Night had fully fallen, and the bustle across campus was gradually dying down.
In the living room of Dorm 601, warm yellow light fell softly over the four of them, wrapping them in a cozy atmosphere.
Walnut closed her laptop and turned to Mazumi Mami, seated in the middle of the sofa. She began her intelligence report. "Young master, I've confirmed the identity of the girl you asked me to investigate."
She adjusted her glasses and opened the files on her laptop. "Her name is Suzune Horikita, a student in Class 1-D. She also has another identity that's quite interesting—she's the younger sister of Manabu Horikita, the current Student Council president."
"Oh?"
Mazumi Mami raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "His younger sister? No wonder her expression was so complicated when she saw Manabu Horikita take the stage."
"That's right. As for her appearing alongside Kiyotaka Ayanokouji..." Walnut continued, swiping across the touchpad.
"According to the campus surveillance footage I accessed, she wasn't the one who approached Kiyotaka. Quite the opposite—Kiyotaka Ayanokouji was the one who went out of his way to get close to Suzune Horikita."
Walnut finished.
Mazumi Mami's gaze sharpened slightly. "Oh? What makes you say that?"
"The surveillance records from the start of term show that Kiyotaka Ayanokouji has appeared near Suzune Horikita again and again. It may look accidental on the surface, but it happens too often to be a coincidence."
Walnut pulled up several surveillance stills. They clearly showed Kiyotaka Ayanokouji and Suzune Horikita in the same frame. "And Suzune Horikita isn't friendly toward him. You could even say she treats him badly. No matter how harshly she speaks to him or how coldly she acts, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji still stays by her side. She just can't get rid of him."
Walnut paused, then summed up her findings in one sentence. "Based on my analysis, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji probably has a pretty strong masochistic streak."
"..."
Mazumi Mami's mouth twitched, and then he couldn't help laughing. "You certainly don't pull your punches when you judge him."
"The facts are the facts. I can't reach any other conclusion."
Walnut replied without a change in expression, her tone as calm as ever. "If his personal information weren't still so mysterious that it's nearly impossible to uncover everything, I'd even wonder whether we'd found the wrong person."
She scrolled through the files on her laptop. "I also looked into Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's current social circle, and the results were quite interesting—almost none of his friends are normal."
She projected another set of files onto the screen. "First, Ken Sudō—a hot-tempered, quick-to-anger boy who often gets into fights. Hiro Ikechi—a narcissist with an inflated opinion of himself. And Haruki Yamauchi—a compulsive liar who never thinks before he talks."
"Under normal circumstances, these four would never have crossed paths."
Walnut summed up. "Yet somehow, they've become a little group. And Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is one of its central figures."
Chisato Nishikigi, who had been listening quietly, suddenly raised her hand and cut in. "Let me add something! Based on what I heard chatting with the girls in class today, I think Kiyotaka Ayanokouji isn't just a masochist. He might also be seriously repressed and a pervert!"
"Why do you say that?"
Runa Inoue asked curiously.
Chisato Nishikigi counted on her fingers. "Think about it. Of the three friends he's made, look at how Ken Sudō stares at Suzune Horikita—like a wolf eyeing its prey. And Hiro Ikechi and Haruki Yamauchi are even more shamelessly creepy when they look at Kikyou Kushida. It's obvious they all have... wicked thoughts about the pretty girls in class that go beyond being classmates."
She folded her arms and declared with absolute certainty, "Since Kiyotaka Ayanokouji hangs around with guys like that, I doubt he's just a masochist. He's got to be secretly lecherous too! Besides, didn't he take part in some 'boob-ranking contest' with the boys in class? Doesn't that say enough?"
"...Now that you mention it, that does make sense."
Runa Inoue nodded thoughtfully.
But she immediately raised another question. "Still... if Kiyotaka Ayanokouji really is the 'Supreme Masterpiece,' is this all he's capable of? He can't even control his own desires, and he's so obvious about it?"
She frowned slightly. "Could he be... pretending on purpose? After all, if his background really is that mysterious, it would make sense for him to act like an unremarkable, ordinary student."
