"Experience a day... provide some feedback..."
Hearing Shizuka Hiratsuka's words, Ye Xing merely smiled and cut straight to the point.
"Though politely worded, this is essentially a challenge, isn't it?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka sighed helplessly.
"Well, that's probably the intention. After all, that school is quite remarkable in its own way."
"Could it be... Advanced Nurturing High School?"
"Correct."
Shizuka Hiratsuka nodded, her expression turning somewhat grave.
Then, a complex look appeared in her eyes as she pressed her lips together and spoke quietly.
"They call it an exchange programme, but the outstanding student they specifically want to invite is you - the one who defeated Shuchi'in Academy's entire first year cohort."
"Our school administration's position is straightforward - they naturally want you to accept and demonstrate your exceptional abilities. This way, following our joint exam victory over Shuchi'in, we can also surpass Advanced Nurturing, which boasts that graduation guarantees the realisation of all dreams."
Ye Xing noticed the underlying meaning in Shizuka Hiratsuka's words and chuckled softly.
"You don't want me to go?"
"Well..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka's face showed concern as she frowned slightly.
"I've heard about Advanced Nurturing High School, too. Rather than calling it a school, it's more like they treat all students as beasts thrown together to fight, completely disregarding students' mental health and character development - all solely to cultivate so-called 'outstanding' talent."
"You..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka looked directly into Ye Xing's eyes, appearing somewhat nervous. After steadying herself with effort, she finally spoke softly.
"You are the most outstanding... and also my... most important student in my teaching career. I don't want you going to interact with those people in any so-called exchange programme..."
Clearly, Shizuka Hiratsuka's teaching philosophy prioritised students' growth into well-rounded, mentally healthy individuals after graduation over mere academic achievement.
This educational philosophy could be considered the complete opposite of Advanced Nurturing High School's 'raising gu' approach.
It was hardly surprising that Shizuka Hiratsuka disliked that school.
"Hmm... I see."
Seeing that Ye Xing had neither agreed nor refused, merely offering a noncommittal response, Shizuka Hiratsuka shook her head helplessly.
"By the way, it's not just Advanced Nurturing High School that sent an exchange invitation. There's another school, but this one simply wants Sobu High School's genius student—that would be you—and its most outstanding teacher—that would be me—to exchange teaching experiences together."
Noticing Shizuka's completely different demeanour compared to when she mentioned Advanced Nurturing High School, now appearing eager and excited, Ye Xing couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"You want to go?"
"Not particularly..."
Shizuka turned her face away, pretending to be indifferent as she murmured.
"But... if you, as a student, want to go... I, as your homeroom teacher, would naturally accompany you."
"Alright then, let's go. It's just one day anyway."
"Mmhmm, I'll inform the school after classes today. It should be arranged within this week."
...
After afternoon classes ended, Shizuka Hiratsuka stood behind the lectern and tapped the blackboard.
"There's something I need to tell everyone."
Shizuka scanned the students in the classroom as she spoke slowly.
"In less than a month, it will be the school festival. Each class needs to prepare a group activity—something like a maid café or a restaurant. Then on the second day, there will be student team performances, which you can arrange yourselves. They don't have to be with classmates from the same class—students from other classes are fine too."
Shizuka's gaze fell upon Kazusa Touma sitting at the back, as if she wanted to say something.
"Ahem, Touma-san."
Kazusa Touma was lying on her desk, seemingly in deep infant-like sleep, not even lifting her head.
Seeing this, Ye Xing reached out and patted Kazusa Touma's shoulder.
"Kazusa, Shizuka-chan is calling you."
The classroom was utterly silent, and every student clearly heard Ye Xing's astonishing words.
Everyone was filled with awe.
Truly worthy of Ye Xing, so bold.
Kazusa?
Had your relationship with Touma-san become intimate enough to call her by her first name?
And what was even more shocking...
Shizuka-chan? Who did that refer to? Hiratsuka-sensei?
Wouldn't using such an address for the homeroom teacher warrant an iron fist punishment?
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Shizuka merely sighed helplessly and didn't come down hard on Ye Xing, instead continuing with the previous topic.
"Touma-san, could you perform something at the school festival?"
As a teacher, Shizuka had a competitive spirit.
Although the school festival was primarily for relaxation, wouldn't it be wonderful if both the best class activity and best student performance awards could be won by Class A?
With Kazusa Touma's piano skills, if she could give a solo performance at the school festival, wouldn't that be like dimensional suppression, completely dominating the competition?
Kazusa Touma first glared at Ye Xing, the meaning in her eyes perfectly clear.
She hadn't actually been sleeping at all, merely pretending to avoid responding to Shizuka Hiratsuka.
Did you have to pat me and ruin my act of sleeping?
Then, Kazusa Touma looked towards Shizuka Hiratsuka behind the lectern and spoke coldly, her tone resolute.
"No."
"Er..."
The smile on Shizuka Hiratsuka's face stiffened slightly as she coaxed gently.
"Touma-san, please perform something... not just for the ranking, but also for..."
"I refuse."
