The Candidates; This Doesn't Quite Fit the Vibe

By rights...

Actually, this shouldn't have happened.

Setting aside an idiot like Yamauchi Haruki, at least Hirata Yosuke standing right in front of her definitely didn't look like a fool.

Had he actually guessed something and decided not to share it with the class?

That seemed unlikely.

Hirata Yosuke clearly had the trust of quite a few girls, and he didn't seem like the selfish sort.

It was more likely that some reason made it inconvenient for him to tell everyone.

Morishita Ai leaned toward that explanation.

That was right. Morishita Ai was plenty capable; she was just lazy and solitary, and couldn't be bothered to put in effort when she could get by without it.

On second thought, she decided to leave it alone.

She was only there to deliver a message. The rest was up to Kijima Tsukur.

"It's fine if you don't have a leader."

Morishita Ai explained nonchalantly, "You can choose a class representative—up to three people. Anyway, just come to the rooftop at four thirty this afternoon. It won't do you any harm. That's all~"

Without waiting for Hirata Yosuke to respond, Morishita Ai turned and left. Whether they came or not, she'd delivered the message.

"What's with that girl?"

A group of girls walked over to Hirata. One girl with a yellow ponytail stood with her hands on her hips, looking exasperated.

"Is she from Class A? She's so infuriating. Why should we listen to her? What do you think?"

"Yeah, what a weird girl."

"And did you hear what she said? 'Orders,' 'Your Excellency,' and all that 'audience' stuff. Gross!"

"Exactly. Who does she think she is~"

"She's so arrogant~"

"Hehehe~"

Several girls covered their mouths and giggled, while the other students in Class D looked down on her, too.

That was outrageous. She was so full of herself.

If Morishita Ai hadn't been a girl, some of them might even have wanted to hit her.

She'd come to Class D of her own accord and told them to send their leader to meet someone—then she'd said something about an "audience." Who did she think she was?

And who was this Kijima Tsukur, to act so important?

"Don't say that."

Hirata Yosuke tried to reassure them. "Didn't she say it wasn't a bad thing? I've noticed some strange things these past few days, too. I think we should go see what it's about."

"Ri..."

The girl with the yellow ponytail immediately changed her tune.

"He's right. Then let's go see. Oh, right..."

She turned to look at Horikita Suzune, who was sitting at the back of the classroom.

"Um... Hori... Horikita, do you know that guy named Kijima Tsukur?"

"I believe I said earlier that I've only met him twice."

Horikita Suzune sat back down at her desk, her voice cool.

Since she now knew Kijima Tsukur hadn't specifically sent that girl to find her, Horikita Suzune wasn't particularly interested.

"Wha... What?"

At the other girl's cold tone, as if she were the one at fault, the blonde girl's expression stiffened. Then she said, annoyed, "You were speaking so quietly. How was anyone supposed to hear you?"

The ponytailed girl added disdainfully, "You never talk to anyone in class, but you're so friendly with people from other classes. That's hilarious~"

"Now, now, Karuizawa."

Hirata Yosuke quickly tried to calm them both down, steering the conversation back to the real issue with a cheerful smile.

"More importantly, who should go?"

"Obviously you, Hirata~"

The girl named Karuizawa turned to look at the girls around her.

"That girl said to send class representatives. Who could represent our class better than Hirata, right?"

"Yeah."

"I agree. It has to be Hirata. No one else could do it."

With Karuizawa leading the way, the other girls chattered among themselves.

The other boys looked exasperated. They had no interest in meeting people from other classes, either.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji did want to go,

but he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

He glanced unobtrusively at Horikita Suzune beside him, but she clearly had no intention of going, either.

"Now, now~"

Hirata, the class's mother hen, once again soothed the girls, his cheerful smile still in place.

"I can't represent the whole class on my own. Besides, she said no more than three people. Does anyone else want to go?"

"Then... I'll go?"

Karuizawa looked around at her classmates, asking somewhat tentatively. She definitely wouldn't let an opportunity to raise her standing in the class pass her by.

"Sure~"

"I support that."

"It's best if Karuizawa represents us."

Clearly,

this wasn't a very appealing job.

Apart from those with special motives, the boys and girls in Class D all thought it sounded like a hassle.

So no one volunteered. Naturally, no one objected, either; they were just a little surprised that Karuizawa had put her name forward.

Watching this unfold, Hirata felt rather helpless.

Ever since the start of the school year,

he'd suspected something was off about the school and thought it was important to talk with students from the other classes.

But with Class D in this state,

Hirata didn't want to say anything that would make everyone uneasy.

Still,

they were meeting students from the other classes that afternoon. The other party had specifically said they wanted to meet the class leaders, and they'd limited it to three people, which clearly meant they had specific requirements.

This meeting

might not be easy...

At the very least, it was something they needed to take seriously.

Karuizawa wasn't a bad choice,

but Hirata still wanted to bring someone who could help...

"Um..."

Hirata looked around at the students in Class D like a teacher calling on someone in class. Everyone he made eye contact with quickly looked away.

How pathetic...

Forget the other party asking for three people.

They might not even be able to find three.

In the end, Hirata's gaze settled on the only girl left.

"For the last spot... Kushida... could I ask you?"

"Well..."

The girl named Kikyo Kushida hesitated. Only when Hirata seemed about to give up did she glance at another girl in the class.

"Sorry, Wang. Could you wait for me a little after school?"

"Hm? Kushida, do you have plans with Wang?"

Hirata immediately hesitated. He was the sort of person who didn't like imposing on others.

"Yes. We'd planned to go to the Palette Cafe."

"Sorry. Forget I said anything."

"No, no. This concerns the class, after all. I also think we should go and see what's going on."

Kikyo Kushida waved her hands repeatedly, looking apologetically at Wang Meiyu.

"I don't think it'll take too long. Wang, would you mind waiting for me after school?"

"Of course not. Hirata and Kushida are doing this for the class, so don't worry about me."

Wang Meiyu waved her hands too, showing she didn't mind.

"Thank you, Wang."

"It's nothing. You're so kind, Kushida."

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Kushida. I really wouldn't know what to do without you."

"It's nothing, it's only right. Hehe~"

Kikyo Kushida blushed slightly as everyone praised her, waving her hands again and again.

Her plans with Wang Meiyu were genuine.

And she truly wanted to go.

She'd just stayed quiet, waiting for Hirata Yosuke to ask her.

After all...

There were only a few people Hirata could ask!

Class 1-A.

The bell rang, marking the end of the last class.

Everyone in Class A looked toward Kijima Tsukur's back in unison.

They were still annoyed that he planned to share the information equally with the other classes. Some even wanted to just pin him down on his desk.

"Kijima..."

Katsuragi hurried over to Kijima Tsukur and asked in a low voice,

"Are you really going to do this?"

"Of course."

"Then who are you taking?"

"Yamamura."

Kijima Tsukur named only Yamamura Miki. He glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu and the others and said coolly, "