Chapter 101

“However, I need until about five o’clock to get back, shall we go out then?”

Natsume Ruri said happily:

“It’s a promise then!”

Natsume Chikage said softly:

“Mm. It’s quite late now, get some sleep.”

Natsume Ruri rubbed her eyes and replied:

“Mm...”

Before long.

Steady breathing could already be heard from the side.

Clearly, his sister had already fallen asleep.

Natsume Chikage actually quite envied his sister’s ability to fall asleep so quickly once she lay in bed.

As for him, he usually tossed and turned for a long time before he could fall asleep.

Though, when he was busy, it was a different story; he could fall asleep the moment he lay down.

Thinking this, Natsume Chikage took out his phone, prepared to continue writing, and planned to sleep only when he was tired.

Today, no one had come to chat with him individually.

As for the Collection Force group chat, Saionji Nanase, Fujiwara Aoi, and Yukimura Suzune were chatting.

Messages popped up at the top of the screen.

【Saionji Nanase: Everyone, you don’t have anything to do after school tomorrow noon, right? If not, can we all go to the clubroom? I plan to discuss club activities.】

【Yukimura Suzune: Sure.】

【Fujiwara Aoi: As for me... I have to go to the Track and Field Force to train after lunch before I can come back. If it doesn’t take long, can we eat lunch in the clubroom? I’ll head over after we finish talking?】

【Saionji Nanase: (*￣︶￣) Mm-hmm!】

【Yukimura Suzune: That sounds good.】

【Saionji Nanase: Is Xia Mu-jun there?】

【Fujiwara Aoi: No reply yet, he must be busy.】

【Saionji Nanase: I suppose so...】

【Natsume Chikage: I was indeed busy just now. As for what you’re discussing, I don’t mind.】

【Fujiwara Aoi: (#^.^#) Mm-hmm.】

【Saionji Nanase: (〃'▽'〃) Let’s all meet in the clubroom then!】

The next day.

At the platform.

Natsume Ruri’s mood seemed exceptionally bright today; she tilted her head slightly to look at Natsume Chikage.

“Brother, the supermarket only has discounts after eight o’clock tonight.”

“Let’s have dinner at home around five o’clock first.”

“After eating, we’ll go near the Hachiko Exit, take a walk along Dogenzaka, and finally go to the supermarket to buy things. How about that?”

Natsume Chikage nodded with a smile.

“No problem.”

“We can come home and change into casual clothes before going out then.”

“To avoid the Shibuya police seeing two high school students in uniforms and coming over to question us.”

Natsume Ruri chimed in happily.

“Mm-hmm!”

In Japan, students are generally not allowed to wander outside at night.

If discovered by the police, they might indeed be questioned, or even have their school and parents contacted.

But as long as they change into casual clothes, the police will mostly turn a blind eye.

Although they wouldn’t return home that late, it was better to be safe than sorry.

At this moment.

The train tracks transmitted rhythmic vibrations and sounds.

The train Natsume Chikage was to board approached from afar, slowly pulled into the platform, and stopped steadily.

Inside the carriage, Yukimura Suzune, who was reading a literary book with her head down, felt the train stop and subconsciously lifted her gaze toward the platform.

Her eyes met Natsume Ruri’s on the platform.

Natsume Ruri was slightly stunned, but reacted extremely quickly, immediately showing a sweet smile and waving in Yukimura Suzune’s direction.

Yukimura Suzune was somewhat bewildered.

She didn’t quite understand why Natsume Chikage’s sister would greet her.

At this time, Natsume Chikage also said goodbye to his sister.

“Ruri, Brother is leaving first.”

“Mm-hmm, take care on your way, Brother, goodbye.”

Natsume Chikage turned and stepped into the train.

As usual, the carriage wasn’t crowded, but there were no empty seats.

He noticed the space standing next to Yukimura Suzune was empty, so he walked over.

“Good morning, Yukimura-san.”

Yukimura Suzune was silent for a moment before responding softly.

“Good morning, Natsume-kun...”

Natsume Chikage had intended to take out his phone and start writing as he did every day.

However, Yukimura Suzune took the initiative to speak, contrary to her usual behavior.

She hesitated for a moment before asking:

“Natsume-kun... just now, was your sister greeting me?”

Her tone carried a trace of imperceptible confusion.

Natsume Chikage explained.

“Yes.”

“She saw our group photo yesterday and knows we are in the same club. That’s probably why she greeted you out of politeness.”

“I see...” Yukimura Suzune understood, and the slight doubt in her heart dissipated.

Natsume Chikage remembered she was usually cold and reticent, so he said considerately:

“If you feel troubled, I can talk to her later.”

Yukimura Suzune shook her head gently.

“No need. I don’t mind, I just wanted to know the reason.”

She paused and asked:

“Speaking of which, what is your sister’s name?”

“Natsume Ruri.”

Natsume Chikage replied.

Yukimura Suzune repeated it in a low voice.

“Ruri... that’s a good name.”

As she spoke, her gaze subconsciously drifted out the window.

She saw Natsume Ruri on the platform, squinting slightly as she looked into the carriage.

The moment their eyes met, a brilliant smile immediately bloomed on Natsume Ruri’s face, and she waved at her again.

Yukimura Suzune was startled, and she also raised her hand, waving it gently with a very small motion in response.

At this moment, the train slowly started and pulled away from the platform.

Natsume Ruri wore an impeccable sweet smile, watching the train carrying her brother and that “Sister Yukimura” move away.

Until the train completely disappeared at the end of her vision.

