It was Saturday morning.

After making myself a cup of instant ramen for breakfast, I headed to the station and boarded a train to Stark White.

Once I arrived, I took a seat at one of the benches and messaged Yogen that I was here. She replied shortly after saying she was heading over now. To kill time, I continued reading a light novel on my phone.

About fifteen minutes later, Yogen entered the station with a wide smile.

Even though she was dressed in casual clothes, she looked way more fancy than I did. I wore a dark grey shirt with navy blue jeans, while she wore a cute blue dress with a matching purse slung around her shoulder.

"Boya-san! Were you that desperate to see me?"

"...not particularly. It's just that you said you hate guys who are late yesterday."

"Ara, well remembered. However, I also don't like guys who are too early. I was busy with something, you know?"

"My bad. You didn't have to rush over though, it's not even 1:30pm yet."

"It'd be rude of me to stand you up. Besides, even if you were eager to come early, the cafe should be less busy now. Eating lunch doesn't take more than half an hour at most."

Since I arrived at the start of 1pm, the sweet shop was probably less crowded now.

"I guess that's true."

"Come on, let's go!"

Yogen dragged me up from the bench with a cheeky smile.

"I can get up by myself..."

"But it's more fun this way, isn't it?"

Yogen wrapped herself around my right arm. If a stranger saw us, they might mistake us for a couple.

"If you recall, I injured my arm this week. I'd like to avoid unnecessary pressure."

I tried to shake her off this way, but instead she doubled down and pressed herself against me even more.

"It's fine, my breasts are soft~. They won't hurt you."

"You really shouldn't be saying those sorts of things."

"It's fine if it's you, Boya-san."

Yogen giggled. I sighed, forcibly removing her from my arm.

"Meanie."

She pouted. I shrugged.

"Let's just go already."

"Fi~ne."

Yogen huffed before guiding me to the sweet shop. I quietly followed, feeling as if I may have angered her somehow.

"Yesterday, you ended our call really abruptly. What happened?"

"Oh... something urgent came up that I had to deal with, that's all."

"Let me guess, you got into an argument with Matsushita-san?"

"Pretty much."

At this point, I didn't even question how she knew.

"How tedious. You won, right?"

I thought about it for a second.

"In the future I will."

"In other words, you lost yesterday?"

"I don't really want to disclose that much, but something along those lines."

"I'll save you the embarrassment and stop asking then."

Yogen grinned, acting like she was doing me a favour. I guess she technically was, but at the same time, she was still probing for information on me and E Class.

"Here we are~."

Yogen stopped in front of a small shop situated near the docks and sandy beaches of Stark White. A wave of nostalgia hit me.

"What a cute little shop."

I pushed the front door open and ushered Yogen inside.

"Ara, how gentlemanly of you."

"Ladies first."

"Then shouldn't I be holding the door for you?"

"Very funny..."

Yogen laughed as she made fun of me. I simply followed her inside and looked around the cafe. Not that many people were here now, and a few employees were wiping down the tables that were just occupied.

"This place looks cozy."

"I love the decoration here. The purple is especially pretty."

Yogen pointed at the shop's wallpaper, which was made up of blocky pastel blues, limes, and purples.

"It really is like candy for the eyes."

"We're at a sweet shop, I think that's the point."

"True enough, I suppose. Where should we sit?"

"I've already reserved us a seat at the back."

"You thoroughly prepared for this, huh?"

"I wanted our date to go as smoothly as possible, that's all."

"Props to you then, since I'm having a more pleasant time than I first thought."

"Well... I don't think you should be praising me for my efforts just yet."

"What do you mean by..."

I stopped dead in my tracks, realising I had spoke too soon.

"Here we are. A nice place next to the window so we can see the beautiful yachts and luxury cruisers that swim by."

Yogen notioned towards the table I had stopped in front of.

"Yuu...?"

"Yukina...?"

Sitting at that table was Yukina, perusing through the menu.

"What are you doing here?"

"That's... my question to you too."

"Well... if you remember, Yogen-san offhandedly mentioned we had a "date" together. Of course, it's not actually a date. We were just going out to eat sweets together."

"Um... I know that part, but she said you two were meeting up on Sunday...?"

"What? But we decided to meet on Saturday."

"She said the same to me! She invited me to have a private chat with her on Saturday. She said she wanted to smooth things over from Wednesday's lunch time..."

Me and Yukina turned to Yogen for an explanation. Clapping her hands together, a sly smile appeared on her face.

"Ah, I've been found out! I actually asked both of you to come this Saturday so we could have a threesome date! Isn't that exciting, Boya-san?"

This was the last thing I wanted and Yogen knew it.

"No, it isn't. Yukina, do you still want to have a private chat with her?"

"Well... um..."

"If so, I'll just go home."

"Nooooo! Don't go home!"

Yogen latched onto my arm to stop me from leaving.

"I've been waiting forever for this!"

"You've been waiting only a week. Let's reschedule this for later."

"But I'm so excited to finally eat sweets with you..."

"Yuu... it's fine. You should stay."

Surprisingly, Yukina seemed okay with Yogen's proposal to have a three way date.

"See, even Kazuraba-san doesn't mind!"

"Yukina, are you sure about this?"

"Yes. You came all the way out here anyways, so you might as well get it over with."

I scratched the back of my head and sighed.

"Alright. Only because you're fine with it."

It might actually be for the best if I stayed. That way, I could stop Yogen if she starts to bully Yukina again.

"Yay~! Come on, take a seat!"

Me and Yogen sat down at the table. Soon enough, a waiter came up to us.

"Hi, I'll be taking your orders today. What will you guys have— Yogen..."

"Ah, Kumi-chan! Hiya~!"

To my surprise, our waiter (or rather, waitress) was a student in our year, Minamoto Kumi. She was in A Class like Yogen. I guess she was working part time here.

"How bold of you to show your face at where I work after you rode BFF-sama's coattails for an entire week..."

