The day after the midterm exam results were announced, Class 1-D's classroom was filled with an unprecedented excitement.
Class Points after the midterm exams:
A: 1120 B: 1090 C: 940 D: 930
"180 points! We gained 180 points!" Ken Sudō's booming voice nearly lifted the roof. He slapped his desk, his face alight with undisguised joy. "Did you see that? We're only 10 points behind Class C! Next time! Next time, we'll definitely overtake them!"
"It's all thanks to Hoshida!"
"Yeah! Hoshida's incredible!"
"That practice test was a lifesaver!"
The crowd naturally gathered around Hoshida No's seat. He still wore his usual mild expression, only occasionally nodding in response and saying little.
At the edge of all the celebration, Kushida Kikyo stood alone.
She still wore her usual smile. Clapping lightly, she joined in with everyone's cheers. "You're right! Hoshida's amazing!" No one noticed that the nails of the hand she held behind her back had dug deep into her palm, leaving several crescent-shaped red marks.
"Why is all the attention on him?" The voice shrieked inside her mind.
I'm the one who's always held the class together, helped everyone, and listened to all their troubles! I'm the one at the center, bringing everyone together!
Hoshida No... All he did was hand out a practice test! What makes him so special?!
She saw Ichinose Honami, the angel of Class B, growing so close to him. She saw even Takaoji Rokusuke, who usually couldn't be bothered with anyone, cast a thoughtful glance in their direction. And she saw that Horikita Suzune, the unapproachable honor student, had her full attention fixed on Hoshida No, too.
She kept smiling until the bell rang and the crowd gradually dispersed. Returning to her seat, she opened her textbook and thought, This can't go on. I have to do something.
At lunchtime, Kushida Kikyo didn't go to the cafeteria with the other girls as usual. Instead, claiming she had "some things to look up," she went alone to a secluded corner of the library.
She opened her phone, but instead of looking up study materials, she brought up an encrypted contact list.
The list contained friends she had made since enrolling, in every class and even among the upperclassmen, by offering selfless help and listening to their secrets.
She carefully framed her messages as harmless curiosity and concern, then used her vast network of connections to investigate Hoshida No's background from every angle. She needed information. She needed to understand this man.
At the same time, she turned her attention to the class.
During an afternoon break, she "happened" to pass Horikita Suzune's seat and quietly said in a worried tone, "Horikita, about this exam... Hoshida was really impressive, wasn't he? The class gained so many points, and everyone's so happy. But... I'm a little worried about him."
Horikita Suzune looked up from her textbook, her cool eyes settling on Kushida. "Worried?"
"Mm." Kushida nodded, her brows drawing together in a sincere, anxious expression. "That test... it was too precise. I can't help wondering if Hoshida might have used some... well, risky methods to help us. I'm afraid he'll get into trouble because of it. After all, the school takes the rules very seriously, right?"
Horikita Suzune fell silent for a moment, then said flatly, "His methods were questionable. But he should be the one to bear the consequences."
Not getting the sympathy she'd expected, Kushida's eyes flashed with an imperceptible hint of frustration, but her smile remained unchanged. "That's true... I hope I'm just overthinking it. I just don't want anything bad to happen to anyone in our class."
She played the part of an angel who cared about everyone to perfection, then walked away lightly.
The instant she turned, her smile faded, and her expression darkened.
She remembered the troubled look on Hirata Yousuke's face after the exam. During a break, she found Hirata talking with a few boys and naturally brought up Hoshida No while steering the conversation toward a class celebration.
"Hirata, Hoshida was the biggest reason our class did so well this time! Shouldn't we thank him properly, maybe by having a little get-together?" Kushida suggested.
Hirata Yousuke smiled gently. "Yeah, Hoshida contributed a lot. A get-together... we could consider it, but..." He paused, lowering his voice. "Kushida, don't you think everything went a little... too smoothly this time? I can't shake this feeling of unease."
Kushida's heart stirred, and she immediately put on a sympathetic expression. "You feel that way too, Hirata? Actually... I do, a little. There's no question that Hoshida's capable, but it was just... so good. Almost frighteningly good.
"I heard some teachers have been asking Takaoji about how he questioned the exam questions... Could that mean they'll also notice the unusual improvement in our class's scores?"
Hirata's brows knitted even tighter. "That is a problem. Progress made through unconventional means might not have a solid foundation, and it could also lead to unexpected trouble. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Kushida."
Success. Kushida sneered inwardly. Hirata's sense of justice and responsibility was exactly the easiest way to get her foot in the door.
Over the next few days, Kushida continued living her double life.
On the surface, she was a warm, angelic presence. She enthusiastically took part in class activities, cared about every student, and maintained just the right degree of gratitude and friendliness toward Hoshida No.
Behind the scenes, her network of informants kept feeding her information, slowly but steadily.
The results were frustrating: Hoshida No's past seemed shrouded in mist. All she could find out was that he was close to Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei, and that he was the vice-captain of the Martial Arts Club.
Kushida Kikyo knew about the past three years of Hoshida No's life, but before that, there was nothing. How could an "orphan" be so capable?
What made her even more agitated was Hoshida No's attitude toward her.
No matter how skillfully she probed or tried to get closer, Hoshida No always responded with the same mild aloofness.
The way he looked at her seemed no different from how he looked at the other students. But at the same time, it was as if... he could see through the smile she so carefully maintained and glimpse something else.
Once, when she again brought up his materials in an admiring tone, Hoshida No merely glanced at her and said flatly, "Kushida, you really care about the class." The words were perfectly ordinary, yet a cold sweat broke out across her back.
She couldn't wait any longer. Hirata was just a do-gooder; at most, he'd make the other students more wary of Hoshida No. It wouldn't accomplish much.
I'll take control of him myself. If I can't find something to hold over him, I'll just make something up.
May 17, 10 p.m.
Hoshida No splashed cold water on his face, washing away some of his fatigue. He dried his face with a towel and walked back to his bedroom.
Standing by the window, he held the pink handkerchief in his hand. The day before, Morikawa had messaged him: "A student in your class asked me about you. After I asked around, I found out it was Kushida Kikyo."
Over the past few days, Hoshida No had noticed that Kushida Kikyo was acting strangely, too. She kept finding little excuses to approach him, and a shadowy emotion seemed to flicker in her gaze.
Just then, the phone on his bedside table lit up and vibrated repeatedly. It wasn't a call. He had a message.
Kushida Kikyo: "Hoshida, could you take a walk with me tonight? There's something I'd like to talk to you about... Please."
Kushida Kikyo: "I'm behind the dormitory."
Kushida Kikyo: "Someone shared their location with you."