You must study hard!

The changes led to a final outcome where the three of them ended up walking together—a perfectly flawless solution.

So what was the benefit of the three walking together? Naturally, it meant no getting lost on the way back to the dorm, but it also brought an even longer stretch of silence.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka didn't speak, staying quiet on the sidelines. In contrast, Airisu Sakura felt immense pressure; she sensed today wasn't a good day, that she'd spoken the invitation too soon.

Airisu Sakura's gaze was restless, sneaking a sidelong glance at Beihai. His thick-rimmed glasses and slightly long hair made him look utterly unremarkable at first glance.

There was none of that imagined "wow, he's handsome," followed by blushing, and finally a budding affection in her heart. It's an undeniable truth that the world loves a pretty face.

When cooperating or trading with someone, people subconsciously judge by appearance, thinking the face reflects the heart. The classic example: a life-saving grace too great to repay—if the savior is good-looking, one offers themselves in marriage; if not, they promise to repay in the next life.

But Airisu Sakura's mind was a mess. She felt a bit relieved—if Beihai had truly been a handsome guy, their relationship would never have progressed so quickly.

That insecure little heart of Airisu Sakura's would only have kept her far away from Beihai, afraid to get involved, because a good-looking person's kindness is secondary; they always attract a crowd.

Just like Yosuke Hirata in class—Airisu Sakura had rarely interacted with him all this time, even deliberately keeping her distance.

The mere thought of sitting next a handsome guy, seeing him surrounded by people, would make Airisu Sakura feel like a timid hamster, desperate to burrow into the ground.

Besides, as Airisu Sakura looked at Beihai's profile, she found it only somewhat plain—not terribly ugly, and unexpectedly a bit pleasant to look at over time.

And then she thought about how both of them were practically invisible in class, how they happened to get to know each other and became friends, especially since he'd recently helped her out once.

Because of the special nature of her own situation, Airisu Sakura had already resigned herself to being alone at this school.

Her thoughts were always a jumbled mess; sudden imaginings sent her mind wandering off to the heavens, but she couldn't stop them.

As long as a person keeps moving forward, they won't overthink—because there's no time. Usually, one has to face a new life, plan for tomorrow. But when they suddenly pause to rest, they inevitably recall the past.

Either it stirs up a wave of melancholy, and they mutter, "Is this NetEase Cloud?"

Or they go full emo, pretending to be deep.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka didn't have that many thoughts; he was just wondering what to eat later. At most, he'd sigh and think, "So this is what a genuine campus life feels like."

But at this rate, why wasn't anyone stopping? They were about to pass the shopping street!

Beihai was equally anxious inside. If they walked a bit further, they'd reach the dorm—that would be perfect. He was about to meet his homework.

I want to, right now, immerse myself in a sea of problems and swim freely. There's no way I'm changing my plans now. Sakura-san, don't let me down. You're an introvert.

You're someone who finds it hard to speak up, especially with a third party present. Better keep your words bottled up.

Whether these thoughts in Beihai's mind had any effect was unclear, but everything remained uneventful. The three just walked in silence, each harboring different thoughts, each with a bright future.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka appeared calm on the surface but was secretly restless inside. Weren't we supposed to be treated to a meal? I'm really hungry now. The school cafeteria is already closed. When will we finally reach our destination?

Airisu Sakura thought, I should muster my courage now. Even though my points can easily cover treating two people, my mental pressure is about to explode.

What should I do? What was originally a matter between Beihai and me has turned into a three-person affair, and now I have to thank him in front of a third person.

Just imagining that scene feels so cruel. Maybe I should call it off for today. But I already agreed.

Beihai's mental activity was very simple: almost there, almost there. Just keep walking forward. No one speak. Let's play one-two-three, wooden statue.

Ding-ding-dong.

Just as the situation was about to reach a stalemate, a sound abruptly rang out among the three.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka paused mid-step and spoke first.

"Ah, Beihai, your terminal is ringing."

Beihai hadn't expected to be the first to slip up at such a critical moment. He felt a bit awkward, but he still had to take it out and check. After all, Beihai had very few contacts; generally, no one would message him unless it was something important.

Sure enough, it was his Shared Brain, Honami Ichinose. Beihai's expression turned serious. It seemed she was facing something urgent, since she'd directly transferred 100,000 points.

According to their agreement, 50,000 points was for advice, and 100,000 points meant he had to go in person.

Moreover, Beihai had mentioned that unless it was a special situation, they should try to contact him via terminal. Seeing the points come through on his phone, Beihai subconsciously bit his finger.

What the hell? What could have happened? This is my second brain!

[What's going on? First, stay calm. Try to explain the situation, and keep it as short as possible.]

Beihai quickly sent a message, trying to steady her and urging her to be brief.

Not long after sending the message, he saw a reply.

[Beihai-kun, are you busy today? I need to meet you.

Actually, it's nothing major. Someone wants to confess to me. When school let out today, I found a love letter in my desk drawer.

This is my first time dealing with something like this. I don't know what to do.]

Honami Ichinose clearly saw that Beihai was overthinking things, so she felt a bit embarrassed typing that out.

Beihai's mood was like a rollercoaster. Seeing that she was fine, he was just about to relax, but then he saw the part about the confession and tensed up again.

What kind of person was Honami Ichinose? From Beihai's observation, she was kind and a bit airheaded. Most importantly, she couldn't refuse others' kindness.

Facing a confession was definitely troubling. If she rejected it, she might hurt someone's feelings.

As an angel, she certainly wouldn't want that. But if she didn't reject it and had no romantic interest, they'd be stuck in a stalemate.

That's why she needed a third party to intervene. But who would dare set their sights on Honami Ichinose? Though it wasn't surprising that someone would confess to her.

The key point was that Beihai's system was still bound to her! Who knew what would happen to the Shared Brain if she started dating?

They say women in love—leaving aside the manipulative types who toy with men—if she turned into a love-struck fool, all her focus would be off her studies!

"Well, you two, something's come up for me today. I've changed my mind. Your matter is postponed for now."