Lunch break. For some reason, I was involved with the usual group and went to the cafeteria.
The members were me, Kushida, Horikita, Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou.
It was inevitable. When lunchtime arrived, Kushida came up to me and asked, âWant to go to lunch?â with a smile. I couldnât possibly refuse right? So I said, âSure!â. .
âYou seem to be involved in one problem after another, Sudou-kun.â
Horikita sighed in exasperation.
Naturally, the topic of discussion was how to prove Sudouâs innocence.
âWell it canât be helped, so weâll assist you as friends, Sudou.â
Although he treated Sudou as a bad person at first, Ikeâs attitude changed. Itâs definitely because Kushida stepped in. Even so, Sudou apologised.
âIâm sorry for causing trouble again Horikita. However, I wasnât the one at fault this time. I was really frustrated at those class C bastards.â
As though it was someone elseâs problem, Sudou talked to Horikita in an indifferent tone.
âIâm sorry, but this time, I donât really feel like helping.â
Horikita immediately rejected Sudouâs request for help.
âThe most important thing to class D in order to rise up is to take back the points we lost as quickly as possible. However, because of you, we probably wonât be able to get any points. In other words, youâve just messed up that plan.â
âWait a second. Itâs probably true, but Iâm seriously not the one at fault! I only hit them because they provoked me first! What part of that is my fault!?â
âYou keep saying that they started the fight, but itâs nothing more than a trivial difference. Were you not aware of that?â
âTrivial my ass. Itâs completely different. Iâm not the one to blame!â
âIs that so? Well, good luck.â
Grabbing her untouched tray, Horikita stood up.
âAre you not going to help!? Arenât we friends!?â
âDonât make me laugh. Iâve never considered you as a friend. I feel most uncomfortable when Iâm with people that donât realize how stupid and foolish they are. Goodbye.â
Horikita sighed, looking more exasperated than angry, and left the room.
âWhatâs up with her!? Dammit!â
Unable to vent his anger anywhere else, he hit the cafeteria table.
I noticed the nearby studentâs miso soup spilling . I saw him glare at Sudou, but fall silent upon looking at his face. And I understood how he felt.
âI guess weâll have to make do with what we haveâ
âI knew you would understand, Yamauchi. Iâm relying on you too, Ayanokouji.â
Seems like Iâm second to Yamauchi. Well, itâs not really surprising.
âEven if you ask me to help, I canât really do much, you know?â
Itâs ineffective to self-deprecate whenever someone asks for help, it seems.
âYouâve been saying that ever since yesterday Ayanokouji-kun. Ike, say something.â
âNo, but⊠well, itâs strange for Ayanokouji to say that he wonât be useful. Well, itâs better than not being there. Probably.â
As expected, Ike couldnât come up with how I would be useful.
With a smug face, I looked at Kushida. It was though I was showing off the power of being a boring person.
âThis is disheartening. I thought we got along when we were preparing for the testâŠâ
Ike said in a disappointed tone. I saw Horikita sitting back down in the distance, looking slightly irritated.
âI donât understand Horikita at all. Whatâs wrong with her, Ayanokouji? Why is she like that?â
I didnât know the answer to the question. What am I, a user manual for her? To avoid answering, I stuffed my face with rice.
âItâs strange though. Horikita-san wants to get to class A, right? If we save Sudou-kun, the class would receive points. I wonder why she doesnât want to.â
âIsnât it because she dislikes Sudou? She said she didnât think of him as a friend.â
Saying that wasnât going to help..
They misunderstood what she said earlier for her dislike of Sudou..
âI donât want to think that way, but I guess itâs trueâŠâ
âKushida, Horikita isââ
I unconsciously start to speak. Kushida looked at me in interest.
âHorikita-san is?â
âAh⊠It may not be relevant, but here are my thoughts on this: I think Horikita normally talks in a harsh manner. But I also think you guys are misunderstanding her.â
âHuh? What do you mean?â
âShe wonât help if thereâs no reason to do so⊠I think.â
âWhat do you mean by, âI think, I thinkâ? Are you just guessing?â
Sudou bursts into the conversation. As he is aware of Horikita, it wasnât difficult to understand that he didnât like being rejected by her.
