Chapter 17: Little Emotions!

What Xia Xia Xia Mujun said was not actually a lie; compared to when they were in their first year of middle school, Saionji Nanase really did look much better now.

Upon hearing this, a trace of dazed confusion first appeared on Saionji Nanase’s naturally airheaded face, and she subconsciously blinked those large, lively eyes of hers.

It wasn't until a certain moment that she belatedly, as if suffering from system lag, fully parsed the meaning of Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s previous sentence—"You’ve become so much prettier than before that I didn't recognize you."

With a "pop," as if stained by the first light of sunset, her jade-white cheeks flushed slightly.

She even unconsciously shrank her neck, her long eyelashes drooping to cast small shadows on her reddening cheeks.

Saionji Nanase couldn't help but steal a glance at the handsome and refined Xia Xia Xia Mujun. She remembered that he didn't talk much in class before, nor was he particularly conspicuous.

If it weren't for her excellent memory, she might have found it hard to remember someone like Xia Xia Xia Mujun.

What she hadn't expected was that after entering high school, Xia Xia Xia Mujun would change so much.

Although he still loved playing on his phone and didn't take the initiative to talk much...

Just then, a light sound of a chair being pulled back came from the seat in front of Xia Xia Xia Mujun, and a girl sat down.

When Saionji Nanase saw clearly who had arrived, her eyes instantly lit up with pleasant surprise: "Suzune?! You actually got into this school too, and were even placed in the same class as me?"

The cold-looking Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin turned her head at the sound, a flash of surprise also crossing her eyes: "Eh? Nanase, you're here too?"

Saionji Nanase nodded repeatedly, her voice full of excitement: "Mm-hmm! I really didn't expect that not only are we in the same class, but our seats are so close too!"

Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin nodded slightly: "It is quite a coincidence."

Saionji Nanase happily turned to Xia Xia Xia Mujun beside her and enthusiastically introduced him to her best friend: "Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin, this is my middle school classmate, Xia Xia Xia Mujun!"

Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin rarely took the initiative to chat with ordinary classmates, but since it was an introduction from her best friend, she, who disliked socializing, had no choice but to turn around politely and prepare to introduce herself: "Hello, my name is Yukimura Ling..."

However, the moment her gaze truly landed on Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s face, her words came to an abrupt halt.

Her expression froze, her lips pressed into a tight line, and her eyes narrowed slightly, revealing obvious surprise and a touch of petty emotion—clearly, she hadn't expected to meet him here again, and even... this person was sitting right behind her?

Xia Xia Xia Mujun looked up and discovered that this new neighbor was none other than Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin, whom he had met once on the train. A trace of surprise flashed through his heart, immediately followed by a hint of imperceptible joy.

This really is... better to arrive at the right time than an early one?

Back on the train, he had been at a loss for how to obtain this girl's special equipment.

If he spoke up rashly, it would always seem too deliberate, and it would be bad if he scared her off.

Since she was now sitting right in front of him, he figured that given enough time, he might find an opportunity.

"Hello, my name is Xia Xia Xia Mujun," he said, maintaining his politeness.

Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin squinted as she scrutinized Xia Xia Xia Mujun, responding briefly: "Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin."

As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly withdrew her gaze. ===== CHAPTER 35 =====

Even if she knew that Xia Xia Xia Mujun might not have noticed her actions at the time, and certainly didn't know her identity.

Yet, she was clearly still brooding over what had happened before and was somewhat unwelcoming toward Xia Xia Xia Mujun.

Amidst this subtle atmosphere, someone in the classroom suddenly recognized Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin’s identity.

"Is... is she that Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin?"

"The Yukimura who won the 'Gunzo Newcomer Award'?"

"Yes! That's her! The one from the Yukimura family!"

The fragmented whispers rippled out like water.

After all, Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin was not only the daughter of the literary Yukimura family but also a talented woman who had won the prestigious "Gunzo Newcomer Award," making her somewhat famous in literary circles.

With some of her former schoolmates in the class, her identity soon ceased to be a secret.

A girl gathered her courage and was the first to walk up, looking nervous and expectant: "Excuse me... are you Yukimura-san?"

Witnessing this, Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin seemed to recall something; this time, she didn't take out her fountain pen in advance, but said indifferently:

"It is me. Is there something you need?"

The girl took out a copy of *Cicada Rain* and asked with shy anticipation:

"Um... I'm a fan of yours. Could I have your autograph?"

Upon hearing this, the cold Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin’s mood improved significantly, and she nodded slightly:

"Sure."

In the classroom, the air on the first day of school was always filled with an invisible anxiety.

The freshmen all knew: if they didn't work hard to integrate and find a fixed circle of friends on the first day, the class would soon split into distinct little cliques.

By then, trying to squeeze in would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

And the trio of Xia Xia Xia Mujun, Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin, and Saionji Nanase, by virtue of their standout looks, naturally became the focus of everyone's attention.

Everyone knew that in a Japanese high school that prizes "normie culture," being able to squeeze into such a core circle of high-attractiveness individuals was almost equivalent to occupying a spot at the very top of the class social pyramid.

Thus, tentative approaches began.

Many people began to gather around the three of them, intentionally or unintentionally.

Among them, Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s side was the liveliest.

For boys, chatting with a handsome guy of the same sex was always much simpler and easier than chatting with a beautiful girl of the opposite sex.

For girls, chatting with a handsome guy of the opposite sex was always happier and more interesting than chatting with a beautiful girl of the same sex.

On Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin’s side, however, an invisible wall had been built early on.

She believed that such superficial socializing at the start of the school year was meaningless.

It could be said that apart from matters concerning novels, she basically wouldn't give much of a response.

Most of the time, Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin was quietly reading literary books.

That cold aura silently isolated most of the people who wanted to strike up a conversation.

In contrast, Saionji Nanase won a lot of favor with her cute appearance and naturally friendly personality.

No matter who spoke to her, she would respond with sincerity, quickly establishing a good first impression among her classmates.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun dealt with the greetings of surrounding classmates while scanning the classroom.

Apart from Saionji Nanase, there didn't seem to be any other familiar faces.

However, compared to observing old acquaintances, he was more concerned with another matter—his keen perception swept across the entire classroom, and he finally confirmed: apart from the "literary trinket" on Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin’s schoolbag, there wasn't a second piece of special equipment in the class.

Although it was a pity, perhaps encountering one in a single class was already a pleasant surprise.

Then the priority now was how to obtain that piece of special equipment from Yukimura Yukimura Yukimura Lingyin. ===== CHAPTER 36 =====