Classroom of the Elite:SS Collection

Take him away

It had been more than a month since the fact that I was dating Kiyotaka was made public.

And man, talk about tiresome! We had to answer the barrage of questions from almost everyone. I remember even the student council president showing interest in that fact. I know that he has a goal of crushing him and he might be thinking of using me to that end. But, no, that wouldn't work Mr. Student Council President.

Many had pestered us for many days afterwards, but it soon died out. Some students gossiped among themselves whenever they saw us together but that was it.

However, a certain student had been avoiding me since that day. And her name was Shiina Hiyori.

She was from a different class and it shouldn't have bothered me much but the fact remains that both she and I were placed in the same group for the test we are undergoing now.

We were a group of five with two others being from Class D and one from Class A. Since, we were now a group we would have to cooperate to achieve greater results. And in such a situation, where cooperation between members was crucial we couldn't be on bad terms with each other.

Although I say bad terms, it doesn't mean that we are in a really bad term. It is just that she tries to avoid me and even during the discussions she doesn't open up to me. Rather than avoid, I get the feeling that she is being wary of me.

But this situation and awkwardness between us shouldn't go longer. So, I decided that I would have a one-on-one talk with her.

Thinking that I got up from my bed and headed towards the hallway.

"Ah, Karuizawa-san!"

The moment I stepped out, I heard a feminine voice call out to me, and in her school jersey standing there was the very girl I was looking for.

Ah, Shiina-san! I was looking for you.

That is what I thought of saying at first but later pushed that idea away and tried to act as if we had just met by coincidence.

"What's wrong, Shiina-san?"

"Let's have a talk, shall we?"

"Oh, why not?"

I pretty much knew what today's topic would be. She must have felt the same as me. This works fine for me, though. 

We went straight towards the cafeteria of the hotel. At this time of the day, there weren't many students around.

We sat at a corner table and ordered some drinks.

For a while, we did nothing but talk casually, sipping on our drinks occasionally. This was the first time since this camp, that we had talked this much.

"Um, Karuizawa-san, you are dating Ayanokoji-kun, right?"

"Yeah."

I was trying to think of a way to come up with that topic but again she broached the topic herself.

"You really are lucky, Karuizawa-san. He is a really good guy and a really good friend. He always knows what the other person is thinking and acts considerately. It is quite fun to hang around him, right?"

"Yes. I couldn't have asked for more."

Before know, whenever a girl talked about him or praised him, I would feel a bit jealous and irritated but when Shiina-san was talking about him, I had no such feelings. I almost felt like we were on the same frequency.

However, there was another thing that concerned me. She was speaking to me, but it also felt like she wasn't. Although she was speaking to me, she was still avoiding making eye contact with me. For some reason, she wasn't looking straight into my eyes. As I had guessed, she was wary of me. She was insecure for some reason. But why?

"We have similar tastes in books. He always likes the book I recommend. You know, he feels like a very dependable man to me, although we are of the same age. It feels like he is matured beyond his age. He is a really good friend and every time I feel like I want to spend more time with him. He is a really good friend of mine and you could say he is my only friend. I think you could say that he is my best friend, ha-ha-ha."

She kept blabbering about this and that but she never arrived at the main point that she wanted to convey. 

Soon she stopped talking and her face downcast. She was hesitating whether she should say it or not. An awkward silence loomed between us.

But I already knew what she had wanted to say and why she was feeling insecure.

after finishing the drink, I placed the cup on the table and readied myself to speak to her, and my lips curled up a bit on their own.

"Shiina-san, I won't take him away from you."

"!"

When I said that, she looked up at me, and straight into my eyes, with her mouth agape.

She must be thinking about how I had managed to guess what she had been trying to say.

It was really easy for me to figure it out. All this time, she had been saying that Kiyotaka is a reliable and dependable friend. No matter what she talked about him, the word friend was always there. The way she talked about him wasn't hinting towards romantic feelings. After talking with her, I finally managed to realize that she viewed him as a very important and valuable friend for her; an integral part of her life. 

She must have thought that the introduction of a girlfriend in his life would take away her position as a friend.

"Don't worry. Even if I am his girlfriend, you will stay remain his friend. That won't change and I assure you of that, Shiina-san. You will be forever friends with him."

Tears ran down her cheek.

"R-Really?!"

"Yes. But let me tell you that you have to shorten the time you two spend. After all, I am his girlfriend!"

"Pfft!"

She let out a slight giggle while tears were still flowing out from her eyes. And I could tell that they were the tears of joy, after all, she was smiling so happily that I had to wonder whether I would ever see a smile so beautiful.