When the girl was still about ten meters away from Yuki's table, the group finally noticed her approaching.
Marin and the others looked up as the senior student walked toward them.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai? Why would she be coming our way?!" Marin recognized the girl immediately, a look of surprise crossing her face.
Origami glanced at the approaching figure, her eyes sharpening. "This woman… is not simple," she offered a one-line evaluation—and a surprisingly high one at that.
"Not simple? Why?" Yuki looked puzzled. He didn't sense any energy fluctuation from Kasumigaoka Utaha at all. She seemed like a completely ordinary person with no special power whatsoever.
How could an ordinary person possibly earn such high praise from Origami, who possessed the power of a Spirit, and even make her expression turn so serious?
"It's a woman's intuition. It's telling me that this woman is very good at seducing men. I've met my match today," Origami explained in her usual deadpan manner, looking at Kasumigaoka Utaha with a hint of fighting spirit.
Though the nature of that "fight" seemed a bit skewed, judging by the slight twitch at the corner of Yuki's mouth. Perhaps it was a case of like attracting like. Origami was known for saying outrageous things without blinking, and Kasumigaoka Utaha was similarly known for dropping bombshells mid-conversation and actively flirting. Calling them kindred spirits wouldn't be far off.
Eriri, meanwhile, looked flustered the moment she saw Kasumigaoka. They were old acquaintances; they had even worked together before, introduced by their respective editors.
That meant Kasumigaoka knew full well that Eriri was a doujinshi artist. And Eriri also knew that her senpai was the author of the hit light novel series Love Metronome, writing under the pen name Fumiaki Shihō.
Her nervousness stemmed from the possibility that Kasumigaoka had come looking for her. And because the woman had a sharp tongue, Eriri worried she might accidentally—or deliberately—reveal that Eriri drew adult manga.
If that happened, her school life would be over. Socially dead. Just thinking about the disgusted look Yuki had given her when he found out she drew porn made her shudder.
'I can't just sit here. I need to run.' Eriri decided her best bet was to leave immediately. If Kasumigaoka was here to see her, she could talk somewhere else and lower the risk of exposure.
But before she could say anything, Kasumigaoka had already reached their table.
"Excuse me—are you free?" Kasumigaoka asked softly, looking directly at Yuki. Her gaze didn't linger on anyone else. Her target was clear.
Eriri, who had been about to bolt, felt a wave of relief wash over her when she realized the senpai wasn't there for her.
'Phew… She's not here for me.' But then, almost immediately, she started wondering why Kasumigaoka was approaching Yuki in the first place.
"Looking for me? I'm free, yeah." Yuki looked genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Kasumigaoka to come for him. But then he remembered—he had visited the publishing house last Saturday. Kasumigaoka must have seen him there and pieced something together.
"In that case, would you mind if we talked somewhere else?" Kasumigaoka suggested calmly.
Yuki glanced at his lunch—he was almost done anyway—and nodded.
"I'll pack up Yuki's bento for you. Go ahead with senpai," Momo smiled warmly at him, like a kind and gentle wife.
"Alright." Yuki set his things down on the table, letting Momo clean up, and followed Kasumigaoka to a quiet corner not far from the cafeteria, where they sat down.
Eriri watched the entire exchange with a puzzled look. Kasumigaoka hadn't spoken a single word to her—only to Yuki.
"Does Kasumigaoka-senpai know Yuki-kun?" Marin muttered, her gaze drifting toward the two sitting in the distance.
"Who is she, Marin?" Lala didn't recognize Kasumigaoka, so she naturally asked.
Without wasting words, Marin gave a quick introduction.
"Oh! One of the school's recognized beauties! That sounds interesting. Can I enter the rankings too?!" Lala's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Uh… Lala, it's not like you sign up for it. It's more of an unofficial ranking that students come up with through word of mouth." Marin explained the simple process behind these school beauty rankings, it wasn't a pageant with a stage and judges.
It was just a kind of informal consensus among students. Of course, not everyone agreed with the results, but that didn't matter to the majority. Majority rule applied, as always.
"Oh… okay." Lala looked a little disappointed.
Seeing her sister's expression, Momo continued packing up Yuki's bento while offering some reassurance. "Sis, since it's a student-led discussion, you'll probably be on the list soon enough. Don't worry."
"That's true!" Lala gave a small nod, agreeing with her sister.
Meanwhile, back with Yuki…
Yuki sat across from Kasumigaoka Utaha, watching as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her left hand while holding a fork in her right, twirling pasta and eating it bite by bite.
This continued for a full ten minutes. Neither of them spoke. The only sound was the soft noise of Kasumigaoka eating her noodles.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"Do I look good?" she asked the question directly, her gaze fixed on Yuki. Her plate was half empty now. She dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin and lifted her head.
"Uh… Did you bring me all the way here just to ask that?" Yuki looked at her, somewhere between amused and exasperated.
"No." Kasumigaoka shook her head. "I just felt like asking," she explained calmly.
"I see." Seeing that it had been a spur-of-the-moment question, Yuki didn't hesitate to answer. "Of course. Senpai's beauty is like the first white plum blossom of early winter—pure, elegant, and refined. Her complexion is as smooth as congealed cream, and paired with her quiet temperament, there's a reserved yet dignified beauty to her…"
Yuki's sincere praise made Kasumigaoka's heart tremble slightly.
By now, she was certain, Yuki was exactly the person she had suspected him to be.