Horikita Suzune Is Picking Up Speed

The activity room fell silent, with only the faint sound of the wind coming from outside the window.

After a long while, she raised her head, her face regaining its usual composure, but her tone carried a faint sadness, as if from a distant past.

She looked out the window, her gaze seemingly transcending time and space.

"Perhaps it's... out of pity for those children who didn't pass. If it weren't for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, that one and only successful case, that place might have been forced to shut down long ago. Many tragedies wouldn't have continued..."

Her voice was soft, yet like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Morimiya blinked, seemingly surprised by the answer. He probed with a hint of teasing, "I didn't realize, Your Highness... was so kind?"

Sanada also wore a thoughtful expression, clearly finding the reason both unexpected and seemingly in line with some of Sakayanagi Arisu's hidden qualities.

Upon hearing Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips that seemed both self-deprecating and nostalgic.

"You two are joking. It's just... some things I saw and heard when I was a child, and it's just a lingering attachment."

She paused, then refocused her gaze on the teacup in front of her.

His voice was even lower, as if he were talking to himself.

"I never imagined... I'd see him here again. After all..."

Her fingertips unconsciously traced the smooth surface of the cup, and she ultimately didn't utter the second half of her sentence, but the unspoken meaning was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

After all, the rules of the White Room are that minors cannot leave.

Therefore, in her mind, the only reasonable explanation for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's presence here is that he was trying to escape.

Chapter 117 116 Horikita Suzune is accelerating

The school bell rang, like a pebble thrown into still water, creating ripples in Class D.

The students stood up, stretched, and discussed where to have lunch.

Amidst the cacophony of voices, Kushida Kikyo wore her signature sweet smile, a smile that seemed to melt away all barriers.

She habitually stood up and walked towards the figure at the back of the classroom with a clear goal— Horikita Suzune.

Wang Meiyu and Inogashira Kokoro, who were sitting nearby, exchanged a knowing glance.

"Look, Kikyo has gone to invite Horikita again."

Wang Meiyu lowered her voice, with a hint of accustomed emotion in her tone.

Inogashira Kokoro on her hands, gazed at the retreating figure with genuine admiration in her eyes.

"You're so patient... I gave up after a few tries."

She shook her head slightly, a hint of helplessness in her voice, "If the other party really doesn't have that intention, I think it's best to respect that."

"Who can disagree?" Wang Meiyu nodded in deep agreement, her gaze following Kushida Kikyo. "Only Kikyo could do something like that."

"After all, Kikyo's goal is to become friends with all her classmates!"

Inogashira Kokoro shone with longing for Kushida Kikyo's ideals.

Upon hearing this, Wang Meiyu thoughtfully glanced around the classroom, her gaze lingering briefly on a few specific corners.

"So, if that's the case... it seems she hasn't really interacted with some people in the class?"

Inogashira Kokoro followed her gaze and immediately understood.

"You mean... Koenji, Tanaka-kun, and Sakura, right?"

"That's right!" Wang Meiyu affirmed, "It seems that Kikyo hasn't really taken the initiative to have in-depth exchanges with them."

Inogashira Kokoro, deep in thought.

"Perhaps it's because the circumstances are different? Koenji is too... well, self-centered, Tanaka-kun has a girlfriend, Sakura..."

She paused, as if searching for the right words.

"Sakura is comparable to Horikita," Wang Meiyu blurted out, then shook her head. "No, Sakura may be a bit shy, but she's much better than Horikita's cold and aloof attitude."

Didn't you notice?

Inogashira Kokoro leaned closer mysteriously, lowering his voice even further.

Wang Meiyu blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"In the class, there are three people who are recognized as the most popular and who actively try to interact with their classmates."

Three fingers are raised at the top of the Inogashira Kokoro.

"Hirata Yosuke, Kushida Kikyo, and Karuizawa Kei. As for Sakura, she used to hardly interact with any of these three, acting like a shy version of Horikita."

"But didn't she later become quite close with Tanaka-kun and Karuizawa?"

Wang Meiyu recalled, "As a result, I also became close to Matsushita and the group of girls around Karuizawa."

"Wow! Now that you mention it, Horikita and Sakura have both changed quite a bit!"

Inogashira Kokoro lit up, her tone filled with surprise.

"Horikita was quite aloof when she first enrolled. Before the midterm exams, she voluntarily reported for the study club and even controlled her English score for the sake of other students. Later, she even went to great lengths with Ayanokōji, Hirata, Kikyo regarding Ken Sudō's situation. I feel like... she's starting to show some warmth."

Just as they were discussing in hushed tones, Kushida Kikyo had already walked up to Horikita Suzune's table.

Horikita Suzune was quietly organizing her books, oblivious to the noise around her.

Kushida Kikyo's voice was like a gentle breeze rustling through wind chimes in early summer—crisp and melodious, carrying just the right amount of warmth.

"Horikita, do you want to go have lunch together later?"

She leaned slightly forward, her hands naturally clasped in front of her, her face bearing the same expectant smile as always.

