The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

*Maybe there will be some unconventional methods later?

"Snapped--!"

"Karin-san?!"

Why did I suddenly slap myself again? Did something terrible happen to me that kept me awake in the middle of the night after I told that hellish joke online? No, why did I bring up my own past experiences...

Then who is this person and why would he slap himself twice without doing anything?!

Pingxin was extremely distressed and his brain couldn't think.

"Well...anyway, just do the test first. If there are any problems you can't solve, you can ask me after you finish it - you can also ask me outside of studying, right?" Ping Xin coaxed.

"Okay... Sensi (teacher), please guide me!"

Just like that, with Ping Xin still confused, today's tutoring session began -

Ping Xin was still writing something that Hua Lin couldn't understand on the manuscript paper, just like in class during the day, but this time it was not Chinese characters but Victorian language.

Looking at the profile of Ping Xin immersed in his work, under the crimson light of the setting sun, gave people a strong sense of distortion, as if he would disappear forever into the darkness the moment the sun set - Hua Lin shook her head and discarded those strange fantasies, but she still felt that men who were serious were the most...

"Snapped--!"

"Hara Rin?!"

Ordinary letters immersed in writing are like a child who sneaks into the study at night, puts on headphones to play on the computer, and suddenly finds someone standing behind him. He is easily frightened.

"I'm sorry... I kept you waiting for so long. Now I'll mark the papers and you can take a break..."

"Karin, you must have seen me so focused that you didn't have the heart to disturb me, right? You're a very gentle person, after all (laughs). After praising him in his heart, Hirayuko took the six papers from the table and began to mark them based on the answers he remembered."

No, at this point, how could I say something like, "I was just so fascinated by your profile that I forgot the time and didn't remind you it was late"? At this moment, Hua Lin's heart was filled with guilt... When she thought of the test paper she had just done, the guilt in Hua Lin's heart became even heavier, almost making her want to scream.

…Ah ...

Hua Lin's heart was wailing silently——

I guess a stupid woman like me would definitely be disliked by Ping Xin, right? After all, he looks very smart, but I'm really not good at studying...

Karin slumped limply on the table, the soft mass of her breasts distorting dramatically from this tiny movement. Hirayuki, who had been observing her out of the corner of his eye, twitched. He had been paying attention to Karin only to stop her from slapping him again, but he'd inexplicably seen something interesting...

No, we are providing healthy tutoring, and this is a school!

Pingxin, Pingxin, how could you look at your precious friend in that way?!

Back off, demon within me!

Under the action of the ripples, the desk, which was originally tilted due to an extremely hard "leg", quietly returned to its original "calm" state.

Ripple, it's really powerful.

Praise the ripples, the wave gate!

Probably pass.jpg

Chapter 4000: Believe ()

Kadotate Karin, who had been observing Hiranobu the entire time, naturally noticed the change in his expression before and after grading the papers.

As expected... Although I know the results will be terrible, it shouldn't be so bad that people will suddenly realize the truth after reading it, right?! I'm definitely going to be hated by people now...

"Well—let me ask you a few questions first."

"...Please ask, Hiraishin Sensi (teacher)!"

Seeing her attitude, Heishin nodded. While Karin's grades were abysmal, she was a diligent and motivated child. If her attitude wasn't a problem, then was it her method or something else that was wrong?

"...What time do you usually get home?"

Hmm? Could this question be related to studying? Karin didn't know why Hirayobu asked, but she answered honestly, "Usually after school, I go out with Asuna or work part-time. When I get home...it's usually around 7pm."

Okay, Out!

Not everyone can go to school and work intensively while continuing to study after returning home.

Like many working professionals, it's not that they don't want to learn and improve themselves or relax with games after returning home, but rather that their work and social life during the day have already consumed a significant amount of their energy. Hardcore gamers like Shirogane Miyuki, the protagonist of a famous work, are probably only found in manga. In real life, they'd probably die suddenly or prematurely, unless there were some kind of supernatural force like Ripple intervening that defied common sense...

"Are you short of money, Karin? If you can't balance studying and working, I suggest you give up your part-time job."

When asked this question, Hua Lin's body stiffened noticeably.

"Well...it's not like I'm really short of money, but if I rely on my family every time I go out with Asuna...look—we're already in high school...it wouldn't be good, would it?"

Well...it was obviously a lie! Because Hana Rin was someone who rarely lied, so in Ping Xin's vision, her whole body was full of visible flaws, the kind that even a handful of rice chicken on the keyboard could break four of them in a second.

"Oh... By the way, what are your specific results this time?" Ping Xin asked tentatively.

