Looking at Mashiro Shiina's painting, Rita knew... she would once again make most of the class feel miserable.
In Japan, socializing was actually very important. Whether at school or in society, all kinds of people formed their own little groups. Being alone made it easy to be excluded or even bullied. So... people without several close friends at school were rare.
The main targets of school bullying were also those people. To avoid being too isolated, most people tried hard to fit into one small circle after another, and they cared deeply about how others saw them.
But... Mashiro Shiina directly ignored this unspoken rule of school. She did not care about other people's gazes or opinions, and she simply ignored the cold violence around her.
Because... she did not understand it.
But now... Mashiro was about to gain another friend. Looking at the girl before her, Rita saw that she no longer held the rejection she once had toward Mashiro. Instead, there was admiration. This girl seemed to be called Shiho Fukaya!
After art class ended, Mashiro Shiina naturally became the center of attention once more. Her paintings... even the teachers could not compare to them. Some of the teachers had even asked Mashiro Shiina for guidance.
Yet when faced with the teachers' questions, Mashiro only looked bewildered. Her painting skills were exceptional, but asking her to explain them... Mashiro Shiina did not know where to begin.
"Rita, is there something interesting outside the window?"
During Chinese classics class, Rita was called out by the teacher at the podium while staring blankly out the window.
"Sorry!"
Coming back to her senses, she politely apologized without caring about the looks from her classmates.
"Then, Rita, please explain what this poem, Drinking Alone Under the Moon, describes..."
Although Rita had