I really don't want to be reborn.

Setsuna breathed a sigh of relief and immediately flashed her most perfect smile, waving to Touma Kazusa: "Hi hi! Setsuna's here!"

"..."

Following the pre-arranged script, Ms. Touma stammered, her face flushed, "Good...good morning."

"..."

Disgusting!

They both thought the same thing at the same time, probably disgusted by each other's affected expressions, and their lips twitched in unison.

The students in the class were also disgusted.

Touma Kazusa probably doesn't know Setsuna, right? She was looking around at the classroom door just now, so they obviously don't know each other. What's with this whole yuri vibe now?

"Oh, what can I do for you, Touma-san? I need to register right now."

"Just come with me!"

Like a bully abducting a bride, Touma, enduring immense shame, grabbed Ogiso Setsuna's wrist and dragged her out of the classroom. Setsuna's silly cries of "Eh eh eh" finally brought the others to their senses.

"Where are you taking Setsuna?! She needs to register for this year's competition!"

"Huh? She's celebrating my birthday with me today, she won't be signing up!"

"What?! What an arrogant woman!"

"Tch, I hate people like that the most."

Several girls chattered excitedly, venting their anger at being ignored. Their slender necks resembled erect genitals, and their angry expressions made Mizusawa Iori laugh silently.

Yukina's only friend at school, Mizusawa Iori, watched them walk out of the classroom with a strange expression. The perceptive girl naturally noticed something was amiss.

"But Setsuna doesn't seem to be struggling at all. A few days ago, she seemed to have complained about not wanting to participate in that beauty pageant. They're actually... acting, aren't they?"

Having vaguely guessed this, Mizusawa Iori sighed and felt a little relieved that Setsuna seemed to have made new friends. But wouldn't this make Touma Kazusa fall out with the entire Class A?

Setsuna was also worried about this issue. As Touma and Kazusa led her out of the school, the receding scenery was like a match that couldn't be lit, constantly brushing against the edge of her emotions.

Setsuna said softly, "Touma-kun, I'm so sorry."

"Why do you say that?"

"Hmm... won't people dislike you if you do this?"

"It doesn't matter."

Touma brushed a strand of long hair behind her ear, raised her chin slightly, and repeated, "It doesn't matter."

His expression, tone of voice, and even his movements—everything about him is incredibly cool!

The dashing Touma Kazusa was flipping his hair, but he was unconsciously flirting with Setsuna—and sure enough, Ogiso Setsuna was charmed, attracted by his handsomeness, and stared at him blankly.

Whatever!

Such lonely lines, but—

So handsome...

Honestly, Touma is so handsome! So handsome it's lonely!

His handsomeness was completely different from that cunning old man, Kyosuke Kosaka; it was a girlish handsomeness that, for some reason, deeply attracted her. That loneliness was a knife that pierced Yukina's heart.

But how can you be indifferent?

Ogiso Setsuna sighed inwardly. Although the cold words would disappear, the hurt would remain. It was like the urine of a male dog exposed to the scorching heat of midsummer; even after evaporation, it would still leave a lingering odor.

The smell was deep and lingering, unforgettable, and terribly unpleasant.

Touma is so pitiful—that's what Setsuna Ogiso thought.

Touma Kazusa was startled by the dazed look in his eyes. Her slurred speech, as if she had developed dementia, went, "Why...why are you looking at me like that? Kiso?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

As if caught in a love curse, Ogiso Setsuna lowered her head and blushed slightly: "Can you just call me Setsuna?"

"No need, I have no such idea."

Touma ruthlessly rejected Ogiso Setsuna's request to "be friends," struggling to free his hand from her grasp, but failing, he frowned in displeasure: "You—"

She couldn't bring herself to scold him, because Kogiso was looking at her with those wet, pitiful eyes, like a little animal, and that look softened her heart.

The girl mumbled something indistinctly, ignoring the hand that was being pulled, and turned her head to continue walking forward: "I just can't do anything with you... I'm going home now, what about you, Kogiso?"

The twin ponytails swaying in the breeze showed that this person was in an extremely good mood.

"Me? Uh... Can I visit Touma's house?"

"Can't!"

Touma refused again, and glancing back at the disappointed expression on the twin-tailed girl's face, she couldn't help but think of her blonde twin-tailed sister.

