Let's do it again, Yukino.

"Run!!!"

Before losing consciousness, Haruhi roared at Rumi.

Those were the boy's last ripples.

Meanwhile, the quick-witted Xiaoru Mei, sensing the danger, turned and tried to escape from this troublesome place.

"You're not leaving either..."

Yukinoshita's slender hand grabbed Rumi by the back of her collar, her originally hoarse voice now filled with cold indifference.

"Do you also want to learn Aikido? I can teach you."

"I won't learn!!!"

……

…………

Sitting on the mound, a bonfire blazed not far away, and the crimson flames of maple reflected in spring's wine-red pupils.

He heard a soft sobbing sound, which had been going on since it started.

Xiaoliu Mei sat blankly on the ground, showing no interest in the distant bonfire party. Tears streamed down her cheeks like broken pearls.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect Xiaoxue to actually go after even elementary school students..."

Her cheeks were swollen like an autumn apple in spring. Looking at the little girl next to her, Xiao Rumei, who had a large bump on her forehead, was covering her face and crying loudly.

"It hurts...it hurts so much..."

"You're too weak. You cried over such a small pain."

Chunri patted the big bump on Xiaorumei's head. Even though she was already ridiculous enough, she still had to comfort others.

"There can't be anything more painful than that woman's violence, can there?"

The young Chinese student clearly didn't understand these things either.

Looking at the moon in the spring sky, the serious expression on his profile was the complete opposite of his usual carefree demeanor.

"Sometimes, when you can scream out in pain, that kind of pain isn't real pain, because real pain is so intense that you can't even scream. And when you can cry out in sadness, that's not true sadness either, because true sadness is so intense that you can't even cry."

"Have you encountered that kind of pain again? The kind you described?"

Shaking her head, Chunri regained her usual cheerful demeanor, her face radiating confidence and high spirits.

"I've said it several times already, little Liu Mei has to call me Big Brother. Like your Big Brother, I have a very big heart. No matter what happens, I won't cry, I won't be sad, and I won't cry out in pain, because nothing in this world has ever happened that could make me sad."

Xiao Liumei's cold fingers touched Chunri's face in a daze, gently rubbing it.

"Ouch!! What are you doing?! Don't you know how much pain that hurts?!"

The boy immediately slapped Xiaoliu Mei's hand away, clutched his swollen and red face, and cried out in pain, trembling all over.

"whee."

The little girl Rumi, amused by Haruhi's appearance, also stopped crying and started laughing.

"Perhaps, but this kind of pain isn't unpleasant."

Although what Yukinoshita's sister just did was a bit scary, she didn't dislike that feeling.

"That's right, once you get used to it, it won't hurt as much, and you might even feel comfortable. It's not very common to see Xiaoxue looking angry in a painting, so you have to learn to turn pain into pleasure."

Springtime seemed to have met a kindred spirit, and in a rather masochistic way, she recounted her joy.

They really are quite optimistic.

In the distance, around the bonfire, a group of elementary school students were dancing a folk dance familiar to Haruhi. At this moment, Haruhi, sensing that the night was slowly passing, finally said goodbye to Rumi.

"We'll be saying goodbye tomorrow, but we'll meet again soon. Let's have some fun together then. I'll show you around Soubu High School with Xiaoxue and the others."

Parting doesn't mean goodbye forever; it's just to increase the surprise of meeting again next time.

"Also, for now, from now on, you'll have to rely on yourself to get through this. Remember what I told you, take good care of your body. Only in this way will you not be bullied, and only in this way will others not dare to isolate you anymore."

Haruhi entrusted his future younger brother, who had not yet truly grown up, with his instructions.

He looked forward to the girl who would become the student council president of Soubu High School in the future. She was a spirited girl full of confidence and arrogance. In Rumi, Kasuga felt as if he could see the shadows of himself and Yuki in her.

However, even with things like Aikido...

I don't recommend that you study in the US.

"Yes, I will, you silly big brother."

She nodded to Haruhi and, for the first time, called him by the title of "elder brother" that Haruhi had always asked her to use, only adding the word "idiot" at the last minute.

Under the moonlight, the little girl, who had been looking down, raised her head, her crystal-clear, black eyes blinking as she looked at the spring sun, so clear, like a little angel.

