Ayanokoji Kiyotaka

Warm sunlight lazily slanted into the Class 1-B classroom, the aftershocks of the morning meeting's point impact and "expulsion" warning still lingering in the air, the break period carrying a stifling fatigue and the heaviness of settling thoughts.

A rare cluster of students had gathered around Shimiya Kuki's desk. After witnessing his perfect-score "quiz" paper, several classmates who struggled in physics or math—flagged by Hoshinomiya-sensei for imbalanced subject risks—approached with a mix of nervousness and hope, seeking his insight on the final difficult problems. Shimiya Kuki's expression remained calm as he answered their questions in a concise, almost cold tone, occasionally sketching clear diagrams or formulas on scratch paper with his pen tip. Though efficient, the air of detachment around him didn't diminish in the slightest from this "help."

Just then, the classroom speaker emitted a faint electrical hum, followed by a clear female voice:

"Announcement. Announcement. Shimiya Kuki of Class 1-B, your homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya-sensei wishes to see you. Please report to the Teacher's Office immediately. Repeat: Shimiya Kuki of Class 1-B, please report to the Teacher's Office immediately."

The broadcast cut off the discussion around the desk. The gathered students instinctively made way. Shimiya Kuki calmly set down his pen, pushed the scratch paper toward the questioner to indicate they should figure it out themselves, and stood up.

"Shimiya-kun." Ichinose Honami's voice came at just the right moment. She had just finished a conversation with some female classmates and approached with her usual warm smile. "Perfect timing—I wanted to talk to Hoshinomiya-sensei about something too. It's about organizing a study group to help students with weak subjects. Mind if we walk together? That's okay, right?" Her tone was natural and polite.

Shimiya Kuki glanced at her and gave a faint nod. "That's fine."

The two left the classroom one after the other, walking through the sparsely populated hallway in the afternoon. Ichinose kept a light pace, occasionally bringing up her preliminary ideas for the study group, while Shimiya mostly responded with curt "Mm" or "Sure."

The sign for the Teacher's Office soon appeared ahead. Just as they were about to reach the door, a figure standing silently by the entrance caught their attention.

It was a boy. Wearing the same school uniform, of average build, with a face so ordinary it had no distinguishing features—the type that would instantly blend into a crowd. He stood leaning against the outer wall of the office, head slightly lowered, brown bangs covering part of his eyes. The whole person exuded an indescribable lack of "vitality," like an unpainted plaster statue casually placed in a corner.

Out of politeness and friendliness, Ichinose Honami took the initiative to greet the unfamiliar classmate. "Hello, I'm Ichinose Honami from Class B. Are you here to see a teacher?"

The brown-haired boy slowly looked up at the sound of her voice, his dull, deep brown eyes fixed on Ichinose and Shimiya. His expression didn't change at all, and his voice was as flat as a straight line. "I'm Ayanokoji Kiyotaka from Class D. Rather than coming to see a teacher, I was told to come here."

Ichinose Honami tilted her head slightly, a look of realization and curiosity on her face. "Huh? Told to come? That's the same as Shimiya-kun, isn't it?"

Shimiya Kuki gave Ayanokoji a calm glance but said nothing. Ayanokoji simply stared back in silence.

"Ara~" Hoshinomiya Chie's unmistakably sweet voice, tinged with playfulness, drifted out from the office. She stepped out with a flawless smile on her face. "Looking for Saezu? She was just here, but it seems she stepped away for a bit. Do you want to wait for her in the office?" Her tone was intimate and natural.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied flatly, "No, that's fine. I'll just wait in the hallway."

"I'm the Class B advisor, Hoshinomiya Chie. Saezu and I have been best friends since high school, you know—we call each other 'Saezu' and 'Chie'~" Hoshinomiya-sensei's smile was radiant as she sized up Ayanokoji with interest. "Hey, what reason did Saezu give for calling you out? Hmm? Why is that?"

"Uh, I have no idea either..."

"You don't know? She called you out without even telling you why?"

Hoshinomiya-sensei kept firing questions, her gaze fixed on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka as if observing him closely.

"Ayanokoji-kun, right? How should I put this... aren't you pretty handsome~" She deliberately dragged out the last syllable. "You must be popular, right~? Has any cute girl confessed to you in class? Or do you already have a girlfriend?"

"No... that's not it. I'm not popular." His tone remained utterly flat, a simple statement of fact.

"Ehh—" Hoshinomiya-sensei exaggeratedly drew out the sound, shaking her head in mock pity. "That won't do, Ayanokoji-kun! Youth is so short!" She abruptly shifted her target to Shimiya, adopting a tone of affectionate scolding. "And you too, Shimiya! You two are worse than each other—both like blocks of ice!" She deliberately stiffened her face to mimic Shimiya's coldness, then instantly broke into a grin. "Both of you are such excellent boys, yet neither of you likes to smile! How are you supposed to get by like that? Girls prefer someone sunny and cheerful, you know! Right, Honami?" She winked mischievously at Ichinose.

"Huh?! H-Hoshinomiya-sensei!" Ichinose Honami's cheeks flushed bright red as she flailed her hands in embarrassment, her voice tinged with irritation. "Please don't drag me into this again!"

Shimiya Kuki completely ignored Hoshinomiya's string of teasing remarks, calmly speaking again to steer the conversation back on track. "Hoshinomiya-sensei, you called for me?" His gaze passed right through her, as if the talk about "popularity," "girlfriends," and "smiling" had nothing to do with him.

Hoshinomiya-sensei seemed about to continue, but then—

Bam!

An unusually loud, dull thud suddenly exploded!

Chabashira Sae appeared without warning behind Hoshinomiya, her expression blank, and without hesitation brought the thick hardcover clipboard in her hand down on Hoshinomiya's head!

"Wah—!" Hoshinomiya-sensei yelped in pain, crouching down and clutching her head, tears instantly welling in her eyes. "That hurts~ What are you doing, Saezu!" Her voice was both aggrieved and angry.

Chabashira Sae's gaze was icy cold as she looked down at her. "Because you were bothering my student." Her words were blunt and merciless.

Hoshinomiya, still holding her head, protested in a hurt tone, "But he said he came to see you, Saezu! I was just keeping him company while you were away!"

Chabashira Sae remained unmoved, her tone even colder. "Then just ignore him." She turned her gaze to Ayanokoji, who stood silently, and ordered:

"Ayanokoji, sorry to keep you waiting. It's not convenient here either. Follow me to the Counseling Room."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied in his flat, uninflected voice, "Yes." But he didn't move immediately. Instead, he looked up at Chabashira and added, in a tone that sounded like stating a fact, with a deliberately crafted hint of confusion and the self-awareness of an "ordinary student":

"No, I think it's fine here. More importantly, you mentioned the Counseling Room... Did I do something wrong? Even as I am, I believe I've been careful not to stand out too much in my school life."

Chabashira Sae's gaze behind her glasses was sharp as a blade, as if trying to pierce through that veneer of "ordinariness." She offered no explanation, her voice dropping to freezing point with an undeniable pressure:

"Don't talk back. Follow me."