Pushing away the fuming Iroha Isshiki—who looked about ready to bite—Lin Zhi glanced around the classroom and said with a low chuckle, "You might want to watch that image you're trying so hard to maintain, Isshiki-san."
"Huh?" Iroha blinked in confusion, then caught sight of the curious glances around them. The realization hit her immediately.
Perhaps their little scuffle had been too loud, because half the class was now staring their way.
"Ahem!"
She coughed lightly, straightened up, and returned to her usual prim-and-proper persona.
"But anyway," Lin Zhi continued casually, "that Hayama guy seems pretty popular. Hasn't he ever had a girlfriend?"
"No, but I heard he likes someone."
"Oh? He likes someone?" Lin Zhi raised a brow. "That's unexpected… So popular, yet it's one-sided."
"What's this? Are you jealous, Lin Zhi?" Iroha teased with a smirk. She clearly enjoyed seeing him flustered.
Lin Zhi gave her a calm, unreadable look. "Actually, that reminds me—I wanted to ask you something, Isshiki-san."
"Huh? What?" she asked warily, a bad feeling creeping in.
"Do you have a childhood friend?" he asked, smiling pleasantly.
She froze. The lie was on the tip of her tongue, but under his steady gaze, it was as if he could see right through her.
"…No," she admitted dejectedly, sighing in defeat.
"I do," Lin Zhi said cheerfully. "Quite a few, actually."
"Q–Quite a few?!" Iroha stared at him as if she'd just seen a ghost. "What, did you grow up surrounded by girls or something?!"
Under the astonished looks of both Iroha and Shouko Nishimiya, Lin Zhi gave a strange little smile.
"Well… you're not wrong."
"What?!"
Even Kirito, sitting in front of them, turned around in shock. "Wait, Lin Zhi, what's that supposed to mean?"
Lin Zhi chuckled. They were really that interested in this kind of thing, huh?
"It's not as dramatic as it sounds," he said. "Back in school, most of the students around me were girls. Aside from me, there was only one other guy. And even counting everyone, the whole school didn't have many students to begin with."
Then he turned back to Iroha, a teasing glint in his eye. "So, Isshiki-san, anything you'd like to say now, as someone without a childhood friend?"
Iroha gritted her teeth, glared at him, then huffed, folding her arms. "So what? You still don't have a girlfriend."
Lin Zhi smiled faintly. "That's true."
After school — Light Music Club.
"Yo! Lin Zhi, you're here!"
As soon as he pushed open the door, he was greeted by Ritsu Tainaka's energetic voice.
Looking around, Lin Zhi saw that everyone was already there. A long table had been set up in the middle of the room, filled with steaming cups of fragrant tea.
"Lin Zhi-kun, I made cookies today," Mugi Kotobuki said sweetly, pointing to the plate on the table.
Feeling a bit awkward, Lin Zhi took a seat. Surrounded by the carefree atmosphere, for the first time he felt oddly out of place.
…Was this really a light music club? It felt more like an afternoon tea party.
Taking the cup Mugi offered, he thanked her softly and took a sip. The rich aroma of black tea filled his mouth, and he couldn't help but remark, "Kotobuki-san, this tea must've been expensive, right?"
"Ah, not really," she replied with a gentle smile, tilting her head.
Of course, for someone like Mugi, price was never an issue.
"And the cookies, Lin Zhi! You've gotta try them—they're amazing!" Ritsu said enthusiastically, holding up the plate like a proud host.
"Thanks."
Lin Zhi took one, bit into it, and his eyes lit up. The cookie was crisp and buttery, its sweetness spreading delightfully across his tongue.
"This is really good."
"Right? Right? Life's so much better with Mugi around!" Ritsu declared with complete satisfaction.
"Ritsu!" Mio Akiyama sighed helplessly. Honestly, this girl was hopeless.
Mugi, however, beamed happily. "Then I'll bring snacks for everyone every day from now on."
"Really?! You mean it?!" Ritsu's eyes sparkled like a child's, and she nearly bounced out of her chair.
"As long as everyone enjoys them."
Lin Zhi smiled wryly, exchanging a glance with the bashful Mio. Though she was shy as ever, there was mutual understanding in their eyes—neither could do much about their overexcited friend.
Knock knock.
Suddenly, someone rapped on the door.
The room went quiet instantly. Everyone exchanged puzzled looks.
"Wait—could it be a new member?!" Ritsu said excitedly.
"Maybe," Lin Zhi replied.
"Alright then, as vice president, you go greet them!"
Before he could protest, Ritsu had already pushed him up, patting his shoulder encouragingly.
"Vice president? Me? Since when?!"
Completely lost, Lin Zhi looked at her in disbelief, but she just shoved him gently toward the door.
"Go on, Lin Zhi! You've got this!"
"…I'm not a Pokémon, you know," he muttered helplessly as he approached the door. Still, he couldn't just leave whoever it was waiting.
When he opened it, the sight that greeted him caught him completely off guard.
"Ms. Hiratsuka?"
He stared in surprise at the woman standing there. And beside her—
That girl.
A cool, quiet beauty with striking features and calm, moonlit eyes. Her face was expressionless, cold and distant, as though she'd built a wall between herself and the world. She spared him only a single, indifferent glance.
"Oh? Lin Zhi-kun, you're here too," said the beautiful teacher, blinking in mild surprise before glancing into the room. She saw the group of wide-eyed girls waiting inside—and her expression shifted.
Shizuka Hiratsuka gave Lin Zhi a look so loaded with meaning it made him uneasy.
"Good for you, kid," she said dryly.
Lin Zhi's mouth twitched. What's that supposed to mean?!
"Wait—that's a teacher, isn't it?"
"No way! Why would a teacher come here? Ritsu, did you forget to turn something in again?"
"Huh? No way… let me think…"
The room instantly descended into a flurry of anxious whispers.
Lin Zhi blinked, sighed, and finally stepped aside to let the two of them in.
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T/N:
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