Kazusa Touma showed no mercy whatsoever.
Performing a solo piano piece at the school festival?
What a joke. Absolutely impossible.
Seeing Shizuka Hiratsuka's somewhat awkward and helpless expression, Ye Xing suddenly spoke up with a smile.
"Shizuka-chan, Kazusa can't perform a piano solo because she's already promised me she'll participate in a different performance."
"Huh?"
The most surprised person hearing this wasn't Shizuka Hiratsuka, but Kazusa Touma herself.
Since when?
How come I didn't know about this?
Then, Kazusa Touma lowered her eyelids and spoke softly.
"Yes, that's right."
"Really? That's wonderful."
Shizuka Hiratsuka beamed with joy again.
There were two reasons for her happiness.
First, since Ye Xing said he would perform at the school festival, given his personality, he would undoubtedly aim for first place.
Second, and this was what Shizuka Hiratsuka valued most, that solitary Kazusa Touma, who had no communication with the outside world, had actually agreed to perform in public.
Regardless of how the performance turned out, as long as she performed, her reclusive personality might improve somewhat.
Moreover, she would be cooperating with Ye Xing.
Compared to competing for rankings, the progress of this problematic student, Kazusa Touma, made Shizuka Hiratsuka much happier.
"What about the class group project then?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka scanned the students in the classroom.
"Does anyone have any ideas?"
Hearing this question, the students began discussing among themselves.
"Maid cafe?"
"Yeah, a maid cafe would be great."
"Hey, that's just something you boys want to see, right?"
"No... aren't you afraid of getting beaten up by Ye Xing?"
Hearing this last remark, the boys who had been eager to set up a maid cafe looked towards Ye Xing, sitting in the corner of the classroom, in the King's Seat position, with a smile on his face, and fell silent.
That was indeed true.
If other girls wore maid uniforms, that would be one thing.
But if girls like Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, and Yui Yuigahama - who were close to him - actually worked in a maid cafe...
Wouldn't Ye Xing just smash the place?
It felt... very possible!
"That's too vulgar!"
"Exactly, something like a maid cafe completely doesn't suit the style of Class 1-A!"
"Condemn it, strongly condemn it!"
"We can't do something like that!"
Watching the boys instantly change their tune, Shizuka Hiratsuka looked speechless and sighed.
"Are there any other valuable proposals?"
Amidst the chaotic discussions, one word spoken softly by Miko Yotsuya quieted the room.
"Haunted house."
"A haunted house, huh..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka nodded and smiled.
"Although it's quite clichéd, it's also classic. As long as it's well arranged, it can leave a deep impression. Miko's proposal is excellent. Any other opinions? If not, then we'll decide on..."
"Wait a moment!"
At that moment, Yui Yuigahama suddenly stood up, looking utterly confident as she declared.
"Shizuka-sensei, I propose we run a themed cafe! Let me, Yui Yuigahama, serve as head chef – it'll definitely leave an extremely deep impression on everyone!"
"You'd better sit down right now."
Beside her, Miko Yotsuya immediately pulled Yui back into her seat, wearing an exasperated expression.
"If we actually let you be head chef and run some kind of themed cafe, our school would instantly become a serial murder crime scene."
"Eh... it couldn't be that bad..."
"Don't underestimate yourself, Yui. I'm not exaggerating in the slightest."
The members of the Supernatural Society all nodded in firm agreement, supporting Miko's opinion.
Yui Yuigahama's cooking skills had now reached a whole new level.
Previously, her food merely made people feel unwell after eating it, but now she had ascended even further.
Even Kuchisake-onna, an actual evil spirit, convulsed after tasting it.
What level of skill was that?
The title 'God of Cooking' was truly well-deserved.
"Then it's settled – we'll do a haunted house."
Shizuka Hiratsuka scanned the classroom before smiling at Miko Yotsuya.
"Miko, since it was your suggestion, you'll serve as the executive committee member. Marin, Yui, you two will assist as well. Do your best."
One had to admit Shizuka's arrangements were quite professional.
Having Miko, who proposed the idea, serve as an executive committee member, with Yui Yuigahama and Marin Kitagawa – both fellow Supernatural Society members who were outgoing and popular in class – as assistants would prevent any communication issues.
There was no doubt about it: during the upcoming school festival, Class 1-A's haunted house would absolutely take first place.
After all, among the Supernatural Society members were genuine evil spirits.
...
After school, in the music room.
"Ye Xing-kun, Touma-san."
When Ye Xing and Kazusa Touma entered together, they found Setsuna Ogiso already seated inside the music room.
"This is our first practice session – I look forward to working with you both."
"Yes, likewise."
Kazusa Touma had always been the type with a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
Though during private conversations with Ye Xing, she had expressed some dissatisfaction with Setsuna intruding on their duet practice, when she actually faced Setsuna, she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh.
"Please take care of the school festival one month from now."
"The school festival?"
Upon hearing Kazusa Touma's words, Setsuna Ogiso couldn't help but freeze momentarily.
"We're... going to perform at the school festival one month from now?"
"Hmm? You didn't know?"