For some reason, the tension between these two girls was very high.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to get between you and Shigaisoshi-sama on purpose~. I lost a bet, what else was I supposed to do?"

Minamoto's "BFF-sama" was Shigaisoshi...? It made me wonder how she was able to put up with Shigaisoshi's princess-like personality on a daily basis, though.

"YOU SPENT MORE TIME WITH HER IN THE PAST WEEK THAN I DID! THAT'S NOT FAIR AT ALL!"

"Then you should've bunked classes to be with her."

"If I do that, there's the risk I'd move down to B Class for bad behaviour. I'd rather die getting hit by a storm of spaghetti than be in a different class as BFF-sama!"

"Death by pasta is very specific..."

"I have a pen pal in Italy, he's great! As he'd say, pasta la vista, baby— wait, that's besides the point! Yogen Emica, I swear on my name of Minamoto Kumi that I'll make you pay for taking my BFF-sama away from me!"

In the midst of Minamoto's (presumably) sugar fuelled rage, Yogen pointed at what she wanted on the menu.

"I'll have a large strawberry citrus parfait and Korean boba milk tea."

"Oh, sure thing!"

Minamoto instantly calmed down and scribbled the order in her notepad. She then turned to me and Yukina.

"And you two lovely— wait, aren't these guys from E Class?"

"Yes, they are."

"What the heck are they doing here? We're a bougie establishment, can you guys even afford to pay the prices here? And what are you even doing hanging out with these guys, Yogen? Yahagi's gonna be pissed if he finds out you're mixing with the Drachma dropouts!"

Even though Minamoto was saying some very distasteful things, I could tell that it was out of genuine ignorance rather than a place of malice.

"They'll be fine, those two are actually somewhat responsible with their spending."

"Oh... hang on..."

Minamoto sniffed the air. Then, she looked at me with wide, hyper eyes. Grabbing my right arm, she sniffed even harder.

"This scent... there's no mistaking it...!"

"No mistaking what...?"

"BFF-SAMA'S GODLY HANDS TOUCHED YOU HERE!"

Minamoto screamed, as she was somehow able to smell Shigaisoshi on my arm...? At this point, I was thoroughly creeped out.

"WHEN DID BFF-SAMA TOUCH DRACHMA SCUM?! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET HER TO TOUCH YOU, HUH?!"

"I can explain..."

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!"

"I'm Takanori Yuuto..."

"TAKANORI YUUTO! I SWEAR ON MY NAME AS MINAMOTO KUMI THAT I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR HAVING BFF-SAMA TOUCH YOU SO INTIMATELY! NOT EVEN SHE TOUCHES ME LIKE THAT, EVEN IF I GET ON MY KNEES AND BEG FOR IT!"

This is such a weird friendship between Minamoto and Shigaisoshi... it was borderline BDSM.

"Uh... all I did was visit the infirmary... where Shigaisoshi-sama proceeded to treat my injured arm by rubbing some gel in it..."

"Oh. Oh... oh yeah..."

Minamoto stopped screaming when I explained what had happened.

"Gosh, why didn't you say so sooner?! Man, they weren't kidding about you E Class people being slow in the head."

I think you're the one slow in the head, here...

"BFF-sama is so selfless, helping those who are both injured and lower status than her... ah, her kindness is so tender and accepting, I can feel it envelop my heart even in this moment...!"

In order to stop Minamoto from going further, Yukina quickly ordered something on the menu.

"I'll have the Belgium chocolate waffles and caramel latte."

"Sure thing! And you, boy who got touched by BFF-sama?"

"Uh..."

I hadn't decided yet, so I quickly checked the menu for cheapest items and ordered them.

"I'll have... a Portuguese egg tart and a coffee."

"Cool! Sit tight, I'll be back in just a bit!"

Minamoto happily left with our orders in hand. Yukina sighed, turning to Yogen.

"Is she always like this...?"

"Yup. That's Kumi-chan for ya, always bursting with steam from simping for her BFF-sama."

"How energetic... I feel exhausted just by watching her."

"You get used to it." Yogen shrugged. "So, about what happened on Wednesday."

"You said you wanted to smooth things over, didn't you?"

"That's right. Kazuraba-san, I'm sor—"

"I won't accept your apology."

Before Yogen could even finish her sentence, Yukina immediately rejected her attempt to make up with her.

"Ara?"

"I mean what I said."

"I can tell that much, your face is very serious right now."

Usually, Yukina had a cheerful face. Right now, it was devoid of empathy. Even her eyes were cold and narrowed.

"It's not cute at all. Are you sure you want to show that scary face while your master is in front of you, Doll-chan?"

I didn't want to interrupt them, but at the same time I felt irritated by the way Yogen labelled mine and Yukina's relationship.

"Master...?"

"That's right, Boya-san is your master. You'll obediently listen and do whatever he says."

"That's not..."

"This entire time, you've been doing things for his sake, isn't that right? You want him to notice you so desparately, you'll do anything to please him. What a lonely existence."

Yogen shrugged and turned towards me.

"Honestly Boya-san, I'm surprised you haven't taken advantage of her already. I know plenty of guys who would, especially since Doll-chan is so cute and curvaceous. Surely you've had thoughts about doing that with her, haven't you?"

Before I could cut in to defend Yukina, she spoke up with an anger I had never heard from her before.

"Don't you dare boil down my relationship with Yuu to something so vulgar and one-sided like that!"

"Ara? It must be true then, since you're getting so angry over it."

Minamoto returned, placing down our drinks and my egg tart, seemingly unaware of the tension building between Yukina and Yogen right now. While the food looked good, I had lost my appetite as things were starting to get ugly between the two girls.

"I'm getting angry because that's the exact opposite of the truth. I'm not his doll and he's not my master. We're partners."

"It doesn't look that way to me. Who's been making all the calls? Boya-san. Who's been carrying out all the orders? You, Doll-chan."

