Dual System in Daily World

Ms.Yukino turned back around, allowing Chisato to catch sight of what she was holding.

It was a small decorative charm, with a delicate red string tied to a cute ceramic cat figurine at the end.

Facing the two students' gazes, Yukino-sensei spoke up.

"This is a charm I received when I went to a shrine a few days ago to pray for a romantic relationship." 

"Originally, I planned to keep it and give it to my future boyfriend if I ever got one. But yesterday, I happened to hear from another student that you two are dating." 

"If you don't mind, I'd like to give these to you. Consider it both a reward for your academic performance and a blessing for you as a couple." 

"I hope you two will continue to support each other moving forward."

Being directly told by their teacher that they were in a relationship sent Kazusa's brain into immediate overheat mode.

So, Chisato reached out and accepted the gift, which was given out of kindness, and thanked the teacher with a bright smile.

"Thank you, sensei. We will."

"Alright, the official results will be announced next week. I won't take up any more of your time—head home safely."

Kazusa gave a slight bow and walked out of the faculty room with Chisato.

Out in the hallway, Chisato looked down at the two small charms in his palm. Kazusa quietly reached out her hand.

"You were silent the whole time. I thought you didn't want it."

Chisato teased her on purpose.

"Shut up and give it to me!"

Kazusa's tone wasn't exactly pleasant, but when she took the charm from his hand, her expression softened considerably.

She ran her fingers over the red string carefully, as if she were touching a precious treasure.

"This really suits Yukino-sensei's taste. It's quite a cute charm... though it doesn't feel very fitting for a guy."

Chisato glanced at the small object in his palm and spoke in a seemingly casual manner.

Kazusa's heart tensed.

"...You're not planning to wear it?"

What the teacher had said earlier—that this was a charm for love—was something that had been on Kazusa's mind the whole time.

Being able to wear a matching charm with the person she liked was, of course, something that would make her incredibly happy. But her pride wouldn't allow her to just say that out loud.

"Would you like me to wear it, Kazusa?"

Chisato asked mischievously.

"..."

Kazusa responded with a kick, hitting him on the back of his calf with the top of her foot.

Without another word, she walked into the classroom, quietly packed up her books, and placed her chair on the desk.

Meanwhile, Chisato remained unhurried. 

He took out his phone, removed the case, and threaded the small charm through one of the tiny holes. 

Once finished, he held up his phone and showed it to Kazusa.

The tension on her face immediately eased. She took out her own phone and did the same.

A girl needs a sense of ceremony—there was no escaping that.

Having this little charm, a subtle but unmistakable declaration of their relationship, would keep her in a good mood for a long time.

Any previous dissatisfaction vanished completely. Now, all that remained in her heart was pure joy, along with the anticipation of fulfilling the promise she had made with Chisato.

"I'll treat you today," she said. "Getting first place in our grade isn't too bad. I didn't just talk big—I actually pulled it off."

"Not at all. It's because tutoring you helped me review the material and solidify my knowledge. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get such a good score either."

"Ugh, that was disgustingly corny. Please never say that again."

"Is that so? But you seem to be enjoying it quite a bit."

"I am not."

"If you stay still, I can take a picture and show you."

"You're so annoying!"

They walked side by side, and the girl lightly punched the boy's arm.

With summer approaching, the days were getting longer.

Even now, after school, the sunlight remained strong and dazzling.

It was the same familiar family restaurant.

Back when Chisato and Kazusa had come here before, they had still just been classmates.

At the time, with her injured backside, Kazusa had been in full tsundere mode—cold and distant, looking both annoyed and resigned as she dealt with Chisato.

Now, on the surface, her behavior didn't seem all that different, but the way she actually acted had changed entirely.

For example, now that they were having a meal together, she no longer chose to sit across from him.

Instead, she naturally took the inner seat and patted the spot beside her.

Chisato found this kind of behavior endearing—the contrast between her words and actions was utterly irresistible.

He also enjoyed watching her delicate expressions during their meals, especially when she furrowed her brows and lightly pursed her lips because of the little things he did under the table.

"See this fork?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"If your hand on my leg doesn't behave, I'm stabbing it down—hard!"

Chisato looked at her, eyes glistening with moisture from embarrassment, and decided to back off—for now.

After all, he had been teasing her with little movements under the table since they sat down. It was about time to let her enjoy her meal in peace.

"…You're not mad, are you?"

After a moment of silence, Kazusa leaned in slightly and whispered the question.

Chisato found her inquiry so adorable that he deliberately put on a serious face.

"If I said I was, just a little bit?"

Kazusa hesitated for a moment before finally, reluctantly, offering,

"This is a restaurant. There are too many people around… But I can make it up to you later."

"And how exactly are you planning to do that?"

"You said before that if I reached my goal, we'd go watch the sunrise at the beach together, right?"

"Hmm, yeah, I did say that. Are you saying you want to cash in on that promise now?"

"Not necessarily this weekend… but I checked the weather forecast." 

"The next few days will have the best conditions for a while. Later on, there'll be cloudy and rainy days, which wouldn't be great for watching the sunrise…"

Kazusa mumbled her reasoning.

Chisato looked at her and felt deeply satisfied. After spending so much time with him, Kazusa was finally learning the art of saying things with a straight face.

"Then let's go this weekend. Tomorrow won't work—I need to notify my job in advance. How about Sunday?" 

"I'll research a good location tonight, and we can book a hotel near the beach on Saturday night. That way, we can set out early in the morning."

"Okay."

As soon as Chisato laid out the plan, Kazusa nodded without hesitation.

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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta

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