Shock! Long Aotian's Bench of Destiny.

"The day is finally over. I have to go to class tomorrow, and after buying daily necessities and food, grabbing a meal, cleaning up, and taking a shower, I'm down to 5.56 million points." Long Aotian lay on his bed, staring at his phone and muttering to himself.

He slowly drifted off to sleep; he was truly exhausted, after all...

The next morning.

He arrived at the classroom, sat in his throne-like seat, and let out a yawn. He was sleepy.

Perhaps he hadn't rested enough yesterday; he felt incredibly drowsy when he woke up.

Hm? What's this?

He looked at a love letter on his desk and pulled two more out of his drawer.

Has my youth finally arrived? But I refuse.

After all, having watched this anime and read fanfiction in my past life, the girls I like are only a select few: Sakura Airi, Shiina Hiyori, Ichinose Honami, and Sakayanagi Arisu.

Of course, if possible, the black-hearted little angel Kushida Kikyo would be fine too, hahahaha~

How should I reject them? Maybe I shouldn't go at all; just ignoring them should suffice.

Forget it, I'll just go and reject them in person. I have nothing to do after school anyway, and after being busy all day yesterday, it's time to relax.

In the anime plot, this first month is basically an observation period, and the story skips over it since nothing major happens.

But in reality, it doesn't pass by that quickly.

The school bell rang, and class began.

I'd better study hard; if my grades can't keep up later, I'm done for~~

As time passed, the lunch hour arrived.

The school bell rang again.

Next, I have to head to the rooftop. One of the three letters was an invitation to confess on the rooftop during lunch.

Just then, a voice called out, "See you this afternoon, Long-kun."

"?" Long Aotian was a bit confused and looked toward the source of the voice.

Ah... it's Sakayanagi Arisu. What does she mean by "see you this afternoon"?

I still have to go reject that confession after school, and I need to buy some equipment. I'll buy a pack of tissues and some mineral water first, then head to the rooftop.

When he arrived at the rooftop, he didn't see anyone. I guess I came a bit early.

Still, it's quite funny. Why would anyone choose this time to confess on the rooftop? You're not an undercover agent; why are you meeting on a rooftop?

The real issue is this blazing sun—it's scorching. Thankfully, I brought an umbrella to block the heat.

Just then, the rooftop door opened, and a girl walked in. She was wearing a school uniform, her hair tied in twin tails, and her eyes were sparkling as if they held countless stars. Her face was like a budding flower, her temperament like an innocent child—pretty and cute. She was holding a bento, and her face was slightly flushed? (A virtual character from Class A; since I don't know who the members of Class A are, I'm just adding a plot point. Her name is Matsukita Yuki.)

Oh, oh, she must have rushed to the rooftop.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Long-kun!"

"It's no problem, Matsukita-san."

"Um..." Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's, and her cheeks were stained with two red clouds. "I... I like you."

"Um, Matsukita-san, this should be our first time meeting, right? It's only my second day at school."

"Even if you like someone, it shouldn't happen this fast, right?"

"I..." Matsukita Yuki seemed to be at a loss for words, unable to finish her sentence.

She couldn't exactly say it was because I'm handsome.

...It must be the [Charm: S+] stat at work.

Perhaps sensing she was about to be rejected, one look revealed that Matsukita Yuki's eyes were turning red.

Oh no! If she starts crying, this will be hard to handle.

"Um... Matsukita Yuki-san, I'm a bit hungry. Did you bring anything to eat?"

Hearing Long Aotian's voice, Matsukita Yuki hurriedly replied, "Y-yes, I did."

"There happens to be a bench over there on the rooftop. Let's go sit there."

Hm? Where did a bench come from on the rooftop?

Long Aotian stuck his umbrella into the middle of the bench to block the sun, poured some water onto the seat, and then used tissues to wipe it dry.

That way, it wouldn't burn our bottoms. Long Aotian and Matsukita Yuki sat down on the bench.

"Wipe your eyes," Long Aotian said, handing her a tissue.

"Thank you, Long-kun."

