Kikyo Kushida Wants to Make Friends

Linmu Fujimiya chewed on a Fujiya fruit lollipop, watching Kikyo Kushida quickly catch up to him. The urge to slack off that had just sprouted in his heart deepened significantly.

The two walked side by side toward the academy registration desk, surrounded by other boys and girls wearing the same freshman uniforms.

There were many curious glances cast their way; after all, Linmu's well-defined, coldly handsome face, paired with his striking short white hair and a tall, 178cm frame, made him stand out in the crowd.

(Not as good as half of you dear readers)

Add to that the lollipop he kept in the corner of his mouth, his slightly puffed-out cheeks, and those seemingly lazy, half-lidded eyes.

It created a peculiar, intriguing aura that caused many girls to steal glances and whisper things like "Who is that?" or "He's so handsome."

The registration process was simple: verify identity information, then collect dormitory keys and the campus handbook.

When the staff member pulled up their files on a tablet and read out "Linmu Fujimiya, Class 1-D" and "Kikyo Kushida, Class 1-D," Kikyo Kushida's eyes lit up instantly.

A wide smile bloomed on her face, and she even gave Linmu's arm a light, excited nudge.

(man-Black Flash)

"Linmu-kun, we've both been assigned to Class 1-D! What a coincidence!" Her voice was sweet and full of energy.

Linmu chewed on his lollipop and gave a vague "Mm" in response, though his heart was filled with nothing but resignation.

To be in the same class... it seemed that living a quiet, slacker life during his time at this school wouldn't be so easy after all.

He took the materials and the cold metal key handed over by the staff, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the fine grooves on the key handle.

Right now, all he could think about was getting to the dorm to drop off his things and, if possible, taking a nap.

As for class fate or camaraderie, to him, they were just troublesome matters that might lead to extra social exhaustion.

"Since we're both heading to the dorms to drop off our things, let's go together!"

Kikyo Kushida suggested with natural familiarity, stepping lightly to Linmu's side. Her tone was filled with effortless expectation, as if they were already old friends.

Linmu didn't refuse.

It wasn't that he was particularly happy about it, but simply because the dormitory building was in the same direction, so it was on his way.

Going out of his way to avoid her would seem deliberate and require more effort, which didn't fit his slacker principles.

He remained silent for the duration of the walk, only occasionally nudging the lollipop with his tongue, rolling it against the inside of his cheek.

The sweet and sour fruit flavor slowly spread, barely suppressing the faint irritation of being unexpectedly "tethered."

Just as noted in the campus handbook, all freshmen were arranged in a relatively new dormitory building.

(The school built new buildings and a new track after I graduated)

The floors were strictly separated by gender, with the boys' floors on the lower levels (1st–3rd) and the girls' floors on the upper levels (4th–6th). Each staircase had a dorm manager's office, and management seemed quite strict.

The road was bustling with freshmen carrying luggage or wearing backpacks, their faces a mix of excitement, nervousness, and curiosity.

Kikyo Kushida seemed to be a natural center of social gravity, nodding and smiling at classmates she passed as she walked.

She even offered short greetings like "Hello there," her innate affability on full display.

As they walked, she suddenly turned her head, looking at Linmu with burning, sparkling eyes full of undisguised anticipation:

"Linmu-kun, since we're so fated, why don't we be friends?

My wish is to become good friends with every single classmate in the academy!"

Linmu's footsteps faltered almost imperceptibly as he turned to look at her.

The girl's eyes were curved, her smile so sincere it seemed capable of melting ice. Her gaze was clear; at least on the surface, there was no sign of falsehood or calculation.

(Eating the lollipop suppresses my ability, so I haven't read the minds of any classmates in the academy yet)

If this were any other ordinary adolescent boy, facing such a sweet and enthusiastic invitation to friendship from a cute girl, he would likely have agreed happily, perhaps even feeling secretly smug.

But Linmu was, at his core, a hardcore slacker enthusiast.

To him, making friends was something that required time, energy, and emotional maintenance—it was a "drain."

Back in the orphanage, because he couldn't fully shut off his telepathy, he had "heard" too many people's hidden thoughts, pretenses, and even malice too early in life.

The result of seeing things too clearly was that he became increasingly lazy about maintaining interpersonal relationships that looked warm but were actually fragile or calculated.

Rather than wasting effort navigating hypocritical pleasantries that could turn sour at any moment, he preferred to be alone and quiet, saving his energy for things he truly cared about—like drawing, making desserts, playing games, or simply zoning out.

However, looking at Kikyo Kushida's expectant, star-filled eyes, the gentleness deep within him that didn't want to hurt others was acting up again.

The other party truly hadn't shown a shred of malice, and rejecting someone who sincerely (or so it seemed) wanted to be friends felt a bit too heartless.

In the end, he just twitched the corner of his mouth, letting the plastic stick of the lollipop sway slightly against his lips, and replied in his usual, lazy, nasal tone: "Whatever."

This answer was hardly a promise; it was practically dismissive.

But Kikyo Kushida acted as if she had received some grand validation. Her face instantly bloomed with an even brighter smile, and she immediately pulled her phone from her uniform pocket.

She moved so fast it was as if she were afraid he might change his mind: "Then let's exchange contact info! It'll be easier to look out for each other in class, and we can stay updated on any notices!"

Linmu sighed silently to himself, though his face remained expressionless. He obediently took out his phone, unlocked it, and pulled up his social media QR code.

The process of adding each other was quick. Looking at the name "Kikyo Kushida" newly added to his contact list, along with her cartoon avatar.

Linmu felt that the item on his slacker life plan—"Maintain minimal social interaction, preferably zero"—was likely going to be declared void on his very first day of school.

The two parted ways at the stairwell, each heading toward their own floor.

The dormitory arranged by the academy was a standard single room; it wasn't large, but it was fully equipped with a bed, desk, wardrobe, and small refrigerator, and even included a private bathroom.

The window faced south, providing good natural light, and the conditions were much better than he had expected for a student dormitory.

Lin Mu had no interest in carefully inspecting or decorating the place.

He quickly hung a few of his frequently worn clothes in the wardrobe and placed his daily necessities in convenient spots.

Most importantly, the tin box filled with various flavors of lollipops—milk, strawberry, grape, orange, and cola—was solemnly placed right in the center of the desk where it was most conspicuous.