Horikita had probably realized this when Chiyabashira-sensei was telling us about the incident.
This happened for a reason. And the ending she foresaw⊠in other words, the probability that this would end with positive results is near impossible. Upon realizing that, Horikita purposely acted cold towards Sudou.
If it were to be said here, it would not be able to much of a difference as itâll only make them feel disheartened. Without knowing how things will end, I hesitated to reply to Sudouâs outburst.
Not wanting to pour cold water onto their plans, Horikita probably didnât say anything and left.
âWell⊠Itâs a guess like you say, Sudou.â
âYou donât even have a reason for thinking that way?â
âHorikitaâs smart after all. I felt like she came to a conclusion that made her act that way.â
âA conclusion? Yeah, a conclusion to forsake me.â
âLetâs not accuse others, Sudou. Itâs only natural for Ayanokouji-kun to defend Horikita, since heâs always with her all the time.. Sheâs important to him, you know?â
Ike quipped at me with an evil smile on his face.
Sudou clicked his tongue and reached out for his tray, still feeling irritated.
âIf someone came up as a witness, it would be great. Since the teachers asked all the classes, this will probably be resolved quickly.â
I understand wanting to think that way, but would the situation be resolved that easily?
After all, the issue was serious. Itâs not unreasonable for Horikita to give up. It would be checkmate if the witness, assuming there is one in the first place, was from Class C. It would be natural for class C to hide the truth in order to protect themselves. After all, this school is made up of ranks. Itâs unlikely that any feelings of guilt will outweigh the disadvantages the class may get.
But if the witness is not from class C, the problem is where to look.
If it was someone that was neutral and had seen the situation unfold from the beginning, the result may be different.
âAh, sorry, Iâll be gone for a bit. Iâm going to go ask my senpais that I just saw over there.â
Kushida stood up from her seat.
âYouâre doing your best for people like Sudou, Kushida-chan. Itâs cute.â
Fascinated by Kushidaâs back, Ike was enchanted.
âI should seriously confess to Kushida-chanâŠâ
âItâs impossible. You think sheâll drop to your level?â
âI have a better chance than you do.â
The two similarly enchanted boys quarreled.
âIf I dated Kushida-chan⊠fufu.â
Drooling, Ike started to fantasise with indecent thoughts.
âHey. Why are you fantasizing about my Kushida-chan?â
âNooâŠâ
âW-what delusions are you having!? Talk!â
It seems like he lost his sense of control.
âWhat do you mean, what? Of course Iâm thinking of her nude, right next to me. In other words, cuddling.â
Somehow, the whole scene was imaginable to a certain extent with those few words.
âDammit, I wonât lose! Iâve also thought of various things!â
Hey hey, thatâs neither ethical nor suitable.
âStop it. Donât touch my Kushida-chan with your filthy hands.â
In some way, Kushida seemed pitiful.
Sheâs probably the object of several boysâ fantasies every night.
âAs I thought, the best part about high school are the girls. I really want a girlfriend. If I have a girlfriend during summer, I can go to the pool with her! Itâd be the best!â
âIt would be the best if Kushida-chan was my girlfriend⊠it would be the best if she was my girlfriendâŠâ
As if it was something valuable, Yamauchi said it twice.
âBut since Kushida-chan is cute, wonât she get a boyfriend sooner or laterâŠ?â
âDonât say that, Yamauchi. It doesnât look like she has a boyfriend, so itâs alright.â
Ike replied with self-confidence, though it seemed like he was trying to reassure himself.
âDo you want to know? I bet you guys want to know.â
âWhat? What are you talking about, Ike? Tell me.â
While saying, âWell, guess I canât help it,â Ike took out his phone.
âUsing the phone we got from the school, we can actually track the location of registered friends.â
Ike searched for Kushidaâs location as he said so.
Shortly after, the phone blinked with Kushidaâs information, showing that she was in the cafeteria.
âIâve always been checking regularly, even on weekends. And then I talk to her, pretending that we met by chance, in order to make sure that she doesnât have a boyfriend.â
While crossing his arms, Ike had a confident look on his face, but what he was doing is nothing more than stalking her.
