Horikita Is Also Jiahao?!

Half an hour earlier.

Class D classroom.

"Horikita, are you free later?"

Kushida stopped the black-haired beauty again. The more she looked at Horikita, the more familiar she seemed. She kept feeling like she had seen her somewhere before...

"I don't have time to waste. I need to return to the dormitory and prepare for new material."

Horikita replied coldly, not even looking directly into the other girl's eyes.

She really did look down on everyone!

Kushida hid her thoughts behind a gentle smile. "I hope you'll keep me company. Uchiha will be coming too."

"...??"

Horikita paused, her beautiful eyes narrowing. "Why did you call him? What are you after?"

"..."

Kushida tucked the hair by her temples behind her ears and spoke softly. "Does my invitation really seem like it has some ulterior motive?"

Horikita's expression remained icy. "Isn't it only natural to be suspicious when someone suddenly invites you somewhere?"

At that.

Kushida lied without changing her expression. "Actually, it wasn't my invitation. Uchiha was the one who invited you..."

The black-haired beauty fell silent for a while.

Horikita felt it would be best to clear things up face-to-face. Otherwise, she would be dragged into endless troublesome entanglements again.

As though conceding, she said, "Still, if there's something specific, I don't mind hearing you out. I happen to have something to say to you as well."

Kushida happily clasped her hands together. "Thank you. I'm glad you can come."

Watching people come and go through Pallet, Uchiha sincerely felt that youth was wonderful!!

"There are so many girls."

"Did everyone come here to check in and take pictures?"

Ayanokoji said flatly, "Perhaps."

He exchanged glances with the orange-haired girl inside.

But when I thought about what was about to happen, my stomach cramped.

Uchiha pushed open the door and looked around. "I wonder if Kushida's here yet?"

The instant he stepped inside, the passion in the system suddenly jumped by a chunk!!

[Critical Hit! Passion +555]

Huh?!

Which fat sheep had such a huge emotional fluctuation?!

Was it an old acquaintance?!

Or a new character?!

Hehehe!!

Either way, I have to find you!!

I'll fleece you good!!!

"Ah, Uchiha, Ayanokoji, there aren't any seats around. If you don't mind, why don't you share a table with us?"

From a seat by the window, Kushida waved at the two boys.

She pretended it was a chance encounter and casually greeted them.

Little did she know, Ayanokoji had already sold her out...

The masked boy took the lead and sat down first, quietly observing the situation.

Anyway, Kushida was treating them, so he had nothing to lose.

In fact, this was the first time since crossing over that a girl had treated him to something. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!!

Then a strange thought suddenly arose—

Could Kushida... like him?!

"Two gentlemen, you came for coffee too?! That's rare!" Kushida said in a cutesy voice.

Ayanokoji: "?"

Uchiha? A gentleman???

Did those words even belong together???

The next moment.

Everyone was stunned.

Their jaws nearly dropped!!!

Uchiha remained calm. Facing Kushida and Horikita, he immediately dropped a bomb. "Which one of you two wants to go on a blind date with me?"

Kushida: "..."

What the hell, bro?!! What were you thinking?!!

Why did you suddenly bring up blind dates?!!!!

Horikita: "..."

The moment she saw Jiahao, she knew nothing good would happen. Why was he still so pretentious and narcissistic?!!

She had thought he called her out for something important?!!

But his head was full of nothing but this garbage about romance??

So irritating. So infuriating!!!

Ayanokoji: "..."

Kushida just wanted to be friends with you. She never said anything about being boyfriend and girlfriend...

Unbelievable!

Countless times, I've wondered whether an idiot like this could really be an assassin from the White Room.

But if he wasn't, how could his punching power be so extraordinary?

And why would Father send him to deliver a message to me?!

I don't get it!!!

The people around them: "..."

"Isn't that Jiahao?"

"Changing tactics? He's started hitting on pretty girls now?"

[Critical Hit! Passion +886]
[Passion +398]
[Passion +2.4]
[...]

Horikita's expression was incredibly ugly, constantly shifting between dark and uncertain.

Seeing that Horikita had the strongest reaction, Uchiha guessed that she had provided the critical hit!!

Wait...

Horikita? Suzune...

Horikita? Student Council...

Only then did he realize that those two looked a little alike!!!

You two... couldn't possibly be siblings, right?!

If they were siblings, then it made sense that both of them had sensitive skin!!!

