No Hiding; No Holding Back [ON HIATUS]

Chap 5: An unpleasant coincidence

Even though people said this place was tough, the entrance ceremony was the same as any other school’s. Some important people offered words of thanks, and the ceremony concluded without incident. Then, it was noon. After we received some general information about the campus, the crowd dispersed.

70–80 percent of the students headed toward the dormitories. The remaining students quickly formed into groups. Some made their way to cafés, while the louder ones went out for karaoke. The hustle and bustle quickly died down. On a whim, I decided to swing by the convenience store on my way back to the dormitory.

"Ayanokouji-kun?" I heard someone call me.

I turned and saw Kushida-san waving at me cheerfully.

I raised my hand and gave a small wave.

Behind her were 4 girls who waved at me shyly.

I waited for them to catch up with me.

"Ayanokouji-kun, this is Matsushita-san, Onodera-san, Maezono-san and Shinohara-san."

They asked me for my contact number, which we exchanged.

"Ayanokouji-kun, where are you going?" Matsushita asked.

"I decided to swing by the convenience store."

"What a coincidence! We were also headed there, right?" Shinohara exclaimed. The rest of the girls nodded.

"Mind if we come with you?" Maezono asked.

I shrugged. "Sure."

We walked towards the convenience store together.

“My, what an unpleasant coincidence.”

Entering the convenience store, I ran into Horikita once again.

"Come on, there's no need to be so hostile. Anyways, did you need to buy something?" I asked.

Horikita glanced at the girls behind me, who waved at her cheerily.

“Yes, just a few things. I came to get some necessities.” she sighed.

There was no shortage of things you needed when starting life in a dorm, especially if you were a girl. Horikita took various necessities like shampoo off the shelves and promptly threw them into the basket she was carrying. I’d thought she would choose higher quality items, but she only took the cheapest options.

“I thought girls usually made a fuss over what kind of shampoo they bought.” I mused.

"Well, each and every girl has their own prefences," Kushida spoke up. "By the way, Horikita-san, do you mind giving me your number? I'm planning on getting everyone's number in class."

Horikita-san? As far as I knew, she didn't tell anybody her name since she got into this school yet.

"I refuse," she shot Kushida an icy glare.

Kushida's face darkened, but for only a moment. If i wasn't observing her closely, I might've missed it. She immediately put back on her angelic smile and said, "That's a pity. Mind if you tell me the reason?"

"Do I need a reason to refuse to give my number?" She asked.

"I mean, you don't, but..."

"Horikita-san, don't you think you're being a little mean? Kushida-san only asked you for your number," Shinohara glared at Horikita and said.

First day of school, and Horikita was already making enemies.

"I think we should just let Horikita decide on her own. Everybody has their own reasons. I'm sure she just has some personal reason of her own." I said, attempting to dispel the dark clouds looming ahead.