Chapter 116: Are You Two Dating? Yukinoshita Compromises

Chapter 116: Are You Two Dating? Yukinoshita Compromises

The letter appeared in his shoe locker. If it wasn't a love letter, what else could it be?

But who would write him a love letter?

Lin Ye thought about it, running through a mental list of people, but couldn't figure out who it might be.

"It couldn't possibly be Yukinoshita, right?"

In Soubu High School, aside from teachers like Shizuka Hiratsuka and Hina Tachibana, he was closest to Yukinoshita. They could be considered friends without any issue.

But Yukinoshita writing him a love letter?

Impossible.

That cold woman writing him a love letter? A curse letter would be more believable.

No, that woman wouldn't even bother writing a letter, not even a curse letter.

As Lin Ye pondered, he suddenly noticed a gaze coming from the direction of the school building entrance. He turned his head and saw a slender figure bathed in the morning sunlight.

Her black hair fluttered in the breeze, and her deep blue eyes carried a faint trace of doubt.

Their eyes met, and neither spoke first.

"What is it?"

Finally, the girl broke the silence, her voice cool and clear.

At that moment, Lin Ye realized that his unconscious remark had been overheard by Yukinoshita.

He was about to deny it but then waved his hand, signaling for her to come over.

Yukino Yukinoshita grew even more puzzled but still walked step by step toward Lin Ye.

The beautiful figure of the girl soon appeared beside Lin Ye.

Lin Ye pointed to his shoe locker. "Yours?"

"What?"

Yukino Yukinoshita looked over and saw the letter inside the locker.

A love letter?

Someone wrote Lin Ye a love letter?

"Did you write me a love letter?"

Yukino Yukinoshita slowly raised a question mark in her mind.

Coincidentally,

Several Soubu High students who were changing their shoes nearby cast incredulous glances, their eyes filled with shock.

Yukino Yukinoshita writing a love letter to a boy?

What a joke.

Everyone knew that Yukino Yukinoshita was the most famous ice queen in Soubu High. Many boys had tried confessing to her, but all were mercilessly rejected. To this day, no one had succeeded, to the point where no boys even dared to humiliate themselves by confessing anymore.

There were even rumors among the students that "Yukinoshita doesn't like men; she likes women." Of course, this was mostly treated as a joke.

But in the minds of Soubu High students, there was a consensus that "Yukino Yukinoshita would never like a boy or date anyone."

Yet now, the conversation happening before their eyes completely shattered this consensus, leaving them in a state of overwhelming shock.

The black-haired, cool girl noticed the change in the atmosphere and felt the curious, shocked gazes from all around.

"Please don't joke around. I just arrived at the school building. Do you think I had time to stuff a letter into your shoe locker? Moreover, are you sure this is a love letter?"

Her two rhetorical questions immediately dispelled most of the doubts.

"Writing a love letter? Expressing feelings but only through a letter? If the person doesn't even have the courage to do more, I suggest they give up on love altogether."

After mercilessly refuting the idea, Yukino Yukinoshita walked to her own shoe locker. She opened it, and several letters fell to the ground with a rustling sound.

"As expected of you. There are still so many boys confessing to you."

After all, she was a beautiful girl. Even with her "fearsome" reputation, there were still boys willing to give it a try.

"Not long ago, you were among them."

Picking up the letters, Yukinoshita glanced at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye shrugged, completely unfazed. "Not anymore. I have a new target now. You know that."

"The famous celebrity, Mai Sakurajima? Or that idol from Tokyo, Ai Hoshino?"

Yukino Yukinoshita had a good memory. Lin Ye had only mentioned it once, but she remembered.

She had even searched for the latter online. She was a cute girl. As for Mai Sakurajima, she was a well-known celebrity in Japan. Yukinoshita had seen her movies before. But if it weren't for Lin Ye mentioning Ai Hoshino, she wouldn't have known about her.

"Both."

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't say anything more. She changed into her indoor shoes and closed her locker.

Carrying the letters, she headed toward the classroom.

Lin Ye followed quickly, walking behind her and admiring her slender, graceful figure.

The Soubu High girls' uniform was slim and cute, perfectly showcasing the youthful beauty of a girl. And on Yukinoshita, it was especially dazzling.

