-Horikita's POV-
My feet carried me down the somewhat busy area leading out of Keyaki Mall. The air was cool and the noise level moderate.
Various groups of schoolmates from first through third years were seemingly headed in the same direction I was; seeing as curfew was rapidly approaching.
A few of them were all happily chatting with one another about the movie we'd just watched. The two boys closest to me were much the same.
"I gotta say, even though Rita-san was a total badass, it was pretty annoying seeing her dying all the time."
"That's true, she was pretty stubborn. If Cage-kun didn't tell her that he had only one chance left then she might've continued dying over and over again-I mean, it was implied that that's what happened in most of the loops."
"Mm. Either way I'm looking forward to seeing the next movie when it airs."
"Same. Let's invite the others as well."
The longer their conversation went on, the more my brows furrowed. I slowed my pace, trying to get out of hearing range.
Ike-kun's annoying voice came back to me.
"So, does that mean you'll be watching it with us?"
The realization that I'd agreed without hesitation annoyed me. My reply felt so...natural.
It wasn't like me to get roped into something so frivolous, especially not by Ike-kun of all people.
Was it because the request had come out of nowhere?
By now my feet had already stopped moving. If not that then...had I actually wanted to-
No. That's absurd.
It was only for the purpose of maintaining contact with them. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Horikita-san?"
I immediately increased my walking pace.
"H-Horikita-san? Wait, let me tell you something!" An overly enthusiastic female voice stressed as it's owner closed the distance with heavier footsteps.
Getting back to the dorms as quickly as possible was now my top priority.
"Can't you just hear me out before you go~!"
How persistent.
Unfortunately, it seems my escape was never an option from the get go.
Sighing, I turned around, "What do you want, Kushida-san?"
I hadn't realized that I'd wasted so much time thinking about what happened earlier which allowed for her to catch up with me.
That said, I wasn't exactly sure why she would want to talk to me though.
Coming to a stop next to me, Kushida Kikyo leaned forward slightly, her hand hovered over her large chest area as she seemingly caught her breath prior to straightening.
"Phew," Her bright, cherry eyes lifted to meet mine with a half smile, "I wanted to tell you not to misunderstand Yamauchi-kun's intentions."
I deadpanned. Is that seriously what she ran all this way for?
"He didn't mean anything bad by what he said-he was only trying to keep the conversation going," Kushida-san twiddled her thumbs, "...So please don't be mad at him.
"I was never angry at Yamauchi-kun."
Following my clarification, Kushida-san's eyes widened, surprised. "Really?" She quickly closed the distance between us and swiftly sandwiched my palm between both of hers as her newfound concern leaked into her question, "Then, what made you leave all of the sudden? You seemed to be having fun so I wonder what changed."
"Frankly, I don't think that is any of your business Kushida-san." I slid out of her shallow hold, "Anyhow, is that all you wanted to say?"
Kushida-san held eye contact for a moment before scratching her cheek with an awkward smile. "Uh well..." She began, "I also wanted to see if you'd be willing to share your contact information with me, seeing as you're the group leader and all."
Before I could respond, her hand snapped up in a placating gesture.
"If you don't feel like it, I won't force you!...It's just that I thought it would be more convenient staying in direct contact instead of possibly having to meet in person or communicating through Ayanokoji-kun whenever I want to ask a question." She added, expounding on her rationale.
"I see..." Nodding, I could understand her reasoning.
Kushida-san's lips lifted further upwards with her eyes holding a faint solemnity as she waited for my reply.
At least, that's the assumption I came to after comparing her current demeanor with all the times I'd prevented her from attempting to get closer to me.
If it weren't for the fact that she would be essential to my advancement to Class A, I would have already rejected her proposal and gone on my way by now. However, since that is the case, I suppose I'll have to compromise whether I like it or not.
"Alright."
"Hm?"
"I'll give you my contact info." I answered. To that, Kushida-san only stared at me with her mouth and eyes gradually widening in astonishment.
"Y-you mean it, Horikita-san?" She squeaked.
Nodding in confirmation, I retrieved my school issued device and handed it to her. She collected it and stared at my phone, still in disbelief at what I'd done.
A few moments passed before a small smile graced her face, "I'm glad..." Muttering that, she proceeded to input her contact prior to handing my device back to me.
I turned around.
"Before you go, I'd like to say one more thing." Kushida-san's words made me pause. My back remained facing her who had hers turned to the library building.
"You know, Horikita-san, I thought..."
A brief silence.
"I thought...you hated me."
"Why?" I asked and she provided an explaination.
"Well, everytime I've approached you in the past you either gave me the cold shoulder or outright dismissed me whenever I tried to initiate a conversation...It was the same just now as well...You didn't react the same way when Ayanokoji-kun and Monty-kun interacted with you so I thought you must."
I took a moment to absorb what she said and thought it over.
I merely told her to leave me alone because that's what I wanted; not because I harbored any particular ill intent toward her. The most I can say is I felt something off about her, however, it wasn't anything substantial so I am confused as to why she took my actions in such a negative way.
That can be avoided by considering the opposition's perspective on the matter.
My lips pursed slightly as Monty-kun's words, from a few days ago, resurfaced within my mind.
