Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

Haneda Nozomi glanced at the digital clock on the corner of the table and said to Uesugi Kai:

"That might be due to the teacher's subjective perception. I'll leave the learning session to you. The time is set for 6 PM. Class is about to start, so go back now."

As Uesugi Kai walked out of the office, he kept thinking about the study group's issues on his way back to the classroom.

A study session?

A student-led exchange meeting where students learn together and address their weaknesses.

How many people do we need to invite for this?

So, who should we invite?

This is really a difficult situation...

"Ouch—"

"Feel sorry."

Once he came to his senses, Uesugi Kai realized he had bumped into someone. He bowed his head and apologized to the female classmate in front of him, but his tone was casual and seemed insincere.

"you!"

The girl, wearing an in-ear headphone, frowned, clearly displeased with Uesugi Kai's tone.

"Is this the proper attitude for an apology? You..."

She took a closer look at Uesugi Kai, who was slightly taller than her, and realized he looked familiar. After a moment, she remembered him, and a smile appeared on her lips.

“Ah, you’re that guy from the archery club yesterday.” The girl referred to Uesugi Kai as “that guy” instead of by his name.

Furthermore, her arched eyebrows appeared somewhat frivolous, and she kept chewing gum, looking quite restless.

Uesugi Kai did remember her name; after all, everyone introduced themselves at yesterday's briefing, and anyone with a good memory would have a strong impression of this girl.

Because she is very beautiful.

He looked at the girl in front of him and emphasized one point:

"My name is Kai Uesugi."

"whee,"

Chitose Mai flashed a radiant smile, revealing her exquisitely beautiful face, as if drawn with a paintbrush.

"Of course I know, but I just don't want to call you by your name."

"what ever,"

Kai Uesugi didn't want to get entangled with her any longer, so he raised his wrist and looked at his watch.

"Class is about to start, goodbye."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the classroom.

"Alas!"

Seeing that Uesugi Kai was about to leave, Chitose Mai quickly pulled her right hand out of her pocket and grabbed him.

Uesugi Kai, who had stopped walking, turned around and looked at the still-smiling girl, asking:

"What, is there something else?"

Without realizing it, Uesugi Kai noticed an old, lace-trimmed rubber band on her right hand, which was holding his hand.

Chitose Mai looked at Uesugi Kai's face and felt his coldness: "How dare you say that? Apologize?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

"Not counting."

"You think it doesn't count just because you say so?"

"Of course!"

Chitose Mayi puffed out her slightly heaving chest, revealing a confident expression, raised an eyebrow, and said matter-of-factly:

"You hit me, you're in the wrong, and I mean it."

Ring ring ring...

The school bell suddenly rang, and the students around them walked back to the classroom in twos and threes, some of them glancing curiously at the two who were still frozen in place.

Looking at the right arm that was still tightly gripping him, Uesugi Kai said with a hint of helplessness:

"Class is starting."

"I don't care,"

Chitose Mai clearly didn't want to let Uesugi Kai off so easily, and said while chewing gum,

"Apologize before leaving, otherwise neither of us will have to attend class."

That's pretty overbearing...

Kai Uesugi surrendered.

This is math class, taught by Egawa Hikoshiro. He doesn't want to end up like Goto and Tsubokawa yesterday, getting called to the office and scolded.

He looked at the girl in front of him, coughed twice to compose himself, and then solemnly said:

"I'm sorry, Chitose-kun. It was wrong of me to bump into you while you were busy. I wasted your precious time. I admit my mistake and ask for your forgiveness."

"Hehe, that's more like it,"

Chitose Mayi released Uesugi Kai with a triumphant look, a sly glint in her eyes, making her appear mischievous and quirky.

As she said this, she jogged backward, her left hand in her pocket, her right hand saluting him, tilting her head and squinting as she smiled:

"See you this afternoon, Uesugi-kun from Class 2-4."

###Chapter 25 Uesugi-kun Gets Caught for Being Late###

When I returned to the classroom, it was completely silent.

Jiangchuan Yanshiro stood alone on the podium, his face bearing an unchanging expression, his slightly graying hair adding to his solemn and dignified demeanor as an old professor.

He looked at Uesugi Kaito by the door, and his classmates followed his gaze.

The classmates had different expressions; most were just watching the show.

Goto and Tsubokawa covered their faces and chuckled, Ayaka Riei was pleasantly surprised, Kujo Rika was puzzled, and Hanamaru Hanabi was worried.

"..."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Uesugi Kai didn't know what to do: apologize? Or bow?

He hadn't thought it through, so he remained silent, his expression unchanged, appearing somewhat indifferent.

A moment later, Egawa Hikoshiro frowned, his eyes becoming especially sharp, like the edge of a knife:

"Uesugi, Goto and Tsubokawa got a scolding yesterday, and you've already forgotten about it, haven't you?"

Although Uesugi Kai hadn't forgotten, and remembered perfectly how those two guys looked when they returned yesterday, he was already late. Facts speak louder than words; any formal reason was just an excuse, and he didn't want to make one. He nodded and said:

"Yes."

Egawa Hikoshiro's expression softened somewhat, but his voice remained rigid and serious:

"You're quite honest. Come in. Come to my office after class."

Then, under the watchful eyes of her classmates, Uesugi Kai calmly returned to her seat.

When Goto Iwakatsu saw Uesugi Kai return, he had an uncontrollable smile on his face. Despite his curiosity, he didn't immediately ask, because it was math class.

"Attend class!"

Class time always seemed long, and this was true for Uesugi Kai as well. Black ink scribbled across the white paper as she copied down the summary above the blackboard:

Slope... When the angle of inclination α = 90°, the slope k does not exist...

This is an introductory course in geometry for second-year high school students. It's simple and easy to understand, and it's not difficult for Uesugi Kai either.

However, during the limited class time, the teacher can only explain the basic rules and question types; the deeper knowledge points will not be fully summarized in the textbook.

So much so that during exams, I always wonder if what's on the exam is the same thing as what I've been taught.

Halfway through the second period, Uesugi Kai returned to the classroom after receiving a scolding from the old professor.

Eagerly and excitedly, Goto Iwakatsu sat down to welcome Uesugi Kai's return:

"Hey, Uesugi, what's wrong with you? Why are you late?"

Uesugi Kai sat back in his seat, straightening his body against the wall to make himself a little more comfortable, and said:

"When I came back from get out of class, I accidentally bumped into a member of the archery club. He kept apologizing to me twice before class started, so I was late."

Takahiro Tsubokawa, who was playing a game on his phone on the right, looked up and asked:

Did you bump into someone?

"No, she should be considered a member who just joined yesterday." Uesugi Kai thought of Chitose Mai saying that she was going to the archery club in the afternoon, so she probably wouldn't quit and could be considered a member of the archery club.

Goto Iwakatsu stood up and said with great righteousness and passion, "Then what makes him so arrogant? Tell me his name, and I'll go and teach him a lesson!"

"Fighting is unacceptable. We are civilized people; we cannot do such things."

Takahiro Tsubokawa said calmly, his fingers rapidly swiping across the phone screen as if he were playing intensely.

"You can throw rotten eggs or something in his shoe cabinet."

"This isn't good. This is considered bullying in school. If people find out, you'll be ostracized." Goto Iwakatsu sat back down in his seat.

Takahiro Tsubokawa raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "So what were you planning to do just now?"

"You were talking about fighting, weren't you?"

"What I used was passive-aggressive behavior, what you used was physical violence, they're pretty much the same, there's no difference."

"Then let's do both together,"

Goto Iwakatsu nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Uesugi Kai in front of him.

"what do you think?"

"..."