Chapter 233
The next day, Wednesday.
Early in the morning, Ogura Asahi arrived at Haneoka, beginning his search for a naive girl who loved collecting pebbles.
Wearing a mask, she silently observed from the rooftop of the teaching building.
He would only come to the rooftop during breaks between classes.
During class, he would wander around this unfamiliar campus, expanding his cognitive map so that he could do some naughty things later.
Two breaks had passed, but he still hadn't seen the other person.
If things continue like this, who knows if we'll encounter such a coincidence today? After all, even she can't be looking for pebbles every day.
If he doesn't run into her, he'll just have to wait until next time—next time he'll go straight to the Astronomy Club's classroom and give her a good scare!
Sure enough, after a morning break, he still didn't see her in the courtyard or playground of Haneoka; she must have been in the classroom the whole time.
Is it really that much of a coincidence...?
He wasn't too disappointed by this situation, which he had anticipated. As the bell rang for the end of the fourth period, he, who was strolling in the corridor of the club building, suddenly turned around and headed towards the stairwell.
Before the afternoon activities begin, he has one last thing to do here—eat!
It must be said that the educational environment at Haneoka is indeed much better than that at Hanasakigawa.
Not only is the campus itself incredibly large, but even the magnificent cafeteria he just visited is enough to make anyone lose their way!
Students who excel in the entrance exam are given special treatment and tuition waivers. At the same time, students' individuality is respected, and they are allowed to dye their hair and wear earrings, etc.
In addition, each student can enjoy lunch for free on campus by presenting their student ID card!
Ah, this treatment... No wonder Hanasakigawa chose this place instead of Toyokawa Shoko after escaping the Tsukinomori.
For the average student, this is arguably the ideal school, combining the elegance and nobility of Tsukinomori (though with many rules) with the openness and freedom of Hanasakigawa (though with average facilities).
Unfortunately, he wasn't an ordinary student; he was just an insignificant passerby who wanted to pursue freedom.
Hmm, what should we eat for lunch today?
Even though he only has a school uniform and no student ID, he should be able to buy lunch with money, right?
If all else fails, use your charm and money to get other students to give you their lunch!
As for ordering... fries are a must-order, after all, it was the former Student Council president, Hikawa Hina, who strongly promoted it and added it to the cafeteria's menu.
This genius's way of doing things is just like her verbal tic—she babbles incessantly.
[Note: "Ru" is the catchphrase of Hikawa, one of the Hikawa Hina twins, and roughly means "high." It also appears in the first episode of MyGO when they look through her notebook in the Astronomy Club.]
With her Hands behind her back, Ogura Asahi hummed softly to music, her school uniform skirt swaying slightly as she walked nimbly towards the cafeteria with her perfectly proportioned body.
Chapter 287 Students should skip class and go on dates!
After ordering the Hikawa sisters' favorite French fries and a burger and cola combo, Ogura Asahi began to survey the vast cafeteria.
After searching for a full five minutes with the food in hand, I finally found the blue-haired figure I was looking for.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" Ogura Asahi approached the table where Toyokawa Shoko was sitting, smiling and looking down at her as he inquired.
"Ah," although he hadn't taken off his mask, Toyokawa Shoko still recognized him by his striking white hair. After a slight hesitation, she said, "Please make yourself at home, Ogura- senpai."
"Thank you." Ogura Asahi sat down opposite her without any hesitation.
To understand why Toyokawa Shoko calls him "senpai," we need to go back to Haneoka's school uniform system.
In Haneoka Junior High, the ties and skirts are all purple, but in the Senior High, the first-year students wear green, the second-year students wear blue, and the third-year students wear brown, so you can tell each other's grade at a glance.
It's rare to find this special system here, so when choosing her school uniform, Ogura Asahi thought it would be fun and specifically chose the brown uniform for third graders.
In this way, even if a bunch of first- and second-graders had questions, they wouldn't dare to ask him anything when he was walking around the school!
He could also have Chihaya Aine and the others call him "senpai," letting him experience what it's like to be a senior. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
As for what happens if they find out later—so what? Enjoy it first!
