As soon as I arrived in the classroom, my classmates immediately swarmed me with questions about what happened yesterday.
When I told them that the teacher had refused to answer anything, the news spread quickly. Speculations filled the air, and everyone began tossing out their own theories.
The classroom buzzed with noisy debates. Maybe because we'd stood out on the first day, both Arisu and I were approached constantly for our opinions.
"Are our points going to drop after all?"
"Are class rankings based on test scores?"
"Wait—are you two dating?"
Some questions were completely unrelated, but we answered them one by one.
Just before homeroom started, when most of the class had gathered, Katsuragi raised his voice to address everyone.
"Everyone, listen up. I'd like to take some time after school today to have a class discussion about where we go from here.
Of course, attendance is voluntary—but I'd appreciate it if as many of you as possible could stay."
With that announcement, the intense back-and-forth suddenly quieted. It seemed that since a formal discussion was coming, people felt there was no point speculating further now.
After that, the conversation turned to lighter topics—hobbies, clubs, and getting to know each other better.
Still, even with the shift in mood, Arisu and I remained the center of attention. People kept trying to talk to us during breaks.
Though it was mildly annoying, I handled it in between classes, and before I knew it, lunchtime had arrived.
"Hey, Gojo! Let's eat together."
The voice belonged to a blond-haired guy with his hair tied back—Masayoshi Hashimoto.
He looked like a delinquent at first glance, but from what I'd heard, he was surprisingly sociable and good at reading the room.
"Sorry, Hashimoto. I was thinking of grabbing some bread from the convenience store today."
I was trying to save my points just in case. It was cheaper than eating at the cafeteria.
"Come on, man. You've got a perfectly good cafeteria here, and you're eating bread on your first day?"
He had a point, but not everyone was heading to the cafeteria. About half the students were going, but plenty had brought sandwiches or lunch boxes, and I could hear others talking about stopping by the convenience store.
Then Arisu, who was sitting beside me, turned and spoke.
"That's right, Mamoru-kun. Since we're here, why don't we eat in the cafeteria together?"
Hashimoto gave me an amused look and clapped a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey now, the princess is inviting you, Prince. Don't keep her waiting."
"Yeah, yeah. Cut it out."
Even during class breaks, people kept making comments about my relationship with Arisu. I tried to politely deny it each time, but Arisu would just smile and say vague things like, "Well, who knows?"
Naturally, the rumors never died down.
"…Fine. I'll go."
I hesitated for a moment, but I figured it'd be rude to refuse too bluntly. No need to stir up unnecessary drama.
Brushing off Hashimoto's hand, I stood up.
"Alright, let's go."
With that, the three of us headed to the cafeteria.
It was already crowded, but the space was large and open, so we had no trouble finding a seat.
After buying a grilled fish set meal, I sat down with Arisu beside me and Hashimoto across from us.
As soon as he sat, Hashimoto bit into his fried shrimp and grinned.
"Damn, this is good. Guess top-tier schools have top-tier chefs."
I nodded as I tasted my food.
"Yeah, it's definitely good."
"Yes, I agree."
As we ate, we each casually glanced around the cafeteria.
"Quite a few people are ordering the wild vegetable set meal."
Hashimoto was the first to comment.
The wild vegetable set was one of the most distinctive items on the menu—it cost zero points but had no meat or fish, hardly a satisfying option for growing teens.
"Most of the people eating it look like upperclassmen."
"So yeah, that confirms it. There's definitely some point fluctuation going on."
Hashimoto said it as if it were a new discovery, but for Arisu and me, that part was already clear. Still, it was a good observation.
"Gojo, you figured something out just from that teacher's wording yesterday, huh?"
"Just a lucky guess. Looks like you caught on too."
"Well, yeah. But I wasn't able to pin it down as precisely as you did."
"You guys are amazing. That possibility didn't even cross my mind."
(Don't praise me too much…)
I hadn't thought it was anything that impressive. But now, with the fuss people were making and the admiring glances around us, I was starting to feel self-conscious.
"So, are you two actually dating?"
"…Again with that?"
I shot Hashimoto a tired look. I'd lost count of how many times I'd been asked today.
"We're not dating. Seriously, why is everyone so fixated on that?"
"Well, can you blame them? High school's all about romance. And you and Sakayanagi really stand out—you're both just too good-looking."
Arisu continued eating like nothing was happening, clearly unfazed, while I sighed.
"Arisu-san, would you please stop looking so entertained and just deny it?"
"Oh? Mamoru-kun, are you upset that people think we're together?"
"Oho, Sakayanagi, you're not exactly denying it either?"
"Hmm… what do you think?"
"There it is again…"
I couldn't read her at all.
At first, it was clear she was trying to make me her pawn—but ever since the café conversation, that aura had vanished.
I wasn't falling for her or anything, but I really couldn't get a read on her intentions.
(Maybe she's just trying to show we're close—to keep Katsuragi and the others in check.)
If I took her at her word this morning, what she wanted from me was "a friend." But if that was the case, the way she kept closing the distance felt a bit too deliberate… or even careless.
(Or maybe she's still figuring out what kind of distance she wants to keep.)
Sometimes, I could feel her gaze on me—like she was observing my reactions. Not judging me… just watching.
(Maybe she doesn't have many friends.)
That thought softened my perception. When I looked at it that way, her actions didn't seem calculating—they seemed a little… innocent.
"…You're thinking something rude again, aren't you?"
As expected, she picked up on it. Her instincts were sharp.
"Nope. Nothing at all. Anyway, spare me the romance talk. I'm not good with that stuff."
"Come on, don't be shy. Playing it cool is out of style these days."
"Too bad. I've never been one to follow trends."
Just then, music played over the speakers.
"Attention students. At 5 p.m. today, we'll be holding an information session on club activities in the First Gymnasium. Anyone interested in joining a club should gather there. I repeat—"
Hearing the announcement, Hashimoto perked up and quickly switched topics.
"Starts at five, huh? The class meeting should be over by then, so I might check it out. What about you two?"
"I'm not joining any clubs. No interest."
"In that case, I'll skip it too. I'm not good with crowds anyway."
Given Arisu's physical condition, that made sense—it could be dangerous for her in tightly packed spaces.
But something about her wording bugged me.
"…You make it sound like you would go if I went."
"That's right. I feel more at ease when you're with me."
(That's a sneaky way to put it.)
Depending on how you interpreted it, she made it sound like she wanted to go, but was holding back because I wasn't.
I frowned at her tone, which felt like it was trying to guilt-trip me. Arisu just chuckled.
"Haha, I'm kidding. I'm not really interested in clubs right now anyway."
"Yeah… sure."
I could tell she was teasing me, but still—I didn't find it all that funny. I felt like I was being played with.
Watching our exchange, Hashimoto let out a tired sigh.
"…So you are dating after all, huh?"
"We're not."
I answered flatly, scooping another bite into my mouth like it was the most obvious thing in the world.