Classroom of the Elite, Oh No, I've Become a Stand-in

So, because I failed to complete the mission objectives and was forced to withdraw from the battlefield, everything has reset to the very beginning of the mission?

Taking the third cup of coffee from the waiter, Mikage Touji habitually blew on it before taking a small sip. "So, Cha—ahem, Kushida-san, do you have any other questions?"

Questions? Of course I have questions! Tell me clearly, you bastard, how did you turn that bitch Horikita into what she is now!

Although her brain was still struggling to process everything, the urge to finish off Horikita Suzune outweighed all rational thought, to the point that Kushida Kikyou hadn't even realized her mask had already slipped off completely.

In just a few short exchanges, she had already exposed too many behaviors that didn't fit her daily persona. If Mikage Touji hadn't been pretending not to notice, and if a smarter student from Class A had been in his place, the intel that she might be a bootleg angel would have likely already been spread across the class group chat.

"It's like this, didn't I just say? I want to be friends with Horikita-san, but she keeps ignoring me, so I wanted to ask Mikage-kun to help me."

Having had her brain scrambled by Mikage Touji, Kushida Kikyou had completely abandoned all the preliminary steps of asking for help and began to speak her mind directly.

Well... it was literally speaking her mind.

With her hands clasped against her chest, a pair of plump, bulging "white rabbits" began to deform due to her posture; one could tell just by looking how soft and delicate they were.

Unfortunately, this kind of offensive had absolutely no effect on Mikage Touji.

Are you kidding me? Horikita-imouto at least contributed 500,000 to me. You think you can get me to betray my dearest friends and brothers just by showing me this?

That's not happening. Even paying more wouldn't work, unless you added another million.

Furthermore, I have dirt on you in my hands; it's already your good fortune that I'm not ordering you around, yet you're here trying to flip the script and command me.

In summary, faced with the mission request proposed by this bad woman, Mikage Touji decisively chose to refuse.

"Kushida-san, I understand your desire to make friends, but honestly, I don't have any good methods regarding Horikita-san." Mikage Touji scratched his head in a troubled manner. "After all, I've known her for less than a day. In terms of familiarity, I certainly don't compare to you, having known her for a month."

Of course I know that! That's why I'm asking how you managed to surpass my month of progress in less than a day! Kushida Kikyou roared inwardly.

"Then how did Mikage-kun become friends with Horikita-san?" Kushida Kikyou asked with a stiff smile.

"Oh, I know her older brother. Strictly speaking, it was probably her brother who introduced us." Mikage Touji continued to brush her off.

"..."

Veins bulged on Kushida Kikyou's hand. I actually have to go and befriend Horikita Manabu?

She certainly knew of Horikita Manabu. Although she didn't know much about him, he was undoubtedly a far more excellent existence than Horikita Suzune. One Horikita Suzune was already this difficult to deal with, and now I have to add the student council president, Horikita Manabu, to the mix?

"How exactly did Mikage-kun get on such good terms with Horikita-san?" Kushida Kikyou still wouldn't give up, attempting to bypass the bug that was Horikita Manabu and take a roundabout path to success.

Kushida Kikyou's determined stance of not stopping until she got to the bottom of it made Mikage Touji rub the rim of his coffee cup, feeling quite a headache.

No, Cha Cha, what exactly did Horikita-imouto do to make you obsess over her until now?

This is no longer just a simple dislike. Where on earth did this twisted, indescribable, love-hate emotion come from?

But Horikita-imouto doesn't even have a single friend, how could she be targeted by a social butterfly like you—

Wait!

A cold glint flashed in Mikage Touji's eyes. He seemed to have discovered a blind spot.

Cha Cha, who is friendly and kind on the surface but actually harbors too many negative emotions inside, a person who is two-faced...

And Horikita-imouto, who is cold on the surface but even colder inside, a person whose words and actions are consistent...

Could it be... that Cha Cha is actually jealous of Horikita-imouto?

A twisted Horikita-fan?

Mikage Touji looked up at the yellow-glowing chandelier in the cafe and gasped.

Hiss—

Have I seen this scene somewhere before?

This twisted emotion, both hostile and longing...

Nagumo-san... you and Kushida-san would probably have a lot to talk about, right?

Horikita-nii, Horikita-imouto, you Horikita siblings are truly sinful.

If it were someone of the opposite sex, I wouldn't say anything; I might even bless you on the spot. But how did you two siblings manage to attract the attention of two people of the same sex at the same time?

