As soon as Sakayanagi returned to her dorm, she eagerly called Sakayanagi Narumori.
"Daddy~ I want the detailed admissions records for Kitagawa Kai from Class B."
Her soft, sweet voice held a coaxing note.
"Did he upset you, Arisu?" Sakayanagi Narumori, who doted on his daughter, sent her Kitagawa's information as he asked.
"No, Daddy~"
Sakayanagi Arisu leaned against the window, her tone as light as if she were sharing a newly discovered toy.
"I just think he's interesting. Very interesting."
"Interesting?" Sakayanagi Narumori was visibly relieved, but then keenly caught something unusual in his daughter's tone.
Something's wrong.
Nine out of ten kinds of wrong.
Since when did his precious daughter describe a boy she had only recently met in that tone?
"How is he interesting? You rarely use that word for boys your age, Arisu."
"I just feel like he's different from everyone else~"
Investigate Kitagawa Kai thoroughly.
Dig up absolutely everything on Kitagawa Kai.
Sakayanagi Narumori silently made up his mind.
My darling daughter absolutely, absolutely cannot be sweet-talked away by some brat who doesn't know his place!
In less than a minute, an encrypted email arrived.
Sakayanagi Arisu read Kitagawa Kai's file with interest.
[Name: Kitagawa Kai] [Academic ability: B] [Intelligence: C] [Judgment: C] [Physical ability: C] [Cooperation: C]
Interviewer's assessment: Exceptional appearance, all abilities at an ordinary person's level, somewhat divergent thinking, cooperation meets requirements.
The standard template for a Class B student, with neither strengths nor weaknesses.
But did that make sense?
Had those people in admissions lost their minds again?
Meanwhile, in the faculty office.
Hoshinomiya Chie sat at her desk with an exam paper spread out before her.
It was Kitagawa Kai's entrance exam paper.
Yet the longer she examined it, the more puzzled her expression became.
This exam paper... was far too unremarkable.
She picked it up again and carefully checked it over, confirming that she had not misread anything.
The score was neither high nor low, just barely meeting the admission cutoff, and every ability assessment was a C.
A thoroughly... ordinary person.
But Hoshinomiya Chie kept feeling that something was off.
"You've got to be kidding."
She murmured under her breath, her fingertips unconsciously tapping against the desktop with crisp clicks.
A bold thought took shape in her mind.
She needed more direct contact with him, to observe him and test him.
An eight a.m. class.
What a pain. Why did they have to schedule classes so early?
Kitagawa Kai yawned and splashed cold water on his face, managing to rouse himself enough to head out.
Just as he reached the elevator, its doors opened. He walked in and found someone already standing inside.
"Good morning, Kitagawa."
A bright, lively voice rang out in the confined space.
Ichinose was fixing her hair in the mirrored surface. When she saw him enter in the reflection, she immediately turned around, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
"Morning, Ichinose." Kitagawa Kai replied politely and pressed the floor button.
"Oh, right, why don't we exchange contact details?" Ichinose waved the Terminal on her wrist. Its screen lit up, showing a contact list densely packed with names.
Kitagawa Kai instinctively glanced at the handful of contacts on his phone screen.
What a stark contrast.
After they added each other, Ichinose's fingers flew across the screen. "I've added you to the class group."
Just like that, he had a beautiful girl's contact details.
They stepped out of the apartment building into the pleasant morning sunshine.
Ichinose fell into step beside him quite naturally.
Wherever they went, they drew plenty of friendly looks. Students approaching in twos and threes all smiled and greeted Ichinose.
"Morning, Ichinose!"
"You're full of energy today, too!"
Ichinose always returned these greetings with the same brilliant smile, handling them with ease.
Kitagawa Kai quietly walked beside her, watching the scene, and could not help remarking, "You really are charming, Ichinose."
"Not really." Hearing his quiet remark, Ichinose sheepishly stuck out her tongue. "Maybe it's because I smile a lot? Everyone likes being around cheerful people."
"I think there's more to it than that." Kitagawa Kai looked at her earnestly. "Your smile... is infectious."
"Seeing you smile puts me in a better mood, too."
Ichinose froze briefly, then a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She hurriedly waved her hands. "Oh, Kitagawa, you're too good with words. You're embarrassing me."
[Ding!] [Ichinose Honami's affection level +5. Current affection level: 35 (Friend)]
"Speaking of which, you haven't had breakfast yet, have you, Kitagawa?"
Kitagawa Kai paused in surprise.
She took a pale blue lunch bag out of the small bag she carried, pulled out a rice ball carefully wrapped in waxed paper, and pressed it into Kitagawa Kai's hand without giving him a chance to refuse.
"It's salmon and pickled plum. I made an extra one this morning."
"Thank you."
He took a small bite. The rice was just the right temperature.
"You're welcome~" Ichinose seemed quite pleased that he had accepted her kindness. "Actually, I make an extra one every morning."
"Playing like this is just unfair, Ichinose."
She tilted her head slightly, a playful look on her face. "Hmm? What's unfair?"
"Making such a delicious breakfast."
Kitagawa Kai paused, his gaze locking directly onto her eyes with a hint of heat. "What am I supposed to do from now on?"
Ichinose froze under his heated gaze. The tips of her ears quietly reddened, and she instinctively turned her face away.
"Kitagawa..." she muttered, her fingers unconsciously twisting the handles of her lunch bag. "Saying things like that is cheating."
Kitagawa Kai finished the rest of the rice ball in two or three bites and followed her. A subtle silence settled between them for a few seconds, with only the morning birdsong and distant chatter and laughter to be heard.
"I mean it." Kitagawa Kai's tone grew a little more earnest. "A breakfast this good is addictive after just one taste. It'd be a real shame if I couldn't have it again, wouldn't it?"
Ichinose slowed her steps.
"Then... if you don't mind, Kitagawa, I can share with you whenever I prepare an extra portion."
"Really?" Kitagawa Kai asked.
"Of course! It makes me happy to see people enjoy the food I make."
[Ding!] [Ichinose Honami's affection level +3. Current affection level: 38 (Friend)]
By the time Kitagawa Kai and Ichinose entered the classroom, more than half their classmates had arrived.
In a corner by the window, Shiranami Chihiro sat quietly in her seat, holding a book, but her eyes were not on its pages.
From the moment Kitagawa Kai and Ichinose appeared side by side in the classroom doorway, her gaze had been subtly following them.
That Kitagawa... he seems pretty close to Honami? Did they come together?