After parting with Nanami, there were about ten minutes left before homeroom. Yoru arrived at class.
He entered through the back door.
Yumiko and her popular clique were chatting together as usual.
Yoru put down his bag and sat down.
He glanced briefly at Yumiko before looking out the window.
To be honest, he found her kind of scary.
Not only did she seem hard to approach, but her looks screamed dominance and intensity.
Still, she was undeniably beautiful.
"Yui, there's a new karaoke place downtown. Wanna go after school?"
"I can't, I've got club activities."
"With Yukinoshita's club? If you're quick, we can wait for you."
"Hey, Yui, what exactly does Yukinoshita's club do? Tell me!"
Yoru quietly listened to their conversation until the bell rang for homeroom.
During homeroom, Hiratsuka Shizuka came to class.
She called Yoru out and informed him that she had found a tutor for him. He should meet her after school in the faculty office.
Back at his desk, Yoru felt surprised and curious, but also grateful for her help.
During lunch break,
Yoru scrolled through his phone and chatted casually with Megumi.
At the same time, he went out to buy a black coffee.
The weather was nice.
Sunlight was soft, breeze gentle.
"Maybe I could ask Megumi to have lunch together…"
Yoru took a sip of the bitter coffee.
He had gotten used to the taste.
There were only two classes in the afternoon.
One of them was World History with Kirisu Mafuyu.
Every time it came to this class, Yoru felt anxious and unsettled.
He couldn't focus, so he just took notes to review later at home.
After school,
Yoru checked the cleaning roster—he wasn't on duty today, but his turn was coming up.
He headed straight to the club building. On the way, he passed a lot of students and got the usual stares and whispered comments.
Eventually, he reached the faculty office and found Hiratsuka.
"Hold on a sec, let me tidy up my desk," she said, pointing to a chair.
Yoru sat quietly, full of questions, but decided to stay silent and wait.
While she was tidying up, her phone rang—it was a call about a blind date.
She didn't try to hide it, maybe because she was straightforward by nature. She chatted openly in front of Yoru.
As he listened, Yoru's expression gradually grew weird.
'Come to think of it, I don't know much about Hiratsuka-sensei.'
'Given her age, I always assumed she was married, maybe even had kids…'
'She's gone on so many blind dates and still hasn't succeeded… seriously?'
'I'm so jealous of that man, he actually gets to marry Hiratsuka-sensei.'
He thought silently in his heart.
A while later...
Hiratsuka finished her work, stood up, and lazily stretched. Her perfect figure, hidden beneath the white lab coat, could be vaguely seen.
Yoru had already turned his head away.
He truly respected Hiratsuka.
Whatever she told him to do, he would do it.
If she told him to use the front door, he would never use the back.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, who did you get to tutor me?"
A bit later, Yoru finally found a chance to ask.
"It's not a person, it's a club that can help you with tutoring..."
Hiratsuka looked at Yoru and skillfully took out a pack of cigarettes from her coat.
When she replied to Yoru, there was some hesitation in her voice. She didn't say everything.
Yoru signaled her with his eyes.
"Ahaha... It's nothing… really..."
Hiratsuka laughed awkwardly.
For some reason, she imagined the kind of face Yukinoshita Yukino would make when she saw Yoru, and a rare sense of mischief surfaced.
When she had approached Yukino to request tutoring for a struggling student in her class, she hadn't specified who it was.
Yoru was somewhat unique within Shuchiin.
Hiratsuka wasn't worried that Yukino would back out after learning it was Yoru.
She knew Yukino well enough.
Still, she couldn't help but imagine what would happen when Yukino, someone whose personality was twisted and bad at social interaction, met Yoru.
There would definitely be sarcasm, biting remarks, and cold stares.
"Alright then." Yoru looked at Hiratsuka, knowing it wasn't his place to press further.
"It's fine, just get yourself mentally prepared and show me that you're trying." Hiratsuka stubbed out her cigarette and tucked the butt into a small metal case she carried with her.
Once done, she gestured for Yoru to follow.
They lingered in the teacher's office for about ten minutes.
Yoru followed Hiratsuka to the club building, silently guessing.
"Is it the reading club? The literature club?"
They went all the way up to the top floor and stood before the classroom at the far end.
"This is it," Hiratsuka said to Yoru.
"What club is this?" Yoru looked around curiously.
There wasn't even a nameplate?
Just then, Hiratsuka lightly knocked on the door of the Service Club.
Inside the Service Club.
Part of the room was stacked with old desks and chairs, while the other part had been immaculately cleaned. A brand-new long table sat in the middle.
Yukinoshita Yukino quietly flipped through a book. Yuigahama Yui stared at her phone, bored.
The door was knocked.
"Yukinon, it's a request from Hiratsuka-sensei!"
Yuigahama quickly stood up, looking at Yukino with a hopeful expression.
Although she already knew what the request was and that it had nothing to do with her.
"Come in." Yukino's expression remained calm as she closed her book.
The next second, the door opened.
Hiratsuka walked in with a smile.
"Hiratsuka-sensei," Yuigahama greeted.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, you finally learned to knock..." Yukino said with a sigh before greeting her.
"Yukinoshita, I brought the person."
Hiratsuka glanced around the Service Club room, locked eyes with Yukino, and felt unexpectedly nervous.
She trusted Yoru, but that didn't mean Yukino would.
She figured she'd have to talk Yukino into accepting him.
Hiratsuka turned and signaled for Yoru to come in.
"Excuse me."
Yoru's voice rang out first, then he stepped through the door into the club.
"Huh? Kitakami-kun?!" Yuigahama blinked in surprise.
"Yuigahama-san."
"Yuki… no... Yukinoshita?"
Yoru greeted Yuigahama, then froze when he saw Yukinoshita.
"Oh, it's you again, Peeping Tom-san."
Yukino was slightly surprised but quickly regained her calm. She looked at Hiratsuka.
"This is your request, to have me help him improve his grades?"
As soon as she said it, Hiratsuka was stunned. "Yukinoshita, you know him?"