"Although I was surprised by how aggressive you were," the boy continued.
"Shut up!" She jumped up, trying to go after the boy with the intention of hitting him again. Unfortunately for her, she was quickly restrained by the brown-haired boy, who effortlessly held both her hands and hugged her. Before she realized it, he was kissing her again. After feeling their lips together for a while, she thought he was still holding her tightly, not realizing that her hands were now exploring his broad back while he took his time squeezing the girl's soft butt.
As soon as the new scene appeared on the screen, Suzune felt her face burn with embarrassment. She was already shocked enough by the previous interactions, but now? Now it was simply too much!
The way Ayanokouji held her as if he had complete control over the situation, the way she gave in to the kiss, the way her hands moved over his back until...
"NO, NO, NO, NO!"
Suzune buried her face in her hands, unable to believe what she was watching. She felt that if she kept looking for one more second, she would faint right there. But the problem was... she had already seen it! And her heart wasn't helping process this monumental embarrassment!
And, as if misfortune never came alone, Ayanokouji broke the silence with a comment that shattered any chance she had of composing herself.
"So, you're the aggressive type, Suzune?" he asked with his usual calmness, as if merely commenting on the weather.
Suzune immediately trembled, her mind freezing at the casual provocation. The natural way he said it only made everything more embarrassing!
"S-Shut up, Kiyotaka!" she shouted, leaning over to punch his arm, her face completely red.
Ayanokouji glanced briefly at the spot she had hit, then looked back at her, utterly impassive.
"What? You clearly take a more physical approach in the future. That's a fact."
Suzune clenched her fists, wishing she could bury her head in the ground.
But before she could recover, total destruction arrived.
"Hah! This just keeps getting better!" Ryuen's laughter echoed through the room as he leaned back in his chair, thoroughly enjoying the chaos. "So the ice queen likes being dominated? What an unexpected twist!"
Suzune froze instantly.
"W-Where did you get that absurd conclusion?!" she reacted desperately, trying to regain control of the situation.
But, as always, misfortune never comes alone.
"Hm... now that Ryuen mentioned it, it's curious," Ichika joined in with a playful smile. "You seemed to be the more aggressive one in the relationship, but in the end, when Ayanokouji-senpai takes control, you just melt... Do you like being submissive, Horikita-senpai?"
Suzune opened and closed her mouth, unable to find words to counter that.
"I-I... It's not like that! It's just... I-I was caught off guard, okay?!"
Ryuen laughed even more, clearly enjoying himself far more than he should.
"Yeah, yeah, sure... Caught off guard. But it wasn't just once, was it?"
Suzune gritted her teeth in complete frustration, but her embarrassment wouldn't let her properly fight back.
Ichika, meanwhile, looked at Ayanokouji with an evaluating gaze, as if trying to understand his personality better.
"You're more provocative than you seem, Ayanokouji-senpai. Is that the side of you that won over Horikita-senpai?"
Ayanokouji just shrugged, completely indifferent.
"She reacted that way. I'm just following what we saw in those future scenes."
Suzune felt like she was going to explode.
Nanase felt her cheeks warm as she watched the scene. She knew her senpai was different, but... seeing him so provocative and dominant? That was completely unexpected.
"So that's how he is in the future...?"
She wasn't sure how to feel about it. He had always shown himself to be calm and rational, but now...? The way he held Horikita, the way he took the initiative-it was hard to ignore.
"Senpai is... more provocative than I imagined..." she murmured to herself, a slight shiver running down her body.
Ichinose wasn't okay.
She clenched her fists tightly, her mind refusing to accept the scene.
"This is so unfair!"
After all, she had shared moments with him; she wanted to be in his arms, she deserved that kind of attention!
"Why her?!"
Her eyes were fixed on the screen, unable to look away. Her heart pounded, but it wasn't out of joy. It was frustration.
"This is unfair..." she muttered softly, biting her lower lip.
"Relax, Honami-chan!" Mako's voice brought Ichinose back to reality.
The girl laughed softly, trying to ease the tension.
"I know you wanted to be in her place, but let's not freak out over this, okay?"
Ichinose felt her anger rise momentarily but took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"I-I'm not jealous!"
"Sure, sure," Mako chuckled again, patting her shoulder.
Ichinose huffed, crossing her arms and looking away, but her eyes kept drifting back to the screen.
Meanwhile, Kei was simply... pretending that nothing was happening.
She was completely tuned out of the environment, ignoring the chaos around her as she talked to Sato about something irrelevant.
"So, Sato... Have you decided what you'll do after graduation?"
"Huh?" Sato blinked, confused. "Kei-chan, are you okay? Are you trying... to escape reality?"
Kei let out a small sigh.
"Sato... If I actually watch this scene, my sanity will go straight to the trash. So yes, I'm completely ignoring this horrible thing happening on the screen."
Sato chuckled softly but didn't push it.
"Alright, alright... Let's talk about something else then."
Meanwhile, on the screen, Ayanokouji continued to provoke Suzune.
Kei didn't even glance at it.
"I. Simply. Refuse. To. Accept. This."
