The morning after Hiyori and Kujo confirmed their relationship.
At this time, Advanced Nurturing High School was still in the "students reluctantly poking their heads out of their blankets, slapping their alarm clocks with one hand, complaining that they'd set them for the wrong time, then tossing them away" phase of the morning.
Crossing the empty lobby, Hiyori left the dormitory with a lunchbox and a bottle of water.
The first-year boys and girls at Advanced Nurturing High School lived in the same building, and each student had a single room.
Each room had its own bath and toilet, as well as air conditioning. Although tuition was completely free, the school didn't skimp on the living arrangements.
The boys lived on the lower floors, and the girls on the upper floors.
The boys generally didn't go to the upper floors where the girls lived.
Usually, when going on a date, a girl would arrange to meet her partner in the dormitory lobby on the first floor.
Kujo liked to get up early every day and go jogging with students from other classes.
So Hiyori chose to get up early and keep him company.
Sitting quietly on a nearby bench and watching Kujo exercise made Hiyori feel very happy.
When Kujo finished running, she thoughtfully handed him a bottle of water.
It was an electrolyte drink Hiyori had bought with her personal points.
It was much more expensive than the drinks Kujo usually had.
"Koenji, Ayanokoji, I got you each a bottle, too. Here, here."
Watching Hiyori, Kujo couldn't help thinking that she really was an angel.
But she really didn't need to worry about Ayanokoji and Koenji.
"Thanks."
Ayanokoji accepted it without a hint of hesitation.
What surprised Kujo, though, was that Koenji accepted one, too.
Was that gentlemanly etiquette?
Faced with someone whose behavior in the original story couldn't be explained by common sense, Kujo felt he still had a lot to learn about him.
As class time drew nearer,
even though Kujo and the others had deliberately chosen a spot that wasn't on the way to the school building,
some of the faculty and other adults who worked on campus still passed by them.
For example, the familiar owner of the coffee shop, an assistant trainer from the gym, and the elderly flower shop owner who walked with a stoop...
Ayanokoji and Koenji paid these people no attention.
But Kujo noticed their gazes linger briefly on the group.
He could empathize with these working adults.
The beautiful friendships between students were something to envy.
Too bad time couldn't turn back.
And transmigration wasn't possible, either.
Kujo grumbled inwardly.
Then he looked at Hiyori beside him.
She didn't seem any different, but Kujo knew she hadn't slept well at all the night before.
So he asked her with concern,
"Hiyori, why don't you go back and get some rest? You've got the day off anyway."
Before Hiyori could answer, Koenji spoke up first.
"Kujo boy, disappointing a lady's kindness isn't something a fine gentleman should do."
With that, Koenji turned and strode away in style.
Watching him go, Kujo guessed he was off to spend the rest of the day charming the upperclassmen.
Meanwhile, Hiyori kept sneaking glances at Kujo.
She hadn't actually gotten up early. She'd slept poorly all night—or, to be precise, she hadn't slept at all.
All Hiyori had been able to think about last night was messaging Kujo.
And no matter when she sent him a message, he always replied.
She'd only asked him little things, but he'd answered every time right away.
For example:
What does Kujo like to eat?
What color clothes does Kujo like?
When's Kujo's birthday?
Hiyori knew Kujo's birthday was July 15.
Right now, she was a girl in the throes of new love.
Even the tiniest things took on enormous importance.
They said love was blind.
Well, to Hiyori, her Kujo was the best in the world.
"I made breakfast for you, too, Kujo. If you don't mind, would you like to try some, Ayanokoji?"
At Hiyori's invitation, Ayanokoji realized this might be the kind of school life an ordinary student was supposed to have.
From watching Kujo and Hiyori interact, he'd successfully picked up a template for conversations between boys and girls.
Then Ayanokoji took the chopsticks and picked up a piece of rolled omelet to try.
Kujo, watching Ayanokoji with his eyes closed, felt utterly speechless.
To an outsider, Ayanokoji looked as if he were savoring the food.
But Kujo knew this guy's factory settings didn't include emotions like that.
Then Kujo picked up his lunchbox and quietly ate.
Hiyori had prepared a rather small portion, and he didn't know how to comment on it.
Kujo knew full well that he wasn't a romantic person.
But if this were a typical high school romance, wouldn't this be the part where she fed him?
Or the part where they blushed because of an indirect kiss?
Or maybe...
Counting his previous life, Kujo felt he couldn't bring himself to do any of those things.
For a moment, he felt lost amid the happiness of everyday life.
Now that he had such a cute and considerate girlfriend, Kujo felt as if his life had suddenly lost its purpose.
Wasn't graduating from Class A all about getting a good job?
And wasn't getting a good job all about marrying a good wife?
So what came after that...?
"Ayanokoji, please don't reach over with your chopsticks."
