What a twist! The loser heroine!

"Oh! So this is the end of the Byzantine Empire!" The homeroom teacher, Ms. Gan Xia, cheered from the podium, announcing the end of the third lesson. She hummed the word "Byzantium" softly as she walked out of the classroom, beaming with joy.

"Teacher Ganxia, ​​this is a history class, not a Byzantine propaganda class. Please, please take a look at the doctrine..."

Wen Shui, who really wanted to complain, stood up, pushed open the door, and walked out of the classroom first.

To be honest, ever since I experienced that incredible entrance ceremony hosted by the student council yesterday, I've become somewhat desensitized to this strange Shilu High School.

What kind of top high school in Toyohashi City is this? It's full of geniuses, the student council is full of geniuses, even the teachers are geniuses. It should just be called the "Genius High School".

As she thought about it, Wen Shui herself started to laugh.

Well, this also proves that Shilu High School is not the kind of rigid and serious place that outsiders think it is, which is just right for my survival.

Now, let me spend these three years leisurely and peacefully.

As Wen Shui thought this, she looked up at the window. The municipal water supply tower on the roof of the teaching building gleamed in the rising sun.

"We completed the reconnaissance during our free time yesterday. Since the water tower is to the east..."

He muttered to himself as he walked toward the handwashing station in front of the library on the first floor of the new school building.

Some say that tap water in cities tastes terrible, while others think it has recently become palatable. However, few people know the difference in taste between different taps in the same building.

Kazuhiko Onami, who considers himself a person of "good taste," has had a special hobby since junior high school—chasing the taste of tap water.

"The tap water here is definitely the best to drink in the morning..."

The tap water here is furthest from the rooftop water tower and has the lowest chlorine content. Considering the stomach burden before lunch, this is undoubtedly the best choice.

He wiped his damp lips with warm water and turned off the tap. Just as he was about to turn around and go back to the classroom, he noticed that a petite girl with bangs covering half of her face was standing behind him, looking at him with nervous eyes.

When Wen Shui turned around, the girl even let out a strange cry of "Eek, ah wah wah!" due to nervousness. She gripped her phone tightly with one hand and pinched the hem of her spring school uniform with the other, looking very uneasy.

A troubled expression appeared on her face. Her eyes, which were not covered by her bangs, kept moving back and forth between the warm water and the faucet. It even seemed that her eyes were about to well up with tears.

Wow...it seems like we've encountered a genuine shady corner...

She seemed to be torn between me and the tap. Hmm?! Could she be a member of the tap water enthusiasts' club? Did I block her way from drinking tap water by herself?

This won't do, Wen Shui Kazuhiko. As someone who appreciates the nuances of tap water, I must help this friend with a peculiar personality out of this predicament!

With this in mind, the boy immediately took this unexpected event seriously.

He gave the girl a knowing smile, then stepped aside to make way for her, giving her enough space to survive, before heading towards the classroom.

Unexpectedly, as I passed by this girl, she suddenly called out to me.

“That, that!”

"Ugh?"

The warm water turned back.

The girl, who seemed a little blushing from excitement and appeared to be very introverted, pointed to the sink.

"I...I'm here for the first time, I want to...I want some water." She squeezed out the words with great effort: "Warm...warm—no, no, what do you think of the water here...?"

What's with this warm, gentle tone? Does she know me? Wait, I've never seen her before.

Wen Shui was a little confused, but adhering to the principle of supporting like-minded people, she still told the girl about the relationship between chlorine content and the taste of tap water.

"In short, while this rule of chlorine smell and distance applies to the building as a whole, it can sometimes be affected by stagnant water in the pipes or the season... Hey, what are you laughing at?"

As Wen Shui launched into a long, rambling explanation about tap water, the girl, who had involuntarily begun to smile, noticed that the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.

As if afraid of being misunderstood by Wen Shui, she quickly apologized using the few words she had left to say.

"I'm so sorry! This is the joy of meeting a kindred spirit. Thank you for helping me introduce them..."

Oh, I see. So he wasn't mocking me after all. This guy is surprisingly cute.

Looking at the girl, Wen Shui gave her a thumbs up and encouraged her, "Wow! Enjoy your water, comrade!"

"Thank you, thank you..."

