As Mastune headed to the cafeteria, the queue suspiciously getting much shorter than it was before, Kazura clicked her tongue in annoyance, tossing her head.

“Well, of course she's here. Queen Bee Matsune.”

Odomura looked at Kazura with a questioning glint in her eye.

“Y-you don't like her, Machi-kun?”

Kazura clicked her tongue once again, giving Matsune a sidelong glance, even as she turned to face Odomura.

“What's there to like about her? Sure, she's popular with all the boys and gets good grades and is very pretty and athletic and kind and supportive and…”

Realizing she dug herself into a grave, Kazura stopped her mouth from speaking, her shoulders hunching in on her.

“I suppose there's not much, but something is just off about her. I think I know why actually. It must be her–”

Matsuragi gave her a stern look.

“Oh, I think I know what's going on. You're just jealous of her, right? There's no need to be like that, Kazura. You're plenty popular yourself–”

“Oh, shut up, Kento-kun. You're head over heels for her, so you shouldn't speak on it.”

“I'm just saying there's no need to be jealous over someone that…perfect–”

“I AM NOT JEALOUS!”

The volume of Kazura's outburst alerted a few people to glance at their table, causing Ariyama to avert his gaze quickly.

But it just so happened that Matsune looked their way too, and her shining sapphire eyes met Ariyama's charcoal ones, for just a moment. Matsune smiled as a greeting, picked up her tray of food, and walked over.

As she arrived at their table, each of them gave a different reaction. Kazura tried keeping a poker face but let slip the hint of a scowl, Odomura looked up with her usual gentle smile on her face, Matsuragi failed to stop the deep scarlet blush that dyed his face a tomato-red color, and Ariyama's heart skipped a beat or two, his reaction accelerated by Matsune leaning in really close to him, her smile wide, her hot breath felt gently against his cheek.

“Oh, hello everyone! Yes, I know it's odd that I'm alone like this, but my friends said they needed to go do something else then go to lunch with me. It was odd though, since they seemed so scared, as if someone was forcing them to do it…”

Yaranagi, no doubt.

“But oh well, enough ranting. Actually, Ariyama-kun and I were planning on coming here and chatting for a bit over lunch. If it's not too much hassle, can I borrow him for a few minutes?”

“No.”

“Of course!”

“Say… if he doesn't want to, I'm always free…”

Those were the three responses that came from Kazura, Odomura and Matsuragi respectively.

Matsune gave Matsuragi one of her dazzling smiles.

“Sorry, Matsuragi. I think you're a great guy and really awesome, but I'm not interested in a relationship with you, I'm afraid.”

From what the rumors told Ariyama, apparently that was her go-to rejection line. She said it in such a way that it was kind and honest enough that the boys being rejected just couldn't hold it against her, but also direct and sure enough so that it deterred them from trying it again.

Basically, if you heard those words spoken to you from her lips, you were done. And that is exactly what Matsuragi's face conveyed. A look of pure reluctant acceptance and disappointment.

“Well, come on, Ariyama-kun! That table over there is free now.”

Matsune, as bubbly as ever, pulled him by his arm towards the table, barely giving him time to pick up his tray and bag, and look back at his friend group.

Matsuragi looked jealous as hell, as well as flustered beyond beliefIt was funny seeing when his hard shell cracked. Odomura just smiled, her gentle attitude unchanged by Mastune's arrival. And as for Kazura, she was giving Matsune the most devilish glare ever from where she sat. So intense that even Ariyama had to look away, turning just in time as they reached the table.

He sat, with Mastune keeping a respectful distance and sitting opposite him. As she began to tuck into her food, she began to speak, her mouth full of noodles.

“Mmhhh… So, Ariyama-kun, what do you think of school in second year as opposed to school last year as a first year.”

Ariyama pondered the question thoughtfully before answering.

“Well, there's more responsibility, as you'd guess. And more challenging tests. But it's also nice to get to go on a lot more school trips and have more interesting activities to do.”

