Fourth Period Is Modern Chinese (Continued)

In short, the atmosphere around us relaxed again.

That was all well and good, but the sight of these four chatting and laughing together was incredibly eye-catching. They were by no means flashy, yet full of charm.

They stood out way too much...

I kept feeling like someone was standing at the entrance, peeking over here.

Aside from the fact that things were a little noisy right now, all four of them were strikingly attractive. The kind of people who made your gaze drift toward them whenever you spotted them on the street.

Thanks to them, my presence became even fainter. I was a shadow... But the stronger the light, the deeper the shadow, and the better it brought out the brilliance of the light...

Note: A line spoken by Tetsuya Kuroko, the protagonist of Kuroko's Basketball.

With nothing to do, I decided to become a Kuroko through and through. Though the phrase "become a Kuroko through and through" made me think of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.

Note: A Japanese entertainer.

I did not join the conversation, turning into a machine that did nothing but raise coffee to its mouth, and before I knew it, I had drained the whole cup.

The timing was perfect. I could use that as an excuse to slip away smoothly.

"Sorry, I'll be right back..."

I gave the others a brief notice and quickly rose from my seat.

It was not because I had anything to do.

Normally, when you were eating at a café or restaurant and said, "I'll be right back...," most people understood that you were going to the restroom. They usually would not stop you, allowing you to leave your seat perfectly naturally.

That was probably why, when meeting someone, people chose to drink diuretic beverages like tea, coffee, or alcohol.

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