Sensing the jealousy in Kushida Kikyou's heart—a feeling she might not even be aware of herself—Mikage Touji, knowing that retreat was difficult, began to ponder.

All in all, he didn't want to help either side.

If he helped Horikita-imouto, she might set Kushida Kikyou off one day; not only would he get no benefits, but he'd also lose a video.

Helping Cha Cha was even more impossible. Cha Cha looked easy to trick, but in reality, there were no substantial benefits to be gained, at most some eye candy.

The problem is... how to escape from the strange battlefield of these two?

Now that it was clear Cha Cha didn't want him to leave, he had to find a way to make her give up...

Give up... I've got it!

"A method to get on good terms with Horikita-san?" Mikage Touji tapped his fingers on the table, pretending to be deep in thought. "I remember she seems to want to be promoted to Class A. Perhaps Kushida-san could start from that aspect, like working with her to improve class points or something."

Kushida Kikyou's smile froze.

Isn't this the same strategy I had before? What I wanted was a shortcut for an evil cultivator that could be mastered in a day!

"Isn't there a more direct method?"

Mikage Touji sighed, looking at Kushida Kikyou with a rather helpless expression: "Kushida-san, you can't think like that. Friendship is like wine; it needs the tempering of time to develop its color. This isn't some strange cheat software where you can max out your favorability with a single click."

"..."

Then how did you manage to do it? Tell me, you bastard!

At that moment, Kushida Kikyou wanted to grab Mikage Touji by the sleeve and demand an answer.

A wave of exhaustion rose within Kushida Kikyou. Was this guy truly oblivious to what she was asking, or was he playing dumb, which was why he was so impossible to get through to?

Wait a minute! Playing dumb...

Kushida Kikyou's battered little brain finally began to turn after a long hiatus, and the scenes of her being broken down time and time again flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

Regardless, it was all too coincidental. He could have explained everything at once, yet he chose to drag it out, each time striking exactly at her weak point...

If she remembered correctly, the first time she met him was at Keyaki Mall while he was out with a senior student...

If a weirdo from Class A really had such a strange personality, or was so emotionally stunted that he couldn't understand the subtext in her words, how could he possibly be out shopping with a senior student within a week?

Was it just because of his face? That was too strange. When they first met, his personality and the way he spoke were completely normal.

A suspicion surfaced in Kushida Kikyou's heart.

Could this guy... be a "stand" user of the same type as her?

A flicker of suspicion and uncertainty flashed in Kushida Kikyou's eyes.

"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well? Is there anything I can help you with?" Mikage Touji's gentle voice rang out, asking with concern, "If you're feeling unwell, you should go to the infirmary and get it checked out as soon as possible."

"No, it's nothing. I was just suddenly thinking about some of Horikita-san's behavior in class."

Such a strong sense of déjà vu... Isn't this one of my own go-to tactics?

Ugh... it's a bit sickening. Is this how I look to people who know the truth when I use this trick?

Becoming increasingly convinced of her hypothesis, Kushida Kikyou lowered her head and used her spoon to put an ice cube from the bottom of her cup into her mouth. The icy chill helped clear her head, and she peered through her bangs, secretly observing the person across from her.

Mikage Touji took a slurp of his coffee and asked nonchalantly: "Kushida-san, besides you, are there any other friendly students in Class D?" As he spoke, a hint of distress appeared on his face, "Because the students in Class A all say I'm a weirdo and won't hang out with me."

Crack—!

The ice cube in her mouth was crunched to pieces by Kushida Kikyou. She reached a conclusion immediately: If this isn't an act, I'll chop my own head off and let you use it as a bowl!

Tsk...

Kushida Kikyou clicked her tongue inwardly.

She had been careless. She hadn't expected there to be another student in this grade just like her, disguised as a harmless, model student from Class A.

While she was out there attacking on all fronts and reaping the rewards, he had appeared in her line of sight as prey, only to play her for a fool! As expected, high-end hunters always exist in the form of prey.

After seeing through Mikage Touji's true colors, Kushida Kikyou's expression shifted as she re-evaluated their previous conversation.

If that was the case, her own persona might have already been stripped bare in front of this guy.

Damn it!

Horikita Suzune's matter had to be put aside for now. The top priority was to confirm whether her true self had been discovered by him.

After clearing her thoughts, Kushida Kikyou began to probe.

