"Don't talk back. Come with me."
Chabashira Sae's voice was cold and firm, leaving no room for argument. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's ordinary-looking face remained perfectly impassive, as though the "excuse" he had just given and the order now ringing in his ears were nothing more than a breeze passing by. He obediently answered, "Yes." Then he turned and followed Chabashira at an even pace.
Just as Ayanokoji moved to follow Chabashira, Hoshinomiya Chie, who had still been rubbing the top of her head with a slightly aggrieved look, instantly let that flawless, sweet smile bloom across her face again. She stepped lightly after them, like a clingy little cat, following Ayanokoji and Chabashira as naturally as could be. She was clearly headed for the same Counseling Room.
Chabashira Sae sensed the "tail" behind them almost immediately. She spun around, her already stern face now openly filled with disgust and fury. Her sharp gaze fixed on Hoshinomiya like that of a demon. "Don't follow us."
Hoshinomiya-sensei seemed not to notice the murderous glare. Her smile only grew brighter, and her voice turned sickly sweet. "Don't be so cold~ It's not like you'll lose a piece of yourself if you let me listen in, right? Besides, Saezu, you're the type who never gives individual guidance, aren't you? And yet you suddenly called the new student, Ayanokoji-kun, to the Counseling Room..." She deliberately drew out the end of the sentence, her eyes glittering with sly amusement. "I was wondering if you had some special reason."
As she spoke, she kept walking, even circling around behind Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and gently setting both hands on his shoulders. The gesture was deliberately intimate, and it made a clear claim.
Shimiya Kuki could clearly sense that, though he couldn't see Hoshinomiya-sensei's face, the atmosphere between the two Class Advisors had turned intensely hostile in an instant. Invisible sparks and smoke filled the air. Caught between them, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained expressionless.
"Saezu," Hoshinomiya-sensei's voice came from behind Ayanokoji, carrying a faint, unmistakable provocation. "You're not planning to overstep your place, are you~?"
Overstep her place? Shimiya Kuki picked up on the key phrase. In the school's hierarchy, its meaning was obvious—it hinted that classes could rise in rank or replace one another! Hoshinomiya was openly pointing out Chabashira's ambition—or, rather, laying that possibility bare before a Class D student, Ayanokoji. She was deliberately exposing her opponent's goal and applying pressure. Shimiya instantly saw through Hoshinomiya's malicious intent.
Chabashira Sae's expression darkened further. Nearly grinding her teeth, she coldly retorted, "Don't be ridiculous. Of course that's impossible." Her denial was quick and firm.
"Hehe, that's certainly something Saezu can't pull off~" Hoshinomiya-sensei murmured pointedly, her tone full of contempt. She stayed close behind them, now only a few steps from the Counseling Room door.
"How long are you planning to follow us?" Chabashira Sae stopped in front of the Counseling Room, blocking the entrance. Her fury was about to overwhelm her. "This is a Class D matter!" She emphasized the words "Class D."
"Huh?" Hoshinomiya blinked in mock surprise, her smile still sweet. "I just want to go to the Counseling Room too! Is that a problem?" She tilted her head and continued in an innocent tone. "I can offer advice, you know~ I'm an experienced Class Advisor, after all! And besides..."
Her gaze suddenly shifted to Shimiya Kuki and Ichinose Honami, who had been silently watching. It settled especially on Shimiya, and her smile grew brighter. "Oh, right! I need to use the Counseling Room too! Shimiya, I'll be talking to you about your last quiz in a little while!" After saying this to Shimiya, she immediately turned to Chabashira and made a seemingly reasonable suggestion that was, in truth, deeply intrusive. "So, Saezu—since we both need the room, why don't we go in together? Wouldn't that be more efficient? We can all squeeze in~"
Shimiya Kuki understood. The quiz? Just an excuse. Hoshinomiya-sensei clearly wasn't really planning to discuss that insignificant quiz with him. On one hand, she was using the excuse to force her way into Chabashira's meeting with Ayanokoji, continuing her interference and intelligence-gathering—or, rather, information-leaking. On the other, the offhand reason cleverly concealed the possibility that she had some other, more important reason for seeking out Shimiya Kuki. Two birds with one stone: she was pressuring Chabashira while muddying the waters. She was using Class B business as a wedge to pry open Class D's closed door.
Chabashira Sae looked at Hoshinomiya's "I'm going in whether you like it or not" attitude, and at the way she was using Shimiya as an excuse. Her chest rose and fell sharply. She knew that continuing to argue would only make things even more chaotic and give this cunning woman a chance to say more things she shouldn't. She drew a deep breath and forced down her barely contained fury. Her gaze swept over Hoshinomiya, cold as ice, then fixed in a fierce glare on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who still wore an impassive expression.