Considering how I went about dealing with her advanced, unfortunately, Kushida-san's assumption doesn't seem too far fetched.
Adding to that, I never did directly tell her why I opted to avoid her over interacting did I?
"...While it is true that I didn't wish to get involved with you, Kushida-san, I never hated you."
Saying that, I glanced over my shoulder at her, "I simply found your enthusiasm annoying. Nothing more."
Kushida-san smiled and lowered her head with a conflicting expression while pinching the hem of her skirt.
Suddenly lifing her head, she wore an even brighter smile than before as she addressed me, "I see. Thanks for your honesty, Horikita-san."

My gaze lingered momentarily on her figure before walking off as the leaves rustled in the light wind, "Goodnight, Kushida-san." She responded to my farewell with a half hearted wave.
The quietude of the night grew more pronounced as my feet carried me closer to my designated resting place.
Even though Kushida-san seemed happy on the outside, even I could tell that she was faking it.
While she might have been glad that I had subverted her expectations, she still wasn't particularly enthused by my answer seeing as it did sound harsher than intended.
Had I been in her position, I might've felt the same even though my reaction would've been drastically different than hers.
Still, ever since Monty-kun had pointed out how I could've handled the situation with Sudo-kun, I haven't forgotten his advice and have tried to apply it in whatever situation I'm in whenever I recall it.
So far I've done so in three specific instances: My attempt at convincing Sudo-kun to study, while debating about the movie just now during my conversation with Kushida-san.
Out of those times, I've managed to succeed twice in showing my consideration of their feelings.
Pausing, I glanced back at the empty road. Kushida-san was long gone.
I returned my gaze ahead and continued my trod.
This is my first failure thus far.
And hopefully it will be my last.
-.-
-Monty's POV-
Running through the neatly trimmed bushes lining the road to the student dorms, I made my way towards my next target.
I've been sprinting for approximately a minute since my leaving the movie theatre but my breathing was still stable enough not to resemble fatigue.
Gradually slowing my pace, I jogged a short distance before eventually stopping and stashing myself behind the tall camphor tree next to the library.
Peering out, I saw Kushida staring at the stationary back of Horikita who had now began to move off.
"Goodnight, Kushida-san." Horikita said that.
The target of her farewell only rose a hand and waved half-heartedly with a bright smile.
I suppose now would be the right time to-
"Bitch."
...
I was about to make my presence known, but, Kushida's words made me immediately discard that idea.
It was obvious Horikita had been out of earshot since she hadn't registered the girl's insult and continued to trod along.
Anyhow, I quietly watched as Kushida's once innocent, and beaming expression slowly twisted into a disgusted, and hateful scorn before she began making her way into the direction of the school building while muttering to herself.
Kushida Kikyo... To say I was intrigued by this development was an understatement.
Deciding to follow her onto the school compound. I made sure not to be spotted by anyone in the after school clubs, cameras or the members of staff while maintaining a distance where I would undoubtedly remain undetectable by Kushida throughout.
Kushida made her way into the school building and up the stairs with me doing the same a while after. My movements were as swift and silent as an owl in flight.
She climbed each flight of stairs as her steps became more pronounced along with her once inaudible mutterings.
"...at bitch Maezono."
"...ruizawa-san too...just because she's dating...does she think she is?"
Upon Kushida clearing the third floor, I heard the knob to the roof door turn before the door creaked loudly as it was pushed open.
I paused on the second floor, pulled out my phone, hit record, and followed.
The door was left open, enough so to observe a small scope of what was taking place on the rooftop. Kushida was in my line of sight.
Her slender fingers slipped between the nooks of the fence bordering the edge of the roof as she kicked it continuously. Each one quicker, and marginally more vicious than the previous as the hollow clangs of the thin metal assaulted my ears.
I aligned my phone with her figure.
Her muttering grew more and more wildly until she lifted her head to the starless expanse of the heavens and shouted.
"Gahhh!!! So annoying!" Her foot slammed into the fence with a —
Bang.
"All of you are so damn irritating!"
Bang
"Why can't you all just go fucking die already!!!"
BANG
Kushida's breathing was shallow, her chest heaving up and down as her scowl deepened even further, "Those perverted bastards; Ike and Yamauchi, always ogling me like a buncha damn creeps! All they ever think about with those pea sized brains are Tits, thighs and asses! Annoying little shits!"
"I just wanna gouge their fucking eyes out with a broomstick everytime I see 'em!" Her red eyes flashed with profound hatred as she expressed her frustration with one more, brutal kick.
BANG
I was already aware that Kushida wasn't as innocent as she portrayed herself, however, to think that there was this drastic of a difference between her real and curated persona...
It made me pity her circumstances while wanting to adjust my own.
Why pity?
Kushida was an attention seeker. Her real personality, while able to attract it, won't be as effective as her current persona nor will it cultivate the kind of attention that she desires.
From the simple fact that she's hidden this side of herself and hasn't bothered to reveal it until she's alone means that she wants to be viewed in a positive light by the public-adored even.
And because of that, she's forcing herself to bottle up her actual feelings.
An action that does not breed a healthy mindset.
Neither is it particularly desirable by any means.
