Playing the Game of People

Chapter 5 - Connecting Class Changes

Just want to put a mini disclaimer. This chapter will broach the topic of panic attacks/anxiety. I'm not overly sure if this warning is needed but I thought it's better to be safe.

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It was the late in the afternoon on the Wednesday before the dreaded midterm. I was lazing back in my chair with my legs resting on my desk as I mulled over the new information I had gathered. The class dynamic was well and truly flipped on its head. Hirata seems to have made a study group with the vast majority – I was asked to join in, but it was too much effort. I had another interest – Horikita's makeshift study session.

She has had an abrupt attitude shift recently and is currently mobilizing the idiot trio for the hardest war of their schooling lives. I believe they were focussing purely on class content and having an individual tutor each in Horikita, Kushida, and Ayanakouji. After a setback, being Chabashira-sensei coincidentally forgetting to notify us of the exam changes, the group became more determined than ever. Sudou, Ike and Yamauchi were trying harder than anyone in class and I honestly admired them a little. Do more of this and girls may like you.

Whilst our current teacher drawled on, I started paying more attention to the changes in class which actually mattered to me. There was 5 minutes till the final bell so shortly I could seek the confirmations I was after to my heart's content. For the past two weeks or so I've been noticing shifts in dynamic between Ayanakouji, Horikita and Kushida.

The bell finally rang and before the two behind me could move, I stood up and straddled my chair facing them. Both of their eyes instantly locked to me, preventing their escape. They knew I had something to discuss.

"I've missed talking to you two, you've seemed to have picked up some new experiments," I rolled my eyes at Horikita. She immediately creased her brow in retaliation. So easy to annoy. Her eyes seemed to have noticed something approaching my left shoulder. I figured it was just her watching our classmates dutifully leave the room to head back to their dorms but seems I was mistaken.

"Not that I care in the slightest, but your enjoyment seems to lie in flirting around. No time for serious matters," she stated, her eyes never leaving the person who suddenly appeared on my left shoulder. I turned and found where her attention lay. "Typical behaviour of a rascal," Horikita finished.

A beautiful girl with long brown hair and relaxed blue eyes that were trained on me. She was gracefully sitting against my desk with a hand placed on my shoulder. To get my attention or stabilise herself, I wasn't sure. I could see the humour glittering in her eyes at hearing Horikita's comments. Her whole demeaner was smooth and elegant, I couldn't help but blush and turn back to face Horikita and Ayanakouji. Talk about a blindside.

"Hee-hee, seems the smooth-talker can be rattled if you catch him off guard," Matsushita giggled. She was enjoying being on the front foot for once and was surely thanking Horikita for the layup. Time to bring her down a peg. Turning back to Matsushita I put on the most sarcastic voice possible and fluttered my eyes.

"How could I not be rattled with three beautiful people surrounding me, it's too much for any normal being to handle," I teased. What I received in return was an eye-roll and added pressure on my shoulder from Matsushita. Quite a nice punishment compared to the puncture wound from Horikita's compass.

"Oi!"

Now I know how Ayanakouji feels.

"I'm rehabilitating you, you're an idiot," Horikita stated. Her icy gaze was literally giving me chills.

"If that's all," she continued, as she stood up. "I'll be going."

"Wait, I'll drop the jokes. I've got something important to discuss. One moment." After that first comment, Matsushita increased her pressure as I turned my head. "What's up?"