The smile on her face vanished instantly.

Her fair, petite cheeks puffed up at a speed visible to the naked eye; she was clearly very unhappy!

She angrily took an exquisite notebook out of her schoolbag, flipped it open quickly, and wrote down with a pen:

‘Observation record: Yukimura Suzune.’

‘Characteristics: Cold temperament, no smile, -1 point!’

The train stopped steadily at Hibiya Station.

Passengers got off one after another.

Yukimura Suzune glanced at Natsume Chikage beside her, remained silent for a short while, and did not walk away quickly alone as usual today.

Instead, she walked side by side with him on the slope leading to the school.

“Natsume-kun,” she suddenly spoke, “you and Saionji Nanase... knew each other before?”

Her tone carried a hint of inquiry.

“But I feel that you two don’t seem very close?”

Natsume Chikage nodded slightly.

“Yes.”

“We... couldn’t be considered close before.”

The confusion in Yukimura Suzune’s eyes deepened.

“Then exactly what...”

Natsume Chikage explained:

“In the first year of middle school, Saionji-san and I were in the same class.”

“But at that time, we didn’t interact much.”

“After the first year ended and we were assigned to different classes, we almost never met again.”

“The only intersection was because our fathers knew each other.”

“I once followed my father to visit her house once.”

“After that, it was the reunion at the start of school.”

He added with a hint of apology.

“It’s shameful to say, if Saionji-san hadn’t brought it up herself, I would have almost forgotten these things.”

After listening, Yukimura Suzune finally understood the connection between the two.

She said softly:

“Not much interaction, it’s normal not to remember clearly.”

“And Nanase has had a memory far beyond ordinary people since she was a child.”

“It’s not strange that she can remember you.”

This time, it was Natsume Chikage’s turn to be curious.

“Speaking of which, how did you and Saionji-san meet?”

Yukimura Suzune didn’t hide it, her eyes slowly drifting into the distance, falling into memories.

“During kindergarten and elementary school, we were in the same school.”

“And our parents were old acquaintances, with a very close relationship.”

“Therefore, we often went to each other’s houses to play when we were young.”

Natsume Chikage was a bit surprised.

“What about middle school?”

“I don’t seem to have ever met you in middle school.”

Hearing this question, Yukimura Suzune was silent for a long time.

“...At that time, there were some changes in my family, and I went to study elsewhere in middle school.”

Hearing this, Natsume Chikage didn’t pursue it further.

Inquiring about other people’s family changes is rude.

If the other party is willing to say, they will naturally tell you.

Even Natsume Chikage himself was actually unwilling to talk about family matters in detail to outsiders.

He changed the subject at the right time.

“I see.”

“Speaking of Saionji-san, I didn’t expect you to agree to her proposal and join the Collection Force.”

Yukimura Suzune gently tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, her tone still flat.

“It was just nearing the deadline for choosing a club, and the concept she proposed was acceptable, so I joined.”

The two walked side by side like this, chatting idly.

The atmosphere wasn’t enthusiastic, but neither of them disliked it.

Unknowingly, they had stepped into the campus and walked onto that famous long cherry blossom path.

Students were in groups of three or five, talking and laughing, walking slowly toward the teaching building.

The cherry blossoms in early April were still brilliant, and pink and white petals drifted down with the wind.

A cherry blossom petal, neither left nor right, landed gently on Natsume Chikage’s black hair, very eye-catching.

But like last time, he was completely unaware.

Yukimura Suzune noticed it.

She thought about it, but in the end, she did nothing.

It was just a petal, on this path filled with falling cherry blossoms, it was perfectly normal.

To specifically remind him or pick it off would seem strange instead.

Thinking this, she walked with Natsume Chikage to the shoe locker area.

Their shoe lockers were not in the same place.

Yukimura Suzune opened her shoe locker, and two exquisitely framed letters were lying quietly inside.

Her expression was without ripples, and she reached out to take them—another love letter.

Since middle school, these had appeared in her locker from time to time, and she was already used to it.

She bent down slightly, her fingers hooked the heel of her black loafers, and she took them off elegantly.

The ankles wrapped in black silk were slender, and she changed into indoor shoes neatly.

Afterward, she walked straight to the trash can nearby and threw the two letters in decisively.

After doing this, she happened to see Natsume Chikage walking over after changing his shoes.

When her gaze fell on his hand and she discovered he was stuffing that pile of love letters into his schoolbag without changing his expression, her cold expression couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.

“You changed your shoes so quickly?” Natsume Chikage was surprised.

“Mm...”

“Then let’s go.”

Yukimura Suzune followed silently behind him, her gaze lingering on his schoolbag for a moment.

The two returned to the classroom one after the other.

As soon as he entered the classroom, Natsume Chikage was surrounded by several enthusiastic girls greeting him as usual.

He could only respond to them politely one by one.

As for Yukimura Suzune, because of her cold aura that kept strangers away, no one took the initiative to come up at this moment.

She was happy to have peace and quiet, and sat down in her seat calmly.

“Good morning, Suzune.” Saionji Nanase turned around, her smile warm.

Yukimura Suzune turned her head back, her cold expression softening slightly.

“Morning, Nanase.”

At this time, Natsume Chikage finally got rid of the “siege” and returned to his seat.

“Good morning, Natsume-kun.” Saionji Nanase’s smile was even brighter.

“Morning, Saionji-san.” Natsume Chikage responded, hanging his schoolbag on the side of his desk.

It was exactly this action.

Saionji Nanase suddenly called out to him softly.

“Natsume-kun, don’t move.”