Choice

"Hey! You guys, stop just watching!" Miyajima Hayata yelled at his friends, annoyed. "Come help pull them apart! The car's about to leave!"

The students who had been called out then stepped forward with grins, half-persuading and half-coaxing the stubborn classmates away from Miyajima Hayata.

Miyajima Hayata sigh of relief, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and only then did he have time to look up and survey his surroundings.

His gaze quickly fell upon Tanaka Yukishin and Karuizawa Kei approaching.

"Oh, it's Tanaka."

Miyajima Hayata smiled with relief and waved to them.

He glanced at Karuizawa Kei nestled beside Tanaka Yukishin, and raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Not bad, your girlfriend came to see you off in person. You're quite the lucky guy."

A few of her friends nearby whistled along, which earned them a slightly embarrassed glare from Karuizawa Kei.

"If you're envious, Club President, why don't you just find one yourself?"

Tanaka Yukishin took Karuizawa Kei's hand and walked to Miyajima Hayata's side. Looking at the "battlefield" left by the little incident, she chuckled and teased.

"What's going on here? Is Miyajima Express really that busy?"

Miyajima Hayata shook his head helplessly, gesturing with his chin towards the group of people being led away.

"Don't even mention it. Those few bastards, taking advantage of our good relationship, tried to sneak in and bring things back to their families. Luckily, I'm quick-witted and fast-handed."

He looked at Tanaka Yukishin's relaxed demeanor, then at Karuizawa Kei standing quietly beside him, his tone tinged with envy.

"You're so easy to take care of."

"Tanaka-kun!" "Big brother!" "Tanaka-kun!"

Just then, three clear and melodious female voices, each with a distinct tone and emotional color, rang out almost simultaneously.

Tanaka Yukishin, a perfectly timed look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Ichinose Honami approached with a warm smile on her face, sunlight shining on her long, soft pink hair.

Kamuro Masumi, as always, was decisive and efficient, her expression serious beneath her long purple hair, with a hint of barely perceptible teasing in her eyes.

Shiina Hiyori, on the other hand, was relatively reserved. Her long gray hair fluttered in the wind as she walked with elegance, her face bearing a serene yet slightly inquisitive smile.

"Honami-chan, Kamuro, Shiina?"

Tanaka Yukishin looked at the three girls, each with a distinct style, with great interest, a playful smile curving her lips.

"Why are you here? And how did you know we were leaving today?"

His purpose in delivering messages to these girls was...

It's just a hope that they will perform well in the Special Exam.

After the exam, reveal some details about the exam to him to satisfy his curiosity.

But now it seems that I have some weight in the hearts of these girls.

"Having received such a favor, I may not be able to do anything else, but at least I can come and see you off as a token of my gratitude."

Ichinose Honami answered with a gentle smile, sunlight seemingly dancing in her clear blue eyes.

Her attitude was sincere and open, without the slightest hesitation.

Kamuro Masumi chimed in, her tone carrying her characteristic frankness.

"Ichinose is right. As for the departure time... as long as you put in the effort to find out, and ask a few more people, isn't it normal to find out this information, brother?"

She used that title without hesitation.

"Big brother?"

This abrupt address instantly attracted the attention of everyone around.

Ichinose Honami and Shiina Hiyori both looked at Kamuro Masumi, their faces showing obvious curiosity.

Miyajima Hayata and his friends stopped their playful antics and looked over with interest.

Karuizawa Kei gently squeezed Tanaka Yukishin's hand, her gaze sweeping between him and Kamuro Masumi with a hint of inquiry.

Shiina Hiyori and chuckled softly, her amethyst-like eyes sparkling with insight.

"Hmm... it seems Tanaka-kun is quite dishonest when it comes to interpersonal relationships. He's with four different first-year classes at the same time... well, I'm in Class C, Ichinose is in Class A, Kamuro- Kamuro Class B, and Karuizawa is here in Class D too."

She turned her gaze to Karuizawa Kei, her tone teasingly friendly, "Karuizawa, are you... really not bothered or angry about this?"

The author cleverly steered the conversation away from the issue of how to address Kamuro Masumi, directly leading the discussion to a more subtle area.

"Kamuro, you just called him... big brother?"

Ichinose Honami finally couldn't help but speak, her gentle tone carrying undisguised doubt.

She looked at Kamuro Masumi, then at Tanaka Yukishin, as if trying to find the answer in their faces.

Despite the intense gazes of the crowd, Kamuro Masumi remained composed.

"I'm very grateful because my older brother helped me deliver a very important message to my family and solved my problem. This is just a polite way of addressing him to express my gratitude and respect. Is that alright?"

She retorted confidently, her gaze sweeping over Ichinose Honami and Shiina Hiyori, with a hint of "you're making a fuss over nothing."

"Is that so?"

Ichinose Honami looked at Tanaka Yukishin for confirmation, her gaze still gentle, but with a stronger sense of inquiry.

"It makes one very suspicious."

Shiina Hiyori added with a smile, her gaze shifting between Kamuro Masumi's openness and Tanaka Yukishin's composure, "However, how to address someone is indeed their prerogative."

"Hey, hey, this classmate," Kamuro Masumi said to Shiina Hiyori, her tone slightly annoyed, "Isn't that a bit too formal? We're both people who get taken care of by our older brother."

She turned to Ichinose Honami, extended her hand, and said, "Let's get acquainted! My name is Kamuro Masumi, and I 'Class 1-B. As for you, Ichinose, you're too famous among the first-years, so there's no need for you to introduce yourself."

"Nice to meet you, Kamuro. I'm Ichinose Honami Class 1-A."