Itâs already at the level where the police would usually intervene.
âRealistically, Kushida-chan is out of our league⊠she wouldnât drop to our level. Would it be possible if I aimed lowerâŠ?â
âYea⊠in the first place, my girlfriend canât be uglyâŠâ
âTheyâve got to be at least a 70âŠâ
It seems like the two boys started to dream about getting a girlfriend.
Their wild delusions were shattered, but they could not get rid of their high expectations.
âAyanokouji, do you want a girlfriend?â
âWell, if itâs possible.â
If I was able to get a girlfriend just because I wanted one, I wouldnât have much difficulty socialising with others.
âIâm just asking again, but are you sure you donât feel anything for Horikita?â
He thrusted his chopsticks towards me while asking.
âI donât, really.â
âAre you sure?â
He asked again, looking like he didnât believe me. I nodded my head vigorously to get the point across.
ââŠThen itâs fine. I thought you were clinging onto her. I mean, that would be a bother for Horikita.â
I donât remember clinging onto anyone. Especially not her.
âBut are you ok with Horikita? Well, sheâs cute, but⊠sheâs pretty boring, right? I wouldnât be able to stand someone like her. She wouldnât want to go to the pool or go on any dates.â
âI donât know. Horikitaâs better than Kushida.â
Sudou nodded two, three times and crossed his arms while being prideful about his preferences.
âIf it was someone unrelated, she would refuse the date, but if it was her boyfriend, she would probably agree, right? And she would show her boyfriend expressions that she wouldnât show any other boy.â
âI see⊠I can imagine it too. Sheâs cute, after all.â
While glancing at Horikita, who was sitting quite a distance away, Yamauchi entered his delusions.
âBut that Horikita seems to have abandoned you, Sudou.â
âThatâs⊠well, itâs true. Damn it, I feel sad now.â
âWell, Iâve got nothing to say since the number of rivals for Kushida-chan just decreased.â
It seems like Ike decided to look for girls around a chest size of 70 while keeping Kushida as his main goal.
âBy the way Ayanokouji, if you donât like Horikita, who do you like? Sudou has Horikita, Yamauchi has Kushida-chan. Are you going to be a rival?â
âWhoâŠâ
No particular girl came to mind.
For a few moments, I thought about it seriously. If I were to choose, then⊠Kushida? Sheâs the person I talk to the most, so itâs inevitable. But since I know she doesnât like me, I havenât really thought about her.
âThereâs no one.â
However, Ike and Yamauchi sent me doubtful glances.
âDo you believe that there are guys that donât have a crush on a girl?
âThereâs no one like that at all. Donât hide it, Ayanokouji.â
âUnlike you guys, I havenât really met with many girls other than Horikita and Kushida.â
âWell, I guess. I havenât really seen you talk to any other girls.â
Itâs sad that itâs true.
âShould I introduce you to some girls?â
Placing an arm around my shoulder, Ike talked with confidence.
âIsnât it sad that youâre trying to introduce some girls when you donât even have a girlfriend?â
âUu⊠yeaâŠâ
âSae-chan-sensei said that we would have a vacation in the summer, right? Iâll definitely get a girlfriend then. Kushida-chan if possible! Or some other cute girl!â
âMe too, me too! Even if sheâs the worst, Iâll get a girlfriend⊠and then Iâll have my lovey-dovey high school life!â
ââŠWhen should I confess to HorikitaâŠâ
The three of them talked about the girls in their minds.
âWe should have a competition to see who gets a girlfriend first. The first person to have a girlfriend will treat all of us with food! Alright?â
It was difficult to decide if I was a true friend by participating in a competition like this.
âWhatâs wrong, Ayanokouji? By any chance, youâre not going to say that you wonât participate, will you?â
âNo, I was just wondering why the first person to get a girlfriend is the one to treat everyone else.â
âOh, I see. Youâre just being jealous, right?â
âA person who gets a girlfriend is happy. Since theyâre happy, they treat everyone. Itâs that kind of feeling.â
Although they were getting excited, Sudouâs problem still persists.
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