Deconstruction Complete, Fangs Bared

Having learned the details of what happened, Ichinose Honami immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh, so it was during the foot massage that his mouth accidentally touched hers. I thought Hoshino-kun was deliberately playing with Classmate Sakayanagi's feet.

Hoshino-kun is indeed a good person, exactly the same as before. He hasn't become bad at all.

He simply doesn't know how to control the distance between himself and girls, and this is a serious problem.

She patted her chest and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

However, her appearance was extremely jarring to Sakayanagi Arisu. (crying)

Why? Why is Ichinose okay again? Can she really accept such a strange hobby?

Doubts arose again in her heart, but Sakayanagi Arisu could no longer ask—because Hoshino En had returned.

To avoid arousing suspicion, they all remained silent, quietly listening to the sounds outside.

"Come on, Shiranami, drink some water." Si

Hoshino En tilted the bottle of mineral water, letting it slowly flow into the girl's mouth.

"Hmm... Hoshino -kun, you're too kind... glug glug..." Er

Shiranami Chihiro initially intended to take the drink herself, but after seeing that Hoshino En had already made the move, she gladly accepted his "care."

After the girl had replenished her fluids and recovered considerably, Hoshino En took out the pink letter that had given people unimaginable thoughts.

"You've had your water and you feel better, so Shiranami, please explain."

He also sat down under the shade of the tree, but about three fist-widths away from the girl, and placed the [love letter] in front of her.

"What exactly did you write this letter to ask me to come out? Don't tell me it's to confess your feelings; even Kushida wouldn't be fooled by that kind of lie."

"Kushida? Is that Kushida Kikyo?"

"Don't change the subject. Please answer my question."

Under Hoshino En's interrogation, Shiranami Chihiro fell silent.

"Actually, calling it a [confession] wouldn't be a problem. To be precise, I want you to [pretend to be my partner]."

When she mentioned this term, she looked up at Hoshino En, her eyes shining brightly, as if they could sparkle like Hoshino En.

Pretending to be a couple? What are you trying to do?

Judging from Shiranami's usual image, she's not the kind of person who's obsessed with saving face; rather, she's the kind of innocent Little White Flower who knows when to give up and when to say no. She probably doesn't need a fake boyfriend anywhere, right?

When asked why, Shiranami Chihiro blushed slightly, as if she had returned to her original self, and lowered her head.

"Well... I think Hoshino -kun can understand what I'm trying to do, right?"

"Aren't you just pretending to be a couple with Classmate Sakayanagi to hide your real relationship with Ayanokoji -san?"

Her voice was very soft, so soft that only Hoshino En could hear it; but in this quiet, deserted corner, her small voice was clearly audible to all four people present.

Hoshino En: "..."

How strange, why can't I even understand the questions this time?

Ichinose Honami & Sakayanagi Arisu: "..."

As expected, it was all a misunderstanding.

Now Classmate Sakayanagi shouldn't hold it against me, right? / As expected, the biggest threat is still Ichinose.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: "..."

Is it a misunderstanding...? But being mistaken for a homosexual seems to be a very troubling thing.

What kind of expression should I wear?

Seeing that Hoshino En remained silent, Shiranami Chihiro seemed to have regained her courage and spoke loudly again.

"I saw it in the elevator yesterday morning. Although you seemed close to Classmate Sakayanagi from Class A, you always turned your guarded front towards her, while your most trusting back was always turned to Ayanokoji, who is in your class. So, the person you actually like is Ayanokoji, right?"

Her heartfelt words were fully transmitted to Hoshino En's mind, and after a moment of unconscious mental blankness, he immediately understood what she meant.

What did this child hear to imagine that scene like this?

He seemed to only mention her when comforting Sakayanagi Arisu, saying that his relationship with Kiyotaka was like that of Ichinose Honami and Shiranami Chihiro... Wait a minute!

This child, could she and Ichinose be...?

"Shiranami, before I answer, I have one more question."

