After leaving the dorm, I glanze at the wave of students coming and going for some time.
Students from all the years are inhabitating the same grounds at this school.
There are no adults nor children to be seen. I was yet again reminded how special this environment is.
Will it be possible to live a calm and relaxed life here, I wonder?
But it is certainly an unknown environment that I've never encountered in my life thus far.
I'd wanted to enjoy the scenery that was spreading out beyond me forever, but that wasn't meant to be.
That's because I spotted Ayanokouji-senpai.
He surely won't notice me at this distance I suppose.
Plus, he seems to be focusing on two students from class 1-A walking in front of him.
I think those two already have partners so he was perhaps worrying about whether to ask them for help.
Ignoring him getting any closer to Class 1-A wouldn't be a merit.
I start running, closing the distance before matching Ayanokouji-senpai's pace.
«Good morning, Ayanokouji-senpai.»
I call out to him in a natural way and make him notice me.
I definitely think I managed a perfect smile.
«Ah, good morning.»
He seems bewildered when I enter the scene, perhaps because he wasn't expecting it seems.
«Do you have any business with those two in front? Shall I call them out for you?»
I knew he would reject the offer, but I still suggested it anyway.
«No, it's okay.»
«Really?»
I begin to walk beside him after getting the answer I was expecting.
But, how shall I say it? Ayanokouji-senpai's presence is unusually peculiar.
Rather than calling it thin, it would be better to call it an absentminded sharpened blade.
It made me feel like just lightly touching it with a finger was enough to give you a deep wound…that kind of existence.
But that's perhaps why he was a special person.
Good or evil. Which of them we was, is the only thing important to me.
«I'm sorry for how rude Housen was
the other day.»
«No, I wasn't directly harmed in any way so you don't need to apologise.»
«But there's no lie to say he troubled you. I'm following him to stop him from doing those kind of things, but… how shall I say it? Not being able to to anything is painful…»
I will force him to deepen his relationship with class 1-D by actively getting him involved.
Depending on how it goes, he may possibly seek out my cooperation to become his partner.
No… that possibility is close to 0 for the moment.
He is only an unknown existance for me as of now.
My thoughts regarding him and how accurate those are were, are just speculation on my end.
Anyway, to prevent myself from acting any more unnatural, I continued my act.
By doing that he should call out to me in due time.
«Have you decided on any candidates to be your partner for this special exam?»
He avoided asking directly while taking the first step towards me.
If he really is a special person, he would have grasped my situation from the OAA app already.
«Me you mean? I haven't decided yet.»
«Well, but you have been asked, right?»
This conversation is just a formality.
«I suppose so. I've been asked by some upperclassmen from class 2-A and 2-D more or less.»
«Any reasons for now answering them?»
Why am I not answering them?
That's just because that's the direction I'm going for. That's the only thing I could answer with…
«I'm sorry, but I can't answer that.»
There is of course, no way I can tell him that at this point in time.
«Not answering a question you don't want to be asked is the right choice, no need to apologise.»
He seems to know that I can't answer him from the very beginning.
«It it's okay for you, how about joining forces between our classes and find suiting partners between us?»
And then he made a drastic proposition towards me.
«You mean to cooperate…right?»
But that's what I had wanted in the first place.
If he hadn't suggested it, I would have done it instead.
So that means my first contact with him probably is a success.
I looked at Ayanokouji-senpai, while deeply in my thoughts. His image reflected in my eyes.
—You can't judge people by their apperances.
That's a sentiment I hold strongly.