They all have hidden attributes!

Seeing that Nekoya Hina's expression was not in pain, Takahashi Makoto considerately slowed his pace and left the shooting range alone. After quietly closing the wooden door, he headed towards the stairs.

The archery club is located on the first floor of the special building. After climbing the stairs to the third-floor corridor, walk through the corridor connecting the teaching building, go downstairs, turn left into the second-floor corridor, and at the end is the classroom of the first-year C group.

The moment he pushed open the back door of the classroom, a system panel suddenly popped up in front of him, and Makoto Takahashi froze on the spot for a moment.

[Received a new assistance card]

[Intelligence: The Cold Beauty Who Never Smiles - Uesugi Maya]

[Top Student: Low chance of triggering Friendship Training, Intelligence Increased by 100%]

[Both Literary and Martial Arts: When triggering friendship training, there is a high probability of gaining a physical boost]

[Hidden Attribute: Not Yet Unlocked]

The name was unfamiliar, and he was certainly not a classmate. Takahashi Makoto used his mind to shut down the system and fixed his gaze on the direction of his own desk.

Under the cold white lights of the classroom, only one girl sat quietly on his desk, looking down at the book in her hands.

Her long, smooth black hair fell straight down, her skin was fair, and her appearance was dignified.

Her beautiful caramel-colored eyes were framed by long, thin eyelashes, her delicate nose was straight and narrow, and her cherry-colored lips were full, glossy, and beautifully shaped. Her exquisite features exuded a high-class, artificial quality, possessing a captivating charm that made people unconsciously fascinated.

Despite wearing a standard school uniform of a white shirt and black pleated skirt, she gave off a completely different vibe.

His calm demeanor seemed to say "Don't talk to me," keeping people at a distance and giving off an aloof and unapproachable vibe.

Overall rating: Very cute, she's an absolutely gorgeous girl.

However, putting aside her beauty, Makoto Takahashi's first impression of her was actually quite bad.

First, the supermodel was sitting on her desk, not a chair;

Secondly, a cold beauty who never smiles sounds like she has a rather troublesome personality;

Finally, the book in her hand was "Crime and Punishment," a book that discusses whether people have the right to kill if it is for the sake of justice.

It would be difficult to find an opportunity to train one's intellect together if they weren't classmates. Thinking of this, Makoto Takahashi was somewhat reluctant to deal with this troublesome guy.

Walk over within ten seconds, pick up your bag, and leave immediately.

Having made up his mind, he walked into the classroom, not intending to get involved with the guy who looked like a nuisance.

Hearing footsteps, Uesugi Maya raised her caramel-colored eyes, her cold gaze catching Takahashi Makoto's figure, and snapped the book in her hand shut.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Uesugi Maya. I'm from Class A, Year 1. Please take care of me."

She jumped off the desk, her black round-toed leather shoes lightly touching the wooden floor. As her black pleated skirt billowed slightly, the soft flesh beneath her black over-the-knee stockings was faintly visible.

"I'm very interested in you, Makoto Takahashi."

Why did he suddenly start introducing himself when his voice was clear and calm?

Having failed in his ten-second maneuver, Makoto Takahashi stopped, nodded slightly to Maya Uesugi, and gave a polite smile: "Thank you. This is the first time I've heard someone say something like that."

Would anyone actually be interested in a guy who can't say nice things, doesn't know how to read the room, doesn't know how to please girls, and is naturally unpopular in relationships?

In his opinion, the reason why Nekoya Hina took the initiative to make friends at the beginning of the school year was simply because she saw that he was the only boy in the class and felt too lonely.

"To be honest, I've been observing you for a long time."

Maya Uesugi's beautiful caramel-colored eyes shot a sharp gaze straight at him.

She was tall and slender. When Makoto Takahashi bent down to pick up his schoolbag placed on the side of the desk, his gaze inadvertently swept over her beautiful legs encased in black stockings, their curves elegant.

"Observation or investigation? There seem to be quite a few children of powerful and wealthy families in this academy," he asked without any hesitation.

"Both are true. To avoid you misunderstanding this as a confession, I'll be frank."

Maya Uesugi crossed her arms, her fingers twirling the ends of her black hair that cascaded down her shoulders, her demeanor remaining calm: "I'd like to invite you to join my band."

band.

Is this some new scam? Like the kind where someone offers a large sum of money to have a child?

Makoto Takahashi had no idea why she wanted him to form a band, yet she knew his name.

"I'm sorry, you may have the wrong person."

“No, it’s you.” Uesugi Maya said with certainty, “Didn’t I just say that? I’ve been observing you for a long time.”

Although I don't know why she's interested in me, I can sense a strong ulterior motive in her attitude, and I really don't like this kind of social interaction.

It felt like I was the prey.

“Sorry, I’m not interested in being in a band for life,” Makoto Takahashi blurted out.

"A lifetime? That's a much heavier burden than I imagined."

Hearing the answer without hesitation, Uesugi Hunter Maya frowned unhappily, his downturned lips showing some distress: "I hope you can give it a positive consideration."

Even if you say that, there's nothing I can do.

Makoto Takahashi met her gaze with a cold look and said listlessly, "I've never played any musical instruments before, nor have I discovered any musical talent in myself. It's too late to start learning now, and I've never even heard of a band."

I don't recommend that you refuse.

Maya Uesugi pulled out her prepared statement, her delicate face displaying a confidence that could convince anyone: "Do you understand what a band is?"