"It's a perfectly normal symbiotic relationship. Yuu's good at thinking, so he makes up the plans. I'm good at working, so I enact his plans. There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Sounds like to me you're just trying to justify your one sided relationship. What if Boya-san asked you to do something you're uncomfortable with? Because you're so weak willed, you'd do it regardless, wouldn't you? You couldn't possibly say no if it's your precious "Yuu" who's asking."

Yukina gripped the hem of her skirt nervously.

"I'm not worried about that because I know Yuu would never ask me do anything I'm uncomfortable with. He knows my boundaries and I know his."

"You say that, but when push comes to shove, even the most reasonable people can do unreasonable things."

Yogen looked at me in the eyes and smiled. Was she referring to the time I punched Ritaka?

"You've noticed it too, haven't you? Of course you have, you're always sticking so closely next to him all the time."

"Notice what?"

"The darkness in his heart."

"What are you talking about...?"

"Boya-san isn't as ordinary as he seems."

"I already know that... Yuu likes to act like he's nothing special, but he does things in secret that make me think differently."

"Oh no, I'm not talking about that. I acknowledge Boya-san's hidden talents too. No, no, what I'm talking about is his dark side."

I vaguely understood what Yogen was trying to say. Rather than perceive that people have a front and hidden self, like I do, she instead believes that people have a light and dark side.

Conceptually, they're similar in the fact that we hide undesirable parts of ourselves from other people. However, the fundamental difference is the light side is always honest while the front is not.

"He's very much capable of doing bad things, like you and I. And one day, when he's driven into a corner and has no other option, he might have you do something that he knows you're not okay with. What will you do then?"

"If it cant be helped... then I'd still do it."

I expected this answer because of what Yukina told me yesterday while we were riding the train home. Yogen laughed and looked at me.

"You really do have her wrapped around your finger. I'm almost impressed."

"Do you seriously think I'd stoop down to that level?" I replied sarcastically.

"When people get desperate, they do desperate things. Like how Doll-chan is right now!"

Yogen returned her attention to Yukina.

"I mean, that's why you started wearing makeup right? It was to get his attention."

"You... you noticed that...?"

"When it's that ugly, who wouldn't? Not to be rude, but men don't know anything about what good makeup looks like. They don't even notice things like nail polish. As a word of advice, you're using far too much eyeshadow and not enough blush."

Yogen then smirked.

"Actually, on second thought, that's the perfect amount of blush. You're going so red from embarrassment, it hilariously makes up for it! Though, if I'm going to being honest, I think you're better off not wearing any at all. You look like a whore."

Yukina's eyes started to water as Yogen openly insulted her so bluntly.

"Oi..."

As I was about to speak out, Yogen pushed a finger to my lips.

"Uh-uh. This is between me and her. You might be her master, but this your doll's battle, not yours. Stay out of this, okay?"

Seeing Yogen's open personality right now just reinforced why she thinks that people have a light and dark side. Unlike most people, she doesn't hide anything about herself. She speaks the truth, even if it brings conflict and challenges people's views of themselves and the world.

I pushed her finger away.

"Stay out of this? After you called her a whore?"

"Ah, see what I mean Doll-chan? Boya-san, you really do care for her. A little too much, honestly."

"Of course I do. She's my friend, and—"

"Yuu..."

Yukina looked at me briefly.

"I don't... I... thank you for defending me, but... stay out of this... please."

To my surprise, Yukina begged me to stop.

"I don't want you saving me all the time... Yogen-san's right. This is my fight."

"You heard her."

"...fine."

I reluctantly backed down. Yukina raised her head, mentally preparing herself to endure more of Yogen's venomous attacks.

"It's a shame you want to keep playing innocent. Is it because your master is here watching?"

"You're being ridiculous... of course not."

"Then why pretend not to know? You know what I'm talking about better than anyone else. After all... you have the same darkness as him swirling in your chest too, right?"

As Yogen kept piling pressure onto Yukina, Yukina shrunk back.

"No... I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Ah, but you sounded so cold and mean earlier. It slipped out just a little bit. Right, Boya-san?"

I took a sip of my coffee. It was bitter. I'll need to add some sugar later.

"I thought this was between you and her?"

"It's fine to give your opinion when we ask for it though."

What a whimsical woman.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter if Yukina has darkness inside of her or not. She's a reliable friend I like talking to, which is all that matters."

"What a boring answer... but it suits someone like you."

Yogen sighed as Yukina looked at me reluctantly. Minamoto came over and put down the parfait.

"You're expecting too much from me."

I picked up my egg tart and bit into it. The custard was delicious.

"Though, I can't feel like your answer makes her sound like she's replaceable. She really is like a doll for you, huh?"

At this point, Yukina's ahoge drooped over. The fighting spirit she had faded away as Yogen closed in on the aspects of herself that she felt insecure about.

"You have a strange way of looking at people. Masters, dolls, little boys... it's very honest. But it's also very flawed."

"My perception of surroundings is usually right."

"Saying "usually" is an admittance that you can be wrong. And for once, you are."

Yogen raised an eyebrow. She wasn't expecting this challenge from me.

"Ara?"

"You seem to understand things better when someone you like tells you it. So let me repeat what Yukina said earlier. What we have is a perfectly normal symbiotic relationship. Don't misconstrue it to fit your twisted narrative."

Yukina looked at me with wide eyes.

"Aw, look at you, protecting your fragile doll so dearly! What a lovely master you have. Treat him better, or else he might one day leave you and run away."

Yogen applaused me before taunting Yukina, who slowly lifted her lowered head.

"You'd hate that, wouldn't you? I mean, you're nothing without him."

Yukina narrowed her eyes. Yogen smiled satisfactorily.

"Why don't you have a drink? Your throat looks parched. Or maybe, Boya-san should've been the one to say that? If he told you to drink, you would obediently do so."

As if to prove Yogen wrong, Yukina took a large sip of her latte. As she did, Minamoto came over to put down her chocolate waffles on the table.

