Youzitsu: To Protect Her Smile (Patreon)

Chapter 6: Do You Intend To Do Something To Me?

"Luo, what are your plans next?"

There were no scheduled classes today; instead, the day was meant for us to familiarize ourselves with the facilities of the entire school. However, I didn't plan to act for this purpose; the best way to hide from others was to consider hiding myself as well.

"I'm planning to go straight back to the dorm."

"And then?" Ichinose asked.

"I'll probably conserve energy," I said uncertainly.

"So you can't even decide, are you planning to skip lunch?"

"Uh, I'm not feeling very hungry, so I'll skip it."

"You can't do that; you need to eat properly, or your health will suffer," Ichinose said firmly. "Didn't you have breakfast?"

"I did, which is why I'm confident in saying this. Plus, look, I haven't exerted much energy today. Whether it's taking the bus or attending the opening ceremony, none of that counts as intense physical activity. And why am I explaining this to you?"

"Eating is about consuming energy, isn't it? Isn't that a good thing for you?" she asked.

"No, energy intake and energy conservation are completely different concepts, although I admit there is some connection between them."

"So, if you feel like your body can handle it, you might even skip dinner?" she questioned further.

"I didn't say that— Besides, it's past lunchtime already; we'll have to wait for dinner."

I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost three in the afternoon.

"There are plenty of snack shops around."

"Never mind, it's too much trouble."

"You find that troublesome... So, are you not planning to buy clothes either?" Ichinose asked.

"For now, the school uniform is enough for me. As for casual clothes, I'll think about it later when I have time."

"You'll probably never get around to it," she commented.

"If it's necessary, I'll do it. Besides, it's not convenient to carry things around right now."

I stood at the end of the commercial street, waiting for Ichinose's response. I wasn't sure why I was doing this. Was I inherently a person with a strict nature? Or had I checked off an option for advanced interaction with women?

"Uh, well, I guess that's it then."

"It's good that you understand. Well, see you later."

"Okay, see you later."

After ending the conversation, I quickly left the commercial street and returned to my dormitory floor.

I pressed the button for the elevator and took out my terminal, logging onto the school's social network. I had hoped to find some evidence about the true nature of the school based on my conversation with Ichinose, but unfortunately, it was all trivial content, as if deliberately burying something.

Oh well, it's not urgent, at least not for a month.

"Hi there."

Following the voice, I looked to the side.

A super cute girl was holding a large bag of items, when I took a look at her, I noticed that her ‘arsenal’ is similar to Ichinose.

Was I having an unusually lucky streak?

No, why was I focusing on such things in the first place?

"Oh, hi... What's up?"

"Nothing, I just happened to be heading back to the dorm too, so I thought I'd say hi to you." She smiled at me.

Ah, she's so warm and charming! Are all the female students at this school cute, gentle, and full of vitality, or am I just incredibly lucky?

"I think I saw you with Ichinose earlier. Are you also a student in Class B?"

"Are you a friend of Ichinose?"

"I guess not exactly," she paused for a moment, then added, "We've met, but I hope we can become friends. And if it's okay with you, I'd like to get to know you too. My name is Kushida Kikyo, and I'm a first-year student in Class D. Nice to meet you."

If I were approached like this on the street, I might think she liked me. However, unfortunately, I didn't sense any desire to engage in a deeper conversation with me. At the same time, perhaps I was overly cautious, but I felt a hidden agenda behind her apparent friendliness.

I can confidently say that she lacks the purity and sincerity of Ichinose; her friendliness is just a facade. I'm not sure what she's hiding, but it seems like she's trying to use her wide circle of friends as some kind of weapon for her own benefit.

Is it for networking?

As I pondered this, I responded to her greeting.

"My name is Luo Mu, and like Ichinose, I'm also a student in Class B."

"Luo Mu..."

Kushida paused for a moment, then suddenly lifted her head with a bright smile, "I'll remember your name."

"Luo Mu-san, which school did you come from?"

Why are they all like this? Can't we talk about something other than middle school? Humans are such dull creatures.

And I really don't know what the name of the middle school I attended was.

Reluctantly, I repeated Ichinose's explanation, and also assured her with a solemn look that I was telling the truth.

"Though it's hard to believe, there's no reason for Luo Mu-san to lie to me, right?"

"That's right. Sorry, it's just a bit strange."

"Well, these things are inevitable sometimes. Now that I think about it, I don't recall mentioning the name of my middle school much either. But I'll make sure to remember yours."

Is she implying my memory is bad? No, that's not it. It's because the teachers never mentioned it.

"Could we exchange contact information?" Kushida suddenly clapped her hands together and asked me, "My goal is to build good relationships with students in the whole year. Could you help me with that?"

"Uh... sure, if you'd like."

"Of course, I'd love to! After all, if students in the same grade can't even stay in touch, then the whole year is just wishful thinking." Kushida smiled brightly at me.

It seems like she really means it.

And just like that, an angelic figure appeared out of nowhere in my contacts...

At that moment, the elevator arrived at the third floor.

“So, see you next time.”

“Ah, goodbye.”

I stood at the elevator awkwardly bidding her farewell, and I didn't move my gaze until the doors closed. The electronic display in front of the elevator exposed the interior space entirely, and Kushida's figure disappeared as the elevator ascended to the ninth floor.

