The girl's voice was soft. After asking that question, she immediately brought a piece of salmon sushi to her lips, her vibrantly red lips parted slightly, and she took a bite to indicate that her inquiry was casual.
Aozawa barely hesitated, laughing as he said, "Why wouldn't I go if someone's treating me? Besides, I need to correct you: this isn't a date. We're just hanging out."
"What's the difference between that and a date?"
"Of course, there is a difference. A date is something couples do. Hanging out is just for regular friends. If you were willing to treat me, I'd go out with you too."
"Don't flatter yourself; I won't be treating you. If you're inviting, I'll have to think about whether I want to accept."
Phoenix Academy Maggie silently sighed in relief. Aozawa probably wouldn't get a girlfriend for the time being. That way, they could continue to be friends without needing to keep their distance and gradually become strangers.
Aozawa slurped some noodles and asked curiously, "Do you spend your weekends yachting to a villa or some tourist destination for fun?"
"I never go to tourist spots. I spend weekends at home with tutors, and my schedule is always full." Phoenix Academy Maggie denied his speculation.
In families like hers, those who were saddled with expectations and destined to be successors would inevitably have a ton of coursework waiting for them. Only those who weren't relied upon could enjoy themselves freely.
"That sounds tough."
"It's okay, I'm used to it. It's the price you have to pay for wanting to hold power." Phoenix Academy Maggie casually responded and became curious about Aozawa's plans for the upcoming holiday.
May 3rd is Constitution Memorial Day in Japan, the 4th is Greenery Day, and the 5th is Children's Day. Combined with Saturday and Sunday, this meant a five-day holiday.
"What do you want to do during these five days off?"
Aozawa's first statement was a lie; the second was the truth. "I don't really have any plans; I'll just do whatever I feel like doing." He intended to cherish this holiday, taking full advantage of his Time Suspension superpower to stir things up. After all, the intensity would drop after this week.
Beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the courtyard was verdant. Inside, the scene of a black-haired boy and a blond girl chatting and laughing caught the eyes of the girls sitting at another table in the cafeteria.
Takahashi Saeko laughed. "Iroha, aren't you going to go say hello? Are you really okay with this?"
"Eating with you all is more important to me than eating with him. Boys are just passersby in life; our friendship is eternal," Ayatsuki Iroha stubbornly replied.
Tama Chan laughed. "That's true. Boys can ask you out anytime, but we only get to eat lunch together every day."
Miyahara Kaoru turned her head and asked, "Iroha, do you have any plans to ask Aozawa out during the holiday?"
"Not at all. It's a rare five-day break, so I want to seriously think about my future."
"COUGH, COUGH." Tama Chan choked on her soup.
Takahashi Saeko was so startled by this statement that her expression changed drastically. She exclaimed, "You're going to think about your future life?"
Miyahara Kaoru even reached out to touch her forehead and said, "Iroha, you don't have a fever, do you?"
Ayatsuki Iroha slapped Miyahara Kaoru's hand away and said irritably, "I don't have a fever, listen! I want to seriously consider my future! I used to want to be an idol, but now I won't consider being an idol anymore."
The memory of that extinguished light was still a pain in her heart. He was the hero she had admired most in her childhood. Ayatsuki Iroha hurriedly shook the image from her mind and changed the subject. "What are your plans for the future?"
Takahashi Saeko thought for a moment, then said truthfully, "I want to work in New York."
"That's so cool! Saeko, are you actually able to move to the United States?"
"Of course, no problem. I often go to New York to work during the summer holidays."
Ayatsuki Iroha was shocked. As a fellow high school student, she just played at home during summer vacation, yet Saeko actually worked in New York! The gap between them was just too big.
Ayatsuki Iroha then asked, "What about Maru? Do you have any plans?"
"I've already secured a recommendation spot for the Track and Field Club and will enter university as a recommended student," Tama Chan replied casually. Her grades might not have been stellar, but she was a fast runner; no one in the Track and Field Club could outrun her.
A sense of unease crept over Ayatsuki Iroha. She turned her head and asked, "Kaoru, what are your future plans?"
"If I can't get into university, I'll go back to Hokkaido to take over my family's farm."
"Even though we all chat together, shop together, and eat together, why do all of you have a bright future? Leaving me behind all alone!" Ayatsuki Iroha was astonished to realize that among the four of them in the Hot Girl group, her future seemed the darkest, without a glimmer of light, while theirs were all incredibly bright. "You're too cunning!"
Listening to her indignant accusation, Takahashi Saeko laughed. "Iroha, we've all been working hard behind the scenes, unlike you, who just lounges on the sofa like a couch potato."
"So, what should I do?" Ayatsuki Iroha's face filled with gloom, as she didn't know what to do with her future.
After thinking for a moment, Takahashi Saeko suggested, "You could play to your strengths and try becoming a fashion blogger. Film some videos teaching girls about fashion and upload them to YouTube. If you attract enough traffic, you can make money."
"I see!" Ayatsuki Iroha's eyes brightened. Her sister wouldn't let her get a part-time job, but surely she couldn't stop her from making videos at home, right?
"Saeko, you're a genius!"
Being praised as a genius like this doesn't make me happy at all, Takahashi Saeko wanted to retort, but seeing the smile on Ayatsuki Iroha's face, she swallowed her sarcasm. She still couldn't understand how a high school girl could be so easily satisfied. But she didn't dislike Ayatsuki Iroha's innocent, guileless smile.
「Night fell.」
Aozawa left the Morimoto family home for an hour of night running. His superpower was indeed potent, but the fact that it refreshed only once a week made him hesitant to rely on it completely. His life goals remained focused: winning the Jade Dragon Flag, getting into Tokyo University, and becoming a police department civil servant like Morimoto Chitose. He envisioned strict eight-hour workdays with weekends off, where his job would mostly involve drinking tea and reading the newspaper. The option of using his superpower to gain immense benefits wasn't part of his current life plans. Mainly, an ordinary high school student suddenly becoming rich would seem abnormal, no matter how you looked at it. As for the future, it depended on whether his superpower would persist into adulthood. His top priority remained getting into Tokyo University as a safety net.
After running for an hour, Aozawa bought a bottle of mineral water from a vending machine and guzzled it down. He drank all the water from the bottle in one go and tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin.
Next up was the hunting moment. Who would be tonight's lucky one?