"Well, everyone's meals are here! Let's eat!"

Yogen wasted no time and started digging into her parfait. It was scary how quickly she could switch between being serious and being happy.

"Mmmm~ it's so good! Boya-san, how was the egg tart? Good, right?"

Yukina simply stared at her plate of waffles with hollow eyes. She didn't even pick up her fork.

"For the price, it was really high quality."

"The custard here is really good, isn't it? I might just have to order myself a box to go."

"A box?"

"You can't just have one egg tart! You need to eat at least three to be satisfied!"

"You're such a sweet tooth. Try not to get fat."

"Ah?! Boya-san, you shouldn't be saying such rude things to a lady!"

Yogen slapped my hand playfully. Yukina's eyes shifted from her plate of untouched waffles to us.

"Ah, I'm so jealous of Doll-chan. All the fat goes to her huge chest, mine goes straight to my stomach."

"Guess you'll have to watch how much you eat then."

Yogen sighed with a little childish cry.

"Ahh~! I wanna eat lots more, but my figure is really good right now... nee, do you wanna see?"

I choked a little on my coffee when she asked me that.

"...see what?"

"My stomach."

"And why would I want to see that? In public, no less..."

"I thought you'd be into that kind of stuff."

Yogen smiled seductively and giggled. I sighed.

"Please stop mistaking me for a pervert. I'm not interested at all."

"The most perverted and horny boys are usually the ones who can keep it in their pants."

"That..."

Before I could finish, Yukina grabbed her drink and dumped it on Yogen's head.

"...ah?"

Yogen looked genuinely surprised by what happened. Her eyes were wide and her lips were pursed as Yukina's latte dripped down her hair and face.

"You're pissing me off."

Yukina coldly put down the empty glass, slamming it on the table. Her eyes were glazed over with hatred.

"Ah... a ha ha... a ha ha ha ha ha!"

Yogen broke out in uncontrollable laughter.

"You... that's what broke you? Me calling your precious "Yuu" a pervert? Your priorities really aren't set straight!"

Yogen wiped away the tears in her eyes from laughing so hard, before taking out a pack of tissues from her pocket and starting to dry herself off.

"Yukina..."

I wanted to reach out and say something to Yukina to comfort or calm her down, but I couldn't. I had no idea what to say in this moment. She was like an alien to me.

I hadn't ever seen her act like this before. I thought she'd be shaking after doing this, partly from the adrenaline, partly from fear, but right now, Yukina was still and looked peaceful.

She didn't look sadistic, or satisfied, or anything like that. Even though she got back at Yogen, she looked more distant from the situation than ever before.

Was this the "darkness" Yogen mentioned earlier?

People sitting at the tables around us started to send judgmental gazes our way. Yogen hummed, seemingly unbothered by the fact her clothes were drenched and her hair was sticky.

"Are you done?"

Eventually, Yukina spoke up, directing a question to Yogen. Her voice, cold as ice, pierced through even me.

"Huh?"

"Are you done cleaning yourself up?"

"Ah, just about. Honestly, I never expected this from you. How ferocious."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I was simply sick of watching you failing to flirt with Yuu when he clearly doesn't like it."

"You jealous?"

"What is there to be jealous of? I'm not the one acting like a whore to get the attention of a boy just to piss off another woman. From where I'm standing right now, it seems like you're the jealous one. Are you that jealous I get to spend so much time with him? Please, continue to keep barking from that unsightly place."

I gulped. Yukina, holding no bars back, flipped Yogen's earlier insult against her in the most cruel way possible. However, Yogen smiled delightfully at it.

"Ara ara, what's this? Has the doll finally snapped?"

"No. I'm just tired of your impulsive and nonchalant way of getting in the way of Yuu's life. I don't care what you do to me. You can say as much as nasty and vile stuff to me as you want, but I'll never accept when you start to toy with and mess with my close friends. Especially Yuu. All of this is just a game to you... and I hate it. I just can't stand it!"

"Huh, both of you care more for each other than yourself."

Whether she realised it or not, Yukina had revealed to Yogen her fatal weakness. Just like me, Yukina's weakness was her partner: me.

However, even if that is a weakness, it can also be strength. That means we have each others backs no matter what.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Hmm, I wonder. I guess I can't relate. Getting too close to people... it's just not something I like doing."

"You must live a sad life then, being alone all the time."

"It's better than being dependent on somebody else."

The tension between Yukina and Yogen kept growing and growing, showing no signs of stopping. Before it could spill over any further, I decided to try and mediate things between them.

"I know I shouldn't be interfering, but I think you two should stop here. We're disturbing the other guests."

Yukina blinked while exhaling. A little bit of life returned to her eyes. Yogen swirled her tea with her straw then took a sip out of it.

"I guess us arguing is souring the date for you, huh?"

Even now, Yogen could return to her teasing self.

"This is far from the ideal date with two girls. Sorry~."

Yukina kept quiet. It looked like she wanted to say something, but she bit her tongue and held back.

"It's fine. I just want to enjoy the sweets without being caught in the middle of an argument."

"True, that's the main reason why I brought you here in the first place. I wanted to eat them with you, Boya-san!"

"And now it's turned into this..."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Let's just enjoy ourselves now, shall we?"

I managed to finish the rest of my egg tart, but the bad blood between Yukina and Yogen still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"I'm not feeling hungry anymore. Someone else can have mine."

Yukina pushed her plate of waffles into the middle of the table.

"Don't mind if I do!"

Yogen happily accepted her offer and started to munch on Yukina's food.

Eventually, all conversation died down between us. An eery silence lingered in the air. It was pretty uneasy.

"I'm going to the toilets to wash my hands. Be right back~."

Yogen left, leaving her phone on the table.

"In that case, I'll be right back too. I need some sugar for my coffee."

I briefly got up to get three packets of sugar. When I returned, Yukina was looking outside the window with a solemn face.

"Everything okay?"