The standard uniform gave off a unique vibe.

After the two left,

The students at the shoe lockers finally let out a breath, and hushed discussions began.

Even though they knew the "Yukinoshita writing a love letter" was a misunderstanding, it still sparked a wave of conversation.

"Who's that guy?"

"The exchange student from Xia Country next door."

"Oh, right! I remember that exchange student confessed to Yukinoshita several times!"

"Haha, daring to say Yukinoshita wrote him a love letter? He's the first."

"Who knows? Maybe it's true! Hahaha."

...

...

Upon arriving at the classroom,

Lin Ye saw Yukino Yukinoshita place the letters into her desk drawer and begin preparing for the morning classes.

The girl seemed to notice Lin Ye's curiosity and, for once, took the initiative to explain. "I'll deal with them after school. I won't read them."

"Not going to throw them away directly?"

She remained calm. "I used to throw them away directly, but once someone deliberately picked them up and read them out loud."

Got it.

There's always someone who loves stirring up trouble.

Yukinoshita herself didn't care and could ignore it, but the feelings of the person who wrote the letter would be different. It would feel like a public execution.

For example, back in middle and high school, Lin Ye had no problem showing his essays to his teachers. But if his parents or classmates read them, it would feel entirely different.

And love letters? That's even more sensitive.

"Yukinoshita..."

"Hmm?"

"You're really kind."

Yukino Yukinoshita stiffened slightly, then immediately turned and sat up straight, leaving Lin Ye with a side profile.

Lin Ye smiled and looked at the white envelope on his desk.

To open or not to open?

It was the first time he'd received a letter from an unknown sender, and it gave him a sense of novelty.

Lin Ye opened the envelope and took out the letter inside.

He noticed Yukinoshita react slightly, as if she had heard the sound of the envelope being torn open.

"Want to take a look?"

Yukinoshita showed no reaction.

Lin Ye unfolded the letter and saw the neat, elegant handwriting on the paper. The strokes were clear and delicate.

The handwriting was definitely from a girl.

Lin Ye had been worried it might be from a guy.

After school today, rooftop. I need to talk to you.

The content was simple, specifying a time and place and stating the purpose.

But this was definitely not a love letter.

"Sigh."

Lin Ye deliberately sighed softly, keeping his eyes on the girl. Seeing that Yukinoshita remained in the same position, he continued, "I never thought I'd have a day like this!"

"Looks like I have a date this weekend."

At that moment,

The black-haired girl by the window struggled to suppress her inner turmoil, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

Her sharp instincts told her that Lin Ye was doing this on purpose. He mentioned the weekend specifically to see her reaction.

So she absolutely couldn't fall for it.

Seeing that Yukinoshita didn't react, Lin Ye felt a bit disappointed.

Just then,

The unmistakable figure of Shizuka Hiratsuka, clad in her signature white lab coat, entered the classroom. Shortly after, the bell for class rang.

"Class begins,"

And so, a new day of classes started.

During the lunch break,

The students of Class J gradually left the classroom.

Yukino Yukinoshita, carrying her lunchbox, glanced at Lin Ye before heading toward the classroom door, preparing to go to the Service Club.

Lin Ye walked toward the back door, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw Hina Tachibana, the teacher.

"Teacher... are you looking for me?"

"Yes,"

Hina Tachibana looked at Lin Ye's hands and noticed that he was wearing flesh-colored gloves today. If one didn't look closely, it would be hard to tell that he was wearing gloves.

Then, she glanced around and saw Yukino Yukinoshita looking at her, nodding in greeting before leaving.

"How was last night?"

"I have a general understanding. After school today, I'll ask another friend to help me continue testing."

"Can you control it?"

This was Hina Tachibana's biggest concern.

She wasn't worried that Lin Ye would actively use this ability for evil, but she was afraid of accidents.

"I think so! With more training over the next few days, things should return to normal. At worst, I'll just keep wearing gloves and maintain my distance from women."

That was one solution, but in Hina Tachibana's eyes, it wasn't a long-term fix.

"You could consider my proposal,"

"Thank you for your concern, teacher."

Hina Tachibana knew that her proposal probably hadn't appealed to Lin Ye.

"If you have any problems or run into any issues, contact me. I'll do my best to help you."

