The window-side section of the cafeteria was noisier than the public lounge.
Utensils clinked against trays, and chair legs scraped sharply across the floor.
Karuizawa sat between two girls, her phone held facedown beneath the table.
The smile on her face remained.
It was just thinner than usual.
"You asked twice just now," said the girl by the window.
"I just didn't hear clearly," Karuizawa replied.
"Who exactly mentioned their class first in the Rabbit Group's second round?" the other girl asked. "What does that have to do with us?"
Karuizawa set her glass back on the table.
The sound of its base landing was heavier than necessary.
"If it has nothing to do with us, then don't keep asking."
Both girls paused at the same time.
"We never said we would."
"Then don't spread the question around."
Karuizawa did not raise her voice.
But it was firmer than before.
Only after speaking did she realize she had answered too quickly.
Her fingertips circled the rim of her glass, and she put her smile back on.
"What I mean is, that discussion is already over."
The girl by the window looked at her for several seconds.
"You're really concerned about the Rabbit Group today."
"What I care about is people talking about the exam in the cafeteria."
"Then why do you keep asking who spoke first?"
Karuizawa did not answer immediately.
Her phone lit up beneath the table.
The Snake Group marker was still at the top of the screen.
She did not open it.
She only turned the phone in the other direction.
Hirata, seated near the entrance, saw that movement.
He did not approach her right away.
Instead, he sent the time and location to Gu Heng.
11:57 a.m.; cafeteria window-side section
``` Karuizawa repeatedly asked