"So, they shed out in humiliation?" Shuichi Chiba easily guessed what happened his sort of thing was all too on.

  "Pretty much," Sumire Nagase nodded. "At first, it was just some of the people she rejected making snide ents, saying she was arrogant and looked down on others."

  "But then female teachers got involved, and thied quickly."

  Shuichi interrupted, "Wait, am I overthinking this? Did she also reject female teachers?"

  Sumire rolled her eyes at him. "What are you even imagining? No, it was female teachers who were jealous of her. They joined in on the gossip and started badmouthing her behind her back."

  "Ah, that makes sense." Shuichi said, clig his tongue in self-awareness. It seemed like the antics of a certain shameless student cil president had corrupted his thoughts tely.

  "If it had just been that, it might not have been such a big deal. Workpce drama like this isn’t rare—whether it’s about looks or outstanding abilities, people bee targets."

  Sumire sighed wistfully. "But she happeo excel ihing—she wasn’t just beautiful; she was incredibly capable, and even her personality was remarkable."

  "Despite all the snder, she tio smile as always, carrying on with her work and life step by step, remaining kind and friendly to everyone." Sumire Nagase said.

  "Usually, being a little excellent might spark jealousy, but being too excellent should inspire admiratiht?" Shuichi Chiba mused, stroking his thoughtfully.

  "Maybe that’s true in theory, but her fault was being too perfect," Sumire replied with a hint of mencholy. "A perfect person makes ordinary people feel inferior and ashamed of their own fws. It makes them resent their imperfes even more, so they bee obsessed with shattering that perfe.

  "They’ll do whatever it takes t her down to their level, make her just as tainted as themselves, so they stop feeling so ie. It’s probably a basic human instinct..." Sumire, as a literature teacher, reflected with a touch of poetitimentality.

  "A perfect person, huh?" Shuichi Chiba murmured, deep in thought. He didn’t believe such a thing truly existed in this world.

  Beauty often stems from distance. Most likely, no one had gotten close enough to Ichika Kitagawa to see beyond the surface, so they perceived her as fwless.

  "Then one day, suddenly, a rumor spread. It cimed she was i, that she liked walking around without clothes—a shameless woman," Sumire tinued.

  "Huh?" Shuichi raised his head, looking at her in surprise.

  Sumire’s face was filled with indignation. "At first, no one knew where the rumor came from. Later, we found out it started after Ichika kindly let a female colleague who was on good terms stay at her pce. Somehow, this twisted into that disgusting gossip."

  "So, the whole thing about not wearing clothes happeirely in Ichika’s home," Sumire tinued, her voice tinged with frustration. "It was likely just a case of Ichika being caught after a bath or ging in her bedroom.

  "But out of jealousy, the colleague twisted the truth and spread the rumor... and it eventually led to Ichika’s social downfall. She couldn’t keep w and had no choice but tn and leave."

  "That’s truly awful." Shuichi Chiba remarked, thinking back to the unal showers at his uy in his previous life. Everyone was used to such openness, and no ohought much of it.

  He hadn’t expected something so trivial could destroy someone’s life.

  "No wonder you once said that being popur isn’t always a good thing, Sensei," Shuichi ehoughtfully. "I see now you were speaking from experience."

  "With your looks, Sensei, if you ever dressed up, you’d probably fatense jealousy as well." he added, his toeasing but also sincere.

  Sumire shot him an exasperated sideways ghat sounds suspiciously like a baded pliment."

  "Now that’s just unfair," Shuichi said, spreading his hands in mock protest. "I’m genuinely worried about you, Sensei. Maybe it’s your own ck of fidehat makes you think otherwise?"

  The temosphere lightened immediately, and a hint of a smile tugged at Sumire’s lips.

  Sumire Nagase sighed, no longer feeling indignant. She simply waved her hand and said, “Don’t mention it. Any woman would lose fiden front of Ichika.”

  "I tell," Shuichi Chiba said with a knowing click of his tongue. "You say she’s your friend, but you always refer to her by her st sk, tsk."

  Sumire felt a pang of embarrassment and irritation. “We are friends, it’s just... I’ve always called her by her st of habit. I never bothered to ge it.

  "And besides, Ichika isn’t the type to ugh and joke around. If I started calling her something cute, it would feel off...”

  "Oh, so Sensei is the one who’s the jokester when it’s just the two of you?" Shuichi grinned, clearly honing in on the key point.

  "...” Sumire felt like this guy was going to drive her crazy. “Alright, enough of that. Css is about to start. Go bad get to your lesson.”

  Shuichi watched her leave, heading back to css himself, while mulling over everything she had said.

  Ichika Kitagawa, huh?

  It seemed like Sumire wasn’t as familiar with her so-called "friend" as she thought. Who knows how much of what she said could actually be trusted.

  Shuichi Chiba shook his head, realizing that overthinking wouldn’t get him anywhere. He'd o actually i with Ichika to uand her better. For now, he could only firm ohing—her looks were definitely not a problem.

  However, if she really was that "perfect existence" who kept everyo arm's length, making her feel a sense of belonging to the shopping street would probably be quite a challenge.

  He’d just have to take it oep at a time, especially since he wasn’t even sure she would show up.

  …

  The first css iernoon was math. Shuichi, bored, pulled out his phone and decided to mess with someone.

  And then… he picked Sayuki Ogawa.

  They had just reached the "kissing" stage yesterday, so now was the perfect time to strike while the iron was hot.

  [Show me ys?]

  [Show me ys?] Sayuki Ogawa immediately replied.

  [...] Shuichi Chiba's eyelid twitched slightly.

  [Chiba-kun, ys feel pretty nice. Why not send me a photo?]

  Sayuki Ogayfully mimicked his earlier antid returhe favor.

  [Feel free to cast your spells, Sayuki-san.] Shuichi Chiba generously rolled up his pant leg and took a photo to send over.

  [I don’t have that kind of fetish. But ter, remember to take some time to remove unnecessary clothing and send me more body photos.]

  [Tsk… Sayuki-san has quite the appetite. we trade? I’d like to see photos like that of Sayuki-san too.]

  [What are you dreaming about? I meant full-body photos or muscle shots. Once you’ve made some progress with your training, it’ll be easier to pare. Seeing visible improvement helps boost motivation and fidence for w out.]

  [Alright, but a serious Sayuki-san is particurly charming. I ’t wait to start Sayuki-san’s training.]

  Shuichi Chiba wasn’t into anything strange; he was genuinely looking forward to fitness.

  After all, Sayuki Ogawa’s attat to the shopping district had reached 40, granting a 400% bonus effect for the gym managed by her.

  Training for one day was equivalent to five days—an ideal physique was within reach!

  Who could resist such a temptation?

  [Heh, let’s hope you don’t regret it.]

  [Will I get crushed to death by Sayuki-san’s thighs?]

  [If that’s what you’re expeg, it’s irely impossible.]

  [Then I’ll book that experience for 50 years ter.]

  Sayuki Ogawa rolled her eyes. By then, she’d be an old granny. [Do you have anything serious to talk about? If not, I’m busy and don’t have time to py with a little boy like you.]

  [The serious matter is, I miss Sayuki-san.]

  [How fake. I don’t buy it, so don’t waste your effort.]

  [Sayuki-san, you’re being too judgmental. It’s absolutely genuine. My lips have been hurting all day; how could I not think of Sayuki-san?]

  [...] Sayuki Ogawa had nument; it was hard not to think of such a thing. [So, what’s your point?]

  [I o bite back, or the more I think about it, the more I feel cheated.]