"That bitch Horikita — BANG — who the FUCK does she think she is huh?! Me? Annoying?! Don't compare me to you you snobby red-eyed bitch!!! It's not my fault you don't have any fucking friends! BANG! — GO SCREW YOURSELF!"
BANG!!
"And Monty, that lying Four-eyed FUCK! Why'd you bother saying you'll help if you're just gonna run after that damn bitch wHorikita! You've already got Matsushita drooling over your nonexistent cock already you greedy bastard!!! UGH, THIS SHIT'S JUST PISSING ME OFF!!!"

BANG BANG BANG!
I almost chuckled at Kushida's naming sense. I felt no offense about her bad mouthing my member, in truth, it added to my amusement at how far off her rage induced assumption was.
I'm sure she'd be quite afraid if she ever encountered it. But I suppose seeing is believing.
Kushida continued to mouth off for half an hour about all the people she'd been in contact with the past month.
I must say, she had quite a detailed amount of ammunition on certain individuals like Maezono and an equal number of unjust hate for the rest.
Should this video be exposed, every single one of the 67 mentioned first years would turn against her in a heartbeat while the remaining 113 would become more distrustful and wary of her.
I stopped the video.
I watched Kushida heave heavy breaths while resting against the fence and wearing a satisfied expression. She looked up into the starless void and huffed, "Phew, FUCK! That felt good!"
Gradually, Kushida slid against the rooftop fence, a low grating sound echoing in the night as she slumped to the ground into a more comfortable seated position.
Her once heavy breathing and increased heart rate caused by her accumulated irritation, soon regulated into what was expected of a normal individual.
Her facial, abdominal and laryngeal muscles had become much more relaxed now that she had gotten all of that off her chest.
Kushida's lips soon lifted into a small smile upon closing her eyes.
I eyed the clock and watched as the minutes went by.
It's time.
Bang
She flinched.
"All of you are so fucking irritating!"
Kushida's eyes immediately reopened at the suddenness of the sound.
Bang
"Why can't you all just go fucking die already!!!"
BANG
I looked on through the slit in the open door, peering into the startled reds of Kushida Kikyo.
"The fuck..." She mouthed, slowly climbing to her feet with quivering orbs after the replay of the recording had been paused.
Her face scrunched into a deep rooted frown before a grim bark escaped her lips, "Who's there?!"
Kushida's tone had a certain expository edge to it.
What I heard was not the voice of the seemingly angelic and uselessly sweet Kushida Kikyo, but rather the voice that conveyed arid disdain and a devilish amount of hate for her compatriots.
Her real voice.
"Stop hiding and come out dipshit!"
Nudging the door to the roof fully open, Kushida's brow visibly twitched when she locked eyes with me.
"So it's you." Her hands balled into white knuckled fists with her face twisting into a snarl, "The fuck're you here for?"
I didn't reply to her immediately. Instead, I stepped out into the open and slowly closed the door behind me while maintaining eye contact.
The impression one might get from this simple action was quite disturbing yet it was still necessary.
Kushida's unease seemingly increased when she realized what I had done. Her eyes narrowed and fists clenched even further upon my turning of the knob to secure the exit.
She lashed out.
"Stop acting like a fucking creep and answer me you nerd!" Her hand moved to her pocket, "Why the fuck are you here?"
My reply was simple and truthful.
"I was following you."
"Why?"
"I'd wanted to check up on your progress with Horikita," I replied, carefully removing my yellow rimmed glasses, "However, judging by your harsh words just now, there doesn't seem to have been any notable developments in your relationship."
I placed my glasses in my top pocket and regarded Kushida with a growing smize as I began unbuckling my belt, "As for recording you, well, that was to ensure my own safety."
Her eyes remained glued to my lower torso, watching my slender fingers slowly unclip the silver iron from the leather before smoothly slipping it out of the various loops situated around my waist.
"What do you mean by your own safety? And why the fuck are you undoing your pants? This isn't your bedroom." Kushida sneered.
Anger, confusion; and even a semblance of fear crept into her gravely voice.
I smiled at that and began coiling half of the belt around my palm gradually.
Kushida jumps to conclusions about others and their intentions all the time, as evidenced in her earlier outburst.
Even though some of her guesses are correct, a large majority aren't due to her inherent prejudice towards others.
Not recording what she had done before revealing myself would most likely have resulted in me being framed for something I didn't do, which would then become a chore to tidy up.
The reason for playing the recording itself was to let her know that there was no use for any pretence between us. If she still insisted on acting as she usually would, she knows I'd be wary of her.
But even without that being the case, I already know what she's up to.
"I don't know what you're on about, however, by having this recording I'm immune to all of your threats and baseless accusation like that one earlier." I said.
My voice was as calm as could be while my eyes took on a more predatory glint as my head tilted to the side, "Even without this recording as protection I doubt you'd be capable of doing anything to me on your own anyway."
Kushida snorted and rolled her eyes with avid disdain, "Yeah, like you could stop me. One word from me and you'll be labelled as a social outcast for the next three years you pervert."
She wore a derisive grin.
"But it wouldn't be that much different from your current life now would it you friendless fuck?"
I felt my lips lift a tad further upon hearing her words, "That's a harsh thing to say Kushida...it hurts my feelings that you'd think that."
I made my way across the empty rooftop with slow and deliberate steps, each of which travelled across the ground in a smooth and constant rhythm without the faintest of sounds emanating.
