You Actually Want My Contact Information Too?

"Next. Um... may I ask why you applied to this school?"

The man glanced up, his gaze lingering for a moment on an unusually elevated spot ahead before quickly withdrawing it. He picked up his pen to conceal his overwhelming "delight."

"Hello, teachers! I want to reset my high school life!"

The energetic voice came from across the table. The four interviewers exchanged looks, feeling that the overlap in admission motives they had heard today was a little too high.

"Was that a coincidence?"

After glancing at the file of the girl who had just left, they retained a measure of confidence in the soundproofing of this special classroom.

The interviewers exchanged quiet remarks with their eyes. After a brief discussion, they turned back at the same time. "Could you explain in more detail why you want to restart your high school life?"

The girl froze at the question, then let her gaze wander as she thought in a remarkably relaxed manner for a moment. Her slender, green-onion-like index finger poked her cheek as she said innocently, "Because some unpleasant things happened during middle school, and there were unpleasant incidents between a lot of friends."

"So... I want to make up for those regrets in high school!"

Class D.

At least on the surface, it was impossible to connect this person with Class D.

The man lowered his head and contemplated the file in his hands for a moment. Before long, he looked up at her. "Congratulations, you have successfully passed our interview. We hope you can fulfill your wish in the days ahead."

"Eh! Really!?" The girl swayed slightly in sheer delight.

"Ahem. There will be no mistakes in the results of this round of interviews."

The interviewer tactically adjusted his glasses and returned to the point. "You have been assigned to Class D. We look forward to your future performance, Kushida."

"Okay!"

The brown-haired girl gave a radiant smile. After politely bowing to thank the interviewers, she happily carried the uniform and schoolbag issued to new students out of the classroom.

Not long afterward, the interviewers withdrew their gazes from the doorway. After taking a sip of water to moisten their throats and putting on their official tones again, they continued with the remaining interviews of the day.

"Next."

"May I ask why you applied to our school?"

"I want to become a professional basketball player. I heard this school's team is pretty good."

"I want to improve my abilities. That is my only goal."

"I want to contribute to class unity and make sure the past never repeats itself!"

"The school's closed management system attracted me."

"For fun."

An afternoon passed, and every waiting student had completed their interview. Their names were entered onto the class assignment lists.

The interviewers emerged from the interview venue drenched in sweat and utterly relieved, as though they were the ones who had just undergone a grueling assessment.

The task the school had assigned them was to play interviewers who oversaw the process, while the actual class assignments had long since been decided.

What they had to do was pretend not to know while improvising in front of each student, acting out the solemn air of interviewers selecting outstanding candidates with fairness and impartiality.

It truly put their acting skills to the test!

Fortunately, once this job was done, they would have a month-long summer vacation. No matter what, the exhaustion of these past two days would finally be eased.

The four interviewers exchanged knowing looks and wore the pure smiles of middle-aged men. Familiar with the routine, they slung arms over each other's shoulders and plunged headfirst into the mottled sunset, which seemed even more eager than they were to clock out.

"The usual!"

"Let's have a drink! Ikuzo!"

Summer vacation.

The longest river in the history of human holidays. It was the crystallization of humanity's wild imagination, a great innovation born from thousands of years of labor and the gradual understanding of balancing work and rest, an unprecedented awakening of conscience among the capitalist class.

As an experienced human being, Bai Yu knew that after the initial hysterical revelry of a full two-month vacation, it became easy to sink into an empty self-reflection and growing laziness.

Sakurajima's vacation schedule made Bai Yu feel even more comfortable.

With only one month of vacation, just when the novelty of the break had begun to fade and he was starting to miss the silly sights of campus, the first day of school arrived right on schedule.

Cherry blossoms drifted across the azure sky, becoming the signature sight of every new school season, while beautiful figures in uniforms filled streets and alleys.

Bai Yu stood leisurely beneath a bus stop sign, hands naturally tucked into his pockets, displaying the calm ease of an old veteran returning to the battlefield. His eyes, hidden beneath a baseball cap, carried a natural weariness and an air of serene indifference.

This was his second run, after all. Having experienced eighteen years of compulsory education in two countries, he had long stopped caring about the anticipation for a new campus life that filled the air—or perhaps he had simply grown accustomed to it.

One sentence summed it all up.

Spend two days at school, and they would settle down.

By then, all that excited, liberated enthusiasm would be completely replaced by mournful cries of longing for the weekend to come sooner every day.

Yes, the proof was himself.

Before the bus arrived, Bai Yu took the opportunity to complete his first daily self-reflection. Recalling his previous life as an obsessive grinder, a trace of weariness rose within him.

The rat race for the sake of exams was truly awful!

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Bluetooth earbuds, intending to listen to music and improve his mood.

A massive four-wheeled beast came roaring to a stop at the station. It opened its doors and honked its invitation to the boy, who gladly accepted. He boarded and casually chose an elegant window seat across the aisle, directly opposite the rear door—convenient for getting off while also offering a view of the streets.

Settling into a stable, bump-resistant posture, Bai Yu rested his elbow on the windowsill and propped up his gaze like a cannon mount. As the bus started moving, the scenery outside began to sweep past.

An ill-fitting German song played through his earbuds. Bai Yu felt all the things around him had little connection to one another, yet naturally blended together just right, and he drifted close to sleep several times...

Nikonikoni!

Screech—silence.

...Hm?

Who was important enough to make a packed bus stop for this long as an exception?

