The rain drummed persistently against the windows of Class B as Miss Yui took attendance. The gray skies and constant downpour gave the day a somber mood. Miss Yui ended her lecture early and began an announcement.

"As you all will be participating in events against other classes soon, you will be subjected to an inner class competition first. This is both for measuring your standing and helping you gain some experience. You will be competing in chess, fitness measurement, and one group work activity, the details of which will be provided later," she explained. "As a reward, everyone who gets first place in chess and fitness will each receive 10 DS. The chess and fitness measurements will be held tomorrow during gym period. Good luck, everyone. Today's class ends here."

As the class was dismissed, everyone made their way to the cafeteria for lunch. Arakawa quietly bought himself lunch and found a seat in the large hall room. The cafeteria was spacious, with a kitchen on the opposite side of the entrance. Employees served various meals from behind a clean counter. Round tables with three chairs each were scattered around the room, the tables' white surfaces gleaming under the lights. To the left, a transparent glass wall offered a view of the walkway to the gym, framed by patches of green grass.

Arakawa had just started eating when a commotion caught his attention. Nijuri, carrying her food from the kitchen counter, had accidentally bumped into a boy, spilling her meal. The boy, now covered in food, looked furious.

The boy was Yashiro.

"What do you think you're doing, bitch? How could you spill food all over me? You have to pay me now," Yashiro snarled, his voice dripping with menace.

Nijuri, not one to back down, retorted, "What do you mean? You're the one who was walking the wrong way and bumped into me."

"You dare talk back?" Yashiro's glare intensified, his fists clenching at his sides.

Nijuri's hand subtly moved towards the lunch knife that had fallen on the floor. Her eyes flashed with a dangerous resolve, ready to defend herself. Just as she was about to grab it, the student council president, Sayaka Himura, intervened with a commanding presence.

"What happened, happened. I think you both are at fault. Now, you can either act like it was a mistake on both your parts and let it go, or I'll have to take this to the authorities. So, which will it be?" Sayaka's voice was calm but firm, her red eyes piercing through the tension.

Yashiro clicked his tongue in annoyance and walked away, glaring at Nijuri. She put down the knife and stood up, thanking Sayaka.

"Thank you, President Himura. I appreciate your intervention," Nijuri said with a slight bow.

"Just be more careful next time," Sayaka responded, her tone softening slightly before she walked away.

The entire scene went unnoticed by most, but not by Arakawa. He clearly understood what Nijuri had been about to do.

After lunch, he followed Nijuri to her room and discovered that she was assigned to the room right next to his. That night, Arakawa stood on his balcony, drinking coffee, seemingly waiting for something.

The night was cloudy, with no moonlight, but a light breeze carried the cool air. Nijuri stepped out onto her balcony, her hair fluttering in the wind. She noticed Arakawa on the adjacent balcony and her eyes widened in surprise.

"You!?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with both shock and curiosity.

Arakawa responded with a curious expression. "Hi. You're Nijuri, right? I'm Arakawa."

Nijuri, flustered, replied, "Oh, yes. I'm Nijuri. Nice to meet you. I didn't know we were neighbors."

"Same here. It’s a small world," Arakawa said calmly.

"So, how has your experience at Erito High been so far?" Nijuri asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Pretty normal, I guess. What about you?" Arakawa replied, his eyes studying her intently.

"Not too well. I had a really rough day today," she admitted, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"You're talking about what happened this noon? You know, you should think before acting. The stunt you were about to pull today was dangerous," Arakawa said, his tone serious but not judgmental.

Nijuri was shocked, knowing exactly what Arakawa was referring to. She stammered, "I... I didn’t think anyone noticed."

Arakawa's expression remained unreadable. "Just be more careful next time. You don't want to get into unnecessary trouble."

Before she could respond, Arakawa said goodbye and went inside his room, leaving her standing there, deep in thought. That night, all she could think about were Arakawa's words. Did he care about her? Was he interested in her to the point of concern? Or did he have some ulterior motive?