"Say, do you want to come to a dinner party with me?"
"...eh?"
While we were on the train heading to Stark White, Kurosaki suggested that.
"I got invited to a dinner party by someone, and they said I could bring one more person along."
"They did?"
In the first place, I was surprised that Kurosaki got an invite. Like me, she was a loner, so I thought she didn't have any friends, but it seems this wasn't the case apparently.
Maybe I should've expected this... even if she doesn't have any friends, she'd still be a desirable person to invite to a dinner party because of her high status and impressive feats at this school.
But... inviting me? Isn't that scraping the bottom of the barrel a little bit...?
"Of course, I don't have that many friends, so I was wondering if you wanted to tag along."
"I mean, I wouldn't mind... but are you sure about asking me?"
"If I tried to ask that prude Kishou, he'd probably tell me to take my studies seriously instead."
"I guess. When is it?"
"This evening."
"Wait, is this why you dragged me all the way out here?"
"Yup, fu fu."
So I was tricked into joining from the very start... Kurosaki laughed strangely, patting my head.
"Aww, don't make that kind of face. Trust me, I think you'll enjoy it."
"I don't have much choice now, do I...?"
I sighed, following Kurosaki as she brought me to the student dormitories.
As we boarded the elevator, she instructed me to take off my Drachma Red tie and put on a spare Stark White one she had in her pocket, for my own safety. This way, I would blend in and not attract any attention.
The elevator pinged, and we got off on 4th floor, which is where all the 1st Year girls are... wait, this is bad. What if one of them recognises me? Wouldn't they think it's weird I have a Stark White tie? Or that I'm with Kurosaki?
Suddenly, I wanted to get out of here.
"Let's see, which room was it..."
Kurosaki hummed, wandering around. I stuck close by her, not wanting to be seen alone by the other occupants of the dormitories. If a girl saw me here by myself, they'd assume I'm some sort of pervert and kill me on the spot.
"I think was it."
Kurosaki stopped in front of a door and knocked on it. A few minutes later, someone answered, opening the door. My eyes widened at who it was.
"Huh... ehh, Kurosaki-senpai, what are you doing here?!"
It was Minamoto Kumi, the girl who held a grudge against me because her BFF Shigaisoshi-sama touched me once.
"Yo, Kumi. Is Bel and the others in here?"
Wait, Bel? As in her classmate, Belphagor Shirokawa? What was he doing here, in a 1st Year girl's room of all places?
"Oh yeah, we're still waiting for the pizza to cook. Do you want to—"
Minamoto stopped mid-sentence, locking eyes with me. She stared at me intensely before taking a deep sniff of the air around her. Then, she looked back at Kurosaki with a wide smile.
"Sorry, would you and Takanori-san like to come inside?"
Kurosaki looked at me over her shoulder.
"You two know each other?"
"I used to hate his guts because I could smell that BFF-sama touched him, but it turns out she touched him because she was examining his body while at the infirmary! A total misunderstanding, you see."
"Oh... yeah, I see."
Kurosaki didn't seem to really get it, but she didn't need to. I'm just glad Minamoto managed to forgive me since then... probably because she couldn't smell Shigaisoshi-sama's scent on me anymore, but whatever.
"If you don't mind. I got invited to join by Emma and Strelzia."
"Ah, is that so?! Then please, make yourself at home!"
Minamoto bowed, shuffling out of the way to let Kurosaki enter. She looked at me over her shoulder and smiled.
"Thanks, Kumi. Let's go, Takanori."
I nodded, entering Minamoto's room with Kurosaki. Immediately, I was hit with the pungent but fragrant smell of garlic wafting in the air. Entering the living room, waiting for us on the other side was... the sight of Italy?
Spread out across the dining table were all sorts of Italian dishes, ranging from bolognese to macaroni, lasagne to carbonara, ravioli to gelato, and everything in between. Authentic Italian shouting could also be heard in the distance, presumably from the kitchen.
Playing on the TV was an Italian drama and hung up on the walls were Italian flags. There was even a makeshift Leaning Tower of Pisa made up of wooden blocks left on the table. Alternatively, it was an unfinished game of Jenga.
Sitting around the table was Minamoto, Shigaisoshi-sama, Emma, and Strelzia, all enjoying the food while chatting with each other. I'm guessing Bel was the one responsible for cooking up this storm, since the voice in the kitchen sounded like a male Italian.
I have to say, compared to the Drachma Red dorms, the Stark White dorms were twice as spacious and high quality... Minamoto's living room must've been at least half the size of my dorm alone.
"Yo, Mafia gang. What's up?"
Kurosaki greeted them casually, taking a seat at the table. I felt really out of place here, so I stood behind her awkwardly like I was some kind of bodyguard or servant.
