"Does Hikaru-kun know that you're here meeting me?"
The moment Sakayanagi asked this question, Iose's expression visibly shifted.
She immediately recalled Hikaru's prior instrus, so she responded calmly:
"I don't see how that's relevant to today's meeting."
"That's true."
Sakayanagi nodded lightly before adding with a pyful smirk:
"But, Iose-san, you're quite ing, aren't you? I've already answered your questions, yet you don't io share anything with me. That doesn't seem very fair, does it?"
"..."
Iose felt momentarily speechless.
Just as she was debating whether to respond, Sakayanagi spoke again.
"o worry. I was merely curious. If you don't wish to ahat's fine."
Lifting her cup, Sakayanagi took a small sip of coffee, her tourning noticeably gentler.
"Since Iose-san finds certain topics difficult to discuss, why don't we talk about something more rexed? Let's set aside css petition for a moment and just have a nice chat between girls—perhaps we'll uand each other better that way."
She smiled slightly, her words inviti deliberate.
"After all, I find you quite fasating. We're both css leaders—I'm sure we have mu on."
"That sounds good. I don't actually know what Sakayanagi-san likes yet."
Hearing this, Iose's posture straightened slightly, eager to recim some initiative in the versation.
Up until now, Sakayanagi had been leading the discussion, making Iose feel somewhat frustrated.
Meanwhile, Kamuro Masumi, standing behind Sakayanagi, couldn't help but scoff internally.
"If she were really just looking for a friendly chat, why the hell would I be here?"
Kamuro's gaze shifted toward Iose—
The girl exuded warmth and kindness, the type of person naturally adored by those around her.
But against Sakayanagi, someone like that was nothing more than an easy target.
---
"I actually enjoy coffee in all its varieties. How about you, Iose-san? Any favorite drinks?"
Sakayanagi's delicate firaced the rim of her cup.
Her pale skin blended seamlessly with the white por, almost making it difficult to tell where one ended and the an.
"Drinks? I like oolong tea. It has a f taste."
Sensing that Sakayanagi's overbearing aura had softened, Iose visibly rexed as well, falling into a more natural rhythm of versation.
"Oolong tea? I don't believe I've ever tried it before."
Sakayanagi turo Kamuro.
"Kamuro-san, have you had it?"
Kamuro responded indifferently:
"Yeah. A bit too bitter for my taste."
"Oh, is that so?"
Sakayanagi's tone carried a trace ret as she mused:
"What a shame. I'm not particurly fond of bitter things."
"Haha, her is Hikaru-kun. I tried him some once, and he refused ht."
Iose spoke naturally, believing that mentioning Hikaru's personal preferences had nothing to do with css petition.
"Oh? Just a little personal habit, then. o dwell on it."
Sakayanagi's expression remained pleasant, but in her violet eyes, a flicker of uanding fshed.
---
She hadn't agreed to this meeting simply to chat.
Her true goal was to gather intel on Hikaru.
Aside from their brief enter during the rule-selling i, she had also heard his name mentioned by her father.
Naturally, this piqued her curiosity—she wao uand who this boy really was.
From a strategic standpoint, Css B posed the greatest threat to Css A, making Iose their primary target.
However, despite being the css representative, Iose wasn't the oruly driving the css forward.
The real orchestrator was Hashima Hikaru.
During their first meeting, it was he who led the iations and dictated the terms, while Ierely assisted from the sidelines.
A, despite his evident capabilities, Hikaru remained in the background, letting Iose take the spotlight.
Sakayanagi had found this puzzling at first, but after today's meeting, she finally uood.
---
First, Iose and Hikaru's retionship was exceptionally close.
The way she spoke about him made it evident that the two were deeply familiar with each other.
---
Sed, Iose was easy to manipute.
Her kied nature was an asset in gathering allies, but it was alsreatest weakness.
---
Listening to their versation, Kamuro gradually put the pieces together.
Sakayanagi cimed this was just a casual tea party—but iy, she was extrag information about Hikaru piece by piece.
And Iose?
She was giving it away freely.
Kamuro couldn't help but wonder—just what kind of person was Hikaru, to warrant this level of attention from Sakayanagi?
---
Meanwhile, at Keyaki Mall's Family Restaurant…
"Hikaru-kun, order whatever you like! It's ooday."
Across the table, Kushida handed him the menu, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
"I'm fih anything. I'm not too picky."
Hikaru took the menu and sed through it, quickly seleg two retively simple dishes—enough to not be too expensive.
"That's it? But I heard boys eat a lot—shouldn't you order more?"
"No need. I wouldn't want to take advantage of you, Kushida-san. After all, you spent 50,000 Private Points to buy those rules st time, didn't you?"
Hikaru smiled slightly before ging the subject:
"So, how's Css D doing? Has the situation improved?"
"Ah, don't eve me started…"
Kushida sighed as she hahe menu to the waiter.
A hint of exasperation crossed her face.
"Even though everyone knows the school's hidden rules now, some students still don't take css seriously. They sck off, doze off, or mess around during lessons—even though Hirata keeps reminding them."
"You must be w hard to keep things together."
Hikaru's pliment sounded genuine, but internally, he wasn't buying the act.
Kushida's reputation as a social butterfly preceded her.
In Css B, her en came up in versations, as she had es everywhere.
If he simply fttered her, he'd risk being reduced to just aool in her work—nothing more than a mindless sycophant.
To truly build a e, he o find what she genuinely cared about.
And he already had a lead.
---
"What about that other student I met before—Horikita-san? Has she done anything hy?"
Hikaru iionally brought up Suzune, his tone ced with curiosity.
"She paid a lot of points upfront, just like yht? She must be pretty dedicated to the css."
The moment he mentioned Suzune's name, he noticed a subtle shift in Kushida's expression.
Though she maintained her usual smile, her body nguage betrayed slight disfort.
"Well… she keeps to herself, so she doesn't stand out much."
"Really? I thought she'd be quite proactive."
Kushida hesitated before responding.
"Holy, I'd love to be friends with Horikita-san, but I just haven't found the right opportunity yet."
Her expression turned wistful, hands folded ly together.
"If she were more involved, she could tribute so much more to Css D."
'Friends? With Suzune?'
Hikaru raised an eyebrow internally.
Wasn't she actively trying to get her expelled?
What kind of twisted logic was this?
Now he was even more fused about her true iions.
Still, he decided to py along.
"Friendship is important. Since you're both in the same css, why not create an opportunity to get closer?"
He smiled.
"How about a study group?"
~~~
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