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

The two exchanged a glance, seeing no sign of progress, and had no choice but to follow Uesugi Kai toward the classroom.

------

Back in the classroom, it was almost time for class to start.

When Uesugi Kai entered the classroom, he made a point of glancing at Hanabi Hanabu's forehead.

It's still quite red; it looks like it really took a bad hit.

Should I apply the ointment to her tonight as well?

While he was still pondering whether or not he needed ointment for this kind of injury, Hanamaru Hanabi spotted him.

"Kai-kun".

She gave a happy, childlike smile.

Her beautiful face, with the faint red mark on her forehead, was truly captivating.

Especially her soft, round face.

The lingering, tender sensation still remains on his sinful fingertips.

I really, really, really want to pinch her cheeks again.

When I get home tonight, should I ask her for it?

They'll agree, right?

Thinking this way, Uesugi Kai walked back to his seat with much lighter steps, and even the breeze blowing through the banyan tree outside the window brought him fresh and sweet air.

My mood suddenly became cheerful.

Chapter 73 Goto, Actually a Pure-Hearted Young Man###

In the afternoon, it was time for physical education class.

Clang, clang, clang...

Kai Uesugi casually tossed the basketball he was holding toward the basket.

As the basketball traced a beautiful arc in the air, the astonished gazes of all the boys in the class followed.

The basketball slid perfectly into the round net at the center point, falling smoothly down and rolling "thump-thump" on the reflective indoor floor before gradually calming down.

With a whistle, the physical education teacher waved to indicate that the assessment was over.

【Precision Lv7 (1/40)】

The students' noisy discussions continued.

"No way? They got in again?"

"When did Uesugi become so good? He scores three points every time, nine out of ten times!"

"Why? Does being handsome give you a buff to your shooting?"

Under the surprised gazes of the boys, Uesugi Kai casually found a seat in the rest area and sat down.

Stretch your neck, and the clanging sound of basketballs echoes in this spacious indoor sports field.

Goto Iwakatsu and Tsubokawa Takahiro, who had just finished shooting a basketball, came over.

"Wow, Uesugi is so cool!"

"The Yuzuru Hanyu of the basketball world?" The name Tsubokawa was displayed on the chest of his dark red tracksuit. "I don't remember Uesugi's shooting being this outrageous before, although he is indeed getting more and more accurate."

"Why did you join the archery club?"

No, that's not true.

Kai Uesugi, also dressed in a red tracksuit, looked at the girls not far away.

In spring, you can't see any fair legs tumbling and jumping on the shiny floor, and even arms are covered by loose sportswear, so there's nothing to see.

This really made the already tiring physical education class much less interesting.

Uesugi Kai turned his gaze away from the girls and asked Goto Iwakatsu:

"Now you can talk about your derailment?"

Goto Iwakatsu looked at the girls with a resentful gaze, even though it wasn't any of them's fault:

"To make a long story short, when I was having dinner with Kaoru, Ogata bumped into me. The next day, she asked me out on Line, and then... that's what happened."

Kaoru Muranaka is Goto's current girlfriend, and Ogata refers to Akino Ogata, who is Asaka Ogata's younger sister.

“Scumbag, absolute scumbag,” Takahiro Tsubokawa said with an unquestionable attitude. “I thought you were just chatting, but I didn’t expect you to be playing hard to get.”

"He's not as handsome as Uesugi, but his methods are better."

"Go away, go away," Goto Iwakatsu waved his hands repeatedly. "What tricks? It's really just chatting, sending goodnight and good morning messages every day."

"So how come you suddenly have a girlfriend recently?"

“I jokingly posted over the weekend, ‘I’ve never been in a relationship before,’ and Miho said, ‘Want to give it a try?’ And then,” Goto Iwakatsu shrugged, “we tried dating.”

"So you've been trying to date these past few days? It's your first time!" Takahiro Tsubokawa said. "How does it feel?"

"Um......"

Goto Iwakatsu rested his hands on his forehead and pondered for a moment. "It's pretty good, but I always feel like Mie doesn't seem to be taking it very seriously."

"What are your thoughts?" Takahiro Tsubokawa asked curiously, while Kai Uesugi listened patiently from the side.

"What are you thinking? Of course I'm going to continue, after all, this is my first love."

Aside from their hundreds of online romances, this was indeed Goto Iwakatsu's first attempt at a real-life relationship.

