Class Gathering? I'm Pursuing Him!

The setting sun painted the sky a warm orange-red, heralding the end of the day.

Akiyama Shin woke from his nap, feeling much more refreshed.

He picked up his Terminal and checked the time. It was exactly six in the evening. Kushida Kikyo's dinner invitation still stood out prominently in the chat window.

After a brief moment of thought, he made his decision—he would go.

It was not because he had much interest in group activities, nor because he cared about Kushida Kikyo's invitation.

Rather, he knew that if he wanted to conduct an initial assessment of Class D's members and determine the exact quality of these flawed products, a relatively relaxed setting like this was the perfect opportunity. He needed to observe them up close, then distinguish who still had value worth salvaging and who might need to be decisively discarded in the future.

He had promised Chabashira Sae that he would lead Class D to Class A. This was not because he placed much importance on his promise to Chabashira personally, but more because he followed the principle of doing whatever he wanted to do.

To him, those who lacked ability could simply be made to drop out. If they still had potential, he did not mind giving them a hand.

He was not a heartless person.

His goals were simply clear, and his methods rational.

Getting up, he took a cold shower to wash away his drowsiness, then changed into simple casual clothes.

April's weather still carried a slight chill. A pure white cotton T-shirt and fitted black straight-leg trousers outlined his tall, slender yet powerful build, giving him a simple, fresh appearance.

He picked up his Terminal and room key, then left his room.

Taking the elevator downstairs, he happened to run into Horikita Suzune in the first-floor lobby, apparently also preparing to head out.

She seemed to have just freshened up as well. Her long black hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and having changed out of her school uniform into plain, elegant casual wear, her cool temperament was even more pronounced.

When she saw Akiyama Shin, a trace of surprise flashed through Horikita Suzune's eyes. She then took the initiative to speak, her tone gentler than it had been during the day.

"Akiyama, are you going down for dinner too?"

Akiyama Shin nodded, keeping his response brief.

"Yeah. The class dinner Kushida mentioned."

Horikita Suzune was not surprised by this and explained.

"She contacted me too. I originally declined."

She recalled how Kushida Kikyo had somehow added her as a contact. Her first instinct had been to refuse, but after thinking about her interactions with Akiyama Shin that day, she realized that her former completely closed-off approach to socializing was not advisable.

In the end, she had accepted the request.

As for the dinner invitation, she had still replied directly that she would not attend. But now, after learning that Akiyama Shin was going, she instantly changed her mind.

Following him might let her see more and learn more.

That thought drove her onward.

The two walked out of the dormitory side by side. The evening breeze carried a slight chill. Only then did Akiyama Shin turn his head to glance at her and ask in an even tone.

"You're going too?"

Horikita Suzune did not feel embarrassed over her inconsistent attitude. Once she made a decision, she saw it through. She nodded frankly.

"Yeah."

Soon, the two arrived at the restaurant mentioned in Kushida Kikyo's message.

The restaurant was near the cafeteria, and its decor could indeed be called luxurious. Crystal chandeliers cast soft light over an elegant, quiet setting. It was clearly an upscale restaurant with high prices.

After entering, they were led by a waiter to the area reserved for Class D.

The four tables were already full of Class D students. The atmosphere was lively as everyone busily arranged seats. Kushida Kikyo and Hirata Yosuke, who were working hard to keep the mood up, spotted the two at once.

"Ah! Akiyama! Horikita!"

"You're finally here!"

A look of extreme delight instantly bloomed across Kushida Kikyo's face, as though their arrival were wonderful news. She jogged over to greet them, her voice sweet.

"That's great! I was worried you two weren't coming!"

Beneath her flawless performance, though, she was cursing wildly.

That bitch Horikita! Didn't she say she wasn't coming?!

Why did she still tag along?!

And that bastard Akiyama Shin! He ignored my messages before! Now he shows up acting all high and mighty!

Hirata Yosuke also smiled with genuine friendliness and stepped forward to greet them.

"Akiyama, Horikita, welcome. We saved seats for you. Please, sit down."

As another central figure in the class, he had clearly also learned Akiyama Shin's name from Chabashira Sae.

Akiyama...

He looks like a very calm person.

Hirata Yosuke's first impression of Akiyama Shin was that he was composed.

Akiyama Shin nodded to the two of them in response.

His gaze quickly swept over Hirata Yosuke. He initially judged him to be mild-mannered and skilled at mediation, a typical people-pleaser, though he might lack decisiveness at critical moments. He could perhaps become a useful chess piece, Akiyama Shin thought to himself.

