Chapter 695

He walked into the carriage with the crowd.

At the other end of the carriage, Yukimura Suzune, who was focusing on reading the literature book in her hand, heard the arrival broadcast and raised her head at the right time.

Just as she raised her eyes to look toward the train door, Natsume Chikage, who had just walked into the carriage and was looking for an empty seat, happened to meet her gaze.

The two people's gazes intertwined silently in the slightly crowded air of the carriage in the early morning.

After Yukimura Suzune saw Natsume Chikage, those cold eyes rippled imperceptibly.

She instinctively wanted to shift her gaze, but in her mind, the words from Akita Sana's tarot reading yesterday afternoon emerged unexpectedly.

Her fair cheeks couldn't help but flush slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally raised that slender, jade-like hand holding the book and waved it very slightly and somewhat reservedly toward Natsume Chikage.

Natsume Chikage noticed her movement, passed through the standing crowd, and came to her side.

"Morning, Yukimura-san."

"Morning... Natsume-kun."

After a simple greeting, Natsume Chikage habitually took out his phone from his pocket, his fingertips habitually hovering over the document application icon.

Immediately, he remembered that "Snow Country" had already been completed.

There was no new novel that needed "copying" for the time being.

And the two "perfect memory reproduction" opportunities granted by the "Boy's Painful Diary" had also been used up long ago.

Before obtaining new special equipment related to memory or creation, he indeed seemed to have no need to rush to write a third work.

He thought for a moment, exited the document application, and instead opened a video website, searching for basic painting tutorial videos.

He put on his wireless headphones and began to watch intently.

And Yukimura Suzune, who was sitting beside him today, although her gaze was on the literature book in her hand, her mind was somewhat drifting.

She noticed that Natsume Chikage today didn't click on the screen quickly as usual, as if playing games or chatting with people.

He was just watching the screen quietly today, seemingly watching some content.

A trace of curiosity couldn't help but rise in her heart.

A look of hesitation appeared on her cold face; she even unconsciously used the raised book to cover the lower half of her face, her fingers hidden behind the book moving slightly, seemingly wanting to poke Natsume Chikage's shoulder gently to ask what he was watching.

But in the end, that raised finger quietly fell back onto the book page.

Perhaps... she was overthinking it.

From the beginning, that so-called divination might have been wrong.

Recalling carefully, Akita Sana's divination interpretation, those ambiguous words, seemed to hold some truth when applied to anyone.

What's more, the most critical point was—Natsume-kun's grades were indeed not very ideal, and literary literacy was out of the question.

Thinking of this, the expression on Yukimura Suzune's cold and exquisite face couldn't help but become somewhat complex.

She exhaled lightly, her eyes returned to calm, and she refocused her attention back to the world of text in her hand.

For now... it was better not to think too much.

Private Tsukikage Academy.

On the cherry blossom path.

Although the cherry blossom season was nearing its end and the branches were slightly sparse, there were still a few stubborn pale pink petals drifting down with the morning breeze.

Natsume Chikage and Yukimura Suzune, one on the left and one on the right, walked quietly on this road dotted with sporadic petals.

Around them were students in groups of three or five, either chatting excitedly or strolling leisurely, enjoying the short, relaxing time before school.

From the direction of the baseball field on the left came the crisp sound of batting and energetic shouts during the baseball team's morning practice.

From the music classroom in the teaching building on the right front, the melodious melody of the orchestra club rehearsing for an upcoming off-campus performance drifted out.

Today, no one else came up to talk or walk with them.

Natsume Chikage and Yukimura Suzune rarely enjoyed a short and quiet walk side by side.

On the baseball field, the first batter, Shinohara Shingo, who was warming up, had his gaze inadvertently sweep across the cherry blossom path and happened to see the two walking together.

He watched silently for a moment, pursed his lips, and secretly made up his mind—today he would find a suitable opportunity to chat a few words with Yukimura Suzune, whom he had secretly loved for a long time.

And by the window of the music classroom on the first floor, Tsukishima Rin, who was tuning her violin strings, also had her gaze fall on the two figures downstairs through the glass.

Her intelligent and beautiful face puffed up slightly imperceptibly, obviously somewhat jealous.

Taking advantage of the gap when the instructor wasn't paying attention, she showed an impeccable gentle smile toward Natsume Chikage and waved gently.

Natsume Chikage noticed her movement and also waved politely to signal.

Yukimura Suzune, who was walking beside him, although her gaze seemed to be looking straight ahead, took all of this into her peripheral vision.

She, who was still hesitant about the divination result, couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly.

Even she herself... perhaps hadn't realized this subtle change in expression.

Classroom 1-A.

Natsume Chikage, who finally broke free from the morning greetings of several enthusiastic classmates, returned to his seat.

"Good morning, Natsume-kun." Sister Xiyuan Si Xiyuanji Qilai, sitting next to him, turned her head and gave him a bright smile.

"Good morning, Sister Xiyuan Si-san." After Natsume Chikage responded and put away his schoolbag, he took out his phone again, clicked on the painting tutorial video he hadn't finished watching, put on one earphone, and continued to learn.

And at this time, Sister Xiyuan Si Xiyuanji Qilai noticed his action.

Unlike Yukimura Suzune's introverted personality, she was born with pure curiosity about the things around her.

She turned to the side very naturally and directly and asked:

"Natsume-kun, what are you watching?"

Natsume Chikage tilted his phone screen slightly toward her and explained:

"I'm watching a painting tutorial video."

Sister Xiyuan Si Xiyuanji Qilai's amethyst-like eyes immediately lit up with interested light; she moved out of her seat and naturally moved closer toward Natsume Chikage, almost shoulder to shoulder.

"Painting tutorial video? Can I take a look?"

Feeling the warm breath and faint fragrance suddenly approaching beside him, Natsume Chikage was stunned, his face slightly red, thinking you've already moved over, haven't you...

But he didn't say this after all, just moved his phone toward the middle a bit more.

And Yukimura Suzune, sitting in the front row, hearing all these subtle movements, had her fingers holding the literature book tighten imperceptibly.

She turned her head back, glanced complexly at the two who were almost head-to-head looking at the phone, and felt a wave of irritable discomfort inexplicably rise in her heart. ===== CHAPTER 696 =====