I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Upon realizing that he hadn't dodged, the girl's long-standing anxiety vanished instantly, and she finally relaxed, smiling with relief.

And so, a ray of sunshine appeared on the cloudy day, quietly blooming at the street corner.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Summer Has Not Yet Gone, and the Breeze Remains Cool (12/27)

"Tsk, wait until the results of today's school opening exam come out, then let's see if you still dare to call me an idiot."

"Ha, what's there to be afraid of? You're just in the middle of the grade, don't get too cocky!"

"What if I get into the top five in my grade this time?"

"How could that be? I know Xiaoyou's abilities best~ If you can get into the top five in the grade, I... I'll go on a date with you! How about it?"

"No, choose another one."

"That's outrageous! That decisive action is outrageous!"

Like rusty gears being oiled again, it gradually returned to its normal operating mode.

The lighthearted, natural laughter and playful banter continued all the way to the school gate.

Seemingly not wanting people to misunderstand their relationship, Yui Yuigahama quickened her pace and went to the classroom first when she saw that there were more students at Soubu High School.

Unconcerned, Tenkuji Yu slowly walked into the teaching building, where she bumped into Natsukawa Masaki walking towards her in the corridor.

She nodded and smiled first, and he nodded politely in return. After greeting the strangers they hadn't spoken to, the two were about to pass each other.

Just then, a sudden autumn wind swept through the stairwell, like an autumn kitten unleashing its fury early, engulfing the entire corridor.

"ah--"

Screams rose and fell, as spring's gentle light illuminated a corner of the campus.

Beside him, the silver-haired girl's skirt fluttered like flower petals, revealing her smooth, white thigh beneath, and—

"..."

Tenkuji Yuu's eyes widened slowly, his pupils contracted, and even his perfect acting skills couldn't hide his astonishment at this moment.

The girl quickly pulled down her skirt and didn't scream like the others. She just turned her head, put her index finger to her lips, and winked at him playfully.

"Don't tell anyone."

She uttered these words softly, seemingly unconcerned about his reaction, and with a flick of her long hair, calmly strode away.

Yuu Tenkuji stood still, unable to resist turning back to look at her back and the hem of her short skirt swaying gently against her thigh.

Although due to the angle, he only got a side view of the thigh and didn't get a clear view of its true appearance from the front or back.

But those sharp eyes did indeed catch it: in the instant her skirt billowed up, the side of her thigh...

There were no fabric ties that should have been there.

"No way?"

Not wearing anything? Going braless?

He was somewhat incredulous, but what you see with your own eyes doesn't lie.

"Are all foreigners this thrill-seeking? Or is this just a task assigned by some master...?"

A chill ran down her spine. She felt as if she had encountered some kind of terrifying reality. Yuu Tenkuji shook her head, decided to stop thinking about it, and quickly walked towards the classroom.

The mixed-race transfer student had quietly acquired a new label in his mind: "possibly a perverted woman."

……

...

At the end of the corridor.

Keeping a close eye on Yuu Tenkuji's expression, Natsukawa Masuzu quietly withdrew her gaze only when he turned to leave.

"Forget about the lewd looks, I feel like he thinks I'm a pervert..."

However, this is actually a good thing. Too much favorability would be problematic.

"Let's consider him to have passed the first step of the assessment."

She gave a satisfied hum and took her phone out of her pocket.

A website for renting boyfriends and a photo of Yuu Tenkuji appeared on the screen at the same time.

A smile curved her lips as Natsukawa Masaki zoomed in on his photo with her finger, her slender eyes narrowing like a fox's, gleaming with a cunning light.

"Oh my, Tenkuji-kun... I never expected that someone as seemingly honest as you would be doing such an interesting side job~"

Seeing that Class J's classroom was just ahead, she put away her phone and resumed her usual elegant and gentle demeanor.

"Natsukawa-kun, I have something I want to talk to you about. Could you come with me to the back of the teaching building for a bit?"

Before I even entered the classroom, a boy with a stupid-looking face stood in front of me and started talking to me with a smile that he thought was handsome but was actually disgusting.

