The Fourth Class Is Modern Chinese (Continued)

My voice growing quieter and my puzzled frown probably reflected exactly what I was thinking.

When Yukino noticed, she let out an "Ah" and covered her mouth. Her hand gradually moved up to hide her entire face. Then she silently looked away and murmured, "I thought we were applying to the same one."

She spoke in a faint, halting voice, her cheeks instantly turning crimson. But I had no intention of blaming her for anything. I could feel my own face getting incredibly hot too.

"No, I mean, going to the same one is fine... But this kind of thing depends on personal preference. Or rather, it depends on whether the style suits your taste. That's just my opinion, though."

I rattled off a long string of words in a panic, while Yukino listened and nodded. That seemed to calm her down a little.

She adjusted her posture, smoothed out her skirt, ran her fingers through the hair hanging over her shoulders, and straightened her back.

"It wasn't as though I hadn't considered that..."

After that opening remark, she took a quiet breath and continued at high speed:

"To maintain motivation, one should value the environment. I believe your opinion is quite sound. Therefore, I also intend to prioritize the environment."

"Y-You're right..."

Why was she speaking so politely to me...? It made me accidentally respond in polite speech too.

"When considering the environment..."

Yukino, who had been speaking so clearly just moments ago, suddenly fell silent.

What was wrong? I asked with my eyes. Yukino gave a slight shake of her head and muttered, "Um..." as if she were worrying over how to phrase it. While fixing her bangs, she continued:

"When considering the environment, um, I think attending the same cram school would make it easier to stay