"Watanabe..." Horikita Suzune gently prodded Watanabe Hayabara in the back with the tip of her pen.
Watanabe Hayabara turned around and forced a faint smile. "Is something wrong, Horikita?"
"If you have something to say, could you just say it? You don't have to keep poking me like that."
Horikita Suzune glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then lowered her voice. "It's just... Watanabe, have you noticed that the atmosphere in class has grown much colder since Sudo and Yamauchi were expelled?"
Watanabe Hayabara thought about Horikita Suzune's words for a moment before replying, "What's so strange about that, Horikita? When a classmate gets expelled, everyone feels a little more at risk. Naturally, they're not in the mood to liven things up. Besides, Sudo and Yamauchi were the two loudest people in class. With them gone, things are bound to be quieter. Isn't that a good thing? You've always liked a quiet atmosphere, haven't you, Horikita?"
"It's just..." Watanabe Hayabara hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "I feel like something's off about the atmosphere in class. The way people look at you seems a little strange."
Watanabe Hayabara knew perfectly well that, over the past few days, the ordinary students in his class had been giving him strange looks. Their complicated gazes were a mixture of curiosity, confusion, and a hint of hostility. He had chosen to ignore them, since he didn't care what other people thought.
Since Horikita Suzune had brought up the subject, Watanabe Hayabara couldn't simply brush it off. He paused briefly, then asked, "Strange looks? I don't think I've done anything, Horikita."
Horikita Suzune thought for a moment, then replied, "I suppose you haven't."
Watanabe Hayabara immediately pressed her. "Then after you came back from the rooftop, did you tell everyone that I was the one who gave Iju points to help her, Horikita?"
Horikita Suzune nodded and answered quietly, "Yes. It was your contribution, after all, Watanabe."
Watanabe Hayabara's brows knitted slightly. Looking at Horikita Suzune, he said slowly, "Horikita, do you understand why I only helped Iju out of the three of them? That's the problem."
A hint of guilt appeared on Horikita Suzune's face. She lowered her head and said softly, "I'm sorry, Watanabe."
"I'll explain it to them, Watanabe. I'm sorry." Horikita Suzune bowed her head in apology.
"Make sure you explain it clearly to them, Horikita."
"Okay, I will."
"Could I interrupt you for a moment, Watanabe, Horikita?" A soft, pleasant voice drifted into their ears. They both turned toward its source and saw a petite figure standing not far away, her face beaming with a sweet smile. It was Kushida Kikyo.
"Of course, Kushida. Watanabe and I were just about done talking." Horikita Suzune's lips curved into a friendly smile.
"Yeah, you're not interrupting us at all, Kushida." Watanabe Hayabara chimed in with a smile of his own.
Kushida Kikyo seemed relieved. She walked lightly over to them and said, a little shyly, "Um... Watanabe, could I ask you to come to the park with me after school? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."
Horikita Suzune quietly lowered her head, as if she didn't want to intrude.
"Sure, Kushida." Watanabe Hayabara answered warmly.
"Then it's a date, Watanabe. See you at the park after school." Kushida Kikyo waved with a smile, then left.
"See you after school, Kushida." Watanabe Hayabara waved goodbye too.
"The scenery at the school park is so beautiful right now, Watanabe." A bright smile played on Kushida Kikyo's lips as she spread her arms like a dancing butterfly, soaking in the lovely view.
"Yeah, the scenery is like something out of a poem. It's captivating. But I think there's something even more worth admiring than the beautiful view." Watanabe Hayabara's lips curved in a faint smile, and his gaze naturally settled on Kushida Kikyo.
Feeling Watanabe Hayabara's eyes on her, Kushida Kikyo's cheeks turned faintly pink, like a blooming peach blossom. She smiled sweetly and looked back at him. "You're quite the charmer, Watanabe. I bet a lot of girls like you."
The smile remained on Watanabe Hayabara's lips. He chuckled softly. "You flatter me, Kushida. I'm just telling the truth. But you didn't ask me here just to talk about this, did you?" His gaze rested on Kushida Kikyo, gentle yet steady, as if he wanted to peer into her eyes and understand what she was thinking.
Kushida Kikyo hesitated briefly, then nodded and replied with a smile, "There is something I wanted to talk about, Watanabe."
"I solved a big problem for you, Watanabe. How are you going to reward me?" Kushida Kikyo smiled.
"Is that so? Go ahead and tell me what it is. I'll give you an appropriate reward depending on what you did." Watanabe Hayabara gave her a teasing smile.
"I put a stop to all the arguing about you in class—the whole thing about you helping Iju. It took a lot of effort to explain it to everyone one by one. So, what kind of reward are you going to give me, Watanabe?" Kushida Kikyo wore a mischievous smile.
"Why don't you tell me?" Watanabe Hayabara left it to Kushida Kikyo to suggest a reward.
"A reward, huh..." She drew out the final syllable, as if weighing some precious object in her mind.
"Oh? It seems you already had something in mind, Kushida."
"After all, I helped you out of such a big mess, Watanabe." Kushida Kikyo suddenly stepped half a pace closer. The citrus scent of her shampoo mingled with the smell of sunshine. "I spent the whole day explaining everything to everyone, after all." Kushida Kikyo spoke coquettishly.
Watanabe Hayabara's gaze fell on her cheek, and a soft chuckle escaped him. "So?"
"I heard a new café just opened at school," Kushida suddenly said, clapping her hands. Her voice rang as clear as a wind chime. "I heard their sea-salt cake is a limited edition, and..." She lowered her voice, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly. "And the café has private rooms."
"Really? Kushida Kikyo, that doesn't sound like you. I thought you'd ask me to help get rid of Horikita or something." Watanabe Hayabara smiled.
"I have to take your feelings into consideration, after all. I'll be relying on you from now on."
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