Kushida Kikyo's Strange Feelings

Hashiba Hikaru nodded in agreement. He hadn't expected Horikita to be so cooperative, so he quickly added, "So, have you decided what you're going to do?"

"My first step is to select potential partners through conversation," Horikita Suzune said slowly, gazing quietly at the boy's handsome face. "Just like how I established contact with Classmate Hashiba through this conversation, if we're going to discuss cooperation later, I can more accurately pinpoint the points I can negotiate with you."

"Have you already started?" Hashiba Hikaru cast her fishing line and quietly looked at the girl's face.

"..."

Noticing the suspicion in the other person's eyes, the boy smiled and said, "The exams are over, there's no need to keep what you did a secret now."

"Regarding what you said, I think we must always be vigilant."

Horikita Suzune touched her hair, tucking the stray strands that had fallen across her chest back behind her ear, and said calmly, "I just had a simple talk with the students, that's all I can say."

The girl remembered Hashiba Hikaru's secretive attitude yesterday and did the exact same thing again.

"I see, that's a very good way to gather intelligence."

Hashiba Hikaru looked at her and continued, "So, has Horikita- san found someone she can trust? Or has she gained a friendship?"

"Friendship?"

Horikita Suzune frowned slightly and frankly told the boy her answer, "I'm not interested in friendship right now, so Classmate Hashiba doesn't need to pry into this. I won't be friends with you."

"..."

Upon hearing this decisive answer, a smile appeared on Hashiba Hikaru's face.

It seems that the initial assessment that this guy had improved was a misjudgment.

I reckon Horikita Manabu will still show the same expression as before after he finds out her attitude.

What a pity.

June Summary and Review

Hello everyone, this is the author.

Time really flies, and June is coming to an end. I updated every day this month without taking any leave, and I wrote about 160,000 words.

It's been almost four months since I started writing this book. Maintaining a stable update schedule is my requirement for myself, and also a promise to everyone who is still following along.

About the post-mortem analysis.

I received several long comments and discussions from readers this month. I read every single one of them and will try my best to fill in any gaps in my thinking so that the story can have a better ending.

However, it should be explained that the male protagonist is unaware of the original plot of the Classroom of the Elite" Classic of the Flying Leopards" story. That's why he wants to gather information and think about ways to break the deadlock. Moreover, from the beginning of the story, the male protagonist's existence itself greatly affects the situation of the four classes, so many parts are different from the original work.

As for the complaints that the plot is too dry, that's indeed due to my limited skills, and I'm already trying to find a solution.

Regarding the love line.

The initial idea was that the male protagonist wouldn't immediately decide to I Want It All after enrolling in school. Instead, as he interacted more with the female protagonists, his mindset gradually changed, and he ultimately wanted everyone to be happy.

The female protagonists will also strive for what they want. It takes time for them to develop feelings for each other, and eventually for them to fall in love. If they fall in love with the male protagonist too quickly, I think they will lose the original charm of these characters.

The issue with the love line does exist, but things will move faster in the future.

Regarding the follow-up

Finally, regarding the book's current subscription performance, to be honest, it's completely terrible (bitter smile).

However, since we've already hit rock bottom, every step we take will lead us upwards.

As this is the first book to be published, it certainly has many shortcomings, so it's normal for data to drop, but I'm still very grateful to everyone who continued reading.

I will continue to persevere. Tomorrow is July. I wish everyone good health and all the best.

Thank you to all the readers who have supported us.

Love you all.

Chapter 213 Kushida Kikyo's Strange Mood

After Horikita Suzune made it clear that she had no desire for friendship whatsoever, Hashiba Hikaru knew that his investigation for the day was complete. However, in order to give Horikita Manabu an explanation, he still decided to offer a few words of advice to make the other party understand the current situation.

"I understand Horikita- san's thoughts, but it's alright. My collaboration with Horikita-senpai isn't over yet, so we should still keep in touch frequently in the future."

