Chapter 3 Kamiya-kun is not good at communicating with others
In the early morning, Kamiya Yu went to school alone. As for the clichéd romantic manga trope of childhood friends walking together, it was impossible for such a scene to appear in his life.
Kamiya Yu attended Chiba Municipal Soubu High School, a prestigious school in Chiba City with a relatively high academic standing. The most famous class in the school was undoubtedly Class J, the advanced class, and Kamiya Yu was, coincidentally, a member of it.
Dressed in a Western-style school uniform and brown leather shoes, Kamiya Yu entered the noisy classroom with his head slightly bowed.
His classmates glanced at him, then ignored him.
His seat was in the second to last row by the window. Kamiya Yu hung up his school bag and lay down on his desk.
"Ding, ding, ding"
The broadcast in the hallway rang out. Kamiya Yu, who had just fallen asleep, slowly lifted his head and looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka at the podium. She held a stack of essays and instructed someone to hand them out.
During class, Hiratsuka Shizuka continuously explained key points of classical literature, occasionally writing on the blackboard. Kamiya Yu, sitting below, let it go in one ear and out the other, his mind long since wandering elsewhere.
He was currently organizing the plot for the manga he was about to draw, as reading a manga and drawing it himself were two different concepts.
The day passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye, it was dismissal time. Kamiya Yu reluctantly got up from his seat and walked towards the Service Club.
Most students in Sakurajima Country participated in clubs, because for them, clubs were a way to exert themselves and celebrate their youth, at least that's what Kamiya Yu believed.
The Service Club was in the east corner of the second floor of the club building. Kamiya Yu adjusted his mood, knocked, and entered.
"Please come in."
A clear, cold female voice came from inside the classroom. Kamiya pulled the door open and entered. The girl in front of him sat in the same spot as yesterday, looking down at the book in her hands.
Seeing this scene, Kamiya Yu slowed his steps considerably, afraid of disturbing Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Kamiya-san, do you have any friends you spend time with?"
Yukinoshita Yukino closed her book and looked at Kamiya Yu, who was two meters away.
Upon hearing Yukinoshita's question,
Kamiya Yu lowered his head in thought... After a moment of contemplation, Kamiya Yu confirmed that he had no friends and spoke with certainty.
"Yukinoshita-san, I don't have any real-life friends, but I do have a good friend I enjoy playing with in games."
The atmosphere between the two fell silent, and a cold aura emanated from Yukinoshita.
"Is that so? Kamiya-kun truly lives up to his reputation as Soubu High School's number one problem child, describing his friendless state in such a fresh and refined manner."
"It's not bad," Kamiya Yu responded softly, scratching his messy hair with his right hand.
"Kamiya-san, that wasn't a compliment. Since Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei entrusted me with correcting your peculiar personality, I must see it through to the end."
Yukinoshita's thin, cherry-colored lips moved continuously, her tone carrying a hint of persistence.
At Soubu High School, Yukinoshita Yukino was hailed by students as the Ice Queen, largely due to her cold, upright personality, her strictness with herself and others, and her blunt way of speaking.
"Never mind, Kamiya-san, I suggest you try making a real-life friend first."
Yukinoshita Yukino lightly tapped her book, her cold tone emphasizing the word "real-life."
The boy looked up slightly, a hint of confusion on his face, as if he had heard something incredible.
Yukinoshita-san, standing nearby, couldn't help but twitch her lips when she saw Kamiya Yu's expression.
"Never mind, when the other problem child arrives later, you two can exchange experiences. After all, you're both the same type."
Her slender hand massaged her forehead, indicating her headache.
Kamiya Yu nodded, then walked to the back row. He planned to use this time to draw manga, as time was a bit tight.
He moved two desks together, took out his drawing tools from his school bag, and placed them on one of the desks.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle"
The pencil in his hand continuously rubbed against the manuscript paper, making a rustling sound.
Yukinoshita Yukino, who was beside him, stopped flipping her book and turned to look at Kamiya Yu. The boy in her sight was leaning forward, his side profile partially obscured by his short hair, but his handsome and serious face was still discernible.
The girl's curiosity was piqued, but she didn't want to ask directly. She could only lean slightly forward, craning her neck, and vaguely make out the figures on the paper.
On the paper was a frowning girl, squatting on the ground as if looking at something. In the next panel on the paper, an octopus eating bread appeared.
Just as Yukinoshita was engrossed, Kamiya Yu stopped his movements.
Yukinoshita was a little puzzled and looked at Kamiya Yu. Coincidentally, Kamiya Yu was also looking at her. The girl's side profile flushed slightly, as if she had done something wrong, and she unconsciously felt guilty.
"Um, Yukinoshita-san, is there something you need?" Kamiya Yu looked up slightly at the girl and asked softly.
Upon hearing Kamiya Yu's words, her face felt a little hot. She turned her head and softly uttered: "Nothing."
Seeing Yukinoshita's actions, Kamiya Yu also understood her meaning and spoke softly.
"Yukinoshita-san, if you don't mind, could you take a look at my work? You could also give me some suggestions."
"Okay."
Yukinoshita's voice echoed in the room, and at the same time, she moved a chair and placed it next to Kamiya Yu.
Yukinoshita's breathing, sitting beside him, entered Kamiya Yu's ears, making him a little nervous. He hastily drew the manga in front of him, trying to divert his attention.
In fact, it worked. Kamiya Yu immersed himself completely in his drawing, not noticing the surprise of the girl beside him.
"Such smooth lines and clear paneling. Kamiya-san must have put in a lot of effort."
Yukinoshita Yukino pondered silently, her eyes continuously fixed on the content on the paper.
After some time, when Kamiya Yu drew a large spread, a girl appeared on the paper with a bruised eye, clothes covered in mud, holding a collar, and standing motionless with blank eyes.
Yukinoshita's lips twitched, and she couldn't help but speak.
"Kamiya-san, aren't you drawing a heartwarming manga?"
"Didn't it also feature an octopus that could pull out tools at will, like Doraemon, earlier?"
"Shouldn't the plot be about helping the girl reconcile with her classmates?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's continuous questions made Kamiya Yu unconsciously stop his pencil. Seeing Kamiya Yu's actions, Yukinoshita Yukino realized her mistake.
"I apologize, Kamiya-san, for interrupting your drawing."
Kamiya Yu smiled and said gently, "It's fine, Yukinoshita-san. This is just for the plot; it will change later."
Actually, Kamiya Yu didn't tell Yukinoshita how the plot would change; if he had, she might have been even more surprised.
"Thank you."
Kamiya Yu nodded, indicating that he understood, and then re-immersed himself in drawing.
The manga's plot progressed quickly, and soon Kamiya Yu had drawn 20 pages. All of his current drawings were just drafts; he would have to re-ink and revise them after he went home.