Kushida's Reverse Play

Tsukishima's mouth twitched. He looked over the faces of the boys in class one by one and gave them a thumbs-up. "I've figured it out. You're all something else. I thought I already knew you pretty well, but I never expected this. I really didn't."

"As for what's going on between Kushida and me... what the hell does it have to do with you?"

He had no intention of explaining. There was nothing to it, really—it was just a matter of the popular girl in class having feelings for someone.

It was even a good thing for him, since Kushida had shown neither fear nor resistance, but shyness and delight.

The girls would assume Kushida had developed feelings for Tsukishima after spending so much time with him. At most, they'd try to talk her out of it and then gossip about it.

The boys, meanwhile, would go from fearing and admiring Tsukishima to envying him. They might even find him easier to approach now, probably coming to chat about lewd stuff and asking him to teach them how to pick up girls.

In a way, Kushida's little performance had actually improved his standing in the class.

Tsukishima rested a hand on Kushida's head and patted it three times. Then, amid the envious, jealous stares of the boys, he bent down and whispered in her ear, "We need to have a proper talk sometime."

"Mm..."

Kushida covered her face and nodded, then bowed her head even lower.

"What did Tsukishima say to her?"

"Could it... could it have been something adult?"

"No way! What are you thinking? Kushida is pure forever!"

At noon, Kushida left with Tsukishima, leaving the boys' hearts shattered.

In a corner of the cafeteria, Kushida ate her curry rice with her head down while Tsukishima watched her.

They sat in awkward silence until Tsukishima spoke first.

"Come on, you're still eating? What, have you switched to playing a glutton now?"

"Mm... Being a model is tiring, so I've been eating more? Mmm~ I'll stop eating. Don't abandon me~"

"...So what are you up to now? Improving my standing in class while reinforcing the story of how you sacrificed yourself for the class and fell into depravity?"

Kushida didn't answer. She cupped her cheeks and smiled innocently, glanced around, then her eyes lit up. "Horikita, over here~~"

Tsukishima blinked and looked back. Horikita Suzune and Kiyotaka Ayanokouji were walking over with their trays and sat down beside them.

Horikita didn't seem willing to come, but after Ayanokouji said something to her, she came over.

Ayanokouji sat beside Tsukishima, but Horikita didn't sit beside Kushida. Instead, she took a seat a little farther away from them.

She looked somewhat displeased.

"Are you two some kind of linked summons? Wherever Horikita goes, Ayanokouji is always within three steps?"

Tsukishima quipped.

"Just a coincidence," Ayanokouji said blandly.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and chuckled. "That's not convincing at all."

He kept his eyes on Horikita while casually reaching into Ayanokouji's tray, picking up a big piece of meat, and popping it into his mouth.

Horikita's gaze sharpened—she'd noticed Tsukishima's deliberate move, and she'd also noticed that Ayanokouji hadn't tried to stop him at all.

"Looks like someone's betrayed me."

She turned to Ayanokouji, her voice turning cold.

"When did I ever swear loyalty to you, Horikita?" Ayanokouji replied with a mild quip.

The air fell silent for a second.

Kushida suddenly stood up, picked up her tray, and moved to the seat across from Horikita.

Horikita gave a cold laugh. "Kushida, I didn't expect you to handle things this way. So, are you here to gloat?"

Kushida's expression didn't change. She put on a serious look and met Horikita Suzune's gaze for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Horikita, I'm here to thank you!"

"If you hadn't threatened me over Tsukishima, I wouldn't have made up my mind so quickly to face my own feelings.

"And... I also wanted you to see for yourself how happy I am now. That way, you can stop worrying, right?"

Horikita Suzune froze. Her brow furrowed, and she let out a cold laugh. "I threatened you, and you're thanking me?"

Kushida shook her head and said earnestly, "Horikita, do you know how many people regret it for the rest of their lives because they were just one step away?"

"Even though you threatened me, you also pushed me to take that step! Thank you, Horikita!"

Horikita pressed her lips together, then finally said coldly, "Think what you want. Don't hold us back during the midterm study group."

After that, she glanced at Ayanokouji and left without changing her expression.

Tsukishima understood what had happened now. In short, Horikita had threatened Kushida, most likely over him, and Kushida's little act today was her counterattack. But judging by Kushida's attitude, she planned to use this to get on better terms with Horikita?

She was sacrificing her perfect saint image to get close to Horikita. Kushida was clearly after something. But what?

As he pondered, he kept picking meat from Ayanokouji's tray.

Ayanokouji quietly moved his tray, so Tsukishima's chopsticks picked up a piece of green pepper instead.

Tsukishima chewed without changing his expression. "Horikita abandoned you, and now you're protecting your meat, Ayanokouji?"

Ayanokouji put the last piece of meat into his mouth and swallowed before replying, "Green peppers are delicious too."

After a moment of silence, Ayanokouji said calmly, "Horikita seems a little impatient."

Tsukishima glanced at him. "Then hurry up and chase after her. Hurry up and help her come up with a plan, so she doesn't stab you with her compass when you get back."

Before Ayanokouji could speak, Tsukishima added, "By the way, when a normal person gets stabbed with a compass, they cry out and show that it hurts. They also get angry."

Ayanokouji still wore the same expression. "So that's how it is?"

Tsukishima sighed and put an arm around his shoulder. "You should watch movies, read manga, anime, novels, and other forms of entertainment. They might help you go from an AI to a real person."

Kushida tilted her head as she looked at the two of them, her big eyes full of confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Tsukishima waved a hand. "Nothing. We're just discussing technological development and social progress."

Ayanokouji looked at them both, picked up his tray, and stood. "I'll give it a try."

Not long after he left, Tsukishima and Kushida also walked away together.

As they walked along a path on campus,

Tsukishima glanced around. The path was deserted, so he lowered his voice. "Did Horikita threaten you?"

Kushida wore an innocent, bashful expression. Lowering her head, she said softly, "Yeah. That bitch..."

She briefly explained what Horikita had said to threaten her.

Tsukishima nodded. "That's just her personality. If it benefits her, she doesn't care about saving face at all. So was your little act this morning a counterattack? It doesn't seem like you."

Saint Kushida, the pure and innocent girl, would take a big hit to her image if she had someone she liked, or even started dating someone. If she only wanted to retaliate, she didn't need to go that far.

Especially since she'd thanked Horikita over lunch, making it clear that Kushida had feelings for Tsukishima.

If word got out, so many boys would have their hearts broken, and so many girls would gossip about it behind her back.

Kushida kept her pure, innocent expression and said softly, "I need to get on good terms with Horikita and confirm a few things. I need a reason to get close to her and make her underestimate me."

Tsukishima nodded. "Getting flustered and exposing your secret because someone threatened you would definitely make her underestimate you. But with the way you and I are, I doubt she'll trust you."

"I don't need her to trust me. I just need her to underestimate me."

"So what are you trying to confirm? Can you tell me? If you can't, forget it. I'm just curious."

Kushida hesitated, then shook her head. "Sorry..."

Tsukishima waved a hand. "It's fine. Everyone has secrets. Tell me when you're ready. And if there's anything you need me to do, just let me know."