Kushida eyed me, subconsciously taking a step back as I drew closer.
I reached out when she and I were face to face. Grabbing both her hands, I lifted it above her head. There followed a faint yet hollow sound of metal as I pressed her into the fence.
"Hey, what're you—"
"Why do you think I loosened my belt, Kushida?" The girl searched my eyes in apparent confusion upon catching my faint whisper.
However, after taking note of my insidious smile, her own eyes widened in a rather disturbing realization.
"You disgusting little shit—l-let go of me!" Kushida gnashed her teeth and began flailing while hurling multiple insults my way.
"Fuckin—I said let go you damn pervert!!!"
She tried to kick me, but I had wedged my knee between her inner thigh and pelvis to lessen the effectiveness of her resistance.
Our class angel still tried her best to escape my grasp, but seeing as she was a good deal smaller than me, it wasn't difficult to neutralize her antics.
It didn't take long for Kushida to realize that she couldn't get away from me. Even still, she was stubbornly defiant.
"If you ever lay a finger on me Monty, I swear to you you'll regret it!"
"Get your mind out of the gutter, I'd never do something indecent without consent."
To prove to her that such a threat didn't phase me in the slightest, I leaned in close.
My nose was now mere inches from her scrunched face and quivering orbs; lips slowly closing the distance between us—
She pursed hers and turned her head to avoid collision.
I simply slipped by and took a momentary pit stop by her left ear with a low yet constant susurration.
I whispered, "You've been recording this conversation, haven't you, Kushida?"
"I already know what you're trying to do here and it's not going to work, it's best you give it up." I said aloud.
I could hear the slight hitch in Kushida's breath. Her heart leapt just before she recovered; wearing a grin while replying with a nervous whisper, "Haha, so what if you know?"
"Yeah, I've been recording you from the start so you can't get away with assaulting me like this you sick bastard! I'll fucking ruin you if you even try!"
"Is that so...Does simply talking to you constitute to assault, Kushida?" I spoke in a calm and well mannered tone of voice.
Confused by my query she unintentionally responded in kind.
"What- No."
"Then how am I assaulting you?"
Using her momentary discombobulation to my advantage, I smoothly slung the belt buckle around her wrist and fastened it just enough to ensure she couldn't break free.
The beige beauty hissed at the brief pain as she snapped back to reality with a scowl on her face.
"Well, for one, you're holding me against my will. And two, you're currently— h-hey—Stop touching me dammit!"
"Sigh, Kushida, if you're going to lie about something so serious, I suggest you atleast add a sniffle. It would make your acting alot more believable."
I stepped back and pulled out a phone before tapping the screen while aiming it at her, "Also, there's nothing incriminating in this recording anyway so it holds no weight over me. If anything, you're just hurting yourself by having it."
I shook her phone for her to see that I'd taken it whereafter I brandished my own and turned it on as I held them up for her to see that it wasn't a hoax.
Kushida grimaced and ground her teeth. It had become increasingly apparent to her that her plan to frame me was an utter failure.
Her face twisted, lips pursed and head lowered.
She knew it was the truth.
Seeing as I had never once said anything indecent to her throughout our entire interaction, the recording truly was invalid.
In fact, everytime she tried to insinuate that I was doing something, I denied it and pointed to her being a liar through indirect speech.
This meant that I was the true victim of this encounter, not her.
My arguments were also supported by her real persona remaining prominent throughout the entire exchange, so if someone were to get ahold of this recording along with my own then Kushida's claims of molestation would lose all credibility.
And her school life would be pretty much ruined after the fact.
"Alright...you win." She huffed, "You're smarter than you look."
Lifting her hands for me to see, she did a slow blink before her red eyes regarded me again with a perplexed look.
"But why tie me up if you're not gonna do anything to me?" She took a step back, picked by her hypothesis, "You're into that kinda stuff...are you?"
"Of course not." I lowered both phones and walked up to her.
The only reason Kushida remained calm was because I approached her after she had begun to relax, not before.
She had become 'emotionally drained' after her near hour long venting session had ended.
When a person enters such a state, they become more detached from their emotions than normal which is why her responses weren't nearly as intense as they would be in her normal state of mind.
This allows for us to have an easier time conversing than if I had made myself known at any other point in time prior to that.
I began tugging the belt loose from her wrists before looping it around my waist again, "I did that to stop you from doing something stupid, but that doesn't seem necessary now that you've given up on the idea."
Kushida soothed her wrist while glaring at me, "What reason would I have to do anything stupid?"
I handed her the device.
"Trying to take my phone seems reason enough doesn't it? If you managed to gain some sort of leverage over me the first thing you'd do is blackmail me into deleting the recording."
"Rather than address it, you chose to completely ignore the fact that I had the recording to make it seem as though you didn't care if I exposed you. By doing that, you assumed I would become doubtful of its usefulness since my expulsion was on the line and eventually, give in to your demands."
"But the moment I delete it is when I'd be doomed."
My head gradually tilted to the side as I stared into her wide red eyes, "Isn't that right, Kushida?"
Her lip twitched and she snatched her device from my grasp while muttering profanities as she opened it.
