After lunch ended, the students returned to the classroom one by one.
The homeroom teacher hadn't arrived yet.
Some chatted in groups, some finished off their bento, and others scrolled on their phones. It was the usual laid-back atmosphere of a high school afternoon.
Shuu took a sip from his juice box, mentally rehearsing the steps for initiating his first romantic interaction in this world.
Across from him, Kouno Sakura quietly sat at her desk, carefully packing away the novel she had been reading and retrieving her math notes instead.
There wasn't a single person around her.
Even in a crowded classroom, she seemed to exist inside her own little bubble.
"I know this girl's type," Shuu muttered internally. "The classic low-confidence, gentle beauty. The kind who doesn't know her own worth."
"Which makes her... approachable. Vulnerable. And more importantly—completely unclaimed in canon."
He tapped his desk lightly. It was time.
"Alright," he whispered to himself. "Initiating Route: Kouno Sakura."
He stood up.
Sakura, sensing movement, glanced over just as Shuu casually leaned closer with a warm smile.
"Hey, Kouno-san, do you want some milk?"
Sakura blinked.
"Eh?"
Her voice was soft—barely audible.
Shuu took the milk carton from his bag and held it out. "It's banana flavor. I got two by accident. You can have it if you want."
Sakura stared at the milk carton for two seconds, then looked at him, unsure.
After a long pause, she shook her head gently. "...It's okay."
Shuu didn't back down.
"Really? It's good, I swear. You like bananas, right?"
Sakura froze.
She definitely liked bananas. It was just... how did he know?
Unknowingly, Shuu's words had hit like a direct critical strike.
"W-Wait… how did you know I like bananas?"
Shuu gave a sheepish grin. "Lucky guess?"
That was a lie, of course.
He remembered that in the anime, there was a brief shot of her lunch—she had a banana tucked neatly beside her bento box. Classic detail for a background character.
Sakura hesitated, then finally—very gently—reached out and took the carton.
"...Thank you."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
But Shuu beamed. Progress.
"No problem! I hope you like it."
Just then, someone behind them spoke up.
"Whoa, Shuu, are you giving out freebies now? What about me, huh?"
Ishikawa Tooru appeared, leaning against Shuu's desk with a playful grin.
Shuu turned to him with a shrug. "Sorry, man. You missed the banana lottery."
Yuki, who had just arrived with her own juice box, looked between the two of them and then at Sakura, eyes flickering.
She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again.
Sakura, meanwhile, quietly opened the milk carton and took a small sip.
"...It's good."
Shuu caught it.
Her faint smile.
His first target... had smiled.
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