"No need to feel awkward, Himeno-san."
Shikime Natsu's face still wore that faint smile. He naturally sensed Himeno Yuki's awkwardness and, now that he had pointed it out, the young girl's face couldn't help but flush a few shades redder. She immediately shot a fierce glare at Shikime Natsu.
Originally, it wasn't that awkward, but being told so by this guy Shikime Natsu with a smile on his face made it super awkward, okay?!
Clearly, he was an extrovert, yet his words were so excessive; did he really have that many friends?
Himeno Yuki thought of the evaluations of Shikime Natsu by those in Class B who knew him; they were all very high.
Whether it was Ichinose Honami, Amikura Mako, or even the man of few words, Kanzaki Ryuuji, their evaluation of Shikime Natsu was significant.
It was said that Class B being able to know the rules of this school was also thanks to Shikime Natsu. Mn... even if Shikime Natsu used Class B's points to purchase the intelligence, they felt there was nothing wrong with it.
Quite kind-hearted.
"Anyway, I don't need your help. I like the current atmosphere very much, like it very much."
Himeno Yuki took a deep breath, forcibly calming herself down, her pair of dead fish eyes staring stubbornly at Shikime Natsu.
Stubborn mouth.
Himeno Yuki's mouth was probably the only hard part of her entire body.
Clearly, just a few minutes ago she had personally admitted that 'that kind of atmosphere makes me feel uncomfortable,' yet now she turned around and refused to acknowledge it.
Shikime Natsu didn't expose her either, simply looking at her with interest.
"Why do you agonize over what is the minority or the majority?"
Since one topic ended, he would quickly bring up another; if the topic was interrupted, the chat would end.
"Is it because if you don't stand on the side of the majority, you'll feel like you're all alone?"
Hearing this, Himeno Yuki glared fiercely at Shikime Natsu.
This guy, he talked a bit too much.
"So wordy, like an old mother."
The young girl unceremoniously threw out this highly damaging evaluation, her tone full of disdain.
"Himeno-san's words are really excessive..."
Shikime Natsu immediately put on a look of being deeply struck.
"Even though I was seriously wanting to communicate with Himeno-san and wanting to resolve Himeno-san's distress."
"Tch."
Himeno Yuki curled her lips in disdain.
Act, continue acting.
"In the end, it was you who actively sought me out, right?"
The young girl's dead fish eyes, devoid of any waves, looked straight at Shikime Natsu, as if looking at an idiot who didn't know how to read the room.
"Clearly I didn't beg you to chat with me. Just let me stay by myself; I like being alone."
This was already a blatant eviction order.
If it were an average person, they would probably have run away in awkwardness long ago.
But who was Shikime Natsu? He was a gal game expert with a sufficiently thick skin; no matter what personality a beautiful girl had, Shikime Natsu could approach them.
Moreover, having finally encountered a new CG beautiful girl, Shikime Natsu naturally couldn't give up; he had to achieve a full CG collection.
"Himeno-san, these are contradictory words again~"
Shikime Natsu retorted with a beaming smile.
"If you truly liked being alone, then Himeno-san should be a steadfast minority. However, didn't Himeno-san just say that she absolutely wouldn't stand on the side of the minority?"
Himeno Yuki choked again.
She opened her mouth, but found she simply couldn't refute him.
What was going on?
Why was it that with every sentence she spoke, this guy could accurately find a loophole to refute? Did this guy go to Konoha Village to find Uzumaki Naruto for advanced studies in Talk no Jutsu?
How could he speak so well?
Since she couldn't out-talk him, she would just change the subject.
"When it comes down to it, you're from Class A, right?"
Himeno Yuki took a deep breath, attempting to steer the topic to a sharper level.
"Why seek me out specifically? If I fully integrated into Class B and fought for the sake of the class, that would be a threat to Class A too, right?"
"Didn't I say this school is a competition of complete ability? The gap between our Class B and your Class A isn't big, only a mere 40 Class Points; it can be reversed very quickly."
Speaking of this, the young girl's voice raised slightly, seeming to want to increase her momentum this way.
"So, as a student of a hostile class, not meddling in other people's business is the best choice."
As long as the topic was escalated to the height of class opposition, this guy shouldn't pester her anymore, right?
However, Shikime Natsu just shrugged.
"I don't care about class competition..."
"Hah?"
Himeno Yuki subconsciously wanted to refute.
How could he not care?
One had to realize, at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, only students graduating from Class A could enjoy the top-tier treatment of that legendary 100% employment rate and 100% university advancement rate.