After staring at the screen for a moment and confirming that the elevator hadn't changed its status, I returned to my room.

The shopping bag filled with daily necessities was casually thrown near the entrance, although after some careful consideration, I tidied up the items and placed them in their proper positions.

Then, I collapsed wearily onto my bed.

Yes, as I said. I had no intention of exploring the entire facility on this day; instead, I intended to rest on the soft mattress.

Long periods of sleep can be harmful to the body. Extended periods of sleep can induce a desire to continue sleeping, causing a decrease in metabolic rate and leading to fatigue and decreased memory. It can also affect heart function, causing cardiac weakness.

So, more sleep doesn't necessarily alleviate fatigue; in fact, it can have the opposite effect. I've experienced this firsthand.

I didn't dwell on it, though. The afternoon sunlight was intense, casting a vibrant glow through the window. I lay on my bed, listening to the penetrating chirping of spring insects, slowly slipping into a half-sleep.

I don't have a tendency to self-harm; it's just that this is the most natural and comforting way for me to feel my own existence.

Knock, knock, knock—

After a series of urgent knocks, I struggled to open my eyes, the heavy burden of accumulated fatigue settling heavily in the left half of my brain. Facing the darkness, I was momentarily bewildered. Fortunately, the persistent knocking reminded me of what I needed to do next.

Using the map in my memory, I fumbled for the door handle.

Not to brag, but working in darkness is one of my specialties; my energy and awareness always peak at night, though I'm not so sure about dusk—I tend to feel a bit disoriented during that time.

"Who's there?" I opened the door in the darkness.

"It's me, Ichinose."

"...This is the boys' dormitory floor, isn't it?"

"But there's no rule against girls coming here, right? I checked the manual."

Don't you find this awkward? The situation is like a girl suddenly barging into the boys' changing room. It's not that severe, but it's definitely uncomfortable.

"This could easily be misunderstood... Anyway, what's up?" I muttered my concerns quietly, then adjusted my expression to face Ichinose.

"I just want to ask, Luo, do you know what time it is?"

The corridor's motion sensor lights fell on her, and her figure was a sign of impending darkness. The moon timidly hid behind the dark clouds.

It's already nighttime; you can tell even from the dark room...

"If I recall correctly, there shouldn't be any plans for tonight," I replied cautiously, carefully recalling the words of our class representative before leaving and confirming it before speaking.

However, this attempt to change the subject wasn't successful this time.

"It's already eight o'clock in the evening."

"Yeah, it's quite late indeed."

"But Luo, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"... "

Ah, why fixate on this question so much? It's not like skipping a few meals will kill me.

"I brought back some food from the commercial street. Want to eat together?" Ichinose grinned, presenting her hands behind her back. Although I couldn't see what was inside the plastic packaging, it seemed like there was plenty.

"How did you know— Oh, right, I told you."

"That's right." Ichinose tilted her head with a cheerful smile, showing off her adorable expression.

"Wouldn't you like to invite me in? It's dark in here, and you're not just waking up, are you?"

"Yeah, you woke me up." I pulled the door wider, flicking on the room's lights and then ushering her inside. As expected, Ichinose boldly walked in without hesitation, a trait I genuinely admired.

"Don't you have any defenses?" I closed the door behind us.

"What do you mean?" Ichinose turned back with a puzzled expression.

"Aren't you afraid I might do something inappropriate to you? We were strangers not long ago."

"I don't think so. Luo doesn't seem like that kind of person."

"If you were a bit more wary of me, I might be even happier."

"Are you planning something against me, Luo?" In the blink of an eye, Ichinose leaned closer, and I could faintly feel her breath and catch a hint of her delicate fragrance.

Too close.

"You'd better not trust me too much. I might actually do something like that."

I shifted away from her approaching body and reached for the electric kettle.

"Sorry, I haven't had the chance to buy tea or coffee, so all I have is plain cold water. Do you want some?"

Regardless, I felt the need to drink some water to ease my discomfort.

"I bought some drinks." Ichinose raised the bag in her hand. "Didn't you see?," she added with a victorious smile directed at me.

Now she's surely convinced that I wouldn't dare lay a hand on her...

With that thought, I sighed.

"I'll eat when I'm hungry. There's no need to bring it over specially."

"If you do that, you'll only go hungry until dawn."

"That's okay."

"No, it's not. Skipping dinner for a long time can lead to stomach problems, and you won't get enough nutrition." With that, Ichinose brought out two bowls from the kitchen and came over to the small sofa, where I followed suit.

"Is this... pork bone ramen?"

"Yes, it's the famous Nagahama-Ya pork bone ramen. I've heard it's super delicious, and I've been wanting to try it."

"In that case, let's dig in." After everything was ready, Ichinose eagerly began eating, her face showing a contented expression of happiness.

On the other hand, I couldn't bring myself to eat this bowl of noodles.

"By the way, do you know Kushida Kikyou?" I suddenly remembered the energetic girl who spoke to me at the elevator.

"Kushida from Class D in the first year, right? I met her at lunch, she's quite a friendly person."

"I see..."

"What's wrong with her?"

"It's nothing, she spoke to me after seeing us together. I thought you two knew each other for a long time."

"No, we only met after entering this school. Hmm, this is really delicious."

Well, it might taste even better if we were eating in the shop.

Watching her satisfied expression, I slowly picked up the wooden chopsticks placed aside.

"I'll start."