Chapter 8
Hiro Hayashi's name fell faster than anyone expected.
Two days ago, he was still the Golden Prince of ANHS. His smile decorated unofficial blogs, his fanclub defended him like a national treasure, and half the school treated Crown Hearts like they were carved from marble and expensive perfume.
Now his name came with words like expulsion, point theft, false accusation, and Class B fund scandal.
The unofficial blog did not sleep.
Neither did the comment section.
That last one spread the fastest.
Not because the scandal was small.
Because students were horrible.
A blurry photo was attached below the post. Honami sat beside Kiyotaka in the cafeteria, her handkerchief wrapped around his injured knuckles, her fingers intertwined with his like letting go had never been an option.
The caption underneath was deadly.
Someone replied almost instantly.
Another comment came seconds later.
By morning, Class B had become a courtroom with desks.
Honami sat at her seat, smiling peacefully while her phone buzzed like it had developed anxiety.
Mako leaned over the desk, eyes shining with the kind of joy that only existed when someone else was in trouble.
"So," Mako said, far too sweetly, "are we discussing the handholding, the dessert, or the part where you looked at Kiyotaka-kun like he was your personal property?"
Honami blinked.
"My personal property?"
Chihiro, seated nearby, turned red from secondhand embarrassment. "Mako, maybe don't say it like that."
Yume rested her chin on her hand. "She did hold his hand for a long time."
Kozue nodded. "Very long."
Sayo's voice was gentle, but even she couldn't resist. "And yesterday too."
Yuki folded her arms. "And the day before."
Honami's smile did not break.
That was what made it suspicious.
"Kiyotaka-kun's hand was injured."
Mako stared at her.
"Honami-chan."
"Yes?"
"You held his uninjured hand yesterday."
Honami paused.
Only for half a second.
Then her smile brightened.
"That was for balance."
Chihiro covered her mouth.
Yume whispered, "Balance?"
Kozue looked impressed. "She made that up so quickly."
Mako pointed at Honami like she had caught a criminal. "You're lying."
Honami tilted her head.
"I'm not."
"You're smiling weirdly again."
"What smile?"
"That one."
Honami smiled more.
Mako leaned back slowly.
"Oh, no. She's doing the sweet scary thing again."
Chihiro looked at Honami with soft concern. "You really don't have a crush on him?"
Honami turned toward her.
The room seemed to grow quieter around their table.
"I don't," Honami said softly.
Her eyes curved.
Her smile stayed beautiful.
Somehow, nobody believed her at all.
Mako narrowed her eyes. "Say his name without blushing."
"Kiyotaka-kun."
Honami said it smoothly.
Then immediately turned a little pink.
Mako slapped the desk. "Guilty."
Honami looked away.
"That doesn't prove anything."
Yuki raised a brow. "Your face disagrees."
Sayo smiled apologetically. "It really does."
Honami held her phone to her chest and stood.
"Well, lunch is starting soon."
Mako's grin returned. "Running away?"
"No." Honami adjusted her bag, looking far too cheerful for someone escaping interrogation. "I'm going to Class D."
Chihiro blinked. "Again?"
Honami smiled.
"Yes."
Mako slowly placed both hands on the desk.
"Honami-chan, if you go to Class D, ask Kiyotaka-kun to lunch, hold his hand again, sit beside him again, feed each other again, and still tell us you're just friends, I might actually lose my mind."
Honami looked thoughtful.
"I'll try not to make you lose it."
"That's not a denial."
Honami only smiled and walked toward the door with suspiciously light steps.
Mako watched her leave.
Then turned to the others.
"She's gone."
Chihiro sighed softly. "She looks happier though."
Mako's expression gentled for a moment.
"Yeah."
Then her grin returned.
"But she's still gone."
Class D had begun preparing for her arrival.
That was the embarrassing part.
The moment lunch time approached, several students started glancing at the door.
Kei pretended she wasn't one of them.
Maya was absolutely one of them.
Chiaki watched with open amusement, like she had front-row tickets to a romantic disaster and intended to collect every detail.
Near the boys' side, the usual loud suspects were already whispering like battlefield scouts.
"She came yesterday at exactly this time," Ike muttered.
Yamauchi leaned forward. "If she comes again, that's not coincidence. That's a route."
Sotomura adjusted his glasses. "Repeated lunchtime approach behavior indicates stable social bonding."
Okitani sighed. "You could just say she likes him."
Hirata smiled helplessly. "Maybe we shouldn't assume too much."
The door slid open.
Honami appeared with a bright smile.
The entire class somehow became quieter without admitting it.
