"Has Rinji already told you about that matter?"
"Yes, I heard that in two weeks he's going back home for New Year's."
"I remember she mentioned that to me before… what about you, Hayasaka? You're not planning to go?"
After class, Hayasaka and Kaguya sat at their desks chatting. Since they no longer had to pretend not to know each other at school, it wasn't unusual for them to sit face to face like this sometimes.
Besides, Hayasaka was no longer Kaguya's personal maid and didn't live at the Shinomiya main house anymore. If they didn't talk at school, they'd have even fewer chances after class.
"I won't go. I can't just disappear for a month without reason," Hayasaka said. "After all, unlike Rinji, I still care about how others see me. He can do whatever he wants without restraint."
It wasn't that leaving with Rinji for a month would get her punished, she just thought it wasn't right to do something so conspicuous. Normal students couldn't just skip class whenever they wanted—teachers and classmates would think poorly of them.
Rinji was the kind of person who would skip school to camp out in another city just to catch a movie premiere he liked. No sane person would act like that. Some things just couldn't be imitated.
"That's true," Kaguya chuckled. "Rinji's way of handling things is enviable, but better not to copy it."
After all, it was just one month. Hayasaka and Rinji had once been apart for four years, so this was nothing.
"If we count the time, Rinji will probably be back by mid-February. By March, the third-years will graduate, and he'll just join the farewell party."
"Yeah… graduation."
Hayasaka suddenly lowered her head.
"I just realized, the time I have with Rinji won't be that long. We're a year apart after all."
"…That's true."
Kaguya and Shirogane didn't have this problem. After the first semester of their third year, they'd already planned to study in the U.S. together, so they'd still be stuck together.
But Rinji and Hayasaka were different: one was a first-year, the other a second-year. In a year, Hayasaka would leave Shuchiin for university, while Rinji would still be stuck in his third year. If she got into a school outside Tokyo, that would mean another year of separation—even if Rinji managed to enter the same university.
"Anyway… you can go to whatever university you want," Kaguya comforted her. "With Rinji's grades, he can get into any university, and he's not the type to be picky."
In fact, if circumstances allowed, Rinji might not even go to college. Others went to college for a diploma or professional skills, or to expand their connections. But diplomas were meaningless to him, skills could be learned from top experts he could gather, and as for connections… letting Rinji 'expand his network' was a joke.
"Come to think of it, Rinji never mentioned what kind of university he wanted."
"I asked before. He said he was planning on a university in Tokyo."
"In that case, it's simple," Kaguya smiled. "If he goes to a local university, you can just take internal admission. Then you two could live together."
"That's true…"
---
"Ishigami, according to reliable information, Koyasu-senpai plans to go to a university in Kanagawa through recommendation. Most likely it won't be in Tokyo. That means before March this year is your last chance."
"I know."
"I'm leaving in two weeks, and I won't be here for a month to give you advice. So you need to think hard about how you can raise her affection for you in such a short time."
"Only about two months left…"
On the rooftop, Rinji and Ishigami sat together watching the bustling students of Shuchiin below.
With Shirogane and Kaguya's relationship settled, Rinji no longer needed to worry about them. The main issue now was Ishigami.
Originally, Rinji didn't want to get involved in other people's love problems. But seeing Ishigami's state, he knew if things failed, it would hit him hard. Rinji himself had once run off abroad after heartbreak; if Ishigami failed, he might spiral into self-denial for a long time.
Ishigami hesitated before speaking. "Actually, I met with Tsubame-senpai at the start of this semester."
"Oh? What did she say?"
"She apologized for her rash behavior on Christmas Eve."
"And nothing since then?"
"We've talked. It feels like our relationship went back to the friendship we had during the Hoshin Festival." Ishigami looked at Rinji. "Our conversations are mostly about school happenings."
"Oh, that's good."
"At first, yes. But…"
"But what?"
"Tsubame-senpai often asks me about you."
"Huh?"
"At first I was excited and told her a lot about you. But over time, I realized something was off." Ishigami narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me your 'harem aura' has spread to Tsubame-senpai too?"
"You're worrying too much."
"This isn't unnecessary worry. Since last semester, you've been weird—more and more girls have gathered around you. This semester, two beautiful female teachers are obviously showing you special attention. You're practically treated like the protagonist of a harem manga."
"Come on, I may have two girlfriends now, but I'm definitely not the type to attract girls." Rinji waved his hand. "I've read harem manga before. I don't see any traits in myself that would attract girls."
"Ah, just like in manga. The harem protagonist always says he's not popular."
"Anyway, Koyasu-senpai would never be interested in me," Rinji said. "I even asked Momo-senpai a bit about her. The reason she asks about me is probably because of my bad reputation at school, which made her worry. In short, it's just concern for a kouhai."