The following Sunday was one of those rare peaceful days when the entire school felt like it had collectively exhaled. The tension from the last special exam had finally dissipated, and students could finally loosen their shoulders a bit. It was neither too hot nor too cold — the kind of comfortable day that made you forget you were trapped in a school that measured human worth by points.
After sleeping longer than usual, I stretched my arms lazily and glanced toward the bed. As expected, Ibuki was still snoring softly, sprawled across my blanket like it belonged to her. Ever since she'd gotten too comfortable in my dorm, she had declared my bed her "territory." I sighed.
"Oi, Ibuki, wake up," I said, nudging her foot. "We're meeting up with the others today."
She groaned and buried her face into the pillow. "Five more minutes…"
"That's what you said thirty minutes ago yesterday too," I muttered, grabbing my jacket. "Come on, if you keep hogging my bed every night, at least you should repay me by hanging out with the group."
That got her attention. She cracked open one eye, her expression suspicious. "You're dragging me again, aren't you?"
"Of course," I said. "You think I'll let you rot in my room all day?"
She gave me an annoyed look, then sat up and ruffled her hair. "You're seriously the most troublesome person I know."
"And yet you're still here," I replied with a smirk.
After some reluctant grumbling and preparation, we finally left the dorm. By the time we reached the entrance of Keyaki Mall, the familiar gang had already gathered — Ayanokōji, Yukimura, Hasebe, Miyake, Airi, Mei Yu Wang, Okitani, Ijuin, and Maezono. The "Miyamoto gang," as they jokingly called it.
"Yo, Soshi! Took you long enough!" Okitani waved from the fountain area, a bag of snacks already in hand.
"Blame Ibuki," I said casually. "She treats my room like her personal villa."
Ibuki crossed her arms. "You invited me to hang out, idiot."
Hasebe chuckled. "You two sound like an old married couple already."
"Over my dead body," Ibuki snapped back, cheeks slightly red.
The group burst into laughter while I sighed in defeat. This had become our new normal.
We started our day with lunch at one of the restaurants on the third floor of the mall. The restaurant was packed, but we managed to find a large table near the window. The view of the campus lake shimmered under the sunlight, adding a rare touch of beauty to the artificial environment.
Miyake, always the responsible one, passed the menu around. "Alright, everyone, don't go crazy. Remember, our points still matter."
"Speak for yourself," Ijuin said with a grin. "I still have plenty left from the bonus!"
"Yeah, yeah," Hasebe said, waving her hand. "You'll regret it later when the next exam drains your soul."
Meanwhile, Ayanokōji quietly flipped through the menu, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. I leaned over. "Hey, Kiyo, what are you ordering?"
He blinked slowly. "Probably the daily special."
Of course. The most standard, efficient, and cost-effective choice.
I chuckled. "As expected from our minimalist genius."
Ibuki rolled her eyes. "Can we just eat already?"
After we ordered, the conversation naturally drifted from food to recent school events. Airi was talking about photography, Mei was asking Hasebe about hair care routines, and Miyake and Yukimura were already arguing about gym training.
It was a normal, peaceful gathering — or at least it should have been.
After lunch, we decided to stroll around the mall, stopping by random shops and trying out claw machines. Hasebe, being competitive, managed to win a small stuffed bear after several attempts.
"Ha! Got it!" she said proudly, holding it up.
"Wasn't that your tenth try?" Ijuin teased.
She frowned. "Don't ruin my moment."
Even Ayanokōji cracked a faint smile at that. It was rare to see him relax, and I found it strangely refreshing.
After a while, we headed toward the karaoke lounge. The staff recognized us immediately since our group had practically become regulars there.
"Same room as last time?" the clerk asked.
"Yup," I said, tossing a grin. "We'll rock the place again."
The next two hours were filled with laughter, off-key singing, and Ibuki's occasional scolding whenever someone picked a song she didn't like. Hasebe and Airi sang a duet that earned them applause, while Okitani and Ijuin performed a ridiculously dramatic love ballad that left us in tears of laughter.
When it was my turn, I grabbed the mic and winked at Ibuki. "This one's for you."
"Don't," she warned immediately.
Too late. I started singing an overly romantic pop song with exaggerated gestures.
"Stop embarrassing yourself!" she shouted, launching a pillow at me.
The others were dying of laughter, pounding the table as I dodged her attacks while still singing.
It was chaos — but the good kind of chaos.
Evening came as we left the mall, our spirits high and our stomachs full from the snacks we'd picked up. The sun was dipping behind the horizon, painting the sky in warm orange hues. It was then that we saw them — two figures walking toward us from the opposite direction.
Ichinose Honami and Sakayanagi Arisu.
The respective leaders of Class B and Class A.
They stood out even in a crowd — Ichinose with her radiant smile and gentle aura, and Sakayanagi with her composed, almost regal poise as she leaned slightly on her cane.
