Confiding

"From now on, you can go on 'standby.'" Hoshino Kanade's voice was calm and clear. "Maintain your 'Nakajo' disguise, blend into Karuizawa's circle, and keep things balanced on Hirata's side.

That's your best protection. I won't seek you out during the day, and you don't need to go out of your way to avoid me.

Keep track of whatever information you think is important. You can decide when you want to share it."

He turned his gaze to her. "You're in control. I trust your judgment."

His fingertip slid lightly across the terminal screen, and its faint glow lit up. "Still, observing and blending in take effort. I'll transfer points to you regularly.

The amount won't attract attention, but it should be enough. How many do you need?" His tone made it clear he was offering support.

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

Meeting Hoshino Kanade's gaze, she explained, "Having points suddenly appear in my terminal would be too conspicuous, especially with Class D's account nearly empty.

Karuizawa is far more sensitive to points than most people. Any little disturbance could put her on alert. Having no points is the best disguise."

She paused, then added, "If I ever have an unavoidable expense that's beyond my means... I'll contact you."

Her choice of the word "contact" was clever. It softened the sense of asking for help, making it sound more like keeping him informed and working together.

Hoshino Kanade watched her quietly for a few seconds.

There was no displeasure in his eyes. Instead, a glimmer of appreciation passed through them.

Matsushita Chiaki's caution exceeded his expectations.

She had not only grasped that the essence of "standby" was to blend in and observe, but had also keenly recognized that "resources" themselves could become a source of exposure.

Her assessment of Karuizawa was spot-on, too.

That blonde girl really was like a highly sensitive detector.

And by offering to "contact" him if necessary, she had left herself a way out while minimizing the complications that everyday interaction might bring.

"Smart." He withdrew his finger, and the screen went dark. His tone held the approval of someone who valued effective cooperation.

"Do it your way. If you discover anything, get in touch anytime."

His final words promised support and a quick response, rather than issuing a one-sided command.

"For now, just act as you normally would."

The tension left Matsushita Chiaki's shoulders.

She stood, her usual poise and grace returning, and nodded. "Understood." Without another word, she turned and left.

Her chestnut curls danced in the light streaming through the window. Her back straight, she quietly tucked this new secret beneath the gentle, harmless exterior of "Matsushita Chiaki," the model student.

Hoshino Kanade watched her until she reached the door, his fingers absently rubbing the shaft of his pen.

A sponge that knew how to hide itself and replenish itself?

A pair of hands that knew when to stay still and when to reach out?

This girl, rated at an "above-average" level, had shown far more caution than her predicted value suggested.

Outside the hallway in the Teaching Building, after class.

Hoshino Kanade leaned against the cold wall, his gaze seemingly wandering over the students passing through the corridor.

Compared to the probing and clashes at the start of the school year, things had been unusually peaceful lately.

Class D's situation had changed so much from the original story that having Matsushita Chiaki working behind the scenes really did put him at ease.

"How are things?" a calm voice asked beside him.

Hoshino Kanade turned his head slightly. Matsushita Chiaki leaned against the wall just like him, and the two looked like classmates who had run into each other and struck up a casual conversation between lessons.

She gently flipped through a notebook in her hand, as if reviewing her class notes. Her movements were perfectly natural.

"Too peaceful," Hoshino Kanade said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. "I can hardly feel anyone watching us."

Matsushita Chiaki nodded lightly, lifted her gaze from the notebook, and glanced quickly at a student from another class hurrying past with his head down.

"Yeah. The other classes really haven't been doing much lately. It feels like... they don't consider Class D a rival anymore." She lowered her voice a little.

"That's fine, too." At least it meant they could maintain a peaceful daily routine for a while.

The terminal on the desk gave a slight buzz, and its screen lit up.

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

He swiped the screen, and a greeting from Ichinose Honami popped up:

"Good afternoon, Hoshino-kun! Has your day been going well? Have you eaten properly? Our cafeteria has a new dessert today..."

Ever since they had added each other as friends for a transaction, Ichinose had sent him messages now and then to check in.

At first, they had been ordinary greetings and things she wanted to share—sometimes something funny that had happened at school, sometimes a little discovery that didn't matter much.

Out of politeness, and with a hint of curiosity, Hoshino had replied fairly promptly.

Before he knew it, Hoshino Kanade had grown fairly close to her.

But... as Hoshino Kanade's fingers scrolled through her latest messages, he noticed something different.

Ichinose's tone was still as warm and polite as ever, but the energy that had filled her words seemed to have been quietly veiled by a thin mist.

In a few of her earlier messages, she had let slip things like, "I'm a little tired today," and, "Things are kind of complicated."

Hoshino hadn't pressed her right away. He had simply responded to her seemingly ordinary concern as usual, occasionally leaving a small opening in his replies without making it obvious.

Now, as he stared at her latest message for a moment, his fingers began to tap across the screen:

"Sounds like something's bothering you? If dessert can fix it, that's not so bad."

His words were like a pebble tossed into a still lake.

Within seconds, the "Typing..." indicator began to blink.

The reply that eventually came was, as expected, different.

Ichinose began telling him about some friction with other classes. She didn't go into the specifics of any clashes, but the pressure came through in her words all the same: Ryuen Kakeru's crude threats, and the strain of Sakayanagi Arisu's hidden schemes.

Even through the screen, he could picture her rubbing her temples.