In that moment, Ichinose Honami's heart skipped a beat and a cold sweat broke out all over her body.
When the girl not far away called out again tentatively, she shuddered and instinctively tightened her grip on Kaoru Mitoma hand, realizing there was no way to avoid this.
Standing in front of them was Shiranami Chihiro, followed by a few other girls from Class B, who were now curiously eyeing Kaoru Mitoma.
It seemed they had just emerged from the nearby corridor and the cheerful conversation they had been having was instantly silenced.
Not only was Ichinose Honami surprised, but they also showed expressions of astonishment, clearly not expecting to meet her here, especially seeing Ichinose Honami holding a boy hand.
Shiranami Chihiro stared at the sight of their intertwined hands, momentarily dazed.
"So, you're here. We were just thinking of calling you."
As if not noticing Ichinose Honami expression, Shiranami Chihiro pursed her lips and forced a smile, though a hint of gloom flickered in her eyes.
Something inside her finally shattered.
"Ahaha, why are you all outside?" Ichinose Honami was nervous, trying to break free a few times, but found that Kaoru Mitoma was holding on her hand tightly.
"I woke up too early and wanted to get some fresh air outside."
Such a lame excuse would never convince anyone and even Kaoru Mitoma felt embarrassed for her.
"The boy next to Honami-chan looks a bit familiar, doesn't he?" one of the girls asked.
Ichinose Honami couldn't break free from his grip, her palms starting to sweat, yet she was still thinking of a way out.
Although things were unfolding as she had hoped, he should have let go by now.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Kaoru Mitoma from Class A" Kaoru Mitoma greeted while pretending to be in pain.
"I accidentally twisted my ankle just now. Luckily, Ichinose was kind enough to help me, or else I'd have to hop my way back."
"Eh? That serious?!" The girl hurriedly bowed. "I'm Kobashi from Class B, nice to meet you!"
"I'm Himeno, from the same class" another girl introduced herself shyly.
From their expressions, it seemed they believed Kaoru Mitoma equally lame excuse.
However, Ichinose Honami noticed the faint smile at the corner of his lips.
This guy was doing it on purpose and he had probably noticed Shiranami Chihiro and the others from the very beginning.
Before she could get angry, Kaoru Mitoma dramatically grabbed her arm, leaning his entire weight onto her, inevitably brushing against her soft chest.
"Help me to the seat in the café across" Kaoru Mitoma whispered in her ear.
The girl ear twitched and she turned her head slightly to the side before murmuring.
"Don't get too carried away!"
Seeing the two supporting each other, the girls exchanged glances.
Then, Kobashi Yume, who had spoken earlier, offered her help.
"Do you need help?"
"No, we'll just find a place to sit down," Ichinose Honami gritted her teeth.
His body kept leaning on her shoulder and any slight movement would lead to even more intimate contact.
"By the way, where's Mako-chan?"
"She went to pick flowers. She should be back soon."
"Where are you planning to go?"
"Ehehe, we'll grab something at the café and then thought of asking if you'd like to go swimming with us."
Fortunately, the café wasn't far and Ichinose Honami quickly seated Kaoru Mitoma, giving him a warning look not to say anything out of line.
"Honami-chan seems a bit off today" Kobashi Yume followed behind, eyeing the two suspiciously.
Hearing her friend's voice, Ichinose Honami stiffened but quickly regained her composure.
There was nothing to worry about.
As long as she neither confirmed nor denied anything, their relationship would remain in this ambiguous stage.
"Hey, are you still thinking about what happened on the uninhabited island?" Shiranami Chihiro suddenly said.
Ichinose Honami looked blankly at the petite girl, unsure why she brought this up.
"If it weren't for me, Class C wouldn't have found out I was the leader and we wouldn't have lost 30 points" Shiranami Chihiro voice grew more despondent as she spoke.
"I really caused trouble for everyone, didn't I?"
"It's not your fault at all. If we're going to say that, then I'm also responsible since I agreed to let Kaneda-san stay" Ichinose Honami immediately denied her words, strongly expressing her own thoughts.
"No, no, it's not anyone's fault here. The ones at fault are Class C!"
"That's all."
The atmosphere shifted in an instant and everyone's attention focused on Shiranami Chihiro, trying their best to comfort her.
However, Kaoru Mitoma noticed that Shiranami Chihiro would occasionally glance at him with a complex look in her eyes—a mix of jealousy and resentment, as if she were seeing a blonde guy stealing her girlfriend, yet she had to muster her spirits and offer her blessings to the guy.
"I'm back!"
As the voice rang out, Amikura Mako walked into the café with a cheerful expression, only to suddenly spot Kaoru Mitoma.
Her smile faltered for a moment and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes, though it was unclear what she was so flustered about.
"What are you doing here?" Amikura Mako asked.
"Why can't I be here?" Kaoru Mitoma looked at her, puzzled.
Amikura Mako regained her composure, let out a soft hum and seemed reluctant to engage with him.
"Move over a bit. I want to sit inside."
At this point, Kobashi Yume and Shiranami Chihiro were already sitting together, leaving no extra space.
She felt that reluctantly sitting next to Kaoru Mitoma wouldn't be too bad and no one would likely object.
"Eh, Mako-chan wants to sit inside?" Ichinose Honami suddenly stood up from the innermost seat and naturally offered her spot to Mako, but she remained standing next to Kaoru Mitoma, unmoving.
"Actually, it's not that big of a deal. I can just sit next to him" Amikura Mako still wore a smile, though it seemed a bit forced.
"Alright, alright, we were all waiting for you just now" Ichinose Honami grabbed her arm and with an intimate gesture, pushed her best friend into the innermost seat.
Then, she smoothly took the seat next to Kaoru Mitoma, effectively placing herself between the two.
Amikura Mako was stunned, but under everyone's gaze, she couldn't say much.
It wasn't like she could force herself to sit next to Kaoru Mitoma, right?
Kaoru Mitoma picked up the menu and carefully examined the coffee options when suddenly, someone kicked him under the table.
He looked up and saw Kobashi Yume across from him, enthusiastically discussing various topics, while Shiranami Chihiro remained silent and Himeno Yuki was also studying the menu.
Ichinose Honami beside him occasionally chimed in, and Amikura Mako was typing rapidly on her phone.
Strange, who had kicked him?
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