They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

As expected, the girl, whose gaze had been wandering, suddenly had a glimmer of light in her eyes the moment she heard the conversation.

This scene left Hu Dan with mixed feelings. It seemed that the little piece of paper might also be…

But before she could continue guessing, An Yu's expression quickly changed from anticipation to disappointment. She gently bit her lower lip and then listlessly slumped onto the table again.

……what?

Completely bewildered, Hu Dan glanced at An Yu, then at Chen Di standing at the door, and their eyes met as he looked at her.

Was it just my imagination? Did the class monitor look at An'an with a somewhat cold expression just now?

Hu Dan blinked, but Chen Di was already back to his usual gentle and refined self, smiling at Hu Dan from afar before looking away.

This made Hu Dan, who was just about to glare back on behalf of her friend, even more confused.

Filled with doubt, Hu Dan sat back down in her seat. After hesitating for a long time, she finally made up her mind and poked An Yu in the back.

"Ok?"

An Yu remained slumped over the table without turning around, only weakly moving his shoulders and letting out a sigh that made everyone who heard it feel frustrated.

"An'an, what happened to you..."

Just as Hu Dan was about to ask a question, she heard a greeting from Chen Di's side.

"Ning Ruoyu, good morning."

"Well, good morning."

The guy who walked in was just as eye-catching as Chen Di, but from a completely different angle.

"!"

Hu Dan, who hadn't taken the matter to heart, suddenly felt An Yu's body stiffen.

She turned slightly to the side so that she could observe the girl's expression from her right rear.

That was a rare display of unease and awkwardness on the face of this naturally naive girl.

Following An Yu's gaze, she noticed the end of the girl's eyes.

When Hu Dan realized that the person An Yu was secretly looking at was Ning Ruoyu, her first reaction was anxiety.

That bastard, did he do something to An Yu again?!

Sharing a common hatred, they both stared at the guy in An Yu's direction. Hu Dan tried her best to make her eyes look fierce and angry, hoping to protect the girl sitting in front of her.

However, Hu Dan didn't make any eye contact with the guy until he returned to his seat—he didn't even glance in his direction.

What kind of person is he?! Everyone's staring at him like that and he doesn't even notice?! He's way too oblivious!

Hu Dan, whose eyes were starting to ache, grumbled inwardly.

An Yu, sitting in the front row, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, her stiff back softening considerably.

"...Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Ning Ruoyu isn't even looking this way. If he dares to pester you again, I'll help you get rid of him!"

With pride in her successful protection, Hu Dan gently patted An Yu on the back.

She believes that her determination will be conveyed to her friend, giving her the courage and strength to face evil (Ning Ruoyu).

An Yu seemed stunned with emotion.

"Really, he didn't even look at you, don't worry!"

Hu Dan couldn't help but repeatedly make assurances.

An Yu, unusually, ignored Hu Dan, slumped onto the table, casually scratched his messy short hair, and sighed deeply.

Oops, did I relax too much? I don't just feel more flexible, I feel completely limp...

Seeing An Yu, who seemed to be turning into a withdrawn flea, Hu Dan was getting a little frustrated.

Did I say something wrong?!

……

"excuse me……"

The girl peeked out and opened the slightly ajar iron door to the rooftop.

On the edge of the rooftop, a boy stood with his back to the door, seemingly gazing at the sky in a daze.

Hearing this noise, he turned his head slightly.

After recognizing who it was, he stuffed the last bit of bread in his hand into his mouth, then stood up and casually clapped his hands.

"Okay, remember to lock the door when you go downstairs. The lock is a bit faulty, you might have to use some force."

"Wait, wait a minute!"

The girl called out to the boy who was about to leave on his own.

"Is there anything else... Oh, well, about yesterday? I was rude, I'm sorry."

The boy stopped in his tracks. Although he was apologizing, his behavior and posture clearly conveyed his helplessness and impatience.

It's like the insincere words adults say to appease children, giving them a sense of alienation as if they're not being taken seriously at all.

Even so, the girl did not seem to feel offended.

"No, I'm not stupid. When I went outside and saw so many people standing there, I knew that what you said was for our own good."

"That's why I should apologize to you, since everything happened because of me."

"Is it some kind of International Apology Day these days? It feels like I encounter nine strangers apologizing to me every time I buy a pack of cigarettes?"

"cigarette?"

"It's an old joke, I'm just having fun with myself, don't take it to heart."

The boy smiled.

This feeling of not caring about others' understanding and only caring about one's own world, although similar to the boy's past style, doesn't seem so annoying now.

The girl lowered her head gently again.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry for everything that happened before."

"No, no, no, don't apologize for what happened before. I was also at fault—just don't take it to heart."

"...It's impossible not to take it to heart. I was completely and utterly deceived. By that boy I thought was a hero."

