Hana-sensei clapped her hands lightly to get everyone's attention, smiling as she said, "Alright, everyone, this will be your first group project for this semester. Each group will do a presentation based on the topic I hand out. The topic is random, so don't complain if it's difficult. Life isn't fair, after all."
She laughed softly, adjusting her glasses before continuing, "Tomorrow is the weekend, so take this chance to discuss with your group members today and make your plans. Presentations will start on Monday, so don't slack off."
With that, she handed down papers to several groups; some groaned, while some look relieved.
When she walked by their desk, she handed Seijirou's group their topic.
He looked down at the paper, his brows twitching when he saw the words printed on it in bold: Artificial Intelligence.
"Tch… what the hell is this?" Seijirou muttered, leaning back on his chair and tapping the edge of the paper with his finger. "Of all the random things she could give, it had to be this. Whatever. We'll figure it out."
Rei tilted her head slightly, looking at the paper with a nervous smile. "Artificial Intelligence… That sounds… really complicated. I don't really know much about it. I've only heard about robots and stuff in movies."
Haruka, who was seated elegantly with her arms crossed, gave a faint hum. "It's not that complicated. If you read about it, it's just machines that can think and learn. But I agree it's a difficult topic for a first year high school project."
Seijirou clicked his tongue, cutting in impatiently. "Doesn't matter. First thing we need is a presentation file, a PowerPoint. Does any of you have a Laptop? Computer?"
Rei shook her head immediately, her shoulders slumping. "No… I don't have one."
Her family's poor. She barely even bought her cheap phone after working several part-time jobs.
Haruka also shook her head calmly. "I don't have one either. I don't use computers much. I prefer books."
Her voice was flat, as if she didn't care about the inconvenience.
Seijirou stared at both of them in disbelief, his jaw tightening. "Are you kidding me? What kind of high school students in this age don't have a single damn computer? This is pathetic."
He raked his hand through his hair and let out a low curse under his breath. "Unbelievable."
Rei looked down, biting her lip, whispering, "I… I'm sorry. I'll do my best in other things, I promise. I can help with research, or writing, or anything else you need…"
Haruka raised a brow slightly, her eyes on Seijirou. "Then what do you suggest? Since you seem dissatisfied, you should have a solution in mind."
Seijirou clicked his tongue again, glaring at them before exhaling sharply. "Fine. Forget it. We'll use mine. Come to my place tomorrow. We'll make the damn thing there."
Rei's eyes widened a little. "Eh? Your… your house?"
She looked hesitant, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her skirt. "I don't want to be a bother, but… if that's the only way…"
Haruka simply nodded once, her expression calm as ever. "That works. Just give us the address."
"Good." Seijirou pulled out his phone, scrolling quickly. "Let's make a group chat. I'll send the location there. Don't be late, and don't waste my time."
He looked at them sharply, making it clear he wasn't joking.
Rei quickly took out her phone, her hands shaking slightly as she waited for him to send the invite.
Haruka, on the other hand, simply opened her messaging app without expression, as if this was just another mundane task.
When the group chat was formed, Seijirou typed fast and sent his address, then shoved his phone back into his pocket.
"That's it. Tomorrow, my house. Don't screw this up." He leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as if the matter was already settled.
Rei whispered softly, almost to herself, "His house… this feels… a little embarrassing…"
Haruka glanced at her sideways but said nothing, only resting her chin on her hand, her mind already running through the topic of Artificial Intelligence.
The tension between the three was thick, but the arrangements were made. Now, tomorrow would decide how this unlikely team worked together.
Rei kept stealing nervous glances at Seijirou, her fingers tapping against the edge of her desk as if she wanted to say something but couldn't gather the courage.
Her voice finally came out, small and timid.
"Um… Kageyama-kun… about earlier…" She trailed off, lowering her gaze quickly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, clearly remembering the secluded corridor incident.
Seijirou opened one eye, leaning his chin on his hand, and gave her a sharp look.
"What about earlier?" His tone was blunt, almost daring her to bring it up.
Rei immediately shook her head, flustered. "N-no, it's nothing! Forget I said anything!"
She bowed her head, fidgeting with her hands under the desk. "I… I'll work hard for the project, so please… don't be too harsh…"
Seijirou snorted. "Do your part and I won't have to say anything. It's that simple."
The tension lingered for a moment before Haruka finally spoke, her voice calm, low, and without a shred of warmth. "If you're this scared of him, how do you expect to function properly in a group project? Are you planning to tremble every time he speaks?"
