After Sakayanagi Arisu's explanation, Kaoru finally understood the sequence of events—it had indeed happened during the sports festival.
"Nagumo told you about Honami's past, and you actually used it against her?"
Kaoru's expression turned blank.
He had assumed Nagumo Miyabi was behind it, but the real culprit was right in front of him.
"You've protected her too well. Simply avoiding the past won't help her grow."
Sakayanagi Arisu said. "Put another way—if she were to lose you, would she be able to face others' malice on her own?"
"That's still no reason for you to target Honami. Besides, your hypothetical doesn't hold up. What do you mean by 'losing me'? Am I not by her side right now?"
"But you also chose to let her face the scrutiny of the class. Aren't our thoughts aligned?"
"Because I believe in her."
Kaoru said calmly. "She will fight for the right outcome herself. I believe in her and her friends."
Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent. A heavy quiet settled between them.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from nearby.
"Am I interrupting?" Kamuro Masumi eyed the silent pair suspiciously, her gaze growing even more peculiar as she watched Kaoru resting his head on Sakayanagi Arisu's lap.
"No, you came at just the right time."
Sakayanagi Arisu said very seriously, "Masumi-san, please help me teach this shameless fellow a lesson."
She hadn't reacted in time and had let him take advantage until now, even suspecting he'd done it on purpose.
"Hey, you were the one who invited me, weren't you?"
Kaoru sat up from her lap—he'd already fulfilled one wish anyway. "Masumi, I've decided. There'll be a surprise waiting for you next week."
Hearing the word "surprise," Kamuro Masumi seemed to shudder, instinctively hugging her arms as two words escaped her lips almost reflexively.
"Pervert."
Kaoru's mouth twitched.
Whatever—it wasn't worth arguing. His image had long been ruined anyway.
"Mitoma-kun."
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly called out to him, "If you keep this up, people will only find you increasingly disgusting. Be more honest, more extreme. Gentleness was never your true nature."
Kamuro Masumi was utterly confused. What topic had those two been discussing earlier?
"My dark side isn't that extensive."
Kaoru paused, "To put it simply, I just want your rewards. As for the methods—this world never stipulated that only bad deeds count."
Sakayanagi Arisu chewed on his words. Were these "rewards" the same things he often talked about?
"Masumi, do you think I should stay as I am now, or should I be more extreme?"
"What's the difference between a pervert and an even bigger pervert?"
Kaoru was slightly annoyed. Her stereotypical impression of him seemed to be deepening.
...
At the Keyaki Mall bookstore, Kaoru surveyed a row of shelves filled mostly with classic foreign literature.
"Found anything interesting here, Mitoma-kun?"
Turning his head, he saw Shiina Hiyori appearing beside him like an auto-refreshing NPC, dressed in a dark-colored dress with several books hugged to her chest—her slightly prominent bust drawing attention.
Her eyes sparkled as she reached for a book on the shelf without waiting for his reply.
"Based on your usual reading preferences, I think you'd enjoy this one."
Though they occasionally met in the library, she'd memorized his tastes perfectly. This girl was somewhat terrifying.
"I'll give it a read, but I'm not here for myself right now."
Kaoru took the book from her hands, "Suzune's birthday is coming up. Since she's a bookworm too, I thought about gifting her one."
This was intel he'd picked up from Horikita Suzune herself—she had no interest in phones or shopping, spending her free time solely with books.
Kushida had told him that during summer break and training camps, Suzune only brought a few books, often reading quietly alone in her room.
"Horikita-san from Class D?"
Shiina Hiyori seemed to recognize Horikita Suzune.
"Yeah, have you met before?" Kaoru asked.
"We crossed paths at the library once. A new batch of books had arrived, including one I'd reserved, so I rushed there and ran into her."
Shiina Hiyori tightened her grip on her books, "But Horikita-san didn't seem very interested in me."
Since some books were hard to find in stores and unavailable in digital formats online, Shiina Hiyori could only place reservations at the library, requesting them to purchase these titles in their next acquisition.
Of course, Hiyori could buy them herself, but nothing brought her more joy than stumbling upon beloved books in the library.
"Sorry, don't take it to heart. That's just Suzune's personality."
Kaoru sighed helplessly.
Although Horikita Suzune recognized the limitations of individual effort and sought to utilize more people, she was clearly single-mindedly focused on reaching Class A, neglecting normal interpersonal relationships.
It wasn't hard to imagine that in Suzune's eyes, Hiyori was merely an enemy one could communicate with—but nothing beyond that.
"It's alright, I was being too abrupt."
Hiyori smiled sheepishly. "Mitoma-kun calling her that... is it like what the rumors say?"
It seemed his reputation had reached universal awareness.
"Our relationship is somewhat complicated. She calls it a 'debt relationship.'"
"Debt relationship?"
As expected, Hiyori didn't understand, nor did Kaoru expect her to.
"I don't quite get it, but what kind of books does Horikita-san usually read?"
When it came to this topic, Hiyori was eager to help Kaoru brainstorm. "I could offer some suggestions."
Here lay the problem.
Kaoru awkwardly averted his gaze—he'd never discussed this with Suzune.
Noticing his expression, Hiyori immediately understood.
With gentle tact, she asked, "What impression do you have of her, Mitoma-kun?"
After some thought, Kaoru replied, "She probably dislikes postmodernism and lacks any romanticism. Her thinking is always grounded in practical benefits, believing she can handle everything alone. She looks down on others with prejudice, demanding strict standards for herself and everyone else. Yet spiritually, she's filled with confusion and emptiness, engaging in self-criticism without mastering its tools. She likely enjoys realism—it helps her contemplate her own meaning and judge others."
Hiyori was stunned.
After a pause, she gave him a strange look. "You should apologize to Horikita-san."
"I'm not saying she's wrong. Suzune's flaws are part of her charm."
Kaoru explained, "She's incredibly stubborn and obsessive, quick to abandon anything she deems pointless."
"I—I give up! You clearly already know what gift to get her!"
Hiyori puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Mean... you're so mean!"
With that, she grabbed her books and scampered off, leaving Kaoru bewildered as he watched her retreating figure.
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