"It was a mistake coming here."

"It really was."

I sat down and dumped the sugar into my coffee.

"If only we were in A Class... we could visit nice places like this every day."

"Yeah. It would be nice to go out with you on a day like this."

Yukina looked at me with a small smile.

"Yeah... it would, wouldn't it?"

That slightly sad expression in her eyes made me feel bad.

"Let's do it some time then."

"Eh?"

"Us going out together. Just you and me. No interferences or third parties."

"Are there even any nice places to go to in Drachma Red?"

"We'll never know unless we find out."

"You really do lack common sense, Yuu..."

Yukina slumped her head on the table while looking away. Was she disappointed in me?

"If you want, we can just visit each others dorms instead."

"I would prefer that... we can even read together, like we used to."

"That would be nice."

Since Yogen still hadn't returned yet, I decided to say what was on my mind.

"By the way, Yukina."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you agree to talk to Yogen-san today?"

"Oh... well, I wanted to... um, make a deal with her."

"A deal?"

"Yeah. She's a threat to us, so it would benefit the class, and you especially, if we can get her to back off from attacking us in some way."

It seems Yukina wanted to act independently and do something proactive for the sake of our class.

"That's why it's better to ward her off early, right? As much as I don't like her... even I have to admit Yogen-san is an impressive person."

I wasn't sure what kind of deal she wanted to make with Yogen, but I was curious in her evaluation of her.

"In what way?"

"I guess... in her way of speaking to others. She's tricky and concise with her words... it's like she always know what to say. Meanwhile me, I... well, I'm no good with that kind of stuff. That's something you're better at."

"I don't think so. I can barely talk to others. If anything, you're better at communicating between the two of us."

"I guess I am better than you in most general social situations, but... when it comes to people like her, you can match their nature better, I think? Like... you guys just get each other somehow."

I was starting to think Yukina felt her position was being threatened by Yogen somehow. Yukina probably thought that our personalities meshed better and was concerned that, one day, I'd somehow end up choosing Yogen over her.

"Are you worried?"

"About what?"

I wasn't sure if I wanted to say this, but I reasoned that, if we'd eventually have to cross this bridge anyways, we might as well get it over with now.

"Well... she did mention you were jealous."

"Don't pay any mind to what she says."

With a slightly offended tone, Yukina chided me angrily, but in a cute way.

"I know, but I can't help but feel like there was some truth to it."

"If you think I'm worried that she'll come between our friendship... well, you're an idiot."

"You're right. Sorry, it seems I was grasping at straws."

I quickly backed out before I could say something that could potentially upset Yukina by accident.

"It's fine... though, I can't help but feel like that's her goal all along here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've been thinking about this for awhile now, and... wait, I'll tell you later."

Our time together was short lived as had Yogen returned from the washroom.

"Ah, what were you two lovebirds talking about while I was gone?"

Yogen sat down and sipped on her tea.

"Don't call us lovebirds... it was nothing interesting, you didn't miss much."

"Oh? But Doll-chan looks happier than before. What did you tell her, hmm?"

"We were just talking about how nice the shop is."

"Huh."

"Like I said, nothing interesting."

Yogen nodded, seemingly satisfied by that explanation. Whether she actually believed it or not was an entirely different story.

"...Yogen-san."

Timidly, Yukina spoke up. Yogen raised an eyebrow.

"Ara? What is it?"

"I came out here today because I had something I wanted to tell you."

"If you're going to tell me that you hate me, trust me honey, I knew that already. That's why I invited you out here today, to mend the bridge I had with you."

If that was her true intentions, then Yogen was doing a really bad job at it.

"No, it's not that. I don't have the energy to spare hating someone like you. Rather, I'd like to propose... a deal."

Like she had mentioned earlier, Yukina wasted no time in negotiating with Yogen.

"Aw... so cute."

Yogen cooed as she suddenly pinched Yukina's cheeks.

"A-ah?"

Not expecting this, Yukina squeaked.

"Look at you doing all this. It just made me want to pinch your mochi cheeks!"

Now that Yukina was on the attack, Yogen matched her tenacity and smirked happily.

"Mochi...? Please take this seriously."

Yukina pulled Yogen's hands away from her.

"I am, I am. So, what's this deal?"

"I want you to come to our class."

Yukina, with her hand on heart, proposed that with complete seriousness. My eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Ara? Ara ara? Ara ara ara? What's this? It seems the doll really has finally ripped the strings off her master's hands, a ha ha ha ha ha!"

Naturally, Yogen bellowed in laughter hearing this.

"You want me to move down from A Class to E Class? Do you even know what you're saying right now? Even Boya-san looks shocked by this! You really didn't tell him beforehand, I'm surprised."

For the second time today, Yogen wiped the tears out of her eyes from laughing so hard.

"That's right. Of course, it would be a massive detriment to you, which is why I wanted to discuss what I could do in exchange for getting you to join."

"Ah, this is what you meant by deal... how interesting. Okay, I'll bite. I'll join your class if you can do one thing for me."

Yukina was surprised that Yogen seemed to easily accept her offer. However, I didn't think this would be that easy. She'd ask for something unreasonable. That's the impression I got from Yogen's cheeky smile right now.

"What... is it?"

Cautiously, Yukina asked for Yogen's one condition.

"I want Boya-san to be my boyfriend!"

I put down my cup of coffee.

"No."

Knowing that Yogen said this to provoke Yukina, I immediately intervened and rejected it on her behalf. That, and I really didn't want to have a girlfriend like her.

"Aww... but that's the only thing of worth Kazuraba-san can offer right now. If I can't be your girlfriend, then there's no point in me joining your class."

Yogen turned to Yukina, who was keeping her cool. She didn't let Yogen's joke of a suggestion get to her this time. Slowly, Yukina was adapting to Yogen's cheeky behaviour and getting used to it.

"Being serious for a second, nothing you - or Boya-san for that matter - could offer me right now would convince me to join. To put it bluntly, there's no value in putting myself in a losing position. You understand that, right?"

