“Um, Yue Xuan? Isn’t this a bit awkward? Everyone is looking at us…” Chu Xin leaned down, speaking softly to Ji Yue Xuan, who was using his legs as a pillow and lying flat on the seat, engrossed in Chu Xin’s literary work.
He looked around at the other passengers, who, despite being all girls, had varying reactions—some were envious, some jealous, and others had a burning curiosity.
What was with that ‘I knew it’ expression on the fellow student’s face?
While they were on the subway from Ji Yue Xuan’s neighborhood to Chu Xin’s, the route passed through several commercial districts, making it a common path for working adults. However, this didn’t mean there wouldn’t be students, especially those from Chu Xin’s school, Maria Academy, who mostly came from the wealthy area where Ji Yue Xuan lived.
But why were they looking at them with such adoring, ‘my OTP finally came true’ eyes?
Seeing that Ji Yue Xuan was ignoring him, Chu Xin continued to speak softly, “Hey… There are so many people here. This isn’t really appropriate, is it?”
“It’s fine, darling~ We’re not at school, so it doesn’t matter.” Ji Yue Xuan’s face was half-hidden by the book, but her slightly arched eyebrows revealed a smug expression.
Unfortunately, Chu Xin was mistaken. At that moment, Ji Yue Xuan was panicking behind the book, her heart racing with embarrassment. But his legs felt so comfortable that she didn’t want to move.
Chu Xin stared at her, captivated by the sight of her golden hair cascading over his legs, framing her half-hidden, exquisite face. It only increased his anticipation. From his angle, he could see all of Ji Yue Xuan’s figure, like a delicacy waiting to be unwrapped and savored.
Wait… what am I thinking on the subway?
With those thoughts, he felt too embarrassed to say anything more, so he just let her be.
When it was time to transfer, the crowd on the train would be as packed as it was on Monday.
So, for the rest of the ride, the two stayed close in that position.
Fortunately, the line only had one stop, so Chu Xin didn’t find the position too tiring. It only took about ten minutes to reach their destination.
Once they arrived, Ji Yue Xuan reluctantly stood up, returned the book to Chu Xin, and followed him out of the station.
Chu Xin took the book and sighed, wondering what Ji Yue Xuan had been thinking.
As soon as they exited the train, the crowd thickened, and the station became crowded, similar to Monday, except there were fewer boys.
Maybe they realized there were too many girls and decided to walk to school instead?
In the opposite direction of Maria Academy, across the city, there were more boys’ schools, and most of them were concentrated there.
In the original story, the protagonist had to squeeze through a crowd of boys every day to get to that side. As for whether the protagonist’s boarding family was in the same location as Chu Xin’s Su family, Chu Xin wasn’t sure.
Ji Yue Xuan tightly held Chu Xin’s hand, “Darling, don’t get lost!”
Chu Xin looked at Ji Yue Xuan’s serious expression and playfully tapped her forehead, “How could I get lost? It’s more likely that you’ve never done this before, right?”
Ji Yue Xuan huffed, “I can handle this easily! Don’t underestimate me, darling.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t.” Chu Xin smiled, feeling a familiar affection for Ji Yue Xuan.
But when she pulled him back toward the original car, Chu Xin quickly stopped her. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, “Yue Xuan, you’re going the wrong way. We need to take a different line, not the original one.”
Ji Yue Xuan, with her sensitive ears, froze in place, looking a bit angry but still trying to save face, “Hmph, of course, I knew that. I was just testing you, darling. Looks like you’re not as dumb as I thought.”
She reminded Chu Xin of a gamer who was bad at losing, but back then, they were more like brothers.
Back then, she was even more stubborn, refusing to admit she was weaker, even when Chu Xin had beaten her in a game. She would use that as an excuse to flirt, despite being embarrassed herself.
I guess I don’t have much room to talk. Whenever she flirts, I end up speechless, unable to even tease her back.
Looking at Ji Yue Xuan pouting, Chu Xin sighed and said, “Alright, let’s go then, princess.”
“Okay~ hehe.”
Though she agreed, she didn’t move, looking left and right, clearly unsure of how to transfer lines.
Chu Xin wasn’t surprised. After all, she had always relied on him to get on the right train. He had even helped her get a subway card. So, he always made sure she got on the right train before leaving.
