Having missed lunch, Kaoru decided to indulge in a big meal for dinner.
Just as he sat down, a familiar sound approached—the tapping of a cane against the floor—before stopping abruptly beside him.
The next moment, Kamuro Masumi silently placed two trays on the table and sat across from him without a word.
Kaoru silently scooted over a bit, and sure enough, a sweet, pleasant fragrance wafted from beside him.
Even at a forest school, do girls still smell nice?
"One, two, three... Mitoma-kun, you haven't seen me for four whole days. Didn't you feel lonely at all?"
The whisper was like that of a little devil.
Silver hair peeked into view beside him, along with fair skin and a refined demeanor reminiscent of an aristocratic young lady from a drama.
Though her profile still held traces of youthful innocence, the makings of a beauty were already evident.
"That's strange. I remember seeing you often in the cafeteria. If anything, you're the one who's been cold, not even greeting me."
Kaoru caught sight of the ring on her finger—something Ichinose Honami wouldn't dare wear openly, yet she wore it without hesitation.
"So people's perspectives can differ this much. From where I stood, Mitoma-kun was always flirting with girls."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled faintly. "But you seem to be in a rather good mood today, so I'll let it slide."
As she spoke, Sakayanagi placed her hat on the table.
If they had classes today, she wouldn't have worn this beret—it was too much trouble.
"Masumi, do I look happy to you?"
Kaoru turned to Kamuro Masumi, who was focused on her meal.
"No idea. I'm blind. Can't tell."
Masumi had no intention of engaging with the two of them.
Every time they got together, she ended up as the victim of their antics.
"And stop calling me that."
"It's just that you usually act like nothing can affect your mood, but today you seem unusually upbeat."
Sakayanagi tapped her lips, then the corner of her eye. "These little things give you away."
A bit scary, Kaoru thought.
If he was in high spirits, it was probably because he'd just dealt with some people earlier.
The exam would be over tomorrow.
Just as he was about to say something, he noticed Sakayanagi had already begun eating her dinner with deliberate slowness, leaving Kaoru momentarily stunned.
"Don't speak while eating, don't talk while sleeping."
With the air of a refined young lady, Sakayanagi effectively silenced Kaoru, focusing intently on her meal.
Was she always like this?
He'd almost forgotten—each group was responsible for their own breakfast, meaning Sakayanagi had to wake up early to cook.
A taste of commoner life for the aristocratic miss.
But the thought was fleeting.
Kaoru knew her physical condition meant she'd probably just supervise or hand things over—her domestic skills were likely lacking.
Come to think of it, could Sakayanagi even manage a full lotus position or long-distance running?
No girl in their group was more of a liability than her.
Watching her take small, delicate bites, Kaoru mused that this was indeed the image of a proper young lady.
Maybe it was only in moments like these that he could quietly enjoy the company of a beautiful girl.
"How long are you going to keep staring?"
Masumi's voice was icy.
"Not long. I'll be staring at you next, Masumi."
Kaoru shamelessly brushed off her glare—he was long past being affected by such looks.
"Could you at least... even just a little... have some shame?"
Masumi didn't sound angry, more like resigned. "Being around you feels like getting scanned head to toe by a pervert's gaze."
"Is it that obvious?"
Kaoru reflected on himself.
Sometimes, he was just looking at wishes.
"It's not obvious, it's blatant. You didn't even try to hide your thoughts. Tell me, who would say something like 'let me see down there' to a girl?"
Masumi gritted her teeth. "It's a miracle I didn't kick you away right then."
'But in the end, you still showed me,' Kaoru averted his gaze.
"Alright, I'm finished eating."
Sakayanagi wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. "Though I feel bad interrupting your flirting, we should begin our serious discussion now."
Masumi closed her mouth.
When had she even started talking with Kaoru like this?
"Regarding this exam, I believe Mitoma-kun must have some thoughts too."
Kaoru thought she was going to compare herself to him again, but the next moment, the girl simply chuckled softly.
"So let's set aside the exam for now. Mitoma-kun can do whatever you wish. What I wanted to say was—"
"Hold on."
Kaoru interrupted her. "There's an issue with this exam that I think we should discuss now."
"Oh? Of course, but what exactly does Mitoma-kun wish to discuss with me?"
Sakayanagi smiled calmly as she looked at Kaoru.
"Were all the girls in our class assigned by you?"
"Most of them were. Some wouldn't listen to me."
"Do you know about Miki's situation?"
"Is Mitoma-kun worried that Nagumo-kun might target the girls?"
Previously she had criticized Kaoru for answering questions with questions, and now she was doing the same.
Kaoru was momentarily speechless, but this actually revealed that Sakayanagi knew the truth.
"Fufufu, Mitoma-kun wants to ask why I didn't stop it during the grouping, correct?"
Sakayanagi laughed softly. "Even if I had stopped it, there would just be another victim. Would that have been meaningful?"
Class A of the first year had twenty girls, so it was obviously impossible to form a single group—a few would inevitably be left out.
"What I mean is, she's your person. You should protect her a little."
After Kaoru finished speaking, Sakayanagi looked at him with a strange expression.
"Isn't Yamamura-san your person now?"
Kaoru was taken aback.
Sakayanagi rested her cheek on her hand, tilting her body slightly to gaze at him with a mix of exasperation and faint amusement.
"Not just Yamamura-san, even Masumi-san is yours now. Why should I be the one protecting them?"
Sakayanagi continued, "And why do you assume I would protect Class A students in the first place?"
Based on their previous competition, Sakayanagi would have loved nothing more than for him to lose to Nagumo Miyabi.
That way, Class A would suffer heavy losses from being caught in their conflict, and resentment would inevitably fester in the class.
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