Ever since Sudō had nearly been expelled, and Horikita Suzune had changed her approach after Onizuka reminded her of something, her impression of him had completely changed.
It wasn't that they had become particularly close, but at least she no longer treated him as if she wanted him to keep his distance.
And with that, the trio of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had ulterior motives, Kikyo Kushida, who was full of malice, and the foolish Ken Sudō, whom she had once saved, all started clinging to him.
...Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's dorm room...
Including Onizuka, seven people crowded into the room. Luckily, there wasn't much in it, so it didn't feel too cramped.
"Hey, Onizuka, I wanted to apologize to you this time. I've always thought you looked down on me, but I never expected you to help me so much during this exam. I owe you one."
Who knew how Horikita Suzune had told him he wouldn't be expelled? Had she even given him some of the credit? To be honest, he really didn't need thanks from someone like Sudō.
Besides, he had good reason to suspect that people's sixth sense was connected to their athletic instincts. People like him, who were simple-minded but strong-limbed, often had inexplicable premonitions.
He'd been hiding it so carefully, too...
"A... achoo! Damn it, someone must be badmouthing me again. I'll find them sooner or later!"
See? He'd told him so.
But Onizuka had been more or less idle lately, so he didn't mind hanging out with them.
"I didn't really do much. Horikita and the others did most of the work themselves."
Sudō immediately turned to look at Horikita Suzune, who was sitting off to the side with nothing to do but read a classic.
"Of course, I'm grateful to Horikita. She not only lowered her own English score but also spent her points to buy me marks. She's saved me twice in a row. I'm really grateful!"
Horikita Suzune closed the book in her hands.
"I didn't do it for you. I just wanted Class D to move forward smoothly."
"Tch, that face of yours... Forget it. No matter what you think, I really did receive your help. Don't worry about such trivial things. I'll drink to you!"
Although Horikita Suzune looked disgusted, she still picked up her drink and took a couple of sips.
Seeing that the atmosphere was pleasant, Kikyo Kushida picked up the glass in front of her and stood.
"Come on, everyone! Let's have a drink to celebrate getting through the midterm exams!"
After the gathering, Kikyo Kushida walked up to Onizuka, holding a small magnetic card in her hand, and gently offered it to him.
"Onizuka, this is for you~"
Onizuka recognized it at a glance-it was a magnetic key card for the dormitory building. Apparently, it was the key to a particular room.
"Is Kushida actually a very direct person?" Onizuka raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at her with an amused smile.
Kikyo Kushida seemed not to have expected Onizuka to ask that. Her face immediately turned red, and her cheeks grew warm.
"W-what do you mean, direct?!" Her voice rose several pitches, and she even stammered a little. The misunderstanding had clearly embarrassed her.
"This is the key card to Ayanokoji's room!" Kushida hurriedly explained, the blush still lingering on her face.
"If we have another get-together, we can all meet here!"
After saying that, Kikyo Kushida suddenly sped up and flung the key card into Onizuka's hand. Then, as if trying to escape something, she hurriedly turned around and walked toward the stairs.
Even when the elevator doors opened beside her, she didn't spare them a glance. She seemed intent on going upstairs at all costs.
Onizuka watched her retreating figure, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
He looked down at the key card in his hand. His fingertips brushed its cold surface, but his gaze involuntarily grew profound.
"You put on a pretty convincing act..." he murmured.
"Too bad your eyes gave you away a little."