I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

"So there really is such a school..."

So, is it that he doesn't know enough about Japan's prestigious universities, or that Japan, which has been reborn, has gained another top-tier private university?

However, compared to that red book, the senior student opposite is the real problem.

Her presence was like stars surrounding the moon in the night sky; from the moment she entered the library, everyone's eyes were drawn to her.

The title of the most talented girl in Toyonosaki Academy is well-known, and she is also the student representative at the opening ceremony. It would be hard not to know this literary prodigy in Toyonosaki Academy.

Being approached by such a renowned literary talent on campus, Aki Tomoya felt no honor whatsoever, only overwhelming embarrassment.

A hint of embarrassment flickered in Aki Tomoya's eyes.

How should I put it? Dealing with this upperclassman is much more troublesome than dealing with Eriri.

The relationship between the two is a little complicated...

Should you pretend you didn't see the other person at this point?

No way. Since the other party is here at this time, it's obvious that they are not reconciled and haven't let go of what happened in winter.

Why don't you apologize?

He said he was a bit slow at the time and didn't realize that the other person was confessing their feelings, so he didn't pay attention to their intentions.

Ahhhh…

So complicated……

That's why we keep creating one mess after another!

Aki Tomoya rubbed his temples, flipping through the pages of the book with a somewhat depressed expression, unsure of what to say. He decided to simply refocus his attention for the moment.

However, there's something Aki Tomoya has always wanted to complain about: why be so subtle when you're confessing your feelings? That kind of blockhead might be useful in dating simulation games, but in reality, it's a different story, senpai!

Of course, you can't say these things to people right now.

If I were to say it now, the situation would be even worse, and it wouldn't be something that could be explained by being a blockhead; the nature of the matter would be completely different.

However, it is precisely because she can still explain it with her "blockhead" mentality that this senior seems unwilling to give up.

Aki Tomoya tried to continue reading without distraction, but after repeatedly noticing the other person's cautious gaze, it became difficult to concentrate completely.

Asking questions is inappropriate; asking someone to leave is also inappropriate, as the library isn't owned by him!

They're here to learn too...

The goal is to clarify things between both parties and help the other party find peace; this is clearly the wrong approach.

However, under this subtle atmosphere, both junior Aki Tomoya and senior Kasumigaoka Utaha could sense each other's slightly deliberate behavior.

=

Thank you to [Dr. Hehe] and [Wangtianlan] for the spicy snacks.

Chapter 8 Paying the Price for the Past

Kasumigaoka Utaha, the top literary talent at Toyonosaki Academy, is seen by the students as an unattainable flower on a high mountain.

She consistently ranks first in her grade, but she is also a light novel author.

Therefore, Aki Tomo admires this senior very much. She has the ability to take care of both sides and has also achieved certain success in the light novel world.

This up-and-coming light novelist has already amassed considerable popularity as a newcomer to the industry after the huge success of her light novel, "Love Metronome."

The button that brought the two together was the book "Love Metronome".

When this light novel was serialized and released, Aki Tomo was a die-hard fan of the book.

At a book signing event, fans met the author.

Fans recognized her as an upperclassman at the school, and that's how they met.

At that time, he praised the other party enthusiastically and spared no effort in promoting the author of his favorite work, which reportedly increased the sales of the work by 30%.

He also had a lot of discussions about the work. In the past, in order to retaliate against this persistent reader, she poured her heart and soul into her writing, repeatedly revising and even arguing with the editor, and completed the work without being discouraged.

But on the eve of the final volume's publication, she found him that winter with the manuscript, only to be rejected along with her feelings.

Aki Tomoya is currently a student striving to prepare for the University of Tokyo entrance exams, while Kasumigaoka Utaha is still pursuing her light novel writing while completing her studies.

They have all changed, but if we're talking about who has changed the most, it's definitely Aki Tomoya.

In the past, Aki Tomoya would never have been interested in the dry history of Japan without any moe elements. He even declared that he would go to the University of Tokyo and announced on his blog that he would retire to seriously prepare for the exam.

To those who know him well, these actions seem like a complete farewell to the past.

In the past, his favorite things, such as light novels, were probably only "The Familiar of Zero" and "Kaze no Stigma" if it weren't for the influence of his predecessor. Unfortunately, both authors have passed away.

