My dear wife, I still love you more.

Seeing Yui Yuigahama like this, Kenichi Hasegawa laughed instead, finding her current appearance quite amusing.

"This is also to let students know how much knowledge they have actually mastered, so that they can set more accurate goals and plans. Only by knowing where they are lacking can they improve and thus raise their academic performance," Hasegawa Kenichi said calmly.

"Ahhh, no way! Exams are the worst! We only need to take one exam at the very end, the college entrance exam. Like before, my grades weren't great in middle school, but I still got into Soubu High School!" Yui Yuigahama shouted. This was probably the loudest she'd spoken since enrolling. After she finished speaking, she realized what she'd said and her face turned red.

Hasegawa Kenichi now understood that Yui Yuigahama was utterly hopeless when it came to studying. In fact, if she hadn't performed exceptionally well in her middle school entrance exams, she might not have even gotten into her current high school. Seeing Yui's aversion to exams, Hasegawa Kenichi decided to stop talking about them, at least let her be happy for a couple of days. After all, Monday was in two days, and when the results were announced, she might just have a meltdown.

……

Kenichi Hasegawa took out his wallet and frowned as he looked at the few thin pieces of paper inside. He was almost out of money. Although the novel had been confirmed for publication, and might even be about to go to print, he wouldn't actually receive the money until the novel went on sale.

"So, should I go and get a part-time job to earn some money?" Hasegawa Kenichi pondered. "However, although I don't have much money right now, it seems like I can manage if I'm careful with my spending. After all, my expenses aren't high, and as long as I don't buy anything, it's enough." After thinking it over, Hasegawa Kenichi decided not to go and get a part-time job.

After all, on weekends, he can pick up and practice skills like singing and drawing that he rarely gets to practice during the week because of school. Even with kendo, he can extend his practice time.

Thinking this, Kenichi Hasegawa put his wallet away and began practicing drawing to improve his skills. He really wanted to draw some illustrations for his novel, especially for his favorite characters. Although the publisher would find illustrators and even ask for his opinion as the author if revisions were needed, he felt that it would be better to draw his favorite characters himself.

42967465

P.S.: I was finally going to sign the contract today, but since it was my first time signing one, especially an electronic one, I didn't quite understand the process and ended up making a mess of it. The contract signing failed, and I need to sign it again. The website has its own process, which just keeps delaying things. How stupid of me! I hope the website's process can be faster so I can get it done sooner and not have to worry about it anymore.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Kato-kun's Secret Laughter

Mondays are a day that most students would absolutely hate, but Kenichi Hasegawa no longer feels any aversion or dislike towards them.

"Hasegawa-kun, oh hoho!"

"Uh, oh ho ho. Mrs. Yuihama." Kenichi Hasegawa looked at Mrs. Yuihama's beaming smile, feeling a little uncomfortable with this somewhat strange form of address.

"Hey, Yui, I'll have to ask Hasegawa-kun to take care of her today too."

"Alright. Since Mrs. Yuihama says so." Hasegawa Kenichi was a little helpless about this statement, but Mrs. Yuihama insisted on saying it, and Hasegawa Kenichi couldn't do anything about it.

"Hey, Hasegawa-kun's expression is really cute."

"Cute? That word doesn't seem appropriate for a man like me. Besides, I'm self-aware enough to know that from any perspective, I'm just an ordinary, unremarkable character." Hasegawa Kenichi shook his head with a smile.

"No, although Hasegawa-kun looks very ordinary, he gives people a sense of composure and security."

"So, Mrs. Yuihama didn't deny that I'm plain-looking." Kenichi Hasegawa sighed.

"Well, well, lying is a bad thing, after all." Mrs. Yuihama said, covering her mouth and laughing.

Seeing Mrs. Yuihama's expression, Kenichi Hasegawa smiled too. Chatting with Mrs. Yuihama always brought him joy.

Yui Yuigahama, standing to the side, always had a strange feeling at this time. She always felt that it was very strange and odd, but she didn't know why she had this thought.

As usual, the journey was uneventful. There were no cute girls running around with a piece of bread in their mouths and bumping into each other at the corners, no alien invasion of Earth, and no strange or supernatural events. In short, I arrived at school safely, which was really great.

I just sat down and put my backpack on the table.

"Good morning, Hasegawa-kun." A voice suddenly rang out from the side.

"Um, good morning, Kato-san. I always feel like Kato-san is a bit elusive. I didn't even notice her just now." Hasegawa Kenichi said with a smile, looking at the pretty Kato Megumi.

"Is Hasegawa-san saying that I'm unremarkable? Well, that's true, but I'm still a little unhappy that Hasegawa-san said that."

"...Are you really unhappy? But I can't tell from Kato-san's expression at all. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you have any other expression, Kato-san. It's always the same expression." Hasegawa Kenichi looked at Kato Megumi's delicate face with great interest. She was very cute, but it was rare to see any other expression on that cute face.

