Kiyotaka Ayanokoji: I Am Curious

Just as Akiyama Shin parted ways with Sakayanagi Arisu and headed toward the Class D school building, he keenly sensed a touch of cold, damp moisture against his cheek.

He looked up to find that the sky, which had been quite clear just moments ago, was now veiled in a layer of gray, overcast clouds.

Fine, downy threads of rain were falling silently, adding a touch of chill to the campus morning.

The first rain after early spring, huh...

Akiyama Shin was not a sentimental person, nor did he pay particular attention to changes in the weather; he had simply made an instantaneous judgment based on his current observations.

Judging by the thickness and humidity of the clouds, the rain would likely intensify by the afternoon, and the only thing that annoyed Akiyama Shin slightly was that he hadn't brought an umbrella when he left today.

However, he didn't have the leisure to stop and admire the rainy scenery; he simply quickened his pace and continued toward the school building.

He stepped into the Class D classroom.

A familiar wave of noise rushed to meet him.

Unlike the tension-filled order of Class A or the gentle, orderly discussions of Class B, the atmosphere in Class D was always filled with various clamors unrelated to studies.

Whether it was heated debates about popular games, idle chatter about nonsensical gossip, sharing meticulously planned shopping lists, or even Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji brazenly commenting on the appearances of the girls in class, the topics in Class D always remained on a shallow, superficial level, devoid of any substance.

Akiyama Shin had long since grown accustomed to this. He walked through the crowd of laughing and playing students with an expressionless face, heading straight for his seat without paying any mind to the gazes of others.

However, after he sat down, a calm yet persistent gaze landed on his back.

It came from the seat behind and to his side—Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

Ayanokoji maintained his usual expressionless face, but those dull eyes were, for once, filled with a rare trace of inquiry as they rested on Akiyama Shin.

Akiyama Shin...

What exactly is his relationship with Horikita Suzune?

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's heart was not without ripples.

He was curious.

On the first day of school, Horikita Suzune's attitude toward Akiyama Shin had been filled with obvious contempt and disdain; that clear "tsk" and the subsequent interrogation still rang in his ears.

Yet, in these short three days—or perhaps even just two—the situation seemed to have undergone a subtle change.

Horikita Suzune had begun to pay attention to Akiyama Shin, whether intentionally or not, and had even acted in tandem with him yesterday and the day before.

Although Horikita Suzune herself had not yet realized it, or perhaps she defined it as observation and study and didn't care at all, in Ayanokoji's view, this transformation was, in itself, extraordinary.

What exactly had Akiyama Shin done?

Or rather... what had he revealed?

How could he make someone as proud as Horikita Suzune change her attitude one hundred and eighty degrees in such a short time?

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had not observed any particularly deep interaction between them, at least not on the surface.

Did something happen in private?

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had no special thoughts about Horikita Suzune herself, but he had developed a keen interest in Akiyama Shin.

There was a sense of detachment about Akiyama Shin, similar to his own, that made him feel out of place with his surroundings.

But the form of expression was completely different.

Because Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was deliberately trying to imitate the ordinariness of a high school student to blend into the current background.

Whereas Akiyama Shin's was a condescending, cold scrutiny, as if all things in the world were merely chess pieces.

Ayanokoji had come to this school to escape the White Room and experience an ordinary, uncontrolled high school life...

But after these few days, being with Yamauchi, Ike, and the others, aside from experiencing the low-brow, vulgar tastes and meaningless clamor of adolescent boys.

He didn't seem to have experienced the so-called... beauty of ordinariness...? Instead, he felt somewhat... disappointed and lost...?

Is this kind of life... really what I want?

And Akiyama Shin... he seems to know exactly what he wants...

And he has been moving steadily toward his goal.

Just as Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was immersed in his thoughts, Horikita Suzune, who was sitting to his right, seemed to notice his overly persistent gaze.

She turned her head slightly, her cold, clear eyes sweeping over Ayanokoji with a hint of questioning.

"Ayanokoji, why have you been staring at Akiyama?"

Her voice was not loud, but in this relatively quiet area, it was enough for Akiyama Shin in front to hear as well.

Upon hearing this, Akiyama Shin also turned his head, his dark red pupils looking calmly at Ayanokoji, seemingly waiting for his answer.

Suddenly being watched by both of them, especially by those dark red eyes of Akiyama Shin that seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji felt a rare emotion, one known as awkwardness.

He lacked the natural reaction to handle such a situation, so he could only rely on logic, choosing an answer that seemed reasonable and fit the identity of the ordinary, curious classmate he was currently playing.

"Ah... it's nothing."

He looked away, his tone struggling to remain flat.

