Classroom of the Elite, I Really Just Want to Collect All the CGs

What choice would Shikime Natsu make?

Amikura Mako's little heart couldn't help but tense up; if this were a date, if they were boyfriend and girlfriend, one would naturally choose "lovers" at a time like this.

But... they weren't boyfriend and girlfriend.

Besides, this was only their third time meeting, and it was quite a pity that Shikime Natsu hadn't even remembered her during their first encounter.

Seeing Shikime Natsu choose the "friends" relationship, Amikura Mako felt a bit disappointed inside—well, quite disappointed.

However, this was also normal; their relationship hadn't reached that level yet...

But it was still such a pity!

Why couldn't they be like those friends who had reunited after a long time apart?

If they were, wouldn't their relationship be even better?

After the selection was made, a small slip of paper popped out, and Shikime Natsu picked it up to unfold it.

"Current status: You are travelers walking side by side on the same path, sharing the same scenery and breathing the same air, yet always separated by an invisible wall. The word 'friends' is a comfort zone that protects you, but also a gentle cage that binds you."

Hmm, those few simple sentences sounded quite profound, while Amikura Mako beside him looked incredibly serious.

Is the relationship of friends a gentle cage? That was certainly true; if they remained friends, perhaps there would still be chances to go out and play, but... if they only maintained this friendship, their relationship might never progress, and she didn't want that at all.

The young girl's feelings were quite complicated.

"Shikime-kun, can you give this to me?"

Amikura Mako looked at Shikime Natsu, her slightly pleading gaze making it very hard to refuse.

"Of course."

Shikime Natsu nodded and casually handed the slip to Amikura Mako; he didn't really care about this thing anyway.

"Thank you!"

Amikura Mako spoke up; after all, this was something left over from her first date with Shikime Natsu, and she wanted to treasure it.

"Alright, it's getting late, let's go grab lunch. My treat."

Shikime Natsu said with a generous smile; his points were meant to be spent on things like this.

"Then... next time, I'll treat you next time!"

Amikura Mako had originally thought about refusing, but her brain raced, and she agreed immediately, taking the opportunity to extend an invitation for the next outing. Who said a girl's brain gets stupid when she's in love?

The girl felt she was incredibly clever.

"Yeah, no problem."

Shikime Natsu nodded. He didn't know what was up with these girls, all of them wanting to treat him back, but... Shikime Natsu didn't dislike it.

"Mm-hmm!"

Seeing Shikime Natsu agree, a full smile couldn't help but bloom on Amikura Mako's face. She had successfully secured another date with Shikime Natsu. Where should they go next time?

The girl needed to carefully prepare for their next date. And new clothes—it was a good thing she had brought plenty of nice outfits, otherwise, buying clothes at school would cost quite a few private points, and her current point balance was tight.

She hadn't just spent points on buying information; she had also handed over a portion of her points to Ichinose Honami to prepare for any potential dropouts.

The two finished their lunch simply and then went their separate ways.

The girl snuck back to the arcade and entered their information into the fortune-telling machine. When choosing their relationship status, she nervously observed her surroundings to ensure no one else was there before she felt a bit more at ease.

Even though she was just re-testing it herself, the girl felt an inexplicable sense of thrill, like she was doing something illicit—well, it was quite exciting.

Then, she chose the "lovers" relationship.

Well, she just wanted to see what the difference would be between a "friends" relationship and a "lovers" relationship.

Regardless, Amikura Mako successfully convinced herself.

"You have just joined hands to step onto a brand-new map, where every road sparkles with the light of novelty and sweetness. The warmth of holding hands and the heartbeat during a gaze are the first and most precious treasures of this journey. Your hearts are filled with joy, mixed with a hint of cute anxiety about 'how to make this beauty last'."

Amikura Mako's thoughts drifted along with the content on the slip. She imagined that if their relationship became more intimate, it would surely be just like the slip said: holding hands, gazing at each other, hugging, and even kissing!

At the thought of this, the girl's face flushed red, and she instantly transformed into a steaming kettle.

No, no, Amikura Mako, you can't have such indecent thoughts!

Amikura Mako.jpg

But... the girl truly wanted to become that kind of relationship with Shikime Natsu. Amikura Mako buried her face in her little penguin plushie to hide her inner shyness.

And... what about the "family" relationship?

Amikura Mako was also curious, but the shame in her heart kept her from having the courage to click it. Just choosing the "lovers" option had already made her face burn; if she chose "family," she might just faint on the spot!

She wasn't usually someone who got shy so easily! But whenever she thought about these things, she couldn't help but blush.

After parting ways with Amikura Mako, Shikime Natsu returned to his dorm and began to read. A book cost one thousand yen, and there was absolutely no problem with reading it repeatedly. Of course, the biggest factor was that Shikime Natsu possessed Photographic Memory.

He basically memorized every symbol after reading it once, not to mention the plot. Fortunately, even if he used "quantum reading," those one thousand yen would still accumulate.

It was truly great. After graduating from this school, he should be the richest person in all of Japan—no, the entire world.

