Confiding

"For now, just 'stand by'," Hoshino Kanade's voice was steady and clear, carrying a natural sense of control. "Maintain your 'above average' facade and blend into Karuizawa's circle and the balance Hirata has established; this is your protective layer. I won't contact you proactively in our daily lives, and you don't need to go out of your way to avoid me. Let the information you deem critical settle, and whenever you judge it worth sharing, tell me."

He turned his gaze toward her, calm and resolute. "The initiative is yours. When to pass on 'information' is for you to decide. I trust your judgment."

Hoshino Kanade swiped his fingertip across his terminal screen, and a faint light flickered to life. "However, maintaining observation and integration always requires investment. I will provide points periodically. The amount won't be abrupt, but it will be enough to cover necessary expenses. How much do you need?" His tone revealed a frank willingness to provide support.

Matsushita Chiaki shook her head almost immediately, her voice clear and composed. "No, please don't send me points."

Meeting Hoshino Kanade's inquisitive gaze, she explained, "Points appearing out of thin air in my terminal, especially when the Class D account is practically at zero, would be far too conspicuous. Karuizawa is far more sensitive to points than the average person; any anomaly could trigger her vigilance. I will resolve the costs of maintaining my facade in my own way."

She paused, then added, "If there are truly necessary expenses beyond my ability, I will... contact you."

The word "contact" felt more equitable, blurring the implication of a request and sounding more like a notification of cooperation.

Hoshino Kanade watched her silently for a few seconds.

There was no displeasure in his deep, pool-like eyes; instead, a glimmer of approval flickered through—like a treasure hunter discovering a raw gem that knew how to conceal itself without needing much carving.

Matsushita Chiaki was more cautious than Hoshino Kanade had anticipated, and she understood the art of walking the edge of the rules even better.

She not only accurately grasped that the core of "standing by" was integration and observation, but she also keenly realized that "resources" themselves could become a risk of exposure.

Matsushita Chiaki's assessment of Karuizawa was also spot-on—that blonde girl was indeed like a highly vigilant detector.

By taking the initiative to suggest "contacting" him when necessary, she both left a channel for emergency help and minimized the uncertainty that might arise from daily interactions.

"Smart." He withdrew his finger, the screen dimmed, and his tone carried the recognition of an effective partnership. "We'll do it your way. Remember, the essence of 'standing by' lies in being invisible and perceiving the subtle. Like a water droplet merging into a stream, silent and traceless. Whenever you have a discovery, just contact me."

The final sentence conveyed a promise of readiness and support, rather than a one-sided command.

He picked up his pencil and tapped it lightly on the desktop, like a period at the end of a conversation. "Now, just act as you usually do."

Matsushita Chiaki's tense shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. She stood up, her posture returning to its usual composed elegance, and nodded in response. "Understood." Without further words, she turned and left.

Her chestnut curls bounced in the light streaming through the window, her back straight as she quietly tucked this new secret into the gentle, harmless shell of the "model student" Matsushita Chiaki.

Hoshino Kanade's gaze followed her figure until she reached the door, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the barrel of his pen.

A sponge that knew how to hide and nourish itself? A pair of hands that knew when to stay silent and when to reach out? This girl, who had labeled herself as "above average," displayed a level of prudence that far exceeded her preset value.

Deep in the library, dust motes danced silently in the shafts of light, and the faint curve of his lips was a silent confirmation of a tacit understanding reached and the value of a capable partner.

The sunlight from outside the window slanted into the corridor of the Special Teaching Building, adding a touch of warmth to the cool air.

Hoshino Kanade leaned against the cold wall, his gaze sweeping casually over the students passing through the hallway.

Compared to the tense probing at the start of the semester, recent days had been unusually calm—the situation in Class D had changed too much compared to the original trajectory, and having Matsushita Chiaki as his eyes and ears gave him much more peace of mind.

"How is it?" A calm voice sounded beside him.

Hoshino Kanade tilted his head slightly to see Matsushita Chiaki leaning against the wall just as he was, the two of them looking like they were just chatting.

She was gently flipping through a notebook in her hand, seemingly organizing class notes, her movements extremely natural.

"Too quiet," Hoshino Kanade's voice was low, just enough for his companion to hear. "I can barely feel any prying eyes."