"O ho ho ho, I understand the joke, they're all Italian, so they must be part of the mafia!"
Shigaisoshi-sama laughed like a princess at Kurosaki's joke. Minamoto began laughing too, matching her. All this scene was missing was Zyriot, a true mafioso.
"Kurosaki-chan, it's good to see you! How have you been?"
It seems Emma and Kurosaki knew each other, as they greeted each other with a hug of familiarity and kisses on the cheek.
Wait, is this why Kurosaki pecked my cheek the first time she met me...? Did she get her info wrong from these guys?
"I'm doing great, it's lovely to see you again. And Strelzia, hello!"
"Ciao, Kurosaki-chan!"
Likewise, they also hugged and kissed each other's cheeks.
"Come, try this carbonara Bel made, it's absolutely delicious!"
"Don't mind if I do."
Kurosaki happily began to dig into the meals on the table. I sighed, scratching my cheek.
"Kumi-chan, do you know what that Drachma dropout is doing here...?"
Shigaisoshi-sama was trying to be discreet, but I could hear her from a mile away, even with all the Italian blasting loudly in the background.
"He came with Kurosaki-senpai... I don't know what he's doing with her. Do you want me to erase his unsightly presence, BFF-sama?"
Shigaisoshi-sama had a serious look of consideration on her face. Then, she shook her head.
"No need. As long as he stands there like the dog he is and stays ten feet away from me, I do not mind his presence."
"But don't dogs sit?"
"An even better idea! That way, he won't be in my line of view anymore!"
Minamoto looked at me, stood up, and crossed over with an intimidating glare.
"You."
"...me?"
"Yes, you. Sit."
I can't believe they were seriously doing this...
"Are you sure...?"
"Mhm! Please sit, you're ruining BFF-sama's view of the food."
Since Minamoto didn't specify where, I went to sit on a chair. However, she pushed the seat back under the table with an irritated smile.
"On. The. Floor. Like the good dog you are!"
"...huh?"
"You're a Drachma doggie, aren't you? So be a good doggie and sit!"
Overhearing this, Kurosaki started to laugh strangely.
"Fu fu fu. Takanori, is that the kind of play you're into?"
"N-no, this is just a misunderstanding..."
"Hurry up Drachma doggie, we don't have all day! Chop chop."
Even Shigaisoshi-sama joined in on getting me to sit on the floor. Oi, I came here to eat a nice meal with Kurosaki, not to get degraded by a bunch of girls...
Just as I was about to obediently sit down, a burst of loud Italian shouting came from the kitchen, startling me. Strelzia stood up, shouting back in Italian, and moving over to presumably help Bel.
"You guys sure are lively. What's the occasion? The pasta's delicious, by the way."
Interjecting Kurosaki's compliments was some kind of intense shouting match between Bel and Strelzia in the kitchen, naturally in Italian. Seriously, what was going on back there...?
"Oh, Bel asked us if we could help Shigaisoshi-chan and Minamoto-chan with their studies, so we decided to meet up."
"Emma-senpai, it's Shigaisoshi-sama to you."
"Whoops, my bad. Sorry, Shigaisoshi-sama. Anyways, since the three of us are Italian, we also thought it'd be good to introduce a bit about our culture to the girls. Somewhere along the line, Bel ended up cooking a feast, and we decided to ditch the study idea to have a party!"
"My, how bold of you five to have a party in the middle of exam season. Thank you for inviting me though."
"Oh no, the pleasure is all ours. We made way too much food and needed some extra mouths to eat it all. It'd be a shame if it went to waste."
"I agree."
Kurosaki turned to me, patting the seat next to hers.
"Come on Takanori, don't be shy. Take a seat and dig in."
"If I do, Minamoto-san will stop me again..."
"You have no other choice but to sit on the floor like the good Drachma doggie you are."
Shigaisoshi-sama repeated, munching on ravioli. For a haughty princess, she sure ate like a messy child.
"Isn't this getting too out of hand...?"
"Shigaisoshi-sama, let Takanori-san sit at the table."
Emma gently scolded her. Shigaisoshi-sama sighed, huffing her cheeks and crossing her arms.
"Emma-senpai, you've made BFF-sama mad! She always goes "hmph" when she's angry! BFF-sama, are you okay?!"
"What does it look like, Kumi-chan? I'm throwing a strop. Hmph."
"Shigaisoshi-sama!!!"
"...you know, I can just leave if you don't want me here..."
I muttered, but it was overshadowed by the appearance of Bel holding a freshly baked pizza, with Strelzia following him.
"Ey, yous wanna eat some pizza? It's freshly baked outta the oven, hit with some low fat mozzarella and pepperoni!"
