A Wave Hasn't Subsided, Another Rises

Stepping out of the classroom, Uesugi Hara gazed at the daylight filtering in from the end of the corridor and let out a soft, sudden chuckle.

Reflecting on that conversation, it felt like a meticulously choreographed one-man show—did Nagumo Miyabi really think he could lure him into that muddy water to act as his pawn with those half-truth, half-false baits?

He shook his head slowly. Since when had he become a chess piece to be manipulated at will? This trick of wrapping ambition in the guise of benefits was, frankly, a gross underestimation of his character.

Inside the classroom, however, Nagumo Miyabi showed no signs of discouragement. Instead, he raised a hand to stroke his chin, a glimmer of interest flashing in his eyes. "What an interesting underclassman," he muttered to himself, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Troublesome? How could I possibly believe such an excuse."

He leaned against the podium, the sound of his fingertips tapping against the desk echoing through the empty room. The refusal had sounded crisp, but he had clearly caught the flash of amusement in Uesugi Hara's eyes just moments ago.

"The deeper one hides, the more interesting it gets." Nagumo Miyabi chuckled softly. "I hope you can bring me some surprises next time we meet."

Walking out of the club building, Uesugi Hara pulled out his Terminal and glanced at the time—five-thirty. He clicked his tongue lightly; he had been so busy listening to Nagumo Miyabi's grandstanding that he hadn't even noticed the time slipping away.

With a few swipes on the Terminal screen, he cast the lingering taste of that conversation to the back of his mind. At the end of the day, it was just a probe between people with hidden agendas; it wasn't worth wasting too many brain cells over.

He still had to figure out how to deal with Kushida Kikyo tonight.

"Uesugi-kun." Just as Uesugi Hara was planning to head off for dinner, a familiar voice came from behind him.

He turned around, and sure enough, it was that little girl who always seemed to have plenty of free time—Sakayanagi Arisu was walking out of the club building, leaning on her cane.

Kamuro Masumi was following behind her as usual, though this time, Hashimoto was there as well.

"Yo, Uesugi, what a coincidence." Hashimoto waved at him, his tone carrying a sense of casual familiarity.

Kamuro Masumi didn't say a word; she merely cast a faint glance at Uesugi Hara before looking away, her expression devoid of any fluctuation.

"It really is a coincidence." Uesugi Hara responded calmly, though he couldn't help but mutter to himself: How unlucky. I just finished dealing with Nagumo Miyabi, and now I run into her.

As Sakayanagi Arisu and the others approached, her signature cane tapped against the ground, emitting a faint sound. The girl's fair fingers rested upon it, a subtle, enigmatic smile playing on her lips: "Hehe, Uesugi-kun, you don't look very happy. Did you encounter something unpleasant in the club building just now?"

Her tone was soft and her eyes were smiling; though it was a question, it carried a sense of knowing certainty.

Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow, laughing inwardly—if this little girl knew she was being avoided, would she throw a tantrum?

He thought this while wearing a faint smile: "Arisu-san is overthinking it. I was just wondering what to have for dinner."

"Oh?" Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her head, her silver-white short hair sliding over her shoulder. "That's quite a coincidence. Kamuro and the others and I were just planning to head to the Commercial District. Would Uesugi-kun like to join us? It would also give me a chance to hear if you have any good ideas."

Hashimoto immediately chimed in from the side: "Yeah, the more the merrier! Plus, Princess is treating us today; she said there's a shop with limited-edition strawberry cakes."

Uesugi Hara glanced at Kamuro Masumi's expressionless face, then back at Sakayanagi's look of inevitable victory. He knew he wouldn't be able to dodge this one. He shrugged, his tone casual: "Since you put it that way, I'd be rude to refuse."

In any case, he had to deal with Kushida Kikyo tonight, so returning a bit later didn't seem like a bad idea—Uesugi Hara calculated silently, his footsteps falling into rhythm with theirs.

On the way to the Commercial District, Hashimoto chattered incessantly, ranging from interesting classroom anecdotes to new games. Kamuro Masumi followed silently behind Sakayanagi like a shadow, seemingly indifferent to everything.

Sakayanagi Arisu occasionally chimed in, but her gaze kept drifting toward Uesugi Hara. When they reached a fork in the road, she suddenly asked softly: "Uesugi-kun, you were coming from the Student Council office area just now, weren't you?"

Uesugi Hara's footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second, his expression remaining composed: "Just passing by."