"Again?" The thought flashed through her mind, but hiding her disgust, Natsukawa Masaki smiled slightly.

"Sure, now?"

"Yes, come with me!"

Not long after.

On the eighth day since Natsukawa Masuzu transferred to the school, she rejected her classmate's confession for the seventh time.

"Ugh, so tiring. All I want is a peaceful campus life like a plant, but why are there so many annoying flies...?"

With his fingers pressed against his temples, Natsukawa Masaki couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

—Before I get annoyed to death, I should just carry out 'that plan' sooner rather than later.

△

Whether or not Natsukawa Masuri wasn't wearing underwear was quickly forgotten by Tenkuji Yu, who was focused on her studies.

Although he had already advanced the pace through self-study, the knowledge in the textbook and the teacher's understanding were ultimately different. He did not look down on classroom teaching because of this. He still listened attentively in every class without distraction. After class, he would take out "Love Metronome" to pass the time and think about the meaning of life.

The results of the opening exams will not be announced until after school, but only the top ten students in each grade will be announced. The rest of the rankings and scores will only be known to the students themselves. This makes the internal competition at Zongwu High School relatively mild. Not to mention the academic trolls, there are hardly any people talking about their scores after the exams.

Take Class F of Grade 2 as an example.

Yui Yuigahama's "normie group" still loudly chats about trivial topics, making them the most prominent and also the most foolish group in the class.

Totsuka Saika was exchanging skincare tips with the girls. Despite repeatedly stating that he didn't do any special skincare, he was still pestered by the group of girls and couldn't move, so he could only smile wryly.

In a way, this peaceful daily life isn't too bad.

As soon as the lunch break bell rang, Yuu Tenkuji took out his bento box.

Of course, several hours have passed since morning, the heat of the bento box has long since dissipated, the aroma has faded, and even the most delicious food loses its appeal.

Japanese people are used to eating cold bento boxes. Even though half of the students in the school bring their own bento boxes from home, there is not even a steamer in the classroom. If they want to eat hot food, they have to go to the cafeteria.

Fortunately, even when his cooking was cold, it was still better than the food in the cafeteria.

"Hmm... I don't really want to eat in the classroom."

Lunch break is when that group of people is at their noisiest. They will push the tables together and talk loudly and unrestrainedly, not caring that each other's saliva becomes a side dish.

Just like Western food, some dishes need to be enjoyed in the right environment to slowly savor the delicious flavors and artistic conception they contain.

—After saying all that, he just doesn't like eating with those people's voices on his lips.

So, Yuu Tenkuji picked up his lunchbox and walked out of the classroom.

She had barely stepped out the door when Yui Yuigahama caught up with her, slightly out of breath, and asked, "Yu-Yu, did you bring a lunchbox today? Why didn't you eat it in the classroom?"

"I just wanted to find a quiet place to eat." He shrugged and glanced into the classroom. "By the way, aren't you afraid your friends will gossip about you coming here so openly?"

Yui scratched her flushed cheek and grinned sheepishly, "No way, I made up an excuse..."

Yuu Tenkuji didn't ask what the excuse was, and just waved the bento box in his hand.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go eat now."

She asked expectantly, "Xiaoyou, would you like to eat with us?"

"Absolutely not." The answer was unusually firm.

Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Haha, I knew you'd say that..."

She paused, then her voice suddenly softened, becoming somewhat weak: "Then, only with me..."

Sky Temple Yu remained silent for a long time.

Is it just my imagination?

I felt that after the brief "cold war," she was more proactive than before.

Even though she rejected him so decisively.

"If we're friends, there's nothing wrong with having dinner together, right?"

Seemingly sensing something from his reaction, Yui Yuigahama added with a smile.

Yuu Tenkuji had no choice but to nod: "I'll ask Totsuka to come along, is that alright?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"that's it."

"Bye-bye, remember to come back to class!"

"You don't need to tell me."

Yui Yuigahama watched Tenkuji Yu leave, her eyes searching for starlight in the night sky.

……

...

Finally, Yuu Tenkuji decided to go to the special building to eat in the empty classroom that should be unused now.

Of course, before that, you have to borrow the key from Hiratsuka-sensei.