Temporary Study Group Formation (5)
Lunchtime was drawing to a close.
The student cafeteria, once buzzing with kids, had emptied out like corn half-eaten by worms, with empty spots here and there. It was relaxed enough now that even the kitchen staff were starting their meals.
On the flip side, as lunch hour wound down, some people were in a real rush.
Teachers and students who'd shown up late were prime examples.
They hustled into the cafeteria, scooped out just enough food for themselves, and shoveled it down in a frenzy.
The main dishes were already wiped out, but they didn't complain or show regret.
They'd known what they were in for the moment they arrived late.
Ayane was no different.
She'd set aside special time for something else, so she'd ended up "a bit" later than planned—okay, a lot later.
"Ayane-chan! Over here, over here!"
"G-Good... everyone's still here."
Ayane let out a relieved sigh and slipped naturally into the spot among her friends.
Hinako was the blonde gal-type girl who didn't quite fit the advanced class vibe.
Misuzu was the one with braids that showed off her forehead and glasses that screamed "advanced class rep."
They'd all been friends since middle school.
Seeing Ayane's pitifully empty tray compared to their nearly finished meals, they burst into giggles.
"I'm seriously impressed. This is why you don't show up late to the cafeteria—no scraps left."
"Right? Ayane, is that thing really tonkatsu?"
"It was the biggest one left..."
She picked it up with her chopsticks, and somehow the batter looked thicker than the meat.
"Haha, that's hilarious. Straight out of the old days tonkatsu."
"Totally."
Ayane sighed at the sad little fried crumb that barely passed for meat.
Misuzu gave her a pitying look.
"Should've just hit the vending machine."
"Ugh, it tastes awful..."
No chew from meat, just soggy batter texture.
Ayane scanned the trays, hoping a friend might share a bite of their tonkatsu, but the mains had vanished into their stomachs long ago.
She felt the fragility of four years of friendship in the face of food.
If it were Shin-chan, he'd have saved some for me...
Ayane startled herself by thinking of Tae-il without realizing it.
Oh man. Bad habit always thinking of Shin-chan first. Sigh...
She chided herself.
Tae-il wasn't even that special.
Yet whenever she compared or judged someone else unconsciously, he became the benchmark.
"Oh yeah, Ayane, didn't you say you'd be eating at this time for a while?"
Hinako suddenly smacked the table with her fingertips.
"Instead of choking down crap like this every day, why not sell your meal ticket to someone else?"
"Yeah, what a waste. And we're kinda pushing it waiting this long every time."
Misuzu adjusted her glasses and nodded in agreement.
Today they'd had no plans, so they'd waited, but they couldn't keep doing that forever.
Everyone wanted to make the most of their precious lunch breaks.
"U-Uh, yeah..."
Ayane nodded reluctantly.
Still, she pouted a little that her friends wouldn't stick it out with her to the end.
"Hey, Misuzu. She's sulking. Lip's out."
"I'm not!"
"Yep, looks like our Ayane's pissed, just like Hinako said."
"I said I'm not!"
Everyone but Ayane cracked up.
"Your face shows everything. Just like him, huh?"
"Who?"
"Taichi. Your prince."
"W-Wow, prince is a stretch..."
"Don't bully her too much, Hinako. Lovers start to look alike, right?"
"Misuzu-chan!?"
"Ugh, being single hurts this bad."
Hinako stopped teasing Ayane and stabbed a straw into her yogurt.
She slurped it down with a satisfied puha, then sighed softly.
"Ahh, I wanna date too. Any decent guys around?"
"Just snag any sports club dude. With your looks, it'd be an easy win."
"Yeah, yeah. Hinako-chan's super popular with the boys."
"This is why you learn love from books..."
Hinako tsk-tsked at their blind flattery.
"Think about it."
She pointed at Ayane.
"With Ayane right here and Arisugawa next class over, you think I'd catch any guy's eye?"
"C-Cough! Cough! W-Why drag Ayane into it suddenly?"
Ayane choked out of nowhere at the mention.
She didn't mind being brought up—objectively, she knew she was cute.
But comparing her to Arisugawa Iris? That was the problem.
Iris had a fan club at school. Her popularity was rock-solid.
Someone you couldn't even compare to.
Misuzu patted her back as she coughed.
"Eat slower."
"Th-Thanks, Misuzu-chan... keh!"
Ayane finally caught her breath and confronted Hinako.
"Hinako-chan, even so, comparing me to that Arisugawa girl..."
"Heh. Even Ayane gets intimidated by Arisugawa, huh?"
"Japan's top actress would tense up too if Arisugawa was the benchmark."
No need to close her eyes—the entrance ceremony memory was crystal clear.
More eye-catching than the freshman rep on stage, stealing everyone's gaze. An unrivaled presence.
