I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

After the evening festival, the third-year students also have things to do.

Although participation is not required, being present is still necessary.

Seeing that Kasumigaoka Utaha had also left, Eriri sighed and then chased after her.

No one can escape this night of ritual.

As for the two of them, Aki Tomo didn't know anything. He had probably only heard other people mention names like Kasumi Shiko and Kashiwagi Eri.

The graduation ceremony is held the day after the evening festival ends.

The students were much more relaxed than usual this week as they prepared for the after-festival and the graduation ceremony.

Before he knew it, the day of the graduation ceremony arrived. Aki Tomoya sat in his seat with his prepared speech, waiting to go on stage.

"We're almost there, General!"

Sitting down, Yoshihiko Uego nudged his arm.

This time, the student representative was not Kasumigaoka Utaha, but Aki Tomoya. In Kagami Yoshihiko's eyes, it was as if it had become a major event of a changing era.

Aki Tomoya rolled his eyes at him and then ignored his friend.

After the student council president finished speaking and stepped down from the stage, the gymnasium's loudspeaker announced: "Please welcome student representative Aki Tomoya from Class 2-B..."

When the announcement came over the loudspeaker, Aki Tomoya stood up from his seat and slowly walked toward the stage.

The fact that it wasn't Kasumigaoka Utaha surprised everyone, but upon closer reflection, they immediately understood.

In many people's eyes, Aki Tomoya was now taking over the baton from Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had created a legend at school for three years, with great spirit.

In reality, Aki Tomoya was simply going along with the school's arrangements to make himself appear more serious.

"It seems that we'll only see Kasumigaoka on stage again at our graduation ceremony, Aki-kun, after two years."

In Class 3-D, Sakaguchi Masumi, a library committee member who had been troubled by Aki Tomoya multiple times in the first half of the year, muttered to herself as she cautiously glanced at Kasumigaoka Utaha from Class C.

She guessed that the person on stage and the person in the audience actually had a secret relationship.

She was once in the same class as Kasumigaoka Utaha. Although she didn't remember her at all, she still saw what Kasumigaoka Utaha did when she was competing with Aki Tomoya in the library.

Sakaguchi Masumi, curious about their relationship, stared intently at Kasumigaoka Utaha in the venue filled with Aki Tomoya's voice.

Just then, Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head and looked over, startling the library committee member so much that he immediately shrank back.

"very scary!"

When I looked up again, the other person's gaze was now fixed on Aki Tomoya, who was giving a speech on stage.

Looking at Aki Tomoya on the stage, Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression was extremely calm, but her eyes flickered with something she couldn't quite place.

"Is this how I'm supposed to become such a boring man?"

boring……

Kasumigaoka Utaha wanted to describe Aki Tomoya, who was giving a speech on stage at that moment, in this way.

However, recalling the weariness in Aki Tomoya's eyes as he passed by the third-year students' formation, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't muster any anger.

I want to be angry but I can't. I don't want to see this face, but I can't help but care when it appears in front of me.

"I should have slapped that bastard right then and there!"

It seems that the reason I feel so uneasy is because I haven't gotten revenge on the other party yet.

But just like what Aki Tomoya said in his speech, his seniors who are in their third year will be leaving next year.

People who seem to have no future connection should not be cared about now.

"Our work is already half successful, but we will never admit that it is to prove something to you."

Stubbornly thinking this to herself, Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Eriri, who was in the second year, for some reason.

Like most people, everyone is looking at the person on stage, but many people never imagined that the person standing on the stage at this moment would be Aki Tomoya.

When he first became famous, it was definitely not for a good reason.

He reached that position in just eight months, and it must be admitted that his drive and energy, when applied to this endeavor, yielded outstanding results.

The graduation ceremony ended quickly after student representative Tomoya Aki delivered his speech.

Tomorrow is Christmas.

While others were leaving school, Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha stayed in the school's multimedia classroom after the graduation ceremony.

She looked at the somewhat gloomy sky, and when she opened the window, a howling cold wind blew in, making her instinctively hug herself tighter.

"It's a pity that it doesn't snow much in Tokyo. If we're lucky this year, we'll only see a light snowfall."

Kasumigaoka Utaha propped her head up with her hand and said to Eriri by the window.

Christmas, but unfortunately it won't be a white Christmas.

"Speaking of which, after the graduation ceremony, Tomoya went straight to the academy. I wonder if he'll be free during New Year's Day."

New Year's Day in Japan is the same as the New Year here.

Many people line up to worship on that day. Traditional festivals like this, which have been preserved, are very lively every year.

"You and that guy are really on good terms now."

"They were just childhood sweethearts."

"Just..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha muttered the three words Eriri had said.

"Let a snowflake fall quickly, since it's Christmas, let's be festive!"

Eriri complained to the gloomy sky.

She didn't notice the look in Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes behind her, as if she were sighing over something.

Just then, Kasumigaoka Utaha pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "Let's go to Akane's place together."

"Huh? Have you made up your mind? Didn't you say you weren't interested at all before?"

Eriri turned around and looked at her in surprise.

It's worth noting that Kasumigaoka Utaha had always been quite indifferent whenever she talked about Akane Kousaka, except at the very beginning.

Eriri was a little confused about what she was thinking when she suddenly said she would accept the New Year's invitation.

"This is just an opportunity to get to know each other. It's too early for you and me to join her club. Maintaining things as they are is enough."

=

Chapter 114 Shaving Hair as a Sign of Resolve (1/4)

Aki Tomoya isn't interested in Christmas at all, since Santa Claus won't actually come to deliver presents anyway.

Believing in Lao Tzu is worse than believing in Jesus.

However, Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, so Aki Tomoya got a good day off.

After finishing the school festival and graduation ceremony, I've been studying since April, and I occasionally need to give my body a day off.

After Christmas, the winter break will probably be spent at the academy again.

On the 25th, after Christmas, a sweet-looking high school girl with short, flowing hair walked into Aomine Academy.

Everyone in the school looked at her in surprise.

Aki Tomoya watched in surprise as she sat down on the right-hand side with her book in her arms. As she tidied her bangs with her fingers, he asked with some astonishment, "Kudo, did Santa Claus come to your house yesterday?"

Sayaka Kudo, who had suddenly cut her long hair and now had short hair, looked over unhappily: "Doesn't Santa Claus exist?"

By the way, when she first came to the academy, Sayaka Kudo naively believed that Santa Claus really existed in the world.

She suddenly changed to short hair, and after recalling past events, Aki Tomoya couldn't help but tease her about it.

"Shaving your head to show your resolve? Well done! I can feel your determination!"

In ancient times, Cao Cao cut off his hair to represent his head; today, students shave their heads to show their determination!

Sayaka Kudo hasn't been seen for Christmas, and it seems she didn't stay up late; instead, she changed her long hair to short hair.

Seeing such changes, everyone in the academy was filled with emotion.

"Why don't you try one too? I don't know if baldness suits you!"

Not only did she cut her hair short, but Sayaka Kudo also stopped spending Sundays with her friends.

This wasn't Sayaka Kudo's request, but rather her friends' request.

Everyone around Sayaka Kudo knows that she is going to apply to Keio University.

“My hair has been properly trimmed and is short enough; a shaved head definitely wouldn’t suit me.”

While shaving one's head to show resolve is certainly a commendable act, Aki Tomoya no longer needs to do such a thing.

Now that she's cut off her cherished long hair, Sayaka Kudo must have finally made up her mind.

"Short hair suits Sayaka very well, she looks great with it."