The horoom teacher picked up his chalk again and worked through the steps on the blackboard. Sakuraba Ema sat up straight, watching the board intently, as if her question just now had been purely for the sake of learning.
"Interesting," Margo said from behind him, her voice playful. "Your seatmate really cares about you, doesn't she?"
Hachiman didn't answer. He lowered his head and looked at his notebook. The spot he had erased earlier was still marked, the paper wrinkled from his frantic scrubbing.
For the rest of the ti, Margo sat quietly in the back, no longer engaging in those heart-pounding pranks.
The bell rang.
The classroom erupted into noise instantly. Almost the mont the teacher stepped out, several groups of gossiping students sward toward Margo's desk.
"Hey, Hikigaya."
Hachiman looked up. It was a boy from the back row—what was his na? Tanaka? Yamada? He couldn't rember. The boy stood by his desk, hands in his pockets, and jerked his chin toward Margo. "Can I take your seat? It's all the sa wherever you sit, right?"
"Yamada-kun." Before Hachiman could answer, Margo spoke up.
The boy froze, clearly not expecting her to initiate contact. His face flushed a little.
"I-I'm Yamada..."
"Oh, Yamada-kun." Margo tilted her head, the little purple flower on her hat swaying slightly. "You want to sit here?"
"I-I just thought the lighting was better over here..."
"But you're also by the window on your side, and your window is even bigger with more sunlight. If you sit there, wouldn't it be the perfect spot to soak up the sun?"
Soone nearby stifled a laugh, making Yamada even more nervous.
"I-I just..."
"Just what? Do you want to change seats because sitting here puts you closer to ?"
Laughter broke out in the crowd. Yamada's face turned bright red, and his lips trembled.
"I-I didn't..."
"Didn't you?" Margo blinked, a flash of mischief crossing her deep purple eyes. "That's such a relief. I was worried Yamada-kun might be the type of person who... sees a new transfer student and can't wait to crowd around them."
Yamada opened his mouth, unable to find a word.
"Besides, even if Yamada-kun really did think that, it's not allowed. After all..."
She paused, turning her gaze toward Hachiman.
"Darling is sitting here, so I'm much happier."
Yamada's expression turned even uglier.
"So," Margo turned back to Yamada, maintaining her smile, "it's better if Yamada-kun goes back to his own seat. After all, demanding that soone else change seats without asking is very impolite."
She finished, stopped paying attention to Yamada, and turned to the girls surrounding her, putting on a perfect smile once more.
"Houshou-san, where did you go to school before?"
"Your outfit is so pretty, is it custom-made?"
"Margo, why are you allowed to co to school without a uniform?"
"Do you know Hachiman? You called him 'Darling' just now!"
The questions ca one after another like rapid-fire artillery. Margo sat in her chair and began her social pleasantries with practiced ease.
"I went to school in Kyoto before," Margo said, her voice crisp. "This outfit? Oh, I had a friend design it for . I love kimonos, but traditional ones are too restrictive, so I had her modify it a bit."
As she spoke, her fingers gently traced the pattern on her sleeves—white flowers, black-and-white diamond lattice—every detail appearing exquisite.
"As for the uniform, I applied to the school, and the teacher said that as long as it doesn't affect class, it's a student's freedom to wear what they want. And," she sighed, her voice softening slightly, "my grandmother loved to see in kimonos while she was alive. She always said girls look best in them."
The girls nearby imdiately showed moved expressions; so even had reddened eyes.
"Houshou-san is so filial..."
"Your grandmother must have been so happy..."
This was a lie.
"As for Hikigaya-kun..." Margo paused and glanced at Hachiman. Hachiman quickly lowered his head, pretending to look for sothing to prevent her from seeing the snarky internal comntary on his face.
"We're old acquaintances; we've known each other since we were kids."
"Eh... childhood sweethearts?" a girl exclaid.
