On the walk to the cafeteria.
Sakayanagi maintained her usual elegance and composure, her steps light, though she still occasionally glanced at Kitagawa beside her.
She noticed that each of his steps was steady and measured, keeping just the right distance and pace.
He had clearly taken their differences in height and stamina into account.
"Do you usually take care of other girls like this too, Kitagawa-kun?"
She tilted her head slightly, with an almost imperceptible hint of probing.
"No."
Sakayanagi raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to follow up with something like, "Because you're special."
"I'm just after your good looks." His tone was casual, as though he were stating something perfectly natural, but it made Sakayanagi laugh despite herself.
Of course Sakayanagi knew she was cute.
She even appealed very specifically to certain people's tastes.
But no one had ever said something like that to his face before.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, like a cat studying interesting prey, and said languidly, "Kitagawa-kun, being able to say something like that so brazenly is truly... admirable."
Kitagawa Kai looked innocent, that mischievous smile still on his lips. "What's wrong with expressing myself honestly?"
"You carried me straight into the Class A classroom on our first meeting. How bold of you."
"Wasn't it romantic? A beautiful accident."
"Besides, we were a little pressed for time."
Kitagawa Kai answered offhandedly, as though he hadn't been the one who had picked her up yesterday.
In the end, Sakayanagi Arisu merely looked away and softly uttered:
"...Sneaky."
The cafeteria's second floor.
The gourmet snack section.
The ordering counter.
"Insufficient balance."
The cold mechanical voice suddenly sounded.
Sakayanagi Arisu stared at the terminal screen.
After she had lost their chess match earlier, her points had been transferred straight to Kitagawa Kai.
Now, she was penniless.
The air froze for a moment.
Kitagawa was getting food at a counter farther away and wouldn't be back for a while.
Sakayanagi's little head worked furiously as her gaze swept across the area, finally settling on a reasonably familiar classmate-the dazed-looking Kamuro Masumi.
Her eyes lit up, and she approached with a hint of urgency. "Kamuro, could you... lend me a few points to tide me over?"
"Huh?"
Kamuro Masumi tilted her head sluggishly, as though she hadn't fully woken up.
Her eyes were full of enormous question marks.
She had spent all night wriggling around in bed, unable to sleep, and looked even more muddled than usual, her reactions half a beat slow.
"Well, if it isn't Classmate Sakayanagi Arisu. Just one day, and you've fallen this... uh, become this strapped for cash?"
Kamuro had opened her mouth to mock her, but probably remembering Sakayanagi's status just as the words reached her lips, she forcibly swallowed "fallen this far" and replaced it with "strapped for cash."
Sakayanagi Arisu stiffened for a moment, but her good upbringing kept her from losing her composure, and she was about to give a brief explanation.
Kitagawa Kai walked over carrying his freshly filled tray and spotted the white-haired little girl's predicament at a glance.
A soft beep sounded.
He casually used his own terminal to pay the points for her.
Sakayanagi paused, and before she could speak, Kitagawa had already turned to meet the eyes of the still-clueless Kamuro beside them.
Their eyes met, and information rapidly passed between them in silence-
Kitagawa: (signaling with his eyes) Why am I running into you again?
Kamuro: (narrowing her eyes) Bad luck! Bad luck! Bad luck!
Kamuro: (looking disgusted) Demons and monsters, begone!
Kamuro: (suddenly focusing, looking at Sakayanagi, then glaring at him) Wait, how did Sakayanagi Arisu lose all her points? You pervert, you're tricking pretty girls again.
Kitagawa: (shrugging, his gaze frank) I asked, and she gave them to me.
Kamuro: (looking him up and down suspiciously) Did you insist?
Kitagawa: (shaking his head slightly in resignation)
She lost them to me fair and square.
Kamuro: (pouting, with an "as if I'd believe you" expression) You must have used some evil trick.
Kitagawa: (raising an eyebrow with an exaggerated expression) Is that really how you see me?
Kamuro: (nodding emphatically, her gaze certain) What else? Kitagawa the pervert!
The corner of Kitagawa's mouth twitched, and he merely mouthed back, "Kitten!!!"
Kamuro instantly bristled, her entire face flushing red. She shot Kitagawa a fierce glare and hurriedly turned to flee like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, even her retreating figure betraying panic and embarrassed anger.
Sakayanagi watched their entire silent duel from the side, first tilting her head slightly and furrowing her delicate brows.
Why did it feel as though they were thinking something rude?
Then she realized they were communicating something, and her tone took on a teasing edge. "It seems something happened between you and Kamuro, Kitagawa-kun."
Kitagawa gave her an innocent look and shrugged. "Nothing much. Kamuro just has some... unique misconceptions about me."
Carrying their trays, the two sat down opposite each other.
The pretty girl picked up her silver fork, gently cut the food on her tray into bite-sized pieces, and brought them to her mouth in small bites.
Every movement was pleasing to the eye, fully displaying her aristocratic upbringing.
Elegant. Truly elegant.
By comparison, Kitagawa picked up his chopsticks and shoveled down his food.
He couldn't help it. Faced with such delicious-looking, fragrant food, he simply couldn't restrain his appetite.
This was the university life he had dreamed of.
Advanced Nurturing, we love and respect you.
"Classmate Sakayanagi, do you eat chicken drumsticks?" Kitagawa Kai asked, raising the glistening roast drumstick on his tray.
"No, thank you." Sakayanagi politely declined.
"All right, I'll eat it, then."
As he spoke, Kitagawa Kai casually reached out with his chopsticks and snatched the barely touched drumstick from Sakayanagi's bowl.
"..."
What was wrong with this guy?
Was he determined to pick on her alone?
Now she couldn't even eat in peace!
Sakayanagi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly.
For the first time, those beautiful eyes showed anger toward Kitagawa Kai.
Looking at the onsen egg in Kitagawa's bowl, she came up with an idea.
"Kitagawa-kun, do you eat eggs?"
"I'm still a little hungry, actually. Thanks for the egg. How kind of you."
Kitagawa Kai's answer was brisk and decisive, and then, with lightning speed, he precisely picked up the onsen egg.
Whoosh-
Amid the faint clink of chopsticks against porcelain, the plump, rounded egg landed securely on his tray.
Sakayanagi Arisu: "..."
She watched helplessly as Kitagawa Kai shoveled the egg into his mouth in a few bites and even smacked his lips in satisfaction.
Sakayanagi Arisu fell utterly silent.
This man's shamelessness had already surpassed the bounds of human comprehension.
Sakayanagi put down her knife and fork and gently wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, her movements no longer elegant. "Kitagawa-kun, what do you think of this school?"
Kitagawa Kai was busy working through the food on his plate. Hearing her, he raised his head and spoke indistinctly, still chewing:
"Beautiful scenery, a pleasant climate, and stylish buildings."
"Plus, the graduation rate and the rate of advancement to higher education are both a hundred percent. Most importantly, there's not even any tuition. It's practically paradise."
"You know that's not what I'm asking."
The smile faded from Sakayanagi Arisu's face, and her voice finally carried a hint of temper.
"Whatever you want to know, Classmate Sakayanagi," he swallowed the food in his mouth, "I'll come find you later."
In the end, Sakayanagi Arisu still hadn't managed to ask what she wanted to know.
She left the cafeteria with hurried steps, her retreating figure radiating a strong refusal to admit defeat.