Let's do it again, Yukino.

Springtime's lips twitched slightly.

"After all, she used to patronize the shop where you worked, so don't be so petty. Senpai, where's Yukino-senpai? Didn't she go out with you? Or did you two break up?"

"Shut your mouth!"

Haruhi sighed as he watched the girl who seemed to have no intention of getting off her bicycle. He then turned the bike around again and rode towards Sobu High School.

"Sit tight, we're off."

Unable to do anything about this junior, Chunri ultimately did not forcibly pull the girl off the back seat of his car.

"You'll be a senior in high school next year, oh my god—it's so cold."

The wind was still cold, which made the spring day, when the speed gradually increased, feel like a knife scraping.

Behind him, Isshiki's hands trembled as he gripped Haruhi's Sobu High School uniform coat, his voice trembling in the cold wind.

"So you young girls are still wearing such thin short skirts and long stockings even though it's almost winter. That's pretty impressive."

"Because wearing too many layers underneath would make me look bulky, and I'm not really good at that style."

"Oh, right, I went to see the senior's concert at the cultural festival. It seems like no one realized who the senior was back then? And such a fun band, and the senior didn't even invite me to participate."

"You didn't ask me, and did you even notice? All the band members are blonde. You, this flaxen-haired oddball, are not suitable to join the Golden Legend I'm forming."

"What terrible remarks, senior. Don't you have any sense at all about a junior's advances?"

"How are things going with you and Hayama? Have you confessed your feelings properly?"

"..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Haruhi felt the girl's hand, which was gripping the hem of her clothes behind her, tighten a little. Even without turning her head, Haruhi could imagine the disappointment on Isshiki's face.

"Not long ago, I confessed to Hayato-senpai in the soccer club's break room, and then I got friend-zoned."

"Pfft-"

Despite trying to suppress her laughter, Isshiki's aggrieved tone lacked any hint of sadness; on the contrary, her laughter poured out uncontrollably.

"Senior, if you keep going like this, you'll never get a girl's affection in your entire life. Waaah—it's such a sad thing, yet you can still laugh so coldly."

Isshiki slapped Haruhi hard on the back, venting his dissatisfaction.

"Sorry, because I remember reminding you six months ago, Hayato already has someone he likes. If you just go for it like that, you'll only get friend-zoned. It's not like I've never seen a girl confess to Hayato before. Why were you so confident and didn't listen to my advice?"

"Although what he said makes a lot of sense, I still can't forgive the senior who mocked me."

"I've already apologized. How about I introduce you to Hachiman Hikigaya, if you're confident you can snatch him away from Yuihama?"

"Forget it, I don't want to hear anything about pursuing a relationship anytime soon."

Although she was rejected by the sarcastic person, Isshiki quickly recovered from the heartbreak.

I've never been in a relationship, so to be honest, it's not like I've ever been heartbroken.

Chatting and laughing, the two were about to reach the slope in front of Soubu High School.

Chunri silently parked the car on the side of the road, and the girl in the back jumped off the back seat without saying a word.

"Um, senior, I heard from Yui-senpai that you want to run for student council president this year, is that right?"

"??? What are you trying to say?"

The upcoming student council election is no secret to the students of Soubu High School.

"I might become an obstacle for my seniors in the election for president because my classmate secretly signed me up."

Before leaving, Isshiki whispered something, then waved to Haruhi with a grin. Soon after, the girl's figure disappeared down the slope.

The girl, who originally became the soccer club manager because of Hayama Hayato, quit the soccer club again because of a friend card. Then, by a twist of fate, she found herself in conflict with Kasuga's goal in this life.

……

…………

noon,

Lunchtime

The location of the sports warehouse,

Because of the cold weather, Kasuga and Koyuki, who had changed the dining location, rescheduled for the Sobu High School's sports warehouse.

"Actually, there's nothing surprising about it. If it weren't for your interference, Haru, the student council president this year would have been Isshiki. And as I told you before, it was our Service Club that helped her become the student council president."

When Yuki heard from Haruhi that Isshiki had participated in the student council president election, she wasn't surprised at all; on the contrary, it was a given fact.

Enjoying the bento box prepared on a spring morning, and taking a sip of hot tea to aid digestion, Xiaoxue's face was mostly calm.

"Since you want to become the student council president of Soubu High School, then work hard for it. As long as your final vote count exceeds that of Isshiki, that's enough."

"Xiaoxue, do you not have much confidence in my ability to become the president?"

Spring looked at Xiaoxue, who showed no sign of tension, and smiled sheepishly.