"Is that so?" Sakayanagi chuckled, her cane tapping crisply against the stone path. "I thought I saw Vice President Nagumo over there just now. Do you... know each other?"

Uesugi Hara rubbed the bridge of his nose: "I wouldn't call it knowing each other. We just happened to exchange a few words."

"Nagumo-senpai has quite the ambition," Sakayanagi said slowly. "Uesugi-kun would do best not to get involved with him."

Uesugi Hara glanced at her smiling eyes and suddenly laughed: "Arisu-san seems very interested in other people's business."

"After all, there aren't many interesting people or things in this school." Sakayanagi tilted her head to look at him. "Isn't Uesugi-kun one of them? Clearly hiding your strength, yet always preferring to play the part of an ordinary person."

Kamuro and Hashimoto, hearing this from the side, looked confused: "Playing the part of an ordinary person? Uesugi, are you that capable?"

Uesugi Hara didn't answer, merely looking at Sakayanagi: "If Arisu-san has something to say, you might as well say it directly."

"Nothing in particular." Sakayanagi withdrew her gaze, looking toward a restaurant not far away. "I just feel that if Uesugi-kun keeps hiding in the crowd, it's a waste of talent. Sometimes, you have to step onto the stage to see more interesting scenery, don't you think?"

Uesugi Hara didn't take the bait. As he pushed open the restaurant door, he stepped aside to let Sakayanagi enter first: "Let's eat first. I don't even know if there are any strawberry cakes left."

As Sakayanagi Arisu was helped across the threshold by Kamuro Masumi, she cast a light glance at Uesugi Hara, the smile in her eyes deepening: "Don't worry, I had someone set aside a portion of that shop's limited items in advance."

The warm, yellow light of the restaurant spilled over the wooden tables and chairs. Hashimoto rushed to the counter and returned with four boxes of strawberry cake, pushing them toward the group like he was presenting treasure: "Look, look! Good thing Princess had the foresight!"

Fresh strawberries were piled atop the pink-and-white cream, the sugar frosting shimmering with fine light. Uesugi Hara picked a box, scooped a piece with a small spoon, and put it in his mouth. As the cloying sweetness spread, he suddenly heard Sakayanagi speak slowly: "Vice President Nagumo sought you out because he wants to pull you into the Student Council, right?"

Uesugi Hara raised his eyes, meeting her light gray gaze that seemed capable of peering into his heart.

"A guess." Sakayanagi sipped her black tea, her tone indifferent. "He and President Horikita are already at odds; it's only natural for him to recruit allies."

Kamuro Masumi's movements paused as she pricked up her ears to listen to this information she hadn't known, while Hashimoto bit his spoon and mumbled: "Uesugi, are you going to join the Student Council? I heard Katsuragi wants to go too. You guys better give it your all."

Sakayanagi looked at Uesugi Hara, who had remained silent: "The important thing is, Uesugi-kun refused, didn't you?"

Uesugi Hara swallowed the cake in his mouth, raised an eyebrow, and countered: "What if I said I accepted?"

"That would be boring." Sakayanagi chuckled. "I thought Uesugi-kun was different from those people who are desperate to cling to power." She tapped the edge of the cake box with her small spoon. "After all, the feeling of being used as a pawn isn't a pleasant one."

Uesugi Hara calmly pushed the empty cake box aside: "It seems Arisu-san not only likes to pry into things but also likes to make judgments for others."

"I just don't want to see an interesting person take the wrong path." As Sakayanagi tilted her head, her silver-white hair brushed against her shoulder. "Vice President Nagumo advocates breaking the rules, while President Horikita advocates maintaining the status quo. Uesugi-kun, do you think maintaining the status quo is interesting, or..."

She paused deliberately, a flash of mischief crossing her light gray eyes: "...tearing a hole open with your own hands to see the world outside?"

Uesugi Hara picked up his teacup and took a sip, the warm liquid sliding down his throat: "Arisu-san seems to have an awful lot to say today."

"Because it's rare to meet someone interesting."

Uesugi Hara did not answer immediately, merely gazing at the twilight deepening outside the window. His phone vibrated in his pocket; he didn't need to look to know it was most likely Kushida Kikyo urging him to return.

He stood up. "Thank you for the hospitality, but I should be going."

Sakayanagi did not try to keep him, only waving with a smile. "Take care on your way. Oh, right—"

Uesugi Hara turned back.

"Was the strawberry cake to your liking?" She blinked, her tone as innocent as any ordinary girl.

"It was fine." Uesugi Hara turned and walked out of the restaurant.