"I know... I was prepared to leave with no deal since it was such an unreasonable idea. That's why if you don't want to accept, I understand."

Knowing this wouldn't work out, Yukina reluctantly backed down.

"Ah, hold on. I never said anything about declining it, though? I'm still open to make an offer."

"What kind of offer would you accept?"

"Hm, first of all, instead of a deal, let's do a bet. That's far more exciting! If you win, I'll transfer to your class."

"Wait, you're going too fast. What would the bet even be about? And what would you get if I lose?"

Yogen's lips curled into an evil smirk.

"I'm glad you asked. Can I see your account balance?"

"Oh... oh, you want my private points, don't you?"

"Exactly! If I win, then I want to make you go almost broke. So, show me. How many points do you have?"

Hesistantly, Yukina took out her phone and showed Yogen her private points. I peered at the screen. Yukina had 53,860 Pr.

"Ara... I'll take 50k then. That okay with you?"

That would leave Yukina with only 3,860 Pr leftover.

"Before I agree, I want to know what we're betting on. I don't want to lose my money over a bet that's stacked against me. It's only fair, right?"

"Honey, asking for fairness at this school is like asking Boya-san to smile or laugh. It's simply impossible."

Somehow, Yogen ended up taking a jab at my dry personality.

"Tell me what the bet is. Or are you still thinking it over?"

"Oh, no, I had a bet in mind from the very beginning. I just want you to agree to these conditions first. I think what I'm putting on the line has far more weight than what you're putting on the line. I'm putting my entire school life at jeopardy here, all you're doing is putting your points, which you can live without, on the line. At the very least, I want the courtesy of having this advantage in our negotiation."

While this was underhanded, it was true that Yogen had put more at risk than Yukina. However, I don't think it was right that she was keeping this portion hidden, since she could make the bet something whimsical that she could win easily.

"If you're not going to tell Yukina, then can you tell me?"

"Depends. Are you going to use some sort of sneaky signal to tell Kazuraba-san whether it's worth it or not?"

I had considered the possibility of doing that. It really depended on what Yogen was going to suggest as the bet.

"If you were, it'd be a real shame. In the end, you're still making all the inportant decisions. You really are the master of this doll."

I can't help but feel like Yogen is goading me into not telling Yukina. Was this her twisted idea of testing us? Certainly she was trying to observe the extent of our relationship.

"Again with that analogy... I trust Yukina's sense of judgment, so no, I won't signal or tell her whether its worth it or not."

"Promise? That also means showing no reaction to what I tell you, moving at all, or saying anything that might give it away."

I glanced at Yukina, who seemed to be lost in thought while mulling it over in her mind.

"I promise."

Yogen stuck out her pinky finger. While it was a childish gesture, I still pinky promised to satisfy her.

Seeing as Yukina wasn't paying attention to us, Yogen quickly leaned in and cupped my ear, whispering to me what she was betting her place in A Class on.

"If your class can become D Class before the summer break, then I'll join."

I was astonished by this choice. It was an extremely difficult challenge that justified what she was betting, but the likelihood of this happening was almost zero.

We only had a month left until summer break, and with D Class widening the gap between our classes, it was almost impossible to catch up and take over. Yukina would most likely lose this bet and Yogen would get the payout of 50k points.

"I see."

Yukina looked at me briefly before turning to Yogen.

"Have you come to your decision?"

"Yes..."

"What will it be then?"

"I accept those conditions."

Yukina answered. Yogen smiled.

"Wonderful! Then, Boya-san, please reveal to Kazuraba-san what we're betting on!"

"Me...?"

"Yes, you. Go on, tell her. Don't just sit there with your mouth half open like an idiot."

Yogen was putting an awful lot of trust in me right now, since I could lie about what she said and make the bet easier for Yukina. I guess she was trying to see whether or not I'd play underhanded if given the opportunity.

Unfortunately for her, it was in my best interests to play along, since I want people to think I'm unassuming and nothing special.

"Right... the two of you are betting on whether or not E Class can become D Class before summer break starts."

Yogen nodded happily, confirming to Yukina that this was what she had chosen.

"So we have to make our class become D Class before June ends, huh...?"

"Yup! If you can manage to do that, I'll happily jump ship to your class!"

"What a tall order... just when D Class gained 107 Cl this month alone as well..."

Yukina mumbled to herself, feeling the weight of her decision almost immediately.

The gap between us and D Class was sitting at 227 Cl. Next month, we'd hopefully gain some Cl, but it's also likely D Class would gain a similar amount (or more) as well, so really it was a net zero change.

"Sorry, Yuu..."

"It's fine. There's no extra pressure on the class. We're working towards becoming D Class regardless, so the possibility of having Yogen-san join is just a bonus."

I tried to reassure Yukina, who was looking guilty that she accepted this sort of burden on behalf of the class, but really it was nothing to worry about.

The only thing we'd lose is 50k private points, but I don't think it's too harsh of a loss in the long term. While it would cripple Yukina's ability to purchase things, she was the type of person who could live frugally, so I don't think that would bother her.

In fact, I'm sure these are the same reasons that allowed her to make this difficult decision. Yukina must feel very strongly about getting Yogen on our side if she was willing to accept those conditions while half blind. I wondered why she felt this way.

"I'm surprised, though! That you want me to join your class that desperately. Are you really willing to set aside our differences for the sake of the class? If you're resorting to asking me for help, I'm guessing the situation internally must be pretty dire."

"There's not that many impressive people in our class unfortunately. If we want to have a chance of ascending, we need stronger students."

Yukina used that sort of reasoning to justify why she was asking Yogen to transfer to our class. It makes sense that getting an A Class student on our side would make the class stronger, but would one be enough to make a difference? That's why I felt like there was more to it beneath the surface.

"I'm flattered you think of me so highly. Maybe I'll drag along Yami-kun with me too! I think he and Boya-san would get along great, since they're the cool stoic types!"

