The Last Meal Before Leaving School

"Ding-a-ling..."

The bell signaling the end of the exam rang, and many students in Class B stretched to ease the fatigue of the day.

The phenomenon had become contagious, and Makoto's body started moving involuntarily too.

"Looks like we got the same score this time."

Kanzaki Ryuji smiled for the first time in ages. He unconsciously turned his head toward Makoto, only to see him looking completely relaxed.

"Uh... I don't think you're going to like what I have to say."

Makoto was usually blunt, but this time he thought he should be tactful.

Kanzaki Ryuji couldn't make sense of what Makoto meant, so he said:

"That's fine. Go ahead and say it."

"I got 100 because the test was out of 100. You got 100 because 100 is all you're capable of."

"Okay, I was wrong. Please shut up."

Kanzaki Ryuji scowled and turned his head away. He shouldn't have said anything and encouraged Makoto to keep talking.

Didn't he care about his own dignity?

"By the way, I'm leaving campus tomorrow."

"Why are you telling me that?"

Kanzaki Ryuji was puzzled, but then he frowned.

"Leaving campus? Do you have something to take care of?"

"Nothing much. I'm just going to enter a swimming competition and bring back a prize."

"..."

"I think I understand why you don't have any friends."

Kanzaki Ryuji didn't want to talk to Makoto anymore.

Anyone who befriended someone like him would feel overwhelmed. His abilities seemed to belong to a different world entirely, making him an intimidating figure.

"I was wrong. Can you forgive me?"

Makoto felt that the words were coming more and more naturally to him.

Kanzaki Ryuji turned to face him again with a helpless look.

"Anything else? If not, I'll have something to do in a minute."

"Nope. You're the first person I've told about it."

Seeing that Kanzaki Ryuji hadn't taken his earlier remarks to heart, Makoto replied with a grin.

Kanzaki Ryuji laughed helplessly. This really was...

He didn't know what to say.

When Makoto returned to Room 301, Honami and Kei were already waiting there. Kushida Kikyo was nowhere to be seen; she was probably off tending to her friendships.

"Where are Arisu and Kamuro?"

Makoto looked around but didn't see either of them.

He found it very strange.

"Those two... I asked Arisu to help me with some class matters. They should be here soon."

Honami explained, never stopping what she was doing. Her cooking skills seemed to have reached perfection.

She could easily cook for three or four more people.

"Uh... did something happen?"

Makoto still wanted to ask what exactly had happened.

"It's okay, don't worry, Makoto!"

Taking a moment from cooking, Honami rose onto her toes and turned to gently kiss Makoto, who was standing beside her. Her full, crimson lips looked as if they might drip blood.

Kei had been watching the two of them the whole time, but because of her angle, she hadn't seen it.

All she saw was Honami seeming to turn her head, while Makoto happened to turn his head in that direction too. She didn't notice anything else.

After watching for a while, Makoto went over to her and began teaching her the basics. Kei had no choice but to put her thoughts aside and focus on learning.

Time was like water in a sponge. If you squeezed, there was always more to be had.

"Am I late?"

Sakayanagi Arisu walked in with Kamuro.

"Wait, when did you get a key to my room?"

Makoto immediately noticed the problem. Had Honami given Sakayanagi Arisu a key?

How had he not known? It was his room!

"Didn't Honami tell you? I've had a copy of the key for ages~"

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled behind pursed lips, a lovely sight. But right then, no one was in the mood to admire her smile.

Makoto was stunned that there was another key. Kei was urging herself to improve. Kamuro looked completely numb; she was learning about this for the first time too.

She'd been about to knock and ask Honami to open the door, only to watch Sakayanagi Arisu smoothly pull out a dorm key card and unlock it.

All she could say was:

What the c...

As for Honami... she was still cooking. Besides, she was the one who'd asked Sakayanagi Arisu to make a copy. Why would she be surprised?

"Okay, I did mention it. You can come in whenever you want from now on."

Makoto gave in. His room was clean, tidy, and odor-free, so she could come by whenever she liked. Would a grown man be afraid of something like that?

But was Honami so comfortable handing over his dorm key card because Sakayanagi Arisu was physically frail?

Makoto didn't know, and he didn't dare ask.

He now knew what he should and shouldn't say.

"I'm leaving campus tomorrow for a swimming competition. Honami, are you still coming over to make me a bento tomorrow morning?"

"What? Why didn't you tell me something this important sooner!"

Honami sprang up like a cat with its fur standing on end. The spatula in her hand clattered into the pan, but she had no time to worry about it. She hurriedly asked:

"About when will you be back?"

"Tomorrow night or the morning after, I guess?"

Makoto wasn't sure. It was possible he'd return the same day, but if he could, he hoped to get plenty of rest.

In every sense of the word.

People really were strange creatures who always wanted what they couldn't have~

"Since there's still time, Kei, come help me stir-fry this. I need to go downstairs and buy a few things."

After calling out to them, Honami hurried out.

"Uh... I'll take over."

Makoto took over the unfinished dish.

He might not look like it, but cooking was one of his specialties. He just rarely got the chance to show off.

That was because Honami spoiled him.

"Sigh, I really don't know what to say about you."

Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head and sighed silently. But Makoto was right there, and she didn't want to say more, so she whispered to Kamuro Masumi beside her:

"See? Never look for a man like that."

"?"

Kamuro Masumi stared at Sakayanagi Arisu, utterly baffled. Was she really the right person to say that?

"By the way, what were you doing in class just now?"

"Nothing much. I was just reassuring the other students."

Sakayanagi Arisu answered indifferently. She hadn't cared much about graduating from Class A in the first place, so she'd just said a bunch of comforting things, mixed with nonsense.

The school belonged to her family. What difference did it make whether she graduated from Class A or not?

"I see..."

Apparently, it wasn't as easy as Honami had made it sound earlier. The small gap in Class Points between Class B and Class A still put enormous pressure on the Class A students.

That was why Sakayanagi Arisu had stayed behind with the class.

As he cooked and thought about it, Makoto suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. (Not really.)

"Have you thought of a good plan?"

Sakayanagi Arisu could tell from Makoto's expression that he'd come up with something. She wanted to hear his thoughts.

"I wouldn't call it a good plan. You'll find out soon enough."

Makoto gave Sakayanagi a mysterious smile.

He wanted to keep her in suspense for now.

If he just answered whatever people asked him, wouldn't that make him lose face?