The next day, in the early morning before classes began, Nao managed to turn in her letter of apology without any issues.
The homeroom teacher smiled at her and said, "Thank you for bringing it in, Nao."
"I'm sorry I couldn't come to pick it up yesterday," She added with a frown.
Nao smiled at her with understanding and said, "I understand, teacher. You must have been busy with work." She replied.
The teacher smiled at Nao's understanding as she dismissed her.
Later in the day, the spring weather was bright and humid. However, to the students' delight, their classrooms were cool and comfortable, thanks to the air conditioning.
This refreshing environment made studying and attending classes much more bearable, despite the oppressive heat outside.
At the moment, it's a math class where the teacher, Miss Suika, has assigned them to four groups.
The cool breeze from the air conditioning offered a welcome relief from the stifling heat outside.
Miss Suika, known for her passion for mathematics, addressed the class with enthusiasm. "Today, we'll be working on a group project. I'll list down each group, and they will receive this paper to solve problems together."
The students exchanged glances, some excited by the prospect of teamwork, while Nao appeared slightly apprehensive.
"I hope my group includes someone I know," she thought, hoping for it to be either Yumi and the others or Aki and Yuto.
Miss Suika continued, "This exercise will not only challenge your problem-solving skills but also your ability to collaborate effectively. You'll have the rest of this class period and the next one to complete it."
Miss Suika listed the groups she picked randomly on the blackboard, and to Nao's disappointment, she was assigned to a group with no acquaintances.
Miss Suika's smile widened as she said, "With that settled, please make your way to your respective groups!"
Nao settled in her seat and observed her fellow students shuffling into their respective groups.
She sighed deeply, realizing that she, too, had to make her way to her group.
Nao looked around the room in confusion, not knowing which was her group, she muttered to herself, "Where's group 3...?"
After scanning the room left and right, she noticed another guy on the other side of the room waving in her direction as he screamed, "Group 3 is over here!"
Nao quickly made her way toward them, feeling like a nervous wreck along the way.
The young man who called out to her had a wide grin, and his energy reminded her of Yuto.
He cleared his throat, gathering everyone's attention. "Ahem! Before we get to business, how about we introduce ourselves? I'm Keisuke Shinohara." He declared, with a thumbs up as he pointed at himself.
A girl with a small stature and a blank face chipped in "Kayo Amano."
Followed by another deeper yet energetic male voice, "Hideo Hirota, nice to meet you all!"
"Asami Furukawa, nice to meet'cha!"
Multiple voices spoke up one by one, briefly introducing themselves, leaving it to Nao to say her name too.
The girl smiled wryly as her brows wrinkled, signaling at her turn, "N-naoko Ito! I hope to be in your care. " She said.