A Late Reward

Chabashira Sae's announcement from the podium was like a bucket of cold water dousing the flames of hope that had just ignited in Class D.

"Regarding this month's class points," she adjusted her glasses, her voice flat and unemotional, "due to adjustments in the system review process, the deposit into each of your personal accounts is expected to be delayed by one to two days. Please be patient."

"Huh? Delayed?"

"What the hell! I was waiting to buy the new game that just came out!"

"Seriously, we barely have any points as it is, and now we have to wait..."

The classroom immediately filled with a wave of discontented murmurs and complaints. The joy of having just earned points was significantly dampened by this sudden delay, and the air was thick with disappointment and irritation.

Kazama In sat quietly in his seat, seemingly unsurprised by this. He flipped through the pages of Love Song of Green Seasons, as if the commotion at the podium had nothing to do with him. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wore his usual, unchanging poker face. Horikita Suzune furrowed her brow slightly but continued organizing her notes. Only Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi were sighing particularly loudly.

The day's classes ended in a somewhat stifling atmosphere. When the final bell rang, students began packing up. Kazama In's phone screen lit up at just the right moment, displaying a new message from the sender: Ichinose Honami.

[Kazama-kun, sorry to bother you. There's something... I'd like to ask for your help with, if you're free right now? I'm really embarrassed to bring it up...]

Kazama In's jet-black eyes scanned the message, his fingertip pausing on the screen for a moment. "Ichinose Honami's request." The thought of the class voting incident flashed through his mind—how Ichinose had given Class D a kind warning at a critical moment. Though she hadn't asked for anything in return at the time, it was undoubtedly a debt of gratitude. After a brief deliberation, his fingers tapped the screen in reply:

[I'm free. What is it? I can help. But in exchange, I'd like you to do me a favor afterward.]

The message sent successfully. Kazama In put away his phone, stood up, and walked out of the classroom, exchanging brief goodbyes with Ayanokoji, Horikita, and the others.

Following the meeting spot specified in the message, Kazama In arrived at a relatively secluded corner of the school building. As he turned the corner, he saw Ichinose Honami's somewhat uneasy figure. She was looking down, her toes unconsciously scraping against the ground. When she heard footsteps, she immediately lifted her head.

The moment she recognized Kazama In, Ichinose's eyes lit up instantly, as if filled with stars. But then, a distinct blush rapidly spread across her fair cheeks, reaching all the way to her small earlobes. She looked away flustered, unable to meet Kazama In's gaze, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting the ends of her pink-gold hair. Her voice was much softer than usual, carrying a barely perceptible tremor:

"Ka, Kazama-kun! You're here... Um, thank you for coming."

Kazama In stopped in front of her and calmly regarded her. "Yeah. You said there was a problem?"

"Y-yes..." Ichinose took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, and carefully pulled a pale pink envelope from her uniform pocket, holding it out to Kazama In. Her eyes still darted away, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "This... it was in my shoe locker this morning..."

Kazama In took the envelope. It gave off a faint, pleasant fragrance, and a cute heart sticker sealed the flap. He opened it to find an equally delicate letter inside, covered in neat, graceful handwriting. He quickly scanned the contents, a trace of very subtle surprise flickering across his face before he returned to calm. He folded the letter back into the envelope and handed it back to Ichinose, his tone carrying a hint of sincere congratulations: "A love letter? Congratulations, Ichinose. You seem quite popular."

"No, it's not that!" At the word "congratulations," Ichinose jerked her head up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her cheeks growing even redder. She waved her hands frantically in explanation, her voice rising slightly, "Kazama-kun, you've misunderstood! The person who wrote this letter... is a girl!"

"A girl?" This time, Kazama In was genuinely surprised, his eyebrow lifting almost imperceptibly. This was different from what he had anticipated.

"Yes!" Ichinose nodded vigorously, her face full of distress and bewilderment. "It's Chihiro-san from my own class... She seems to... have feelings for me... um..." She couldn't bring herself to say the word, her hands twisting nervously together. "So, I wanted to ask for your help... Kazama-kun, could you... pretend to be my boyfriend? If Chihiro-san sees that... maybe she'll..." Her voice grew softer and softer until it was nearly inaudible, her eyes filled with pleading and embarrassment.

