I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

Pushing his bicycle past Kasumigaoka Utaha, Aki Tomoya waved goodbye.

"An Yi."

Just then, Kasumigaoka Utaha turned around and called out to Aki Tomoya, using a polite but distant form of address.

Aki Tomoya stopped and turned to look at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had a calm expression on her face.

The senior student looked just like she did when they first crossed paths.

Her quiet demeanor was exactly the same as Xia Shizi's at the book signing event that day.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Kasumigaoka-senpai?"

An indescribable atmosphere, stemming from a strange yet subtle relationship, permeated the two of them.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's long hair fluttered in the evening breeze, her delicate, calm, wine-red eyes gazing at Aki Tomoya's face as if she were observing something new.

She held her schoolbag in one hand, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and then parted her pink lips slightly: "You said you'd let me decide for myself, right?"

That's absolutely right, those are Aki Tomoya's exact words.

By leaving the decision of how to view it to Kasumigaoka Utaha, Aki Tomoya's attempt to distance himself from the situation is truly a cunning act.

To settle accounts with his past, Aki Tomoya has chosen the easiest and most cunning method.

If she lets him pay for everything in the past so easily, then what does that mean for her feelings?

Kasumigaoka Utaha understood that Aki Tomoya's cunning was understandable; he could achieve his desired result at the lowest possible cost, and his shrewdness was indeed put to good use.

So now she's decided to show Aki Tomoya whether a girl driven by revenge can get what he wants.

However, calling it a desire for revenge or selfishness isn't entirely accurate...

Kasumigaoka Utaha figured out something, something quite important.

She knew Aki Tomoya well enough about the past, but her understanding of the present Aki Tomoya was not applicable to the present.

The real decision should be made after we have fully understood Aki Tomoya as he is now.

Aki Tomoya's statement that she should make her own judgment was taken full advantage of by Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Now, Kasumigaoka Utaha only needs Aki Tomoya to confirm it one last time.

"I underestimated this senior student."

Aki Tomoya sighed inwardly, suddenly remembering why Kasumigaoka Utaha had the title of literary prodigy of Toyonosaki Academy.

This senior is not so easily fooled. Kasumigaoka Utaha is not acting on emotion now; instead, she is very calm.

Because of her calmness and rationality, Kasumigaoka Utaha knew that only after truly seeing Aki Tomoya in his current state could she make the final decision.

Looking at the literary talent, Aki Tomoya understood what she wanted to do.

"That's absolutely right."

He said those words himself, that's a fact, and at this point, Aki Tomo couldn't possibly change his mind and deny it.

It's Kasumigaoka Utaha's business what she wants to do, and as long as it doesn't affect him, Aki Tomo has no right to interfere.

However, this also made Aki Tomoya feel like he had dug a hole for himself.

This was something Aki Tomo hadn't expected. The surprise stemmed from the fact that Kasumigaoka Utaha was also an unusual woman with a remarkably strong ability to think independently.

She might act impulsively at times, but she quickly calms down after a brief period of impulsiveness.

This is the complete opposite of his somewhat impatient childhood friend, Eriri.

For something as profound and important as first love, Kasumigaoka Utaha has her own standards for judgment. To make her completely let go, she should at least see everything clearly first.

"I understand."

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded, then walked toward Aki Tomoya, without saying goodbye as she passed him.

Standing on the slope, watching that figure gradually disappear into the distance, Aki Tomoya stroked his chin and pondered for a moment.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, this upperclassman is something else!

This is all Aki Tomoya can say at this moment.

=

Thank you [北辰落樱] for the monthly pass.

Chapter 11 The Kid from the Aki Family

In mid-April, the temperature had begun to rise gradually, and compared to the hustle and bustle at the beginning of the school year, the students had mostly calmed down by then.

Aki Tomoya's schedule was proceeding smoothly.

After a week of intensive study, I finally managed to get a general understanding of Japanese history, which I'm not good at.

