The evidence was overwhelming, so I cross-examined the obvious culprit.

“You’re the oldest son of the Takamori house—you have to be careful,” Mana pleaded.

Her face was as serious as could be, but everything else about the matter seemed poorly planned.

Also, I thought she needed to be more cautious, too.

“Takamoriii, should we go to the gym for the next class?” a girl called out to me during our short break between classes.

“Yeah, if I recall correctly.”

“Thankies,” she replied before leaving.

Fwoom…!

Hellfire blew from behind Fushimi in the seat next to me.

“…Wait, was I wrong? We’re not going to the gym?”

“No… You’re right.”

Why’s your voice so low?! It sounded like it was coming from the very depths of hell! Why are you so upset if I was right?!

“She could’ve asked me instead of you. I’m much better informed,” she muttered and huffed.

During lunch, I told Torigoe about it in the physics room.

“That reaction…makes it way too obvious…,” she replied vaguely.

We were sitting far away from each other as always, but I could still hear her quiet voice thanks to our noiseless surroundings.

“I think maybe they find it easier to ask me,” I said. “Fushimi can be really serious, while I’m more relaxed.”

“I get that feeling. Girls do have this sort of…hierarchy. Fushimi’s at the top, so she may not understand,” she explained. “It’s kinda intimidating. So it is easier to talk to someone more relaxed, like you. If she’s the princess, naturally us plebs will find it easier to speak to an attendant raised along the common folk, wouldn’t we?”

I guess?

“So is it the same for you, then?” I asked. “Do you find it easier talking with me than with other girls?”

“Sometimes the opposite sex is easier to approach. Boys are excluded from the Class B girls’ hierarchy.”

“Huh.”

Fushimi was at the cafeteria with some classmates today, too. Still pretending.

Wonder what the deal with those blue flames was, I thought.

“There’s also the effects of the Fushimi buff,” Torigoe added.

“The what buff?”

“Since Fushimi has such a good time talking to you, it makes you more attractive to the other girls.”

I do not understand women…

The conversation ended, and Torigoe took her chopsticks to start eating.

“You’ve got a good handle on what people are thinking—does that mean you feel the same way?”

“Koff, koff!” Torigoe choked up.

“Are you okay?”

“Wh-what kind of question is that?” She opened her plastic bottle and gulped down some of her tea.

“Well, I just noticed that you’re really observant.”

“I don’t exactly think about it that much…” Her face was red, probably from the choking.

Surely she saw us quite a bit, what with her sitting behind us.

Torigoe tried clearing her throat until she finally calmed down. “…Anyway, you have the Fushimi buff now. Do you know what that means?”

“That people have an easier time talking to me, right?”

Torigoe tilted her head—guess my answer wasn’t quite right. “Not really, but not too far off the mark. I’ll give you sixty points.”

Are we playing riddles now or something?

“Let’s say there’s a sheep.”

“Wait, why are we talking about sheep now?”

“Just one sheep, which has one wolf after it.”

“Um, Torigoe?”

“Then we have other wolves who know this sheep and come to the conclusion that it must taste pretty good if it’s got another wolf after it.”

Is this like a fable or something…?

“Got it?”

What am I even supposed to get? What are you talking about? And don’t look at me like it’s so obvious.

Suddenly, someone opened the door, and Fushimi appeared.

“…Ryou, we need a world map for history class in fifth period. Help me out?”

Oh yeah, the teacher did say that.

“Sure,” I replied. I was already done with lunch, so I packed my stuff.

I left the physics room without saying anything and headed for the world-history storeroom with Fushimi. She already had the key with her, and her grumpy mood was gone now.

“I read all the manga you lent me.”

“Cool. What did you think?”

“It was fun. The girls were all cute.”

I was worried she wouldn’t like it, so that was good to hear.

“Although…” She pouted. “Karin ended up not doing much. I didn’t like that.”

That isn’t uncommon in pure rom-coms. Heroines in love with the protagonist show up one after the other, and after you’ve learned the guy’s backstory and how all the other girls feel, Karin ends up seeming like a bystander.

“But you said she was cute.”

“Yeah. I like her, and that’s why I want her to win. But then…”

“Well, she said it herself. She cares about him, so she decided that staying away would be for the best. Or something like that.”

“That’s just an excuse.”

RIP, Karin. Fushimi attacked with the fierceness of an Internet comment section.

We reached the history room, and Fushimi inserted the key to open the door.

“She’s trying to act like the bigger person by admitting defeat despite her feelings. Being the tragic heroine sucks.” Fushimi sniffled, and tears were welling up in her eyes as she opened the door and stepped inside. “How many volumes are there?”

“It’s still being published. There’s ten volumes now, so I think it’ll keep going for a bit more.”

I answered while I searched for the map, which I found right away. It was too big to carry alone.

“There’s nothing good about having to hide your feelings, having to stop yourself from confessing them.”

She really got into Karin’s character, huh?

“I would… If that were me, I wouldn’t give up on my love,” she declared, staring straight at me. “Is it not enough for her to be always there for him? To be cute and stay out of trouble? I can’t stand it… I hate that the childhood friend always loses to some other girl who shows up later…”

I don’t remember her character quite being the typical childhood friend, but I guess that’s what she is.

“Okay, okay, calm down. It’s just manga.”

“You’re right,” she replied in a tone that suggested I was not right.

I didn’t want to spend the entire trip back to the classroom in silence, so I asked, “So what was up with the hellfire earlier?”

“Um, what?”

“Ah, I mean, not literally, but right before PE something seemed to be burning you.”

“Ahhh… That…” She closed her mouth and thought for a while before looking in my general direction and asking, “Ryou…do you ever get annoyed when I’m talking with other boys?”

We’d been in the same class for our entire lives, so I’d seen her talking with other guys since we were in grade school.

“I can’t remember feeling like that, no.”

Fushimi scowled and puffed her cheeks. “…Then I’m not telling you!”

“…What?”

Fushimi softened her expression and laughed.