The introverted girl watched Wen Shui's figure disappear around the corner of the school building. She quickly turned around and rinsed her cheeks, which were flushed with excitement, with water.

That was close... I almost got misunderstood by him...

As she thought this, her thoughts, which had gradually cooled down due to the cool water temperature, returned to her body.

The girl smiled dreamily.

"Just as I expected, it's the same as before..."

"Kazuhiko."

◇

Having savored the wonderful taste of tap water and then casually helped a fellow enthusiast, Kazuhiko Onami was in a good mood. He hummed the theme song from this season's light novel adaptation anime while calculating the remaining time and distance needed to get back to the classroom.

If she returns to the classroom too early, she might encounter the awkward situation of having her seat taken by someone else. For Wen Shui, who prefers solitude and avoids interacting with anyone, this is the most difficult situation to handle.

He looked up at his watch and pushed open the door to the classroom with only thirty seconds left before class started.

Ah, someone is indeed taking my seat...

Just as I was about to take the long way back to my seat based on past experience and spend the half-minute of warm water, the person who occupied my seat called out my name.

"Ah! I've been waiting for you for a long time, Wen Shui."

Startled, Kazuhiko turned to look at his seat. The person sitting there was none other than Mitsuki Ayano, whom he had met briefly on the day the results were announced.

"Hmph, I have indeed been waiting for you for a long time. But Ayano, you and Nukumi are quite close, aren't you?"

Standing next to the warm water seat was Roasted Salt Lemon, who was familiar with Ayano.

【Huh? Wait a minute, does Shaoshio know my name...?】

I don't remember ever talking to her much in junior high.

"Wen Shui and I go to the same tutoring class. We've been in the same class since the third year of junior high."

Ayano Mitsuki said this as if she were introducing warm water to lemon again.

"Oh~ then Wen Shui must have good grades too."

Lemon turned its interested gaze toward the warm water.

As she felt the increasing attention, Wen Shui immediately became uncomfortable.

No, we have to find a way to avoid this kind of incident immediately!

"That's not the point, class is about to start!" Wen Shui quickly said, quick-wittedly. "Ayano, aren't you in the special college entrance exam preparation class? How come you have time to come here?"

Taking out her watch, Wen Shui pointed to the time and said, "Look, it's time—"

The minute hand on the watch slowly pointed to the hour, but unexpectedly, the bell for class did not ring.

"Ah?"

The lukewarm water was stunned.

Looking at the stunned Nuku, Ayano Mitsuki laughed and said, "Haha, Nuku-kun, you didn't read the student handbook, did you?"

[Uh... I haven't actually read it yet. After all, the book I bought yesterday, the one by Kuon-Usagi-sensei who's ranked second on the popularity chart—"Even If You're a Clueless Person, You Still Have to Fall in Love!"—is just too good...]

Feeling awkward, Wen Shui forced a smile and asked, "Yes, is there any special activity?"

"Of course! The second day of school is club visit day. It's the last class of the morning, and that's the time Shilu uses every academic year to hold club introductions, right?"

Ayano Mitsuki smiled and said, "Since freshmen can go freely, I wanted to ask you and Lemon if you want to go and have a look together."

Huh? Clubs... Aside from the arts club that I seemed to remember from the school materials, I don't seem to recall any of the others at all.

Why ask me something like this when you could just ask Shaoyan? Isn't it redundant?

While inwardly complaining, Wen Shui and Yan were inexplicably led by the two to the gymnasium where club introductions were being held.

I didn't want to come either, but my friend Shao Yan's grip was just too strong.

Rubbing her slightly sore arms, Wen Shui sat cross-legged to Ayano's right.

"Sorry, did I hurt you just now?"

As the words came into Wen Shui's view, a bottle of mineral water was held in his wheat-colored right hand. Following the arm, he saw that the roasted salt lemon was smiling apologetically at him.

"No, thank you for the water." Wen Shui thanked him, letting bygones be bygones, placed the mineral water in the middle of his leg, and then said nothing more.

Seeing the atmosphere fall silent, Ayano decided to start a conversation himself. He asked the roasted salt lemon with some curiosity, "Lemon, you must have decided which club you want to join by now, right?"

