Chapter 3

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The students began discussing and sharing their impressions of the previous video. After a few minutes, the monitor blinked on and off, signaling the start of the next video. The students settled into their respectable seats and prepared to watch.

When lunchtime came, I jumped to my feet and headed toward the cafeteria with purposeful strides.

I looked around to gauge the students' reaction as to why I'm the one being shown on the screen once more, but it looks like they've finally given up on questioning it and have resigned themselves to accept it as it is.

"Where are you going?"

Kushida had noticed me rushing out of class and followed. She popped up before me, stopping me in my tracks.

"Oh, oh! I remember when this was!" Kushida exclaimed excitedly. She continued, "This was the day when Ayanokouji and I obtained the test question problems from a senior for the midterms!"

Class D began to recall how those test papers had saved them from potential expulsion and once again expressed their gratitude to Kushida for her role in obtaining them.

Yukimura, a perceptive student, didn't miss the suspicion in her words. He adjusted his glasses and asked, narrowing his eyes, "You mean Ayanokouji was also involved in obtaining the test papers, Kushida-san?"

Other students also noticed the contradiction. Ike chimed in, "Wait, I thought you got the papers from a third-year senpai, Kikyou-chan?"

Kushida giggled and scratched her head. "Sorry, everyone, I lied," she admitted. "It's true that I got the test papers from a senpai, but it was Ayanokouji who found a way to obtain them and then gave them to me to distribute to our class."

The students expressed their surprise. "Ehh? We didn't hear anything about Ayanokouji-kun helping, though?" someone remarked.

Kushida explained, "Ayanokouji-kun asked me to keep quiet about him helping." She smiled, as if it were just natural.

Class D members nodded in understanding, recognizing her reasoning. If it were Horikita or me in her position, the response might not have been the same.

Kushida's preemptive revelation had likely been a strategic move to avoid potential trouble. As long as the incident on the rooftop wasn't shown, she could continue to live her ideal high school life without worries.

Of course, I wasn't planning to leave it just like that.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kanzaki from Class B watching me with cautious eyes, engaged in a conversation with their class representative, Ichinose.

"It's lunch. I thought I'd go to the cafeteria."

"Hmm. Mind if I go with you?"

Mori couldn't help but inquire curiously, "You could have just asked us, Kushida-san. Why go with Ayanokouji-kun?"

Kushida replied, "Hmm. No particular reason. It's just that Ayanokouji-kun seems like he doesn't have any friends to hang out with, so I guess you could say I'm just spending some time to get to know him better." She even made a cute, seemingly intentional gesture that left the boys smitten.

Ike enthusiastically nodded, "That's right, that's right. Kikyou-chan is the kind of person who can't help but look out for other people after all"

"I don't really mind. But there are a lot of other people you could ask, you know."

"It's true, I do have a lot of friends to eat lunch with, but you don't have anyone, Ayanokouji-kun. Even though you'd usually reach out to Horikita-san, you haven't talked to her today. The other day, didn't you say something was bothering you about what happened in the faculty room? What was it?"

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