Rei flinched at her words, her eyes widening. "I-I'm not… it's just…"
She bit her lip and lowered her head again, too embarrassed to finish her sentence.
Haruka's gaze stayed fixed on Rei for a long moment before she turned to Seijirou, her face as unreadable as ever. "And you. Do you really find it amusing to intimidate her? We are supposed to be teammates. If she breaks down, it will only create more work for us."
Seijirou clicked his tongue, leaning back in his chair, clearly irritated by her tone. "Don't act like you're lecturing me. I don't care what happens to her. As long as she doesn't drag me down, I won't bother with her."
Honestly, if Hana-sensei didn't pair them up, Seijirou wouldn't even bother with these heroines.
He gets annoyed thinking of their situation.
Rei's shoulders tensed at his words, but she still whispered, "I… I'll do my best. I won't drag anyone down."
Haruka finally looked away, resting her chin on her palm again, her cold gaze focused outside the window. "We'll see. Words are cheap."
The air between them grew heavy again, the silence thick with unspoken tension.
Rei sat there, timid and fidgeting, clearly trying to gather herself, while Seijirou leaned back with a scowl, scrolling through his phone as if he didn't care.
Haruka remained as cold and composed as ever, her eyes giving nothing away.
It was a strange trio, each of them standing on completely different grounds, yet bound together by something as mundane as a school project.
At the front, Hana-sensei adjusted her glasses as she stood at the front of the class, her warm smile never fading as she observed the groups slowly starting to discuss their projects.
Her gaze lingered on Seijirou, Rei, and Haruka, and while most of the students cast wary or even fearful glances at the so-called delinquent king of the school, Hana's eyes softened with a kind of maternal warmth.
She clasped her hands together and leaned slightly on the podium, muttering quietly to herself, "Good… this will be good for him. With girls like Tachibana-san and Himejima-san, maybe Kageyama-kun will finally learn to open up. He needs to spend less time with those troublemakers and more time with honest, hardworking classmates. I just know he's not as bad as everyone says…"
Her thoughts wandered as she tapped the stack of quiz papers of another class against the desk.
In her mind, the image of Seijirou as the school's untouchable delinquent simply didn't match what she occasionally glimpsed in his eyes.
That fleeting look of weariness, or the way he sometimes quietly did his work with surprising diligence.
She had convinced herself that the rumors of violence, extortion, and ruined lives were exaggerated stories born from fear.
"Sensei," one of the students from another group raised a hand, "do we have to use PowerPoint, or can we do it in poster form?"
Hana blinked, breaking out of her daydream, and beamed at the student. "Ah, either is fine! Use whichever medium lets you express your creativity the best. But remember, this is also about teamwork. Don't try to do everything by yourself, okay?"
The student nodded, reassured, and went back to their group.
Hana's eyes returned once again to Seijirou, who at that very moment was leaning back on his chair, clearly uninterested in Rei's timid mumbling or Haruka's icy remarks.
To anyone else, he looked every bit the arrogant delinquent who thought he was above everyone else, but Hana interpreted it differently.
She placed a finger under her chin, smiling knowingly to herself.
"He's shy," she whispered under her breath, nodding as if she had solved some great puzzle. "He doesn't know how to talk to people properly, so he puts on that tough front. Poor boy… if only more people could see that."
Rei, glancing nervously at Seijirou, tried to open her mouth again. "K-Kageyama-kun, about the… um… PowerPoint… maybe I can write some of the draft for the script…"
Seijirou grunted without even looking at her. "Do whatever. Just don't screw it up."
Rei flinched, her lips pressing into a thin line, while Haruka muttered, "Hopeless."
Yet from the teacher's perspective, Hana-sensei's smile widened even more.
To her, it looked like awkward cooperation, the kind that might blossom into true understanding if only given time.
"See? They're bonding already!" she said quietly, her heart swelling with misplaced pride. "I knew I was right about him. If Tadano-kun and the others would just stop interfering, maybe Kageyama-kun could finally be accepted. If I give them space, this could turn into something wonderful."
That conviction, that blind optimism, in the game, it was these part of her that angered many players.
For in her eagerness to protect the "gentle side" of Seijirou that only she believed in, Hana-sensei would become an unintentional shield, blocking every attempt the protagonist made to save the heroines from falling deeper into Seijirou's grasp.