different, we're still students living in the same school. Let's try to get along better, yeah? Or are you gonna complain every time we see each other?”

1

“It’s not like that... But it still pisses me off, you know.” Ike muttered.

They didn’t seem to vent at Hashimoto, so Ike and Hondo leaned towards me instead, fixing me with another glare.

1

“Why do you need to be so angry? Ayanokoji didn't transfer from C to A. If he just changed classes, it doesn't affect the class points. It's not like your wallets are hurting. Above all, you guys are the almighty Class A, right?”

Hashimoto chose his words carefully, trying to flatter them just enough to shave down their pointless irritation.

1

“Yeah, we’re Class A,” Ike shot back, “but Ayanokoji was hiding how smart he was. That’s like betraying us from day one. Then he transfers and suddenly pulls a perfect score? I’ve never seen a bigger middle finger than that.”

8

I did produce proper results in the latter half of my time in Horikita's class, but for Ike and the others, that probably just gave them one more reason to dislike me.

“And besides—”

Ike broke off, turning away from Hashimoto to level his gaze squarely at me.

“I’ve been hearing all sorts of nasty rumors,” Ike said, his voice tight. “About how you set things up from the start so Sakura and Maezono would get expelled. Don’t tell me… Haruki was one of your victims too?”

4

Someone who had been especially close to Ike and Sudo, a former old friend, suddenly came up in the conversation.

“Haruki? Who’s that?” Hashimoto tilted his head slightly with a blank expression, clearly not recognizing the name.

2

“Yamauchi Haruki!” Ike shouted, slamming his palms on the table as he shot to his feet. The cups rattled violently, though, thankfully, none fell over. Up to this point, he’d managed to voice his grievances without losing control, but this had struck an unexpected nerve.

4

“Yamauchi… oh, yeah. Now that you mention it, there was a guy like that. My bad, I’d completely forgotten since he was from another class. But I remember now. That was Sakayanagi’s doing, wasn’t it? Ayanokoji had nothing to do with it. You can’t just pin every little thing on him.”

Hashimoto offered a quick, genuine apology for forgetting, then hurried to smooth things over before Ike’s temper flared further.

“I’m not letting someone like you get me expelled, no matter what!” Ike shouted, his words sharp and unwavering.

15

“Calm down, Ike,” Hashimoto said, raising a hand. “There’s no need to raise some huge, pointless flag like that. Trading insults here won’t do anyone any good.”

But Ike’s heated attitude showed no signs of cooling, and for once, Hashimoto looked genuinely flustered. He probably couldn’t care less about Ike’s personal feelings, but this noisy scene was doing the class no favors.

Horikita had likely explained one of the possible rules for this exam to him, but I couldn’t tell if he’d truly understood. If he was faking this outburst to sabotage Class C, that was one thing, maybe even clever in its own way. But it also raised his own risk of losing, a poor tactic. And if he kept shouting like this, it was only a matter of time before someone took notice and slapped us with a penalty.

1

“Okay… maybe I went a little overboard,” Ike admitted grudgingly. “But Class A has every right to complain like this. So tell me, how much did they pay you to sell out your class?”

The sting of the last special exam’s loss still lingered, frustration simmering just under the surface. This wasn’t something that could be brushed aside with the easygoing deflections Hashimoto favored.

If nothing else, letting him vent, and taking the full brunt of his anger might be the only way to keep things from boiling over.

1

“Who knows? Could be 20 million, or could be 30. Unfortunately, I have no intention of telling you the exact amount here.” I said.

What mattered was to keep my response cold and detached. That way, Ike and his friend could pour all their resentment onto me without hesitation. And once they carried it back to their class, it would give them a common enemy to unite against.

4

Even if the school was watching through cameras or planted observers, I wanted it to look like Class A was the aggressor, while Class C was trying to keep things civil.

Whether the school actually monitored that closely was unknown. But even if this exam had nothing to do with our daily behaviour, it was still vital to act with the discipline expected of a student. That, however slightly, influenced our monthly class points.

The teachers’ words, sent to each class, would serve as a good chance to reinforce to students the importance of sticking to the fundamentals.

“Don’t come crawling back later, begging to rejoin our class,” Ike spat, tossing one last insult before he and Hondo leaned back and returned to their seats.

