You call this a love game?

She couldn't bear to face the naked gazes of the dozens of classmates behind her; if she met their eyes, she would melt instantly.

Especially when she faintly heard laughter coming from the classroom below the podium, she felt even more ashamed, which made her feel even more embarrassed.

Suddenly, she remembered a sentence from a teacher in elementary school: "If you waste one minute, then with more than 40 people in our class, you have wasted more than 40 minutes of our time."

So, how many minutes has she wasted for everyone by staying stuck here like this for so long...? Ugh...

"Uh...you think you took a break from school before?" The math teacher suddenly remembered this. "Go borrow some notes from a friend."

Seeing Homura Akemi's troubled expression, the math teacher had no choice but to turn her attention back to the classroom. "Is there anyone else who can help us with this problem?"

His gaze swept across the classroom, and when it reached the back row, most people lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes, for fear of being pulled up and embarrassed.

"Let me do it, teacher."

In the front row of the classroom, a bright and energetic-looking boy stood up.

"Xiaomei, you watch from the side, and I'll show you the solution to this problem."

Bai Yu's lips curled up, and his eyebrows and eyes also curved upwards as he smiled and took the writing pen from Akemi Homura's hand.

Chapter Thirty-One: She's no longer a primary school student!

Homura Akemi took a small step to the side as if granted a pardon, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her skirt. She lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone, her ear tips burning red. She wished she could just shrink into her school uniform collar.

"This problem isn't actually that difficult." Bai Yu explained in a low voice, just loud enough for the two of them to hear, as he smoothly wrote out the solution steps. "Look here, you only need to use this formula..."

Homura Akemi finally managed to lift her head, her gaze following the movement of Shiraha's pen tip, her already confused expression becoming even more confused.

Oh well, she really is an idiot after all.

Even with Bai Yu's explanation, she still couldn't understand it at all.

Because of the long period of leave from school, coupled with health reasons, she had to take leave from school frequently before, and she has long been unable to keep up with the current teaching progress.

"understand?"

When Bai Yu finished writing a whole page of notes and turned to ask Akemi Homura a question, he found that she had lowered her head and was looking at her toes, seemingly lost in thought.

Okay, let's just pretend he didn't ask.

"Zhongze solved this problem very well." The math teacher nodded in satisfaction. "Xiaomei can borrow Zhongze's notebook. She can ask him if she doesn't understand anything. Of course, she can also ask the teacher."

"Yes, yes..." Homura Akemi replied softly, her head bowed even lower.

After finishing speaking, the math teacher asked them to return to their seats and then began to explain the specific solution to the problem.

When she returned to her seat, Homura Akemi's steps were noticeably lighter.

As she passed by Bai Yu, she whispered, "Thank you..."

Just as Bai Yu was about to respond, he saw Homura Akemi quickly slip back to her seat, then turn her head to look at the podium with her back to him, curling up into a ball with only one bright red ear showing.

He couldn't help but chuckle; this girl was just too adorable.

He found it hard to connect the current Homura Akemi with the Homura Akemi he had seen in the last simulation; they were practically two different people.

Putting everything else aside, Bai Yu was already quite curious, wondering how Ma Hua Yan would react if she knew what Hei Chang Zhi Yan had done to him.

What?! She, who has always been a well-behaved, timid, and cowardly girl, would actually do something so bold!

I'd probably faint the moment I saw that kind of scene.

At the same time, he wondered if Yan, with her long, straight black hair, would want to strangle him if she saw her timid appearance now.

Anyway, Bai Yu will figure it out himself.

Those embarrassing memories left behind in QQ Space or books during my teenage years were discovered by chance one day when I was older. I opened them to savor the feelings I had back then, and then quickly deleted them and never saw them again.

After all, just looking at that kind of thing makes you feel incredibly ashamed.

After class, a notebook suddenly appeared on Homura Akemi's desk.

She opened it with some skepticism, only to find it filled with densely packed mathematical formulas and example solutions, written in neat and clear handwriting, with key points highlighted in different colors.

"This is……?"

"My notes," Bai Yu said with a smile, sitting down next to me with her chin propped up. "You can borrow them. Feel free to ask me if you don't understand anything."

Homura Akemi's hands trembled slightly as she held the notebook, her eyes widening behind her glasses. "This... this is too much trouble for you..."