Ichinose Honami smiled and shook hands with Kamuro Masumi, demonstrating excellent manners.

"I'm Shiina Hiyori, from Class 1-C."

Shiina Hiyori gave a graceful slight bow, her gaze shifting between the other three girls with a hint of barely perceptible amusement.

Tanaka-kun seems quite the ladies' man...

Why isn't Karuizawa angry? Is it because everyone's behavior is relatively normal?

A subtle silence fell over the room for a moment.

The three girls—the gentle angel Ichinose, the straightforward tomboy Kamuro, and the cunning literary girl Shiina—examined each other, as if an invisible string was gently vibrating in the air.

Karuizawa Kei, arm in arm with Tanaka Yukishin, stood quietly beside him.

Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and she wore a calm smile, yet her sharp eyes took in every single detail.

Miyajima Hayata and his mischievous friends exchanged knowing glances, and held their breath in anticipation.

Tanaka Yukishin herself observed this unexpected Matoba with great interest, a lazy smile playing on her lips, seemingly finding it quite amusing.

"Oh dear, it seems I missed a great opening?"

A clear, slightly teasing female voice broke the brief silence.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a girl with a unique temperament gracefully stepping off another bus next to them.

She was tall and slender with a beautiful face. Her long silver hair was casually tied up, and a playful smile played on her lips. Her eyes sparkled with undisguised gossip.

It was Kiryuin Fuuka, a second-year student.

Ignoring the surprised looks from Miyajima Hayata and the others, she walked straight to the group of girls and introduced herself with a smile.

"However, I need to correct one thing, it's not just first-year students. Let me introduce myself, I'm Kiryuin Fuuka. It's nice to meet all you lovely junior girls. And of course, this one too..."

Her gaze shifted, finally settling on Tanaka Yukishin, and her smile deepened. "The incredibly charming Tanaka Yukishin, junior."

"Senior from Kiryuin,"

Tanaka Yukishin sighed helplessly, but her tone showed little surprise, as if she had expected her to appear.

"Long time no see, you still have that same mischievous look on your face. But you might be disappointed."

He glanced around at Karuizawa Kei beside him, then at Ichinose Honami, Kamuro Masumi, and Shiina Hiyori, whose expressions varied.

"Even if you joined the Gyokuryuki girls' group specifically to watch the show, my role is just to provide backup. Given the glorious past achievements of our predecessors, I probably won't need to appear too many times."

These words both responded to Kiryuin Fuuka's teasing and cleverly encouraged the Kendo Club, while also placing himself in a low-key position.

"Oh?"

Kiryuin Fuuka raised an eyebrow, her purple eyes flashing with a dangerous yet alluring light. She deliberately dragged out her words, her gaze sweeping over Miyajima Hayata and the others.

"Really? I guess I need to consider whether I should accidentally add a little something to boost metabolism... like a laxative, to Miyajima-senpai's and the others' bento boxes?"

Her tone was half-serious, half-joking, making it unclear whether she was joking or threatening.

"Hey! Kiryuin!" Miyajima Hayata's expression changed, and he shouted exaggeratedly, "He's telling us he's going to give us laxatives right in front of us? That's going too far! I'm a senior, for goodness' sake!"

The surrounding Kendo Club members also showed expressions of horror, instinctively clutching their stomachs.

"Pfft!"

Several girls couldn't help but laugh.

Kiryuin Fuuka covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then waved her hand gracefully.

"Just kidding, just trying to lighten the mood, Miyajima-senpai. Don't be nervous."

Her purple eyes swept over Tanaka Yukishin, carrying a hint of "Let's see what you can do about it."

The brief interlude eased the subtle atmosphere between the girls.

An announcement came on at the right time, reminding the participating teachers and students heading to Fukuoka to prepare to board the bus.

"Alright, it's almost time."

Tanaka Yukishin patted Karuizawa Kei's hand and nodded to Miyajima Hayata.

He looked at the four girls who had come to see him off and Kiryuin Fuuka, who was eager to watch the show, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you all for coming all this way to see me off."

He looked at them one by one.

"Hui, wait for my news."

"Honami-chan, do your best!"

"Kamuro, study hard."

"Shiina, don't stay up too late reading."

"Kiryuin," he paused, a mischievous glint in his eye, "Eat less melon, or you'll get indigestion."

Under the watchful eyes of the five women and a group of onlookers, each with their own distinct expression.

Tanaka Yukishin picked up her backpack, turned around deftly, and boarded the bus with Miyajima Hayata and the others.

He found a seat by the window and sat down.

Outside the car window, Karuizawa Kei waved vigorously at him, her golden hair dancing in the morning breeze.

Ichinose Honami, Kamuro Masumi, Shiina Hiyori waved and greeted each other with smiles of blessing.

Kiryuin Fuuka, arms crossed, returned to another bus with a meaningful smile.

With a roar of the engine, the bus slowly started and drove away from the bustling school gate.

Through the car window, Tanaka Yukishin watched the golden figure and the other people seeing her off gradually shrink until they disappeared from sight.

Chapter 133, Choice 132

At 9:30 a. m., on the bus bound for Fukuoka.

The carriage gradually quieted down.

Most people were either resting with their eyes closed or listening to music with headphones on.

Tanaka Yukishin took out her phone and dialed home.

"Hey Mom... Yeah, we're off... We expect to arrive in Fukuoka this afternoon to check in... Yeah, I'll let you know as soon as the competition schedule is out... Don't worry, I'm in great shape... Okay, bye."

He briefly reported that he was safe and then hung up the phone.

He put down his phone and realized the carriage wasn't quiet.