Chapter 2 Hell Girl is Stalking

Under the cold white lights of the classroom, the rain-drenched glass window became a mirror, reflecting the elegant and proud curves of Uesugi Maya's body.

She placed her finger on the black bow tie at the collar of her white shirt and said righteously, "A band is a community with a shared destiny, playing music together."

"Secondly, from what I've observed, you don't have any friends. By joining the band, I will help you find people who understand you, giving you a sense of value and filling the void in your heart."

"I am confident that I can build a band where the members can trust each other and create a perfect band."

Upon hearing the condescending remarks, Makoto Takahashi's gaze turned scrutinizing. Judging from the other party's expression, Maya Uesugi actually thought so.

When she said these words, there was not a trace of falsehood in her beautiful caramel-colored eyes.

"I'm sorry, I won't entrust the rest of my life to you."

Makoto Takahashi politely declined in what he thought was a joke, turned and left the classroom, waving goodbye to those behind him.

"I really have no interest in bands. My friends are waiting for me, so I'll take my leave now."

"You actually have friends?"

A rude and slightly surprised voice came from behind him. Takahashi Makoto's lips twitched slightly, but he ignored it and turned towards the stairs in the corridor.

Not getting the expected result, Uesugi Maya frowned, rested her chin on her hand, and lowered her head in deep thought.

Why would she be interested in me?

As Makoto Takahashi pondered, he climbed the stairs to the third floor, turned right, and passed through the elevated corridor leading to the special building.

Outside the glass windows on both sides, a gloomy landscape stretched out beneath thick rain clouds, and the rain-soaked atrium resembled a Sisley painting.

"Hey, Cheng, you're too slow!"

From the corner of the staircase in the special building, came an impatient voice that sounded like a child's whining.

"I've been waiting for you for so long, it's so boring." Nekoya Hina raised her fist, which was hidden in the sleeve of her tracksuit, looking very unhappy.

"Are you really going to leave the department?" Takahashi Makoto walked over and went downstairs with her.

Nekoya Hina didn't reply, her head down so her expression was unreadable. He continued, "You're a special admissions student like me, right?"

After moving to Yamanashi Prefecture, Makoto Takahashi had no friends and continued to learn archery from his ancestors, while she had been practicing badminton since elementary school, suggesting she must have been very passionate about it.

Giving up now feels like a real shame.

"So I don't know why I should continue playing badminton."

Hina Nekoya muttered to herself, her voice sounding uncertain and lacking confidence: "At first, I was only approached because my PE teacher said I was tall, left-handed, and had flexible wrists, which made me a good fit."

"But I'm different from Acheng. Since I started playing badminton, I've never won a championship, let alone an award. Before today, I've never seen such a big gap."

"I might not have any talent at all."

It seems her mentality has been completely shattered; the bitter fruit of failure must be quite unpleasant.

Makoto Takahashi didn't say anything like "talent is not important at all." He won the national archery tournament a month ago thanks to the system.

Upon arriving at the lobby on the first floor, the two each took a transparent umbrella from the public umbrella lending area and silently walked towards the badminton department's separate gymnasium.

During the rainy season, everything is damp.

Lead-gray clouds piled up in the sky, white mist rose from the trees on both sides of the courtyard, a wind mixed with fine rain swept past, and the damp air was filled with the smell of fresh earth.

Nekoya Hina, who walked silently beside him, was half a head shorter than Takahashi Makoto. She kept her head down, staring at the wet pavement, and looked somewhat listless.

When the badminton gymnasium came into view, she suddenly looked up and glanced back at the two of them. A black umbrella was following them at a distance.

"Ah-Cheng, it looks like Hell Girl." Nekoya Hina squinted, trying to see through the blurry rain curtain.

"Hell Girl?" Makoto Takahashi stopped and looked back. Under the black umbrella, the tall and slender figure seemed to be Maya Uesugi.

The nickname "Hell Girl" certainly sounds complicated.

"Is that Uesugi-kun from Class 1-A?"

He walked to the vending machine by the roadside, inserted coins, and bought two bottles of electrolyte water: "Why does she have such a nickname? Shouldn't it be something like 'cold beauty' or 'high-and-mighty flower'?"

"Huh? Makoto actually knows her?" Nekoya Hina raised her hand to cover her mouth, revealing a surprised expression.

"I'll just remember the name for now."

"Why is it called Hell Girl? Good question."

Hina Nekoya snapped her fingers coolly and explained, "My friends in Group A said that she has a complicated personality. She does everything alone and often gets into conflicts with classmates and teachers."

Then, she emphasized, "Most importantly, legend has it that she and the angel are enemies."

"And what is an angel?"

Makoto Takahashi bent down and took out a drink from the shipping chute, handing one of the bottles to his friend who had shared the information: "It sounds complicated. Our academy only has four classes per year, right?"

"My angel is the student council president, Yuki Tachimi from Class 2-A," Hina Nekoya explained succinctly, unscrewing the cap of her energy drink.

"I have absolutely no recollection of this name, but having a conflict with a teacher does sound like a very bad thing."

"That's true, but Uesugi's father is a high-ranking official, and it's rumored that they come from a powerful family. Even the chairman of the academy's board of directors is a student of her grandfather. Moreover, she has the best grades in the country and is very active in physical education class. All things considered, no one dares to mess with her."