As An Xiao finished speaking, the scene fell silent.
Even those who wanted to speak couldn't find a good reason to.
"I think An Xiao makes a fair point." Ayanokoji's familiar, flat voice rang out. "It really isn't right to ask other classes for help just like that."
"But... we've been looking for ages, and we haven't found a single witness. We haven't even gotten a scrap of information."
"How is that any different from when we started? It feels like we've been wasting our time!"
Ike leaned on the railing with both hands and gazed up at the sky, speaking in frustration.
Yamauchi was kicking the railing beside him, making it clang now and then.
"Let's call it a day. Sorry for the trouble, everyone."
Noticing how dejected everyone looked, Kushida hurried forward to reassure them. "There are only so many people at this school. If we keep asking around, we're bound to find someone. Let's keep trying tomorrow and the day after!"
"We have to keep looking tomorrow and the day after..." Yamauchi muttered, clearly reluctant. "What if nobody actually saw anything?"
Kushida pressed her lips together and clasped her hands in front of her chest. Her voice was subdued, but earnest. "It's possible, but what if someone did see something? I want all of us to be able to enjoy these three years of high school together."
"Heh heh heh, I'd love to spend these wonderful three years with you too, Kushida. Is this telepathy? Leave it to me—I'll search with all I've got." At the sight of Kushida's sweet, delicate expression, Yamauchi's complaints vanished. He patted his chest and promised her.
"Me too, me too! But if we find someone, can I get a reward from you, Kushida?"
"I will!" Kushida smiled at the two boys in front of her. "If you really do find someone."
"All right! I'm fired up! For Kushida's reward, let's go!" ×2
"Um... shouldn't our goal be to find a witness?"
Watching the two of them spring back to life and resume their search around campus, Ayanokoji ventured weakly.
But that was all he did: say one thing.
When she saw that Ayanokoji wasn't leaving, Kushida turned to him with a smile. "Ayanokoji, you can head off for today. I have something I want to discuss with An Xiao."
Ayanokoji nodded. His gaze lingered on An Xiao for a moment before he left as well.
Once everyone else nearby had gone, An Xiao raised an eyebrow and teased her. "Do you really want to spend all three years of high school with them?"
"What do you think?"
Even though nobody else was around, Kushida kept smiling. But at some point, she had slipped a hand around An Xiao's waist and given it a hard twist.
"Ah! What are you doing?" An Xiao sucked in a breath at the pain in his side.
"What do you think?" Kushida tilted her head, smiling sweetly. "Remember what you gave me earlier?"
"Huh?" An Xiao's mind went blank for a moment. "Did I give you something?"
At his words, Kushida nearly lost her smile. She leaned close to his ear and whispered:
"It was that Yellow Cake~ That stuff nearly choked me to death, you know!!?"
"The more I chewed, the more there was, and I could barely swallow it no matter what I did."
"I only ate a tiny piece, and I thought my jaw was going to fall off!"
Her voice was quiet, but it sent a chill down An Xiao's spine.
"Uh... just tell me, did it work? After you ate it, didn't you lose the urge to yell at Horikita?"
"Hmph. Yes, I did lose the urge. After eating your snack, my mouth was practically numb. How was I supposed to yell?" Kushida said irritably. She let go of An Xiao's waist and leaned both hands on the railing beside her, looking at him. "Was everything you said just now true? Are you really not going to help?"
"I'll say it again: this is your Class D's problem." An Xiao shrugged. "For one thing, I don't particularly like that redhead. And for another, if you want me to help, you'll have to offer something in return."
"This isn't some little deal like the test papers we traded last time. Can you afford the points?"
"Or would the others in your class really be willing to spend a huge number of points on that guy, Sudo?"
"You know better than I do how chaotic your class is, Kushida. I don't want to be your class's babysitter."
After hearing An Xiao's string of remarks, Kushida stared at him for a long while before finally recovering. She covered her face with both hands and clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Tsk. So that's how it is. Could those idiots just go die already? They're always causing trouble. It was the study group last time, and now this. I always have to clean up after them. If it weren't for keeping up my image..."
"This is the worst, the worst, the worst, the worst..."
"Just go die, die, die, die..."
An Xiao watched Kushida cover her face and mutter under her breath. He didn't say anything, simply standing quietly beside her and listening.
After quite a while, and after the people in Class D had been cursed to death who knew how many more times, Kushida finally lifted her head. Her smile was as bright and energetic as ever.
"Feeling a little better?"
"More or less. But you didn't leave?"
"I promised you earlier, after all. If I give my word, I should keep it." An Xiao shrugged.
To be honest, Kushida had been cursing for quite a while, and her tone was pretty vicious, but she only used a handful of swear words, over and over. It hadn't come close to becoming unbearable.
"Phew~" Kikyo Kushida let out a long breath. After hearing An Xiao's explanation, some of the frustration weighing on her eased.
Once Kushida had calmed down, An Xiao continued, "If there's nothing else, I'll get going."
"Since you didn't leave early just now."
"Then I'm grateful for your mercy, my lady." An Xiao smiled, waved, and turned to leave.
"He does keep his word, at least. But how long will that last?"
Watching An Xiao's retreating figure, Kushida murmured to herself, then left as well.
Before you continue