"No trouble at all." Bai Yu casually picked up a pen from her desk and twirled it deftly between his fingers. "Just consider it... mutual help between friends?"

"friend……"

Homura Akemi repeated the word, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of waking her from a beautiful dream. The corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted slightly, but she quickly closed them again, yet the light in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"But... what am I going to do if I don't know any of these things..."

Looking at the dense array of unfamiliar symbols on the notebook, Homura Akemi felt dizzy and her eyes were about to blur.

There are experts too!

"That's okay, we can start from the basics." Bai Yu moved his chair closer to her, and the distance between them instantly shortened to the point where they could see each other's eyelashes, almost to the point where their bodies were touching.

Homura Akemi's body stiffened visibly. She placed her arm on the table, afraid to move it, lest she accidentally elbow Shiraha beside her. She then quietly moved half a centimeter to the side.

"Look here." Bai Yu pointed to the very beginning of the notebook, ignoring her little gesture. "You should know about cubes and squares, right?"

"Hmm..." Homura Akemi's face flushed slightly, and she pouted, looking a little aggrieved.

She's not a primary school student anymore! She definitely knows these things!

"Okay, but just in case you don't know, I'll draw it for you."

Bai Yu picked up a pen and drew an abstract metaphor on the draft paper, turning mathematical symbols into comical little people and animals.

Homura Akemi's eyes lit up immediately, and she covered her mouth and chuckled. Then, realizing that Shiraha was still beside her, she blushed and lowered her head.

"So...so that's what it meant..."

Homura Akemi's voice was still very soft, but her tone was noticeably more relaxed; at least she wasn't trembling with fear anymore.

"For example, let's look at this problem: find the integer solutions (a, b) of the equation a³ + a² - 3 = (a - 2)b."

Bai Yu continued explaining, occasionally interspersing humorous metaphors. Xiao Meiyan gradually lowered her guard and would sometimes ask questions quietly. Whenever she mustered the courage to speak, Bai Yu would deliberately slow down his speech and look at her with encouraging eyes.

"Yes, that's it!" When Homura Akemi finally solved a basic problem, Shiraha clapped exaggeratedly, "Homura learns very quickly!"

Homura Akemi's face flushed red instantly. She frantically tried to cover his mouth, looking at him pleadingly, "No... don't be so loud... please..."

Seeing Homura Akemi's flustered state, Shiraha couldn't help but smile even more broadly.

She looked exactly like a pitiful little rabbit at that moment, with her hands clasped together in a pleading manner, her big, watery eyes filled with grievance and shyness.

For some reason, even though she looked pitiful, Bai Yu felt an even stronger urge to bully her.

"Okay, okay, keep your voice down." He lowered his voice, but deliberately moved closer, close enough to smell the faint scent of shampoo in her hair. "But Xiao Yan is indeed smart."

Homura Akemi's neck turned red at a visible speed, and 'steam' could be vaguely seen rising from the top of her head. Her eyes had turned into mosquito coil eyes.

Seeing this, Bai Yu had no choice but to stop teasing the girl. Although he wanted to get closer and say, "You smell so good," he knew that if he did, the girl would probably be far away from the explosion.

"I'm a little tired. Could you go buy me a drink?"

Chapter Thirty-Two: Meeting Takihara's Know-It-All Madoka Kaname

"Okay, okay!"

Homura Akemi stood up with a sigh of relief. Her braids swayed slightly from the movement, like an antelope being chased by a cheetah, hastily fleeing the scene.

However, after walking a distance, she realized that she hadn't asked Bai Yu what he wanted to drink, so she quickly ran back.

"Um... what would you like to drink?"

Seeing the girl's shy expression, Bai Yu couldn't help but tease her again, "A drink the same color as Xiao Yan's face."

"Huh?" Homura Akemi was stunned. She subconsciously reached out and touched her cheek. Her already flushed face turned even redder, and a touch of peach pink crept onto her cheeks.

"Just kidding~" Bai Yu waved his hand with a smile, "Ordinary oolong tea is fine."

Homura Akemi then realized she had been tricked, but she couldn't retaliate. She could only puff out her cheeks, give a small "humph," toss her braids aside, and turn to leave.

As a result, he accidentally bumped into someone coming in at the door. Hearing unrestrained laughter behind him, he bowed repeatedly to apologize and ran away almost in a panic.

In the corridor, Homura Akemi jogged toward the vending machine, her heart pounding as if it would burst out of her chest.