Just as it seemed the standoff might erupt at any moment, Hoshinomiya-sensei's smile suddenly faded a little, and her aggressive manner receded like a tide. As if she had only just realized she was going too far, she took her hands off Ayanokoji's shoulders, stepped back slightly, and gave Chabashira Sae an even more "sincere" smile.
"Oh, my. You really do look troubled, Saezu~" Hoshinomiya's voice returned to its usual sweetness, with a touch of thoughtful consideration. "All right, all right. I won't disturb your 'important meeting' with Class D today!" She spread her hands, making a show of backing down.
Chabashira Sae's tense body seemed to relax a little, but her gaze remained guarded and cold.
Ignoring Chabashira's icy expression, Hoshinomiya-sensei continued with a beaming smile. "Then I hope your meeting goes well, Saezu!" Her tone sounded utterly sincere, and she even gave a playful wave. "Be sure to guide Ayanokoji-kun well~"
After offering what seemed like a heartfelt blessing, Hoshinomiya-sensei didn't linger or look at Shimiya and Ichinose again. She simply turned and walked away down the corridor with a light step, humming an off-key tune, as if the heated confrontation had never happened.
Chabashira Sae watched Hoshinomiya's retreating figure. Her face was still livid, but the tension in her had clearly eased. She ignored Shimiya and Ichinose outside the door, turned sharply, and shoved open the Counseling Room door with near-brutal force. "Get in!" she barked at Ayanokoji.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka obediently stepped inside. Chabashira Sae followed close behind and slipped in after him.
"Bang!"
Chabashira Sae slammed the door shut from inside, cutting off the view from the corridor. The sound of the lock turning came through clearly.
Only Shimiya Kuki and Ichinose Honami remained in the corridor, along with the firmly shut Counseling Room door, which seemed to echo with the clash that had just taken place. Ichinose Honami still seemed caught up in the tense confrontation, her face showing a touch of confusion and lingering apprehension.
Just then, the sound of Hoshinomiya Chie's light footsteps and humming returned. She reappeared around the corridor corner like a fluttering butterfly, wearing her trademark sweet smile, as if she had merely gone for a walk.
"Oh my, sorry to keep you waiting~" She hurried over to Shimiya Kuki and Ichinose Honami. Her gaze swept over the shut, locked Counseling Room door, and she put on a regretful expression, though her tone remained light. "Shimiya, what a shame~ Saezu and the others are using this Counseling Room~" She pointed at the closed door, then playfully winked and gestured toward another door down the corridor, also marked "Counseling Room." "But no worries! We'll use the other one! I just checked, and it's free."
As she spoke, she headed toward the other Counseling Room with a light step. She looked back and waved enthusiastically to Shimiya Kuki, her voice urging him along with a faint hint that she was ready to get down to business.
"Over here~ Shimiya, let's get started too!"
Shimiya Kuki calmly watched Hoshinomiya-sensei walk toward the other Counseling Room. He knew she had sought him out for more than just that "quiz." Without hesitation, he set off after her.
Just then, Ichinose Honami seemed to recover from the shock of what had just happened. She remembered that she had originally intended to speak with Hoshinomiya-sensei about the study group. And Shimiya-kun was there too, so perhaps there was no harm in listening in? More importantly, she was curious about why Hoshinomiya-sensei had suddenly called Shimiya aside for a private talk, and she felt a sense of responsibility as a key member of the class. She bit her lower lip and hurried after Shimiya Kuki, saying softly, "Hoshinomiya-sensei, about the study group, I also..."
Hoshinomiya-sensei heard the footsteps and turned around. When she saw Ichinose following them, an almost imperceptible, inscrutable look flashed across her face, but it was immediately replaced by an even brighter smile. "Oh my, Honami's coming too? That's fine, that's fine~" She greeted her warmly, as if Ichinose's arrival was exactly what she had hoped for. "Since we're talking about the study group and helping classmates, we might as well hear Shimiya's opinion too! The more of us, the better~ Come on in!"
As she spoke, she had already opened the door to the other Counseling Room and stepped aside to let them pass. Wearing her flawless sweet smile, she waved Shimiya and Ichinose over.
"Over here~ Shimiya, Honami, let's get started too!"
Shimiya Kuki and Ichinose Honami entered the Counseling Room one after the other. Hoshinomiya-sensei followed them inside.
"Click."
The door closed softly.
The corridor fell completely silent, leaving only the two closed Counseling Room doors, like silent sentries guarding the secret conversations now taking place inside—one between Class D, the other between Class B.
Before you continue