Ultimately, Kuroki only spoke to me that morning. For the rest of the day, she didn't say a single word during breaks or between classes.
But that only made her more unsettling.
We’d been at the same school for three years of middle school and one year of high school, yet Rui Kuroki and I had never shared a single conversation. For her to suddenly approach me and then go completely silent was eerie, no matter how I looked at it.
Why did Kuroki go out of her way to tell me about LIME?
If she was just curious about why I’d popped up in her recommendations, that was fine. But if she’d noticed something about my relationship with the other two... that would be bad.
Of course, the shift in my dynamic with Miyama and Ichinose had only happened over the last two days. There was no way she could have found out.
Then again, Rui Kuroki’s IQ was on another level. I’d heard rumors that she could predict exactly what would be on a test just by reading the teachers' thoughts. In the public eye, she was the "perfect human"—a peerless beauty who excelled in everything. She’d reportedly swept every event she entered in the Track and Field Junior Olympics during middle school, and her brain was sharp enough to land an A-rank for Tokyo University’s Science III on a mock exam during her first year. A true Yamato Nadeshiko, gifted with both beauty and brains.
That was likely why the only people who could stand on equal footing with her were the two who possessed things she didn’t.
Airi Miyama, for example, had a "super high school level" bust that the slender Kuroki couldn’t compete with, and her look was cute and bubbly rather than sharp and refined.
Then there was Yuria Ichinose. She was a gyaru with a modern fashion sense that stood in stark contrast to Kuroki’s traditional vibe. Plus, she had those alluring thighs that felt like a direct attack on the male psyche.
Because Airi and Yuria possessed such absolute individualities, they could talk to Rui Kuroki with confidence. Simply put, the three of them were a tight-knit group.
Which was exactly why, if Kuroki realized a loner like me held their secrets, she would surely come after me to protect her friends.
If that interaction this morning was her way of feeling me out... I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
There was another possibility: either Ichinose or Miyama had confessed to Kuroki that I was holding something over them. Maybe she was keeping an eye on me because of that... No, that would risk exposing their own secrets, and I didn't want to think those two would do that to me anyway.
Then why did she...?
The mystery only deepened.
"Hey, Ryouta."
"Huh?"
I was lost in thought at my desk after fourth period when a whisper reached me from the seat in front. Miyama was half-turned toward me, beckoning with her hand.
Since lunch had just started, neither Ichinose nor Kuroki were in their seats next to me.
"Check your LIME. Meet me there."
"???"
I tilted my head, pulling out my phone. By the time I had it in my hand, Miyama had already stood up and slipped out of the room.
Check LIME? What does she want now?
I had a notification. I opened the app to find a message from her:
Miyama: Let's eat lunch in the 3rd Floor Empty Classroom? Yuria is busy with the Cultural Festival Committee and Rui-chan is at a club meeting, so Airi is all alone~
She’d attached an emoji of an angry-looking octopus.
Another lunch invite. But since she’d picked a place away from prying eyes, did that mean she was actually being considerate for once?
Wait, an empty classroom... that means we'll be totally alone.
Could it be? Had Miyama finally recognized my "hidden charms"?
...No, definitely not.
Once I looked at the situation with the cold clarity of "sage time," I realized my hidden charms were non-existent. At best, I had maybe three chest hairs... and it wasn't like she knew about those.
Lunch alone with Miyama... Man, I’d love for things to take a spicy turn so I could get a feel of those breasts...
I headed to the school store and grabbed some rice balls, my mind filled with nothing but vulgar thoughts.
No, stop. This isn't about that; it's about Kuroki.
Miyama had been surprisingly helpful with Ichinose’s problem yesterday. Maybe I should try talking to her about this too?
That makes sense. Miyama probably knows a side of Kuroki that I don't.
Rice balls in hand, I made my way to the empty classroom on the third floor.