"Well, it's because I'm a girl with no emotions, no feelings, and no attitude." Kato Megumi said expressionlessly.

"Forehead……"

"Well, because I've occasionally read some comics or novels, and in some of those comics or novels, there are girls whose faces have no expression at all, and you can't tell if they're happy, angry, sad, or joyful. These kinds of girls are called 'three-no girls'. Hasegawa-kun should know that, since the whole class knows that Hasegawa-kun and Aki-kun are otaku who like anime and manga."

"A girl with no emotions, well, Kato-san, that really sounds like it. And Kato-san is just like the girls with no emotions in novels or manga, so cute." Hasegawa Kenichi teased with a smile.

"Even if Hasegawa-kun says that, I won't be happy." Although there was no change in her expression, and even her eyes, which are known as the windows to the soul, did not reveal any emotion, Kato Megumi's voice unconsciously became a little lighter.

"Well, well, I'm just telling the truth." Kenichi Hasegawa waved his hand and laughed.

"Alright, since Hasegawa-san is so sincere, I'll reluctantly accept his praise. Now, let's discuss the hottest topic in the class."

"The hottest topic in the class?" Hasegawa Kenichi was taken aback.

"It's the exam results, which should be released soon. So, how did Hasegawa do? Have you improved compared to your entrance exam scores?"

"Well, exam results are definitely a hot topic right now. As for my grades, they should have improved somewhat, since I've been studying really hard since entering high school. They should be much better than before," Hasegawa Kenichi said nonchalantly. He really didn't care much about grades.

"Really? Hasegawa-kun seems quite confident."

"I guess so. And what about Kato-kun?"

"Well, I don't really have much confidence. Although I listen attentively in class, I'm just an average high school student who's not particularly smart. My grades probably won't improve much since I entered the school. After all, I didn't perform very well on the exams." Kato Megumi shook her head.

"Is that so? Kato-kun's words make me a little suspicious."

"Huh?" Kato Megumi tilted her head and looked at Hasegawa Kenichi, not understanding what Hasegawa Kenichi wanted to say.

"Well, generally speaking, students who are average or even struggling academically will always say after an exam that they've passed without a problem, while high-achieving students will always say they didn't do well or that the exam was too difficult. But when the results are announced, the struggling students find that they actually failed. Then, with a bit of hope, they check the high-achieving student's score, since that student said they didn't do well. But when they see the high-achieving student's score, that red 99 almost makes the struggling student collapse. Especially at this point, the high-achieving student will usually say, 'I knew it! I knew I didn't do well here, I lost a point.'" Hasegawa Kenichi told this joke with a chuckle. Well, it wasn't a joke; it was something that happened frequently.

After hearing the joke, Kato Megumi didn't smile at all; she remained the same as always, just like a typical emotionless girl from the "Three-No Girl Generation" (a term referring to girls with no personality traits).

"Hmm, isn't it funny?"

"No, it's hilarious."

"But you didn't laugh at all."

"No, I was laughing, I was laughing inside."

"...Okay, Kato-kun, you're laughing inside."

Chapter Twenty-Seven: First in the Grade

"Kenichi, you seemed to be talking to someone just now? Wait, was anyone there? Nobody was there, right? Never mind." Aki Tomoya leaned in: "Kenichi, have you seen the new anime that just came out? Let me tell you, it's amazing. When I was watching it, I never expected the plot to unfold like that, let me tell you..."

Kenichi Hasegawa didn't seem to care much about Tomoya Aki's behavior. He thought that Aki was probably too engrossed in the world of anime and manga, so he overlooked real-life girls and didn't notice Kato Megumi's special qualities.

"Oh, you mean this new anime? I've watched it too, and it's really quite good. But it's also a siscon anime, which is really strange. Lately, it seems like all the new anime are siscon anime." Hasegawa Kenichi had indeed watched the new anime that Aki Tomoya mentioned over the weekend.

Although Kenichi Hasegawa underwent significant changes after his transmigration, it doesn't mean he stopped paying attention to anime and manga. While he's nowhere near as obsessed as Tomoya Aki, Hasegawa does read novels, watch anime, or read manga. Calling him a complete otaku might be an exaggeration, but Hasegawa is definitely an otaku, albeit one that differs from the average otaku.

"Hmm, what you're saying makes sense. But that's normal. Often after an anime series becomes popular, a lot of copycat works will appear in the following period of time, but as long as the quality is guaranteed, that's enough."

"That's true, as long as the quality is good, that's enough."

"Speaking of quality, Kenichi, the novel you wrote is also excellent. I feel that if the quality doesn't drop afterward, there might be a chance to adapt it into a manga or anime. It's exciting to think about my friend's novel being adapted into an anime and broadcast on TV," Aki Tomoya said excitedly.

"Uh, are you talking about being adapted into an anime?" Kenichi Hasegawa said with a smile, making this joke.

