Chapter 60

"Stop it, Yui, don't do something stupid."

"Stupid...?"

"Anyway, Rion, can you tell me this?"

Yuki tapped the open problem set with his fingers and beckoned Rion over. It was a serious situation for him to call out to Rion, ignoring these glasses. This was not the time for vision training.

"Wait, wait! Why are you just answering normally?!"

"It's fine, you know."

"No, it's not fine! You have to go through our office, okay?!"

Spreading her arms to block the way, she was pushed aside with a "move" and a shove to the side. The sudden touch to a sensitive spot made her legs buckle, and she let out a small "hmm."

"This looks complicated at first, but if we bring it to the usual form..."

In the end, Rion was taken away, and the lecture began at Yuki's desk, completely ignoring the intellectual pretense. Rion, who couldn't say no, started explaining in a patient and detailed manner.

"I see, that's how it is. You're amazing, Rion."

"Well, I think this is a bit of a tricky problem."

"Tricky, huh?"

Pushing her head in to avoid being left out, she joined in. Yuki, who had been nodding, suddenly gave her a look as if she had found a fake.

"Yui, you should learn too, if there's anything you don't understand."

"Anything I don't understand? N-no, not really..."

If she asked Rion for help here, it would be an instant defeat for the intellectual Yui. "Oh, I see," Yuki glanced at Yui, flipped through the problem set, and pointed to another section, turning back to Rion.

"Also, this one..."

This time, they leaned in together, their heads almost touching. The distance between them seemed unusually close. It was as if Yuki was saying she had no more use for the fake intellectual. Irritated by this attitude, Yui took a step back, adjusted her position, and reflected the sunlight through her glasses.

(Take this, Light Beam!)

Yuki, who scowled, suddenly stood up and walked right up to Yui. Despite her usual expressionless face, she seemed to be angry, though it was hard to tell.

"...What?"

"Come with me."

Yuki suddenly grabbed Yui's arm and started walking toward the classroom door. Surprised by this unexpected and forceful action, Yui panicked but was dragged along. They left the classroom, walked down the hallway, turned a corner, and ended up in a less crowded corridor. There, Yuki finally let go and, with a slightly stiff expression, looked at Yui.

"Stop fooling around and properly entertain Rion. Rion came to see you, didn't she?"

Grabbing her arm and dragging her without caring about others watching was quite bold. Being treated so forcefully by a guy was a first for her...

(Does this mean the intellectual effect is working? Maybe...)

"Are you listening?"

"Y-yes?"

She hadn't been listening at all. Yuki looked momentarily exasperated but then suddenly smiled, as if the tension had melted away.

"Okay, I'll listen. If you have anything on your mind, say it."

Her tone was suddenly soft. This was a rare gentle mode. In the end, she was kind. She was like an older brother.

(Should I go for it? Should I show the cute intellectual mode here?)

Yui, seizing the moment, tilted her head back and looked up at Yuki with her eyes. She had already practiced the perfect angle for her glasses in front of a mirror the day before.

"Um, well..."

'I don't want you to be friendly with other girls.'

'Look only at me.'

(If you say something like that, it's an instant fall. It's a one-way ticket to the bottom.)

She would say it in the context of a love game, emphasizing the teasing aspect to avoid embarrassment. The technique was to maintain a non-serious attitude while making the other person feel a flutter. This was a surefire win.

(But even so, saying such a line that makes my teeth chatter is...)

But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If she could say it cutely, it might lead to a dramatic comeback. There was that much potential in these words.

"H-ho..."

"Ho?"

At that moment, the warning bell rang. Suppressing her urgency, she waited for it to finish.

(I have to say it quickly...)

Time was running out. Yui took a deep breath and tried again.

"A, a..."

"The warning bell rang, let's go back to the classroom."

"Ho-a-ta-a-a!?"

Suddenly, a loud voice from behind made her let out a kung fu master-like scream. The male teacher, startled by Yui's sudden cry, looked at her with wide eyes.

"Wh-what...?"

Realizing the danger, Yui quickly put on a 100% smile.

"Ah, Mr. Miura, your suit looks great today!"

"O-oh... Get back to the classroom quickly."

"Y-yes, sir."

She managed to get away. She was given a suspicious second glance as he left.

(That was close, I almost said ho-a-ta in front of the teacher!)

'I don't want you to be friendly with other girls, look only at me.'

Short for ho-a-ta.

(Bwah, Lee-san is a serious yandere.)

Imagining someone saying ho-a-ta while waving their fist, Yui was in fits of laughter when Yuki looked at her curiously.

"What are you grinning about?"

"I-it's nothing, just my own thoughts..."

She wiped her forehead, and then realized Yuki was staring at her intently.

"Yui..."

"Y-yes?"

Yuki, who had been searching her pocket, reached out and took Yui's arm. The unexpected touch made her heart race.

"Y-Yuki...?"

"This is a bit expensive."

Saying that, Yuki firmly placed something in her hand. It was round and hard, like a stone.

"I, I have to go to the bathroom, so I'll go back first."

Yuki handed it over and quickly left. Ignoring the fact that she was left behind for the bathroom, Yui opened her palm to look at the object.

"T-this is..."

It looked very similar to the power stone from before. It was definitely one of those stones. A bit expensive... meaning a high-end stress-relief stone.

(So, I'm seen as a mentally unstable girl, huh!)

"Ho-a-ta-a-a!"

Yui slammed her fist, holding the stone, against the wall. The sound echoed emptily in the hallway.

"Ms. Takuzuki?"

A calm female voice followed. Turning around, she saw her homeroom teacher, Ms. Ogawa, standing there with a puzzled look, holding a file with documents.

"Good morning."

"It's not 'good morning,' what are you doing here?"

"Just swatting a fly on the wall."

"Fly? I don't see any."

"It's a form of training."

"We don't have time now, let's talk later during lunch break. Can you come to the staff room?"

"That might be a bit difficult."

Ms. Ogawa's nervous and worried lectures were unnecessarily long, almost obsessive. Despite her gentle appearance, she was popular among male students as an angel and a healer, but Yui, who found her a bit, no, quite difficult because she looked a bit like her older sister with glasses.

"Oh, glasses..."

Ms. Ogawa, noticing Yui's fake glasses, which she usually didn't wear, leaned in closely to examine them.

"Are they prescription?"

"Pretty angry."

"Let me see."

"No, it will undo my transformation."

"Let's do it after school. We'll have more time then."

(Grrrr...)

"Let's go, the homeroom is starting."

Ms. Ogawa gently pushed Yui's back, and she was led back to the classroom. The button to ignite the dragon Yui is at the bottom.