Classroom Of The Elite Year 2 Volume 9

Part 3

After that, we enjoyed Keyaki Mall for a while.

Rather than shopping as Ichinose said, we just looked around some stores aimlessly.

It was a half day of her really showing me her routine. When it was about time for lunch, we left Keyaki Mall together.

"It's raining already?"

I won't say that it's raining heavily, but it looks like it's been coming down for a while.

"Looks like it."

We both had umbrellas with us, so we put them up and started walking.

"Sorry I made you keep me company today."

"Oh, no. Now I know that there are people who really care about me."

The whole reason I invited Ichinose here was to get information from her.

I would completely understand if she was angry.

"Thank you, Ayanokoji-kun."

But she didn't curse me, and rather expressed her gratitude.

"There's no need for thanks. I should have been more upfront about it instead of going around and around."

"Stop it. That's the whole reason... that we were able to spend time together."

Ichinose muttered so while blushing.

"Won't Karuizawa-san get mad? You told her about today, didn't you? I bet she didn't like you spending time alone with another girl, no matter what the reason was."

Ichinose is worrying about Kei, which is at odds with her own feelings.

Is she being sincere, or is this just courtesy?

"You may be right."

Water splashed around as we walked over puddles on the way back home.

An unexpected silence.

Unlike the morning, the heavy feeling has lessened.

"Can I ask something? Did you confess to her? Or did she confess to you?"

She's waiting for my answer.

I can't give her the answer she wants.

"I confessed to her."

"I see. You're the one that liked her, huh... I'm so jealous."

In the past, I would have never thought that I would have this kind of conversation with Ichinose.

Ichinose walking next to me, however, seems to have the composure to accept my answer.

Usually, this would mean that I've paid off my debt to Ichinose for her feelings.

This isn't hubris, but looking at things calmly, it's clear that Ichinose still has strong feelings towards me.

I wonder how her mental condition is right now.

Is she just bluffing? Or is she in a state of resignation?

I'm not sure which one it is.

Strangely, Ichinose's eyes seemed to have more sparkle in them right after asking about Kei.

"She didn't misunderstand anything, right?"

"It didn't go very smoothly. I explained everything properly, but she was still angry."

"I see. I can explain the circumstances to her, if you'd like."

"It's nothing for you to worry about. It's my responsibility for failing to explain things properly."

"But———"

Well, the cold war may continue for the time being.

Silence returned, and continued until the end.

We got onto an elevator that came down when we finally reached the dorms.

"Today was a lot of fun. Thanks, Ayanokoji-kun."

I got off after reaching the fourth floor, and she waved goodbye to me.

"See you later, Ichinose."

We waited for a few seconds while looking at each other until the doors closed.

After a few seconds, Ichinose was out of sight.

I went back to my room and contacted Kanzaki via a chat app to make a report.

I informed him that Ichinose has not given up hope of getting into A Class.

I finished typing that the reason she quit the Student Council was so she could focus more on the fight in the future, and that she would make her resignation known to the public tomorrow.

After my report, I received a message from Kanzaki asking if she really meant what she said.

As far as I could see, there was no falsehood in her words.

Most importantly, I was able to catch a glimpse of an unusual aggressiveness that I had never seen from Ichinose before.

It remains to be seen whether this will be a good or a bad thing, but I have a feeling that I will be seeing a different side of Ichinose than what I have seen in the past.

I told her that while I will watch over her, she should get more friends with whom she could express her opinions.

Perhaps a little relieved for the moment, Kanzaki sent me a message of deep gratitude.

"Huh...? No contact from Kei?"

I could have told her that it was over, but we'll see each other in school tomorrow anyway.

It will be enough to make my explanation at that time.

So, I decided to leave things as they are and not contact her today.