Chapter Thirty-five: Is That So? (Extra Chapter Added for Fatty’s Recommendation Ticket and Red Envelope)

Although he really wanted to enjoy breakfast together with Sora, Aoki Tsukasa’s phone told him plainly that unless he hurried, he would be late. Having already finished his meal, Aoki Tsukasa washed all the dishes, and only then did Sora cautiously come down from upstairs, settling herself at the dining table.

Tsukasa shook the water off his hands, then turned to look at Sora, who sat at the table, head bowed, eating her noodles in tiny bites. He was suddenly filled with a deep sense of warmth and contentment. Unable to resist, he wiped his hands dry on his trousers and reached out, gently patting Sora’s head.

Startled by his sudden gesture, Sora stiffened all over, the noodles poised at her lips slipping away, her chopsticks frozen in place as if caught in a moment of time.

“If there’s any snack you’d like, just tell me. I’ll buy it for you when I come back tonight. But make sure you don’t eat all the snacks I bought yesterday in one go.” Tsukasa withdrew his hand, looking at her nervous demeanor and finding her both amusing and adorable. His voice softened with care, “And remember to eat properly at lunch. If you don’t have enough money for what you want, call me.”

Seeing that Sora still hung her head in silence, Tsukasa sighed helplessly and lightly patted her head. “I’m off to class now. If anything happens, remember to contact me.”

He picked up his bag and was just about to leave when a faint voice sounded behind him.

“Chocolate sticks…”

He turned to see Sora lifting her face expressionlessly, those clear, emotionless eyes meeting his. Seeing his puzzled look, she repeated softly, “Snacks… X-brand dark chocolate sticks.”

This time, Sora even specified both the brand and flavor.

Tsukasa nodded and waved at her. “Alright, I’ll be sure to get them for you. Well then, goodbye.”

Seeing Sora lapse into silence again, Tsukasa glanced at his phone—7:51 already—and sighed before hurrying out the door.

The moment the door closed with a soft click, Sora sat at the table, staring at her bowl of egg noodles. After a long time, she exhaled quietly and said into the empty house, “Goodbye.”

—

Rushing all the way, Aoki Tsukasa burst into the classroom just as the bell rang, sliding into his seat under the homeroom teacher Kazuo Matsushita’s gaze, sweat beading on his brow. Matsushita raised and lowered his Japanese textbook, finally sighing—if they had another self-study period, the class would fall too far behind in the curriculum. He had no choice but to begin the lesson properly.

He began teaching in his usual, disciplined manner, while Tsukasa rested his head on his desk, grinning foolishly at the hand that had just patted Sora’s head that morning. After a while, satisfied, he finally launched into his cheerful student life.

Yet happiness is always fleeting. As the bell for the end of class rang, a voice that made Tsukasa slightly uneasy sounded at his ear.

“Aoki-kun.”

A lively, pleasant voice. He looked up; sure enough, Shinmi Saotome stood before him.

Tsukasa frowned slightly. He remembered that this seemingly perfect and beautiful class president had apparently given up on him, so why was she now initiating conversation?

“Is there something you need?” Tsukasa set down his Japanese textbook. Even if he read it cover to cover, he’d barely gain any experience; he’d get more from listening to Matsushita read a passage aloud or by doing a reading comprehension exercise.

Shinmi Saotome gazed at Tsukasa’s indifferent face, her heart softening: Ah, Aoki-kun really has lost faith in the world. This coldness that keeps everyone at arm’s length must be the shell protecting his fragile heart…

She’d almost misunderstood him!

With a gentle, radiant smile, Shinmi began, “Aoki-kun, are you having any trouble in your life lately? If you are, you can try talking to me about it. We can figure things out together.”

“???” Tsukasa’s expression nearly morphed into a famous meme. He pondered for a while but couldn’t figure out what had gotten into her for her to say something so odd. He only replied calmly, “Thank you for your concern, President, but I’m doing quite well lately.”

He meant it, too. He was earning money, Sora was no longer avoiding him, and no delinquents were picking fights with him—what a wonderful life.

But in Shinmi’s mind, all sorts of dramatic scenarios played out. The calm-faced Tsukasa before her now seemed to be putting on a brave front. Her voice grew even gentler, “Um, would you like to have lunch together today?”

“Hmm…” Tsukasa frowned slightly. “I usually just grab something from the convenience store, and I use the lunch break to practice kendo at the club. So, sorry.”

Oh dear, how pitiful he must be! Shinmi imagined this lonely soul, hungry at noon, squatting alone in some deserted corner, helpless and forlorn. The thought nearly moved her to tears. But she also worried that if she exposed his act, it might backfire and make him resent her. After all, someone like him probably had a very strong sense of pride.

Besides, persistently pestering him wasn’t very becoming of her perfect image, so Shinmi forced herself to smile, “Alright then. But if you ever need help, don’t be shy. I’ll keep it secret and do my best to help you.”

“Huh?” Tsukasa nodded blankly. For some reason, he felt he just couldn’t keep up with this beautiful class president’s logic. He wondered whether she was the one being strange or if it was himself.

“Boss!” After Shinmi Saotome left, Tora Maeda sidled up to Tsukasa, eyes full of envy. “Don’t tell me even Shinmi-chan has fallen for you, Boss… As expected of you!”

“Huh?”

Something felt off to Tsukasa…

Wait, why did you say ‘even’?

Tsukasa’s expression changed as he edged away from Tora Maeda.