On the other side, at the Raizen High School cafeteria. Natsumi, Kotori, and Yoshino, all wearing guest slippers, were sitting in the empty cafeteria studying.
"Ah... I'm exhausted... I really want to play gas..."
Natsumi slumped over the desk weakly. Looking at the middle school reference book on the desk, her eyes were full of resentnt.
"Seriously, why do I have to co to school to study on such a cold day when I clearly don't even have exams?"
"Do your best, Natsumi-chan! Just a little bit more and you'll have finished it all."
Looking at Kotori cheering her on with an innocent smile, Natsumi felt the corner of her mouth twitch slightly.
"Um... Kotori, could you switch off your little sister mode? I am super not used to it."
"Mhm, of course, no problem."
Kotori nodded happily and changed the white ribbons tying her twin-tails to black ones.
Instantly, Kotori's eyes beca sharp, and the corner of her mouth habitually curled up slightly. Although her outward appearance didn't change at all, her overall impression instantly carried a hint of aggressiveness.
Honestly, no matter how many tis Natsumi saw it, she couldn't help but marvel at it.
"Is it better like this? I kind of don't understand your sensibilities, Natsumi."
Kotori asked doubtfully.
"Anyone who sees your Commander mode first and then your good-girl mode would feel creeped out."
Natsumi explained helplessly. She also silently added a sentence in her heart.
(Well, it would be the sa even if the order was reversed.)
"Is that so? But I am not intentionally faking anything."
Hearing Natsumi's words, Kotori smiled and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Whether it is the right now, or the wearing white ribbons acting like a good girl, Itsuka Kotori is Itsuka Kotori. It is not like one side is real and the other side is fake."
"I see."
Natsumi nodded. She could hear that Kotori wasn't lying to her. Because she often transford and played different identities herself, Natsumi could clearly recognize which part was acting and which part was nature.
Precisely because of this, she understood what was so amazing about a person like Itsuka Kotori.
"Ah... Kotori, although I feel like asking this is a bit redundant, you don't actually need to take the final exams, do you?"
"Eh?"
Kotori showed a confused expression.
"Aren't you... an employee of that world's number one ga-corporation, Rata... sothing? And you are also the commander in charge of an airship?"
A bit worried she might have stepped on a landmine, Natsumi swallowed nervously and asked carefully.
Honestly, the position Kotori was in was probably sothing many people couldn't reach in a lifeti. Especially after seeing the earth-shattering thods she used to help Shido conquer Spirits, Natsumi genuinely believed Kotori had no need for exams. In fact, if she were Itsuka Kotori, let alone taking exams, she wouldn't even necessarily go to school.
"Ah—That is a misunderstanding."
Kotori waved her hand with a bitter smile. After lowering her head to think for a mont, she organized her words and explained.
"The reason I beca the commander of Fraxinus was just a series of coincidences. How should I put it... Back then, I was completely lost and frantic, and happened to grab onto a lifeline. Then, before I knew it, I went with the flow and beca the commander. Although the results turned out pretty good, looking back now, I was really too naive back then."
Sighing with a bit of lingering fear, Kotori changed the subject and continued explaining.
"I am called a commander, but the military side of things is actually more like a volunteer group. I am fundantally still a student. As proof, apart from confirming the budget for Shido and the Spirits's dates, I have never received a salary from Ratatoskr. Right now, I still have to rely on the stingy allowance Shido gives every month to buy lollipops."
(anwhile: Shido: "Achoo!")
"I see... Um... Sorry... It seems I misunderstood."
Natsumi lowered her head in sha.
"It is fine. It is natural for you to have such doubts. Anyway, going back to the topic—"
Shaking her head to show she didn't mind, Kotori changed her tone and looked at Natsumi with a wicked smile.
"Isn't break ti over? If you don't hurry up and write, Yoshino will finish before you."
"Ugh..."
Natsumi instantly froze. Right at this mont, Yoshino's small cheer ca from beside her.
"Natsumi-san... Kotori-san... I finished..."
Saying that, carrying a bit of nervousness and a little expectation, Yoshino handed the workbook to Kotori.
"Understood. Then I will check it now, wait a mont."
Taking the workbook and flipping through it, Kotori smiled and nodded after a while.
"Not bad, most of them are correct. Good job, Yoshino."
"Y-Yes... Thank you very much..."
"Yay! Praised by Kotori-chan! That's great, Yoshino-chan!"
"Mhm... Mhm!"
Answering a bit flattered, Yoshino breathed a sigh of relief, and a bright, innocent smile appeared on her face.
(Ah... No matter how many tis I look, she's an angel...)
Natsumi looked at Yoshino, deeply moved.
Honestly, if she wasn't worried about bothering Yoshino, she would want to offer up her own allowance right now to express her emotion.
"My, my~ Natsumi-chan, aren't you done yet? Could it be you were slacking off halfway? Like Mr. Rabbit in the Tortoise and the Hare race?"
"H-How could I be—"
Seeing Yoshinon staring at her workbook, Natsumi hurriedly slumped over the desk, using her body to block the workbook, and answered awkwardly.
"I just ran into a bit of a difficult problem, I will be done in a second."
"I see... Do your best... Natsumi-san..."
"Mhm... I will do my best."
Natsumi forced a smile and nodded.
(Ah... I'm really pathetic.)
Looking at Yoshino, who had been enjoying studying the whole ti, and then looking at herself, who kept trying to slack off, Natsumi inexplicably felt a complex sense of guilt.
