Unexpected Progress

After arriving at Toru Hasegawa's dorm room.

"This dorm room... you can really see everything at a glance."

"That description sounds awfully familiar."

Hearing Kamuro Masumi's words, Toru Hasegawa couldn't help but tease her.

At the same time, he reflected on himself. Masayoshi Hashimoto had said the same thing, and now Kamuro Masumi had too. Should he really buy some things to fill the place up?

"That was Hashimoto, wasn't it? Tsk, I should've known to describe it differently."

Kamuro Masumi pursed her lips with an obvious look of displeasure, annoyed that her description was so similar to Masayoshi Hashimoto's.

"Anyway, let's get started studying." Toru Hasegawa didn't want to dwell on the subject any longer.

Kamuro Masumi took a textbook out of her bag. As expected, it was math.

With humanities subjects, you mostly had to rely on what you'd learned over time, but math was different.

If you didn't understand math, you simply didn't understand it. The key was that everyone might get stuck at a different point, so it required detailed instruction.

Though they called it tutoring, it didn't take long.

After about an hour, Toru Hasegawa finished teaching Kamuro Masumi. He stretched a little and asked, as if offhandedly,

"Doesn't Sakayanagi teach you?"

"Why are you asking me that? Sakayanagi isn't here right now." Kamuro Masumi stretched casually. "You're classmates, but you still have to scheme against each other all the time. I almost feel sorry for you."

"Thanks. I see keeping you by Sakayanagi's side hasn't been completely useless."

Kamuro Masumi's logic for taking action was questionable, and Toru Hasegawa knew she had an agenda.

Kamuro Masumi also knew that Toru Hasegawa knew she had an agenda.

He'd asked that question to confirm the information above.

"Hey, I was just thinking... you didn't do that before because you wanted to..."

"Hm? You can just say it. It's rare to see you acting so awkward and hesitant." Toru Hasegawa found it amusing.

At his words, Kamuro Masumi swallowed the rest of what she'd been about to say and glared at him.

"I'll tell Sakayanagi what you just said. What she makes of it is up to her."

"Thanks."

"...Who asked you to thank me?!"

Kamuro Masumi left, looking thoroughly flustered.

Talking face-to-face was different from simply hearing a report in writing. Kamuro Masumi seemed to have sensed something, but she decided to let Sakayanagi Arisu figure it out for herself.

What a... wicked woman.

The uneventful days passed one after another. Toru Hasegawa and Sakayanagi Arisu began crossing paths more often. At the very least, they were now on friendly enough terms to have lunch together every day, making him look like her lackey.

During Friday lunch, a message suddenly appeared on Toru Hasegawa's phone.

[Airi Sakura: Are you free after school?]

[Toru Hasegawa: Yeah. What's up?]

[Airi Sakura: If you already have plans with a friend, we can do it another day.]

[Toru Hasegawa: Unfortunately, I have a few friends, but I don't go out with them very often.]

[Airi Sakura: Then, I'll wait for you at the cafeteria.]

It was an awkward place to arrange to meet, but it surprisingly suited her personality.

If she stayed in the classroom, her classmates would inevitably come up to talk to her.

"Are you chatting with someone?" Sakayanagi Arisu asked with interest from across the table.

"Someone from Class D." Toru Hasegawa smiled. "I've managed to earn their trust."

Based on what Kanji Ike had said earlier, the students in Class D knew that a Class A student had given them the information. It was still unclear how many people would connect that Class A student to Toru Hasegawa.

"You're rather cruel, Hasegawa-kun~"

"But isn't that a good thing for you?"

"..." Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent for a moment. "It was unnecessary."

"What's done is done. Let's leave it at that."

Their daily conversation ended, and they returned to their quiet routine.

School let out at four in the afternoon. Toru Hasegawa went to the Student Cafeteria as promised. Very few students ate dinner right at four, so it was easy enough to find someone.

Especially someone as distinctive as Airi Sakura.

"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?" Toru Hasegawa greeted her with a pointless question.

School had only just let out, so there was no way she could have been waiting long.

Airi Sakura was about to offer a polite response, but then she noticed that, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Thank you for coming to keep me company."

"You don't have to be so formal. Let's go."

Walking alongside Airi Sakura, the two of them headed to the club activity area.

"You haven't joined a club, have you?"

Hearing the sound of archery from somewhere in the distance, Toru Hasegawa asked.

"No, but I've always wanted to visit a place like this. If I came alone, though, I'd attract a lot of attention..."

Clubs didn't only recruit during a specific period. You could join whenever you wanted, so if you went alone, people might assume you were interested in joining a club.

But if two people went together...

How would that make things even more awkward?

"Feeling a little better?" Toru Hasegawa suspected that if he said anything unnecessary, Airi Sakura might not be able to take it and would run off.

He almost admired his past self from that day. Maybe luck had played a big part in his success.

"Yeah. I want to apologize to Kushida another day. She really wanted to be friends with me, but I didn't have the courage to respond. I'm so pathetic."

"Kushida? She really is a good person, but..." Toru Hasegawa decided to remind her of something. "You don't seem to understand how students are assigned to classes at this school."

"Huh? Aren't students assigned randomly?" Airi Sakura looked stunned.

"No. All the students assigned to Class D have a clear problem. I can tell you that much with certainty. For example..." Toru Hasegawa's phone began to vibrate in his pocket just as he was about to explain in detail. "Sorry, I've got a call."

The caller ID showed Manabu Horikita.

What perfect timing.

"We've got an update on the matter you told me about," Manabu Horikita said over the phone.

"Really? What did the school decide?"

"They've expelled the person. After confirming their identity, we found that they'd not only posted messages online, but also sent harassing letters. If this continued, it would eventually lead to serious trouble, so the school decided to expel them immediately."

"And what else? Is that all?"

"...As the person who discovered it, you'll be given some points as a reward by the school."

"I was just doing my duty as a member of the Student Council. The school should give the points to the person who was harmed, shouldn't it?"

Toru Hasegawa didn't believe the school was unaware of its students' personalities. They might not investigate every detail, but they should at least know what was evident on the surface.

Airi Sakura was timid, and the school's intention to quietly put an end to the matter was obvious.

It was the same sort of thing most schools did.

"I'll pass your opinion along to the school," Manabu Horikita said without any personal emotion.

"By the way, since this is a rare opportunity, I'll come right out and say it. Let's go see a movie tomorrow."

"What do you mean?"

"Of course, you'll bring Tachibana-senpai."

"I see. I understand."

It was hard to tell what Manabu Horikita had actually understood, but in any case, he hung up.

Then Toru Hasegawa turned to Airi Sakura, who was beside him. He'd been watching her reaction out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we continue?"

"...Ah, yeah. Okay."

At some point, the number above Airi Sakura's head had changed to—

99.