Chapter 231: I Refuse!

Time rewound to yesterday evening, after Fuyuji Mikage and Ichinose Honami had parted ways at the library.

The sun gradually sank toward the horizon of the sea. The sky churned with dark golden, fire-lit clouds. The street lamps along the school path lit up one after another. A few nameless insects fluttered and danced around the lampshades.

"Everyone worked hard today. See you later!" Ichinose slung her satchel over her shoulder and raised an arm, waving goodbye to her classmates.

The evening breeze swept past, gently lifting the pink tips of her hair.

"Why won't Ichinose-san come with us? That shop clearly has so many hair accessories we've never seen before."

"Because I have to go back and cook." Ichinose raised a hand and scratched her cheek, speaking with considerable embarrassment. "I always feel like that kind of place just isn't really suited for me."

"AAARGH—!"

Amikura Mako rushed forward and threw her arms around Ichinose from behind. "This is so unfair! Just who on earth is going to end up marrying a wonderful girl like Honami-chan and making her his wife?!"

"That's not true at all. Everyone's overestimating me far too much." Ichinose waved her hands repeatedly. Her fair cheeks flushed faintly red.

"No. It's Honami-chan who's underestimating herself far too much."

"Alright, alright." Ichinose smiled and gently pushed Amikura away. "You all should get going. If you don't leave now, Keyaki Mall might get really crowded."

"Well then—we'll be off!"

Amikura, along with the entire flock of Class B girls, turned back and waved as they headed toward Keyaki Mall. Their cheerful laughter and chatter gradually drifted and faded into the twilight.

"We'll help Honami-chan pick out the perfect hair accessories! We'll surprise you tomorrow!"

"If I already know about it, how is it even a surprise anymore?!"

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Ichinose watched the Class B girls' figures recede into the distance. The smile at the corner of her lips had yet to fully fade, yet her gaze had already unconsciously drifted into the distance.

"Still..." In that very instant—her smile, like a candle flame extinguished by the wind, abruptly dimmed and darkened. Subconsciously, she raised a hand and pressed it over her chest, as though something were pressing down heavily upon it. In a low murmur, she spoke. "Hair accessories, huh..."

The evening breeze seemed to carry an added chill, stirring up a few fallen leaves that spun and swirled at her feet.

After standing rooted in place for who-knew-how-long, Ichinose slowly exhaled a breath. Patting her own cheeks, she turned and strode forward with great steps.

Time to head back...

Yet, in the very next second—her forward stride came to an abrupt halt.

A young girl—wearing a white beret, leaning on a cane, her features as delicate and refined as a porcelain doll—entered her line of sight.

"Good day, Ichinose-san. Do you have a moment? Would you do me the honor of sharing a meal together?"

Sakayanagi Arisu lifted the hem of her skirt and gave a slight bow. A faint, poised smile graced her lips. Within her violet eyes flickered a gleam of keen interest.

...

Palette Cafe.

Elegant piano music drifted from the speakers overhead. The air was saturated with the uniquely rich, mellow fragrance of roasted coffee beans. Together, these sensations curled and lingered around the two of them.

Setting her cane aside, Sakayanagi adjusted her seated posture. Both legs pressed neatly together, she sat with elegant poise. Lifting the coffee before her, she took a light sip.

"Ichinose-san, please feel free to order whatever you like. Since I extended the invitation, it is naturally my treat."

"Actually... that's not what I wanted to say." Ichinose gazed at the girl before her—who was downing coffee with fierce intensity—and cautiously, carefully offered a reminder. "Sakayanagi-san—your heart isn't well, is it? It's still better not to drink so much coffee, you know."

The sliding motion of her throat came to a halt. Sakayanagi silently tightened her grip on the cup handle. A bitter flavor spread through her mouth.

"My physical condition is still fairly manageable. There's no need for Ichinose-san to concern herself."

"Then... what business did Sakayanagi-san have in calling me here?"

Round and round, the two of them had finally circled back to the main topic.

"In that case!" Sakayanagi set down her coffee cup. Her violet eyes stared directly at Ichinose. "I'll be direct. Ichinose-san—in last semester's VIP exam—just who was it that your Class B cooperated with?! Would you please tell me!"

Under those circumstances—without a contract—if the leaders of the two classes hadn't possessed some understanding of each other, cooperation between Class A and Class B would have been impossible.

Therefore—Ichinose Honami must know who that person was!

