Ayanokouji stood up too and glanced at the drawings on the table. "Tsukishima, are you learning to draw?"
Tsukishima was sure there had to be an inert-gas processing plant in his lungs. How else could every sentence he said be so utterly flat, all in the same tone?
Tsukishima pulled a sheet of paper from the pile and handed it to him. "I'm planning to become a doujin artist, and I even asked Kushida to model for me."
"How's my drawing? Can you see a rising star in the art world?"
Ayanokouji took the drawing.
It showed a girl with wildly disproportionate limbs and somewhat distorted features. At first glance, it looked fairly convincing, but the longer you studied it, the stranger it became:
Her left arm was slightly longer than her right;
Something seemed to be wriggling in her chest;
Her eyes were different sizes, yet somehow the eyeballs were about the same size;
Her nostrils were different sizes, but her nostrils were otherwise identical;
Her mouth looked fairly normal, but the curves of her lips beneath that smile seemed a little off.
Ayanokouji figured Kushida hadn't seen the drawing. After a moment's silence, he said, "Well... there's a lot of room for improvement."
Tsukishima gave a snort, snatched the portrait from his hands, and waved him away. "Go on, get out. Anyone who can't appreciate art doesn't deserve to be in my room."
"Aw, that really hurts."
Tsukishima kept waving him away with his back turned.
"Having Kushida model for you is bound to start some bad rumors."
Tsukishima kept waving him away with his back turned.
"Is that Ichinose from Class B in that picture? You already have Kushida modeling for you."
Tsukishima kept waving him away with his back turned.
"You're so mean, Tsukishima."
Tsukishima kept waving him away with his back turned.
The two fell silent. A few minutes later, Ayanokouji left.
Tsukishima lowered his arm and cheered at the top of his lungs. "Woohoo! I won!"
Ayanokouji, who hadn't gone far, looked puzzled. What had Tsukishima won? Who had he beaten? Why had he won? How had he won?
Ayanokouji had been dragged into a "who gives up first" game for the first time, and he was a little confused.
The next day.
Ayanokouji watched Tsukishima's back.
Last night's events still lingered in his mind: What exactly had Tsukishima won?
He figured he should test the waters. So during the break, he drifted over to Tsukishima like a ghost. "Tsukishima..."
Tsukishima was using his little sketchbook and his phone to draw Ichinose. Ayanokouji's sudden voice startled him.
His hand jerked, and Ichinose's mouth burst free of the sketchbook's confines and onto his textbook.
Tsukishima clutched his chest and sprang out of his chair, nearly flipping the desk over. "Can't you make some noise when you walk? If not, why don't you wear a little bell? Or is silent mode standard issue for you 'Incompetents'?"
Ayanokouji stared expressionlessly at the "cross-media piece," his gaze lingering for two seconds on the mouth that stretched off into the heavens. He tried to crack a joke to ease the tension:
"Tsukishima, are you creating a new art movement? 'Surrealism: The Cross-Media Movement of Lips'?"
Tsukishima carefully closed the sketchbook, trying to force the runaway mouth back into place. Naturally, it was no use. "It took me ten minutes to find that 'perfect curve'! Your shouting ruined the whole thing!"
"Spit it out. Why aren't you busy being Horikita's Back Spirit? What do you want? Planning to model for me?"
Ayanokouji didn't take the bait. "Tsukishima, I have some reservations about your 'win' last night."
Tsukishima waved a hand. "That doesn't matter. You can declare yourself the winner too."
"I see."
Ayanokouji left.
He returned to his seat. As soon as he sat down, Horikita's voice reached his ears. "What did you talk about with him?"
Ayanokouji's gaze remained on Tsukishima. "Just a game from last night."
Perhaps he could use Kushida Kikyo and Ichinose Honami from Class B to control Tsukishima's actions.
He spoke again. "I heard Kushida Kikyo and Ichinose Honami from Class B are both his models."
Is he using drawing as an excuse to meet them more often, so he can influence and control Kushida and Ichinose?
"Are you planning to model for him? Maybe he'll draw your face on a butt."
"Hmm... If Horikita were willing to model for him, it might improve your relationship."
The emotional support, and the information gap that came with your status... Horikita, do you remember that lesson from the other day?
The pen in Horikita's hand paused.
Ayanokouji spoke again. "If Sudo and the others get expelled..."
Horikita bit her lip, seemingly torn.
"You saw it yesterday, too. President Horikita seemed to think very highly of him."
Horikita took a deep breath and glanced at Ayanokouji. "You..."
At noon.
Tsukishima was cornered by Horikita and her Back Spirit.
"Horikita, what is it?"
"I'll buy you lunch."
"Why would I let you buy me lunch? I have points of my own."
Tsukishima made a time-out gesture. "Horikita, if you're going to ask me to keep tutoring Sudo and the others, forget it. I really don't have time."
Horikita's expression didn't change. "You're learning to draw portraits and need models. Kushida has a lot of social engagements, and Ichinose is Class B's leader. I have more free time."
Tsukishima gave Horikita a surprised look, then glanced at her Back Spirit. "Not bad. You've improved. You know to do some research before negotiating."
"But there's still a problem. I'm learning to draw manga. Is manga the same as regular portraiture? More than a model's availability, shouldn't I care about how well they cooperate?"
Horikita frowned slightly. "How much cooperation do you need?"
Tsukishima was about to answer when he spotted Kushida Kikyo chatting with a friend while sneaking glances their way. He immediately beckoned to her. "Kushida, do you have a moment?"
Kushida and the girl beside her walked over. "What is it, Tsukishima?"
Tsukishima stroked his chin, then suddenly snapped to attention and spoke in a solemn tone. "Private Kushida! Our great manga enterprise has been challenged by our enemy, Horikita the Great Demon King!"
"She dares to doubt Saint Kushida's modeling abilities! Now, show her an ultra-ultra-ultra-ultra-cute expression and defeat Horikita the Great Demon King!"
Kushida was taken aback, but immediately played along. Her little face flushed as she stood at attention and saluted. "Yes, Tsukishima Marshal!"
Then she clasped her hands together, her big eyes shining with a dewy glimmer. Leaning forward slightly, she spoke in a lilting voice that seemed to flow from her throat into her mouth. "Horikita~ Would you be my friend~?"
Tsukishima nearly broke out in goosebumps. He could barely keep a straight face.
How did anyone make a sound like that? It was so sickly sweet it made his teeth ache!
Before you continue