42 #42 Discovery

"Peaceful night indeed" Yuichi muttered with closed eyes and a wide grin while being pulled by his collar.

"Don't push your luck too far" Manabu said with narrowed eyes.

"I am not really..." Yuichi's wide smile quickly changed to a faint one while looking sideways, avoiding eye contact with Manabu.

"Hm, you are a really interesting student. Tell me why you are here, you wouldn't have come here if you had no reason to." Manabu actually faintly smiled and let go of Yuichi before asking.

'"Don't push your luck"...I know that blackmailing someone like Student council president can backfire very easily and I never really had the intention to do so' Yuichi thought while fixing his clothes with a calm expression.

"I just came to greet senpai, is that wrong?" Yuichi asked.

"I know that you are more intelligent than that. You must be the one behind those class points. I am aware that my little sister would never be able to do that. I wonder what is she to you?" Manabu asked with a furrowed brow.

"I think student council president overestimates me...If I were intelligent I would have never approached you, senpai. As for who Suzune-chan is to me...She is my girlfriend~" Yuichi explained while fixing his tie before replying to his last question with a bright smile.

"...Impossible" Manabu showed almost no reaction to his words but Yuichi noticed that there was something in his eyes...

"Why? We were just on the date at the cafe. I bought her hot chocolate and we had a nice talk." Yuichi explained with a smile however Manabu only continued staring at him with his expressionless face.

"Alright...we aren't dating and we are hardly considered friends but I indeed bought her hot chocolate so not everything was a lie! Senpai, you actually care for your little sister and want only the best for her, right?" Yuichi admitted with a slightly sad smile before asking with a serious expression.

"...I am surprised you can say that after seeing what almost happened back then. Why do you say so?" Manabu said with a faint smile.

"Once you look up to someone, you can't overtake them." Yuichi said and his words actually caused Manabu to widen his eyes a bit before he closed them and faint smile appeared on his face.

"In addition, in your conversation...you were hiding hints for her. You were trying to tell her something. I am not going to meddle in between siblings' problem but she is still your little sister, I doubt you truly hate her. Still, it's just my opinion, no need to explain or reply to it." Yuichi said with closed eyes before turning around, ready to return to the dorms.

"What are you going to do with that?" Manabu said, most likely talking about the recording.

"Nothing but in exchange, I would appreciate it if senpai could sometimes help me, answer a few of my questions or things like that. Is that acceptable?" Yuichi asked with his back facing Manabu.

"I won't answer anything about S-system but if you need any advice or question related to something else...I might help you" Manabu replied.

"Thank you, senpai." Yuichi said, preparing to leave but he was quickly stopped.

"One more thing, Iwamura." Manabu said which prompted Yuichi to turn at him.

"Hm?"

"I am not doing it because of your little recording, I am doing it because I find you interesting." Manabu corrected him while adjusting his glasses in case he thought that he can blackmail him.

"Or is it because you noticed small changes in your little sister's behavior, senpai?" Yuichi asked with a faint smile.

"Farewell..." Manabu ignored his question and walked away.

'*sigh* I guess it could have gone better...' Yuichi thought while looking up at the stars before deciding to return to the dorms.

When Yuichi went back, he made sure that nor Horikita or Ayanokoji were still there, after confirming it, he went back to the dorms and to his room. When he closed the door to his room, he quickly went towards his bed and dropped down on it with back first.

'Why is Ayanokoji hiding his physical ability? Is he hiding something else? If he indeed is hiding his abilities, what if anyone else is hiding their abilities? To be honest, I don't see Ike or Yamauchi hiding their abilities but maybe from girls...There are a lot of average girls. I happen to start hating anyone who is average, it's much easier to measure abilities of people like Horikita, Hirata or Kushida. In this school...can I even trust anyone except for Mei?' Yuichi thought while motionlessly lying and looking at the ceiling with slightly dull green eyes.

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.