They exchanged glances again and were about to continue what they had been doing since the previous night when the sound of the doorbell brought them back to reality. "Heyyy, Ayanokouji," it was Sudou Ken's voice, a classmate the boy considered a friend.
This brought the girl back to reality, and she quickly ran to the bathroom, leaving the brown-haired boy feeling cold. A bit annoyed, he put on some shorts and opened the door.
Silence reigned in the room for a moment before Ryuen and Ichika immediately reacted.
"Ah, come on?!" Ryuen complained, crossing his arms irritably. "It was finally getting interesting, and that idiot shows up?"
"Tsk..." Ichika also looked at the screen, slightly annoyed. "We were just about to see how it would end, but of course, there had to be a buzzkill."
Sudou, who didn't even know what was going on, blushed slightly with all the attention on him. He scratched his neck, laughing nervously, not sure how to react.
"H-Hey, don't look at me like that! How was I supposed to know Ayanokouji was busy?!"
"Busy?" Ryuen repeated with a mocking grin. "Is that what they call it these days? Apparently, 'being busy' means screwing with the mistress while the girlfriend's away."
Ryuen's provocation echoed through the room, but Kei completely ignored it, continuing her conversation with Sato as if nothing was happening.
Kei let out a small sigh, visibly impatient with the direction of the conversation.
"Did you hear anything, Sato?"
"Hmm?" Sato smiled softly, playing along. "I didn't hear anything, Kei-chan. I think they're just talking nonsense."
"Exactly," Kei sighed again, trying to stay calm.
If she actually paid attention to what was happening, her sanity wouldn't survive.
She was already ignoring everything, but hearing Ayanokouji doing that with Horikita would be unbearable torture.
"So, thanks, Sudou."
Even though Ryuen had turned the interruption into a taunt, Kei mentally thanked Sudou for saving her ears from that torture.
Meanwhile, Suzune sighed softly, trying to regain her composure.
"Thank goodness that scene wasn't shown until the end."
She was already embarrassed enough by everything that had been displayed, but if she had to watch herself being intimate with Ayanokouji in front of everyone...
"I'd die of embarrassment."
She knew another scene had hinted at it before, but it was just the sound the others had heard. Just the possibility of them seeing everything play out made her face heat up again.
But... even knowing that, something was bothering her.
"Why was I angry with Sudou in the future? Shouldn't I have been relieved?"
The more she thought about it, the more she understood why.
Deep down, even though it was embarrassing, she had wanted to continue that moment with Ayanokouji. The interruption had ruined something she had wanted to experience.
"I-I... Was I really that into it?"
Suzune swallowed hard, trying to push those thoughts away.
But then, beside her, Ayanokouji wore an unusually serious expression.
He was looking directly at Sudou without saying a word, but the way he watched him made it clear what he was feeling.
"He didn't like being interrupted either."
Suzune blushed lightly, her heart racing as she realized this detail.
Ayanokouji might not say anything, but his expression showed his frustration. He really cared about that moment in the future.
"So it wasn't just me..."
She averted her gaze, trying to calm her heart, but her face remained warm.
---
On the other side of the room, Ichinose sighed quietly, feeling relieved.
"At least that wasn't shown completely..."
She didn't know if she could handle watching all of that play out before her eyes. It was already hard enough to accept that Ayanokouji was with someone else... But seeing it happen for real?
"That would be too much for me."
Next to her, Mako-chan smiled playfully at her friend's reaction.
"What is it, Mako-chan?" Ichinose asked, suspicious.
"Nothing, nothing." Mako laughed, shaking her head. "I'm just enjoying seeing you so relieved that you didn't have to watch your crush having fun with someone else."
Ichinose immediately blushed and frowned.
"M-Mako-chan!"
"Hey, hey, no denying it. It's written all over your face."
Ichinose huffed, crossing her arms, but couldn't hide her embarrassment.
Deep down, she knew Mako was right.
---
Kanzaki, on the other hand, didn't seem happy with how things were going.
He watched Ichinose in silence, his expression clearly disapproving of everything that was happening.
"This is pathetic."
Ichinose raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
"Huh? What do you mean, Kanzaki-kun?"
He sighed, shaking his head.
"Our class is in last place, and you-the leader-are worried about romance?"
Ichinose bit her lip, unsure of how to respond right away.
Indeed, the class's situation was terrible, and she should be focused on fixing it. But instead, she was focused on romance.
"Is that what you consider a priority?"
Kanzaki liked the direction things were taking.
In the background, Kei and Sato continued their calm conversation, completely oblivious to the chaos around them.
Sato noticed Kei's soft sigh of relief and smiled gently.
"Kei-chan, are you okay?"
"Hmph. Better now." - Kei gave a half-smile, not going deeper into it.
Sato understood perfectly.
"Thanking Sudou mentally, huh?"
Kei let out a small laugh but didn't deny it.
"So, Ayanokouji..." - "Did I interrupt something?" said the redhead, noticing the boy's bare torso.
"I was busy, but it doesn't matter anymore. How can I help?"
"I hope Karuizawa-san doesn't mind me interrupting, but, damn, man, you need to give me your routine. If the girls saw this body regularly, they would go crazy for you."