Hoshino En's initial surprise was replaced by a look of curiosity.

"You... you don't actually like Ichinose, do you? Not as a friend, but as a lover?"

This question immediately deflated Shiranami Chihiro, who had regained her courage.

A crimson flush, like a tidal wave, spread from her neck and visibly across her entire face.

After a long while, she finally let out a soft "hmm," a sound as faint as the fluttering of a mosquito's wings, as delicate as a spider's silk gently brushing against the eardrum.

Although the three people in the distance couldn't hear her response, her shy expression said it all.

Sakayanagi Arisu: [Ah~ As expected of the Big Angel of Class B, you can even attract women! Your charm is truly amazing!]

[Unlike me, people, whether boys or girls, seem to be quite afraid of me.]

Unable to make a sound, Sakayanagi Arisu silently conveyed her congratulations (with schadenfreude) to Ichinose Honami online.

Ichinose Honami: [Classmate Sakayanagi, Chihiro-chan must have misunderstood. She used to attend an all-girls school, so her understanding of these things isn't very clear. She must have mistaken friendship for those kinds of feelings.]

Ichinose Honami immediately explained that she was also troubled by this—at least for herself, she wouldn't have those kinds of feelings for the same sex.

Chihiro-chan is her best friend. If she directly rejects her, will Chihiro immediately burst into tears and never be friends with her again?

No, no, she doesn't want that.

So how should she answer?

Ugh, this is so frustrating!

Seeing the anxious look on her face, Sakayanagi Arisu a helpful reminder.

Sakayanagi Arisu: [Don't worry. Hoshino-kun has clearly developed an interest in her; he'll definitely intervene. Don't worry.]

Seeing Ichinose like this, she felt quite good, or rather, very good; even her previous gloom had vanished.

First Semester of First Year:

Chapter 74, Section 69: Deconstruction Completed, Revealing Fangs

Hoshino En is very curious, really.

Although he had learned about the definitions in books and online, this was the first time he had met a real homosexual in real life.

Driven by his curiosity, he didn't even bother to pay attention to the previous misunderstanding.

"Shiranami, you like Ichinose, but what exactly do you like about her?"

"Is it her personality? Or her health? Was your previous hostility towards me so intense because her attitude towards me was different from others, and you were jealous?"

Besieged by his words, Shiranami Chihiro lowered her head, her pretty face as red as a ripe persimmon.

Although she was incredibly shy, the person in front of her was a fellow [abnormal] comrade, and whether she could get close to Honami-chan in a [reasonable] and [unsuspecting] manner depended on his assistance.

So, even though it was difficult to open the seven-way transfer (group: mouth), she still said weakly.

"I... I... because Honami-chan is very gentle, surely no one dislikes her, right?"

"As for you, yes. Because I didn't know you were one of them back then... so I was really resentful—even though Honami-chan took such good care of you, you bullied her with Classmate Sakayanagi and always took advantage of her... so I was really angry."

Her answer did not stem from the options provided by Hoshino En, but rather she stated her own reasons.

But these statements, which are quite ordinary to most people, seemed exceptionally unusual to Hoshino En.

Judging from Shiranami Chihiro's simple reaction, it's unlikely she was deliberately pretending or testing anyone; these were probably her own genuine feelings. However, these words sound like the feelings that ordinary friends would have, rather than the feelings that a closer couple would have.

For someone who is "different" and attracted to the same sex, these reasons seem rather "normal."

"Shiranami, are you sure you really like Ichinose?"

Does this child not yet understand the difference between friendship and love?

"Of course, I'm absolutely certain that I like Honami-chan, it's [romantic] liking!!"

When questioned about her feelings for her [lover], the girl immediately answered loudly. Although her tone was still weak due to shyness, her voice was really loud.

Chihiro-chan, we really can't! Kagi

Ichinose Honami was caught in a dilemma at the corner, unable to express her inner turmoil. Despite Sakayanagi Arisu's comforting words and reassurance to trust Hoshino-kun, she remained anxious and uneasy.