She's probably wondering: 'Damn creep, how in the hell did he deduce all of that without me even saying anything?'
The answer to that however, was pretty obvious.
Anyhow, after turning on her device, Kushida's face scrunched and then her eyebrows gradually lifted.
"What is this?"
I smiled.
"Keep it for me."
"The fuck? Why should I?"
"Do you prefer I keep it, then?"
"I'll just get rid of it."
"I wouldn't recommend doing that." My smile rose even higher when I said that.
Kushida's fierce gaze wavered for a moment before hardening into a glare.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Believe it or not, deleting it won't be of any help to you later on." Came my airy reply.
I took a step forward and Kushida took a quick step back. It was a subconscious response on her part.
She already knew that I had no intention of harming her, but her unease was still present because of the effect my misleading actions had on her psyche.
Striding past her, I stopped by the rooftop fence and grabbed ahold of it while looking out over the school compound.
It had been blanketed in a thick veil of darkness with only a few artificial lights illuminating certain areas.
I lifted my gaze up to the starless skies, "Kushida."
"What?"
"Why are you trying so hard to get closer to Horikita?"
She snorted at my query. I wasn't looking at her, but I bet she regarded me with a judgey expression.
"Who says I wanna be close with that bitch?"
Her reply had a mocking yet venomous edge to it.
"Then, let me rephrase my question: Does Horikita know about this side of you?"
Unlike before, I didn't receive an immediate response. A few seconds went by and only then did I get one; albeit it was a bit roundabout and accusatory.
"Come to think of it, you've been wary of me since the start haven't you. Not only that, you didn't seem surprised when you saw how I acted earlier. That bitch told you something didn't she?"
"No." I replied, "Horikita is completely unaware of your real personality. If she had known, she would've avoided you even now regardless of my and Ayanokoji's intervention."
"I assume the reason you dislike her is because you went to school with her before this, correct?"
Kushida didn't need to give me a verbal answer for me to confirm this as a fact. My eyes shifted toward her slightly pursed lips.
"You're worried that she might expose you. Though, you're not sure she even knows anything."
"So?" She scoffed.
"Don't you find that line of thinking stupid?" I said, "In the event that she does know something, you trying to expel her will force her to reveal who you are to the student body. And given that she's unaware of who you truly are, you'd just end up expelling an asset to the class for no reason."
"She won't know it's me if I use someone else to get rid of her."
I responded to her words with a rather blunt collection of my own, "You alone benefit from her expulsion. She hasn't done anything to warrant negative attention from anyone outside the class so you and the three idiots would be the prime suspects in her mind."
"Though, for obvious reasons you would be the most probable of the two options."
"..."
Kushida sidled up next to me, for a moment, no words passed between us. Only the cool night breeze that brushed against our faces.
"Then, why do you think she avoided me?"
She stared into my eyes with a sharp yet confused and somewhat curious look. My expression softened as I stared back into her eyes.
"Because you were too forceful in your approach." I told her the truth. "Horikita didn't want any friends at the time and you were incredibly insistent on being one."
"It's only recently that she's grown to desire connections."
Her face scrunched into a grimace, "But then why were you and Ayanokoji so close with her? I always see you three talking together before and after class."
"At the moment, Horikita, Ayanokoji and I are something more akin to acquaintances. It's primarily due to Ayanokoji's inability to gain a friend that she even considered talking to him in the first place. I got roped in as her scapegoat because she didn't want to admit to that fact. Ever since then we speak on occasions."
Kushida's eyes widened slightly. She absorbed all of my words without ever once breaking eye contact.
Turning her gaze to the fence, she gently reached out and traced a finger against it with a frown.
"I still don't get it... Why weren't you surprised when you found me? I'm pretty sure I've never messed up my act in front of any of you even once. This is the first time I've vented since coming here so you couldn't possibly have known."
True, though I had my suspicions.
"I was surprised actually." I lied, "But not for the reason you think."
Kushida regarded me with a look that did little to hide her perplexed curiosity but I didn't bother to elaborate on my reasoning.
I simply turned away from her with a frown and stared into the darkness below, "...Anyhow, just know that I can relate to your situation. Which is why I chose to have a civilized conversation with you instead of leaving you as you are."
Upon hearing my words Kushida snorted and slipped her fingers through the nooks of the fences. She rolled her eyes while yawning.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fuckin' tired so just get to the point already."
Glancing over my shoulder, I looked down on her smaller figure with a weak smile, "It's lonely isn't it. Hiding who you really are from everyone else."
At that Kushida's body stiffened and her fingers gradually tightened around the fence. Her tired eyes squinted, softened then returned to how it originally was all within a single moment.
Her acting ability truly was quite remarkable.
"Like hell it is."
"It isn't?" Our eyes remained interlocked for what felt like a brief glimpse into eternity as the cold embrace of the starless night carefully wrapped itself around me.
Kushida didn't immediately reply to my rhetoric.
Not because she couldn't, but because there was no point in doing so. She would only lie about it anyway.
Kushida broke away from my gaze and scoffed while staring at the faint lights located in the depths of the abyss below.
"It's not." She scowled, "So stop acting like you know me you creep."
In the end, she still chose to lie afterall.
A wry smile stretched up my face, "Jealousy, rage, selfishness; all of these emotions will only fester the longer you keep them hidden."
