Changing Classes

After Horikita Suzune left, Ichinose dropped a bombshell:

"Horikita, Shiranami Chihiro confessed to me."

"Oh, is that so?"

Horikita Etsuka merely nodded, looking slightly surprised.

Ichinose seemed puzzled. "You don't look very surprised, Horikita. Is this not surprising enough?"

"It's not that." Etsuka shook his head. "You and Shiranami have been so close that rumors have started circulating. I just didn't expect them to be true."

"Huh? Rumors?" A rare hint of anxiety appeared in Ichinose's eyes. "Do you know who's been saying that, Horikita? I'm worried it might affect Chihiro, so we need to stop the rumors immediately."

Etsuka spread his hands helplessly.

"You can't stop these rumors. And from what I can tell, no one's deliberately spreading them. Everyone seems to have tacitly agreed not to bring it up in front of Shiranami. In fact, they've been doing their best to cover it up."

"Wait, so I've been kept in the dark this whole time?"

Etsuka nodded. "You guessed it, Ichinose."

"Ugh..." Ichinose let out a long sigh, like a helpless man. "I really don't know what to do about this. I'm afraid I'll ruin my relationship with Chihiro if I make the wrong move."

Then she looked at Horikita Etsuka expectantly. "Horikita, you seem like you have more experience. Could you tell me how to handle this?"

"What are you talking about? I seem more experienced?" Horikita Etsuka pointed at himself in disbelief. "You're asking someone who's never dated, a lifelong single, to tell you how to deal with this?"

"Huh?" Ichinose looked surprised. "You've never dated, Horikita? Why doesn't it seem that way at all?"

"Ahem!" Etsuka hurriedly coughed to hide his embarrassment. "Well... of course, I was focused on studying in high school."

Only then did Ichinose nod. In her eyes, Horikita Etsuka hardly seemed like someone nobody would pursue.

Ichinose bent at the waist as if the weight on her chest was too much to bear, then sighed again.

"Ugh... This is so difficult."

"But could you tell me exactly what happened?" Etsuka asked curiously, eager for the gossip.

"Ummm, it was probably after the study session. Chihiro and I were going to get something to eat, but she pulled me around a corner and confessed. I couldn't make up my mind, so I told her I'd think about it."

"Oh, she pulled you around a corner?" Etsuka raised an eyebrow. "Shiranami looks like such a good girl. She didn't do anything to you there, did she, Ichinose?"

"What are you thinking, Horikita? None of the things you're imagining could ever happen," Ichinose said disapprovingly.

"All right, all right. I was overthinking it." Etsuka stroked his chin and ventured, "Then why not just turn her down?"

"I've thought about that, but... I'm worried it might ruin our relationship."

"Ichinose, think it through carefully. You have only three ways to respond: agree, refuse, or stay silent.

"First, you're definitely not going to agree. Third, if you stay silent, she'll probably think she still has a chance and keep hoping, only to be rejected in the end. That would hurt her the most. So I think you only have one option: the second one. You have to refuse."

Listening to Etsuka, Ichinose felt his reasoning made sense, but she was still hesitant.

Horikita Etsuka pressed the point.

"Ichinose, after spending so much time with you, I've gotten a good sense of your personality. You're truly too kind. But have you ever considered that your kindness might sometimes hurt people?"

"Could my kindness... hurt people sometimes?" Ichinose murmured to herself.

"Honami!"

Just then, Shiranami Chihiro called out. With her bag over her shoulder, she waved happily.

"Horikita's here too?" Shiranami greeted him sweetly.

"Mm." Etsuka nodded in acknowledgment.

Shiranami immediately took Ichinose's hand, cheerfully murmuring, "Honestly, I've been looking for you forever, and here you are."

Looking at Shiranami, Ichinose suddenly made up her mind and slowly began to speak:

"Shiranami..."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Ichinose?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept your confession."

As soon as she said those words, Shiranami froze, trembling as if she'd been struck by lightning.

She released Ichinose's hand in disbelief and took two steps back. Tears were already welling in the corners of her eyes.

"Honami, wh-why?" Shiranami's petite body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Chihiro, I don't think this is right..."

"Is it because girls can't be together?!" With that, Shiranami Chihiro wiped her tears with her sleeve and ran off.

"Chihiro!" Ichinose instinctively started after her.

"Ichinose." Horikita Etsuka reached out and grabbed Ichinose's shoulder. "Let Shiranami calm down on her own. If you go after her now, you'll only make her lose control of her emotions."

"Mm... I suppose you're right." Ichinose stopped, looking distraught, as if she'd been hollowed out.

"But still, thank you, Horikita." Ichinose looked up at Etsuka. "Thank you for your advice. I've figured things out now."

"I'm glad you have. I'll be going, then."

"Okay. Goodbye, Horikita."

"Goodbye."

Time passed quickly. After several weeks of intensive study, most of the students in Class B had improved significantly, so they began the midterm exams full of confidence.

As expected, not a single student in Class B failed.

According to the information Ichinose had gathered, it seemed that no one in the entire year had failed—in other words, nobody was expelled.

Hoshinomiya arrived in Class B as usual, smelling of alcohol. She first encouraged everyone and praised their results, then began explaining each class's points.

Class A: 1004 CP

Class B: 780 CP

Class C: 580 CP

Class D: 90 CP

"Whoa, Class D gained 90 points all at once? That's unbelievable!"

"Yeah, even after studying this hard, we only gained 80 points."

"Class C's increase is crazy too. I never saw them studying in the library, but they still gained more than 80 points!"

"Hey, haven't you heard? Class C has evening study sessions."

"What? Aren't there no evening classes?"

"Damn, they're that disciplined?"

Everyone discussed the results excitedly.

Horikita Etsuka propped his chin on one hand, still paying no attention to what was happening in class. He stared out the window at the girls in their physical education class, seemingly lost in thought.

Ryuen of Class C had spent the past few weeks furiously investigating the undercover student and forcing the entire class to attend evening study sessions. His methods were undeniably ruthless. But the biggest surprises were Class A and Class D.

Class A had the smallest increase in Class Points, while Class D seemed to have unlocked its potential, gaining a whopping 90 points. After all, the most this exam could add was 100 Class Points.

The bright, youthful girls were reflected in Horikita Etsuka's eyes.

For the past few days, he'd been pondering a question: if points could buy anything, could someone transfer classes?