#38 Study group

"...I am planning to form a study group, I would appreciate it if you could do something for me." Horikita said and Yuichi's first thoughts were 'Please don't!' when he heard her goal.

"Are you sure? Who are you planning to invite and is it really so hard to say "Can you help me please?" Yuichi asked with a confused expression.

"Yamauchi, Ike, Sudo, and a few others. Will you do something for me or not?" Horikita asked, clearly not amused by his last question.

"You make it sound like you are queen ordering her vassal...However, I can't say that your phrasing didn't make me interested in what you have prepared in mind for me." Yuichi said with a bit weird expression before he changed it to an amused smile.

"I have already someone taking care of Yamauchi and Ike, however, you are the most suitable person to convince Sudo who apparently holds you in high regard." Horikita replied, ignoring his first comment.

"Wait, I hope you are not talking about Ayanokoji who is supposed to convince them..." Yuichi said with a skeptical expression.

"Yes, why? Is there any problem with that?" Horikita asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, there is. Even though they look like friends, they most likely don't want to be near you when it comes to a study group. Despite you saving their points, they won't be happy being around you. If you want someone to convince Ike and Yamauchi, I would recommend someone like Kushida or Hasabe, maybe the presence of Sakura would also help." Yuichi replied with a helpless expression.

"That's disgusting, are you aware of that?" Horikita replied, knowing why Yuichi suggested this.

"They are...don't lump it on me or my idea." Yuichi replied with his hands up as if to say that he is completely clear.

"Both of them are simple guys, have one of the girls they like to attend that study group and they will even join on their own. It's like fishing, you need to have the right bait." Yuichi said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Alright, now you comparing the girls to bait is completely on you...besides, I don't want to have anything to do with Kushida" Horikita said with narrowed eyes and Yuichi just released an apologetic smile.

"Alright, alright, however, even you can lure them into your study group all by yourself." Yuichi said confidently with a faint smile.

"How?" Horikita raised her eyebrow and questioned with a curious expression.

"Smile, all of them admitted that you are attractive so maybe you can lure them with your smile" Yuichi put his index finger and thumb on the corners of his mouth before forming a smile with help of them with closed eyes.

Yuichi quickly sensed the danger and put his forearms in front of his ribs, blocking Horikita's chop attack, still with closed eyes.

"What kind of martial arts are you practicing?" Horikita asked with narrowed eyes.

"What do you mean? I only have a superpower named "Knowing the consequences of your words". I know, pretty lame name but it's a quite powerful and very useful ability. I felt that attack of yours even before I finished my sentence." Yuichi opened his right eye and replied with a proud smile.

"So you already knew what I was gonna do but you still said those words..." Horikita said with an upset expression before redirecting her attention to her book, completely ignoring him.

"Ugh, so even you can get upset when being made fun of? I thought you don't care about anyone's opinions, you clearly didn't care when one of the girls bad-mouthed you. Don't worry, I will take care of Sudo, I already had that in mind anyway. I might also ask a few more people while at it." Yuichi said with a guilt-filled expression.

Hearing Yuichi's guilt-filled voice, Horikita actually smirked.

"You think that you will be able to tutor Sudo and other people?" Horikita asked, obviously with a skeptical voice.

"Is that an insult?"

"Why do you think so? Are you perhaps the one who thinks that you won't be able to tutor others and perceived my words this way? That's not my fault for you not being self-confident." Horikita replied with a faint smile.

"Oh? Is that a smile I see? Very faint but it's still there...you indeed look more attractive with the smile despite the reason behind that smile is belittling someone." Yuichi said with a bright smile before getting up from his seat, leaving her without giving her time to respond.

He just glanced behind to see Horikita glaring at him with a very faint blush.

'She must be even angrier by how casually I left without giving her a chance to counter-attack.' Yuichi thought before looking for his target.

He found his target sitting in her seat so he decided to approach his target.

"Hello, I hope I am not interrupting you, Hasabe-san" Yuichi called out with a low voice not to startle her however his initiation of approaching Hasabe garnered the attention of a few classmates,

"Eh? N-Not at all, is there something I can do for you, Iwamura-kun?" Hasabe who was playing around with her hair with bored expression was startled when she was suddenly called out to and she was even more startled when she turned to the side and saw Yuichi's polite smile.

"*Um...if you have time, could you hear me out? Maybe outside of the classroom...?*" Yuichi whispered with a helpless smile.

'Is this what I think it is?!' Hasabe was startled by his suggestion but when she noticed how many people were paying them attention, she truly wanted to continue any type of talk with Yuichi outside of the classroom so she nodded her head.

Both left the classroom together and when they were out of hearing range, everyone started talking about what just happened.

"Mii-chan! Do you think that Iwamura is going to confess to Hasabe?! They never really talked to each other that much, not to mention walking somewhere together!" Matsushita asked with a shocked expression.

"Eh?! No...I don't think he will. To be honest...I don't imagine him confessing to anyone." Mei said her honest thoughts aloud.

"Heeh? Why is that?" Karuizawa asked with a confused expression.

"Well, I don't know...We have spent a lot of time together and it's simply feeling I have. There is no logical explanation." Mei replied with a bit uncertain expression.

"I see, so it's your intuition!" Sato said with a confident tone.

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"Hasabe-san, I noticed that your grades in Science and Math are pretty good so I wanted to ask you if you would be up to joining a study group to help out others and in case of other subjects, others could help you out." Yuichi asked with a smile while they were walking down the hallway.

'Eh? That's it?' Hasabe stopped walking and looked at Yuichi with a bit surprised expression.

"Feel free to refuse of course." Yuichi also stopped and added to comfort her due to her surprised expression.

"Uh, that's not it...Can I ask who would be in that study group?" Hasabe asked with a bit nervous expression.

'...Shit! I messed up, I forgot that she actually ditched a lot of swimming classes so she must be quite uncomfortable around boys. I can't tell her it will be Yamauchi and Ike but I also can't lie. I guess I will have to say it's my own study group, Sudo should be fine. He is an idiot but not as perverted as those two.' Yuichi immediately thought when he noticed her nervousness.

"Ah, it's actually my own study group I am planning to form. However, right now, the only member I have in mind is Sudo. Also, feel free to suggest other people if you want someone to join us. I have a lot of copied notes from Horikita so it should go smoothly despite me not having perfect grades." Yuichi explained with a faint smile.

"Horikita's notes? I noticed that you two are pretty close despite having completely opposite personalities...Do you two...perhaps-" Hasabe couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"No, there is absolutely nothing between us. Are there any rumors about us around the class?" Yuichi quickly waved his hand in denial before asking with a curious expression.

"Well, not exactly rumors but people say that you two are quite close. But then again, you apparently worked as a middleman when Horikita warned us about our private points. I am sorry for assuming anything..." Hasabe said before she apologized.

"No offense taken, anyway, what about that study group? Would you like to join us? I would like to start this afternoon at 5 PM, you can invite whoever you want." Yuichi said with an inviting smile, not too desperate or forceful.

"Umm...Alright, where are we supposed to meet up?" She replied after a short pause of thinking it through.

"At the library, 1st floor. If you want, I can give you my number in case something unexpected happens." Yuichi suggested.

"That might turn useful." Hasabe nodded her head with a faint smile before both exchanged numbers even though Yuichi intended to give her just his number to not stress her out.

After that, both decided to turn around and return to the classroom for the next class.

'He is not exactly how I imagined him to be...He isn't trying to befriend everyone as hard as Hirata. He is just...normal yet there is something special about him.' Hasabe thought with a faint smile while glancing at Yuichi as they were returning to the classroom.