Seeing the unassuming Ayanokoji, oblivious as ever, about to take another bite from the lunchbox in his hands, Kujo spoke and knocked the reaching chopsticks away without mercy.
Beside them, Hiyori covered her face and giggled.
Then,
Hiyori curiously asked Ayanokoji,
"Where's your family from, Ayanokoji?"
At her question, Kujo's curiosity was piqued, too. He wanted to hear how Ayanokoji would answer.
Ayanokoji replied without expression,
"A place where the first thing you see when you open your eyes each day is a white ceiling."
?
Nobody gets your humor.
Ayanokoji, straight from the White Room.
Kujo grumbled inwardly, then picked up the last piece of seaweed roll in the lunchbox and put it in his mouth.
"Is it a hospital? Do Ayanokoji's parents work at a hospital?"
The white ceiling immediately made Hiyori think of a hospital.
"If I had to describe him, my father would be an activist who specializes in research on genetic inheritance and social behavior."
Listening to Ayanokoji's description, Hiyori said,
"So he's a medical professor."
Ayanokoji didn't deny it.
Kujo was speechless the whole time.
Watching Hiyori accept what Ayanokoji said without question, Kujo rubbed his forehead.
What normal person went around saying "activist"?
"Ayanokoji, it's almost time for class. Are you sure you'll be fine skipping it?"
Kujo was plainly trying to send Ayanokoji away.
At that, Ayanokoji seemed to finally realize that the two people beside him were one student who'd taken the day off and another who didn't have to attend class. Even Koenji, who'd just left, was a student who didn't have to go to work.
Ayanokoji didn't have those privileges, so he could only get up and leave.
Once Ayanokoji was completely out of sight,
only Kujo and Hiyori remained on the grass.
As if a switch had been flipped, Hiyori quickly reached out, snatched the lunchbox Kujo had set beside him, and held it up to hide her face.
The girl's cheeks instantly turned red.
Don't...
Don't look at me...
Seeing Hiyori's neck turn bright red, Kujo's previously unshakable composure around other people crumbled in an instant.
Hiyori, you're being so cute. What am I supposed to do?
Ayanokoji, why don't you come back after all?
Help!
Kujo tried moving farther away from Hiyori, hoping to see if that would help her calm down.
But before he could move, Hiyori's hand darted toward his sleeve.
"D-don't go."
Kujo hadn't even moved yet.
Then... should he move closer?
Hiyori's slender hand turned over, and she quickly pressed down on the back of Kujo's hand as he tried to move toward her.
"D-don't... don't... come any closer."
The girl's flushed cheeks spoke louder than a thousand love poems.
Kujo swallowed.
Looking at the shy girl, he had no idea what he should do next.
Seeing Kujo obediently stay put, Hiyori quickly turned her back, took the phone from her pocket, typed out a message, and sent it to Kujo.
[I'm not sleepy yet. I just want to keep talking with you, Kujo.]
Watching her type, Kujo understood that she was writing a message, so he quickly took his own phone from his pocket and replied.
[Mhm mhm mhm mhm mhm]
Kujo sent a whole string of emojis like an old man.
[Kujo, did you like the tamagoyaki I made today better, or the rice balls?]
So they weren't rolled omelet and sushi?
Should he say, "I like anything Hiyori makes"?
That answer was way too insincere.
But saying it was especially delicious, or nitpicking over the eggs, wouldn't be right either.
Saying it was especially delicious sounded like he was just trying to comfort her. It was delicious, but there was no need to describe it like that.
No, no, no. Normally, if he really wanted to show someone else how good it was, he should've said so after the first bite.
Before Kujo could reply, Hiyori sent another message right after.
[You look so handsome when you run, Kujo.]
Kujo quickly picked out a few blushing emojis to send her.
While Hiyori was still typing,
Kujo quickly began composing a message on his phone.
[I don't usually go out of my way to choose what I have for breakfast. I like both the tamagoyaki and the rice balls you made, Hiyori. It might be even better if you could switch things up from day to day, though.]
Hiyori deleted what she'd just typed and sent three messages in a row:
[Kujo, you're so greedy.]
[Heehee.]
[Okay! I'll try harder and make sure you get something different every day.]
Reading Hiyori's reply, Kujo began to regret it.
Hadn't that just given his Hiyori even more trouble?
Should he get her something as a thank-you?
But just as Kujo sent her a message to ask, Hiyori suddenly turned around.
Her face was beaming.
Kujo noticed her phone.
Her phone's gallery had already captured Kujo's embarrassed expression from a moment ago.
Hiyori had turned around because she wanted to see how her Kujo-kun would react when he found out.
Seeing Kujo's troubled expression, she smiled and said:
"I've already gotten what I wanted. I'm a little sleepy, so I want to go back and sleep~ Why don't you look forward to breakfast tomorrow, Kujo-kun?"
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