Horikita Doesn't Need Friends

Time seemed to stand still as the two of them stared at each other. Neither seemed inclined to make a move.

Horikita neither refused nor agreed, and an inexplicable atmosphere began to spread between them. The heavy air made Ju Ji's palms grow faintly damp with sweat.

"Horikita?"

Ju Ji was the first to break the tense silence. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the atmosphere between them felt a little strange. It wasn't a confession, so why was he so nervous?

"Ah... Sorry, I spaced out. How sad. Is this how you try to take advantage of the moment and touch a girl's hand, Shinomiya?... Still, I'll accept your request.

"But we're only helping each other out. Don't act overly familiar with me in class... That would make things difficult for me."

Horikita tilted her head slightly and gently took Ju Ji's outstretched right hand. Perhaps she didn't have much experience being in contact with men, because her face looked a little flushed. Of course, it could also have been the setting sun.

"Hahaha!"

"What are you laughing at?"

"No, I just realized you have a cute side too, Horikita. If you showed it more often, you wouldn't be friendless like this... Gah!"

It was just a feeling—just a feeling—but Horikita was quite charming at that moment. It was as if she'd shed her tough outer shell, revealing nothing but a cute girl underneath. He didn't need to check to know that his heart was pounding.

It would have been nice if the cute girl hadn't given him a powerful elbow to the stomach. It hurt a little. The sharp pain in his abdomen made him drop to his knees. Horikita really didn't hold back at all.

What was more, she looked satisfied, a refreshing smile on her face. It was the first time Ju Ji had ever seen her smile. Now he knew that Horikita could smile after all.

She didn't seem to realize it herself.

Ever since Ju Ji had arrived at this school, he seemed to keep running into women who were particularly good at violence. He wondered if it was just his imagination.

"Shinomiya, I told you that I hate the way you talk... Next time, I'll punish you without hesitation. It's a shame I don't have my compass today. But I don't dislike people like you. Besides, aren't you just as friendless as I am?"

Horikita held out her right hand to him, just as Ju Ji had done a moment ago. Though she was the reason he'd ended up like this.

"Who says I don't have any friends? My contacts list has Ayanokoji, Hirata, Kikyo, and you, Horikita."

"Having someone's contact information doesn't make them your friend. Besides, almost everyone in class has Hirata's and Kushida's contact information. You've barely even spoken to Ayanokoji. But you and Kushida seem to call each other by your first names. Did you know each other before? Maybe she was just taking pity on you. She's so kind that she wouldn't turn you down even if you called her by her first name. And didn't I already tell you I'm not your friend? Why did you include me?"

Perhaps she was trying to mock him. Horikita kept picking through his words for loopholes, and managed to find a good point. As she'd said, it was unusual for him and Kushida to call each other by their first names in class. But she was the only one who'd noticed and asked about it.

Then she jumped to her own conclusion and looked at Ju Ji with pity. It was no wonder she thought that way; the two of them didn't seem like a likely pair. Perhaps because Ju Ji was around, Horikita and Kikyo weren't as hostile toward each other as they were in the original story. They hadn't become friends, as Kikyo had hoped, but their relationship wasn't as strained either.

Horikita was like a little girl sealed in ice, mercilessly rejecting everyone's attempts to get close. But once you broke through that protective layer, you found that she was actually quite easy to get along with.

"Maybe... Oh no, I can't find my dorm key card. I'm sure I put it in my pocket."

They'd finished what they needed to do, so the two of them planned to head straight back to their dorms and rest. That was when something unexpected happened.

"Did you drop it while we were looking around? You're so careless. Maybe I should rethink our partnership."

"Don't make fun of me at a time like this, Horikita. Shouldn't you be comforting me?... Right, maybe I put it in my uniform jacket. I'll give someone a call."

...Beep... Beep

"Hello, Kikyo. Is my dorm key in my jacket?... Okay, got it... Yeah, see you in a bit."

"What jacket? Have you finally given in and made a move on an innocent, helpless girl, you pervert? Maybe I should call the police. No, then I'd lose my potential partner. Maybe I should keep it quiet for now."

"No, something minor just happened."

After quite a bit of persuading—and even using his Hypnosis ability—he finally got Horikita to believe him and avoided being taken away by the police. Yeah, this woman wasn't joking. She really would call the police.

"That's good. I wouldn't want to personally hand a future partner over to the police. Well, see you tomorrow."

Right, it seemed he'd better be careful around Horikita from now on. Had she really never even considered the possibility that the two of them were friends? Was he that untrustworthy?

Lost in self-doubt, Ju Ji failed to notice Horikita's lips curl into a slight smile after she turned around.

Unlike Horikita, who lived on the twelfth floor, Ju Ji's dorm room was 403, on the fourth floor. The door wasn't shut tight as he'd expected; it was slightly ajar. Anyone else would have assumed there'd been a break-in.

But he knew Kikyo was in his room. He'd locked the door properly before leaving, though he'd forgotten to check whether he had his key card. That was his own carelessness.

When he opened the door, Kikyo was lying on his bed, chatting with a friend on her smartphone. Her clothes were a little disheveled. Maybe it was warm; she'd undone the top two buttons of her shirt.

The white slime seemed about to pop out under the pressure. Kikyo looked so unguarded that she really didn't seem to consider him an outsider.

"Kikyo, you shouldn't be sitting around like that. I'm a healthy young man, after all. You should be a little more careful about how you look in this room."

Yeah, it was better for both of them that way.

Perhaps, for Kikyo, this room had become a place where she could let her guard down. He could tell because she wore a gloomy expression instead of that angelic smile.

"Ha~ You're finally back. How was your date with Horikita?"