Arisu had just returned from the meeting with the five girls. She felt her position was dangerously weak, fighting alone like this, and she needed to pull one or two people into her corner. Her first target was Kamuro Masumi, but as it turned out, someone else had already moved considerably faster than her.
Meanwhile, Airi had made it back to class and was quietly suffering over her situation. She was the shy, easily frightened type, and without a strong ally at her side, she would be walked all over.
She clenched her fists, and her eyes drifted to her closest friend: Hasebe Haruka.
Haruka was at that moment resting her face on her desk and stealing glances at Ryunosuke when she thought no one was watching.
It dawned on Airi now, somewhat belatedly, that her best friend very likely had feelings for Ryunosuke. She hadn't noticed before because she had assumed she was Ryunosuke's only unofficial involvement. Well, apparently she was second in the rankings, not the only one.
Now, through Airi's newly sharpened eyes, everyone around her looked like a rival. Especially the other girls in class, like Sato Maya, Karuizawa Kei, and Nakano Yotsuba, all of whom kept finding reasons to look at her man.
(How did I only just realize I have this many competitors?)
She exhaled, feeling the ground cave in a little. Just in this one classroom, she could count more than five rivals. And that was before factoring in the ones who glanced over occasionally without any particular romantic charge to it, like Matsushita Chiaki and Nakano Nino.
Airi felt deeply insecure, and she needed someone fighting alongside her. She steadied herself, stood up, and walked straight to Haruka without hesitation.
Haruka was still pretending to be asleep while peeking at Ryunosuke from under her arms.
Airi could not stand to watch any more of it. What exactly was the difference between Haruka right now and herself before they started dating? She had to save her best friend.
*SLAM!*
She brought both hands down on the desk. Haruka lurched upright in a panic, certain her peeking had been noticed, because it had.
"Airi, what's wrong?" she asked, visibly flustered.
Airi was about to say something, then realized that half the class was already watching, including several of the rivals she had already mentally flagged. With an unusually grave expression, she took Haruka's hand and marched her toward the roof.
The same familiar roof, the same wind, the same railing as always. The sea breeze sent both girls' hair streaming behind them like ribbons of silk. Haruka played with the ends of her hair and tried to look casual.
"What's going on? Why did you suddenly drag me up here, Airi?"
At this point Haruka had no idea about the rankings that had been established. She hadn't confessed her feelings to anyone, so she hadn't been counted in the order to begin with. Airi gripped the railing with both hands and looked at her seriously.
"Haruka. You like Ryunosuke-kun, don't you?"
*THUD!*
That was the sound of Haruka dropping to her knees from sheer shock. The secret she had buried so deeply, the feelings she had intended to take to her grave, how could Airi possibly know? Her face went completely blank. She was certain this was where their friendship ended.
But Airi didn't blame her. Instead she came closer and said, with an expression of absolute sincerity:
"Go after your happiness! Win Ryunosuke-kun over!"
"Huh?" Haruka stared up at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Meanwhile, Arisu, who had been one step slower than Airi, began making her own move. She found Masumi and came straight out with it.
"Do you have feelings for Akasaka Ryunosuke?"
"Hmph." Masumi scoffed and crossed her arms. "As if I'd ever like that insufferable jerk."
"Then stop blushing and trembling." Arisu replied flatly.
(This girl is completely unable to hide what she feels. I can't approach this directly, I'll have to work through the back door.)
Arisu turned the problem over in her mind.
(Ah. I could work with Ayanokoji.)
She had found her candidate for an alliance, and a perfectly convenient person to use as cover.
Across the room, Ayanokoji was reviewing his notes when a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease came over him. He frowned and looked around. "Strange. Maybe I'm imagining it."
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Haruka had made it back to class, and she was thoroughly confused. Her own best friend had essentially given her permission to go after her man. She had no idea what to do with that.
(Am I actually supposed to chase him? But Airi said it was okay.)
What she didn't know was that Airi had her own reasons. She needed an ally close to her, which was exactly why she had nudged her best friend into the same situation. Haruka eventually made up her mind to try.
Even so, sitting on a garden bench a little while later, she let out a long, tortured sigh. Saying it was easy. Actually doing it was something else entirely. She squeezed the love letter in her hands and stared at nothing in particular.
Should she give it directly, or find someone to pass it along?
She was completely torn. As luck would have it, Ayanokoji happened to be walking through the garden just then. Haruka jumped up, grabbed him, and pulled him down onto the bench beside her, announcing that she had something important to discuss.
Ayanokoji looked at her with a neutral expression, then noticed the envelope in her hand. It was obviously a love letter. He immediately arrived at the wrong conclusion. She was going to confess to him.
He sat up a little straighter while his mind quietly began running through possibilities.
(Hasebe Haruka. She's a genuinely good person. Physically, she's also rather, the sort of figure that defies easy description. Having her as a girlfriend would probably be quite something.)
He found himself looking forward to hearing what she was about to say.
One couldn't really blame him for the misunderstanding. Any girl who pulled you somewhere quiet while holding a love letter would give anyone the same idea.
Haruka took a deep breath, and there on that clean white garden bench, she announced her feelings to Ayanokoji at full volume:
"I LIKE YOUR BEST FRIEND, AKASAKA RYUNOSUKE! CAN YOU HELP ME, AYANOKOJI?!"
Haruka's face went completely red.
Ayanokoji turned to stone.