It was at this moment that Tsurumi Rumi felt that it wouldn't be so bad to become someone like Kasuga.

Although he was indeed a bit of a fool, she still enjoyed playing with this foolish older brother.

It's because you're stupid, because I know you're happy when you're happy, unhappy when you're unhappy, and if you say you like something, you absolutely like it, and if you say you hate something, you absolutely hate it.

If you say we'll meet again, then we definitely will.

So, stay in the United States,

Rumi Tsurumi has always believed this...

My Lover is Sumireko Sanshokuin

My name is Yoshikage Kira, I am 17 years old and a student.

I get up at 5 a.m. every morning and go to school at 7 a.m.

As the cherry blossom season begins, a strange stalker has appeared around me, seriously affecting my life.

On a business trip, he encounters Kasumigaoka Utaha, a beautiful girl with whom he had a brief romance, and tries to change his awkward personality.

While following the student council's orders to go to the club called the Service Club and demand their disbandment, I unexpectedly overheard my childhood friend Fumino Furuhashi asking me to do something that shocked me.

When I wanted to go to the library to find a portrait to adjust my mindset after all this, the librarian, Sumireko Sanshokuin, told me the whole story.

—So, all along, the only girl who's been following me has been you!

A renowned author's new book, I'll send you a virtual link (or contact me via WeChat). Those interested can check it out.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Until You Grow Up

The atmosphere was quiet on the way back.

In Hiratsuka Shizuka's carriage,

The boys and girls who had been volunteers for nearly three days fell asleep within twenty minutes of getting on the bus.

This is a common sight on long journeys. From Yuki and Yui in the back row to Hachiman and Saika Komachi in the middle, none of them were as lively as when they arrived.

In the entire carriage, only Kasuga, who was sitting in the assistant's seat, and Ms. Hiratsuka, who was in the driver's seat, remained conscious.

"If you're sleepy, just lean back in your chair and sleep. Don't worry about me."

Still wearing sunglasses, Hiratsuka Shizuka spoke softly in the quiet carriage, even with that familiar Seven Stars cigarette dangling from her lips.

The car had already entered the highway, so Hiratsuka Shizuka kept her eyes focused on the road ahead. No matter the situation, her concentration never wavered, even though she was truly exhausted these past few days.

Haruhi shook her head. While she was indeed a little sleepy, she wasn't extremely so, but what Hiratsuka-sensei said...

"May I rest my head on your lap for a while, Master?"

The boy looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka with a hint of anticipation and said that even though she was wearing hiking pants, Hiratsuka's long, shapely legs still made his heart flutter.

"No way! Do I look like the kind of teacher who's easy to talk to?"

How much do I need to pay?

"This isn't about the money!!"

"Then I won't sleep."

The image of Xiao Rumei's pretty face, her gloomy expression gone, floated into her mind before she left. Haruhi rested her hands on her chin, gazing at the scenery outside the window.

"I heard from Hayama about what you did for that little Rumi."

"what happened?"

"Actually, there's no need to be so radical. In your eyes, Rumi is similar to how I see you, Hikigaya, and Yukinoshita. There are clearly other better ways to solve this."

"If my master is angry because of my recklessness, then I apologize for it."

"I'm not blaming you. After all, you've already grown a lot in my eyes by helping others. But as for this method, I understand why you care so much about Hachiman. Hehe."

After finishing her story, she didn't mention anything more about what happened in Chiba Village. With a chuckle, Hiratsuka Shizuka hummed a song softly in the carriage, clearly in a good mood.

……

There's no need to start reminiscing about yesterday too soon.

Now all you need to do is stay true to your beliefs.

……

Although I don't know what kind of adult I will become.

Imagining the ever-changing future,

I lit another cigarette.

……

The unfamiliar yet strangely familiar singing voice entered Chunri's ears.

"I don't think I've heard this song before. Is it a new release from someone?"

"No, that's not it. It's a song I wrote with my classmates in a club when I was in college. But now, when I sing it, the lyrics have all come true for me."

What's the song called?

“I’ll teach you ‘Until You Grow Up’ sometime, provided you want to be a teacher when you grow up.”

Hiratsuka Shizuka casually mentioned the song title, feeling a pang of nostalgia for her youthful days. She breathed a sigh of relief, a smile playing on her lips.