I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Yui Yuigahama snorted and swiftly opened her pencil case.

"This is none of your business, don't look down on me!"

That face that was once so handsome it was mesmerizing, now looks utterly repulsive!

Even though he was being so confrontational, he didn't seem angry at all; instead, he laughed happily.

"Interesting guy, let's see how long you can hold out."

Clutching her mechanical pencil, Yui Yuigahama made a vow in her heart:

Of course, I'll keep going until you admire me!

In the following days, she only agreed to go shopping and have fun once when her friend questioned her about whether she was pursuing Tenkuji-kun. She spent the rest of her after-school time in the library, sitting face to face with him at the same table, silently studying together.

There was no chatting, nor any intention to pursue him; it was just as if she was trying to prove something, diligently absorbing that dizzying amount of knowledge.

Even as he drifted further and further away from his original circle, and even as he received a lot of gossip and strange looks, he still stubbornly insisted on becoming stronger, strong enough to make him take him seriously!

Books and stars are not out of reach; they are right in front of you—you just haven't reached out far enough.

Keep moving forward, ever forward.

……

It remains evergreen in summer, with lush green foliage covering the campus.

Leaving behind the defiant June, we've arrived at July, the month with summer vacation just around the corner.

The final exams went smoothly, but summer vacation won't start for a few more days.

After putting the exam paper into his schoolbag, he smiled and said goodbye to his friends.

Yui Yuigahama went to the restroom for a while before heading to her usual spot in the corner of the library.

Even after the final exams were over, Yuu Tenkuji still didn't relax and continued to write furiously at his seat.

"So, today we'll correct the exam papers..."

Muttering to herself, she took out her final exam paper again, the pen tip touching the paper the instant she felt the paper.

The tears I thought I had held back started flowing again, dripping and gushing out once more.

"Waaah..."

Biting her lip, Yui Yuigahama rubbed her eyes hard.

...I don't want to cry in front of him.

"But why... even though I tried so hard, why..."

Finally, what he saw before him was his ugliest self, a bitter smile of resignation streaming down his face amidst tears.

"Haha... For someone like me to think I can catch up with you through hard work is just a pipe dream."

"..."

He stopped writing, looked at himself in silence, and suddenly picked up the failing exam paper.

Yui Yuigahama was too late to stop it, and could only lower her head and wipe away her tears to hide her loneliness and anxiety.

"...Yes, there's still hope."

A soft voice echoed in the air.

She couldn't help but doubt her own ears, and looked up in astonishment.

"Is there any hope?"

"Of course. Everyone fails exams, unless they're a genius."

Tenkuji Yu returned the exam paper to himself and, for the first time, looked directly into his own eyes.

"You failed this time, will you continue to try, Yuihama-san?"

"I……"

Yui Yuigahama opened her mouth.

I was already disheartened, I felt I couldn't go on anymore, and I didn't want to be betrayed by the results of my efforts.

But a spark of hope ignited from the ashes and quickly swept across the entire chest.

—Yes, if he's there.

She took a deep breath, wiped away her blurry eyes, swallowed the bitterness in her throat, and looked at him as he nodded vigorously.

"Of course! Even if it's just a dream, I have the right to see it through to the end!"

Even if your efforts don't pay off, it's still better than telling him you want to give up!

He smiled approvingly and clapped his hands gently: "Those who are willing to put their dreams into practice are just as great as the dreams themselves... I'm quite impressed with you, Yuihama."

"Really?

Caught off guard by the sudden praise, she felt a surge of joy at being recognized, her face flushing red and her ears burning.

So happy...

"Hehehe, I'm not as good as you say~ Actually, it's all thanks to you..."

She wasn't done being coy yet.

"He may be a bit slow, but his perseverance is commendable, and there's still a chance to save him."

Yuu Tenkuji nodded in satisfaction, completely ignoring her stiffened expression, and paused his pen on the bright red score.

"Seeing how determined you are, I'll give you a hand! I can't guarantee you'll get into Soubu High School, but getting into a regular public high school shouldn't be a problem."

"..."

She had forgotten that the person in front of her didn't know what politeness was, and didn't seem to treat her as a girl at all.

Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but cover her face and sigh, not wanting to see his expression, which was one of excitement and confidence, as if he had discovered a new toy.

But a smile still crept onto her face beneath her palm.

"...That's actually not bad either."

So from that summer onward, she could rightfully stay by his side and study with him.

The image of the two people sitting silently facing each other, each working on their exercises, in that little corner of the library has vanished.

Instead, the scene shifts to a tearful girl pestering him for difficult questions, while he helplessly takes the book and tries to explain the problems to her in the simplest way possible.

Many students who knew the two of them passed by and saw the scene, and all sorts of rumors began to circulate. Furthermore, through the embellishment of certain suitors who had been rejected by Yuu Tenkuji, Yui Yuigahama received more and more strange looks.

When she was tired from studying, she tried to chat or go shopping with some friends she thought she had a good relationship with, but they just laughed and avoided her.

She once overheard people talking about her and Yuu Tenkuji while she was in the restroom. They were saying nasty and vulgar things, saying that she was not only stupid but also plain-looking, and that she could only attract attention by pestering others.

"Studying hard for love? That kind of thing doesn't exist in real life! That's such a good performance, it's hilarious!"

Yui Yuigahama could never forget the tone with which those people mocked her as she ran toward the library with her books.

Because of this, she felt sad, shed tears, and hesitated, not knowing how she would face her upcoming campus life after losing her "place to belong".

Leaving her small group, leaving her comfort zone, and leaving a world where she had to constantly read the room's atmosphere was a little harder than she had imagined.

Perhaps because this pessimistic mood affected her studies, one day during an after-school study session, Tenkuji Yu said to her:

What do you want to become?

"Is it better to live an ordinary life among the crowd, without any ambition, just to be a background figure... or to be a firework that shines for only a second, and eventually falls to the cold ground, to tell others that you were once more dazzling than anyone else?"

Yui Yuigahama stared at him blankly, seemingly unable to process what he was seeing.

"...Xiao You, the way you say pretty words sounds so strange."

Tenkuji Yu's brow twitched, and his tone became inexplicably rude.

"Shut up! These are all from books, they have nothing to do with me! Also, your homework today is to read five more classical literary works and submit your reflections!"

Yui Yuigahama groaned, "Five books?! That's too many! I have an exam tomorrow!"

"Who cares about you? Once you've studied until your brain is fried, you won't have the mind to care about those messy things."

"Waaaaah~"

even so.

Seeing his reluctance to admit his concern, Yui Yuigahama's dark clouds dissipated, and her eyes brightened again.

Her changes always stemmed from him, and this time is no exception.

From that day on, the ordinary Yuigahama Yui began to dress up—

She tied her hair into a bun style designed by her mother and painstakingly tailored her stiff middle school uniform; she read countless fashion magazines, learned how to do makeup, and even though she was shy, she still wanted to show off her figure's advantages and tried her best to slim down her plump thighs.

After the complete transformation, the reactions of others didn't matter. Yui Yuigahama blocked him in the corridor, hands on her hips, blushing and smiling smugly:

"How about that? I'm the kind of person who can do whatever I want, you know?"

"What do you mean, 'how about'?" He looked her up and down with suspicion. "This bitch outfit is what you want to do? That's quite unexpected."

Yui Yuigahama was greatly shocked and angrily almost punched him.

"What bitch?! She's not a bitch at all, she's super cute, okay?!"

"You're shameless to say that." Tenkuji Yu rolled her eyes and flicked her bun. "Well, it does have a refreshing feel to it. You've really worked hard... Anyway, no matter how you change, you'll always just be Yuigahama Yui to me."

After saying this meaningful remark, he went into the classroom without looking back, leaving her standing there, pausing to touch the dumpling.

"To him... I'm just Yuigahama Yui?"

Is this a compliment or a criticism?

Unconsciously, Yui Hihama reminded me of those poignant and touching love stories from my Chinese textbook.

Even if the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, what I love will never change.

"!"

Her face flushed red, her heart pounded uncontrollably, and her chest felt warm as if the furnace core was melting.

Watching his departing figure, Yui Yuigahama bit her lip, revealing a smile that was slightly unwilling but helpless.

"Given all that talk... it's only natural that I'd fall for him, right?"