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Days passed by quickly until only a week and a few days were remaining until the midterm exam.

"So, how are you doing? I have heard that you were able to get those 2 idiots to study with you once again." Yuichi asked Horikita during the break.

After their talk at the cafe, they barely talked since Yuichi wasn't forcing any conversation with her but he still heard a lot of things from Sudo who heard those things once again from Ike and Yamauchi.

"I have thought a lot about your words...And you were right, if I can't carry those who I call dead weighs, I am useless." Horikita said in low voice and with closed eyes.

"...I see." Yuichi faintly smiled before looking out of the window.

"...Thanks" She said in a monotonous voice.

Yuichi put his hand into the pocket after hearing that, wanting to take out his phone but he was quickly stopped.

"Don't you dare"

He glanced behind at Horikita and saw her holding once again a math compass with a darkened expression.

"What? I just want to look at the time" Yuichi replied with a confused expression.

"There is a big round wall clock right above the board, are you blind?" Horikita asked with narrowed eyes.

"I like digital numbers better" Yuichi said with an oblivious smile.

Hearing him, Horikita has hidden the compass and let him awkwardly look at the time on his phone's display before putting it back to his pocket.

"Ok, that was awkward. Where are you even hiding that compass? Is it a trend for girls to carry a math compass around with them instead of pepper spray?" Yuichi asked with a weird expression.

"I don't need a compass to protect myself but it's easier to threaten people with it" Horikita replied with a calm expression.

"How can you be so calm while saying that you are carrying it around to threaten people however you want?" Yuichi shook his head with a hopeless smile before turning towards the board once again.

"I am pretty sure it's just Horikita thing..." Ayanokoji replied in Horikita's stead which prompted her to pull that compass out once again.

Thankfully for Ayanokoji's sake, Kushida arrived near him and invited him on lunch which made Yuichi raise his eyebrow without even looking at them.

'Did they become such close friends through that study group? Hard to believe when I think of how much Kushida is popular...Either she has a crush on him or she has something important to talk to him about. She has numerous friends, I doubt she would go voluntarily on the lunch with Ayanokoji who isn't exactly a big talker. ' Yuichi thought while frowning down, looking out of the window and listening to their conversation.

Kushida asked Horikita and Yuichi if they don't want to join but both declined. Horikita apparently already has plans and Yuichi didn't feel like joining two of them, making the 3rd wheel. If Horikita were to come, he would reconsider since he wouldn't be the only one between Kushida and Ayanokoji.

Despite the fact that both rejected her invitation, Kushida retained her cheerful smile, maybe she became even slightly happier upon hearing them reject but Yuichi wasn't exactly sure about that.

When they left the classroom, Yuichi turned at Horikita with a confused expression.

"Were they always so close?"

"...Not really, but after the day, my study group failed, Kushida started acting a bit more friendly around Ayanokoji than usual." She replied while glancing towards the open doors.

"Are you jealous?" Yuichi asked with a grin which prompted Horikita to glare at him without any amusement.

"If not...I don't see any reason for you to reveal all of that to me. You must be either jealous or it must trouble you." Yuichi continued with a calm face.

"It indeed troubles me...It's a bit weird but I can't come up with the reason why." Horikita replied with a serious expression.

"...Are you not going to make any joke?" Horikita asked after a while when Yuichi didn't comment on it.

"Do you want me to?"

"I am all right." Horikita closed her eyes and regretted her earlier question.

"Maybe he is plotting something against you, together with Kushida's help" Yuichi suggested with a faint smile but Horikita couldn't tell if he meant it as a joke or serious suggestion.

"Do you believe that that "Kushida" would plot against someone?" Horikita asked a rather odd question or more like her phrasing was a bit odd to Yuichi.

"Anyone can plot against someone, it doesn't matter what kind of personality they have. After all, if they can get what they desire, that's all that matters in the end." Yuichi said before stuffing his textbooks into his bag.