Chapter 531

"So confident?"

"Of course! In order to study hard and be of help, I even refused to transfer to a school in Tokyo Metropolis..."

The mere mention of this caused her a pang of pain and struggle; heaven knows how long she agonized over making this decision.

If it were for my own sake, it would definitely be better to live in the apartment with him, so I could see him every day.

But if we look at it from a long-term perspective, she should enrich herself now so that she can help her family in the future.

Although everyone in her family told her it was okay and that she could do whatever she wanted, that's precisely why she couldn't do it.

Especially since the Sakurakoji Family is not an ordinary family, she will have to put in more effort than before if she wants to be of any use!

If she stayed by his side, she definitely wouldn't be able to control herself and would follow him around every day... That would not only interfere with her studies but also hold him back.

On the day she made the decision, she lay paralyzed on her bed, her eyes losing their luster, and she almost turned to the dark side.

During this time, she not only worked twice as hard in her studies, but also took the initiative to apply for some extra quality courses that she had not taken before, striving to become like Ashiri and the others.

Of course, she wouldn't let go of her feelings either; that's what she values most. Occasionally, she would go to the apartment to meet up with Hoshino Ai, Okura Rumin, and the others for tea.

"Okay! I believe you! Oh, and here's a small gift for you."

He took out the suit he had taken from the apartment earlier and handed it to her.

"Ah~ Thank you! What's this?"

She took it with a puzzled look.

"You've probably seen the ads for the latest cutting-edge VR products, right?"

"Yes, I've seen it."

She curiously examined all six sides of the box. "Did you specially order this, Talent Brother? I heard it's very hard to get."

"No, the company that launched the product is the one I own. This is the flagship model that I got directly from the factory's lab."

"..."

Shiina Mahiru's delicate body, which was playing with the gift, froze on the spot for half a minute, her brain going blank.

That company that's caused such a stir these past few days, claiming to change the world—is it owned by my "older brother"? When?!

She knew he had run a company and dabbled in finance, and when she first heard about it, she was so shocked she couldn't speak for a long time... but she had never heard of him having such an extra side business!!!

I used to think that Rumin-jie, who was the same age as me and ran her own cosmetics company, was invincible, but after hearing about my godmother's past deeds, it seemed that she was nothing special.

At the same time, compared to him, those two... what kind of family have I actually entered?!

Silently, Shiina Mahiru's resolve deepened once more, tears streaming down her face...

Unlike the band members next door who spent their days eating, drinking, having fun, and skipping school, all she wanted now was to--

Study! We must study even harder!

Since he didn't change his clothes this morning, he didn't take Shiina Mahiru to school after breakfast.

He Kokoro placed her lunchbox into her bag and watched her leave.

After she went to school, he returned to the apartment, changed his clothes, and moved to Hanasakigawa.

Good morning!

He carried his guitar bag and stepped into the classroom of Class 1-B.

"Little Asahi, you're here today too?"

Miyako Shizuka was indeed a little surprised.

"... Shizuka, what you said is a little hard on my conscience. It's a good question, but don't ask it again next time."

Miyako Shizuka covered her mouth and chuckled softly, neither confirming nor denying. "Haha~ By the way, why did you decide to bring your guitar today?"

"Because I joined someone's band, I've been wanting to play a lot lately, so I brought it along."

Ogura Asahi looked around and, seeing that the guitar case took up quite a bit of space, placed it at the back of the classroom.

Shiina Rikki, sitting in front, twitched her pointed ears, but remained slumped over the table, not even turning her head.

"These are Drinks I just bought downstairs, I'm giving them to you."

He distributed one box to each of the three people who arrived a few steps earlier.

"Thanks."

Miyako Shizuka and Hachiman Kairin expressed their gratitude one after another.

He placed the last box of chocolate-flavored Drinks with a panda design on it on Shiina Rikki's head, but she remained motionless.

Speaking of which, her contact profile picture is also a simple panda drawing.

Ignoring her, he tidied up his things and sat back down in his seat.

Because he can teleport, he would arrive at the appointed time whenever he didn't want to be bothered by his classmates, like today. At this moment, almost all the classmates had arrived.

Not long after, the bell rang for class.

Before the teacher entered the classroom to begin the class meeting, Shiina Rikki took the Drinks off her head and turned to meet his gaze. "Can you come to practice today?"

"I don't know."

"... You!"

"By the way, didn't yesterday's practice go quite well? Do we still need to go over there?"

"We can't do it without practicing until we're very skilled, right? This is our band's first live performance!"

"Don't worry~ There's still time. You guys familiarize yourselves with the stage first. I'll definitely make time to practice a few more times before the official performance!"

She stared at him for a while, until the homeroom teacher's voice rang out, then she turned around helplessly. "I hope so... Also, thank you."

He was already used to her arrogant attitude and didn't pay it any mind.

