"Come on, Yuki-kun, let's sit over here!" Marin Kitagawa quickly grabbed Yuki's sleeve and guided him toward a spot in the corner.
Yuki nodded, letting her lead the way.
Just as he was about to sit down, both Origami Tobiichi and Marin moved to take the seats on his left and right.
But then—a flash of golden hair.
A figure swiftly slipped in and claimed the spot on Yuki's left, effectively nudging Marin aside.
Marin blinked, taken aback. Once she got a clear look at who it was, she furrowed her brows.
"Um… Miss Spencer, what are you…?" she asked.
Indeed, the one who had swooped in was none other than Eriri Spencer Sawamura.
Yuki glanced at Eriri, a little surprised by her sudden move. Even Origami, now seated on his right, looked over at Eriri with mild curiosity.
"I'm sorry, Kitagawa-san," Eriri said, polite and poised as she smiled at Marin. "The lighting is better at this seat, so I'd like to sit here today. Would you mind letting me have it?"
Marin's eyebrow twitched slightly.
'You're already sitting there… what am I supposed to do? Drag you out in front of the whole class?'
Forcing a smile, Marin nodded. "It's fine." She then took the seat next to Eriri instead.
But inwardly, Marin was fuming. That spot had been perfect—right next to Yuki. Now she was separated by Eriri, and it was beyond frustrating.
There wasn't much she could do, though. Seating wasn't assigned here; anyone could sit wherever they liked. And since she'd been a step too slow, she'd lost out.
Still, this little defeat wasn't going to make Marin give up. She was already thinking of ways to make up for it later.
The little scene hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the class.
Ever since the incident where Yuki and Eriri were late, and the way Origami and Marin had stepped in to defend them, the whole class had been buzzing with gossip about the four of them.
So now, seeing them all together in the art room, how could anyone not pay attention?
Some students had even been hoping for a bit of dramatic tension—a real clash—so when Marin simply backed down, a few couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Soon, everyone found their own seats and waited for the teacher to arrive.
When the teacher finally walked in, class began.
Since this was the first art class of the semester, the teacher started with self-introductions, followed by an overview of contemporary trends in fine arts.
To Yuki, all of this was pretty basic stuff—child's play, really.
So instead of paying attention to the lecture, Yuki spent the whole time watching Eriri beside him.
When he turned his head toward her, Eriri immediately looked away in a fluster. Clearly, she'd been sneaking glances at him earlier.
Yuki didn't call her out. He just smiled faintly and lowered his voice to ask, "Eriri, how skilled are you at drawing?"
"Huh?" Eriri's heart jumped into her throat at the question. For a moment, she thought he might have found out about her… side hustle as a doujinshi artist.
But she quickly dismissed that idea—it was impossible.
"I-I'm… okay, I guess!" she answered, keeping her voice steady.
"Oh, alright," Yuki nodded. He knew exactly how skilled she was. While she might not be on the level of a grandmaster, within the industry—the legitimate art industry, that is, not the other one—she was definitely above average.
"If there's anything you don't understand, Yuki-kun, you can ask me!" Eriri added, trying to sound helpful. "I do know a fair bit about fine arts."
She figured this would not only boost her presence in his eyes but also give her a chance to impress him later if he needed guidance.
Perfect, she thought, a small, smug smile curling at the corner of her lips. She could already picture Yuki looking at her with admiration.
But then she remembered she had to maintain her image—she couldn't just focus on Yuki. So she turned and offered the same help to Origami and Marin beside her.
"I'm fine, thank you," Origami replied calmly. Though not a dedicated art student, as an all-around perfect girl, she was more than capable in subjects like fine arts.
Marin, however, was less confident. She didn't refuse Eriri's offer.
The lesson continued. When the teacher brought up the topic of figure sketching—specifically life drawing—nearly every girl in the class turned their gaze toward Yuki.
Their eyes gleamed with intense, almost predatory interest, as if they were just waiting for the chance to have him pose as the model.
Even Origami beside him began breathing a little faster, a flicker of something heated in her eyes as she stared at Yuki.
Yuki broke into a cold sweat and pretended not to notice.
Honestly, the thought of stripping in front of so many strangers—classmates, no less—to be a life model was beyond embarrassing. And that wasn't even considering the boys in the room…
Of course, that was only one reason. Mostly, he was worried the boys in class might see him and feel… inadequate. That kind of collateral damage would be a real shame.
The teacher quickly moved on, dashing the girls' hopes. He explained that while figure sketching was part of the curriculum, they wouldn't be using live models—only statues as reference material.
A wave of disappointment swept through the female students.
'What a shame! I really wanted to see what's under those clothes…' Eriri sighed inwardly.
Beside her, Marin felt much the same.
Origami, however, showed little reaction. She'd already seen it, after all, so there was nothing to be disappointed about.
After the theory portion, it was time for practice. The teacher soon brought out several small objects and arranged them on a draped platform, assigning them as today's subjects.
The students acknowledged and quickly set up their easels and began to sketch.
Marin and the others also started drawing.
For this first lesson, they were only using charcoal—no color yet—so it was relatively straightforward.
Eriri worked swiftly. Of the five objects on display, she had already sketched three with remarkable speed and precision, leaving Marin gaping beside her.
Catching Marin's stunned look from the corner of her eye, Eriri couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.
'Hmph! When it comes to drawing, I won't lose to anyone in this class! Once Yuki-kun sees this, he'll definitely be impressed!'
She was feeling quite pleased with herself—until she glanced over at Yuki's easel.
He had already finished.
Her expression froze, her entire body going stiff.
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