A Conversation

A little earlier...

In the counseling room, Chabashira Sae stood with her back to the window, her fingertips tapping the desk surface unconsciously.

From the adjacent pantry, the faint rustling of fabric and muffled, low-pitched conversation drifted through. The specific words were unintelligible, yet they buzzed like tiny flies, grating on her nerves and stirring up irritation.

What on earth are they whispering about? Chabashira Sae frowned, tempted to simply pull open that thin door and see for herself.

She even leaned slightly toward the door.

Just then, a sharp rap at the door interrupted her thoughts at the perfect moment.

"Come in." Chabashira Sae quickly withdrew her gaze, adjusted her posture, and turned toward the entrance.

Horikita Suzune pushed the door open and stepped inside, standing straight with her usual cold, detached expression.

"So, Horikita," Chabashira Sae went straight to the point, "what did you want to see me about?"

Horikita's gaze seemed to sweep inadvertently over the closed pantry door before returning to the teacher's face, her tone carrying a hint of subtle probing: "Um, are there mice in this room? I thought I heard some movement just now."

Chabashira Sae didn't change her expression, picking up a pen from the desk and spinning it lightly: "It's an old problem. It's probably the pipes or the old furniture. I'll have someone do a thorough inspection later and 'catch' them." She deliberately emphasized the word "catch."

"More than one?" Horikita pressed, her eyes sharp.

"I imagine there's more than one 'source'." Chabashira Sae spoke vaguely, clearly not wanting to dwell on the issue. "So, the reason you're here isn't to show concern for the school's 'ecology', is it?" She cut straight to the chase.

Horikita dropped the indirect probing and took a slight breath: "I'll ask directly. Why was I assigned to Class D?" Her voice was clear and calm, carrying an undeniable tone of interrogation.

"Straight to the point, indeed." A smile of ambiguous meaning tugged at the corners of Chabashira Sae's mouth as she leaned back into her chair. "I recall saying during today's homeroom that excellent students are selected for Class A in order, while Class D is the final bastion where the school gathers its underachievers."

Her gaze scrutinized Horikita. "It seems you define yourself as the former?"

"I am confident that I solved almost all the questions on the entrance exam," Horikita Suzune said with unwavering certainty. "And I don't recall making any major mistakes during the interview phase. At the very least, I cannot imagine being assigned to Class D."

Her fingertips curled slightly, revealing her inner indignation.

"Solved almost all of them, you say..." Chabashira Sae repeated in a low voice, pulling open a drawer and rummaging through it. "Normally, entrance exam results are not for personal viewing," she said, pulling out a document. "However, I will make an exception for you. That's right, I happen to have a copy of your answer sheet here." She pushed the document across the desk.

Horikita looked at the document that seemed prepared in advance, her eyes flickering: "You're certainly well-prepared... as if you knew I would come to protest." Her tone was slightly sarcastic.

"I am a teacher, after all." Chabashira Sae responded calmly, tapping the test paper with her fingertip. "Horikita Suzune, your entrance exam results are exactly as you judged them to be." She paused, as if weighing her words. "Your written scores are impeccable."

Just then, another slight, muffled thud came from the pantry, like a hard object bumping against something.

Horikita's gaze shifted toward that door again: "The mice inside... are they really alright?" Her tone was filled with obvious suspicion.

Chabashira Sae's brow twitched imperceptibly, and she said firmly: "There will certainly be no problems. They are... very 'well-behaved'." Her gaze swept sharply over the pantry door, as if trying to pierce right through it.

The conversation seemed to have reached a lull.

Chabashira Sae stood up, the legs of her chair scraping against the floor with a sharp sound.

Horikita prepared to leave as well.

"Ah, right," Chabashira Sae called out to Horikita, who had reached the door, as if suddenly remembering something. A meaningful smile appeared on her face. "I also invited two other people to the counseling room." Her gaze locked onto the pantry once more.

Horikita, who had been about to turn away, stopped and sat back down in the chair.

Then, Chabashira Sae spoke to the door in a clear, unmistakable, and unquestionable tone: "You two, get out here."