Matsune listened to him intently.

“Mh-hm, mh-hm. I agree. But isn't it also so much fun to be able to spend time with your friends? Especially now that you know them so much more than you did in first year, right?”

Ariyama paused for a moment, looking down at his chopsticks, rolling them between his fingers.

“Yeah, I suppose so. Woah, I never thought about it that way, but it's true. My friends… mean a lot to me.”

He was mainly thinking of the friends who wouldn't betray him if he lost his wealth or his father's schemes were revealed.

Yaranagi, for sure. Probably, hopefully, Kazura too. He hoped the same applied to Matsuragi and Odomura and all the others he considered ‘friends’ at the moment.

Matsune clapped her hands in glee.

“Wow, I'm so happy someone else feels the same. Honestly, most of the people here only really care about selfish things, things that benefit them and them only. But you? You're… special.”

The sudden compliment brought a racing to his heart. He hid his hands under the table to mask them, shaking in response to her words.

“Um… thanks, Matsune. That means a lot. More than you think.”

Matsune just smiled like usual, clasping her hands in front of her chest, her food finished and cleaned in record time. Her silver bracelet sparkled in the sunlight beaming in from the windows around the cafeteria.

“I'm so glad. Oh, and one more important thing. You can call me Sasya-chan from now on, OK?”

“S-sasya-chan…”

“Is there a problem?”

“No! It's just… it's a little sudden. Will just Sasya suffice?”

“Of course! Now, if I gave you permission to call me by my first name, would it be OK for me to call you Saato-kun in return?”

Ariyama swallowed thickly, looking at Matsune with a troubled look.

“Hm? Is something bothering you about that, Ariyama?”

“Eh? Oh, sorry. I don't know what came over me for a second there. But as for calling me Saato …”

Ariyama always worried about what would happen with his friends if everything he had fell apart. And as for the people who called him ‘Saato’ – Yaranagi and Kazura – it was a sort of stamp of approval. A way of solidifying the belief that they were his ‘best friends’ and they'd stay together no matter what fate might befall him.

So he could be giving out the use of his first name so easily?

Even if someone tried to bribe him with something of value, he'd never accept it. All he wanted was one thing from people as a present – their trust.

Then he could accept them as a best friend of his. And no matter how hot and caring she may be, Matsune wasn't close to getting that pass into his close friends circle. Not yet, at least.

“Um, sorry… but I don't give out that name so easily. It's just something personal to me, sorry.”

He made that sound a bit more mean then he'd intended, but he seemed to have made the point across, as Matsune paused momentarily.

“Oh, I see. Well, I understand. If that's the case, wouldn't it be a little odd for you to call me Sasya in that case?”

Ariyama managed a small smile towards her.

“I agree. Let's stick to Ariyama and Matsune for now, OK? I'm sure… it'll change in the future, so please don't take it too personally because I think you're really nice and–”

Matsune cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Don't worry about it. I don't really understand, but if you need more time, then I'll give it to you.”

Wow. Ariyama knew she was known as very ‘kind’ and ‘understanding’, but his heart raced a little faster as she agreed to his request. He couldn't help but gain a new level of respect for her at that moment, and he almost became regretful that he didn't like her in the way she seemingly thought he did.

He didn't blame her, however. Getting confessions by boys day after day probably made her disconnected from the fact not all the boys liked her, even if ninety-five percent of them did.

With silence descending on the two of them, Ariyama busied himself with chowing down on what remained of his lunch. As he reached his boiled egg, he suddenly heard distant sounds of a group talking, loudly and obnoxiously.

He looked up, already expecting to see ‘them’ arrive.

Then three guys in his year suddenly appeared and sat down on either side of Matsune. The main guy had long silver hair, drooping purple eyes and thin lips.

Jack Hayakawa.

He was an exchange student from America, who joined the school during Ariyama's first year. He was half Japanese, but had the visage of something foreign in his features.

