What a twist! The loser heroine!

"I ride my bicycle to school every day, don't you think?"

"That's how you commute," Wen Shui said, pointing to the salted lemon tree on the playground. "I mean, how about you exercise more like your friend Shao Yan, or even join the rock climbing team with your childhood sweetheart?"

"Hmm..." she thought for a moment, "I feel so tired."

I forgot that her athletic performance was only average, although it was much better than mine.

"Exercise is good for your health," Wen Shui said, glancing at Banami as if it were nothing. "And it can also help you lose weight."

"Warm water, what do you mean by that?"

Hana saw Anna stare at her instantly.

"Uh, does Hanami-kun usually eat this much—"

"Eating this much doesn't mean I'll gain weight!" Banami seemed to be the kind of person who would get agitated at the mention of weight: "Besides, I've been following a weight loss plan recently! I always use cold drinks to offset the calories from the main meals, so my weight is definitely not a problem!"

"I really want to complain that calories aren't related to temperature, but are you sure your stomach is okay...?"

“Occasionally, I get stomach aches,” Hanami said, pursing her lips.

We've gone off-topic... *sighs*

The track and field team on the playground seemed to have finished their last lap and had gathered to head towards the locker room. Wen Shui glanced down at her watch and realized that lunch break was about to end.

So he took the initiative to walk downstairs: "Lunch break is about to end, see you, Bana-kun."

"Oh, here it comes." The steel stairs of the escape ladder made a thumping sound, and Banami quickly followed Wenshui.

"Huh? Why did you follow me?" Wen Shui asked, somewhat surprised.

"Uh, you said that because you want to go back together, right?"

"I'm sorry I don't understand the language of those who are considered 'outcasts'..."

Wen Shui shook her head helplessly, but continued, "So, how about we talk to Shao Yan? If it's something related to sports and you need help, she's the one to ask."

"To become an athletic girl..." Anna murmured softly, "It seems a little difficult, but I'll give it a try."

"In that case, I'll give you this wristband. You should need it more than I do."

As Wen Shui spoke, he walked downstairs and took out a small box from his pocket. It was the sweat-absorbing wristband that Shao Yan Lemon had given him before.

"Huh? Wasn't this the gift from Yashio-kun before?" Hanami took it.

"Huh? How do you know?"

“My friend Shaoyan was so loud back then, it was impossible for me not to pay attention.”

“Is that so? But I don’t need it. It’s best if things stay in the hands of people who can actually use them, right?” Wen Shui said matter-of-factly.

Upon hearing this, Banami immediately grinned mischievously and poked Wenshui's back with her finger.

"Warm Water, let me tell you something. When dealing with girls, using someone else's gift to present another's gift is the worst thing you can do, whether it's to the girl who gave you the gift or the girl you're giving a gift to."

"Uh, is that right?"

"Hmph, Wen Shui, that's your problem, the reason you can't find a girlfriend."

It's none of your business.

Wen Shui pursed her lips, looked away, and didn't reply.

Having successfully turned the tables and avenged her previous defeat, Banami triumphantly placed the box containing the wristband back into Onami's hands.

"Take this back. I'll go find Shaoyan after school tonight." She put her hands behind her back and quickened her pace slightly.

"Don't worry, she'll always help you with anything related to sports."

"I know, my gut feeling tells me she's a good friend too," Yai said with a smile, then led the way from the corner of the stairs: "I'll head back to the classroom now~"

This guy always relies on her intuition, no matter what.

As Wen Shui watched the blue figure disappear down the fire escape, she couldn't help but sigh.

Then, he stood there, stunned.

Wait a minute, since Banami's intuition is so accurate, and it keeps benefiting her...

Why didn't this intuition guide her on how to pursue her childhood sweetheart for a full 12 years?

~Forty-eighth defeat~ The Literature Club has undergone a major transformation?

After a day of classes, Wen Shui packed her books into her bag.

The autograph session was very popular; throughout the afternoon break, Himegami and Hanami were constantly bombarded with questions. And unsurprisingly, Onami's seat was frequently occupied by students from Class C, or even from neighboring classes.

Wen Shui, of course, dared not complain, but simply drank tap water more often.

Himegami Karen, who was behind her, had already rushed to the group of girls in the class who were most gathered together and started the conversation. It seemed that she was going to satisfy everyone's cravings all at once today. She really deserves to be called a social expert with great practical skills.

Not far in front of them, Banami was whispering something to Shaoshio Lemon, glancing at Onami while speaking, acting all mysterious.

[She's probably looking for advice from Yakishiro-kun on how to transform into a sporty girl, but why is she looking at me like that?]

He was a little confused, but was immediately startled by Shao Yan's loud voice.

"Ah! I see! I didn't expect Banami to come looking for me!"

"Keep your voice down, Yashio!" Yami quickly held up a finger to signal Yashio to lower his voice.

"Oh, there's nothing shameful about wanting to train for sprinting. Don't worry, I've got your back."

Salted Lemon grinned, revealing his clean, white teeth: "It just so happens that another friend of mine wants to work out with me soon. You two could team up, right?"

"Uh, I know. Anyway, there are too many people here, let's go to the playground first!" Banami quickly said.

She glanced uneasily at her childhood sweetheart's seat, who had already gone to the off-campus climbing team, and breathed a sigh of relief. Then, Shao Yan grabbed her arm.

"Okay! Let's hurry to the changing room! Don't worry, I can lend you my antiperspirant!"