Bel then noticed me and Kurosaki, grinning with a wave.
"Mamma Mia, it's Kurosaki-san and— I dunno who yous are, chump."
"I'm Takanori..."
"Takanori-san! Welcome, welcome, welcome to Italy! Would yous two like a slice of pizza?"
"Bel-kun, don't feed the Drachma doggie our food. He can have our leftovers." Shigaisoshi-sama said.
Minamoto nodded wildly in agreement.
"Ey, this fool's from a Drachma Red? What's he doin' here?"
"I came with Kurosaki-senpai..."
"So you're her plus one, eh?"
Bel laughed and placed the pizza in the middle of the table. Immediately, Kumi lunged in to take a slice, while Shigaisoshi-sama held out a plate.
"Kumi-chan or Bel-kun, could either of you two get me a slice of pizza? If I touch it, my hands will go greasy."
"Coming right up, BFF-sama!"
Minamoto took the slice she was about to eat and gave it to Shigaisoshi-sama. Then, Shigaisoshi-sama proceeded to eat the pizza with... a knife and fork?
"That's blasphemy!" Bel screamed.
"My hand hygiene is more important!"
"We have a bathroom upstairs, BFF-sama..."
"I would rather avoid touching food altogether, thank you very much."
I know she's a medical professional, but to think she's that uptight about hygiene... I don't think picking up pizza and eating it will kill you. I bet Shigaisoshi-sama's the type of person to eat a hamburger with a knife and fork too.
While all this was going on, there was another knock on the door. Just how many people did they ask to come? There were already seven of us, did they really need anymore?
"Drachma doggie, you go get it."
Shigaisoshi-sama, who was more concentrated on eating the pizza, ordered me to answer the door. Minamoto nodded in agreement.
"Alright..."
To be honest, I only went because I needed a break from how loud everything was. I'm surprised we haven't received a noise complaint yet, considering all the Italian shouting matches I just heard get exchanged by Bel and Strelzia.
I opened the front door and froze, seeing who had arrived.
"Oh, Yuuto-san. You were invited as well?"
"T-Takanori-san?! I-it's been awhile..."
It was Zyriot Feirbuster and Shimizu Hoshimi of D Class. I was joking earlier when I said we needed him to complete this party... what kind of horrid fate is this?
We stood there, staring at each other for an awkward amount of time. It took so long, Bel wandered over to see if everything was okay. However, when he saw Zyriot, he broke into loud Italian cheering and shook his hand firmly.
However, what surprised me (and Shimizu) the most wasn't the fact Zyriot was on good terms with Bel... but it was the fact he could also speak Italian, like the rest of them.
I thought this guy was American... what the hell is going on? I swear to god, if a guy named Mario and his brother named Ruiji shows up next, I think I'm gonna lose it...
"Come inside, come inside Zy! Quickly, before all the pizza is taken!"
Bel ushered Zyriot and Shimizu inside, immediately giving them seats at the table. Zyriot, being a naturally sociable person, started greeting Emma and Strelzia in Italian as well.
"Just how many Italians go to this school?" Minamoto asked.
"I haven't a clue. But it irritates me that there is more peasant scum present at this table. Oh Kumi-chan, darling, please get me a cool napkin so I can reduce the throbbing pain in my head from seeing their lower status."
Shigaisoshi-sama over dramatically slumped in her chair, pretending to faint. However, instead of being concerned for her BFF, Minamoto gasped, her cheeks flushed, and she was on the verge of tears.
"BFF-sama... called me darling... this is the best day of my life...! Oh, oh thank you God! Thank you for letting me hear those sweet words...!"
Right, so I was the only sane one at this table.
I looked over at Shimizu, who was timidly eating some pasta. Since we were both unsuited to this hyper social environment, I thought it might be good to reach out to her in the hopes that she'd be able to relate to me.
"So... uh, Shimizu-san... you been up to anything recently?"
"Um... studying..."
"Oh... uh, which subjects?"
"Um... English mainly... w-with Zyriot-kun..."
"Ah... is he tutoring you?"
"H-he's tutoring everybody! With Obama-kun too... with their help, a lot of us have gotten better at the subject."
"I'm glad to hear. To be honest, I'm more surprised that Zyriot-san can also speak Italian on top of English. It's really impressive..."
"I-I had no clue until today as well... but I guess that's why he learnt Japanese so quickly, he he..."
"That's true. I wondered how a guy like him could get so fluent in about four or so months. He's been through this rodeo before, learning two languages."
Zyriot, overhearing our conversation, turned to us.
"I wouldn't consider myself fluent in Italian, since it's pretty bad compared to my Japanese. All my knowledge comes secondhand from listening to my parents and grandparents speak it."
