Breaking the Atmosphere, Leader of the Small Group

The lunch break bell rang.

As the subject teacher walked out of the classroom, the students of Class B collectively let out a sigh of relief.

If one were to slack off during class, it could potentially lead to a reduction in class points.

If it only meant having less pocket money for the next month, that wouldn't be much of an issue, but if it resulted in failing to graduate as Class A, that would be a disaster.

In truth, based on the experience in class today, the teaching at Advanced Nurturing was not particularly strict; one could even describe the educational style as humorous and engaging.

Even Chabashira, the teacher who taught history, appeared to be a cold person on the surface, yet she would tell jokes while lecturing to help everyone memorize the material.

If they didn't know the truth about the school, the students of Class B might have been deceived by these kind teachers, believing this to be a heavenly school.

However, after hearing the hidden rules mentioned by Dokuho Kouya, the students of Class B dared not be careless; they kept their spirits tense during every class, fearing that a moment of negligence might negatively impact the class.

When the lunch break finally arrived, the students, no longer needing to attend class, subconsciously relaxed.

Those with outgoing personalities began to interact with the people around them, discussing whether to go eat together or similar topics.

Sayo Ando sat at her desk, her pretty face showing a hint of unease; her brown eyes glanced toward the boy at the neighboring desk from time to time, but the moment she caught a glimpse of his face, she quickly shifted her gaze away.

"Sayo, it's not class time, you can look all you want," Dokuho Kouya's voice drifted over, his tone carrying a faint smile and gentleness.

"You noticed?!" Sayo Ando was startled by his words, her cheeks flushing red, and she slowly turned her body to face the boy, rubbing her arm in embarrassment, "Actually, I wanted to invite you to go to the cafeteria for lunch."

"But I was just afraid that doing so might cause you trouble."

Dokuho Kouya's remarks from the morning gave the impression that he was distancing himself from the class.

I have already done enough for Class B.

How you perform from here on out has nothing to do with me.

While listening to the lecture, Sayo Ando felt that Dokuho might not like being tied to the collective, leading her to deduce that he preferred acting alone.

Back in elementary and middle school, she had also encountered lone wolves who preferred to act by themselves.

However, this was the first time she had seen a lone wolf who was as handsome, intelligent, and socially adept as Dokuho.

"If it's just going to lunch, that's fine," Dokuho Kouya said, having perceived the girl's concerns. "I believe I mentioned this morning that I will still participate in the school's special exams as an ordinary member of the class."

Dokuho Kouya had indeed considered becoming a lone wolf in Class B.

But the reason he chose to become a lone wolf was primarily to craft a unique persona.

In terms of lone wolves, there was Koenji in Class D and Fuka Kiryuin in Class B.

If he simply detached himself from the class, those two true lone wolves would siphon away Dokuho Kouya's attention.

Therefore, if he was going to be a lone wolf, he had to be the most special one.

He would get along harmoniously with his classmates during normal times, and then, at critical moments like special exams, he would reveal his independent side.

When that plot point arrived, the audience would have thoughts like, "Huh, so this guy is actually this kind of person."

Judging by Dokuho Kouya's personal preferences, if he were an audience member, he would definitely prefer this latter style of lone wolf.

Even if the audience didn't like it, it wouldn't matter; being able to distinguish himself from the true lone wolves like Koenji and Fuka Kiryuin was a good thing.

"So, you're willing, Dokuho?" Sayo Ando's eyebrows arched slightly, and a bright smile bloomed on her pretty face.

She had been worried that he would be very reluctant.

It turned out she had been overthinking it.

"I never said I would refuse," Dokuho Kouya stood up from his seat. "Shall we go to the cafeteria now?"

"Sure, I'm actually really hungry," Sayo Ando said, rubbing her stomach with a hint of embarrassment.

She had been in the sports club during middle school, and to replenish the energy consumed during training, she had to eat more food than the average girl.

This resulted in her having a larger appetite than most girls.

Long before the lunch bell rang, her stomach had already been growling.

"Are you two heading to the cafeteria?" A boy with a neutral appearance and black-rimmed glasses walked over with a smile. "Can I join you?"

"Of course, Tetsuya."

The person wanting to join in was Tetsuya Hamaguchi, Dokuho Kouya's neighbor in the dormitory building.

They had even gone to the cafeteria for breakfast together earlier that morning.

"Tetsuya invited Dokuho so naturally," Sayo Ando said, raising her pretty eyebrows in surprise. "When I was inviting him just now, I was terrified."

"I was just influenced by the atmosphere," Tetsuya Hamaguchi explained. "I was actually hesitating just a moment ago."

"But when I saw you two talking and laughing, I felt that joining in wouldn't lead to a rejection, so I gathered the courage to try."

Atmosphere.

In other words, reading the air.

This intangible, invisible thing played a crucial role in their interpersonal relationships.

Judging by the atmosphere around Dokuho Kouya just now, it truly did feel like it wasn't suitable to approach him.

If left unchecked, over time, there was a high probability that Dokuho Kouya would only act alone within Class B.

However, as the center of the atmosphere, Dokuho Kouya took the initiative to break the tension, first by joking with Sayo Ando in the seat next to him, and then by agreeing to go to the cafeteria with her for lunch.

Sensing that Dokuho Kouya was not as difficult to get along with as he had thought, Tetsuya Hamaguchi found the courage to go over and strike up a conversation.

Following his success, others nearby also felt the urge to join in.

"Kouya-kun, can I come along too?"

"I'd like to tag along as well."

Two other students sitting near Dokuho Kouya leaned in.

When arriving at a new school, unless one already knows people in the class, the first people they inevitably interact with are those sitting nearby.

Whether or not they would become friends remained to be seen, but during this initial period after the start of the semester, interactions like eating together or chatting were bound to be frequent.

The loner who was supposed to be "isolated" by the class had, in the blink of an eye, turned into the leader of a small group.

It was truly an inconceivable turn of events.

"You're both welcome to join us, Mako-san, Norihito-kun."

Dokuho Kouya addressed Mako Amikura and Norihito Watanabe by their first names in a friendly manner.