8

They’d only just sat down over there, and I wasn’t about to ruin what little cafe time they had left by dragging it out.

“Shall we head back?” I asked the three, lifting my nearly empty cup as I rose.

“Yeah. We’ve said what we needed to,” Hashimoto replied, following my lead with Morishita and Shiraishi falling in step behind him.

As we stepped outside the cafe, Hashimoto cast a glance over his shoulder toward Ike and the others.

“That whole rant was just Ike spinning his wheels. The way he blames every little thing on you… yeah, their class atmosphere’s still heavy. They need to switch gears, fast.”

“That may be true logically, but I think it’s better to give them a little leeway. If I were in Class A right now, I doubt I’d be calm either.”

“Maybe so,” Hashimoto conceded, “but still— you didn’t take any compensation. Shouldn’t you have denied it? Otherwise, they’ll just spread whatever garbage they want.”

“It’s fine,” I said flatly. “The rumor’s already out there. Even if it sounds a little more believable now, it won’t change anything.”

“So you really don’t care what people think of you, huh? Still, connecting it all the way to Yamauchi… that’s a stretch if you ask me.” Hashimoto muttered.

While he looked exasperated, Morishita shot me a narrow, suspicious glance.

“You never know. You can't be sure what this man, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, is doing behind the scenes. It's quite possible he had a hand in it, by some chance.” she said.

“Nah, that’s pushing it,” Hashimoto replied, waving a hand. “But if by some chance it were true, then that’d just make him one hell of a reassuring ally. The stronger the ally, the better.”

No matter how things turned out, Hashimoto was determined to take it positively.

“If you overestimate someone too much, the disappointment later will just hit as much harder,” I warned.

3

“I'll overestimate you as much as I want.” Hashimoto said without hesitation.

I wanted to hedge my bets, just in case, but it seemed he wasn’t going to let me.

By the time we stepped out of Keyaki Mall, the clock had slipped past five. The sky was still a rich blue, but it wouldn’t be long before the sunset began peeking over the horizon.

“Sorry,” I said, “but I'm going to take a little detour before heading back.”

“A detour? Where to? I was thinking we'd go back together.” Hashimoto frowned,

Apparently, he’d assumed we’d return to the dorms together.

“The school,” I replied. “I’m dropping by the library.”

“Ah, Shiina, huh? Now that I think about it, I guess we did interrupt you two talking this morning.” Hashimoto put on a suitably sheepish expression.

1

Since they’d prioritized their own business earlier, he couldn’t complain after that.

“In that case, I'll see you off gracefully today,” he said. “Come on, Morishita, Shiraishi, let’s head back.”

“No thank you. Why do I have to walk home hand-in-hand with Hashimoto Masayoshi?”

“I never said anything about holding hands! How’d you even make that leap?”

“I won't walk home with you even if we’re not holding hands. I'm going to wander around Keyaki Mall and then go home. Bye then.”

With a graceful turn, Morishita spun on her heel and disappeared back into Keyaki Mall.

“It seems Hashimoto-kun is disliked by Morishita-san more than expected, ”

“Fine with me if she hates me. I don't really mind being disliked by her. Well then, Shiraishi, shall we—”

“I'll also be taking a little detour on my way home. Let's walk home together some other time, okay, Hashimoto-kun?”

“Damn… really? That’s a shame.”

When Morishita rejected him, Hashimoto didn’t seem to care much, but being turned down by Shiraishi as well was a surprise. He slumped his shoulders, looking a little disappointed, and headed home alone.

“Would you mind if I walk with you for a while?” Shiraishi asked.

“Do you have some business at school?”

“No. I just thought I'd like to chat with Ayanokoji-kun a little more.”

“With me? Compared to Hashimoto, I’m not sure I can have interesting conversations, is that okay?”

“That's just very modest of you. You're a very interesting person, Ayanokoji-kun.”

Though it was hard to feel truly praised, even if it was just flattery, it didn’t feel bad to hear it.

Walking alongside Shiraishi, we strolled slowly towards the school. At this pace, it would only take a few minutes to reach the entrance.

“Come to think of it, this is only the second time we've been alone like this.”

The first time was the day after I transferred to Class C, that morning when I arrived early to observe my new classmates.

“Fufu, that’s true. Not many days have passed since then,” she said softly.

“…That’s true too.”

