Arisu's face was a mix of surprise and irritation as she stood in the doorway, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Akira, I can't believe you!" she snapped, her voice echoing through the room. "You just met this girl and you're already... together with her?"
Her gaze turned towards Horikita, her expression unchanging. "And you," she began, her voice chilling. "Did you have no self-respect, throwing yourself at a man like that? Are you that desperate for attention? Is this your way of trying to get ahead? I thought you were better than this, Horikita."
Despite the harshness of her words, there was a hint of hurt in Arisu's eyes. It wasn't just the shock of the situation, but also a sense of betrayal - that Akira would become intimate with someone else so quickly, and that Horikita would so easily fall for him.
"Arisu, I have already been intimate with you. What's the problem?" Akira responded calmly, unfazed by the sudden interruption.
Arisu's eyes widened at Akira's words, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "That's... that's different! We have a bond, Akira! This... this is just...!"
As Arisu struggled to form a coherent argument, Horikita decided to speak up, her face flushed and eyes darting between the two. "Hey, I'm not just some... some...!"
But before she could finish her sentence, Arisu cut her off, "Oh, you're worse than 'just some...'! At least 'just some...' have some dignity! You're here arguing about being the third wheel when you literally threw yourself at him!"
The air in the room was charged with tension, the three of them caught in a heated argument, their words carrying more weight than any physical blow could.
Arisu blinked, caught off guard by his retort. For a moment, she stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. Then, a blush began to creep onto her cheeks, and she quickly looked away.
"What...? I... That's not what I meant, you... idiot," she stammered, struggling to regain her composure.
Akira chuckled lightly at her reaction, offering her a teasing smirk. "Well, if you say so, Arisu," he replied, leaving the room with a bemused shake of his head.
As Arisu struggled to regain her composure, Horikita, who had been silently observing the exchange, suddenly interjected.
"Wait," she began, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "Arisu, it's not like Akira did something without my consent. And it's not your business to interfere in our personal matters."
Arisu's blush deepened, but she didn't respond. She just crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, a clear sign that she was not pleased with the situation.
Akira, on the other hand, looked at Horikita in surprise, clearly not expecting her to defend him in this situation. His surprise soon turned into a small smile. "Thanks, Horikita. I misjudged you sorry for beating you in the past" he said softly, appreciating her support.
Akira's grin faded as soon as he heard Ryuen's news. His eyes darkened and his posture shifted to one of focus and intensity. "So Hirata is trying to rally his own troops, huh? Interesting," he commented, more to himself than to anyone else.
Ryuen just shrugged, nonchalantly leaning against the doorframe. "It seems so. He's even managed to sway a few of the girls to his side. He's acting like some kind of savior," he said with a hint of distaste in his voice.
Akira hummed in response, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We'll need to keep a close eye on him then. We can't afford to let him become too much of a threat."
Arisu, still flustered from their earlier conversation, interjected. "Akira, you can't just ignore the problem. We need to confront Hirata and stop him before things escalate any further."
Akira just shook his head. "No, Arisu. We can't just rush into things recklessly. We need to observe, plan and act strategically. For now, let's just watch and see how things unfold."
The room fell into a heavy silence
There was a ripple of surprise in the room as Akira announced his intent to remain patient rather than rushing into action. Everyone in the room knew Akira as a man of action, someone who would jump headfirst into battle without hesitation. For him to suggest a more cautious approach was unexpected, to say the least.
Ryuen raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, well...I never thought I'd see the day when you'd opt for patience over immediate action, Akira. I must say, it's rather refreshing."
Koneji gave a low chuckle. "Perhaps our fearless leader has finally learned the virtues of patience. It only took a school-wide crisis to teach him."
Honami, for her part, gave Akira a small smile, her eyes filled with admiration. "I think it's a wise decision, Akira. We can't afford to act recklessly in a situation like this. We need to be strategic."
Arisu huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just don't take too long to make your move, Akira. We don't have the luxury of time."
Chihiro, who had been quiet throughout the entire conversation, nodded her agreement. "I think it's the right call, Akira. We need to tread carefully."
Akira nodded, appreciating their support. He knew that they were in for a tough battle, but with allies like these by his side, he felt ready to face whatever challenges awaited them.
Kamuro's eyes narrowed as they landed on Horikita, who was obliviously sitting in what Kamuro considered 'her' chair. The beer bottle in her hand added an intimidating air to her, as if the simple act of drinking amplified the intensity of her glare.
"Horikita," she finally drawled, her voice slow and dripping with annoyance. "You're in my chair."
Horikita looked up, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. She glanced at the chair beneath her, then back at Kamuro, an expression of mild confusion crossing her face. "Your chair?" she echoed, as if the concept was foreign to her.
"Yes, my chair," Kamuro retorted, her annoyance heightening. "I sit there every time we meet. It's practically got my name on it."
The room fell into silence as Honami spoke, a serious expression on her face.
"Let's start calling each other by first names. It would enhance our teamwork and create a more friendly environment," she suggested, her gaze sweeping over everyone present
Akira, with his usual nonchalant tone, piped up. "Actually, I've been calling most of you by your first names ever since we met."
His words hung in the air, causing everyone to blink in surprise, a few even coughing awkwardly. The room fell into a somewhat stunned silence. It was indeed true. Akira had been using their first names all along, and most of them hadn't really noticed it until now.
With a chuckle, he continued, "It's just easier that way, isn't it? And it's not like we have the luxury of formality anymore, considering our situation."
A playful glint appeared in Akira's eyes as he shifted his attention to Honami. "So Honami, given that we're all so informal now, does that mean I can start calling you 'Honey'?"
A moment of silence fell across the room, soon followed by a chorus of surprised laughter. The tension that had slowly started to build was effectively dissolved by Akira's absurd humor.
Honami, however, seemed momentarily taken aback, her cheeks reddening as she swiftly composed herself. "I think I'd prefer you to stick with 'Honami', Akira," she responded, trying to hide the amusement in her voice.
Akira just gave a cheeky grin, clearly pleased with the reaction he'd elicited.
A mischievous smile tugged at Akira's lips as he gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Honami's face. "Then 'Tomatonose' it is," he decided, the playfulness in his tone matching the spark in his eyes.
Ryuen's jaw practically hit the floor, his eyes wide in disbelief. He wasn't the only one shocked; Arisu and Horikita's eyes were wide, and both were blushing a deep red. The looks on their faces were a mix of surprise and something akin to jealousy.
Just as the tension was reaching a peak, the sound of a beer bottle clattering to the floor broke the silence. Kamuro, who had been steadily emptying the contents of her beer bottle, stumbled over to Akira with a wobbly gait.
"Hey, Akira...c'mere..." she slurred, flinging an arm around his shoulders and trying to pull herself closer to him.
Akira looked from Kamuro to the two blushing girls, then back again. He sighed, a resigned smile on his face. "Well...this just got a lot more complicated."