An Actor Prepares

I can help, but, Senpai...

Isn't this a bit too close?

The girl with the purple hair and dango buns stood on her tiptoes, cupping Ayanokoji's hand, her entire body pressed to within three inches of him.

Her eyes flickered, the four dango buns rising and falling with her breath, gazing into Ayanokoji's eyes with infinite tenderness.

The top buns remained as steady as a mountain, while the bottom ones pressed directly against his chest.

For a moment, the girl's fragrance washed over him, intoxicating and sweet.

I can't take this, I really can't take this!

Fortunately, Ayanokoji was an expert at FPS games in his past life, otherwise, his recoil control would have been a disaster.

Looking at the girl before him, so close that he could even feel her breath, even Ayanokoji's poker face showed a subtle change.

His pupils dilated slightly, his irises contracted in response, and a flash of light crossed his dead-fish eyes for a split second.

"Junior, you wouldn't reject me, would you..."

The girl said with a smile, though seeing Ayanokoji's face remain calm, a trace of uncertainty inevitably stirred in her heart.

Ayanokoji calmed his nerves, thankful that he was a poker-faced person.

He spoke indifferently: "I can help, but."

"You have to trade something for it."

Ayanokoji flashed a wicked grin, wearing an expression that said, you know what I mean without me saying it.

"Eh?"

Hearing this, the purple-haired girl's expression changed drastically; her body instinctively shrank back a step, and her shoulders curled inward slightly.

Could it be that she had just walked right into a trap?!

"N-no, that's not it, Junior, listen to my explanation, I'm not that kind of girl."

The girl began to panic, her voice trembling.

She only wanted to play a prank on her cute junior! Had she really thrown herself into the tiger's den?

Heh heh heh...

Watching the girl look timid and tremble, clearly having failed to prank him and ending up being teased instead, Ayanokoji felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure.

This really is a fresh personality trait.

Ayanokoji didn't go too far; after teasing the mischievous Senpai a little, he reined in his rising emotions and said slowly: "You misunderstood, Senpai."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you for some advice regarding the exam."

"Eh... eh?!"

Hearing this, Tachibana Akane deflated like a punctured balloon, relaxing her tense body and blinking twice, looking quite relieved to have escaped the tiger's mouth.

"You should have been clear, I was just..."

"What did you think I meant, Senpai?"

Ayanokoji said with a faint smile.

"Nothing at all!"

Tachibana Akane acted a bit guilty, looking away in a very unnatural manner.

Heh.

So cute.

Ayanokoji didn't continue to tease her; after all, if he didn't go back soon, he'd only be left with the scraps for lunch.

He flipped the flyer in his hand, took the glue from Senpai's hand, applied it, waited a few seconds for it to dry, and then slapped it onto the empty space at the very top.

The last flyer was firmly stuck in place.

The boy's fluid, efficient movements surprised Tachibana Akane, who had been struggling to get them to stick properly all day; the boy had finished it in just a few seconds.

"Are you a professional flyer-poster?"

Tachibana Akane asked with a smile, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"To tell you the truth, I'm all-capable."

This was the truth.

However, Tachibana Akane just assumed he was being humorously deadpan.

After finishing, Ayanokoji asked Tachibana Akane for her contact information, which she gladly provided.

On the way back, Ayanokoji opened his phone's contact list:

Hirata Yosuke... The cutest Tachibana Akane Senpai in the universe?

Ayanokoji's expression remained calm as he gently tapped the edit button, deleted, typed, and refreshed.

"The cutest Tachibana Akane-senpai in the universe" had turned into "Dango-senpai."

How truly magical.

Ayanokoji muttered to himself.

The next day, Ayanokoji received a message from Hirata.

"We're going to hold a study session at the library. If you have time, you should come join us."

Hirata-boy, I don't think you really get it.

Do you have any idea how much acting skill it takes for a top student to pretend to be a dunce?

He had no desire to invite a mountain of trouble by performing too well, especially at this Comprehensive Competitive Academy where grades didn't decide everything and were merely considered bonus points; becoming conspicuous would only make it easier to create enemies.

By the way, Comprehensive Competitive Academy was just the classification and positioning Ayanokoji had given the school himself; it had nothing to do with the official designation.

Ayanokoji lit up his phone and typed a message:

"Sorry, I have something to do in the morning."

Sent.

Done.

In the library, Hirata's phone lit up.

"How is it? Will Ayanokoji-kun be coming?"

Seeing Hirata pick up his phone, Kushida, who was nearby, asked impatiently.

"Uh, he said he has other things to do and can't make it."

Seeing the message, Hirata shook his head at Kushida and said with a smile.

"I see..."

Kushida's eyes dimmed, looking as if her expectations had fallen through.

She let her shoulders slump in a deflated manner, as if most of the enthusiasm she had moments ago had dissipated.

Hirata was somewhat surprised by Kushida's reaction. He stared at her in a daze for two seconds, lost in thought, and then, as if he had discovered something good, a flash of joy crossed his eyes.

"Kushida-san, could it be..."

"Do you like Ayanokoji-kun?"

Hirata asked with a smile.

Eh?

Why?

Kushida Kikyo was left somewhat bewildered by this sudden, baseless question from Hirata. She raised her eyebrows in confusion and offered a slightly awkward smile: "It's not like that, I don't have any feelings for Ayanokoji-kun~"

"Eh? Is that so? I actually think you two would be quite a good match," Kei, who was nearby, chimed in, suddenly interested in the gossip. "Look, besides you and Yosuke, you're the only ones in class who have talked to him. He must have a good impression of you."

"No, it's not what you guys think..."

As she spoke, Kushida twirled a strand of her hair, her fair thighs rubbing against each other, her cheeks flushed a deep red, looking every bit the bashful maiden.

"How could someone like me be worthy of Ayanokoji-kun~"

An actress! A born actress!

The Oscars would lose all their prestige if you weren't nominated.

"Eh~ that's not true, Kikyo-chan is super cute."

"Exactly, exactly, the way Kikyo-chan looked shy just now was especially cute."

"We'll support Kikyo-chan's love life!"

Kei, Sato, and Wang Meiyu all expressed their support and approval simultaneously.

Hearing this, a sweet smile bloomed on Kushida's face once again.

"Thank you, everyone~"

Well then, next, all that's left is to throw that eraser in her left hand, which she had squeezed out of shape, into the trash can.

In the library, looking at the people studying, a sharp glint flashed across the corner of Kushida's eyes.

Ah... these people are such a pain; they made her waste an eraser for nothing.

Ayanokoji didn't come, which meant that woman Horikita wouldn't come either, yet she still had to waste her time here.

Thinking of this, Kushida suddenly felt a surge of intense anxiety and unease, and her small fists clenched even tighter.

Like Ayanokoji?

What a joke.

How could a guy who was so mediocre, antisocial, and looked like a total shut-in even date someone like me?

Oh, I suppose his only merit might be that he's kind?

Recalling the scene on the bus, Kushida finally added the label of "helpful" to Ayanokoji out of pity.

In summary, he's just a bland, poker-faced, repressed guy with no defining traits.

Done, time to find an excuse to get away.

In the boys' dormitory, Ayanokoji, having taken a nap, finished changing his clothes and was just about to head to the convenience store to grab today's lunch when a sensitive sensation suddenly tickled his nose...

Achoo~!

? - _ - ?

Ayanokoji wiped the tip of his nose. Did I catch a cold?