"You should know this better than anyone, in fact." I continued softly, "That inexplicable malice you feel towards others that doesn't seem to fade no matter how many times you vent. The intense envy that washes over you whenever someone steals the spotlight for even a second. That overwhelming need to be the one... the only one everyone relies on and validates...That is the way you've been living."
"That is the Kushida you've kept in hiding."
My classmate only wore a sour, yet emotionally complex expression upon hearing my words.
Irritation, anxiety, solem and steadily growing fear were the most prominent of the bunch. Even so, they were barely visible on the outside after a few seconds had gone by.
Her trembling fingers tightened around the fence, "Tch, so what? You a therapist now, uh? Is that it?" She spat venomously.
"What I choose to do is none of your damn business so save your pity for the sorry dogs that need it."
"I'm outta here." Her voice was rigid yet weirdly rocky as she spoke.
She released the fence, turned around and began ambling towards the exit.
As soon as she grabbed onto the knob and twisted it, I called out to her.
"You can talk to me you know."
"Dream on dipshit." Came her immediate reply followed by a timely flip off, "Like I'm dumb enough to give you more leverage."
She went to leave but paused, "Also...I'd better not hear about that recording elsewhere, got that? I'll fucking ruin you if I do."
Upon voicing her final threat, Kushida strode down the stairs with a look of displeasure carved into her features.
I took a breath and waited a while before making my way down the stairs as well; with both hands in my pockets.
Even though she denied it, my words had definitely struck a chord in her.
Afterall, being the attention seeker she was, it can't have been easy for her to accept the fact that people only like her curated persona and not the real her.
While she was getting the attention she wanted, at the same time, she technically wasn't.
Think about it like this:
People say that water is wet, but, scientist disprove this theory by saying water is an adhesive that exhibits wetness only after coming into contact with a solid object.
This wetness cannot be observed when it comes into contact with itself, hence why they argue, water isn't wet.
What does this analogy have to do with Kushida, you ask?
Everything really.
The people loved Kushida Kikyo the kind and untainted angel. It was a facade of course, but it was still a fact that they adored her very much.
The Kushida known to the public isn't the foul mouthed, and incredibly toxic person that she pretends not to be.
Even though that is who she is at her core — a lonely, pitiful individual constantly seeking attention — I'm assuming such a desire was born from her being constantly neglected in favor of others which led to her eventual deep rooted toxicity.
So, just like how water isn't wet yet still it has the ability to make an object wet, Kushida acting nice doesn't equate to her being a nice person.
And because of that fact, Kushida bottles up her true feelings and ends up having to vent them to keep the stress from overwhelming her.
Knowing that I have knowledge of her real personality has made her undoubtedly wary of me. She's willing to go so far as to expel me to keep this secret from leaking should the opportunity arise.
She may even team up with another class to get it done while dragging my name through the mud along the way to ensure maximum damage on a social and psychological level.
If she ruminates on my words however... She will come to the realization that I'm the closest thing to a friend she'll ever have at this school.
...
For the time being.
At any rate, I ended up staying out a whole half hour past curfew so I shouldn't waste any more time here.
Ayanokoji and the others should've already made it back by now so there's not much of a reason to return to the theater.
As I ambled down the empty road leading toward the dormitory, I stared up at the starless sky while letting the cool night breeze brush against my pale skin.
It truly was a wonderful feeling, being free.
-.-
-Ayanokoji's POV-
I sat next to Morofuji while observing the interactions that ensued between my classmates and her friends.
Manabe Shiho, Nanami Yabu and Saki Yamashita. All three of them had expressed quite a deep level interest in the boys they'd spoken with, it didn't take long until they had exchanged contact information and slapped on an intimate label on their relationship.
Sudo, Yamauchi and Ike didn't mind this development, as a matter of fact, they were overjoyed. This was like a dream come true for them afterall.
Sudo stared at his device while cupping a hand over his upturned lips. Even so, his blush continued to deepen the longer he observed the new contact on his phone labelled:
[Shiho😋🥰]
"I've got a girlfriend..." He muttered, barely containing his excitement. Manabe, who clung to him, smirked at his disbelieving remark and rested her head on his broad shoulder while peering into his eyes.
"Mhm, you've got a girlfriend." She poked his nose with puffed cheeks, "You'd better spoil me ya hear?"
"O-of course." The read haired delinquent averted his gaze and swiftly pocketed his device.
From the expression he wore, I assume Sudo was blindsided by her apparent cuteness and opted to turn away in an attempt to calm his rapidly beating heart.
It was quite fascinating seeing him like this. The usually brash and intimidating Sudo being reduced to nothing but a lovestruck puppy that is.
Ike as well, he was more docile now that a girl gave the type of attention he wanted.
To prove my point, the short pervert stood quietly in place as Nanami Yabu draped her plump hands over his shoulder from behind while taking to Saki Yamashita who had a hand combing through Yamauchi's head.
The former's breasts had been pressing into Ike's back for the past half a minute, yet despite this, he hadn't reacted as strongly as I'd expected.
Aside from he and his companion's initial celebratory outburst upon securing both girls' contacts, Ike seemed to have become a bit more self conscious of his reaction and tried to keep it at a modest level so as not to blow his chance.
