The walk to school on Thursday was uneventful.
Because Rinka and Otome were mainly discussing typical teenage girl topics like which milk tea tasted best, where to find the tastiest cakes, and which celebrities were in which TV dramas—none of which Sasaki cared about.
Thus, he walked a few steps behind them along the way, falling behind them, quietly observing the interplay of their long legs and the slight flutter of their skirts.
Of course, he had no improper thoughts.
After all, the only things that attracted his gaze on this route were the pale pink cherry blossoms falling with the wind and the various short skirts of schoolgirls on the street.
After a leisurely comparison, Sasaki discovered that Otome's leg shape was the best.
She wasn't particularly tall, only about half a head taller than the petite Rinka.
But because of her excellent body proportions, Otome's legs, encased in white stockings, appeared exceptionally symmetrical and eye-catching in his view.
Those legs, gleaming with a milky sheen, although weren't as soft and slender as Rinka's and didn't have the plumpness of Mrs. Shinomiya, were perfectly well-rounded and proportionate.
Of course, he had no particular preference among these three types; it really depended on the person.
Since he was closer to Otome, naturally, he favored her a bit more.
With these idle thoughts, Sasaki walked to school.
After waving goodbye to Otome, he headed toward his classroom.
Since there was still some time before class began, there were still three or two big cats and two kittens in the class as usual.
Glancing through the back door, the first thing he saw was the girl sitting in the second-to-last row from the front, second seat from the left.
Unlike yesterday, she wasn't looking around like a lovelorn wife waiting for her husband.
Instead, she just sat upright, with her small melons resting on the desk, deeply engrossed in writing something.
Because Sasaki had not entered the door yet, from where he stood, he could only see her hands wrapped around a pen, small and plump like rice balls, gently shaking.
The way her delicate hands moved the black pen reminded him oddly of a white hamster nibbling seeds.
This adorable mental image made him pause momentarily.
Just then, his blockage at the back door caused a girl walking with her head down to bump into his back.
Thud—
The sound of a backpack filled with books hitting the ground, along with the sound of someone falling, echoed behind Sasaki.
Feeling the slight impact against his back and hearing the sounds of the fall,
Here's your corrected text with minor grammar adjustments and smoother transitions:
Realizing he had absentmindedly blocked the path, the boy quickly turned around and looked.
And what he saw was a girl dressed in a winter uniform, wearing old-fashioned, large black-framed glasses, sitting on the floor supported by her hands behind her.
Because of the girl's wide glasses, thick and long bangs on her forehead, and her slightly bowed head, Sasaki couldn't tell what she looked like.
But from her outfit, he recognized her.
She was one of the only two people who hadn't grouped with others when he first entered the class.
Although it was May, due to a sudden drop in temperature over the past few days, some students still wore winter uniforms.
These included a slightly thicker black sailor suit than the typical white shirts, paired with a black knee-length skirt, which most boys found uninteresting.
This purely black outfit, which has no distinctive features at all and wouldn't catch anyone's eye, was something that attention-seeking, flashy girls would never choose.
Thus, even in winter, most girls would not consider wearing this type of uniform.
In a situation where most girls wouldn't even consider it, only two types of people would choose to wear such an outfit.
The first type included the very top echelon of students—those who were so well-regarded for one reason or another that nobody dared criticize them.
This included the most popular students, who get along best in the class, those holding positions in student organizations, those who were academically outstanding, or those who were particularly assertive and domineering.
Because these kinds of people have a certain specialty or status that is far superior to others, as long as there is no major problem, most people will surround them and naturally support them as the core of the group.
And those who gathered around them naturally wouldn't dare to critique their choice of clothing.
The second type consisted of those who, due to personality, looks, academic performance, or other factors, became virtually invisible in the class.
Since such a person can become a little transparent, it means that they've been excluded from smaller groups.
After being excluded for a while, they might think, "It doesn't matter what I do, no one cares anyway," or they might hope, "If I'm different enough, maybe they'll notice me."
Regardless of the thought process, the result usually sets them slightly apart from other students.
And the girl with the black twin braids in front of Sasaki clearly didn't fit into the first category.
After all, even though he hadn't paid much attention to her, she was one of the first people he noticed upon entering the class.
Therefore, he still knew some information about her that should be normally available.
Through the teacher's roll call, he knew that her name was Yoshida Saki.
From observing the class, he knew she didn't have any friends.
She often sat alone, and even during lunch, she didn't leave her seat, just eating some bread or similar food.
This alone wasn't unusual; after all, before getting to know him, idiot Chifuyu had been somewhat similar to her.
However, the difference was that Chifuyu was isolated because of her unmatched looks and figure, along with her top academic performance and her timid and shy nature, which left her without friends.
If a person is just excellent, the light they emit will make others feel warm and make them want to get close involuntarily.
But if a person is too good, that brilliance can be blinding and push people away.
Idiot Chifuyu was a prime example of this.
She just had impeccable looks and figure, and ordinary girls would feel inferior just standing next to her,
And her stellar academic performance only added to this.
But if that's all, then that's it.
After all, if you have a gentler and kinder personality, speak without any airs, and are not condescending, you will still have friends.
But idiot Chifuyu is a cowardly fool who can't speak and doesn't understand the atmosphere.
People who could see her character would secretly laugh at her, and would not regard her character as a friendly signal or as a friend.
Because the feeling of being able to put down someone who is better than you is very pleasant and exciting.
And people who can't see her personality would think that she is a cold person who doesn't like strangers.
After all, with such looks and smarts, a cold persona wouldn't be surprising.
Therefore, with the blessing of various buffs, idiot Chifuyu had very few people she could talk to, and even fewer she could call friends, with Sasaki being perhaps the only one.
Compared to the idiot Chifuyu who was alone because she was too outstanding, Yoshida Saki in front of him was alone because she was too...ordinary...
She wore the unfashionable winter uniform without any self-consciousness,
Along with those large black-framed glasses that even boys scoffed at, and the long bangs that cast a shadow over her eyes that made her look gloomy.
As for the slender bangs that covered her eyes and made anyone look gloomy, she also kept them casually.
Even her hairstyle,
If she were to dress normally and with those twin braids, which could have looked innocent and pure, would have looked okay.
But no amount of hairstyle could save her from the gloomy appearance of a weirdo.
Coupled with her timid temperament, which was comparable to that of idiot Chifuyu...
Sighing inwardly, Sasaki saw she was still dazed, clearly not having fully grasped what had happened,
So he stepped forward to help her up, apologizing, "Sorry, Yoshida-san, did you get hurt? Do you need to go to the infirmary to check?"