"You could say that." Margo smiled, her eyes curving. "But the 'Darling' nickna... it's because he promised to marry when we were little."
The classroom hit the mute button instantly. Yamada-kun had already bolted toward the bathroom.
Hachiman's hands went rigid. His pen slid from between his fingers, rolled halfway across the desk, and fell to the floor.
"But later he went back on his word and abandoned to leave, which left so heartbroken at the ti." Margo sighed lightly, sounding just like a neglected wife left behind in a boudoir.
A lie mixed with truth. Hachiman couldn't refute it, or perhaps, he simply couldn't bring himself to.
"Childhood sweethearts... and he could actually bear to leave such a cute girl?"
"No way, that Hikigaya?"
"Didn't he confess to Nikaido before? And he's been tangled up with Sakuraba and Saeki... What is up with this guy?"
"..."
Sakuraba Ema's voice drowned out the whispers.
"What Houshou-san just said, she must be joking, right? Who rembers things from childhood so clearly? Besides..."
"Besides, Hikigaya-kun has a girlfriend now."
Margo blinked, a flash of surprise crossing her deep purple eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a smile.
"A girlfriend?" Her voice carried the perfect amount of curiosity. "Who is she? It wouldn't be you, this lovely classmate, would it? Oh, I haven't asked your na yet, please forgive my rudeness."
Sakuraba Ema's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't look away.
"My na is Sakuraba Ema. It's not . Hikigaya-kun's girlfriend is Nikaido-san—Nikaido Hiro from Class 1-J."
"Nikaido Hiro..." Margo repeated the na, her voice carrying a sense of contemplation. Her finger gently tapped her chin, her deep purple eyes narrowing slightly as if rembering sothing.
"Ah, that Nikaido Hiro," she said with a tone of sudden realization.
"I know her. A very pretty girl, long black hair, right?"
"Houshou-san knows Nikaido-san too?" a girl asked in surprise.
"Our families just have so history, not worth ntioning."
She said it as if it were a matter of fact, but Hachiman couldn't shake the feeling that sothing was off.
"So Houshou-san's family knows Nikaido-san's family," the girl said, her voice laced with envy. "Are you two close?"
"So-so. We've only t a few tis. She doesn't like to talk much; she always keeps a straight face, like soone owes her money."
Margo waved her hand. "Soone like her is hard to deal with. However..."
She paused, her gaze landing on Hachiman.
"Hikigaya-kun being able to win her over is quite impressive."
"Hikigaya-kun is a great guy, and Nikaido-san is too. They are a perfect match," Sakuraba Ema interjected.
Margo looked at her, her purple pupils narrowing slightly.
"Is that so," she said. Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself. "That's good then."
"Houshou-san, you said earlier you went to school in Kyoto. How is the school there different from ours?" a girl asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the original topic.
Margo smiled and began to describe her school life in Kyoto. Her description was vivid, her tone light. She described the ancient temples of Kyoto, the exquisite courtyards, and the traditional activities at her school, as if everything that had just happened was rely a minor interlude.
Sakuraba Ema bent down, picked up the pen, and placed it on the corner of Hachiman's desk.
"Hikigaya-kun." Sakuraba Ema said softly, her voice audible only to him.
Hachiman looked up at her.
"You can only like Hiro-san, okay?"
She glanced toward Margo, who was still holding court in the back row.
"You must make sure not to give anyone else an opening."
After saying that, she straightened up and shot Hachiman a brilliant smile.
That smile was perfect, gentle, just like the usual Ema.
Ema turned and walked back to her seat, opened her textbook, and began to read intently, as if nothing had happened.
anwhile, Margo continued socializing, her voice crisp and her smile radiant. The girls around her were listening, enthralled, completely oblivious to what had just transpired.
"You can only like Hiro-san, okay? You must make sure not to give anyone else an opening."
"Abandoned to leave, which left so heartbroken at the ti."
I really shouldn't have enrolled in this high school...
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