You Can Choose to Believe Me

The cafeteria.

Uesugi Hara poked at the food on his tray, unable to contain his curiosity. "Ayanokoji, what's your relationship with that Horikita now?"

"Classmates."

"Really? Just classmates?" Uesugi Hara clearly didn't believe him.

"Yeah."

"Really, really?"

"What else could we be if not classmates?" Ayanokoji looked at Uesugi Hara in confusion. What was this guy thinking now?

"Oh, I see." Uesugi Hara seemed a little disappointed.

Ayanokoji didn't pay any attention to the change in Uesugi Hara's mood. They'd known each other long enough for him to realize Uesugi Hara had probably gotten the wrong idea, but he didn't bother explaining. He had no idea what the guy was thinking, anyway.

After lunch, the two of them walked along a path on campus.

"Uesugi, why am I taking a walk with you?" Ayanokoji trailed half a step behind him, sounding a little exasperated.

"Ayanokoji, that's not right." Uesugi Hara stopped and turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "They say a walk after a meal keeps you healthy till you're ninety-nine. Besides, you just ate so much. Aren't you worried something'll happen if you go back and lie in bed?"

"Uesugi, I didn't eat as much as you." Ayanokoji glanced at him and calmly pointed out the facts.

"So what?"

Ayanokoji: "..." What was he supposed to say to that?

Might as well keep walking.

--Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Ayanokoji, did you hear that?"

"It sounds like something hitting a railing."

Uesugi Hara looked toward the source of the noise, fixing his gaze on the lakeside in the distance. He pointed. "Over there. Let's go see." Before Ayanokoji could respond, he was already striding off in that direction.

Ayanokoji stayed behind for a moment, then followed with a sigh.

He had a feeling that wherever Uesugi Hara went, there was a good chance they'd run into some "trouble."

When Ayanokoji arrived, he saw Uesugi Hara crouched behind a tree, watching something. He could also hear someone cursing up ahead.

It was definitely trouble.

"Oh, Ayanokoji, you're here?" Ayanokoji had come up behind Uesugi Hara.

Uesugi Hara pulled him over beside him. "Keep your voice down. Don't let her notice us."

I think you're the one who should be careful. Ayanokoji grumbled to himself.

Only then did he get a clear look at what was happening.

It was Kushida Kikyo.

What was going on?

"She's so annoying. She makes me furious. Why won't someone like that just die already...

"She thinks she's so cute and acts all high and mighty. She's probably just a slut anyway.

"A woman with that kind of personality, teaching people to study? What a joke!"

The voice cursing her was low and rough. Was that Kushida?

Ayanokoji was astonished.

And the person she was cursing was Horikita?

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Uesugi Hara whispered in his ear.

"I think we should leave." Ayanokoji had a feeling it would be dangerous to stay. He had plenty of questions, but now wasn't the time to think about them.

"Uh... all right." Uesugi Hara still wanted to watch a little longer, but Ayanokoji was pulling him away with enough force that resisting might get them caught.

But just as the two of them were about to leave, something went wrong.

A sharp crack suddenly came from beneath their feet.

Uesugi Hara immediately pulled Ayanokoji down behind the bushes.

"Who's there? Who's over there? Come out!"

Ayanokoji looked at Uesugi Hara helplessly.

It turned out Uesugi Hara hadn't watched where he was going and had accidentally stepped on a dead branch on the ground.

Uesugi Hara looked a little embarrassed, then shot Ayanokoji a look that said, "Watch this."

Ayanokoji was confused. What was he planning to do?

"Meow~ Meow~" Uesugi Hara strained his voice to imitate a cat.

"How was that? Sounded just like one, didn't it?" Uesugi Hara looked at Ayanokoji triumphantly.

But Ayanokoji gave him a complicated look. "Students aren't allowed to keep pets at school. And do you think there are stray cats here?"

Uesugi Hara stared at him blankly.

"Uh... crap!"

"Hah, do you think I'm stupid?" That was Kushida Kikyo's reaction to hearing them. "Are you going to come out, or do I have to come get you?"

Ayanokoji: "What do we do now?"

Uesugi Hara gave him an apologetic look, then changed it to one that said, "You handle this." He gave Ayanokoji a shove, pushing him out.

Better him than me. You're up, Ayanokoji.

Ayanokoji cursed under his breath as he was pushed into the open.

"What a coincidence. We meet again, Kushida." Ayanokoji greeted her awkwardly.

Kushida Kikyo looked at him in confusion. That wasn't how someone was supposed to come out!

So she tried asking, "Who else is over there? Come out!"

Ayanokoji flew out.

Uesugi Hara grumbled to himself, then covered his face and came out.

"What a coincidence. We meet again, Kushida." Copy and paste.

"Oh, it's Ayanokoji and Uesugi! What did you see just now?" Kushida Kikyo's sweet voice reached their ears, completely different from the low voice they'd just heard.

Uesugi Hara waved his hand. "We were just passing by."

