Shiina Hiyori's Complicated Feelings / Hashima Hikaru Becomes the Center of Attention
Hashiba Hikaru once again felt Sakayanagi Arisu's domineering aura, which was different from what had been agreed upon.
"But has Classmate Hashiba already finished her Student Council work for today?"
What if I have plans with someone tonight?
The boy raised an eyebrow.
"That's alright, I can come along. It's just a meal, it doesn't matter who I eat with."
"..."
"... Tonight it is then, I'll be on time."
Seeing the other party's unyielding expression, Hashiba Hikaru could only nod helplessly. It seemed that no matter what she said, Sakayanagi Arisu would not back down at this point, so she might as well just go along with her.
"I'll be waiting for you at the restaurant at 6:30 PM. Don't be late."
Sakayanagi Arisu picked up her cane from the side and slowly stood up.
"Um."
After they parted ways, Hashiba Hikaru sent a message to Ichinose Honami. Since he had promised to have dinner together for the next two weeks, he thought it would be better to let his girlfriend know beforehand to avoid her overthinking.
Hashiba Hikaru: I've made plans for dinner tonight. Honami can go and have dinner with Ando and the others.
Ichinose Honami: Okay.
Hashiba Hikaru: Honami, come rest at my place tonight. I have something to tell you.
Ichinose Honami: Is it something important?
Hashiba Hikaru: It's only so-so, we'll know once Honami arrives.
Ichinose Honami: Mm-hmm.
After closing his phone, Hashiba Hikaru stood in front of the bathroom sink, washed his face, and smiled at himself in the mirror.
"Hmph, she must have her own agenda for suddenly wanting to have dinner with me."
"Then I'll play along with you."
"Sakayanagi Arisu."
362
Chapter 362 Shiina Hiyori's Subtle Thoughts.
Keyaki Mall, Spanish restaurant, first floor.
As a high-end restaurant serving students, the décor here is the same as outside the Artificial Island, conveying an exotic atmosphere as much as possible. The unique paintings and the aromatherapy that exudes the scent of the bay allow everyone who enters the restaurant to experience a unique ambiance.
As Sakayanagi Arisu assistant, Kamuro Masumi has extensive experience in restaurant reservations because she often takes care of Arisu Sakayanagi's daily life. She can always find the best choice in terms of both seating and timing.
Upon entering the restaurant, Hashiba Hikaru immediately spotted a silver-haired girl sitting in a corner. She seemed quite familiar with the place, as she was talking to a waiter standing nearby.
"Ah, he's here."
After Hashiba Hikaru walked over, Sakayanagi Arisu immediately explained to the waiter standing next to her, "The person I'm waiting for has arrived. You can serve the food now."
"Understood."
The waitress in her business suit glanced at the young man's handsome face, a fleeting look of amazement crossing her eyes. However, as a professional, she knew exactly what her job entailed, and after only a few seconds of hesitation, she went to the kitchen window to urge them to finish their order.
"Does Classmate Sakayanagi often eat here?"
Hashiba Hikaru pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the other person's calm face.
"I wouldn't say I come here often, but the paella here is delicious, I highly recommend it."
"Really? Then I'd love to try it."
The boy smelled a faint seafood aroma in the air, indicating that this was a high-quality restaurant. However, this was his first time here. After all, since he and Ichinose Honami started dating, they had been cooking for themselves in their dorm most of the time and rarely ate in places like this.
"I won't let Classmate Hashiba down."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled faintly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at a figure sitting not far away—the person who had been secretly following her all this time.
After discovering this, the girl quickly made her own decision: if she wanted to gather information, she should bring out some juicy details; Sakayanagi would only feel that the excitement wasn't big enough.
Soon, the steaming hot paella was served by the waiter. While they were eating and chatting, the person who had been discovered by Sakayanagi Arisu had already taken pictures of the two of them sitting and eating with a pinhole camera, and then uploaded the pictures to a server.
The chat interface of a secret county group.
