"What you're worried about probably won't happen." Ai remembered seeing many couples at her old school, and even one pair openly flirting in class.
So, she and Hiko walking home together after school would probably just be a small piece of gossip; even if they were really a couple, it wouldn't be a problem.
Perhaps only seeing them enter a love hotel or similar establishment would truly surprise people and be big news.
"Is it because you think it would be normal even if we were really dating? Just a trivial matter?"
Hiko had heard a long time ago that it was common for young people in Japan to date. As long as it didn't affect others, their teachers didn't seem to care.
Hiko had rarely paid attention to these things before, and no one had ever specifically discussed such topics with him. Therefore, hearing Ai say this now, he thought of the laws in Japan[1], where girls could legally marry at sixteen.
So, perhaps because the legal age for marriage was low, it was considered normal for them to date after junior high, and it wouldn't even be called "puppy love."
Hiko didn't understand this and thought silently to himself.
"Probably?" Ai replied with an uncertain tone.
"..."
'You're not even sure, so why did you say that…'
Hiko decided not to delve deeper into that topic and casually asked, "It's been two or three days since you transferred your student registration to this school; you should have gotten your new school uniform, right?"
"School uniform… Oh no, I forgot to get it…" Only then did Ai remember the purpose of her leaving the practice room. She had forgotten her backpack and was planning to return to school to retrieve it.
She had received her school uniform from the teacher today.
However, the school uniform was still in her backpack. As a result, she had forgotten all about it because she was talking to Hiko. Luckily, she hadn't completely forgotten.
Ai heard Saito Hiko mention the school uniform and suddenly remembered her destination. "I still have to go back to school to get my backpack."
"Actually, I forgot my backpack too. Let's go back together to get them."
Hiko, in his hurry to catch up with Ai, hadn't had time to put his things into his backpack, so his backpack was also left at school.
"Hmm… go back together…" Ai's voice gradually became as faint as a mosquito's. "You… let go of my hand first… otherwise, there really will be rumors tomorrow…"
"Ah… sorry…" Hiko replied in a tone as if he had just noticed, and then reluctantly released Ai's soft, tender hand.
After letting go, Ai immediately quickened her pace, walking back towards the school.
Hiko quickly followed.
Fortunately, the school wasn't very far from Ichigo-Pro, and the two walked back to school together in about ten minutes.
As Hiko entered the school, he took out his phone and checked the time.
5:16 PM.
No wonder he had seen classmates just now.
Hiko had thought that by this time, after club activities ended, most students would have already gone home.
But as he entered the campus, he could still see many students.
And they were scattered throughout the school, in pairs of boys and girls.
It was indeed as Ai had said; after school, there were still so many boys and girls at school… Even if they were seen together outside of school, it wouldn't be considered unusual.
"So many couples are still here after school." Hiko usually left school directly after classes, rarely staying past four o'clock.
"Let's quickly go back to the classroom, grab our backpacks, and leave," Ai said awkwardly.
Hiko felt that Ai was embarrassed by the atmosphere of the couples walking and joking around inside the school.
The two arrived at the classroom and didn't see anyone else there. They returned to their seats and picked up their backpacks.
"How about we finish our homework?" After picking up his backpack, Hiko felt that he would have to do homework anyway when he got home, and at school, he could also help Ai improve her homework efficiency. If there was extra time, he could even teach her the basics.
After all, the final exams were coming soon.
"What if someone else comes back?" Ai hesitated.
"It's been so long since class ended; those who needed to get things would have already come back and left. Besides, there isn't much homework, and we'll be done quickly. I can even teach you if there's anything you don't understand."
Hiko took out the homework assigned by the teacher in class, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "Didn't you say you wanted to try balancing your studies and idol activities? Then you should definitely study after school."
"Alright then."
Ai considered it for a moment, then sat down as well, took out her homework, and began to tackle the problems with a mix of tension and excitement.
A few minutes later, Hiko quickly finished his homework. He put his homework back into his desk.
After finishing, he turned to look at Ai beside him.
Only the rustling sound of her pen writing on her homework remained in the classroom.
Hiko moved his desk and chair next to her, saw that she was copying an article, and rested his chin on one hand, looking at Ai to his right.
He only spoke up to explain when she started to struggle with the exercises, and remained silent when he saw that she could do them herself.
Time flowed by unnoticed.
Ai finally finished all her homework.
"Phew~ I'm finally done. Thank you." Ai let out a long sigh and stretched her limbs to relieve her fatigue.
"Since the homework is done now, and I think we still have plenty of time, why don't I help you reinforce the knowledge you learned from the textbooks?" Hiko suggested again.
"Hmm… Maybe not today. It's a bit late…" Ai saw the evening glow in the sky outside the window and rejected the proposal.
"It is a bit late." Hiko expressed regret and then said again, "How about from now on, after school, we finish our homework first, and then I can tutor you?"
"Won't that delay you?" Ai put her finished homework back into her desk, and at the same time, picked up her backpack and placed it on the table, preparing to go home.
Hiko glanced at her backpack, remembering she had said she had received her school uniform. He figured she had just gotten it today, so her new school uniform would be in the backpack she was holding.
"Hiko-kun is staring at my backpack. What do you want to do?" Ai noticed Hiko's gaze and moved her backpack behind her.
"When you say that, it's like you're labeling me a pervert," Hiko protested with a dissatisfied voice.
Ai looked at Hiko's moved desk and chair, and then thought about how he had run with her earlier, and if she hadn't said anything, he wouldn't have let go.
Ai was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Does Hiko-kun not want to see me in my school uniform now?"
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[1] Before March 13, 2018, the legal marriage age in Japan was: male 18, female 16
[2] https://www.patreon.com/SmutCriminal69