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Kota sighed as he got up from his seat and walked out of the classroom. His hands were in his pockets, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.
Let's get this over with…
Down the hallway, he spotted a familiar redhead bouncing a baseball off the wall.
"Tetsuro Kainashi," Kota muttered under his breath.
He leaned against the wall, watching the boy. You can tell he's not focused on school. Baseball's his distraction. If this were a normal school, he'd be in a club by now. But here...
As he walked past a group of chatting students, he overheard their conversation.
"I kinda feel bad for Tetsuro," one boy snickered. "All he does is mess with that ball."
"Yeah, guess that's all he has," another laughed.
Kota glanced back at Tetsuro, who didn't even flinch at the words.
Nobody here really wants to play with someone who doesn't have points or grades…
Kota sighed and kept walking.
---
He turned the corner and stopped by an open classroom door. Inside, he saw Miyako Serizane, sitting cross-legged at her desk, eyes locked on her phone screen. A few girls stood nearby.
"You coming with us, Miyako?" one asked.
Miyako didn't look up. "I'm busy," she said flatly.
The girls exchanged looks, then shrugged and walked off. "Whatever. See you later."
Kota stepped in after they left. He grabbed his bag from his desk and glanced at Miyako.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted her screen. King of Fighters, huh?
"You play that game?" he asked casually.
Miyako didn't even glance up. "What's it to you?"
Kota sighed and walked toward the door. "This isn't a great place to play," he said over his shoulder.
"Huh?" she finally looked up.
"When class starts, it'll get noisy. Hard to focus on your combos."
Miyako raised an eyebrow, surprised. "...You've got a point."
She stood up, stretching lazily. "So what now?"
Kota turned back to her. "I've got a better place. Join our study group."
"No thanks," Miyako replied instantly, crossing her arms.
Kota smirked. "If you join, I'll buy you the new game that just came out. The New World."
That made her freeze.
Her eyes lit up with suspicion. "How can I trust you?"
Kota pulled out his phone, showing his balance. "I've got a thousand points. Enough to buy it right now."
I knew it, Kota thought. If she had the money, she would've already bought the game. She's a gamer, no doubt—but she's also alone. Like me.
He thought deeper. Tetsuro's always playing baseball, alone. Miyako's always gaming, alone. And Bunta... he just eats lunch by himself. No one sits with him.
Kota stepped forward. "So? Is it a deal?"
Miyako sighed dramatically, then pointed at him. "Fine! I'll join your stupid group—but you'd better buy me that game!"
She marched out of the classroom. "I'll meet you at the Service Club, don't be late!"
Kota blinked, then chuckled quietly. "Well... that worked."
---
Outside, Tetsuro was still tossing his baseball. Kota approached, hands in his pockets.
"Hey!" he shouted.
Tetsuro turned mid-throw. "Huh? Can't you see I'm busy?"
Kota scratched his cheek. "Then why don't you join a study group?"
Tetsuro narrowed his eyes. "Why should I?"
Kota shrugged. "Because no one wants to play with someone who fails all their tests."
Tetsuro's jaw clenched. "What did you say?"
"You heard me," Kota replied. "But hey—someone actually wants you to join. That's rare, right?"
Tetsuro blinked, surprised. "Wait... really?"
Kota looked away. "Airi said she wants you in the group. So yeah—someone cares. Think about it."
He turned and walked off, not waiting for a response.
---
In the cafeteria, Bunta Kagetsu sat alone at a table, quietly eating.
Kota approached and gently patted him on the back.
"You doing okay?" he asked.
Bunta blinked up at him. "Uh... yeah?"
"Join our study group," Kota said. "If you do, I'll buy you some real food. Better than this stuff."
Bunta's eyes widened. "Really?"
Kota nodded. "Just head to the Service Club after school."
He left without another word, the corners of his lips twitching into a small smile.
---
That Afternoon – Service Club Room
The chairs were full now.
Tetsuro sat with arms folded, looking away from everyone.
Miyako leaned back, legs crossed, eyes on her phone.
Bunta sat quietly, occasionally glancing at Kota.
Airi closed her book and nodded. "I'm impressed, Kota. You brought them all in one day."
Emika beamed. "Amazing!"
Rina clasped her hands, smiling shyly. "Wow…"
Kota collapsed into his seat and groaned, "Can I sleep now?"
---
Next Time: Chapter 8 – Study Time or Total Chaos?
Can three misfits and a lazy leader survive their first study session together?
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