Whew. Holding a bowl of eel rice that steamed with heat, I carefully navigated around the people and tables.
At noon, students came and went.
Since the restaurant had just opened, many students eager to try something new had gathered there, even though it was a little way from the school building.
I stayed alert to avoid spilling anything in a collision and staining my uniform.
Where were Ichinose and the others?
I stepped aside to let people pass and stood by the seats, trying to spot them.
After looking around, I found them in a relatively quiet corner.
I saw Ichinose wave to me from a short distance away, and nodded back.
I headed in her direction.
Two girls were seated, and across from them were two steaming plates of food.
A couple of classmates must have gone to buy something else.
They had chosen a corner seat by the wall. Unlike the square tables in the middle of the restaurant, which had four chairs facing one another, the wall-side of the corner had a long, soft sofa.
They'd made good use of the corner, probably with groups dining together in mind.
Ichinose and a girl were sitting together on the sofa.
I vaguely remembered Shiranami Chihiro.
I often saw her around Ichinose. They were practically inseparable.
But honestly, it wasn't hard to understand why Ichinose drew people to her...
"Is that all you're having for lunch?"
I figured that if she didn't have much of an appetite, something simple and light might be better.
Would one bowl of vegetable noodles be enough to keep her energetic through the afternoon?
"I don't really feel hungry today... And sometimes I worry that I've put on weight lately, so I want to eat a little less and lose some."
Ichinose... was worried about being fat?
Even at lunchtime, Ichinose sat as straight as she did during class.
Until now, I'd only had a vague impression of her figure from her profile in class. Seeing her straight on was unexpectedly striking.
The buttons at her collar were stretched noticeably.
Rather than calling her fat, it would be more accurate to say she was well-proportioned...
Though somehow, even that didn't quite seem to fit.
Ichinose lowered her head, looking a little dejected. She seemed anxious about maintaining her figure.
Suddenly, a pair of fair arms wrapped around her.
Smooch~
"Honami, you're not fat at all! You don't need to diet or anything!"
Shiranami Chihiro rubbed her cheek against Ichinose's.
"Your figure is already great, so don't go skipping meals or dieting!"
"And your waist doesn't have even a bit of extra fat!"
Pinch...
Whether it was the sudden cuddling or the attack on her sensitive waist, Ichinose's fair cheeks took on a faint blush.
"Chihiro-chan, s-stop..."
She'd turned to face Shiranami Chihiro so she could push her away more easily, but that only seemed to encourage the other girl's enthusiasm.
The head resting on Ichinose's shoulder slid down to her chest. Shiranami repeatedly shook her head, rubbing her forehead back and forth.
A blissful smile spread across her face as she enjoyed herself.
I propped my chin on my hand and quietly watched the two of them fool around.
"Good afternoon, Hajima-kun."
Sou Shibata sat down beside me and set the drinks he'd been carrying on the table.
"Good afternoon."
I nodded slightly.
"I wasn't sure what everyone liked, so I just bought a few drinks that looked good."
As he spoke, he warmly offered the drinks to us.
I glanced at Ichinose, curious about what she liked.
It was a trivial thing, but the table suddenly fell quiet.
Noticing the change in atmosphere, I instinctively pulled my thoughts back and looked around.
Shibata wore his usual smile as he watched Ichinose.
He wore that smile so often that it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
Shiranami Chihiro glanced at the drinks he was offering, but didn't seem interested in picking one. Instead, she turned her attention to Ichinose.
Everyone here was paying close attention to Ichinose Honami.
When I looked back at Ichinose, her eyes met mine, glimmering faintly.
She pressed her lips together, then spoke.
"Thanks, Shibata-kun."
"But I don't really feel like having a drink right now..."
She smiled openly. Even as she turned him down, her smile was like a warm spring breeze.
It was the kind of refusal that was impossible to resent.
"I see. Maybe I didn't pick a flavor you like, then. That's all right."
"Come to think of it, no one expected something like this to happen so suddenly."
Sou Shibata spoke as if hinting at something.
"Well... It's not that nobody saw it coming. Most of us were just too caught up in the leniency the school had shown us."
"Looking back now, there were suspicious signs in a lot of places."
His usual smile had vanished, replaced by a faint, rueful one.
"What's done is done. There's no point talking about it now."
"Instead, we should think about how to get back what's ours."
Ryuji Kamizaki's voice came from a short distance away.
He came over, sat down, and nodded to everyone in greeting.
"I've at least managed to calm the unease in the class. Our Class Points shouldn't keep falling, anyway. We still don't know what kind of trials we're going to face, but teamwork is bound to make up a significant portion."
Perhaps remembering his unpleasant conversation with the girls during the morning break, Ryuji Kamizaki frowned.
"If it's something one person can take charge of through their own ability, I don't mind if those who lack ability do nothing, as long as they don't get in my way."
"But if it requires cooperation with others, then frankly, I think they'll hold us back."
As I listened to him, I quietly slid the soda I'd been eyeing for a while in front of me.
Everyone else seemed absorbed in the question of the class's future. Only Shiranami Chihiro looked over.
