Lilac Petals (Classroom of the Elite)

Chapter 11

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka

It was currently evening. I lazily sprawled out on my bed, absentmindedly tracing the spinning ceiling fan with my eyes.

What happened today was... unexpected. However, no matter how I looked at it, my feelings for her were genuine. I knew all the science behind the emotion known as "love," but now that I had experienced it for the first time, I came to realize that it was far more complex than I had ever imagined.

It was a strange phenomenon. The thought of having someone I could finally open up to was oddly comforting. It was as though the blank canvas of my heart now had a splash of color, with Arisu being the sole artist. All it took was one emotion. One emotion to completely tear down the shelter I had built around my heart-the one I had built to shield myself from the world's cruelty.

People would probably say it was a strange relationship. After all, it was certainly one that had started out as fake, and over time, blossomed into something more. But, that didn't matter at all to me. There was another world spreading before my eyes, and I planned to explore every corner of it.

Just like any newly formed couple, I dreamed of the future. A future where I'd be able to live happily ever after with her.

However, I could only dream. My past was quickly catching up to me, eating at the life I had lived so far. Sooner or later, I'd have to return to the White Room.

That was when I realized-I wasn't fighting this battle of solidarity alone. Having a person to lean on made a world of difference.

Maybe, just maybe...

Bzzt!

"Hmm?"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I saw that I had apparently received a text.

[Hashimoto]: Lets go king 👍

Suspicion immediately arose within my mind. The way he worded that message struck me as odd. On top of that, it was seemingly out of the blue without any context. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had messaged me. We had exchanged contacts back at the Mixed Training Camp exam last year, but we hadn't really interacted since then.

As I pondered, another buzz sounded from my phone, signaling that I had received another message.

[Horikita]: Care to explain?

There was an image that came along with Horikita's message. It was a normal-looking photo, however, the scenery seemed extremely familiar.

"Oh."

And that was when I noticed it.

I was in big trouble.

===

Horikita Suzune

The scent of curry wafted through the air as I silently prepared my dinner. It was around 6:00 pm, meaning that the sun had already sunk into the horizon, and darkness had begun to paint the sky.

Many thoughts about the Partner Exam continued to invade my mind. Given that our class was in no place to compete for academically gifted students, I had chosen to utilize an approach that focuses on defense rather than offense-avoiding expulsion rather than aiming for the top.

Of course, I had already devised a plan. However, the most significant issue wasn't within our control. An essential part of my approach required a partnership with Class 1-D. However, their leader, Kazuomi Housen, didn't seem to be a cooperative individual-at least from what I had seen so far.