"Okay, teacher."

Hina Tachibana waved and turned to leave, only to see her younger sister not far behind her.

"Rui,"

"Sister,"

"Don't call me sister at school."

But by now, many people knew that Hina Tachibana was Rui Tachibana's older sister.

The two sisters joined up and headed to their usual spot to eat together. Before leaving, Lin Ye noticed Rui Tachibana glancing at him, her gaze deep and thoughtful.

"Probably because of last night."

Lin Ye made his way to the Service Club.

As he knocked on the door and received permission to enter, he naturally said, "Where's my lunchbox, President?"

After saying this, he noticed an unexpected guest in the Service Club.

This wasn't exactly an uninvited guest the pink-haired, bubbly girl was also a member of the Service Club. However, she had never come to the club for lunch during the midday break before.

Lin Ye walked in and closed the clubroom door. At this moment, Yukino Yukinoshita's expression seemed slightly off.

Yui Yuigahama's arrival was something she hadn't anticipated.

But since she was already here, and Lin Ye had already mentioned the lunchbox, she had no choice but to go along with it.

"Here."

Yukino Yukinoshita took out another lunchbox and placed it on the table, pushing it slightly toward Lin Ye's usual spot.

"Thanks,"

Lin Ye took it and sat down in his seat.

This entire process left Yui Yuigahama stunned.

Yukino Yukinoshita preparing lunch for Lin Ye were these two... in a relationship?

"Yukinon, are you and Lin-kun... dating?"

Yui Yuigahama swallowed nervously as she looked at Yukinoshita.

Yukino Yukinoshita's thought was that if Yui Yuigahama didn't ask, she wouldn't explain. Sometimes, explaining things proactively could lead to more suspicion. But now that Yui Yuigahama had asked, she decided to answer.

"It's repayment for saving me last week. I'm making lunch for him for three days."

Yui Yuigahama suddenly understood. "Oh, I see! I thought you and Lin-kun were dating. I even heard this morning that Yukinon wrote Lin-kun a love letter."

As expected,

The rumor had spread.

Yukino Yukinoshita wasn't surprised, but she still shot a glare at Lin Ye, as he was the main reason for this mess and had to take responsibility.

"It was someone else who wrote it to him."

Yui Yuigahama's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at Lin Ye. "Um... Lin-kun, would you mind sharing what the letter said?"

"I would."

Instantly, Yui Yuigahama looked disappointed.

"Actually, it's nothing much. It just asked me to meet on the rooftop after school."

"Wow!"

Yui Yuigahama got excited.

"A confession! It must be a confession, right?"

"It's not from you, is it, Yuigahama-san?"

"Huh?"

Yui Yuigahama froze, then vigorously shook her head. "No, no, it's not me! I don't like you, Lin-kun."

"That's somehow really sad to hear."

"I, I... um..."

Yui Yuigahama flustered, trying to explain and comfort him but not knowing how to start.

"Haha, just kidding. Don't worry about it."

But the bubbly girl was already blushing furiously from Lin Ye's teasing.

Lin Ye opened the lunchbox and saw the rich assortment of food inside: golden fried shrimp, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), tomatoes, and broccoli. It was a balanced and appetizing meal.

The only downside was... the portion of rice was a bit small.

"Yukinoshita, next time, could you add a bit more rice? Maybe double this amount."

"Okay."

"Also, I need to correct something you said earlier."

"What?"

"It's not three days. It's a month."

"You refused back then."

Yukino Yukinoshita clearly remembered that Lin Ye had rejected her proposal a month's worth of lunchboxes in exchange for him agreeing to visit her home.

"But I ended up agreeing anyway."

"That was your way of making up for it."

The two locked eyes, neither willing to back down.

This made the pink-haired, bubbly girl nervous, fearing that the two might start fighting.

Please don't fight, and please don't argue.

Yui Yuigahama was so tense she felt like crying. As the third party, she was under a lot of pressure.

"A girl asked me out this weekend. My schedule is tight."

The implication was clear.

This jerk,

Yukino Yukinoshita clenched her fists. "Two weeks."

For the first time, she had compromised with a man.

She was very unwilling.

"Two weeks at most,"

She gritted her teeth, staring firmly at Lin Ye, expressing her strong resolve.