He looked at Toyokawa Shoko, who seemed a little nervous and whose eyes were darting around, and narrowed his snow-white eyes slightly.
Although I told her yesterday that she could call him "classmate," she's still a very polite child. Or is she worried about being retaliated against by him?
"I didn't expect to see you again so soon. How were the snacks yesterday?" Ogura Asahi started the conversation.
Toyokawa Shoko paused, scooping up a spoonful of chicken cutlet rice, a look of reminiscence on her face, drool dripping from her mouth. "Hey, it was delicious! Thank you for sending me those."
Recalling the delicious snacks she had for dinner last night, she still felt a little unsatisfied, and the lunch in front of her didn't seem appetizing at all.
Such delicious desserts were something she rarely got to eat before.
She was surprised to learn that the other person had cooked it themselves. Their culinary skills... were they really a student from their school? She would have believed it if they said they were from the culinary school next door.
Moreover, her Piano skills are superb. Such a multi-talented person, coupled with that stunning appearance—she seems even more like the young lady desu wa than she is.
No, she's no longer a young lady; she's not worthy of being compared to others at all.
She tightened her grip on the spoon, a hint of melancholy flashing in her eyes.
"Thank you for the compliment. I didn't bring any today. If we meet again another day, I'll give you a few more." Ogura Asahi's lips curled into a slight smile as she thought of something amusing.
His craftsmanship might be attractive to others, but for her, that attraction also comes with the allure of money.
After all, it can at least save her the cost of one or two meals—just thinking about it makes me happy.
Hey, this once pampered young lady has now fallen so low that she can't even afford to eat, all because she's following her father. It's enough to make several movies about this.
However, one has to commend her courage and filial piety. It's just unknown how long she can hold on in the face of Toyokawa Kiyotaka's dejected state.
That girl still had money to buy alcohol—did she have money in her pocket, or did she use money she earned from her part-time job?
Considering the rent and utilities of the small, run-down house, it should be the former, otherwise even if Toyokawa Shoko worked part-time for several hours every day, she still couldn't afford it.
He dipped the fries in ketchup and popped them into his mouth one by one. Hmm, they've been sitting for a while and the flavor is a bit off...
"I never expected that Ogura- senpai would like fast food. It's really surprising."
"I wouldn't say I particularly like it, but in Haneoka, it's a must-try delicacy."
"Victory Food?"
"Yes, last year's Student Council President pushed for reforms, adding fast food items to the original menu. The occasional regular buffet is also something she pioneered."
"I see. I wasn't enrolled last year, so I'm not really sure," Toyokawa Shoko, somewhat surprised.
Hearing these secrets known only to the "older generation," I became even more convinced of his seniority.
"Also worth mentioning is that she's the guitarist for Pastel Palettes."
"Ah, it's that professional idol band..." She seemed to have heard of them before.
If we're talking about which band is the busiest, it's undoubtedly Pastel Palettes.
As a professional band that started out on a career path, the members included well-known child stars, models, idol trainees, record producers, and geniuses like Hikawa Hina.
Every day, they are overwhelmed with various local advertisements, variety shows, live broadcasts, interviews, and other work. They also have to balance band practice and composing and writing lyrics. The workload is comparable to that of Sumimi. It's something that most people can't handle.
"Don't just talk about me, Toyokawa-kun is the same."
"I?"
"Hmm, you don't give off the impression of someone who would eat fried chicken in the cafeteria—you're more like an elegant young lady."
"..." After a moment of silence, her voice was low and hoarse. "That's your imagination. I'm just an ordinary student."
"Really? But that's not important. What's important is that I feel very relaxed talking to you."
"I'm not having an easy time at all," Toyokawa Shoko thought to herself as she ate her meal with her head down.
"That's all for now. I have something to do this afternoon, so I'll be leaving early. See you next time!" After finishing her fries and burger, and downing the rest of her cola in one gulp, Ogura Asahi picked up her tray and said.
"Is Ogura- senpai leaving early this afternoon?" Toyokawa Shoko asked, surprised.
"Well, I have an appointment with someone, but before I leave, I'd like to have lunch here first."
"Ah~" Toyokawa Shoko indicated that she understood, and smiled slightly, "After all, it's free."