Ever since then he's been quietly containing his excitement even though it clearly showed in his flushed expression which was subject to Nanami's playful teasing.
In contrast to them, Yamauchi wore a lascivious grin with his eyes forever glued to Saki's chest — I suppose he couldn't forget what had transpired earlier and desired a sort of reenactment to truly relish the experience.
It was typical Yamauchi.
I took a breath and closed my eyes as I leaned back into my comfortable seat.
Affection, Infatuation and Lust, huh... To think the difference would be this stark in an actual scenario. The books don't do them justice.
It makes me wonder what new changes love might bring to the table.
"Oi, Morofuji." A somewhat irate female voice drifted into my ear canal. I glanced up to the isle to the person walking along the steps. She stopped just two seats short of our group with a heavy sigh, "You got a minute?"
"A-ah, coming." Morofuji clumsily got up from her seat next to me and hurried over. They began to talk discreetly.
From the slight tensing and then reluctant slumping of her shoulders, I could tell they were discussing something Morofuji wasn't particularly comfortable with.
The other girl didn't seem too enthused about it either so I'm assuming whatever it was they discussed was out of her hands as well.
I glanced over to Manabe and the others.
They didn't seem at all interested in this development and remained preoccupied flirting with their pre-destined males.
Hmm.
Morofuji timidly ambled back to her position next to me whilst twiddling her thumbs. The other girl had left.
"Morofuji...is something the matter?" I inquired about her well-being with a Kushida-like hesitance.
She clasped her hands with a fading look of perplexity, "Uh, n-no, nothing's the matter Ayanokoji-kun."
Her distorted lenses soon shifted in my general direction. She wore an awkward smile and addressed me, "A-anyhow, um, d-do you...do you..."
Her ears were a complexion no different from Sudo's as she struggled to finish her sentence.
"D-do you uh..."
The words were stuck in her throat.
"You know," I looked into her eyes; softening mine as much as my inexpressive features allowed, "You don't have to force yourself to be like the others."
Her eyes widened marginally at my words. However, before she could respond, I continued my monologue.
"I know it might feel as if you have to follow in their footsteps, but that's not actually the case," Tilting my head upwards, I stared absentmindedly at the dim lights adorning the theatre ceiling.
"Things like these don't always work the same way for everyone. It should come to you naturally. Trying to force it only increases the likelihood of you failing."
I felt Morofuji's gaze still upon my figure in contemplation. The purple haired girl remained silent for a solid minute with her lips soon pursing into a small smile when she eventually averted them.
"B-but what if i-it comes naturally and you-I still...fail?" Her muttering were almost inaudible.
"In that case you try again."
"...Why?"
"The experience from your past failure will carry over into the new one." I said, "And although it can bring negativity, often times, having prior experience in this field allows for a longer lasting relationship to blossom."
"On the other hand, an in-genuine relationship doesn't serve much purpose than to hurt the other party involved."
I took a soft, deep breath, then exhaled.
"So, Morofuji, I have to ask, are you looking for something genuine?" I tried to soften my expression even further, however, it didn't seem as though I could at the moment, "Or are you doing the opposite?"
My words affected her greatly judging by the involuntary gasp she released and the growing guilt that carved itself into the complex contours of her cute face.
Her brows tightened, eyes softened, lips pursed and fingers gripped the hem of her ankle length skirt as a sharp, shallow breath escaped her.
"N...No...I'm not." She bowed her head slightly, "Sorry..."
Kushida really was the perfect study material for evoking emotions.
No matter how insightful my words might've been, without the proper expressions and tone to convey them, they'd have likely fallen on deaf ears.
That said, I'm not quite at a level where I could use these skills consistently outside of moments like these when my companions are considerably vulnerable.
I sighed averting my gaze with disinterest and crossed arms, "It's alright. Don't feel bad about it."
"Y-yeah, alright."
Morofuji worriedly glanced to the back of the theatre before returning her gaze to her lap as the grip on her clothes gradually tightened with pursed lips.
She opened her mouth to speak before promptly closing it and shaking her head.
It seems she wanted to say something but wasn't able to. While I did have an inkling about what it could be, hearing it from her directly was preferable.
So I decided to wait for her to push through the agony.
"Um, Ayanokoji-kun. I know this might sound insensitive but i-if it's alright with you, could I, maybe..." Her grip tightened as tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes, "Get your contact atleast... please?"
Her vocals failed her towards the end of her query as her teary eyes squeezed shut.
"I don't see much reason to give you if you aren't actually interested." I went straight for the jugular.
A stream of liquid gradually poured out of her eye sockets and she wiped it a way with her thumb.
"T-that's understandable," She forced a smile as more tears came, "Really, it is."
"Why do you need my contact so anyway? Is it because you want to fit in with your friends?"
"I-I-well, n-no, you don't have to worry about it Ayanokoji-kun. If you don't want to give me I-I can't really force you right?"
I let the question linger in the air for a while longer before reaching out a hand and patting her back after a brief moment of hesitance.
She looked up at me while I did my best Sudo impression.
"Alright I'll give it to you...You don't have to cry about it." Scratching my cheek, I looked away again.
"R-really?"
I did a slow nod.