Speeding up and finishing the last problem, Natsumi also handed her workbook to Kotori.
"Hmph... You can do it if you try, Natsumi. They are all correct."
After checking Natsumi's answers, Kotori raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Wow—You're pretty good, Natsumi-chan! You really can't be underestimated!"
"Natsumi-san... That is amazing..."
"I-Is that so..."
Feeling the admiring gazes from Yoshino and Yoshinon, Natsumi scratched her cheek a bit shyly.
"Well, I still know how to do middle school level questions. Once you get used to it, Yoshino, you'll surpass in no ti."
"Heh..."
"Wh-What is it?"
Noticing Kotori's aningful gaze, Natsumi asked uncomfortably.
"Well, let apologize first. Actually, when I saw you looking so unwilling while being dragged out by Yutsuki-nee at the start, I thought you would definitely use a stomachache or sothing as an excuse to leave early."
"Ugh—"
Natsumi was instantly left speechless.
Indeed, she originally hadn't planned to co out at all, and had even less interest in staying at a hellish place like school. What Kotori said was exactly her initial little sche.
However, Yutsuki seed to have seen through her thoughts long ago, intentionally grouping her with Yoshino.
[I get to study together with Natsumi-san... I'm so happy...]
Being stared at by Yoshino with such pure eyes, and then hearing such an unfair line, how could Natsumi have any way to retreat?
"Well... Even if I went back, it would be really boring being ho alone anyway."
Thinking of this, Natsumi sighed in resignation. Looking at the scratch paper on the desk covered in her own handwriting, her fingers subconsciously started spinning the pen.
Since living in the Spirit apartnt, Natsumi had been living a life where she was clothed and fed without having to lift a finger. She ate when she wanted and played when she wanted. It was comfortable at first, but after a while, she vaguely felt a sense of weirdness. It was as if she were floating in outer space with nothing to hold onto.
It had to be said, although the process of studying was very dry and boring, it gave her a reassuring feeling of having her feet firmly on the ground.
"Mhm... Natsumi-san... has changed..."
Yoshino said with a smile.
"Eh? Changed? ?"
Hearing Yoshino's words, Natsumi couldn't help but point at herself in surprise.
"Yep. You sure have." The rabbit puppet Yoshinon nodded exaggeratedly and said, "Before, Natsumi-chan used to suddenly get super depressed while talking, but lately you have been able to converse naturally with everyone."
"And it feels like... you have more energy..."
"I-Is that so?"
Seemingly not feeling it herself, Natsumi scratched her head in confusion.
But it was true. During her ti with everyone here, although she would still occasionally take people's words negatively, it wasn't as frequent as before. After all, by living together, she gradually realized that everyone wasn't the bad people she imagined.
Is this considered changing? Natsumi lowered her head in thought, feeling a bit lost.
"Mhm... I suppose... maybe... probably... I... have changed a tiny bit like that."
"That is amazing... Natsumi-san..."
Yoshino said with a bit of envy.
"No, I am not amazing at all."
"But... I also want to beco... a little more confident..."
Hearing Yoshino's words, Kotori thought for a mont and then proposed.
"You know, Yoshino's emotions have also beco much more stable lately. Trying to interact with the outside world more like this isn't a bad thing, right? Do you want to try a trial enrollnt at our school?"
"Can I... really?"
Yoshino asked, pleasantly surprised.
"Of course, even just as a trial. Although there is a risk of Spirit energy backflow, if Yoshino makes the decision, we will do our best to fulfill your requests."
"Mhm... I understand."
After so thought and hesitation, Yoshino finally nodded firmly.
Seeing Yoshino's decision, Yoshinon looked like a mother seeing her daughter grow up. She happily patted Yoshino's head and encouraged her.
"Well said, Yoshino-chan! Since you made a decision, do your best!"
"Mhm, mhm."
"So—"
After getting Yoshino's positive answer, Kotori turned her gaze to Natsumi.
"Do you want to go too?"
"Absolutely not!"
Natsumi's face turned pale and she refused vehently.
"The so-called school is the so-called purgatory battlefield. Locking kids together, forcing them into one place. Cliques, infighting. Those who can't read the room get ostracized, and those who don't like to socialize get isolated. Yoshino is an angel whom everyone loves, plus she has you from the organization with her, so it's fine. But for a social reject like , going there would only end in tragedy. The best-case scenario is fading into the background and eating lunch alone in a toilet stall. Otherwise, honestly, finding trash in my shoe locker, tacks on my seat, and profanities written on my desk with permanent marker would be getting off lightly..."
As she spoke, Natsumi felt cold sweat breaking out all over her body. She clenched her fists tightly and said tremblingly.
"Besides, I can accept a mandatory event like a study group once or twice. But in an era where the internet is so developed, you can totally just self-study at ho! There is absolutely no need to be confined in that prison for the soul! Solitude! True solitude is right here in my hands! Even if I actually get a job in the future! I'll definitely choose a profession where I can stay ho as much as possible and avoid interacting with others!"
"Even if you make such a grand NEET declaration to ... Fine, if you really want to do a trial enrollnt, you'd have to wait until next sester anyway. If you change your mind, just let know."
Kotori looked at Natsumi speechlessly. To this, Natsumi declared firmly.
"No need! Making go to school is impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Original author's PS: If you want to know about Yoshino and Natsumi's trial enrollnt later on, please read the original short story "Yoshino Experience"~
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