C15 Tokisaki Kurumi

Zero was clearly preoccupied as she changed back into her own clothes in the dressing room, her thoughts incessantly replaying the elf's parting words whispered in her ear, "We'll meet again soon." What could that possibly mean?

With that question nagging at him, Lin Mu skipped dinner entirely. Shido and Itsuka were concerned, but Lin Mu brushed off their worries, claiming he wasn't hungry due to drinking too much coffee that afternoon.

It wasn't until nearly eight in the evening that Lin Mu had a sudden realization—he hadn't done his weekend homework, and tomorrow was Monday. He couldn't help but lament, "No matter the world, homework is always such a pain..."

Leaning out the window, Lin Mu called out desperately to Shido across the way. Despite Shido's protests that copying homework was wrong, he ultimately couldn't stand to see Lin Mu struggle through the night to catch up.

Copying Shido's assignment was no small feat, so the next morning, Lin Mu left the house sporting faint dark circles under his eyes.

Upon reaching a crossroads, Lin Mu and Itsuka went their separate ways—Itsuka to her middle school, and Lin Mu and Shido to Laizhan High School via another route.

Upon arriving at school, the first order of business was to change shoes at the locker. Lin Mu had a habit of forgetting this step, but luckily, he usually arrived with Shido, who made sure he didn't walk into class with the wrong shoes.

Lin Mu's locker was adjacent to Shido's. As he opened it, Lin Mu grumbled, "Why does the school have to have such annoying rules..."

"Come on, no grumbling. You'll get used to it," Shido reassured him as he opened his own locker.

But when Lin Mu opened his locker, he was greeted not by the expected white indoor shoes, but by a light pink envelope resting atop them.

"Huh? What's this?" Lin Mu said, bewildered, as he pulled out the envelope. Shido turned at the sound, and upon seeing the pink envelope in Lin Mu's hands, the first thought that sprang to his mind was "love letter?"—and he voiced the thought aloud.

When Lin Mu heard Shido's words, he was taken aback for a moment before examining the handwriting on the envelope.

For Lin Mu's eyes only.

"Yes, this is indeed for me," Lin Mu remarked casually.

Shido, having just changed his shoes, craned his neck to get a look, driven by curiosity. After all, neither he nor anyone in his circle, including himself, had ever received a love letter, so his interest was piqued.

Lin Mu smirked, opened the envelope, and glanced at the contents. It was straightforward with a very clear message, consisting of just one line.

I've liked you since the first time I saw you. Will you go out with me?

The signature belonged to a girl named Yagyuu Meiyou, whom Lin Mu clearly did not recognize.

Lin Mu turned to Shido, whose mouth hung open in astonishment at the blunt confession, and asked quietly, "Hey, snap out of it. Do you know this Yagyuu Meiyou?"

Shido, brought back to reality by Lin Mu's question, thought for a moment and shook his head. "I've never heard that name before; I don't know her. But what's your plan? Are you going to accept?" Shido was genuinely curious about Lin Mu's next move.

To his surprise, Lin Mu chuckled and said, "Date? You must be joking. That would just add to my already strained finances."

Clearly, Lin Mu intended to decline. Shido, understanding Lin Mu's stance, nodded slightly and added, "Well, make sure to handle it with care. It takes a lot of guts to confess like that."

"Really? Have you ever tried?"

"...No, I haven't..."

Unbeknownst to Lin Mu and Shido, the girl who had been eavesdropping from behind a nearby wall had her spirits visibly dampened by their conversation.

...

Lin Mu returned the love letter to the shoe cabinet, planning to inquire in the classroom later if anyone knew the girl, and then send her a polite but firm rejection.

As he waited for Lin Mu to finish changing his shoes, Shido mused, "Mu really is popular with the ladies, isn't he?"

Back in the classroom, Lin Mu made a point to ask a classmate about Yagyuu Meiyou and learned that she was in the next class over.

Soon, the bell signaled the start of class, and their teacher, Ms Tamae, petite and affectionately known as 'Little Pearl' by the students, entered with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning, everyone! I have some exciting news to share. We have a new student joining our class today!"

Lin Mu, who had been dozing off at his desk, perked up at the mention of a new classmate, fighting off the urge to sleep and looking up with keen interest.

Without waiting for the students to react, Ms. Tamae called out to the doorway, "Alright, come on in."

Then... a stunning brunette with an alluring charm entered the room. Her air of nobility and mystery, along with her impeccable figure and features, captivated everyone like a gravitational pull.

Lin Mu's drowsiness vanished the moment he saw her. His eyes widened in shock, his face a picture of disbelief. It was as if a hundred thousand Guo Degang teachers were parading through his mind on alpacas, brandishing their halberds and belting out, "The chilly night air is filled with longing for you ~"

The brunette glided to the blackboard and with a piece of chalk, wrote her name in four elegant characters:

Tokisaki Kurumi.

Turning to face the class, she parted her lips slightly and introduced herself, "My name is Tokisaki Kurumi."

Her words were met with a chorus of wolf whistles from the boys, many of whom even stood up in their excitement. Amidst the commotion, Lin Mu stood out, feeling completely out of sync with the rest, thinking to himself, 'Mom, I want to go home...' despite not having a mother.

"I'm actually an elf~," Kurumi said with a smile, locking eyes with Lin Mu, who felt his mouth go dry and his lips twitch involuntarily.

After Kurumi's revelation, the class was mostly unfazed, except for two students who were visibly shaken—one being Itsuka Shido, seated right behind Lin Mu.

Regardless of the students' reactions, Ms. Tamae was at a loss on how to respond to Kurumi's candid introduction.

"Well, that was certainly a unique introduction... Now, let me find you an empty seat..." Ms. Tamae began, her polite smile intact, but Kurumi cut her off.

"Before that, I have a request."

"Oh? What is it?" Ms. Tamae asked, looking puzzled.

"I'm still not familiar with the school. I'd like to ask someone to show me around the campus after school," Kurumi requested with poise and grace.

Before she could finish her sentence, an ill-timed voice chimed in, "Please, let me handle it!"

It was Harimachi Hiroto, already standing and eagerly volunteering with a raised hand—the self-proclaimed "official boyfriend" of Shido.

"No thanks, that won't be necessary." Yet, Kurumi's dismissal was even more emphatic than Hiroto's unsolicited offer.

Disregarding everyone else, Kurumi approached Lin Mu, "Oh, Lord Lin Mu, here we are again. Would you mind taking care of this for me?"

Lin Mu gulped. While others might jump at the opportunity, he certainly did not share their enthusiasm. Struggling to maintain composure, Lin Mu managed a strained smile, "I'm terribly sorry, Tokisaki. I've got a part-time job at a café after school, as you might be aware... Being late means a pay cut, and as an international student here on my own, I rely entirely on that income to get by..." His implication was clear: he was unavailable, and she should seek help elsewhere—though Lin Mu would never dare to be so blunt.

Kurumi, however, laughed lightly, "Well then, Lord Lin Mu, how much do you earn? I'm willing to compensate you for your time after school."

Lin Mu was speechless. "Seriously? What have I done to deserve this? Why are you so insistent on backing me into a corner?"

When Lin Mu remained silent, Kurumi's face fell into a crestfallen expression, and she said with feigned sorrow, "Do you really dislike me that much, Lord Lin Mu?"