Is Arisu Sakayanagi here to see Kotomi again?
Yui Yuigahama wondered to herself as she watched Arisu enter the classroom. The class president of 1-A never ca without reason, and every ti she visited 1-F, it was always for the sa purpose—to find Kotomi.
What exactly was their relationship? The way Arisu looked at Kotomi didn't seem like she was rely admiring her academic performance after the monthly exams… Was Yui just imagining things, or was there sothing deeper?
gumi Kato, Arisu Sakayanagi, Mashiro Shiina, Yukino Yukinoshita, and even that second-year from Class 2-B, Utaha Kasumigaoka.
Am I overthinking things, or…?
Yui's heart felt heavy. If her suspicions were correct and so many girls had hidden feelings for Kotomi, wouldn't that an she suddenly had a group of formidable rivals? Worse yet, many of them were her friends.
Even so… I won't give up! Yui clenched her small fists, pretending to play on her phone while secretly observing Arisu's every move, curious about what she was up to this ti.
Learning to observe one's opponents calmly was an essential trait of the strong.
Arisu, leaning on her cane as she passed by, briefly glanced at Yui but didn't give her much thought. Instead, she continued walking straight to where Kotomi and gumi were sitting.
At that mont, the two were still huddled together, engrossed in their book, completely unaware that Arisu was already standing beside them—just like during their visit to the Aqua Park aquarium exhibit.
Arisu's expression remained unchanged, her signature confident smile still adorning her lips. At least, that was how it appeared on the surface…
"What book is so fascinating? Is the content truly that compelling? If possible, could you introduce it to ?" Arisu asked with a playful smile.
Hearing Arisu's voice, gumi Kato was the first to lift her head. Though her expression remained calm, her gaze held a hint of wariness as she looked at Arisu. Instinctively, she wanted to position herself protectively between Arisu and Kotomi, as if fearing that if she let her guard down for even a mont, Arisu might just snatch away the small penguin beside her.
"Arisu, you're here! It's just a novel~" Kotomi replied cheerfully. Ever since Arisu had stayed over at her house for a night, their relationship had grown much closer.
She had initially thought Arisu would be a strong-willed and domineering girl, but in reality, it was quite the opposite. Arisu was considerate of her emotions, and though she occasionally spoke as if they had known each other for years, Kotomi had co to accept it as just one of her quirks.
All in all, Kotomi was happy to be friends with Arisu.
As for why she didn't tell Arisu that the book they were reading was her own novel?
The main reason was that the classroom was full of people. If others overheard, it would undoubtedly lead to trouble.
Though Kotomi was quite popular at school—not just among the entire first-year cohort but nearly the entire student body—she still wasn't personally close with many classmates. And if she wasn't close to them, she didn't feel the need to let too many people know that she wrote novels and drew manga. That would only invite unnecessary complications.
After all, she was still a high school student. If too many people found out, word would eventually reach the teachers, and that was sothing she wanted to avoid.
A top-ranking student—first in the grade, first in all of Tokyo—spending her free ti not studying, but writing novels and drawing manga?!
Just imagining the teachers' reactions if they found out made Kotomi chuckle internally. Their faces would surely display a spectacular range of emotions.
If the teachers knew, they would undoubtedly call her in for repeated heart-to-heart talks, urging her to focus on her studies. And of course, gossip would spread, and so classmates and teachers might start viewing her differently, whispering about how she was "wasting her potential."
It couldn't be helped—being a high school girl writing novels and drawing manga would surely be seen as neglecting her proper duties.
If she revealed her grades and monthly earnings, it might dispel so of the disdain. But then, another problem would arise—
What if classmates started asking her for money?
People often overestimate the purity of high school friendships. Even among classmates who had barely spoken in three years, the mont money was involved, suddenly, everyone acted close. If word got out about her earnings, a flood of "friends" would likely co knocking with borrowing requests, and not just from her own class—other classes might catch wind of it too.
In short, letting too many classmates know about her side job as a writer and artist would only bring unnecessary trouble. It was far simpler to keep it under wraps.
Of course, she planned to tell Yui, Yukino, and Utaha eventually. She was just waiting for the right opportunity.
Even among friends, admitting that she wrote novels and drew manga still felt incredibly embarrassing—even if she had achieved so success.
Kotomi decided to brush things off for now. She would find the right mont to tell Arisu Sakayanagi later. After all, during her café eting with rii Hizuki and Miyuki Aomori about composing, Arisu had already learned about her creative endeavors. Explaining things to her would be easy.
I'm such a genius at handling these situations! Kotomi thought smugly—just as Arisu glanced at the Sword Art Online volu in her hands, a knowing smile forming on her lips.
"Kotomi, co with for a mont. I have sothing to discuss with you. And bring a pen for signing." Arisu tilted her head slightly and smiled softly.
What does she want to talk about?! gumi Kato thought warily.
If it were any other girl, gumi might not have been so concerned—but this was Arisu Sakayanagi! The first woman to ever put her on high alert!
From their very first eting, gumi had suspected that Arisu had ulterior motives for getting close to Kotomi. There was no way it was just casual interest!
"Oh, okay." Kotomi nodded without hesitation, agreeing imdiately.
You naive little penguin! At least hesitate for a second! gumi ntally scread.
Arisu, noticing gumi's internal turmoil, chuckled confidently. "Kato-san, if you're that curious, you can co along too. You seem very invested in this."
Her words sounded considerate on the surface, but the underlying aning was clear—Arisu had just exposed gumi's feelings in front of Kotomi, subtly pointing out her possessiveness.
She had likely read gumi's thoughts and deliberately voiced them aloud in a playful manner. Even if she was wrong, she could always brush it off as a joke, maintaining her position of control.
Arisu Sakayanagi remained composed, watching gumi Kato closely. She had just subtly exposed gumi's possessiveness in front of Kotomi Izumi, maintaining an air of innocence while delivering an indirect challenge.
If she dared to do this now, would she eventually try to sow discord between Kotomi and ? gumi wondered, feeling conflicted.
Arisu Sakayanagi was even trickier than she had imagined!
gumi stood up, pressing her lips into a smile.
"I'm just a bit thirsty and thought I'd take the chance during the break to buy a drink with Kotomi. If Sakayanagi-san doesn't mind listening in, I'll tag along. Once you've finished your urgent conversation with her, I'll still have ti to grab that drink. Heh, it really does feel like autumn—the dry air makes it easy to get thirsty."
Oh? So unless I have an urgent matter, I can't co see Kotomi? Arisu thought, recognizing gumi's attempt to subtly distance her from Kotomi through words. How cunning. And that possessive tone—was she trying to show off? Arisu smirked slightly, arching an eyebrow, her gaze growing more assertive, refusing to back down. Still, she maintained a cheerful deanor.
"Of course, you're welco. It's just a small matter. Kotomi and I can talk about anything. It's just a pity—if only we were in the sa class. If we were, I'd chat with her from morning to evening. She'd never feel bored or spend her ti just waiting for the school day to end. I may not be the best conversationalist, but when it cos to Kotomi, I sohow beco one. Do you know why?"
"Why?" gumi asked, following the flow of conversation.
"Because Kotomi and I are kindred spirits with complentary personalities."
Arisu smiled warmly before turning and stepping out of the classroom.
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