"I was rejected?"
Tanaka Masao tasted the miso soup again before continuing, "That felt so perfunctory. By the way, Xuezhixia Classmate, shouldn't I be acting a bit more dejected right now?"
Yukinoshita Yukino also analyzed the situation with a serious expression.
"According to a normal person's reaction, you should be showing feelings of dejection right now."
"Oh, oh, I'll try."
Tanaka Masao nodded and began to brew his emotions. He took a sip of miso soup, revealing three parts disdain, three parts indifference, three parts pride, and one part mortified anger.
"Laughable, actually your miso soup is quite ordinary. You wouldn't think I like it, would you? You really..."
Watching Tanaka Masao like this, Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but smile.
"Tanaka-kin, where did you learn that rhetoric? The phrasing and tone sound so disgusted, but..."
Yukinoshita Yukino covered her mouth and took a moment to compose herself before continuing.
"But why does it sound so much like mortified anger?"
"Isn't it very effective?"
If even Yukinoshita Yukino could be made to laugh, how could it not be effective?
After the jokes, the two quietly ate their meal.
As for why there were only two of them?
Of course, it was because Kashi was still engrossed in eating, embodying the spirit of a true foodie.
After lunch and post-meal fruit, the three rested for a bit, and it was already almost two o'clock.
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't waste any time, urging the two to study.
Kashi's current task was simple: read books to enrich her knowledge, whether it was encyclopedias or classic literature, anything was fine.
Tanaka Masao's main task was still to study history and civics, which he wasn't good at. When he got tired, he would do problems from other subjects to relax.
Yukinoshita Yukino was also diligently reviewing. Whenever she reviewed something she felt was important, or solved a difficult problem, she would share it with Tanaka Masao.
Tanaka Masao was like a sponge, eagerly absorbing the knowledge Yukinoshita Yukino offered.
...
As dusk approached, they finally finished their studies.
Tanaka Masao stretched and sighed with emotion.
"I feel truly fulfilled, but my head feels a bit swollen."
Yukinoshita Yukino heard him and teased,
"That's a good thing, it means knowledge has successfully entered Tanaka-kin's head."
"So that's how it enters? I learned something, I learned something."
Kashi also closed the book in her hands and exclaimed,
"This novel is really good, I like it very much. Are there any similar ones? I want more."
"There are plenty of novels, enough for you to read. Let's solve the dinner problem first."
Tanaka Masao stood up from the floor and checked the time.
"My parents said they'll be home very late tonight. It's six o'clock now, let's go out for dinner."
Yukinoshita Yukino also sat up from the floor.
"Alright."
She was also a bit tired from studying and didn't want to cook herself. Eating out occasionally was fine.
"Yay! Let's go out for delicious food!"
Kashi jumped up, quite excited.
Tanaka Masao looked at Kashi.
[I forgot, you're still here, the third wheel.]
Yukinoshita Yukino picked up her bag. After dinner, she would go straight home.
Tanaka Masao went back to his room and brought out one of his jackets for Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Xuezhixia Classmate, it's a bit cold outside tonight, take this and wear it."
Yukinoshita Yukino was wearing a white spaghetti strap dress with a sky-blue short-sleeved jacket today.
This outfit was perfect during the day, but with the night breeze blowing, it might get a bit cold.
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the somewhat large jacket, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it.
"Thank you."
She wasn't a finicky person and didn't mind Tanaka Masao, so she took his clothes and put them on.
Yukinoshita Yukino is 1.63 meters tall, more than ten centimeters shorter than Tanaka Masao.
Coupled with Tanaka Masao being relatively stout, the jacket looked particularly loose on Yukinoshita Yukino.
Tanaka Masao surveyed Yukinoshita Yukino.
[This is the special charm brought by the so-called 'boyfriend jacket'.
I should be able to get this shirt back directly, right?]
The three arrived at a nearby commercial street.
At this time, and being a weekend, there were many people coming and going, making it particularly lively.
There were lone pedestrians, friends laughing and playing, sweet and loving couples, and warm and harmonious families of a few people...
The combination of Tanaka Masao and the two others seemed a bit special.
They looked a bit like a warm and harmonious family of three, but Tanaka Masao and Yukinoshita Yukino looked a bit young.
To say they were a sweet and loving couple, Tanaka Masao and Yukinoshita Yukino didn't act particularly intimate, and given the significant difference in their appearances, they couldn't be considered a perfect match.
Yukinoshita Yukino's perfect appearance, coupled with a bun hairstyle, made her look very gentle and virtuous.
The loose jacket on her body exuded delicacy and cuteness.
Her image perfectly matched all the beautiful fantasies people here had about a 'white moonlight,' an ideal wife, a Yamato Nadeshiko, and so on.
This made the surrounding men frequently pay attention, and even men with female companions couldn't help but sneak glances.
Yukinoshita Yukino could be said to be the most radiant and beautiful flower on this commercial street.
The petite, cute, and energetic Kashi also won the affection of a group of 'old fathers,' who all fantasized inwardly.
[If only I had such a cute little darling.]
Blondie: Old man, is the ghost fire safe downstairs?
As for the blondie, of course, that was Tanaka Masao.
Tanaka Masao was a bit helpless and shook his head slightly.
[Yare yare (Good grief), it's this again, these jealous stares, this feeling...
It's truly wonderful!]
Tanaka Masao was increasingly enjoying this feeling of being envied by others.
The three of them each held a meat pie bought from a stall and ate it with relish.
"I always feel like I forgot something very important, ah-woo ah-woo..."
Tanaka Masao said with emotion while eating.
"Oh my goodness, it's so delicious, oh~"
Yukinoshita Yukino merely glanced at him and reminded him,
"You forgot you're on a diet."
"Oh, right."
Tanaka Masao realized.
"Come to think of it, I've eaten a bit too much these past two days. What should I do? Should I stop now?"
Seeing Tanaka Masao speed up his eating, Yukinoshita Yukino rolled her eyes.
"If I told you to stop now, could you stop?"
"Hehe, at this point, how could I stop so easily?"
"Then there you have it. Just this once, don't let it happen again."
"That's great! I feel like Xuezhixia Classmate is becoming more and more gentle and tolerant."
"Then I should be careful, otherwise Tanaka-kin will get carried away."