The Much-Anticipated Third Term

Ichinose Honami saw that they had started chatting again, she naturally became quite concerned. She didn't know the specifics of their conversation, but she didn't want to disturb her boyfriend, so she could only force a smile and watch the other classmates talk.

Kushida Kikyo was also surrounded by several girls from Class D, but her gaze remained fixed on the two people in the corner. She just hoped the event would end soon.

"Classmate Hashiba is really popular."

After Sakayanagi Arisu and Hashiba Hikaru finished their business discussion, the silver-haired girl took a couple of bites of the grilled steak and stood gracefully beside the boy, her movements extremely elegant.

Why do you say that?

Hashiba Hikaru took a sip of orange juice, her voice tinged with doubt, "Nobody came up to talk to me."

"It doesn't mean anything if someone comes up to talk to me; what I care about is the gaze and attention I get."

Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled. She never cared about the gazes of ordinary people, but she was very interested in the gazes that fell on Hashiba Hikaru.

"Yeah?"

Hashiba Hikaru's gaze swept over the girls she recognized, and she said in a very calm tone, "How many glances and stares did Classmate Sakayanagi catch? Can you share them with me?"

"Hmm..."

Sakayanagi lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "There are probably four or five, but I'm not entirely sure of the exact number, it's just a feeling."

"Is this what you call a young girl's intuition?"

"Yes, I think it's my subjective judgment that Classmate Hashiba -Classmate Hashiba is popular. If I'm wrong, please don't mind."

"No, no, but I have something to attend to, so I'll have to excuse myself for now."

After the stock price rose, Hashiba Hikaru decided not to stay with her any longer. He felt he should return to his classmates in Class A, where the real action was.

"Okay, I'll stay here then."

Sakayanagi Arisu glanced at him sideways, but didn't stop picking up food at all.

"Okay, bye-bye."

Just as Hashiba Hikaru turned around, he heard the girl's voice again. "Before it ends, I'll go talk to Class A again, so please look forward to it Classmate Hashiba."

"Really? Could it be a declaration of war?"

Hashiba Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

"..."

Sakayanagi Arisu slightly taken aback, but how could this reaction escape Hashiba Hikaru's eyes? He was startled; the other party's reaction actually revealed a lot.

"Pretty much, Classmate Hashiba, don't ruin the surprise. You'll find out before the Social Gathering ends today."

Sakayanagi Arisu unmoved, a gentle smile on her face.

"Oh well."

The boy didn't dwell on it any longer, but quickened his pace to return to his classmates in Class A. If Sakayanagi planned to unleash her power at the start of the Third Semester, the influence she could have would be considerable, since Class B now completely obeyed her orders.

After resolving internal problems, the next step is to attack external enemies and increase authority—a simple and efficient approach.

"Hikari, have you finished talking with Classmate Sakayanagi?"

Upon seeing her boyfriend approaching, Ichinose Honami immediately went to greet him.

"That's about it. Classmate Sakayanagi has said everything she wanted to say. She'll be coming over again later."

Hashiba Hikaru picked up the drink on the table and downed it in one gulp with great gusto.

"Will you come back? What are you planning to do, Classmate Sakayanagi?"

Ichinose Honami saw Kushida Kikyo and several other girls from Class D walking over.

"I only have some unreliable guesses. If you want to know the answer, wouldn't it be clear once she arrives?"

Hashiba Hikaru's lips curled into a smile; he was eager to see what Sakayanagi would say next.

"Classmate Hashiba, Honami, thank you for the invitation."

Kushida Kikyo's pleasant voice reached their ears. Because she was quite popular among the first-year students, she had always been the focus of a lot of attention.

"You're welcome. If you enjoy it, Kushida- chan, we can invite you next time we hold an event like this."

Ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyo are both aware of some unspeakable things, but they still outwardly appear to be very affectionate.

"Okay, I understand."

After exchanging pleasantries, Kushida Kikyo's gaze immediately and uncontrollably locked onto the man with whom she had been in physical contact. His handsome and elegant face was always adorned with a gentle smile.

Kushida Kikyo knew Hashiba Hikaru's smile quite well, so she knew that he was genuinely in a good mood at that moment, and not faking it.

"Classmate Hashiba, I heard you and Honami left school together during winter break? Did you have fun?"

Kushida Kikyo had been contemplating whether or not to do this, and she found it amusing to ask her such a question in front of her official girlfriend.

"Yes, although the application process was complicated, I managed to leave school smoothly and had seven days of fun. It was a pretty good experience."

Hashiba Hikaru's reaction was impeccable. He didn't give Kushida Kikyo a meaningful look in front of Honami Ichinose Honami, but instead gave a very ordinary reply.

"I'm so envious!"

Kushida Kikyo suddenly took the pink-haired girl's arm, acting like a very intimate best friend.

"If Kushida- chan is envious, she can find a boyfriend herself. You're so popular, it shouldn't be difficult, right?"

Ichinose Honami smiled, her eyes gleaming with a deep light.

"It's not that easy. Finding the right person is really difficult."

Kushida Kikyo's smile widened. Her heart was actually beating very fast. After all, doing something so blatant in front of the person in question would always make her nervous. But for some reason, after seeing Sakayanagi Arisu and Hashiba Hikaru chatting privately for a long time, the girl couldn't help but choose to do it.

"How about I keep an eye out for Kushida- chan? There are a lot of outstanding boys in the first year."

Ichinose Honami revealed a caring expression, showing concern for her best friend.

"This..."

