After the student council meeting ended, Yukio treated the members to a lavish dinner at the Keyaki Center.
Once the meal was over, Ryuen went off with his classmates to sing karaoke, and Kiriyama excused himself early.
That left Yukio to escort the girls back to the dorms — partly to help them digest, partly because he couldn't very well leave them to walk alone. Since he had to match Sakayanagi's slow pace, their little group moved at a leisurely rhythm.
With Ichinose and Kushida — two born social butterflies — present, there was never a dull moment. The conversation flowed nonstop, filled with laughter and chatter all along the way.
But as they walked, Yukio suddenly sensed something off.
Why did it feel like someone was following them?
Was someone seriously tailing the student council members? Did they have a brain problem?
That was the only explanation that came to mind. The people gathered here were, after all, the unifiers of the four first-year classes. Even if Horikita didn't exactly count anymore, she was still a former leader in her own right.
And with Yukio's staggering fortune on top of that, he couldn't imagine anyone in ANHS foolish enough to stalk this group.
Tsukishiro's people, maybe? Using the process of elimination, that seemed the only possibility. Even though Tsukishiro had tried to build goodwill, who knew what schemes might be running through his mind?
Yukio decided to check. If it really was one of Tsukishiro's subordinates… well, by tomorrow, ANHS would be changing chairmen again.
"Ah, dinner with Yukio-kun was just wonderful~" Ichinose sighed contentedly, hands on her stomach. "That grilled king crab leg was simply divine."
Yukio took the chance to complain. "Looked good, sure, but it wasn't filling. I've barely walked a few minutes and I'm already hungry again."
"Eh? But those crab legs were huge! I'm stuffed — how could you not be full?"
"Wait, Yukio-kun, you can really eat that much?"
While the girls were surprised by this trivial matter, Yukio waved it off. "I'm a guy, after all. Eating a bit more's normal."
"How about this — you all head back first. I'll go swing by Ryuen's place and grab a bite."
"You're… going to mooch food at a KTV?" Kushida gave a look of exasperation. They only served light snacks and fruit platters there.
If he was that hungry, she thought, maybe she should secretly invite him to her dorm and show off her "girl power" cooking skills instead.
But before she could say anything, Ichinose spoke up first, far more directly. "Then why not come to my dorm, Yukio-kun? I've got plenty of snacks there."
"No need." Yukio cut her off before they could say more, turning away and leaving the puzzled girls behind. None of them could figure out what was so special to eat at a karaoke place.
Only Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes as she watched him go. She seemed to sense something too, but only smiled faintly, trusting Yukio to handle it.
"Alright, maybe Yukio-kun just felt left out of our talk. We were discussing fashion, makeup, and nail art — not exactly topics a boy can join in on."
"That's true," Ichinose and Kushida agreed, realizing it made sense. After reflecting a little, the group turned back toward the dorms.
Meanwhile, Yukio slowed his steps, pretending to stroll aimlessly while confirming his suspicion — someone really was tailing him.
When he turned a corner and paused deliberately, the stalker appeared soon after.
It was Matsushita.
The moment she stepped around the corner and saw him waiting, she froze in shock and immediately jumped back, vanishing again. Two seconds later, she timidly poked her head out from behind the wall, her face stiff with embarrassment.
The usual graceful air of a refined young lady was gone. Right now, Matsushita looked like a guilty little girl caught doing something wrong.
"..." Yukio was speechless. So it was Matsushita all along. He'd been expecting one of Tsukishiro's agents — not this.
She was clearly dressed up tonight: a wide-collared vertical-striped blouse, a red knee-length A-line skirt, delicate collarbones and long, slender legs all on display — as stunning as ever.
But paired with that awkward, guilty expression, the whole image was almost comical.
"Ah, Y-Yukio-kun… what a… what a coincidence."
Caught red-handed, Matsushita was mortified. She wanted to take off her sandals and start digging a hole in the ground with her toes — big enough to fit a three-room apartment and a bed — anything to escape this embarrassment.
Was there anything more socially fatal than being caught following the boy you liked? No! Matsushita wished she could just vanish into the earth and never be seen again.
She had only gone out for a casual walk when she happened to see Yukio walking with several girls. Curiosity got the better of her — she'd followed, wanting to see what kind of relationship he had with them.
But then Yukio broke away from the group, wandered around, and ended up lying in wait.
In the end, Matsushita was the dumb little rabbit caught by the hunter she was tailing. Utterly mortifying.
What now? Would Yukio think she was some creepy stalker girl?
Just imagining him misunderstanding her that way made her cheeks burn hotter and hotter. She didn't even know what to say.
"I wouldn't call it a coincidence." Yukio beckoned her over. "Come explain yourself."
Looking nervous, Matsushita stepped out from behind the corner, approaching slowly with her head bowed, too ashamed to meet his eyes.
"Actually… I just happened to see you, Yukio-kun, and wanted to thank you."
"Thank me?"
"For your help during the voting exam," she stammered, trying to convince even herself.
Inwardly, she screamed at her own cowardice. What kind of excuse is that, Chiaki?! Pull yourself together! You can't be that lame! He'll think you're pathetic! Come on, focus!
Like Ichinose, Matsushita had been one of those who offered herself up as the likely expulsion target with −38 points, only to be saved when Yukio spent private points to cancel her punishment. So, technically, a thank-you made sense.
But Yukio wasn't buying it. "Can't you just tell the truth? You weren't 'happening by' — you were following me. I noticed you a while ago."
"If you really wanted to thank me, you could've just called out or caught up and said it. We weren't walking that fast."
Since she clearly wasn't one of Tsukishiro's agents, Yukio found himself curious. After all, he'd saved Matsushita twice now — once during the training camp exam, once in the voting test.
She wasn't the kind of person to repay kindness with mischief… so what was she doing following him? Could it really be some weird hobby of hers? That'd be a bit much, even for her.
Matsushita's face stiffened. He asked. He actually asked! What was she supposed to say now? Could she lie?
If he caught her lying, wouldn't that make her look even worse in his eyes? That was unacceptable.
After all, she'd finally realized her feelings — the first time in her life she'd liked someone. How could she let him look down on her?
Alright then. No more excuses. Just tell the truth.
She steeled herself, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"Ah, y-yes… about that thank-you — remember what we said at the Palette before?"
"You said that if you helped me this time… I'd go on a d-date with you!"
...
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