The profile picture is of a member of the pink unicorn group: How should I edit this photo?
The member whose profile picture is Pikachu: Just send it directly, anyway, Katsuragi doesn't have any plans right now.
The administrator, whose profile picture is all black and white, wrote, "You can post it directly. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Hashiba reacts then."
The profile picture is of a member of the Pink Unicorn group: Okay, I'll edit the post now.
The administrator, whose profile picture is black and white, wrote, "Remember to embellish this a bit; women can be quite vengeful at times. Since this guy is so unrestrained, let's wait and see."
The administrator's profile picture is a handsome guy's selfie: Hashiba and Sakayanagi? What an amazing combination.
The member whose profile picture is Pikachu: That's truly surprising.
The profile picture is of a member of the Pink Unicorn group: Posted successfully, please take a look.
The long-haired man, who was eating a rice ball, immediately opened the Student Forum. In the first-year section, a fairly clear picture of two people eating together had already been posted on the homepage. Almost instantly, the comments below began to increase rapidly. In this forum where everyone registered with their real names, the photo immediately caused quite a stir.
After all, Hashiba Hikaru and Sakayanagi Arisu are both quite famous people in this school. One is a first-year bully who has been making a name for himself in all the Special Exam since the start of the school year. He has now won the position of Vice President of the Student Council with great force. At the same time, he is also the champion of the handsome guy ranking on the girls' internal forum for a long time, and has always attracted the attention of countless people.
Another one is a silver-haired beauty with exquisite features, like a resident of a fairy tale world. Although she has a somewhat sickly air and needs a cane to get around, those who know her know that she is the representative of the most powerful faction in the original Class A, possessing unfathomable wisdom and strategy.
These two, as the leaders of their respective classes, should be fierce rivals, locked in a life-or-death struggle. Why are they having such a harmonious meal together here?
Moreover, their expressions were quite intriguing. The girl's eyes were filled with amusement, and her red lips were slightly parted, as if she were explaining the origin of the dish to the boy opposite her. The handsome and elegant boy, on the other hand, looked on with an attentive listening expression. The atmosphere was like a reunion of old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years. There was no tension of a clash of titans; instead, it was harmonious and beautiful.
As more and more replies appeared below, some people naturally noticed the post.
--
In the Library, a short-haired girl saw that bastard's profile, gritted her teeth, and handed the photo to Shiina Hiyori next to her, her tone fierce.
"What's going on with this guy? Why is he eating with Sakayanagi?"
"This..."
"Could it be that this guy likes petite girls?"
Ibuki Mio's face turned slightly red, and it was clear that she was quite angry.
"Probably not. Classmate Sakayanagi and Classmate Hashiba are both Student Council members. Perhaps it was just a regular get-together after finishing their work?"
"I don't believe it! There must be something fishy going on!"
Ibuki Mio couldn't help but recall her conversation with Hashiba Hikaru in the corridor a few days ago. That guy's attitude really annoyed her. He already had a beautiful and well-built girlfriend, yet he still got so close to other girls. He must have some ulterior motives.
"Okay, okay, Ibuki, really, you're always getting so angry at Classmate Hashiba."
Shiina Hiyori and reassured her friend. Taking the opportunity, she glanced at the picture again. She had to admit that it did indeed have a suggestive quality, leaving her with somewhat mixed feelings.
"Let's read the book first, and then I can recommend it to Classmate Hashiba next time."
After looking at the photo, Shiina Hiyori decided to stop thinking about it and instead focus on the book in her hand.
"You're always so optimistic."
Ibuki Mio silently saved the picture to her phone, further solidifying her resolve.
Although she is no longer the class leader, the idea of protecting her friends has long been Ibuki's core driving force.
Even if Hashiba Hikaru is handsome, capable, and has a decent personality, I would never easily accept him!
I will protect Shiina and I will not let that guy succeed!
363
Chapter 363: Hashiba Hikaru Becomes the Center of Attention
After the picture of Sakayanagi Arisu became a hot topic on the Student Forum, Hashiba Hikaru found a row of message pop-ups on her phone after the meal.
