A Monday Morning Change
Monday morning arrived.
But unlike usual, Su Yu wasn't alone—Kawasaki Saki was walking beside him.
Her little sister, Kawasaki Keika, had been dropped off by Hiratsuka-sensei.
By the end of summer, Keika would finally be able to attend the nearby elementary school.
Su Yu and Kawasaki Saki walked together in silence.
Oddly enough, it wasn't him who felt awkward—it was her.
She kept staring at his face, which made him a little uncomfortable.
But just before they reached the school gates, she sped up to put some distance between them.
Su Yu breathed a small sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Saki was rational—if she had stayed too close, rumors would've started spreading instantly.
As he approached the school gates, he spotted a familiar car—
The Yukinoshita family's vehicle.
A few seconds later, Yukinoshita Yukino stepped out, waiting for him.
Su Yu smiled and walked toward her.
Yukino's cheeks were slightly red, and in her delicate fingers, she held a small key—
The key to her apartment.
Su Yu reached out his hand.
After a moment of hesitation, Yukino handed him the key.
He grinned, taking it and slipping it into his pocket.
"If you're coming over…" Yukino whispered, "let me know ahead of time."
"I like surprising you. So, I won't be calling you beforehand."
"…!" Yukino shot him a glare, then turned and walked toward the school.
Su Yu chuckled, following beside her as he casually asked about Ebina Hina.
Yukino summarized the situation:
Apparently, Hina was taking her studies seriously, and her assigned scriptwriter shared similar interests.
The two had become friends.
Su Yu smirked.
There was a perfect phrase for this—
"Birds of a feather flock together."
A Special Lunch from Yui
When Su Yu entered the classroom, Yuigahama Yui walked over—carrying a bento box.
"You didn't make this yourself, did you?" Su Yu eyed the meal suspiciously.
"I wanted to… but Mom said my cooking still isn't good enough," Yui admitted, pouting.
"Be sure to thank Aunt Asuna for me.
"She may have just saved my life without realizing it."
"Su Yu-kun…!" Yui puffed up her cheeks.
As she pouted, Su Yu casually said,
"I told Yukino about your suggestion."
Yui's eyes widened.
"Did… did she agree?" she asked nervously.
Su Yu shook his head.
Yui's expression darkened.
"But…" Su Yu added, "she didn't reject it immediately, either."
"…Eh?"
"That's all I can tell you. The rest is up to you and Yukino.
"But—I have the key to her place now.
"Once you're ready, I can take you there."
Yui's face turned red.
"The key to… Yukino's apartment…?"
Whatever she imagined, it made her blush even more.
Seeing her reaction, Su Yu smirked and took her hand.
"Your hands… are really beautiful, Yui."
Then, without hesitation—
He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
Yui's entire face turned bright red.
"S-Su Yu-kun, you big jerk!"
She turned her face away, too embarrassed to look at him.
A Lunch Break with the Girls
During lunchtime, Su Yu walked to the Service Club with three girls.
Along the way, Ebina Hina fell behind and started chatting quietly with him.
She excitedly told him about her experiences at Flash Animation Studio.
Her assigned scriptwriter was also a fan of "those kinds of stories".
She had graduated less than two years ago, so she was very familiar with recent trends.
The two had endless topics to talk about.
Hina had also been introduced to a website—
A place filled with artists who specialized in those types of stories.
Su Yu immediately recognized what kind of site it was.
Aside from their shared interests, the scriptwriter had been actively teaching her, providing valuable feedback and support.
Unfortunately, since Hina wasn't a full-time employee, she couldn't submit her stories for original anime proposals.
With a knowing glance, she pushed up her glasses and looked at Su Yu.
"Su Yu-kun… can I enter the original anime competition?"
Su Yu smirked.
"Hina, if you want my help, you need to pay the price."
He lowered his voice, glancing at Yui and Miura Yumiko walking ahead.
"Su Yu-kun… wait, don't tell me… you're interested in me too?!"
Hina acted shocked.
"Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I mean."
"Fine, fine," she laughed. "Honestly, even if you hadn't asked, I would've helped anyway.
"I've already reminded Yumiko multiple times."
"Keep it up." Su Yu's voice turned serious.
"By summer vacation, I'm going to make her choose."
Hina adjusted her glasses again.
"Su Yu-kun, I think one more girlfriend wouldn't be a big deal, right?"
Su Yu shook his head immediately.
"Yukino already accepted Yui.
"That was her biggest compromise.
"If I add one more… my life expectancy will decrease."
Hina giggled, covering her mouth.
She wouldn't tell Yumiko or Yui about this.
She had been testing Su Yu's reaction—
And he had rejected the idea immediately.
That proved one thing—
Su Yu wasn't a complete scumbag.
And that, in itself, was worthy of respect.
A Surprise Guest at the Service Club
When the group arrived at the Service Club, they found someone unexpected—
Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Sensei, good afternoon," Su Yu greeted.
Hiratsuka glanced at him but didn't respond.
She wasn't in the mood—
Because she had drunk too much again last night.
Su Yu took one look at her face and knew—
She had a hangover.
Without saying anything else, he quietly ate his lunch.
Yui, Yukino, and Hina also ate in silence, feeling the pressure of Sensei's presence.
Once Su Yu finished eating, he got up and left.
A few minutes later, Hiratsuka followed him out.
Finally, the four girls were free to chat.
An Afternoon Tennis Match
At the tennis court, Su Yu arrived to see Hikigaya Hachiman and Totsuka Saika already playing.
Without announcing himself, he simply sat on an empty bench and watched.
When Hachiman eventually got tired, Su Yu stood up and stepped onto the court.
Then—
Totsuka immediately noticed something different.
"Su Yu-kun…" he murmured.
"Your tennis skills… they've improved!"