The Story of How I, a Guy Who Couldn’t Care Less About School Castes, Somehow Ended Up Making All the Five-Star Gals Fall for Me - Chapter 16: Splits

Chapter 16: Splits

“Morning, Kizuki.”

Starting the very next day, Hari Suitengu began calling out to me whenever she spotted me.

It wasn’t like the conversations had any big meaning.

We were just exchanging words—quick greetings, passing each other in the classroom, little comments between classes, or random small talk whenever the moment struck.

“For a loner like you, Kizuki, it makes for good time-killing, doesn’t it? Right, Mr. Punching Bag?”

One day, when we just happened to be alone in the classroom, Hari said that with a grin.

“I don’t recall signing up to be your conversation practice dummy.”

“Eh? You literally declared it yourself the other day.”

“That was a one-time deal. Think of it like… a free trial.”

“Oh, so regular use requires an admission fee and a monthly subscription? What is this, a gym membership?”

“I just didn’t expect you to start talking to me this often.”

Who could’ve imagined that Hari Suitengu of all people would want to chat regularly with anyone outside the Fives?

I figured that heart-to-heart at the café was a one-off.

She apologized, we had lunch, I listened to her vent, and that was that.

I had no intention of updating our “relationship status” beyond that point.

“I don’t remember the punching bag declaration having an expiration date.”

Hari flashed me that sly, confident smile—the kind that made it clear she knew exactly where she stood.

Ah, right… she used to smile like this whenever she was dead set on getting her way.

“I wasn’t even talking about that.”

“Consistency is the fastest road to improvement, you know. Oh, and lately I’ve been thinking of practicing kicks too. Like high kicks.”

Suddenly, she lifted her knee up to her waist.

Her slender leg pushed her skirt upward, revealing the pale inner thigh normally hidden from view.

The move was already toeing the line of what counted as modest.

“Yeah, no—stop that. For more reasons than one. This little skit ends here.”

“What, like a comedy sketch? The whole gym membership bit?”

“Suitengu-san—”

“C’mon, let me try it. Look.”

“!?”

She ignored my protest without hesitation.

With a slow, graceful motion, she raised her leg to the side.

Her supple joints let her thigh rise higher and higher until the back of her knee was at eye level.

She blew right past a perfect Y-balance, her long shin extending upward until her toes pointed straight toward the ceiling.

That flawless line of her leg pressed tight against her body—an almost impossible display of flexibility.

A full, perfect 180-degree split, showing off the true power of a trained ballerina.

Her form was breathtaking.

Her balance and muscle control held her steady on one foot, completely unshaken.

The sheer athleticism on display was so far beyond normal limits it left me stunned.

Watching her pull off that I-balance right in front of me was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

“Too bad! I’m wearing spats under my skirt today!”

She held that straight line with a cool, composed look on her face—like she hadn’t just shown off something incredible.

“If you suddenly flashed your underwear like that, I’d think you were some kind of pervert.”

“Wouldn’t you be happy, though?”

“…A little.”

“Pervert.”

“It’s instinct.”

“So Kizuki’s properly at that age, huh?”

“If I’d stared, you really would’ve thrown a high kick at me, right?”

“See? You do get it.”

This black-haired queen of a gal looked absolutely delighted as she toyed with pure-hearted me.

As she started talking with me more regularly, Hari’s expressions and demeanor gradually softened.

Just like with the other Fives, she no longer filtered her words around me—freely showing her emotions, her smiles, her pouts, all those shifting expressions.

According to her fans, it was like she’d stepped outside her “sacred zone.”

Because of that, more classmates began joining in too, with me half-acting like a translator.

Hari still showed a little nervousness, but that sharp, prickly edge she used to keep up had faded a lot.

When someone addressed her, she’d actually respond. Sometimes, she even asked questions herself.

Bit by bit, she was learning how to talk smoothly with others.

“People were saying they really enjoyed chatting with Suitengu-san today.”

Even though my advice to her had been don’t rush to change, in the end it seemed to nudge her toward changing after all.

“…If anything, I just hope you don’t end up getting dragged into weird jealousy because of it.”

Hari didn’t look all that happy.
If anything, she sounded uneasy.

“Jealousy?”

“Y’know, like—‘why’s that guy talking with her, why’s he hanging around them?’ That kind of thing.”

Ah, I see.

It wouldn’t be strange if some people got annoyed seeing a guy like me hanging around with the Fives—the top-tier girls of the class.

Like with idol groups—when a guy’s shadow shows up too close, the fans can’t help but feel unsettled.

Whether it’s in showbiz or just school life, jealousy comes with the territory wherever people interact.

I couldn’t help bursting out laughing.

“Hey, what’s so funny? I’m actually worried here!”

“No—it’s because you’re worried that I laughed.”

She was clumsy about it, but she was definitely being considerate.

“Huh?”

“The cool, untouchable Hari Suitengu, actually worrying about other people? That’s a big change.”

“…It’s not like that. If I caused trouble for someone, it’d just make me feel bad too.”

“Well, no one’s complained or tried to mess with me so far, so you can relax.”

“Alright… if you say so.”

“Guys like me don’t exactly have enough ‘manly presence’ to be seen as rivals anyway.”

I wasn’t seen as some scandal-worthy threat, like a male idol or a hot model.

“…You really are lucky that whole ‘caste-indifferent guy’ character fits you so well.”

“‘Character’? I’m just being me.”

“And the fact you can say that so naturally—that’s your strength.”

Apparently, my smile really bugged her.

Hari shot me a look full of unspoken words… though compared to when we first started talking, her gaze was a whole lot gentler now.