At the front gate of Sobu High School, the five members of the Service Club were saying their goodbyes.
After a bit of playful banter between Hoshimi, Yukinoshita, and Kotoko, it was about time for the school to close. Yukinoshita, as the club president, appropriately ended the club activities, which is why the group was now at the school gate.
"Hoshimi-senpai, see you tomorrow." Kotoko Iwanaga stood on tiptoe, tugged on Hoshimi's collar, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as a farewell gesture.
Yuigahama, who witnessed this, instinctively glanced at Yukino. When she saw that Yukino's expression remained unchanged, her gaze began to waver slightly.
"Yukinoshita-senpai, see you tomorrow," Kotoko said, turning to Yukino with a smile.
"..." Yukino nodded nonchalantly, a gesture meant as a response to Kotoko.
Kotoko didn't seem to mind and continued, "See you tomorrow, Yuigahama-senpai, and Hikigaya-senpai."
"Oh, see you tomorrow, Iwanaga-san," Yuigahama waved goodbye cheerfully.
"Mm..." Hikigaya, pushing his bike, awkwardly grunted in response. He hadn't expected Kotoko to actively bid him farewell.
Could this be the manners of a noble lady? Even to someone as insignificant as him, she extended polite courtesy.
Completely different from a certain other noble lady...
"Goodbye, everyone."
Finally, Kotoko bid farewell to the whole Service Club once more before turning and walking toward the luxurious black sedan that had been waiting for her by the roadside.
Standing by the car, the ponytailed female chauffeur, who was both stylish and respectful, opened the door for Kotoko with a graceful flourish.
Just as Kotoko was about to get into the car, Hoshimi suddenly asked, "Kotoko, was that your 'fictional reasoning'?"
Kotoko turned slightly, her gaze lingering on Hoshimi as she gave a mysterious smile. "Hoshimi-senpai, don't underestimate me. That could never be 'fictional reasoning.'"
With that, Kotoko bent down to get into the car. After the chauffeur closed the door and quickly moved to the driver's seat, the black sedan smoothly drove away, disappearing from sight.
Back at the school gate, Hoshimi took Yukino's hand and smiled at Yuigahama and Hikigaya. "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Yukinon, Hoshimi-kun..."
"Hm..." The ever-transparent Hikigaya still felt a bit out of place as he responded with a hum.
With their farewells over, the group split into two pairs, heading off in opposite directions.
As Hikigaya and Yuigahama walked along the same path, they remained silent until they were several blocks away from Sobu High. It was then that Yuigahama, her voice uncertain, broke the silence.
"Hikki, do you think Hayama-kun is the kind of person Kotoko-san described?"
"Hm? You mean a nice guy?"
"Not that... The other thing..." Yui's lips opened and closed, embarrassed to articulate it.
Understanding immediately, Hikigaya was a bit speechless. He looked ahead at the setting sun and calmly replied, "Probably not. Kotoko-san was likely teasing Hayama-san, just like Hoshimi-kun does..."
"Oh..." Yuigahama replied, her voice trailing off as she fell silent once more, lost in her thoughts.
After a long pause, Yuigahama suddenly asked, "Hikki, do you think Yukino can win?"
"..." Hikigaya remained silent.
If it were a simple comparison between Kotoko Iwanaga and Yukinoshita Yukino, Yukino's chances seemed slim.
Kotoko was different from Yukino. She didn't care about appearances, wasn't tsundere, and most importantly, possessed a level of initiative and action that most normal girls didn't have.
With just these three points, Yukino's chances were already at rock bottom.
Not to mention, Kotoko also had a terrifying level of capability.
Yes, in his view, Kotoko was stronger than Yukino—by more than just a little.
Take, for example, Hayama's request. If it had been up to him, Yukinoshita, and Yuigahama to solve it, it would've taken them a day or two to gather information, analyze it, and come up with a plan.
Yet Kotoko had resolved Hayama's issue in under ten minutes.
This petite first-year student had pieced together the truth using just a few clues and some conjecture.
Such abilities were not something the average high school student could possess. Kotoko was, without a doubt, a genius.
Considering all this, he estimated Kotoko's chances of winning to be at least ninety percent!
But when it comes to matters of the heart, it isn't always the strongest who wins. The decisive factor would be Hoshimi's choice.
As for what Hoshimi would choose...
How could he possibly know? He had no idea what was going on in Hoshimi's mind.
"Hikki?"
Seeing Hikigaya's delayed response, Yuigahama called his name with a hint of confusion.
"...I don't know..." Unwilling to get involved, Hikigaya answered vaguely.
"Oh... You don't know either, Hikki..." Yui's eyebrows lowered, her eyes dimming slightly with disappointment.
"..." Hikigaya glanced at Yuigahama out of the corner of his eye, noticing her mood was starting to drop.
He looked back at the road ahead, where the sun was setting behind the mountains, and said in a distant tone, "...Yukinoshita's chances might... be low..."
"Mm." Yuigahama responded quietly.
That was her conclusion too. Kotoko was too proactive, and too formidable... From an outsider's perspective, Yukino's odds didn't look good...
But Yukino was her dear friend! She couldn't just stand by and watch Yukino lose, and then revert to her old "Snow Woman" mode.
So, no matter the cost, she was determined to help Yukino achieve victory in the end!
Under the setting sun, Yuigahama Yui silently made a vow.
...
Meanwhile, as Yui was making her decision, Hoshimi and Yukino were walking hand in hand on their way home. The atmosphere between them had changed slightly, but not by much. Overall, it remained a peaceful and harmonious quiet.
As they walked, Hoshimi suddenly stopped.
"Hm?" Yukino looked at him in confusion.
Hoshimi pointed to a bookstore by the side of the road. "Yukino, is there any book you'd like to read?"
"Mm." Yukino nodded slightly and took the initiative to lead Hoshimi into the bookstore.
Once inside, Yukino led Hoshimi straight to the classical literature section.
Soon, Yukino was standing beneath the classical literature sign, slightly tilting her head, and gesturing with her chin toward an entire bookshelf.
Hoshimi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You want all of them?"
"Mm." Yukino casually picked a book from the shelf and leaned against the bookcase, starting to read.
The meaning was clear: "Hoshimi, you go grab the books. I'll wait here for you."
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