Chapter 100: The Final Step Approaches
The decision on buying a house had not yet been finalized. Yuta planned to wait until next month's manuscript payment came in, and with Miu's entrance into higher education still a year or two away, there was ample time.
Sasha also didn't believe they could settle on a house in just one day. She returned to work on Monday and told Yuta that she would continue helping him look for a place.
Yuta had classes today, but only in the afternoon. After having lunch, he headed to school.
The last class of the day was History of Literature.
When Yuta entered the classroom, he noticed that very few students were present—less than a tenth of the usual number, with only about a dozen scattered around.
"Yuta—"
Raika called out to him. If she didn't greet him, Yuta wouldn't sit next to her, so she made sure to say hello.
Yuta walked over. Sayoko didn't come over; she hadn't enrolled in this class.
As he made his way, Yuta spotted Aya sitting alone in one corner.
Aya looked the same as always, with her two old-fashioned braids and thick square glasses that made her seem a bit dowdy.
When she saw Yuta looking her way, she gave a shy smile, thinking he was supposed to be with that pretty girlfriend instead.
Yuta had no desire to sit in the front row, so he sat down next to Aya. "Is anyone here?"
There was no one next to Aya; the classroom felt particularly quiet today. Perhaps the others had given up after realizing their hopes were futile.
"No..." Aya hadn't expected Yuta to sit with her and cautiously added, "Aren't you supposed to sit with Oda-san? That might be better…"
"It's fine; I just don't want to sit in the front. It feels uncomfortable to be under the teacher's gaze," Yuta explained, then called out to Raika in front, "Raika-nee, come sit over here."
Upon hearing this, Raika stood up, grabbed her books, and walked over. After glancing at Aya, she fell into thought.
Raika was contemplating why Yuta had chosen to sit here. Meanwhile, for Aya, seeing Raika look at her with an impartial gaze felt quite intimidating and made her anxious.
"Raika-nee, think about it after you sit down," Yuta motioned for Raika to take a seat and explained to the nervous Aya, "Raika-nee is just thinking; she's not angry. Don't misunderstand."
Hearing Yuta's way of addressing Raika and looking at the blank expression on Raika's face, Aya realized she didn't seem angry at all—rather, she looked somewhat cute.
"Raika-nee? Are you and Oda-san relatives?"
Yuta wasn't sure how to answer that. "I suppose so."
Raika wasn't inclined to clarify the situation, so Aya concluded that the two of them must be relatives rather than a couple.
After thinking this way, Aya felt a little better, but she still didn't believe it had anything to do with her.
Being next to the college's famous beauty made Aya feel uneasy, as if many eyes were fixed on her, exacerbating her anxiety in an already uncomfortable situation.
Before long, the teacher entered the classroom.
Kaoruko looked as striking as ever today. As she walked into the room, the atmosphere became noticeably quieter.
Her gaze lingered briefly on Aya, but she didn't say anything further. After taking attendance, she began her lecture.
Today, they continued discussing The Tale of Genji, with Kaoruko again delivering the lesson tailored for Yuta.
"Today, I will explain about a woman in The Tale of Genji—Asagao."
"Asagao was pursued by Genji during her time as a court lady, but their interactions were limited to correspondence. After her term ended, Genji made several attempts to court her in person, all of which were met with her steadfast rejection. In reality, Genji's feelings weren't purely about love; he was more frustrated by her indifference and felt unwilling to concede."
"Asagao, on the other hand, believed she could not compare to a beauty like Genji, fearing that he might view her the same way as other women who admired him. Thus, she only engaged with him out of courtesy, and even her aunt, Lady Niimi, urged her to accept Genji, but her refusal was resolute. Genji described her as someone with whom one could correspond freely and who had a rich spirit. She is one of the few characters in the story with strong opinions, foresight, and a noble demeanor."
Yuta listened to these stories without paying much attention.
While listening, he took notes. When he unintentionally made eye contact with Kaoruko, he felt a sense of foreboding—this woman was up to something again!
Kaoruko flashed Yuta a subtle smile before returning to her lecture, and he couldn't tell how much he'd actually absorbed.
After class ended, Kaoruko walked out directly, and this time, Yuta didn't wait for her to call him.
"Tojou, I have something to do, so I'm going ahead. See you." Yuta greeted Aya before heading out.
Aya nodded. "Okay, see you."
Meanwhile, Raika, observing Yuta chase after someone, quickly pieced together what was happening.
Compared to Yuta, Raika understood more about literature, paying close attention during lessons. Since she had learned about Kaoruko from Yuta during their previous encounter, she had kept that in mind.
Yuta was oblivious, but Raika could clearly sense that today's lesson was not cohesive with earlier ones; it was clearly a last-minute addition.
The reason Kaoruko spoke about this topic must have been related to the girl sitting next to her.
Raika scrutinized Aya, bending slightly and fixing her gaze intently on Aya's face, pondering why Yuta might be attracted to her.
Feeling Raika's penetrating gaze, Aya grew very nervous and carefully asked, "Oda-san, is there something wrong with me...?"
Raika straightened up, frowning as she replied, "I'm just wondering what it is that attracts Yuta to you. I think it's necessary to investigate Yuta's preferences."
"Ah... I don't understand what you're saying. I have another class, so I'll be going now." Hearing Raika's serious yet inappropriate comments, Aya felt anxious and embarrassed, quickly lowering her head as she hurried out of the room.
Raika, meanwhile, remained deep in thought, still trying to figure out why Kaoruko would consider Aya attractive.
However, Yuta was clearly not Genji, and Raika didn't believe her aunt's plan would work.
On the other side, after exiting the classroom, Yuta spotted Kaoruko not too far away. As he approached to call out to her, he suddenly heard the sound of a tinkling bell.
[Ding!]
[The task "Man's Three Treasures" has begun. The final step has arrived, and one point of luck will be automatically consumed!]
[Lucky Boy: Go home and make a phone call, young man.]
Seeing the task prompt, Yuta decided to abandon the idea of questioning Kaoruko about what she was up to. He quickened his pace and walked past her, opting to head home to complete the task instead.
Kaoruko watched Yuta pass by, frowning slightly. What was this kid up to? Was he really that dense?
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