Iris had that kind of aura.
"St-Still, getting compared to Arisugawa makes Ayane kinda happy, right?"
"Ugh, I'd have decked anyone else. Only 'cause it's you, Ayane."
"Ehehe..."
Ayane grinned goofily, and Hinako chuckled, propping her chin.
Then Misuzu, who'd been quiet, jumped in to roast Hinako.
"So, sports club guys?"
"Sports club? Nah, they stink of sweat. And sports come before dating for them."
Hinako argued that if you're gonna date, she should always be priority one.
"Makes sense."
"Aaah, some intellectual, innocent type who's weak to gals? A shy boy?"
"Hinako's such an otaku..."
"Tch."
At Ayane's jab, Hinako swept back her dyed blonde hair and slurped her yogurt aggressively.
Her face flushed like she was hot despite the blasting AC.
Ignoring her friends' stares, she added defensively.
"...Carnivores hunt herbivores by nature. It's biologically proven!"
"Humans are omnivores."
"Right. And since we're omnivores, we don't need to hunt herbivores—we get plant nutrients too. Got it, Hinako?"
"It's a metaphor, you idiots!"
Hinako snapped, feeling called out.
Misuzu giggled.
"Like we didn't know?"
"Yeah, yeah. Ayane gets that Hinako likes herbivore boys."
"Aaaah, I hate you guys so much!"
They bickered, but ganged up perfectly to tease one person.
"It's fine, Hinako-chan! Ayane thinks you'd suit one great!"
"What?"
Hinako glared daggers at Ayane.
"Uh, herbivore boy?"
"Forget it. You two can rot—friends or not! Especially your love lives!"
Now Hinako was sulking, even cursing her friends.
Misuzu snorted.
"Won't work. No dating till college for me."
"Annoying bitch..."
"Misuzu's aiming to stay top of the class all three years. Impressive."
Declaring she'd hold first place till graduation took guts most students lacked.
One slip, and the humiliation would be brutal.
Misuzu was a top student brimming with confidence and skill.
"You could do it too if you tried."
She flashed a provocative smile at Hinako, who was face-down hugging her head.
"Second place, anyway."
"Whoa. Worst thing Misuzu's ever said—hands down."
"How'd I end up friends with girls like this..."
As Hinako questioned her taste in friends, Ayane sensed a weird presence.
Clack-clack.
Indoor shoes, yet the footsteps echoed hugely.
A bizarre presence that drowned out even their chatter.
And a heavy gaze boring into the back of her head.
"Huh?"
Hinako noticed first, across the table. Then Misuzu, and Ayane turned.
The one who met their eyes wagged a finger and smiled faintly.
"Hi."
The Madonna had arrived.
* * *
Ayane's eyes darted nervously.
Right in front of her sat the school's Madonna, Arisugawa Iris.
Her friends had stepped away at Iris's request.
No real reason to refuse, and curious why Iris sought Ayane out, they'd obliged.
From Ayane's view, her friends watching from afar like it was a show was seriously annoying.
"Nervous?"
"Eek!?"
Ayane, on edge, clutched her startled heart and tried to read Iris's face.
First time seeing her this close...
Rumors didn't lie—she was stunning.
The fact that this beauty had sought out Tae-il yesterday stirred the same sticky, unpleasant, irritated mix of emotions Ayane felt facing Izumi.
"No need to tense up that much."
"Y-Yeah..."
First, lower her guard.
Ayane played the timid girl.
Hostility kept bubbling up instinctively, but she couldn't just bare her fangs at the school's Madonna.
Luckily, she was intimidated. Ayane perfectly recreated her cowering self.
Amateurish acting that Tae-il or her friends would spot instantly, but Iris—their first meeting—didn't notice.
Instead, she beamed at the Ayane before her.
Way prettier than I thought!
Iris had wanted a cute friend like Rena. Her fondness for Ayane skyrocketed.
Ayane, clueless why the Madonna liked her, was baffled.
Why's the school's Madonna here for Ayane?
A declaration to steal Tae-il?
Assuming the worst, Ayane swallowed hard.
"Reason I came today? Got a proposal."
"P-Proposal?"
"Yep. Finals are soon, right? You're in advanced class, so probably prepped... but."
Wouldn't something more solid be better?
Iris rested her chin on laced hands and grinned.
"Wanna do a study group together?"
"S-Study group?"
Ayane's eyes went wide at the unexpected offer.
"Yeah. Too sudden?"
"Kinda, yeah...?"
Using Tae-il's school caste talk, Iris was Brahman.
Ayane was Kshatriya.
But even Kshatriyas had ranks.
Not all dukes were equal.
Ayane saw herself as distinctly lower-tier.
Tae-il would've called bullshit, but she harshly self-assessed against superiors.