"No, what else do you want from me? You can't possibly eliminate all your opponents physically to express my feelings and hopes."

Xiaoxue still maintains her uniquely sharp-tongued style.

"Didn't Ms. Hiratsuka Shizuka already register you? The results should be posted soon. All that's left is to observe how many replacements there are. In the meantime, Haru, all you need to do is try to get as many votes as possible from the Soubu High students. You can only rely on yourself for that. By the way, have you talked to Shiromaru-senpai about the replacements?"

There's no need to try and build a good relationship with Hiratsuka-sensei anymore.

Shiromaru-senpai is also a third-year student, and she will be leaving school soon. So, before she officially resigns as student council president, it would be quite useful to build a good relationship with her and get her recommendation.

"I heard that the number of recommenders must be more than thirty, right? Ah Qing, then you'll have to work hard on this yourself."

Yukinoshita was also supporting the boy in her own way.

Having experienced the cultural festival, Koyuki no longer takes on all of Sagami's work herself, as she did before. Instead, she slowly tells Sagami what she needs to do next.

Thirty spots?

As Chunri touched her chin, the temperature of the food in her mouth gradually dropped.

While it wasn't as difficult as one might imagine, was it easy either?

"Let's eat first. There are still two days until the list is published, so you have plenty of time."

Xiaoxue pointed at the lunchbox that Chunri was holding with both hands with her chopsticks and said softly.

……

…………

then,

The gears of time also slowly begin to turn here.

"Oh, is it for my recommendation? Student council president? That sounds interesting. Okay, count me in."

In an office,

After not seeing each other for a while, Yukino-sensei, whose short hair had started to grow to her waist, smiled as she looked at the boy who had suddenly come to her.

After patiently listening to the other person's story, the woman filled in her name on the list of recommenders that Chunri handed her.

Ms. Yukino solemnly wrote down Yukino Yukari's story.

The delicate and beautiful handwriting put my mind at ease during the spring.

Yukino-sensei, who had returned the registration book to Haruhi, looked at the boy she hadn't seen for a while and suddenly grinned gently.

"Long time no see, Xiao Qing, you've become even more humane."

Unable to resist, she gently ruffled the boy's soft, black hair, and Yukino-sensei sighed with emotion.

"Was I not human before? What do you mean by not human?"

The boy looked at the recommendation book with satisfaction, then half-jokingly replied to Teacher Yukino.

Haruhi vaguely remembered that Nagato had mentioned this to him, but he hadn't paid much attention to it at first.

"Yeah, from the very beginning, I felt that you, Xiao Qing, were not the same kind of creature as us."

Ms. Yukino smiled, her clear eyes fixed on the boy before her.

A year ago, this boy was impulsive and willing to use violence to solve problems, but now...

"Your face looks refreshed, no longer like the gloomy one you had when we first met. How should I put it, it's like you just climbed out of the pool, so clean."

Ms. Yukino shared her opinion.

"Keep it up, little Qing."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now. I'll come see you again when I'm done with student council matters and have some free time."

Because he was still preoccupied with the student council election, Kasuga didn't plan to linger in Yukino-sensei's office. After explaining everything, he said goodbye and left.

"Wait a moment."

Just as Haruhi was about to reach the office door, Yukino Yukari hesitated for a moment before calling out to Haruhi at the last minute.

Her face still wore a warm and welcoming smile.

"Well, I might be resigning at the end of this semester, so I'm saying goodbye to you in advance, Xiaoqing."

"Huh? Yukino-nee, you're quitting your job? Why? Or is someone bullying you again?"

"That's not the reason at all. I'm no longer bound by those trivial matters. It's just that my family wants me to settle down in my hometown. I've been wandering in other places for a long time, and it's time to go home and spend time with my family."

"Well... Yukino-nee, have a safe journey. Remember to call me on the day you leave, and I'll definitely come to see you off."

"There's no need to do that. I don't really like it when people see me off. But the thought of going back to my hometown and being bombarded with endless blind dates gives me a headache, even though I'm already a 30-year-old woman."

There was no sadness at parting; even as the teacher complained about the future, a quiet smile remained on her face.

"No matter what happens in the future, Xiao Qing can come to my hometown to find me anytime. I will always remember the boy who saved me, the boy who got drunk with me that night. Thank you."

"Oh, right, I don't have anything to give you, but as a classical Chinese teacher, I'll give you a line of poetry that I really like. It's my favorite poem."

Haruhi silently watched as Yukino-sensei's thin, sensual lips opened and closed, uttering each word.

The teacher's voice reached his ears and lingered for a long time.

……

…………