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The second floor of the school building, in the consultation room.
Mayuzumi Mafuyu handed her course notes to Max and added,"If there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask the subject teacher in the staff room."
"That's all. You can go now."
"Got it."
Max nodded, got up, and left the consultation room, heading back toward his classroom.
Mafuyu closed the door behind him, then glanced at his retreating back before turning toward the staff room herself.Her expression didn't change—calm, distant, a coldness that pushed people away.
A few minutes later, Max returned to class.
The moment he sat down, Miura Yumiko came over with Yui Yuigahama and Hina Ebina in tow.
"Hey, Max."
Yumiko flashed a bright smile.
"Miura, Yuigahama, Ebina," Max greeted them warmly, smiling back.
Yumiko Miura's striking blonde hair shimmered in the light. Two thick locks framed her shoulders, curled into deliberate drill-like spirals at the tips. Her features were refined, her skin pale, with light makeup brushing her brows and eyes. Her emerald-green eyes gleamed like jewels.
The fitted school uniform showed off her curves, her skirt hem brushing against her long, slender white legs. She radiated sunshine and energy, just like her dazzling smile. No wonder the boys had given her the nickname The Queen of Flames.
To her left stood Yui Yuigahama, short hair dyed a soft pinkish-peach, tied in a bun on the right side of her head. If you looked closely, you could see traces of a perm. She'd left the first button of her shirt undone, her ribbon slightly loose, a necklace resting at her throat. Her uniform stretched tight at the chest, creating a proud curve, and her skirt was cut shorter than most. Heavier makeup highlighted her naturally striking features, giving her an unmistakable gyaru vibe.
On Yumiko's right stood Hina Ebina. Black shoulder-length hair, red half-rim glasses. Her looks couldn't quite match Yumiko's brilliance or Yui's flash, but she had a neat, pleasant appearance. Her figure was average. Her standout trait? Being hopelessly obsessed with boy's-love scenarios.
Together, the three of them made up the famous Spring Trio—the very definition of "well-adjusted girls" in this world. Yumiko was their center, with the highest popularity among the boys. Yui came next, and Ebina, naturally, came last.
Out of the three, Max really only knew Yumiko and Yui. He'd gotten to know Ebina through them, so at best, they were casual friends.
His first encounter with Yumiko was during P.E., when she'd invited him to play tennis. That had gradually pulled them closer.
As for Yui, their connection started when Max happened to catch her runaway dog, Sablé, during the first holiday after school started.
After exchanging greetings, Yumiko asked with concern,"Max, are you feeling better now? Completely recovered?"
Beside her, Yui's eyes showed the same worry.
Although they were already on friendly terms with him, they still hadn't exchanged contact info. Yumiko had been hesitating about asking, but finally worked up the courage. Unfortunately, the very next day, Max had taken sick leave and disappeared from school.
With no way to reach him, she'd been left wondering how bad things were.
Now, seeing him back at school, full of energy and—if anything—even more handsome, she felt a rush of relief.
Up close, staring at his flawless face, her heart skipped faster. Truth was, Yumiko had felt drawn to him at first sight, on the very first day of school. That was why she'd struck up a conversation in P.E. And over time, that initial spark had only grown stronger.
At some point, she realized what it meant—she liked him. Sometimes it really was that simple, especially for teenagers in the middle of their youth.
So she decided. She would close the distance between them, little by little, and when the time was right—she'd confess.
"Thanks for worrying about me." Max smiled at them, his tone light. "But everything's been taken care of. No need to worry—I'm back to full strength."
"That's great!"
Relief softened Yumiko's heart. Her smile was radiant. Yui, too, let out a little breath and smiled brighter.
That was when Ebina chuckled and said,"When you were out sick, Yumiko was really worried about you. She wanted to ask how you were, but since you two didn't swap contacts, she had to wait till today."
"Ebina!"
Yumiko's cheeks flushed pink as she shot her friend a glare, clearly scolding her for "running her mouth."
Yui glanced between Yumiko and Max, then lowered her head a little, her smile dimming. Something weighed on her mind.
Max, meanwhile, caught Ebina's sheepish grin. He knew exactly what she was up to. His lips curved slightly.
Turning back to Yumiko, he said with a small laugh,"Now that you mention it, it's true—we still haven't exchanged contact info. Kinda weird for friends, isn't it? Why don't we fix that right now?"
He pulled out his phone.
"Sure!"
Yumiko's embarrassment melted into happiness as she quickly pulled out her own phone.
The two of them exchanged email addresses and LINE IDs.
Then Max looked at Yui and Ebina. "Well? You two just gonna stand there, or are we exchanging too?"
"Huh? Us too?!" Ebina looked genuinely surprised.
Max grinned playfully. "What, don't tell me we're not friends? That'd be a little depressing."
"That's not it at all! Of course not!" Yui quickly waved her hands, flustered.
Ebina watched her carefully, eyes narrowing behind her glasses. Then she smiled and said, "Well, in that case, let's do it."
And so, Max swapped emails and LINE IDs with both Yui and Ebina as well.
The four of them chatted until the class bell rang, and the girls returned to their seats.
The math teacher walked in with a textbook and started the lesson.
Time slipped away like wind brushing against tree branches.
Before long, the lunch break arrived.
Max pulled out his phone and sent Miko Yotsuya a message:
See you in thirty minutes.
"....."