Reach the rest of your classmates and contact Kyoka

The atmosphere of the mall was casual and slow, but despite the crowds of people, the space felt spacious and cozy. The mixed sounds of footsteps, ringing announcements, and the constant flow of shoppers created a sense of some dynamism. Some of the groups of classmates that had already formed in the classroom had wandered off to the shops, laughing and discussing the upcoming weekend, while the rest were quietly strolling together, occasionally brushing shoulders.

Chris, quickly glancing around this lively place, noticed how some of his classmates were already starting to relax and talk more actively against the background of calm music in the atrium. Mina was looking at the cosmetics display cases with delight, periodically discussing something with Kirishima. He, as usual, modest but loud, seemed pleased with this pastime — although it was not surprising. With Mina next to him, he would be pleased with anything.

Chris, in turn, lagged behind a little, lazily stretching his steps with his hands in the deep pockets of his pants, watching everything that was happening. At one point, something clicked in his head, and he decided to pay attention to the lonely purple crown of hair.

Kyoka Jiro was standing near the wall and slowly scrolling through something on her phone. It was clear from her appearance that she was not very interested in communicating with anyone. Chris felt that this was a good moment to begin the first stage of his _"grand" plan._ Taking a couple of steps towards her, he approached her with a smile:

— You are Jiro-san, right? — he asked, addressing her politely, but without unnecessary formality. — I'm Chris Miller, recently moved to Japan to study heroism. Your classmate, if you haven't noticed yet, hahaha.

Kyoka slightly turned her head and gaze, assessing him, but was in no hurry to answer. Her appearance betrayed boredom and some constraint in communication — it was immediately clear that the person was not very sociable.

— Yes, Jiro. Kyoka, — her voice was even, without much interest, but also without coldness. Already a plus. — Yes, I already managed to notice. It seems you talked Ashido-san into starting all this, didn't you~? — she chuckled slightly at the end.

Despite her detachment from everyone, her voice was confident and clear enough to be easily perceived. This could not but please. Chris decided not to **** the events.

— Yeah. I thought it was a pretty good idea. A quiet and calm environment, nice music, and no "caterpillars" threaten to expel you from a highly qualified academy, heheheh, — Chris chuckled once again, referring to today's incident during the first lesson, when Aizawa almost expelled the "weakest student" as a joke. Was it a joke...?

— Hahaha, yeah, — Jiro agreed and nodded, but didn't say anything else. Her gaze slid over the other students again, and then over the news feed on her phone. But, noticing that she didn't seem to mind his company, Chris continued.

— Is this "Astra"? It seems like they performed two centuries ago. Are you such an old-school fan, or did you just take it because it was pretty~? — He pointed to her T-shirt with the band's logo. Chris knew about her love for music, so he decided to put the last thread of the conversation on this. And he was right. He hit the jackpot.

Kyoka changed instantly. Her bored look suddenly became more lively, and she looked at him with unexpected interest.

— Do you listen to 21st century bands? — Her voice became louder, and it was clear that she was now at least extremely interested in communicating with Chris. — W-well, like yeah, they're one of my favorite bands! My dad taught me to play guitar from their songs! And how do you know them? — she asked, having calmed down a little.

Chris didn't expect her reaction to be so sharp, but it only played into his hands.

— Well, it's not like my entire playlist consists of such songs, but I do have a couple of their tracks, — he smiled, hiding his satisfaction that the conversation had finally gone in the right direction. — And how did I find out about them... Well, I was just interested in "lyrics with meaning". I thought back then, "it was better before" and so on, so I found these golden nuggets among a mountain of pop slag.

— Aha! By the way, "Astra" has such songs that you really get into them… Of course, they weren't super popular back then, but their songs are definitely worth listening to! — Kyoka nodded seriously, tucking her clenched fists under her chest, her gaze became more rapid. — By the way, don't you want to know about any other bands, huh?! There are "Garston's", "Chives" or even "RIH`y"! Although... although let me just send them to you, tell me your phone number, please!

Chris, pleased with her reaction, decided to continue.

— Okay, — he responded to her excited exclamations, showing her his phone with the number displayed on it. — But then will you tell me what is better — bass or chords? To be honest, I sometimes get lost between these "strings" of fate.

Kyoka laughed quietly, but sincerely, which was a rather rare display of emotion on her part. Another small victory for Chris — she laughed at an unfunny joke.

— Well, bass, heheh, — she stopped laughing at the joke, and her smile faded a little, but was still there. — Okay, I can send you a few tracks. I think you'll like it.

She was no longer as closed off as she had been at the beginning, and Chris, noticing this, felt that the conversation was becoming much more comfortable.

— Sounds like a plan, — Chris smiled, but now in a more friendly tone. — Thank you, Jiro-san.

— Let's go by first names… — She winced slightly, seemingly out of displeasure, but in fact out of a little embarrassment. — It's kind of unusual for you, as a foreigner, to hear last names when addressed… Although you don't have an accent at all… S-so you can call me Kyoka.

Chris felt the atmosphere change to a more relaxed one, and winked at her.

— I will, — he took a step back, giving her space, but his voice remained friendly. — Thank you for the conversation, Kyoka. I'll see what you can advise me there.

She nodded and, without saying anything else, returned to observing the class, but putting her phone away. Her face was no longer so indifferent. It seemed that the conversation had given some impetus. Chris was pleased with the result: he had not rushed, had not imposed, but had managed to catch her interest. All that was left was a small matter — everything else.

"And remember! The Empire cares about you!"