After school that day, Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo stopped the pink-haired girl, Sakura Airi.
"Classmate Sakura, could we talk for a bit?"
"Huh? Sure."
The three of them went to Palette for coffee.
Sakura Airi wore a pair of red, round-framed glasses and looked rather dowdy. But a closer look revealed a stunning face beneath her bangs. With a little effort, she was sure to become a great beauty.
She was also very shy, and seemed quite uneasy in front of Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo.
Kushida Kikyo barely knew her. She'd only heard Yamauchi say before that Sakura Airi had confessed to him.
But it was pretty obvious that Yamauchi had been bragging.
"Looks like they've set up a stage over there?" While they were ordering, Kushida Kikyo opened the conversation first, having noticed a stage about twenty centimeters high in Palette.
"That? It was our manager's idea. They're putting a piano there for everyone to enjoy," the clerk explained with a smile.
"Classmate Sakura, you're the witness, right?" As soon as they sat down, Horikita Suzune got straight to the point.
"You were really nervous when you heard about Sudo that day. It can't be because you like him, can it?"
Kushida Kikyo couldn't help worrying about Horikita Suzune's tact. With someone as shy as Sakura, she should have coaxed the truth out of her gently.
Well, this was probably why Horikita had asked her to come along.
"Um... Classmate Sakura, it's okay. Classmate Horikita doesn't mean any harm. We just want to ask you a few things."
Kushida Kikyo took on the role of a thoughtful older sister, and, just as expected, Sakura Airi relaxed.
"Um... yes. I did see the four of them at the Old School Building that day..."
"Um... Ryuen, it looks