It was clear to everyone in the corridor that a quarrel was happening inside the classroom.
Kurashiki Reina's name was famous throughout Baiqiu High School.
Nicknames like "Young Miss," "Princess Syndrome," "Queen's Aura," and even "Sadist" followed her wherever she went. Those who caught her eye rarely escaped unscathed.
So the onlookers whispered among themselves—bullying was most likely taking place inside F Class, and they couldn't help but pity Hayato.
Of course, there were also a number of shameless boys who secretly envied him. To them, even being trampled under Kurashiki Reina's flawless feet would be a blessing.
"What's going on?"
Just then, as everyone's attention was glued to the classroom door, a soft, polite voice sounded from behind. The crowd turned their heads.
Miyajima Sakura.
She had only just arrived and hadn't seen what had transpired.
"Why is everyone gathered here?" Sakura asked in a gentle tone, leaning toward a nearby girl. "Excuse me, are you in Class F?"
"Y-Yes, Miyajima-senpai!" The girl answered so stiffly it was almost a bow.
"Then… may I ask, has Hayato already left? Oh, I mean, Kobayashi Hayato." To make sure she was understood, Sakura used his full name.
The girl stole a glance toward the classroom, then shook her head nervously. "He's… he's still inside."
"That's good." Sakura let out a small sigh of relief, murmuring to herself. "The committee held me up earlier, and then I remembered—I still haven't asked Hayato if he'll be attending club today… Excuse me, he's still inside, correct?"
"Mm…" The girl nodded firmly.
"Thank you."
Sakura walked to the classroom door. Through the corridor window she caught sight of Hayato, and the two girls standing near him.
One of them, Kurashiki Reina—her name even Sakura, who paid little attention to gossip, had heard whispered by boys in her own class and club.
What are they talking about…?
Driven by curiosity, and under the eyes of the entire hallway, Sakura slid the door open.
"…A disgusting guy like you will never—!" Reina's words were cut off mid-curse.
She turned angrily to see who dared interrupt her, only to be disarmed by the Yamato Nadeshiko-like smile greeting her.
But that smile was not meant for her.
It was directed at Hayato.
"I've come to pick you up, Hayato-kun." Sakura smiled sweetly. "What were you doing?"
Hayato scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Uh… just some friendly greetings, I guess."
"Did I interrupt something?" Sakura asked politely.
"No, we just finished." Hayato replied. "Let's go."
"Alright." Sakura nodded, tilting her head ever so slightly. Her gaze drifted to Reina, who looked as if she wanted to speak but couldn't, and to Kushiro Arisa, who stood frozen. Sakura didn't pry. She simply bowed politely. "Excuse us. I'll be taking Hayato with me."
"W-Wait." Reina blurted unconsciously.
Miyajima Sakura.
That was Miyajima Sakura.
Of course Reina knew her—the goddess of Baiqiu High School. Among boys, her name was spoken with admiration rather than lewd jokes, which was rare indeed for teenage boys whose minds were usually filled with little else.
And this Senior, who was famous for her aloof nature and never once rumored to be close with any boy, had just said to Hayato: "I've come to pick you up."
Reina's thoughts screeched to a halt.
She couldn't comprehend why Sakura would lower herself to approach someone like Hayato… or why Sakura's tone and manner suggested familiarity, even intimacy.
Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.
"What's the matter?" Sakura turned her head slightly, her voice as gentle as ever.
"…Nothing." Reina forced out, though the words stuck in her throat.
Kushiro Arisa was even more shaken.
In the social food chain of the school, Miyajima Sakura and Kurashiki Reina stood at the very top. Hayato, in her mind, was the lowest of the low, a paramecium. As for herself, she hovered somewhere in the upper-middle, but by staying in Reina's good graces, she believed she held sway over the average students.
That was why she had mocked Hayato so freely.
But now—Miyajima Sakura's very presence shattered that balance.
Until moments ago, Hayato's quiet resistance seemed to Arisa nothing more than false bravado. His dismissive "I'm not interested in you" sounded like a bluff to save face.
But Sakura's appearance… turned it into something credible.
If even Miyajima Sakura acknowledged Hayato, then his standing was clearly above hers. The words she had spat at him earlier now only made her look like a fool.
A clown… Am I the clown here?
"M-Miyajima-senpai?" Arisa stammered, desperately searching for a rational explanation. "It's just… because of the Kendo Club, right? The wooden sword he carries… you're only his club president, and he's just a member…"
She clung to that thought, forgetting that for someone like Miyajima Sakura, to personally come pick up an ordinary member was itself suspicious.
"What is it?" Sakura prompted patiently.
Arisa swallowed hard, then blurted out, "What's your relationship with this guy…?" Her trembling finger pointed at Hayato.
"'This guy'… That's not a very polite way to speak, is it? I hope you'll refrain from addressing Hayato-kun like that in the future." Sakura's words were calm, her smile unchanged, but the pressure behind them made Arisa's whole body tense. She could only nod furiously, almost shouting, "Y-Yes!"
Sakura fell silent for a moment, seemingly choosing her words. Hayato, meanwhile, scratched the back of his head helplessly. Really, senpai, do you have to answer her so seriously…?
Just as he was about to cut in, Sakura opened her lips.
"…I'm simping for Hayato."
"Pfft—!" Hayato nearly spat out his own breath, staring at her in disbelief.
But Sakura's smile remained radiant.
After all, Ayaka from the club had once teased that everyone who adored Sakura was simply "simping." So naturally, her feelings for Hayato must fall under the same category.
Yes—this was the correct answer.
Her words landed like an explosion.
Both Kurashiki Reina and Kushiro Arisa were struck dumb, their minds completely blank.
…
…