RING!!! The bell rang loudly, signaling the end of our lesson. "That's all for today, class. Have a nice break and don't forget about me!" Hoshinomiya-Sensei teased us all. She blew a kiss to all of us as she made her grand exit from the class.

When I looked around, I noticed that some of the boys were smitten by her gesture and were openly acting excited, while some of the girls were looking at them with pure disgust on their faces.

As the lesson came to an end, everyone began to congregate around their friends, making plans for where they would eat lunch. Lunchtime would be an excellent opportunity for me to get to know my fellow classmates better. I needed to act quickly so that I didn't get left in the dust.

I rose from my seat and began scanning the room for available students. Hirata was being swarmed by Karuizawa's group, so no. Sudo appeared to be planning to accompany Yamauchi and Ike, so I guess I can't invite him.

"A-ayanokouji-Kun... U-um..." A sweet but shy voice called out to me, jolting me out of my reverie. The person who had called out to me was Mii-Chan with a few girls behind her which included Kushida. It seems they were acquaintances of hers.

"Yes, Mii-Chan? May I help you?" I inquired her. I can probably already guess that she was planning to invite me to lunch along with her friends.

"Mii-Chan, you don't have to be so shy! I'm sure Ayanokouji-Kun won't mind." Kushida backed her up. There were numerous words of encouragement, such as "you can do it!" "Come on, Mii-Chan!" Coming from her batch of friends.

"What is it, Mii-Chan?" I asked this to elicit the long-awaited question she wanted to ask me.

"U-um... W-would you like to, uh... Join us for lunch?" Mii-Chan finally inquired, her voice flustered. I could tell from her expression that she needed a lot of confidence and encouragement from her friends to ask for something as simple as this. Mii-chan appeared to have a typically shy and sheepish personality based on the interactions we've had so far.

"Sure, why not?" I replied. She seemed surprised by my response but quickly breathed a sigh of relief.

"See? I told you there was no need to be concerned!" Mii-Chan was reassured by a girl. A closer look revealed a girl with short brown hair and yellow gradient-violet eyes.

I recalled her name was... Onodera Kayano. In her introduction, she described herself as a very skilled and experienced swimmer who intended to join the school's swimming club. In comparison to the other girls in my class, she appeared more tomboyish and masculine.

"I-i see, I'm glad then..." Mii-Chan murmured to herself. From a distance, she had a small smile on her face, with red tints on her cheeks. Now that I'd gotten a good look at her, she was really cute. Anyone would be charmed by her adorable but shy demeanor.

"Ara? Ayanokouji-Kun, aren't you staring at Mii-chan a little too much?" One of the girls enquired sarcastically. Ichihashi Ruri was her name, based on what I could tell. I didn't learn much about her personality from her introduction because it was brief, but she appeared to be a pleasant and cheerful young lady.

It appears that my staring was too obvious. I needed to clear up the misunderstanding quickly so they didn't mistake me for a pervert. I don't want the rest of the class to think of me as a creep, especially since I'll be the one leading them.

"Ah, sorry if I freaked you out or anything. I just thought she looked really cute for a second." I complimented Mii-Chan while clarifying any misunderstandings about the situation.

"E-eh?!" Mii-Chan exclaimed loudly, sounding agitated. My compliment seemed to elicit a response from her. Her exclamation drew the attention of everyone in the room. She quickly tried to cover her reddened face with her hands, but it was futile because everyone was already staring in our direction with full interest.

"Kya! I had no idea you were so daring, Ayanokouji-Kun!" Onodera shouted. She was exacerbating an already dire situation.

"You two can flirt with each other later at the cafeteria." Ichihashi teased even more.

"We're not flirting in the least! We are especially not l-lovebirds!" Mii-Chan yelled at them. Okay, I need to calm them down before things become even more troublesome.

"Please accept my apologies if it appeared that I was hitting on you. I really had no ulterior motives when I complimented you." I apologized and bowed to appear sincere.

