The girl who appeared before Yuki, whom he had caught, was none other than their classmate, the golden-haired, twin-tailed tsundere girl, Sawamura Eriri.
When Eriri's eyes met Yuki's, she felt as if she had instantly fallen into an endless abyss. It was a deep yet clear gaze, like stars twinkling in the night sky. Eriri was deeply drawn to these eyes, as if pulled by a mysterious force. She felt her heartbeat quicken, and a blush rose to her cheeks.
Eriri tried to decipher the meaning in Yuki's gaze. Was it concern? Pity? Or some indescribable emotion? Her heart was filled with doubt and curiosity, while also feeling genuinely grateful for Yuki's timely appearance.
"Th... Thank you."
Snapping back to reality, Eriri thanked Yuki, her voice somewhat flustered and nervous. In that moment, tension and embarrassment intertwined. Eriri felt cold sweat on her palms and struggled to maintain composure. She tried to avert her gaze to ease the tension and find some comfort.
Seeing this, Yuki smiled faintly, then steadied Eriri. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he said slowly, "You're welcome, Sawamura-san."
Yuki's voice was like the softest piano melody in the night, both mellow and magnetic, each word seemingly carefully crafted, clear and elegant. That deep, gentle voice seemed able to penetrate the deepest defenses of the heart, making Eriri involuntarily drawn to it.
Eriri raised her head, her eyes meeting Yuki's, then shyly looked down again, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. She gently bit her lower lip and asked nervously, stammering, "You... you know me?"
Eriri's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, and she did not dare to look directly into Yuki's eyes. Her hands unconsciously fidgeted with her fingers.
"Of course. After all, in our class, Sawamura-san is quite famous! With beautiful golden hair, a doll-like cute face, and azure blue eyes. You're one of the campus beauties in everyone's eyes." Yuki smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting.
Hearing Yuki praise her like this made Eriri even more embarrassed.
"You... you're not bad either..."
"Yuki... Yuki-san..."
Eriri's face was bright red, her tone slightly flustered but with a hint of smugness. Seeing this, the corner of Yuki's mouth curved up.
"Let's go. The bell stopped two minutes ago. If we don't get back to the classroom soon, Kirisu-sensei will probably be angry!" Yuki said slowly to Eriri.
Eriri nodded. Then, the two jogged back to the classroom.
By this time, Kirisu Mafoyo was already standing at the lectern in the classroom. As a dedicated and responsible teacher, she naturally couldn't be late. As she scanned the students below, she noticed two empty seats.
Her willow-leaf eyebrows immediately furrowed slightly, and her lips clearly moved. She knew whose two empty seats those were. One belonged to the newly transferred Yuki, the other to the well-known Sawamura Eriri. And just at that moment, Yuki and Eriri happened to arrive at the classroom.
The two pushed the door open, making Kirisu Mafoyo turn her head.
"Sorry, Kirisu-sensei. We were delayed by something on the way."
Facing Kirisu Mafoyo's questioning gaze, Yuki simply spoke calmly. Eriri, beside him, however, was already feeling her scalp tingle under Kirisu Mafoyo's stare.
At that moment, the entire class's attention was focused on Yuki and Eriri outside the classroom door. Especially seeing the two arrive late together, it inevitably made everyone gossip about their relationship. They all started discussing in low voices. Some even directly imagined various scenarios.
As for Kitagawa Marin, who had come to school with Yuki, she knew why he was late. But under Kirisu Mafoyo's gaze, she couldn't help but speak up to defend Yuki.
"Kirisu-sensei, Yuki-san has a reason for being late."
Kitagawa Marin's statement instantly drew the attention of the entire class, including Kirisu Mafoyo, towards her. The students' expressions turned utterly astonished as they looked at Kitagawa Marin, then their eyes shifted back and forth between Kitagawa Marin, Yuki, and Eriri.
It was as if they had discovered some even more explosive news. Wasn't this better than a TV drama? Two girls and one guy. This kind of explosive love triangle was exactly what caught people's attention. Most people had already started imagining various plotlines.
Then, within a minute of silence, Tobiichi Origami on the side slowly spoke up as well: "I know about it too."
'You're involved too?!'
The crowd was even more stunned, their surprised gazes turning towards Tobiichi Origami, the beauty known for being an ice queen. She was actually involved in this as well. This was no longer a love triangle; it had become a love square! Instantly, those students modified the plot in their minds again, turning it into a four-sided relationship.
The Kirisu Mafoyo on the podium didn't have the same imagination as the students. After lowering her head in thought for a moment, she slowly said, "Come in first! After class, Yuki-san and Sawamura-san, come to my office."
After saying that, Kirisu Mafoyo didn't say anything more. Yuki and Eriri acknowledged her and then entered the classroom, returning to their respective seats.
After entering the classroom, Eriri breathed a slight sigh of relief. While putting her things away, she recalled the moment Yuki had saved her, how he had held her waist and hand. The lingering warmth made her heartbeat quicken uncontrollably. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she secretly turned her head to look in the direction of Yuki's seat.
Her eyes sparkled with an indescribable light, a mixture of curiosity and budding emotion. It was filled with a thirst for exploration, as if she wanted to see past his outwardly gentle and refined appearance deep into his soul. Her eyelashes fluttered lightly with each blink, every blink like a silent question mark directed at him, filled with endless curiosity about everything concerning him.
When Eriri realized Yuki might look back, her gaze immediately became evasive, shifting away quickly like a startled fawn. Her cheeks flushed with a faint blush, like the first warm light of dawn, both shy and warm.
She had originally thought someone like Yuki would either be aloof and cold, difficult to approach. But from their brief interaction just now, Eriri found him not only gentle but also elegant and charming. Being with him made her feel happy both mentally and physically, without any resistance or annoyance.
A smile unconsciously tugged at the corner of Eriri's mouth, a joy from deep within and anticipation for the unknown.
This scene was captured by the other students around. Instantly, they became even more convinced that there was some closer relationship between Eriri and Yuki. Even Eriri's deskmate couldn't help but quietly ask her about it. Although Eriri strenuously denied it, the other clearly didn't believe her.
Kitagawa Marin was the same; her deskmate pressed her about her relationship with Yuki, Tobiichi Origami, and Eriri. Who was the third party or the fourth party? This left Kitagawa Marin embarrassed and unsure how to clarify. Or perhaps, deep down, she didn't want to clarify and would rather let the rumors continue.
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