Lin Mu felt like he was pretty despicable.
To deliberately play the pity card to evoke the angelic classmate's sympathy.
But it seemed like this trick was quite effective.
Although she hadn't paid him any attention all morning, at noon she still came over to ask about him, right?
And she even cared about whether he was eating well.
She probably hadn't even realized it herself, but she already saw him as someone special.
In front of other classmates, Shiina was always polite with a smile, approachable and easygoing.
She handled conversations with those around her effortlessly, maintaining her "angel" persona.
But only when facing him, Lin Mu, would she drop that "good girl" mask and show a more genuine side, with a bit of her own little temper.
Because of this, Lin Mu increasingly felt that capturing her right from the start had been the right move.
If he hadn't, how could he become a special existence in Shiina's heart?
...
In the afternoon, it was a quiz.
Kato Megumi handed him the test paper and turned back to start answering.
Lin Mu also began writing furiously.
This was a math quiz. His past self might not have been great, but with his awakened memories, these problems were a piece of cake.
To put it simply, any university student from China could thrive in a Neon high school.
After all, the math problems were genuinely simple, and the pace was slow.
Of course.
The premise was that you'd seriously completed high school math, and it wasn't taught by a PE teacher.
Could you imagine?
In the morning English class, the teacher just taught a few grammar points, had everyone memorize a few words, and then let them freely practice conversing in English?
The classes were incredibly relaxed and free.
But some people still found it tough.
For natural-born poor students, if they couldn't learn it, they just had to accept their fate.
After the math quiz ended, classmates started discussing the problems and checking answers.
Then, the guy next to him, Tobe Kakeru, let out a wail.
"I'm screwed, I chose the wrong one aaaah..."
Lin Mu didn't check answers with anyone; instead, he pulled out his laptop, which he'd bought with his part-time earnings.
He started playing an online game.
After checking, he found that someone named "Sakuba Akira" was recently developing a virtual reality game.
But it was still in development and hadn't invited testers yet.
The game he was playing now was an adventure-themed one, mainly teaming up with friends to fight monsters and farm gear.
However, seeing the priest who healed the monster for half its health and screwed over him, a teammate, Lin Mu's mouth twitched.
And looking at that female mage's name, "Yamano Aiko"?
Was it real or fake?
Was it the one he was thinking of?
The heroine from that anime "My Girlfriend is a Gal" or something? No, wait—the super heavy otaku girl who treated the game like reality, blurring it with the real world: the beautiful girl Yamano Aiko?
Looking at his own game character's name again.
It was Lin Tianzhen.
Well, why that name? Maybe to commemorate his once chuunibyou self, the naive one.
Now he had graduated from chuunibyou and transformed from human to demon.
Seeing the messages in the game from his "wife" Aiko, begging him to continue the dungeon run, Lin Mu felt a bit complicated.
Ignoring "Aiko-wife's" desperate pleas, he logged off directly.
Playing games was supposed to be relaxing.
But Aiko, you're going too far!
They were about to whittle down the boss, and you had to heal its HP back, screwing over the team.
Lin Mu instantly lost the will to keep playing.
And what was the game's designer thinking?
Why could players heal monsters?
It made him want to make an alt account to be a troll healer and mess with random teammates.
After the last class ended.
Classmates said goodbye to each other and left school.
Some went to club activities.
For example, Hayama Hayato was on the school soccer team, so he naturally went to training.
Lin Mu quietly followed behind Shiina Mahiru, who also wasn't joining any clubs, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
They boarded the train together.
After all, they lived next door to each other, so their way home was the same.
This time seemed to be rush hour.
A crowd of office workers squeezed in, making the air murky.
Lin Mu frowned and quickly pulled Shiina Mahiru's hand, pressing her into the corner and using his body to block others, creating a relatively open space for her.
Shiina Mahiru's face reddened as she sneaked a glance at him, then lowered her head and said softly.
"Thanks."
She wasn't stupid; she naturally knew he was doing this to prevent her from being groped by strangers.
Lin Mu nodded lightly in response.
But it was getting more crowded.
The train was already full, yet the attendant with white gloves outside kept shoving more people in.
Lin Mu was somewhat speechless.
With their "help," Lin Mu and Shiina Mahiru ended up pressed intimately together.
The girl's small face flushed red, her hands pressing against his chest, her breathing a bit rapid.
"Sorry, Shiina. This is force majeure."