Ryuen immediately smiled with amusement, crossing his arms while throwing a sharp tease.
"Hey, Sudou. You got the name wrong, huh?" - His tone was full of malice as he pointed to the screen. - "Ayanokouji isn't with his girlfriend right now."
Ichika huffed but didn't disagree.
"Yeah, looks like he's pretty busy with someone else."
Ryuen's provocation echoed through the room, and everyone automatically looked at Kei.
She, however, kept ignoring everything, focused only on her conversation with Sato.
But even though she seemed calm, Sato noticed Kei slightly clenching her fists on her lap.
"She's holding it all back, not reacting."
Sato smiled slightly, admiring her friend's willpower.
Sakayanagi, with a calm, teasing smile, decided to add some spice to the situation.
"Ryuen-kun, you're being rude to Ayanokouji-kun." - Her tone was clearly playful, but her words had a sharp edge.
She then turned her gaze to Ayanokouji, observing his impassive expression.
"After all, he can't be blamed if the girls just can't resist him, right?"
Ayanokouji showed no reaction to the comment, but Kei felt a slight stab of irritation.
"This girl loves to pour gasoline on the fire."
But to her surprise, Sudou turned directly to her, with a genuinely guilty expression.
"Ah... sorry, Karuizawa."
He scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.
"I didn't mean to say anything stupid. I know you and Ayanokouji are together, and it's a complicated situation, especially with that future thing involving him-"
Kei finally sighed, answering without looking at him.
"Doesn't matter, Sudou. Just leave me out of it."
Sato smiled gently beside her, noticing Kei's effort to stay calm.
And in the background, Ryuen just laughed again, satisfied with the chaos he had caused.
Not that the brown-haired boy cared much, but he knew there were more than one girl interested in him.
"Anyway, I want to ask you for help with..."
"Are you going to help me?"
"I guess so..." the brown-haired boy agreed reluctantly.
Sudou, who had just entered the brown-haired boy's room, practically forced Ayanokouji to help him with a very specific issue... and it wasn't an exaggeration to say it was annoying...
Conquering Horikita Suzune.
As soon as the scene on the screen revealed Sudou's intentions for the future, a momentary silence took over the room.
But suddenly, that silence was broken by a loud, merciless laugh.
"PUAHAHAHA KUKUKU! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"
Ryuen nearly doubled over laughing, slapping his leg as Ishizaki chuckled quietly.
Ichika wasn't far behind, holding her stomach while laughing along.
"My God, Sudou, you're SO late, huh?" - she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
The screen showed Sudou's determined expression in the future, but in the reaction room, the present Sudou just looked at everything in pure confusion.
"Huh?! But this doesn't make sense!"
He pointed at the screen, incredulous.
"I already confessed to Horikita, man! And she rejected me! Why the hell am I still trying in the future?"
Onodera, who was standing nearby, turned her gaze away, lightly biting her lip.
"So... he still likes her?"
She had started getting closer to Sudou recently. He had been improving a lot as a person, and... without realizing it, she had started to feel something for him.
Seeing that scene on the screen made her feel a strange discomfort.
Ryuen finally stopped laughing, but still had a playful smile on his lips.
"Tsk, tsk... Sudou, Sudou... You should know that some women just aren't for you, man."
Ryuen breathed calmly but still laughed lightly.
"I think your future self didn't get the memo that Horikita already kicked you to the curb a while ago."
Horikita, who had been silent up until now, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"I agree. This doesn't make sense."
She looked at the screen with some disdain.
"I already rejected you once. There's no reason for your future self to think I might have changed my mind."
But as everyone spoke, a strange atmosphere lingered in the room.
Ayanokouji didn't say a word.
He simply kept his gaze on Sudou, his expression completely cold.
No emotion. No reaction. Just a cold, intense stare.
Sudou gulped.
He felt a chill run down his spine, and a wave of unease spread uncontrollably through his stomach.
"Why do I feel like this?"
It was as if a predator were looking at him, analyzing every move.
He couldn't explain it, but...
He felt fear.
And for some reason... he knew he shouldn't say anything more.
Sakayanagi, always attentive to details, noticed Ayanokouji's cold, calculating look on Sudou.
She smiled softly, raising a hand to her lips in an elegant gesture.
"Ara, Ayanokouji-kun... seems like you're a bit possessive."
Her voice was calm, almost playful, but laced with provocation.
Hearing this, Horikita blushed slightly, turning her gaze away.
She hadn't expected such a reaction from Ayanokouji.
"Is he really reacting to this?"
In fact, she thought this Ayanokouji in the theater with her wouldn't care about what was being shown.
But, it seemed, she was wrong again.
Ayanokouji kept his expression unchanged, turning his gaze back to Sakayanagi.
"I don't understand what you mean." - he said calmly.
"I didn't say anything."
Sakayanagi smiled even more.
"Oh, of course, of course... You didn't say anything. But sometimes, silence says much more than words, don't you think?"
Ayanokouji didn't answer, just kept his neutral expression.
Sudou, still feeling the pressure of Ayanokouji's gaze, avoided eye contact.
