While Kamuro and the others were still drowning in a sea of knowledge, an orangutan's angry roar suddenly rang out nearby.
"Who are you calling ignorant and incompetent?!"
Uesugi Hara had noticed the commotion over there long ago, but the story hadn't officially begun yet, so there was nothing worth paying attention to. He turned to the others, who were still bent over their books, and said, "If you're tired of studying, take a break."
"Phew—" The moment he finished speaking, Morishita Ran let out a long breath, her tense shoulders relaxing. Kamuro Masumi looked as if all the strength had drained out of her; she flopped onto the table with a thump and mumbled into it, "Finally, a break..."
Beside her, Yamamura Miki's fingers paused around her pen, leaving a faint ink dot on her notebook. She didn't relax as openly as Kamuro or show as much obvious relief as Morishita. She simply looked up at Uesugi Hara and gave a slight nod.
Sakayanagi Arisu set down her coffee. She looked up at Uesugi Hara, curiosity rippling in her pale eyes. "Are you planning to watch the show from here, Uesugi-kun? I've noticed you glancing over there quite a bit."
Uesugi Hara met her gaze, his tone calm. "Isn't Sakayanagi-san doing the same? There must be someone over there you're interested in. Let me guess—is it that brown-haired boy with the deadpan expression?"
"Oh? Do you have any evidence for that, Uesugi-kun?" Sakayanagi traced a finger lightly around the rim of her cup, the faintest smile playing on her lips.
"No evidence," Uesugi Hara said casually, turning his gaze away. "Just a guess."
"Is that so? It seems your guesses are remarkably accurate, Uesugi-kun." Sakayanagi Arisu's finger paused on the rim of her cup. Her smile remained unchanged, but the faintest glint of coldness flickered in her eyes.
"Could he be someone you have feelings for, Sakayanagi-san? If so, I'll be heartbroken." Uesugi Hara's tone was deliberately playful, though he discreetly watched her reaction.
"Hehe—" Sakayanagi chuckled softly, but there was a strange excitement in her laughter. "I'm afraid not." She leaned forward slightly, her pale eyes turning especially sharp in the light. "He's someone I'll have to bury with my own hands sooner or later."
"I see," Uesugi Hara replied, his tone giving little away.
The conversation between them ended, and they fell silent in perfect unison—as if they had agreed on the timing beforehand, though they hadn't.
A few people nearby had been listening with keen interest, but Sakayanagi simply lifted her coffee and took a sip while Uesugi Hara went back to watching the confrontation. It was as if their pointed exchange had never happened.
"...What a waste of time!" Ken Sudō clicked his tongue impatiently and shoved the books on the table into his bag. His zipper rasped loudly as he turned and strode out.
Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki exchanged a glance, gathered their things, and muttered, "We're heading out too," before hurrying after Sudō.
"It looks like this farce is just about over," Sakayanagi Arisu said, lightly tapping the desk with her fingertip, her tone tinged with disdain.
"Not necessarily." Uesugi Hara's voice was quiet, but it was like a stone dropping into still water.
As soon as he finished speaking, Horikita Suzune's gaze abruptly shifted to the other side. The sharpness she had aimed at someone else now turned squarely on Kushida Kikyo. "What are you doing here? Did you come specifically to get in my way?"
After a heated argument.
After Kushida Kikyo ran off, her voice choked with tears, Horikita Suzune turned and left with a cold expression. At last, the tension that had filled the air began to ease.
"It seems the person you're interested in didn't plan to do anything, Sakayanagi-san." Uesugi Hara rested his fingers on the edge of the table and casually glanced in the direction the two had gone, his tone nonchalant, as if he were discussing something trivial.
Sakayanagi Arisu gazed out the window, her fingers still absentmindedly tracing the pattern on her coffee cup. "It certainly looks that way." She paused, a hint of interest flashing in her pale eyes. "But the more composed the prey, the more fun it is when their disguise is torn away, don't you think?"
Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. Sunlight streamed through the glass and stretched their shadows across the table. The quiet calm returned to the room, yet something about it suggested that this disturbance, temporarily held at bay, would stir up trouble again before long.
"All right, I think that's enough for today's study session." Uesugi Hara closed his notebook and lightly tapped the table with his fingers. "Review the key points we covered today when you get back. Don't forget everything as soon as you leave."
Kamuro Masumi had only just recovered from the relief of being able to take a break. At his words, she immediately sat up and hurriedly gathered the notes scattered across the table. The imprint of her face was still visible on the pages, like a faint mark. Morishita Ran nodded and put her pen cap back on. Her fingers had turned slightly pale from holding the pen for so long.
