Chapter 124: Every Day Changes

The purification of the Sacred Cherry Tree took a long time, but it can be summarized in just a few words. The five barriers were essentially repetitive tasks. It's like the question of how to fit an elephant into a refrigerator—impossible in reality, but with words, it can be done in just a couple of sentences.

—Reality and language are not always aligned.

"So, you dreamed of yourself being a priest in your dream?"

"Yukinoshita-san, aren't you even slightly suspicious? My logic is so tight, what if it's true?" Li Mo asked.

"?"

Tight logic?

Yukinoshita Yukino raised her head slightly, tilting it upward. "Scattered words like snowflakes can be called tightly logical? Even a high school student could make up such a story."

Li Mo replied, "It's not that bad, is it? A high school student couldn't come up with a story like mine."

"True, a high school student probably wouldn't make up something so mundane. They wouldn't bother with something so boring," Yukinoshita Yukino said, almost apologizing on behalf of high school students.

"Looks like my storytelling skills are worse than a high school student's. Oh well, Hikigaya and the others are here."

They were plural, meaning Hikigaya must have come with Yuigahama Yui.

—Again, the two of them together.

From the memories in his mind, Li Mo noticed that Yuigahama Yui had been coming to the clubroom with Hikigaya for the past two days. She seemed bolder than before?

As expected, Hikigaya and Yuigahama Yui arrived together, but there was someone else following them.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was dressed as usual, her white coat fluttering behind her, reminding Li Mo of his haori from the Demon Slayer world.

It really was cool.

The word "cool" suited Hiratsuka Shizuka well. Even as a teacher, she carried herself with a certain **graceful** demeanor.

"How was Silverman Gym? I heard you went all the way to Tokyo. There's actually one in Chiba too," Hiratsuka Shizuka asked Li Mo.

Li Mo said, "It was alright. The coach there, Street Fighter Makio, is quite interesting. I also met a fascinating friend there."

Hanazono Yurine, truly an interesting person. Her agility, strength, and stamina were all above his own, and she might even know some black magic. At the time, the only thing he had over her was combat skills.

Overall, she was an interesting friend, right?

"A girl?" Hiratsuka Shizuka asked.

"Ms. Hiratsuka, were you following me?"

"Your smile was so... spring-like, even a blind person could tell," Hiratsuka Shizuka teased.

Li Mo said, "Ah, so this kind of smile is called 'spring-like'? I haven't experienced it yet, but I'll remember it for next time and make sure to use it."

"I wasn't complimenting you... Seeing how thick-skinned you are, I feel relieved. You seem pretty normal after all," Hiratsuka Shizuka said.

She had heard from Yukinoshita Yukino that Li Mo's demeanor seemed different, so she came to check on him. It hadn't been long since his strange illness disappeared. What if it relapsed? Or if there were aftereffects?

Illnesses aren't scary; what's scary is an illness that no tests can detect.

Li Mo said, "Ms. Hiratsuka, there's no need to worry. I know my own body well."

"Alright, then I won't bother you any longer. Any special requests for this week's afternoon tea snacks?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka had promised Li Mo she'd handle the afternoon tea snacks for the day, so she casually asked.

"Nothing specific, Ms. Hiratsuka. Feel free to choose."

Hiratsuka Shizuka left without hesitation. She knew the limitations of a teacher's presence among students. When a teacher is around, students often can't fully express themselves.

—Except for problem children.

"Hey, hey, Li-san, what was the girl you met at the gym like?" Yuigahama Yui followed her curiosity.

Li Mo felt the disdainful gaze from Yukinoshita on his left gradually fade. It seemed that no matter how much she looked down on him, it didn't bother him much.

He thought for a moment and said, "She's a college student. Her hobbies include black magic and B-movies."

B-movies? Yuigahama Yui was a bit confused by the term. Japan's rating system mostly uses standards like "R-18." B-movies are more of a Western concept.

"Blood, violence, horror. It seems your friend's interests are quite different," Yukinoshita Yukino provided some keywords.

Among those present, only Yuigahama Yui seemed lost.

Hikigaya-kun also seemed to understand these things well.

Li Mo said, "Pretty much. We became friends after sparring a bit."

"Forgive me for asking, but what exactly do you mean by 'sparring'?" Hikigaya, with his sharp perception, sensed that Li Mo's explanation wasn't as simple as it sounded.

Li Mo said, "Free combat. Hanazono-san's fighting skills are average, but her strength is extraordinary. She's the strongest person I've met so far."

Thinking about it, Hanazono Yurine's strength surpassed even Akaza's. It's no wonder she's considered the pinnacle of combat power in a comedic manga. During that sparring session, if Hanazono Yurine hadn't held back, they probably wouldn't have been able to have fun together.

"Is that so?"

Sparring refers to free combat? What kind of sparring is that?! Hikigaya's internal monologue was in full swing.

Yukinoshita Yukino said, "I see. So you can't suppress your 'animalistic instincts'? Has the **repressed** experience from last year changed you so much? Extreme reactions? I think you should see a psychologist."

Last year, Li Mo was so withdrawn that it felt like he was being subjected to **emotional abuse**.

Now, Li Mo is outgoing, active, and even enjoys fighting.

He's a completely different person.

Li Mo said, "My psychology is very healthy. Seeing Yukinoshita-san's face puts me at ease. You don't need to worry about me going astray."

"So my beauty has such an effect? Then I'll allow you to admire it. Consider it my mercy."

"Thank you for your generosity, Yukinoshita-sama," Li Mo said with a grin.

Yuigahama Yui watched their exchange and leaned over to Hikigaya, saying, "Do you think Li-san realizes that Yukinon is being sarcastic?"

Hikigaya said, "This is just how they interact. You can see that Yukinoshita-san's sharp tongue has softened a lot because Li-san doesn't care at all."

Even the sharpest spear feels powerless against a fortress wall. Their bickering was something Hikigaya was getting used to.

—At least Li Mo could help draw attention away, allowing Hikigaya to stay **independent** and pursue his own hobbies, like observing people.

Li Mo was also a very special person. After just one night apart, Hikigaya felt that Li Mo had changed significantly. If yesterday's Li Mo was like a sharp sword, **revealing his edge**, today's Li Mo had hidden his **sharpness**, like a sword finding its sheath, becoming much smoother...

So, is he really just a high school student?

Hikigaya pondered, but soon he noticed that Li Mo was smiling at him.

As if he knew Hikigaya had been observing him.