They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

"It's probably... like... this... feeling."

My fingers, which had been dancing across the black and white keyboard like tender scallions, stopped. The purple-haired girl in front of me raised her eyes slightly and looked at me.

The sky outside the window looked gloomy, and I hadn't really been listening to the music carefully, so I subconsciously started rambling.

"Although I couldn't understand it at all, it felt quite cheerful."

"Hmm...more or less...this is it..."

"So what is it actually?"

"It's...a noblewoman...longing for...her fiancé..."

"I see, it must be full of sweetness and anticipation, right?"

“That…fiancé…was a good man…but…he died…on the battlefield…”

"This doesn't look cheerful at all!"

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

"After she died... the girl... discovered... that she liked..."

"Senior, please stop!! I'm so heartbroken I can't eat dinner tonight!!"

Is our club president being too indulgent towards newcomers?

"The early stages... are upbeat......"

It feels even worse, that fiancé who died on the battlefield.

I silently mourned for this fictional character.

The purple-haired girl stared at me, looking like she really wanted to ask a question, but she didn't say anything more.

"...Senior, just say what you want to say. You're making me feel even more pressured."

"Is it... okay?"

"completely fine."

Senior Sister Chu Guyin blinked, stood up, and sat down next to me.

"Did Yuehua... properly... apologize?"

"Ah, this? Hmm. I heard from the president that you scolded her, right? Although I still find it hard to imagine you scolding someone, thank you anyway."

"No...no need to thank me...Yuehua...is a good child...she meant no harm..."

"So...please continue...to be...friends with her..."

President Wu Yuehua's apology last night really startled me, but judging from her explanation at the time and the way Senior Chu Guyin is now... it seems that the two of them have a really good relationship.

"Friends? Hahaha..."

I did not give a direct answer to this request.

"I really didn't expect that my senior and the president would have such a good relationship."

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

Thump thump thump.

My troubles radar was going off like crazy, and for a moment I had the urge to run out the door.

I underestimated you, Senior Chu Guyin. I didn't expect that someone as quiet as you would have an exclamation mark above their head. Even a simple change of topic can trigger a hidden plot.

I have absolutely no interest in your personal relationships with President Wu Yuehua!

"Oh, speaking of which, that song is really long!"

"It's...quite long...I've extracted...a segment..."

"Is it...too long?...I'm sorry...did I...interrupt your...business?"

Seeing that genuinely remorseful look in my eyes is truly piercing to my filthy soul. No, senior, if you keep doing this, I'll be completely corrupted.

"It's okay. Nothing's going on at class or at home today. I was planning to participate in club activities anyway."

"It's already very good that you came..."

Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't actually planning to participate.

The atmosphere in the class was already a bit tense with the others, and after angering An Yu, I felt even more uncomfortable, like I was being watched all the time... I came here purely for political asylum.

Hearing my senior's blunt statement made my conscience ache again.

The senior in this club is such a kind person; I must repay such a kind person properly.

So maybe you should participate in fewer events in the future.

……

After the club activity ended, I let the senior student go first, and I stayed in the classroom to clean up before leaving.

Walking out of the school gates with a girl like Senior Chu Guyin, who belongs to the top tier of the campus, I can't think of any reward other than trouble.

I took the trash from the bins to the processing station behind the playground, passing by the warehouse and changing rooms behind the playground.

"Hey, did you hear?"

"what? What?"

"Weren't those guys from the boys' basketball team just saying they saw An Yu from Class F leave the school gate with their class monitor? Looks like they're going on a date after school or something!"

"Huh?! Really?! Is it Chen Di and An Yu?"

"Yes, yes, it's Chen Di and An Yu from Class F!"

"Wow, I feel so conflicted. I don't know which side I should envy."

"I know, I know, they're a good match, aren't they?"

"Oh no, I can't accept this! An'an is so cute, she's definitely mine!!"

"Oh, speaking of which, Xiao Yao did indeed have a crush on An Yu when they were in the same class."

"Hahaha, stop acting crazy here!"

"They're a perfect match, how dare you, a monster, object? Your ideal partner is Ning Ruoyu from that class!"

What deep-seated grudge do you hold against me?

"Oh, sorry, I went a bit too far. Don't be angry, don't be angry..."

