"Hmm hmm hmm~~~"
Amane was fixing her hair in front of the school bathroom mirror, humming a cheerful, nameless little tune. It was clear she was in pretty good spirits.
That is, until another figure appeared in the mirror.
"Has your stomach been acting up too, Suzune? I bet it was the green peppers from yesterday! Let's skip the green peppers next time, okay?"
Amane clung to Horikita's arm, swaying back and forth as she whined playfully.
But Horikita was unusually serious as she looked at Amane.
"First of all, that's just an excuse to avoid eating green peppers. Last time, you were the one lecturing me so earnestly about not being a picky eater. And also... Amane, tell me the truth. Did you already have an idea about some of this school's rules?"
Faced with Horikita's earnest questioning, the smile slowly faded from Amane's face. Still, she kept holding onto Horikita's arm.
"Mhm."
"Then why didn't you tell me earlier? If you had—"
"If I'd told you earlier, maybe our class would have more points. If I'd told you earlier, maybe you could have gotten everyone to take the exams seriously. But even if I had told you... would that have changed the fact that you're in Class D?"
Amane poked Horikita's cheek.
Horikita was left speechless.
Even if she protested to the school administrators, it was highly unlikely they'd allow her to change classes.
Yet she couldn't accept it at all—the fact that she'd been placed in Class D. She admitted she had her flaws. But even if not Class A, what about Class B or C?
Horikita Suzune refused to believe that every single person in the classes above hers was better than she was.
But...
She was curious. Why could Amane accept this outcome so calmly?
"Amane, with your abilities, you'd be fine even in Class A. You don't have flaws in interpersonal relationships like I do. Given all that, can you really accept being placed in Class D and being labeled as 'defective'?"
Amane's recent test scores were tied with hers for first place.
Physically, whether it was swimming or archery, it was clear Amane didn't just surpass the average person—she was at a top level among the top performers in those sports.
Socially, she was even more exceptional. Amane, who actively made friends with everyone, would probably score surprisingly high in social skills.
Yet even this incredibly capable and outstanding Amane had been placed in Class D. It was, in itself, hard to accept.
"Defective? Suzune, why are you listening to them? Why are you trusting their judgment?"
Amane cupped Horikita's face, making eye contact with her.
"What others think of me doesn't matter, because I don't live for them, and I don't need to satisfy them. But... Suzune, if you let a few words from others convince you that you're truly defective, then that just shows you're only that much after all."
Amane lightly brushed her lips against Horikita's.
Her original plan had been to take advantage of Horikita being off guard for a proper kiss. But she was afraid someone might walk in and catch her in the act. So she had to settle for just a taste.
"Amane, you—!!!"
Before Horikita could get angry, Amane put a finger to her lips in a 'shush' gesture and pointed behind Horikita.
In an instant, Horikita's entire body went rigid. She didn't know what was happening behind her. She was still thirty or forty centimeters from the mirror, so she couldn't see her own back reflected in it.
Amane, face stern, motioned for her to look behind her.
Gulp.
Horikita swallowed, her body shifting into a guarded stance. Then she cautiously turned around.
Only to find!!!
Absolutely nothing there.
Horikita immediately realized she'd been tricked. She spun back around, but by then, Amane had already vanished without a trace. There wasn't a shadow of her left.
Fuming, Horikita stamped her foot. She couldn't believe she'd fallen for such a cheap trick from Amane. Just wait until she gets back to the dorm—she'd make her pay for this.
But...
What Amane said wasn't without reason.
Others' opinions were just that—others' opinions. But if you yourself started believing you were defective, then you were truly beyond help.
Denying your own achievements and abilities was denying your very self.
Once a person's self is denied by their own mind, losing all sense of purpose, they become little more than a walking corpse.
Could Amane really ignore others' evaluations so easily?
Chabashira-sensei had used a single morning homeroom period to shift the entire class into a strictly disciplined mode.
Not only did no one talk or use their phones during lessons now, but the number of late arrivals and early departures had also plummeted. You couldn't even find anyone dozing off during class.
"Yawn—"
Amane let out a yawn, propping her chin on her hand as if she were about to fall asleep. In her mind, however, she was already thinking about trying the cafeteria's pork cutlet rice for lunch.
The day flew by.
After school, everyone was packing up their textbooks. But Hirata hurriedly stepped onto the teacher's platform.
"This is the second time I've troubled everyone like this, but I hope you can all listen to me for a moment."
Seeing Hirata's move, most of the girls stopped their after-school preparations, seemingly ready to wait for his announcement.
The boys, however, started leaving one after another. The idiot trio, led by Sudō, left the classroom together, laughing and talking.
But based on Amane's judgment, these three were probably faking it.
They were deliberately talking loudly, and their personal points were already completely spent.
They could barely manage basic living expenses, let alone afford any entertainment.
They even had to eat the Mountain Vegetable Set for dinner in the cafeteria. Was this really making them happy?
The answer was no.
The moment they stepped outside, the three of them looked gloomy. Since Sudō had club activities, he immediately parted ways with the other two.
The other two didn't say much. With no points, their only option was to head to the cafeteria for a Mountain Vegetable Set and then go back to their dorm rooms.
"So, as Chabashira-sensei said, there will be an exam at the end of this month. I hope everyone can study hard to avoid facing expulsion. Besides that, I'm planning to start a study group to help those..."
Hirata passionately tried to persuade the students with poorer grades to join his so-called study group, claiming it could help improve their scores.
This immediately attracted a large number of girls to sign up.
Amane watched, feeling a little envious. It's true, being handsome has its advantages.
Horikita, who had been listening nearby, initially thought Hirata might have some good method to avoid point deductions.
But when she realized he was just planning to form a study group to help struggling students improve their grades, she immediately finished packing her bag, took Amane's hand, and started heading out.
"Horikita-san!"
Hearing Hirata's voice, Horikita had no choice but to stop. She wished she had just left with Sudō and the others from the start.
"Horikita-san, Miyako-san, I'm setting up this study group and might be short on helpers. I was hoping Horikita-san could—"
"I refuse." Horikita rejected Hirata's proposal on the spot, without the slightest hesitation.
When Hirata realized he should try to break through via Amane instead—"I refuse too."
Hirata was rejected twice in a row right off the bat, getting completely shut down. Just as he was feeling down, a student came up to Horikita and Amane with a strange message.
Chabashira-sensei wanted them to go to her office after school.
A private talk?
For either Horikita or Amane, this was a first.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.