Saki Yoshida walked silently at the end of the class line, her head bowed.
Occasionally, she would look up, her eyes filled with envy as she watched the classmates who had already become familiar with each other on the first day, walking together in groups.
She wasn't without ambition.
She had imagined approaching her classmates with a kind smile, a straight posture, and a natural expression, confidently extending her hand to introduce herself, and then seamlessly joining their group.
Unfortunately, it was just wishful thinking.
If it were that simple, then why hadn't she made a single friend in her three years of middle school?
After all...
No one wanted a country bumpkin friend who looked out of place.
Thinking of this, Saki Yoshida's expression became even more downcast.
Lost in her moment of melancholy, she didn't notice that Ho Fei-yu directly in front of her had stopped.
The collision was inevitable.
Saki Yoshida bumped into Ho Fei-yu's solid back.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... Ah..." Ignoring the pain in her forehead, Saki Yoshida instinctively apologized the moment they made contact. But before she could finish, her body stumbled back a few steps, losing her balance and falling backward.
The girl felt her body tilt and knew what would happen next.
A light injury would result in a few days of pain; a severe one might draw blood. But these troubles seemed insignificant to her.
What she truly feared was this:
If she had to go home to recover because of an injury.
By the time her injury healed and she returned to school, making friends would be an even more impossible task.
But who could help her now that the tragedy was about to occur?
Saki Yoshida simply closed her eyes, listening to the rushing air beside her ears, waiting for the disaster to strike.
After a moment.
'Huh!? What's going on... Why don't I feel any pain...' Saki Yoshida didn't feel any pain hitting the back of her head, and she couldn't help but wonder internally.
'Why does my forehead feel warm... So warm... I wish this warmth could last forever...' Just as she was about to open her eyes to find out what was happening, a surge of warmth suddenly spread across her forehead. It made Saki Yoshida feel as if she were nestled in a cloud, comfortably enveloped in warmth. This sensation made her dismiss the idea of opening her eyes, afraid it was just an illusion caused by fear.
"Are you okay, Saki Yoshida-san? I'm sorry, it's my fault for stopping suddenly."
It wasn't until a voice sounded close to Saki Yoshida's ear that she slowly opened her eyes. What she saw was a boy looking at her with concern, and an unprecedented, strange feeling suddenly arose in Saki Yoshida's heart.
"I-I'm fine. It's not Ho Fei-yu-kun's fault... I-I was walking too fast..."
Hearing this, Saki Yoshida immediately became flustered. Her fair face, hidden beneath thick glasses and braids, was flushed pink. Utterly lost, she chose to bow her head and speak to Ho Fei-yu.
The moment she bowed, the warm sensation completely disappeared, leaving Saki Yoshida feeling a great sense of loss.
"I'm glad you're okay, Saki Yoshida-san." Seeing the girl's panicked expression, Ho Fei-yu's lips subtly curled into a smile.
"Kokoro-chan, you go to the auditorium first. I have something to take care of right now. Don't wait for me, just save me a seat." Seeing that Saki Yoshida was fine, Ho Fei-yu withdrew his hand, and the two ethereal figures behind him also vanished. He then turned and spoke to Kokoro Aono.
"Fei-yu-kun, did something happen? Do you need my help?"
"Really? Then come with me to the restroom. Help me hold my—"
"You... Fei-yu-kun, you're a big idiot! You big jerk! I'm going to tell Big Sister Hanatsu that you're bullying me!" Before Ho Fei-yu could finish, Kokoro Aono, realizing what he meant, flushed bright red, pouted her pink lips, and spoke angrily.
"Hehe, alright, hurry up and go." Ho Fei-yu pinched Kokoro Aono's fair little cheek and said with a smile.
He then turned and walked towards the restroom.
"Jerk! Always pinching people's faces! They'll get too big!" Watching Ho Fei-yu's receding figure, Kokoro Aono rubbed her cheek and complained somewhat playfully.
"Saki Yoshida... san... right..."
"...Mhm." Called by Kokoro Aono, Saki Yoshida replied in a low voice.
Looking at Kokoro Aono, whose lips were curved in a beautiful smile, Saki Yoshida felt inferior.
The girl's appearance was pure and cute, unlike herself—plain, uninteresting, and rustic. Even if she put herself in a crowd of ordinary people, Saki Yoshida believed she would be the one with the least presence.
"Can I be friends with you?"
"Huh!? Friends? With... with someone like me? Is that really okay?" Saki Yoshida looked at her in disbelief when she heard Kokoro Aono's words, speaking with uncertainty.
"Yes, I want to be friends with you. What's wrong? Saki Yoshida-san, are you unwilling?" Kokoro Aono looked at Saki Yoshida with a playful glint in her eyes. She didn't know why the girl's reaction was so strange. It was just about making friends, nothing more.
"I-I'm willing!"
When Saki Yoshida spoke those two words, she could even feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest, like a tireless butterfly fluttering inside.
"Hello, my name is Kokoro Aono. It's nice to meet you."
"My name is Saki Yoshida. It's nice to meet you too..."
"Heh heh, Ryoto-kun, it's been a year, did you miss your Hayato-bro~"
A teasing voice rang out in the restroom.
"Y-yes, I did."
A soft voice responded to him.
"Oh ho, if you missed me, then why did you hide in the crowd when you saw me just now?"
"Forget it. To celebrate our long-awaited reunion, I won't be too excessive today. Your big brother here has been spending a lot lately, so, you know the drill~"
What started sounding like long-lost friends reuniting turned out to be bullying.
"B-but my sister's birthday is coming up soon. I've been saving up for a long time..."
The owner of the soft voice didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"Hand it over! Your sister is not as important as your big brother! Sister? What, you actually have a sister? Alright, you've been hiding this from me for two whole years! Tell me, how are you going to compensate me for my emotional distress?"
"I... I don't have any money left... You took it all..."
"Hehe, then how about this? You write me an IOU, and when you save up enough money again, you pay me back. How does that sound?"
"...Okay."
"Hahahahaha~ Hayato, you're absolutely right. This guy is a total wuss, a coward, hahahaha~"
It turned out there were more than two people in the restroom.
Just as the group of guys was roaring with laughter around the boy named Ryoto, a figure slowly walked into the restroom. Without even pausing his glance at them, he headed straight for the innermost stall, ignoring them completely.
"Hey, hey! You little brat! Who allowed you to come in? Can't you see there are so many people here? Get out now!"