Real teaching, hypocritical gray life

"I should be the one apologizing. I have troubled Luo Jun too much."

After being slightly embarrassed, Ichinose reported what he had just done.

"I don't mind."

"Um............"

"Anyway, let's put other things aside for later, and finish dinner quickly. The atmosphere has cooled down quite a bit because of the conversation just now."

“That’s true.”

Ichinose smiled awkwardly.

Then the two of us quickly finished the remaining ramen.

Since Ichinose brought the dinner specially, I was too embarrassed to bother her with the dirty work. After arranging for her to rest on the sofa, I cleaned the dishes and did other miscellaneous work in the kitchen.

When I walked back to the living room, I happened to bump into Ichinose who was about to get up.

Judging from Ichinose's previous visits, she would not choose to leave within a few minutes after eating. Unless I actively drove her away, Ichinose would stay here for at least one to two hours.

Of course, considering the special circumstances now, Ichinose has to spend more time dealing with his academic problems and chooses to leave early.

However, at the moment, I think Ichinose would be more inclined to the other situation.

"Are you feeling a little cold? If so, let me close the window."

"Eh, um, well......"

Although the evening breeze after mid-October is not bitterly cold, it can still make people feel a little chilly.

The floor is almost dry.

In addition, it is almost time to go to bed, so it is better to keep the dormitory warm.

Because of my obstruction, Ichinose staggered and finally fell on the sofa.

During this time, I also completed the task of closing the doors and windows.

Unlike the ceiling in the dormitory room, the sky outside the window was a deep dark cloud. I looked into the depths of the darkness and finally closed the curtains.

When I turned around, Ichinose was looking at me with a strange look in his eyes.

"............What happened, suddenly............"

"No, I just think Luo Jun is unexpectedly considerate in some aspects."

"Ah, are you talking about closing the windows? Actually, it's just because I think the night wind is a bit cold tonight, and the floor of the room is almost dry."

After much hesitation, I decided to respond in an unpleasant way, which would probably make me more straightforward.

"Well, was Luojun doing some spring cleaning before I got here?"

"It was just mopping the floor. It wasn't that serious."

"Isn't this kind of thing a troublesome thing for Luo Jun?"

"For me, any work that requires effort is troublesome, and I also use the energy consumption to determine the degree of trouble."

"Haha, if you need me, I can come and help."

"That's great. I'll trouble you Ichinose then."

"You're welcome...... But having said that, Luo Jun, using this kind of thing as a reason to respond won't please girls."

As expected, Ichinose seemed somewhat dissatisfied with what I said.

"Is Ichinose mocking me for not having any relationships with the opposite sex?"

"Of course not. Luo Jun still has a lot of charm."

Not only was the rebuttal quick, but even the tone was unexpectedly firm.

I suddenly wanted to know the basis on which Ichinose could make such a decisive judgment.

But when one is in a normal mood, it is difficult to express the reason, let alone in front of the person concerned.

Such behavior cannot escape the punishment of shame.

However, I can use this opportunity to ask Ichinose about another matter.

"By the way, can I hear what Ichinose has to say about my appearance?"

"Eh, appearance?"

"Yes, but it's not a description. It's specifically about the feeling it brings to a person... For example, will my current appearance give Ichinose a bad intention?"

"He, he has evil intentions... Is Luo Jun planning to do something to me?"

Although Ichinose made this guess, he actually did not take it seriously. He did not put his hands in front of his chest to make a defensive posture. At most, there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"No, if I do something bad to Ichinose here, Ichinose will definitely hate me for the rest of my life. In addition, I will have to accept punishment from the school. No matter from which perspective, I don't want things to develop to that point. I just want to simply ask for feelings, whether it's Ichinose's or someone else's."

“I see…”

Is it my imagination?

Why did I hear a hint of.........pity in Ichinose's sigh?

"The feeling Luo Jun gives me is, well, he has no bad intentions, well, he is very reliable, and also very...handsome. Well...anyway, it depends on the situation at the time."

Ichinose said this and turned away with a blushing face.

Reliable and handsome............?

I rubbed my cheek in self-doubt at these two words. This was probably not an evaluation in the objective sense.

