A Small Date for Three

The next day, during the lunch break.

Hoshida No sat in a corner of the cafe, with Morikawa, the head of the Martial Arts Club, sitting opposite him. Two cups of coffee sat on the table.

He lifted one cup and took a small sip; the taste was rich and mellow with a hint of bitterness.

Morikawa, sitting across from him, also lifted his coffee to take a drink. The sleeves of his dark-colored tracksuit were rolled up casually, revealing sturdy forearms. Only after setting his cup down did he speak slowly: "Vice-Captain Hoshida, what is the reason for meeting me today?"

Seeing the other party speak first, Hoshida No also set down his coffee and said, "It's nothing major. I simply want to purchase the full set of first-year exam papers, from the start of the term up to the midterm exams."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a subtle twitch appeared on Morikawa's face, though he quickly regained his serious expression: "I can sell them to you, but please tell me your reason for buying them?"

"I discovered that the quizzes for the first years have reused original questions. I want to confirm whether the school has a probability of releasing similar past papers," Hoshida No said truthfully.

Morikawa nodded, giving his affirmation: "Not bad. I knew I hadn't misjudged you. 10,000 points per exam paper."

After saying this, he looked at Hoshida No with a serious gaze, his eyes revealing a sense of approval.

Hoshida No decisively agreed to the transaction. He took out his phone and transferred 200,000 private points directly to Morikawa.

He said, "15 quizzes and 5 midterm exam papers. Does that look correct to you?"

Morikawa looked at the 200,000 private points that had arrived on his phone and said, "I will send you the exam papers you requested this afternoon."

He folded his hands on the table and sighed, "When I first found out about the past papers, it was already the final exams. I really didn't expect someone to have discovered this hidden rule so early."

After the two chatted for a short while, Morikawa left, citing other business.

Hoshida No sat alone in the corner, picked up his coffee again, and dropped a milk candy into it. As expected, it tasted much better this way.

In Class 1-D, during the break between classes, Hoshida No received the screenshots of the exam papers sent by Morikawa.

He left the classroom and went to a toilet stall. He compared the screenshots with the quizzes from the first month, and sure enough, they were identical. A curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Time quickly arrived for the day he had promised to meet Karuizawa Kei.

The glass dome of Keyaki Mall filtered in soft, warm light, making the greenery in the atrium look even more vibrant.

Hoshida No had changed into a black casual outfit. Just as he entered the entrance, he saw two figures under a parasol at the outdoor cafe, whispering and laughing while looking at a menu.

Ichinose Honami was wearing a goose-yellow dress with a delicate floral pattern. Her long hair was loosely tied in a half-up style, revealing her slender neck. When she saw Hoshida No, she raised her hand and waved gently: "Brother No, over here!"

Karuizawa Kei was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt paired with a denim skirt, her feet in white sneakers. Her golden high ponytail swayed as she moved. Seeing him walk over, she flashed a charming smile: "You're three minutes late. Brother No should be punished."

Hoshida No sat down opposite them, brushed his hand against the cold glass on the table, and replied with a calm expression: "Sorry, I ran into Ayanokoji and chatted for a bit." He looked at the menu, his gaze lingering on the dessert section. "How about I treat you two to afternoon tea as my punishment?"

"I want a strawberry parfait!" Karuizawa Kei spoke first, pointing her fingertip at the picture on the menu. "I heard from Kushida last time that the portions here are huge and the fruit is fresh."

Ichinose Honami added gently, "Then I'll have the matcha souffle and three classic milk teas. Souffles are best when they're fresh out of the oven; we can share it."

In the interval while waiting for the order, sunlight fell through the gaps in the parasol onto Ichinose's hair, casting a soft glow.

She rested her chin on her hand and asked curiously, "Brother No, why is your face always so cold? You don't show any expression at all."

Karuizawa Kei took the opportunity to poke Hoshida No's face. "Don't count on Brother No having any expressions. Aside from his ugly smile, he's just a stone-faced person."

Hoshida No paused as Karuizawa Kei's cool fingertips poked his cheek. He did not brush her hand away.

His tone remained flat but carried a hint of imperceptible indulgence: "That's still better than certain people who look like little foxes that just stole some candy when they smile."

