Coach, I want to learn Forest Breathing! Shizuku's Troubles...

In front of Tennoji Kaede stood a young girl with exceptional talent for performance art.

She held two tubs of ice cream, facing a thick tree trunk with her eyes closed in deep thought.

Is this really a human from Earth?

Kaede felt like he had seen this girl somewhere before, but couldn't recall where...

A classmate?

Kaede tentatively asked, "Excuse me, what are you doing? Some new kind of yoga?"

The mysterious girl: ...

Kaede asked again, "Um, your ice cream is melting. Can I take it if you're not going to eat it?"

He seemed to have triggered a keyword. Morishita Ai turned her head, glanced at Kaede, then turned back.

Holy shit, isn't this my Ai-jie?

Kaede finally remembered the name of the girl before him.

"You're a first-year Class A student, Morishita Ai, right? I'm Tennoji Kaede from Class C."

[Detected Black House 61-point passing work 'Morishita Ai']

[Causal Mark for 'Morishita Ai' has been deployed]

['Cause': The Way of Nature exists within the heart. Morishita Ai is currently sensing the breath of the jungle and is unconcerned by your disturbance. However, Morishita Ai has heard of your name from classmates.]

['Effect': Charisma +5, Forest Breathing +10, Nature Encyclopedia +10]

[Under normal circumstances, the potential energy level unit for an ordinary person: 10]

Huh? Forest Breathing? Is the system serious?

Coach, I want to learn this!

Meanwhile, Morishita Ai seemed to have finally concluded her peculiar act. She lowered her hands and turned around again.

She briefly introduced herself, "Morishita Ai."

"I've heard of you, Tennoji Kaede... Here, this is for you."

The Class A girl, veiled in mystery, offered the ice cream in her left hand to Kaede.

"Oh, thank you."

Kaede didn't stand on ceremony, embracing the spirit of "if you dare to give, I dare to eat."

Morishita Ai, this Class A girl, was from the original work. After Kamuro Sumire was expelled, she was rumored to be the new friend Sakayanagi pushed for.

Because Morishita herself had a mysterious background, coupled with her cold, poker-faced beauty persona, she was surprisingly popular and considered a potential star.

She didn't appear much in the original work, so Kaede's impression of her was quite limited.

"Can I rest here for a bit and cool off?"

"Please."

Afterward, the two stood under the shade of the same large tree, falling into a strangely quiet eating session...

Unconsciously, Kaede had been assimilated.

Inside the KTV private room.

Ibuki exclaimed, "Wow~ It's really pretty! Airi, aren't you going to be the most popular girl once you take off your glasses?"

Ibuki Mio, currently in a semi-acting, semi-genuine state, had become genuinely interested in Sakura Airi's lifestyle.

"Um, I don't dare to take them off... I don't know how to interact with everyone. Dealing with people is scary..."

Shiina Hiyori gently patted Sakura's head. She had returned to her usual composed and dignified demeanor.

"Everyone has two sides. There's no one in this world who doesn't hide their true selves, or rather, living so frankly is bound to be painful."

Sakura turned to look at her, clutching the glasses she used for disguise.

She asked Hiyori, "Then, Hiyori-classmate, what should people like me, who live their true selves in a virtual world, do in the future?"

In her heart, "Shizuku" was a split-off half of Sakura Airi, but "Shizuku" shouldn't be equated with the cowardly Sakura Airi; she should exist independently.

"What true self, what mask?"

Ibuki stated directly, "Airi, I think you're great just the way you are now... But, you do need someone to protect you, otherwise those scummy guys will swarm you like bees."

Like that insidious fellow Tennoji, who had the nerve to plot against a pure girl like Airi.

He deserves to be punished!

At the same time.

"Cough, cough, cough." Tennoji Kaede coughed violently several times under the big tree.

Patting his chest and calming his breathing, Kaede sighed inwardly.

It's like they say, you can even choke on water!

Ice cream water should count as water, right?

"What's wrong?"

Morishita Ai had already finished her entire ice cream cone without him noticing.

She lay on her back, adopting a standard meditation posture.

"Uh, Ai-jie, does doing this really help you sense that forest breathing?"

Under the mysterious blessing of the Haigoku System, Kaede had just learned a peculiar breathing technique.

He suspected the Haigoku System had "borrowed" it from Ai-jie.

"Less talk, more do."

"Oh, okay."

Kaede quickly struck the same pose, silently circulated the profound breathing technique, and gradually entered a state of deep concentration.

Meanwhile, Morishita Ai got up and ended her posture, a look of confusion on her face.

She squatted down beside Kaede and observed him closely.

How does he actually know how to do it?

Completely unaware, Kaede remained in his Mirror Still Water state.

It must be said that Class D is often filled with students who have various social deficiencies.

For example, Horikita Suzune, who acts aloof and is too arrogant to even acknowledge others;

Kushida Kikyo, who uses a perfect social demeanor as a disguise;

Sudo Ken, who is insecure and completely inept at social pretense;

Hirata Yousuke, the "Saint" who rules the class with extreme hypocrisy;

And Kouenji Rokusuke and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who completely disregard social interaction...

As for Sakura Airi, she desperately yearns to connect with others.

She hopes someone will discover her true self, "Shizuku," and in turn, acknowledge the real Sakura Airi, who is completely opposite in personality.

This is a genuine desire that Sakura Airi herself hasn't even realized yet.

It must be said, her peculiar way of socializing, developed through years of internal struggle, is truly twisted.

Kaede's best solution is to make the two completely merge.

Sakura, stop testing people with the "beautiful first, then ugly" routine; most can't handle it!

Even if someone outwardly withstands the contrast, they'll end up like Ayanokoji, thinking this person is easy to manipulate and thus being exploited.

When interacting with people, you should just show your best side!

Today, Sakura Airi truly felt the sincere affection from Ibuki and Hiyori, two female friends from Class C.

This also increased her fondness for Kaede, as they were both his good friends.

The task Kaede had given them beforehand was precisely this—

To acknowledge the virtual "Shizuku" and understand the real Airi.

Sakura Airi officially made three people she could call "friends" today.

Sakura shyly said in a soft voice, "Thank you, Mio-classmate, Hiyori-classmate, and Tennoji-classmate." Though she didn't know when he had left.

Ibuki genuinely exclaimed, "I wish you could join our Class C. Honestly, Hiyori is the only female acquaintance I have in my class..."

Hiyori smoothed a strand of silver-white hair. "Airi-classmate, if you don't mind, please come and interact with us often. It won't involve any benefits between Class CD and Class C."

"Right, right. Besides, aren't our CD two classes considered the bottom classes in this school? It's only natural for us to cooperate and interact."

Hiyori agreed, "Mio is right. Airi, if it's inconvenient, you can come to us when you're in trouble. I believe Kaede-kun will also do his best to help you."

Sakura was deeply moved.

However, speaking of trouble...

Since enrolling, Sakura had a private matter that had been troubling and painful, one she had never spoken of to anyone.

With a sudden surge of courage, Sakura instinctively spoke her heart:

"Um! Actually, there's something that's really bothering me... or rather, it's very painful!"

She actually has something!?

Ibuki and Hiyori exchanged glances. This Tennoji had never mentioned anything to them...