Chu Xin sighed in relief, glancing at Shimizuma, whom Ji Yue Xuan had helped up, and at Ji Yue Xuan herself, who stood beside them, lost in thought.
Perhaps it was the train gradually slowing as it approached the station. For some reason, Chu Xin felt an unsettling strangeness in the air.
Ji Yue Xuan had been smiling at him continuously. When she noticed his gaze, she tilted her head, her eyes instantly conveying a puzzled, ‘What’s wrong?’ expression.
Chu Xin sighed once more. Leaning towards Ji Yue Xuan, who was still staring at him but remained silent, he whispered, “Hey, what’s wrong with you? Why have you been so quiet ever since Shimizuma appeared? Did you two have some kind of conflict?”
Ji Yue Xuan, jolted back to reality by Chu Xin’s words, flushed crimson. She subtly shifted closer to Chu Xin, touching her ear as she replied, “Darling, didn’t I tell you already? My ears are very sensitive. Are you really the type to constantly attack your companion’s weaknesses?”
Chu Xin’s face darkened into a frown. He secretly glanced at Shimizuma, who seemed to be processing things slower than usual. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she, too, was a little… off.
Yet, she was never one to openly display anger, and Chu Xin couldn’t quite grasp the reason for her current unusual state.
He took a step back, intending to ask Ji Yue Xuan again, but as he retreated, Ji Yue Xuan advanced.
She even wore an expression that seemed to say, ‘Come closer and whisper in my ear.’
Chu Xin felt utterly baffled. ‘Didn’t you just say your ears were sensitive?’ Seeing that she wasn’t showing any discomfort, he resigned himself and continued to speak close to her ear. “I’m telling you, why have you suddenly started… spacing out too?”
Feeling the warm breath from Chu Xin’s words brush against her ear, she couldn’t help but hum softly, yet she still managed to say, “I… I’m not spacing out, Darling. It must be your imagination.”
Chu Xin scratched his head. After hearing Ji Yue Xuan’s words, he decided not to press the matter further.
After all, the situation had been explained.
However, Ji Yue Xuan was now wondering if her own state had been interrupted by Shimizuma, who was still spacing out in front of them.
Even her earlier remark had been deliberately made in Shimizuma’s presence.
Naturally, Ji Yue Xuan’s purpose in mentioning that she and Shimizuma were in the same club was to make Chu Xin understand the current extent of their relationship.
It not only provided Chu Xin with the answer to whether she ‘knew’ Shimizuma but also served her own underlying motives.
There were two reasons. The first was to gauge Chu Xin’s reaction. She believed her Darling could instantly glean a wealth of information, so her words were primarily meant to observe his response.
More importantly, she was testing how significant his reaction would be upon learning that the two of them knew about this matter.
If his reaction was strong, then there was certainly a problem.
After returning home yesterday, she had also tasked her head maid with gathering intelligence.
However, the only information she received was: ‘Hasegawa Ten’i, a first-year (Class 5) student at Maria Academy, transferred from abroad. She holds no positions in her class. She is the eldest daughter of the Hasegawa family, having transferred due to her mother’s work. Her father operates a ryokan in their hometown, an establishment under the family shrine’s name.’
As for Shimizuma, the intelligence was even scarcer; it barely qualified as a ‘résumé.’
Aside from her self-introduction, the only known fact was that she had transferred along with Hasegawa Ten’i.
While such information would be invaluable and comprehensive for ordinary people, for the intelligence Ji Yue Xuan sought, the maid’s report contained almost no useful details.
This lack of information made Ji Yue Xuan incredibly wary. After all, something her own maid couldn’t uncover almost certainly indicated an ‘uncontrollable’ person.
The second reason was also to observe Chu Xin’s reaction. Unlike the first, this was to see his response to her unilaterally ‘revealing’ their relationship.
Considering yesterday’s events, it seemed feasible.
She could then confidently proceed with the next step of her plan.
‘How could I not want the whole world to know about such a wonderful Darling? Hee hee.’
The train slowly came to a halt, carrying the two with their hidden agendas and one truly lost in thought.
It was unclear whether Shimizuma was reacting to Ji Yue Xuan’s name from Chu Xin, or Ji Yue Xuan’s ‘Darling,’ or simply the train reaching its destination.
Only then did Shimizuma finally snap out of it. “Ah… I fell earlier, didn’t I?”
Seeing this, Chu Xin inwardly quipped, ‘Is your reaction time running on a 2G network?’