Ike whispered, "Route confirmed."
Yamauchi whispered back, "Brother, he's living the dream."
Kiyotaka looked up from his phone as Honami walked straight to his desk.
"Kiyotaka-kun."
"Honami."
The first-name exchange alone caused several nearby students to silently update their mental evidence boards.
Honami held out her hand.
"Lunch?"
Kiyotaka looked at her hand, then at her face.
"This is becoming a habit."
Her smile became innocent.
"Good habits are important."
"Is that what this is?"
"Yes."
He stood.
Honami immediately took his hand and interlocked their fingers with the calm confidence of someone who had definitely not just denied rumors five minutes ago.
Kei's eyes widened.
Maya made a tiny noise.
Chiaki murmured, "Bold."
Kushida's smile stayed perfect, though her pen stopped moving.
Kiyotaka glanced at their joined hands.
"You didn't ask."
Honami looked down, then back at him.
"Your hand was injured before."
"This is the other hand."
"Yes. I'm preventing future injury."
Someone in Class D choked.
Maya whispered, "That's such a lie."
Chiaki smiled. "A cute lie, though."
Kiyotaka's lips curved faintly.
"You're taking medical responsibility very seriously."
Honami's cheeks warmed.
"I'm a responsible person."
"You're holding my hand in front of my class."
"For safety."
Ike turned to Yamauchi with watery eyes.
"Safety, she says."
Yamauchi nodded solemnly. "May we all one day be protected like that."
Hirata tried to hide a laugh and failed.
Kiyotaka picked up his phone and followed Honami toward the door.
Before leaving, he glanced at the boys.
"I'll eat with you another time."
Ike straightened immediately. "We'll wait."
Yamauchi placed a hand over his chest. "Friendship delayed is not friendship denied."
Kiyotaka stared at him for a second.
Honami giggled.
That was enough to ruin the boys emotionally.
As they left, Mako and the others were already waiting in the hallway. Mako's gaze dropped instantly to their hands.
She inhaled.
Deeply.
Like a woman praying for patience.
"You denied it."
Honami smiled. "Denied what?"
Mako pointed at their hands.
"This."
Honami looked down, as if noticing their fingers for the first time.
"Oh."
"Oh?" Mako repeated.
Kiyotaka's smile sharpened slightly.
"Should I let go?"
Honami's fingers tightened.
"No."
The hallway went silent for exactly two seconds.
Mako slowly turned to Chihiro.
"She said no."
Chihiro's face turned pink. "I heard."
Honami smiled sweetly.
"It would be rude to let go suddenly."
Yume whispered, "Rude?"
Kozue nodded thoughtfully. "Friendship etiquette is evolving."
Sayo looked like she wanted to support Honami but couldn't find a legal argument.
Yuki simply said, "Nobody believes you."
Honami's smile did not move.
"That's okay."
Mako blinked. "That's okay?"
Honami walked forward, still holding Kiyotaka's hand.
"Yes."
Mako stared after her.
Then grabbed Chihiro's arm.
"She doesn't care anymore."
Chihiro nodded, eyes wide.
"That might be scarier than lying."
The cafeteria welcomed them with the subtlety of a collapsing shelf.
Students turned.
Phones lowered halfway, then rose again pretending to photograph food.
Whispers moved like steam over the tables.
"Again?"
"They're holding hands again."
"She went to Class D?"
"Didn't she deny the rumor this morning?"
"She denied it while smiling. That doesn't count."
Mako chose a table and sat down with the exhaustion of someone managing a romance scandal without pay.
Honami sat beside Kiyotaka.
Not across.
Beside.
Their hands remained linked under the table, though not hidden enough to fool anyone with eyes.
Mako stared at the table.
Then at Honami.
Then at Kiyotaka.
"I have decided," she said, "that I no longer respect the word friendship."
Kiyotaka looked at her.
"That seems extreme."
"You two murdered it."
Honami blinked. "We're just having lunch."
"You are holding hands under the table."
Honami's smile brightened.
"For safety."
Mako leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
"She said it again."
Chihiro sat across from them, shyly trying not to look at their hands and failing every few seconds.
Kiyotaka noticed.
"Chihiro."
She jumped slightly. "Y-yes?"
"You're staring."
Her face went red. "Sorry."
"At our hands?" he asked.
Honami's fingers twitched in his.
Chihiro became redder.
"I wasn't trying to."
Mako leaned forward immediately. "No, no. Let her answer. Chihiro-chan, as our witness, does this look like friendship?"
Chihiro looked helplessly at Honami.
Honami smiled at her.
