Chaoskouji

Arc 2 Chapter 3 - The eyes of goodwill

We had just left the special building when a cheerful voice interrupted our movements.

"Kushida-san, you wouldn't happen to be on a date with Ayanokouji-kun here, would you?"

We turned in response to the unexpected voice. A beautiful girl with strawberry-blonde hair stood behind us. Ichinose Honami.

"Sorry to interrupt. I'd hate to interrupt you like that if you actually were on one together."

"Ichinose-san, hey! No no it's not like that we were just having a look around, right Ayanokouji-kun?" Kushida was quick to refute the question, before passing on the baton to me. Very quick.

"It's as Kushida said. We were just investigating."

"Hehe, of course I know that. But Kushida-san, you were pretty quick to deny it hmm? Are you sure there's nothing going on between you two?" She leaned towards the two of us, a cheeky grin on her face as she insinuated our supposed illicit relationship.

"Ah-ah no Ichinose-san, I swear there's nothing going on between us." Of course, she couldn't admit to something like that for a multitude of reasons, but was that a hint of blush I saw on her cheeks?

Ichinose seemed to have noticed it too, grinning successfully as she stood back up straight again.

"In any case, what are you doing here Ichinose? This doesn't seem the place that you would hang around, so you must have some reason for being here." These pleasantries between girls were something I still hadn't got my head around, and I had no interest in doing so.

"I assume the same as you, trying to look for clues to help Sudou-kun. You asked me to do help, didn't you Kushida-san?"

That didn't seem like the whole truth to me. For Ichinose, the leader of Class B, to come all the way out here must have a deeper meaning. She was more valuable coordinating a search with her helper elves, so for what reason would she come here?

"I knew I could count on you Ichinose-san! But yeah, we already had a look around inside. There wasn't anything to see..." Kushida seemed down at this last part, keeping up the act that we hadn't discovered any clues at all.

"I thought I'd come and take a look here myself, but since you already have, would you mind filling me in?"

"It's like Kushida said. There's nothing. No cameras, no evidence, nothing useful." There wasn't any harm in telling her this, but any more information could be manipulated by Ichinose, and I didn't want to give her that opportunity.

"Ah, Ayanokouji-kun! We haven't even been introduced properly. Ichinose Honami, it's a pleasure to meet you!" She stuck out her hand to me, which I grasped and shook.

"We haven't spoken before this have we?"

"Nope! I've wanted to meet you since the first day but just haven't had a chance, so I'm glad to do so now!" Ah so this was her reasoning for coming here. Obviously, a class member had reported to her that I was over here, and she took the chance. As the class leader, Ichinose would be expected to be acquainted with all the important figures of our year, and I was arguably one of the most important people to be aware of.

"I'm happy to finally meet you too." It was true, I had been meaning to meet with her for some time. A chance to get a read on her was an opportunity I had been sorely missing.

"Ah, you don't have to lie Ayanokouji-kun, I can see you don't mean it."

"Not at all. I just have trouble expressing myself."

That response seemed to amuse her.

"So, what do you plan to do now? I hadn't thought much further than checking out the crime scene, but now that's already done I don't know how to help"