As soon as the school bell rang, Li Mo walked out to splash some cold water on his face. The cool water hitting his skin helped calm the restlessness in his heart.
"I can't even sit still anymore. I'm really not used to this."
He stretched his joints, feeling as if his body had rusted after just one day back. Was it really that he couldn't go a day without swinging a sword and cutting someone down?
Thinking back on the past year, almost every day had been spent eating, sleeping, and cutting off heads. To put it another way, if he wasn't cutting off heads, he was on his way to do so.
"But that's not quite right either. I don't feel the urge to cut off heads now. I'm not as sensitive to every little movement around me either."
During the day, Li Mo's vigilance was actually very low. After all, what kind of demon could show up in broad daylight? If such a demon existed, Muzan would have captured it for research immediately.
So, was it just that he wasn't used to sitting still?
Li Mo recalled the Hashira meetings he had attended. Everyone sat properly and respectfully, while he fidgeted like he had ADHD, shifting left and right, scratching here and there. As soon as the meeting ended, he would stretch out his legs and sit cross-legged, leaning back on his hands—it felt amazing.
Standing by the sink, he looked out toward the tennis courts. This area was actually used by sports club members to fetch water. It was quite far from the school building, and he had come all the way here.
The reason? Probably just to walk a bit more.
Although he moved quickly, it was only fast compared to ordinary students.
"These past few years…"
In terms of appearance, Li Mo hadn't changed much over the years. Although he often moved around at night, most of his activities were in the early evening, and he rarely stayed up all night. He also made sure to get some sun during the day, so his skin tone hadn't changed much. As for his height, at his age, there wasn't much room for growth. However, his body had become more muscular, and he now had abs—something he had never imagined before.
Yukinoshita-san, in just one day, there's been a dramatic change.
If he hadn't chosen such loose-fitting clothes, perhaps it would have been obvious.
Glancing at the tennis courts again, he noticed the tennis club members had started their practice. The warm-up was over, and they were now playing matches. Among them, a silver-haired, shorter boy caught his eye.
At first, he thought the person was a boy. Based on their appearance, it seemed like someone he should recognize? But someone who wouldn't recognize him.
Probably some popular figure.
Li Mo splashed his face with cold water one last time and then turned to head back to the school building. First, he needed to go to the classroom to get his bag, which was still at his seat. After grabbing his bag, he planned to stop by the clubroom to let Yukinoshita-san know he was going out to stretch his muscles—maybe at a gym or something.
However, as he approached the clubroom, he noticed a woman standing by the door from a distance. Judging by the iconic white coat, it was none other than Hiratsuka-sensei.
She was… spying.
Li Mo stroked his chin, then softened his footsteps, moving silently like a ghost. He approached Hiratsuka-sensei without her noticing, her attention fully focused on what was happening inside the room. Tilting his head slightly, Li Mo peeked through the door crack and saw two people inside—a boy and a girl. The scene was almost identical to when he and Yukinoshita-san had first met.
—Oh, so it's today.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, what are you doing here?" Li Mo asked in a low voice.
"Huh?! Li Mo, when did you get here?!" Hiratsuka-sensei jumped, clearly startled by his sudden appearance.
Li Mo shrugged. "You were just too focused, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'll go in first!"
With that, he pushed the door open and entered the clubroom, leaving Hiratsuka-sensei standing outside.
"That kid, he must have done that on purpose. But… has he gotten more muscular?" Hiratsuka-sensei thought as she watched Li Mo's retreating figure.
Li Mo didn't care about Hiratsuka-sensei's thoughts. It was just a spur-of-the-moment prank, and after pulling it off, he felt much better. However, upon entering the room, he saw Hachiman sitting in his usual spot, with the long table acting as a "boundary" separating him from Yukinoshita.
So tense.
Seeing Hachiman's awkwardly placed hands, Li Mo knew the boy was nervous. For someone who preferred solitude, being in a room alone with a beautiful girl wasn't a blessing—it was torture.
Logically, Hachiman probably wanted to run away. Unfortunately, Hiratsuka-sensei was lurking outside the door.
Li Mo grabbed a chair from the back and sat down in the middle of the "boundary," saying, "Hiratsuka-sensei, do you need a seat?"
"No, I'm just watching. I have some work to handle at the staff room later," Hiratsuka-sensei replied. "Li Mo, this is Hikigaya Hachiman, the new member of your Service Club. I'll leave him in your care."
"Well… I think I understand your intentions, Hiratsuka-sensei. Looking at him now, he really does seem similar."
Hikigaya Hachiman's current demeanor was quite similar to how Li Mo had been in the past.
Thinking about it, he had probably been like that too.
"Then I'll leave him to you."
Hiratsuka-sensei left with a flourish, and this time, Li Mo could tell from her footsteps that she was really gone.
"You're Hikigaya Hachiman, right?"
Li Mo looked at Hachiman as he spoke.
"Y-Yes! And you are?"
Hachiman actually recognized the man speaking to him. He was one of the more notable students at Soubu High—a foreign student who had been quite eccentric last year and had now become Yukinoshita's club member.
Li Mo. That was his name.
Had he really been that eccentric last year?
After just a few glances, Hachiman felt that something was off about Li Mo. Based on his long experience observing people, Li Mo seemed like an iceberg—only a small part of him was visible above the surface, while the rest remained hidden beneath.
He was completely different from Yukinoshita Yukino.
How to describe it?
Li Mo gave off the vibe of someone who would draw a sword at the slightest provocation. He seemed lazy, but Hachiman could tell there was a sharpness hidden in his eyes. It was like a boxer—if you tapped him on the shoulder without warning, you might get punched in the face.
A dangerous character.
"My name's Li Mo. I'm Yukinoshita's classmate. It seems like you've been dragged here by Hiratsuka-sensei for some 'reform,' just like me, right? Let me guess—it's because you don't have any friends. Don't look so surprised. It's pretty simple. Everyone in this room combined probably doesn't have double-digit friends."
Li Mo spoke casually as he picked up the teacup next to Hachiman, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "Hikigaya—you don't mind if I call you that, right? You can bring your own teacup next time. The tea our club president brews is really good.
Oh, right… President, we should figure out when Hiratsuka-sensei is treating us to afternoon tea. That way, I can buy snacks for other times."
As Li Mo turned to chat with Yukinoshita, Hachiman quietly observed him.
There was no doubt that Li Mo's overly familiar personality was the type Hachiman struggled to deal with the most. But… strangely, while talking to Yukinoshita, Li Mo seemed to be smoothing out his "dangerous aura," making it disappear?
A strange person.
Hachiman thought to himself.