Hiratsuka Shizuka's departure left Yukinoshita Yukino and Mori Shinra in a space to be alone together.
Under normal circumstances, for two people meeting for the first time, such a space would only allow awkwardness and silence to grow uncontrollably.
Fortunately, neither Mori Shinra nor Yukinoshita were ordinary people.
As the president of the Service Club and the host of this classroom, Yukinoshita Yukino was the first to speak. "Please, have a seat for now, Mori-san."
As she spoke, Yukinoshita discreetly glanced at Mori Shinra's left leg. She then rose from her own seat, went to the back of the classroom, and helped move a chair, placing it about two to three meters from her original spot.
"Thank you." Mori Shinra wasn't reserved, accepting the beautiful girl's kind gesture graciously.
After hearing his thanks, Yukinoshita's mood inexplicably improved a little. A faint smile appeared on her ice-queen-like face, beautiful like the snow in her name.
"You're welcome. Would you like some black tea?"
Yukinoshita loved black tea, especially while reading. The aroma of tea and a good book always complemented each other. She had brought some black tea, brewing equipment, and disposable paper cups from home to the Service Club, which could be used to serve guests if any arrived.
Mori Shinra was a prospective member, and also a guest.
"That would be wonderful." Mori Shinra accepted with pleasure. He also enjoyed tea, with a particular fondness for white tea, and black tea being his second choice.
"The doctor at the hospital also recommended that I drink some tea in moderation. He said the nutrients in the tea leaves are beneficial for recovery."
The doctor, of course, had said no such thing. This was Mori Shinra's own prescription for himself.
As for the purpose...
Feeling the fluctuation in Yukinoshita's emotions, the suspicion in Mori Shinra's mind was now essentially confirmed.
As he thought, that black luxury sedan belonged to the Yukinoshita family. It seemed his club president was also in the car at the time; otherwise, there would be no reason for her to feel guilty upon seeing him.
They didn't know each other before this.
At first, Mori Shinra was only suspicious, but after a series of probes, he was finally certain of his hypothesis.
This made him reflect on how small Japan truly was.
"Please, have some." The perpetrator, Miss Yukinoshita, served the tea, completely unaware that she was already being watched by the victim.
"Arigato~" Mori Shinra took the tea with both hands, blew on it gently, and took a small sip. The rich, characteristic aroma of black tea instantly filled his palate.
Putting the cup down, Mori Shinra decided not to continue probing any further.
"Yukinoshita-san, are you familiar with the Trolley Problem?"
Yukinoshita Yukino froze for a moment, apparently not expecting Mori Shinra to leap from the topic of black tea straight to ethical philosophy.
Then, she immediately realized what he was trying to say. At this moment, only one thought was in her mind—she'd been found out!
The girl closed the paperback she had just opened, straightened her posture, and was just organizing her words to speak when she heard Mori Shinra continue:
"Pull the lever, and the trolley switches tracks, sacrificing one person to save five. Don't pull the lever, the trolley continues forward, and all five perish. Yukinoshita-san, what would you choose?"
Yukinoshita pursed her lips and replied, "I would not pull the lever."
"Very good. It seems Yukinoshita-san is a moral absolutist. Next question: a car is driving normally down a road when a dog suddenly darts out in front. To save the dog, a person then jumps out. At this moment, even if the driver slams on the brakes, they will hit both the person and the dog. However, if the driver hits the brakes and turns the steering wheel at the same time, they will only hit an innocent bystander. So, may I ask..."
As Mori Shinra paused, Yukinoshita Yukino's breath caught in her throat. Her heart began to beat faster involuntarily, and her fair hands clenched into fists.
"May I ask why you feel guilty about this, Yukinoshita-san?"
"..."
"Eh?"
A moment later, a cute, involuntary sound escaped Yukinoshita's lips, and her delicate face was filled with unconcealed astonishment.
In response, Mori Shinra simply shrugged and continued, "The steering wheel was in the driver's hands, not yours, wasn't it?"
If this were a typical Japanese drama plot, Mori Shinra would probably be saying: "Yukinoshita-san, you wouldn't want anyone to find out, would you..."
But this was reality, and Mori Shinra currently had no desire to end up in an interrogation room.
"But..." Yukinoshita Yukino's mind was in a whirl from his words. She opened and closed her mouth several times but couldn't manage to form a sentence.
At this point, even if she were dense, Yukinoshita could see that Mori Shinra already knew she was in the car. Not only that, but he had also keenly perceived her emotions and was trying to comfort her.
Suddenly, Yukinoshita recalled their conversation when they first met. She had used the art of language to evade his question of "you've seen me before."
Although she hadn't lied, the result was tantamount to a lie, which was why she had felt so irritated at the time.
And in the end, she still couldn't hide it from him...
It was one thing not to realize it, but upon realizing it, Yukinoshita felt an unprecedented level of embarrassment. The proud and emotionally delicate girl now dared not meet Mori Shinra's gaze. The tips of her ears turned red, her body tensed, and the toes inside her white indoor shoes curled up tightly.
The best description of Yukinoshita Yukino's state right now was that she desperately wanted to find a crack in the floor to hide in.
The feeling of embarrassment was so intense that, in Mori Shinra's vision, the light red color symbolizing it had almost completely enveloped the girl.
"Every wrong has a source, every debt has a debtor. You aren't the type of person who likes to take the blame for others' mistakes, are you, Yukinoshita-san? That would be a very tiring way to live," Mori Shinra said in a joking tone.
Taking a few deep breaths and regaining her composure, Yukinoshita shook her head and replied seriously, "That may be so, but I still bear a portion of the responsibility."
"I'm sorry..."
This apology wasn't for the car accident, but for her attempt to evade Mori Shinra's question with her words when they first met.
At this point, Mori Shinra had a general understanding of his new club president.
Just and proper, extremely strict with herself, with an inner beauty that was in no way inferior to her outward appearance. A rare beauty of this era, both intelligent and beautiful.
The qualities she had displayed so far were more than enough to earn her the title of the school's number one beauty.
"If it will make you feel better, I accept your apology," Mori Shinra said, sitting up straight and responding with equal seriousness.
But after saying that, he suddenly relaxed. He lifted the paper cup of black tea as if it were a wine glass and gestured towards Yukinoshita. "Well then, for all future club activities, I'll be in your care, Madam President. Cheers~"
"That's not how you drink tea." Despite her words, Yukinoshita returned the gesture in the same manner.
It was as if they were not holding teacups but wine-filled glasses, and they were not in a high school clubroom but at a grand banquet.
Perhaps finding the situation too comical, Yukinoshita let out a laugh, and Mori Shinra laughed along with her.
The color in the classroom shifted from light red to a warm orange-yellow.
Just then, the classroom door was suddenly slid open with a loud noise, and the laughter stopped abruptly.
"Yukinoshita, I'm coming in."
Hiratsuka Shizuka took in the scene before her, her expression unreadable. "Oh? It looks like you two are getting along well. By the way, are you two... role-playing?"
Her smile gone, Yukinoshita turned to Mori Shinra with a serious expression. "I think we need to add a lock to the classroom door for future club activities."
"I second the motion."