Leaving Suzune Horikita's room, Subaru walked along the corridor toward the stairwell.
The dormitory building was quiet, with bright lights illuminating the hallway.
Outside the window, the moonlight was hazy, shrouding everything in a tranquil atmosphere.
His footsteps echoed in the empty corridor—one step, another step—steady as always.
Just as he walked down the stairs and was about to turn toward the floor where his room was located, his steps paused slightly.
By the window at the corner of the stairs stood a person.
Moonlight slanted in through the window, plating her in a layer of cold, clear silver-white.
She leaned back against the wall, head slightly bowed, seemingly looking at something in her hand, or perhaps just dazing out. Her entire being was shrouded in an indescribable atmosphere of loneliness.
Honami Ichinose.
She wore a simple white shirt and a dark long skirt, her long pink hair draped over her shoulders.
Even from a distance of several meters, the exhaustion on her face was difficult to conceal—the obvious dark circles under her eyes, a complexion much paler than usual, and a lingering gloom between her brows.
Subaru's gaze lingered on her for a moment.
She didn't notice him.
This was strange.
Honami Ichinose had always been the type of person keenly sensitive to her surroundings. As the leader of Class A, she could always detect the presence of others immediately and then reveal that warm smile that seemed capable of melting everything.
But now, she just stood there, head bowed, motionless.
Like a doll that had lost its life.
Subaru didn't make a sound.
He continued walking forward, his footsteps sounding somewhat distinct in the quiet corridor.
Only after hearing the gradually approaching sounds did Honami Ichinose finally snap back to reality and raise her head.
The moment their eyes met, Subaru saw a flash of panic in her eyes—it was the subconscious reaction of being caught in a fragile moment.
Like a frightened small animal, instinctively wanting to hide.
But soon, she adjusted her expression, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly as she tried to squeeze out that customary, warm smile.
It was just that the smile was much stiffer than usual.
"Natsuki-ku..."
Her voice was somewhat hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken for a long time, or perhaps as if she had just been crying.
"It's so late, haven't you rested yet?"
Subaru didn't speak.
He simply looked at her.
In those eyes, there was still no emotional fluctuation.
But beneath that calm, something seemed to be turning slightly—as if observing, or evaluating, or perhaps just simply looking.
Honami Ichinose felt somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze.
She subconsciously avoided his eyes, lowering her head to look at the object in her hand—it was a terminal, the screen still lit. It appeared to be the interface of some social media app, with dense text glowing with a cold white light in the darkness.
After a silence of several seconds, Subaru finally spoke:
"Ichinose, why are you here?"
"...Sorry."
She spoke softly.
"I... I'll go back right now."
She turned sideways, intending to leave.
But just as she took a step, her figure swayed, losing balance as if she had no strength.
Subaru reached out and supported her arm.
The action was light, fast, and natural.
Honami Ichinose froze for a moment, raising her head to look at him.
In those eyes, right now, was full of complex emotions—exhaustion, confusion, and a trace of indescribable... fragility.
Moonlight fell on her face, making those eyes that usually sparkled look somewhat dim.
"...Thank you."
She whispered.
Subaru let go of his hand.
If it were before, Subaru wouldn't have bothered with Honami Ichinose at all.
After all, in Subaru's eyes, Honami Ichinose was a person without color.
On the surface, Honami Ichinose appeared to be a very warm-hearted and kind person.
But Subaru could see her essence.
She was indeed very kind.
It was just that, hidden within her heart, there seemed to be something unknown to others.
However, Subaru now wanted to see those things beyond the so-called colors.
Since he had encountered Honami Ichinose now.
Observing a little wouldn't do any harm.
"You don't look too good."
His voice remained flat, but in this quiet corridor, it seemed exceptionally clear.
Honami Ichinose gave a bitter smile.
"Is it... that obvious?"
Subaru didn't answer.
But his silence was itself an answer.
Honami Ichinose sighed.
She leaned back against the wall again, closing her eyes as if gathering strength.