"I was just thinking that classmate Akiyama seems to have a pretty good relationship with classmate Horikita..."

"It wasn't like this when school first started."

This sounded like an ordinary observation, but paired with the expressionless face of Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, it came across as somewhat stiff.

Upon hearing this, Suzune Horikita's delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, a flicker of subtle impatience crossing her eyes.

She did not like being discussed in this manner, especially when it involved the complicated and difficult-to-articulate relationship between her and Shin Akiyama.

"Does this have anything to do with you?"

Her tone carried a sense of detachment and a hint of displeasure.

"How things are between Akiyama and me..."

"That's our own business, isn't it?"

Shin Akiyama merely glanced at Kiyotaka Ayanokoji with indifference, then responded in his usual calm, steady tone, his words amounting to a standard, official-sounding reply.

"We are all classmates; it would naturally be for the best if we could all get along and live in harmony."

Coming from him, and accompanied by his cold, indifferent face, the statement lacked any real persuasive power.

Suzune Horikita seemed to want to say something more, turning toward Kiyotaka Ayanokoji with a hint of imperceptible doubt in her tone.

"Come to think of it, I never expected someone like you, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji—who fears trouble and tends toward escapism—to be hanging around with Haruki Yamauchi and his group."

Suzune Horikita clearly held a very poor opinion of Haruki Yamauchi's crowd, while Kiyotaka Ayanokoji remained silent for a moment, his mind racing as he calculated which response would best fit the logic of an ordinary high school student.

"Actually... perhaps Haruki Yamauchi and the others aren't as bad as they look on the surface."

He chose a moderate, middle-of-the-road explanation.

"At the very least... when you're with them, you don't have to think too much."

Just then, as if to confirm Suzune Horikita's words or perhaps because they had heard their own names, Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike approached with their arms draped over each other's shoulders.

"Hey, hey! What fun things are you guys discussing? Are you talking about how cool I am?"

Haruki Yamauchi laughed boisterously, completely ignoring the slightly awkward atmosphere of the scene.

He even took the liberty of reaching out and wrapping his arm around Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's shoulder, acting like a close buddy.

Although Haruki Yamauchi particularly disliked Shin Akiyama—and often gossiped behind the back of Suzune Horikita, who was close to him—he still couldn't help but want to show off his charm when faced with a beautiful girl of her caliber.

Kanji Ike chimed in with a silly grin from the side.

"That's right, that's right!"

"Are you jealous of how close we brothers are?"

"Kiyotaka Ayanokoji... you've got to learn a thing or two from us! Learn how to be this popular!"

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's body stiffened almost imperceptibly as he was forcibly held by Haruki Yamauchi.

He was not accustomed to such close physical contact, especially from Haruki Yamauchi.

He tried to pull away, but the other boy held on tightly.

"Haruki Yamauchi... Kanji Ike... we were just chatting casually..."

His voice remained devoid of inflection, but if one listened closely, a hint of embarrassment and helplessness could be detected.

Suzune Horikita watched the scene before her—especially the self-righteous, foolish look on Haruki Yamauchi and the lecherous grin of Kanji Ike—and displayed her disgust without any attempt to hide it.

She then turned her head away, feeling that even looking at them for another second was a waste of time.

However, Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike clearly did not notice, or perhaps simply did not care about her disdain, continuing to boast to themselves in an attempt to attract attention.

"Let me tell you guys, I cleared a super difficult dungeon in my game yesterday!"

"Tch, that's nothing. Yesterday, I..."

Amidst the noise and awkward atmosphere, the preparatory bell for class finally rang, acting like a form of salvation that temporarily interrupted this unpleasant conversation.

Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike reluctantly let go of Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and grumbled as they returned to their seats.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji let out a faint sigh of relief and straightened his rumpled collar.

Suzune Horikita sat up straight again and took out her textbook, acting as if nothing had just happened.

Shin Akiyama had already turned back around, his gaze fixed on the podium, completely indifferent to the small interlude behind him.

The day's lessons proceeded according to schedule amidst the sound of the rain, which was gradually growing louder.

In the afternoon.

The last period was the homeroom session with Sae Chabashira.

She maintained her usual stern demeanor, pausing as she flipped through her lesson plan before lifting her eyes to scan the classroom with a cold, indifferent gaze.

She gave only a few simple instructions—the routine reminders about the slippery roads in the rain, being careful, and not being late or leaving early—with no extra emotion detectable in her tone.

She did not reveal any information regarding class points or competition before announcing the end of the school day.

The rain outside the window, just as Shin Akiyama had expected, had turned into a steady downpour, beating against the classroom glass without restraint and producing a continuous, rhythmic sound.