Just then, a timid voice came from the other end of the hallway:

"I, Ichinose...?"

They both turned to look. Standing there was a girl with neat, chin-length hair and a delicate face—the author of the letter, Chihiro. She stared at Kazama In and Ichinose, who were standing quite close together, especially noticing the lingering blush and flustered expression on Ichinose's face. She froze completely, her complexion instantly turning pale.

Seeing Chihiro appear, Ichinose Honami was visibly startled, and a look of immense embarrassment and guilt spread across her face. She instinctively took half a step to the side, putting a little distance between herself and Kazama In, and quickly explained, "Ah! Chihiro-san! What... what are you doing here? This is Kazama In-kun, from Class D... We were just..."

Her explanation was somewhat incoherent, only making it seem more like she was trying to cover something up.

Chihiro's gaze darted back and forth between Kazama In and Ichinose, finally settling on Ichinose. Her lips trembled slightly as she gathered her courage to ask, "Ichinose... is this... your boyfriend?"

Kazama In watched this dramatic scene unfold before him, then looked at the flustered Ichinose beside him and the teary-eyed Chihiro across from them. A glimmer of understanding passed through his jet-black eyes. He let out a soft sigh and said in a calm tone, almost as if talking to himself, tinged with a hint of resignation and reflection, "This really is... a bit like the plot in that book."

"Huh?" Ichinose beside him, confused by the seemingly random remark, turned to look at him. "What?"

Kazama In didn't answer her directly. Instead, he turned to Chihiro, his tone even and clear, carrying a composure beyond his years: "Chihiro-san, hello. I'm Kazama In, from Class D. Ichinose Honami and I are just friends who've known each other since we were kids." He paused, his gaze meeting Chihiro's honestly. "Feelings are very precious things. No matter who you develop feelings for, it deserves respect. But true feelings shouldn't be built on deception or coercion. Ichinose only values you as a friend and didn't want to hurt you—that's why she was so troubled."

His words both clarified the relationship and pinpointed the core of the issue. His tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable weight.

Chihiro listened to Kazama In's words, looked at his calm, sincere eyes, then glanced at the anxious and guilty Ichinose beside him. The tears in her eyes finally couldn't be held back and streamed down her face. She understood. She was completely resigned. Without another word, she gave them both a long, deep look, then abruptly turned, covered her face, and ran off quickly.

Watching Chihiro disappear at the end of the hallway, Ichinose Honami let out a long sigh. But her face didn't show relief; instead, it was filled with apology and a hint of exhaustion. She turned to Kazama In and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Kazama-kun, for dragging you into this kind of trouble... And thank you for what you said to Chihiro-san."

Kazama In shook his head. "It's nothing. You just didn't want to hurt her." He looked at Ichinose, who was clearly weighed down with worry and visibly downcast. He was silent for a few seconds. A thought surfaced almost subconsciously, and before he could think it through, it slipped out:

"Want to go get something to drink? A café?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Kazama In himself paused almost imperceptibly. A thought flashed through his jet-black eyes with lightning speed: Inviting the top student from Class B to a café? Too conspicuous. If someone with ill intentions saw me, from Class D, meeting her privately, it might cause her unnecessary trouble... The idea crossed his mind in an instant.

But before Kazama In could come up with any way to take it back or amend his offer, Ichinose Honami had already lifted her head sharply. The dejection on her face was instantly replaced by surprise and... a hint of barely concealed delight. Her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Kazama In. The blush that had just faded crept back onto her cheeks. She nodded shyly, her voice carrying a hint of cheerfulness:

"Mm... okay, sure!"

Her reaction was so straightforward and joyful that it completely swallowed the words "maybe that's not convenient" that Kazama In had been about to say. He looked at Ichinose's suddenly bright smile—that pure happiness seemed infectious, washing away his earlier concerns.

"Then, let's go." Kazama In nodded and took the lead.

"Mm!" Ichinose Honami immediately followed, walking briskly beside Kazama In. The golden light of the setting sun streamed through the hallway windows, dyeing her pink-gold hair in a warm halo. Her face wore a relaxed, radiant smile, as if she had temporarily forgotten her earlier troubles. The two walked side by side, heading toward the school café.