Suto had already observed this female high school student earlier.
The uniform she was wearing was not Toyogasaki’s.
As for which school it belonged to, Suto wasn’t sure.
The memories provided by the system did not include that information.
Curious about her identity, Suto lowered his voice and asked, “You’re not a Toyogasaki student, right?
I’m Suo Suto, a first-year transfer student at Toyogasaki High.”
Introducing yourself before asking for someone else’s name was basic etiquette.
It also made the other person more willing to respond.
The somewhat introverted female high school student froze slightly at his question, then softly said, “No, I’m from Class 1-4 at Sakakino Academy.
My name is Katsura Kotonoha.”
The star of that famous show, Katsura Kotonoha…
School Days, huh?
Then she was definitely a [Heroine].
Suto silently recalled what he knew.
He remembered that in that work, Katsura Kotonoha had an introverted personality.
Because her body developed early, she had suffered various subtle harassment since childhood, which gave her a mild fear of men.
Her home life was not easy either, and her mother was very strict with her.
The reason Katsura Kotonoha chose Sakakino Academy was simply because her mother promised that if she entered that school, she would no longer be forced to take all kinds of extra lessons, allowing her to gain a certain amount of freedom.
However, because of her personality, it was very difficult for her to integrate into the class.
She was even often bullied and isolated by classmates led by Kato Otome.
All of that laid the groundwork for her tragic ending later on.
She was a pitiful girl.
Suto lowered his head and glanced at Kotonoha’s face.
Although her current expression looked somewhat soft and shy, there was no fear, disgust, or similar emotion in her eyes.
He and she were almost pressed together, yet she did not feel afraid at all… In other words, the Katsura Kotonoha standing in front of him probably did not have androphobia.
That was different from her character setting in the anime.
Could it be a new worldline change caused by multiple anime universes merging together?
Had Katsura Kotonoha in this world never been harassed when she was young?
If that was true, then it counted as good news for Kotonoha.
But for Suto, it meant that the future events he knew from anime might no longer happen because of these deviations in the worldline.
The information advantage he called “future sight” would be greatly reduced.
After introducing themselves, the two of them briefly chatted on the train.
Although Kotonoha had very few friends, her personality was not as introverted as she looked.
Perhaps because Suto had just helped her, she naturally trusted him and had a good impression of him.
Or perhaps because Suto was mentally more mature than ordinary high school boys, his words and actions were very polite.
There was no frivolity or desire in his eyes when he looked at her, only concern and sympathy, making a girl like her, who lacked fatherly love growing up, subconsciously want to lean toward him.
In short, Katsura Kotonoha also gathered her courage and took the initiative to chat with the boy in front of her.
“Suo-kun is actually a transfer student from abroad?”
“Yes.”
“That’s amazing.
Your Japanese is really good.”
“Is it?”
“Mm.
I thought you were Japanese.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
The common sense supplement provided by the [Identity Card] was truly timely.
Suto had to give it a five-star review.
It was just as convenient as his mother tongue.
Kotonoha was preparing to get off.
She looked at Suto, her expression a little hesitant.
Suto saw through what she was thinking and took out his phone first.
“How about we exchange LINE?
We’re both first-year students, so if we have any academic problems, we can discuss them with each other.”
“Mm, mm!”
Kotonoha quickly nodded and took out her phone.
After exchanging LINE numbers, she carefully put her phone away.
The train arrived at the station.
Suto protected Kotonoha and escorted her off the train, then waved goodbye.
The train doors closed.
Kotonoha stood on the platform, watching the departing subway with a somewhat empty expression.
What a pity that they were not from the same school.
She turned around and walked toward the station exit.
Her phone rang.
Katsura Kotonoha took it out and glanced at it.
It was a message from Suo Suto.
[Suo Suto: Katsura-san, do you know Ito Makoto?]
Katsura Kotonoha froze for a moment, then stood by the roadside and replied.
[Katsura Kotonoha: Ito Makoto?
I don’t know him.
Who is he?
Is he Suo-kun’s friend?]
After sending the message, Katsura Kotonoha continued walking forward.
After a few steps, her phone rang again.
She immediately picked up her phone and looked at the screen.
[Suo Suto: He isn’t my friend.
He’s a student at your school, and he should also be a first-year.
I heard from my classmates that he’s dating several girls at the same time.
He’s a scumbag who likes playing with girls’ feelings.]
[Suo Suto: Katsura-san is so pretty that he’ll definitely target you, so please don’t let him trick you.]
Katsura Kotonoha’s face instantly turned red.
Calling me pretty… Suo-kun had been so calm and steady when he was speaking on the train, so why is he so bold over LINE…?
After calming herself down, she replied seriously.
[Katsura Kotonoha: I understand.
Thank you for warning me!
If he appears in front of me, I won’t pay attention to him.]
On the subway.
After reading Kotonoha’s reply, Suto put his phone away.
This should count as changing Kotonoha’s future, right?
Whether the plot had inertia or not would still need to be observed later.
After riding one more station, Suto also got off.
Along the road, cherry blossoms continued to drift through the air.
Whether they dropped money or not was not important.
The main thing was that it wasn’t easy for them to come out so early in the morning to look for food.
His phone suddenly rang.
It was a picture sent by Katsura Kotonoha.
[Sakakino Academy’s school gate]
Probably because when they were chatting on the train earlier, Suto had shown some curiosity toward Sakakino Academy, Kotonoha was now helping satisfy that curiosity.
This girl was quite sensitive to small details.
Suto thought for a moment, then also took a photo of Toyogasaki beneath the cherry blossoms and sent it to Katsura Kotonoha.
It could be considered returning the favor.
…
Morning.
During math class, Suto did not listen much.
He wrote some words on a sheet of paper and placed it inside an envelope.
During the break, Suto walked to Kato Megumi’s seat in the back row.
“Kato-san.”
Megumi raised her head from her textbook and looked at this transfer student in class who was also somewhat withdrawn.
“Mm?
Suo-kun?”
Suto stretched out his hand.
In his palm was a piece of chewing gum, and he smiled as he said, “Have some candy.”
Megumi looked at him with some confusion and did not take the gum.
Suto did not insist either.
He casually placed the chewing gum on her desk, then took out a white envelope and handed it to her.
When Megumi saw this, she froze.
A white envelope at school usually contained a love letter, a confession from one person to another.
Suo-kun likes me?
He wants to confess to me?
Why me?
Megumi’s head became a little messy.
“Kato-san, I want to ask you for a favor.
Please give this envelope to Eriri-senpai in the second year.”
“…”
Megumi fell silent.
Suto pressed his palms together and said, “Please!
Since you accepted my candy, you have to help me!”
Megumi glanced at the chewing gum on her desk and said, “I haven’t accepted it yet.”
Suto immediately changed his words.
“Then since you accepted my coin, you have to help me!
People who break promises have to swallow a thousand needles!”
Megumi was somewhat speechless.
So that coin from yesterday was actually the deposit for today’s request…
She sighed, reached out, and accepted the envelope from Suto.
“I understand.”
Suto’s hand holding the envelope was slightly forward.
Their fingers brushed lightly against each other.
The next moment, Suto heard the sound of coins entering a bag ring out in his heart.
He smiled and said, “Thank you so much, Kato-san.”