"Huh? A school with only a few students?"
As Lin Zhi and the girls chatted casually along the way, the topic somehow drifted to their junior high days.
Suddenly, Umaru covered her mouth in surprise, staring at him wide-eyed.
Lin Zhi smiled calmly. "It couldn't be helped. Japan's birthrate keeps dropping, and young people are all moving to the big cities. It's no wonder the countryside's getting emptier and emptier."
He chuckled. "Though honestly, it wasn't all bad. But let's be real—Onee-san could probably teach elementary kids or bluff her way through middle school stuff, but high school? That's way out of her league."
"That still sounds amazing though! A whole school with only a few students—one per grade!"
Gabriel and Umaru's eyes sparkled with curiosity, clearly intrigued by the idea, while Shouko Nishimiya listened quietly at the side.
"Well, I guess you could say it was pretty amazing in its own way."
As he spoke, Lin Zhi couldn't help but laugh, a wave of nostalgia rising in his chest. He thought of that little school called Asahigaoka. After he left, it must've just been the Koshigaya siblings left there, right?
Screech!
The sudden shriek of tires yanked him out of his thoughts.
Moments later, a chorus of startled voices erupted ahead.
"Someone—someone got hit!"
"Are you okay!?"
A crowd quickly gathered at the nearby intersection—it was rush hour, people heading to work and school, and the place was packed.
Lin Zhi exchanged glances with the girls, then they all quickened their pace toward the commotion.
A Toyota Crown sat stalled in the middle of the road. The driver had already rushed out, anxiously checking on a boy lying on the ground in front of the car.
What caught Lin Zhi's eye was the boy's uniform—it belonged to a private integrated high school.
Nearby, a girl with a pink bun of hair stood frozen, clutching a fluffy dog in her arms. Her eyes were dazed, and the way she held her pet so tightly made her look utterly lost and helpless. She, too, wore the same school uniform.
Lin Zhi's gaze swept over the scene, piecing the situation together. So that's what happened… He gave the pink-haired girl a strange look.
It was school time—why on earth was she walking her dog? And that kid on the ground… he had that "nice guy who gets unlucky" vibe all over him.
For a moment, Lin Zhi didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only think, Poor guy.
Seeing that the driver had already called for an ambulance, Lin Zhi exhaled and was about to lead the girls away—
—but then he noticed the glow in Gabriel's eyes, a faint divine radiance threatening to burst forth.
And from her movement—
Swoosh!
Lin Zhi's expression changed instantly. He quickly stepped forward, pretending to do so casually, but blocking her path all the same.
"Let's just go," he said lightly. "The driver's already called for help. We're just ordinary people—best not to get in the way."
He put a deliberate emphasis on "ordinary people."
As expected, Gabriel hesitated mid-step, the holy light fading from her eyes as doubt flickered across her face.
Only then did Lin Zhi let out a quiet breath of relief.
Good—so angels really weren't allowed to reveal their powers in the human world.
The thought made him uneasy. More than the accident itself, what truly worried him was the idea of this angel showing her divine abilities in front of ordinary humans.
Sure, "heavenly exchange students" implied some kind of connection between their worlds, but clearly, those in charge didn't want it public.
And Lin Zhi hated trouble—so he had to stop it before it started.
As they passed the Toyota Crown, he noticed the back window had rolled down slightly, revealing a pair of cool, anxious eyes.
When the owner of those eyes noticed them looking, she quickly turned away and rolled the window back up.
Lin Zhi didn't give it much thought. Anyone with a personal chauffeur was obviously from a well-off family. Naturally, she wouldn't step out and get her hands dirty over something like this.
After walking a bit farther, the group split up.
Lin Zhi headed toward the private high school with Nishimiya, while Umaru and Gabriel went their separate ways.
Private Integrated High School
The school was huge, situated near Tokyo Bay, where the wind carried the chill and brine of the sea.
The cherry trees on campus were in full bloom, scattering petals through the air like drifting fireflies—soft, beautiful, and fleeting.
Watching the lively students streaming through the gates, Lin Zhi suddenly felt an unfamiliar sensation crawling over him—discomfort, maybe even detachment.
"It's been a long time since I've seen a place this lively," he murmured under his breath.
Noticing Nishimiya's curious gaze, he smiled. "You probably don't know which class you're in yet, right? Let's go check."
He already knew his own class—his grades were excellent, and the school had recruited him to boost their university admission rate. When he received his acceptance letter, his class placement had already been written there.
But Nishimiya clearly didn't know hers.
The notice board was surrounded by a sea of students, all first-years, while members of the student council tried to keep things orderly.
"Please don't push! Take your time. Once you find your name, head to your classroom. If you need help finding it, ask a student council member. And once you've seen your name, please make room for others!"
Protectively, Lin Zhi guided Nishimiya through the crowd, keeping her close behind him so no one would bump or step on her.
She couldn't speak, and if someone shoved her or hurt her, she'd never be able to say anything about it.
"There are so many people," he muttered. "Back at Asahigaoka, there were only six of us in the whole school."
He scanned the board. "Alright, Class A… let's see… ah, there's my name. And then…"
Just then, Nishimiya tugged lightly at his sleeve.
"What is it?"
She pointed at a corner of the list. Following her excited gaze, Lin Zhi spotted her name near the bottom of Class A.
For a second, he blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected them to be classmates.
Then, turning to her, he grinned and extended his hand.
"Looks like we're in the same class. Let's get along, okay?"
Nishimiya froze for a moment, then smiled—a bright, gentle smile that rivaled the sun itself. She reached out her delicate, pale hand and softly clasped his.
Though she didn't speak, her eyes said everything.
Something stirred faintly in Lin Zhi's chest. But right on its heels came an amused thought:
This girl really doesn't have a shred of caution, does she?
Feeling the warmth and softness of her hand, Lin Zhi couldn't help but think—
Such were his thoughts.
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T/N:
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