Game

That day, their once-peaceful classroom was suddenly attacked by an unknown life-form.

Run! A voice screamed inside Hoshino Kanade.

Before she completely conquered you... find her weakness.

But unfortunately, Kiyona was an all-around genius, flawless in every respect.

But it was precisely because she was so flawless that Hoshino Kanade was even more convinced that every moment she spent with Kiyona, every unexpected flutter of her heart, was an encounter Kiyona had carefully planned.

Still, there was no guarantee that in this real world, Kiyona would have the same absolute rationality as she did in the original story. So Hoshino Kanade could only try to keep a clear head.

A clear head was her last piece of armor, while a fluttering heart... was always the hunter's spoils.

Cool strands of hair wound around her fingers, stirring up a fine tickle. Her palm betrayed her reason once more, unable to resist savoring the warmth and softness atop Kiyona's head.

"Y-you're making me sound better than I am."

Hoshino Kanade's face flushed. She lowered her head slightly and glanced to the side.

A little while later, Kiyona still showed no sign of letting go.

"Come on, it's almost time for class."

"Let's go see the club fair together after school."

"I know. You don't have to remind me again."

At last, it was over. Hoshino Kanade turned back around, the flush brought on by her rising temperature slowly fading.

Her classmates were all whispering to one another, and Hoshino Kanade kept feeling meaningful glances coming from every direction.

It made her uncomfortable. They would probably need some time before things went back to normal.

Now Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona were famous in their class. It had made a much bigger impression than their self-introductions.

Though Hoshino Kanade hadn't wanted to become famous.

The chaotic learning atmosphere in Class D made it difficult for students who wanted to concentrate to settle down.

Yet even seated in the very back row, with several "monsters" in front of her, Horikita Suzune still listened attentively and took notes in every class.

Hoshino Kanade had to admire her for that.

Time always seemed to fly by when she was studying. The afternoon classes passed quickly as she read—though Hoshino Kanade felt that had more to do with the shorter afternoon schedule at Japanese middle and high schools.

Afternoon classes ran from one thirty to three, with only two periods—a mere hour and a half.

After that came half an hour of cleaning, and club activities began after four.

At Japanese schools, club activities were an important part of campus life.

Students could freely choose a club that interested them—from sports clubs like baseball and kendo to cultural clubs like anime studies and tea ceremony. There were even specialized clubs like robotics and psychic powers research.

They could not only develop their hobbies, but also gain a range of benefits. Winning club competitions could help with further education; students could make friends across classes and grade levels, and start a girls' band together...

All in all, clubs were both the starting point for students' interests and a springboard for growth. Hoshino Kanade thought they were far more valuable than the dead knowledge taught in class.

That said, back in middle school, Hoshino Kanade had always been a member of the Go-Home Club. There had never been some violent teacher forcing her to join a strange club, either.

After they finished cleaning, there was still an hour and a half before the club fair began.

Back to reading.

"Kanade, let's go to the gym."

Kiyona's voice sounded beside her.

Who knew how long Kiyona had been waiting? While Kanade read, Kiyona sat in the seat in front of her and watched. After all, Kiyona had nothing else she wanted to do. She might as well observe a human.

She called it reading, but Kiyona thought flipping through the book was a better description. Kanade read even faster than she did, and time flew by with every flip, flip, flip of the pages.

"Then let's go."

By the time Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona reached the gym, the club fair had only just begun.

The gym was bustling with noise. Upperclassmen from the various clubs were enthusiastically promoting them to the new students.

The display boards showed off each club's features with pictures and text, while the flyers were packed with information and designed to catch the eye. The atmosphere was lively.

It was another chance to marvel at the school's deep pockets.

Tokyo Metropolitan High School of Cultivation had not only outstanding clubs across the board, but also elite clubs and athletes with national-level certification.

Its club facilities were far more comprehensive than those at schools of a similar standard, and it even had some luxurious equipment, like hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

But none of that had anything to do with Hoshino Kanade. She had only come along to keep Kiyona company.

Kiyona didn't seem particularly interested either. Though she was in the middle of the bustling recruitment fair, she remained detached from the excitement.

She only glanced briefly at each club's booth before looking away. She didn't stop to ask questions or pick up any flyers. Her expression was full of aloofness.

That made sense. Given Kiyona's abilities, she could probably crush most of the clubs here.

So had Kiyona really insisted on inviting Hoshino Kanade, even acting sad in the classroom, just to have someone accompany her?

"Is there a club you want to join, Kiyona?"

This felt just like shopping. Hoshino Kanade hated shopping, and she hated it even more when they looked around without buying anything.

"I don't think there's a club I like. I only realized it after coming to the fair."

Kiyona turned to look at Hoshino Kanade, one hand resting on her chest. After only a brief pause, she delivered her line with a blank expression.

"Without Kanade, no club has any meaning to me."

Her cool voice seemed to have the power to freeze time and space.

The Judo Club captain, who had been working hard to recruit new students nearby, fell silent. The onlooking students also turned incredulous, astonished, and envious gazes on the two of them.

Without time to think, Hoshino Kanade offered the crowd a brief apology, grabbed Kiyona, and ran outside.

She swiftly led Kiyona through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd and made it out of the gym. Then she found a quiet spot some distance away and stopped.

"Why did we run?"

Kiyona pretended to be slightly out of breath as she asked.

"If we hadn't run, we wouldn't have gotten away. More and more people would've gathered to watch."

"Why were they looking at us?"

You really don't get it, do you?

"People are naturally curious, especially in high school, when their hormones are running high. They're especially sensitive to things between boys and girls."

"Oh~ I don't get it."

At that, Hoshino Kanade's expression grew awkward too. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.

"Just now, in the gym, what you said... it was kind of like a confession."

"And at lunchtime, you..."

"Oh, you mean that?" Kiyona seemed to recall something too.

"I played a Galgame last night. That's how the characters in it all talked, right?"

"Huh?"

Hoshino Kanade's lips moved, but she swallowed the words she hadn't yet spoken. So this was what it meant to have mixed feelings—an indescribable jumble of emotions.

"You're really good at playing Galgame. Next time, don't play it again."

So she really had picked it up from playing a Galgame.

Hoshino Kanade didn't know what to say anymore. What was done was done.

"Fine, then."

Kiyona acted very obediently, though Hoshino Kanade couldn't see the curve of her lips.

"Let's go eat first."

"Mm."