"Damn... this guy is scary."
He tried to hide it, scratching the back of his neck and laughing awkwardly.
"And to think the worst of it is he didn't even have to say anything to make me feel like this."
Meanwhile, Kushida, who was silently enjoying everything, decided to act.
She discreetly approached Horikita and whispered in her ear:
"Hmm... seems like you're more important to Ayanokouji-kun than you thought, huh, Horikita-san?"
Horikita stiffened instantly, her face turning even redder.
"What?! Don't say nonsense!" - she replied quickly, but her voice came out slightly trembling.
Kushida laughed quietly, satisfied.
Even feeling a slight jealousy, the feeling of provoking and disturbing Horikita outweighed that.
She moved even closer, continuing the whisper, her voice laced with malice:
"No need to be so embarrassed... It must be nice to have a boyfriend who gets so serious when another guy mentions wanting to win you over, huh?"
Horikita instinctively turned her face away, trying to avoid Kushida's gaze.
But the blonde girl's teasing smile was still there.
"Tsk, he's not my boyfriend..." - Horikita clicked her tongue, clearly flustered.
She tried to ignore it, but she couldn't deny that, deep down, Kushida's comment made her heart beat a little faster.
"Come on, buddy, help me out, and no one will find out what you did with Karuizawa," he tried to disguise his threat with a feigned friendly tone.
"Okay..." he accepted with a sigh.
"Sudou can really be annoying when he sets his mind to it. I even feel like taking revenge on him... But it doesn't seem wise to do anything to him. He's still useful to the class, and still useful to me," thought the brown-haired boy as he resigned himself to helping him.
Every time "Kei" was mentioned on the screen, Kei, in the theater, felt a tightness in her chest.
"It was supposed to be me."
"I'm his girlfriend."
But it wasn't her.
Just realizing that made a weight accumulate in her stomach, and for a moment, she felt like she was going to vomit.
Sato, noticing her friend growing stiffer and paler beside her, gently held her hand.
"Kei... take a deep breath, okay?" - she said in a calm tone, trying to comfort her.
Kei didn't respond.
She simply lowered her eyes, squeezing Sato's hand back.
"Kiyotaka..." - she murmured quietly, almost voicelessly.
"Why...?"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room...
Sudou froze.
The screen had just revealed Ayanokouji's thoughts, and only part of the sentence kept echoing in his mind.
"I even feel like getting revenge on him."
"I even feel like getting revenge on him."
"I even feel like getting revenge on him."
He swallowed hard, a shiver running down his spine.
That's when Ike approached, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Well, Sudou... it was good while it lasted."
Ike's dramatic tone didn't help at all.
"I'll miss you when you get expelled."
"WHAT?!" - Sudou yelled, turning to face Ike.
Onodera immediately frowned at Ike, angry at the comment.
At the same time, she looked worriedly at Sudou.
"Don't listen to this idiot. Ayanokouji probably wouldn't do anything to you."
Probably.
That word didn't help much.
"OF COURSE HE WOULDN'T!" - Sudou quickly said, trying to convince himself too.
He then looked directly at Ayanokouji in the theater and, with his voice a little louder than necessary, declared:
"I DON'T LOVE HORIKITA ANYMORE, OKAY?! I'M NOT GOING TO PISS OFF AYANOKOUJI, SO HE HAS NO REASON TO GET REVENGE ON ME!"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Onodera discreetly let out a sigh of relief.
It was hard to tell if Ayanokouji cared about what was said, but his gaze remained completely neutral, which didn't help relieve Sudou's tension.
Ryuuen grinned maliciously, seeing a perfect opportunity to fuel the chaos even more.
He crossed his arms and let out a low laugh, his sharp gaze focused on Sudou.
"Hey, hey... did you guys notice that Sudou not only interrupted Ayanokouji's moment in the future, but also had the guts to try to blackmail him?"
The provocation was thrown into the air like a bomb.
Ichika, who was already finding everything hilarious, chuckled softly, but her eyes had a sharp, amused glint.
"Now that you mention it, Ryuuen-senpai... really, how bold, huh?"
She tilted her head slightly to the side with a teasing smile, adding in a thoughtful tone:
"First, he shows up at Ayanokouji-senpai's door when he shouldn't."
"Then, he interrupts what was about to happen."
"And finally... he still has the nerve to try to blackmail him?!"
She raised an eyebrow and let out a stifled laugh.
"This makes me wonder..." - she paused dramatically before throwing a playful look at Sudou - "Do you have any self-preservation instinct? Or do you just want to test Ayanokouji-senpai's limits?"
The room went silent for a moment as everyone watched Sudou.
The boy felt a chill run down his spine.
"H-hey! I didn't really try to blackmail him! It was just... a way of speaking!"
Ike approached again and patted Sudou's back, pretending to console him.
"Ahhh, Sudou... you're just digging your own grave."
"I'M NOT DIGGING ANYTHING!" - Sudou retorted, already starting to sweat.
Ryuuen let out a short, mocking laugh, resting his face on his hand.
"Well, well, no need to get so nervous, Sudou. If Ayanokouji didn't kill you there, it means he really sees some use for you."
