Rumors Ferment

Besides helping Sakura Airi find friends, Kushida Kikyo also had to consider how to fabricate another rumor.

But she couldn't actively seek people out to spread it, so she could only use specific actions to make others misunderstand.

After school, Kushida Kikyo was invited by Horikita Suzune to tutor Class D students in the library. Hirata Yosuke and others had received the same invitation.

Although Class D's results in this Midterm Exam were directly related to homeroom teacher Chabashira Sae failing to remind them about the changed test scope, the class's overall academic level really was terrible. To prevent them from having to borrow a large number of points to save their classmates every time there was an exam, Class D increased the intensity of their tutoring sessions again this month.

"This is the study plan I prepared for you. You must follow it as instructed." Horikita Suzune took a notebook from her bag, tore three pages from it, and handed them to the three biggest deadweights in Class D.

Horikita Suzune's thinking was simple. Compared with after-school tutoring, class time was both longer and more important. The most cost-effective way to study was not to waste those six hours in the classroom.

Besides, she wasn't particularly keen on spending all her after-school time tutoring them.

"During class, listen carefully when you understand something. When you encounter something you don't understand, leave it for the moment and write it down properly. Then, during the ten-minute breaks between classes, come ask me. I'll explain as much as I can."

Seeing the troubled looks on their faces, Horikita Suzune continued, "In fact, the material covered in an hour-long lesson can be condensed into a page of notes, and the actual test material takes up less than half a page. But because your comprehension is lacking, I don't recommend that you take notes."

"What does that mean?" Ike Kanji didn't quite understand. Didn't everyone say that one had to take notes seriously?

"Your most urgent task is to learn more during class, then understand what you didn't grasp afterward." Horikita Suzune pointed out the key to raising their scores quickly. "Taking notes while understanding the teacher's lecture, while also distinguishing between what you understand and what you don't, is quite difficult for you."

The Idiot Trio's foundation was too poor. If they didn't try to understand what the teacher was saying, taking notes would become nothing more than copying, with no meaning whatsoever.

"So you don't need to worry about notes. I'll organize them for you. You only need to focus all your attention on what the teacher explains in class."

What surprised Horikita Suzune was that the most motivated of the three was actually Sudo Ken, whom she had considered the biggest troublemaker. After receiving his study plan, he immediately began reading it carefully, and he didn't complain once throughout the process.

Though it was a little strange, Horikita Suzune considered it a good thing.

The other two, however, were starting to lose their nerve. Horikita Suzune's arrangement was certainly the safest option, but the intensity was a little too much for them.

"Sorry, I have something else to do. I'll be gone for a moment." Kushida Kikyo, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke up and left the study group.

No one paid much attention, except Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who noticed Kushida Kikyo's movements.

Kushida Kikyo openly approached Shiraishi Makoto, who had just entered the library. The two even found a table by themselves and began chatting quietly.

Seeing this, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka frowned—a rare occurrence.

He had long noticed that someone stood behind Kushida Kikyo, and the previous archaeology test incident had confirmed that person was Shiraishi Makoto. But what was with such blatant contact?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka continued playing his role in the tutoring group, but he kept a close eye on Shiraishi Makoto's side as well.

"I've already handled the matter of looking after Sakura. I asked three girls from our class: Shinohara Satsuki, Sato Maya, and Matsushita Chiaki." Kushida Kikyo reported on her work, though her expression and demeanor made it look like she was happily chatting.

"Those three... should be fine." Shiraishi Makoto knew a little about all three of them.

Shinohara Satsuki was the type of girl with a fairly strong attitude and often actively stood up for other girls in class. Matsushita Chiaki was Class D's "slacker queen," someone with real ability who hid it, known as the female version of Ayanokouji—though she definitely wasn't as strong as him. He wasn't very familiar with Sato Maya alone, but she probably didn't have any major issues.

Kushida Kikyo's ability to make friends truly deserved recognition. Shiraishi Makoto felt fairly reassured by the three friends she had chosen. If Sakura Airi's identity as "Shizuku" was exposed, Shinohara Satsuki's style would indeed help Sakura Airi resolve a lot of trouble.

"So, don't you plan to do it again?" Kushida Kikyo asked.

"That would require an opportunity." Shiraishi Makoto understood what Kushida Kikyo meant. Even though they had shaken off Yamauchi Haruki's pestering this time, their relationship would still need to be clarified afterward. Given Yamauchi Haruki's inability to let go, he might cause other problems.

"This should be enough. I'll be going first." After estimating that the timing was about right, Kushida Kikyo chatted for a few more moments before getting up to say goodbye. She returned to the tutoring group with a perfectly normal expression.

From that day onward, more and more first-year students saw Kushida Kikyo take the initiative to approach Shiraishi Makoto. The two often chatted outside classrooms, in the library, or below the dormitory building.

Whenever they were together, Kushida Kikyo's expression was relaxed and her smile obvious. Combined with the recent events, everyone who knew about it inevitably guessed in the same direction.

Gradually, another rumor began circulating among Class D students: Kushida Kikyo was dating Shiraishi Makoto from Class A.

At school, this kind of gossip spread incredibly fast. Soon, even Class A students had heard the news. However, since it concerned someone's private life, no one rashly questioned them. That saved Shiraishi Makoto quite a bit of trouble, though he had already prepared a response.

In just one week, the rumor had spread through almost the entire first year. Finally, someone from Class A came to ask him.

"Shiraishi, sorry to bother you."

"Ichinose, what is it?" Shiraishi Makoto looked up. Seeing the somewhat shy Ichinose Honami, he guessed why she had come.

"Well, there's been a rumor going around class lately that you're dating Kushida from Class D. I wanted to ask... is it true?"

Ichinose Honami felt her face grow a little warm. Asking that kind of question really was embarrassing. But her classmates were all curious and had privately asked whether she knew any inside information, while she herself also cared about the status of Shiraishi Makoto, the class's de facto leader.

After all, he had been the one to tell everyone that they should mind their boundaries when making friends with students from other classes—especially Class D.

"Oh, that." Shiraishi Makoto had originally expected Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Shibata Sō, or Watanabe Norihito to be the one asking. He hadn't expected Ichinose Honami to be the first to speak up.

If this were back home, his close classmates would have been howling over it already. Was this some kind of unspoken rule in Japanese society?