Chapter 180: I've Experienced It Three Times!
"Hoshinomiya-sensei told our class the same thing. Shimizu, do you really think this school will let us leave this place and travel somewhere outside?" Ichinose asked.
The school was built on an island, and students who enrolled here were completely cut off from the outside world. So the idea of the school suddenly arranging an off-campus vacation felt a little strange to Ichinose.
"I don't think this school is kind enough to simply send us on vacation," Yuto replied. "They're probably planning some kind of competition where the classes fight over points."
Ichinose's eyes immediately brightened. "That's what I was thinking too! I also think the summer vacation trip might become a major turning point. The class points of every class could change dramatically during it."
Yuto glanced at her. "Is that just your guess, or did you already ask some upperclassmen to confirm it?"
Asking older students about previous summer vacations would immediately reveal whether there was something unusual about the upcoming trip.
After all, the upperclassmen had already gone through several summer vacations at this school.
"It's only my own guess," Ichinose admitted with an embarrassed smile. "I just think there must be some exam or activity that can award far more class points than the midterm or final exam. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the classes to either widen or close the gaps between them."
She had a point.
During the previous midterm exam, each class could earn at most a little over a hundred class points.
That simply wasn't enough to create major changes in the rankings.
So Ichinose believed the school must have other exams or activities capable of awarding much larger amounts.
"By the way, Ichinose, are you sure it's okay to tell me this theory?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Ichinose looked confused.
Yuto sighed helplessly. "Your class and mine are both aiming for Class A. That makes us competitors. Is it really fine to share information you figured out yourself with someone you're competing against?"
"I think it's fine. Isn't openly sharing information and competing fairly the best situation?"
Yuto looked at the pink-blond-haired girl.
There wasn't the slightest trace of deception on her face. Her answer was completely sincere and natural.
She really was a genuine little angel, inside and out.
"Ichinose, let me ask you something."
"What?"
"Do you think it's better for students to compete as entire classes, or as individuals?"
Yuto elaborated, "Basically, imagine everyone could earn their own way into Class A through individual effort instead of needing to raise their class points and move up together."
Ever since his conversation with Nagumo, Yuto had thought that part of Nagumo's idea was actually fairly reasonable.
If everything were decided by individual ability, capable students wouldn't be restricted by their class or its class points.
"Hmm~"
Ichinose lightly touched a finger to her cheek while thinking.
"I still think competing as classes is better. Working hard together with everyone to reach Class A feels less lonely."
She really was an angel through and through.
"What about you, Shimizu? For someone like you, wouldn't an individual system be better?" Ichinose asked.
By now, practically every teacher and student at the school knew that a first-year named Shimizu Yuto had scored full marks on the midterm exams and challenged clubs throughout the entire school.
A student that outstanding should logically have been assigned to Class A.
Yet inexplicably, the school had placed him in the lowest-ranked Class D.
Even Class A's homeroom teacher, Majima Tomoya, couldn't understand it.
In Majima's opinion, Yuto should have been in his Class A from the beginning. If Yuto had been there, the class probably wouldn't have split into the Sakayanagi and Katsuragi factions at all.
Yuto likely would have unified it long ago.
"As for me, I honestly don't care either way. Working together with everyone is fine, and fighting alone would also be fine."
His answer was deliberately vague.
For someone like Yuto, graduating from Class A didn't particularly matter.
No matter which class he eventually graduated from, he was confident he could rely on his own abilities to live exactly the kind of life he wanted.
...
While talking, Yuto and Ichinose arrived at the club building and began checking whether Mizowaki had properly dealt with the ghost members.
By the time they finished making a full round of the clubs, the sky was already approaching dusk.
As they prepared to part ways, Ichinose enthusiastically said, "Shimizu, thank you for showing me around today! As thanks, let me treat you to dinner."
"There's no need. Teaching you the student council work is part of my responsibility," Yuto replied with a shrug.
"Then let me ask you for one more favor first, and after that I'll treat you."
"What kind of invitation works like that?" Yuto laughed. "What do you want my help with?"
"It's about that really popular fortune-telling topic lately. I don't know whether you've heard about it."
"..."
Yuto hadn't merely heard about it.
He had experienced it.
Three times!
"So... you want me to go to the fortune-telling shop with you?" Yuto asked with a complicated expression.
"Mm~"
Ichinose nodded with a bright smile.
Yuto hadn't expected that even a mature and dependable girl like Ichinose would be interested in fortune-telling.
"Why ask me? Couldn't you just invite that little rabbit Shiranami Chihiro?"
"Chihiro can't come." Ichinose looked slightly troubled. "Ever since she... confessed to me, I've tried not to spend too much time alone with her."
"You have plenty of friends, don't you? Just ask someone else."
Ichinose genuinely was a social butterfly. She had no shortage of friends.
"I'd rather people not know I'm going to the fortune-telling shop," she admitted somewhat sheepishly.
The truth was that Ichinose had previously rejected Chihiro's invitation to visit the shop by claiming she wasn't interested in fortune-telling.
Because of that, she couldn't exactly turn around and ask her other Class B friends to accompany her.
But like any normal girl, Ichinose was still a little curious about the extremely popular fortune-telling shop.
So she wanted Yuto to go with her.
"All right. I'll come with you."
"Thank you, Shimizu!"
"No need to thank me. You're buying dinner afterward."