Several seconds passed before she opened her eyes again, looking at the boy in front of her who could never be seen through.
"Natsuki-kun, did you know..."
She paused, seeming to organize her language, or perhaps hesitating on whether to say it out loud.
"Recently, there have been some rumors about me."
Subaru didn't speak.
Honami Ichinose continued, her voice very light and exhausted, as if she had finally found someone she could confide in—even if this person was the forever indifferent, forever inscrutable Subaru.
"Some people say that I did very bad things in the past. Some people say that I relied on improper means to become the leader of Class A..."
She lowered her head, looking at her hands, which seemed to be trembling slightly.
"These rumors... spread very fast, faster than I imagined. Many classmates have heard them. Although on the surface they act the same as before, greeting me and smiling at me, I can feel that the way some people look at me has changed."
"It's become... somewhat suspicious, somewhat distant."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Some people have even started to avoid me. Those girls who used to surround me, now they walk around me when they see me. I don't know if they are afraid of being implicated, or if they really believe those words."
She raised her head, looking at Subaru.
"Do you know what the most terrible thing is?"
Subaru didn't answer.
"The most terrible thing is, a part of those rumors... is true."
Her voice dropped lower, carrying an indescribable self-mockery and pain.
"I indeed did some not-so-good things in the past."
Her voice became lower and lower, until finally, it was almost inaudible.
"I always thought that as long as I treated everyone well in the future, exchanging sincerity for sincerity, those past events would slowly be forgotten. I tried hard to become cheerful, to become warm, to make everyone like me. I told myself that was just youthful ignorance, and the current me is already different..."
"But now..."
She couldn't go on.
Tears swirled in her eyes, but she held them back forcibly, not letting them fall.
The corridor fell into silence.
Subaru didn't speak; he just stood there quietly, looking at this girl who was usually full of vitality, seemingly waiting for her to speak on her own initiative.
"Natsuki-kun, can you... listen to me finish?"
She paused.
"If you have time... could you come to my room? Here... isn't very convenient."
Her voice carried a trace of pleading.
Subaru looked at her.
He recalled his judgment of her—a person without color.
Passionate on the surface, hiding things inside.
Now, she was preparing to take out those hidden things.
"...Sure."
His answer remained brief.
Honami Ichinose froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting him to agree so crisply.
Then she revealed a shallow smile—much more real than that stiff smile just now.
"Thank you."
Soon, Subaru followed Honami Ichinose to the girls' dormitory.
Honami Ichinose's appearance at this moment was like a different person from usual—that Class A leader who was always smiling, full of energy, and capable of making everyone around her feel warm, now looked incomparably gloomy.
"Please come in... although it's a bit messy."
The room was much tidier than Subaru had imagined.
Textbooks and notebooks were arranged neatly on the desk, the bed was made cleanly, and a few small potted plants sat on the windowsill.
The only thing different from usual was that there were some crumpled tissues in the trash can.
Honami Ichinose noticed his gaze and gave a bitter smile.
"These past few days... I cried a few times, don't mind it."
She pointed to the chair in front of the desk.
"You sit there, I'll just sit on the bed."
Subaru sat down on the chair, simultaneously taking out his terminal.
On the forum, indeed, quite a few rumors had already appeared.
The most numerous among them were about Honami Ichinose.
All of Class A's points were on Honami Ichinose, and the message among them was:
[Honami Ichinose is a criminal; is it really okay to entrust all the class points to her?]
Actually, not just the forum; earlier, Subaru had seen someone post similar things on the bulletin board downstairs in the dormitory.
However, Subaru didn't intend to actively participate at first.
But since Honami Ichinose had actively sought him out, then it didn't matter.
Honami Ichinose sat on the edge of the bed, hands on her knees, head bowed, seemingly organizing her language.
It was a long time before she spoke.
"Natsuki-kun, do you know who spread these rumors?"
Subaru looked at her and quickly gave an answer.
"It should be Sakayanagi."
His tone was flat, as if stating a fact.