The shrill female voice, giggling and laughing, pierced through the walls of the women's changing room, forcing me, a passerby, to endure the ear-piercing noise.

Although it felt like there was some strange information mixed in with the conversation...

Well, after all this time, these words can no longer penetrate my armor, no, they can't even leave a trace.

But the class monitor and An Yu...

I thought about it for a while.

Although I don't understand what's going on, it's fine this way.

Originally, even though I was slapped, I still needed to consider how to foster An Yu's crush out of a sense of contract. If she could do it herself, I would have less of a burden.

Being able to restore our relationship to the level of strangers without any lingering resentment would be the best possible outcome for my current awkward situation.

After all, although my relationship with An Yu is very strained now, Chen Di and I are still quite good friends.

If they get together, Chen Di can get rid of her hatred for me, and we can go our separate ways and not bother each other anymore...

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

Thinking this way made me feel much better, and even my steps toward the club activity room felt lighter.

Ok.

Then, as I finished packing up and was about to leave the art building, a torrential downpour began.

……

That was a bit of a miscalculation; I clearly noticed just now that the sky looked a bit off.

As I walked from the art building through the connecting corridor to the entrance of the teaching building lobby, I looked outside and sighed.

This is actually just the time when those clubs finish their activities, so even if a regular student unfortunately forgets to bring an umbrella, they can go back with the other club members who have brought umbrellas.

—But I am Ning Ruoyu.

Let alone going back together, just standing there, I felt that everyone around me subconsciously kept their distance from me.

While lamenting that this wasn't the campus life I wanted, I took out my phone and glanced at the time.

I've been standing here in a daze for almost ten minutes now, and judging by the rain, it doesn't seem like it's going to let up anytime soon. As a consequence of living alone, the clothes hanging out to dry are now practically in danger of collapsing.

I can tell the difference between washing one set of clothes and washing a whole basket of clothes again!

I put my backpack on my head, ready to rush out the door.

"Ning Ruoyu!"

A familiar voice came from behind me, and I instinctively turned around.

Ge Lanlan's cheeks were slightly flushed, and she was holding a small blue folding umbrella in her hand. She glanced at me at the corner and then immediately lowered her head.

...Could it be that she found out the strawberry milk I gave her this morning was nearing its expiration date?

Seeing Ge Lanlan walking towards me with her head down and a fierce expression, my mind raced.

"Well, although it's past the best-before date, it still has two days left in the shelf life, so I think it should be..."

"Didn't you bring an umbrella? Want to go back together?"

Despite the stares of everyone around her, she made the suggestion to me in a self-deprecating tone.

"Oh no, you're actually a good person."

What do you mean by that?!

Even though we had already agreed to be even, she was still willing to help me in this difficult time. For the first time, I felt the friendship and care that comes from campus life.

A warm feeling welled up inside me.

So I answered.

"No thanks."

"what?"

I got smacked, that's scary.

However, going home with a girl who has someone (Xu Xingxin) in a relationship with always feels like it could easily cause trouble. I really...

While trying to come up with a good reason, he shifted his gaze.

Then I saw Senior Sister Chu Guyin, holding an umbrella, wandering between the flower beds of the art building and the teaching building, seemingly looking for someone.

Wait, no way?

"Of course I was just kidding. I'll just tag along to the convenience store by the door, please."

……

Walking under an umbrella with a high school girl of the same age is quite a novel experience.

"Ge Lanlan, do you have Senior Chu Guyin's contact information?"

"In this kind of atmosphere, you ask the girl you're sharing an umbrella with about another girl?!"

Ge Lanlan quickly shed her shyness at not daring to look up at me, and turned into a huffing rage.

"No, no. My senior and I are in the same club. She's a very responsible person. I'm worried that she might overthink things if she sees it raining suddenly after leaving campus."

Regardless of whether I came back specifically because of you, I still want to handle things as properly as possible.

"Oh, I see." Grandland probably realized that her reaction just now was a bit too excited, and turned her head slightly away.

"I don't have one, but I think the class monitor should have one. He's in charge of some club affairs in the student council."

"Then could you please help me contact the class monitor..."

"You don't even have the class monitor's contact information?!"

Well, how should I put it? The original "Ning Ruoyu" only cared about girls' contact information and had absolutely no interest in boys. And most of those girls quickly blocked him, so I didn't really have anyone to contact.