Faced with Kotomi Izumi's imdiate denial, Seiko Kirigiri was montarily stunned. Hearing such a resolute response, she felt a mixture of disbelief and imnse relief.
—Thank goodness it wasn't what I thought. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to face Kotomi again.
"Re-really? There's nothing between you two?" Seiko asked again, unable to completely shake off her doubts but also relieved.
"Absolutely nothing! You can ask Senior Naegi if you don't believe . I see her purely as a senior, and she sees as a junior. Honestly, how did you even get such an idea in the first place?" Kotomi replied helplessly.
"Well, it's just… when my sister ca to the classroom earlier, I thought she ca to find . She occasionally does that, and we'd go eat lunch together. But this ti, she walked straight toward you without even noticing ," Seiko explained awkwardly, scratching her head.
Due to the considerable distance between Kotomi's seat and her own, Seiko couldn't hear their conversation. All she saw were the two smiling and chatting, and a pang of jealousy crept up her chest.
Her mind spiraled into wild assumptions, filling her with growing resentnt. Before she knew it, she was hunched over her desk, tears of frustration pooling in her eyes. Eventually, Seiko decided she couldn't endure this without answers and mustered the courage to follow Kotomi out of the classroom to confront her.
To her shock, the truth revealed a completely different story.
Kotomi explained how, just the previous day, she had asked Naegi for permission to use the art room for an extra hour of club activities.
"So earlier, Senior Naegi ca to give the key to the art room. See?" Kotomi pulled a key from her pocket and held it up.
The more Seiko listened, the more her face flushed. If there had been a hole nearby, she would have gladly crawled into it.
Not only had she overthought, but her assumptions had been utterly ridiculous!
"I-I'm so sorry! I completely misunderstood! Please don't take it to heart!" Seiko bowed deeply, her face burning with embarrassnt.
"Don't worry; I'm not offended at all," Kotomi said with a cheerful smile.
"But still…" Seiko hesitated, unsure of how to make ands.
Kotomi glanced at a nearby vending machine and said, "How about treating to three cans of juice?"
"Of course!" Seiko eagerly agreed, thankful for the easy way out.
And so, Kotomi ended up with four cans of juice in her arms.
After returning to the classroom, Kotomi handed out the three extra cans to Yui Yuigahama, Yukino Yukinoshita, and Mashiro Shiina.
"I bought these; enjoy!" she said.
Yui, who had been parched and about to head to the vending machine, felt as though salvation had co. "Thanks, Kotomi! You're an angel!"
"No need to thank ," Kotomi replied casually.
"This juice is delicious. Thanks, Kotomi," Yukino said, taking a sip after setting down her book. She rarely drank juice, but the occasional indulgence made it all the more enjoyable.
"Tasty. I'll treat Kotomi next ti," Mashiro said as she took several large gulps.
Soon, the bell signaling the start of the next class rang.
Kotomi took out her phone and checked her ssages, but the one she had sent to gumi Kato earlier was still marked as unread.
With her battery running low, she slipped her phone back into her pocket.
The first period after lunch was Japanese language class. When Shizuka Hiratsuka walked in, she held a sheet of paper in her hand, her expression unreadable.
"Is there anyone interested in participating in next month's sports et? I noticed that even after distributing the sign-up forms and leaving it to voluntary entries, less than half the class submitted their nas."
Hiratsuka sighed in frustration. Although participation wasn't mandatory, the fact that Class 1-F had the fewest entries among all the first-year classes was slightly humiliating.
Was the entire class planning to just spectate?!
The thought was too shaful for Hiratsuka to stomach.
The mont she brought up the topic of the sports et again, Kotomi imdiately slumped over her desk, attempting to shield herself behind a stack of books.
As for Yui, she went a step further and ducked entirely under her desk.
Watching this scene from the podium, Hiratsuka's eye twitched. These two brats…
With no other choice, Hiratsuka "gently persuaded" a few students into participating.
The results?
Three boys signed up for the short-distance sprint. One girl reluctantly agreed to the high jump. And three others volunteered for long jump.
Compared to before, the numbers were at least a bit more respectable. However, the girls' 800-ter race remained untouched—still no takers.
"Is there anyone in this class willing to sign up for the 800-ter race?" Hiratsuka asked once more, her voice tinged with a hint of desperation.
Kotomi, however, remained blissfully unaware of this plea, as she was sound asleep on her desk.
Zzz... huff... haa...
anwhile, Yui crouched beneath her desk, her attention riveted on the glimpse of blue and white she could see under Kotomi's skirt.
Hmm… striped, huh? Interesting.
Yui stealthily pulled out her phone, clicking away as she captured several incriminating photos.
