Chapter 37 – Yukio-kun is incredible

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At the start of a new week, just outside the first-year teaching building, Yukio's solitary figure stood out in the quiet surroundings. Despite being close to class time, he strolled leisurely, unconcerned about being late. In fact, he was reflecting that it might have been better to arrive even later, perhaps after the first class.

Entering the building to change his shoes at the classroom shoe rack, Yukio unexpectedly noticed a girl from another class standing motionless in front of her shoe rack, her long pink hair cascading down her back, occasionally fluttering with the breeze, releasing a sweet fragrance. Some damp strands clung to her elegant neck, suggesting she had washed her hair early in the morning and was running late due to the time it took to dry it.

Recognizing the girl brimming with radiant energy, Yukio called out, "Ichinose?" She turned around holding a pink envelope sealed with a red heart-shaped sticker, though it's already been opened. It's apparent to anyone that it's a love letter.

"You're quite popular," Yukio joked, surprised to stumble upon such an interesting scene during his usual late arrival.

"Yukio-kun..." Ichinose seemed a bit embarrassed, not knowing whether to put away the love letter in her hand or hide it. It was extremely awkward.

Fortunately, she quickly overcame her shyness and forced a laugh to change the subject: "Sorry, Yukio-kun, I asked my classmates to help look for any potential witnesses this weekend, but no one was near the small forest outside the second gym at that time."

Yukio reassured her, "You don't need to worry about the witness. Our class already found them and negotiated to delete the photos."

Hearing this, Ichinose visibly relaxed, her relief evident even from behind the shoe racks. Her genuine desire to help other classes without any ulterior motives, driven purely by the wish to assist her peers, made Yukio shake his head while changing his shoes. Indeed, the Class B leader seemed too naive, and her classmates, united around her, appeared equally innocent.

Class C had frequently provoked Class B, yet under Ichinose's guidance, her classmates responded to these challenges with kindness and earnest assistance.

This is quite sigh-inducing. Whether it's the naive Ichinose or the pure-hearted Class B, they are inevitably going to encounter insurmountable challenges in this somewhat cold-hearted school.

"Yukio-kun, you saw it, didn't you?" Just as he silently sighed, pondering that goodness doesn't always bring good rewards, Ichinose's voice tinged with shyness once again pierced through the shoe locker, reaching his ears.

"That love letter?" Yukio did not pretend to be dumb or confused, as it was not his style: "Indeed, I saw it. But don't worry, unless there's a class competition coming up and I need to use this to disrupt your mood, I won't spread it around."

Consider this a small response to Ichinose's feeble act of kindness. Yukio could understand the goodness of Ichinose and Class B, but he couldn't support it from the bottom of his heart.

But undeniably, such people do tend to elicit a favorable impression, making one take care of small things that don't involve personal interests.

"Eh? Eh!" Ichinose was completely unprepared for Yukio's response, which clearly exceeded her expectations: "Just like that, Yukio-kun, you've already thought so far ahead?"

"You've already thought of using this love letter to attack our class?" Ichinose's tone was somewhat incredulous, not sure whether to admire Yukio's strategical ability or lament his calmness.

"What else should I be thinking about?" Yukio, having changed into his indoor shoes during their brief conversation, casually knocked each foot on the ground before closing his locker, ready to head upstairs.

Seeing this, Ichinose followed him, seemingly having put the love letter into her backpack: "Like, like romance or something? Isn't that the first thing most people think of when they see a love letter?"

"Let's hypothesize for a moment. Yukio-kun, if you found a love letter in your locker, what would be the first thing you'd think of?" Ichinose seemed genuinely curious about such matters, her sparkling eyes full of interest, her cheeks even a faint blush.

It was hard to see her as the leader of Class B, more like a shy young girl.

"Me?" Yukio, finding the walk dull, decided to engage in the conversation, looking back at his locker before facing forward again: "First, I'd have someone investigate who sent it, to see if there's any conspiracy."

"..." Ichinose blinked, then blinked again, creating a kind of high-frequency flicker, her smile turning rather forced: "Yukio-kun, you really do have... unique ways of thinking."

"Then, then!" After complimenting his unique thinking, Ichinose still didn't give up: "What if, after your investigation, you find out it's a genuine love letter with no hidden schemes?"

"?" Yukio looked at Ichinose, his eyes almost saying 'how can someone ask such a silly question': "Genuine? Then it depends on whether I like it or not. If I like it, I

accept it; if I don't, I reject it."

"Um." Ichinose, under Yukio's scrutinizing gaze, seemed quite sheepish: "Then, what if the sender is a very good friend of Yukio-kun, and rejecting it might hurt the friendship?"

"For example, like Ryuen-kun from Class C. If Ryuen-kun confessed his feelings to Yukio-kun..." 

"Stop, stop." Not allowing Ichinose to finish, Yukio interrupted with a rare sweat on his forehead, wondering what Ichinose was talking about. A confession from Ryuen? That's too absurd, just the thought of it was utterly hair-raising.

He quickly cut off Ichinose, seriously clarifying the point: "First of all, you do realize that despite Ryuen's shoulder-length hair, he is a boy, right?"

"Of course, I know that." Ichinose felt it was absurdly obvious. Who wouldn't know Ryuen is a boy?

Now it was Yukio's turn to fall silent. Recalling the pink envelope received by Ichinose and her 'strange hypothesis', Yukio gradually figured it out: "Ichinose, was that love letter you received from a girl?"

"..." As if in a relay race of silence, the baton was passed to Ichinose, who became silent, but her increasingly crimson cheeks sincerely revealed that Yukio's guess was correct.

Well, high school girls these days sure are something!

"Yukio-kun, what do you think, what should I do?" Ichinose seemed to have made up her mind, since she was already guessed, she didn't beat around the bush but openly sought advice, consulting her own troubles.

"The same as before, if you don't like them, reject them." Yukio didn't change his mind because of these complicated matters: "I always prioritize my own feelings, so I'm resolute in this, even if it destroys a friendship."

"If a friendship can be destroyed that easily, it's not worth cherishing in the first place."

"You're, you're right." Ichinose seemed unable to accept this self-prioritizing approach. She verbally agreed, but her furrowed brows showed her inner conflict.

Observing the troubled Ichinose, Yukio sighed quietly to himself: "Alright, I'll give you another reason. Only by graduating from Class A can one fulfill all their employment and academic aspirations."

"In other words, not dating before reaching Class A is a good excuse to fend off romance."

Upon hearing this, Ichinose's eyes lit up. Indeed! This approach could tactfully reject a good friend without hurting the friendship: "Yukio-kun, you're so smart! To think of this!"

But then, Ichinose became a bit anxious and worried: "But, but what if we really make it to Class A..."

"Heh." This time, Yukio didn't sigh covertly or offer help. Instead, he took a sharp turn towards Class C, leaving behind a chuckling sound: "With me here, Class A can only be ours."

Watching Yukio's retreating figure, hearing his spirited and forceful words like clashing swords, Ichinose couldn't help but freeze, left with a single sentiment in her heart: 'Yukio-kun, he really is an incredible guy.'

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