As for Kushida Kikyo, he saw the hypocrisy beneath that perfect smile and her potential destructiveness with absolute clarity.

People who relied on others' trust to gain emotional validation were double-edged swords. Once that trust accumulated to a certain point, the negative secrets and pressure they carried would become greater as well. If they collapsed, the backlash could destroy the entire class. She needed to be pruned and controlled.

At a table further inside, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, who was sitting with Yamauchi Haruki, Ike Kanji, and Sudo Ken, also showed the faintest trace of surprise when he saw Akiyama Shin and Horikita Suzune arrive together.

He had truly not expected that Horikita Suzune, who had looked down on Akiyama Shin rather severely at the start of school, would now seem to have undergone a subtle change in attitude. The initiative between the two was clearly in Akiyama Shin's hands.

"Hey, hey, what the hell?"

"We had the whole class waiting for those two?"

Yamauchi Haruki grumbled unhappily, his voice neither loud nor soft, but just enough for everyone around him to hear.

Ike Kanji joined in as well.

"Exactly! Exactly!"

"Didn't little Kikyo say Horikita wasn't coming? Why is she still trotting after Akiyama?"

Sudo Ken folded his arms, his face full of displeasure.

"Tch. What's with the attitude?"

Yamauchi Haruki lowered his voice even further, wearing a malicious, sleazy grin as he spread a rumor to the boys at his table.

"If you ask me, maybe Horikita saw Akiyama's face and went back to the dorm with him this afternoon?"

As soon as he said that, students from several nearby tables, especially the girls, immediately cast disgusted, contemptuous looks his way.

"Yamauchi! Please don't say such excessive things!"

Hirata Yosuke immediately spoke up to stop him, his brows tightly furrowed and his tone stern.

"That would damage Horikita's reputation, and it isn't good for class unity either."

Kushida Kikyo hurried to smooth things over as well, wearing an appropriately troubled, persuasive expression.

"That's right, Yamauchi. We're all classmates, so we should get along."

"That kind of joke isn't funny at all, you know?"

Seeing the pleading look in Kushida Kikyo's eyes, Yamauchi Haruki's vanity was satisfied. He reluctantly waved a hand.

"Fine, fine. Little Kikyo, I'll listen to you. It was just a joke. Why take it so seriously?"

Akiyama Shin and Horikita Suzune ignored the commotion over there. Under Kushida Kikyo's guidance, they came to the table where she was sitting.

Most of the people at this table were girls, including several from Karuizawa Kei's group, as well as Wang Meiyu and others.

By unspoken convention, the seating was roughly divided by gender so everyone could chat separately and avoid awkwardness.

Akiyama Shin's arrival made the girls at the table light up. Curious, gossiping gazes moved back and forth between him and Horikita Suzune.

Sato Maya could not help quietly asking Horikita Suzune.

"Horikita..."

"You and Akiyama... are you dating?"

The other girls pricked up their ears too.

Horikita Suzune's expression did not change at all.

She completely failed to understand the romantic implication hidden behind the word dating.

Based solely on its literal meaning and her own understanding, she answered very directly and calmly.

"No. I'm pursuing Akiyama Shin right now."

What she meant was that she was working hard to catch up to him, trying to reach or even surpass his level.

However, in everyone else's ears—especially with the context and the unique imagination of adolescence—that statement instantly took on an entirely different meaning.

"Ehh—?!!"

Every girl at the table, along with students at nearby tables who heard the commotion, let out low cries of shock.

Even Karuizawa Kei, who had maintained a composed demeanor the whole time, raised an eyebrow and looked at the two of them a few more times.

Kushida Kikyo's smile instantly froze, and a trace of disbelief flashed through her eyes.

This Horikita...! Since when did she...?!

Meanwhile, Wang Meiyu, who sat in a corner, subconsciously lowered her head. Her small hands twisted the hem of her clothes, and an unmistakable sense of disappointment filled her eyes.

Akiyama Shin did not feel much inner turmoil at Horikita Suzune's astonishing declaration.

He understood that this was most likely a misunderstanding caused by Horikita Suzune's poor choice of words. With her simple—or rather, lacking in certain common-sense knowledge—way of thinking, she probably had not realized the ambiguity of that sentence at all. He had no intention of clarifying or explaining anything at this moment. Revealing his intentions and bottom line too early would not be wise.

Everything else no longer mattered.