Honami Ichinose was stunned.
"You... how do you know?"
"Guessed."
"Guessed?"
"Yeah."
Subaru pushed up nonexistent glasses—this was his habitual action in this world.
"This kind of precise strike doesn't look like an accident. Moreover, she has been observing many people recently."
Subaru was very clear that the only ones who would suddenly launch an offensive against Honami Ichinose at this time were the opponents of this Sports Festival.
Either it was them, Class C, or it was Class A.
Ryuen of Class D definitely wouldn't move against a temporary ally; that would be a thankless task.
And Subaru of Class C knew that Suzune Horikita wouldn't do this kind of thing.
Then there was only one candidate left.
Arisu Sakayanagi.
And the style of this matter was also Arisu Sakayanagi's style.
Honami Ichinose was silent for a few seconds.
Then she smiled.
That smile carried a trace of bitterness, and also a trace of admiration.
"You really are just like the rumors... knowing everything."
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't know why she wants to target you."
Subaru said.
"That is what I want to hear."
Actually, there was an answer in Subaru's heart.
Arisu Sakayanagi, it wasn't just for the Sports Festival.
On the other hand, it was also to display her own ability.
I'm afraid, it is because of me.
Honami Ichinose froze for a moment.
Then she took a deep breath.
"I also want to know."
She lowered her head, looking at her hands.
"Sakayanagi-san and I... actually don't have much interaction. She is in Class B, I am in Class A; our usual social interactions aren't many. Her health isn't good, so she rarely participates in collective activities. She is very resourceful... my understanding of her is limited to the fact that she is very smart."
She paused.
"So I've always been unable to figure out why she would do this."
Subaru didn't speak.
Honami Ichinose continued speaking.
"Until the day before yesterday, I met her in the corridor."
She raised her head, her expression somewhat complex.
"She just stood there, looking at me. That kind of gaze... I don't know how to describe it. It wasn't malice, it wasn't ridicule, it was more like a kind of... observation? Just like looking at an interesting experimental subject."
Subaru's eyes moved slightly.
He was very familiar with this description.
The way Arisu Sakayanagi looked at people was indeed like that.
"Then she said a sentence to me."
Honami Ichinose's voice dropped lower.
"She said, 'Ichinose-san, you will be my first victim~'"
"After saying that sentence, she left, leaving me standing there alone."
Subaru pushed up his glasses.
"And then you knew it was her."
"Yeah."
Honami Ichinose nodded.
"Although there isn't any evidence, I just know. That feeling... I can't explain it clearly."
The room fell into silence once again.
Moonlight spilled in through the window, falling on Honami Ichinose, plating her pink long hair with a layer of silver-white.
She bowed her head, hands tightly clutching the hem of her skirt, her expression becoming increasingly grave.
"Natsuki-kun."
"Hm?"
"Do you want to hear about my past? The complete version."
She raised her head, looking at him.
In those eyes, there was exhaustion, there was fear, but more than that, there was a kind of determination.
Like a person finally deciding to speak out a secret hidden in the bottom of their heart for many years.
Subaru looked at her.
"If you want to say it, I'll listen."
Honami Ichinose froze for a moment.
Then she smiled.
This time the smile was much more real than before.
"You are really strange."
She said.
"Usually so cold, indifferent to everything, but when someone really needs you, you will be there."
"It's just because I happen to have nothing to do."
Subaru answered expressionlessly.
"Is that so."
Honami Ichinose pursed her lips.
Although Honami Ichinose was also very clear that the Subaru in front of her came from another class, and was even a class enemy for the Sports Festival.
But for some reason, Honami Ichinose was willing to tell her story to him.
Perhaps because Subaru was the type who was indifferent to everything?
Even if she said something, Subaru wouldn't have any reaction.
It wouldn't even produce an impact on the upcoming Sports Festival.
In Honami Ichinose's eyes, Subaru was a bit like a tree hollow used for whispering secrets.
"Then, I'm going to start."
Honami Ichinose opened her mouth and said.
____
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