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

"Tsubokawa and Goto haven't arrived yet, and Hanabi and Ayaka are taking their time changing their shoes, so I can only greet you, Class President."

Kai Uesugi glanced at the other classmates: "After all, I'm not familiar with them."

"You're still not familiar with each other after a semester? That just means there's something wrong with you," Rika Kyuu brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and continued writing in her journal. "You've been in the archery club for two weeks now, how's it going?"

"Not bad," was all Uesugi Kai could say.

"But class monitor, could you tell me how to reject a girl's confession?" He was referring to the letter from earlier.

"You're so good at refusing, aren't you?" Jiuzhi Lixiang said without even lifting her eyelids, her pen constantly scribbling on the paper.

"This one is different."

“Even if it’s different, it’s still a rejection to you,” Rika Kuju put down her pen with a snap and turned to look at him. “Does Uesugi-kun even care about a girl’s feelings?”

"I have always been gentle."

For some reason, Kyushu Rika wanted to give him a look of contempt: "For me, rejecting a confession is clearly telling the other person my attitude."

"What should we do with the love letters?" Uesugi Kai asked.

"Put it away," Kyushu Rika closed the journal, stood it up, and shook it on the table. "Tell the other party that I will keep it forever."

“Hmm, very much like a young lady from a wealthy family,” Uesugi Kai nodded. “She’s very good at winning people over.”

At that moment, Takahiro Tsubokawa walked in carrying a shoulder bag.

Without saying hello, he was interested in the love letters on Uesugi Kai's desk and asked:

"Newly received today?"

As Kyuuji Rika picked up her journal and was about to leave the classroom, she encountered Hanabi Hanabu and Rie Ayaka, who had just entered.

The three girls in black sailor uniforms then began their daily greetings.

Uesugi Kai turned her gaze away from them and said to Tsubokawa:

"Would you like to take a look?"

"Showing me love letters that other girls wrote to you... isn't that inappropriate...?"

Then he opened the letter.

Then he fell silent.

Then he asked, "How do you plan to reject them?"

"Like before."

"Throw it in the trash?"

"That's going too far."

"You, Uesugi, have always been this unreasonable."

“Don’t slander me,” Uesugi Kai said. “I only threw the first love letter I received into the trash can. Later, I picked it up and even wrote back to the person.”

"But it's still too much."

“That’s really going too far,” Kai Uesugi sighed, “so this time I’m going to refuse in person.”

“A direct refusal would be very dangerous for you,” Takahiro Tsubokawa said, adjusting his glasses.

"Why?" Uesugi Kai wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. "Don't give me bad advice."

"Because of Hanamaru-kun."

Takahiro Tsubokawa glanced furtively at Hanabi Hanabu, who was sitting obediently reading a book, before continuing to speak to Kai Uesugi:

"Yandere is extremely terrifying. The more I learn about her, the more I realize that Hanamaru's imperceptible state is the most dangerous kind."

"Most likely, after discovering you were secretly meeting with other girls, he would attack you at night with a gleaming fruit knife, and then, with your bed covered in blood, he would say in a daze, 'I like... Uesugi-kun the most...'"

"..."

Uesugi Kai noticed the dark circles under his eyes beneath his glasses. "Did you play too many visual novels tonight?"

“This is based on my experience of dying dozens of times,” Takahiro Tsubokawa said calmly, shaking his head. “As a friend, this is my advice to you.”

Uesugi Kai was certain that he had played too many games last night.

"Actually, I planned to go public with my relationship with Hanabi."

Takahiro Tsubokawa seemed startled: "You're not going to help her cure her illness? Your childhood friend probably knows what you're thinking with just a glance. Be careful she doesn't lock you in the closet forever."

"Go away," Uesugi Kai waved his hand at him speechlessly, "What nonsense are you talking about? I suggest you take a nap now, or you might die of exhaustion in math class."

###Chapter Ninety-Six: I Just Have a Little Bit of a Quirk###

At noon, Goto Iwakatsu walked over to the cafeteria looking dejected.

Tsubokawa Takahiro adjusted his glasses and glanced at him sideways: "Oh, isn't this Goto? What brings you to dinner with us today?"

Goto Iwakatsu did not answer, but plopped down next to him with a mournful look on his face.

