On Saturday, Hashima, Honami, and Kushida spent a very pleasant morning at Keyaki Mall. The three of them chatted easily, and the atmosphere never turned awkward.
Hashima frequently joined the conversation, and though Honami had only known Kushida for a short time, they already seemed quite close.
Honami, interested in many topics, talked enthusiastically with the short-haired girl, who also seemed eager to make friends. The mood was light and enjoyable.
At noon, they arrived at the family restaurant they had chosen and took their seats. As usual, Hashima let the girls order first.
While the waiter took their orders, the conversation resumed.
"Has anything interesting happened in Kushida's class lately?" Hashima asked, holding a glass of water. "Mind sharing?"
"Interesting things?" Kushida thought for a moment, looking puzzled. "Not really. Everyone's busy with their own things—nothing special."
"Oh?"
Honami blinked, curious. "Actually, I'm curious about Hirata, the one Kushida mentioned earlier. Since he has a girlfriend, does he act affectionate with Karuizawa in class?"
"No," Kushida answered with a smile. "Even though they're dating, they mostly only see each other after school. In class, they don't show anything."
"And since Hirata is so considerate, even though he has a girlfriend, he's still nice to the other girls. I've heard Karuizawa gets a little jealous."
"Really?"
Honami looked surprised. She wasn't actually interested in the love life of a stranger, but she wanted to learn more about Hirata, Class D's leader.
"Honami, if you were dating someone, would you let your boyfriend be nice to other girls?"
Kushida asked the question with a smile, looking straight into Honami's eyes. She hadn't given up on uncovering the girl's feelings.
"Huh? Me?"
Honami instinctively glanced at Hashima, but he seemed indifferent, which disappointed her slightly. Still, she smiled and answered Kushida: "If that happened, I'd probably be really angry."
"I think the same way."
Kushida nodded in agreement. Though she didn't plan on dating anyone soon, she had received many confessions since the start of the year.
She believed that dating someone would affect her image in class. She preferred being a friend everyone could confide in—not only would it help her achieve her goal, but it would also let her uncover other students' secrets.
Just thinking about it made her happy.
The short-haired girl smiled, determined. "If I were dating someone and they got too close to other girls, I'd be furious and never forgive them!"
"Kushida must be really popular. If you ever choose a boyfriend, be careful."
Honami continued the love talk, looking at Kushida and murmuring: "If Kushida finds someone she likes, I'll cheer you on."
"Thanks, Honami! But for now, I haven't met anyone. I'd rather hang out with cute girls."
Kushida grinned. Though Honami had steered the conversation toward love, Kushida took the chance to ask the questions she wanted.
For example—what was the relationship between Honami and Hashima?
After observing them all morning, Kushida was sure they weren't dating, but Honami seemed interested, while Hashima remained elusive.
Hashima appeared friendly and engaged in the conversation, but Kushida, with her experience, knew it was just an act.
Hashima definitely had a goal in coming today, but Kushida didn't know what his plan was yet. So, she could only test Honami to see how she'd react.
Unfortunately, even with a topic as juicy as love, Hashima showed no reaction—his expression didn't change at all.
Lunch arrived, and Kushida temporarily set aside her doubts to eat with the other two. During the meal, she tried probing Hashima further but had no success.
Meanwhile, Hashima participated in the conversation while thinking things over.
He wanted to understand the relationship between Kushida and Horikita Suzune—and why the rise and fall of her stock value was tied to her.
Thinking of Horikita Suzune, he remembered the cold girl he'd seen at the supermarket, with her aloof attitude and striking beauty.
On Monday, when he went to Class D to sell the rulers, he'd likely meet Horikita. Hashima wanted to learn more before investing in Kushida's stock.
The Stock Analyzer had clearly indicated that Kushida had a hidden side. He needed to figure out what it was and whether it would affect his plan to raise her stock value.
"The first step—building trust—shouldn't be hard. The most important thing is uncovering her hidden side and getting Horikita expelled," Hashima mused, stroking his chin. "I won't know if those two things are connected until I meet Horikita Suzune."
In this three-way conversation, each of them had their own thoughts—but the atmosphere remained pleasant.
That's just how it was. Life is a stage, and everything is acting.