Inside the pantry, Hoshino Kanade's body tensed instantly, his ears twitching in a reflex to catch the movement outside. His Adam's apple bobbed as he lowered his voice, sounding a bit uncertain: "Chabashira-sensei... is she calling us?"

Kiyona, in his arms, acted like a small animal clinging to warmth, burying herself even deeper into the crook of his neck.

Her arms didn't loosen; instead, she unconsciously tightened her grip, her fingertips clutching the fabric on his back.

The body heat radiating through his shirt drew a barely audible sigh from her. Her voice was muffled against his chest, carrying the lazy, nasal tone of someone not yet fully awake:

"Don't move..." She rubbed against his collarbone, her warm breath brushing against his skin. "Just a little longer... just a little."

It was as if the stern reprimand outside was nothing more than irrelevant background noise; the scent of him and the sound of his heartbeat filling the cramped space were the only things she cared about, a gentle cocoon she was unwilling to leave.

However, Chabashira Sae's cold voice sounded from outside again, like an ultimatum: "If you don't come out within ten seconds, you will face the consequences. I think you heard the word 'expulsion' quite clearly."

The word "expulsion" struck like an ice pick.

Kiyona gasped, releasing her grip as if electrocuted. She immediately began frantically smoothing out her disheveled shirt collar and skirt, while using her fingers to comb through her messy hair.

Hoshino Kanade also took a deep breath, quickly adjusting his breathing to try and suppress his body's unusual reaction—after all, he was at an age full of vigor, and it was impossible to return to normal instantly after being in such a cramped space with such an ambiguous atmosphere.

"Kanade, if you go out like this... will it be okay?" Kiyona glanced at him with concern after she finished tidying herself, her cheeks still flushed.

Hoshino Kanade gave a wry smile and stepped slightly in front of her: "There's no choice, it has to be this way... try to stay a bit behind me."

Kiyona nodded, struggling to calm her racing heart.

Creak—

The pantry door was pushed open.

Kiyona kept her head down, following behind Hoshino Kanade as naturally as she could.

Hoshino Kanade turned slightly, seemingly trying to use his body to shield her.

Chabashira Sae's sharp gaze swept over the two of them like a searchlight.

Kiyona's cheeks remained flushed a vivid red, as if she had just stepped out of a sauna.

Hoshino Kanade tried his best to maintain his composure, but the tips of his ears were stained an unnatural shade of crimson.

"Why are your faces so red?" Chabashira Sae stared at Kiyona and asked point-blank.

Kiyona's heart skipped a beat. Her gaze darted around, and she quickly scrambled for an excuse: "The... the air in there is bad! It's too stuffy! Right, lack of oxygen, that's it, just lack of oxygen!" She fanned her face with her hand, her movements looking slightly forced.

Chabashira Sae's gaze shifted to Hoshino Kanade, noticing him standing slightly behind, pressed almost against the wall, his brows slightly furrowed: "Hoshino Kanade, why are you standing behind Ayanokouji? Is there a flower on the wall?"

Hoshino Kanade immediately stood up straight, trying his best to make his tone sound relaxed and natural: "Personal preference... er, I mean, it's a habit, a habit of standing to the side." He gave a dry cough.

Chabashira Sae's gaze swept back and forth between the two for a few seconds, her eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

In the end, she seemed to give up on digging deeper for the moment, waving her hand with a hint of impatience: "Forget it."

Her gaze swept over the three of them, her tone returning to a professional, business-like manner, "Did you all hear what I just said to Horikita?"

Kiyona and Hoshino Kanade exchanged a quick glance, both seeing the same confusion and a lingering, tender intimacy in each other's eyes.

They shook their heads almost in unison, with an air of complete innocence: "No, we didn't." "Didn't hear a thing."

Chabashira Sae looked at the expressions of feigned ignorance on their faces—Kiyona's eyes were clear yet clouded with a misty, just-disturbed haze, while Hoshino Kanade wore a look of "what happened?" confusion, though the red on his earlobes had yet to fade—and couldn't help but raise a hand to rub her temples, letting out a deep sigh.

Could it be... am I really overthinking this? She looked at the three students before her, each with their own distinct demeanor, and for the first time, her confidence in her own judgment wavered.

