Ichinose's girlish heart and... second-year food?

Back in his dormitory, Ayanokoji dialed Ichinose's number.

"Ichinose, are you free tomorrow? Let's go on a date."

"Yeah, sure."

"Eh... eh?!"

On the other end of the line, Ichinose Honami's eyes widened, her aquamarine irises shimmering with light.

"Aya... Ayanokoji-kun, are you sure you didn't call the wrong number?"

"I didn't. Come with me to a place tomorrow, is that alright?"

The scumbag Ayanokoji remained expressionless even while acting like a rogue.

"It's... it's fine, but where are we going?"

Ichinose twirled a strand of her hair with one hand, her heart skipping several beats. Could it be that she was about to experience her first-ever confession?

The person was Ayanokoji-kun, so it seemed...

No, did someone like her really deserve to have a romance?

She couldn't imagine how a future partner would look at her.

"Ayanokoji-kun, have you thought this through?"

She asked tentatively once more, two rosy blushes gradually spreading across her cheeks.

"I have. Tomorrow at 12:00 PM, accompany me to the second-year cafeteria."

Ayanokoji was straightforward, his tone flat yet firm.

"Eh... that kind of place?"

"Yeah, what's wrong? Is it inconvenient?"

Ichinose felt a bit dazed; the boy on the other end of the phone... he wasn't exactly boring, but he was certainly a bit of a tease.

She lowered her gaze, the young girl answering shyly:

"No... I..."

"I just need a little time to mentally prepare myself."

"Alright, see you tomorrow then."

With that, Ayanokoji hung up the phone and fell into deep thought.

Mental preparation? One day should be enough, right?

Even eye exercises only take five minutes.

Although the girl on the phone sounded a bit reluctant with her bashful demeanor, fortunately, he had hung up fast enough that he didn't give her any chance to refuse.

This way, as long as he didn't answer calls from this number until tomorrow noon, given her personality, wouldn't she obediently become a tool for him, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka?

Sigh...

For some reason, a fleeting, wicked thought crossed Ayanokoji's mind.

He really shouldn't be interested in the desires of mortals.

On the other side, fifteen minutes after hanging up, the girl's heart was still pounding uncontrollably.

She even started to wonder if she had eaten some strange additives in her dinner.

Strange... it was all just too strange.

"Is it that?"

"It has to be that, right..."

"The tone didn't really sound like it, though. Has Honami-chan ever seen someone confess with such a flat expression?"

"Honami-chan has never been confessed to, so Honami-chan doesn't know either."

Inside Ichinose Honami's heart, it was as if two versions of Honami were talking to each other.

Tomorrow... she was very likely to be confessed to.

Ah~!

No, if this keeps up, she won't be able to sleep tonight.

Ichinose looked at her reflection on the phone screen; her face was as red as if she had downed a bottle of vodka after running a high fever.

No! Honami-chan, go to sleep immediately.

Nothing is set in stone yet; the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Hadn't she experienced that feeling before?

Right.

Calm down, go to sleep.

Ayanokoji who? I don't know him!

After a bout of self-administered psychological anesthesia, Ichinose finally drifted slowly into dreamland.

The next day, Ichinose woke up half an hour earlier than usual. She glanced at the only two boxes of hand cream on her table, feeling a bit of regret that she hadn't purchased a bottle or two of cosmetics.

She let out a sigh at the mirror, then sat down to begin combing through her pink-tinted hair.

In this case, wasn't waking up early completely meaningless? She had already washed her hair last night.

As expected, it's better to just let things take their natural course.

In the boys' dormitory, Ayanokoji tidied himself up in a flash, grabbed his shoulder bag, and headed out, walking with his usual elderly pace.

He encountered a bald man in the elevator, who even reminded him that the hair at the back of his head was sticking up.

Brother, you are truly a saint, and also truly in pain.

Ayanokoji couldn't imagine the feelings of a man watching what he once possessed now growing wildly on someone else's head, while still having to remind that person not to let it grow crooked.

Katsuragi just silently glanced at this boy, who was unremarkable in every way except for his thick hair, and secretly categorized him as an ordinary person in his mind.

In the first-year classroom.

With the midterm exams approaching, the various classes were no longer as boisterous as before; instead, there was a sense of tension.

Indeed, atmosphere influences people.

Ayanokoji sat in his usual spot, calmly observing everyone in the class.

Basically, everyone was burying their heads in books or organizing notes, and some had even spontaneously formed small groups to discuss problems with one another.

He deliberately cast a glance at the trio led by Sudo.

Not bad, no noise or fuss; Horikita must have thought of some method to get the three of them to attend a study session.

Of course, it didn't take much thought to know that the invitation must have been issued in the name of Kushida; otherwise, given Horikita's relationship with them, they probably wouldn't have gathered together even by graduation.

He felt an inexplicable gaze from his left.

Horikita tilted her head, staring at Ayanokoji with a look of disdain: "This is the eighth time you've looked at me. Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's clean and glowing."

"Don't use such strange descriptions."

Ayanokoji nodded silently.

Horikita didn't dwell on it and turned her head back to continue reading.

Fortunately, Horikita Suzune is a straight-laced girl.

She is indeed good-looking, easily in the top five of everyone he has met so far.

But did he really look at her that many times unintentionally? Could it be that she counted all those secret observations and glances he made when they met in private?

That would be too terrifying; her observational skills are astonishing!

Soon, the morning classes ended, and it was noon.

Ichinose still hadn't called, so she must be truly too embarrassed to refuse.

Heh, got her!

Ayanokoji leaned against the wall in the hallway, waiting for Ichinose to pass by.

Before long, a pink-haired girl came into Ayanokoji's view.

"Ayanokoji...-kun."

Ayanokoji raised his eyes slightly. Compared to yesterday, the girl didn't seem to have changed on the surface, but...

Why does it feel like the vibe is different from when they met yesterday?

Where is your social butterfly persona, your ability to chat with ease?

Looking at the girl before him, her cheeks flushed, her gaze shifty, and unable to say a word for a long time, Ayanokoji felt a bit worried.

Could it be that she was intimidated?

To be safe, Ayanokoji quickly edited a text message, then shifted his gaze and said to her, "Let's go, then."

"Mm... mm."

In the second-year cafeteria, Ayanokoji walked around the room with a shy, pink-haired school beauty by his side, attracting quite a few gazes.

He had originally just wanted to pick out a lonely-looking upperclassman who seemed short on cash.

He hadn't expected to attract so much attention.

There was no helping it; he had to find a seat first, then ordered a luxury set meal and a regular curry rice.

After all, since she was already here, he couldn't let her eat scraps while following him around.

Then, he secretly sent out the edited text message.

I have to rely on you, Firefighter, Kushida Kikyo.

He put away his phone and looked up, only to find the girl opposite him looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Ayanokoji-kun, so... you only intended to treat me to a meal?"

Usually, on a chessboard, a piece that has penetrated deep into enemy territory, is unable to coordinate with the outside, and has lost its value is referred to by chess enthusiasts as a sacrifice.

Ichinose was currently trapped in exactly this kind of situation.

Ayanokoji glanced at the two meals being brought over and said calmly:

"Yes, I just invited you here to eat."

"The food for the second-years is super delicious!"