Watching Amane rub her eyes for a long time.
Horikita's strange feeling from earlier also dissipated quite a bit.
However, she didn't say that on a whim.
She really wanted to understand Amane.
She didn't believe that someone like Amane, who was good at archery and swimming, and seemed excellent in her studies, would be an ordinary person.
"Where were we just now?"
Faced with Amane's question, Horikita was uncharacteristically a little red-faced.
"This isn't a game save, hmph, it's your fault for suddenly ruining the mood."
Horikita crossed her arms, clearly not intending to continue.
"Eh? I can't be blamed for this, my eyes were uncomfortable just now."
Amane stared at Horikita with a wronged expression.
"If you miss it, you miss it. Wait for next time."
Horikita said, picking up her latte and standing up.
She clearly intended to go back.
Seeing this, Amane could only pick up her milk.
She took two big gulps.
Then, huffing, she followed Horikita.
Suddenly.
Horikita, who was walking ahead, stopped.
"What's wrong? Did you forget to take something?"
"Don't let it happen again."
"Eh?"
Looking at Horikita's hand reaching out to her.
Amane hesitated for a moment then quickly grasped it.
"Hehehe, I knew Suzune was the best."
"I actually find you, this clingy person, very annoying."
"Suzune has a sharp tongue but a soft heart, this seems to be called... tsundere, ouch, ouch, ouch."
Horikita flicked Amane's forehead.
"I'm not a tsundere."
"Mhm, mhm, mhm, yes, yes, yes, everything Suzune-sama says is right."
Amane covered her forehead with one hand.
While responding very perfunctorily.
Horikita's forehead veins started to throb again from watching her.
It seemed she had neglected her care for Amane.
She should deepen her care for her.
This time, she would put a little more force into her hand chop.
Anyway, Amane was already used to this level of pain.
Horikita nodded in satisfaction.
She seemed to agree with her own idea.
And the unfortunate person she was holding was completely unaware of the impending punishment.
Late at night.
Amane lay in her own dorm bed for the first time in a while.
Speaking of which, since coming here.
The number of times she had stayed in her own dorm seemed to be quite few.
Oh, girl.
You can be more confident.
Remove 'seemed'.
One hand is enough to count.
Since coming to this dorm, she had only slept in her own bed for two days.
If it weren't for regularly changing clothes and storing food ingredients.
Amane almost forgot that she also had a dormitory room.
And the reason she came back to stay tonight...
Of course, it was because she missed her own little bed.
So she came back to spend the night.
Not!
It was because she pestered Horikita to tell her a bedtime story.
Horikita, annoyed, threw her out.
She could only pitifully stay in her own dorm for one night first.
Amane, with no one to talk to, felt a bit bored.
She casually opened her chat.
Looking at the one or two hundred messages she had sent to Horikita, all were read but had no reply.
Amane hugged the bear pillow she bought, feeling a little lost.
Hmm.
It was a bear pillow.
To be more specific, it was a brown bear pillow.
When Amane went to buy it, the store clerk was stunned.
Because this pillow was said to be an unsold item.
It had been there longer than their current store manager's tenure.
Although it was made very cutely, in a Q-version style.
But what girl would like a bear?
In the end, Amane bought it.
Horikita had also complained more than once.
Amane's aesthetics walked in the gap between trends and ordinary people.
Just as Amane started to daydream and let out silly giggles...
Her phone made a sound, indicating a new message.
"Did Suzune reply to me?"
Amane opened her phone, her face full of joy.
But she found that it was a message from Kushida-san.
The smile on Amane's face instantly froze.
However, Kushida-san and her had a decent relationship.
Sending her a message so late, perhaps she encountered some difficulty.
"Amane-san, are you asleep?"
Seeing the message,
Amane quickly replied with her small hand:
"Not asleep yet, little Kikyo, is there something you need me for so late?"
As soon as Amane's message was sent,
It immediately showed as read.
It seemed Kushida-san was also watching the screen, waiting for her message.
Soon,
The other party's chat box showed that they were typing.
But after waiting for about ten minutes,
Not a single message came from Kushida-san's side.
A drop of cold sweat ran down Amane's forehead.
"How many words must this be?"
Kushida-san's chat box kept showing 'typing' on and off.
Then, after about another five minutes,
Kushida-san finally sent a message.
"I'm really sorry to disturb Amane-san's rest so late. I do want to ask Amane-san for a favor, and I hope I can get Amane-san's help."
She wants her help?
Amane thought through her skills.
Given Kushida-san's abilities,
What she needs Amane for is probably related to physical strength, right?
But if it's that kind of thing,
Kushida-san only needs to post in the class group.
And boys would immediately actively respond to her call.
"Little Kikyo, you're too polite. What do you need my help with?"
Kushida-san hesitated for a moment, but still told Amane the plan she had been thinking about for a long time.
"I want to become friends with Horikita-san, but usually Horikita-san is only close to you. So I hope Amane-san can help me become friends with Horikita-san."
Amane was stunned.
Become friends with Horikita?
That difficulty was not ordinary high.
Even with Amane's cooperation,
Horikita's personality...
Although it had improved a lot,
That was only when she was in front of Amane that her attitude was much better.
If it were someone else,
She would probably revert to that cold and aloof beautiful girl image.
"So that's it. I'm quite willing to help with this, but what do I need to do?"
The only thing Amane could think of was for her to ask Horikita out.
But if Horikita knew she was colluding with Kushida-san... wouldn't she have to sleep in her own room from now on?
"My plan is for Amane-san to take Horikita-san to Palette after school tomorrow afternoon. Then I will show up, pretending to meet her by coincidence, and then sit together to have direct contact with Horikita-san. Maybe I can persuade Horikita-san."
Kushida-san's plan was indeed straightforward.
Simple and unadorned.
Getting Horikita to the cafe was not a difficult task for Amane.
Whether Kushida-san could persuade Horikita afterwards had nothing to do with her.
But Amane was worried about what Horikita would do after finding out.
Would she impose sanctions on her?
Or should she just refuse?
"I just went to Palette with Suzune today and had a drink. Tomorrow... it might be difficult to ask her out. If Suzune finds it unusual, she might refuse."
Amane's words were actually a polite refusal.
"Please, Amane-san, try your best. If it succeeds, how about I treat Amane-san to the new thousand-layer parfait?"
Hiss.
Kushida-san is really generous.
One thousand-layer parfait costs at least over two thousand points.
Amane hadn't eaten it because it was too expensive.
Now someone was directly offering it.
However, Kushida-san underestimated her friendship with Horikita.
"Suzune is my best friend... It feels a bit wrong for me to hide things from her."
Seeing the message from Amane,
Kushida-san smiled.
She knew Amane had already agreed.
She was just bargaining.
"Then what does Amane-san need to agree to me?"
"I want two thousand-layer parfaits!"
"Deal."
Best friend.
One is not enough.
Just as Amane was happily looking forward to tomorrow's parfait...
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Amane, are you asleep?"
This sounds like Horikita's voice... Could it be exposed so quickly?!