"Here, Long-kun, this is my bento." Matsukita Yuki handed over the lunch box in her hand.

"Let's eat together. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"Okay~"

I opened the bento box; it was packed full and looked quite appetizing.

Although we said we were eating together, Long Aotian didn't eat much, just a small taste, otherwise this child probably wouldn't be full.

"Matsukita Yuki, did you make this?"

"Yes, I did!" The young girl nodded her cute little head.

Suddenly, I felt an urge to reach out and pat her head. Damn it, what is this feeling?

"It's really delicious."

"As long as you like it, Long!"

It was easy to see that Matsukita Yuki was quite happy right now.

Seeing that the bento was almost finished, Long Aotian handed her a bottle of water: "Drink some water."

"Okay~" Matsukita Yuki took a sip of water, looked up at Long Aotian, and said: "Long, you're really gentle."

"Here, wipe your mouth. It's about time, let's head back to the classroom together."

"Mm-hmm!"

As for the original answer, actually, not answering anything at all was the best answer (no fishing).

On the way back, Matsukita Yuki went to wash the bento box, so Long Aotian returned to the classroom alone and sat back in his seat. So comfortable~~.

My stomach was a little hungry, so I took out the bread I had just bought to satisfy it.

It didn't taste as good as that bread from back then; what a pity.

I've been looking for that bread for a year and haven't found it. It's difficult; this school probably doesn't have it either.

Those early days were really quite bitter. I wonder if that little girl from back then is doing well now.

Forget it, no point in overthinking. I'll reject those two love letters this afternoon, then head to an electronics store to buy some cameras, voice recorders, and the like.

After all, to live in an academy where schemes and conspiracies emerge every day, one must be prepared.

After a while, the students returned to the classroom one after another. I glanced at the second seat in the first row; Matsukita Yuki was sitting there.

The school bell rang.

Class begins!

The bell rang once again, but this time it was the end-of-class bell. It truly is the best sound in school. Let's go eat first this time.

"Long, shall we go eat together?" A sweet voice drifted over.

Following the sound, I saw it was Matsukita Yuki.

"Sorry, Matsukita Yuki, I have some things to take care of this afternoon."

"Alright..."

"Uh, let's go eat together then. I have to eat before I go anyway."

"Okay!"

I really couldn't bear to see such a cute girl feeling sad~

We arrived at the cafeteria, queued for food, and found a seat to sit down.

Matsukita Yuki asked curiously: "Long, are you going to deal with a confession later?"

"That's right."

"Long is handsome, so it's only natural that you're popular with girls."

Popular? Actually, I don't think so. I usually sit by myself in class. Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi Kohei are the ones who are truly popular.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration. I'm actually just a bit better-looking than the average person."

"Not at all, you're clearly just handsome to begin with," the young girl replied with a smile.

We chatted happily until we finished our meal and were ready to leave.

Long Aotian handed her a tissue: "Here, use this to wipe your mouth."

"Thank you, Long. See you later then."

"Bye-bye," I waved my hand.

The second letter was for a meeting by the playground. If I remember correctly, there shouldn't be any surveillance there. In the plot, Ichinose Honami seemed to have been confessed to there as well.

Do people always choose these kinds of places to confess? It's either the rooftop or some secluded spot.

At the very least, shouldn't you invite someone out to eat, watch a movie, or go shopping, and then confess in the middle of the night when the atmosphere is just right?

Arriving by the playground, I could see a young girl sitting on a bench.

That girl had long, black, silky hair that swayed gently in the wind, as if a beautiful poem were flowing.

The girl's face was as smooth as jade, and beneath her arched brows sat a pair of bright, large eyes that resembled two shining stars, filled with a gentle and affectionate gaze. Her nose was high and straight, and her lips were rosy, curved into a smile.

Class A Kudo Chihiro

"Hello there, Long."

She was quite pretty. Unlike the cute style of Matsukita Yuki, this young lady carried a hint of a mature vibe.

"Hello, Kudo."

Long Aotian then sat down on the bench.

Wait? A bench? And it was the same style as the one on the rooftop.