Yamamura Miki had already organized her notes. She was drawing little circles in red ink beside the key formulas. At his words, she looked up and answered, "Okay," her voice soft and clear.
Sakayanagi Arisu didn't get up right away. She simply watched the others pack their things, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Only when Uesugi Hara stood to leave did she leisurely lift her coffee cup and say softly to his back, "Would you like to walk together, Uesugi-kun? We might 'happen upon' something interesting again."
Uesugi Hara paused and turned to look at Sakayanagi. His tone had lost some of its earlier nonchalance and gained a touch of genuine warmth. "Rather than 'happening upon' something, there's someone waiting for me over there. Besides, Kamuro can see you off, so there's no need to trouble me."
With that, he turned and walked toward the window. Shiina Hiyori was sitting there reading a novel. At the sound, she looked up, her lowered lashes fluttering lightly. When she saw Uesugi Hara approaching, a faint smile spread through her eyes, like ripples on water hiding starlight.
She didn't get up. She simply moved the empty chair beside her closer, making room for him.
Kamuro Masumi had just slung her bag over her shoulder when she caught Sakayanagi's expression out of the corner of her eye. She suddenly leaned toward her and teased in an exaggerated drawl, "Sakayanagi~ Look, look! As soon as Uesugi has someone he wants to see, he forgets all about you. Is that what they call finding someone new and forgetting an 'old acquaintance'?"
As she spoke, she secretly watched Sakayanagi's reaction, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
After all, she was used to seeing the two of them trade subtle probes whenever they talked. It was a novelty to see Uesugi Hara show someone else such a gentle expression.
After hearing her, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't seem displeased at all. Instead, she curved her lips into a slight smile and brushed her fingers over the hair hanging at her shoulder. "That's an interesting way to put it, Kamuro-san. Still, Uesugi-kun's choice wasn't exactly unexpected." Her tone remained composed, as if her words were no more than an inconsequential breeze.
Kamuro Masumi had expected to see some unusual expression from Sakayanagi, but when she remained composed, she couldn't help pouting. "Huh? You're not even mad? If it were me, I'd definitely be stomping my feet after being 'ignored' like that."
Sakayanagi Arisu turned to her, a faint smile in her pale eyes. "Mad? Why would I be? It's perfectly normal for Uesugi-kun to care about someone." She paused, glancing over at Uesugi Hara, who was discussing a novel with Shiina Hiyori. Her fingers slid lightly over her cane. "Besides, anyone who can make Uesugi-kun approach them of his own accord is worth keeping an eye on. They might become an unexpected 'variable' someday."
"Variable?" Kamuro Masumi frowned and pondered it for a while, but still couldn't quite understand. She simply waved a hand. "Forget it. You clever people make everything so complicated! Are you coming or not? If not, I'm going to find Morishita and the others."
Sakayanagi gazed at her and chuckled, then turned her eyes back to Uesugi Hara. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting overlapping patches of light on the two of them. Uesugi Hara's profile looked much gentler than usual as he spoke, while Shiina Hiyori's ears occasionally turned faintly red when she looked up. Sakayanagi adjusted her cuff, the curve of her lips unchanged, while quietly adding this new "pair" to the list of things that warranted her attention.
"Let's go."
"Have you been waiting long?" Uesugi Hara asked softly as he sat down beside her.
Shiina Hiyori shook her head and pushed the book in her hands toward him, pointing to a page. "Not at all. I saw you talking, so I read a little on my own... There's something here I'm not quite sure about. I wanted to ask you."
"Oh, this part..."
When they were nearly done talking, Uesugi Hara glanced at the clock on the wall. The hands had crept past early evening. He noticed that Shiina Hiyori still had a pen in her hand and a hint of reluctance in her eyes, as if she hadn't finished talking. He casually asked, "Doesn't Class C usually hold study sessions?"
Shiina Hiyori's fingers curled around her pen. She answered softly, "Ryuen-kun has his own plans." There was little emotion in her voice, but it sounded like an admission.
"I see," Uesugi Hara replied, though he recalled scenes he had occasionally witnessed lately: Class C students often hung around nearby when Class B held study sessions. Sometimes they deliberately made noise; other times they suddenly interrupted with something disruptive. They clearly meant trouble.
He gathered his things and stood. "It's getting late. I'll head back first." Before leaving, he turned to Shiina Hiyori, who was still sitting where she was, and offered a gentle reminder. "Don't get so caught up in your novels that you forget to rest early."
At the word "novels," Shiina Hiyori's ears warmed slightly. She hurriedly nodded. "Okay, I will. Take care on your way back, Uesugi-kun."