"Kushida-san, why are you here? And... what did you mean by what you just said?"
Horikita-san asked in an emotionless tone.
She naturally entered Amane-san's room.
Amane-san could only shrug.
Anyway, one person had already come in.
She couldn't just leave Horikita-san outside the door, could she?
But what surprised her was that
although Horikita-san was a bit reclusive, she wasn't the type to get angry easily.
Kushida-san, on the other hand, was a gentle girl.
Why did the two of them become so hostile the moment they met?
"I also came to ask Amane-san for help because my water heater broke. But it's really a coincidence, it seems we two are quite fated, otherwise, how could even our water heaters break together? Horikita-san, don't you agree?"
Kushida-san's tone sounded a bit affected.
Amane-san noticed something was off with Kushida-san.
She felt as if Kushida-san had changed into a different person.
The moment Kushida-san's peripheral vision caught Amane-san,
her expression immediately changed back to a gentle and friendly one.
But Amane-san remained vigilant.
Because she knew that what she had just seen was definitely not her imagination.
Kushida-san had indeed shown hostility towards Horikita-san.
"I also think it's a coincidence, but I don't think we're fated. By the way, why are you wearing this outfit?"
Horikita-san looked unhappily at the clothes on Kushida-san.
"Horikita-san, are you talking about this one? Amane-san asked me to wear this temporarily, you know."
Kushida-san deliberately straightened her wrinkled clothes.
She even puffed out her chest, looking at Horikita-san with her head held high like a proud goose.
"Is that so..."
If Amane-san lent it to her, then Horikita-san had no standing to say anything more.
Seeing Kushida-san's intense hostility,
Horikita-san didn't intend to get entangled with her any further.
"Amane-san, I'm going to borrow the bathroom."
After saying that, Horikita-san walked towards the bathroom.
Just then,
Kushida-san's voice came from behind.
"I know Horikita-san and Amane-san have a good relationship, but here you're just a guest. You're using it without Amane-san's permission. Horikita-san, don't you think that's very impolite?"
Kushida-san directly revealed her true colors.
Horikita-san frowned.
Kushida-san was undoubtedly the most difficult type to deal with.
She would attack you in a reasonable way.
And there was no way to retort.
Indeed, she was a bit too eager to maintain distance from Kushida-san.
So she intended to use the bathroom without waiting for Amane-san's permission.
"It's fine, Suzune can use it anytime she wants."
Amane-san spoke up to help Horikita-san out of the predicament.
Suzune... Hearing Amane-san subconsciously call her by her name,
Horikita-san's lips curved slightly.
She was relieved that Amane-san didn't reject calling her Suzune.
But such an expression, in Kushida-san's eyes,
was undoubtedly a provocation to her.
Using her good relationship with Amane-san to speak for her.
If that's the case,
then she shouldn't be blamed... "Amane-san, I just remembered there are some things I need to go back and get. I'll be back later."
"Mhm, Little Kikyo, you go take care of your business first."
Kushida-san probably couldn't get along with Horikita-san, so she decided to make an excuse to leave.
After all, her clothes were still here.
She couldn't just leave her clothes at Amane-san's place.
And come back to get them after Horikita-san left, could she?
Amane-san saw that both sides were still within a controllable range,
so she had no intention of meddling.
Horikita-san was her friend.
Kushida-san was also her friend.
She needed to maintain her friendships.
But this didn't mean that her two friends had to get along amicably.
Everyone has their own way of life and social habits.
How could one forcibly change someone's habits just because of one person?
Furthermore, Amane-san's deduction was that Horikita-san had rejected Kushida-san directly last time.
Kushida-san had been somewhat put on the spot.
That's why she was a bit harsher towards Horikita-san.
Horikita-san, on the other hand, simply had that kind of personality.
She had no intention of making friends.
Even if she did, it probably wouldn't be with someone like Kushida-san.
Because Amane-san knew.
Horikita-san doesn't like people who are close to many others.
Perhaps it's because Horikita-san herself isn't very good at socializing?
Soon, Kushida-san returned.
She was holding a box of Pocky chocolate biscuit sticks.
"I saw Amane-san and Horikita-san playing the Pocky game last time, and I'm a bit curious too? Would you like to try it with me?"
Kushida-san's voice seemed a bit loud.
She must have deliberately made sure Horikita-san heard her, right?
Cold sweat started to seep from Amane-san's forehead.
Kushida-san probably doesn't know that Horikita-san has extremely strong combat abilities.
If she really angered Horikita-san, it might even come to blows.
Sure enough.
The sound from the bathroom ceased.
Horikita Suzune walked out, her face expressionless.
The scent of lavender on Horikita-san could be smelled from a distance.
It seemed she still preferred the lavender-scented shower gel that Amane-san had recommended to her before.
"The Pocky game I played with Amane-san caused quite a stir, you know."
Horikita-san even walked directly to the table and sat down.
And so, the three girls… two girls were at loggerheads.
The other was already thinking about how to clean up the mess if a fight broke out later.
However, Amane-san still couldn't understand why they needed such a strong hostile atmosphere.
"Oh right, because of that, I was even alienated by 'someone',"
Amane-san gave 'someone' a resentful look.
Kushida-san lightly covered her mouth and chuckled.
"How could a good friend alienate her 'only' friend over something like this? Amane-san must be overthinking it, right, Horikita-san?"
Kushida-san's words, laced with hidden barbs, made Horikita-san clench her fists.
But what she said was not wrong.
Most people wouldn't make such a foolish decision as she did in this kind of situation.
How else could she defend herself?
Let alone Kushida-san.
If she herself thought it was foolish, was she not allowed to be called out by others?
Seeing Horikita-san speechless.
Amane-san didn't know how to help her.
"Speaking of which, it's also my fault; if I hadn't played that game with Suzune in a crowded place, it wouldn't have…"
Amane-san's explanation was clearly insufficient to defend Horikita-san.
Amane-san certainly made a common mistake.
However, Horikita-san's choice, to those unaware, looked as if Horikita-san had alienated Amane-san to escape public opinion about their relationship.
Such an act of abandoning a friend.
Many girls in Class D's social circle felt indignation on Amane-san's behalf.
Even Karuizawa privately said that Horikita-san's handling of the situation was the worst.
"Amane-san, although you made a mistake, the subsequent events… you wouldn't want to be alienated by your good friend, would you?"
Kushida-san's cutting words made Horikita-san completely unable to sit still.
"Amane-san, please go out first; Kushida-san and I have something to discuss."
Horikita Suzune stood up.
She looked at Kushida Kikyo expressionlessly.
"But…"
"I also want to talk with Horikita-san again, so please excuse us for a moment, Amane-san."
"But…"
"Go out first."
"Don't worry, you don't need to be concerned about me. I don't think Horikita-san would ever harm me."
Amane-san was thus driven out of the room.
"But… this is my dorm room!!!"
Amane-san sighed helplessly, looking at the closed dorm room door.