Utaha's current mood was a bit complicated.
Yesterday, she happened to run into Mayu and Makoto on the street. At the suggestion of that gentle teacher, she exchanged contact info with a boy for the first time.
She had realized back then that Mayu was trying to help Makoto.
And the reason she didn't refuse was, on one hand, because Mayu gave off such a good impression that it was hard to say no.
On the other hand, it was because she had become interested in the story Makoto had written.
Originally, that incident yesterday had left no lasting impact on her.
But this morning, she recalled that encounter for some reason and found herself developing a good impression of Makoto.
Up until then, her understanding of him came only from idle gossip among classmates.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt: maybe I should go talk to him?
With that thought, she had unconsciously made her way to the first-year classrooms as soon as morning classes ended.
Now, looking at the curious glances from the first-year students around her, she suddenly wanted to sigh.
Maybe she had acted too impulsively.
Even though he gave a good impression, I should've waited until after school to come find him.
Utaha's gaze fell on Makoto, and she thought, "Well, I'm already here," and simply asked, "Fushimi-kun, are you free right now?"
"I was just about to go to the cafeteria," Makoto replied honestly.
Utaha hesitated. That impression of him being approachable and kind surfaced again.
Ignoring the stares from the people around them, she softly asked, "I haven't eaten either—want to go together?"
"Sure."
After the two walked off, the students who had remained frozen in place finally snapped out of it.
"What the hell, how does he even pull that off?" one boy said sourly.
But no one agreed with him. Instead, someone muttered, "Do you think it's too late for me to ask Fushimi-senpai to be my mentor?"
"Yeah! Why didn't I think of that? We could totally learn from him!"
"Don't even think about it—I'm the kind of guy who's willing to kneel and take notes while he lectures!"
The sour guy from earlier immediately jumped back in, "Wait, I haven't even gotten on the train yet—count me in!"
…
"I didn't expect you to come find me this quickly, and at lunchtime too."
After they got their food and sat down in the cafeteria, Makoto brought up the topic himself.
Utaha looked a bit awkward and mumbled, "I didn't expect it either."
"Hm?" Makoto tilted his head curiously.
"It's nothing."
Utaha quickly adjusted her expression and looked directly at him. "You and Matsukaze-sensei are pretty close, huh?"
"Yeah, we are."
"No wonder she suddenly made that suggestion yesterday."
Utaha nodded—her hunch was right.
Makoto smiled. "Since senpai noticed that, why didn't you say anything at the time?"
Utaha was about to respond when he added, "Oh, I get it now."
"What is it you 'get'?"
Makoto made a thinking gesture. "Matsukaze-sensei has a good impression of you, so yesterday, she wasn't just helping me—she was helping both of us."
Utaha froze for a moment.
Right, it wasn't just him who benefited—she did too.
If he really was as good as Matsukaze-sensei said, then gaining a friend like him was certainly more of a gain than a loss.
Though Utaha knew she wasn't very good at handling interpersonal relationships, she wasn't foolish enough to reject one that came right to her doorstep.
Besides, thanks to that "aura" of his, she already had a pretty favorable impression of Makoto.
So she was happy to accept this budding connection.
Wait a second—didn't he also know Yukino and the Nakano quintuplets?
Utaha recalled the rumors she'd heard in the past couple of days.
She'd heard that Yukino was extremely outstanding, currently ranked second in their year.
The quintuplets, while not particularly good at studying, were said to be quite wealthy according to classmates' gossip.
As everyone knows, interpersonal relationships are a mysterious thing. Once you get to know one great person, you may gradually get to know their friends too.
And all of that counts as a gain.
After a brief silence, Utaha felt she'd completely figured things out and said, "Looks like I should find time to thank Matsukaze-sensei properly."
"You definitely should."
Makoto wasn't sure what she'd just imagined, but judging by her expression, she seemed to be in a good mood.
Her relaxed demeanor now only added more charm to her already cool beauty.
Is the black-stockings senpai hot?
On a scale of 1 to 10, she's easily a 9 or 10.
"Matsukaze-sensei mentioned a story yesterday—do you mind talking about it now?" Utaha decided to get to the main topic.
"Sure." Makoto handed her the notebook.