He would probe her a little more.

Uchiha was completely unaffected by the atmosphere around him as his smoky voice made its return. "Suzune, your brother recruited me into the student council. Though I refused at first."

"Why didn't he recruit you? Was it to avoid suspicion, or was there some other reason?"

After hearing that soul-searching interrogation, Horikita's face completely darkened.

[Critical Hit! Passion +1024]

Uchiha's eyes lit up. It really was you!!!

Since she didn't deny it, he was basically certain—

You really are siblings!!

Sensitive skin, damn~

Horikita Suzune shot Kushida a cold glance and immediately stood up. "I'm leaving."

"Huh? We just sat down, and you're already leaving? Did we do something wrong?" Ayanokoji came back to his senses and tried to smooth things over.

At the same time, he signaled Kushida with his eyes: You brought her here. Aren't you going to try to keep her?

Kushida understood. Pressing her palms together, she looked full of remorse. "Sorry. It was my fault for suddenly calling over someone you weren't familiar with. I wanted so badly to be friends with you all that I only made things worse. It's my fault."

"Horikita, don't be angry. What would you like to drink? I'll treat you, as an apology."

Seeing how tactful Kushida was being, Horikita found it difficult to lash out and sat back down.

But she still couldn't help questioning Kushida. "What exactly are you trying to do? Isn't this too deliberate?"

Kushida's eyes filled with confusion and incomprehension. "What?"

Horikita steadied herself, her reasoning clear and logical. "Before we sat down, the two people who just left were girls from Class D. The two at the next table were as well. Are you really going to say that was a coincidence?"

Kushida twisted her fingers together, her expression slightly unnatural. "Y-you're awful. You aren't thinking I arranged this on purpose, are you?"

Ayanokoji lowered his eyes. If possible, I hoped Kushida wouldn't say things like that. It really had the feeling of protesting too much...

Horikita had confirmed her suspicion and pressed further. "Also, I saw that they left without ordering anything. They came all this way for nothing. What were they after? How do you explain that?"

Ayanokoji's gaze shifted slightly. Not only had she remembered the class members, she had also kept track of the seating situation. Horikita's powers of observation were stronger than I had imagined.

"Uh..."

At a loss, Kushida looked pleadingly at Ayanokoji.

Ayanokoji: ?

She wanted him to bail her out?

Sigh, Kushida, you were too greedy.

Horikita was difficult enough to deal with, let alone with Uchiha, an unpredictable time bomb, beside her!!!

As the atmosphere grew increasingly unpleasant.

Uchiha completely ignored the gunpowder in the air. "I'm thirsty. Aren't we ordering drinks?"

"I'll have a Fluffy Bobo Dudu Strawberry Tea Fairy."

"Didn't you say we had PE this afternoon? Hurry up and get this over with so we can return to the dormitory and change into our sportswear."

"..."

Fluffy? Bobo? Dudu?

What kind of filthy nonsense was that?!!!

The serious atmosphere instantly fell apart!!!

Horikita's expression brightened. "You're a grown man, and you insist on ordering such a cute milk tea?!"

Uchiha said, "I told you, I won't dodge. I insist on doing this. You won't talk me out of it, and I'll insist on loving it anyway~"

"?"

"??"

"???"

Singing out of nowhere again???

Was he using lyrics to express his preference? That was so Jiahao of him!!

At this point, Kushida had no intention of hiding it anymore. She placed both hands over her chest and said sincerely, "Horikita, Uchiha, please be friends with me!!"

The black-haired beauty sighed. "I won't blame you for setting this up this time, but if there's a next time, I won't be so polite. Remember that."

"I'm also at fault for not making things clear until now."

"I hope you won't meddle in my affairs. I won't cause trouble for the class or my classmates. Besides, I don't feel lonely by myself."

Kushida's eyes were watery and adorable. "If you don't properly integrate into the group, it'll only become harder to get by in the future!"

"Maybe."

Horikita put away her schoolbag and, for the first time, looked deeply into Kushida's eyes:

"Since kindergarten, this has continued for thirteen years. I don't need friends."

"Even if I made friends, they would only become a burden to me in the end."

"..."

Uchiha struggled to keep his expression straight as he stared blankly at Horikita.

Holy crap!!!

So Horikita was Jiahao too!!

Who else but Jiahao could say friends were a burden with a straight face?!