Tokyo: To reiterate, this is not a dating system.

Today in Tokyo, the sky is overcast, and the rumble of thunder can be faintly heard through the clouds. The wind is a bit noisy, and the air blowing in through the cracks in the door carries the damp coolness of the morning.

"Is it going to rain again?"

Genji Aoyama, who was still getting up on time as usual and ready to start his training, opened the door to his room.

An unusual sensation, different from usual, came from his hands, accompanied by a "rustling" sound like plastic bags rubbing together.

He took a step outside and found a food bag tied to his doorknob, along with a note.

The handwriting on the note, like the person herself, is small and exceptionally beautiful—from Yuko Asahi.

[I checked online, and if you're going to exercise early in the morning, you should eat a small amount of food first. Eat this slice of bread before running, and if possible, drink a glass of warm water. Also, eat the sandwich and milk after running.]

Genji Aoyama smiled, took the food bag off the doorknob, and returned to the room.

He first sent a money transfer to Yuko Asahi and left a message, then found the kettle that hadn't been used in a long time and warmed a cup of water for himself.

With a slice of bread and hot water, a slight feeling of fullness and warmth filled his stomach.

After completing his morning workout along the Sumida River as usual, he set off for school.

Pedestrians on the street seemed to be in a hurry because they didn't know if it would rain. Only when they noticed Aoyama Genji would their eyes linger on his face.

Even inside the tram car, this situation persists.

The gazes that scrutinized him were occasionally punctuated by comments like "So handsome," or "He looks like that handsome guy in the video."

"We are about to arrive at Hongo 3-chome."

In an atmosphere more subtle than usual, he stepped out of the tram and walked toward the school.

When he arrived at the archery club, the door had already been unlocked. Genji Aoyama subconsciously thought it was the club president, Mami Ohara, and he opened the wooden door of the dojo and went inside.

"Good morning." He couldn't bring himself to say it, but he noticed—

In the vast dojo, Asahi Yuko, with her hair tied in a middle ponytail, stood alone at her shooting position, drawing her bow. Her figure was slender, and her movements were graceful and precise.

Wearing a top and hakama, with small feet in white tabi socks, she stood on the tung oil wooden floor, her pretty face showing a focused expression.

She seemed to sense Genji Aoyama's gaze.

Yuko Asahi's attention was slightly distracted, her right arm, which was drawing the bow, trembled slightly, and she glanced in his direction out of the corner of her eye.

Genji Aoyama simply smiled faintly, remaining silent as he stood quietly at the entrance, watching Yuko Asahi.

After realizing that Genji Aoyama was just watching and had no intention of coming over.

Asahi Yuko drew her bow again, her gaze hardening, and her expression returning to its initial focus.

The bowstring was pulled back to her ear, entering a state of "attack," and Asahi Yuko froze completely for a moment.

Zheng—

The clear, resonant sound of the string rang out, followed by the sound of an arrow hitting the target.

Although it didn't hit the bullseye, it wasn't far off.

Several arrows were already stuck in the target. Aoyama Genji then turned his gaze to Asahi Yuko, smiling and clapping softly.

Although Yuko Asahi didn't look over, she said softly, "...thank you," and then used the hand that had been drawing the bow to brush away stray hairs that weren't actually near her ear.

So cute!

Genji Aoyama wanted to say something.

That morning, the two completed their morning training with almost no verbal communication.

……

"Really?"

"If you don't believe me, watch the video. That face is clearly his..."

Aoyama Genji arrived at the classroom before the preparatory bell rang, and he noticed that there were many more eyes on him than usual.

Especially the girls, and some boys as well, but they mostly showed ambiguous expressions.

The classroom fell silent for a moment after he arrived.

Perhaps noticing that Genji Aoyama didn't react much, they started talking about other topics on their own.

"...I heard that a super gentle and cute transfer student came to the first grade, like a young lady."

I wonder if it will be like what I see on TV, where even greetings are "Gui An" (meaning "How are you?").

"Greetings." Someone even responded.

"Greetings."

The boys' deliberately imitated tones filled the classroom with a cheerful atmosphere.

Genji Aoyama wasn't particularly interested in such things; he simply took out "Modern Japanese Language"—the textbook for the first lesson—and planned to preview it in advance.

"Um, Aoyama-kun..."

Momoko Fujiwara in the front seat turned her head, a strange expression on her face.

Genji Aoyama looked at her until she hesitantly asked, "Did you go to Omotesando yesterday, Aoyama-kun?"

Oh.

So that's what they were talking about – that video.

No wonder Genji Aoyama felt that there were more people staring at him today.

"Yes."

He abruptly ended the conversation, then opened his textbook and went to the topic for today's lesson.

Whether it was a deliberate arrangement or a perfectly timed accident, it's unclear.

Before class started and before the preparatory bell had rung, their class teacher, who was also the Modern Chinese Language teacher, Megumi Yuzen, arrived at the classroom and started the Monday morning meeting late.

"Sorry, something came up and I was held up a little. I'll try to keep it brief."

Yuqian Hui stood in front of the podium, looked around at the class attendance, and only continued speaking after confirming that everyone was present.

"Please take club activities seriously. Students who haven't joined a club should contact me to explain why."

Students who have already joined clubs should also pay attention to their attendance, as the student union will conduct random checks.

After last week's warm-up, everyone's attitude towards the new club rules has basically settled down. Occasionally, there are sighs, but most students have already accepted them.

"In addition, starting this week, there will be quizzes in each subject—to prepare for next week's monthly test, the teacher hopes that you can use these quizzes to identify your weaknesses in each subject and strive for good results in the monthly test..."

"Ah~~~~"

After Yuqian Hui finished speaking, a series of wails echoed through the classroom.

Even at Baihe High School, which boasts an exceptionally high college entrance rate, exams remain an unbearable experience.

Aoyama Genji, who believes he is constantly improving, draws this conclusion.

The morning classes passed by with Aoyama Genji's focused attention.

The improvement that Yuko Asahi brought him was significant.

Not only in terms of physical recovery speed, but also in terms of mental state, Aoyama Genji did not feel tired at all after finishing a morning of classes in a state of absolute focus.

"I'll be eating in the cafeteria again from now on."

Just as he was tidying up his desk, preparing to go to the cafeteria for lunch, the class suddenly fell silent, followed by exaggerated exclamations from the boys.

Genji Aoyama looked up and saw Haruka Minatsuki standing at the door, dressed in a white tsukuru high school uniform, her hands folded in front of her, her demeanor extremely dignified.

She didn't greet anyone, her face bearing her usual gentle smile, her gaze fixed on one spot the entire time.

"..."

wonderful!

Genji Aoyama couldn't help but applaud in his heart.

This woman, I never expected her to give up the prestigious school for young ladies and transfer to Baihe High School.

He didn't know what to say, but he knew that Haruka Minatsuki was coming for him.

"Genji-kun, over here."

Jieyue Yaoxiang shook her head at him.