Ordinary Days Sometimes Hide Undercurrents (3)

"Did you call me here because you had more news?"

"Am I not allowed to ask you out for karaoke?"

"Of course you are, but I can't help feeling like this has something to do with last time."

"..."

She really did have the bearing of a mob boss's daughter.

I glanced at the boy standing guard by the door...

You usually only saw a scene like this when a boss was negotiating a deal or a gang leader was about to have someone beaten up.

The music, which had been blaring, was turned off. Sakayanagi Arisu and I met at a karaoke place.

"The past exam questions are real. Ryuen Kakeru personally had Katsuragi verify them."

"If they're real, he should've kept them from you."

After all, the two of you were enemies.

I didn't spell it out, but she understood anyway.

Sakayanagi Arisu took a sip of her drink and said indifferently:

"This is probably a matter of strategy. He's treating this as an achievement. Meanwhile, I still haven't done anything so far."

"Even so, it feels like all you have to do is wait for Katsuragi to bring about his own downfall."

"Why do you say that?"

Her eyes brightened.

"Ryuen Kakeru's discovery of these past exam questions, along with the rumors that he rules Class C as the [Tyrant], both highlight his ambition. I don't think someone like Katsuragi Kouhei would be satisfied with this many Personal Points."

"If anything, Ryuen Kakeru is just waiting for someone to take the bait. It won't be long before the past exam questions can no longer be kept secret, and the upperclassmen are all hoping to make a profit from them."

"What the school wants is for someone to discover this condition and use it to avoid expulsion. But ever since we enrolled, this war has never been students versus the school. Even if Ryuen Kakeru really is short-sighted and only hopes to use this to earn some Personal Points and keep his classmates from being expelled..."

"Still, they won't let things end that way, will they?"

She set down the cup in her hand.

"Of course. It'd be far too boring if the exam ended so neatly."

"As the leader of Class A, I have to represent the highest-ranked students and formally greet everyone in our year, don't I?"

Then she changed tack, speaking with a mischievous air:

"If I tell that Ichinose Honami in your class to be careful, do you think she'll be so moved that she'll offer herself to you?"

"..."

"Come to think of it, getting outmaneuvered doesn't sound like the Sakayanagi Arisu I know."

"You're changing the subject again..."

Though she called out my rather obvious attempt to change the subject, she continued anyway.

"The students assigned to Class A were approved by the school... though I wouldn't exactly praise that."

"Sure, they have a bit of a head start at the beginning, but thinking they can maintain it all the way until graduation is far too naïve."

"Katsuragi has already distributed the past exam questions to his classmates and strictly told them to keep them secret. If those few at the bottom think they'll be fine just by holding on to the questions, I'm afraid they're in for a disappointment."

She brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek, a faint smile on her lips.

I'd once asked her why she'd told me all this.

"I want Hajima-kun to witness it with me..."

That was all she'd said.

"If you open the door any slower, someone's going to spot you!"

She sounded a little annoyed.

"And why does it have to be your room? The library or a café would be just as good."

"...Want something to drink?"

"Honestly... don't change the subject."

"I've only got water, so you'll have to make do."

"You're so annoying."

"I haven't even done anything."

"Anyway, about that test from last time..."

"Lately, I even dream about being in class. Give me a break."

Karuizawa lay facedown on the desk, shaking her head in protest.

After a while, she seemed to notice how quiet the room had gotten and lifted her head a little.

Her eyes met mine as I watched her.

"Come on, giving up now would mean all our efforts were for nothing."

I patted her head, trying to comfort her.

But for some reason, a strange feeling stirred faintly in the depths of my heart.

Her hair slipped through my fingers, and the sensation in my palm was unusually clear.

"How long are you going to keep touching my hair?!"

Karuizawa turned her gaze toward the window as if she didn't care, but I clearly saw the tips of her ears turn faintly red.

She smoothed the hair by her ear and bit her lower lip. After a long moment, she said:

"You idiot... is it really that nice to touch?"

"...Stop it! Do you have some kind of weird fetish?"

"Pervert..."

Though she complained like that, my hand hadn't moved at all, had it?

A faint friction brushed against my palm.

She really wasn't honest...

"...That's about it. After that, just write down what you need for the question."

She seemed distracted.

"Karuizawa?"

"..."

"Karuizawa Kei!"

I tried calling her, leaning closer as I did.

She was so absorbed. What was she thinking about...?

"Kei?"

"Huh?! What? Why'd you suddenly call me by my name?"

I watched her unfocused eyes slowly come into focus.

Was it because I'd called her by her first name?

For a moment, she seemed at a loss.

It seemed like girls didn't like being called by their first names. I vaguely remembered Tetsuya telling me that...

Calling someone that without permission would make them hate you.

That was what Tetsuya had said.

So was she angry?

"What did you just call me?"

"Nothing..."

"Kei... that's what you called me, right?"

"You seemed distracted, so I called out to you."

"If you don't like being called that, I'll be more careful next time."

At that, she seemed a little angry.

"What? You're so annoying..."

"Why are you mad again?!"

"Annoying!!!"

"You jerk... I hate you..."

"You called me that, so what? I never said..."

She looked at me with her cheeks puffed out, arms folded across her chest.

She was obviously angry, but for some reason, she seemed more like she was acting coy with me.

So it wasn't my fault for always teasing her, right...?

Wait! What did she say after that?

What did you just say?

If I asked her that, she'd punch me across the room, wouldn't she?

"I didn't quite catch that..."

"I hate you, Hajime Kashima!"

She threw herself at me.

The next second, she left her mark on my shoulder.

She really did bite hard.

I caught her to stop her from falling while keeping my balance.

"Hehe."

She scrunched up her cute little nose at me and gave a smug little snort.

I let her go and pretended to rub my shoulder in pain.

But she worriedly asked if she'd really hurt me.

When I didn't answer, she hurriedly pulled my hand away and tugged open my collar.

A faint bite mark came into view...

"How could that possibly hurt?"

When she saw my smug smile, she took a step back.

Huh? What was she about to do?

A shoulder charge came flying at me...

Just kidding. It was Lady Karuizawa's headbutt attack.

Wait... I wasn't ready this time!

I fell onto the bed, and she rested her head on my stomach.

"Are you okay, Kei?"

I patted her head.

Kei kept her arms around my waist and shook her head.

Then, a certain harmonious mood settled over the room.