After another round of questioning, Hiratsuka finally gave up and returned to the blackboard to start class.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Kotomi, who seed to be sleeping rather peacefully.
Let's see how peaceful you'll be after this.
Hiratsuka flicked a piece of chalk directly at her.
Unfortunately, Hiratsuka's aim was leagues behind that of the infamous "Orbital Strike" teacher, Yagawa-sensei. The chalk missed its intended target and struck the student beneath the desk instead.
"Ow!" Yui yelped, her cry piercing through the classroom.
By the ti the first period ended, Kotomi groggily sat up from her desk, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and wiping a stray trail of drool from her mouth. After a quick stretch, she walked out of the classroom.
She had decided to pay a visit to Class 1-A and find Arisu Sakayanagi.
Today was Friday, and she had planned to take Arisu ho with her later in the afternoon. However, since she'd be staying behind for an hour of art club activities, she wanted to check if Arisu was okay with waiting for her.
As she approached the entrance of Class 1-A, a particularly haughty-looking student strolled out with her head held high, exuding an aura of superiority.
Ah, the pride of Class A.
But the instant she spotted Kotomi approaching, the haughtiness drained from her face like water through a sieve. The lingering trauma of seeing Kotomi dominate the rankings during the midterm exams resurfaced, causing the girl to freeze mid-step.
With trembling legs, she turned and pressed her forehead against the nearest wall, visibly spiraling into despair.
"Um… Are you okay?" Kotomi asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"I'm… I'm fine…" The girl croaked out a reply, her tone utterly dejected.
Shrugging, Kotomi stepped around her and entered Class 1-A.
At that mont, her entrance was akin to a wolf stepping into a pen of sheep.
Year 1, Class A.
"I heard there's going to be a midterm exam next month, and it's said to be just as difficult as the monthly test."
"Hah, I can already imagine the screams of despair from the underachievers when they hear about this." Yuuma Matsutou scoffed arrogantly.
"Yūma, are you confident about the midterms?"
"Please don't phrase that as a question. It's not about confidence—it's about inevitability! Co the midterms, the throne of first place in the entire grade will undoubtedly belong to !" Yuuma Matsutou declared with a booming voice.
After two weeks of adjustnt, his shattered pride from the monthly exams had gradually been pieced back together. Having realigned his mindset, he was more determined than ever, studying diligently in every class. In just one week, he had already filled an entire notebook with notes.
In the latest classroom quiz, he had managed to secure first place in his class, earning the rare praise of their notoriously strict teacher, who even suggested that with continued effort, he might have a shot at getting into the University of Tokyo.
However, Yuuma Matsutou thought that his sights should be set even higher—he dread of studying abroad!
"Careful, or Kotomi-sama might crush you again." Matsutou's deskmate, slouched against the wall, muttered with a resigned expression.
As Matsutou's classmate, his grades were naturally among the best. However, since the monthly test, he had been stuck in a depressive funk. The mory of underestimating Kotomi and being humiliated for it gnawed at him constantly.
The ntion of "Kotomi-sama" made Matsutou freeze, his heart skipping a beat as fear surged through him.
It took him several minutes to regain his composure. Forcing a laugh, he said:
"Haha… well, yes… Izumi-san is indeed formidable. To leap from barely scraping through the entrance exams to ranking first in Tokyo… That kind of teoric improvent is beyond even my imagination. But no matter! No one can be at the top every single ti. I've prepared thoroughly for the midterms, and I'm 10,000% confident that I'll surpass her!"
Matsutou struck a triumphant pose with his hands on his hips, laughing loudly, though the lingering twinge of nervousness in his voice betrayed his bravado.
"Oh, wow! Such energy! Such fighting spirit! Good, good!" ca a familiar voice.
"Haha, that's right! I'm brimming with determination to—"
Matsutou's laughter halted abruptly as he realized sothing wasn't right.
It wasn't just him. The entire Class A fell silent, every head turning toward the source of the voice.
Amid the deathly silence, a beat passed.
"The… the White Reaper!"
Matsutou's voice trembled as his eyes rolled back, and he fainted, collapsing straight to the floor.
"This enthusiastic student… he'll be okay, right?" Kotomi asked, pointing at him.
"Don't worry, he's just… uh, overwheld. Welco, Kotomi-sama!"
"Why is Kotomi-sama suddenly visiting Class A? Is Judgnt Day upon us?!"
"Uh, no, please! Don't make relive the terror of the monthly tests!"
"Mom, Dad, when you receive this text, I'll already be—"
"Didn't Kuhama-sensei always want Kotomi-sama to visit Class A? Does this an she agreed? Woohoo! Class A is invincible now!"
