Classroom of the Elite: Standing Firm in Class A — Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Casual Chat

Shiranami Chihiro’s cheeks burned a furious scarlet, the heat spreading all the way to the tips of her ears as if she had just stepped out of a sauna.

Ichinose Honami remained blissfully unaware of the turmoil she had just caused. Pulling her hand back, she tasted the lingering sweetness on her own fingertips with a bright, easy smile. “It’s delicious, isn’t it? I told you this shop’s signature dish wouldn’t disappoint.”

“Yeah… it’s very sweet.”

Chihiro’s voice was barely a whisper, as faint as a mosquito’s hum. Looking at her dazed expression, it was entirely unclear whether she was praising the dessert or reliving the sheer intimacy of the moment that had just passed.

“Honami, you really are something else. Stop teasing Chihiro.” Kobashi Yume laughed from across the table, gently nudging Honami’s side with her elbow. “Just look at her face. She’s as red as an apple.”

“Eh? Is she?”

Honami leaned in close, her large eyes examining Chihiro’s face with genuine concern. “You really are… Chihiro, are you feeling a bit too warm? The air conditioning in here doesn’t seem very strong.”

Without waiting for an answer, Honami reached out, pressing the cool back of her hand directly against Chihiro’s forehead. “Hmm, you don’t feel like you have a fever.”

The sudden, closing distance was too much. Chihiro’s shoulders jolted violently, and she nearly sprang out of her chair in sheer panic.

“I… I’m completely fine!” she stammered, quickly shrinking back into the safety of her seat.

Sitting quietly off to the side, Kaedehara Tetsu took the entire display in, his dark eyes reflecting a dry, quiet amusement at the Class B dynamic.

Beside him, Kamuro Masumi couldn’t care less. She focused entirely on the matcha cake resting on her plate, her expression perfectly blank as she methodically poked at the whipped cream with the tip of her silver spoon.

“Come to think of it, you two are both from Class A, right?”

Yume suddenly steered the conversation across the table, her curious gaze darting between Tetsu and Masumi. “What do Class A students usually do for fun? Do you guys just lock yourselves in your rooms and study all day?”

“Everyone has their own rhythm. Personally, my interests are fairly broad.” Tetsu picked up his coffee cup, the ceramic clinking softly against the saucer as he took a measured sip. “Reading, listening to music, and occasionally studying culinary recipes. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Eh? Kaedehara-san, you know how to cook? That’s amazing!” Yume’s eyes practically sparkled with surprise. “It’s so rare to find a guy who actually knows his way around a kitchen these days!”

Honami nodded in agreement, a soft smile touching her lips. “It really is. It makes you sound incredibly reliable.”

“It’s mostly just a way to kill time,” Tetsu replied, his tone relaxed and entirely devoid of arrogance. “Most days, I’m far too lazy to actually put the recipes into practice.”

“What about you, Kamuro-san? Do you have any special hobbies?” Honami shifted her attention to the quiet girl, gently attempting to pull her into the warm circle of their conversation.

“None.”

Masumi didn’t even bother lifting her head. The single, freezing word dropped onto the table, effectively shutting down the inquiry before it could even begin.

“As for Kamuro…” Tetsu’s voice slid into the silence at the exact right moment, smoothly hijacking the dead conversation. “Her interests are a bit more specific. She enjoys window shopping. She rarely buys anything, but she likes walking through the mall, just observing the merchandise on display.”

“Eh? Just looking?” Yume tilted her head, clearly confused. “When you see cute clothes or accessories, don’t you get the urge to actually buy them?”

“Who knows?” Tetsu offered a faint, knowing smile. “Perhaps for her, the act of observing is far more thrilling than the act of possessing.”

Masumi finally glanced up at him. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to snap back a sharp retort, but after a second of heavy silence, she simply closed her mouth and looked away, tacitly accepting his perfectly crafted cover story.

“I see… It sounds like Kamuro-san has a very unique perspective on things.” Honami smiled brightly, effortlessly smoothing over the slight edge in the air.

“By the way, Kaedehara-san.” Honami rested her chin on her hands, her gaze turning just a fraction sharper, probing beneath the casual atmosphere. “Do you have any specific plans for your time here at school? Your grades are flawless, and you clearly have a brilliant mind. Are you planning to run for the Student Council? Or will you dedicate yourself entirely to securing Class A’s dominance?”

“I have zero interest in managing other people. An organization like the Student Council is far too restrictive for my tastes.” Tetsu leaned back against the plush upholstery of his chair, exuding a lazy, untouchable confidence. “As for the class… I prefer to let nature take its course. I’m just an ordinary student. I’ll simply fulfill the duties required of me.”

“Is that so?” Honami blinked, masking her surprise. “I honestly assumed someone with your talents would make absolute control over Class A’s position their ultimate goal.”

“Maintaining our lead is certainly an attractive prospect. But compared to stressing over some distant finish line, I much prefer enjoying the present.” Tetsu met her gaze smoothly. “For instance, sitting here right now, sharing dessert and lighthearted conversation with several beautiful girls—that holds far more meaning to me.”

“Kaedehara-san certainly knows exactly what to say,” Honami laughed, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Beside him, Masumi let out a quiet, derisive snort through her nose.

Despite the underlying psychological probes, the afternoon tea continued in a surprisingly pleasant rhythm.

Eventually, Tetsu turned his attention to the caramel cheesecake he had ordered. The golden, crystallized caramel shell gleamed under the café lights, resting atop a dense, rich layer of cheese.

He picked up his silver fork, broke through the crispy shell, and placed a small piece into his mouth.

Instantly, a wave of cloying, aggressive sweetness assaulted his palate.

His brow furrowed, the motion so slight it was almost imperceptible. Without a word, he set the fork down, picked up a napkin to dab the corners of his mouth, and then casually pushed the porcelain plate—holding the nearly untouched cake—directly in front of Masumi.

Throughout the entire exchange, he didn’t utter a single syllable.

Masumi had been half-listening to the lively chatter of the Class B girls when the extra dessert suddenly slid into her field of vision.

She lifted her heavy eyelids, casting a sideways glance at Tetsu’s calm profile, and then looked down at the rejected cake. She didn’t ask for an explanation. She didn’t complain. She simply picked up her own fork and began eating the dessert that had just been pawned off on her.

Leaning back, Tetsu watched the girls across the table. Feeling a lingering thirst from the sugar, he reached over, picked up the glass of ice water sitting right next to Masumi’s hand, tilted his head back, and took a long, deep drink from her rim.

It was a sequence of fluid, wordless actions. A routine so deeply ingrained that neither of them gave it a second thought.

But to the three Class B girls sitting across from them, it painted an entirely different picture.

The lively conversation had completely died.

Honami, Chihiro, and Yume sat frozen, three pairs of wide eyes locked onto the casual display of extreme intimacy.

Finally, it was Yume—unable to contain her burning curiosity for another second—who broke the silence. She leaned forward, her voice dropping into a cautious, probing whisper.

“Um… Kaedehara-san, Kamuro-san… are you two dating?”

Masumi’s hand froze. The fork, carrying a piece of caramel crust, stopped dead in mid-air.

Tetsu lowered the water glass, parting his lips to offer a smooth deflection.

But someone beat him to it.

Masumi lowered her fork, letting it clink softly against the porcelain plate. She lifted her head, her sharp purple eyes meeting the stunned gazes of the three girls across the table. Her voice was flat, quiet, and carried an absolute, unquestionable certainty.

“We’re dating.”

Having dropped the bomb, she lowered her head as if nothing of consequence had occurred, and leisurely went back to eating Tetsu’s leftover cake.