When he doesn't have to go to the cram school, Aki Tomoya spends his time in the school library after school, and then the next day he does practice tests under the guidance of his cram school teacher.

Supplementing knowledge is necessary, but practicing with test questions is even more essential.

Because when reading or listening to lectures, you may have the illusion that you have learned something, but you can only find out whether you have really mastered it when you practice with test questions.

His weaker subjects, Japanese history, essay writing, and Japanese literature, are steadily improving, which gives Aki Tomoya more confidence in his future progress.

In the first semester, with the advice of his tutor, Aki Tomoya had already made a general plan.

What he needs now is not to study the textbooks for the three science majors at Tokyo University from the past few years, but to supplement his knowledge in the fastest and most reliable way.

The goal is not to keep up with the school's teaching pace, but to exceed it, because time is limited.

"Life is finite, but knowledge is infinite. To pursue the infinite with the finite is perilous!"

As Zhuangzi said, knowledge is infinite, but human life is finite. To use a finite life to pursue infinite knowledge is a dead end!

Aki Tomoya's goal is the University of Tokyo's Science Category 3. His knowledge supplementation is partly to prepare for the national exam two years later, and partly to prepare for the University of Tokyo's Science Category 3 entrance exam.

Learning can also be goal-oriented and planned; targeted solutions are always the right approach!

He was at school six and a half days a week, and on three of those days he would stay at the private school until very late before going home.

It sounds tiring, but Aki Tomoya actually made time for himself to rest, since he had turned down all his part-time jobs during spring break.

Perhaps because he proved his determination with his actions, his parents, who were initially surprised and skeptical, have gradually begun to support him, and his status at home seems to have risen considerably.

In their hearts, Aki Tomoya no longer seemed like the son who only knew about anime, manga, and games and was considered "unproductive," but rather someone determined to get into a prestigious university and gradually becoming the "other people's child" they talked about...

Aki Tomoya noticed the change in his parents' attitude, but he didn't care too much. However, if it could make them feel a little comforted, it would be a good thing.

In short, Aki Tomoya's life is still quite fulfilling, just in a different way.

Ding ding dang dang——

School was over, and Aki Tomoya tidied up before heading to the cram school.

After changing his shoes, he went to the bike shed and pushed his bicycle to the school gate. As he went out, he saw a familiar figure.

That golden figure, his childhood friend Eriri, this mixed-race lady, has been rarely seen lately.

As if still sulking about what happened last time, after Aki Tomoya gave her a polite wink, she let out a soft snort and turned her face away.

That's good, it saves us the trouble of not being bothered by this spoiled childhood friend.

After exchanging a polite glance, Aki Tomo stopped thinking about Eriri and focused his attention on the academy.

Upon discovering that Aki Tomoya had left, Eriri angrily flicked her two golden ponytails again.

"That guy, Tomoya..."

Eriri muttered to herself in complaint.

Because of what happened last time, their relationship has now reached a freezing point.

The rift between the two is now more severe than before.

Knowing that she hasn't reconciled with Aki Tomoya yet, Eriri is even more ashamed to take the initiative to find him.

Eriri still vividly remembers how aloof Aki Tomoya was last time.

If it weren't for their childhood friendship, they might have become complete strangers, utterly unrelated.

Eriri has been feeling very down ever since that day.

This depressed mood has persisted and is getting worse.

Eriri returned home dejectedly, realizing she still hadn't been able to speak to Aki Tomoya today.

Afterwards, she locked herself in her room alone.

"Eri, do you have time to talk to your mother?"

Eriri's mother, Sayuri Sawamura, knocked on the door outside the room and asked worriedly.

As a mother, she couldn't possibly have missed Eriri's increasingly depressed mood lately, especially after seeing Eriri's appearance after returning today, which startled her.

Eriri was wrapped in a blanket in her room, seemingly oblivious to her mother's voice outside, and showed no reaction to anything.

Eriri, her mind in turmoil and feeling utterly dejected, was completely oblivious to her mother's concern for her, her head filled with a jumble of questions.

A click——