"There's no need for an apology, Ayanokouji-kun! We were all aware that wasn't your intention. All we were doing was teasing her, that's all!" Kushida attempted to reassure me.

"Yeah Ayanokouji-Kun, I know you'd never do something like that. After all, you're a nice person." Mii-Chan also joined Kushida in reassuring me.

"Yes, I see. Then I'd like to thank you for not making any irrational assumptions about me." In response, they simply nodded their heads.

"So where are we gonna have lunch?" I asked while opening my bag to grab my bento wrap.

"Ah, we were actually thinking of going to this cafe called palette cafe," Onodera replied.

Sigh...

"I see..." I muttered to myself. I guess it was pointless to make a bento wrap for lunch. What a waste. Although I could bring the bento to the cafe, I doubt that places like that would allow outside food.

"Do you not like cafes Ayanokouji-Kun?" Kushida asked with concern hinted in her tone.

"Why do you ask that?"

"It's just that I noticed you sighed suddenly when we mentioned we were going to palette cafe for lunch."

It appears that I had made my dissatisfaction too blatantly visible, or perhaps Kushida was just that perceptive of other people. She was concerned about something as insignificant as that. I guess she is as nice as she portrays herself to be.

"I don't despise going to the cafe; rather, I enjoy its sweet culinary offerings and refreshing beverages. I just don't like the extra attention I'd get if I went there as the only boy in a group of girls. I also brought a bento wrap for lunch, but I suppose I wouldn't mind eating at the cafe."

Although all of that was true, I also didn't want to be stared at by the people who would be attending the cafe given the uproar caused by Hashimoto's sudden post about me.

"Do you perhaps dislike attention, Ayanokouji-Kun?" A young girl with shoulder-length brown hair and violet eyes with a yellow tinge spoke up.

Inogashira Kokoro was her name. She was one of the shy girls who struggled to introduce herself at first. But, with the help of Kushida and a few of our other classmates, she was able to introduce herself quietly well.

"Not always, but I prefer to keep to myself," I replied to her question.

"Eh? Really? I assumed you were the same type of boy as Hirata-Kun. Ayanokouji-Kun, weren't you popular in middle school? You have the looks for it, and you're also extremely intelligent." Ichihashi pounced on me with questions.

"Well, we can talk about it later as a topic of conversation once we get to the cafe." I ended the conversation. I was about to walk over to the classroom door when Kushida suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"Please wait a moment. Ayanokouji-Kun. Didn't you say you brought a bento wrap with you a few minutes ago?"

So that's why she grabbed my wrist so suddenly...

"I did, is there any problem with that?"

"No, no, the opposite of that actually. It's just, wouldn't it be a waste for you to not eat the bento you prepared to eat for lunch? We can just eat at the cafeteria and reschedule when we want to eat at the cafe." She said as her face got closer to mine.

Could someone really be this considerate of other people's feelings? Kushida's words seemed genuine as if she was doing this solely out of goodwill rather than malice. Though I can't rule out the possibility that it was a ruse, she honestly didn't seem like that kind of person to me.

"I suppose it would be a waste. But are you all okay with not going to the cafe?" I requested confirmation from them.

"Well, I was really looking forward to trying out the food and drinks at Palette Cafe... But we can come to visit another time. It's fine really. After all, we'll have plenty of opportunities to hang out at the cafe during our three years together as classmates." Onodera replied with a smile on his face. The others simply nodded and agreed with her.

"I see... Then let's go to the cafeteria for lunch. Again, I would like to apologize for inconveniencing you all in this manner." I offered my apologies to them.

"Mou~ stop apologizing so much Ayanokouji-Kun! You haven't done anything wrong really!" Ichihashi voiced her displeasure with my attitude.

I unconsciously tried to apologize again but she just scolded me even more for it. The other girls shared a laugh at our playful banter.

"Well, now that everything is settled, shall we make our way to lunch everyone?" Kushida questioned us.

"Wait, can I invite someone else to come with us?" I asked suddenly.