Kushida Kikyo gazed at Ichinose Honami's face, unsure of her purpose in saying that, but she continued to smile and reply, "Sure, seeing Honami and Classmate Hashiba so affectionate really makes me want to fall in love."

"Hehehe, no way!"

Ichinose Honami patted the other person's arm shyly. She kept an eye on her boyfriend out of the corner of her eye, and even though Hashiba Hikaru had looked away, the pink-haired girl didn't let her guard down.

"Classmate Hashiba - Ichinose- san."

Ichinose Honami heard the new conversation, looked up, and saw that it was Ibuki Mio and Shiina Hiyori.

She wanted to immediately greet them with a smile like a hostess, but the next second she noticed that the gray-haired girl's gaze was fixed on her boyfriend beside her.

Shiina?

458

Chapter 458 The highly anticipated Third Semester.

As someone who had just stepped down from her position as class representative in Class C of the First Year, Ibuki Mio was still quite famous among the first-year students, even though she had lost power. After all, she had left a deep impression on everyone, whether at the Sports Festival or on the Uninhabited Island.

As a regular at the Library, Shiina Hiyori's presence is relatively weak. Although not many people know her, she has a unique aura that gives people a refreshing feeling.

When the two appeared before Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami, the boy naturally had to feign ignorance and give a nonchalant reply.

"Hello everyone, have fun today, it's Social Gathering after all."

The boy had a smile on his lips, and his tone was enthusiastic but not impatient.

"Yes, Ibuki and... Shiina, you can relax a bit. Let's have a good time today."

Although Ichinose Honami was startled at first, she quickly recovered and greeted him naturally.

"Maybe our class will organize an activity like this next time, and you're all welcome to participate."

Although Ibuki Mio dislikes Hashiba Hikaru, she has a good impression of Ichinose, and the two are on good terms.

"Okay, I understand. We'll definitely be there."

The pink-haired girl looked at Ibuki Mio in front of her and suddenly felt relieved, because she knew that the other girl definitely didn't like her boyfriend, which made her feel inexplicably at ease.

"Then we'll be going now. You two continue your conversation."

Ibuki Mio took the initiative to link Shiina Hiyori, who was standing next to her. She didn't really like these kinds of social occasions, but Shiina had come to see Hashiba Hikaru, and the short-haired girl had no choice but to agree because Shiina had urged her.

"We'll head over now, Ichinose and Classmate Hashiba. See you next time."

Shiina Hiyori spoke gently, her gaze lingering on Hashiba Hikaru's face for only three seconds before she followed Ibuki away.

Kushida Kikyo, standing to the side, seemed to have noticed something, and frowned, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"What is Kushida- chan thinking about?"

Ichinose Honami kept her recent discovery to herself and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Kushida Kikyo.

"I'm just curious about what's going on in Class C now. Since Ryuen has become the class representative, I wonder what they're doing."

Kushida made up an excuse on the spot. She had absolutely no interest in Ryuen Kakeru, but she might be interested in the other members of Class C.

For example, Shiina, who glanced at Hashiba Hikaru three times during our conversation.

What was she really thinking?

"Yes, once the Third Semester starts, their class will probably start doing something."

Recalling Ryuen Kakeru's relentless pursuit of his goals, Ichinose suddenly felt a little worried.

"No matter what he tries to do, we just need to stop him every time."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly. Even if Katsuragi Kohei, Ryuen Kakeru, and Miyabi Nagumo joined forces, the young man still didn't need to worry, since he had more people at his disposal.

"Yes, with light around me, our class will definitely keep winning."

"..."

Kushida Kikyo opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. She caught a glimpse of the Ichinose Honami's face, and her mood immediately turned somewhat displeased.

So she prepared to strike up a conversation again, but at that moment the girl caught a glimpse of another figure out of the corner of her eye.

She was a young girl with silver hair, a noble aura, and an elfin-like face that made her unforgettable.

"Classmate Sakayanagi?"

Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami both saw her. The Social Gathering had been going on for several hours, so perhaps she had something to say.

"Classmate Hashiba, how long is your Social Gathering going to last today?"

The girl asked.

"I'm not too sure about that. After all, it's for relaxation, and it's winter break now, so everyone can have some fun."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over the students chatting and laughing in the room. It was only five o'clock, and there should still be a long time before they were dismissed.

"But I'm running out of patience."

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't care at all whether her tone of voice was inappropriate. She didn't even look at Ichinose Honami standing next to her, but stared straight at Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"It seems Classmate Sakayanagi has something to say, so please proceed."

Hashiba Hikaru shrugged, not really caring about her attitude.

"That's true. As I just said, there are some things I want to say to Class A."

"Then please speak frankly, Classmate Sakayanagi. We're all listening."

Ichinose Honami probably sensed something was off about Sakayanagi's tone. She glanced at her boyfriend's profile and stepped forward to stand beside him.

"Yes, that's what I think."

Sakayanagi Arisu leaned on her cane and looked at the Class A students who had noticed the commotion and gathered around. Hashiba Hikaru had just waved to the Class A students in the area, so quite a few people had come over.

"Now that everyone's here, I'll get straight to the point."

Although Sakayanagi Arisu, she had a surprisingly strong presence, and she showed no fear even in the Matoba Class A.

"In the upcoming Third Semester, I will be challenging your Class A."

"What?"

Although the girl's voice was pleasant, all the members of Class A, including Ichinose Honami, were immediately taken aback after she said those words, because they all understood what she meant.

"Tsk tsk, so it really is a declaration of war?"