Ayanokoji Kiyoha's Observation

In the classroom, the teacher on the podium droned on, reciting the dry textbook material by rote. Ayanokoji Kiyoha rested her chin on one hand, scanning her classmates with a sense of listless boredom, her mind involuntarily drifting back to the analysis and observations she had made of these "companions" over the past few days.

Sitting in the center of the classroom, surrounded by girls, was the quintessential nice guy, Hirata Yosuke. He was constantly attuned to the emotions of those around him, his face always wearing a gentle smile. If any thorny disputes arose in class or if there was an urgent matter requiring coordination, he was the go-to person; he was truly a reliable core figure.

Not far away, Kushida Kikyo was leaning to the side, chatting softly with a classmate in the back row, her face beaming with an angelic, healing smile. She seemed a bit strange, always radiating an excessive amount of kindness toward everyone, though she was likely an exceptionally brilliant social butterfly; she possessed a unique, innate talent for winning people over.

Ayanokoji's gaze drifted to the desk next to her, where a beautiful girl with long, straight black hair sat—Horikita Suzune. She was staring straight at the blackboard, her pen moving rapidly to take notes, exuding an "approach at your own risk" aura; she was a cold, model student.

Recalling the sharp evaluation Wu Qiao had once given her, Ayanokoji couldn't help but inwardly scoff: according to Wu Qiao, her own demeanor lacked even a shred of warmth, like a humanoid robot, whereas Horikita Suzune at least gave off a biting chill. By that comparison, did she actually come across as "gentler"?

In contrast, Yukimura Teruhiko, who also sat in the front row, was an excellent student with high grades, but his personality was much milder and easier to talk to; at least he wasn't covered in thorns like Horikita.

Ayanokoji's gaze finally landed on the maverick figure by the window—Koenji Rokusuke. That guy was sitting with his legs crossed, looking perfectly content as he admired his own fingernails, completely indifferent to the lesson.

Although he appeared extremely lazy on a daily basis, one had to admit that he strictly followed school rules, never once arriving late or leaving early. But... that was all he did—merely follow the rules.

Beyond that, he cared nothing for class honor or collective interests, and he didn't even hold anyone in his eyes. Such an extreme egoist was likely the most difficult variable to control in Class D.

As soon as the bell for the break rang, the previously dull atmosphere in the classroom instantly livened up. Ayanokoji Kiyoha didn't remain seated as she usually did, but instead began observing her surroundings with keen interest.

Over these past few days, she had gradually figured out the patterns of idle chatter in the class. Thanks to her appearance and her mask, Ayanokoji Kiyoha could easily strike up conversations with a portion of the girls.

She only needed to play the part of a curious child interested in everything, occasionally interjecting with her bottomless reservoir of knowledge when a topic hit a dead end, and she could seamlessly blend in, even becoming a popular member of the girls' clique.

It had to be said that the girls' information network was truly formidable; those seemingly trivial chats were often interspersed with useful or useless tidbits. Some rumors about the movements of other classes were things even Ayanokoji Kiyoha was hearing for the first time, which she found quite refreshing.

Of course, there were things in the class that even Ayanokoji Kiyoha couldn't fully decipher. For instance, Wu Qiao, who was currently sitting at his desk, engaged in an "encrypted conversation" with Wang Meiyu in Chinese.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha didn't understand Chinese—or, to be precise, she didn't understand spoken Chinese. Although her superior memory allowed her to distinguish the words, the two of them spoke at an incredibly fast pace and even used heavy accents that differed significantly from the standard Chinese pronunciation she had seen in her research, making real-time analysis even more difficult.

She could only watch as Wang Meiyu's initially timid expression gradually became animated after hearing Wu Qiao's words, even covering her mouth to giggle at something he said. This feeling of being completely excluded from the conversation caused a subtle sense of concern to rise in Ayanokoji Kiyoha's heart.

What are they talking about? Ayanokoji Kiyoha made a silent mental note.

It seemed that there was some sort of unknown understanding and connection between Wu Qiao and Wang Meiyu. Everyone in this school, as expected, was hiding quite a few secrets.

Wu Qiao and Wang Meiyu's "encrypted calls" happened from time to time. While they didn't appear particularly intimate, in a sense, could this kind of conversation, which ignored everyone else, be considered a form of reverse bullying?

Ayanokoji Kiyoha didn't actually know what the word "bullying" specifically entailed. She had originally thought it referred only to crude behaviors like fighting or physical conflict, but she had discovered over these days that many terms were not so simple in the practice of real-world interpersonal relationships.

Verbal exclusion and the isolation of information seemed to be a kind of invisible barrier as well.

Watching the conversation between Wu Qiao and Wang Meiyu end, Wu Qiao reached into his pocket as usual, pulled out a candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. He projected an image of someone who loved candy, his cheeks bulging, looking harmless to both man and beast.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha knew that he didn't just love candy; he simply loved to eat. But the question was, why did he eat so much food without showing any signs of weight gain?

One had to remember that the cafeteria at Advanced Nurturing High School was filled with exquisite desserts and high-fat, high-salt foods, and Wu Qiao consumed a massive amount of sugar almost every day. Yet, his physique remained tall and well-proportioned, with absolutely no signs of fat accumulation.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha analyzed it silently: could it be that he had an extremely high basal metabolic rate? Or did he have an unknown, high-intensity exercise habit in private that burned off all the calories he consumed? Or perhaps... his genes naturally carried some enviable "lean physique"?

Thinking of this, Ayanokoji Kiyoha couldn't help but take a few extra looks at Wu Qiao. The mysteries surrounding this boy seemed even greater than she had anticipated. Not only did he possess unfathomable potential, but even his daily dietary habits were riddled with oddities.

It seemed that if she wanted to see through this person completely, she would need more observation and contact.

Just then, Wu Qiao seemed to notice Ayanokoji's gaze. He turned his head, flashed a grin at her, and casually held out a candy: "Ayanokoji, want one? Replenish some energy, and you'll have more spirit for the afternoon classes."

Ayanokoji Kiyoha was slightly taken aback, then calmly shook her head: "No, thank you. I don't really like sweets."

Wu Qiao didn't press the matter, shrugging as he tucked the candy away and continued chewing his treat with a look of contentment. Watching his profile, the desire to investigate him only grew stronger in Ayanokoji's heart.