"It's been adapted into an anime..."

After class started, Shizuka Hiratsuka, wearing a white lab coat, walked to the podium, scanned the classroom, and finally smiled at Kenichi Hasegawa, her eyes showing a hint of satisfaction.

"As you all probably know, the exam results are out. Well, some students have improved a lot, while others have dropped significantly. But since it's the first exam, I hope everyone will work harder next time and strive for better results. This is the grade ranking. Surprisingly, two of our students are in the top three, which is quite good. I won't go into details; you can see for yourselves after class." Hiratsuka Shizuka placed a list aside.

The students below were filled with curiosity and anticipation, some even wishing the teacher would announce the rankings right now. Unfortunately, it was Hiratsuka Shizuka standing on the podium, so the students below didn't dare to be too unruly.

And so, amidst the anxious waiting of many students, the class finally came to an end.

The list was posted, and many people rushed up to see their classmates' and their own rankings.

"Wow, that's impressive, Hayato! You're ranked third in your age group!"

"Yes, Hayama, you are really amazing."

"It's so enviable. Not only is he handsome, but he also gets such good grades. Does he even have a chance to live?"

"The second-ranked student is Yukino Yukinoshita. I didn't expect her to be not only beautiful but also academically excellent."

"Yes, that's really amazing. She's so beautiful and gets such good grades, it's so enviable."

"The number one ranked person is Kenichi Hasegawa. Hmm, that name sounds familiar. Who is it?"

"Which class is the top-ranked student? Is it someone like Hayama and Yukino Yukinoshita, who is not only outstanding in appearance but also in academics?"

"Probably not. If he were as good-looking as Hayama and Yukino Yukinoshita, we would know about him."

"So, the guy ranked number one isn't good-looking? That makes me feel better."

"Yes, yes, I feel better now."

The people gathered around the report card were talking excitedly. However, Hasegawa Kenichi was usually too quiet and didn't interact with others much. He hardly ever spoke, so many people had even forgotten that there was someone named Hasegawa Kenichi in their class. In addition, his achievement of ranking first in the grade made it even less likely for them to associate him with Hasegawa Kenichi. So, they talked for a long time about who ranked first.

"Hmm, Hiratsuka-sensei mentioned before that two of the top three are from our class. Yukino Yukinoshita is in the first year, Class A. So, does that mean Hasegawa Kenichi is actually in our class?"

Finally, someone remembered. And just like that, the previously chaotic atmosphere quieted down.

"Is there someone in our class named Kenichi Hasegawa?"

"Hmm, no wonder this name sounded so familiar."

"I remember now, Kenichi Hasegawa is a friend of Tomoya Aki, the silent anime guy."

"Huh? A shut-in?"

As a result, everyone's attention turned to Kenichi Hasegawa.

With so many eyes on him, Kenichi Hasegawa was slightly taken aback. Although he was a little unaccustomed to it, he didn't feel too flustered and smiled calmly at them.

"Hasegawa, you're really amazing. You actually got first place in the whole grade." The blond-haired Hayato Hayama, with a bright and sunny smile and a warm demeanor, approached Kenichi Hasegawa.

"Well, it's alright. I just listened attentively in class and completed the assignments the teacher gave me very well," Kenichi Hasegawa said with a calm smile.

"Hey, you're being way too arrogant. What do you mean by paying attention in class and completing the assignments perfectly? That's what we all do, okay?" Hayama Hayato's sidekick, a seemingly carefree guy who definitely didn't seem to have a high IQ, Tobe Sho, shouted in a loud and boisterous manner.

Kenichi Hasegawa smiled, said nothing, and refocused his gaze on the paper and pen, as if preparing to write something.

"Hey you, you bastard—"

"Alright, Tobe. Don't bother Hasegawa-kun any longer." Hayama Hayato stopped Tobe Sho, then apologized to Hasegawa Kenichi: "Sorry to bother Hasegawa-kun."

"No, it's nothing." Facing the friendly Hayama Hayato, Hasegawa Kenichi smiled back, but there was still a certain distance in his smile. To be honest, he really didn't have much interest in interacting with or catering to high school students of this age.

Seeing Hasegawa Kenichi's expression, Hayama Hayato understood Hasegawa's attitude and left with his follower. Hayama Hayato didn't think much of it, but his follower looked very unhappy.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Kato Megumi's Disappearance

"Wow, that's amazing. Hasegawa-san." Kato Megumi's voice suddenly came from behind: "You got first place in the whole grade. You look so ordinary. I thought Hasegawa-san's grades would be as ordinary and unremarkable as your appearance. But I didn't expect Hasegawa-san to be so amazing."

"Hey Kato-kun, can't you stop appearing out of nowhere? You always show up behind people, it's scary! And, even though I'm really just an ordinary person, it's still unpleasant for Kato-kun to say that to my face." Hasegawa Kenichi laughed, though he said he was unhappy, he didn't really care about any of this.