The class meeting officially began, and it wasn't until the homeroom teacher stared at him with considerable surprise that he realized he might indeed have acted somewhat inappropriately... But it didn't matter, that was why he had chosen this place!

There's not much to say about the courses; the first three periods are, as usual, academic classes: one math class, one English class, and one Chinese class.

However, there are two changes compared to before.

First, he didn't sleep;

Secondly, perhaps seeing that he was unusually not sleeping, the math teacher thought he finally wanted to pay attention in class, and bravely called on him to answer a rather difficult question.

He felt a slight disdain for this.

Although the question was an easy one, the answer of which was obvious at a glance, he didn't want to get chalk dust on his fingers, which he had just applied expensive body lotion to that morning. But he had no choice but to go up and answer quickly.

Chapter 481 Swimming Lesson and the Cat.

But in the fourth lesson, things changed a bit, because the topic of that lesson was—physical education.

"Little Asahi, aren't you coming with us to change your clothes?"

Seeing Ogura Asahi sitting in his seat, deep in thought, Miyako Shizuka asked him with concern.

"Hmm... Shizuka, what's the content of this PE class?"

He suddenly realized something unpleasant.

"Swimming, what's wrong?"

"..."

Yes, Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy does have a swimming pool, and it's indoors.

In fact, unlike other schools that don't open until May or June, the swimming pool here is full of clear water as soon as you enroll.

Why, you ask? Because there's Swimming Club here.

Although he didn't investigate the clubs much when he enrolled due to personal reasons, our Great-Ancestor was very experienced in this regard.

This CDD student tried out all the clubs in the school at the beginning of the semester and found them all very interesting.

But thinking about it carefully, even if you're not in the Swimming Club, given the current weather, it's about time to go swimming. What a pity...

"Sorry, I won't be going."

That was the only answer he could give.

"Huh? Why?"

Miyako Shizuka was taken aback.

"Does that mean he can't swim?"

Hachiman Kairin leaned against Shiina Rikki's desk for support, turning her head to look in this direction and guessing.

"No, I still will."

His smile held a hint of bitterness.

Even though he used to stay at home and didn't go out often, he was still willing to learn this kind of skill.

Even if you haven't learned it before, you can learn it using the swimming pool in the Ten no Yashiro during this period.

"I didn't bring a swimsuit."

He spoke candidly, his eyes dark.

Even if he brought them, he wouldn't want to go to the changing room with them; he'd rather experience Dokidoki's exciting changing time.

Even if he were dressed as a woman, he wouldn't do something that would seem like a perverted lecher; his pride and principles wouldn't allow it.

"Oh, I see. Then there's nothing we can do."

Miyako Shizuka nodded considerately and then asked, "So, do you want to sit next to me and watch?"

Ogura Asahi shook his head. "No, that's too boring. You guys go ahead, I'm going to find something fun!"

"Hey? What are you planning to do?"

Before Hachiman Kairin's voice had even faded, he walked toward the guitar placed behind him.

Then, carrying it on his back, he walked back to the windowsill.

Upon seeing him lean forward, Shiina Rikki screamed in alarm, "What are you doing?! This is the second floor!!!"

"Really? Then I'll give you a performance on the third floor next time."

Without saying much, he sat on the windowsill, turned around, smiled, and waved to the stunned faces of the rest of the class. "Have fun swimming, everyone! Bye-bye~"

Before he finished speaking, he moved forward and jumped off the windowsill.

When Miyako Shizuka and the others rushed to the window, all they saw was his unhurried figure walking away into the distance.

Even if an average person had the physical ability, they generally wouldn't do this. Why? Because washing shoes is too much trouble.

Tsurumaki Kokoro was able to do that because she had countless logistical support from the older women in black beside her.

He can do this now... because he can wrap his power in the soles of his feet, preventing indoor shoes from getting dusty.

After finding a secluded spot, he sat down under a tree, opened his guitar case, and took out his guitar.

Come to think of it, he doesn't seem to have played music much in the Hanasakigawa, even though he has performed at other schools.

But this was the result of his careful consideration, and upon closer examination, there are at least three reasons.

One reason is that this is his real school, and causing big trouble could lead to problems. The second reason is that the Student Council here is managed by Ichigaya Arisa and her friends, and if they target him, he won't be able to go to the Student Council Room anymore.

He plugged in the mini speaker, adjusted the volume, and began to play.

The delicate sound of the guitar strings carried on, but its reach was limited. Even if the teachers and students in the teaching building heard it during class, it wouldn't affect the lesson.

Not long after, the school bell rang again, and the once noisy campus fell silent once more.

In this area, only the sound of his instrument still echoed.

The longer the guitar music continued, the more listeners joined in.

There are three types of listeners:

The first person: The teacher who noticed the sound and followed it, but after seeing who the performer was, thought the sound wasn't very loud and should be fine, so he quickly left.