"..."
At that moment, everyone present fell silent.
Except for Shizuku, everyone else's expressions changed.
Stella's expression became extremely strange.
Ikki and the others looked very subtle.
Then, Rozen's eye twitched continuously. It twitched so much that he felt an overwhelming urge to run away from the smiling, handsome man in front of him.
By now, everyone had a clear understanding of what kind of person Arisuin Nagi was.
In his own words, he was a boy at heart, a girl in spirit, and he liked handsome guy.
With a smile that left much to the imagination, Arisuin Nagi spoke to Rozen.
"Although we're classmates, we haven't interacted much before. Now that I look closely, Arnett-kun, you're really handsome. If you weren't so low-key, you'd definitely be popular with girls."
As he said this, Arisuin Nagi unconsciously took a step closer to Rozen.
"—!"
Almost simultaneously, Rozen sprang back with a speed that he usually couldn't exhibit with his physical abilities, putting a significant distance between himself and Arisuin Nagi.
"Th... thank you for the compliment, but we don't seem very familiar, so keeping some distance might be better, don't you think?"
Rozen forced an extremely unnatural smile, uttering uncharacteristically uneasy words.
Arisuin Nagi didn't seem disappointed. Instead, he smiled considerately.
"You're right. Today is our first proper meeting. It would be rude to be too forward. I hope we can get along well in the future."
Arisuin Nagi's words made Rozen break out in a cold sweat.
Get along well?
Impossible!
As a staunchly straight man, Rozen had to declare that getting along well was out of the question for his entire life!
The other boys present seemed to share the same sentiment, each subtly moving a step away from Arisuin Nagi.
Whether Arisuin Nagi noticed this or not, he turned to Stella and greeted her.
"I've always wanted to meet you, Stella. Shizuku often talks about you. Nice to meet you."
Arisuin Nagi extended a friendly hand toward Stella.
"O... oh..."
Stella timidly reached out her hand, uncharacteristically nervous, and shook hands with Arisuin Nagi, which counted as their introduction.
"Sh... Shizuku? Is this really a friend of yours?"
After shaking hands, Stella immediately moved to Shizuku's side, cautiously asking.
"Is there a problem?"
Shizuku looked puzzled, as if she hadn't noticed anything unusual.
"Don't you think he seems a bit strange?"
Stella asked, frightened.
"Isn't it you who's strange? Alice is always very normal. She can do makeup, pick clothes, and has great taste. She taught me many beauty tips. What's strange about that?"
Shizuku retorted.
"...It's strange for a man to do all these things!"
Stella couldn't help but retort.
Of course, Stella didn't know that Rozen was also very good at makeup and picking clothes, with taste far superior to ordinary people, and knew many beauty tips as well. But it's worth noting, he was a straight man, without any doubt.
Among everyone present, only Shizuku didn't find Arisuin Nagi's situation strange, while everyone else, including Ikki, looked uneasy.
"Is my sister really beyond help?"
Ikki appeared utterly despairing.
Previously, Ikki had hoped that Shizuku's hard-earned friendship could correct her perspective and guide her back to the right path. But now, it seemed like his sister was straying further, as if liking her own brother is not enough.
In such circumstances, the atmosphere at the scene became increasingly delicate.
"Alright, everyone, it's rare for us to gather together, so let's not... let's not fuss over small things."
Todo Touka stepped forward, speaking with an awkward expression, lacking confidence.
"It's... it's getting late. Let's stick to our original plan and go out to celebrate!"
Todo Touka tried hard to lighten the mood, but her efforts made it hard to see her as the capable student council president of Hagun Academy that everyone praised.
However, her efforts were not in vain.
Mainly because Todo Touka had a lot of support.
"Has anyone decided where to go?"
"If you have a place in mind, let me know, and I can make a reservation."
"Let's not worry about minor things! Let's go have fun!"
"I agree!"
Misogi Utakata, Totokubara Kanata, Tomaru Renren, and Saijou Ikazuchi chimed in one after another.
But in the end, it was Arisuin Nagi who spoke.
"In that case, I know a good place. How about we go there?"
Arisuin Nagi said with an unchanged smile.
"Uh..."
Everyone fell silent simultaneously.
A place that Arisuin Nagi thought was good?
Could it be somewhere that would lead people astray?
Just thinking about it made the group, who could be said to wield considerable influence in Hagun Academy, a bit fearful.
Seeing this, Arisuin Nagi's smile turned mischievous.
"Don't worry, a place like that is too early for you guys. The place I recommend is just a regular family restaurant. It's been very popular lately, and the girls in our class have been talking about it, saying it's a must-visit."
Hearing this explanation, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"In that case, let's have Arisuin-san lead the way."
Todo Touka decided.
"It would be my pleasure."
Arisuin Nagi continued to smile, looking like a kind older sister (?).
Only then did the atmosphere lighten a bit, and the group began to chat lively, following Arisuin Nagi down the street.
Rozen walked at the back, watching Arisuin Nagi continuing to chat warmly with Shizuku. Though he was filled with the urge to make snide comments, he also felt a hint of doubt.
"Arisuin Nagi..."
Before this, Rozen really hadn't heard much about this name.
However, not only was Arisuin in the same class, but he had also become so close to Shizuku, even capable of becoming a representative. He seemed to get along well with the classmates, so why hadn't he heard of him?
"Does someone like him have such a low presence?"
Rozen was puzzled.
Besides...
"Is this person really a D-rank Blazer?"
Rozen watched Arisuin Nagi's back, lost in thought.
"What are you doing there? Hurry up and catch up!"
Stella, walking in front, noticed Rozen standing still and called out to him.
"Got it!"
Rozen replied, putting his thoughts aside and catching up.
The group then marched down the street, heading toward the family restaurant Arisuin Nagi had mentioned.