At the end of the day, they were still just teenagers in their mid-teens.
Before departure, the atmosphere was lively.
Laughter and conversation filled the air.
( ) )) ()
The teachers at Shuchiin Academy didn't intend to enforce strict discipline.
At school, the rules were always strict and suffocating.
Now that they were out, a little relaxation wouldn't hurt.
After that, each class began dividing into groups.
For Yukima Azuma's class, their group leader was homeroom teacher Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Kid, looking forward to the trip?"
( )
Seeing Yukima Azuma standing alone, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked up and asked.
He had been lost in thought
Hearing her voice, he snapped out of it and nodded.
"Yeah, I guess I'm looking forward to it."
"Do you want to switch seats later and sit with the student council?" Hiratsuka asked.
Though Yukima Azuma wasn't exactly isolated in class
After transferring between schools, he had taken an extended leave shortly after.
And in his free time at school, he was almost always in the student council room.
As a result, in his own class, he barely had any close friends.
Fujiwara Chika was one, but right now, the energetic girl was busy hanging out with her board game club friends.
Other than that, if he had to name someone
Maybe Shijo Maki counted as an acquaintance.
But given Shijo Maki's personality
Of course, she wouldn't actively approach Yukima Azuma.
So, from an outsider's perspective, he looked a little lonely.
After all, he was still her student
And more importantly, the boy her close friend had entrusted to her care.
When it came to Yukima Azuma, Hiratsuka Shizuka was always willing to bend the rules a little.
For example, allowing him to temporarily leave his class group and join the student council group.
However
Yukima Azuma shook his head.
"No need, Hiratsuka-sensei, you don't have to worry about me."
"If I wanted to make friends, I'd have no problem getting to know people in class soon enough."
Hiratsuka Shizuka let out a small "Oh."
She didn't doubt it.
With her sharp insight
Ever since Yukima Azuma transferred in, Hiratsuka Shizuka had noticed.
This boy was not the type to be withdrawn.
The way he handled social relationships
Was no less skilled than a seasoned teacher like her.
There was absolutely no need to worry about him.
Snapping out of his wandering thoughts, Yukima Azuma decided to stop thinking about unrelated things and focus on the field trip.
Instead, he actively started a conversation with Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, what exactly are we going to do on this trip?"
Hearing that, Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed softly, pressing a hand to her forehead in mild exasperation.
"You Let me guess, you didn't even bother to read the school's guidebook, did you?"
"( _ <,, )
Yukima Azuma grinned, laughing sheepishly, pretending to play dumb.
Seeing his reaction, Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't scold him any further
She simply began explaining the itinerary for the trip.
"This time, our destination is Hawaii."
"The first two days will be spent exploring local towns, after which students must write a report about traditions and customs."
"On the third and fourth day, we'll have time to experience the beaches."
"From the fifth to the seventh day, the school has rented a ship for us to sail out to sea, where students can try deep-sea fishing."
Hearing that, Yukima Azuma couldn't help but be amazed.
What a grand itinerary.
As expected of Shuchiin Academy.
Most ordinary schools only organized field trips for formality's sake.
After arriving at their destination, there were usually very few hands-on experiences.
Most of the time, it was just staying at a designated camp.
After all, allowing students to try new and exciting activities
Was not only expensive and troublesome, but also risky.
For normal schools, it simply wasn't worth the investment.
But Shuchiin was different.
As an elite academy that emphasized comprehensive education, they never did things half-heartedly.
While Yukima Azuma was chatting with Hiratsuka Shizuka
It was finally time for Class 1-B to board the plane.
Blending into the crowd, he passed through the boarding gate.
He wasn't sure if the seating arrangement followed the classroom seating chart
But somehow, the seat next to him ended up being Shijo Maki.
The Oujou-sama from the Shinomiya Group's branch family, upon seeing Yukima Azuma
Immediately crossed her arms, huffed, and turned away in displeasure.
( )
Well, that was expected.
Ever since they were at school, Yukima Azuma had loved teasing Shijo Maki.
Being constantly pestered by him, this kind of tsundere reaction from the twin-braided girl was nothing new.