“Okay,” Takahiro Tsubokawa reluctantly accepted his answer, “Let’s not talk about your new girlfriend. What’s going on between you and that Ogata-kun…?”

"I......"

Goto Iwakatsu looked bitter when he thought of Ogata Akino. "I really didn't know she would like me. We're just classmates in the photography club. She took the initiative to chat with me once, and I thought she was quite cute, so I sent her good morning and good night messages every day."

"Is that all?" Uesugi Kai, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, recalling Ogata Asaka's cold demeanor when she talked about the chat messages.

“That’s really all,” Goto Iwakatsu said, extremely distressed. “If you don’t believe me, I can show you the records. It’s just a very ordinary greeting, and I only occasionally help her answer questions about taking photos.”

"What you're saying doesn't seem to match what that senior described." Takahiro Tsubokawa didn't believe him at all.

“Ogata’s older sister is incredibly stubborn. She won’t listen to my explanation at all and thinks I’m a scumbag who’s two-timing.”

"It really wasn't your fault?"

"No, it's not!"

Uesugi Kai initially thought it was Goto's fault, but unexpectedly, the situation reversed. He asked:

Did you meet Ogata first or Muraka first?

“Ogata-san,” Goto Iwakatsu said, “I’ve known her since she joined the photography club this semester.”

"So the other party misunderstood?" Takahiro Tsubokawa asked.

“Everyone says it’s a misunderstanding,” Goto Iwakatsu said, quite distressed. He really wasn’t good at dealing with Ogata Asaka, who was cold and stubborn. “But she never gave me a chance to explain.”

The matter is clear.

Uesugi Kai guessed that Ogata Akino thought Goto liked her, otherwise she wouldn't have told her older sister about it.

Of course, there's also a more scheming version—Ogata Akino knows Goto has a girlfriend and wants her older sister to help her steal Goto away.

However, considering the current situation and Goto Iwakatsu's description, the former is more likely.

After all, Ogata Akino seemed quite shocked after Ogata Asaka said those strange words.

This falls under Goto's personal emotional issues, and Uesugi Kai can't offer much help.

He glanced at the girls, specifically Hanabi Hanabi, who was diligently shooting hoops, and said to Goto:

"I will help you explain things to Ogata-senpai. As for how things turn out, that's up to you."

“Sigh,” Goto Iwakatsu felt that this matter was truly wronged. “Thank you. I’ll treat you to some barbecue later, Uesugi. It seems that Ogata-senpai only listens to you.”

"Why is that?" Takahiro Tsubokawa pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and asked Kai Uesugi.

"I don't know." Uesugi Kai shook his head.

He didn't have time to think much, because someone walked towards him.

"Uesugi-kun, how about joining our basketball club?" Kosuke Murakoshi grinned, revealing his two rows of teeth.

Although his charm can't compare to Kai Uesugi, whose charm is only 7 but feels like a 9, he still has a very sunny and cheerful vibe thanks to basketball.

He was a complete scumbag last semester, the one that Ayaka Rie hated the most in her class.

"Not interested." Uesugi Kai refused decisively.

"Is it because you joined the archery club?" Kosuke Murakoshi said with a smile. "It's okay, you can join multiple clubs. With your shooting skills, as long as you train a little before the game, you can be a starter."

"Not interested." Uesugi Kai repeated the same thing.

Kosuke Murakoshi glanced at the three people in front of him, but he wasn't angry and maintained his smile.

"Uesugi-kun, you can think about it some more. The basketball club welcomes you anytime."

Chapter Seventy-Four: The Girl Loves Chili Peppers###

"Goto seems to be getting closer to this guy," Tsubokawa Takahiro said, watching Murakoshi Kosuke's retreating figure as he walked towards the basketball court.

“I’m just superficially frivolous,” Goto Iwakatsu bluntly rejected the assessment, then nodded to himself, “Actually, I’m very innocent.”

"Your Line account with hundreds of friends makes it hard to associate it with the word 'pure'."

"Is there any causal relationship between these two things? There isn't at all." Goto Iwakatsu asked himself and answered.

Forget about it.

At this point, Tsubokawa Takahiro glanced at Uesugi Kai, who was watching Hanamaru Hanabi intently.

After hearing about what happened between the two of them, his status in his heart instantly rose.

He's practically the epitome of a light novel protagonist.