Half-Truths, Who Cares

Asking this question, even she felt it was somewhat absurd, yet that intense intuition and doubt drove her to ask it anyway.

Linmu Fujimiya carried his bag, his footsteps pausing slightly. He turned his head to look at Ichinose Honami.

The last golden ray of the setting sun grazed his cold, sharp profile, outlining a perfect silhouette, while the edges of his short white hair seemed to glow.

There was no expression on his face, and his eyes appeared even deeper and calmer in the twilight.

He looked at Ichinose Honami's eyes, which were filled with confusion, anticipation, and a hint of awe.

The corners of his lips seemed to curl up imperceptibly, and with a tone that was almost teasingly playful, he retorted:

"What else could it be?"

He blinked. "Don't tell me you think I'm some kind of manga protagonist with superpowers who can see through the past and future at will?"

He deliberately used a joking tone to toss that absurd possibility out lightly, yet his gaze remained clear and penetrating, carrying an ambiguous, inscrutable smile.

It was as if he were admitting it, yet also denying it, or perhaps more like he was mocking her naive imagination.

Ichinose Honami was choked by his retort; she opened her mouth, finding herself unable to respond for a moment, and could only stare at him blankly.

The ridiculous thought in the depths of her heart not only failed to disappear, but because of his reaction, it became even clearer, yet also even more unbelievable.

Linmu did not wait for her answer, nor did he look back; he simply raised his hand casually and waved in her direction, a gesture of farewell.

"Don't overthink it, go back. If you want a reading again next time, remember to bring enough points.

As for my stall, whether I open it or when I open it, it depends on my mood."

After saying this, he carried his light bag and walked with a steady, yet unusually brisk pace, turning to merge into the main road leading to the dormitory and commercial areas.

His short white hair gradually blurred in the thickening twilight, eventually disappearing around the corner of the road.

Only Ichinose Honami was left standing alone in place, surrounded by the square that was gradually growing quiet and the brilliant yet fading sunset in the sky.

She looked down at her open palms, which were slightly damp with sweat from nervousness, then looked up again in the direction where Linmu had disappeared.

The turbulent waves and tangled confusion in her heart, she knew not when, had gradually subsided; although it still felt empty, the suffocating sensation of drowning was gone.

She took a gentle breath and exhaled slowly.

A smile that was no longer forced slowly curled at the corners of her mouth.

Perhaps... Linmu was right.

There has never been only one path.

Rather than obsessing over a path that seems like a shortcut but is actually filled with thorns and might not even be passable, wearing herself out in the process.

When lost, it is better to stop for a while, take a good look at the scenery around, and recognize her true position and strength.

However... the desire in the depths of her heart to try, to get closer to that goal, still could not be easily extinguished.

Linmu's final words about a "noble person" were like a small spark, reigniting a glimmer of hope.

"Waiting, huh..." she whispered to herself, clenching her palm and then slowly relaxing it, "That's fine too. Then... let's just do what I can right now."

Meanwhile, Linmu had long since cast the conversation that had cost him a bit of effort (by his standards) to the back of his mind.

He was walking briskly toward his favorite dessert shop on campus, calculating whether he should treat himself to the new mango mousse tonight.

Of course, the most important thing was to repurchase the classic chocolate lava cake, or perhaps just be extravagant and get one of everything?

Anyway, that's how it is when you have plenty of points; life at the beginning of the month is completely different from the end.

(Thinking back to Gong Jin in those days...)

To him, the words he said to Ichinose Honami were merely a casual piece of advice that he felt was obvious, given as a return for that little bit of "helpful assistance" and his impression of her.

It wasn't meddling, and it certainly had no deeper intentions.

As for whether Ichinose Honami would wake up to reality, remain obsessed, or try a new path with half-belief after hearing him, that was her own choice and her own life.

He, Linmu Fujimiya, only cared about living his own life—plenty of desserts, free points, and a carefree, perfect life of slacking off.

As for the rest? Who cares.

The wind of May, carrying the faint scent of withered cherry blossoms and the slight heat of early summer, swept across the Advanced Nurturing High School.

But Linmu Fujimiya maintained his own rhythm of life.

For most students in Class D, the entire month of May was spent in the fantasy of the "windfall" of 100,000 points per month.

But for Linmu, this was just another "free vacation" that he could arrange as he pleased.

The days he appeared in the Class D classroom could be counted on his fingers, probably not even half the time.

To him, sitting in that noisy, chaotic classroom where the learning atmosphere was almost non-existent, listening to the teacher read from the textbook and watching his classmates do their own things, was a pure waste of life.

It was far better to curl up in his single dormitory room, comfortably playing the latest games, or choosing a sunny afternoon.

To take his divination tools to the square to operate "as fate allows" for a few hours, earning personal points that had long since broken seven figures and were still growing steadily, was much more practical and pleasant.

He had previously used his superpowers to read Sae Chabashira's memories and foresee fragments of her future, grasping the cruel and precise operating rules of this academy.

He had also clearly "seen" the inevitably bumpy, and even miserable, situation that Class D was destined to face in the near future.

Since he knew that wasting time in this month's regular classes would yield nothing but a pile of useless noise and restless emotions.

There would be no substantial benefit, whether in terms of knowledge or points, so why force oneself?

Arranging one's time as one pleases and focusing energy on things that truly provide comfort and gain is the wise course of action.

And on those few days when he appeared in the classroom, treating them as "observation days" or "boredom days."

(Just wanting to experience school after a long break)

The scene in Class D that Lin Mu witnessed was, without exception, a state of sleep-inducing lethargy.

Between the desks, the sounds of whispering, giggling, and horseplay were almost constant; while the volume wasn't enough to blow the roof off, it was enough to annoy anyone trying to listen to the lecture.

There were also no small number of people absent from class, the empty seats like gaping mouths, mocking the so-called discipline.

Those who remained in the classroom were mostly distracted: some had their heads down, hidden beneath their desks, fingers swiping rapidly across phone screens, immersed in the world of games or social media.

(Are you the ones secretly playing on your phones?)

Some simply crossed their arms, tilted their heads, and fell into a sound sleep on their desks, turning a blind eye to the occasional gaze cast by the teacher on the podium, even letting out faint snores.

There were also a few boys and girls huddled together, passing notes and exchanging snacks, as if this were not a classroom, but an afternoon tea party.