No, you don't understand at all... Ogura Asahi's gaze was deep and unfathomable.
"That's settled then. I'll take my leave now."
Goodbye~
After his somewhat meager meal with Toyokawa Shoko, he walked out of the school gate, hailed a taxi, and rushed back to Ten no Yashiro.
There wasn't anything urgent in the afternoon, and he could go back and change his clothes in time, so he didn't bother to call anyone to pick him up.
The question is, how much would it cost to take a taxi from the area near Shinjuku in Toshima Ward back to Aoyama in Minato Ward?
In any case, it's a price that would make Toyokawa Shoko's heart ache terribly.
After changing his clothes in his room, Sakurakoji Talent went to the Underground Street.
Then, via the subway here, I went to Tokyo Station, located in the neighboring Chiyoda Ward. From Chiba City, you can take the JR Sobu Line rapid train directly here.
That's right, the person he met that afternoon was Yukino Shita Yukino.
After waiting for a while at one of the exits, he saw her and waved to her.
"Oh, good afternoon, miss, this is your first time skipping class without a reason."
"Whose fault do you think this is?" Yukino Shita Yukino glared at him, her gaze sharp.
"Hey there~ Mr. Talent!" Yuihama Yui appeared from behind her, greeting her with a bright smile.
And Yuihama Yui —no way! He didn't even call her!
"... Hey, Classmate Yuihama." His voice trembled slightly as he glanced at Yukino Shita Yukino, hoping for an explanation.
"When we were having lunch together, Classmate Yuihama insisted on joining us, and I just couldn't refuse," Yukino Shita Yukino sighed.
"Because you two are too cunning! Why didn't you call me, Mr. Talent!" Yuihama Yui pouted and raised her hand, expressing her dissatisfaction.
Perhaps because she had spent so much time with Ichiji Nijika, she started calling him "Mr. Talent."
"I wanted to thank Yukino Shita- san for helping me. I didn't mean to not call you," he explained, glancing sideways.
--Just kidding, I just didn't call you on purpose.
Yukino Shita Yukino is really something, bringing her along like that, what a waste of his thoughtfulness -- no matter what happens later, you're not allowed to complain.
"So, Mr. Skip-Class, what are you trying to show us by having us skip class on purpose?" Yukino Shita Yukino, her eyes half-open, her right hand holding the slender thread that encircled her, her eyes filled with boredom.
"If you don't meet our expectations, you'll have to compensate us double for the time we spent here."
Sakurakoji Talent scoffed softly, her gaze distant, meeting her eyes defiantly. "Don't worry, I guarantee it'll be a place you'll never want to leave~"
Sensing his amused gaze, Yukino Shita Yukino crossed her arms and took two steps back, extremely wary, and suggested to Yuihama Yui beside her:
"Classmate Yuihama, I feel that man's gaze is dangerous. Considering his words, he might lead us to a place where we're using illegal drugs. We'd better go back now!"
"Huh? It's not that exaggerated, Little Yukino. Mr. Talent wouldn't do such a thing!" Yuihama Yui glanced at him, her face slightly flushed.
The other person's appearance and outfit, which combine handsomeness and beauty and are far removed from the average high school student, are still too much of a threat to high school students of this age.
Although Yukino Shita Yukino and Hiratsuka Shizuka are both very beautiful and cool, because they are always wearing school uniforms or school uniforms and are also women, it is difficult for her to realize this.
Although Hayama Hayato in the class is also handsome and gentle, how should I put it, their temperaments are different? I feel there is a clear difference in their inner qualities.
The first time Hiratsuka Shizuka went to the Starry, it seems that Yumiko saw her, and the next day they kept asking her about her.
Haha~ Mr. Talent's charm is truly exaggerated~
That makes sense, right? No girl would dislike a guy like that, right? It seems like Nijika and Kita- chan also have feelings for him.
Judging by appearance alone, she's even more... than Aya-chan.
"Alright, stop saying weird things. You're already attracting enough attention," Sakurakoji Talent gestured to those around him.
Already attracting a lot of attention, they were further drawn to the spotlight by Yukino Shita Yukino's impromptu performance.