She touched her burning cheeks, her mind replaying the scene of the boy teaching her earlier: his slender fingers, his handsome profile, and the warm breath he accidentally sprayed on her face. Thinking of this, she stumbled and almost fell.

"Ugh... What am I thinking..." She shook her head vigorously, trying to shake those embarrassing images out of her mind.

However, when she reached the intersection of the corridor, she encountered a problem.

There is a vending machine on each floor of the teaching building, as Bai Yu mentioned when she took her on a tour, and he also showed her the specific locations.

But she was so nervous that she couldn't focus on remembering her surroundings and completely forgot whether she should turn left or right.

Standing at a busy crossroads, Homura Akemi was caught in a dilemma, not daring to take a step forward. She kept her head down and didn't dare to ask passersby for help, shrinking into the corner like a pitiful little dog.

"Xiaomei, are you lost?"

Homura Akemi jumped in fright when she heard someone call her name.

She turned around stiffly and saw a pink-haired girl who looked vaguely familiar standing obediently behind her.

She is... Madoka Kaname?

Akemi Homura seemed to remember something. She was the class's health monitor, and Shiraha was supposed to take her to the infirmary after the last class, but Shiraha refused.

"I... um..." She stammered, unable to speak, and could only clench her fists tighter in her pocket, crumpling the banknotes in her palm.

"Where are you going? I'll take you there. I know the school very well!"

Kaname Madoka patted her empty chest and said confidently.

"I want to go to the vending machine..."

"Ah! Perfect timing, I'm going too!" Madoka Kaname's eyes lit up, and she affectionately took Homura Akemi's arm. "Let's go together!"

The sudden physical contact made Homura Akemi tremble all over, unable to move like a cat being grabbed by the scruff of its neck. She followed him awkwardly for a couple of steps, and even her braids stood up nervously.

"Akami and Nakazawa seem to be really close," Kaname Madoka suddenly remarked, her pink twin tails swaying gently with her steps, her yellow hair ribbons fluttering in the breeze. "I just saw you two studying together~"

"No, no! It's just..." Homura Akemi shook her head frantically, her glasses tilting to one side.

"Does Akemi like Nakazawa? Or do you have a crush on her?" Kaname Madoka tilted her head cutely and said thoughtfully, "But Nakazawa is indeed very popular. She has good grades, a great figure and looks, and everyone finds it easy to get along with her."

"N-no, I didn't!" Homura Akemi said, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, as she pulled away from Madoka Kaname's hand. Then she realized she had gone too far and apologized hastily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think Shiraha-kun was bad, ah—Kaname-kun, you're nice too... I just..."

Homura Akemi was about to be driven mad by her own clumsy tongue.

She was just a little uncomfortable with such close contact with people she had just met. Too much physical contact made her slightly sensitive, especially since the embarrassing images from earlier were still lingering in her mind.

Just then, Madoka Kaname mentioned Shiraha, which immediately triggered her reaction.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault. I was just a little curious."

Kaname Madoka scratched her head sheepishly, looking at her hand that had been shaken off, and had no choice but to give up on trying to hold it again. She then changed the subject, "The vending machine is just ahead, let's go buy something first."

This also successfully rescued Homura Akemi, who was completely at a loss, and she quickly followed behind Madoka Kaname.

"What do you want to buy? I recommend strawberry milk, it's super delicious!"

Looking at the pink-packaged drinks in the vending machine, and remembering what Shiraha had said, Homura Akemi suddenly felt helpless. She stammered, pointing to the oolong tea, "I'll buy this..."

"Hey~ Xiaomei likes to drink this? I never would have guessed."

Madoka Kaname exclaimed in surprise, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Most girls her age probably prefer sweet things, right? She only saw boys drinking this kind of refreshing beverage.

"No, no, this is for Bai Yu..."

Homura Akemi's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

After all, she had just refuted Kaname Madoka that she and Shiraha were not in that kind of relationship, but now she was saying she would buy him a drink. This just seemed like a lie.

Just then, the vending machine suddenly clicked, and a can of oolong tea rolled out automatically.

Homura Akemi stared blankly at this amazing scene, her eyes wide open.

"This is on you, or rather... on Nakazawa-san." Kaname Madoka smiled and handed the drink to her. "In exchange, how about Akemi-san treats me to a can of strawberry milk?"