"Two weeks it is, then. Fifteen days. Holidays and weekends don't count. Excluding today, you still owe me seventeen lunchboxes."

Yukinoshita didn't say anything, which was as good as an agreement.

Only Yui Yuigahama was curious about what could have made Yukino Yukinoshita make such a huge "sacrifice" preparing lunch for a boy for eighteen days.

Compensation? Did Lin Ye do something bad to Yukinoshita? But if it was something bad, why would Yukinoshita be the one preparing lunch for Lin Ye?

The bubbly girl's mind was spinning, completely unable to figure out the cause and effect of the situation.

"Yuigahama..."

Yui Yuigahama tilted her head in confusion.

What did he mean by "Yuigahama"? Was he referring to her hairstyle?

"Ahem, Yuigahama-san, I hope you can keep this matter confidential. If it gets out, I'll be fine I have thick skin but it might affect Yukinoshita."

This was something Yukinoshita wouldn't say, so he had to say it for her.

"Don't worry, don't worry! I won't spread it around. I'll definitely keep it a secret. No one else will know."

Yui Yuigahama repeatedly assured them.

As Yukinoshita and Lin Ye started eating their lunches, Yui Yuigahama looked at the food in her own lunchbox and felt it was a bit lacking.

Although her mother's cooking was delicious, she really wanted to try Yukinoshita's cooking too.

She was sure that if word got out that Lin Ye was eating Yukinoshita's cooking, countless boys would howl in envy.

Even she, Yui Yuigahama, was envious!

...

...

After school,

Yui Yuigahama finished cleaning her desk, said goodbye to her friends Yumiko Miura and the others, and left the classroom.

"Yumiko, it feels like Yui hasn't been hanging out with us much lately."

The bespectacled, bookish girl looked in the direction Yui Yuigahama had disappeared.

The blonde Yumiko Miura didn't think much of it. "Maybe she's just busy."

"Yeah,"

"I heard a new dessert shop opened on the shopping street today, Hina. Let's go check it out!"

"Okay."

The two girls left the classroom together.

Yumiko Miura really wanted to invite Hayama, but the problem was that Hayama had soccer club practice today. Moreover, since the start of the week, she had noticed that Hayama seemed off, as if something was weighing on him.

When she asked him directly, Hayama just smiled and said everything was fine. But as someone who always paid attention to Hayama, Yumiko Miura could tell that his words didn't ring true.

On the way to the shopping street after leaving Soubu High, Yumiko Miura asked Hina Ebina, "Hina, what do you think I should do to find out what's on Hayama's mind?"

"..."

Hina Ebina fell silent.

She knew all too well how difficult this matter was.

"Yuiko, why don't we think about how to cheer up Hayama-kun instead?"

This was an indirect way of saying there was no solution.

Miura Yuiko also knew the difficulty and, after some thought, nodded and temporarily accepted it.

The two entered the train station, waiting for the train to arrive.

...

Yui Yuigahama arrived at the Service Club and found Yukino Yukinoshita already there.

"Let's go to the cooking classroom!"

Today, they had promised Yui Yuigahama to teach her how to make cookies.

"Um... aren't we going to wait for Lin-kun?"

Yui Yuigahama looked at the last member of the Service Club who hadn't shown up yet.

"No need. He told me he's meeting a girl on the rooftop after school today, so he won't be joining the Service Club activities for now."

He's really going!

Isn't he afraid of making Yukinoshita upset?

Yui Yuigahama was well aware of the school gossip, especially the fact that Lin Ye had confessed to Yukinoshita multiple times, which she remembered vividly.

Could it be... that Lin Ye has already given up on his feelings and pursuit of Yukinoshita?

"What's wrong?"

"Shouldn't we... go take a look?"

"That wouldn't be appropriate."

At this, Yui Yuigahama hummed in agreement and followed Yukino Yukinoshita to the cooking classroom.

Yukino Yukinoshita had already reserved the cooking classroom with Ms. Hiratsuka and obtained the key.

After opening the door and entering the cooking classroom, Yukinoshita began preparing. Yui Yuigahama offered to help, but her flustered movements caused flour to scatter everywhere, giving her a bad premonition.

"I'll handle it. No need to rush or panic, Yuigahama-san. Making cookies is just about following the steps. The taste won't be amazing, but it won't be bad either."