Hashiba Hikaru tapped the table lightly with her index finger and said, "But I'm curious, does Horikita- kun know about your current situation?"

"What situation?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed across Horikita Suzune's delicate face.

"So, Horikita- kun, what's your situation in this school?" The boy raised an eyebrow, as if hinting at something, "Since your goal is to get into Class A, there should be two approaches, right?"

"I know that. Either you spend 20 million Private Points to apply for a personal class transfer, or you lead your class to surpass Class A's Class Evaluation Points."

Horikita Suzune was actually very clear about this issue. She wanted to help Class C get points in both Special Exam, but the final results were not good.

"That's right, but if Horikita- kun thinks that you can gain Horikita-senpai's approval just by moving up to Class A, then that's actually a case of overthinking."

Although Hashiba Hikaru had little contact with Horikita Manabu, she could roughly sense his thoughts during their previous conversations.

The Student Council President's attitude is likely that he hopes his younger sister can grow and improve; whether she can graduate from Class A is secondary.

From what Horikita Manabu said last time, we can see that it is precisely because Horikita Suzune has a personality that is unwilling to trust others that her growth is slow and she has even encountered many setbacks.

"Why?"

The black-haired girl frowned slightly, seemingly not agreeing with his statement.

"Let Horikita- kun figure out the specific reasons himself. Anyway, what I've said is most likely Horikita-senpai's idea."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled faintly, "Whether you believe it or not is another matter."

"..."

The girl fell silent, looking at the other person. She knew that Hashiba Hikaru and her brother must have been communicating in private, so her judgment was somewhat convincing.

"By the way, Horikita, do you remember what I just said? I'm going to see Horikita-senpai after I go back to school, so I'm planning to have dinner with him. Do you want to come along?"

"!"

Upon hearing this, the girl's expression changed drastically, and she immediately raised her eyes to look directly at Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"Can... can I go?"

"It's not a particularly formal banquet, just a casual meal."

Hashiba Hikaru shrugged and said casually, "I haven't made a reservation with Horikita-senpai yet, so it's okay if you don't want to."

"I do!"

Although she still harbored a slight fear of her older brother, Horikita Suzune considered this a very rare opportunity to meet him, and she herself would not dare to extend such an invitation.

Looking at the girl's nervous expression, Hashiba Hikaru, sitting opposite her, couldn't help but find it a little funny.

Perhaps this guy is reacting so strongly because he desperately wants Horikita Manabu's approval.

"That's good. I'll send you the information once I've discussed the Good Time and place with Horikita-senpai."

Hashiba Hikaru's expression was gentle. He was going to find Horikita Manabu to learn about the school's future plans anyway, and bringing Horikita Suzune along would also prove to her that he was indeed keeping his promise.

According to the school's procedures, Horikita Manabu will probably step down Student Council President in the middle of the second semester, so if you want to gather information, it's best to do so while he is still in office.

"Okay, I understand. I'll be on standby at all times." Horikita Suzune gave her answer earnestly after hearing the other party's agreement.

"That's good."

The two quickly finished their meal. Since the black-haired girl always kept to herself, Hashiba Hikaru didn't offer to take her back to her room. Instead, she got up and prepared to go find Ichinose Honami.

I have about two more days before my return trip, so I can spend more time with her.

After Hashiba Hikaru arrived at the floor where the girl was, the boy originally headed straight for Ichinose's room, but halfway there he heard someone calling his name from behind.

"Classmate Hashiba."

He turned around and saw that it was Kushida Kikyo, dressed very casually. She was wearing a light blue T-shirt and denim shorts that revealed her smooth thighs, and she was standing prettily by the corridor.

"Kushida? Is there something you need?" Hashiba Hikaru, slightly puzzled, after seeing the short-haired girl.

"I need to talk to you about something. Can you come over here for a moment?" Kushida smiled and waved at him.

"... I still have things to take care of right now, can we wait until tonight?"

"It'll be ready soon, in ten minutes at most."

