18 Chapter 18

Several days passed without Tatsuya crossing paths with Airi.

He was aware of the reason and intentionally gave her space to gather her thoughts, yet he felt it was taking too long on a personal level.

Unbeknownst to him, his thought process held a tinge of cruelty.

A faint knock on the door prompted shuffling sounds behind it. Tatsuya frowned and knocked again.

"Open the door."

All sounds within paused instantly, plunging the room into silence. After an awkward pause, Tatsuya sighed and spoke softly, "Are you sure you won't open the door?"

Frantic footsteps, triggered by something, became audible, and with a click, the door unlocked. Tatsuya entered and closed the door.

...

"That was Sakura-san's dorm room," Ayanokouji muttered, and Horikita remained silent. "I haven't seen him talking to Sakura-san either," Ayanokouji continued, drawing Horikita's attention.

"Why talk as if you watch him 24/7? He could've talked to her when you weren't there."

Ayanokouji paused, "The likelihood is low, but I guess it's not impossible."

"What should we do now? Do we also go and visit Sakura-san?"

Horikita frowned and looked at Sakura's dorm room with a pondering expression. "Maybe we should wait until he comes out," she suggested, leaving Ayanokouji disheartened.

...

Fifteen minutes later—

"I have some things to tend to, so I'll lea-" Before she could finish, Ayanokouji raised his hand, interrupting her. "I will not wait until he comes out."

Horikita sighed and nodded, "I know I'm not making you stay here and wait. What I wanted to say was that you should talk to him about her whenever you can."

By "him," she obviously meant Tatsuya.

Ayanokouji heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.

Horikita walked away, leaving him alone. After ensuring Horikita was gone, Ayanokouji headed towards Sakura's dorm room.

"Horikita always hesitates when anything regarding Tatsuya comes up. I wonder if it's just distaste or something else I don't know about..." He whispered to himself, knocking on the door with a dull expression.

He had different plans.

Earlier, he could vaguely hear two people talking behind the door, but the moment he knocked, everything went eerily silent.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Ayanokouji's eyes widened.

The person in front of him was completely different from the Sakura Airi he knew.

Her original twin tails, which rested on her back, were let loose, and her velvety pink hair reached her waist. Her square glasses were gone, and he could only feel a sense of pity looking at her big watery eyes.

But what surprised him the most was not her appearance but the expressionless look in her eyes.

It was similar to his.

He looked past her and saw Tatsuya looking at him with an indifferent expression.

Ayanokouji didn't shy away from his gaze, recalling the same gaze from Tatsuya when he asked him why he was in Class D.

The atmosphere turned heavy.

"Ayanokouji-kun..." Sakura muttered, and Ayanokouji took his eyes away from Tatsuya before looking at her.

He finally noticed something; while Airi's eyes were similar to his, there was a fundamental difference.

Deep within her eyes, he could see something...

It was fear.

And it wasn't directed towards him.

Ayanokouji glanced at Tatsuya before turning towards Sakura.

"May I know why you're not coming to class, Sakura?" He added after a moment, "Everyone's worried about you."

Hearing this, Airi froze before she let out a small smile, "Who?"

"Hmm?"

"Who's worried about me?"

Ayanokouji sighed.

"The S-System has left us worried, and we don't want anyone to be expelled. Horikita wants to hold a study group, which you can join if you want, but I'd still recommend attending clas-"

Airi stopped him midway and let out a helpless smile, "It's fine; you don't have to worry about me, Ayanokouji-kun. I've been a bit sick, but I'll make sure I won't be expelled."

"But Sakura-"

"Ayanokouji."

Airi flinched hearing his voice, and Ayanokouji, who still wanted to convince Airi, closed his mouth before looking towards Tatsuya.

"I think you're disturbing Airi-chan. Since she's already given you her word, why not believe her?"

First name basis?

"I guess you're right..." Ayanokouji muttered, but the atmosphere around him suddenly changed, and Airi felt the temperature drop.

Ayanokouji still had the same expression he had when he walked in, but something was different.

He looked towards Tatsuya and asked in a low voice—

"Are we friends, Tatsuya?"

His words were like a pebble dropping into an empty well as heavy silence filled the room.

Tatsuya had an amused expression.

"I wonder. I did really want to be your friend at the start, but I'm slowly losing the motivation to do so."

Ayanokouji's expression never changed.

"Why?"

"Who knows?" Tatsuya muttered before smiling, "After all, anyone would feel wary befriending someone from the Whiteroom."

Airi, confused upon listening to their conversation, tilted her head upon hearing a certain keyword.

Whiteroom?

She wondered.

"I see."

Ayanokouji's voice was still calm, but there was something unsettling in his eyes as he looked at Tatsuya.

"Did he send you here?"

Tatsuya felt like laughing after hearing Ayanokouji's words, just shaking his head, "Maybe, maybe not. Again, who knows?"

"You really like being cryptic, don't you?"

"Well, I won't deny it isn't fun."

Tatsuya laughed, and Ayanokouji stared at him silently.

***

A/N- He's really f*cking with the protagonist isn't he lmao.

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