Fallen

"Ah!" This time Kina truly let out a soft gasp, but immediately covered her mouth. Kina's suppressed, short exclamation was like a small pebble thrown into still water, instantly rippling outwards in the stuffy classroom.

Ike Kanji, sitting in the front row by the aisle, was wrestling with trigonometry, biting his pen. Hearing the sound, he abruptly turned his head, his sleepy eyes full of confusion. The female student next to him, Onodera, also subconsciously turned her face, her gaze sweeping towards the source of the sound. Even the physics teacher on the podium, who was explaining "The Special Manifestation of Conservation of Energy Under the Action of Friction," paused his chalk on the blackboard for half a second, his inquisitive gaze directed towards the back of the classroom over his lenses.

However, as everyone's attention focused on Hoshino Kanade and Kina—

Kina's...

But the most crucial part was—her right foot hadn't retracted! Hoshino Kanade's reaction was faster and more subtle: the moment Kina gasped, his left hand, which had been gripping her ankle, suddenly exerted force downwards. Simultaneously, his right elbow, seemingly casual but actually precise, pressed against the edge of the desk. Using the angle of his body and the desk, he firmly trapped Kina's foot beneath the desk, within the "cage" formed by his own legs!

Even more cleverly, he leaned his upper body forward slightly. His broad shoulders and lowered head perfectly formed a natural barrier. From the perspective of the teacher and most of the students, the space under the desk was completely obscured by his body and the desk's edge, creating a perfect blind spot.

His upper body, however, remained completely still. His left hand even casually moved up, using the end of his pen to gently scratch behind his ear. His brow furrowed, his gaze focused intently on the open practice problems, as if the slight sound was merely an accidental noise he made while scratching his head, currently deeply troubled by a difficult problem.

Oh... it's those two again... Ike Kanji's conclusion popped into his mind automatically.

After all, the frequency with which this couple "accidentally" dropped stationery, discussed in low voices, or even made occasional strange noises was no longer news in Class D.

Seeing Hoshino Kanade's serious expression as he solved the problem, Ike Kanji pouted and turned back with no interest, continuing his battle with the problems on the blackboard.

Onodera muttered to herself, 'Classmate Kina probably poked her hand with her own pen again? Looking at how she's covering her mouth... Classmate Hoshino seems to be having trouble?' She also withdrew her gaze, refocusing her attention on the blackboard.

The physics teacher pushed up his glasses: Hmm, that problem Classmate Hoshino is working on is indeed a bit difficult, so him scratching his head is normal... The chalk continued to draw a rustling trajectory on the blackboard.

Within seconds, all the momentarily focused gazes were as if pushed aside by an invisible hand, and everyone turned back in unison.

The "order" of the classroom quickly self-repaired, and the monotonous river of knowledge continued to flow.

Only Kina knew that her foot was still trapped in the "demon's claw," unable to move!

Kina was slumped over her desk.

She huffily vowed in her heart that today, no, at least not during this break, she absolutely would not talk to Hoshino Kanade! That scoundrel! Hmph~!

And in the seat diagonally to Hoshino Kanade's upper right, Matsushita Chiaki, who had witnessed this entire "interactive drama" from beginning to end, found her current feelings could no longer be described as "shocked."

Matsushita Chiaki was a typical example of someone who "hid their strength" in Class D.

She herself was not without ability, but after seeing the almost impossible prospect of advancing to Class A from Class D, she decisively chose to slack off, her only goal being to "coast" until graduation.

She usually mingled within Karuizawa Kei's small group, quietly observing everything in the class.

Of course, certain unusual classmates had also piqued her interest, such as Hoshino Kanade, who always exuded a sense of mystery, and Ayanokoji Kina, whose behavior seemed somewhat different. They were all key targets on her "observation list."

She observed them purely out of a habitual need to collect information and satisfy her curiosity.

But she never expected that these daily observations would lead her to witness such... scenes that surpassed her imagination!

These young man and woman... actually did such a thing?!