The smile said: choose carefully.
Chihiro swallowed.
"It looks like... very close friendship."
Mako slapped the table lightly.
"Betrayal."
Kiyotaka looked at Chihiro with amusement.
"Good answer."
Chihiro hid behind her drink.
Mako pointed at him. "Don't reward her for cowardice."
"It was diplomacy."
"That's worse."
Honami leaned slightly toward Kiyotaka. "Chihiro is kind."
"She is," Kiyotaka said.
Chihiro nearly dropped her straw.
Mako stared at him.
"Did you just casually attack her?"
"I agreed."
"You agreed with atmosphere."
Kiyotaka's smile became playful. "Is that a crime now?"
Mako looked at Honami. "See? This is what I mean. He says normal things like he knows there's background music."
Honami looked at Kiyotaka with warm eyes.
"He does have a nice voice."
The table froze.
Mako slowly turned.
Honami blinked, realizing she had said it aloud.
Her cheeks flushed.
Kiyotaka looked at her.
"Do I?"
Honami looked down, but she did not let go of his hand.
"You know you do."
Mako gasped. "That was not friendship dialogue."
Honami raised her head quickly. "It was a compliment."
Kiyotaka leaned slightly closer.
"Friends compliment each other."
Honami nodded too fast. "Exactly."
Mako pointed between them. "And now he's helping you."
Kiyotaka's eyes glinted.
"I'm being supportive."
"You're being an accomplice."
Lunch somehow became worse when the dessert arrived.
Kiyotaka had bought it quietly while the others were busy arguing over whether "medical handholding" was a real phrase.
Honami saw the cup appear beside her tray.
"Kiyotaka-kun..."
"You skipped breakfast."
"I ate."
"Barely."
Mako's head snapped up.
"How do you know that?"
Kiyotaka picked up the spoon.
"She told me yesterday."
Honami smiled softly. "He remembers small things."
Mako gripped the edge of the table.
"That was painfully sweet. I hate that it worked."
Kiyotaka scooped a bite and held it toward Honami.
The table went silent.
Honami blushed instantly.
"Kiyotaka-kun, everyone is watching."
"Yes."
"Then..."
"You're hungry."
"That doesn't answer anything."
"It answers the important part."
Chihiro whispered, "He's doing it again."
Yume leaned toward Kozue. "She'll accept it."
Kozue whispered back, "Of course she will."
Honami hesitated, then took the bite.
A small wave of reactions moved through the cafeteria.
Someone coughed too loudly.
Someone whispered, "Again."
Someone else whispered, "They're not even hiding."
Mako stared at Honami.
"You accepted that very naturally."
Honami covered her mouth, face red.
"I was hungry."
Kiyotaka took a bite from the same spoon.
Mako slowly stood halfway from her seat.
"Same spoon."
Honami looked at the spoon.
Then at Kiyotaka.
Her blush deepened.
Kiyotaka met her gaze calmly.
"Does it bother you?"
Honami's smile turned shy, then strangely pleased.
"No."
Mako sat down again like she had lost a legal battle.
"They're gone."
Sayo smiled gently. "It is cute though."
Yuki nodded. "Suspicious, but cute."
Chihiro looked down at her own dessert. "They look happy."
That softened the table for a moment.
Honami heard it.
Her fingers tightened around Kiyotaka's beneath the table.
The rumors did not matter as much as they should have. Maybe that was the problem. A few days ago, she would have panicked about reputation, Class B, what others thought, what Hiro would say, what Crown Hearts fans would whisper.
Now, Kiyotaka was beside her, holding her hand like her presence was accepted without explanation.
The world could whisper.
It felt far away.
Mako recovered, naturally, because peace offended her.
"So, Kiyotaka-kun."
He looked at her.
"Are you two dating?"
Honami nearly choked.
"Mako!"
Kiyotaka answered calmly.
"No."
Mako turned to Honami.
"Are you two dating?"
Honami's face was scarlet.
"No."
Mako pointed at their hands under the table.
"Are you aware of your current situation?"
Honami looked down.
Then smiled.
"We're close friends."
Mako closed her eyes.
"Chihiro, say something before I start screaming."
Chihiro looked between Kiyotaka and Honami.
"But... they both said no."
Mako opened one eye.
"And you believe them?"
Chihiro hesitated.
Kiyotaka looked at her.
Chihiro immediately looked away.
"...Not completely."
Mako clapped once. "Growth."
Honami looked betrayed. "Chihiro..."
Chihiro fidgeted. "I'm sorry, but friends don't usually feed each other dessert with the same spoon while holding hands."
