Plan Failure

The next day, Itozawa woke up in the faint light of dawn. He quickly got himself ready, preparing to face the new day. As he walked into the elevator, he unexpectedly ran into Ichinose. The two exchanged a friendly glance and naturally decided to head to the classroom together.

"Good morning, Ichinose," Itozawa's voice echoed in the elevator.

"Good morning, Itozawa," Ichinose replied, her smile warm and friendly.

As they exited the elevator and made their way to the classroom, many girls along the path enthusiastically greeted Ichinose. Their faces were beaming with smiles, clearly very familiar with and fond of Ichinose.

In contrast, although Itozawa was also greeted, he could feel that he was merely an afterthought.

Itozawa couldn't help but tease, "Ichinose, you're quite the popular one, everyone likes you so much."

Hearing this, a faint blush spread across Ichinose's cheeks. She shyly lowered her head, "Oh no, I just did what I was supposed to do. You guys are the ones who have done so much."

Her expression was sincere and humble, clearly believing she had only done her part.

Itozawa looked at her, his expression turning serious, "Ichinose, you shouldn't think so little of yourself. Everyone knows your kindness and attentiveness, and that's why everyone is willing to be close to you."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Ichinose's eyes, followed by deep gratitude.

She gently bit her lip, then looked up, her eyes shining with determination, "Thank you, Itozawa. I'll remember your words and keep working hard."

Itozawa and Ichinose slowly walked into the classroom, their eyes scanning the room. Their attention was drawn to a Blond Boy.

The boy was standing by Amako Kura's desk, a gentle smile on his face.

They didn't know the boy, but they decided to observe from the side, curious about his intentions.

The Blond Boy's gaze was soft and focused. His voice carried an irresistible charm, "Hello, I'm Hashimoto from Class A. I noticed you yesterday at the Interest Club Briefing Session, Amako-san. Your attentiveness and focus back then were truly impressive."

Amako Kura looked up. At this sudden approach, a hint of wariness appeared in her eyes, but she maintained her politeness, "Hello, Hashimoto-san. Thank you for your compliment. I just wanted to do my best with what I was supposed to do; it's not worthy of praise."

Hashimoto chuckled softly, leaning forward slightly as if trying to close the distance between them.

A hint of sincerity showed in his eyes, "Amako-san, you're too modest. I observed you yesterday at the Interest Club Briefing Session. When you were helping the Senior Female Student with the booth, you answered every inquiry so patiently and meticulously. That kind of focus and effort is truly admirable."

His voice was gentle and charming, naturally transitioning to the next topic, "I suppose this has something to do with your teacher's guidance? I heard your teacher's classes are very interesting. Would you be able to share a bit?"

His expression was natural, and his tone revealed genuine interest in the teaching methods, skillfully shifting the topic from personal praise to a discussion of teaching approaches.

A flicker of confusion crossed Amako Kura's eyes. She keenly sensed something hidden behind Hashimoto's question, "Hashimoto-san, why are you so interested in our teaching methods?"

Hashimoto's expression remained natural, as if he had been prepared, "Oh, I'm just curious. After all, I heard your teacher's teaching methods are quite interesting."

At this moment, Itozawa and Ichinose walked over. Ichinose's voice was gentle and direct, "Hashimoto-san, if you're interested in our teaching methods, why don't you ask our homeroom teacher directly?"

Hashimoto turned around, seeing Itozawa and Ichinose. A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, "Hello. I was just exchanging study experiences with Amako-san. Since you're here, I won't disturb you any further."

With that, Hashimoto turned and left with a polite smile. Amako Kura watched his retreating figure and said softly to Itozawa and Ichinose, "You came at the right time. I felt something unusual about him."

Itozawa nodded, "Yes, you need to be more careful. Students from Class A are inquiring about our homeroom teacher's special abilities. This is part of their assessment."

A flash of surprise crossed Amako's eyes, and her voice held a hint of uncertainty, "Are you saying that his strange approach just now was actually an attempt to gather information?"

Itozawa nodded, his voice low and powerful, "Exactly. Every question he asked seemed like a probe, especially about the homeroom teacher's abilities. This is definitely not ordinary curiosity."

Amako Kura finally understood, a look of realization flashing in her eyes, "So that's how it is. He used that strange way of approaching me to try and get information out of me."

After Hashimoto's reluctant retreat, he felt somewhat annoyed. The reason he chose Amako Kura as his target for ingratiation was that, based on his observations yesterday, he found her to be the person closest to the core of Class B, besides Ichinose.

He had originally planned to approach Ichinose directly, but Princess Sakayanagi Arisu had told him that any plan directly targeting Ichinose would likely be seen through and thwarted by her, leading to failure.

Therefore, Hashimoto specifically changed his target to Amako Kura. He thought that through her, he could indirectly learn about Class B's internal information, especially regarding the homeroom teacher's special abilities. However, he didn't expect to be interrupted by Ichinose after all. It seemed he would have to find other ways.

Hashimoto walked along the corridor, his brow furrowed, pondering inwardly, "I thought Amako Kura would be easier to deal with than Ichinose. It seems I underestimated her."

A complex emotion flickered in his eyes, but he quickly returned to his usual calm and composed demeanor.

"It seems I need to re-examine the situation in Class B. Perhaps I should consider the problem from a different angle."

Hashimoto stopped, gently clenched his fist as if to encourage himself, then slowly exhaled, a smile forming on his lips.

"If the direct approach doesn't work, then I'll have to resort to indirect methods. In any case, Amako Kura, I will definitely find a breakthrough through you."