"THIS DOESN'T HELP, YOU BASTARD!"
"And who the hell said I was helping you, you idiot?!" - Ryuuen said, laughing.
The room erupted in laughter, with Ichika letting out a delighted sigh, satisfied with the chaos she and Ryuuen had caused in the conversation.
While Ryuuen and Ichika had fun teasing Sudou, Ayanokouji, as if completely oblivious to the chaos around him, turned his gaze back to Horikita beside him.
With the same calm expression and serene tone of voice, he began to speak.
"You know, Suzune... analyzing what happened in the future, it seems like you were the one who took the first step for all of this to happen."
The girl immediately looked at him, surprised by the sudden provocation.
"What do you mean by that?" - she tried to maintain composure, but her face was already starting to heat up.
Ayanokouji kept his gaze fixed on her, without rushing, with no apparent emotions.
"Simple. You broke into my room using the card Kushida gave you without my permission."
He paused briefly, watching the subtle change in Horikita's expression.
"After that, you provoked the situation, getting close to my face, teasing me... and when I responded, you didn't back off. On the contrary, you kept teasing me, until we..."
He didn't finish the sentence, just looked her in the eyes as if stating the obvious without needing words.
Horikita's face turned even redder.
She felt a shiver run down her body, both from what he was saying and from the way he was speaking - so calm, so direct, with no hesitation.
"I-is this...! This doesn't mean I wanted things to go this far!"
"No?" - Ayanokouji tilted his head slightly, as if he were really reflecting on her response.
"You broke into my room."
"You teased me."
"You challenged me."
"And when I responded... you didn't stop."
He leaned in slightly, reducing the distance between them.
"So, why exactly should I believe you didn't want that to happen?"
Horikita's heart raced.
She felt like she couldn't breathe properly.
Kiyotaka never spoke to her like that, let alone in a tone that seemed, in some way, teasing.
She tried to find a response, but all she could do was look away, pressing her lips tightly together to try to hide her very red face.
Ayanokouji calmly seemed satisfied with this reaction from Horikita and smiled inwardly, pleased with the result.
Kiyotaka 1 Horikita 0.
"Great! I'm really looking forward to going to the pool with Suzune!" he shouted, raising his hands, making the brown-haired boy even more uncomfortable.
The plan was simple. Ayanokouji had to invite Horikita to go out as a group, and she had to accept his invitation because if she didn't, Sudou would tell the others that he spent the night with Kei. The issue was that he didn't spend the night with Kei, but with Suzune.
Kei felt her chest tighten more and more.
She had already understood.
She had already accepted it.
The truth was right there, laid bare, repeated with each new scene on the screen.
But why did it have to be so cruel?
Why did every new word from Sudou or the Narrator feel like another nail in the coffin of her heart?
She felt a lump in her throat, a growing feeling of nausea.
"Did I do something so wrong in my life to deserve this?"
Kei bit her lip hard, trying to hold herself together, but her body trembled slightly.
Beside her, Sato looked at her with concern.
She didn't know what to say anymore to comfort her.
"Kei..." - her voice came out softly, trying to be comforting.
She gently held Kei's hand, conveying a little warmth and support.
But Kei didn't respond, only diverted her gaze from the theater screen and focused on her phone.
On the other side of the theater, Sudou was frozen.
He looked at the screen with a mix of shock and guilt.
The future Sudou was simply threatening Ayanokouji, blackmailing him with a lie - a lie that would directly affect his relationship with Horikita.
He swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat running down his neck.
Then, without thinking too much, he turned towards Ayanokouji and slightly bowed his head.
"Sorry, man."
His voice came out low but sincere.
He didn't know what his future self was thinking or why he was doing such foolish things.
Ayanokouji looked at him for a brief moment, showing no visible reaction.
Then, with his usual neutral, calm tone, he simply replied:
"It's okay, Sudou."
Sudou breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt a weight on his chest.
He didn't want to be that kind of person in the future.
After the redhead left, Kiyotaka locked the door and heard the bathroom door open. Out stepped what could be described as a goddess with black hair.
To hide his surprise, the boy spoke:
"Seems like he's still in love with you."
"Looks like it. And I thought he was getting closer to Onodera-san."
Kei felt her chest tighten once more. How many more times would she have to relive this betrayal? Seeing how her boyfriend loved and liked the appearance of another girl to the point of comparing her to a goddess was as if the universe was making sure her pain would never go away.
She clenched her fists on her legs, her lips pressed hard together. I've understood, I've understood, I've understood... The thought repeated like a suffocating mantra in her mind.
Beside her, Sato noticed her state and lightly touched her arm, trying to silently offer support. Kei didn't react immediately, just took a deep breath and forced a small smile, trying to appear indifferent.
Meanwhile, Ayanokouji stared intently at the screen. Unlike other moments, he was focused on one thing: Horikita.
The future version of him was absolutely right. She was... stunning.
It was almost like he was seeing a goddess, something that rarely crossed his mind. The way the light illuminated her black hair, her penetrating and determined gaze...
