Makoto placed a hand on Aizawa's shoulder, his tone still gentle:
"Courage isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. Don't let fear hold back your steps."
Aizawa's expression gradually turned resolute.
Not only had he changed, but Yukino and the others were the same.
[Nino's Gift] was now in effect.
"I understand now. I'll do my best! Fushimi, if I don't do well, I won't sleep tonight. I'll practice in front of the mirror all night if I have to!"
Aizawa responded loudly, bowing deeply to Makoto.
Hayato put on a deliberately helpless smile:
"Although I only came to observe this time, what can I say, we're friends, right? Count me in. If there's anything I can do, just say the word."
The others chimed in as well: "Same here."
Ichika stared blankly at Makoto before suddenly breaking into a beautiful smile: "I don't know why, but suddenly I don't feel like arguing with you anymore, Yukinoshita."
Yukino replied with apparent calm: "Doing your best is simply the right thing to do."
But in her heart, she was thinking: If he were like this every day, I might not be able to stop myself from going over to his house.
"So that's how he sees me?" Itsuki took a deep breath. She needed to work harder too.
Just then, a passerby outside the window suddenly shouted,
"Young man, thank you for your encouragement! I was struggling with whether to go find her again, but now I've made up my mind—I'm going to be brave and go for it!"
The sudden shout startled Makoto. He leaned out the window and saw a man in a suit striding confidently in a certain direction.
Not far from the window, a fat orange cat meowed a few times with determination and walked off in the opposite direction.
It was going to boldly reclaim territory, bringing honor back to stray cats for Makoto.
Watching the man and cat run off in different directions, Makoto thought to himself: This effect reaches that far?
It almost covered half a basketball court.
Maybe, somewhere out of sight, even the rats had been inspired, courageously battling for the title of King of the Mice.
Thank you, Nino!
The filming afterward went incredibly smoothly.
Even those background extras who just wanted a bit of extra cash and were treating it like playing pretend with high schoolers were now burning with passion.
As for Yukino and the others—no need to mention how fired up they were.
Makoto was the most dedicated of them all.
To maintain the buff, he had to keep fooling himself.
Everyone was in top form. Just from morning to afternoon, they finished the amount of work planned for three days.
Makoto estimated that at this pace, they'd be done filming in at most half a month. He'd also seriously studied post-editing and figured the finished product wouldn't take long.
After filming wrapped, the extras left, Hayato and the others went home, leaving only a few people including Makoto to pack up.
"Want some ice cream? My treat."
Ichika was in a great mood and generously glanced at Yukino.
"Sure." Yukino nodded.
As Ichika walked off, Yukino looked at Makoto packing equipment: "I've realized I still have a lot to learn."
Makoto instantly understood—she was eager to improve again.
Because Itsuki was nearby, she could only hint: I don't have enough time, I need to improve during the time loops.
Makoto noticed from the corner of his eye that Itsuki was also looking his way, so he smiled and said, "If you run into anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me anytime."
"Okay." Yukino beamed.
That meant he had agreed.
Itsuki noticed this and couldn't help but admire Yukino in her heart: Her passion for learning is truly admirable. I need to be like that too.
Ichika came back carrying a bag and handed out ice cream to everyone. She bought a popsicle for herself.
"A 13 cm popsicle, not bad, not bad. The one I bought last time was only 10 cm. I'm sticking with this brand from now on."
Even before opening the wrapper, Ichika precisely stated the measurement.
Yukino was momentarily stunned.
Even she couldn't instantly give such accurate numbers.
She was still thinking when she missed Ichika sneaking a glance at Makoto's pants after stating the measurement...
Yes, there was a reason why Ichika was so precise with data.
It was still early, so no one rushed home. They sat on a bench in a nearby park to rest.
Makoto sat alone on one bench, while the three beautiful girls relaxed on the one next to him.
He hadn't planned on staring, but Yukino suddenly lifted one beautiful leg and gently tapped the ground with her heel.
"Got sand in your shoe?" Ichika asked.
"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," Yukino replied, just as she noticed Makoto looking at her feet.
She glared back immediately, her eyes issuing a silent warning: Watch your gaze.
Makoto stayed calm—he wasn't like that anime-adapted-from-a-game teacher who would shamelessly lick a girl's feet.
It's just that three beautiful girls sitting side by side, with three pairs of beautiful legs perfectly lined up, combined with Yukino's movement, made him unconsciously start comparing them in his mind.
Even beautiful legs and feet had their differences.
Yukino's build was more slender. Though her thighs had some flesh, they were still delicately proportioned with a refined beauty.
Her small feet were dainty and perfectly held in hand. Yukino was delicate... melt-in-your-mouth...
Wait, that option is not on the table.
The Nakano girls were more developed.
Their leg curves were more sensuous, yet not an ounce of fat in sight.
Their small feet were soft, with slim ankles, slightly arched soles, and smooth, rounded heels that exuded a graceful charm.
Just then, Makoto's phone vibrated. It was a message from Yukino.
Yukino: [Look again and I'll definitely tell Ichika and the others about your perverted preferences.]
Makoto chuckled and calmly typed: [If you do that, I'll lick your feet.]
Yukino instantly flushed.
Her pale cheeks turned bright pink, her eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, and her eyes filled with a mix of shyness and anger.
For some reason, they shimmered with a seductive gleam.
This bastard... it was one thing to touch, but now he wants to eat too?
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