[This year's Class D still looks useless.]
[Suzune was placed in Class D, just like before. She hasn't improved at all.]
[How disappointing.]
'Horikita Manabu, the one who gave the speech at the entrance ceremony. He's also the student council president.'
'He seems to be Horikita Suzune's older brother. It looks like Suzune joined this school to prove herself to him.'
'But what are they doing here?'
Saiki Kusuo's gaze shifted to the wall. His X-ray vision allowed him to see through it, revealing the scene on the other side.
A cold-faced boy with glasses leaned against the wall, observing the Class D students in the pool through a one-way mirror. It was Horikita Manabu.
Beside him was a girl with her hair tied in a bun. She had a cute face, and although Saiki Kusuo hadn't seen her before, his telepathy told him she was the student council secretary and a member of Class 3-A, just like Horikita Manabu.
[Class 1-D has already lost a few points today. It doesn't look good.]
'Does the student council also participate in point evaluations?'
Saiki Kusuo roughly guessed their purpose. The student council assisted the school in evaluating lower-grade classes and even had the authority to change school rules.
"Saiki-kun, want to swim together? The P.E. teacher just said we're free to do whatever we want this period!"
At that moment, Kushida Kikyo walked up to Saiki Kusuo with a smile.
Saiki Kusuo immediately shook his head. Since this class was free activity, it was better to avoid participating as much as possible.
Although swimming was slightly better than other sports, it was still a challenge for Saiki Kusuo. If he accidentally broke a world record, it would be a disaster.
Normally, Saiki Kusuo would occasionally rest underwater. His psychic abilities could create a barrier to keep the water out.
Swimming? Saiki Kusuo didn't need it.
"Oh? Does Saiki-kun not know how to swim?"
Kushida asked curiously.
Saiki Kusuo didn't deny it. This would save him a lot of trouble.
...
After a day of classes, Kushida Kikyo approached Saiki Kusuo to treat him to a meal.
Regardless of Kushida's true intentions, she at least kept her promise, which Saiki Kusuo appreciated.
"Even though I couldn't become friends with Horikita-san, thank you for your help, Saiki-kun!"
Kushida smiled, her cuteness shining through.
"I promised to treat you to a meal, so order whatever you want!"
'In that case, I won't hold back.'
A slight smile appeared on Saiki Kusuo's lips. Since Kushida insisted, he wouldn't be polite.
He headed straight to the dessert section and ordered several expensive pastries he hadn't tried yesterday.
[This guy treats desserts like a meal? And he ordered so much?]
Although Kushida complained internally, her smile remained unchanged. No one could tell what she was really thinking. Even Saiki Kusuo had to admit her acting was flawless.
If a disguise was perfect and maintained consistently, it could hardly be called a disguise anymore.
Saiki Kusuo carried his desserts and sat with Kushida at a corner table in the cafeteria. He would have preferred to enjoy his sweets alone, but since Kushida was treating him, he had to accept the situation for now.
"It's such a shame. I didn't expect Horikita-san to be so hard to get along with... I thought we could all be good friends as classmates..."
Kushida lowered her head, pretending to be upset, but quickly looked up with a smile.
"But everyone has their own thoughts. I can't force Horikita-san to change, but I still hope she can integrate into our class."
Although Kushida appeared to be considerate of others, her thoughts were completely different.
[That damn bitch, acting all high and mighty just because she's cute. Die, die, die! That vile woman, just die!]
Kushida's mind was filled with vicious curses directed at Horikita Suzune. No one would associate such words with Kushida Kikyo.
[Yes, I'll act like this. I'll make myself look pitiful and put myself in a weaker position. That way, it's easier to gain sympathy, and more people in class will side with me. Saiki Kusuo should be no exception.]
Kushida's face showed a meaningful smile as she turned to Saiki Kusuo, expecting him to continue the conversation—
However, Saiki Kusuo's attention was entirely on his desserts. He was thoroughly enjoying the sweets, seemingly oblivious to Kushida's words.
[Is this guy even listening to me? Hey, most boys would be paying close attention when I talk. What's going on in his head?]
Kushida knew her appearance was cute, and her deliberately cheerful personality made it easy to get along with boys. She was skilled at using this advantage to guide those around her, making it hard for them to refuse her requests.
But this tactic seemed to have no effect on Saiki Kusuo, which left Kushida both surprised and annoyed.
Even so, her smile never wavered, and no one could detect any change in her emotions.
[This conversation isn't going anywhere. This guy is really difficult.]
'That's right, think that way.'
Saiki Kusuo hoped Kushida would develop a slight dislike for him. That way, she would be less likely to approach him in the future.
After all, someone like Kushida Kikyo attracted too much attention, and that was the last thing Saiki Kusuo wanted.