Chiba Shimizu did not show a hint of surprise, merely nodded as if already contemplating the idea, and said indifferently,
"Hmm, if you've also thought of it, then this task is yours to complete."
"Huh? Why should I be the one to implement it?"
The girl did not answer, just looked at the boy calmly, with an expressionless face that brought a chill to the otherwise bright afternoon.
Her clear eyes, like autumn waters, seemed melancholy, yet one could see oneself reflected in them, and only oneself, capturing the heart with their beauty.
"Alright, alright, I'm on it," Haruka Yuzan hurriedly averted his gaze, acting nonchalant as he waved his hand, "If I had waited for you to tell me, it would've been too late."
Upon hearing the boy accept the task, whether it was an illusion or not,
Chiba Shimizu appeared to breathe a sigh of relief, her previously tense figure relaxed, and the frosty atmosphere around her gradually softened.
In that moment, the boy felt a sense of coming home.
"Hmm, I'll help out too."
"Good, let's work hard together, Classmate Chiba," Haruka Yuzan said with a smile.
Chiba Shimizu nodded and, as if there was nothing more to discuss, took the lunch Reiko Onodera had prepared for her that morning and left the classroom.
As her delicate silhouette departed, the boy remained alone in the classroom.
A gentle breeze lifted the white curtains, and the youthful and beautiful scenery of the campus filled his view,
suddenly realizing that this person, seen by others as
beautiful, intelligent, serene, and rational, the unreachable "Gao Ling Zhi Hua," wasn't as perfect as others perceived, but rather had many flaws.
For instance, now,
the issue of how to bring Rika Onodera over for her birthday was actually quite simple.
Haruka Yuzan's plan, Chiba Shimizu had surely thought of it too.
But, when it came to implementation,
being inarticulate, unsocial, and with an icy exterior, the young lady had really no clue about such things.
The thought of Chiba Shimizu getting along with Rika was unimaginable.
The cute little Rika would probably burst into tears at the sight of the frosty girl....
Indeed, is there no one perfect in this world other than oneself?
Curse it!
Teacher Nozomi, who had been standing at the door, was also startled by Haruka Yuzan's strong reaction,
shocked, she quickly approached, asking with concern,
"Haruka, are you alright?"
"Ah."
The handsome young man sighed lightly, as if lamenting the ways of the world, and turned to say indifferently,
"Teacher Mizutani, I think I'm beyond saving....."
It was as if there was nothing worth remembering in the world anymore, a fierce self-loathing coupled with deep melancholy,
Seeing Haruka Yuzan's demeanor, Teacher Nozomi was taken aback,
Are children of this age so fragile? It was just a teasing comment, but could it be that she now had to compensate Haruka Yuzan?
"Don't be like this."
Now it was Teacher Nozomi's turn to panic,
suddenly recalling the novels she had read recently where the protagonists would be affected in their cultivation path by trivial issues, ending up with a dramatic drop in academic performance,
worry began to grow that the embarrassing incident she had just stumbled upon might affect Haruka Yuzan, which would be a grave error.
The more she thought, the more possible it seemed, especially for a student like Haruka Yuzan, who was well-known throughout the school and cared greatly about his reputation.
No, she had to find a way to uplift Haruka Yuzan's spirits. With resolve, Teacher Nozomi spoke softly,
"Haruka, you must cheer up. Actually, all of this is quite normal. It's just that at your age, you would have such thoughts."
Upon hearing this, Haruka Yuzan felt she made sense,
but, Teacher Mizutani, we're probably not talking about the same thing, right?
How did our conversation match so perfectly???
However, a teenage boy's head filled with a bit of rubbish really does make sense!
As if to prove her point, Teacher Nozomi lifted her head and looked at the tall boy in front of her, struggling to voice her thoughts,
"Teacher wants to tell you that when I was your age, I actually also thought about these things every day....."
Having said that, her originally pale face suddenly turned pink, exuding a bashful girlish charm.