"Good morning, Isshiki-san."
"Good morning, Nohara-kun."
Kirigaya Kazuto and Saiki Kusuo hadn't arrived yet, and there were barely a few students in the classroom.
"Looks like everyone got lazy after the break," Sato remarked as he glanced around the room.
"Maybe they all got too used to sleeping in during the holiday. Even I almost didn't make it this morning," Isshiki Iroha yawned, rubbing her eyes.
Then, as if a thought struck her, she raised an eyebrow and looked at him, teasing:
"So? Did you meet your childhood friends during your visit back home?"
"If I hadn't, I wouldn't be able to call them childhood friends, would I?"
Sato chuckled and waved his phone.
"I even took some pictures. Want to see?"
Curiosity sparked in Iroha's eyes, though there was a hint of doubt as well.
Was this guy actually telling the truth?
No way, right?!
Who even has that kind of setup? He's got a better template than even Hayama-senpai!
Not only does he have a bunch of childhood friends, but he's also surprisingly popular with girls now!
Nishimiya Shouko walks to school with him every day, and his club is apparently full of girls, well, aside from him. Even she was friends with him now…
"Not interested? I guess I'll drop it then."
Seeing her hesitate, Sato raised an eyebrow. That was odd. The gossip-hungry Iroha turning down a juicy story?
"Wait! Who said I didn't want to see?! I have to expose your lies!"
Muttering indignantly, Iroha grabbed the phone from his hand, her eyes gleaming with resolve.
Why didn't she have childhood friends like that?! One less trope in her character profile!
She began flipping through the photos on Sato's phone.
They were mostly pictures from his time back in Asahigaoka—group shots, school snapshots, and memories captured at the branch school. Konomi had suggested they take them, after all, no one knew how much longer the school would even stand.
At some point, Nishimiya Shouko had turned to glance over, curiosity in her eyes as she noticed Iroha intently scrolling through Sato's phone.
"Come look!" Iroha waved her over.
Though hesitant at first, curiosity won out. Shouko glanced at Sato, who gave her an encouraging smile and nod. She then leaned in beside Iroha with visible delight.
"Hmm... So this is where you live? Must be deep in the mountains, huh?" Iroha muttered.
"But it's beautiful! Don't you think so, Nishimiya-san?"
Shouko couldn't speak easily, so she just nodded enthusiastically and responded with a soft "Mm-hmm."
As Iroha flipped through the photos, she kept muttering just loud enough for Sato to hear.
"Ugh! So many girls! And they're all so cute too!"
"Wait, who's this girl? Why are there clearly way more photos of her than the others?"
"He even took pictures of a little loli, what a pervert!"
"Such a wide age range… Is he aiming to have it all?!"
Sato's face darkened. He should've known better than to show her of all people.
He walked over and snatched his phone back.
"Hey! What was that for? I wasn't done yet!"
Iroha pouted and glared at him. Today's Iroha, still as dramatic as ever, yet no less adorable for it.
"I changed my mind. I should never have shared this with you."
"Shared? All you did was dump a bag of 'look at my perfect life' in my face!"
She shot him a resentful look. You totally did that on purpose, didn't you?
"Anyway, enough about me. Let's talk about you."
"Huh? What now?"
"I heard the all-powerful Isshiki-san has become the soccer team's manager?"
"Took you long enough to notice!" she huffed, rolling her eyes. "That was before break even started!"
"So… how far are you from catching up to your beloved Hayama-senpai?"
"That's a girl's private matter, Nohara-kun!"
Iroha glared and dramatically tilted her chin, looking down at him with a haughty expression.
"Oh? But I thought we were friends. Isn't sharing stuff like this what friends do?"
Sato smirked and tilted his head.
"Friends?" she repeated, blinking. Her bright eyes flickered as she looked him up and down.
"Well… I suppose we are, kind of," she replied with a slightly complicated tone.
"Then come on, spill it."
"Tch!"
Iroha gave him a look of disdain.
"Why does it feel like you're only being friends with me to dig up dirt?"
She eyed him suspiciously, continuing, "Since when did you become so nosy?"
"Maybe I'm just a product of my environment," Sato replied, mock-thoughtful, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Tch."
She glared again.
"As for that thing… I gave up."
"Huh? Gave up what?"
"What you were just talking about!"
"Pursuing Hayama-senpai?"
"Stop! I didn't even start chasing him!"
She frantically looked around, then glared at him in embarrassment.
"Why?"
Sato was genuinely curious.
"How do I put this…"
Iroha twirled her hair around her fingers, uncharacteristically shy and uncertain. It was the first time she'd shown such a girlish side.
"He wasn't quite what I imagined."
"Hmm?"
"Back in middle school, I already knew he was insanely popular. And when I finally met him, he really was that perfect—friendly, sunny, and approachable guy."
"But… I started to feel like he wasn't real."
"Not real?"
Sato narrowed his eyes.
"Not fake in a malicious way. He really is as kind as people say. He always lives up to what others expect of him."
"But that's exactly the problem. It feels like he's performing for others."
"If I had to describe it in one word… he feels like an impostor."
Performing for others? Hayama Hayato, the center of the social world, conforming to others?
Could that really be true?
Of course it could.
That's what social circles are: everyone bending to meet expectations. Far less important than having a few true friends.
Sato suddenly smiled, looking at Iroha with a proud expression.
"So Isshiki-san's finally growing up, huh?"
Iroha looked up and saw his face, proud like a father watching his daughter mature.
Her brow twitched. She raised a delicate fist and warned:
"Keep looking at me with that expression and I will punch you!"