Her tears continued to flow down her face as she lightly sniffled and addressed me. She voiced her gratitude.
"T-thank you, Ayanokoji-kun."
That should do it.
"Yeah...Don't mention it." I turned away.
Ike and the others were too busy flirting to see her crying so she had ample time to dry her tears and regain her composure.
I retrieved my phone and gave her my contact information after she had fully calmed down.
The pressure of having to do as she was told while being not only physically, but morally, and emotionally incapable of doing so, had gotten to the point where she'd begun experiencing a mild mental breakdown.
I'm sure her reason for being so desperate to keep in touch directly correlated with what she was discussing with that girl from earlier.
Had she not succeeded or atleast provided a satisfactory result, then she might've been subject to punishment by whosoever had given the order.
I provided her with a way out via a logical breakdown of the situation and voiced it's implications in the form of love advice.
My reason for doing so was to confirm whether or not she'd been following Manabe's lead because she wanted to fit in with their group or if it really was a scheme like I'd suspected from the beginning.
Evidence suggests the answer was undoubtedly the latter.
The order to come in contact with us definitely came from their class leaders, or atleast one of them, which is why they had to go through with it whether they liked it or not.
Morofuji hadn't made a move until that girl spoke to her just now which means that I wasn't a priority until a while ago.
My brown eyes shifted to my jovial classmates then up to the ceiling.
Ike, Yamauchi and Sudo were the intended targets. I assume this had something to do with that student from the second day. I'm sure he's the one calling the shots.
He was most definitely probing our class' reaction to his taunts so that he could single out our most glaring weaknesses and identify key figures without having to waste time observing each of us individually.
That explains why Ishizaki and co. have been following us since the creation of our study group.
They were keeping tabs on our every move. Though seeing as that red head was also present during a few of those instances, I can infer that they aren't exactly his lackeys even if they may take orders from him.
He would have no reason to observe us himself if he trusted them enough to report back to him about what they saw.
This means that the other leader had a strong hold over them which leads me to believe that the calls both Ishizaki and Manabe were on earlier during the afternoon might've been a three way between them and the other leader figure in Class D.
If this is the truth, then that blue haired girl might be working as an intermediary for both the red head and the other leader.
I say this due to how different and somehow complementary their leadership styles are. One has others do most of the work for him, probably until he needs to step up and take the reigns while the other does the work himself; likely until he has no choice but to step back and let someone else deal with it.
Having someone who could contact both of them while working as an observer is rather convenient, especially if that person was the lone wolf type who aren't easily swayed by others and had the wherewithal to contact them if the situation required it.
Ishizaki didn't seem like a good fit particularly due to how dull he seemed. He probably didn't realize that I was aware of his presence the entire time he had been observing our group. The same can be said about his friends.
Leaving them on their own likely wouldn't bode well either given that they would draw too much attention on their own himself as opposed to moving in a group.
Manabe was a more useful observer than he was, however, she'd be of even greater value in scenarios like these where she's allowed to socialize with the targets directly rather than just passively observing.
This leaves the girl with blue hair as the next option. She didn't seem at all like someone who would have many friends.
In fact, her speech pattern didn't sound like one of someone who was very agreeable.
By having her work alone, the possibility of her being found was low seeing as loners typically lacked any overall presence unless they were as vivacious as Koenji.
If she were to work with someone she might be too occupied complaining or arguing with them instead of doing what was asked of her.
Anyhow, the intent was to engineer a situation where those three were tied down to Class D due to their inherent weakness to feminine wiles.
My inclusion served either as an added incentive or for something else entirely.
As for what that something is...I have no idea.
Swiftly pocketing my school issued device, I got up and started climbing the stairs quietly. I took a few steps before glancing back at the girl who stared at my elevated figure.
"I don't know why you need it, but..." I turned around, softening my voice, "I'm not against your advances. So long as you're sincere about it."
Hearing that, her lips pursed and she nodded slowly while averting her eyes towards the ground.
"Also, tell Sudo and the others I'm leaving. I didn't do it myself because I wouldn't want to interrupt them at the moment."
"U-um, Ayanokoji-kun?" Morofuji called out to me with a pained expression, "Sorry and, thanks again."
Nodding slowly, I returned my gaze to the path before me and continued on my way outside of the theatre.
I strode by the blue haired girl who sat with crossed arms a few rows behind. She didn't acknowledge my presence but I made it a point to remember her features.
If I'm going to play along with their little game, I might as well get something good out of it in the meantime.
On an unrelated note, I should really check out what a middle finger stands for because, for some reason, I felt it the urge to show it to Morofuji a moment ago.
...
Wait.
Does that mean it's meant to be used as an insult?
Considering the fact that Komiya showed it to me after he'd seen me holding hands with Kushida it is plausible. Especially if I factor in his initial hostility towards me after I had reciprocated the gesture.
I trust my judgement, however I'll seriously have to fact check this before using it again.
I stared up at the sky. Oh, right...
It'll be curfew in 5 minutes too.
I had better get back to the dorms before I end up being reprimanded. The class would lose points because of it too.
There's not much of a reason to wait for Ike and the others since they won't willingly leave now that they're basically living the dream with a bunch of cute girls.
I honestly envied their freedom to do as they pleased.
Or atleast I think I do.