"Of course Ayanokouji-Kun! Anyone is welcome to join us for lunch." Kushida started her welcome to anyone who wished to join us.

Alright, that's good then. I'd wanted to bring a male companion with me so I wouldn't feel awkward being surrounded by girls. I was planning on inviting my trusted right-hand man, Eichiiro.

I shifted my gaze to his seat and...

He'd been gone for a long time already...

In the first place, why did I even expect him to stay in class for a such a long period of time? It must be common for him and Hirata to be surrounded by girls of the same age. I guess I had already gotten used to his company when we stayed at that government facility for a year.

I then averted my gaze from his seat and searched for my other male acquaintances, where I came across Miyake.

"Miyak-" I stopped my mouth from saying his name as I noticed he was already accompanying Yukimura as they were talking with another one of my classmates.

If I'm not wrong, her name was Hasebe Haruka. She was a girl with waist-length blue hair that has bangs going on either side with orange eyes with a mole visible beneath her left eye. She also had a well-endowed body as I could see that the boys of our class would occasionally stare at her either attracted by her beauty or looking at her with lust in their eyes.

"Ayanokouji-Kun?" Mii-Chan snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, it's nothing. The person I wanted to invite is already occupied with someone else. Let's just go to the cafeteria." I notified them.

I then grabbed my bento wrap from my table and we all made our way to the cafeteria.

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We had arrived at the already overcrowded cafeteria. When we walked in, I noticed that some people would occasionally glance at me multiple times per second, while others were staring at me openly. The stares I received from other people made me feel uneasy, so I quickly tried to find a table for us to alleviate my concerns.

"Ayanokouji-Kun, save a table for us okay!" Onodera said loudly to gain my attention. I just nodded slightly as a response.

I initially struggled to find an open table with no one occupying it at first, but after a couple of minutes, I finally found one. I then set my bento wrap on the table as I took a seat. I began unwrapping my bento as I rest the cloth beneath the bento box. I then slowly opened the box revealing the food inside.

It simply looked scrumptious, and I was fighting the urge to bite into it while waiting for the girls to get their food trays. I could just eat the bento right now without them, but I didn't want to act badly mannered and I was afraid that if I didn't wait for them, they would feel offended by my impatience on my tolerance of hunger.

While I was waiting for the girls, I noticed someone approaching me with a food tray in hand. They didn't seem to want to ask if they could sit with me, but rather exchange a simple greeting. And of all people, it had to be him...

"Yo, Ayanokouji!" A certain blonde ponytailed boy called out to me.

I let out a sigh before responding to him,

"Yes, Hashimoto?" I asked with slight irritation hinted at my voice.

"Woah, no need to be so cold man. Don't tell me you're upset about the photo I posted of you and Koenji this morning?" Hashimoto interrogated me.

Hashimoto, I think anyone would be upset if you posted a picture of them without their consent. That's just basic common sense.

"While I disliked the necessary attention that post drew to me, I'm not particularly upset with you." I gave him an honest answer.

"Phew! I thought you might have hated me or something!" Hashimoto said while wiping sweat from his head to appear relieved.

"I'm not that petty Hashimoto. I'm sure you had no ill intention when you posted that picture. I'm not someone who would hold a grudge over something as trivial as that." I remarked.

"Man, are you sure you're a high schooler? Your way too mature compared to some other boys in this school."

"I can confirm that I am indeed a normal high schooler."

That is utter bullshit and you and I know that very well.

"Ayanokouji, I don't think any normal high schooler would get perfect marks on their entrance exams, especially in an elite school," Hashimoto remarked.

"Well, there's always the possibility that I got lucky with the questions and got perfect marks by pure chance." I retorted. He just stared at me for a while before letting out a sigh.

"Aren't you being a bit too humble man?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've already asked Sakayanagi about the entrance exams, and she even said that some of the questions were college-level questions that we high school students shouldn't even be able to answer yet! No matter how you look at it, you're clearly some kind of academic prodigy or just a genius in general ." Hashimoto exclaimed while throwing compliments at me.

