Ichinose's Confession? The Results Are In

"I've been single for eighteen years... What does that have to do with having muscular arms?"

Horikita furrowed her pretty brows, looking puzzled.

Besides, wasn't she the same age as Ayanokoji?

When had he gained three years?

She didn't understand... She really didn't understand.

Ever since she'd met this boy, Horikita had occasionally heard all sorts of nonsensical words from him.

At first, they were just things like catchphrases. Then came "holy crap," "horse," and "beefy"...

For a while, Horikita thought Ayanokoji was just really interested in livestock and probably wanted to work in animal husbandry after graduation.

But she gradually realized that he seemed to be expressing certain emotions, and in most cases, he was talking to himself. In other words, he was muttering.

Perhaps he wasn't good at expressing emotion through facial expressions, so he had to do it with words instead.

Horikita speculated inwardly. A hint of pity flashed between her brows, and her gaze toward Ayanokoji softened a little...

Ayanokoji remained seated on the ground, gazing straight ahead with an indifferent expression.

Though he sensed that the girl was looking at him strangely, he didn't think much of it.

He didn't care what Horikita thought.

"Single for eighteen years" was just a phrase he often used as someone who'd crossed over from another world. It was one of countless expressions in his linguistic arsenal that he used to confuse people.

Besides, he often used things he knew from his previous life to confuse people in this world, leaving them completely baffled. It was more fun than he could say.

And so, they spent the rest of their swimming lesson together in a strange atmosphere...

At dusk, the setting sun bathed the earth in its afterglow, illuminating the faces of the boys and girls taking part in club activities. The scene was beautiful and enchanting.

Behind the gymnasium, in a quiet, secluded spot.

A girl with cherry-pink hair stood there, her skirt fluttering in the breeze. Her lovely, quivering lashes betrayed her nervousness and unease.

She looked as if she were waiting for someone. Every so often, she glanced toward the corner ahead, her expression troubled.

After a while, she seemed to think of something. A spark of cleverness flashed in her eyes, and she took a phone from her skirt pocket and called someone. Before long, a listless-looking boy came around the corner.

"Ichinose, what did you want to see me about?"

The boy asked in a flat tone, his eyes as dull as ever.

Ichinose stared at his face for a while, unsure how to begin. Before she knew it, her cheeks had turned red, her lashes were trembling, and she kept averting her gaze.

?... No way.

Could it be...

Spring?!

Ayanokoji looked at the bashful, tender-looking girl before him. His eyes flickered, and he felt a little stirred.

He didn't have feelings, but he was eager to learn.

He'd wanted to open that textbook called love again for a long time.

And maybe do some in-depth research into areas he hadn't explored yet...

But in the next moment, Ichinose crushed his hopes.

"Someone's going to confess to me...!"

???

What was this girl going on about?

So it wasn't you who wanted to confess?

Come to think of it, he'd heard something like that at the start of the school year from a guy named Hirata.

Ayanokoji felt a little speechless, and his eyes instantly went dull again.

"Uh... What does that have to do with me?"

He spoke coldly, clearly a little annoyed.

"Ayanokoji-kun... I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend... because..."

"I don't want to hurt her feelings..."

So you could hurt my feelings instead, huh!

Ayanokoji couldn't help protesting inwardly, a trace of resentment in his expression.

"No." He said coldly. "There's no point in doing that, unless..."

"Unless...?" The girl rocked up onto her toes, gazing at him with eager anticipation, her clear blue eyes shining.

Unless we made the act real.

The scumbag Ayanokoji nearly let the thought slip out.

He thought for a second before changing his wording. "Unless she doesn't really like you that much. Otherwise, doing this will only hurt her even more."

"Ah..." The girl lowered her head slightly. The light faded from her eyes, and her expression became troubled and disappointed.

Clearly, after hearing the words "hurt her even more," Ichinose had abandoned her earlier idea.

So there really were people in this world who cared this much about others...

Ayanokoji gazed at her for two seconds. He felt an urge to give her a head pat, but held back.

It wasn't time yet.

"Ichinose."

"Confessing your feelings to someone takes tremendous courage. It's because you like them that you earnestly want to know how they feel, and that you take the plunge and confess."

"They deserve a clear answer, and they should get one."

Ayanokoji spoke meaningfully. His tone was flat, but a hint of tenderness showed in his expression.

Ichinose Honami slowly raised her head until she was looking straight into his eyes. She was suddenly moved, as if for an instant she'd seen a change in the boy's gaze.

She wasn't sure, but she felt inexplicably happy.

"Mm, I understand."

The next moment, she gave the boy a radiant smile.

After that, the boy walked away alone, leaving the stage to the lovestruck girl who was about to make her entrance.

He picked a random chair by the roadside and sat down, staring blankly at the last crimson arc along the horizon.

He didn't know how long had passed before a girl with short, pale-green hair came running from where he'd emerged, tears streaming down her face. Without looking back, she ran toward the dorms.

Tears drifted behind her like pearls, falling to the ground and leaving little marks. Ayanokoji couldn't help turning his gaze toward her.

Watching the girl run away in tears beneath the sunset, he felt a pang of empathy.

Most people's first love was bitter, after all.

Ayanokoji murmured to himself.

A few days later, the day the results were announced finally arrived.

Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom, her expression as cold as ever.

At first, everyone in class had been chatting casually, seemingly confident about their exam results.

But the moment they saw Chabashira-sensei's expression, they fell silent, their faces turning worried.

"Congratulations. Every student passed the midterm exam."

Chabashira first gave a cold smile. Before anyone in class could react, she stopped smiling and continued:

"Unfortunately, there are still students who will be expelled."

"The student being expelled is Kanji Ike. The reason is cheating."

As soon as the words fell, everyone froze.

The shift from joy to heaviness left their smiles half-formed, frozen on faces gone blank.

Ayanokoji looked at Ike's name on the blackboard, his expression indifferent. His gaze, deep as an abyss, seemed to suggest he'd foreseen this outcome long ago.