Kazusa Touma took out her bass guitar to clean it, gesturing towards Ye Xing, who was standing nearby.
"This guy took it upon himself to sign us up already."
Kazusa Touma lifted her head to look at Setsuna Ogiso, her eyes showing no trace of emotion.
"With less than a month - exactly three weeks, about twenty days - to practice together from scratch, you should understand the difficulty now. If we don't coordinate well enough, we'll only embarrass ourselves on stage. If you want to quit, now's the time."
Setsuna Ogiso paused briefly upon hearing this, then replied with great seriousness.
"No... I would never quit. As long as I put in twice... no... ten times, a hundred times the effort, twenty days will definitely be enough!"
"Is that so..."
Kazusa Touma nodded noncommittally.
"Since you have that determination, we'd better start right now. Have you memorised all the lyrics?"
"Yes, I've memorised them completely. No problem at all."
"That's good."
Kazusa Touma plucked the strings of her bass.
"Then let's play through it once first."
...
Five minutes later, the song finished.
Kazusa Touma's slender, pale fingers gripping the bass tightened slightly.
Staring intently at Setsuna Ogiso, who stood there with a guilty expression, she spoke slowly.
"Ogiso, you... missed every single beat."
"Sorry..."
Setsuna Ogiso appeared somewhat dejected as she apologised.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I... I..."
"Have you ever been a lead singer before?"
"Eh? No, but I often go to karaoke alone."
Kazusa Touma frowned slightly, looking towards Ye Xing, who was holding his guitar with an amused expression, and gritted her teeth.
"You... are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"
"Not at all"
"Don't you understand that just being good at singing is completely different from being a band's lead singer?"
Kazusa Touma was truly furious.
She had originally thought that since Setsuna Ogiso had agreed to join the band, she must have had at least some relevant experience.
But instead...
Karaoke!?
Are you making fun of me?
Singing alone in karaoke with unchanging accompaniment is completely different from performing with a live band!
"Just tell me whether Ogiso sings well or not."
"She does sing well..."
Before Setsuna Ogiso could feel happy about the recognition of her singing voice, she heard the other girl continue in a serious tone.
"But that's all there is to it - just a nice voice."
Kazusa Touma looked at Setsuna Ogiso, her expression extremely serious.
"Ogiso, not only do you have problems with your entry points in the music and coordinating with the two of us, but also... performing live, singing in front of so many people - are you sure you can actually do that?"
Setsuna Ogiso clasped her hands over her chest, lowering her head.
"I... I'll work hard..."
"Work hard?"
Kazusa Touma stood up, walked over to Setsuna Ogiso, and took a deep breath.
"You having this determination is naturally good, but I'll be direct - making you capable of being the lead vocalist in just twenty days, while also considering how we'll mesh together, is nearly impossible."
"What I'm asking now isn't whether we can succeed."
"Rather... can you accept the outcome of still failing even after giving it your all?"
Faced with Kazusa Touma's words, Setsuna Ogiso's lips parted slightly, but she couldn't find the right response for a moment.
At this, a complex expression crossed Kazusa Touma's eyes. In the end, she simply put away her bass guitar, placed it in the corner of the practice room, then shouldered her school bag and said calmly, "I'm leaving first."
With that, Kazusa Touma truly left the practice room without looking back.
"Ye Xing-kun, I..."
Setsuna Ogiso's eyes looked somewhat dim as she tightly clasped her hands over her chest, murmuring softly, "Did I... disappoint Touma-san?"
"Of course not."
Ye Xing put down the guitar in his hands and smiled. "If anything, you're even more impressive than I imagined."
"Eh? Really?"
Setsuna Ogiso couldn't help but smile, though she immediately looked at him with suspicion. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?"
"Who's doing that? I pride myself on being honest."
"What about the band..."
"You should head home, too. Think about what she just said, and it's not too late to come find us after you've made your resolution."
"Hmm... alright."
Watching Setsuna Ogiso's retreating figure, Ye Xing thought to himself, 'As expected, it has to be Setsuna Ogiso.'
When was the last time Kazusa Touma said this much to someone other than himself?
It was probably the day Yukino Yukinoshita joined the Supernatural Society.
But this time was different.
Kazusa Touma's words weren't so much questioning Setsuna Ogiso as they were questioning herself.
Had Kazusa Touma ever lost at piano?
She hadn't lost, but she hadn't won either.
Not losing meant that among her peers, Kazusa Touma's piano skills were undisputedly world-class. Even someone like Chika Fujiwara, who represented the pinnacle of amateur competition, would be completely outclassed by her.
And not winning... meant that in Kazusa Touma's eyes, there was only one goal from beginning to end.
That was her mother, Youko Touma.
Giving it your all but still failing in the end...
Wasn't Kazusa Touma's question to Setsuna Ogiso also a question to her own heart?
Just then, the phone in Ye Xing's pocket suddenly rang.
When he answered, Rio Futaba's slightly anxious voice came from the other end. "Have you seen the news? Something's happened."
"Not yet, where is it?"
"That Toyogasaki High School, the one about ten kilometres from our school."