Honami's Schemes

Chie Hoshinomiya stopped abruptly at the edge of the corridor's shadows, the smile on her lips not yet faded, though a thin layer of ice had already formed in the depths of her eyes.

"How could he possibly know my objective..." she whispered, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the intricate embroidery on her cuffs. A cherry blossom petal drifted in from the window and landed on her shoulder; she brushed it away with a movement as elegant as if she were flicking off something unclean.

"Attempting to replace Class A with the posture of Class D—how laughable. Insulting one's superiors is a capital offense, you know..." she murmured, her voice rising slightly at the end, carrying a certain sweet cruelty. Yes, rules, hierarchy, the unbridgeable chasm—these were the true skeleton of this world. And dreams? They were nothing more than illusory flesh draped over that skeleton, ready to fall apart at the slightest tug.

"Anyone has the qualifications to rise to Class A, except for you, Sae Chabashira," Chie Hoshinomiya muttered to herself.

In the blink of an eye, it was the afternoon entrance ceremony.

The entrance ceremony at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was no different from any other school.

The leaders gave long-winded speeches above, while the students swayed below, drifting into drowsiness.

It was a scene of perfect, natural harmony.

However, the student council president, Manabu Horikita, finally took the stage as the representative of the outstanding students to deliver a speech.

Footsteps approached from the side curtain, steady and unhurried, making a faint, muffled sound as they struck the steps of the wooden podium. The subtle commotion below died down like a receding tide. He stood still and adjusted the height of the microphone—a gesture so simple it was almost casual, yet it caused several drowsy Class D students in the front row to straighten their backs involuntarily.

"I am the student council president, Manabu Horikita."

His voice came through the speakers, not loud, yet it possessed a strange, piercing quality that scraped away the thin veil of lethargy in the auditorium. He did not look at any notes, his gaze sweeping steadily over the sea of heads below, lingering for perhaps half a second longer in the area designated for freshmen.

"This school practices meritocracy. Everything from your past—your middle school graduation, family background, and entrance exam scores—is reset to zero here." His speech was steady, each word as clear as a pebble hitting a frozen lake. "From today on, the only standard by which you will be judged is 'what you can do' within this school. Finally, I wish you success in your endeavors."

With a slight nod, he turned and left the stage. The presiding teacher seemed stunned for a moment before hurriedly stepping forward to announce the dismissal.

Sunlight poured in from the auditorium's tall glass doors, somewhat blinding. The crowd split into countless streams, dispersing toward their respective classrooms along corridors dappled with moonlight-like spots. Unease, curiosity, and a vague sense of excitement flowed among the brand-new uniforms. Someone began to hum an off-key tune, which was quickly drowned out by the chaotic sound of footsteps.

In the shadows of the connecting corridor on the second floor, Manabu Horikita stopped and looked down at the surging crowd below. The gaze behind his silver-rimmed glasses was calm and waveless, as if he were inspecting a batch of raw materials that had just arrived and had yet to be tested.

The wind blew in from the open window, flipping the corner of the freshman roster in his hand.

Next to a certain name, a nearly invisible triangle symbol was marked in very faint pencil.

After the entrance ceremony was dismissed, Yun Lan first went to the first floor of the dormitory to get his room's magnetic key card, then wandered around the campus for a while before heading to the cafeteria to wait for Honami Ichinose; calculating the time, she should be arriving soon.

"Brother Lan, I'm here~ (~￣▽￣)~"

The pink-haired girl lunged into Yun Lan's arms, her chest pressing against him.

Yun Lan felt the weight in his arms and couldn't help but sigh at how well-endowed little Honami was.

"Have you been waiting long?"

The vibrant, youthful girl walked to Yun Lan's side and naturally linked her left arm with his.

"I just arrived myself."

Yun Lan looked at Honami Ichinose and gave his standard response, though this time, it was actually true.

"I see, then let's go eat together!"

"Mm, by the way, this is the magnetic card for my room. You can go to the dorm manager later to get a copy made; I think it should be allowed."

Yun Lan handed his dormitory key—the magnetic card—to Honami Ichinose, a gesture that showed his absolute trust in her.

"Mm, I would have done that even without you telling me, Brother Lan."

Hmm? When did this little girl become so bold? Yun Lan pondered inwardly.

After the meal, Yun Lan asked about Honami Ichinose's plans for the afternoon.

"Do you have any plans for the afternoon, Honami?"

"Hmm... I think I'll be going to the mall with my classmates."

He followed Honami Ichinose's gaze. Her eyes curved into bright crescents, and her tone carried her usual lightness and knowing air: "Look, they're watching us right over there~"

Yun Lan's neck turned somewhat mechanically. His gaze traveled past the cafeteria's clear glass and the bright counters displaying food models, landing on a group of girls gathered near the dessert display window. They held juice in their hands, their fingertips tapping and tracing against the glass, yet their eyes were like dragonflies skimming the water, light and precise, landing again and again on the spot where he and Honami were sitting. As they whispered to each other, their shoulders would lightly bump, followed by a burst of laughter half-hidden behind their hands, their eyes sparkling with undisguised curiosity and a kind of good-natured, intrigued scrutiny.

"...I see them." Yun Lan's voice was a bit dry. He felt as if he had been suddenly pushed onto an un-rehearsed stage, the spotlight making him feel completely out of place. He could even imagine the content of their whispers—nothing more than common school topics like "they're so close," "are they on a date," or "Honami is really popular." But being enveloped by such specific, minute gazes still made Yun Lan, a family heir, feel a bit awkward.

Honami seemed completely unaffected; in fact, she found it amusing. She stirred the remaining drink in her cup with a straw, the ice cubes clinking crisply. "Everyone is just curious," she said, her voice filled with laughter, so open and honest that it was hard to feel any resentment. "After all, everyone is curious about the relationship between you and me, Brother Lan."

Her words made Yun Lan feel even more uncomfortable. He tried to focus his attention back on the tray in front of him, but the appeal of the food seemed to have been largely dissipated by the flickering gazes in the distance. The noisy chatter in the cafeteria, the soft clinking of cutlery, and the aroma of food all became background noise to those whispers, making the silent observation feel even more distinct.

"Should we... go somewhere else?" he finally couldn't help but suggest in a low voice.

Honami blinked, looked at him, then looked back at her friends who were still "choosing desserts," and suddenly burst into a giggle. The smile was as bright as sunlight suddenly piercing through a glass window, dispelling some of the invisible, awkward air around him.

"It's okay," she said, putting down her cup, her tone relaxed and reassuring. "They don't mean any harm. And besides—" she paused, a hint of playfulness in her smile, "if we leave now, it would look more like we're 'feeling guilty,' wouldn't it, Brother Lan?"