As he stepped out of the elevator, Hoshino saw Sudo standing in front of his dorm room, looking a little uneasy. Sotomura was with him.
When Hoshino walked over, Sudo and Sotomura hurried to meet him.
"Let's talk inside. It's not great out here." Hoshino took out his key, unlocked the door, and ushered them in.
"I've only got juice right now. Is that okay?" He invited Sudo and Sotomura to sit at a small beige table.
"Uh... oh..."
"Sure." Compared to the rather uneasy Sudo, Sotomura seemed much more at ease. After all, he'd been over several times before!
Hoshino took out three glasses, poured the juice, and brought them over, setting them in front of Sudo and Sotomura.
"...Thanks!"
Sudo seemed to want to say something.
"So, what did you want to see me about?" Hoshino picked up his own glass and sat down before speaking.
"Uh... sorry, and thank you, Hoshino!" Sudo stammered.
"What?" Hoshino didn't understand what Sudo meant at first.
"I mean... thanks for buying my three-pointer in English!..." Sudo rubbed the back of his head.
Man... Hoshino felt a little disappointed and took a sip of his juice.
Horikita was still too green! And after all that talk about paying back the points!
If she wanted to become a leader, she needed to win people over by any means necessary! What's more, Horikita had said she'd pay the points back. Hoshino had assumed that was just her way of winning people over more effectively. But after all this... he couldn't make heads or tails of Horikita's approach.
Still, if Chabashira-sensei was intent on pushing her forward, Hoshino was happy to take it easy.
"...Did you get something mixed up?" Hoshino looked up and met Sudo's eyes. "This was Horikita's doing. She and Ayanokoji handled everything, from negotiating with Chabashira-sensei to putting up the points. I was just a witness."
"Huh? But Horikita said..."
"...Sudo, do you really think Horikita would admit to helping someone? She's really proud, you know! What's the word for it these days? Tsundere?" Hoshino bluffed with a perfectly straight face.
"Ha ha!... I guess she is!" Sudo laughed, as if he was starting to get it.
Sotomura, sitting beside him, looked confused, but said nothing.
"Right? Right?"
"Anyway, thanks again for this!... I should get going. I need to thank Horikita properly!" Sudo sprang to his feet, beaming. "Professor, what about you?"
"I'll sit for a bit longer. I haven't finished my juice." Sotomura seemed to have something he wanted to say.
"Fair enough. I've seen you two hanging out a lot lately... Okay, I'll leave you to it. See you!" Before he'd even finished speaking, Sudo dashed out.
What does he mean, 'hanging out a lot'? Hoshino wanted to complain.
"Hey, Hoshino, you were the one who put up the points to buy Sudo's three-pointer, weren't you?" After a moment of silence, Sotomura was the first to speak.
"Yes and no..." Even Hoshino wasn't sure. As things stood, though, he had put up the 300,000 points himself.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"...It's complicated. Don't ask. Horikita really was responsible for most of it, though."
Thinking back on how unexpectedly things had unfolded, Hoshino suddenly didn't feel like explaining.
"Is that so?" Sotomura looked at Hoshino doubtfully.
"It is."
Sotomura kept probing for a while, but in the end he left without seeming convinced. The resentful look he gave Hoshino on his way out made his skin crawl.
"It's still early. Maybe I'll go for a walk." After resting for a while, Hoshino started to feel bored.
Just beyond the dorm building was a small plaza. Following the glow of the streetlights, Hoshino headed over.
Before he even reached it, he caught a strong whiff of romance!
What was with all these couples? Wasn't the school going to do something about them? Did they have any idea how much this hurt a single guy? Hoshino felt a grudge forming, and the spirit of the FFF Order seemed ready to awaken.
He turned and headed toward the artificial lake, where there were fewer people around.
Maybe it was because it was right by the road? Or because there weren't many places to sit? This spot seemed far more suited to couples, yet hardly anyone was there.
Still, that was fine. Taking a walk around the lake sounded nice!
"...Hey, if you tell... I won't... forgive you!" The voice sounded familiar, and Hoshino grew curious.
He passed through a cluster of bushes and looked up. What he saw was utterly shocking: Kushida was clutching Ayanokoji by the collar, and they were about to kiss!
Hoshino's head spun. For a moment, he had no idea how to react. So this was the kind of relationship they had?
Hoshino wasn't the only one frozen in place. Ayanokoji and Kushida were, too.
An eerie atmosphere hung between the three of them.
"Uh... you two! Don't mind me!" After a moment, Hoshino came to his senses and struck what he thought was a cool pose.
"Ah—" Kushida seemed to snap out of it and quickly pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked flustered.
"Wait, Hoshino, it's not what you think." Ayanokoji called after Hoshino as he tried to leave.
"Really? Ha ha..." Having been called by name, Hoshino could only turn back awkwardly and rub his head.
"Exactly." Ayanokoji's expression didn't waver at all.
"...I just tripped, and Ayanokoji caught me as I fell!" A moment later, Kushida seemed to realize what had happened. She smiled, her expression tinged with apology, though the corners of her eyes looked a little stiff.
"Ah! So I got the wrong idea. Sorry, sorry!" Hoshino apologized as if he'd figured it all out.
He'd been a little dazed at first, but on second thought, given what Ayanokoji had shown so far, Hoshino didn't think Kushida was dating him. And from the little he'd overheard, he'd begun to suspect that Ayanokoji had discovered one of Kushida's secrets—perhaps something to do with her true nature.
But Hoshino wasn't interested. He took the opportunity to let it go.
After apologizing, the three exchanged a few pleasantries, then Kushida left first.
"It really wasn't like that." Ayanokoji came over after her.
"Oh, I get it." Hoshino stopped, puzzled.
"I just happened to see Kushida's other side, the way she acts when she's venting."
Just as he'd thought. Hoshino couldn't imagine anything else that would make Kushida "lose it" like that. What he couldn't understand was why Ayanokoji was telling him this. Hadn't Kushida said she wouldn't forgive him if he told anyone? Hoshino suspected Ayanokoji was up to no good.
"Oh? Is that so? Listen, Ayanokoji, spreading rumors is wrong! Be careful—someone might find out you've been talking behind their back..." Hoshino gave him an utterly unconvinced look and proceeded to "lecture" him with great conviction.
"..."
It's better to know about something like this and pretend you don't! I have a bad feeling about this!
Before you continue