"Who are you calling a little fox!" Karuizawa Kei immediately pulled her hand back, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at him. Her golden high ponytail swayed with the movement, but she couldn't help but smile, revealing her dimples.

Then she grabbed Ichinose's arm. "Honami is the little fox; she's so cute when she laughs."

Ichinose, who had been covering her mouth and laughing softly, said, "Eh? No way, I only..."

By this time, quite a few students had gathered around. They were whispering, but their voices still reached the group.

"Isn't that Ichinose and Karuizawa?"

"It really is. They're so close. And who is that sitting opposite them... it's Hoshida No, the top of the Campus Handsome Ranking."

"Wow, he's so handsome. Do you think the three of them are on a date?"

Hoshida No keenly caught the unease of the two girls. Karuizawa Kei's earlobes had turned red, though she remained relatively composed.

Ichinose Honami's cheeks were flushed with a faint pink, and a few strands of her hair fell down, covering most of her face.

The comments from the students still drifted over from not far away, filled with curiosity and envy, and some even took out their phones to secretly take pictures.

Hoshida No set down his glass, stood up, and blocked the student who was preparing to take a photo, staring at them: "Classmate, delete the photos you just took."

The student who was stopped wanted to retort, "By what...", but upon seeing Hoshida No's pitch-black eyes, they nodded subconsciously: "S-sorry, I'll delete them right now."

After the group walked away, Hoshida No spent 10,000 points to rent a private room from the owner.

The warm light of the private room washed over the light-brown solid wood table, and the soft sofa sank into a comfortable curve, shutting out the noise from outside.

Hoshida No pulled the frosted glass door shut. When he turned around, he saw Karuizawa Kei standing on her tiptoes to examine the room's decor, her golden ponytail brushing against the sofa back, while Ichinose sat quietly in the corner, her eyes also observing the room.

"I didn't expect there to be private rooms like this here," Karuizawa Kei broke the silence first, her tone curious, though she deliberately avoided the topic of being watched earlier.

"10,000 points is a bit expensive, but it's better than being stared at like monkeys," she said, glancing at Hoshida No, the red on her ears still not faded. "I guess you have some sense."

Ichinose sat on the sofa and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "They were really too enthusiastic."

Hoshida No sat down opposite them and tapped the table with his fingertips, his tone flat but reassuring: "The soundproofing here is good. You don't need to worry about the noise outside."

He looked at Ichinose and handed her a milk tea. "The classic one I just ordered. The temperature should be just right."

Ichinose took the milk tea, her fingertips brushing against the warm cup wall, and looked up at him with a gentle smile: "Thank you, Brother No. I really troubled you just now."

She took a sip of the milk tea, and the unease in her eyes gradually dissipated, "Actually, you didn't have to spend so many points. We could have just gone somewhere else."

Hoshida No shook his head and picked up his own milk tea, "I also find people without boundaries quite repulsive."

Just then, a waiter pushed a dining cart in and knocked on the door, the sweet scent of strawberry parfait instantly filling the room. The matcha soufflé was still steaming, its fluffy surface trembling slightly as matcha powder dusted the porcelain plate.

"Wow! It looks even more tempting than it did outside!" Karuizawa Kei was immediately drawn in by the food, casting all her discomfort to the back of her mind as she picked up a spoon to dig in, mumbling, "So good."

Hoshida No pulled out a tissue and handed it to Karuizawa Kei, gesturing to the corner of his own mouth as he did so, "You've got some on your lip."

"By the way, Brother No," Ichinose Honami suddenly spoke up, curiosity in her eyes, "what were you talking about with Ayanokoji-kun just now? He rarely takes the initiative to talk to anyone."

At the mention of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Hoshida No was somewhat dismissive: "Nothing much, just ran into him by chance and talked about whether we'd pass the midterm exams." He didn't elaborate further.

Karuizawa Kei leaned in as well: "That Ayanokoji is super weird! He feels just like the old Brother No."

Hoshida No raised an eyebrow: "Was I like that before?"

"Yes!" Karuizawa Kei lifted her chin, though she couldn't help but laugh, "If you don't believe me, go look in a mirror. Aside from being a bit more handsome than him, you're exactly the same."

Ichinose couldn't help but stare at Hoshida No's face for a moment longer and nodded, "It's true, you both have poker faces."