The Prodigy - Classroom Of The Elite

Soon enough, class started, and I tried my best to pay attention to what the teacher was saying instead of getting distracted by everything else going on around me.

When it was finally lunchtime, the bell rang, letting us know that the last class before lunch was over, and it was time to eat.

I wrapped up jotting down the notes from earlier and glanced around. Most of the other students were still hanging around in the classroom. Horikita was still there too, busy scribbling notes from the board. The seat next to her was empty because Ayanokoji had already left.

"Hey, wanna grab lunch together?" I asked Horikita casually as she finished her notes and looked up at me with a curious look.

Horikita glanced up from her notebook, her eyes narrowing a bit like she was trying to figure out what I was up to. She seemed to be weighing her options before answering.

"You want me to join you for lunch?" she said, sounding like she was really thinking it over. Her voice was calm, not too excited but not dismissive either. "I'm wondering why you'd ask me, out of everyone."

I gave a little shrug, keeping my tone relaxed. "Well, it looks like neither of us is in a rush to leave. And, I think I've said this before, but you're the only person I know who enjoys talking about study stuff. Is that good enough for you?"

She raised an eyebrow at that and almost smiled, but quickly hid it. "Interesting reasoning. But I do have one condition."

"What's that?" I asked, curious about what she might want.

"If you want me to join you, you'll have to answer some questions I have," she said, her face still calm but with a hint of challenge in her eyes.

I laughed softly. "Questions over lunch? Sounds fun. I'm in."

With a little nod, Horikita closed her notebook and started packing her things. As we both reached for our lunch boxes, I noticed they were homemade. "Looks like you cook for yourself too," I remarked.

"It seems so," she replied, her face still pretty neutral. "But I'm surprised you know how to cook for yourself."

"I picked it up before coming here, just in case," I said, glancing around at the classroom, which was still buzzing with chatter and noise. "Want to find somewhere else to eat? I don't think I can handle lunch in all this commotion." I suggested, knowing I'm not a fan of crowds and prefer a quiet spot during meals.

Horikita thought about it for a moment, looking around at everyone talking. "A quieter place would be better for our conversation," she agreed, staying as calm as always.

"How about the library?" I proposed. "It should be peaceful enough for us to chat without anyone bothering us."

Just as we were about to leave, someone suddenly approached us.

"Are you two heading out for lunch?" Kushida came over, flanked by Karuizawa and a few other girls. "We're going for lunch too. You can join us if you want," she offered.

I knew that wasn't really an option. Even if I was okay with it, Horikita definitely wouldn't be.

"I'm leaving," Horikita said, walking out without a backward glance.

"Sorry, Kushida-san, I can't join you," I quickly said, giving a slight bow before catching up with Horikita. "You know, you didn't have to be so blunt," I remarked.

She didn't respond, so I let it go, and we soon arrived at the school library. We found a nice, quiet spot away from the few other students who were there.

We settled into a cozy corner of the library, away from everyone else. The silence was a nice change from the noisy classroom, and it seemed like Horikita appreciated it just as much as I did.

"Let's dig in," I said, placing my bento box on the table. Inside was a simple meal: rice, grilled salmon, and some pickled veggies—nothing fancy, but it hit the spot.

Horikita followed my lead, setting her lunch down with precision. Her bento was meticulously arranged with rice, tamagoyaki (the classic Japanese omelette), and a few pieces of karaage (fried chicken). It was clear she put thought and care into her meals, showcasing her detail-oriented nature.

"So, about my question..." she started.

"Let's eat first, then questions," I interrupted quickly. I didn't really expect her to go along with it, but surprisingly, she didn't protest and just started eating.

We ate in a comfortable silence, the only sound being the gentle hum of the library's air conditioning. It was a refreshing change from the chaos of the classroom, letting us enjoy our food without any disturbances.

As I took a bite of my salmon, I glanced over at Horikita. She was focused on her meal, but when she noticed me looking, she shot me a sharp glare.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, her tone brisk.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, holding back a laugh. "Just thinking how nice it is to have a quiet lunch for once."

