"Thank you, but no."
After a brief hesitation, Yukino Yukinoshita politely declined.
She looked like a snow lotus blooming on a mountain peak—pure and beautiful, yet distant and untouchable.
Yukino Yukinoshita. It was indeed a beautiful name. But perhaps, like her name, there was a coldness hidden beneath that purity.
"It's fine, really!"
To most people, being turned down by Yukino Yukinoshita would be reason enough to stop trying, maybe even to avoid her afterward. But Tsumugi Kotobuki wasn't most people.
"There's still plenty left."
Smiling, Tsumugi lifted the teapot in her hand and fetched another set of teacups from the cabinet.
As Yukino watched, slightly taken aback, Tsumugi filled a delicate teacup with fragrant tea and gently set it in front of her.
"Here."
The rich aroma rose between them, and for some reason, Yukino found herself unable to say the words of refusal that had formed on her lips. Her soft pink lips parted slightly—then she accepted the cup.
"Thank you."
"Would you like some cookies, too?"
Before Yukino could respond, Tsumugi added cheerfully, "There's plenty more!"
Yukino looked up and met Tsumugi's kind eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Suddenly, Yukino stood up. Though her head was lowered, Lin Zhi caught a glimpse of the faint panic flickering across her delicate face.
She set the teacup down, pressed her lips together, and bowed apologetically.
"Forgive me, I just remembered I have something to do. I'll see you all tomorrow."
With that, Yukino quickly gathered her book and bag, bowed once more, and hurried out of the room.
Silence lingered in the clubroom.
Ritsu Tainaka puffed out her cheeks. "She's kinda hard to get along with, huh? I mean, Mugi was being so nice, and she just walked out!"
Mio Akiyama nodded in agreement, a touch of annoyance in her expression.
Lin Zhi, however, had a different take. He looked at the two girls, who were indignant on Tsumugi's behalf, and said with a smile, "Maybe she just felt embarrassed."
"No way! Yukinoshita's totally the cool, distant beauty type!"
"That kind of character is always cold and unreachable—that's just her vibe!" Ritsu declared confidently, then eyed Lin Zhi suspiciously. "Hey, Light Music Club's Lin! Don't tell me you're taking her side just because she's pretty!"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"
Mio, caught off guard, blushed furiously and glared at Ritsu.
Ah, another classic "black-haired beauty" who was painfully shy—Lin Zhi couldn't help but think to himself.
He chuckled softly and said, "President, I think you've been reading too many romance novels."
"That's not wrong," Tsumugi agreed as she walked over, holding her teacup.
"Huh? You think so too, Mugi?" Ritsu looked genuinely shocked.
That icy, untouchable Yukino Yukinoshita—a shy person? Impossible!
"Then doesn't that make her just like Mio?"
"Not quite."
To their surprise, Tsumugi shook her head.
"Mio does get embarrassed easily, that's true. But Yukinoshita isn't like that."
"Wait, wait—now I'm confused!" Ritsu groaned, one hand clutching her forehead while the other braced on the table.
Lin Zhi laughed. "What Mugi means is that Yukinoshita only gets uncomfortable about certain things. That doesn't mean she's shy overall."
He paused, then continued thoughtfully, "From what we've seen, she's actually someone who's calm, efficient, and capable of handling things on her own."
"Really?"
Ritsu's head was spinning. None of this was making sense anymore.
"Then why would Yukinoshita get embarrassed?" Mio asked, equally puzzled. As someone shy herself, she was hopeless at understanding people in these kinds of situations.
"That… I'm not too sure," Lin Zhi admitted. "Maybe Mugi has a better idea."
"Hm…"
Tsumugi touched a finger to her lips, deep in thought.
"How should I put it…" she murmured. "It just feels… familiar somehow. Like I've seen something like that before, but the memory's a little hazy."
Her thick eyebrows furrowed slightly as she pondered.
And then, suddenly, a spark lit up in Lin Zhi's eyes.
"I think I've figured it out."
"What?!" Ritsu leaned forward eagerly.
But Lin Zhi took his time, speaking deliberately—driving Ritsu mad with anticipation.
"If I remember correctly, Yukinoshita is one of the most popular students at her school. They even call her the 'Flower on the High Peak'—beautiful, but beyond reach."
"The higher the flower blooms," he continued, "the harder it is to touch."
"To everyone else, Yukinoshita must seem like someone far above them, an existence they can only admire from afar."
He paused, recalling the car accident that had happened before the semester began.
If he wasn't mistaken, Yukinoshita came from a distinguished family—raised with impeccable manners and education, but also with strict expectations and rigid rules.
People like her often seemed flawless, but that perfection came with a price.
They missed out on something—something simple, yet vital.
"Like friends," Lin Zhi said quietly.
"So, Yukinoshita probably hasn't had many chances to get close to anyone. She's used to being alone, and that solitude became her norm. When Mugi suddenly reached out to her with such warmth, it must have felt completely foreign—something she didn't know how to handle. That confusion, that unease, probably made her want to run away."
The room fell silent once more.
Then, after a long pause, Ritsu spoke up, her voice tinged with wonder.
"Wow, Lin… that actually makes a lot of sense."
What do you mean actually? Lin thought helplessly.
It made perfect sense.
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T/N:
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