The rain had intensified.

Just as Shin Akiyama was walking toward the Class D section of the school building after parting ways with Arisu Sakayanagi, he keenly sensed a touch of cold moisture on his cheek.

I looked up to find that the sky, which had been quite clear, was now veiled in a layer of gray, overcast clouds.

A fine, velvet-like drizzle was falling silently, adding a touch of chill to this early morning on campus.

"The first rain after early spring, huh..."

Akiyama Shin was not a sentimental person, nor did he pay much attention to changes in the weather; he simply made an instantaneous judgment based on his current observations.

Judging by the thickness and humidity of the clouds, the rain would likely intensify by the afternoon, and the only thing that annoyed Akiyama Shin was that he hadn't brought an umbrella today.

However, he had no leisure to stop and admire the rainy scenery; he simply quickened his pace and continued toward the school building.

He stepped into the Class D classroom.

A familiar wave of noise rushed toward him.

Unlike the tension-filled order of Class A or the gentle, orderly discussion atmosphere of Class B, the atmosphere in Class D was always filled with clamor unrelated to studies.

Whether it was heated debates about popular games, idle chatter about nonsensical gossip, sharing meticulously planned shopping lists, or even Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji loudly and unscrupulously commenting on the appearances of the girls in the class, the topics in Class D always remained on a shallow, superficial level, devoid of any substance.

Akiyama Shin had long since grown accustomed to this. He walked through the laughing and rowdy crowd with an expressionless face, heading straight for his seat without paying any mind to the gazes of others.

However, after he sat down, a calm yet persistent gaze landed on his back.

It came from the seat behind and to his side—Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

Ayanokoji maintained his usual expressionless face, but those dull eyes were, for once, filled with a rare trace of inquiry as they lingered on Akiyama Shin.

Akiyama Shin...

What exactly is his relationship with Horikita Suzune?

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's heart was not entirely without ripples.

He was curious.

On the first day of school, Horikita Suzune's attitude toward Akiyama Shin had been clearly dismissive and disdainful; that audible "tch" and the subsequent questioning still rang in his ears.

Yet, in these short three days—or perhaps even two—the situation seemed to have undergone a subtle change.

Horikita Suzune had begun to pay attention to Akiyama Shin, whether intentionally or not, and they had even acted together yesterday and the day before.

Although Horikita Suzune herself had not yet realized it, or perhaps she defined it as observation and study and didn't care at all, in Ayanokoji's view, this transformation was, in itself, extraordinary.

What exactly had Akiyama Shin done?

Or rather... what had he revealed?

To make someone as proud as Horikita Suzune change her attitude by one hundred and eighty degrees in such a short time?

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had not observed any particularly deep interaction between them, at least not on the surface.

Had something happened in private?

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had no special thoughts about Horikita Suzune herself, but he had developed a keen interest in Akiyama Shin.

There was a sense of detachment about Akiyama Shin that was similar to his own, a feeling of being out of place with the surrounding environment.

But the way it manifested was completely different.

Because Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was deliberately trying to imitate the ordinariness of a high school student to blend into the current background.

Akiyama Shin, however, possessed a condescending, calm scrutiny, as if everything in the world could be used as a chess piece.

Ayanokoji had come to this school to escape the White Room and experience an ordinary, uncontrolled high school life...

But after these few days, being with Yamauchi, Ike, and the others, aside from experiencing the low-brow, vulgar interests and meaningless clamor of adolescent boys.

He didn't seem to have experienced the so-called... beauty of ordinariness...? Instead, he felt somewhat... disappointed and lost...?

Is this life... really what I want?

And Akiyama Shin... he seems to know exactly what he wants...

And he has been moving toward his goal the entire time.

Just as Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was immersed in his own thoughts, Horikita Suzune, who was sitting to his right, seemed to notice his overly persistent gaze.

She turned her head slightly, her cold, clear eyes sweeping over Ayanokoji with a hint of questioning.

"Ayanokoji, why have you been staring at Akiyama?"

Her voice was not loud, but in this relatively quiet area, it was enough for Akiyama Shin in front to hear as well.

Upon hearing this, Akiyama Shin also turned his head, his dark red pupils looking calmly at Ayanokoji, as if waiting for his answer.

Suddenly being watched by both of them, especially by those dark red eyes of Akiyama Shin that seemed capable of seeing through one's heart.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji felt a rare emotion, something called awkwardness.

He lacked the natural reaction to handle such a situation, so he could only rely on logic, choosing an answer that seemed reasonable and fit the persona of the ordinary, curious classmate he was currently playing.

"Ah... it's nothing."

He looked away, his tone struggling to remain flat.