"Ah, a spider."
Yukima Azuma casually remarked, his voice flat and emotionless.
Shijo Maki, who had just turned away, immediately flinched and snapped her head back
Her eyes darted around in panic, searching for the spider.
;
Even for an Oujou-sama, certain instinctual fears were unavoidable.
But after looking around for a while, she found nothing.
Letting out a relieved sigh
Shijo Maki glanced at Yukima Azuma with suspicion.
Only to see
The boy calmly reading a Russian novel in his hand, continuing to the next line as if nothing had happened.
At that moment, she realized she had been tricked.
Shijo Maki immediately glared daggers at him.
( _ )
But Yukima Azuma remained completely unfazed.
"Want to read a light novel?"
"Hmph, no need."
()
Shijo Maki huffed coldly, turning her head away once again.
The plane took off.
As they soared through the sky
Shijo Maki started to regret her decision.
On the plane, phones had to be turned off.
She did have a few things in her backpack to kill time during the flight
But the problem was, her backpack had already been stored in the overhead compartment.
And her seat was on the inner side
Which meant she'd have to ask Yukima Azuma to move if she wanted to retrieve it.
More importantly
With her height, getting the backpack down by herself seemed to be a bit challenging.
She had needed the flight attendant's help to put it up there in the first place.
A sense of boredom slowly crept over her.
Especially with a certain someone sitting next to her, completely engrossed in his book.
Just as Shijo Maki was hesitating
A light novel was suddenly extended toward her from the side.
Out of reflex, she accepted it.
She glanced at the book's cover.
"The Youth of a Lonely Boy Will Not Dream of a Passerby Heroine What is this?"
( -)?
She read the title aloud with a puzzled expression.
For a young lady like her, who had never touched a light novel before
Her impression of "novels" was still limited to classic literary works from various countries.
"A school romance story. Try reading it yourself."
Yukima Azuma responded, eyes still glued to his own book, not even bothering to look up.
Hearing that, Shijo Maki scoffed mockingly.
"So, just another cheap, mainstream book? Your taste is really"
Before she could even finish her sentence
Yukima Azuma cut her off.
"This series has sold over 15 million copies across Japan."
Shijo Maki froze.
( ®® ) ?
15 million copies
That number alone was enough to prove the book's worth.
If she continued insulting it, she'd only end up making herself look ignorant.
At the same time, her curiosity was piqued.
A book like this
What exactly made it so special?
With that thought in mind, she flipped to the first page.
Immediately, her eyes landed on a signature from the author.
The name written there was
Yukimi Azuma.
Shijo Maki couldn't help but glance at him again.
"This book"
"I wrote it."
This time, Shijo Maki was completely speechless.
15 million copies
And the person who wrote it was sitting right next to her.
That number, whether in terms of profit or fame, was an incredible achievement.
Beyond curiosity
A subtle desire to unravel the mystery behind this book began to take root in her heart.
She turned to the first chapter.
The words on the page, brimming with the youthful spirit of a school romance, danced before her eyes
As if pulling her into a radiant summer, where the chorus of cicadas echoed in the air.
Some might assume that studentsthose who were already living through their youth
Wouldn't be too interested in reading school romance stories.
But in reality, that wasn't the case.
Precisely because they were experiencing youth
They resonated with such stories even more deeply.
It wasn't about admiration or nostalgia
It was about a genuine connection, making them even more immersed.
After just a few pages
Shijo Maki had completely forgotten all her initial doubts.
She was utterly engrossed in the world of words.
(*)*.
...
(Note: I'm pretty sure that last time in Hokkaido MC said he would visit Bocchi when he came back, but now he's back on his travels.)
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 235: Shinomiya Kaguya Starts Getting Serious!
Chapter 235: Shinomiya Kaguya Starts Getting Serious!
"It's time to get off the plane."
Yukima Azuma gently poked Shijo Maki on the forehead.
( )(._.`)
The girl, who was completely immersed in Saekano, was startled upon hearing that.
She looked up and glanced out the window.
