'Does Kushida-san have feelings for Natsuki?'
Hiyori Shiina found it hard not to think this way.
After all, classmates rarely addressed each other directly by their given names; they usually used surnames.
Even though Hiyori considered herself to be on very good terms with Subaru as a friend, and their usual interactions were extremely harmonious, it was impossible for her to directly call him 'Subaru' like Kikyo Kushida did.
No matter how obtuse a person might be, they could sense the ambiguity contained within such a form of address.
"Eh?"
"Just... friends?"
The corners of Kikyo Kushida's mouth rose slightly.
The smile hidden within her gaze as she looked at Hiyori became increasingly thick.
Originally, Kushida was wondering if a girl who could hang out with a guy like Subaru would be quite difficult to deal with. But now, it seemed that Hiyori was much better than she had imagined.
At least, compared to that damn bitch Suzune Horikita, she was truly far easier to handle.
"Just... only friends?"
"Kushida-san seems to be breathing a sigh of relief..."
Hiyori didn't keep her thoughts bottled up inside.
Looking at Kushida, Hiyori quickly adjusted her mood and asked with a smile, "Could it be that you also have a little bit of feeling for Natsuki, Kushida-san?"
"Because the way Kushida-san addresses Natsuki is truly very intimate, that's why I had this thought."
Faced with Kushida's probing, Hiyori also launched her own probe.
Regarding the matter of Kushida directly and incomparably frankly calling Subaru 'Subaru-kun' in front of so many people, Hiyori was also somewhat curious about what Kushida's situation was.
Was it just a purely intimate form of address, or was there something more unknown going on?
"It's nothing, really. I was just a bit surprised."
Kushida did indeed feel a sense of relief.
If Hiyori had really established some kind of relationship with Subaru, Kushida really wouldn't know what to do. After all, just Suzune Horikita alone was enough to give Kushida a terrible headache.
If Hiyori were Subaru's girlfriend, then Kushida could basically assume that Hiyori also knew about some of her behaviors. Although currently, what Subaru knew was merely some of her two-faced personality traits.
He wouldn't know about some of the things she experienced in junior high, but better safe than sorry.
Kushida certainly wouldn't harbor any lucky psychology (wishful thinking). She would want to clean out of this school, to the best of her ability, everyone who knew, or might know, about her past.
This included Subaru, with whom she seemed to be getting along very happily at the moment.
It was just that Kushida's biggest target currently remained Suzune Horikita.
"As for feelings, I don't really deny it."
"Subaru-kun is a very excellent person, and if you look closely, his appearance is also very much above standard..."
Naturally, Kushida couldn't tell Hiyori the real reason for her relief. Instead, she smiled and explained, "If I really wanted to find a boyfriend, I actually wouldn't resist if it were Subaru-kun~"
As she spoke, Kushida took two steps closer to Subaru, looking as if she really fancied him very much.
It was as if, provided Subaru made even a slight move now, she would directly agree to his confession.
"So that's how it is?"
"Kushida-san is much more straightforward than I imagined."
Hiyori looked at Kushida thoughtfully.
When they first made contact, Hiyori had the initiative stolen by Kushida and was flustered for a moment, making her seem easy to handle. But now that her emotions had calmed down, Hiyori quickly discovered something was wrong.
Kikyo Kushida's performance was truly a bit too deliberate.
Whether it was the address 'Subaru-kun' or the action of leaning slightly closer to Subaru just now, neither was natural.
At least in Hiyori's eyes, it was so.
Kushida could have many purposes for doing this, but it was absolutely impossible that she liked Subaru.
However, Hiyori didn't say anything more.
Subaru himself didn't resist interacting with Kushida. Moreover, based on Hiyori's understanding of Subaru, he definitely also clearly understood the things Kushida was displaying.
Furthermore, there was a high probability he knew even more clearly than she did. Subaru didn't need her to worry too much.
"Not really."
"I'm just saying it. Anyway, Subaru-kun won't have any interest in me."
Saying this, Kushida stole a glance at Subaru without changing her expression.
Regarding the incident where she ran to Subaru's dorm to sleep, and it turned out to be truly just sleeping, Kushida was still somewhat unconvinced.
At least, Kushida felt her charm shouldn't be lower than the Hiyori Shiina before her.
Yet Subaru, who usually lacked motivation for everything, actually accompanied Hiyori out to watch a movie today.
Incomprehensible. Annoying.
"Eh?"
"'Won't have any interest'... Could it be that Kushida-san has already tried to do something with Natsuki?"
Hiyori tilted her head slightly, her gaze becoming a bit serious.
"I guess so."
Kushida seemed not to notice Hiyori's gaze, which had suddenly become serious.
"It's just that there was no result."
"Subaru-kun looks like he can't really work up interest in anything. His sense of boundaries is truly too distinct."
"To truly make Subaru-kun interested, one probably has to be very, very compatible..."
Looking at Hiyori, who held a hint of inquiry, Kushida said with a beaming smile, "A girl of my type probably doesn't match Subaru-kun's 'channel'. Maybe one needs to be like Shiina-san?"
Kushida's tone carried just the right amount of self-deprecation and disappointment.
'Hmm... Kikyo Kushida's acting skills are getting better and better.'
Although it had been less than two months since school started, Subaru could clearly feel the progress in Kushida. Her acting skills had obviously opened up a significant gap compared to the Kushida of two months ago.
"I think Shiina-san and Subaru-kun get along really well."
"Is there any secret?"
"For example... you both seem to really like reading books in the library?"
The dagger was revealed.