"Mm-hmm,"

The pink-haired girl nodded vigorously.

...

Lin Ye arrived at the rooftop as promised,

but upon opening the door, he didn't see the girl he expected.

"Not here yet?"

He was early.

Lin Ye looked around and confirmed that the sender of the letter hadn't arrived yet.

He walked over to the railing and looked down at Soubu High.

On the sports field,

boys in gym uniforms were shouting and playing soccer. Lin Ye spotted a familiar figure.

Hayama,

the famous handsome guy and popular student at Soubu High.

As in the original story, he was still single.

"If he wanted to find someone to date, it would be so easy."

That's the advantage of being good-looking.

Of course, Hayama wasn't just handsome; he had a great personality, was the ace of the soccer team, and came from a good family. In terms of dating, he was a top-tier candidate.

'Click...'

The rooftop door opened behind him.

Lin Ye didn't turn around immediately. Only after the door closed again did he look back.

In that instant,

his eyes widened in surprise.

He had thought of many possibilities, but he never expected the sender to be Rui Tachibana.

But now that he saw it was Rui Tachibana, it made sense.

"Tachibana-san, what did you want to talk to me about on the rooftop?"

The blue-haired girl in Soubu High's uniform walked forward, stopping about two meters away from Lin Ye.

"I want to ask about my sister."

Her voice was calm, without much fluctuation.

But being alone with this girl, Lin Ye couldn't help but think of the first scene from the original story.

After watching so many normal anime, the opening of this one was quite explosive.

But the steamy scenes? Loved it!

That was his thought when he watched the first episode in his past life.

"Tachibana-san, as the teacher's sister, you should know more about her than I do, right?"

"Last night's incident."

Did Hina Tachibana not explain?

A slip-up,

Lin Ye thought Hina Tachibana had handled everything since she hadn't sent him any follow-up messages, but now he realized he had misjudged the situation.

"What happened last night?"

"I hope you tell the truth. I can overlook your actions last night."

"Sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about."

Rui Tachibana pursed her lips and remained silent. She wasn't entirely sure either. Meeting Lin Ye here was just an attempt to see if she could uncover the truth.

"I saw you taking advantage of my sister."

Lin Ye froze.

She saw it?

From Rui Tachibana's position, it was possible.

But rather than her seeing it, he thought she might have sensed something was off and was now trying to bluff him.

"I see."

Rui Tachibana was puzzled.

"Let me ask if I took advantage of your sister, then."

With that,

Lin Ye took out his phone and was about to call Hina Tachibana, but Rui Tachibana reacted quickly, grabbing his wrist.

"Wait,"

"Don't you want to confirm if I took advantage of your sister? Asking directly would be simpler, right? After all, my denial alone doesn't mean much, does it?"

The blue-haired girl pursed her lips but lacked the confidence to refute.

"From the start, Tachibana-san, you've already decided I did it. So, my answer doesn't matter much, and I can't prove I didn't do it."

At this, Lin Ye smiled. "It's not like you'd believe me if I just said 'I didn't do it,' right?"

Of course not,

but that would mean everything was as Lin Ye said.

Rui Tachibana was confused.

"Well, it's normal to be suspicious. After all, Tachibana-sensei is so beautiful. But don't you think it would be dangerous for you to meet me alone if I were that kind of person?"

This made Rui Tachibana's heart tremble, and she instinctively took a step back.

"Don't be nervous, just a joke."

Lin Ye smiled. "Alright, I think this matter is over. I'll take my leave now. If you have anything else, just message me, Tachibana-san. Putting a letter in my shoe locker almost made me think I received my first love confession."

But he was overthinking it.

She just wanted to ask if he had taken advantage of her sister.

The truth was, he had, and it was more than just a little.

"Wait,"

As they passed each other, Rui Tachibana suddenly spoke again. She turned to look at Lin Ye's profile. "There's one more thing. What did you and my sister talk about alone last night?"

"Tachibana-san, were you following us?"

"Please answer my question."

"Really want to know?"

Rui Tachibana nodded.

"If I tell you, you might not believe me."

"Please tell me. I'll judge whether it's true or not."

"Tachibana-sensei wants me to pursue you."