I felt bad for Yamamoto. Sympathetic, even.

"One more thing. This bet we made... I want to keep it a secret between the three of us."

"Sure, that's fair. We don't need to have others know that we made this arrangement."

"I agree, I'd like to avoid having troublesome rumours crop up again too." I added.

"Ah, a secret between the three of us... now this feels like a real date."

Yogen smiled happily. Yukina sighed, getting up.

"In that case, I'll be taking my leave now. That's all I wanted to say."

"Aww, leaving so soon? You haven't even eaten. Here, I saved some waffles for you."

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"Watching your figure, eh?"

"No... I'm not that vain."

"I'm joking~. Boya-san, do you want me to feed you the rest? This is the same fork I ate with, so you can get an indirect kiss as a bonus!"

I also stood up.

"I'm fine. Like Yukina, I'll be taking my leave."

"What?! Both of you are leaving me?!"

"I finished my tart and coffee. I don't have a reason to be here anymore either."

"Geh, that's true... wait, does that mean are you two going home together?"

I looked at Yukina. She gently nodded.

"I guess we are."

"Wow... I can't believe you're two-timing me with her!"

"We're not in a relationship, please stop causing such a scene..."

Since people around us were getting the wrong idea, I backed away from Yogen. Meanwhile, Yukina called for the check.

"Well, if you two are going home, I hope you brought an umbrella. Apparently it's going to rain soon."

"But it was such lovely weather this morning..."

Minamoto brought the check, and we all paid for our respective portions.

"After the sun comes the rain."

"Isn't it "after the rain comes the sun"?"

Yogen pouted.

"Stop being pedantic, Boya-san."

"Sorry. Thanks for the company."

"No problem! Let's do this again some time, just you and me!"

"I'll decline that. This was just a one-off thing, okay?"

"Boo... you can be such a killjoy. Then, Kazuraba-san how about you and— eek!"

The deadpan and scary look on Yukina's face said it all. She was going to reject Yogen's offer no matter what.

"Okay, never mind..."

"Actually, before we go, there's one more thing I'd like to ask about."

"Hm? If it's my three sizes, I'm not telling."

"Why would I even ask that... what I wanted to know is which middle school you went to."

"Oh, I went to Utsunosha. How about you?"

"Seigatsu. Do you happen to know anything about Minanohara Middle School?"

"Nope, sorry. Why are you interested in Minanohara of all schools?"

"Just trying to find something out about it. Do you know anyone who attended there?"

"Nope, but I can ask if anybody in A Class did if you want."

"Really? That'd be a great help. Thanks."

"Your welcome! But you owe me one for this."

"Right... well, we'll be taking our leave then. Bye, Yogen-san."

"Bye, bye, Boya-san, Kazuraba-san!"

Yogen waved widely at us. Yukina didn't bother to greet her goodbye back though. She simply turned her back and walked away from her.

I waved slightly before joining her in exiting the cafe. Once we were far enough away from the shop, I decided it was now safe to talk freely with Yukina once again.

"You alright?"

"Yeah..."

An exhausted Yukina sat down on a bench underneath a couple of trees. I took a seat next to her, enjoying the scenery and mild breeze.

"Earlier, you mentioned something about Yogen-san's true goal. What do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure if it's right, but... I think her end goal is to crush you."

"...crush me?"

"Yes. I think Yogen-san's scared of you."

I had to think about this for awhile. My first instinct was to wave this idea off entirely, but the more I considered what had happened in the past week, the more I could see where Yukina was coming from.

"Could you elaborate?"

Even though I had a vague idea of how Yukina came to this conclusion, I wanted to make sure we were on the same page.

"Well... while Yogen-san's actions are really wild, they aren't without purpose. And I started to think, what purpose was there in targeting me so much? And by extension, what did she gain from interacting with you? She keeps teasing and annoying you, but what does that even accomplish?"

"If she was scared of me, you'd imagine that she'd try to stay away from me instead of trying to get close."

"Right? But she's not scared of you in the traditional sense. She's scared of you within the context of the intra-class battle."

That was the vague idea I had as well. For some reason, Yogen found out my weakness and was trying to force me into a position that couldn't let me advance without sacrificing something.

"In order to secure her place in A Class over the next three years, Yogen-san wants to keep her class as the strongest. That means eliminating those who are a potential threat to that class. Using her perceptiveness, she's able to pick out who is a legitimate threat and who is not. That's the reason she's been targeting you so much - she thinks you're one of the greatest threats to A Class."

"Isn't that flattering... I don't know what about me gave me that impression to her."

"Woman's intuition."

I wish I was a girl to understand this.

"Basically, Yogen-san is playing with the long game in mind. She wants to eliminate the weeds before they can grow."

"And unfortunately, I'm one of them."

"Yeah... while I don't know much about her relationship to the others in A Class, I know that she isn't one of the representatives, so she doesn't have to deal with the politics of that. She can let that be handled by Ryouta-san and Senzaki-san. That means the surface level threats are already being dealt with, hence why she isn't targeting anyone who's an immediate threat, such as in B Class. Instead, she's working on the unseen threats that the arrogant others in A Class aren't paying attention to. She's digging deep to find those with the potential to spring up out of nowhere, like you, and get close to them in order to find a way to beat them. This has a twofold advantage, as she can defeat them before they become a threat, or have a counter ready once they are a threat."

"So all of my troubles have stemmed from the fact she sees me as a threat to A Class in the future, huh? That does sound inline with what's she's done so far. Though, if she really was looking for a way to eliminate me, why would she help me clear my name by buying that surveillance footage? Logically, she'd do nothing and let me fall. I shouldn't be a problem if the whole school outcasts me."

"At first, I couldn't explain that either. But she doesn't do things without purpose, so I thought about it some more. That's when I realised that she still sees worth in keeping you around in the battle, which is why she helped you."

