To... To Me, Is It?

"Oh my, Classmate Hoshinomiya, that was an unexpected mechanism."

"Don't tease me, Alice," Hoshinomiya Yurin said with an awkward laugh.

"I'm serious, you know." Though Sakayanagi Arisu smiled at the corners of her lips, there was not the slightest hint of amusement in the depths of her violet eyes. Her slender fingers rested lightly on her cane.

"There aren't many people capable of piquing my interest."

They did not dwell on the matter, and the classroom soon grew lively.

"Before that, I propose we introduce ourselves in student number order."

Katsuragi Kohei was the first to break through the clamor.

As soon as he spoke, quite a few students showed their approval.

But before anyone could respond, a lazy yet slightly teasing female voice slowly rang out.

"Oh my, introductions?"

Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her head slightly. A faint smile still hung on her lips, yet her eyes carried a trace of disdain.

"Is there really any need to play that sort of game only children enjoy? We didn't enter this school to partake in such meaningless entertainment."

Her words fell lightly, and her tone remained gentle, yet the chill wrapped within them pricked at everyone present like countless tiny needles.

Hoshinomiya Rinyu was the exception. He was quietly observing the expressions of everyone in the classroom.

Yet the fatigue on his face came and went, his eyelids growing heavy. He looked as though he were about to drift off, as if this clash of views within Class A could scarcely stir his interest.

Katsuragi Kohei remained composed. He relaxed his brow and said, "Classmate Sakayanagi, everyone came here because they value this school's 100% advancement and employment rates. But introductions would allow us to understand one another better. It would make future class arrangements and group task assignments more efficient. This isn't a game—it has meaning."

Once he finished, many students nodded in agreement.

Sakayanagi Arisu gave a derisive laugh and tapped the tip of her cane twice against the floor.

"A few simple words of introduction cannot possibly reveal someone's absolute value. A name and some hobbies merely offer a glimpse of a shallow surface, at most exposing a few personal quirks. Why should we waste time on something so meaningless?"

After she spoke, many people in the classroom fell silent. Sakayanagi's argument was arrogant, yet difficult to refute.

The classroom fell into a deadlock. Katsuragi's practical considerations stood opposed to Sakayanagi's arrogant claims. Every new student had thoughts of their own, and for a moment, no one spoke to break the silence.

Then, amid the taut, stagnant atmosphere, a faint, steady snoring sound abruptly rang out.

It was Hoshinomiya Rinyu.

The boy who had been forcing his eyelids open while watching the confrontation had finally succumbed to sleepiness, burying his head deeply between his arms.

Everyone in the classroom turned in unison toward the source of the sound by the window.

The corner of Sakayanagi Arisu's mouth twitched. She found it utterly absurd.

She had assumed everyone present would be caught up in the argument, yet someone had actually fallen asleep in the middle of such a tense standoff.

Before Sakayanagi Arisu could wake the boy sleeping so brazenly in public, a small pellet of kneaded eraser crumbs silently flew toward him from behind.

The tiny eraser ball struck Hoshinomiya Rinyu squarely on the back of the head, making him shoot upright like he had been launched.

"Is it... is it my turn? My name is Hoshinomiya Rinyu. I'm from Nagoya, and I usually enjoy reading. Please treat me kindly."

His eyes had yet to fully open, but the half-asleep Hoshinomiya Rinyu immediately launched into a standard self-introduction.

The expected applause never came. The classroom fell deathly silent.

Even Morishita Ai, with a few eraser crumbs still lingering on her fingers, found the scene rather ridiculous.

After a brief silence, suppressed snickers first rose from a corner of the classroom. Then laughter erupted.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

"Hey, hey, what's with this guy? He can fall asleep through this?"

"The big shots are arguing while the little brother sleeps like a baby. Hahaha..."

The surrounding chatter continued without end, and laughter rose and fell throughout the classroom.

Still dumbfounded, Hoshinomiya Rinyu naturally looked toward Sakayanagi Arisu beside him, who seemed to be smiling but not quite.

"Classmate Hoshinomiya, the entrance ceremony is already over~" Sakayanagi Arisu smiled slightly, her curved eyes still hiding a trace of mischief.

"Alright, then I'll go wash my face first."

His unexpected calm only made Sakayanagi Arisu more curious. She had expected him to be embarrassed and flustered, his face bright red. Yet the boy before her merely accepted this farce openly, without anger, hesitation, or excessive embarrassment.

The emotion she had suppressed in her heart finally broke free. Her shoulders trembled faintly, and a genuine chuckle escaped her lips. It was no longer the polite, calculating false smile she usually wore, but heartfelt anticipation and curiosity.

"How interesting... He's so much like a certain mysterious person."

Without realizing it, Sakayanagi thought of that figure.

Outside the classroom, Hoshinomiya Rinyu did exactly as he had said and went to the washbasin to splash water on his face. The cold water swept over his cheeks, still dotted with traces of sweat, dispersing the last remnants of sleepiness.

"I dreamed about Grandpa again."

Without giving it further thought, Hoshinomiya Rinyu tidied himself up slightly and turned toward the vending machine in the corridor.

Rows of drink lights glowed inside the machine, with cans of every color neatly arranged. He swiped his student ID and pressed two buttons in succession, completing the entire motion in one smooth sequence.

Two clunks sounded one after the other, and he held a black coffee and a latte in his hands.

"350 points. At least it's not too expensive," Hoshinomiya Rinyu calculated to himself.

He casually took a handful of straws and looked at the roughly ten in his hand.

With a crack, he pried open the can. The icy metal pressed against his palm as the bitter fragrance of coffee slowly wafted from the opening.

"This is way too bitter." Hoshinomiya Rinyu stomped his foot in protest.

Before he could take more than a few sips, a "tap, tap—" sound came from the other end of the corridor. The rhythm was slow, each step halting, as though whoever was approaching feared slipping and falling.

Hoshinomiya Rinyu narrowed his eyes and finally made out Sakayanagi Arisu walking toward him.

Her short silver-purple hair swayed lightly with her steps. Smiling with her eyes, she slowly arrived before him. She raised her gaze slightly and swept it over the two cans in his hands.

"The entrance ceremony is about to begin, Classmate Hoshinomiya." Sakayanagi Arisu's voice was soft, carrying a hint of amusement.

"Ah~ Didn't it already end? I was just getting ready to head back to the dorms." Hoshinomiya Rinyu put on a thoroughly bewildered expression.

"No, I was teasing you just now." Sakayanagi Arisu gave a light laugh and gently tapped her cane against the floor. Her gaze returned to Hoshinomiya Rinyu's face. "The entrance ceremony is about to begin. Shall we go to the auditorium together?"

A faint flush colored her cheeks, as though she did not dare meet his eyes for long, and her gaze shifted slightly away. Yet the coffee offered before her soon drew her attention back.

"Is this for me?" Sakayanagi Arisu did not appear overly surprised. The corners of her eyes lifted slightly as she stared into Hoshinomiya Rinyu's eyes.

Hoshinomiya Rinyu's fingers tightened slightly around the can. He gave a small cough. "I just bought an extra one. Though it seems we can't drink in the auditorium."

Sakayanagi Arisu accepted the "meeting gift" with smiling eyes, the cool touch passing through the metal shell to her hand.

"Then thank you, Classmate Hoshinomiya."

"Let's head to the auditorium first. We'll be late if we delay any longer," Hoshinomiya Rinyu suggested.

"Yes, it's very important."

"Classmate Hoshinomiya, do you know anything about this school's rules?"