I really don't want to be reborn.

Ogiso Setsuna was surprised by the question, blinking her big eyes: "How...how did you know I had something on my mind? That all-knowing Kyosuke-chan, can you guess what's bothering me?"

He glanced at her several times, then hesitantly uttered his deduction: "It should be related to the school."

"..."

Her big eyes stopped blinking.

It seems I guessed right...

The girl was only shocked for two seconds before she recovered and a bright smile spread across her face: "Hehe, that's amazing! Now guess what's bothering you?"

She subconsciously touched her pigtails, a small gesture that indicated she was starting to become more vigilant.

"Don't do that, Xuecai Jiang. Your expression is misleading me."

"..."

"Relax, don't resist the changes in your facial muscles and eyes. You need to know that micro-expressions and cold reading aren't as magical as they're made out to be in novels—you like girls."

Setsuna screamed in disbelief, "What?!"

"This is the real expression... Ogiso Setsuna really hates the girls in her class."

"That's not it!"

"There's something wrong with this expression; it looks a bit fake."

"..."

Setsuna Ogiso decided to shut her mouth and never speak again!

Kyosuke Kosaka glanced at her a few more times: "It seems it's indeed related to the school, and it involves other girls. What happened that's making you so anxious, and you can't refuse or run away from it..."

"Shut up!!!"

She still couldn't help but speak.

This guy went too far; he actually managed to spy on my thoughts, and he did it almost entirely through trickery.

Calm down, calm down.

Calm down, Setsuna!

She raised her head slightly and looked directly into Kyosuke Kosaka's dark eyes, which seemed to see through the world.

"You're frustrated about how to get out of this predicament, don't grit your teeth, girl. Relax a little, let me guess what's on your mind, let even this arrogant guy know."

"Know...know what?"

"Let me show you that when it comes to observing humans, you're still a long way behind me!"

Seeing his smug expression, Setsuna really wanted to throw the tomatoes she had just bought at his head.

She immediately lowered her head and even instinctively used her pigtails to cover her face: "If you want to play this game, go find someone to observe on the street yourself. I don't want to be observed by you."

"This is not observation, this is concern."

"Oh? Concerned? Is this how you care about your friends? I need to avoid your eyes now. Kyosuke-chan's gaze is disgusting; it could make someone pregnant."

Don't say that—

Yukina lowered her head and walked forward: "Besides, even if you knew, what good would it do? The problem would still be the same problem, and I couldn't solve it."

Kyosuke Kosaka half-jokingly said, "Maybe I can handle this?"

"Okay!"

With lightning speed, Ogiso Setsuna, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around and stared at him, flashing a big smile: "Then it's settled, you'll help solve this problem!"

So fast!

That's a quick change of expression!

It was as if the whole performance just now was to wait for him to say that!

No, I just meant—

He was about to deny it when he saw this little devil on the verge of tears, as if she would cry in front of him if he denied it even once more.

“...You’re despicable, Setsuna.”

She started using her tactics, even threatening him with tears.

And that's not all. They're now right in front of Ogiso's door, and Takahiro's bewildered voice rang out from there: "Sister... I think I came out at the wrong time. Are you two arguing?"

With a "I'm going to tell on you" look on her face, she silently threatened him: "If you refuse, I'll tell Dad you're bullying me, and you'll get a beating."

Kyosuke Kosaka gave Takahiro a forced smile: "We didn't argue. I don't usually argue with girls."

Yukina chuckled softly, "Yeah, yeah, you just glare at them and they get all excited, what's the big deal?"

Xiaohong was startled by his sister's cold laugh.

Who would believe you two didn't have a fight just now?

"Kyosuke-chan is here as a guest, so go tell Mom to cook extra food and add more dishes for dinner—if Kyosuke-chan is planning to eat dinner here too."

Kyosuke replied coldly, "I don't plan to."

The girl walked into the room, her sneer gone, replaced by a smile that first appeared in her eyes, and then her lips curved into an uncontrollable, ever-widening arc.

…………

After having a meal at Ogiso's house, Kyosuke Kosaka politely invited Setsuna and Takahiro to visit his new home in Tokyo. Once again, the aunt praised them for their "promising youth" before they took their leave.

