While Shiranami Chihiro was still weighing the pros and cons, Aoyama hit her with a shocking remark that completely threw her off. She just stood there, dumbfounded.
The image of Ichinose in her mind had been entirely replaced by Aoyama.
A tall, handsome boy who was also the Student Council Vice President walked through the school holding her hand. The girls around them looked on with a complicated mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Though she really didn't want to admit it, Shiranami knew she'd shamefully felt her heart flutter.
"Did your heart flutter just now?"
"N-no, it didn't. D-don't make things up."
Meeting Aoyama's handsome, slightly teasing face, Shiranami guiltily looked away.
It was usually impossible to become so devoted to someone after knowing them for just over two months.
"Lie low and wait for your chance, Shiranami." Aoyama wasn't inconsiderate enough to say something like, "So your love for Ichinose wasn't all that deep, after all." It was enough for Shiranami to realize it herself.
With both approaches working in his favor, he was sure Shiranami would make a clear choice.
"What should I say to Honami when I see her next?"
"You didn't actually confess in your letter, so you can say you've come to admire her and hope she'll teach you how to become more like her. That way, you can get closer to Ichinose, too."
Now that he knew Shiranami had given up on confessing, Aoyama spared no effort in helping her come up with a plan.
After hearing Aoyama's nearly perfect reply, Shiranami sighed. "Unlike me, you seem so mature, Aoyama. You're reliable, like an adult."
"Thanks for the compliment. But I should correct one thing: plenty of adults aren't reliable, like Hoshinomiya-sensei."
Aoyama was referring to Class B's homeroom teacher, who occasionally showed up for work smelling of alcohol.
She'd also teased him a little during the Student Council's mediation last time.
"Well, Kozue can be a little unreliable at times." Shiranami gave a wry smile, but had to agree with Aoyama.
As for whether she liked Hoshinomiya, a teacher who got along so well with her students, she did.
But she couldn't bring herself to praise her as reliable with a straight face.
"Keep at it. If you work hard to improve yourself, you're sure to find a place in Ichinose's heart."
Realizing it was time for him to leave, Aoyama stood and gently patted Shiranami's head in encouragement.
Love might make people lose sight of things, but it could also drive them forward.
Either way, improving yourself was a good thing, even if your reasons weren't entirely noble.
"If Ichinose still doesn't want you by then, I'll take you in, reluctantly."
With that clearly joking remark, Aoyama had completed his task.
Chapter 48: The Devil's Whisper
"So you really are here, Aoyama."
The day after he'd talked Shiranami out of confessing, Aoyama was doing his usual workout with Sakura, who'd shed her disguise, when someone knocked on the private room door.
He paused his workout, wiped off his sweat, and opened the door.
Ichinose stood outside, her eyes sparkling and a slightly smug smile on her face.
"You could've just called if you were looking for me."
Seeing the ever-affable Ichinose, Aoyama welcomed her into the room without hesitation.
When Ichinose spotted Sakura, he immediately called her over from the corner where she was hiding.
Among the first-years, Ichinose was the easiest to get along with.
As Sakura's first challenge on her way to moving up in the world, she was an excellent choice.
"Don't tell me I have to introduce you myself, too." Aoyama pulled Sakura out from behind him and ushered her toward Ichinose, pushing her gently from behind.
The two stood face-to-face, evenly matched in both looks and figure.
But their demeanors were worlds apart. One was confident and outgoing, while the other was timid and hesitant.
Let her do it herself.
Perhaps noticing how nervous Sakura was, Ichinose seemed about to speak first.
So Aoyama put his index finger to his lips and shook his head at her.
"I'm... Sakura Airi, from... Class 1-D."
"I'm Ichinose Honami, from Class 1-B! You're so cute, Sakura."
As soon as Sakura finished speaking in her meek voice, Ichinose responded with lively enthusiasm. Her smile looked completely genuine.
"Looks like great minds think alike, Ichinose." Aoyama ruffled Sakura's hair and encouraged her softly, then let her retreat to the corner.
Her eyes were so nervous they were practically turning into spirals. If he kept her there any longer, he worried she'd put on a little show and faint on the spot.
"Does Sakura usually wear red-framed glasses to school?"
Once they'd sat down together, Ichinose looked gently at Sakura's back.
Comparing her to the image of the Class 1-D student in her memory, Ichinose had recognized the real Sakura.
"I'm impressed you noticed. Most people wouldn't connect those two." Aoyama confirmed that Ichinose's guess was right.
"Having a good memory is one of my few strengths. I've pretty much memorized what all the first-years look like."
"Great. That gives us one more piece of first-year intel to sell: Class 1-B's leader is a liar." Aoyama gave a teasing smile. "And here I thought she had more strengths than you could count."
"No one would buy false information like that, Aoyama. Stop teasing me."
Half embarrassed and half exasperated, Ichinose turned her head so she wouldn't have to look at Aoyama.
"Thank you so much for what you did for Chihiro, Aoyama. It didn't turn into the outcome I dreaded most, and Chihiro doesn't seem too upset, either."
"Glad to hear it. But you could've told me all that over the phone. You didn't have to come all this way."
"You might not think it's a big deal, Aoyama, but it means a lot to me." Ichinose shook her head. "Every classmate is someone I cherish."
