"My name is Horikita Suzune. Remember it." She thought it was only natural that Shi Cheng didn't know her, since she hadn't introduced herself to the class.
Horikita Suzune left him with those icy words and turned away, her long strides carrying her off.
He watched her retreating figure.
The corner of Shi Cheng's mouth lifted in a faint smile.
Once she had disappeared from sight, Shi Cheng looked away and waited quietly.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Shi Cheng. I'm really sorry."
Kato Megumi had hurried as much as she could, but she needed to buy a lot of things, so it had inevitably taken her quite a while.
"You don't have to be so polite. Didn't we agree earlier? I stayed behind to help of my own free will."
Shi Cheng hadn't offered to help with this small matter. He merely glanced over the things she'd bought.
"Got it. Let's hurry over."
Kato Megumi set off first and joined the line at the very back.
As they waited, Kato Megumi noticed the many empty shopping baskets still available and asked, "Is that all you need, Shi Cheng?"
Boys couldn't be expected to live as meticulously as girls.
Even so, Kato Megumi felt Shi Cheng was being a little too frugal.
After all,
they were given a hundred thousand points every month.
"This is enough." Shi Cheng lifted the basket in his hand.
"Is that so?" Kato Megumi nodded lightly, feeling she'd gained a new understanding of boys.
"Hm?" Kato Megumi pointed with a slender finger. "Is this free?"
She hadn't expected that not only was Shi Cheng frugal, but most of the things he'd picked up were free, too.
"Yeah." Shi Cheng pointed in the direction he'd found them. "Over there."
He chuckled.
"This school's pretty nice. It gives us plenty of money to spend and even provides a safety net for students who might overspend. They really take good care of us."
"Yeah, but I still feel like it's not quite right."
Unable to put her finger on why, Kato Megumi could only offer a mild agreement for now.
Still, she was a little disappointed in the school.
She felt it indulged its students too much.
It didn't live up to the school's publicity.
Shi Cheng hadn't expected Kato Megumi to be so perceptive.
He thought more highly of her.
But he still didn't plan to share his doubts.
He had no concrete evidence.
Bringing it up would only cause unnecessary worry.
It might even mislead her.
"Let's head back."
After paying, Shi Cheng carried two large bags, while Kato Megumi walked beside him with a small one.
"I really put you out."
She hadn't realized she'd bought so many things.
Even Kato Megumi, whose expression rarely changed, felt a little embarrassed.
"It's nothing." Shi Cheng casually showed how light the bags were.
They weighed hardly anything. No need to worry.
"Shi Cheng, let me make your lunch tomorrow."
It was the first day of school.
The school had given the students plenty of time to get settled.
So there were no classes that afternoon.
Even though they had plenty of free time,
Kato Megumi still wasn't going to invite Shi Cheng over for a meal just yet.
After all, she was a girl.
Even if she didn't care much about certain things,
she was still a little embarrassed.
This was already the limit for her, for now.
"I didn't know I was in for such a treat." Shi Cheng sighed, his eyes full of anticipation for tomorrow.
Kato Megumi's expression stayed calm, showing none of the bashfulness a girl was supposed to feel in such a moment. "You're exaggerating. It's just ordinary home cooking."
Shi Cheng immediately played up his plight in response. "But I can't even make ordinary food."
Kato Megumi glanced at him.
"That's okay. We have three years, so you can take your time learning."
"Nooo," Shi Cheng wailed.
Kato Megumi's lips curled up. "It'll be fine. If you're willing to learn, I can help."
"Ah!" Shi Cheng scratched his head in frustration. "I'll think about it."
"Okay." Kato Megumi didn't press him.
They still had plenty of time.
After a short silence, the two finally reached the dormitory building.
They got their key cards from the dorm supervisor and waited by the elevator.
"I have a feeling this place is going to be lively." Kato Megumi held her key card, her words hinting at something more.
Kato Megumi had come to this school hoping to change her fate of always being overlooked.
Things were looking good.
On the very first day, she'd met someone who noticed her.
But that brought its own problem.
The boys and girls lived in the same building.
Even though they were on separate floors,
Kato Megumi still found it hard to get used to.
She just didn't let it show.
"Haha, I know what you mean." Shi Cheng joked, "Don't worry, Kato. I'm the most respectful guy around."
In case she didn't believe him, Shi Cheng opened the student handbook and pointed to the dorm rules. "Look, the penalties are so severe. I doubt anyone would want to test them."
Since Kato Megumi's room number had been revealed, Shi Cheng used this to put her at ease.
Kato Megumi pouted. "That's not what I meant. I just think everyone's so full of energy. Putting us all together like this could lead to trouble."
Wasn't that basically what she meant anyway?
Shi Cheng was a little confused.
Or was it just that he couldn't understand what Kato Megumi meant?
Not wanting to dwell on it, Shi Cheng picked up the bags again. "All right, enough of that. Let's get in the elevator."
The two stepped into the elevator.
After pressing their respective floor buttons, it quickly began to rise.
A moment later, it stopped.
To avoid any misunderstandings, Shi Cheng had no intention of walking her all the way to her door. He got off directly on his own floor.
"See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Shi Cheng."
Kato Megumi smiled and waved goodbye.
When he reached his dorm room,
Shi Cheng looked around, pleased with the place.
He'd thought a four-person room would be the best option.
But it turned out to be a single.
That was far beyond what Shi Cheng had expected.
He set down his things but wasn't in a hurry to eat.
It was still early.
He sat down at the desk and used the provided computer to look up information.
This school always gave him a strange feeling.
He wouldn't be at ease until he figured out what was going on.
Just because he couldn't find anything outside the school didn't mean there was nothing on its internal website.
Unfortunately, the results were unexpected.
The posts on the school website were just as useless as ever.
No wonder the school was the subject of rumors but had no real reputation.
Turns out they were just that good at keeping secrets.
Shi Cheng let out a quiet breath and leaned back in his chair, giving up on investigating the school's secrets.
It looked like if he wanted to understand what was going on,
he'd have to wait for it to reveal itself.
He took out his phone and checked the time.
Shi Cheng got up to heat his lunch.
After a quick meal, he washed away the day's fatigue in the bathroom, then lay down in bed to welcome the next day.
Class D's classroom.
They hadn't arranged to walk in together.
Shi Cheng took his seat and exchanged a brief greeting with Kato Megumi, who had already arrived.
"Kato, you're here early."
"Yeah. I want to get used to the new environment as soon as possible." Kato Megumi looked hopeful.
Unfortunately, Shi Cheng was an exception.
People still found it hard to notice her.
She felt a little down for a moment.
Then Kato Megumi pulled herself together.
Compared to how things had always been, she was already very lucky, wasn't she?
Before you continue