"Why did Luo Jun suddenly ask this question?"

"............Generally speaking, boys want to know how they are regarded by girls, right?"

"You, especially the girl you like?"

“Is that about the same feeling?”

I hesitated a little before answering this question. I am not sure whether this metaphor is correct, but I really want to know more about other people's evaluation of me.

"............Luo Jun's answer feels like a perfunctory answer."

Ichinose was dissatisfied with my answer.

"I'm sorry, I haven't figured this out myself... Anyway, just treat it as my curiosity."

“I’m a little concerned.”

No matter how much Ichinose cares, I can't clearly describe my current mental state.

However, Ichinose soon gave up his obsession in this regard.

Seeing that I was walking towards the kitchen and had no intention of sitting down, he asked again.

"Haven't you finished the kitchen chores yet?"

"It's already been taken care of. I'm just going to get some dessert after dinner."

"Dessert after dinner?"

In order to solve Ichinose's confusion as quickly as possible, I decided to speed up my pace.

Although this would ruin my breakfast plans for tomorrow, I would just have to go to the convenience store as usual.

After taking the dessert out of the refrigerator, I returned to the living room.

"This is for Ichinose."

"Is this... Tiramisu?"

Inside the box was the tiramisu that I bought at the cafe in the afternoon.

"Ah."

I agreed and handed the fork and spoon to Ichinose.

After taking it, Ichinose looked at me blankly.

"Any questions?"

"Um... Luo Jun doesn't want to eat?"

I see. Are you restricted by the single-portion tableware?

"I finished one this afternoon, so this whole thing is Ichinose's... I think you can eat it, right?"

“The portion is a bit big.”

Ichinose stared at the dessert in front of her with a cute expression.

"Are you worried about the calories? It's okay to eat once in a while at night. Besides, considering Ichinose's figure, she will only become cuter even if she gains weight."

"Please, please don't talk about this so easily. It will bother me."

"I'm just telling the truth."

"Not even if it's the truth!"

"Sorry, it's my problem."

"............But since Luo Jun has said so............"

Ichinose slowly scooped a small spoonful into his mouth.

"Doesn't it taste good?"

“It’s delicious…ah.”

After scooping a few more spoonfuls, Ichinose suddenly exclaimed.

"There should be no reason for Luo Jun to buy dessert after dinner, so... did I eat the cake that Luo Jun originally had for breakfast?"

Ah, it's a shame that Ichinose could think of this.

"Please don't take it to heart. One tiramisu can't satisfy my appetite for breakfast, so I need to go to the school cafeteria or convenience store anyway."

“But I’m a little embarrassed.”

"Consider this as my compensation to Ichinose later."

"compensate?"

"After all, Ichinose will have a lot of study to do starting tomorrow, so there won't be much time left for relaxing like this."

"That's right."

Ichinose nodded, confirming what I said.

As a result, she cherished the small piece of cake in her hand even more.

Chapter 192 What I Cast

"I won't be attending tomorrow's study session."

When the time was almost right, I told Ichinose, who was still sipping tiramisu beside me, about the decision I had made not long ago.

Ichinose did not express much surprise at this, instead, understanding was the majority of his emotion.

"I see. Luo-kun, are you going to participate in any other activities tomorrow?"

"Oh, sorry, that was a mistake in my expression. I meant that I will not attend the study sessions later."

"So... Hey, eh, why?"

Ichinose even stopped using the fork and spoon in his hand and stared at me intently.

“Why… If I attend the study session, the burden on Ichinose will become even heavier.”

"It's totally fine for Luo-kun to be alone. Didn't I tell you before? Intermittent study is better than short-term intensive study. Study sessions will only be held seven or eight times before the final exam. Also, I know Luo-kun's tendencies and countermeasures, so it won't cause any trouble."

"Then you should exclude me. Hand me over to someone else, so that Ichinose can have more time to review."

"No problem. As the semester approaches the end, not only club activities but also the student union will ask for a break, so it's easy to negotiate on time."

I remember that the club stopped its activities on November 11th, and the final exam was on December 27th... seven days?

This seems to indicate that there is plenty of time and it cannot be used as an excuse to shirk responsibility.

Then I can only look for the reason in myself.