A little earlier...

In the counseling room, Chabashira Sae stood with her back to the window, her fingertips tapping the desk unconsciously.

From the adjacent pantry came the faint rustle of fabric rubbing together and the sound of hushed, low-pitched conversation. The specific content was unclear, but it buzzed like tiny flies, making one feel restless and irritated.

What are they whispering about? Chabashira Sae's brows furrowed slightly; she truly wanted to pull open that thin door and see for herself.

She even leaned slightly toward the door.

Just then, a knock sounded, interrupting her thoughts at the perfect moment.

"Come in." Chabashira Sae quickly withdrew her gaze, adjusted her posture, and turned toward the door.

Horikita Suzune pushed the door open and stepped inside, standing straight with her usual cold, detached expression.

"So, Horikita," Chabashira Sae got straight to the point, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

Horikita's gaze seemed to sweep inadvertently over the closed pantry door before returning to the teacher's face, her tone carrying a hint of subtle probing: "Er, are there mice in this room? I thought I heard some movement just now."

Chabashira Sae didn't change her expression, picking up a pen from the desk and twirling it lightly: "It's an old problem. It might be the pipes or the old furniture. I'll have someone check it thoroughly later and 'catch' them." She deliberately emphasized the word "catch."

"More than one?" Horikita pressed, her eyes sharp.

"There shouldn't be more than one 'source'," Chabashira Sae said vaguely, clearly not wanting to dwell on this issue, "So, the reason you came here isn't to worry about the school's 'ecology,' is it?" She pointedly cut to the chase.

Horikita also dropped the indirect probing, taking a slight breath: "I'll ask directly. Why was I assigned to Class D?" Her voice was clear and calm, carrying an unquestionable tone of interrogation.

"That really is direct." A smile of ambiguous meaning tugged at the corners of Chabashira Sae's mouth as she leaned back into her chair, "I remember saying during the homeroom meeting today that excellent people are selected for Class A in order, while Class D is the final bastion where the school's underachievers are gathered."

Her gaze scrutinized Horikita, "It seems you position yourself as the former?"

"I am confident that I solved almost all the problems on the entrance exam," Horikita Suzune's tone was filled with unquestionable certainty, "And I don't recall making any major mistakes during the interview. At the very least, I cannot imagine being assigned to Class D."

Her fingertips curled slightly, revealing her inner indignation.

"Solved almost all the entrance exam questions, you say..." Chabashira Sae repeated in a low voice, pulling open a drawer and rummaging for something, "Normally, entrance exam results aren't shown to individuals," she pulled out a document, "but I'll make an exception for you. That's right, I happen to have a copy of your answer sheet here." She pushed the document across the desk.

Horikita looked at the document that seemed to have been prepared in advance, her eyes flickering: "You really are well-prepared... as if you knew I would come to protest." Her tone was slightly sarcastic.

"I am a teacher, after all." Chabashira Sae responded calmly, tapping the test paper with her fingertip, "Horikita Suzune, your entrance exam results are exactly as you judged them to be." She paused, as if weighing her words, "Your written score was impeccable."

Just then, another slight, muffled sound came from the pantry next door, like a hard object bumping against something.

Horikita's gaze turned toward that door again: "The mice inside... are they really okay?" Her tone carried obvious suspicion.

Chabashira Sae's brow twitched imperceptibly, and she said with absolute certainty: "There will definitely be no problems. They are... very 'well-behaved'." Her gaze swept sharply over the pantry door, as if trying to pierce through it.

The conversation seemed to come to an end.

Chabashira Sae stood up, the legs of her chair scraping against the floor with a slightly sharp sound.

Horikita prepared to leave as well.

"Ah, right," Chabashira Sae called out to Horikita, who had reached the door, as if she had suddenly remembered something, a meaningful smile appearing on her face, "I also brought two other people to the counseling room." Her gaze locked onto the pantry once more.

Horikita, who was about to turn away, stopped and sat back down in the chair.

Then, Chabashira Sae spoke to the door in a clear, unmistakable, and unquestionable tone: "You two, come out."

