A Chance to Enter Class A

The number of people attending Kushida's gathering was still high. The rumors didn't seem to have affected her at all.

Aside from loners like Ayanokoji and Horikita, most of D Class had chosen to attend.

But.

What they truly thought of Kushida in their hearts, no one knew.

Except for easy-to-read types like Yamauchi Haruki, most were probably there because Kushida was treating them—to freeload, or to maintain surface-level friendship as a favor to Hirata.

Thanks to Hirata's efforts.

The party atmosphere was excellent, filled with constant laughter and cheerful voices.

Even with the hot-tempered Sudo present, nothing unpleasant happened.

Encouraged by the atmosphere, Kushida flashed a bright smile, repeatedly thanking everyone in D Class for their concern.

But whether she could truly bridge the distance with others still depended on her social skills.

The gathering to comfort Kushida ended smoothly.

When Yuyuki returned to the dormitory building, he found Kushida already sitting on the sofa in the first-floor lobby, occasionally lifting her head with an expectant expression, looking around like a girl waiting for her beloved.

Seeing Yuyuki's figure.

Kushida quickly stood up and approached him, lightly patting her chest as if relieved, and broke into a joyful smile:

"What a relief, Tenyo-kun. I really wanted to see you."

"Hm?"

The karaoke place was less than ten minutes from the dorm; they'd only just parted ways. Tenyo Yuyuki asked with some confusion, "Were you waiting for me, Kushida?"

"Yeah."

Kushida casually brushed her bangs behind her ear and nodded, then said with some unease, "Do you have time now, Tenyo-kun? Can I bother you for a bit?"

"Of course. I'm actually a little thirsty."

They moved to the vending machine outside the dormitory building, walking side by side. Kushida stood close, but not so close as to invade his personal space.

She was very good at managing the distance between people.

Kushida thoughtfully treated him, bringing back a black tea for Yuyuki. Her wine-red eyes seemed to sparkle as she asked with some concern, "I remember you like black tea, Tenyo-kun. I'm not sure if this kind suits your taste."

"Ah... how did you know, Kushida?"

"Sorry, I actually noticed—you only seemed to drink black tea at the karaoke place. That's a bit creepy, isn't it?"

"No, if anything, it's the opposite. I'm really happy—Kushida-san was watching me!"

"Because... Tenyo-kun stands out. I can't help but be drawn to you."

Kushida's face flushed slightly as she lowered her head, then peeked up to steal a glance at Yuyuki's expression.

Seeing her blushing cheeks, her shy yet expectant gaze, Yuyuki's own face reddened. He shyly looked away, rubbed his nose, and stammered, "Ku-Kushida, was there something you needed?"

"Right."

Kushida gracefully smoothed her skirt and sat down beside Yuyuki, leaving only a fist's distance between them. A pleasant fragrance wafted from her—was it some kind of perfume?

"Tenyo-kun, I haven't thanked you properly yet. Thank you for being willing to stand up for me during the day!"

"Don't worry about it. Even without me, plenty of classmates would have helped you, Kushida-san."

"Even so, when you were the first to stand up for me, I was really happy."

Kushida stared at the can in her hands, her expression hidden, her voice soft and gentle, giving off a sincere feeling.

After all this talk, that was probably the only true sentence.

Yuyuki thought to himself. Otherwise, everything he'd done would have been meaningless.

Scratching his head awkwardly, Yuyuki explained, "At that time, I was just thinking, 'A cute girl like Kushida could never be that kind of person,' and before I knew it, I wanted to comfort you. If that made you happy, then I'm glad."

"In that case..."

Kushida murmured, lifting her head to look at Yuyuki. Her eyes were already glistening with tears, looking somewhat dejected, "Then why do you still call me 'Kushida-san'?"

"Then what should I call you? Can I just call you Kushida?"

"Kikyo. Or Little Kikyo."

Suddenly becoming more assertive, Kushida's eyes revealed a hint of anticipation.

"This..." Yuyuki hesitated. In Sakurajima, using a given name was reserved for very close relationships. "That's not really appropriate, is it? We've only known each other for two days."

Lowering her head, her shoulders drooping, Kushida murmured with some disappointment, "But... but when you address Horikita-san, you call her Suzune."

"Oh... that."

So that's what she was after. Yuyuki repeated the same explanation he'd given Matsushita Chiaki, telling Kushida once more.

Kushida sounded uncertain. "So you're saying Yeyue and Horikita aren't really close?"

"Relationship-wise, sort of. But I do want to get along with Suzune too. After all, being alone for three years—that's just too pitiful."

"That's true. It'd be nice if I could become friends with Horikita."

Kushida flashed a bright smile, seeming relieved. "Since that's the case, Yeyue, you call Horikita by her first name, so calling me by mine should be fine too, right? I want to be friendlier with you. Is that okay?"

She reached out with her small hands, took Yeyue's palm, and pulled it close to her chest. The air around them once again carried that dizzying, heart-fluttering fragrance.

"O-okay..." Yeyue nodded quickly, then rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Speaking of which, I just remembered I have something to do. See you tomorrow, Kushida."

Watching Yeyue flee in embarrassment, Kushida stood rooted to the spot for a long time.

She observed this boy—sunny, straightforward, a little shy around the girl he liked.

Guys like this were common.

Sudo fell into the same category, for example.

Able to chat freely with other boys, but going timid in front of the girl they liked.

Even his reason for trusting her was on the same level as Yamauchi Haruki's—because she was cute.

Except Yamauchi was a bit shallow, while Yeyue came across as more sincere.

Kushida hesitated.

Could she really deceive a boy like this?

Wouldn't that be a little wrong?

For the first time, a feeling called guilt stirred in her heart.

Even if it was just a rumor, Kushida didn't want to disappoint someone who, knowing her past, still gave her trust and helped her through a tough time.

"Forget it. As long as Yeyue doesn't find out, it'll be fine. He seems easy enough to handle."

After mulling it over, Kushida shook those thoughts from her head and walked toward the dormitory, muttering to herself, "I just won't expose Yeyue's secrets. That's enough."

Winning Yeyue's trust.

In her eyes, was an extremely easy thing—she'd already succeeded.

If Yeyue had any secrets, she simply wouldn't post them online to relieve stress.

As for the others, Kushida naturally planned to do the same.

But if she couldn't bear the inner pressure anymore... then, sorry.