"Ah, Ayanokōji-kun," Ichinose greeted cheerfully. "What a surprise seeing you here with such a large group! Usually, you're with Horikita-san, aren't you?"
Her tone was warm, as always, but there was a subtle sharpness beneath her kindness. She always seemed to measure every word carefully, as though she was aware of the effect she had on people.
Ayanokōji gave a polite nod. "Just spending the day with some friends."
Ichinose smiled softly. "That's good. You deserve a break after that intense special exam. Congratulations, by the way. Your class did very well against Ryuuen-kun's group."
Before anyone could reply, Sakayanagi stepped forward, her voice carrying a playful lilt. "Indeed. That victory was rather impressive. Though, I must say, Class D's rapid progress is… intriguing. Perhaps before long, you'll be calling yourselves Class C."
Her words were calm but layered with subtle mockery.
Yukimura, never one to let such comments slide, crossed his arms. "If you're saying that out of pity, we don't need it. We'll surpass both your classes soon enough."
"Oh my," Sakayanagi chuckled lightly. "Such confidence. I admire that."
Ichinose, sensing the tension building, quickly interjected. "Please don't take it the wrong way, Yukimura-kun. I was only saying that we'll have to work harder ourselves. We lost to Class A by just two points this time, after all."
"Two points?" Hasebe repeated, surprised. "That's so close."
Ichinose nodded. "Yes, it was frustrating, but we'll keep trying our best."
Her sincerity was almost disarming. I could tell that even Airi looked inspired just by listening to her.
But for some reason, something about Ichinose's perfection rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was how effortlessly she seemed to handle everything — her grades, her charisma, her kindness. People like her made the rest of us feel… small.
As she turned to leave, I found myself muttering under my breath, "If one day Ichinose turned into a fallen angel, I wouldn't mind. I might even fall for her then."
The others froze.
Before I could laugh, I felt a sudden impact.
"IDIOT!"
Ibuki's kick landed squarely on my side, sending me tumbling backward in what could only be described as anime-level physics.
The group erupted into laughter again as I groaned dramatically from the ground.
"When we get back," she hissed, "you're dead."
"Worth it," I muttered, still lying on the pavement.
Even Ayanokōji looked vaguely amused — which, in his case, was basically a full-blown laugh.
As Ichinose and Sakayanagi disappeared around the corner, the atmosphere gradually lightened. We resumed walking toward the dorms, the earlier encounter still lingering in everyone's minds.
Hasebe sighed. "I like Ichinose, but honestly, she's too perfect. It's kind of… creepy."
"I agree," Miyake said. "She's like one of those characters in stories who never shows any flaws."
"Yeah," Ijuin added. "She's either hiding something or she's not human."
Airi frowned. "Don't say that! Ichinose-san is really kind and hardworking. I think she's genuine."
"Maybe," Hasebe said. "But people that kind usually have a dark side. It's only natural."
Yukimura, who had been quiet most of the time, adjusted his glasses. "Either way, we shouldn't get too close to her. Relationships between classes only make things complicated in the long run."
His words were logical, but they left a heavy feeling in the air. Even I could sense it — the underlying truth that someday, even these friendly encounters might turn into rivalries.
Ayanokōji walked silently beside us, hands in his pockets. His gaze was distant, lost in thought as always. I wondered what was going on in that head of his — the thoughts of someone who seemed to see the entire chessboard of this school from above.
Maybe he was already thinking about what would happen if Class D really did surpass Class B.
The night breeze was cool when we finally reached the dorms. Most of the group began to part ways one by one.
"See you tomorrow!" Airi waved cheerfully.
"Let's hang out again soon," Hasebe said with a grin.
As the group dispersed, only Ayanokōji, Ibuki, and I remained near the entrance.
Ibuki stretched her arms. "Finally, peace and quiet."
I smirked. "You mean peace and my bed, right?"
She glared. "Shut up. I'm just borrowing it."
"Yeah, for three nights in a row," I teased.
Ayanokōji watched us with a faint smile before speaking. "You two get along surprisingly well."
Ibuki scoffed. "Don't lump me together with him."
"Sure, sure," I said, suppressing a grin.
Ayanokōji looked up at the sky for a moment before saying softly, "People change, but sometimes, what doesn't change matters more."
"Huh?" I tilted my head.
"Nothing. Just a thought," he replied, already heading toward his dorm.
Ibuki frowned slightly. "That guy really is weird."
"Yeah," I said, watching his retreating back. "But maybe that's what makes things interesting around here."
Later that night, as I sat in my room (with Ibuki once again stealing my bed), I found myself thinking back to the encounter earlier. Ichinose and Sakayanagi — the two faces of perfection and control. If we ever had to face them directly, I wondered what kind of chaos would unfold.