So I Was the One Who Was Wrong?

Seeing that Morishita Ai didn't look too good, Kijima Tsukur pulled his hand back.

"What are you doing here? You don't look too good."

"Nothing."

Morishita Ai had a pained expression.

"I just ate too much lunch. It's really uncomfortable to lie here like this..."

"..."

Lying down like this after eating too much really did sound uncomfortable. Kijima Tsukur didn't care why she was lying down rather than sitting or doing something else. He nodded and asked:

"Then why are you lying here?"

"To be honest, I was waiting for you."

"I see... And what did you find out?"

Kijima Tsukur stood up, not particularly surprised.

Maybe birds of a feather flocked together. He and Morishita Ai both fell into the category of oddballs.

But there was no such thing as a true oddball. They simply had unusual perspectives, and there was always some reason behind their actions.

He'd sensed Morishita Ai deliberately trying to get closer to him since yesterday, and he could more or less guess why.

She craved acceptance!

They'd only just met, so it might sound ridiculous, but that was the truth!

Like a detective who happened to stumble upon a murder scene, she surely imagined someone listening to her deductions every waking moment.

When he was five,

Kijima Tsukur had often been shunned because of his strange behavior. He'd desperately wanted the people around him to accept him. Morishita Ai was still at that stage.

"Hmm... You don't seem strange. We really are alike."

Morishita Ai's expression stayed blank, but she sounded somewhat pleased. She rose onto her tiptoes and gazed into Kijima Tsukur's dark eyes, speaking to herself:

"But this is the first time I've met someone as dangerous as you. What should I do?"

"Are you wondering whether to follow me?"

"You know?"

"I don't know the specifics yet, but the more people, the better."

Kijima Tsukur put his hands in his pockets and looked down at Morishita Ai, who was a head shorter than him. He said coolly:

"If you want to follow me, then you'll do as I say and obey my every command. That way, no matter what predicament we face, no enemy can stand against us!"

"Yes, sir!"

Morishita Ai straightened up, her small chest thrust forward. She placed the fingers of her right hand together against her temple and gave a perfect military salute.

"When you have time, try talking to Yamamura. You'll get what you're looking for."

With that, Kijima Tsukur turned and left.

Morishita Ai lay back down on the bench. Her right hand moved gently as though she were rowing, her slender fingers brushing the ground as she murmured to herself.

I see... So this is what it feels like. It really is disgusting...

Kijima Tsukur had guessed correctly.

Ever since she was little,

Morishita Miki's exceptional powers of observation had let her see right through almost everyone at a glance. When she voiced what people were thinking, they gradually began to distance themselves from her.

At first,

Morishita Ai had indeed tried to change the way she acted.

But when she saw that the friends who smiled at her to her face actually hated her, she felt utterly disgusted. She'd rather have nothing to do with fakes like that.

But today,

her desire to get close to Kijima Tsukur

had indeed come from wanting to make sure she stood on the winning side. Kijima Tsukur was the strongest person she'd ever met.

And he had seen through all of those thoughts.

Only now did she understand what it felt like to have someone see right through her at a glance. It really was nauseating—so much so that it even frightened her!

Once she understood that,

Morishita Ai couldn't help thinking of the friends from her past. No wonder they'd wanted to avoid a monster like her. Maybe it wasn't their fault...

"Then... that guy..."

Morishita Ai lifted her delicate chin and looked in the direction Kijima Tsukur had gone.

Just like her, he was alone. How lonely must someone as powerful as Kijima Tsukur be? And how could he face it all so naturally...?

The two of them seemed to share the same fate.

Thinking of that, Morishita Ai couldn't help feeling a little sympathy and curiosity...

Never mind.

There was no harm in thinking about it slowly.

At least today, she'd forged an alliance with Kijima Tsukur. As long as she followed his instructions, they would surely win any exam without a hitch.

Kijima Tsukur was so powerful that she felt completely at ease with him.

With that thought,

Morishita Ai closed her beautiful eyes, a peaceful smile appearing on her lips as she began her lunch break.

As for Yamamura Miki,

though they'd never spoken and had only seen each other twice,

Morishita Ai's impression of her was simply that she was a girl with very little presence. She didn't seem very capable, either.

