<h4>Chapter 279: Chapter 2 Part IX</h4>


    We were on our way back from that fulfilling karaoke session. It''s still not 5 o''clock in the evening yet the sun had already begun to set.


    "The whole day was pretty warm so there are a lot of people wearing light clothing, aren''t there?"


    "You could even go with short sleeves during the afternoon. So I guess that''s understandable."


    Today''s pretty warm and everyone''s wearing light clothing after all. But it''ll probably turn chilly in around an hour.


    "I don''t handle the cold very well."


    Looking up at the sky, Haruka said so gloomily. If at all possible, I''d like the weather to remain the way it was today.


    "I don''t handle it well either..."


    "For me, the cold''s a bit better because that''d mean I won''t sweat as much during club activities."


    Among us, Akito''s probably the only one who''d prefer the winter.


    "Looks like it''ll be cold again starting tomorrow."


    "I see. That means I''ll have to make various preparations. Seems like my expenses are going to go up."


    ?


    The closer we get to year''s end, it basically seems like it''ll start snowing more and more. Because we were chatting, our group''s pace slowed down and we could hear a voice from behind us.


    "Thank you for apanying me today, Sakayanagi-san."


    "No, no. The pleasure''s all mine."


    That little back-and-forth. When I turned around, I spotted an unusual duo: Ichinose and Sakayanagi.


    Noticing our group, Ichinose raised her hand and hailed us. Sakayanagi didn''t look at me in particr but rather, simply acknowledged our group as a whole.


    Despite doing something akin to dering war on me, she''s yet to show any sign of making a move since the sports festival. However, no matter what happens, Sakayanagi''s wish won''te true in the future either.


    "That''s a rather unusual group, Ayanokouji-kun."


    "...really?"


    That''s my line no matter how you look at it.


    ss A and ss B. To think the leaders of opposing sses would be together on a weekend.


    "The way I see it, you''re mostly with Horikita-san so this all looks a bit new to me."


    Ichinose said so while looking around at the group members.


    "Speaking of which, you beat ss C in the exam the other day, didn''t you? Congrattions."


    The results of Paper Shuffle are released to all sses.


    Of course, that also applies for the results of the confrontation between ss A and ss B too.


    "We lost though---"


    "There was only a two point difference between us. I think we were evenly matched."


    In response to those results, Sakayanagi added that.


    The two upper sses had a magnificent showdown but it appears ss B couldn''t quite catch up to ss A and so ss A monopolized the top spot for themselves. They definitely widened the gap.


    "The fact that ss D won would mean you may be ss C starting from the third semester."


    "We also need to be on our guard, or ss B might also get overtaken."


    "Of course, we fully intend on overtaking you."


    In response to Ichinose''s jokingughter, Keisei interjected seriously.


    "And eventually, we will be ss A."


    When Keisei said those words, Sakayanagi closed her eyes andughed faintly.


    Keisei didn''t think much of that behavior but we''re still ss D right now. He should know that acting tough here is a pointless thing to do.


    However, I should say that the lineup''s not very good because none of us are particrly friendly with Ichinose. On top of that, since we aren''t the type to make small talk or forced smiles, the conversation ended uping to a halt.


    Ichinose came to realize that they''re not wee here.


    "Ahaha, might we be disturbing you? See you allter."


    "Please excuse us."


    Sakayanagi, without ever once speaking to me or making eye contact with me, followed Ichinose and left. Looks like she won''t mess up and drop any hints here.


    "They''re rivals, aren''t they? Those two, I mean."


    "Leaving aside whether that''s the appropriate way to describe them, there''s no doubt that they''re enemies."


    Keisei suspiciously pushed his sses up and stared at their backs.


    "As expected of Ichinose, wouldn''t you say?"


    It''s already a well-known fact that Ichinose is someone who can make friends with any student.


    "How should I put it, Ichinose-san really is something else...."


    Airi muttered.


    "As a fellow woman, I don''t like her."


    "Haruka, do you hate Ichinose?"


    "I don''t particrly hate her. I don''t like her either, of course. It''s just, how should I put it, she''s way too perfect at everything and way too ideal. There''s no charm in that unless there''s a couple of weaknesses here and there, don''t you think? I suppose I should say I hope she''s actually rotten on the inside..."


    "You do have a point. Having no weaknesses at all makes her seem creepy on the contrary. But I think hoping she''s actually rotten on the inside is going a bit too far though."


    Akito nodded, as though he agreed with the points Haruka made.


    "That''s true but what I''m saying is that being perfect and wless isme. Even in manga."


    Putting her hands inside her pocket, Haruka stared at Ichinose''s back.


    "I...might actually want a person like that to actually exist. Because if Ichinose-san is really a bad person like Haruka-chan said just now, no one would believe it."


    As though she''d rather not have that be true, Airi seemed anxious.


    "I suppose so. There''s probably an unbelievably perfect and kind person somewhere out there in the world. We may just not be aware that they''re close by."


    Haruka added that as a follow up.


    "We''re going to be ss C soon. When that happens, Ichinose will be our next enemy. And when that happens, she''ll be an enemy we must defeat no matter what. I think it''s best to not defend her too much."


    Keisei''s right. If Ichinose is an upstanding person, that would just make the fight that much harder for us.


    If you''re someone who''s openly evil, like Ryuuen, then no one would bother feeling anything unnecessary for you. However, in Ichinose''s case, I wonder if our ss can go against her without holding back.


    "...many difficulties lie ahead, huh?"


    If we get promoted to the upper sses, we''ll inevitably have to face that fight. We will also probably get attacked from behind by Ryuuen and the others, who would attempt to catch back up.


    It''s still uncertain what will happen to the cooperative rtionship between Horikita and Ichinose in the future either.


    Ideally speaking, we''d keep our alliance with Ichinose and the others and theny siege to ss A.


    And then we''ll end the alliance when our ss and Ichinose have risen up to ss B and ss A respectively. Of course, I doubt things will be that simple.