Let's do it again, Yukino.

The pages of life need to be filled with the colors of reality; let's put fantasy aside.

So, at this moment, besides his usual hard work in studying, he was also planning something. He wanted to do more for Xiaoxue and his own future to fill the emptiness in his heart.

"Is she sentimental?"

Nagato, however, failed to hear the inner turmoil in Haruhi's heart. Instead, he kept repeating those four words in front of the boy, as if pondering the extension and expansion of the word in his mind.

"Alright, alright, stop thinking about it. I guess I asked the wrong person. Nagato, who always gets first place in the grade, shouldn't have such superfluous feelings."

Perhaps Nagato, who has never had any worries, doesn't have any real understanding of words like sorrow and pain.

On a spring day, somewhat bored, he fiddled with the bag of stationery on the table with his fingers.

Indeed, sometimes, the heart of a mature 26-year-old man can bring quite a few headaches.

I think it's alright.

Suddenly, a glint flashed in Nagato's eyes, and she spoke with unusual seriousness.

"??What's the meaning?"

"Everyone has their own troubles, I think it's something that can't be avoided."

Was it unavoidable? Just as I thought.

Wiping his nose, Chunri suddenly blurted out.

"Nagato, I want to apply to Tokyo University."

I want to get into the University of Tokyo.

It was like a heartfelt wish. He was originally a good-for-nothing delinquent, but suddenly he sincerely expressed his desire to get into the University of Tokyo.

"..."

The seat in the far corner fell silent.

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Is my desire to get into the University of Tokyo really that funny?"

The boy was somewhat displeased with Nagato's pretentious act.

"You know what? Kasuga-kun, the expression on your face when you said you wanted to go to the University of Tokyo was quite interesting, yeah, very interesting."

Shaking her head, the somewhat quiet, bespectacled girl looked at the boy.

That expressionless face that would never have changed.

For the first time ever, a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of her small mouth.

At that moment, she suddenly realized that the boy in front of her wasn't as bad as the other classmates had described.

……

I want to apply to the University of Tokyo.

I want to change.

Because I wanted to try to keep up with that girl.

(P.S.: This is the third update for today. The original recommendation has already exceeded 500. The fourth update will be delivered before 8 PM.)

Chapter Thirty: Hell Ahead of You

Chinese language class,

The rustling sound of taking notes.

"..."

"..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, put down her book, and looked at the boy in the corner who was taking notes. Feeling a little uncomfortable with this scene, she tentatively asked the figure in the corner.

"Um, Kasuga-kun, if you're not feeling well, you can go to the infirmary to rest."

"..."

Rolling her eyes, Haruhi, who was listening to Hiratsuka Shizuka's lecture, was too lazy to say anything to this unreliable teacher.

How many times has this happened today?

Moreover, Hiratsuka-sensei is not the first of these teachers.

Thinking back on it carefully, from the moment I decided to get into the University of Tokyo, I started to feel myself slowly changing.

Compared to my pre-rebirth self, who had absolutely no idea what I wanted,

No, that's not right. There are actually quite a few people who don't know what they really want, and this phenomenon is not uncommon around him.

However, once this idea is conceived, perhaps in some aspects, things will be truly different.

It's just that springtime these days is a little embarrassed to admit this fact.

In many people's lives, we can actually call this "surroundings" "society" back in high school. The atmosphere around us constantly reminds everyone that "people must have dreams, otherwise what's the difference between them and salted fish?" Television, magazines, and the internet also constantly remind us that "realizing dreams is a wonderful thing."

Chunri initially scoffed at this, but now, reality has shown him that the word "society" can indeed inspire a person's most basic dreams.

Sure enough, in the end, he was still an ordinary person who couldn't be more ordinary.

……

…………

After class,

On a rare occasion, Chunri went to Hiratsuka Shizuka's office.

Standing at the door, Haruhi quietly watched as Hiratsuka Shizuka, dressed in a white coat, smoked a cigarette and lectured the dead-eyed Sensei, who had somehow committed some terrible offense.

During this period, Hikigaya suffered quite a bit of punishment from Hiratsuka Shizuka's iron fist.

After a while,

"I'll let you off this time, Hachiman. But if you're late again next time, it won't be as simple as writing a guarantee. That's all, you can go back to your classroom now."