He wasn’t surprised, though; he had grown accustomed to it.
Hearing Shimizuma speak, Ji Yue Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. Instead, she naturally linked her arm through Chu Xin’s, waiting for the train doors to open.
Chu Xin offered no objections. He greeted Shimizuma, “Morning, Class Rep. Isn’t Hasegawa with you?”
Shimizuma looked at their intimate posture, her eyes momentarily vacant, but she quickly regained her usual composed expression. “Ah… Good morning. Ten’i-chan, I wonder where she went. I fell earlier… I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Chu Xin replied instinctively.
However, he soon suffered an attack to his waist from Ji Yue Xuan, who spoke with a saccharine smile. “Oh my, my Darling is truly so considerate of others’ feelings, isn’t he? Didn’t you see someone specifically asking about her?”
Chu Xin instinctively recoiled. “Yue Xuan, it’s just a common greeting…”
“Oh~” After a ‘simple’ “Oh,” Ji Yue Xuan said no more. She maintained her ‘smiling’ expression, quietly holding Chu Xin’s arm, like a demure young girl standing silently beside her first love.
Shimizuma, who had been smiling nearby, looked at Ji Yue Xuan as if just noticing her. “Ah… is that Ji Yue Xuan-chan? Good morning. Don’t blame Chu Xin-kun. Caring for classmates is what a vice-class representative should do. Chu Xin-kun did very well.”
Shimizuma’s voice and smile were as consistently soothing as ever. She didn’t mention a single word about the relationship between the two.
“Good morning, Shimizuma-chan. Oh, is Darling the vice-class representative? How come I didn’t know? Hmm? Darling?” As she spoke, Ji Yue Xuan looked at Chu Xin. Though her smile was wide, her words carried a distinct undertone of danger.
Even the surrounding high school girls took a step back.
Chu Xin, who had been spacing out, immediately snapped to attention, feigning ignorance. “Huh? Didn’t I tell you?”
Ji Yue Xuan leaned close to his ear. “Playing dumb won’t work, Darling. Remember to give a good explanation later, alright?”
Chu Xin shivered, nodding frantically.
Shimizuma merely stood there, smiling.
The train doors opened at that moment, and people began to disembark. Chu Xin wondered if Hasegawa had truly abandoned Shimizuma here.
She had come over immediately yesterday.
However, as the crowd dispersed, Hasegawa’s figure became visible. She looked at Shimizuma and rushed over. “Shizuma-chan, you’re here? It was too crowded just now, my apologies.”
“Ah… Ten’i-chan, good morning,” Shimizuma greeted her unhurriedly.
“Shizuma-chan, what’s with ‘good morning’? We’re not just classmates who coincidentally met…” Hasegawa Ten’i frowned, then looked up at Chu Xin, and then at their naturally linked hands.
‘This… this is too close, isn’t it? They’re practically ‘stuck’ together.’
Although she had mentally prepared herself, witnessing the scene firsthand was still a profound shock.
She almost lost control of her thoughts, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke, “Good morning, Chu Xin-kun and Ji Yue Xuan-chan…”
Before Chu Xin could speak, Ji Yue Xuan interjected, “Good morning, Hasegawa-chan. Are you still going to the club today?”
Chu Xin looked at the scene and nodded. It seemed the three of them still had a decent relationship; at least there was no fighting.
‘Though Hasegawa is still as socially anxious as ever…’
Hasegawa Ten’i, whose name had been called, flinched. “I… I’ll go.”
Ji Yue Xuan displayed a ‘victorious’ smile and did not reply, which irritated Hasegawa Ten’i, though she didn’t show it. On the surface, she remained the same socially anxious girl.
‘It should be me by Chu Xin’s side…’
She narrowed her eyes at Ji Yue Xuan but said nothing.
Sensing the tension between the two, Chu Xin pulled Ji Yue Xuan and quickly walked out. “Yue Xuan, let’s go. Oh, Hasegawa, thanks for the notes yesterday. Don’t be late with Class Rep.”
Hasegawa watched the two walk away, biting her lower lip in resentment.
A thought gradually formed in her mind.
Meanwhile, Shimizuma, who would normally offer comfort at this point, remained standing, her eyes vacant.
The two continued to stare at their retreating backs until they were urged to move by a staff member, and only then did they leave.
‘I’ve always only fantasized about my counterattack in my mind… but now, I really have to begin my counterattack…’
****