Matsushita Chiaki nodded slightly, her gaze lifting from the notebook to quickly sweep over a student from another class ahead. That person was walking by with their head down, showing no intention of glancing toward the direction of Class D.

"Yeah, the other classes haven't made any moves lately. It feels like they... really don't see Class D as an opponent anymore." She lowered her voice a little.

A faint curve tugged at the corner of Hoshino's mouth, though it was hard to tell if it was relief or something else. "That's fine, too." At least this way, they could maintain a stable daily life.

The terminal on the desk vibrated slightly, and the screen lit up.

Hoshino Kanade looked down, and as expected, it was that familiar profile picture.

Swiping open the screen, the greeting sent by Ichinose Honami popped up:

"Hoshino-kun, good afternoon! How was your day? Did you eat well? The new dessert in our cafeteria today..."

Ever since they added each other as friends for their last trade, Ichinose had sent messages to check on him from time to time.

At first, it was just ordinary greetings and sharing; sometimes it was interesting school trivia, and other times it was some trivial discovery.

Out of politeness and a hint of observation, Hoshino responded in a timely manner.

Before he knew it, Hoshino Kanade could say he had a decent relationship with her.

It was just... Hoshino Kanade's fingertips swiped over the latest few messages, noticing a slight difference.

Ichinose's tone was still as gentle and polite as ever, but the vibrant, energetic spirit between the lines seemed to have been quietly veiled by a layer of mist.

In the messages she had sent over the past few times, she had occasionally let slip phrases like "I'm a little tired today" or "Things are a bit complicated."

Hoshino didn't immediately press for details, simply responding to those seemingly ordinary concerns as usual, occasionally leaving a subtle opening in his replies.

At this moment, staring at the latest message for a while, Hoshino's slender fingers began to tap on the screen:

"Sounds like you're troubled? If dessert can solve it, that would be for the best."

This sentence was like a small pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Almost a few seconds later, the "Typing..." indicator began to flicker.

In the end, the content of the reply had indeed changed.

Ichinose began to describe some friction with other classes. Although she did not detail the specific conflicts, the brutal threats from Ryuen Kakeru and the pressure brought about by the hidden schemes of Sakayanagi Arisu still came through in her words.

Even through the screen, one could imagine her sighing in frustration and rubbing her temples.

"For now, just 'stand by'," Hoshino Kanade's voice was steady and clear, carrying a natural sense of control. "Maintain your 'above average' facade and blend into Karuizawa's circle and Hirata's balance; this is your protective layer. I won't contact you proactively in daily life, and you don't need to deliberately distance yourself from me. Let the information you deem critical settle, and whenever you judge it worth sharing, tell me."

He turned his gaze toward her, calm and resolute. "The initiative is yours. When to pass on 'information' is for you to decide. I trust your judgment."

Hoshino Kanade lightly swiped his terminal screen, and a faint glow illuminated it. "However, maintaining observation and integration always requires investment. I will provide points periodically. The amount won't be abrupt, but it will be enough to cover necessary expenses. How much do you need?" His tone revealed a frankness in offering support.

Matsushita Chiaki shook her head almost immediately, her voice clear and calm. "No, please don't send me points."

Meeting Hoshino Kanade's inquisitive gaze, she explained, "Points appearing out of thin air in my terminal, especially when the Class D account is nearly empty, would be far too conspicuous. Karuizawa is far more sensitive to points than the average person; any abnormality could trigger her vigilance. I will handle the costs of maintaining my facade in my own way."

She paused, then added, "If there are truly necessary expenses beyond my ability, I will... contact you."

The word "contact" sounded more equal, blurring the implication of a request and sounding more like a notification and collaboration.

Hoshino Kanade watched her quietly for a few seconds.

There was no displeasure in his deep, pool-like eyes; instead, a flash of approval crossed them—like a treasure hunter discovering a raw gem that knew how to hide itself without needing much polishing.

Matsushita Chiaki was more cautious than Hoshino Kanade had anticipated, and she understood the art of walking on the edge of the rules better as well.

She not only accurately understood that the core of "standing by" was integration and observation, but she also keenly realized that "resources" themselves could become a risk of exposure.

Matsushita Chiaki's assessment of Karuizawa was also spot on—that blonde girl was indeed like a highly vigilant detector.

By proactively suggesting she would "contact" him when necessary, she both left a channel for emergency help and minimized the uncertainty that daily interactions might bring.

