Horikita Suzune's figure disappeared behind the door, and silence returned to the room.
Natsukawa didn't rest immediately. Instead, he took out his Personal Terminal, found Kushida Kikyo's name in his contacts list, and sent a brief message.
"I need your help with something."
Almost the instant the message was sent, the other party replied.
"Natsukawa-kun? Is something wrong this late? (Cute smiling face emoji)"
"I need you to 'casually' reveal a piece of information within the class. Say that Hirata and Horikita have already acquired key evidence that can clear Sudo of suspicion." Natsukawa's fingertips rapidly tapped the screen.
After the message was sent, the dialogue box remained silent for a full minute.
Natsukawa Sosuke didn't rush her. Just as he thought Kushida would press him for the reason, the terminal vibrated—it wasn't a message, but a call request.
Natsukawa answered the call.
"Eh? Really? Hirata and Horikita already have key evidence? That's wonderful!" Kushida's tone sounded full of surprise, as if she were genuinely happy about the news.
"Then," Natsukawa said, "find another opportunity to 'accidentally' leak this information to your friends in other classes, preferably Class C."
The other end of the phone fell silent for a moment.
The perfectly timed surprise faded, replaced by quiet contemplation. Kushida Kikyo neither asked why nor questioned the plan's feasibility.
"...I understand." She said softly, agreeing readily. "Leave this matter to me."
Immediately after, she changed the subject, her tone reverting to that playful, slightly spoiled manner.
"But since I agreed to Natsukawa-kun's request so readily, shouldn't Natsukawa-kun agree to a small request of mine in exchange?"
"Tell me."
"As long as it's within my capabilities, I will do my best." Natsukawa gave a relatively conservative promise.
"Hmm..." Kushida seemed to be tilting her head in thought on the other end of the line, letting out a cute humming sound. "I haven't quite decided what specific thing I want Natsukawa-kun to help me with yet."
"But tomorrow is the weekend, right? Are you free, Natsukawa-kun?"
"...Yes."
"That's great!" Kushida's voice was filled with excitement. "Then, entrust the entire day tomorrow to me! We'll meet at the cafe in Keyaki Shopping Center at eight in the morning. Don't be late!"
Having said that, she didn't give Natsukawa Sosuke any chance to ask questions or refuse, hanging up the phone with a crisp "snap."
Listening to the busy signal coming from the terminal, Natsukawa Sosuke didn't call back.
Returning to the chat interface, he saw she had sent a "Good night, time for bed" emoji, giving Natsukawa Sosuke absolutely no room for a second option.
Natsukawa looked at the phone screen and ultimately just replied with a single word: "Okay."... The next day, the morning sun was just right.
Natsukawa Sosuke glanced at the time: 7:50 AM. He arrived at the designated cafe ten minutes early, but to his surprise, as soon as he pushed open the glass door, he saw a beautiful figure sitting by the window, waving vigorously at him.
It was Kushida Kikyo.
She had clearly dressed up carefully today. She wore an off-white dress that perfectly accentuated the girl's slender waist and graceful curves. Her smooth brown short hair framed her pretty face, the ends curling slightly inward. She wore light, elegant makeup, adding a touch of captivating color to her already delicate and cute features.
Seeing Natsukawa enter, her smile became even brighter, her large eyes curving into lovely crescent moons. Her entire being exuded an irresistible sense of youth and vitality.
Natsukawa Sosuke sat down in the seat opposite her.
"Good morning, Natsukawa-kun! You came so early!" Kushida propped her chin on her hands, leaning slightly forward, looking at him with a cheerful expression.
"You were earlier than me." Natsukawa responded calmly.
"Hehe, I woke up so early because I was too excited about having a date with Natsukawa-kun!" She stuck out her tongue and said playfully. "What would you like to drink, Natsukawa-kun? I personally recommend the Caramel Macchiato here—it's sweet and delicious!"
While making the recommendation, she inadvertently revealed her own preference.
"The same as yours is fine."
Natsukawa didn't dwell on the question, looking directly at her. "Tell me, why did you ask me out today? What do you need me to help you with?"
"Hmm?" Kushida blinked her innocent large eyes and feigned surprise. "I don't need Natsukawa-kun to help me with anything. Didn't I just say? My request for today is simply for you to spend the whole day with me."
Natsukawa looked at her pure and innocent appearance and refrained from asking a tactless question like, 'Don't you have to go socialize today?'
He simply nodded calmly. "Okay."
Having received an affirmative answer, the smile on Kushida's face became even brighter.