Aki Tomoya also understood why Kasumigaoka Utaha would approach him, this "blockhead," at a time like this.

It stems from discontent, curiosity, and maladaptation.

Or perhaps it's precisely because she still cares about Aki Tomoya that Kasumigaoka Utaha appears involuntarily.

To use Aki Tomoya's words now, she's not a literary prodigy anymore, just a girl throwing a tantrum.

"Um, it's already closing time..."

A timid voice came from the side, and Aki Tomoya looked up, only to find that there were only the three of them left in the library.

Even before closing time, looking at the darkening sky outside, it's almost time for the school to close.

All club activities have ended, and quite some time has passed since school ended this afternoon.

"Excuse me, is it still possible to make a debit now?"

Aki Tomoya stood up, glanced casually at Kasumigaoka Utaha who was still calm, and took out his debit card to ask the librarian.

After spending a little time completing the debit procedures, Aki Tomoya ignored Kasumigaoka Utaha as she walked out with the three books.

After changing his shoes, Aki Tomoya quickly walked out of the teaching building and pushed his bicycle out of the bike shed. Just then, he ran into Kasumigaoka Utaha at the school gate.

The students in the club had already taken the lead; after training for several hours, they didn't have the extra energy to pay attention to irrelevant things.

Pushing their bicycles up the slope leading out of the school, watching the graceful figure ahead, the two maintained a subtle atmosphere.

"Ethics Guy, are you really that averse to women from your past?"

Suddenly, the other person uttered a sentence that made Aki Tomoya stop in his tracks.

Women of the past...

This description is not wrong, because the senior in front of you, to some extent, was indeed dumped by him.

To be precise, her feelings were rejected before they even officially began.

"Senior, it's not appropriate for you to throw a tantrum at me."

Aki Tomoya laughed, and the smile on his face surprised Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Unlike the boy that Kasumigaoka Utaha knew, the boy in front of her was completely different from before.

Even his speaking style has changed quite a bit. How long does it take for a boy to become mature?

This is a question worth exploring in depth, because without adding any dirty or suggestive elements, it takes many factors for a boy to become mature, and it cannot all be described in a few words.

But what kind of feeling does Aki Tomoya give her now?

He's no longer the little boy you could occasionally tease; this approach is no longer suitable for Aki Tomoya.

"What do you mean by 'woman of the past'? Let's not use such a pitiful term. If she really is a woman of the past, then what you did contradicts that description."

Therefore, Aki Tomoya now prefers to see Kasumigaoka Utaha as a girl who is throwing a tantrum.

On one hand, she was unwilling to accept being dumped, and on the other hand, she knew what kind of person Aki Tomoya was in the past. Under this contradiction, her attitude changed accordingly.

Actually, Kasumigaoka Utaha is still struggling with that winter incident, isn't she?

But at this moment, Aki Tomoya's composure stirred up a nameless anger within her.

If Mingming knew everything, was her affections so insignificant in the other person's eyes that they wouldn't even give her a second glance?

The sudden silence revealed that she had already exposed her feelings to Aki Tomoya, and it was so easily seen through.

"My senior sister treated me as someone she could work with, both in the past and now, which is actually a mistake."

Aki Tomoya pushed up his glasses, maintaining a calm smile on his face.

"Aki Tomoya used to be a blockhead who didn't know how to make girls happy, but now Aki Tomoya doesn't have time to do such extravagant things. What a pity, senpai."

He described making a girl happy as a very luxurious thing.

Love is definitely a beautiful and precious thing, and Aki Tomo is happy to use all sorts of words of praise to describe it.

It is an equal to an ideal, but can you have your cake and eat it too?

Aki Tomoya also wanted to answer yes, but one has to be realistic. After enjoying it, Aki Tomoya felt that rather than the best, the most suitable was probably more appropriate.

As he said, on the road of working together, the best is not necessarily the most suitable, and the most suitable is not necessarily the best.

People always struggle when faced with choices, but they grow after learning from their mistakes. For Aki Tomoya, he is certainly no longer suited to do some extravagant things.

He may be a bit stubborn, but he wants to pay the lowest possible price to make amends for Aki Tomoya's past.