Bai Yu lifted his half-closed eyelids. Just as he had calculated from the number of stops while killing time, the bus was currently completely full.

A black-haired girl with a lovely face and refined demeanor sat beside him, reading a book.

None of the other seats had been overlooked or left vacant either, perfectly demonstrating the meaning of making full use of everything.

Bai Yu shifted his gaze toward the front of the bus. An elderly woman, withered and bent over, had only just overcome the hardest part—climbing the few steps at the entrance. At a speed that might break Guinness World Records for slowness, she paused with every step as she made her way to a handrail. After steadying herself with its support, she began looking around the bus.

It was your time to shine, righteous hero!

Bai Yu gave a silent shout in his heart, hoping to see a heartwarming scene to cultivate his spirit. When none came, he was about to use a little trick to create one himself.

Just then, he saw a worried-looking girl in front of him actually approach the frail old woman whom no one was willing to acknowledge, so he decided to hold off.

For the moment, he suppressed his urge to help.

"Everyone, could someone give up their seat for this grandmother? She looks like she is having a hard time."

The girl went over to help, supporting the elderly woman. Then, like the woman had done moments earlier, she looked around the bus with pleading eyes.

Yet every passenger merely looked at one another. After a brief exchange of glances, they tacitly chose to practice the art of silence.

It seemed the situation before them had suddenly inspired a desire to seek enlightenment in Buddhism.

Not a single person met the girl's gaze again, and not one responded to her request.

The beauty beside him was reading, the boy next to her appeared to be playing deaf, and everyone on the bus deliberately avoided eye contact and chose silence.

For a moment, the only sound was the bus engine roaring, almost as if it were angrily condemning something.

"Um..."

Bai Yu ultimately could not keep watching.

The education he had received on the mainland would not allow him to remain unmoved by such a scene. Those slogans of civilization carved into his genes, along with the red scarf he had been taught to wear properly every day in the depths of his memories, made him recall someone's silhouette!

His surname was Lei, and he was a great man.

Bai Yu slowly raised his hand. In the limited space, he shifted his body and adjusted his position, glancing sideways at the girl beside him. "Excuse me, could you move aside for a moment? I think we should give this elderly woman a seat."

The girl closed her book and gently placed it on her lap. The rustling beside her since earlier had made her somewhat uncomfortable, making her wonder whether the other person had ADHD.

She gave the boy a brief sideways look, let out a faint breath, and said evenly, "Giving up your seat is your business, but please do not use that as an excuse to inconvenience the people around you."

"Okay."

Bai Yu smiled agreeably.

The girl looked him over once, picked up her shoulder bag, and prepared to stand so she could make room in the aisle.

Seeing this, Bai Yu waved toward the other girl who had called for someone to give up a seat. "Hey, kind-hearted classmate up front, there is a seat here. Please bring the elderly lady over."

"Really? Thank you so much!"

The brown-haired girl called out her thanks. She then supported the elderly woman at her side and, looking immensely relieved, led her over to the seats occupied by the boy and girl.

"Thank you... Huh, are you also a student at Advanced Nurturing?"

The brown-haired girl asked in mild surprise.

Bai Yu took off his earbuds, the corners of his lips naturally curving upward. A breezy openness, like wind passing through a mountain forest, showed in his eyes. "Yes, fate really is wonderful."

"The pretty and kind classmate beside me also attends the same school."

The black-haired girl who had stood to make room instinctively glanced at the two people talking in front of her. She had merely stepped aside, yet he was flattering and praising her so excessively. Was his intention really not so innocent after all?

She calmly brushed back her hair and lowered the book blocking her face again. "Please hurry up. Everyone on the bus is waiting. Do not inconvenience everyone over such a minor matter."

Bai Yu could not help revealing an embarrassed smile. Extending one hand forward in a gesture of invitation, he said, "That is true. This classmate has been far more considerate. As expected, kind people instinctively think of others."

"Enough. Hurry up."

The black-haired girl closed her eyes, and her tone gained a trace of impatience.

Bai Yu did not dare delay for even a second. He had not expected her desire to help others to be so strong!

From inside, he coordinated with the short-haired girl, reaching out to help the elderly woman into the vacant seat. Once he had made sure she was sitting securely and holding on properly, he finally let out a long breath.

The black-haired girl silently watched the actions of the two people. The longer she watched, the more she felt their intelligence was somewhat worrying. Unable to hold back, she reminded him, "If you let the grandmother sit down first, how are you supposed to get out later?"

Bai Yu turned his head to look at her, his face full of surprise. "I am getting off at the terminal, so I do not need to get out before then. Did you not do your homework, classmate?"

"?"

Horikita Suzune's expression turned strange. She began examining the puzzled man before her, repeatedly confirming the positions of the several people involved... Why did it look as though I was the one who gave up my seat?

Seeing her blank expression, Bai Yu instead looked at her with sympathy, worried about her intelligence. "Helping others is certainly a wonderful quality, but you should still pay a little more attention to your own affairs."

"The school brochure clearly states that the school is at the terminal, so I will definitely get off after the grandmother. Therefore, the situation you mentioned does not exist."

"? I meant..."

Horikita Suzune tried to explain something with words, but it was as though she had been put on the spot. Her words became lodged in her throat.

She looked at the crowd around her, all casting admiring looks her way, and suddenly found herself in a dilemma.

Seeing that she had stammered for so long without producing a single clear word, Bai Yu looked at her again with a troubled, hesitant expression.

"Classmate, could it be... you also want my contact information?"