The students of Class A had mixed feelings about Kotomi. So admired her, others feared her, but all of it stemd from the impression she left during the monthly exams.
Not only had she consistently finished early and slept through the remaining ti, but even the invigilators treated her with bizarre reverence. One had even draped a jacket over her while she napped, fearing she might catch a chill.
And, of course, she had effortlessly claid the top spot in not just the school but all of Tokyo.
Faced with their "enthusiastic" reactions, Kotomi could only smile wryly. Clearly, the mory of her performance during the monthly exams had left an indelible mark on Class A.
However, her visit wasn't for the reasons they imagined. She strolled over to the desk of Arisu Sakayanagi, who had been watching her with a bemused smile from the mont she entered.
As Kotomi approached, Arisu's smile deepened, her amusent evident in her eyes.
"Arisu, there's sothing I need to discuss with you. Can you step out with for a mont?"
"Sure~" Arisu replied cheerfully, picking up her cane. Under the curious gazes of everyone in Class 1-A, she followed Kotomi out of the classroom.
They left behind a room full of bewildered classmates.
Since when did the class rep get so close to Izumi-senpai?
After exiting the classroom, Kotomi led Arisu to a quieter spot in the hallway.
"If I had stayed in your classroom any longer, they might have collectively lost their minds," Kotomi joked, shrugging casually.
"Hehe, that's fine. Most students in Class A are a bit too proud, thinking they're invincible. Your presence was perfect to humble them a little," Arisu replied with a smirk.
"A bit of pride is a good thing; it fuels ambition." Kotomi chuckled. "I think I have a fair amount of pride myself."
"That's one of the reasons I like you," Arisu said, tapping her cane lightly on the floor before asking, "So, what did you want to talk to about, Kotomi?"
"I just wanted to ask you sothing. You know about the Tokyo tropolitan National Youth Art Contest I'm entering, right?"
"Of course. As soone who knows you best, how could I not know about that?" Arisu smiled confidently as if she were privy to every detail of Kotomi's life.
"Well, I missed a day of school this week because of a cold, so I fell behind on my art project. Even though there are still a couple of days left until the deadline next week, I'm worried I won't have enough ti to polish everything. That's why I want to stay after school today and work in the art room for an hour. Would you mind waiting for ?"
"Of course not," Arisu answered almost imdiately, without the slightest hesitation.
"That was a quick response," Kotomi remarked, a bit surprised.
Arisu smiled lightly, then playfully twirled her cane, feigning a look of disappointnt.
"Sigh... I was hoping you pulled aside to confess your feelings for . I even ca up with nas for our future children! And yet, you're just asking about sothing as trivial as this."
"It's not trivial!" Kotomi retorted, her face flushing. "Staying back for an hour at school is one thing for because I'll be painting. But you'll just be waiting! You might get bored. And what do you an by 'future children'? Arisu, stop joking!"
"If it ans being with you, I wouldn't mind staying at school for hours—or even all night." Arisu's voice was soft, her smile brimming with affection. "Spending ti with you is never boring."
"Y-You..."
Kotomi's cheeks grew even redder. She wasn't naïve; she understood perfectly what Arisu's words implied.
Seeing her flustered expression, Arisu couldn't help but giggle. Although she wanted to continue teasing her, she knew better than to overdo it. Changing her tone, she asked:
"Can I stay with you in the art room while you paint?"
"Of course, as long as you don't get bored," Kotomi replied.
"If I recall correctly, when you paint in the art room, gumi usually waits for you in the library, right?"
"Yeah, that's her routine," Kotomi nodded.
Arisu's smile widened slyly. "See? That's the difference between and her. She waits for you in the library, while I'd rather be right by your side."
As she spoke, Arisu lightly brushed a strand of Kotomi's hair with her fingers.
"That's only because... normally, the art room has other club mbers around, so gumi isn't allowed to just hang out there. Today's different because I got special permission to work alone," Kotomi explained softly.
"Ah..."
Arisu clicked her tongue internally. She had been hoping to use this opportunity to subtly one-up gumi in Kotomi's eyes, but she hadn't considered the club's rules.
"Is sothing wrong, Arisu?" Kotomi asked, noticing her montary silence.
"Not at all," Arisu quickly regained her composure. "So, it's settled then. After school, I'll co to Class 1-F to find you, and we'll head to the art room together. Then afterward... we can go ho together~"
Her voice carried an undertone of anticipation, her smile filled with mischief.
Arisu had been looking forward to Friday all week.
Initially, her plan was simply to have dinner at Kotomi's house.
But now, her ambitions had shifted. Tonight, she would find a way to stay over at Kotomi's place—and perhaps even share the sa bed.
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