"Hey! Slow down the salt-making process—"

Banami was dragged out of the classroom by Shio, and the students were attracted by the sudden event, and they started talking about it with smiles on their faces.

Taking this opportunity, Wen Shui slung her backpack over her shoulder, got up and left the classroom, heading towards the literary club's office.

May is gradually approaching its middle, and although the temperature is no longer cool, it is still within a comfortable range.

Wen Shuihe walked alone in the corridor of the East Campus, avoiding the footsteps of the students walking towards him.

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and chaotic footsteps sounded. Wen Shui, who was about to walk down the stairs, immediately turned her head to look.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry or it'll be too late!"

"I know! Don't push me!"

"Please abide by school rules and do not run in the corridors!" A somewhat familiar voice followed.

A surging crowd rushed past, mostly upperclassmen running down from the third floor. From their loud chatter, Wen Shui could roughly guess the purpose of these seniors who had come out in droves.

It seems that the news of a third-grade student's planned confession in the corridor behind the school building has been leaked, and everyone seems to be planning to go and see what's going on.

Hey, don't do that. It'll put him in a really awkward position. What if it leads to a failed confession?

Wen Shui frowned, but remained silent in front of so many people. He simply grumbled somewhat irritably as he abruptly stopped.

This stop, intended to avoid the crowds in front, resulted in a rear-end collision with a classmate behind.

"Feel sorry……"

Before Wen Shui could turn around to apologize, he heard a faint sound behind him and turned around in surprise.

The tall, brown-haired girl was quietly watching him, and Wen Shui immediately realized that he had seen her before.

He asked somewhat uncertainly, "Nonomura-kun?"

Nonomura nodded.

Then she asked, "Wen Shui, classmate?"

Wen Shui nodded as well.

[What is this? Such a tacit way of confirming identities.] He marveled inwardly.

After receiving the answer, Nonomura looked up at the crowd that was blocking their way not far away.

"Is Wen Shui going to a club?"

"Ah, yes."

"Literature and Art Society?"

"what?"

Just as Wen Shui was about to ask Nonomura how she knew about the club she was in, Nonomura spoke up first to explain.

"I overheard your conversation with that girl from Class A. I'm sorry if it bothered you." Her manner of speaking remained as practical as ever.

[Is the girl in Class A... Xiao Ju? Oh, I see.]

"Ah, it's nothing, I was just a little surprised." Wen Shui shook her head to indicate that she didn't mind.

"..." Nonomura glanced at Wenshui with a calm gaze, then asked softly, "Um, could you take me to visit the Literature Club?"

Wen Shui looked at Nonomura with some surprise. In his impression, Nonomura should be a girl who always hid her presence, just like him, chasing after loneliness in the shadows.

Why would a student who should be a member of the "Going Home" club suddenly want to visit the club?

Seeing Wenshui's expression, Nonomura thought he had misunderstood, so he quickly explained, "Over the weekend, I became a little interested in the literary club because of the book signing event."

"Ah, I see." Wen Shui nodded.

After all, the words "Literature and Art Club" were openly written on that bulletin board, and it hadn't been taken down even during lunch break today. I'm afraid many students have already noticed this little-known club that almost went out of business.

"Then I'll take you there."

"Thank you, although I originally planned to go with you."

[Huh? Did she just say something strange? Did she follow me all the way? Why didn't I notice?]

The veterans had already quickly crossed the corridor, while Wen Shui, who should have been feeling relaxed, was now sweating profusely.

"If you want to come with me, you can tell me in the classroom."

He said this as he started walking.

“That would probably cause unnecessary trouble for Nuku-san,” Nonomura said softly, in a voice only Nuku-san could hear. “So I was originally planning to… well, I’m very sorry for following you.”

Hearing Nonomura's apology, Nukumizu breathed a sigh of relief.

It turns out that Nonomura is the type to speak his mind and resolve things face-to-face, which makes me feel a little more at ease.

"It's okay, I understand what you're thinking." Wen Shui smiled.

"Thank you." Nonomura smiled.

[After all, we're the same kind.]

"You are Welcome."

[After all, we're the same kind.]

◇

The closer Wen Shui got to the literary society's office, the more she could sense that something was wrong.

The once quiet and deserted school building is now bustling with unfamiliar students carrying books, and laughter occasionally echoes from this otherwise silent corner of the school building.

Perhaps due to the popularity of the book signing event, many students noticed this club. The students who walked out with books in their hands must have just borrowed books from the club office.

Hmm, maybe some new members will join...?

Wen Shui and Ye Yecun took a step back at the same time, avoiding the two second-year high school students who were walking out of the clubhouse. Then he peeked into the clubhouse.

In the not-so-large club activity room, besides the two club presidents, there were six students from different grades browsing through books. Xiao Ju, who usually ran here as soon as school was over, seemed to be absent.

The sudden increase in the number of people in the clubhouse made the activity space even smaller, but Wenshui still gritted her teeth and led Nonomura inside.

As soon as he stepped into the club office, President Tamaki looked up and greeted him with a smile: "Oh, Onami, you're here."

The president's greeting immediately drew the attention of the students visiting the club office to Wen Shui.

Caught off guard by the crowd, Wen Shui mechanically replied, as if she had been slowed down by a spell, "Good afternoon, President."

He awkwardly bowed slightly to the visiting students, then hurriedly made way for Nonomura behind him.