Little Emotions!

What Natsume Chikage said wasn't actually a lie. Saionji Nanase really had become much prettier than she had been in her first year of middle school.

Upon hearing that, a faint, dazed confusion appeared on Saionji Nanase's naturally airheaded face. She blinked her lively, wide eyes instinctively.

It wasn't until a moment later that she finally processed, with the delay of a system lag, the full meaning of what Natsume Chikage had just said—"You've become so much prettier than before that I didn't recognize you."

With a poof, as though touched by the first blush of sunset, her jade-white cheeks turned slightly red.

Without even realizing it, she drew in her neck a little. Her long lashes lowered, casting tiny shadows over her flushed cheeks.

Saionji Nanase couldn't help secretly glancing at the clean-cut, handsome Natsume Chikage beside her. She remembered that back in middle school, he had rarely spoken in class and had never stood out much.

If her memory hadn't been so good, she might have found it difficult to remember someone like Natsume Chikage.

What she hadn't expected was that after entering high school, Natsume Chikage would have changed so much.

Though he still loved playing on his phone and rarely took the initiative to speak...

Just then, the faint scrape of a chair being pulled out came from the seat in front of Natsume Chikage, and a girl sat down.

When Saionji Nanase saw who it was, her eyes immediately lit up with delight. "Suzune?! You got into this school too, and we're even in the same class?"

The cool-looking Yukimura Suzune turned around at the sound of her voice, surprise flashing through her eyes as well. "Huh? Nanase, you're here too?"

Saionji Nanase nodded repeatedly, her voice brimming with excitement. "Mm-hmm! I never thought we'd not only be classmates, but our seats would be this close too!"

Yukimura Suzune gave a slight nod. "It really is a coincidence."

Saionji Nanase happily turned to Natsume Chikage beside her and warmly introduced her best friend. "Suzune, this is my middle school classmate, Natsume Chikage!"

Yukimura Suzune rarely took the initiative to make small talk with ordinary classmates, but since he was being introduced by her best friend, the unsociable girl could only turn around politely and prepare to introduce herself. "Hello, I'm Yukimura Suzu—"

However, the instant her gaze truly fell upon Natsume Chikage's face, her words came to an abrupt stop.

Her expression stiffened, her lips pressed into a tight line, and her eyes narrowed slightly, revealing obvious surprise and a trace of displeasure—she clearly hadn't expected to run into him here again, much less... for this person to be sitting right behind her.

Natsume Chikage looked up and discovered that his new neighbor was none other than Yukimura Suzune, whom he had met briefly on the train. A flicker of surprise passed through his heart, followed by a subtle, barely perceptible delight.

This was... better timed than he could have hoped?

Back on the train, he had been wondering how he could obtain this girl's special equipment.

If he brought it up rashly, it would inevitably seem too deliberate. It wouldn't be good if he scared her off.

Now that she was sitting right in front of him, perhaps he would find an opportunity eventually.

"Hello, I'm Natsume Chikage," he introduced himself politely.

Yukimura Suzune narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized Natsume Chikage, then replied curtly, "Yukimura Suzune."

The moment she finished speaking, she quickly withdrew her gaze.

Even though she knew Natsume Chikage might not have noticed what she had done back then, and knew nothing of her identity.

She was clearly still bothered by what had happened before and didn't think much of Natsume Chikage.

Amid this subtle atmosphere, someone in the classroom suddenly recognized Yukimura Suzune.

"Sh-she... could she be that Yukimura Suzune?"

"The Yukimura who won the Gunzo Newcomer Prize?"

"Yeah! That's her! The one from the Yukimura Family!"

Whispers spread through the room like ripples across water.

After all, Yukimura Suzune was not only the daughter of the literary Yukimura Family, but also a gifted writer who had won the prestigious Gunzo Newcomer Prize. She had already gained some fame in literary circles.

With former schoolmates in the class as well, her identity quickly ceased to be a secret.

A girl gathered her courage and stepped forward first, her expression carrying both nervousness and anticipation. "Um... are you Yukimura?"

Seeing this, Yukimura Suzune seemed to recall certain memories. This time, she didn't take out her fountain pen in advance, merely replying in an indifferent tone:

"That's me. Is there something you need?"

The girl pulled out a copy of Cicada Rain and asked with shy anticipation:

"Um... I'm a fan of yours. Could I get your autograph?"

Upon hearing that, the cool Yukimura Suzune's mood immediately improved considerably. She gave a slight nod.

"Sure."

On the first day of school, the classroom air was always filled with an invisible anxiety.

All the new students understood it well: if they didn't make an effort to fit in and find a stable friend group on the first day, distinct little cliques would soon form throughout the class.

By then, trying to squeeze into one would be harder than climbing to the heavens.

And Natsume Chikage, Yukimura Suzune, and Saionji Nanase naturally became the center of everyone's attention thanks to their exceptionally striking looks.

Everyone knew that in Japanese high schools, where the "popular crowd" culture was so revered, managing to join such an attractive core group was practically equivalent to securing a place at the top of the class's social pyramid.

Thus, tentative approaches began.

Quite a few people started drifting toward the three of them, whether intentionally or not.

Natsume Chikage was the center of the liveliest crowd.

For boys, chatting with a handsome guy of the same sex was always far simpler and more relaxing than talking to a beautiful girl of the opposite sex.

For girls, chatting with a handsome guy of the opposite sex was always happier and more interesting than talking to a beautiful girl of the same sex.

Yukimura Suzune, however, had erected an invisible wall around herself early on.

She believed that this kind of superficial socializing at the start of school was meaningless.

It could be said that, aside from matters related to novels, she rarely gave much of a response.

Most of the time, Yukimura Suzune quietly read literary books.

Her cool, distant aura silently kept away most people who wanted to strike up a conversation.

In contrast, Saionji Nanase won quite a bit of goodwill with her cute appearance and naturally friendly personality.

No matter who spoke to her, she responded with sincerity, quickly establishing a good first impression among her classmates.

While fielding the pleasantries of the students around him, Natsume Chikage swept his gaze across the classroom.

Other than Saionji Nanase, there seemed to be no other familiar faces.

However, rather than observing old acquaintances, he was more concerned with something else—his sharp senses swept through the entire classroom, ultimately confirming that, aside from the "literary trinket" on Yukimura Suzune's backpack, there was not a second piece of special equipment in the class.

Though it was somewhat regrettable, finding even one in the same class was already an unexpected delight.

So now, the priority was how to obtain Yukimura Suzune's special equipment.