That meant she acknowledged Iris as a whole other level.
Post-rumor, Ayane rated Iris's threat level Izumi-tier. Higher threat = more dangerous.
Iris was dangerous.
Ayane smelled the same vibe as Izumi.
Plus.
In Japan—otaku heaven—there's tons of words for pretty girls, but "Madonna" is the most elite nickname.
Madonna.
Rarely given to students.
Like the pop queen who's eternal as the sun till 2100, or women's ultimate role model—conditions are strict.
Common trait of Madonna-called women? Their standout figures, no exaggeration.
Ayane quickly eyed Iris's chest versus hers.
She's really a student like me...?
Small face, but chest wasn't small.
Obviously, ridiculously huge.
Yuuma High's sailor uniforms made Iris's stand out even more.
Overwhelming presence worthy of "Madonna."
"Uh, not that I don't know why, but..."
Ayane sneaked peeks.
Finally, in a tiny ant-like voice:
"Why offer me this suddenly?"
"'Cause I like you."
"L-Like me!?"
Ayane panicked at Iris's bold confession.
The outfield grew noisy.
Unthinkable words made Ayane's face heat up.
"No loss for either of us, right? You a solo studier?"
"Not really..."
Ayane trailed off.
She always prepped for tests with Tae-il.
"Perfect! Me too. So that's settled?"
"W-Wait! I already promised to study with someone, so your offer..."
"Bring him along? I like crowds. Could do it at my place if needed—big rooms, plenty, even sleepovers."
"Th-That friend's in the free class, so studying with you might be awkward..."
"You teaching Katsuragi?"
Ayane shrank like scared, nodding faintly.
Iris's eyes sparkled.
"Really? What a coincidence. Got a free-class friend myself—grades are iffy. We can tutor together. Good deal, right?"
"He's a guy!"
Ayane blurted desperately.
Forced-out voice.
"A-Alone with a guy at a same-age girl's house... weird, right?"
"I'm totally fine. House won't just be us—male staff too."
"H-He'd be nervous! Total loner, no friends!"
Ayane badmouthed him: zero girl resistance.
"Achoo!"
"What, Taichi? Summer cold even dogs skip?"
"No. Just sneezed outta nowhere. Hngh!"
Justified curses hit Tae-il.
Anyway.
Back to the cafeteria.
"Yeah, between me and pretty Katsuragi, he'd tense up big time. Right?"
"Y-Yeah! ...I mean, no! I'm not that pretty, de..."
"Why so timid? Have confidence—you're gorgeous."
"R-Really? Ehehe."
Ayane fidgeted to hide her grin.
Even flattery felt good.
The school's prettiest calling her pretty? Thrilling discovery.
Different from praise from a crush—tickly, unfamiliar.
Then reality hit: enemy's praise. Snap out of it.
"So. What does our pretty, cute Katsuragi think of my proposal?"
"W-Well, gotta ask him first..."
"Fair. First meeting today—rushing a decision's too much?"
Iris slipped a narrow paper into Ayane's hand.
"Um, Arisugawa? This is...?"
"My contact and LINE ID. Let me know when decided. Next class over—come by if you want."
But this timid girl trekking to Class 2? Doubtful.
Hence, contact info.
"Deadline Thursday. Meet Friday, disband Saturday."
"Two whole days!?"
"Hehe. Gotta grind hard for studying, right?"
Iris made a gun with her hand, bang, and winked at Ayane.
Idol-natural, fresh wink.
"Sorry for interrupting lunch. Expecting good news, Katsuragi."
"Uh, yeah..."
"Oh, and."
Iris turned her head, waving lightly.
"My surname's long—call me Iris casually."
"Th-Then call me Ayane too..."
"Yep! See you tomorrow, Ayane!"
Iris zipped out like a storm—came in whirlwind, left the same.
Ayane slumped, exhausted.
Her friends swarmed back.
"Ayane, Ayane! When'd you get chummy with Arisugawa!?"
"N-Not chummy! First time today!"
"For real!? She just showed up for you?"
"What for? Love rival declaration or something?"
"Love rival!? Meaning Arisugawa likes him too!?"
"Nah? She went to his class yesterday. Ayane, you're screwed. Big trouble."
For reference, "him" was obviously.
Tae-il, whom Ayane openly fawned over.
Big news in her Class 3.
Ayane's moat-filling to signal he was taken.
Dodged confessions too—two birds.
Some ignored it, but she rejected citing Tae-il.
So love rival talk? Least welcome news.
"N-No! I said no!"
"Ahaha! Look at Ayane's face—total apple."
"Seriously? So cute."
"You guys suck!"
Friends just laughed it off, but Ayane felt real anxiety deep down.
Things kept veering into unwanted territory.