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SpecialCharactersAndSymbols!@#$%^&*()_-+=[]{}|;:\"'<>,.?/
“Alright–! Everyone, gather up!”
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At the school gate, Yui Hori raised her hand and shouted, not caring about losing face.
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“Today’s goal is–sing until our throats are hoarse! Let’s go!”
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“Oh -~”
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Even the airheaded Yuzuki Yasuda raised her hand in response.
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Mio Sato pushed her glasses up helplessly, watching these two troublemakers.
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As for Xiao Chun Miura.
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She followed at the end of the group, forcing a slight smile.
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–Even though she agreed to come to relax, the moment she let her guard down, the scene she witnessed yesterday in the empty classroom would replay in her mind.
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If possible, she really wanted to zone out for a while.
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“Xiao Chun, hurry up, hurry up! If you walk too slow, the big private rooms will be gone!”
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Yui Hori’s urging voice came from the front.
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“I’m coming.”
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Xiao Chun Miura took a deep breath.
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Forget it.
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Since she was already here, she might as well go with the flow.
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Since she couldn’t think of a solution for now, she might as well throw herself into the noisy music, even if it was just to escape reality for a short while.
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Twenty minutes later.
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Shopping Street in front of the station, at the karaoke lobby of a chain store.
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The lively atmosphere felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over it.
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“Eh–?! It’s full?!”
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Yui Hori collapsed over the front desk in disbelief.
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“Is there really nothing? Even a small private room is fine! We can squeeze in!”
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“S-Sorry….”
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The young staff member shrank back, intimidated by Yui Hori’s momentum, looking troubled at the computer screen.
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“It seems several schools nearby just finished exams and events today, so…..”
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“There are still a lot of customers waiting ahead. The estimated wait time is about two and a half hours.”
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“T-Two and a half hours?!”
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Yui Hori let out a wail, deflating like a balloon.
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“No way…
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If I wait two and a half hours, all my excitement will freeze over!”
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“It can’t be helped.”
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Mio Sato helped her up.
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“After all, we didn’t make a reservation in advance.”
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“But….but we finally managed to find time…”
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Yui Hori’s voice grew weaker.
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Standing at the back, Xiao Chun Miura watched the chaotic scene and oddly felt a sense of calm.
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Yeah, this is life.
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When you want to escape something, you often can’t even find a place to escape to.
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Just smile.
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“Then… should we try another place?”
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Yuzuki Yasuda checked her phone.
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“But the other places nearby seem the same. If you don’t mind, we could go to one a bit farther?”
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“No…. I want to sing…”
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Hearing Yui Hori’s voice, Xiao Chun Miura sighed.
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“How about… we go to the arcade nearby to kill some time? Maybe we’ll get lucky and a spot will open up.”
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Before she could finish.
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“Ding–“
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A door on the other side of the corridor opened.
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It was the passage leading to the private room area and restroom.
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A figure stepped out from within.
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Because Xiao Chun Miura was facing that direction, she noticed them immediately.
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It was a girl in casual clothes.
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Though she only saw her back and profile, the tall figure and unique aura in her stride were unmistakably familiar.
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But most striking was the thick bandage wrapped around her right ankle.
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Because of her injury, she walked with a slight limp.
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That was—
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Xiao Chun Miura’s eyes narrowed.
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“.Kondo-san?”
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She mouthed the name in her heart.
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No mistake.
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That stubbornness that made her stand tall despite being injured—there wasn’t a second person like that in the whole school.
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But… what was she doing here?
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Didn’t Kanzaki Sou say a few days ago that her foot still hadn’t healed?
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Why was she at such a noisy KTV today?
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And by the look of it… alone?
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While Xiao Chun Miura was still stunned, Yuzuki Yasuda seemed to have noticed her gaze as well.
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“Hmm?”
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Yuzuki Yasuda followed Xiao Chun Miura’s line of sight, then pushed up her glasses, eyes narrowing.
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–At the front desk, Yui Hori was still stubbornly negotiating with the staff.
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“Are you sure you can’t make an exception? Like, if someone goes overtime or something…”
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“Yui, stop it.”
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Yuzuki Yasuda suddenly spoke, reaching out to grab Yui Hori by the back of the collar.
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“Eh? Yuzuki, what are you doing…”
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“Look over there.”
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Yuzuki Yasuda raised her chin, pointing down the corridor.
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Yui Hori and Mio Sato turned their heads together.
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“That is…”
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Yui Hori blinked, then her eyes widened in shock.
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“Kondo Haruka?!”
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The exclamation wasn’t loud, but it was jarring enough.
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The figure struggling toward the vending machine froze.
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Then, she slowly turned around.
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Sure enough, it was Kondo Haruka.
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When she saw the group standing at the front desk—especially Xiao Chun Miura, who wore a complicated expression in the center—her face cycled through a range of emotions.
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Surprise, awkwardness, and a touch of indignant embarrassment at being caught, all played across her beautiful features.
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“Why is it you guys?”
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Kondo Haruka frowned, instinctively hiding her injured right foot behind her, trying to maintain her “ojou-sama” dignity.
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“Ah, it really is Kondo-san!”
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Yui Hori hopped over as if discovering a new continent, completely oblivious to the awkward atmosphere.
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“What a coincidence! Did you come to sing too?”
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Kondo Haruka looked at this overly familiar girl, the corner of her eye twitching.
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“Obviously.”
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She replied, exasperated.
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“Why else would someone come to KTV? To do laundry?”
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Though her tone was still sharp, compared to her icy attitude before the sports festival, there was now a hint of… humanity?
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Xiao Chun Miura watched this, feeling a quiet sense of relief.
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It seemed that the conversation in the infirmary that day, as well as Kanzaki Sou’s cold treatment these past few days, had indeed worked.
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This once untouchable ojou-sama was slowly learning how to interact with others—albeit in an awkward way.
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“Kondo-san… is your foot okay?”
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Xiao Chun Miura stepped forward and asked politely.
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“Kanzaki-san said you were resting at home…”
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At the mention of “Kanzaki-san,” Kondo Haruka’s expression softened briefly, but quickly hardened again.
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“Hmph, Sou is just exaggerating.”
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She turned her face away, looking proud.
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“It’s just a sprain, not a fracture. No need to be so delicate.”
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“And besides…”
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She seemed to remember something, her gaze turning evasive.
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“Staying home was too suffocating. My parents wouldn’t let me play tennis or go out, so I had to sneak out to vent a bit.”
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She glanced suspiciously at Xiao Chun Miura’s group.
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“But you guys, why are you standing at the front desk looking all gloomy? Forgot your money?”
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“Of course not!”
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Yui Hori protested immediately, then slumped again.
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“There weren’t any rooms left! It’s full! The wait is two and a half hours!”
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“Huh? Full?”
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Kondo Haruka raised an eyebrow.
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“That’s extreme.”
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“Yeah…”
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Mio Sato sighed.
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“Because it’s Friday.”
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“So we were just about to head back.”
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Xiao Chun Miura added.
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“Since there are no spots, we can’t help it.”
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“Head back?”
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Kondo Haruka looked at them, then at the electronic sign beside her flashing “full” repeatedly.
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She seemed to be deep in thought.
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Her brows knitted, and her fingers unconsciously twisted a lock of hair.
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Xiao Chun Miura saw the gesture and felt a strange premonition.
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No way…
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“Um…”
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After a few seconds, Kondo Haruka suddenly spoke.
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She didn’t look at anyone, her gaze fixed stubbornly on the vending machine, as if she might burn a hole through it.
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“Since we’re all here……going back just like this feels pretty lame, doesn’t it?”
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