"I was just thinking that Akiyama-kun seems to have a pretty good relationship with Horikita-san lately..."

"It wasn't like that when school started, after all."

This remark sounded like a casual observation, but paired with Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's expressionless face, it came across as rather stiff.

Upon hearing this, Horikita Suzune's delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, a flicker of subtle impatience crossing her eyes.

She did not like being the subject of discussion, especially when it concerned the complex and indescribable relationship between her and Akiyama Shin.

"That has nothing to do with you, does it?"

Her tone carried a sense of detachment and a hint of displeasure.

"How things are between Akiyama and me..."

"...is our own business, isn't it?"

Akiyama Shin merely glanced at Kiyotaka Ayanokoji calmly, then responded in his usual unflappable tone, his words serving as a textbook official answer.

"We are all classmates; it is only natural that we should get along and live in harmony."

Coming from him, and paired with his cold face, the statement lacked any real persuasive power.

Horikita Suzune seemed to want to say more, turning to Kiyotaka Ayanokoji with a trace of subtle confusion in her tone.

"Come to think of it, I never expected someone like you, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji—who avoids trouble and tends toward escapism—to be hanging around with the likes of Yamauchi and his group."

Horikita Suzune clearly held a very poor opinion of Yamauchi Haruki's crowd, while Kiyotaka Ayanokoji remained silent for a moment, his mind racing as he calculated the response that would best fit the logic of an ordinary high school student.

"Actually... Yamauchi and the others might not be as bad as they look on the surface."

He chose a middle-of-the-road explanation.

"At the very least... it doesn't require much thought to get along with them."

Just then, as if to verify Horikita Suzune's words or perhaps because they had heard their own names, Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji from across the room had already sauntered over with their arms draped over each other's shoulders.

"Hey, hey! What fun things are you guys discussing? Are you talking about how cool I am?"

Yamauchi Haruki laughed boisterously, completely ignoring the slightly awkward atmosphere of the scene.

He even took the liberty of reaching out and wrapping his arm around Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's shoulder, acting like a close buddy.

Although Yamauchi Haruki particularly disliked Akiyama Shin and often gossiped behind the backs of those who were close to him—including Horikita Suzune—he still couldn't help but want to show off his charm in the subconscious presence of a beautiful girl of her caliber.

Ike Kanji chimed in with a grin from the side.

"That's right, that's right!"

"Are you jealous of our brotherly bond?"

"Kiyotaka Ayanokoji... you've got to learn a thing or two from us! Learn how to be this popular!"

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's body stiffened almost imperceptibly as he was forcibly held by Yamauchi Haruki.

He was not accustomed to such close physical contact, especially from Yamauchi Haruki.

He tried to pull away, but the other boy held on tight.

"Yamauchi... Ike... we were just chatting casually..."

His voice remained devoid of inflection, but if one listened closely, a hint of embarrassment and helplessness could be detected.

Watching this scene unfold, especially the sight of Yamauchi Haruki's self-righteous stupidity and Ike Kanji's lecherous grin, Horikita Suzune made no effort to hide her look of disgust.

She then turned her head away, feeling that even glancing at them for a second longer was a waste of time.

However, Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji clearly did not notice, or perhaps simply did not care about Horikita Suzune's disdain, and continued to boast to themselves, trying to attract attention.

"Let me tell you guys, I cleared a super hard dungeon in my game yesterday!"

"Tch, that's nothing. Yesterday, I..."

Amidst the noisy and awkward atmosphere, the preparatory bell for class finally rang, acting like a salvation that temporarily interrupted this unpleasant conversation.

Yamauchi and Ike reluctantly let go of Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and grumbled as they returned to their seats.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji let out a slight sigh of relief and straightened his collar, which had been ruffled.

Horikita Suzune also sat up straight again and took out her textbook, acting as if nothing had just happened.

Akiyama Shin had already turned back around, his gaze fixed on the podium, indifferent to the small interlude behind him.

The day's lessons proceeded according to schedule amidst the sound of the rain, which was gradually growing heavier.

Afternoon.

The last period was the homeroom session with Sae Chabashira.

She maintained her usual stern demeanor, her fingers pausing as she flipped through her lesson plan before she raised her eyes to scan the classroom with a cold, detached look.

She merely gave a few simple instructions—the routine reminders about the slippery roads in the rain, safety, and not being late or leaving early—with no extra emotion detectable in her tone.

She did not reveal any information regarding class points or competition before announcing the end of the school day.

The rain outside the window, just as Akiyama Shin had anticipated, had turned into a steady, moderate downpour, beating against the classroom glass without restraint and producing a continuous, rhythmic sound.

The rain had intensified.