She waved helplessly at the dead-fish-eyed problem student in front of her, who seemed completely unfazed. Her initial indignation gradually subsided after the scolding.

She had noticed Haruharu standing outside the door long ago, and couldn't help but take a sip of the tea poured on the table.

"Please come in, you guys outside. Sigh, I haven't even had a chance to rest."

Spring quietly arrived.

that moment,

Wearing only a white shirt, Haruhi brushed past the hunched-over teacher without looking to either side.

Neither of them said a word.

At this point, Hachiman had no interest in Haruhi either.

……

"Here, take this back."

Haruhi took out the meal ticket that Hiratsuka Shizuka had given him not long ago from his pocket and gently placed it on Hiratsuka Shizuka's desk.

Did you win the lottery? Or did you find money on the street?

In Hiratsuka Shizuka's memory, the boy in front of her could truly be described as someone who would pluck a feather from a passing goose, while she herself was someone who would never give a penny back. From the very beginning, Hiratsuka Shizuka had no intention of taking back the things she had given him.

"Oh, right, here, this is for you as a reward for listening attentively in class today."

Hiratsuka took out a can of coffee from the drawer again and was about to throw it to Kasuga, as usual.

However, unlike before when she accepted it without a second thought, Haruhi shook her head and refused Hiratsuka Shizuka's offer.

“I’m not a three-year-old child anymore, Hiratsuka-sensei.”

He stood before Hiratsuka Shizuka, his brown pupils reflecting only a calm and undisturbed tranquility.

The boy took a deep breath.

"The so-called free meal tickets that the school subsidized for me were just a meal card that Hiratsuka-sensei paid for out of his own pocket, right? And those drinks that Tianlai prepared for me."

If it weren't for a chance encounter yesterday where I overheard the cafeteria lady saying that Soubu High School didn't have any free meal tickets, perhaps even now, Haruhi would still consider this meal ticket in her hand as an equivalent exchange given by that principal.

If it were the springtime before her rebirth, she might have been furious at the teacher's kindness, or she might have pretended not to know anything and continued to exploit the teacher's goodwill.

but……

"Teacher, um, um... um..."

For some reason, Chunri, who usually speaks fluently, suddenly started to stammer. However, after only a moment's hesitation, he finally bowed silently in front of the female teacher who usually couldn't do anything about him.

Although she knew that Hiratsuka Shizuka wasn't the kind of older single woman who was short of money, so far, apart from Koyuki, this Hiratsuka Shizuka, who originally didn't need to care about her at all, really treated her like a student in her class who needed to be taken care of.

Even though Hiratsuka Shizuka was forcibly ordering herself based on the principal's request, she added a non-existent "free meal ticket" as a reward for doing it, and even told herself in advance, "If you don't want to do it, I won't force you."

"Thank you so much, teacher, for all these days."

Thank you so much, teacher.

"...What's wrong? Why are you saying this all of a sudden, Kasuga-kun? This kind of rushed, cheesy talk is like a graduation ceremony. I'm not used to it."

Somewhat unaccustomed to the spring's heart-wrenching gratitude, Hiratsuka Shizuya unusually appeared flustered, scratching his head and sitting in his seat laughing like a silly character from a manga.

"Um, I heard Nagato mention that your goal is the University of Tokyo, right? Since you have such a lofty goal, at least your daily lunches should be nutritious enough. I didn't really think that much about it at first, so there's no need to thank me. You can take your meal card back. Although I don't know much about your family situation, this little bit of help is within my ability, so please don't mind."

"No need, teacher. I've decided to start looking for a part-time job tomorrow. It may take some time, but I'm confident I'll be able to find one."

He shook his head without any hesitation. He appreciated Hiratsuka Shizuka's kindness, but some things he still had to do himself.

but----

Unconditional kindness, once it becomes a habit, can easily lead to dependence and even gradually create distance between people.

"Just as Nagato told me before, Haruhi has indeed changed a lot."

In the quiet office,

Hiratsuka gazed at Haruhi, her hands, which had been resting on her knees, now resting on Haruhi's shoulders, a satisfied smile in her eyes and a tone of gentle expectation in her voice.

“I knew from the beginning that you weren’t a bad kid, it’s just that no one helped you out.”