Different Paths

Facing Horikita Suzune's "model student" speech, Wu Qiao was not the least bit surprised. It was exactly the kind of thing she would say: rigorous, rational, and possessing a certain ruthlessness that would sacrifice anything for a goal.

He glanced at her indifferently, his tone calm. "There's no need. I have my own plans, and I have no intention of wasting energy correcting your typical student mindset, which ties all value to class promotion."

Horikita Suzune froze.

What stunned her wasn't just Wu Qiao's heartless rejection, but the fact that the moment he spoke those words, she had subconsciously glanced at her system panel, only to find that the favorability rating hadn't fluctuated by even a fraction.

One had to realize that even with people one didn't interact with often, there would usually be minor shifts in favorability when being addressed or evaluated.

Yet Wu Qiao's reaction was like a stagnant pool; like Ayanokoji Kiyoha and Kushida Kikyo, he seemed completely immune to these social-level numerical changes.

Just as Horikita Suzune was still digesting this eerie calmness, Wu Qiao stood up. He reached out and patted her shoulder lightly. The gesture carried no hint of frivolity or offense, but rather a sense of composure and certainty akin to an elder.

"Compared to moving up a class, I'd rather solve everyone's food problem first." Wu Qiao looked at her, his eyes clear. "I will help everyone escape this quagmire first and let them live like human beings in this school. As for Class A... we are on different paths."

With that, he picked up his bag and walked out of the classroom without looking back.

Horikita Suzune stood frozen in place, the words "compared to moving up a class, I'd rather solve everyone's food problem first" echoing repeatedly in her mind.

In her understanding, the ultimate goal for everyone arriving at this Advanced Nurturing High School should be to climb higher, because only by entering Class A could one obtain more points and privileges.

Yet Wu Qiao seemed to care more about everyone's current state of living, or rather, he prioritized living well over being promoted to Class A.

"Different paths... is it?"

Horikita Suzune muttered to herself, her gaze falling on the empty seat. For the first time, she realized that perhaps not everyone in this school was like her, trapped in that cage of obsession known as Class A.

Watching Wu Qiao's back as he left without a shred of attachment, an indescribable sense of frustration welled up in Horikita Suzune's heart. She turned abruptly, her gaze locking onto Ayanokoji Kiyoha, who had been watching the drama unfold and was preparing to follow him out.

"Stop right there!"

Horikita Suzune gritted her teeth, strode forward, grabbed Ayanokoji Kiyoha's wrist, and forcibly dragged her to a deserted corner of the hallway.

Faced with this sudden tug, Ayanokoji Kiyoha merely tilted her head slightly, her exquisite face full of confusion, yet her body complied as she let herself be pulled along.

Horikita Suzune took a deep breath, trying to suppress her inner agitation, and stared straight at the unfathomable girl before her. "I know you and Wu Qiao have an unusual relationship, and I won't force you to help me if you don't want to. But please, tell me, how exactly am I supposed to deal with that guy?"

Ayanokoji Kiyoha, being questioned, blinked. Her eyes were clear, without a trace of impurity, and her tone was as flat as a glass of water. "Why? Wu-kun has his own plans."

For Ayanokoji Kiyoha, her purpose in coming to this school was extremely pure; she only wanted to live a peaceful campus life. This was her true inner desire, and it was also the promise Wu Qiao had made to her.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha was currently enjoying this status quo where she didn't have to rack her brains to scheme against others, nor did she have to be schemed against.

Since Wu Qiao had already stepped in to handle the mess for Class D, she was naturally happy to remain idle and had absolutely no intention of causing him any trouble.

Watching Ayanokoji Kiyoha's impenetrable expression, Horikita Suzune felt a surge of frustration. She stared at her, teeth clenched, until she finally squeezed a compromise through her teeth: "Tell me, and as long as you do, I won't pester you anymore!"

Faced with Horikita Suzune's near-begging obsession, Ayanokoji Kiyoha still just shook her head calmly.

"I don't know," she replied softly, then added a condition that left Horikita Suzune dumbfounded. "Unless... it's something Wu-kun promises himself."

This sentence was like an invisible iron wall, blocking all of Horikita Suzune's probing. She stood there, stunned, looking at Ayanokoji Kiyoha's expressionless face, and finally realized that in front of these two, she was as ridiculous as a child trying to push over a mountain with brute force.

"Fine, very well." Horikita Suzune let go, took a deep breath, turned, and strode away down the hallway.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha stood where she was, rubbing the wrist that had just been left with a red mark, and sighed helplessly as she watched Horikita Suzune's retreating figure.

She just wanted to be a transparent person quietly; why was that so difficult?

At night, the dormitory area was quiet. Ayanokoji Kiyoha walked to Wu Qiao's door with practiced ease and knocked.

The door opened quickly, and she stepped inside. As soon as she entered, her gaze was drawn to an exquisite glass vessel on the table. It contained some finely chopped fruit, refracting an alluring luster under the dim light.

Wu Qiao casually brewed a cup of tea and handed it to her. Ayanokoji Kiyoha took the cup and took small sips; the warm tea slid down her throat, bringing a touch of warmth.

Wu Qiao looked at her unusual behavior and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Why come to see me all of a sudden?"

Ayanokoji Kiyoha set down the teacup and recounted the incident where Horikita Suzune had forcibly grabbed her to demand answers. By the end, she clearly felt a bit of a headache regarding the girl obsessed with class promotion.

After listening, Wu Qiao just nodded calmly, his tone unruffled. "Don't mind her, I'll handle it."

Hearing this familiar reply, Ayanokoji Kiyoha nodded obediently. The boy had said the same thing when Chabashira Sae had looked for her last time. She believed Wu Qiao had the ability, and she trusted that he had his own sense of discretion.

Since the serious business was over, her curiosity was finally piqued. Her clear eyes stared straight at the glass vessel in the room, and she couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"

Wu Qiao followed her gaze, smiled indifferently, and replied, "Fruit wine. What? Want to try some?"

Ayanokoji Kiyoha's eyes brightened slightly, but she hesitated immediately after. She looked at the teacup in her hand, then at the glass vessel filled with fruit, as if weighing something.

"May I?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible anticipation.

Wu Qiao raised an eyebrow, seemingly finding her reaction interesting. He stood up, walked to the table, picked up the glass vessel, scooped a piece of fruit soaked in wine with a small spoon, and held it to Ayanokoji Kiyoha's lips.

"Open up."

Ayanokoji Kiyoha obediently opened her mouth and took the fruit. The sweet and sour wine exploded in her mouth, carrying a hint of tipsy warmth that made her squint her eyes.

"Is it good?" Wu Qiao asked softly, watching her expression.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha nodded, her cheeks slightly puffed as she swallowed the fruit. She looked up at Wu Qiao, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Mm, it's delicious," she said softly. "Thank you, Wu-kun."

Wu Qiao looked at her adorable appearance and smiled easily. For Ayanokoji Kiyoha, being by Wu Qiao's side, even if doing nothing at all, was a rare kind of peace.