She had never encountered anything like this before.

"Would you feel an urge to be close to her? Not emotionally, but physically—would you feel the desire to be honest with her, then hold each other in bed, and explore each other's erogenous zones together?"

Hoshino En continued to press Shiranami Chihiro answers.

Hearing this blunt statement, Shiranami Chihiro's face turned as red as a boiled shrimp, but there was no panic from having her secret exposed; rather, she felt more ashamed and annoyed at hearing something that was "not for outsiders to know."

"What... Hoshino -san, what are you saying?! How could I possibly do that kind of thing with Honami-chan?!"

She didn't seem to have any interest in that area; her [love] for Ichinose Honami wasn't mixed with any desire for her body.

However, this is not enough for Hoshino En to draw a conclusion, because pure spiritual love also exists in homosexual relationships. Perhaps Shiranami longs for is the sense of comfort she feels when she is with Ichinose, and she wants to explore [Platonic] love with him.

"What if there's another girl, who's better than you... like Kushida Kikyo?"

"If one day she suddenly became close to Ichinose, and became Ichinose's best friend or confidante, just like you, how would you feel?"

"Feelings? What feelings could I possibly have?"

"For example, jealousy, anger, anxiety, and so on."

Shiranami Chihiro: "..."

"Honami-chan has made another new friend. Why do I have these ominous feelings?"

Isn't making a new friend a good thing? Why should I feel jealous, angry, or anxious?

She didn't understand.

Because of her earlier embarrassment and anger, she seemed to have given up all hope, and her physical reactions were gradually becoming more relaxed, but the doubt on her face at this moment did not seem fake.

Hoshino En: "..."

I don't feel nervous about getting close to people I like when there are potential enemies; I'm not even aware of it myself. I have no possessiveness, either physically or mentally...

He roughly understood.

If we place love (representing possession), kinship (representing attachment), and friendship (representing trust) at the three vertices of a triangle to judge the positive feelings between people—then the relationship between Shiranami Chihiro and Ichinose Honami, objectively speaking, should be somewhere between friendship and kinship, with kinship being more prominent than friendship.

Shiranami's feelings for Ichinose are affection, and she has the right to freely act cute towards her; she won't get angry because others also act cute towards Ichinose. Her previous hostility towards him was more because he [humiliated] Ichinose, rather than because she was jealous of his relationship with Ichinose.

But from Shiranami's own subjective perspective, this seems to be [love].

The reason for the deviation may stem from her past experiences, such as frequently associating only with girls and being influenced by a "girls like girls" atmosphere. This may explain why she develops an "older sister" impression of girls who are more outstanding than herself and make her feel safe.

"Shiranami, let me ask you another question: You didn't attend an all-girls school from elementary school onwards, did you?"

"Yes, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"... nothing."

Verification successful; her "like" was a misjudgment.

That's all there is to it...

Hoshino En was a little disappointed.

And so, looking at Shiranami Chihiro was looking at him with expectant eyes, he answered in this way.

"Shiranami, I will not grant your request. Besides, I have nothing to do with Sakayanagi, and my relationship with Kiyotaka is not like that. I am different from you."

"What... what do you mean by this?"

The smile on her face froze, and her initial anticipation was replaced by an undisguised look of astonishment.

Immediately afterwards, a visible look of panic appeared on her face.

It seems she finally realized that if all of this was a misunderstanding, then she had just exposed herself, and revealed a very useful secret that she could use to threaten her.

In the past, Hoshino En might have taken the opportunity to develop her into a useful subordinate, and then used her as a medium to tear apart the united Class B, using them as a source of nourishment for his high-quality life—at the cost of [himself becoming completely opposed to Class B].

However, things are different here than outside. There are very few loopholes to exploit (power holders who are incompetent and hold positions without merit). And to be honest, Class B is not a threat worth being wary of. Rather, they are like Hirata, useful tools that can be used conveniently as long as certain rules are met. Therefore, Hoshino En does not intend to break ties with them.