The two ordered coffee and then began chatting casually.
"Natsukawa-kun, what else do you usually do in your dorm besides reading and fiddling with your computer?"
"What kind of movies do you like to watch? Thrillers or sci-fi?"
"Oh, right, right, let me tell you, yesterday Karuizawa-san and the others..."
Kushida Kikyo, like a curious kitten, continuously threw out all sorts of questions, trying to understand every aspect of the life and inner world of the man before her. Natsukawa Sosuke, contrary to his usual behavior, didn't show any impatience, cooperating with her questions and providing ambiguous answers that nonetheless kept the conversation flowing.
Time quietly slipped away in this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
An hour later, Kushida finished the last sip of coffee in her cup.
"Let's go look around somewhere else!" She stood up and suggested enthusiastically.
Natsukawa Sosuke waved over the waiter and paid their bill. Then, the two walked out of the cafe side by side.
They arrived at a large Arcade next to the shopping center.
"Wow! Natsukawa-kun, look at that!" Kushida, like a child visiting an amusement park for the first time, pointed at a giant Claw Machine, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That pink bunny is so cute! I've wanted it for ages!"
She turned around, gently tugging Natsukawa's sleeve, and said in a pleading tone, "But I'm too clumsy, I can never catch it... Natsukawa-kun, please catch one for me..."
Her pitiful yet expectant look was enough to make any man unable to refuse... And so, the two had what outsiders would consider a date no different from that of an ordinary couple at Keyaki Shopping Center.
From the arcade, to the boutique, and then to the cinema.
Time flew by, and night quickly fell.
The two walked side-by-side on the tree-lined path back to the dorms. Natsukawa Sosuke was now holding several shopping bags filled with plushies, snacks, and small accessories—all the "spoils" of the day.
Just as the dorm building came into sight, Kushida Kikyo, who had been chattering nonstop, suddenly fell silent.
She stopped walking, turned around, and looked at Natsukawa very seriously.
"Natsukawa-kun, can I ask you a question?"
"Mhm."
"Hypothetically, I'm just saying hypothetically..." Her tone was very soft, carrying a hint of probing. "If in the future, Horikita-san and I have a very serious conflict and dispute—so serious that... one of us might have to be expelled. At that time, Natsukawa-kun, whose side would you take?"
Natsukawa Sosuke also stopped walking. He looked at her eyes, which appeared exceptionally bright under the streetlamp, and did not answer immediately.
He calmly shifted all the bags in his hand to one hand. Then, he extended his free hand and gently placed it on top of Kushida's head.
"As long as you continue to stand by my side, just like today." His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable strength. "As long as we remain that unique existence in each other's eyes. Then, I won't let something like 'you being expelled' happen."
Kushida Kikyo's body stiffened slightly. A warmth flowed from the comforting hand on her head, instantly rushing throughout her body. A blush involuntarily rose on her cheeks.
But only a moment later, she raised her head. A hint of cunning flashed in her lively eyes, and her face took on a slightly disdainful expression. Even her voice became completely different from the sweet tone she used before, carrying a sharpness and authenticity.
"Heh, you're pretty smooth with that head pat. Have you done that to a lot of girls?"
"This is the real you." Natsukawa Sosuke didn't remove his hand; instead, he gently ruffled her hair. "In front of me, just relax and be yourself."
"Don't worry, you are special." He looked into her eyes and said, word by word, "I have never made the promise 'I won't let you be expelled' to anyone else."
Although Kushida Kikyo's expression remained disdainful, she didn't swat Natsukawa's hand away. She just snorted, tacitly accepting his touch.
"Have you been damaging school property recently?" Natsukawa Sosuke suddenly asked.
Kushida Kikyo naturally understood what he was referring to.
"Less recently," she pouted. "I was almost at my breaking point yesterday, but playing all day today helped me relax a lot."
"That's good." Natsukawa withdrew his hand. "Then let's go shopping often from now on. Constantly damaging school property isn't good, and you might be seen by certain irrelevant people."
"I only fell into your trap because I was accidentally seen by you, the most irrelevant person."
Kushida Kikyo grumbled inwardly but merely snorted on the surface, showing no opposition, thus tacitly agreeing to the decision.
The two walked to the bottom of the dorm building, parted ways at the elevator entrance, and returned to their respective rooms... The next day, Sunday.
Natsukawa Sosuke slept until he woke up naturally. He picked up his Personal Terminal, opened the Class D Group Chat, and found that, as expected, it had already exploded.