"Kushida smiled at me—"
"My heart's racing—"
"No, she smiled at me."
"Kushida is so cute, like a little angel—"
The boys of Class A all became excited.
"..." Oreki.
Kushida's destructive power was still as strong as ever.
Oreki turned his attention to a spot five meters in front of the students.
The teachers of all four classes had gathered there.
Although they all worked at the same school and saw one another regularly, this was the first time he had formally seen all four teachers assembled together.
Class A's homeroom teacher was familiar to everyone: Teacher Majima, a rational-looking male teacher who liked wearing suits.
Class B's homeroom teacher was Hoshinomiya Chie, who had wavy, limp hair and sweet features, making her look quite adorable.
Class C's homeroom teacher was Suma Bando, a tall, skinny male teacher with below-average looks and glasses.
And there was Class D's homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira. Though she was a cool, mature beauty, she always wore a stern expression that made her look angry.
Right now, Teacher Majima stood alone at the front, while Hoshinomiya Chie stayed beside Chabashira, seemingly close enough to hook her arm around Chabashira's.
Meanwhile, Teacher Suma Bando stood alone at the back.
From that superficial glimpse of their relationships, Hoshinomiya Chie and Chabashira were probably quite close.
They seemed like friends, or perhaps best friends.
However.
What Oreki thought was that Class B's teacher gave him the same feeling as Kikyo Kushida.
So.
Was Hoshinomiya Chie of Class B similar to Kushida, aware of how cute she was and deliberately choosing Teacher Chabashira, who always wore a stern face, as a backdrop?
That way, she would seem even cuter.
Of course, thinking that way about Class B's teacher was a little excessive.
So Oreki focused his attention.
Class