At first, she'd thought Kijima Tsukur just wanted an easy-to-order-around servant, but now it seemed there was more to it.

He'd said that getting closer to Yamamura Miki would help her get what she wanted?

Thinking of Yamamura Miki's timid, unconfident manner, and how she barely dared to refuse anyone, Morishita Ai truly couldn't understand what was so special about her.

Never mind.

She'd treat it as a mission.

Since Kijima Tsukur had told her to spend more time with Yamamura, she'd do just that.

Chapter 13: So I Was the One Who Was Wrong?

The first day of classes ended in such a relaxed atmosphere.

After school, Kijima Tsukur didn't go to the gym for the club orientation. Instead, he headed straight to the Student Council Room in the Special Building.

Yamamura Miki followed behind him, clutching a folding chair and looking aggrieved.

This was naturally all at Kijima Tsukur's insistence. She'd wanted to refuse outright, but she just couldn't muster the courage.

Thinking about how she'd have to go to the Student Council Room with him later made Yamamura Miki even more anxious.

What if

the upperclassmen asked her whether she was planning to join the Student Council?

What would she do?

Just thinking about it made Yamamura Miki feel so embarrassed she could die.

At last!

Her fear of interacting with upperclassmen completely overwhelmed the shame of refusing Kijima Tsukur. Her voice trembled a little as she said:

"Um... Kijima... are you planning to join the Student Council? Wouldn't it be better to go to the gym after all?"

"I'm not sure. I'll see when I get there."

Kijima Tsukur walked ahead with his hands in his pockets.

"Besides, there are too many people at the gym, so it's not convenient to talk. That's why I'm going straight to the Student Council. It's too late to go to the gym now, anyway."

"That's true..."

Yamamura Miki felt awkward, and she was still afraid of facing other people. She cautiously tested the waters.

"Then once we get to the Student Council, I can leave first, right?"

"No."

Kijima Tsukur glanced back at Yamamura Miki, who looked nervous.

"Once we're there, put the chair down and stand behind me. You don't have to worry about anyone else."

"Ugh..."

Damn it... Why was this guy so domineering?

Couldn't he tell she didn't want to go? Yamamura Miki looked troubled.

Still, thinking about having someone stand in front of her made it seem a little less scary. She could just hide behind Kijima Tsukur and push him forward if anything happened.

The two of them went up to the sixth floor, where the Student Council was located.

Even from far away, they could see the luxurious doors at the end of the hallway. The sign on them read "Student Council," and two people stood outside.

One of them was Katsuragi Kohei from Class A. The other was a girl she hadn't seen before.

The girl's smooth, golden-pink hair fell to her waist. Her chest was particularly full, her slender waist could be encircled by a hand, and her legs were long and shapely, with a hint of sex appeal.

Most importantly, she wore a bright, sweet smile. Just looking at her seemed to lift one's spirits.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps caught the attention of the two people who'd been talking. Katsuragi Kohei looked down the hallway, clearly surprised.

"Kijima? What are you doing here?"

"I came to take a look at the Student Council."

Kijima Tsukur looked at the closed doors and asked outright, "Why aren't you going in?"

"You?"

Katsuragi Kohei was slightly taken aback.

Thinking that Kijima Tsukur actually wanted to join the Student Council made him feel uneasy, no matter how he looked at it.

"President Horikita asked us to wait outside for a bit."

The girl beside him smoothly took over the conversation. When she noticed Kijima Tsukur looking at her, she smiled brightly.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B. Are you both from Class 1-A?"

"Kijima Tsukur, Class 1-A."

Kijima Tsukur rubbed his chin as he observed her, a little surprised.

Even Katsuragi hadn't noticed Yamamura Miki behind him, yet this girl named Ichinose Honami had.

Of course, that didn't mean Ichinose had better powers of observation than Katsuragi. She was simply more attentive to the people around her!

Yamamura Miki was just as surprised. She stammered softly:

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yamamura Miki from Class 1-A. Pleased to meet you."

"Yamamura..."

Only then did Katsuragi Kohei realize she was there. His expression turned a little awkward.

It was rude of him not to notice even a classmate standing right in front of him. But his attention was soon drawn to the folding chair in Yamamura Miki's hands.

"What's that? Why are you carrying a chair?"