Inside the pantry, Hoshino Kanade's body tensed instantly, his ears pricking up to listen to the movement outside as if by reflex. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he lowered his voice, sounding a bit uncertain: "Chabashira-sensei... seems to be calling us?"

Kiyona, in his arms, was like a small animal clinging to warmth, burying herself even deeper into the crook of his neck.

Her arms didn't loosen; instead, she unconsciously tightened her grip, her fingertips digging into the fabric of his shirt.

The body heat radiating through his shirt made her let out a barely audible sigh, her voice muffled against his chest with a lazy, sleepy nasal tone:

"Don't move..." She rubbed against his collarbone, her warm breath brushing against his skin, "Just a little longer... just a little longer."

It was as if the stern reprimand outside the door were nothing more than inconsequential background noise; the scent of him and the sound of his heartbeat, permeating the cramped space, were the only gentle cocoon she was unwilling to leave.

However, the cold voice of Chabashira Sae rang out from outside once more, like an ultimatum: "If you don't come out within ten seconds, bear the consequences. I think you heard the word 'expulsion' quite clearly."

The word "expulsion" struck like an ice pick.

Kiyona gasped, pulling her hands away as if electrocuted, and immediately began to frantically straighten her disheveled shirt collar and skirt, while using her fingers to comb through her messy hair.

Hoshino Kanade also took a deep breath, quickly adjusting his breathing in an attempt to suppress his body's unusual reaction—after all, at this age of hot-blooded youth, it was impossible to return to normal instantly in such a cramped space and ambiguous atmosphere.

"Kanade, will you be... okay going out like this?" Kiyona finished tidying herself and glanced at him with concern, her cheeks still flushed.

Hoshino Kanade gave a wry smile and turned slightly to block her from view: "There's no other way, it has to be like this... try to stay a bit behind me."

Kiyona nodded, struggling to calm her pounding heart.

Creak—

The door to the pantry was pushed open.

Kiyona kept her head down, following behind Hoshino Kanade as naturally as she could.

Hoshino Kanade turned slightly to the side, seemingly trying to shield her with his body.

Chabashira Sae's sharp gaze swept over the two of them like a searchlight.

Kiyona's cheeks were still noticeably flushed, as if she had just stepped out of a sauna.

Although Hoshino Kanade was trying hard to maintain his composure, the tips of his ears were also an unnatural shade of red.

"Why is your face so red?" Chabashira Sae stared at Kiyona and asked directly.

Kiyona's heart tightened; her eyes darted away as she quickly scrambled for an excuse: "The... the air inside was bad! It was too stuffy! Right, lack of oxygen, just a lack of oxygen!" She fanned her cheeks with her hand, her movements appearing slightly deliberate.

Chabashira Sae's gaze shifted to Hoshino Kanade, noticing him standing slightly behind, almost pressed against the wall, and frowned slightly: "Hoshino Kanade, why are you standing behind Ayanokouji? Are there flowers on the wall?"

Hoshino Kanade immediately stood up straight, trying to make his tone sound relaxed and natural: "Personal preference... uh, I mean, habit, I'm in the habit of standing to the side." He gave a dry cough.

Chabashira Sae's gaze flicked back and forth between the two for a few seconds, her eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

In the end, she seemed to give up on digging deeper for the moment and waved her hand with slight impatience: "Forget it."

Her gaze swept over the three of them, her tone returning to a business-like manner: "Did you all hear what I just said to Horikita?"

Kiyona and Hoshino Kanade exchanged a quick glance, both seeing the same confusion and a lingering trace of intimacy in each other's eyes.

They shook their heads almost in unison, with an air of complete innocence: "No." "Didn't hear a thing."

Chabashira Sae looked at the expressions of feigned ignorance on their faces—Kiyona's eyes were clear but still held a hint of the misty confusion of someone just disturbed, while Hoshino Kanade wore a look of "what happened?" bewilderment, though the redness on his earlobes had yet to fade—and she couldn't help but raise a hand to rub her temples, letting out a deep sigh.

Could it be... that I was really overthinking it? She looked at the three students before her, each with their own distinct demeanor, and for the first time, a trace of doubt flickered in her judgment.