The afternoon sun was bright,
ascending to the fifth floor of the teaching building, the noisy voices from the classes gradually dissipated.
This level was very quiet; nobody usually came here except for the student council.
The sunlight shone through the glass windows, and Haruka Yuzan glanced at the sign on the wooden door: Student Council Activity Room,
Had she really turned this place into her personal territory? Indeed, the rumors that the Otome Family was one of the school trustees must be true.
Detestable, the capitalist heiress,
But, if one were basking in the privileges of power themselves, that feeling was quite delightful.
You've fallen, Mr. Haruka.
Shaking his head, he pushed the wooden door open; it was said someone was in the meeting room today, and he was curious to see who else might enjoy Miss Otome's private resting room.
The door swung open,
and the room's setup was the same as before, unchanged.
The girl was sitting by the window, holding a book in her hands. On seeing Haruka Yuzan walk in, she merely lifted her head to glance at him.
There wasn't a ripple in her gaze, as if the sudden intrusion of a male student was no surprise to her.
"What a coincidence, you're here too," Haruka Yuzan inquired.
"Mhm," the girl nodded calmly, her eyes still lost in her book.
Seeing this, Haruka Yuzan, although curious about the relationship between Chiba Shimizu and Otome Mizuko,
didn't say much else, as Class President Chiba's indifference was well known; he would probably get nothing out of asking.
Anyway, he was there to sleep, and as long as he slept well, that was enough.
He pulled out a pillow and laid down on the sofa; the softness enveloped him comfortably, and before long, even breaths could be heard.
The half-open window of the resting room allowed breezes to stir up the silver hair, painting a visage as tender as cherry blossoms,
Chiba Shimizu closed her book and glanced at the boy sleeping on the sofa,
his black school coat draped over him and his legs dangled off the sofa without concern for appearance, which, paired with his handsome face, seemed quite nonchalant.
She stood up, closed the window, and the bustle of the wind was shut out, plunging the room back into silence,
with only the occasional sound of turning pages.
Perhaps it was the presence of a beautiful girl in the room that made Haruka Yuzan sleep so soundly—so soundly that he woke with a start and a racing heart upon checking the time on his phone.
1:20 PM,
With ten minutes left before class, a little more slumber could have led to oversleeping and being late.
He exhaled in relief, feeling a survivor's gratitude.
Rising from the sofa, he noticed Chiba Shimizu was still leisurely flipping through her book.
Slender fingers held the thick volume; her expression serene, unruffled.
"Class is about to start, Chiba Student,"
Haruka Yuzan said as he slipped on his coat, extending a kind reminder.
Chiba Shimizu nodded, then got up and placed the book back on the shelf; Haruka Yuzan caught a glimpse of the title, "Ulysses."
The epitome of "stream of consciousness"—do high schoolers read such things? How daunting.
Haruka Yuzan had only heard of it, but had not chosen to read it; precious time should not be wasted delving into the philosophies of the world.
"Class President Chiba, I didn't expect you to be on such good terms with Otome."
As they walked out of the classroom one after the other, Haruka Yuzan casually posed the question.
"Mhm, sort of..."
Chiba Shimizu nodded, her fingers brushing through her silver hair, revealing cute ears.
"Speaking of which, I was surprised when you passed me a note in class yesterday, Chiba Student," Haruka Yuzan mentioned.
The walk back to class still had some distance, and the silent atmosphere made Haruka feel quite awkward.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble." It seemed like she didn't want the boy to misunderstand and added another sentence,
"In my sixteen years of life, you are the second weirdest person I've met....."
"The second?" Haruka Yuzan was somewhat astonished.
"Who's the first?"
An odd focus of attention, not caring why it's weird, but caring why he isn't the first.
"Otome Mizuko....."
......
The sunlight was lethargic, paired with those formulas on the blackboard, it was like an eternal lullaby.....
Through the glass windows, this time he didn't admire the scenery outside, nor did he glance at the passing pleated-skirt beauties,
Reflected on the glass was a vague face, but even through the natural blurriness, one could tell it was a complete hunk,
Remembering the casual words the girl had said that morning,
"On the surface, you seem to chat amiably with everyone, but in reality, you harbor your own pride, especially your gaze, it's not like that of a student who's just started high school...."
"Is it hypocrisy?"
"No, it seems detached from reality, placing yourself in the position of a laid-back observer, but the scale is grasped very well...."
"Moreover, you never hide your lechery, always pretending to look elsewhere while stealing glances at any girl wearing long socks."
"Maybe, I really am looking at something else?" Haruka Yuzan tried to salvage his image.
Chiba Shimizu stopped in her tracks, turned her head to look at the boy, her beautiful eyes were as clear as stagnant water, giving a feeling that she could see right through Haruka,
"Alright, alright, besides that, I am actually quite fond of money, but why do you observe me so closely, Chiba Student?"
Haruka Yuzan fell in defeat, but quickly launched his counterattack.
"Don't misunderstand, the reason I observe you is that Otome likes you, and you rejected her."
Chiba Shimizu withdrew her gaze and continued to walk forward, leaving behind a trail of fragrance in the air.
In that moment, Haruka Yuzan thought he saw a glint of something else in the cold girl's eyes,
Contempt and... triumphant joy???
Gathering his thoughts, he shook his head and looked towards the gracefully retreating figure of the girl,
Am I the only one in the position of an observer?
.....
Good news, there were only two classes in the afternoon, and the teacher didn't drag on, even better news, tomorrow is Saturday.
When the school bell rang, the moment the teacher walked out of the classroom, the class immediately became lively.
Talking about tomorrow, discussing clubs, and... studying?
"Classmate Haruka, I have an English essay I'd like to ask you about."
Mikoto Tamamo came over holding her English book, lifting her head, her finger on her lips, pretending to be very innocent and helpless,
"Am I interrupting your after-school time?"
Haruka Yuzan was quite speechless in his heart, knowing that it's interrupting after-class time, then why are you still coming over?
Simply annoying.
"I'm really sorry, but I genuinely want to understand."
As she spoke, Mikoto Tamamo bowed deeply towards Haruka and humbly offered her book,
As the girl bent over, Haruka caught a glimpse of the snow-white at her neckline, her button wasn't fastened properly, Tamamo Student.....
If it were properly fastened as required, this would never happen.
The commotion on this side caught the attention of the classmates, everyone looked this way, putting the boy on the spot.