Encounter

Morikawa and Hoshida No finished the enrollment procedures quickly.

In the gap while waiting for the forms to be processed, Hoshida No probed with a hint of caution: "This school doesn't seem like an ordinary high school."

Morikawa looked down to verify the information, only glancing up faintly at the remark. "Everything is written in the student handbook." His voice was steady and ripple-free.

Hoshida No didn't press further, switching to a more practical question: "As a freshman, is there anything I should watch out for after school starts?"

This time, Morikawa didn't hesitate, his pen tip pausing on the paper. "Just do what a student is supposed to do."

This was common sense, of course: follow school rules, attend classes on time, and focus on the lectures. Hoshida No understood that naturally.

After the paperwork was settled, he stopped by the school store to buy daily necessities. Only a few scattered students remained in the shop.

The shelves were arranged neatly. Hoshida No's fingertips swept across the toiletries section, his gaze landing on the free-item rack in the corner.

A few packs of simple tissues and travel-sized shampoo sat there quietly.

He picked up the free shampoo and compared it to the cheapest one on the shelf. The free bottle was thin, the ingredients simple; it was barely usable.

He still had 800,000 private points in his account, more than enough. He didn't need to settle for less.

Hoshida No decisively grabbed a mid-priced toiletry set, then casually picked up two loaves of bread, a bottle of cola, and finally, a large bag of White Rabbit Creamy Candy.

The notification sound of the points being deducted at checkout was so soft it was almost inaudible.

When he walked out of the store, the setting sun was spread obliquely across the walkway.

Just as he took a step, a crisp shout came from afar, carrying a familiar, jubilant tone: "Brother No! Over here!"

Hoshida No turned his head. Karuizawa Kei was waving her arm, followed by several students, with Ichinose and Kushida Kikyo among them.

Kushida wore her signature friendly smile and waved gently.

Ichinose's gaze was gentle as she nodded in acknowledgment.

Hoshida No stopped and waited for them to approach.

"Why are you all here?"

"Our class just went to sing karaoke together." Ichinose spoke first, her fingertips lightly tapping the classmate beside her, her voice soft. "We happened to run into Kushida-san on the way back to the dorms, so we walked together."

As soon as she finished speaking, Karuizawa Kei took half a step forward, holding Kushida's wrist, her eyebrows arched with a hint of reproach: "Hey, Brother No, you have such a cute girl in your class and you didn't even mention it?"

Kushida steadied herself, her fingertips resting lightly on the back of Karuizawa's hand, her smile remaining impeccable.

Her gaze swept over Hoshida No, her eyelashes fluttering. That trace of surprise lingered only for a moment before being replaced by a perfectly measured apology:

"So you are Hoshida No-kun? When Karuizawa-san mentioned you, I couldn't place the name at all." Her voice was soft, as if embarrassed by her own oversight, yet she quietly memorized this face in the back of her mind.

Especially those dark, deep eyes—they felt somewhat familiar.

Hoshida No just waved his hand. "My self-introduction happened to be interrupted right at that point."

The evening breeze brushed through the tree-lined path of the dormitory area, and the streetlights cast dappled spots of light.

Kushida stared at Hoshida No's profile for a moment, finally unable to suppress her confusion. Her pace slowed, and her voice carried just the right amount of curiosity: "That... Hoshida-kun, have we met before?"

Hoshida No's footsteps faltered for a half-beat. He had intended to find a time to talk to her privately after returning to class, not expecting her to ask first.

He nodded. "Yes, we have. I helped you find a lost cat once, and you treated me to a meal afterward." As he spoke, his fingertips fumbled in his pocket for a moment, pulling out a neatly folded pink handkerchief. A sunflower was embroidered on the corner.

Kushida's pupils contracted.

The boy from that rainy morning, covered in mud and holding a cat, quickly merged with the tall, calm Hoshida No standing before her.

She covered her smile with her hand, realization dawning in her eyes: "So it was you! I never expected to see you here."

Her gaze fell on the handkerchief and didn't look away. Her smile deepened: "Hoshida-kun still has it. I was in such a rush back then, that was the only handkerchief I had on me."

Karuizawa, standing beside them, opened her eyes wide and instinctively grabbed Kushida's arm: "Eh?! You two already knew each other?"

Ichinose nodded along, her eyes filled with curiosity. The other girls in the group exchanged surprised glances, their eyes darting back and forth between the two.

Karuizawa couldn't hold back, the question tumbling out: "Tell us! Finding a cat? A meal? What's going on?"

Kushida explained clearly, clarifying the events of that year in a few sentences. The group listened, their expressions showing understanding.

She changed the subject, her gaze falling back on Karuizawa and Ichinose, her smile remaining gentle: "Then how do Karuizawa-san and Ichinose-san know Hoshida-kun?"

Karuizawa glanced at Hoshida No first, and seeing him nod slightly, she spoke with a tone of matter-of-factness: "Brother No and I are like siblings. My dad thought he looked decent back then, so he brought him home..." She gave a brief explanation.

Ichinose smiled faintly, her voice as soft as the evening breeze: "Brother No helped me once before."

She didn't go into detail, stopping at that, then added, "Later, Kei and I happened to meet him at the place where Brother No worked..."

The classmates nearby listened, nodding from time to time. The gossip today was truly satisfying.

Hoshida No was never one to care much about his reputation. As long as his bottom line wasn't crossed, these facts were inconsequential to him.

Three days had passed since the start of school. The broadcast for club recruitment played in a loop across the campus.

Hoshida No took the time to visit the Martial Arts Club, greeted the new members briefly, and returned to his class.

He sat in his seat and scanned the classroom.

Some were sleeping, some eating, some whispering, some playing games or reading manga, and others were absent or skipping class. Only a handful were listening attentively.

As his gaze swept over the chaos, he felt it was necessary to find Chazhu Zuo Zhi and get the school's rules clarified.

Taking out his phone, he quickly drafted and sent a message: "Teacher, I have some questions about the school I would like to ask."

The reply came quickly, consisting of only a brief sentence: "Come to the office during the lunch break."

Closing his phone, Hoshida No returned to his state of attentive listening.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, sitting in the adjacent seat, naturally did not miss this series of actions.

Over these past three days, he had been like a silent observer, taking in the words and actions of everyone in the class. Hoshida No was undoubtedly a subject of his focused attention.

The other party was consistently focused during class, his notes were organized and clear, and his speech and conduct maintained a distance that was just right.

He neither participated in the chaos nor appeared out of place. This composure and self-discipline were truly unlike a student of this class.

As soon as the bell rang, the noise in the classroom immediately escalated.

Ayanokoji turned to the side, wearing his usual poker face without a ripple of emotion, his voice flat:

"Hoshida-kun, don't you think this school is a bit strange?"