Kai Uesugi silently ate the omelet rice that Hanabi had prepared, without looking at him.

"I got dumped." Goto Iwakatsu said succinctly.

"puff!"

Takahiro Tsubokawa almost spat out the buckwheat noodles he had just eaten.

He quickly took a sip of oolong tea to calm his nerves, and then asked:

"You were gone in a week?"

"A week, mostly half a day."

Goto Iwakatsu made a self-deprecating remark, "I even dragged her out for a 4999 yen eel rice bowl on Saturday."

Kai Uesugi paused for a moment while eating his omelet rice, then continued eating without a care in the world.

Takahiro Tsubokawa reached out and patted Goto's shoulder affectionately, comforting him, "Relax~ Love will come back sooner or later."

"It's boring."

"What?" Takahiro Tsubokawa didn't hear clearly.

“I said, it’s meaningless.” Goto Iwakatsu raised his voice slightly.

His eyes lacked luster, like those of a dead fish that had been marinated: "It was clearly... my first love... and I still couldn't bear to let go."

"Is that all? It's over?" he asked himself.

"You need to learn to let go," Takahiro Tsubokawa said earnestly, patting his back gently. "So, can you tell me how you got dumped?"

Goto Iwakatsu slumped over his shoulders, speaking weakly and listlessly:

"We went on a date, went shopping, ate eel rice, and while we were eating eel rice, I told her about how I was wrongly accused of being a scumbag."

"And then?" Takahiro Tsubokawa stopped eating his noodles and continued to press for an answer.

"Based on the principle that couples should be honest with each other, I showed her my chat history with Ogata."

"Is this where the problem lies?"

Goto Iwakatsu shook his head like a dead fish: "She didn't say anything after reading it, but she casually clicked 'back'..."

Kai Uesugi, who had been listening the whole time, instantly understood what was going on.

"She saw my 563 friends, and a full 5 pages of good morning messages."

Takahiro Tsubokawa could barely contain his laughter: "You even have that girl's measurements saved as your friend's name. If you don't die, who will?"

Goto Iwakatsu pushed away Tsubokawa's mocking face, "I'm being very restrained now. Recently, when they asked me why I've stopped talking, I haven't replied."

"Then why don't you delete it?" Tsubokawa asked, while Uesugi silently ate his omelet rice.

Goto Iwakatsu sighed heavily: "I can't bear to part with it. Do you know how hard it was for me to get my measurements? Photos, posts, TikTok, chat logs—every measurement was the result of a huge amount of effort."

"interesting?"

"You do not understand."

Takahiro Tsubokawa gave him a disdainful look: "Now I know why that senior Ogata called you scum."

“I’m not a scumbag, I just have a ‘little’ fetish, just like the Uniform Research Club you joined.” Goto Iwato emphasized those three words.

Kai Uesugi finished eating the omelet rice that Hanabi made and silently shook his head.

------

Aside from the love letter this morning, today was uneventful for Kai Uesugi.

During a break after finishing her bow drawing, Uesugi Kai sat in the rest area and exchanged messages with Hanamaru Hanabi on her phone.

Hanabi-chan (Hanamaru Hanabi), who is trying her best to draw well: Kai-kun, what do you want to eat tonight? We can go shopping together.

Oars paddling on the water (Uesugi Kai): I'll eat you (serious expression)

Much later.

Hanabi-chan, who's trying her best to draw: Today... Hanabi doesn't want to come to Kai-kun's house...

Oars paddling on the water: Then I'll go to Hanabi's house for a free meal.

Hanabi-chan, who's trying her best to draw: No way. (A big red X)

A paddle on the water: (A sad kitten) Hanabi-chan disagrees, so I guess I'll just have cup noodles for today...

Hanabi Hanamaru, sitting in front of her easel, saw the sad emoji and her heart softened. She typed on her phone and sent it.

Hanabi-chan, who's trying her best to draw well: Hanabi will help Kai-kun make delicious food.

Kai Uesugi smiled at the screen, his fingers tapping rapidly.

Oars paddling on the water: So, are you coming to my house tonight?

A moment of silence.

Hanabi-chan, who's trying her best to draw: Why does Kai-kun always make Hanabi go play...?

The oars paddling on the water: I want to be with you.

"Kai-kun..."