Let's do it again, Yukino.

Yumiko looked at the scenery outside the corridor and answered with a smile.

However, the blonde queen's smile in front of Haruhi looked somewhat forced.

"I don't want to think about things that make me unhappy anymore. Hayato and Sho-kun should have gone to the Service Club by now. If there's nothing else, I won't chat with you here. I'm leaving now, bye-bye."

Goodbye, Yumiko.

Yumiko wasn't as arrogant as Haruhi had imagined. After getting to know her, Haruhi even found the blonde girl to be somewhat endearingly haughty.

The blonde queen walked away gracefully, muttering something to herself.

"In short, even if it's Hayato and the others, I won't let them hurt Himeko. I need to go and have a private talk with Hayato first."

"Have a safe journey, Yumiko, you loser."

"Shut up!!"

……

…………

One night, many days later

In Xiaoxue's apartment

In the soft glow of the lights,

The two faces sat down around the freshly wiped-clean dining table.

"In other words, the Ministry of Revenue likes Ebina, but Ebina doesn't want to change the current situation, nor does she intend to accept the Ministry of Revenue's confession? So your Service Department accepted two requests."

As Haruhi stroked his chin, having just finished dinner, he was stopped by Yuki, who was heading to the bathroom. She told Haruhi everything about Ebina and Tobe.

It's similar to what Yumiko said to Kasuga back then...

"That's about it... But if we do nothing, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it'll probably end with Hachiman confessing to Ebina before Tobe does. That way, Ebina can indirectly tell Tobe, who wants to confess, that she doesn't want to be in a relationship by rejecting Hachiman, and it won't cause any breakdown in their relationship."

Yukinoshita nodded and recounted all her memories of her school trip from her previous life.

"That would be too cruel to Teacher Da, pass, absolutely not. I'll refuse this kind of behavior that harms oneself for the benefit of others in advance."

Springtime decisively shook her head.

Although it resembled Hachiman's style, Kasuga had absolutely no intention of agreeing.

Even the great teacher is a person made of flesh and blood.

After self-destructing so many times, it's inevitable that someone would get hurt.

Just like Ms. Hiratsuka, who is constantly being talked about for her age, constantly being talked about for not being able to find a boyfriend, and constantly being subjected to her students' displays of affection, it's no wonder she gets hurt.

"...I also think that Hachiman's actions at the time were somewhat inappropriate, and he didn't consult with me or Yui at all. This time, I'll have Yui find an excuse to send Hachiman away temporarily."

Xiaoxue also agreed with Chunri's idea, though she was still somewhat angry about the self-destructive solution that Da Laoshi had used in her previous life.

"Anyway, things will definitely be resolved smoothly. If the two of us think about it carefully, we'll surely come up with a good solution. If all else fails, I'll just go back to the old ways and beat up the Ministry of Revenue to stop him from confessing to the girl."

"No violence allowed!"

"I was just joking, Xue. Honestly, how could someone as nice as me beat up someone I know? Look at Hachiman, haven't I been being really nice to him lately?"

"...Then I'll go and help you pack some of your luggage for the school trip."

"Isn't it two days until we go to Kyoto? Are we going to start packing now?"

The destination for the school trip was decided a couple of days ago.

Kyoto.

"I'm afraid you'll forget, and we're not in the same class, so there might be no one to remind you later."

"I'm not one of those elementary school students who can't sleep the night before a school trip, right?"

"Sometimes you can be as childish as an elementary school student."

"No way!!"

……

…………

Time flies by again.

Chiba is quite a distance from Kyoto.

Moreover, all the students gathered at Tokyo Station.

Having gotten up very early, Kasuga and Koyuki took the train to Tokyo Station.

On the train, the two saw Sobu High School boys and girls dressed in a more casual and trendy style than they did at Sobu High School.

In fact, during the spring, she even saw a group of people who seemed to be living a vibrant and fulfilling life, gathered together and chatting excitedly.

The "normie group" centered around Hayama, Yumiko, and others.

Moreover, in a fleeting glance, Yumiko, wearing a baseball cap, quite keenly noticed Haruhi and Koyuki in the corner.

However, she didn't make a fuss. She just smiled slyly and mouthed to Haruhi, "Haruhi-kun, get the hell out of here!"

Chunri and Xiaoxue exchanged a glance, shrugged, and then retreated to another carriage.

After arriving at Tokyo Station, Kasuga parted ways with Koyuki.

The boy carrying a large backpack quickly found his class's base camp.

"Over here... Kasuga-kun"

Nagato's voice rang out silently behind Haruhi.

"...Don't scare me, Nagato, where is Hiratsuka-sensei?"

They boarded the Shinkansen for Grade 2B.

