Why did her body turn around involuntarily?
Why was his gaze resolute yet tinged with reluctance?
What exactly had he just said?
Yukino could only sense the sorrow and determination contained in Haizaki's barely audible words, yet she had no idea what that sentence meant.
She did not understand Chinese.
"Yukinoshita-san, what's wrong? Is there something the matter?"
Seeing this, Haizaki reacted immediately, frowning slightly as he spoke in a puzzled tone.
"Yusuke-san, did you say something to me just now?"
On the surface, Haizaki remained calm, even frowning with a confused expression, but in truth he had been startled by Yukino's reaction.
She heard that volume?
That couldn't be possible.
Or was it a woman's sixth sense?
That would be far too uncanny.
"No. Was I talking to myself again?"
Haizaki looked somewhat embarrassed.
Under normal circumstances, being overheard talking to oneself was extremely awkward.
And his reaction at this moment perfectly fit what would be considered "normal."
"I see…"
The dark blue eyes still held a trace of doubt, carrying a hint of suspicion toward Haizaki. Then she spoke again.
"Perhaps I imagined it. If I disturbed you, Yusuke-san, I apologize."
"It's nothing. I occasionally imagine things too."
Yukino gave a slight nod, then turned back and refocused her attention on her book. Her slender fingers flipped the pages, clearly signaling to the outside world that she was reading.
But Haizaki understood that Yukino's attention was definitely not on the book at this moment.
He was familiar with many of Yukino's subtle movements and what they represented.
After all, they had been seated in front of and behind each other for nearly two years and had interacted before.
Having once harbored a certain degree of fondness for Yukino, he naturally paid attention to many small details about her.
That was something reason could not control.
However, the resolve he had just made was interrupted by the girl's interruption, leaving Haizaki temporarily unable to firm up his decision.
Let's slow down for now.
He took a deep breath and shifted his focus to the upcoming class.
The class bell rang.
The subject teacher began the lesson. Haizaki sat upright, listening attentively.
Just a moment ago, he had been experiencing life-and-death separation in the Solitary Apocalypse; now, he was sitting peacefully in Sobu High, studying.
It felt somewhat unreal.
But this kind of peaceful and tranquil ordinary world was truly wonderful.
"Ding-ling-ling…"
As the dismissal bell rang, the modern society teacher for the final class left the classroom, bringing the school day at Sobu High to an end.
How Sobu High students used their after-school time was nothing more than club activities, going out with friends, returning home for entertainment, or part-time jobs.
In his previous life, Haizaki had chosen part-time work to earn his living expenses.
He had worked as a cashier and a waiter, and eventually, as his Japanese improved, he taught Chinese at a training center.
In this life, however, there was no need for him to spend time earning living expenses.
By selling the gold in his possession, he could obtain sufficient funds.
Moreover, Haizaki knew that in the future, the places where he would need money would only increase.
He also needed to start planning matters related to funding and secrecy in the original world.
Safety and confidentiality were still the issues he needed to prioritize the most.
…
As the sun sank westward, the setting sun draped the land in a deep crimson veil. Under the gentle breeze, the cherry trees lining both sides of the campus rustled softly, pink petals drifting through the air.
Students in Sobu High uniforms coming and going filled the campus with vitality.
"The day after tomorrow… how will Utaha react?"
Utaha, who had forgotten everything about the Lonely Apocalypse—what attitude would she take toward his confession?
Cold rejection?
Or tearful acceptance, with all her memories returning the moment she saw him?
Either seemed possible.
Or perhaps neither would happen.
Everything would be answered when the fourth arrived.
At this moment, Haizaki had already planned his trip to Tokyo.
That afternoon, Haizaki searched online through his phone but found no reports of special thefts at military bases around the world.
None of the countries he had visited showed any news of theft.
This forced Haizaki to consider that the "Iroha student ID" incident might have been a special case—perhaps Iroha really had just dropped it by accident.
Lost in thought as he gazed out the window, Haizaki failed to notice Yukino standing up to leave. Because of his self-talk, she looked at him with a puzzled gaze once more.
Haizaki remained unaware, continuing to stare at the distant scenery outside the window.
Yukino's doubts deepened.
Had he been speaking to her earlier?
Now, the Class J classroom was empty, with only the two of them left.
If Haizaki had not been speaking to her, then he must have been talking to himself.
Talking to himself…
This exchange student from the Eastern Union seemed to have some issues.
He often spaced out, lost in thought.
For Yukino, who held herself to strict standards, Haizaki's habit of spacing out was not a good one.
Considering that Haizaki had crossed the ocean to study at Sobu High in Chiba, spacing out during class was simply a waste of his own time and the money spent to come to Japan.
If he was not here to study properly, then he might as well have stayed in the Eastern Union.
Yet, in her mind, Haizaki's resolute yet sorrowful expression from that morning surfaced again.
Was that an illusion?
But she had indeed seen it—still, she remained doubtful.
"Clatter—"
The sound of the Class J classroom door opening abruptly drew Yukino's attention.
"Yukinoshita, I knew you'd still be at school."
A bright, cheerful female voice came from the doorway.
A teacher wearing a white lab coat appeared at the entrance of Class J.
"What is it, Hiratsuka-sensei?"
Yukino turned slightly toward the door and spoke.
Haizaki came back to his senses.
Without realizing it, classes were over—and only Yukino and he were left in the room.
However…
Haizaki looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka at the doorway, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile.
Seeing Shizuka so energetic and full of spirit was truly wonderful.
It had been a full two years since he last saw her.
He actually missed her a little.
He even wondered whether Shizuka's iron fist could still "discipline" him.
After all, he had trained consistently for an entire year now—he was no longer the same as before.
"Yukinoshita, I have some good news for you. I managed to apply for a clubroom on your behalf. You know, most clubrooms are already occupied by established clubs, and since your club only has you as a member, being able to get one at all is already pretty good."
Shizuka spoke in her usual straightforward manner.
Yukino's solitary high school life throughout her first year had always worried and concerned Shizuka.
Now that Yukino wanted to establish a club, she was naturally willing to help with all her might—even if it bent the school's club rules. For her, it was merely a bit of extra effort.
"Is the room small?" Yukino asked softly.
Even if it were small, it wouldn't matter much to her. She only needed a room for club use.
"It's not small—about the same size as a classroom. The problem is… it used to be used to store miscellaneous items, so it's extremely messy right now. Before you can officially use it, you'll need to move the desks and chairs and clean it up."
"I understand. Thank you for your help, Hiratsuka-sensei."
Yukino bowed slightly in gratitude, then continued,
"I will take care of organizing and cleaning the clubroom. Please rest assured."
"That's good…"
Just as Shizuka was about to leave, she noticed Haizaki.
This guy—wasn't he that exchange student?
Considering that moving desks and chairs was physical labor, she decided to rope Haizaki into it.
After all, better early than late. Since Haizaki had the bad luck of being right there, he had become her convenient recruit.
"I've got it. He can help you clean up the room."
To add a sense of authority and force Haizaki to accept this hard labor, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked into the classroom and stood in front of him.
Beneath her smiling expression lay an unmistakable hint of menace.
It seemed that if Haizaki refused, he would be greeted by Hiratsuka Shizuka's iron fist.
"Yusuke, I'll give you a chance to shine. Help a beautiful girl at school, earn her goodwill, and become a winner in life. What do you think?" Hiratsuka Shizuka tempted Haizaki with a playful grin.
If Haizaki had left a bit earlier and exited her line of sight, she definitely would not have made him move desks and chairs and do manual labor.
Teacher… I think this is not good at all.
Haizaki thought silently.
…