"Is this the secret of being first in grade? Talent plus effort."
Tanaka Masao exclaimed.
"It feels truly fortunate to have Xuezhixia Classmate's help."
Yukinoshita Yukino was clearly pleased by Tanaka Masao's compliment.
"Good that you know."
Tanaka Masao was a bit smug.
"Compared to Kashi, I'm much better."
"Kashi?"
Yukinoshita Yukino caught the keyword.
"What about Kashi?"
Hearing information about Kashi, Yukinoshita Yukino was somewhat concerned.
"Kashi, she…"
Tanaka Masao explained that Kashi had never studied before, and now, as a third-year student with zero foundation, she wanted to be first in the midterm exam a week later.
The difficulty was imaginable.
Yukinoshita Yukino frowned after hearing this.
"If she has no foundation, the difficulty is quite high…"
Tanaka Masao looked at Yukinoshita Yukino worrying about Kashi, and a good idea popped into his head.
"Xuezhixia Classmate, do you want to come to my house this weekend?"
Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Tanaka Masao with some wariness.
"Tanaka-kin, what are you going to do? Have you finally lost control of your beastly desires and are trying to lure me to your house to make a move?"
Looking at Yukinoshita Yukino, who was hugging herself, Tanaka Masao was a bit helpless.
"Xuezhixia Classmate, look into my eyes. Do you think I'm that kind of person?"
Their eyes met, and Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated for a moment before saying,
"Sorry, I can't see your eyes."
His glasses perfectly hid Tanaka Masao's not-so-clear and pure eyes.
Tanaka Masao coughed, a little awkwardly.
"I'm inviting you to my house this weekend because I want you to tutor me. If possible, I also hope you can teach Kashi while you're at it."
Although Kashi was a little imp, she occasionally had a cute side.
She was still his sister in name, so Tanaka Masao thought he should help if he could.
As for why he didn't tutor Kashi himself…
Please, Kashi was an idiot in his mind, the kind who couldn't be taught no matter how hard you tried.
Teaching such a person might just make him die of anger.
He couldn't do it, but Yukinoshita Yukino was a very patient and responsible person, so she should be able to complete this arduous task.
Yukinoshita Yukino: You're just bullying an honest person to death.
Yukinoshita Yukino, unaware of Tanaka Masao's thoughts, pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.
"That's a good idea, I agree."
She was just looking for an opportunity to interact with Kashi, and Tanaka Masao just gave her one.
"However, if it's only on weekends, the time might not be enough. How about starting right after school tomorrow?"
"I have no objection."
After a brief discussion, the two settled the matter.
…
The next day.
Tanaka Masao and Yukinoshita Yukino did not go to the Service Club but met directly downstairs in the school building.
Unlike the usual sparse crowds when they returned after club activities, the campus was bustling with people immediately after school.
Seeing this, Tanaka Masao instinctively fell a few steps behind Yukinoshita Yukino, following her.
The two walked quietly, one in front of the other, until they had left the campus for a distance. Yukinoshita Yukino, who was walking ahead, stopped.
She only spoke when Tanaka Masao caught up to her side.
"Tanaka-kin, why are you following me? Do you have some ulterior motive?"
Tanaka Masao was a bit helpless.
"Xuezhixia Classmate, can my image in your mind not be that of a pure-hearted, righteous, and kind person?"
"I'm sorry, I don't lie. In my heart, you have nothing to do with those words."
Lies don't hurt people; the truth is a sharp sword.
Yukinoshita Yukino's bluntness caused Tanaka Masao a little pain.
Well, he wouldn't even believe such nonsense himself.
"Ahem, the reason I walked behind was because there were too many classmates around.
You see, if a boy and a girl walk together after school, it's easy to be misunderstood, isn't it?
Xuezhixia Classmate is a celebrity at school, and rumors will definitely spread."
Yukinoshita Yukino nodded in agreement.
"You're right, these energetic adolescents love this kind of thing.
It's not like we have some illicit relationship, and I don't care about rumors, so there's no need to pay attention to other people's foolish comments."
Yukinoshita Yukino had been surrounded by all sorts of rumors since childhood.
Some were not rumors but her privacy.
Some were speculations and imaginings about her.
And most were malicious, unfounded slanders against her.
In this environment, she could be said to be immune to them.
Just pretend not to know and ignore them; anyway, these people only dare to talk behind her back.
As for confronting and scolding them…
They would retreat when faced directly, but behind her back, they would only escalate, which was completely useless.
······
Tanaka Masao scratched his head awkwardly when he heard that Yukinoshita Yukino didn't care about rumors between them.
"Uh, actually, I do care a little."
Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at Tanaka Masao and asked somewhat playfully,
"To have unclear rumors spread about you and a beautiful girl of my caliber…
As a normal adolescent male, shouldn't you feel quite proud and honored?
What, could it be that Tanaka-kin is actually gay?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's words were not wrong.
During school, if a boy could have dating rumors with the school belle, most boys, even if they denied it verbally, would be secretly overjoyed.
Because it was a sign of their popularity and charm.
"No, I am absolutely not gay!"
Tanaka Masao's stance on this matter was quite firm.
He explained,
"It's precisely because Xuezhixia Classmate is so popular that I'm afraid others will be jealous of me."
If Tanaka Masao were a so-called normie, with a decent presence in class, good social skills, and many friends,
then rumors with Yukinoshita Yukino would most likely only garner envy.
But now, in the eyes of others, Tanaka Masao was at the bottom of the social hierarchy, someone everyone could pick on.
If such a person had rumors with the school belle, what he would receive would not be envy, but jealousy.
They would think, "Why can this trash be with the school belle? I'm so much better than him, why can't I?"
Then, by constantly bothering Tanaka Masao, they would show off their presence and attract the goddess's attention.
The current Tanaka Masao certainly wasn't afraid of these people.
Even if they ganged up on him, he might not be able to defeat them, but he still had the Mark Armor.
Wearing the armor, everyone in the school combined wouldn't be his match.
But he also disliked trouble and just wanted to peacefully enjoy his wonderful school life.