During their first year, he had made a name for himself. Definitely made a name for himself… even if it wasn't exactly in a good way–

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Well, color me impressed. Never in my life did I expect Mr Rich talking alone with Matsune Sasya. Anything secretive you two want to tell me? Forbidden love, perhaps?”

The pompous and haughty way he spoke always invoked an unnatural amount of anger swelling in Ariyama’s core, but today it was especially potent. He bit back whatever words he was going to blurt out, and instead looked at Matsune, sandwiched between Jack on her left and his two goons, Yasami and Koenji, on her right.

Matsune, as usual, had a smile plastered onto her face. But even still, Ariyama swore he saw it slipping ever so slightly, and nearly dropped entirely as Jack slung his arm over her shoulders and scooted up next to her. It seemed even the invincible Matsune Sasya wasn't putting up with Jack's bullshit.

Jack smirked slyly as he leaned into Matsune, giving Ariyama barely a glance.

“Not gonna spill the beans, lovebirds? Ah, I get it, don't worry. Love is blind, is it not? I'm sure you're working things out–”

Ariyama interrupted him before things got out of hand.

“Hey, hold on! Jack, Matsune and I… we're just friends, nothing more. Is it really so weird for a girl and a guy to be talking?”

“Ah, that's what they all say…”

Ariyama doubted Jack actually thought they were together, but he was just being a jerk. Like he always was.

“Jack-kun, whatever Ariyama says is the truth. We’re just being friendly and chatting as friends. Nothing more, OK?”

Matsune's voice was leveled and calm, even as Jack was almost breathing down her neck. Jack himself seemed a little put off by her words, a small stutter in his voice as he gave her a bit more space. It was absurd how much control Matsune had over the boys at the school, even the bully Jack.

“Ah. Well, ahem, anyways…”

Jack's sleazy grin returned to his face as he finally properly looked at Ariyama.

“So, Ariyama, I have a question for you.”

“OK… Go ahead, Jack. What is it?”

“You see, since the winter break is coming up, I thought it'd be fun to get together for a little party amongst the people in our year. But just a regular party would be too boring, you think?”

“I… guess it could be.”

Ariyama said his words carefully, unsure of what Jack was getting to, his mind buzzing with ideas.

“Exactly! So, I was searching around for a place to have some fun, and I came across a really cool place. It looks like some sort of abandoned building, in the forest just past the fields on the outskirts of the city. Me and the boys here are trying to gather some assistance to go check the place out. Word has it that the place is haunted, by the ghosts of a family who was murdered decades ago.”

Well, Ariyama certainly didn't like the idea of going to a glorified haunted house, and going with Jack and his goons? Out of the picture.

“Well, I'm sure that it'll be great fun, but I'm not really interested–”

Jack cut him off, supporting a pouty expression on his face.

“Aw, you're not interested? That's a shame. We've got a good few people going too. There's me, and Yasami and Koenji, of course. But I'm sure you are even friends with the others.”

He turned and pointed to the table left of them.

“We got Matsuragi Kento, Odomura Airi, and even Kazura Machi to come along.”

Hearing his friends’ names being called, Ariyama glanced over at them with a look of shock, his brow furrowing. None of them noticed they were being watched

Ariyama felt a little hurt from that.

He was over with them, and they didn't even invite him to join them? No, it made sense. They were their own people, and Ariyama was being unfair in believing they had to involve him with everything they did.

Heck, they might not have told him because Jack was the one setting it up. And people didn't really want to be seen collaborating in any way with him. Right?

Ariyama was never told that was the case, but it made the most sense. It had to.

Unless.

Unless what he feared most was starting to come true. Maybe they didn't care about him in actuality, and only cared for his money. Maybe they jumped at the opportunity to do something that didn't involve him.

A black hole opened in Ariyama's stomach as he pondered the idea. Was there ever a time when he was too annoying for them? Always pestering them to allow him to join things? No, why would there be?

