There were still many people at Kushida's gathering. The rumors seemed to have had no effect on her.
Aside from loners like Ayanokoji and Horikita, most of the students in D Class had chosen to attend.
But.
No one knew what they really thought of Kushida.
Aside from people who were easy to read, like Yamauchi Haruki, most had probably come because Kushida was treating them—to get a free meal, or to do Hirata a favor and maintain the appearance of friendship.
Thanks to Hirata's efforts,
the gathering had a great atmosphere, filled with laughter and cheerful chatter.
Even with the short-tempered Sudo there, nothing unpleasant had happened.
Kushida also seemed encouraged by the atmosphere. She smiled brightly and kept thanking everyone in D Class for their concern.
But whether she could truly grow closer to the others still depended on her social skills.
The gathering to cheer Kushida up ended smoothly.
When Yeyue returned to the Dormitory Building, he found Kushida sitting on a sofa in the first-floor lobby. Every so often, she lifted her head and looked around expectantly, like a girl waiting for the person she had a crush on.
When she saw Yeyue,
Kushida quickly stood and came over. She lightly patted her chest, seeming relieved, then smiled delightedly and said,
"That's great, Tenyo. I've been wanting to see you."
"Hm?"
The Karaoke place was only a few minutes from the dormitory, and they had just seen each other. Tenyo Yuyuki looked puzzled. "Were you waiting for me, Kushida?"
"Yeah."
Kushida casually brushed the bangs beside her ear and nodded, then asked with a hint of uncertainty,
"Do you have some time now, Tenyo? Would it be okay if I bothered you for a bit?"
"Of course. I'm actually a little thirsty."
They headed to the Vending Machine outside the Dormitory Building side by side. Kushida walked close to him, but not so close that he felt his personal space was being invaded.
She was very good at judging the right distance between people.
Kushida thoughtfully treated him, too, bringing Yeyue some Black Tea. Her wine-red eyes seemed to sparkle as she asked with a touch of concern,
"I remember you like Black Tea, Tenyo. I'm not sure if you'll like this kind."
"Wait... How did you know?"
"Sorry, I actually noticed. At Karaoke, you seemed to drink only Black Tea. That must seem a little creepy, right?"
"No, if anything, I'm happy. You were paying attention to me, Kushida."
"Because... you stand out, Tenyo. I find my eyes drawn to you without even realizing it."
Kushida's cheeks reddened, and she lowered her head slightly before glancing up at Yeyue's expression.
Seeing her pretty, faintly flushed face and her shy yet expectant gaze, Yeyue blushed, bashfully looking away. He rubbed his nose and stammered, "D-did you want to see me about something, Kushida?"
"Oh, right."
Kushida gently smoothed her skirt as she sat beside Yeyue. There was only a fist's width between them, and a pleasant scent wafted from her. Was it perfume?
"Tenyo, I haven't thanked you properly in private yet. Thank you for being willing to stand up for me today!"
"Don't worry about it. Even without me, plenty of classmates would have helped you, Kushida."
"Even so, I was really happy when you were the first to stand up for me."
Kushida looked down at the can in her hands, hiding her expression. Her voice was soft, making her sound sincere.
Maybe that's the only thing she's said this whole time that she really meant, Yeyue thought quietly. Otherwise, none of what I did would have meant anything.
He scratched his head awkwardly and explained, "At the time, I was just thinking, 'There's no way a girl as cute as Kushida could be that kind of person.' Before I knew it, I wanted to comfort you. I'm really glad if that made you happy, Kushida."
"In that case..."
Kushida murmured. When she looked up at Yeyue, there was already a glimmer of tears at the corners of her eyes, and she looked a little dejected.
"Then why do you still call me 'Kushida' with 'classmate' after it?"
"What should I call you, then? Can I just call you Kushida?"
"Kikyo, or Little Kikyo."
Kushida suddenly grew more assertive, her eyes filled with expectation.
"This..." Yeyue hesitated. On Sakurajima, people used each other's given names only when they were very close. "Isn't that a bit much? We've only known each other for two days."
Kushida lowered her head and slumped her shoulders, murmuring with a hint of disappointment, "But... but you call Horikita 'Suzune.'"
"Oh... that."
So she'd finally revealed what she was after. Yeyue repeated what he had told Matsushita Chiaki before, explaining it all to Kushida.
Kushida asked uncertainly, "So you and Horikita aren't really that close?"
"More or less, I guess. But I do want to get along with Suzune. We only have one life, after all, and I feel bad for her."
"That's true. It would be nice if I could become friends with Horikita."
Kushida smiled brightly, seemingly relieved. "Since you call Horikita 'Suzune,' then there shouldn't be a problem with you calling me by my first name, too. I want to be closer to you, Yeyue. Is that so wrong?"
She took both of his hands and drew them toward her chest. That heart-stirring fragrance drifted through the air again.
"O-okay..." Yeyue hurriedly nodded, then awkwardly rubbed his head. "Come to think of it, I just remembered I have something to do. See you tomorrow, Kushida."
Kushida remained where she was for a long time, watching Yeyue flee in disarray.
She watched the sunny, straightforward boy, who grew bashful around girls he liked.
People like that were common,
Sudo, for example, fit that description too.
He could talk with boys with ease, but became timid around girls he liked.
Even the reason he trusted her was on the same level as Yamauchi Haruki's: he thought she was cute.
But Yamauchi Haruki was a little frivolous, while Yeyue seemed more sincere.
Kushida did hesitate.
Could she really deceive a boy like him?
Wouldn't that be a little wrong?
For the first time, an emotion called guilt arose in her heart.
They were only rumors, but Kushida didn't want to disappoint someone who still trusted her and had helped her through a difficult time, even after learning about her past.
Oh, well. As long as I don't let Yeyue find out, it'll be fine. He seems easy enough to handle.
After thinking it over, Kushida pushed those thoughts out of her mind and headed toward the Dormitory Building, muttering, "From now on, I won't expose Yeyue's secrets. That's enough."
Getting Yeyue to trust her
was, in her eyes,
very easy. She had even succeeded already.
If Yeyue had any secrets, all she had to do was avoid posting them online to relieve her stress.
As for everyone else,
Kushida would naturally do her best to keep their secrets, too.
But if she truly couldn't bear the pressure inside, then... she was sorry.
Before you continue