Although, after the Sports Festival, Fuyuji Mikage had become a considerably suspicious candidate—this person was simply far too elusive and unpredictable. Sakayanagi truly couldn't bring herself to reach that conclusion.

The smile on Ichinose's face vanished in an instant. She raised her head and, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, returned the stare directly.

"May I ask, Sakayanagi-san—what do you intend to do with him?"

"I want to compete against him one more time. However—he doesn't seem particularly interested in that." Within Sakayanagi's eyes, the flames of battle surged and swelled. She was eager and raring to go. "You're very fond of helping others, aren't you? Then how about helping me out? I would be grateful to you from the bottom of my heart."

"Since he doesn't want to tell you—then I'm sorry, but I can't tell you either." Ichinose refused crisply and decisively.

"What a pity." Sakayanagi let out a soft sigh, yet seemed not at all surprised. "In that case—Ichinose-san—might I ask you one more question?"

"Just say it directly."

"Ichinose Honami. First in the grade in academic performance upon enrollment. Organizational ability among the very top of the entire grade. Physical ability not lacking either. Overall—one might say, perfect." Sakayanagi's tone turned slow and deliberate, every word striking the tip of the young girl's heart.

Watching the color rapidly drain from the girl's face before her, she continued in an unhurried, unruffled tone. "Well then—so perfect as you are—what is the reason you were assigned to Class B?"

In that very instant—Ichinose felt a sharp buzz in her ears. Her mind went completely blank.

The piano music grew distant and blurred. The rich fragrance of the coffee seemed to vanish in an instant. Even the coffee in her hand spilled over, the warm liquid dampening her fingertips—yet she noticed none of it.

A long moment passed before she could barely force out a strained smile.

"Sakayanagi-san—what are you talking about? I don't underst—"

"No need to deny it, Ichinose-san." Sakayanagi cut off her words with an unquestionable tone. "No one is more familiar with Advanced Nurturing High's class placement methods than I am."

If Ichinose Honami were truly that flawless and impeccable—the class she was assigned to would absolutely have been Class A. Since the founding of Advanced Nurturing High, cases of lower classes successfully challenging Class A and graduating smoothly could be counted on one's fingers. The school could not possibly damage its own reputation by sending a perfect, flawless student elsewhere.

Therefore—Ichinose Honami must possess certain destabilizing factors in the school's assessment. Yet not of the deadly, irredeemable variety. That was why the school had placed her in Class B.

Combined with the behavior Ichinose had consistently displayed all along—unconditionally helping others, even placing the act of helping others above her own interests...

"During your third year of middle school—something happened to you, didn't it? And then you were absent from school for quite a long period. Do I need to continue?"

Ichinose's body trembled violently. Her pupils contracted sharply. The hand resting beneath her skirt quietly clenched tight. Her expression grew increasingly grim.

"How do you know about that?"

"Allow me to remind you—this school conducts background checks on its incoming students. As long as one has the points—looking into such matters is hardly difficult." Sakayanagi lifted her coffee and took another sip. Shaking her head, she spoke. "What a pity. If the students in your class were to learn that the class president they trust so deeply is actually this kind of person—just what kind of expressions would they wear, I wonder?"

"N-no! Please don't do that kind of thing! Everyone..." Ichinose's shoulders collapsed. Shaking her head desperately, her voice took on a tearful, choked quality.

Tears rapidly welled up and accumulated in her eyes.

"Then please tell me that person's identity." Sakayanagi revealed a delighted, pleased smile. "To be honest—I hold your way of doing things in contempt. As long as you give me the answer I want—I have not the slightest interest in how you and that flock of students in your class play house."

Time itself seemed to freeze and solidify in this very moment. The air within the cafe was so heavy it was suffocating.

Ichinose suddenly fell silent. Her pink strands of hair cascaded over her shoulders, veiling the upper half of her face. Her expression was unreadable. All that could be seen was her biting down hard on her lower lip.

Long, agonizing, excruciating seconds passed.

Finally—she abruptly raised her head, revealing her reddened eyes. Her gaze stabbed straight toward Sakayanagi's twin pupils, which now carried a trace of playful amusement.

"I refuse!" Her voice was not loud. It trembled.

That trace of a delighted, pleased smile on Sakayanagi's face instantly froze solid. Her voice turned utterly cold. "What a pity, Ichinose-san. I had thought you would be just a little smarter."

With that, she picked up the cane beside her and strode out of the cafe, leaving Ichinose sitting frozen in place.

"In any case—please give my proposal some careful consideration."

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