Yes, she... is now helpless against all twin tails.

"But you can go to Kosaka's house, he lives next door to me."

The disappointed expression instantly turned into joy, followed by an upgraded crescent-shaped smile: "Mmm!!"

When Kyosuke Kosaka returned at noon, he saw two girls holding hands at the intersection, and his heart skipped a beat.

Seeing Kogiso's lively expression, he felt that something terrible must have happened. His eyelids twitched, and he walked up to them with a sinister look on his face: "What... are you talking about?"

------

Wow! I read Mr. Chen Duxiu's "Ode to Breasts" yesterday and gained some insights, which made me very happy.

Okay, to put it simply—there will be a second update around noon.

Chapter Forty-Four: Ethical Relationships

Late May, drizzling.

He listened to the rain on the balcony of the Touma family's house, and felt that the rain was like noodles stuck to his ears, sticky and wet.

Not far away, instead of Touma's signature piano playing, came a violin. The cool girl with long, straight black hair was nonchalant, playing chords in sync with the varying pitch and density of the rain.

A chord is a chord note, and a melody is a melody note.

It doesn't have a melody, but it sounds surprisingly good.

The girl who walks and plays the violin with her eyes closed is unexpectedly adorable.

cute.

Kyosuke Kosaka felt he wasn't cute.

As Tagore said, an overly utilitarian life is like a knife without a handle; it may be useful, but it is utterly unlovable.

He listened to the rain and the zither with his eyes closed, and in his dazed state, he felt someone pushing him. He quickly opened his eyes and saw Touma Kazusa's worried expression: "What's wrong?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you. You've been standing there motionless for half an hour. What were you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about when to lay my cards on the table."

Touma didn't understand what he meant, so he put down his violin and tilted his head: "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything."

Kyosuke Kousaka let slip and quickly denied it: "It's no fun. What I want to ask you now, Touma-san, how are you going to celebrate your birthday?"

How do you usually celebrate your birthday?

In Kyosuke Kosaka's memory, birthdays are a way to relax in life. There are birthdays for himself, for friends and family, and for idols. There are always a few birthdays like this throughout the year.

Now let's take a look at Ms. Touma.

Her relatives live in other places, and she has no friends. Most of her idols are deceased masters. Given her personality, the only slightly special day of the year is her own birthday, when she can rest and not play the piano.

"Nonsense! Nonsense! Who said I don't have any friends?"

Touma Kazusa retorted with a hint of smugness, "Kousaka-kun, you underestimate me. I admit I can't compare to you when it comes to being a social butterfly—"

Kyosuke looked at her strangely: "In what way can you surpass me?"

"..."

Touma clenched his fists.

I really want to punch someone.

But after thinking about it, she realized she couldn't beat him in a fight either, so she could only console herself with the fact that her chest was bigger than his, and she sneered like her sister: "Even though I can't beat him in either area, I still have friends!"

He was even more surprised: "Really?"

Who is it?

Who's so unlucky?

He couldn't remember who this unlucky guy was. He scratched his head, feeling a strange sense of loss, much like an old lady returning from the market and constantly wondering if she had lost some vegetables.

God help me not to wait until I'm about to cook it to remember this.

"Ogiso, Ogiso!"

Heavens have mercy! The incredibly arrogant Touma Kazusa has actually openly admitted that she has a friend, and even claimed that her friend is Ogiso Setsuna?

Kyousuke Kosaka suddenly realized.

If someone like Touma met someone like Setsuna, he'd probably be sold out but still help count the money—perhaps sensing the malicious mockery on his face, Touma frowned and asked, "What, can't Ogiso and I be friends?"

"Sure, sure, it's up to you."

"Humph."

"As a responsible owner, I'd like to remind you: don't try to outsmart her. You can't outmaneuver her."

In his eyes, Touma Kazusa is a rare species, and he'd rather see one than not, lest she be tainted by a strange person like Ogiso.

Society is a large brothel.

Born in a brothel and still expecting to remain chaste for life?

Kyosuke Kousaka, who had already taken up the position of madam, suddenly discovered a chaste and virtuous woman one day. Touma Kazusa's perverse sense of unease was immediately triggered by his own perverse tastes.

"What nonsense are you spouting! Ah, I'll call Kogiso right now and ask her to come over... no, let's talk about it in person at school."