Honami thought about it.
Then said, very seriously, "Maybe they should."
Mako's mouth fell open.
Yume burst into laughter.
Kozue covered her smile with both hands.
Sayo leaned into Yuki's shoulder, trying not to giggle.
Kiyotaka's smile widened.
"You're making a strong argument."
Honami turned to him.
"I am?"
"For changing friendship standards."
Mako pointed at him. "Do not encourage her."
Honami looked pleased.
Too pleased.
The blog updated before lunch ended.
Of course it did.
Then another.
The comment section immediately became unbearable.
At the table, Mako read the latest post and groaned.
"They called it a schedule."
Honami looked curious. "What?"
Mako hid her phone.
"Nothing."
Kiyotaka glanced at Mako's phone screen reflection in her spoon.
"Day three?"
Mako stared at him.
"Do your eyes have illegal functions?"
Honami smiled proudly. "Kiyotaka-kun notices everything."
Mako turned to her slowly.
"You sound proud."
Honami's smile became innocent again.
"I'm complimenting my friend."
Mako leaned toward Chihiro. "If she says friend one more time, I'm going to throw myself into the dessert freezer."
Chihiro whispered back, "Please don't. Kiyotaka-kun might call that a safety concern."
Kiyotaka looked at Chihiro.
"That was funny."
Chihiro's face turned pink instantly.
Mako gasped. "He praised your joke. Chihiro-chan, you're doomed too."
Chihiro hid behind her hands.
Honami looked at Kiyotaka.
"You're teasing her."
"A little."
"Be gentle."
"With Chihiro?"
"With everyone."
Kiyotaka's expression turned faintly amused.
"You're scolding me during lunch again."
Honami lifted their linked hands slightly.
"I'm responsible for your recovery."
"That's still your excuse?"
"It's a good excuse."
"No one believes it."
Honami looked around the table.
Every girl avoided her eyes in a different way.
She looked back at Kiyotaka.
Her smile softened.
"You let me use it anyway."
That quieted him for a second.
Not visibly enough for most people.
But Honami noticed.
She always noticed him now.
Kiyotaka's thumb brushed lightly against her fingers beneath the table.
"Because you seem to like it."
Honami's face warmed again.
Mako dropped her spoon.
"Nope. That one was intentional."
Kiyotaka looked at her. "Was it?"
"Yes."
Honami tried to pull her hand free out of embarrassment.
Kiyotaka let her move, but only enough for her to realize she didn't actually want to let go.
She stopped.
Their fingers remained linked.
Mako saw.
Chihiro saw.
Everyone at the table saw.
Honami looked down with a small, helpless smile.
Yume sighed dramatically.
"They're just friends."
Kozue nodded with fake seriousness.
"The closest friends in ANHS."
Sayo added, "Very supportive."
Yuki said, "Medically."
The table dissolved into laughter.
Even Honami laughed, covering her mouth with her free hand.
Kiyotaka watched her quietly.
The laughter suited her more than the weight she had carried under Hiro's shadow. It was lighter, less polished, less offered to everyone as a service.
This one belonged to her.
Honami caught him looking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"That's usually not true."
He smiled.
"You've started learning my habits."
Her eyes brightened.
"Friends should know each other's habits."
Mako groaned into her arms.
"There it is again."
Kiyotaka leaned slightly toward Honami.
"Then what habit of yours should I learn next?"
Honami froze.
The question was innocent.
Almost.
The table went deadly quiet.
Her cheeks flushed pink, but her smile turned mischievous in a way that had definitely not existed before Kiyotaka entered her life.
"That I don't let go easily."
Mako lifted her head.
Chihiro stared.
Yume whispered, "Honami..."
Kiyotaka's eyes sharpened with interest.
"Is that a warning?"
Honami looked down at their joined hands.
Then back up at him.
"It's friendship information."
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Then Mako slammed both hands on the table.
"That is not a thing!"
The entire table burst into laughter again.
Honami laughed too, face red but smile real.
Kiyotaka smiled beside her, calm and dark and quietly entertained.
Across the cafeteria, more students watched, more phones buzzed, and more rumors grew legs.
But at that table, Honami did not care as much as she should have.
She had denied the rumors.
Technically.
She had said they were friends.
Technically.
But her hand stayed in Kiyotaka's, her dessert was shared from the same spoon, and when he looked at her like she was something worth noticing, the world outside the table became beautifully unimportant.
The Crown Hearts had once made ANHS feel like a stage.
Kiyotaka made it feel like a secret.
And Honami, smiling beside him with suspicious innocence, had no intention of giving that secret back.