"It's okay... I know."
Shiina Mahiru answered softly, but breathing in his scent up close made her body go a little weak.
Images from that night and the morning when he'd lovingly held her flashed in her mind, making the girl even more embarrassed.
She didn't blame him for being so close; after all, better him holding her than some stranger rubbing against her.
Today was just too unlucky; the train hadn't been this packed before.
Seeing Shiina Mahiru's small face slightly red, obediently nestled in his arms, Lin Mu's heart couldn't help but tremble.
The girl's palm-sized face, with her fair and tender skin paired with those small, cute cherry lips, was right in front of him up close.
He just had to lower his head to kiss her.
To taste that sweetness and softness.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Mu restrained his naughty thoughts and firmly blocked the people behind him.
He wouldn't give anyone a chance to touch her.
Soon, they reached a station.
The crowded train finally had some space, and Lin Mu reluctantly released her slender waist, maintaining a safer distance from her.
No choice; if he kept holding her, his little brother would start protesting.
Shiina Mahiru held her briefcase, head lowered, not daring to look him in the eyes.
She'd ignored him all day, only asking him one question at noon.
He'd seemed calm too, and she'd thought he was mad at her.
But facing that situation earlier, his first reaction was to pull her and protect her.
This touched the still sensitive and fragile Shiina Mahiru deep inside.
Lin Mu watched her lower her head in thanks, her face showing a conflicted expression. He glanced around and, seeing no classmates nearby, couldn't help but reach out and pat her little head.
"No need to be polite. Protecting you is what I should do."
Feeling the warmth on her head, Shiina Mahiru's eyes moistened slightly. She turned around, back to him.
After a while, she turned back solemnly, looking at him with her watery golden eyes.
"It's not something you 'should' do... I'll repay you."
Lin Mu smiled faintly. "Alright, I'll look forward to the angelic classmate's repayment then."
Hearing him use the nickname her classmates gave her, Shiina Mahiru felt an extreme wave of shame.
She pouted, glaring at him grumpily in protest. "Don't call me [angel]! I hate that."
"Uh... You're so popular, praised and admired by everyone with this wonderful title— isn't that good?"
Lin Mu feigned confusion as he looked at her, but in reality, he was quietly opening her heart, drawing them closer.
The "angel" facade was just Shiina Mahiru's posture toward outsiders, while with truly close people, she would show a more personal side.
The perfect angelic beauty in everyone's eyes was, at her core, just a girl yearning for gentle treatment.
As an "angel," Shiina Mahiru brought emotional value and joy to those around her, making people feel a spring-breeze warmth just by seeing her or talking to her.
But always providing that emotional uplift to others must tire Shiina Mahiru out too.
For example, Hayama Hayato was the type who was gentle to everyone.
Though it was a cultivated facade, a fake mask, even he occasionally felt exhausted from dealing with everyone.
The angel's smile belonged to everyone, but that little personality of hers was uniquely Lin Mu's.
She would only show it to him.
Lin Mu hoped she would keep being a bit willful in front of him.
Ventilating some emotions would make her feel more comfortable.
"..."
Facing his question, Shiina Mahiru was silent for a few seconds, then turned her head away in dissatisfaction. "Anyway... I just don't want you calling me that... I'm not some angel."
Lin Mu shrugged and went along with it. "Then I'll just call you Shiina then."
"Whatever, as long as it's not angel."
Shiina Mahiru nodded slightly, glanced at him, then quickly looked away.
She didn't know how to interact with Lin Mu.
With other classmates, she had endless topics to handle; if words ran out, a smile would prompt them to keep the conversation going.
Even for casual classmate chit-chat, she was used to smiling at everyone.
But facing Lin Mu, the man who'd taken her body and seen her in disarray more than once, Shiina Mahiru's heart was still a mess.
She'd decided not to acknowledge him, to forget those things.
Yet he unreasonably approached her again.
Earlier, he'd even pressed close, holding her protectively in his arms.
As her mood was complicated and she stayed silent.
Lin Mu's voice rang in her ear.
"Shiina, we've arrived at the station. Time to get off!"
"Oh."
She snapped back, hurriedly getting off with him and walking toward the rental apartment.
From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Lin Mu's face, muttering to herself.
Tonight... I'll make an extra portion of food.
Remembering how he'd only eaten a ham sausage and bread for lunch, she couldn't stand it.