I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

Both are classical literary works created during the Heian period.

The former was created during the early Heian period in Japan, while the latter was created during the height of the Heian period.

Leaving aside "The Tale of Ise," let's talk about "The Tale of Genji." When I first received a recommendation from Mr. Tsubota, my impression of "The Tale of Genji" was that it was all about the Genji training plan. After learning more about it, I realized that I had some misunderstandings.

After learning about the background of the creation of "The Tale of Genji", and then briefly looking at Murasaki Shikibu's life, and learning from Mr. Tsubota about the influence of the "mono no aware" (the pathos of things) of "The Tale of Genji" on later Japanese literary creation, Aki Tomoya has a preliminary and profound impression of Murasaki Shikibu, this female writer of ancient Japan.

Aki Tomoya is currently working on two books, one titled "The Tale of Ise" and the other "The Tale of Genji," both from the same era but different periods. To enhance his understanding of classical Japanese and the historical context of the Heian period, he is currently working on these two books.

As for Mr. Tsubota's statement that the "mono no aware" (the pathos of things) in the literature of modern Japanese writer Kawabata Yasunari was inherited from "The Tale of Genji," Aki Tomoya wasn't too impressed.

Among Japanese literary figures, he knows the one he knows best is Haruki Murakami, who is always a hot topic every year.

"Classical Chinese, Japanese history, mathematics..."

Looking up at the timetable he had drawn on the wall, Aki Tomoya checked it again before slowly sitting down and opening the first book, "The Tales of Ise".

Finding the bookmark immediately, and continuing from where he left off, Aki Tomoya set the time on the alarm clock next to it and decided to continue reading with a critical eye.

Japanese classical Chinese, to put it simply, is the same as classical Chinese, the difference being that one is the way people in ancient China spoke, and the other is the way people in ancient Japan spoke.

Similarly, ancient Japanese culture was largely influenced by China.

Chapter 43: Youthful Innocence?

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was already late May.

The midterm exams at Toyonosaki Academy have ended, and the results will be released in the second week. The rankings for each grade have also been posted.

"Sawamura's English grades are still as good as ever, maintaining a stable performance!"

Eriri walked down the corridor, pretending not to care as she passed the grade list, only to overhear several girls discussing her English score.

Upon hearing this, Eriri's eyes twitched violently. She was truly sorry for her poor English grades!

However, as a mixed-race girl and the daughter of a diplomat, Eriri, who maintains a refined demeanor at school, is not as outstanding in academics as she is in painting.

Especially her English grades, which, on paper, don't quite match the impression she gives off as a blonde mixed-race girl.

With the midterm exams over, Eriri hadn't considered cramming beforehand; her mind was preoccupied with something else.

"However, Aki-kun from Class B is amazing. His grades were so unremarkable last year, but this time he suddenly rose to the top and only took a little over a month!"

Compared to Eriri's grades, Aki Tomoya's midterm exam results, another well-known figure in the school, are also attracting attention.

Eriri's brilliance lies in her painting skills; her academic achievements are only occasionally mentioned as a joke.

Meanwhile, Aki Tomoya, a boy whose grades were previously unremarkable and who was known for his otaku tendencies, changed the impressions of those who knew him after his midterm exams at the start of the school year.

"What? You're interested in that otaku?"

The girl's friend next to her teased.

"You're so annoying! I heard that guy is preparing for the Tokyo University entrance exam. Just thinking about that kind of person is so boring. He's not as interesting as before!"

For some teenage girls, people whose minds are completely occupied with studying can actually be quite boring.

Especially for male students from prestigious universities, it's easy to leave a very stereotypical impression.

While they were talking, Eriri had already quickly left.

During her lunch break, she had to rush to the art studio because of someone's request.

"Even during my break time, I have to bother others. That woman is really troublesome. She rejected my first drafts several times!"

Eriri grumbled as she pushed open the door to her private art studio.

"I'm so sorry to reject your first draft, Ms. Kashiwagi Eri. Were you really taking this seriously?"

The moment she pushed open the door, a familiar voice rang out in the room.

"Kasumigaoka, how did you get in?!"

Eriri stammered as she called out because of the people who appeared in the art studio.

It was supposed to be her private studio, but now someone else had broken in.

"Of course he walked in by pushing the door open. What do you think, Sawamura-kun?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha narrowed her eyes, a hint of helplessness in them.

After receiving a positive reply from Eriri last week, Kasumigaoka Utaha was quite satisfied and focused on planning her new work.