Since that day, I had tried to make a habit of arriving at school early, but Shiraishi no longer appeared first in the classroom. My impression now was that she tended to come in a bit later. She had said, that time was a rare occasion for her to wake up early, so it was probably not her usual habit.

1

I glanced at her and asked, “Shiraishi, what kind of impression do you have of me?”

“Oh my? That’s a pretty straightforward question,” she replied.

“Huh?”

“I thought you were a bit more of a stoic type. So I was surprised by such a bold question.” she teased lightly.

“No... ah, I see, it could be taken that way. My bad.”

It might have sounded like I was asking about romance, like whether she liked or not.

“What I wanted to ask was about my transfer to the class. I felt you welcomed me from an early stage, but wouldn't one normally be more suspicious?”

She smiled and asked back, “Why do you think that is?”

“I don't know.... We had never spoken to each other for two years. I thought that students who watched me from the sidelines would have a rather negative impression.”

By safely getting through the first special exam, I had managed to get my classmates to accept me, but Shiraishi seemed to have placed her trust in me even before that.

There was no sign that Hashimoto or Morishita had given her a special explanation early on.

“After Sakayanagi-san left, you were the one who transferred into Class C, weren’t you? Hashimoto-kun was convinced that you would definitely become a major asset. While I'm not surprised that some people still have doubts, I suspect there are actually quite a few, like me, who want to hold onto hope and believe in you straightforwardly.”

Rather than giving up on Class A, they’d put their faith in this last chance and take a gamble.

Saying it aloud is easy, but whether one can truly deceive their own hearts is a different matter altogether.

Thinking about Yoshida and Shimazaki, I want to avoid being alone with Shiraishi as much as possible from now on. But maybe that’s why it’s okay to step a little closer, just this once.

“You might say I'm being self-conscious, but is it possible that you were watching me to some extent even before I transferred classes, Shiraishi?” I asked.

Her gaze back in the karaoke room, how she observed me, had felt a bit too intense towards someone who was practically a stranger. It was different from how she kept her distance from Yoshida and the other boys.

“Aah—”

Her lips parted slightly, releasing a soft sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a word.

Stopping in her tracks, Shiraishi looked directly at me, eyes locking with mine a few steps ahead.

“Ah... this isn’t good.” she said softly.

“Not good? What do you mean?”

She smiled gently and held my gaze without answering.

For a few seconds, silence stretched between us as if time itself had stopped—

“I am Shiraishi Asuka.”

She spoke the words plainly.

We had long since introduced ourselves and even spent time together during lunch breaks and holidays. Yet now, for some reason, she renewed her introduction and extended her hand to me.

“And you— who are you?”

What was the intention behind that statement?

Or was she simply teasing me?

“I'm Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.”

Prepared to be teased, I responded to the question and shook her hand. The touch of her slender fingers was cool, yet undeniably warm beneath the surface.

1

“Somehow, saying the full name reminds me of Morishita-san.”

“Indeed...”

It wasn’t meant as a tease, but the resemblance to Morishita made Shiraishi laugh quietly.

Compared to Hashimoto, Morishita, Yoshida, and Shimazaki, it was clear just how little I truly understood her. The Shiraishi seen by Yoshida, and the Shiraishi seen by Shimazaki, by weaving their impressions with my own, I had made only the smallest progress.

I had hoped to grasp more of her, but in truth, the mystery only deepened.

Those eyes of hers, mysterious and inscrutable, could not be confined to the simple categories of classmate or neighbor.

Or perhaps, this was simply the essence of the enigmatic personality and atmosphere she carried with her.

“Well then, I'll be heading back now. Please give my regards to Shiina-san.”

Whether it was because there was no reason or because she simply didn’t want to answer, I couldn’t tell.

Either way, she doesn't seem to be harmful for now at least.

From here, I wanted to dig a little deeper and understand what kind of person she truly was.

After that, I made my way through the school and arrived at the library. But sometimes, when timing is off, it's utterly and completely off.

Inside the spacious library, Hiyori was nowhere to be seen. When I asked one of the librarians I often saw around, I was told she had left before 5 o’clock.

It was Friday, the start of the weekend, so it wasn’t surprising that Hiyori might have one or two plans of her own.

And thus, day after day, the chance to meet Hiyori kept getting pushed further and further away—

1