People who came to this school basically all came for this treatment, right?
She didn't believe Shikime Natsu didn't come for this.
"Compared to those boring class competitions, I prefer making friends with everyone~ Students of the same year, upperclassmen, or underclassmen."
Shikime Natsu smiled, meaning that he wanted to make friends and form good connections with beautiful girls of the same year, senior schoolgirls, and junior schoolgirls alike.
Himeno Yuki looked at his appearance, which was filled with the aura of a normie, and couldn't help but feel a wave of speechlessness in her heart.
What a statement full of normie vibes.
Under such a cruel competitive system, to actually be able to say such a declaration of "friendship first"; should she call it naive, or say...
"Besides, Class A won't lose."
Just as Himeno Yuki was criticizing him inwardly, Shikime Natsu suddenly added a sentence.
Shikime Natsu said this sentence quite confidently; the feeling he gave Himeno Yuki wasn't like that of bluffing, nor the feeling of excessive arrogance or conceit.
It was as if this guy really had this kind of ability.
However... clearly there were still three years left, and Class B's current momentum was fierce. Under Ichinose Honami's leadership, the whole class was twisted into a single rope, full of fighting spirit, bound to take the position of Class A.
Maybe in this midterm exam, Class B could directly complete the overtake.
But for some reason, looking at Shikime Natsu's quite confident expression, the rebuttal that reached Himeno Yuki's lips just couldn't be spoken.
If she followed his words, who knew if this guy would unleash that annoying Talk no Jutsu on her again.
She was clumsy with words and liked to drift with the tide; she definitely wasn't the opponent of an eloquent extrovert like Shikime Natsu.
In this situation, maintaining silence was the best tactic.
Looking at the young girl who had fallen into silence again, Shikime Natsu silently tagged her in his heart: a beautiful girl who is hard to communicate with.
This was completely different from Yamamura Miki, who was somewhat inferior and could communicate as long as one initiated conversation.
Himeno Yuki's type belonged to a refusal of communication based on subjective will, and her personality was very awkward.
Of course, if discussing the level of 'refusal to communicate,' that Horikita Suzune who always kept a stern face was definitely superior.
It was just that he held leverage over Horikita Suzune in his hand and could force that tsundere black-haired beauty to speak at any time.
But facing Himeno Yuki, Shikime Natsu currently didn't have any substantial leverage... aside from knowing that she faked illness to escape class activities. Mn, that could also count as a small piece of leverage.
"By the way, Himeno-san."
Shikime Natsu spoke again to break the silence.
"Since you keep calling me an extrovert, do you plan to change from the role of an introvert to an extrovert?"
"No, I am not willing."
Himeno Yuki refused without hesitation.
"I am very happy being an introvert now; I don't want to change."
After saying this sentence, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
Looking up, she happened to glimpse the expression on Shikime Natsu's face that was a smile yet not a smile.
Crap.
She contradicted herself again.
Mouthing that she was happy being an introvert, but a few minutes ago she was complaining that attending gatherings was very troublesome and she disliked it very much. Disliking it also meant being unhappy.
Wasn't this a typical self-slap to the face?
"So annoying!"
Before Shikime Natsu could open his mouth to tease her, Himeno Yuki smashed the jar and engaged in self-negation first, that exquisite little face written full of unhappiness.
"I am just such a self-contradictory person, is that okay?"
"I don't dislike a self-contradictory personality like Himeno-san's."
The expression on Shikime Natsu's face remained unchanged, and speaking these words seemed quite serious. He was a weirdo, a very weird weirdo.
However, this was also a common failing of so-called extroverts, thinking of giving a hand to an introvert like her. Whether it was Class B led by Ichinose Honami, or Shikime Natsu before her eyes.
Truly a group of blindingly bright extroverts.
It was precisely because there were so many blinding extroverts that an introvert like herself would choose to drift with the tide. Although, fundamentally, it was still her own problem.
But... an introvert choosing to drift with the tide was also a very normal thing, right?
"..."
Regarding what Shikime Natsu had just said, Himeno Yuki didn't intend to make too many evaluations. Regardless of what view Shikime Natsu held of her, she didn't care; caring about others' views was something extroverts would do.
"Then... I've said so much just now, it was hard work too. is Himeno-san willing to exchange contact information with me?"
Shikime Natsu took out his phone and waved it, a shallow smile hanging on his face.
"After exchanging, you can let me go, right?"