Since there were about five people in each row, most of the seats were either three-seaters or two-seaters. Fortunately, Kasuga was assigned a three-seater in the far corner, and the two people sitting next to him were Asakura, the class representative, and Nagato, Yuki.

It must have been Hiratsuka-sensei's good intention; if the other students were in the same group as Kasuga, the journey of several hours would probably have been a disaster for them.

"Hiratsuka-sensei? She's sitting alone at the very back."

Nagato looked back and, sure enough, a middle-aged woman was organizing class discipline at the back of the train.

"Let's make this clear first, you're not allowed to take this opportunity to flirt with my Yuki, even though she's very cute."

Asakura, sitting on the outermost seat, leaned out and warned Kasuga, who was already leaning back in his chair.

"No way."

"Haruhi-kun, your bag looks quite big. Is it filled with a lot of things? Should we put it on the luggage rack first?"

Watching Chunri effortlessly carry that enormous suitcase, which was taking up almost half of his space, the kind class monitor offered a suggestion.

"No need, it's more appropriate for me to hold him."

Chunri chuckled dryly, but ultimately declined the class monitor's offer of hospitality.

Xiaoxue packed Chunri's luggage two days in advance. Although Chunri was initially suspicious of what was inside such a large luggage bag, Xiaoxue mysteriously told him that he could only open it when he arrived at the dormitory.

Since that's the case, there must be some good stuff in the bag that can't be opened in public. Chunri was nervous and uneasy, while holding her bag tightly.

If you put it on the luggage rack and something happens that shakes the contents out, then Hiratsuka Shizuka should be the first to punish herself.

"I'm going to rest for a bit. Nagato, remember to remind me when we reach the finish line."

The long journey made Chunri's eyelids start to droop as she carried her luggage. To prevent herself from being abandoned by her classmates at the final stop, Chunri gave some instructions to the person in front of Nagato before going to sleep.

"Yes, I'll wake you up then, Kasuga-kun."

Nagato nodded silently, just like the boy who obediently agreed to the boy's request in his class at Soubu High School.

……

…………

Two hours after departing from Tokyo for Kyoto

"Hey, Kasuga-kun, your sleeping face is almost touching my Yuki's skirt. What a suspiciously bad sleeping posture! Wake up, Kasuga-kun."

Chunri, who was carrying her luggage, was dreaming of marrying Xiaoxue when she grew up. Suddenly, she was woken up from her dream. When she opened her eyes, the drool that was dripping from the corner of her mouth was almost like a waterfall flowing down her skin.

The biting wind instantly snapped Chunri back to reality. He wiped his mouth and looked around at his familiar classmates.

"Oh, it was just a dream. Ouch—it's so cold."

"We've arrived. If we don't move now, we'll fall behind."

Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had walked from the back to the front, patted Haruhi on the shoulder as she passed by Haruhi's seat.

Kyoto is indeed very cold in late autumn.

Because Kyoto, Japan, is located in a basin, it experiences hot summers and cold winters. In other words, due to this difference in temperature, one can see different beautiful scenery in Kyoto throughout the four seasons.

In spring, pale pink cherry blossoms bloom on the mountainside; in summer, one can enjoy the cool breeze amidst the lush greenery; in autumn, the mountains are dyed in the dazzling red of maple leaves; and in winter, the wind dances through the snow-covered peaks, showcasing the beauty of the snow-covered landscape.

This season is also the last part of the autumn foliage season, and soon it will be time for sporadic snowfalls.

After getting off the Shinkansen, Kasuga's class boarded a special bus.

Haruhi happened to sit next to Hiratsuka-sensei, who was sitting right in front.

Asakura said that the first stop was Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

And by taking advantage of this time

Haruhi also thought of the matter between Hobe and Ebina, and looked at the older single woman next to him who was browsing Twitter on her phone, trying to find a way to solve her single status.

"Um, Hiratsuka-sensei, what do you suggest we do to politely reject the other person's confession without damaging our existing friendship?"

"You've asked the wrong person, haven't you? I've never been confessed to before, how would I know what to do? And if I've been confessed to, why would I reject it? You jerk, are you just trying to make fun of me for being single again?"

Hiratsuka stared at Haruhi, who seemed to be asking her a serious question. For a moment, it was as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. A hint of displeasure appeared on her face. Seeing that her classmates behind her hadn't noticed them, she tapped Haruhi's head with a forced smile.

"I think you could try to see things from the perspective of the person confessing their feelings."

Although Kasuga understood Hiratsuka Shizuka's desire to graduate single, for the sake of Koyuki's Service Club, he decided to start with the older single woman next to him who had experienced failed confessions.

Hiratsuka Shizuka shook her head again: "That won't work either. If I confessed, the guy would definitely smile and refuse, and then slowly fade out of my life a day later. So I don't want to relive the past."

"Although it's a sad story, I mean, what if... Teacher, I'm not kidding you."