Shengxiang Middle School's exam rankings have always been ranked, not specifically the scores, to protect students' basic privacy. Besides, someone was so confident they'd never even looked at the rankings. So, while Pingxin was mentally prepared and didn't know exactly what Hua Lin's first monthly exam score would be, he could get a rough idea just by looking at her poorly scored, riddled paper.

"I... Of course I passed all the exams. Although it's just barely (whispering)..."

Um--

It was just beyond Pingxin's expectations. After all, people who usually do well on tests don't hide their feelings; people with average scores don't hesitate. Only those who usually say they're okay will hover between average and below average. As for those who said they passed this time—

That probably means it's just passing, without any extra water!

*The above only represents Pingxin’s personal views

"...What is called a phenomenon in which prices in a country fall and overall economic activity slumps?"

"I know this question - it's dystopia!" Hua Lin, who was suddenly asked the question, answered subconsciously.

It's deflation, right? Heishin suddenly felt a surge of helplessness. This should be basic common sense, right, Karin-san?! Hmm...why don't we consider temporarily changing our goal from improving grades to passing all exams and not repeating a grade?

"Of course I can't say that..." Ping Xin's brain was trembling as he muttered to himself.

"...Ping Xin? Did I really answer wrong?"

Seeing Ping Xin covering his forehead with his hands, Hua Lin felt a little flustered. Although she cared about her grades, she was now more worried that the person in front of her would dislike her.

"No, I just wanted to cheer myself up and adjust my mood, so I was just thinking about giving myself a 'brain hole'...Haha, this was just a joke--"

No, but your expression doesn't look like a joke at all?!

"Karin...what is your purpose in studying?"

If you hear answers like "Yanguo students go to a good university, get a good major, find a good job" here, you will decisively choose to adopt the cramming education method. If you only regard learning and exams as a means, then this is the best way to improve your grades (lower limit).

"My first dream is to open a coffee shop, and my second dream is to become a virtuous person..."

Hua Lin blushed when she realized that she almost accidentally blew herself up, but it was not obvious under the setting sun.

"Although I didn't quite catch the second dream...but the first dream can be achieved as long as you have money, right? I want to know if studying is just for the sake of dealing with parents and teachers, or if it's for the joy of learning, or if there's a more specific goal like what university you want to get into."

"...I--"

"Please think about it carefully, for your own future--" Ping Xin interrupted Hua Lin.

"..."

So, why did I go to high school here, and why did I often study until after midnight...

Ah, so that's how it is. Kadodashi Karin now remembers—

In this world, the individual named Kadotake Karin had been fatherless since birth. The man who had given her a skin color that made her look so unpleasant that she didn't fit in with the others around her vanished the next day after learning she was pregnant. The idiotic woman, pregnant to the point of having to give birth, became a mother without anyone's blessing. This was the beginning of an unblessed birth.

Ever since Hana Rin could remember, the woman she was supposed to be her mother had always been a self-destructive person. With no education, her salary was barely enough to survive after paying off her monthly debts, barely enough for the two of them to survive. In this situation, the woman chose the easiest way: to exploit her young body.

For the time being, they still held on to the last bottom line. The woman who worked in the nightclub would not return home drunk until early morning every day. The only care she gave to the other little resident in the house was the simple routine of "Have you eaten?" But at least she could have a full meal, which was a good thing for her at that time.

Who knew that going to primary school was the real beginning of her tragedy——

I've said it from the beginning, in the East Country where collectivism is valued, even if your dominant hand is different from others, it could be a reason for being excluded, let alone a brown-skinned girl like Hua Lin.

Her subsequent school life was similar to that of Ping Xin in her previous life, and similar to that of Ping Xin in this life, but the difference was that, aside from being taller and slightly better developed, she had no outstanding skills. Her only expertise lay in the housework she had learned while caring for her biological mother. She had neither the spiritual support of the old dean in her previous life, nor the opportunity to change herself like Ping Xin had.

It was like this until the day I met Asuna.

"Yaho—I heard there's a different kid here, is that you?"

The girl named Ichinose Asuna forcefully broke into her world while saying some very rude words.

From then on, her world was no longer the dark night, because she finally met her own sun.

Because of meeting Asuna, she made her first friend.

Because she met Asuna, she started to study hard. Despite being extremely bad at studying, she managed to rise from the bottom of the class to a level that met the requirements for internal admission to Shengxiang Middle School (the grades for graduates who studied in the junior high school for three years are lower than those outside the school).

It was because of meeting Asuna that she decided to separate from that woman and started working alone and living in a small, old, cheap apartment.

