A Clash of Wills, a Curious Misunderstanding

After thinking for a long while, he realized he didn't seem to have any particularly strong desires for specific things. He wanted to befriend Horikita Suzune and the others in his class because he wanted to become more like an "ordinary person." Even his desire to "win" only seemed to surface when he was dealing with people like Hoshino En.

As for his curiosity about certain other things, that was only because he hadn't learned about them in the White Room. The instructors there considered them "unnecessary," so they hadn't even let him form an impression of them.

Once he learned about them, he'd probably just say, "Oh, so that's how it is," and lose interest right away.

But there was one thing that was different.

Whenever he thought about it, it was as if the thought had taken root in his mind, impossible to shake: he wanted that man to live in the White Room, too, and get a taste of what the past sixteen years had been like for him.

He really wanted to know what kind of expression that man would wear when the time came.

"Is that so? Good, then."

Hoshino En smiled. It seemed his "dear boy" really had been set on the right path. What a relief.

"By the way, do you still want to be friends with Horikita?"

They walked together to the floor's lobby, where they planned to take the elevator.

"Of course. We sit next to each other, so it'd be better if we got along."

That was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's honest opinion. That way, if anyone else came to hassle him—for instance, by dragging him into helping with something—he could use Horikita Suzune as a convenient excuse and avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"I see... Then you'd better work at it."

Just then, the elevator arrived, and its doors slowly opened.

"Horikita isn't exactly easy to deal with. The 'Social Skills' I taught you won't work on her."

After saying that, Hoshino En started to step into the elevator, but—

"Who are you calling 'not easy to deal with'?!"

Horikita Suzune stood in the corner of the elevator, glaring at him.

Beside her, Kushida Kikyo was doing her best to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up.

Hold it in, hold it in. I've had professional training. I can't laugh!

On Kushida Kikyo's other side, Wang Meiyu glanced at him, then darted behind Kushida as if she'd seen something terrifying.

"Hoshino-kun, it's very rude to bad-mouth someone in front of other people!"

On the other side, Ichinose Honami had been about to greet him, but changed her mind and corrected him instead.

Shiranami Chihiro, standing beside her, continued to glare at him angrily.

Wait, why are they all gathered here again today? Does this elevator reset every month or something?

Looking at the familiar faces and their familiar positions in the elevator, Hoshino En grumbled inwardly.

And Ichinose, that sounded strange too. Does that mean it isn't rude to bad-mouth someone behind their back?

But for now, he needed to redirect Horikita's hostility first.

He stepped into the elevator and earnestly explained himself to Horikita Suzune.

"Horikita, don't you dislike making friends? I meant that it's difficult for people to become friends with you. Nothing else."

As he spoke, he pulled Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had been standing beside him and had once again returned to his usual impassive expression, into the conversation.

"Look, after you've rejected him for a month, Kiyotaka's gotten depressed."

Horikita Suzune had nothing to say as she looked at her desk mate, whose expression was as unchanged as ever.

Aside from the fact that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka always had a poker face, she couldn't find anything wrong with Hoshino En's explanation.

She gave an undeniable snort, turned her gaze to the book in her hand, and stopped looking at him.

Besides the familiar "Elevator Five," Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi were there today, too.

So she wasn't secretly following him anymore? It seemed Kamuro's life was finally getting better.

"Oh my~ Hoshino-kun, good morning."

The petite girl, wearing white thigh-high socks as usual, gave them a one-sided curtsey.

"Good morning, Sakayanagi. But if moving around is difficult for you, don't go to all that trouble. What if you fall?"

When she curtseyed, her weight shifted to the left, and the cane in her right hand wobbled precariously. It made Hoshino En nervous just to watch.

"If I fell, would you catch me, Hoshino-kun?"

The silver-haired "Demon King" playfully winked at Hoshino En.

"Of course. I already promised I would."

Though he felt that promise wasn't worth it anymore. It seemed like he'd sold himself short for 1.3 million.

"Then..."

Sakayanagi Arisu held out her free left hand, her bright eyes seeming to sparkle with anticipation.

Was she asking him to support her again?

Hoshino En sighed helplessly.

He extended his right hand and accepted the girl's "request for support."

He had a feeling he'd soon have another job: "escorting the young lady to class."

This girl was so demanding!

"But don't you have Kamuro? Why not ask her to support you?"

"She's too clumsy."

Sakayanagi's reply was brief and blunt.

"Besides, her usual job is holding the umbrella—blocking the sun on sunny days and keeping off the rain on rainy days."

"By that measure, Classmate Kamuro sounds pretty useful."

As long as Sakayanagi was around, it seemed Kamuro would never have a good day.

Kamuro Masumi, carrying a bag and umbrellas for two: "..."

Sakayanagi, you damn...!

With Hoshino En supporting her, Sakayanagi Arisu slowly made her way to his side, where she locked eyes with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had been standing beside him.

"Long time no see, Ayanokoji-kun. It's been eight years and ninety days."

She called him by name outright. Ichinose Honami, who recognized the name, immediately looked over.

So he was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the person Hoshino-kun thought of as his "son."

