In the Student Council Room, a trace of confusion mingled with the sharpness of Horikita Manabu's features.
He subtly furrowed his brow and said, "Oh? That's certainly a sudden idea. You're the first student I've ever met who came to the Student Council to borrow money."
Though his face remained impassive, Horikita Manabu had already grown deeply interested in Ayanokoji's behavior.
This guy had some nerve.
"Tell me, what do you need the money for?" Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses, his tone turning slightly cold. "The Student Council doesn't lend money to students without a reason."
At that, a trace of hesitation showed between Ayanokoji's brows.
Could he really tell him about something like an unspoken rule?
He fell silent for a moment, his gaze unfocused as though deep in thought. Then he looked at Horikita Manabu, his eyes both resolute and helpless.
The next second, a sight Horikita Manabu would never forget unfolded before him.
Ayanokoji tilted his head with a hint of awkwardness, then raised one slender finger to his lips, his eyes flashing with a glimmer of anticipation.
"Secret."
That's right. His strategy was to get by with cuteness.
It was a deadly technique he'd learned from a certain woman.
And he'd seen her use it himself. It worked very well.
Sure enough, Horikita Manabu furrowed his brows. His eyebrows and the bridge of his nose gradually drew together, his features taking on the peculiar beauty of someone whose whole worldview had just shattered.
He was silent for a long while. Only after regaining his usual icy expression did he slowly speak. "...If you're unwilling to tell me, the Student Council has no reason to help you."
"However..." After a moment, Horikita Manabu paused before continuing. "If you agree to my conditions, I could lend you the money in my personal capacity."
?
Trying to make another offer?
Ayanokoji furrowed his brows slightly, a trace of reluctance showing between them.
Seeing this, Horikita Manabu continued:
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to join the Student Council..."
As he left the Student Council Room, Ayanokoji let out a quiet sigh.
President, that condition of yours won't be easy to meet.
The next day, a steady rain fell.
The gray sky made Ayanokoji's already gloomy face look even more downcast.
In the Class D classroom, he stared blankly out the window, looking rather dispirited.
Of course, that was Kushida's perspective.
Here she came again.
"Ayanokoji-kun, did you... not sleep well last night? You don't seem to have much energy."
She spoke hesitantly, brows knitted. She glanced at the empty seat beside her, then wore an even sadder expression.
Everyone in class knew that Ike, who had been expelled the day before, was one of the few people who could talk with Ayanokoji. In their eyes, Ike was a good friend of his, so Ayanokoji was bound to be feeling down about his expulsion.
That made Kushida, coming over to comfort and check on him, seem especially radiant to them.
Ayanokoji examined her with an impassive face, his thoughts somewhat complicated.
She might be a traitor who sold out the class, but lately he'd learned a great deal from her. She was a unique textbook in her own way.
He really was a diligent student.
As if he'd made up his mind, he naturally turned his gaze away and said flatly:
"I'm fine. Everything's as usual. Nothing special."
When Ayanokoji turned away, Kushida let out a small breath of relief.
Her face was about to cramp from holding the expression.
"Good. Let's keep doing our best from now on, for Ike-kun's sake too~"
She finished with an energetic smile, earning the support of a group of boys nearby.
"Kushida-chan is truly an angel!" x
Horikita Suzune had listened to the whole exchange in silence, facing her desk with her brows tightly furrowed.
She found all the flattery and sycophancy noisy, but the boy's reaction bothered her greatly.
Had Ayanokoji really just let Ike get expelled?
Had Class D really become the first class to have a student expelled?
Could someone as powerless as she was in a situation like this really make it to Class A as she'd hoped?
Her thoughts were in disarray when the surrounding noise gradually faded, replaced by the sound of two people approaching the classroom.
Before long, the room erupted in commotion again.
Horikita raised her eyes, taking in the entire class.
At the sight before her, her pupils widened slightly. The light returned to her dim eyes, as though she were surprised to see a turn of events in something she'd already thought inevitable. Then, a second later, she shifted her gaze to the boy sitting beside her, a hint of seriousness in her eyes.
Ayanokoji gazed impassively ahead, his mind undisturbed.
At the front of the classroom, Chabashira Sae stood in the middle, the corners of her mouth slightly raised as she looked at the class.
Beside her stood Ike, who should have been expelled. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, a bashful smile on his face.
"After a second review of Kanji Ike's use of a phone during the exam, the school has decided to place him under observation at school for three months."
"His case will be reviewed again for a final decision after those three months."
When Chabashira finished speaking, the class took a second to react, then cheered.
"That's great, Ike!"
"We can hang out together again!"
"I always believed you hadn't cheated!"
"That's such a relief..."
Sudo's nose tingled, and a tear ran down his face.
Hirata and Miyake watched him with relief, their expressions full of warmth.
As for Kushida, her expression never faltered.
"Congratulations, Ike-kun, and..."
"Welcome back~"
Hearing those words while he was already moved, Ike's nose tingled. Tears filled his eyes, and the tenderness in Kushida's gaze made him feel as though he were melting.
Maybe this whole incident was actually a good thing...
A dangerous thought came to him.
Shinohara Satsuki watched the scene quietly from afar, her eyes glistening with tears.
In the end, class still had to go on. After Chabashira's prompt, Ike returned to his seat.
He glanced again at Ayanokoji, who was staring blankly out the window as if none of it concerned him, and felt conflicted.
Why had Ayanokoji asked him to keep it secret?
He'd said before that he was a rich second-generation kid, and that his father was some kind of government official. Could it be... that he'd used some powerful connections for Ike's sake?
And he'd asked Ike not to say anything so people wouldn't gossip!?
At the thought, another tear slipped from his eye. He couldn't help sincerely calling him Ayanokoji in his heart.
Meanwhile, his Ayanokoji was merely gazing at the endless rain outside, his expression impassive and his eyes somewhat profound.
Raindrops fell in a steady stream, densely packed and tumbling one after another. When he let his eyes unfocus, they looked like fine threads hanging down from the sky.
At last, as if he'd made some decision, the corners of his mouth curved into an almost imperceptible smile:
Tonight, he'd have Yunnan rice noodles.
Before you continue