His gaze was fixed intently on Horikita Suzune's face, capturing every subtle reaction she made.

Horikita Suzune's fingers, which were arranging books, paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.

She slowly raised her head, her cool eyes meeting Kushida Kikyo's enthusiastic gaze.

Her face was expressionless, like a bottomless ancient well.

Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

Kushida Kikyo's smile remained bright, but deep down she was like a taut string.

She awaited the expected, cold rejection, just as she had dozens of times before.

Each time she was rejected, a twisted sense of irritation would grow in that carefully hidden corner of her heart.

But at this moment, she perfectly suppressed it, letting only her sweet anticipation show.

However, to everyone's surprise...

"OK."

Horikita Suzune parted her lips slightly and uttered two short but earth-shattering syllables.

???

Kushida Kikyo's pupils contracted sharply in an instant, her genuine astonishment almost uncontrollably showing.

For the first time, a brief, almost imperceptible crack appeared in the flawless smile on her face.

This bitch who rejected me indirectly and directly dozens of times... suddenly agreed?

What is she up to?

Was he finally moved by my "sincerity"?

Or... is there another motive?

A jumble of thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning.

But as expected of Kushida Kikyo, her powerful ability to manage her expressions returned to normal in a fraction of a second.

A look of surprise quickly replaced the momentary stiffness.

Her smile, like a flower suddenly blooming, became even brighter and more radiant, even carrying a touching sentiment of "sincerity can move mountains."

"Ah! That's wonderful, Horikita!"

Her voice was filled with genuine joy, and her hands unconsciously clasped together in front of her chest. "I've always wanted to help you integrate into the class better! Um... I made plans with Xiaomei and Inogashira, we're going together, you don't mind, do you?"

She cautiously probed, her gaze fixed on Horikita Suzune, observing whether she would change her mind as the number of people increased.

Horikita Suzune nodded slightly, her tone remaining calm, yet revealing a subtle hint of... cooperation?

"Of course. You made a prior appointment, and if it's affected because of me, then I'd feel a little bad."

She stood up.

His gaze swept over Wang Meiyu and Inogashira Kokoro, which was considered a greeting.

Kushida Kikyo sneered inwardly, but her face showed a relieved and happy expression.

"No way! Everyone's happy to be together! Let's go!"

She greeted them warmly and waved to Wang Meiyu and the others.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward as we walked to the cafeteria.

Inogashira Kokoro and Wang Meiyu followed a little behind, exchanging surprised and confused glances, their eyes occasionally stealing glances at the two walking side by side ahead.

They were full of questions, but didn't know how to start a conversation.

Kushida Kikyo keenly sensed the awkward silence, and once again quietly played her role as a "lubricant."

She turned her head to look at Horikita Suzune, her smile gentle and natural.

"Horikita, what kind of food do you like to eat?"

Horikita Suzune stared straight ahead, her steps steady. She thought for a moment before answering.

"I'm not a picky eater. I prefer a balanced diet of meat and vegetables, and my taste... leans towards sweets."

She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully, then added, "Because sweetness can make people feel happy and joyful."

"Eh? Horikita, you like sweets too?"

Upon hearing the keyword, Inogashira Kokoro felt as if she had found a breakthrough. She couldn't help but peek out from behind and ask curiously, a lively smile on her face.

Wang Meiyu gently tugged at Inogashira Kokoro's sleeve and whispered a correction.

"Kokoro, Horikita is talking about sweetness, not sweets."

She looked at Horikita somewhat embarrassed.

Inogashira Kokoro didn't take it to heart, and instead moved even closer, smiling as she pressed on with her questions.

"Isn't it all the same, right, Horikita? If you like sweets, you'll definitely like sweets too!"

She tried to use this overly familiar approach to shorten the distance between them.

Horikita Suzune seemed slightly uncomfortable with this direct, somewhat childish question.

But she still turned her head, her gaze lingering for a moment on Inogashira Kokoro's expectant face, before calmly speaking.

"There is indeed a difference between sweet and desserts, however,"

She paused slightly, as if overcoming some kind of obstacle, before finally speaking.

"I like sweets too." Her tone remained calm, but the sentence itself was a signal that she was trying to fit in.

"Heh heh! Little Mei, see, I got it right!"

Inogashira Kokoro smugly at Wang Meiyu, like a proud little peacock.

Wang Meiyu was both amused and exasperated, and couldn't help but retort.

"That's not entirely right! Horikita said she likes it too, which means the sweet taste Kikyo asked about is different from the sweets you're talking about!"

"Okay, that's about enough!"

Inogashira Kokoro grinned and took Wang Meiyu's arm. The two of them joked and teased each other about the boundary between "sweet taste" and "desserts," and the atmosphere instantly became much more relaxed and lively.

Kushida Kikyo watched them playfully bickering, a genuine smile, tinged with doting affection, appeared on her face.

This smile was different from the formulaic sweetness she showed when she was with boys; at this moment, her eyes shone with genuine relaxation and joy.

Compared to those boys who are blinded by hormones and buzz around all day...

I definitely feel more comfortable and at ease around girls.