Horikita, already blushing slightly from the scene itself, averted her gaze back to Ayanokouji when she noticed his intense gaze on her.
"You're a pervert..." - she murmured quietly, feeling her face heat up even more.
A small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips, as if he were somewhat pleased by the attention.
Ayanokouji blinked, curious. He heard it, but he wanted her to repeat it.
"What?" - he asked calmly, turning to her.
Horikita blushed a little more, crossing her arms and looking away. She definitely didn't want to repeat that, but at the same time, she couldn't stop a small smile.
"Nothing..." - she replied quickly, but when she noticed Ayanokouji's persistent gaze, she sighed. - "I said you're a pervert."
The subtle hint of provocation in her voice didn't go unnoticed.
Ayanokouji simply tilted his head slightly, analyzing her.
"I was just looking at the screen."
His neutral tone made her blush even more. She couldn't tell if he was pretending innocence or if he really didn't understand the issue, but his gaze on the scene... was different.
In the background, Sudou let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in his chair with a frustrated look.
"Man... what got into me in the future?" - he murmured to himself.
He simply couldn't understand. He had already gotten over his feelings for Horikita a long time ago, so seeing this future version of himself still insisting on it was... strange.
He glanced at Onodera from the corner of his eye, reflecting on how he had started to like her recently. He liked her personality, the way she encouraged him, and he was gradually realizing that his feelings for Horikita were just a phase.
But on the screen... it didn't seem like just a phase.
Onodera, who was beside him, looked away from the screen, pressing her lips together slightly. Even though there was nothing concrete between her and Sudou, it hurt to hear that.
She didn't want to admit it, but now she was starting to understand a little of what Kei was feeling.
"Are you going to invite Karuizawa-san?"
When Suzune mentioned Kei, something caught the brown-haired boy's attention. Hours had passed since the blonde's name had completely disappeared from his thoughts.
Kei felt as if a sword had been thrust into her chest. She hadn't thought of him since... they did that.
The pain was so intense that she almost couldn't react. Her body stiffened, her eyes trembling slightly. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka hadn't thought of her since then.
She clenched her fists on her legs and lowered her head, trying to control the wave of nausea that came with that thought. What did she mean to him, after all?
Ayanokouji, observing the scene, sighed softly. His sense of morality had already been terrible, but it seemed it had worsened even more in the future.
"My future self seems to be... very focused on what happened with Suzune." - he commented calmly, without emotion.
Horikita, who had been quiet until then, let out a small, discreet smile. She couldn't say exactly why, but hearing that Ayanokouji hadn't thought of Kei after that night awakened a certain pride and possessiveness inside her.
"Oh? Are you saying I made you so busy?" - she commented casually, but the hidden satisfaction in her voice didn't go unnoticed.
Ayanokouji looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"Maybe."
Ryuen, of course, didn't miss the chance to fuel the chaos.
He laughed, crossing his arms and teasing both Kei and Ayanokouji:
"Looks like you had so much fun that night you completely forgot about your girlfriend, huh? This is hilarious!"
Kei immediately shrank back, feeling exposed and humiliated. Without thinking, she hid behind Sato, who furrowed her brows and shot a deadly glare at Ryuen.
"Do you really need to say these things?" - Sato complained, clearly annoyed.
She glanced briefly at Ayanokouji. Part of her still hoped that he would do something. Say something to protect Kei. He couldn't have changed after watching the future... that was impossible in her view.
Sakayanagi joined the conversation, placing a hand on her face dramatically:
"My, my... Ayanokouji-kun, what a cruel man you are, completely forgetting about your girlfriend just because you had fun with another girl? That's simply unforgivable."
Ayanokouji remained expressionless, responding calmly:
"My future self was just too focused on what happened between him and Suzune to think about anything else. It wasn't out of malice."
Sato, hearing that, relaxed a little and smiled softly.
Yes, that made sense.
But Kei noticed something that had been bothering her for a while, but she wanted to ignore it.
He called Horikita "Suzune."
And Horikita was calling him "Kiyotaka."
They were calling each other by their first names... involuntarily.
Kei felt her heart tighten again. It bothered her even more.
Meanwhile, in the background, Ichika softly laughed at the things her Senpai was saying.
Nanase, in turn, watched the screen with a calm yet slightly pouty look. She pouted slightly, thinking to herself:
"Senpai... you were a bit rude forgetting completely about your girlfriend because of the mistress."
Ichinose smiled faintly, the faster Ayanokouji forgot about Kei, the better for her. Not that she was the type of girl who wished suffering upon others, but... why should she feel guilty? If Kei wasn't strong enough to hold Kiyotaka by her side, then she shouldn't be with him.
She crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly to the side, observing the screen. The fact that Kiyotaka had simply forgotten about the existence of his own girlfriend after what he did with Horikita was almost unbelievable. But at the same time, it was proof that things were changing.
"So it seems that Horikita has become my biggest rival..."
She sighed softly, rolling her eyes slightly. It was already hard to deal with Kei, now Horikita too? Well, it didn't matter. In the end, she would get what she wanted. Kiyotaka would be hers.
"Because that's how things should be."