But it kind of made sense, in a way. Since he was always around them, maybe they felt obligated to let him tag along, even if they didn't want him to.

Maybe all that friendship and kindness was fabricated because they didn't have the guts to tell him to screw off. Maybe–

But then Kazura looked up from her phone and caught his eye. She gave him a smile, and a wink, and went back to her phone.

And that was all he needed.

With that simple gesture, all his worries went away, even if only momentary, only in that single instant.

Odomura and Matsuragi were still in discussion, but there was no way Kazura would betray him like that.

She always had this energy that made his heart soar, and that little showcase of admiration from her was all he needed to be sure of that. His heartache temporarily subsided, Ariyama cleared his throat awkwardly, and looked back at Jack's expectant face.

“Sorry, man, it's still a no from me. Try asking someone else.”

Jack shook his head sadly.

“Turned down once again? Cruel, but I won't give up. You see, it's not just those three. There are others. You know Takemichi Yuno, yeah? He's in 2B like you. That kid's a coward and a weakling, yet he's tagging along. So what does that make you?”

Ariyama's face burned at Jack's insult. But he also thought about Takemichi.

Quiet, nervous, and weak.

Those were the best ways to describe his bespectacled classmate. Ariyama knew he'd been the subject to tortuous bullying from Jack and his boys all year. So he knew Takemichi was likely threatened into going, rather than doing it of his own free will.

“Well, if Takemichi wants to go, good for him, but… I'm also very busy. So I won't make it either way.”

“It's happening tonight, Ariyama. I know your schedule and I know you're always free Wednesday evenings.”

Ariyama gathered a bit of courage in himself and let out a dry laugh.

“Oh, what? So you learned my schedule now? It's almost like you set this all up to get me to accompany you. What, scared?”

Ariyama knew his sudden flash of confidence was a mistake, as Jack's face twisted into a raging glare.

“Watch your tone when you're speaking to me. Listen, if you're too much of a coward, just say so. We got me and my boys going, as well as the coward, the nerd, the soft one, the bitchy one…”

He leaned back into Matsune's personal space.

“Even lovely Matsune here is tagging along, isn't that right?”

Ariyama paled a bit and looked at her. Matsune had stayed quiet for a majority of the talk. She didn't even look like the type of girl who'd be interested in that kind of stuff.

“Matsune… Is that true?”

“I'm… sorry, Ariyama-kun. I would've said something but I felt like you'd judge me poorly if I did. I'm only going because I thought it could be some fun, with some of my friends. You're still my friend, OK? No matter what.”

Jack glanced at Matsune's regretful expression, then at Ariyama's shocked one.

“Oooh, the romance is starting to get some drama, I see? Oh, but isn't that the best part! Come on, ‘Ariyama-kun’, if your girlfriend is coming along, you don't wanna leave her on her own, do you?”

Ariyama balled his hands into fists beneath the table, keeping them from trembling. At this point, Jack was only using the romance joke as something to rile him up, so Ariyama didn't even bother correcting him again.

When he got no response, Jack sighed loudly, looking over Matsune to his two goons on her other side.

“What do you two think?”

Yasami, tall with brown hair and heavy bags under his eyes, let out a low scoff.

“You want my thoughts, Mr Jack? I'd say ditch him. If he wants to stay a little scaredy-cat, let him be one. I don't want him dragging us down when he arrives there.”

“I see, I see. And you, Koenji?”

Koenji, large, chubby with long hair in a ponytail, licked his wet lips in that gross way he always did.

“I think he's gonna drag us down. But the more the merrier, right? Just because he's a pussy, doesn't mean he should get off lightly, right? You, Jack, gave him an invitation to our get-together. For him to reject that, is nothing short of blasphemy.”

Wow, these two were really licking Jack's boots, huh? Almost idolizing him, as if he was a deity. Just what did he do to give himself such control over those two?

If Ariyama had to guess, it'd be the fact that Jack gave them power over people they'd usually never have. The dim-witted, brutish Yasami and the unattractive, cowardly Koenji. Useless on their own, but at Jack's side, they had influence.