The girl laughed self-deprecatingly.

Ning Ruoyu, who had already reached for the iron gate handle, stiffened for a moment. He shook his head, as if he hadn't heard, and continued to prepare to open the gate with unwavering determination.

"Among the people gathered around, I saw the same people who had caused me trouble in the park last time... so they were all in cahoots all along."

"Perhaps what you said was the truth."

The young girl, Ge Lanlan, sat down on the ground, hugging her legs.

“My family and his family are neighbors, and we grew up together. When I was rescued from the thugs, I thought it was the beginning of a romantic story, like when I suddenly realized he had always been there. I truly believed he was my hero.”

"...My taste is absolutely terrible."

"Perhaps in the first place I shouldn't have hoped for... a place to stay."

……

"Wow, I can't take it anymore."

The girl's sadness was interrupted by Ning Ruoyu's self-deprecating tone.

"Let me guess what happens next in the story?"

"Did he say something like this while flirting with you? Like 'You always force yourself,' 'You're actually very lonely, aren't you?' 'I want to be your true support.'"

"Why, why would you..."

"Because people are such a complex entity. Honestly, if you apply the conditions of loneliness, reluctance, and dependence to anyone, it will break their defenses and deliver a critical blow."

Ning Ruoyu waved her hand impatiently, finally giving up her plan to leave, and walked over to the girl sitting on the ground.

"Don't worry, you're not stupid or bad at judging. You just got scammed. Don't doubt yourself because you were fooled. That kind of skill is how they make a living. It's normal to get scammed."

"Don't use your shallow life experience to judge the other party's system process. If everyone could easily see through a scam, they would have been out of business and unemployed long ago. You should at least respect the ethics of those in the gray industry."

The boy leaned against the iron railing. Sunlight, shattered by the railing, hung between the two.

"Oh, of course, the respect here is ironic. Those people in shady professions aren't any good either. They're just a bunch of filthy, insignificant, yet extremely harmful sewer rats. If you doubt yourself because they've hurt you, that's the stupidest thing you can do."

Why do you talk about it as if it were your own industry?

Perhaps amused by Ning Ruoyu's deliberate addition, Ge Lanlan covered her mouth.

Ning Ruoyu also twitched her lips, but it looked somewhat forced and bitter.

"……Thanks."

"Well, it's nothing to thank me for. I was just making a casual remark as an outsider; how you interpret it is up to you."

"Don't look for a place to stay; you won't find one. Make your current place a place to stay—aren't you already doing that? You also have good friends, and they're strong—so you should understand the meaning of this even better, right?"

"!"

Silence fell between the two.

After a long while, Ning Ruoyu kicked her shoes out of boredom, then, as if she had thought of something, she took out a bottle of strawberry milk from her bag and placed it next to the girl's seat.

"Well, I'm lactose intolerant... cough cough, what I mean is, this bottle is for you. From now on, let's stop apologizing to each other and go back to how things were before?"

The girl paused for a moment, blinked, and took the milk in her hand.

"A symbol of friendship?"

"It's just a symbol that neither side owes the other anything."

The boy lowered his eyes and did not give a positive answer.

"Pfft—okay, what a strange symbol." The girl wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then looked up at Ning Ruoyu and extended her right hand.

Although he seemed somewhat reluctant, the boy eventually pulled her up.

"Then let this be the last time... Really, thank you. And I'm sorry for everything I did before."

"no problem, no problem."

"Oh, that doesn't sound very sincere at all. I'm a little sad."

"It's okay. It really is okay."

"No matter how hard you pronounce it, it doesn't change the fact that only two words were added!"

……

The two of them walked down the stairs, chatting casually.

In the shadows around the corner, the short-haired girl finally peeked out from the cardboard box that was being concealed.

"Why are they chatting so happily? What are they talking about... No, no, no! I, I was definitely going to apologize at noon!"

The girl's face was filled with astonishment and regret, and the small note, disposable tablecloth, and chocolate in her hand hung limply.

[Next chapter preview: "How dare you, a monster, object to such a perfect couple? Your ideal partner is Ning Ruoyu from that class!"]

"The relationship isn't actually... very good..."

A wonderful, nodding acquaintance relationship is right before our eyes.

"There were various misunderstandings before... and then... I wasn't able to... explain things clearly... I really regret it..."

"Now I want you to repay this favor."

Author's Note: This is a thank-you chapter after the next post—thank you for the monthly tickets and for following along, and I'll continue to torment Miss An Yu. (Sad)

Chu Guyin: ...Um...collecting and following this story...is really...very important...

Even if...not every day...at least I hope...to open and watch every few days.

As for monthly passes... I'd like them... but... liking the work... is the most important thing...

Thanks……

Chapter Thirteen: This weather... is it going to rain?