“There are so many students. Do they have nothing to do? Every single one of them is staying at school for extra lessons?”
Gao Yu looked in amazement at the students coming and going, all wearing the same uniforms, each person carrying a different kind of energy.
To be honest, he had never seen a high school in Japan, and almost everyone had a smile on their face.
Of course, there were also those with gloomy expressions or timid looks.
Japan’s happy education did a good job of shaping the students’ personalities.
It seemed everyone had different things to do, and in just a few minutes he saw several different types of sports activities.
Of course, happy education did not mean there was no pressure to advance to higher education.
He also saw quite a few people carrying heavy schoolbags.
“Do you think everyone is like you? You’re already a college student, yet you do nothing all day. You either drink coffee, read novels, or play with your phone.”
Touka knocked him on the shoulder unhappily.
Because of Gao Yu, her idealized image of college students had shattered completely.
She had thought that a senior from the prestigious Kamii University would be an elite, but Gao Yu was ridiculously different from what she had imagined.
Every day after school, when she returned to Anteiku, she could always see Gao Yu calmly drinking coffee, either holding a book or constantly playing with his phone, arriving even earlier than her.
To the point that she had developed a feeling of going to work.
Normally, she mostly helped out at Anteiku, but ever since Gao Yu came, she had unfailingly been the one making coffee.
Thanks to Gao Yu, her salary had increased and her skills had improved, but a corner of the life of a corporate slave had opened its doors to her.
“Be a little more ambitious, senpai!”
With her arms crossed, Touka said unhappily.
“You can say I’m unambitious, but how am I doing nothing? I’m helping you, Touka, with your studies every day.”
Gao Yu did not care at all.
Touka was still too young.
Nowadays, being a college student was not some golden signboard, but merely becoming a corporate slave and workhorse after graduation.
“Speaking of which, Touka’s improvement has been very fast. Part of the reason is that I explained things well. You’ll be able to see the extent of Touka’s improvement in the next exam.”
“Thank you, Gao-kun. I’ll let you see my improvement.”
Touka smiled faintly.
During this period, Gao Yu’s tireless teaching had opened the door to science subjects for her.
Now she felt frighteningly strong.
“Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Mm-hmm.” Touka walked ahead in small steps with her hands behind her back.
Every time they passed a building, she would tell Gao Yu about it, and every time she heard Gao Yu’s words of affirmation, she could not stop smiling.
This school was ordinary, but with you here, even an ordinary school can make me proud.
Touka’s voice was light and cheerful, and she did not notice that she had drawn closer to Gao Yu, with only a fist’s distance between their shoulders.
Seeing Touka, who normally could barely squeeze out a smile, actually laughing and chatting with a boy, with their distance so close that there was no space between them, everyone was dumbfounded.
Several delinquents who admired Touka came forward aggressively, but when they saw Gao Yu, who was a head taller than them, they became uneasy.
Touka’s expression darkened as she stared fiercely at them, and without even saying anything harsh, they ran away dejectedly.
Gao Yu laughed out loud.
“Is Touka the school’s popular queen? Why are they so afraid of you?”
Touka rubbed her forehead.
“A bunch of idiots. They’re always making a racket, like bullying their classmates, and shamelessly pursuing me. Give them a beating and they become obedient.”
“Haha.” Gao Yu laughed.
“They treat you like their boss, right? Big sister, Her Majesty the Queen, or perhaps Her Majesty the Empress?”
Touka awkwardly curled her toes.
Gao Yu looked strange.
“…Don’t they really call you Queen?”
Touka shook her head and gritted her teeth.
“One more beating and they won’t call me that anymore.”
Gao Yu silently gave her a thumbs-up.
“Let’s look around your school some more. By the way, can we visit the gymnasium?”
“Yes, school has already ended. As long as we don’t disturb the club activities, it’s fine.”
“Then let’s go. The people who exercise at university are all a bunch of slackers. Let’s see if your school is a little more passionate.”
“…It’s not that chuunibyou. We’re not middle schoolers.”
“Maybe there are. Didn’t I hear that there’s a certain area where the high schools are all ruled by a boss?”
“…This isn’t Suzuran. There won’t be a Suzuran in the real world either. Don’t compare it to anime.”
Although she complained quite a bit, Touka did not delay her movements at all and headed straight for the gymnasium while pulling him along.
Whatever Gao Yu said, she quickly responded.
After the two had gone some distance, a head poked out from behind the bushes nearby, its owner wearing a shocked expression, followed immediately by one of exasperation.
Yoriko wore a beret and patted the leaves off her clothes.
“Touka, how could you take Gao-senpai to the gymnasium? Boys all become unable to move once they see sports. His attention won’t fall on you like that!”
Yoriko complained, “I should have reminded Touka earlier. There are several romantic places at our school. Of all places, why did she have to go to the gymnasium?”
What Yoriko had envisioned was the rooftop, sitting beneath the cherry blossom trees behind the school building, or swimsuits at the open pool, not a gymnasium full of the smell of sweat!
“No, I have to remind Touka.”
Yoriko took out her phone, her ten fingers flying as she edited the message and sent it with a single tap.
Upon entering the gymnasium, a wave of heat hit them in the face.
The boys’ team and girls’ team were each conducting basketball training.
Finding a place with an excellent view, Gao Yu sat down and swept his gaze across the entire court.
Basketball was such a passionate sport.
“Seeing what youth looks like is really refreshing.” Gao Yu sighed.
Once upon a time, he had also had such a period, except that, fortunately, he had spent all the rest of his time studying.
“It’s still not passionate enough. It’s far from Slam Dunk.”
Gao Yu shook his head.
It still did not have enough of the feeling of youth.
Right, Ge Ge?
The Black Kid revealed his chicken feet.
“…” Touka’s expression did not change.
Since she knew that Gao Yu sometimes spoke nonsense, she was already used to it.
The notification sound of her phone rang.
Touka picked up her phone, looked at it twice, and suddenly turned it off.
“Something wrong?” Gao Yu asked.
Seeing Touka shake her head, he focused on the basketball players running and jumping below.
Touka quietly moved a little farther away, her ears slightly red, and gritted her teeth as she replied to Yoriko, “What kind of ridiculous ideas are these? If you can’t come up with anything, then don’t! Go home and obediently do your homework!”
Breezing on the rooftop, leaning beneath the cherry blossom tree, swimsuits at the swimming pool—Touka trembled just looking at them.
Too fast, too fast.
Her young heart had suffered a huge impact.
Originally, there was nothing to it, but Yoriko had added kissing and hugging after every location…
Forbidden!
“What’s wrong? Your face is really red. Do you have a fever?”
Gao Yu watched helplessly as the face beside him went from pale to slightly pink to flushed, gritting her teeth as if she wanted to eat someone.
“No, it’s nothing. Yoriko wants to get slapped.”
Touka quickly calmed herself down and decided to give Yoriko the butt slaps she loved most.
“Oh.” Gao Yu suddenly understood.
So it was that mischievous Yoriko.
That explained it.
Judging from Touka’s expression, Gao Yu dared to guarantee that Yoriko had definitely given Touka some outrageous suggestions.
Otherwise, Touka would not have reacted so strongly.
“Let’s watch basketball for a while longer.”
Gao Yu gently took Touka’s small hand resting beside the chair.
Touka’s little hand trembled, her cheeks warming as she secretly looked at Gao Yu.
Seeing that his expression was normal and he was looking straight ahead, Touka lowered her head and did not pull her little hand away.
The sound of her heartbeat was louder than it had ever been, so loud that although she had been watching basketball the entire time, she had not taken in a single thing.