It was Asuna who first illuminated her world, it was Asuna who became the goal she pursued, it was Asuna who gave her the opportunity to change herself. Even if she didn't do anything out of the desire to help her, it was enough. After all... the sun only needs to be there for people to feel the light and warmth -

"I...I want to be with Asuna! If she goes to college, I want to go to the same university. If she wants to study abroad, I want to go with her. I want to spend the rest of her school life with her, and even work, get married, and have children with her in the future!"

Hua Lin became more and more excited as she spoke, her body naturally leaning forward, and her eyes were burning with fighting spirit.

In order to capture the other person's feelings, Ping Xin had to endure the condemnation of his conscience while forcing himself to look at Hua Lin. In order to inspire Hua Lin's fighting spirit, he used a little trick just now.

It’s just that… although the beautiful girl stickers are very good, this… isn’t it a bit heavy?

However, it is always a good thing to have a goal. Even empty goals such as wanting to be rich, wanting to be respected, and wanting to be popular are much better than having nothing.

"...You should already know how bad your grades are, right? For someone who says 40 points is enough (passing), how can you possibly live up to your 'big talk'?"

Pingxin crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, looking back at Karin without hesitation. Since he had accepted the responsibility of being a Sensi (teacher), he would stick to it to the end.

"I know how useless I am, and how unreasonable this is... but please, Sensi, please guide me!"

Thank you for your letter, which reminded me of my origin.

Black pupils and golden pupils, two pairs of eyes burning with conviction, seemed to clash in the air, as if playing a blinking game. But in the end, the self-proclaimed genius player D, Ping Xinxian, was defeated in this blinking game.

So why are the buttons of school uniform shirts unbuttoned?!

I don’t know where to look anymore, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Although the appearance of a virgin is embarrassing, fortunately, Bo Wen has preserved the man's last dignity——

Ripple, is it you who protected me? You are so powerful!

Pomen, my Superman!

"Being able to say 'I need help' is actually a very important skill... Just being able to identify your goals and work hard towards them is already a rare achievement... Even though your foundation is shattered like a crumbling building, you should have worked hard towards it in junior high, right?

After all, if you were really that bad, you wouldn't be able to get into Shengxiang's high school, so you can be more confident -

You’ve done a great job!”

Ping Xin showed a shy smile, an expression that Hua Lin had never seen before. Now, an unprecedented excitement echoed in her heart, a strong impulse in her heart and brain.

"Hey, hey, don't cry... Why do you always cry when we're alone? Whether it's last time at my house or today, doesn't this make me look like a bad guy who bullies a cute girl?

Cheer up, Karin, I won't show any mercy from now on, okay?

The man tried to cheer her up by making a weird face, but Hua Lin's tears kept falling.

Why do you do this to me?

"If you really want to study, you and Asuna should hang out less often, and you should reconsider your part-time job... How about I introduce you to a new part-time job? It's definitely better than your previous one."

"..."

Hua Lin shed tears. Besides Asuna, Heishin was the first person who unilaterally paid for her. Hua Lin wanted to break free, wanted to say that she was fine, wanted to say that she could do it, but she could never overcome that warmth.

Ping Xin's flame was cold, burning on its own terms, producing only false light and heat as a byproduct. This flame was undoubtedly a "false object," incapable of, and unable to do, anything beyond the "basics," something ingrained in his bones like the "mask" he had cultivated in his previous life.

His "kindness" was not intentional. It was just a shackle he put on himself to repay the old dean's kindness, and a "mutation" that occurred in order to adapt to this society. Without proper guidance, Pingxin didn't even dare to imagine what kind of person he would become.

Although it would be better this way, it wouldn't hurt anyone, and it would occasionally give me some "rewards". But... I still want it.

I want my own home, my own warmth, my own sun and moon.

But unfortunately, he failed to do anything in his previous life and ended up here inexplicably. He didn't even have any "reasons" like crossing through a toilet, being hit by a dump truck, or dying for others. He just ended up here in the blink of an eye.

He didn't even know if he was dead or if this was all a dream. His "reproduction" was as brutal and unreasonable as everyone else's birth, a one-way ticket with no return and no aftersales.

But he discovered here that people can live like this... It turns out that -

You don’t have to be alone!

So, he lowered his head along with the old dean at school. The boy who had put on headphones on that rainy day was gone. This could be considered a true farewell, a complete and final death, because even the last person in the world who remembered him had abandoned him.

This time he wanted to live, this time he wanted to abandon his rationality, this time he wanted to try to believe with all his heart, to hold on to the end——

"Come to think of it...I didn't get to show it to you before due to various coincidences."