After confirming that Hiyori was not Subaru's girlfriend, Kushida began her other objective.
Ever since she encountered that setback in Subaru's dorm last time, Kushida had understood one thing: if she wanted Subaru to do something, using conventional methods wouldn't work.
She had to use something deeper.
Seeing Subaru easily achieve things she absolutely couldn't do, Kushida's thoughts about Subaru grew geometrically.
Watching Suzune Horikita's arrogant appearance every day, Kushida truly couldn't stand it anymore.
This morning, when she saw Subaru force Haruki Yamauchi to the point of kneeling, Kushida was genuinely excited. She really wanted to swap places, putting herself in Subaru's position, with Haruki Yamauchi becoming Suzune Horikita.
Just thinking about Suzune Horikita kneeling on the ground begging her, Kushida even felt like she was going to... you know.
So, Kushida took advantage of today's chance encounter to start her move.
She needed to figure out why Subaru liked reading in the library, and specifically reading with Hiyori Shiina. If he really wanted to read, couldn't he read anywhere?
Why did it have to be the library?
"As for a secret... I don't think there is one."
"The probable reason... should be that neither Natsuki nor I are good with lively occasions."
Hiyori recalled the process of her interactions with Subaru slightly.
Although they spent a lot of time together, and might be the people who spent the most time with each other in this school, if she really had to say if there was anything worth bringing up, there didn't seem to be anything.
Today's 'date', truth be told, was actually very ordinary and common.
"I'm not very clear on what Natsuki thinks. As for me... when reading in the library, there is a very quiet, tranquil feeling. This feeling makes one feel very relaxed."
"So that's how it is."
"It feels a bit Platonic."
Kushida's intonation was slightly drawn out, while a thoughtful emotion flashed through her eyes.
Although Hiyori felt that Kushida had a very strong purpose and was doing something for this purpose, she didn't know exactly what she was going to do, nor did she have much defensiveness.
Kushida easily found the key point: Quiet.
'Is the reason Subaru likes going to the library because of its quiet atmosphere?'
'I see. Thinking about it this way, when he expelled that guy Haruki Yamauchi this morning, Subaru said something similar—that after expelling Yamauchi, it would be a bit quieter.'
In other words... was Subaru essentially an energy-saving type of personality?
No, it could only be said to be somewhat similar.
Kushida denied her own thought.
Subaru's usual performance had absolutely no connection to the words 'energy-saving'.
Although she was still a bit confused, the harvest today was very rich, and Kushida was very satisfied.
Since she couldn't communicate effectively with Subaru, then she would communicate with the people around Subaru.
She could always gain something.
"Our movie is about to start~"
"Alright, then I won't disturb the date between Shiina-san and Subaru-kun~"
Having achieved her goal, Kushida didn't plan to chat any further.
After checking the time on her student terminal, she smiled and waved to Subaru and Hiyori, then led the two sisters beside her and continued walking toward the movie theater.
After all, if you're going to act, you have to go all the way.
Kushida still possessed this bit of professionalism.
It was fine to come over deliberately to encounter Subaru and Hiyori, but the fact that Kushida spent personal points to buy movie tickets, and even bought tickets for the sisters with her, was also true.
"I feel like Kushida-san seems to want to understand you on a deeper level, Natsuki."
Hiyori looked at Kushida's retreating figure walking into the movie theater, then smiled at Subaru. "Although I feel that the impression Kushida-san gave just now wasn't very sincere..."
"However, Kushida-san considers accepting your confession, Natsuki."
"There should be a not-small probability that Kushida-san would agree."
"The current Kikyo-san is still lacking a little something special for me."
Hearing Hiyori's teasing, Subaru said somewhat amusingly, "Before she possesses that thing, I don't have much interest in Kikyo-san herself."
However, if he really had to say it.
Subaru felt that Hiyori's view was correct.
In order to bind him further, she actually ran directly to his dorm to perform some special seduction on him.
It was just that Kikyo Kushida had no 'color'.
If she had 'color', Subaru would truly have been moved.
"Something special?"
Hiyori's ears twitched. She looked up at Subaru and asked somewhat curiously, "Natsuki, you don't like interacting with others—does it have to do with this special thing?"
"Do I have this special thing?"
Hiyori keenly detected the keyword.
"Currently, I haven't found anyone who possesses this thing yet."
"If there was one, I would really be very happy. I might even be happy enough to jump up directly."
Hearing Hiyori's inquiry, Subaru gently shook his head.
So far, Hiyori Shiina was the best performer. But even so, Hiyori did not possess 'color'. At most, she could make Subaru hold some expectation for the future.
As well as the inadvertent heartbeats that gave Subaru a feeling of being alive.
"Of course."
"I think you, Shiina, are very likely to possess this thing one day in the future."
Subaru smiled gently and said, "I am full of expectation for this."
"Is that so?"
"Then, I will work a little hard."
Hiyori looked at the smile on Subaru's face and laughed along with him, saying, "One day in the future, I will suddenly possess the special thing you spoke of, Natsuki, and then you will jump up in joy."
"Then, I'll be looking forward to it~"
"What shall we do next?"
Subaru looked at Hiyori before him and changed the topic. "Since it's a date, if we just watch a movie, wouldn't it be a bit too thin? It's still early; we can do more things."
"I remember there seems to be a locked-room themed physical game in the Shopping District. Do you want to go experience it?"
"That sounds pretty good!"
Hearing Subaru's recommendation, Hiyori's eyes brightened slightly.
"Then let's go."
"Let's go!"
___
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