As Ogiso's mother watched his retreating figure, she suddenly asked her daughter, "Yukina, why did you call him Kyosuke-chan just now? How could you call him such a childish name?"

This term of address is rather embarrassing. It's usually an affectionate nickname used by elders to younger people. Among peers, this kind of address is probably only used between girls or between close childhood friends.

"How can I be embarrassed? Why wouldn't I be embarrassed?"

The spring sunshine carried a slight chill. Setsuna stood with her hands in her coat pockets, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.

The spring breeze, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms, blew her long twin ponytails.

With her tall and slender figure, lovely and delicate face, and the crescent-shaped smile that she couldn't help but show, it was like cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom, spreading out in the wind and scattering on the ground.

Yes, there's nothing to be embarrassed about.

The "I'm sorry" attitude is mostly used when you make a fool of yourself in front of someone you don't know well, but Setsuna always felt very familiar with Kousaka Kyosuke, a familiarity that was inexplicable.

She was certain that the two of them first crossed paths at the Benzhan High School Cultural Festival last year, when she was wary, defensive, and resistant to having any deeper contact with that person.

However, in their subsequent encounters, their relationship subtly changed, and they grew closer with each meeting.

Ogiso Setsuna had a gentle smile on her face that she only had when she was a child, which made her mother even more curious.

When talking about hobbies, family, younger sister, Christmas, and birthdays—she wasn't his girlfriend, and had no reason to have any interaction with him. She could even sense that Kyosuke Kousaka was somewhat wary of her.

Regarding Kirino, they even treated each other with intense hostility and indifference.

But before she knew it, that shrewd and calculating young man had become an indispensable friend in her life.

Perhaps it was because he was the first to discover her secret about working part-time.

Perhaps it's because they both know each other's dark side.

Or perhaps it was that harem man subtly flirting with her.

But in terms of their current relationship, they are indeed a rather unconventional group of friends, understanding each other yet also arrogant towards each other.

She stretched out a pale white hand and raised it above her head, like a kindergarten child dancing, and awkwardly spun around in place: "Mom, I think of Kousaka-kun as a friend."

Her mother was both amused and exasperated: "Little...little friend? What kind of strange way of saying that is?"

Gently taking her daughter's hand, Mrs. Ogiso said softly, "My daughter has a real friend now."

Setsuna's expression froze: "Mom, what are you talking about? My friends at school aren't nice to me."

Are you sure those girls are your real friends?

Faced with her mother's insightful gaze, Xuecai was like a real Xuecai frozen stiff by a late spring cold snap, her twin ponytails looking listless like wilted leaves, her lips trembling as she uttered no words.

So Mom knew all along?

She suddenly remembered her father saying that her mother, who seemed to be just an ordinary housewife, was actually far more insightful about people than he, a criminal police officer.

The mother still held her daughter's hand: "It's good that you have friends. I'm so happy to see you no longer pitifully swinging on the swing all by yourself!"

"Who used to be pitifully swinging on a swing? That was a long time ago!"

Mom sighed.

The boy from the Kosaka family has a girlfriend, and judging from what just happened, he and his daughter are probably just friends.

Perhaps we should remind Setsuna to keep her distance, after all, they are not really children anymore.

Regardless of the outcome, this is a cause for celebration, and it will benefit Setsuna's growth no matter how it ends.

She was always proud of Setsuna's cuteness, obedience, intelligence, and quick wit, and proud of her daughter's cheerfulness and kindness.

However, starting from junior high school, their daughter's strange personality made the couple very worried.

Now might be an opportunity to correct her personality.

I just hope that Kosaka can give her some good advice, so that my husband's subtle request to Daisuke won't have been in vain.

Kyosuke Kosaka felt that he was the one who should be given some guidance.

Because this scene was too strange...

Why was his child hanging from the neighbor's Touma and Sasa's neck?

I'm jealous!

I get jealous when I see Shino being close to someone else!

Someone please come and talk some sense into me!

No, what we should be more concerned about is why the two of them are in this area.

"Shino, didn't you say you were going to stay home all day? Why did you come out?"

Shino jumped off Touma.

Without saying a word, she slowly walked up to him, climbed up his feet as if he were a tree, and then, after hanging around his neck, sighed weakly.

I'm not jealous anymore...