"That's certainly possible."
Mazumi Mami nodded in agreement, his gaze growing intense. "True or not, the more information we have on him, the better."
He stood up and walked over to the window, looking out at the sparsely lit campus in the night. "The more information we have, the more it benefits us. Walnut, keep gathering intelligence on Class D. If you can, focus on Kiyotaka Ayanokouji and Suzune Horikita."
He turned back, a sharp glint in his eyes. "We'll inevitably have to put pressure on Class D. That's the nature of class competition. Once we back them into a corner and force that 'Supreme Masterpiece' to step in personally, we'll finally be able to see what he's really made of."
"Understood. I'll continue gathering intelligence."
Walnut nodded solemnly.
"Of course, we can't slack off when it comes to gathering information on the other classes, either."
Mazumi Mami added, "We may be ahead of everyone else right now, but we need to keep strengthening that advantage. And if we're going to sell information, we need to choose the right buyers to maximize our profits."
"Got it!"
Chisato Nishikigi thumped her chest as she promised, "Leave making friends with the girls to me! I've already been observing things. There are a lot more girls than boys in our year, and information spreads through the girls' circles much faster than you'd think. Once I'm in, nothing will get past me!"
"Right. With Walnut gathering intelligence remotely, and Chisato and me observing things firsthand, we should be able to cover most of the information channels."
Runa Inoue concluded seriously.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Mazumi Mami smiled at the three girls.
"No problem! You can count on me, young master!"
Chisato Nishikigi replied energetically.
"Everything for you, young master."
Runa Inoue gave a slight nod, her gaze resolute.
"Serving you is my duty."
Walnut spoke calmly, though a look of loyalty shone in her eyes.
Mazumi Mami nodded with satisfaction.
But just as the three of them thought the meeting was over, Mazumi Mami changed the subject, his tone turning suggestive. "So... let's talk about the matter of sharing my bed."
At those words, the air in the living room seemed to freeze.
The three girls stiffened at once, their expressions turning from calm to crimson.
"Y-Young master... are you really in such a hurry...?"
Chisato Nishikigi's voice had grown noticeably unsteady. Her hands twisted together unconsciously, and her cheeks were as red as ripe shrimp.
"W-Well... you are a boy, after all..."
Runa Inoue had lost all her usual composure, her gaze wandering uncertainly.
And Walnut—unusually, she didn't say a word. She just bowed her head, her face bright red, and frantically typed meaningless characters on her keyboard, as though pretending to be busy could help her avoid the embarrassing topic.
Seeing their different reactions, Mazumi Mami couldn't help chuckling.
He stepped closer and spoke gently. "All right, don't be so nervous."
He continued, "What I mean is—now that the order's been decided, you can arrange things however you like."
He held out his arms and gently drew all three girls into his embrace. "Whenever you're ready, you can come to me."
His voice was low and warm. "This is important. I want you to decide for yourselves—not have it scheduled like an assignment that has to be carried out on a certain day."
He tightened his arms slightly, drawing them closer. "Remember, I'm not only your young master, your prince—I'm also your future partner."
His words gradually put the three tense girls at ease.
Chisato Nishikigi was the first to lift her head. Her cheeks were still flushed, but the usual sparkle had returned to her eyes. "Your Highness is still so forceful... but I don't exactly dislike it."
Runa Inoue gently nuzzled Mazumi Mami's chest, her voice soft. "That's right... just like when you called us away from the scene of that fire. Your embrace is still so warm."
Walnut said nothing. She simply leaned her head against his shoulder, letting her actions speak for her.
After a long while, she finally murmured, "No matter what... I'll always support Your Highness's decisions."
Mazumi Mami smiled and gently kissed each of them on the forehead. "Then that settles it."
"Mm..."
The three girls answered in unison. Their voices were soft, but their promise was firm.
Outside the window, the night breeze stirred, and the moonlight was gentle.
In this school life that was destined to be anything but ordinary, the bond between the four of them was quietly moving toward something closer and stronger.