Himeno Yuki raised her head, her dead fish eyes carrying a few degrees of helplessness. Clearly, it was Shikime Natsu who voluntarily and actively sought her out to speak; how did these words make it sound like she had taken a big advantage?
But, forget it, it's just adding a contact.
"Those words make it sound like I'm bullying you~"
Shikime Natsu spread his hands, looking innocent.
"Even if we don't exchange, I won't stop you. After all, the legs are on Himeno-san's body; you can leave anytime you want."
Himeno Yuki looked at his rogue-like appearance and roasted him secretly in her heart.
So cunning.
Wasn't this just forcing her to make a choice?
If she didn't exchange contact information, this guy would definitely continue to pester her, and might even gossip everywhere about the matter of "her faking illness and hating class activities."
This was just like having her leverage seized.
Was this the communication method of an extrovert?
Wow, so despicable.
"If I don't exchange, you'll definitely still pester me, right?"
Himeno Yuki sighed, and finally compromised.
Then just exchange it.
She took out her own phone and exchanged contact information with Shikime Natsu.
Although she said she hated it, actually... she wasn't that repulsed in her heart.
Perhaps it was because this guy Shikime Natsu knew her true thoughts?
After all, in this school, she had never spoken of this kind of thought to anyone else; Shikime Natsu was the first to know.
Plus, Shikime Natsu's messy words had scattered most of the unhappiness in the young girl's heart. It was really quite strange; clearly, when communicating with Ichinose Honami and the others, she was still somewhat unnatural.
But, it was different with Shikime Natsu. Maybe because she was in the same class as Ichinose Honami, and she was the class leader? That kind of excessive care towards her actually made her somewhat uncomfortable.
"Alright, I don't need you to help me become an extrovert or anything, so I beg you not to do extra things. I just want to spend my high school life peacefully."
"In the class, it's enough to just have the voice of the majority."
Himeno Yuki put away her phone and spoke these words to Shikime Natsu; it sounded very self-abandoning.
However... Shikime Natsu could see the fake. Obviously, Himeno Yuki didn't think so; it was just that Himeno Yuki didn't have the ability to change the status quo.
It should be said that wanting to change the status quo was very difficult, especially in the Class B led by Ichinose Honami. In the eyes of this class, they should all think that everyone was one entity, right?
Instead, they ignored the small number of people like Himeno Yuki.
Shikime Natsu could be considered to have a new understanding of Class B.
"Himeno-san."
Behind her came Shikime Natsu's voice.
The young girl stopped her footsteps but didn't look back.
"The so-called majority and minority are not achieved by simply taking sides, but by individual will."
"For example, Ichinose-san. Before entering this school, everyone was an independent individual, all minorities, right? It was precisely because Ichinose-san demonstrated her charm and will that Class B condensed into the current majority, wasn't it?"
"Himeno-san can also emit her own voice, turning from the minority into the majority."
"Impossible."
Himeno Yuki looked back at Shikime Natsu and faintly spat out that single word.
What exactly was this guy saying? Did he want her to defeat Ichinose Honami and become Class B's leader?
How was that possible?
The young girl turned and left.
[Ding~]
[CG39: Her Own Thoughts (Himeno Yuki)]
[Even if choosing to drift with the tide, occasionally one will also question the decisions made by the majority.]
[Congratulations Host for obtaining Skill Card: Disruption (You can interfere with the crowd's view on a problem, causing the crowd to have a completely different view on a matter. Duration: three hours. Cooldown: one week.)]
Saying it's impossible, but what is with this CG?
Another quite dishonest young girl.
However... providing him with two CGs in a short time, Himeno Yuki was also a treasure girl; chasing her out was indeed the right move.
Moreover... these skills, one Synchronization, one Disruption; they were quite interesting.
The young girl's two types of thoughts?
Shikime Natsu took out his phone and looked at Himeno Yuki in the contact list. Forget it, that's enough for today; any more would be annoying.
He didn't know if his Talk no Jutsu training was in place, or if he could leave a bit of an impression on this beautiful girl.
However, an annoying impression counted as having one, but Shikime Natsu didn't care.
The current him didn't have a very good reputation in the minds of Horikita Suzune, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Kushida Kikyou either. But in Himeno Yuki's impression, it should be better than the impression in those three's hearts.
After chatting with Himeno Yuki, Shikime Natsu also planned to leave. Just at this moment, a head of blonde hair entered Shikime Natsu's eyes.
Nagumo Miyabi?
____
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