Mako-chan, who was sitting beside her, noticed a slight change in the air around her friend. Ichinose's smile seemed as kind as always... but something was off.
"Honami-chan..." - Mako called, hesitantly.
Ichinose blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts and looked back at her friend with a sweet smile.
"Hm? What's up, Mako-chan?"
Mako forced a low laugh, but the nervousness was still visible.
"Are you... okay? I don't know, you seem kind of different."
Ichinose smiled and let out a soft laugh as if she found the comment funny.
"What nonsense, Mako-chan. I was just thinking about a few things..."
Mako squinted her eyes, watching her friend's expression. Something didn't seem right. But what exactly?
Honami was acting normal, smiling as always... but there was something about the way she looked at the screen, something almost cold.
"If you say so..." - Mako responded, still a bit suspicious but not wanting to press her friend.
Even so, the slight shiver down her spine didn't go away.
"I don't know."
"Could be fun," Suzune said with a mischievous smile.
The brown-haired boy turned to look at her and couldn't help but notice the girl's smile. That attitude was something he didn't expect from the girl with black hair, although considering their last night together, there was little that could surprise him now.
Ayanokouji looked at the screen with a slight gleam of curiosity in his eyes. Horikita suggesting it would be fun to take Kei to the pool with them?
He wasn't sure what to think about that. Considering everything that happened between them that night in the future, the idea didn't make much sense.
Did Horikita really want Kei to go?
Suzune herself, sitting beside him, was also analyzing the scene with a thoughtful look. That line from her future self seemed strange, even to her.
"Why would I say that?"
She furrowed her brows slightly, trying to understand what was going on in her future self's mind. But then, something started to make sense. Maybe she didn't really want Kei to go...
Maybe she was just teasing Kiyotaka.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"So in the future, I'm already comfortable enough to tease him like that?"
Kei, on the other hand, didn't find it funny at all.
She flinched slightly upon hearing Horikita's suggestion on the screen, feeling an unpleasant shiver run down her spine.
"She wants him to take me?!"
Just imagining being in the same pool as those two after what they did together made her stomach churn.
Why? Why would Horikita say that? Was it some sort of joke? A provocation?
Her heart squeezed even tighter.
Kei lowered her gaze, holding back her emotions from spilling over. It wasn't just the betrayal that hurt, but the way it seemed like no one cared about it.
Ryuen, who was already enjoying the whole situation way too much, let out a low laugh.
"This is hilarious. So Horikita in the future wants to take Ayanokouji's cheated girlfriend to the pool with them? Damn, this is entertainment."
Kei clenched her hands tightly, her body trembling slightly.
Sato, seeing her friend's state, shot an angry look at Ryuen.
"Shut up, Ryuen."
Ryuen just laughed more, enjoying their discomfort.
"What? I'm just pointing out the obvious."
Ayanokouji, who was still analyzing the scene, finally spoke up.
"If my future self allowed Suzune to say that without reacting, then it's likely that he has already accepted the change in their relationship. Maybe it's just a provocation on her part, but I'm not sure yet."
Sakayanagi, who was watching everything with an amused smile, shook her head slightly.
"How cruel, Kiyotaka-kun. You accepted the new dynamic with Horikita-san so easily that you don't even care about your ex-girlfriend anymore?"
She sighed, placing her hand on her chest.
"Truly, a cold and insensitive man. My heart is broken."
"Exaggeration," Ayanokouji replied calmly.
Sato was still looking at him, waiting for some different reaction. She wanted to believe that he couldn't change so much as to not care about Kei.
But deep down, even she was starting to doubt that.
"And do you plan to help Sudo?"
"He didn't give me another choice."
"Hmm... maybe I'll give him a chance..."
This comment bothered the brown-haired boy more than he wanted to admit, as he turned to the girl and cornered her with one arm beside her body.
"What's the problem, Kiyotaka-kun, does this idea bother you?"
Ayanokouji didn't want to admit it, but Suzune's provocation slightly irritated him. He maintained his neutral expression, but his gaze grew sharper as he observed the scene on the screen.
"Is she testing him?"
The Ayanokouji from the future didn't react verbally immediately, but his body did the work for him-he cornered her, cutting any distance between them.
Next to him in the theater, Suzune watched the scene with a small smile. Seeing Ayanokouji reacting this way to something she said...
She didn't know why, but it brought a strange feeling of satisfaction.
"So he really doesn't want to see me giving another guy a chance? So what we had was really special to him?"
She realized she liked that idea.
Ryuuen, who had been enjoying everything so far, let out a loud laugh.
"Hah! You're getting bold, huh, Horikita? Provoking Ayanokouji like that?"
Ichika, who also seemed to find it interesting, chuckled softly.
"That was bold, Horikita-san. Almost like you wanted him to react this way."
Suzune didn't deny it.
She just crossed her arms and gave a little smirk.
"I didn't know he could be so easy to provoke."
Kei, who had been quiet until then, couldn't help but feel a growing discomfort inside her.
"Is he bothered by this idea? Does it really matter to him if Horikita accepts another guy?"
She turned her gaze away, biting her lower lip.
