Food Poisoning (3K)

"Please behave yourself, Kushida."

Horikita Suzune finally spoke up as she watched Kushida Kikyo constantly bothering the person sitting in front of her.

"What's wrong?"

Kushida Kikyo looked up innocently.

"Thirteen times."

Horikita Suzune made another mark in her notebook.

"You've gone to You En thirteen times this morning."

"So?"

Kushida replied with a bewildered expression, as if she didn't understand.

"Horikita, you're not dating You En, are you?"

Horikita Suzune looked at her and said seriously, "If you have a problem with me or something you're unhappy about, then take it up with me. There's no need to drag in someone who has nothing to do with it."

"Huh? Someone who has nothing to do with it..."

Kushida Kikyo covered her little mouth with a coy smile. "Between You En and me, you seem to be the one who has nothing to do with it."

Seeing himself dragged into it, You En had no choice but to cut the conversation short.

"Kushida... I've explained your question. Go back to your seat."

Hearing You En call her "Kushida" instead of "Kushida-san," she smiled and replied sweetly:

"Okay~ You En."

Someone frowned at that smile.

Quite a few people in class had gathered around to watch.

"Is this a love triangle?"

"It has to be, right?"

"Damn it, I'm so jealous! My little Kushida!"

As she watched Kushida Kikyo return to her seat,

Horikita Suzune felt as if she was beginning to understand how Kushida knew to get under her skin.

And who would she have learned that from? Wasn't it obvious?

"Just so we're clear, I didn't teach her that."

You En turned around. "She figured it out on her own."

"Even so, she must have had someone to imitate."

Horikita Suzune sighed and didn't dwell on Kushida any further. Instead, she asked:

"Have you contacted them about tonight's study session?"

"Yeah. They sent the details last night. It'll be in the third-floor library. One-on-four tutoring to help them review what they've learned."

"All right, then."

Horikita Suzune handed him a notebook.

"These are my notes. You can use them."

You En took it. His memory was excellent, but he still needed some notes when teaching, if only to show them to the students.

"What about you?"

Horikita Suzune took out another notebook. "I have another one. The one I gave you is my class notes. I made a separate copy for my own review."

You En was filled with admiration.

What did it mean to be a top student? This was what a real top student looked like. Only with this kind of attitude toward studying could someone make full use of their talents—and even break through their limits.

"By the way, did Ichinose tell you what the students over there are like?"

Horikita Suzune asked.

You En knew she might not want to deal with anyone troublesome.

"Ichinose sent their names and grades. She said they're all nice girls. It's just that, well, they're a little slow to understand things, but they have a good attitude."

Horikita Suzune relaxed a little. "That's good."

If they were like Yamauchi, she absolutely wouldn't go.

Suddenly, a message came through on her terminal, and a conflicted look appeared on her face.

You En was a little curious, but he didn't ask. Instead, he glanced around at the class.

His attention lingered on Ayanokoji, who was talking with Yamauchi, Kanji, and the others.

Come to think of it, aside from Kushida Kikyo coming over to see him so many times today, someone else had been watching them, too.

That person was Yamauchi Haruki. He kept focusing on You En, but his eyes were always sizing up Horikita.

You En looked away. It was hard not to think of something unpleasant.

Was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka playing his behind-the-scenes mastermind game again? Was he testing You En, or Horikita Manabu?

Most likely, both.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had probably been riling up Yamauchi Haruki over the past few days. After all, Yamauchi was a lousy person in terms of personality, habits, and temperament.

A little goading and flattery would be enough to make him do things most people wouldn't dare.

You En had more or less figured out Ayanokoji's script. It was probably to get Yamauchi to use information about Horikita Manabu to lure Horikita Suzune out. She was clever, but when it came to her brother, she lost her head.

Once he got her to meet him, things would normally play out like this: Yamauchi would lose an argument with Horikita Suzune, get provoked, and then be taken down in one move.

But that shouldn't be Ayanokoji's plan. He'd probably step in at the end to save the day. So he couldn't have overlooked the difference in their physical abilities. How was he going to make up for that gap?

You En turned around and stared at Horikita Suzune.

After being watched for a long time,

Horikita Suzune finally sighed helplessly and looked up. "Why are you staring at me?"

You En asked, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Horikita Suzune had been about to say no, but then a faint pain came from her lower abdomen and her waist. She couldn't quite get the words out, and drew a shallow breath.

"I'm... fine."

"Let's go to the infirmary."

You En stood up.

Horikita Suzune shook her head. Her period must have started. If she just endured it, it would pass...

It just felt a little different this time.

"Suzune, I'll go with you. I want to check something."

You En felt that something about this situation was off. Even in her current condition, Horikita Suzune shouldn't have lost most of her ability to resist.

If she'd accidentally ingested some kind of drug, and it had also caused pain that she mistook as being connected to her period, then once the drug fully took effect...

He hoped he was just overthinking it.

You En took Horikita Suzune by the hand and briefly spoke with Hirata Yosuke, asking him to help file an absence request for them later.