"Smart." He withdrew his finger, the screen dimmed, and his tone carried an acknowledgment of an effective partnership. "Do as you think best. Remember, the essence of 'standing by' lies in being invisible and perceiving the subtle. Like a water droplet merging into a stream, silent and traceless. Whenever you have a discovery, just contact me."

The final sentence conveyed a promise of readiness and support, rather than a unilateral command.

He picked up his pencil and tapped it lightly on the desk, like a period at the end of a conversation. "Now, just carry on as usual."

Matsushita Chiaki's tense shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. She stood up, her posture returning to its usual composed elegance, and nodded in response. "Understood." Without further words, she turned and left.

Her chestnut curls bounced in the beams of light filtering through the window, her back straight, quietly wrapping this new secret within the gentle and harmless honor student shell of "Matsushita Chiaki."

Hoshino Kanade's gaze followed her figure until she reached the door, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the barrel of his pen.

A sponge that knew how to hide and nourish itself? A pair of hands that knew when to remain still and when to reach out? This girl, who had labeled herself as "above average," displayed a prudence far exceeding her preset value.

Deep in the library, dust motes danced silently in the shafts of light, and the faint curve at the corner of his lips was a silent confirmation of a tacit understanding reached and a partner worth working with.

The sunlight from outside the window slanted into the corridor of the Special Teaching Building, adding a touch of warmth to the cool air.

Hoshino Kanade leaned against the cold wall, his gaze sweeping casually over the students passing through the hallway.

Compared to the tense probing at the start of the school year, recent days had been unusually calm—now that the situation in Class D had changed so much from the original, having Matsushita Chiaki as his eyes and ears made him feel much more at ease.

"How is it?" A calm voice sounded beside him.

Hoshino Kanade tilted his head slightly to see Matsushita Chiaki leaning against the wall just like him, the two of them looking as if they were just chatting.

She was lightly flipping through a notebook in her hand, seemingly organizing class content, her movements extremely natural.

"Too calm," Hoshino Kanade's voice was low, just enough for his companion to hear. "I can barely feel any prying eyes."

Matsushita Chiaki nodded slightly, her gaze lifting from the notebook to quickly sweep over a student from another class ahead. The person was walking by with their head down, showing no intention of looking toward Class D.

"Yeah, the other classes haven't really made any moves lately. It feels like they... really don't see Class D as an opponent anymore." She lowered her voice slightly.

A faint curve tugged at the corner of Hoshino's mouth, though it was hard to tell if it was relief or something else. "That's fine, too." At least this way, he could maintain a stable daily life.

The terminal on the desk vibrated slightly, and the screen lit up.

Hoshino Kanade looked down, and as expected, it was that familiar profile picture.

Swiping open the screen, the greeting from Ichinose Honami popped up:

"Hoshino-kun, good afternoon! Did you have a smooth day today? Did you eat well? The new dessert in the cafeteria today..."

Ever since they added each other as friends for their trade, Ichinose had sent messages to check in from time to time.

At first, it was just ordinary greetings and sharing; sometimes it was interesting school trivia, other times it was some trivial discovery.

Out of politeness and a hint of observation, Hoshino responded quite promptly.

Before he knew it, Hoshino Kanade could say he had a decent relationship with her.

It was just... Hoshino Kanade's fingertips swiped over the latest few messages, and he sensed something different.

Ichinose's tone was still as gentle and polite as ever, but the vibrant energy between the lines seemed to be quietly covered by a layer of mist.

In the messages she had sent previously, she had occasionally let slip things like "I'm a little tired today" or "Things are a bit complicated."

Hoshino did not immediately press for details, simply responding to the seemingly ordinary concerns as usual, occasionally leaving a subtle opening in his replies.

At this moment, staring at the latest message for a moment, Hoshino's slender fingers began to tap on the screen:

"Sounds like you're troubled? If dessert can solve it, that would be fine."

This sentence was like a small pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Almost a few seconds later, the "typing..." indicator began to flicker.

In the end, the content of the returned message had indeed changed.

Ichinose began to describe some friction with other classes. Although she did not detail the specific conflicts, the brutal threats from Ryuen Kakeru and the pressure brought about by the hidden schemes of Sakayanagi Arisu still came through in her words.

Even through the screen, one could imagine her sighing in frustration and rubbing her temples.