The closing ceremony in late July marked the end of the first semester.
It also officially concluded Aki Tomoya's first semester.
Summer vacation started tomorrow, and after the closing ceremony, students at Toyosaki Academy were free to do as they pleased.
"See you next semester, don't push yourself too hard this summer!"
After the closing ceremony, in the line leaving school, Kamigō Yoshihiko said to Aki Tomoya beside him.
After one semester, Kamigō Yoshihiko also understood Aki Tomoya's current schedule and naturally guessed what he would do during the summer.
Having ambitious goals is a good thing, but don't wear yourself out.
"You too, pay attention to your health this summer."
Pushing his bicycle out of the school gate, Aki Tomoya replied to him.
He was talking about how staying up late is bad for your health and can lead to sudden death.
However, Kamigō Yoshihiko seemed to have misunderstood something, and his expression was a bit conflicted.
"I wouldn't do something like that!"
Kamigō Yoshihiko shouted this, seemingly embarrassed, then turned around and ran off shyly with his school bag.
Looking at his retreating back, Aki Tomoya didn't know what he had said wrong.
"Staying up late is bad for your health, isn't that right?"
Aki Tomoya muttered to himself, then thought of something else and almost cursed.
He wasn't teasing about that kind of thing at all, but his friend misunderstood.
The closing ceremony had ended, and Aki Tomoya had no other business at school, so he decided to go home first.
"Aki-senpai!"
Just as Aki Tomoya was about to push his bicycle out of the school gate, a lively voice came from the side.
Aki Tomoya didn't recognize this soft voice, and she called him senpai, was she a first-year student?
He didn't think he knew anyone in the first year, did he?
Who could it be?
Aki Tomoya turned his head in confusion to look at the source of the voice. What entered his sight was a well-behaved girl.
Wearing an outside school uniform, with twin pigtails, a well-behaved and cute face, and a petite but well-proportioned figure, Aki Tomoya found this girl familiar no matter how he looked at her.
Her name, her name...
For a moment, in his excitement, Aki Tomoya couldn't remember.
"It's been a long time, Aki-senpai!"
The girl walked up to Aki Tomoya, a sweet smile on her face.
The students who were originally preparing to leave school couldn't help but look over curiously when they noticed the situation here.
The school's celebrity interacting with a very cute girl from another school was enough to pique others' curiosity.
"Izumi Hashima!"
Aki Tomoya called out her name, a happy expression on his face.
He did indeed know the girl in front of him, his junior, the younger sister of his former close friend, Hashima Iori.
Looking at Izumi Hashima in front of him, Aki Tomoya immediately remembered the figure he had sold a few months ago.
As expected, the entire Hashima family had moved back from Nagoya?!
"It really has been a long time! You've grown so tall!"
Aki Tomoya said happily. Meeting again after many years was indeed something to celebrate.
When the Hashima family moved to Nagoya, Aki Tomoya not only broke ties with Hashima Iori but also lost contact with Izumi Hashima because they were in different places.
"That's great, Aki-senpai hasn't forgotten me!"
Izumi Hashima's smile was as soft and sweet as cotton candy, making a great impression.
Meeting his junior again also gave Aki Tomoya a feeling of reuniting after a long separation.
"Do you have time now, Aki-senpai?"
Izumi Hashima asked at this point.
Aki Tomoya nodded, then noticed that they had attracted quite a crowd at the school gate, so he replied, "It's not very convenient to talk here, let's go somewhere else."
"Okay!"
The two left the school gate and went to a nearby family restaurant.
After a long separation, as a senior, Aki Tomoya felt he should treat his junior.
Izumi Hashima just ordered a drink and didn't order anything else. While waiting for the drink, she began to ask about Aki Tomoya with concern.
"How have you been recently, Aki-senpai?"
She asked this, with strong curiosity flashing in her eyes.
This was a girl who had been brought into the otaku circle by Aki Tomoya and loved otaku culture.
"I'm preparing for exams, how about you?"
Aki Tomoya replied honestly, while also feeling that preparing for exams was too boring for Izumi Hashima, so he turned around and asked her how she had been recently.
However, Izumi Hashima suddenly became a little excited: "Aki-senpai, have you quit being an otaku?!"
Izumi Hashima asked this while standing up from her seat, her eyes excited and nervous.
Her sudden outburst of excitement also made Aki Tomoya feel a little helpless.
"Pretty much. Because I have to prepare for exams, I had to quit being an otaku."
Aki Tomoya replied with a helpless tone, also thinking that Izumi Hashima should be able to understand.
To help Izumi Hashima understand, he even added, "But you can still talk to me about anime and manga, okay? Although I've quit being an otaku because of exam preparation, the fact that I was once an otaku won't change. Even if I've quit, I won't dislike anime and manga."
Aki Tomoya just wanted to tell Izumi Hashima that he didn't quit being an otaku because he disliked anime and manga, nor for any special reason, but simply because he had to prepare for exams.
He believed she should understand...
"Is preparing for exams very hard, Senpai?"
Izumi Hashima asked somewhat sadly. The person in front of her was the senior who had brought her into the circle. After confirming the fact that he had quit being an otaku from him personally, it was impossible not to be sad.
Moreover, Izumi Hashima had actually prepared a ticket for the Summer CM when she came to see Aki Tomoya today.
But now Izumi Hashima was unsure if Aki Tomoya would accept her gift.
"It's alright, not much different from other exam takers. I just suddenly decided to prepare for exams, and it seems I thought of quite a few people, and Izumi, you are one of them, hehehe..."
Aki Tomoya replied in a calm tone.
Izumi Hashima across from him looked at Aki Tomoya's smile and couldn't help but grip the hem of her skirt.
She was somewhat unable to accept this moment, but more than that, she was worried about whether the gift she had prepared would be rejected.
"Izumi, what's wrong?"
Aki Tomoya noticed Izumi Hashima's unusual behavior at this moment and couldn't help but ask.
She looked up and forced a smile, but her expression was still hesitant.
So Aki Tomoya said again, "Feel free to say whatever is on your mind. It's been so long, and I'm very happy to see you again. If you're sad, I'll become a great sinner!"
"No, I'm happy too, it's just..."
Izumi Hashima stopped talking halfway through.
"Just?"
Under Aki Tomoya's gaze, Izumi Hashima lowered her head and slowly placed the Summer CM ticket on the table.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
If you guys wanna check it out.