"But if I find out you haven't kept your promise, I won't hesitate to tear the class apart, consequences be damned."
Without saying yes, she's accepted the offer. Good.
'Wise choice, Kushida.'
I smile.
"My words are decrees. Kōenji Rokusuke never goes back on his word."
With that, our little exchange ends. Silence settles in.
Kushida finally picks up the juice glass that's been sitting in front of her and sips quietly.
Minutes later, the doorbell rings again. Like magic, Kushida slips back into her usual angelic expression. I'm still floored by how fast she can switch. It's honestly incredible.
I get up to answer the door.
It's Yukimura. Seeing him, I don't need to check my watch. It's almost certainly 9:00 a.m. sharp.
After exchanging greetings, I invite him in. Like with Kushida, I offer him a drink, which he accepts, choosing orange like me. Solid choice, Yukimura!
Just a few minutes after Yukimura arrives, Hirata and Mei show up. They crossed paths on the way. They settle in the living room, and I offer them drinks too. Mei picks pineapple like Kushida, and Hirata goes for grapefruit. Dude, you're letting me down…
With everyone here, it's time to start the meeting. As class representative, I have the honor of kicking things off.
I grab my bag, pull out a stack of papers, and hand them out. Before they can overthink it, I speak: "Before we begin, I'd like you to have these. These are past exams from previous years at this school. I got them from a senpai I'm tight with. I want you to review them with your respective groups. Some questions might come up—you never know."
They all start flipping through the copies.
"While Kōenji-san says they *might* come up, it's highly likely we're holding the entire exam right here."
Yukimura says.
"Exactly. So far, Kōenji-kun hasn't suggested anything that hasn't proven crucial later."
Hirata adds, backing Yukimura up.
Mei nods in agreement.
"I'm touched you hold me in such high regard. Indeed, I'm strongly convinced the upcoming exam will cover these questions."
I say with a smile.
"Count on us to share this with our groups, then."
Hirata speaks for everyone.
"Good. With that said, let's start the meeting…"
I officially open the session…
The air was rich with the aroma of fresh tea. A month and a half had already passed.
"So? What'd you pick, Kōenji-kun?"
I'm at the cafeteria right now.
The room is spacious, simple in decor, with plenty of tables—small to large—all neatly arranged with the right number of chairs. Tables range from two to eight seats, scattered across the vast space that can hold tons of students at once. At the back, near the kitchen, there's an open double door and a self-service area with food. You'll always find options: two to three appetizers, two meat dishes, one fish, three veggie or starch sides, and a choice of three cheeses or desserts. Everything's varied for balanced meals. Further along, there's a counter with coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and other drinks available freely, like in a city café. The decor's warm, with red tones, burgundy tablecloths, and light wooden furniture. The dishware isn't fancy to keep costs down if something breaks, but the plates are nice—white with slightly wavy edges. The silverware's silver-colored, and the glasses are simple but decently large.
Hirata managed to drag me along with him and his fan-girl squad. I say *his* squad, but it's obvious he's a victim too. It wouldn't surprise me if the girls pressured him to bring me.
How'd he twist my arm?
He didn't. Let's just say Hasebe and I were headed here after our study group sessions. A coincidence led to us running into each other. Normally, I'd have no trouble turning him down, but I'll admit Hasebe's disappointed expression nudged me a bit.
Which brings us to this moment.
The one who just asked my opinion is Azuna Sana, a pretty, medium-height teen with brown hair tied in a ponytail with a red elastic. She and the group of girls are chatting about the menu. Azuna's asking what I've chosen.
Though the options are vast, I already know what I want.
"I'll go with crudités and a fruit plate. You?"
I flash a smile and give my answer.
As if my question was for everyone, they all start sharing their choices.
"I'm getting a pancake—they make them so well!"
Karuizawa speaks first.
"Hm… I'll have a salad plate."
Azuna follows.
"Salad?"
Satō repeats, eyes wide with surprise.
"Yeah, I'm on a diet, so…"
Azuna says, scratching her head in embarrassment.
"Diet? You don't look fat, Sana."
Karuizawa chimes in.
"That's sweet, Kei."
"Well, as for me, I'm getting meatballs with rice and chocolate ice cream. Since someone's on a diet, I gotta eat for two."
Satō says her order, teasing Azuna.
"I'll take onigiri and a glass of milk."
Hirata gives his order too.
From this exchange, you'd think everyone's ordered, but…
"What about you, Haruka?"
I turn to my left and ask Hasebe.
Since we sat down as a group, she's completely faded into the background.
It's surprising that such a lively girl can't handle group settings. According to Yukimura, she did fine in her study group, but that's because I made sure her group was all introverts like her. While I feel for her, I'll admit it's kind of amusing seeing her so reserved.
She shoots me a quick glare, like she's saying, "You'll pay for this," before glancing at her menu. After a few minutes, she finally picks something. I'm sure it was all for show—she probably decided ages ago.
"I'll have yakitori and a sweet drink."
Her tone's soft and low, totally different from when it's just the two of us.
Soon after, a waitress comes to take our orders.
To pass the time, Hirata starts a decent conversation topic, keeping us engaged. Of course, Hasebe opts out. I can feel her simmering anger toward me—looks like I'll need to find a way to make it up to her.
"Are you Kōenji Rokusuke?"
As we're talking, someone approaches our table.
It's a girl with thigh-length purple hair tied in a long ponytail on her right side, with a right-swept fringe.
'Her look rings a bell. Let's see… Oh, right…'
"Who do we have the pleasure of meeting?"
Satō speaks for me. Her tone and expression show how annoyed she is that our group chat got interrupted by a stranger.
The girl gives her a quick glance before turning back to me. The move pisses Satō off even more, and this time, the other girls in the group—except Hasebe, naturally—get riled up too.
I raise my hand to calm them down, which they do, though reluctantly.
"Yes, that's me. How can I help you?"
I turn to the girl and speak.
"I'm Kamuro Masumi. Sorry for interrupting, but the princess wants to see you."
"Princess?"
Karuizawa says, baffled.
She's not alone. Everyone's intrigued by Kamuro's words.
"Princess, like royalty?"
Azuna asks.
"It's weird, but this *is* an elite school…"
Hasebe, for once, pipes up.
"But a princess, really?"
Hirata's just as shocked.
Meanwhile, Kamuro doesn't bother explaining, leaving everyone in the dark.
'Not cool, Kamuro.'
Of course, I know who Kamuro's referring to as the "princess." For one, Kamuro's a named character in the novel, and she's one of the so-called princess's lackeys.
I flash a smile.
"Kamuro-san, right? Can I ask you something?"
My words catch Kamuro slightly off guard.
"Y-yes."
With her permission, I ask.
"Between a king and a princess, who holds the higher status?"
Kamuro's eyebrows lift a bit.
My group looks at me with curiosity, not getting where I'm going. I say my group, but one person doesn't seem intrigued at all.
It's Hasebe. She's got her hand on her face, shaking her head slightly, like a mom fed up with her kid's antics.
'I'm not letting you off, Hasebe—I'm the adult here!'
"Well, the king. Where's this going?"
Kamuro answers, though with a frown.
My smile widens.
"Nice answer! Indeed, a princess is below a king, who's below a god. So, it's absurd for a princess to summon a god, don't you think?"
Enjoying the story?
☕ You can support me with a one-time tip on Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/hemlet
📚 Want to read 30+ chapters ahead and get exclusive content?Join me on Patreon: patreon.com/Hemlet
Your support means the world — thank you! ❤️