"But seriously, Ayanokoji-kun, your place is really spacious. It looks like you haven't bought anything at all. Still, that's pretty nice too. At least it looks clean."
Everyone made awkward small talk, one comment at a time. This only made Horikita, who hadn't wanted to come in the first place and had been talked into it, feel even more like an outsider.
So when the conversation finally turned to her, the whole atmosphere changed.
"Don't you think you're getting a little carried away? All we did was get through the midterm exams. We still have the final exams coming up! And it's not like Shinjo can get the answers for us every time, either. If we want to earn more Class Points and avoid expulsion, we have to start studying harder from now on!"
"Huh?! Seriously? We just finished studying, and now we have to study again...? What a headache!"
Ike clearly couldn't accept that studying wasn't a one-time thing.
"We can't help it, can we? At least, we haven't found a way to increase our Class Points yet."
"Wait... If that's the case, does that mean we won't get any personal points next month either?!"
As much as they didn't want to accept it, the facts were the facts.
Kikyo Kushida was just about to offer some words of encouragement, as she usually did, when she noticed Shinjo sitting off to the side, lost in thought.
"Come to think of it, Shinjo, it was amazing of you to think of that special use for the points!"
"Oh, right! Without Shinjo, there's no way we'd be sitting here drinking together right now!"
"Hahaha, Shinjo, you're my best friend now! If anyone ever gives you trouble, just tell me!"
Sudo slapped Shinjo on the shoulder, all boisterous good cheer. Shinjo, meanwhile, wore a strange expression. Could it be that even thickheaded Sudo was the sort of guy who treated people differently depending on their status?
He'd just heard Sudo say that Ayanokoji was his best friend.
"Well... Hahahaha... It just came to me in a flash. I'd say it was fate rather than give myself all the credit!"
Shinjo laughed awkwardly.
If Sudo thought of Shinjo as his real brother, Shinjo thought of Sudo as, at best, a cousin.
He certainly wouldn't have gone out of his way to save Sudo if Chabashira hadn't paid him.
"In that case, why don't you join us too?"
As she spoke, Kushida held out her hand to Shinjo.
He'd had a sense of déjà vu just the other day, when he'd made a deal with Ichinose on a bench.
"Join?"
Before Shinjo could say anything, the two guys who had crushes on Kushida immediately leaned forward and asked,
"Hey, Kushida..."
"Honestly, there's no reason to keep it a secret. We're all friends here. The truth is, Horikita, Ayanokoji, and I have decided to work together and climb the ranks. We want to make it to Class A! So I hope you'll all join us and help out!"
Everyone except Shinjo looked a little bewildered.
They knew their own abilities well. Sudo might have a strong talent for sports, but the other two were practically good for nothing.
Could they really make it to Class A?
Unless the school went crazy one day and reversed the rankings!
"Um... Kushida, we'd really like to join you. But Class A... isn't that a bit too... They're probably all insanely smart, right? We can't do it. It's just too blue-sky a dream~!"
"Good thing you know your limits. If you don't study hard, we don't stand a chance—not even of making it to Class C, let alone Class A."
Just as Kushida was enthusiastically inviting them to join, Horikita poured cold water all over the idea without mercy.
In her eyes, if Kushida had only invited Shinjo, she would have wholeheartedly approved.
But these three were, to put it kindly, useless. To put it bluntly, the class would be lucky if they didn't drag everyone down.
If the girls were flawed products, then Ike and Yamauchi were scrap.
At least, she hadn't seen anything useful in either of them so far.
"That's not entirely true, is it? Sudo's really good at sports, for one thing. And I'm sure Ike and Yamauchi have their own special strengths!"
"Kushida... You really think of us that way?"
Ike and Yamauchi were so moved they were nearly in tears. Though, the thing you're blowing your noses into looks like someone's bedsheet, doesn't it?
Sure enough, Shinjo sensed something that could only be described as killing intent coming from Ayanokoji beside him.
"If Kushida says so, then what's there to hesitate about?! Let us do our part to help you!"
Sudo had been trying to win Horikita's favor ever since the other day, so he put on an exaggeratedly haughty air and said,
"Well, if anyone needs me to put my incredible physical talent to use, they can just say so~"
As he spoke, he made a point of glancing toward Horikita.
But she merely shifted away from him with a look of distaste.
"Forget it. I've never thought of relying on you. Just study hard. Next time you fail, there might not be anyone around to buy points for you."
"Hey! You're really not very cute when you say that!"
But Sudo only said it for show. Horikita was his goddess now, and if she thought he was unreliable, that was only because she hadn't seen how amazing he was!
So, to prove how capable he was—and vent his frustration—he quickly grabbed Yamauchi beside him, pinned him to the floor, and held him down.
"This is so boring... Are all guys a bunch of idiots?"
"Hey! Could you watch what you say about everyone when you're making sweeping generalizations?"
Shinjo hadn't said a word the whole time, yet somehow Horikita's verbal area attack had caught him too.
"So, what about you? Are you going to join us?"
Unlike the others, Horikita genuinely wanted Shinjo on her team. The evidence had proven time and again that he was a talent every bit as capable as Ayanokoji.
(Shinjo: I never said that. I'm barely passable at piano, calligraphy, and tea ceremony. How am I supposed to compare with the guy beside you?)
"I think I'll pass."
Sudo and Yamauchi stopped fooling around and stared at Shinjo in confusion.
Horikita had been prepared for this. Not everyone had lofty ambitions, and most people in this class probably just wanted to slack off.
Still, she wanted to persuade him, so she asked,
"Why? I think you could make a big difference with your brains."
"I'm only good at little tricks, at most. It'd be hard for me to make a real contribution. If you want to make the class better, I'd be happy to do my part. But if you're talking about climbing all the way to Class A... at least give me some time to think about it."
Before you continue