A Promise with Sakayanagi

The campus paths were especially tranquil in the afternoon, sunlight filtering through the leaves and scattering mottled patches of light across the ground.

Hoshinomiya walked side by side with Sakayanagi and asked curiously, "Alice, is there any club you want to join?"

Listening to his small talk, Sakayanagi Arisu's expression softened as she looked at him with a smile.

"I'm not particularly interested in most club activities, and my physical condition isn't enough to support certain activities."

"What about you, Rinyu-kun? Is there any club you're interested in?"

Seeing the smile on the girl's face, Hoshinomiya Rinyu unconsciously relaxed.

"There isn't any club I want to join at the moment, but I heard there's a Chess Club. That sounds rather interesting."

"Oh~?" Sakayanagi Arisu was quite surprised.

"Rinyu-kun, do you know how to play chess?"

Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her head slightly, her cane tapping lightly against the ground as the smile in her eyes deepened.

A breeze swept through the treetops, carrying a few scattered leaves past them at an unhurried pace.

Hoshinomiya Rinyu nodded faintly, his gaze directed toward the tree-lined path ahead. "I only know a little. I wouldn't call myself proficient."

"That's rare. I happen to be very skilled at it. If there's a chance, I hope to have a match with you, Rinyu-kun." Sakayanagi's tone was light, anticipation gleaming in her eyes as even her pace quickened slightly.

"I'd be delighted." Hoshinomiya Rinyu answered, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his lips.

The two continued side by side, slowly leaving the teaching area along the tranquil tree-lined path.

"Yokatta! I passed everything."

"Me too! Hahahaha, I got high scores in every subject."

Laughter rose and fell throughout the classroom. The midterm results had just been announced, and emotions that had been suppressed for so long were finally released. Students gathered in small groups, and joyous chatter filled every corner of the room.

"Congratulations to everyone here for passing this examination. The passing line for each subject was around 45 points. No one scored below 60 in any subject, so congratulations to all of you for passing."

"However, don't become complacent. Every future examination may come with the risk of expulsion."

"The papers are here. Collect them yourselves after class. I will not take up class time reviewing every question. If you have individual questions, you may come to my office after class."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the classroom, his tone calm and emotionless.

"The passing line will fluctuate with the difficulty of each examination. It will not remain fixed at 45 points next time. Remember, the purpose of this school's examinations is not to help you identify your weaknesses. It is to select."

After saying that, Mashima said nothing more and opened his book to begin a new lesson.

What followed were two long and tedious classes. The sunlight outside slowly shifted, and more than half the students could barely hide their drowsiness as they endured the boredom until the bell rang.

The bell finally cut through the dreary classroom. Hoshinomiya Rinyu got up and left the room, heading toward the vending machines.

He paused briefly in front of a vending machine. Aside from the iced coffee he bought for himself, he also selected a can of hot honey black tea. The warm can would suit Sakayanagi, whose body was frail.

Holding the coffee, he slowly headed back toward the classroom. Before he even reached the door, the voices of discussion from inside reached his ears.

"Did you hear? That Sudo from Class D failed one subject and is going to be expelled."

"Really? Class D is seriously unlucky, then."

Fragmented conversations continued to flow out from the classroom. Students gathered in twos and threes, whispering about the rumor that had just begun to spread. Some lamented the cruelty of the situation, while others quietly rejoiced that they had avoided the danger of expulsion.

Hoshinomiya Rinyu entered the classroom carrying the two drinks, the chill of the iced coffee creeping up through his fingertips. The casual chatter around him kept pouring into his ears, yet no extra emotion showed on his face.

"Thank you, Rinyu-kun. You even prepared this especially for me." Sakayanagi Arisu looked up at him with a gentle smile and reached out to accept the warm can of honey black tea.

Her fingertips rested against the warm can as her gaze swept across the noisy crowd in the classroom. She lowered her voice so that only the two of them could hear.

"The upheaval caused by the midterm examination has already reached here. You must have heard the rumors about that student from Class D as well."

Sakayanagi lowered her eyes slightly, her fingertips slowly rubbing the warm can of tea as the faint smile on her lips faded somewhat.

"A single examination can determine whether a student stays or leaves. This is the selection system upheld by this school, far crueler than others imagine."

Hoshinomiya held the iced coffee in his hand, his gaze directed toward the noisy classroom as he replied calmly.

"This is only the beginning. Ayanokoji will resolve Class D's predicament, won't he?"

"Hoshinomiya-kun, you still remember our promise, don't you?" Sakayanagi was somewhat surprised by his words. Her gaze fell upon the calm-faced boy before her, and a hint of teasing rose in her heart as a faint smile curved her lips.

"Of course." Hoshinomiya lightly squeezed the cold coffee can between his fingers and met her gaze. "I look forward to our match."

Hearing this, Sakayanagi's fingers lightly rubbed the tea can as she held her cane, and her smile deepened.

"Then I look forward to that day. I hope you won't disappoint me, Hoshinomiya-kun."

She paused and lowered her voice until only the two of them could hear.

"However, compared to victory and defeat on the chessboard, the contest in reality may be even more cruel."

The class bell suddenly rang throughout the entire school building, interrupting their conversation.

Sakayanagi said nothing more. With a faint smile, she supported herself on her cane and slowly returned to her seat.

June arrived quickly.

The unending rainy season quietly enveloped the entire campus, and the air was thick with damp heat.

Even without the blazing sun, the heavy air still clung to everyone's bodies. A thin mist coated the corridor windows, and only occasionally did a few dim rays of sunlight pierce the thick clouds and fall through.

The air conditioner gave off a weak stream of cool air, yet it was still difficult to dispel the lingering stickiness in the air.

"Good morning, Hoshinomiya. Want to go to the classroom together?"

Hoshinomiya Rinyu raised his eyes slightly. The person greeting him was Hirata Yosuke, the most influential boy in Class D.

A gentle smile rested on Hirata's face as he waved in greeting.

"Good morning, Hirata. Let's go together." Hoshinomiya Rinyu did not refuse and naturally fell into step beside Hirata.

The two walked forward side by side. Not far away, Sudo Ken was already waiting. When he saw Hoshinomiya, an awkward expression appeared on his face. He was less brash than usual, and his tone was sincere.

"Hoshinomiya, um... I heard about what happened before from Horikita. Thank you for being willing to lend me points and help me through that difficult time."

Last month, Class D had gathered points from all over the place. Horikita had even borrowed from Hoshinomiya Rinyu, and Hoshinomiya Rinyu had not refused, lending 200,000 points out of his own pocket. (This was changed a little. Sudo only had 38 points, so he spent 200,000 points to buy 2 points.)

"There's... no need to thank me. Horikita was the one who asked me. I wasn't specifically helping you." Hoshinomiya Rinyu's voice carried a trace of fatigue. "Just coordinate with Horikita afterward."

He was feeling somewhat unwell today. When he woke up in the morning, he had noticed a faint heat in his head. The grogginess brought on by his low fever lingered without fading, and even his words lacked some of their usual sharpness.

Sudo replied awkwardly and said nothing more. He headed toward the teaching building with Ike, Yamauchi, and Ayanokoji.

Hoshinomiya felt as though something was missing, but he could not remember what it was.

PS: Very few readers followed yesterday, and I'm so sad, sob sob sob~ I hope to receive more support from everyone. Thank you all.