However, after Eriri's "perfunctory" responses a few more times, she calmed down a bit and had to start thinking about whether the blonde twin-tailed girl in front of her was playing a trick on her.

How could someone as dignified as Eri Kashiwagi produce such a work? Isn't she afraid of tarnishing her own reputation?

"Sawamura-kun, if you haven't thought it through, please don't give me that kind of answer, okay? It's really giving me a headache!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha continued in a helpless tone.

She held an outline in her hand, her fingers exerting slight pressure.

She felt it wasn't worth it because of the perfunctory attitude of her collaborator, despite having put so much effort into writing the initial outline and character design.

If Kashiwagi Eri is the one who wants to get by and distract herself, Kasumigaoka Utaha feels it's necessary to find someone else.

Although Eriri initially persuaded Shinazugawa by promising that artist Eri Kashiwagi would be her illustrator, Eriri's mind is not on their work now.

This situation left Kasumigaoka Utaha somewhat disappointed.

“Sawamura-kun, let’s stop for a moment. I don’t think you’ve thought this through yet.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha left these words with a solemn tone, then walked out of Eriri's studio, clutching the outline and character designs in her hands.

"By the way, the Summer Comic Market is coming soon. If Sawamura-kun is troubled by that matter, then you don't need to worry about my affairs. Please think carefully before you decide whether you really want to cooperate with me. I am also under pressure from Shinazugawa."

As she walked out the door, Kasumigaoka Utaha added a sentence, as if to remind Eriri that she was already working under pressure with great difficulty on this project, and if Eriri didn't have the same intention, she shouldn't make things difficult for her.

Eriri kept her head slightly lowered, and at this moment she was particularly curious about how Kasumigaoka Utaha managed to be so carefree.

She spent the rest of the day thinking about it, but she still couldn't figure out where the problem lay. She had always cared about things that had already been explained clearly to one side, so why was she still getting involved in this kind of thing?

I once thought of using this to get revenge on those who only have prejudiced views of others, but now I feel like I can't find the motivation to do that kind of thing anymore.

"Xia Shizi could be considered a like-minded person, but another like-minded person I've known for over a decade has also changed direction, hasn't she?"

When school ended, Eriri could only think of this one sentence.

Her mind was still replaying what Aki Tomoya had said to her on Line, wondering what it really meant to cherish the present and the future. She realized she hadn't really thought about it properly.

The peers I occasionally meet at family gatherings are the kind of people who seem like they could run away at any moment.

Eriri seemed to understand why she hated parties, the people her own age who were close to her, and the people who were crowding around her mother and father.

She smiled so elegantly, yet it was disgusting.

It turns out they were all fake smiles, designed to look real.

"Even a friendship of more than ten years can be diluted by time. Is it really reliable to think about establishing a new front with Kasumigaoka?"

Eriri thought, puzzled.

For some reason, things seemed to be getting more and more complicated in her eyes.

"How annoying, Tomoya, to make me see all this troublesome stuff. Wouldn't it be better to stay carefree like when we first met?"

Eriri sat in the art studio with her head buried in her knees.

"Sawamura-kun, it's closing time!"

"Thank you. I understand..."

After Eriri returned home, she couldn't help but ask her mother, Sayuri Sawamura, "Can I keep doing what I want to do?"

Chapter 44 Obasan

Sunlight streamed through the glass of the school library, bathing the interior in its glow.

As June approaches and temperatures rise, students have already switched to summer school uniforms.

"An Yi is really amazing! She's ranked so high in this exam. Is An Yi the kind of person who doesn't show off usually, but actually has a very quick mind?"

Holding the reference books she was going to lend out, Kato Megumi, a girl in Aki Tomoya's class, couldn't help but express her feelings after the usual greetings to her classmates.

It has become commonplace to run into famous people from the school in the library.

As classmates, we sometimes run into each other in the library and exchange a few polite greetings.

"It just took a little longer than others. Kato, if you work a little harder, you can do the same."

Aki Tomoya responded calmly, while his finger continued to follow the numbers to find the reference book he had looked at last time.

After school starts in April, if you study hard and attend the cram school on time, you'll see results.

It's not that we should take it for granted, but we're just making steady progress.

"An Yi is really modest. Shang Xiang passed his Chinese exam this time, and his English score barely crossed the death line. Everyone in the class knows that he tutors you every day at noon and after school whenever he has free time."

Kato Megumi still vividly remembers the scene when Yoshihiko Uego shouted in the classroom because he had passed the Chinese exam and his English exam was dramatically just a little bit above the passing mark.