Besides that... Natsuki Subaru turned his gaze to his 'deskmate,' Suzune Horikita.
Would Kikyo Kushida's planned 'accidental encounter' be effective?
Natsuki Subaru felt it wouldn't have any effect at all.
But this way, Natsuki Subaru would have enough time to 'accidentally' meet Hiyori Shiina in the library, so it wasn't much of an inconvenience...
"What do you mean by suddenly glancing at me?"
Before Natsuki Subaru could continue his thoughts, Suzune Horikita, who was not far away, turned her head and asked directly.
Her cold gaze held an undisguised scrutiny.
'Those lines are exactly what I expected her to say.'
Natsuki Subaru looked at Suzune Horikita's somewhat sharp gaze, his tone calm, and said with a smile, "Horikita-san, you're surprisingly perceptive. But... I don't think I need a reason just to glance at you, do I?"
"After all, you sit right next to me, Horikita-san. It's only natural that I'd look at you."
"Whether it's out of curiosity about a new environment or just a basic observation of my 'neighbor,' isn't it perfectly normal to take a look?"
As he spoke, Natsuki Subaru spread his hands in a relaxed gesture.
The exchange between Natsuki Subaru and Suzune Horikita also caught the attention of Kiyotaka Ayanokōji. After all, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji sat in front of Natsuki Subaru, and Subaru himself had been identified as a very dangerous character back on the bus.
"That reasoning isn't valid."
Suzune Horikita's brow furrowed slightly.
She had also been observing her deskmate. Although not as openly as Natsuki Subaru, she had formed a preliminary impression of him.
Natsuki Subaru's behavioral logic was different from yesterday's.
"According to your explanation, these actions should have occurred yesterday, on the first day of school, not now."
"It is now the second day. The so-called 'new environment' and 'observation of your deskmate' no longer hold water."
"I didn't sense you observing me at all yesterday."
Suzune Horikita's speech was steady and her logic clear as she dismantled Natsuki Subaru's reasoning layer by layer.
It could be said that she was quite ignorant of social etiquette, insisting on getting to the bottom of things. No wonder a social butterfly like Kikyo Kushida had been so brutally rebuffed by her.
A normal person would have been won over by Kikyo Kushida long ago.
"It doesn't mean anything special."
"I was just marveling at how serious you are, Horikita-san. Compared to the 'relaxed' feeling of most of our classmates, it caught my attention just a little."
"It's like seeing a particularly bold line in a painting of uniform tones."
The smile on Natsuki Subaru's face did not change.
Nowadays, apart from a 'genuine article,' there was hardly anything that could make Natsuki Subaru lose control of his emotions.
"Don't lump me in with you or anyone else."
"I'm different from you. I came to this school with absolute conviction."
After hearing Natsuki Subaru's reply, Suzune Horikita said flatly, "Never mind. If there's nothing else."
With that, Suzune Horikita refocused her attention on the class, ignoring Natsuki Subaru beside her.
'Looks like Kikyo-san's accidental encounter plan for today has failed.'
'I wonder if Hiyori Shiina could be a genuine article?'
Natsuki Subaru propped his chin on his hand, his thoughts continuing to drift aimlessly.
...
Time quickly passed until the afternoon classes ended.
Natsuki Subaru, who had already made plans with Kikyo Kushida, followed her one step ahead to their designated location, a café whose name he couldn't remember, and waited quietly.
"Natsuki-kun."
Sitting in the café, Kikyo Kushida propped her chin on her hands and looked at Natsuki Subaru with a cheerful smile, asking, "Do you think I'll be able to successfully become friends with Horikita-san this time?"
"It'll probably still be difficult."
"After all, Horikita-san doesn't want to make friends."
Natsuki Subaru looked at Kikyo Kushida before him and recalled his earlier conversation with Suzune Horikita.
Suzune Horikita was a hedgehog wrapped in layers of armor, and her intuition was surprisingly sharp. She couldn't be won over by Kikyo Kushida's crude and childish 'accidental encounter' tactic.
"In fact, if you try to arrange an 'accidental encounter' like this, Kikyo-san, you might just earn Horikita-san's dislike."
Natsuki Subaru was one hundred percent certain that not only was Kikyo Kushida's effort futile, but it would definitely backfire.
To interact with, get along with, or even become friends with someone like Suzune Horikita, just trying to get close or stage accidental encounters was completely useless.
There had to be some 'official business' to act as a bridge.
It was obvious that Kikyo Kushida was so focused on becoming 'friends' with Suzune Horikita that she didn't understand her as a person at all, let alone grasp the key to befriending her.
However, Natsuki Subaru couldn't say for sure what this 'official business' might be.
"Eh?"
"Really?"
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's words, Kikyo Kushida's expression stiffened for a moment, her face darkening slightly.
Compared to Chie Hoshinomiya, Kikyo Kushida was still a bit too green.
The moment Natsuki Subaru saw Kikyo Kushida lose control of her expression, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
This was why Natsuki Subaru was willing to spend time with Kikyo Kushida.
A kindred spirit, like looking in a mirror.
Natsuki Subaru was truly curious about how Kikyo Kushida would ultimately treat Suzune Horikita, assuming they really did become close friends who could talk about anything.
Just like...
...back then, after he had finally amassed some power, he returned to Roswaal's mansion and ended Beatrice with his own hands...
Even now, Natsuki Subaru couldn't describe the complexity of his feelings at that time.
And yet... Beatrice was one of the few genuine articles, a genuine article who was truly good to him.
If he were to compare her with Ram, the only other genuine article left, Beatrice would undoubtedly win.
But he had killed Beatrice without a moment's hesitation.
It seemed he had never considered that, with his infinite chances for trial and error, he would deny the existence of a so-called 'perfect ending' between himself and Beatrice.
Rather than let Beatrice continue to live in torment, it was better for him to end her life with his own hands.
Natsuki Subaru killed Beatrice, and he killed himself too.
So, Natsuki Subaru was very interested in Kikyo Kushida, classifying her as 'one of his kind' and not a 'fake'.
___
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