He looked a lot like Hoshino-kun.

"Don't joke around. I don't remember knowing you."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied in his usual flat tone.

"Hehe. I suppose not. I'm the only one who knows you."

The girl didn't look disappointed by his denial. Her face still wore an inscrutable smile.

"Ayanokoji-kun, there's just one thing you need to understand—"

Maybe it was his imagination, but Hoshino En felt that Sakayanagi Arisu had edged a little closer to him. Her whole arm was leaning against his.

At that moment, the elevator reached the first floor.

The doors slid open, and Sakayanagi Arisu's next words rang out without restraint.

"Hoshino-kun is mine, so please keep your distance from him from now on."

In the first-year dormitory lobby, Katsuragi Kohei and his loyal follower Totsuka Yahiko were facing off against Ryuen Kakeru, who had Yamada Albert with him.

When they heard that distinctive voice making such a bold declaration, they instinctively lowered their guard against one another and looked toward the elevator.

What's that little girl up to now?

And there they saw Sakayanagi Arisu clinging to Hoshino En's arm and staking her claim to him in front of a handsome boy.

First Semester of First Year:

Chapter 51: Chapter 047: A Clash of Wills, a Curious Misunderstanding

"Who I want to be friends with is none of your business, Classmate Sakayanagi."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka still looked calm. Sakayanagi Arisu's challenge had done nothing to shake him.

"And besides, it's Kiyotaka's choice who he wants to be friends with. It's not up to anyone else to decide that for him, is it?"

His second sentence had unquestionably danced right into Sakayanagi Arisu's danger zone.

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't interfere. But you're different, Ayanokoji-kun. You'll bring trouble to him."

Sakayanagi's smile didn't change in the slightest, but she seemed to be deliberately moving between Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Hoshino En, trying to separate them.

Ayanokoji-kun... He'd actually called Hoshino-kun by his name so casually, as if they were so close... I haven't even called him that yet!

Sakayanagi Arisu had heard Ayanokoji Kiyotaka call Hoshino En that before, but her feelings had been different then. And she could tell that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's attitude toward Hoshino En had changed, too. They'd grown closer!

Damn it... Ayanokoji-kun, you really are an "enemy" I have to "bury"!

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka paid no attention to Sakayanagi Arisu's blazing fighting spirit. He was more concerned with what she'd just said.

She claimed they'd met in the past, and now she knew about the predicament he was facing. Could she have come from the White Room?

So En really was from the White Room?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka glanced at Hoshino En and Sakayanagi Arisu's intertwined arms, a strange heaviness settling in his heart as he speculated.

But he quickly dismissed the idea. Hoshino En spoke up just then.

"Kiyotaka, don't take Sakayanagi seriously. She has a congenital heart condition. Her legs are already weak, and if you make her angry enough to faint, Kamuro and I will probably have to skip class today to look after her."

"Hey! Who said I'd—"

"Kamuro, be quiet. Don't make this any more chaotic."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka paid no attention to Hoshino En and Kamuro Masumi arguing. His attention was entirely focused on what Hoshino En had just said.

She had a congenital heart condition. Then she probably wasn't from the White Room.

The White Room wanted "all-around geniuses." Someone with a congenital "defect" like that couldn't possibly be considered a candidate.

She wasn't from the White Room, which made it even less likely that En was from the White Room!

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's spirits lifted again.

En said someone had arranged for him to enroll. That person must know his current situation. They were willing to oppose the White Room, so they must know about its past as well.

Could Classmate Sakayanagi be the child of one of the White Room's sponsors?

But why would a White Room sponsor help him?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka couldn't figure it out.

"Hoshino-kun, do you really think I'm so fragile that Ayanokoji-kun could make me angry enough to faint?"

Sakayanagi Arisu now launched a counterattack over what Hoshino En had said.

Of course I'm not worried about that. How could someone like you, a little "Demon King," faint just because someone said something to you? I'm worried Kiyotaka might get triggered and send you flying with one punch. He's extremely sensitive about anything to do with the White Room right now.

And judging by what I saw during swimming class, his physical abilities are excellent—almost on a level with Koenji Rokusuke. I doubt even A-Sho and Class C's fighters could get the better of him if they all ganged up on him, let alone you with only Kamuro by your side.

That was what Hoshino En thought, of course. There was no way he could say it directly to Sakayanagi Arisu.

And though he judged Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to be on par with Koenji Rokusuke, he didn't think he'd lose to him. Like chess, that was something you had to try to find out.

But this wasn't the time to provoke Sakayanagi. He needed to soothe her. After all, he'd just taken Kiyotaka's side, so he had to treat them both fairly.

"My lady, have you been around Kamuro for so long that your little brain's gone soft?"

Hoshino En clenched his free hand into a fist and lightly tapped the head beneath Sakayanagi Arisu's beret.

"Kiyotaka and I are just good friends. It's like Ichinose and Shiranami Chihiro over there. Why are you so worked up?"

He opened his hand and gently rubbed her head through her beret.

"Oh, oh..."

Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent.

Hoshino-kun's hand is so big, and so warm... If only he'd pat my head directly. Hehe~