"What reason does she have to keep me around?"

"Well... I think that Yogen-san wants you to join her side."

"Oh?"

"Right now, you're not impressive to others, but Yogen-san knows that. And we know she's playing for the long game, right? So, she's expecting you to become someone impressive in the future. What I'm thinking is, she's investing time in you now, so that later, she can convince you to switch sides. That's also why she's so openly teasing and flirty with you. Building a romantic relationship is one way of keeping her on your good side."

"I see. If I'm a threat to A Class, that means I can also be a weapon for A Class. By joining their class, she's turning me from an enemy to an ally. However, the only way I could move to their class is through individual movement. As far as the school is concerned, I'm nowhere near elite enough for A Class."

"Normally, yes... but there is another way to get you to join another class."

"Private points."

"Yes. A cost that someone in A Class can afford."

"These goals seem contradicting though. On one hand, she wants me to join her side, but on the other, she also wants to crush me."

"It's an insurance plan. Her long term goal is to get you to join A Class, but if you refuse, then she'll at least know how to beat you, since she found out about your weakness early."

"Assuming this is right, then her next plan of attack is to somehow convince me to join A Class then."

"She's starting to do that already."

"How?"

"By driving a wedge in our relationship."

"...that would explain why she's been targeting you so much lately."

"Yes, I thought the same. She wants to drive us apart because I'm your partner. Without me, you'll be less stronger, and less of a threat. That's the short term benefits anyways."

"If the person closest to me is you, then it makes sense why Yogen-san would be looking to break your spirit. By targeting you, she can keep me in check, and vice versa."

"By grinding me down so often, she's trying to make me withdraw from the fight and leave you. Eventually, she wants to isolate you from everyone else in E Class so that the only person left you can rely on is her. That's what I think is her long term goal."

"That's ambitious. I know I'm not close to many people, but destroying our relationship in particular seems like a tall task."

"I won't let her destroy our friendship. She won't have her way. That's why I made that bet with her, since it'll make her back off."

"Really? If her objective is to secure a place in A Class, then moving down to our class would have no benefits to that goal."

"In theory, yes, but she wants to be in A Class by the end of the 3rd Year. It's no problem if it's our class that's A."

"But there's no way we can guarantee that."

"We can't, but if Yogen-san sees you as the biggest threat to A Class, that also means she thinks you're strong enough to become A Class, right? Using that logic, that means she believes you have the ability or means to become A Class."

"Oh, I see... in other words, if she moves down, it won't be a problem because she has the safety net of me aiming for A Class."

"That's right. I think that's why she accepted the deal. It might not exactly be her end goal, but she's a flexible woman. As long as you're on her side, she has nothing to fear. She can almost guarantee being in A Class with either method."

"Yogen-san's prerogative is self-survival, huh? She wants to be on the winning side in the end, regardless of what means she uses to get there."

"And if the winning side could be our class, because of your existence, then she must think there's some merit to joining us. And if she ends up on your side, then she has no more reason to pick on you anymore, thus making her back off. That's why I wanted to make that deal with her. We'd both be gaining something from it - for her, it'd be safely assuring her place in A Class."

"Wouldn't the cycle repeat itself though? She'd just end up picking on somebody else as a backup plan."

"Only if there's someone stronger than you. And in my opinion... I don't think there is."

Yukina's evaluation of me was unbelievably high.

"But does Yogen-san think the same?"

"That... I'm not sure. It depends on her movements if she does move down to our class. But at this rate, I doubt she will. I should prepare myself for when I lose those 50k points."

"That won't be necessary. I'm aiming to win this bet."

"Eh? You are?"

"Yeah. Even if Yogen-san isn't the most trustworthy or loyal person, we can still put her skills in communication to good use in the time she's in our class. That's why I think we should do what we can to surpass D Class before summer break. That, and I don't want you to lose 50k."

"Are you sure you actually want her to join our class...? I'm fine with losing the bet and paying her."

"I'm sure of it. It'd also be damaging to A Class since they'd be losing a student. And if she ends up wanting to jump classes again, then she'll have pay to do so or wait for natural movement to occur, which only happens at the start of each month."

"How much does a class transfer cost?"

"I don't know. I'd have to ask Chabashira-sensei for exact details."

"Oh, I see..."

For the first time in our conversation, Yukina looked at me.

"Um... did I make the right decision?"

"Depends on which outcome you deem as right."

"I don't mean it like that... I meant more as in... was it right of me to make that deal?"

"Yeah, I think you were. You've thought really deeply and considerably about her true objective, so it'sonly natural that you'd try to counter her accordingly by playing to her wishes, while at the same giving us an advantage."

"I... hope so."

Yukina looked away slightly.

"I'm not mad or displeased at you for doing this. In fact, I liked that you took initiative."

"Well... ah, I just wanted to help us reach A Class... so I thought this might be a good idea... but the conditions of the bet are so strenuous, I don't know anymore..."

"Whatever happens, happens. Don't feel so unsure about your choice. Regardless of the outcome, we'll be fine."

Yukina buried her head in her hands.

"Yuu... I was scared."

"I know."

"I was so scared..."

"You did good, Yukina. You worked really hard today."

"Yuu... just for a little, can I...?"

I nodded.

"I'm here for you."

I wrapped my arms around her. As Yukina sunk her face into my shirt, I voiced my true thoughts.

"You were really cool today."

OST: Otoya's Etude

As I quietly embraced her, a piece of classical music started to play vibrantly the background.

Not too far from where we were sitting was a music shop. Only two people were inside, playing on the violin and piano live.

The melody captured me as I held onto Yukina.

Then, I noticed who the man playing the piano was.

"...the King?"

As I uttered that, Yukina also looked in the direction I was fixated at. Her eyes widened.

"T-that's...!"

I got up, finding myself drawn to enter the shop inexplicably. And as I got closer, I could physically feel the temperature drop.

The man playing the piano was none other than Kishou Arashi.

The King of GEN.