The next day, in the classroom.
"What's going on... Why are you like this too?"
Sudo Ken stared at Ike Kanji in surprise, asking in confusion.
At that moment, Ike's face was marked with two incredibly dark circles under his eyes, and his lips were pale, almost devoid of color.
"Yesterday, I pulled an all-nighter studying..."
Ike said weakly.
"Huh? Say that again?"
Beside him, Yamauchi Haruki's face showed a look of shock—even fear.
"You... pulled an all-nighter studying?"
"Yeah..."
Ike nodded, his voice faint.
"Yesterday, I suddenly felt like studying hard, so I stayed up all night reviewing a lot of material..."
As Ike spoke, he couldn't help but recall the events of the previous night, feeling a chill run down his spine.
'Sorry, but for the sake of my precious rest time, I'll let your laziness make up for it.'
Meanwhile, Saiki Kusuo sat nearby, expressionless, looking down at his book as if he hadn't heard a thing.
In reality, Ike's all-nighter was Saiki's doing.
Even without using his psychic abilities, Saiki knew Ike had feelings for Kushida Kikyō. During the study group, Ike's mind was almost half-occupied with fantasies about how to ask Kushida out on a date.
Moreover, it was because of Ike that Saiki had been discovered by Kushida earlier, forcing him to use his memory-erasing ability.
Add to that Ike's laziness, and Saiki felt compelled to take drastic measures—like telepathy and hypnosis.
The night before, whenever Ike fell asleep, he'd dream of Kushida suddenly turning fierce, as if she'd become a different person. She'd express her disgust and contempt for him because of his poor grades, causing Ike to wake up in terror multiple times.
After a few repetitions, Ike couldn't sleep at all. The terrifying scenes from his dreams kept replaying in his mind, forcing him to study all night.
In reality, Saiki had transferred Kushida's hatred for Horikita Suzune directly into Ike's mind, deliberately omitting the names involved.
'So scary... The Kushida in my dream... She's incredibly venomous...'
'Unfortunately, that's her true self. If you ever saw that side of her in person, you'd probably break down.'
'I can't even bear to look at Kushida anymore... The scenes in the dream... They felt so real...'
'Consider this a heads-up about her true nature. It's for your own good, to dispel your fantasies.'
"Good morning, Ike-kun!"
Just then, Kushida Kikyō walked into the classroom, smiling and greeting Ike and the others.
'An angel! Kushida is an angel! Dreams and reality are opposites after all!'
'Kushida is just too cute!'
'What should we name our future child?'
'...Already delusional, huh?'
Saiki felt exasperated. The moment Ike saw Kushida, he completely forgot about the nightmare from the night before.
"Saiki."
As Saiki remained speechless, Sudo Ken whispered to him.
"Yeah?"
"When we go to the library this afternoon, if Horikita asks, just say you and Ayanokōji already tutored us. I've already talked to Ayanokōji about it."
"Got it."
Saiki nodded, relieved to have one less problem to deal with.
After hearing Ike's words, Yamauchi Haruki grew anxious. He quickly took out his textbook and began frantically reviewing.
'What's up with Sudo and Ike?!'
'Don't worry, you're next.'
'We were supposed to be slackers together!'
'In a way, your self-description isn't wrong, but I doubt the other two would describe themselves the same way.'
'Are you abandoning me?! Now I'm the only one who hasn't studied properly?!'
'Can you sound more righteous when you're panicking?'
Yamauchi was anxious because Sudo and Ike had 'studied behind his back,' fearing he'd be left behind. With no choice, he decided to cram during his free time that day.
'Well, this saves me some trouble.'
'Their behavior is unusual.'
Meanwhile, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka silently observed them, looking puzzled.
He was skilled at analyzing people and predicting their personalities, but both Sudo and Ike's actions were beyond his expectations.
'First Horikita, then Sudo and Ike—their behavior has changed significantly. Theoretically, this shouldn't be possible in such a short time.'
'Could it be Saiki's doing?'
'But there's no evidence to prove it, and from what I've observed, Saiki hasn't done anything... Strange.'
Though filled with questions, Ayanokōji found no answers. This was far beyond the scope of his White Room training.
...
In the afternoon, Horikita Suzune and the others arrived at the library.
"Did you guys get tutored yesterday?"
Horikita asked sternly.
"Yes, we did!"
Sudo replied immediately.
"Really?"
Horikita's gaze showed no trust. She turned to Ayanokōji and Saiki, who both nodded in confirmation.
'They're probably lying together. Back in the dorm, they're not the type to study diligently.'
'You know them too well.'
Saiki thought.
Like the day before, Horikita prepared some questions for everyone.
This time, not only Sudo but also Ike scored decently. Even Yamauchi, who had crammed at the last minute, managed a passable score.
"Looks like the study group is making good progress."
'Right, so we can end it now.'
Saiki's lips curved slightly; he thought this phase was finally over.
"This proves the study group's importance. We can move on to more advanced topics."
'???'