Yamamura Miki held the phone that had only Amasawa Yuto as a contact, feeling warmth in her heart.
"Ah... All right. I'm really sorry for taking up your time because of someone like me, Amasawa..."
"It's fine, Yamamura. Aren't we friends?"
Friends?! Yamamura Miki had never thought she'd one day be someone who could use that word.
"Thank you... Amasawa..."
"But don't wander around this late by yourself again. It's not safe for a girl to be alone."
Yamamura Miki nodded vigorously.
"All right, let's get you back."
"See you tomorrow, Amasawa!"
And so, her chance encounter with Yamamura Miki, her classmate, came to an end.
"Yuto, you seem a little distracted today. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Sakayanagi Arisu asked him during lunch break the next morning.
"I stayed up a little late last night."
"Yuto, make sure you get enough sleep. Could you play chess with me this afternoon?"
"Sure."
"Then, if I beat you while you're not at your best, I'll look like a bad person."
"You can say that after you actually beat me, Sakayanagi."
As he spoke, Amasawa Yuto got up to leave the classroom.
He hadn't gone far down the hallway when a voice came from behind him. "Where are you going, Amasawa Yuto?"
Morishita Ran, do you spawn beside me on the dot? Come to think of it, I saw something similar yesterday.
"Why are you following me, Morishita?"
"You're not heading toward the cafeteria. Are you going to the upperclassmen's area?"
Morishita Ran stood on the stairs, looking down at Amasawa Yuto.
It didn't make her seem any more imposing, though.
"You'd better be careful, Morishita. At this height, there's still a chance your skirt might ride up."
She was wearing tights under her short skirt, though, so it should be fine.
"You really are a pervert, Amasawa Yuto. I'm following you to make sure you don't go after girls from other classes."
"You don't act like you've spotted a pervert, you extraordinary Morishita."
"That's because you're not actually a pervert."
"I'm honored you trust me. Then come along, Morishita. It might be a little awkward if I went alone anyway."
"So you are going to the upperclassmen's area?" Morishita Ran caught up and walked beside Amasawa Yuto.
The three grades' classrooms were in separate school buildings.
It was a little questionable whether twelve classes really needed three buildings.
But each building also had club rooms, activity rooms, and specialized classrooms, so it wasn't as if the space was being wasted.
Amasawa Yuto headed to the third-year classrooms first.
It was lunchtime, so there weren't many students hanging around.
A few upperclassmen eyed them suspiciously.
"If anyone asks, I can make a sacrifice and pretend to be your girlfriend," Morishita Ran whispered in his ear.
"You don't have to make that sacrifice, Morishita."
"You really don't know a good thing when you see one. That deal is clearly a great bargain for you!" Morishita Ran shot him a disdainful look and turned her head away.
Amasawa Yuto stopped at the end of the hallway and looked at the third-years' May Class Points.
He and Yuki had come to check during the first month, when there hadn't been any Class Points signs. They'd probably taken them down on purpose so the first-years wouldn't notice the Class Points system.
The upperclassmen had probably been ordered to keep quiet, too.
They'd be expelled if they told anyone, or something like that.
In any case, Amasawa Yuto looked at their current Class Points.
Class 3-A: 1250 points
Class 3-B: 960 points
Class 3-C: 412 points
Class 3-D: 205 points
That was the man for you, firmly holding on to Class 3-A's top spot.
Morishita Ran came over to look, too. "Look at the gap between their A and B classes, then look at ours."
"I do contribute to our class."
"By the way, what did the Student Council President discuss with you yesterday? Did you talk again after I left?"
"I haven't even met him yet. Besides, Morishita, shouldn't you be satisfied by now? I really am doing things for our class."
"I'm not so sure. Who knows which childhood friend you're favoring, you playboy Amasawa Yuto?"
"Don't I have a few too many titles...?"
Amasawa Yuto walked past the classrooms, observing the students inside through the windows.
Some were studying, some were sprawled over their desks asleep, and others were eating lunch in the classroom.
"Let's go to the second-year classrooms."
When they reached the second-year classrooms, the first thing Amasawa Yuto checked was, of course, the Class Points.
"Huh?" Morishita Ran looked surprised, her sleepy eyes widening slightly.
Class 2-A: 1420 points
Class 2-B: 422 points
Class 2-C: 256 points
Class 2-D: 208 points
Class 2-A was overwhelmingly ahead. The other three classes' points combined barely exceeded half of Class A's total.
"What... is going on?" Morishita Ran asked, puzzled.
Before Amasawa Yuto could answer, a second-year suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Hey, what brings you two underclassmen to visit the second-years? It's not time for club activities yet, is it?"
A tall, blond boy walked down the hallway and greeted them.
"I'm Miyabi Nagumo of Class 2-A, the Student Council Vice President."
He wore a smile and seemed polite, but there was no hiding the arrogance in his voice.
It was as though he were the emperor of the second-years.
"Does the Student Council or the school have a rule against underclassmen visiting the upperclassmen's buildings?" Morishita Ran retorted without hesitation.
"No, no. It's just that you've suddenly come to my territory, so I thought I should play host and come see how you're doing."
Though Miyabi Nagumo was answering Morishita Ran, his eyes stayed fixed on Amasawa Yuto.
"I know you, Amasawa Yuto."
"I hope the Student Council hasn't printed my information in a booklet and passed it around internally."
Why did every Student Council member seem to know him?
Miyabi Nagumo froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You really are interesting, Amasawa."
"Senior Nagumo, you're impressive too, getting Class 2-A to this level."
"Spare me the flattery. What, are you two my admirers, here specifically to pay homage to me?"
The second-year girls who passed by were clearly big fans of Miyabi Nagumo. He practically seemed to shine on the second-year floor.
He might have said that, but Amasawa Yuto could tell Miyabi Nagumo enjoyed the flattery.
"You're the one who came over and interrupted us! What do you mean, we came to pay homage?" Morishita Ran cut in, grabbing Amasawa Yuto's hand. "Let's go, Amasawa Yuto!"
"Leaving already?" Miyabi Nagumo still wore that uncomfortable smile. "Don't let me keep you."
"Morishita, wait. You're walking too fast—I can't see inside the classrooms—"
Before you continue