Salted Lemon sat down to Ayano's left, smiling and nodding: "I've already joined the track and field team, you know?"

"The track and field team isn't a club anymore—" Wen Shui and Ayano complained at the same time.

"Whoa?! Ayano, you and Nukumizu are so in sync!" Surprised by the two's rapid-fire retorts, Roasted Salt Lemon said, "Well, the track and field team's training already fills up my time after school. If I join a club, I might become a ghost member. I don't want to become a ghost."

"Then why did you come to the club introduction meeting—" After blurting it out, Wen Shuihei suddenly realized his mistake. He glanced at Shao Shio and Ayano twice before wisely deciding to shut his mouth.

"Hmph~ You know a lot, don't you~" Salted Lemon quietly moved closer to Ayano, her eyes conveying an unreadable meaning.

"Understand? Understand what?" Ayano, caught in the middle, was at a loss. He scratched his head and asked, "Is this some kind of latest popular riddle?"

Wow, I didn't realize Ayano was such a slowpoke. That's practically the perfect character design for a harem protagonist in a novel. You have a long way to go, Ashiro-kun.

Warm Water gave the "take good care" look to the grinning, silly-looking Shioshiro lemon next to Ayano, then turned to look elsewhere.

Although it was a free visit for students, the freshmen were generally very enthusiastic. In less than 20 minutes of preparation time, the entire gymnasium was already bustling with people. They came in twos and threes, and the noisy environment was filled with anticipation for the club life that was about to begin.

Wen Shui, who has always sought solitude and tranquility, is not good at dealing with crowded environments and always feels her limbs trembling slightly.

"Sigh, I guess I'll just have to find an excuse to slip away early..."

As Wen Shui was thinking this, her gaze wandered and she unexpectedly met the eyes of a familiar pair.

Why only one? Because the other eye is covered by bangs.

"Oh...it's that tap water guy from earlier..."

Recalling her encounter at the sink, Wen Shui stared in surprise at the introverted girl who had appeared once again.

She stood anxiously at the entrance of the stadium. Although she showed a moment of joy upon seeing the warm water, her expression darkened the next second due to the dense crowd.

She moved cautiously, afraid of clashing with the chaotic crowd. Her expression shifted constantly, like a helpless little animal cornered by hunters.

So why would someone with social anxiety come here?!

Wen Shui stared at the girl's movements and sighed helplessly.

No, as someone who shares the same Yin-Yang nature, I cannot stand idly by.

"Sorry, Ayano, Shio, I'll be leaving for a bit." He left the water bottle behind and got up to walk towards the girl.

“Um…” Ayano wanted to say something to stop him, but in the end he lowered his arm. He looked at Wen Shui’s back and said helplessly, “Wen Shui, still the same as always.”

Shao Yan patted him on the shoulder: "No need to rush~ There are still three years of high school left, people change slowly."

"makes sense."

◇

By the time the warm water had passed through the crowd and reached the girls, the freshmen in the gymnasium had all gradually sat down on the floor.

Just in time, as the student council president took the stage, the students operating the lights turned off the gymnasium's chandeliers, leaving only the few that could illuminate the podium.

Wen Shui and the girl, who were still standing at the entrance of the gymnasium, suddenly disappeared into the dim shadows.

[A huge help, the lighting operator whose name I don't know. It seems dark places are definitely better for survival.]

Wen Shui let out a long sigh.

"Um, that..." the introverted girl said softly.

Wen Shui looked at the girl.

"We meet again, what a coincidence." She nervously twisted her fingers, her words tinged with embarrassment.

"This isn't the time to talk about this," Wen Shui said helplessly. "You seemed so troubled, but you still came. You must want to join the club, right?"

He turned and looked around at the dimly lit surroundings, and found an empty spot on a portable basketball hoop in the corner. He then said to the girl, "Come with me."

"Huh? Okay, okay..."

Just as Wen Shui was about to take a step, he suddenly felt a resistance. He turned around and saw that the girl was looking down and tugging at his clothes, looking timid like a cute little animal.

"Oh, that's how it is with those hidden corners, I understand, I understand. It's so good that I could lend a hand."

Thinking this, he smiled at his fellow humans. Fortunately, the lights were off, so no one should notice what was happening here, thus avoiding any misunderstandings.