In a nice way, she was carefree; in a harsh way, she was clueless.
Chu Xin led her to the transfer platform, swiped their cards, and returned to the waiting area.
Ji Yue Xuan held Chu Xin’s hand tightly, afraid the crowd would separate them.
Carrying both of their bags, Chu Xin was grateful for his fitness routine. Otherwise, the weight of the two bento boxes and bags would have been too much for one hand.
When the train arrived, they were pushed into the car by a group of schoolgirls.
Fortunately, Ji Yue Xuan subtly protected Chu Xin, or he would have been in close contact with many girls.
Chu Xin recalled that he used to stand in a fixed spot on the train. Looking at the girls crowding around him, Ji Yue Xuan narrowed her eyes, realizing she needed to be more attentive.
But for now, she focused on protecting her darling.
Chu Xin stood next to Ji Yue Xuan, the two of them leaning against the wall of the train car. He sighed, “Sorry, for making you squeeze onto the train with me.”
“It’s okay~ I’m just happy to go to school with you, darling.” Ji Yue Xuan smiled, then moved in front of Chu Xin, hugging him and burying her face in his chest, inhaling deeply.
“Um, what are you doing?” Chu Xin asked, panicked, looking around to see if anyone was watching.
“Haven’t I told you before? I need to ‘replenish my Chu Xin essence.’ It’s essential for my daily activities.” Ji Yue Xuan murmured, her face still pressed against his chest, using her body to block the other girls.
Chu Xin felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, gently patting her head, “You’re such a silly mom or girlfriend.”
Ji Yue Xuan, enjoying the pats, made contented sounds, like a cat being petted.
Chu Xin didn’t interrupt, just smiled and enjoyed the moment.
But the calm didn’t last long. As the train slowed down to stop, the car began to sway, causing waves of movement among the passengers.
Chu Xin quickly grabbed the nearby handrail with one hand and pulled Ji Yue Xuan close with the other, stabilizing them.
Ji Yue Xuan smiled to herself, knowing that if it weren’t for her, Chu Xin would have been jostled by the girls, with countless body contacts occurring.
How can I convince him to take my family’s car to school?
But Chu Xin noticed something troubling. Just as he steadied himself, a girl with a distinctive tuft of hair from Maria Academy stumbled through the crowd toward him.
As if on cue, the other schoolgirls parted, creating a clear path for her to fall toward Chu Xin.
Chu Xin, unable to avoid the collision, clearly saw the dazed expression on the girl’s face. Recognizing her as his class’s airheaded class president, Shimizuma, he thought,
Not again! Am I stuck in a time loop?
Could it be that my class president, Shimizuma, falls like this every morning?
Just as the two were about to collide, Chu Xin decided to act. As he was about to catch Shimizuma with one arm, Ji Yue Xuan, who had been lost in thought, suddenly stepped in, catching Shimizuma and shielding Chu Xin.
“Oh, isn’t this Shimizuma? You should be more careful on the train~ You almost fell.” Ji Yue Xuan said kindly, helping Shimizuma stand steady.
Shimizuma’s actions had left the crowd no choice but to give them space. Still dazed, she stared blankly at Chu Xin.
Ji Yue Xuan, seeing Shimizuma’s confused state, murmured, “I can’t figure her out. Was that on purpose, or is she just naturally clumsy?”
She had a feeling that if Shimizuma had any special feelings for Chu Xin, she would be a formidable opponent.
Were things the same yesterday? Looking at the situation, it seemed likely that Shimizuma would end up on top…
Ji Yue Xuan’s expression turned cold. She stared intently at Shimizuma, trying to find any hint of deception, but saw only confusion.
Chu Xin also realized something, “Yue Xuan, do you know Shimizuma? Our class president, I mean.”
“Yeah, darling~ I found out yesterday that we’re in the same club.” Ji Yue Xuan turned back, instantly switching from her cold demeanor to a smile.
For some reason, seeing Ji Yue Xuan like this made Chu Xin feel like she was angry, though he didn’t know why.
But in that moment, Chu Xin understood something…
So, the only ones who knew about their relationship were Shimizuma and Hasegawa Ten’i.
It’s a good thing it’s them and not someone else. Otherwise, the news would have spread throughout the school in no time.