Sure enough
The scenery outside was no longer the blue and white sky.
Instead, it was a foreign airport in a distant land.
The flight from Japan to Hawaii
Was not short at all.
Yet for Shijo Maki, it felt like just a blink of an eye.
Realizing that she had been so absorbed that she completely lost track of time
She was momentarily dazed.
Even when Yukima Azuma poked her forehead, she had not yet fully recovered.
Only after a while
Did Shijo Maki finally look at him and slowly say:
"I admit, this novel is truly outstanding."
(,,,,)
In her eyes
There was astonishment, a hint of reluctance, and a trace of admiration.
Her expression of "you're better than me now, huh?"
( )
Made Yukima Azuma want to reach out and tug at her twin braids.
But instead
He simply took his backpack down from the luggage rack.
Yukima Azuma conveniently grabbed Shijo Maki's backpack as well and tossed it to her.
Watching Yukima Azuma easily reach up and take the bags down, while she had to stand on tiptoes just to barely touch them
Shijo Maki felt a strange sensation welling up inside her.
Like the protagonist in a novel Is he really 1.8 meters tall?
Looking up at Yukima Azuma again.
Shijo Maki had a feelingit might actually be true.
In Japan, where the average height is relatively low.
Yukima Azuma's height was indeed quite striking.
But for some reason, it was only today that Shijo Maki noticed this.
After mentally comparing Yukima Azuma to the protagonist in the book.
Shijo Maki immediately realized.
The two had a lot in common.
After all, the protagonist under Yukima Azuma's pen was based on himself.
And upon discovering this, Shijo Maki instantly began applying the psychological descriptions from the book to Yukima Azuma.
Suddenly, she felt like she understood him much better.
"What are you spacing out for? Give the book back."
Yukima Azuma saw Shijo Maki still looking dazed.
He really couldn't figure out what this tsundere girl was thinking.
He simply reached his hand out toward her, demanding the light novel back.
Hearing that, Shijo Maki instinctively hugged the book tightly to her chest.
She hadn't finished reading it yet!
She was already completely engrossed in Saekano's storyline.
If the book was taken away now.
It would be no different from taking Shijo Maki's life.
The craving to read was serious, okay?!
Seeing Shijo Maki looking like a mother tiger protecting her cub.
( )
Yukima Azuma couldn't help but let out a faint smile.
As for Shijo Maki, at this moment, she suddenly realized something.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you? You never intended to take the book backyou just wanted to tease me, didn't you?"
( ,,'',,)
She stared straight at Yukima Azuma, emphasizing each word.
Yukima Azuma was slightly taken aback.
Huh? Did the tsundere just get smarter?
In truth, although Shijo Maki was a tsundere, she was undeniably a true genius.
Her intelligence level was nearly identical to Shinomiya Kaguya's.
In terms of IQ, her scores were extremely high.
It was just that before, her EQ had been somewhat lacking.
But after understanding Yukima Azuma better
Shijo Maki immediately grasped this teenage boy's wicked little habit.
After all, in the book, the protagonist would also occasionally tease the heroine.
The only difference was the frequency.
With the heroine in the book, he only teased her once or twice for fun.
But with her
Every time they met, he just had to mess with her a little.
Shijo Maki took a deep breath, puffed her cheeks, and glared at Yukima Azuma.
( ) !!!
So annoying! This guy!
"How much is this book? I'll buy it from you."
( _ )
Shijo Maki shot him a glare and asked.
"This is a collector's edition, not for sale. Plus, it has my autograph."
_()_/
Yukima Azuma stated the truth.
Hearing that, Shijo Maki's expression drooped slightly.
If it was a non-sale edition, then she really couldn't buy it with money.
But returning the book to Yukima Azuma right now...
She really couldn't bear to do it.
She wasn't even sure if bookstores in Hawaii sold Japanese light novels.
Just as she was struggling over what to do
"But if Shijo-san likes it, I'll just give it to you for free."
( )
Yukima Azuma, after pausing deliberately, finally chuckled and spoke.
At first, Shijo Maki was overjoyed, nearly jumping in excitement.