Upon hearing his refusal, Kushida Kikyo's expression became somewhat anxious, and she immediately outlined a specific timeline, hoping he would agree.

"Alright then, let's try to be as quick as possible."

Hashiba Hikaru studied the girl's expression and finally agreed to her idea.

Anyway, there's still plenty of time, so ten minutes won't make a big difference.

"Hey, Classmate Hashiba, come in quickly. Inogashira and the others went swimming, so they're not here right now."

Kushida Kikyo once again invited Hashiba Hikaru into her room.

"What does Kushida want to talk to me about?" Hashiba Hikaru asked, standing on the balcony.

"Did you just have dinner with Horikita?"

Upon entering the room, Kushida Kikyo's sweet expression vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, expressionless demeanor.

"Yes, since I promised Kushida, I naturally have to keep my word."

Hashiba Hikaru explained to the short-haired girl the thoughts she had gleaned from Horikita Suzune. Upon hearing the girl's unwavering refusal to socialize, Kushida let out a contemptuous laugh.

"Heh, she really is a stubborn woman."

"Isn't this a good thing? Horikita- san has never had anyone to talk to, so wouldn't it be safer to keep the secret about Kushida?" A smile appeared on Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"That's true."

After the conversation about Horikita ended, a gentle smile returned to her pretty face as she asked Hashiba Hikaru, "So, what were you planning to do just now, Classmate Hashiba?"

"Oh, I'll go find Ichinose."

"Are you going on a date? After all, Classmate Hashiba and Honami are already a couple."

Although Kushida still had a smile on her face when she said this, the boy sensed a strange emotion emanating from her.

"That's wonderful, I really want to be in a relationship too..." The girl's face showed a look of longing, but Hashiba Hikaru knew very well that this was a lie, because she was not like that at all.

"Well, with Kushida so popular, finding a boyfriend should be easy for her, right?"

"Of course not, finding the right person is very difficult."

Kushida Kikyo shook her head first, then pressed on, "Will Classmate Hashiba marry Honami in the future?"

"Your question is a bit too far ahead of its time. We've only just begun; no one can predict the future."

Hashiba Hikaru gave his reasons, but he couldn't help thinking about that picture in the [Life Album]. It seemed like a new picture would appear every month, but since he wasn't in his school dormitory, he hadn't seen the August picture yet.

"That's true. I've heard that many high school couples don't end up together; there are many obstacles they have to overcome."

At this moment, Kushida Kikyo was just like any ordinary high school girl you could see anywhere, her expression and tone were very gossipy.

However, Hashiba Hikaru wasn't fooled by her demeanor. After all, he had known her for so long and was quite familiar with the short-haired girl.

The fact that she keeps bringing up trivial things like this means that there's something she truly cares about, but she doesn't want to ask about it directly.

"Kushida, there's no need to hide anything. There's no one else here anyway. If you have something to say, you can just say it." Hashiba Hikaru wasn't going to play riddles, so she asked directly.

Upon hearing this, Kushida's expression froze slightly, but he quickly smiled and said, "I don't have anything to say. It's just that Classmate Hashiba is being too sensitive."

"Alright then, I've already done what I promised you last time, so I'll be going now."

To gain control over someone, you have to force them to back down, something Hashiba Hikaru is already very good at.

He didn't believe that Kushida Kikyo had deliberately stopped him today just to chat about random things; she must have had other intentions.

"..."

As the boy turned and walked towards the door, Kushida Kikyo's face turned pale and then flushed.

After seeing Ichinose Honami's official announcement yesterday, the girl felt a sudden unease. Even though she didn't like Hashiba Hikaru and it was his freedom to date whomever he wanted.

But last night, Kushida Kikyo sent the boy a lot of text messages in one go, and today she inexplicably stayed here to wait for him, even she herself didn't understand why.

"Still unwilling to talk?" Hashiba Hikaru didn't push the door open and leave directly. Instead, she stood by the door and looked back at the short-haired girl's face. The girl's expression looked extremely conflicted, and she was pursing her lips without saying a word.

"..."