"Of course~"
Since it wasn't the weekend and it was already evening, there was unexpectedly no line outside the fortune-telling shop on the fifth floor of Keyaki Mall.
Yuto and Ichinose walked straight inside.
Under the dim purple lighting, the elderly fortune-teller got a clear look at Yuto's face.
Her aged expression beneath the hood immediately twitched.
"You again!"
"You still remember me?" Yuto asked with a strange look.
"I may forget other customers, but you are the one person I definitely remember!" the old woman replied irritably.
Technically, what she remembered was Yuto's palm pattern rather than his face.
After the weekend ended, the more she thought about it, the stranger everything seemed.
She had become convinced that those different-looking boys had actually all been the same person.
There was simply no way several students at the same school could have nearly identical palm lines.
And every time that same palm pattern appeared, the boy had arrived with a different girl.
So the fortune-teller had concluded that the boy was dating several girls at once.
"Shimizu, you've been here before?" Ichinose asked curiously.
"Mm. I came here with Kei on Saturday night."
"I see..."
The fortune-teller stared suspiciously at Yuto.
Was this boy really that fearless?
He had openly admitted coming here with another girl and even referred to her so intimately right in front of the girl accompanying him now.
Could it be that these two weren't dating?
Yuto noticed her suspicious stare and rolled his eyes. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm only here because my friend wanted someone to accompany her. Your shop is the one that refuses to accept solo customers."
The fortune-teller silently rolled her eyes in return.
Couples were the easiest customers to make money from, and their thoughts were also the easiest to guess.
Of course she didn't accept solo readings.
The small exchange passed, and the fortune-teller began Ichinose's reading.
Ichinose wanted to know about her general fortune and future.
The elderly woman used the same familiar script, causing Yuto to discreetly suppress a yawn.
After discussing Ichinose's fortune and future, the old woman smiled kindly at her.
"Guest, wouldn't you like a romance reading as well?"
"N-No! I don't plan to date anyone during my three years of high school, so there's no need to read my romantic future."
Ichinose hurriedly waved both hands.
"Hmm. I see."
The fortune-teller had heard that exact response countless times.
Couples who hadn't officially gotten together yet always said similar things.
They insisted they had no intention of dating.
They claimed they had only come because they were accompanying a friend.
Yet they were obviously attracted to the person sitting beside them.
And the way Ichinose had secretly glanced toward Yuto just moments earlier only made the fortune-teller more certain that the girl had feelings for him.
'Tch. This boy really is heartbreaker.'
'And every girl who comes here with him seems unusually attractive. He certainly has a talent for drawing attention from girls.'
The fortune-teller turned toward Yuto.
"Now it's your turn. What would you like me to read?"
"I've already had readings here before. This time I only came to accompany Ichinose."
"Then have a pleasant evening, both of you."
Yuto and Ichinose left the fortune-telling shop together.
With a radiant smile, Ichinose sincerely thanked him. "Shimizu, thanks for coming with me."
"You're welcome. Come on, it's time to deal with dinner."
"Mm~"
...
As Yuto and Ichinose walked away, neither noticed someone standing not far away, staring at them in complete disbelief.
"This can't be real! Why would Honami-chan be with that demon at this hour?!"
Shiranami Chihiro looked at their departing figures with tears gathering in her eyes.
She had only come to Keyaki Mall to buy a few things.
She never imagined she would witness something like this.
Chihiro hurriedly followed Yuto and Ichinose.
What she saw next was even harder for her to accept.
The two entered a restaurant at Keyaki Mall together and ate dinner there, looking almost like a couple on a date.
But that wasn't the worst part!
The truly horrifying thing was that Chihiro saw Ichinose pay the bill!
It matched her previous nightmare almost perfectly.
After marrying that cheating demon Shimizu Yuto, Ichinose would go out and work while he stayed uselessly at home, forcing her to support him!
It was terrifying!
If Yuto knew about Chihiro's despairing imagination, his face would probably turn completely black.
What the hell was she imagining?
It was just one friend treating another to dinner.
Did this timid little rabbit really need to turn it into something that ridiculous?
...
The next day, Ichinose entered the Class B classroom in a cheerful mood, lightly humming to herself.
She soon noticed that Chihiro was looking at her strangely.
Chihiro's expression was almost like she was staring at a hopeless idiot who could no longer be saved.
Ichinose was completely confused.
...
During lunch break, an announcement echoed through the first-year school building.
Its general content was that Katsuragi Kohei of Class A, Ichinose Honami of Class B, and Horikita Suzune of Class C had officially joined the student council.
Once the broadcast ended, Katsuragi and Ichinose received congratulations from their classmates.
Even Suzune, despite having almost no friends, received plenty of congratulations.
Compared with the lively reactions in Classes A, B, and C, Class D remained much calmer.
The students there didn't particularly care that people from other classes had joined the student council.
To them, it seemed like an ordinary matter that wasn't worth paying attention to.
Yamada Albert, however, relayed the announcement to Ryuen Kakeru, who was still serving his suspension.
During his suspension, Ryuen had ordered Albert to collect information and report everything to him, whether it concerned their own class or other important developments around the school.
Lying in his dorm room, Ryuen stared at the Line message Albert had sent him, his expression darkening.
"So now every class except ours has someone in the student council..."
Because of his previous dealings with Nagumo, Ryuen understood just how much authority student council members possessed.
Unfortunately, not a single student from his own class had managed to join.
…
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