Shikime Natsu chuckled softly; making money really was too easy.

Coming to this school was truly a great decision; it had paved the way for his future in one fell swoop, and now he lacked for nothing!

If he had followed the conventional path, who knew how many years of mortgage debt he would have had to shoulder just to buy a house? Shikime Natsu wanted absolutely no part of that kind of pressure.

Shikime Natsu didn't schedule too much time for quantum reading, as he had to go meet another troubled girl next.

Mm, the thorny kind.

By 1:30 PM, Shikime Natsu arrived at Keyaki Mall. At this hour, the mall was significantly more crowded than it had been in the morning.

Most of the students were wearing casual clothes, and honestly, the overall level of attractiveness had gone up quite a bit. While the school uniform was passable, well... one tended to get tired of looking at it all the time.

Shikime Natsu arrived at the karaoke parlor, opened a room, and proceeded to wait for Horikita Suzune to arrive.

Today's practice was about making friends. When Horikita Suzune found out about it the other day, the expression on her face had been one of extreme resistance, but... Shikime Natsu just loved that look of resistance. If anything, he liked it even more when she resisted.

Why do I have to play this game of house with you?

Almost the moment Shikime Natsu sat down, Horikita Suzune pushed the door open and entered. It seemed she was quite the punctual person, which Shikime Natsu appreciated.

Mm, if she hadn't been punctual, he would have had to report her.

One had to admit, holding someone else's leverage was a surprisingly delightful thing.

Shikime Natsu had originally assumed Horikita Suzune was the type to wear her school uniform even on weekends, but to his surprise, she hadn't. Instead, she wore a white shirt and a navy blue pleated skirt that fell past her knees. There were no flashy elements, yet it suited her perfectly.

Combined with the "keep away" aura she radiated at all times, she truly possessed a strange kind of allure.

"Please, have a seat, Horikita."

Shikime Natsu chuckled at Horikita Suzune as she walked in.

Although she was quite dissatisfied with Shikime Natsu, Horikita Suzune still found a spot to sit, though... she kept a significant distance from him.

"Horikita, do you remember the purpose of coming here today?"

Watching the look of intense resistance on Horikita Suzune's face, something inside Shikime Natsu began to stir, though he remained calm and unhurried on the surface.

Hearing his words, Horikita Suzune quickly glared at him with her wine-red eyes, but she still obediently moved to a seat closer to him, leaving about two body lengths between them.

"Are you that resistant to being friends with me, Horikita?"

Wasn't that a rhetorical question?

Horikita Suzune's expression practically spelled those words out.

"But I am very willing to be friends with you, Horikita."

Shikime Natsu looked at Horikita Suzune with great satisfaction.

"Then... let the friendship practice begin. Use all your methods to make me acknowledge you as my friend."

Shikime Natsu rested his hands on the sofa, crossed his legs, and watched her quite comfortably. His pale gold eyes were filled with playfulness, as if to say, "What are you looking at? Get to it."

Horikita Suzune was stunned. By all logic, shouldn't he be teaching her how to do it first? Who just tells someone to dive right in? She had been a loner since kindergarten.

Her experience with making friends was effectively zero. Was there some kind of mistake in asking someone with zero experience to take the initiative?

Shikime Natsu was naturally well aware of her thoughts, but experience was something that went from zero to one; how could she gain it if she didn't act?

"If you don't seize the opportunity, you won't make any friends. And the difficulty of making friends will only skyrocket. Once small cliques start forming in the class, it will be very hard for you to integrate."

Seeing that Horikita Suzune was wavering, Shikime Natsu urged her on.

Yes, that's it—keep that look of resistance, then try to please me just to be my friend.

At the thought of what she had to do next, the girl's delicate face flushed a deep crimson, and even the tips of her ears turned red. For a girl like her, this was truly too shameful.

As they locked eyes, Shikime Natsu seemed to see the clarity in her wine-red irises. It wasn't that she was about to cry, but rather a normal physiological reaction to extreme shyness.

It made it look as if Shikime Natsu were bullying her, even though he was sacrificing his rare weekend time to teach her—he was the one who had put in all the effort, after all.

Horikita Suzune opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but... no words came out.

Her mind was a chaotic mess. In her previous understanding of the world, making friends was completely unnecessary.

But now that she was being forced to do it, her entire brain was occupied by an indescribable sense of shame.

What should she do?

She had no idea!

"I..."

Uttering that single syllable exhausted all of Horikita Suzune's strength. Shikime Natsu didn't rush her; he hadn't expected the actual act of making friends to be so difficult for such a troubled girl.

She had been able to criticize others on the bus without hesitation and hold onto her "convictions" about not giving up her seat without feeling a shred of shame, yet she felt so ashamed during this perfectly normal social exercise.

Indeed, there were unbridgeable chasms between people.

Uh... after about a minute passed, Horikita Suzune still hadn't continued. Her head was bowed low, her face burning red.

"Why do I have to play this game of house with you!"

Then, the girl exploded. Whether the flush on her face was due to shame or anger was unclear, but to be precise, it was likely a mix of both—shame turning into rage.