It hurt.
Sato noticed and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"Kei..."
Kei took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions.
Sakayanagi, who had been observing everything with an analytical look, sighed theatrically.
"My, my... Ayanokouji-kun, you're starting to look like a jealous boyfriend."
She tilted her head slightly, smiling.
"Or maybe... you've already passed that phase?"
Ayanokouji didn't respond immediately but shifted his gaze from the screen to Suzune beside him.
"Did you enjoy provoking me in the future?"
Suzune smiled slightly, not denying anything.
"Maybe."
The Ayanokouji from the present watched her for a second longer than necessary, then turned his attention back to the screen.
"Hmph."
His reaction made Suzune smile even more.
Onodera immediately felt discomfort upon hearing Horikita's words. She knew it was just a provocation, a test to see Ayanokouji's reaction, but still...
"Did she really have to use Sudou for this?"
It felt strange. Even knowing that Sudou had already moved on from his feelings for Horikita, it was still uncomfortable to hear that.
She turned her gaze away from the screen, clenching her fists slightly.
"I hope Sudou isn't bothered by this..."
Sudou, on the other hand, just sighed, resting his head on his hand.
He didn't care about Horikita's words; he knew it was just a provocation to see Ayanokouji's reaction. He was just irritated with himself for falling for Horikita again without reason until now.
Ichika smiled slightly when she saw Onodera's expression and whispered to her.
"If you want, I can punch him for you."
Onodera gave a side smile but shook her head.
"No need, Ichika-san..."
On the other hand, Ichinose frowned, her expression still gentle but her insides boiling.
"What does this woman think she's doing?"
It was simply absurd.
"After what she did to him, after what they did together, how does she have the audacity to provoke him like this?"
She felt a knot in her throat, a latent irritation.
"So bold, Horikita-san..." - she commented with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Mako-chan, sitting next to her, widened her eyes slightly.
"This is bad..."
Ichinose was emitting a dangerous aura.
She nervously laughed, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Honami-chan... Are you okay?"
Ichinose smiled softly, but her expression wasn't entirely calm.
"Ah... Yes. I'm just... thinking about a few things."
Mako accepted the answer, but reluctantly.
"Definitely, she's not okay..."
Without saying a word, the boy simply continued to look at the girl with black hair.
Feeling a bit intimidated, the girl turned her gaze away and then spoke... - "You know it's a lie. He never interested me, and I highly doubt he ever will."
Ayanokouji observed the screen in silence, his eyes focused on Suzune's expression in the future. He didn't expect to see her intimidated by his gaze.
"Interesting."
Beside him, Horikita smiled discreetly and crossed her arms, pretending to look thoughtful.
"You're being very possessive with me in this future, Ayanokouji-kun."
Her tone had a slight hint of provocation, but Ayanokouji responded without hesitation.
"Does that bother you?"
Her smile weakened slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her face.
"I-I didn't say it bothers me..." - she murmured, turning her gaze away.
Ichika chuckled quietly, leaning forward.
"Kuku... That was cute. But, Ayanokouji-kun, you have to be careful with that look of yours."
He gave her an inquisitive look, waiting for her to continue.
"Girls might get scared when you look at them like that. Well... except Horikita-senpai, right? You're lucky she's submissive and likes it."
Suzune's eyes widened, and she coughed lightly, trying to cover it up.
"S-Stop talking nonsense!"
Ichika smiled more.
"Hmmm? But am I wrong?"
Suzune turned her face, still blushing.
"Completely wrong..."
Ichika laughed again, clearly enjoying herself.
On the other side of the room, Kei bit her lower lip, feeling a tightness in her chest.
"He never... never looked at me like that."
She knew Ayanokouji loved her in his own way, but... he never acted like this. He never looked at her with that kind of intensity. Yet there he was on the screen, cornering Horikita, so visibly affected.
"What am I to him, then?"
The girl swallowed hard and lowered her head, trying to push away the thoughts that were starting to suffocate her.
Next to her, Sato was both blushing and furious.
"No, no, no! I can't blush for him! I've already moved on!"
She scolded herself mentally, but her eyes insisted on focusing on the screen.
"Damn... But why does he have to be so sexy?!"
Meanwhile, Nanase, sitting a little further back, was also blushing.
"Senpai's gaze... so intense."
She cleared her throat, trying to ignore the strange feeling it was causing her.
On the other side, Ichinose discreetly licked her lips, realizing she had drooled a little.
"Damn..."
She adjusted in her seat, blushing slightly.
"I need him to forget Karuizawa soon... But now it seems I'll have to deal with Horikita too."
Sakayanagi was smiling calmly next to Kamuro, who was also blushing but trying to compose herself.
Kamuro closed her eyes for a moment, scolding herself mentally.
"No... This is ridiculous. I can't be blushing for him."
Sakayanagi, on the other hand, chuckled softly, admiring the scene.
"His future really has presence... He becomes an impressive man."
Hashimoto, sitting a bit farther from Kamuro for safety reasons, let out a low laugh.
"Hah... The king's showing his intensity, huh?"
He was enjoying seeing everyone's reactions.