The class representative elections still hadn't started. Students in the class had repeatedly suggested it to Chabashira Sae, but their homeroom teacher still hadn't said anything. The other classes were the same.

They arrived at the school infirmary.

You En helped Horikita Suzune onto a bed.

"How are you feeling?"

Horikita Suzune felt that her condition wasn't too bad yet, and being with You En didn't feel unpleasant.

"...It's not that serious. Let's just get it checked quickly and go back. The next class is about to start."

"Wait here."

You En contacted Hoshinomiya-sensei, and she arrived in less than five minutes.

Hoshinomiya Chie came in. This time, she didn't start by saying anything else. She had the air of a medical professional and asked directly:

"Where's the patient?"

You En pointed over there. "I had her lie down on the bed."

Hoshinomiya-sensei went to Horikita Suzune's side and examined her as she spoke with her.

You En pulled the blue medical privacy curtain closed and waited outside.

About ten minutes later,

Hoshinomiya Chie came out. "It's not just primary dysmenorrhea. She's showing symptoms of food or drug poisoning. We'll need to collect samples and test them for toxins."

Seeing You En's expression turn cold, she paused.

"You brought her in because you suspected that, didn't you?"

"I have a pretty good idea who did it."

You En had originally thought it was only a suspicion, but he hadn't expected the culprit to actually dare do it.

Then again, it made sense. Was there anything Ayanokoji wouldn't dare to do?

Compared to Yamauchi, who was out in the open, Ayanokoji was the more terrifying one. He dared to do anything, and he had the ability to pull it off.

If Yamauchi hadn't revealed his intentions, You En probably wouldn't have thought of this possibility.

"Don't worry."

Hoshinomiya Chie made an OK sign and gave him an adorable wink.

"I took a blood sample and treated Horikita Suzune. You don't need to be so tense."

You En calmed down first, then thanked Hoshinomiya-sensei.

"Thank you. How many points will this cost?"

"Since You En brought her in, I'll do the work for free."

Hoshinomiya-sensei continued to show You En her goodwill. "You only need to pay the points the school charges."

You En understood that kindness didn't come from nowhere, but neither did hatred. Whatever her reasons, her kindness was genuine, and he would remember it.

"I'll consider what you said before. And even if I don't, I won't make things difficult for the students in your class, Hoshinomiya-sensei."

Hoshinomiya-sensei had been waiting for him to say that. Was there any corner she couldn't pry open? Just you wait, Little Stupid Pillar!

She held several samples of bodily fluids in her hands.

"I'm taking these upstairs for specialized testing. It'll be much faster than having them tested outside the school. We should have the results in about six hours. Until then, let Suzune stay here."

Hoshinomiya Chie took out her terminal. Before leaving, she gave him a meaningful look.

"Oh, right. Have her file an absence request on her terminal and select the school infirmary. I'll approve it. She doesn't need to go to class this afternoon."

You En nodded. Hoshinomiya-sensei was quite reliable, at least compared to Chabashira-sensei, who did nothing at all. It wasn't just that she wouldn't do anything extra—she didn't even teach her classes.

There was just one thing he didn't quite understand. The rules at this school were clearly well established, so why were the students given so much freedom?

Never mind. He wouldn't think about that for now. The problem was how to handle Ayanokoji poisoning her.

You En knew only Ayanokoji could have done something like this, but there was no evidence. If he'd gone to the trouble of doing it, he would definitely have covered his tracks.

"You En..."

A halting voice came from behind the medical curtain. Horikita Suzune sounded as if she were enduring something.

You En realized he might have trusted Hoshinomiya-sensei a little too much.

She may have meant well, but how had she treated Horikita? What kind of treatment was it?

He only remembered having a dream once, but he couldn't recall what it had been about.

To make sure everything was all right,

You En lifted the privacy curtain. The scene before him was rather shocking. He took one look, immediately turned away, and stepped out of the curtained area.

He took a deep breath. If he hadn't mistaken what he'd glimpsed just now,

Horikita Suzune's expression had looked as if she were...

A girl's breathless panting, and her soft murmurs calling his name every now and then.

To keep himself from listening any further and doing something irrational, You En began to think.

Wait?!

If this was Hoshinomiya-sensei's method of treatment,

then what expression had he worn when he'd been treated before?

He didn't even want to imagine it. If he'd shown that kind of expression in front of Chabashira and Hoshinomiya back then,

You En felt that his life was over. He might as well just give up.

Forget it. He wouldn't think about it.

When Horikita Suzune woke up, it would be best if she'd forgotten about this. If she hadn't, You En would say he hadn't heard or seen a thing.

Inside the school hospital's monitoring room,

Hoshinomiya Chie had one hand on the desk, looking exasperated.

"What kind of self-control is that? He didn't even do anything!"

After sending the samples off for testing, she'd headed straight to the monitoring room to check what was happening inside. Her nature made her very interested in this sort of thing.

And that was it? There hadn't been any of the scenes she'd wanted to see.

How could his principles be so rigid? Couldn't he be a little more flexible?

Being so upright was going to get him into trouble, You En.