To be honest, even after so much time in school, this was the first time such a situation had occurred, which surprised the boy and made him laugh a little.
Just before the meal ended, Hashiba Hikaru Sakayanagi Arisu had brought up the second matter.
That was for Katsuragi and Ryuen to see.
Now that the bald guy has established a cooperative relationship with Ryuen Kakeru, their goal is quite clear: this time they will most likely launch an even fiercer attack on the Sakayanagi Faction in Class B.
However, if Sakayanagi Arisu from Class B develops a more unique connection with Hashiba Hikaru, the absolute core of Class A of the First Year, this would send some very interesting signals.
For example, what is their relationship? Or are they collaborating?
These thoughts would have a far-reaching impact. Once she realized this, Hashiba Hikaru did not stop it. On the contrary, she thought it was a very interesting plan. As the saying goes, it's easier to fish when the water is muddied.
The boy looked at the many messages he had received and began selecting who to reply to. He was busy for quite a while before returning to his dormitory.
"Hikari, you're back."
The pink-haired girl was already in the room. Ichinose Honami changed into the loungewear she always kept there, and walked over with a smile to take Hashiba Hikaru's hand.
"Yes, I just finished eating paella, and it tasted pretty good."
"Paella? I've never tried it before."
The girl stared at her boyfriend's expression but didn't notice anything amiss.
"Next time Honami, you can go try it with me. I think it's pretty delicious."
After entering the dormitory, Hashiba Hikaru took off her coat and unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt before comfortably settling into the sofa.
Are you very tired today?
Ichinose Honami noticed the weariness in his eyes and immediately nestled close to him.
"There are a few, but nothing serious."
Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly. Of course, he knew what the girl was thinking and immediately said it.
"Honami, did you see that photo?"
"Eh? Yes... yes."
Ichinose Honami was somewhat surprised that her boyfriend would bring up the matter on his own initiative. She knew that Hashiba Hikaru usually interacted with many people, including many outstanding girls. If she were to question everyone about it, it wouldn't align with her self-perception as the perfect girlfriend.
"Don't be so nervous. It's understandable that Honami is concerned, after all, there are many inside stories about this. Do you want to know why I had dinner with Classmate Sakayanagi?"
Can you tell me?
"Of course, Honami is my girlfriend, so she naturally has the right to ask about such things."
Hashiba Hikaru stroked her soft, pretty face, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
"Then go ahead and speak, I'm listening."
Feeling her boyfriend's gentle caresses, Ichinose Honami placed her soft thighs on Hashiba Hikaru's legs and pressed her whole body against him.
"Um."
Hashiba Hikaru embraced the other's slender waist and explained her thoughts and Sakayanagi's attitude directly to Ichinose Honami. After understanding, a thoughtful expression appeared on the pink-haired girl's face.
"Is there really such a thing?"
"Yes, Class B is different from us. Even now, Classmate Sakayanagi and Katsuragi are still at odds. Their infighting over who has the most say is still very intense."
"We're all classmates, why would they go to this extent?"
A girl who loves her group naturally couldn't understand this situation, but after hearing Hashiba Hikaru's explanation, she felt much more at ease, since Sakayanagi Arisu and her boyfriend didn't have any other relationship.
"Hehe, can Honami rest easy now?"
"... What do you mean 'reassured'? People don't understand what you're saying!"
The girl nestled her head against his chest coquettishly; being affectionate is naturally a right that a girlfriend should have.
"It's alright if you don't understand. For now, consider this a collaboration between me and Classmate Sakayanagi. It might take a while, continuing until the Final Exam."
Hashiba Hikaru touched her chin. This matter was quite valuable; at the very least, it could yield more intelligence and information about the reactions of Class B and Class C.
"So, Hikaru will have to eat with Classmate Sakayanagi every day?"
Ichinose Honami was still a little jealous about this, since she had been leading the production of exam papers and had spent much less time with her boyfriend.