"I-is Zyriot-kun also Italian...?"
"Italian-American, to be specific. Though, I've got a whole lot of other ethnicities in me too, like German, Nigerian, Singaporean, Arabian, and Mexican."
What are you, Mr Worldwide? His ancestry must look like a sprawling mess.
"Your family must be everywhere..."
"Oh, they are quite literally scattered across the world. I haven't met a lot of my relatives because of it, but I'd like to meet them in person someday."
Zyriot then turned to me.
"Yuuto-san, what are you doing here anyways? You're the last person I expected to see."
"That's what I was gonna say to you. I wasn't formally invited, but rather tagged along with Kurosaki-senpai, since she could bring an extra person."
"Ah, so you're like Hoshimi-san then. Bel-senpai sent me a message inviting me over, and he said I could bring someone else along. Since me and her were together when it happened, I decided to come with Hoshimi-san."
"Oh, you were also invited by Bel too?"
Hearing this, Kurosaki also joined in our conversation. Zyriot nodded.
"You must be Kurosaki-senpai, I'm guessing?"
"That's right. And you are?"
"Zyriot Feirbuster, D Class's male representative. It's good to meet you."
"It's good to meet you too. I wasn't expecting to meet such an important person today."
"Compared to everyone else that's here, I'm not that important."
Indeed, there were six Stark White students at the table. A single one of them outshined me, Zyriot, and Shimizu combined.
"Being the leader of the second strongest class in your year makes pretty impressive, though."
"You even know about that...?"
"I know about it from Takanori."
Kurosaki pointed at me.
"Ah. I'm surprised though, that you two are senpai and kouhai..."
"Really? What's so strange about it?"
"I don't know, you guys just don't seem like the type to hang out with each other."
"Fu fu, that's true. An A Class student and an E Class student being friendly with each other is almost unheard of."
"Yeah, especially since Yuuto-san is so unpopular in our year..."
"Well, I'm not a popular person either, so at least we have that much in common."
Kurosaki lightly smiled at me. I don't know if this was something to be proud of, but it made me feel a bit better being a loner.
"What about you? Despite being enemies, you two sure look friendly with each other."
"Well, that's because he is my friend."
"Oh?"
"It shouldn't be too surprising. I like Yuuto-san. He's a good guy."
Kurosaki turned to me and laughed strangely.
"Fu fu... so you weren't a complete loner after all, hmm?"
"It's not much, but yeah. Zyriot-san... he's a good friend to me."
It felt weird calling him a friend. It didn't sound right... or rather, it felt like I didn't truly believe it myself.
"Same here, man. It's a shame that most people stay away from Yuuto-san though, just because they misunderstand him. Wouldn't you agree, Hoshimi-san?"
Shimizu, surprised Zyriot roped her into the conversation again, frantically nodded her head in agreement.
"Y-yes! Takanori-san isn't anything like people say he is... he's a kind person."
I started to get a little embarrassed hearing these two compliment me so much. I didn't know how to respond to their kindness. A small part of me started feeling guilty too, since I had already set up the pieces necessary to beat their class in this special exam.
And... when I think about it some more, it's not just them. It's the other people in D Class too, who have been kind to me, like Akihiro, Akari, Albert, Kai, Imaishi, and Tsuji. They're the ones who are going to be hurt the most when this is all over.
Just a little... it made me feel bad.
"Looks like you've made some good friends, Takanori."
Snapping me out of my thoughts was Kurosaki, who patted my arm and went back to eating. I sighed.
"...yeah. I have, haven't I?"
I took a step back and looked at everyone in this room. Even though none of us had anything in common, we were all connected somehow.
I knew Emma and Strelzia because I was trying to make Kaido my rival. I knew Bel because we tried to negotiate with 2-A to help with Ryouta and Shimada's challenge.
I knew Shigaisoshi-sama from visiting the nurse's office over my injured arm, and I knew Minamoto because she was the waitress at the cafe I visited with Yogen.
I knew Kurosaki because she was with Kishou at the music shop. I knew Shimizu because I tried to save her once with Matsushita. And I knew Zyriot because he was the one who saved me from D Class's violence.
Even though I've been at this school for less than three months, I've met some wonderful people, and some less than savoury people. Regardless of my relationship with them, we were all the same in one aspect.
Everyone wanted to enjoy a moment of rest in the middle of this school's ruthless turbulence.
"Yuuto-san, why don't you take a seat with us?"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm a Drachma doggie. I have to sit on the floor."
"...eh?"
"Wan."
"Oi, snap out of it man! You're a human, not a puppy!"
At the very least, I want to move up from E Class so I never have to be treated like this ever again.