The hallway outside the teachers' office was silent.
Kitagawa Kai pushed the door open and saw Hoshinomiya Chie practically pressed against another closed wooden door inside the office, as if she were eavesdropping on something.
Her usual white blouse was taut around the waist as she leaned forward, outlining her rather voluptuous figure.
Hoshinomiya held an index finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.
Wasn't this Chabashira Sae's office?
This should be fun.
Kitagawa Kai flashed a knowing grin and quietly moved closer.
The door wasn't thick, and the conversation was faintly audible.
"Chabashira-sensei, you said the school assigns students to classes according to ability. The outstanding students are chosen for Class A, while Class D is where the defective ones gather."
That was Horikita Suzune's voice, sounding a little confused and higher-pitched than usual.
"So you think you're outstanding?"
Chabashira Sae seemed to have expected her to ask this. Her voice was calm, almost cold.
"I thought I'd answered all the questions on the entrance exam..."
Horikita considered herself exceptionally capable. Her academic and physical abilities were both among the best of the girls, so there was no way she should have been placed in Class D.
"Your entrance exam? Your score was indeed impressive. You ranked fourth among the First Years, and your score was close to those of the students above you. Your interview went well, too. It seems you performed very well."
"Then why..."
"Before that," Chabashira interrupted, a hint of barely perceptible amusement entering her voice. "Why are you so dissatisfied with being assigned to Class D?"
"Who would be satisfied with an incorrect assessment? The difference between these classes is so obvious, and their future prospects are worlds apart. This could affect our entire time at university."
"Incorrect?" Chabashira repeated, giving a soft laugh. "No, Horikita. Being in Class D is the most accurate assessment this system could give you."
"..."
"Then how would you assess Koenji Rokusuke in your class?"
"He does whatever he wants, has no logic to anything he does, and spends all day looking in the mirror."
Chabashira Sae didn't reply. A moment later came the rustle of a drawer opening and papers being shuffled. After a while, she seemed to pull something out. "Take a look at this."
There was a brief silence, presumably while she showed it to her.
Pointing it out to Horikita, she said, "Koenji tied for first in the grade on the written exams, and he's very athletic, too. By your standards, he should be in Class A, right?"
"..."
"But he's in your class. Why? Because during his interview, he told the interviewer, 'It's your honor to be classmates with the great me, isn't it?'"
Horikita Suzune's breathing hitched slightly.
"Do you see the problem, Horikita?"
"Everyone in Class D has a flaw of their own. You're no exception, of course."
Outside the door, Kitagawa Kai narrowed his eyes slightly. Hoshinomiya covered her mouth with one hand and her shoulders shook, as if she were struggling to hold back laughter.
Just then-
"Click."
The door in front of them opened from the inside without warning.
Chabashira Sae stood in the doorway in a neat black suit, her expression blank. Only her sharp eyes showed any hint of emotion as she looked at Hoshinomiya Chie, who was pressed against the door and hadn't yet had time to adjust her posture, and at Kitagawa Kai, standing half a step behind her and looking just as out of place.
The air froze for three seconds.
"Hoshinomiya, Kitagawa. What are you doing?"
The two immediately put their hands behind their backs and gave awkward, Tom-and-Jerry-style smiles.
"Oh, Kozue! What a coincidence! I was just looking for Kitagawa to talk about something, and then I heard you seemed to have a student here, so I just... thought I'd check in! Right, Kitagawa?"
As she spoke, Hoshinomiya nudged Kitagawa Kai with her elbow.
Kitagawa Kai bowed slightly, trying to salvage the situation. "Chabashira-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei did indeed ask me to come by. I'm very sorry for disturbing you."
"Since Hoshinomiya-sensei has something to discuss with Kitagawa," Chabashira Sae said, breaking the awkward silence. She looked at Horikita. "Horikita, if you have no other questions, we'll stop here for today."
That was a clear dismissal.
Horikita Suzune walked out with her back straight and chin slightly raised, though her face was somewhat pale.
Just as she passed Kitagawa Kai, her uniform shoe came down hard on his foot without mercy.
"Ugh!"
Kitagawa Kai let out an extremely brief muffled groan.
The girl didn't look back, and had no intention of explaining or apologizing.
Silence settled over the office again, but the atmosphere was even more charged than before.
Kitagawa Kai unobtrusively shifted his weight onto his right foot. His left foot throbbed dully.
What the hell?
This was beyond the usual Horikita Suzune. He'd have to come out swinging at lunch today.
Only after Horikita's footsteps had completely faded did Chabashira Sae look back at the two still standing in the doorway. Her tone remained flat. "Now you can discuss whatever you came here to discuss."
The awkward smile on Hoshinomiya Chie's face was about to fall apart. She gave a couple of dry laughs and hurriedly pulled Kitagawa Kai back a step. "W-well, we won't disturb you, then! You get back to work, Chabashira!"
With that, she practically dragged Kitagawa Kai back to her own office, fleeing as if her life depended on it. She shut the door behind them with a "click."
Hoshinomiya let out a long breath, patting her chest as a sweet smile returned to her face.
"That was close, that was close..." she muttered as she walked toward her desk. "I almost got executed on the spot by Kozue's glare."
Hoshinomiya turned around, intending to invite Kitagawa Kai to sit down and talk.
But she saw that he had already made himself at home on the little sofa, lounging in a manner worthy of a "big shot." He even shifted to find a more comfortable position, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
Hoshinomiya raised an eyebrow. She wasn't annoyed; if anything, she found it amusing.
"Was that million yen well spent? Class D's results now should... meet your expectations, right?"
"It's... an unexpected delight, to say the least. Zero points, a brand-new record. Kozue must get a headache just looking at the Class D sign, right?"
"So," Hoshinomiya Chie suddenly crouched beside Kitagawa Kai's sofa, "we really should thank our Little Kitagawa properly. What do you think, teacher? How should I thank you?"
Kitagawa Kai lowered his gaze to the young teacher crouching beside him, completely unguarded. The lazy air about him hadn't faded.
"Is Little Chie planning to seduce me?"
At that, Hoshinomiya Chie's face took on an even deeper, more intense excitement, mixed with a heated thrill at being insulted.
Her gaze swept over him even more brazenly, from his handsome brow to his calm eyes, then down to his sharply defined jaw.
On close inspection, the student really was handsome in a cool, aloof sort of way.
Hoshinomiya didn't look embarrassed or shift out of her crouched position. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, letting her long hair fall more naturally over her shoulder and neck, showing her earnestness.
"Oh-caught me, huh? Was I being that obvious?"
"Extremely obvious, teacher. But, Little Chie, I'm in a pretty bad mood today, too..."
"Hmm?"
Hoshinomiya chuckled softly and edged closer, her knees nearly touching his calves.
(I adjusted Hoshinomiya's character a little. She's just a drunkard, that's all.)
Right at this critical moment, Kitagawa Kai calmly took out his Personal Terminal, tapped Ichinose's name, typed a message, and sent it.
[Sorry, something came up. Could you ask for me to be excused from the class in a little while? -Kitagawa]