Confession

"Next, you can go into 'standby'," Hoshino Kanade's voice was steady and clear. "Maintain your 'Nakajo' disguise, blend into Karuizawa's circle, and stabilize the balance with Hirata.

This is your best layer of protection. I won't actively seek you out in daily life, and you don't need to deliberately avoid me.

Consolidate the information you deem crucial. When you feel like sharing, the decision is yours."

His gaze turned to her. "The initiative is yours. I trust your judgment."

With a light swipe of his fingertip across the terminal screen, a faint light illuminated. "However, observation and integration both require investment. I'll transfer points to you regularly.

The amount won't be conspicuous, but it will be enough. How much do you need?" The offer of support was clear in his tone.

Matsushita Chiaki shook her head almost immediately. "No, please don't give me points."

Meeting Hoshino Kanade's gaze, she explained, "Points appearing out of nowhere in the terminal, especially when Class D's account is almost zero, would be too noticeable.

Karuizawa is far more sensitive to points than the average person. Any slight disturbance could alert her. Having no points is the best disguise."

She paused and added, "If there's a necessary expense beyond my capabilities... I'll contact you."

The word "contact" was used cleverly, blurring the implication of a request and sounding more like notification and cooperation.

Hoshino Kanade watched her silently for a few seconds.

There was no displeasure in his eyes; instead, a flicker of light crossed them.

Matsushita Chiaki's caution exceeded his expectations.

She had not only grasped the essence of 'standby' as integration and observation but also keenly realized that 'resources' themselves could become a source of exposure.

Her assessment of Karuizawa was also spot-on.

That blonde girl was indeed like a highly sensitive detector.

And her proactive offer to "contact" if necessary provided a fallback while minimizing variables from daily interactions.

"Smart," he retracted his finger, the screen darkened, his tone conveying approval of effective cooperation.

"Proceed as you see fit. If you discover anything, contact me anytime."

The last sentence conveyed a promise of immediate response and support, not a unilateral command.

"Now, act as you normally would."

Matsushita Chiaki's tense shoulders relaxed.

She stood up, her posture returning to its usual composed elegance, and nodded. "Understood." Without any extra words, she turned and left.

Her chestnut curly hair danced in the light beams filtering through the window. Her back was straight as she quietly wrapped this new secret within the gentle, harmless shell of the honor student, 'Matsushita Chiaki.'

Hoshino Kanade's gaze followed her figure until she reached the doorway, his fingertip unconsciously caressing his pen.

A sponge that knows how to hide and nourish itself?

A pair of hands that know when to be silent and when to reach out?

This maiden, marked as 'Nakajo' level, displayed a prudence far exceeding her preset value.

Outside the classroom corridors of the teaching building.

Hoshino Kanade leaned against the cool wall, his gaze seemingly sweeping casually over the students coming and going in the hallway.

Compared to the probing exchanges at the beginning of the semester, recent days had been unusually peaceful.

The situation in Class D had changed too much from the original story. With Matsushita Chiaki working in the shadows, he felt considerably more at ease.

"How is it?" a calm voice sounded beside him.

Hoshino Kanade turned his head slightly. Matsushita Chiaki was leaning against the wall like him, as if they had met by chance during a break and were chatting.

She was lightly flipping through a notebook in her hand, as if organizing class content, her movements extremely natural.

"Too peaceful," Hoshino Kanade's voice was low, just enough to reach the person beside him. "I barely feel like I'm being watched."

Matsushita Chiaki nodded gently, her gaze lifting from the notebook. She quickly glanced at a student from another class walking past with their head down.

"Yeah, there hasn't been much movement from other classes recently. It feels like... they really don't see Class D as a rival anymore." Her voice lowered slightly.

"That's good too." At least it allowed for a period of stable daily life.

The terminal on the desk vibrated slightly, and the screen lit up.

Hoshino Kanade looked down. As expected, it was that familiar avatar.

Swiping open the screen, Ichinose Honami's greeting popped up:

"Hoshino-kun, good afternoon! How was your day? Did you eat well? Our canteen's new dessert today is..."

Ever since they added each other as friends for a transaction last time, Ichinose had been sending messages to check in from time to time.

At first, it was just ordinary greetings and sharing, sometimes school anecdotes, sometimes insignificant little discoveries.

Out of politeness and a slight sense of observation, Hoshino had responded promptly.

Unknowingly, Hoshino Kanade had also become quite close with her.

Sakayanagi Arisu's fingertips brushed over the latest few messages, sensing a subtle difference.

Ichinose's tone was still as gentle and polite as ever, but the energetic vigor within her words seemed to have been quietly veiled by a layer of mist.

In the previous few messages she'd sent, casual phrases like "I'm a little tired today" and "Things are a bit complicated" had occasionally slipped through.

Hoshino didn't press for details immediately, instead responding as usual to the seemingly ordinary expressions of care, subtly leaving a small gap in her replies.

At this moment, after staring at the latest message for a moment, her fingers began to tap on the screen:

"Sounds like you're a bit troubled? If sweets can solve it, that's good."

This sentence was like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.

Almost within seconds, the "Typing..." prompt began to flicker.

The final message that came back indeed showed a change in content.

Ichinose began to speak of some friction with other classes. Although she didn't detail the specific conflicts, the crude threats from Ryuen Sho and the pressure brought by Sakayanagi Arisu's hidden layout still came through in her words.

Even through the screen, Hoshino could imagine her rubbing her temples.