After she finished reading it, her reaction was much like Yukino's: "The ending is absolutely chilling, but also really brilliant."
"Thanks. I wrote it on a whim after getting the idea. Senpai, do you think this kind of story could be adapted into a novel?"
"A novel?"
Hearing the word, Utaha's expression shifted slightly.
Makoto pretended not to notice. "Yeah, I've been thinking—should I turn it into a novel, or maybe a script?"
Utaha fell quiet for a second, sounding a bit incredulous: "You can write scripts too?"
"I've studied them for quite a while. Matsukaze-sensei knows about it too."
"…"
Are all the new first-years this impressive now?
Utaha's well-endowed chest rose and fell as she once again thought of how Mayu had introduced her to Makoto.
Looks like she'll have to buy a gift and go thank her properly.
Over the next stretch of time, Makoto used all the knowledge he'd gathered during his time-loop experiences to keep the conversation lively and engaging.
And because of that, the way Utaha looked at him changed—from polite friendliness to a deeper, more intense gaze.
Using internet slang to describe her feelings: Makoto really knows how to deliver emotional value.
Not only could he talk with her easily, he could make her laugh too.
She had never connected with a guy this well before.
No—not even with girls!
It gave Utaha the illusion that she'd known him for years.
He seemed to understand her preferences, had a shocking wealth of knowledge, and could answer her questions effortlessly.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, she discussed a lot of novel-related topics with Makoto, and each time he not only had answers, but could teach her even more advanced knowledge.
He even knew insider industry gossip.
After lunch, Utaha gave Makoto a satisfied smile. "Thank you for all the answers today—I've learned a lot."
Makoto shook his head. "It's mutual—through conversation, both of us can grow to be better, Senpai doesn't need to thank me."
Utaha's beautiful eyes shimmered with emotion, and the corners of her lips kept rising. "That's true."
She didn't realize at all that she had been completely captivated.
Because in her mind, becoming friends with him really was a good thing.
Through this conversation, she became even more convinced that she had to properly thank Mayu for introducing Makoto to her.
She also thought of one more thing.
If Makoto's talent went far beyond what he showed today, then...
She might never be able to repay Matsukaze-sensei's kindness.
After school in the afternoon, Makoto, who wasn't part of any club, left the classroom as usual.
He still hadn't gathered all the members, so he wasn't in a rush to apply for a club.
When he arrived at the schoolyard, he immediately saw Yukino and Ichika standing at the school gate.
Ichika had been looking inside the whole time, so the moment their eyes met, she smiled brightly and waved.
Yukino stood beside her with her arms crossed, expression calm.
It looked like Ichika had invited Yukino over.
Makoto already had a good guess.
Before he could say anything, Yukino got straight to the point: "Ichika-san wants to treat us to dinner today. I've already agreed."
"I don't mind," said Makoto.
Ichika's smile grew even brighter. "You're probably not hungry yet, right? Want to stop by a dessert café first?"
But Makoto said, "I've got a better place in mind."
Both girls turned their gazes toward him. "Where?"
Makoto: "You'll find out soon."
Twenty minutes later—
The three of them walked into a cat café.
Yukino had barely stepped through the door when she was instantly captivated by all the cats of various colors inside.
She couldn't even look away!
While Ichika also thought the cats were cute, she asked a bit confusedly, "Fushimi-kun, why did you bring us here?"
"If you're looking to kill time, this place has the perfect atmosphere," Makoto said on purpose in a slow, deliberate tone.
Ichika assumed he just liked cats and didn't question it further.
But Yukino was different.
Hearing Makoto's slowed tone, she resisted the urge to smile and turned to look at him seriously.
Her eyes clearly asked: Did you bring me here to try and win me over?
He obviously knew how much she loved cats.
And this café, filled with adorable cats, was basically heaven for her.
So of course she thought Makoto was trying to court her.
As she stared at him without hiding her suspicion, Makoto slowly opened his mouth and said:
"You're so cringe. I brought you here just to help you relax."
Yukino: "?"
Ichika: They're having a secret conversation again!
___
Read 20 Advanced Chapters on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics
Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!
Don't forget to leave a review too~ Actually, please leave one.
Check out the other translations too
___