"Um, Mikage-kun, I thought about it carefully just now. Horikita-san's personality is just like that; you can't force things between friends."

Mikage Touji seemed to heave a sigh of relief, "It's great that you can think that way."

"Yeah!" Kushida Kikyou nodded heavily, "But I'll keep trying. I will definitely get Horikita-san to add me as a friend."

"I believe you can do it," Mikage Touji said with firm, emotional encouragement, "Perhaps others might think this goal is too unrealistic or meaningless, but that doesn't matter. Life is not defined by others. The bonds between people are like seeds buried deep underground; everything you do will become the nutrients for your friendship, and one day, they will sprout."

Kushida Kikyou's eyes misted over, and she reached out to take Mikage Touji's hands: "Mikage-kun..."

Mikage Touji gripped her small hands in return, responding with deep affection: "Kushida-san..."

In the right-hand corner of Patere Cafe, two master actors held each other's hands and began to put on a show for one another.

During this, the two locked eyes, their gazes intertwined as if they had entered each other's hearts and understood exactly what the other was thinking.

But in reality, what they were thinking was...

Kushida Kikyou: The damn guy actually dared to take advantage of me! With this smooth, seamless conversational flow that feels like a passive skill that never turns off, you are definitely a "stand" user of the same type as me. Also, even I can feel that our synchronization rate is a bit too high. I don't believe you haven't noticed. You definitely saw through my true colors!

Mikage Touji: Wow, so smooth~ Cha Cha, I wronged you. Not only do you provide eye candy, but you also give out little treats occasionally. Can't help yourself, can you? This is the genuine Archangel Halo I copied from Ichinose. If you're smart, you'll retreat quickly, otherwise, watch me take down a knock-off like you.

After a while, having achieved their respective goals, the two let go simultaneously, chatted for a bit longer with smiles and hidden agendas, and then bid each other farewell with bright expressions.

At the cafe checkout, Mikage Touji was the first to pull out his phone, enthusiastically trying to pay for the day's bill.

"Let me handle it. We in Class A still have plenty of points to spare."

Kushida Kikyou refused to be outdone, pulling her phone from her bag and saying with a playful pout, "How could I let you pay? I was the one who asked Mikage-kun for help, so of course, I should be the one to pay."

"But, didn't I fail to help Kushida-san?" Mikage Touji said with a look of guilt, "So I should be the one to pay."

"No, no, no, that won't do. I thought about it a little, and I think what Mikage-kun said just now was very right." A brilliant smile appeared on Kushida Kikyou's face, "So, that's not the case at all. Mikage-kun, you really did help me."

"I'll pay!"

"I'll pay!"

"Me!"

The man and woman scrambled over the right to pay, looking exactly like middle-aged aunts shoving red envelopes at each other during the Lunar New Year.

In the end, the two of them, unable to reach a stalemate, resolved the dispute by splitting the bill in half.

On the school path outside the cafe.

"Well then, I'll be heading off now, Kushida-san. If there's anything else you need help with, please reach out to me." Mikage Touji waved at Kushida Kikyou with a gentle smile.

"Mhm." With her signature sweet smile plastered on her face, Kushida Kikyou nodded heavily. "If there's ever anything you need from me, please don't be a stranger. Just let me know."

Innocent smiles bloomed on both their faces, causing passing students to sigh at the beauty of such a friendship.

Following a few intermittent farewells, the two turned and walked in opposite directions, their smiles vanishing from their faces instantly as they cursed under their breath.

What a performance!

After walking a short distance, both of them simultaneously ducked into the nearest secluded corner, leaning against the wall while bowing their heads:

"Ugh—!"

Mikage Touji wiped the sweat from his brow, his complexion turning a sickly green as if he had just swallowed a dead cockroach.

How does Cha Cha manage to face people she isn't interested in with a smile every single day without feeling sick enough to vomit?

Thank goodness, I only had to fake it once.

I finally managed to shake off Cha Cha. Even though the process was hard to describe, the result was good.

If I hadn't had a sudden flash of inspiration—recalling the greasy tactics of that blond student and borrowing Ichinose's angelic aura—I would probably still be trapped in that cafe by Cha Cha.

On the other side.

Kushida Kikyou took out a tissue to wipe the corners of her mouth, gritting her teeth as she punched the wall beside her.

Damn it! Not only did I fail to get my hands on a way to approach Horikita Suzune, but my own secrets might have been exposed to someone else.