Is classmate Kiiida also here to relax?

Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike chimed in as well, munching on snacks while offering vague praise:

"Suzune Horikita is so responsible!"

"Exactly! She's amazing!"

"As expected, Suzune Horikita is the hope of our Class D!"

For a moment, Suzune Horikita became the center of everyone's adulation.

She remained expressionless, but the way her back straightened slightly and a flicker of emotion passed through her eyes betrayed that she wasn't entirely indifferent.

As for Kikyo Kushida, she stood to the side with a bright, sunny smile still plastered on her face, even clapping along: "That's right, that's right, Suzune Horikita is just the best!"

But for a split second, that smile stiffened ever so slightly.

A fleeting trace of gloom and jealousy flashed in the depths of her eyes.

The emotion was so fast it felt like an illusion—but Lin Mu caught it.

He looked at her flawless, smiling face, and at her eyes—still bright, yet seemingly veiled by a thin mist—and let out a soft "tsk" in his heart.

He hated how Suzune Horikita could act so cold and aloof, yet easily win everyone's approval.

This displeasure lasted only an instant before Kikyo perfectly concealed it.

She put her gentle smile back on as if nothing had happened, continuing to play the role of the cheerful, considerate, and understanding Kikyo Kushida.

This gathering, which could hardly be called lively, finally neared its end after most of the snacks had been consumed.

It was getting late, and there were classes tomorrow.

Everyone stood up to leave, leaving the room in a state of disarray: snack wrappers, empty drink bottles, cookie crumbs...

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's dorm room, which had originally been as clean and tidy as a model home, now looked like it had been swept by a storm.

Lin Mu looked at the trash covering the floor, then at the expressionless Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and the others who were preparing to leave. After a moment of thought, he spoke up:

"I'll help clean up."

After all, he had been present at the party; although he had been like background scenery the whole time, leaving a mess behind just didn't feel right.

Upon hearing this, Kikyo Kushida immediately raised her hand: "I'll help too! Since it was my suggestion to have this gathering, it would be too rude to leave the trash behind."

The others—Sudo, Haruki Yamauchi, and Kanji Ike—looked at each other with awkward expressions.

They clearly had no intention of cleaning up, but since Kikyo had said that, they felt too embarrassed to just slip away.

"Well... then we'll..." Sudo scratched his head, saying vaguely.

"No need," Lin Mu interrupted him flatly. "Besides, it's more inconvenient to clean with too many people.

You guys head back first; Kikyo Kushida and I will handle the cleaning."

Haruki Yamauchi, who was eager to leave early, immediately went with the flow:

"Then I'll leave it to you! Kikyo Kushida, Lin Mu, thanks for the hard work!"

With that, he dragged Kanji Ike and the still-hesitant Sudo out of the room quickly.

Suzune Horikita glanced at Lin Mu, then at Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, but said nothing. She simply gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

Finally, only Lin Mu, Kikyo, and the room's owner, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, remained.

The three of them quickly began to divide the work.

Kikyo was responsible for clearing the trash from the table and bed, Lin Mu took care of sweeping the floor, and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji joined in as well.

Soon, the room was restored to order.

The trash was gathered into a large, bulging bag.

Lin Mu picked up the bag, weighed it in his hand, and spoke calmly:

"I'll go downstairs to take out the trash; you two just finish tidying up the room."

After saying this, he turned and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

The dormitory area was very quiet at night.

Soft lights illuminated the hallway as Lin Mu carried the trash bag, walking slowly to the elevator and then to the trash collection point outside the dormitory building.

He tossed the bag into the recycling bin and brushed the non-existent dust off his hands.

The night breeze, carrying the humidity of the seaside, rushed toward him, ruffling the white bangs on his forehead.

The wind was refreshing, with a hint of saltiness that blew away the lingering scent of snacks on his clothes.

Lin Mu stood by the trash bin, not returning immediately.

He looked up at the night sky; there was no moon, only a few sparse stars that looked dim and lusterless, surrounded by the glow of the city.

In the distance, the faint sound of waves could be heard, rhythmic and long-lasting.

It was boring to go back to the dorm anyway.

Thinking this, Lin Mu took a step and headed toward the seaside not far away.

Under the night, the surface of the sea was a deep, ink-blue.

The waves gently lapped against the beach, emitting a soft "swish" sound, pulling away fine grains of sand as they receded, over and over again.

The entire coastline was shrouded in a tranquil darkness, with only the hazy halos cast by distant streetlights.

Lin Mu leaned against the railing of the coastal walkway, his hands tucked into his pockets, a lollipop he was nearly finished with held between his teeth.

He gazed at the undulating surface of the sea, feeling the chill of the sea breeze brushing against his cheeks, his mind drifting.

At a time like this, he didn't want to use any of his abilities.

He just wanted to stand here, letting the wind blow and listening to the waves, immersing himself in a moment of peace.

But this tranquility did not last long.

The faint sound of footsteps came from behind him.

The footsteps were light and somewhat hesitant, stopping and starting; clearly, the person approaching was not walking toward the shore with a clear goal, but wandering aimlessly.

Lin Mu did not turn around, but through his Psychokinesis, he had already "seen" the silhouette and face of the person approaching.

It was Kikyo Kushida.

She kept her head down, her steps slow, completely lacking her usual lighthearted vitality.

Her long brown hair fluttered slightly in the night breeze, obscuring most of her face.

She was walking so absent-mindedly that she didn't even notice the person standing by the railing ahead until the distance closed to less than five meters, at which point she suddenly looked up, and the two locked eyes.

Kikyo Kushida clearly had not expected to run into Lin Mu here.

Her entire body froze instantly, and the expression on her face spiraled out of control for a split second—it was a look Lin Mu had never seen on her before:

Confusion, gloom, irritation, and a trace of... vulnerability that she hadn't had time to hide.

But the next second, all those negative emotions receded like a tide.

She quickly adjusted her breathing, the corners of her mouth turned up, and her eyes curved into crescents; the sunny and cheerful Kikyo Kushida was back.

It happened so fast that one might doubt whether that moment just now had been an illusion.

"Oh, Lin Mu?"

Her voice carried just the right amount of surprise, as if this were truly a pleasant chance encounter, "Are you here for a walk by the sea, too? What a coincidence!"

Lin Mu looked at her without speaking.

His gaze was calm, yet it seemed to carry a certain penetrating power, causing the smile on Kikyo's face to stiffen slightly.

A few seconds later, Lin Mu turned his head, looking back out at the sea, and spoke softly:

"Something on your mind?"

His voice was gentle, lacking any tone of interrogation, just a plain inquiry.

Kikyo Kushida's smile faltered.

She laughed as if it were nothing, her tone light: "What are you talking about, Lin Mu?

I've always been like this; I don't have any heavy secrets, everything is light and bright."

She walked over to the railing, standing about a meter away from Lin Mu, and looked out at the sea as well.

(Event Period: May 1st to May 5th)