The bus stopped in front of the grand gates of the High-tech Cultivation Academy, and the door slowly opened.
The students filed out one after another, and Ying Ye Zhenli blended in with them. The bus quickly felt much less crowded.
As soon as he stepped off, his eyes were drawn to the massive stone gate towering ahead.
The finely carved archway was the pride of the academy.
"It's really huge."
Ying Ye Zhenli tilted his head back.
The giant portal looked like a yawning abyss that could swallow everyone whole, yet it radiated a majestic grandeur.
"What an amazing academy. It's great that I get to study here."
"We should stay in touch, Classmate Ying Ye Zhenli," Kushida Kikyo said sweetly beside him, her tone like that of a little angel.
She already treated him as if they were acquaintances.
"Alright, Hanada. Reach out whenever you have time."
Without exchanging contact info or leaving another word, Ying Ye Zhenli walked off toward the campus, crossing through the abyssal gate. He couldn't wait to begin this new school life.
"Hanada?"
Left behind, Kushida tilted her head cutely, stunned. Had she heard wrong just now?
After all that talking on the bus, he didn't even remember her name?
The boy and girl who got off behind her glanced over, having clearly witnessed the moment he forgot.
But without saying anything, without mocking her, they simply walked on with blank faces.
In a way, their reactions were perfectly in sync.
A first look at the academy.
Following the directions on his screen, Ying Ye Zhenli soon found his classroom.
"First-year Class D, have you already arranged your seats?"
When I arrived, several students were already in the classroom. Most were sitting quietly, looking over school materials or spacing out. A few, perhaps old acquaintances or those who had just gotten closer, chatted in small groups.
Ying Ye Zhenzhen didn't care at all. He found his usual spot and sat down, waiting.
It wasn't the classic "back row by the window, seat of the protagonist," but instead a spot along the aisle near the front.
Cute girls sat in front and behind him, yet no one paid him any attention.
The seat next to him was still empty — its owner hadn't arrived yet.
As more students trickled in, the classroom gradually filled. Among them was Kushida Kikyo.
By chance, the empty seat beside Zhenzhen was hers.
She approached with a bright smile, perfectly put together.
"Great, we're in the same class, Ying Ye-kun."
"I was worried I'd be surrounded by strangers. This makes me so relieved."
Kushida placed her bag down and spoke warmly, hands clasped together in a gesture of relief.
It was the kind of reaction a girl shows when she feels reassured by someone's presence.
"Ah, Noda-san, what a coincidence."
Looking up at her sunny expression, Zhenzhen also smiled.
He didn't have the low EQ to bluntly point out that they had only met on the train and were basically strangers. Boys like that aren't popular.
"Ying Ye-kun…"
Her smile stiffened slightly, then turned into a playful pout.
She tapped him lightly on the arm.
"Honestly, you're calling me by the wrong name again. Did you really remember it? Or are you teasing me?"
"It's so mean—such a bad joke."
Is it really normal for a girl to touch a boy so casually? I've never met anyone like this. Is this what high school girls are like? Wow…
A thousand thoughts flashed through Zhenzhen's mind, but outwardly he stayed blank-faced, carefully trying to recall her name.
"Ah? I got it wrong? Sorry, my memory's terrible. Let me think… Shibata-san? No, don't tell me—let me guess. Oda-san?"
"Tanaka-san? Tanigawa-san? Yamashita-san?"
"Matsushita-san?"
He stubbornly refused her hints, tossing out names one after another. His voice drew attention — after all, forgetting someone's name, and doing it so loudly, was pretty awful. Especially when he said Matsushita-san.
A girl with long, smooth brown hair a few seats behind Kikyo lifted her head in surprise. Her name really was Matsushita, and hearing her name suddenly called startled her.
One mistaken name followed another until Kikyo finally cut him off.
"Ying Ye-kun, it's Kushida Kikyo. My name is not Oda or Shibata. Remember it properly."
She grabbed his hand and looked straight at him, eyes glistening as if she might cry if he didn't promise.
Again with the touching? Hanada-san, it's just a name—does it really matter that much?
Zhenzhen sighed inwardly.
"Oh, sorry, I know, Kushida-san."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely do it next time."
His hand was gently taken by hers, and Ying Ye Zhenzhen gave his promise with sincerity.
Hearing that, Kushida-san believed him once again.
Then, Kushida Kikyo noticed the feel of his hand.
"Ying Ye-san's hands seem really strong. Do you work out often?"
As she spoke, she clasped his hand tighter, their fingers interlocking as if testing the strength of his grip.
'This could easily be misunderstood~~~'
The thought filled Ying Ye Zhenzhen's heart with unspoken words.
Sure enough, this was why he couldn't remember Hanada-san's name. The fault was hers alone.
Still, Ying Ye Zhenzhen didn't make a lewd expression just because a girl was playing with his hand. He explained calmly:
"I suppose so. I'm interested in sports, but nothing serious. Just a beginner who enjoys playing."
"Then I'll come to you, Ying Ye-san, whenever I need a workout partner."
Kushida smiled sweetly, her voice playful. Whether or not she meant it, only she knew.
Their conversation drew the attention of many classmates.
On the very first day, they were already speaking so openly, holding hands in front of everyone.
The sight of a handsome boy and a beautiful girl together was striking—a picture-perfect pair. Some boys were already jealous of Ying Ye Zhenzhen, wishing they could take his place, especially the ones sitting behind him.
Their restless expressions made it look like they were about to jump into the conversation themselves.