Pursue me?

Wait, why would my sister want you to pursue me? Shouldn't it be you asking my sister about me, expressing your interest, and wanting to pursue me?

This is completely different from what my sister said.

"She told me a lot about your good qualities, saying that if I successfully pursued you, you'd make me lunch every day as my girlfriend, and that you'd be an excellent girlfriend. She even encouraged me to try."

Being spoken of like this by a boy she had only known for a few days, Rui Tachibana couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.

"But I declined. I appreciated Tachibana-sensei's kindness, but I... how could I actively pursue you?"

The next sentence shocked Rui Tachibana.

"Two weeks ago, I made a bet with Tachibana-sensei that you would actively pursue me. If I pursued you, wouldn't that mean I lost?"

With that,

the confusion in Rui Tachibana's heart was finally explained. That's why her sister made the agreement with her, that even if she fell for Lin Ye, she must never actively pursue him.

So Lin Ye and her sister had this bet!

But why did they make this bet?

Why did her sister want Lin Ye to pursue her?

"Please tell me the details."

Lin Ye shook his head. "That's all for today. If you want to know more, go ask Hina Tachibana-sensei. I won't give you the answer."

Facing Lin Ye's refusal, Rui Tachibana didn't give up. "Please tell me. As a reward, I... I can make you lunch."

She continued, "You can trust my cooking skills. You'll like the lunch I make."

But Lin Ye still refused.

"Goodbye,"

He waved and left. However, as he left the rooftop, he sent a message to Hina Tachibana, briefly explaining his conversation with her sister, Rui Tachibana, on the rooftop.

But Lin Ye didn't receive a reply immediately.

"Next..."

Lin Ye looked around and decided to head to the cooking classroom first.

...

"Come in."

After the knock, Yukino Yukinoshita's voice sounded.

Lin Ye walked in and saw two girls wearing aprons, busy making cookies.

"Lin-kun, you... finished already?"

"Yeah,"

"How did it go?"

Yui Yuigahama was curious!

"Are you two officially dating now?"

This made Yukino Yukinoshita slightly raise her head, casting a glance toward Lin Ye.

"No, we just talked about how I wouldn't pursue her. She even offered to make me lunch, but I refused. Since I already have Yukinoshita-senpai making lunch for me, why would I need another girl to do it?"

Yui Yuigahama's mouth formed an 'O' shape.

Lin Ye really does like Yukinoshita more!

Seeing Yui Yuigahama's reaction, Lin Ye knew his teasing had hit the mark. "Haha, don't believe it. It's just a joke. She came to ask me about something, not to confess or ask to date me."

"What a shame. I thought today I'd experience my first confession from a girl, but it turns out I misunderstood."

Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but comfort him, "Well, someday in the future, a girl will definitely confess to you. Really."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

"Mm-hmm,"

"How about you, Yui Yuigahama-san, help me fulfill this little wish?"

"Huh!"

In her shock, she immediately shook her head. She didn't even realize it until after she reacted, and her expression looked like she was about to cry.

What an amusing reaction.

Lin Ye's smile grew even brighter.

But this didn't lessen Yui Yuigahama's embarrassment and awkwardness.

"Alright, don't take it to heart. It's just a joke."

"Mm."

Ten minutes later,

The cookies were done. On the left were Yukinoshita's cookies, which tasted fine—standard fare.

But on the right...

"Sorry, I can't try these."

The blackened, lumpy cookies looked like they'd give him food poisoning if he ate them.

Both girls stared at him.

Lin Ye stood up. "I just remembered I have something to do. I'll head back now. I already took a leave from club activities today."

Without giving Yukinoshita a chance to refuse, Lin Ye dashed out of the cooking classroom.

Only a dejected Yui Yuigahama remained.

"He was just getting a little revenge on you. They look bad, but the taste is fine,"

Yukinoshita took a bite and froze.

Why, despite her step-by-step guidance, did Yui Yuigahama's cookies taste so terrible?

It was strange.

...

Lin Ye left Soubu High and headed for his destination, Chiba Elementary School.

Today's mission was to investigate Chiba Elementary School for clues about the supernatural. If possible, he'd deal with it on the spot.

He wondered if Kyou Fujibayashi was still at Chiba Elementary School at this time.