A Friend from Class A

Kikyo Kushida was incredibly glad that her original dinner plans had fallen through because the others had suddenly gotten busy.

She had only come to Keyaki Mall to try her luck, never expecting to actually run into them.

There were few chances to interact with students from other classes in everyday life, but once she had a way in, things were different.

In Kikyo Kushida's eyes, Toru Hasegawa and Masayoshi Hashimoto weren't ordinary Class A students at all. They were her bridge to the rest of Class A!

At the thought, her smile brightened even more, and her fondness for the two of them went up, up.

And so Toru Hasegawa witnessed a very strange sight: he hadn't done a thing, yet Kikyo Kushida's favorability toward him had already reached 63.

"Classmate Hasegawa, Classmate Hashimoto, which places have you two visited?"

As they walked, Kikyo Kushida brought up a topic with Toru Hasegawa.

"Well, I've only been to the dormitory, cafeteria, convenience store, gymnasium, and school building," Toru Hasegawa replied honestly. It wasn't a secret.

"Huh? So you haven't been anywhere at all?"

"Pretty much. So this is my first time at Keyaki Mall, too."

Kikyo Kushida nodded in understanding, then continued, "What about you, Classmate Hashimoto?"

"Me?" Masayoshi Hashimoto thought for a moment. "I came to the karaoke place here once with some girls from my class at the start of the school year. Other than that, same as Classmate Hasegawa."

"I see. I'd love to go sing karaoke with my classmates, too!"

As they spoke, the three of them arrived at a place called Sakura Pavilion and took their seats.

Toru Hasegawa glanced at the menu and casually ordered a bowl of udon.

"You're only eating that much?" Masayoshi Hashimoto gave him a dubious look.

Toru Hasegawa was a little exasperated. "What's wrong with having a light dinner?"

He was certain the other boy wouldn't dare argue with him.

Even if Masayoshi Hashimoto had gotten information from Sakayanagi Arisu, he wouldn't just come out and say it. That was the art of socializing.

"Fine."

Masayoshi Hashimoto ordered a bowl of udon as well, and Kikyo Kushida did the same.

All three of them had their own reasons for being there, but at that moment, they were gathered together for a meal.

Masayoshi Hashimoto wanted to get on good terms with Toru Hasegawa and, if possible, pry out some useful information.

Kikyo Kushida wanted to use the two of them to meet other Class A students and further her grand project of making friends.

Toru Hasegawa's goal was the simplest of all: he was there to eat.

"Um... What's the atmosphere like in Class A during lessons?" Kikyo Kushida was the first to lose her patience.

Toru Hasegawa thought for a moment before answering. "Hmm... It's all right, I guess. Pretty much like a normal class. Are you asking because the atmosphere in Class D isn't very good?"

"...Yeah." Kikyo Kushida's smile held a trace of bitterness. The atmosphere in Class D wasn't merely bad; it had gotten so bad that people couldn't even pay attention in class.

Yesterday had actually been fine, but today, after they realized the teachers weren't going to intervene at all, many of them had let themselves go. Class time was practically no different from break time.

"Maybe there was a problem at the very beginning. If someone puts a stop to it, things won't keep getting worse. We had some problems with people making noise in Class A at first, too, but Classmate Sakayanagi quickly put a stop to it. Everyone's quiet now."

That was a lie. On the first day of class, during the morning study period, Sakayanagi Arisu had already seen through part of the school's true nature. That was why no one had made a fuss during class.

"Yeah, but our class doesn't have anyone like Classmate Sakayanagi." Though Toru Hasegawa had practically given her a suggestion, Kikyo Kushida seemed to have given up already. "Um... Could I get your contact information?"

"Of course."

Toru Hasegawa readily agreed, and Masayoshi Hashimoto did too.

And just like that, Kikyo Kushida made two friends in Class A.

"What you said earlier was really interesting, but I just can't picture Her Highness barking an order."

Since Kikyo Kushida had other plans that evening, Masayoshi Hashimoto and Toru Hasegawa were now walking back to the dormitory together.

"Why do you call Sakayanagi Her Highness?"

Toru Hasegawa couldn't help asking. The question had been on his mind for a while.

"Because she has the air of a princess from my imagination. What about it?"

"Would an ordinary person really change what they call someone just for that reason? And don't you care what other people think?"

"What other people think? That doesn't matter at all." Masayoshi Hashimoto chuckled. He stopped and looked at Toru Hasegawa, speaking seriously. "All I want now is for Class A to come out on top in our grade. Your strength is indispensable to that."

"...Are you really that obsessed with winning?"

Masayoshi Hashimoto looked around and saw no one else nearby, but he lowered his voice anyway.

"You must have guessed, too, what the hundred-percent advancement rate and hundred-percent employment rate really mean."

"Only certain people get to enjoy those privileges, right?"

"Clever. I knew you'd figure it out." Masayoshi Hashimoto wasn't surprised. If Toru Hasegawa couldn't see that much, Her Highness wouldn't be so fixated on him.

Toru Hasegawa sighed. "So I'll do my part when the time comes."

"No. We should stay on our guard every moment, starting now." Masayoshi Hashimoto immediately rejected Toru Hasegawa's idea of slacking off. "Your answer to Classmate Kushida just now was excellent. You didn't reveal anything about Class A, and we even learned what lessons are like in Class D."

As for the information Toru Hasegawa had let slip at the First Gymnasium yesterday—that Her Highness was Class A's leader—Her Highness herself hadn't said much about it. How could he presume to speak on her behalf?

"Have you already gotten into character as a secret agent?" Toru Hasegawa teased, then added, "I just thought someone like her was a little strange, so that's why I said it."

"It is a little strange that she wants to be friends with everyone, but it's not a big deal." Masayoshi Hashimoto easily caught his meaning. "We can use that to get more information about Class D from her. Maybe we'll even get information about Class B and Class C in the future."

"Stop saying 'information' every other sentence. It's giving me a headache." Toru Hasegawa sighed. "Then let me ask you: What do you think of Sakayanagi?"

"Her Highness's intelligence and beauty are unrivaled!" Masayoshi Hashimoto was practically ready to drop to one knee.

"Sakayanagi isn't here. You can stop acting like that."

"No, I have to remind myself every moment: Her Highness's path is my path. If she tells me to go east, I absolutely won't go west!"

Seeing this, Toru Hasegawa decided to give him a small warning.

"The real Sakayanagi might be a little different from the one you've imagined..."