The five of them stared at Subaru who was still smiling at them while leaning on the door frame.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Subrau's smile turned strained when he didn't get any reaction form the five freshmen.
His lips twitched, if this were other people they would have shrieked or start chatting happily already.
'Was my popularity not as high as I thought?' he thought before sighing and walking towards them.
"I don't know if you know but I am the vice president of the student council and I don't know if you saw me but I was there a while ago when you issued the challenge," he explained after approaching them.
"And?" Astra asked.
This time even his brows twitched, she was asking what he needs from them. But didn't he just said why he was here? He needs to know the date of the challenge she just issued.
"I need to get the date for your challenge in order to make sure that the stage is prepared," he smiled again albeit much strained than before as he answered her.
Astra looked at Kaname before looking back at him, "Why not this afternoon?"
"Ah- well, that was too soon," was his reply not expecting for her to actually schedule it today.
"Then why did you ask?" Astra still asked in return.
The three young men was stopping themselves from laughing.
Subaru was known as the all smiles prince but was also known as a cold person. But now the all smiles were actually having a strained smile instead of his beautiful perfected one.
And that was because of their good friend Astra who does not even bat an eyelid while speaking to him.
"Okay, then why not tomorrow as the earliest? Tomorrow morning? You are a freshman so you must not know but a challenge must be issued a day before the expected date in order to prepare the stage and make sure no one would be hurt too much," Subaru cleared his throat and smiled again while explaining.
"Why can't I hurt her? Isn't it that a challenge is there in order to use our powers legally? Then doesn't that mean I can hurt her as much as I want but without killing her?" Astra tilted her head to the side and asked like an innocent student.
If not for her question then Subaru would think that she is indeed an innocent student. But no, she actually wanted to go all out on her challenge and was planning on hurting Hikari.
"That is..."
Subaru has no idea how to explain this, indeed a lot of people get hurt a lot during challenges and it was also true that killing is the only prohibition.
Though he was not fond of Hikari, she was still a daughter of the board of director and a part of the student council.
Also a lot of students, especially male ones, would do anything just to "protect" her.
Astra was a freshman and a nobody being special only because of her powers that are very pure.
At the same time what makes he and Xenon wonder where she got her confidence was the fact that she was but a number four, how will she fight against Hikari who has three number nines?
Astra obviously noticed the look he gave on her numbers but she didn't bother, "I will hurt her a lot tomorrow vice president. Are you going to tell me that I would regret it for you will raise a hand because of her?"
Her question made Subaru speechless and stared at her in disbelief. She was actually asking if he has some fancy towards Hikari and was here to threaten her.
"Spare me, I am here for official business and not about that," he shivered on the thought that he was doing this for that woman who acts innocent but was actually very vicious.
"Hmmm, then I guess we have no more things to talk about. Tomorrow morning, that's the schedule I want," Astra nodded her head but she looked like she does not believe him.
He turned agape now, he never had the time to actually be in this kind of situation since he started studying here.
Everyone always looked up to him and would curry favor towards him.
But this freshman was actually teasing him?!?
Subaru took a deep breath before returning to his usual smile, "Very well. I shall inform everyone about it."
He no longer wants to speak with this little demon. She was obviously playing with him. He can see the mirth in her eyes as she ask and speak towards him.
He just want to run away from here, away from her. His image would be crushed if he were to stay a minute longer.
Her four friends laughed after seeing him flee from the scene.
"He, who was known for his tongue was actually made to flee by Astra. This is the best event of the year," Takao held his stomach as he laughed out loud.
"I just asked him questions," Astra answered with a shrug.
Though she must admit that she indeed said things deliberately especially about the secretary. And seeing how he looked disgusted by her indiccations, she actually enjoyed it a lot.
"Never thought messing with someone is this fun though," she then added with a glint in her eyes.
Somehow her four friends ended up swallowing their own saliva, why does it feel like this will become a habit of hers?
She was an innocent barbaric one okay. Please don't corrupt her, this is all the fault of Subaru who gave her the chance to enjoy it.
All four were thinking one thing, 'She should not get close to Subaru.'
"ACHOO!!"
Subaru who was close to the student council office suddenly sneezed. He frowned but shrugged it off before entering.
There he saw the people still coaxing Hikari who was still feeling wronged.
'It has been an hour already, we still have work. Why don't you stop now?' he thought.
Just as Hikari looked at him, he remembered what Astra said about him protecting this person making him involuntarily glare at Hikari.
She was stunned in place, the all smile prince actually glared at her?
No one had ever received it before despite his indifferent eyes while smiling. He never glared at anyone, but he actually did it to her?
She clenched her hands into a fist while gritting her teeth. Why? Where did he go for him to actually glare at her?
"That's new."
When Subaru approached Xenon, Xenon who saw his glare couldn't help but comment.
Subaru was stunned by his reaction, "What?"
As if he didn't know what he had just done, he asked him what was it.
"You were glaring at miss secretary," Xenon pointed out.
Subaru blinked his eyes fast upon hearing this, "I glared?"
He even pointed at himself wondering if Xenon really see right.
"You can ask the lady, she received your very first glare after all," Xenon gestured to the side where Hikari and the others are.
Subaru silently cursed. It was because of than freshman who stirred him up that he ended up something out of his character.
"And what did you learn? Why did she suddenly issue a challenge?" Xenon asked.
Since he Subaru left not only for the time of the challenge but also to know their side, he obviously asked.
For the second time, Subaru cursed, he actually forgot his second purpose.
Seeing this Xenon knew he forgot this part, "Then how about the challenge?"
"Tomorrow early morning," Subaru sighed as he answered.
For the first time in his three years, his pace was actually disrupted by a few words coming from someone.
Even the silent and cold treatment from Xenon at times didn't bother him. But that kid was actually able to do so without expending much effort.
"Oh, seems that that freshman is indeed peculiar, for your pace to be this disrupted," Xenon commented upon seeing his look.
"Please don't remin me," was Subaru's reply before looking back at Hikari's side.
"The challenge shall be tomorrow morning, prepare before then," he said without his usual smile.
Inide he was also blaming this woman for him to do something out of character.
"Go and ask the teacher to prepare the stage," Xenon commanded one member.
"But pres, are we really going to let that freshman do what she pleases?" one couldn't help but to complain.
"The challenge wouldn't happen if that freshman was not provoked. People haad been watching over her since the beginning of this year and this is the first time she showed such reaction," was his reply.
Some instantly said that the freshman must be acting in the past and it was just the beginning so her acting like this now must mean that this is her real attitude.
But Hikari understood his underlying meaning, 'You provoked her then settle it yourself.'
She once again gritted her teeth, it was just two days. What the hell was this about?