She nodded, acknowledging what I said without diving deeper into the topic. "The classroom can be too noisy sometimes."

"Exactly," I agreed.

Once we finished eating, we packed up our lunch boxes.

"Now for the questions..." She turned to me with a serious look. "If Class D is full of defectives, how did you end up here?" She didn't waste time with small talk, getting straight to the point.

"So, you're upset about being called 'defective'?" I asked, gauging her reaction.

"Stop dodging my question! You aced the test with a perfect score. There's no way you should be in Class D. So, what's really going on?"

"Isn't it the same situation for you?"

"Yeah, I know," she said, her face turning more serious than before. "But you don't seem bothered at all. Being labeled as defective, even when you're so good at academics, doesn't that bother you?" She clearly felt upset about it.

"Honestly, it does bother me, but what can we do about it? Do you have any ideas?"

I was curious if she had a plan, the way she spoke made me think she might want to do something about it. I had a feeling she wouldn't spill her thoughts, but asking wouldn't hurt, right? Even if she didn't answer, I might still figure it out.

Just as I suspected, she didn't reply. She sank back into her seat and looked down, "Forget I said anything. Lunch break's almost over, so I'm heading out."

"Are you going to talk to the homeroom teacher?" I asked as she got up. Hearing me, she quickly glanced back at me.

"How did you figure it out?"

"Just a gut feeling, nothing more. But it looks like I was right," I said as she sat back down, looking at me with that familiar curiosity, the same look she has when she's puzzled. "I don't think it'll change much, but I'm not stopping you. Go ahead and give it a shot."

Horikita met my gaze, her expression steady and determined. "I have to find out for myself, even if it ends up nowhere."

I nodded with a soft smile. "That's good. You seem really determined."

"I still can't grasp how you remain so calm about all this!" She returned her expression to its usual composed self as she questioned me.

"That's because I already know why I'm in Class D, so there's nothing more to discover."

"You know the reason? Then why haven't you done anything? Or is it something beyond your control?"

The truth is, I chose to be in Class D. I'm not sure if I'm ready to share that with her yet. It's not a matter of trust, exactly; it's more about whether I should trust her with this information. If that makes any sense.

I leaned back slightly, offering a small, mysterious smile. "Let's just say it's a bit complicated. Things aren't always as simple as they appear."

Horikita studied me, clearly not satisfied with my vague answer but understanding that I wasn't going to say more. "Complicated?" she echoed, her curiosity still obvious.

I shrugged lightly, keeping a casual tone. "Yeah, but isn't that part of the adventure? Figuring things out as we go?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, realizing I was choosing to keep things to myself. "I guess we'll find out," she replied, her curiosity still evident but accepting my deflection for now.

As lunch came to an end, we both stood up and started walking back to class together.

I couldn't help but wonder, from an outside perspective, do we look like a couple walking back to class?

And if we do, how well do we look together?

As we strolled side by side, a playful thought danced through my mind: capturing a photo with Horikita to see how well we looked together. But convincing her to pose for a picture with me seemed as improbable as a cat taking pleasure in a bath or snow blanketing the Sahara Desert. In other words, it was highly unlikely and would be quite the spectacle if it ever actually happened!

Still, as we headed back to class, I found my eyes naturally drawn to Horikita. Her side profile was captivating; the way her hair framed her face and the sharp focus in her expression gave her a subtle elegance. She moved with a quiet confidence that didn't seek attention but managed to draw it effortlessly.

In those quiet moments, I couldn't help but admire the mix of grace and determination she seemed to possess. It wasn't something easily described with words, but there was an undeniable charm in how she carried herself—something almost magnetic.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't immediately notice when Horikita glanced over, catching me in my quiet admiration. "Why are you staring?" she asked, breaking the silence with a touch of curiosity.

"Just... taking in the view," I replied with a playful shrug.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my answer. "You're weird," she said, turning her focus back to the path ahead.

I turned my attention forward too, but her words lingered with me. I had to admit, I had been acting a bit odd lately.