"Well, by my accomplishments, I guess you could call me a genius." I gave up and just gave in to his compliments.

"Now that's more like it Ayanokouji! The ladies love a confident man who can actually back up his claims."

Ladies? When did this conversation suddenly turn into him giving me advice on ladies?

"Anyway, almost forgot to ask, but do you have anyone accompanying you? It would be a shame if you came to to the cafeteria just to eat alone. You're welcome to join me and my friends for lunch. If you want to, of course." Hashimoto asked me.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll pass. I'm already waiting for some people to finish their orders so I can join them for lunch." I replied as I pointed to Kushida's group of girls. Hashimoto just gave me a smirk in response.

"My king is already building a harem of girls I see." Hashimoto teased.

Also king? Is he just like Koenji, nicknaming anyone he meets as he likes? Is that normal for blonde people?

"Anyways, I'd love to chat with you more but I already have friends waiting for me. See you later, Ayanokouji!" Hashimoto bid farewell as he walked in the direction where his friends were sitting.

"Ayanokouji-Kun!" I heard Kushida's voice calling out to me.

I turned my head in the direction of her voice and everyone had apparently finished taking their orders. Coincidentally, They had just arrived at our table when Hashimoto and I ended our conversation as he left to join his friends at their table.

"Thanks for waiting for all of us." Onodera expressed her gratitude. I just nodded as a response. They then took their seats, with Onodera, Inogashira, and Ichihashi sitting in front of me, Mii-Chan to my left, and Kushida to my right.

"Itadakimasu." We all said in unison. I then used my pair of chopsticks to pick up some fried rice and shrimp to put in my mouth.

Delicious.

A good meal is really well needed after a tiring start to the day. I had to thank Matsuo and Eichiiro for my culinary skills. They taught me a lot of Japanese and foreign recipes for me to try to cook. Although I'm not the best cook, I think my food would be acceptable for others to eat.

"Your food looks so appetizing Ayanokouji-Kun!" Ichihashi praised my bento.

"I know right, compared to what we ordered, your bento looks like a Michelin star meal." Onodera joined in complimenting my food.

"Did you cook that yourself Ayanokouji-Kun?" Mii-Chan asked me.

"Yeah, I did."

"Sugoi! Your amazing Ayanokouji-Kun!" Kushida exclaimed.

"I know right! I can't even cook a single meal for myself without one of the ingredients getting burned." Inogashira said with an embarrassed expression.

"I don't think it's really that special. Cooking is an essential skill you'll need later in life, so I'm just doing the bare minimum."

"Even so, most boys of your age don't even bother trying to learn how to cook. So it's still pretty impressive Ayanokouji-Kun. You'll surely be at the top of the list soon." Onodera voices her opinion.

Wait...

"List? What kind of list are you talking about?" I asked curiously.

"Onodera chan!" Ichihashi yelled at her.

"E-eh?! Just ignore that Ayanokouji-Kun. That was a blunder on my part!" Onodera said loudly. Were they trying to hide something from me? Well I won't try to pry into it any further considering its probably none of my business

"Girls, I think we can tell Ayanokouji-Kun about the list. I'm sure he wouldn't tell any of the other boys about It." Kushida voiced her opinion. Was it really that important that barely any of the boys know about it?

"Are you sure Kushida-Chan?" Inogashira asked her.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, it's fine really. But if you do decide to tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone about it." I spoke up to reassure them. I continued to eat as I await their decision. Although I am quite curious about what they meant by list, I didn't think it was that necessary for me to know about it.

"Umm... I think we can trust Ayanokouji-Kun. He seems like he wouldn't tell anyone about it." Mii-Chan expressed her stance on the manner.

"See? Even Mii-Chan agrees with me. So can we all just agree to tell him?" Kushida asked once more.

"Well... I guess if it's Ayanokouji-Kun, I wouldn't mind." Inogashira finalized her decision.