"Thinking that way at this school is going to make things hard for you."
Kouiku aimed to cultivate elite leaders. They hadn't enrolled the students to play house.
Knowing when to make rational cuts was a skill every leader had to learn.
When the first-years finished their first year and moved up to their second, the Special Exam they faced would almost certainly result in someone being expelled.
"You're right, but I'll do everything I can to protect everyone in my class."
"It's my duty as class leader."
Ichinose clenched her fists and pumped her arms to encourage herself, her eyes full of determination.
"Keep at it. If you need me, just bring this." Aoyama chuckled and made a money-counting gesture, dispelling the resolve Ichinose had seemed ready to stake everything on.
"Aoyama, you can be so..."
Back to her usual self, Ichinose thanked him again, then said goodbye to Aoyama and Sakura.
Soon, only Sakura and Aoyama were left in the room.
"Starting next month, we'll meet in the lobby. I'm not renewing the room, and we'll move our workouts to after dinner."
When Sakura stopped exercising to rest, Aoyama called her over and announced his decision.
Ichinose and her workout partner, Amikura Mako, came to the gym after dinner and a short break.
Judging from Sakura today, working out alone wasn't doing much for her.
"Huh? Aoyama, I can't do that!" Sakura shook her head in a panic, her bright-red twin tails swaying adorably.
"This is a notification, not a request for your opinion. All you have to do is nod."
Aoyama used Facebreaker to restrain Sakura and obligingly nodded her head for her.
As a proper Student Council Vice President, it was his duty to uphold the school's goal of developing its students.
"I can't do it, Aoyama. I really can't."
"Now we're going to play a game. You can't leave until you win at least once."
Ignoring Sakura's pleas, Aoyama pressed down on her shoulders and made her sit cross-legged across from him.
"The game is called Staring Contest. I won't bother explaining the rules. You already know them."
As the name suggested, two or more people stared at each other, and whoever looked away or blinked first lost.
It was a simple game, but it could do wonders for building patience and strengthening mental resilience.
"If you don't keep your eyes on me, don't expect me to let you out of this room before curfew." Aoyama grinned and openly sized Sakura up. The game hadn't even started, and she was already blushing and closing her eyes.
Because she'd just finished exercising, several red strands of hair stuck to Sakura's smooth, fair forehead with sweat.
Her long eyelashes trembled. Her soft pink lips were pressed tight. Her T-shirt strained against her ample chest. However you looked at it, Sakura was a very attractive girl.
"Please let me go, Aoyama."
She lowered her head and laced her fingers together. The thought of Aoyama watching her the whole time made Sakura wonder if it might be better to faint.
She'd gotten used to Aoyama's presence over the past week or so, and she could talk to him without feeling too nervous.
But she was absolutely certain she couldn't handle staring at each other for a long time.
With her eyes closed, the rapid beating of her heart grew even more noticeable.
"Am I so ugly that you can't bear to look at me? Or do you hate me, Sakura?"
"No! Aoyama, you're not ugly at all, and I don't hate you!"
Although she knew Aoyama was only teasing her, Sakura couldn't help speaking up to deny it.
How could she hate someone who wanted to help her?
He'd taken personal points from her, but as far as she knew, even with the monthly discount, renting this fairly spacious private gym room cost more than the points she'd paid.
She was grateful to Aoyama for patiently helping someone like her, who couldn't even make friends, learn how to connect with people.
"Not looking someone in the eye when you speak doesn't exactly make you sound convincing, Sakura."
Aoyama's voice was low, rich, and pleasant to hear. But to Sakura, it sounded like nothing less than a devil's whisper.
Chapter 49: Sakayanagi Takes Action
"Aoyama."
The static from the vending machine came in its usual steady rhythm, unchanged since the start of the school year.
It used to be the sound that made Yamamura Miki feel most at ease. As long as she was by the vending machine, she could calm down.
But that was in the past.
Now, Yamamura felt just as overwhelmed by a tangle of thoughts as she had the previous two days.
Even though she'd been sitting beside the familiar vending machine for over half an hour.
Would Aoyama really be interested in someone with a body like mine?
As soon as she sat still, Yamamura remembered Aoyama in that room, completely serious.
Her school life so far had felt like she was living in a dream, so wonderful it was frightening.
Less than three months into the school year, and she already had three friends! That was countless times more than she'd had in middle school.
Every Saturday, she got to meet up with her friends for study sessions and go read with them at the library. Her days were more fulfilling than she could have imagined.
"Yamamura, you seem troubled."
Just as Yamamura was worrying about how to face Aoyama, an elegant voice as sweet as a silver bell drowned out the vending machine's static.
When she lifted her head from where she'd been looking down, she saw a slim, sturdy-looking cane beside a pair of beautifully curved calves.
Classmate Sakayanagi—one of the girls in her class whom Aoyama had called a princess.
Only one student in the whole school regularly carried a cane. Yamamura immediately knew who had spoken to her.
"Sakayanagi..."
"If you don't mind, would you tell me about it? Perhaps I can help."
Sakayanagi sat at a polite distance from Yamamura, wearing a faint smile.
For a moment, Yamamura really did feel like telling her what was troubling her.
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