Ayanokoji: "We got a little lost. Sorry, we'll leave right away."

Seeing how the two of them reacted, Kushida Kikyo felt like laughing in anger.

"So, you heard it?"

Uesugi Hara: "Heard what?" He looked at Kushida Kikyo with an innocent expression, as if he'd only just happened to pass by.

Ayanokoji: "I don't know anything."

Uesugi Hara: Ayanokoji, the robot.

Kushida Kikyo lowered her head. Her voice sounded a little frightening. "You..."

"Ahem, Kushida, do me a favor!" Uesugi Hara hurriedly cut her off.

"A favor? What favor?" Kushida Kikyo stared at him expressionlessly.

"Just let us go. We won't tell anyone. I swear." Uesugi Hara held up three fingers.

Ayanokoji followed his example. "Me too."

Ayanokoji, the robot.

Kushida Kikyo walked closer and pushed Uesugi Hara against the tree. Her expression was so cold it was frightening.

"Isn't this a little inappropriate?" Uesugi Hara clutched his chest where she'd pushed him, feigning shyness. In an exaggerated tone, he said, "I'm not that kind of guy, Kushida. Out here in broad daylight... this isn't right, is it?"

"Shut up." Kushida Kikyo gritted her teeth, the chill in her eyes practically spilling out. She raised her foot and kicked him hard in the shin. It wasn't a powerful kick, but it was enough to show how angry she was.

Uesugi Hara hissed, finally dropping his smirk. He rubbed his shin and coughed twice. "I was joking. Don't take it seriously."

Beside them, Ayanokoji rubbed his forehead, feeling nothing but helplessness. At a time like this, Uesugi Hara was still cracking jokes. He was practically asking for more trouble.

"Ahem, Kushida, I think you might have misunderstood something. We're not a threat to you. Neither of us goes around blabbing about things."

Ayanokoji: "That's right." With Uesugi Hara here, he didn't need to say much.

"If you don't believe me, ask Ayanokoji. We've known each other for over ten years. He knows me better than anyone."

"That's right."

"How about this? We make an agreement. If you tell anyone about this, the school will expel you," Kushida Kikyo suggested.

Uesugi Hara suddenly gave her a playful look. "But right now, you're the one with something to lose."

"That's fine. You'll have something to lose soon enough."

Kushida Kikyo took Uesugi Hara's hand and tried to press it against her chest.

Press... press... press!

Kushida Kikyo put every ounce of strength she had into it, her little face turning red, but Uesugi Hara's hand remained suspended in midair without moving an inch.

Ayanokoji: "..." What kind of game was this?

Uesugi Hara: "Um... Kushida, what are you doing?"

Kushida Kikyo: "..."

"Why... why..." Kushida Kikyo's voice suddenly turned low, and she began to sob.

"Why can't you just leave me alone..."

"Um, we never said we were going to tell anyone!" Uesugi Hara sounded flustered. Why was she crying now?

"Uesugi Hara! Why are you here? And Horikita Suzune—why did you have to show up here?"

"I ran so far away. How did you still find me... sob..." Kushida Kikyo collapsed onto the ground, not caring about the dust. She covered her face with both hands, and tears ran through her fingers.

"Well, I heard there was no tuition here and that room and board were free, so I came." Uesugi Hara felt a little embarrassed admitting it.

"That's it?" Kushida Kikyo stopped crying for a moment and stared at him blankly. That was it?

Uesugi Hara: "What's wrong with that?" What was she looking down on him for?

Uesugi Hara turned to Ayanokoji. "Ayanokoji, go back first. Don't tell anyone about what happened today. I'll take care of it."

"Okay. There's no point in me staying, so I'll go." He was curious about what had happened between the two of them, but this didn't seem like the right time to ask.

Kushida Kikyo was still stunned by Uesugi Hara's reason for coming.

"Kushida, back with us now? You're not going to make me sit here with you all night, are you?" Uesugi Hara's teasing voice pulled her back to reality.

Kushida Kikyo wiped away her tears. "Then what do you want?"

Uesugi Hara looked at her pitiful, helpless expression and felt like laughing. I still prefer the way you were acting tough just now.

Still, he stopped teasing her.

"I told you, I'm not interested in your personal business. I just happened to see what happened today while passing by."

"You really don't have to worry about it."

"What about Ayanokoji?"

"You've spent time with Ayanokoji, so you should have some idea of what kind of person he is. Besides, I've known him for more than ten years. You can trust him not to tell anyone."

Kushida Kikyo: "Really?" Her voice was a little hoarse.

Uesugi Hara: "Really." He felt like he was comforting a little girl. How strange.

"Can I trust you?"

Uesugi Hara looked at her playfully. "What do you think?"

Even I don't know if I can be trusted. Maybe I'll sell you out one day.

"I... I don't know..."

Looking at her helpless expression, he said, "Tsk. I'll keep your secret."

"Let's go." Uesugi Hara turned around.

"Oh, and don't humiliate yourself like that again."

He left Kushida Kikyo sitting there alone.