Jack paused for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, getting to his feet. His followers quickly followed suit, taking up their regular positions at either side of him.

“Well, it's my belief that if he's gonna be a little pussy, he can stay that way. I feel the same as you do, Yasami.”

Having gotten a hint of approval from his so-called ‘master’, Yasami beamed brightly with that big, dumb smile of his.

Jack gave Ariyama one last look before turning his back and beginning to walk off.

“Anyways, we have his so-called best friend with us too, so what's the point in adding unneeded dead weight, right?”

So-called best friend?

Who could he be–

Wait, that's impossible..

Why would he…?

Why wouldn't he…?

Without more than a thought, Ariyama blurted out, loud enough so Jack could hear him.

“Hold on a second! You said my best friend? You don't mean…”

Jack looked back at him with a weasel's smirk.

“Why, of course I mean who you're thinking. Yaranagi Yasuke. Who else would want to be best friends with you?”

Ariyama's stomach fell, his eyes widening in pure disbelief and his heart swelling in confusion.

Kazura and the others not telling him made sense, and so did Matsune not telling him, to an extent. But Yaranagi?

He always told Ariyama everything. Why now did he betray that status quo?

Jack saw Ariyama's conflicted expression, and turned back to him fully.

“Oh, reconsidering, are we?”

“I… I'll go…”

Ariyama said it before he made up his mind, but in hindsight, he'd probably have said yes anyways.

Because as he fought himself over Yaranagi's situation, a sudden thought entered his mind.

Literally all the people he was friends with were going on his excursion.

Maybe this was it.

Maybe if he went with them too, he'd finally have a chance at finding that one, big moment. The action he'd take in order to rid himself of the title of the ‘rich kid’. Then, he'd know who was friends with him for him, and who was friends with him for the money.

But that wasn't all. Then, those people who were faking his friendship might finally like him just like the others.

Then, he'd finally remove all the doubt in his mind about the authenticity of his friendships.

Then he'd be able to go back to normal.

Then he'd known for sure they weren't a fake.

Then he'd know for sure he wasn't a fake.

Then he'd be able to look his father in the eye and say, with full confidence, ‘Your actions don't define me. I'm my own person.’

The idea of all that working out after all this time made his chest hammer with a mix of bliss and excitement.

“I'll come with you. If everyone else is going, why force myself to be left out?”

He affirmed his statement more strongly, and he knew now his track for the evening was set in stone. If he promised to come, then backed out at the last moment, he wouldn't be able to show his face in school ever again.

Jack punched the air with delight, a wicked delight.

He ran around the table to the other side and hit Ariyama on the shoulder.

“Great to hear! Glad to see you're not a told loser, after all. So, we were thinking of meeting up at ten sharp, OK? We want it nice and dark.”

“Ten is fine…”

After Ariyama's mumbled agreement,. Jack laughed like he had just won a billion yen in a raffle.

“Awesome. See you then, buddy!”

With a new pep in his step, Jack headed out of the cafeteria, Yasami and Koenji following behind like the good dogs they were.

When they were finally alone, Matsune reached out to touch Ariyama's hand.

“Ariyama-kun, again I'm sorry I didn't say anything. But also, are you sure you want to go? Even if all your friends are going, there's no need to force yourself…”

Ariyama flexed his jaw, his muscles quivering.

“That's easy for you to say. No offense, Matsune, but if you were asked and decided not to go, no one would bat an eye. Since you're so popular and perfect and all. But as for me, whose only characteristic in the minds of most people is ‘rich’, I actually do have to go.”

Unable to contain his rising aggression, Ariyama got to his feet, grabbing his bag and his tray, his hands trembling.

“Because unlike you, I have something I need to prove.”

Then he dumped his tray in the nearby bin, didn't give a single look towards Matsune or Kazura or Odomura or Matsuragi, and instead just headed straight for the door.