Ryuji Kamizaki's opinion was a little too hasty.
Unless someone had the kind of overwhelming ability that let them dominate everyone else, they couldn't ignore the value each person brought to a team.
And anyone with that kind of ability wouldn't dismiss teamwork, with all its potential, either.
A rich man says, "I'm not interested in money."
His wealth is what gives him the confidence to say it.
I have no money, and I say I'm not interested in money.
People might wonder whether I really have no interest in it, or whether I'm simply incapable of acquiring it.
Am I being honest about that?
Of course, I can tell myself in good conscience that I really don't think money is all that important. As long as I have enough to get by, I'm fine.
As far as self-awareness goes, I know myself better than anyone. I know for certain that I wouldn't lie to myself.
But if you want to convince someone else, I think providing some kind of proof is far better than making unsupported claims.
You have to do something to prove that what you say is true.
After all, I think only those who have truly had something are qualified to judge it.
So I was curious to see whether Ryuji Kamizaki had the kind of ability that would impress everyone.
Or if he was simply suffering from a common flaw of people his age...
Crack.
Come to think of it, soda water couldn't really be called a drink, could it?
Compared to all those oddly sweet beverages, this one was at least to my taste.
Some people said it tasted awful.
But when I took the time to savor it, I found the texture quite unusual. I didn't have any strong opinion about the taste.
It probably just came down to personal preference.
"I think it would be better to get to know one another before reaching a conclusion."
Sou Shibata, who'd listened carefully to Ryuji Kamizaki, spoke with some hesitation.
"It's not that I doubt your ability, Kamizaki-kun. I'm sure you're very capable. But I don't want you to judge everyone unfairly because of that little disagreement during the break."
"What do you think, Kamizaki-kun?"
Sou Shibata looked straight at him.
"You don't have to flatter me. But you're right. I was only offering a suggestion based on my own point of view. And I really do think that even if our Personal Points were cut in half, we'd still have enough to live on."
"I think it's the right thing to do, but not one person responded to me. I have to admit, that left me a little disappointed in the other students in our class."
Listening to him, I couldn't help thinking that he was pretty honest.
"Can I share my thoughts?"
I tried to speak up.
"Of course!"
"Putting aside what we were talking about earlier, I just want to share my thoughts on Personal Points."
"I think Personal Points may become even more important in the future. Have any of you noticed the free food counter that's always in the cafeteria, and the daily necessities near the expiry date, set aside in the corner of the supermarket?"
Shiranami Chihiro and Sou Shibata both looked a little surprised.
"I used to think those were the school's way of helping students without Personal Points—like welfare, or a safety net. But I don't think any upperclassman would spend all their points and then rely on the school's assistance to get by."
"You mean..."
Ryuji Kamizaki considered this carefully.
"Personal Points may have uses we can't even imagine."
Ichinose added:
"And during the break, I read the first clause of the section on Personal Points in the student handbook carefully. It said, 'Personal Points can be used to purchase anything.'"
"Example 1: Students may use 20 million Personal Points to purchase the right to transfer classes."
Even I couldn't help feeling surprised by that rule.
"20 million Personal Points... Could anyone actually reach that amount?"
Sou Shibata said with a thoughtful look.
"I'm not sure, but at least it proves that Hajima-kun's theory makes sense."
"Personal Points are more useful than we might think."
I agreed with her. Not only had she understood what I meant, she'd even added to it.
"You're really smart."
I smiled at her and gave her a thumbs-up.
Ichinose lowered her head shyly and tucked back her bangs.
Then she spoke:
"If possible, wouldn't it be better to save some Personal Points in case anything unexpected happens in the future?"
"Even knowing how valuable Personal Points might be, we can't force everyone to do anything. At most, we can try to persuade them."
"We could require everyone to contribute some of their points, couldn't we? But even if we could do that, who would manage them?"
Ryuji Kamizaki raised a question.
"I think Hajima-kun could manage the class treasury."
After considering it for a moment, Ichinose recommended me.
"Me?"
"Hajima-kun would definitely do a good job!"
"It's not that I'm unwilling. But this kind of responsibility should go to someone everyone trusts, shouldn't it?"
"Besides, convincing everyone to take part will be difficult in itself."
Perhaps thinking of the state of the class, Ichinose looked troubled too.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her warm lips pressed together.
For now, the pressure didn't come from competing against other classes. It came from the instability and lack of unity within their own class.
There wasn't anyone causing trouble for the class atmosphere, but it was more like a country divided among several warlords.
Apart from a few students who got along with every group, most students only spent time in their own circles.
That would mean a certain lack of collective pride.
That would also be the first challenge Ichinose faced in trying to lead Class B.
"At least now we have a clear goal to work toward..."
"Everyone can work toward it together. Even if it's difficult, that's all right!"
Shiranami Chihiro, who'd been quietly eating and listening to us, spoke in a soft voice.
"Besides, I believe in you, Honami!"
She gently wrapped her arms around Ichinose.
The girl's eyes reflected countless tiny stars.
Before you continue