Yuigahama also looked on with curiosity, glancing between Yoru and Yukino.
"Kitakami-kun and I just met recently," Yukino replied with a nod, changing how she referred to Yoru.
Hiratsuka had no idea what Yukino was really thinking.
"Yukinon, why are you calling Kitakami-kun a peeping tom?" Yuigahama asked curiously.
"It's nothing."
"I accept the request, Hiratsuka-sensei."
Yukino had no intention of revealing any personal information and quickly shut down Yuigahama's question.
"Then… I'll leave it to you. He's pretty bad at studying," Hiratsuka said, glancing at the awkward Yoru beside her.
"As long as he listens and follows my study plan, that's fine." Yukino answered confidently.
As a second-year student at Shuchiin, she consistently ranked at the top. She often competed with Shirogane and Kaguya for first place.
They traded victories, but she had never dropped out of the top three.
Hearing this, Hiratsuka looked at Yoru and felt relieved.
She had thought she'd have to persuade Yukino. She didn't expect that the two already knew each other, even if only a little.
Also, what's this about being a peeping tom?
Hiratsuka had wanted to ask but wisely decided not to.
"I'll do my best," Yoru finally spoke.
"Then I'll leave you to it. Don't let me down."
Hiratsuka smiled, patting Yoru on the shoulder before turning to go.
"You can sit down now," Yukino said, motioning for him to find a seat.
"I'll help you."
Yuigahama was quick to grab a clean chair and place it by the table.
"Thanks again for stopping my puppy that day," she added.
"It was just greedy for snacks, that's all," Yoru replied with a shake of his head.
Hiratsuka waved to Yukino and left the club.
The door closed, and the room fell silent again.
"Hehe, Sablé just loves slipping out of his leash and running around. If you hadn't attracted him, I'd have spent forever looking." Yuigahama scratched her head and smiled awkwardly.
"Ahem. Are you done?" Yukino adjusted her chair and sat across from Yoru.
The moment she spoke, Yuigahama gave an apologetic smile and shut her mouth.
"Tell me your grades. Which subjects are you good at?"
Yukino didn't waste time. As she studied the plump Yoru, she went straight to the point.
Yoru answered truthfully.
He knew his grades were poor, nearly at the bottom. Only in Japanese and geography did he occasionally pass.
In Japan, passing wasn't based on the raw score, but on half the class average.
If the average was 80, then 40 was passing.
Different schools had slightly different standards, but they were mostly similar.
After hearing his answer, Yukino's brow twitched slightly, and she began to think.
Yoru and Yuigahama exchanged a glance and kept quiet.
Soon, Yukino wrote a few questions on paper and pushed it toward Yoru.
The room quieted, leaving only the occasional sound of pen on paper.
Yoru answered slowly. Yukimo reopened her book—I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki.
"Um… Yukinon, can I ask how you met Kitakami-kun?" Yuigahama leaned closer, curiosity getting the better of her.
It was hard to imagine.
One was a notorious fat loner, the other was the school's top-tier ice beauty.
"At a pet clinic. I work there during summer and winter breaks." Yukino glanced sideways at Yoru, feeling strangely flustered.
She had hugged his cat, nuzzled it, gushed about how cute it was…
And he saw all of it.
Just imagining Yoru secretly laughing to himself—"So that icy beauty Yukinoshita Yukino at school is actually like this behind the scenes"—made her skin crawl with goosebumps.
"Then Kitakami-kun must have a pet too," Yuigahama nodded softly. She actually wanted to ask about the whole "Peeping Tom" thing.
Yukino had called him a Peeping Tom, but she didn't seem angry about it, so it probably wasn't anything serious.
"Yes, I've finished answering," Yoru said as he glanced at Yuigahama, who often hung around with Yumiko.
He then pushed the paper toward Yukino.
"Better than I expected," Yukino said after glancing at the answers. She looked up and stared straight at Yoru.
"I understand your level now. I'll go home and organize some of my old review materials and key learning points. You can use them for self-study."
"I'll also come up with a tailored plan for you. You'd better come to the Service Club every afternoon so I can supervise your study. Understood?"
"Yes… no problem!"
Yukino's serious tone and expression were intense and pressured.
"So scary, Yukinon's like a teacher!"
"Right? Yukinoshita-sensei?"
Yuigahama chuckled lightly.
Yoru breathed a sigh of relief, smiling as he looked around the Service Club room.
His gaze landed on Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui.
That's when it hit him—if he was coming to this club every afternoon...
Wouldn't that mean he'd be spending time every day with the cold, untouchable goddess that so many people in school secretly admired and dreamed of just exchanging a word with?
If others knew that a guy like him—a fat, socially dead loser—was getting one-on-one tutoring from Yukino, they'd probably spit blood with jealousy.
And Yuigahama was also incredibly cute and pretty. Was this… his lucky break?
"Well then, that's it for today. Club activities are about to end anyway," Yukino said as she picked up her bag and began packing up.
"Thanks, Yukinoshita-san," Yoru said sincerely.
With a responsible and top-performing tutor like her helping him, maybe his grades really could improve significantly.
"No need to thank me. This is just a request from Hiratsuka-sensei."
Yukino's expression was cold, her words pushing Yoru back with distance.
Yoru froze mid-motion, thinking he had said something wrong.
Was she trying to avoid getting involved with him?
Grumbling internally, Yoru picked up his own bag and left the room with Yuigahama.
Yukino was the last to leave, locking the door.
"Actually, Yukinon's just shy. She's really kind deep down."
Yuigahama turned back quickly and tried to reassure Yoru.